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New York Post
18-07-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Texas husband-wife team finds ‘priceless' royal tomb filled with 1,700-year-old treasures
A Texas archaeologist couple recently unearthed the ancient tomb of a legendary king in Central America — a feat that's been over 40 years in the making. Arlen Chase and Diane Chase, both professors at the University of Houston, uncovered the 4th-century tomb at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize. The university shared the discovery on July 10. Caracol was a major Mayan city established in the 300s A.D. The tomb belonged to Te' K'ab Chaak, the earliest ruler of the city and the founder of its royal dynasty – and it's the first confirmed royal tomb found at the site. 'Now in ruins, this metropolis was a major political player in Maya history, dominating the southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula from 560 through 680 AD before its abandonment by 900 AD,' the University of Houston said in its press release. Teʼ Kʼab Chaak's tomb was filled with treasures, including 11 pottery vessels and carved bone tubes. Excavators also found a mosaic death mask made of jadeite, along with jewelry made from the same type of gemstone. 7 Arlen Chase and Diane Chase discovered the tomb of a legendary king. University of Houston The Chases are the foremost scholars on Caracol, and this latest excavation is just one of many they've conducted. Their son, Adrian, is also an archaeologist and discovered Caracol's decentralized water system. Judging from the ruler's remains, the Chases also found that Te' K'ab Chaak was 5'7 in height and died at an advanced age. 7 The 4th-century tomb was found at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize. University of Houston He also had no remaining teeth. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Arlen Chase called the recently unearthed artifacts 'priceless.' 'Professional archaeologists will not put a dollar value on the items they dig up … That being said, the true value of the materials is in what they can tell us about the ancient culture,' the expert described. 'In this case, most of the individual artifacts are unique, but together they not only tell a story about the individual who once owned them but also enable us to provide a date for the burial.' 7 The tomb belonged to Te' K'ab Chaak. University of Houston 7 The tomb was filled with treasures. University of Houston 7 An ancient bowl and lid were among the many items recovered. University of Houston Arlen Chase said the artifacts date to 350 A.D. and 'include a full range of vessel types for this time period,' including two from the Highlands of Guatemala and shells from the Pacific Ocean. Both these types of treasures, he noted, were the 'result of long-distance trade.' Arlen Chase also confirmed that archaeologists identified the burial 'based on the size of his chamber, the presence of jadeite mosaic death mask and earflares, and everything being covered in cinnabar.' 7 Diane Chase noted that finding a ruler's burial is 'extremely unusual, and important.' University of Houston Diane Chase told Fox News Digital that the ceramic vessels in particular really showed off Teʼ Kʼab Chaak's status and wealth. 'The two Pacific spondylus shells near his head, the jadeite earflares, the carved jadeite tubular beads, and the mosaic jadeite death mask also show his ability to obtain long-distance prestige items,' she noted. A car trip between Teotihuacan and Caracol today would take over 23 hours. Ancient people would have had to walk at least 153 days to complete the journey, making the burial offerings particularly special. 7 The couple teaches at the University of Houston. University of Houston Above all, Diane Chase noted that finding a ruler's burial is 'extremely unusual, and important.' She said, 'This is the first one we have discovered within the ancient city of Caracol.' She added, 'Even more important, he is the first ruler of the Caracol dynasty with some 30 other rulers following him (according to the hieroglyphic[s]) before the city was abandoned.'
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Inscription on 1000-year-old copper plate found in Telangana's Kodad sheds light on earliest recorded Kakatiya genealogy
An inscription on a copper plate found recently in Kodad of Suryapet district in Telangana sheds light on the earliest recorded genealogy of the Kakatiya dynasty — which ruled from 1000 to 1323 A.D. in several parts of the Southern India — tracing their origins as feudatories under the Eastern Chalukyas also known Vengi Chalukyas, said Dr. K. Munirathnam Reddy, director (Epigraphy), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The three-leaf copper plate, found in a graveyard at Kodad town, is preserved by the Department of Heritage in Hyderabad. Written in Sanskrit using Telugu script Issued during the coronation of Vikramaditya II in 918 CE, the record details the grant of a village to the family of a fallen Kakatiya ancestor who aided the Chalukya King in a succession battle. The inscription was written in Sanskrit using Telugu script and is dated Saka 840 (Phalguna Bahula Panchami, Saturday), which corresponds to March 6, 918 CE. The genealogy The inscription begins with a eulogy of the Samanta Vetti family (ancestors of the Kakatiyas) and mentions the genealogy of the dynasty from Kubja Vishṇuvardhana down to Vikramaditya II, along with their ruling periods. It lists their genealogy as Samanta Vetti, Gunda I, Erra, and Gunda II. It also mentions that Talapa captured and imprisoned the boy king Vijayaditya and ruled the kingdom for one month. The inscription records that King Vikramaditya II, on the occasion of his coronation, granted the village of Kovuṛu, situated in Kanḍeruvaḍi vishaya, to Lokamamba — wife of Gunda II (administrator of Kondapalli vishaya) — who had died while assisting Vikramaditya II in the war against Talapa to regain the throne. It was issued by Vikramaditya II, son of Chalukya Bhima I and Vijayamahadevi, and bears the Chalukya royal seal depicting a boar (Varaha) and the legend Sri Tribhuvanamkusa. The discovery and preservation were facilitated by Suryapet district collector, Tejas Nandlal Pawar.
