Latest news with #Inrap
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Discover 'Unprecedented' Ancient Monument in France
Archaeologists say they have discovered an "unprecedented" monument in France. They outlined the discovery on the French-language site Inrap. That is the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. "The archaeologists of the Inrap conducted an excavation in Marliens, about 20 kilometers east of Dijon, before the extension of a gravel (Eqiom) in the valley of the Ouh, a tributary of the Saône," the site wrote in a lengthy statement that included photos. They described the finding as one-of-a-kind, writing, 'This type of monument seems unprecedented and currently no comparison has been possible." According to Popular Mechanics, the scientists found a "never-seen-before mix of enclosures," and a site that "was in use across at least three distinct time periods." The Inrap article says the monument might have been linked to burials, but the archaeologists are doing more work to confirm that. "The only artifacts discovered in the ditches correspond to cut flints that would suggest a chrono-culture attribution to the Neolithic period," the researchers wrote. They excavated three areas and made discoveries of settlements "from the Neolithic to the first Iron Age." The oldest settlement was "characterized by a monument consisting of three nested the centre of the monument was a circular enclosure 11 m in diameter. To the north, an 8 m long horseshoe-shaped enclosure paired with the circular enclosure and the south, an open enclosure that dents the central enclosure," they wrote. "The presence of a layer of gravel, observed in the filling of the two lateral enclosures, testifies to the existence of a palisade. The various stratigraphic sections produced indicate that the three enclosures are contemporary," they added. The statement notes, "Traces of 'iron oxide' have been observed on one of the cuffs corresponding to pyrite, which is essential for lighting a fire. This series of objects most often accompanies a burial, however, due to its stratigraphic position at the base of the ploughing, this hypothesis could not be confirmed."Scientists Discover 'Unprecedented' Ancient Monument in France first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 10, 2025
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Discovered an Unprecedented Ancient Monument That Could Rewrite History
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: An archaeological find revealed in eastern France offers a never-seen-before mix of enclosures. The site was in use across at least three distinct time periods. Linked in part to burials, researchers hope further study reveals more about the site's dating and purpose. As if one ancient circular enclosure wasn't enough to evoke intrigue at an archaeological find in Eastern France, three interconnected enclosures raised the bar. In what the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) is calling an 'unprecedented' discovery in Marliens, France, near Dijon, excavations revealed a series of occupations on one site spanning from the Neolithic period to the First Iron Age. Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the IssueGet the Issue Get the Issue The oldest occupation features a monument with three interlocking enclosures. The center section offers a circular enclosure 36 feet in diameter, the largest in the bunch. To the north a smaller 26-foot-long horseshoe-shaped enclosure connects directly to the main center piece. To the south, a circular design remains open on one side, but still ties to the main circle. The team believes all three structures are linked together in both positioning and dating and that a gravel layer found on the two side enclosures suggests a fence was also present. 'This type of monument seems unprecedented and currently no comparison has been possible,' the research team says in a statement. A bundle of artifacts—including seven flint arrowheads, two archer's bracers, a flint lighter, and a copper alloy dagger—discovered in the site's ditches correspond to cut flints, suggesting attribution to the Neolithic period, potentially as far back as 10,000 BC to 2,200 BC. Radiocarbon analytics is planned to help determine exact dating. The team located an armband with traces of iron oxide tied to pyrite, indicating it could have been used to light fires. These objects often accompany a burial, but the team couldn't make that conclusion just yet in this case. 'Analyses of the composition of the copper alloy of the dagger should make it possible to establish its origin and provide us with information on commercial exchanges at that time,' the team writes. In another location on the site, the team dates five circular enclosures—four open and one closed across a 64,000 square foot plain—between 1500 BC and 1300 BC. The remains of burials and a funeral pyre were found in the ditches of the largest enclosure, although the acidity of the soil didn't allow the preservation of unburned bones, so the team was not able to find a complete burial. Dating based on five copper alloy pins, a necklace with 40 amber beads, and rare ceramic shards confirms the timing. A First Iron Age occupation is also nearby, about 1,300 feet from the plain, this with urns and burial ornaments. Early Bronze Age wells sit nearby. An analysis of the clay layers at the bottom of the wells may provide information on the natural environment and landscape of the valley during the Bronze Age. The team believes that with the analytics underway on the objects found at the site, combined with paleo-environmental studies, they will be able to 'propose a scenario of the evolution of this territory over the ages.' Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Irish Independent
10-06-2025
- Irish Independent
A guided bus and walking tour of Sligo's rich Neolithic landscape has been organised by the county council
European Archaeology Days 2025 is a celebration of archaeology that takes place from 13-15 of June this year. Over 5,000 events will take place across 30 European countries. European Archaeology Days are coordinated by the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) and are co-ordinated in Ireland by The Heritage Council. The Sligo tour will be guided by Dr. Robert Hensey, Project Coordinator with Sligo County Council for the Sligo World Heritage Site bid. The event will take place on Friday 13th June 2025 at 10.30am (duration approx. 3 hours). Meeting at Sligo Retail Park, Carraroe. The tour will involve travel by bus and a guided walk at selected locations. Walking boots and weather appropriate clothing, fluids and snacks required. Please note that dogs are note permitted. While the event is free of charge, places are strictly limited (Max. 25), and booking is essential via Eventbrite.
Miami Herald
12-02-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Rare 1,600-year-old purple fabric — woven with gold threads — found in France. See it
Archaeologists in central France looked inside the ancient sarcophagus they'd recently unearthed. Something across the top of the burial seemed to glint in the sun. It turned out to be a 1,600-year-old fabric fragment woven with gold threads. A team of archaeologists spent several months of 2020 excavating a massive ancient burial ground in Autun. The site included about 230 tombs dating back roughly 1,500 to 1,700 years, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research said in a Feb. 11 news release. The burials, some of which were rare lead coffins, included a wide array of exceptional artifacts such as a glass vase, gold jewelry and pins carved of amber. When archaeologists excavated the unimpressively named Burial 47, they found another rare surprise: a roughly 5-foot-long piece of gold fabric, according to a YouTube video from the institute translated using Google Translate. The ancient material was extremely delicate, archaeologists said. They removed the fabric and surrounding dirt, then placed it in a refrigerated environment to prevent it from molding or deteriorating. After detailed scans of the find and a yearslong preservation process, experts identified the material as a 1,600-year-old purple fabric woven with gold threads. Its purple dye, now faded to a red tint, was associated with elite aristocracy in ancient times, the institute said. Originally, the ancient cloth may have had a plant or floral-themed design, the institute said. Photos show the vague outline of a leaf-shaped patch of threads and what the fabric may have looked like when buried. Archaeologists also found five more fragments of gold fabric. Most of these, including Burial 47, were found in lead coffins, but one was found in a wooden coffin. The rare fabrics from Autun are on temporary display at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris until July, the institute said. Autun is a city in central France and a roughly 180-mile drive southeast from Paris. Google Translate was used to translate the news releases and YouTube video from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap).
