A Mysterious Human Face Carved on Stone Dated to Bronze Age Discovered in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s rich archaeological landscape continues to reveal fascinating details about ancient civilizations. Recent research in the Akmola, and Pavlodar revealed a stone carving depicting a human face and burial sites dating back to the Bronze Age.
Kazakh archaeology not only enriches the scientific world with its remarkable discoveries but also reveals the main stages of the ancient and medieval development of Kazakhstan society.
A mysterious archaeological find has been uncovered in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan.
Employees of the Regional Emergency Situations Department came across a historical find in the form of a human face carved into stone and invited archaeologists to examine the artifact.
The monument, which originated from an ancient sculptor, was brought to the attention of scientists from Astana and their colleagues abroad. According to the experts, it is currently difficult to determine which era the item belongs to.
Scientists are divided on the origins of the artifact. Some assert that the stone has been in its current location since the Bronze Age, while others attribute its presence to the subsequent Turkic period.
Sergey Yarygin, a leading scientist at the Alkey Margulan Institute, noted that similar carvings have been found in Bronze Age settlements in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, Astana Times reported.
He also pointed out the presence of analogous images in the early Iron Age in southern Siberia and in medieval Turkic cultures that spread across the Eurasian steppes. Despite these parallels, Yarygin emphasized that the exact period of the artifact remains uncertain, as it could belong to various historical epochs, including more recent times.
The distinctive discovery was made by Nursultan Ashkenov and Akhmet Zaripov, employees of the Sandyktau district fire service. The Emergency Situations Department has taken the stone under its protection.
“It is a source of great satisfaction to make such an important discovery while engaged in our primary responsibilities. Furthermore, I believe that this achievement will have a positive impact not only on our district but also on the entire country,” stated Aset Zhangozhin, head of the Emergency Situations Department of Sandyktau district.
This finding is expected to draw more scholarly attention and may prompt further archaeological investigations in the area.
Important discoveries from the Bronze Age in the Pavlodar Region
In the Koktas complex in the Pavlodar Region, a large number of rare and valuable artifacts were unearthed during the archaeological excavation carried out by researchers from the Pavlodar Pedagogical University. The Koktas site also contains over 20 burial mounds, some of which date back to the Saka period.
Among them is the most notable, a bronze spearhead from the mid-13th to the 8th century BCE that is said to have come from the Sargarin-Alexeyev culture. Asylbek Yelaman, a second-year student, found this spearhead, which is unique for the area. Aside from the spearhead, pieces of pottery kitchenware were also discovered.
A Decorated Block with Decapitated Gaul Found for the First Time in Toul, France
A Corinthian-style carved block that was once part of the entablature of a monumental Gallo-Roman public building has been discovered in Toul, northeastern France. This is the first time an architectural element of this size, Corinthian-style found in Toul.
In Toul, a city in northeastern France, a large-scale construction project is underway to install a heating network, a system of underground pipes that pump hot water, preventing the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in every building.
The operation involved following the opening of several sections of trenches for the installation of the future district heating network, over a total length of around 2 km, from March to November 2024. Researchers didn’t expect to make monumental discoveries along the way.
Toul is an ancient city existing in a modern time, built first at the crossroads of Roman roads and then developed well into the 19th century, according to a news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
The ancient, medieval, and modern town of Tullum-Toul developed at the confluence of the Moselle and the Ingressin stream, at the foot of the Moselle hills. It is located at the crossroads of Roman roads (including the Via Agrippa), ancient paths, and bridges spanning the Moselle. It has flourished since ancient times, becoming the chief town of the Belgic Leuci trib.
Roman walls were previously discovered, then one piece of the stonework was found to have carvings.
Originally a Leuci hillfort (oppidium), the town was surrounded by massive defensive walls constructed by the Romans in the late third or early fourth century. These walls largely relied on spoglia, which are repurposed building materials from older structures. The walls stood for centuries. The walls and 15 towers remained in active use until the fortifications were rebuilt in 1700.
Toul became the seat of a bishopric in the fourth century and of a vast diocese based on the ancient Pagus Tullensis. From the middle of the sixteenth century, Toul was associated with the three Lorraine bishoprics of Verdun and Metz, which became part of the kingdom of France.
Archaeologists from France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) that a fragment of the ancient wall seven feet thick was discovered in April, followed by a low masonry and rubble wall nearby. The carved block of stone was discovered 20 feet away from this second wall.
Archaeologists believe the block once belonged to a monumental building, but then at some point later in history it was broken and used as part of the defensive wall.
