They could possibly have used stretches of hide to wrap around their hands first, before gripping the head of the axe, otherwise it would certainly have shredded their skin on their hands, especially for long haul tasks?
Neolithic Finds
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Fortea Morgana :) PeteByrdie certificated Princess
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Interesting website on early man in Britain. . . www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/61892610
Sureor bound the axe, or wedged it in a cleft stick, or developed really hard hands...
I've been thinking about ~ "why was it made to be so large, and so heavy?"
Sure
Now, I've got in mind that it could well be a tool, that was never made to be used by, or between the hands.
I've come to my conclusion, that it might well have been used firmly placed on, or partly in the ground, even possibly placed and held between the legs, so that the user could solidly grip the stone, and undertake a specific task in the knowledge that he/she, could use both hands (hands-free, so-to-speak) which would allow the user to be able for either delicate tasks - and far more useful when working with certain materials.
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Fortea Morgana :) PeteByrdie certificated Princess
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Mungoman
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It was used as a carving knife. cutting down a tree with one just shatters them.
maximus otter
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I could see one of those monster axes being either:
a) Ceremonial, or;
b) Set into the top of a short tree stump and used to split heavy bones or hard wood.
Experimental archaeologists, get to work!
maximus otter
a) Ceremonial, or;
b) Set into the top of a short tree stump and used to split heavy bones or hard wood.
Experimental archaeologists, get to work!
maximus otter
Well, when you think about it, it is when you have the need for, or to do something, that's when ingenuity comes into play - and it does even in today's world!
escargot
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BBC R4's A History of the World in 100 Objects has an episode on a ceremonial hand axe made of, we learn, Italian jade.
Here it is -
Episode Transcript – Episode 14 - Jade axe
It's not been used so seems to have been ceremonial or an ornament.
My point here is that there was a variety of type of axes made for different purposes.
Their creators were ingenious and artistic.
Here it is -
Episode Transcript – Episode 14 - Jade axe
It's not been used so seems to have been ceremonial or an ornament.
My point here is that there was a variety of type of axes made for different purposes.
Their creators were ingenious and artistic.
blessmycottonsocks
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Mythopoeika
I am a meat popsicle
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Like Ötzi the Iceman had.
Probably more to do with trying to keep his hands warm up in the mountains!
ramonmercado
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Redating some of the funerary finds.
Research led by the Universidad de Alcala, Spain, has revisited Early Neolithic human remains found within the Galería del Sílex cave in Spain's Sierra de Atapuerca cave system.
In a paper, "Early Neolithic human remains from Galería del Sílex in Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain," published in Quaternary Science Reviews, the team details their analysis of the site, fossils, and context of the remains to untangle the story of the individuals found there.
Humans utilized the Galería del Sílex cave over thousands of years. The cave contains 53 panels of engravings and red and black cave paintings, thousands of human and animal remains, dozens of fire hearth remnants, and fragments of ceramic vessels.
Just as the Bronze Age was ending, the cave entrance was sealed, creating a time capsule that remained intact until its discovery in 1972. Initially, the remains and artifacts were all thought to be from the Bronze Age, but over the years, a more complex picture emerged.
In the decades after discovery, around 2,700 human remains from different cave areas were collected. In addition, numerous hearths and remains of strategically located torches, more than 6,000 ceramic fragments (a minimum of 336 vessels), tools, flint, a polished axe, and 341 animal remains (primarily rabbits) were collected.
Five individuals' remains were discovered within the cave in two deep chasms, Sima A and Sima B.
The others are not as complete and could have been relocated to the shaft from another location. The authors point out that there is some difficulty in reconstructing this location based on the available photographs of the original excavation.
One of the individuals (I-5) was forensically determined to be female, ~age 13 at her death. Her remains were found gathered and complete, placed against a far wall of the chasm floor with the six ceramic vessels nearby.
The other remains (I-4) were of an adult male found face down and missing the skeleton's lower half, suggesting that perhaps he had been more of an ill-fated explorer than the rest.
Radiocarbon dating on three of the remains, one from the young girl (I-5) of Sima A and two from Sima B, has placed these remains to the latter part of the 6th millennium BCE, over 7,000 years ago, establishing them as some of the oldest Neolithic human remains ever found in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. In the case of the 13-year-old girl, it is the oldest Neolithic funerary site by over 1,000 years.
Intriguingly, individual I-4 of the Sima A funerary site is much more recent at ~4,000 years ago, fitting well with the initial excavation interpretation of a Bronze Age spelunker who fell into a bit of bad luck.
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-year-old-girl-iberian-cave-early.html
Research led by the Universidad de Alcala, Spain, has revisited Early Neolithic human remains found within the Galería del Sílex cave in Spain's Sierra de Atapuerca cave system.
In a paper, "Early Neolithic human remains from Galería del Sílex in Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain," published in Quaternary Science Reviews, the team details their analysis of the site, fossils, and context of the remains to untangle the story of the individuals found there.
