Archaeology
Hunter gatherers used bone flutes to imitate raptors
Bone flutes discovered at Eynan-Mallaha in Israel may have been used to imitate the call of raptors.
Eynan-Mallaha was an Epipalaeolithic settlement belonging to the Natufian culture, built and settled around 10,000–8,000 BC. The settlement is an example of hunter-gatherer sedentism, a crucial step in the transition from foraging to farming.
Excavations at Eynan-Mallaha have yielded over 1112 bird bones, including seven aerophones made from the wing long-bones (one humerus, five ulnae, one radius), whose diaphysis have been perforated one to four times to form finger-holes.
According to a study published in the journal scientific reports, the flutes were manufactured more than 12,000 years ago to produce a range of sounds similar to raptor calls, for communication, attracting hunting prey, and music-making.
Although subsequent archaeological cultures have documented aerophones, the presence of artificial bird sounds in a Palaeolithic context has not been reported until now.
According to the study: “In the three cases where the epiphysis is still present, it has also been perforated to form the mouthpiece or the distal end of the object. To these finger-holes are added markings on three bones, either notches or a series of small parallel incisions located near the finger-holes which are potentially linked to the placements of the fingers on the instrument.”
The aerophones are mainly carved from the Eurasian teal (Anas crecca) and the Eurasian coot (Fulica atra). Based on a study of the frequency the aerophones produce, the researchers believe that they were made to reproduce the calls of the valued Common kestrel and the Sparrowhawk.
The study concludes: “It is now clear that the evolution of music at the transition to agriculture, which articulated the intensification of socio-cultural complexity, was more branched than we supposed before. Thus, the exploration of Natufian acoustics gives a new perspective on this crucial period in human history.”
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35700-9
Header Image Credit : Laurent Davin
Archaeologists are excavating a fortified settlement associated with the Linear Pottery Culture at Eilsleben in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
The Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic period from 5500 to 4500 BC.
The site at Eilsleben was first identified during the 1920’s, revealing one of Central Europe’s largest Neolithic settlements.
Excavations conducted from 1974 to 1989 unearthed the remnants of ancient homes, numerous burials, and pits likely used for ritualistic human and animal sacrifices.
The settlement phases of the site can be divided into two distinct periods.
The earliest phase features north-south oriented dwellings, as well as remnants of a defensive trench measuring up to 3 metres in width. In the later phase, a central spring was fortified with a rampart, palisade and ditch, with further structural changes to form a giant trapezoidal structure.
Archaeologists from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt recently excavated a 200-square-metre area to carry out a sediment analysis, along with micromorphological and phytolith studies.
Using these modern scientific methods, the researchers hope to understand the site formation, as well as the levels of occupational activity within the wider settlement area.
Excavations also found extensive find material, consisting of pottery vessel fragments, stone implements (e.g., blades, arrowheads, axes) and bone and antler objects.
According to the archaeologists, the find material is providing deeper insights into the interactions between the region’s earliest farmers in the fertile Magdeburg Börde and the contemporary hunter-gatherer societies.
The LDA said: “The excavations are already showing that the Neolithic settlement remains are surprisingly well preserved. The excavators found post holes of houses as well as the remains of wattle and daub house walls. The concentrations of finds are enabling conclusions to be drawn about the use of the spaces within the settlement.”
Header Image Credit : LDA
Sources : State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the APSARA National Authority have uncovered a guardian statue at the Banteay Prey Nokor temple complex in Kompong Cham, Cambodia.
Known locally as the temple of “Wat Nokor in Khum of Kompong Siem”, or “Wat Angkor”, Banteay Prey Nokor was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII (AD 1181–1218), the first king devoted to Buddhism in the Khmer Empire.
The complex covers an area of 37 acres and consists of a central tower surrounded by four laterite wall enclosures made from sandstone and laterite.
In addition to being the largest ancient temple complex in Kampong Cham Province, it has several distinguishing features. One of the most notable is its construction from black sandstone, which sets it apart from other temples of the period, typically built from brick or reddish sandstone.
Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Archaeologists from the Department of Preservation and Archaeology at the APSARA Authority recently excavated one of the gateways of Banteay Prey Nokor, clearing away layers of rubble from the collapsed upper structure.
Upon removing the rubble material, a guardian door statue was uncovered to the right of the eastern entrance to the gateway. The statue is broken into six pieces – breaking at the neck, the left forearm, the waist, and below the knees of both legs.
According to the researchers, the statue, which originally stood at a height of around 1.6 metres, is of the Bayon style, in reference to the Bayon state temple of Jayavarman VII at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom.
“The sandstone gate guardian will now be stored at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum,” Angkor Wat’s heritage police said in a statement. “It will be preserved and studied further.”
Header Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Sources : APSARA National Authority
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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