Latest news with #archaeology
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pocket Watch from Deadly Shipwreck Returns Home 165 Years Later: ‘Truly a Once-in-a-Lifetime Discovery'
A pocket watch belonging to the late British journalist and politician Herbert Ingram is now on display at the Boston Guildhall museum in the U.K. — 165 years after it was lost The watch sank in Lake Michigan with the Lady Elgin in 1860 'This find is truly a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,' Boston Guildhall museum's Luke Skerritt said in a statementAfter sinking to the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1860 — along with the steamship Lady Elgin — Herbert Ingram's pocket watch is back home. The historic timepiece returned to Boston, Lincolnshire, in the U.K. this month, 165 years after it was lost when the Lady Elgin sank during a brutal storm after it collided with a schooner in the dark of night. The watch belonged to Ingram, a British journalist and politician who died with his son when the ship sank. It was found in the lake in 1992, but was just recently sent back to the Boston Guildhall museum, near where the Ingrams had lived, according to local online outlet LincolnshireWorld. The long-lost item is described as a 16-carat gold pocket watch that experts say stayed in relatively good condition due to the cold, low-oxygen environment of the lake preventing any major corrosion. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Thirty-two years after divers discovered the watch, they asked archaeologist Valerie van Heest in 2024 to find a way to display it in an exhibition. 'I very quickly came to the realization it doesn't belong in America,' van Heest, who purchased the watch and then donated it to the Boston Guildhall museum, told the BBC. 'It belongs in Boston where Herbert Ingram was from, where a statue of him still stands.' 'To see a watch which belonged to the man who stands in Boston's town square,' van Heest continued to the BBC, 'I think this is going to draw people in, to wonder, 'Who was this man?' ' Van Heest, who is the author of Lost on the Lady Elgin, also described the historical importance of the long-lost pocket watch's return home. 'So many people lost their lives within minutes of hitting the water,' van Heest told Fox 17, noting that the Boston Guildhall museum was planning a Lady Elgin exhibit when she got her hands on the pocket watch. 'They didn't have any physical artifacts, and here I was offering not only an artifact but Herbert Ingram's personal watch.' 'It was a serendipitous occurrence,' she emphasized. Luke Skerritt, Boston Guildhall's arts and heritage manager, said in statement about van Heest's offering that 'this find is truly a once-in-a-lifetime discovery — the sort of thing you read about in textbooks and not something you expect to read in an email on a mid-week working day.' Read the original article on People
Sustainability Times
2 hours ago
- Health
- Sustainability Times
'We Can Read Your Secrets From a Mile Away': China Unleashes Laser Tech That Detects Sesame-Sized Text With Brutal Precision
IN A NUTSHELL 🔬 Chinese scientists have developed a cutting-edge laser-based system capable of reading tiny text from nearly a mile away. capable of reading tiny text from nearly a mile away. 🌌 This innovation relies on active intensity interferometry to reconstruct detailed images by analyzing light behavior. to reconstruct detailed images by analyzing light behavior. 🏛️ Potential applications include archaeology, environmental monitoring, and security, with significant implications for various fields. 🚀 Ongoing research aims to enhance the technology with better laser control and AI-driven algorithms for improved accuracy. Imagine standing on one side of a vast valley, effortlessly reading the label on a bottle perched on the opposite hill. No binoculars, telescopes, or cameras are needed. This is not a scene from a futuristic spy movie but a reality made possible by a groundbreaking innovation from Chinese scientists. They have developed a laser-based system capable of clearly discerning tiny details, such as text the size of a sesame seed, from nearly a mile away. This technological marvel has the potential to revolutionize various fields, from archaeology to environmental research, by enabling detailed observations from great distances. The Science of Long-Distance Reading Until recently, the ability to read fine details from afar was fraught with difficulties. Traditional telescopes and high-powered lenses often suffer from distortion caused by the atmosphere, which blurs and scatters light over long distances. This limitation makes it challenging to distinguish small features like printed text. However, the new laser-based approach overcomes these obstacles by analyzing how light behaves when it reflects off surfaces, rather than focusing solely on the image itself. This method, known as active intensity interferometry, allows researchers to achieve remarkable clarity. The process involves directing eight infrared laser beams at a distant target. The reflected light is then collected by two separate telescopes, strategically placed apart. Instead of merely capturing an image, these telescopes track subtle shifts in light intensity over time. Advanced computer algorithms then process these patterns to reconstruct the intricate details of the target surface, including text as small as three millimeters. In contrast, a standard telescope system would only discern shapes approximately 1.65 inches in size at the same distance. 