30 AVRIL 2023 NEWS
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NORVEGE – Karmoy - New radar data has revealed that an ancient Norwegian Viking burial ground, previously thought to be empty, actually contains the remains of a 1,200-year-old Viking ship. According to reports from local science news source ScienceNorway, archaeologists began using georadar in the summer of 2022 - also called penetrating radar - to search an old archeological site that had been originally excavated in 1904 and found to be disappointingly empty. Georadar uses radio waves to map out underground landscapes, according to ScienceNorway. “The georadar signals clearly show the shape of a 20-meter-long ship. It’s quite wide and reminiscent of the Oseberg ship,” Håkon Reiersen, an archaeologist at the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger, told ScienceNorway. The site, a grave mound on the island of Karmoy in western Norway, was discovered by archeologist Haakon Shetelig over 100 years ago. At the time, according to ScienceNorway, Shetelig found only a handful of wooden tools and arrowheads. The findings indicate that a Viking ship burial was conducted during the late eighth century CE. Such burials, in which a ship is converted into a tomb for the dead and the goods they are buried with, have been discovered in the archeological remains of various ancient seafaring communities worldwide. The location where this burial was found is "a very strategic point, where maritime traffic along the Norwegian coast was controlled," Reiersen told Live Science. "This was an important place for 3,000 years."
INDE – Adichanallur - Archaeology enthusiasts have sought a comparison of DNA samples collected from the skeletons unearthed from burial urns in Adichanallur with the DNA of the present populace in the region. The carbon dating of rice found in an offering pot at the neighbouring Sivagalai excavation site had already proven that the Porunai River valley civilisation was around 3,200 years old. Renowned archaeological sites Adichanallur, Sivagalai, and Korkai -- all discovered along river Thamirabarani (Porunai) -- have been revealing chilling information about the region's history. T Sathyamurthy, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey Of India (ASI), extensively researched the Iron Age site of Adichanallur extensively in 2003-05 and unearthed over 178 burial urns. His research report was released in 2021, following a legal battle that lasted several years, by writer Muthalankurichi Kamarasu. Though the report had not discussed information on race, it mentioned that anthropological studies pointed to the site being occupied by different races in ancient times. Experts from the state archaeology department had also excavated five spots around Adichanallur. No information has been revealed about the indigenous people of Adichanallur, said archaeology enthusiast SMA Gandhimathinathan. "Interestingly, the region is even at present home to a large number of potters, weavers, goldsmiths, ironsmiths, cattle rearers, palm climbers, agrarians, and farmhands. The government must conduct a DNA analysis comparing the samples collected with the DNA of the present populace, to affirm whether the early inhabitants were the ancestors of the present-day occupants of the region," he told TNIE. There are attempts to depict the ancient Adichanallur settlers as foreigners, said another enthusiast Prabakar, who wants a detailed study about race and ethnicity conducted. It may be noted that the forensic bio-archaeological investigations conducted by experts G Pathmanathan, Raghavan Pathmanathan, and T Satyamurthy, on the 169 skeletons collected from Adichanallur, have implied that three major racial groups -- Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Negroid (Australoid) -- may have existed in Adichanallur. As per FORDISC analysis, some skeletons reflect mixed racial traits and very few of them display similarities with the contemporary Tamil ethnic group, they said. The racial affinities of skeletal remains recovered from Adichanallur have been further classified into 30% Mongoloids, 35% Caucasoids, 16% Negroids, 6% Australoids, 8% ethnic Dravidian, and 5% mixed trait populations.
