EUROPE, GREECE, WORLD

2,000 Ancient Figurines Unearthed on Greek Island

2,000 Ancient Figurines Unearthed on Greek Island

An excavation of the ancient acropolis on the Cycladic island of Kythnos has unearthed more than 2,000 intact votive figurines deposited by worshippers at the sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone over the course of seven centuries.

Hundreds of clay figurines of women, children, actors, Dionysian characters, pigs, turtles, lions, rams, birds and many other animals were recovered, as were hundreds of lamps, miniature vases, marble and alabaster vessels, copper, silver bone and glass jewelry.

One of the oldest settlements in the Cycladic Islands, the ancient city of Kythnos was continuously inhabited from the 12th century B.C. to the 7th century A.D.

The sanctuary complex was built on the northern part of the plateau overlooking the ocean.

It was constructed in stages, with the earliest building dating to the 7th century B.C.

The temple complex was in active use until the 4th century A.D.

Recent excavations have focused on three buildings (3, 4 and 6). In 2021, votive offerings were found under the last floor of Building 5, but the motherload of votive figurines was discovered in Building 3.

They were concentrated in the abandoned embankments in the eastern side of the building. Natural recesses in the rock walls appear to have been used as niches for votive offerings.

Another concentration was found along the south wall of the western part of the building.

Flat stones projecting off the wall at regular intervals at the same height suggest there was once a long wooden shelf where votive objects were left.

An inscribed monumental slab was found inside the door of Building 3. It had been moved from its original location.

The inscription dates to the late Hellenistic period and is the name of a magistrate, likely an official of the sanctuary itself. Several inscribed drinking vessels and votives were also found referring to the two deities of the sanctuary.

The excavation by Greece’s University of Thessaly and the Culture Ministry also found luxury pottery imported from other parts of Greece, ornate lamps, and fragments of ritual vases used in the worship of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis, an ancient Athens suburb.

It is unclear to what extent the site on Kythnos was associated with Eleusis — one of the most important religious centers in ancient Greece, where the goddesses were worshipped during secret rites that were only open to initiates forbidden to speak of what they saw. The sanctuary at Eleusis is known to have owned land on the island.

AFRICA, EGYPT, WORLD

New 3-D Facial Reconstruction of Tutankhamun Released

New 3-D Facial Reconstruction of Tutankhamun Released

New 3-D Facial Reconstruction of Tutankhamun Released
An artist’s depiction of what the ancient Egyptian pharaoh King Tut may have looked like

The pharaoh Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut, is arguably the best-known ruler in ancient Egyptian history. And while much has been written about the royal youth, who held the throne from about the age of 9 until his death a decade later around 1323 B.C., his actual appearance is still a matter of debate. 

But now, a new facial approximation provides a glimpse of what the historical figure may have looked like, revealing new insight into some of the former king’s more peculiar facial characteristics.

“Tutankhamun is of archaeological interest not only because of his world-famous burial treasure but because he ruled for a decade at an important phase in Egyptian history,” Michael Habicht, a senior research fellow at Flinders University in Australia and co-author of the new research, told Live Science in an email. Tut’s father, the revolutionary pharaoh Akhenaten, had discouraged worship of all gods except Aten, the sun disc. But Tut did not follow his father’s ways.

“His reign saw a return to the old gods after his father Akhenaten’s new [Aten] cult had failed and plunged the land on the Nile into chaos,” Habicht said. “Therefore, a forensic facial reconstruction is helpful to get an idea of the appearance of the young king.”

To make the three-dimensional facial approximation of King Tut, an international team of researchers used existing CT (computed tomography) scans of the mummy’s complete skull. They also referenced X-rays and measurements of the skull taken by archaeologists, according to a study published online in May.

Earlier research had noted that Tutankhamun’s skull was slightly longer than normal. The new investigation found additional evidence for this finding: While studying the data, the researchers noticed that he had not only a uniquely shaped head but also an exceedingly large brain volume, especially when compared with cadaver skulls whose scans were also available in the research database.

The average man has a brain volume of approximately 75 cubic inches (1,234 cubic centimeters), whereas the pharaohs was 87 cubic inches (1,432 cubic cm).

