EUROPE, GERMANY, WORLD

The Largest Medieval Coins Treasure found in Recent Decades discovered in Germany

The Largest Medieval Coins Treasure found in Recent Decades discovered in Germany

The Largest Medieval Coins Treasure found in Recent Decades discovered in Germany

Archaeologists have unearthed one of the largest medieval coin hoards, consisting of approximately 1,600 coins, in recent years in the village of Glottertal in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald region of Germany.

This remarkable discovery provides a unique window into the economic activities of Europe in the fourteenth century and illuminates the minting industry, silver trade, and wider circulation of money in Breisgau.

According to a press statement issued by the State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council, the hoard was unearthed during construction works while excavating a trench.

The treasure was discovered by Claus Völker, a local citizen who was assisting with the laying of a pipeline near the village swimming pool in early May 2024, records a press release.

Most of the coins were minted around 1320. Type Breisach coins. Photo: State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council

Völker caught sight of what he initially described as “small metal plates” within the excavation. He reported the discovery to the Stuttgart Regional Council’s State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) as soon as he realized the objects’ possible significance. The same day, Völker and LAD archaeologists visited the site the same day to recover the coins and discovered a whopping 1000 coins.

At the same time, three detectors certified by the LAD were assigned to search for the loot. The interior of the trench became a knee-deep quagmire due to bad weather, but the determined researchers managed to find an additional 600 coins in the small window that was open to them.

Initial examination and cleaning of the coins indicated where they came from.

The bulk of the coins, according to LAD archaeologist Andreas Haasis-Berner, were struck circa 1320 and originated from a number of well-known mints, including Breisach, Zofingen, and Freiburg. There were also coins from Colmar, Laufenburg, Zurich, Basel, and St. Gallen.

The coins came from a wide variety of sources in the region. Type Zofingen coins. Photo: State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council

Commenting on the significance of the find, Haasis-Berner explained: ‘Analysing this coin hoard will provide information about the circulation of coins in Breisgau, the minting activity in the mints, the silver trade and also mining in the Glottertal valley.’ When asked whether the treasure was very valuable at the time, the archaeologist said: ‘You could have bought around 150 sheep with the coins.’

This wide variety of coins bears witness to the wide-ranging commerce networks and currency exchange that existed in the area in the early 14th century.

Because of the wealth and power of the cities that produced them, every coin tells a tale about the political and economic environments of medieval Europe.

Officials described the artifacts as one of the largest coin treasures found in recent decades. Of course, this description is a small number compared to the more than 100,000,000 coins in Japan on 4 November 2023, some of which are more than 2000 thousand years old.

ASIA, INDIA, WORLD

2,600-year-old Terracotta Pipeline found in India

2,600-year-old Terracotta Pipeline found in India

2,600-year-old Terracotta Pipeline found in India

During the 10th phase of archaeological excavations at the Keeladi archaeological site in Tamil Nadu, India, archaeologists uncovered a terracotta pipeline that shows the existence of an ancient water management practice practiced by humans 2,600 years ago.

Ancient city Keeladi in southern India serves as a reminder that our ancestors had some pretty clever tricks up their sleeves, just when you thought modern plumbing was the pinnacle of human achievement.

In the latest news from this archaeological goldmine,  excavations have revealed a 6th-century B.C.E. terracotta pipeline. Previously, the archaeologists found an open drain, a closed channel, and small tanks in Keeladi.

Located approximately seven miles southeast of Madurai, the Keeladi archaeological site has been a hidden gem since Archaeological Survey of India researcher K. Amarnath Ramakrishna discovered it in 2014.

More than 20,000 antiquities and artifacts have been discovered in the last ten years; each one whispers a story of a sophisticated society that once flourished along the banks of the Vaigai River.

A ring-well previously found at the dig site.

Excavations revealed a closed channel, an open drain, and several small tanks, all of which indicated a very well-planned water management system.

The most remarkable discovery, however, is a cylindrical terracotta pipeline. It appears from this ancient engineering marvel that the Keeladi people were doing more than just collecting water in clay pots from the river.

The recently discovered pipeline, according to representatives of the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, is made up of six cylindrical structures that are about 14 inches (36 cm) long and 7 inches (18 cm) wide. These cylinders are carefully assembled to form a single, continuous pipeline that is 174 centimeters long.

“This has been fully unearthed now. This pipeline continues to the adjacent trench. This could have been used for carrying protected water,” a representative from the department said.

