2,000-year-old statues unearthed in Turkey’s western Uşak province
Two statues believed to be dating back to 2,000 years were unearthed during excavation works in the ancient Roman city of Blaundus in western Turkey.
Archaeologists unearth 2,000-year-old statues in western Turkey.
Blaundus, also known as Blaundos, was first built by Macedonians that came to Anatolia, present-day Turkey, following the military campaign of Alexander the Great.
The ruins of the ancient city, located in what is now the Ulubey district of Uşak province, was later occupied by the Romans.
Digging work to unearth the city, which started in 2018, is currently focused on the area where a temple dedicated to the Greek mythological goddess Demeter is located.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Birol Can, a faculty member of the Archeology Department of Uşak University, said the team has found two statues in the courtyard of the temple located in the centre of the city.
Archaeologists unearth 2,000-year-old statues in western Turkey.
Can, who is leading the excavation, said one of the discovered statues was 185 centimetres (6 feet) tall with no head, while the other was missing its head, right arm and both legs.
“We don’t know yet whether the statues are from the temple site or from street-side honorifics,” he said, adding that further research on the discovery was ongoing.
“Both finds are male marble statues. We have not yet determined who they are – whether they are gods, emperors, or statesmen,” Can said.
Noting that the statues may have been inspired and created in the Roman-era style, he said: “We can say that the art of sculpture has been at its peak since the second half of the fourth century B.C.”
Israeli study finds early humans knew to situate hearth in cave’s optimal spot
Reconstruction of ancient humans in the Lazaret Cave, France (Pay attention to the location of the hearth).
Spatial planning in caves 170,000 years ago.
Findings indicate that early humans knew a great deal about spatial planning: they controlled fire and used it for various needs and placed their hearth at the optimal location in the cave – to obtain maximum benefit while exposed to a minimum amount of unhealthy smoke.
A groundbreaking study in prehistoric archaeology at Tel Aviv University provides evidence for high cognitive abilities in early humans who lived 170,000 years ago. In a first-of-its-kind study, the researchers developed a software-based smoke dispersal simulation model and applied it to a known prehistoric site.
They discovered that the early humans who occupied the cave had placed their hearth at the optimal location – enabling maximum utilization of the fire for their activities and needs while exposing them to a minimal amount of smoke.
The study was led by PhD student Yafit Kedar, and Prof. Ran Barkai from the Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at TAU, together with Dr Gil Kedar. The paper was published in Scientific Reports.
Reconstruction of meat roasting on the campfire at the Lazaret Cave, France.
Yafit Kedar explains that the use of fire by early humans has been widely debated by researchers for many years, regarding questions such as: At what point in their evolution did humans learn how to control fire and ignite it at will? When did they begin to use it on a daily basis? Did they use the inner space of the cave efficiently in relation to the fire? While all researchers agree that modern humans were capable of all these things, the dispute continues about the skills and abilities of earlier types of humans.
Yafit Kedar: “One focal issue in the debate is the location of hearths in caves occupied by early humans for long periods of time.
Multilayered hearths have been found in many caves, indicating that fires had been lit at the same spot over many years. In previous studies, using a software-based model of air circulation in caves, along with a simulator of smoke dispersal in a closed space, we found that the optimal location for minimal smoke exposure in the winter was at the back of the cave. The least favourable location was the cave’s entrance.”
Excavations at the Lazaret Cave, France.
In the current study, the researchers applied their smoke dispersal model to an extensively studied prehistoric site – the Lazaret Cave in southeastern France, inhabited by early humans around 170-150 thousand years ago.
Yafit Kedar: “According to our model, based on previous studies, placing the hearth at the back of the cave would have reduced smoke density to a minimum, allowing the smoke to circulate out of the cave right next to the ceiling.
But in the archaeological layers we examined, the hearth was located at the centre of the cave. We tried to understand why the occupants had chosen this spot, and whether smoke dispersal had been a significant consideration in the cave’s spatial division into activity areas.”
