A sword, made of bronze and estimated to be more than 3,000 years old, was unearthed in southern Germany in such a well-preserved state that it “almost still shines”, officials said. 
 
The Bavarian state office for the preservation of historical monuments (BLfD) stated that the newly-discovered sword, which is estimated to date back to the end of the 14th century BC, which is the middle phase of the bronze age, was discovered during excavations being conducted in Nordlingen, between Nuremberg and Stuttgart, last week. 
 
There is an octagonal hilt on the sword and it was found in a grave in which three people were buried in quick succession - a man, a woman and a boy - with bronze objects, stated the BLfD this week. The archaeologists are still not clear if the three people were related to each other or not, or if so how.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/incredibly-rare-roman-tomb-excavated-near-london-bridge-station-604086">'Incredibly rare' Roman tomb excavated near London Bridge station</a>

<h2>'A very rare find'</h2>

Head of the BLfD Prof Mathias Pfeil said: “The sword and the burial still need to be examined so that our archaeologists can categorise this find more precisely. But we can already say that the state of preservation is extraordinary. A find like this is very rare.” 
 
“It is unusual to find swords from the period, but they have emerged from burial mounds that were opened in the 19th century or as individual finds,” the BLfD stated. 
 
According to the translation of the statement release, the excavated item represents the bronze full-hilt swords (octagonal sword type) in which bronze has been used to make the entire octagonal hilt. 
 
As per a report published by LiveScience, archaeologists emphasised that the sword, which has been estimated to belong to the 14th century BC, is a rare find as discoveries made from this era and region are rare since people have looted many Middle Bronze Age graves over the millennia.

WATCH |&nbsp;Tipu Sultan's sword sold for $17.4mn | AI could kill Google &amp; Amazon: Bill Gates

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According to archaeologists, such octagonal swords can only be made by skilled smiths. There are two rivets over the handle which were cast over the blade using a technique known as overlay casting. 
 
“However, the blade doesn't have any visible cut marks or signs of wear, suggesting that it had a ceremonial or symbolic purpose,” as per the statement released. 
 
The experts have suggested that the sword must have easily served as an active weapon since the centre of gravity on the front end of the blade suggests that it could have slashed opponents effectively.

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A sword, made of bronze and estimated to be more than 3,000 years old, was unearthed in southern Germany in such a well-preserved state that it “almost still shines”, officials said.

A sword, made of bronze and estimated to be more than 3,000 years old, was unearthed in southern Germany in such a well-preserved state that it “almost still shines”, officials said. The Bavarian state office for the preservation of historical monuments (BLfD) stated that the newly-discovered sword, which is estimated to date back to the end of the 14th century BC, which is the middle phase of the bronze age, was discovered during excavations being conducted in Nordlingen, between Nuremberg and Stuttgart, last week. There is an octagonal hilt on the sword and it was found in a grave in which three people were buried in quick succession - a man, a woman and a boy - with bronze objects, stated the BLfD this week. The archaeologists are still not clear if the three people were related to each other or not, or if so how. ALSO READ | 'Incredibly rare' Roman tomb excavated near London Bridge station 'A very rare find' Head of the BLfD Prof Mathias Pfeil said: “The sword and the burial still need to be examined so that our archaeologists can categorise this find more precisely. But we can already say that the state of preservation is extraordinary. A find like this is very rare.” “It is unusual to find swords from the period, but they have emerged from burial mounds that were opened in the 19th century or as individual finds,” the BLfD stated. According to the translation of the statement release, the excavated item represents the bronze full-hilt swords (octagonal sword type) in which bronze has been used to make the entire octagonal hilt. As per a report published by LiveScience, archaeologists emphasised that the sword, which has been estimated to belong to the 14th century BC, is a rare find as discoveries made from this era and region are rare since people have looted many Middle Bronze Age graves over the millennia. WATCH | Tipu Sultan's sword sold for $17.4mn | AI could kill Google & Amazon: Bill Gates According to archaeologists, such octagonal swords can only be made by skilled smiths. There are two rivets over the handle which were cast over the blade using a technique known as overlay casting. “However, the blade doesn't have any visible cut marks or signs of wear, suggesting that it had a ceremonial or symbolic purpose,” as per the statement released. The experts have suggested that the sword must have easily served as an active weapon since the centre of gravity on the front end of the blade suggests that it could have slashed opponents effectively. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Archaeologists in Germany unearth 3,000-year-old sword that 'still shines'

Archaeologists at Pompeii on Tuesday found&nbsp;two new skeletons of male victims who possibly perished during the earthquake that accompanied mega eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The devastating volcanic eruption buried the Italian city in ash. It is being estimated that the two males were aged 55 when alive. The skeletons were found in recent excavations at Pompeii's "Chaste Lovers" block of buildings.

