The main archaeological finds of 2012

[Орлан]

The discovery of elementary particles in physics, plans for the development of other planets - science in 2012 looked into the future. But the past also revealed to us many of its secrets. We suggest recalling what archaeologists lived in 2012, writes Louise Isles.

January

The beginning of the year in archeology reminded us of some human weaknesses. So, we learned that the Peruvians enjoyed popcorn back in 4700 BC. e., and Maya indulged in tobacco: in ceramic vessels from Mexico City, dated 600 and 900. AD, nicotine residues were found.

After this, the news appeared that the Vikings, who settled Greenland 1000 years ago, managed to grow barley there, despite the harsh climate. Therefore, we can assume that these famous beer lovers also brewed a foamy drink.

February

February, along with the cold weather, brought news about the decoding of the Otzi “ice man” genome, whose mummified body was found in an alpine glacier (Italy).

DNA analysis revealed to us details of not only Otzi's personal life, but also of the migration processes taking place in Europe. Scientists already knew that Otzi’s ancestors maternally lived in north-central Europe, and now it turned out that his father belonged to a group whose representatives are found mainly in Corsica and Sardinia.

Otzi was not an emigrant from Sardinia - an isotopic analysis of his teeth and bones showed that he was born and lived in the Alps. Its genetic connection with modern Sardinians means that the inhabitants of the Mediterranean island and the inhabitants of the Alps have distant common ancestors.

March

In March, a very unusual burial site of the 7th century was discovered, which shed light on some important social changes that took place during the Anglo-Saxon period of British history. Almost near Cambridge, in a small village, archaeologists unearthed the grave of the girl. She rested on the bed with an ornament, and on her chest they found a magnificent golden cross with grenades.

Pagan funeral artifacts intertwined in this grave with Christian symbolism - an eloquent testimony to how Britain passed from paganism to Christianity.

April

In April of this year, according to meteorologists, Britain had the highest rainfall in a hundred years. Therefore, in this humid atmosphere, archaeologists, engineers and shipbuilders joined forces to find out how people of the Bronze Age built boats.

At the Cornwall National Maritime Museum, they began making a sewn boat using Bronze Age technology. A boat was found as a sample, found near the village of North Ferriby on the banks of the Gamber estuary. Such boats were used for trade in metals, in particular tin, copper and gold, with mainland Europe.

May

In May, archaeologists reported the discovery of the oldest of the famous Mayan astronomical calendars - IX century. This calendar was painted in the form of frescoes on the wall of an abandoned house in the Shaltun settlement - apparently in the clerk's room.

In these hieroglyphic calendar and astronomical tables, monthly and planetary cycles are planned for 7000 years in advance, which refutes the widespread idea that the Mayans believed in the end of the world in 2012.

June

In June, a book came out that cast doubt on the theory that Easter Island residents cut down their forests to transport about 1,000 of the famous Moai statues.

Instead, the authors of the book focus on how the islanders managed to survive in such an unfavorable ecological environment. Forests were destroyed, according to the authors, not by humans, but by rats who arrived on the island along with the first settlers. Having no natural enemies, they quickly multiplied, ate the seeds of trees and interrupted the natural cycle of forest reproduction.

In addition, it is possible that the tree was not used during the transportation of the statues. It was previously believed that they were rolled to the installation site on wooden decks. But on this, a team of archaeologists moves the statue using an alternative method. However, as it actually was, scientists have not yet finally decided.

July

Of the 3,000 textile items found during the reconstruction of the Austrian Langberg Castle, medieval underwear was of particular interest.

In particular - and panties of the 15th century, very similar to modern ones. They allowed us to look into the very intimate sphere of life of medieval Europeans.

August

Two years after the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyyafyatllyokutl we learned about another, much more powerful and destructive eruption, which occurred 750 years ago. Scientists are still arguing about which particular volcano is in question, but it is known that it threw eight times more incandescent debris than Krakatau in 1883. It was the largest eruption of the millennium. His traces were found in ice samples and bottom sediments around the world, and now they have been found in mass graves excavated in London.

Historical evidence has been preserved of the consequences of this eruption (1258), when a cloud of ash covered the earth, blocking the access of sunlight and heat. These weather disturbances were described, in particular, by a monk from the English city of St. Albans, who was thousands of kilometers from the volcano and did not know about their cause. Crops were greatly reduced, thousands of people were starving; as epidemiologist William Farr wrote in 1846, "15,000 poor people died in London alone."

During excavations at the Spitelfield Cemetery, conducted by the London Archeology Museum, several grave pits were found. Although in appearance they resembled the “plague graves” of the 14th century, radiocarbon analysis showed that they date from the 13th century, so it may well be that this is the first archaeological evidence of the 1258 eruption.

September

In September, one of the oldest examples of prehistoric dentistry was discovered - a wax “filling” in a human tooth from the Neolithic era. The owner of the tooth lived about 6,500 years ago in the territory of modern Slovenia and died at the age of 24 to 30 years.

Three-dimensional scanning of the tooth showed that there was a surface hole in it, as well as a crack that extended to the pulp chamber. Obviously, man used wax to quench toothache.

October

A new study by University College London and the Museum of the Tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuandi shed light on how the famous Terracotta Army was made two thousand years ago - 7,000 statues of warriors, chariots and horses. By the way, earlier, in June, another 100 new statues were found.

To organize the work of 700,000 artisans who completed such a workshop, and most importantly, standardized work, was a real feat that required an extremely advanced production system. After analyzing the bronze arrowheads held by the warriors, the researchers suggested that this system was "Toyota", named after the Japanese automobile company.

Unlike the conveyor model, in which specialized production groups produce individual components, Toyota uses cell workshops in which highly skilled universal artisans produce the finished product. This is a very flexible production system that maximizes performance and minimizes waste.

November

There was several new evidence at once that the people of Mesolithic Britain were not, as previously thought, full nomads living only in temporary light dwellings.

In Eklin (Scotland) and Lant Meadows (County Merseyside), the Mesolithic structures of 8300 and 5800 were excavated. respectively. In a Scottish "house" built of wood and peat, people stayed seasonally - in the cold season. And in Merseyside, as many as three dwellings were found, so archaeologists have suggested that here, at least for part of the year, only a few families lived.

New research in Star Carr, one of Britain’s most famous Mesolithic sites (9th millennium BC), confirms these findings. Star Carr occupies more than 2 hectares and includes, in particular, a 30-meter wooden platform on the lake and at least one house, which is not typical for a simple camp of hunter-gatherers.

December

In December, a very rare cremation burial of the Iron Age was found - a bronze helmet, which once contained a bag with burnt bones, fastened with a brooch. The helmet was dated I century BC, and this is the first known example of such a burial. Now the analysis is underway, and scientists hope that it will help shed light on how a helmet, made not in Britain, got on the field near Canterbury in the era of the wars with the Romans.

In January 2013, the results of DNA analysis of human remains found in the car park in Leicester should be presented. According to preliminary data, these may be the remains of King Richard III.

Source: BBC Ukraine in Russian

 

[Матушкин Андрей Николаевич]

Dmitry, THANKS.
Extremely curious.

 

[Патрушев Михаил Владимирович]

Very interesting. Thank!

 

[Юридическая Компания Лидер]

Thank. Useful and interesting.

 

[VASILIY]

Thanks, interesting.

 

[Плотников Юрий Михайлович]

Interesting information, thanks!

 

[Бюро Рысь]

Interesting

 

[Hikaru]

Good info !!! Thank you very much!!! : roll:

 

[Андрей Захаров]

Thank you))) Very informative)))

 

[Турабян Владимир]

Very interesting information, thanks!