Archaeology News Online Magazine

Mystery of the Arnish Moor Man: Belongings of 18th-Century Suspected Murder Victim on Display A new exhibition showing the personal items of a mystery 18th-century man, known as the Arnish Moor Man, has opened at the Kinloch Historical Society on the Isle of Lewis. The collection, comprising a well-preserved knitted bonnet and other items, represents the first time these items have been exhibited in a generation. The story of the Arnish Moor Man dates back to 1964, when the remains of a young man were discovered in a peat bank on Arnish Moor, south of Stornoway. Forensic research found that he was between 20 and 25 years old and had suffered a fatal head injury, suggesting he may have been murdered. Despite extensive inquiry, his identity remains unclear. However, his clothing and possessions provide vital insight into life in the Outer Hebrides during the early 1700s... More information: https://lnkd.in/eGgTwGyT #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #anthropology #arnishmoorman

The Le Câtillon II hoard: exploring the mystery of Jersey’s buried Celtic treasure More than a decade ago, after three decades of searching, metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles uncovered one of the biggest Celtic hoards ever found. The Le Câtillon II hoard contained about 70,000 silver coins, gold torques, and jewelry, all found in Jersey’s Grouville parish. Despite copious research, one main question remained unanswered until now: Why was such an immense treasure buried in an isolated location, far from known Celtic settlements and trade routes? A recent study in Wreckwatch magazine presents new theories that challenge previous assumptions about the origins and purpose of the Le Câtillon II hoard. According to the latest findings, this extraordinary cache belonged to the Coriosolitae, a Celtic tribe from northeastern Brittany. It had probably been brought to Jersey amid the turmoil of the mid-1st century BCE during the Gallic Wars when the Roman Empire’s expansion threatened the autonomy of Celtic Gaul. Written sources from 57 BCE describe the Coriosolitae as part of a last-ditch alliance against Rome. The hoard may have made its way to Jersey as a desperate act of preservation after their defeat... More information: https://lnkd.in/eyG8AiXn #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #romanempire #celticgaul #lecâtillonii #Celtic

Archaeologists uncover lost ancient city beneath Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand A recent study led by Prof. Dr. Santi Pailoplee from Chulalongkorn University has revealed the existence of an ancient city beneath the historic center of Nakhon Ratchasima, in northeastern Thailand. The discovery, based on aerial photographs taken in the 1950s, suggests that an extensive four-sided earthen embankment, which would have surrounded a lost city, may have existed before the city’s known history. By analyzing aerial images from 1954, they identified what appears to be some kind of linear embankment just north, west, and east of the Takhong Canal. The embankment seems to run beneath Nakhon Ratchasima’s historic center, suggesting that it preceded the city and the Takhong Canal, which was built in the Ayutthaya period under King Narai the Great (1656 to 1688 CE)... More information: https://lnkd.in/e-vkyraW #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #aerialphotography #ancientthailand #remotesensing #nakhonratchasima #ayutthayathailand

Ancient whalers’ graves in Svalbard are vanishing as permafrost melts The frozen landscapes of Svalbard, a remote archipelago of Norway in the Arctic, have hidden a special archaeological find for years—graves from the 17th and 18th centuries that belong to European whalers. However, rising temperatures are fast becoming a menace to those very burial sites, accelerating their decay or even washing some into the sea. The graves, containing the remains of around 600 whalers, have been well preserved in permafrost for centuries. But climate change has begun to change the environment at an alarming rate, causing permafrost to thaw, destabilizing graves, and exposing skeletal and textile materials to erosion and microbial decay. Under the direction of Lise Loktu, an archaeologist and researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU), the research project “Skeletons in the Closet” aims to document the damage and analyze the remains before they disappear... More information: https://lnkd.in/eE9n3amE #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #anthropology #climatechange #whaler #svalbard

First Bronze Age settlement in Maghreb predates Phoenicians An archaeology team led by Hamza Benattia Melgarejo, a researcher from the University of Barcelona, proposes that their discovery of the remains of a settlement at Kach Kouch, along the Lau River, about 10 kilometers inland from the coast and 30 kilometers southeast of Tétouan, dating as far back as 2200 BCE, rewrites the current perspective of the environmental scenario of ancient Maghreb. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that the region was virtually uninhabited until the arrival of the Phoenicians around 800 BCE... More information: https://lnkd.in/evRPCEiR #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #bronzeage #kachkouch

Neolithic stone circle in Dorset redated, possibly inspiring Stonehenge’s design Recent archaeological research has revealed that the Flagstones monument near Dorchester, Dorset, is the earliest known circular enclosure in Britain. The results of advanced radiocarbon dating have placed it around two centuries older than previously estimated. Published in Antiquity by researchers from the University of Exeter and Historic England, these findings shed new light on the evolution of monumental architecture in Neolithic Britain... More information: https://lnkd.in/eZc-YepH #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #dorchester #neolithic #Flagstones #stonehenge

Archaeologists uncover rock-cut cellars and historic quarry beneath Paderborn’s historic center An excavation led by archaeologists from the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association in Germany has unearthed a series of basement rooms and a former quarry beneath the historic center of Paderborn. The excavation exposed a quarry known to have been used from the 11th century onwards to provide building material for churches and palaces in Paderborn. Over time, the area was used for residential construction and infrastructure projects. While its extent remains unknown, the quarry was extended southwest from the monastery area toward the lower-lying Pader Springs... More information: https://lnkd.in/eYWp4QF8 #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #paderborn #historicquarry

New radiocarbon dating reveals Lapedo Child’s age and Neanderthal-human interaction A recent study has used advanced radiocarbon dating to present a more precise age for the Lapedo Child, a significant archaeological find that reshaped our perception of the interaction between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. The remains show both Neanderthal and modern human traits, and they have been dated to about 28,000 years ago, upending the earlier date range... More information: https://lnkd.in/eU-3FSpm #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #anthropology #neanderthal #radiocarbondating #Neanderthals #homosapiens #lapedochild

Remains of Cleveland airman identified 80 years after WWII crash, returning home After nearly 80 years, the remains of 2nd Lt. Robert T. McCollum, a U.S. Army Air Forces bombardier who went missing in action during World War II, have been identified. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) officially confirmed McCollum’s identification, bringing long-awaited closure to his family. McCollum, from Cleveland, Ohio, served in the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force. His squadron had a significant impact on the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany, attacking key industrial and military installations in Berlin, Merseburg, Münster, and Vegesack. The unit also participated in Operation Argument (Big Week) in February 1944, an all-out effort aimed at crippling Germany’s aircraft production industry... More information: https://lnkd.in/ezrzwy2J #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #airforce #anthropology #WorldWarII #worldwar2 #WWII

1.5-million-year-old bone tools discovered in Tanzania are the oldest ever, reshaping early hominin technology Archaeologists have uncovered a collection of bone tools at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, dating back 1.5 million years. This finding has pushed back systematic bone tool production by more than a million years and challenges previous assumptions about the technological capability of early hominins. Crafted from the bones of elephants and hippopotamuses, these tools showcase an advanced level of cognitive ability and craftsmanship, which was thought to have emerged much later in human development... More information: https://lnkd.in/eXE7hT7v #archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #anthropology #bonetools #olduvaigorge #earlyhuman