EUROPE, POLAND, WORLD

Archaeologists unearth remains of 17th-century female “vampire” in Poland

Archaeologists unearth remains of 17th-century female “vampire” in Poland

Vampire folklore across cultures is filled with various tips on how to keep a recently deceased person from rising from the grave as an undead fiend who preys on the living.

Archaeologists unearth remains of 17th-century female “vampire” in Poland
Archaeologists discovered what may be the skeleton of a 17th-century female “vampire” near Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Now archaeologists have uncovered an unusual example of people using these tips in a 17th-century Polish cemetery near Bydgoszcz: a female skeleton buried with a sickle placed across her neck, as well as a padlock on the big toe of her left foot.

Tales of vampire-like creatures date back at least 4,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. For instance, the Assyrians feared a demon goddess called Lamastu (literally, “she who erases”), who they said killed babies in their cribs or while still in the womb. Other ancient texts mention a similar creature, Lilith—who also appears in Hebrew texts and folklore—who steals away infants and unborn children. Neither of these could be considered “vampires” in the modern sense, but they are the precursors to the Greek legend of Lamia, an immortal monster who sucked the blood from young children.

In Chinese folklore, another type of proto-vampire, called the k’uei, were reanimated corpses that rose from the grave and preyed on the living, as were the Russian upir, Indian vetala, Romanian strigoi, and Greek vrykolakas.

News reports specifically referencing vampires didn’t appear in English until 1732, as suspected “epidemics” of vampirism caused a mass hysteria that swept across Eastern Europe.

 By the 19th century, most of Europe was consumed by vampire hysteria, inspiring writers like John Polidori (“The Vampyre,” 1819), Sheridan LeFanu (Carmilla, 1872), and of course, Bram Stoker, whose Dracula (1897) pretty much spawned the modern vampire genre.

Archaeologists excavating a 17th-century cemetery near Bydgoszcz in Poland.

Naturally, the fear evoked by the presumed existence of such creatures inspired many different approaches to ensuring that the dead stayed dead. In the early Middle Ages, Russian villagers would exhume suspect corpses and destroy the body by cremation, decapitation, or by driving a wooden stake through the heart. Stakes were often secured above corpses upon burial, so the creature would impale itself if it tried to escape.

In Germany and the western Slavic regions, suspected vampires were decapitated, and the head was buried between the feet or away from the body. Other strategies included burying corpses upside down, severing the tendons at the knees, or—in the case of Greek vrykolakas—placing crosses and inscribed pottery fragments on the chest of the deceased.

In places where vampires were believed to suffer from arithmomania, poppy seeds or millet seeds would be scattered at the site of a suspected vampire. (The X-Files episode “Bad Blood” humorously used this bit of folklore with Mulder’s favorite snack, sunflower seeds.)

The first early medieval graves in the region near Bydgoszcz were discovered between 2005 and 2009, when archaeologists recovered jewelry, semi-precious stones, a bronze bowl, and fragments of silk clothing.

Dariusz Poliński of the Nicholas Copernicus University led the archaeological team that returned to the site earlier this year in hopes of discovering more artifacts. That didn’t happen, so they turned their attention to a nearby 17th-century cemetery in the village of Pień instead.

The burial is unusual because a sickle was placed across the neck—presumably to decapitate the corpse if the woman tried to “rise” as a vampire.

That’s when the researchers identified the grave containing the female skeleton. Other examples of anti-vampire burials have been found in Poland, according to Poliński.

Several skeletons with severed heads were found in 2008, for example, and a body with a brick forced into the mouth and holes drilled through the legs was also found. “Ways to protect against the return of the dead include cutting off the head or legs, placing the deceased face down to bite into the ground, burning them, and smashing them with a stone,” said Poliński.

Nonetheless, this latest find is unique. While there have been reports of people placing scythes or sickles near a grave as an offering to prevent demons from entering the body, the placement of this sickle was different. “It was not laid flat but placed on the neck in such a way that if the deceased had tried to get up, most likely the head would have been cut off or injured,” said Poliński. As for the padlock on the big toe, “This symbolizes the closing of a stage and the impossibility of returning.”