Humans utilized the Galería del Sílex cave over thousands of years. The cave contains 53 panels of engravings and red and black cave paintings, thousands of human and animal remains, dozens of fire hearth remnants, and fragments of ceramic vessels.
Just as the Bronze Age was ending, the cave entrance was sealed, creating a time capsule that remained intact until its discovery in 1972. Initially, the remains and artifacts were all thought to be from the Bronze Age, but over the years, a more complex picture emerged.
In the decades after discovery, around 2,700 human remains from different cave areas were collected. In addition, numerous hearths and remains of strategically located torches, more than 6,000 ceramic fragments (a minimum of 336 vessels), tools, flint, a polished axe, and 341 animal remains (primarily rabbits) were collected.
Five individuals' remains were discovered within the cave in two deep chasms, Sima A and Sima B.
Sima B
In Sima B, three individuals are deposited within the vertical shaft, with the positioning and context of the remains suggesting intentional placement. One individual (I-1) is found to have all of the skeletal remains accounted for, indicating it was placed in the chasm directly after death.The others are not as complete and could have been relocated to the shaft from another location. The authors point out that there is some difficulty in reconstructing this location based on the available photographs of the original excavation.
Sima A
Two individuals and six ceramic vessels, later attributed to the Early Neolithic era, were recovered from the depths of Sima A. Earlier interpretations of the two individuals were of an ill-fated pair of Bronze Age cave explorers who got lost and fell into the 15-meter-deep recess of the Sima A features. However, the presence of Neolithic ceramics is indicative of an older, intentional placement. The authors suggest this intent aligns with the tradition of leaving ceramic vessels as funerary offerings in Neolithic burials ~5,000—6,000 years ago.One of the individuals (I-5) was forensically determined to be female, ~age 13 at her death. Her remains were found gathered and complete, placed against a far wall of the chasm floor with the six ceramic vessels nearby.
The other remains (I-4) were of an adult male found face down and missing the skeleton's lower half, suggesting that perhaps he had been more of an ill-fated explorer than the rest.
Radiocarbon dating on three of the remains, one from the young girl (I-5) of Sima A and two from Sima B, has placed these remains to the latter part of the 6th millennium BCE, over 7,000 years ago, establishing them as some of the oldest Neolithic human remains ever found in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. In the case of the 13-year-old girl, it is the oldest Neolithic funerary site by over 1,000 years.
Intriguingly, individual I-4 of the Sima A funerary site is much more recent at ~4,000 years ago, fitting well with the initial excavation interpretation of a Bronze Age spelunker who fell into a bit of bad luck.
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-year-old-girl-iberian-cave-early.html
maximus otter
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A 6,000-Year-Old Ceremonial Monument Was Just Discovered in Scotland
Off the coast of Scotland, on the Isle of Arran, archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic monument that was used for ancient ceremonies and gatherings.
Archaeologists from Glasgow University and local volunteers began excavating at Drumadoon, the site of the only complete Neolithic cursus monument in the region, this past August.
A cursus is a vast rectangular enclosure believed to have been constructed for processions, ceremonies, and gatherings. These structures are among the earliest and largest constructions in the isles. They date to between 4,000 and 3,000 BCE, and range in size, from 656 feet to 6 miles long.
At more than one half-mile long, the Arran cursus is close to the standing stone circles of Machrie Moor, which was a significant ceremonial site. The cursus, however, predates the stone circles.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/6-000-old-ceremonial-monument-210000275.html
maximus otter
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ramonmercado
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Bone Age Tools.
Neolithic humans were apparently big on reuse.
According to an analysis of bones from Cueva de los Marmoles, or Marmoles Cave in Southern Spain, it wasn't necessarily uncommon for living humans to repurpose the deceased, and recycle their bones into tools.
Amongst a collection of bones dating back thousands of years ago, archaeologists led by Zita Laffranchi of the University of Bern have found several that show signs of wear associated with post-mortem use, including a skull that may have been a cup.
Other bones show signs of being processed, marks that could have been made in attempts to remove marrow and soft tissue. Although it is impossible to determine exactly what happened to the dead bodies and why, the researchers believe that what they have found points to a deliberate cultural practice.
"After comparing the finds from Marmoles with those from other, similar contexts, we can postulate that these manipulations were related to cultural ideas about death and the position of the dead in the community ideological landscape," they say in an interview with PLOS One.
"That is, the manipulation may have been motivated by a need to keep the remains of community members close, while at the same time 'facilitating' their passage to the spiritual worlds."
Processing marks identified on the skull fragment. (Photographs by Z. Laffranchi; drawing by M. Milella)
The Iberian peninsula is positively lousy with caves that have yielded evidence of a rich human culture during the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.
https://www.sciencealert.com/neolithic-humans-used-the-bones-of-the-dead-for-an-unorthodox-purpose
Neolithic humans were apparently big on reuse.
