Hybrid animal in the 4500-year-old tomb is earliest known bred by humans
Hybrid animal in 4500-year-old tomb is earliest known bred by humans Mesopotamians were using hybrids of domesticated donkeys and wild ᴀsses to pull their war wagons 4,500 years ago — at least 500 years before horses were bred for the purpose, a new study reveals. The analysis of ancient DNA from animal bones unearthed in …
Mosaic with slave thanking God for his freedom unearthed in Turkey
Mosaic with slave thanking God for his freedom unearthed in Turkey A mosaic made by a freed slave to thank God for his emancipation was unearthed during the excavation at the 6th-century Church of the Holy Apostles in southern Hatay province. The Church of the Holy Apostles was found in an orange grove in the Arpaçiftlik …
Rare Roman wooden figure uncovered by HS2 archaeologists in Buckinghamshire
Rare Roman wooden figure uncovered by HS2 archaeologists in Buckinghamshire A waterlogged ditch in Buckinghamshire has yielded the most unexpected find — a rare, extremely well-preserved wooden figure dating back to Roman times. The discovery — the first of its kind in 100 years — was initially dismissed as a piece of degraded wood when …
Painted Medieval Burial Vaults Uncovered in Bruges
Painted Medieval Burial Vaults Uncovered in Bruges Excavations at a cemetery in the centre of Bruges have yielded an extraordinary find. Archaeologists have discovered three painted burial vaults dating from the 14th century. The find was made last May during works in a street in the vicinity of the Church of Our Lady in Bruges (West …
An Old Classic Bronze Age board game ‘played 4,000 years ago’ uncovered in the Oman desert
An Old Classic Bronze Age board game ‘played 4,000 years ago’ uncovered in the Oman desert While innovative and artistic board games may hold our attention today, settlers four millennia ago in the Arabian Peninsula whiled away the time on a stone board game. Last month, archaeologists discovered a stone slab carved with a grid …
Vast Roman town and hundreds of artefacts uncovered during rail excavation
Vast Roman town and hundreds of artefacts uncovered during rail excavation The remains of a vast Roman trading settlement have been discovered by a team of archaeologists working along a future high-speed railway route in England. Hundreds of Roman coins, jewellery, pottery and a pair of shackles were among the artefacts to be discovered at …
Long-lost temple of Hercules from 9th century BC discovered, claim researchers
Long-lost temple of Hercules from 9th century BC discovered, claim researchers Archaeologists near Cádiz, Spain, believe they have located the site of the lost Temple of Hercules Gaditanus, an ancient pilgrimage destination visited by the likes of Roman dictator Julius Caesar and Carthaginian general Hannibal. The elusive site has been something of “a holy grail” …
Neolithic cattle sites could change the understanding of what beef meant to the people of Ireland
Neolithic cattle sites could change the understanding of what beef meant to the people of Ireland An archaeological site in Dublin with an unusually large collection of cattle remains could potentially change the understanding of beef and cattle herding in Middle Neolithic Ireland and Europe. Data collected from the N2 Kilshane excavation in north county Dublin …
Island grave reveals a 1,000-year-old treasure trove of ‘elite’ jewellery including a solid amber ring
Island grave reveals 1,000-year-old treasure trove of ‘elite’ jewellery including a solid amber ring Archaeologists have uncovered an ‘elite’ grave from the 12th century during excavation work in Northern Poland. The discovery in the village of Ostrowite included two amber rings, a bronze bowl, and an iron knife in a leather sheath with bronze fittings. …
Drilling under Antarctic ice shelf, scientists find a treasure trove of life with 77 species
Drilling under Antarctic ice shelf, scientists find treasure trove of life with 77 species Far beneath the ice shelves of the Antarctic, there is more marine life than expected, finds a recent study in the journal Current Biology, published this week. Despite occupying nearly 1.6 million km2, ice shelves are amongst the least known environments …