Category Archives: ASIA

ASIA, ISRAEL, WORLD

‘It’s a dream’: 4 Roman swords likely stolen as war booty 1,900 years ago discovered in Israeli cave

‘It’s a dream’: 4 Roman swords likely stolen as war booty 1,900 years ago discovered in Israeli cave

'It's a dream': 4 Roman swords likely stolen as war booty 1,900 years ago discovered in Israeli cave
One of the four well-preserved Roman swords that was stashed away inside a cave in Israel.

Archaeologists in Israel have discovered four well-preserved 1,900-year-old Roman swords lodged in a crevice inside a cave in the Judaean Desert — weapons that rebel Jewish forces likely seized in battle and later hid.

Of the four “rare” weapons, three with iron blades were still protected in their wooden and leather sheaths.

The blades of three of the swords measured between 24 and 26 inches (60 and 65 centimeters) with dimensions similar to Roman “spatha” swords, while the fourth had a much shorter, 18-inch (45 cm) blade and was classified as a ring-pommel sword.

All of the swords were “standard” issue and used by Roman soldiers stationed in Judaea at the time, according to a statement released by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on Wednesday (Sept. 6).

“Finding a single sword is rare — so four? It’s a dream,” the researchers wrote in the statement. “We rubbed our eyes to believe it.”

Researchers think Judaean rebels may have hidden the cache inside the cave in what is now En Gedi Nature Reserve in northern Israel after seizing the items from the Roman army as “booty” during the Bar Kokhba Revolt, a rebellion that was led by Jews in the Roman province of Judaea and unfolded between A.D. 132 and 135.

“Obviously, the rebels did not want to be caught by the Roman authorities carrying these weapons,” Eitan Klein, IAA deputy director and one of the directors of the Judean Desert Survey Project, said in the statement.

“We are just beginning the research on the cave and the weapon cache discovered in it, aiming to try to find out who owned the swords, and where, when and by whom they were manufactured.”

The swords were part of an exhibition on Wednesday promoting an article about the finding published in the new research book “New Studies in the Archaeology of the Judean Desert: Collected Papers.”

Archaeologists work together to remove the swords from the cave.

The discovery comes 50 years after a different team of researchers found a stalactite inside the cave.

The formation bore an ink inscription scrawled in ancient Hebrew script that was similar to text written during the First Temple period (957 B.C. to 586 B.C.), which began with the construction of the temple of King Solomon and ended with its destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. 

Researchers visited the cave to photograph the stalactite, hoping to find additional inscriptions. Instead, they stumbled upon the cache of swords.

“This is a dramatic and exciting discovery, touching on a specific moment in time,” Eli Escusido, director-general of the IAA, said in the statement, adding that the finding is a “unique time capsule” in Judaean history.

ASIA, KAZAKHSTAN, WORLD

Astonishing discovery in Kazakhstan: Bronze Age girl buried with more than 150 animal ankle bones

Astonishing discovery in Kazakhstan: Bronze Age girl buried with more than 150 animal ankle bones

Archaeologists in eastern Kazakhstan have unearthed a Bronze Age burial mound of a girl surrounded by various grave goods in the Ainabulak-Temirsu Necropolis.

Astonishing discovery in Kazakhstan: Bronze Age girl buried with more than 150 animal ankle bones
The burial mound contained the skeletal remains of an adolescent girl surrounded by fragments of animal bones.

The young girl was laid to rest with a number of peculiar grave goods, including 180 animal ankle bones and a small, exquisite silver accessory depicting a frog on a disc.

The excavations are carried out together with experts from the University of Cambridge and under the direction of Rinat Zhumatayev, Head of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) Archaeology, Ethnology, and Muzology Department.

The ongoing excavations have gained momentum since 2016 when the journey to explore the region’s historical treasures commenced in the Zaisan district, spearheaded by Abdesh Toleubaev.

According to The Astana Times, an English-language news outlet in Kazakhstan, the girl’s grave is located near Ainabulak village in the east of the country and dates from Central Asia’s Bronze Age, which lasted from roughly 3200 B.C.E. until 1000 B.C.E.

