Couple buried side by side in a sarcophagus found in Kazlıçeşme 1600 ago
History and ArcheoloryDuring the restoration work carried out in the area where Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum is planned to be built, a sarcophagus and a cist-type tomb buried under the mosaic were found. Skeletons of a man and woman, presumably Roman, were found inside the sarcophagus. Archaeological excavations in Zeytinburnu in the area where Kazlıçeşme mosaic is located continue…
Herakles mosaic of 164 square meters was unearthed in Alanya
History and ArcheoloryArchaeologists have unearthed a floor mosaic of approximately 164 square meters, depicting the 12 missions of the mythological hero Heracles, discovered in 2019 during the archaeological excavations in the Ancient City of Syedra. Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Faculty of Letters, Archeology Department Lecturer and Syedra Ancient City Excavation Committee Head Assoc. Dr. Ertuğ Ergürer said that they have…
The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo and Their Most Famous Mummy
History and ArcheoloryHuman beings have always had a fascination with death. In some cultures, the dead are never left alone, but continue to interact with the living. For instance, some set up ancestor cults to memorialize their dead forebears. Others believe that the living can communicate with the dead via mediums. While these forms of interaction deal…
Tomb of the Tattooed Sorceress Queen, The Lady of Cao
History and ArcheoloryThe day had been spent in ritual battles, and a group of individuals who were vanquished, naked, and tied-together were marched up the long stairs to the top platform of the great pyramid where there they were killed, throats cut, sacrificed to their supreme deity. A great silver goblet, the mark of a ruler in…
The Beauty of Loulan and the Tattooed Mummies of the Tarim Basin
History and ArcheoloryLoulan was discovered in 1980, but it was 3800 years ago that she died on the trade route known as the Silk Road. The natural dryness and salty soil preserved her and over two hundred other mummies, individuals who had lived in several closely located settlements along the trade route. The mummy has been called…
The Last Moments of 500-Year-Old Child Mummies
History and ArcheoloryOver a decade ago, the remains of three children were found, remarkably preserved, atop the summit of Volcan Llullaillaco in Argentina. In 2012, an analysis on the bodies of the 13-year-old ‘Maiden’ and her 4- to 5-year-old companions, Llullaillaco Boy and Lightening Girl, revealed that the children had been drugged and given alcohol on a regular basis…
Tollund Man – the preserved face from Prehistoric Denmark and the tale of ritual sacrifice
History and ArcheoloryTollund Man is the naturally mummified body of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. He was hanged as a sacrifice to the gods and placed in a peat bog where he remained preserved for more than two millennia. Today, the face…
Ten Incredible Mummy Discoveries That Shocked the World
History and ArcheoloryMummies of humans and other animals have been found on every continent, both as a result of natural preservation through unique climatic conditions, and as intentionally preserved corpses for religious or cultural purposes. In addition to the well-known mummy discoveries of ancient Egypt, deliberate mummification was a feature of several ancient cultures in areas of…
Oldest and First ‘Wampo’ Ritual Canoe Burial Found in Argentina
History and ArcheoloryAn almost 900-year-old canoe burial of a 17–25-year-old Mapuche woman has been found by archaeologists in the Argentinian Patagonia region, near the current border of Chile and Argentina. The recent find is the earliest canoe burial in southern South America, and the southernmost example of this burial form on the South American continent. A study…
A Rare Stone Age Burial Found Amongst 140 German Medieval Graves
History and ArcheoloryArchaeologists have discovered a rare Stone Age burial containing 5,000-year-old pottery in the Danube valley of southwestern Germany. The Neolithic burial site was found in an area where 140 medieval graves were also unearthed, many containing swords and jewelry. After the Volga in Russia, the Danube is the second longest river in Europe. Originating in…