🧐 Ancient Beat #65: Screeching bird flutes, ancient hydraulic engineering, and redating the "Out of Africa" theory
Hi folks! Welcome to issue #65 of Ancient Beat. This is a special weekend for me — it’s my first Father’s Day as a dad! Wishing all the fathers out there a very, very happy day.
Speaking of which, if you forgot to get your dad something for Father’s Day, I think a subscription to Ancient Beat would make for a swell gift. And you can trust me on that — I’m a dad. 😀
Here’s the latest ancient news. 👇
🗞 Ancient News: Top 5
12,000-Year-Old Flutes Carved of Bone are Some of the Oldest in the World and Sound Like Birds of Prey — Seven flutes made of waterfowl bones were unearthed at the site of Eynan-Mallaha in Israel last year, and they’re making headlines now. The flutes date to roughly 12,000 years ago and they belong to the Natufian culture. They’re tiny, with the only intact flute measuring about 2.6 inches, making them some of the smallest instruments in the world. They were painted in ochre and worn on a string, and when played, they make a high-pitched sound similar to birds of prey (specifically sparrowhawks and common kestrels). It’s clear that this sound is what the Natufians were going for, as bigger bones would have created a different sound, and we don’t see those being used. According to Laurent Davin, “The Natufians chose those small bones because they wanted the sound to be like this in order to imitate falcon sounds. This demonstrates their knowledge of acoustics and indicates that there were probably other instruments made of perishable materials.” It is thought that these flutes were either used for hunting, communication with birds, or music. Davin again, “These artifacts are really important because they are the only sound instruments clearly identified in the prehistory of the whole Levant and the oldest sound instruments imitating bird calls in the world. They tell us about the [inventiveness] and knowledge of acoustics of the Natufians as well as their technical precision. It also gives us evidence of the Natufians' relationship with the symbolically valued birds of prey, how they communicate with them or how their calls were integrated in Natufian music.”
Walls Along River Nile Reveal Ancient Form of Hydraulic Engineering — A large network of 3,000-year-old stone walls along the Nile have been analyzed in Egypt and Sudan, and the researchers say they’re a form of hydraulic engineering. They’ve found 1,300 of these “river groins” using satellite imagery, drone and ground surveys, and historical sources. Some are underwater, while others are in the desert near dried-up channels of the Nile. Some of these walls trapped fertile silts during the Nile’s annual flooding, and this silt was then used to grow crops without the need for artificial irrigation. They also found huge 15-foot thick walls that were used to direct river flow, and which would have facilitated long-distance trade and travel. Dating suggests that these groins were built first by indigenous Nubian communities, and later by the Egyptian state, so this may also shed light on the connection between the cultures. And incredibly, folks were building these into the 1970s. According to Matthew Dalton, “This incredibly long-lived hydraulic technology played a crucial role in enabling communities to grow food and thrive in the challenging landscapes of Nubia for over 3,000 years.”
Laos Cave Fossils Prompt Rethink of Human Migration Map — A ~70,000-year-old skull fragment, and a shin bone that may be up to 86,000 years old, were found in a Tam Pà Ling cave in Laos, suggesting that modern humans were in Southeast Asia earlier than previously thought. Modern humans were supposed to have dispersed from Africa in a single event after the geological period known as Marine Isotope Stage 5, which ended 80,000 years ago. But these results indicate that humans were on the move before the end of MIS5. According to Miriam Stark, “I can’t overestimate the importance of having another point on our map for early modern humans in Southeast Asia. Understanding Southeast Asia is critical to understanding the world’s deep history.” Previous studies showed that non-Africans are descendants of folks who left Africa roughly 60,000 years ago, which would indicate that these humans in Southeast Asia are not a part of modern lineages. And it’s worth noting that the site is on a possible migration route to Australia, where the oldest known archaeological site is 65,000 years old. Also interesting is that a younger (46,000 years old, so “young” is a stretch) skull fragment has characteristics of both archaic and modern humans, while the oldest remains that we’re discussing were purely modern.
