Latest news with #civilizations
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old city in Peru which once served as a trading hub - with sculptures and jewellery inside
An ancient city has been discovered in Peru that once was a trading hub thousands of years ago. The 3,500-year-old settlement, named Peñico, is located in the northern Barranca province - close to where the Caral civilisation, the oldest on the America, developed 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists believe Peñico was likely a trading hub linking Pacific coast cultures with those in the Andes mountains and the Amazon basin. Ceremonial temples and residential complexes were uncovered as well as a circular structure on a hillside terrace, with remains of stone and mud buildings constructed some 600m above sea level. The walls of a central plaza stand out for their sculptural reliefs and depictions of the pututu, a conch shell trumpet whose sound carries over long distances. In other buildings, researchers found clay sculptures of human and animal figures, ceremonial objects and necklaces made from beads and seashells. The then-bustling city - with 18 surviving structures that have been studied in the last eight years - would have been at its peak at around the same time as early civilisations in the Middle East and Asia, between 1,800 and 1,500 BC. But what has intrigued archaeologists most is that Peñico is close to where the Caral civilisation, the oldest in the Americas, developed 5,000 years ago. Caral, comprised of 32 monumental structures, is considered a contemporary of civilisations in Egypt, India, Sumeria and China. However, unlike them, it developed in complete isolation, according to researchers. Ruth Shady, the archaeologist who led the research into Peñico, said the newly unveiled city is key because experts believe it emerged after the Caral civilisation was devastated by climate change. 'They were situated in a strategic location for trade, for exchange with societies from the coast, the highlands and the jungle,' Shady said. Archaeologist Marco Machacuay, a researcher with the Ministry of Culture, said at a news conference that Peñico's importance lies in it being the continuation of the Caral society. Peru is a center of ancient cultures and home to archaeological sites such as the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Cusco and the mysterious Nazca lines located in the desert region along the country's central coast. In May, a vandal sparked outrage after being filmed spray painting a penis onto a wall at an ancient Peruvian UNESCO site. In footage, the man was seen spraying the crude graffiti on one of the original walls of Chan Chan, a pre-Columbian city 300 miles north of Lima that is flooded with thousands of visitors each month. He wore a backpack and drew a giant black penis on the stone which is more than 600 years old and a World Heritage Site. Peru's ministry of culture said the culprit showed 'a grave disrespect toward our history and cultural heritage, as well as a violation of the regulations that protect archaeological heritage sites. 'We express our strongest condemnation of this regrettable act of vandalism,' the ministry emphasised in its statement. Authorities have not yet identified the attacker but he could face up to six years behind bars if he is caught under Peruvian heritage protection statutes. The clip of the incident has made its rounds of social media, leaving viewers stunned at how he was able to damage the wall unchallenged. Others questioned why the site was not better protected. Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu kingdom before it fell to the Incas in the 15th century and it remains one of Peru's most important archaeological sites. The Citadel of Chan Chan was built on an area of approximately 20 square kilometers, featured ten palaces, and at its peak housed approximately 30,000 inhabitants. It is regarded as the largest mud city in the world. The complex features temples, residential structures, and storage buildings, any adorned with intricate and symbolic carvings. Together with the stone citadels of Machu Picchu and Caral, Chan Chan forms the most important archaeological complexes in Peru.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
HZICC: Global Seekers Unpack 5,000 Years of Magic in Hangzhou
HANGZHOU, China, June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "More spectacular than I ever imagined!" exclaimed American historian David Ringo Miano, peering through a 5,000-year-old jade disc's perfect aperture at Liangzhu Museum. He was among the ten international "Hangzhou Seekers" including scholars, artists and influencers from ten countries invited by Hangzhou International Communication Center for a five-day immersive journey on mutual learning among civilizations in Hangzhou this June. At the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, a black pottery jar etched with cryptic symbols ignited cross-cultural fascination. Greek anthropologist Christina Papageorgopoulou noted the striking parallels: "The patterns mirror motifs on contemporaneous Greek pottery!" "Like Egyptians, they tamed rivers with brilliance." Egyptian curator Remonda Fayez Michel found spiritual kinship in ancient hydro-engineering. West Lake's misty rain became cinematic gold for Italian documentarian Leonardo Cinieri Lombroso. Turkish journalist Tunç Akkoç, reciting Chinese poet Su Shi's 11th-century verses, mused: "Poetry breathes soul into these waters." In the tea museum, Thai conductor Kittiporn Tantrarungroj traced his Chinese ancestry by whisking the character "Chen" in matcha foam, while German photographer Gunther Riehle captured emerald tea terraces through downpours. As Canadian influencer Angelina Hui Qing Zhang dressed in a Hanfu of the Song Dynasty strolled along the alleys of the canal-side houses, Brazilian lawyer Renato de Almeida Freitas Junior filmed the canal boat models at Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, declaring: "This engineering marvel deserves global recognition." At Qiandao Lake, the giant net fishing spectacle stole the show. As 15 tons of silver carp erupted from the water, Gunther said: "This leap captures Hangzhou's vitality!" The high-speed rail's 50-minute glide from urban towers to misty peaks, just left Francisca Molinero, principal of a Spanish international school marveled at the ecological harmony. The charm of civilizations lies in dialogue instead of monologue. During the event, ten representatives of experts from different fields, as well as the Seekers, jointly initiated a dialogue on civilizations that connected the east and west. The last day saw the Seekers pair up with five Hangzhou families, initiating a down-to-earth journey of exploring the city. The farewell banquet unfolded at a lakeside "Moveable Feast," where they cooked their hometown dishes alongside Hangzhou chefs. Like the Grand Canal's ceaseless flow beneath ancient bridges, the dialogues ripple outward. It is highly likely that you will soon hear a symphony echoed from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, or the other side of the Pacific Ocean. View original content: SOURCE HZICC Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
