An international team of scientists working at a mammoth hunting site called Breitenbach near Zeitz in Saxony-Anhalt has discovered what they believe is an organized workshop that produced ivory objects around 35,000 years ago. The site is open and massive, estimated at anywhere from about 6,000 square meters to as much as 20,000 meters. It was undoubtedly occupied by modern humans during the Aurignacian period (40,000-34,000 years ago).
The site has evidence of distinct working areas. In one, for example, pieces of ivory were split. There is a second area where pieces had been carved and waste discarded. The team found ivory beads and unfinished rough-outs in the debris. Other objects, including a decorated rod and fragments of what may have been a three-dimensional sculpture were also discovered.
The ivory these early "factory" workers used may have been from the remains of mammoths which had been hunted nearby, or might have died naturally. Close to 3,000 finds have been made in 2012 alone, even though the first archaeological excavations at the massive site were carried out in the 1920s.
Scientists investigating the site, believed to be one of the largest of its time, are excited about the possibility of gaining insights into the culture and organization of the people who lived and worked there during the Upper Paleolithic, and hope to find other examples of art, personal adornment, and perhaps even music. Naturally, they hope to find burials, which often shed much light on the social life and culture of the people who lived there
.
There is a great deal of work still to be done at Breitenbach, and with a little luck, perhaps the researchers there will be able to add precious details to what we know about the Aurignacian people and their lifestyles.
There’s more information on the Breitenbach site here
If you're interested, I posted about the world's oldest ivory sculpture here
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The World’s Oldest Dinosaur Eggs
These may be the oldest eggs of any kind in the world today. They are probably somewhere around 190 million years old, and contain well preserved embryos.
The eggs, identified as those of a Massospondylus, a land dweller, were first found in 1976 in South Africa. This primitive animal is believed to be an ancestor of the brontosaurus. They were Prosauropods, which were the first species to diversify and become a widely spread group.
Because the eggs contained tiny embryo skeletons, scientists have been able to reconstruct what the babies might have looked like. Scientists say the babies looked very different from their parents. Unlike their parents, the tiny babies had relatively long legs and probably walked on all fours while they parents moved about on two legs. The embryos’ heads were also large compared to those of the adults, whose heads and necks were relatively small for their 16-foot (5 meter) tall bodies.
The small size and awkward body shape of the embryos, which were not quite ready to hatch and were only about 3/4 inch (20 cm) long, also suggest that the babies would have required care by their parents. If that is case, then these tiny embryos may show evidence of the world’s oldest known example of parental care.
If you’re interested in seeing pictures of the clutch of eggs and embryos, you can find them here
The eggs, identified as those of a Massospondylus, a land dweller, were first found in 1976 in South Africa. This primitive animal is believed to be an ancestor of the brontosaurus. They were Prosauropods, which were the first species to diversify and become a widely spread group.
Because the eggs contained tiny embryo skeletons, scientists have been able to reconstruct what the babies might have looked like. Scientists say the babies looked very different from their parents. Unlike their parents, the tiny babies had relatively long legs and probably walked on all fours while they parents moved about on two legs. The embryos’ heads were also large compared to those of the adults, whose heads and necks were relatively small for their 16-foot (5 meter) tall bodies.
The small size and awkward body shape of the embryos, which were not quite ready to hatch and were only about 3/4 inch (20 cm) long, also suggest that the babies would have required care by their parents. If that is case, then these tiny embryos may show evidence of the world’s oldest known example of parental care.
If you’re interested in seeing pictures of the clutch of eggs and embryos, you can find them here
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The World’s Oldest Skirt
Armenia’s Areni-1 cave is already known for the discovery of the world’s oldest leather shoes. Now it has produced another ancient garment. This time it is a skirt made of reeds and has been dated at 5,900 years old. It is now thought to be the oldest piece of reed clothing discovered to date.
The cave has been under investigation by a team of Irish, American and Armenian researchers since 2007. It has yielded numerous fascinating discoveries over the years, including the mummified remains of a goat that may be 5,900 years old, more than 1,000 years older than many of the famous mummified animals found in Egypt.
There’s more information about the skirt here
The cave has been under investigation by a team of Irish, American and Armenian researchers since 2007. It has yielded numerous fascinating discoveries over the years, including the mummified remains of a goat that may be 5,900 years old, more than 1,000 years older than many of the famous mummified animals found in Egypt.
