Archaeology
Archaeologists uncover ornate Christian frescos in Old Dongola
A team of archaeologists have uncovered a collection of ornate Christian frescos during excavations in Old Dongola.
Old Dongola was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Makuria, located in the Northern State of Sudan, on the eastern banks of the River Nile.
The Kingdom of Makuria emerged in the 5th century AD following the collapse of the Nubian Kingdom of Kush. Makuria reached its zenith between the 9th and 11th centuries AD, encompassing the territory stretching from the Third Cataract along the Nile River to below Abu Hamad, as well as certain regions of northern Kordofan.
The kingdom underwent a cultural and religious transformations known as “Nubization” to counter the increasing impact of Arabic within the Coptic Church. These reforms involved the adoption of the veneration of deceased rulers, bishops, and local Nubian saints.
Image Credit : University of Warsaw
Archaeologists from the Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, have been conducting a research project called “UMMA – Urban Metamorphosis of the community of a Medieval African capital city”.
Excavations have revealed an underground chamber and a complex of vaulted and domed rooms constructed using mudbrick that date from between the 16th to 19th century AD during the period of the Funj Sultanate.
Several of the rooms are decorated with a collection of frescos showing Christian scenes with depictions of Christ, the archangel Michael, Mary, and representations of a Nubian ruler. Accompanying the artwork are inscriptions, one of which mentions King David several times and asks God to protect the city.
According to the archaeologists: “He was one of the last rulers of Christian Makuria, whose reign marks the beginning of the end of the kingdom. For unknown reasons, King David attacked Egypt, which invaded Nubia as part of a retaliatory action and Dongola was conquered for the first time in its history. Perhaps the painting was created when the Mamluk army was approaching the city or was besieging it.”
The room housing the David inscriptions resembles a crypt and is located several metres about the medieval ground level. It is located adjacent to a large, monumental building, which the researchers believe was the Cathedral of Dongola called the Great Church of Jesus, mentioned in historical texts.
The unique paintings have been preserved by conservators under the direction of Magdalena Skarżyńska, MA. The conservation team operated as part of the cooperation between the Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw and the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
Header Image Credit : University of Warsaw
Archaeologists have discovered human remains among thousands of jade and marine ornaments during excavations of a pyramid at K’anwitznal.
K’anwitznal, known today as Ucanal, is a Maya polity near the source of the Belize River in the Petén department of present-day northern Guatemala. The site consists of 114 structures in the main city precinct, where several pyramids and palaces are located.
Excavations within one of the pyramids have uncovered a deposit containing burnt human remains among thousands of jade and marine shell ornaments.
The human remains date from the 9th century AD and suggest a ritual desecration and burning of a Maya ruler. According to a paper published in the journal Antiquity, the burning event was likely a dramatic public display of a political regime change.
Image Credit : Antiquity
Contemporary sources indicate that the early 9th century saw a period of political upheaval in the Maya Lowlands, however, K’anwitznal grew in political power beginning with the reign of a new leader, Papmalil, who may have been a foreigner.
“Much epigraphic and archaeological research in the Maya area has focused on the collapse of Classic Maya polities at the end of the eighth and the beginning of the ninth century AD”, states lead author of the research, Dr Christina T. Halperin from the University of Montreal. “However, key tipping points in history are rarely found directly in the archaeological record”.
A radiocarbon analyses suggests that the burning event took place after the death of the ruler between AD 773 to 881, with the remains deposited in the construction of a new phase of a temple-pyramid. This was likely intended as an act to reject a Late Classic Maya dynasty and install a new era of a political order that overlapped in time with Papmalil’s takeover.
Image Credit : Antiquity
“The fire-burning event itself and the reign of Papmalil helped usher in new forms of monumental imagery that emphasised horizontal political ties and fundamental changes in the social structure of society,” states Dr Halperin. “In this sense, it was not just an end of an era, but a pivot point around which the K’anwitznal polity, and the Maya of the southern Lowlands in general, transformed themselves anew.”
Header Image Credit : Antiquity
Sources : A pivot point in Maya history: fire-burning event at K’anwitznal (Ucanal) and the making of a new era of political rule – Christina T. Halperin, Marta Lidia Perea Carrera, Katherine A. Miller Wolf & Jean-Baptiste LeMoine
https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.38
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study led by Griffith University’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE) has uncovered traces of prehistoric human occupation in a lava tube in northern Saudi Arabia.
The discovery was made in the Umm Jirsan Cave, which is a 1,500 metre long lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar Lava Field. The age of the lava flow has not been determined, but a 2007 study suggests that it occurred 3 million years BP.
Recent excavations by ARCHE archaeologists have uncovered human activity dating from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age periods (~10,000-3,500 years ago), providing new insights into the evolution and historical development of regional human populations.
Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. According to the researchers, it is unlikely that the lava tube served as a permanent place of settlement, instead was used as shade and a source of water for passing herders with their animals.
Excavations have found massive caches of bones from domestic (e.g., caprids, cattle) and wild (e.g., gazelles) animals, which were being processed and/or consumed within the cave interior.
Rock art and faunal records attest to the pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding areas, painting a vivid picture of ancient lifeways. Depictions of cattle, sheep, goat and dogs corroborate the prehistoric livestock practices and herd composition of the region.
“Our findings at Umm Jirsan provide a rare glimpse into the lives of ancient peoples in Arabia, revealing repeated phases of human occupation and shedding light on the pastoralist activities that once thrived in this landscape,” said Dr Mathew Stewart, the lead researcher and a Research Fellow at ARCHE.
Header Image Credit : Green Arabia Project
Sources : PLOS ONE – First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: the archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299292
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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