Well-Preserved 3,000-Year-Old Sword Found in Germany — A 3,000-year-old sword that is in such good condition that it looks like something out of a movie set was discovered in Nördlingen, Germany. It’s from the Bronze Age and was crafted by the Urnfield culture, probably for ceremonial purposes since there are no impact marks on the blade. Still, it’s very well-balanced, so the blade was capable of combat. It was found as a grave good alongside a man, woman, and child. The researchers are trying to ascertain the origin of the sword, as it’s likely an import or the work of a wandering craftsperson.
First Hominin Muscle Reconstruction Shows 3.2 Million-Year-Old ‘Lucy’ Could Stand As Erect As We Can — By digitally reconstructing soft tissue from the Australopithecus afarensis (3-4 million years ago) famously known as “Lucy”, one researcher has discovered that the species was capable of walking upright. It was known that Australopithecus afarensis were bipedal, but it wasn’t clear how they moved — a crouching waddle like chimpanzees or something closer to how we move. More and more research points to the latter, including this study, which adds a lot of weight. According to Ashleigh Wiseman, “We are now the only animal that can stand upright with straight knees. Lucy’s muscles suggest that she was as proficient at bipedalism as we are, while possibly also being at home in the trees. Lucy likely walked and moved in a way that we do not see in any living species today.” The 36 muscles that were reconstructed were much larger and took up more space in the legs than those of Homo sapiens. In fact, some of Lucy’s muscles were twice the size of ours, which is particularly impressive considering that she was only about three feet tall. And muscles made up 74% of the total mass on her thigh, compared to 50% for sapiens.
That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 25 stories and 9 recommended pieces of content covering a pin made of a golden eagle’s phalanx, unusual porcelain instruments, monumental walls, the origins of Jerusalem, rune stones, Roman mausoleums, the Tartessos culture, naked Greeks, and a couple of penis artifacts. (And if you want access but it’s a little too steep for you right now, just shoot me an email — I want this to be accessible.)
Until next time, thanks for joining me!
-James
Twitter: @jamesofthedrum
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🗞 Ancient News: Deep Dive
Chimú Culture Constructed 10 KM Wall to Protected Capital Against El Niño Events — The Muralla La Cumbre is a large (6 miles!) trapezoidal stone wall that was built by the Chimú in the 13th or 14th century in modern-day Peru. No one was quite sure why it was built, though theories included defense, a ceremonial causeway, or territorial delimitation. New excavations suggest that it was actually built to protect the capital, Chan Chan, from El Niño events. They found nearly 6 feet of sediment with multiple interstices of sand and mud on only one side of the wall. The 12 interstices that they found indicate 12 climatic events. And the dating of one sediment layer coincides with the sacrifice of 250 children and 40 warriors that were found in 2019. If you’re interested in Chan Chan, I covered an ornate wooden artifact found there way back in issue #19.
Golden Eagle Pin Found in Bronze Age Burial — A Bronze-Age pin made from a golden eagle’s phalanx (toe bone) was discovered in a child’s grave in Oxfordshire, England. It’s the only such pin found in a funerary context in this time and place. The hole in one end indicates it was worn. According to the researchers, “The choice of eagle bone is likely to have been significant and it is possible such an object could have been considered talismanic, or was linked perhaps with afterlife beliefs, raising further questions about its use as a pyre good for a child.” Excavations at the site have also uncovered evidence of roundhouses, post-built structures, and what might be livestock enclosures from the Middle Iron Age.
Yue Kingdom Porcelain Instruments Unearthed in China — Musical instruments made of porcelain were discovered at the site of Dahutou in China. They include six bells and three cylindrical percussion instruments. The cylinders are thought to have been made by the Yue Kingdom, and they were played with drums to direct soldiers in battle. It’s interesting that the instruments were made out of porcelain instead of metal, as would normally be the case — the researchers suggest that metal may have been reserved for weapons and tools. The instruments date to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771-256 BCE). Building foundations, ash pits, ditches, wells, pottery, and wooden oars were also found.
