All posts by Archaeology World Team

EUROPE, SPAIN, WORLD

Gender Bias in 5,600-year-old cemetery of Panoria, with burials of women occurring at twice the rate of men

Gender Bias in 5,600-year-old cemetery of Panoria, with burials of women occurring at twice the rate of men

Gender Bias in 5,600-year-old cemetery of Panoria, with burials of women occurring at twice the rate of men

A multidisciplinary research team made a remarkable discovery at the megalithic necropolis of Panoría (Granada, Spain). There was a startling disparity between the entombments—twice as many women as men!

They found that the number of women buried was double that of men, with an even more pronounced disparity among juveniles, where the ratio stood at 10 females for every male. This raised questions about the demography of the ancient region.

The research, a multidisciplinary research team, led by the Archaeometry group from the University of Tübingen and the GEA group from the University of Granada, has focused on analyzing the bone remains found in nine graves of this necropolis, where twice as many women as men were buried.

The necropolis of Panoría is located at the easternmost end of Sierra Harana, in the town of Darro (Granada). It consists of at least 19 graves, 9 of which have been excavated between 2015 and 2019.

They are collective burials from which more than 55,000 human skeletal remains were recovered. The dating of these remains shows that the first burials took place 5600 years ago with discontinuous funerary use until 4100 years ago.

“The Panoría population shows a clear sex ratio imbalance in favour of females, with twice as many females as males,” scientists wrote in the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Human skeletal remains from phase A of tomb 11. Photo: M. Díaz-Zorita Bonilla et al.

Researchers surmised that prehistoric society probably had a social structure centered on women, with burial customs primarily determined by maternal lineage.

In the study, the use of new bioarchaeological methods has allowed the identification of chromosomal sex from the study of DNA and the analysis of a protein known as Amelogenin present in the tooth enamel.

In this way, it has been possible, for the first time, to obtain a precise demographic profile of the biological sex of the people who were buried in these megalithic monuments.

For the research team, the gender ratio bias is what has drawn the most attention. Generally speaking, this distribution is fairly balanced; notable imbalances are only seen in extremely specific situations, like mass migrations, natural disasters, or wars. But in Panoría’s case, this prejudice has persisted for over a millennium, indicating that it is a deeply embedded social practice rather than a singular or transient occurrence.

This means that family relationships and social belonging are established through the maternal line.  This would account for the preference for women and the lack of young men who could have joined other kin groups—a practice known as male exogamy in anthropology.

In any event, the disproportionate number of women would point to a social structure that was centered on women, and where gender would have shaped cultural customs and funeral rites.

In any event, the study’s findings point to a complex social structure where gender was a major factor in determining a person’s chances of survival in this part of the Iberian Peninsula.

ASIA, SAUDI ARABIA, WORLD

Artificial intelligence is detecting new archaeological sites in the Arabian Desert

Artificial intelligence is detecting new archaeological sites in the Arabian Desert

Especially in areas that are unsuitable for human exploration, archaeologists are increasingly coming up with inventive ways to use satellite imagery and artificial intelligence in their hunt for secrets that lay hidden.

 Researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi have developed a high-tech solution to searching huge, arid areas for potential archaeological sites — a desert spanning 250,000 square miles on the Arabian Peninsula.

Archaeologists from Khalifa University are using AI in combination with satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to detect new archaeological sites beneath the ever-shifting sands of the Empty Quarter desert.

The conventional method used by archaeologists to identify possible sites of interest is ground surveys, but in arid environments like the desert, this can be a laborious and challenging process.

Sand and dust storms in the desert can make it difficult to identify potential sites, and dune patterns can further complicate matters.

Nevertheless, in recent years, remote sensing—which uses optical satellite images from websites like Google Earth—has become more and more popular as a means of scouring large areas for unusual features.

In order to get beyond these obstacles, the group developed a machine learning algorithm to examine pictures obtained through the use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a satellite imaging method that employs radio waves to find objects hidden beneath surfaces like ice, sand, and vegetation.