PALESTINE – Ein Jaleb - The Ein Jaleb cave in the West Bank, near the Palestinian city of Nablus, may look small and insignificant, but in fact it holds secrets from the past 6,000 years of human habitation, according to a recent study. Led by Dr. Dvir Raviv of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, the study was recently published in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology and in the Journal Israel Numismatic Research, shedding light on what seemed to be a refuge cave throughout at least eight different historical periods – from the Chalcolithic age to the Mameluke era. Dr. Raviv said that people found refuge in the cave in times of conflict and war: “The Ein Janev cave is located in a settled area, not in the desert. We see big halls and water sources,” he said. “On the other hand, this cave has limited access. It is dark and we need to crawl to get to some of its inner parts. So this combination of easy and hard accessibility creates fruitful ground for human activity. We can find standard activity connected to the settlements here, alongside activities of rebels and refugees,” he noted. One of the most interesting stories to emerge from his research was the Mongol invasion of the mid-13th century CE, a campaign that reached its peak in 1260 when the Mongols were defeated by Mameluke forces in the famous Ayn Jalut Battle. Dr. Rafi Lewis, who took part in the research, said the cave provides evidence for the first time that supports the historical accounts of Muslim residents who took refuge from the Mongol invasion. “A year before the Battle of Ayn Jalut, the Mongols were terrorizing the landscape around us,” he explained. here from the Mongol's invasion in the Holy Land,” he said.Dr. Raviv noted that there was a chance the cave was used by Jewish refugees in the Roman era during the two most famous revolts: the Great Jewish Revolt of the first “So when we found coins dating back to 1259, it came to my mind that this coin is associated with the battle of 1260. We found evidence that people were hiding century CE, and the Bar Kochba Revolt of the second century. The cave is indeed a fascinating time capsule that tells the story of refugees in the Holy Land over generations.
UKRAINE – Obolonsky Island - In Kiev on Obolonsky Island, where the construction of a recreational zone with a multi-level parking, a park and an embankment began, archaeologists discovered monuments of Old Slavonic times. Annabella Morina, head of the Pochaina NGO, reports this. Morina said that a Cossack pipe, a female adornment, was found on the island crescents with enamel of the 3rd–8th centuries, ceramics, coins and musket balls. The artifacts found indicate that the island most likely had an outpost or a crossing. Archaeologists have discovered unique sights on Obolonsky Island Despite the insistence of the staff of the Institute of Archeology, no research was carried out before the development of Obolonsky Island began. According to the current legislation, art. 298 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on reservations against the destruction of cultural heritage, construction work must be stopped if historical artifacts are found on the site.
IRAN – Segzabad - Archaeologists from the University of Tehran have discovered the remains of children dating back 3,000 years during excavations in an ancient cemetery in the Segzabad region of Qazvin province in central-west Iran. The excavations, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Mustafa Deh Pahlavan found the remains of some children along with babies and fetuses, also found the remains of two horses, two goats, and a sheep. “This complex with an area of five square meters and a height of 120 cm, weighing about 10 tons, includes the remains of nine children, a baby, and a fetus, the remains of two adult horses, two goats, and a sheep,” Dr. Mostafa Dehpahlavan said. Dehpahlavan, who presides over the Institute of Archeology of the University of Tehran, stated that the foundation work has three parts, adding the first part contains the burial remains of a child along with the remains of an immature goat. Dehpahlavan said: In the eastern cemetery of Qara Tepe, important evidence of five layers of burials and graves on top of each other was obtained on a wide scale. In this cemetery, the graves do not have a specific direction. Their borders are surrounded by several clay ridges. Aborted fetuses and babies were buried in clay cooking pots. Without exception, the remains of animals such as goats, immature sheep, cows, camels, and horses were found in all the graves, which indicates that animals were buried next to the dead. Based on criteria such as the growth of teeth and the length of long bones, the child’s skeleton is estimated to be less than six years old. In describing the second part, the archaeology said: “In this part, the burial remains of two adult horses of different breeds can be seen. First, the remains of an adult horse lying on its left side without a skull. Another smaller adult horse (probably of the Caspian breed) was buried in a huddled form on its right side. Its skull is above the surface of the body in a semi-raised form. This horse has a necklace with bronze beads and a part of the iron bridle of this horse can be seen in the mouth area.” In his explanation about the third part of this collection, Dehpahlavan stated: This part contains human and animal remains that are in a very chaotic state. Based on the number of visible skulls, a total of eight people were buried in this section. Next to a gray clay cave, the remains of a human fetus can be seen. In addition, an adult sheep skull can be identified next to the skulls of human fetuses. Also, a container with a vertical handle and a small jug along with a part of the body of a pot with pea color and rope decoration constitute the pottery findings of this section. The cemetery also found a child’s skeleton next to clay dishes, which can attest to his special social status, as well as burial ornaments like bronze bracelets, a ring, and the remnants of a necklace made of stone, bronze, and ivory beads.