To answer these questions, the researchers performed a range of smoke dispersal simulations for 16 hypothetical hearth locations inside the 290sqm cave. For each hypothetical hearth, they analyzed smoke density throughout the cave using thousands of simulated sensors placed 50cm apart from the floor to the height of 1.5m.
To understand the health implications of smoke exposure, measurements were compared with the average smoke exposure recommendations of the World Health Organization.
In this way four activity zones were mapped in the cave for each hearth: a red zone which is essentially out of bounds due to high smoke density; a yellow area suitable for the short-term occupation of several minutes; a green area suitable for long-term occupation of several hours or days; and a blue area which is essentially smoke-free.
Yafit and Gil Kedar: “We found that the average smoke density, based on measuring the number of particles per spatial unit, is in fact minimal when the hearth is located at the back of the cave – just as our model had predicted. But we also discovered that in this situation, the area with low smoke density, most suitable for the prolonged activity, is relatively distant from the hearth itself.
Early humans needed a balance – a hearth close to which they could work, cook, eat, sleep, get together, warm themselves, etc. while exposed to a minimum amount of smoke. Ultimately, when all needs are taken into consideration – daily activities vs. the damages of smoke exposure – the occupants placed their hearth at the optimal spot in the cave.”
The study identified a 25sqm area in the cave which would be optimal for locating the hearth in order to enjoy its benefits while avoiding too much exposure to smoke. Astonishingly, in the several layers examined by in this study, the early humans actually did place their hearth within this area.
Prof. Barkai concludes: “Our study shows that early humans were able, with no sensors or simulators, to choose the perfect location for their hearth and manage the cave’s space as early as 170,000 years ago – long before the advent of modern humans in Europe. This ability reflects ingenuity, experience, and planned activities, as well as awareness of the health damage caused by smoke exposure. In addition, the simulation model we developed can assist archaeologists excavating new sites, enabling them to look for hearths and activity areas at their optimal locations.”
In further studies the researchers intend to use their model to investigate the influence of different fuels on smoke dispersal, use of the cave with an active hearth at different times of the year, use of several hearths simultaneously, and other relevant issues.
British Museum unveils treasures at the centre of recent World of Stonehenge exhibition
The world’s oldest surviving map of the sky and a ‘talismanic’ chalk drum have gone on display as part of a major new exhibition. The 3,600-year-old Nebra Sky Disc and the 5,000-year-old Burton Agnes chalk drum are just two of 430 objects and artefacts that are visible to the public from Thursday at the British Museum in London. They are part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition, which runs until July and tells the story of the famous Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire.
Stunning photos taken today show the 12-inch sky disc in all its glory. It is inlaid with gold symbols that are believed to represent the moon, sun, solstices and stars, and was unearthed by looters in Germany in 1999.
The chalk drum, which bears intricate circular etchings, was found alongside the ancient burial of three children near the village of Burton Agnes in East Yorkshire. Other artefacts on display include two gold hats and an ancient wooden monument called ‘Seahenge’ which dates back 4,000 years.
The world’s oldest surviving map of the sky and a ‘talismanic’ chalk drum have gone on display as part of a major new exhibition. Pictured: The 3,600-year-old Nebra Sky Disc, which is now available to view at the British Museum
The 5,000-year-old Burton Agnes chalk drum is one of 430 objects and artefacts that are visible to the public from Thursday at the British Museum in London. They are part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition, which runs until July and tells the story of the famous Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire
Seahenge was nicknamed the Stonehenge of the Sea after it re-emerged on a Norfolk beach in 1998. It consists of a large upturned tree stump surrounded by 54 wooden posts
The World of Stonehenge exhibition tells the story of the 3,500-year-old Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire (pictured above)
According to the British Museum, nearly two-thirds of the objects going on display in the exhibition will be loans, with artefacts coming from 35 lenders across the UK, the Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. The majority of the items have never been seen in the UK before. The Nebra Sky Disc was found near the town of Nebra in Saxony-Anhalt, in the east of Germany, by looters Mario Renner and Henry Westphal.