Data from Saruq Al-Hadid, a settlement in the desert outside of Dubai with signs of 5,000 years of activity, which is already well-known to archaeologists, was used to train the algorithm.

A view over the central sector of Saruq al-Hadid, showing the dark surface layer of copper slag that distinguishes the site from the surrounding desert landscape.

Once the algorithm was trained, it gave the team an indication of other potential areas nearby that are still not excavated.

The technology is precise to within 50 centimeters and can create 3D models of the expected structure that will give archaeologists a better idea of what’s buried below. This innovative approach could revolutionize archaeological research in remote and hard-to-explore areas.

In collaboration with Dubai Culture, the government organization that manages the site, the team conducted a ground survey using a ground-penetrating radar, which “replicated what the satellite measured from space,” says Diana Francis, an atmospheric scientist and one of the lead researchers on the project.

Now, Dubai Culture plans to excavate the newly identified areas — and Francis hopes the technique can uncover more buried archaeological treasures in the future.

SAR imagery has been in use since the 1980s, and machine learning has been gaining traction in archaeology. But the use of the two together is a novel application, says Francis, and to her knowledge, is a first in archaeology.

If successful, the project will broaden the applications of AI in the field of archaeology. Some experts have urged caution against “over-reliance” on the technology, however.

A satellite view of the Saruq al-Hadid site shows the western zone that was under excavation (right) and the eastern zone which is not excavated yet.

Hugh Thomas, an archaeology lecturer at the University of Sydney, told CNN that there remains nothing better than a “trained archaeological eye” to detect sites.

“The way that I would like to use this kind of technology is on areas that perhaps have either no or a very low probability of archaeological sites, therefore allowing researchers to focus more on other areas where we expect there to be more found,” he said.

The technology’s real test, and hopefully its validation, will take place when excavations at the Saruq Al Hadid complex start next month.

According to Dubai Culture, only about 10% of the complex’s 2.3 square mile area has been fully excavated. By using the technology, Dubai Culture hopes to uncover more sites if archaeologists discover the structures that the algorithm has predicted.

The team plans to continue training the machine learning algorithm to improve its precision, before expanding its use to other areas, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the deserts of Africa.

Recently A.I. was instrumental in discovering over 300 new Nazca petroglyphs in Peru, showcasing its global potential in archaeological exploration. Arkeonews reported on the findings by researchers at Japan’s Yamagata University last week.

EUROPE, TURKEY, WORLD

Massive Roman Mosaic Floor Discovered in Türkiye

Massive Roman Mosaic Floor Discovered in Türkiye

Massive Roman Mosaic Floor Discovered in Türkiye

A massive floor mosaic of 84 square meters, which is thought to belong to the Late Roman or Early Byzantine period, was discovered by chance while a farmer was excavating for planting saplings in the Salkaya village of Elazığ, located in the Eastern Anatolia region of Türkiye.

The mosaic depicting dozens of animals, trees, and plant species is considered to be the first of its kind in Turkey with its size, borders, and geometric patterns.

Mehmet Emin Sualp, who planted saplings in his field about a year ago in Salkaya village, 14 kilometers away from Elazığ city center, noticed a mosaic-patterned structure with various patterns on it by chance.

Thinking that the structure he found could be a historical relic, the field owner reported the situation to the Elazığ Museum Directorate and the gendarmerie.

As a result of the investigations carried out in the area, the floor mosaics of a historical building, which is thought to belong to the Roman or Early Byzantine Period, were identified.

Excavation and rescue works were initiated by the Elazığ Museum Directorate under the coordination of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

As a result of the excavation and rescue works spread over a wide area, a floor mosaic of 84 square meters was unearthed in one piece.

The floor mosaic, which is in one piece and depicts animal figures such as lion, mountain goat, duck, greyhound, deer, pheasant, pig, bear, goose, Anatolian leopard, bird, tree, and plant species, is considered to be the first of its size in Türkiye. On the other hand, a church and a wine cellar were also unearthed in the region.

