🧐 Ancient Beat #24: Buried crystals, breached walls, and deciphered scripts

Aug 12, 2022

Hi folks, welcome to issue #24 of Ancient Beat! It’s a rainy Friday in my neck of the woods — a perfect day to sit down with a nice cup of coffee and catch up on all the latest ancient news. 👇

🗞 Ancient News

Prehistoric Brits Used Rare Rock Crystals to Mark Burial Sites, Research Finds — Clear rock crystals are occasionally found at prehistoric sites in the British Isles, but very little research into their significance has been done until now. A new study suggests that these rare crystals were used to mark burial sites. According to Nick Overton, “The crystals would have looked very unusual in comparison to other stones they used, and are extremely distinctive as they emit light when hit or rubbed together and produce small patches of rainbow—we argue that their use would have created memorable moments that brought individuals together, forged local identities and connected the living with the dead whose remains they were deposited with.”
Archaeologists Recover Ancient 'Fertility Statuettes' from Famed Tuscan Hot Springs — Votive offerings, including fertility statuettes, have been found by archaeologists at the hot springs of San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany, Italy. The springs were visited by pre-Italic Etruscans as early as the 4th century BCE, and the finds shed light on the “water religion” that was present in the region. Many coins have also been found, and it is known that the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Carus had a huge number of coins thrown in to honor the gods who were watching over him and other travelers. Also found, were bronze miniatures of specific body parts which were in need of healing. Springs of all kinds are a fascination of mine. We often focus on their more obvious uses (hydration, irrigation, useful chemical properties), but as this article highlights, they were places where the ancients attempted otherworldly communication — a practice which has held strong into modern times (e.g. tossing coins in fountains for luck).
Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Olmec Reliefs — Two reliefs were recovered in the municipality of Tenosique in Mexico from the late Olmec horizon (900-400 BCE). With a diameter of 1.4 meters, the limestone reliefs display faces with mouths agape, diadems, the “Olmec cross” glyph (associated with the elite, as well as the form of the jaguar), footprints, and crossed arms. It is believed that the reliefs originated from the Middle Usumacinta region, and the faces are probably those of local rulers. What I find fascinating about this is that researchers believe the rulers are being depicted doing ritual contortionism — in other words, contorting their bodies in ways that constrict blood flow to induce an altered state of consciousness.
Discoveries in Pompeii Reveal Lives of Lower and Middle Classes — New excavations of a home in Pompeii’s archaeological park have revealed new details about the home life of Rome’s middle and lower classes. Finds include a wooden dishware closet, a three-legged table with decorative bowls on top of it, a trunk containing an oil lantern with a bas relief of Zeus transforming into an eagle, an incense burner shaped like a cradle, and a beautiful translucent plate. One room had an earthen floor and unpainted walls, indicating that the occupants may not have had the resources to decorate the whole house.
Innovative Study Reveals the Genius of Ancient Chinese Bronze Makers — The Eastern Zhou text called the “Rites of Zhou” has six formulae for the creation of different forms of bronze. The differences in the formulae are based on the combination of Jin and Xi, two components which no one has been able to identify. But a new study has shown that instead of pure metals, these components may have actually been pre-prepared alloys.
Neolithic Watermelons May Have Been Valued for Their Seeds — Genetic analysis of 6,000-year-old watermelon seeds found at the Uan Muhuggiag rock shelter in Libya showed that these ancient melons were probably very bitter. The numerous seeds, however, were tasty, nutritious, and oil-rich. It seems watermelons in the Neolithic were prized for their seeds; not their flesh. Backing this up, patterns on the teeth of neolithic people are consistent with the consumption of seeds.
Sculpture of Lord Vishnu Dated to the Early 9th Century Found in Kashmir — A sculpture of the god Vishnu was uncovered by locals in Budgam, Kashmir. It dates back to the 9th century.
Ancient DNA Sheds New Light on the Fall of Major Civilizations — In the 3rd millennium BCE, societal changes occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East which have been attributed to social and climatic factors. However, a new study presented evidence of Yersinia pestis and Salmonella enterica (causative agent of typhoid fever) on remains found at the cave site of Hagios Charalambos in Crete. The remains date to this period of transformation, indicating that disease may have played a role.
Coin Hoard Discovery Hints at Prosperity of Black Sea Region During Medieval Times — A purse containing 30 Greek copper coins minted during the Bosporan Kingdom was found between two burnt homes in the ancient settlement of Phanagoria in modern-day Russia. These “staters” were no longer minted after 341 CE but were still in circulation until the end of the 6th century. The coins are thought to have been lost during attacks by either the Turks or the Huns. The discovery is helping archaeologists evaluate the wealth of the people living there at that time.