The pair were treasure hunting without a license and ended up destroying parts of the archaeological site, as well as damaging the disc with their spade. They sold the disc alongside bronze swords, hatchets, a chisel and bracelet fragments that they found with it to a dealer in Cologne for 31,000 Deutsche Mark (around £10,000).
The pair were arrested in the bar of the Hilton Hotel in Basel, Switzerland, after trying to sell the sky disc to the German state archaeologist for 700,000 DM (£217,391). Experts believe the sky disc was used as a calculator to help its Bronze Age owners predict the best times for sowing and harvesting in the spring and autumn. This interpretation is supported by the presence of a cluster of seven stars, the Pleiades, which appear next to a full or new moon at these times.
The Burton Agnes drum is decorated with symbols that are believed to represent the sun, is only the fourth surviving example of its kind and is the most intricately decorated.
The headgear going on display includes the Schifferstadt gold hat (front) from Germany and the Avanton gold cone (back) from France
Seahenge’s oak posts, some up to nine ft tall, form a 21ft-diameter circle around the upturned oak, creating a giant tree-like spectacle. A narrow entrance-way was built aligning to the rising midsummer sun and it is speculated the monument was used for ritual purposes
A member of staff observes a gold cape dating from 1600-1900 BC from Mold, Flintshire, Wales, during the press preview for the new The World of Stonehenge exhibition at London’s British Museum
According to the British Museum, nearly two-thirds of the objects going on display in the exhibition will be loans, with artefacts coming from 35 lenders across the UK, the Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. Pictured: A member of staff uses a brush whilst standing behind a standing stone carved in 2500 BC from Capo di Ponte, Italy
Animal bones in the form of a necklace found on Salisbury Plain, 2,100-1,900 BC. The World of Stonehenge exhibition runs until July
It was found buried above the head of the eldest child and is believed to have been placed in the grave during the first construction phase of Stonehenge – when the monument’s bluestones were being moved from west Wales to Salisbury Plain. It contains symbols similar to those found on pottery at the dwelling site of the builders who created Stonehenge, at Bulford, and could cast light on how communities lived at the time.
The British Museum already has three barrel-shaped cylinders made of solid chalk, dubbed the Folkton drums after their discovery in North Yorkshire in 1889. Dr Neil Wilkin, the curator of The World of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said: ‘This is a truly remarkable discovery, and is the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years.
‘This drum is likely to have represented the circle of life, renewal and regeneration.
‘Children are the future, and represent the next generation, so burying them with a chalk drum as a talisman may well have been seen as a way to protect the future of the community.’
Alice Beasley, who first uncovered the drum as project archaeologist at Allen Archaeology, said: ‘Discovering the chalk drum was a thrilling and humbling experience. Seeing the love and effort put into burying the individuals over 5000 years ago was truly moving
‘The children are highly unlikely to have been child sacrifices, as have been seen in the remains of some pagan societies.
Seahenge was nicknamed the Stonehenge of the Sea after it re-emerged on a Norfolk beach in 1998. It consists of a large upturned tree stump surrounded by 54 wooden posts. The oak posts, some up to nine ft tall, form a 21ft-diameter circle around the upturned oak, creating a giant tree-like spectacle.
A narrow entranceway was built aligning to the rising midsummer sun and it is speculated the monument was used for ritual purposes. Dr Jennifer Wexler, project curator of the World Of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said: ‘If Stonehenge is one of the world’s most remarkable surviving ancient stone circles, then Seahenge is the equivalent in timber.
The looters — who were treasure hunting without a license — destroyed parts of the archaeological site and damaged the disc with their spade. Pictured: the iconography of the Nebra Sun Disc. Some of the interpretations are uncertain. According to expert analysis, the disc was constructed in four stages, which saw some of the stars move around the disc
A member of staff poses next to a gold broach from Shropshire, England which dates back to 1,000 BC. It is one of 430 objects that are now on display
Examples of tools carved by Neolithic Britons are seen on display at the British Museum on Monday, after the opening of the World of Stonehenge exhibition
A human skull showing healed blunt force trauma on the forehead. The skull is one of several examples of ancient human bones that are on display in the new exhibition
Wooden carvings dating back to 1,200 BC were found in Yorkshire. Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, said: ‘To understand the purpose of the great stone monument constructed on Salisbury Plain, it is essential to consider its contemporary world and the culture of its builders. We are delighted to be able to do this in this unprecedented exhibition’
‘But as it was only rediscovered in 1998, it is still relatively unknown.
