Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

Cleaning campaigns are good news for the environment. But thanks to one of such missions in Kazakhstan, fans of archeology also have something to be excited about. During a cleanup in the the Zhambyl (or Jambyl) region, volunteers came across about 100 petroglyphs, dating back to the Bronze or Iron ages, roughly 3,500 years ago.

After the rock art was spotted, local archeologists were brought in to examine them. Petroglyphs are engravings created by chipping away at a rock face, done thousands of years ago. The ones recently found in Kazakhstan depict both hunters and animals, such as double-humped camels and argali (a type of wild sheep). The rock art was spotted in an area that is 66 feet to 82 feet long and 5 feet to 6.6 feet high per Sauran Kaliyev, an archeologist interviewed by local outlet Astana Times.

However, it appears that it's not the first time academics have heard about this place. Kazakh archeologist Viktor Novozhenov, an archeologist with the Saryarka Archaeological Institute who was not part of the cleanup, said in an interview with Live Science that the site is “not at all new.”

The archeologist added that the site has not been examined thoroughly, nor has the rock art been documented in a peer-reviewed journal. The main obstacle to this is the lack of funding needed to properly record these petroglyphs. “We don't have enough experts and funds for needed analyses and [fieldwork],” he confesses.

That's why, when Kazakh archeologists uncover new rock art, they prefer to keep the location a secret until it can be documented. On top of the need for resources, one of the main challenges in studying such sites is their potential destruction by vandals or other individuals.

For now, local officials will continue to examine the site. “We will continue our research and conduct a state examination as we intend to designate it a site of national or international significance to be included in the list of state-protected sites,” says Kuanysh Daurenbekov, director of the Directorate for the Protection and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments.

During a cleanup in the the Zhambyl (or Jambyl) region of Kazakhstan, volunteers came across about a 100 petroglyphs, dating to the Bronze or Iron ages, roughly 3,500 years ago.

Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

The rock art was spotted in an area that is 66 feet to 82 feet long and 5 feet to 6.6 feet, and depict both hunters and animals, such as double-humped camels and wild sheep.

Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

h/t: [LiveScience]

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READ: Volunteers Uncover 3,500-Year-Old Rock Art During Environmental Cleanup in Kazakhstan

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

In May 2024, the archeological community recieved exciting news. Buried in an old cellar beneath George Washington's home of Mount Vernon lay two bottles crafted in the 18th century. Within the sealed bottles, archeologists discovered the remains of cherries picked before the founding of the United States. While this discovery was thrilling, the ongoing work to preserve the historic home has turned up another, even more incredible find. Buried in five storage pits of the cellars were 35 bottles, 29 of which contain preserved fruits from the founding father's lands. The find has the potential to affect everything from botany to how scholars interpret the history of Virginia.

The bottles were discovered during the Mansion Revitalization Project, a long-term effort to shore up the centuries-old home to withstand constant tourism. They were found in the cellar region, and they appear to contain cherries and other kinds of berries. Preservation was an important way to store food in pre-refrigerator days. Scientists are anxious to study the contents, so they have been extracted and placed into refrigeration. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service plans to help analyze these biological remains. The limited analysis conducted so far has found cherry stems, pits, and pulps as well as evidence of cutting the stems with scissors.

Further study will reveal whether any pits might be able to propagate, as well as the DNA of the historic fruit. “These artifacts likely haven’t seen the light of day since before the American Revolution, perhaps forgotten when George Washington departed Mount Vernon to take command of the Continental Army,” Mount Vernon President & CEO Doug Bradburn said in a statement. Beyond demonstrating what plant varieties the first president dined on, the find can shed light on the lives of others who lived on the property. Mount Vernon Principal Archaeologist Jason Boroughs noted, “These extraordinary discoveries continue to astonish us. These perfectly preserved fruits picked and prepared more than 250 years ago provide an incredibly rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th-century environment, plantation foodways, and the origins of American cuisine.”

He continued, “The bottles and contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table, including Doll, the cook brought to Mount Vernon by Martha Washington in 1759 and charged with oversight of the estate’s kitchen.” As work continues on the mansion, perhaps more finds will continue to shed light on life there in the 18th century.

Underneath George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, 35 bottles were discovered.

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

Researchers are excited by this find, hoping to study the contents of the bottles and gain more insight into 18th-century agriculture, food history, tools used, and more.

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

“These artifacts likely haven’t seen the light of day since before the American Revolution, perhaps forgotten when George Washington departed Mount Vernon to take command of the Continental Army,” says Mount Vernon president & CEO Doug Bradburn.

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

29 of the 35 bottles contained shockingly well-preserved fruits from the 18th century, including cherries and other berries.

