Ancient Roman ‘fridge’ unearthed with wine and animal bones still inside, photos show
While excavating an ancient Roman military camp in Bulgaria, archaeologists unearthed a rare — and relatable — find: a stocked refrigerator.
Archaeologists were excavating the ruins of Novae, a Roman-era military fortress, when they uncovered lead and ceramic water pipes, the University of Warsaw said in a Sept. 13 news release.
Next to the lead pipes, they found an ancient “fridge,” a food storage unit made with ceramic plates, lead archaeologist Piotr Dyczek said in the release. The fridge still had a meal inside, including wine drinking vessels, bowls and animal bones.
The exact age of the fridge and its contents have not yet been determined.
A similar fridge was found in Novae last October, McClatchy News reported. This cooling unit still had traces of cooked meat, animal bones and dish fragments inside.
“The discovery of such ‘refrigerators’ are rare, because they rarely survive reconstructions of buildings,” Dyczek said previously.
An aerial view shows some of the ruins at Novae.
Novae was built for Roman troops in the first century A.D. as a permanent base on the lower Danube River. The camp housed Italian military recruits until the middle of the fifth century.
Excavations at Novae also uncovered ruins of a wooden barracks building linked to the camp’s first permanently-stationed Roman troops, the camp’s earliest known well and a furnace from the fourth century, the release said.
A collection of wine pottery vessels found at Novae.
Archaeologists also unearthed a rare set of wine drinking vessels with a black coloring and a small, silver pendant in the shape of a detailed mouse. Photos show these artifacts.
A detailed mouse pendant was found at Novae.
Novae is in the northern Bulgarian city of Svishtov, about 155 miles northeast of Sofia and along the Bulgaria-Romania border.
Two Roman Britain swords unearthed – first time two have been found in the ground together
Two Roman Britain swords have been unearthed—the first time a pair has been found together, experts say. The 2,000-year-old ‘rare and important’ Roman cavalry swords, along with wooden scabbards and fitments, were discovered in the Cotswolds.
The Roman Cavalry Swords were found near Cirencester
They were discovered near Cirencester by Glenn Manning during a metal detectorist rally. Experts say they ”can’t think of finds of more than one sword being deposited in any similar circumstance from Roman Britain”.
The swords were appraised by Professor Simon James from Leicester University who says they are middle imperial Roman swords commonly referred to as a spatha.
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Cotswold District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture, and Health, and Emma Stuart, Corinium Museum Director with the Roman Cavalry Swords. Release date September 18, 2023. See SWNS story SWMRsword. Two Roman Britain swords have been unearthed – the first time a pair have been found together, experts say. The 2,000-year-old ‘rare and important’ Roman cavalry swords along with wooden scabbards and fitments were discovered in the Cotswolds. They were discovered near Cirencester by Glenn Manning during a metal detectorist rally. Experts say they ”cant think of finds of more than one sword being deposited in any similar circumstance from Roman Britain”. Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, said: People famously asked, What have the Romans ever done for us?. ”Well, they have just given us some amazing examples of weapons used almost 2000 years ago when Cirencester was the second biggest town in Britain.’ ”This is truly a remarkable archaeological find and I cant wait for visitors to see them on display in the years to come. The swords were appraised by Professor Simon James from Leicester University who says they are middle imperial Roman swords commonly referred to as a spatha. They were in use in the Roman world probably by the 160s, through the later second century, and far into the third century AD.
They were in use in the Roman world probably by the 160s, through the later second century, and far into the third century AD.
Their considerable length suggests that they are cavalry weapons – meaning they were intended for use on horseback.
Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, said: “People famously asked, ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’.
‘Well, they have just given us some amazing examples of weapons used almost 2000 years ago when Cirencester was the second biggest town in Britain.’
”This is truly a remarkable archaeological find and I can’t wait for visitors to see them on display in the years to come.”
It was not illegal for civilians to own such weapons and to carry them for travelling because Roman provinces were plagued with banditry.
Proffessor James, said: “In terms of parallels, I can’t think of finds of more than one sword being deposited in any similar circumstance from Roman Britain.