King David’s Jerusalem Wasn’t Where We Thought, New Study Argues — The prevailing theory about the original location of the site that would become Jerusalem is that it was located on a ridge outside of the Old City of Jerusalem. In fact, this ridge is known in Israel as the City of David. There are problems with this theory, though, such as the fact that it is lower than Temple Mount, making it vulnerable to attack from the north, entire periods are missing from the archaeological context, and so forth. And a new study supports a theory that Jerusalem actually originated on Temple Mount itself. The researchers analyzed tiny inscriptions that were found in the Ophel, which is an area between the Temple Mount and the City of David. The inscriptions date to the 18th to 14th centuries BCE, but everything else found in the Ophel is dated to centuries later. According to the researchers, the reason that these inscriptions are in the Ophel is that they were swept or rolled down from above — from Temple Mount. And this would mean that, at least for its first 1,000 years, Temple Mount was the administrative and economic heart of the city.
Archaeologists Use AI to Identify New Archaeological Sites in Mesopotamia — New Mesopotamian sites have been discovered in Iraq with the help of AI — more information to come. AI is interesting. I just covered new Nazca geoglyphs that were found with AI in my previous issue. And I’ve covered other discoveries made using AI in issues #16, #47, #49, and #60. Lots happening in this space!
Ancient Quartz Tools Unearthed in Canada — Fragments of 10,000-year-old tools were discovered in Pikwakanagan, Canada… and they’re made of quartz. The tools indicate that there was a large communication hub and trade network in the area, which would have been used by the Kitigan Zibi, Mohawk, and Huron peoples. And digging deeper into this will tell researchers a lot about how these cultures lived and moved around. Quartz tools show up from time to time in the archaeological record, and they would have generally held some sort of special significance.
Bronze Age Artifacts Found at Estonia’s Asva Mound — A reindeer-antler spoon, an elk-antler plow blade, horseshoes, pottery, and barley grains were discovered during excavations of a Bronze Age fortress at Asva mound on Estonia’s island of Saaremaa. The finds date to 3,000 years ago. Dog feces — or should I say coprolites (love that word almost as much as I love the terms “troglodyte” and “ichnite”) — and 2,000 clay molds that would have been used to create bronze items were also found.
Archaeologists Uncover a Huge Phallic Stone During Excavations of Viking Burials in Sweden — While excavating Viking burials in Tystberga, Sweden, archaeologists discovered a 20-inch stone shaped like a phallus. Another stone nearby was identified as a grave ord (common from the Pre-Roman Iron Age until the Vendel period). Apparently, at first glance, the phallus stone looks like your everyday oblong stone, but when you look closer there are… attributes that make it clear. It’s located at the center of a grave — quite a grave marker! When starting this newsletter, I really had no idea how often I’d be talking about penises. I covered phalluses of all sorts in issues #14, #26, #40, #48, #49, and #50.
Stone Penis Found in Ancient Ruins in Spain Had Violent Purpose — What’s that you say? Another penis headline? Yep. A phallus was discovered in northwestern Spain. The purpose? Apparently, it was a whetstone used to sharpen weapons (presumably accompanied by pained glances from passersby). It was found in debris near Torre de Meira, a 14th-15th-century tower that fell to a peasant uprising in 1476 during the Irmandiño War, which took place in response to an oppressive feudal system.
Stone Glyph with Spiral Representation Found Beneath Mexican Church — A stone with a spiral engraving was found beneath the Lateran Parish of San Pedro Apostol in Zacapoaxtla, Mexico while the floor was being leveled. The glyph is pre-conquest, from when the Totonac and Nahua cultures inhabited the area. It may have represented water (Aztecs often used spirals to represent water) and it may have been part of the facade of a pyramid platform. It was placed beneath the Christian hermitage’s altar.
Huge Rare Rune Stone Found Under the Kitchen Floor in Randers Investigated — A 6-foot rune weighing in at nearly a ton was discovered beneath the floor of a house in Randers, Denmark. The five runes can be read as “aft bi”, loosely meaning “after B”. The stone is broken so there may have been other runes, and it’s likely that it was erected in memory of someone important.
