Photo: Kirk Murray/University of Iowa

Mastodons once lumbered across North America. A member of the same animal family as mammoths and modern-day elephants, these ancient creatures roamed for millions of years, but died out in the end of the Pleistocene, around 10,500 years ago. Their decline coincided with several other critical changes, including the receding of the Ice Age glaciers and the spread of human beings across the continent. Discovering a fossil from this time period is an exciting chance to learn more about a time of transition. Intriguingly, a mastodon skull recently excavated from an Iowa riverbed sheds light on this ancient era.

The remains of the mastodon, scientifically known as Mammut americanum, were discovered after a local of rural Wayne County, Iowa, posted a photo of himself holding a large, unearthed bone which turned out to be a mastodon femur. Archeologists from the University of Iowa pursued this lead all the way to the muddy banks of a creek. In the bank, they discovered a tusk, seemingly attached to a skull. Further excavating proved this supposition correct.

The 2-foot tusk that projected from the massive skull offers intriguing possibilities for the researchers. The tusk formation can actually reveal quite a lot about the creature. “Apparently there are techniques now to determine how many calves a female mastodon had that get recorded as a chemical signature because of the changes in the body chemistry during the pregnancy and the birth,” John Doershuk, Iowa’s state archaeologist, told Iowa Public Radio. “And that gets recorded in the tusks.”

Discovered near the creek during the excavation were tools crafted in stone used by early human residents of the area. While the mastodon skull dates to 13,600 years ago, the tools are more recent by a couple millennia. However, at the time the mastodon frolicked through Iowa, the earliest human inhabitants of the state were arriving.

“We’re really hoping to find evidence of human interaction with this creature—perhaps the projectile points and knives that were used to kill the animal and do initial butchering,” archeologist Doershuk said in a statement. “There’s also potential evidence on the bones themselves—there could be identifiable cut marks.”

While human activity and climate change combined to cause the decline of the mastodon, this individual could tell a unique story of interacting species.

Discovered in a riverbed in Iowa, a mastodon skull tells the story of an ending Ice Age and burgeoning human presence in what is now the American midwest.

Photo: Kirk Murray/University of Iowa

A protruding tusk could unveil much more about the creature.

Photo: Kirk Murray/University of Iowa

“Apparently there are techniques now to determine how many calves a female mastodon had that get recorded as a chemical signature because of the changes in the body chemistry during the pregnancy and the birth. And that gets recorded in the tusks.”

Photo: Kirk Murray/University of Iowa

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

Related Articles:

Meet the Lokiceratops, a Dinosaur With Unique Horns

Artist Imagines Beloved Pop Culture Characters as “Cartoon Fossils” in a Museum

Scientists Discover Where the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs Came From

9,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs Reveal Early Humans Knew About Dinosaurs

READ: 13,600-Year-Old Mastodon Skull Discovered in Iowa Riverbank

Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

In modern-day Turkey, a team of researchers from the Notion Archeological Project has made a discovery that seems straight out of a legend: a collection of gold coins, over 2,000 years old, stashed in a small pot.

The research team, led by Christopher Ratté, an archeologist at the University of Michigan, has been conducting excavations in Notion since 2022. These coins were found beneath the courtyard of a Hellenistic house in Notion, or Notium, an ancient Greek city and archaeological site.

The precious coins are molded with the symbol of a kneeling archer, indicating they are Persian darics from the fifth century BCE. Darics were minted from the late sixth century until 330 BCE, when the Persian empire was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Not only were these coins used as currency but they were also likely intended as payment for mercenaries. Scientists contextualize this with past military activity and regional conflicts that occurred in Notion.

The discovery of the coins is significant to archeologists because most hoards of timeless precious metals are often found by plunderers before researchers have the chance to examine and record them.