”The closest that springs to mind was a pair of similar swords found in Canterbury—with their owners, face down in a pit within the city walls, clearly a clandestine burial, almost certainly a double murder.”
Soon after the discovery, Kurt Adams, Finds Liaison Officer, deposited the finds with the Corinium Museum to ensure their preservation.
Historic England is assisting the museum by arranging for the swords to go for further analysis under x-ray.
An archaeological appraisal at the dig site in the north of the Cotswolds may follow to help put the swords into context, as we don’t know why they ended up buried in the Cotswolds.
A Painted Vault Lid Discovered In the Royal Palace Of Ek’ Balam Will Shed Light On the History Of The Acropolis Of Ek’
Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a painted ancient vault lid, decorated with a depiction of a serpent. The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), registered this unpublished mural painting on the stone artifact.
Find a painted vault top, Ek’ Balam.
Ek’ Balam is a Yucatec-Maya archaeological site within the municipality of Temozón, Yucatán, Mexico. It lies in the Northern Maya lowlands, 25 kilometers (16 mi) north of Valladolid and 56 kilometers (35 mi) northeast of Chichen Itza. The place was particularly important from the Preclassic period until the Postclassic period. During this time, it played an essential role as the seat of a Mayan kingdom.
The site is noted for preserving the plaster on the tomb of Ukit Kan Lek Tok’, the most important ruler of the Maya city of Ek Balam during the Late Classic period (A.D. 600 to 900), buried on the side of the largest pyramid.
Archaeologists also informed us that this discovery of the stone block – used by the ancient Mayans as a vault lid, in one of the structures of the Ek’ Balam Acropolis – will play a crucial role in deciphering the history of the Ek’ Balam Acropolis.
This block is the seventh painted vault lid unearthed in the last year in this archaeological zone of excavations of Yucatan.
Find painted vault top, Ek’ Balam.
The finding was announced at the morning press conference of the Mexican Presidency, headed on this occasion by the Secretary of the Interior, Luisa María Alcalde Luján, where the progress of work of the Mayan Train Section 4, which will travel 239 kilometers between the Izamal stations, in Yucatan, and Cancun Airport, in Quintana Roo, were presented.
The general director of the INAH, Diego Prieto Hernández, explained that, with the recent discovery of this vault lid, there are 30 of these architectural elements registered over the years at the site, which have provided relevant data, such as the names of some of the rulers of the kingdom of Talol (Ek’ Balam), as well as the dates when the rooms of the royal palace or Acropolis were constructed.
According to the team, unlike the earlier discovered stone lids, the recently one does not have black paint strokes, but was painted in red color.
The lid represents a symbol in the form of a “U”, which could resemble a cave with underground water, probably allusion to the underworld, where a snake seems to enter. The head and part of the body of the reptile is seen, which could be related to the serpentine foot of the god K’awiil.
K’awiil represents a Maya deity associated with lightning, serpents, maize, and fertility. He is depicted with a zoomorphic head, with large eyes, long, upturned snout, and attenuated serpent foot.
The discovery of the lid will contribute to more information about the builders of the elite enclosures of the East Elevated Plaza of the Acropolis, as well as the date on which they were erected, as pointed out the directors of the Ek’ Balam Archaeological Project, Leticia Vargas de la Peña and Víctor Castillo Borges.
Ek’ Balam archaeological site.
Ek’ Balam was occupied from the Middle Preclassic through the Postclassic, although it ceased to thrive as a major city past the Late Classic.
It is worth mentioning that in this sector of the building, the facades of the rooms decorated with the stuccoed reliefs of captors and captives were recently found.
The head of the INAH stressed that the implementation of the Improvement Program in Archaeological Zones (Promeza), in 27 sites in the southeast and the Yucatan Peninsula, which will see an increased influx of visitors due to the operation of the Mayan Train, has led to important discoveries, such as the one described.
In this sense, he added, the Promeza has made it possible to realize various projects in the Archaeological Zone of Chichen Itza, the most recent, the public opening of the Chichen Viejo section or Initial Series.
