Archaeology
Spoken legend of temple on the Cerro de San Miguel confirmed
Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have confirmed a local legend of a temple on the Cerro de San Miguel in the Mexican city of Atlixco.
Generations of people have spoken of a pre-Hispanic temple on the hill’s summit, which for the first time has been explored by researchers from INAH as part of a project by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico.
Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area of present-day Atlixco was first inhabited by the Teo-chichimecas, and later the Xicalanca, before being subjugated by the expanding Aztec Empire.
Ethnohistoric sources refer to a settlement named Cuauhquechollan, which was occupied continuously from the Early Preclassic period to the middle of the Late Postclassic, later relocated 20 km to the southwest in present-day Huaquechula.
Towering above the region is the Cerro de San Miguel, pyramidal shaped hill of volcanic origin, which today sits the Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel on the summit. During a series of works to improve walkways and viewpoints on the hill, archaeologists conducted surveys and an archaeological investigation of the church’s atrium.
The initial study uncovered thick layers of construction fills made with earth and stones, which were used to level the rocky summit and create a platform. Within the construction fill the researchers found fragments of clay vessels, stone tools, and artefacts which date from the Late Preclassic to Early Postclassic period.
To find evidence of subsurface structures, the team excavated to a depth of 25 centimetres beneath the current level of the atrium, revealing the remains of a lime and sand floor delimited by a wall. Further excavations at a depth of 90 centimetres found a second floor, confirming that a structure was built on the hill summit during two phases.
According to the researchers, the discovery is likely a teocalli, a temple usually built on the summit of a truncated pyramid, confirming the oral tradition spoken by generations of people since the Spanish conquest.
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority, working in collaboration with Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute of Science, have linked an event mentioned in the Bible to archaeological findings from the City of David.
The results of the excavation, published in the journal PNAS, challenges the accepted perceptions of the development of Jerusalem during the rule of the kings of Judah. In particular, the scope of Jerusalem during the reigns of David and Solomon and the period that followed.
The researchers have accurately dated several structures, including the city walls and royal construction projects, which are linked to Jerusalem’s growth to the west during the period of King Hezekiah around 2,700-years-ago.
The previous assumption was that the city expanded due to the arrival of refugees due to the Assyrian exile, however, the new findings now indicate that the city spread towards Mount Zion in the 9th century BC during the reign of King Jehoash, 100 years before the Assyrian exile period.
Prof. Yuval Gadot from the Department of Archeology at Tel Aviv University, said: “In light of this, the new research teaches us that the expansion of Jerusalem is a result of internal-Judean demographic growth and the establishment of political and economic systems.”
Excavations have also revealed that the wall of Jerusalem on the eastern slopes of the city of David is older than previously thought. It was thought that the wall in this area was built by Hezekiah, King of Judah, however, findings now indicate that it dates from the reign of King Uzziah.
King Uzziah is described in a passage in the bible that reads: “’And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem… and strengthened them” (2 Chronicles 26:9).
According to Dr. Uziel: “Until now, many researchers have assumed that the wall was built by Hezekiah during his rebellion against Sennacherib (King of Assyria), in order to defend Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege. It is now apparent that the wall in the easter part of the City of David, was built earlier and as part of the construction of the city during the reign of King Uzziah.”
Header Image Credit : Leonardo Gurvitz, City of David Archives
Sources : IAA
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A new study, published in the journal Antiquity, suggests that the ancient Pueblo culture used conch-shell trumpets for communication.
The focus of the study is the site of the Chaco Canyon in north-west New Mexico. Located in Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Chaco Canyon contains numerous small dwellings and multi-story buildings known as great houses.
Based on the density of structures, archaeologists speculate that the site was once a bustling metropolis, inhabited by as many as 2,300 people during its height from AD 1050 to 1130.
Conch-shell trumpets have been found in burial contexts at Chaco Canyon, which today are used in contemporary Pueblo ritual practices.
Using a Soundshed Analysis model, archaeologists have digitally modelled the sound of a conch-shell trumpet being sounded at a great house in relation to other features in the landscape. Soundshed Analysis calculates the distance a sound can travel from a point, taking into account both the type of sound and environmental conditions such as elevation and ambient noise.
“Chaco Canyon is surrounded by over one hundred understudied great house communities”, says lead author Professor Ruth Van Dyke from Binghamton University. “We sought to determine if extra-canyon great house communities demonstrated relationships similar to Chaco Canyon between landscape, community layout, and sound.”
In this case, the team modelled the sound of a conch from great houses at five Chacoan communities to determine whether it would reach all habitation sites within the community.
They found that if somebody blew a conch-shell trumpet from the great house at the centre of all five Chacoan communities, the sound would have reached almost all of the surrounding settlements.
This suggests that ancient Puebloans may have managed their land-use and community structures around the sound of trumpets. The sound was potentially used to signal communal activities, such as religious ceremonies.
“This is not unlike the idea of a medieval church bell calling a community to mass”, states Professor Van Dyke.
It also indicates how Chacoan heritage sites should be managed going forward.
“Soundscapes were meaningful dimensions of past experiences, landscapes, and environments and are important facets of social interaction in the ancient world,” observes Professor Van Dyke. “Management of archaeological and heritage sites should incorporate consideration of the auditory environment.”
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : Antiquity | Seashells and sound waves: modelling soundscapes in Chacoan great-house communities – Ruth M. Van Dyke, Kristy E. Primeau, Kellam Throgmorton & David E. Witt. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.54
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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