Archaeology.Today
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Archaeology stories getting attention now
Divers surveying the seafloor near Punta della Vipera found carved limestone blocks arranged in an L-shaped double row. The structure, about 300 feet offshore, may have served as a landing place for visitors to a nearby Etruscan temple.
Researchers analyzed 28 paint samples from 14 Egyptian artifacts dated from 1425 B.C. to A.D. 400. Cattle collagen was the most common binding material, while proteins from other animals and plants indicate a broader range of ingredients in ancient paint adhesives.
Researchers analyzed teeth and dental plaque from about 200 people buried in Wrocław between the late seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries. The evidence points to a diet of grains, legumes, meat, fish and imported foods, while enamel layers indicate that most children were breastfed until roughly age two to two and a half.
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Recently Unearthed
Researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have developed a heating-based method that distinguishes magnetism acquired when clay was fired from a later magnetic signal. Tests found that pottery more than 1,000 years old retained the later signal until temperatures exceeded 112°C, while modern samples lost it at lower temperatures.
Fragments from a vessel found at the Roman villa of Collet in northeastern Spain include a two-headed serpent handle. Researchers date its burial to the reign of Augustus and argue that the imagery may connect the rural site to the private worship of Sabazios.
A study of rock art in Australia’s Awunbarna region documents unusually large depictions of Rainbow Serpents and other powerful beings, including a serpent more than 6 meters long. Researchers argue the post-contact images may have helped Aboriginal communities reinforce traditions and connections to country during rapid colonial change.
A proposed revision to the rules governing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act is under review after the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted to advance it. In a Live Science opinion article, archaeologist Joe Watkins argues the changes could exclude many Indigenous sacred places, archaeological resources and cultural landscapes from federal review.
A study of 143 Dutch children and young adults who lived between the 1600s and 1800s found spinal wear and deformities associated with demanding physical work. The damage was most pronounced among children from rural dairy farms, while factory workers showed a different pattern of strain.
Archaeologists have identified a mural showing tulips and white flowers at Boburtepa in southern Uzbekistan. The decoration was painted on clay inside a building thought to have served as a temple during the fourth and fifth centuries A.D., before being covered with white lime plaster.
Researchers have recovered rare textile fragments from an eighth-century tomb at the Skonager site in western Jutland. The fabric survived on two scoop brooches, while planned textile and dental analyses may reveal details about the woman’s clothing, health, diet, and movements.
Analysis of hardened dental plaque from eight human remains at Osaka’s Umeda cemetery identified proteins from fish, mammals, and plants. The findings suggest that urban residents consumed varied foods, including imported cold-water fish and red sea bream associated in historical sources with luxury meals.
A sculpture showing a person seated on a leopard has been uncovered at the Neolithic site of Karahantepe in southeastern Turkey. The 28-inch-tall find was placed on a bench inside a circular, stone-paved structure measuring about 10 feet across.
A study of 28 microscopic samples from 14 Egyptian artworks has identified animal glues from several species along with plant proteins linked to sesame and moringa. The findings suggest painters may have used seed-processing byproducts, offering new information for both ancient craft history and conservation.
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