Archaeology
Maya palace dedicated to the “Stinking One” unearthed near Balamkú
Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have unearthed a palace complex associated with the Maya city of Balamkú.
The complex was discovered at the construction site of Calakmul station, part of Section 7 of the Maya Train connecting Escárcega to Chetumal.
Calakmul station is located 3.5 kilometres from the Balamkú Archaeological Zone, a Maya city occupied from around 300 BC during the Late Preclassic, through to the Terminal Classic period, between AD 800 and 1000.
The Balamkú Archaeological Zone covers an area of approximately 25 hectares (62 acres) and is distributed over three zones containing pyramids, a ballcourt, plazas, and various structures yet to be fully explored.
According to INAH archaeologist, Juan Jesús Guadalupe García Ramírez, the temple complex is likely associated with Balamkú, and contains architectural features similar to the Río Bec and Chenes styles.
The palace sits on a rectangular stone base with rounded corners, on which a courtyard was arranged with five structures made with worked limestone ashlars.
The discovery of a limestone sculpture depicting Ah Puch, the Maya god of death and earthquakes, indicates that the palace was likely constructed in dedication to the deity. Ah Puch was also known as Cizin, which translates to “Stinking One,” “stench,” or “flatulence.”
The sculpture is represented with a large phallus and an erect tabular cranial deformation. It was discovered in a circular structure at the center of the complex, where funerary offerings were found, including human remains such as skull fragments and teeth, along with a pair of ceramic bowls.
To preserve the palace complex, INAH archaeologists have painstakingly dismantled the structures in order to relocate them nearby for public display in an interactive museum.
Header Image Credit : Maya Train
Sources : INAH
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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