Speaking to LiveScience, Rinat Zhumatayev, an archaeologist who led the excavation and heads the Department of Archaeology, Ethnology and Museology at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan, said: “She was buried on her left side, bent over. Small wire earrings were in both ears and beads around her neck.”

The curious looking bronze object depicting a frog could be a symbol of fertility or pregnancy, according to archaeologists.

The frog-adorned artifact carries immense significance. Scholars associate the frog motif with water-related rituals found in China and Egypt, adding an intriguing layer to the ongoing research.

According to the researchers, this is the first example discovered in Kazakhstan and may be associated with the image of a woman in labour and the cult of water.

The sheer volume of animal bone fragments buried in the burial mound also piqued researchers’ interest. The number of bones buried with this person was extravagant compared to other graves on the Eurasian steppe that contained animal remains, frequently in child and adolescent burials.


Some scientists think that the burial of astragalus bones was part of a “cult practice” and that the bones were used during meditation. However, other researchers view the bones as “symbols of well-being” and “good luck” that served as a “wish for a successful transition from [one] world to others,” Zhumatayev said.

“Our exploration is far from over. By the year’s end, we anticipate unveiling our findings and publishing a comprehensive scientific article,” shared Rinat Zhumatayev.

ASIA, INDIA, WORLD

Rudra – Mighty Hindu God Of Death, Destruction, Hunting Who Heals Mortal Diseases

Rudra – Mighty Hindu God Of Death, Destruction, Hunting Who Heals Mortal Diseases

In the Rig Veda, an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns, some of them are dedicated to a powerful and complex god Rudra, praised as the ‘mightiest of the mighty.’ He is Lord of Yoga, the one who restores the wholeness of the absolute.

However, he is much more than that.

Rudra – Mighty Hindu God Of Death, Destruction, Hunting Who Heals Mortal Diseases

He is described as a mighty god, armed with a bow and black arrows, flying fast, wearing a scythe, accompanied by Maruts, who in Vedic and Hindu mythology, are the deities symbolizing storm, thunder, wind, thunder, and lightning, and so does the great Rudra himself.

In addition, he is associated with disease, misfortune, and even death, but as a hunter – dressed in animal skins, with long black hair pulled into a knot, and with a bow and black arrows – is also closely associated with mountains and forests.

To attest to his mighty powers, we must add that Rudra is also the king of medicines and a healer, as he could bring diseases and heal from them.

The people turned to him with prayers for mercy and health and called him “Having a sedative healing remedy,” “Holder of a thousand healing remedies,” or “The most healing of healers.”

Sometimes, he holds the arrow in his hand and acts as a destructive power and a plant (or a water vessel) in the other to demonstrate the revitalizing abilities that pulsate in plants, water, and heals.

To heal the illnesses of mortals, the mighty Rudra comes up with a much better idea than the one given to him by the god Brahma, who asked him to plunge into waters to create mortals.

According to Rigveda, Rudra decided to develop the plants and herbs to become the mortals’ best medicines. The fiery nature of Rudra makes him comparable to the qualities of a Vedic god of fire, Agni,  also one of the supreme deities of the Vedic lore.

It happens that Rudra (the Vedic precursor of Shiva, the destroyer) is remembered as ‘the roarer’ and the one ‘who eradicates problems from their roots. He is also associated with the god of death, Yama.

But scholars sometimes considered him as the “fertility god of the Indus valley, whose symbol was the bull. He is, however, sometimes depicted in the posture of a yogi. These aspects suggest a link to the later Shiva. In the Rig Veda, Rudra, whose wife’s name, Prsni (“water bag,”) is a bringer of life-giving rain and other boons. As a fertility god, he is represented by the phallus (or linga), which will take on increased importance in the Shiva cult.” 

His weapons are a bow, an arrow, and a trishula, which in Greek mythology is known as the trident.

The trishula (in Sanskrit, “triple-spear”) represents a mysterious symbol of great importance in India. It was later the weapon of Shiva (‘the destroyer’). Three prongs reflected Shiva’s function as creator, destroyer, and preserver and represented the Law (Dharma), the basic principles of personal or cosmic or existence – divine law.

This mighty deity of the Hindu pantheon developed later into the powerful god Shiva, with whom he was often associated as Rudra/Shiva. Young, fast, invincible, and untouchable, Rudra dwells in the north, with which, as well as with the west, everything cold, darkness, and evil are connected, according to the ancient Indian model of the world.