Elazig Governor Numan Hatipoglu, who inspected the area, said: ‘It is in one piece and is an enormous artifact. As a result of our researches in the region, if areas where we need to carry out excavation work again emerge, we will also work on them.

As a result of our studies, if there are historical artifacts suitable for exhibition and display in the region, we will develop a different strategy for this place. If not, we will prepare this historical artifact for exhibition in Elazığ Center.’

Governor Numan Hatipoğlu also thanked the citizen who found the mosaic.

ASIA, CHINA, WORLD

World’s oldest cheese found in necklaces on 3600-year-old mummies in China

World’s oldest cheese found in necklaces on 3600-year-old mummies in China

World’s oldest cheese found in necklaces on 3600-year-old mummies in China

A mysterious white substance about 20 years ago found on Bronze Age mummies in western China has proven to be the world’s oldest  cheese.

Researchers discovered three ancient mummies in Xinjiang in northwestern China. When the 3,600-year-old coffin of a young woman was excavated, archeologists discovered a mysterious substance laid out along her neck like a piece of jewelry.  It was made of cheese, and scientists now say it’s the oldest cheese ever found.

Scientists have successfully extracted DNA from a 3,600-year-old cheese. Identified as kefir cheese, the discovery provides new insights into the origins of kefir and the development of probiotic bacteria.

It has been long suspected that the substance may have had a fermented dairy origin, but only now have molecular tools become powerful enough to confirm their make-up.

Qiaomei Fu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and her colleagues have identified the substance as a type of kefir cheese based on the presence of lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and proteins from ruminant  milk in the samples.

“This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world,” says co-author Qiaomei Fu, a paleogeneticist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a statement from the journal Cell.

 “Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity. Studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand our ancestors’ diet and culture.”

Examples of the 3,600-year-old kefir cheese found on the mummies. Credit: Y, Liu et al., Cell, 2024

Since the woman’s coffin was covered and buried in the dry climate of the Tarim Basin desert, Fu said, it was well preserved, as were her boots, hat, and the cheese that laced her body.

Ancient burial practices often included items of significance to the person buried alongside them. The fact that those items included chunks of kefir cheese alongside the body showed that “cheese was important for their life,” she added.

The cheesy bits are, in fact, pieces of kefir cheese, a dried and fermented dairy product made with the same type of bacteria, yeast, and fungal complex as modern kefir, which is typically consumed as a sour liquid akin to thin yogurt, according to genetic analysis of the microbes within. Instead of using rennet, which is frequently used in the production of cheese in Europe, kefir granules ferment the milk.

The latest research also reveals that the necklaces included at least two different kinds of cheese, one made from goat milk—more precisely, from a kind of goat that was common in Bronze Age Eurasia—and the other from cow’s milk.

Additionally, the kefir granules have genetic signatures that are quite similar to those of some East Asian kefir strains and contemporary Tibetan dairy products. Microbes from the Caucasus region, which has long been believed to be the birthplace of dairy, are more closely related to other strains from East Asia, Europe, and the Pacific Islands.

Altogether, the analysis points to two different geographic origins of kefir-making: one in Xinjiang and one in the Caucasus, says Qiaomei Fu. “Our observation strongly suggests the distinct spreading routes of two [kefir microbe] subspecies,” Fu tells Popular Science, which she adds is likely the result of wide-ranging nomadic groups traveling across the dry grassland of Eurasia.

The evolution of human activities spanning thousands of years also affected microbial evolution, the study found, citing the divergence of a bacterial subspecies that was found to have been facilitated by the spread of kefir across different populations.

