Ancient New Zealand

An island cave has revealed 1-million-year-old remnants of a lost world. Fossils found in a cave on New Zealand’s North Island represent 12 ancient bird species (several previously unknown) and four frog species from more than a million years ago. They paint a picture of an ancient world drastically different than it does today. It also fills a gap in the patterns of extinction the preceded human arrival only 750 years ago.

The fossils were found between 2 layers of volcanic ash, each from a different major eruption. The first eruption was 1.55 million years ago, and the second was 1 million years ago. Many species were already extinct when humans arrived. It is estimated that 33 to 50 percent of all species on the island went extinct during the million years before humans arrived. This was likely caused by rapid climate shifts and cataclysmic volcanic eruptions.

The extinction of New Zealand’s bird was primarily blamed on human arrival, but this study shows that natural forces were already sculpting their unique wildlife.

The fossil finds included a new species of parrot, Strigops insulaborealis. This an ancient relative of the Kākāpō, which is a large flightless parrot known for its heft. This ancestor may have been able to fly, but it had weaker legs than its modern relative, so it wasn’t the skilled climber that the Kākāpō is. More research is needed to be sure.

Researchers also found an ancestor of the modern Takahe, opening further study into that bird. Also, fossils of an extinct pigeon species closely related to the Australian bronzewing pigeons are exciting.

Previous excavations revealed life in New Zealand between 20 and 16 million years ago. These new discoveries give evidence of life from 15 to 1 million years ago. New Zealand’s ancient history wasn’t missing a chapter; it was missing an entire volume.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-explored-an-island-cave-and-found-1-million-year-old-remnants-of-a-lost-world/ar-AA1VAauK?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69fb78aa6b964b68a89eac64047e6060&ei=146

A 400,000-Year-Old Hearth

Humans may have tamed fire earlier than we thought, according to a 400,000-year-old hearth discovered in England.

Researchers found evidence of the ancient hearth, along with flint tools and bits of iron pyrite, at what used to be a woodland and pond site where Neanderthals are known to have lived or camped. It may be evidence that our ancestors knew how to strike the pyrite with flint to make sparks and start blazes.

The discovery was made at the Barnham site. It suggests human ancestors were making fire roughly 350,000 years earlier than thought. But they aren’t sure what the fire was used for. It might have been for cooking, carving tools, or sharing stories. Knowing when our ancestors learned to use fire could unlock mysteries of human evolution and behavior.

There are two theories that try to explain why the ability to make fire led to an increase in the size of the brain (over evolutionary time). One is that cooking increases calorie intake because cooked food is easier to digest. Another idea is that having a fire helped create a gathering space at night, which increased human sociality, prompting a cognitive evolution.

However, the finding does not show the start of humans making fire. It is the earliest known example of using fire that the researchers are confident about. There are earlier suggestions that our ancestors used fire in such places as South Africa, Israel, and Kenya, but those examples are not as definitive as this discovery. In archaeology, it’s difficult to know if a fire was started by nature or if humans had made it.

Did they collect it from natural sources? Carry it around and curate it? Or did they make it? The Barnham site is a compelling case that they knew how to make fire. The researchers found sediments that contain fire residue, as well as stone tools such as fire-cracked flint hand axes, and fragments of iron pyrite. Geologic analysis suggests the pyrite was extremely rare, so it was probably brought to this site to make fire.

But not all researchers are convinced. One stated that other Neanderthal sites, dated to around 50,000 years ago, featured flint tools that showed traces of having been struck by pyrite to make sparks. But not at this much older site.

Fire would have been useful for staying warm, nutrition, keeping predators away, and melting resin into glue, as well as other things.

It is important to realize that learning to make fire was not a linear process. It was a scattered process, with many different groups learning on their own. There’s also evidence that some groups of our ancestors learned to make fire and then lost the ability or stopped using fire for some reason. Some of those may have rediscovered how to make fire and possibly lost it again. It seems to be a complicated history.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/in-a-400-000-year-old-hearth-hints-of-humans-taming-fire-earlier-than-thought/ar-AA1S5WuY?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=693a2c55b82340d7890331455cdc1239&ei=24

Mystery Foot

Remember Lucy, the fossilized skeleton of an ancient hominid found in 1974 in Ethiopia? Now the discovery of a mystery foot in Ethiopia suggests another unknown ancient relative lived in the same general area at about the same time.

The Burtele foot was named after the place where it was discovered in 2009. It was unmistakably different from Lucy, with an opposable big toe that somewhat resembled a human thumb. The fossilized foot indicates that its owner was skilled at climbing and spent more time in the trees than Lucy did.

Lucy’s species was more closely related to humans than chimpanzees. For a long time, this species was believed to be the ancestor of all hominids that came later.

The Burtele foot was a puzzle until scientists found new fossils, including a jawbone with 12 teeth, found at the same site. After identifying those fossils as belonging to Australopithecus deviremeda, they realized the Burtele foot was from the same species. So they had strong evidence that two closely related—but distinctly different—species lived in the same region at virtually the same time.