“An archaeological find without contextual information is like a person suffering from amnesia—a person without memories,” Ratté explained to University of Michigan News. “It is still interesting and important, but the loss of knowledge is incalculable. In the case of this hoard, we know precisely where it was found, and we have a great deal of circumstantial evidence for when it was deposited, probably in the late fifth century BCE.”

While they all have the same emblem, researchers are currently working to distinguish the different coin styles to put them in chronological order. The artifact's age was determined by analyzing other artifacts found around it.

“This hoard will provide a firm date that can serve as an anchor to help fix the chronology of the (entire sequence of coins),” Ratté noted.

Although the coins were discovered last year, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has only recently permitted the disclosure of the findings.

By continuing to examine these coins, researchers may not uncover the exact reason why they were buried, but they could potentially enhance our understanding of ancient economic systems and the Persian Empire. Each discovery of artifacts from the past allows archeologists to further enrich our historical knowledge, one piece at a time.

In modern-day Turkey, a research team uncovered a hoard of over 2,000-year-old gold coins near a Hellenistic house in Notion, an ancient Greek city.

Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

The precious coins are molded with the symbol of a kneeling archer, indicating they are Persian darics minted from the late sixth century BCE until 330 BCE, when the Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

These coins, likely intended as payment for mercenaries, are significant because most hoards of darics are found by looters before scientists can investigate them.

Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

Notion Archaeological Project: Website
h/t: [University of Michigan News]

All images via Notion Archaeological Project.

Related Articles:

1,300-Year-Old Heartfelt Letter Between Family Members Found in Iranian Cave

10 Facts About the Parthenon, the Icon of Ancient Greece

Missing Head of Ancient Greek Statue Unearthed After 2,100 Years

READ: Trove of Persian Gold Coins Discovered in Ancient Greek City

Archeological findings from the road site. (Photo: Sue Potts)

History can seem distant and obscure. It can be hard to imagine scenes of everyday life long ago. But for several classes of lucky children in England, history came alive this year.

The Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Primary School sits in a charming little village in Oxfordshire, England. It has playing fields standard for children's activities. But little did they know, they were playing football atop history. Surveys in December 2023 revealed the presence of a Roman road beneath the field, and succeeding excavations have revealed a piece of Roman history. Meanwhile the children at the school have gotten a thrilling history lesson, up close and personal to the relics of Roman times.

The Brightwell Village History Group partnered with the Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society to explore the field's potential. Surveys and a test pit heightened the promise. History enthusiasts had long suspected an early Roman road passed through the area. Excavations began in the summer, turning up a road that cuts along the field. Made of cobblestone, the road is actually two layers, one older and one newer paved above.

“It’s believed to be one of the first roads in England from 43 CE, which is the year the Romans invaded,” Jason Debney, of the Brightwell Village History Group, announced to the Oxford Mail.

The digging in the schoolyard was an exciting opportunity to introduce the young pupils of the school to Roman history, which is taught in the fourth year of the school. The students, on the other side of a safety barrier, got to watch the work of the archeologists. They could ask them questions and learn more about the career as well.

“To have the children come out here every day and watch the dig progress has been fabulous for them,” Sue Potts, head teacher, told BBC News. “It’s not every day you find a Roman road beneath your school field.”

Potts also noted, “I’ve often found them gathered round the fence having a watch, seeing what’s going on, looking at the artifacts and what’s been dug up or just asking questions.”

The archeologists clearly loved the company and enthusiasm of the children, while the kids themselves appreciated the rare opportunity.

Beneath a playing field adjacent to an English school lay a Roman road, undiscovered for millennia.

It is believed to be one of the earliest Roman roads in Britain, built upon the conquering of the island by the Roman Empire.