Rudra’s wife was Sati, the daughter of the lord of all creatures, Daksha. Sati was deeply in love with her husband, who was handsome, strong with powerful arms, and a body decorated with ornaments of gold and a brilliant necklace. His chariot is swift, and a club, lightning bolt, or bow and arrows never miss a target, making him a great danger to his enemies.

In excavated ruins of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa dated to the Indus Civilization that existed between 3000 and 2000 BC,) archaeologists found “a seated figure with crossed legs, three heads, and surrounded by animals.

“The figure is the position of meditation, which is still used by yogis nowadays. This nameless god is undoubtedly a precursor of Shiva, the Lord of the Three Worlds, the Prince of Ascetics, and the Protector of the Animal Kingdom.

Interestingly, the first name by which this god is found in the Vedas is – Rudra. Rudra is above all a violent god, the god of storms and destruction., who is also feared by the other gods, although there were  benevolent aspects even at that time.” 

Later, in post-Vedic mythology, the cult of Shiva developed from the cult of Rudra. His very name (and his epithets Pashupati, “master of cattle,” Sharva, etc.) later became one of the nicknames of Shiva.

ASIA, RUSSIA, WORLD

DNA From 3,800-Year-Old Individuals Sheds New Light On Bronze Age Families

DNA From 3,800-Year-Old Individuals Sheds New Light On Bronze Age Families

The diversity of family systems in prehistoric societies has always fascinated scientists. A groundbreaking study by Mainz anthropologists and an international team of archaeologists now provides new insights into the origins and genetic structure of prehistoric family communities.

Researchers Jens Blöcher and Joachim Burger from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have analyzed the genomes of skeletons from an extended family from a Bronze Age necropolis in the Russian steppe.

The 3,800-year-old “Nepluyevsky” burial mound was excavated several years ago and is located on the geographical border between Europe and Asia. Using statistical genomics, this society’s family and marriage relationships have now been deciphered.

Location of the burial site in the southern Ural region (ill./©: Joachim Burger)

The study was carried out in cooperation with archaeologists from Ekaterinburg and Frankfurt a. M. and was partly financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Russian Science Foundation (RSCF).

The kurgan (burial mound) investigated was the grave of six brothers, their wives, children, and grandchildren. The presumably oldest brother had eight children with two wives, one of whom came from the Asian steppe regions in the east. The other brothers showed no signs of polygamy and probably lived monogamously with far fewer children.

Fascinating snapshot of a prehistoric family

“The burial site provides a fascinating snapshot of a prehistoric family,” explains Jens Blöcher, lead author of the study. “It is remarkable that the first-born brother apparently had a higher status and thus greater chances of reproduction.

The right of the male firstborn seems familiar to us, it is known from the Old Testament, for example, but also from the aristocracy in historical Europe.”

The genomic data reveal even more. Most women buried in the kurgan were immigrants. The sisters of the buried brothers, in turn, found new homes elsewhere. Joachim Burger, senior author of the study, explains: “Female marriage mobility is a common pattern that makes sense from an economic and evolutionary perspective.

While one sex stays local and ensures the continuity of the family line and property, the other marries in from the outside to prevent inbreeding.”

The genomic diversity of the prehistoric women was higher than that of the men

Accordingly, the Mainz population geneticists found that the genomic diversity of the prehistoric women was higher than that of the men.

The women who married into the family thus came from a larger area and were not related to each other. In their new homeland, they followed their husbands into the grave. From this, the authors conclude that in Nepluyevsky there was both “patrilineality”, i.e. the transmission of local traditions through the male line, and “patrilocality”, i.e. the place of residence of a family is the place of residence of the men.

“Archaeology shows that 3,800 years ago, the population in the southern Trans-Ural knew cattle breeding and metalworking and subsisted mainly on dairy and meat products,” comments Svetlana Sharapova, an archaeologist from Ekaterinburg and head of the excavation, adding, “the state of health of the family buried here must have been very poor.

The average life expectancy of the women was 28 years, that of the men 36 years.”

