1,500-Year-Old Gold Plaques Unearthed in Kazakhstan
ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN—Live Science reports that two gold plaques each measuring about 1.5 inches wide have been recovered in remote eastern Kazakhstan from the tomb complex of Eleke Sazy by a team of researchers led by Zainolla Samashev of Kazakhstan’s Institute of Archaeology. The sixth-century A.D. tomb is thought to have belonged to a nobleman or prince who was later deified in the seventh century, when the tomb was expanded and became a pilgrimage destination. The plaques were found in the tomb’s central chamber, where the occupant had been cremated. One of the gold artifacts was badly damaged during the cremation, Samashev said. Images on the ornaments, which are thought to have been worn as belt buckles, depict the great khan, or khagan, of the nomadic Gōktürks, he added. The crowned ruler is shown seated on a throne resembling two horses and is flanked by kneeling servants offering food. “This clearly depicts the sacred nature of power in ancient Turkic society,” Samashev explained. The plaques may have been worn by the occupant of the tomb, or perhaps by aides who attended his cremation. Additional artifacts recovered from the site include horse equipment, an amulet made of rock crystal, and objects made of silver, iron, and bronze. To read about 2,700-year-old burials uncovered in eastern Kazakhstan, go to "Iron Age Teenagers."
Early Medieval Cemetery Discovered in Wales
CARDIFF, WALES—According to a BBC News report, a cemetery dated to the sixth or seventh century A.D. is being excavated in southeastern Wales. Eighteen of the estimated 70 graves have been uncovered so far. Osteoarchaeologist Summer Courts of the University of Reading said that the teeth of some of these individuals are very worn, indicating that the people might have used their teeth as tools. “Maybe for textile work, leather work, or basketry—they’re pulling something through their front teeth,” she explained. Some of the individuals had been buried flat on their backs, as would be expected for the time period, but others had been placed in their graves on their sides, or with their knees tucked up to their chests. Fragments of butchered and burnt animal bones, pottery perhaps imported from North Africa, glass imported from France, and a carved peg that may have been used as a gaming piece have also been recovered. Archaeologist Andy Seaman of the University of Cardiff suggests that the people buried here were wealthy and had access to high-quality goods. Feasting may have also taken place at the cemetery, he added. DNA analysis and more precise dating could offer more information about the identities of the dead. To read about how a 2018 drought exposed traces of a medieval fortification in western Wales, go to "The Marks of Time: Medieval Castle."
World War II Machine Gun Nest Uncovered in Slovakia
KOSTOLNÁ-ZÁRIEČIE, SLOVAKIA—According to a Miami Herald report, a farmer in western Slovakia discovered the lower portion of a World War II–era Nazi machine gun nest in his field. The reinforced concrete structure, also known as a kugelstand or a kugelbunker, would have been spherical in shape with a hole in the top. A gunman would have been sheltered by the nest while still able to fire a weapon. As many as 1,000 machine gun nests are thought to have been built by the Nazis in Slovakia during the war. The field where the lower section of the sphere was found would have been near the front line between the Nazi army and the Soviet and Romanian armies during the last few months of the war in 1945. A metal detector search of the field did not recover any additional artifacts, however, suggesting that fighting did not reach this particular machine gun nest. After the war, some of these structures in Slovakia were destroyed, while others were left in place and repurposed as flower pots or playground equipment. This one has been now moved to the Trenčin Museum. To read about archaeological remnants of the D-Day Allied invasion, go to "Letter from Normandy: The Legacy of the Longest Day."
11th-Century Jain Sculptures Found in Southern India
MYSURU, INDIA—According to a report in The Hans India, three sculptures were discovered during work to install a drain in southwestern India’s town of Varuna. Researchers C. Manjula and N.S. Rangaraju, who were called to investigate the site, identified one of the damaged sculptures as the goddess Kushmandini Devi, and the other two as Jain Tirthankars, or teachers who have conquered the cycle of death and rebirth and created a path for others to follow. They also dated the carvings to the eleventh century, and the time of the Ganga and Hoysala empires, when there were Jain centers in the region. Additional excavation is being planned for the area in order to shed light on these Jain settlements. To read about an elephant sculpture unearthed on a riverbank in India's state of Odisha, go to "The Elephant and the Buddha."
Possible Celestial Calendar From Italy Identified
RUPINPICCOLO, ITALY—Newsweek reports that a carved stone disk discovered at a hillfort in northeastern Italy may be an ancient celestial map. The hillfort, or castelliere, where the disk was recovered was in use between about 1800 and 400 B.C., making it possible that the stone disk could date back some 2,400 years. Archaeologist Federico Bernardini and astronomer Paolo Molaro of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics said that 29 marks on the stone were likely made by the same person with a chisel. Twenty-four of the marks are on one face of the stone, and five marks are on the other. The researchers used software to map the marks, and found that they match groups of stars in the constellations of Scorpius, Orion, and Cassiopeia, and the star cluster Pleiades. One mark on the stone, however, could not be identified. The researchers suggest that it may represent a star in the Orion cluster that may have since exploded as a supernova, or is perhaps a failed supernova that left a black hole behind. Bernardini and Molaro believe that a search for a black hole in that area could verify their interpretation. They also think the disk may have been used by the people who lived at the hillfort to track changing seasons and the agricultural calendar. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Astronomical Notes. To read about a celestial map unearthed in Germany, go to "Mapping the Past: The Nebra Sky Disc."
Artifacts Recovered From Antakya’s Earthquake Rubble
HATAY, TURKEY—According to a Hurriyet Daily News report, the Hatay Disaster Area Excavation Directorate, which was established by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, has recovered fragments of the 720 registered cultural assets in Antakya that were destroyed by an earthquake this past February. The team is made up of art historians, archaeologists, architects, restoration architects, civil engineers, and students, who have been working in an area covering more than 3,000 acres for the past 10 months. Lead excavator Muhammet Arslan said that the team members have been conducting “rubble archaeology,” by rescuing columns, capitals, wooden door wings, windows, wooden cabinets, and features from mosques. “We carried the historical artifacts we collect from the rubble to the sorting area,” he explained. “We started by separating the cut and rubble stone, wood, and all the original materials of the buildings, and sorted them by district and parcel numbers. Then we put signs indicating the region they belong to. These materials will be used in the restoration of the original buildings.” Some artifacts, particularly from the Great Mosque, Habibi Neccar Mosque, and the Russian Orthodox Church, were taken directly to the Hatay Archaeology Museum, Arslan concluded. For more on archaeology in Turkey, go to "Preventing the Return of the Dead."
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