Tag: ancient history

Archaeologists Searched For a Cult’s Secrets—and Stumbled Upon an Ancient Henge Instead

The search to better understand a cult from over 1,300 years ago led to an even older find: one of the largest henge sites ever seen in eastern England, dating back to the Neolithic period.

The legend surrounding the ruins of a medieval abbey near Crowland, England, links the henge with an Anglo-Saxon hermitage honoring Saint Guthlac. But it turns out that the site’s history runs much deeper.

After Guthlac gave up his life as the son of a nobleman to live in solitude, he became a popular figure. Shortly after his death in 714 AD, a small monastic community formed in his memory. The success of this cult helped establish the Crowland Abbey in the 10th century, but little else is known about Guthlac and the location on which his hermitage once rested.

In searching for the site, archaeologists found something arguably even more exciting. A study published in the Journal of Field Archaeology chronicles a location known as Anchor Church Field and its ties to ancient history.

Archaeologists long suspected that Anchor Church Field was the site of Guthlac’s hermitage. But when a team from Newcastle University and the University of Sheffield joined forces to excavate the location, they discovered an unknown Neolithic or Early Bronze Age henge—defined by English Heritage as a prehistoric circular or oval earthen enclosure with a ring-shaped bank on the outside and a ring-shaped ditch on the inside, likely used for ceremonial purposes. It turns out the circular earthwork is one of the largest ever found in eastern England, and carbon dating on a timber portion of the henge places its construction at about 1400 BC.

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Recommended reading…

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“In Fingerprints of the Gods, Hancock embarks on a worldwide quest to put together all the pieces of the vast and fascinating jigsaw of mankind’s hidden past. In ancient monuments as far apart as Egypt’s Great Sphinx, the strange Andean ruins of Tihuanaco, and Mexico’s awe-inspiring Temples of the Sun and Moon, he reveals not only the clear fingerprints of an as-yet-unidentified civilization of remote antiquity, but also startling evidence of its vast sophistication, technological advancement, and evolved scientific knowledge.
 
A record-breaking number one bestseller in Britain, Fingerprints of the Gods contains the makings of an intellectual revolution, a dramatic and irreversible change in the way that we understand our past—and so our future.
 
And Fingerprints of God tells us something more. As we recover the truth about prehistory, and discover the real meaning of ancient myths and monuments, it becomes apparent that a warning has been handed down to us, a warning of terrible cataclysm that afflicts the Earth in great cycles at irregular intervals of time—a cataclysm that may be about to recur.”

Investigation of Tomb Burial Reveals Sick Neolithic Ritual Sacrifices

Recent research has unearthed chilling evidence of ritual sacrifices in Neolithic Europe, a practice that involved the gruesome method of “incaprettamento” – tying victims’ necks to their bent legs, leading to self-strangulation. This study, spearheaded by biological anthropologist Eric Crubézy of Paul Sabatier University and forensic pathologist Bertrand Ludes, has revealed more than a dozen instances of this sacrificial method across Europe, dating from 5400 to 3500 BC. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, provide a macabre insight into ancient sacrificial practices tied to agricultural rituals.

The original discovery at Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux near Avignon, France, served as a catalyst for this broader investigation. Initially found over two decades ago, this tomb housed the remains of three women buried around 5500 BC, with two of them now believed to have been victims of sacrificial murder via incaprettamento.

The site, which mirrored a grain silo and was adorned with agricultural symbols, suggests a ritualistic sacrifice deeply rooted in agricultural practices. The alignment of a wooden structure above the tomb with the solstices and the presence of grain-grinding stones nearby further underscore the ritual’s ties to farming and the cycles of nature.

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The Mysterious Disease That Wiped Out the Aztecs 

The Aztecs, a once-flourishing civilization in central Mexico, faced a devastating onslaught in the mid-16th century. While initially attributed to European diseases like smallpox, recent DNA analysis sheds new light on the mysterious illness that nearly obliterated them. Living amidst a cultural tapestry of nobility and commoners, the Aztecs thrived until the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, heralding a cascade of calamities.

Between 1545 and 1550, the Aztecs were besieged by a deadly outbreak of disease known as cocoliztli, claiming millions of lives in a matter of days. Characterized by fever and profuse bleeding, the epidemic left an indelible mark on Aztec history. Researchers identified a strain of salmonella, Paratyphi C, as a probable culprit, potentially introduced by European colonizers.

