Early Farmers in Israel Adapted to Climate Instability

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA—According to a statement released by the University of California, San Diego, a now-submerged village site suggests that it was inhabited some 8,200 years ago, during an abrupt shift in climate called the 8.2ka event. It had been previously thought that the cooler temperatures and rising sea levels of the 8.2ka event would have resulted in the abandonment of coastal settlements in the southern Levant. Known as Habonim North, this site was discovered about 10 years ago off Israel’s Carmel Coast and recently investigated through sediment dredging and sampling, and recorded with photogrammetry. 3-D models of the underwater site were also produced. Radiocarbon dating of the recovered bones of wild and domesticated animals, and charred seeds of wild plants and crops like wheat and lentils, showed that the site was inhabited during the 8.2ka event. The researchers suggest that the village’s early farmers adapted to climate instability through maritime and trade activities, as revealed by the presence of fishing-net weights, a ceremonial mace head, and tools made of basalt, which in not found in this area of the Eastern Mediterranean. “[Our study] showed that the Early Pottery Neolithic society [at Habonim North] displayed multi-layered resilience that enabled it to withstand the 8.2ka crisis,” explained Assaf Yasur-Landau of the University of Haifa. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Antiquity. To read about a city on northern Israel's Mediterranean coast that was a hub of the dye industry for millennia, go to "Letter from Israel: The Price of Purple."

Did the Roman Emperor Augustus Die in This Vesuvian Villa?

TOKYO, JAPAN—According to a Live Science report, researchers led by archaeologist Mariko Muramatsu of the University of Tokyo suggest that they have uncovered the place where Augustus, the first Roman emperor (reigned 27 B.C.–A.D. 14), died. The villa, located on the northern slopes of Mount Vesuvius about five miles from the modern town of Nola, was destroyed by the volcanic eruption in A.D. 79. A second villa constructed at the site in the second century was destroyed by a fifth-century eruption. This later villa was discovered in 1929, and it was suggested at the time that the site, known as Somma Vesuviana, could be the first emperor’s family home. Muramatsu said that the location corresponds with records left by the Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, who noted that Augustus died at his family’s villa near Nola. “We now have clear evidence that shows…the eruption of A.D. 79 destroyed a building under the villa that we already have,” she said. So far, the excavation has uncovered a large room that was used as a warehouse and parts of the private baths. Additional investigation of the site may uncover evidence to link the first-century structure to Augustus, Muramatsu concluded. For more on excavations of the villa, go to "Letter from Vesuvius: Digging on the Dark Side of the Volcano."

7,000-Year-Old Settlement Mapped in Serbia

KIEL, GERMANY—According to a statement released by Kiel University, traces of a late Neolithic settlement were mapped during a geophysical survey conducted in northeastern Serbia, near the Tamiš River. “This discovery is of outstanding importance, as hardly any larger Late Neolithic settlements are known in the Serbian Banat region,” said Martin Furholt of Kiel University. The settlement covered more than 27 acres and was surrounded by at least four ditches. Artifacts recovered from the surface of the site indicate that it was inhabited by members of the Vinča culture, which lived in the region between 5400 and 4400 B.C. Fynn Wilkes of the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence added that influences of the Banat culture were also found. “This is also remarkable, as only a few settlements with material from the Banat culture are known from what is now Serbia,” Wilkes explained. To read about a settlement established some 8,200 years ago in Serbia's Iron Gates Gorge, go to "Farmers and Foragers."

Second Illyrian Helmet Uncovered in Croatia

ZAKOTORAC, CROATIA—Euronews reports that a helmet dated to the fifth or sixth century B.C. has been recovered from a burial mound in southern Croatia’s Peljesac Peninsula. A similar helmet was found in the same area in 2020. The helmets are thought to be associated with the Illyrians, who came from the eastern Adriatic and the Balkans, and deposited at the site as a cult practice long after the dead had been buried, according to archaeologist Hrvoje Potrebica of the University of Zagreb. “These were votive gifts left to pay respect to deities or people buried here,” Potrebica said. “We don’t think that they are related to any specific person buried here because the site contains the remains of dozens of individuals,” he added. Illyrian pins, jewelry, buckles, glass beads, and brooches were also uncovered. This group of Illyrians is thought to have controlled maritime trade routes in the region. They were eventually defeated by invading Romans in the first century B.C. To read about the possible discovery of the lost Illyrian city of Bassania, go to "World Roundup: Albania."

Sculptures Discovered at Khmer Temple in Cambodia

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA—The Phnom Penh Post reports that more than 100 pieces of sandstone sculptures were uncovered at Ta Prohm, a temple built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries on the southern edge of the East Baray, an artificial body of water in Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. The temple is thought to have served as a royal monastery during the reign of Jayavarman VII, who ruled from 1181 to 1218, and is known for its construction without mortar. Researchers from the APSARA National Authority (ANA) had been removing built-up soil from an enclosure wall at the temple when they discovered the carvings. ANA archaeologist Neth Simon said that the sculptures show seated and standing Buddhas and Nagas, a spiritual snake-like guardian. The sculptures are also thought to date to the late twelfth or early thirteenth centuries. To read about other statues recently unearthed at the site, go to "Around the World: Cambodia."

Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherers in Morocco Relied on Plants

LEIPZIG, GERMANY—According to a statement released by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, an international team of researchers analyzed 15,000-year-old remains of hunter-gatherers unearthed in Morocco, and determined that they ate a diet rich in plant foods. It had been previously thought that hunter-gatherers living in North Africa relied heavily on animal foods. The analysis featured zinc and strontium isotope analysis of tooth enamel; carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur analysis of collagen; and the analysis of amino acids in human remains and in traces of acorn, pine nuts, and wild pulses recovered from Morocco’s Taforalt Cave. The study suggests that a significant proportion of the hunter-gatherer diet relied upon Mediterranean plant species, thousands of years before these plants were grown as crops. The researchers also think that these plant foods may have been fed to weaning infants. “Our findings not only provide insights into the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups but also highlight the complexity of human subsistence strategies in different regions,” said Zineb Moubtahij of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. “Understanding these patterns is crucial to unraveling the broader story of human evolution,” he reasoned. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Nature Ecology & Evolution. To read about leatherworking tools found in a Moroccan cave that date as far back as 120,000 years ago, go to "Earliest Leatherworkers," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2021.

New Kingdom Pharaoh’s Royal Rest House Found

CAIRO, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that a fortified royal retreat has been uncovered at the Tel Hebwa site, which is located in North Sinai. Mohamed Ismail Khaled of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said that the mudbrick structure was likely used during the 18th Dynasty reign of Thutmose III (ca. 1479–1425 B.C.). The structure’s entrance, located on its northern side, led to a large hall with three columns, added Hisham Hussein of Sinai Antiquities. This room connected to a smaller hall with entrances flanked by columns. The thresholds of entrances to these rooms were also uncovered, along with the thresholds for small rooms that had been built adjacent to the main house. Hussein explained that the site was later used as a cemetery from about 1070 to 713 B.C. To read about a memorial to an official under Thutmose III, go to "Egypt's Immigrant Elite."

Possible Bell Beaker Grave Uncovered in Germany

OPPIN, GERMANY—Newsweek reports that the remains of a man estimated to have been between 40 and 60 years old at the time of his death have been unearthed in central Germany. Preliminary investigation suggests the burial is associated with the Bell Beaker culture and dates to some 4,500 years ago. Archaeologist Susanne Friederich of the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt said that the man was buried in a crouched position with a large stone placed over his legs. The weight of the stone may have been intended to keep this individual from rising from the dead as a spirit or animated corpse known in some ancient folklore as a revenant, she explained. “Back then, people believed that dead people sometimes tried to free themselves from their graves,” she said, perhaps to terrorize the living. The grave may be the first revenant grave associated with the Bell Beaker culture to be found in the area. For more on the Bell Beaker culture, go to "Letter from Woodhenge: Stonehenge's Continental Cousin."

Plant DNA Suggests Maya Blessed Their Ball Courts

CAMPECHE, MEXICO—According to a Gizmodo report, an international team of researchers led by David Lentz of the University of Cincinnati analyzed a soil sample taken underneath a 2,000-year-old ball court platform at Yaxnohcah, a Maya city site on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The analysis detected the presence of Ipomoea corymbose, a type of morning glory also called xtabentun that is known for its hallucinogenic properties; Capsicum, or chili peppers, which were used by the Maya to treat illnesses; Hampea trilobata, or jool, a tree whose leaves and twine were used to wrap ceremonial food bundles, make twine, and treat snake bites; and Oxandra lanceolata, or lancewood, which was used as a vasodilator, anesthetic, and antibiotic. “I think the fact that these four plants which have a known cultural importance to the Maya were found in a concentrated sample tells us it was an intentional and purposeful collection under this platform,” said botanist Eric Tepe of the University of Cincinnati. Hallucinogenic substances are known to have been ingested by Maya kings and high priests while they were carrying out rituals, but there is no evidence to suggest that hallucinogens were taken by athletes who played the ball game. Instead, the researchers suggest that the ball game building may have been blessed or consecrated at the beginning of its construction. Read the original scholarly article about this research in PLOS ONE. To read about a 3,400-year-old Maya ball court unearthed in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, go to "Play Ball!"

Prehistoric Monuments Discovered in Ireland

COUNTY WICKLOW, IRELAND—A lidar survey of farmland in eastern Ireland has detected multiple prehistoric monuments, according to a Live Science report. The monuments include Bronze Age structures and five Neolithic cursus monuments, which are long and narrow earthwork enclosures built some 5,500 years ago. “There’s only about 20 known cursus monuments [in Ireland] and they occur in isolation,” said James O’Driscoll of the University of Aberdeen. The largest of the newly identified structures, which were likely made with wooden shovels, is more than 1,300 feet long, he added. Four of the cursus monuments are aligned toward the rising sun of the summer solstice, so they may have helped early farmers to mark the seasons. They may also have been considered pathways for the dead, O’Driscoll explained. “While we don’t know the actual rituals that took place there, the layouts suggest that they may have been used as either processional routes for mourning or a way to move the dead on to heaven,” he said. Analysis of soil samples from the site could yield more information about what sorts of animals and plants were raised by Ireland’s early farmers, he concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Antiquity. To read about Neolithic earthworks and stone structures in western Ireland, go to "Off the Grid: Rathcroghan, Ireland."

Possible Snake Deity Statue Found at Roman Site in Germany

STUTTGART, GERMANY—Newsweek reports that a worn sandstone carving unearthed at the site of a Roman fort in southwestern Germany may represent a hybrid Romano-Germanic deity. Standing about 12 inches tall, the 1,800-year-old carving shows a kneeling figure with a human head. Its arms are positioned at the sides of the upper body, with its hands on the hips and legs. The legs, however, merge into the form of a snake, according to archaeologist Andreas Thiel of the Baden-Württemberg State Office for Monument Preservation. “Due to the weathering and the poor quality of the stone, the snakes on our piece are unfortunately very difficult to see,” he said. “This was of course easier to recognize in ancient times due to the colorful painting,” he added. The figure may have been part of a so-called Jupiter Column that was unearthed in the area some 100 years ago. The column, which would have been topped with a statue of the Roman deity, is thought to have stood at an intersection in the Roman settlement. To read about the discovery of a temporary Roman military camp in southwestern Germany, go to "Caesar's Gallic Outpost."