A skeleton from the Nepluyevsky site (photo/©: Svetlana Sharapova)

In the last generation, the use of the kurgan suddenly stopped and almost only infants and small children were found. Sharapova adds, “it is possible that the inhabitants were decimated by disease or that the remaining population went elsewhere in search of a better life.”

Multiple partners and many children for the putative firstborn son

“There is a global connection between different family systems and certain forms of life-style and economy,” says Blöcher. “Nevertheless, human societies are characterized by a high degree of flexibility.” He adds, “in Nepluyevsky, we find evidence of a pattern of inequality typical of pastoralists: multiple partners and many children for the putative firstborn son and no or monogamous relationships for most others.”

The authors find additional genomic evidence that populations genetically similar to Neplujevsky society lived throughout most of the Eurasian steppe belt. Burger comments: “It is quite possible that the local pattern we found is relevant to a much larger area.” Future studies will show to what extent the “Neplujevsky” model can be verified at other prehistoric sites in Eurasia.

ASIA, ISRAEL, WORLD

Four Rare And Incredibly Well-Preserved 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found In Judean Desert

Four Rare And Incredibly Well-Preserved 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found In Judean Desert

Archaeologists report having discovered four incredibly well-preserved Roman swords in the Judean Desert.

This very rare find was made in a small hidden cave located in an area of isolated and inaccessible cliffs north of ‘En Gedi, in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve, under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Authority. Fifty years ago, a stalactite with a fragmentary ink inscription written in ancient Hebrew script, characteristic of the First Temple period, was found.

Archaeologists remove the swords from the rock crevice where they were hidden some 1,900 years ago in a cave in the Judean Desert. Credit:Emil Aladjem/IAA

Recently, Dr. Asaf Gayer of the Department of the Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Ariel University, geologist Boaz Langford of the Institute of Earth Sciences and the Cave Research Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Shai Halevi, Israel Antiquities Authority photographer, visited the cave.

Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

Their aim was to photograph the Paleo-Hebrew inscription written on the stalactite with multispectral photography that might be able to decipher additional parts of the inscription not visible to the naked eye. While on the upper level of the cave, Asaf Gayer spotted an extremely well-preserved, Roman pilum— a shafted weapon in a deep narrow crevice. He also found pieces of worked wood in an adjacent niche that turned out to be parts of the swords’ scabbards.

From right to left: Dr. Asaf Gayer, Oriya Amichay, Dr. Eitan Klein and Amir Ganor. Photography: Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority

The researchers reported the discovery to the Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeological Survey Team, who are conducting a systematic scientific project in the Judean Desert caves. As part of this survey, initiated by the Israel Antiquities Authority, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and the Archaeological Office for the Military Administration of Judea and Samaria, hundreds of caves have been investigated over the past six years, and 24 archaeological excavations have been carried out in selected caves, with the aim of saving the archaeological remains from the hands of looters.

The Judean Desert Cave Survey team, together with Asaf Gayer and Boaz Langford returned to the cave and carried out a meticulous survey of all the crevices in the rock, during which they were astonished to find the four Roman swords in an almost inaccessible crevice on the upper level of the cave.

Experts say the four swords are 1,900-year-old and most likely from Bar Kochba revolt that lasted from 132 to 135 C.E. Also called the Second Jewish Revolt, it was a Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in Judea led by rebel leader Simon Bar Kochba.

The most plausible scenario is that the swords were hidden in the cave sometime during the revolt, as it was dangerous for Jews to be found with Roman weapons.

“Finding a single sword is rare—so four? It’s a dream! We rubbed our eyes to believe it,” say the researchers.

The swords were exceptionally well preserved, and three were found with the iron blade inside the wooden scabbards. Leather strips and wooden and metal finds belonging to the weapons were also found in the crevice. The swords had well-fashioned handles made of wood or metal.

The length of the blades of the three swords was 60–65 cm, their dimensions identifying them as Roman spatha swords, and the fourth one was shorter with c. 45 cm long blade, identified as a ring-pommel sword.

Removing the swords from the cave. Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

The swords were carefully removed from the crevice in the rock and transferred to the Israel Antiquities Authority climate-controlled laboratories for preservation and conservation.

The initial examination of the assemblage confirmed that these were standard swords employed by the Roman soldiers stationed in Judea in the Roman period.

