Egypt: Statues of the First Female Pharaoh Weren’t Destroyed Out of Revenge—They Were “Deactivated”

New findings rewrite the story of the mysterious Hatshepsut – A ceremonial “de-spiritualization” sheds new light on her legacy.

For centuries, the disappearance of Pharaoh Hatshepsut from Egypt’s official history remained a puzzle. A groundbreaking new study now challenges the long-standing belief that her memory was erased out of hatred and political vengeance.

Hatshepsut—whose name means “Foremost of Noble Ladies”—was one of only three women to rule as Pharaoh over the course of 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, and the first to wield full power. Though renowned, she has long remained enigmatic, largely because of the apparent effort to eliminate her from the historical record.

But according to new research, the statues of Queen Hatshepsut were not violently destroyed as part of a campaign to obliterate her memory. Instead, they were likely ritually “deactivated.” This reinterpretation stems from a detailed study of the statues unearthed in the 1920s at Deir el-Bahari in Luxor, about 500 kilometers south of Cairo.

The lead researcher, June Yee Wong from the University of Toronto, published her findings in the journal Antiquity. She argues that the condition of these statues—long believed to be the result of deliberate, hostile destruction by her successor and nephew, Thutmose III—actually points to something else.

“Because the statues were found in highly fragmented condition, it was assumed they had been violently smashed by Thutmose III, perhaps out of resentment toward Hatshepsut,” Wong explains.

Hatshepsut initially ruled as regent on behalf of the young Thutmose III, but eventually declared herself Pharaoh. After her death, her images and name were systematically removed from temples and monuments, leading many scholars to conclude that Thutmose III sought to rewrite history. Others assumed his actions were driven by spite.

A Different Kind of Destruction

Wong examined excavation records and unpublished archival materials from the 1920s to determine the exact locations and conditions in which the statue fragments were discovered. Her analysis revealed that much of the damage occurred long after Thutmose’s reign, likely during periods when the statues were broken up and reused as construction material—adding complexity to the traditional narrative.

When Wong excluded the later damage, a new picture emerged. The statues appeared to have been systematically broken at specific weak points—such as the neck, waist, and knees—consistent with an ancient Egyptian ritual known as “statue deactivation.”

“When you strip away the later destruction, what remains is limited and deliberate. This wasn't the work of a vengeful attack but a calculated, ritual act, meant to deactivate the power of the statues,” Wong says. “It’s quite astonishing—it shows the treatment of Hatshepsut’s images was more ceremonial than hostile.”

A Ritual of Power and Transition

In ancient Egypt, royal statues were seen as vessels of divine presence. Rituals such as the “Opening of the Mouth” were performed to “animate” them, allowing them to act as intermediaries between the gods and the people. But when a statue needed to be removed—say, to make space in a temple—it had to be ritually “de-spiritualized” by breaking key structural points.

This practice neutralized the statue’s power without dishonoring the person it represented. Hundreds of such statues have been found buried at Karnak Temple in Luxor, many similarly “deactivated,” regardless of whether the rulers had been vilified in death.

Though Hatshepsut was clearly subjected to a posthumous “cancelation,” Wong’s findings suggest the process was far more nuanced than once believed.

“The research felt a bit like solving an ancient detective mystery—it was incredibly rewarding to uncover something so tangible,” she says. “People often assume Egyptology is only about discovering tombs and mummies—which is, of course, fascinating—but sometimes the greatest insights come from reinterpreting what’s already been found.”

This new perspective challenges the idea of vengeful erasure and instead opens up a more complex understanding of memory, power, and ritual in ancient Egypt.New findings rewrite the story of the mysterious Hatshepsut – A ceremonial “de-spiritualization” sheds new light on her legacy.

For centuries, the disappearance of Pharaoh Hatshepsut from Egypt’s official history remained a puzzle. A groundbreaking new study now challenges the long-standing belief that her memory was erased out of hatred and political vengeance.

Hatshepsut—whose name means “Foremost of Noble Ladies”—was one of only three women to rule as Pharaoh over the course of 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, and the first to wield full power. Though renowned, she has long remained enigmatic, largely because of the apparent effort to eliminate her from the historical record.

But according to new research, the statues of Queen Hatshepsut were not violently destroyed as part of a campaign to obliterate her memory. Instead, they were likely ritually “deactivated.” This reinterpretation stems from a detailed study of the statues unearthed in the 1920s at Deir el-Bahari in Luxor, about 500 kilometers south of Cairo.

The lead researcher, June Yee Wong from the University of Toronto, published her findings in the journal Antiquity. She argues that the condition of these statues—long believed to be the result of deliberate, hostile destruction by her successor and nephew, Thutmose III—actually points to something else.

“Because the statues were found in highly fragmented condition, it was assumed they had been violently smashed by Thutmose III, perhaps out of resentment toward Hatshepsut,” Wong explains.

Hatshepsut initially ruled as regent on behalf of the young Thutmose III, but eventually declared herself Pharaoh. After her death, her images and name were systematically removed from temples and monuments, leading many scholars to conclude that Thutmose III sought to rewrite history. Others assumed his actions were driven by spite.

A Different Kind of Destruction

Wong examined excavation records and unpublished archival materials from the 1920s to determine the exact locations and conditions in which the statue fragments were discovered. Her analysis revealed that much of the damage occurred long after Thutmose’s reign, likely during periods when the statues were broken up and reused as construction material—adding complexity to the traditional narrative.

When Wong excluded the later damage, a new picture emerged. The statues appeared to have been systematically broken at specific weak points—such as the neck, waist, and knees—consistent with an ancient Egyptian ritual known as “statue deactivation.”

“When you strip away the later destruction, what remains is limited and deliberate. This wasn't the work of a vengeful attack but a calculated, ritual act, meant to deactivate the power of the statues,” Wong says. “It’s quite astonishing—it shows the treatment of Hatshepsut’s images was more ceremonial than hostile.”

A Ritual of Power and Transition

In ancient Egypt, royal statues were seen as vessels of divine presence. Rituals such as the “Opening of the Mouth” were performed to “animate” them, allowing them to act as intermediaries between the gods and the people. But when a statue needed to be removed—say, to make space in a temple—it had to be ritually “de-spiritualized” by breaking key structural points.

This practice neutralized the statue’s power without dishonoring the person it represented. Hundreds of such statues have been found buried at Karnak Temple in Luxor, many similarly “deactivated,” regardless of whether the rulers had been vilified in death.

Though Hatshepsut was clearly subjected to a posthumous “cancelation,” Wong’s findings suggest the process was far more nuanced than once believed.

“The research felt a bit like solving an ancient detective mystery—it was incredibly rewarding to uncover something so tangible,” she says. “People often assume Egyptology is only about discovering tombs and mummies—which is, of course, fascinating—but sometimes the greatest insights come from reinterpreting what’s already been found.”

This new perspective challenges the idea of vengeful erasure and instead opens up a more complex understanding of memory, power, and ritual in ancient Egypt.

