Hittite Bowl featuring Mycenaean Warrior?: Tracing the Mycenaean Footprints in Anatolia

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BY DIMOSTHENIS VASILOUDIS

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Warriors of the Mycenaean Age: Unearthing connections between Hittite artifacts and texts and their echoes in ancient Greek literature. An interplay of archaeology, mythology, and real history.

One of the most intriguing aspects of ancient history is the confluence of archeology, literature, and mythology. The culture and military strength of the Mycenaean civilization, evident around 1300 BC, have been famously encapsulated in a Hittite bowl depicting a Mycenaean warrior. Beyond the aesthetic beauty of the artifact, it offers a unique insight into the cross-cultural interactions in the ancient world and could potentially shed light on legendary Mycenaean raids in Anatolia, as well as the enduring impact of the Achaean presence in the region, as recorded in epic works like Cypria and the Iliad.

Mycenaean warrior depicted on a Hittite bowl, ca. 1300 BC

The bowl was found at Boğazköy and is now in the Çorum Archaeological Museum.

The figure has been identified as a Mycenaean warrior based on his armor and sword. There are no known combat scenes in Hittite art, and the style is unusually dynamic, so the bowl may have been incised by a foreign artist.

Mycenaean Warrior on a Hittite Bowl: Historical Significance

The Hittite bowl, dating from approximately 1300 BC, portrays a Mycenaean warrior in full battle gear, a testimony to the cultural intermixing that occurred during this era. It appears to be a Mycenaean warrior in battle gear, complete with a plumed and horned helmet, similar to the 'zoned' helmets worn by Aegean warriors around the Late Bronze Age. This depiction affirms the wide reach of Mycenaean influence and indicates a level of respect for Mycenaean martial prowess. Not only does the artifact imply Mycenaean-Hittite interaction, but it may also suggest a record of the legendary Mycenaean military incursions into the region of Assuwa, a confederation of states in western Anatolia.

Dendra panoply

Archaeological Museum of Nafplio: Front view of Mycenaen armour and boar's tusk helmet from chamber tomb 12 of Dendra cementery (end of 15th century BC).

By C messier

Assuwa and the Mycenaean Raids

The precise nature of the Mycenaean interactions with Assuwa remains largely speculative due to limited historical sources. Still, the Hittite bowl with the Mycenaean warrior may serve as indirect evidence of these hypothetical raids. The Mycenaean military expeditions could have been driven by the desire for control over strategic areas, resources, or to curb the power of potential rival kingdoms. The existence of such military campaigns, as suggested by the artistic representation, opens up possibilities of a deeper Mycenaean imprint in Anatolia, which may be echoed in ancient Greek literature.

The Achaean Presence in Northwest Anatolia: Cypria and Iliad

The Achaean presence in Anatolia, the setting for many legendary episodes in Greek mythology, is evident in ancient epic narratives. Cypria, an epic poem that predates Homer, recounts an Achaean expedition sent to rescue Helen from Troy. In an ill-fated episode, Achilles and other Achaean warriors are said to have fought in Teuthrania, an area in northwest Anatolia south of Troy. This account could reflect historical memories of Mycenaean activities in the region, which were passed down in the form of epic stories.

Further affirmation of Achaean involvement in Anatolia can be found in Homer's Iliad. Here, we learn about Herakles sacking Troy during the reign of Priam's father, Laomedon. Herakles, with only six ships, is said to have successfully breached the city. The narrative seems to be a distant echo of an age when the Mycenaeans projected their power across the Aegean into Anatolia.

Hittite Records of Ahhiyawa Military Involvement

Ahhiyawa, widely believed by historians to refer to the Mycenaean Greeks, frequently appears in Hittite records, underscoring the intricate military alliances and conflicts of the time. The Hittite annals often describe Ahhiyawa leaders and mercenaries as formidable military forces, serving as allies to the western Anatolian confederations in their resistance against Hittite dominance. These texts provide an additional layer of evidence for the Mycenaean-Anatolian interactions, suggesting that the Ahhiyawa were not only involved in the region but had strategic alliances, often siding with local powers against the Hittite empire. The mercenary nature of these warriors offers insights into the complex geopolitical landscape of the era, characterized by fluid alliances, military campaigns, and power dynamics. The Hittite records, thus, further corroborate the profound impact of Mycenaean or Achaean forces in Anatolia, marking their place in the wider canvas of ancient Near Eastern history.

