BREAKING NEWS: History & Archaeology

“Porcelain Gallbladder” Identified in Mississippi

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 23:31:48 -0400

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI—According to an Atlas Obscura report, a “porcelain gallbladder” has been identified among a woman's 100-year-old bones exhumed from the cemetery at the site of the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum, which operated from 1855 to 1935. A porcelain gallbladder forms through calcium build-up in the wall of the organ, which causes it to harden. Upon initial examination during the course of excavations, researchers did not know what the object, which was approximately the size of a quail egg, was. “Someone thought it was a calcified cyst, someone else thought it was a gallstone, and I thought, ‘that’s way too big to be a gallstone,’” said bioarchaeologist Jennifer Mack of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). A retired surgeon who was a member of the team was able to identify the object. Mack added, “He came over, and as I was opening the bag, he said ‘I think that’s a calcified gallbladder.’ Because as a surgeon, he had seen them on multiple occasions before." A micro-CT scan conducted at the UMMC showed that the woman’s gallbladder also contained a large gallstone. Gallstones were detected in another five people buried in the asylum cemetery, where as many as 7,000 people may have been buried. For more on archaeology in Mississippi, go to "Letter from the American Southeast: Spartans of the Lower Mississippi."

18th-Century Foundation Uncovered at Colonial Williamsburg

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 22:53:34 -0400

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA—The foundation of an eighteenth-century house was uncovered during an excavation at Colonial Williamsburg, according to a WAVY report. The Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center is scheduled to be built on the site. Archaeologist Jack Gary of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation said that the house had plaster walls, casement windows, a chimney on at least one side, and a cellar. The thousands of artifacts recovered during the excavation will be conserved, housed, and exhibited in the new facility. The new building may also be constructed so that visitors can see the site while strolling the hallways, Gary explained. To read about evidence of a seventeenth-century fire that destroyed a church in Jamestown, Virginia, go to "Burn Notice."

Miniature Portrait of Alexander the Great Found in Denmark

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 22:22:23 -0400

RINGSTED, DENMARK—Live Science reports that a miniature bronze alloy fitting bearing a portrait of Alexander the Great was discovered on an island in Denmark by a pair of metal detectorists who were conducting a survey. Alexander the Great succeeded his father as the king of Macedon and eventually created a far-flung empire before his death in Babylon in 323 B.C. at the age of 32. The one-inch round fitting, known as a bracket, shows an engraved image of a man with wavy hair wearing a crown made up of twisted ram horns, which are typical imagery of the ancient ruler. “The image is almost identical to another bracket portrait found years ago that contains the same stylized image,” said archaeologist Freerk Oldenberger of Museum West Zealand, where the newly unearthed bracket is being held. It has been dated to the early third century A.D., during the rule of the Roman emperor Caracalla (reigned A.D. 211–217), and its metal has a high lead content, similar to metal found in Roman bronze statuettes. “It’s possible that a statuette was melted down to make this portrait,” Oldenberger explained. “We know that [Caracalla] was completely obsessed with Alexander the Great and was interested and inspired by him, since he was the greatest conqueror of that time period,” he added. This bracket may have decorated a Roman shield or a sword belt. To read about the search for Alexander's tomb, go to "In Search of History's Greatest Rulers: Alexander the Great, King of Macedon."

Prehistoric Tools Uncovered in Northern England

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:13:59 -0400

CUMBRIA, ENGLAND—An excavation conducted in northern England ahead of a road improvement project along an ancient pathway has uncovered flint tools dated to the Upper Paleolithic period, according to a Newsweek report. The tools could be between 10,000 and 14,000 years old, when the climate would have been colder. Hunter-gatherers likely followed herds of reindeer, wild horses, and wild cattle over a wide range, said archaeologist Stephen Rowland. The tools were found in a pit that had been sealed by soil that washed down a nearby slope. The researchers will look for traces of an encampment that may have also been preserved through the same process. To read about monuments uncovered during construction of Cambridgeshire's A14 roadway, go to "Letter from England: Building a Road Through History."