ASIA, WORLD

7,000 years ago the earliest evidence for the cultivation of a fruit tree came from the Jordan valley

7,000 years ago the earliest evidence for the cultivation of a fruit tree came from the Jordan valley

7,000 years ago the earliest evidence for the cultivation of a fruit tree came from the Jordan valley

Tel Aviv University and Jerusalem’s Hebrew University researchers have unraveled the earliest evidence for the domestication of a fruit tree.

According to the researchers, the first domestication of fruit trees anywhere in the world took place in the Jordan Valley about 7,000 years ago.

Analyzing remnants of charcoal from the Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, researchers determined they came from olive trees. Since olive trees did not grow naturally in the Jordan Valley, this means the inhabitants of the site must have planted the trees intentionally about 7,000 years ago, said the researchers.

The study was led by Dr. Dafna Langgut of the Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology & Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University.

The charcoal remnants were found in the archaeological excavation directed by Professor Yosef Garfinkel of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

7,000 years-old microscopic remains of charred olive wood (Olea) recovered from Tel Tsaf. Photo: Dr. Dafna Langgut

Dr. Dafna Langgut, head of Tel Aviv’s Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Ancient Environments, which specializes in microscopic identification of plant remains, said it was possible to identify trees by their anatomic structure even if they had been burned down to charcoal.

“Wood was the ‘plastic’ of the ancient world,” said Dr. Dafna Langgut.

“It was used for construction, for making tools and furniture, and as a source of energy. That’s why identifying tree remnants found at archaeological sites, such as charcoal from hearths, is a key to understanding what kinds of trees grew in the natural environment at the time, and when humans began to cultivate fruit trees.”

Langgut’s analysis of the charcoal from Tel Tsaf found locally native trees, but also olive and fig.

Buildings and rounded siloes at the village of Tel Tsaf. Photo: YOSEF GARFINKEL

“Olive trees grow in the wild in the land of Israel, but they do not grow in the Jordan Valley,” she said. “This means that someone brought them there intentionally — took the knowledge and the plant itself to a place that is outside of its natural habitat.”

“In archaeobotany, this is considered indisputable proof of domestication, which means that we have here the earliest evidence of the olive’s domestication anywhere in the world.”

7,000 years-old hearth remains at the village of Tel Tsaf. Photo: YOSEF GARFINKEL

The tree remnants examined by Dr. Langgut were collected by Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University, who headed the dig at Tel Tsaf Prof. Garfinkel says that “Tel Tsaf was a large prehistoric village in the middle Jordan Valley south of Beit She’an, inhabited between 7,200 and 6,700 years ago.

Large houses with courtyards were discovered at the site, each with several granaries for storing crops. Storage capacities were up to 20 times greater than any single family’s calorie consumption, so clearly these were caches for storing great wealth.

The wealth of the village was manifested in the production of elaborate pottery, painted with remarkable skill. In addition, we found articles brought from afar: pottery of the Ubaid culture from Mesopotamia, obsidian from Anatolia, a copper awl from the Caucasus, and more.”

According to a joint university press release, Langgut and Garfinkel were not surprised to learn that the residents of Tel Tsaf were the first in the world to intentionally grow olive and fig trees, because growing fruit trees is a sign of wealth, and this site is known to have been exceptionally wealthy.

EUROPE, GERMANY, WORLD

Arrowheads Reveal the First Evidence of Organized Armies at ‘Europe’s Oldest Known Battlefield’

Arrowheads Reveal the First Evidence of Organized Armies at ‘Europe’s Oldest Known Battlefield’

Arrowheads Reveal the First Evidence of Organized Armies at ‘Europe’s Oldest Known Battlefield’

Previous investigations in the Tollense Valley, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have uncovered evidence of a large and violent conflict that took place in the 13th century B.C.E (around 1250 B.C.).

Numerous human remains—representing more than 150 individuals—have been found, and based on the body count, archaeologists estimate that at least 2,000 warriors were involved -Europe’s earliest-known battle, and the largest from the time.

