How Europeans' white skin changed over time: According to a study, pale skin only became widespread in the area 8,000 years ago

The range of skin tones and eye colors that people have on the planet is intriguing and beautiful. Research is still being done to determine when and how individuals acquired the features they do now in order to solve the riddle of early human history.

According to contemporary anthropology studies, European genetic features like tall stature and fair skin are relatively recent additions to the continent.

A study was recently presented at the 84th annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists by an international team of researchers led by Dr. Iain Mathieson of Harvard University.

Researchers have discovered that the bulk of the time that humans have lived in Europe, the people have had dark skin, and the genes indicative of light skin only occur over the past 8,000 years, based on 83 human samples from Holocene Europe that were investigated under the 1000 Genomes Project.

According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), this recent and relatively swift process of natural selection leads scientists to believe that the features that spread quickly were useful within that environment.

This compelling evidence implies that contemporary Europeans do not resemble their incredibly ancient forebears.

Genetic Transmission

Instead of a small number of people, the samples come from a wide spectrum of ancient populations, and they gave scientists access to five particular genes linked to nutrition and skin color.

According to the AAAS, "modern humans who came out of Africa to originally settle Europe about 40,000 years are presumed to have had dark skin, which is advantageous in sunny latitudes.

Artist’s depiction of Stone Age peoples

And the new data confirm that about 8500 years ago, early hunter-gatherers in Spain, Luxembourg, and Hungary also had darker skin: They lacked versions of two genes—SLC24A5 and SLC45A2—that lead to depigmentation and, therefore, pale skin in Europeans today.

Then, the first farmers from the Near East arrived in Europe; they carried both genes for light skin. As they interbred with the indigenous hunter-gatherers, one of their light-skin genes swept through Europe, so that central and southern Europeans also began to have lighter skin. The other gene variant, SLC45A2, was at low levels until about 5800 years ago when it swept up to high frequency."

This was different from what was happening further north. Researchers have discovered gene variations associated with fair complexion and blonde hair as well as the HERC2/OCA2 gene, which causes blue eyes, in ancient bones from southern Sweden that date back 7,700 years.

Researchers concluded that because of this, early hunter-gatherers in northern Europe were already fair-skinned and blue-eyed. It would have been advantageous to have light skin in areas with less sunshine.

Biological Selection

The study by Mathieson and colleagues does not explain why the genes were preferred and propagated so swiftly, although it is speculated that Vitamin D absorption probably played a role. 8,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers in Europe were unable to digest milk. Only about 4,300 years ago did the ability to do so emerge.

Artist’s impression of a blue-eyed hunter gatherer

According to Pennsylvania State University paleoanthropologist Nina Jablonski, humans in less sunny climates needed distinct skin pigmentations in order to synthesis and absorb Vitamin D. The ability to digest milk and having light skin were advantages in the area.

According to AAAS, "Natural selection has favored two genetic solutions to that problem—evolving pale skin that absorbs UV more efficiently or favoring lactose tolerance to be able to digest the sugars and vitamin D naturally found in milk.”

This new study builds on previous investigations on modern humans in pre-farming Europe and their genes.

The common perception of light-skinned European hunter-gatherers was disproved by DNA extracted from the wisdom teeth of a 7,000-year-old person discovered in Spain in 2006. According to the study, the person had black hair and dark-skinned African DNA. However, the researchers were surprised to discover that the man had blue eyes. The earliest person in Europe with blue eyes is a hunter-gatherer.

Previous studies indicated that the first eye-color gene changes that resulted in the evolution of blue eyes most likely happened in people living in the vicinity of the Black Sea roughly 10,000 years ago.

The striking feature of the findings is that while the dissemination of beneficial genetic traits is essential to natural selection, it rarely happens quickly. Researchers are particularly interested in this phenomena because the study demonstrates how quickly these genetically predisposed light skin features spread throughout Europe.

The online journal BioRxiv has accepted for publication the preprint paper "Eight thousand years of natural selection in Europe" by Mathieson and colleagues. These recent discoveries help us understand our ancient origins by shedding insight on humanity's genetic past.