“His skull has a particular shape; in our study, the measurements showed affinities with skulls that underwent [skull reshaping], but this does not seem to be the case of Tutankhamun, because although it has a peculiar, elongated shape, everything indicates that it is a natural skull,” study co-researcher Cícero Moraes, a Brazilian graphics expert, told Live Science in an email. “Interestingly, its structure differs from the characteristics of other Egyptian mummies present in our database.”

The researchers created two facial approximations. The first was an “objective” grayscale image showing the pharaoh with his eyes closed in a neutral position. The second, a colorized version that offers “the necessary elements for a complete humanization,” depicts a young man with a shaved head and a dark skin tone wearing eyeliner, as was the style at the time, according to the study. 

A neutral facial approximation of King Tut.

“The objective version is, to my mind, more compelling, with the protuberance of the teeth well noted, and a realistic asymmetry given to the face,” Salima Ikram, a distinguished professor of Egyptology at The American University in Cairo who was not involved in the study, told Live Science in an email.

“The group has bravely based their reconstruction on largely published materials and used robust methodology to carry out the reconstruction,” she said, adding that “the face that they have created is rather reminiscent of the version that the French generated based on the CT scans several years ago.” 

This is far from the first time that a facial approximation has been made of King Tut. In 1983, forensic artist Betty Pat Gatliff created a reconstruction using a plaster cast of his skull. And in 2005, researchers based in France, the United States, and Egypt worked in tandem to create their own separate approximations.

“We can put one more piece in that great and mysterious puzzle that is the story of Tutankhamun,” Moraes said.

CANADA, NORTH AMERICA, WORLD

Indigenous artifacts found near Ottawa give clues to a settlement dating back 10,000 years

Indigenous artifacts found near Ottawa give clues to a settlement dating back 10,000 years

Head archeologist Ian Badgley, pictured on Jan. 23, and his team from the National Capital Commission found the artifacts within hours of starting the dig at the ancient Indigenous settlement.

Archeologists have uncovered a cache of artifacts near Ottawa that could shed new light on trade and communication networks between Indigenous communities thousands of years ago.

The discovery last month in Lac Philippe, Que., included about 50 pieces of rare quartz tools, which suggest that Indigenous peoples may have inhabited the area up to 10,000 years ago.

Head archeologist Ian Badgley and his team from the National Capital Commission found the artifacts within hours of starting the dig at the ancient Indigenous settlement. It was the first time they’d found quartz tools in the area.

Mr. Badgley had originally thought the settlement dated back about 3,000 years.

“We think the quartz could be as old as 10,000 years. It’s an eye-opener,” said Mr. Badgley, manager of the NCC’s archeology program, who has been excavating Indigenous sites in Canada for 50 years.

This is not the first significant discovery in the area. Earlier this year, The Globe and Mail reported that hundreds of thousands of precontact Indigenous artifacts found near Ottawa were being stored in boxes in an office suite in an NCC building steps from Parliament.

Many of the Indigenous tools were shaped from chert quarried millennia ago, including a knife found on Parliament Hill estimated to be about 4,000 years old. Doug Odjick, a member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg council, said Indigenous artifacts from the area help to educate others about the history of his ancestors.

“We’d like to show people that there was life before Champlain arrived,” he said. “There was civilization. There was trade. There were different methods of gathering.”

The National Capital Region where the quartz materials were found is “at the hub of a vast precontact communications and trade network,” Mr. Badgley said.

Ian Badgley, points to a NCC Pre-Contact Communications and Trade Network map.

It is situated at the confluence of three major river systems, which acted as major transportation and trade routes. The Kitigan Zibi traded here with other Indigenous peoples such as the Mohawk and Huron.

When Indigenous communities traded, they exchanged more than material items, Mr. Odjick said. “Part of the deal was the trade of knowledge.”

Chief Simon John, from the Ehattesaht Tribe on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, said a lot of this traditional knowledge has been lost. Many Indigenous peoples rely on oral history to pass down stories, traditions, and culture. While the discovery of Indigenous artifacts may validate relationships between communities, he added, they don’t tell the whole story. Indigenous students from the Anishinabe Odjibikan federally funded archeological field school are taking part in the next stage of excavations this week, and are excited to discover what the finds can tell them about their ancestors.

