Latest news with #Chalcolithic
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
This 6,500-year-old tomb hides the world's oldest Gold treasure and the secrets of Europe's first king
Some archaeological discoveries don't just reveal a forgotten past; they widen our understanding of early human societies. One such extraordinary discovery came up in 1972 on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, known as the Necropolis of Varna. Buried in the Chalcolithic soil, this ancient cemetery holds the oldest known processed gold in the world, dating back to 4,600–4,200 BC. This archaeological discovery consists of over 3,000 gold objects. These objects speak volumes about power and trade networks in prehistoric Europe. The discovery of elite tombs, especially one surprising burial overflowing with more gold than any other site of its era, suggests a structured society with clearly defined social tiers. In the industrial outskirts of Varna, Bulgaria, lies the Chalcolithic Necropolis, which is home to the world's oldest processed gold. First found in October 1972 by operator Raycho Marinov, the site was found with 294 graves filled with over 3,000 gold artefacts, weighing approximately six kilograms. Radiocarbon dating places the burials between 4,600 and 4,200 BC— predating the pyramids of Egypt, according to the official guide website, visit Varna. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cervecería Nacional CFD: Calcula cuánto podrías ganar invirtiendo solo $100 Empieza a invertir hoy Prueba ahora Undo One tomb is special among these Among these tombs, Grave 43 stands out. Inside was the skeleton of a tall man, likely aged 40–50, wrapped in more than 1.5 kilograms of gold jewelry, including bracelets, necklaces, appliqués, a gold-covered scepter, and even a penis sheath. This extraordinary wealth leads scholars to believe he was a chieftain, king, or priest, and his burial is considered the first elite male burial found in Europe. The range and refinement of the gold items were done using advanced techniques like hammering, incising, and granulation; these are symbolic of a highly skilled metallurgical tradition in those times. But not all graves contained such wealth, with elite tombs, including symbolic burials without bodies, containing most of the gold, indicating clear social stratification. This discovery is not just special because of the amount of Gold found in the tombs, but also tells about the varied trade routes that might have existed during those times. The copper in the tools was likely sourced from the Sredna Gora mines, and Mediterranean Spondylus seashells, possibly used as currency, as it points to exchanges with the Aegean. The community was well constructed to the extent that it also extended to burial rituals, gender-differentiating body positions, empty symbolic graves with clay masks, and goods arranged in specific patterns suggest elaborate spiritual beliefs. Till now, only about 30% of the necropolis has been excavated, and the remaining finds hint at many more hidden treasures. Today, these artefacts are placed in the Varna Archaeological Museum and on display worldwide, giving an opportunity to have a glimpse into a prehistoric civilisation.
Hindustan Times
29-06-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
World's largest bead collection found in 5,000-year-old Spanish tomb in Montelirio Tholo
A remarkable archaeological discovery in the Montelirio Tholos, a 5,000-year-old megalithic tomb in Valencina de la Concepcion, Seville, has unveiled what researchers describe as the world's largest collection of ancient beads, totaling over 270,000, according to Science Journal. The study notes that the beads are from the Chalcolithic period (3200–2500 BCE). World's l;argest collection of beads was found in a Spanish tomb(Unsplash) The Montelirio Tholos, a 39-meter-wide subterranean tomb constructed around 3000 BCE, was excavated between 2007 and 2010 by a team led by Leonardo García Sanjuan from the University of Seville. Read More: 11 workers killed after gold mine collapse in Sudan The tomb, part of the Valencina-Castilleja necropolis, contained the remains of at least 25 individuals, likely high-status members of a Copper Age community, alongside an unprecedented array of grave goods, the Science Journal website states. It further adds that 270,000 beads, primarily made from shell, amber, calcite, and greenstone, some strung together, were discovered. These beads range from 1 to 10 millimeters in diameter. 'A small group of 90 beads was found in the upper level of the second chamber (Structure 10.049), in connection with a rock crystal blade dagger, of whose ivory handle the beads are believed to have been a decoration,' the blog reads. Read More: 'Double-edged sword': Kremlin's 'painful recoil' warning on EU's fresh sanctions on Russia The study said that among the remains found in the Montelirio tomb, 15 of the 20 identified individuals were women. The Montelirio Tholos, dated to 2875–2700 BCE via radiocarbon analysis, aligns with the Copper Age's transition to complex societies, Science Journal states. 'A multi-analytical study undertaken over the past 5 years—including a meticulous quantification of the collection, the characterization of the raw materials, radiocarbon dating and chronometric statistical modeling, morphometric analysis, phytolith analysis, experimental work and contextual analysis—reveals several previously unidentified aspects of these remarkable creations. This includes the role of the attires as sumptuary attributes heavily loaded of symbolism, used by a selected group of women of high social significance.'
