đ§ Ancient Beat #20: Europe's earliest humans, Celtic rites, and pendants made of human bone
Hi folks, hard to believe that this is already issue #20 of Ancient Beat! Time flies when youâre having fun, and Iâm having a ton of fun with this newsletter. So thank you all for being a part of this â I appreciate you!
Without further ado, hereâs the latest ancient news. đ
đ Ancient News
Ancient Jawbone Could Give Glimpse of Europe's Earliest Humans â A jawbone fragment was discovered in northern Spainâs Atapuerca Mountains. It is estimated to be 1.4 million years old, which would make it the oldest hominin fossil found to date in Europe. Scientists are currently attempting to identify the type of human to which this fragment belonged. According to JosĂ© MarĂa BermĂșdez de Castro, âWhat we can say is that we have found a fossil that's very important and interesting that belongs to one of the first populations that arrived in Europe.â.
8,200-year-old Burials in Russia Contain Pendants Crafted from Human Bone â Tooth and bone artifacts from an 8,200-year-old graveyard in the Karelia region of Russia were re-analyzed and, of 37 bone pendants from 6 different graves, at least 12 were human. And at least two of these pendants came from the same human femur. This is the first known use of human bone as an ornament in northeastern Europe. Interestingly, these ornaments donât seem to have been treated differently than the other bones, and actually appear to have been carved quite quickly â possibly as replacements for animal teeth that had been lost. But keep in mind that animal bones often carried great meaning, so this doesnât mean that the human bone ornaments werenât valued.
Archaeologists Reveal Celtic Rites Culture in Ancient Ukraine â Iâll be honest, I thought I had covered this one already, but I donât see it in my recent issues, so here we are! 2,300-year-old artifacts from the Przeworsk people, a coalition of Germanic tribes in modern-day Poland and Ukraine, are shedding light on Celtic influences in the area. This influence can be seen in their metal-smithing and burial rites â most notably, the practice of burying people with broken or damaged weapons. The artifacts included a bent sword, a damaged shield boss, a spearhead, and more. It is believed that damaging weapons may have marked the symbolic death of the object, allowing it to go to the afterlife with the deceased.
Clay Figurine Discovered in Germany May Represent a Prehistoric Water Goddess â A clay figurine that dates to between the 8th and 5th centuries BCE was found in a small gully near a Hallstatt-period settlement in Germany. The figurine stands 19cm tall, though parts of it are missing, and there are perforated holes on the sides of the head, which are thought to be a hood. Researchers believe the figure may represent a water goddess, and that the gully may have been a sacred place for ritual offerings. Glass, pottery, bone tools, and a clay stamp were also found at the site.
Archaeologists Find Prehistoric Cist at New Criccieth School Site â A possible prehistoric cist burial was found in Wales during the archaeological evaluation of a construction project. There werenât any human remains in the stone-lined grave, which could be due to the preservation conditions at the site. But a possible quern (a type of grinding stone) and a piece of worked chert were discovered nearby, dating it to the prehistoric era.
2,000-year-old Roman Tomb Found in Northern Gaza â A Palestinian citizen uncovered what might be the largest cemetery in the Gaza Strip. It is estimated to date to approximately 2,000 BP, and contains about 100 graves adorned with paintings and bayleaf crowns.
Ancient Roman Ruins and Crypt Found Under Former Debenhams in Midlands Archaeology Dig â A number of finds have been found beneath a former department store in the UK. Under the menswear department, they found Roman pottery from the 2nd century CE. They also found a Roman wall, roof tiles, and a road that dates to between the 2nd and 4th centuries CE. In the delivery area of the store, they also found pillars which may be from an 18th-century church, along with burial vaults and a crypt.
Cavers Find Pristine Mineshaft Frozen in Time for 200 Years â This find is only 200 years old, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. A mineshaft in England that was abandoned during the Napoleonic wars was found in an undisturbed state, thanks to the miners sealing the entrance. Since being found in 2021, a detailed study has been undertaken, and finds include clay pipes, a leather shoe, a windlass wound with hemp rope, clay putty still showing fingerprints and an imprint of corduroy, and someoneâs initials (WS) with the date of 20 August, 1810. They also found a bowl that had, for some reason, been walled up â whether it was done as an offering, a practical joke, or something else, weâll never know.
Archaeologists Unearth Roman Mosaic in Rural British Town â In 1963, a near-complete Roman mosaic which is thought to depict Jesus Christ (or Constantine I) was unearthed in Dorset, a county in England. And recently, a second mosaic was found nearby. Both date to the 4th century. This one features a black, white, and red tesserae, but the design is in rough condition. Both mosaics have caused researchers to consider that the site may have served a religious purpose, rather than being a farmhouse or villa.
