The Ancient Ghost Town Of Herculaneum

BY THE ARCHAEOLOGIST EDITOR GROUP

The Ancient Ghost Town Of Herculaneum: Buried Treasures of the Roman World

When we think of ancient towns obliterated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, Pompeii frequently overshadows its nearby, lesser-known counterpart, Herculaneum. But for those who delve into the ruins of this Roman coastal town, the tales it has to offer are equally, if not more, mesmerizing. Herculaneum, buried under a deep layer of volcanic material, provides a uniquely well-preserved window into the daily lives of its ancient inhabitants.

A Town's Prosperous Beginning

Situated on the western coast of Italy, Herculaneum was a wealthy Roman town, likely founded by the ancient Greeks in the 6th or 5th century BC. Over time, the town prospered, and by the time of its demise, it was a resort town frequented by Rome's elite. Elegant villas lined its streets, and its position by the sea meant trade and commerce flourished.

The Day Vesuvius Erupted

While Pompeii was blanketed with pumice and ash, Herculaneum met a different fate. Pyroclastic flows—swift avalanches of hot gas, ash, and rock—sped down Vesuvius, instantly covering Herculaneum under a 60-foot deep blanket of volcanic material. This rapid entombment had a silver lining: while the high temperatures charred organic materials, the rapidity of the flow and the lack of air and moisture meant that many wooden structures, fabrics, and even food were preserved rather than destroyed.

Rediscovering Herculaneum

For over 1600 years, Herculaneum lay forgotten, buried beneath the modern town of Ercolano. It wasn't until well into the 18th century that excavations began. Unlike Pompeii, where excavations have been extensive, only about a quarter of Herculaneum has been unearthed. But what has been revealed is astonishing.

Insights into Roman Life

Thanks to the unique preservation conditions, Herculaneum offers a more comprehensive picture of Roman daily life than Pompeii. Wooden furniture, frescoes, mosaics, and even scrolls from a library have been uncovered. One significant find is the Villa of the Papyri, which housed hundreds of carbonized papyrus scrolls. Though deciphering these is a challenge, they provide a rare glimpse into Roman literature.

In addition, the town's public buildings, bathhouses, and homes provide insights into Roman architecture, decor, and societal structures. The skeletal remains of those who sought refuge from the eruption, found in the boat houses, have also shed light on Roman diets, diseases, and lifestyles.

An Echo of the Past

Herculaneum, though not as renowned as Pompeii, holds its own treasures and tales. It serves as a poignant reminder of nature's power and the fragility of human life. At the same time, the remnants of Herculaneum provide an incredibly detailed and intimate look into Roman society, serving as a legacy of a bygone era. Today, both Pompeii and Herculaneum are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, attracting scholars and tourists alike to uncover and marvel at their ancient stories.

How did the Ottomans overcome a Civil War? History of the Ottoman Empire (1400 - 1500)

The start of the 15th century in the Ottoman Empire marked the final years of Bayezid I’s reignas Sultan.

In 1400, major tensions began to rise between the Ottoman leader and a Turko-Mongol warlord by the name of Timur. This once cold-war reached a heated climax in 1402 at the Battle of Ankara.

While on his way back through Anatolia to confront the threat of his powerful rival, Bayezid was caught off guard by Timur and his troops as they besieged the city of Ankara, withholding the only source of water for the Ottoman troops and forcing them to engage in battle. By the end of the conflict, Timur’s army prevailed while Bayezid and his sons attempted to make an escape.

The Evolution of Squid

Molluscs are usually the simplest of creatures often not having blood vessels, sometimes even lacking a proper brain. But one group of animals challenges this, Squid and their other Cephalopod cousins, cuttlefish and octopus. Surviving multiple mass extinctions bouncing through the turmoil of the planets changing environments the cephlapods were shaped and warped from an often simple group of creatures into very advanced forms. Some incredibly alien to us like their multiple brains and limbs, while others were convergent evolution like their closed circulatory systems and camera style eyes. But always with a twist reminding us how distantly related these creatures are from us. Their story is the evolution of molluscs turning into super molluscs.

Bronze Age Mountain Kings | The Maykop Culture

The Maykop (or Maikop) Culture was a Bronze Age people of the Caucasus mountains who traded with the ancient civilization of Uruk Mesopotamia and the Yamnaya steppe herders.

When the famous Maykop Chieftain's kurgan was excavated in 1897 it was almost 11m high and more than 100m in diameter. Inside were astonishing treasures of gold, silver, arsenical bronze, and precious stones from distant lands.

This ancient king of the northern mountains was wealthy beyond belief. His tunic had 68 golden lions and 19 golden bulls applied to its surface. He wore necklaces with 60 beads of turquoise, 1,272 beads of carnelian, and 122 golden beads. Under his skull was a diadem with five golden rosettes of five petals each on a band of gold pierced at the ends.

How did this remote kingdom acquire such wealth? What did they eat, what weapons and tools did they use, and what language did they speak?

Who were the mysterious people Soviet archeologists called the Steppe Maykop (or Steppe Maikop)?

