DNA study shows migration patterns of ancient Mexican civilizations much more complex than expected
Population continuity and ghost genetic ancestries in pre-Hispanic Mexico. Ancient individuals who inhabited the northern frontier of Mesoamerica (NFM) before and after a 200-year period of severe droughts (shown in timeline) belong to a continuous population. This is in contrast to a previous hypothesis suggesting that hunter-gatherers from Aridoamerica replaced the populations at the NFM following the southward shift of its limits with Mesoamerica (solid and dashed lines). Individuals from Sierra Tarahumara and Cañada de la Virgen show genetic ancestry from two distinct ghost populations (UpopA and UpopA2).
An international team of biologists, geneticists, anthropologists, and biochemists has found, through genetic analysis, that the migration patterns of ancient Mexican civilizations were much more complex than previously thought.
In their study, reported in the journal Science, the group generated genomic and mitochondrial DNA data to test theories surrounding the migration of ancient peoples in Mexico.
Bastien Llamas and Xavier Roca-Rada with the University of Adelaide have published a Perspectives piece in the same journal issue outlining the ethical approach used by the research team to learn more about ancient Mexico.
Prior research, based mostly on archaeological evidence, has suggested that drought-driven migration of ancient people from Mexico’s north to the south occurred many times in the years before Europeans arrived. The northern region, called Aridoamerica, was dry and mostly desert.
The people living there at the time survived as hunter-gatherers. Farther south was Mesoamerica, where early people survived by farming.
Prior research has shown that there were several long-term droughts in Aridoamerica, leading people to move south. But now it appears that these conclusions were in error.
Instead of relying on archaeological evidence, the team in this new effort looked at the DNA of people living there to see if they were migrating.
To learn more about the history of the people living in what is now Mexico, the researchers analyzed DNA samples going back approximately 2,300 years. In all, they were able to study 27 samples obtained from eight archaeological sites from people who lived in regions of what is now Mexico.
The researchers could see that the expected migrations had not occurred.
They point out, for example, that despite droughts, sometimes decades-long, people living in Sierra Gorda did not leave.
The team found none of their DNA in people living farther south.
The research team was not able to explain why the northerners had not migrated south when conditions grew dry, but suggest it might have been related to cinnabar commerce.
The mineral was easily found in the north, and was sacred to people in the south—thus it seems trade was likely.
Regardless of the reasons, the research team suggests migration patterns in early Mexico were far more complex than previously thought.
A 3,500-year-old bronze dagger found in a Polish forest
A rare Bronze Age dagger has been discovered in a forest near Krasnystaw in southeastern Poland. It is in good condition, with no evidence of wear on the edges. It was cast in a lenticular shape with a rib down the center.
The semi-circular base has three rivets on each side to which a handle would have been fastened. The handle, likely made out of wood, is now lost.
The dagger is believed to date to around 1500 B.C. and is the first of its kind found in the area. In fact, it is one of only a dozen or so known to have been found in all of Poland.
It was not of local manufacture but rather arrived in the region with people who inhabited the Danube area in what are now Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia.
It was found by a metal detectorist working with the Wolica historical association under the aegis of the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments.
They were looking for objects from the World Wars when they came across the dagger in shallow soil just a few centimeters under the surface. They took pictures and recorded the precise location to report the find, but encountered no other archaeological material at the site.
A comparable riveted dagger was discovered near Olsztyn in northern Poland in 2014. It was found in a grave just below the arable surface which, while damaged, was found to contain other valuable goods including a gold hair jewel, bronze wire beads, and glass beads.
The gold and glass were expensive imported items, and the weapon indicates this was the burial of a high-status male.
The grave was classified as one of the Smoszew type, a cemetery characterized by barrows of the Bronze Age Tumulus Culture, ca. 1600-1300 B.C.
Unfortunately, the recently-discovered dagger was not found in its original context, so we don’t know if it was part of the furnishings of a grave.
The dagger is now being analyzed and studied by the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments.
Archaeologists are exploring the find site for further information about the piece, its age, and how it got there.
A 5,400-year-old tomb discovered in Spain perfectly captures the summer solstice
Archaeologists found the 5,400-year-old stone tomb in the “neck” area of a prominent mountain that looks from some angles like the head of a sleeping giant.
Archaeologists have discovered a 5,400-year-old megalithic tomb near a prominent lone mountain in southern Spain, suggesting the peak may have been meaningful to prehistoric people there.
The area, in the countryside near the city of Antequera, is renowned for its megaliths — prehistoric monuments made from large stones — and the newly found tomb seems to solve one of the mysteries of their alignment.
The tomb was designed to funnel light from the rising midsummer sun into a chamber deep within — much like the contemporary megalithic tomb built more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away at Newgrange in Ireland, suggesting both places shared similar beliefs about the afterlife more than 5,000 years ago.
