Category Archives: WORLD

8,000-year-old Yarmukian ‘Mother Goddess’ figurine uncovered at Sha’ar HaGolan

8,000-year-old Yarmukian ‘Mother Goddess’ figurine uncovered at Sha’ar HaGolan

Before the Israelis and the Palestinians, before the Greek and the Roman empires, before the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, before the Umayyad Caliphate and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem – there were the Yarmukians.

8,000-year-old Yarmukian 'Mother Goddess' figurine uncovered at Sha’ar HaGolan
An impressive 8,000-year-old Yarmukian ceramic “Mother Goddess” figurine was uncovered at renewed excavations at the Sha’ar HaGolan Yarmukian archaeological site.

This 8,000-year-old Neolithic agricultural culture is considered the first culture in the prehistoric area of what today is called Israel. It is one of the oldest cultures in the Levant to make use of ceramic pottery, with a distinctive style of herringbone decorations incised in horizontal and diagonal lines over the body of their ceramic cooking, serving and storage vessels.

The culture is also known for its enigmatic and iconic “Mother Goddess” figurines, which are believed to have been part of a Yarmukian fertility cult. Renewed excavations at the Sha’ar Hagolan Yarmukian archaeological site at the Sha’ar Hagolan kibbutz this month have revealed an unusually large and impressive ceramic goddess figurine of the “Mother Goddess.”

Created in the typical seating pose, the 20-centimetre figurine was found broken in two pieces next to the wall of a home, said excavation co-director Anna Eirikh-Rose, Israeli Antiquity Authority Judea district archaeologist, who is doing her doctoral research at the Hebrew University on Neolithic pottery.

Sha’ar HaGolan excavation co-director Dr. Julien Vieugue of the French Center for Research in Jerusalem holds the 8,000-year-old ceramic ”Mother Goddess” figurine uncovered at renewed excavations at the Sha’ar HaGolan archaeological site

The broken figurine was covered by a bracelet with a red bottom, the colour which represented fertility. A schematic stone with etched eyes and mouth was also uncovered. The excavation is being carried out in conjunction with the French Center for Research in Jerusalem under the co-direction of Dr. Julien Vieugue.

“This woman ceramic figurine is a hallmark of Yarmukian culture,” Eirikh-Rose said. “This is one of the largest examples of the figurine found. It is of a large, seated woman with big hips, a unique pointed hat and what is known as ‘coffee-bean’ eyes and a big nose. One hand is positioned on her hip and the other one under her breast.”

Symbolism

Though dubbed “coffee-bean” eyes, the traditional eyes of the figurine more likely represented kernels possibly of wheat, or more likely barley, she said.

All the small details of the figurine are important for its cultic symbolism, she said, and the process of creating such a figurine involved a complex method of wrapping and layering the clay around a central cylindrical core.

“It is really impressive, and was a very elaborate way of making a figurine,” she said. “It was not simple to make.”

The Yarmukian culture was poised at the dramatic human juncture of the transition from a foraging culture to a permanent settlement, which also changed the development of architecture. It was so named for the discovery of the archaeological remains at the Sha’ar Hagolan site dated to 6,400-6,000 BCE near the northern bank of the Yarmuk River in the central Jordan Valley.

The history of the Sha’ar HaGolan site

First excavated in 1949, the Sha’ar Hagolan site was identified by Hebrew University Professor Moshe Stekelis as belonging to the Yarmuk culture. A subsequent excavation by Hebrew University Prof. Yosef Garfinkel ended in 2004.

The finds are on exhibit at the Museum of Yarmukian Culture at the kibbutz.

Eirikh-Rose said the current re-excavation of the site was begun next to previous excavations. It is meant to expose the site layer by layer, until reaching the Neolithic pre-ceramic level of the settlement to research the culture’s use and production of ceramic pottery.

“Although the site of Sha’ar Hagolan has been dug several times, revealing the additional layers one at a time, this time there is a clear purpose for our excavation: we want to understand the origin and mechanism of development of the pottery production in the world of this ancient period in the Levant region,” she said.

Eirikh-Rose noted that 8,000 years ago, the inhabitants of this site began to use pottery vessels and mass-produce them.

“This is the first culture of the Neolithic revolution to use and manufacture pottery vessels on a large scale, not just one bowl here and one bowl there,” she said.

Previous excavations at the Sha’ar Hagolan site have uncovered planned streets, courtyard houses and smaller mother goddess figurines, as well as incised pebble face figurines and eye figurines.

