All posts by Archaeology World Team

CANADA, NORTH AMERICA, WORLD

“Astonishing” 500-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Brains Prompt a Rethink of the Evolution of Insects and Spiders

“Astonishing” 500-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Brains Prompt a Rethink of the Evolution of Insects and Spiders

What had spiny claws protruding from its mouth, sported a body shaped like a toilet brush and looked as though it slithered off the cover of a sci-fi novel? An ocean predator from the Cambrian period is known as Stanleycaris hirpex. Newfound fossils of the bizarre creature are exceptionally complete, preserving the brain, the nervous system and a third eye. 

Royal Ontario Museum/Illustration by Sabrina Cappelli

Researchers at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto recently announced the discovery of fossils belonging to that strange animal as part of an “astonishing” treasure trove of fossils dating to 506 million years ago, according to a statement. 

Palaeontologists found these ancient treasures in the Burgess Shale, a formation in British Columbia’s Canadian Rockies that is known for its abundant and well-preserved fossilized animal remains, and among the half-a-billion-year-old fossils were numerous specimens of the marine predator S. hirpex.

“What makes this find so remarkable is that we have dozens of specimens showing the remains of the brain and other elements of the nervous system, and they’re incredibly well preserved and show really fine details,” said Joseph Moysiuk, lead author of a study describing the fossils and a University of Toronto doctoral candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology. 

“Before this, there had only been a few other finds of fossilized brains, particularly from the Cambrian period, but this is still something that is quite rare, and it’s only something that’s been observed in the last 10 years or so,” Moysiuk told Live Science.

“Most of the species where we’ve seen fossilized brains, there are only one or two specimens available.”

Despite being small — measuring less than 8 inches (20 centimetres) in length — S. hirpex was likely an imposing sight to its even smaller prey.

“It had this really ferocious apparatus of spiny claws and round mouth that made it look absolutely fierce,” Moysiuk said. “It also had long, rake-like spines to comb the seafloor to hunt for any buried organisms, side flaps to help it glide through the water and trident-shaped spines that project toward each other from the opposite appendage that we think it used as a jaw to crush its prey.”

“Astonishing” 500-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Brains Prompt a Rethink of the Evolution of Insects and Spiders
A pair of fossil specimens of Stanleycaris hirpex, specimen ROMIP 65674.1-2.

The fossils show that the brain of S. hirpex was divided into two segments: the protocerebrum, which is connected to its eyes, and the deutocerebrum, which is linked to the frontal claws. This brain structure differs from the three-lobe structure of modern arthropods that are distant relatives of S. hirpex, such as insects. The brains of these modern relatives, in contrast, comprise a protocerebrum, a deutocerebrum and a tritocerebrum, which connects the brain to an insect’s labrum, or upper lip, among other body parts. 

“The preservation of the brains in these animals gives us direct insight into the evolution of the nervous system from the perspective of the fossil record,” Moysiuk said. 

Radiodonta, an extinct offshoot of the arthropod evolutionary tree that includes Stanleycaris, “is an important group to know, since it offers us a better understanding of the evolution of modern arthropods.” Moysiuk said.  

Another interesting aspect of S. hirpex was its oversize median third eye, a characteristic observed for the first time in a radiodont. While the study authors are uncertain about how the ancient arthropod used this eye, it may have helped the animal track its prey, Moysiuk suggested. 

“Finding the third eye was quite a shock to us because we were starting to think we understood radiodonts and what they looked like pretty well,” he said. “For the first time, we were able to recognize this gigantic median eye in addition to the pair of stock eyes that we already knew about in radiodonts.” 

Though some modern arthropods, like dragonflies and wasps, also have median eyes, they are usually more sensitive than the other two eyes and yet don’t focus as well. “We can only speculate, but we think that this third eye helped with orienting an animal, and it’s especially important for a predator like Stanleycaris that has to move around rapidly and precisely in the environment,” Moysiuk said.

Three of the S. hirpex fossils that were excavated during the dig are now on permanent display at the Royal Ontario Museum in its Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life. 

The findings were published July 8 in the journal Current Biology.

