Latest news with #Mycenaeans
Business Mayor
07-05-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
Cornish tin was sold all over Europe 3,000 years ago, say archaeologists
In about 1300BC, the major civilisations of the eastern Mediterranean made a cultural and technological leap forward when they began using bronze much more widely for weapons, tools and jewellery. While a form of the metal had previously been used in smaller quantities by the Mycenaeans and Egyptians among others, bronze was now abundant – but how? Most bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, but while the former was widely available in antiquity, tin is a rare element, with no large sources within thousands of kilometres. This left one big question, referred to by archaeologists as the 'tin problem'. Where were the bronze age societies of the Mediterranean getting the tin for their bronze? A British-led group of archaeologists believe they have solved the mystery. By scientifically analysing ore and artefacts from across Europe, they have established that tin from the abundant deposits in Cornwall and Devon was being widely traded in the Mediterranean more than 3,000 years ago – and may have played a key part in the advances of sophisticated kingdoms and states more than 4,000km (2,485 miles) away. 'This is the first commodity to be exported across the entire continent in British history,' said Dr Benjamin Roberts, an associate professor of archaeology at Durham University. The identification of the trade network 'radically transforms' our understanding of bronze age Britain's place in the wider world, he said. 'The volume, consistence and frequency of the estimated scale in the tin trade is far larger than has been imagined and requires an entirely new perspective on what bronze age miners and merchants were able to achieve.' The study, the first major project of its kind, performed trace element, lead isotope and tin element analysis on tin ingots recovered from bronze age shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, including three that sank off the coast of Israel. Scientists also analysed ore samples and ancient tin artefacts from south-west Britain and the handful of other European sources. By comparing their results, the authors were able to establish not only that Cornish tin was being widely traded in the eastern Mediterranean, but also that 'a whole chain of interconnected communities [were shipping] the tin through the rivers of France, through Sardinia, along the Mediterranean islands off Cyprus, and then to the coast of Israel', said Roberts. Their findings are published in the latest issue of Antiquity. The tin deposits in Cornwall and Devon are among the largest and most accessible in the world, and would later be mined extensively. But while the Greek writer Pytheas wrote of tin trading in Cornwall during the iron age, many experts had been sceptical that Britain's earlier bronze age inhabitants – small farming communities that had neither towns nor writing – could be part of a widespread trading network with sophisticated Mediterranean societies, said Roberts. While the trade at the time was not exclusively in Cornish tin, 'we believe it was the richest, the most easily accessible and the main source', said Alan Williams, an honorary fellow of archaeology at Durham University. Williams said he had been 'dreaming' of researching Cornish tin's role in the bronze age since he was a student geologist at one of the county's last working tin mines, 50 years ago. He will shortly join Roberts in an archaeological dig at St Michael's Mount in Cornwall, which they believe may have been a centre for bronze age tin smelting and key link in the tin trading network.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Royal Egyptian inscription' of Ramesses III's name is first of its kind discovered in Jordan
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists in Jordan have documented a carved inscription bearing the name of Ramesses III, an Egyptian pharaoh who reigned around 3,200 years ago, Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a translated statement. Ramesses III (reign circa 1184 to 1153 B.C.) ruled at a tumultuous time in the region's history. A number of major powers in the region — such as the Mycenaeans (who were based in Greece and the Aegean islands) and the Hittites (who were based in Turkey) — collapsed, and a group known as the "Sea People" invaded parts of the Middle East, including Egypt. Historical records say Ramesses III defeated the Sea People's invasion of Egypt and campaigned in the eastern Mediterranean, maintaining Egypt's empire. The inscription, which would have been carved by Ramesses III's army, is in the Wadi Rum protected area, a desert in southern Jordan that contains numerous archaeological remains. Although the existence of the inscription was known to a few people, it wasn't until the past year that it was scientifically documented. The inscription is "near a natural spring, in a location that is extremely difficult to access," archaeologist Ali Al-Manaser told Live Science in an email. He is the head of the Department of Cultural Resources Management and Museology at Hashemite University in Jordan and helped document the inscription. "This discovery is particularly significant as the inscription is the first of its kind found in Jordan — a royal Egyptian inscription carved