Traces of an Ancient City Discovered on a Pacific Island

NUKU’ALOFA, KINGDOM OF TONGA—ABC News Australia reports that traces of an ancient city in the form of some 10,000 mounds have been identified on the Pacific Island of Tongatapu through high-tech mapping with aerial scanners and archaeological fieldwork. “Earth structures were being constructed in Tongatapu around A.D. 300. This is 700 years earlier than previously thought,” said Phillip Parton of The Australian National University. As the settlement spread and grew, he explained, people would have interacted in new ways and done different kinds of work to support the larger population. The city’s influence eventually spread across the southwest Pacific Ocean between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries, until it collapsed with the arrival of Europeans and unknown diseases. “This is just the beginning in terms of early Pacific settlements. There’s likely still much to be discovered,” Parton concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. To read about another discovery from the island nation, go to "World Roundup: Tonga."

Shoe Buckle Found on Scotland's Culloden Battlefield

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND—An excavation of the Culloden battlefield has recovered musket balls, grapeshot, and a shoe buckle that may have belonged to a Scottish Jacobite clan chief, according to a report in The National. The defeat of the Jacobite army by British forces at the Battle of Culloden on April 16, 1746, resulted in the collapse of the Jacobite uprising. Archaeologists from the National Trust Scotland think the copper alloy buckle may have belonged to Donald Cameron of Lochiel, the Jacobite chief of Clan Cameron, who was wounded during the battle. Archaeologist Derek Alexander believes that the flattened grapeshot hit the shoe buckle, since the two artifacts were found in the same hole just 65 to 100 feet from the position of the British army’s front line. Known as The Gentle Lochiel, Donald Cameron is known to have been leading the 400 Camerons close to the front line when he was wounded with grapeshot in both ankles. “This description shows us that Lochiel was hit in the ankles charging forward and if he had been wearing shoes with buckles, it is possible that these would have been hit and partly absorbed the impact,” Alexander said. Cameron survived the battle and escaped to France with the grandson of the deposed king, Charles Edward Stuart, or Bonnie Prince Charlie. To read about the defeated Scottish survivors of the 1650 Battle of Dunbar, go to "After the Battle."

Roman Road Uncovered in Southern France

NÎMES, FRANCE—The Miami Herald reports that researchers from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) uncovered a 2,000-year-old stone roadway under the modern Beaucaire Road during an investigation ahead of a construction project in southern France. Ruts and signs of replaced stones were found in the road, which measures about 50 feet wide. The pavement is thought to have been a crossroad of the Via Domitia, the main Roman access route to the city of Nîmes. Tombs containing human remains and well-preserved pottery and glass in the forms of vases, lamps, and bowls were found between the two roads. Cremated human remains were also discovered in glass or ceramic vessels. For more on Roman France, go to "Gaul's University Town."

How Did Ancient Egyptians View the Milky Way?

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND—Astrophysicist Or Graur of the University of Portsmouth and his colleagues think that the sky goddess Nut may have been understood by ancient Egyptians as an expression of the Milky Way, according to a Gizmodo report. Nut, the goddess of the sky, stars, and the universe, was often shown with stars all over her body and arched over her brother and husband, Geb, the god of Earth. The researchers analyzed ancient Egyptian texts, including the Book of Nut, which focuses on the movements of the moon, sun, planets, and cycles of the stars. They also reviewed models of what the Milky Way would have looked like from different locations in Egypt between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago, and how its appearance changed throughout the night. Graur determined that the orientation of the Milky Way in the simulated model of the ancient Egyptian night sky corresponded with the description of Nut’s body in the Book of Nut—her head and rear at the western and eastern horizons and her arms lying at an angle to her body. “My research shows how combining disciplines can offer new insights into ancient beliefs, and it highlights how astronomy connects humanity across cultures, geography, and time,” Graur concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. To read about a painting depicting Nut with one of Egypt's best known pharaohs, go to "Inside King Tut's Tomb."

Study Identifies Possible Neolithic Human Sacrifices in Europe

PARIS, FRANCE—Live Science reports that forensic pathologist Bertrand Ludes of Paris Cité University, biological anthropologist Eric Crubézy of Paul Sabatier University, and their colleagues reexamined a Neolithic burial discovered in southern France some 20 years ago and other European tomb sites. They found evidence for a total of 20 cases of human sacrifice using incaprettamento—a method of killing by tying people’s necks to their legs bent behind their backs so that they strangle themselves. Crubézy said that the tomb at Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux held the skeletons of three women. The body of the first woman was found in the center of the grave. She is thought to have died of natural causes. Study of the remains of the other two women found in the tomb, however, suggests that they had been bound incaprettamento, and then pinned down with grinding stones, perhaps because they were still alive at the time of burial. The pit itself, the researchers explained, resembles a silo for storing grain. The burial was then topped with a wooden structure aligned with the sun at the solstices. Broken stones for grinding grain were also uncovered nearby. “You have the alignment, you have the silo, you have the broken stones—so it seems that it was a rite related to agriculture,” Crubézy surmised. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Science Advances. To read about a 3,500-year-old ritual pool uncovered in Italy that seems to have been tied to a Bronze Age community's agrarian prowess, go to "Italian Master Builders."

Rare Coins Recovered From Medieval Grave in Sweden

JÖNKÖPING COUNTY, SWEDEN—According to a report in The Miami Herald, an excavation at the historic Brahe Church on the island of Visingsö off Sweden’s southern coast has uncovered two graves estimated to be 800 years old. One grave held the remains of a man thought to have been between the ages of 20 and 25 at the time of death. Archaeologist Anna Ödéen of the Jönköping County Museum said that Christian graves from this time period usually do not contain any artifacts, but some 170 silver coins minted between 1150 and 1180 were recovered. Some of these coins are unique examples, she added. The coins are being analyzed while the excavation at the church site continues. To read about astronomer Tycho Brahe's island observatory, go to "Off the Grid: Ven, Sweden."