The research and conservation tasks in Chichen Itza, to which 14% is left to conclude, have focused on important structures, such as the Great Ball Game, the Temple of the Warriors, the Annex of the Nuns, the House of the Snails and the Moon, and the Group of the Nuns; while the signage has been completely renovated.
The head of the INAH stressed that the implementation of the Improvement Program in Archaeological Zones (Promeza), in 27 sites in the southeast and the Yucatan Peninsula, which will see an increased influx of visitors due to the operation of the Mayan Train, has led to important discoveries, such as the one described.
In this sense, he added, the Promeza has made it possible to realize various projects in the Archaeological Zone of Chichen Itza, the most recent, the public opening of the Chichen Viejo section or Initial Series.
The research and conservation tasks in Chichen Itza, to which 14% is left to conclude, have focused on important structures, snd among them the famous Great Ball Game, the Temple of the Warriors, the Annex of the Nuns, the House of the Snails and the Moon, and the Group of the Nuns; while the signage has been completely renovated.
Remarkably Well-Preserved 2,500-Year-Old Canoe Discovered In Swiss Lake
Archaeologists have discovered a remarkably well-preserved dugout canoe from the Early Iron Age in Lake Neuchâtel in western Switzerland.
According to the Vaud canton’s archaeology department, the 13-meter-long canoe was resting at a depth of 3.5 meters on a sandbank on the north shore of the lake.
After months of careful preparation, scientists could lift the canoe and pull it out of the lake.
Experts assisted the cantonal archaeologists in underwater salvage techniques. This delicate operation required many months of preparation.
“This is an archaeological discovery of considerable importance for our understanding of the prehistory of the region.
Its radiocarbon analysis dates it to between 750 and 520 B.C., a time when there were no villages on the shores of the lakes.
The old canoe is still, despite its age, in good condition.
It is one of the very few boats from this period in Switzerland that has been preserved almost in its entirety,” said cantonal archaeologist Nicole Pousaz at the press conference.
The canoe has now been transported to a lab for special analysis. Archaeologists examine it to see what clues it holds to life during this time.
Photogrammetry and laser measurements will also be used to create a 3D model of what the canoe would have looked like, fully intact.
The canoe will be carefully transported to a specially equipped facility for in-depth study.
“She’s a very sickly old lady. Part of the sides of the canoe were torn out by storms, and the portion buried in the sediment was very cracked. It’s a very fragile object,” Jean-Daniel Renaud, who runs a company specializing in the technical aspects of underwater and terrestrial archaeology, told the press agency Keystone-SDA.
“It was made at the time from an oak trunk about 13 meters long and about a meter in diameter.
This type of canoe, which was particularly large, was mainly used for transporting goods and people or for fishing,” added Renaud.
According to the specialist, it is one of the largest and most complete canoes of its kind to have been discovered in Switzerland.
Huge Ancient Sarayini Underground City Is Twice As Large As Previously Thought
Scientists knew the ancient underground city they examined was huge, but now it’s obvious it’s twice as large as previously thought! What secrets does this mysterious ancient place hide? How many underground tunnels, galleries, chambers, and unknown rooms still await discovery?
The ancient Sarayini underground city covers at least 20,000 square meters. Image credit: Anadolu Agency (AA)
The ancient underground city in Sarayönü, a district of Konya in Turkey, dates back to the Roman period. When first examined by archaeologists, it was thought the subterranean city covered an area of 5000 m2, but a recent investigation reveals this enigmatic ancient place is at least 20,000 square meters, if not even more!
In co-operation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Sarayönü Municipality, scientists are investigating the ancient underground city for the second year.
What has been discovered so far is fascinating. There are dozens of underground rooms connected to each other by tunnels of different lengths and widths. Many corridors, tunnels, and galleries are still waiting to be cleaned, so it is currently difficult to determine where they lead.
Is Sarayini Turkey’s Largest Underground City In Horizontal Architecture?
