4,500-Year-Old Burial Uncovered in Northern England

EAST YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that three archaeological sites were discovered by researchers associated with Yorkshire Water during a sewer construction project in northern England. The first is a well-preserved circular monument containing human remains thought to be about 4,500 years old. The remains were buried in a crouched position and then were likely covered with burned stone and charcoal to form a dome-shaped mound. The second site features parts of a Roman road flanked by drainage ditches. This road likely traveled to the nearby Roman town of Derventio. The third site features a burnt mound, including a small oven and a deep pit thought to have been used as a wood-lined well. To read about jet gemstones from Yorkshire that were found in a 4,000-year-old burial on the Isle of Man, go to "Jetting Across the British Isles."

Model Suggests Persian Plateau as Early Migration Hub

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA—According to a Cosmos Magazine report, a team of scientists including Michael Petraglia of Griffith University constructed a model for the populating of Eurasia using genetic, archaeological, and environmental data. The genetic data included DNA samples from ancient and modern people. “We argue that people first settled when they came out of Africa [some 70,000 years ago], in what we call the ‘hub’ location, or the Persian Plateau,” Petraglia said. The Persian Plateau, he explained, had savannas, grasslands, and forested zones, creating an ideal living situation for a large population of hunter-gatherers. “It is a bit of a mystery as to what exactly happened,” he added. “And I don’t say that we solved it, but that’s what we’re addressing here, through a combination of evidence.” From this hub in the Persian Plateau, waves of migrants may have then eventually spread into Eurasia by some 45,000 years ago. Further investigation of the Persian Plateau could offer additional clues to migration across Asia, Europe, and Oceania, the researchers concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Nature Communications. To read about excavations of the oldest continuously inhabited place in the world, go to "Erbil Revealed."

Roman Villa Discovered in Southeastern England

OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that a large Roman villa was discovered during an investigation conducted ahead of the construction of a housing development in southeastern England. The villa was situated in what had been a rural area and featured painted plaster, mosaics, a brickwork floor, an under-floor heating system, and a high-status domestic area with a central corridor and flanking wings of rooms. A nearby monumental building with an aisle was likely built later in the first century A.D. Louis Stafford and Francesca Giarelli of Red River Archaeology said that miniature votive axes, coins, and jewelry were also recovered from the complex site. To read about a Roman building complex uncovered in North Yorkshire, go to "Leisure Seekers."

Pompeii House Yields Evidence of Construction Techniques

NAPLES, ITALY—CBS News reports that a house that was under renovation when the eruption of Mount Vesuvius occurred in A.D. 79 is being analyzed in Pompeii in order to learn about Roman construction practices. Previous excavations at this house in Region IX uncovered the bakery of Rustius Verus, which features a painting of focaccia and a goblet of wine. Now, bricks and tools have been found in the house’s reception area, which was decorated with a painting of Achilles. Numerals written on the walls with charcoal may have been a form of accounting for the job, and would have been easily erased when the work was finished. Amphoras used to immerse lime in water were uncovered in the lararium, or shrine, of the home, while iron hoes were found in other rooms, suggesting that lime was slaked on site and then mixed with sand and stones to produce plaster, mortar, or cement as needed. “It is a further example of how the small city of Pompeii makes us understand many things about the great Roman Empire, not least the use of cement works,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of Pompeii Archaeological Park. For more on one of the wall paintings in this house, go to "Pizza! Pizza?" 

Microplastics Detected at Archaeological Sites

LONDON, ENGLAND—According to a CNN report, researchers from the University of York have detected 16 types of microplastic polymers in soil collected from archaeological sites. Archived soil samples were tested, along with fresh samples. “This feels like an important moment, confirming what we should have expected: that what were previously thought to be pristine archaeological deposits, ripe for investigation, are in fact contaminated with plastics, and that this includes deposits sampled and stored in the late 1980s,” said archaeologist John Schofield. David Jennings of York Archaeology explained that the presence of microplastics in the soil changes its chemistry, and therefore could cause organic artifacts to decay. It may no longer be appropriate to preserve archaeological sites in place, he explained. The scientists will continue to investigate the possible impact of the chemicals on archaeological deposits. To read about excavation of modern material at a video game dump site, go to "The Video Game Graveyard."

Early Roman Colony Excavated in Southern France

PARIS, FRANCE—A 100-foot-long section of stone curtain wall and the foundation of a round tower thought to have been part of a warehouse district have been uncovered at Narbonne, the site of the first Roman colony outside of Italy, according to a Miami Herald report. The colony, called Colonia Narbo Martius, was founded in 118 B.C. on the Mediterranean coastline of what is now France as part of Rome’s port system. Researchers from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research said that the colony quickly grew into a city, complete with several blocks with streets, an alley, and water pipes. One of the warehouses had a crawlspace lined with recycled pottery. Goods were likely stored on the ground floor of this structure, which features concrete floors, mudbrick walls, mosaics, and paintings, while the upper floor may have been used as an administrative or living space, the researchers explained. The building was eventually destroyed in a fire. A second warehouse, also destroyed by fire, was decorated with wall paintings mimicking marble slabs. To read about another important ancient Roman provincial port city, go to "France's Roman Heritage."

Replica Wooden Neolithic Well Recreated in Czech Republic

PARDUBICE, CZECH REPUBLIC—Radio Prague International reports that researchers from the Všestary Prehistoric Archaeology Park are working to create a replica of a 7,000-year-old wood-lined well uncovered in 2018 during road work in the central Czech Republic. Team member Radomír Tichý said that the replica well will be constructed using only Neolithic hand tools. “We have to make all the tools ourselves,” he explained. “Getting the materials to make them is difficult because nowadays these natural materials, in the quality that we need to make the tools, are quite rare,” he said. The Neolithic original and the replica well will be put on display at the Museum of East Bohemia. For more, go to "Around the World: Czech Republic."

2,000-Year-Old Structures Unearthed in Nepal

JHAPA, NEPAL—The Kathmandu Post reports that remnants of a possible palace and fortress have been uncovered in eastern Nepal at the site of Kichak Badh. Archaeologist Uddhav Acharya has dated the structures to between A.D. 30 and 375, during the rule of the Kushan Empire, which included territory in what are now India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. This region served as a trade center between the Roman Empire and China, he explained. Previous research into the geology of the region suggests that these buildings were likely destroyed by an earthquake in the fifth century. To read about excavations of a sixth-century B.C. Buddhist shrine in Lumbini, Nepal, go to "Buddhism, in the Beginning," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2014.

Did Preserved Footprints Inspire Prehistoric Artists in Brazil?

SOUSA, BRAZIL—According to a Newsweek report, petroglyphs created between 3,000 and 9,000 years ago in eastern Brazil at the Serrote do Letreiro may have been inspired by the presence of preserved dinosaur footprints in the area. The footprints, made by ornithopod, theropod, and sauropod dinosaurs, are about 140 million years old. Leonardo P. Troiano of Brazil’s National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute and his colleagues suggest that ancient artists may have used hallucinogens while creating the petroglyphs, many of which have been found next to the dinosaur footprints. The images, Troiano explained, are similar to visions reported by modern people under the influence of such drugs. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Scientific Reports. To read more about prehistoric Brazil, go to "Dark Earth in the Amazon."