How did they share the same environment? Researchers concluded that Australopithecus deviremeda species spent much of its time in the forest. Meanwhile, Lucy and her ilk (Australopithecus afarensis) probably roamed the ground. It is likely that the two species had different diets and used their environment in different ways. Examination of the newly found teeth indicated that the Burtele foot species was more primitive than Lucy’s, with a diet of leaves, fruit, and nuts. They were unlikely to be competing for the same resources.

This discovery should remind us that human evolution was not a straight ladder. One species did not turn into the next. Instead, evolution should be viewed as a family tree with several “cousins” alive at the same time. Each species had a different way of surviving. We will likely never know if these particular species interacted.

As this family tree keeps growing with new species being added, it is hard to say which species were our ancestors and which were close relatives. Human evolution has a growing number of paths it might have taken.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/mystery-foot-suggests-a-second-early-human-relative-lived-alongside-lucy/ar-AA1Rha7w?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6928fae6b3a04bd585a20b944d8846b3&ei=50

3,000-Year-Old Gold Mine

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Egyptian gold mine in the Sukari Mountains. The gold enticed the creation of a gold-mining camp 3,000 years ago. The multi-year archaeological project didn’t stop at finding the site.

This robust gold mine meant a mining camp was created around it. When it was found, the ancient camp was moved about two miles away so it wouldn’t interfere with the modern Sukari Mine.

The remains of the ancient processing complex included a facility for extracting gold from quarts veins, grinding and crushing stations, filtration and sediment basins, and clay furnaces to smelt the gold into a pure product. It indicated a highly orchestrated mining operation.

The gold miners developed an entire residential district on the site, which included houses, workshops, temples, administrative buildings, and bathhouses. Architectural remains from both the Roman and Islamic periods were found. Evidence shows that this space was used well after its creation.

The find expands our understanding of ancient Egyptian mining techniques and adds insight into the social, religious, and economic lives of the gold miners.

Artifacts found on the site include 628 pieces of broken pottery. Many of these were inscribed with hieroglyphic, ancient Egyptian cursive, and Greek scripts, showing a linguistic diversity in the region.

Other finds included bronze coins, terracotta figurines, small stone statues of deities, pottery vessels that held such items as medicines and incense, beads made of semi-precious stones, decorative items made from seashells, and five Ptolemaic offering tables.

Crews built a full-scale replica of the mining complex on 6.3 acres located approximately 2 miles from the active mine. This center includes exhibits and lots of information about the site and the life of ancient Egyptian gold miners.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-discovered-a-3-000-year-old-egyptian-gold-mine-and-another-world-around-it/ar-AA1Rcq0v?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6927488fa04e4b7fb9572d1e90909288&ei=23

1,700-Year-Old Roman Burial

Beneath Budapest, archaeologists have discovered a remarkably well-preserved Roman sarcophagus that is 1,700 years old. This offers a window into the life of the young woman inside and the world she lived in.

The limestone coffin was discovered during an excavation in a northern district of the city that once was part of a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube frontier. The sarcophagus was untouched by looters and the stone lid sealed by metal clamps and molten lead. Inside was a complete skeleton surrounded by artifacts.

The coffin was among the ruins of houses vacated in the 3^rd century. The area was later repurposed as a burial ground. The researchers also uncovered a Roman aqueduct and 8 simpler graves.

This sarcophagus held many objects, including two intact glass vessels, bronze figures, and 140 coins. Artifacts that indicated the grave belonged to a young woman were a bone hairpin, amber jewelry, and traces of gold-threaded fabric.

During Roman times, much of Hungary formed the province of Pannonia. This frontier ran along the right bank of the Danube River less than a mile from the excavation site. Nearby was a legionary camp meant to guard the empire’s border. The newly found structure were probably part of a civilian settlement that grew around the camp.

Anthropologists will examine the young woman’s remains to reveal more about her age, health, and origins. But the grave’s placement and artifacts offer clues. The coffin and its contents probably means the deceased was well-to-do and/or of a high social status. During the 4th century, it was a common practice to reuse earlier sarcophagi, but this coffin was made specifically for the woman who lay within.

A layer of mud about 1.5 inches thick was removed from inside the coffin and could contain more treasures, such as earrings or other jewelry.

The care and artifacts involved in the burial of this young woman give an indication of how much she was loved.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-lift-the-lid-on-a-1-700-year-old-roman-sarcophagus-hidden-beneath-budapest/ar-AA1R3JbA?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6925e0b54aa545f1a3e6fc8f7416ef8d&ei=55

New Timeline of Life on Earth

Evidence of ancient life on Earth is tough to find. But some scientists think they’ve found some of the oldest. Previously, it was estimated that the oldest biomolecules known by man were about 2.5 billion years old. However, the oldest biosignatures are actually 3.3 billion years old.

The authors of a new study claim to have deepened our understanding of Earth’s earliest biosphere and, at the same time, will provide new avenues for potentially finding past life on Mars and other planets.

The team studied the world’s oldest rocks. High-resolution chemical analysis broke down organic and inorganic materials from the rocks, producing molecular fragments. An artificial intelligence system was used to recognize the chemical fingerprints left behind by life. The system learned how to do this by analyzing 406 samples of plants, animals, fossils, and meteorites. The AI can distinguish between biological and non-biological material with over 90% accuracy.