The history of the subterranean place, which includes domestic spaces, connected galleries, room-like living spaces, water wells, furnaces, workshops, chimneys, oil lamps for lighting, cellars, warehouses, ventilation, and spaces whose quality has yet to be investigated, dates back to the 8th century.
Hasan Uguz, archaeologist and head of excavations of Konya Museums Directorate, said that based on the findings, scientists determined that “the local Christian people used the underground city in the 8th century to protect themselves from the raids that lasted for 150 years” the Konya News reports.
Uguz explained that elderly people who had lived here all their lives used to play in the tunnels as children. Locals knew a very large underground city was here, but no one could even guess how vast it was. Scientists did not think the underground tunnels, corridors, and rooms could spread over such a large area.
Uguz said it is possible this is the largest underground city in Turkey ever discovered in horizontal architecture.
“We may have found one of the largest underground cities in Central Anatolia. The rumors of the people of the region and the collapses in different places show us that the underground city can spread over a very wide area and that it can be a very long tunnel system.
The openings and dents we caught give positive signals at this point. It is an important historical and tourist discovery, as no other underground city is known in the region,” Uguz told the Konya News.
Ancient Sarayini Underground City Was A Comfortable Place
“In our research, we noticed that 19th-century European travelers refer to this region as Sarayini. The people living here also say this. The real name of this place is Sarayini. It has been determined that the caves resemble a palace because of their very spacious, comfortable, interconnected, and high-quality-of-life architecture, and in this sense, it is called Sarayini,” Uguz told the Anadolu Agency.
The archaeologists explained that scientists discovered a very wide corridor resembling what could be best described as a main street. On the left and right sides of the corridor were galleries connected by tunnels and other corridors.
The ancient underground city gives the impression of being prepared for people to live as comfortably as possible, almost like residing in a palace.
In an interview with the Anadolu Agency, Uguz said the archaeological investigations continue. During excavations, the science team discovered altar-type tombstones, tomb stelae made in the Roman period, sophisticated artificial walls built, and a north-south oriented structure reminiscent of a wooden cross.
Uguz explained that the underground city’s human capacity and exact size will become clear as the work progresses.
Soil currents coming from some submerged places with water filled the spaces between 30 and 80 cm. After the spaces are cleaned and exposed, the capacity and size of human accommodation will become clear. There are domestic spaces and interconnected galleries that excite us.
The most important thing for us is the discovery of this place and the start of the work. This underground mystery, how people lived here, how these places were created at that time attracts attention,” Uguz said.
This Is One Of The Oldest Pieces Of Cloth In The World And It’s Made Of Bast Fibers!
Archaeological discoveries provide us with vital information about the daily life of our ancestors. What did ancient people eat and drink, and what kind of clothes did they wear? These are some of the many questions occupying the minds of those interested in ancient history.
Scientists have discovered incredible textiles that have survived for thousands of years and can now be analyzed with the help of modern technology.
Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük.
At La Marmotta near Rome, Italy, underwater archaeologists found rare and well-preserved cloth fragments produced by people more than 8,000 years ago. Scientists are especially impressed with four extraordinary small textile fragments that researchers at the University of Copenhagen are currently analyzing. The Neolithic textiles were most likely made of plant fibers.
While excavating at Giza, Egypt, archaeologists discovered the only complete ancient Egyptian bead-net dress found to date in one of the tombs!
The 4,500-year-old dress was comprised of “several thousand faience beads divided among thirty small, rounds boxes of varied sizes, none larger than five inches in diameter.”
“This individual was wrapped, each limb individually, to simulate a living person, and covering her was the front half of a narrow V-necked sheath. Our final bead-net reconstruction produced, therefore, not a shroud-like mummy covering, but rather a dress that simulated a garment actually worn in life,” Millicent Jick at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston said.
Another incredible Egyptian discovery is the Tarkhan Dress, a V-neck linen shirt that has been confirmed as the world’s oldest woven garment, with radiocarbon testing dating the garment to the late fourth millennium B.C.
