World’s oldest runestone found in Norway, archaeologists say
Archaeologists in Norway have found what they claim is the world’s oldest runestone, saying the inscriptions are up to 2,000 years old and date back to the earliest days of the enigmatic history of runic writing.
The discovery of millennia-old runic writing is a ‘sensational’ find, say archaeologists.
The flat, square block of brownish sandstone has carved scribbles, which may be the earliest example of words recorded in writing in Scandinavia, the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo said.
It said it was “among the oldest runic inscriptions ever found” and “the oldest datable runestone in the world”.
“This find will give us a lot of knowledge about the use of runes in the early iron age. This may be one of the first attempts to use runes in Norway and Scandinavia on stone,” said Kristel Zilmer, a professor at the University of Oslo, of which the museum is part.
Older runes have been found on other items, but not on stone. The earliest runic find is on a bone comb found in Denmark. Zilmer said that maybe the tip of a knife or a needle was used to carve the runes.
The runestone was discovered in late 2021 during an excavation of a grave near Tyrifjord, west of Oslo, in a region known for several monumental archaeological finds. Items in the cremation pit – burned bones and charcoal – indicate that the runes were likely inscribed between AD1 and AD250.
“We needed time to analyse and date the runestone,” she said to explain why the finding was first announced on Tuesday.
Measuring 31cm by 32cm (12.2in by 12.6in), the stone has several types of inscriptions and not all make linguistic sense. Eight runes on the front of the stone read “idiberug” – which could be the name of a woman, a man or a family.
Zilmer called the discovery “the most sensational thing that I, as an academic, have had”.
There is still a lot of research to be done on the rock, dubbed the Svingerud stone after the site where it was found.
“Without doubt, we will obtain valuable knowledge about the early history of runic writing,” Zilmer said.
The runestone will be exhibited for a month, starting on 21 January, at the Museum of Cultural History, which has Norway’s largest collection of historical artifacts, from the stone age to modern times.
Runes are the characters in several Germanic alphabets that were used in northern Europe from ancient times until the adoption of the Latin alphabet. They have been found on stones and different household objects.
City Under a City: Metro Reveals Thessaloniki’s Ancient Past
The metro construction in Greece’s Thessaloniki has brought ancient ruins from the city’s life back in the 4th century BC to the surface. The excavation has brought to light Thessaloniki’s central 6th-century highway, a marble plaza, a fountain and a headless statue of Aphrodite.
Thousands of ancient finds such as coins, mosaics and statues have also been uncovered.
“Thessaloniki is unique in that from its foundation in the 4th century BC until today there is city under a city,” Tania Protopsalti, an archaeologist told Greek Reporter.
The city of Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. It was conquered by the Ottomans in 1430, and passed from the Ottoman Empire to Greece on Nov. 8, 1912.
Most of the findings relate to the Byzantine era. However, Protopsalti says that, as excavations continue, new findings from the Roman era come to the surface.
“Eventually we hope to reach the remnants of the city when it was founded in the Cassander-era,” the Greek archaeologist said.
She added that some wall paintings and small sections of floor mosaics from the 4th century BC have already been uncovered.
The headless statue of Aphrodite
The excavations, filling in gaps in the city’s long history for archaeologists, have focused on the site of Hagia Sophia where a central metro station is being built.
It was there where a central 6th-century highway and marble plaza, two of the most exciting finds, were uncovered.
“The discovery of the marble plaza located south of the central highway gave us an invaluable insight into the urban planning in the 6th century,” archaeologist Stavroula Tzevreni told Greek Reporter.
The marbles have been carefully removed to be reinstated when the metro works are completed at Hagia Sophia.
The square was surrounded by impressive buildings decorated by mosaics that remain in good condition.
They were found in the south entrance of the station Hagia Sophia and are believed to be part of a nearly 315 square meter urban villa dated to the first half of the 4th century AD to the 5th century AD.
Decoration of the mosaic floors consists of geometric patterns, while one includes a central medallion, possibly depicting Aphrodite. The mosaics will be extracted, cleaned and exhibited at the same station they were excavated in.
