This year there have been a number of significant discoveries in the field of archaeology.
Perhaps some of the most interesting involved innovative technology that allowed archaeologists to dig deeper than before, such as the discovery of an ancient temple, now underwater, in a sunken city off the coast of Egypt and an ancient Greek catacomb found beneath the southern city of Italy from Naples Others, however, have been directly linked to current events, including the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, which emerged after floods devastated Libya.
Some early settlements, such as a Neolithic monument and a mysterious shrine have been identified on the Scottish island of Arran and the Dutch city of Tiel, respectively, offering a deeper understanding of their ancient societies. There were also culturally significant treasures revealed such as a 3,000-year-old sealed corridor in a huge Chavín temple complex in Peru, sixty mummified corpses that were found in two tombs in the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor and, although not a discovery, the Vatican . reopening to the public of an ancient Roman necropolis.
Although all of them were important, there is a selection that stood out from the rest. Below is a look at ten archaeological finds that are likely to have an impact not only this year, but our understanding of human history for years to come.
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57,000-year-old Neanderthal footprints found in sealed French cave
Image credit: Courtesy of Jean-Claude Marquet/SWNS
Scientists analyzed hundreds of wavy lines, dots and faint striations, known as finger striations, left on the longest, most uniform wall of an ancient cave at La Roche-Cotard in France’s Loire Valley. The marks appear to have been made by Neanderthals sweeping and pressing their fingers onto a thin brown film on the limestone walls. It is not clear, however, what they mean. Made over 57,000 years ago, these are the oldest Neanderthal marks identified so far.
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A lost 4,500-year-old ancient palace unearthed in Iraq
Image Credit: Photo by Arshad Mohammed/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A lost palace from the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu has been found using drone photography in southern Iraq. There, archaeologists identified the underground remains of a previously unknown large complex at the site of Tablet Hill in the present-day city of Tello. The team found the temple of Eninnu, the main sanctuary of the Sumerian god Ningirsu, the namesake of the ancient city. Before this discovery, the temple was only known from ancient inscriptions found at the site 140 years ago.
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Prison bakery found in Pompeii
Image credit: Courtesy of Pompeii Archaeological Park
Archaeologists at the Pompeii Archaeological Park have identified the remains of a prison bakery where slaves were locked up with donkeys and forced to grind grain to bake bread. The narrow room contains only small windows secured with iron bars at the top of the wall. There are still notches on the floor from the animals that would walk together, blindfolded, for hours in coordinated work. These findings shed additional light on the conditions of slavery in the ancient world. It is “a space in which we have to imagine the presence of people in a servile condition,” Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said in a statement. “It is the most shocking side of former slavery […] reduced to raw violence”.
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The oldest pearl fishing city discovered in the Persian Gulf
Image credit: Courtesy of Umm al-Quwain Department of Tourism and Archaeology
The world’s oldest known pearl fishing town has been unearthed by archaeologists on Al-Siniyah Island, off the coast of Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates. The 12-acre fishing town, about 30 miles northeast of Dubai, probably had thousands of inhabitants and was active year-round between the late 6th and mid-8th centuries, before the arrival of Islam in the area. This is the first time that archaeological evidence confirms its existence, which until now was only documented in ancient texts.
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1,800-year-old Roman city discovered in Luxor, Egypt
Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
A complete Roman residential city, dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, has been discovered by Egyptian archaeologists in Luxor. The latter settlement is the “oldest and most important city to be found on the eastern bank of Luxor,” according to Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. There, the team discovered a series of residential buildings, as well as two dove towers to house carrier birds and metal workshops, as well as a treasure trove of pots, tools and Roman bronze and copper coins inside the workshops.
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An ancient housing complex has been discovered in Chichén Itzá in Mexico
Image Credit: Photo Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A group of structures, believed to be part of an elite housing complex, are the earliest known residences within the city limits of Chichén Itzá. The complex includes an entrance arch, the House of Snails, the House of the Moon and the Palacio dos Falos. Chichén Itzá is a complex of Mayan ruins on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula that began in the 5th century AD The city, which was ruled by the Mayan elite and served as a place of pilgrimage for the ancient Maya, especially during times of drought, is a World Heritage Site UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
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Foundations of Harriet Tubman Birthplace Identified in Maryland
Image Credit: Courtesy of Governor Moore’s Office
Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist and social activist who, after escaping slavery, used the network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad to lead others to freedom. The home of Tubman’s father, Ben Ross, was found on private property near Maryland’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The brick foundations of the house were excavated, along with hundreds of small items, including buttons, pottery shards, a cache of West African spirits and a heart-shaped glass plug, which was usually placed in front of the fireplace to prevent entry of evil spirits. .
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New Moai statue found on Easter Island
Image credit: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A new Moai statue has been unearthed on the remote Chilean volcanic island of Easter Island. The stone carved statues were originally created by a native Polynesian tribe over 500 years ago. This is the first to be discovered in a dry lake bed, as a result of climate change. After a volcanic eruption damaged the statues in 2022, the possibility of identifying more has historical significance for both the native Rapa Nui community and tourists. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Ancient Wari ritual complex discovered in southern Peru
Image credit: Courtesy of David Reid/University of Illinois Chicago
Archaeologists have found a 1,200-year-old ritual complex built by the Wari empire at the site of Pakaytambo in southern Peru. The D-shaped temple complex was erected on a large platform in a strategic location between the Andean highlands and the coastal valleys of Arequipa, along a prehistoric transit route. Several hundred years before the rise of the Inca Empire, the civilization of the Wari people controlled much of present-day Peru through a series of complex and important centers between the 6th and 10th centuries.
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The ancient Roman city in central Italy calls into question the fall of the Empire
Image credit: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The ancient Roman city of Interamna Lirenas has survived 300 years longer than previously believed, prompting experts to question the impact of the Empire’s collapse in the 3rd century AD Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a covered theatre, market places, warehouses and a port fluvial than it was a flourishing and adaptable city.
