Archaeology

[RTH10260]

from October of last year

Ancient rock carvings revealed by receding Amazon waters amid drought
Human faces and other figures believed to be up to 2,000 years old exposed as Brazil river level hits record low

Constance Malleret in Manaus
Tue 24 Oct 2023 23.29 CEST

Human faces and other figures etched in stone up to 2,000 years ago have been revealed on Amazon riverbanks as a historic drought in the Brazilian region has brought water levels to unprecedented lows.

The petroglyphs, which include animals and other natural forms, have been revealed on the shores of the Rio Negro, at an archeological site known as the Ponto das Lajes, or Place of Slabs.

Researchers estimate the markings to be between 1,000 and 2,000 years old.

The carvings had previously been sighted during a severe drought in 2010, when the Rio Negro’s water levels dropped to 13.63 metres, then an all-time low.

They re-emerged this month, with more markings appearing as the waters receded further. Amid an unusually dry season which scientists attribute to the El Niño weather pattern and warming in the North Atlantic linked to the climate crisis, the Rio Negro has dropped below 13 metres for the first time in its recorded history, with a depth of 12.89 metres recorded on Monday.

As well as anthropomorphic faces and depictions of water, some rocks display grooves that suggest the site was also used to produce stone tools.

Carlos Augusto da Silva of the Federal University of Amazonas identified 25 groups of carvings on a single rock which he believes was used as a whetstone to sharpen various instruments. “This was an area for the preparation of tools,” the archaeologist told the local news site Amazônia Real.

[RTH10260]

Banquet hall with frescoes on the Trojan War discovered in Pompeii

By Euronews with AP
Published on 12/04/2024 - 13:19

Mythological figures are depicted in the halls of a Roman banquet hall discovered in Pompeii. The works were unearthed in almost perfect condition.

An imposing banquet hall, with elegant black walls decorated with mythological subjects inspired by the Trojan War, was discovered during ongoing excavation activities in insula 10 of Pompeii 's Regio IX and is now fully visible in all its glory.

The room was used to entertain in convivial moments for those living the "high life", evidenced by the spaciousness of the space, the presence of frescoes and mosaics datable to the 3rd style, the artistic quality of the paintings and the choice of subjects.

Frescoes on the Trojan War in Pompeii

The runnings themes of the artwork found on the walls seems to be that of heroism, with heroes and gods of the Trojan War most prominent on the walls.

Mythological figures in Roman homes had the social function of entertaining guests and diners, providing cues for conversation and reflection on existence.

In addition to Helen and Paris, the figure of Cassandra, daughter of Priam, appears on the walls of the hall, paired with Apollo. In Greek mythology Cassandra was known for her gift of foresight and the terrible fate that prevents her from altering the future.

Mythological figures in Pompeii houses to talk about life and the past

The walls of the banquet hall were painted black, "to prevent the smoke from the lamps on the walls from being seen. Here people gathered to feast after dark, the flickering light of the oil lamps made the images seem to move, especially after a few glasses of good Campanian wine," explains Pompeii Archaeological Park Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel.

"Today, Helen and Paris are all of us: every day we can choose to care only about our intimate lives or to investigate how this life of ours is intertwined with the great story," Zuchtruegel adds.

The hall measures about 15 metres long by six metres wide and opens into a courtyard that appears to be a service hallway, open to the sky, with a long staircase leading to the second floor, devoid of decoration.




https://www.euronews.com/2024/04/12/ban ... in-pompeii

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Complete Set of Qin Dynasty Bronze Chariots Meet Public

CCTV Video News Agency
20 Apr 2024

The complete set of Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.) bronze chariots and horses were put on display to the public together on Thursday in Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

https://www.cctvplus.com/news/20240419/ ... language=1

[AndyinPA]

Magnificent!

[John Thomas8]

Interesting questions from history:

[RTH10260]

[RTH10260]

from three years ago

Oldest Cave Art Found in Sulawesi

Griffith University
14 Jan 2021

A team of Griffith University archaeologists has shared in the discovery of what may be the world’s oldest known cave painting, dating back to at least 45,500 years ago.

Uncovered in South Sulawesi during field research conducted with Indonesia’s leading archaeological research centre, Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), the cave painting consists of a figurative depiction of a Sulawesi warty pig, a wild boar that is endemic to this Indonesian island.

“The Sulawesi warty pig painting we found in the limestone cave of Leang Tedongnge is now the earliest known representational work of art in the world, as far as are aware,” said Professor Adam Brumm from Griffith’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, co-leader of the Griffith-ARKENAS team.

[RTH10260]

once again from the UK

‘Amazing’ Viking-age treasure travelled half the world to Scotland, analysis finds
Lidded vessel is star object in rich Galloway Hoard and came from silver mine in what is now Iran

Dalya Alberge
Sun 1 Sep 2024 08.00 CEST

It is a star object of the Galloway Hoard, the richest collection of Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland, buried in AD900 and unearthed in a field in Scotland. Now a lidded silver vessel has been identified as being of west Asian origin, transported halfway around the world more than 1,000 years ago.

When it emerged from the ground a decade ago, the vessel was still wrapped in its ancient textiles, whose survival is extremely rare. Its surface could be seen only through X-ray scans. Since then, the textiles have been partially removed and preserved and the vessel has had laser cleaning to remove green corrosion over much of its silver surface. It has also undergone scientific analysis.

Details of a “remarkable” design that includes crowns, fire altars and creatures including leopards and tigers can be seen for the first time.

