Archaeology
Ancient celestial map found at Castelliere di Rupinpiccolo
Castelliere di Rupinpiccolo is an ancient hillfort, located in the Province of Trieste, Italy.
The hillfort housed a fortified settlement that emerged during the Middle Bronze Age, with archaeological evidence indicating that occupation continued through the Iron Age until the site was abandoned around the 5th century AD.
In a press announcement by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), two large circular stones measuring 50 centimetres in diameter were recently discovered at the entrance to the hillfort.
According to Paolo Molaro from INAF, and researchers from the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and ICTP, one of the stones is a representation of the sun, while the other is a carved celestial map dated to the 4th century BC.
Image Credit : INAF
A study of the stones has been published in the German astronomy magazine, Astronomische Nachrichten, in which the study authors have identified that the celestial map depicts the sky above Rupinpiccolo from around 2,500-years-ago, making the discovery one of oldest known celestial maps founds in Italy.
The team have identified 29 engravings on the stone, which correspond precisely to the constellations of Scorpius, Orion, the Pleiades and Cassiopeia. Based on the angle of the cut marks in the stone, the researchers suggest that the carvings were likely made by the same individual using a hammer and a rudimentary metal chisel with a 6-7 mm tip.
A specific star engraved on the stone, identified as Theta Scorpii, has become obscured from sight at Castelliere di Rupinpiccolo due to its low position on the horizon. However, upon using the Stellarium program to simulate the night sky, researchers discovered that this star was observable from the ancient hillfort around 400 BC.
The 29th engraving is of particular interest as it has no correlation with celestial models. Instead, the study authors propose that it could actually be a representation of a supernova, a transient phenomenon that appeared suddenly in the night sky in ancient times for days or months, and then fade away and disappear.
If this is indeed the case, the researchers suggest that tracing the focal point in the night’s sky by correlating with the 29th engraving, this could potentially reveal a black hole left behind by the supernova explosion.
Header Image Credit : INAF
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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