The Real History of the King Arthur Legend

The familiar medieval Arthurian myths of a noble King ruling over his kingdom from Camelot, supported by his Round Table of loyal and brave knights who seek for the Holy Grail and slay dragons, is a legend that has been engaged with by English kings ever since the 13th Century. By the 14th Century, these tales provided a model for their kingship.

What you may not know about, is the clash of cultures that occurred in the 12th Century, that led to the making, breaking and redefining of Arthur's story. Watch the video for more!

Ancient DNA reveals surprising truth about Otzi the Iceman

DNA sequencing has revealed new details about Europe’s oldest natural mummy - Ötzi the Iceman. Watch the video to find out more!

Debunked: The Biggest Myths about Hannibal Barca

In this captivating video, we delve into the unknown aspects of Hannibal's life, strategies, and enigmatic disappearance. Join us as we unveil the truth behind Hannibal Barca's enigmatic persona.

Throughout the video, we explore Hannibal's early life, his military tactics, and the famous battles he fought against the Roman Empire. We bring to light the questions that have puzzled historians for centuries. Was Hannibal a military genius? How did he manage to outwit the mighty Roman Empire with such limited resources? What were the secrets behind his strategies?

Uncover the historical clues and follow us through the enigmatic journey of Hannibal Barca. We analyze his famous crossing of the Alps with his army and the surprising tactics he employed. Could there be hidden messages within his battles that historians have overlooked until now?

As we explore Hannibal's disappearance, we delve into the numerous theories proposed by historians. Did he vanish without a trace, or did he succeed in escaping his enemies? Could there be evidence of Hannibal's final years hiding in plain sight? Join us as we dive deep into the unknown and shed light on these mysteries.

The Biggest Quadrupedal Carnivore Ever

Giant therapods are the largest terrestrial predators to ever live, but they are not the only big predators that have walked the Earth, and paleontologist now believe that a +200 million year old terror by the name of Fasolasuchus, was the largest non-dinosaur land based predator to ever live! Watch the video below to find out more!

Scientists Have Discovered One Key Habit That We Humans Share With Neanderthals

You might think that Neanderthals were very different from us modern-day humans. It’s true that lots about them is strange to us – from their biology to behaviors. That doesn’t mean we have nothing in common, and one study from 2020 shows a rather unexpected similarity. Yep, you might be surprised when you find out just what we share.

Archaeologists uncover the altar of the Magnesia Temple of Zeus in Türkiye

Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Magnesia in Aydın province in Türkiye uncovered the altar of the Temple of Magnesia Zeus, a replica of which is on display at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

Excavations in the Ancient City of Magnesia are being carried out under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Görkem Kökdemir, a faculty member at Ankara University Department of Archaeology.

As a result of the works that started two years ago, the remains of the Temple of Zeus, located in the area defined as the "religious agora" in the ancient city, were unearthed.

During the works carried out in the western part of the temple, an altar 3 meters 53 centimeters wide, 5 meters 10 centimeters long and 70 centimeters high was unearthed.

It is believed that the altar was used in sacrificial ceremonies in the cult of Zeus.

In his statement, Dr. Kökdemir reminded that nearly 600 architectural blocks belonging to the Temple of Zeus were removed from the excavation area.

Solving the Mystery of the Khafre Pyramid Shafts

The Pyramid of Khafre on the Giza Plateau is the second largest in all of Egypt, a truly incredible feat of engineering, but the truth is, it’s very much in the shadow of its big brother, the Great Pyramid.

The interior passages and chambers are far more inferior but they are no less mysterious, and in this video we take a look at the Khafre Burial Chamber, and two small square-shape openings we find in the walls inside. Are these air shafts like we see in the Great Pyramid King's Chamber or are they something else?

Karahan Tepe: The Mysteries of The Oldest Known Settlement

In the following video we will be exploring Karahan Tepe and its mysteries. Enjoy!