Drawing by Jill Curry Robbins.

The artistic depiction of a Mycenaean warrior on a Hittite bowl, while intriguing in its own right, also provides a fascinating link to the purported Mycenaean activities in Anatolia. As we navigate through the interconnected realms of archeology, literature, and mythology, we find a resonance of Mycenaean or Achaean presence in the region, immortalized in epics such as Cypria and the Iliad. These stories, possibly based on historical events, reflect an era of cultural exchange, conflict, and heroism, and serve as enduring reminders of the intricate tapestry that is our collective past.

First such discovery of a 12,000-year-old fossilized flamingo egg occurs in the Americas

When you start to go beneath the surface of the Earth, you never know what you could uncover. The second-ever report of a fossilized flamingo egg in the world has been made, next to a construction site for a new airport in Mexico. Recently, digging near a railway construction unearthed an antique charioteer. Additionally, this is the first time an egg from a flamingo has ever been discovered petrified in the Americas.

Fossilized flamingo egg discovered in Mexico.

It is highly unusual to discover petrified bird eggs from any species during the Pleistocene era in both North and South America. Eggs from extinct puffins, pelicans, and cranes have been discovered in the past throughout the Americas, but the only places to often find flamingo fossils are paleolakes in Central Mexico. The Yucatan peninsula and the southeast of the United States are far from these paleolakes in North America, where flamingos now are found.

Flamingos are members of the Phoenicopteridae family of birds, and up until this point, only five of these eggs had ever been discovered in the world. Because of other remnants discovered in the same area, it is believed that the recently reported egg dates to the late Pleistocene or Early Holocene. It was found while the new Felipe N. Gómez International Airport in Santa Luca, State of Mexico, was being built.

Newly discovered egg at top left compared to other known species.

The scientists compared the egg's size, width, eggshell pattern, and overall shape to those of other species to identify which group was most likely the egg's producer. This allowed them to conclude that the egg belonged to the flamingo family. The egg itself is incredibly well preserved and resembles a tundra swan egg in design, albeit swan eggs are much larger. It measures 93.491 millimeters (3.68 inches) in length and 55.791 millimeters (2.20 inches) at its widest point. The team came to the conclusion that it was a flamingo egg rather than one from a crane or another species by comparing these characteristics to the eggs of several species.

The team believes that the discovery of the flamingo egg provides evidence for the existence of a highly salinized paleolake in the same location during the Late Pleistocene. The neighboring Chalco Lake, a site that is identical to it and dates to between 12,000 and 8,000 years ago, suggests that the flamingo egg is likewise from that time period.

The Cypria: The Enigma of a Lost Greek Epic - Prelude to The Iliad

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BY DIMOSTHENIS VASILOUDIS

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The Forgotten Prologue: Unraveling the Lost Epic Poem of Ancient Greek Literature

The world of ancient Greek literature is a vast tapestry woven with legends, heroic deeds, divine interventions, and the complexities of human nature. Among this grandiose literary landscape, one particular work that has intrigued scholars for centuries is "The Cypria". A lost epic poem, "The Cypria" was said to be part of the Epic Cycle, a collection of eight epics that narrated the entire mythological history from the creation of the Earth to the fall of Troy.

It was a component of the Epic Cycle, which used epic hexameter verse to recount the entire history of the Trojan War. The Iliad follows the account of the Cypria chronologically at the start of the Epic Cycle; it appears that the two were put together in reverse order. The poem was written in epic dactylic hexameters and contained eleven books of verse.

Authorship and Name

While the authorship of "The Cypria" is a matter of debate, it is generally attributed to Stasinus of Cyprus or, in some accounts, Homer himself. The name "Cypria" probably stems from the tradition of attributing it to Stasinus, who was from Cyprus. However, some ancient sources, such as the historian Proclus, claim that the poem was a work of Homer, given as a wedding gift to Stasinus. Others speculate it was the collective work of many poets over a span of time, like many ancient epics.