Road Collapse Uncovers Remarkable Hellenistic-Era Tomb in Cyprus

A routine report of road subsidence at the port of Famagusta, in the occupied part of Cyprus, has led to the discovery of a remarkable archaeological treasure beneath the surface.

Hidden under the sunken section of road, archaeologists uncovered a carved underground stone tomb dating back to the Hellenistic period—offering rare insights into Cyprus’s ancient past.

A Glimpse into Hellenistic Famagusta

Nestled near the ruins of ancient Salamis in what is now occupied northern Cyprus, Famagusta (also known as Ammochostos) was once a thriving port city of strategic and cultural importance in the Eastern Mediterranean.

During the Hellenistic period (323–30 BCE), Cyprus came under the control of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and the region flourished as a hub of trade, maritime activity, and classical civilization. Famagusta’s archaeological record suggests the area still harbors layers of undiscovered historical richness.

The discovery occurred on June 21, after the Department of Antiquities and Museums in occupied Cyprus responded to a report of road collapse along the main access route to the port. Preliminary investigations revealed that the subsidence was caused by the collapse of the roof of an ancient subterranean tomb.

A Hellenistic Tomb Revealed

Fragments of gold leaf. Photo: Department of Antiquities and Museums of occupied Cyprus

Excavations began on June 23, unveiling a rock-cut burial chamber with three carved funeral beds. The tomb’s entrance had originally been sealed with large stone blocks, a typical practice of the time.

Experts have dated the tomb to the Hellenistic period based on its architecture and the artifacts found inside. Among the most notable discoveries:

• Terracotta cups

• A lagynos (a wine vessel)

• Perfume containers (unguentaria)

• Glass flasks

• Bronze coins and pins

• Fragments of gold leaf

Human skeletal remains were also found within the tomb, offering further clues about ancient burial customs.

Cultural Significance and Preservation

According to Emine Emel Ziba, head of the Department of Antiquities and Museums in occupied Cyprus, conservation and documentation of the finds will begin immediately before they are transferred to local museum exhibitions.

The site is now under strict security provided by the Port Authority of occupied Famagusta, ensuring the safety of both the archaeological team and the cultural heritage uncovered.

This discovery promises to shed new light on funerary practices and the material culture of ancient Cyprus during a time when Hellenistic influence was at its peak in the region.

How the Sahara Desert Feeds the Amazon Rainforest—and Reminds Us of a Greener Past

At first glance, the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Rainforest couldn’t be more different. One is the world’s largest hot desert—dry, sun-scorched, and vast. The other is the planet’s largest tropical rainforest—humid, dense, and teeming with life. Yet, in a remarkable twist of planetary interconnectedness, the survival of the Amazon depends on the Sahara.

A Dusty Lifeline Across the Atlantic

Each year, powerful winds sweep across North Africa, lifting millions of tons of dust from the Sahara and carrying it across the Atlantic Ocean to South America. Much of this dust originates from the Bodélé Depression, an ancient lake bed in Chad that is rich in nutrients—especially phosphorus, an essential element for plant growth.

When this mineral-rich dust settles over the Amazon, it replenishes the rainforest’s nutrient-poor soil, sustaining its lush vegetation and extraordinary biodiversity. Without this annual delivery of Saharan dust, the Amazon would struggle to maintain its ecological balance.

It’s an awe-inspiring example of Earth’s systems in harmony: a barren desert helping fuel one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth.

When the Sahara Was Green

But the story doesn’t end there. The Sahara hasn’t always been a vast sea of sand. Just 6,000 years ago, during what scientists call the African Humid Period, this same region was a lush, green landscape filled with rivers, lakes, and grasslands.

This “Green Sahara” supported an abundance of wildlife—hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and even human communities that hunted, fished, and farmed the fertile terrain. Evidence of this vibrant past is still visible today in ancient rock art, depicting scenes of swimming, dancing, and herding cattle—a far cry from today’s arid silence.

This verdant phase was driven by a natural shift in Earth’s orbit, which increased monsoon rainfall across North Africa. But around 4,000 BCE, the climate shifted again. Rainfall diminished, the land dried out, and over time, the Sahara transformed into the desert we know today.

A Global Web of Connection

The story of the Sahara and the Amazon is more than just a meteorological curiosity—it’s a powerful reminder of how deeply interconnected Earth’s ecosystems truly are. What happens in one part of the world can profoundly affect life thousands of miles away.

It also serves as a reflection on change. Just as the Sahara transformed from green paradise to desert, the Amazon faces pressures from deforestation and climate change that could alter its future. Understanding these long-range connections and Earth’s dynamic past is key to protecting the fragile balance of today’s environment.

From Sand to Soil, a Story of Survival

Every grain of dust drifting from the Sahara to the Amazon tells a story millions of years in the making. It speaks of ancient lakes, shifting climates, and the invisible threads that bind ecosystems together.

In the end, the world’s largest rainforest owes its vitality to the world’s largest desert—a stunning testament to Earth’s endless capacity for surprise, connection, and renewal.

How 1,280 Ancestors Nearly Disappeared 800,000 Years Ago

A groundbreaking DNA study has revealed a startling chapter in the story of human evolution: approximately 800,000 years ago, our ancestors teetered on the brink of extinction. According to genetic evidence, early human populations dwindled to as few as 1,280 individuals, marking a dramatic population bottleneck that lasted for nearly 117,000 years.

This astonishing discovery sheds new light on the fragility of our species' origins—and the resilience that allowed us to survive and thrive against all odds.

A Close Brush with Extinction

Using advanced computational models to analyze genetic data from modern populations, researchers identified a sharp decline in ancestral human numbers during the mid-Pleistocene epoch. The reason? Scientists suspect drastic climate change played a major role.

During this period, Earth experienced a significant cooling trend, causing glaciations and altering global ecosystems. These environmental upheavals may have reduced food sources, fragmented habitats, and created harsh survival conditions for early humans, leading to a catastrophic drop in population size.

Just 1,280 Survivors

The study estimates that humanity’s ancestral population hovered at around 1,280 breeding individuals for over 100,000 years. In evolutionary terms, this is considered an extremely small gene pool—so small, in fact, that it threatened our long-term survival.

Yet from this tiny remnant, the human species eventually recovered. These few thousand individuals were the genetic founders of all modern humans. Our collective ancestry—every culture, every civilization, every person alive today—traces back to them.

Echoes in Our DNA

This bottleneck left a genetic signature that researchers can still detect today. It also helps explain some puzzling gaps in the fossil record, as the population collapse may have contributed to the disappearance of ancient hominin species and cultural transitions during that era.

More importantly, it emphasizes the critical role that climate and environment have played in shaping human evolution. It serves as a stark reminder of how vulnerable even the most adaptable species can be in the face of global ecological shifts.

A Legacy of Survival

The survival of our species through this evolutionary bottleneck is a testament to human adaptability, cooperation, and endurance. Against formidable odds, our ancestors navigated a period of intense adversity—and laid the genetic foundation for every human being alive today.

