Category: Breaking News

Categories
Breaking News

10,000-Year-Old Case of Cannibalism Discovered in Spanish Cave

signs-of-human-bitemarks-2

Ars Technica, the remains in question show no signs of violence, indicating that the bodies were likely consumed after death. Identifying cannibalism can be a tricky business, but Morales-Pérez and his team say the evidence was clear. The bones themselves were discovered buried alongside the remains of other, non-human animals; bore signs of being burned and butchered, and evidence of being bitten and scraped. Radiocarbon dating has set the age of the bones to between 9,000 and 10,000 years old. Finding evidence of the practice of cannibalism during this time period is not unheard of, though this is the first time that cannibalism has reared its ugly head in Spain during the Mesolithic. Other archaeological finds throughout Europe and the Levant dating to this time period have yielded evidence of humans eating their own. Additional questions have arisen after discovering the cannibalism. One such question – one that may not ever be able to be answered – is why the humans inhabiting this cave in Spain decided to turn to the practice in the first place. Necessity due to starvation is always one reason for cannibalism, but the multitude of animal remains found in the cave indicates that the food sources for the humans living there were varied and apparently abundant. Occasional periods of privation do occur of course, and the evidence of cannibalism could represent a desperate time in the lives of the people who lived there when food sources were scarce. However, the possibility that the cannibalism might have been ritual in nature cannot be discounted – there’s precedent of complex rituals for eating the flesh of the deceased, often important members of the community, dating back thousands of years. The beginning of the Mesolithic also represented a time period when humans were beginning to transition from their hunter-gatherer existence of the earlier Paleolithic, and taking up the trappings of a more sedentary, agrarian lifestyle. The conflict between these two ways of life could have precipitated some funerary practices that would seem gruesome and barbaric to our own modern sensibilities, researchers say. The state of the remains seems to contradict the idea that they were consumed as part of a ritual. Seemingly dumped unceremoniously in a midden heap at the rear of the cave, these butchered, fire-processed and chewed human bones don’t seem to have been treated with much care. However, with literally ten thousand years having passed between the event and the discovery of the evidence of that event, there’s no way of knowing if the remains had at one time been buried with reverence and then ended up in a new location due to rain runoff and soil erosion. The new research study, published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, can be found online here Image courtesy of Journal of Anthropological Archaeology]]>

Categories
Breaking News

Massive Mars Volcano Last Active During Dinosaur Die-Off

arsia-mons

here Image courtesy of NASA/JPL/USGS]]>

Categories
Breaking News

Ancient Greek Battle of Salamis Site Discovered

battle-of-salamis1

Categories
Breaking News

Amber From the Cretaceous Preserves Damselfly Courtship Ritual

courthip-behaviour-image-1

Yijenplatycnemis huangi in honor of the donor of the amber, Huang Yijen from Taiwan. The preserved Y. huangi specimens showcased large, expanded pod-like forelegs that would have improved chances of mating successfully by both attracting females as well as helping to fend off other suitors. These characteristics are commonly found in similar modern insects, the most common being the male Platycypha caligata damselfly found in Africa, who use their enlarged forelegs in an almost identical manner. East Asian damselfly species also exhibit similar traits as well, including feather-like legs that are only apparent in males. These modern East Asian damselfly males put on a display with their legs in front of females, and Dr. Zheng and Professor Wang believe the legs of Y. huangi would have been used in a similar manner. The fossil specimens have legs that are much more expanded than any other modern damselfly species, which could be an indication that Y. huangi’s forelegs were an extreme adaptation for courtship behavior. The excessively large forelegs of Y. huangi could have also played other crucial roles – both making males more easily noticeable by females of the species and also in warding off predators. The researchers say that Y. huangi’s forelegs were so large that they would have moved slower due to air resistance, attracting female attention more efficiently and increasing mating opportunities. Meanwhile, the pod-like shape and coloration of the ancient damselfly’s legs could have been used to distract or intimidate predators. The pigmentation of the legs, which are partially covered with a pair of brown bands and feature an eye-shaped spot, are similar to the wing spots on some modern butterfly species. These wing spots were also present on a species of extinct lacewings from the Early Middle Cretaceous. Dr. Zheng and Prof. Wang state in their study that the spots on Y. huangi’s legs were likely too small to do much in the way of deflecting predators. Instead, these dots may have been more similar to the “eyespots” on peacock feathers, providing yet another way to garner the attention of the females of the species. The research paper, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, can be found here Image courtesy of Image by YANG Dinghua]]>

