OOPArts: Out Of Place Artefacts & Archaeological Erratics

[blessmycottonsocks]

For mashing beer? The Egyptians loved a beer.

The schist disk appeared on today's Quora and a beer-making tool was one of the suggestions: "A device for separating out the wort by plunging it slowly up and down in the vat. Intriguingly, at least one beer making site in Egypt has vats that are between 60 cm and 80cm in diameter, pretty much a perfect fit for this object."

Other suggestions were an incense burner, prototype composite chariot wheel, spool for twisting ropes, agricultural seed dispenser and, probably my favourite suggestion: "Given that nobody ever used it again, it was probably used for something very stupid. (schist for brains)"

 

[Mungoman]

Carbon-14 date the handle.

 

[Sid]

Nah. Used to work in a factory in a sandy area. Would always be finding hammers and nails and such that formed this same sort of concretion, and the orange red tint to the stone is a good indication of rust from the hammer.
Either they chiseled out the edges or it popped loose when they broke it open.

Yeh. . . but it has square cut corners in a recessed hole?

 

[Shadowsot]

Yeh. . . but it has square cut corners in a recessed hole?

Dremel tool, probably.
This isn't really a crazy thing to find, I found similar. It's the dating claims that are out there.

 

[Coal]

As an appendum (derived from your 'Stony-Iron' link, many thanks @Amergin ) I found this truly-fascinating Wiki page : Glossary of meteoritics (which, as a non-tangential aside, intriguingly appears not to contain the word 'silver' in the body of text) .

But I love this:



Regmaglypts is now my second-most favourite meteoritic term.....! (after 'anomalous inclusion', that is)

* stores 'Regmaglypts' in long-term memory in case it ever comes up in a cryptic crossword...*

 

[Floyd]

a cryptic crossword...*

A 'cryptic crossword' to Erms is like one of those tabloid ones.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

If you Google bikini (go on - as if you needed an excuse) it will say the iconic two-piece beach wear was invented in 1946:

View attachment 53410

... and yet this Roman mosaic from the Villa Romana del Casale in the Sicilian town of Piazza Armerina, shows 10 bikini-clad young woman running, playing with beach-balls and palm leaves and toning themselves up with weights, in around the year 300 AD:

View attachment 53411

https://www.ancientworldmagazine.co...ikinis-mosaic-villa-romana-del-casale-sicily/

There's a 2,000 year old leather bikini on display in the Museum of London.
It's the best preserved of four that were discovered during an excavation at Queen Victoria Street in London in 1953.
They are believed to have been worn by female gymnasts and acrobatic dancers.

 

[Ermintruder]

They are believed to have been worn by female gymnasts and acrobatic dancers

I'm confused. I thought that a one-piece bikini (contraindication though that would be) could only refer to a bra/bustenhalter.

No matter how I look at that leather thing, it's more like a pair of fetish side-lashed panties, rather than some acrobatic boobs restrainer (in fact, if worn on the chest, it'd be a breast-revealing appliance, rather than containment clothing)

 

[Trevp666]

There's a 2,000 year old leather bikini on display in the Museum of London.

Was it Rynners?

 

[FunkyTT]

It's a pair of bikini bottoms.... A bikini usually refers to a 2 piece set of bra/top and bottoms. Maybe they only found the bottoms?

Just shows that it was not invented in the 40s after the "bikini attols" or whatever!

 

[Floyd]

if worn on the chest, it'd be a breast-revealing appliance,

I like the sound of this!

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

I'm confused. I thought that a one-piece bikini (contraindication though that would be) could only refer to a bra/bustenhalter.

No matter how I look at that leather thing, it's more like a pair of fetish side-lashed panties, rather than some acrobatic boobs restrainer (in fact, if worn on the chest, it'd be a breast-revealing appliance, rather than containment clothing)

If you look at the depictions of ancient bikini-clad women, you can see that the bottoms appear to be shaped garments, rather like this leather one, whereas the bustenhalter portion just looks like a simple band of cloth, not necessarily matching the bottom.
The girls holding up the beach-ball and throwing the Frisbee look in danger of doing a Barbara Windsor in Carry on Camping.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

This story was on today's Quora.

The rather graphic depiction of Min (Egyptian god of fertility) in the temple of Luxor appears to show him ejaculating, with an image of a large-scale spermatozoa superimposed.