Hans India
24-06-2025
- Science
- Hans India
3,000-yr-old copper age cave painting and inscription discovered in Gangavathi
Gangavathi: In a discovery that could significantly contribute to the understanding of Karnataka's prehistoric human life and cultural evolution, a team of local historians and researchers has unearthed ancient cave paintings and a Kannada stone inscription believed to date back to the Chalcolithic era (Copper Age), around 3,000 years ago, in H.G. Ramulu Nagar, near Kattekallu Hill in Gangavati taluk, Koppal district. The exploration was carried out under the leadership of Dr. Sharanbasappa Kolkar, a noted historian and professor, with the assistance of researchers Manjunath Doddmani, Chandrashekhar Kumbar, and Nagaraj Shivapur. The team discovered the historic relics near Gali Durgamma temple, about a kilometre from H.G. Ramulu Nagar. Chalcolithic cave art and 17th-century inscription discovered At the foothills of Kattekallu Betta, the team discovered an ancient cave shrine facing south that houses a Kannada inscription dating back to the 17th century. Higher up, at the summit of the hill, they found prehistoric cave paintings, which the team believes belonged to early humans who may have used the location as a temporary residence. The inscription, which contains five lines of text accompanied by symbolic depictions of the sun, moon, bow and arrow, narrates that a person named Chinnayaka donated 22 khanda (units) of farmland in devotion to Ramanatha Deva, a deity referenced in the script. The inscription concludes with the phrase 'Jaya Tu Mastu' and contains several linguistic and stylistic inconsistencies, suggesting it warrants further scholarly examination to determine the identity of the individuals mentioned and their historical context. Evidence of early human settlement and cultural expression The cave ceiling features multiple drawings made using red pigment, depicting human figures, symbols, and scenes of men and women standing hand-in-hand, a form of early human symbolic communication. These artistic expressions strongly suggest a Chalcolithic cultural layer, placing them at nearly 3,000 years old, based on the stylistic comparison with other prehistoric rock art found in Karnataka. Adjacent to the cave, the team observed a series of depressions carved in stone, resembling musical notches. When struck with stones, these grooves emit distinct sounds. Researchers speculate that this form of sonic engagement might have been used by early humans as a means of entertainment, possibly while they kept watch over grazing animals in the nearby grasslands. 'This cave might have served as a shelter for Chalcolithic-era pastoral communities, who used the elevated position to monitor livestock while engaging in recreational activities like producing rhythmic sounds and painting images,' explained Dr. Kolkar.
The Print
26-05-2025
- The Print
Who were Rajasthan's Aharians—metallurgy masters with cultural ties to Central Asia?
