🧐 Ancient Beat #114: Migrations, mounds, and lost cities

Hello, folks! This is issue #114 of Ancient Beat.

I’d like to take a moment to say a big welcome — and thank you! — to Virginia, a subscriber and student at the University of Leiden who just started a 3-week internship with Ancient Beat for her honors archaeology class. 😀 It’s great to have you on board!

Alrighty, here’s the latest ancient news. 👇

---

---

🗞 Ancient News: Top 5

• Ancient Family Burial Tells Story of Migration That Reshaped Europe — A 4,500-year-old grave in central France revealed the mixing of local farmers and steppe herders from what is now Ukraine and Russia. This grave captures the moment when steppe people, who introduced the wheel and Indo-European languages, began integrating with Neolithic farmers. An adult man and a child in the grave have steppe ancestry, the oldest such evidence in France. The findings suggest a peaceful integration, challenging theories of violent invasions. This mixed ancestry may have given rise to the widespread Bell Beaker culture, marking the beginnings of a pan-European culture. The study offers a rare glimpse into this significant migration and its impact on European ancestry.

• Lidar Uncovers Ancient Secrets at Cahokia – North America’s First City — LIDAR technology has revealed over 160 hidden ancient mounds in Cahokia, providing new insights into North America's first city. Cahokia, located near modern-day St. Louis, was a major prehistoric settlement flourishing around 1050-1350 CE. The use of LIDAR has uncovered previously unknown aspects of the city’s infrastructure, including residential areas, public spaces, and agricultural zones. These discoveries suggest a more complex and densely populated urban environment than previously understood. The technology has also identified numerous smaller, satellite settlements around the main city, indicating an extensive network of communities that supported Cahokia’s growth and sustainability.

• Ancient Roman Altar Found at Bottom of Well in Spain Honors Unexpected Deity — Archaeologists excavating the medieval ruins of an 11th-century monastery in Larunbe, northern Spain, discovered a 1,900-year-old Roman altar dedicated to the Basque deity Larrahe. The altar, found at the bottom of a well, features a Latin inscription indicating it was dedicated by a woman named Valeria Vitella as part of a vow. Larrahe, a little-known ancient god or goddess, is thought to be associated with agriculture or fieldwork. This unique find represents a blend of Basque and Roman belief systems. It remains unclear whether the altar was thrown into the well or placed there during its construction.

Image credit: Aranzadi Science Society

• Victims of a Tsunami or Human Sacrifice? What Happened to 20 Celts 2,000 Years Ago? — Excavations at Cornaux/Les Sauges in the Three Lakes region of Switzerland uncovered 20 Celtic skeletons near a collapsed wooden bridge. Bioarchaeological evidence suggests a violent and sudden event, such as a tsunami, caused their deaths. Skeletal analysis revealed multiple bone lesions consistent with blunt force trauma but no signs of sharp object injuries typical of human sacrifice. Isotopic and genetic analyses indicate a mix of local and Alpine origins among the victims, with no apparent familial links. Radiocarbon dating complicates the timeline, suggesting the deaths may have occurred in multiple events.

• Ancient Site Found In UAE May Be 6th-Century Lost City — Recent excavations in Al Ain, UAE, have uncovered an extensive early-Islamic site that could be linked to the historical region of Tawam. The site revealed a mix of structures, including an early-Islamic street, grand courtyard houses, and ancient irrigation channels. Significant finds include high-end ceramics and glassware, indicating trade links with regions as far as Iraq and India. These structures could be linked to the lost city of Tu’am, thought to be the defunct capital of pearl fishing that declined because of a plague and political tensions.

That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 17 discoveries and 4 recommended pieces of content covering cumulative culture, very aged wine, plaques, windmills, berries, and catapults.

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