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

“These perfectly preserved fruits picked and prepared more than 250 years ago provide an incredibly rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th-century environment, plantation foodways, and the origins of American cuisine,” says Mount Vernon principal archaeologist Jason Boroughs.

Photo: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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Snakes and other figures engraved at Cerro Dagua. (Photo: Riris et al., CC BY 4.0)

Humans have been representing the world around us in artistic creations for countless millennia. From cave paintings to ancient bone carvings, the meanings of ancient art are only sometimes truly intelligible to modern minds. Archeologists devote countless hours to uncovering, documenting, and interpreting ancient art. Among the more recent papers to interpret ancient South American artwork was published in Antiquity. A team of archeologists sought out the long-rumored rock art engravings of the Middle and Upper Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela. Their findings shed light on the the sheer amount of carvings and the impressive size of certain monumental snakes.

Along the winding, ancient river the archeologists searched in quest of carvings which had been known by locals and the subject of rumors for hundreds of years. Using drones, photography, and their own climbing ability, the archeologist authors of the recent paper documented 157 sites of rock art, noting there are likely thousands more out there.

Carved into the rock were insects, alligators, geometric motifs, stingrays, birds, and human or humanoid figures. Sixty of the engravings stretched an impressive 30 feet or more. The team has dubbed these engravings as monumental. “Anything that size is monumental in our view,” Philip Riris, an archeologist at Bournemouth University and the study’s lead author, told New Scientist. “That means they’re often visible from quite far away, maybe 500 meters [1,640 feet] to a kilometer [3,280 feet].” The large examples include—among a startling amount of snakes—a massive 130-foot-long serpent etched into the rock.

Who carved these pictographs, when and why? According to the dating of deposits of pottery with similar designs, the engravings are likely about 2,000 years old. They may have been carved by Indigenous Piaroa artists or others from nearby tribes. The Piaroa, like others in the region, have ancient beliefs about snakes. The anaconda Cuämoi figures prominently, and his daughter Cuähuais believed to have created rock art along the Orinoco River. In cosmology's throughout South America, snakes can be associated with rivers, creation myths, and spirtitual journeys.

Why the reliefs were carved is uncertain. However, the authors noted that many were at the ancient river level around the time of carving. Given the size of the monumental figures, they'd be quite visible from afar. This visibility, the authors postulate, is the purpose.

“Further characterization of the range of variation within monumental sites will help to clarify how they were used and perceived, including in sites located further away from the Orinoco River that lack snakes, such as Cerro Humeante,” they write. If areas with more homogeneous populations lack these monumental artworks, “this would serve to affirm their role as markers of group identity along contested and variously negotiated stretches of the Orinoco River,” they conclude.

The team hopes to engage with the local Indigenous people whose knowledge of the region is unparalleled to continue to deepen understanding of these artistic sign posts along the historic river.

Archeologists have documented ample cliff and rock engravings along the Orinoco River in South America, some of which are monumental in size.

The monumental snake engravings at different sites. (Photo: Riris et al., CC BY 4.0)

Chief among these motifs is a winding snake, although humans, insects, and geometric designs appear.

Non-monumental motifs that also appear at monumental sites: A) anthropomorphic mask motif (known as ‘the television’) at Raudal Mesetas, see also Cerro Pintado and Caño Grulla (Figure 2F & K); B) flat boulder alongside A (arrow) with stylised anthropomorphic and double scroll motifs; C) snake, bird and human motifs at Raudal Palomazón. Note size of the snake relative to other motifs (figure by authors). (Photo: Riris et al., CC BY 4.0)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Marge Simpson has been a pop culture icon since she first appeared on television screens in 1987. But from the looks of things, she might be older than you think. In 2023, archeologists in Egypt revealed several treasures that they'd unearthed, including a 3,000-year-old coffin. When experts opened the casket at a press conference, eagle-eyed viewers noticed a painting of a woman inside the coffin's cover that looked all too familiar.

With a tall blue coif, yellow skin, and a light green dress, the woman looked shockingly like The Simpsons' matriarch. In reality, she's actually the daughter of a high priest in El-Ashmunein, and her name is Tadi Ist. The sarcophagus was discovered in an ancient cemetery in Minya, an Egyptian city on the western bank of the Nile. The cemetery was filled with the tombs of high-ranking officials and priests, and the archeologists were able to excavate numerous treasures.

The cemetery dates back to the 20th Dynasty, the last to rule during Egypt's New Kingdom Period. Stretching from 1189 BCE to 1077 BCE, it was a period when the pharaohs lost enormous power to high priests. The Marge Simpson sarcophagus, while drawing much amusement from commenters on Reddit, is actually quite important.