Other sophisticated water management has previously been found at the site.

Analyses of various artifacts from the site have demonstrated that as early as the 7th century B.C.E., Tamil society was operating a prosperous, industrial settlement. This shifts the timeline of the Sangam era and the origins of the Tamil script considerably further back.

Also, artifacts unearthed from Keeladi suggest that the Tamils were aware of iron technology as far back as 2172 B.C.E., a staggering 4,200 years ago.

EUROPE, TURKEY, WORLD

Floor Mosaic of the Early Byzantine Period Unearthed in St Constantine and Helena Monastery Church in Ordu

Floor Mosaic of the Early Byzantine Period Unearthed in St Constantine and Helena Monastery Church in Ordu

Floor Mosaic of the Early Byzantine Period Unearthed in St Constantine and Helena Monastery Church in Ordu

Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported that an in-situ floor mosaic was found at the St Constantine and Helena Monastery Church in Ordu.

During the excavations in the region known for its ancient Roman tombs in the north of Ordu, archaeologists found the St Constantine and Helena Monastery Church in 2021.

In the Fatsa district of Ordu, it was determined that the monastery church uncovered in the area where 8 Roman-era tombs were found. The church from the Byzantine period was dedicated to Saint Constantine and Saint Helena.

The church and the tombs are an important part of the Ancient Polemonion City.

During the Pontus Kingdom era, Fatsa was originally named Polemonium, after King Polemon I, a Roman client king chosen by Mark Antony. In AD 62, the kingdom was turned into a Roman province under Nero.

The artifact found during the excavations carried out under the scientific responsibility of Associate Professor Seçkin Evcim and the Directorate of Ordu Museum is the first in-situ floor mosaic unearthed in Ordu province.

Photo: Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism

The in-situ floor mosaic unearthed in the Church of the Monastery of Saints Constantine and Helena can be dated between the 5th and 6th centuries in terms of style and form.

When the in-situ floor mosaic is analyzed in terms of style and form, it is known that geometric and floral motifs were widely used in the Early Byzantine period.

It is seen that the rhombus, which is mostly encountered in the borders, forms a panel here. It is possible to see similar panels formed with rhombus and labrys around it in Anatolia. It is known that the curved acanthus design was also used in the Early Byzantine period.

It is also seen that the curved acanthus, which is generally preferred for borders, is embroidered with fruit motifs and animal figures reflecting nature.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced on his social media account that an in-situ floor mosaic was found in the Monastery of Saints Constantine and Helena in Ordu.

Stating that the work found during the excavations carried out under the direction of the Ordu Museum Directorate is the first in-situ floor mosaic unearthed in Ordu province, Ersoy said, “I would like to wholeheartedly thank the Excavations Research Department and our excavation team who worked on the project.” he said.

EUROPE, POLAND, WORLD

16th-Century Compass Possibly Belonging to Nicolaus Copernicus Unearthed in Poland’s Frombork

16th-Century Compass Possibly Belonging to Nicolaus Copernicus Unearthed in Poland’s Frombork

16th-Century Compass Possibly Belonging to Nicolaus Copernicus Unearthed in Poland’s Frombork

Researchers have discovered a 16th-century compass that is thought to have been used by astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus in the canonical gardens of Frombork, northern Poland, during a recent archaeological dig.

Copernicus is famously known for his heliocentric theory, which posited that the Sun is the center of the solar system and the planets orbit around it, as presented in his work De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium.

Copernicus, who served as a canon at the Frombork cathedral, lived in the town for nearly 30 years, conducting his clerical duties and astronomical observations.

Nicolaus Copernicus famously wrote himself into history by looking up at the sky and speculating that the Sun, not the Earth, was at the center of the universe.

Now, researchers from Warminska Grupa Eksploracyjna, an amateur archaeological exploration group in Poland, have made a discovery about Copernicus himself by looking at the ground.

The compass was found in the gardens where Copernicus did much of his astronomical work.

The compass, which was made of a copper alloy, was discovered buried under the gardens of the northern Polish cathedral known as the Archcathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Andrew, or Frombork Cathedral.

The Warminska Grupa Eksploracyjna posted a description of their amazing discovery along with the steps that led to it on social media. Using a method that has proven invaluable in archaeological digs for its ability to reveal hidden structures without disturbing the earth, ground-penetrating radar was used to investigate beneath the cathedral’s grounds.

