Photos of Norway's incredibly rare Viking ship discovery
One year later, an almost totally intact Viking ship burial had been uncovered, along with incredible artefacts and the bodies of two high-status women.
Today the women have raised a wealth of fascinating questions and their ship remains one of the best-preserved Viking artefacts in the world.
The Oseberg ship, its artefacts and the buried women will be next on display in 2027, when Oslo's rebuilt Museum of the Viking Age is expected to open again.
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The Guardian
16 hours ago
- The Guardian
Could an ancient cow's tooth unlock the origins of Stonehenge?
A cow's tooth from a jawbone deliberately placed beside the entrance to Stonehenge at the Neolithic monument's very beginning in 2995 to 2900 BCE could offer tantalising new evidence about how the stones were transported about 125 miles from Wales to Salisbury Plain. Analysis of the third molar tooth showed the animal began life in Wales, adding weight to a theory that cows were used as beasts of burden in hauling the enormous stones across the country. Since the jawbone was discovered a century ago historians have been intrigued about why it was placed there and where it had come from. Researchers from the British Geological Survey (BGS), Cardiff University and University College London found lead isotopes revealed composition spikes during the late winter to spring, pointing to a source that was older than the metal in the rest of the tooth. This was due to the cow, during pregnancy, drawing on lead already in its skeleton to create the calf, it is thought. That lead suggested the cow originated from an area with Palaeozoic rocks, such as the bluestones found in Wales, before moving to Stonehenge. 'It tells us that very early in its life it incorporated lead into its skeleton and that lead was from old Palaeozoic rocks, older than about 400m years old. Those types of rocks crop up primarily in Britain in Wales, which is the nearest supply, and also in the Lake District and Scotland,' said Prof Jane Evans, a BGS honorary research associate. 'Wales is the closest area from which you get those kind of lead compositions. That suggests this animal, found in Wiltshire, didn't start life in that kind of area. It must have been grazing at some time on older rocks, and the obvious conclusion, given its Stonehenge, is that Wales is the probable origin of the cow's early life.' She added: 'The jawbone was placed in a very specific part of the earliest ring structure of Stonehenge, which implies it was some kind of ritual, archeologists will say. So the question is, why? And then you come to the question: has this animal come with the people who were involved in the transportation of the stones, or at least the earliest migrations of the people bringing the stones, from Wales to England?'' Until recently archeologists had found no evidence of cattle as beasts of burden in Neolithic times, but a more recent paper suggested the structure of some cattle's feet indicated they could have been, said Evans. 'It feeds into that narrative quite well.' Even if cows were not used, associated oxen may have been. 'I don't know how long it takes to drag stones from Wales to Stonehenge, but you need to be able to feed yourself and so it's going to be a big process. You have got to have a huge support network to do it,' said Evans. Carbon isotopes showed the female cow's diet changed with the seasons: woodland fodder in winter and open pasture in summer. The strontium isotopes indicated the seasonal food sources came from different geological areas, suggesting the cow either moved seasonally or that winter fodder was imported. While the jaw was found buried at Stonehenge, what was unclear whether the cow travelled to the site alive or whether its remains were curated there, but that it was possible the animal held significance to the population during the earliest building of Stonehenge, said researchers. Michael Parker Pearson, a professor of British later prehistory at UCL, said it was 'yet more fascinating evidence for Stonehenge's link with south-west Wales' and raised 'the tantalising possibility that cattle helped to haul the stones'. Richard Madgwick, a professor of archaeological science at Cardiff, said: 'It provides unparalleled new detail on the distant origins of the animal and the arduous journey it was brought on. So often grand narratives dominate research on major archaeological sites, but this detailed biographical approach on a single animal provides a brand-new facet to the story of Stonehenge.' While archaeologists have long known some of the stones came from the Preseli Hills in Wales, and others were from Wiltshire, one central megaliths was recently identified as from north-east Scotland.