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

Related Articles:

Divers Find 3,000-Year-Old Statue With Human Fingerprints on It at Bottom of Lake in Italy

Turkey’s Ancient Göbekli Tepe May Be Home to the World’s Oldest Solar Calendar

9,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs Reveal Early Humans Knew About Dinosaurs

2,000-Year-Old ‘Tomb of Cerberus’ Coffin Is Cracked Open in Italy

READ: Roman Road Is Found Buried Under an English Village Schoolyard

Photo: Portable Antiquities Scheme via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Anyone armed with a metal detector is often looking for buried treasure, but in 2010, one man from the UK found more than he could have ever expected. Hospital chef Dave Crisp was searching for metal objects in a field in southwest England when he hit upon something unusual—a pot filled with Roman coins.

At the time, CNN reported that Crisp initially saw 21 coins, but when he began to unearth the pot, he realized he needed to call in professionals. The UK's Portable Antiquities Scheme is set up to incentivize the public to report archeological finds and Crisp took full advantage.

County archeologists excavated the enormous vase, which would have been used for food storage. It weighed 350 pounds and contained 52,503 coins dating from 253 to 305 CE.

“At the time I actually found the pot I didn’t know what size it was but when the archaeologists came and started to uncover it, I was gobsmacked, I thought, ‘Hell, this is massive,'” Crisp told CNN.

Incredibly, 766 coins bore an image of the Roman general Marcus Aurelius Carausius, the first Roman emperor to mint coins in Britain. After the excavation, the coins were sent to the British Museum to be cleaned and recorded. It took six weeks to dry out and stabilize all the coins, which were mainly bronze. Five rare silver coins called denarii were also in the hoard. Issued by Carausius, they were the only type of silver coin to be struck in the Roman Empire at the time.

Roger Bland, a numismatist who was then Head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, speculated on why they would have been buried in the first place: “We think that whoever buried it didn't intend to come back to recover it. We can only guess why people buried treasure, some buried savings, others because they feared an invasion, perhaps this was an offering to the Gods.”

They are now called the Frome Hoard, after the location where they were found. When the initial discovery was made, it was believed that the coins had a value of $1 million. This value is important because under the UK's 1996 Treasure Act, the hoard could be purchased by a museum and half of the proceeds would be given to the finder. In this case, Dave Crisp.

However, the actually sum, while still significant, was a fair bit lower. In October 2010, the country's Treasure Valuation Committee valued the hoard at $505,995 (£320,250). In 2011, they were purchased by the Museum of Somerset and placed on permanent display. For his part, Crisp netted a tiny fee for his find even after dividing his earnings with the farmer whose land he found the hoard on.

In 2010, hospital chef Dave Crisp was searching a field with a metal detector in southwest England when he discovered a pot filled with over 52,000 Roman coins.

Dave Crisp at Frome Library on 22 July 2010, holding a tray of coins from his find (Photo: Portable Antiquities Scheme via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Five rare silver coins called denarii were also in the hoard.

Carausius silver denarius from the Frome Hoard. (Photo: Portable Antiquities Scheme via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

All of the coins, known as the Frome Hoard, were purchased by the Museum of Somerset for $505,995.

The Frome Hoard at the Museum of Somerset (Photo: Rodw via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Related Articles:

Two Rare Dimes Worth $2 Million Dollars Each Are Still in Circulation

Divers Discover Nearly 50,000 Submerged Coins Off the Coast of Italy

Japanese Archaeologists Dig Up Jar Filled With Over 200,000 Bronze Coins

Man Finds Buried Hoard of 700 Civil War-Era Gold and Silver Coins On His Farm

READ: British Man With a Metal Detector Stumbles Upon 52,000 Ancient Coins Worth $500K

Photo: Teomancimit via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Scholars have long debated who was the first to begin tracking time. Was it Julius Caesar in 45 BCE. who created the Roman calendar and introduced the leap day? Or the ancient Maya in 250 CE, known for their complex clock systems and fascination with chronology? Recent research suggests the first creators of the calendar actually came long before.

Scientists have recently discovered what may be the oldest known solar calendar in the world, interpreted from mysterious, intricate carvings at the Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Göbekli Tepe, a 12,000-year-old archaeological site, is regarded as one of the earliest indicators of organized human settlement in history—predating both the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge.