Another unusual feature is that the skeleton appears to be that of a woman of high social status, given the care with which she was buried. There were also remnants of a silk cap on her head, which would not have been affordable for a member of a lower class. As for why she would have been buried in such a way, Poliński said that she had very noticeable protruding front teeth. This may have made her appearance different enough that she was deemed a witch or vampire by superstitious locals.

ENGLAND, EUROPE, WORLD

Neolithic culinary traditions of ancient Brits uncovered

Neolithic culinary traditions of ancient Brits uncovered

A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, has uncovered intriguing new insights into the diet of people living in Neolithic Britain and found evidence that cereals, including wheat, were cooked in pots.

Pottery Yields Molecular Traces of Neolithic Meals
One of the first pots to be discovered, an Unstan Bowl from Loch Arnish. Previously published in: Garrow, D., & Sturt, F. (2019). Neolithic crannogs: Rethinking settlement, monumentality and deposition in the Outer Hebrides and beyond. Antiquity, 93(369), 664-684. doi:10.15184/aqy.2019.41

Using chemical analysis of ancient, and incredibly well-preserved pottery found in the waters surrounding small artificial islands called crannogs in Scotland, the team were able to discern that cereals were cooked in pots and mixed with dairy products and occasionally meat, probably to create early forms of gruel and stew. They also discovered that the people visiting these crannogs used smaller pots to cook cereals with milk and larger pots for meat-based dishes.  

The findings are reported today in the journal Nature Communications.

Photo reconstruction of one of the pots from Loch Langabhat

Cereal cultivation in Britain dates back to around 4000 BCE and was probably introduced by migrant farmers from continental Europe. This is evidenced by some, often sparse and sporadic, recovery of preserved cereal grains and other debris found at Neolithic sites.

At this time pottery was also introduced into Britain and there is widespread evidence for domesticated products like milk products in molecular lipid fingerprints extracted from the fabric of these pots. However, with the exception of millet, it has not yet been possible to detect molecular traces of accompanying cereals in these lipid signatures, although these went on to become a major staple that dominates the global subsistence economy today.

Previously published an analysis of Roman pottery from Vindolanda [Hadrian’s Wall] demonstrated that specific lipid markers for cereals can survive absorbed in archaeological pottery preserved in waterlogged conditions and be detectable through a high-sensitivity approach but, importantly this was ‘only’ 2,000 years old and from contexts where cereals were well-known to have been present. The new findings reported now show that cereal biomarkers can be preserved for thousands of years longer under favourable conditions.

Another fascinating element of this research was the fact that many of the pots analysed were intact and decorated which could suggest they may have had some sort of ceremonial purpose. Since the actual function of the crannogs themselves is also not fully understood yet (with some being far too small for permanent occupation) the research provides new insights into possible ways these constructions were used.

Aerial view of the crannog at Loch Langabhat. Previously published in Garrow, D., & Sturt, F. (2019). Neolithic crannogs: Rethinking settlement, monumentality and deposition in the Outer Hebrides and beyond. Antiquity, 93(369), 664-684. doi:10.15184/aqy.2019.41

During analysis, cereal biomarkers were widely detected (one-third of pots), providing the earliest biomolecular evidence for cereals in absorbed pottery residues in this region.

The findings indicate that wheat was being cooked in pots, despite the fact that the limited evidence from charred plant parts in this region of Atlantic Scotland points mainly to barley. This could be because wheat is under-represented in charred plant remains as it can be prepared differently (e.g., boiled as part of stews), so not as regularly charred or because of more unusual cooking practices.

Cereal markers were strongly associated with lipid residues for dairy products in pots, suggesting they may have been cooked together as a milk-based gruel.

The research was led by Drs Simon Hammann* and Lucy Cramp at the University of Bristol’s Department of Anthropology and Archaeology.

Dr Hammann said: “It’s very exciting to see that cereal biomarkers in pots can actually survive under favourable conditions in samples from the time when cereals (and pottery) were introduced in Britain. Our lipid-based molecular method can complement archaeobotanical methods to investigate the introduction and spread of cereal agriculture.”

Dr Cramp added: “This research gives us a window into the culinary traditions of early farmers living at the northwestern edge of Europe, whose lifeways are little understood. It gives us the first glimpse of the sorts of practices that were associated with these enigmatic islet locations.”