The biggest splash was the detection of photosynthesis in 2.5-billion-years-old rocks. It seems that ancient life leaves more than fossils. It also leaves chemical echoes, which the AI can now reliably interpret. Computers have been trained to recognize any molecular trace left by living organisms, even after the biomolecules were gone.

Earth’s earliest life hasn’t left many traces behind, since ancient cells have been swallowed by Earth’s crust. This has pretty much obliterated clues about the origins of life. But the researchers hope ancient rocks can reveal glimpses of that history.

Most organic molecules from the past have been altered by geological processes but are still useful to study. And this process isn’t restricted to Earth-formed rocks, either. It could help guide the search for life on other planets.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-just-upended-the-timeline-of-life-on-earth/ar-AA1RczqG?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6927488fa04e4b7fb9572d1e90909288&ei=71

Why This Ancient Civilization Vanished

The ancient Indus River Valley civilization had gridded streets, multistory homes, flush toilets, and bustling shops. It traded gold, precious stones, and bronze carts with other areas along the region’s waterways. Some people carved human figurines and others made toys of clay. Crops included wheat, barley, and cotton. Tools were made to bring water from nearby rivers for crops.

The valley is largely located in Pakistan and northwest India. It hosted one of the most advanced societies at the time, rivaling Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. And then it disappeared.

Scientists have been looking at the environmental conditions in an attempt to explain the downfall of Harappa, one of the valley’s largest cities. Using paleoclimate data and computer models, they re-created the climate during the civilization’s existence, which was between 3000 and 1000 BC. During that time, four intense droughts dried up waterways and soils. This probably caused the Harappan residents to relocate frequently.

Harappa’s decline was partially caused by repeated, long, and intensifying rivers droughts that lasted centuries. It is thought that if there is less food and a weak government, such droughts can push a civilization over the brink. Despite the persistent droughts, this civilization lasted a long time.

Over 2,000 years, Harappan settlements became more concentrated closer to water.

Scientists determined that vigorous monsoons across the region created much wetter conditions than today. That was between 3000 and 2475 BC. But then drier conditions and increased temperatures came in. And droughts.

There were four droughts—each lasting more than 85 years—between 2425 and 1400 BC. The third drought was the worst and it peaked around 1733 BC. It lasted for 164 years and affected most of the region.

The rainfall changes meant lakes and shallow waterbodies shrank, river flow decreased, and the soil dried up. Lower rivers meant that trade boats and barges could only move at certain times. Agriculture also became tougher in areas away from waterways.

This pushed people to move, which may have contributed to the society’s decline.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/scientists-may-have-solved-why-this-ancient-advanced-civilization-vanished/ar-AA1RhqRG?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6928fae6b3a04bd585a20b944d8846b3&ei=14

Unknown Letters

Archaeologists have found an ancient tablet. That happens frequently, but this tablet is different. It contains 39 letters and they don’t belong to any known language. So they can’t read it to find out what it says.

The tablet is made of basalt and is about the same size as a piece of paper. The unknown script characters have been expertly etched onto its surface. It was discovered in the Bashplemi Lake region of George. This is the same site where a 1.8-million-year-old hominin was discovered.

Their study revealed the tablet measured 9.4 inches by 7.9 inches and was made from local basalt. It contained 7 rows of writing for a total of 60 characters, 39 of them different.

The initial comparison to over 20 languages revealed that the characters have some similarities with Semitic, Brahmani, and North Iberian languages. Most of the symbols resemble ones found in the Middle East, as well as from geographically remote areas such as India, Egypt, and West Iberia.

It is believed that some of the characters are numbers and punctuation marks, so the tablet may contain an alphabet.

The tablet was found in an archaeologically rich location. Adding an unknown language only enhances the intrigue of Bashplemi Lake. The characters showed intensely skilled craftsmanship, and were made with advanced tools for the time.

Speculation on what it says is all there is to go on for now.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/archaeologists-found-an-ancient-tablet-with-39-letters-that-don-t-belong-to-any-known-language/ar-AA1QX5mP?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69221bfae7f04677b263e2f08d519fc2&ei=85

Gigantic Prehistoric Creature Discovered

Quarries offer a glimpse into Earth’s deep past by revealing fossils of creatures that once roamed the Earth. A discovery in a Russian quarry had revealed a colossal carnivore that lived millions of years ago.

A rich fossil site is the Kosyakino quarry near Stavropol, Russia. The quarry was discovered in 1938 and gained recognition for its concentration of ancient vertebrates. Fossils found there include birds, reptiles and amphibians from roughly 5.5 to 6 million years ago. In 1961, the quarry was closed to industrial use to safeguard its paleontological treasures.

A jawbone was among the early findings there. It was initially believed to be from a large hyena-like bear. It remained in storage, labeled with that assumption, for decades. But eventually, the specimen was revisited, which sparked a reevaluation.

Closer inspection revealed that the fossil represented a new type of massive bear, later named Huraca borissiaki. Though incomplete, it displayed a deep, sturdy structure, widely spaced teeth, and massive carnassial teeth. These pointed to an apex predator unlike any other bear at the time.

