All posts by Archaeology World Team

ASIA, INDIA, WORLD

Rudra – Mighty Hindu God Of Death, Destruction, Hunting Who Heals Mortal Diseases

Rudra – Mighty Hindu God Of Death, Destruction, Hunting Who Heals Mortal Diseases

In the Rig Veda, an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns, some of them are dedicated to a powerful and complex god Rudra, praised as the ‘mightiest of the mighty.’ He is Lord of Yoga, the one who restores the wholeness of the absolute.

However, he is much more than that.

Rudra – Mighty Hindu God Of Death, Destruction, Hunting Who Heals Mortal Diseases

He is described as a mighty god, armed with a bow and black arrows, flying fast, wearing a scythe, accompanied by Maruts, who in Vedic and Hindu mythology, are the deities symbolizing storm, thunder, wind, thunder, and lightning, and so does the great Rudra himself.

In addition, he is associated with disease, misfortune, and even death, but as a hunter – dressed in animal skins, with long black hair pulled into a knot, and with a bow and black arrows – is also closely associated with mountains and forests.

To attest to his mighty powers, we must add that Rudra is also the king of medicines and a healer, as he could bring diseases and heal from them.

The people turned to him with prayers for mercy and health and called him “Having a sedative healing remedy,” “Holder of a thousand healing remedies,” or “The most healing of healers.”

Sometimes, he holds the arrow in his hand and acts as a destructive power and a plant (or a water vessel) in the other to demonstrate the revitalizing abilities that pulsate in plants, water, and heals.

To heal the illnesses of mortals, the mighty Rudra comes up with a much better idea than the one given to him by the god Brahma, who asked him to plunge into waters to create mortals.

According to Rigveda, Rudra decided to develop the plants and herbs to become the mortals’ best medicines. The fiery nature of Rudra makes him comparable to the qualities of a Vedic god of fire, Agni,  also one of the supreme deities of the Vedic lore.

It happens that Rudra (the Vedic precursor of Shiva, the destroyer) is remembered as ‘the roarer’ and the one ‘who eradicates problems from their roots. He is also associated with the god of death, Yama.

But scholars sometimes considered him as the “fertility god of the Indus valley, whose symbol was the bull. He is, however, sometimes depicted in the posture of a yogi. These aspects suggest a link to the later Shiva. In the Rig Veda, Rudra, whose wife’s name, Prsni (“water bag,”) is a bringer of life-giving rain and other boons. As a fertility god, he is represented by the phallus (or linga), which will take on increased importance in the Shiva cult.” 

His weapons are a bow, an arrow, and a trishula, which in Greek mythology is known as the trident.

The trishula (in Sanskrit, “triple-spear”) represents a mysterious symbol of great importance in India. It was later the weapon of Shiva (‘the destroyer’). Three prongs reflected Shiva’s function as creator, destroyer, and preserver and represented the Law (Dharma), the basic principles of personal or cosmic or existence – divine law.

This mighty deity of the Hindu pantheon developed later into the powerful god Shiva, with whom he was often associated as Rudra/Shiva. Young, fast, invincible, and untouchable, Rudra dwells in the north, with which, as well as with the west, everything cold, darkness, and evil are connected, according to the ancient Indian model of the world.

Rudra’s wife was Sati, the daughter of the lord of all creatures, Daksha. Sati was deeply in love with her husband, who was handsome, strong with powerful arms, and a body decorated with ornaments of gold and a brilliant necklace. His chariot is swift, and a club, lightning bolt, or bow and arrows never miss a target, making him a great danger to his enemies.

In excavated ruins of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa dated to the Indus Civilization that existed between 3000 and 2000 BC,) archaeologists found “a seated figure with crossed legs, three heads, and surrounded by animals.

“The figure is the position of meditation, which is still used by yogis nowadays. This nameless god is undoubtedly a precursor of Shiva, the Lord of the Three Worlds, the Prince of Ascetics, and the Protector of the Animal Kingdom.

Interestingly, the first name by which this god is found in the Vedas is – Rudra. Rudra is above all a violent god, the god of storms and destruction., who is also feared by the other gods, although there were  benevolent aspects even at that time.” 

Later, in post-Vedic mythology, the cult of Shiva developed from the cult of Rudra. His very name (and his epithets Pashupati, “master of cattle,” Sharva, etc.) later became one of the nicknames of Shiva.