The block of white limestone is a sizable portion of an elaborately carved entablature. Its dimensions are four feet wide by 3.3 feet deep by 1.7 feet high, and its weight exceeds 880 pounds. It was likely larger before it was broken apart. It features two elaborate modillions, which are brackets that support tall, flat architectural elements like roofs and cornices. It is broken at both ends, likely damaged when it was torn off an old building for reuse in the wall.
A Gaul being beheaded by a Roman sword surrounded by vines was carved into the stone.
The modillions feature acanthus-like vegetal decoration on one and the Gallo-Roman version of a Green Man figure on the other. Between the modillions are two rectangular metopes. One is carved with what appears to be a shield, the other with an iconographic type seen on local potin leuque coins from the 1st B.C.
In between the artistic carvings, a more violent image is cut into the stone. The severed head of a Gaul is carved with a hollow eye, and the head is resting on what is identified as a Roman sword. Archaeologists said the image is a clear depiction of the Romans’ victory over the Gallic people in northeastern France.
Although a large mausoleum located north of Trier has an entablature with similar features, this block’s elaborate decoration and size suggest it was part of a monumental public building. Comparable examples from the second century A.D. can be seen on the facades of temples, theaters, baths, triumphal arches, and gates.
The block has been placed in temporary storage at the INRAP headquarters in Metz. It will cleaned, conserved, and studied before eventually going on display in the Toul Museum.
The Truth Behind The 4000-Year-Old Skeletons Of “A Mother Who Was Trying To Shield Her Child”
Images of skeletons from the Lajia site in the Qinghai province of China are captivating. Painstaking excavation and pedestaling of the bones reveals adults and children in a 4,000-year-old embrace.
But while these images have gotten media attention today, the archaeological site has been excavated since 1999 by archaeologists primarily from the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Antiquity and Archaeology.
By Kristina Killgrove
The site of Lajia is associated with the Qijia culture, dating to the late Neolithic to early Bronze Age, and is located in the Guanting Basin of the upper Yellow River.
This site has produced everything from cave-dwelling type houses to pottery kilns to the remains of preserved millet noodles. The spectacular preservation appears to be the result of a catastrophic event: somewhere around 1900 BC, an earthquake shook the area and caused mudslides. Writing in a 2013 article in The Holocene, Chun Chang Huang and colleagues explained that “the enormous mudflows suddenly buried and destroyed the dwellings and killed the women and children at their homes.” But these mudflows, even though triggered by an earthquake, were “created partly by the early settlers themselves” through “soil erosion, mass wasting and accumulation of debris on the hillsides, intensified largely by human disturbance of the landscape by bush clearance from 6000-3950 years before present.”
Of course, my interest was piqued by the image of the skeletons of an adult and a child found embracing, particularly because the caption referred to a mother and son (as DNA is the only way to tell the sex of young children).
The main publication of the skeletons (in English, that is), is a 2007 article in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology by Shi-Zhu Gao and colleagues at Jilin University in China that deals with DNA analysis of the 16 skeletons from two houses inundated by the mudslides.
Gao and colleagues were interested in knowing if the 16 individuals were related and looked at mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down through the maternal line. “Twelve [DNA] sequences from individuals found in one house were assigned to only five haplotypes,” they write, “consistent with a possible close kinship.” The two skeletons — an adult woman in her mid-30s and a 3- to 4-year-old child — whose image has riveted the media today are assumed to be mother and child, but many media outlets are speaking of “mother and son.”
The only way to tell the sex of a subadult is through DNA analysis, but the 2007 publication has no information on sex of the child.
Even more interesting, though, were the DNA results of these two individuals. Gao and colleagues write that, “the two mtDNA sequences from the individuals of F3 (one of the houses) differ from each other at five nucleotide positions.
Although these two subjects may be genetically linked by a mother/son (or daughter) relationship, this result unambiguously excludes kinship through the maternal lineage.” Further, they explain that these people and their mtDNA haplotypes were different from the individuals in F4 (the other house).
A patrilineal relationship remains a possibility since their skeletal remains were found close together.”
There was one group that did represent a mother-child pair according to the DNA analysis: a late 20s female and a 1- to 2-year-old child from house F4. I don’t think this is the pairing illustrated in the circulating image above for two reasons: the child skull in that photo is more consistent with a 3- to 4-year-old, and based on the diagram in the 2007 article and the image below, the photos show two different adult-child pairs.
I couldn’t find a clear image that represents the biological mother-child pair, although the photo above shows most of the groups from house F4.