The study, published in Time and Mind, explains how the researchers interpreted various structures and symbols in the context of an ancient lunisolar calendar system. The most prominent markings are V-shaped symbols on a pillar, identified to represent individual days within a 365-day timekeeping system that includes 11 epagomenal, or additional, days.

Researchers also believe that Göbekli Tepe’s 11-pillar enclosures and a similar 11-pillar pool structure at nearby Karahan Tepe could be connected to this same lunisolar calendar system. This discovery is the oldest known example of its kind.

Furthermore, researchers believe that the ancient peoples at Göbekli Tepe held the summer solstice in high regard, with this event represented by a special symbol—a V worn around the neck of an eagle-like bird. This V motif also appears on other artifacts, including the Urfa Man statue, a wall carving at Sayburç, and a statue at Karahan Tepe. The V-symbol necklaces on these figures could suggest that they were seen as time-controlling or creator deities.

According to the scientists, the creation of the calendar was likely intended to track a shower of comet fragments that struck Earth nearly 13,000 years ago, around 10,850 BCE.

“It appears the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky, which is to be expected given their world had been devastated by a comet strike,” Martin Sweatman, a co-author of the study, remarked in a statement from the University of Edinburgh.

According to Sweatman, the lasting significance of these carvings to the people of Göbekli Tepe suggests that the impact event may have triggered the formation of a new cult or religion, which in turn could have influenced the development of civilization.

Recent research suggests that the 12,000-year-old Göbekli Tepe site in Turkey may contain the world’s oldest known solar calendar, predating other systems by thousands of years.

Photo: Rolfcosar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Carvings and structures at the site suggest a lunisolar calendar that was likely created to observe the sky following a comet strike around 13,000 years ago.

Photo: Mahmut Bozarslan via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

The event may have sparked new religious beliefs, ultimately contributing to the development of human civilization.

Photo: Radosław Botev via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 PL)

h/t: [EurekAlert!]

Related Articles:

Students Use AI To Decipher Words of Ancient Scroll Burned by Mount Vesuvius

4,000-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Writing Board Shows Student’s Spelling Mistakes

Ancient Babylonian Tablet Uses Pythagorean Theorem 1,000 Years Before Pythagoras Was Born

READ: Turkey’s Ancient Göbekli Tepe May Be Home to the World’s Oldest Solar Calendar

An artist imagines the Chicxulub impact. (Photo: Donald E. Davis/NASA via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Once upon a time, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Then, 66 million years ago, a gigantic chunk of space rock hurtled into the planet, creating a massive crater and raising clouds of dust and debris. Now known as the Chicxulub impactor, this asteroid obliterated thousands of species, including the massive land-roaming dinosaurs of yore. Yet much mystery still surrounds this event despite ample geological and paleontological research. A new paper in Science has helped solve one question: what type of space rock crashed down into Earth? As it turns out, a carbonaceous asteroid is the most likely answer based on the presence of Ruthenium, an element very rare on our planet.

Mario Fischer-Gödde of the University of Cologne, Germany, took a new tactic to help prove the recent contention put forward by scientists that the impactor was a carbonaceous asteroid. Carbonaceous asteroids, or C-type asteroids, are common in space, high in carbon content, and they are typically found on the far reaches of our system's asteroid belt. This means it’s from the outer solar system, beyond Jupiter.

Despite being quite common in space, siliceous asteroids are much more likely to hit Earth. Made of silicate and nickel-iron among other materials, these S-type asteroids fly closer to Earth on the inner side of the asteroid belt.

“So far, Chicxulub, among the 500-million-year-old impactors, seems to be a unique and rare case of a carbonaceous-type asteroid hitting Earth,” Dr. Fischer-Gödde told The New York Times.