As modern climate change increasingly affects ecosystems and species around the world, this ancient story of near-extinction resonates more than ever. Understanding our past may be the key to securing our future.

Pompeii’s 2,000-Year-Old ‘Perfume Garden’ Reblooms After Stunning Restoration

In a vivid revival of ancient beauty, archaeologists have restored a once-forgotten garden in the ruins of Pompeii—a space believed to have once belonged to a perfumer. Now flourishing with thousands of roses, violets, cherry trees, vines, and other aromatic plants, the so-called Garden of Hercules offers a fragrant glimpse into the botanical artistry of the ancient Roman world.

The restored garden, located within the ruins of a house thought to be linked to perfume production, reflects discoveries first made in the 1950s by botanist Wilhelmina Jashemski. Her pioneering work in identifying pollen, spores, and plant remains helped confirm that Pompeii was not just a city of stone, but one rich in cultivated green spaces.

“Pompeii was full of gardens, and they are key to understanding the daily life of the city,” says Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, in a statement to The Times (UK).

A Scented Glimpse Into the Past

Named after a statue of the mythological hero Hercules found at the site, the Garden of Hercules dates back to the 3rd century B.C.E. Archaeologists believe it may have been part of a small perfumery. Previous excavations uncovered tiny glass and terracotta vessels likely used to store floral ointments and fragrances.

Though modest in size—less than 1,000 square feet—the garden boasts remarkable features. Researchers uncovered the remains of ancient trellises, traces of olive trees, and a sophisticated irrigation system. Water was channeled into the garden through a hole in the wall, likely poured by enslaved workers from outside. Channels directed the water to planting beds, while large buried clay jars, or dolia, stored extra water for later use.

“If a plant needed more water, gardeners could draw it directly from the dolia,” explains garden historian Maurizio Bartolini, who oversaw the restoration.

Perfume and Daily Life in Ancient Pompeii

Bartolini believes the garden’s owner may have cultivated flowers to experiment with fragrances. While the space was likely too small for large-scale perfume production—requiring up to 2,000 roses for just a teaspoon of essence—it might have served as a test garden for scent creation.

“The perfume wouldn’t have lasted long,” Bartolini notes. “The scent faded quickly, so you had to wear it within a week.”

This restored garden is part of a broader effort to present Pompeii not just as a city frozen in volcanic ash, but as a vibrant community with orchards, vineyards, and perfumed courtyards. Over 400 orchards and vegetable gardens have been identified in Pompeii, with signs of agricultural activity found in preserved furrows, roots, seeds, and irrigation systems.

Today, visitors can stroll through the reborn Garden of Hercules beneath shaded alcoves, surrounded by the colors and scents of ancient flora. It’s a rare opportunity to experience the sensual, fragrant world that once thrived in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.

Ancient Worms Awaken: 46,000-Year-Old Nematodes Revived from Siberian Permafrost

In a discovery that sounds more like science fiction than reality, Russian scientists have successfully revived two microscopic nematodes—tiny roundworms—trapped in the icy grip of Siberian permafrost for tens of thousands of years. One of these resilient creatures is estimated to be around 32,000 years old, while the other dates back a staggering 41,700 to 46,000 years.

After carefully thawing the frozen specimens in laboratory conditions, researchers were astonished to see the ancient nematodes spring back to life. They began moving, eating, and even reproducing, despite being in suspended animation for millennia. This remarkable revival is attributed to a survival mechanism known as cryptobiosis, a state in which an organism’s metabolism nearly halts, allowing it to endure extreme environmental conditions—including the freezing, nutrient-scarce depths of permafrost.

The worm was found in the Siberian permafrost. - Shatilovich et al, 2023, PLOS Genetics, CC-BY 4.0

A Window into Life’s Limits

The implications of this discovery stretch far beyond curiosity. It demonstrates that complex multicellular life can survive for unprecedented time spans in suspended animation. For scientists, this opens new doors in several fields:

• Cryobiology: Understanding how these nematodes survive and revive after tens of thousands of years could inform advances in long-term organ preservation, human cryopreservation, and even cancer research.

• Space Exploration: If life can endure for tens of millennia in a frozen, oxygen-poor state, similar mechanisms could help us understand how extraterrestrial organisms might survive on icy moons like Europa or beneath the Martian surface.

• Astrobiology: These ancient nematodes provide a real-world example of how life might persist beyond Earth, strengthening the argument that life could exist—and even thrive—in extreme environments across the cosmos.

Earth’s Timeless Survivors

Nematodes are among Earth’s most enduring life forms, found in soil, oceans, and even deep beneath the planet's surface. Their ability to enter cryptobiosis has long been known, but this discovery pushes the boundaries of what scientists thought was biologically possible. Surviving for over 40,000 years without water, food, or oxygen demonstrates a kind of biological resilience that could one day inspire new technologies or strategies for surviving hostile environments.

As permafrost continues to thaw due to climate change, scientists anticipate uncovering more ancient life forms—and perhaps even entirely new species. These findings not only reshape our understanding of life on Earth but also challenge our imagination about where and how life can exist in the universe.

She Prayed to This Statue for Four Years—Then Someone Told Her It Was Shrek

Woman in the Philippines Mistakenly Prays to Shrek Statue for Four Years, Believing It to Be a Symbol of Buddha

A heartfelt story of devotion and mistaken identity reveals the power of sincere faith

In a touching and widely shared story from the Philippines, a woman unknowingly spent four years praying to a statue of the animated character Shrek, mistaking it for a representation of the Laughing Buddha. Her experience, while humorous to some, also offers a poignant reflection on the sincerity of belief and the personal nature of spiritual practice.

The woman, whose identity remains private, reportedly purchased the green figurine from a local souvenir shop. The statue's cheerful expression, large belly, and seated posture bore a resemblance to Budai, a figure commonly referred to as the Laughing Buddha in East Asian cultures. Budai is widely respected as a symbol of happiness, contentment, and abundance.

Moved by these associations, the woman placed the figure on her home altar and began a daily devotional routine that lasted for years. She offered prayers, sought guidance, and found comfort in her rituals. It wasn’t until a friend visited her home that the true identity of the statue was revealed: it was Shrek, the fictional ogre from the beloved DreamWorks film series.

Rather than reacting with shame or embarrassment, the woman reportedly responded with grace and laughter. She recognized the innocent mistake and embraced the memory as a meaningful part of her spiritual journey. Her story has since resonated online, sparking a mix of humor, admiration, and thoughtful discussion.

Many social media users praised her open-heartedness and shared their reflections on the nature of faith. One comment summed up the sentiment well: "True devotion comes from the heart. It's the intention behind the prayer, not just the form, that holds power."

This story highlights how spiritual practice can be deeply personal. Symbols and statues serve as reminders and focal points for our inner intentions, but it is our sincerity that ultimately defines the experience. In various faith traditions, including Buddhism, the emphasis often lies not on the external object, but on cultivating qualities such as compassion, mindfulness, and humility.