“The hiding of the swords and the pilum in deep cracks in the isolated cave north of ‘En Gedi, hints that the weapons were taken as booty from Roman soldiers or from the battlefield and purposely hidden by the Judean rebels for reuse,” says Dr. Eitan Klein, one of the directors of the Judean Desert Survey Project.

At work in the cave. Photography: Hagay Hamer, Israel Antiquities Authority

“Obviously, the rebels did not want to be caught by the Roman authorities carrying these weapons. We are just beginning the research on the cave and the weapon cache discovered in it, aiming to try to find out who owned the swords, and where, when, and by whom they were manufactured. We will try to pinpoint the historical event that led to the caching of these weapons in the cave and determine whether it was at the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132–135 CE.”

Following the discovery of the swords, an archaeological excavation was undertaken in the cave by the Israel Antiquities Authority, directed by Eitan Klein, Oriya Amichay, Hagay Hamer, and Amir Ganor. The cave was excavated in its entirety, and artifacts dating to the Chalcolithic period (c. 6,000 years ago) and the Roman period (c. 2,000 years ago) were uncovered.

Conservators Ilan Naor and Lena Kupershmidt with the swords. Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

At the entrance to the cave, a Bar-Kokhba bronze coin from the time of the Revolt was found, possibly pointing to the time when the cave served for concealing the weapons.

Four Rare And Incredibly Well-Preserved 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found In Judean Desert
Archaeologists Oriya Amichay and Hagay Hamer with one of the swords found in the cave. Photography: Amir Ganor, Israel Antiquities Authority
Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

The preliminary article on the swords is now published in the volume ‘New Studies in the Archaeology of the Judean Desert: Collected Papers’ and will be launched this evening (6.9) in Jerusalem at an insightful event!

The book ‘New Studies in the Archaeology of the Judean Desert: Collected Papers’ will be launched (6.9) in Jerusalem at an insightful event! In addition, the swords discussed above will be presented.

ASIA, ISRAEL, WORLD

Mysterious 2,800-Year-Old Channel Installation Discovered In The City Of David, Jerusalem

Mysterious 2,800-Year-Old Channel Installation Discovered In The City Of David, Jerusalem

Scientists are trying to solve an ancient Jerusalem mystery. What was the function of the Channel Installation discovered in the City of David National Park, dating to the days of Kings Joash and Amaziah?

Mysterious 2,800-Year-Old Channel Installation Discovered In The City Of David, Jerusalem

An ancient channel installation, the first of its kind ever discovered in Israel, was in use around 2,800 years ago – during the First Temple period. Investigators from the police forensic unit joined to solve the mystery, but so far – to no avail.

According to researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University, “The channels were likely used to soak some type of product. Their central location indicates that the product was connected to the Palace or Temple economy”.

The excavation findings will be open for public viewing during the 24th City of David Studies of Ancient Jerusalem conference to be held next week.

What was this obscure product that was important to the economy of the city, Temple or Palace during the times of the ancient Judean Kings? Unique and large-scale production installations carved out of the rock and dating to the 9th Century BCE were unearthed in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University in the City of David National Park, funded by the Elad Foundation.

The purpose of the installation is still unclear, but their uniqueness and location near the Temple and the Palace suggest that their products were integrated into the economy of these prominent institutions.

The excavation thus far has uncovered two installations about 10 meters apart, which may have composed one large installation. Such structures have not been found anywhere else in Israel, hence their uniqueness.

The excavators found the first installation at the northeastern end of the Givati Parking Lot excavation, which includes a series of at least nine channels that were smoothed. On top of the rock cliff that encloses the installation to the south can be found seven drain pipes, which carried liquid from the top of the cliff, which served as an activity area, to the channel installation.

Dr. Yiftah Shalev, a senior researcher at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said: “We looked at the installation and realized that we had stumbled on something unique, but since we had never seen a structure like this in Israel, we didn’t know how to interpret it. Even its date was unclear.

We brought a number of experts to the site to see if there were any residues in the soil or rock that are not visible to the naked eye, and to help us understand what flowed or stood in the channels. We wanted to check whether there were any organic remains or traces of blood, so we even recruited the help of the police forensic unit and its research colleagues around the world, but so far – to no avail.”