'Clownfish Are Shrinking to Survive': Alarming Study Reveals How Ocean Heatwaves Are Physically Transforming These Iconic Creatures The Laser-Based System Is Great, but Not Perfect Despite its promise, the laser-based system is not without its challenges. The researchers acknowledge that while active intensity interferometry shows significant potential for high-resolution optical imaging and sensing, several limitations must be addressed to fully realize its capabilities. One major hurdle is the precise alignment required between the lasers and telescopes, which can be cumbersome in certain applications. Additionally, the system necessitates a clear line of sight and illumination of the target with lasers, making it less suitable for scenarios requiring stealth. Nevertheless, the research team is actively working to enhance the system. Future improvements aim to refine laser control and incorporate AI-powered algorithms to achieve even greater image accuracy. These ongoing efforts suggest that the technology will continue to evolve, opening up new possibilities in various fields. This Explosive Plasma Discovery by a US Lab Is About to Redefine Nuclear Energy and Microchip Performance Forever Potential Applications and Implications The potential applications of this laser-based technology are vast and varied. In archaeology, it could allow researchers to examine ancient carvings on cliffs without the need for physical access, preserving fragile sites. Similarly, environmental scientists could monitor distant wildlife habitats without disturbing the ecosystem. The ability to read minute details from afar can also have significant implications for security and surveillance, raising important ethical and privacy considerations. Moreover, industries such as construction and urban planning could benefit from this innovation by conducting detailed inspections of structures from a safe distance. The healthcare sector may find new ways to apply the technology for remote diagnostics. As the technology matures, its applications are likely to expand, influencing diverse sectors and prompting discussions about its responsible use. Scientists Stumble Onto Miracle Material That Instantly Harvests Drinking Water from Air With Zero Energy or Filters Looking Ahead: The Future of Laser-Based Imaging The development of this laser-based imaging system marks a significant milestone in the field of optics and remote sensing. As researchers continue to refine and enhance the technology, its potential impact grows. With further advancements, this system could revolutionize how we perceive and interact with distant environments, breaking down barriers that have long limited our observational capabilities. The study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, highlights the commitment of scientists to push the boundaries of what is possible. As we look to the future, one must wonder how this technology will reshape our understanding of the world and what new opportunities it will unveil. What other challenges could be overcome with continued innovation in laser-based imaging? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (20)
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
Unthinkable new find inside Pompeii could change everything
A scattering of pock marks on Pompeii's city walls may prove a mythological 'super weapon' may have been real after all. At a glance, they look like acts of vandalism found across the ancient world – from the face of the Great Sphynx to the great standing stones of Britain. Few historic sights have escaped the temptation of trigger-happy troops, hunters and tourists. And the marks of these bullet impacts still mar their surfaces centuries later. But researchers examining the scars of battle in Pompeii 's stone walls near the city's main gates for the Vesuvius and Herculaneum roads have found similar depressions. Only the can't have been caused by bullets. Pompei was buried under volcanic debris as Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Gunpowder was first used in handheld weapons 900 years later, in China. So what were these tightly grouped clusters of diamond-shaped impressions? They were too small to be ancient artillery. And too deep to be caused by hand-drawn bows. University of Campania researcher Adriana Rossi has found the impact marks in Pompeii's excavated walls are unlike anything ever seen before. And only one mythological device