Categories
Breaking News

Major Viking Age Archaeological Find Discovered in Denmark

gorm-the-old

CPH Post Online, researchers have discovered several chamber graves in the Jutland Peninsula, the northern continental reaches of Denmark that splits the North and Baltic Seas. The new archaeological site was found in the hamlet of Hørning in eastern central Jutland, near Skanderborg. What makes this collection of grave sites stand out is that one of the chamber-graves discovered by archaeologists has been revealed to be a Viking Age treasure trove. Named the tomb of the Fregerslev Viking, the grave contains the remains of a high-status individual as well as several priceless grave goods. The quality of these items more than confirms the high standing of the individual who was interred alongside them. According to project manager Merethe Schifter Bagge, an archaeologist from the Museum of Skanderborg, the artifacts already recovered from the chamber-grave include ornate horse bridle fittings that were painstakingly gilded in gold. The researcher added that this particular type of bridle would not have been made available to just anyone; its presence indicates the Fregerslev Viking was an enormously important individual and that the bridle might have been a gift from the king after forging an important alliance. Researchers have dated the fittings to around 950 CE, which places the Fregerslev Viking during the reign of Gorm the Old, the Danish king who ruled from between circa 940 to 958. Harald, Gorm’s son and successor as king of the Danes, was known as Harald Bluetooth – for whom the modern wireless communication technology was named. The Viking interred in the chamber-grave could have been a trusted confidant of Gorm the Old, Schifter Bagge reasoned – or perhaps even a powerful rival. This new find is thought to be the most breathtaking one in the country since 1983. In fact, researchers are already comparing finding the Fregerslev Viking to that of the discoveries of Egtved Girl, the remains of a Bronze Age girl discovered in the 1920s, and Tollund Man, an incredibly well-preserved, naturally mummified corpse from the fourth century BCE discovered in the 1950s. Like the Fregerslev Viking, both these finds were discovered in Jutland as well. The chamber-graves in Hørning were initially discovered in 2012, but so far only a small area has been examined. Researchers plan to continue excavating starting in April of 2017, according to Ejvind Hertz, the Museum of Skanderborg’s director of archaeology. Hertz, who also serves as an inspector for the museum, has high hopes that the rest of the Viking’s grave goods will be discovered at that time. A selection of the discoveries made at the site will be on display at the museum for a month, starting April 7th. In the meantime, the museum will also be providing daily guided tours for local residents or tourists visiting the grave site. ]]>

Categories
Breaking News

Colonisation and Globalisation Hit Asia Much Earlier Than Thought

excavation

Categories
Breaking News

Warrior Armor Made of Reindeer Antlers Found at Sacred Site

reindeer-armour

Siberian Times, adding, “The ornamentation on the plates can be individual, that is after the thorough analysis we could say how many warriors left armour here, judging by the style of decorations.’” The largest plates are between 23 and 25 centimeters long and in ancient times would have been attached to a leather surface, offering a dependable type of protection. Other plates, which are are between 12 and 14 centimeters in length, are thinner and richly ornamented. Conical shaped armor has also been seen on the plated helmets which were worn by ancient warriors in the taiga zone (also known as boreal forest) of Western Siberia. The discovery of iron helmets is extremely rare, however, bronze images from the middle of the first century CE that show people wearing headdresses that clearly resemble helmets have been found. The armor resembles the armor worn by warriors of the Kualai people, fishermen and hunters indigenous to the taiga. Previous finds at the site include a 2,000-year-old ring, believed to be evidence of a bear cult. These ancient people didn’t leave any written records. Made using high quality bronze, the ring, so tiny in diameter researchers believe it was put on a bear claw, features the image of the head and paws of a bear. Experts theorize that the ring was on the claw of a previously slain bear, an animal that was worshipped by Khanty tribes as sacred and an ancestor. After the slaying of the bear, the paws and head were adorned with rings and a handkerchief, followed by a festival honoring the animal. Image courtesy of Andrey Gusev ]]>

Categories
Breaking News

Mary Queen of Scots' Edinburgh Can Be Visited With New App

edinburgh-castle-1

STV. 1544 was the year of the Rough Wooing, a vicious war between Scotland and England that exposed the complex political intrigues of the age. The death of King James V of Scotland in 1542 left his six day old daughter Mary as Queen of Scotland. Fueled by a powerful rivalry, the kings of France and England sensed an opportunity to secure Scotland’s allegiance through marriage to the new Scottish queen. Henry VIII of England ordered an invasion of Scotland to force the betrothal of Mary of Scots to his young son, Edward, hoping this marriage would secure the northern border and prevent a Franco-Scottish alliance against England. In May 1544 the Rough Wooing began when the Earl of Hertford, Edward Seymour, led a siege on Edinburgh. The attack failed to capture Edinburgh Castle, but the damage done to the city was considerable, with much of the medieval centre burnt to the ground. Rather poignantly, the map which the new app will be based on was actually made by Richard Lee, an English army engineer who served in the Earl of Hertford’s army. Archaeological data, the expertise of art and architectural historians, and documentary sources were also used in the creation of the map of how Edinburgh’s streets would have looked five centuries ago. The app is being marketed by Smart History, a company set up by St. Andrews University. Dr. Rhodes said in an interview with the Independent: “I hope it makes the public more aware of the layers in Edinburgh’s history and furthers understanding of the complex way in which the city evolved.”]]>