EUROPE, SWEDEN, WORLD

DNA Reveals – One Of Sunken Warship Vasa’s Crewmen Was A Woman

DNA Reveals – One Of Sunken Warship Vasa’s Crewmen Was A Woman

When the human remains found on board the Swedish warship Vasa were investigated, it was initially determined that the skeleton designated “G” was a man. New research now shows that the skeleton is actually from a woman.

About thirty people died when Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. We cannot know who most of them were; only one person is named in the written sources.

When the ship was raised in 1961, it was the scene of a comprehensive archaeological excavation in which numerous human bones were found on board and examined.

DNA Reveals – One Of Sunken Warship Vasa’s Crewmen Was A Woman
Vasa warship.

“Through osteological analysis it has been possible to discover a great deal about these people, such as their age, height and medical history. Osteologists recently suspected that G could be female, on the basis of the pelvis. DNA analysis can reveal even more,” says Dr. Fred Hocker, director of research at the Vasa Museum, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Since 2004 the Vasa Museum has collaborated with the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University in Sweden to investigate all of the remains from Vasa and find out as much as possible about each individual.

Initially the project had focused on confirming whether certain bones belonged to specific people. Marie Allen, professor of forensic genetics, has led the work.

“For us, it is both interesting and challenging to study the skeletons from Vasa. It is very difficult to extract DNA from bone which has been on the bottom of the sea for 333 years, but not impossible,” says Allen. She continues, “Already some years ago we had indications that skeleton G was not a man but a woman. Simply put, we found no Y chromosomes in G’s genetic material. But we could not be certain and wanted to confirm the result.”

DNA research at the Vasa Museum. Professor Marie Allen, Uppsala University and Conservator Malin Sahlstedt, the Vasa Museum. Credit: Anna Maria Forssberg, Vasamuseet/SMTM.

The result has now been confirmed, thanks to an interlaboratory study with Dr. Kimberly Andreaggi of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL) in Delaware, U.S.. The AFMES-AFDIL is the American Department of Defense’s laboratory, specializing in human remains DNA testing from deceased military personnel. This organization has established a new testing method for the analysis of many different genetic variants.

“We took new samples from bones for which we had specific questions. AFMES-AFDIL has now analyzed the samples, and we have been able to confirm that G was a woman, thanks to the new test,” says Allen.

For Allen and Andreaggi, the analysis of the Vasa skeletons is a way to develop their forensic methods, which can then be used to analyze DNA in criminal investigations or to identify fallen soldiers.

For the Vasa Museum, the results of the DNA analysis are an important puzzle piece in the museum’s research into the people on the ship.

Dr. Anna Maria Forssberg, historian and researcher at the museum, explains, “We want to come as close to these people as we can. We have known that there were women on board Vasa when it sank, and now we have received confirmation that they are among the remains. I am currently researching the wives of seamen, so for me this is especially exciting, since they are often forgotten even though they played an important role for the navy.”

More results are expected shortly from the new samples. Allen and Andreaggi will be able to say something about how individuals looked, what color their hair and eyes were, and possibly where their families came from.

“Today we can extract much more information from historic DNA than we could earlier and methods are being continuously refined. We can say if a person was predisposed to certain illnesses, or even very small details, such as if they had freckles and wet or dry ear wax,” says Allen in a press statement.

The Vasa Museum’s researchers are currently studying the skeletons from several perspectives, including the personal possessions found with them. Eventually the results will be presented in an exhibition at the museum and a book about the people who died on board Vasa.

ENGLAND, EUROPE, WORLD

Rare 2,000-Year-Old Roman Hoard Discovered In Suffolk

Rare 2,000-Year-Old Roman Hoard Discovered In Suffolk

Archaeologists report a rare discovery of late Roman pewter plates, platters, bowls, and a cup that have been made in Euston, in the west of Suffolk, UK.

The remains of the vessels were buried in a pit and carefully stacked, suggesting that they were placed as a single group, possibly for safekeeping or an offering.

The Euston hoard being lifted.

They have just gone on display at the West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Museum, near Bury St Edmunds, until January 2024.

The hoard was discovered in Autumn 2022 by local metal detector user Martin White whilst taking part in an East of England Rally – an organized detecting event.

“I’ve been detecting for about 10 years, and this is the most high-profile find I’ve made so far, it was very exciting! We quickly consulted with the Archaeological Service so that the items could be removed and recorded without being damaged.

It was a privilege to be involved in the whole process, from discovery to excavation to seeing the finds go on display,” White said.

“It is amazing to think that this fragile hoard has survived thousands of years, and being discovered by Martin, that adds to the Suffolk story,” Councillor Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Protected Landscapes and Archaeology said.

