All posts by Archeology worldwide team

This is What a Man from the Tomb of Sunken Skulls Looked Like

July 17, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

This is What a Man from the Tomb of Sunken Skulls Looked Like

When archaeologists were excavating a dry prehistoric lake bed in Motala, Sweden in 2009, they stumbled upon one of the most peculiar archaeological discoveries the nation had seen – the so-called ‘Tomb of the Sunken Skulls’, a collection of skulls dating back 8,000 years, which had been mounted on stakes. Now one of these skulls has been reconstructed to reveal the image of a man who met his fate at the gruesome archaeological site.

The Tomb of the Sunken Skulls

The Tomb of the Sunken Skulls is located on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern in the south eastern corner of Sweden. In 2009, a new railway line was to be built over a site known as Kanaljorden, where there once was a shallow lake.

Before construction could commence, however, an excavation had to be conducted on the dry riverbed to determine if anything archaeologically important was buried beneath it. What the archaeologists found was a mysterious site dated back to Sweden’s Mesolithic period.

**The Tomb of the Sunken Skulls is located on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern in Sweden.**

Archaeologists were understandably surprised when they uncovered the skulls and skull fragments of up to 11 individuals, including men, women, children, and even infants.

Two of the human skulls –one fully intact and the other broken in half – were pierced with wooden stakes that protruded at the base of the cranium, while several others also showed signs that they had been treated in such a manner. Almost all of the adult skulls were jawless

The man behind the reconstruction is the forensic artist Oscar Nilsson, who has revealed the images of several other ancient people over the years. He explained the reasons behind many of his choices in reconstructing this man’s appearance.

For example, his wardrobe was based on faunal remains within the grave, “He wears the skin from a wild boar. We can see from how the human skulls and animal jaws were found that they clearly meant a big deal in their cultural and religious beliefs” Nilsson said.

The chalk design on the man’s chest, on the other hand, reflects the artist’s beliefs “It’s a reminder we cannot understand their aesthetic taste , just observe it,” he told LiveScience. “We have no reason to believe these people were less interested in their looks, and to express their individuality, than we are today.”

**The reconstructed face of one of the skulls found at the Tomb of the Sunken Skulls in Sweden.**

Rare Mesolithic Finds

The head of excavation for the Swedish heritage foundation Stiftelsen Kulturmiljövård Mälardalen, Fredrik Hallgren, said the skulls are the only known examples from the Mesolithic era . Hallgren also explained that most examples of this practice pertain to the historic period, in which colonial representatives mounted the skulls of murdered natives on wooden stakes.

Another interesting find was a female skull with another woman’s temporal bone stuffed inside it. Hallgren wonders whether the two women were close relatives, perhaps mother and daughter. The truth, however, will only be known through DNA analysis .

In addition to the skulls, archaeologists also found bones from other parts of the body, numerous animal bones, and tools made of stone, antler, and bone. The more noteworthy finds include a decorated pickaxe made from antler, bone points studded with flint, and animal remains that probably had a symbolic value to the people who used them.

The artifacts were found to be laid out on a large stone packing, which is a type of mass grave encased in stone. This grave was built at the bottom of the shallow lake.

What Happened at the Tomb of the Sunken Skulls?

One plausible explanation for this curious site is that it was a ritual site which was used for secondary burials. According to this explanation, after the bodies of the dead decomposed, their bones were removed from their graves to be reinterred. Part of the ritual would have involved the display of the skulls, which is the function of the wooden stakes that were found protruding from the skulls found at Kanaljorden.

The pointed end of the stake was probably stuck into the ground, or perhaps into a bed of embers, as some of the skulls have slight traces of burning. After the ritual was complete, the remains were buried under the shallow lake (hence the name ‘Tomb of Sunken Skulls’). According to Hallgren, there is at least one other Mesolithic site in Sweden that bears traces of this tradition.

Another suggestion is that the skulls belonged to enemies killed in combat. According to this hypothesis, skulls were mounted on wooden stakes and brought back by warriors as war trophies . Scientific analysis would be able to help archaeologists gain a greater understanding of these remains.