The tomb was constructed about 3400 B.C. with a passage aligned to sunrise on the summer solstice that cast light onto decorative rocks on the walls of a chamber within
“Newgrange is much bigger and more complex than the tomb we have discovered [in Spain], but they have something in common — the interest of the builders to use sunlight at a specific time of the year, to produce a symbolic — possibly magic — effect,” Leonardo García Sanjuán, an archaeologist at the University of Seville, told Live Science.
The bedrock at the site is tilted away from the position of the sunrise on the solstice at midsummer, so the builders deliberately constructed a cavity to admit its light, according to a study by García Sanjuán and his colleagues published April 14 in the journal Antiquity.
“They worked very cleverly to make an arrangement of stones, which were engraved and possibly painted,” he said. “These were sacred things placed so that the sunrise on the [summer] solstice would go straight into the back of the chamber.”
Megalithic tomb
The archaeologists found human remains in the tomb from several different burials, held there in three major phases for over 1,000 years
The new study describes excavations by García Sanjuán and his team beside a prominent limestone mountain known as La Peña de los Enamorados — the Rock of the Lovers — named after a legend that says two star-crossed lovers once killed themselves by jumping off it.
The mountain is also famous because it looks like the profile of the head of a sleeping giant, especially at times of low light such as sunrise and sunset.
García Sanjuán and his colleagues excavated the tomb in late 2020 in the “neck” region of the mountain, near the Matacabras rock shelter, which is adorned with pictographs thought to be painted about 5,800 years ago.
They think the tomb was first built a few hundred years after the rock paintings were made, and that it was used for burials for more than 1,000 years.
The archaeologists also found stone tools and pieces of pottery in the tomb. They are particularly interested in any residues on the pottery, which could show what they held as grave goods.
The archaeologists have found several deposits of human remains in the newfound tomb, dating from three major phases of its use, as well as pieces of pottery.
Ancient landscape
The tomb was found beside the prominent mountain known as La Peña de los Enamorados — the Rock of the Lovers — because legends say two star-crossed lovers once killed themselves by jumping off it.
The Antequera area is famed for its natural rock formations like La Peña and the megalithic monuments in the region, which may have been influenced by the local geography. The most famous is the Dolmen of Menga — one of the largest and oldest megalithic structures in Europe, which was built between 3800 B.C. and 3600 B.C.
But the passage in Menga is not aligned to a solstice sunrise or sunset, as might be expected — instead, Menga points toward La Peña de los Enamorados, about 4 miles (6.5 km) to the northeast. (The other two megaliths in the region were built later and seem to point elsewhere.)
The alignment suggests La Peña was an important focus for local prehistoric people and solves a mystery of where Menga was pointing: to the location of both the rock art and the newly found tomb at La Peña, while the tomb at La Peña itself pointed to the solstice sunrise, García Sanjuán said.
The inner chamber of the newfound tomb is decorated with a distinctive stone with ripple marks on its surface, which was taken from a region that had once been a beach or part of the seabed.
A passage in the tomb is aligned with the rising sun on the day of the summer solstice. Similar alignments have been seen at megalithic tombs elsewhere in Europe.
The stone was placed so that the light from the rising midsummer sun fell upon it; the part of the burial chamber in front of it seems to have been kept clear of human remains, García Sanjuán said.
“These people chose this stone precisely because it created these waving, undulating shapes,” he said. “This was very theatrical… they were very clever in producing these special visual effects.”
He noted that megalithic structures have been found from Morocco to Sweden and that the people who built them seem to have had similar beliefs.
“There are differences as well, but one common element is the sun,” García Sanjuán said. “The sun was at the center of the worldview of these people.”
A pair of scissors, a razor, and a folded sword were some of the grave goods found at a Celtic cremation tomb in Germany.
Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a stash of grave goods — including a folded sword that may have been used in battle and an “exceptionally good” pair of scissors — inside a 2,300-year-old Celtic cremation tomb.
Based on the variety of the artifacts, which also include a portion of a shield, a razor, a fibula (clasp), a belt chain, and a spearhead, researchers think that a man and a woman were buried there.
Between the third century B.C. and second century B.C. the Celts — who lived in mainland Europe — burned their dead and buried their remains in pits alongside their belongings, according to a translated statement.
An excavation team searching for explosive devices leftover from World War II discovered the items by chance, according to the statement.
The burial is a remarkable find, however, one grave good caught the attention of researchers: the pair of left-handed scissors.
“The scissors in particular are in exceptionally good condition,” Martina Pauli, an archaeologist with the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in Munich, told Live Science in an email. “One would almost be tempted to cut with it.
The scissors were used — as they are today — for cutting, but could also be used in the craft sector, for example in leather processing or sheep shearing.”