According to an analysis of bones from Cueva de los Marmoles, or Marmoles Cave in Southern Spain, it wasn't necessarily uncommon for living humans to repurpose the deceased, and recycle their bones into tools.
Amongst a collection of bones dating back thousands of years ago, archaeologists led by Zita Laffranchi of the University of Bern have found several that show signs of wear associated with post-mortem use, including a skull that may have been a cup.
Other bones show signs of being processed, marks that could have been made in attempts to remove marrow and soft tissue. Although it is impossible to determine exactly what happened to the dead bodies and why, the researchers believe that what they have found points to a deliberate cultural practice.
"After comparing the finds from Marmoles with those from other, similar contexts, we can postulate that these manipulations were related to cultural ideas about death and the position of the dead in the community ideological landscape," they say in an interview with PLOS One.
"That is, the manipulation may have been motivated by a need to keep the remains of community members close, while at the same time 'facilitating' their passage to the spiritual worlds."
Processing marks identified on the skull fragment. (Photographs by Z. Laffranchi; drawing by M. Milella)
The Iberian peninsula is positively lousy with caves that have yielded evidence of a rich human culture during the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.
https://www.sciencealert.com/neolithic-humans-used-the-bones-of-the-dead-for-an-unorthodox-purpose
ramonmercado
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Carn Glas seen afresh.
IMAGE SOURCE, ANDY HICKIE Image caption, Carn Glas burial site is on a moor above Inverness
New images have been made of one of Scotland's most significant prehistoric burial sites. Carn Glas, near Inverness, is thought to date to the Neolithic period and be about 5,000 years old. It is Scotland's longest chambered cairn, measuring 116m (380ft) in length.
Bones were removed from the site on Essich Moor by antiquarians in 1918, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
IMAGE SOURCE, ANDY HICKIE Image caption, A false colours image of Carn Glas
The new photographs include images in false colours that clearly show the shape of Carn Glas.
The images by Andy Hickie have been published by North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NOSAS), which has an interest in conserving the site.
The society has been clearing away gorse that had obscured the protected monument.
IMAGE SOURCE, ANDY HICKIE Image caption, Carn Glas is Scotland's longest chambered cairn
HES describes Carn Glas as having significant archaeological importance due to its potential for improving understanding of Neolithic rituals and funeral practices. It comprises three interlinked cairns.
Other sites from the same period in history are close by, and include a stone circle at Torbreck and chambered cairn at Culduthel in Inverness.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gr38e61qlo
New images of 5,000-year-old Highland burial site
New images have been made of one of Scotland's most significant prehistoric burial sites. Carn Glas, near Inverness, is thought to date to the Neolithic period and be about 5,000 years old. It is Scotland's longest chambered cairn, measuring 116m (380ft) in length.
Bones were removed from the site on Essich Moor by antiquarians in 1918, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
IMAGE SOURCE, ANDY HICKIE Image caption, A false colours image of Carn Glas
The new photographs include images in false colours that clearly show the shape of Carn Glas.
The images by Andy Hickie have been published by North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NOSAS), which has an interest in conserving the site.
The society has been clearing away gorse that had obscured the protected monument.
HES describes Carn Glas as having significant archaeological importance due to its potential for improving understanding of Neolithic rituals and funeral practices. It comprises three interlinked cairns.
Other sites from the same period in history are close by, and include a stone circle at Torbreck and chambered cairn at Culduthel in Inverness.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gr38e61qlo
ramonmercado
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Ancient Trade between the Baltic and the Iberian Peninsula
A team of scientists from the Universities of Granada and Cambridge, as well as the Government of Catalonia, have identified the oldest pieces of Baltic amber ever found on the Iberian Peninsula, revealing that this luxury material used in jewelry and handicrafts around the world was already being imported more than 5,000 years ago.
The research was led by UGR lecturer Mercedes Murillo-Barroso and involved the collaboration of Marcos Martinón-Torres of the University of Cambridge and Araceli Martín Cólliga of the Government of Catalonia. According to Murillo-Barroso, the work "allows us to say with confidence that the arrival of Baltic amber on the Iberian Peninsula occurred at least in the 4th millennium BC, more than a millennium earlier than we thought, and that it was probably part of wider trade networks linked to the south of France."
Trade is one of the many mechanisms through which we establish social relations, and often the objects that are exchanged are not necessarily consumer goods needed to live, but rather decorative, luxury or symbolic objects. Sometimes, especially in adverse conditions, having trade networks means having a network of mutual support, but these trade networks can also generate social inequalities and relations of dependency, especially if not all the community enjoys equal access to the networks or if the objects exchanged are unequal.
In prehistoric times, amber, a fossil resin, was certainly not a raw material necessary for the development of daily life, but it was highly valued and was exchanged via the extensive trade networks that were established.