ASIA, EUROPE, RUSSIA, WORLD

8,200-year-old burials in Russia contain pendants crafted from human bone

8,200-year-old burials in Russia contain pendants crafted from human bone

Nearly a century ago, archaeologists excavating an 8,200-year-old graveyard in northwestern Russia took note of a number of bone and animal-tooth pendants buried with the Stone Age people entombed there. But when researchers recently began to re-analyze the bone pendants to determine which species of animal each came from, they were in for a shock. 

8,200-year-old burials in Russia contain pendants crafted from human bone
An illustration depicting the burial of an adult male on the island of Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov in Russia.

Some of the pendants weren’t made from the animal bone at all. They were human.

“When we got the results, I was first thinking that there must be some mistake here,” said Kristiina Mannermaa, an archaeologist at the University of Helsinki in Finland, who led the research. 

But it was no mistake, Mannermaa told Live Science. Mixed in with ornaments made of bear, elk and beaver teeth were grooved fragments of human bone, including at least two pendants made from the same human femur, or thighbone. 

A surprising discovery

These bits of bone were found at a site called Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov, a cemetery with 177 burials from around 6200 B.C. in the Karelia region of Russia. The people here were hunter-fisher-gatherers, Mannermaa said, with a diet centred primarily around fish.

While some were buried unadorned, others were found with many teeth and bone ornaments, some of which seem to have been sewed onto the hems of long-decayed cloaks or coats or used as noisemakers in rattles. 

As part of a large project seeking to understand how these Stone Age people interacted with animals, Mannermaa and her team had some of these ornaments analyzed with a method that looks at molecular differences in the bone collagen between species. 

Of 37 pendants crafted from fragments of bone from 6 different graves, 12 turned out to be human, the analysis showed. (Another two returned results indicating that they, too, might be human, but the findings were uncertain.) These dozen pendants came from three different graves: two holding single adult men and one of an adult man buried with a child. There may be other human bone pendants in the graveyard, Mannermaa said, but those artefacts are still being analyzed. 

These two pendants are crafted from the same human femur.

Using human bones

Interestingly, the bones didn’t seem to be treated differently than other materials by the people who turned them into decorations. They were carved rather quickly, Mannermaa said, with simple grooves notched into their ends where a cord could be wrapped. They were also similar in size and shape to the animal teeth that were found nearby, perhaps indicating that they were used as a replacement for animal teeth that had been lost from the hem of a garment, Mannermaa and her team reported in the June issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports(opens in new tab). Wear patterns on the ornaments suggest they were worn by their owners before being buried with them.

“It gives an impression that when a human or animal died, they didn’t see so much difference in the body and the parts,” Mannermaa said. 

This apparent interchangeability doesn’t mean that people viewed human bone as meaningless, said Amy Gray Jones, a senior lecturer in archaeology at the University of Chester in the U.K. who was not involved in the study.

Animal bone pendants and tools from Stone Age Europe are often treated with care and disposed of in particular ways after being used, Gray Jones told Live Science. Unlike today, when an animal bone is largely unvalued in Western culture, ancient Europeans may have infused both animal and human bone with great symbolism. 

“It means not necessarily that the human bone and the pendant is just another material, but that perhaps it also has an importance or a meaning like the animal bone,” Gray Jones said. 

The archaeological record is thin, however. This is the first such use of human bone from northeastern Europe, Mannermaa said, though human tooth pendants(opens in new tab) from about 6000 B.C. have been found at a site called Vedbaek Henriksholm Bøgebakken in Denmark. In 2020, a couple of human-bone arrowheads were discovered in the Netherlands. There are also a few other scattered examples of carved human bones from around Stone Age Europe, including an arm bone from Serbia with notches cut in it. 

“We’re probably only getting a partial glimpse into what human bone was used for,” Gray Jones said.

The method of analyzing collagen molecules used in the current study is relatively new, and it’s likely that more already-discovered bone fragments would be identified as human if they were tested, she said. 

Mannermaa and her team are now studying the animal bone pendants found at Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov to confirm that they were, indeed, worked in similar ways to the human bone. It would be interesting, she said, to try to extract DNA from the pendants to see if the people the bone came from were related to the people who were buried with the pendants. But those studies require the destruction of large amounts of bone, she said, so it’s not likely that researchers will pursue that research at this time. 