The Pagan Necropolis Under Vatican City

Beneath the floor of St. Peter's Basilica, an ancient Roman cemetery holds the secret to the origins of Vatican City. Watch the video to find out more!

The Epic Story of Theseus and the Fearsome Minotaur in Greek Mythology

In the video below we will be talking about the epic story of Theseus and the fearsome Minotaur in Greek Mythology. Watch the video to find out more!

Archaeologists Find Mysterious 2,800-year-old Channels Near Temple Mount in Jerusalem

Deep grooves cut into the bedrock date to the biblical Kingdom of Judah, and bolster the theory of Jerusalem’s early expansion. But what purpose they served remains a riddle.

Archaeologists excavating in Jerusalem have uncovered a network of mysterious channels dating back to the days of King Joash and Amaziah, some 2,800 years old.

The installations are the first of their kind ever discovered in Israel, the IAA said in an announcement Wednesday. The national park in which the structures were found contains the City of David archaeological site—considered by most scholars to be the location of the original settlement at Jerusalem.

The grooves, cut into the bedrock, were likely used to soak some kind of product, though it is unclear what exactly the ancient Jerusalemites were making there, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University said in a statement Wednesday 30th of August 2023.

Bronze Age remains of a human brain and skin were found in Turkey

In the course of excavations at the heart-shaped Tavşanlı Mound in Turkey's Kütahya district, archaeologists found two Bronze Age individuals' well-preserved brain and skin remains.

Skeletal remains discovered at Tavşanlı Mound in Türkiye's Kütahya province in this photo released on Sept. 4, 2023. (AA Photo)

According to specialists, the discovery was noteworthy because it was the first time that skin remains had been found during archaeological excavations in Türkiye, whereas brain remains had only been found four or five times.

According to Anadolu Agency (AA), specialists think the brain and skin fragments, which belonged to two men of different ages and were preserved through carbonization, belonged to two persons who were unable to evacuate their homes after they were set on fire during an attack 3,700 years ago.

Heart-shaped Tavşanlı Mound in Türkiye's Kütahya province in this photo released on Sept. 4, 2023. (AA Photo)

The results were presented at a conference held by the European Association of Archaeologists from August 30 to September 2 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Professor Erkan Fidan, head of the archaeology division of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University (B EU), is in charge of the excavations at the location, commonly known as the "Heart of Kütahya."

According to Fidan, who spoke at the conference, the mound is the oldest village in the vicinity, and scholars think that it served as the region's capital during the Bronze Age.

He continued by saying that they think the city was attacked on a huge scale and completely destroyed approximately 1,700 BCE.

Aerieal view of the Tavşanlı Mound in Türkiye's Kütahya province in this photo released on Sept. 4, 2023. (AA Photo)

For almost 300 years, according to the archaeologist, it was uninhabited.

Professor Yılmaz Selim Erdal of the Anthropology Department at Hacettepe University pointed out that both skeletons were subjected to intense heat, which allowed the brain to be preserved inside the skull. They also mentioned that they discovered fragments of skin that had been carbonized by heat in one of the skeletons, between the chest and abdomen.

The attack's motive and perpetrator will now be investigated, according to experts.

An executive order started the excavations at the mound, and they are scheduled to continue for about 30 years.

Discovered: Potentially Over 2,000-Year-Old Underground Galleries

At a location high in the Peruvian Andes mountains, archaeologists have uncovered ancient underground passages.

An archaeologist conducting an excavation. Stock image: An archaeologist conducting an excavation. Researchers have discovered ancient underground galleries at a site high up in the Peruvian Andes mountains. iStock

El Dominical de Panamericana said that scientists made the discovery next to a lagoon that is situated above sea level at a height of more than 11,200 feet. The body of water is located a few miles northeast of Huari in the Ancash region of Peru.

The stone block-built underground galleries are thought to date back to Peru's pre-Hispanic "Chavín" culture, which flourished thousands of years ago.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Chavín culture, which flourished between around 900 and 200 B.C. but may have earlier origins, was one of the most famous ancient civilizations in Peru.

