Archaeology

Sep 22nd, 2020 - Millions of mummified ibis and birds of prey, sacrificed to the Egyptian gods Horus, Ra or Thoth, have been discovered in the necropolises of the Nile Valley. Such a quantity of mummified birds raises the question of their origin: were they bred, like cats, or were they hunted? According to a team of scientists that carried out extensive geochemical analyses on mummies, they were wild birds. Millions of ibis and birds of prey mummies, sacrificed to the Egyptian gods Horus, Ra or Thoth, have been discovered in the necropolises of the Nile Valley. Such a quantity of mummified birds raises the ... [Read More]

Sep 18th, 2020 - All that remains of several individuals buried in a 1,400-year-old graveyard are shadowy traces of their skeletons Archaeologists in Suffolk, England, have discovered an Anglo-Saxon cemetery containing more than 200 graves dating back to the seventh century, reports BBC News . Excavations took place in the town of Oulton ahead of construction of a new housing development, notes Jasper King for the Lowestoft Journal . The burial site, which includes the remains of men, women, children and infants, testifies to the existence of a small farming community. The site is contemporaneous with and ... [Read More]

Sep 18th, 2020 - Traces of violence on 1700 year old skeletons allow researchers to reconstruct warfare and sacrifices of nomads in Siberia. An international and interdisciplinary team of anthropologists, archaeologists and specialists in forensic sciences performed a detailed and revealing analysis of the traumas found on the skeletal remains. Ancient historiographers described steppe nomads as violent people dedicated to warfare and plundering. Little archaeological and anthropological data are however available regarding violence in these communities during the early centuries CE. In a new study in the ... [Read More]

Sep 16th, 2020 - The Viking Age brought more genetic diversity into Scandinavia, the study suggests. A recent study of ancient DNA sheds light on who the Viking groups were and how they interacted with the people they met. The Viking Age, from around 750 to 1100 CE, left a cultural and economic impact that stretched from the coast of North America to the Central Asian steppe, and archaeology shows several examples of cultural exchange spanning continents. But to see patterns in how people swapped not only ideas, but genes, we need to look at the DNA of ancient people. “We know very well that the Viking ... [Read More]

Sep 10th, 2020 - Authorities say the wooden sarcophagi, found during excavations at the Saqqara necropolis, have likely remained unopened for millennia For thousands of years, ancient Egyptians used the vast Saqqara necropolis to lay their dead to rest. In addition to housing countless treasures in its elaborate tombs, the burial site boasts the Step Pyramid of Djoser , a colossal structure perhaps best known as the region’s first pyramid . This week, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the latest archaeological wonder to surface at the ancient necropolis: a cache of at least 13 sealed, ... [Read More]

Sep 8th, 2020 - Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Some 13 2,500-year-old human coffins have been discovered during an excavation in Egypt . The finds were made at the ancient site of Saqqara . In a Facebook post, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the coffins were found in a “deep well for burial.” The wood coffins, stacked on top of each other, were buried in the 36-foot deep “well.” Initial indications are that the coffins haven’t been opened since they were closed 2,500-years ago. Other coffins are expected to be found in the sides ... [Read More]

Aug 31st, 2020 - Two Skeletons from Windmill Fields, Stockton-upon-Tees buried with skulls and long bones of three people who had died several decades to over a century earlier (Credit: Tees Archaeology) (CN) — Researchers have dated human remains and tools, including a femur that was fashioned into a musical instrument, to the Bronze Age, providing insight on ancient humans’ funerary and memorialization practices. “Although fragments of human bone were included as grave goods with the dead, they were also kept in the homes of the living, buried under house floors and even placed on display,” said ... [Read More]