Category Archives: ASIA

Mystery of the World’s Oldest Map on a Nearly 3,000-year-old Babylonian Tablet Finally Solved

Mystery of the World’s Oldest Map on a Nearly 3,000-year-old Babylonian Tablet Finally Solved

Mystery of the World’s Oldest Map on a Nearly 3,000-year-old Babylonian Tablet Finally Solved

A recent British Museum video reveals that the “oldest map of the world in the world” on a clay tablet from Babylon was deciphered to reveal a surprisingly familiar story.

The oldest globe ever found is the Imago Mundi, a Babylonian map of the world.  This map is a Babylonian clay tablet with a schematic world map and two inscriptions written in the Akkadian language.

The probably seventh century BC is when this map was created. It shows a small part of the world as the ancient Babylonians knew it, and it was found in the southern Iraqi city of Abu Habba (Sippar).

The ancient artifact was acquired by the British Museum in 1882 but remained a mystery for centuries until curators found a missing part and transcribed its cuneiform.

The cuneiform tablet from the 6th century BC shows an aerial view map of Mesopotamia — the land “between the rivers” in modern-day Iraq— and what the Babylonians believed lay beyond the known world at the time.

After centuries of deciphering, the ancient tablet provides insight into the Babylonians’ beliefs about the known world at the time.

The tablet has several paragraphs of the cuneiform on its backside and above the map diagram describing the creation of the Earth and what its writer believed existed beyond it.

Researchers confirm the circle around Mesopotamia suggests that Babylonians believed the area was the center of the world. There also shows the river Euphrates cutting through ancient Mesopotamia.

The map depicts a double ring encircling Mesopotamia, which the ancient scribe called the “bitter river.” This river formed the boundaries of the Babylonians‘ known world.

Small circles and rectangles inside the Bitter River stand in for various Mesopotamian cities and tribes, such as Babylon, while another rectangle symbolizes the Euphrates River.

“You have encapsulated in this circular diagram the whole of the known world in which people lived, flourished, and died,” British Museum curator and cuneiform expert Dr. Irving Finkel said in the video. “However, there’s more to this map than that.”

“When it comes to operating beyond the limits of the known world into the world of imagination, [the tablet] is indispensable,” Finkel added.

Aside from mapping out what they thought existed outside of their world, the Babylonian scribe also included references to a well-known story (basically the Babylonian version of the biblical story of Noah’s Ark) and mythical animals and lands.

The ancient Babylonians thought that the remains of the enormous ark that their version of Noah, named Utnapishtim, had constructed in 1800 BC at God’s command were located on the backside of a mountain, the same mountain that the Bible says Noah’s Ark crashed on, beyond the bitter river.

“That’s quite a meaty thing, quite an interesting thing to think about because it shows that the story was the same, and of course, that one led to the other,” Finkel concluded.

The tablet also confirms the Babylonian’s belief in the God of creation Marduk and other mythical monsters such as scorpion-man and a lion-headed bird called Anzu.

Oldest evidence of animal butchery in India found from extinct elephant fossil

Oldest evidence of animal butchery in India found from extinct elephant fossil

Scientists studied stone tools, bone flakes and rare elephant remains.

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have unearthed the earliest evidence of animal butchery in India, dating back 3,00,000 to 4,00,000 years.

The findings, published in two recent studies, shed light on the activities of early humans in the region and provide valuable insights into an extinct elephant species.

The fossils were first discovered in 2000 near Pampore in the Kashmir Valley, but their significance remained unclear until now.

A team led by Advait Jukar, a curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, has revealed that the remains belong to at least three ancient elephants of the genus Palaeoloxodon, which were more than twice the size of modern African elephants.

The researchers identified elephant bone flakes at the site, suggesting that early humans struck the bones to extract marrow. This discovery pushes back the earliest known evidence of butchery in India by nearly 2,90,000 years.

Oldest evidence of animal butchery in India found from extinct elephant fossil
Since it was first unearthed in 2000, the giant elephant skull has been stored, mounted in cement, in a glass box

Alongside the elephant remains, 87 stone tools were found, likely used for marrow extraction. These tools, made from basalt not native to the area, indicate that early humans transported raw materials to the site for tool-making.