Ancient Mosaics of Biblical Heroines Found in Lower Galilee â While weâre on the topic of mosaics, a 1,600-year-old mosaic was unearthed in Lower Galilee, Israel. It shows the biblical heroins, Deborah and Jael, who are featured in the Book of Judges. Itâs the earliest depiction found to date. According to Jodi Magness, âLooking at the book of Joshua chapter 19, we can see how the story might have had special resonance for the Jewish community at Huqoq, as it is described as taking place in the same geographical region â the territory of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulon.â
Quarry Discovered Under Ancient Church in Jerusalem â While restoring pavement stones at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, archaeologists found a rock quarry from the 4th century CE. The stones were used to build the early church.
Cardiff: Archaeological Dig Uncovers Earliest House in City â Researchers found a roundhouse at the Trelai Enclosure in Cardiff, Wales. Thanks to the pottery found within, we know that it dates back 3,000 years. According to Oliver Davis, âThis enclosure could be providing us with the earliest clues on the origins of Cardiff, the pot that's been found is beautifully decorated and preserved - it is extremely rare to find pottery of this quality. It's also unusual to find a Bronze Age settlement in Wales - there are only one or two other Bronze Age sites in this country.â
8,200-Year-Old Needles Unearthed In Turkeyâs Izmir â Bone needles were found recently in the Yesilova and Yassitepe mounds in the province of Izmir, Turkey. Nine different villages that date to 8,500 years ago have been discovered, and this yearâs excavations have unearthed stone tools for meat cutting, wood chipping, and furniture processing. The needles are the latest find, and theyâre thought to have been used by women for weaving â though if you saw the last issue, youâll know that ancient gender roles might not be quite so simple. The needles are made of bird and cattle bones.
Workshop and Elite Womanâs Burial Uncovered at Palenque â A stone workshop and cemetery were discovered at Palenque in Mexico during preparation for building a visitor center. Remains of a woman who died around 800 CE were found and her remains show cranial deformation, as well as inlays of precious stones in her teeth, indicating that she was a woman of prestige. The researchers hope to learn more about the role of women in ancient Maya society from the burial. Also, more than 2,000 artifacts were found in the workshop, dating from 600-850 CE, including tools for hunting, food prep, and ritual sacrifice.
A 3800-year-old Cylinder Seal was Discovered at Turkeyâs Tepebag Mound Excavations â Recent excavation of Tepebag Mound in the Adana province of Turkey has unearthed a cylinder seal dated to 3800 BP. The mound is thought to be located at Uru Adaniya, an important city mentioned by Hittite sources. Previous finds from the site include the remains of an Assyrian palace from the 7th century BCE and an Egyptian Seal in the same layer.
Humans Have Been In The Arctic For Over 40,000 Years â New Discoveries Reveal â In a recent study, radiocarbon analysis of reindeer antler fragments (along with other bones) from the Kushevat Paleolithic site in Russia yielded dates of 20,000-40,000 years ago. And since two of the antler fragments showed traces of human activity, the study suggests that Homo sapiens were in the Arctic as far back as 40,000 years ago. According to the Barents Observer, âThe analysis suggests that Homo sapiens and not only Neanderthals inhabited the Arctic Circle in the Upper Paleolithic age. About two decades ago, it was only certain that Neanderthals, and not Homo sapiens, were occupants in the region during the period.â
Ancient DNA Adds to Evidence for Native Americans' East Asian Ancestry â After three years of trying to extract sufficient DNA from a 14,000-year-old skull found at Red Deer Cave in China, scientists succeeded in proving that it belonged to a Homo sapien, which (somewhat surprisingly IMO) was contested. The team also found genetic similarities between this individual, modern-day people of east Asian ancestry, and First Nations people of the Americas. They speculate that ancestors of these First Nations people traveled north along the coastline and went through Siberia to North America. There is also evidence that some of these people then traveled back to east Asia.
â€ïž Recommended Content
Hereâs another excellent video by the Prehistory Guys, where they cover some of the latest discoveries in the world of prehistory, including one that I missed â the earliest known cat burial (7500 BCE). Given my interest in both prehistory and domestication, I canât believe I missed that one! đŹ They also chat about the relationship between stone circles and neolithic farmers, and speak with Jennifer Wexler, the curator of the famous âWorld of Stonehengeâ exhibition.
I covered the Dragon Houses of ancient Greece briefly in Issue #15. Hereâs a video by Ancient Architects that goes into greater depth and includes some quality imagery.
And hereâs a video about the Paleolithic site of Kostenki in Russia. Worth a watch if youâre interested in mammoth houses (and who isnât?)!
Thatâs it for now! Thoughts? Questions? Interesting articles? Crackpot theories? Thatâs what Iâm here for â just reply to this email. đ
Until next time, thanks for joining me.
-James
(newish twitter: @jamesofthedrum)
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