Archaeology
Ancient coins reveal cross channel connections between England and Europe
An analysis of 49 silver coins minted in England, Belgium, the Netherlands and France, has revealed the cross channel connections that occurred during the 7th and 8th centuries AD.
At the time, there was a surge in the use of silver coinage in north-west Europe, which according to a new study published in the journal Antiquity, came from two distinct sources.
“There has been speculation that the silver came from Melle in France, or from an unknown mine, or that it could have been melted down church silver,” says co-author of the research, Professor Rory Naismith from the University of Cambridge. “But there wasn’t any hard evidence to tell us one way or the other, so we set out to find it.”
To trace the origins, a team from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, conducted a chemical analysis of 49 silver coins in the collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The study revealed that the earlier coins, which date from AD 660-750, had origins in the eastern Mediterranean, suggesting that they were likely melted down silverware from the Byzantine Empire.
“It’s fair to say we were surprised by this result” states lead author Dr Jane Kershaw from the University of Oxford. “We know of some surviving Byzantine silver from Anglo-Saxon England, most famously from Sutton Hoo, but far greater amounts of Byzantine silver must have originally been held in Anglo-Saxon stores. Connections between Byzantium and Anglo-Saxon England were closer than most people think.”
“This was quantitative easing, elites were liquidating silver stored in valuable objects and using that silver to make coins that then circulated widely” Dr Kershaw continues. “It would have had a big impact on people’s lives. Far more people than before would have used coined money and thought in terms of monetary values.”
In contrast, the silver used for the later coins, dating from AD 750-820, were sourced from Melle, in Aquitaine, France, around the time of Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire.
The authors suggest that Charlemagne precipitated a sudden and extensive increase in Melle silver by asserting tighter control over the production of coins within his kingdom. A comprehensive account from the 860s delineates how Charlemagne’s grandson, King Charles the Bald, reformed coinage by providing each mint with a small amount of silver as an initial fund to initiate the process.
“I strongly suspect that Charlemagne did something similar with Melle silver,” says Professor Naismith.
Importantly, this highlights the efforts made by early medieval rulers to regulate their economies and displays England’s, specifically the kingdom of Mercia’s, dependence on French silver.
Header Image Credit : Antiquity
Sources : Antiquity | https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.33
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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