‘We know about some aspects of the monument, including that it was constructed in the spring and summer of 2049 BC, from mighty oaks.
‘But there’s much that still eludes us, including exactly what it was used for.
‘Perhaps the central upturned trunk was used in funerary rituals to support a dead body. Perhaps entering the circular shrine brought worshippers closer to the otherworld.
‘By displaying Seahenge in this exhibition we hope to bring it to a wider audience, and it provides an unparalleled opportunity to time-travel back to the moment when circles of stone and timber were at the heart of people’s beliefs.’
The headgear going on display includes the Schifferstadt gold hat from Germany and the Avanton gold cone from France.
The World of Stonehenge exhibition also features examples of ancient goldwork, such as the above gold bangles on display today
A photograph taken on February 14, 2022, shows a gold necklace from, Gleninsheen, County of Clare, Republic of Ireland
It is the first time that either has been seen in Britain. They are decorated with elaborate solar motifs that reflect the religious importance of the sun during this era. The Schifferstadt hat, which was found in the German town of the same name in 1835, dates back to between 1400 and 1300 BC, whilst the Avanton cone – discovered near Avanton, Poitiers in 1844 – dates to between 1000 and 900 BC. Only two other examples of these hats are known to have survived. They served as headgear during ceremonies or rituals, and experts theorised that the original wearers may have believed that they gave them divine or otherworldly status.
Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, said: ‘To understand the purpose of the great stone monument constructed on Salisbury Plain, it is essential to consider its contemporary world and the culture of its builders.
‘We are delighted to be able to do this in this unprecedented exhibition.
‘Over 430 exceptional objects are being brought together, objects which are the last and only testament of sophisticated and ingenious people, and we are grateful to all of the lenders who have made it possible.’
Egypt: a 4,200-year-old funerary temple for a queen discovered
Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities has revealed details of the latest landmark discoveries to emerge from the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo. The vast burial grounds sit in what was once Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to more than a dozen pyramids, including Egypt’s oldest, the Pyramid of Djoser.
The site has yielded thousands of artifacts over decades of excavation, but among the biggest rewards for Egyptologists in this latest round of discoveries was the identity of a queen who died around 4,200 years ago.
Her tomb was discovered at a site adjacent to the pyramid of King Teti, the first pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt’s the Old Kingdom, the era between about 2680 and 2180 BC known as the Age of the Pyramids.
“The excavation started in 2010 when we discovered a pyramid of a queen next to the pyramid of King Teti, but we didn’t find a name inside the pyramid to tell us who the pyramid belonged to,” leading Egyptologist and former minister of antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass told CBS News.
A sarcophagus is displayed during the official announcement of the discovery by an Egyptian archaeological mission of a new trove of treasures at Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, on January 17, 2021. The discovery includes the funerary temple of Queen Neit, wife of King Teti, as well as burial shafts, coffins, and mummies dating back 3,000 years to the New Kingdom.
About a month ago they discovered a funerary temple, and now researchers finally have a name for the ancient female monarch: Queen Neit, the wife of King Teti. Her name was finally found, carved on a wall in the temple, and also written on a fallen obelisk in the entrance to her tomb.
Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass poses during an event announcing the discovery by the archaeological mission he leads of a new trove of treasures at Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, on January 17, 2021.
“I’d never heard of this queen before. Therefore, we add an important piece to Egyptian history, about this queen,” said Hawass, who heads the archaeological mission. He said the recent discoveries would help “rewrite” the history of ancient Egypt.
His team also discovered 52 burial shafts, each around 30 to 40 feet deep, inside of which they found have more than 50 wooden coffins dating back to the New Kingdom, around 3,000 years ago.
Unearthed adorned wooden sarcophagi are displayed during the official announcement of the discovery by an Egyptian archaeological mission of a new trove of treasures at Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, on January 17, 2021.
