Egypt
Six interesting facts about Tutankhamun's Mausoleum
Tutankhamun Golden Mask
100 years ago, on November 4, British archaeologist Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun. In addition to the elaborate gold masks and a wide range of funerary objects, did you know the following six interesting facts about this momentous discovery?
1. At first, there was no hope of discovering Tutankhamun's tomb
Before the discovery of Tutankhamun's mausoleum, many archaeologists believed that the tomb either did not exist or had been destroyed. But Carter's determination and luck finally gave way to the Tutankhamun Mausoleum in the middle of the Valley of the Kings. The excavation took six years, and after clearing nearly 150,000 pounds of rock and debris, more than 5,000 precious artifacts, including sarcophagi, mummies, and more, many of them made of gold, were unearthed.
In the Valley of the Kings in 1922, Tutankhamun's Mausoleum is located near the central road shown in the image
2. Carter's party was not the first visitors to the mausoleum
At least two groups of grave robbers had entered the mausoleum before Carter's discovery. Researchers found signs that the mausoleum's doorway had been broken into and had been resealed at least twice. The two break-ins occurred about 3,000 years ago, and tomb robbers may have taken only smaller treasures that were easy to carry.
3. The precious remains of Tutankhamun's mausoleum are fortunate enough to remain in Egypt
Unlike the ancient Egyptian artifacts that were previously unearthed and shipped out of Egypt for analysis, Egypt was in the process of independence from Britain during the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb, and the Egyptian government took the opportunity to ask King Tutankhamun's body and his funerary belongings to remain at the place of discovery.
The painting recreates the treasure of Tutankhamun's mausoleum
4. Tutankhamun's mausoleum is the smallest in the Valley of the Kings
Compared to other royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun's mausoleum is the smallest and not the most extravagant. Tutankhamun was only 19 years old when he died, and his brief reign did not give him enough time to build a more lavish mausoleum for himself.
5. Tutankhamun's heart is missing
The ancient Egyptians believed that man's most important organ of thought was the heart, not the brain. While most internal organs will be removed during the mummification process, the heart must be preserved so that the deceased can enter the afterlife. But researchers did not find Tutankhamun's heart in his body, and it is unclear why it disappeared. Some scholars speculate that it may have been stolen by one of the king's enemies to prevent Tutankhamun from reaching the afterlife.
Tutankhamun's nested sarcophagi
6. A strange coffin
Tutankhamun lies in three layers of coffins, two of which are made of red quartzite and wood, and the innermost inner coffin is made of a thick layer of gold. Puzzlingly, the researchers found that the middle coffin was markedly different in style from the other two, and that the faces it depicted were different from those on the other two coffins and on Tutankhamun's mask. Therefore, some archaeologists speculate that the coffin in the middle may have been intended for another person (perhaps Tutankhamun's previous king), but it is not known why it was used for King Tutankhamun.
More mysteries are waiting for archaeologists to reveal!
Egypt
The underground tunnels of the temple may be related to Cleopatra
Authentic close-up
A rocky tunnel was discovered 13 meters underground at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, west of Alexandria, Egypt. The huge tunnel, described as a "geometric marvel," stretches over 1,300 meters. During the excavation and investigation of the tunnel, many ceramic vessels and a rectangular limestone block were found. Two heads made of alabaster have also been found near the temple, one of which dates back to the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC).
Statue found near the Temple of Taposiris Magna
The authentic architectural design resembles the Yupalinos Tunnels on the Greek island of Samos, which is considered one of the most important engineering achievements of the classical world. Frequent earthquakes in the area may have caused part of the tunnel to be submerged underwater. In 320~1303 AD, at least 23 earthquakes hit the coast of Egypt.
Archaeologists are investigating the Taposiris Magna tunnel
Taposiris Magna is an ancient city founded by Pharaoh Ptolemy II in 280~270 BC.
A glimpse of the interior south of the temple of Taposiris Magna Osiris
There have been many major discoveries during the excavations of the ancient city over the past 14 years. For example, a huge headless granite statue of King Ptolemaic; a fine statue of Cleopatra's head, and 22 coins bearing her head; The unearthing of many Greco-Roman mummies facing the temple in a cemetery behind the temple could mean that an important royal such as Cleopatra was probably buried in the temple?
Time will tell!
Israel
The oldest writing is found on ancient combs
The first Canaanite script scratched out of an ivory comb
A two-toothed ivory comb was discovered during an excavation at the site of the Canaanite city-state Raj in central Israel, 2,000 BC. The text meticulously carved into the surface of the ivory comb reads: "May this ivory eradicate lice from hair and beards." ”
The size of the comb is small
The size of this ivory comb is very small, only 3.5x2.5 cm, so the inscription is also particularly small, and the height of the letters is between 1~3 mm. The ivory comb was actually discovered in 2017, but the inscription was not discovered until last year, when a team of Israeli archaeologists deciphered the tiny text over a year.
The right side of the comb
The researchers found that the inscription was written in the ancient Canaanite script, which was created about 3,800 years ago. The comb is associated with the earliest Canaanites settlement in Raj, which was formed in the 17th century BC.