could have caused them. Forensic evidence The University of Campania academics scanned the impact points in 3D and digitally reconstructed the properties of the stone wall. Their models of the trajectories and penetration depths suggest the heavy iron points that caused them must have been travelling at about 109 meters per second. The deep gouges were in groups of four or five. And their even spacing suggests they were fired together, or in very close succession. Only one weapon known from ancient writings could produce such results. This is the polybolos, a 'machinegun' style crossbow-like weapon invented by the Greeks during the 3rd Century BC. But the polybolos was an antipersonnel weapon. Not a wall breaching device. The study argues the marks in the wall were made when the iron bolts fell slightly short of their intended targets. The 'gunners' would have simply upped their aim, and fired again. The evidence fits the known history of Pompeii. A century before being buried, it had been besieged. The free city had rebelled against the growing power of Rome. Its citizens wanted to restore their independence. But the famous Roman general, Sulla, was sent to quell the insurrection in 89BC. Surviving accounts tell how he attacked Pompeii 's port with 'artillery', generally thought to be catapults and large ballistae (heavy bolt throwers). General Sulla entered Pompeii once the walls were breached. The surviving defenders quickly capitulated, and the city was formally annexed as part of the Roman Republic. Most of its citizens were granted citizenship. And many of the Roman legionaries involved in the siege were gifted properties in and around the city. A century later, the coastal city had become a holiday resort for Rome's rich and famous. From myth to reality It's not entirely certain how the ancient 'machine gun' worked. No surviving example has ever been discovered. But a description of its mechanics is contained in the writings of Philo of Byzantium (Philo Mechanicus). This inventor lived in the Greek city of Alexandria, the location of history's greatest library, in about 250BC. Its university was a boiling pot of philosophy, science and engineering. Philo embraced the emerging concept of physics. He is credited with some of the earliest examples of automation and robotics. And his writings included treatises on leverage (The Mochlica) and the design of siege engines (The Belopoeica). The polybolos (which, in Greek, means 'many-shot-thrower') relied on torsion (the springlike power of tightly twisted cords bending timber) as its power source. Up to 15 bolts (large arrows) were stored in a magazine above the device. These were successively fed into the crossbow-like firing mechanism by a gear-driven chain-drive – the first known example of its kind. All the user had to do was pull a trigger, and the stored torsion power could unleash several volleys of bolts. Once expended, torsion energy could be restored by winding a windlass winch and the magazine reloaded. It was the most complex weapon system of its time.
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Archaeologists unearth ancient bread that survived underground for 5,000 years
Archaeologists recently unveiled a rare culinary find: a well-preserved loaf of ancient bread. The artifact was found during an archaeological excavation at the Kulluoba site in the Eskisehir province, located in central Turkey. Excavators unearthed the loaf in Sept. 2024, but it wasn't unveiled to the public until this month. The bread is roughly 5,000 years old and was baked during Turkey's Bronze Age. Researchers say the bread was burnt and buried under the entrance of a dwelling dating back to 3,300 B.C. Some of the bread, which measures about 5 inches in diameter, was torn off before it was buried. An image of the loaf shows that it's blackened and crumbled with age — but it still retains the shape of bread. Murat Türkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that ancient bread is a "rare find," per Turkish Minute, a local outlet. "Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs." "Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs," he said. "But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried." Since May 22, Turkish bakers have been working to recreate the bread. The recipe is based on an ancient wheat, which is best suited to drought conditions — shedding light on the climate of central Turkey during the Bronze Age. Serap Güler, the bakery's manager, told AFP the bread is made by combining "ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur, [which] results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread." The yellow cake-like loafs have reportedly been a hit with local residents. One customer named Suzan Kuru told AFP she was "curious about the taste of this ancient bread." "I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left," she said. Discovering well-preserved ancient foods is exceptionally rare in the field of archeology, though a few excavators have been lucky enough to come across them. Last September, researchers found ancient kefir cheese from Tarim Basin mummies dating back 3,500 years in western China. Before that, archaeologists found the world's oldest bottle of wine in an Ancient Roman burial site in southern Spain.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ancient cave burial of 'Jesus' midwife' may actually hold a princess