Plot and Structure

Although "The Cypria" itself is lost, what we know of its content comes from summary accounts and fragments quoted in other works. Based on the Chrestomathy of Proclus, a Byzantine scholar, "The Cypria" consisted of eleven books or songs and covered the events leading up to the Trojan War. What follows is a recounting of the circumstances that are known to have caused Achilles' rage, together with tales of the Cypria's known contents.

The story began with the judgment of Paris, a contest between the three most beautiful goddesses: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, who were to be judged by the mortal Paris. Aphrodite won the contest by promising Paris the love of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. This led to Paris abducting Helen from her husband, Menelaus, king of Sparta, triggering the Trojan War.

"The Cypria" also covered other events leading up to the war, including the sacrifice of Iphigenia, the gathering of Achaean leaders at Aulis, and the first nine years of the war, concluding with the arrival of Achilles' ally Patroclus.

The poem tells the story of the Trojan War's beginnings and initial incidents. Zeus decides to rid the Earth of its population burden by starting a battle, a choice with well-known Mesopotamian parallels. The Seven begin their fight with Thebes.

At the Judgement of Paris between the gods Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, Paris awards Aphrodite the prize for beauty, and as a prize is awarded Helen, wife of Menelaus. The Cypria chronicled the marriage of Peleus and Thetis.

Then, on Aphrodite's advice, Paris constructs his ships, Helenus tells him what will happen in the future, Aphrodite commands Aeneas to go with him, and Cassandra foretells the result. Menelaus, Castor, and Polydeuces, the sons of Tyndareus, entertain the Trojans in Lacedaemon before setting sail for Crete and directing Helen to provide for their every need. Aphrodite brings Helen and Paris together, and after an incident at Sidon, which Paris and his troops successfully storm, he takes her and her dowry back to his home of Troy.

Zeus grants Castor and Polydeuces immortality, which they share every other day, while they are caught stealing the cattle of Idas and Lynceus.

Menelaus is informed by Iris, and he returns with his brother Agamemnon to organize an expedition against Ilium. They started to gather Helen's previous suitors, who had taken a pledge to safeguard the rights of whoever got her hand. In a digression, Nestor tells Menelaus the tales of Oedipus, Heracles' madness, and Theseus and Ariadne, as well as how Epopeus was slain for seducing the daughter of Lycus. They recognize Odysseus' staged madness as they gather the leaders.

At Aulis, where the prophet Calchas forewarns the Greeks that the war will endure for ten years, the assembled chiefs make a foreboding sacrifice. They mistakenly loot the city of Teuthras in Mysia for Ilium when they arrive there; Telephus saves the city but is wounded by Achilles. Achilles docks at Skyros and weds Deidameia, the Lycomedes' daughter, before healing Telephus so that he can lead the fleet to Ilium after the storm has scattered it.

Agamemnon is persuaded by Calchas to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis in order to appease her and secure safe passage for the ships after he offends her by killing a stag when the Achaeans have been gathered a second time at Aulis. Iphigeneia is drawn out as if to marry Achilles. But, Artemis snatches her away, replacing the animal on the altar with a deer, and takes her to the Tauri's homeland, where she becomes immortal.

Then they continue on to Tenedos, where Philoctetes is bitten by a snake and left behind in Lemnos while they are feasting. Achilles argues with Agamemnon again in this instance. The Trojans attempt a first landing at the Troad but are defeated, and Hector kills Protesilaus. The Trojans are then driven back by Achilles after killing Cycnus, the son of Poseidon. The Greeks bury their dead and send envoys to the Trojans to demand that Helen and the treasure be turned over. When the Trojans refused, they made an effort to attack the city before wreaking havoc on the surrounding countryside.

Aphrodite and Thetis arrange a meeting between Achilles and Helen because Achilles longs to see Helen. The Achaeans then want to go back home, but Achilles stops them. He then chases Aeneas' livestock away, sacks nearby cities, and kills Troilus. Out of the spoils, Achilles receives Briseis as a prize, and Agamemnon Chryseis from Patroclus when he transports Lycaon to Lemnos and sells him as a slave. The demise of Palamedes, Zeus' strategy to free the Trojans by severing Achilles from the Hellenic confederacy, and a list of the Trojan allies are then mentioned.