Crannog sites in the Outer Hebrides are currently the focus of the four-year Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded ‘Islands of Stone’ project, directed by two of the paper’s authors (Duncan Garrow from the University of Reading and Fraser Sturt from the University of Southampton) along with Angela Gannon, Historic Environment Scotland.

Professor Garrow said: “This research, undertaken by our colleagues at the University of Bristol, has hugely improved our knowledge of these sites in many exciting ways. We very much look forward to developing this collaborative research going forwards.”

The next stage of the research at the University of Bristol is an exploration of the relationship between these islets and other Neolithic occupation sites in the Hebridean region and beyond as well as a more extensive comparative study of the use of different vessel forms through surviving lipid residues. These questions form part of an ongoing Arts and Humanities Research Council/South-West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership-funded PhD studentship.

* Dr Hammann is now based at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Erlangen, Germany.

EUROPE, SLOVAKIA, WORLD

Palaeolithic Artifacts Discovered in a Cave in Slovakia

Palaeolithic Artifacts Discovered in a Cave in Slovakia

Traces of Alpine ibex hunters from several thousand years ago have been discovered in the Belianske Tatras in Slovakia.

Based on isotope analyses, the joint Slovak-Polish research expedition in Hučivá Cave (Hučivá diera), say the traces were found in what was a Palaeolithic settlement left by the Magdalenian people, best known from France and Spain in the 13th millennium BC. 

Professor Paweł Valde-Nowak from the Institute of Archeology of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków said: “It was a group of hunters specialising in hunting ibex, a species no longer found in the Tatras today. 

“We found several hundred blades of thrown weapons, bone needles, a fragment of a stone lamp and many bones of hunted animals. 

“They were resting in the remains of a large fire.”

Palaeolithic Artifacts Discovered in a Cave in Slovakia

During previous research seasons in Hučivá Cave, above the artefacts from the end of the Ice Age, the Slovak-Polish team also found fragments of 15th and 16th-century clay pots as well as coins from World War II.

Professor Valde-Nowak previously told PAP that scientists had been looking for traces of the prehistoric man’s presence in the Tatra caves since the 19th century; unsuccessfully until now.

Magura Cave in the Polish Tatras was one of the selected sites, but excavations carried out in that cave before World War II did not bring the expected results.

Palaeontologists, geologists, sedimentologists, archaeobotanists and palaeogeneticists as well as members of the Science Club of Students of Archeology of the Jagiellonian University participated in the fieldwork in Hučivá Cave.

Later this season, the research will move to the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains, the researchers announced.

The project is carried out by the Institute of Archeology of the Jagiellonian University in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The work is financed by the Polish National Science Centre.

EUROPE, POLAND, WORLD

1930s Medicine Bottle Found in Poland’s Gwda River

1930s Medicine Bottle Found in Poland’s Gwda River

Archaeology enthusiasts have uncovered a perfectly preserved pharmaceutical bottle with herbal ‘heart’ drops from the 1930s, alongside the remains of a medieval clay pot from the bottom of a river.

1930s Medicine Bottle Found in Poland’s Gwda River
Archaeologists from the Stanisław Staszic Regional Museum in Piła stumbled upon the discovery while combing through the river Gwda in western Poland.

The team led by Dr Jarosław Rola from the Stanisław Staszic Regional Museum in Piła stumbled upon the discovery while combing through the river Gwda in western Poland.

The oldest discovery was a large fragment of a clay pot from the end of the early medieval period, dating back to between the 12th-13th century, which was found in the river near the town of Motylewo.

The oldest discovery was a large fragment of a clay pot from the end of the early medieval period, dating back to between the 12th-13th century.

The oldest discovery was a large fragment of a clay pot from the end of the early medieval period, dating back to between the 12th-13th century.Stanisław Staszic Regional Museum in Piła

News of the discoveries was announced by the museum on their Facebook page alongside a film of each of the objects found.

Introducing the second find, the museum wrote: “The Gwda conceals many secrets and surprises.

“Among this year’s discoveries, we find a curiosity: a pharmaceutical bottle, almost certainly from the 1930s, with perfectly preserved contents.

“They are herbal drops for the stomach or heart.

The latest archaeological search of the Gwda is part of studies of the river which have been ongoing for a number of years.