At its height, the settlement covered an area spanning 20 hectares, making it one of the largest settlements in the world at that time, said Eirikh-Rose. Although other Yarmukian sites have been identified since, Sha’ar Hagolan is the largest, probably indicating its role as a Yarmukian cultural center.

Eirikh-Rose said the newly uncovered figurine will be taken for residue analysis, which will help researchers establish what types of clay were used to create it. Continued study of these figurines may also help researchers in their quest to determine whether the “Mother Goddess” was used in cultic practices or was already part of established religion.

“There are so many theories,” she said. “This is a big question to study– the development of religious beliefs and culture.”

Historical artefact from AD 250 returns to Türkiye after 140 years

Historical artefact from AD 250 returns to Türkiye after 140 years

Discovered 140 years ago and taken to England from Türkiye, the Eros Head was put in its place at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum as a result of the initiatives of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The artefact, which was brought to Türkiye on June 10, was reunited with the historical Sidamara Sarcophagus to which it belonged.

The Sidamara Sarcophagus is considered one of the largest sarcophagi of the ancient world. The sarcophagus, which is weighing tons, was discovered in 1882 in the ancient city of Sidamara in Ambar Village of the Central Anatolian province of Karaman by British Military Consul General Charles Wilson.

The sarcophagus was buried under the ground again because it was too heavy to be carried. Sometime later it was understood that it was “Eros Head,” one of the reliefs separated from the sarcophagus, that had been taken to London.

The sarcophagus, which was rediscovered by a villager in the ancient city of Sidamara in 1898, was reported to the Müze-i Hümayun, which is now the Istanbul Archeology Museum.

As a result of the Ottoman archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey’s investigations in the region, the giant sarcophagus was decided to be moved to the museum in Istanbul. Then it was carried to the centre by buffaloes under the conditions of the time.

The magnificent work, which made a gruelling journey in specially arranged train wagons, reached the Istanbul Archaeology Museum in 1901.

The “Eros Head” relief in London was donated by Marion Olivia Wilson to the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1933 in memory of her father, Charles Wilson.

A plaster copy of the Eros Head was placed in the giant sarcophagus in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum as a result of the negotiations with the Victoria & Albert Museum officials in the 1930s.

With the research of archaeologist Şehrazat Karagöz, who brought the issue back to the agenda in 2010, the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Foreign Ministry made talks with the Victoria & Albert Museum for the display of the Eros Head to be exhibited together with its sarcophagus.

As a result of the meetings between the ministry and the Victoria & Albert Museum Director Tristram Hunt and his team, the Eros Head was reunited with the sarcophagus. The Eros Head was transported from London to Türkiye on 10 June with the support of the Foreign Ministry and Turkish Airlines (THY).

With scientific studies jointly carried out by the expert restorers of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Eros Head was placed in the giant sarcophagus, which weighs more than 30 tons.

The columned sarcophagus, dating back to 250 B.C. in the Roman era, is now open to visitors in its original form at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum today.

Ancient Mosaic Floors in Israel May Depict Biblical Heroines

Ancient Mosaic Floors in Israel May Depict Biblical Heroines

A team of specialists and students led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Jodi Magness recently returned to Israel’s Lower Galilee to continue unearthing nearly 1,600-year-old mosaics in an ancient Jewish synagogue at Huqoq.

Ancient Mosaic Floors in Israel May Depict Biblical Heroines
Left: The Israelite commander Barak is depicted in the Huqoq synagogue mosaic. Right: Fox-eating grapes depicted in Huqoq synagogue mosaics.

Discoveries made this year include the first known depiction of the biblical heroines Deborah and Jael as described in the book of Judges.

The Huqoq Excavation Project is now in its 10th season after recent seasons were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project director Magness, the Kenan Distinguished Professor of religious studies in Carolina’s College of Arts & Sciences, and assistant director Dennis Mizzi of the University of Malta focused this season on the southwest part of the synagogue, which was built in the late fourth-early fifth century C.E.

Israelite commander Barak is depicted in the Huqoq synagogue mosaic.

This season, the project team unearthed a part of the synagogue’s floor decorated with a large mosaic panel that is divided into three horizontal strips (called registers), which depicts an episode from the book of Judges chapter 4: The victory of the Israelite forces led by the prophetess and judge Deborah and the military commander Barak over the Canaanite army led by the general Sisera.