National Geographic
16-07-2025
- National Geographic
Athens is reviving a 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct: 'the miracle is that it still works'
Athens, Greece — When Eleni Sotiriou and her neighbors turn on their taps in the coming weeks, they'll be getting water from an ancient aqueduct connected to an ancient, underground waterway that many Athenians are unaware exists. 'It's very exciting that something built 2,000 years ago will be used by modern Greeks for such an important reason,' said Sotiriou, an environmentally conscious 65-year-old who admonishes neighbors for wasting dwindling drinking water on activities such as washing their cars. 'We have to be careful,' she said. 'There isn't an unlimited supply.' Sitting on Europe's sweltering southeastern border, Greece has been hard hit by a water crisis worsened by climate change. Last year, an acute shortage of rainfall prompted several Greek islands to ration water as farmers struggled to produce crops. Growing tourist numbers increased the strain on water. So did rising temperatures, stoking wildfires that intensified dry conditions. In Athens, where water levels are the lowest in a decade, authorities plan to link the main reservoir to an artificial lake and are modernizing the water network to plug leaks while developing sustainable ways to recycle wastewater. The most innovative response, however, relies more on ancient inventiveness than modern technology: tapping into an aqueduct built at the height of the Roman Empire. Indeed, after a project five years in the making launches in July, scores of homes in one Athens suburb will gradually be drawing water directly from the ancient pipeline in an experiment aimed at saving water and cooling the city. The water won't be potable, but officials hope it will conserve drinking water by supplying another source of water for uses like gardening. The miracle is that it still works,' said Giorgos Sachinis, director of strategy and innovation at the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company, adding that Roman hydraulic engineering is 'truly admirable.' Workers fix a pump to an ancient stone well that accesses Hadrian's aqueduct. The water delivery system was used for over 1,000 years before falling into disrepair. Photograph By ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty Images An illustration from 1759 shows Hadrian's Aqueduct at the Athens Temple of Minerva. As drought in the region worsens, the city is reviving the ancient water source to supplement drinking water. Illustration By Sayer Robert via Art Collection / Alamy Stock Photo Commissioned in the second century A.D. by Roman Emperor Hadrian to satisfy the growing demand for water in Athens—one major use being the public baths favored by Romans—the 15-mile aqueduct was 'a grandiose' project, longer and more sophisticated than previous waterways, according to Theodora Tzeferi, an archaeologist at Greece's Culture Ministry. It supplied Athens for more than 1,300 years before falling into disrepair during the Ottoman occupation of the Greek capital, which began in the mid-15th century and lasted for nearly 400 years. The aqueduct was revived in the late 19th century amid a water shortage and then largely abandoned in the 1920s when the capital's first reservoir was built to serve growing demand. But the water never stopped running. Hadrian's Aqueduct still flows beneath the capital, from a mountain north of the city to central Athens. As the aqueduct runs downhill, it's filled by aquifers and riverbanks. A boy drinks water from a fountain at the top of the Acropolis as temperatures reach 34 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Athens June 26, 2012. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (GREECE - Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY) Photograph By Pascal Rossignol/Reuters/Redux It is the only ancient monument in Greece that has operated for so long, according to Tzeferi. She's overseeing the project, which received structural damage during past construction on the city's metro system. Talk to Athenians in a café near the central reservoir and most are unaware of the aqueduct beneath them. 'They don't know about it as you can't see it,' Tzeferi said. Currently the water is wasted, joining the sewage system and then the sea. A new two-and-a-half-mile pipeline has been built to connect the aqueduct to households in Halandri, the suburb where the initiative is being tested. 'It's quite simple. We pull the water out of a Roman well, we process and filter it in a modern unit next to the ancient one, and from there it goes to homes,' Sachinis said. The pipeline will first supply civic buildings and then around 80 houses with non-potable water for cleaning and gardening, allowing them to conserve drinking water while using digital meters to monitor what they use from the aqueduct. Buildings closest to the pipeline will each be connected via an outdoor tap with dozens more getting their water by truck. The aim is to expand supply to another seven districts under which the aqueduct runs. An ancient well sits on the grounds of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. The well is part of Hadrian's Aqueduct, built almost 2,000 years ago and hailed by experts as an "engineering marvel." Photograph By ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP /Getty Images Project managers concede that anticipated water savings are small—one percent of the 100 billion gallons of water used annually in Athens—but their focus is on creating a new 'water culture' of cautious consumption. Using tap water to cool sidewalks in summer, for instance, is 'criminal,' Sachinis remarked. Experts say this cautious consumption is crucial. 'I'm worried we're heading towards a semi-arid climate,' said Eleni Myrivili, a senior advisor for the Washington, D.C.-based Climate Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council, referring to her native Greece. 'Hadrian's Aqueduct is a brilliant way of creating resilience,' said Myrivili who also holds the title of global chief heat officer for the United Nations Environment Program and its Human Settlements Program. She recently co-authored a report with proposals for using water from the aqueduct, and other underground sources, to irrigate vegetation in town squares and along sidewalks, which could help reduce temperatures and thus water consumption. Awareness campaigns are important tools to change habits, experts and officials agree. Campaigns run by the water board and local authorities in Halandri are so far resonating with residents. Sotiriou is one—she helps run an organization formed to manage the aqueduct's water, and students have learned about water conservation while designing water tanks for their schools. In 2023, the project won an award for urban planning and design and is now serving as a model for other cities facing water shortages. Christos Giovanopoulos, a project manager at the Halandri authority, and his colleagues are advising five cities on similar projects, including Rome, which is restoring a historic orangery (a type of greenhouse), and Serpa, Portugal, which is repurposing a 17th-century aqueduct. Officials say they are confident of the project's technical success— the challenge will be convincing more mayors, schools, and residents to opt into the program. Sotiriou is doing her part at the grass roots, helping manage usage in her suburb and encouraging neighbors to get involved. 'We want people to think about natural resources and what will be left for the next generation,' she said. 'We can't leave parched earth.'