into a fixed, large stone that is part of a mountain formation," Manaser said. "Previously, another Egyptian inscription was discovered in the northern region of Jordan; however, it was inscribed on a moveable rock. In contrast, this newly documented inscription is on an immovable, prominent rock face." Zahi Hawass, a former minister of antiquities in Egypt who is working with researchers in Jordan, said the inscription gives the name of Ramesses III and calls him "Sa-Re," which means "son of Re" (also spelled Ra), a sun god of Egypt. The name was inscribed when Ramesses III led an army that passed by the area, Hawass told Live Science in an email. He noted that the army of Ramesses III also carved an inscription with the pharaoh's name at Tayma, a settlement in what is now northwestern Saudi Arabia. RELATED STORIES —Ancient Roman camps from secret military mission spotted using Google Earth —3,200-year-old Egyptian tomb may belong to military commander who served under Ramesses III —3,500-year-old 'rest house' used by ancient Egyptian army discovered in Sinai desert Ramesses III likely went through Jordan to maintain access to precious goods, Manaser said. The pharaoh "would have sought to secure these trade routes to maintain Egypt's access to resources like copper, which was abundant in the southeast of Jordan," Manaser said. No related artifacts were found beside the inscription. However, the archaeological exploration of nearby areas is ongoing, and it's possible that more evidence of Ramesses III's campaigns in the region will be found in the future, Manaser said.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Life-sized murals discovered on walls of Pompeii home buried by volcanic eruption nearly 2,000 years ago
POMPEII, Italy – In a city buried under feet of ash and debris from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, archaeologists have announced the discovery of ancient murals that shed light on the region's mysteries. According to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, the frescoes feature life-sized depictions of women dancers in a procession honoring Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. The remarkable paintings were not easy to uncover, with archaeologists painstakingly digging by hand until they unearthed the residence, which has been nicknamed the "House of Thiasus." Researchers estimate the paintings date back to 40-30 B.C., meaning the works were about 100 years old when the volcano erupted. "Both the frieze in the House of Thiasus and in the Villa of the Mysteries show a woman as suspended, as oscillating between these two extremes, two forms of the female being at the time," Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and co-author of a study on the new discovery, said in a statement. "These frescoes have a profoundly religious meaning which, however, was also designed to decorate areas for holding banquets and feasts … Behind these magnificent paintings, which play with illusion and reality, we can observe the signs of a religious crisis that was affecting the ancient world, but we can also grasp the grandeur of a ritual that dates back to an archaic world, at least until the second millennium BC, to the god Dionysus worshipped by the Mycenaeans and the Cretans, who was also known as Zagreus, lord of wild animals." 4 Classic Types Of Volcanoes With little warning, the stratovolcano erupted about 5 miles outside the Roman town during the first century, burying everything and everyone in its path. A mixture of mud, ash and debris acted like a layer of cement, asphyxiating victims and leading to an estimated death toll of about 2,000. Scientists believe the disaster unfolded after the top of Mount Vesuvius collapsed, sending a powerful pyroclastic flow through settlements such as Herculaneum, Oplontis, Pompeii and others. Centuries passed before the settlements were rediscovered, sparking eras of ongoing excavations. Historians noted that excavations of Pompeii, Herculaneum and other nearby sites have been happening for nearly 250 years, with no signs of slowing down."In 100 years, today will be seen as historic," Alessandro Giuli, Italy's minister of culture, said in a statement. "Because the discovery we are showing is historic. The megalograph found in insula 10 of Regio IX provides another glimpse into the rituals of the mysteries of Dionysus. It is an exceptional historical document and, together with the fresco of the Villa of the Mysteries, constitutes a one-of-a-kind, making Pompeii an extraordinary testimony to an aspect of life in classical Mediterranean life that is largely unknown." Watch A Volcano Erupt Outside Of Iceland's Capital Approximately a third of Pompeii still remains buried, with researchers still combing the impacted region inch by inch. In addition to the fresco, archaeologists recently unveiled they uncovered multiple rooms, including a shrine, a reception area and an extensive bathhouse, which is believed to have been owned by a wealthy resident. The Dionysiac scene at the house is already available to be viewed by the public, but visitors must purchase tickets for an available time slot. To help protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the site limited daily visitor counts to just 20,000 starting in article source: Life-sized murals discovered on walls of Pompeii home buried by volcanic eruption nearly 2,000 years ago
