Archaeology
Prehistoric chefs retained strong cooking traditions
Archaeologists have combined a combination of DNA analysis and ceramic studies to investigate the dissemination of broomcorn millet across Eurasia, shedding light on how regional culinary customs persisted despite the introduction of new crops.
Originating in China, broomcorn millet was typically prepared through boiling and steaming, resulting in a moist and adhesive product. In Central Asia, however, grains were commonly ground and baked into bread. When millet was introduced, locals applied their existing cooking methods to the new grain.
“It was already known that staple crops had moved long distances across the Old World in prehistory, at the same time that regional cuisines had persisted in a conservative fashion”, states author Dr Hongen Jiang from The University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “We didn’t know how those two opposing trends interconnected.”
To unravel this mystery, a team of researchers from various Chinese, UK, and US institutions analysed DNA from preserved millet remains in Xinjiang, China, dating from 1700 BC to AD 700. They compared this with cooking vessels to reconstruct prehistoric cooking techniques, the results of which are published in the journal Antiquity.
“Just as remarkable as the vast journeys staple crops made across prehistoric Eurasia is the enduring persistence of the regional culinary cultures that received those crops”, says Dr Jiang. “Conventional studies of ancient pottery can be combined with novel DNA science to reveal how they interconnect.”
The stickiness of broomcorn millet is influenced by specific gene variations. By analysing the DNA of grain samples, Drs. Harriet Hunt and Diane Lister from Kew Gardens and Cambridge University determined that millet grains from Xinjiang lacked the genes that make them sticky. This implies that, as millet spread westward, it retained a non-sticky consistency, even though sticky millet was prevalent in eastern China. Thus, crops extended farther west than the culinary traditions associated with them.
Ceramic evidence supports this, with eastern Chinese vessels designed for boiling, featuring a tripod base, while those in Central Asia have rounded bottoms, a design originating in the Altai mountains. Despite the introduction of millet to Xinjiang from the east, the vessels used to cook it were from the north, underscoring the survival of cooking traditions despite the incorporation of new ingredients.
The westward expansion of staple crops undoubtedly transformed the diets of the populations it reached, but culturally ingrained cooking traditions likely remained steadfast. Dr. Xinyi Liu from Washington University in St. Louis points out a parallel pattern in the opposite direction: wheat travelled eastward to ancient China about 4000 years ago, but the western grinding-and-baking tradition did not follow suit. The DNA evidence suggests that crops adapted to the people, rather than the reverse.
Header Image Credit : Antiquity Journal
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A recent study, published in the journal ResearchGate, proposes that the Pyramid of Djoser could have been constructed using hydraulic lift.
The Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, is a proto-pyramid built as the final resting place of Djoser, the first or second pharaoh of Egypt’s 3rd Dynasty (2670–2650 BC) during the Old Kingdom period.
The pyramid rises from the Saqqara plateau in six steps to a height of around 60 to 62 metres, serving as the centre of a vast mortuary complex.
Due to the absence of authentic sources from the pyramid architects’ working sphere, there is currently no confirmed comprehensive model for the method used in the pyramid construction.
The prevailing theory suggests that the heavy stone blocks were transported on apparatuses such as rollers, and raised to height using a series of ramps.
In the study, a survey of watersheds near to the pyramid indicate that the Gisr el-Mudir (enclosure) has features of a check dam for trapping sediment and water. Furthermore, the topography beyond the “dam” shows a possible ephemeral lake west of the Djoser complex, and water flow inside the moat surrounding it.
The study authors explain: “In the southern section of the moat, we show that the monumental linear rock-cut structure consisting of successive, deep compartments, combines the technical requirements of a water treatment facility: a settling basin, a retention basin, and a purification system.”
Based on this finding, the study proposes that the Gisr el-Mudir and moat’s inner south section worked as a unified hydraulic system for regulating flow and improving water quality. In addition, the pyramid’s internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism never reported before.
“The ancient architects likely raised the stones from the pyramid centre in a volcano fashion using the sediment-free water from the Dry Moat’s south section. Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones. This work opens a new line of research: the use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs,” said the study authors.
Please note: This study was submitted to PLOS ONE on December 7, 2023. After two rounds of review by peers, the paper was formally accepted by PLOS ONE on June 27, 2024. Since July 23, 2024, it has been the subject of new consultations and review by the PLOS ONE Editorial Board.
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : ResearchGate | Piton, Guillaume. (2024). On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the Step Pyramid of Saqqara. PLOS ONE.
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Constructed between 1630 and 1633 in a Renaissance-Baroque style, the Great Synagogue of Vilnius served as the religious centre of a complex of synagogues, mikvahs, and community institutions devoted to Torah study in Vilnius, Lithuania.
According to a press statement by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA): “The Great Synagogue of Vilna was the beating heart of the Lithuanian Jewry, which included 12 synagogues and study houses, the community council building, the home of Rabbi Eliyahu – the Vilna Gaon, Kosher meat stalls, the famous ‘Strashun’ library, a bathhouse and more.”
During World War II, the synagogue was looted, burned, and partially destroyed by the Nazis in the holocaust. Soviet authorities completely demolished the remaining structure to build a school, intending to prevent any future restoration of Jewish worship.
Only three original pieces of the synagogue survived the destruction: a door of the Holy Ark, a reader’s desk, and a bas-relief with the Ten Commandments, which are now on display at the Vilna Gaon Jewish Museum.
Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
In a recent study conducted by the IAA, the Association of Lithuanian Archaeology, the Good Will Foundation, and the Jewish Community of Lithuania, archaeologists have rediscovered traces of the synagogue’s decorated walls and remnants of flooring with red, black, and white floral patterns that paved the main hall.
Excavations also uncovered huge water reservoirs to feed halachically pure water to the mikva’ot, and one of the giant pillars that surrounded the Bimah (prayer platform).
Dr. Jon Seligman from the IAA and Justinas Rakas from the Lithuanian Archaeological Society, said: “The magnificent remains we are rediscovering bring back moments in the life of a lost vibrant community.”
Header Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
Sources : IAA
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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