Category Archives: WORLD

WORLD

Scientists Just Revealed They Found Thor & Odin Temple & Said this was Hiding Inside It

Scientists Just Revealed They Found Thor & Odin Temple & Said this was Hiding Inside It

The god house (shown here in a digital reconstruction) was strongly built of beams and walls of wood; some lasted for hundreds of years. It included a central tower, patterned on Christian churches seen in lands further south.

The remains of a 1,200-year-old pagan temple to the Old Norse gods such as Thor and Odin have been discovered in Norway — a rare relic of the Viking religion built a few centuries before Christianity became dominant there.

Archaeologists say the large wooden building — about 45 feet (14 meters) long, 26 feet (8 m) wide, and up to 40 feet (12 m) high — is thought to date from the end of the eighth century and was used for worship and sacrifices to gods during the midsummer and midwinter solstices.

Old Norse culture was famous and feared by some a century later, after bands of Norse sailors and warriors known as the Vikings started trading, raiding and colonizing throughout Europe and into Iceland, Greenland and Canada.

This is the first Old Norse temple found in the country, said archaeologist Søren Diinhoff of the University Museum of Bergen.

“This is the first time we’ve found one of these very special, very beautiful buildings,” Diinhoff told Live Science. “We know them from Sweden and we know them from Denmark. … This shows that they also existed in Norway.”

The Norse began building these large “god houses,” as they’re called, in the sixth century. The god houses were much more complex than the simple sites, often outdoors, that the people previously used to worship the Old Norse gods.

“It is a stronger expression of belief than all the small cult places,” he said. “This is probably something to do with a certain class of the society, who built these as a real ideological show.”

The god house was the religious link between local people and the Old Norse gods. The gods were said to live in the realm of Asgard, which was connected to the earthly realm Midgard by a “rainbow bridge” called Bifröst.
The remains of the ancient god house were found at Ose, a seaside village near the town of Ørsta in western Norway, on land earmarked for a housing development.
Excavations at the site revealed the remains of two longhouses – probably family farms – from more than 2000 years ago, before the god house was built at the end of the eighth century A.D.
The Old Norse “god house” was built from wood about 1200 years ago to worship gods like Odin, Thor, and Freyr. Post-holes that show its distinctive shape, including its central tower, have been unearthed at the site.
The interior of the god house (shown here in a digital reconstruction) at Ose may have been lit by hearths for sacrificial fires and had wooden statues of the Old Norse gods, such as the war god Odin, the storm god Thor, and the fertility god Freyr.
The site is beside the coast among mountains and inlets, about 150 miles south-west of the modern city of Trondheim. Boathouses would have been built along the shore in ancient times.

God house

Archaeologists unearthed the foundations of the ancient building last month at Ose, a seaside village near the town of Ørsta in western Norway, ahead of preparations for a new housing development. 

Their excavations revealed traces of early agricultural settlements dating to between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago, including the remains of two longhouses that would have each been the center of a small farm for a family and their animals, Diinhoff said.

The remains of the god house at Ose, however, are from a later time when the area began to be dominated by an elite group of wealthy families — a distinction that arose as Scandinavian societies began to interact with the more stratified societies of the Roman Empire and the Germanic tribes of northern Europe.

“When the new socially differentiated society set in, in the Roman Iron Age, the leading families took control of the cult,” he said.

Norse religious worship became more ideological and organized, and god houses at Ose were patterned on Christian basilicas that travelers had seen in southern lands, he said.

As a result, Old Norse temples featured a distinctive high tower above the pitched roof, which was a copy of the towers of early Christian churches, he said.

Although the wooden building is now long-gone, the post-holes that remain show its shape, including the round central posts of its tower — a very distinctive construction that was only ever used in god houses, Diinhoff said. “It would have been very impressive.”

The Old Norse “god house” was built from wood about 1200 years ago to worship gods like Odin, Thor and Freyr. Post-holes that show its distinctive shape, including its central tower, have been unearthed at the site.

Ancient worship

The purpose of the site is also revealed by a concentration of cooking pits where food for religious feasts was prepared, and numerous bones — the remains of animal sacrifices.

A large white “phallus” stone, roughly representing the male genital organ, was also found nearby several years ago and was probably part of the Old Norse fertility rituals, Diinhoff said.

