Latest news with #StateOfficeforMonumentPreservation
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Bizarre 1,350-year-old burial of blue-eyed ‘Ice Prince' uncovered alongside dismembered sacrifice and treasure
The remains of hazelnuts, apples and a pear were also found, alongside dismembered remains of an animal ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered the 1,350-year-old burial chamber of a young blue-eyed boy, packed full with ancient treasures. A small sword, rare silk clothes and a gold cross were just a handful of the items found with the child, indicating he came from a wealthy family. Advertisement 5 He was buried in leather clothes, according to researchers, with a small sword on a richly decorated belt Credit: BLfD 5 The boy, who experts believe was 2.5-years-old when he died, was buried with silver bracelets on his arms and silver spurs attached to his shoes Credit: BLfD 5 One of the boy's garments was a long-sleeved shirt made from linen and trimmed with strips of silk Credit: BLFD He was buried in leather clothes, according to researchers, with a small sword on a richly decorated belt. The boy, who experts believe was 2.5-years-old when he died, was buried with silver bracelets on his arms and silver spurs attached to his shoes, according to a statement from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD). The boy has been dubbed the "Ice Prince" because archaeologists flash froze the burial chamber using liquid nitrogen to excavate its contents in a single block over 14 hours. DNA analysis suggested the boy had blue eyes and light-colored hair, while radiocarbon dating indicates he died between A.D. 670 and 680. Advertisement A new study of the burial, which was first discovered in the town of Mattsies in Bavaria in 2021, has revealed the body was laid on a fur blanket within the chamber. One of the boy's garments was a long-sleeved shirt made from linen and trimmed with strips of silk. Silk was hard to come by at the time, and was only available through the Byzantine Empire, according to LiveScience. The cross, made from thin strips of gold, may also indicate early Christian beliefs, before Bavaria was Christianised in the eighth century. Advertisement A bronze basin, a comb, a wooden bowl and a drinking cup with silver fittings were also placed on a woven mat at the foot of the body. Dozens of medieval skeletons in mysterious stone coffins unearthed by man renovating his cellar The remains of hazelnuts, apples and a pear were also found, alongside dismembered remains of an animal. Experts first thought these bones belonged to a dog. However, the creature has since been identified as a piglet, which may have been cooked and placed as a food offering. Advertisement The latest analysis from BLfD suggests the child died of a "chronic infection" in the middle-ear. "The boy's death must have shocked his regionally important family," the statement said. "They apparently made great efforts to give the child a burial in keeping with his social status." The burial chamber was made of stone, with a stone ceiling that sealed the remains and artefacts off from the world for 1,350 years. Advertisement The entire burial, therefore, was in "excellent condition," according to the experts. While silk is relatively durable, it is still susceptible to degrading over time, which can make long-term preservation challenging. However, the tightly sealed was able to preserve much of the fabric, researchers said. 5 The boy has been dubbed the "Ice Price" because archaeologists flash froze the burial chamber to excavate its contents in a single block Credit: BLFD Advertisement
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Construction Crew Accidentally Uncovered the Remains of 100+ Horses
Crews working on a housing project in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart recently uncovered a second-century horse cemetery. Archaeologists discovered over 100 skeletons of horses used by the Roman calvary. The site was a known military stronghold for the Roman army. A well-defined horse cemetery uncovered in Stuttgart's Bad Cannstatt neighborhood was the final resting place for over 100 horses that were part of the Roman Empire's cavalry in the second century A.D. Construction crews discovered the cemetery during preparations for a housing project. Over time, excavations by the archaeological company ArchaeoBW—under the supervision of the State Office for Monument Preservation of the Stuttgart Regional Council—continued to unearth evidence from what is now believed to be the largest Roman-era horse cemetery in southern Germany, according to a translated statement from the council. Considered one of the most important Roman military locations in modern-day southwestern Germany, experts believe the Roman calvary occupying the region had about 500 soldiers on site, and sustained a potential population of over 700 horses. The first discovery of a horse skeleton in the area actually occurred in 1920 (also during a housing project), but the recent development uncovered the entire cemetery. Sara Roth, an archaeologist with the preservation office, said that radiocarbon dating helped pinpoint the age of the cemetery. 'Due to the archaeological and historical knowledge of the Roman Bad Cannstatt,' she said in a statement, 'the horses of the equestrian unit—a so-called ala—can be assigned, which was stationed on the Hallschlag from about 100 to 150 A.D.' Roth said that the deceased horses were buried about 1,300 feet from the equestrian barns (about 650 feet from the soldier's quarters), and would have been constantly replaced. Evidence shows that the carcasses were slid into shallow pits and buried lying on their side with outstretched or bent legs. And even with the dense burials, there were few overlaps of graves, exposing that the site was likely clearly defined with above-ground markers. Even if a horse could walk on its own, if it was deemed beyond military usefulness, it would have been taken to the cemetery and killed there. 'The horses do not seem to have all died at the same time in a major event such as a battle or epidemic,' Roth said. 'Rather, here are the animals that either died during the presence of the ala in Bad Cannstatt due to illness, injury, or other reasons, or who no longer did their task as a military horse.' One grave was of particular interest to archaeologists, as they discovered two jugs and a small oil lamp placed in the crook of the legs of one of the horses—grave goods typically reserved for humans. 'Here we see a particularly close connection of the owner to his horse,' Roth said. 'Even after about 1,800 years, the grief over the death of this one animal is still apparent.' The crew also discovered the face-down skeleton of a human male—far from the regular burial location for the Roman settlement, he was likely a social outcast. Experts plan to study the sex, age at death, and size of the horses while looking for possible diseases and causes of death. The team hopes to uncover more details about the Roman calvary. 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?
Miami Herald
16-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Ancient Roman horse cemetery — with one exceptional burial — found in Germany
Kneeling in the chalky dirt of southern Germany, an archaeologist carefully dusted off yet another skeleton of yet another horse. What else would one expect in a massive ancient Roman cemetery for military horses? But something about this particular grave turned out to be much more unusual — and intimate. Archaeologists began excavating a plot of land in Stuttgart in summer 2024 in preparation for a construction project, the State Office for Monument Preservation at the Baden-Wurttemberg Regional Council said in an April 16 news release. Previous construction projects in the area had unearthed several horse skeletons believed to be part of an ancient Roman cemetery so archaeologists assumed they'd find at least something. What reemerged surpassed their expectations: They found a 1,800-year-old graveyard with over 100 horse skeletons. Based on the location of the graveyard, its age and scale, archaeologists concluded the horses belonged to an ancient Roman military unit stationed in the area during the second century A.D., officials said. The unit had almost 500 riders and likely required a herd of at least 700 horses. The horse skeletons showed no signs of dying in a major event, such as a battle or an epidemic, the department's head archaeologist, Sarah Roth, said in the release. Rather, the animals likely died as a result of illness, injury or other such reasons. The vast majority of horses appeared to have been buried without much added effort, but one horse was buried with two jugs and an oil lamp in the crook of its leg, officials said. The artifacts mimicked a typical human grave and showed a close bond between the animal and its owner. The grief over the animal's death was still evident 1,800 years later, Roth said in the release. Excavations also found one human skeleton, likely an outsider considered undeserving of a grave in a regular Roman burial ground, officials said. Archaeologists finished excavations at the Stuttgart site but believe the ancient Roman horse cemetery is larger than currently known. They plan to continue analyzing their finds to learn more about the Roman army's use of horses. Stuttgart is a city in southwestern Germany and a roughly 400-mile drive southwest from Berlin. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) at the Baden-Wurttemberg Regional Council.
