All posts tagged: bronze age

Ancient Bronze Age Settlement Discovered in Caucasus Mountains Using Drone Mapping

Ancient Bronze Age Settlement Discovered in Caucasus Mountains Using Drone Mapping

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A groundbreaking discovery has been made in the Caucasus Mountains where an ancient Bronze Age settlement, Dmanisis Gora, has been mapped using drone technology. This site, believed to be over 3,000 years old, reveals new insights into the evolution of large-scale settlements during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. Spanning an area far larger than initially expected, the research offers a fresh perspective on ancient urbanism and interactions between sedentary and mobile communities. Drone Mapping Reveals Extensive Settlement As reported by Science Daily, the project led by Dr. Nathaniel Erb-Satullo, Senior Lecturer in Architectural Science at Cranfield Forensic Institute and Dimitri Jachvliani, co-director at the Georgian National Museum, employed drone technology to create high-resolution models of the site. The drone, equipped with advanced imaging tools, captured nearly 11,000 photographs, which were later used to generate detailed maps of the settlement. This method allowed the identification of fortification walls, graves and other structural remnants spread across a vast area. The site, originally thought to be much smaller, was found to include a 1-kilometre-long defensive …

Study Reveals Genetic and Linguistic Roots of Indo-European Populations

Study Reveals Genetic and Linguistic Roots of Indo-European Populations

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A comprehensive study involving 91 researchers, including Eske Willerslev from the Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre at the University of Copenhagen, has provided critical insights into the genetic and linguistic origins of Indo-European populations. The findings, identify two significant migrations during the Bronze Age that contributed to the spread of steppe ancestry across the Mediterranean. The genetic research links Spanish, French and Italian populations to Bell Beaker ancestry, while Greek and Armenian populations have been connected directly to Yamnaya ancestry from the Pontic Steppe region. Analyses of Steppe Ancestry Distribution According to the study published on the preprint server bioRxiv, steppe ancestry in Western Europe is attributed to Bell Beaker populations, who combined their genetic profile with local Neolithic farmers. These migrations align with linguistic theories suggesting a shared origin for Italo-Celtic languages. In contrast, Greek and Armenian ancestry reflects direct Yamnaya influence, with no significant local admixture. This divergence between Eastern and Western Mediterranean populations aligns with the Italo-Celtic and Graeco-Armenian linguistic hypotheses. Genomic and Strontium Isotope Studies As per reports, the study sequenced 314 …

Ancient Human Remains Reveal Brutal 4,000-Year-Old Massacre in Somerset

Ancient Human Remains Reveal Brutal 4,000-Year-Old Massacre in Somerset

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The discovery of 4,000-year-old human remains at Charterhouse Warren in Somerset has unveiled a harrowing chapter of British prehistory. The analysis of over 3,000 bone fragments belonging to at least 37 individuals, ranging from newborns to adults, has indicated an unprecedented level of violence. The findings, published in Antiquity, revealed evidence of scalping, decapitation, defleshing, tongue removal, evisceration, and signs of cannibalism. Researchers have suggested that these acts represent a dark episode of social and political violence in the Early Bronze Age, estimated between 2200 and 2000 B.C. Evidence of Brutality As per reports, the bone analysis conducted by Rick Schulting, an archaeologist at the University of Oxford, and his colleagues, highlighted violent deaths, with 30 percent of skulls showing fractures sustained around the time of death. Approximately 20 percent of the bones bore cut marks inflicted by stone tools, indicating post-mortem actions. Decapitation was confirmed in six individuals based on damage to cervical vertebrae, while marks on jawbones and ribs suggested tongue removal and evisceration. Evidence of crushing fractures on small bones pointed to …

New Study Confirms Nebra Sky Disc’s Ancient Origins and Advanced Craftsmanship

New Study Confirms Nebra Sky Disc’s Ancient Origins and Advanced Craftsmanship

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A recent study has provided crucial insights into the manufacturing techniques used to create the Nebra Sky Disc, an artefact thought to date back 3,800 years to the Early Bronze Age. The analysis challenges claims suggesting the disc could be a modern forgery. Researchers revealed that the disc was crafted through an elaborate “hot forging” process, involving at least ten heating and hammering cycles at temperatures exceeding 700°C, according to Christian-Heinrich Wunderlich, a metallurgist cited by Live Science. Discovery and Ongoing Debate The study was published in Scientific Reports on November 21. Unearthed in 1999 near Nebra, Germany, the 12-inch bronze disc, adorned with gold symbols thought to represent celestial bodies, has been the subject of considerable debate. Initial reports lauded it as the oldest known depiction of the sky. However, questions regarding its authenticity arose, including theories suggesting its discovery site might have been staged to enhance its market value. Experts involved in the study recreated a replica using Early Bronze Age techniques, reportedly. The metallographic comparison between the replica and the original disc …