21-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
It's the first day of summer. Here's what happens on the longest day of the year
The Northern Hemisphere has reached its peak sunshine, marking the summer solstice – the longest day of the year and the official start of astronomical summer. Conversely, for those in the Southern Hemisphere, it signifies the shortest day and the onset of winter. The term "solstice" derives from the Latin words "sol" for sun and "stitium," meaning "pause" or "stop." This celestial event marks the sun's highest annual arc in the sky, after which it begins its gradual retreat, leading to progressively shorter days until late December. For millennia, civilisations have observed and celebrated the solstices, constructing monuments like Stonehenge, which was precisely aligned to the sun's paths during these pivotal moments. Understanding what unfolds in the heavens requires a look at Earth's orbital mechanics. As our planet journeys around the sun, it does so on a tilted axis. For most of the year, this tilt means that sunlight and warmth are distributed unequally between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Solstices occur when this axial tilt is at its most extreme, resulting in the most significant disparity between day and night lengths. During the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice, the upper half of the Earth is tilted directly towards the sun, creating the year's longest day and shortest night. The winter solstice, conversely, sees the Northern Hemisphere leaning away from the sun, leading to the shortest day and longest night. In contrast to the solstices, equinoxes are periods when the Earth's axis and its orbit align in such a way that both hemispheres receive an almost equal amount of sunlight. The word "equinox" itself comes from Latin words meaning "equal" and "night." On these days, day and night are nearly identical in duration. The Northern Hemisphere experiences its spring (vernal) equinox between March 19 and 21, and its autumn (autumnal) equinox between September 21 and 24. At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon during an equinox, and uniquely, both the North and South Poles are simultaneously illuminated by sunshine. It is also important to distinguish between astronomical and meteorological seasons. While astronomical seasons are defined by the Earth's precise movements around the sun, meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles, dividing the year into fixed three-month periods. By this calendar, spring begins on March 1, summer on June 1, autumn on September 1, and winter on December 1.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
The summer solstice is here. What to know about the longest day of the year
The Northern Hemisphere has reached its peak sunshine, marking the summer solstice – the longest day of the year and the official start of astronomical summer. Conversely, for those in the Southern Hemisphere, it signifies the shortest day and the onset of winter. The term "solstice" derives from the Latin words "sol" for sun and "stitium," meaning "pause" or "stop." This celestial event marks the sun's highest annual arc in the sky, after which it begins its gradual retreat, leading to progressively shorter days until late December. For millennia, civilisations have observed and celebrated the solstices, constructing monuments like Stonehenge, which was precisely aligned to the sun's paths during these pivotal moments. Understanding what unfolds in the heavens requires a look at Earth's orbital mechanics. As our planet journeys around the sun, it does so on a tilted axis. For most of the year, this tilt means that sunlight and warmth are distributed unequally between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Solstices occur when this axial tilt is at its most extreme, resulting in the most significant disparity between day and night lengths. During the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice, the upper half of the Earth is tilted directly towards the sun, creating the year's longest day and shortest night. The winter solstice, conversely, sees the Northern Hemisphere leaning away from the sun, leading to the shortest day and longest night. In contrast to the solstices, equinoxes are periods when the Earth's axis and its orbit align in such a way that both hemispheres receive an almost equal amount of sunlight. The word "equinox" itself comes from Latin words meaning "equal" and "night." On these days, day and night are nearly identical in duration. The Northern Hemisphere experiences its spring (vernal) equinox between March 19 and 21, and its autumn (autumnal) equinox between September 21 and 24. At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon during an equinox, and uniquely, both the North and South Poles are simultaneously illuminated by sunshine. It is also important to distinguish between astronomical and meteorological seasons. While astronomical seasons are defined by the Earth's precise movements around the sun, meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles, dividing the year into fixed three-month periods. By this calendar, spring begins on March 1, summer on June 1, autumn on September 1, and winter on December 1.
Arab News
07-06-2025
- Science
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: The Earth Transformed
Author: Peter Frankopan "The Earth Transformed" reveals how climate change has dramatically shaped the development — and demise — of civilizations across time. Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. Frankopan shows that when past empires failed to act sustainably, they were met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, the book will radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.