Without access to a microscope (thought to have been invented around 1600 AD) it would seem highly anomalous that this Bronze Age civilisation would know how to depict a spermatozoa.
A couple of suggestions proffer the explanation that it could be a deformed, elongated ankh symbol or even some sort of lasso, but the symbolism behind lassoing your ejaculate does seem pretty odd.
Could it be a palimpsest-like effect of overlapping hieroglyphs, similar to the infamous helicopter image from the Temple of Seti I at Abydos?
Any ideas?

 

[Amergin]

Hmm I think out of context it’s odd, but there are symbols above and below making it only one part of a more complex hieroglyph.

 

[Trevp666]

Looks more like a jug of some sort pouring water (or another liquid) out. Pareidolia possibly making people think it is sperm-like.

 

[Mungoman]

This story was on today's Quora.

The rather graphic depiction of Min (Egyptian god of fertility) in the temple of Luxor appears to show him ejaculating, with an image of a large-scale spermatozoa superimposed.

View attachment 67393

View attachment 67394

Without access to a microscope (thought to have been invented around 1600 AD) it would seem highly anomalous that this Bronze Age civilisation would know how to depict a spermatozoa.
A couple of suggestions proffer the explanation that it could be a deformed, elongated ankh symbol or even some sort of lasso, but the symbolism behind lassoing your ejaculate does seem pretty odd.
Could it be a palimpsest-like effect of overlapping hieroglyphs, similar to the infamous helicopter image from the Temple of Seti I at Abydos?
Any ideas?

Interestingly, it reminds me of two things...where the glyph could both could be translated as 'seed'.

The first is a Poppy (Papaver sp.) seed case, and the other is a freshly emerged Dicotyledon seedling...or, if all else fails, it could represent your mundane, everyday spermatazoa...(I doubt it though).

 

[Shadowsot]

Looks more like a jug of some sort pouring water (or another liquid) out. Pareidolia possibly making people think it is sperm-like.

This is it. I looked through some hieroglyphs and found a very similar one.

And a little more digging turned up this:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wꜥb
Looks like just a coincidence of placement and leaving off part of the glyph.

 

[Sid]

This is it. I looked through some hieroglyphs and found a very similar one.

And a little more digging turned up this:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wꜥb
Looks like just a coincidence of placement and leaving off part of the glyph.

It looks as though its a small drinking pot, pouring out wine or some kind of liquid?
*And in this part of the overall depiction, it appears that drink is being offered in glasses, on a tray, being offered to share between them.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

On 29th June 3123 BC (5,500 years ago tomorrow) an ancient Sumerian astronomer inscribed on a clay tablet what is probably an asteroid impact. The ancient planisphere also contains a host of other astronomical data, belying its immense age.

https://archaeology-world.com/this-...ap-recorded-the-impact-of-a-massive-asteroid/

 

[maximus otter]

On 29th June 3123 BC (5,500 years ago tomorrow) an ancient Sumerian astronomer inscribed on a clay tablet what is probably an asteroid impact. The ancient planisphere also contains a host of other astronomical data, belying its immense age.

View attachment 67416

https://archaeology-world.com/this-...ap-recorded-the-impact-of-a-massive-asteroid/

Here's the thought that immediately occurred to me reading about this:

a) From blessmycottonsocks' link above: "...the object observed by the Sumerian astronomer was most likely the asteroid that impacted Köfels, Austria...29 June 3123 BC

...the space rock most likely clipped a mountain on its way down (most likely the tip of Gamskogel), causing the asteroid to disintegrate before reaching its final impact point.

Scientists explain that as it made its way down the valley, the asteroid turned into a gigantic fireball, around five kilometers in diameter."

b) "Ötzi, also called the Iceman, is the natural mummy of a man who lived between 3350 and 3105 BC. Ötzi was discovered in September 1991 in the Ötztal Alps..."

c) The asteroid impact site is about 170 miles ENE of where Ötzi's body was recovered in the Alps:

Asteroid impact (exact) starred at upper right; Ötzi body deposition site (rough) starred at lower left

It seems to be a helluva coincidence that Ötzi and a highly-unusual celestial impact should occur in the same geographical area and within the same timeframe...



(Let's get woo: Wasn't Ötzi in possession of an anachronistically-advanced copper axe...?)

maximus otter

 

[Sid]

Wasn't Ötzi in possession of an anachronistically-advanced copper axe...?)

maximus otter

Yes he was. . .
https://www.ancient-origins.net/new...rm-evidence-neolithic-travel-and-trade-021494

 

[Trevp666]

This is it. I looked through some hieroglyphs and found a very similar one.

And a little more digging turned up this:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wꜥb
Looks like just a coincidence of placement and leaving off part of the glyph.

