Archaeology
Roman defensive spikes unveiled at the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology
In 2023, archaeologists from Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main uncovered a series of wooden defensive spikes during excavations of a 1st century AD Roman fort in Bad Ems, western Germany.
The spikes were placed in ditches around the fort in a V-shape to serve as defensive barriers, which were found preserved in the water-logged soil of Blöskopf hill.
No other examples of spikes have been found throughout the Roman world, however, they are referenced in Roman writings such as an account by Julius Caesar in his book, the “Gallic Wars”.
Ceasar wrote: “Behind these he raised a rampart and wall twelve feet high; to this he added a parapet and battlements, with large stakes cut like stags’ horns, projecting from the junction of the parapet and battlements, to prevent the enemy from scaling it, and surrounded the entire work with turrets, which were eighty feet distant from one another.”
The Romans established two military encampments that were first discovered in 2016, with further evidence of Roman smelting works.
The spikes were uncovered in the smaller of the two encampments and likely extended throughout the entire downward tapering ditch.
The larger encampment, designated as “Auf dem Ehrlich”, dates back to the early Roman imperial period, however, no traces of spikes were found during excavations.
Archaeologists propose that the encampments were built to protect silver mining operations in the area, supported by historical records such as Tacitus’ Annals, which detail Emperor Claudius assigning the praetor, Curtius Rufus, to oversee silver extraction.
Following a length preservation process, conservators from Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main have unveiled the Roman spikes for the first time at the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology in Mainz.
“We owe these unusually well-preserved archaeological finds primarily to the oxygen-poor wet soil, which was covered by dense layers of sediment. In my 35 years of professional activity, I have never had to deal with such firmly attached sediment layers,” says Markus Wittköpper, wet wood preservation expert at LEIZA.
Header Image Credit : LEIZA / Sabine Steidl
Sources : Leibniz Centre for Archaeology – The early imperial military facilities near Bad Ems in the context of Roman mining , reports on archeology on the Middle Rhine and Moselle, vol. 23, 2024.
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists excavating at Colonial Williamsburg have discovered a barracks for soldiers of the Continental Army during the American War of Independence.
Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum that forms part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia.
Williamsburg was the capital of the Virginia colony from 1699 until 1779, founded by English settlers during the Second Anglo-Powhatan War (1622–1632).
Tensions with England mounted over fundamental civil and economic rights for the colonists, resulting in the American Revolution and the American War of Independence.
Image Credit : Colonial Williamsburg
Archaeologists excavating next to the museum’s visitor’s centre uncovered foundations of a barracks that could accommodate up to 2,000 soldiers from the Continental Army and up to 100 horses.
“We have horseshoes,” said Jack Gary, Colonial Williamsburg executive director of archaeology. “We also have this object here which is a snaffle bit, so it’s part of a horse bit that goes in the mouth to control the horse. And this object here is part of a curry comb for brushing down the horse’s coat.”
Excavations have so far unearthed only a small part of the complex, but experts suggest that it covered roughly three to four acres.
The barracks were known from Eighteenth-century maps and other historical documents, but until now, the exact location of where it existed within the colony interior was unknown.
According to the historical sources, the barracks were built between 1776 and 1777, and were later destroyed by fire in 1781 by soldiers of the British Army under the command of General Cornwallis.
Excavations also uncovered mid-1700 chimney bases, ceramics, gun flint, coins, musket balls, military buckles, and items of decorative jewellery worn by high-ranking officers as cufflinks.
An interesting discovery are examples of lead shot with indications of tooth-marks, suggesting that the soldiers chewed on the lead shot because it tasted sweet.
Header Image Credit : Colonial Williamsburg
Sources : Colonial Williamsburg
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeology
Pleistocene hunter-gatherers settled in Cyprus thousands of years earlier than previously thought
Archaeologists have found that Pleistocene hunter-gatherers settled in Cyprus thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
An analysis of the oldest archaeological sites on the island suggests that the first human occupation occurred between 14,257 and 13,182 years ago.
This analysis, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used archaeological data, climate estimates, and demographic modelling.
The demographic modelling indicates that these early groups consisted of hundreds to thousands of people, who arrived in two to three main migration events over a period of only 100 years. Within just a few centuries, 11 generations – the population of Cypris had expanded to up 4,000 to 5000 inhabitants.
According to the study authors, these findings refute previous studies that suggested Mediterranean islands would have been unreachable and inhospitable for Pleistocene hunter-gatherer societies. “This settlement pattern implies organised planning and the use of advanced watercraft,” says Professor Bradshaw.
The climate estimates suggest that these early settlers arrived at a time during an increase in temperature and precipitation, also enabling an increase in environmental productivity that could sustain large hunter-gather populations.
Dr Moutsiou, said: “It has been argued that human dispersal to and settlement of Cyprus and other eastern Mediterranean islands is attributed to demographic pressures on the mainland after abrupt climatic change saw coastal areas inundated by post-glacial sea-level rise, forcing farming populations to move to new areas out of necessity rather than choice.”
Our research, based on more archaeological evidence and advanced modelling techniques, changes that”, adds Dr Moutsiou.
The research – “Demographic models predict end-Pleistocene arrival and rapid expansion of pre-agropastoralist humans in Cyprus” by Corey Bradshaw, Christian Reepmeyer, Frédérik Saltré, Athos Agapiou, Vasiliki Kassianidou, Stella Demesticha, Zomenia Zomeni, Miltiadis Polidorou and Theodora Moutsiou – has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA.
Header Image Credit : Michalakis Christoforou
Sources : Demographic models predict end-Pleistocene arrival and rapid expansion of pre-agropastoralist humans in Cyprus. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2318293121
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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