The use of the multiple amber deposits on the Iberian Peninsula since the Upper Paleolithic has been documented and, thanks to research carried out by archaeologists over the years, we know that from the 4th millennium BC onwards Sicilian amber began to reach the Iberian Peninsula through Mediterranean trade networks.
However, until now it was believed that Baltic amber did not reach the Peninsula until the 2nd millennium BC, at which point it would become the primary raw material, replacing other types of amber such as Peninsular or Sicilian amber.
Regarding their research article, published in the prestigious journal Nature, Mercedes Murillo-Barroso says, "We present the standard infrared spectroscopy analysis of an amber bead of Baltic origin found at the Cova del Frare site in a context dated between 3634–3363 cal BC."
"The site, which is truly exceptional, illustrates the transition between the Middle Neolithic of the 'Sepulcrand the Late Neolithic of Véraza'," explains Araceli Martín Cólliga, director of the excavations at the site.
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-oldest-pieces-baltic-amber-iberian.html
A team of scientists from the Universities of Granada and Cambridge, as well as the Government of Catalonia, have identified the oldest pieces of Baltic amber ever found on the Iberian Peninsula, revealing that this luxury material used in jewelry and handicrafts around the world was already being imported more than 5,000 years ago.
The research was led by UGR lecturer Mercedes Murillo-Barroso and involved the collaboration of Marcos Martinón-Torres of the University of Cambridge and Araceli Martín Cólliga of the Government of Catalonia. According to Murillo-Barroso, the work "allows us to say with confidence that the arrival of Baltic amber on the Iberian Peninsula occurred at least in the 4th millennium BC, more than a millennium earlier than we thought, and that it was probably part of wider trade networks linked to the south of France."
Trade is one of the many mechanisms through which we establish social relations, and often the objects that are exchanged are not necessarily consumer goods needed to live, but rather decorative, luxury or symbolic objects. Sometimes, especially in adverse conditions, having trade networks means having a network of mutual support, but these trade networks can also generate social inequalities and relations of dependency, especially if not all the community enjoys equal access to the networks or if the objects exchanged are unequal.
In prehistoric times, amber, a fossil resin, was certainly not a raw material necessary for the development of daily life, but it was highly valued and was exchanged via the extensive trade networks that were established.
The use of the multiple amber deposits on the Iberian Peninsula since the Upper Paleolithic has been documented and, thanks to research carried out by archaeologists over the years, we know that from the 4th millennium BC onwards Sicilian amber began to reach the Iberian Peninsula through Mediterranean trade networks.
However, until now it was believed that Baltic amber did not reach the Peninsula until the 2nd millennium BC, at which point it would become the primary raw material, replacing other types of amber such as Peninsular or Sicilian amber.
Regarding their research article, published in the prestigious journal Nature, Mercedes Murillo-Barroso says, "We present the standard infrared spectroscopy analysis of an amber bead of Baltic origin found at the Cova del Frare site in a context dated between 3634–3363 cal BC."
"The site, which is truly exceptional, illustrates the transition between the Middle Neolithic of the 'Sepulcrand the Late Neolithic of Véraza'," explains Araceli Martín Cólliga, director of the excavations at the site.
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-oldest-pieces-baltic-amber-iberian.html
hunck
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‘A Neolithic feat of engineering’: Orkney dig reveals ruins of huge tomb
The ruins of a 5,000-year-old tomb in a construction that reflects the pinnacle of neolithic engineering in northern Britain has been unearthed in Orkney.Fourteen articulated skeletons of men, women and children – two positioned as if they were embracing – have been found inside one of six cells or side rooms.
maximus otter
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Skeletons found in 'incredibly rare' tomb unearthed on Scottish island
SKELETONS of men, women and children have been unearthed after archaeologists discovered the ruins of a 5000-year-old tomb in Orkney.The “incredibly rare” find at the Neolithic site in Holm, East Mainland, was uncovered by experts from National Museums Scotland and Cardiff University.
The site was largely destroyed by Victorian antiquarians 127 years ago but despite the damage, 14 skeletons have been found alongside individual pieces of human bone.
Local volunteers working with University of Central Lancashire made other finds, including pottery, stone tools and a pin carved from bone.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/2...credibly-rare-tomb-unearthed-scottish-island/
maximus otter
Last edited:
Make no bones about it!
ramonmercado
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A warriors'graveyard.
A new analysis of a mass grave from Neolithic Spain reveals that the site wasn't a burial ground from a massacre, but of fallen warriors.
A view of the eastern corner of the Neolithic burial deposit from San Juan ante Portam Latinam in Spain before researchers excavated it. (Image credit: J.I. Vegas.; (CC-BY 4.0))
Over 5,000 years ago, men, women and children with head trauma and arrow wounds were buried in a mass grave in Spain. Now, archaeologists have teased apart this tangled web of skeletons, revealing new evidence of ancient warfare, a new study finds.
