Surprising discovery at ancient Grecian burial ground
Radiocarbon dating suggests the man and woman in the tomb lived between 388 and 356 BC, whereas Philip II died in 336 BC.
The man's age at death (25-35) also contradicts Philip II's age at death (around 46).
Six infants buried in the tomb between 150 BC and 130 AD are likely unrelated to the original occupants, suggesting it was reused during the Roman period, scientists say.
Analysis suggests the man spent his childhood away from the Macedonian capital, while the woman likely lived in the Vergina/Pella area her entire life.
Tomb thought to hold Alexander the Great's father actually found to contain remains of young woman and six infants
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BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Remains of extinct Bronze Age cattle found in Ingleborough cave
Remains of an extinct breed of Bronze Age cattle have been discovered by archaeologists in a cave in the Yorkshire working with cave explorers uncovered the remnants of an auroch while surveying a number of caverns and sinkholes near team also found evidence of the area being used as a human burial site during the Neolithic period. A spokesperson said the discoveries had helped shed light on how the caves were used by those who lived and farmed in the Dales prehistory. Aurochs were once found across Europe before habitat loss and hunting wiped them out in the 17th Century. They are regraded as the wild ancestor of modern cattle. The Ingleborough Cave Archaeology Project is part of a £3m scheme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aimed at securing the future of upland commons in the Yorkshire Dales, Dartmoor, the Lake District and the Shropshire highlighted the important role cavers play in uncovering underground history, with some of the chosen cave sites requiring specialist skills to Peterson, a caving archaeologist at the University of Central Lancashire said: "It's often experienced local cavers who are the first to encounter archaeological finds such as these as they are the only ones who can access the caves. "This partnership now ensures that any discoveries made during recreational caving are officially documented."As well as examining the history of Ingleborough, the project also looked at ways to engage today's farmers in sustainable and adaptive land management is one of the few places in England where "commoning" traditions remain with around a dozen farmers still grazing sheep on the land under rights dating back to the Magna officer Claire Braeburn said: "Ingleborough has a longstanding history as common land, so we wanted to see if the caves held evidence of just how long humans began farming on the fell."Over half of England was common land, but now it's just 3%. This project has helped us understand more about human interaction with the common and the land's longstanding biodiversity. "It has shown how important preserving these ancient practices is or we risk losing them forever." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Hyperrealistic reconstructions reveal the faces of the Stone Age sisters who may have been victims of human sacrifice 6,000 years ago
Scientists have revealed the faces of two Stone Age sisters who may have been the victims of human sacrifice around 6,000 years ago. The sisters' remains were discovered over 15 years ago within the shaft of a prehistoric mine in the Czech Republic's Krumlov Forest. The sisters were buried one on top of the other inside the mine, with the elder 20 feet (six metres) beneath the ground and her younger sister three feet (one metre) below. Now, these 'hyperrealistic' 3D reconstructions show what the women would have looked like at the time of their deaths and what they would have been wearing. Both of the sisters were around 4.8 feet (1.5m) tall and were slender but strong and capable of lifting heavy loads. The eldest sister likely had blue eyes and blonde hair, while her younger sibling had hazel or green eyes with dark hair, according to genetic data. However, despite new evidence, exactly how the sisters died and why they were buried in the mine remains mysterious. Lead author Dr Eva Vaníčková, of the Czech Republic Centre for Cultural Anthropology, told Daily Mail that they 'could have been victims' of human sacrifice. The two sisters are believed to have been workers in a brutal mining community, gathering heavy rocks of flint to make weapons and tools. Previous studies of the remains showed that they belonged to sisters who died between 4050 and 4340 BC. This new study expands on that work with a barrage of analyses, including genetic testing and pathological analysis of the skeletons. This reveals that the women had experienced short, tough lives of hard labour before their deaths. The youngest sister was likely between 30 and 35 based on the state of her teeth, while the older woman was closer to 40. Based on the scraps of fabric found around their bones, the older woman was wearing a simple blouse and wrap woven from plant materials and a hair net. The younger of the sisters wore a blouse of coarse linen canvas and wore the remaining strips of fabric braided into her hair. As children, they were poorly fed and may have been weak and diseased - leading to stunted growth. The sisters were buried one on top of the other inside the mine, with the elder 20 feet (six metres) beneath the ground and her younger sister three feet (one metre) below. Archaeologists say this arrangement might have had a symbolic value However, chemical analysis shows that they were well fed on meat as adults. This might be because they needed to be kept strong for their work in the mine, or because the Krumlov Forest is naturally rich in game animals. Their bones showed signs of heavy strain throughout their lives, including damaged vertebrae and injuries that had only partially healed. The older sister's forearm was fractured, which had not healed at the time of her death, with wear which suggests she was forced to work despite the injury. 