**One of the mounted skulls found in Motala, Sweden.**

Isotope analysis, for instance, would reveal whether the dead were from the local area or a distant place, while DNA analysis could inform whether the dead were related or not. So far, the researchers have obtained DNA data from six of the nine skulls and determined the skin , hair, and eye color of those individuals.

Based on isotope analysis, it seems that fish was an important part of the diet of the people buried at Kanaljorden. In addition, big forest game, such as red deer and elk, were hunted, based on the animal remains found at the site. Thus, it has been speculated that the society responsible for the burials at Kanaljorden were a nomadic people, and that the site was a sacred meeting spot.

For the most part of the year, the hunter-gatherers would be living in the surrounding areas, but they gathered at the rapids of the nearby river Motala for communal fishing of spawning fish. It is perhaps during this time of the year that marriages, feasting, and funerary rites were performed.

PERU, SOUTH AMERICA, WORLD

Archaeologists Have Discovered a 3,200-Year-Old Mural of a Knife-Wielding Spider God in Peru

July 17, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Archaeologists Have Discovered a 3,200-Year-Old Mural of a Knife-Wielding Spider God in Peru

Archaeologists have discovered a 3,200-year-old mural of a spider god at an ancient temple complex in northern Peru’s Virú province, around 300 miles north of Lima.

**Farmers expanding their fields in Peru discovered this ancient temple with a mural depicting a spider god.**

The painting, in shades of ochre, yellow, gray, and white, was found on the side of an adobe structure made from mud bricks, reports the Guardian. The zoomorphic design is believed to represent a spider wielding a knife.

Local avocado and sugarcane farmers discovered the historic artwork in November while using heavy machinery to plow new fields, which inadvertently destroyed about 60 percent of the site. Because it is located near a river, the temple was likely dedicated to water deities.

“What we have here is a shrine that would have been a ceremonial center thousands of years ago,” archaeologist Régulo Franco Jordán told Peru’s La República newspaper.

“The spider on the shrine is associated with water and was an incredibly important animal in pre-Hispanic cultures, which lived according to a ceremonial calendar.

It’s likely that there was a special, sacred water ceremony held between January and March when the rains came down from the higher areas.”

Jordán was called to investigate the discovery by a friend who lives in the area. “When I arrived I was so surprised to see an impressive facade, with geometric figures,” he told Peruvian state news agency Andina.

The shrine was likely the work of Peru’s pre-Columbian Cupisnique culture, a people who lived on the nation’s northern coast more than 3,000 years ago. Jordán has christened the site Tomabalito, after Castillo de Tomabal, another nearby archaeological site.

The government plans to begin emergency work to preserve the find next week, and has filed a complaint against the famers who damaged the ancient temple, reports Andina. Further excavations are planned for after the pandemic.

Other recent archaeological discoveries in Peru include a new Nazca line geoglyph of a giant cat, which was discovered in October. The massive hilltop drawing is believed to date to between 200 BC and 100 BC.

EUROPE, SPAIN, WORLD

Artists Have Been Painting Inside This Spanish Cave for 58,000 Years

July 17, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Artists Have Been Painting Inside This Spanish Cave for 58,000 Years

In 1821, an earthquake rocked southern Spain and, in the process, exposed the entrance to Cueva de Ardales, a previously hidden cave. Inside, more than 1,000 engravings and red paintings dotted its walls, ceilings, ground rocks and other natural features.

**Archaeologists inside Cueva de Ardales**

Archaeologists have long suspected that the cave’s artwork was very old, but now, they believe they have a much clearer picture of exactly when—and who—created it.

Neanderthals and, later, more modern humans left their artistic mark on the cave starting around 58,000 years ago, according to a new paper published this week in the journal PLOS One.

An international team of archaeologists explored Cueva de Ardales from 2011 to 2018, then used radiocarbon and uranium-thorium dating techniques to understand the cave’s history.

They believe Neanderthals first entered the cave during the Middle Paleolithic, or the middle part of the Stone Age, drawing on the walls and maintaining their tools inside.