While the nearly 5-inch-long (12 centimeters) shears were likely used for day-to-day tasks, Pauli thinks that the weaponry, including the folded sword, was “most likely used in battle.” It is “quite typical” to find Celtic swords folded in graves in this fashion, she added.
Prior to the burial, the sword “was heated, folded and thus rendered unusable” and would have measured 30 inches (76 cm) in length, according to the statement.
“There are different interpretations [that] range from a very profane point of view, namely that the sword simply had [a] better place in the grave, to a cultic interpretation,” Pauli said.
“There could be a variety of motivations for permanent disabling: prevention of grave robbers, fear of revenants [bodies rising from the dead], and the like.”
Pauli added, “The burial objects indicate socially superior people to whom these heavy metal finds were added. The men’s burial could be that of a warrior, as indicated by the weapons.
The belt chain from the woman’s grave served as a belt that held together and adorned the robe, perhaps a dress, at the hips. The singular fibula from the woman’s grave was also used to fasten a coat together on the shoulder.”
The items were recovered and brought to the state office for monument protection for safekeeping.
A papal bull discovered in a former cemetery dated to the 14th century
A medieval bull found in 2021 in Budzistów village (Kołobrzeg district), Poland has been restored and placed on display in the Museum of Arms in Kołobrzeg.
Found by the PARSĘTA Exploration & Search Group two years back, the decree was uncovered in the area of the former cemetery in Budzistowo.
“This is the most valuable find we have made in our six years of existence,” said Jan Orliński from the PARSĘTA Exploration and Search Group.
Continuing, Orliński added: “I’ve always been interested in papal bulls and I was intrigued as to why there was nothing like that in Kołobrzeg… When I saw what I had found, I was really excited.”
The group immediately recognized what it was and handed it over to the Museum of Arms in Koobrzeg, with whom they had been working for several years. It was then transported to a specialist workshop in Kraków for a meticulous conservation process.
Dating from the 14th century, the papal bull was found in 2021 in a former cemetery by the PARSĘTA Exploration & Search Group.
It was during this that scientists determined that it dated from the reign of Pope Boniface IX (1350-1404).
Dr. Robert Dziemba, the head of the Kołobrzeg History Department, said: “By studying the physio-chemical compositions of the bull, we were able to find it was original.
The most important thing for us was the reverse as it contained information as to which Pope issued the decree. Because of this, we now know that it was issued by Pope Boniface IX.”
Dziemba added: “Even the most interesting artifacts take on a different meaning when they are placed in the right historical context. We knew we had made a great discovery, but we wanted to establish its links to Kołobrzeg.”
According to historians, the bull was possibly kept in the Budzistowo monastery. Chemical compounds used in its manufacture, which were mostly pure lead, were traced to Sardinia, Cyprus, Greece, and Spain.
The bull also features the images of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
The bull’s potential connections to the former monastery in Budzistowo, though, have piqued researchers’ interest. It was Johann Friederich Wachsen who noted that Pope Boniface IX granted a letter of indulgence to the resident Benedictine nuns in 1397, according to the chronicles he wrote in the 18th century.
Usually attached by silk strings, papal bulls were hung on parchment and scrolls on which papal edicts, privileges, and indulgences were written as a means of authentication. Also featuring images of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Dziemba speculates that this particular papal bull may have been lost in the 16th century.
Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered an unusual mosaic. It depicts a mythological hero from Troy
A large mosaic depicting the legendary Trojan hero Aeneas, the protagonist of Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid” and the ancestor of the Roman people, has been unearthed in the southern Turkish city of Osmaniye.
The mosaic was discovered during a foundation excavation of a construction site revealing the remains of a Roman villa.
There is no other example of this mosaic in the world, according to the experts. The mosaic area is thought to have been built in the first and second centuries A.D. to adorn the floor of a villa from that time period.
Cezmi Yurtsever, a historian and an author, described the Aeneas mosaic as “unique in the world.”
“In 2015, it was announced that historical artifacts and mosaics were found on the floor of a building in the center of Kadirli district. Then many archaeologists came here and carried out excavations in the area.
During these excavations, mosaic scenes were found on the floor of the building. In one scene, a warrior was riding a horse holding a spear, and there was a woman depiction with the inscription of Dido, the reputed founder of Carthage, who was going on a lion hunt with the warrior.
The name of this warrior is Aeneas, a great Trojan hero. He was an important figure after Hector, the prince of Troy,” he said.
Yurtsever also noted that the scene depicting Aeneas fighting with Leon was discovered in the same area.
“This place was the ancient Flaviapolis city built during the Roman era and according to our determinations, this mosaic was made in the A.D. 3rd century. For this, after the Trojan War, about 1,500 years ago, the discovery of a mosaic in the ancient Flaviapolis city during the Roman period depicting a hero of the Trojan War is a peerless discovery for archeology and history.”