The most complete skull belongs to a mature male Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus, a rare species previously known only from a partial skull fragment found in Turkmenistan. This specimen provides crucial information about the evolution and migration of the Palaeoloxodon genus.

While the evidence clearly shows human exploitation of the elephant carcasses, there are no signs of hunting. The elephants may have died naturally, possibly weakened by chronic sinus infections evident in their skull remains.

This discovery not only provides insights into early human behavior but also fills gaps in our understanding of elephant evolution in South Asia. As Jukar notes, “The specimen could help paleontologists fill in the story of how the genus migrated and evolved”.

The findings highlight the need for more comprehensive archaeological surveys in the region. As Jukar suggests, future excavations should focus on collecting all bone fragments, not just intact specimens, to uncover more evidence of early human activity.

These studies, published in Quaternary Science Reviews and the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, mark a significant advancement in our understanding of prehistoric life and human activity in the Indian subcontinent.

Excavations revealed a bronze age settlement, shedding light on the organized society that once existed in Northern Vietnam

Excavations revealed a bronze age settlement, shedding light on the organized society that once existed in Northern Vietnam

Excavations revealed a bronze age settlement, shedding light on the organized society that once existed in Northern Vietnam

Archaeologists have uncovered a pre-Dong Son settlement in northern Vietnam dating back nearly 3000 years.

Researchers from the Institute of Archaeology have uncovered important Bronze Age finds at the Vuon Chuoi Archaeological Site in Lai Xa Hamlet, Kim Chung Commune, Hoai Duc District, Hanoi. These findings shed light on the organized society that once existed in northern Vietnam.

Dong Son culture is named for a village in northern Vietnam (named for the modern village Đông Sơn, a village in Thanh Hóa, Vietnam) where many of its remains have been found. It was a Bronze Age culture centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD.

The excavation on the western side of the Vuon Chuoi site spanned 6,000 square meters, according to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Quy, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology. Numerous pits, each measuring roughly 100 square meters, were dug up, yielding important preliminary results.

“The initial discoveries revealed a settlement area from the pre-Dong Son period,” said Dr. Quy. “The site is situated on the highest point of the Vuon Chuoi mound, featuring a basin-like structure with the outer edges elevated by about 0.5 meters compared to the center.

It appears that ancient people took advantage of both natural elevated and lower terrain to create a settlement, surrounded by a protective moat about 10 meters wide and 2.5 to 3 meters deep.”

Funerary objects in early Dong Son burial mounds.

Based on observations, the building material was probably yellow-brown clay that was taken from nearby natural mounds. The site’s outer slopes contain burial sites, while the interior displays remnants of pre-Dong Son cultural periods.  A dense burial area that formed a necropolis from at least two overlapping periods was found in the northwest corner in particular.

“These discoveries are pivotal for understanding the Bronze Age in Northern Vietnam,” Dr. Quy noted. “They provide deeper insights into how ancient communities managed their living spaces to address challenges posed by both natural and social environments.

The scale of construction at this site also indicates a well-organized society with a high level of labor division.

Despite these important results and the near completion of the excavation at Vuon Chuoi, conservation work is progressing very slowly.

To guarantee the site’s protection, the Institute of Archaeology and other pertinent organizations have been submitting paperwork to authorities since 2019. The only portion of Vuon Chuoi that has been designated as a heritage site under inventory is the eastern portion, which was permitted to be preserved.

Hanoi Museum representatives have promised, that the Heritage Management Department will collaborate closely with the Hoai Duc District’s Cultural Department to expedite the process of recommending Vuon Chuoi’s designation as an officially recognized archaeological site.

Archaeologists Unearthed a Secret Tomb in the Ancient and Mysterious City of Petra, Jordan

Archaeologists Unearthed a Secret Tomb in the Ancient and Mysterious City of Petra, Jordan

Archaeologists Unearthed a Secret Tomb in the Ancient and Mysterious City of Petra, Jordan

A tomb containing at least 12 human skeletons and artifacts estimated to be at least 2,000 years old has been discovered beneath the monument known as the Khaznah, or Treasury, in the heart of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan.

The Treasury, a famous and ornate mausoleum carved into pink sandstone cliffs and believed to be at least 2,000 years old, is Petra’s main attraction and was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

Although no skeletal remains have been discovered inside the Treasury itself, the most widely accepted theory, despite centuries of expert debate, is that the monument functions as a mausoleum.