After that, human visits to Cueva de Ardales ebbed and flowed all the way through to the late Neolithic/Chalcolithic period—the latter part of the Stone Age and the Copper Age—about 5,500 years ago,

Based on items archaeologists found within the cave, they also suspect it was used solely to create art and bury the dead—not as a shelter. This suggests that the site was highly symbolic to its visitors.

“What is very exciting is that, as far as we can tell so far, Ardales was not a classic camp site,” Gerd-Christian Weniger, an archaeologist at the University of Cologne and one of the paper’s authors, tells Gizmodo’s Isaac Schultz. “That was not clear before the excavations.”

Though they didn’t find any fireplaces or other evidence to suggest domestic occupation of the cavern, researchers did document a deer tooth, a wildcat bone, pieces of ocher, some tools and the jaw of a 12-year-old boy, among other artifacts.

They also found a rope fragment and charcoal dating back to the late 16th or early 17th century, which suggests that someone rappelled into the cave a few hundred years before the 1821 earthquake bared its entrance.

**Artists made makeshift lamps out of capped stalagmites.**

Natural light could not reach the cave’s innermost depths, so its prehistoric artists had to improvise to see what they were drawing. Researchers found charcoal residue in the caps of stalagmites near some artworks, suggesting the painters created makeshift lamps to illuminate their work area.

After the 19th-century earthquake, curious tourists wandered around inside Cueva de Ardales, located in Málaga, Spain, about 30 miles from the Mediterranean coast.

But it took nearly 100 years for researchers to realize the value of its archaeological riches. In 1918, French archaeologist Henri Breuil recognized that the artwork inside the cave was very old, likely dating to the Paleolithic period.

Despite this, archaeologists paid little attention to Cueva de Ardales until around 1990, when researchers took a full inventory of all the rock art in the cave.

Though this latest study shines more light on the mysterious cavern, there’s still an entire section that researchers have yet to investigate, per Gizmodo. Hopefully, there’s more art—and more insights into prehistoric humans, their ancestors and their creativity—to come.

WORLD

Beneath Florida Waters: Native American Site Protected as National Heritage

July 17, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Beneath Florida Waters: Native American Site Protected as National Heritage

Thousands of years ago, a Native American community used what experts call a “burial bog” to place their dead in offshore water in such a way that, upon decomposition, the remains would not float to the surface.

And there they remained, 167 bodies, until the inevitable march of progress brought a backhoe to the pond, near the Manasota Key, in order to clear it to make way for new homes constructed for a subdivision.

They were found in 1982, and fortunately the individual at the helm of the backhoe didn’t just keep going; he alerted authorities immediately.

Work was halted until archaeologists from Florida State University could assess their age. More gruesomely, they also had to ensure these individuals were not victims of some mass murderer. Thankfully, it soon became clear to experts that they were not.

**The construction company donated $60,000 of equipment to drain the pond.**

Once tests to carbon date the remains were concluded, experts realized the bodies were not just old – they were incredibly old, more than 7,000 years old. The individuals placed in the bog ranged in age from young children, some of whom were buried cradling toys.

Some folks are quite old, more than 70 years old, an incredibly long lifespan for the time. Almost all were placed in the fetal position, knees raised to chest, laying on their sides.

While much decomposition has occurred, some skulls still contained brain matter. And while the stakes pushed through each corpse sounds, on the face of it, like some awful burial rite, it was done for a sound and humane reason: to keep the body from bloating and rising to the surface.

Had that happened, almost certainly each body would have been ravaged by predators, either animals looking for food or grave robbers looking for bounty.

But that didn’t happen, and consequently the archaeologists and scientists have learned a great deal about this community in the decades since the discovery was made.

They were a group of hunter-gatherers, Native Americans unrelated to those extant in the Florida region today.

Their remains revealed a great deal about the level of compassion with which folks treated one another. For example, the remains of a 15 year old boy indicate he had Spina Bifida, a condition in which the vertebrae fail to close properly around the spine.

It is an extraordinarily painful illness, experts say, but the boy was not turned away by his neighbours; in fact, his remains show he was well cared for.

Another individual, this one a woman in her mid-30s, evidently had elderberry in her stomach, or at least in the area of the skeleton where her stomach once was.