The burning question is who was fighting who. No one is sure who took part in the conflict or the disagreement that led to the bloodshed. Some earlier studies had suggested that only locals took part. But the new research, published in Antiquity, indicates that some combatants were foreign warriors, maybe even part of an invading army.

The analysis of Bronze Age arrowheads found in the Tollense Valley has revealed that some of them were not produced locally. The new research posits that this wasn’t some family feud.

The war in the Tollense Valley 3,250 years ago was interregional, with locals pitted against invaders from the south.

Based on analysis of the arrowheads, they may even have been facing an organized army, archaeologists report in the Journal of Antiquity.

Their research expands on earlier genetic analyses of the teeth of some of the combatants, which also imply that some were not local but rather southern. And by “south,” the archaeologists mean Moravia or Bavaria rather than Greece or Italy.

This skull segment contains an embedded arrowhead from the oldest battle in Europe. Photo: Volker Minkus

The new paper compared bronze and flint arrowheads found in the valley with thousands of contemporary examples from across Europe.

Arrowheads are a type of indisputable evidence, according to Leif Inselmann, the study’s lead author and a former member of the University of Göttingen’s Seminar for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology.

Much like how a murder weapon in a criminal investigation provides clues about the culprit, the arrowheads offer us insights into the combatants in the Battle of the Tollense Valley and where they came from.

Numerous locals may have participated in the battle, as evidenced by the majority of the arrowheads discovered at the site, which are types that are sporadically found in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania region.

On the other hand, certain arrowhead types were identified; these include arrowheads with unilateral barbs, rhomboid or straight bases, and tangs rather than sockets.

These arrowhead types are more prevalent in southern Europe, including modern-day Bavaria and Moravia. These arrowheads have not been found in local burials in the Tollense region, indicating that they were not simply acquired through trade by the local inhabitants and used in the battle.

Arrowheads from the Tollense Valley. Image Credit: Leif Inselmann / Joachim Krüger / LAKD M-V / Sabine Suhr / Jana Dräger

The evidence points to a level of military complexity and organization far higher than previously believed for this era in Bronze Age Europe, suggesting that conflicts were not only more frequent than previously believed but also involved combatants from various regions.

The Battle of the Tollense Valley demonstrated that interregional conflicts existed in Europe more than 3,000 years ago; it was more than just a local skirmish.

ENGLAND, EUROPE, WORLD

Another Roman Head Unearthed at Carlisle Dig

Another Roman Head Unearthed at Carlisle Dig

Another Roman Head Unearthed at Carlisle Dig

Another carved stone Roman head has been found by volunteers at Carlisle’s Roman Bathhouse site in the Cricket Club grounds.

The Carlisle Cricket Club hired archaeologists from Wardell Armstrong LLP in 2017 to evaluate a new Cricket Pavilion. It was during this project that they uncovered a Roman Bathhouse, which is currently the largest known building on Hadrian’s Wall.

A collaboration between the Carlisle Cricket Club, Cumberland Council, Tullie, and Wardell Armstrong has brought hundreds of volunteers, known as The Diggers, back to the site annually since 2021 in order to conduct additional site exploration and present the findings to the public.

The artifact was found Thursday, 19 September while exploring part of a newly discovered, monumental Roman building, south of the bathhouse.

The head is thought to be of a woman and is around 18cm by 13cm, and is described as being “much more delicately carved and more detailed than the previous two monumental heads discovered at the site in 2023.”

At about a third of size of the previous monumental heads, it resembles a more Classical Roman style of sculpture. Although details are still pending, it is believed to be a female, found near a potential burial site, and sporting a hairdo that is strikingly similar to that of Empress Julia Domna, who popularized the look. These details suggest the date of the find to be contemporaneous with the bathhouse.

Most recent Roman head uncovered with a hairstyle reminiscent of the kind worn by the Empress Julia Domna. Photo: Uncovering Roman Carlisle

Lead archaeologist Frank Giecco said he was “astounded” by the number of “quality” treasures that had been found at the ground – more than 4,000 since 2021.