“The mystery only grew deeper when we found the second installation to the south,” says Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University’s Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations Department.

“This installation consists of at least five channels that transport liquids.
“Despite some differences in the way the channels were hewn and designed, it is evident that the second installation is very similar to the first, “Gadot adds.

“This time, we also managed to date when the facility fell out of use – at the end of the 9th Century BCE, during the days of the biblical kings of Judah – Joash and Amaziah. We assume that the two installations, which, as mentioned, may have been used in unison, were constructed several decades earlier.”

According to Prof. Gadot, “This is an era when we know that Jerusalem covered an area that included the City of David and the Temple Mount, which served as the heart of Jerusalem. The central location of the channels near the city’s most prominent areas indicates that the product made using them was connected to the economy of the Temple or Palace. One should note that ritual activity includes bringing agricultural animal and plant produce to the Temple; Many times, Temple visitors would bring back products that carried the sanctity of the place.”

“Since the channels don’t lead to a large drainage basin and the direction of their flow varies, it is possible that the channels, at least in the northern installation, were used to soak products – and not to drain liquids,” adds Dr. Shalev.

“The production of linen, for example, requires soaking the flax for a long time to soften it. Another possibility is that the channels held dates that were left out to be heated by the sun to produce silan (date honey), like similarly shaped installations discovered in distant places such as Oman, Bahrain and Iran.” Dr. Shalev notes that “in the near future, we will take additional soil samples from the installations, and try – once again – to identify components that can help us solve the mystery: what was the product that was important for the economy of the city, Temple or Palace?”.

According to Eli Escusido, director of the Antiquities Authority, “the ancient channel installations we have before us are fascinating and stimulate the imagination. The excavations in the City of David, which cover vast areas compared to densely populated Jerusalem, are revealing to us more and more fascinating details from the time of the Judahite kings, of which there are relatively few finds in the Old City due to modern disturbances.

ASIA, EUROPE, RUSSIA, WORLD

Rare 3,000-Year-Old Weavings Discovered In Alaska

Rare 3,000-Year-Old Weavings Discovered In Alaska

During excavations of an ancestral sod house on the shore of Karluk Lake, Kodiak Island, Alaska, archaeologists uncovered rare fragments of woven grass artifacts estimated to be 3,000 years old.

The fragments, which appear to be pieces of mats, are the oldest well-documented examples of Kodiak Alutiiq/Sugpiaq weaving.

Rare 3,000-Year-Old Weavings Discovered In Alaska
Weaving is a long-practiced Alutiiq art. Image credit: Patrick Saltonstall, Alutiiq Museum

“We were excavating a sod house beside Karluk Lake as part of a broader study to understand how Alutiiq people used Kodiak’sinterior,” said Saltonstall. “When we reached the floor, we discovered that the house had burned and collapsed.

The walls of the structure, which were lined with wood, fell into the building and covered a portion of the floor. This sealed the floor quickly and limited burning. As we removed the remains of the walls, we were surprised and excited to find fragments of charred weaving.

It looks like the house had grass mats on the floor. The pieces covered about a two-meter area at the back of the house, perhaps in an area for sleeping,” Alutiiq Museum Curator of Archaeology Patrick Saltonstall explained in a press release.

Weaving is a long-practiced Alutiiq art, but one that is difficult to document archaeologically as fiber artifacts are fragile and rarely preserved.

The Alutiiq Museum’s extensive archaeological collections contain grass and spruce root baskets that are as much as 600 years old but nothing older.

Detail of ca. 3,000-year-old grass matting from ancestral Alutiiq house by Karluk Lake. Image credit: Patrick Saltonstall, Alutiiq Museum

The house that produced the weavings was radiocarbon-dated to about 3,000 years old. The style of the structure and artifacts found in association support this determination.

“It is likely that our ancestors worked with plant fibers for millennia, from the time they arrived on Kodiak 7500 years ago,” said April Laktonen Counceller, the museum’s executive director.

“It makes sense. Plants are abundant and easily harvested, and they are excellent materials for making containers, mats, and other useful items. It’s just very hard to document this practice. This wonderful find extends our knowledge of Alutiiq weaving back an additional 2400 years.”