Scientists suggest that she may have been consuming it to fight an illness of some sort. However, the natural medicine did not help, and she likely died of whatever ailment was afflicting her.

**Titusville, Florida Windover Archeological Site.**

Something striking about this burial site is something the remains show did not happen – no one buried there died a violent death. That is extraordinary, considering how old the site is, and the number of skeletons found there.

Even in modern cemeteries, it is a good bet that at least one person died either at their own hand, or at the hand of another. But not among these people, experts say.

There is still much to be learned from the site, and the skeletons. It’s been almost 40 years since that worker first came upon these people, each one buried in the bog with what appears to be the utmost care and respect.

ENGLAND, EUROPE, WORLD

Metal Detecting Event Uncovers Significant Roman Hoard in UK

July 15, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Metal Detecting Event Uncovers Significant Roman Hoard in UK

A ‘significant hoard’ of Roman items discovered in England last year by an amateur detectorist has gone on display, much to the delight of history enthusiasts and archaeologists involved in the dig.

The discovery included a collection of pewter plates, platters, bowls, and a cup. The manner in which these vessels were buried strongly indicates that they were deliberately placed, possibly for the purpose of safekeeping or as an offering, according to experts.

Starting from now until January 2024, these remarkable artifacts can be enjoyed by the public at the West Stow Anglo-Saxon village, located near Bury St Edmunds in the form of a temporary exhibition, according to a press release by the Suffolk City Council .

This hoard has been traced to the late Roman period in Britain, towards the end of the 4th century AD.

**Part of the hoard of Roman pewter found at Euston.**

An Organized Metal Detecting Event, An Amateur To the Rescue

The uncovering of this hoard took place in September 2022 on the Duke of Grafton’s Euston estate, in Suffolk, England. Martin White, who was participating in an organized metal detecting event, stumbled upon this remarkable treasure.

Examining the Vessels: Plow Damage and the Late Roman Period

The vessels have endured heavy plow damage and advanced corrosion has fused several of them together, reports Arkeonews. The main stack contained five plates and platters nested on top of each other.

**The main stack of pewter plates fused together due to corrosion.**

It is worth noting that during the late Roman period , which is the era to which the vessels have been traced, Britain was a part of the vast Roman Empire , as aforementioned. This period extends from the momentous invasion led by Emperor Claudius in AD 43 until the early 5th century.

Councilor Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Protected Landscapes and Archaeology, said.

It is interesting to observe that, due to the hoard’s Roman origins and composition of pewter, it does not meet the criteria for classification as “Treasure” under the 1996 Treasure Act. Nonetheless, the historical and archaeological value of these artifacts remains undeniable.

Councilor Ian Shipp, also the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture at West Suffolk Council, provides concluding words of wisdom. He explained that it provides an entryway for the local people to also participate in the history and culture of their region, along with adding a new historical strand to the Roman story of colonization in this part of the world. This was a critical juncture before the settlement at West Stow was beginning.

EUROPE, NORWAY, WORLD

Viking Burial, Sword, and Treasure Unearthed During Home Remodeling Excavation

July 15, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Viking Burial, Sword, and Treasure Unearthed During Home Remodeling Excavation

Little did Oddbjørn Holum Heiland know what he would find when he embarked on a Friday night project, commencing excavation work behind his 1740 Setesdalshouse alongside his wife, Anne.

Long story short, the oblong top of a gravestone and the iron hilt of a sword, both related to the Viking Age, were discovered! The full significance of the discovery? A stunning Viking burial site that was completely unexplored.

Their plan was to extend the house, creating additional space in the rear. Speaking to Science in Norway over the phone from Setesdal in Southern Norway, Heiland mentioned, “I initially intended to do just a small amount of digging on the slope behind the house, to create some distance between the house and the surrounding land.” But what a can of worms was opened!

A Grave and a Sword: Surprising Finds

As Heiland removed the grass and topsoil, an oblong stone came into view. Paying little attention to it, he set it aside and continued digging. However, as the digging bucket penetrated the next layer—the moraine beneath the topsoil—a surprising iron object emerged.