“Actually, this morning we found another shaft,” Hawass told CBS News on Monday. “Inside the shaft, we found a large limestone sarcophagus. This is the first time we’ve discovered a limestone sarcophagus inside the shafts. We found another one that we’re going to open a week from now.”
The team also found a papyrus about 13 feet long and three feet wide, on which Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead is written in hieroglyphics, with the name of its owner recorded on it. The Book of the Dead is an ancient manuscript that explains how to navigate through the afterlife to reach the field of the Aaru — paradise, to ancient Egyptians.
The remains of a papyrus, bearing Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead, found in a burial shaft at the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt are displayed on tables in an image provided by the Ministry of Antiquities.
Hawass said it was the first time such a large papyrus had been discovered inside a burial shaft.
Other finds from the site include numerous wooden funerary masks, a shrine dedicated to the god Anubis (Guardian of the Cemetery), statues of Anubis, and games that were buried with the dead, to keep them busy in the afterlife. One of them was a game called “Twenty,” found with its owner’s name still visibly written on it.
Another game, called “Senet” (cross), was found in the shafts. It’s similar to chess, but if the deceased player wins, they go safely into the afterlife.
The cache of embalming materials unearthed in Abu Sir
The archaeological mission of the Czech Institute of Egyptology discovered a cache of mummification materials during archaeological excavations inside a group of burial wells dating back to the 26th Dynasty and located in the western part of the Abu Sir cemetery.
Part of the discovery – Min. of Tourism & Antiquities
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri explained that this cache was found inside a huge well measuring 5.3 x 5.3 meters and of depth exceeding 14 meters.
The cache contains unique embalming materials, consisting of 370 large pottery vessels divided into 14 groups, each group containing from 7 to 52 pots.
The discovered well – Min. of Tourism & Antiquities
The discovered well – Min. of Tourism & Antiquities
Waziri added that these pots contain remnants of materials that were used during the mummification process.
Waziri further indicated that in the upper group, four empty limestone canopic pots engraved with hieroglyphic texts in the name of their owner, a person named Wahibre, were found.
Part of the discovery – Min. of Tourism & Antiquities
For his part, Miroslav Barta, head of the mission, noted, “the 2021 season was part of a long-term project aimed at uncovering antiquities dating back to an era when ancient Egyptian society was looking for new ways to preserve the unique Egyptian identity.
The tombs of Abu Sir, which were built in a similar way to the famous pyramid of Djoser, the most famous king of the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, played a major role in showing the unique Egyptian culture, which was expressed by the Egyptian eras in that period.”
Moreover, Deputy Director of the Czech Mission Mohammad Megahid confirmed that archaeological excavations will continue in the area through 2022.
At the same time, studies and analysis of the contents of the pottery vessels will be started using modern scientific methods.
Hieroglyphic Texts Discovered on Coffins Believed to Contain Mummies of Birds and Guts
Three burial shafts believed to contain mummified birds were discovered near Cairo. The coffins, which are covered in ancient hieroglyphic texts, were found in the Abusir necropolis, a large cemetery.
The discovery was made after authorities received reports of illegal excavations in the area, according to Ahram Online.
In additional to 38 carved ceramic pots, the committee discovered that the graves held four wooden coffins. Though in poor condition, hieroglyphic texts are still visible on their surfaces.
An ancient Egyptian mummy depicting an ibis on display at the Brooklyn Museum. Four coffins believed to contain mummies of birds were recently discovered near Cairo.
Sabri Farag, the director-general of the Saqqara Necropolis and leader of the excavation committee, said that one of the texts featured a cartouche—an oval tablet bearing text specifically associated with royalty—of King Ptolemy IV, according to Ahram Online.
The hieroglyphs were too badly degraded for experts to decipher anything further, but additional studies are being planned to reveal more, according to Ahram Online.
Supreme Council of Antiquities secretary-general Mostafa Waziri said that an excavation committee was formed to investigate the site as quickly as possible following reports of illegal grave-digging, according to Ahram Online.