And how did the Maykop culture influence the Yamnaya culture to their north?

A Makeshift Casket of Sea Shells and Antlers: The 6500-Year-Old Grave of the Unfortunate Ladies of Téviec.

Téviec would be a rather anonymous island located somewhere in Brittany, France, if it wasn’t for its great archaeological value thanks to the many finds – mainly from the Mesolithic Period – that have been excavated there. These finds include the skeletons of two women, dated between 6740 and 5680 BC, who may have been violently murdered.

Archaeologists Put Téviec on the Mesolithic Map

Téviec is one of the very few known Mesolithic sites in Brittany, along with Pointe de la Torche, Hoëdic and Beg er Vil on the Quibe. It has been the subject of a biotope protection scheme for the past 35 years. Therefore, landing on the island has become a troublesome task for contemporary archaeologists, since it is generally prohibited from 15 April to 31 August.

That wasn’t always the case, though. From 1928 to 1934, archaeologists Marthe and Saint-Just Péquart discovered and excavated a culturally and archaeologically rich Mesolithic site on the island, dated to between 5700 and 4500 BC. According to most historians, this is considered the end of the Mesolithic period in western France and it overlaps with the beginning of the Neolithic period.

The main finds at the site were substantial middens formed of oyster and clam shells and ten multiple graves containing 23 skeletons, including adults and children. Among the shells were the remains of animals as well, such as dogs, crabs, fish, lobsters, seabirds, deer, and boar among others. Due to the acidity of the soil in the location, the bones have been remarkably preserved, even though many of the skeletons showed clear signs of brutality and violence, including one with an arrowhead embedded in its spine.

The Unfortunate Ladies of Téviec

The most fascinating and mysterious of all discoveries, however, is undoubtedly the grave that includes the skeletons of two women aged 25–35, dubbed the "Ladies of Téviec.” Their bodies were buried delicately in a pit that was partly dug into the ground and coated over with debris from the midden. The corpses had been protected all these centuries by a roof made of antlers and supplied with pieces of flint, boar bones, and jewelry made of sea shells such as necklaces, bracelets, and ringlets for their legs. The grave collection was unearthed from the site as a whole and is now on display at the Muséum de Toulouse, where its restoration in 2010 earned several awards.

The thing that shocked archaeologists the most though, was the blatant violence and brutality the two women sustained before they died. Scientists examining the skeletons concluded that one of them had suffered five blows to the head, two of which were possibly fatal, and had also received at least one arrow shot between the eyes. The other body also had traces of injuries, but not as violent as the body of her “friend.” In recent years, however, this diagnosis is debated by some archaeologists, who claim that the immense weight of the soil above the grave may have been the cause of damage for the skeletons. An obvious question that probably occurs upon reading this is: How could the weight and composition of any soil – no matter how heavy it might be –ever justify an arrow shot between the eyes? It doesn’t make any sense, does it?

A Very Cold Case: Attempts to Solve the Téviec Mystery Almost 6,500 Years Later

In 2012, replicas of the two skeletons were laid for the first time on a mortuary slab of Toulouse Natural History Museum, during an exhibition titled Prehistory: The Investigation , which became a big hit in France.

“When you create an exhibition, you need to create an atmosphere and a lot of TV shows are about CSI and forensics and they always start with a forensics table – and here it is,” said Dr. Francis Duranthon, the director of the Toulouse Natural History Museum, pointing to the mortuary slab.

In the city of Toulouse alone, more than a hundred thousand people visited the exhibition, while in Paris two hundred thousand people watched closely the attempt of the scientists to solve this prehistoric mystery.

Isotope analysis of the two women’s teeth showed a diet of seafood and meat. That caused scientists to speculate that the two females possibly came from a small community that farmed, harvested the sea, and hunted. The exhibition also revealed that this was probably a community where women fulfilled a more domestic role. “It is unusual to find women killed this way during this period,” said Duranthon and added, “What we know is that at least two people were involved in these killings.”

According to several academics, raids in order to steal food were pretty common back then and they suggest that the two unlucky women could have been victims of a bloody raid. However, some historians claim that what possibly killed the women was a long series of unfortunate meteorological phenomena. Droughts back then would usually decimate a farming community, while an extreme hailstorm destroyed crops, and people would see these as signs that the gods needed to be appeased. Thus, the two women might have been sacrificed as victims of a ritual murder, slain by people they knew - or even family members.

So, what really happened to the “Ladies of Téviec”? As it’s the case with many historical mysteries throughout the centuries…We will probably never know!

Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/ma...

Admire The 3000-Year-Old Condom Of The Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun: Archaeologists Are Amazed

When Tutankhamun’s tomb was first discovered in 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter was stunned by the astonishing array of grave goods – more than 5,000 artifacts were left for the boy king to use in his afterlife. But amongst all the gold, silver, ebony, ivory , precious jewelry, weapons, furniture, fine linen and rare perfumes, a small piece of cloth caught the eyes of the experts; it was King Tut’s condom and, apparently, it was deemed essential for him to take into eternity.