Experts say that these men were killed after a wall in the room they were taking shelter in collapsed as a result of the earthquake. One of the skeletons had an arm raised as if in defence.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The earthquake struck after huge blast from Mount Vesuvius caused the city of Pompeii to be covered with volcanic ash. This preserved the bodies of many of its residents.&nbsp;

Till now, the remains of more than 1000 people have been uncovered throughout the site. 
&nbsp; 
The two newly discovered victims "probably died due to multiple traumas caused by the collapse of part of the building", the Pompeii archaeological park said in a statement on Tuesday.&nbsp;

They were found in what is believed to be a storeroom inside the "Chaste Lovers" block, where colourful frescoes and skeletons of mules who worked the millstones for grain have been uncovered in the past.

One of the skeletons wore a ring on his left hand. The skeletons were found lying on their side with legs curled up.

Archaeologists estimate that 15 to 20 per cent of Pompeii's population died in the eruption, mostly from thermal shock as a giant cloud of gases and ash covered the city.

As documented in letters by Roman author Pliny the Younger, earthquakes before and after the eruption also took their toll.

"Among the causes of death, the collapse of buildings, in some cases due to earthquakes that accompanied the eruption, proved to be lethal," the statement said.&nbsp;

Pompeii's director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said modern technology was helping archaeologists "better understand the hell that completely destroyed the city of Pompeii in two days, killing many inhabitants: children, women and men".

Traces of what is believed to be a cloth bundle were found next to one of the victims, containing necklace beads and coins.&nbsp;

Inside the room was an amphora and a collection of bowls and jugs, while an adjacent room contained a home shrine in the form of a fresco, and a narrow bathroom with a toilet.&nbsp;

In the room where the men were found, part of a wall had collapsed, hitting one of the victims "whose raised arm perhaps refers to the tragic image of a vain attempt to protect himself from falling masonry", the park said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Archaeologists at Pompeii on Tuesday found two new skeletons of male victims who possibly perished during the earthquake that accompanied mega eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

Archaeologists at Pompeii on Tuesday found two new skeletons of male victims who possibly perished during the earthquake that accompanied mega eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The devastating volcanic eruption buried the Italian city in ash. It is being estimated that the two males were aged 55 when alive. The skeletons were found in recent excavations at Pompeii's "Chaste Lovers" block of buildings. Experts say that these men were killed after a wall in the room they were taking shelter in collapsed as a result of the earthquake. One of the skeletons had an arm raised as if in defence. The earthquake struck after huge blast from Mount Vesuvius caused the city of Pompeii to be covered with volcanic ash. This preserved the bodies of many of its residents. Till now, the remains of more than 1000 people have been uncovered throughout the site. The two newly discovered victims "probably died due to multiple traumas caused by the collapse of part of the building", the Pompeii archaeological park said in a statement on Tuesday. They were found in what is believed to be a storeroom inside the "Chaste Lovers" block, where colourful frescoes and skeletons of mules who worked the millstones for grain have been uncovered in the past. One of the skeletons wore a ring on his left hand. The skeletons were found lying on their side with legs curled up. Archaeologists estimate that 15 to 20 per cent of Pompeii's population died in the eruption, mostly from thermal shock as a giant cloud of gases and ash covered the city. As documented in letters by Roman author Pliny the Younger, earthquakes before and after the eruption also took their toll. "Among the causes of death, the collapse of buildings, in some cases due to earthquakes that accompanied the eruption, proved to be lethal," the statement said. Pompeii's director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said modern technology was helping archaeologists "better understand the hell that completely destroyed the city of Pompeii in two days, killing many inhabitants: children, women and men". Traces of what is believed to be a cloth bundle were found next to one of the victims, containing necklace beads and coins. Inside the room was an amphora and a collection of bowls and jugs, while an adjacent room contained a home shrine in the form of a fresco, and a narrow bathroom with a toilet. In the room where the men were found, part of a wall had collapsed, hitting one of the victims "whose raised arm perhaps refers to the tragic image of a vain attempt to protect himself from falling masonry", the park said. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Archaeologists find two new skeletons of males at excavation site in Pompeii