Huracan borissiaki rivaled the size of the largest bear ever recorded. This means it ranked among the greatest carnivorous bears to have ever lived.

The history of the Huracan genus stretches back approximately 6 million years ago. The earliest fossils were uncovered in China, but they spread widely, reaching North America, East Asia, and Europe (although they disappeared from Europe soon after their arrival).

Stavropol is north of the Caucasus Mountains, a region that bridges Europe and Asia. This location reinforces the idea of a prehistoric migration route of ancient megafauna.

The Miocene lasted from about 23 to 5 million years ago. During it, forests receded, grasslands expanded, and animals adapted to new ways of life.

This reconstructed jaw implies an animal of immense strength. Its teeth could shear through muscle and crack bone, which would indicate a diet of large prey. It was a specialist in survival.

A debate has arisen about where Huracan borissiaki fits in the bear lineage. Its features suggest it was a branch that evolved and vanished before modern bears appeared.

In addition, the quarry’s sediments tell a story. Layers of ash, pollen, and minerals indicate fluctuating climates and ancient rivers, so that Huracan borissiaki lived in a landscape that was constantly changing.

Why this titan disappeared remains unclear. It’s possible that changing climate, new predators, or dwindling prey led to its extinction.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/gigantic-prehistoric-creature-discovered-in-russian-quarry-is-a-new-species/ss-AA1OZdep?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=690d5eedff2e4e36a861e6a01db38aae&ei=75#image=19

Ancient Civilization Could Rewrite History

Archaeologists are uncovering something that challenges what we thought we knew about early human civilization. Deep in the Amazon rainforest, they have discovered an advanced settlement predating known civilizations by thousands of years. The sophistication of the tools, structures, and agricultural systems suggests that our ancestors were far more advanced than previously imagined.

Metal artifacts recovered from the site show bronze-working capabilities that shouldn’t exist for another millennium. The alloy compositions demonstrate a knowledge of tin-copper ratios considered sophisticated.

The discovery is particularly intriguing as tools show evidence of multiple heating and cooling cycles, indicating an understanding of complex tempering processes. The implications stretch far beyond South America and could connect ancient trade networks we never knew existed.

Stone monuments in the settlement align with celestial events with precision that rivals such observatories as Stonehenge. They track solstices, equinoxes, and even predict eclipses, which requires advanced geometric calculations.

Carbon dating places these structures centuries before similar structures appeared elsewhere in the world. They suggest not only astronomical knowledge but knowledge of the Earth’s axial tilt and seasonal variation. Such sophisticated calculations indicate a formal educational system and scientific methodology.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/archaeologists-say-newly-unearthed-civilization-could-rewrite-human-origins/ss-AA1MgmpH?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6917e2e9c68742688399dcc33fea5152&ei=66#image=10

Fragments of a Face

In a cave in the Sierra de Atapuerca mountains of northern Spain called Sima del Elefante, researchers have found fossilized bone fragments of the earliest known face in Western Europe. The hominin who owned the face is estimated to be 1.1 million to 1.4 million years old.

Discovered in 2022, portions of the left side of an adult face significantly predate those of Homo antecessor, the oldest hominin species previously found at the site. The remains were named “Pink” after the rock band Pink Floyd.

Hominins include all the groups of modern humans, extinct human species, and all our immediate ancestors.

Pink doesn’t fit into the known hominin species, and has, for now, been classified as Homo affinis erectus, which means they are closely related to Homo erectus, an extinct species of man. In Latin, Homo erectus means “upright man”.

Pink’s facial features are more primitive than modern man. It resembles Homo erectus, especially with its flat nasal structure. But it is possible that pink may belong to another species.

This archaeological site was discovered at the end of the 19^th century and early 20^th century. It has been systematically excavated since 1978. Besides ancient human skulls, it has revealed evidence of cannibalism. At the same level of the cave were found animal remains with cut marks and stone tools.

Pink lived in a humid forest landscape with water streaming through the area. It was a wetter, more temperate climate than it is now. These fossilized facial pieces add to our knowledge of some of the first human relatives in Europe. The discovery supports the idea that Pink was a relative of Homo erectus fossils found much further east, as far as Indonesia, as well as in Africa.

The discovery that different hominin populations occupied Western Europe during the early Pleistocene epoch suggests that this region was a key point in man’s evolutionary history. The early Pleistocene epoch extends from 2.6 million years ago to 781,000 years ago.

It seems that Pink occupied an evolutionary space between the oldest known hominins (in South Africa, roughly 3.4 to 3.7 million years ago) and Homo antecessor (about 860,000 years ago). Researchers said that the evidence points to the hominins arrived in Spain via Eastern Europe.

There is more work to do, like excavating lower levels of Sima del Elefante, so they may find even more surprises.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fragments-of-a-face-more-than-a-million-years-old-found-in-spanish-cave/ar-AA1AMV64?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=92b66b3d61ca48d8deba7416e37ab7fb&ei=87

7,000-Year-Old Mummies

The Sahara is a vast expanse of sand where the fight for survival can be brutal. But there was a time in the distant past when it was green and flourishing.