The portrait of the high priestess is surrounded by 12 depictions of her in different positions. These are representations of the 12 hours, with officials from the Supreme Council of Antiquities stating, “It is a rare and important scene ever. Every scene of the hour has its shape.”

While the Marge Simpson sarcophagus is just one of over 25,000 artifacts found at the site, its discovery has been a fun way to merge popular culture and archeology.

In 2023, archeologists in Egypt revealed a sarcophagus with a painting that looks eerily familiar.

Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

With a tall blue coif, yellow skin, and a light green dress, the woman looked shockingly like Marge Simpson.

Redditors had a field day making funny comments about the connections between ancient Egypt and The Simpsons.

Comment
byu/Ainsley-Sorsby from discussion
infunny

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byu/Ainsley-Sorsby from discussion
infunny

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byu/Ainsley-Sorsby from discussion
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h/t: [Upworthy]

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Ancient Greeks immortalized their gods in many ways, but most notably in elegant, magnificent stone statues. Many of these statues survive today, whole or in pieces, and offer insight into a lost world of worship and art. Archeologists continue to discover new examples of statues in new places. Recently, archeological work in ancient Laodicea on the Lycus, now modern-day Turkey, unearthed two exciting finds. First, a statue of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, was discovered close to an ancient theater. Next, archeologists unearthed the head of a statue depicting his daughter, Hygieia, goddess of health and hygiene.

Laodicea on the Lycus was an ancient city within Asia Minor, situated in a spot of busy trade alongside rivers. It was founded in the third century BCE by the Seleucid Empire, a Hellenistic empire that succeeded the partition of Alexander the Great‘s empire. The city's Greek culture is reflected in its architecture, including an agora and temples.

In the second century BCE, the city became Roman territory. It was affected by wars and earthquakes and was eventually destroyed and abandoned during the medieval Byzantine period. However, today, the abandoned city ruins are a delight to archeologists, who have been particularly concerned with excavating and restoring its magnificent stepped western theater.

The statue of the god Asclepius was discovered in 2024 in proximity to the theater. In May, the head of his daughter Hygieia was also uncovered, buried beneath the dirt. Professor Celal Şimşek, who directs the excavations, identified the head as being 2,1000 years ago and dating to the second century BCE, during the city's Hellenistic period.

“Both statues were made in the late Hellenistic-early Augustus Period in the classical style,” he tells the Hurriyet Daily News. “The statues of the god and goddess of health reveal the presence of the Herophileion medical school in the ancient city of Laodicea and the ancient writer Strabo, one of the important doctors trained there. All statues have very fine workmanship and are of high artistic quality.”

While the goddess's body has yet to be discovered, excavations continue, and one can hope she will be complete and in her glory once more.

A 2,100-year-old statue head of the Greek goddess Hygieia was discovered in ancient Laodicea, now modern-day Turkey.

 

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h/t: [Popular Mechanics, Hurriyet Daily News]

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Melipona beecheii or Xunan-Kab. (Photo: gailhampshire via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

In the ancient Maya civilization animals played a very important role. Not only were they a source of meat, hides, and feathers, but they also held religious symbolic importance. Among them, was the cultivation of sacred stingless bees (known as Xunan-Kab in Mayan) to produce honey for food, trading, and ceremonies. Records of this can be found in centuries-old codices and recently, a team of archeologists unearthed tools used by Maya beekeepers between 950 and 1539 CE.

The discovery took place in the southeastern state of Quintana Roo during construction work for the Maya train. There, archeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History uncovered three carved limestone lids, known as panuchos. Once used by the Maya to plug the hollowed-out logs that housed their bees, these items measure about 8 by 10 inches.

“Only one of them is in a good state of conservation, while the other two have a high degree of erosion,” says archeologist Carlos Fidel Martínez Sánchez. He also shared that the discovery took place when excavating what was thought to be a wall made of dry stone. But upon finding the lids, the archeologists realized they had found the remains of a meliponary—that is, an apiary devoted to the Melipona beecheii, an endangered bee species that continues to be cultivated in the Yucatán peninsula to this day.

The absence of a sting is not the only thing that makes melipona bees special. Their honey has been used by Maya healers to treat respiratory, digestive, and postpartum conditions for centuries thanks to its antioxidant and inflammation-reduction properties. It also has a citrusy, floral flavor and a runnier, syrupy texture, and contains more fructose than glucose, which has caught the attention of foodies and chefs from around the world. However, since there are smaller amounts of it, a lot more bees are needed for its production.