The Bible relates that after the battle, Sisera took refuge in the tent of a Kenite woman named Jael (Yael), who killed him by driving a tent stake through his temple as he slept.

The uppermost register of the newly-discovered Huqoq mosaic shows Deborah under a palm tree, gazing at Barak, who is equipped with a shield. Only a small part of the middle register is preserved, which appears to show Sisera seated.

The lowest register depicts Sisera lying deceased on the ground, bleeding from the head as Jael hammers a tent stake through his temple.

“This is the first depiction of this episode and the first time we’ve seen a depiction of the biblical heroines Deborah and Jael in ancient Jewish art,” Magness said. “Looking at the book of Joshua chapter 19, we can see how the story might have had special resonance for the Jewish community at Huqoq, as it is described as taking place in the same geographical region – the territory of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulon.”

Also among the newly discovered mosaics is a fragmentary Hebrew dedicatory inscription inside a wreath, flanked by panels measuring 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide, which show two vases that hold sprouting vines. The vines form medallions that frame four animals eating clusters of grapes: a hare, a fox, a leopard and a wild boar.

Mosaic depicting a fox eating grapes in the ancient synagogue at Huqoq.

A decade of discovery  

Mosaics were first discovered at the site in 2012, and work continued each summer until the COVID-19 pandemic paused work after the dig in 2019.

The mosaics exposed in the last 10 active seasons cover the synagogue’s aisles and main hall.

Discoveries along the east aisle include:  
  • Panels depicting Samson and the foxes (as related in Judges 15:4)  
  • Samson carrying the gate of Gaza on his shoulders (Judges 16:3)  
  • A Hebrew inscription surrounded by human figures, animals and mythological creatures including putti, or cupids  
  • The first non-biblical story ever found decorating an ancient synagogue — perhaps the legendary meeting between Alexander the Great and the Jewish high priest   

The mosaic floor in the north aisle is divided into two rows of panels containing figures and objects accompanied by Hebrew inscriptions identifying them as biblical stories, including:  

  • One panel depicts two of the spies sent by Moses to explore Canaan carrying a pole with a cluster of grapes, labelled “a pole between two” (from Numbers 13:23)  
  • Another panel showing a man leading an animal on a rope is accompanied by the inscription “a small child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6)
The mosaics panels in the nave, or main hall, include:  
  • A portrayal of Noah’s Ark  
  • The parting of the Red Sea  
  • A Helios-zodiac cycle  
  • Jonah being swallowed by three successive fish
  • The building of the Tower of Babel  

In 2019, the team uncovered panels in the north aisle that frame figures of animals identified by an Aramaic inscription as the four beasts representing four kingdoms in the book of Daniel, chapter 7. A large panel in the northwest aisle depicts Elim, the spot where the Israelites camped by 12 springs and 70 date palms after departing Egypt and wandering in the wilderness without water (Exodus 15:27).

In the 14th century C.E. (the Mamluk period), the synagogue was rebuilt and expanded in size, perhaps in connection with the rise of a tradition that the Tomb of Habakkuk was located nearby, which became a focal point of late medieval Jewish pilgrimage.

“The 14th century C.E. building appears to be the first Mamluk period synagogue ever discovered in Israel, making it no less important than the earlier building,” said Magness.

The sponsors of the project are UNC-Chapel Hill, Austin College, Baylor University, Brigham Young University and the University of Toronto. Students and staff from Carolina and the consortium schools participated in the dig. Financial support for the 2022 season was also provided by the National Geographic Society, the Loeb Classical Library Foundation, the Kenan Charitable Trust and the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

The mosaics have been removed from the site for conservation, and the excavated areas have been backfilled. Excavations are scheduled to continue in summer 2023. For additional information and updates, visit the project’s website: www.huqoq.org.

Images of the most recent discoveries may be downloaded here using password huqoq. Photos by Jim Haberman.

The Discovery Of A Maya Shrine Reveals Arrival Of “New World Order”

The Discovery Of A Maya Shrine Reveals Arrival Of “New World Order”

Researchers are surprised with a new discovery consisting of fragments of an ancient Maya shrine which reveals “previously unknown” details of a “Cold War” in the Maya Empire. The fragment of the carved stone monument was discovered at El Achiotal, an ancient Maya site located that depicts the face of an ajaw vassal lord.