Up until now, the river has turned up a 2,000-year-old drinking mug and a fragment of a 17th-century bridge.

The latest objects found will be added to the collections of the Stanisław Staszic Regional Museum in Piła.

AFRICA, TANZANIA, WORLD

11th-Century Settlement Uncovered in Zanzibar’s Stone Town

11th-Century Settlement Uncovered in Zanzibar’s Stone Town

A UAE-led heritage project is shedding new light on the origins of Zanzibar’s Stone Town. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of an original settlement at the Unesco World Heritage site in Tanzania that dates back to the 11th century.

Archaeological trenches inside the Old Fort of Stone Town. (Credit: Tim Power)
11th-Century Settlement Uncovered in Zanzibar’s Stone Town
Unearthing a 12th century pillar base from a possible mosque. (Credit: Tim Power)
Tim Power from UAEU working to uncover the past. (Credit: Nour al-Marzooqi)
Decorated Persian pottery dating to the 11th or 12th century. (Credit: Tim Power)
Mid to late 17th century Chinese porcelain with a landscape scene. (Credit: Tim Power)
Mark Horton from RAU recording the Portuguese church. (Credit: Tim Power)
A project archaeologist working on a Portuguese-period child burial. (Credit: Tim Power)
Studying pottery from the excavations to reveal trade contacts with the Arabian Gulf. (Credit: Tim Power)

It proves the town — previously thought to be an 18th century Omani Arab town — was actually established much earlier by local Swahili people, archaeologists believe. During a major dig this summer, they unearthed traces of homes, cooking pits and significant amounts of pottery from this era.

They were then able to pinpoint the settlement’s transition to stone buildings by the 14th century. These stone houses gave the trading centre on the east African coast its unique appearance and were ultimately how it got its name. Stone Town became the powerful capital of the Omani Arab Empire in the 19th century and many major buildings were constructed at this time.

Zanzibar Minister for Tourism and Heritage, Simai Mohammed Said, visiting the site. (Credit: Zanzibar Ministry for Tourism and Heritage)

But the Emirati-funded work has shown how the trading centre developed much earlier than previously thought.

“Our excavations found walls of houses, stone architecture and established it was urbanised in a much earlier period than historically thought,” said Prof Tim Power of UAE University.

“We can now say that the town was built centuries before the Omanis arrived.”

The project, which started this year, is a collaboration between UAE University, New York University Abu Dhabi, the Royal Agricultural University in the UK and the Department of Antiquities in Zanzibar.

Archaeologists from Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and students from State University of Zanzibar also volunteered for the project. Stone Town’s Old Fort, built during the Omani era, was the focus of the dig. The fort could be compared with Abu Dhabi’s Qasr Al Hosn, said Prof Power, as it was the nexus of military and political power and also functioned as a customs house.

A test pit dug in the 1980s unearthed pot sherds suggesting this, but Prof Power said this could be described as a sort of background noise. Another dig led by Prof Power in 2017 also yielded promising results.

The historic Old Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Two trenches were dug in the courtyard of the fort. EPA

This year, two trenches made in the fort’s courtyard were dug to a depth of two metres, uncovering rubbish pits, cooking fires, walls, floors, the remains of a Portuguese church, significant amounts of pottery and even evidence of a mosque — structures that show an intensification of human settlement.

The teams were able to date the pieces by comparing the types of pottery unearthed to those found in other excavations.

“We found a lot of imported pottery, especially from China,” said Nour Al Marzooqi, an archaeologist at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, who worked at the site over the summer.

“It is similar to what we found in the UAE,” said Ms Al Marzooqi. “But we also found local Swahili pottery such as cookware.”

Archaeologists stumbled upon a carved block from a mosque that once existed at the site but has yet to be found. The project also uncovered one of the walls of a Portuguese church that had been demolished and integrated into the fort. Archaeologists found the wall footings and floor of the church, under which dozens of Christian graves were found dating to the 16th and 17th centuries, when an Augustinian mission stood on the site.

“The excavations go back in time in a focused way,” said Prof Robert Parthesius, who leads NYUAD’s Dhakira Centre for Heritage Studies, the entity funding the project.

“And the ceramics found come from so many different periods. It gives an insight into all those centuries and we now we have come to 11th century.”

