🧐 Ancient Beat #166: Impact hypotheses, Neanderthal hunting feats, and very early mummification

Hello, my friends. Happy (almost) autumn equinox and happy (almost) autumn!

Go ahead and grab that pumpkin spice latte. We’ll wait.

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Ok. Here’s the latest ancient news. 👇

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🗞 Ancient News: Top 5

• When the Sky Fell: Shocked Quartz and the End of the Clovis World — To proponents of the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, this may be old news, but this paper is hot off the press. And if true, it’s a big deal. So, here we go: Around 12,800 years ago (about 10,800 BCE), three major North American sites associated with the Clovis culture (in Arizona, New Mexico, and California) show quartz grains deformed by pressures and heat far beyond what wildfires or volcanoes generate. These “shocked quartz” grains appear alongside other impact markers like black mats, metallic spherules, meltglass, and nanodiamonds—all in the same sediment layer tied to the onset of the Younger Dryas cooling event. The evidence supports a hypothesis that a fragmented comet exploded over North America, triggering intense environmental stress that may have contributed to the sudden disappearance of Clovis technology and megafauna like mammoths.

• Goats on the Edge: Neanderthals, Mountain Hunts, and the Early Roots of Human Ingenuity — Around 300,000 years ago, early Neanderthals in what is now Serbia were hunting ibex on steep, rugged limestone cliffs, according to new findings from Velika Balanica cave. The evidence suggests they were working in dangerous terrain that hominins had previously avoided, showing advanced adaptability. These hunts required navigating precipitous, barren zones—challenging topography that demands skill and agility—and indicate a level of ecological niche exploitation (i.e. making use of habitats others did not) much earlier than once thought. In other words, neanderthals were not waiting until later phases to demonstrate sophistication; this behavior points to deep-rooted ingenuity.

• Before Egypt: The 12,000-Year History of Smoke-Dried Mummification in Southeast Asia — Hunter-gatherer groups in southern China, Vietnam, and Indonesia practiced intentional smoke-drying of their dead as far back as 12,000 years ago, long before Egyptian mummification. Over 50 burials from 11 pre-Neolithic sites show bodies in tightly bound squatting or crouched positions, often with limbs pressed against the torso. Bone chemistry (via X-ray diffraction & FTIR) reveals low-temperature fire exposure characteristic of smoking rather than burning, especially on lower limbs, skull fronts, and joints. Cut marks and rearranged bones, once thought to be mutilation, are now seen as part of the mortuary process (binding, delayed burial, ritual rearrangement). These practices likely held both practical value (preservation in humid climates) and ritual meaning. The remains are biologically linked to early populations ancestral to Indigenous Australians and Papuans, supporting deep cultural continuity.

• Ancient Inscriptions Found On Summit Of Phu Khat Mountain — Near the summit of Phu Khat Mountain in northern Thailand (≈1,307 meters / ~4,285 feet elevation), two rock face sites (about 300 meters apart) show linear, carved or eroded marks forming geometric or abstract petroglyph patterns rather than natural cracks. Similar in style to ≈2,000-year-old rock art found nearby in Ta Kueng Cave. It suggests local rock art traditions extend to high, remote locations, possibly with ritual or territorial significance.

  

  Image credit: PR DNP

• Ancient Bronze Mirrors Reveal How Politics And Industry Shaped Early Han Dynasty China — Forty “Panchi” bronze mirrors from cemeteries in Lu’an, Anhui province, dating between 221 and 141 BCE, reveal how early Han Dynasty reforms shaped industry and society. Early mirrors were high in lead and low in tin, likely made with limited Chu‑state metal supplies. By the mid‑Western Han period, mirrors shifted to low‑lead, high‑tin alloys with more diverse copper sources—evidence of centralized production and resource management. These changes coincide with economic reforms under Emperors Wen and Jing, who emphasized stability and industrial recovery. Mirror styles also evolved: once elite ritual objects, they became common trade goods adorned with dragon motifs and inscriptions reflecting fashion and philosophy. The spread of Panchi mirrors along the Yangtze points to shifts in identity and state control. These utilitarian bronzes replaced ritual vessels as dominant material expressions of the time, anchoring Han military and economic expansion in long‑term, deliberate industrial planning. Crazy how much experts can learn from a (not so) simple object.

That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 22 discoveries and 5 recommended pieces of content covering matrilineal communities, evolution, missing bracelets, and ancient sign language.

Until next time, thanks for joining me!

-James
Twitter: @jamesofthedrum

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🗞 Ancient News: Deep Dive