Archaeology
Necklace found in Neolithic grave reveals complex ancient culture
According to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, an ornate necklace discovered in a child’s grave at the ancient village of Ba’ja offers fresh insights into the social complexity of Neolithic culture.
Ba’ja is one of the largest neolithic villages in the Jordan area, covering an area of 3.7 acres with a population of up to 600 inhabitants. Like the nearby site of Basta, the settlement was built in 7000 BC during the PPNB (Pre-Pottery Neolithic B) period. People of this era relied more extensively on domesticated animals to complement their previously mixed agrarian and hunter-gatherer diet.
Body adornments hold significant symbolic meaning, conveying cultural values and individual identities, making them immensely valuable in the examination of ancient societies.
In the study, archaeologists analysed materials that adorned the body of an eight-year-old child found in a burial at Ba’ja that contained over 2,500 colourful stones and shells, two exceptional amber beads, a large stone pendant, and a delicately engraved mother-of-pearl ring.
Through an analysis of the composition, craftsmanship, and spatial arrangement of these artifacts, the researchers deduced that they once constituted a unified multi-row necklace that has disintegrated over time. As a part of this investigation, the scholars crafted a physical reconstruction of the original necklace, currently exhibited at the Petra Museum in Southern Jordan.
The multi-row necklace, being one of the oldest and most remarkable Neolithic ornaments, offers fresh perspectives on the funerary customs of individuals who seemingly held elevated social status during the Neolithic period.
By reconstructing the necklace, the researchers suggest that the inhabitants of Ba’ja had meticulous craftsmanship and were able to procure exotic materials from distant regions. The investigation of this artefact also reveals intricate social dynamics among the community members involving skilled artisans, traders, and high-status individuals responsible for commissioning such prestigious pieces.
According to the researchers: “The analysis of the child’s necklace has yielded valuable information that enhances our understanding of the ritual practices and symbolic behaviour of the community of Ba`ja while shedding light on the artisanal and economic capabilities employed to serve these expressions. Despite its elaborate design, such a necklace was not created for exchange or trade purposes but was rather a part of the child’s burial, serving as a significant testament to the cultural practices of the time.”
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288075
Header Image Credit : Alarashi et al – PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0
Archaeology
Maya tomb with funerary offerings found during hotel construction
A tomb with funerary offerings has been uncovered during the construction of the Tren Maya Hotel, in Palenque, Mexico.
Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) conducted rescue excavations following the discovery, revealing skeletal remains associated with the Maya city of Palenque.
Palenque, also known as Lakamha in the Itza Language (meaning “Flat-Place-River”), is located near the Usumacinta River in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
The city dates from 226 BC to AD 799, with most of the major construction works representing a rebuilding effort in response to attacks by the city of Calakmul and its client states in AD 599 and AD 611.
The population declined during the 8th century AD, instead becoming an agricultural population that led to the abandonment of the city zone. By 1520 following the Spanish conquest, contemporary Spanish accounts record the entire region being sparsely populated.
Excavations uncovered a stone lined funerary space sealed with limestone slabs, in which the researchers found the remains of a high-status individual who likely lived in the periphery of Palenque in a small settlement.
The burial is located at a depth of four metres, and also contained ceramic vessels and beads deposited as funerary offerings.
“The individual was placed face up with his legs extended and his head facing north,” said Diego Prieto Hernández from INAH.
The discovery was announced in a press conference reporting on the progress of the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza) in Palenque, Moral-Reforma and El Tigre, the three heritage sites that are served within Section 1 of the Mayan Train Project.
Header Image Credit : INAH
Archaeology
Archaeologists unearth possible birthplace of King Henry VII at Pembroke Castle
Archaeologists from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust may have discovered the possible birthplace of King Henry VII at Pembroke Castle in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Pembroke Castle was founded during the 11th century by Roger de Montgomerie, the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.
In 1452, Jasper Tudor was presented both the castle and the earldom by his half-brother, King Henry VI. In 1457, Henry VII was born at the castle, the only child of Lady Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond.
Following Edward IV’s ascension to the throne in 1471, Henry VII endured 14 years of exile in Brittany. He eventually claimed the throne after his forces, with backing from France, Scotland, and Wales, emerged victorious over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, marking the climax of the Wars of the Roses.
Henry VII’s reign is credited with many administrative, economic, and tax reforms, having ruled for nearly 24 years until his death in 1509 at the age of 52. Henry VII was succeed by his second son, Henry, Duke of York, who ascended to the crown as Henry VIII.
Historians have long assumed that a 13th century tower on the outer ward (known today as Henry VII Tower) was the birth place of Henry VII. However, a recent study by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust has uncovered evidence of a late-medieval winged hall-house, broadly dating to the 15th century.
The walls of the structure extend to around 25 metres, with comparisons being drawn to medieval buildings found in England and East Wales, such as Penallt Mansion in Kidwelly. Historically, Pembroke Castle was situated in the English-speaking portion of Pembrokeshire, often referred to as “Little England beyond Wales.”
Speaking to the Western Telegraph, Neil Ludlow, a consultant to Pembroke Castle, said: “All our indications are pointing to a late-medieval building which was clearly of high status within Pembrokeshire, and it looks as if it was at least two-storeys, which possibly makes it a better candidate for the birthplace of a king rather that the tower that currently bears his name.”
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