A antique door in Zanzibar’s Old Town. The town grew wealthy on the back on Indian Ocean trade networks. EPA

Stone Town started as a small fishing village but grew rapidly on the back of trade networks that developed across the Indian Ocean. It came under Portuguese, Omani and European influence but always retained its Swahili identity. It was the capital of the Omani Arab empire in the 19th century and became very wealthy.

“It was like the Venice of East Africa,” said Prof Power. “There was a major trade in ivory, ebony wood and slaves. Omani Arabs also developed clove plantations and it became the leading supplier of cloves in the world.

“This prosperity is reflected in the architecture,” said Prof Power. “There are beautiful merchant houses with carved doors and blocks. They are absolutely gorgeous.”

The project explores the cosmopolitan and multifaceted history of the town and how it plugs into the intricate and vibrant trade networks that existed across the Indian Ocean into the Gulf through the centuries from its foundation.

Gulf to Zanzibar trade

Did Chinese pottery, for example, come direct to Stone Town or through an intermediary?

A lot of trade was conducted on dhows that sailed from the Gulf to Zanzibar and this relationship was important. Stone Town was a market for Arabian goods such as dates and source of labour. Despite the many different ethnicities and differences, a shared culture and way of life also existed.

A Zanzibar sunset with a dhow under sail. Trading dhows plied routes between the UAE and Zanzibar. Photo: Tim Power

“This project is bringing to life the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of Islam,” said Prof Power,” referring to the period between the 8th and 14th centuries, when there was a flourishing of cultural, economic and scientific advancement.

“It was a place where people did amazing things. This diversity and range of characters has been obscured by European colonialism, which split these regions into different territories, and also the post-colonial movement and ethnic nationalism. But there was shared culture across the Indian Ocean at this time.”

Zanzibar’s Minister for Tourism and Heritage Simai Said visited the site of the dig in the summer and said it was an “exciting new discovery” for the archipelago.

“We are happy to host an Emirati-funded archaeology project,” he said. “It will help us in our mission to communicate the island’s rich heritage and culture to tourists and local people alike.”

The work will continue in January when a further expedition is planned. It is also hoped to create a museum at the site to present some of the finds from the excavations to the public.

“This initiative is so important not only for understanding Indian Ocean trade networks but also useful for people living in Stone Town,” said Prof Parthesius, whose work at the centre seeks to forge collaborations with local heritage organisations.

“Our work seeks to bridge the divides. We want to make sure people don’t feel like we have come to teach them. And by working together, more people can be trained in archaeology and we can learn from each other.”

EUROPE, ROMANIA, WORLD

Trovants, the living stones of Romania: They grow, multiply and move!

Trovants, the living stones of Romania: They grow, multiply and move!

There are strange places across the world. But these places make our planet such a wonderful and unique place. Among its many oddities and beauties, Earth has living stones.

Trovants, the living stones of Romania: They grow, multiply and move!
Landscapes from the Buzau Mountains, Romania

Although not literally alive, there are geological features in Europe which have the ability to grow and move. It’s actually a natural phenomenon, and the most famous examples are located in Romania.

In the town of Costesti, there are odd rocks dubbed “living stones” that are locally known as Trovants. These strange, extraordinary, weird rocks seem almost out of a Hollywood movie; they can grow and multiply and essentially move.

Trovant the Living Stone

Trovants, the “living stones,” are made out of a stone core, but their outer layers are made out of a kind of sand, which forms around the inner core, acting as a shell. It’s their outer shell that causes the stones to essentially grow.

Their name derives from the German words Sandstein Konkretion, which means sandstone concretion, or cemented sand. These stones can grow in size to a few millimetres, but as large as ten meters in diameter. Because of their ability to “grow,” these geological weirdos are dubbed the “living stones,” although different people call them by different names.

In Romania, the stones are called Trovants, which is a term coined by naturalist Gh. M. Murgoci, in his work “The Tertiary in Oltenia,” where he makes reference to the odd geological features.

For a long time, researchers have tried to demystify the “living stones” capable of autonomous movement. A lot of different versions have emerged and one even states that Trovants are “a silicon form of life.” It is also possible that they are conscious.