Back between 14,000 and 5,500 years ago, during the African Humid Period, the Sahara had enough water to support a way of life, rather than being one of the driest places on Earth. At that time, it was a savannah where early humans settled for the favorable farming conditions. Among those people was a mysterious sub-group who lived in what is now southwestern Libya. Genetically, they should have been Sub-Saharan. But modern analysis shows that their genes don’t reflect that.

A team of researchers found two 7,000-year-old naturally preserved mummies of Neolithic female herders at the Takarkori rock shelter. Usually, genetic material does not preserve well in arid conditions, but in this case, there was enough fragmented DNA to give some insights into their past and clear up some of the mystery of human populations in the Sahara.

The Takarkori individuals don’t share DNA with modern humans. The majority of their ancestry stems from a previously unknown North African genetic lineage that diverged from sub-Saharan African lineages about the same time as modern humans roamed outside of Africa. But the Takarkori people appear to have remained isolated throughout most of their existence.

These Takarkori individuals were close relatives of 15,000-year-old foragers from the Taforalt Cave in Morocco. Both the Takarkori and the Taforalt people have about the same genetic distance from Sub-Saharan groups that existed at that time. This suggests there was not much gene flow between Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa at the time. Also, the Taforalts have half the Neanderthal genes of non-Africans. The Takarkori have ten times less. But, both of them still have more Neanderthal DNA than other Sub-Saharan peoples who were around at the time. Although the Tarkarkori apparently had less contact with Neanderthals than their more western brethren, they must have had more contact than other groups in their region. There are also traces of evidence of the Tarkarkori mixing with farmers from the Levant (the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea). But otherwise, the genes of the Takarkori reveal they were mostly isolated. Although genetically close to Northwestern African foragers like the Taforalt, they were distinct from Sub-Saharan populations.

It appears there was not much genetic exchange in the Green Sahara during the African Humid Period. It was thought that farming spread through the region by migrations, but this research suggests another explanation. Perhaps pastoralism spread through cultural diffusion into a deeply divergent, isolated North African lineage that was widespread in Northern Africa during the late Pleistocene epoch. In other words, farming spread through the exchange of practices between cultures rather than the mixture of people from migrations.

The Takarkori may have inherited their genes from a hunter-gatherer group from before animals were domesticated and farming began. Despite being hunter-gatherers, their ancestors made advances in making pottery, baskets, and tools made of wood and bone. They also seemed to stay in one place for longer periods of time.

Possibly the Takarkori stayed isolated because of the diversity of environments in the Green Sahara. These ranged from lakes and wetlands to woodlands, grasslands, savannas and even mountains. Such differences were probably barriers to interactions between human groups.

Elsewhere in the Sahara, there might be additional mummies or artifacts that could tell us more about life in the desert before it dried out.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-found-7-000-year-old-mummies-in-the-desert-that-don-t-share-dna-with-modern-humans/ar-AA1N0sir?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=68d560f961774dfd9a9711556f780d2a&ei=40

Ancient Note Pad

These days, most people do a lot of their shopping by clicking a few buttons. That might be convenient, but it can make it difficult to keep track of when your new armoire or bookshelf will actually show up. In ancient Turkey, somebody kept such details written down on a palm-sized piece of clay.

The Accana Mound is the site of the ancient Anatolian city of Alalah, which served as the capital of the Mukis Kingdom. The ruins found there date as far back as 4,000 years ago. At an excavation at the Accana Mound, researchers recently unearthed a small clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform writing. A study of the tablet has narrowed its origin to some time in the 15^th century BC, during the Late Bronze Age.

Initial readings of the tablet’s Akkadian cuneiform revealed details of a major furniture purchase, including an ample number of wooden tables, chairs, and stools. The experts are still working through the writing and are slowly gathering information about the buyers and sellers involved. Therefore, this small tablet offers a window into the city’s economic processes. Alalah was located along a trade route at the time, so it would have been a center of commerce in addition to being a capital.

The small piece of clay measures only 4.2 centimeters by 3.5 centimeters and is just 1.6 centimeters thick. It weighs 28 grams. But despite its small size, the tablet will help paint a much larger picture of Bronze Age Turkey.

There have been other similar discoveries in the region, including in 2023 when another cuneiform tablet was discovered that details the purchase of an entire city and, one presumes, the furniture in it.

The area was first excavated in the late 1930s. But, after finding this clay list of furniture, it seems there’s still plenty of things to discover.

And who knows? Perhaps the tablet’s details will provide some home-décor inspiration.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/archaeologists-uncovered-a-mysterious-ancient-tablet-with-major-historical-implications/ar-AA1M0JK3?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=fdce9a9bb7794d6189ca2cd589838f5c&ei=14

37,000 Years of Disease

With ancient DNA, scientists have mapped 37,000 years of disease across Europe and Asia.

More than 200 modern diseases are zoonoses—that is, they can spread to humans from other animals. Both rampant and widespread, zoonoses are often at the center of contemporary outbreaks, epidemics, and research. Six out of ten known infectious diseases are zoonotic, and three out of four new or emerging diseases that affect humans come from animals.

