Ruins of a 3000-year-old Armenian castle found in Lake Van – Turkey
The 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortification have been discovered at the bottom of Turkey’s largest lake. The underwater excavations were led by Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and the governorship of Turkey’s eastern Bitlis Province.
The castle is said to belong to the Iron Age Armenian civilization also known as the Kingdom of Van, Urartu, Ararat and Armenia. The lake itself is believed to have been formed by a crater caused by a volcanic eruption of Mount Nemrut near the province of Van. The current water level of the reservoir is about 150 meters higher than it was during the Iron Age.
Divers exploring Lake Van discovered the incredibly well-preserved wall of a castle, thought to have been built by the Urartu civilization. Experts had been studying the body of water for a decade before it revealed the fortress lost deep below its surface.
The 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortification have been discovered at the bottom of Turkey’s largest lake. Divers exploring Lake Van discovered the incredibly well-preserved wall of a castle, thought to have been built by the Urartu civilization
Map of historic Armenian with Lake Van at its center.
Secret doorway in Parliament leads to a historical treasure trove
Renovation workers have uncovered a forgotten passageway in the UK’s Houses of Parliament. Built over 1,000 years ago, the historic seat of government in central London has seen kings and queens, prime ministers and foreign dignitaries come and go time and again over the centuries.
While it might seem as though all of the building’s secrets would have been found by now, this week there was a surprise in store when renovation workers uncovered a secret door leading to a hidden passageway that dates back over 360 years.
Believed to have been originally built for the coronation of Charles II in 1660, the passageway would have enabled guests to attend a celebratory banquet in the neighboring Westminster Hall. It went on to be used by countless MPs before eventually being blocked up and concealed. It was even rediscovered briefly in the 1950s before being sealed up again.
“To say we were surprised is an understatement – we really thought it had been walled-up forever after the war,” said Mark Collins, Parliament’s Estates Historian.
Liz Hallam Smith, the historical consultant to Parliament’s architecture and heritage team, said: “I was awestruck because it shows that the Palace of Westminster still has so many secrets to give up. “It is the way that the Speaker’s procession would have come, on its way to the House of Commons, as well as many MPs over the centuries, so it’s a hugely historic space.”
The current occupant of the Speaker’s chair, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said: “To think that this walkway has been used by so many important people over the centuries is incredible. I am so proud of our staff for making this discovery.”
A brass plaque, erected in Westminster Hall in 1895, marks the spot where the doorway once was but, says Dr. Hallam Smith, “almost nothing was known about it”. It lay behind thick masonry, on the hall side, and wooden panelling, running the full length of a Tudor cloister, on the other side.
Up until three years ago, the cloister had been used as offices by the Labour Party, and before that, a cloakroom for MPs. It was Dr. Hallam Smith who discovered evidence of a small, secret access door that had been set into the cloister’s panelling, during Parliament’s last major renovation in 1950.
The west Cloister where the door to the chamber was discovered
“We were trawling through 10,000 uncatalogued documents relating to the palace at the Historic England Archives in Swindon when we found plans for the doorway in the cloister behind Westminster Hall.
“As we looked at the panelling closely, we realized there was a tiny brass key-hole that no-one had really noticed before, believing it might just be an electricity cupboard.” The team turned to Parliament’s locksmith for help and, with some difficulty, he was able to open the wood panel door, to reveal a tiny, stone-floored chamber, with a bricked-up doorway on the far wall.
They discovered the original hinges for two wooden doors 3.5m high, that would have opened into Westminster Hall. They also found graffiti dating back to the rebuilding of Parliament, in a neo-Gothic style, following the fire in 1834 which destroyed much of the medieval palace.
The scrawled pencil marks, left by men who helped block the passageway on both sides in 1851, read: “This room was enclosed by Tom Porter who was very fond of Ould Ale.” It then names the witnesses of “the articles of the wall” – evidently architect Sir Charles Barry’s masons who had joined bricklayer’s labourer Thomas Porter in a toast to mark the room’s enclosure. The men can be traced in the 1851 census returns as Richard Condon, James Williams, Henry Terry, Thomas Parker, and Peter Dewal.
Pencil graffiti dating back to the 1850s is still visible
Finally, the graffiti notes: “These masons were employed refacing these groines…[ie repairing the cloister] August 11th, 1851 Real Democrats.”
This reference to “real democrats” suggests the group were part of the Chartist movement, which campaigned for every man aged 21 to have a vote, and for would-be MPs to be allowed to stand even if they did not own property.
“Charles Barry’s masons were quite subversive,” said Dr. Hallam Smith.