Glacial archaeologists have also successfully recovered amazing clothes and shoes that have been buried under the ice in Norway for a very long time. At the Lendbreen, a pass high in the Norwegian mountains, scientists found two complete pieces of clothing. One of them is a 1,700-year-old tunic.
The Lendbreen tunic is Norway’s oldest piece of clothing, and despite being hidden beneath the snow for so many years, it’s still very well-preserved.
One of the world’s oldest pieces of cloth was unearthed in Çatalhöyük, Turkey. This archaeological discovery of Stone Age textiles sheds new light on the history of clothes making.
Çatalhöyük, is the world’s largest known Stone Age settlement and one of the most famous archaeological sites. As many as 10,000 people lived in Çatalhöyük in Turkey some 8,000-9,000 years ago. This makes it the largest known settlement from what archaeologists call the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.
Ever since the first discovery of pieces of cloth unearthed at the site, experts have been discussing what kind of clothes people wore in Çatalhöyük. Some specialists believed that people made their clothes from wool. Others thought they made them out of linen instead. So who’s right? Neither, actually.
This piece of cloth is from the Stone Age. For 60 years, academics have debated whether it is made of wool or linen. So what is it really made of? The answer will surprise you. Credit: Antoinette Rast-Eicher, University of Bern
As explained by Bender Jørgensen, a specialist in archaeological textiles and Professor emerita from NTNU’s Department of Historical and Classical Studies, “In the past, researchers largely neglected the possibility that the fabric fibers could be anything other than wool or linen, but lately another material has received more attention.”
People in Çatalhöyük used assorted varieties of exactly this material.
“Bast fibers were used for thousands of years to make rope, thread, and in turn also yarn and cloth,” says Bender Jørgensen.
As it turns out, people in this area did not import linen from elsewhere, as many researchers have previously thought, but used the resources they had plentiful access to.
Bender Jørgensen notes that a lot of people often overlook bast fiber as an early material. “Linen tends to dominate the discussion about the types of fabric fibers people used,” she says.
People in Çatalhöyük used oak bark, but bast fibers can also be collected from other plants. Here we see Jute, a natural vegetable bast fiber that is obtained from the bark of the jute plant. Jute is known as the Golden Fiber because of its golden color.
Ancient civilizations were resourceful and highly creative. Producing textiles made of bast fibers had several advantages. Bast fiber is found between the bark and the wood in trees such as willow, oak, or linden. The people from Catalhöyük used oak bark and thus fashioned their clothes from the bark of trees that they found in their surroundings.
Possible 400-Year-Old Ritual Objects From Egypt Identified
‘People in the Early Ottoman Period consulted popular sorcerers, alongside their formal belief in the official religion, say the Israeli archeologists
Itamar Taxel, Israel Antiquities Authority. The excavation area in the Eilat hills of Israel.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) released on Monday archeological findings of “magical” artifacts on the Darb al-Hajj pilgrimage route from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, which passed through the Sinai Peninsula.
The assemblage of artifacts was first discovered in the 1990s in the Eilat region, near the Red Sea. The team of Israelis analyzed the rare collection of objects, and determined that they were used for magic rituals about 400 years ago, “to ward off the evil eye, to heal diseases and more.”
“This discovery reveals that people in the Early Ottoman Period—just as today—consulted popular sorcerers, alongside the formal belief in the official religion,” said Dr. Itamar Taxel of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Dr. Nitzan Amitai-Preiss of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority. A clay female figurine was found at the excavation area in the Eilat hills of Israel.
The archeologists said the objects may have been broken purposely during the ceremonies, describing one of the objects as “fragments of clay globular rattles, mostly similar to table tennis balls, containing small stones that sound when the rattle was shaken.”
Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities. AuthorityColored quartz pebbles were found at the excavation area in the Eilat hills of Israel.
In addition, there were two artifacts “similar to miniature votive incense altars,” as well as figurines, particularly of a naked woman “or a goddess with raised hands, a characteristic feature of deities or priests,” and some colored quartz pebbles.