For a long time, scientists have speculated that these diseases began afflicting societies around the time animals were domesticated. But they’ve never had genetic evidence or pinned down a specific timeline—until now.

A team of scientists have traced the genetic history of 214 diseases across Europe and Asia over the last 37,000 years. Their findings indicate that the rise of animal husbandry forever shaped humanity’s relationship with disease. However, the timing defied their expectations.

The researchers found that zoonotic pathogens emerged roughly 6,500 years ago and spiked 5,000 years ago. That was surprising because it was several thousand years after humans began domesticating animals in Mesopotamia and southeast Asia. But the evidence says zoonoses initially became prevalent in Asia and Russia as communities transitioned from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to nomadic livestock herding or farming.

Having already tamed horses, communities began to travel in wagons pulled by oxen, which allowed them to voyage farther and exchange goods, ideas, and diseases with other communities. Though some pathogens may have moved from animals to humans even earlier, research suggests these changes made the spread more prevalent.

A vast analysis of DNA from ancient human remains made this study possible. The researchers extracted remnants of microbial genetic material from the teeth and bones of 1,313 human skeletons and identified 5,486 DNA sequences from bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Many remains were found in the same graves, indicating that a single contagion killed multiple people.

The study builds on existing evidence that mutations in these pathogens strengthened the immune systems of the nomads who were the first to get sick, while farmers and hunter-gatherers succumbed to the new diseases. But another study suggested that these nomads’ evolving immune systems might have also made them susceptible to chronic illnesses, like multiple sclerosis.

Understanding the ways pathogens affected humans long ago could help improve modern treatments and methods for preventing disease.

Successful mutations of the past are likely to reappear. So knowledge is important for future vaccines. Knowledge allows us to test whether current vaccines provide sufficient coverage or new ones need to be developed due to mutations.

Scientists analyzed one sample dating to 5,500 years ago, which contained the world’s oldest known genetic trace of yersinia pestis, which caused the plague that killed between 30 and 50 percent of Europe’s population during the Middle Ages. It’s just one example of how zoonoses have had a massive influence on human history and culture.

Other diseases identified in the human remains include malaria (4,200 years old), leprosy (1,400 years old), Hepatitis B (9,800 years old), and diphtheria (11,100 years old).

The work has some limitations. The genes of many viruses are encoded in RNA, which was not studied. The research might have missed some pathogens that were present at low levels. The history revealed is limited to the Eurasian sites where the skeletons were found.

I look forward to the day when my immune system figures out how to avoid covid-19.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/with-ancient-dna-scientists-have-mapped-37-000-years-of-disease-across-europe-and-asia/ar-AA1Jag8R?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=79a5e33a5ea742c0a9a5e8ffd7787b1a&ei=29

New Human Species

Scientists have discovered a new human species.

Only one species of hominin exists on the planet today, and that’s Homo sapiens. But throughout more geologically recent Earth history, the human family was a complex tableaux of members. Over the years, scientists have tried to get a clearer picture of that prehistoric story by excavating ancient human sites around the world.

Now anthropologists are illustrating a previously unknown chapter of that story with the introduction of a formerly uncatalogued human species, Homo juluensis.

Homo juluensis means “big head”. This species thrived in eastern Asia from about 300,000 years ago to around 50,000 years ago but then died out. According to the researchers, they likely hunted wild horses, fashioned stone tools, and processed animal hides to survive frigid winters. The breakthrough for discovering this possibly new species came when a team began devising a new system for organizing fossil evidence. They did not expect to propose a new human ancestor species and then to organize hominin fossils from Asia into different groups. But their study clarifies a hominin fossil record that has tended to include anything that could not easily be assigned to Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, or Homo sapiens.

One possible member of the Homo juluensis species isn’t exactly a newcomer. Denisovans were first identified in 2010 by way of DNA extracted from a young girl’s fingerbone found in Siberia, but have not been given a species classification. They could belong to this new species.

Homo juluensis may also solve another mystery of the Xujiayao hominin fossils. These fossils have long perplexed researchers, as the remains display a mix of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens features. These remains have been confused for a variety of taxonomic representations, but scientists note that differences in the (big) cranium, the teeth, jaws, and a few other features indicate a new species. These fossil remains include Penghu 1 (jawbone), Xiahe (mandible), Xuchang (partial crania), and a variety of Denisova fossils.

Although this is a convincing argument that these particular specimens belong to a previously unknown human species, more research is needed. But since these fossils still defy any other species classification, it may only be a matter of time before the human tribe increases by at least one species.

 

Mythical or Real? Part 4

This week, we look into a famous temple and an infamous labyrinth.

6. Ain Dara (Solomon’s Temple), Syria – 1000 BCE

Armed conflict destroyed Ain Dara in northwestern Syria in 2018. In the 1980s, some archaeologists had identified it as the 3,000-year-old temple mentioned as Solomon’s Temple in the Bible. The ancient site shared more features with the temple described in the Book of Kings than any site uncovered before or since. It included walls carved in reliefs of lions and cherubs, a courtyard paved in flagstones, a monumental staircase guarded by sphinxes, and a multistory hallway. Even its location—on a raised platform overlooking a city—echoes the temple’s depiction in the Bible.