The incident also calls attention to the presence of novelty statues and mass-produced figurines in global marketplaces. While they may resemble religious icons, their origins are not always spiritual. It’s a reminder for all of us to be mindful of the symbols we bring into sacred spaces.

At its heart, this story is not about error, but about the resilience and authenticity of faith. Whether praying before a revered icon or, unknowingly, to a cartoon character, the woman’s devotion was real. Her prayers came from a place of sincerity, and in that, there is a kind of quiet beauty.

And perhaps, in his own unexpected way, Shrek became a silent witness to the strength of belief.

Discovery of Monumental Burial Urns in the Amazon Sheds Light on a Previously Unknown Indigenous Tradition

In a significant archaeological breakthrough, researchers working in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon have uncovered a series of unusually large funerary urns that may point to an unknown cultural tradition among Indigenous communities in the region. The discovery was made beneath a fallen tree on the banks of Lago do Coelho, situated in the floodplain area of Fonte Boa in the Upper Solimões River region.

The urns, crafted from ceramic, were buried approximately 40 centimeters below the surface and are believed to have been placed beneath ancient Indigenous dwellings. Notably, two of the urns are of exceptional size, unlike anything previously recorded in Amazonian archaeology. Their scale and context suggest complex funerary practices and a potential cultural tradition that has yet to be fully understood.

A Community-Led Discovery and Challenging Excavation

The initial discovery was made by Walfredo Cerqueira, a local fisherman, whose observations prompted archaeologists from the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development (IDSM) to investigate the site. Given the area's seasonal flooding, the excavation team had to overcome significant logistical challenges. A three-meter-high wooden platform was constructed to facilitate the work, marking a pioneering approach for excavations in Amazonian floodplain environments.

Human Remains and Symbolic Offerings

The two largest urns contained human skeletal fragments, accompanied by the remains of fish, turtles, and frogs. Archaeologists interpret these faunal inclusions as part of a complex funerary ritual, possibly involving food offerings for the deceased. Additional urns recovered from the site contained organic remains such as seeds, suggesting broader ritual or symbolic significance.

Curiously, none of the urns were found with ceramic lids, a common feature in Amazonian funerary traditions. Experts believe that perishable materials, likely of organic origin, once covered the urns but have since decomposed.

Unprecedented Ceramic Styles

Laboratory analysis of the ceramic materials has revealed unexpected variations in clay composition and decorative techniques. The presence of greenish clay, alongside red slips and painted bands, distinguishes these urns from the well-documented Amazon Polychrome Tradition, a dominant artistic style across pre-Columbian Amazonia.

This deviation from known ceramic traditions suggests the urns may represent the material culture of a previously unidentified Indigenous group in the Upper Solimões region. The stylistic and technological uniqueness of the pottery raises new questions regarding the diversity and complexity of pre-Columbian societies in the Amazon basin.

Rethinking Amazonian Settlement Patterns

Beyond the urns themselves, the site provides critical evidence challenging longstanding assumptions about habitation in the Amazon floodplains. The urns were buried in artificial mounds composed of soil and ceramic debris, reflecting sophisticated landscape modification. These findings indicate the presence of permanent, structured settlements in areas previously considered unsuitable for year-round habitation due to seasonal flooding.

Such engineering reflects advanced knowledge of environmental management and suggests that Indigenous communities constructed enduring settlements designed to cope with the challenging floodplain ecology.

Credit: Geórgea Holanda-Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (IDSM)

Preservation, Collaboration, and Cultural Heritage

The successful recovery and transport of the urns to the city of Tefé, involving a 10 to 12-hour canoe journey, was made possible through close cooperation between archaeologists and local community members. This partnership highlights the essential role of Indigenous knowledge and local stewardship in protecting and preserving the archaeological heritage of the Amazon.

The discovery marks an important step in reshaping our understanding of Amazonian prehistory, emphasizing the cultural diversity, technological sophistication, and ritual complexity of societies that thrived in one of the world’s most ecologically dynamic regions.

Malicious Magic in Antiquity: Roman-Era Curse Tablets and Their Biblical Reflections

Unearthed across the expanse of the Roman Empire, ancient curse tablets—thin lead sheets known as defixiones—provide chilling insight into the darker currents of everyday spiritual life between 500 BCE and 500 CE. These tablets, often inscribed with vindictive messages targeting thieves, adulterers, or rivals, were hidden in graves, sunk into springs, or placed near sacred sites to activate their supernatural intent.

💀 Ritual Through Malediction

Victims of personal grievances turned to these rites, sometimes even enclosing symbolic items—clay figurines pierced with nails, bits of bone—in a bid to amplify the curse. The belief was that as long as the tablet remained concealed, the curse remained potent; removing it rendered the spell powerless. Pegged as legally forbidden under Roman statutes, the prevalence of over 1,700 tablets found from Rome to Britain attests to the ubiquity of these rituals among ordinary people and soldiers alike.

📜 Biblical Mirrors: Revelation as Reversal

Professor Michael Hölscher of Ruhr University Bochum argues that the Book of Revelation—written in Roman Asia Minor—deliberately echoes these curse rituals in its apocalyptic symbolism. In Revelation 13, for instance, the beast has blasphemous names inscribed on its heads, mirroring the personalized curses carved into tablets. Revelation 18’s angel casting a massive stone into the sea, pronouncing the downfall of Babylon, is interpreted as a divine inversion of the curse-spell method of submerging tablets in water.

In this reading, early Christians took an illicit Roman rite—cursing—and reimagined it as divine justice against oppressive regimes, reclaiming the power of words and symbols for moral ends.

🗣️ Language, Power and Ethics

Hölscher emphasizes that these rituals highlight the dynamism of ancient belief systems. Magic was not only about malevolence or vengeance; it was deeply wrapped in societal norms of justice, religion, and authority. The Bible itself includes instances where language is used to curse—such as Jesus withering the fig tree—challenging us today on the moral boundaries of speech: when does a prayer become a curse?

By comparing cursed tablets with biblical passages, the study uncovers how spiritual tools were contested and contextualized within competing ideologies—Roman magic versus Christian theology.

🔍 Broader Significance

• Everyday Religion: Far from elite or occult, magical curses were woven into daily life and conflict resolution for thousands of Romans .

• Ritual Symbolism: Depositing objects in water or graves symbolized banishment—an act later repurposed by early Christians in theological narrative .

• Language and Authority: The transformation of cursing into prophetic pronouncement reveals a contested arena of spiritual legitimacy—who had the right to speak divine judgment?

• Continuity and Inversion: Christianity engaged directly with existing traditions, subverting them—turning tools of personal vengeance into instruments of cosmic justice.

This analysis illuminates how dark ritual practices did not disappear but were reframed into the moral and literary structures that shaped early Christianity. Their study offers a revealing window into how spiritual technologies migrate and transform across ideological landscapes.