The Ahar culture has been identified at 111 sites in the region, including Balathal, Gilund, and Ojiyana. These settlements reveal a vibrant Chalcolithic tradition, characterised by advanced metallurgy, pottery, and a sophisticated social structure centred around copper, lead, zinc, and silver mines. This makes it a strategically important contributor to the broader Bronze Age economy of the subcontinent. Few are aware that just outside the city centre, near the historic cenotaphs and across the street from the Ahar Archaeological Museum, lies a protected archaeological site of great significance. Excavations carried out at the site in 1961 unearthed evidence of an indigenous culture rooted in the Copper Age that predates the Harappans, and also coexisted with them. The site, named 'Ahar' after the river it is situated on, has become synonymous with the Chalcolithic cultural complex of south-eastern Rajasthan, also called the Ahar culture. Udapiur, the City of Lakes, is a tourist destination known for its palaces and narrow lanes full of art and culture, defined by Mewari imprints. The city takes pride in its royal roots, but for archaeologists, the antiquity of the region goes as far back as the mid-fourth millennium BCE. The findings reveal a parallel world of Aharians, who played a pivotal role as exporters of copper and other minerals, establishing a cultural lineage that remained unbroken for thousands of years. Tambavati Nagari Characterised by the use of copper and stone, the Chalcolithic period derives its name from the Greek words chalcos (copper) and lithos (stone). It marks the transitional phase between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age. Though the Chalcolithic period in the Indian subcontinent is overshadowed by the Harappan civilisation, it was far more geographically widespread and regionally diverse than the latter. Southeast Rajasthan is one of the regions where this diversity finds its imprints, first identified at the ancient mound locally called Dhulkot, later rechristened Ahar. The site was first documented by archaeologist RC Agrawal of the Rajasthan State Department of Archaeology in 1954. Archaeologist HD Sankalia of Deccan College, Pune joined Agrawal in 1961-62 and began digging at the site. Their efforts revealed a two-fold cultural sequence. The first period was the Chalcolithic period, dominated by copper objects. The second period was marked by the introduction of iron tools and Northern Black Polished Ware, characterised by a glossy surface—dating back to the third century BCE. During the Chalcolithic period, a myriad of pottery including grey ware, buff-slipped ware, lustrous red ware, and black burnished ware was in use. But it was the black and red ware that stood out to Agarwal, who initially labelled this culture as 'the BRW culture'. Predominant forms of BRW are bowls and small jars. Some were also painted using a white pigment to create designs with lines, dashes, dots, and latticed diamonds. It is important to note here that throughout the timeline of Indian history, BRW was widespread—spatially and temporally. It is also one of the markers of the Iron Age/Megalithic period in South India. Beyond the chronological sequence of the site, a key objective of the 1961 excavation was to understand the sociological background of the Chalcolithic society. And this was only possible because Sankalia excavated the site horizontally. While vertical excavation yields the chronology of a site, it can also disregard the horizontal relationships and spatial contexts necessary for sociological interpretation. According to archaeologist MK Dhavalikar, Sankalia was free from the vertical excavation syndrome of his time and could avoid this problem. The excavation revealed plinths of houses made of blocks of schist that used black and brown sticky soil as mortar. The walls of these houses were made of clay mixed with cow dung and quartz nodules, while the floors were prepared by firmly ramming the soil. According to the excavators Agrawal and Sankalia, the houses were large, often nine metres in length and partitioned into smaller rooms. Rectangular chullahs (earthen stoves) were found along with storage pots sunk into the floor. According to Dhavalikar, Ahar was the Tambavati Nagari—a settlement of copper metallurgists—indicating a flourishing copper smelting activity. This was further proven by the presence of heaps of slag at the site during the Chalcolithic phase. According to the excavators, both copper and iron were smelted at Ahar. Objects such as celts, rings, bangles, and knives were found. A metallographic study conducted by KTM Hegde on one of the axes shows that it was cast in a crude, unventilated sand or earth mould and was left in the cast condition. According to Hegde, the copper ores were extracted from Khetri mines in Rajasthan, suggesting that copper was sourced locally, from which objects were manufactured at Ahar. So, it was likely copper that attracted the inhabitants of the Banas valley thousands of years ago. Also read: Buddha's gems at Sotheby's shows Indian govt doesn't have an eye on 'colonial loot' Ahar culture Following Ahar, excavations were conducted at Gilund, Balathal, Ojiyana, and other sites. These excavations confirmed a strong presence of a distinct Chalcolithic complex in Rajasthan. They also suggested that the Ahar culture was likely the earliest agrarian–based culture in Rajasthan since the findings from Balathal and Gilund date as far back as the mid-fourth millenium BCE. In fact, at Gilund, the precursor of the Copper Age, characterised by microliths, was dated to around 5500 BCE. This timeline places these indigenous cultures at the same time as pre–Harappan sites such as Kot Diji in Sindh and the Ravi phase at Harappa itself. The Balathal excavation from 1993 to 2000 offered even more fascinating discoveries. Among them was the evidence of public architecture consisting of a fortified enclosure and a boundary