He added that even though they had called the site a bathhouse it was also “a leisure centre and HQ”. The building is now estimated at 50m x 60m.

“It resembles a Thermae, a collection of different offices, religious and social spaces, leisure, and administrative rooms.

The diggers have uncovered over 4,000 significant finds, including 700+ Roman coins, painted wall plaster, military artifacts like arrowheads and spear tips, over 400 hairpins, imperial stamped tiles, North African-style roof tubes, glass beads, gaming pieces, and a rare Roman doll’s foot.

The award-winning community archaeological dig will run until October 20, with the site open to the public between 10am and 3pm each day.

NORTH AMERICA, U.S.A, WORLD

The Oldest Known Tombstone in the US Originally Came from Belgium, New Research has Shown

The Oldest Known Tombstone in the US Originally Came from Belgium, New Research has Shown

The Oldest Known Tombstone in the US Originally Came from Belgium, New Research has Shown

Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607 and was the first English permanent settlement in North America.

The region has been the focus of numerous historical and archaeological investigations, such as the one conducted recently by Prof. Markus M. Key and Rebecca K. Rossi, who sought to ascertain the origin of the tombstone of the black “marble” knight of Jamestown.

The Jamestown’s black “marble” tombstone was erected in honor of a knight but the origins of the stone and the history of the knight were both unknown to historians and archaeologists. The stone dates from 1627 and is the oldest tombstone of its kind in the USA’s Chesapeake Bay area.

The tombstone is covered with carved depressions (once filled with brass inlays) that depict the outline of an English knight with a sword and shield. It was first put in place in 1627, where it remained until the 1640s when the church’s southern entrance was built.

Broken by the time it was rediscovered in 1907, the slab has been repaired and relocated to the chancel of the present-day Memorial Church.

The tombstone has undergone innumerable inspections and analyses; however, Rebecca K. Rossi and Professor Markus M. Key conducted a fresh investigation, which was just released in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology. They wished to determine the origin of the black polished limestone, commonly mis-termed “marble” that was used for the Jamestown knight’s tomb.

What they discovered was unexpected, Professor Key said.

Researchers used fossils found inside the stone to uncover a type of microfossil called foraminifera. The specific origin and time of these foraminifera species may become clear with their identification. Microfossil analysis can therefore be used in forensics to pinpoint geographic locations and is also utilized in geological studies to fine-tune the dating of rock layers.

There were six species of foraminifera identified. Many existed in what is now Belgium during the Carboniferous Period, specifically during the Viséan Age, and Middle Mississippian Epoch (which lasted from about 345 to 328 million years ago).

Jamestown Knight tombstone. Photo: Jamestown Rediscovery, Preservation Virginia/International Journal of Historical Archaeology

This shows with certainty the stone and the microfossils it contains do not actually come from the Chesapeake Bay, the USA or even North America.

According to the latest findings, the knight’s tombstone had to have been transported from Europe by sea. Based on historical evidence, it is more likely that this originated in Belgium and was shipped to London before being delivered to Jamestown, USA.

From Roman times until the present, Belgium has been recognized as the source of this Lower Carboniferous “black” marble for centuries.

“It was particularly popular among the wealthy in England during Knight’s life,” the professor said.

“Little did we realize that colonists were ordering tombstones from Belgium like we order items from Amazon, just a lot slower.”

Of the two knights who died in Jamestown in the 17th century, one was Sir Thomas West, Virginia’s first resident governor, who died in 1618 while crossing the Atlantic to Jamestown.

The second was Sir George Yeardley, who was born in Southwark in 1587 and reached Jamestown in 1610 after surviving a shipwreck near Bermuda.  Knighted on going back to England in 1617, he was appointed Governor of Virginia in 1618 and returned to Jamestown where he held this post until 1621.  He resumed the post in 1626 and died in 1627.

The tombstone is the possibility it belonged to knight Sir George Yeardley, according to historical records.