This incredible new discovery at the Maya site in Guatemala has made it possible for researchers to understand new details regarding a fierce rivalry which ruled over two great Ancient Maya superpowers some 1500 years ago.

This discovery was announced in Guatemala City and was presented by The La Corona Regional Archaeological Project, co-directed by Marcello Canuto, director of Tulane’s Middle American Research Institute, and Tomás Barrientos, director of the Department of Archaeology at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala.

The Discovery Of A Maya Shrine Reveals Arrival Of “New World Order”

According to researchers and their preliminary study, forces belonging to Siyaj K’ahk’s arrived at the Maya lowlands somewhere around 378 D.C., overturning the rulers of the great Maya city-state of Tikal.

They established among other things, a new political order across the ancient Maya empire.

Siyaj K’ahk’, also referred to as “Fire is Born” was A prominent Ancient Maya political figure commonly mentioned in the Classical Period Glyphs. He is believed to have been the general of the Teotihuacan ruler Spearthrower Owl.

National Geographic Young Explorer and Tulane graduate student Luke Auld-Thomas said:

“We were looking for a stairway and digging test units.” He added, “when an excavator working on a unit backed out of the hole he had dug and told us he found what looked like a stela.”

“We gasped and looked in, and there’s the face of a king just staring straight out at us,” says Auld-Thomas. “It had been very carefully placed by the ancient Maya so that it was looking out a doorway, like a museum piece in a display case.”

“We never expected to find a stela at El Achiotal,” says Canuto, who began research there in 2009 with a National Geographic Society/Waitt grant and considered it primarily a Late Preclassic (400 B.C. – 250 A.D.) site.

As researchers continued with their excavation duties, they came upon two stelae fragments, a discovery that they did not expect.

According to archaeologists, the two stelae fragments were from the top and bottom of a monument, the stelae are believed to have been removed from their original location which is, according to archaeologists, most likely in front of a temple.

According to National Geographic; The top fragment of the stelae features the partial image of a man holding a serpent bar, a traditional symbol of a ruler.

After the discovery was made, Davit Stuart from the University of Texas at Austin, who is an expert Maya epigrapher flew to El Achiotal to study and try to decipher the hieroglyphs located on the back of the stelae.

According to Stuart, the hieroglyphs revealed that the stelae were in fact erected to celebrate the 40th anniversary of an “ajaw.”

Regrettably, the newly found stelae are incomplete so researchers could not figure out the name of the ajaw and the leader.

The Ajaw or Ahau has two meanings in the history of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization.

It is believed to represent a political title attested from Mayan epigraphic inscriptions but it could also designate the concluding, the 20 named day of the tzolk’in or the divinatory calendar on which a king’s k’atun-ending rituals would fall.

According to Stuart, there was a date inscribed on the stelae, but Stuart states that reading it was one of the most difficult translation jobs that he has ever been part of.

Stuart also states:

“Scribes were very tricky and they wrote one of the date elements in a super-ambiguous way.”

Researchers believe that the anniversary date depicted on the stelae, could be connected with four potential dates, and Stuart believes the date everyone would be looking for is November 22, 418 A.D. Counting back 40 years from November 22, 418 A.D. marks an anniversary of an event in 378 A.D. the date when Siyaj K’ahk’ installed new rulership in Tikal setting off a series of changes both in the Maya political and cultural system.

“We know that when Siyaj K’ahk’ came on the scene in Tikal he was installing subject rulers all around that region,” Stuart explains. “We just had no idea that El Achiotal was sucked into this new world order.”

A Rock With Mastodon Carving Discovered At The Underwater Stonehenge Of Lake Michigan

A Rock With Mastodon Carving Discovered At The Underwater Stonehenge Of Lake Michigan

Another incredible discovery has been made as researchers have found a rock with a carving of a Mastodon at the underwater Stonehenge of Lake Michigan. In 2007, at a depth of twelve meters, researchers found a peculiar set of aligned stones that are believed to be over 10,000 years old.

While searching for shipwrecks, archaeologists from Northwestern Michigan College came across something interesting at the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Mysteriously aligned rocks which were placed there by human beings before the area was covered with water. When the discovery was made, researchers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It’s America’s Stonehenge.

A Rock With Mastodon Carving Discovered At The Underwater Stonehenge Of Lake Michigan

According to researchers, the stones located at the bottom of Lake Michigan all measure the same distance across, something that wouldn’t be present if we were looking at a natural formation.