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Eerie 1,000-year-old face — possibly to fend off spirits — found in Poland lake
At the bottom of a lake in Poland, archaeologists discovered an eerie relic of the distant past: a wooden face steeped in mystery. The sculpture was found in 2024 in Lake Lednica, a historical site located about 200 miles west of Warsaw, according to a news release July 8 from a local museum. It once adorned the ramparts of Ostrów Lednicki, an early medieval stronghold situated on an island within the body of water. The fortress was occupied by the Piasts, the first ruling dynasty of Poland, who came to power around the ninth century. Measuring about 5 inches tall by 4 inches wide, the face is perfectly preserved and highly detailed. Its oval shape is distinguished by a pair of eyes, a nose, mouth and chin. Laboratory analysis indicates the tree from which it was carved was felled sometime between 960 and 975 A.D., making it more than 1,000 years old. It is believed to have been thrown into the lake by a landslide. Its exact purpose remains unknown, though several theories have been put forward. Archaeologists said it was possible the sculpture represented a deity or legendary hero, which would have been used to ward off evil spirits and protect the fortress' inhabitants. This idea is given credence by the fact that, during the early medieval period, people often imbued everyday objects with spiritual meaning. However, it can't be ruled out that the face has a more mundane explanation. It may have simply served as a decorative architectural element devoid of symbolic significance. Additionally, the sculpture, while unique, is not unprecedented. Similar carvings of faces have previously been found in other Polish sites, such as Wolin and Veliky Novgorod, archaeologist said. More about Ostrów Lednicki The centuries-old stronghold was discovered between 1949 and 1953, spurring intense interest from archaeologists, according to the museum. In addition to the fortress, the site contains a well-preserved chapel and palace. And beneath the water of the lake, the remains of 10th-century bridges that connected the island to the mainland have been found. The site also reveals the extent to which various religions mixed, with native pagans intermingling with Christians, resulting in hybrid rituals. Today, the island serves as a popular tourist attraction and can be reached by visitors via a ferry. Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Museum of the First Piast Dynasty in Lednica.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
Archaeolgists Find Roman Soldier's Purse with 'Logistical Cash'
In South Moravia, Czechia, archaeologists have found a bronze fragment from a Roman wrist purse which dates back 1,800 years, Ancient Origins reported. The item was first discovered back in January at Hradisko Hill, a famous archaeological site which the 10th Roman Legion called home while fighting the Marcomannic Wars (172-180 A.D.). Scientists were able to identify the item as a wrist purse carried by Roman soldiers to hold coins for 'logistical cash' they may have needed while on the battlefield. The purses had the added effect of keeping soldiers' hands free to hold weapons and engage in combat. Scientists believe that the purse held roughly 50 denarii, which at that time was slightly less than a year's wage for a Roman soldier. A cache of silver denarii, which contained images of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 A.D.), located near the purse allowed researchers to date the item. 'Most of the coins found at the site and in the surrounding area date back to the reign of Marcus Aurelius," archaeologist Tomáš Antoš explained. "They typically feature either the emperor himself or his wife, Faustina.' Scientists hail the purse as an especially notable artifact because it was unearthed just outside of the Roman Empire's formal borders, which at the time of the purse's burial would have been considered enemy territory. Similar purses have been found throughout Britain and Danube, but this is the first of its kind to be discovered in modern-day Czechia. The wrist purse is currently on display to the public at Pasohlávky's Mušov Visitor Centre, where it's part of the permanent exhibition 'Gateway to the Roman Empire.'Archaeolgists Find Roman Soldier's Purse with 'Logistical Cash' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 5, 2025