Heiland recounted, “I looked at it and thought, ‘This looks a lot like a sword blade .’ And when I emptied the contents of the digging bucket, the hilt of a sword fell out.”

**A rare to discovery of Viking sword and Viking graves. Expert and homeowners examine the find.**

Suddenly, it dawned on Oddbjørn that the stone he had just uncovered might be a gravestone. Curiosity led him to conduct a brief online search, where he stumbled upon an almost identical sword from the Viking Age discovered in another region of the country some time ago. “That’s when I realized that this must be Viking-related,” he admitted.

Demonstrating commendable responsibility, Oddbjørn promptly ceased his excavation activities, safely stored the unearthed items, and wasted no time in contacting the county municipality on Monday morning.

In a swift response, county archaeologist Joakim Wintervoll from Agder County municipality and Jo-Simon Frøshaug Stokke from the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo arrived the following day to examine the remarkable find – it was their assessment that confirmed the profundity of the find.

**(Right) Detail of the hilt, the handle of the sword, which reveals that this sword is from the Viking Age.**

The sword’s construction provides archaeologists with valuable insights for dating the discovery. Comprising two sword fragments, the recovered pieces form a sword measuring 70 cm (27.5 in) in length, with a blade width of 5 cm (1.96 in) at its widest point.

The hilt, an item influenced by fashion trends, exhibits a style that places it around the late 800s to early 900s, reports Arkeonews.

Previous Digs and Other Finds at the Site

Oddbjørn and Anne Holum Heiland had sought approval for their house extension, considering they reside in a historical dwelling dating back to 1740. “Given the distance from other cultural heritage sites,” Wintervoll remarks, “we did not anticipate the likelihood of finding anything significant in that particular area.”

Furthermore, Anne’s parents had conducted excavations around the house in the 1970s. Thus, it appears purely coincidental that the grave site had remained undisturbed until now.

In addition to the sword and potential gravestone, the Setesdal grave yielded a lance—a long spear designed for mounted warfare. However, as of now, no further indications suggest that this is the burial site of a mounted warrior.

**Gilded belt buckle and glass beads also among the finds in the Viking burial in Norway.**

Other remarkable items discovered include gilded glass beads and a belt buckle . Notably, while placing the buckle in the designated museum box, a glimmer of gold caught their attention, leading to the belief that the buckle itself might be gilded. Lastly, a bronze brooch, featuring a typical Viking animal motif, was also found. These brooches were commonly used to fasten capes securely in place.

Gender and Age: Challenges and Politics of Viking Burials

Stokke further explains that collection of weapons and jewelry suggest it’s a site rather than a grave. Very few Vikings were wealthy enough to afford extravagant possessions like helmets and swords, despite what popular historical sentiment about them might feel like. This particular grave was clearly that of a person from a higher social status, with access to resources.

The jewelry was an indicator that the grave was that of a man, not a woman. Men appreciated luxurious possessions and it was not uncommon for men’s graves to yield jewelry.

As of now, it is difficult to indicate the gender and age of the deceased person’s age, due to decomposition of bones and other organic matter.

EUROPE, GERMANY, WORLD

Exceptionally Preserved “Still Shining” Bronze Age Sword Unearthed in Bavaria

July 14, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Exceptionally Preserved “Still Shining” Bronze Age Sword Unearthed in Bavaria

So well preserved “it almost still shines” is what archaeologists have termed the incredible find of a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age sword found in the town of Nördlingen, Bavaria in Germany.

This fortuitous discovery came to light during the excavation of a burial site containing the remains of a man, woman, and child. As of now, it is unclear whether the three individuals were related or interred in close succession.

3,000 years old, and Still Sharp

The sword’s excellent state of preservation has been a joy to behold for the archaeologists. Crafted from bronze, the weapon has an exquisite ornate octagonal hilt. This has acquired a greenish patina over time due to the oxidation of the copper present in the bronze alloy, according to a press statement from Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection.

**The perfect sword was found in a burial, next to the remains of a man, woman, and child.**

Bronze Age Metal Working

The Bronze Age in Western Europe is renowned for its advanced metallurgy and the skilled work of metallurgists, and this sword is a stunning example of this.

