Category: Antiquity
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Late-antique mass grave discovered in Florence
The skeletal remains of more than 60 people are found underneath the famous Uffizi Gallery, Florence, during construction work. Coins that were found in the grave date back to the 4th or 5th century AD, so it is likely the men and women died around that age. Since there is no physical trauma to the…
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Late Antique-treasure looted by an amateur archaeologist
A Roman treasure dating from the early 5th century was dug up last week near Germersheim in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Not by official archaeologists, but by an amateur who conducted an illegal attempt to recover the treasure after he found it with his metal detector. He dug up the metal objects and destroyed the historical context…
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Could tattoos hold the key to deciphering the long lost language of the Indus Valley culture?
Women of the Rabari and Bharwad communities, nomadic tribes living in the Indian state of Gujarat, are known for the elaborate tattoos they wear on their faces, arms and legs. The tattoos represent characteristics such as fertility or acquired skills. New research indicates that these tattoos closely resemble symbols used in the Indus Valley script,…
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Archaeological proof of early life of Buddha found in Nepal
Untill recently, no archaeological proof of the early life of the Gautauma Buddha was found. Al that we knew of him was through textual sources and oral tradition. It was even uncertain when he lived – some scholars thought he lived in the third century B.C., others estimate he lived hundreds of years earlier. Now,…
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Spontanious combustion after a freak chariot crash. Another theory on Tutankhamun’s death
At least that’s what Egyptologist Chris Naunton of the Egypt Exploration Society concluded, after examining tissues of the dead pharaoh. Ever since Tutankhamun was excavated in 1923, the question how and why the pharaoh died has been unanswered. Naunton isn’t the first to think to know how Tutankhamun’s life ended: Lots of scenarios were suggested…
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What did the real Jesus look like?
Our image of Jesus is that of a bearded, masculine figure. A man in agony, hanging on the cross, crucified for the sins of humanity. This rather gloomy presence is quite different in comparison to the Jesus from early Christianity. This original image of Christ is much debated lately, mainly by art historians. Recently, a…
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Ancient Egyptian beads made from outer space material
A new study of the London’s University College’ Institute of Archaeology suggest that ancient Egyptian beads were formed from iron meteorites that fell to Earth from outer space. This sheds new light on the mastery of Iron Craft by the Egyptians: These 5000 year old artifacts were created 2000 years before the start of Egypt’s…