50,000-year-old jewellery made from ostrich eggshells discovered in Siberian cave
History and ArcheoloryOstriches may have lived in Siberia in Palaeolithic times. Palaeolithic beads made from ostrich eggshells found in Siberia Acollection of jewellery made from the eggs of ostriches has been unearthed by archaeologists in the Denisova Cave in the Altai region of Siberia in Russia. The jewellery, which dates to the Palaeolithic period, was made by…
2,000-year-old pet cats unearthed in Roman graveyard in Egypt
History and ArcheoloryThe way the cats were buried suggests that they were well-cared-for pets that died of natural causes. 86 pet cats from Roman times were found on the outskirts of the ancient port town of Berenike in Egypt. The method of burial suggests they were not part of a religious ritual but simply pets that died…
Gallery: Gruesome cannibal burials in pictures
History and ArcheoloryAncient burials in central Brazil suggest corpses were mutilated, defleshed and burnt after death Early human skeletal remains found in Lapa do Santo in central Brazil have provided archaeologists with new clues about how ancient groups in the Americas dealt with their deceased, 9,500 years ago. Some funerary rituals appeared to have involved the reduction…
Hearts removed from corpses and Renaissance mummies rewrite Europe’s history of death
History and ArcheoloryBodies were embalmed in the Renaissance not for secular but for religious purposes. Hundreds of burials discovered in a convent in Brittany, France, have shed new light on medieval and Renaissance funerary practices. Archaeologists have identified mummified corpses, as well as hearts and brains extracted from the deceased bodies that suggest that burials were still…
Mysterious ‘crouched’ burials in remote Siberia hint to the practice of ritualistic sacrifices
History and ArcheoloryFours individuals had been buried at a medieval site in a crouched position. During the excavation of a medieval archaeological site in a remote region of Siberia, archaeologists claim to have found the remains of four individuals buried in a crouched position. Such a strange burial had never been seen before in the region, and…
‘Hunchback of Torrenueva’ unearthed in Roman cemetery in southern Spain
History and ArcheoloryArchaeologists have found the remains of a young man who suffered from Scheuermann’s disease. Diagnosing diseases on ancient skeletons can be tricky (representational image) In an ancient Roman Necropolis located near Granada (southern Spain), archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a young man who had been suffering from a rare condition known as Scheuermann’s disease,…
Danish Bronze Age elite buried in fancy woolly hats and shawls, 3,500-year-old graves reveal
History and ArcheoloryAs wealthy classes emerged in Europe, they distinguished themselves with expensive imported clothing. High-status Bronze Age Danes wore intricate wool clothes that were made hundreds if not thousands of miles away, to show how well-travelled and wealthy they were. The first wide-scale study of wool clothes from the period has revealed how this elite class…
1,800 year-old ‘Mini Pompeii’ unearthed during Rome metro line excavations
History and ArcheoloryThe remains of two buildings, including a solarium, and the bones of a dog were identified by archaeologists. Excavation work conducted in Rome to extend a metro line has revealed a ‘mini Pompeii’ hiding in the city. The remains of two buildings, including a solarium, and the bones of a dog were identified by archaeologists.…
Tomb Hidden by History, Now Revealed: Wet Nurse of Tutankhamun May have been His Own Sister
History and ArcheoloryThe famous Egyptian boy king, Pharaoh Tutankhamun is believed to have been wet-nursed by a woman named Maia—who may have been his sister. The tomb of this mysterious woman has been opened to the public for the first time since its discovery in 1996, revealing ancient engravings and paintings. The tomb in Saqqara, a necropolis located 20…
Revealing the Secrets of Sumerian Riches: Treasures from the Royal Cemetery of Ur
History and ArcheoloryThe Royal Cemetery of Ur received its name because of the large quantity of treasures that were discovered there during the excavations headed by Sir Charles Leonard Woolley between 1922 and 1934. Amongst other things, this treasure includes jewelry, weapons, musical instruments, as well as some curious artifacts. Although the treasures do not necessarily reflect…