Relationship with the Iliad

"The Cypria" is often considered a prologue to Homer's "Iliad." While "The Iliad" jumps into the final year of the Trojan War without much backstory, "The Cypria" supplied this information, providing necessary context to the conflict. It’s noteworthy that the Trojan War, which spanned ten years, was covered in only two of the Epic Cycle's poems: "The Iliad" and "The Cypria".

Loss and Preservation

Like many ancient texts, "The Cypria" was lost to time. The reasons for this loss are not clear. The decline of the Byzantine Empire, the rise of Christianity which considered pagan texts heretical, and the simple decay and damage over time may all have contributed to the loss.

However, fragments and summaries of the poem have been preserved in the works of later Greek and Roman writers. The most significant of these is the aforementioned summary by Proclus. Quotations and references in other works also provide us with pieces of the poem, giving us an incomplete yet intriguing glimpse into this lost masterpiece.

"The Cypria", a lost epic poem of the ancient Greek literature, represents a significant piece of cultural heritage, providing us with insights into the Greek mythological worldview and the literary tradition of the time. While the poem itself is lost, the fragments and summaries that remain continue to captivate the minds of scholars and readers alike. Even in its fragmented state, "The Cypria" still manages to echo the grandeur of the bygone era and the timeless allure of the Trojan War narrative.

Richard vs. Saladin: Their Final Battle - Jaffa, 1192

Today’s video is a documentary on Richard the Lionheart and Saladin's final battle at the end of the Third Crusade - the Battle of Jaffa in 1192. Enjoy!

Maori Warriors vs. British Sailors: The Brutal Story of The Boyd Massacre

New Zealand, 1809. As the HMS Boyd pulls into Whangaroa Bay, all those on board marvel at the wondrous beauties of the New Zealand coastline for the first time in their lives. All on board, that is, except one. Te Ara is a young Maori, the son of a mighty chief. He has sailed on board British vessels for over a year now, on an exchange trip of sorts, with the goal of building good will between the Maori and the British.

While on board the Boyd, en route from New South Wales, Australia, Te Ara had been severely flogged by the Captain for disobedience. The Captain, a man named John Thompson, had not only physically hurt the young Maori, but had greatly insulted his honor as well.

For the past few weeks, Te Ara has managed to feign repentance and win the trust of Captain Thompson and the crew. He has told of great forests full of the prized Kauri, who’s lumber would net the Captain and crew great fortunes. But this is all a lie. In fact, Te Ara has lured them here to his homeland to exact his revenge.

Within 3 days, nearly all of the 70 people on board The Boyd would be dead, the victims of Maori war clubs and spears. And Captain Thompson would be butchered, cooked and eaten by the Maori he had so offended.

How Evolution works

The mechanisms of evolution explained in one video.

The theory of evolution explains how the enormous variety of life could come into existence. How it is possible for primitive life forms to spawn the millions of different creatures, that exist today. Unfortunately, evolution is often misunderstood, because it's mechanisms seem counter intuitive. By using visualizations, infographics and appealing characters, the viewer is more likely to understand it the complex information. More than that, by presenting the information in an entertaining way, the information is more likely to sink in.

What Happened Before History? Human Origins

Humans. We have been around for a while now. When we think about our past we think about ancient civilizations, the pyramids, stuff like that. But this is only a tiny, tiny part of our history.

The Unspeakable Things Genghis Khan Did To His Enemies

In the following video we will be explaining the unspeakable things Genghis Khan did to his enemies. Watch the video for more!

Origins of Europe

In this video we will cover the ancient Greek mythological origins of Europe as well as the origins of the people that inhabit it. The documentary begins with the mythology of Europa, then proceeds to the ancient Greek ideas about Europe, its boundaries and its people.

Joe Rogan: Evidence Of Ancient Civilizations In The Amazon Jungle & Insanity Of The Keck Observatory

Joe Rogan and Paul Rosolie go deep into the lost civilizations of the Amazon Jungle, The lost city of Z and the magnificence we are missing out on in the sky at night because of light pollution it is incredible. We are dulling the wonder and magnificence of nature with our modern ways.

In 1626, St. Peter's cost $33 Billion. What would it cost now?

How much – in modern dollars – did St. Peter’s Basilica cost to build? And how much would it cost to build an exact replica today? Watch the video to find out more!