The highly advanced culture began to have an impact on the northern and central regions of what is now Peru during this time.

Chavín de Huántar, which is situated at a height of more than 10,400 feet in the Andean highlands of the Ancash province, is the most significant archaeological site of this civilization.

Although it is unclear if Chavín de Huántar was the center or genesis of this culture, it does include ruins and artifacts connected to it.

The archaeological site, however, is among the earliest and best-known from Peru's pre-Hispanic era. Chavín de Huántar was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 due to its historical significance.

The main structure at Chavín de Huántar is a sizable temple complex made of stone blocks and embellished with intricate artwork.

According to the UNESCO classification of the monument, "Its appearance is striking, with the complex of terraces and squares, surrounded by structures of dressed stone, and the mainly zoomorphic ornamentation."

"Chavin was a ceremonial and pilgrimage center for the Andean religious world and hosted people from different latitudes, distances and languages."

Interior galleries within the temple complex are comparable to those that have just been found nearby in Huari, but they are larger.

An extended vertical stone known as a huanca served as a guide for the archaeologists when they made the most recent discovery.

Huancas had a variety of purposes and had numerous symbolic meanings for the ancient Andean peoples, who revered them as sacred objects. Pre-Hispanic societies performed rituals and laid offerings around these stones as a sign of respect.

The old galleries, according to archaeologists, were most likely built around 700 B.C. The galleries served ceremonial purposes at Chavin de Huántar, however its exact purpose is still unknown.

Researchers are doing investigations to shed light on this issue, but the identities of those who built the galleries at the lagoon location remain a mystery.

Coin discoveries at Scole connected to 1970s Roman hoard

Two silver coins discovered in a housing development have been connected to a trove of Roman artifacts discovered in 1973.

The first denarii dates to AD196-8, the reign of Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus, known as Caracalla

A pre-construction archaeological dig in Scole, Norfolk, uncovered the stash of 46 coins.

A metal detector was loaned to a beginner acquaintance by a detectorist who lives on the estate and has been searching for more coins for years. He immediately found two denarii.

Helen Geake, an archaeologist, said: "We never know when more could be found."

The findings liaison officer for Norfolk, Dr. Geake, stated: "The detectorist had searched all his neighbour's gardens but never found a thing. He told a friend, who joked, 'I bet you I could', swept a garden and found the denarius."

The second one is from the reign of Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, known as Elagabalus, and dated to AD218-22

Seven denarii were discovered in 1973, and because three of them were discovered close together, they were deemed to be a hoard.

Although Scole was next to a Roman road and was known to contain a Roman-British hamlet, archaeologists were only able to explore a small portion of the site.

Dr. Geake stated: "In those days, excavations were done in negotiation with the developer. Today, the developer would pay archaeologists to do the whole lot, but back then it was public money and only a small amount was found."

Helen Geake urged the estate's residents to report any Roman coins found in the decades since it was built

The two most recent discovery, which the finder and landowner donated to the museum, will be added to the trove, which is already a part of the collection at Norwich Castle.

Roman coins are occasionally discovered in the estate's gardens, according to Dr. Geake, who urged visitors to report any such finds.

"You can tell something about the site just from the coins, it's importance and what sort of activities are happening," she remarked. "If we find too far too many, then it's more likely to be a temple site as they would throw coins for good luck."

Norfolk Coroner's Court determined the coins to be treasure.

While attempting to construct a supermarket, a sleepy Italian town discovered an incredibly rare Roman temple

Sarsina, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, is undoubtedly charming and surrounded by beautiful landscape, but it has never been used to attracting large numbers of visitors.

It was formerly a fortified fortress at a vital mountain pass that served as part of Rome's military perimeter and gave birth to the renowned Roman playwright Plautus.

However, very little, if anything, of that heritage is still visible today. The sleepy town of 3,000 was about to get a new sports complex and supermarket when workers laying the foundation stumbled upon a "extremely rare" relic of Republican Rome, which brought Sarsina back into the public eye for the first time in nearly two thousand years.