The students are from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, located north of Gatineau, and the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, about 150 kilometers southwest of Ottawa. Jenna Kohoko is one of the students from Pikwakanagan First Nation. While the group was not a part of the initial Lac Philippe digs, they helped clean the first batch of quartz.

“I love looking at the quartz artifacts,” Ms. Kohoko said. “It really says to me that we were here so long ago, we occupy the space, and we were here a lot earlier than people assume.”

Archeologists have also uncovered quartz materials in Pikwakanagan, more than 100 kilometers away from Gatineau Park. Mr. Badgley said the team will be comparing the quartz from these two sites; the new materials are currently being radiocarbon dated in a lab at the University of Ottawa.

They are eagerly awaiting the results, which will take around three months to come in.

“This will tell us more about who these people are, who they were related to, where they were living, and how they moved around,” he said. “It’s exciting.”

ENGLAND, EUROPE, WORLD

Retiree Uncovers Wooden Artifact 2,000 Years Older than Stonehenge

Retiree Uncovers Wooden Artifact 2,000 Years Older than Stonehenge

A piece of decoratively carved wood found during a construction project has been declared the oldest in Britain.

The 6,000-year-old piece of oak, found in Boxford, Berkshire, is only the second wood carving to be found from the Mesolithic period.

It was discovered preserved in peat at the bottom of a trench.

The wood is being conserved by Historic England at Fort Cumberland, Portsmouth, and will eventually go on display at West Berkshire Museum in Newbury.

Retiree Uncovers Wooden Artifact 2,000 Years Older than Stonehenge
The timber was preserved in peat at the bottom of a trench that had been dug for foundations

Landowner Derek Fawcett has been working with Historic England and the Boxford History Project since finding the timber four years ago.

He said: “It was clearly very old and appeared well preserved in peat. After hosing it down, we saw that it had markings that appeared unnatural and possibly man-made.”

The timber has been carbon dated to between 4640 BC and 4605 BC, making it around 2,000 years older than Stonehenge, and 500 years older than the only other known piece of carved Mesolithic timber, which was found near Maerdy in Rhondda Cynon Taf in 2012.

The large timber was carved 2,000 years before Stonehenge was built

Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson said: “This exciting find has helped to shine new light on our distant past and we’re grateful to the landowner for recognising its significance.

“Amazing discoveries like these remind us of the power of archaeology to uncover the hidden narratives that connect us to our roots.”

The waterlogged carved oak is one metre long, 0.42 metres wide and 0.2 metres thick.

The wood is being conserved at Historic England’s Fort Cumberland facility

It was found about 1.5 metres (5ft) below the surface not far from the present course of the River Lambourn in a layer of peat.

Mr Fawcett has donated the timber to the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury where it will eventually go on display.

The museum is also working with the Boxford History Project to arrange for the timber to go on loan to the Boxford village heritage centre.

Uncategorized

Archaeologists say 12,000-year-old flutes discovered in northern Israel may have been used to lure falcons

Archaeologists say 12,000-year-old flutes discovered in northern Israel may have been used to lure falcons

Archaeologists say 12,000-year-old flutes discovered in northern Israel may have been used to lure falcons

New research reveals that about 12,000 years ago, in northern Israel, humans turned the bones of small birds into instruments that imitated the songs of certain birds.

The small flutes could have been used to make music, call birds or even communicate over short distances, the researchers suggest on June 9 in Scientific Reports.

The authors of the study explain that Palaeolithic communities could use the sound of these objects to communicate, attract preys when hunting, or even to make music.

An international team of archaeologists and ethnomusicologists led by José Miguel Tejero, a researcher at the University of Barcelona’s Prehistoric Studies and Research Seminar (SERP) and the University of Vienna’s Laboratory of Paleogenetics, and Laurent Davin, from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), conducted the study.

The objects were discovered at the archaeological site of Eynan (Ain Mallaha) in northern Israel, which dates from the Late Natufian archaeological period or culture and has been excavated by a Franco-Israeli team since 1955.

The archaeological site of Eynan (Ain Mallaha)was inhabited from 12,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE, around the time when humans were undergoing a massive revolution from nomadic hunter-gatherers to more sedentary, semi-settled communities.

These seven flutes (each shown from three views) made from the bones of small waterfowl are the oldest known wind instruments from the Middle East, a new study says. The largest measures only about 63 millimeters, or 2.5 inches.

