Archaeology
Excavation uncovers early medieval “folding chair” made from iron
Archaeologists have uncovered a “folding chair” from the 7th century AD during excavations in the village of Endsee, located in Middle Franconia, Germany.
The chair was first discovered in 2022, deposited as a funerary offering in a burial from the early medieval period. The grave contained the remains of a woman aged 40-50-years-old, along with a necklace made of small multi-coloured glass beads, two brooches, an almandine disc brooch, a large millefiori bead, and a whorl.
In addition to the woman’s grave, the archaeologists also uncovered a man’s grave containing richly decorated weapons (lance, shield, spathe). According to the researchers, the graves are probably related to the Franconian influence of the Main and Tauber regions in the 6th and 7th centuries.
Now unveiled to the public at the “Archaeology in Bavaria” conference following a lengthy restoration process, the chair consists of two frames connected with an axle pin and is decorated with brass non-ferrous metal inlays. There are narrow slots on the horizontal struts, which were used to attach a seat likely made from animal fur (as indicated by mineralised organic remains).
Image Credit : Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege
Folding chairs deposited as grave goods are exceptionally rare. Within scholarly investigations they suggest that the deceased held a prominent position or occupied a higher social status. To date, there have been 29 instances of early medieval graves containing folding chairs discovered throughout Europe, with merely six of them being crafted from iron.
Prof. Mathias Pfeil, head of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation, said: “The extremely rare discovery of an early medieval iron folding chair in 2022 was already a sensation, but the fact that such details have been preserved after remaining in the ground for over 1,400 years was a surprise.”
“This find, which at first glance seems so modern, is an absolute rarity and of the highest cultural and historical interest, because it provides insight into the grave furnishings of prominent sections of the population,” added Prof Pfeil.
Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege
Header Image Credit : Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege
Archaeologists from the University of Warwick are conducting an underwater study to document the submerged Mesolithic site of Bouldnor Cliff before it vanishes due to erosion.
Bouldnor Cliff is situated in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and the southern coast of England. The site was first discovered in 1999 when divers observed a lobster discarding worked flint tools from its burrow on the seabed.
At a time when Britain was cut off from mainland Europe by rising sea levels, the area of the Solent was a river valley inhabited by an advanced Mesolithic community who developed a boat building technology 2,000 years ahead of their time.
The study aims to find new data on the nature of the late Ice Age environment during the development of the Mesolithic era, and the extent of the interaction between the inhabitants of Bouldnor Cliff and Europe, including the exchange of materials.
Professor Robin Allaby, who is leading the expedition, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to understand the lost world in which the Mesolithic developed using the latest techniques before our chance is gone.”
The study will involve a comprehensive palaeoenvironmental analysis, in addition to state-of-the-art techniques such as optical simulated luminescence for constructing ecological profiles. Furthermore, archaeologists intend to recover archaeological artefacts and environmental markers to reconstruct the past environment.
Dr Kinnaird adds: “This is an exciting research project to showcase the new innovations in luminescence dating, which can tell when an object was last exposed to the Sun. The relevance of this technique in writing the narratives for 4000 years of history, at the time that the British coastline was rapidly changing, is huge!”
According to the researchers, these discoveries carry the potential to significantly transform our comprehension of the era when Britain emerged as an island.
Header Image Credit : University of Warwick
Sources : University of Warwick
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study of the “Excalibur” sword found in Valencia has been revealed to have Islamic origins sometime during the 10th century AD.
Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain, founded under the name of Valentia Edetanorum by the Romans in 138 BC.
The city was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century AD, and was destroyed by Abd al-Rahman I of the Umayyad dynasty. Under Caliphate rule, the wider city area became known as Madînat al-Turâb (meaning “city of earth” or “sand”).
The sword was discovered back in 1994 in a house on Valencia’s Historiador Chabàs Street, where it was found standing upright in a grave beneath an Islamic era house.
Dubbed “Excalibur” due to the circumstances of its discovery, the sword is made from iron and has a hilt decorated with bronze plates. In mythology, Excalibur was the legendary sword of King Arthur and appears in various medieval poems describing Arthur pulling the sword from a stone.
However, the “Excalibur” from Valencia was found in a sedimentary strata from the 10th century AD and was likely the weapon of a cavalryman from the Andalusian Caliphate Era.
According to the archaeologists, the sword measures 46 centimetres in length and has a slightly curved blade towards the tip. Swords from this period are rarely found well-preserved due to the levels of oxygen and water in the soil that causes oxidation of the iron.
“It is the first Islamic sword that appears in the city of Valencia, with only one similar example being found during the excavations of Medina Azahara, the caliphal city of Abd al-Rahman III, in Córdoba,” said the Valencia City Council.
Header Image Credit : The Archaeology Service (SIAM) of the Valencia City Council
Sources : Valencia City Council
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
-
Ghosts2 years agoZozo: The Ouija Board Demon
-
Space2 years agoScientists claim to have found the answer what existed before the Universe
-
Ghosts2 years agoOld Coot of Mount Greylock
-
Archaeology1 year ago
New discoveries at Ekʼ Balam during conservation works
-
General3 years agoUC San Francisco engaging in horrifying experiments, organ harvesting of live babies in the name of “science”