Roman scholars are highly interested in a Capitolium, a pagan-Roman temple that was built in the last century BCE and was dedicated to Jupiter, Minvera, and Juno.

The sandstone and limestone slabs that make up its base and podium are 6,200 square feet (577 square meters) and are still in a state of preservation typical of Roman monumental architecture.

Lead archaeologist at the excavation site Romina Pirraglia told CNN that the team had found three distinct rooms that were probably devoted to the triad of gods Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.

“The excavations are still underway… and we have already identified an older, deeper layer of ruins dating back to the 4th century BC, when the Umbrian people (an ancient Italic tribe who predated the Romans) lived in the area. The entire temple could be even larger than what we now see.”

Federica Gonzato, superintendent of fine arts, archaeology, and landscapes for the provinces of Ravenna, Rimini, and Forl-Cesena in eastern Emilia Romagna, called the temple "extremely rare" and said there will undoubtedly be space for shopping and recreation, but the current plans will need to be altered to preserve this magnificent structure.

“The marvelous quality of the stones has been spared from sacks, enemy invasions, and plunders across millennia thanks to the remote location of Sarsina, a quiet spot distant from larger cities,” Gonzato told CNN. “Temples such as this one (were) regularly plundered, exploited as quarries with stones and marble slabs taken away to be re-used to build new homes.”

Gonzato claimed that one of the unique characteristics of Italy is the country's seemingly constant discovery of fresh antiquities and antique structures. Julius Caesar organized his armies from the adjacent city of Ravenna, where the Umbri were integrated as Italian tribal allies of the Roman Republic in 89 BCE, and crossed the Rubicon Creek on his way to Roman dictatorship.

In addition, after Rome itself had been taken over, it served as the seat of the Western Roman Empire. There are probably still a ton of secrets buried beneath this place.

Peru's Ancient Ruins Reopened after Being Closed for More Than a Year

One of the largest ancient monuments in the Americas, the Llaqta de Kuélap ruins in northern Peru, were forced to close to visitors in April 2022 due to damage from high rains. However, restrictions have since been placed on entry.

The site, which is in the Andes Mountains in the country's Amazonas area, has recently grown in popularity among foreign tourists, particularly as a substitute for the overcrowded Machu Picchu. It is particularly striking for its scope. "Kuélap’s size is monumental," says Peruvian travel expert Marisol Mosquera, the creator of eco-luxury travel agency Aracari Travel, noting that some of its outer walls are over 60 feet tall and that, in contrast to most surviving structures from the time, it is made of stone rather than adobe. According to the Chachapoyas culture, which predates the Incas, it is also older than Machu Picchu, she continues. The scenery is breathtakingly gorgeous.

Warriors, shamans, farmers, and merchants are thought to have lived within the fortified citadel, which covered approximately 37 acres and is located nearly 9,842 feet above sea level, from roughly 900 to 1400 CE. Machu Picchu is located at an altitude of around 7,972 feet. The location, which was once the thriving political hub of the Chachapoyan civilization, was destroyed during the Spanish conquest of the 16th century, leaving behind the ruins of civil, religious, and military buildings as well as 420 circular stone homes, which were discovered in 1842 and decorated with murals, carvings, and geometric friezes.

However, the southern portion of the fortified town's outer wall collapsed in April of last year, forcing the closure of the site. The deterioration and ultimate collapse, according to José Bastante, Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Program of Kuélapthe, were caused by "the infiltration of rainwater into the artificial platform core of the monument," which places a large amount of pressure on the outside wall.

The local team collaborated with the World Monuments Fund and the Getty Conservation Institute to come up with better drainage systems and water damage mitigation strategies for the buildings. Bastante claims that since then, work has been done on stabilizing the perimeter wall as well as archaeological investigations, conservation, and maintenance in various areas of the site. They have also renovated the drainage system and strengthened the surfaces of the structures in the southern half.