Metallurgy played a pivotal role in the development of societies and the advancement of technology. This era, which lasted from around 2500 BC to 800 BC, was characterized by the widespread use of bronze, a copper-based alloy, for the creation of tools, weapons, and other essential objects.

The two iron ‘ Hallstatt swords’ , which are about 2,800 years old, found in southern Germany. These were made during the historical transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in central Europe, and were to take advantage of the strength of iron.

**The slightly older Bronze age sword has some green tarnish due to its copper content, but otherwise every detail is preserved.**

A Unique Design, a Lethal Weapon

The unique design is reflective of the expertise and artistry of its creator. Octagonal swords like this one were exclusively crafted by highly skilled blacksmiths.

The hilt, secured to the blade with two rivets using a technique known as overlay casting, exhibits remarkable craftsmanship. Surprisingly, despite its apparent functionality, the blade bears no visible signs of wear or cut marks, suggesting that it may have served a ceremonial or symbolic purpose.

The hilt of the Bronze Age sword is secured to the blade with rivets.

The dating of the sword places it from the end of the 14th century BC, making it especially significant from an archaeological point of view. The scarcity of sword findings from this particular time and region can be attributed to the looting of many Middle Bronze Age graves over the centuries.

In fact, most swords of this type only exist in the archaeological record from the 19th century AD onwards, when they were found in burial mounds. In the light of that, unearthing such a weapon has been particularly exciting.

Specifically, this type of sword appears in Central Europe in younger burial mounds from around 1450 BC onwards. The pommel plate is oval, which is typical, and the blade shows no sign of use. However, this does not discount the possibility that the sword could have functioned as an active weapon.

**The sword was accompanied by arrow heads, one of which can be seen here.**

With a well-balanced design having a center of gravity positioned towards the front end, it could be very effective in slashing opponents notes the Welt article. Combining aesthetic appeal and highly functional attributes truly makes this sword a lethal weapon!

Center of Manufacture: German Bronze Age

Although two regions in Germany—southern Germany and northern Germany/Denmark—are known to have been centers for manufacturing octagonal swords, the exact origin of this newfound weapon remains a mystery.

The sword is similar to the Bronze D type Rixheim swords as it uses a solid hilt made by overlay casting of the handle over the blade, even though it has been typecast as octagonal.

According to the report, a comparison of the casting techniques and the decoration shows that the octagonal swords in the north were apparently either replicas of southern German models or pieces actually imported.

Perhaps, ‘wandering craftsmen’ manufactured such swords and weapons in different places too, which is also a possibility. Another possible interpretation of the find is that warriors from the south had come to northern Germany.

Most of the Bronze Age remains around Nördlingen belong to the Urnfield Culture . It derived its name from the distinctive burial practice of cremating the deceased and placing their ashes in urns , which were then interred in burial mounds or fields.

It was often divided into several local cultures within a broader Urnfield tradition which emerged around 1300 BC. The Urnfield Culture superseded the previous Tumulus Culture and developed advanced metal working skills in Bronze weaponry and armor, reports Heritage Daily .

The material culture of the Urnfield culture is notable for its technological advancements, particularly in metalworking. Bronze continued to be a significant material, but the period also witnessed a gradual transition to the use of iron, hence its classification as a transitional culture between the Bronze Age and Iron Age.

The skilled metalworkers of the Urnfield culture produced a wide range of tools, weapons, and ornaments, showcasing their mastery of metallurgical techniques.

BOLIVIA, SOUTH AMERICA, WORLD

Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy!

July 14, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy!

A pre-Hispanic mummy of between 600 and 800 years old, was found inside the backpack of a delivery man from a delivery company in the Peruvian region of Puno, near Bolivia.

The 26-year-old Peruvian man who was caught with the mummy said, ‘Juanita’ was a kind of ‘spiritual girlfriend’ he kept it at home “and took it out to show his friends.”

Drunk in Charge of a Mummy

The police found three young men accompanied by a mummy that was inside a thermal delivery suitcase. The discovery occurred on Saturday, February 25, 2023, in the city of Puno, in southern Peru.