The coffins are believed to contain four mummified bodies, but not of humans—of birds. Also found in the coffins were three of the mummies’ stomachs, wrapped protectively in linen.
Removal of internal organs during the mummification process was common practice, according to the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to removing moisture from the body, embalming involves taking out anything that would rot especially quickly, like organs.
Animal mummification was also common practice in ancient Egypt. While the precise purpose of mummifying creatures like dogs, cats, and birds remains unknown, ancient Egyptians viewed animals as of equal importance to humans, according to The New York Times.
For instance, a mummified ibis—a sacred bird with a long hooked beak—would have been preserved because that bird was associated with the deity Thoth, the god of magic and wisdom, according to The New York Times.
And yet, a CT scan of one such mummy revealed “just a bundle of feathers” inside. A separate scan of a different bird mummy revealed that it really did contain a bird—which had choked to death on a mouse, according to National Geographic.
All of which is to say that these newly discovered mummies might be, quite literally, full of surprises.
Australian Aboriginal symbols found on mysterious 12,000-year-old pillar in Turkey—a connection that could shake up history
Göbekli Tepe in Turkey is a 12,000-year-old megalithic monument complex, the origins of which have stumped archaeologists since its discovery about 20 years ago.
It has caused archaeologists to rethink their understanding of “primitive” society at that time.
The sophistication of a society that could build such monuments—containing pillars weighing 45 to 65 tons and carved with intricate symbols and figures—far surpasses what most archaeologists thought possible for that period.
Part of the excavation site of Göbekli Tepe.
It may have been created by a society that was wiped out by a cataclysmic event.
Carvings at the site may depict a comet that caused massive global climate shifts, a cataclysmic event that wiped out the civilization responsible for Göbekli Tepe.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh published a paper to this effect last year in the journal Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry.
From about 14,500 to 11,500 years ago, a period known as the Younger Dryas, the world experienced dramatic climate shifts.
The shift at the end of the Younger Dryas was particularly abrupt, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Archaeologists have agreed that Göbekli Tepe is at least 12,000 years old, placing it within this period.
The site was rapidly buried about 1,000 years after its creation. Whether this was done intentionally by people or by nature is a matter of debate. Some have theorized that society wanted to protect the monuments from the cataclysm.
Researcher and author Bruce Fenton now presents a theory that Göbekli Tepe was built by Australian Aborigines.
An Australian Aboriginal medicine man with a symbol on his chest was also found at Göbekli Tepe.
Fenton focused his cross-cultural analysis on Göbekli Tepe and the Arnhem Land area in northern Australia. He found many shared symbols and motifs.
For example, the lead photo of this article shows a symbol on a pillar at Göbekli Tepe, and the same symbol is painted on an Australian Aboriginal elder’s chest. This symbol is held by the Aborigines to depict two people sitting to share knowledge.
Fenton has found what he says are clearly Aboriginal churinga stones, sacred objects, at Göbekli Tepe.
On another pillar, Fenton has identified a symbol usually reserved for the most sacred artefacts of the Australian Aboriginal culture, churinga stones.
He has also found what he believes are churinga stones at other 12,000-year-old sites in Turkey thought to be connected to the Göbekli Tepe culture.
They display the concentric circles characteristically used by Aboriginals to depict watering holes, and the zig-zag lines used to depict waterways.
Left: An Australian churinga stone. Right: A closeup of the central pillar in Göbekli Tepe’s Enclosure D with a similar symbol. The pillar depicts a deity, showing this symbol is similarly sacred in the cultures that created both objects.
A “churinga stone” was found at Hasankeyf, another 12,000-year-old site in Turkey left by the same vanished people.
Another “churinga stone” was found at Hasankeyf. The carving resembles a double helix.
“Many of the animal symbols on the stones relate to Aboriginal clan totems,” Fenton said via email. He has also noticed similarities between the only female figure depicted at Göbekli Tepe and the Aboriginal depictions of Yingarna, the creator.
An ancient culture used Aboriginal shamanism to try and hold back the cataclysm at Göbekli Tepe, says Fenton.