The San Juan ante Portam Latinam (SJAPL) rock shelter, located in the town of Laguardia in northern Spain, was first excavated in 1991. More than 300 skeletons, radiocarbon-dated to 3380 to 3000 B.C., were found in one mass burial, many of them interwoven and in odd positions. Excavators also discovered dozens of flint arrowheads and blades, along with stone axes and personal ornaments.
Researchers initially concluded that they'd found evidence of a Neolithic massacre. But a new analysis of the SJAPL skeletons has revealed that these people were most likely killed in separate raids or battles over a period of several months or years.
An example of large, blunt-force trauma affecting the front and right side of a cranium from San Juan ante Portam Latinam in northern Spain. (Image credit: Credit: T. Fernández-Crespo.; (CC-BY 4.0))
In a study published Thursday (Nov. 2) in the journal Scientific Reports, first author Teresa Fernández-Crespo, an archaeologis
t at the University of Valladolid in Spain, and her team describe the healed and unhealed injuries on the SJAPL skeletons. They found a total of 107 cranial injuries, most of which were located on the top of the skull and likely correspond to blunt-force trauma, such as blows from stone maces or wooden clubs. Nearly five times as many males as females suffered cranial trauma, the researchers found.
Injuries on the rest of the skeletons were also examined. The team discovered 22 instances of trauma — mostly spiral or V-shaped fractures — affecting the limbs, as well as 25 injuries to other parts of the body. Like the skull injuries, these seem to have disproportionately affected men, who were nearly four times as likely as women to have evidence of bodily trauma. Arrowhead injuries were also strongly linked to male skeletons, suggesting men were more often exposed to long-range violence than women were.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeo...spain-shows-evidence-of-sophisticated-warfare
A new analysis of a mass grave from Neolithic Spain reveals that the site wasn't a burial ground from a massacre, but of fallen warriors.
A view of the eastern corner of the Neolithic burial deposit from San Juan ante Portam Latinam in Spain before researchers excavated it. (Image credit: J.I. Vegas.; (CC-BY 4.0))
Over 5,000 years ago, men, women and children with head trauma and arrow wounds were buried in a mass grave in Spain. Now, archaeologists have teased apart this tangled web of skeletons, revealing new evidence of ancient warfare, a new study finds.
The San Juan ante Portam Latinam (SJAPL) rock shelter, located in the town of Laguardia in northern Spain, was first excavated in 1991. More than 300 skeletons, radiocarbon-dated to 3380 to 3000 B.C., were found in one mass burial, many of them interwoven and in odd positions. Excavators also discovered dozens of flint arrowheads and blades, along with stone axes and personal ornaments.
Researchers initially concluded that they'd found evidence of a Neolithic massacre. But a new analysis of the SJAPL skeletons has revealed that these people were most likely killed in separate raids or battles over a period of several months or years.
An example of large, blunt-force trauma affecting the front and right side of a cranium from San Juan ante Portam Latinam in northern Spain. (Image credit: Credit: T. Fernández-Crespo.; (CC-BY 4.0))
In a study published Thursday (Nov. 2) in the journal Scientific Reports, first author Teresa Fernández-Crespo, an archaeologis
t at the University of Valladolid in Spain, and her team describe the healed and unhealed injuries on the SJAPL skeletons. They found a total of 107 cranial injuries, most of which were located on the top of the skull and likely correspond to blunt-force trauma, such as blows from stone maces or wooden clubs. Nearly five times as many males as females suffered cranial trauma, the researchers found.
Injuries on the rest of the skeletons were also examined. The team discovered 22 instances of trauma — mostly spiral or V-shaped fractures — affecting the limbs, as well as 25 injuries to other parts of the body. Like the skull injuries, these seem to have disproportionately affected men, who were nearly four times as likely as women to have evidence of bodily trauma. Arrowhead injuries were also strongly linked to male skeletons, suggesting men were more often exposed to long-range violence than women were.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeo...spain-shows-evidence-of-sophisticated-warfare
ramonmercado
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Norway's Neolithic Farmers.
A 4,000-year-old stone-lined tomb discovered during construction work in Norway may provide new clues about the first farmers who settled the region, archaeologists say.
Since April, researchers from the University Museum of Bergen have been excavating at the site of a new hotel in Selje, on the North Sea coast of southwestern Norway. So far, they have found traces of prehistoric dwellings and trash heaps full of animal bones, along with a stone tool called a blade sickle and tiny shell beads. But the most unique find is a large stone-lined tomb that held the skeletons of at least five people.
View of the stone cist tomb found at Selje during construction work. (Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)
The burial, which archaeologists call a cist tomb, has been carbon dated to between 2140 and 2000 B.C., or the end of the Neolithic period. Measuring about 10 feet by 5 feet (3 meters by 1.5 m) and nearly 3 feet (1 m) tall, the tomb has two chambers with evidence of burials, including the remains of an elderly man with arthritis, a 2-year-old toddler and a young woman. Additional clustered bones suggest two other individuals' remains had been moved aside to bury new people.