According to my cross-referencing of the 2007 article with these images, the biological mother-child pair is represented by the skeletons at the very bottom.
Skeletons from house F4 at Lajia, China. The skeletons that showed a mother-child relationship.
Regardless of which dyad is depicted, what was the relationship between the adult woman and the 3- or 4-year-old child in house F3? Was she perhaps an aunt or an unrelated caregiver? Perhaps they were members of the same extended family? The 2007 DNA results seem to directly contradict the easy explanation of mother protecting her child. But that is, I think, what makes both the archaeological and the DNA results even more exciting.
What was the structure of the family like at Lajia? And what does the protective stance of a woman over a child, not biologically her own mean for our understanding of Bronze Age China?
The photos from the “Pompeii of the East” are certainly breathtaking, but the story behind them is even more complicated and intriguing.
Scientists discover intact Ice Age woolly rhino in Siberia
Russian researchers have just announced the discovery of a remarkably well-preserved woolly rhinoceros that was excavated in August 2020.
The specimen was excavated in August 2020, and has yet to be transported for thorough analysis.
According to The Siberian Times, the specimen is between 20,000 and 50,000 years old, and was found in such pristine condition that much of its internal organs were still intact. Some are calling this the best-preserved carcass of its kind.
The frozen Siberian tundra offers the perfect conditions to preserve Ice Age remnants like this, while climate change has seen a slew of them melt to the surface. In recent years, experts in Yakutia, Siberia have excavated everything from ancient lion cubs and bison to a horse and woolly mammoths.
Scientists estimate that this latest discovery is about 80 percent undamaged. Indeed, all of its limbs, fur, and most of its teeth remain intact. Scientists are even confident that they can determine the creature’s last meal.
“The young rhino was between three and four years old and lived separately from its mother when it died, most likely by drowning,” said Dr. Valery Plotnikov from Yakutia’s Academy of Sciences. “The gender of the animal is still unknown… The rhino has a very thick short underfur, very likely it died in the summer.”
Footage of the woolly rhino discovered in Yakutia in August 2020.
The specimen was unearthed not too far from where Sasha, the world’s only baby woolly rhino, was discovered in 2014. Sasha is believed to be about 34,000 years old and was around seven months old when she died.
Sasha’s discovery first showed scientists that even baby woolly rhinos had fur, and this latest discovery has only strengthened that theory.
“We have learned that woolly rhinoceroses were covered in very thick hair,” said Dr. Plotnikov of Sasha. “Previously, we could judge this only from rock paintings discovered in France. Now, judging by the thick coat with the undercoat, we can conclude that the rhinoceroses were fully adapted to the cold climate from a young age.”
As it stands, researchers have been unable to further analyze this latest specimen until stable ice roads can form for them to travel back to Yakutia’s capital of Yakutsk.
Most of the animal’s teeth, fur, and internal organs were kept intact beneath the Siberian permafrost for millennia.
Discovered downstream of Tirekhtyakh River, finding the rhino wasn’t a cakewalk, as transportation across Yakutia’s utterly vast and remote territory is incredibly treacherous. Even in the summer, many areas are only accessible by air or boat.
In the winter, however, a rather practical network of ice roads forms, which allows people to travel across the tundra.
Despite having to wait for those roads to form in order to properly assess the specimen, Dr. Plotnikov and his team have already gleaned much from the find.
The horns of this creature, for instance, have suggested that this particular species of woolly rhino foraged for food. The fact that the animal’s internal organs remain intact will also show the scientists a lot about how this prehistoric creature lived.
“There are soft tissues in the back of the carcass, possibly genitals and part of the intestine,” said Dr. Plotnikov. “This makes it possible to study the excreta, while will allow us to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of that period.”
Yakutia is a remarkably fertile place for those in search of Ice Age animals. In just the last few years, researchers have found ancient wolf pups, “pygmy” mammoths, birds, foals, and more. Just this past summer, an Ice Age wolf pup was discovered with the remains of what could have been one of the last woolly rhinos on Earth in its stomach.
As for this latest woolly rhino, it will ultimately be transported to Sweden where researchers have been working to sequence the genomes of several species of prehistoric rhinos.
Mystery behind Cleopatra’s tomb: Two mummies discovered in Egypt could help solve it
The mummies of two high-status ancient Egyptians discovered in a temple on the Nile delta may bring researchers a step closer to finding the remains of Cleopatra, the legendary Egyptian queen.
The mummies, which had lain undisturbed for 2,000 years, are in a poor state of preservation because water had seeped into the tomb, according to the Guardian.