The compass was discovered in a trial pit that also revealed a corner of a now-nonexistent canonry and the entrance to its partially collapsed cellars.

“In the garden where Nicolaus Copernicus made his astronomical observations, we found a compass dating back to the beginning of the 16th century,” stated Misja Skarb, a member of the Warminska Grupa Eksploracyjna, wrote on Facebook.

“This incredible discovery not only takes us back in time to the period when Copernicus was making his groundbreaking discoveries, but also opens up new possibilities to understand his methods of working.”

Even though there isn’t enough proof to say that Copernicus used the compass himself, the circumstances surrounding its discovery point to a close relationship.

The compass is the third of its kind to be found in Poland, and the second to be found in Frombork’s gardens. According to an employee from the Nicolaus Copernicus Museum in Frombork, Zorjana Polenik, the compass “could have belonged to Nicolaus Copernicus himself.”

The museum hopes that conservation services will eventually add this artifact to its collection.

ASIA, MONGOLIA, WORLD

A 1,000-year-old burial chariot dating back to the Liao Dynasty, founded by the nomadic Khitan discovered in Inner Mongolia

A 1,000-year-old burial chariot dating back to the Liao Dynasty, founded by the nomadic Khitan discovered in Inner Mongolia

A 1,000-year-old burial chariot dating back to the Liao Dynasty, founded by the nomadic Khitan discovered in Inner Mongolia

Archaeologists from the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have discovered a hearse from the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) founded by the nomadic Khitan in Kailu County, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia.

The Khitan, or Qidan as they are known in Chinese, were a nomadic people originating in eastern Inner Mongolia.

They first appear in records of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534 CE), where they are described as descending from the Xianbei peoples.

This discovery offers a glimpse into the burial customs of the Khitan nobility.

The archaeological find, including a tomb and an accompanying burial chariot pit, was made by the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region team conducting excavations in a village of Kailu county.

Despite the decay of the wooden shaft of the chariot, several iron components and gilded fittings have been preserved.

“The chariot measures 7 meters in length and 2 meters in width, which is quite rare in scale. This is the first discovery of this kind of Liao tomb excavation in Kailu.

The site has not been disturbed by grave robbers, and all the information has been essentially preserved,” said Ma Hai, director of the Kailu County Museum.

As a ceremonial burial object, the chariot is representative of the funerary customs followed by the Khitan nobility in the Liao Dynasty.

Gilded copper altar.

“We found a wooden shaft, carriage, and, most importantly, gilded bronze bells and tassels within the pit, suggesting the burial was for a noble,” said Qi Rongqing, a faculty member at the Inner Mongolia Normal University.

More than thirty artifacts have been recovered from the burial chariot pit, including gilded bronze bells, copper tassels, iron parts, and silver ornaments.

These tombs were discovered during a survey carried out in Kailu in April 2023 by the Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

“Tomb No. 1, based on its scale, is a medium-sized tomb,” said Qi. “The use of large stones for the tomb roof, extensive mural paintings, and the inclusion of rare materials like gold, silver, agate, turquoise, and obsidian among the burial items, indicate the tomb’s owner held a significant social status.”

Qi said that burial practices among the Khitan people are generally less complex when compared to those in the Central Plains, indicating unique ethnic traits.

The Khitan absorbed some aspects of Central Plains culture after the Liao Dynasty was established. One example of this is the use of clay bricks, especially grooved bricks, in construction, which shows how the region’s cultures were integrated and adapted.

EUROPE, SCOTLAND, WORLD

3,000-year-old Bronze Age Hoard Discovered During House Building Project in Scotland

3,000-year-old Bronze Age Hoard Discovered During House Building Project in Scotland

Recent laboratory investigations of the Rosemarkie find, unearthed during the Black Isle housing development at Greenside in Rosemarkie, Highland Scotland, have revealed rare organic plant remains intertwined with nine bronze bracelets and necklaces buried around 1000 BC.

This remarkable find provides invaluable insights into the lives, beliefs, and practices of Bronze Age highlanders.

The hoard is particularly noteworthy because it was found in the middle of a Bronze Age village that included at least six roundhouses and a Bronze Age cist grave, rather than being an isolated find with little context to explain it.

Altogether GUARD Archaeology’s analysis will add to what they have gleaned from another Bronze Age hoard they excavated in Carnoustie on the east coast of Scotland, also found within a Bronze Age village, which may altogether reveal aspects of Bronze Age culture apparent across Scotland.

