Archaeology
17th century Hussar armour discovered in Mikułowice
A metal detectorist has discovered a partially complete set of Hussar armour in the Polish village of Mikułowice.
Hussars were light cavalry regiments during the late 17th and 18th centuries. Historically, the name originates from medieval Hungary, where light cavalry of the Black Army of Hungary served Matthias Corvinus, the king of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490.
By the 16th and 17th century, Habsburg emperors hired Hungarian hussars as mercenaries to serve against the Ottomans and on various battlefields throughout Western Europe.
In Poland, the first units of Polish Hussars were formed in 1500 and served at the Orsza (1514), the Obertyn (1531), and the Battle of Vienna (1683). Following the “heavy” Hungarian model, Polish Hussars wore armour and were equipped with a long lance as their main weapon.
The armour from Mikułowice in Poland’s Opatów district was discovered at a depth of 60 cm’s by Patryk Chmielewski. Most of the main components are intact, however, the cuirass lacks the breastplate and backplate.
According to archaeologists from the Sandomierz branch of the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments, both bracers protecting the forearm have survived, along with the left shoulder pad, the clavicle protecting the neck and nape, and a semicircular helmet.
Experts from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin suggest that the armour dates from the early 17th century and was likely made locally. However, the lack of decorative elements makes further identification difficult.
After conservation, the armour will go on display at the Castle Museum in Sandomierz.
Using a metal detector in Poland requires a permit granted by the Provincial Conservator of Monuments in accordance with the Act of July 23, 2003 under the protection and care of monuments.
Header Image Credit : Marek Florek
Sources : PAP Foundation – Świętokrzyskie/ Hussar armor from the 17th century discovered in the Opatów district
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A groundbreaking study, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, has revealed why the largest concentration of pyramids in Egypt were built along a narrow desert strip.
Since the beginning of the Pharaonic era, the Nile River has played a fundamental role in the rapid growth and expansion of the Egyptian civilisation.
The Nile provided sustenance and functioned as the primary mode of transportation for goods and building materials, which explains why most of the main cities of the Egyptian civilisation were built in close proximity to the banks of the Nile and its peripheral branches.
Over the centuries, the primary channel of the Nile shifted laterally, causing these peripheral branches to silt up. As a result, population centres were cut off from the vital resources the river provided.
Image Credit : Eman Ghoneim et al
This is apparent with the pyramids along the Western Desert Plateau, where a majority of the pyramids are concentrated along a narrow desert strip several kilometres from the current primary channel of the Nile.
Using a combination of radar satellite imagery, geophysical data, and deep soil coring, the study has investigated the subsurface structure and sedimentology in the Nile Valley adjacent to the pyramid clusters.
This has revealed an extinct branch of the primary channel called the Ahramat Branch, which was connected to the pyramids of the Old and Middle Kingdoms via causeways and their Valley Temples.
According to the study authors: “The Ahramat Branch played a role in the monuments’ construction and was simultaneously active and used as a transportation waterway for workmen and building materials to the pyramids’ sites.”
The eastward migration and abandonment of the Ahramat Branch could be attributed to gradual movement of the river to the lower-lying adjacent floodplain or tilting of the Nile floodplain toward the northeast as a result of tectonic activity, as well as windblown sand incursion due to the branch’s proximity to the Western Desert Plateau.
Header Image Credit : Eman Ghoneim et al
Sources : Ghoneim, E., Ralph, T.J., Onstine, S. et al. The Egyptian pyramid chain was built along the now abandoned Ahramat Nile Branch. Commun Earth Environ 5, 233 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01379-7
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the National Institute of Cultural Heritage have uncovered a Roman villa with an indoor plunge pool during excavations at the port city of Durrës, Albania.
During antiquity, Durrës was founded by Ancient Greek colonists from Corinth and Corcyra.
The colony emerged into a major trading centre, which during the Roman period was annexed into the expanding territory of the Roman Republic following the conclusion of the Illyrian Wars.
By the 4th century, the city (named Dyrrachium), emerged as the capital of the Roman province of Epirus nova, covering the region of Ancient Epirus.
Image Credit : IKTK
Archaeologists excavating a former residential part of the ancient city have uncovered a high status Roman villa that dates from between the 1st and 4th century AD.
The villa interior contains an indoor pool, richly decorated with frescoes on the walls and mosaic flooring with tiles and inlays of marble, stone, glass and ceramics. Located adjacent to the pool are shallow square basins lined with waterproof mortar, believed to be the remains of an ancient water feature.
Within the northern area of the excavation site, archaeologists found a large brick floor from a thermae, a Roman bath, and further traces of walls from the wider complex.
In the western area, the team discovered fragments of relief stucco that was used to decorate the walls and ceilings of the villa. The reliefs depict anthropomorphic and floral motifs, further indicating the wealth of the villa inhabitants.
According to the archaeologists, the villa was destroyed by an earthquake in the 4th century, corresponding with ancient sources that describe a powerful earthquake causing buildings to collapse and the city defences to crumble.
Header Image Credit : IKTK
Sources : National Institute of Cultural Heritage
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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