At the southeast end of the square archaeologists found a 15-metre (nearly 50-foot) fountain structure believed to be one of the largest in the Roman world.
Alongside the stone-paved highway, the Decumanus Maximus, the remains of mud-bricked workshops were uncovered where jewellers plied their trade — as they still do today, in blocks of flats above the subway dig.
Scheduled to be operational in late 2020, the €1.5-billion ($1.7 billion) Thessaloniki metro will at first have 13 stations and run a distance of 9.6 kilometres (six miles).
A future expansion is planned to include the city airport.
3 mummified skeletons were found in Iznik, western Turkey
Archaeologists discovered mummified skeletons dating from the 2nd century A.D. within two sarcophagi at the Hisardere Necropolis in Bursa’s Iznik district.
The excavation is being conducted out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism under the direction of Aygün Ekin Meriç, an academic at Dokuz Eylül University’s Archeology Department in western Izmir province.
Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Letters, Archeology Department Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Aygün Ekin Meriç told reporters the necropolis was extensively used during the second and third centuries, and that they have found six sarcophagi in total in the region to date with the addition of the two recent findings.
Unique chamber tombs dating back to the third century were also discovered, he said, noting how spectacular the two newly discovered sarcophagi are.
“Along with the sarcophagi, there are chamber tombs, especially from the 3rd century, unique to Iznik, unmatched anywhere else, with painted interiors and decorated with ornaments.
At the same time, these two latest sarcophagi are very ostentatious.
The sarcophagi were made during the Roman Imperial Period, in the 2nd century. The two came out side by side. Very showy sarcophagi decorated with Eros reliefs on three sides,” he said.
Meriç stated that sarcophagi were unearthed in the illegal excavations carried out in the region since 1989 and that the area was expropriated in 2018 and scientific excavations began in 2019.
Meriç also added that they are excavating a holy basilica built in the cemetery area.
A view from two sarcophagi found in Hisardere Necropolis, Iznik, Bursa, northwestern Turkey.
Pointing out that they also found a small inscription on the mosaic in the basilica, Meriç said, “A woman’s name is mentioned.
The basilica was built in honor of the woman. No name, only the feminine epithet preserved. Excavation of the apse part of the basilica has not been completed.
We will more or less reveal the plan of the basilica in the next period of excavations,” used the phrases.
Meriç said that the basilica is 30 meters wide and 50 meters long, and they think that it was built in a plan similar to the basilica in Lake Iznik from the course of the walls.
Iznik Archaeology Museum reveals 2,500-year-old love letter
Iznik is an ancient habitation that hosts various civilizations due to its fertile lands, trade routes, and many other reasons.
Ancient Nicaea, now called İznik, is a farming town surrounded by massive medieval walls set on the shore of a broad lake 39 miles (63 km) southeast of Yalova. Two Christian ecumenical councils were held here, the 1st in 325, and the 7th in 787.
The seventh council took place at the Hagia Sophia Church, which is located in the heart of the city.
The historical city of Iznik, which has been the capital of four civilizations and a contender for UNESCO’s preservation list, is getting ready to open its Iznik Archaeology Museum and host special exhibitions of priceless antiquities.
The museum has attracted the attention of many local and foreign tourists with its artifacts spanning a 5,000-year-old history. In particular, an ancient message engraved on the sarcophagus of Antigonus I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, has aroused particular interest around the world.
The emotional 2,500-year-old message, translated by expert archaeologists, reveals the grief over Antigonos I’s death.
“I, the sad Arete, cry out with all body and soul from the tomb of Antigonos. I pull my hair out from grief and I express myself by crying. This ill luck, the death, has captured me instead of emancipating this precious man,” the engraving reads.
Iznik Archaeology Museum.
Unsurpassed museum
The foundation of the Iznik Archaeology Museum was laid in 2020. With the completion of the construction, the museum’s inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place shortly and surely will be one of the prominent museums of Europe with its rich data and ancient artifacts dating back to the Neolithic Age.