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A cave in Israel once thought to be linked to Jesus may in fact be the burial place of another person from his time: Salome, the sister of the Judaean king Herod the Great, a new study finds. The idea is based on the ornaments and architecture of the site, which archaeologists say indicate that a member of the Herodian royal family may have been buried there in the first century B.C.; Judaea at that time was a client kingdom of the Roman Empire. But the study's authors say it is possible that a different person named Salome may be buried there. "It's not that I think it must be the tomb of Salome the sister of Herod," Vladik Lifshits, an archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), told Live Science. "I'm suggesting that this is one of the possibilities." Lifshits is a co-author with IAA archaeologist Nir-Shimshon Paran of the study in the latest issue of the IAA journal 'Atiqot that suggests the "Cave of Salome" may have been the burial place of a Judaean royal. The cave, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem, was famous in Byzantine times as a site of Christian pilgrimage, because a woman named Salome (a common name at the time) was said to have been a "midwife of Jesus." Related: 1,900-year-old papyrus 'best-documented Roman court case from Judaea apart from the trial of Jesus' The identification of the tomb with someone called Salome seems to have come from the discovery there of an ossuary — a casket for bones — labeled with that name. Jerusalem was conquered from the Byzantines by the Islamic Caliphate in the seventh century, but Christian pilgrims seem to have visited the cave until the ninth century. Exactly who is buried in the tomb is not known, however. Looters rediscovered the cave about 40 years ago, and it was excavated by archaeologists in 1984; the IAA has now included it on the Judean Kings Trail, a 60-mile-long (100 km) route linking several archaeological sites in central Israel. Artifacts excavated from the cave include hundreds of clay oil lamps from the eighth and ninth centuries, which archaeologists think were sold to Christian pilgrims so they would have light while exploring the dark cave. Many of the original ornaments have now been stripped away, but Lifshits noted the monumental architecture — including a large courtyard at the entrance — indicated that a member of the royal family may have been buried there. The authors also discovered the remains of several luxurious villas nearby, which indicates the site once belonged to a very wealthy family. Herod I, also known as Herod the Great, was a native of the Holy Land's southern Idumean region who rose to power through his family's influence with the Romans and ruled Judaea from about 37 to about 4 B.C. He appears in the Christian Bible as the jealous king who ordered the execution of all male infants in Bethlehem — an act known as the "Slaughter of the Innocents," which Jesus' family escaped (but most historians don't think this happened). Despite Herod's savage reputation, he was considered a relatively good king in general. For example, he was a prolific builder who restored the decrepit Second Temple on the Temple Mount, and the massive rock walls he had built are still standing today as the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. One member of the Herodian royal family named Salome was Herod's sister, a key figure in his court; and reports from the time say she colluded with him in the executions of other family members. But Herod's granddaughter was also named Salome; according to the Christian Bible, she ordered the execution of John the Baptist, a Jewish preacher and associate of Jesus, and demanded that his head be brought to her on a platter. The elder Salome died in about A.D. 10; historians think the younger Salome died in the 50s or 60s A.D. RELATED STORIES —Dance floor where John the Baptist was condemned to death discovered, archaeologist says —3 Christmas traditions that may have pagan roots, and 4 that (probably) don't —When was Jesus born? Archaeologist Boaz Zissu of Israel's Bar-Ilan University who was not involved in the study, said the idea that the person buried in the Cave of Salome may have been Herod's sister was interesting but not conclusive. "The authors correctly identify the original phase as a monumental tomb belonging to local elites of the Herodian period," he told Live Science in an email. But establishing that the tomb was for the Herodian Salome would demand "more rigorous evidential support," he said.
