Archaeologists find new evidence of ancient slave labor in southern Iraq
Now an international team of archaeologists has found new evidence to support the theory.
The team undertook testing to determine the construction dates of some of the massive earthen structures and found that they spanned several centuries, beginning around the time of a famous slave rebellion in the 9th century A.D. The research findings were published Monday in the journal Antiquity.
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Swarm of ‘defensive' bees spotted in Alabama, officials say. How to stay safe
A wild group of Africanized honeybees, known as killer bees due to their defensive behavior, was collected by beekeepers in Alabama, officials said. The bees were found in Barbour County and humanely euthanized to protect the state's other honeybee populations, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries said in a June 30 news release. 'There is no reason for public concern at this time, but we are treating this situation seriously,' Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries Rick Pate said in the release. 'Our team is actively collaborating with local beekeepers and entomology experts to ensure swift detection and appropriate response.' Officials said they put traps within a five-mile radius of where the bees were originally found to further monitor bee populations. Barbour County borders Georgia and is about an 80-mile drive southeast from Montgomery. What are Africanized honeybees? A crossbreed of African and European honeybees, Africanized honeybees are known for their 'more defensive behavior,' according to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. These types of bees swarm more often, nest in more locations and respond in higher numbers when provoked, officials said. 'If I'm working around one of my European honey bee colonies and I knock on it with a hammer, it might send out five to 10 individuals to see what's going on. They would follow me perhaps as far as my house and I might get stung once,' Jamie Ellis, a professor of honey bee research at the University of Florida, told USA Today. With an Africanized colony, however, 50 to 100 individuals would be sent out in response to the same thing, and they'd follow him further and sting him more, Ellis told the outlet. An encounter with a swarm of Africanized honeybees can produce more stings, making them more deadly in some cases, according to experts. Between 2011 and 2021, an average of 72 deaths per year came from hornets, wasps and bee stings, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to do if you encounter an Africanized honeybee According to guidance from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and The University of Florida, if you see a bee or a swarm you should: Stay away. Don't bother or remove bee colonies or any 'aggressive bee behavior' to officials. Don't swat at the the area right away. 'Cover your nose and mouth with your shirt.' Seek shelter in a building or go near a victim to help, stand away and tell them to leave. What to do if you're stung by a bee The University of Florida advises a person do the following if they are stung by a bee: Scrape the stingers out with a blunt object, like a fingernail or credit the sting with soap and the sting to stop the for signs of allergic reaction, including hives, difficulty breathing and you have an allergic reaction, contact emergency personnel.
Yahoo
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Archaeologists Found a 5,000-Year-Old Walled Oasis Hidden in the Desert
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Researchers confirmed a total of six different fortified walls surrounding a network of oases in the northwest Arabian Desert. The oldest wall is upwards of 5,000 years old, with some new finds dating back 4,000 years. Experts claim the walls show community structure, not just a defensive mindset. Researchers discovered that an Arabian Desert oases environment had a full network of walled fortifications over 4,000 years ago, not only showing off defensive insight, but also socioeconomic development of an expansive Arabian Peninsula civilization. A new study published in Antiquity confirmed four new walled oases coming as part of a network that now boasts six confirmed walled oases structures in the northwest Arabian complex. 'The recent identification of a walled oases complex in northwest Saudi Arabia signals a radical shift in our understanding of the socioeconomic evolution of this vast, largely unexplored region,' the study authors wrote. Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the IssueGet the Issue Get the Issue A walled oasis protected not only the critical water source, but settlements within, likely full of goats and sheep, as well as crops of grains, fruit trees, and even date palms. 