Love-Making And Marriage In Imperial Japan

The fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868 ushered in the age of Imperial Japan in what is known as the Meiji Restoration. For almost 80 years, the Japanese Empire would change the life of many within Japan’s borders and beyond until its fall at the end of the Second World War. One of the many things that the Imperial age altered was the love, sex, and marriage behaviours of the Japanese people. The Meiji Restoration brought about a conservative, nationalist, and eugenicist view of the world that emphasized collective obligation in all things. The family was a microcosm of the nation and loyalty to it became the most important of virtues.

In today’s video we explore love-making and marriage in this changing Imperial Japan. Enjoy!

King Edward II of England and His She-Wolf Queen

King Edward II of England’s e reign lasted twenty years, but was peppered with disgrace and failure, so much so that the price he paid was the ultimate for a reigning monarch - to be the first English king since the Norman Conquest to be deposed.

This video will be about both Edward and his Queen - Isabella - who incidentally went on to become known as She-Wolf. We will delve into history and look at the events that led Edward to his his sorry fate, his relationship with his wife Queen Isabella and how his obsessions with his two particular favourites led to his alienation, ultimate downfall and apparently an unsavoury encounter with a red hot poker!

The Biggest Marine Reptile To Ever Live

237 MYA would not be a time where you would want to go swimming. Yes, the water was nice and warm, however it was home to a less than ideal swimming partner, the Shonisaurus. This was a meat eating ichthyosaur like no other, not because it was particularly fast or intelligent, rather it was huge, huge enough to be considered the largest marine reptile to have ever existed!

The Hidden Antarctic History of Polynesians

Is it possible that a Polynesian tribe existed in Antarctica? We explore the oral history of the Maori in New Zealand as recorded in a book from 1904 to find out. The early Polynesians and later Maori were expert travelers of the sea and could find land in the middle of the vast pacific ocean by following the stars and natural patterns of the earth. They no doubt knew of the giant continent to the south of them, Antarctica and traveled there on at least several occasions. It is challenging to conduct archaeological studies in Antarctica so evidence for this settlement has gone unnoticed. However the Native Maori in New Zealand, The Cook Islands, the Tonga Islands, and many more around the pacific know the truth of the antarctic history and of the early Polynesian voyages to Antarctica.

The oldest person in São Paulo, Luzio, was a member of an indigenous group

A DNA study of 34 individuals who lived in the area that is now Brazil thousands of years before the Portuguese arrived has revealed unexpected findings about the principal prehistoric sites along the nation's coast. The renowned sambaquis, man-made hills used for ritual funerals and burial sites, appear to have been constructed by various peoples according to the region, according to new information.

The study, which was just published in the specialized journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, also explains the genetic ancestry of Luzio, the name given to a skeleton that dates back 10,400 years and is thought to be the oldest human in the state of São Paulo.

Although the DNA suggests that Luzio belonged to the same vast ancestral population that gave rise to the original peoples that were present in 1500, his skull form differs from that of the majority of indigenous people today. A team of scholars from various Brazilian and European institutions wrote the report.

The research was coordinated by geneticist Tábita Hünemeier and archaeologist André Strauss, both of whom have ties to the University of São Paulo. The first author is Tiago Ferraz from the Department of Genetics at USP.

Coal miners in Serbia find a Roman ship

An antique Roman ship's woodwork is being painstakingly cleaned off by archaeologists in Serbia after being found by miners in a sizable opencast coal quarry.

Archaeologists excavate the hull of a wooden ship, an ancient Roman flat-hulled riverine vessel at the ancient city of Viminacium, near Kostolac, Serbia, August 2, 2023. REUTERS/Zorana Jevtic/File Photo

Experts from Viminacium, a neighboring historic Roman village, hurried to try to preserve the ship's skeleton when an excavator at the Drmno mine discovered some timber. This is the second similar find in the area since 2020.

The ship was most likely a component of a river fleet that served the 45,000-person huge and highly constructed Roman metropolis, which had a hippodrome, walls, a forum, a palace, temples, an amphitheatre, aqueducts, baths, and workshops.

The ship may have been built as long back as the third or fourth century AD, when Viminacium served as the capital of the Roman province of Moesia Superior and had a harbor close to a branch of the Danube River, according to lead archaeologist Miomir Korac.

"We may assume that this ship is Roman, but we are unsure of its exact age," he said to Reuters at the dusty location perched dangerously over a sizable open coal pit.