X ray image of hoard taken prior to excavation in GUARD Archaeology’s Finds Lab.

The laboratory excavation revealed a complete neck ring, a partial neck ring, six penannular (incomplete ring) bracelets, and one cup-ended penannular bracelet. These artifacts were intertwined with fibrous cords that had survived the 3000-year interment, showcasing the intricate craftsmanship of the time.

As per the GUARD Archaeology report, preserving these organic materials holds great significance since they offer a unique glimpse into the techniques employed to join these artifacts.

“The recovery of the artifacts was successfully carried out under the controlled conditions necessary to preserve these highly significant objects, particularly the very delicate organic cords that tether some of the objects together,” said Rachel Buckley, who led the laboratory excavation.

Detail photograph showing organic plant binding intertwined with the artifacts.

“Where bracelets were held together with organic material, these were recovered as a group to allow further detailed study. While there are other examples of hoards where it has been postulated that items were bound together due to their positioning, the vegetation in the Rosemarkie hoard has survived for approximately 3000 years, proving that these artifacts were held together.”

The anti-microbial properties of copper in the bronze likely contributed to the preservation of these materials, as the corrosion products from the copper adhered to the organics, protecting them from decay.

In order to determine why the hoard was buried here, GUARD Archaeology will investigate the numerous lines of evidence in more detail over the coming months.

Because the shallow pit was filled once and only holds the hoard, the archaeologists surmise that the burial was intentional and may have been meant as temporary storage. Evidence from the nearby settlement may help determine whether the hoard and the settlement were abandoned at the same time.

Detail photograph of organic material within cup-ended penannular bracelet cup end.

Educational initiatives have also been made possible by the archaeological work, which Pat Munro (Alness) Ltd funded as part of Highland Council’s planning consent conditions. Senior Manager of Pat Munro Homes, Hamish Little, expressed excitement about educating students at Fortrose Academy about the historical significance of the hoard.

A permanent feature that tells the story of this discovery, encourages community involvement, and informs visitors about Rosemarkie’s Bronze Age past is being planned.

CZECH REPUBLIC, EUROPE, WORLD

Archaeologists discovered 7,000-years-old Neolithic Settlement in the Czech Republic

Archaeologists discovered 7,000-years-old Neolithic Settlement in the Czech Republic

Archaeologists discovered 7,000-years-old Neolithic Settlement in the Czech Republic

Archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic settlement of about 7,000 years old near Kutná Hora, east of Prague in the Czech Republic.

It is unique in that no other settlements were built on its site in the following millennia, and it has been exceptionally well-preserved, including the floor plans of four long houses.

The life of the first Neolithic inhabitants was not simple and was closely linked to nature. They provided food by growing, raising livestock, but also by gathering or hunting.

Although working in the fields without a plough and using only wooden tools seems almost unimaginable from today’s perspective, these communities were successful – within a few centuries, they spread across most of Europe, superseding the original hunters and gatherers.

Prehistoric people settled in Dobren near Kutná Hora at the very edge of the area with sufficiently fertile soil and suitable climate for prehistoric agriculture.

Daniel Pilař, from the Institute of Archeology of the Czech Republic Academy of  Sciences, who researched the site, made a statement to Radio Prague: “This site was discovered early this spring as part of rescue excavations. We usually supervised construction work in our district and one day, in the middle of construction, we were surprised to find relics of a settlement that is not typical for this region. “When we saw the house plans, we immediately knew we were dealing with a Neolithic settlement,” he said.

The hitherto unknown settlement from the Early Stone Age was built more than 7,000 years ago by communities of the oldest farmers who came to the Czech territory from South-Eastern Europe.

Archaeologists found floor plans of four long houses – typical buildings of their time. Although the houses as such have not survived to this day, it is possible to find pits after their columns during research.

“The houses used to be between 4 and 6 m wide and between 10 and 40 m long. The houses themselves are not preserved because they were built from wood.

The columns are built most densely in the outer rows that formed the walls of the house. In them, the columns sometimes stood right next to each other. However, their inner rows have larger distances between them – usually more than a meter – so it was possible to move between them without any problems,” explains Daniel Pilař.

In addition to the houses, the researchers found many pits. These pits were used for the extraction of clay that was used for the construction of houses.

