Archaeology
Roman coins found on island in Baltic Sea
Archaeologists from Södertörn University have discovered two Roman coins during a research project on Gotska Sandön, an uninhabited island in Gotland County, Sweden.
During the Roman Period, Svealand (“land of the Swedes”) in central Sweden, was inhabited by a North Germanic tribe. Contact with the Romans was limited, however, archaeological evidence does indicate an emerging trading network in Svealand for the latest Roman fashions.
Archaeologists from the Södertörn University have been conducting excavations on Gotska Sandön as part of a joint project with Campus Gotland and the Gotland Museum.
Excavations revealed silver denarii from the Roman period, including one that depicts the emperor Trajan (AD 98 – 117), and the other, emperor Antoninus Pius (AD 86 – 161).
“These are exciting finds that raise several questions,” says Johan Rönnby, professor of marine archaeology at Södertörn University.
Although the Romans sailed as far as Scotland and documented the Baltic area, there are no historical records of their voyages that describes the island, making it uncertain whether they were the ones who brought the coins there.
The team suggests that the coins could be from a shipwreck on the Sandön coast, where many hearths and remnants of ancient fireplaces have been located. Whether the hearths are associated with a period of settlement on the island or ancient production of seal oil is unknown, but the team plans to return later in the year to investigate further.
“Finds of Roman silver coins are not unusual on Gotland, but they are on Gotska Sandön. This find is interesting because of its location,” adds Daniel Langhammer, officer at the County Administrative Board of Gotland.
Header Image Credit : Södertörn University
395 pre-Columbian artefacts have been repatriated to Costa Rica thanks to a grant by the United States Embassy to the Cultural Agreements Fund.
Among the objects repatriated is a stone sphere from the Diquís culture, an extinct people that emerged in the Valley of the Rio Grande de Térraba and produced over 300 stone petrospheres (also know as Diquís Spheres).
Between AD 800 to 1500, the Diquís civilisation reached its apex and developed complex settlements on the small island of Isla del Caño and the Diquís Delta in Costa Rica.
Stone spheres of up to two metres in diameter were placed in alignments in public plazas, or along the approach to the dwellings of the ruling elite/chieftains.
Image Credit : National Museum of Costa Rica
Since 2005, the National Museum of Costa Rica has developed the project “Archaeological investigations in sites with stone spheres, Delta del Diquís” aimed at the study of the pre-Columbian occupation of the delta, focusing particularly on archaeological sites with the presence of stone spheres.
According to the National Museum of Costa Rica, the repatriated sphere measures 65 centimetres in diameter and is likely made from gabbro, a phaneritic (coarse-grained) mafic intrusive igneous rock.
Also repatriated are ceramics with representations of animals and humans, metates that were used for ceremonies or to prepare food, stone tools, polychrome vessels, and precious seals and stones worn by various pre-Columbian cultures.
Cynthia Telles, United States Ambassador to Costa Rica, said: “Our two nations share a common belief about the importance of preserving and celebrating our unique histories. We recognise the value of these pieces as more than just objects, because they are an integral part of the identity of the Costa Rican people.”
Header Image Credit : National Museum of Costa Rica
Sources : National Museum of Costa Rica
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists have uncovered an Aegean bronze mirror during excavations at Hal Sultan Tekke, Cyprus.
Hal Sultan Tekke is a Late Bronze Age harbour city and cemetery on the south-eastern coast of Cyprus.
The cemetery covers an area of several hectares, in which subsequent excavations have uncovered tombs with associated pits and wells, but no architectural remains.
Archaeologists have recently excavated three tombs within an undisturbed chamber tomb where 264 complete objects have been recovered from Mycenaean, Minoan, Canaanite, Egyptian, and Levantine cultures.
The objects include everyday items such as jars, beads, bowls, vases, chalices, cups, in addition to funerary or votive offerings such as knives, daggers, a spear head, bracelets, rings and decorated discs.
The most notable discovery is a rare copper alloy mirror disc, which according to the researchers likely originates from the Aegean, in particular Crete.
The mirror has a diameter ranging between 11.2–11.4 cm, rendering it slightly broader and wider than in height. Neither the rivets nor the handle are preserved, which were likely crafted from perishable materials such as wood, ivory, or bone.
Apart from the mirror discovered at Hala Sultan Tekke, only one other riveted mirror is documented in Cyprus, discovered in Enkomi Tomb 66.
According to the study authors: “Although the handle type supporting the riveted mirror from Hala Sultan Tekke remains unknown, its diameter might well align with the average diameter and weight of mirrors produced in central-northern Crete during LM IIIA1–2.”
“This production, probably resulting from the activities of workshops located in Knossos and possibly in Chania, represents a relatively homogenous group of artefacts in terms of measurements, with production ceasing in the subsequent LM IIIB.”
Header Image Credit : Wiley
Sources : , , , , and (2024) AN AEGEAN MIRROR FROM HALA SULTAN TEKKE, CYPRUS. Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 43: 153–172. https://doi.org/10.1111/ojoa.12292.
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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