Although the bombing and plundering of the site prevents archaeologists from finding any more evidence of its history, some of its most important artifacts can be seen at the National Museum of Aleppo.

 

7. Kastelli (Minotaur’s Labyrinth), Greece – 2000 BCE

While building a new airport on the island of Crete, workers uncovered something unexpected. With a central circular building surrounded by eight stone rings intersected by walls, the site resembled the style of tomb constructed by the Minoan civilization around 2000 to 1700 BCE. But to anyone familiar with Greek mythology, it also looked like the Minotaur’s labyrinth.

The Minotaur was a ferocious creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man who was trapped in a maze built by the Greek architect Daedalus. Every seven years, Athens sacrificed seven young men and seven young women to the monster until Theseus, a prince of the city, volunteered to kill the creature. Marking his route with a ball of thread, Theseus made his way through the labyrinth, murdered the beast, rescued the not-yet-dead victims, then followed the thread back to safety.

Although archaeologists are still studying Kastelli, its architectural similarities to the mythical maze, combined with evidence of ceremonial offerings and communal feasting that was found at the site, suggest that it was part of the story’s origin.

Kastelli is not open to the public, but Knossos, the ancient palace that was previously believed to be the site of the Minotaur’s labyrinth, is.

Life on Mars?

Do you believe there was past life on Mars? Here’s what new NASA evidence indicates.

Dry, cold and barren. Mars doesn’t seem like a haven for life—at least not the kind humans are familiar with.

Scientists have wondered for decades if microbial life could have inhabited Mars in the distant past. One study, based on data collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover, is peeling back a layer of the mystery. Researchers measured the isotopic composition of carbon-rich minerals found in Gale Crater. This region is laced with dried rivers and gullies and was explored by the rover.

The findings Curiosity sent to Earth were not optimistic about the potential for life above ground. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility of an underground biosphere or even a surface biosphere that began and ended before the carbonates were formed.

This suggests two possible ways carbon-rich minerals could have form at Gale crater: a series of alternating wet and dry periods or salty-ice conditions. These two climate scenarios could be called ‘bleak’ and ‘bleaker’ when it comes to supporting life.

In an environment that swings from wet to dry, the region would shift from more habitable to less habitable. In the frigid temperatures near Mars’ equator, that environment would be hostile for life because most water would be frozen and inaccessible for chemistry or biology. Plus, what water was there was extremely salty, not pleasant for life.

This isn’t the first time scientists have theorized these climate scenarios for ancient Mars. Previous computer models have indicated these conditions before, but now they have isotopic evidence from Martian rocks.

Scientists have sought life on Mars since the first spacecraft touched down there in 1976. Mounting evidence from robotic explorers has shown the Red Planet to have been warmer and wetter, perhaps more than 3 billion years ago.

The Perseverance rover discovered a spotted rock with compelling signs of ancient dead Martian life, but a sample would need to be shipped to Earth for confirmation. A research team also reported evidence of a vast ocean of water below the planet’s surface. On Earth, where there’s water, there’s often life.

Scientists are interested in Mars’ carbon-rich rocks because they can hold clues about the environment in which they formed, such as the temperature and acidity of the water, and ingredients in the water and air.

The sampled rocks indicate lots of evaporation, suggesting a climate that could only support transient liquid water—that is, ice that melts when temperatures rise and the surface pressure is right.

The heavy isotope values in the rocks are much higher than what’s seen on Earth. They are the heaviest carbon and oxygen isotope values recorded for any Martian materials. Although evaporation can cause oxygen isotope changes on Earth, the changes in the Martian samples were two to three times greater.

But this doesn’t negate the possibility of life. Mars has a network of deep caves formed by ancient volcanic vents. Within the caves could be liquid water, traces of long-deceased bacteria or fungi, or perhaps even existing microbial life.

Caves can host complex ecosystems, including extremophiles that munch on rocks and convert the material into energy for life. So, many astrobiologists want to go spelunking on Mars. Would you like to join them?

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/past-life-on-mars-here-s-what-new-nasa-evidence-points-to/ar-AA1rWIgJ?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=5432d20e554e4f3ea664d26edcf277ee&ei=74

Lost Temple of Poseidon

After 2,600 years, the lost Temple of Poseidon has been found, and it is even bigger than expected.

It seemed obvious that there would be a temple dedicated to Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of water. But the temple was lost for a long time and re-discovered recently. The ruins were found in Elis, Greece, and identified as the Temple of Poseidon of Samikon, which was described by the ancient Greek geographer Strabo. Archeologists now say the temple is even larger than they thought.

Scientists had searched for the lost temple for over a century in the area’s marshlands and found it in 2022. It sits in Samikon in the Peloponnese peninsula. It is hoped the discovery would shed light on the political and economic importance of the 6th century BC amphictyony, which is an association of neighboring states to defend a common religious center. The temple formed the center of the town’s cultural and religious identity.

Excavations in 2023 revealed more parts of the temple, indicating the size of the temple was larger than initial investigations had predicted. The building now measures around 28 meters long and over 9 meters wide. It has two interior rooms, a vestibule and a rear hall or shrine. The function of the two rooms is unclear. Some suggest it could be a double temple, where two deities were worshipped. Or one room could be a meeting room to discuss important matters.