The imagery is linked to the iconography of Zoroastrianism, the state religion of the Sasanian empire, the last Persian empire before the early Muslim conquests from AD632. Scientific analysis shows that the silver from which it was made came from a mine in modern-day Iran.

The hoard was discovered in 2014 by a metal-detecting enthusiast on what is now Church of Scotland land at Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire. Described as one of the century’s most important UK archaeological finds, it contained more than 5kg of silver, gold and other materials, with objects ranging from a Christian pectoral cross to brooches.



https://www.theguardian.com/science/art ... ysis-finds

[AndyinPA]

That's beartiful!

[p0rtia]

Amazing. Tx!

[RTH10260]

5 Incredible Treasures that Have Been Found in 2023

Sideprojects
16 Aug 2024

Discover five incredible archaeological finds made in 2023, from the Great Kentucky Horde's gold coins to a perfectly preserved 3,000-year-old sword in Germany. Explore ancient secrets unearthed!

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Artificial Intelligence Uncovers 300 New Nazca Lines, Including 'Knife-Wielding Orca'
It took nearly a century to discover a total of 430 figurative Nazca geoglyphs, which offer significant insights into ancient cultures at Nazca Pampa.

Nikhil Pandey
Updated: September 25, 2024 7:29 am IST
Artificial Intelligence Uncovers 300 New Nazca Lines, Including 'Knife-Wielding Orca'

Scientists have always been perplexed by the Nazca Lines, ancient designs etched into the southern Peruvian desert, since they were found almost a century ago. Researchers have just discovered 303 more of these enigmatic figures, adding even more enigma to the mysterious location, thanks to artificial intelligence.

Among the recently found geoglyphs are a number of interesting patterns. While some might be easily identifiable, others might not seem to be. Researchers discovered that some of the pictures resemble killer whales with knives, cats, camels, and even in the shape of the popular Pixar robot character Wall-E. Some photos only acquire an otherworldly aspect that adds more mystery to these extremely ancient pieces of art.

The Nazca Lines have a purpose and meaning that have puzzled researchers for years now, dating back about 400 BC. In this respect, though the meaning of such is unknown, the recently found geoglyphs contribute to adding evidence on how just artistic and ingenious the people of Nazca were.

A joint effort involving scientists at the IBM Thomas J Watson Research Centre in New York and Yamagata University in Japan revealed the discovery, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), they were able to decipher patterns concealed beneath the sands of the Nazca Desert that had never been seen before.

According to a release, after training the model on images of existing geoglyphs, the research team used it to look for more. They found 303 that they were able to confirm through site visits by human experts.

As expected, many of the lines comprising the newly found geoglyphs were faint, but the researchers could discern what they depict, mainly humans and domesticated animals, though some were abstract, such as a knife-wielding killer whale. The team plans to continue using the AI app to search for more examples of the ancient art.



https://www.ndtv.com/science/artificial ... ca-6643270

[AndyinPA]

Cool! One of my most favorite things I've ever done is fly over them.

[RTH10260]

Endurance: Shackleton's lost ship is found in Antarctic

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60662541

Even though it has been sitting in 3km (10,000ft) of water for over a century, it looks just like it did on the November day it went down.

Its timbers, although disrupted, are still very much together, and the name - Endurance - is clearly visible on the stern.

and now we have images, 3D scan video clip in article:

New images show remarkable state of preservation of Ernest Shackleton’s ship
Composite images of Endurance compiled from 25,000 digital scans mapped by underwater robots

Esther Addley
Thu 10 Oct 2024 18.26 CEST

More than a century after it sank below the icy Weddell Sea in Antarctica, forcing its crew to embark on one of the most celebrated survival quests in history, new images have revealed the remarkable state of preservation of Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance.

The famed vessel, which sank in 1915 after becoming stuck in pack ice, was discovered in 2022 resting at a depth of 3km below what Shackleton called “the worst portion of the worst sea in the world”.

The images, compiled from thousands of detailed 3D scans of the wreckage, show how little it has altered or decayed in the century since, with the ship’s rigging, helm and woodwork all remarkably preserved under the icy waters.

In addition, a number of the crew’s dining plates can be seen resting on the deck, along with a single knee-length boot, which may have belonged to Frank Wild, Shackleton’s second-in-command.

Perhaps most remarkably of all, the images show a flare gun among the debris – the same gun that was fired by Frank Hurley, the expedition’s photographer, as the Endurance sank, an event he described in his diary.

“Hurley gets this flare gun, and he fires the flare gun into the air with a massive detonator as a tribute to the ship,” John Shears, who led the expedition that found Endurance, told the BBC. “And then in the diary, he talks about putting it down on the deck. And there we are. We come back over 100 years later, and there’s that flare gun. Incredible.”

The composite images were compiled from 25,000 digital scans mapped by underwater robots when the wreck was discovered, employing new laser and photogrammetric technology for the first time at this depth, according to the team behind them. They reveal the damage to the hull and masts by the crushing ice before the ship sank – which was also captured at the time in pioneering film footage by Hurley – but show that the vessel is otherwise largely unaltered.

“It’s absolutely fabulous. The wreck is almost intact like she sank yesterday,” said Nico Vincent, whose organisation Deep Ocean Search developed the technology for the scans, along with Voyis Imaging and McGill University.



https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... -endurance

[Volkonski]

Amazing!

[Foggy]

That's wild. Seawater is a corrosive environment. But the cold ...

[AndyinPA]

The cold is what preserved it. Yep.