Early Canaanite script of Raj
This sentence on the comb provides us with a complete sentence written in Canaanite for the first time, and also confirms that head lice were a tricky problem in the medieval Levant. On one side of the comb there are 6 widely spaced teeth for unclogging the hair; On the other side there are 14 narrowly spaced comb teeth that remove lice and their eggs. Under the microscope, the researchers did find the hardened outer membrane of the tiny head lice in the nymph stage.
Sweden
The wounded Visby warrior was reborn more than 600 years later
Facial reconstruction of a Visby warrior wounded by an axe
Recently, archaeologists have reconstructed the face of a medieval warrior's skull found in a mass grave outside Visby, Gotland, Sweden. The warrior was killed at the Battle of Visby in 1361 AD.
Historical pictures of mass graves
On July 27, 1361, an army of Guttnian yeomanry (at least one-third children and elderly) confronted 2,500 invading Danish regular troops outside the walls of Visby, and about 1,800 implement-wielding peasants were quickly slaughtered. Historians often compare this event to the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 AD--- where the same number of French were wiped out by the Anglo-Gascon army commanded by Edward the Black Prince.
Digital facial reconstructions of Visby warriors bring the Visby massacre to life
The fractures above the warrior's left eye and on his left cheekbone were most likely caused by heavy long-rod weapons, and the man's mouth and nose were smashed by an axe. The efforts of the peasant soldiers who tried to prevent the massacre were futile, and after the Battle of Visby, the remaining peasant soldiers and their families surrendered to the Danish soldiers.
Germany
A 2,000-year-old Roman villa with luxurious underfloor heating
Ancient Roman villa with luxury underfloor heating
In 15 BC, the ancient Roman Emperor Nero founded the city of Cambodunum, located in the present-day town of Kempten in Bavaria, the oldest city on record in Germany. A few days ago, researchers unearthed an ancient Roman luxury villa, in which they found frescoes, thermal baths and a set of ancient Roman "floor heating" equipment. The villa is located in the archaeological park of Cambodunum in Kempten, Bavaria, Germany.
The two-storey villa is at least 800 square meters and features flat floors, frescoed walls, private hot spring baths and underfloor heating
Researchers found that Roman engineers installed underfloor heating in their houses, the forerunners of all central heating systems today. This system produces warm water and hot air, which circulates through pipes that heat the floor. Warm air is also pumped into a series of pipes in the walls, also warming the floor upstairs. By the 4th century AD, this system was widely used in public baths and private homes in the Mediterranean and beyond.
Excavation site of the floor heating system
Croatia
A 2,000-year-old ancient Roman shipwreck was found on the riverbed
Divers excavate ancient Roman shipwrecks in Barbir
An ancient Roman shipwreck was found on the banks of the Zadar River, dating to at least the 1st century AD. The site here Port Cubabir was discovered in 1973, but it wasn't until 2017 that the area began to be systematically excavated and protected.
Well-preserved plates of ancient Roman shipwrecks
So far, in addition to finding a 3x9-meter shipwreck, researchers have also studied the structure of the ancient Roman pier, which was built in two distinct phases.
The first phase dates back to the 1st century AD, when the pier was relatively small. The second stage, in the 4th century AD, led to the formation of a "tongue shape" similar to the state currently found.
Archaeologists tested radiocarbon dating ceramics, amphoras, oil lamps and glass fragments unearthed from the pier. The objects are shown to come from different parts of the Mediterranean, including present-day Greece, Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula, Italy, and North Africa. 30 copper coins from the reigns of Constantine II, Constance and Constantius II were found 1.5 meters below the seabed.
Excavation site of an ancient Roman shipwreck
A plank with metal nails, commonly used for shipbuilding, was later found, and the ancient Roman shipwreck dating back to the 1st century AD was later found. Unlike most ancient ships that sank and eventually deformed at the bottom of the sea, this ship's one retains its exterior shape.
Italy
Discover the ancient Roman theater in Lithos, Ritter
Aerial view of the Roman theater
Even today, the small town of Lithos in Crete can only be reached by sea or by seemingly endless hikes. Archaeologists found here the ruins of a Roman theater that may have been used for music competitions, lectures and even city council meetings.
Lithos Beach
Lithos was probably an important Mediterranean trading port on the island of Crete, facing the Cretan Sea to the southwest. It was an independent city and religious center, and also had a strong trading and fishing fleet in the third century BC.
Archaeologist Nicholas Peighton first excavated the ancient port in the 1950s, unearthing relatively well-preserved buildings from various historical periods, including a rare temple dedicated to the Greek medicine god Asclepius, an extraordinary Greco-Roman necropolis with two floors of tombs, Roman baths, residential areas and Christian churches.
Ancient Roman theater found at the archaeological site of Lithos
More than 60 years after the first excavations, archaeologists discovered the east-facing building, which appears to be a theater for musical events, or a gathering place for lectures, literary and musical competitions or theatrical performances. During the first phase of excavation, parts of the stage, 14 rows of seats and two vaulted side chambers were discovered. The theater belongs to the Roman period, spanning the first to fourth centuries AD.
View of a Roman theater unearthed at the archaeological site of Lithos, Crete
The Byzantine church on Lithos Beach is located next to the Roman Theater