While humans invented agriculture around 12,000 years ago in the Middle East, the technique was slow to reach Norway, where people spent millennia living a more nomadic hunting and fishing lifestyle. Two big areas of interest in Norwegian archaeology are how the idea of agriculture took hold and who the earliest farmers were. The Late Neolithic date of the burial along with the presence of a blade sickle, which may have been used to harvest grain, provides strong evidence that Selje was settled by some of the first farmers in western Norway.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeo...red-in-norway-may-contain-regions-1st-farmers
A 4,000-year-old stone-lined tomb discovered during construction work in Norway may provide new clues about the first farmers who settled the region, archaeologists say.
Since April, researchers from the University Museum of Bergen have been excavating at the site of a new hotel in Selje, on the North Sea coast of southwestern Norway. So far, they have found traces of prehistoric dwellings and trash heaps full of animal bones, along with a stone tool called a blade sickle and tiny shell beads. But the most unique find is a large stone-lined tomb that held the skeletons of at least five people.
View of the stone cist tomb found at Selje during construction work. (Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)
The burial, which archaeologists call a cist tomb, has been carbon dated to between 2140 and 2000 B.C., or the end of the Neolithic period. Measuring about 10 feet by 5 feet (3 meters by 1.5 m) and nearly 3 feet (1 m) tall, the tomb has two chambers with evidence of burials, including the remains of an elderly man with arthritis, a 2-year-old toddler and a young woman. Additional clustered bones suggest two other individuals' remains had been moved aside to bury new people.
While humans invented agriculture around 12,000 years ago in the Middle East, the technique was slow to reach Norway, where people spent millennia living a more nomadic hunting and fishing lifestyle. Two big areas of interest in Norwegian archaeology are how the idea of agriculture took hold and who the earliest farmers were. The Late Neolithic date of the burial along with the presence of a blade sickle, which may have been used to harvest grain, provides strong evidence that Selje was settled by some of the first farmers in western Norway.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeo...red-in-norway-may-contain-regions-1st-farmers
ramonmercado
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- Eblana
Into Africa.
The Neolithic age—when agriculture and animal farming were adopted—has become one of the most widely studied periods of social and economic transition in recent years. It was a period that drove great change in the evolution of human society.
Recent research—the fruit of projects that combine archaeological excavation and analysis of ancient DNA—points to rapid development in the Middle East, in the region known as the Fertile Crescent. The innovations that came about there subsequently spread, and were adopted by hunter gatherer communities in the Anatolian peninsula (present day Turkey).
About 8,500 years ago, members of farming communities crossed the Aegean Sea, bringing techniques similar to those used in Anatolia to Greece and the Balkans. Five centuries later, some then made the crossing to Italy.
Agriculture first appeared on the Iberian Peninsula about 7,600 years ago. This occurred alongside its appearance on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, as well as its gradual expansion through the river valleys of continental Europe.
It led to a marked increase in population sizes, and a huge demographic shift took place when local hunter gatherers were assimilated, bringing about broad genetic and cultural variation. These communities were the last of the Mesolithic era.
On the Iberian peninsula, the practices that Neolithic populations brought with them were similar to those that had appeared a few centuries earlier in Italy. The decoration of pottery is particularly significant, as it is a strong indicator of cultural affinities. This generally consisted of impressed motifs, known as Cardium pottery, which often made use of seashells such as cockles.
This type of pottery has been found in coastal areas throughout the Mediterranean, so it is believed that Neolithic people traveled on simple boats that sailed close to the shore. In a relatively short time, these populations came to occupy the entire Iberian peninsula, where they underwent rapid cultural evolution.
While the Mesolithic was developing in Europe, North African communities also subsisted through hunting and gathering. Genetically, they were very similar to groups from several thousand years earlier, at the end of the Upper Paleolithic, remains of which have been discovered in the Taforalt cave in Oujda, Morocco. These groups did not seem to have pottery, at least not those in the northern Maghreb. ...
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-european-immigrants-farming-prehistoric-north.html
The Neolithic age—when agriculture and animal farming were adopted—has become one of the most widely studied periods of social and economic transition in recent years. It was a period that drove great change in the evolution of human society.
Recent research—the fruit of projects that combine archaeological excavation and analysis of ancient DNA—points to rapid development in the Middle East, in the region known as the Fertile Crescent. The innovations that came about there subsequently spread, and were adopted by hunter gatherer communities in the Anatolian peninsula (present day Turkey).
About 8,500 years ago, members of farming communities crossed the Aegean Sea, bringing techniques similar to those used in Anatolia to Greece and the Balkans. Five centuries later, some then made the crossing to Italy.