ASIA, CHINA, WORLD

300-Million-Year-Old Screw Embedded Into Rock Discovered In China

300-Million-Year-Old Screw Embedded Into Rock Discovered In China

The Lanzhou screw is another mysterious object discovered in recent years that seems to challenge mainstream archaeology and history. It was discovered in 2002 and has since generated a great amount of attention among collectors and researchers.

The most mysterious part of this object is that, within the piece of rock, a metal screw was discovered. The mysterious pear-shaped stone is about 6×8 cm and weighs around 466 grams.

But it is not a common rock and the metal-shaped screw just adds to the mystery of the rock that according to researchers is around 300 million years old. As a matter of fact, the mysterious black rock has geologists scratching their heads.

300-Million-Year-Old Screw Embedded Into Rock Discovered In China
  1. According to reports from Chinese News agencies, a mysterious object discovered in 2002 could be evidence of prehistorical civilizations.
  2. The Lanzhou screw is believed to be similar to the one found in Russia in the 90s.
  3. These objects challenge mainstream archaeology and history
  4. Researchers from numerous Chinese laboratories have studied the item

Tests have failed to show the exact composition of the mysterious rock, researchers include geologists and physicists from the National Land Resources Bureau of Gansu Province, Colored Metal Survey Bureau of Gansu Province, the Institute of Geology and Minerals

Research of China Academy, Lanzhou Branch, and the School of Resources and Environment of Lanzhou College, are unsure of the origin of the artefact and point out that at this time, all theories are possible.

According to Lanzhou Morning News; After a discussion about the possibility of being man-made and the possible reasons for its formation, scientists unanimously labelled the stone as one of the most valuable in China and in the world of collection, research and Archeological studies.”

Numerous theories have been proposed that try to explain the origin of the mysterious rock and the embedded 6 cm cone-shaped metal bar which bears clear screw threads.

While most researchers firmly believe this artefact to be the remains of a prehistoric civilization, other researchers suggest that, given the mysterious composition of certain elements of the rock, there is a possibility that both the rock and mysterious metal screw could have originated on another planet.

After numerous studies, Chinese scientists concluded that the artefact had not been made by contemporary hands or by current technology levels, the most accepted hypothesis is that it is a product of a prehistoric civilization.

Despite various opinions, researchers have not been able to confirm if the screw was forged from a metallic material or from some other material.

Researchers from the Institute of Geology and Minerals Research of China Academy suggest that the mysterious body of the Lanzhou screw was made before the rock that contains it solidified, a process that is believed to have taken place 300 million years before the present era.

It is most likely that there is something missing in the distant history of mankind. History and archaeology clearly do not reflect the entire picture of our past and objects like the Lanzhou screw are proof of it.

According to researchers, 300 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangea formed. It is during that time that the Lanzhou screw was believed to have been created, curiously, the Lanzhou screw has a similar history to the screw discovered in Russia in the 90’s.

The Russian screw, also embedded into rock, was found by chance as researchers were performing analysis after the fall of a meteorite in the Kaluga region when they came across a mysterious object that resembled a modern-day screw.

Tests performed on the mysterious rock from Russia demonstrated that there are several screws embedded into the structure. Curiously, the age of the Russian screw is believed to be an exact match to the one found in China.

Discoveries like this are anything but uncommon as this object belongs to a list of other out-of-place artefacts that have been discovered in the last tweet years.

All of these discoveries point toward the possibility that our history and origins have been completely wrong. It is quite likely that millions of years ago, the Earth was completely different home to a species much different to ours today. Objects like the ones found in China and Russia point toward the possibility that advanced civilizations might have existed millions of years ago on our planet.

Mainstream Archaeology and history will continue to deny these findings since they are capable of rewriting history and our origins as we know it.

Do you think it’s possible that artefacts like the ones found in Russia and China are the remains of prehistorical advanced civilizations?

Changing the way we look at our past and history might help us understand what the true meaning of these artefacts is.

