Archaeology
Cult complex from Western Göktürk period rewrites Kazakhstan history
Archaeologists have announced the discovery of a Göktürk period cult complex in the Tarbagatay district of Kazakhstan’s Eastern Kazakhstan region.
The discovery was made in 2021, with the results of the excavation only now being announced to Kazakhstan media outlets.
The complex dates from the Western Göktürk period (6th to 8th century AD), when the region was inhabited by a nomadic confederation of Turkic peoples.
Professor Dr. Zainolla Samashev told TRT HABER: “After the United Göktürk Khaganate was divided into two, the state called the Great Turkic Khaganate was established in the area of Western Turkestan. In this political unification, not only the steppe tribes, but also the settled communities in the Sogdian and Khwarezm regions were included. In this sense, the Western Göktürk State was a very rich political country in terms of culture and socio-economics.”
According to the researchers, the site is the first example of a Turkic Khaganate cult complex discovered outside of Mongolia, offering new insights into pre-Islamic Turkic Art and the cultural practices of the Western Göktürk people.
The complex was likely built in dedication to one of the Western Göktürk khans and housed a large mausoleum, a temple, a ceremonial pathway, dozens of small and medium-sized kurgans, and further structures in the eastern zone of the excavation site.
Also uncovered is a statue made of granite depicting a Gokturk Khagan or Yabgu sitting cross-legged, and a belt buckle made of gold plate with an image of the Göktürk Khagan sitting on his throne and holding a crown and goblet.
Professor Dr. Samashev stressed the significance of the uncovered ornamentation as a literary legacy linked to Turkic peoples, emphasizing its importance in this context. The buckle indicates the reputed lineage to the Ashina clan, which rose to prominence in the mid-6th century AD when the leader, Bumin Qaghan, revolted against the Rouran Khaganate and formed the first First Turkic Khaganate.
Header Image Credit : TRT HABER
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study of archaeological sites in Winchester, England, has revealed that red squirrels served as a host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people.
Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history and is still prevalent to this day in Asia, Africa, and South America.
It has previously been suggested that the extensive trade of red squirrel fur, greatly valued during medieval times, could have contributed to the leprosy epidemic in medieval Europe.
The results of the study, published in the journal Current Biology, studied 25 human and 12 squirrel samples from two medieval sites in Winchester.
During this period, the city had strong connections to the fur trade and housed the leprosarium, a hospital that treated people with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria.
Verena Schuenemann of the University of Basel in Switzerland, said: “With our genetic analysis we were able to identify red squirrels as the first ancient animal host of leprosy.”
The study found that the medieval red squirrel strains were more closely related to human strains in Winchester, rather than to modern squirrel strains from England – suggesting an independent circulation of Mycobacterium leprae strains.
“Our findings highlight the importance of involving archaeological material, in particular animal remains, into studying the long-term zoonotic potential of this disease, as only a direct comparison of ancient human and animal strains allows reconstructions of potential transmission events across time,” says Sarah Inskip of the University of Leicester, UK, a co-author on the study.
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : Current Biology, Urban, Blom, and Avanzi et al.: “Ancient Mycobacterium leprae genome reveals medieval English red squirrels as animal leprosy host.” https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)00446-9
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project have discovered a rare lump of Tyrian purple at the grounds of the Carlisle Cricket Club in Carlisle, England.
The project is a community supported excavation by Wardell Armstrong, focusing on uncovering a Roman bath house found in 2017.
The bath house is located near the Roman fort of Uxelodunum (meaning “high fort”), also known as Petriana, in the Carlisle district of Stanwix.
Uxelodunum was constructed to control the territories west of present-day Carlisle and an important crossing on the River Eden. The fort was garrisoned by the Ala Petriana, a 1,000-strong cavalry unit, whose members were all granted Roman citizenship for valour on the field.
Previous excavations at the bath house have discovered colossal sandstone heads depicting Roman gods, in addition to engraved gems known as intaglios, figurines, animal bones, and imperial-stamped tiles.
During the latest season of excavations, archaeologists found a mysterious lump of a soft purple substance. The substance was tested by researchers from Newcastle University, revealing that it contained levels of Bromine and beeswax.
According to the researchers, the substance is Tyrian purple, a coloured dye associated with the Imperial Court in the Roman Empire. Tyrian purple is secreted by several species of predatory sea snails in the family Muricidae, rock snails originally known by the name Murex.
Frank Giecco, Technical Director at Wardell Armstrong, said: “For millennia, Tyrian Purple was the world’s most expensive and sought after colour. It’s presence in Carlisle combined with other evidence from the excavation all strengthens the hypothesis that the building was in some way associated with the Imperial Court of the Emperor Septimius Severus which was located in York and possibly relates to an Imperial visit to Carlisle.”
“It’s the only example we know of in Northern Europe – possibly the only example of a solid sample of the pigment in the form of unused paint pigment anywhere in the Roman Empire. Examples have been found of it in wall paintings (like in Pompeii) and some high status painted coffins from the Roman province of Egypt,” said Giecco.
Header Image Credit : Wardell Armstrong
Sources : Wardell Armstrong
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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