In addition to the apiary stone lids, the archeologists found other items at the site, such as beads, ceramics, flint, an ax, and a hammer. To lead archeologist Raquel Liliana Hernández Estrada, the discovery points to presence of housing complexes in peripheral cities to ceremonial sites. Moreover, the artifacts found shed a light not on the ancient elites of the region, but rather the Maya commoners’ daily lives.

Did you know the ancient Maya practiced beekeeping?

 

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Recently, a team of Mexican archeologists unearthed tools used by Maya beekeepers between 950 and 1539 CE.

Photo: Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History

The discovery included three carved limestone lids called panuchos, which the Maya used to plug the hollowed-out logs that housed their bees.

Photo: Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History

Upon finding the lids, the archeologists' realized they had found the remains of a meliponary, an apiary devoted to the sacred stingless bee, Melipona beecheii.

Photo: Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History

National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH): Website
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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A replica of the Laetoli footprints. (Photo: Momotarou2012 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Human history stretches back millions of years to Africa, where early species of hominids roamed and eventually evolved into modern-day Homo sapiens. Our family tree includes many species now long extinct which formed steps or branches of the evolutionary tree descending into modernity. One very early ancestor of mankind was Australopithecus afarensis, who roamed eastern Africa about 2.95 to 3.85 million years ago. This species has several unique distinctions, including an impressive presence of about 900,000 years before going extinct. Another fascinating distinction is the prints this species left behind in modern-day Tanzania, the oldest prints ever discovered from a bipedal individual. Sadly, due to climate change, these historic prints are now in danger of being lost to future generations.

The prints are located at the Laetoli archeological site in what is now Tanzania. They were imprinted 3.6 million years ago in wet volcanic ash, then preserved by another layer of ash emitted by a nearby volcano. The prints number about 70 stretching over 88 feet. The toes of the prints are more similar to humans than apes in their arrangements, and the prints indicate the heel hit first. It is therefore clear this individual(s) was bipedal, meaning they walked on two feet like modern humans. However, the stride was clearly created by much shorter legs.

Scientists have hypothesized that the prints were created by Australopithecus afarensis, whose skeletons have been found nearby. There is still much to be learned about this species and its connection to our own evolution. However, knowledge like this is endangered by climate change. Erosion after heavy rains and storms is rising, threatening the exposed footprints.

In an effort to preserve the site for future generations to learn from, the British Council Cultural Protection Fund has sponsored a project to protect the site in partnership with St Andrew's University in Scotland and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The funding also covers buildings at Winde which are part of the bloody history of the slave trade. Funding from the grant will go to documentation of the sites for future use, as well as the capturing of oral histories to create an exhibit.

While climate change will require broader solutions, preserving sites for future learning is a critical protective measure.

The famous Laetoli footprints in modern Tanzania are at risk from climate change, which is eroding the land where the earliest known prints of our human ancestors lie.

Laetoli Site S in 2016. (Photo: Fidelis T Masao and colleagues via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

h/t: [CNN]

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A mammoth tusk carved into a wild horse, discovered in Vogelherd Cave. (Photo: Wuselig via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Horses have been central to human life for millennia, even before they were domesticated and utilized. Ancient wild horses roamed Europe and Asia, where they were hunted by the earliest humans. As a valuable and notable food source, the horses were immortalized in cave drawings, most notably in the prehistoric Lascaux caves. But even older artists depicted horses. The oldest known sculpture of a horse created by modern humans dates back about 32,000 years.

The exquisite statue is carved from the tusk of an ancient mammoth. It stands only about 1 inch tall and just under 2 inches wide. The horse's head is intact, but its four legs have been lost to time and earth. The indent of its nostrils is still visible, subtly carved. The mouth, the ears, and the top of the tail are all visible and very lifelike. The horse was discovered in the Vogelherd Cave in the mountains of southwest Germany. These caves are now a UNESCO World Heritage site known as Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura. They were some of the first habitations of modern humans, who arrive on the European continent 43,000 years ago.

These prehistoric inhabitants left behind cave drawings and figurines. Carved mammoths, lions, and bison have been discovered. The details of the figurines include cross markings and other delicate details. The carvers of these figurines belonged to the Aurignacian culture, during the Upper Paleolithic period. The hunter-gatherers likely used the cave to process their hunts, especially reindeer and horse. Bones of hunted animals were discovered, giving clues to what the ancient humans ate. The horse figurine itself is a tribute to this precious food source, crafted many thousands of years before horses were domesticated. Although only partial, the statue is the oldest known depiction of a horse by humans, and an example of some of the world's first artists.

The oldest known horse sculpture (seen above) is only about 1 inch in height and was carved by early human beings about 32,000 years ago. It was discovered in a cave in Vogelherd, Germany.