Ceremonies would have been held in the god house for important festivals on the religious calendar, such as the midsummer and midwinter solstices — the shortest and longest nights of the year, respectively.

Meat, drink and sometimes precious metals like gold would have been offered to wooden figurines within the building that represented the Old Norse gods — in particular the war god Odin, the storm god Thor, and the fertility god Freyr, who were commonly worshipped in the Old Norse religion and gave their names in English to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

As the gods could only partake of the festival food in spirit, the physical food and drink would be enjoyed by their worshippers. “You would have a good mood, a lot of eating and a lot of drinking,” Diinhoff said. “I think they would have had a good time.”

The Old Norse religion was suppressed from the 11th century, when Norway’s kings forcibly imposed the Christian religion and tore down or burned buildings like the god house at Ose to enforce worship in the new Christian churches.

So far, there’s no evidence that the god house at Ose was part of that purge, Diinhoff said. 

Further work could reveal the house was among the pagan buildings destroyed at the time. “It would be ideal if we could explain that,” he said. “But we’re not there yet.”

AFRICA, WORLD

50kg Silver Bar Found In Madagascar May Be Treasure Of Notorious Pirate Captain Kidd

50kg Silver Bar Found In Madagascar May Be Treasure Of Notorious Pirate Captain Kidd

50kg Silver Bar Found In Madagascar May Be Treasure Of Notorious Pirate Captain Kidd

A 50 kg block of silver with inscriptions, which is now under armed guard on Sainte Marie island off the east coast of Madagascar. The bar was presented to Madagascar’s president at a special ceremony in 2015.

The bar is imprinted with a ‘T’ and ‘S’ on one side and letters and numbers on the other, the meaning of which is currently unknown.

The joint U.S./U.K. archaeological research team believe there are many more such bars still in the wreck. Captain William Kidd (1645 –1701) was a Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean.

THE 50KG SILVER BAR WAS FOUND OFF THE COAST OF MADAGASCAR.

One of the most infamous pirates of all time, Captain William Kidd was said to have amassed treasure worth £100,000 – £12 million now – before he was arrested for piracy and murder.

Scotsman Capt Kidd buried a cache somewhere on his travels and at his trial in London, in 1701, tried to barter his knowledge of its location in return for his life.

The Guardian reports that the silver bar was found in shallow waters off Sainte Marie island by a joint UK-US archaeological mission led by Barry Clifford, an underwater investigator who discovered the remains of William Kidd’s ship Adventure Galley in 2000.

Barry Clifford led a team that discovered the suspected treasure

He is typically perceived as either one of the most notorious pirates in history, or as one of its most unjustly vilified and prosecuted privateers.

The latter view comes from the fact that his actions were allegedly less destructive and less lucrative than other pirates, yet he met a rather brutal end – he was hanged twice (the first attempt failed), before being covered in tar and hung from a gibbet over the river Thames.

“The son of a Presbyterian minister, Kidd was a buccaneer and a captain for a private British ship in the Caribbean for some years, but it is claimed he decided that he found piracy more rewarding after he was commissioned to sail to Madagascar on the Adventure Galley,” reports The Guardian.

“His most famous capture was a 400-tonne ship, the Quedah Merchant, which carried silver as well as silk, gold, sugar, opium and cloth.”

Kidd was captured in Boston in 1699 and sent to Newgate prison. The treasure found on his ship was valued at £30,000 (around £10 million today), but the remainder of his treasure was never found. The belief that Kidd had left buried treasure contributed considerably to the growth of his legend and has also given impetus to constant treasure hunts in places Kidd is known to have visited.

The treasure has never been found – but experts believe the bar of silver, itself worth more than £17,000 at today’s prices, could be part of the famous loot.

The fate of Capt Kidd’s treasure has prompted numerous hunts around the world over the last three centuries, and his exploits inspired author Robert Louis Stevenson when writing Treasure Island.

Mr Clifford presented the suspected treasure to Madagascar’s president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina and UK and US diplomats at a ceremony on the island.

Mr Vogl added that officials including UK ambassador to Madagascar, Timothy Smart, are hoping the discovery will ‘raise the profile of Madagascar, especially for tourists’.

Capt Kidd was tried not only for piracy but also on the accusation he murdered one of his crewmen in 1697.