Frescoed Dining Hall Discovered in Pompeii

NAPLES, ITALY—According to a BBC News report, a large banqueting hall with frescoed walls and a white mosaic floor has been unearthed in Regio IX of Pompeii, a Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said that the paintings were placed on a black background, which may have been chosen to hide smoke deposits from burning lamps. “In the shimmering light, the paintings would have almost come to life,” he added. The room features two paintings of mythic Greek figures: the first depicts the Trojan priestess Cassandra with the god Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecy, but then cursed her when she rejected his romantic advances so that her prophecies, although true, would not be believed. She predicted that if the Trojan prince Paris went to Sparta and returned with Helen, the Queen of Sparta, it would result in the destruction of Troy. Paris ignored the prophecy, and the second painting shows his doomed meeting with the beautiful Helen. This so-called “black room” was found in the same structure where a bakery that likely operated using the labor of enslaved workers was found. Construction supplies have also been uncovered in the reception hall. Inscriptions found in the building indicate it belonged to Aulus Rustius Verus. “We know him from other political propaganda in Pompeii," said archaeologist Sophie Hay. "He’s a politician. He’s super-rich." To read about another painting recently found in Pompeii, go to "Pizza! Pizza?"

1,500-Year-Old Nobleman’s Tomb Found in Eastern China

ZHENJIANG, CHINA—Xinhua reports that 13 tombs dated to the Six Dynasties period (A.D. 220–589) were found during recent excavations in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province. The owner of Tomb 6 has been identified as Zhao Xuanzhi, the uncle of an emperor who ruled during the Southern Dynasty, between A.D. 420 and 589, through the discovery of his personal six-sided bronze seal in the tomb. “The age of the tomb is consistent with historical records,” added Li Xidong of the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of Zhenjiang. An altar was also uncovered at the front of the brick tomb chamber. Li explained that most of the tombs in the cemetery have been dated to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, from A.D. 266 to 420, and reflect the southward movement of people during this period. To read about a jar of 2,500-year-old eggs recovered from a tomb in Jiangsu, go to "Picnic for the Afterlife."

Fox Remains Recovered from 1,500-Year-Old Grave in Argentina

OXFORD, ENGLAND—According to a BBC News report, the nearly complete remains of an extinct species of fox (Dusicyon avus) have been recovered from a 1,500-year-old grave at the site of Cañada Seca in Argentina's Patagonia region. Analysis of the fox’s bones indicates that it weighed between about 20 to 30 pounds, and that it consumed the same diet as the human who was buried with it. “This is a very rare find of having this fox that appears to have had such a close bond with individuals from the hunter-gatherer society,” said Ophélie Lebrasseur of the University of Oxford. Lebrasseur and her colleague Cinthia Abbona of the Institute of Evolution in Mendoza, Argentina, noted that a fox of the same species was recovered from an older grave in Argentina about 10 years ago, although its remains were not analyzed. Dusicyon avus went extinct about 500 years ago, after domestic dogs were introduced to Patagonia, the researchers concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Royal Society Open Science. To read about Bronze Age fox burials uncovered in northeastern Spain, go to "A Fox in the House."

Unusual Railway Car Discovered in Belgium

ANTWERP, BELGIUM—The York Press reports that a wooden railway wagon made in England was discovered at the wall of a nineteenth-century fortress by members of the Urban Archaeology department of the City of Antwerp. The storage wagon was made approximately 100 years ago by the company London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), which operated between 1923 and 1948, when it was nationalized. “It’s a mystery as to how the carriage came to be in Antwerp, and unfortunately there’s very little left of the relic as it disintegrated while being excavated,” said archaeologist Femke Martens. Inscriptions on the wagon included “FURNITURE REMOVAL TO HOUSE,” and “Enquire at any station.” The wagon also bore codes identifying its size, use, and company name. Researchers have determined that the wagon was the first model of its type, and was briefly used by LNER around 1930. To read about excavations that uncovered traces of nineteenth-century England's Great Western Railway, go to "A Tale of Two Railroads."

Ancient Aboriginal Pottery Unearthed in Northern Australia

CAPE YORK, AUSTRALIA—SBS News Australia reports that 82 pieces of pottery estimated to be between 3,000 and 2,000 years old have been discovered on Jiigurru, or Lizard Island, which is located off the coast of northern Australia’s Cape York Peninsula. Geologic analysis of the materials used to produce the pottery indicates that it was most likely made from local materials. This is the oldest securely dated pottery found in Australia, according to Sean Ulm of James Cook University. “This find clearly demonstrates that Aboriginal people not only knew about pottery, but were indeed making it on their countries,” he said. “And the fact that we’ve found it at this site suggests that further research will find more instances of pottery elsewhere in Australia, particularly the east coast of Cape York,” he added. The discovery of pottery on Lizard Island also connects the first Australians to the exchange networks and alliance systems of ocean-faring people in Papua New Guinea, the Torres Strait, and the Pacific Islands. Kenneth McLean of the Walmbaar Aboriginal Corporation and the Dingaal clan explained that his ancestors probably used pottery to carry water and shellfish on long canoe voyages. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Quaternary Science Reviews. To read about Aboriginal rock art in West Arnhem Land, go to "Letter from Australia: Where the World Was Born."