The Llaqta de Kuélap reopened to visitors on August 19 following nearly 16 months of construction, but there are now quotas in place "for conservation and safety," according to Bastante. Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., 144 visitors are permitted to enter the central part of the ruins; groups of 12 visitors enter through the Access 1 entry point every 45 minutes. (There is hope that visitor capacity and time restrictions will be able to rise by November.) Visitors must make a reservation through a recognized travel agency or make a direct request, and they shouldn't show up without a verified reservation. According to Promper, Peru's tourism bureau, as part of the reopening, visitors will enjoy a significant benefit: entrance will be free through the end of the year.

Bastante states that a "great portion" of the Llaqta de Kuélap remains inaccessible to tourists due to "security measures" because of the fragile nature of the ruins. The Archaeological Monumental Zone of Kuélap (ZAMK), a 336-acre area that is home to five archaeological monuments, is home to these ruins as well, but he advises visitors to keep this in mind.

The wider ZAMK region was similarly shut down in April 2022, but some parts of it—including an interpretation center and a real Chachapoya house—reopened in July. Visitors can also stroll down a pre-Hispanic path in the vicinity to witness the Llaqta de Kuélap's front. People who don't have reservations or arrive after their scheduled time will still be able to access such locations.

Bastante notes that preparation is crucial in the wake of the collapse, particularly acquiring reservations to help manage visitor flow and upkeep. He declares that the sites of our archaeological monuments are sacred and vulnerable. "They should be treated with the same reverence as all other holy sites around the world,"

The drive to Kuélap, which begins in the city of Chachapoyas and takes less than two hours from Lima, is a significant component of the experience. From there, visitors can take an hour-long bus excursion to Nuevo Tingo, where they can either walk for about 5.6 miles or ride the 2017-opened 20-minute cable car to get to the site.

Despite Kuélap being a significant highlight of the Amazonas region, Rocio Florez, the proprietor of the Gocta Natura Reserve, an eco-lodge in adjacent Cocachimba, points out that it is not the only draw. Additionally, the region is ideal for exploring other citadels like Yalape and Ollape and funerary sites like Revash, Lengate, Karajia, La Petaca, and Laguna de las Momias—where more than 200 mummies were discovered in 1997 and are now kept at the Leymebamba Museum—as well as outdoor pursuits like hiking, rafting, and birdwatching (especially in Cocachimba's Valera district). She claims that because the area is so historically significant, visitors should take the time to explore the communities and landmarks around, which help put Kuélap's story in context.

Everyone in the area is working toward the same objective: promoting slow and attentive travel not only in Kuélap but all throughout the Amazonas, and allowing visitors more time to discover the area's history and culture. Florez explains that "it is a land of discovery."

Intriguing discovery of pharaoh's tomb and fascinating connections between Harrogate and the mythical Tutankhamun revealed by recent event

A remarkable new exhibit will explain how a jeweler from Harrogate was among the first visitors to the fabled Tutankhamun tomb in more than 3,000 years when it was found by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1923.

Historic expedition - Flashback to the Valley of the Kings in 1920s Egypt including Harrogate jeweller James R Ogden and archaeologist Leonard Woolley. (Picture Ogden of Harrogate)

Egyptomania, a historic event commemorating 130 years of the family jewelers and their extraordinary connections to Tutankhamun, is being held at Ogden of Harrogate on the 100th anniversary of the tomb's exciting discovery in the Valley of the Kings.

When James R. Ogden started his jewelry company in 1893, he had to travel far to find the exquisite jewels for which the company became well-known.

Howard Carter invited Ogden to the Valley of the Kings to appraise and measure the gold, including Tutankhamun's casket, after he uncovered Tutankhamun's tomb, one of the best-preserved pharaonic tombs ever excavated.

One of the first people to access the tomb in more than three millennia was the jeweler from Harrogate.

Tutankhamun's discovery in 1923 captured people's attention all around the world.

Mr. Ogden developed a greater understanding of archaeology as a result of his fascination with the stunning discoveries made at the time in the Middle East.

Under the leadership of JR Ogden's great, great grandsons Robert and Ben Ogden, the company is still successful today.