WORLD

100,000-Year-Old Astronomical Map Discovered At Visoko

100,000-Year-Old Astronomical Map Discovered At Visoko

I met Semir Osmanagich, three years ago, in Pescara (Italy) during a conference on Ancient Civilizations and we had several intriguing conversations that were the seeds of my study on the enigmatic stone found in the valley of Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In my opinion, Semir is working very hard to prove the existence of the pyramidal complex in Bosnia and I agree with him when he stated that “Almost everything they teach us about ancient history is wrong: the origin of men, civilizations and pyramids”.

History must be rewritten.

After two years of investigations, I may say that the mysterious symbols carved on the enigmatic stone, found near the Ravne Tunnels in Visoko, represent a possible astronomical map.

Experts believe the symbols are the core of an ancient writing system carved by an unknown civilization that lived in the valley of Visoko. The stone was an enigma for many years, but I have now found the key in which to deciphering the mysterious symbols. The special signs carved on the stone are not ancient writings, or protorunic, as some researchers assumed, but clear evidence of a stellar configuration of the sky above Visoko in a very ancient time.

To prove my hypothesis, I studied the symbols by using a methodology based on a description of each sign, considering the correct meaning and proposing the exact correlation with constellations. The stone has a very intriguing half-sphere shape and it is not a coincidence. The choice has been made taking into consideration the message the creators wanted to convey.

Their goal was to reproduce the sky above Visoko, at a very special time, fixing the position of the constellations with respect to their latitude. That is why the stone has a half-spherical shape because it is a portrayal of the sky.

Now take a look at the details:

The stone is divided into four quadrants by two intersecting lines. I stress the importance of the two lines. The point of origin is in the lower part of the stone, as they wanted to reproduce the celestial sphere as follows: the vertical line is the Celestial Meridian, while the horizontal line is the Celestial Horizon.

The analysis of the symbols gives the opportunity to note the existence of lines whose functions are very important. In the following image, the lines are astronomical measuring devices. In the left quadrant, for instance, the red line – starting from the horizontal line (celestial horizon) –  may have  two meanings:

  • To indicate the equinox or solstice dawn:
  • To indicate the Ecliptic Meridian. In this last case, the red line is the most important symbol carved on the map. It gives the possibility to establish when, along the year, the sky was observed. In fact, the Ecliptic Meridian forms an astronomical imaginary angle of about 45° only at the dawn of the Autumnal Equinox, and its inclination fixes the precise time of the astronomical configuration.

In the right quadrant, the yellow line is also interesting because it is a kind of Sextant, indicating the declination of the Orion Constellation.

Specifically, two points – A and B – are the limits of its declination along the precessional cycle.  This is a very important device, because it is possible to establish the correct measurement of the degrees, obtaining  the right position of Orion along its declination and the time when the stone was engraved.

Now, take a look at the symbols reproducing the celestial constellations. I marked with a special color each symbol reproducing a constellation: red, white, yellow, violet, black, and blue:

  • On the left side, there is the Canis Major constellation (red) and the white lines are the representation of Monoceros constellation in conjunction;
  • On the Celestial Meridian there is the Orion Constellation and just on its right (in yellow) the Arch of Orion;

In the following image, in the right corner, I stress a particular representation of the Arch of Orion description from an astronomical map.

To the right of the Arch of Orion, I  noted a very weathered symbol that I have marked with a black line (see above).

I worked very hard to represent this symbol correctly. Using the astronomical configuration, I noted that this symbol represents the Taurus Constellation, a very important symbolic meaning in the ancient culture, strictly linked to Orion Mythology and to the Great Mother Ancient Culture.

The Cetus constellation (blue line) is also represented, just only the upper part. Cetus is a very large constellation and a great part of it lies under the Celestial Horizon. Lastly, on the left, lies the Pisces Constellation (red).

On the stone, the lower part of it is represented (visible from Visoko, as point of observation). Its lower part is similar to a triangle as represented in the stone and in the astronomical reproduction (image on the right corner).

The left quadrant contains a very intriguing archetype language. In the most ancient civilizations, the ‘E’ symbolizing the concept of Life. So, the correlation Sun-Life is very distinctive.