Rare 2,000-Year-Old Roman Hoard Discovered In Suffolk
The Euston hoard after conservation.

“This is a significant discovery. The larger plates and platters were used to allow food to be served communally and the octagonal bowls may have a Christian reference. Similar hoards are found across southern Britain, including from the nearby large Roman settlements at Icklingham and Hockwold,” Faye Minter, Suffolk County Council’s Archaeological Archives and Projects Manager, said in a press statement.

“We are very grateful for the kind donation of this hoard to West Stow Anglo-Saxon village and Museum and thrilled to be able to put it on display for local people to see. It adds a new strand to the story of our past in this area in the later Roman period – at a time just before the settlement at West Stow was beginning,” Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture at West Suffolk Council, which runs West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village said.

EUROPE, NORWAY, WORLD

1500-year-old gold treasure discovered by metal detectorist: “This is the gold find of the century in Norway”

1500-year-old gold treasure discovered by metal detectorist: “This is the gold find of the century in Norway”

A Norwegian man had barely unwrapped his new metal detector when he discovered what experts have described as the “gold find of the century.”

Erlend Bore, 51, told NBC News by telephone Thursday that he took up the hobby after his doctor advised him to get some exercise.

But he stumbled across the unique treasure trove which is more than 1,500 years old when he was using his new gadget on Rennesoey, a picturesque island to the north of the Norwegian city of Stavanger.

Bore, who lives in Sola, a small seaside resort near Stavanger, said that hours of detecting only yielded “trash like aluminum foil and a very small fem ore,” a more modern coin that is no longer in use.

1500-year-old gold treasure discovered by metal detectorist: “This is the gold find of the century in Norway”
Metal detectorist Erlend Bore on Sept. 7, 2023 with the gold treasure he discovered on the island of Rennesoey in Norway.

On the verge of going home, he said he tried a nearby hill and it took seconds for him to get a hit.

Initially, Bore said, he thought he’d found toy gold coins or chocolate money. But experts at the university’s archaeological museum later determined he had come across nine gold pendants, three gold rings and 10 gold pearls that someone might have worn as showy jewelry centuries ago, all lying barely 5 inches below the ground.

A reconstruction of a necklace with gold pendants that are part of a treasure found in southern Norway in August by Erlend Bore.

Not seen since before the Viking Age, the pendants were bracteates: thin, flat, single-sided gold discs that once formed an amulet.

The find weighs just 3.5 oz but has huge historical significance for the understanding of the period. There has been no similar find in Norway since the 19th century.

“There was a terrible period in the middle of the 6th century when both plague and climate deterioration came at once,” Håkon Reiersen, associate professor at the museum, told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. He added that at the time, the region of Rogaland “had a large population, and many died.”

“From that period immediately after, we have almost no finds,” he said.

“So many people died, and some had to put down their most precious things in hopes of either getting better times or to hide their treasures,” he added.

Buried around 500 A.D. when Norway was ruled by rival kings and the Roman Empire had not long collapsed, the museum’s experts believe the intricate craftmanship shown in the gold suggests the jewelry was made in a nearby workshop controlled by political and religious elites that may have held sway over much of southern Norway.

Bore found nine pendants, three rings, and 10 gold pearls on a southern Norwegian island in what was described as the gold find of the century.

The motifs on the jewelry are unusual and have excited archaeologists. The 1,000 bracteates found in Scandinavia typically show the Norse god Odin healing the sick horse of his son, Balder — but the new pieces show just a horse, an image with important cultural symbolism in pre-Christian Norway.

“On these gold pendants the horse’s tongue hangs out, and its slumped posture and twisted legs show that it is injured,” Sigmund Oehrl, an archaeologist at the museum, said in a press release.

“Like the Christian symbol of the cross, which spread in the Roman Empire at exactly this time, the horse symbol represented illness and distress, but at the same time hope for healing and new life,” he said.

The museum plans to put the items on public display.

“I didn’t sleep much for several nights after the find, I was so high on adrenaline,” Bore said, adding that his more recent searches had yielded more normal results.

On a recent search he said he found “a sheep’s ear tag and the lid of a teapot.”

Under Norwegian law, Bore could be entitled to a finder’s fee of the gold’s minimum value plus 10%, which he would have to share equally with the landowner. But Bore said this has yet to be decided.

The plan is to exhibit the find at the Archaeological Museum in Stavanger, about 200 miles southwest of Norway’s capital, Oslo.