There’s more information about the skirt here
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The Oldest House in Britain
This is not the oldest house in the world, but it is the oldest one found so far in Britain. Dated at 11,500 years old, the building was found at the Star Carr Site near Scarborough in North Yorkshire. It predates the previous "oldest house in Britain," located in Howick, Northumberland, by about 500 years. The archaeological team excavating the site also believes a nearby platform may be the oldest known example of carpentry in Europe.
The house was circular, and 3.5 meters (14.2 feet) in diameter, smaller than later iron age round houses. It was built of timber posts arranged around a sunken floor area. There is no way to tell how the walls and roof were finished, but it may have been thatched or covered by reeds, or a combination of reeds and animal hides. Sunken floors were not uncommon in ancient houses to take advantage of their ability to help regulate temperatures inside the structures.
The structure was dated by using a combination of radiocarbon tests and identification of the general types of tools found at the site. It may have been rebuilt several times, so it is possible that the original structure was somewhat older. In fact, the Star Carr site is believed to have been in use for somewhere between 200 and 500 years. There may also have been other houses at the site.
Since the original discovery of the site in the 1940s, several interesting finds have been reported. Archaeologists have reported finding arrow tips and masks made from red deer skulls. A boat paddle was retrieved, and several antler head-dresses which may have been used in rituals also turned up during the excavations conducted throughout the years. Another notable find was that of a tree, with its bark still intact, which was subsequently dated at about 11,000 years of age.
At the time the Yorkshire house was built, the planet was just recovering from the effects of the last Ice Age. Glaciers had retreated and Britain was still attached to continental Europe, so people were able to migrate back to the island. These people were still hunter-gatherers who made their living by gathering fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables and by hunting game such as deer, elk, and boar with the help of domesticated dogs.
Our picture of hunter-gatherers is that of people almost constantly on the move in search of food and materials to make tools. So it is somewhat surprising to archaeologists that it appears the people living at the Star Carr site had a more-or-less permanent settlement that was inhabited for generations. The presence of the boat oar indicates that the people here may have fished and gathered edible shellfish at the nearby lake. We have no idea at this time what type of boats they might have used
.
The Yorkshire site has changed our understanding of the lives of the so-called ‘nomadic’ hunter-gatherers. It also holds out the possibility that other sites may still exist which will help us to understand even more about the lives of our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
For more information about the Star Carr site, visit here
The house was circular, and 3.5 meters (14.2 feet) in diameter, smaller than later iron age round houses. It was built of timber posts arranged around a sunken floor area. There is no way to tell how the walls and roof were finished, but it may have been thatched or covered by reeds, or a combination of reeds and animal hides. Sunken floors were not uncommon in ancient houses to take advantage of their ability to help regulate temperatures inside the structures.
The structure was dated by using a combination of radiocarbon tests and identification of the general types of tools found at the site. It may have been rebuilt several times, so it is possible that the original structure was somewhat older. In fact, the Star Carr site is believed to have been in use for somewhere between 200 and 500 years. There may also have been other houses at the site.
Since the original discovery of the site in the 1940s, several interesting finds have been reported. Archaeologists have reported finding arrow tips and masks made from red deer skulls. A boat paddle was retrieved, and several antler head-dresses which may have been used in rituals also turned up during the excavations conducted throughout the years. Another notable find was that of a tree, with its bark still intact, which was subsequently dated at about 11,000 years of age.
At the time the Yorkshire house was built, the planet was just recovering from the effects of the last Ice Age. Glaciers had retreated and Britain was still attached to continental Europe, so people were able to migrate back to the island. These people were still hunter-gatherers who made their living by gathering fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables and by hunting game such as deer, elk, and boar with the help of domesticated dogs.
Our picture of hunter-gatherers is that of people almost constantly on the move in search of food and materials to make tools. So it is somewhat surprising to archaeologists that it appears the people living at the Star Carr site had a more-or-less permanent settlement that was inhabited for generations. The presence of the boat oar indicates that the people here may have fished and gathered edible shellfish at the nearby lake. We have no idea at this time what type of boats they might have used
.
The Yorkshire site has changed our understanding of the lives of the so-called ‘nomadic’ hunter-gatherers. It also holds out the possibility that other sites may still exist which will help us to understand even more about the lives of our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
For more information about the Star Carr site, visit here
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