We have three E’s in different positions. It seems to be a representation of the Sun crossing the ecliptic… It is possible that the third E indicates the precise moment of the alignment, fixed at about 60° on the ecliptic.  The two circles in gray refer to the stars, planets or Moon…  In this last case, we noted that the «circle-Moon» is rising with the Sun, hypothesizing a possible Solar Eclipse.

A solar eclipse has a period of about 180’ and the three Suns may indicate the phases of the Eclipse (60’ x 3).

The question is: when was this stone was engraved? and what Era is it associated with?  Using the Starry Night Pro software, I noted the engraved astronomical configuration never appeared in the sky of Visoko in the last 100,000 years.

This means that:

  • The astronomical map engraving is much older than 100,000 years;
  • The Terrestrial Axis had another inclination, so the coordinates are out of order; or
  • Visoko was not the correct point of observation;

The following image is an astronomical configuration belonging to 82,250 BC, when the constellations represented on the stone were fixed in the sky above Visoko.

But, the correlation is not precise. I believe the exact correlation is older than 100,000 years.

EUROPE, UKRAINE, WORLD

The Crimean Pyramids — Built Before Dinosaurs Roamed The Earth?

The Crimean Pyramids — Built Before Dinosaurs Roamed The Earth?

Ukrainian researchers have come across one of the most important discoveries in recent years as they accidentally discovered a set of megalithic constructions and pyramids in the peninsula of Crimea, well-known in ancient history for archaeological and historical treasures from different cultures and ancient civilizations ranging from the Greeks and Romans to the Genoese and Ottoman Turks.

Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine, it is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea.

The series of formations was discovered for the first time in 1999 by Vitalij Gokh who worked for the Soviet military for over thirty years.

After his long career in the Soviet military, Gokh decided to become a researcher which led him to the discovery of the Pyramids. 

Gokh claimed that just like there were submerged towns in the region, there were buried pyramids and other megalithic structures in the Crimean peninsula.

Gokh was a former engineer thus he had very good knowledge with magnetic resonance instruments. Gokh even built a device to search for subterranean deposits of water since the area of Sevastopol had very poor water supplies.

According to Gokh’s website, the devices, invented by Vitaly A. Gokh (Method of geoholography and geo hydro diagnostics) enable the detection of elements of the Mendeleev Periodic Table; oil and gas deposits, mechanisms and devices of various kinds, material objects both in the Earth and in the areas of remote Space.

The devices use analogs or models in order to record structural fields or the snapshots of the planets, stars, constellations, and areas of Space, executed by means of satellites or telescopes.

Thanks to these instruments, Gokh was able to discover several limestone blocks which had regular dimensions, ca. 2.5 by 1.5 meters and Goks and his team “assumed” these were of artificial origin.

Interestingly, the instrument invented by Gokh also revealed that from the top of one of the structures, three beams of energy emanated, at frequencies 900×109 Hz, 700×109 Hz and 500×109 Hz.

Around the pyramid, a field of 10×109 Hz was found. Gokh and his team state that the surrounding layers of one of the structures reveal that the “underground pyramid” was originally above the surface in “open-air” but due to flooding, the whole area sank together with the structures.

According to ICTV and the Crimean News agency; Ukrainian scientist Vitalij Gokh discovered an underground unknown object, which proved to be a giant pyramid of 45 meters in height and a length of about 72 meters. Goh said that the pyramid was built during the time of the dinosaurs.

“Crimean pyramid” has a truncated top, like a Mayan pyramid, but its appearance is more like an Egyptian. It is hollow inside, and a mummy of an unknown creature is buried under the foundation.

So far the information regarding the veracity and existence of the pyramids has not been proven nor accepted by archaeologists.

In an interview with ICTV, researcher Vitaliy Gokh stated that he doesn’t know who built the megalithic structures in the Crimean peninsula, but the pyramids could prove to be the oldest structures on the planet to date.

So far around 7 pyramids have been registered forming a straight line which travelled from Sarych to Baia Kamyshovaia, and which runs northwest-southeast, one of these “pyramids” is located underwater in the vicinity of the city of Foros.

In total, Gokh believes that there are around 39 pyramidal structures and monolithic buildings in the entire Crimean peninsula.