The devastation was compounded by climatic upheavals, with a prolonged drought exacerbating the death toll. Human sacrifice, a ritualistic practice, further depleted their ranks. Francisco Hernandez’s detailed accounts depict a myriad of symptoms, yet no single disease aligns precisely with his descriptions.

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Discoveries at Mt Ellanio Reveal Mycenean Refuge from the Bronze Age Collapse

An interdisciplinary team of archaeologists has been investigating the tallest mountain on the Greek island of Aegina since 2021: Mount Ellanio. Overlooking the Saronic Gulf, the peak holds the remnants of a 4th century Temple of Zeus Hellanios.

The mission, a Greek-Swiss partnership (EFAPN), is investigating the mountain’s prehistoric occupation, and have found a building measuring 4.5 by 3 meters (15 by 10 feet), containing an assortment of 30 ceramic vessels. What makes the building so special is that it is Mycenean.

Zeus on Ellanio: A Sanctuary and Safe Haven

The presence of Zeus worship on Mount Ellanio is documented in ancient texts like those of Pausanias. A chapel now stands atop these ancient foundations, but Corinthian clay tiles suggest an earlier structure beneath, likely a small temple.

North of the chapel, sacrificial remnants in a black layer, along with countless charred animal bone fragments, unveil ancient rituals. The discovery of pottery spanning from the Geometric era to Roman times also underscore the sacred site’s continuity.

An analysis of the vessels’ form and style helps trace their origins to the twilight and dying embers of the Mycenaean palatial era (the Late Bronze Age in Greece). This was a tumultuous epoch characterized by upheaval and disintegration of much of the ancient world, spanning the years from 1200 to 1050 BC, according to a press release by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

In the wake of this upheaval, mainland Greece witnessed a mass exodus, as waves of Mycenaean refugees sought solace in faraway lands, including Cyprus, the Levant, and neighboring Aegean islands. It was the end of Bronze Age Greece, and led to a Greek Dark Age lasting hundreds of years.

Aegina emerged as a sanctuary of respite amongst its mountainous contours, with survivors of the chaos seeking refuge amidst the sacred peaks. The fortified enclosure, consisting of retaining walls, ancient towers, and rock inscriptions, along with the dwellings at the summit, indicate the use of the hill as this refuge.

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Prehistoric henge reveals centuries-old sacred site in Lincolnshire

Archaeologists from Newcastle University have unearthed evidence for an evolving sacred landscape spanning centuries in Crowland, Lincolnshire. The study is published in the Journal of Field Archaeology.

Crowland today is dominated by the ruins of its medieval abbey. However, local tradition holds that the area was the site of an Anglo-Saxon hermitage belonging to Saint Guthlac, who died in the year 714 and was famed for his life of solitude, having given up a life of riches as the son of a nobleman.

When his uncorrupted body was discovered 12 months after his death, Guthlac was venerated by a small monastic community dedicated to his memory. Guthlac’s popularity while he was alive, and the success of this cult and the pilgrimage it inspired, were key factors in the establishment of Crowland Abbey in the 10th century to honor the saint.

Early historical sources for Guthlac’s life exist, mainly through the Vita Sancti Guthlaci (Life of Saint Guthlac) written shortly after his death by a monk called Felix. Although there is little other evidence about his life, it was believed that Guthlac created his hermitage from a previously plundered barrow, or burial mound.

For years, archaeologists have tried to find its location, and while Anchor Church Field was widely held to be the most likely site, the lack of excavation and the increasing impact of agricultural activity in the area have prevented a comprehensive understanding of the area.

The team, which also included experts from the University of Sheffield, excavated Anchor Church Field and, to their surprise, found a much more complex and older history than they expected.

The first discovery they made was a previously unknown Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age henge, a type of circular earthwork and one of the largest ever discovered in eastern England.

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Why Are Mysterious Handbags Prevalent in Ancient Carvings Worldwide?

One of the more mysterious symbols that has been found in carvings from the ancient world is an image that looks uncannily like a modern-day handbag. The shape appears in depictions made by the Sumerians of Iraq, in the ruins of Turkish temples, in decorations of the Maori of New Zealand and in crafts made by the Olmecs of Central America.