The Vogelherd cave, in Germany. (Photo: Thilo Parg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

h/t: [Live Science]

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Photo: University of Zadar via Facebook

Long lost treasures lurk beneath the seas and other waters. Ancient canoes have been discovered, as have historic crusader swords. Recently, archeologists have been exploring the beautiful waters of the Adriatic Sea. Sandwhiched between Italy and the Balkans, this sea was a hub of ancient seafaring activity. In an exciting development, as announced by the University of Zadar on Facebook, archeologists uncovered an ancient road built about 7,000 years ago. Now submerged underwater, the road lends insight into the ancient Hvar people who lived in the region in the late Neolithic period.

The discovery was made near the Croatian island of Korčula. Long ago, a manmade island existed nearby. Discovered in 2021, the artificial island was an ancient settlement of the Hvar culture, a late Neolithic people of the region. The settlement has been dubbed Soline. Modern Hvar island in Croatia shares a name with this early culture. The latest discovery is a stone-paved road that’s roughly 13 feet wide, sunken under about 16 feet of seawater. The road seems to have once connected Soline to Korčula.

The settlement at Soline produced remnants of wood which could be tested with radiocarbon dating. This revealed the wood was from roughly 4900 BCE, meaning the site and its adjoining road are about 7,000 years old. “We found late-Neolithic ornamented pottery, [a] stone axe, bone artifacts, flint knives and arrowheads,” Mate Parica, of the University of Zadar, told Live Science. “[P]ottery findings help[ed] us to attribute this site to Hvar culture.” The ancient Hvar were a fascinating, if still somewhat opaque, culture. This new road adds to the list of their impressive accomplishments discovered by archeologists, which also includes the oldest depiction of a boat known in Europe.

Archeologists discovered a 7,000-year-old roadway submerged beneath the Adriatic Sea and built by the ancient Hvar culture.

h/t: [Good, Live Science]

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The inscribed 130,000-year-old bear bone. (Photo: Fig. 2 via T. Gąsior, in Płonka et al.)

Neanderthals, our ancient human cousins, left behind many remnants of their now-extinct existence. Some left footprints now fossilized in Spain from steps they took 100,000 years ago. Others left handprints and cave art on the walls of earthen hideouts. But a fragment of bone discovered in the 1950s in a Polish cave may indicate these ancient humans created art 130,000 years ago. The bone—from a bear—has been carved with deliberate, patterned lines, suggesting it was a creative endeavor. This was recently announced by researchers in the Journal of Archeological Science.

The bone was discovered in Dziadowa Skała Cave in the region of Częstochowa Upland, Poland. Based on the deposits in which it was found, the bone dates back to between 115,000 and 130,000 years ago. Once thought to be a rib, it is actually a radial bone from a bear. A team from the University of Wrocław in Poland has recently re-examined the artifact, discovering this misclassification. Through microscopy and X-ray computed tomography, they zoomed in on the markings incised into the bone. The 17 slashes in the bone are grouped in parallel and purposeful arrangements.

The team also tried using flint knives and other prehistoric tools to carve similar markings onto modern cow bones. They discovered that the way the end of each mark curves slightly indicates a single right-handed ancient carver. “The incisions are evidently an effect of a deliberate action, not a side-effect of some practical activity. The bear radius from Dziadowa Skała is thus yet another piece of evidence for the emergence of symbolic culture, evolved by hominins in Africa and Eurasia, and represents the oldest example of marked bone north of the Carpathian Mountains,” the authors concluded.

Archeologist Paul Pettitt, who did not participate in the research, commented on the significance of the find to Live Science. “That such series of parallel incisions really appear with the Neanderthals and not before, suggests that they were a cultural practice that had meaning and function, and not, say, the product of unconscious personal habits like modern doodling,” the Durham University professor said. He further stated, “It is remarkably difficult—and controversial—to try to ascertain the specific information recorded by such ‘symbolic' marks…the Dziadowa Skala Cave incised bone at the very least shows us that Neanderthals were using visual culture to encode information, a truly human capability.” This new analysis of an ancient artifact tells us more about our human family and the very, very long history of art.

This 130,000-year-old bear bone with incisions may be the earliest example of Neanderthal art.

Detailed views of the carvings on the bone. (Photo: T. Płonka (a-d, f), M. Diakowski (e), T. Gąsior (g, h); computer processing by N. Lenkow, in Płonka et al.)

The Dziadowa Skała Cave and drawings of deposits within. (Photo: Fig. 1 via A. Wiśniewski, citing to Chmielewski (1958), in Płonka et al.)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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