Archaeology
Pyramidal structures uncovered at Los Teteles de Ávila Castillo
Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and the INAH Puebla Centre, have uncovered several pyramidal structures at the Los Teteles de Ávila Castillo archaeological site.
Tetelictic, or “Los cerritos” as it is known locally, is located in the municipality of Teteles de Ávila Castillo in Mexico’s State of Puebla. The site is more than 3,000 years old and dates from the late Middle Formative period (600 BC).
According to a press announcement by INAH, Tetelictic was a place of pilgrimage for people from the Sierra Norte area, who later emigrated to around Teotihuacan, Cantona or Cholula.
Following a series of research projects since 2014, the site has been revealed to be a large ceremonial complex covering an area of 7.4 acres.
Image Credit : INAH
Archaeologists theorise that Tetelictic may have served as an astronomical observatory to record the agricultural cycle, as the entire urban complex appears to be aligned with mountain ranges from the surrounding landscape. The largest structure (designated Structure 1), also has an alignment with Canopus, the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina.
The latest excavations have been conducted in response to both erosion and the structures being robbed by locals for construction material. This has led to three pyramidal structures being uncovered, accompanied with charred ceramics, polished lithics, and carved objects made from obsidian and basalt.
Experts suggest that that obsidian flakes found throughout Tetelictic are indicative of an obsidian lithic industry for the manufacturing of products and weapons.
Mario Castro Jiménez, president of the Tzoncoyotl civil association, said: “The following seasons – we will focus on knowing the construction and architectural systems of the pyramidal bases. The archaeological site will remain closed to the public until the corresponding authorities determine otherwise.”
Header Image Credit : INAH
Sources : INAH
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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
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