Close inspection of the woven fragments shows that their makerslaid down long parallel strands of grass (the warp) and then secured them with perpendicular rows of twining (the weft)spaced about an inch apart.

This technique created an open weave, also found in historic examples of Alutiiq grass matting. Small fragments of more complicated braiding may represent the finished edge of a mat.

The field crew carefully lifted the fragile woven fragments off the floor of the sod house and placed them in a specially made box for transport back to Kodiak and the Alutiiq Museum’slaboratory.

The sod house after excavation. The structure is oval and about 4 x 6 meters across. Modern sticks mark the locations of holes left by posts that once held up the structure roof. Image credit: Patrick Saltonstall, Alutiiq Museum

Here, they will be preserved, documented, and made available for study as a loan from Koniag—the regional Alaska Native Corporation for Kodiak Alutiiq people and the sponsor of the research. The corporation owns the land on which the excavation took and has been generously supporting archaeological studies in the region.

“Discoveries like these highlight our Alutiiq people’s innovation and resilience,” said Koniag President Shauna Hegna.“Koniag is humbled to partner with the Alutiiq Museum on critical projects like this.”

ASIA, JAPAN, WORLD

1,800-Year-Old Skulls From Japan Studied

1,800-Year-Old Skulls From Japan Studied

1,800-Year-Old Skulls From Japan Studied
One of the skeletons belonging to the Hirota people that was unearthed from a site on Tanegashima island.

For 400 years, a group of Indigenous people living in Japan deliberately deformed the skulls of their infant children, a new study suggests.

The Hirota people resided on the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima between the end of the Yayoi period and the Kofun period, or between the third and seventh centuries. Between 1957 and 1959, and later between 2005 and 2006, researchers excavated numerous skeletons from a Hirota site on Tanegashima and found that most had deformed skulls.

Until now, it was unclear if the skulls had been deformed by an unknown natural process or deliberately misshaped via a process known as artificial cranial deformation (ACD), which normally involves wrapping or pressing an infant’s skull to change its shape shortly after birth. (ACD is also known as intentional skull deformation; however, this term is used less often, as most individuals do not make this decision themselves.)

In a new study, published Wednesday (Aug. 16) in the journal PLOS One, researchers reanalyzed the skulls and compared them with Japanese remains from the same time period. Their results indicate that ACD is the most likely explanation for the contorted craniums.

A comparison between a Yayoi skull (left) and a Hirota skull (right). The Hirota skull has a much more flattened back of the head. Researchers believe this shows it has been deliberately modified.

The research team analyzed the overall 2D skull shape and took 3D scans of the bones. Then, they compared the skulls with those from the Yayoi and Jomon peoples, who occupied other parts of Japan around the same time. 

All of the deformed Hirota remains had been altered to create a slightly shortened head with a flattened back of the skull.

The analysis revealed very similar damage to the occipital bone at the base of each skull and showed “depressions in parts of the skull that connects the bones together,” study lead author Noriko Seguchi, a biological anthropologist at Kyushu University in Japan, said in a statement. 

An equal number of male and female remains were deformed, and there was no difference between the sexes in the shapes of the skulls. Similar deformations were not observed among the Yayoi or Jomon skulls.

The distinct morphology of the Hirota skulls “strongly suggests intentional cranial modification,” Seguchi said.

Part of the Hirota site of Tanegashima island. Each post marks the spot where a skeleton was uncovered.

It’s unknown why the Hirota people chose to alter their infants’ skulls. One possibility is that it helped them distinguish themselves from other groups, the researchers wrote in the statement.

The team plans to examine more archaic deformed skulls from the region to gain further insight into why ACD was carried out.

Evidence of ACD has been uncovered in many groups throughout history, including the Huns, medieval European women, the Maya, some Native American tribes, and people from the ancient Paracas culture in what is now Peru, whose exceptionally elongated skulls have been misconstrued by conspiracy theorists as evidence of aliens, Discover magazine reported in a 2022 feature on ACD. 

ACD is still practiced today, primarily in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, where individuals’ skulls are deformed to appear more similar to one of their deities, who is depicted with an elongated head. On rare occasions, some girls in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have their heads elongated at birth as a status symbol, Discover magazine reported.