His execution was not straightforward, with the noose around his neck twice breaking – but the third rope held firm.

It is believed that Kidd buried much of his treasure, with the legend going down in history in Robert Louis Stevenson’s.

The wreck of Kidd’s Armenian ship Quedagh Merchant was found by archaeologists from the University of Indiana in 2007, after decades of competition between treasure hunters to uncover the 500-tonne vessel.

The ship was loaded with treasured satins, muslins, silver, and gold that probably belonged to the British East India Company before being commandeered by Kidd in 1699.

EUROPE, SWEDEN, WORLD

This rare battle sword just found in Sweden is ‘an evolutionary leap’

This rare battle sword just found in Sweden is ‘an evolutionary leap’

A basement at the intersection of Kungsgatan and Västerlånggatan in Gamla stan turned out to harbor a secret. A weapon lay in the racial masses from the warlike events in the summer of 1611.

Stenkällaren on the corner of Kungsgatan and Västerlånggatan in Gamla stan. Photo to the east.

During the past week, we have investigated a stone cellar at the intersection of Kungsgatan and Västerlånggatan in the old town of Kalmar.

The basement was relatively damaged by the previous wiring, but we can still state that it was about five by eight meters in size. At the time of writing, we have just documented the top cobbled floor level.

The basement had a slope to the south, which opened onto the medieval Västerportsgatan.

The stone cellar is documented.
Torn down burnt planks from the upper floor.

The farm at Tegmarsgatan

The farm in question was located on the corner of Västerportsgatan and Tegmarsgatan, which today roughly corresponds to the area where Kungsgatan and Västerlånggatan meet. 

It is also called in the sources “dagmar straten”, “strata/platea Teghmers”, “Thänkmars gatu” and “Teymars gatu”. Tegmarsgatan had a southwest–northeast orientation and formed an arch in the same direction as the city wall further north. Among other things, the name has been explained as coming from German, and equivalents can be found in the medieval documents of the city of Wismar. Over time, the original name and meaning have fallen into oblivion.

Gotskalk Hulskede’s farm?

Gotskalk Hulskede, who is mentioned in the written sources as early as 1368, is probably the first known owner of the corner farm. Gotskalk is also included in the declaration of allegiance to Queen Margareta in 1389.

Several of the plot owners are known during most of the 15th century. The thought book mentions, for example, Jacop Skytte and Gödeka printers. One of the records (1483) describes the farm as being “next west benkth thoressons gardh in hyrnith oc oppa höhra handen as you walk to mwren lithla gathorna”.

A violent fire in 1611

The farm was apparently burned down in the bloody summer of 1611 in connection with the Kalmar War. The cobbled floor was covered with broken brick, stone and wood from the upper floors of the house. 

Here were, among other things, two severely burnt hand mills and a pile of burnt grains. Perhaps it is the case that a kitchen on the floor above collapsed into the basement in connection with the fire. But this was not all that lay here……

Two heavily fire-damaged hand grinders.
It is likely that a barrel of grain fell prey to the flames in 1611.
A fire-damaged bolt lock, probably older than the Kalmar War.

A Danish soldier’s lost weapon

In the masses was also a rusty weapon that clearly gossips about what happened. We have had the battlefield archaeologist Bo Knarrström take a look at it and he states that this amazingly well-preserved stabbing weapon is something in between the medieval sword and the more modern sword, which would eventually come to dominate the 17th-century battlefield. 

At the time of the Kalmar War, the European armies were at a turning point – the military revolution – where new tactics and weapon systems were being tested.

The find fits well into the arsenal of the time. A Danish soldier lost his beautiful weapon in battle in the fateful summer of 1611. After conservation and deeper research, we will be able to tell you more.

In the basement lay the lost weapons of a Danish soldier.
This rare battle sword just found in Sweden is ‘an evolutionary leap’
The tip is broken. Maybe in connection with battle?
WORLD

Interesting facts about herbivorous dinosaurs

Interesting facts about herbivorous dinosaurs

Interesting facts about herbivorous dinosaurs

Herbivorous dinosaurs were some of the most diverse animals on Earth. They ranged in size from small two-legged forms to large, long-necked four-legged giants. The most well known herbivore is probably the Triceratops, but there were many different types of such dinosaurs. If you want to learn more interesting facts about herbivore dinosaurs read this article.

