Archaeology News articles

LAWRENCE, KANSAS—A new study of pollen samples dated to between 45,000 and 50,000 years ago suggests that early modern humans may have encountered a period of warmer temperatures, higher humidity, grasslands, and coniferous forests as they migrated across Europe and Asia and into Siberia, according to a statement released by the University of Kansas. Koji Shichi of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Masami Izuho of Tokyo Metropolitan University, Kenji Kashiwaya of Kanazawa University, and Ted Goebel of the University of Kansas created a chronology of environmental changes at Siberia’s Lake Baikal with the data collected from the pollen samples. The study “provides critical insights into environmental conditions at Lake Baikal, using pollen records to reveal surprising warmth during this period,” Goebel explained. The researchers acknowledge, however, that more evidence of the presence of modern humans in the region during the Pleistocene is needed. Read the original s...

An intact skeleton of a woman lying next to a stunning necklace and other important artifacts from the Early Minoan era (circa 2,600 BC), were unearthed recently at the archaeological site of Sisi on Crete. Sisi, located in the prefecture of Lasithi, represents one of the most important Bronze Age excavations on Crete in the past decade because of its extent, chronological range and the type of buildings discovered. The site sits on the coastal hill of Kephali of Agios Antonios, locally known as Buffo. Its strategic position attracted the attention of early settlers and from its initial foundation around 2600 BC, it remained occupied until the end of the Bronze Age around 1200 BC.                                From: Greek Reporter Visit Website https://www.weaversnest.org/ for more information on Archaeology and History.                 ...

Research from the University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University reveals humans were constructing wooden structures 476,000 years ago at Kalambo Falls, Zambia. This discovery, dated using advanced techniques, highlights the early human capability to settle and challenges previous notions about Stone Age lifestyles. Half a million years ago, earlier than was previously thought possible, humans were building structures made of wood,  according to new research by a team from the University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University.  The research, published in the journal Nature, reports on the excavation of well-preserved wood at the archaeological site of Kalambo Falls, Zambia, dating back at least 476,000 years and predating the evolution of our own species, Homo sapiens. Expert analysis of stone tool cut marks on the wood shows that these early humans shaped and joined two large logs to make a structure, probably the foundation of a platform or part of a dwelling.  ...

  Archaeologists working with Norway’s Secrets of the Ice program recently got a shock when a arrow shaft they had previously dated to the Iron Age turned out to be some 4,000 years old. The scientists had collected the arrow from the side of a mountain, Lauvhøe, and at first, it looked like other Iron Age arrows collected from the area. But after the researchers cleaned the glacial silt off one end, they found a notch befitting a stone arrowhead and not an iron one. The team co-directed by Lars Holger Pilø – an archaeologist with the local Department of Cultural Heritage – concluded that the arrow dated to the Stone Age, pending radiocarbon dating. Whatever the results, the arrow joins a wealth recovered by Secrets of the Ice, which has recovered examples from as early as 6,000 years ago from the melting ice of Norway, according to secretsoftheice.com. From:   Discover Magazine Visit Website  https://www.weaversnest.org/  for more information on Archaeology and Hist...

Archaeologists Discover More Than 100 Ancient Drawings in a Spanish Cave: Two years ago, when a team of archaeologists spotted a painting of an extinct wild bull called an auroch on the wall of a cave in Spain’s Cova Dones, located in Millares, near Valencia, they knew it was important.  While Spain has the largest number of Paleolithic cave art sites, most are concentrated in the country’s northern region, while few have been documented in Eastern Iberia.  Many of the works, estimated to be at least 24,000 years old, employ a rare clay painting technique. The archaeologists hope their find, especially its unique art techniques, will prove an important contribution to the study of cave art in the area.                                  From:   Smithsonian Magazine Visit Website  https://www.weaversnest.org/  for more information on Archaeology and History.    ...

In ancient China, dating back to at least 5,000 BC, large stone discs were placed on the bodies of Chinese aristocrats. Their original function still eludes scientists, as does the way in which they were made, considering they were carved out of Jade, an extremely hard rock. Jade is a precious hardstone made of different silicate minerals and is often used to make vases, jewelry, and other ornaments. It  is an extremely difficult material to work with, which makes it perplexing as to why the ancient Neolithic inhabitants of  China  chose this stone. Discovered in many elite tombs spanning the  Hongshan culture  (3800 – 2700 BC) , and continuing into the Liangzhu culture (3000 – 2000 BC), the jade stones were placed on the body of the deceased: above the head, on the chest, and below the feet of Chinese elites.                From: Ancient Origins Visit Website  https://www.weaversnest.org/  for more information o...

  Archaeologists discover 1,000-year-old mummy in Peru LONDON --  Archaeologists have discovered a 1,000-year-old mummy -- believed to be of an adult individual -- in Peru's capital, Lima.  The mummy, which was discovered at the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site in the upscale Miraflores neighborhood, was found alongside two ceramic vessels and textiles. The discovery becomes the latest in a string of ancient discoveries made in Peru this year. From: ABC News Visit Website  https://www.weaversnest.org/  for more information on Archaeology and History.                                                     

  Archaeologists found evidence of surgery on medieval woman’s skull :   A Byzantine-era woman’s skull discovered in central Italy revealed that this middle-aged woman had undergone invasive surgical procedures at least twice. The skull was unearthed in the Lombard necropolis of Castel Trosino, which served as a burial ground from the sixth to the ninth century. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the site was transformed into a strategic Byzantine stronghold and was home to some of the wealthiest Lombard families. Excavations at Castel Trosino have yielded lavish burial goods like gold and fine jewelry, but the research authors claim their latest discovery is “the first evidence of a cross-shaped bone modification on a living subject.” According to the authors, this woman probably suffered from some kind of systemic condition. Periodontal disease was evident in her teeth, with acute abscesses and severe molar wear associated with tooth loss. From: Archaeology News Vi...

  Archaeologists find 'mystery' ducts near biblical Jerusalem relics An almost three millennia-old network of hewn-rock ducts unearthed in Jerusalem has baffled archaeologists, given the lack of comparable biblical finds, or obvious links to an ancient Jewish temple and palace that once stood nearby. The knee-deep channels, dating back 2,800 years, are located outside Jerusalem's walled Old City. They stand in two clusters, which were discovered 10 metres (30 feet) apart. From: REUTERS Visit Website  https://www.weaversnest.org/  for more information on Archaeology and History.