This Archaic temple consists of two main rooms. A central row of two columns was found in the first hall supported a large roof covered with tiles. There may have also been similar columns in the second room. The ground plan of the temple is unusual, and archeologists know of no comparable buildings so far.

Research shows there were two construction phases. In the second half of the 4^th or first half of the 3^rd century BC, the original temple was remodeled. As part of the process, the old roof tiles were applied as a subfloor for the new floor, where they served as insulation against groundwater and to stabilize the floor. Where tiles are missing, the ground is damp and muddy. These dates correspond to pottery found at the site, such as drinking cups and roof tiles.

The excavations are part of a five-year project. Strabo, an ancient Greek geographer, had suggested the temple would be near the coast, in a grove of wild olive trees, with lagoons, coastal marches and swamps. Because of his writings, and technological advancements, researchers found the temple 2,600 years after it was built.

The team wants to find out more about the sanctuary and its dimensions. Are other temple buildings, altars, houses, a processional route or treasuries still hidden under the earth?

Red Deer Cave People

The Red Deer Cave People appear to have been some of the most unusual humans in the past 20,000 years. They have been dated to have existed about 14,000 years ago, which is exceptionally recent in terms of human evolution. Yet, their fossils display many ‘archaic’ human features that are associated with more distant relatives in the family tree.

They might have been an ancient relic of humanity that held on until the end of the last Ice Age. Or they may have been a hybrid population, possibly related to Neanderthals and Denisovans. Or perhaps they show that Homo sapiens were extremely diverse throughout their history.

In 1989, human remains were unearthed at a cave in Yunnan, southern Chine. It became known at the Red Deer Cave because of the discovery of giant red deer fossils at the site. It is believed the human inhabitants cooked and ate the animals.

In 2012, scientists speculated whether the people in the cave represented a new human species. By studying their jaws and teeth, it was noted they had thick skulls with flat faces, broad noses, small chines, large molar teeth and prominent brow ridges, all features associated with older, long-extinct members of the human family tree.

The scientists had discovered a population of prehistoric humans whose skulls display an unusual mosaic of primitive features, like those seen in our ancestors thousands of years ago.

A 2015 study of a thigh bone discovered at Red Deer Cave suggested that individual weighed about 110 pounds (50 kilograms) and shared anatomical features with early Homo erectus or Homo habilis, both of which went extinct about 1.5 million years ago.

Since the femur was dated at just 14,000 years old, this did not fit the widely accepted chronology of human evolution. This femur was part of a living person a few thousand years before Homo sapiens developed agriculture, which sparked an evolution of culture that ultimately gave rise to complex civilizations.

It suggests that primitive-looking humans might have survived until very late in our evolution. But it is just one bone. A pre-modern species may have overlapped in with modern humans on mainland East Asia, but that case needs to be built with more bone discoveries.

By 2022, advancements in ancient DNA allowed a study of Red Deer Cave hominins’ genetics. It confirmed that they were modern Homo sapiens. In fact, they had a significant genetic connection to modern East Asians and Native Americans, who descended from the same groups of people.

So the Red Deer Cave People were not as unusual as first thought, even though the small population did have features not seen in any modern population of humans. With no clear explanation why they appeared this way, it hints that humans living towards the end of the last Ice Age were more diverse than those living across the world today.

 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/red-deer-cave-people-mysterious-humans-with-archaic-features-lived-just-14-000-years-ago/ar-AA1sjQUN?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=d22bab67fbce4483a434506da43bfd67&ei=110

Hidden Secret Temple

Since 1830, archaeologist knew about the 120 tombs on a hill side in Tuscany, Italy. The tombs dated to the 7^th to 6^th centuries BC. But only recently did they discover in the same area an ancient temple of a cult.

The temple was part of the ancient Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto. It includes plenty of artifacts, such as clay tablets that give details about the funerary rituals of the time, some of which may have lasted for centuries.

Known as an oikos—a house of the deity—the temple provides a window into the architecture of the ritual sites of the day. It includes a transverse atrium and 3 rooms oriented north-northeast.

Since the 1830s, researchers have found about 120 chamber tombs. Three mounds contain the bulk of the burials. North of the largest mound, they found 9 small pits dug for additional burials. It was near these pits that the temple was discovered. Experts believe the site was for Etruscan elites.

The architecture of the burial grounds shows the style of ancient tombs, with chambers dug into rock, divided into rooms that could be used for multiple generations of the same family.

Archaeologists also found information that helps depict what happened inside the temple. Decorated clay slabs show ceremonies chronicling everything from the use of horsemen and chariots to the purpose of dancers and musicians during banquets.

They also found the remains of clay and metal furnishings in the temple that appear to have been in use at the time.

Now, as I remember it, the Etruscans were around before the Romans appeared. But at the time I heard about them (many long years ago), there wasn’t much known about them, so I was excited to see this article.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-found-a-cult-s-secret-temple-hidden-among-ancient-tombs/ar-BB1qTqQI?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=4b29427ca0eb40e9a777238542e8cbdc&ei=31