The French-Israeli team of archaeologists discovered fragments of seven different flutes, dating to around 10,000 BCE, which is the largest collection of prehistoric sound-producing instruments ever found in the Levant.

Dr. Laurent Davin, a postdoctoral fellow at Hebrew University, was looking over some of the recovered bones when he noticed tiny holes drilled at regular intervals along a few of them.

The holes were initially dismissed by experts as normal wear and tear on the delicate bird bones. However, when Davin examined the bones more closely, he noticed that the holes were at very even intervals and were clearly made by humans.

“One of the flutes was discovered complete, and so far as is known it is the only one in the world in this state of preservation,” Davin said in a press release that accompanied the article’s publication.

The instruments were unearthed from the remains of small stone dwellings at a lakeside site called Eynan-Mallaha. All of the flutes were made from the wing bones of waterfowl that spent winter months at the lake, Laurent Davin notes. Of the seven flutes found, the largest appears to be intact and is about 63 millimeters (2.5 inches) long.

The wing bone of a modern female mallard was used by Davin and his team to create a precise replica of the prehistoric flute. When played, the instrument made high-pitched sounds similar to common kestrel and Eurasian sparrowhawk calls, raising the possibility that the instruments were used to entice birds.

Davin says that such flutes may have been worn while hunting. The largest flute was red ochre-decorated and had a worn spot where it may have hung from a string or a strip of leather.

The flute represents an important discovery, but it’s not music to everyone’s ears. But it opens a window into a fascinating point in human development, the complexity of society and their ability to make tools.

ASIA, CHINA, WORLD

Explore 1,400-year-old ruins, submerged in Eastern China – Atlantis of China

Explore 1,400-year-old ruins, submerged in Eastern China – Atlantis of China

Deep in Qiandao Lake, between China’s Five Lion Mountains, lie the mysterious ruins of two ancient cities, dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties. Known as the ‘Atlantis of China,’ the place is largely preserved intact even after centuries.

Qiandao Lake, also known as Thousand Island Lake, is a sprawling body of fresh water, covering 573 sq. km. The name comes from the fact that there are over a thousand islands in the lake.

The underwater city of Shicheng is a magnificent, mysterious time capsule of Imperial China. Shi Cheng – which means Lion City in Mandarin – was purposely flooded in 1959 to make way for the Xin’an Dam and its adjoining hydroelectric station.

This was a massive government project that forced 300,000 people to relocate their homes as more than 1,300 villages and tens of thousands of acres of farmland were flooded and submerged.

In addition to the direct impact on the local residents, two ancient cities located in the valley at the foot of the mountain were also submerged into the lake.

Explore 1,400-year-old ruins, submerged in Eastern China – Atlantis of China

The city was “rediscovered” in 2001 when the Chinese government organized an expedition to see what might remain of the lost metropolis.

The early divers found Shi Cheng to be largely intact, with many of the structures, carvings, guardian lions, and arches still preserved. There have been efforts to map & document Shi Cheng by divers and researchers, as well as looking into protective measures to prevent damage to it.

In January 2011, the cities were declared historical relics under the protection of the Zhejiang Province.

Shi Cheng was once the center of politics and economics in the eastern providence of Zhejiang. It is believed the city of Shi Cheng was built during the Tang Dynasty in 621 AD. Based on records of the region’s history, it is thought to be quite large, possibly over 60 football fields, and featuring 265 arches throughout the city. 

Shi Cheng was also unusual in that it was constructed with 5 city gates and towers, as opposed to the norm of 4.  The city of He Cheng is believed to date back even further to the Han Dong dynasty (25 -200 AD).

The city achieved the zenith of its glory from 1368-1644 when the Ming dynasty ruled China. The existing walls of the city date to the sixteenth century.

In 2014, after the authorities realized that the city was intact below water, they allowed tourists to visit the area by diving. Visitors can relish the 1,400-year-old architectural wonders at the diving site. However, only expert divers are allowed.

Today, advanced divers can get up close to the ruins with dive operators such as Big Blue and Zi Ao Diving Club, which run regular dives between April and November. Since the ruins have yet to be fully mapped, the dive is still considered “Exploratory”.