Experts found mostly pottery in the pits – it was used every day for cooking, serving, and even storage. Moreover, they were consumer goods, and when they broke, people easily replaced them with new ones. Occasionally, used tools – flint blades, sharpened axes and stone grinders – also ended up in the pits.

“This waste is very important for us because it offers a perfect insight into the everyday life of the Neolithic people,” said Pilař.

In the coming months and years, experts will be working on processing the data they have collected in the field, for example, by means of radiocarbon and luminescence dating, phytolith analysis, analysis of prehistoric trees, as well as tool marks and plant genetics research. This will involve a broad team of experts from different disciplines.

ASIA, TURKEY, WORLD

A Newly Found 12,000-year-old Burial in Türkiye May Belong to a Female ‘Shaman’

A Newly Found 12,000-year-old Burial in Türkiye May Belong to a Female ‘Shaman’

A recently published study suggests that a woman buried in the upper reaches of the Tigris River in south-eastern Türkiye around 12,000 years ago may have been a shaman believed to have had a spiritual connection with wild animals.

According to researchers, the burial may represent one of the earliest known examples of its kind in an Anatolian Neolithic context.

A new archaeological discovery at Çemka Höyük (meaning the “mound by the water”) in the Dargeçit district of Mardin province has revealed that a woman dating back to 12,000 years ago with unusual grave finds offers important clues about the spiritual and shamanic rituals of the period. These findings suggest that the woman may have been a shaman.

In the grave of the woman, who died at the age of about 25-30, the skull of an aurochs, partridge wings, marten legs, and the remains of sheep or goats were found.

The woman was buried under the grave pit and the grave was sealed with a large limestone block. This is noteworthy as a practice contrary to the burial traditions of the period.

The woman, who died from natural causes was buried under the floor of a mudbrick building at Çemka Höyük, while another 14 people were buried under other nearby buildings.

The burials took place during what archaeologists call the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period, a transitional phase of human society between 10,000 and 8,800 BC, just before the development of agriculture. It was common during the PPNA to bury the dead under the floor of a house, but it was unusual to cover it with a limestone block.

Aerial view of Çemka Höyük Sector 1 and chronological development of the settlement.

People at this time were still hunter-gatherers, like their Mesolithic ancestors, and pottery hadn’t yet been invented. However, it appears that they had already established settlements,  at least for parts of the year, in locations such as  Göbekli Tepe, an archaeological site in Turkey 150 miles west of Çemka Höyük, and Jericho in the Palestinian Territories.

The situation after the excavation of the tomb surprised the archaeologists even more: the skull of an aurochs (a primitive ox) was placed above the woman’s body, with its jaw separated and resting at her feet. Other animal bones appeared to be dispersed throughout the burial pit, including the remains of a sheep or goat, a partridge’s wing, and a marten’s leg.

The animals must have been wild because the woman was buried before farm animals were domesticated, according to lead study author and archaeologist Ergül Kodaş of Turkey’s Mardin Artuklu University. 

He points out that the fact that there are so many aurochs bones suggests the significance of wild cattle, which were already a major source of food even though they wouldn’t be domesticated for thousands of years.

This tomb provides important information about the ritual and social life of hunter-gatherer societies before the development of agriculture.

British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon has emphasized the complexity and sophisticated ritual practices of this period. This discovery at Çemka Höyük helps us better understand this complexity and spiritual beliefs.

A Newly Found 12,000-year-old Burial in Türkiye May Belong to a Female ‘Shaman’
The burial of the ‘shaman’ included a woman curled up on her right side and accompanied by a variety of animal bones.

Archaeologist Bill Finlayson of Oxford University notes that the term ‘shaman’ was coined in the 18th century to describe indigenous practices in Siberia, so their role in the Neolithic period may not be fully determined. However, when the female grave at Çemka Höyük is compared to similar shamanic burials, it is thought to be a spiritual leader.

Archaeologist Steve Mithen of the University of Reading says that social and environmental changes during the PPNA period may have increased the importance of people who could communicate with unseen forces. In this context, the discoveries at Çemka Höyük provide new insights into the development of ritual beliefs in early societies.

The 12,000-year-old female grave found at Çemka Höyük makes an important contribution to our understanding of shamanic practices and ritual beliefs in the Neolithic period.

This peculiar burial suggests that women were heavily involved in the ritual belief that archaeologists now believe played a significant role in the development of early societies. Archaeological findings allow for a deeper understanding of the spiritual and social structures of early societies.

The study was published in the journal L’Anthropologie.

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