Archaeologists discover stunning, rare mummy portraits in Egypt's Philadelphia

Florida is notorious for strange happenings, from fearless residents battling gators to wacky plans of "shooting down" hurricanes, the internet is full of at times unbelievable stories from the US state. Now, a mysterious 80 feet object found at one of Florida's beaches is making news with people speculating whether it's a sunken ship or something sinister.

The large mysterious object has surfaced through the sands at Daytona Beach shores in Volusia County, and it is creating a buzz.

Watch |&nbsp;Charred Moai statues are a symbol of growing tensions

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Officials and beachgoers recently discovered the unknown object which may have been uncovered thanks to the two hurricanes that ripped through Florida recently; Hurricane Ian in September and Hurricane Nicole in November. A steady barrage of high tides and rough surf also played a role in the object's discovery.

Reportedly Hurricane Nicole was one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States in the past decade.

The mysterious object seems to be made of wood and metal and is a &nbsp;whopping 80 feet long, said officials as per the New York Times. Typically interesting finds like these are roped off to protect them, however in this case, as high tides continue to submerge the object, roping it off is not an option.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wreckage-of-the-sister-ship-of-17th-century-vesa-warship-discovered-in-sweden-528182">Wreckage of the sister ship of 17th-century Vesa warship discovered in Sweden</a>

Kevin Captain, a spokesperson for the Volusia County government said that the state's underwater archaeological team has been notified to investigate the object further.

"It is a mystery," said Tamra Malphurs, a spokesperson for Volusia County Beach Safety.&nbsp;

"Many people think it is an old ship of some sort," she added.

Talking to WKMG-TV she remarked "We haven't seen this kind of erosion in a very long time", adding that she's been a regular at the beach for about 25 years but that this is her first time seeing the object.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/louisiana-man-discovers-a-19th-century-boat-as-mississippi-river-runs-dry-526130" target="_blank">Louisiana man discovers a 19th-century boat as Mississippi river runs dry</a>

Theories circulating on social media and local news channels have some suggestions about what it could be; a shipwreck, a portion of an old pier, a boardwalk, a barrier or maybe even audience seating from back when NASCAR had races on the beaches.

In the past, too all sorts of mysterious objects have emerged from the sands of Florida beaches.

Just last year, in August 2021 a high school student found a 1715 Fleet gold coin near Turtle trail beach.&nbsp;In November 2020, a shipwreck dating back 200-plus years was also discovered after Tropical Storm Sta eroded the sand dunes in St Augustine.

"Every now and then, something pops up, and usually, you can tell what it is," said Malphurs adding "This one, you just can’t confirm."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Florida is notorious for strange happenings, from fearless residents battling gators to wacky plans of "shooting down" hurricanes, the internet is full of at times unbelievable stories from the US state.