ASIA, ISRAEL, WORLD

70 Metallic Books That Could Change The Biblical Story

70 Metallic Books That Could Change The Biblical Story

This incredible discovery could prove to be the most important thing since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The ancient collection of 70 tiny books bound with wire, could reveal some of the biggest secrets of the early days of Christianity.

As everything that challenged conventional thinking and science, the discovery of these artefacts has caused experts to have divided opinions and to question their authenticity.

Located on these miniature pages are images, symbols and words that seem to refer to the Messiah and, possibly, to the crucifixion and resurrection.

But most importantly, some of the books are sealed, arousing doubts among academics if these could actually be the lost collection of codices mentioned in the Book of Revelations in the Bible.

Dr. Margaret Barker, former president of the Society for the Study of the Old Testament, said:

“The Book of Revelations speaks of sealed books that were only open for the Messiah. There are other texts of the same period of history that speak of great wisdom that has been locked away in sealed books. These contain a secret tradition passed by Jesus to his closest disciples.”

The books were found in a cave situated in a remote part of Jordan known to be a location where Christian refugees fled after the fall of Jerusalem. Other important and authentic documents of the same period have previously been discovered in the area.

Jordanian government officials are in talks at the highest levels to repatriate and safeguard the historical collection. After the discovery by Jordanian Bedouin, this potentially “priceless treasure” was acquired by an Israeli who said he smuggled the books outside the border into Israel, where they remain.

After initial studies, metallurgical testing indicates that some of the books would go back to sometime near the first century after Christ.

Some researchers believe this discovery to be one of the most important findings in history, crucial evidence from the beginning of the Christian era, prior to the writings of St. Paul.

These writings could contain, within their inscriptions, contemporary stories of the final days of Jesus’ life.

70 Metallic Books That Could Change The Biblical Story

David Elkington, a British scholar of ancient religious history and archaeology, and one of the few to examine the books said that might well be:

“the greatest discovery in the history of Christianity.” “It’s exciting to think that we are in the hand’s objects that may have been held by the early saints of the Church,” he added.

Philip Davies, emeritus professor of biblical studies at the University of Sheffield, believes that this is an authentic historical finding.

According to Davies, there is strong evidence that the books have a Christian origin because there are plaques showing a map of the holy city of Jerusalem.

According to Professor Davies, there is a cross in the foreground, and behind it is something which could be interpreted as a grave. The books seem to describe the crucifixion that takes place outside the walls of the city.

ASIA, ISRAEL, WORLD

Ancient ‘New York’: 5,000-year-old city discovered in Israel

Ancient ‘New York’: 5,000-year-old city discovered in Israel

The city was described by archaeologists as the New York of its time

The remains of a 5,000-year-old city have been discovered in Israel – the largest and oldest such find in the region. The city was home to 6,000 people and included planned roads, neighbourhoods, a ritual temple and fortifications.

An even earlier settlement, believed to be 7,000 years old, was discovered beneath the city.

Israeli archaeologists said the discovery was the most significant in the region from that era.

The impressive planning, diverse facilities and public buildings suggest a well-organized society, Israeli authorities said
Ancient 'New York': 5,000-year-old city discovered in Israel
The stone basin for holding liquids was likely used during religious rituals

“This is the Early Bronze Age New York of our region; a cosmopolitan and planned city where thousands of inhabitants lived,” the excavation directors said in a statement.

“There is no doubt that this site dramatically changes what we know about the character of the period and the beginning of urbanization in Israel,” the statement added.

Rare figurines, often depicting people or animals, were discovered inside the temple

Known as En Esur, the site spans 650 dunams (161 acres), about double the size of previous similar findings. The design of the city included designated residential and public areas, streets and alleys, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

About four million fragments were found at the site, including rare figurines of humans and animals, pieces of pottery and various tools, some of which came from Egypt.

Authorities said the figurines offer valuable insight into the spiritual life of the community
Some of the figurines have been preserved with great detail

Burnt animal bones found on the site provided evidence of sacrificial offerings. Inhabitants of the city – who were likely drawn to the area by two freshwater springs, fertile land and proximity to trade routes – made their living from agriculture, trading with different regions and cultures.