Yes, I hate to say "I told you so" but.....

I told you so.

 

[Ascalon]

It looks as though its a small drinking pot, pouring out wine or some kind of liquid?
*And in this part of the overall depiction, it appears that drink is being offered in glasses, on a tray, being offered to share between them.
View attachment 67415

Vizier: Oh great Pharoah, the sun is below the shoulder of the great mountain.
Pharoah: What are you getting at?
Vizier: Oh great Pharoah, let's get wrecked on shots!
Pharoah: Oh, go on, then.

 

[Floyd]

It looks as though its a small drinking pot, pouring out wine or some kind of liquid?
*And in this part of the overall depiction, it appears that drink is being offered in glasses, on a tray, being offered to share between them.
View attachment 67415

I reckon it's a reminder to always wash your willy after sex - you know, a hygiene thing.
Those Egyptians were and are very clean folk.

 

[Shadowsot]

On 29th June 3123 BC (5,500 years ago tomorrow) an ancient Sumerian astronomer inscribed on a clay tablet what is probably an asteroid impact. The ancient planisphere also contains a host of other astronomical data, belying its immense age.

View attachment 67416

https://archaeology-world.com/this-...ap-recorded-the-impact-of-a-massive-asteroid/

This is false. It actually is a planisphere that depicts the sky around 625 bc. Give me some time to get to my computer and I'll dig it up from the museum.

 

[Shadowsot]

I reckon it's a reminder to always wash your willy after sex - you know, a hygiene thing.
Those Egyptians were and are very clean folk.

To be a bit pedantic the word the symbol translates to is to purify so.... Yeah.

 

[Shadowsot]

Here's the thought that immediately occurred to me reading about this:

a) From blessmycottonsocks' link above: "...the object observed by the Sumerian astronomer was most likely the asteroid that impacted Köfels, Austria...29 June 3123 BC

...the space rock most likely clipped a mountain on its way down (most likely the tip of Gamskogel), causing the asteroid to disintegrate before reaching its final impact point.

Scientists explain that as it made its way down the valley, the asteroid turned into a gigantic fireball, around five kilometers in diameter."

b) "Ötzi, also called the Iceman, is the natural mummy of a man who lived between 3350 and 3105 BC. Ötzi was discovered in September 1991 in the Ötztal Alps..."

c) The asteroid impact site is about 170 miles ENE of where Ötzi's body was recovered in the Alps:

Asteroid impact (exact) starred at upper right; Ötzi body deposition site (rough) starred at lower left

It seems to be a helluva coincidence that Ötzi and a highly-unusual celestial impact should occur in the same geographical area and within the same timeframe...



(Let's get woo: Wasn't Ötzi in possession of an anachronistically-advanced copper axe...?)

maximus otter

Museum number K.8538
The Köfels landslide was originally thought to have been an impact but is now known to be a landslide.
There's also the age to keep in mind. Writing wasn't really invented yet when it's supposed to date from.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

This is false. It actually is a planisphere that depicts the sky around 625 bc. Give me some time to get to my computer and I'll dig it up from the museum.

Aw no.
So Archaeology World is printing BS too?
Next I fully expect you to find evidence that the Antikythera mechanism was just a corroded piece of Victorian clockwork and Göbekli Tepe was of recent construction!
Seriously, you're doing us all a favour by debunking such material. I do sometimes wonder though how much genuine Forteana is left?

 

[Shadowsot]

Aw no.
So Archaeology World is printing BS too?
Next I fully expect you to find evidence that the Antikythera mechanism was just a corroded piece of Victorian clockwork and Göbekli Tepe was of recent construction!
Seriously, you're doing us all a favour by debunking such material. I do sometimes wonder though how much genuine Forteana is left?

I was really excited when I originally saw the story a year ago but a bit of digging turned up what was real.
There's lots of unknown stuff out there, especially around ancient history. But for some reason people aren't satisfied with what we really don't know and what the ancients really did and have to make stuff up.
I don't know why, new answers are always being found but there's so many new mysteries discovered as well.

A bit of mundanity about Göbekli too, they now are saying the idea it was purposefully buried was wrong. And they've found houses as well.
So the idea of it being an intentionally buried pilgrimage site has been shoved aside.

 

[Sid]

Vizier: Oh great Pharoah, the sun is below the shoulder of the great mountain.
Pharoah: What are you getting at?
Vizier: Oh great Pharoah, let's get wrecked on shots!
Pharoah: Oh, go on, then.

Depends exactly what they put into their drinking glasses!
May not have been anything to do with alcohol.