It has featured in numerous movies including “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger” (1977) and perhaps more pertinently, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989).

Archaeologists led by Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman, executive director of the American Center of Research, unearthed the ancient tomb.

The expedition was investigating the Treasury following years of conjecture that there were additional hidden underground chambers besides the two tombs discovered beneath the monument’s left side in 2003. Until now, however, that theory had not been verified.

Earlier this year, Creasman and his team used ground-penetrating radar, a remote sensing method that uses radar pulses to detect underground objects, to check if the physical characteristics on the left, where the original tombs were discovered, matched those on the right.

The discovery of striking parallels between the two sides was evidence that they required authorization from the Jordanian government to excavate beneath the Treasury.

With Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” crew, the team excavated the newly uncovered tomb in August. The actual surprise, however, was what was inside the tomb. While many tombs discovered in Petra were empty or disturbed, the chamber contained complete skeletal remains and grave goods made of bronze, iron, and ceramic.

The intact burial found beneath the Treasury provides rare insight into the lives of the Nabataeans, ancient Arabian nomads whose desert kingdom thrived during the fourth century BC to AD 106, Creasman said.

“This is a hugely rare discovery — in the two centuries that Petra has been investigated by archaeologists, nothing like this has been found before,” Josh Gates, host of Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown said.

The discovery of at least 12 skeletons underneath the Khaznah, or the Treasury, may be the largest collection of human remains found in one place within Petra, Jordan, researchers said.

“Even in front of one of the most famous buildings in the world … there are still huge discoveries to be made.”

It has also been featured in several movies, most prominently as the site of the Holy Grail in the 1989 film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Among the artifacts were several vessels, with one skeleton found clutching a ceramic chalice that resembled the shape of the Holy Grail. “It really was this awesome moment of history imitating art,” Gates said.

“They must be hugely important people, because where they’re buried is such prime real estate; it really is the main entrance to the city,” Gates said. “I think learning who they are is really going to help unlock part of the story of the Treasury.”

Within the tomb beneath the Treasury, archaeologists found a ceramic vessel resembling the Holy Grail.

Their burial customs are one unsolved mystery pertaining to the Nabataeans. “The king is more integrated with lower classes than leaders of other civilizations, and Nabataean society is frequently described in literature as being more egalitarian,” Creasman said.

 It is difficult to determine whether the newly discovered tombs beneath the Treasury were intended for royalty because, of the Nabataean tombs discovered thus far, there does not appear to be a significant difference between royal and ordinary burials.

Their findings can be viewed in full in the latest episode of the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” (season 14, episode 1).

Ancient Babylon Excavation Uncovers 478 Artifacts Including Cuneiform Tablets, and Cylindrical Seals

Ancient Babylon Excavation Uncovers 478 Artifacts Including Cuneiform Tablets, and Cylindrical Seals

Ancient Babylon Excavation Uncovers 478 Artifacts Including Cuneiform Tablets, and Cylindrical Seals

The Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) announced that 478 artifacts were uncovered during an excavation expedition in the historic province of Babylon.

The Director of the Excavations Department accompanied the Missions Follow-up Committee to site 19/3 in Sector 38 of Al-Fayyadiya district to examine the work of the archaeological mission in the Babil governorate, according to a statement released by SBAH.

Under the direction of archaeologist Quhtan Abbas Hassan Aboud, the mission has uncovered information that provides fresh insights into ancient Mesopotamian life and culture.

During the visit, the head of the committee received a detailed explanation from the mission leader regarding the findings of the excavation.

The Al-Fayadiya district’s 19/3 excavation site is separated into two sectors, A and B. There are two layers of archaeological stratification in Sector A, which is 6 dunums (roughly 6,000 square meters) in size.

Among the findings in Babylon are tablets with cuneiform writing.

However, the structural discoveries in Sector B, which spans a wider area of 9 dunums (roughly 9,000 square meters), have been even more abundant.

Two distinct residential units with rooms of varying sizes that may have served different purposes in the daily lives of the prehistoric occupants have been discovered in this zone.

According to Soheil Al-Tamimi, Director of the Department of Excavations, who was present during the visit of the Mission Monitoring Commission, the first layer corresponds to the Sasanian period. However, this layer has suffered considerable damage due to erosion and human intervention over the centuries.