“They had been involved in quite a few scraps as the Palace was being built. I think these ones were being a little bit bolshie but also highly celebratory because they had just finished the first major restoration of these beautiful Tudor cloisters.”
Part of the bricked-up doorway in the hidden chamber
The team are keen to trace the descendants of Tom Porter and his colleagues and have already discovered that the workers lived in lodgings near Parliament. There was another surprise for the team when they entered the passageway – they were able to light the room.
A light switch – probably installed in the 1950s – illuminated a large Osram bulb marked ‘HM Government Property’. The team is eager to learn more about the history of this hardy bulb. Dr. Collins said further investigations made him certain the doorway dated back at least 360 years.
The plaque in Westminster Hall may not be entirely accurate, the team believes
Dendrochronology testing revealed that the ceiling timbers above the little room dated from trees felled in 1659 – which tied in with surviving accounts that stated the doorway was made in 1660-61 for the coronation banquet of Charles II.
This is in contrast to the words on the brass plaque in Westminster Hall, which state the passageway was used in 1642 by Charles I when he attempted to arrest five MPs, which the researchers believe is not accurate. Dr. Collins said the plans that led to their discovery will now be digitized as part of the Parliament’s Restoration and Renewal program.
“The mystery of the secret doorway is one we have enjoyed discovering – but the palace no doubt still has many more secrets to give up,” he added.
“We hope to share the story with visitors to the palace when the building is finally restored to its former glory, so it can be passed on down the generations and is never forgotten again.”
Secret Roman road and treasure discovered on York construction site
A previously unknown Roman road has been found by the archaeologist under the Guildhall as work continues to restore and redevelop the buildings.
The York Archaeological Trust (YAT) also discovered Currency and ‘an abundance of Roman pottery’ have also been found at the riverside site.
York Archéological Trust members have been working on behalf of the City of York Council for the past six months to monitor and record any archaeological deposits or features that are exposed through the ongoing redevelopment and restoration work at the site.
Some significant discoveries have already been made such an area of cobbled surface also dating back to the Roman period.
Buried over 1.5m below modern street level, the surface contained an abundance of Roman pottery and a silver coin. Furthermore, the excavation of a small trench revealed that three distinct surfaces had been laid, suggesting that it remained in use for a considerable period.
Cllr Nigel Ayre said: “ We’re delighted to see that as we restore and redevelop this collection of buildings, to secure its future in our 21st-century city, that we have the opportunity to unpack more of its history thanks to the expertise of York Archaeological Trust.
“As the city evolves and pioneers to address modern challenges and seize new opportunities, it is vital that we protect its unique heritage and share the stories we uncover along the way.”
Fieldwork is monitoring the Guildhall site in York and recently discovered a Roman-age road surface and silver coin. The site is currently undergoing redevelopment and restoration by @VCUK_Building on behalf of @CityofYork
The Guildhall restoration began in September 2019, initiating vital restoration and redevelopment of the Grade I, II* and II listed buildings, to offer office space, community use, and a riverside restaurant.
The project received £2.347 million from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.
The site is due to reopen to the public in Spring 2021.
Drought Reveals “Spanish Stonehenge” Older Than the Pyramids
After 50 years of immersion on the bottom of a basin, in Spain, a 5,000-year-old monument emerged.
There are 144 granite blocks on the megalithic site, which are over 6 feet high, known as ‘ Spanish Stonehenge. ‘ Its similarity to the UNESCO World Heritage site in Wiltshire is striking, but the Iberian version is made of smaller rocks.
The Spanish General ordered the construction of a hydroelectric dam at Peraleda de la Mata, near Cáceres in Extremadura, which was supposed to be condemned to the history books of the 1960s.
The Dolmen de Guadalperal, also known as the “Spanish Stonehenge,” has been completely exposed for the first time in 50 years following the drought.
Some of the megaliths reach two meters in height.
However, a severe and prolonged drought has seen the structure emerge as the last drops of water vanished from the barren basin. Western Spain is being ravaged by a year-long drought and the Bronze Age structure, thought to be an ancient temple, can now be seen.
Hugo Obermaier, a German priest and amateur archaeologist, first found the site in 1925.
Due to the unfortunate decision-making of General Franco who opted to consign the site to obscurity when he commissioned a valley bordering the Tagus river to be flooded.
But before its rediscovery and subsequent demise, it is thought the stones would have centered around a central chamber for sun worship.
It is believed the Celts living in Iberia 4,000 years ago may have built the structure.
‘The stones have been brought from about five kilometers away to form this temple, which we think was used to worship the sun,’ Ángel Castaño, president of the Peraleda Cultural Association, told the Times.