A list of the most famous herbivorous dinosaurs

Some had horns and frills, while others had bony plates on their backs or spikes along their tails. Here are some interesting facts about herbivorous dinosaurs:

1. The Euoplocephalus was an ankylosaurid dinosaur which had a club-shaped tail made of fused bones covered in bumps and spikes. It used its tail as a defensive weapon against predators.

2. The Stegosaurus was a large herbivorous dinosaur with distinctive plates on its back and four spikes at the end of its tail. It appears to have used these plates as a source of heat regulation, trapping or releasing heat depending on the temperature outside.

3. The hadrosaurids were duck-billed dinosaurs which had a distinctive crest on their heads and snouts. Many of them were able to produce sounds by vibrating their crests, making it the loudest dinosaur group known.

4. The Sauropods were some of the largest land animals ever to have lived, with some species reaching lengths of up to 120 feet! They were so large that they needed to eat up to 500kg of vegetation a day in order to survive.

5. The Ankylosaurus was an armored dinosaur with bony plates on its back and sides and a club-shaped tail covered in spikes. It was mainly a herbivore, but fossilized stomach contents show it also ate some insects and small animals.

6. The Brachiosaurus was one of the tallest sauropods ever discovered, measuring up to 85 feet in length and weighing around 80 tons! It had a long neck which allowed it to reach vegetation high in the trees.

7. The Parasaurolophus was a duck-billed dinosaur with a distinctive crest on its head. The shape of the crest helped amplify sound, making it possible for this animal to be heard from miles away.

8. The Iguanodon was one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered and is known for its long thumbs which were probably used to defend itself against predators. It had strong back legs which it used to run away from danger at speeds of up to 20mph.

Some of the most impressive prehistoric species that roamed the Earth

These herbivorous dinosaurs were just some of the amazing creatures that roamed the Earth during the Mesozoic era. Their diverse adaptations and large sizes made them an integral part in understanding the evolution of life on our planet.

Interesting facts about Herbivorous dinosaur fossils

1. Fossilized footprints of some herbivorous dinosaurs have been found with tracks from other animals such as lizards and mammals, suggesting that they may have traveled in groups.

2. Some fossilized remains of herbivores were found with evidence of stomach contents, allowing us to gain an insight into the diets of these creatures.

3. Fossilized eggs of some herbivore species have been found, providing us with a glimpse into their nesting and breeding habits.

4. Some fossilized remains of herbivorous dinosaurs show evidence of predators trying to attack them, such as puncture wounds or healed fractures from unsuccessful attempts at predation.

5. Fossilized bones of some herbivore species have been found with marks on them, suggesting that they were butchered for their meat by humans during the Mesozoic era.

6. Some fossilized remains of herbivorous dinosaurs show evidence of tumors or other abnormalities which may have affected the way they lived and moved.

7. Some fossilized remains of herbivorous dinosaurs show evidence of having been preened by other animals, suggesting that some species may have formed social bonds with one another.

These facts about the fossils of herbivorous dinosaurs provide us with a unique insight into how these creatures lived and interacted with each other and with their environment. It is amazing to think that we can still learn about these creatures even though they have long gone extinct!
This knowledge can help us better understand the history of life on our planet and how it evolved over time.

Some fossils have not yet been found

There is still much to learn about these fascinating creatures! As more fossils are uncovered, we will have an even better idea of the lives that herbivorous dinosaurs led during the Mesozoic era.

The information gained through studying these fossils helps us to better understand our world today and appreciate how life has changed over time. We can learn about their habits, behavior, and interactions with other species which can help us to protect our world today.

By studying the fossils of herbivorous dinosaurs, we gain a greater understanding of our past – and what the future may bring.

It is amazing that these long-gone creatures can still teach us so much! We can use the knowledge gained from their fossils to help us protect our planet and ensure that life continues to thrive for generations to come.

The study of herbivorous dinosaur fossils is an incredibly important part of understanding the evolution of our world. We owe a great debt of gratitude to these amazing creatures for helping us understand our past and shape a better future.

Research for dinosaur’s fossil is still a priority for paleontologists

As more fossils and information are discovered, we can expect to learn even more about these fascinating creatures!