Aeneas is a legendary Trojan hero in Greek and Roman mythology. According to legend, Aeneas was a Trojan prince and a son of the goddess Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology).
During the Trojan War, Aeneas fought on the side of the Trojans and was one of the few Trojan warriors to survive the fall of Troy. After the war, he led a group of Trojan on a long journey, eventually landing in Italy where he founded the city of Lavinium.
Aeneas is best known as the protagonist of Virgil’s epic poem, the Aeneid, which tells the story of his journey and the founding of Rome.
1,500-year-old secret underground passage uncovered in Istanbul
During the ongoing excavations in the ruins of Saint Polyeuktos Church in Istanbul’s Saraçhane neighborhood, which was destroyed during the Latin invasion, a 1,500-year-old underground passage has been discovered.
A previously unknown underground passage about 20 meters (65 feet) from the nearby Haşim Işçan Passage was discovered.
The carved marble blocks and reliefs in the underground passage, which contains mosaics and stone inlays, have impressed researchers.
Mahir Polat, Deputy Secretary-General of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), stated that the structure is an excellent example of the city’s architecture that has withstood the test of time and the wrath of earthquakes.
“What is one of the most important aspects of this discovery of a 1,500-year-old passage? Dozens of tremors have passed in these 1,500 years in Istanbul, which is currently struggling with earthquake risk.
This structure has managed to survive all these earthquakes. Türkiye should learn the secret and have knowledge of this,” Polat explained.
The 1,500-year-old underground tunnels discovered in Istanbul, Türkiye. Photo: DHA Photo
Polat pointed out that the main structure of St. Polyeuktos was destroyed, but its infrastructure remains intact.
“The earthquake memory of the city is also here. If you want to see Istanbul’s earthquake memory, what happened in the Fatih district is a good example,” he added.
Reminding that civil engineers and scientific consultants who specialize in earthquakes also assisted in the municipality’s excavation works, Polat stated that the experts would also share a report documenting the earthquakes the area witnessed in the past.
“The mortar with a mixture known as Horasan mortar from the period.
We know it is important in terms of the technology of that period.
We also examined the surface samples of the structure, such as stone, plaster, and possible gypsum, in the laboratory to determine their composition and archaeometry,” Polat added.
During the excavation works in the area, apart from the statue, the teams also found 681 bronze coins, stamped bricks, marble pieces, ceramics, oil lamps, glass, and metal artifacts.
Storms uncover precious marble cargo from a 1,800-year-old Mediterranean shipwreck in Israel
Numerous rare marble artifacts have been found at the site of a 1,800-year-old shipwreck in shallow waters just 200 meters off the coast of the Israeli coastal town of Beit Yanai.
Approximately three weeks ago while swimming, recreational sea swimmer Gideon Harris took a dive of about four meters and stumbled upon a treasure trove of marble columns.
This is the oldest sea cargo of its kind ever discovered in the Eastern Mediterranean, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire.
The huge haul includes approximately 44 tons of Roman-period marble architectural pieces, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said in a statement.
The raw materials were most likely from Turkey and were on their way to a port in the southern Holy Land; archaeologists hope to find ship wood remains during excavations next week.
The marble blocks may have been intended to become part of an elaborate public building—perhaps a temple or theater.
An Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist checks out pieces of 1,800-year-old marble from a shipwreck off the shore of Beit Yanai in central Israel. Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit
The IAA believes that this shipwrecked cargo, which was exposed during winter storms that swept away centuries of sand, is the oldest of its kind known in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The merchant ship was probably destined for a port along the coast of the southern Levant, but ran into trouble en route, Koby Sharvit, director of the underwater archaeology unit at the IAA, said in the statement.
Initial underwater site investigations have uncovered decorated Corinthian capitals, additional partially carved capitals, as well as a massive 6-meter marble architrave or door lintel in the ship’s hold.
An Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist checks out pieces of 1,800-year-old marble from a shipwreck off the shore of Beit Yanai in central Israel. Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit
“From the size of the architectural elements, we can calculate the dimensions of the ship; we are talking about a merchant ship that could bear a cargo of at least 200 tons,” said Sharvit.
“These fine pieces are characteristic of large-scale, majestic public buildings. Even in Roman Caesarea, such architectural elements were made of local stone covered with white plaster to appear like marble. Here we are talking about genuine marble,” Sharvit explains.
Sharvit, the IAA’s underwater archaeology unit director, confirmed that there are no visible remains of the ship on the sea floor. He stated that the IAA will begin an underwater excavation with students from the University of Rhode Island next week in the hopes of discovering waterlogged wood from beneath the massive marble blocks, or a nearby underwater sand dune that may have buried and preserved parts of the ship.
Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit
