Archaeology
Ritual hoard found in Ukraine’s Verteba Cave
Archaeologists from the Borschivskyy Local History Museum have uncovered a ritual hoard in Verteba Cave in the Ternopil province, Ukraine.
The cave contains up to 8km’s of passageways which was used as a Sanctuary by the Cucuteni-Trypillia Culture.
The Cucuteni-Trypillia Culture emerged during the Neolithic–Chalcolithic (5500 to 2750 BC) in Eastern Europe, extending from the Carpathian Mountains to the Dniester and Dnieper regions, centred on modern-day Moldova, and covering substantial parts of western Ukraine and northeastern Romania.
A mysterious characteristic of the culture was the regular dismantling or burning of settlements, where each individual dwelling site had a lifespan of approximately 60 to 80 years.
Scholars debate the reason behind the burning of these settlements. Some settlements were reconstructed multiple times on pre-existing habitational levels, maintaining the form and direction of the prior structures.
Some of the settlements, such as Talianki, grew to be as large as the city-states of Sumer in the Fertile Crescent, and these Eastern European settlements predate the Sumerian cities by more than half of a millennium.
Little is known as the religious practices of the Cucuteni-Trypillia Culture, and examples of ceramics discovered are very rare. However, archaeologists excavating in Verteba Cave have uncovered a gigantic clay storage jar containing a white organic material (yet to be analysed).
Near the jar the team noticed a small niche in the cave wall, which upon a closer examination led to the discovery of a ritual hoard consisting of five female “goddess” clay figurines.
Many figurines have been found across Cucuteni-Trypillia sites, but the term “goddess” may not be entirely appropriate for every female anthropomorphic clay figurine. The archaeological evidence indicates that distinct figurines served various functions (such as protection) and therefore not all of them embody a goddess.
The researchers also found jewellery and tools (for pottery production) made of boar teeth, which is relatively unique as the culture’s rituals are normally focused more on domesticated animals like cattle, sheep, goats and dogs. When wild animals were represented, they are usually bears or deer.
Header Image Credit : Mykhailo Sokhatskyi
A recent study, published in the journal ResearchGate, proposes that the Pyramid of Djoser could have been constructed using hydraulic lift.
The Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, is a proto-pyramid built as the final resting place of Djoser, the first or second pharaoh of Egypt’s 3rd Dynasty (2670–2650 BC) during the Old Kingdom period.
The pyramid rises from the Saqqara plateau in six steps to a height of around 60 to 62 metres, serving as the centre of a vast mortuary complex.
Due to the absence of authentic sources from the pyramid architects’ working sphere, there is currently no confirmed comprehensive model for the method used in the pyramid construction.
The prevailing theory suggests that the heavy stone blocks were transported on apparatuses such as rollers, and raised to height using a series of ramps.
In the study, a survey of watersheds near to the pyramid indicate that the Gisr el-Mudir (enclosure) has features of a check dam for trapping sediment and water. Furthermore, the topography beyond the “dam” shows a possible ephemeral lake west of the Djoser complex, and water flow inside the moat surrounding it.
The study authors explain: “In the southern section of the moat, we show that the monumental linear rock-cut structure consisting of successive, deep compartments, combines the technical requirements of a water treatment facility: a settling basin, a retention basin, and a purification system.”
Based on this finding, the study proposes that the Gisr el-Mudir and moat’s inner south section worked as a unified hydraulic system for regulating flow and improving water quality. In addition, the pyramid’s internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism never reported before.
“The ancient architects likely raised the stones from the pyramid centre in a volcano fashion using the sediment-free water from the Dry Moat’s south section. Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones. This work opens a new line of research: the use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs,” said the study authors.
Please note: This study was submitted to PLOS ONE on December 7, 2023. After two rounds of review by peers, the paper was formally accepted by PLOS ONE on June 27, 2024. Since July 23, 2024, it has been the subject of new consultations and review by the PLOS ONE Editorial Board.
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : ResearchGate | Piton, Guillaume. (2024). On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the Step Pyramid of Saqqara. PLOS ONE.
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Constructed between 1630 and 1633 in a Renaissance-Baroque style, the Great Synagogue of Vilnius served as the religious centre of a complex of synagogues, mikvahs, and community institutions devoted to Torah study in Vilnius, Lithuania.
According to a press statement by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA): “The Great Synagogue of Vilna was the beating heart of the Lithuanian Jewry, which included 12 synagogues and study houses, the community council building, the home of Rabbi Eliyahu – the Vilna Gaon, Kosher meat stalls, the famous ‘Strashun’ library, a bathhouse and more.”
During World War II, the synagogue was looted, burned, and partially destroyed by the Nazis in the holocaust. Soviet authorities completely demolished the remaining structure to build a school, intending to prevent any future restoration of Jewish worship.
Only three original pieces of the synagogue survived the destruction: a door of the Holy Ark, a reader’s desk, and a bas-relief with the Ten Commandments, which are now on display at the Vilna Gaon Jewish Museum.
Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
In a recent study conducted by the IAA, the Association of Lithuanian Archaeology, the Good Will Foundation, and the Jewish Community of Lithuania, archaeologists have rediscovered traces of the synagogue’s decorated walls and remnants of flooring with red, black, and white floral patterns that paved the main hall.
Excavations also uncovered huge water reservoirs to feed halachically pure water to the mikva’ot, and one of the giant pillars that surrounded the Bimah (prayer platform).
Dr. Jon Seligman from the IAA and Justinas Rakas from the Lithuanian Archaeological Society, said: “The magnificent remains we are rediscovering bring back moments in the life of a lost vibrant community.”
Header Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
Sources : IAA
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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