But they were originally covered with gold leaf – a luxury reserved for only the top members of society’s elite – meaning they may have personally interacted with Cleopatra.
The male and female mummies may have been priests who played a key role in maintaining the power of the legendary Egyptian queen and her lover, Mark Anthony.
Also found at the site were 200 coins bearing Cleopatra’s name and her face, which would have been pressed based on Cleopatra’s direct instructions. The location of the long-lost tomb of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII from the year 30 BC remains unknown, although it’s somewhere near the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
But this research team are convinced excavations at the ancient city of Taposiris Magna, which is marked by a temple that still stands today, will soon uncover the ancient couple’s resting place. Despite the fact researchers have been excavating the site since 2005, only a tiny percentage of the vast site has been explored.
The two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna, where digs are ungoing to oncover the grave of Cleopatra
The temple is located near Alexandria, the capital of ancient Egypt and where Cleopatra killed herself in 30 BC
The mummies were found in what is the first ever intact tomb to be opened at Taposiris Magna – an event that’s the subject of a Channel 5 documentary to be broadcast this week.
‘Although now covered in dust from 2,000 years underground, at the time these mummies would have been spectacular,’ Dr Glenn Godenho, a senior lecturer in Egyptology at Liverpool University, told the Guardian.
‘To be covered in gold leaf shows they would have been important members of society.’
One of the mummies was found wearing an image of a scarab, pained in gold leaf, symbolising rebirth. But the 200 coins bearing Cleopatra’s likeness links the pharaoh ruler directly to Taposiris Magna, which was founded in the third century BC.
The ‘prominent nose and double chin’ of the queen as depicted on the coins suggest she wasn’t as conventionally beautiful as the actresses that portrayed her on screen – most memorably by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film ‘Cleopatra’.
Dr Godenho said that the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra is expected to be a ‘way grander affair’ than this mummified couple.
‘Although we don’t know what Ptolemaic rulers’ tombs looked like because none have ever been firmly identified yet, it’s really unlikely that they’d be nondescript and indistinguishable from the burials of their subjects,’ he told MailOnline.
‘Add to that the fact that most consider the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony to be in the vicinity of Alexandria rather than out here at Taposiris Magna, and all the evidence points to these not being royal mummies at all.’
Archaeologists searching for the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra (pictured played by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film) have zeroed in on a site in northern Egypt
Dr Kathleen Martinez, an academic from the Dominican Republic, is leading the dig at the Taposiris Magna temple. After working there for over 14 years, Dr Martinez and her colleagues are more convinced than ever Cleopatra’s tomb will be found there.
Dr Martinez is seen reacting to the opening of the newly-found mummies at Taposiris Magna in the Channel 5 documentary, which will broadcast on Thursday.
After an initial limestone slab is removed, she says: ‘Oh my god, there are two mummies … See this wonder.’
Osteoarchaeologist, Dr Linda Chapon, working to conserve the two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna
Experts believe Cleopatra made plans for herself and Anthony to be buried at a temple called Taposiris Magna in order to imitate the ancient myth of Isis and Osiris
Cleopatra was Egypt’s last pharaoh and the ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, from 51 BC to 30 BC. Cleopatra and her Roman lover Mark Anthony may have been buried at the site 2,000 years ago because of her desire to imitate an ancient prophecy, Dr Martinez believes.
During her life, which ran from 69 BC to 30 BC, Cleopatra was known both as a seductress and as a captivating personality. She famously used her charms to first seduce Julius Caesar to cement Egypt’s alliance with Rome, and then to seduce one of his successors, Mark Anthony.
In order to fix herself and Anthony as rulers in the minds of the Egyptian people, she also worked hard to associate them with the myth of Isis and Osiris. According to the myth, Osiris was killed and hacked into pieces that were scattered across Egypt. After finding all of the pieces and making her husband whole again, Isis was able to resurrect him for a time.
Dr Glenn Godenho and Dr Kathleen Martinez inside Taposiris Magna temple near Alexandria in Egypt
Kathleen Martinez, who is leading the dig, believes the site was strongly associated with the myth of Isis and Osiris – a myth that Cleopatra often tried to imitate during her life
Martinez believes Taposiris Magna was closely associated with the myth as the name means ‘tomb of Osiris’.
The inclusion of ‘Osiris’ could mean it was one of the places where his body was scattered in the story. After Mark Anthony killed himself following defeat to Octavian but before her own suicide, Cleopatra put detailed plans in place for them both to be buried there, in echoes of the myth, Dr Martinez thinks.