EUROPE, SPAIN, WORLD

Ancient Roman city was violently destroyed. Now, its huge plaza has been unearthed

Ancient Roman city was violently destroyed. Now, its huge plaza has been unearthed

The ruins of an enormous Roman plaza — which dates back around 2,000 years — were recently unearthed in Spain.

It is the oldest known public square ever found in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula, which encompasses Spain, Portugal and part of France, according to a news release from the University of Zaragoza.

The excavation was made at La Cabañeta, an archaeological site along the banks of the Ebro River in northeastern Spain, researchers said.

Ancient Roman city was violently destroyed. Now, its huge plaza has been unearthed
A significant archaeological discovery has been made at the La Cabaneta site in Spain, where researchers have unearthed the remains of a massive Roman plaza dating back 2,000 years.

It contains the remains of a mysterious, ill-fated Roman city founded around 200 B.C. Less than a century later, the city with a name not yet known was violently destroyed during a civil war.

After nearly a decade-long hiatus, archaeologists resumed operations at the site in July. Their excavation was focused on the central area, where the ruins of a massive square were found.

The unearthed plaza was surrounded by a portico topped with meticulously crafted tiles, researchers said. A series of chambers, likely used for commercial activity, were also located.

The discovery is of great significance because of its architectural intricacy and large size. It will help scholars understand the diffusion of Roman-style architecture throughout the Iberian Peninsula, where the Roman Empire once had multiple provinces.

The city, which was organized in a grid, likely once served as a transportation hub for merchants ferrying goods up and down the river, Borja Díaz, co-director of the excavation, told El Pais.

But charred material indicates that around the year 70 B.C., the city met its ruin, Díaz told the outlet, adding that he hadn’t ruled out the possibility of encountering human remains.

The city’s destruction occurred during the Sertorian War, a bloody conflict in modern-day Spain associated with the First Roman Civil War, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology.

Confrontations were characterized by “assaults and sieges of towns that habitually ended with them being burned to the ground or destroyed, and with severe punishments meted out to the populations,” according to the study.

Large Roman structures are regularly unearthed throughout the Mediterranean.

A Roman stadium-lake structure was located in Greece in 2022, and a massive Roman-era building with thermal baths was discovered in France earlier this year, according to reporting from McClatchy News.

PERU, SOUTH AMERICA, WORLD

Archaeologists discover 1,000-year-old mummy in Peru

Archaeologists discover 1,000-year-old mummy in Peru

Archaeologists have discovered a 1,000-year-old mummy — believed to be of an adult individual — in Peru’s capital, Lima.

The mummy, which was discovered at the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site in the upscale Miraflores neighborhood, was found alongside two ceramic vessels and textiles.

The discovery becomes the latest in a string of ancient discoveries made in Peru this year.

A general view of Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological site in a residential neighborhood where the remains of a 1,000-year-old mummy were discovered, in Lima, Peru, Sept. 6, 2023.

“I find it quite interesting that right in the heart of Miraflores, in the middle of the city, surrounded by modern buildings and constructions, an important site is still preserved,” said lead archaeologist Mirella Ganoza.

Ganoza noted the mummy had long hair and was found seated with bent legs. The remains of the ancient figure were also found with its jaw and long hair still preserved.

A general view of Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological site in a residential neighborhood where the remains of a 1,000-year-old mummy were discovered, in Lima, Peru, Sept. 6, 2023.

The mummy is thought to date back to 1,000 A.D, belonging to the Yschsma culture, inhabitants of whom lived south of Lima.

“This discovery helps to complement the information we know about the Ychsma culture so far,” said Ganoza.

The discovery is the latest in string of century-old discoveries of mummies and pre-Hispanic remains made in Lima, including the discovery in June on a hilltop of a mummy found surrounded by cocoa leaves.

Archaeologists discover 1,000-year-old mummy in Peru
A general view of Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological site in a residential neighborhood where the remains of a 1,000-year-old mummy were discovered, in Lima, Peru, Sept. 6, 2023.

In March, a Peruvian man was arrested and charged for illegal possession of historical patrimony after he was found in a possession of a mummy believed to be 600 to 800 years old in his cooler delivery bag.

The Huaca Pucllana site is viewed as a Pandora’s Box and archaeologists anticipate that many more artifacts could be found.

