🧐 Ancient Beat #140: The first 3D map, mega fortresses, and the Battle of Granicus

I’m back with issue #140 of Ancient Beat! And since I haven’t said it yet, happy new year! I hope it’s a wonderful one.

Okay, let’s not tarry. Here’s the latest ancient news. 👇

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🗞 Ancient News: Top 5

• Where Did Alexander the Great Fight the Battle of Granicus? — Researchers in northwestern Turkey have identified a site near Biga as the probable location of the Battle of Granicus, where Alexander the Great defeated Persian forces in 334 BCE. Evidence includes remnants of the ancient city of Hermaion, noted as Alexander's last encampment before the battle, and geomorphological analyses aligning with historical descriptions of the terrain. Additionally, a hill where human bones were found may correspond to the area where Greek mercenaries fighting for Persia were stationed. This victory was pivotal, enabling Alexander's further advances into the Middle East. According to Reyhan Körpe, “The Battle of Granicus was not only one of the most significant turning points in Alexander’s life, later earning him the epithet ‘the Great,’ but [was] also a pivotal moment in world history.”

• The World’s Oldest 3D Map? Paleolithic Engraving in a Paris Basin Cave — In the Ségognole 3 cave, located beneath a sandstone massif south of Paris, researchers have discovered an engraving on the cave floor that may represent the oldest known three-dimensional map. Dating back over 20,000 years, this artifact appears to depict a miniature representation of the surrounding Noisy-sur-École landscape, including its hydrological and geological features. This finding offers insight into how Ice Age hunter-gatherers perceived and interacted with their environment.

  

• Drone Mapping Unveils 3,000-Year-Old Fortress, Reshaping Ancient History — In the Caucasus Mountains, researchers have employed drone mapping to investigate Dmanisis Gora, a 3,000-year-old "mega fortress." Initially thought to be a modest fortified area, drone imagery revealed the site spans over 40 times the original estimate, encompassing a large outer settlement protected by a 1-kilometer-long fortification wall. The high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos produced from nearly 11,000 drone images have uncovered intricate details of plazas, fortifications, roads, and habitations. This discovery offers new insights into ancient settlement growth and urbanism in the region, highlighting the strategic significance of the fortress at the convergence of two gorges.

• ‘The Hair Stands Up’: Citizen Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Treasures in Scotland — During a community excavation at East Lomond hillfort in Fife, Scotland, volunteers discovered a rare bronze Pictish spear butt. This artifact, used to counterbalance a spearhead, dates back over 1,500 years and features intricate Pictish inscriptions. The find was made near the hearth of an ancient building, approximately 60 centimeters (2 feet) below the surface. The East Lomond site has revealed settlement remains spanning from the 2nd or 3rd century CE to around 700 CE, offering valuable insights into Pictish culture and craftsmanship.

• New Discoveries Extend the Northern Boundary of Egypt's Saqqara Necropolis — Recent excavations at Saqqara have uncovered rock-cut tombs, mastabas, and burials, expanding the necropolis's northern boundary. The four mastabas, flat-roofed rectangular tombs with sloped walls, date to the late 2nd Dynasty and early 3rd Dynasty (circa 27th century BCE). Additionally, ten burials from the 18th Dynasty (circa 16th to 13th centuries BCE) were found. One rock-cut tomb features a limestone shaft leading to a burial chamber. These findings suggest Saqqara's significance as a major burial site during both the Old and New Kingdom periods, especially when Memphis was reinstated as Egypt's capital after the expulsion of the Hyksos.

That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 35 discoveries and 5 recommended pieces of content covering rock-cut tombs, genetics, cave art, swastikas, and penis bones.

Until next time, thanks for joining me!

-James
Twitter: @jamesofthedrum

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🗞 Ancient News: Deep Dive