The temple at Taposiris Magna. The opening of the first-ever intact tomb found at Taposiris Magna will be shown on Channel 5 this week
The inside of Taposiris Magna temple, where excavation work is taking place. The temple was established between 280 and 270 BC
She previously told National Geographic: ‘Cleopatra negotiated with Octavian to allow her to bury Mark Antony in Egypt.
‘She wanted to be buried with him because she wanted to reenact the legend of Isis and Osiris.
‘The true meaning of the cult of Osiris is that it grants immortality. After their deaths, the gods would allow Cleopatra to live with Antony in another form of existence, so they would have eternal life together.’
Doubts have been cast on the theory, however, as other experts believe Cleopatra was hastily buried in Alexandria itself – the city from where she ruled Egypt until her death, believed to have been caused by snake venom.
The Theopetra Cave and the Oldest Human Construction in the World
The Theopetra Cave is an archaeological site located in Meteora, in the central Greek region of Thessaly. As a result of archaeological excavations that have been conducted over the years, it has been revealed that the Theopetra Cave has been occupied by human beings as early as 130000 years ago.
In addition, evidence for human habitation in the Theopetra Cave can be traced without interruption from the Middle Palaeolithic to the end of the Neolithic period. This is significant, as it allows archaeologists to have a better understanding of the prehistoric period in Greece.
The cave is located on the slopes of a limestone hill overlooking Theopetra village.
Occupation of Theopetra Cave
The Theopetra Cave is situated on the northeastern slope of a limestone hill, about 100 m (330 ft above a valley. The cave overlooks the small village of Theopetra, and the Lethaios River, a tributary of the Pineios River, flows nearby.
According to geologists, the limestone hill was formed between 137 and 65 million years ago, which corresponds to the Upper Cretaceous period.
Based on the archaeological evidence, human beings only began to occupy the cave during the Middle Palaeolithic period, i.e. around 130000 years ago.
The cave itself has been described as being roughly quadrilateral in shape with small niches on its periphery and covers an area of about 500 sq meters (5380 sq ft). The Theopetra Cave has a large entrance, which allows light to enter abundantly into the interior of the cave.
The interior of the Theopetra Cave.
Investigation Begins
The archaeological excavation of the Theopetra Cave began in 1987 and continued up until 2007.
This project was directed by Dr. Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika, who served as the head of the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleography when the excavations were being carried out.
It may be mentioned that when the archaeological work was first conducted, the Theopetra Cave was being used by local shepherds as a temporary shelter in which they would keep their flocks. It may be added that the Theopetra Cave was the first cave in Thessaly to have been archaeologically excavated, and also the only one in Greece to have a continuous sequence of deposits from the Middle Palaeolithic to the end of the Neolithic period.
This is significant, as it has allowed archaeologists to gain a better understanding of the transition from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic way of life in mainland Greece.
Excavations at the Theopetra cave began in 1987 under the direction of N. Kyparissi-Apostolika.
Several interesting discoveries have been made through the archaeological study of the Theopetra Cave. One of these, for instance, pertains to the climate in the area when the cave was being occupied.
By conducting micromorphological analysis on the sediment samples collected from each archaeological layer, archaeologists were able to determine that there had been hot and cold spells during the cave’s occupation. As a result of these changes in the climate, the cave’s population also fluctuated accordingly.
The World’s Oldest Wall
Another fascinating find from the Theopetra Cave is the remains of a stone wall that once partially closed off the entrance of the cave.
These remains were discovered in 2010, and using a relatively new method of dating known as Optically Stimulated Luminescence, scientists were able to date this wall to be around 23000 years old.
The age of this wall, which coincides with the last glacial age, has led researchers to suggest that the wall had been built by the inhabitants of the cave to protect them from the cold outside. It has been claimed that this is the oldest known man-made structure in Greece, and possibly even in the world.
The wall at Theopetra – is possibly the oldest existing man-made structure.
A year before this incredible discovery was made, it was announced that a trail of at least three hominid footprints that were imprinted onto the cave’s soft earthen floor had been uncovered. Based on the shape and size of the footprints, it has been speculated that they were made by several Neanderthal children, aged between two and four years old, who had lived in the cave during the Middle Palaeolithic period.
In 2009, the Theopetra Cave was officially opened to the public, though it was closed temporarily a year later, as the remains of the stone wall were discovered that year. Although the archaeological site was later re-opened, it was closed once again in 2016 and remains so due to safety reasons, i.e. the risk of landslides occurring.