Archaeologists had been excavating the site for more than two and a half years, with 5,000 teenagers and volunteers participating. The settlement was discovered during excavations preceding the construction of a new road.

About 5,000 teenagers and volunteers have contributed to the excavation, which has been going on for over two and half years
PERU, SOUTH AMERICA, WORLD

Ancient erotic pottery teaches Peruvians to prevent prostate cancer

Ancient erotic pottery teaches Peruvians to prevent prostate cancer

The Larco Museum in Lima, Peru, showcases hundreds of “huacos,” a pre-Columbian term for handicrafts.

The Larco Museum in Peru boasts one of the finest collections of pre-Columbian Mochica sculptures in the world — and most of them are very sexually explicit. But rather than keep them encased in displays, the museum has recently begun to use the ancient artworks to promote self-screening for cancer.

According to Reuters, the exhibition, called “Touch the Genitals of the Mochica,” launched on Feb. 25, 2022, and allowed men to touch the sculptures, which are over 1,000 years old.

With hundreds of items on display, visitors perused a wide variety of sexualized sculptures. Depicting a range of erotic acts and sexual anatomy, these clay ceramics left some museumgoers visibly shy. Ultimately, the museum encouraged touching them to learn how to spot cancers.

“The aim is to bring closer the knowledge of our ancestors about the human body, expressed through these ceramic vessels that we call the ‘Erotic Huacos,’” said Larco Museum Director Ulla Holmquist.

The erotic huacos range from stand-alone figures with giant penises to multi-person sculptures engaged in a variety of sexual positions.

The exhibit came in the wake of devastating figures regarding access to healthcare during the global COVID-19 pandemic. When the annual average of 8,700 male cancer diagnoses in Peru surpassed 10,000 in 2021, health officials perked up.

The museum partnered with the League Against Cancer, a private company that reported that 45 per cent of those diagnosed cases were too advanced to be cured.

“Timely detection of cancer of the external genitalia in men, both the penis and testicles, is very low,” said Giselle Grillo from the League Against Cancer. “Many do not know how to explore their genitals, what palpation is. With this, we give an early diagnosis.”

The men were told to feel for bumps, smooth or rough spots, and other abnormalities in the ancient art in an effort to model how to undertake a proper self-examination.

The League Against Cancer explained that men should wear gloves before lubricating one finger and then inserting it into the rectum to check for soft or hard bumps around the prostate when performing a personal screening. While the organisation is using the artwork of the Moche culture to promote as much, they’ve also posted instructions online.

Ancient erotic pottery teaches Peruvians to prevent prostate cancer
Most huacos from the Moche culture depict heterosexual anal sex, with vaginal penetration rather infrequent.

The Moche culture thrived in northern Peru from about 150 C.E. through the end of the eighth century and established its capital near present-day Moche in Trujillo. With agriculture as its foundation, the civilization constructed an impressive irrigation network to nurture its crops.

Perhaps most fascinating was their art, which was primarily erotic.

The Moche culture depicted all sorts of activities in their colourful murals and handcrafted ceramics. From fishing and hunting to war and human sacrifice, their iconographies reflected their interests. However, their “huacos,” a pre-Columbian term for handcrafted ceramics, were focused on sex.

As published in the American Anthropologist journal, a 2004 study noted at least 500 huacos were sexually themed. Curiously, most of these depicted heterosexual anal sex and rarely showed vaginal penetration. Scholars believe sex symbolized circulation and flow to the Moche and honored their successful irrigation techniques, the basis of their agricultural society. Historians also posited that the loss of fluids from the human body represented the disappearance of water from the land.

Visitors were encouraged to touch the sculptures and practice checking for lumps.

Mochica art has indeed shown dying warriors bleeding from the nose or people having their eyes torn out by predators — and would catch the attention of cancer-prevention officials 1300 years later.

José Medina, a urologist with League Against Cancer, also wanted to “call on the population to undergo annual medical examinations in order to have a timely diagnosis.”

He said that self-diagnosis is only a first step that will increase early detection, and he was hopeful that the new partnership would raise awareness through its novelty.