‘In that way, it has similarities to Stonehenge but is obviously smaller.
‘People here had heard about them but had never seen them. We want the authorities to move these stones to the banks of the reservoir and to use them as a tourist attraction, as few people come to this area.’
Stonehenge’s enormous rocks are up to 30 feet in length, dwarfing the six-foot-tall single monoliths uncovered in Spain. There are more stones at the Spanish site, 1144 compared to 93 in Wiltshire.
However, Stonehenge’s monument covers 10,800 square feet (10,000 square meters), a far bigger area than the Spanish site.
Radiocarbon dating of the ‘Spanish Stonehenge’ found the stones range in age from around 4,000 to 5,000 years old and this ties them curiously to the history of Stonehenge. The first monolith structure in Europe was found in Brittany dating back as far as 4,794 BC and other early monuments (red) were found in northwest France, the Channel Islands, Catalonia, southwestern France, Corsica, and Sardinia from a similar time period.
The site was thought to be condemned to the history books in the 1960s when a Spanish general ordered the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Peraleda de la Mata, near Cáceres in Extremadura
Long-term plans for the preservation of the site are yet to be laid out, but Mr. Castaño met officials from the regional government yesterday to discuss the matter. If action is not taken now, he said, it could be many years before they are seen again.
A prolonged submersion could also be catastrophic for the stones, which are made of granite, a porous material prone to erosion, The monoliths are already showing significant signs of wear, he said, and if they are not saved now, it may be too late.
Radiocarbon dating of the rocks found they range in age from around 4,000 to 5,000 years old and this ties them curiously to the history of Stonehenge. Neolithic people, often prone to building monolithic structures, emerged throughout time across Europe.
It is widely accepted Stonehenge’s bluestones were quarried from Priesli Hills in Wales and moved to the current location, but how the idea for Stonehenge arrived on British shores remains a mystery.
Various pieces of recent research have looked at what likely led to this, and a scientific paper published in February put forward the idea that the knowledge and expertise to create such monuments was spread around Europe by sailors.
The authors from the University of Gothenburg said the practice of erecting enormous stone structures began in France 6,500 years ago and then made its way around Europe as people migrated.
Further research into the Spanish Stonehenge could allow for a more detailed picture to emerge of the practice’s popularity in different areas at different times. Currently, inhabitants of Anatolia, what is now Turkey, are thought to have moved to Iberia and settled before eventually heading north and entering the British Isles.
Lost tomb with 72 ancient skeletons from extinct Canary Islands civilization found by drone after 1,000 years
Amateur archeologists on the holiday island of Gran Canaria discovered a grave containing ancient remains of men of a lost pre-Hispanic civilization.
The mummified remains of 72 skeletons belonging to natives of the ‘Guanche’ society were discovered by drone. The amazing find included 62 adult skeletons and 10 newborns.
They were found in the Guayadeque ravine on the island of Gran Canaria, which is part of the Spanish Canary Islands.
Experts have confirmed the discovery and have linked it to the Guanche civilization as the cave dates back to between 800-1000AD.
Guanche people are thought to be the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands and may have traveled there from North Africa.
Historians think that the Guanches people were ethnically and culturally absorbed by Spanish settlers when they colonized the islands.
Archaeologist Veronica Alberto told local media: “There are many burial caves in Gran Canaria, but not many like this one.
“The discovery of the newborn remains is important as they were not included in previous findings until very recently.
“We know now they can be found in these types of cave burials.”
The cave with the archaeological remains.
Archaeologists went down to the burial site and found traditional burial shrouds made from vegetable fibers and animal skin.
Alberto added: “We can confirm that all the pre-Hispanic people in the Canary Islands were prepared the same way for the burial ceremony.”
Experts had to travel down 75 feet to reach the tomb. Members of the amateur archaeology group ‘El Legado’, formed by Ayose Himar Gonzalez, Jonay Garcia, and Jesus Diaz, found the cave via drone.
Gonzalez said: “We were flying a drone and we took some pictures of the cave. It is in a very difficult place to access and you need to climb a cliff to reach the site. People thought the photos were fake because of all the bones there!”
They found the cave back in June last year but only reported it recently because they were concerned it would be vandalized.
Gonzalez explained: “The cave should be closed off and preserved with the bones left there to respect the site. We decided to report it because we want the local authorities to preserve and respect it.”
Cannabis preserved India’s ancient Ellora caves from decay for 1,500 years
From the sixth century AD to the 11th, in the north-west city of Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, the Rashtrakut dynasty and the Yadavs built a group of 34 Caves.