The rock formation found at the bottom of Lake Michigan resembles other structures found in England and France, and even those at Nabta Playa, making it very unlikely to be a natural formation.

As if the mysterious rock formation wasn’t enough, after a diving expedition to look at the stones, underwater photographer Chris Doyle found a mysterious stone with an incredible depiction: A Mastodon. This means that the carving must have been made way before the Mastodons were extinct.

The Mastodon rock is perhaps one of the most incredible features of the underwater Stonehenge. Researchers speculate that the rock is made out of granite, a very hard material.

For people to carve something onto this rock, they had to use a tool harder than granite. So the logical question is: What could ancient mankind have used 10.000 years ago to carve something onto a granite rock?

Researchers stress that the marks and lines that make out the mastodon figure were precisely carved, the lines were not just “scratched” onto the rock.

The incredible rock formation and the precisely aligned stone circles clearly indicate a man-made structure. The areas around Michigan are witnesses of early human presence in the American continent which is believed to date back over 25.000 years.

In the distant past, the Lake itself did not exist since an Ice Age ruled over the lands and what is not located at the bottom of one of the five Great Lakes of North America, was located on dry land.

The man responsible for this incredible underwater discovery is Mark Holley, professor of underwater archaeology at Northwestern Michigan College. In 2007, he searched for shipwrecks but found, 12 meters below the surface a series of stones arranged in a circle.

Adding to this amazing discovery is a relatively large rock which has, on its surface a depiction of a mastodon, an animal that became extinct around 8000 BC.

In the region near Lake Michigan, researchers have previously discovered menhirs and petroglyphs. When the first Europeans arrived in the seventeenth century they found that Michigan had thousands of prehistoric mounds.

Scholars also found “sacred stones” across the geography of the Great Lakes, stones according to the natives were placed by another race who lived there before. Statues and stone idols erected in various parts were discovered weighing over 100 kilograms.

The underwater Stonehenge of Lake Michigan must have been created before the last Ice Age, when the lake bed was dry and that is, according to researchers, over 12.000 years ago, a time that according to history, mankind couldn’t erect such elaborate constructions.

What does this tell us about history? Is this another piece of evidence that points to the fact that history books, as we know them should be re-written? We believe yes.

The 500-Million-Year-Old Dorchester Pot Should Not Exist

The 500-Million-Year-Old Dorchester Pot Should Not Exist

Contrary to popular belief, it is not uncommon for archaeologists to find old items that seem to indicate a level of technology that, according to mainstream science, should not yet exist at the point in time in which they are carbon-dated to. These are called ooparts (out-of-place artefacts) and unfortunately, more often than not, they are thoroughly studied but then forgotten.

Could this be done purposefully? Science may seem forever extensive but apparently, it’s not advanced enough to answer the puzzles that ancient civilization’s inadvertently left behind.

So now we come to the very interesting part: The Dorchester Pot. This pot is an exquisite metal vessel measuring 4.5 inches in height and 6.5 inches in diameter.

The 500-Million-Year-Old Dorchester Pot Should Not Exist

It displays a geometrical design in which brilliant silvers are embossed. It would take great skill and attention to create something this beautiful. However, the main reason that The Dorchester Pot is such a big source of mystery and attention is not simply because it is such a stunning piece of work.

The Discovery

The first point of contention about the pot is where or how it was located before it was discovered. As the name suggests, this was found in Dorchester in 1852. The pot was blasted off into two pieces during the explosion that destroyed the Roxbury Conglomerate.

The argument here is that the pot was embedded into the pudding-stone inside of a rock or boulder. A few American Scientific Articles originally published strong suggestions to support these claims.

Of course, if this was the case, how exactly did this happen? Note that the rock where the Dorchester Pot came from is dated to be at least 500 million years old. Does that mean that the pot itself is at least 500 million years old as well?

The Contemporary Theory

The current and most boring theory with regards to the Dorchester Pot is that it is a candlestick holder utilized during the Victorian Era. This Era is known to be one of the most luxurious in history so it is not actually surprising to find elegant household items designed with silver. As to the way of the Pot’s discovery, they argue that the people who found the item were mistaken.

They say it is very probable that the Pot didn’t come from amid the rock and was simply in the rubble following the explosion.

What is the Mystery?

As mentioned, oopart is an item that seems to be made from the time incongruent with the technology making it. To make this more understandable and to give an analogy: you would not expect to find a mobile phone during the Victorian Era, right?