EUROPE, SPAIN, WORLD

Stone Penis Found in Medieval Spanish Ruins Had Violent Purpose

Stone Penis Found in Medieval Spanish Ruins Had Violent Purpose

Stone Penis Found in Medieval Spanish Ruins Had Violent Purpose

Archaeologists found a six-inch stone penis while excavating the Tower of Meira (Torre de Meira) in the city of Ría de Vigo in the northwest region of Spain.

Phallic symbolism is commonly found in prehistoric artifacts, but it is less common in finds from the medieval era. That’s why archaeologists couldn’t understand why this object was on medieval grounds.

But now the relic stands out, not just for its phallic form, but for its violent purpose – to sharpen weapons in preparation for bloody battles during the Irmandiño War in Spain.

Experts said this kind of symbolism may have been related to the violent uprisings taking place in the region around the time when the tower was demolished.

Torre de Meira was brought down in 1476 during the Irmandiño revolts when peasants rose up against the Spanish nobility. Some 130 castles and forts suffered the same fate.

According to Darío Peña from the Árbore Arqueoloxía team, sharpening stones are commonly discovered at medieval sites, and can have different forms.

The archaeologists determined the function of the stone penis by observing a distinct pattern of wear on one side of the phallic whetstone.

Archaeologists believe the medieval stone phallus was used to sharpen weapons.

The artifact’s cultural significance is unknown, but its proximity to the fortified tower may provide some insight. It might have had a symbolic significance in relation to the war or served a useful function during that trying time.

“It materializes the symbolic association between violence, weapons, and masculinity,” archaeologist Darío Peña told  Hyperallergic. “An association that we know existed in the Middle Ages and that is present in our culture today.”

The phallic stone was found among other artifacts including pottery and stone spindles according to Árbore Arqueoloxía e Restauración S. Coop. Galega, the group leading the excavations.

Excavations at this site began around 3 years ago. In the first phase of excavations, the tower was excavated and restored by Arbore. Just last year, the focus was shifted to the structure’s surrounding wall, and finally, the focus was shifted to the excavation of the main building.

Archaeologists plan to continue excavations at the site, after seeking permission from the landowners in the municipality of Moaña.

EUROPE, SPAIN, WORLD

Freshwater and marine shells used as ornaments 30,000 years ago were discovered in Spain

Freshwater and marine shells used as ornaments 30,000 years ago were discovered in Spain

In Malaga’s Cueva de Ardales, up to 13 freshwater and marine shells that were carefully transformed by humans between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago have been discovered.

According to a study published in the environmental scientific journal Environmental Archaeology, the first Homo sapiens wore necklaces and earrings made from seashells from the Bay of Malaga.

This incredible discovery was the result of research conducted in collaboration with the Neanderthal Museum of Colonia, the University of Colonia, and the Cueva de Ardales, according to a press release from the University of Cadiz.

This archaeological enclave is now once more among the most significant in the Iberian Peninsula thanks to the discovery. When it comes to the Paleolithic era, body adornments are a subject of great interest to the scientific community.

According to the scientific article, the shells were “carefully transformed” by humans of the genus Homo sapiens into ornaments and pendants to decorate the bodies of these groups that occupied the Ardales Cave.

The symbolic value of these natural supports and the distance that human groups occasionally traveled to gather them and turn them into decorative elements represented a significant advancement in the development of cognition.

The analysis of these shells has been headed by UCA professor Juan Jesús Cantillo Duarte.

“It is unusual to find this type of marine remains in caves located so far inland and with such an ancient chronology. On the Mediterranean, only a little more than a hundred remains were known, and all of them are located on the coast,” Duarte said.

“ The inhabitants of the Ardales cave, however, had to travel a distance of more than 50 km to collect the shells on the coast”, added Professor José Ramos.

Also noteworthy was: “the presence of vermetids, a kind of tube-shaped snail that is uncommon in the archaeological record”, stressed Cantillo Duarte.

The chronological framework and the association of these ornaments with the rock art and lithic remains documented inside the cave confirm their social dimension.

“The results of the excavations in the Ardales Cave suggest that it was used as a place for specialized symbolic activities during various phases of the Upper Palaeolithic,” said Pedro Cantalejo, research director of the Ardales Cave, for whom the cave still has much to tell.

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