The study of herbivorous dinosaur fossils is an incredible journey into the past and a reminder of how much there is still to be learned about our planet history. Paleontologists continue to work tirelessly to uncover more fossilized remains and gain insight into the lives of these incredible creatures.

By studying the fossils of herbivorous dinosaurs, we can gain a greater understanding of how life on our planet has evolved – and what it may look like in the future.

Paleontologists still find many fossils all over the world
today

With the help of new technologies, we can expect to learn even more about these amazing creatures!

The fossils of herbivore dinosaurs continue to provide us with insight into our planet’s distant past – and a glimpse into its future. By learning from their remains, we gain a greater appreciation for the incredible history of life on Earth and the importance of preserving our planet for generations to come.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to these creatures for helping us understand our past and shape a better future. Whether we are uncovering their fossils in laboratories or exploring them in museums, we can all be thankful for the amazing contributions that herbivorous dinosaurs have made to our understanding of life on Earth.

By studying the fossils of herbivorous dinosaurs, we can gain a greater appreciation for their place in history and the important lessons they have taught us about preserving our world today. We owe them an immense debt of gratitude.

Images Source:
https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/chercher/dinosaur%20/
https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/photo/fossile-de-dinosaure-sur-laformation-de-pierre-brute-3839557/
https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/photo/nature-homme-animaux-reptile-10041634/

NORTH AMERICA, U.S.A, WORLD

Tlingit Objects Repatriated to Alaska Village

Tlingit Objects Repatriated to Alaska Village

A black tote holding Alaska Native artifacts sits on the ground of the Juneau International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. It was flown from Seattle after being filled with 25 Alaska Native artifacts held at George Fox University in Oregon.

Nearing the end of his flight from Seattle to Juneau, Frank Hughes looked out his plane window to the ground below where the outline of the Organized Village of Kake slowly appeared beneath him.

An excitement built in him, one that he said made him feel like his heart had just skipped a beat. Though Hughes has lived in the small Southeast Alaska Native village for years and has come and gone from it too many times to count, this time was different — because he wasn’t alone in coming home.

In the belly of the plane sat a sturdy black bin locked by zip ties and scattered with fragile stickers holding 25 Alaska Native artifacts ranging from spruceroot-woven baskets to ceremonial paddles to headdresses that were taken from the village in the early 1900s.

Many of the pieces are estimated to be more than 200 years old.

“We’re going home,” Hughes said. “These artifacts are coming home.”

Since 2018, Hughes has worked to bring the collections of artifacts that were found at George Fox University in Oregon back to Kake after discovering their existence while doing research for the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act for which he served as coordinator. Hughes said during his work for NAGPRA he had done many Indigenous artifact repatriations across the country, but said he couldn’t believe it when he came across the artifacts from Kake.

Now, after nearly five years of waiting, Hughes, along with Lincoln Bean, vice chairman for the Organized Village of Kake, flew to the university this month to retrieve the artifacts and bring them home. The pair and the bin of artifacts made stops in Seattle and Juneau before heading to Kake on Nov. 18.

“When I looked at them, it was like looking at my past and my elders,” Bean said. “It’s some of the most beautiful art of weaving, headdresses I’ve never seen before. The apron for dancing, with some of the most intricate, beautiful beadwork you’ve ever seen in your life.”

How the collection of this small Southeast Alaska village’s cultural artifacts ended up nearly 1,000 miles away, stored off-display at what bills itself as the No. 1 Christian college in Oregon, is up for debate, Hughes and Bean explained.

The pair said they believe that some of the artifacts may have been given as a gift to visitors of the village. They said it is more likely, however, that most were taken by the Religious Society of Friends in Alaska — also known as Quakers — who built a mission in the village in late 1891, then left after the building was handed over to the Kake Memorial Presbyterian church in 1912.

“They cut it out and took it,” Hughes said about a wooden mask that was part of the collection of artifacts repatriated. The piece was likely the oldest of the collection and served as a marker on a tree identifying the territory. He said the mask would have to have been cut out of the body of the tree to be removed.

Quakers were missionaries in Alaska who during the 1800s and 1900s ran about 30 boarding schools for Indigenous children in the U.S. and its territories, including the Douglas Island Friends Mission School on Douglas Island.