Because during that time, the technology to make mobile phones were non-existent – so this is in essence what oopart is all about. Accepting the logic that the Pot came from inside a rock 500 million years old, it stands to reason that the Dorchester Pot itself is at least 500 million years old and not from the Victorian Era.

But then, the technology to make exquisite silver items was not available during that time.

500 million years ago, there was no animal life on dry land. These creatures were the most advanced life forms on Earth at that time.

Just a little background history here: according to studies, the earth only contained simple animals around 600 million years ago. Simple animals refer to water life forms with just a front and a back. According to our history, humans only appeared on earth roughly 250,000 years ago. So by all accounts, The Dorchester Pot should not ever come close to existing 500 million years in the past!

The Plant Engraving

Of course, let us not forget the actual design of the Dorchester Pot which features a type of plant that according to botanists, disappeared from Earth over 100,000 years ago. That does not exactly narrow down the timeline since the pot could still be made 500 million years ago.

Michael Cremo’s Theory

Michael Cremo is a popular Hindu creationist and according to him, the existence of the pot does prove that there were metal workers more than 600 million years ago in North America where the item was found.

Michael Cremo: The Forbidden History of Our Planet

Young Earth Creationists

Others theorize that the Dorchester Pot is actually the creation of an ancient civilization that happened before the Noachian Flood. In case you are wondering why that sounds familiar, that is essentially what the Bible describes as “Noah’s Flood”. The theory is that the flood really happened but it did not encompass the whole earth.

Scientific American

Of course, do not forget the theory published in Scientific American which was the first paper that actually recognized the item. According to them, The Pot was possibly owned by Tubal Cain who happens to be the Ancestor of Cain from the Bible. It further suggests that Tubal Cain was a metal worker and perhaps had a hand in creating the artefact itself. Of course, there is always a chance that this is mere speculation on the part of the writer.

Other Theories

Thanks to the dissenting facts on the Dorchester Pot, there are numerous theories attributed to its existence. The contemporary one is mentioned above wherein experts suggest that it could be a candlestick holder. The shape and dimensions of the pot certainly fit the general pipe holder design back in the day.

Others speculate that the Pot is indeed the product of an old civilization that had the technology as well as capacity to create something this exquisite. Following this theory, there is an argument that life on Earth simply follows a cycle and once the peak is reached, it degrades only to rise up again and grow.

Essentially, the Dorchester Pot is the alleged relic of an old civilization that already reached its peak, 600 million years ago.

Here’s a big list of out-of-place artefacts, bringing further evidence that an advanced civilization once thrived on Earth, before being wiped out by a planetary cataclysm.

Archaeologists uncover ‘new secrets’ of the lost ancient city

Archaeologists uncover ‘new secrets’ of the lost ancient city

Archaeologists who discovered the remains of two large ancient stone buildings at the top of a hill in Albania say they have now started excavating its highest point.

Archaeologists uncover 'new secrets' of the lost ancient city
The hill near Bushat during archaeological research.

According to research leader Professor Piotr Dyczek, they have already uncovered the foundations of ‘two extensive buildings’. 

The original discovery of the lost city near today’s Shkodër by the village of Bushat was made unexpectedly in 2018 when excavations first started. 

Archaeologists uncover 'new secrets' of the lost ancient city
The hill near Bushat during archaeological research.

The new location for excavations was based on geophysical research from 2018 which revealed solid walls. 

During excavations, the researchers uncovered the remains of a large structure with an area of almost 20 by 12 m. Next to it was another building of similar size, and a little further a slightly smaller one, 10 by 7 m.

Dyczek said: “The city was abandoned. There were no traces of its violent end in the form of damage and burning. After being abandoned, it eroded over the last approx. 2 thousand years and its walls slid down the slopes.”

He added that it also served as a local quarry. The walls of many surrounding houses are built with cut large blocks from the archaeological site.

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Despite the erosion and human activity within the ancient city, archaeologists managed to find fragments of old ceramic vessels. Their analysis established that the hill had already been inhabited in the second millennium BCE and abandoned probably at the turn of the era or a little later.

Inside the buildings, the researchers found fragments of amphorae, mainly from Italy and dated to the 3rd and 2nd century BCE, as well as skyphoi – Greek two-handled deep wine cups.

Dyczek said: “Most of them are very small. In antiquity, such miniature vessels were either toys or cult items. It is difficult to determine the functions they had in this place.”

