🧐 Ancient Beat #105: Megaliths, monuments, and lava tubes

Hi folks! Welcome to issue #105 of Ancient Beat. I’m still dealing with email deliverability issues, but I’ve been assured that Substack is on the case. If you’re reading this, then this is me doing my happy dance: 🕺

If not, well, darn. We won’t know until I hit send. 🤞

Here’s the latest ancient news. 👇

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🗞 Ancient News: Top 5

• First Evidence of Ancient Human Occupation Found in Giant Lava Tube Cave in Saudi Arabia — Evidence of human activity has been discovered in the Umm Jirsan lava tube of Saudi Arabia, part of the Harrat Khaybar lava field. This tube, stretching nearly a mile with a height of up to 39 feet and a width of 147 feet, is noted for the significant number of well-preserved animal fossils within, attributed to the actions of striped hyenas over millennia. But archaeologists recently uncovered stone artifacts made from obsidian, chert, and basalt around the tube's entrances. The finds are dated to between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago. Additionally, newly discovered rock art depicts herding and hunting scenes, indicating repeated human visits over thousands of years. This area also aligns with a 'funerary avenue' linking two major oases, suggesting its historical use as a stopover for pastoralists navigating harsh desert conditions.

• Three New Archaeological Sites Discovered in Telangana — Near Bandala village in India, over 200 megalithic monuments have been discovered in a densely forested area, indicating a unique Iron Age site. The site features a distinct style of dolmenoid cists, where the side slabs are arranged to mimic the shape of the capstone, giving each monument a unique form. These structures are estimated to date back to around 1,000 BCE. Additionally, two new rock art sites were discovered in Damaratogu village, displaying wild animal depictions that are believed to date back to the Mesolithic period, between 8000 and 3000 BCE.

Image via thehindu.com

• Human Remains Among Thousands of Ornaments in Maya Pyramid — Excavations at K’anwitznal, also known as Ucanal, a Maya site in northern Guatemala, have uncovered human remains along with thousands of jade and marine shell ornaments in a pyramid. The finds date back to the 9th century CE and radiocarbon dating revealed a discrepancy between the dates of the charcoal and the bones, suggesting a deliberate reentry — likely for ritual desecration, reflecting a political shift marked by the dramatic burning of a Maya ruler.

• For 600 Years the Voynich Manuscript Has Remained a Mystery—Now, Researchers Think It's Partly About Sex — The Voynich Manuscript, an unintelligible text dating back to the 15th century and clocking in at about 240 pages, is known for its unique script and bizarre illustrations. Despite various theories about its content, recent research suggests it may include information on sexual and reproductive health, depicted through drawings of plants and women. This interpretation, while controversial, opens new avenues in understanding the manuscript's purpose and origins. This manuscript has always tickled my imagination so, while this is a contested theory, it made the cut for the top five. 😊

• Mysterious Prehistoric Monument Uncovered in 'Unprecedented' Discovery — In Marliens, France, a prehistoric monument made of three interconnected enclosures was discovered. It probably dates back to the Neolithic (based on the flint objects found within), but the dating is uncertain. The central circular enclosure is about 36 feet in diameter, flanked by a horseshoe-shaped structure to the north and a nearly square enclosure to the south. Excavations revealed occupation layers from various periods, going at least as far back as the Bell Beaker culture, and up to the Early Bronze Age. A necropolis made of five circular enclosures, and dating to 1500-1300 BCE, was found nearby. And a second necropolis from the Iron Age was found a little farther away. To put it in scientific terms, folks don’t know WTF this monument was.

Image credit: JÉRÔME BERTHET/INRAP

That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 23 stories and 8 recommended pieces of content covering inter-homo competition, megathrust earthquakes, message sticks, archery, Tasmanian devils, fortresses, and what’s being labeled as a classic nerd throwdown.

Until next time, thanks for joining me!

-James
Twitter: @jamesofthedrum

P.S. If you want access but it’s a little too steep for you right now, just email me — I want this to be accessible.

P.P.S. Paid members, read on!

🗞 Ancient News: Deep Dive