Florida is notorious for strange happenings, from fearless residents battling gators to wacky plans of "shooting down" hurricanes, the internet is full of at times unbelievable stories from the US state. Now, a mysterious 80 feet object found at one of Florida's beaches is making news with people speculating whether it's a sunken ship or something sinister. The large mysterious object has surfaced through the sands at Daytona Beach shores in Volusia County, and it is creating a buzz. Watch | Charred Moai statues are a symbol of growing tensions Officials and beachgoers recently discovered the unknown object which may have been uncovered thanks to the two hurricanes that ripped through Florida recently; Hurricane Ian in September and Hurricane Nicole in November. A steady barrage of high tides and rough surf also played a role in the object's discovery. Reportedly Hurricane Nicole was one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States in the past decade. The mysterious object seems to be made of wood and metal and is a whopping 80 feet long, said officials as per the New York Times. Typically interesting finds like these are roped off to protect them, however in this case, as high tides continue to submerge the object, roping it off is not an option. Also read | Wreckage of the sister ship of 17th-century Vesa warship discovered in Sweden Kevin Captain, a spokesperson for the Volusia County government said that the state's underwater archaeological team has been notified to investigate the object further. "It is a mystery," said Tamra Malphurs, a spokesperson for Volusia County Beach Safety. "Many people think it is an old ship of some sort," she added. Talking to WKMG-TV she remarked "We haven't seen this kind of erosion in a very long time", adding that she's been a regular at the beach for about 25 years but that this is her first time seeing the object. Also read | Louisiana man discovers a 19th-century boat as Mississippi river runs dry Theories circulating on social media and local news channels have some suggestions about what it could be; a shipwreck, a portion of an old pier, a boardwalk, a barrier or maybe even audience seating from back when NASCAR had races on the beaches. In the past, too all sorts of mysterious objects have emerged from the sands of Florida beaches. Just last year, in August 2021 a high school student found a 1715 Fleet gold coin near Turtle trail beach. In November 2020, a shipwreck dating back 200-plus years was also discovered after Tropical Storm Sta eroded the sand dunes in St Augustine. "Every now and then, something pops up, and usually, you can tell what it is," said Malphurs adding "This one, you just can’t confirm." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Florida beach chucks up a weird 80 feet object, what it is remains 'a mystery'

A team of Canadian researchers claim to have discovered two new minerals from their analysis of the world's ninth-largest meteorite discovered in Somalia.

They indicate that a potential third new mineral might also be present in the 15-tonne meteorite that landed in east Africa, near the town of El Ali, in the Hiiraan region.

As per The Guardian, the meteorite dubbed "nightfall" by locals, and El Ali by western scientists was unearthed in 2020.&nbsp;

However, locals claim that the extraterrestrial rock has been known to them for ages.

Watch |&nbsp;All the times humanity tried to communicate with aliens

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For classification purposes, a 70-gram slice of the iron-based meteorite was sent to the University of Alberta's meteorite collection. There Dr Chris Herd, the curator of the collection noticed "unusual" minerals in the rock.

The newly discovered minerals have been named elaliite, and elkinstantonite. The name 'elaliite' comes from the rock's location of El Ali town, while 'elkinstantonite', pays tribute to Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the principal investigator of Nasa’s upcoming Psyche mission that aims to send a spacecraft to a metal-rich asteroid.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-shares-picture-of-pluto-the-dwarf-planet-showing-its-real-colours-take-a-look-537859">NASA shares picture of Pluto, the 'dwarf planet' showing its 'real colours'. Take a look!</a>

“Lindy has done a lot of work on how the cores of planets form, how these iron-nickel cores form, and the closest analogue we have are iron meteorites. So it made sense to name a mineral after her and recognise her contributions to science,” Herd was quoted as saying by Guardian.

Herd who is a professor in the department of Earth and atmospheric sciences then asked a colleague Andrew Locock, the head of the university’s electron microprobe laboratory, to examine the sample.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-finds-super-earth-world-with-lava-hellscape-on-surface-537500">NASA finds 'super earth' exoplanet with lava hellscape surface just 200 light years away</a>

It was Locock who determined that the meteorite contains two new minerals. The third potential mineral's confirmation is pending analysis.

"That was phenomenal," says Herd, adding that while in the 1980s similar minerals were created in the laboratory, this is the first time they've been recorded as appearing in nature.

He remarked that this could help ascertain how "nature's laboratory" works and that the minerals could have real-world uses. &nbsp;

The University of Alberta wanted to further examine the extraterrestrial rock, however, as per Herd, there are reports that it has been removed to China, where it may be put on the market. Meteorites have a niche in international markets where they are often brought and sold for very lucrative amounts.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A team of Canadian researchers claim to have discovered two new minerals from their analysis of the world's ninth-largest meteorite discovered in Somalia. They indicate that a potential third new mineral might also be present in the 15-tonne meteorite that landed in east Africa, near the town of El Ali, in the Hiiraan region.