In order to keep the wood from rotting in the hot summer sun, Korac noted that it was first doused with water and stored beneath a tent.

The two ships and three canoes that have been discovered in the region so far, according to archaeologists, either sank or were abandoned at the riverbank.

Thousands of artifacts discovered in Viminacium near the town of Kostolac, 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of Belgrade, will be displayed alongside the most recent find.

It would be difficult to move the recently discovered ship's 13-meter hull without breaking it, according to Mladen Jovicic, a member of the team working on it.

"Our engineer friends will prepare a special structure that will be lifted by a crane, and... the entire process of gradual conservation will follow," he declared.

Viminacium has been the subject of excavations since 1882, but according to archaeologists, just 5% of the site, which is larger than Central Park in New York and remarkable in that it is not buried beneath a modern metropolis, has been thoroughly explored.

Golden tiles, jade sculptures, mosaics and frescoes, artifacts, and the bones of three mammoths have all been found thus far.

Israeli youth leader finds a 1,500-year-old'magical mirror' close to Haifa

Israel Antiquities Authority claims that the'magical mirror' was meant to shield its owner from bad spirits.

Youth leader Aviv Weitzman holding the magical mirror plaque she discovered at Usha. Photo: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

In a northern Israeli archaeological dig, a 17-year-old Israeli youth leader came across an old "magical mirror."

Aviv Weizman, a resident of Kiryat Motskin close to Haifa, participated in an archaeological dig at the historic site of Usha under the direction of the Israel Antiquities Authority, when she discovered the 1,500-year-old "magical mirror."

The piece, according to Navit Popovitch, curator of the classical periods for the Israel Antiquities Authority, is from a "magical mirror" that dates to the Byzantine era, between the 4th and 6th century CE.

"A glass mirror, for protection against the Evil Eye, was placed in the middle of the plaque: the idea was that the evil spirit, such as a demon, who looked in the mirror, would see his own reflection, and this would protect the owner of the mirror," Popovitch explained.

Popovitch continued, "Similar mirror plaques have been discovered in the past as funerary gifts in graves, to protect the deceased on their trip to the world to come.

Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, added that the young leaders made "additional finds" while on their week-long trek from Mount Meron to Mount Hermon, participating in excavations along the way, including pottery jars, coins, decorated stone fragments, and even a water aqueduct.

The group of youth leaders preparing for work. Photo: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.

"The ground brings history, which is typically taught in classrooms, to life. During an excavation, a student who discovers a find will always remember the moment. Escusido asserted that there is no better approach to connect the next generation to the nation and its history.

Weizman's discovery, in the words of Saar Ganor, the project's coordinator for the Israel Antiquities Authority, "embellishes the two-way contribution of the cooperation between the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Ministry of Education Shelah Project: at the same time, uncovering the country's past, and also providing the youth with a personal empowering experience, connecting them to their roots."

Amazing 9,000-Year-Old Necklace Reconstructed From a Grave of an Ancient Child

In what is now Jordan, archaeologists discovered a child's body buried with hundreds of beads from about 9,000 years ago.

The reconstructed necklace. (Alarashi et al., PLOS ONE, 2023)

An international team headed by archeologist Hala Alarashi from Côte d'Azur University in France concluded that the youngster was likely a female who was around 8 years old based on the structure of her jaw.

Little can be inferred about the child's lifestyle from the bones that are still present because of the extent of time's devastation.

One of the few hints as to who she was and what her society's culture was are the beads, which imply that the Neolithic villagers of Ba'ja took great care to bury their children.

The majority of the more than 2,500 beads found in the burial were stained crimson and covered the child's chest and neck. Some of the beads were composed of calcite, turquoise, and hematite.

There was a slight, but discernible structure throughout the chaos. Researchers discovered two neighboring beads in the shape of tubes for every sequence of ten beads shaped like discs.

The beads would have needed to be strung, either sewed into the child's clothing, or hanging on a body part for such a meticulous arrangement.

Alarashi and her crew discovered the solution behind the kid's neck. A mother-of-pearl ring and a double-perforated pendant with numerous beads still attached were found here.

Scientists have pieced the magnificent jewelry back together, one bead at a time, using many strands of expertly placed beads.