Some scientists even claim that Trovants are capable of breathing, of course, very slowly ― a single breath lasts from three days to two weeks. The “living stones” even have some kind of pulse, but it can be detected only with super-sensitive equipment. It turns out that these odd stones are able to move, even though only about 2.5 mm in two weeks.

The Romanian Village Of The Trovants

A whole “village” of the Trovants was found in Romania. They all have a circular, streamlined shape. Locals claim that the “living stones” are even capable of reproduction. In the beginning, a small outgrowth appears on the surface of the stone. It grows and grows until it falls off from the “mother” stone. The new stone is completely detached and starts to grow faster. The active growth is more visible right after rain.

Originally, scientists thought that this had something to do with the structure of the stones. But when they broke in half some specimens, they saw that the “living stones” consist of cemented sand and mineral salts.

Scientists have observed strange rings which resemble those of the trees. And just like it is with the trees, the stone rings reveal the age of trovants. That’s why some believe Trovants are an inorganic form of life.

Most Trovants are found in Romania, in the region of Costesti. There even exists a museum, in which the interesting stones are shown and sold as souvenirs. You can even “plant” a Trovant in your garden and wait for it to grow. The biggest Trovants grow to more than 10 meters in height.

The Andreevka Miracle

“Living stones” can be found also in Russia. Massive round stones periodically pop up from the ground and start to grow in the fields of Andreevka. While Romanians venerate their Trovants, people in Andreevka worship theirs. Their ancestors thought that the stones possess the power of Mother Earth and that if you touch them you could be gifted with strength and health.

Russian and Romanian Trovants consist of cemented stone. But they are unusually tough to break or smash. Usually, no one touches them, so they have the chance to grow from little pebbles to enormous megaliths.

Some Interesting Facts About Trovants

Trovants are always fascinating and mind-boggling natural wonders that attract people from all over the world. Here are some interesting facts you should know about Trovants, the living stones:

  1. The Living Stones are real. Although the most popular are located in Romania, similar geological features have been found around the world.
  2. Trovants can grow in size from a few millimetres to a few meters in size.
  3. Trovants are not uniform; they come in different shapes and sizes.
  4. Some weigh no more than a few grams, while there are other examples that weigh several tons.
  5. The “living stones” are made by “highly-porous” sand accumulations and sandstone deposits.
  6. Some have calculated that Trovants grow 4.5 centimetres a year; however, no scientific study has confirmed their exact growth rate.
  7. The Romanian Trovants need rainwater to grow.
  8. Every time it rains, the outer shell absorbs the minerals from the rain, causing the Trovant to “grow.”

Conclusion

For centuries the locals of Costesti were aware that some of the boulders in their region appeared to grow and might even be alive ― a thought that’s still a controversy. But if we are able to confirm that Trovants are able to breathe and reproduce, then we should really start considering them as living beings. Isn’t it?

CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA, WORLD

The scientific community is perplexed by the discovery of a mummified Alien body in the Atacama desert

The scientific community is perplexed by the discovery of a mummified Alien body in the Atacama desert

The mummified alien body from the Atacama Desert is at the top of the list when it comes to findings that the science world shudders at the thought of.

When it was found in 2003, no scientist could come up with a proper explanation other than the fact that it was unquestionably out of this universe.

Professor Harry Nolan also thought this was evidence that a mutant had been unleashed into the wild after a series of unsuccessful trials.

Ramon Navia, an employee of the prestigious Institute for Exobiological Research, has claimed on record that this is evidence of a very small mummy that was cast off, but unfortunately, that hypothesis does not hold water either, as careful examination reveals that this isn’t your ordinary bipedal specimen that has been mummified.

Brian Fester, an amazing scholar, investigated and examined the skull inside, ultimately concluding that the remains of the body were either human or, more likely, alien fossils.

The scientific community is perplexed by the discovery of a mummified Alien body in the Atacama desert

According to him, the beast must have had grey skin because it was unaffected by the atmosphere, and the elongated skull could indicate that it came from South America because their ancestors were known to have the head shape.

Some may also speculate that this is an infant who was mummified several years ago, but no one has a definitive response.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcMxCFTVr90&pbjreload=102
NEW ZEALAND, WORLD

A 3,300-Year-Old Bird Claw Was Discovered By Archaeologists While Digging In A Cave

A 3,300-Year-Old Bird Claw Was Discovered By Archaeologists While Digging In A Cave

A 3,300-Year-Old Bird Claw Was Discovered By Archaeologists While Digging In A Cave
Preserved Megalapteryx (moa) foot, Natural History Museum.