Speaking to Ihlas News Agency (IHA), former museum director and archaeologist Taylan Sevil said: “The new museum contains quite significant movable cultural assets.
There are artifacts of many civilizations from prehistoric times to the present. In that sense, the museum fills a huge gap here. It invites people to witness world civilization.”
The museum also has a marble board game from the Roman era, a sarcophagus of the Greek hero Achilles with spectacular engravings, and sarcophagi of Antigonos I and noble families with dazzling engravings.
Archaeological Treasure Trove! 21 Royal Han Tombs Unearthed in China
Photo from the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences via Xinhua
Along a mountainside in China, a collection of tombs with a potentially regal past lay buried for millennia—but not anymore.
Archaeologists excavating an archaeological site in Changsha unearthed 21 vertical pit tombs containing over 200 artifacts, the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in a Tuesday, Jan. 10 news release via Xinhua, China’s state-affiliated news outlet.
Many of the tombs were found side-by-side, aerial photos of the site show. On one end of the site, three tombs are in a row. On the other end, four tombs are lined up together. Pairs of tombs may have been the joint burial of a husband and wife, the release said.
A tomb filled with grave goods unearthed at the Changsha site.
All of the tombs are about the same age, dating back 2,000 years to the Western Han Dynasty, the release said.
The Western Han Dynasty was the earlier half of the Han dynasty and lasted from about 200 B.C. to 25 A.D., according to Britannica.
Because of the particular arrangement and similar age of the burials, archaeologists concluded the collection of tombs is likely a family buried together in an ancient mausoleum.
The tombs were found on a mountainside near a royal tomb, the Taohualing Han Tomb, and a burial area.
Considering this proximity, the 21 tombs may be the royal family, archaeologists said.
The ruins of a double layer tomb.
One of the rare tombs unearthed in Changsha had relatively complete traces of an outer coffin shaped like “Ⅱ” or like double ‘I’s, the release said.
A line of five decaying pillars was also found in the tomb, photos show. These ruins indicate the tomb might be a double layer structure, a tomb structure rarely found in the Hunan province.
The collection of tombs can be grouped into two types: tombs with passageways and tombs without, archaeologists said. The tombs mainly contained pottery artifacts, researchers said.
However, also unearthed were: two iron relics, walls covered in glaze, a mineral known as talc, and a tan-colored talc disk with a rhombus and circle pattern. Photos show the talc disk.
The talc disk, or bi, found in one of the tombs.
In addition, archaeologists found coins, pottery stoves, pots, and utensils at the site, according to a news release from the Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Other sections of the Changsha archaeological site have not yet been excavated but may contain more findings, Hunan officials said. Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province and about 665 miles southwest of Shanghai.
Mystery Of The Unbreached Burial Chamber Inside A Little-Known Pyramid In The Dashur Complex
The enduring mysteries of ancient Egypt keep fascinating archaeologists, historians, and the public alike. The Land of the Pharaohs refuses to give up its secrets, and despite countless magnificent archaeological finds, we tend to encounter riddles all over Egypt.
Buried beneath the sands lie the tremendous treasure of one of the most powerful ancient civilizations of all time, the ancient Egyptians.
Dashur pyramid.
Sometimes archaeologists arrive too late at the site, leaving us with ancient mysteries that may never be solved. That is the beauty but tragedy of ancient Egyptian history. Magnificent ancient tombs have long been looted, and we may never know to whom the burial places belonged.
Located about 15 miles south of Cario, the Dashur complex is famous for its incredible structures constructed during the era of the Old Kingdom. Dashur complex consists of pyramids, mortuary temples, and other unexplored buildings.
Archaeologists have long argued that sites such as Dashur, Giza, Lisht, Meidum, and Saqqara are as significant as archaeological findings.
The site where the previously unknown pyramid was discovered.
It “would confirm or adjust the entire time frame of the extraordinary developmental phase of Egyptian civilization that saw the biggest pyramids built, the nomes (administrative districts) organized, and the hinterlands internally colonized – that is, the first consolidation of the Egyptian nation-state. ”
In addition to this information, the results of such excavation projects would naturally fill in the historical gaps and provide a more comprehensive picture of the lives and deaths of pharaohs and ordinary people in ancient Egypt.