Beach Walker Finds 3,000-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Goddess Figurine — While enjoying a long walk on a beach at a national park near Tel Aviv, Israel, a woman came across an unusual stone that turned out to be a 3,000-year-old figurine of the Egyptian goddess, Hathor (love, beauty, dance, joy, motherhood, and feminine power). The figurine is made of clay. According to Amir Golani, “The Canaanites used to adopt ritual and religious customs of the Egyptians, who ruled our region at the time. Just like homes today, where you install a mezuzah or hang a picture of a saint on the wall, then, they used to place ritual figurines in a central place in the house, for good luck and protection from bad things.”
Three Shipwrecks Discovered Off Tunisian Coast – One is 2,000-Year-Old — A recent project mapped the seafloor of the Skerki Bank in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Tunisia, which was an important maritime route in times gone by. They found six wrecks, three of which were previously unknown. One was a merchant vessel from the 1st century BCE. And two from the late 19th or early 20th centuries. The three previously discovered wrecks were all Roman.
The Viking disease can be due to gene variants inherited from Neanderthals — Dupuytren's disease (AKA “Viking disease”) is a condition where someone’s fingers lock in a bent position, and it isn’t uncommon in northern Europe (30% of men over the age of 60 have it). Genetic analysis of afflicted individuals shows that three of the strongest risk factors were inherited from Neanderthals. They identified 61 genetic risk factors in total.
Remains at Crenshaw Site Are Local, Ancestors Of Caddo — Hundreds of skulls and mandibles found at the Crenshaw site of Arkansas in the US were thought to be trophies from raiding expeditions, but a new study refutes this. Analysis of lead and strontium isotopes shows that these were local people, ancestors of the Caddo Nation.
Archaeologists Hail Find of 7,000-Year-Old Relics in Northwest Iran — Dalma culture structures from 7,000 years ago have been discovered in Oshnavieh, Iran. According to Mahnaz Sharifi, “The preliminary results of the excavation show the remains of solid and permanent architecture used for permanent settlement, and this issue is significant in this respect because, before this, most of the sites of the 5th millennium BC had poor architecture.” They also found what was probably a furnace; something which had not been found in the region before. Basket-method terracotta pots were also found.
Malaria Parasite Found in Medici Organ — The Plasmodium falciparum, which causes a virulent type of malaria, was discovered in an organ that was stored in a terracotta jar with the Medici family crest. In case you’re scratching your head right now, I’ll note that we’re talking about an organ organ; not a musical organ. It seems that a member of the Medici family may have been bitten by a mosquito carrying malaria. This indicates that malaria was more widespread than previously thought. And this virulent type survived in the temperate Italian climate.
Unique Pig-Shaped Figurine Found in East China was Probably a Child’s Toy 6,000 Years Ago — A small pottery hog filled with pottery beads was discovered at a Neolithic site in the city of Wuxi, China. Many tombs have been found at the site to date, along with 260 artifacts.
Maritime Archaeologists Discover Carvings of Sweden’s Famed 17th-Century Warship Vasa — Carvings were found via 3D imaging on the wreck of the 17th-century warship Vasa, as well as its sister ship, Äpplet. There are sculptures of lions, and the Äpplet also has an Apple as a nameplate and a depiction of Atlas holding up a globe. I covered a discovery made via DNA on the Vasa in issue #55. The researchers were floored by the find, saying that they had never seen anything like it.
Treasure Trove Found Off Southern Coast — More than 800 artifacts dating to 500 years ago have been found off the coast of Cambodia. They may have been imported from Singapore or Thailand.
