Guatemala
Pretend to be the great Mayan kingdom
Representatives found in Cancun Representatives of Mayan King T'ah 'ak' Cha'an slate
In the hieroglyphic record found, the Mayan rulers boasted that they were the "holy lords" chosen by the gods. But a new recent study shows that they initially led a group of believers of up to dozens of people. It took several generations to recruit enough followers to become a powerful political entity.
Incense burner with the image of an early classic Mayan ruler
Archaeological team began excavation at the ruins of Tamalindito, the ancient Mayan capital in 2009. In 13 years, the site has been inspected 7 times.
Research found that around 400 AD, the Yejuan Dynasty established the so-called capital - a small village in Tamalindito.
Pyramid ruins built before and after the establishment of Tamalindito
Tamalindito's early Mayan rulers had only a small number of followers. Around about 550 AD, the number of residents living in Tamalindito began to increase.
The rulers of the Yejuan Dynasty took quick action to expand their power, establishing a smaller second capital and a number of other settlements on the territory now in northern Guatemala. The peak of political power was reached between 550 and 800 AD.
Aguateca Temple Square in Petexbatun Basin
Archaeological excavations show that the builders of Tamalindito had grand plans from the very beginning. They first built a ritual complex on the 70-meter-high mountain top, including a pyramid, a royal palace and a huge square. Researchers estimate that it takes about 25 years for construction to take between 23 and 31 workers.
Plaza A and surrounding areas of Tamalindito
When it was initially built, Tamalindito's square was enough to accommodate about 1,650 people. About 200 years later, when people began to influx in large quantities, the rulers not only expanded the area of the square, but also built some large residential areas.
Of course, even when the Yejuan Dynasty was the most developed, the population of Tamalindito was only a few thousand people, which is not large compared to other cities built by the classical period Mayan in northern Guatemala.
Egyptian
The oldest known tombs related to the winter solstice
The oldest known tombs related to the entire solar cycle
Researchers found the oldest records related to the movement of celestial bodies in the west bank of the Nile River .
It is speculated that the tomb belonged to the governor of the city of Elefentini, the twelfth dynasty, around 1830 BC.
Tomb interior
The number of this tomb is Qubbet el-Hawa 33. Qubbet el-Hawa developed into the pinnacle of central power between about 2030 BC and 1650 BC, that is, the reign of the 11th, 12th and 13th dynasties.
The sunlight geometric patterns on the facade and door of the tomb correspond to the winter solstice and summer solstice
Researchers used scientific and technological means to determine the age of the tomb and reproduce the position of the ancient sun relative to the horizon. This concludes that
- Egyptians were able to use the calculated position of the sun and the direction of light to build monuments.
It is indeed incredible that architects can design such a tomb without using any precision instruments. It perfectly records the entire solar cycle, the winter solstice means the beginning of the sun’s victory over darkness, and the summer solstice usually occurs at the same time as the beginning of the Nile’s annual flooding, so both time points are symbolic.Archaeologists believe that although Tomb 33 is the oldest case ever found, it is definitely not the only one.
tomb floor plan with winter solstice (WS) and summer solstice (SS) Geometric diagram of the sunlight path every time sunrise
Greece
Herbian Acropolis, Farasana, Crete, large number of cultural relics unearthed
Fara The Sana Archaeological Site, the facade of a temple dedicated to the goddess Demeter
Hundreds of cultural relics with high archaeological value were unearthed in the excavation of the Farasana Acropolis in the westernmost part of Crete, including female clay sculptures, headdresses, miniature water jars dedicated to the Greek goddess Demeter. It is estimated that the age of the cultural relics belonged to about 800 BC to 480 BC.
overlooking the rocky ruins of the Acropolis in Farasarna
Farasarna in Crete is famous for its striking blue flag beach, it is a thriving port in the eastern part of the ancient Mediterranean , and its importance is worthy of having its own laws and currency. The port is a large artificial inland port protected by the natural steep rocks on the coastline, and its scale was amazing at the time.
Aerial view of the temple
Falasana cave is located on the rock between two peaks and collapses somewhere.
Around the end of the fourth century BC to the beginning of the third century BC, the rocks in the collapsed caves were reused for the construction of temples, and their remains remain to this day, surrounded by a mostly intact wall.
A female holding poppies and pomegranates was found in the temple of Farasana. pottery figurines
temple was built on natural rocks, in Doric style, and only some of the columns were preserved. The roof combines Corinthian features with clay sleepers and lids. An impressive staircase leads to two single-room buildings. The building to the east is the main hall, and the other is ancillary.
A door in the east of the main hall leads to an outdoor area where sacrifices are held. There are five troughs for storing sacrifices on the floor of the inner hall. It is here that archaeologists have discovered several exquisite vases and some ceremonial vessels. One of them was engraved with the name of the goddess Demeter; some handicrafts belonging to the 6th century BC, including bird and animal pendants of terracotta, arrows and spearheads, miniature vases, female statues of ascending the throne, and female statues of poppies and pomegranates were found; small water jugs from the 3rd to 4th centuries BC, beak-like ritual water jugs painted with red flying cupids, iron nails and alabaster containers were found; some glass products showing the connection between Falasana and ancient Egyptian and Phoenician were also found.
The water jug engraved with the name of Goddess Demeter
Researchers also discovered the remains of towers, docks, defense walls, water tanks, bathrooms, altars, wineries and roads. Geophysical surveys show that the remains of the temple's underground structure appear to be semicircular. However, the upper half is not a very obvious semicircle, and only further excavation can determine whether it is a public building such as a theater or a tavern.