BBC News
18 hours ago
- BBC News
Boy's tooth find reveals bronze age burial mound on Lizard Point
A boy who found what he thought was a shark tooth has led to the discovery of a bronze age human burial aged seven, found the tooth when he visited Lizard Point and showed it to Ken Wallace, who volunteers for the National Trust at the Wallace, a retired dentist, recognised the tooth to be human which, after a police inquiry, was agreed to be an archaeological Trust archaeologist Jim Parry is carrying out work at the site - which the trust said was a prehistoric burial mound or "barrow" created some 4,450 years ago - and said he had found fragments of jaw bones, teeth and a skull of at least one individual. Mr Parry said the mound had already eroded because of man-made and natural processes and would continue to do so due to its coastal said: "In this case, we will record as much as we can before it's lost and, hopefully in the near future, return to the site to excavate a wider area to fully understand the scale and nature of the monument in which the remains were buried, with its glorious vistas from the southernmost point of the British mainland." The National Trust said the remains were due to be sent to an osteoarchaeologist, a specialist in human remains, for detailed analysis. A sample would also be sent for radiocarbon dating, the charity added.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Cicero's BATHHOUSE is found after 2,000 years: Archaeologists discover the remains of the Roman statesman's sauna in the ancient sunken city of Baiae
Archaeologists believe they have found a bathhouse that once belonged to the Roman lawyer and statesman Cicero. The remains of the ancient baths were found beneath the water in the sunken city of Baiae, on the coast of the Bay of Naples. Divers discovered an ornate mosaic 10 feet (three metres) below the waves, in an area which was once home to the harbour of Portus Julius. This is the location where ancient sources claim Cicero had his villa, which slipped into the sea sometime around the fourth century AD. Located 150 miles south of the capital, Baiae was once a thriving spa town where Rome's richest and most powerful citizens would come to escape the summer heat and enjoy the area's mineral-rich waters. In a post on Facebook, the Phlegraean Fields Archaeological Park wrote: 'The hypothesis, currently being explored, is that we may be looking at the Baths of Cicero's villa, known from sources.' The mosaic floor would have once sat on an advanced Roman heating system, turning the room into a sauna, or laconicum. Archaeologists found that the network of tubes and pillars which pumped the hot air evenly through the bath was still intact after almost two millennia underwater. Cicero (pictured) is remembered as Rome's greatest orator and lawyer, rising to prominence for his defence of the Roman Republic during the civil wars, which would give culminate in the assassination of Julius Caesar Dating back to the second century BC, Baiae was already a popular holiday destination for the Roman elite, with the poet Livy praising the waters' healing properties. By the first century BC, Baiae had become the ancient equivalent of Monte Carlo and was a renowned hub of pleasure and vice. Characters such as Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Nero flocked to the town to flaunt their wealth, have affairs, and host decadent, non-stop parties. Baiae was soon so synonymous with indulgence and sin that the poet Sextus Propertius described it as a 'vortex of luxury' and a 'harbour of vice'. In one notorious episode, the mad emperor Caligula ordered a three-mile (5 km) floating bridge to be built so he could ride his horse across the bay. However, the town began to sink beneath the water as a process called volcanic bradyseism, where volcanic activity causes the land to rise or fall, pushed the bay below sea level. By the fourth century AD, much of the city was 13 to 20 feet (4-6 metres) underwater, leaving behind one of the country's best preserved archaeological parks. Following its discovery in the 1940s, archaeologists have been slowly excavating more of the lost ruins of the Roman Empire's Sin City. Dating back to the second century BC, Baiae was already a popular holiday destination for the Roman elite, with the poet Livy praising the waters' healing properties. It soon became the premier party destination for the Roman elite. Pictured: Artist's impression of Baiae These mosaics would have once been the floor of a heating system used to pump air into a type of Roman sauna called a laconicum Baiae: Rome's Sin City Located 150 miles south of the capital, Baiae was the Roman Empire's premier party town. Due to its sulfur-rich waters, the town had long been renowned as a spa location. By the first century BC, Rome's political elite were making summer trips to the town to escape the heat and flaunt their wealth. The town became synonymous with decadence, indulgence, and non-stop partying. However, the same waters which made the town famous were its eventual downfall as volcanic activity plunged the city into the water. In 2023, divers discovered an intact mosaic floor, supported by small brick pillars and surrounded by ceramic fragments. The baths form part of a wider network of rooms, pools, and service corridors that served the Roman elite. Having now completed their documentation of the site, archaeologists believe these are the remains of Cicero's long-lost villa. Marcus Tullius Cicero, born in 106 BC, was a famous scholar and lawyer from the last days of the Roman Republic. During his life, he vainly fought to uphold Rome's republican values as the city plunged into civil war from which the Empire would be born. Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Cicero attempted to use Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, to hold onto power. However, Octavian turned on Cicero and had him executed in December of 43 BC. Contemporary sources note that Cicero had a villa in Baiae where he would holiday while not in Rome, but the exact location has since been lost to time. Researchers called the work 'tantalising' but say that more investigation will be needed to say for certain whether this truly is Cicero's villa. The researchers wrote: 'Of particular note are the ceramic materials recovered during the excavation—and currently being studied—which appear to offer important insights into both the construction and destruction of the site. Work on restoring the bath complex, particularly the mosaic floors and fragments of paintings, will commence in the autumn. A member of the research team added: 'The discovery not only highlights the daily life of the Roman elite but also enhances our understanding of the social and cultural structure of that era.' Who was Cicero? Rome's greatest lawyer Cicero is one of the most famous lawyers, philosophers, statesmen, and orators of the last days of the Roman Republic. Cicero was born in 106 BC to a wealthy family in the Roman town of Arpinum. He was highly educated and made his first appearance in the Roman courts at the age of 26. His defence of a man falsely accused of parricide was so famous that he soon became well known for his legal skills. In modern times, he is often remembered as Rome's greatest orator and the creator of what would become known as Ciceronian rhetoric. Politically, he staunchly upheld the original values of the Roman Republic in the face of increasing political fragmentation. Although he did not support the assassination of Julius Caesar, he had been staunchly opposed to Caesar's dictatorship. Following the death of Caesar, Cicero attempted to ally himself with Caesar's adopted son Octavian. However, Cicero badly underestimated Octavian's political brutality and soon found himself an enemy of the new emperor. Perhaps due to his unfortunate remark that Octavian should be 'given praise, distinctions—and then be disposed of', his execution was called for.