To identify if the dino-killing asteroid was an S-type or a C-type, the researchers examined what is known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. Around the world, the debris from the impact in present-day Mexico settled and formed a thin layer of rock in the geological record. This can be seen from South Dakota to India to Italy.

It divides the two eras in its name, marking geological time with rock high in iridium. Within this boundary, the researchers discovered isotopes of ruthenium. Ruthenium is an element, a metal, which is quite rare on Earth. But its presence in the K-Pg boundary indicates the asteroid's nature.

“It’s the nail in the coffin,” Dr. Fischer-Gödde said. “This ruthenium isotope signature that we measure cannot be anything else other than a carbonaceous asteroid.” This leaves many more questions about the asteroid and those dark days for the dinosaurs that paved the way for our own time.

The Chicxulub impactor, the asteroid which extinguished the dinosaurs, was likely a rare carbonaceous asteroid, raising new questions for scientists.

Ruthenium crystals in gas phase. (Photo: Periodictableru via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

h/t: [The New York Times]

Related Articles:

Meet the Lokiceratops, a Dinosaur With Unique Horns

3,000 People in Dinosaur Costumes Gather in Public To Break a World Record

Three Young Boys Discover Rare Tyrannosaurus Rex Fossil While on a Hike

9,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs Reveal Early Humans Knew About Dinosaurs

READ: Scientists Discover Where the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs Came From

Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

Ancient peoples may not have known everything we now know about dinosaurs, but recent research indicates that they were interested in their remnants.

Scientists have discovered ancient human rock carvings—petroglyphs—adjacent to dinosaur tracks in Northeast Brazil. Although these drawings were initially found at the site called Serrote do Letreiro in 1975, recent drone-assisted surveys have revealed additional petroglyphs.

This new evidence led researchers to reinterpret the site in the context of a relationship between fossil evidence and ancient human artistry. The dinosaur tracks found at the site belong to species such as iguanodontids and sauropods from the Cretaceous Period, which ended approximately 66 million years ago.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, suggests that the relationship between the indigenous drawings and the footprints is unquestionable due to their proximity. The researchers propose that the artists deliberately created the indigenous petroglyphs around the footprints, acknowledging and incorporating them into their work.

“People usually think that Indigenous people weren’t aware of their surroundings or didn’t have any kind of scientific spirit or curiosity,” Leonardo Troiano, the archaeologist who co-authored the study, told CNN. “But that’s not true. It’s very clear that they were interested in the footprints. We’ll never know if they knew about dinosaurs, but it is clear that they were curious about the prints and thought they were meaningful in some way.”

The drawings varied, featuring both organic forms and geometric shapes, with most consisting of circles. The circles often contained crosses or lines, but the exact meaning of the shapes remains undetermined. According to the study, the petroglyphs bore an astonishing similarity to other drawings found in the northeastern region of Brazil.

“They all seem to be abstract, and if they represented something to the people who made them, we don’t know what it is,” Troiano explained.

The ancient tribes who left behind the drawings were determined to have lived between 2,620 and 9,400 years ago by analysis of burial sites.

This is not the only instance of such a phenomenon. The study notes that other sites in the United States, such as Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracks, Parowan Gap, and Zion National Park, have also uncovered petroglyphs near dinosaur footprints. However, none of these sites exhibit the same level of proximity as Serrote do Letreiro.

Recent research at Serrote do Letreiro in Northeast Brazil reveals that ancient petroglyphs, found near dinosaur tracks, indicate early human interest in the fossils.

Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

The carvings include abstract shapes such as circles, crosses, and lines, and were created by tribes living between 2,620 and 9,400 years ago.

Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

Similar petroglyphs have been found at other sites in America like Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracks and Zion National Park, but none are as closely connected to dinosaur footprints as Serrote do Letreiro.

Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

h/t: [CNN]

Related Articles:

Meet the Lokiceratops, a Dinosaur With Unique Horns

Three Young Boys Discover Rare Tyrannosaurus Rex Fossil While on a Hike

Amateur Paleontologist Discovers 70-Million-Year-Old Fossil While Walking His Dog

READ: 9,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs Reveal Early Humans Knew About Dinosaurs

Marine centaurs in the tomb's many paintings. (Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Naples)

Ancient tombs reveal much about the lives of the people who once lived, but now lie entombed. Fascinating discoveries have been unearthed in tombs, including ancient liquid wine and jars of provisions buried to supply the deceased in their journey. In addition to burial goods, the human remains also tell a story—for example, two Neanderthal skeletons found embracing suggest affections long past. The Tomb of Cerberus—discovered in 2023 in Naples, Italy—has yielded discoveries of both goods and human remains. The latter were recently exposed when a coffin was opened after 2,000 years.

The tomb is located in a necropolis, an ancient Roman burial ground. (A necropolis is a city of the dead, and in this case the city holds many secrets waiting for archeologists to decipher them.) It is nearby Giugliano, a city in Naples. Discovered in 2023, the tomb is both lavish and well-preserved. It has since been dubbed the Tomb of Cerberus, named for Cerberus, the three-headed mythical dog which appears throughout the frescoes of the tomb. The size and design of the tomb indicates it belonged to a wealthy Roman family. In addition to the dogs, ichthyocentaurs also appear in the decorations. These are marine centaurs, part man, horse, and fish.

Within the tomb, archeologists discovered three altars with vases where offerings would be made. Funeral beds boasting coffins containing the remains of the ancient family members were also present. To investigate, archeologists poked a miniature camera into one coffin. They sighted a skeleton draped in a mineralized shroud, just as it had lain for 2,000 years. The coffin has since been opened to reveal the wealthy occupant who was laid to rest surrounded by glass jars that held perfume and toiletry ointments for the deceased. Continuing the theme of personal hygiene, a strigil was also discovered. This tool was used to scrape the skin clean.

Many more details may soon emerge, as a team of researchers across disciplines examines the artifacts. Textile samples are studied by experts in ancient fabrics, while other experts focus on further samples. Analysis of the bottles has already revealed pollen from wormwood and goosefoot. Genetic research into the skeleton itself will add to the picture of the past captured within the tomb.

The 2,000-year-old Tomb of Cerberus contains ancient Roman burials, one of which was recently revealed as archeologists opened an ancient coffin.

The Tomb of Cerberus as discovered in 2023. (Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Naples)

Inside the tomb, archeologists discovered three altars with vases where offerings would be made.

Discoveries inside the tomb. (Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Naples)

There is still much yet to be discovered about ancient civilizations through this necropolis, its artifacts, and the human remains found on site.

The Roman necropolis in Naples. (Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Naples)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

Related Articles:

Hidden Tunnels Discovered Under 1,500-Year-Old Church in Istanbul

Divers Find 3,000-Year-Old Statue With Human Fingerprints on It at Bottom of Lake in Italy

Underwater Archeologists Discover Ornate 2,000-Year-Old Mosaic Floor in Italy

Ancient Roman Sandals Discovered in Germany

READ: 2,000-Year-Old ‘Tomb of Cerberus’ Coffin Is Cracked Open in Italy

Photo: gpiazzese/Depositphotos (Not a photo of the actual lake.)

The volcano-rich area of Gran Carro di Bolsena in Aiola, Italy, is somewhat shrouded in mystery—one that researchers only began to unravel in recent decades. And now, they found a piece that could offer a little more insight into those who once populated this region. During work at the underwater archaeological site, divers found an ancient clay figurine from the Iron Age.

The finding was announced on the Superintendence of Archeology Fine Arts Landscape Southern Etruria's Facebook page. The figurine seems to be an unfinished clay figure of a woman, dating from between the 10th and 9th centuries BCE. While it's smaller than the palm of a human hand and doesn't look like a finished piece, it holds marks of its artisanal creation. It features fingerprints and an imprint of a plot of fabric under the chest that possibly means that the figurine was likely “dressed” at one point.