UK
Kent Underground rare Bone flute
Rare bone flute found in Kent
A settlement from the Bronze Age to the Roman and the Middle Ages was found in Hearn Bay, Kent, England. One of the most striking discoveries of the site is a rare bone flute.
bone flute is made of sheep or goat's tibia. It has five finger holes on the top and a thumb hole on the bottom. It is an instrument that is very similar to the modern recorder . The bone flute should have a mouthpiece, but unfortunately, this part is missing.
The oldest musical instrument found so far is the 60,000-year-old Neanderthal bone flute
Although bone flute is a rare artifact, they are still the most common type of musical instruments found in archaeology. In the UK alone, 118 flutes in different preservation states have been discovered so far, while the number of bone flutes has been found in various parts of Europe, and there are also earlier bone flute discoveries in China.
UK
More than $40,000 Medieval "Love Ring"
Mrs. Brooke's medieval gold ring
A British metal treasure hunter found a rare medieval "Love Ring" made of gold and diamonds in a farmland in Dorset. This rare gold craft will be estimated at as high as $40,000 with the noble lineage it possesses.
The medieval "love ring" of noble descent
This 600-year-old gold diamond ring is a gift from Sir Thomas Brook (c. 1355-1418) to his wife. Sir Brooke gained great wealth after marrying a wealthy widow (Ms. Joan Hannam), and served 13 times as a member of Somerset County Council from 1386 to 1413.
This late 14th century handicraft consists of two horn rings wrapped together and weighs about 3 grams. The main ring face is a square pyramid inlaid with pyramid-shaped diamond crystal. The medieval French inscription engraved in the inner ring is: "When I have your trust, you have mine too."
The ring is engraved with the inscription in medieval French
This powerful couple is richer than most of us think. In 1388, Thomas Brooke married Joan Hannam, who was the "super rich" heir to Simon Hannam and the widow of wealthy British brooer Robert Cheddar. He served as mayor of Bristol twice. Mrs. Brooke's wealth includes 17 estates, 17 manors, 21 shops, 4 wine cellars, 160 apartments, etc.
Through the inscription on the ring, Sir Brooke wants to tell Mrs Brooke that she can "trust" him, and he hopes for the same response. However, one day Mrs. Brooke accidentally threw away this exquisite and meaningful ring while playing at an estate in Dorset.
British
"Fake" gold coins prove that Roman "Emperor" Sponcian is real
Controversial Sponcian coins
For many years, people have been thinking that a batch of Roman coins found in Transylvania in 1713 were forged. These ancient coins have the name of a "missing" emperor, who is called Sponsian. Spangsi'an coins were minted using different methods, unlike Roman coins of the time.
However, a new study and analysis confirmed that the coin is true! While the Roman Empire was plagued by civil war and plundering invaders ravaged the frontiers, Sboncian ruled the Roman Dacia, which happened to be a gathering place for gold mines.
Four Spangxian gold coins
Spangxian gold coins have had a huge impact on the missing part in Roman history. They were found in Transylvania and were declared as fakes by the then authoritative expert Henry Cohen in the mid-19th century. In addition to the different manufacturing methods and lack of similarity, these Spangsi'an coins have different weights, with patterns and inscriptions equally chaotic.
Recently, researchers used a series of new technologies to reanalyze the coins, which showed that the Spangxian coins showed traces of micro-absorbing, which is usually related to coins that have been in circulation for a long time.In addition, the coins are filled with dirt deposits, which indicates that the coins have been buried for a long time.
More coins from other periods
Although there is no historical record to confirm the existence of Spambian or his imperial power, according to the pattern of the coins, Spambian appears to have obtained the title of commander or supreme military commander, which is usually reserved for the Roman emperor.
Throughout history, including modern history, coin minting has always been a symbol of power. The alternating regimes or emperors in history were always accompanied by the desire to imprint their names on coins as symbols of authority. The late 3rd century AD was a turbulent period, and the threshold for becoming an emperor in the Roman Empire was very low.
Egyptian
Mummy transformation has nothing to do with the preservation of mummies
A golden mummy in the Manchester Museum
Since the discovery of the mummy, people have formed an inherent common sense: Ancient Egyptian Mummies made into mummies to "preserve" the corpses for a long time, and the mummification process was specially created to slow down the decay of corpses. But new research shows that this is "not" the main purpose of mummification of ancient Egyptian corpses, but is related to "guiding the dead" towards divinity.
Image depicting the mummification process
Researchers believe that the entire idea of ancient Egyptians saving corpses was "misunderstood" by Victorian archaeologists. Since Victorians themselves preserved fish with salt for future use, they mistakenly believed that the ancient Egyptians tried to preserve the dead's bodies with salt.
. Modern research shows that the ancient Egyptians used salt but alkali in the mummy production process. This hydrated sodium carbonate mineral is mined from dry riverbeds near the Nile River. Although bulb was used in food, medicine and as a ritual sacrifice to the gods in ancient Egypt, it was also used as a corpse desiccant during mummy making.
Comics of observing mummies
The behavior of removing internal organs "does not help preserve the corpse", and this process has "deeper meaning", which is to free the soul of the deceased from the human body and achieve a "sacred" status. To support these new ideas, researchers point to carefully painted portraits of mummies on the coffin, as well as death masks, the former “revealing identity” while the latter “covering identity.” In other words, they are used to provide “idealized imagery of divine form.” Therefore, according to this explanation, mummification has nothing to do with the preservation of the corpse.