Despite being a small settlement, Ba'ja was most likely inhabited between 7400 and 6600 BCE, and it is densely packed with archaeological relics. The route via the meandering gorges and sheer rock formations is the only way to get to the high plateau.

The multi-stranded pendant reconstructed. (Alarashi et al., PLOS ONE, 2023)

However, not every resident of this long-gone hamlet was interred there.

The majority of the burials that have been discovered beneath Ba'ja's dwellings are infants and young children who are interred with a variety of grave goods.

In the historic village, the 8-year-old girl's burial was discovered in 2018 behind a room. Their painstaking excavation's findings have finally been published.

The beads this infant was buried with were undoubtedly "part of an ornament that has collapsed and disorganized gradually after the decomposition of the body," according to Alarashi and colleagues.

They note that the necklace she wears is unlike anything else they have ever discovered in the Levant, which at one time included both the Eastern Mediterranean and West Asia.

The color harmony and meticulous symmetry of the beads convey a tremendous deal of riches and prosperity.

The mother-of-pearl ring, however, is considered by scholars to be the ornament's genuine masterpiece. It was likely previously iridescent and is enormous and quite delicate. Its surface is expertly etched with little designs that resemble filigree or lace.

The study's authors state that "the aesthetic sensibility is undeniable."

The enormous number of beads, their intricate arrangement, and their harmony and beauty are similar to later decorations that appear in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Field pictures showing the distribution of the beads. (Alarashi et al., PLOS ONE, 2023)

The jewelry stands out in this Levant village that is much older.

The researchers write that their thorough examination of the ensemble "has allowed us to reimagine one of the oldest and most impressive Neolithic ornaments, believed to have been created to endow a highly eminent 8-year-old child of the community."

"Despite its intricate design, such a necklace was not made for exchange or trade purposes, but rather as a component of the child's burial, serving as an important testament to the cultural practices of the time," says the author.

The necklace is currently on display in Jordan at the New Petra Museum.

Numerous wine cups were discovered in a secret old city in Albania, which is "astonishing"

Viewers in Albania can observe a rocky environment with thick plants as they head near the top of a ridge. The hilltop doesn't appear very odd from below.

Archaeologists excavated a 2,400-year-old city in Bushati and found a ruined building with an “astonishing” number of wine glasses, photos show. Photo from the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Centre at the University of Warsaw

But for millennia, something "unique" has been concealed in the mountainside.

Archaeologists in Bushat unearthed a "unknown city" in 2018, according to a news release from the University of Warsaw dated July 25, 2023.

According to a 2021 study published in the journal Antiquity, the long-forgotten ruins, which archaeologists believe to be of a "important urban center," are located on two ridges with a tiny valley in between, giving the city a roughly triangular shape.

The ruins of large ancient settlements with no recognized names are typically no longer found today, according to archaeologists.

Archaeologists from the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Centre unearthed a "very large building" at the city's highest point in an effort to learn more about the enigmatic location, the group claimed in a press release.

The ruins of a central building for public and religious activity. Photo from the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Centre at the University of Warsaw

According to archaeologists, the structure, which had "three roomy rooms and a long corridor," was roughly 2,400 years old. The demolished building's outline can be seen in photos.

Piotr Dyczek, an archaeologist from the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Centre, told the university that within, investigators discovered "an astonishing number" of "wine drinking vessels of various sizes."

We've found a special structure, Dyczek remarked. He described the structure as a prytaneion, an ancient Greek edifice where officials would convene, or a "hestiateron, (which) is one of the public structures in which an eternal fire should burn."

These "surprising" discoveries imply that the enigmatic metropolis was structured and administered like Greek cities, according to archaeologists. However, the settlement was not Greek.

Ruins of the “unknown city” as seen from above in 2022. Photo from the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Centre at the University of Warsaw

Archaeologists assert that the city was a component of ancient Illyria. According to Britannica, the Illyrians ruled most of the present Balkans until they were vanquished by the Romans in 168 B.C.

The ruins of defensive walls and two city gates were previously discovered during excavations, the university claimed, demonstrating the site's magnitude and significance.

According to the study institution, archaeologists will carry on their digs in the next year.

Bushat is a small town close to the Montenegrin border, 50 miles northwest of Tirana, the capital of Albania.