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Strangest of all are the remains of a newborn baby, whose bones had been laid on the eldest sister's chest. Genetic analysis shows that the baby was not related to either sister, with no evidence to explain where it had come from. However, the researchers say they have yet to find any evidence to prove the theory that the sisters ' deaths were violent or that they had been sacrificed in this way. While it might be surprising to find signs of brutal forced labour during the Stone Age period, the researchers say these women died at a turning point in Neolithic society. They write: 'The hardest labour may no longer have been done by the strongest, but by those who could most easily be forced to do it.' WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE STONE AGE? The Stone Age is a period in human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone tools that covers more than 95 per cent of human technological prehistory. 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The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Archaeologists uncover 800-year-old bones with strange details & they offer a surprising insight into Aztec life
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered ancient bones that offer a surprising insight into the Aztec era. Historians noticed details on the remains, suggesting they may have served an unusual purpose. 3 3 Archaeologists carried out an in-depth analysis of 29 prehistoric human bones discovered along the southern Texas coast. Unusual markings on the skeletal remains suggest they may have carried out a purpose beyond death. Unusual details Historians suggested that the group of hunter-gatherers who once inhabited the area likely created music by transforming the human bones into instruments. Dr. Matthew Taylor, who works as a biological anthropologist at Georgia's Augusta University, identified a musical rasp fashioned from a human humerus while studying the artefacts. IFLScience reported that the item, which was part of a museum collection, resembled an omichicahuaztli, which is an instrument that was used by pre-Hispanic Mexican cultures, including the Aztecs. The remains date back to the Late Prehistoric era (AD 700-1500) in North America, according to an in-depth analayis published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. "Late Prehistoric South Texas (1300-1528 AD) was characterised by hunter-gatherer habitation," Dr. Taylor wrote. "Forager peoples lived in the region from Paleoindian times up to and beyond European contact and never adopted agriculture." He added that inhabitants of southern Texas and the associated Gulf Coast "have been historically documented since AD 1528". The analysis of the 29 bones found that 27 were made from either the arm or the leg. 'Once in a century' Pompeii discovery as ancient luxury SPA is saved from ashes with thermal baths & stunning mosaic Meanwhile, the remaining two objects were constructed from rib bones. According to archaeologists, the instruments were typically crafted using what's known as the "groove-and-snap" method. This involves sawing a groove around a bone's circumference before breaking it in half. "This process is labour intensive and represents hours of work," Dr. Taylor wrote. He emphasised the meticulous manual effort behind crafting these skeletal artifacts. Potential links Historical objects fashioned from human bone are often thought to signify practices like honouring ancestors or displaying war trophies. However, Dr. Taylor pointed out that such interpretations don't align with other archaeological findings from the region. The musical rasp made from an upper arm bone featured 29 carefully carved notches and decorative geometric patterns. One of the most intriguing discoveries, this instrument appeared to have been played by scraping another object along the grooves. While unique to South Texas, similar instruments are well-documented in central Mexican histories. Typically carved from human thigh bones, these objects are decorated with comparable designs. Dr. Taylor speculated the Texan rasp "may represent an emulation of Mexican religious practices." He pointed to a possible contact or influence between Indigenous tribes occupying the South Texas coast and the Aztec empire. "Whatever their original provenance, it is quite apparent that the Late Prehistoric inhabitants did not regard the handling of human remains as taboo," he concluded. "Although some may wish to equate the presence of these artefacts with the existence of cannibalism, this report does not support or refute that hypothesis." More on archaeology The remains of a lost Roman city have been uncovered on a popular holiday island. And the lost tomb of a 1,700-year-old king was uncovered in Mayan temple. Plus, the eerie "hybrid" skull that belonged to a "half human, half neanderthal girl". An ancient lost city from 3,500-years-ago that played home to the oldest civilization in the Americas' was uncovered in Peru. And AI has deciphered a hymn on a 4,000-year-old clay tablet, which is said unlock the mystery of the ancient city of Babylon. 3