Categories
Breaking News

Walking On Two Legs Changed Evolution of Human Skulls

foramen-magnum-evolution-1

Journal of Human Evolution. This connection has long been highly controversial among biologists and archaeologists. The earliest humans climbed trees and walked on the ground, offering them flexibility of movement and the ability to evade predators. It is widely held that between 6 and 3 million years ago the gradual transition began from climbing trees to walking upright the majority of the time. This switch to exclusively walking on two legs inevitably coincided with significant physical changes, such as longer legs. Homo erectus, around 1.9 millions years ago, had leg and thigh bones very close to those of modern humans, evolved for walking on two legs over long distances. Humans differ from other primates in that the foramen magnum, the large hole at the base of the skull which the spinal cord passes through, is shifted forward. Many scientists argue that this is down to the evolution of bipedalism – the head needing to be balanced directly on top of the spine to aid walking. This connection between the foramen magnum and bipedalism is far from universally accepted, however. In 1925, Raymond Dart first questioned the connection in his description of ‘Taung child’, a 2.8 million-year-old fossil skull of the extinct South African species Australopithecus africanus. Last year, a study by Kent State University biological anthropologist Aidan Ruth further questioned the connection between walking on two legs and the forward shifted foramen magnum. Gabrielle Russo, an assistant professor at Stony Brook University, and UT Austin anthropologist Chris Kirk have provided convincing evidence in their new study that the forward shifted foramen magnum is not just a feature of humans and their fossil relatives, but bipedal mammals more generally. “This question of how bipedalism influences skull anatomy keeps coming up partly because it’s difficult to test the various hypotheses if you only focus on primates,” Kirk said in a press release. “However, when you look at the full range of diversity across mammals, the evidence is compelling that bipedalism and a forward-shifted foramen magnum go hand-in-hand.” Their groundbreaking study sampled the largest number of mammal species to date, as well as deploying new methods to measure aspects of foramen magnum anatomy. By comparing the position and location of the foramen magnum in 77 mammal species, from primates to rodents, Russo and Kirk make their case that bipedal mammals have a more forward-positioned foramen magnum than even their most closely related quadrupedal relatives. “We’ve now shown that the foramen magnum is forward-shifted across multiple bipedal mammalian clades using multiple metrics from the skull, which I think is convincing evidence that we’re capturing a real phenomenon,” Russo said. Establishing the link between bipedalism and the foramen magnum’s position is hugely significant. The connection could allow archaeologists to determine much more accurately whether extinct fossil hominids walked on two feet like modern humans, or on four like modern great apes. The specific measurements offered by the study could be applied to future research to provide a map of the evolution of bipedalism. “Other researchers should feel confident in making use of our data to interpret the human fossil record,” Russo concluded. Image shows comparison of the positioning of the foramen magnum in a bipedal springhare (left) and its closest quadrupedal relative, the scaly-tailed squirrel (right). Image credit: Russo and Kirk, Journal of Human Evolution ]]>

Categories
Breaking News

Mammoth Preservation Project Underway in Mexico

wooly-mammoth3

IB Times, adding, “The discovery in Tultepec is important because it indirectly supports the presence of humans 40,000 years ago.” Preliminary research reports the woolly mammal was approximately 25 years old at the time of its death, it was 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tall and 5 meters (16.5 feet) in length, and weighed around 5 tons. The experts are hopeful that the mammoth remains are in good enough condition to be reassembled and displayed. Woolly mammoths died off around 5,000 years ago. “We are talking about 40,000 years ago so it is a very considerable period of time. The affect (on the bones) over such a period is that the bones are very sensitive.” explained assistant archaeologist Felipe Munos in the article. However, the fact that the remains were found in sediment at the bottom of a lake, and the mud was of a good level, helped to conserve the mammoth remains. Mexico was a hotbed of dinosaur activity at one time, and although the area surrounding modern-day Tultepec is arid, in earlier eras it is thought to have had an ample water supply and lush vegetation. Off the coast of Yucatan, around 825 miles south of Mexico City, is the Chicxulub crater, an impact crater that’s buried underneath Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It was left behind when a large comet or asteroid, approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter, struck the Earth. The impact coincides exactly with the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary some 66 million years ago, and it’s widely accepted that the global climate disruption caused by the event caused the mass extinction (the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event) of 75% of the earth’s animal and plant species, including all of the non-avian dinosaurs. ]]>