“This is an exceptional find, a unicum at the moment from this important archaeological context that is giving us back aspects of daily life of the early Iron Age (late 10th century BCE-early 9th century BCE) still little known in southern Etruria,” reads a statement from the Superintendence.

Although experts say the figurine evokes something they’d usually find in funerary sites, the statuette was found in what was once a residential area. “Its finding within one of the structures being unearthed is to be considered votive in nature, probably to be related to some kind of domestic ritual, as also attested in later periods,” the Superintendence writes. “The discovery was made by personnel from our Underwater Archaeology Service, which was followed by the recovery and initial conservation work by underwater restorers from CSR Restoration of Cultural Heritage.”

While the piece has sparked more questions than answers, it'll surely allow experts to better understand the lifestyle of those who once called this region home—an endeavor that began only in 1991. Back then, researchers discovered that the pile of shapeless stones that make up Aiola are linked to the presence of hot thermal water springs, as well as the finding of wooden poles and ceramic fragments on the southwest side of the lake that date back to the early Iron Age.

During work at the underwater archaeological site of Gran Carro di Bolsena in Aiola, Italy, divers found an ancient clay figurine from the Iron Age that features the fingerprints of its creator.

h/t: [Popular Mechanics]

Related Articles:

Longstanding Mystery Surrounding the Origins of a 30,000-Year-Old Figurine Is Solved

Underwater Archeologists Discover Ornate 2,000-Year-Old Mosaic Floor in Italy

Volunteers Uncover 3,500-Year-Old Rock Art During Environmental Cleanup in Kazakhstan

Archeologists Unearth Ancient Maya Beekeeping Tools in Southeastern Mexico

READ: Divers Find 3,000-Year-Old Statue With Human Fingerprints on It at Bottom of Lake in Italy

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ParcoArcheologicoCampiFlegrei (@pa_fleg)

Italy's archeological wonders aren't only buried underground, they're also under the sea. The partially submerged town of Baia, on the Gulf of Naples, proves this. Baia was built as a fashionable resort town for the wealthy that reached its peak at the end of the Roman Republic. Over time, due to volcanic activity, part of the city slipped underwater, taking all of its treasures with it.

Thanks to underwater archeologists, we can still see the splendors that the sea has preserved. During a survey of this protected area, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they discovered an elaborate mosaic floor still in place inside a large villa. Situated inside a vast reception hall, the mosaic is made from thousands of blue, red, and white tesserae. These tiny pieces of marble and stone were used to make intricate patterns, befitting the nature of the home.

Archeologists believe that the ornate floor was created 2,000 years ago. The date comes from the villa's architectural style and the fact that many tiles in the mosaic had previously been used in other wall and floor decorations. This form of ancient upcycling was common during Late Antiquity.

Currently, archeologists are working diligently to recover any loose fragments. The marble they recover will be cleaned and then brought in for testing so that they can learn more about its origins.

This fascinating discovery and the work that follows once again prove the great satisfaction that comes from exploring the ancient past. Certainly, as the surveying continues, even more treasures will emerge from Baia.

Underwater archeologists have discovered a stunning 2,000-year-old mosaic in the Gulf of Naples.

Located in Baia, which was a fashionable resort town during the Roman Republic, it is a testament to the treasures that lay below the sea.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Edoardo Ruspantini (@edorus)

Submerged Archaeological Park of Baia: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Colossal]

Related Articles:

Ancient Church Found Hidden Under the Waters of Lake Iznik

Sunken Medieval Italian Town Emerges From Lake for First Time in 70 Years

There’s a “Ship Graveyard” in the Black Sea With 2,500 Years of Wrecked Vessels

17th-Century Sunken Spanish Ship Reveals Priceless Treasures off the Coast of the Bahamas

READ: Underwater Archeologists Discover Ornate 2,000-Year-Old Mosaic Floor in Italy