Bottles of 18th-Century Cherries Discovered at Mount Vernon

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:53:22 -0400

MOUNT VERNON, VIRGINIA—According to a Washington Post report, two bottles containing liquid and some surviving cherries have been uncovered in the dirt basement of George Washington’s plantation home. The excavation was conducted as part of a project to conserve the mansion’s foundation. Archaeologist Jason Boroughs said that much of the liquid in the bottles may be groundwater that entered the vessels after their corks had deteriorated. While emptying the bottles, members of the research team found pits, stems, cherries, and gooey residues. “It actually smelled like cherry blossoms when we got to the bottom,” Boroughs said. The contents were placed in small containers for later analysis. Conservator Lily Carhart determined that the bottles were imported from England in the mid-eighteenth century, and were likely filled with cherries picked at Mount Vernon by enslaved people, then buried in the storage area between 1758 and 1776. “There are eighteenth-century accounts that talk about proper ways of preserving fruits and vegetables,” Boroughs explained. “One of the most common, especially for berries, is to dry them as much as possible… put them in a dry bottle, cork it… and then bury them,” he added. Treated in this manner, the fruit was expected to last for a year. Additional bottles may yet be recovered as the project continues. To read about artifacts uncovered at the site of a 1754 battle where troops were led by Washington, go to "Around the World: Pennsylvania."

Bear Bone Engraved by Neanderthals Studied

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:51:02 -0400

WROCŁAW, POLAND—IFL Science reports that a team of researchers led by Tomasz Płonka and Andrzej Wiśniewski of the University of Wrocław has examined an engraved bear bone with microscopy and X-ray computed tomography. Discovered in the 1950s in southern Poland’s Dziadowa Skała Cave, the bone has been dated to between 115,000 and 130,000 years ago, and is thought to have been engraved by Neanderthals. The researchers determined that the marks on the bone are orderly, and do not resemble marks made by butchery or accident, or as a side-effect of another activity. Experiments aimed at recreating the marks show that they were made by a right-handed person using a retouched stone tool using repeated movements, all in one direction. All of the marks are also thought to have been made at the same time, perhaps as decoration or as numerical notation. The researchers concluded that the incisions are evidence for the use of symbols. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Science. To read about the earliest known bone point, go to "The Bone Collector."

Stolen Ramesses II Sculpture Returned to Egypt

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:49:16 -0400

CAIRO, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that a fragment of a sculpture of Ramesses II stolen some 30 years ago was handed over to Egyptian authorities by Swiss officials. The 3,400-year-old carving, which shows the pharaoh’s face, was taken from the Ramesses II temple in Abydos. The sculpture originally featured Ramesses II with a group of deities. It was recovered in Geneva during a criminal proceeding. To read about recent finds at the temple of Ramesses II in Abydos, go to "Ram Heads for Ramesses."

300-Year-Old Medical Prosthesis Found in Poland

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 23:27:42 -0400

KRAKOW, POLAND—Live Science reports that an eighteenth-century palatal obturator has been found with the remains of a man with a cleft palate who was buried in a crypt at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Krakow in the eighteenth century. The prosthesis measures about an inch long and consists of a woolen pad sewn to a metallic plate that would have fit into his nasal cavity and blocked substances in the mouth from entering it. The wool pad is thought to have been coated in silver iodide and then covered with a thin sheet of copper and then gold and silver, based upon analysis with a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The device would have also helped the man to swallow, breath, and talk, explained Anna Spinek of the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. To read about the burial of a sixth-century Lombard warrior who appears to have worn a prosthetic arm, go to "Late Antique TLC."

18th-Century Fort Site Explored on Island of St. Barts

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 23:25:44 -0400

GUSTAVIA, SAINT BARTHÉLEMY—According to a Miami Herald report, a collection of small cannonballs known as grapeshot has been unearthed at Fort Gustav, a military outpost on the Caribbean Island of Saint Barthélemy, by researchers from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research. Construction of the fort was begun by the French in the mid-eighteenth century to protect ships headed to Europe from pirates, but the island was soon traded to Sweden for trading rights. Saint Barthélemy was eventually returned to the French in 1878. Such rounds of grapeshot would have been fired from cannon, perhaps at enemy ships. A horseshoe, nails, coins, elements of military uniforms, a porcelain bust, and a handle were also recovered from the fort. To read about a fort on Panama's Caribbean coast, go to "Pirates of the Original Panama Canal."

'Forgotten city:' the identification of Dura-Europos' neglected sister site in Syria

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:19:47 -0400

The Dura-Europos site in modern-day Syria is famous for its exceptional state of preservation. Like Pompeii, this ancient city has yielded many great discoveries, and serves as a window into the world of the ancient Hellenistic, Parthian, and Roman periods. Yet despite the prominence of Dura-Europos in Near Eastern scholarship, there is another city, only some miles down the Euphrates river, that presents a long-neglected opportunity for study.