wall around the settlement, indicative of organised community planning and defence strategy. Notably, a few burial sites were also found inside the fortified enclosure. Among these was an individual buried inside a stone enclosure bearing pathological markers of leprosy. This burial dates back to 2000 BCE, which makes it the earliest documented case of leprosy in India. In 2003, during the excavation at Gilund, one seal found was of utmost importance—it bore a striking similarity with the seals found at Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex sites in Central Asia. The similarity suggests possible cultural exchanges worth investigating. This legacy, therefore, offers a profound glimpse into the complex and technologically advanced society that mastered copper metallurgy and established domestic and long-distance cultural interactions. Despite these insights, there is a lingering sense that this barely scratches the surface. As archaeologist DK Chakrabarti rightly observed, we still understand very little about the authors of the Ahar culture. Future excavations and explorations may offer more clues about the lives of the people who were as mighty as the Harappans. They may have even played a crucial role in the rise of the Harappan civilisation. It is, therefore, all the more disheartening that this regional early culture remains absent from collective memory. Disha Ahluwalia is an archaeologist and junior research fellow at the Indian Council Of Historical Research. She tweets @ahluwaliadisha. Views are personal. (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Construction Workers Were Building a Solar Plant—and Uncovered a 5,000-Year-Old Fortress
Ever since a large-scale Spanish solar plant project resulted in the discovery of Copper Age settlements in 2021, archaeologists have continued to mine the site for new discoveries. The latest major find at the site: details of a hilltop fortress once protected by three concentric walls. There's also a mysterious death, with the skeletal remains of a former soldier found face down amidst suspicious surroundings. A solar plant project that began in 2021 in Almendralejo, Spain, took an unexpected turn when workers discovered settlements from the Copper Age in the area. Since then, archaeologists have been reaping the rewards. Construction on the plant started in November of 2021 and quickly uncovered a set of settlements from the Chalcolithic era. The energy giant behind the plant, Acciona Energia, called in archaeologists who have since uncovered details of a 140,000-square-foot fortress on a hill—which included stone and adobe walls, three ditches over six feet deep, and a 27-inch wide entrance. The hilltop fortress, known as Cortijo Lobato, was only in use for 400 years, according to the study of the site as reported in El Pais. Archaeologists believe that, despite the highly fortified location that featured three concentric walls and 25 towers, enemies eventually managed to attack and destroy the pentagon-shaped fortress. At some point, the site also sustained a debilitating fire. 'One of the strongest indications that this was an intentional act is the burning of wooden doors embedded in the adobe walls,' said Cesar Perez, lead archaeologist, according to El Pais. 'These doors were far from other flammable materials, which suggests that the fire was not accidental, but rather the result of an assault on the fortification—a scene of violence and destruction in which the settlement was attacked, its defenses breached, and the structure ultimately set ablaze.' The fort, though, was once part of a larger community. 'These fortifications usually delimit a settlement or an area to monitor the surroundings,' Alicia Lizarraga, Acciona Energia's environment manager, said in a statement. 'Their purpose could be defensive, to protect the community and its resources from wild animals and from conflicts with other peoples.' Perez agreed. 'The sophistication of the defensive design and the need for a large workforce reinforce the idea of a structured and well-organized community,' Perez said, according to The Times. 'It had a violent end. We are seeing more and more in this type of site that the level of conflict in the Chalcolithic period was higher than previously thought.' The combination of both a moat and a wall was rare in the period, and the size was also impressive—twice as large as the only other similar site throughout Spain, according to Victoria Bazaga, the region's culture minister. Carbon dating of animal remains mixed into the fire's ashes put the fort's final demise around 2450 B.C.—well ahead of the next human interaction with the location, which came about 2,700 years later during the Late Roman Empire. In all, archaeologists located 11 sites: six ranging from the last centuries of the fourth millennium B.C. to the early centuries of the third millennium B.C., and another five spanning from the Bronze and Iron age to the Lower Roman Empire period. In the area where they found evidence of Roman-era habitation, crews also discovered a grave near a ditch—just one shallow burial of a man believed to be between 25 and 35 years old at the time of death. He was positioned face down, had his feet cut off and a sheathed dagger—known as a pugio— placed on his back. 'This suggests the individual may have had a military role, as the pugio was the standard dagger used by Roman legionnaires,' Perez said, adding that the act was likely hasty due to the shallowness of the grave. The obvious deliberateness of placing the dagger on his back 'is a way of indicating he was a member of the army and was given a dishonorable burial.' Perez said that only one Roman legion was stationed in Spain at the time: Legio VII Gemina. Established in 74 A.D., the legion was headquartered in modern-day Leon, and known to specialize in road surveillance and security. And, maybe, cutting off feet. 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?