Tutankhamun’s condom, which contained traces of his DNA, consisted of a sheath made of fine linen, soaked in olive oil, and attached to a string that would have tied around his waist. Dated to 1350 BC, it is the oldest known condom in existence. If the condom was used for contraceptive, rather than ritual purposes or the prevention of disease, it is unlikely to have been very effective. Indeed, the remains of two fetuses were also found in his tomb, and genetic testing revealed King Tut was the father.

The ancient Egyptians had other methods of contraception too. The Kahun Medical Papyrus (known also as the Gynaecological Papyrus), which has been dated to around 1825 BC, recommends the use of a mixture of crocodile dung and some other (now unknown) ingredients as a contraceptive. This mixture would then be formed into a pessary. According to one hypothesis, the dung of crocodiles is alkaline in nature, thus acting as a spermicide.

The Egyptians may have been among the first civilizations to use condoms, but others soon followed. In ancient Rome, condoms were made from linen and animal intestine or bladder. The ancient Chinese fashioned sheaths from silk paper soaked in oil. In Japan, they used tortoise shell or animal horn that was used to cover the glans only. The archaic Djukas tribe of New Guinea had a female condom made from a specific plant. Muslims and Jews during the Middle Ages covered the penis in tar or soaked it in onion juice.

When the first well-documented outbreak of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis occurred in the 15th century among French troops, the need for something to protect against disease became more essential, and linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution were widely adopted. In addition to linen, some condoms during the Renaissance were made out of animal intestines or bladder. The condom was revolutionized in the early 19th century with the introduction of rubber. By 1850, several rubber companies began the mass production of condoms, and the rest is history.

Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/weird-fact...

This warship is so well-preserved that looking at it is like taking a trip back in time

Explorers and marine archaeologists have located galleons and warships from the 16th century on the bottom of the sea before. But the discovery of the 97-foot-long Swedish galleon the Mars has gotten people particularly excited for several reasons.

First of all, the ship at the bottom of the Baltic Sea is astoundingly well preserved. So much so that looking at it is like a trip back in time.

Johan Ronnby, a professor of maritime archaeology at Södertörn University in Sweden, told National Geographic that he would like to leave the Mars on the seafloor and “use three-dimensional scans and photographs to share the wreck with the world.”

Ronnby has gotten help in his research efforts from Richard Lundgren — part owner of Ocean Discovery, a company of professional divers that assists in maritime work.

Lundgren had been searching for the Mars for 20 years. He wasn’t alone. Finding the Mars was an obsession with many people because of the fame of the boat — and the supposed curse surrounding its discovery.

The Mars was the largest and most feared warship of its time, named after the Roman god of war. The leader of the Swedish navy, it was sunk during its very first naval engagement.

It all begins with King Eric XIV of Sweden and his desire to increase the naval power of his country. He ordered the construction of one of Europe’s first large, three-masted ships.

The King commanded his admiral to take the Mars out as part of a huge fleet aimed at Denmark and Lubeck (part of modern Germany) and sink ships using its artillery.

At first it seemed to dominate with its 800 men and 107 guns. But on the second day of the battle, enemy ships hurled fireballs onto the Mars and disabled it before sending the boarding parties. A fire may have occurred in the Mars‘ gunpowder stores, and that might have set the loaded cannons off.

Whatever led to the destruction, the Mars sank on May 31, 1564, off the coast of a Swedish island called Öland. It came to rest on the seafloor tilted to its starboard side.

For centuries the curious searched for the wreck without success. Legend has it the Mars was protected by a special curse.

The story goes that a specter rose from the depths to guard the Mars against ever being discovered. It was not found until 2011, when some divers located the wreck in 246 feet of water.

Lundgren announced that the ship had been found. “The site is virtually littered with cannons,” he said to the press. The discovery in its hull of silver coins minted the year before the battle by the Swedish king helped confirm its identity.

Since then research has focused on studying the wreck, gaining as much information as possible.

“If this is the Mars, it is a truly significant find,” said Andreas Olson, head archaeologist at the Royal Swedish Maritime Museum, in an interview. “When it comes to maritime history it really can be seen as the ‘missing link’ in the chain of what we know about historic shipbuilding.” Since 2011, research work has been underway, bringing back to life the 16th century.

King Eric XIV, while intelligent and inspired, was believed to have suffered from insanity. He was not only warlike but attacked people in his own kingdom, sometimes murdering his enemies with his own hands. For a time, he tried to woo Elizabeth I by long distance, but she declined him.

The King was deposed in 1568 by his nobility, held in prison, and died in 1577. Later tests showed high levels of arsenic in his body, leading to the belief that he was poisoned.

Why is his ship so miraculously well preserved?

“Low levels of sediment, slow currents, brackish water, and the absence of a mollusk called a shipworm — responsible for breaking down wooden wrecks in other oceans in as little as five years — combined to keep the warship in remarkable condition,” reported National Geographic.

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/09/17/...

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