First evidence of human occupation in lava tube cave in Saudi Arabia

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:45 -0400

New research has highlighted an area in Arabia that once acted as a key point for cultural exchanges and trades amongst ancient people -- and it all took place in vast caves and lava tubes that have remained largely untapped reservoirs of archaeological abundance in Arabia. Through meticulous excavation and analysis, the international team uncovered a wealth of evidence at Umm Jirsan, spanning from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age periods (~10,000-3,500 years ago).

Pacific cities much older than previously thought

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 23:42:53 -0400

New evidence of one of the first cities in the Pacific shows they were established much earlier than previously thought, according to new research. The study used aerial laser scanning to map archaeological sites on the island of Tongatapu in Tonga, showing Earth structures were being constructed in Tongatapu around AD 300.

The hidden role of the Milky Way in ancient Egyptian mythology

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:11:09 -0400

Astrophysicists shed light on the relationship between the Milky Way and the Egyptian sky-goddess Nut. The paper draws on ancient Egyptian texts and simulations to argue that the Milky Way might have shone a spotlight, as it were, on Nut's role as the sky. It proposes that in winter, the Milky Way highlighted Nut's outstretched arms, while in summer, it traced her backbone across the heavens.

Early medieval money mystery solved

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 22:57:13 -0400

Byzantine bullion fueled Europe's revolutionary adoption of silver coins in the mid-7th century, only to be overtaken by silver from a mine in Charlemagne's Francia a century later, new tests reveal. The findings could transform our understanding of Europe's economic and political development.

In the evolution of walking, the hip bone connected to the rib bones

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 23:18:33 -0400

A new reconstruction of the 375-million-year-old fossil fish Tiktaalik -- a close relative of limbed vertebrates -- used micro-CT to reveal bones still embedded in matrix. The reconstruction shows that the fish's ribs likely attached to its pelvis, an innovation thought to be crucial to supporting the body and for the eventual evolution of walking.

Last chance to record archaic Greek language 'heading for extinction'

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 19:26:01 -0400

A new data crowdsourcing platform aims to preserve the sound of Romeyka, an endangered millennia-old variety of Greek. Experts consider the language to be a linguistic goldmine and a living bridge to the ancient world.

When did the chicken cross the road? New evidence from Central Asia

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:03:23 -0400

An international team of scholars present the earliest clear archaeological and biomolecular evidence for the raising of chickens for egg production, based on material from 12 archaeological sites spanning one and a half millennia. The research indicates that the domestic chicken, now a staple in diets around the world, is not as ancient as previously thought.

Ancient DNA reveals the appearance of a 6th century Chinese emperor

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:10:51 -0400

What did an ancient Chinese emperor from 1,500 years ago look like? A team of researchers reconstructed the face of Chinese Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou using DNA extracted from his remains. The study suggests the emperor's death at the age of 36 might be linked to a stroke. It also sheds light on the origin and migration patterns of a nomadic empire that once ruled parts of northeastern Asia.

Uncovering the mystery of Dorset's Cerne Giant

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:57:19 -0400

For centuries, the Cerne Giant, a figure carved into a hillside in Dorset, has fascinated locals and visitors to the area. A new paper proposes that the Cerne Giant can in fact be dated to the early Middle Ages, and, as a result, its cultural context and significance more clearly understood.

Persian plateau unveiled as crucial hub for early human migration out of Africa

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:41:47 -0400

A new study combining genetic, palaeoecological, and archaeological evidence has unveiled the Persian Plateau as a pivotal geographic location serving as a hub for Homo sapiens during the early stages of their migration out of Africa. It highlights the period between 70,000 to 45,000 years ago when human populations did not uniformly spread across Eurasia, leaving a gap in our understanding of their whereabouts during this time frame.

Scientists uncover evidence that microplastics are contaminating archaeological remains

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:54:40 -0400

A team of archaeologists discovered tiny microplastic particles in deposits located more than seven meters deep, in samples dating back to the first or early second century and excavated in the late 1980s.

Tudor era horse cemetery in Westminster revealed as likely resting place for elite imported animals

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:54:04 -0400

Archaeological analysis of a near unique animal cemetery discovered in London nearly 30 years ago has revealed there was an international horse trading network, orchestrated by the elites of late medieval and Tudor England, which brought superior physical specimens to the UK for jousting and for use as status symbols.

Researchers name prehistoric amphibian ancestor discovered in Smithsonian collection after Kermit the Frog

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:53:50 -0400

Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.