A team of Canadian researchers claim to have discovered two new minerals from their analysis of the world's ninth-largest meteorite discovered in Somalia. They indicate that a potential third new mineral might also be present in the 15-tonne meteorite that landed in east Africa, near the town of El Ali, in the Hiiraan region. As per The Guardian, the meteorite dubbed "nightfall" by locals, and El Ali by western scientists was unearthed in 2020. However, locals claim that the extraterrestrial rock has been known to them for ages. Watch | All the times humanity tried to communicate with aliens For classification purposes, a 70-gram slice of the iron-based meteorite was sent to the University of Alberta's meteorite collection. There Dr Chris Herd, the curator of the collection noticed "unusual" minerals in the rock. The newly discovered minerals have been named elaliite, and elkinstantonite. The name 'elaliite' comes from the rock's location of El Ali town, while 'elkinstantonite', pays tribute to Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the principal investigator of Nasa’s upcoming Psyche mission that aims to send a spacecraft to a metal-rich asteroid. Also read | NASA shares picture of Pluto, the 'dwarf planet' showing its 'real colours'. Take a look! “Lindy has done a lot of work on how the cores of planets form, how these iron-nickel cores form, and the closest analogue we have are iron meteorites. So it made sense to name a mineral after her and recognise her contributions to science,” Herd was quoted as saying by Guardian. Herd who is a professor in the department of Earth and atmospheric sciences then asked a colleague Andrew Locock, the head of the university’s electron microprobe laboratory, to examine the sample. Also read | NASA finds 'super earth' exoplanet with lava hellscape surface just 200 light years away It was Locock who determined that the meteorite contains two new minerals. The third potential mineral's confirmation is pending analysis. "That was phenomenal," says Herd, adding that while in the 1980s similar minerals were created in the laboratory, this is the first time they've been recorded as appearing in nature. He remarked that this could help ascertain how "nature's laboratory" works and that the minerals could have real-world uses. The University of Alberta wanted to further examine the extraterrestrial rock, however, as per Herd, there are reports that it has been removed to China, where it may be put on the market. Meteorites have a niche in international markets where they are often brought and sold for very lucrative amounts. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Analysis of meteorite reveals two alien 'never before seen on Earth' minerals

Iraq unveils archaeological park with 'monumental' ancient carvings

Archeologists have found a gold funeral mask that is believed to be approximately 3,000 years old. It was discovered in a tomb in the ancient noble city of Zhengzhou in central China.

Given that modern treasures are typically made of bronze and jade, the piece is thought to be the oldest gold object ever discovered in central China.&nbsp;Unlike gold masks unearthed at ancient Shu civilization sites in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the mask from China's Central Plains culture is large enough to cover a person's complete face.

Watch |&nbsp;Archaeologists unearth pre-human tooth dating back 1.8 million years

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Speaking to China News Service, Huang Fucheng, a researcher at the Zhengzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology disclosed that the gold mask is large enough to cover an adult's entire face at 7.2 inches (18.3 cm) long and 5.7 inches (14.5 cm) wide and weighs 1.4-ounce (40 grams).

The gold mask was discovered among the ruins of a Shang dynasty (1600 BC–1046 BC) tomb in Shangcheng county, Henan province.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/palestinian-farmer-unearths-a-byzantine-era-mosaic-in-gaza-517207">Palestinian farmer unearths a Byzantine-era mosaic in Gaza while planting olive tree</a>

Talking to Henan Broadcasting System Gu Wanfa, director of the Zhengzhou Municipal Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology said that the gold mask was probably meant to keep the deceased's spirit whole and may have represented that they possessed an "imperishable gold body" reported SCMP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-rare-frozen-in-time-ramses-ii-era-burial-cave-found-in-israel-517768">A rare ‘frozen in time’ Ramses II-era burial cave found in Israel</a>

“There has been a saying about bubaijinshen, or an imperishable gold body, since ancient times in China. [The gold mask] proves that the concept had existed since the Shang dynasty,” he said.

According to Chen Lüsheng, deputy director of the National Museum of China in Beijing, the recently discovered Zhengzhou tomb is a major discovery for research into the Shang Dynasty's burial customs and may potentially offer fresh insight into the beginnings of Chinese civilization.