A general view of Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological site in a residential neighborhood where the remains of a 1,000-year-old mummy were discovered, in Lima, Peru, Sept. 6, 2023.
ASIA, RUSSIA, WORLD

DNA From 3,800-Year-Old Individuals Sheds New Light On Bronze Age Families

DNA From 3,800-Year-Old Individuals Sheds New Light On Bronze Age Families

The diversity of family systems in prehistoric societies has always fascinated scientists. A groundbreaking study by Mainz anthropologists and an international team of archaeologists now provides new insights into the origins and genetic structure of prehistoric family communities.

Researchers Jens Blöcher and Joachim Burger from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have analyzed the genomes of skeletons from an extended family from a Bronze Age necropolis in the Russian steppe.

The 3,800-year-old “Nepluyevsky” burial mound was excavated several years ago and is located on the geographical border between Europe and Asia. Using statistical genomics, this society’s family and marriage relationships have now been deciphered.

Location of the burial site in the southern Ural region (ill./©: Joachim Burger)

The study was carried out in cooperation with archaeologists from Ekaterinburg and Frankfurt a. M. and was partly financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Russian Science Foundation (RSCF).

The kurgan (burial mound) investigated was the grave of six brothers, their wives, children, and grandchildren. The presumably oldest brother had eight children with two wives, one of whom came from the Asian steppe regions in the east. The other brothers showed no signs of polygamy and probably lived monogamously with far fewer children.

Fascinating snapshot of a prehistoric family

“The burial site provides a fascinating snapshot of a prehistoric family,” explains Jens Blöcher, lead author of the study. “It is remarkable that the first-born brother apparently had a higher status and thus greater chances of reproduction.

The right of the male firstborn seems familiar to us, it is known from the Old Testament, for example, but also from the aristocracy in historical Europe.”

The genomic data reveal even more. Most women buried in the kurgan were immigrants. The sisters of the buried brothers, in turn, found new homes elsewhere. Joachim Burger, senior author of the study, explains: “Female marriage mobility is a common pattern that makes sense from an economic and evolutionary perspective.

While one sex stays local and ensures the continuity of the family line and property, the other marries in from the outside to prevent inbreeding.”

The genomic diversity of the prehistoric women was higher than that of the men

Accordingly, the Mainz population geneticists found that the genomic diversity of the prehistoric women was higher than that of the men.

The women who married into the family thus came from a larger area and were not related to each other. In their new homeland, they followed their husbands into the grave. From this, the authors conclude that in Nepluyevsky there was both “patrilineality”, i.e. the transmission of local traditions through the male line, and “patrilocality”, i.e. the place of residence of a family is the place of residence of the men.

“Archaeology shows that 3,800 years ago, the population in the southern Trans-Ural knew cattle breeding and metalworking and subsisted mainly on dairy and meat products,” comments Svetlana Sharapova, an archaeologist from Ekaterinburg and head of the excavation, adding, “the state of health of the family buried here must have been very poor.

The average life expectancy of the women was 28 years, that of the men 36 years.”

A skeleton from the Nepluyevsky site (photo/©: Svetlana Sharapova)

In the last generation, the use of the kurgan suddenly stopped and almost only infants and small children were found. Sharapova adds, “it is possible that the inhabitants were decimated by disease or that the remaining population went elsewhere in search of a better life.”

Multiple partners and many children for the putative firstborn son

“There is a global connection between different family systems and certain forms of life-style and economy,” says Blöcher. “Nevertheless, human societies are characterized by a high degree of flexibility.” He adds, “in Nepluyevsky, we find evidence of a pattern of inequality typical of pastoralists: multiple partners and many children for the putative firstborn son and no or monogamous relationships for most others.”

The authors find additional genomic evidence that populations genetically similar to Neplujevsky society lived throughout most of the Eurasian steppe belt. Burger comments: “It is quite possible that the local pattern we found is relevant to a much larger area.” Future studies will show to what extent the “Neplujevsky” model can be verified at other prehistoric sites in Eurasia.

ASIA, ISRAEL, WORLD

Four Rare And Incredibly Well-Preserved 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found In Judean Desert

Four Rare And Incredibly Well-Preserved 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found In Judean Desert

Archaeologists report having discovered four incredibly well-preserved Roman swords in the Judean Desert.

This very rare find was made in a small hidden cave located in an area of isolated and inaccessible cliffs north of ‘En Gedi, in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve, under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Authority. Fifty years ago, a stalactite with a fragmentary ink inscription written in ancient Hebrew script, characteristic of the First Temple period, was found.