So far, scientists have not been able to determine the function of the discovered buildings. They believe that they are not similar to any other buildings in this area, which hinders their identification. 

But considering that they were exposed on the hill, they had to be prestigious.

The buildings had solid, 90 cm wide foundations. Local raw material, conglomerate rock, was used. The builders did not use mortar. The roofs were covered with specially profiled Greek-style tiles.

Dyczek said: “This means that they were not ordinary residential houses, in addition, they are in the dominant location in the city. We could make different guesses, but we have to wait for the results of further research.”

All data indicate that the discovered buildings come from the Hellenistic period, the end of the 3d and the 1st half of the 2nd century BCE.

In 2018, archaeologists uncovered solid, Cyclopean defensive walls, two gates with bastions and fragments of buildings. Scientists estimate that the fortress had an area of nearly 30 acres. The fortified city was located between two important Illyrian (present-day Albania) centres – Scodra (the capital of Illyria) and the Greek city of Lissos. Perhaps it was Bassania, but archaeologists are still looking for convincing evidence to support this hypothesis.

The city was described by a Roman historian, Livy (59 BCE – 17 CE) in the context of the battles between the Roman troops and the last Illyrian king, Gentius.

The Albanian team leader was Dr. Saimir Shpuza from the Institute of Archeology in Tirana.

Hercules’ head found in the treasure hoard of a 2,000-year-old shipwreck

Hercules’ head found in the treasure hoard of a 2,000-year-old shipwreck

The Roman ship is thought to have sunk near Antikythera, a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea in the second quarter of the first century B.C. While divers first found a number of stunning artefacts from the wreck 100 years ago, a wealth of new treasures has been discovered after experts created the first phases of a precise digital 3D model of the shipwreck.

Scientists used made the model using thousands of underwater photographs of the seafloor site in a technique known as photogrammetry.

And more discoveries are likely on the way thanks to this new model, but this is not the only thing that helped experts to uncover the treasure trove.

An earthquake is thought to have occurred sometime after the sinking of the ship, and archaeologists had to remove several large boulders that were strewn over the wreck as a result of the event.

In May and June this year, experts used underwater lifting equipment of pressurised airbags to remove the boulders, some of which weighed about 9.5 tons (8.5 metric tonnes).

Hercules' head found in the treasure hoard of a 2,000-year-old shipwreck
A marble model depicting Hercules’ head has been found in a 2000-year-old Roman shipwreck
“It’s a most impressive marble piece”

After this, the huge wealth of treasure that was contained within what was once the ship’s hull was then revealed. While carrying this out, the marine archaeologists were reportedly working at depths of 50 metres so they could access the areas that had never been explored before.

The ship is thought to have once been around 180ft long, but experts say the wooden hull has since rotted away. Amongst the treasure was a huge marble head of a sculpture likely depicting the Greek/Roman demigod Hercules.

Prof Lorenz Baumer, an archaeologist at the University of Geneva, said: “It’s a most impressive marble piece. 

Archaeologists had to remove several large boulders that were strewn over the wreck

“It is twice lifesize, has a big beard, a very particular face and short hair. There is no doubt it is Hercules.”

Experts suspect that this head was once attached to a sculpture with the rest of Hercules’ body that was in fact first found by divers way back in 1900.

During this time, they also discovered the Antikythera Mechanism – a mechanical model of the sun, moon and planets that is now on display in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Prof Lorenz Baumer said that both finds were likely made in the same area of the ship.

He told Live Science: “The site is quite big.

The research team also discovered two human teeth inside marine deposits

“It’s some 50 meters [164 feet] across, and it’s covered by rocks. It’s possible that [more fragments] are hiding in the rocks, but they could be anywhere.”

The ship also contained Greek artworks, a number of bronze statues, and over 38 marble sculptures. The research team also discovered two human teeth inside marine deposits and fragments of copper and wood.

Now, experts are hoping to analyse isotopes in the enamel of the teeth as this can help to uncover the geochemistry of the environment at the time that the teeth were formed.

Experts suspect that the head was once attached to a sculpture with the rest of Hercules’ body

This can help to reveal things such as a person’s diet or place of origin, and they can also contain DNA.

Stratos Charchalakis, the mayor of Kythira, said: “The ship could have gone down anywhere but, that said, every discovery puts us on the map and is exciting.

“The truth is that for an island with just 30 inhabitants, the wreck has had a huge social and economic impact. It has helped keep its shops and people going.”