Quakers were part of the historical movement in which many Alaska Native children were sent away from their families, communities and culture to boarding schools in the state — or across the country — and were forced to divorce themselves of their Indigenous identity in exchange for U.S. values and culture.

Though many of the boarding schools were closed by the late 1900s, the legacy of trauma and abuse from these schools still remains for many Alaska Native families and communities.

Hughes said though the pain still permeates from the past, repatriation serves as a way to bring healing to both the people living in Kake today and the spirits that live within the artifacts.

“We’re just trying to bring them home where they came from,” Bean said.

Hughes said when he first saw the artifacts in Oregon, he knew immediately that the spirits of his Tlingit ancestors were there with him.

“When we opened it up, the excitement and the spirits were alive, it’s like walking in an air-conditioned room — the spirits came alive,” Hughes said. “It’s good to see you, we’re happy to see you.”

Bean agreed and said the Tlingit culture is a gift from God and bringing home these items gives him a glimpse of his culture he didn’t know was missing.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Bean said. “It’s powerful looking back on people we know that were here before us — as a family, as a tribe — and it’s tangible, we can touch it.

Tlingit Objects Repatriated to Alaska Village
A black tote holding Alaska Native artifacts sits on the ground of the Juneau International Airport on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 17, 2022. It was flown from Seattle after being filled with 25 Alaska Native artifacts held at George Fox University in Oregon.

Hughes said he and Bean would present the artifacts, still unopened, to the village. Plans to open the box and welcome the artifacts home were on track to commence but likely wouldn’t happen until after Thanksgiving. Bean and Hughes said that the repatriation serves as a step toward healing and rebuilding the parts of their culture that were taken.

“We know who we are, we know where we come from, we know where we’re going,” Bean said.

ASIA, CHINA, WORLD

5,000-yr-old house ruins found in central China

5,000-yr-old house ruins found in central China

Archaeologists have excavated the ruins of house foundations dating back more than 5,000 years in the Yangshao Village site in central China’s Henan Province.

The house was once a large building with rammed earth walls that may have covered more than 130 square meters.

As per speculations, it belongs to the late Yangshao Culture period, said Li Shiwei from Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, who is in charge of the excavation site.

“This is the first time that large house ruins have been discovered since the excavation of the Yangshao Village site in 1921.

The findings can provide new materials for studying the types, shapes, and building techniques of houses during the Yangshao Culture period,” Li said.

Archaeologists also unearthed four artificial trenches and a large number of cultural relics at the site, including a jade tomahawk that symbolizes military power.

The discoveries show that the settlement in the Yangshao period boasted a large population, prosperous development, and complete defense facilities, Li said, adding that it is of great significance for studying the complexity and civilization process in the Yellow River basin during the prehistoric period.

In 1921, the first excavation on the Yangshao Village site, which is in Mianchi County, Henan Province, marked the birth of modern Chinese archaeology.

Originating around the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the Yangshao Culture is considered an important stream of Chinese civilization and is widely known for its advanced pottery-making technology.

The fourth archaeological excavation on the Yangshao Village site began on Aug. 22, 2020, and is still in progress. 

ENGLAND, EUROPE, WORLD

Wealthy Medieval Farm Excavated in Northern England

Wealthy Medieval Farm Excavated in Northern England

The site, four miles from Helmsley, was known to be the location of a grange built shortly after the abbey was founded in 1132 to supply it with produce, yet this was the first major excavation.

The farm was managed by the Cistercian monks until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, and items including rosary beads, pottery and glazed tiles were all found.

It is now thought the grange was of high economic importance and reflected the status of the abbey itself. The glazed roof tiles are ‘almost unheard of’ in farms of the period, and evidence iron smelting took place on the land was also discovered.

Remains of the monastic farm

The National Park Authority’s head of historic environment Miles Johnson said:

“Whilst it’s not surprising that we found evidence of medieval farming, the prestige, and range of the uncovered artifacts point to this being a place of high economic importance.

“For the archaeologists to find a cellar and what we think are glazed roof tiles from a medieval farm of this period is almost unheard of. Some find also relate to the process of iron smelting, which was clearly happening onsite, and indeed there was also an iron hunting arrow.”

The community dig was led by archaeologist John Buglass, founder of North Yorkshire-based JB Archeology, with close involvement from Keith Emerick, Inspector of Ancient Monuments at Historic England. Sixteen volunteers took part, contributing the equivalent of 129 days across six weeks.