Study reveals 'cozy domesticity' of prehistoric stilt-house dwellers in England's ancient marshland

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:26:00 -0400

Detailed reports on thousands of artifacts pulled from 'Britain's Pompeii' reveals the surprisingly sophisticated domestic lives of Bronze Age Fen folk some 3,000 years ago -- from home interiors to recipes, clothing, kitchenware and pets.

New archive of ancient human brains challenges misconceptions of soft tissue preservation

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:24:55 -0400

A new study has challenged previously held views that brain preservation in the archaeological record is extremely rare. The team compiled a new archive of preserved human brains, which highlighted that nervous tissues actually persist in much greater abundances than traditionally thought, assisted by conditions that prevent decay.

Lost tombs and quarries rediscovered on British military base in Cyprus

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 11:07:46 -0500

Archaeologists rediscovers 46 sites at the Eastern Sovereign Base Area at Dhekelia, Cyprus. Archaeologists located sites from archive records, a number of which were thought to have been 'lost.' They uncovered evidence of quarries and tombs likely to span from the Bronze Age, Byzantine, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Scientists ID burned bodies using technique used for extracting DNA from woolly mammoths, Neanderthals

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 18:29:26 -0500

A technique originally devised to extract DNA from woolly mammoths and other ancient archaeological specimens can be used to potentially identify badly burned human remains, according to research.

Slimming down a colossal fossil whale

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:45:54 -0500

A 30 million year-old fossil whale may not be the heaviest animal of all time after all, according to a new analysis by paleontologists. The new analysis puts Perucetus colossus back in the same weight range as modern whales and smaller than the largest blue whales ever recorded.

Climate change threatens thousands of archaeological sites in coastal Georgia

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:46:59 -0500

Thousands of historic and archaeological sites in Georgia are at risk from tropical storm surges, and that number will increase with climate change, according to a new study.

Experiment captures why pottery forms are culturally distinct

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:54:08 -0500

Potters of different cultural backgrounds learn new types differently, producing cultural differences even in the absence of differential cultural evolution. The research has implications for how we evaluate the difference of archaeological artifacts across cultures.

Plant seed and fruit analysis from the biblical home of Goliath sheds unprecedented light on Philistine ritual practices

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:46:36 -0500

While many aspects of Philistine culture are well-documented, the specifics of Philistine religious practices and deities have long remained shrouded in mystery. A recent study contributes valuable new data to our understanding of the Philistine's ritual practices. The discovery of numerous plants in two temples unearthed at the site unraveled unprecedented insights into Philistine cultic rituals and beliefs -- their temple food ingredients, timing of ceremonies, and plants for temple decoration.

Ancient DNA reveals Down syndrome in past human societies

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:43:43 -0500

By analysing ancient DNA, an international team of researchers have uncovered cases of chromosomal disorders, including what could be the first case of Edwards syndrome ever identified from prehistoric remains.

Neolithic groups from the south of the Iberian Peninsula first settled permanently in San Fernando (Cadiz) 6,200 years ago

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 11:36:47 -0500

A new study reveals that the first farmers and herdsmen settled in Andalusia collected and consumed shellfish throughout the year, especially in winter.

Anthropologists' research unveils early stone plaza in the Andes

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 20:33:44 -0500

Located at the Callacpuma archaeological site in the Cajamarca Basin of northern Peru, the plaza is built with large, vertically placed megalithic stones -- a construction method previously unseen in the Andes.

Some Pre-Roman humans were buried with dogs, horses and other animals

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:02:41 -0500

Some people from an ancient community in what is now northern Italy were interred with animals and animal parts from species such as dogs, horses and pigs. The reasons remain mysterious, but might indicate an enduring companion relationship between these humans and animals, or religious sacrificial practices, according to a new study.

Archaeologists discover oldest known bead in the Americas

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:13:15 -0500

The bead found at the La Prele Mammoth site in Wyoming's Converse County is about 12,940 years old and made of bone from a hare.

Scandinavia's first farmers slaughtered the hunter-gatherer population, study finds

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 12:19:58 -0500

Following the arrival of the first farmers in Scandinavia 5,900 years ago, the hunter-gatherer population was wiped out within a few generations, according to a new study. The results, which are contrary to prevailing opinion, are based on DNA analysis of skeletons and teeth found in what is now Denmark.

Thailand's Iron Age Log Coffin culture

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:13:49 -0500

A mortuary practice known as Log Coffin culture characterizes the Iron Age of highland Pang Mapha in northwestern Thailand. Between 2,300 and 1,000 years ago, individuals were buried in large wooden coffins on stilts, mostly found in caves and rock shelters.