Nearly three decades ago, a team of archaeologists were carrying out an expedition inside a large cave system on Mount Owen in New Zealand when they stumbled across a frightening and unusual object.

With little visibility in the dark cave, they wondered whether their eyes were deceiving them, as they could not fathom what lay before them—an enormous, dinosaur-like claw still intact with flesh and scaly skin.

The claw was so well-preserved that it appeared to have come from something that had only died very recently.

The archaeological team eagerly retrieved the claw and took it for analysis. The results were astounding; the mysterious claw was found to be the 3,300-year-old mummified remains of an upland moa, a large prehistoric bird that had disappeared from existence centuries earlier.

The upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) was a species of moa bird endemic to New Zealand. A DNA analysis published in the  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  suggested that the first moa appeared around 18.5 million years ago and there were at least ten species, but they were wiped from existence “in the most rapid, human-facilitated megafauna extinction documented to date.”

With some sub-species of moa reaching over 10 feet (3 meters) in height, the moa was once the largest species of bird on the planet. However, the upland moa, one of the smallest of the moa species, stood at no more than 4.2 feet (1.3 meters). It had feathers covering its whole body, except the beak and soles of its feet, and it had no wings or tail. As its name implies, the upland moa lived in the higher, more cooler parts of the country.

Left: Illustration of a Moa. Right: Preserved footprint of a Moa (Wikimedia Commons)

The Discovery of the Moa

The first discovery of the moa occurred in 1839 when John W. Harris, a flax trader and natural history enthusiast, was given an unusual fossilized bone by a member of an indigenous Māori tribe, who said he had found it on a river bank.

The bone was sent to Sir Richard Owen, who was working at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Owen was puzzled by the bone for four years—it did not fit with any other bone he had come across.

Eventually, Owen came to the conclusion that the bone belonged to a completely unknown giant bird. The scientific community ridiculed Owen’s theory, but he was later proved correct with the discoveries of numerous bone specimens, which allowed for the complete reconstruction of a moa skeleton.

Sir Richard Owen standing next to a moa skeleton and holding the first bone fragment belonging to a moa ever found.

Since the first discovery of moa bones, thousands more have been found, along with some remarkable mummified remains, such as the frightening-looking Mount Owen claw.

Some of these samples still exhibit soft tissue with muscle, skin, and even feathers. Most of the fossilized remains have been found in dunes, swamps, and caves, where birds may have entered to nest or to escape bad weather, preserved through desiccation when the bird died in a naturally dry site (for example, a cave with a constant dry breeze blowing through it).

Mummified head of an upland moa ( Wikimedia Commons )

The Rise and Fall of the Moa

When Polynesians first migrated to New Zealand in the middle of the 13th century, the moa population was flourishing. They were the dominant herbivores in New Zealand’s forest, shrubland, and subalpine ecosystems for thousands of years, and had only one predator—the Haast’s eagle. However, when the first humans arrived in New Zealand, the moa rapidly became endangered due to overhunting and habitat destruction.  

“As they reached maturity so slowly, [they] would not have been able to reproduce quickly enough to maintain their populations, leaving them vulnerable to extinction,” writes the  Natural History Museum, London.

“All moas were extinct by the time Europeans arrived in New Zealand in the 1760s.” The Haast’s Eagle, which relied on the moa for food, died out soon after.

Giant Haasts eagle attacking New Zealand moa ( Wikimedia Commons )

Revival of the Moa?

The moa has frequently been mentioned as a candidate for revival through cloning since numerous well-preserved remains exist from which DNA could be extracted. Furthermore, since it only became extinct several centuries ago, many of the plants that made up the moa’s food supply would still be in existence. 

Japanese geneticist Ankoh Yasuyuki Shirota has already carried out preliminary work toward these ends by extracting DNA from moa remains, which he plans to introduce into chicken embryos. Interest in the ancient bird’s resurrection gained further support in the middle of this year when Trevor Mallard, a Member of Parliament in New Zealand, suggested that reviving the moa over the next 50 years was a viable idea.

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