MEXIQUE – section 7 of the Maya Train - Archaeologists performing rescue work on section 7 of the Maya Train route have found a rare stone sculpture of the Mayan god K’awil, a deity linked to power, abundance and prosperity. “This finding is very important because there are few sculptural representations of the god K’awil; so far, we only know three in Tikal, Guatemala, and this is one of the first to appear in Mexican territory,” Prieto said. He explained that the deity is more commonly seen represented in paintings, reliefs and Mayan codices. This rare three-dimensional image was found on the head of an urn whose body shows the face of a different deity, possibly linked to the sun. Prieto said AMLO had been shown the piece during a tour last weekend to inspect progress on section 7 of the Maya Train, which runs between Bacalar, Quintana Roo and Escárcega, Campeche. As of April 27, the INAH has registered and preserved as part of the Maya Train archaeological rescue project: 48,971 ancient buildings or foundations, 896,449 ceramic fragments,1,817 movable objects, 491 human remains, 1,307 natural features, such as caves and cenotes.
TCHEQUIE - A team of experts from the Centre of Experimental Archaeology in North Bohemia is constructing a copy of a real Neolithic boat. The vessel will then be used to test out a hypothetical sea trading route from that era between Greece and modern day Turkey. The team says that not just the journey, but the construction process itself, makes it possible to gain a greater understanding of Europe’s Neolithic ancestors. Monoxylon IV, as the expedition is called, will cover a 470 to 500 kilometre route stretching from Samos, off the Turkish coast, past the Aegean island of Milos, all the way to the Peloponnese. The boat is expected to be 11.5 metres long and up to 125 centimetres wide. The relatively large width will allow the 21-man crew to position pairs of rowers next to each other, rather than in single file.
INDE / IRLANDE – - A study comparing modern horns played in India to ancient Irish instruments dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages suggests a sustained cultural exchange between the two regions. The study, which was published in the Journal of Indian Ocean Archaeology in 2016, may help foster a greater understanding of the origins of some Indian instruments and provide clues to the sound of ancient Irish music. "Some horns are frankly shockingly similar, to the point where it is like witnessing time travel," study author Billy Ó Foghlú told Live Science. "If I were to find one of these modern Indian instruments in an Irish archaeological excavation and I didn't know what I was looking at, I would likely assume it was a Late Bronze Age Irish artifact." Ó Foghlú, an archaeologist and Ph.D. student at the Australian National University in Canberra, compared the kompu, a large, C-shaped horn cast in bronze with a high tin count, from Kerala, India, to the Late Bronze Age horns from Ireland and Scandinavia. The instruments are similar in materials, form and most likely production process as well. Ó Foghlú said he decided to investigate the connection after seeing a carving of two musicians playing a carnyx — a bronze Irish horn in the form of an animal head —on the exterior of the Great Stupa, a 2,000-year-old Buddhist monument at Sanchi in central India.
ALLEMAGNE – Munich - During a construction project in Munich’s Sendling district, Celtic cremation tombs were discovered. The quality of preservation of the grave goods is impressive: 2,300 years old, and yet it looks almost new: archaeologists have discovered a pair of scissors in a Celtic grave that even has a slight sheen. Archaeologists from the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (BLfD) also found a folded sword, the remains of a shield and a lance tip, a razor, and a fibula. From the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century B.C. the Celts burned their dead and buried the remains in pits together with the grave goods. Other burials in Sendling show that this is a previously unknown burial ground. The scissors could have been used to cut hair or textiles, so it was likely a multipurpose tool even then, according to the experts. It’s possible that the Celts also used them to shear sheep. According to the findings, the sword was deliberately heated, folded, and thus rendered unusable. It’s possible that someone wanted to destroy the priceless weapon in order to prevent the looting of the tomb. The sword could have been made available to the deceased in the afterlife by ritually destroying it in this world, but mythical notions also raise questions as a background. On the other hand, it might also have been a precaution to calm the dead person’s potentially restless spirit.