Ancient DNA Reveals Phenological Diversity of Coast Salish Herring Harvests Over Multiple Centuries — While we now know that phenological diversity in food resources reduces risk of environmental disturbances and prolongs foraging opportunities, it is unknown how much ancient peoples contributed to this diversity. But the results of a recent study of herring bones at two Coast Salish archaeological sites showed that they did indeed contribute heavily. They used a “portfolio of herring populations and benefited from the ecological resource wave created by different spawning groups of herring.”
Israeli Archaeologist Finds Where the Romans Breached Jerusalem's Walls — In 70 CE, during the Jewish revolt against Rome (66-74 CE), Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple. By locating areas with large numbers of ballista stones, and combining this information with that of historical sources, researchers were able to calculate where the Roman artillery had been located (Cat’s Square), and where they likely breached the city (the Russian Compound).
Archaeologists Uncover Ancient City and Hundreds of Artifacts Close to Baghdad — A Parthian (247 BCE to 224 CE) settlement and 233 artifacts were found in Al-Suwaira, Iraq. The artifacts were primarily household items from what is thought to have been a vassal settlement.
Archaeologists Uncover Pearls and Decorated Beads in Norse Settlement — Researchers excavated a burial mound containing human and horse remains, a spear, a boat, and jewelry dated to 940-1100 CE in Iceland’s East Fjords.
Over 140 Cultural Relics Unearthed in NW China — Over 140 artifacts were found in six Han Dynasty (25-220 CE) tombs in Xi’an, China. The artifacts include floor tiles with inscriptions of words and a dragon on the bottoms.
3,000 Artifacts in Less Than a Month: Locality Near Poprad Keeps Archaeologists Busy — A site near Poprad, Slovakia has produced a huge number of artifacts from the La Tene Culture (1st century BCE). Finds include craft tools, finished products, and coins, indicating that the function of the settlement was commercial.
A King’s Face is Discovered by Archaeologists in a Chinese Antique Pyramid — A two-meter carving with three faces was found at the base of the 4,200-year-old Shimao pyramid in Shenmu, China. One of the faces is thought to be that of a king. This find is accompanied by 70 other stone carvings of animals and mythological creatures that were recently found at the site.
Gold Jewelry Found in Ancient Burial Urn in Southern India — A gold diadem, pottery, and bronze and iron objects were discovered in a burial urn at the archaeological site of Adichanallur in India. The site was occupied from 1000-600 BCE. Also found outside of the urn were 11 arrowheads, two spearheads, a chisel, and much more.
Two Giant Limestone Sphinxes of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and a Statue of Goddess Sekhmet Discovered in Luxor — Restoration works revealed two sphinxes of Amenhotep III (originally measuring 8 meters), as well as black granite busts of Sekhmet in Luxor, Egypt. The pharaoh has a mongoose headdress, a royal beard, a necklace, and an inscription to the “beloved of the god Amun-Ra”. According to Horig Sorosian, “This discovery shed light on the processional way from the third pylon to the Peristyle Court.”
Have Scholars Finally Deciphered a Mysterious Ancient Script? — The script known as Linear Elamite (2300–1850 BCE) may have been deciphered. This is hotly debated but, if true, it could reveal secrets of a little-known kingdom that bordered Sumer, and could even change our understanding of the evolution of writing. According to Massimo Vidale, “This is one of the major archaeological discoveries of the last decades… It was based on the same approach of Champollion’s breakthrough—identifying and reading phonetically the names of kings.” Check out the article for more on the ancient script.

❤️ Recommended Content

Here’s a video about Direkli Cave in Turkey, and more specifically, layer 7, which dates to at least 12,730 BP. In this layer, many things have been found, including evidence of the occupants’ diets, beads, spatulas, and a clay figurine of what may be a pregnant woman. The figurine was an important discovery because it shows the controlled use of fire, an advancement which was not thought to have happened until later.
This video covers Gre Fılla Höyük, also in Turkey, which may be even older than Göbekli Tepe. It contains evidence of both ritual significance and social living.
Here’s an article that speaks to some of the incredible knowledge and abilities of the Amazon’s ancient inhabitants.
Here’s a video where the Prehistory Guys discuss some ancient news like new findings at an ancient city in Albania (which I don’t believe I’ve covered!) and a carved stone chrysalis I covered in issue #21. They also discuss a couple of my favorite topics in detail with Alison Sheridan — the ways we continually underestimate hunter-gatherers, and the transition to agriculture.

That’ll do it, folks! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And as always, thanks for joining me.

-James
(newish twitter: @jamesofthedrum)

P.S. If you like what you’re seeing, please consider sharing it with a friend. It would mean a lot! 🙏