Experts believe the 7,000-year-old circular stone structures were once houses, complete with doorways and roofs in Saudi Arabia
Archaeologists have excavated eight ancient “standing stone circles” in Saudi Arabia that they say were used as houses.
Eight of the 345 stone circles identified by aerial surveys in the Harrat ‘Uwayrid lava field in Saudi Arabia have been analyzed by researchers from the University of Western Australia and the University of Sydney, who suggest that the structures may have been roofed and served as dwellings.
These findings were published in the scientific journal “Levant” by a research team led by archaeologist Jane McMahon from the University of Sydney. The study examined 431 standing stone circles at various sites in Harrat Uwayrid in AlUla, with 52 undergoing field surveys and 11 being excavated.
This study, supervised by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), reveals that the region’s inhabitants were more stable and advanced than previously believed.
The circles date back around 7,000 years and have the remains of stone walls and at least one doorway.
An aerial view of some standing stone circles.
These dwellings consisted of vertically erected stone slabs with diameters ranging from four to eight meters. The outer circumference had two rows of stone slabs, likely used as foundations for wooden columns, possibly made of Acacia, supporting the roof.
A central slab within these stone circles supported a main wooden column. This architectural feature suggests a sophisticated understanding of weight distribution and structural support among the ancient inhabitants. Tools and animal remains found at these sites suggest that ceilings might have been made from animal skins.
During their excavations, the archaeologists discovered the remains of many stone tools made of basalt. In addition, excavations have unearthed tools linked to animal husbandry, including implements for wool shearing and sheep slaughter.
“These structures – which we think of more as shelters than ‘houses’ – were used for any and all activities. Inside, we found evidence of stone tool-making, cooking, and eating, as well as lost and broken tools used for processing animal hides,” said Jane McMahon from the University of Sydney.
The shelter foundations were formed by massive basalt blocks weighing up to a tonne each.
The team concluded that many, if not all, of the standing stone circles are also domestic structures based on the artifacts discovered within and the circles’ resemblance to ancient homes excavated in Jordan.
Also among the finds were a variety of seashells, all of which came from the Red Sea, which is located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) to the west. Other artifacts include sandstone and limestone ornaments and bracelets, as well as a piece of red sandstone chalk, possibly used for drawing.
Arrowheads discovered match types used in southern and eastern Jordan, indicating clear interaction between the regions.
McMahon highlighted that these early inhabitants were not merely shepherds but had sophisticated architecture, domesticated animals, ornaments, decorations, and various tools. The number and size of stone circles suggest a larger population than previously estimated.
Grindstones and mullers.
The research team included experts from King Saud University, local AlUla residents like Youssef Al-Balawi who provided ethnographic and cultural insights, and students from the University of Hail.
A 4000-year-old Fabric Found in a Cave of Skulls in the Judean Desert is the Oldest Dyed with Insect Dye
Researchers discovered an ancient textile dyed with kermes (Kermes vermilio) in Israel’s Cave of Skulls that dates back to the Middle Bronze Age.
This textile, found in the Judean Desert and made of linen and wool dyed red, has been dated by direct radiocarbon to the Middle Bronze Age, specifically between 1954 and 1767 BC.
What makes this find unique is the use of red dye derived from the insect Kermes vermilioa luxurious and rare source of color in ancient times.
In a study of textiles discovered in the Cave of the Skulls in the Judean Desert, researchers conducted dye analyses using High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and identified a unique, red-dyed textile dyed with scaly insects.
This technique allowed for the detection of the dye’s presence and verified that the red dye originated from the scale insect Kermes vermilio, which parasitizes oak trees, particularly Quercus coccifera.
Despite being destructive, this method only needs a small sample, protecting the integrity of the antiquated object.
Textiles are rare items in the archaeological record due to their perishable nature and the rapid decomposition to which they are subject, making their preservation under special conditions, such as those in the caves of the Judean Desert, exceptionally valuable.
On the left larvae of kermes vermilio, in the center the analyzed tissue.
Detailed examination of this textile, despite its small size, enables researchers to trace the origin of the red color back to the insect species used, a significant discovery not only for its age but also for what it reveals about ancient civilizations’ knowledge and technology in the handling and application of natural dyes.
Given that using dyes made from scale insects, such as Kermes vermilio, was an expensive and labor-intensive process, it is possible that these textiles served as status and power symbols in prehistoric societies.
In addition to reflecting individual preferences, textile color was used in ancient societies as a nonverbal communication system about a person’s social and economic standing.