Göbekli Tepe
Fenton hypothesizes that the Göbekli Tepe carvings display a characteristically Aboriginal shamanistic attempt to stop the coming cataclysm. He said, “The purpose of the complex was to reverse the flooding underway during the Younger Dryas, by placating the Rainbow Serpent (they assumed this water deity was responsible).”
In a paper on his theory, published in New Dawn magazine, Fenton wrote: “The images at Göbekli Tepe are mostly animals; it is tempting to think that this represented a significant effort by the shamans to call forth the spirits of the animals, many of which had become extinct.”
Chalk drum from 5,000 years ago is ‘most important art find’ in a century
A 5,000-year-old chalk sculpture discovered in east Yorkshire, due to be displayed at the British Museum, has been described as the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last century.
The 5,000-year-old sculpture was found in an East Yorkshire grave, along with a bone pin and a chalk ball thought to be a child’s toy.
The object, which archaeologists have named the “Burton Agnes drum”, is a chalk sculpture that had been decorated with motifs similar to the artistic style at the same time as Stonehenge was built. The drum was discovered alongside the burial of three children.
The drum is hailed to be such an important discovery due to its similarity to a group of objects already in the British Museum’s collection.
The discovery was made in 2015 at a country estate near Burton Agnes
The motifs are yet to be deciphered but are thought to have either symbolic or religious meaning
The Folkton drums, three barrel-shaped cylinders made of chalk, were found in North Yorkshire buried alongside the remains of a child, and have been part of the British Museum’s collection since 1889. They are, according to the British Museum, some of the “most famous and enigmatic ancient objects ever unearthed in Britain”.
Relatively little is known about the Folkton drums and their context but this new drum, which was found about 15 miles away, sheds new light on them.
The exact age of the Folkton drums was never known, with a consensus guess that they were made around 2500 – 2000BC.
However, due to new technology and the finding of the new drum, the Folkton drums can be identified as being nearly 500 years older than previously thought.
This new discovery, only the fourth example of its kind known to have survived, is nearly identical to the Folkton drums and can also be described as a chalk drum.
Despite the use of the term ‘drum’, they are not thought to have had a musical function. Instead, they are works of sculptural art and have been interpreted to be intended as talismans to protect the deceased children they accompanied.
The drum was found next to three children buried close together “in a moving scene”, archaeologists said
The Burton Agnes drum is due to be displayed to the public for the first time on Thursday, alongside all three Folkton drums, as part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum.
Neil Wilkin, the curator of The World of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said the discovery was “truly remarkable”.
“The Folkton drums have long remained a mystery to experts for well over a century, but this new example finally begins to give us some answers. To my mind, the Burton Agnes drum is even more intricately carved and reflects connections between communities in Yorkshire, Stonehenge, Orkney and Ireland,” he said.
“The discovery of the Burton Agnes grave is highly moving. The emotions the new drum expresses are powerful and timeless, they transcend the time of Stonehenge and reflect a moment of tragedy and despair that remains undimmed after 5,000 years,” he added.
“We are honoured that the British Museum will be the first place the public will be able to see this important object and that they will see it alongside 430 other ancient items telling the spectacular story of Stonehenge and the vibrant world in which it was built.”
Mark Allen, the director of Allen Archaeology, said that it has been a “real privilege” to have been involved in its discovery, and took the opportunity to thank the “landowners for their enthusiasm and interest in the project from the outset.”
“When we heard about the find from the team on-site and saw the photos of the drum that were messaged over to us, it was clear we were looking at something extraordinary,” he said. “Although the photos did not do it justice, and we were all stunned to see it up close when it came off-site.”
Alice Beasley, who first uncovered the drum as an archaeologist for Allen Archeology, said discovering it was a “thrilling and humbling” experience. “Seeing the love and effort put into burying the individuals over 5,000 years ago was truly moving,” she said.
The World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum, on display until mid-July, is the UK’s first major exhibition on Stonehenge. Nearly two-thirds of the objects on display will be loaned from 35 lenders across several different countries, including Germany, Denmark and Italy.