'Outer walls, serving as a display of power as well as a means of protection,' the authors wrote, 'required substantial investments form local populations not only for their initial construction but also for maintenance and modification over time.' Archaeologists already were aware of walled structures at Tayma and Qurayyah, but the experts confirmed four more—first Khaybar in 2024, and now Dumat al-Jandal, Hait, and Huwayyit. The team used satellite imagery and then field visits to understand more about the newly confirmed walled structures. With some of the fortifications as old at 5,000 years—and some of the newly confirmed structures roughly 4,000-years-old—the network surrounds at least 10 oases. The experts believe the extensive nature of the walls show that it wasn't nomads dominating the area, instead settled communities looking to take ownership of the vital wells of water to keep humans and livestock alive, all while developing an agricultural system that featured cereals, fruits, and dates. The mudbrick walls didn't just provide protection. 'The walled oasis is not just defensive,' the authors wrote. 'It represents a model of socioeconomic development that marks the takeover of a rural landscape by a political entity.' Some of the newest mudbrick fortifications still stretch up to five miles in length and over six feet in thickness. The 2025 study comes on the heels of the same research team highlighting the confirmation in a 2024 study of the Khaybar Oases via the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, according to a statement from French National Centre for Scientific Research. When confirmed, it was considered one of the two largest in Saudi Arabia. At points, this nine-mile walled section was over 16 feet tall and between 5.6 and 7.9 feet thick. Preserved at a little less than half of its original length, researchers believe it enclosed a rural and sedentary territory from about 2250 to 1950 B.C. 'While the study confirms that the Khaybar Oasis clearly belonged to a network of walled oases in northwestern Arabia, the discovery of this rampart also raises questions regarding why it was built as well as the nature of the populations that built it,' the team wrote in 2024, 'in particular their relations with populations outside the oasis.' The research team wrote in the new study that the continual finds of fortified oases settlements show the desert civilization was more complex than originally anticipated and varied greatly from one community to the next. Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
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9 hours ago
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Medieval ‘looters' dug up grave in Poland — but left these items. Take a look
In northern Poland sits an earthen mound that is not what it seems. The gentle sloping hill hides a collection of 900-year-old burials, traces of long-ago 'looting' and the treasures left behind. Archaeologists recently began piecing together its 'unique story.' Across the landscape of northern Poland are dozens of cemeteries with early medieval burial mounds, known as Orzeszkowo-type barrows. 'Although common in Pomerania, these barrows remain largely underexplored,' according to a study published June 23 in the peer-reviewed journal Antiquity. Hoping to fill this knowledge gap, a team of archaeologists began work at Nowy Chorów cemetery, a site in Słupsk County with 16 'largely intact' mounds, the study said. Between 2022 and 2023, researchers excavated four of these mounds. An aerial photo shows the largest excavated mound, dubbed K8. Inside were eight burials ranging from 'simple' cremations to inhumations surrounded by rock enclosures, all dating from 1000 and 1050 A.D., archaeologists said. But the most interesting finds came from the empty 'central grave,' dubbed Grave 7. Just over 900 years ago, someone was buried there, but 'at some point after burial, the bodies were exhumed and cremated,' the study said. Whoever dug up Grave 7 left 'intrusive cuts and damage to the stone structures,' archaeologists said. A photo shows the disturbed grave, a yellow line shows the original dirt layer and a red line shows evidence of the grave reopening. The 'grave robbers' left behind several artifacts, including 'a spearhead, with adhering textile remnants likely associated with a banner, and a unique yew bucket with iron fittings,' the study said. Photos show these 900-year-old artifacts. The body taken from Grave 7 was then 'deposited directly above the now-empty' grave in the form of a cremation burial and the burial mound was filled in, the study said. 'This extensive ritual sequence was perhaps intended to allow the deceased's transition to the afterlife,' researchers said. 'Reopening graves and interacting with the dead was considered a dangerous act, requiring special rituals.' 'The discoveries in Nowy Chorów represent the first well-documented traces of grave reopening in the region, though such practices were likely more common,' the study said. 'Each burial mound in Nowy Chorów tells a unique story, offering valuable insights into the diversity of early medieval funerary practices,' researchers said. They plan to continue working at the site and analyzing their finds. The Nowy Chorów site is in Słupsk County on the northern coast of Poland and a roughly 280-mile drive northwest from Warsaw. The research team included Sławomir Wadyl, Paweł Szczepanik, Rafał Fetner, Elżbieta Jaskulska and Ilona Nowosadzka.