Robert Ogden said: “The history of our business is our corner-stone and we have recently been cataloguing our archive, where we have a vast collection of our great, great, grandfather JR Ogden’s memorabilia, including a remarkable collection of 10,000 lantern slides of his travels to Tutankhamun’s tomb, and artefacts from his expeditions to Ur, Babylon, Palestine, Syria, and Assyria. There are also hundreds of letters that are fascinating glimpses of the key characters of that time, and their explorations.”

Part of an advert for a lecture tour given in the 1930s by Harrogate jeweller James R Ogden about his archaeology expeditions to Egypt which fascinated audiences across the UK. (Picture Ogden of Harrogate)

In the brand-new Harrogate event, some of these artifacts and letters will go on display for the first time.

An understanding of the social and political environment in which archaeology was conducted at the period is provided by the display.

James R. Ogden spent the 1920s getting to know Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon, Max Mallowan (Agatha Christie's second husband), and the archaeologists Leonard and Katharine Woolley in particular.

Since Katharine Woolley, a trailblazing female archaeologist, requested that all of her personal papers be destroyed upon her death, the show includes her previously unpublished letters, which are of great importance.

In addition to being a restorer and replica builder, Mr. Ogden used his understanding of the workings of gold to help analyze the material discovered during digs.

He produced several copies of the artifacts discovered at Tutankhamun and Ur and gave them to the British Museum.

He also delivered seminars to enthralled crowds across the UK while displaying his slides. Some of the hundreds of newspaper articles about archaeological digs that JR Ogden gathered will be shown. The Ogden archive will be made available to historians for additional research, according to Robert Ogden. Who wouldn't be enthralled by the exploits of these early archaeologists and the secrets they uncovered? “Like fine jewels, there are no doubt more romantic and enchanting stories waiting to be unearthed.”

Between September 7 and 21, Ogden of Harrogate, located at 38 James Street in Harrogate, will host Egyptology, an excursion divided into three sections: Tutankhamun, Expeditions in Ur, and historical jewelry sales from the last 130 years.

Huge statue of a veiny todger that was employed in bloody ceremonies 3,000 years ago was discovered in the woods

A lucky charm shaped as an erect penis and testicles — designed to ward off evil — has been estimated to be dated from 100AD.

The stone penis statue was found at a construction site (Image: The Archaeologist NHM)

It was discovered, completely accidentally, by divers in south-east Spain.

If something has to interfere with an erection, it might as well be something lot more intriguing and older.

And that's precisely what happened when archaeologists discovered a stone penis that was 3,000 years old while evaluating a construction site.

When the 21-inch statue was discovered, complete with veins, scientists assumed it belonged at a burial place.

However, upon careful inspection, they came to the conclusion that the chubby member was probably employed by a cult in gory rites.

In 2019, a building site in Rollsbo, Sweden, close to Gothenburg, made the find in a wooded region.

After discovering animal bones close by, archaeologists abandoned their notion that the statue served as the headstone of a Bronze Age tomb.

They were wrong about their initial supposition; there were no human bones.

They contend that the stone todger, assumed to have been employed in blood sacrifices presented to the pagan fertility gods between 1800 and 500 BC during the Bronze Age, was actually much older.

The statue seen in all its veiny glory (Image: The Archaeologist NHM)

Local media was informed by archaeologist Gisela Ängeby that "we saw something that diverged from everything else when we investigated the rocks. Although it was now on the ground, it had once been raised.

“It has a distinct phallus shape. I thought when I came across it that, ‘Oh my god, it can't be true’. There was a 52cm-long stone shaped like a penis. I showed the picture to colleagues and there is no discussion, it has a very penis-like shape.”

The stone may have naturally taken on a phallic shape, but the design was later strengthened, according to specialists.

Α justification from an archaeological consulting company The archaeologists declared: “Standing stones in the middle of stone paving are not uncommon. But just the way it is designed is a little special. It is partially weather and then carved. And that’s how the shape has been reinforced. I believe that in connection with the erection, it was used to offer sacrifices, for example within the framework of a fertility cult. The stone was hidden under a stone packing and originally the archaeologists thought it was a Bronze Age grave.”