Prehistoric mobility among Tibetan farmers, herders shaped highland settlement patterns, cultural interaction, study finds

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:51:24 -0500

Using advanced geospatial modeling to compare environmental and archaeological evidence, researchers found evidence that connects ancient mobility and subsistence strategies to cultural connections forged among Tibetan farmers and herders in the Bronze and Iron Ages -- adding to understanding of how and why ancient communities built social relationships and cultural identities across the extreme terrain in Tibet.

Did dementia exist in ancient Greek and Rome?

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 18:35:12 -0500

Did the ancient Greeks and Romans experience Alzheimer's? Medical texts from 2,500 years ago rarely mention severe memory loss, suggesting today's widespread dementia stems from modern environments and lifestyles, a new analysis shows.

Archaeological evidence of seasonal vitamin D deficiency discovered

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 18:34:40 -0500

Rickets ran rife in children following the Industrial Revolution, but new research has found factory work and polluted cities aren't entirely to blame for the period's vitamin D deficiencies.

Neanderthals and humans lived side by side in Northern Europe 45,000 years ago

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 14:44:22 -0500

Archaeologists have debated whether Neanderthals or modern humans made stone tools that are found at sites across northern Europe and date from about 40,000 years ago. A new excavation at one site in Germany turned up 45,000-year-old bone fragments that, when analyzed for mitochondrial DNA, proved to be from Homo sapiens. This is the earliest evidence that modern humans overlapped with Neanderthals in northwest Europe, thousands of years before Neanderthals went extinct.

How did humans learn to walk? New evolutionary study offers an earful

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:25:01 -0500

A new study, which centers on evidence from skulls of a 6-million-year-old fossil ape, Lufengpithecus, offers important clues about the origins of bipedal locomotion courtesy of a novel method: analyzing its bony inner ear region using three-dimensional CT-scanning. The inner ear appears to provide a unique record of the evolutionary history of ape locomotion.

New research challenges hunter-gatherer narrative

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 16:45:59 -0500

Analysis of the remains of 24 individuals from the Wilamaya Patjxa and Soro Mik'aya Patjxa burial sites in Peru shows that early human diets in the Andes Mountains were composed of 80 percent plant matter and 20 percent meat.

DNA from preserved feces reveals ancient Japanese gut environment

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 16:45:24 -0500

DNA from ancient feces can offer archaeologists new clues about the life and health of Japanese people who lived thousands of years ago, according to a new study.

Ancient brown bear genomes sheds light on Ice Age losses and survival

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 13:28:20 -0500

The brown bear is one of the largest living terrestrial carnivores, and is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Unlike many other large carnivores that went extinct at the end of the last Ice Age (cave bear, sabretoothed cats, cave hyena), the brown bear is one of the lucky survivors that made it through to the present. The question has puzzled biologists for close to a century -- how was this so?

Despite intensive scientific analyses, this centaur head remains a mystery

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:21:45 -0500

For almost 200 years, archaeologists have been puzzled by a mysterious brown stain on the ancient Greek Parthenon temple in Greece. Now, researchers have conducted new scientific analyses, and their verdict is clear: The mystery remains.

Stalagmites as climate archive

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 14:36:53 -0500

When combined with data from tree-ring records, stalagmites can open up a unique archive to study natural climate fluctuations, a research team has demonstrated. The researchers analyzed the isotopic composition of oxygen in a stalagmite formed from calcareous water in a cave in southern Germany. In conjunction with the data acquired from tree rings, they were able to reconstruct short-term climate fluctuations over centuries and correlate them with historically documented environmental events.

Woolly mammoth movements tied to earliest Alaska hunting camps

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 14:10:02 -0500

Researchers have linked the travels of a 14,000-year-old woolly mammoth with the oldest known human settlements in Alaska, providing clues about the relationship between the iconic species and some of the earliest people to travel across the Bering Land Bridge. Isotopic data, along with DNA from other mammoths at the site and archaeological evidence, indicates that early Alaskans likely structured their settlements to overlap with areas where mammoths congregated. Those findings, highlighted in the new issue of the journal Science Advances, provide evidence that mammoths and early hunter-gatherers shared habitat in the region. The long-term predictable presence of woolly mammoths would have attracted humans to the area.

Key moment in the evolution of life on Earth captured in fossils

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 12:12:39 -0500

New research has precisely dated some of the oldest fossils of complex multicellular life in the world, helping to track a pivotal moment in the history of Earth when the seas began teeming with new lifeforms -- after four billion years of containing only single-celled microbes.