Each of these caves, made of stone, was dedicated to a religion of three, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Ellora has over the years been considered a legacy that reflects Indian rock cut architecture. However recent studies by Indian archaeologists have revealed a particularly interesting tradition of the Buddhist monks who prayed in these caves.
They used cannabis mixed in with the plaster that covers the shrines painted walls and ceilings, along with some clay and lime, to preserve the structure to the best of their capabilities. And it turns out that the cannabis present in the earthen mix seems to have played a key role in preventing the UNESCO World Heritage site from decaying over the 1,500 years of its existence. You can’t help but wonder whether these marijuana plants were used for medicinal purposes too all those years ago. We are lucky to have it supplied online today! In fact, it is amazing to see how far cannabis has come over the years, and how far back it goes. It shows what type of early ‘businesses’ did, whereas now they use companies like CannaSeeds for their supply so they can either grow it personally or for legal distribution.
According to Manager Rajdeo Singh, an archaeological chemist of the Archaeological Survey of India’s science branch (western region), and Milind M. Sardesai, who teaches botany at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, the mixture prevented the plaster from degrading for over 1,500 years.
The caves of Ajanta and Ellora.
Ellora Caves
“The caves are breathtaking examples of rock-cut architecture that stands testimony to the imagination and artistry of its creators,” Singh and Sardesai wrote in the journal Current Science.
For the purpose of the study, they analyzed the clay plaster of the Buddhist cave 12 using techniques such as Fourier transform, infrared spectroscopy and stereo-microscopic studies.
They were able to isolate specimens of cannabis from the clay plaster and they were able to further conclude that it was the cannabis Sativa that had helped in preventing insects at Ellora. “
The cannabis fiber appears to have better quality and durability than other fibers. Moreover, the cannabis’ gum and sticky properties might have helped clay and lime to form a firm binder,” Sardesai said.
According to the researchers, the concrete-like substance that is called hempcrete would have provided the Buddhist monks with a healthy, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing living environment.
“As the hemp plaster has the ability to store heat, is fire-resistant and absorbs about 90 percent of airborne sound, a peaceful living environment for the monks has been created at Ellora Caves,” they added.
Several studies have estimated that hempcrete can last 600–800 years, which explains why the life span of these caves doubled despite damaging environmental factors, such as a growing humidity inside the caves during rainy seasons.”Ellora has proved that only 10 percent of cannabis mixed with clay or lime in the plaster could last for over 1,500 years,” said Singh.
As Mr. Sardesai has observed, “In India cannabis has gained a bad name because of its narcotic properties.” However, the artists of the sixth century were able to gauge their properties. Even to this day, scientists are still discovering new uses for cannabis. Due to its legalization in certain US states and investments in cannabis production facility design, this plant is beginning to once again realize its full potential.
The the artists of the sixth century realized that it had the ability to regulate humidity and that it would have key roles in pest resistance, fire-retardant, non-toxicity, high vapour permeability, along with hygroscopic properties- all of which have kept Ellora intact over the years. In the neighbouring Ajanta, the artists did not use hemp, which explains why rampant insect activity has damaged at least 25 percent of the paintings here.
Considering that in India, the cultivation, transport, possession, and consumption of marijuana is banned under Indian law (though things seem to be changing further up North in Uttarakhand) suffice to say that in modern-day India, it might be a long while before we decide to use cannabis for construction purposes.
Early humans feasted on fish in the Sahara Desert 10,000 years ago
A large number of animal remains – including fish – have been discovered in a location in the Sahara Desert by archaeologists, shedding new light on the ancient peoples who once lived there.
According to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, almost 18,000 individual species have been found on recent investigations into the Takarkori rock shelter in the southwestern Libyan Acacus Mountains, of which almost 80% were fish — such as catfish and tilapia.
The fossils are evidence from 10,200 to 4,650 years ago that span much of the early middle and Holocene phase–the current geological epoch. The fossils were mammals (approximately 19%), while the researchers also found a small number of insects, rodents, molluscs, and amphibians.
Archaeologists excavated bones of fish, toads, frogs, crocodiles, and birds from the Tadrart Acacus mountains in the Saharan Desert.
The researchers say that the animal remains were human food waste given that they displayed cut marks and signs of burning. This has implications for our understanding of the people who used to live in the area, indicating that fish was an important food.
“The key findings are no doubt the fish remains. Although not uncommon in early Holocene contexts across North Africa, the quantity of fish we have found and studied are unprecedented in the central Sahara,” Savino di Lernia, from the Sapienza University of Rome and the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, told LiveScience.