Archaeologists remove the swords from the rock crevice where they were hidden some 1,900 years ago in a cave in the Judean Desert. Credit:Emil Aladjem/IAA

Recently, Dr. Asaf Gayer of the Department of the Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Ariel University, geologist Boaz Langford of the Institute of Earth Sciences and the Cave Research Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Shai Halevi, Israel Antiquities Authority photographer, visited the cave.

Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

Their aim was to photograph the Paleo-Hebrew inscription written on the stalactite with multispectral photography that might be able to decipher additional parts of the inscription not visible to the naked eye. While on the upper level of the cave, Asaf Gayer spotted an extremely well-preserved, Roman pilum— a shafted weapon in a deep narrow crevice. He also found pieces of worked wood in an adjacent niche that turned out to be parts of the swords’ scabbards.

From right to left: Dr. Asaf Gayer, Oriya Amichay, Dr. Eitan Klein and Amir Ganor. Photography: Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority

The researchers reported the discovery to the Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeological Survey Team, who are conducting a systematic scientific project in the Judean Desert caves. As part of this survey, initiated by the Israel Antiquities Authority, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and the Archaeological Office for the Military Administration of Judea and Samaria, hundreds of caves have been investigated over the past six years, and 24 archaeological excavations have been carried out in selected caves, with the aim of saving the archaeological remains from the hands of looters.

The Judean Desert Cave Survey team, together with Asaf Gayer and Boaz Langford returned to the cave and carried out a meticulous survey of all the crevices in the rock, during which they were astonished to find the four Roman swords in an almost inaccessible crevice on the upper level of the cave.

Experts say the four swords are 1,900-year-old and most likely from Bar Kochba revolt that lasted from 132 to 135 C.E. Also called the Second Jewish Revolt, it was a Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in Judea led by rebel leader Simon Bar Kochba.

The most plausible scenario is that the swords were hidden in the cave sometime during the revolt, as it was dangerous for Jews to be found with Roman weapons.

“Finding a single sword is rare—so four? It’s a dream! We rubbed our eyes to believe it,” say the researchers.

The swords were exceptionally well preserved, and three were found with the iron blade inside the wooden scabbards. Leather strips and wooden and metal finds belonging to the weapons were also found in the crevice. The swords had well-fashioned handles made of wood or metal.

The length of the blades of the three swords was 60–65 cm, their dimensions identifying them as Roman spatha swords, and the fourth one was shorter with c. 45 cm long blade, identified as a ring-pommel sword.

Removing the swords from the cave. Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

The swords were carefully removed from the crevice in the rock and transferred to the Israel Antiquities Authority climate-controlled laboratories for preservation and conservation.

The initial examination of the assemblage confirmed that these were standard swords employed by the Roman soldiers stationed in Judea in the Roman period.

“The hiding of the swords and the pilum in deep cracks in the isolated cave north of ‘En Gedi, hints that the weapons were taken as booty from Roman soldiers or from the battlefield and purposely hidden by the Judean rebels for reuse,” says Dr. Eitan Klein, one of the directors of the Judean Desert Survey Project.

At work in the cave. Photography: Hagay Hamer, Israel Antiquities Authority

“Obviously, the rebels did not want to be caught by the Roman authorities carrying these weapons. We are just beginning the research on the cave and the weapon cache discovered in it, aiming to try to find out who owned the swords, and where, when, and by whom they were manufactured. We will try to pinpoint the historical event that led to the caching of these weapons in the cave and determine whether it was at the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132–135 CE.”

Following the discovery of the swords, an archaeological excavation was undertaken in the cave by the Israel Antiquities Authority, directed by Eitan Klein, Oriya Amichay, Hagay Hamer, and Amir Ganor. The cave was excavated in its entirety, and artifacts dating to the Chalcolithic period (c. 6,000 years ago) and the Roman period (c. 2,000 years ago) were uncovered.

Conservators Ilan Naor and Lena Kupershmidt with the swords. Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

At the entrance to the cave, a Bar-Kokhba bronze coin from the time of the Revolt was found, possibly pointing to the time when the cave served for concealing the weapons.

Four Rare And Incredibly Well-Preserved 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found In Judean Desert
Archaeologists Oriya Amichay and Hagay Hamer with one of the swords found in the cave. Photography: Amir Ganor, Israel Antiquities Authority
Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

The preliminary article on the swords is now published in the volume ‘New Studies in the Archaeology of the Judean Desert: Collected Papers’ and will be launched this evening (6.9) in Jerusalem at an insightful event!

The book ‘New Studies in the Archaeology of the Judean Desert: Collected Papers’ will be launched (6.9) in Jerusalem at an insightful event! In addition, the swords discussed above will be presented.