Handbags can be seen in the art of disparate cultures from around the world and throughout time, with the first known instance of a handbag appearing at the end of the Ice Age. Once it’s been pointed out, its actually quite hard to avoid and the ubiquity of this mysterious symbol raises captivating questions about its significance and purpose in the ancient world.

What deeper meaning lies behind this recurrent and cross-cultural portrayal of handbags, and what might it reveal about the interconnectedness of humanity’s ancient civilizations? In this exploration, we will delve into the symbolism and potential implications of this timeless emblem, seeking to unravel the secrets hidden within.

Handbags as Representations of the Cosmos?

It’s hard to deny that these supposed “handbags” look surprisingly similar to the contemporary purse. According to Scranton, the objects depicted within ancient art “typically feature a rounded handle-like top and a rectangular bottom, and may include varying degrees of additional details of texture or pattern.” The images sometimes appear as stand-alone objects; while other times they are depicted in the hand of a person, god or mythical being in a manner similar to how one would hold a basket.

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Genetic Analysis Bolsters Blackfoot People’s Land Claims

The advancement of DNA collection-and-analysis technology has had significant consequences for anthropology and archaeology, resulting in surprising revelations about genetic connections between modern populations and ancient peoples. In the latest example of this fascinating phenomenon, a team of genetic scientists, in collaboration with representatives of the indigenous Blackfoot nation, have just completed a study that establishes an unexpected relationship between modern Blackfoot people and some of the earliest inhabitants of the Americas.

“We show that the genomics of sampled individuals from the Blackfoot Confederacy belong to a previously undescribed ancient lineage that diverged from other genomic lineages in the Americas in Late Pleistocene times,” the scientists and their Native American colleagues wrote in an article published in the journal Science Advances. “Using multiple complementary forms of knowledge, we provide a scenario for Blackfoot population history that fits with oral tradition and provides a plausible model for the evolutionary process of the peopling of the Americas.”

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The Remains of a Circular Iron Age Village Revealed in France

A major archaeological discovery has just been made at Cap d’Erquy, in the Côtes d’Armor. The remains of a circular Iron Age village have been unearthed using revolutionary satellite imaging technology.

Developed by INRAE (National Institute for e-realistic Archaeological Research) and called “LiDAR”, this technology uses lasers to scan the ground and create volume reconstructions of unrivaled precision. This process makes it possible to detect buried structures invisible to the naked eye and without resorting to invasive excavations.

A Forgotten Gallic Village

The village discovered at Cap d’Erquy is made up of around twenty circular huts arranged around a central square. Archaeologists estimate that this village was occupied between the 8th and 5th centuries BC by a Gallic community.

“This is an exceptional discovery which allows us to better understand the daily life of the Gauls at the time of the First Iron Age,” explains Jean-Yves Peskebrel, archaeologist at INRAE. These technologies open up a new imagination, it’s very moving.”

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Lost in Time and Out of Place: Trypillia Copper Axe is Poland’s Oldest

A remarkable discovery has been made in eastern Poland. Archaeologists have unearthed a copper axe in Poland’s Hrubieszów district which looks for all the world like it belongs to the ancient Trypillia culture.

This would date the find to a period between the 4th and 3rd millennium BC and make the axe the oldest copper artifact ever discovered in Poland. There is however a problem: the Trypillia culture was never in Poland.

A Lost Axe, Found

The axe itself is only small, and we can only guess as to what its exact purpose was. The Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments describes it as being made of copper and 7.4cm (3”) in length with a wide fan-shaped blade 4.1cm (1.6”) wide, and a rectangular convex head measuring 0.9cm x 0.6cm (0.3” x 0.2”), reports Heritage Daily.

When it was initially uncovered it was a complete mystery to the archaeologists, who had never seen anything like it before. The axe did not look like anything known from the Bronze Age in that region, and its simplicity and shape suggested it could be Neolithic. This would make it an extremely early example of metalworking.

“Our axe was made in a quite simple ‘primitive’ casting method in a flat-convex form, no longer used in the developed metallurgy of the Bronze Age. Therefore, it was necessary to pay attention to the earlier Neolithic era. Unfortunately, in the inventories of Neolithic cultures from Poland there is no such equivalent,” the Lublin conservator noted as reported in Arkeonews.

Given it did not resemble anything known from Neolithic cultures in Poland, either, it seemed to defy our understanding. It would take another discovery, in the neighboring Ukraine, to finally provide an answer.

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