Archaeology is a fascinating field that reveals our past. New discoveries fascinate archaeologists day after day.
One interesting discovery came in 2022, when researchers found 2,600-year-old cheese in Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis.
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Mummy Portraits
During the Roman period in archaeology news, many people had portraits painted on thin wooden panels and attached to their bodies. These lifelike images – which are now exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York – date back as early as the 1st century C.E., and have long fascinated researchers. Known as mummy portraits, the paintings are usually of a single person and depict them viewed frontally. The majority were created in encaustic, which involved mixing hot wax and pigment, but tempera was also used.
The portraits’ realism has made them a focus of scientific study, and one team has even succeeded in using the pictures to diagnose neurological diseases. They analyzed the way white paint was applied in the eyes of several of the portraits and found that some individuals likely suffered from neurological disorders like focal epilepsy, hemiplegic migraine, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
Unfortunately, most mummy portraits haven’t been able to reveal much about their historical context, except for when they were produced. This is due to the fact that a large number of them were excavated in the 19th century, when most of them went into private collections. The Manchester trio is particularly important because it may contain two different portraits on the same panel – one side is thought to be a practice version, while the other is the final, finished portrait.
While the portraits’ realism has made them an attractive target for scientific analysis, the problem of dating them remains difficult, according to archaeologist Adel Okasha. He explains that while it’s possible to determine their general age based on the materials they were made from and the dates of other items they were found with, such as jewellery, it is not easy to pinpoint exactly when they were painted.
31,000-Year-Old Leg Amputation
A skeleton of an ancient hunter-gatherer discovered in a cave in Borneo is revealing evidence of what scientists believe to be the earliest surgical amputation in human history. When the skeleton was unearthed in 2020, it was missing its left foot and lower part of the leg bones. The ends of the leg bones had been cut with something sharp, and the bone fragments exhibited a pattern that was unlike those that might have been produced by a fall, animal attack or other trauma. This suggests that the person was amputated deliberately, and the regrowth on the leg bones shows the surgery was carried out when the person was a child. The regrowth indicates that the leg was kept clean and dry after the amputation, and the absence of any major post-operative infection shows the operation was performed with skill.
The team dated the sediment around the skeleton and one of the teeth to estimate that the person was buried about 31,000 years ago. This dates back to the late Pleistocene and fits with the timing of the rock art that was found at the same site. The fact that the person survived a traumatic surgery and healed so well indicates that there was a high degree of care for them from their community.
The team also analyzed the contents of the grave and found that it was laid out in a way that suggests the person held a position of power. They were buried with a copper axe and necklaces made of gold beads, which may indicate that they had some form of wealth or status within the community. The researchers were able to date the teeth thanks to the fact that they are much harder to decompose than other bones in the body and can be more accurately dated than other samples.
Ancient Poop
Although it may not get the same initial excitement as a shiny artifact, fossilized poop can reveal a lot about ancient civilizations. Archaeologists use it as a window into what people ate, where they lived, and even how they died. Poop fossils are called coprolites. They’re very rare because feces decays very quickly, but a mineralization process can preserve some of the organic material inside. As a result, poop can be an excellent archaeological tool when other lines of evidence are either scarce or nonexistent.
For example, a team of researchers recently discovered coprolites in Paisley Caves in Saskatchewan, Canada, that date back to around 14,000 years ago. The fossils contain DNA and provide clues about what the occupants of these early North American sites ate. But they weren’t sure whether the feces came from humans or dogs, reports the New York Times.
Fortunately, scientists have come up with a way to tell the difference. They developed a scanning technique that detects colonies of bacteria that can live inside both humans and dogs. This allows archaeologists to determine whether a particular piece of scat is human or dog, and then use that information to answer their questions.
In fact, fossilized poop has revealed a slew of fascinating facts about dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts. A coprolite from a carnivorous Tyrannosaurus rex, for instance, contained bits of partially-digested bones from a young Edmontosaurus or Triceratops that the predator chomped on. This helped to confirm what many guessed from T. rex’s massive jaws and spine-chilling bites in the movies: that the dinosaurs were omnivorous eaters. And another study using coprolites from Neanderthals found chemical traces of both meat and plant digestion—counteracting the earlier view that these early humans were strictly meat-eaters.
Shipwreck
Archaeologists study the wrecks of ships, boats, and other seafaring vessels that have sunk in oceans, lakes, rivers, and even swamps. Historic wrecks can provide information about seafaring and warfare during the time when they sank. Studying them may help us better understand what went wrong and how to prevent similar disasters in the future.
Maritime archaeologists in northern Germany have discovered a Hanseatic period shipwreck that somehow managed to avoid deterioration and decay for centuries. The ship sank in a river but did not capsize, and it surprisingly escaped the fate of most of its contemporaries. Interestingly, the researchers found that it still holds barrels of quicklime, an ingredient for stone building, which was probably its original cargo.
The experts will make recommendations for how to preserve and retrieve the ship, possibly as early as next summer. It could be pulled up piece by piece using the existing cracks and reassembled out of the water like a puzzle, reports Reuters. The Phoenicians, who came from coastal areas of present-day Lebanon and Syria, established colonies and trading posts throughout the Mediterranean from 1,500 BC to 300 BC.
This latest discovery of the Mazarron II is likely to be a keystone in understanding how this fleet of Phoenician ships traveled and what routes they used. Hopefully, the experts will be able to get this remarkable vessel out of the water and into a museum so that it can be appreciated by all. Otherwise, it may just disappear from the surface in a future storm. It would be a shame to lose such an amazing artifact.
Biblical Archaeology
The field of Biblical archaeology encompasses the recovery and scientific investigation of the material culture of the lands described in either the Old Testament or New Testament. The archaeological evidence illuminates the periods and descriptions in those texts, as well as shedding light on Judaism and Christianity.
This fascinating and specialized field has, in recent decades, been subject to an onslaught of anti-biblical attacks from secular academic circles, including archaeologists who reject the biblical account of creation. Nevertheless, archaeological excavations in Israel and throughout the Middle East continue to find artifacts that corroborate biblical history and actually contravene Darwinism and other long-held evolutionary views.
A great place to learn more about Biblical archaeology is the flagship publication of the Biblical Archaeological Society, Bible Review. This seminal magazine brings the world of biblical archaeology to a wide audience and features articles by world-renown scholars. The site also offers an array of online resources for exploring the world of biblical archaeology and the Holy Land.
As the field of biblical archaeology continues to grow, it’s important that it’s kept focused on its true mission. While a few scholars attempt to connect their finds with the Bible, the vast majority of researchers are simply interested in examining the facts about the ancient cultures and societies of the Near East. With this in mind, the field of Biblical archaeology remains one of the most fascinating areas of human knowledge.
Conclusion
Archaeology continues to uncover fascinating insights into our ancient past. From newly discovered ancient civilizations to groundbreaking techniques, the field remains at the forefront of historical research. As technology advances, we can expect even more exciting discoveries that will enrich our understanding of human history and shape our future knowledge.
FAQs:
- What is archaeology? Archaeology is a scientific discipline that studies human history and prehistory through the excavation and analysis of artifacts, structures, and other physical remains left behind by past cultures. It helps us understand how ancient societies lived, interacted, and evolved over time.
- How do archaeologists determine the age of artifacts and sites? Archaeologists use various dating methods to determine the age of artifacts and archaeological sites. These methods include radiocarbon dating, which measures the decay of carbon isotopes in organic materials, and dendrochronology, which analyzes tree-ring patterns to establish precise dates for wooden structures and objects. Other techniques, like thermoluminescence and potassium-argon dating, are also used depending on the context and materials involved.