The group of friends was surprised by the police authorities in a routine check while they were consuming alcoholic beverages at the Mantaro viewpoint of Puno.

The 26-year-old had with him a delivery box from the company ‘Pedidos Ya’. Inside, there were human remains in a fetal position still bearing soft tissues with characteristics corresponding to a mummy.

According to the BBC , the young man described the mummy as ‘a kind of spiritual girlfriend’ as he had been sharing his room with it for some time.

The mummy was supposedly owned by his father, and was generally kept in a box next to the TV. It is unknown how the mummy came to be owned by his father.

The Ministry of Culture specified through a statement that the remains – classified as a national cultural asset – were identified as a mummified adult man presumably from the eastern area of Puno.

Sources from that office informed EFE that the individual would have been over 45 years old and approximately 1.51 meters (5 foot) tall, according to preliminary investigations.

An Odd Housemate

The authorities estimate that the human remains were 800 years old, and would likely come from the district of Patambuco. Apparently, they had been in the possession of the family for about 30 years, the authorities from the Peruvian Ministry of Culture informed various local media.

**Photograph from the Ministry of Culture, which shows a pre-Hispanic mummy found inside the backpack of a delivery man.**

The delivery man stated that the mummy was kept at his parents’ house and that he took it out to be seen by his friends from the neighborhood, according to the newspaper El Comercio .

The police confiscated the mummy and turned it over to the Peruvian Ministry of Culture. The delivery man and his two friends, aged between 23 and 26, have been detained and are being investigated for possible crimes against the country’s cultural heritage.

EUROPE, GREECE, WORLD

Greek Farmer Accidentally Discovers 3,400-Year-Old Minoan Tomb Hidden Under Olive Grove

July 11, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

Greek Farmer Accidentally Discovers 3,400-Year-Old Minoan Tomb Hidden Under Olive Grove

Sometime between 1400 and 1200 B.C., two Minoan men were laid to rest in an underground enclosure carved out of the soft limestone native to southeast Crete.

Both were entombed within larnakes—intricately embossed clay coffins popular in Bronze Age Minoan society—and surrounded by colorful funerary vases that hinted at their owners’ high status.

Eventually, the burial site was sealed with stone masonry and forgotten, leaving the deceased undisturbed for roughly 3,400 years.

When a farmer was parking his truck under some olive trees on his property when the ground beneath him started to give way. After the farmer moved his vehicle to a safer location, he saw that a four-foot-wide hole had opened up in the ground. When he peered inside, he realized this was no ordinary hole.

The farmer called in archaeologists from the local heritage ministry to investigate, and they began excavating what turned out to be an ancient Minoan tomb, carved into the soft limestone, which had been lying hidden for millennia.

***The hole in the ground led to a Minoan Bronze Age tomb.***

Two adult Minoan men had been placed in highly-embossed clay coffins called “larnakes” which were common in Bronze Age Minoan culture. These, in turn, were surrounded by funerary vases which suggest that the men were of high status.

The tomb was about 13 feet in length and eight feet deep, divided into three chambers that would have been accessed via a vertical tunnel that was sealed with clay after the tomb’s occupants were laid to rest.

One larnax was found in the northernmost chamber, with a number of funerary vessels scattered around it.

The chamber at the southern end of the tomb held the other larnax coffin, along with 14 amphorae and a bowl. The tomb was estimated to be about 3,400 years old and was preserved in near-perfect conditions, making it a valuable find.

Kristina Killgrove, a bioarchaeologist, wrote for Forbes that the ornamentation on the artifacts found in the tomb suggests that its inhabitants were men of wealth.

The fanciest tombs from the same period, however, had massive domed walls in a “beehive” style, which this tomb doesn’t, so they probably weren’t among the wealthiest.

The find dates from the Late Minoan Period sometimes called the Late Palace Period.

In the earlier part of that era, the Minoan civilization was very rich, with impressive ceramics and art, but by the later part of the period, there is an apparent decline in wealth and prestige, according to Killgrove.

It’s believed that civilization was weakened by a combination of natural disasters, including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake, and the eruption of a nearby volcano. This made it easier for foreigners to come in and destroy the palaces.