Roman Frescoes Reborn: Archaeologist Reassembles 2,000‑Year‑Old Masterpiece from Thousands of Fragments

In London’s Southwark district—on the future site of the “Liberty” development—a monumental archaeological undertaking is underway. What seemed initially like a chaotic mound of demolition rubble from around AD 200 has been meticulously transformed into a breathtaking reconstruction of Roman frescoes. Experts at the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) have painstakingly pieced together paintings from thousands of fragile plaster fragments, coming from at least 20 different wall panels.

🧩 A Herculean Puzzle

Senior specialist Han Li describes the task as “like solving the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle—with no box, missing edges, and pieces from multiple images mixed together”. Each fragment, often smaller than a palm, required delicate handling and expert scrutiny.

Science Meets Artistry

Advanced lighting and digital mapping helped distinguish fragments by brushstroke, pigment composition, and texture—enabling Li’s team to reconstruct motifs of birds, candelabras, fruit, lyres, and vibrant yellow panels. The bright yellow hue, rare in Roman Britain, and imitations of exotic stones such as red porphyry (from Egypt) and giallo antico (from North Africa), suggest the frescoes were commissioned by a wealthy patron.

Traces of the Artist and Ancient Hands

Among the fragments, a decorative tabula ansata bears the Latin word FECIT (“has made this”), marking possibly the earliest-known artist's signature discovered in Roman Britain—though the actual name is lost. Additionally, faint etchings include the Greek alphabet—likely used as a guide—and a sketched woman in tears, offering rare glimpses into the painter's creative process.

Beyond Decoration: A Cultural Snapshot

This project transcends mere artifact recovery—it's a recreation of a cultural masterpiece. The frescoes originated in a high‑status Roman villa or perhaps an elite commercial space in Londinium, often compared to the “Beverly Hills of Roman London”. The scale of this reconstruction—one of the largest collections of Roman wall plaster ever reassembled in Britain—is truly unprecedented.

What Lies Ahead

MOLA plans to release a detailed reconstruction report and hopes to exhibit the restored artworks to the public. Backed by developers Landsec, Transport for London, and Southwark Council, this project not only preserves historical art but revives it.

Also, here’s a fascinating video detailing the reconstruction process:

Key Takeaways:

• Immense Reconstruction Effort: Over months, experts reassembled fragments from 20+ walls—some no larger than a human palm.

• Evidence of Luxury: Exotic pigments and elaborate motifs indicate an affluent patronage.

• Human Touch: Graffiti, planning sketches, and the artist’s “fecit” mark bring unexpected personality to 2,000-year-old frescoes.

• A Cultural Renaissance: This project revives not just images, but the creative practices and aesthetic choices of Roman Londinium.

Elite Viking Family Tombs Discovered in Denmark Hint at Ties to King Harald Bluetooth

A remarkable archaeological find near Aarhus, Denmark, has brought to light approximately 30 Viking-era graves that may belong to a powerful aristocratic family, potentially connected to the court of King Harald Bluetooth—the 10th-century monarch who unified Denmark and Norway.

Found at a construction site in Lisbjerg, just north of modern Aarhus, the cemetery dates to the late 900s. Excavations by Moesgaard Museum experts revealed a lavish assortment of burial gifts—including coins, ceramic vessels, glass beads, and other luxury items—signaling that those interred were of elevated social status and engaged in far-reaching trade networks.

Signs of High Rank and Royal Affiliation

Archaeologist Liv Stidsing Reher‑Langberg described the assemblage as “quite special,” noting the variety in grave opulence. The disparities suggest a nuanced social structure—perhaps the remains of a ruling household, including both family and enslaved individuals.
Crucially, a fortified noble farm discovered nearby in the 1980s likely belonged to an aristocrat—possibly an earl or steward serving under King Harald Bluetooth.

The Rare and Splendid Casket

🔍 Significance & Outlook

• Power and Politics: The tombs reflect a structured, hierarchical community, likely ruled by a local chieftain operating just below royal authority.

• Women’s Roles: The ornate female burial suggests noblewomen held both material wealth and cultural significance.

• Connectivity: Exotic goods in the graves reinforce the idea of the Viking world as a dynamic nexus of trade and exchange.

• Historical Impact: These findings deepen our understanding of King Harald Bluetooth’s reign and the socio-political entanglements between his court and regional elites.

This discovery at Lisbjerg enriches the narrative of Viking society—infusing it with evidence of regional elites who were deeply connected to royal dynasties, spiritual traditions, and expansive trade networks.

How the Neanderthals Disappeared: A New and Controversial Theory

A fresh — and quite radical — theory has reignited the long-running scientific debate over what led to the disappearance of the Neanderthals. Agnit Mukhopadhyay, a physicist at the University of Michigan, suggests that the end of the Neanderthals may have been triggered by a dramatic geomagnetic event about 41,000 years ago, which exposed Earth to intense cosmic and ultraviolet radiation.

Mukhopadhyay’s hypothesis, recently published in Science Advances, is based on 3D models reconstructing Earth’s geospace environment during what’s known as the Laschamp event — a brief reversal of Earth’s magnetic poles that significantly weakened the planet’s magnetic shield. According to his research, this weakening allowed harmful radiation to reach the surface, creating an especially hostile environment for the Neanderthals.

In this scenario, Homo sapiens are thought to have had a crucial survival advantage. Mukhopadhyay argues that the use of tightly fitting clothing, ochre as a sunblock, and regular sheltering in caves likely gave modern humans a protective edge. Neanderthals, lacking comparable measures, may have succumbed to the harsher conditions.

However, this interpretation has drawn sharp criticism from the scientific community. Many researchers point out that it oversimplifies a highly complex topic. While it’s true that no direct evidence of Neanderthal clothing has survived, that doesn’t mean they didn’t wear clothes. In fact, there is strong archaeological evidence of hide processing with specialized tools, clearly suggesting they crafted basic garments. Surviving in Ice Age Europe without clothing would have been virtually impossible.

Ochre use, too, was not exclusive to Homo sapiens. Ample evidence shows that Neanderthals also used ochre for various purposes — symbolic, decorative, medicinal, or even as an insect repellent. One striking example is a perforated scallop shell from Cueva Antón in Spain, stained with ochre and attributed to Neanderthal craftsmanship.

Mukhopadhyay’s theory also argues that Neanderthals were at a disadvantage because they lacked long-range hunting technology, unlike modern humans who developed stone-tipped projectiles. While it’s true that technological innovation was a significant advantage for Homo sapiens, it alone cannot fully account for the disappearance of the Neanderthals.

In fact, genetic evidence indicates that Neanderthals didn’t vanish entirely — they were gradually absorbed into the Homo sapiens gene pool through interbreeding. The numerical superiority of modern humans likely played a decisive role in this integration.

Crucially, Mukhopadhyay’s hypothesis lacks strong archaeological support. There is no evidence of a sudden demographic collapse of Neanderthal populations during the Laschamp event, nor is there proof of mass extinctions among other human or animal species at that time. If increased solar radiation had been such a decisive factor, we would expect to see similar effects among Homo sapiens living in warmer parts of Africa — yet no such impact is evident.

