Archaeology
Archaeologists search for traces of the “birthplace of Texas”
As part of a $51 million project, archaeologists have conducted a search for traces of Washington-on-the-Brazos, also known as the “birthplace of Texas”.
Washington-on-the-Brazos was a small town along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas.
The town is best known for being the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico in the Texas Revolution.
The declaration officially established the Republic of Texas, however, no other government or nation recognised the newly declared nation.
The town went into decline due to poor transport links and competition from surrounding towns and cities. This resulted in Washington-on-the-Brazos being mainly abandoned by the townsfolk in the late 1800s who relocated to Brenham or Navasota.
Archaeologists have recently completed a $51 million excavation along the La Bahia Road, the main highway through the town that carried goods and travellers across the state from Goliad to Nacogdoches.
Researchers used tax records and official documents to identify where former buildings were situated, followed by geophysics to detect anomalies beneath the ground in preparation for exploratory excavations.
Image Credit : Texas Historical Commission
This led to the discovery of where the Houston’s presidential office once stood, revealing the footprint of a 16-by-16-foot building along with objects such as nails, buttons, ceramics, and window glass.
Archaeologists also uncovered the brick floor of a house from the 1830’s, in addition to the remains of an old brick fireplace.
Over 10,000 artefacts have been recovered during the project, which include the key to a gold pocket watch, gun flints, buttons from a soldier’s uniform, and an 1831 U.S. dime.
According to a press statement by the Texas Historical Commission (which manages the site), several buildings from the town will be faithfully (partially or fully) recreated to enable visitors to visit the buildings that once lined the La Bahia Road.
Header Image Credit : Texas Historical Commission
Sources : Texas Historical Commission
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists are excavating a fortified settlement associated with the Linear Pottery Culture at Eilsleben in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
The Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic period from 5500 to 4500 BC.
The site at Eilsleben was first identified during the 1920’s, revealing one of Central Europe’s largest Neolithic settlements.
Excavations conducted from 1974 to 1989 unearthed the remnants of ancient homes, numerous burials, and pits likely used for ritualistic human and animal sacrifices.
The settlement phases of the site can be divided into two distinct periods.
The earliest phase features north-south oriented dwellings, as well as remnants of a defensive trench measuring up to 3 metres in width. In the later phase, a central spring was fortified with a rampart, palisade and ditch, with further structural changes to form a giant trapezoidal structure.
Archaeologists from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt recently excavated a 200-square-metre area to carry out a sediment analysis, along with micromorphological and phytolith studies.
Using these modern scientific methods, the researchers hope to understand the site formation, as well as the levels of occupational activity within the wider settlement area.
Excavations also found extensive find material, consisting of pottery vessel fragments, stone implements (e.g., blades, arrowheads, axes) and bone and antler objects.
According to the archaeologists, the find material is providing deeper insights into the interactions between the region’s earliest farmers in the fertile Magdeburg Börde and the contemporary hunter-gatherer societies.
The LDA said: “The excavations are already showing that the Neolithic settlement remains are surprisingly well preserved. The excavators found post holes of houses as well as the remains of wattle and daub house walls. The concentrations of finds are enabling conclusions to be drawn about the use of the spaces within the settlement.”
Header Image Credit : LDA
Sources : State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the APSARA National Authority have uncovered a guardian statue at the Banteay Prey Nokor temple complex in Kompong Cham, Cambodia.
Known locally as the temple of “Wat Nokor in Khum of Kompong Siem”, or “Wat Angkor”, Banteay Prey Nokor was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII (AD 1181–1218), the first king devoted to Buddhism in the Khmer Empire.
The complex covers an area of 37 acres and consists of a central tower surrounded by four laterite wall enclosures made from sandstone and laterite.
In addition to being the largest ancient temple complex in Kampong Cham Province, it has several distinguishing features. One of the most notable is its construction from black sandstone, which sets it apart from other temples of the period, typically built from brick or reddish sandstone.
Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Archaeologists from the Department of Preservation and Archaeology at the APSARA Authority recently excavated one of the gateways of Banteay Prey Nokor, clearing away layers of rubble from the collapsed upper structure.
Upon removing the rubble material, a guardian door statue was uncovered to the right of the eastern entrance to the gateway. The statue is broken into six pieces – breaking at the neck, the left forearm, the waist, and below the knees of both legs.
According to the researchers, the statue, which originally stood at a height of around 1.6 metres, is of the Bayon style, in reference to the Bayon state temple of Jayavarman VII at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom.
“The sandstone gate guardian will now be stored at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum,” Angkor Wat’s heritage police said in a statement. “It will be preserved and studied further.”
Header Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Sources : APSARA National Authority
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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