Many ancient Egyptian pyramids have been destroyed, but still, several are hidden beneath the sands awaiting scientific exploration. One such intriguing ancient structure is the newly-discovered pyramid in Dashur, Dahshur, a previously inaccessible site relatively unknown to the public.
Dashur is an ancient cemetery known mainly for several pyramids, two of which are among the oldest, largest, and best-preserved in Egypt, built from 2613–2589 BC. Two of the Dahshur Pyramids, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, were constructed during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu (2613-2589 BC).
The Bent Pyramid was the first attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid, but it was not a successful achievement, and Sneferu decided to build another called the Red Pyramid.
Inside the little-known Dashur pyramid.
Several other pyramids of the 13th Dynasty were built at Dahshur, but many are covered by sand, almost impossible to detect.
In 2017, Dr. Chris Naunton, President of the International Association of Egyptologists, traveled to Dashur together with the crew of the Smithsonian Channel and documented the exciting findings of one particular pyramid.
What the team discovered is a bit like an ancient detective story. Local archaeologists had found heavy blocks of finely cut limestone buried deep in the sand. Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquity was informed about the discovery, and archaeologists were sent to the site to excavate.
The burial chamber was sealed but some had been inside and looted.
Having worked long and hard, archaeologists finally uncovered a previously unknown pyramid. Still, the most exciting part was the discovery of a secret passage that led from the pyramid’s entrance to an underground complex at the very heart of the pyramid. The heavy and huge limestone blocks protected the chamber, ensuring no one could pass easily and explore whatever was hidden inside the mysterious ancient pyramid.
The obstacles did not discourage archeologists, who successfully managed to enter the pyramid’s interior after some days of work. Everything seemed to indicate the unknown pyramid at Dashur contained ancient treasures and most likely a mummy.
When scientists found themselves inside the burial chamber, they were astounded to see someone had visited this ancient place long before them. The Dashur pyramid had been robbed about 4,000 years ago. Looting pyramids in the past was quite common, and the Dashur pyramid was one of many robbery victims.
One can understand Dr. Naunton’s disappointment when he glanced into the empty burial chamber, but this discovery is intriguing and raises specific questions.
“There are two questions here that we need to start trying to answer. One is who was buried here? Who was this pyramid built for? And then secondly, how is it that an apparently completely sealed, unbreached burial chamber comes to have been disturbed?” Dr. Nauton says.
Was a mummy stolen from the Dashur pyramid? Maybe or maybe not. How did looters get past the untouched seal? Did the original ancient builders plunder the burial chamber before they sealed it? These are some of the many questions this ancient Egyptian mystery pose.
Moses DID part Red Sea – shock ‘proof’ revealed by scientists
According to the stories of Exodus, Leviticus, Number, and Deuteronomy in the Bible, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt after God cursed the country with the ten plagues. Moses’ biblical exodus saw him save the Israelites and lead them to Mount Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments.
But proof of the exodus and Moses’ miracle has never been proved despite theologists and archaeologists desperately searching for proof of the Red Sea parting – until now.
Professors at the University of Arizona claim they have found the exact location of the Exodus using revolutionary technology.
Using hi-resolution, radiocarbon dating – a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material, by using the properties of radiocarbon – the team claims it can pinpoint where the miracle took place.
The scientists believe the Thera volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini – which archaeologists believe happened in the 16th Century BC – actually took place around a century earlier.
The new findings were backed up after experts performed carbon testing on an olive branch which was found beneath a lava flow, Breaking News Israel reports.
Scientists believe they can pinpoint where and when Moses parted the Red Sea in the story of Exodus
There is no definitive proof that Exodus took place
The evidence suggests the eruption coincided with the date theologists believe Exodus took place.
It would confirm Egyptologist Hans Goedicke’s theory that a number of events that occurred during the Egypt Exodus could be explained by the Mount Thera eruption.