The disappearance of the Neanderthals remains a puzzle that demands a multifaceted approach, combining archaeological, paleoanthropological, and genetic insights. They were not simply victims of natural disasters or technological inferiority. On the contrary, they were a culturally sophisticated species, highly adaptable, who endured dramatic climate shifts and magnetic anomalies, including the Blake event 120,000 years ago.

The idea that a pole reversal wiped out the Neanderthals is certainly an intriguing narrative, but it does not stand up to scrutiny. More likely, their story did not end in abrupt extinction — it lives on today, woven into our own.

Ancient Stone Tools from South African Cave Reveal Life at the Edge of the Ice Age

When we think of the last Ice Age — roughly 26,000 to 19,000 years ago — we often picture vast sheets of ice blanketing Europe and North America. But far to the south, in what is now coastal South Africa, a very different but equally dramatic landscape was taking shape.

As global sea levels fell by up to 125 meters, enormous stretches of the continental shelf emerged from the sea, creating the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain — an expansive grassland teeming with life, much like today’s Serengeti. This lost world supported large herds of animals and the hunter-gatherer communities who relied on them for survival.

Now, thanks to ongoing excavations at Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1, perched 23 meters above today’s sea level along South Africa’s southern coast, we have an unprecedented glimpse into how humans adapted to this changing world at the close of the Ice Age.

A window into a changing world

Led by Dr. Naomi Cleghorn from the University of Texas, excavations at Knysna began in 2014 and have revealed that people used the cave repeatedly over the past 48,000 years. During the Ice Age, the coastline lay some 75 kilometers further out to sea — where the vast Palaeo-Agulhas Plain stretched to the horizon.

When sea levels dropped and the climate cooled, people who once foraged for shellfish turned their attention inland, relying more on hunting and land-based resources.

In a recent study, my colleagues and I examined stone tools from this site dating to around 19,000–18,000 years ago. These tools tell a story not only of survival but of innovation, learning, and connection among communities spread across southern Africa.

The Robberg tradition

The tools we found belong to what archaeologists call the Robberg Industry — one of southern Africa’s most distinctive Ice Age technologies. These small, sharp stone bladelets were likely parts of composite hunting weapons, such as barbed arrow tips used to bring down migrating game on the grassy plains below.

The Robberg toolkit appears across South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, showing that people were sharing ideas and techniques across vast distances — much like how knowledge spreads today.

Most of the Knysna tools were crafted from locally available quartz, prized for its sharp edges despite its tendency to fracture unpredictably. Intriguingly, some tools were made from silcrete — a material that had to be heat-treated to improve its flaking quality. This indicates sophisticated craftsmanship: heat-treating silcrete for toolmaking is a skill South Africans have mastered since at least 164,000 years ago.

However, silcrete isn’t found near Knysna. The closest sources are in the Outeniqua Mountains, over 50 kilometers inland. Whether the cave’s occupants traveled these distances themselves or traded with other groups remains an open question.

A temporary Ice Age camp?

Compared to other sites, Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1 holds relatively fewer tools in the younger layers, suggesting that people may have used the cave as a short-term shelter rather than a permanent home during the harshest Ice Age conditions.

Did they stop here while tracking game herds across the plains? Or gather here seasonally to share food, stories, and knowledge? Stone tools alone can’t answer all our questions, but they are invaluable pieces of the puzzle.

Echoes of humanity’s deep past

What’s clear is that Ice Age humans were not so different from us. They used complex tools, shared skills over great distances, made art and music, and connected with other communities — even as glaciers dominated far-off continents.

Sites like Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1 remind us that our human story is one of resilience, innovation, and connection that stretches back tens of thousands of years.

Peru Gas Workers Uncover 1,000-Year-Old Mummy in Lima

A team of Peruvian gas workers has stumbled upon an ancient burial while laying pipes in Lima — unearthing the remarkably preserved mummy of a young boy believed to be over 1,000 years old.

The discovery was made earlier this week in the Puente Piedra district, a bustling neighborhood in northern Lima. According to Jesús Bahamonde, scientific coordinator for Calidda, the gas company overseeing the project, workers first encountered the trunk of a huarango tree — a native species once used by ancient cultures as a tomb marker — buried just half a meter below the surface.

At a depth of 1.2 meters, the team uncovered the mummified remains of a boy estimated to be between 10 and 15 years old. The burial is thought to date from between 1000 and 1200 CE.

“The remains were found in a seated position, with arms and legs bent, wrapped in a funerary shroud alongside calabash gourds,” Bahamonde said. Ceramic plates, bottles, and jugs decorated with geometric motifs and depictions of fishermen were also found beside the mummy.

Archaeologists have identified the burial as belonging to the pre-Inca Chancay culture, which flourished along Peru’s central coast from the 11th to the 15th centuries.

In Peru, utility companies are required to employ archaeologists when digging in urban areas due to the country’s rich buried heritage. Since 2004, Calidda alone has reported more than 2,200 archaeological finds.

Lima, once a hub for various ancient cultures long before the rise of the Inca Empire, is home to over 500 registered archaeological sites, including dozens of ancient cemeteries known as huacas in the Indigenous Quechua language.

This latest find is another reminder that beneath Peru’s modern capital lie countless hidden chapters of its deep past, waiting to be uncovered — sometimes by the most unexpected of digs.

Ancient Tel Dan Sanctuary Sheds New Light on Phoenician Ritual Bathing Traditions

A newly published study by Dr. Levana Tsfania-Zias in the journal Levant has unveiled fascinating insights into how ancient Phoenicians may have incorporated ritual bathing into their religious practices at the sacred sanctuary of Tel Dan — a site that flourished for nearly 500 years.

A Sanctuary on the Edge of the Jordan

Tel Dan, perched atop a massive Middle Bronze Age rampart about 12 kilometers from modern Qiryat Shemona in northern Israel, has long intrigued archaeologists. First excavated by Avraham Biran from 1969 to 1994 and later by David Ilan and Yifat Thareani for the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, the site has yielded clues about ritual life stretching from the Hellenistic to the Roman periods.

At its heart stands a temple with a rectangular plan: an entrance porch, a central cella (main worship hall), and an adyton (the most sacred inner chamber).

During a 1976 excavation season, a carved limestone slab inscribed in Greek and Aramaic was unearthed. It reads: “To the God who is in Dan, Zoilos made a vow. In Dan(?) a vow of Zilas to God.” While scholars still debate the deity’s identity — some linking it to the Israelite god, others to an unknown local divinity — it is clear that worship here involved acts of ritual cleansing, a hallmark of Phoenician and wider Near Eastern religious traditions.

Ritual Bathing: A Rare Glimpse into Phoenician Purity Rites

After the Seleucid conquest and the destruction of the original temple, a new sanctuary rose on the same site. This iteration included a carefully designed bathing unit: a two-part space consisting of a yellow-plastered dressing area and a blue-plastered basin room.