Agriculture first appeared on the Iberian Peninsula about 7,600 years ago. This occurred alongside its appearance on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, as well as its gradual expansion through the river valleys of continental Europe.
It led to a marked increase in population sizes, and a huge demographic shift took place when local hunter gatherers were assimilated, bringing about broad genetic and cultural variation. These communities were the last of the Mesolithic era.
On the Iberian peninsula, the practices that Neolithic populations brought with them were similar to those that had appeared a few centuries earlier in Italy. The decoration of pottery is particularly significant, as it is a strong indicator of cultural affinities. This generally consisted of impressed motifs, known as Cardium pottery, which often made use of seashells such as cockles.
This type of pottery has been found in coastal areas throughout the Mediterranean, so it is believed that Neolithic people traveled on simple boats that sailed close to the shore. In a relatively short time, these populations came to occupy the entire Iberian peninsula, where they underwent rapid cultural evolution.
While the Mesolithic was developing in Europe, North African communities also subsisted through hunting and gathering. Genetically, they were very similar to groups from several thousand years earlier, at the end of the Upper Paleolithic, remains of which have been discovered in the Taforalt cave in Oujda, Morocco. These groups did not seem to have pottery, at least not those in the northern Maghreb. ...
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-european-immigrants-farming-prehistoric-north.html
maximus otter
Recovering policeman
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2001
- Messages
- 13,933
In a Creepy Twist, One of The Oldest Tombs in Sweden Is Missing All of Its Skulls
The stone burial chamber (or "dolmen") involved was found in Tiarp, near Falköping, and excavated by researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and Kiel University in Germany. They've managed to catalog body parts from the remains of at least 12 people, but not everything is there.
Part of the excavated grave. (Sjögren et al., Journal of Neolithic Archaeology, 2023)
For the time being at least, the experts are at a loss to explain where all the heads have gone or why they were taken – if indeed they were entombed in the first place. It could be theft, a ritual , a series of beheadings, or something else, though there are no signs on the remains to indicate they experienced violence while alive.
"It's an early grave which dates to the Early Neolithic period, about 3500 BC," says archaeologist Karl-Göran Sjögren. "Skulls and large bones are missing and may have been removed from the grave. We don't know whether that has to do with burial rituals or what's behind it."
https://www.sciencealert.com/in-a-c...-tombs-in-sweden-is-missing-all-of-its-skulls
maximus otter
Looking at the photograph, it seems as though one end of the grave area what appears to have two apparent 'head' (?) stones. . .In a Creepy Twist, One of The Oldest Tombs in Sweden Is Missing All of Its Skulls
The stone burial chamber (or "dolmen") involved was found in Tiarp, near Falköping, and excavated by researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and Kiel University in Germany. They've managed to catalog body parts from the remains of at least 12 people, but not everything is there.
Part of the excavated grave. (Sjögren et al., Journal of Neolithic Archaeology, 2023)
For the time being at least, the experts are at a loss to explain where all the heads have gone or why they were taken – if indeed they were entombed in the first place. It could be theft, a ritual , a series of beheadings, or something else, though there are no signs on the remains to indicate they experienced violence while alive.
"It's an early grave which dates to the Early Neolithic period, about 3500 BC," says archaeologist Karl-Göran Sjögren. "Skulls and large bones are missing and may have been removed from the grave. We don't know whether that has to do with burial rituals or what's behind it."
https://www.sciencealert.com/in-a-c...-tombs-in-sweden-is-missing-all-of-its-skulls
maximus otter
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2003
- Messages
- 58,202
- Location
- Eblana
Cruising The Med during the Neolithic.
More than 7,000 years ago, people navigated the Mediterranean Sea using technologically sophisticated boats, according to a study published March 20, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Juan F. Gibaja of the Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona and colleagues.
Many of the most important civilizations in Europe originated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. During the Neolithic, communities clearly traveled and traded across the water, as evidenced by watercraft in the archaeological record and the presence of settlements on coasts and islands. In this study, Gibaja and colleagues provide new insights into the history of seafaring technology through analysis of canoes at the Neolithic lakeshore village of La Marmotta, near Rome, Italy.
Excavation at this site has recovered five canoes built from hollowed-out trees (dugout canoes) dating between 5700 and 5100 BC. Analysis of these boats reveals that they are built from four different types of wood, unusual among similar sites, and that they include advanced construction techniques such as transverse reinforcements.
One canoe is also associated with three T-shaped wooden objects, each with a series of holes that were likely used to fasten ropes tied to sails or other nautical elements. These features, along with previous reconstruction experiments, indicate these were seaworthy vessels, a conclusion supported by the presence at the site of stone tools linked to nearby islands.
Canoe Marmotta 1. On display in the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome. Credit: PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299765, CC-BY
The authors describe these canoes as exceptional examples of prehistoric boats whose construction required a detailed understanding of structural design and wood properties in addition to well-organized specialized labor.