Scientists claim a tsunami from the Mount Thera eruption may have caused the Red Sea to “part”
Mr Goedicke’s theory suggested the parting of the Red Sea – and its crashing down on the Egyptian army – could actually have been a tsunami caused by the Thera eruption.
But Dr Charlotte Pearson, was reluctant to say if the University’s findings could confirm the Exodus’ exact date.
Speaking to the Times of Israel, Dr Pearson said: “All I can say is that continued work to improve chronological frameworks is essential for the study of past civilisations.
“No definitive calibrated radiocarbon range or the Thera eruption is currently possible, but the altered position of the 14C plateau indicates that improved calibration has much to offer chronological synchronisation of human and environmental timelines in this period.”
A new study reveals that “Bog Bodies” were part of a Millennia-old tradition
Archaeologists have studied hundreds of ancient “Bog Bodies” discovered in Europe’s wetlands, revealing that they were part of a millennia-old tradition.
Besides new analysis shows the majority of these individuals met a ‘gruesome’ end before being intentionally discarded into the wet, spongy bogland.
Bog contains very little oxygen. This means that organic materials like wood, leather, textiles, and even, in some cases, human flesh do not rot.
The Koelbjerg Man from Denmark, who has been dated to 8000 BC during the Mesolithic period, is the oldest known bog body. People were buried in bogs as early as the prehistoric period.
Many bog bodies are renowned for being remarkably well-preserved, including Yde Girl from the Netherlands, Tollund Man from Denmark, and Lindow Man from the United Kingdom.
In this study, the researchers examined the marsh skeleton and partial remains of bone, skin, soft tissue, and hair. Bog bodies, because of their high level of preservation, allow researchers to reconstruct aspects of an individual’s life in the distant past, such as their last meal from traces preserved in the stomach, or even the cause of death.
People were buried in bogs across Europe from the prehistoric period until early modern times, according to the researchers. Antiquity
Archaeologists believe that many bog bodies were killed and dumped in the bogs as part of a widespread cultural tradition of human sacrifice, primarily during the Iron Age, because they share a number of characteristics, such as violent deaths and a lack of clothing.
Dr Roy van Beek, from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, said: ‘Literally thousands of people have met their end in bogs, only to be found again ages later during peat cutting.
‘The well-preserved examples only tell a small part of this far larger story.’
Examining all types of bog bodies reveals that they are part of a millennia-long, deep-rooted tradition, the researchers said.
The research revealed that the bog body practice is part of a millennia-old, deeply rooted tradition. The phenomenon begins in southern Scandinavia around 5000 BC during the Neolithic period and gradually spreads across Northern Europe.
The most recent discoveries, from Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Germany, show that the tradition persisted into the Middle Ages and early modern times.
Bog mummy of a young woman, found in 1936 in a bog in Estonia. The woman died in the late 17th or early 18th century and is one of the few known finds from eastern Europe.
The majority of those whose causes of death could be determined appear to have met a horrifying end and were probably left in bogs on purpose. This violence is frequently perceived as victims of violence, criminals who have been executed, or ritual sacrifices. However, in the last few centuries, written sources indicate there were a significant number of accidental deaths in bogs, as well as suicides.
Writing in the journal Antiquity, Doctor van Beek said: ‘Setting aside accidental deaths, the significant evidence for violent deaths and a large number of repeatedly used sites make it safe to assume that most finds of human remains…reflect intentional depositions.’
The study also discovered that bog body hotspots can be identified in wetlands where the remains of multiple people have been discovered. In some cases, these discoveries are the result of a single act, such as the mass burial of battle dead.
Other bogs were used on multiple occasions, and the human remains were accompanied by a variety of other objects interpreted as ritual offerings, ranging from animal bones to bronze weapons or ornaments.
“All in all, the fascinating new picture that emerges is one of an age-old, diverse and complex phenomenon, that tells multiple stories about major human themes like violence, religion and tragic losses,” said Doctor van Beek.
This study published in the journal Antiquity by an international team of Dutch, Swedish, and Estonian researchers examined over 1000 remains from 266 sites across Europe.