Interestingly, the basin was too small for full immersion and lacked heating features like a hypocaust, suggesting that priests performed cold water ablutions while standing. The unit’s discrete entrance, which bypassed the public porch and led directly into the cella, supports the idea that it was reserved for the temple’s priestly elite rather than ordinary worshipers.

However, centuries later — during the Middle to Late Roman period (late 1st to early 4th centuries CE) — the temple’s function evolved. A new “Fountain House” was added, transforming the site into a place of pilgrimage. Pilgrims could now perform ritual washing before entering the sacred space. Excavations revealed plain local clay vessels, likely purchased by visitors for these purification rites and intentionally broken afterward — a practice also echoed in biblical traditions.

A Local Sanctuary with Wider Reach

Dr. Tsfania-Zias emphasizes the dual character of the Tel Dan sanctuary: “I believe it primarily served the local community,” she says. “However, the discovery of imported ceramics and the inscribed dedication suggest it also drew worshipers from farther afield.”

While this study sheds new light on local ritual purity customs, many questions remain unanswered. How did these practices compare to bathing traditions at other Phoenician sites where specific gods are known? For now, Dr. Tsfania-Zias notes, “We have a gap in the comparative data. Future excavations in Area T may help us learn more about the beliefs and daily practices of the community that worshiped here.”

Tel Dan continues to stand as a vital window into the intertwined worlds of ritual, identity, and sacred space in the ancient Near East.

Proposed reconstruction of the ritual bathing unit in the Tel Dan sacred precinct. Credit: D. Porotsky; courtesy the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology, Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem

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Ice Age Shelter High in Australia’s Blue Mountains Reveals 20,000 Years of Aboriginal Heritage

High in the rugged ridges of the Blue Mountains, archaeologists have uncovered remarkable evidence that Aboriginal people not only traversed but lived in this icy high-altitude country during the last Ice Age — more than 20,000 years ago.

Perched at 1,073 meters above sea level, Dargan Shelter is a dramatic rock alcove that once overlooked treeless, snow-swept slopes. At first glance, the harsh, frozen landscape might seem inhospitable. Yet new findings, published in Nature Human Behaviour, reveal that this site was a vital refuge — visited and inhabited again and again during the Pleistocene cold snap.

Australia’s Oldest High-Altitude Human Occupation

Our excavations at Dargan Shelter provide the earliest known evidence of people living at high elevations anywhere in Australia, cementing the Blue Mountains as the continent’s most archaeologically significant periglacial (seasonally frozen) environment.

This Country holds deep cultural significance for Aboriginal communities, woven with stories and ancestral ties handed down through countless generations. As we worked at the site, we remained mindful that we were not just uncovering stone and soil — we were sitting with our Ancestors, continuing an unbroken relationship with this land.

Before digging began, a lyrebird song and dance ceremony was held to pay respects. In a moment that felt like a bridge between worlds, real lyrebirds gathered at the cave’s entrance, their calls echoing through the shelter as if singing in answer to the past.

A Critical Stop on Ancient Pathways

Dargan Shelter sits along a known Aboriginal traveling route through the high country. Deep, undisturbed sediment layers preserved cultural objects exactly where ancient hands left them, allowing us to trace human movement and life through time.

Inside, we unearthed 693 stone artifacts — with 117 flakes dating back more than 16,000 years — and faint rock art, including a child-sized hand stencil and two forearm prints. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal hearths shows continuous use of the shelter between 22,000 and 19,000 years ago.

Most stone tools were crafted from local rock, but some originated as far away as the Jenolan Caves (50 km southwest) and the Hunter Valley (150 km north). This suggests that people journeyed from distant lands, gathering here for trade, ceremony, or shelter during seasonal travel.

Among the remarkable finds:

• A sandstone grinding slab, dated to 13,000 years ago, likely used to shape bone or wooden tools such as awls or nose points.

• A basalt anvil, bearing the marks of cracking tough seeds and nuts, dated to about 8,800 years ago.

A World Heritage Landscape of Living Culture

While the Greater Blue Mountains were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000 for their rich biodiversity, a parallel bid to list the area for its cultural significance fell short due to limited archaeological evidence.

This new research strengthens the case for acknowledging the region’s cultural heritage alongside its natural wonders. The Blue Mountains are far more than dramatic cliffs and eucalyptus forests — they are living Country, a testament to the resilience, knowledge, and traditions of Aboriginal people who have thrived here for millennia.

A Global Chapter in the Ice Age Story

This discovery places Australia alongside other parts of the world where humans adapted to high-altitude, cold-climate living during the last Ice Age — from mountain sites in Mexico to ancient refuges in Spain.

As new layers of evidence emerge, Aboriginal communities connected to the Blue Mountains gain opportunities to reclaim and strengthen cultural knowledge, weaving back stories and histories once disrupted by colonization.

Each artifact, each hand stencil, and each hearth we uncover deepens our understanding of how people endured, adapted, and celebrated life in this dramatic high country. Protecting and respecting these places ensures that this story — our story — remains strong for future generations.

Unique Ancient Lotus-Shaped Stone Pool Complex Unearthed in Astara, Azerbaijan

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable ancient stone pool complex, ingeniously shaped like a lotus flower, within the historic Alishah fortress in Azerbaijan’s Astara district.

According to Caliber.Az, the discovery dates back to between the 1st century BCE and the 3rd century CE, making it an exceptionally rare find for the region. The National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (NAS) confirmed the breakthrough, following extensive excavations carried out by experts from the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The newly unearthed structure consists of interconnected stone pools arranged in a quatrefoil — or four-leaf clover — design, echoing the symbolic form of a lotus blossom. Such sophisticated water architecture is unprecedented in Azerbaijan and represents an invaluable addition to the nation’s archaeological record.

“This is the first complex of its kind discovered on Azerbaijani soil,” the Academy noted, highlighting its considerable scientific and historical significance.

Similar pool designs have so far been documented only among ancient civilizations of the Near East, Iran, and the Mediterranean. This unexpected find not only sheds light on ancient water management techniques in the South Caucasus but also suggests possible cultural exchanges with distant regions renowned for advanced hydraulic engineering.

Further studies are planned to examine the site in detail, with researchers hopeful that the discovery will deepen our understanding of the ancient settlements that once thrived in this part of Azerbaijan.

Stunning 12-Ton Assyrian Relief Unearthed in Iraq Reveals a Legendary King Among the Gods

Stunning 12-Ton Assyrian Relief Unearthed in Iraq Reveals a Legendary King Among the Gods

The king stands flanked by mighty deities and mythical guardians — a vivid testament to ancient Mesopotamia’s divine kingship.

Buried beneath centuries of earth in the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh, archaeologists from Heidelberg University have made one of the most remarkable discoveries in the region in decades: a massive stone relief measuring five meters long and weighing about 12 tons.