***The ancient chamber tomb was entirely intact and undamaged by looters.***

Locals don’t anticipate the discovery of any more tombs of this type, but the area is known to be the home of a number of antiquities, and a great deal of them have been found by coincidence, as with this find.

The Deputy Mayor of Local Communities, Agrarian, and Tourism of Ierapetra pointed out that the tomb had never been found by thieves, and went on to say that it would probably have remained undiscovered forever, except for the broken irrigation pipe that was responsible for the softened and eroded soil in the farmer’s olive grove.

He went on to say how pleased they were with having the tomb to further enrich their understanding of their ancient culture and history, and that the tomb was proof for those historians who didn’t think that there had been Minoans in that part of Crete.

***The skeletal remains were found inside two larnakes (singular: “larnax”) – a type of small closed coffin used in the Minoan and Greek Bronze Age.***

Previously, it had been thought that the Minoans only settled in the lowlands and plains of the island, not in the mountains that surround Ierapetra, although there was an excavation in 2012 that uncovered a Minoan mansion in the same area.

Killgrove will be analyzing the skeletons, to see what further information can be gleaned from them. She said, “As a bioarchaeologist, I routinely pore over the skeletons of ancient populations so that I can learn about their health, diet, and lifestyles.” It’s also hoped that analysis can contribute more information to the research on Minoan and Mycenaean origins.

***Minoan fresco is commonly known as the ‘Prince of the Lilies.’***

AUSTRALIA, WORLD

A 4.4-billion-year-old zircon crystal fragment is the oldest piece of Earth ever found

July 11, 2023 Archeology worldwide team Leave a comment

A 4.4-billion-year-old zircon crystal fragment is the oldest piece of Earth ever found

Zircon is the oldest known material on our planet. They offer a window in time back as far as 4.4 billion years ago, when the planet was a mere 160 million years old.

Because zircons are exceptionally resistant to chemical changes, they have become the gold standard for determining the age of ancient rocks.

The Jack Hills are a range of hills in Western Australia that are home to some of the oldest rocks on Earth. In these rocks, scientists have found zircon crystals that are over 4.4 billion years old.

These zircons are the oldest known solid materials on Earth, and they provide a glimpse into the early history of our planet.

Zircons are a type of mineral that is commonly found in igneous rocks. They are formed when molten rock cools and crystallizes. Zircons are very resistant to weathering and erosion, so they can survive for billions of years.

This makes them valuable tools for geologists, who can use them to date rocks and learn about the conditions that existed on Earth in the past.

The zircons from the Jack Hills are some of the oldest and most well-preserved zircons ever found. They are very small, typically only a few millimeters in size.

However, they have been carefully studied by scientists, who have been able to learn a great deal about their composition and age.

The Jack Hills zircons are thought to have formed in a magma ocean that existed on Earth shortly after the planet formed. This magma ocean was a vast sea of molten rock that covered the entire planet.

As the Earth cooled, the magma ocean began to solidify, and the zircons formed as crystals within the solidifying rock.

The Jack Hills zircons provide a valuable window into the early history of Earth. They show that the planet was already capable of forming solid rocks billions of years ago. They also provide evidence that the Earth had an atmosphere and oceans at a very early stage in its history.

The discovery of the Jack Hills zircons is a significant breakthrough in our understanding of the Earth’s early history. These zircons provide us with a glimpse into a time when the planet was very different from what it is today. They also help us to understand how the Earth formed and evolved into the planet that we know today.

The Importance of the Jack Hills Zircons

The Jack Hills zircons are important for a number of reasons. First, they are the oldest known solid materials on Earth.

This means that they provide us with a window into the early history of our planet when conditions were very different from what they are today.

Second, the Jack Hills zircons show that the Earth was already capable of forming solid rocks billions of years ago. This means that the planet was able to cool and solidify relatively quickly after it formed.

Third, the Jack Hills zircons provide evidence that the Earth had an atmosphere and oceans at a very early stage in its history. This is important because it suggests that the Earth was habitable at a much earlier time than previously thought.