🧐 Ancient Beat #101: Human interaction with dino fossils, long-distance Rapa Nui connections, and a heated Gunung Padang retraction

Yep, that title was too long.

Happy Saturday, folks! Welcome to issue #101 of Ancient Beat. Let’s get right into it.

Here’s the latest ancient news. 👇

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🗞 Ancient News: Top 5

• Obsidian Blades with Food Traces Reveal 1st Settlers of Rapa Nui Had Regular Contact with South Americans 1,000 Years Ago — Analysis of obsidian blades from Rapa Nui (AKA Easter Island) revealed starch grains from not just Polynesian plants, but also plants from South America (2,300 miles away), indicating that the island's first settlers had contact with South Americans around 1,000 years ago. This discovery supports theories of pre-European trans-Pacific communication and the introduction of South American crops to Polynesia.

• Archaeologists Find an Assemblage of Petroglyphs Alongside Dinosaur Tracks in Brazil — At the Serrote do Letreiro site in Brazil, researchers discovered petroglyphs alongside early Cretaceous-period dinosaur tracks. The petroglyphs, characterized by circular motifs with radial lines, were made using an abrasive instrument. They were placed with care, ensuring that there was no damage to the dinosaur tracks. Radiocarbon dating of nearby burials suggests these petroglyphs could date from 9,400 to 2,620 years ago. I wonder what they thought of these strange tracks in the stone.

  

  Image credit: Scientific Reports

• Study Reveals 'Cozy Domesticity' of Prehistoric Stilt-House Dwellers in England's Ancient Marshland — A detailed report on a Bronze Age stilt village, Must Farm, destroyed by fire around 850 BCE, offered insights into the surprisingly comfortable lives of England's prehistoric fenlanders. The findings include well-preserved artifacts and structures, suggesting advanced domestic layouts, diverse diets (including honey-glazed venison), and evidence of textile making. The settlement provides a unique view into the circular architecture and domestic life of those who lived in the fenland of East Anglia centuries before the Romans arrived in Britain.

• Israeli Archaeologists Reveal Huge Ancient Hiding Complex in the Galilee — A large and intricate hiding complex, possibly linked to the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans in 132 CE, has been excavated in Huqoq, Galilee. This complex, initially discovered 50 years ago but not excavated until now, is significantly larger than expected, featuring tunnels connecting eight chambers. It includes findings like a ring and a knife from the period. This discovery adds to evidence of Jewish resistance outside Judea and suggests extensive planning against Roman reprisals. It is one of at least 83 hiding complexes found to date in the Galilee.

• Study About Purported Ancient ‘Pyramid’ in Indonesia Is Retracted — You might remember that I covered a study claiming that Indonesia’s Gunung Padang was the world's oldest pyramid, potentially dating back 27,000 years. I also covered a lot of the pushback that the researchers were getting for their claims. Well, the study has now officially been retracted. Critics argued the dating was based on soil samples that were not related to artifacts, meaning that the dates were not related to human activity. The authors are calling the retraction “unjust”. According to Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, “The rock-construction layers, identified as Units 1, 2, and 3, from which the soil samples were extracted, have been unequivocally established as man-made constructions or archaeological features, rather than natural geological formations. These layers are accompanied by numerous small portable artifacts, providing tangible evidence of their anthropogenic origin.” You can see the retraction here and Danny’s statement here. Grab some popcorn while you’re at it. 🍿

That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 18 stories and 7 recommended pieces of content covering Viking skull modification, treasure, mastabas, out-of-Africa “blue corridors”, and the very cool topic of manuports.

Until next time, thanks for joining me!

-James
Twitter: @jamesofthedrum

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