The second layer dates to the ancient Babylonian period, and the better-preserved, which has sparked special interest among researchers who hope to uncover more about the characteristics of urban life during that era.

Cylindrical seals.

The excavation team found 478 diverse artifacts, including pottery jars, cuneiform texts, and cylindrical seals, according to the statement, which added that work is still ongoing to complete the scientific excavation work according to the specified period.

The missions committee suggested that all excavation work be disclosed, that the work be photographed and drawn, and that the artifacts be recorded by the scientific contexts that SBAH adheres to.

Photo: Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage

These findings promise to provide fresh insight into the material culture and urban growth of one of the most powerful civilizations in ancient history and mark a breakthrough in Babylonian archaeological studies.

Indian archaeologists unearthed over 4,000-year-old war chariots in Royal Tombs, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh

Indian archaeologists unearthed over 4,000-year-old war chariots in Royal Tombs, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh

Indian archaeologists unearthed over 4,000-year-old war chariots in Royal Tombs, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh

In July 2018, India’s state-owned Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team unearthed war chariots, swords, and helmets more than 4,000 years old at Sinauli in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Researchers have recently dated the discovery, which comprises royal burials along with chariots, weapons, and ritual artifacts, to approximately 4,000 years before the present, or 2000 BCE.

The discovery of chariots in the Indian subcontinent is a first, according to the researchers. Researchers say that similar weapons were also possessed by people in this subcontinent when the Mesopotamians used chariots, swords, and even helmets in battle in 2000 BC.

The archaeological site of Sinauli has been subject to archaeological excavations since 2005 and has revealed the existence of a necropolis with more than 120 burials, some of which belonged to high-status individuals, probably warriors or leaders.

The most striking aspect of the excavation was the discovery of three complete war chariots. The archaeologists also found a slew of, a torch, an antenna sword, highly decorated coffins, helmets, and an impressive variety of copper artifacts The astonishingly well-preserved remains are similar to those found in the late Harappan phase.

Studies have shown that the artifacts from Sinauli are associated with the Ochre-Colored Pottery (OCP) Culture, which flourished between 2000 and 1500 BCE in the area where the Yamuna and Ganges rivers converged. This period roughly corresponds with the late phase of the Indus Valley Civilization.

War Chariot exposing the wheels and copper pillar. Photo: Archaeological Survey of India

Sinauli is the first archaeological site in the Indian subcontinent to provide evidence for chariots, royal tombs, and chariots with elements of warfare during the OCP/Copper Treasure culture in the Ganga-Yamuna doab, indicating that the Sinaulians were involved in warfare activities.

The finding of war chariots is particularly noteworthy because it puts this culture on par with other contemporary civilizations where chariot use is known, like Mesopotamia and Greece.

Interestingly, most wooden artifacts were layered with copper sheaths, inlays, and wires,  which prevented them from decomposing for nearly 4,000 years. The recovered antiquities of this culture indicate their high degree of sophistication in wood and copper craftsmanship.

Copper geometric motifs, such as triangles arranged on the wheel spokes, adorn the chariots discovered at Sinauli, indicating that these carriages served as both practical and symbolic representations of authority and prestige.

Another important discovery at the site is a royal burial containing a wooden coffin decorated with copper anthropomorphic figures, all wearing double-horned helmets and sacred fig leaves (Ficus religiosa).

Two complete chariots, two copper decorative staffs, an ornamented whip, gold and steatite beads, and numerous pieces of pottery were discovered in this same burial. All of this points to a high-ranking individual—possibly a commander or military chief—being interred in this tomb.

Earlier evidence of wooden coffins from the Indian subcontinent was recorded at Harappa, the site of the Indus civilization in present-day Pakistan, the researchers wrote in their paper.

The radiocarbon dating of the wooden remnants from the coffins and chariots, along with the organic remains discovered in the funerary vessels, supports this dating, which situates the Sinauli culture in the region during a transitional phase between the Copper and Bronze Ages.

The research was published in the Journal Radiocarbon. (An International Journal of Cosmogenic Isotope Research)

Artificial intelligence is detecting new archaeological sites in the Arabian Desert

Artificial intelligence is detecting new archaeological sites in the Arabian Desert

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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