Paleo-Americans Hunted Mastodons, Mammoths and Other Megafauna In Eastern North America 13,000 Years Ago — A new study tested stone tools (including Clovis points) from eastern North America that were in use around the time of the Megafaunal extinction 12,800 years ago. And more to the point, they analyzed these tools similarly to how we now analyze murder weapons (i.e. blood residue analysis). What they found was probably not a surprise to anyone: These people did indeed hunt (or at least the tools touched the blood of) megafauna. The researchers were trying to ascertain whether humans played a big role in the extinction event. The results were not conclusive, but they do give us a data point, making it pretty clear that these animals were consumed by humans to some degree. The finds also showed that the now-extinct species of horses probably went extinct later than mammoths and mastodons.
Medieval Music Wasn't Only Supposed to be Beautiful to Listen to, Suggests Study — According to a new study, the purpose of medieval music was not to be beautiful or complex, it was designed to connect the singer with the divine. Researchers reviewed manuscripts and found that many were carefully translated into multiple languages (instead of just Latin) in ways that continued to evoke the same emotions with the same number of syllables. One particular piece about the Virgin Mary, which was written for women, went in and out from “we” to “I” indicating that the singers became one with Mary. The men’s version of the same song focused more on Jesus’ birth in a lowly stable, bringing up different emotions. According to Manon Louviot, “The aim of the music was to evoke the right emotions in the singers, so they would personally connect to the divine."
Ancient Mummy Found Under Rubbish Dump — A mummified individual was discovered during an archaeological dig at a garbage dump in Lima, Peru. The remains are thought to be from the Manchay culture 3,000 years ago. The person seems to have been left or sacrificed during the construction of a temple.
Study Finds Evidence of Ancient Breeding of Scarlet Macaws — A new study found that scarlet macaws (those classic sit-on-a-pirate’s-shoulder parrots) were bred during the 12th century at the site of Old Town in New Mexico, US. The researchers looked for evidence of fetal development inside eggshells, and they found some. The presence of fertilized eggs suggests that breeding was taking place. This reminds me of a story I covered in issue #37 about parrots being kept by people in the American Southwest as far back as the 8th century CE.
‘Astonishing’ Roman Tomb Unearthed Near London Bridge Station — A Roman mausoleum has been unearthed in London, England. The walls and interior floors are in such good shape that this is considered the most intact Roman mausoleum ever to be discovered in Britain. And that’s despite the walls being completely dismantled, probably in the medieval period. It would have been a big building, two stories high, so the person was likely quite wealthy. According to Antonietta Lerz, “This relatively small site in Southwark is a microcosm for the changing fortunes of Roman London – from the early phase of the site where London expands and the area has lavishly decorated Roman buildings, all the way through to the later Roman period when the settlement shrinks and it becomes a more quiet space where people remember their dead.” A hundred coins, some scraps of metal, roofing tiles, and pottery fragments were found there as well.
❤️ Recommended Content
Remember the discovery of the first human representations from the Tartessos culture that I covered back in issue #57? Well if you’re interested in learning more about the culture, here’s an article on the topic. They’re pretty fascinating. For example, they would consistently burn and bury their homes. Why? No one knows.
It’s really important to preserve our heritage. Here’s a listicle of some of the most heartbreaking acts of destruction at archaeological sites. I know I’m not alone in saying that I’ll never get over how much we lost when the Library of Alexandria burned. Sooo much knowledge was destroyed.
Here’s an interesting article about the origins of fairy tales (they go way, way back).
Here’s a video about a recently-discovered Bronze Age round barrow cemetery found in Wiltshire, England.
Ever wonder how folks relieved themselves back before toilets were a thing? Here’s the answer.
Here’s a list of the 10 best “archaeology” movies… and I use the term “archaeology” very, very loosely. If you want to veg out for a bit, here ya go. Most are of the so-bad-it’s-entertaining variety, but I was happy to see The Goonies make an appearance.
Here’s an article about lesser-known queens of ancient Nubia.
Here are some photos of Nazca geoglyphs if you’d like to take a quick look. Timely, after the newly discovered glyphs that I covered last week.
Why the heck were ancient Greeks always naked? In most cases, they weren’t; they were just portrayed like that in art. Here’s an article on the subject.
That’s it for now — thanks, folks!
🧐