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-neolithic-boats-excavated-mediterranean-reveal.html
More than 7,000 years ago, people navigated the Mediterranean Sea using technologically sophisticated boats, according to a study published March 20, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Juan F. Gibaja of the Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona and colleagues.
Many of the most important civilizations in Europe originated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. During the Neolithic, communities clearly traveled and traded across the water, as evidenced by watercraft in the archaeological record and the presence of settlements on coasts and islands. In this study, Gibaja and colleagues provide new insights into the history of seafaring technology through analysis of canoes at the Neolithic lakeshore village of La Marmotta, near Rome, Italy.
Excavation at this site has recovered five canoes built from hollowed-out trees (dugout canoes) dating between 5700 and 5100 BC. Analysis of these boats reveals that they are built from four different types of wood, unusual among similar sites, and that they include advanced construction techniques such as transverse reinforcements.
One canoe is also associated with three T-shaped wooden objects, each with a series of holes that were likely used to fasten ropes tied to sails or other nautical elements. These features, along with previous reconstruction experiments, indicate these were seaworthy vessels, a conclusion supported by the presence at the site of stone tools linked to nearby islands.
Canoe Marmotta 1. On display in the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome. Credit: PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299765, CC-BY
The authors describe these canoes as exceptional examples of prehistoric boats whose construction required a detailed understanding of structural design and wood properties in addition to well-organized specialized labor.
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-neolithic-boats-excavated-mediterranean-reveal.html
maximus otter
Recovering policeman
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2001
- Messages
- 13,933
Archaeologists unearth ‘previously unknown’ huge prehistoric henge
One of the largest prehistoric monuments ever found in eastern England offers evidence for an evolving sacred landscape.
Archaeologists have announced they have unearthed the remains of a significant prehistoric monument at Crowland.
The find has been described as a “previously unknown Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age henge, a type of circular earthwork.”
While the henge itself dates to somewhere between 3,000BC and 1,600BC, evidence shows the site was subsequently used by Anglo-Saxons.
Because of its size and location, the henge would have occupied a prominent place in the region during the Bronze Age, and is likely to have been a major site for ceremonial activity.
It is important to note that – at the time of its use by early peoples – Crowland would have been a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water and marshes.
The henge would have been set on a distinctive and highly visible point projecting out into the Fens.
Dr Wright and his colleagues had initially been undertaking excavations in the area to learn more about the town’s links to St Guthlac: the famed soldier-turned-hermit who went to live in isolation on the ‘island’ of Crowland following an epiphanic conversion during the late seventh century.
https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk...reviously-unknown-henge-near-crowland-4583685
maximus otter
One of the largest prehistoric monuments ever found in eastern England offers evidence for an evolving sacred landscape.
Archaeologists have announced they have unearthed the remains of a significant prehistoric monument at Crowland.
The find has been described as a “previously unknown Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age henge, a type of circular earthwork.”
While the henge itself dates to somewhere between 3,000BC and 1,600BC, evidence shows the site was subsequently used by Anglo-Saxons.
Because of its size and location, the henge would have occupied a prominent place in the region during the Bronze Age, and is likely to have been a major site for ceremonial activity.
It is important to note that – at the time of its use by early peoples – Crowland would have been a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water and marshes.
The henge would have been set on a distinctive and highly visible point projecting out into the Fens.
Dr Wright and his colleagues had initially been undertaking excavations in the area to learn more about the town’s links to St Guthlac: the famed soldier-turned-hermit who went to live in isolation on the ‘island’ of Crowland following an epiphanic conversion during the late seventh century.
https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk...reviously-unknown-henge-near-crowland-4583685
maximus otter
bugmum
Justified & Ancient
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2003
- Messages
- 1,413
Ah, poor old Guthlac - had his skull pinched back in the 80s.Archaeologists unearth ‘previously unknown’ huge prehistoric henge
One of the largest prehistoric monuments ever found in eastern England offers evidence for an evolving sacred landscape.
Archaeologists have announced they have unearthed the remains of a significant prehistoric monument at Crowland.
The find has been described as a “previously unknown Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age henge, a type of circular earthwork.”
While the henge itself dates to somewhere between 3,000BC and 1,600BC, evidence shows the site was subsequently used by Anglo-Saxons.
Because of its size and location, the henge would have occupied a prominent place in the region during the Bronze Age, and is likely to have been a major site for ceremonial activity.
It is important to note that – at the time of its use by early peoples – Crowland would have been a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water and marshes.
The henge would have been set on a distinctive and highly visible point projecting out into the Fens.
Dr Wright and his colleagues had initially been undertaking excavations in the area to learn more about the town’s links to St Guthlac: the famed soldier-turned-hermit who went to live in isolation on the ‘island’ of Crowland following an epiphanic conversion during the late seventh century.
https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk...reviously-unknown-henge-near-crowland-4583685
maximus otter