Little was known about the site until the dig

John Buglass said: “This is one of those unexpected digs that shows just how much we can still learn from sites we thought we understood.

“Through the hard work of volunteer archaeologists from inside and outside the National Park, we have managed to add some significant understanding to our knowledge of the monastic granges of Rievaulx.”

Keith Emerick of Historic England added: “This is a truly remarkable discovery. Although we know where many monastic farm sites are located, relatively little is known about them. The excavation of such impressive remains and their associated finds adds a huge amount to our understanding of the medieval world.”

The excavations, which covered only a small part of the site, have now been completed, but work on analyzing the finds and interpreting the materials recovered will continue over the next year.

The farm was once wealthy, productive, and of high status

As successful farmers, the Cistercian monks at Rievaulx Abbey had a significant impact on the landscape of the North York Moors. They developed large-scale moorland grazing and stimulated the rapid growth of the wool trade that became so significant in England’s later history. The monks even diverted the course of the River Rye on more than one occasion to allow for their development.

The lead mining, iron ore, and wool sales operations were all highly profitable until the Black Death, after which it became difficult to recruit labour.

Rievaulx Abbey fell into ruin after the monks left following King Henry VIII’s campaign against the power of the Catholic Church. The site is now owned by English Heritage and welcomes visitors.

MEXICO, NORTH AMERICA, WORLD

Maya Stucco Masks Revealed in Mexico

Maya Stucco Masks Revealed in Mexico

These faces, these portraits, look at us from the past, their gaze transports us to the royal court of the ancient and powerful Mayan kingdom.

The Federal Ministry of Culture, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), announced that, in 42 years of research work in the archaeological zone of Toniná, archaeologist Juan Yadeun Angulo, has found a diversity of archaeological materials, among which a large number of masks stand out, with various representations in stucco and sculptures, which give an idea of ​​the ancient inhabitants of this city.

The researcher from the INAH Chiapas Center indicates that some of the stucco pieces were found around the structure known as the House of the Recreation of the Universe, which is to the southeast of the Sunken Plaza of the Palacio de Los Caracoles, which date from around from the years 650 to 700 of our era.

Yadeun Angulo explains that these masks, the majority of which were discovered in 2013, and since then, protected and preserved by the INAH, in the archive’s warehouse of the archaeological site, represent themes of the underworld, the earth and the sky, the levels were the lords of Toniná, the rulers and the people in general thought that it was distributed to the world and to the deities.

Likewise, in Toniná, the use of the human face in architecture is clearly seen: “Here the human body is part of the decoration of the buildings”, highlights the archaeologist.

Within the singular collection of masks, the representation of the lord of the underworld found in a crypt of the Temple of the Sun in 2018 stands out first; the archaeologist explains that all the beings of the underworld do not have a lower jaw, which makes it evident that they are dead, in addition to the fact that this representation is clearly a deity with said characteristic.

“This gentleman has the upper jaw and a shark tooth, because they are solar deities and he really is a monstrous doll, it was part of a huge representation, where it was seen how the lords of Toniná have a relationship with fantastic beings from the interior of the earth and of the starry sky”, comments the archaeologist.

The representation of gods from other cultures also stands out, such as that of a totally Teotihuacan Tláloc; Although the piece is fragmented, it presents the typical characteristics of this Central Mexican deity, who we know had a great influence on the Classic Maya, for which Yadeun warns that this sculpture speaks of an evident relationship with the Central Highlands.

In the same way, there are other sculptures that represent rulers who are in the exercise of their power and, therefore, are remembered with all their magnificence. 

The archaeologist also mentions another mask that served as a mannequin and as an element to make jade masks, since masks can still be seen on top of the mask-mannequin.

Yadeun Angulo hopes that in the future they will be able to hold temporary exhibitions to show the public the valuable collection that Toniná keeps since there are collections of full-body sculptures of ruling gods, representations of scenes from the Popol Vuh myth, as well as entire pages, where the twins Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué are seen, who are related to the earth, the beings of the underworld and the sky.

“These faces, these portraits, look at us from the past, their gaze transports us to the royal court of the ancient and powerful Mayan kingdom of Po’o”, concludes the archaeologist.