Penis-shaped artifacts are typically found in archaeological findings, yet it is uncommon to find one made to look so lifelike. It has been believed that a lucky charm fashioned as an erect penis and testicles, intended to stave off evil, dates from 100AD.

Divers in southeast Spain purely by accident made the discovery.

Ancient DNA research sheds light on Brazilian ancestry

The technique for obtaining and sequencing ancient DNA in biological samples from thousands of years' worth of archaeological excavations has been perfected by Brazilian researchers at every level.

Svante Pääbo, a Swedish biologist who won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the genomes of extinct hominids and human evolution, created the method for sequencing the material, which is typically found in bone pieces.

Interestingly, Brazilian researcher Tiago Ferraz obtained his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, where Pääbo serves as director of genetics before transferring his expertise to the University of São Paulo (USP).

Ferraz sequenced ancient DNA while he was still in Germany, leading to the publication of Genomic History of Coastal Societies from Eastern South America in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Ferraz's work included everything from bone powder extraction, where the DNA is preserved, to data analysis and result interpretation.

Experts from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen, Germany, also contributed to the study, which also included Tiago Ferraz as the first author and André Menezes Strauss, an archaeologist from USP's Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MAE) as senior researcher.

“This work has a vital institutional role. It is the first time a Brazilian-led team, alongside so many institutions, has managed to publish a high-impact article in the field of archaeogenetics,” Strauss noted.

A sambaquieiros

The study was based on the genomes of 34 samples that were up to 10,000 years old and came from four different places on Brazil's east coast. The oldest skeleton found in So Paulo, Luzio, which is about 13,000 years old, is among the material.

André Strauss claims that the method helped to solve one of the mysteries in Brazilian archaeology: Did the ancestors of today's indigenous people, known as sambaquieiros, who lived in ancient coastal populations throughout the Brazilian coast descend from a single biological group or from a number of separate peoples?

“Genetic analysis showed that this hypothesis [their origin stemming from distinct peoples] was wrong. The genetic data show they are descended from the same ancestral population, which occupied [what is now Brazil] 16 thousand years ago, just like any other indigenous group in Brazil or the Americas,” Strauss pointed out.

One of the theories, which has since been refuted by archaeogenetics, claimed that two waves of Homo sapiens from Asia inhabited the continent. According to legend, the first wave of migration arrived in this country 14,000 years ago and consisted of people with non-mongoloid morphologies, comparable to modern Australians and Africans, but no descendants. The second wave, from which modern indigenous people are assumed to have descended, is thought to have arrived 12 thousand years ago, and its members are said to have had the physical characteristics of Asians.

However, the findings of the new ancient DNA analysis indicate that there was only one migration. "What we do have is intracontinental migration: people coming here from the Andes, from North America, from South America—but these are local processes. These great migrations, the genetic data, contrary to what had been imagined until now, point toward a single migration from Asia."

Laboratory USP

Ferraz believes that USP's Laboratory of Archaeology and Environmental and Evolutionary Anthropology will be fully operational by the end of 2023 after receiving training for two years at Germany's Max Planck Institute, which is well known for its work on ancient DNA. The facility, which was created in cooperation with the German institute, is the nation's first archaeogenetics laboratory.

The sequencing of ancient DNA might be done in Brazil without the need for facilities abroad if the laboratory is fully operational and has "a solid system for processing samples and decontaminating material," according to the researcher. "We’re adapting the space. We’ve been dealing with various technical and bureaucratic issues,” he said. “We’re putting the finishing touches to it so we can finally open the space and actually work in it, with a more intense work routine."

He continued by saying that the initial goal will be to teach regional scientists how to produce on-site archaeogenetic data. “Now that we’ve brought the technique to Brazil, we’re going to implement it here, do it locally, sequence the individuals, sequence the ancient DNA here in Brazil, and train people to work with it.”