“The study adds fresh information about climate change as well as cultural adaptations. It is particularly intriguing that fish was common also in the diet of early herders.”
“I believe that the quantity of fish remains in the earliest layers of occupation is really stunning. I particularly liked the fact that early herders were quite good fishers, and fish was an important staple food,” he said.
Today, the environment of the Acacus Mountains is windy, hot and extremely dry. But the fossil record here indicates that for large parts of the early and middle Holocene, the region—like other areas of the Central Sahara—was humid and rich in water, as well as plants and animals. During this period, the area was also home to prehistoric humans who left behind several notable rock art sites.
But over thousands of years, the area became increasingly dry and, thus, less capable of sustaining standing bodies of water that are home to fish. This change in the climate is reflected in the study results.
Around 90 percent of all the animal remains dated to between 10,200 to 8,000 years ago were fish. However, this figure decreases to 40 percent for those dated to between 5,900 and 4,650 years ago.
This changing environment forced the hunter-gatherers who once relied on the fish to adapt and alter their diet, with the researchers documenting a shift towards eating more mammals over time.
According to the authors, the results provide, “crucial information on the dramatic climate changes that led to the formation of the largest hot desert in the world.”
“Takarkori rock shelter has once again proved to be a real treasure for African archaeology and beyond: a fundamental place to reconstruct the complex dynamics between ancient human groups and their environment in a changing climate,” they said in a statement.
Centuries-old Norman head and trebuchet ball found where they fell at Hay Castle
Another significant discovery was made by archeologists involved in the restoration of Hay Castle to include an intriguing collection of treasures
There have been remarkable and interesting finds made by Archaeologists who work on conserving one of the great medieval defense structures still standing on the border of Wales and England, Hay Castle.
Whilst investigating an area on the town side of the great gate of the Norman castle built in the late 12th century by the powerful Norman Lord William de Braose, archaeologists Peter Dorling and Dai Williams found an interesting stone embedded in the ground. When Peter extracted it and turned it over he was astonished to see a face staring back at him.
On closer inspection, the very early carving looks like a Norman soldier and has obviously suffered much damage over the years.
The lines of the carving have been worn away either by weather or by the stone having been buried and initial research and consultation indicate that this could indeed be an 11th or 12th-century carving. It may once have formed a decorative section of a window arch in the original medieval castle.
Describing the find as ‘intriguing and interesting’ Richard Suggett of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales says, “you occasionally get carved heads set over doorways in houses and this may have been one. Perhaps there was a whole series of mounted heads at the ringwork. The imagination runs riot.”
The carved head found during the restoration of Hay Castle.
The head’s decapitation could have occurred at several points in the castle’s long and turbulent history. Sacked by Llywelyn II, the last prince of Wales, in 1233, the castle was rebuilt under the custody of Henry III but centuries of turmoil followed until the 15th century when the castle passed into the hands of the Beaufort Estates.
The stone head joins an intriguing discovery made by archaeologists excavating in the derelict section of the mansion over the summer months. Hidden below centuries of previous floor levels they found a large, roughly cut spherical stone. The item is approximately 30cm in diameter and weighs about 29kg. Initial thoughts are that it could be a trebuchet ball.
The recently discovered trebuchet ball.
Trebuchets are huge and complex catapulting siege weapons, among several different medieval siege weapons that were first used in Britain in around 1217.
The discovery raises tantalizing questions: was it fired at Hay Castle and found at its resting spot? Who might have fired it and when? There is little documentary evidence about attacks on Hay Castle but it could be possible that the trebuchet ball originates from the Barons’ War of 1263 to 1266.
The Patent Rolls of 1263, the administrative records recording the reign of Henry III, reveal that Prince Edward retaliated against the uprising Barons during the Second Barons’ War and when the town and castle of Radnor were destroyed Edward captured Hay.
“During this era of fighting across the Marches, Hay Castle passed from Bohun to Mortimer, to Simon de Montfort and back to the Mortimer family,” says Mari Fforde, who coordinates a lot of the historical activity on the site. “Maybe it was during these skirmishes that the trebuchet was used?
“Similar trebuchet balls were found at Dryslwyn Castle in Carmarthenshire. It is known from financial accounts that the siege of Dryslwyn in 1287 involved considerable cost in the construction of a counterweight trebuchet which threw balls weighing some 50kg.
This particular trebuchet was then transported to Cardigan, hauled by 40 oxen and 4 carts and escorted by about 500 soldiers. It is exciting to imagine the same scene happening in Hay at some point in the 13th century.”