But it’s not just the sheer size that makes this find extraordinary — it’s who it depicts. Carved in stone stands Ashurbanipal, the last great king of the Assyrian Empire, flanked by the gods Ashur and Ishtar, powerful figures at the heart of Mesopotamian belief.

Behind them is a fish-cloaked figure — a so-called “fish genius” — believed to embody protection and life. Just beyond stands another enigmatic figure, arms lifted in a gesture that archaeologists interpret as prayer or invocation. This figure may have originally represented a scorpion-man, a mythic guardian of the divine realm in Mesopotamian lore.

“While Assyrian palaces are famed for their intricate reliefs, depictions of major deities have never been found until now,” says Aaron Schmitt, professor at Heidelberg University.

A Throne Room Like No Other

This monumental find is part of the Heidelberg Nineveh Project, a collaboration between Heidelberg University and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Since 2018, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Stefan Maul, the team has been working to uncover and understand layers of Nineveh’s lost grandeur. Schmitt’s excavation, begun in 2022, zeroes in on the heart of the palace — once the seat of one of the ancient world’s greatest empires.

At its peak, the Assyrian Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to Egypt, ruling through formidable military might, advanced bureaucracy, and lavish cultural expression. But by the late 7th century BCE, Nineveh lay in ruins, its palaces torched, its gods cast down. Rediscovered by British explorers in the late 19th century, its famed reliefs now fill the halls of the British Museum.

“The reason these fragments remained hidden is simple — they were buried under layers that 19th-century explorers never reached,” Schmitt explains.

This time, however, the relief will stay in Iraq. Plans are underway for the sculpture to be displayed locally, allowing the public to reconnect with this monumental chapter of their heritage.

Reassessing a Complex King

The discovery comes at a moment of renewed dedication to safeguarding Mesopotamia’s endangered archaeological legacy, threatened for decades by war, looting, and neglect.

It also breathes new life into the story of Ashurbanipal — a ruler remembered as both ruthless conqueror and enlightened patron of knowledge, famously credited with building the world’s first systematically organized library.

His portrayal alongside supreme gods is more than royal propaganda. Scholars believe it reflects the Assyrian idea that mortal rule and cosmic order were inseparable: the king’s authority was an extension of divine will.

A Window Into a Lost World

Aaron Schmidt.

As the fragments are unearthed and digitally reconstructed, researchers are piecing together every symbol, figure, and gesture to understand how ancient Assyrians saw themselves and their gods. A detailed 3D model is already underway, promising to bring this forgotten masterpiece back to life for a new generation.

In a time when so much of Mesopotamia’s heritage has been endangered or lost, this stunning relief offers not just a glimpse of a vanished empire — but a powerful reminder of humanity’s timeless urge to tell our stories in stone.

Pembrokeshire: Ancient Stone Circle Damaged by Vandals

A 4,000-year-old Bronze Age stone circle in the Preseli Hills has fallen victim to vandalism, prompting heightened surveillance at one of Pembrokeshire’s most treasured heritage sites.

The recent acts of illegal digging at Gors Fawr have caused serious damage around the base of several standing stones, sparking alarm among conservationists and heritage authorities. Costly specialist repairs are now required to stabilise and protect the monument.

Tomos Ll. Jones, Community Archaeologist for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, described the situation as deeply troubling:

“Gors Fawr is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected due to its national importance. This damage threatens the structural integrity of the stones and shows a profound disrespect for thousands of years of history. Damaging a Scheduled Monument is a criminal offence. Sites like Gors Fawr have stood since before written history — safeguarding them is not optional; it’s our shared duty.”

(PCNPA)

In response to the incident, surveillance measures have been stepped up to deter further damage and help bring those responsible to justice.

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Giant Ancient Walls and 450 Lead Projectiles Unearthed — Echoes of a Legendary Siege

A newly discovered stretch of ancient fortifications and relics from a legendary siege have confirmed dramatic episodes from the Punic Wars, according to archaeologists working in southern Italy.

In the town of Cupa, near Ugento at the southeastern tip of Italy, excavations have brought to light massive walls from the ancient city of Messapia, along with remnants of a brutal siege carried out by Roman forces. During the Second Punic War, in the late 3rd century BCE, Messapia sided with Hannibal, prompting Rome to lay siege to the rebellious city.

The excavation project, led by Dr. Giuseppe Scardozzi from the Laboratory of Archaeological Cartography at the CNR ISPC, ran from April 7 to June 6, 2025.

Researchers uncovered over 170 meters of ancient defensive walls, including a remarkably well-preserved corner bastion. In addition, more than 450 lead sling bullets and nine iron arrowheads were unearthed — clear evidence of Roman siege weaponry.

Findings confirm that the walls were initially constructed around the mid-4th century BCE and expanded decades later to reach an impressive width of about seven meters at their strongest points. The original fortifications consisted of a limestone and soil core, known as emplecton, flanked by two layers of dried limestone sandstone. In the early 3rd century BCE, with Rome’s growing power, an additional outer and inner layer reinforced the walls to strengthen the city’s defenses.

One of the arrowheads that was discovered (Photo: CNR Institute of Cultural Heritage Sciences SABAP LE).

The Best-Preserved Bastion and Surviving Sections
The best-preserved stretch lies between S. Francesco and Bolzano streets, featuring a bastion still standing at 1.80 meters tall. Another area near the junction with Giannuzzi Street preserves three to four rows of stone masonry.

Lead ‘Bullets’ and Ancient Catapults
Yet, these sturdy fortifications ultimately fell to Rome’s military might. Near the corner of the wall, archaeologists found a layer packed with lead sling bullets known as ghiande missili — literally “lead acorns” — which Roman troops used for short-range attacks. Among these were also arrowheads fired from “scorpios,” an early version of the catapult, indicating a heavy bombardment during the siege.

The Beginning of the End
The defeat of the Messapians, who allied with Hannibal, marked the beginning of the wall’s decline. By the 2nd century BCE, sections were systematically dismantled to repurpose the stones for new buildings — a practice that gradually reduced the once-formidable fortifications to a humble quarry. This reuse pattern, familiar from previous digs, was confirmed once more at Cupa, where clear signs of stone removal are visible on collapsed wall faces.

Combining Tradition and Cutting-Edge Technology
This project merges classic excavation techniques with advanced technologies. Geophysical surveys conducted in 2024 by Dr. Giovanni Leucci’s team at CNR-ISPC’s Geophysics Laboratory in Lecce guided the placement of trial trenches that ultimately revealed these remarkable finds.

One of the ancient Roman lead projectiles (Photo: CNR Institute of Cultural Heritage Sciences SABAP LE).

Unlocking New Clues to the Punic Wars
All materials are now under careful study and are expected to shed new light on this pivotal chapter of the Second Punic War — a conflict during which Rome relentlessly crushed rebellious cities across southern Italy, reshaping the balance of power in the entire Mediterranean.

While experts continue to analyze the artifacts, the Ugento city council, which renewed its research partnership with the CNR in February, is taking steps to turn the site into a museum and educational center dedicated to the war that transformed the ancient world.