“This is the first time that such a large assemblage of ritual objects of this kind has been found, and it is even more unique at a temporary site and not a permanent settlement,” the researchers stated, describing the material as coming from Egypt.
Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities AuthorityClay rattle fragment found at the excavation area in the Eilat hills of Israel.
The location where the artifacts were found was next to Darb al-Hajj pilgrimage road that started in Cairo and wound through the Sinai Peninsula into the Arabian Peninsula.
The road was used from the 7th century CE — the advent of Islam — until the 19th century CE.
“The road and adjacent archaeological sites are to become part of a unique regional archaeological-touristic area promoted by the Ministry of Tourism,” Dr. Omry Barzilai, Southern Regional Archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said about the special site.
Uzi Avner, Dead Sea-Arava Science Center. Part of the Darb al-Hajj pilgrimage route in the Eilat mountains of Israel.
The research was recently published in the Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World.
Animal Tracks And Human Footprints In Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherer Rock Art In Namibia
Namibia is rich in hunter-gatherer rock art from the Later Stone Age (LSA); this is a tradition of which well-executed engravings of animal tracks in large numbers are characteristic.
Hidden panel of the RAS 8 rock art site. The narrow corridor RAS 8-N, with engravings on both sides which extend as far inside as the lower exfoliated rock face; from the position of the photographer at the entrance, this is situated roughly three metres into the corridor (photograph: T. Lenssen-Erz).
The sites examined in this study are located in the Doro! nawas mountains of Namibia, and have abundance of track engravings on single panels.
A recent research project, from which this article has emerged, has attempted to fill the research gap; it entailed indigenous tracking experts from the Kalahari analysing engraved animal tracks and human footprints in a rock art region in central Western Namibia, the Doro! nawas Mountains, which is the site of recently discovered rock art.
In this study, the researchers defined the species, sex, age group and exact leg of the specific animal or human depicted in more than 90% of the engravings they analysed (N = 513).
Exceptional panel from the RAS 6 rock art site. RAS 6-C is the most visible panel of RAS 6, featuring depictions of extraordinarily detailed giraffes and ostriches (above: engravings in their original condition; below: digitally enhanced images of the engravings; photographs and artwork by P. Breunig).
Their work further demonstrates that the variety of fauna is much richer in engraved tracks than in depictions of animals in the same engraving tradition.
The analyses reveal patterns that evidently arise from culturally determined preferences. The study represents further confirmation that indigenous knowledge, with its profound insights into a range of particular fields, has the capacity to considerably advance archaeological research.
Stone Age depictions of human footprints and animal tracks in Doro Nawas Mountains, Namibia. Credit: Andreas Pastoors
Prehistoric hunter-gatherers arguably depended for their survival on their ability to draw as much information as possible from the tracks of animals and people. As much as prehistoric rock art itself is a global phenomenon, so is the occurrence of tracks within the spectrum of motifs.
Among the 513 tracks analyzed in total, the experts identified 345 quadrupeds and 62 bird tracks (407 in total from 40 different species; Rhinoceros sp. is listed as a taxon, but not counted as a separate species).
We divide these into a group of ’frequently’ depicted species (10 depictions or more), a second group of ‘less frequently’ depicted species (between 3 and 9 depictions), and a group of ’rarely’ depicted species (one or two specimens only). The animal track engravings encompass 39 species, including herbivores, felines, other predators, birds and primates.
Doro! nawas is an area of about 50 x 30 km directly west of the World Heritage Site /Ui//aes-Twyfelfontein. Ui//aes-Twyfelfontein is considered to be among the largest rock engraving sites in sub-Saharan Africa, with a rich variety of motifs.
The sites at Doro! nawas located only a few kilometres to its west add considerably to this range; they include several large depictions of humans and particularly large naturalistic engravings of elephants, neither of which occur at all at the World Heritage Site. It is the area’s wealth of animal track engravings that makes it an ideal subject for the present study.
Paper – “Animal tracks and human footprints in prehistoric hunter-gatherer rock art of the Doro! nawas mountains (Namibia), analysed by present-day indigenous tracking experts.”