Archeologists have found a gold funeral mask that is believed to be approximately 3,000 years old. It was discovered in a tomb in the ancient noble city of Zhengzhou in central China.

Archeologists have found a gold funeral mask that is believed to be approximately 3,000 years old. It was discovered in a tomb in the ancient noble city of Zhengzhou in central China. Given that modern treasures are typically made of bronze and jade, the piece is thought to be the oldest gold object ever discovered in central China. Unlike gold masks unearthed at ancient Shu civilization sites in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the mask from China's Central Plains culture is large enough to cover a person's complete face. Watch | Archaeologists unearth pre-human tooth dating back 1.8 million years Speaking to China News Service, Huang Fucheng, a researcher at the Zhengzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology disclosed that the gold mask is large enough to cover an adult's entire face at 7.2 inches (18.3 cm) long and 5.7 inches (14.5 cm) wide and weighs 1.4-ounce (40 grams). The gold mask was discovered among the ruins of a Shang dynasty (1600 BC–1046 BC) tomb in Shangcheng county, Henan province. Also read | Palestinian farmer unearths a Byzantine-era mosaic in Gaza while planting olive tree Talking to Henan Broadcasting System Gu Wanfa, director of the Zhengzhou Municipal Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology said that the gold mask was probably meant to keep the deceased's spirit whole and may have represented that they possessed an "imperishable gold body" reported SCMP. Also read | A rare ‘frozen in time’ Ramses II-era burial cave found in Israel “There has been a saying about bubaijinshen, or an imperishable gold body, since ancient times in China. [The gold mask] proves that the concept had existed since the Shang dynasty,” he said. According to Chen Lüsheng, deputy director of the National Museum of China in Beijing, the recently discovered Zhengzhou tomb is a major discovery for research into the Shang Dynasty's burial customs and may potentially offer fresh insight into the beginnings of Chinese civilization.

Archaeologists unearth China's 'oldest gold object', a funeral mask

According to archaeologists in Georgia, a tooth believed to be from a 1.8 million-year-old early human ancestor has been discovered.

Archaeologists unearth pre-human tooth dating back 1.8 million years

Archaeologists have found an inscription that they say indicates the site of the home of Saint Peter, Jesus's first disciple and Peter's brother Andrew, the second disciple. The finding near the Sea of Galilee is thought to be at the site of a church that was built over Peter and Andrew's home.

Team of archaeologists come across exciting discovery, site indicates home of St. Peter

Archaeologists uncover hundreds of ancient Egyptian coffins and bronze statues of deities

A 5,300-year-old skull has been found in a Spanish tomb by a group of archaeologists. What’s special about it is that it seems to be the oldest evidence of ear surgery carried out in the world. &nbsp;

Several cut marks are visible in the skull around the left ear canal, which implies that surgery around the ear may have been done to relieve pain. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-species-of-crocodile-from-cretaceous-period-found-in-australia-say-scientists-453388" hreflang="en">New species of crocodile who preyed on a young dinosaur found in Australia, say scientists</a>

In an article released in Scientific Reports on Tuesday, the Spanish researchers concluded, "These evidences point to a mastoidectomy, a surgical procedure possibly performed to relieve the pain this prehistoric individual may have suffered as a result of otitis media and mastoiditis." &nbsp;

The skull seems to have belonged to a middle-aged woman, who lived in the Neolithic Age, concluded researchers. It was discovered in a tomb, which is known as the Dolmen de El Pendon. It is located in Burgos, Spain. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-use-human-heart-cells-to-power-an-artificial-fish-453586" hreflang="en">Scientists use human heart cells to power an artificial fish</a>

In 2016, the skull was found by researchers of the University of Valladolid along with remains of nearly 100 others. &nbsp;

The skull also showed evidence of two perforations on both sides of the skull near its mastoid bones. It indicates that the surgery was attempted to relieve growing pressure on the ear canal. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A 5,300-year-old skull has been found in a Spanish tomb by a group of archaeologists. What’s special about it is that it seems to be the oldest evidence of ear surgery carried out in the world.

A 5,300-year-old skull has been found in a Spanish tomb by a group of archaeologists. What’s special about it is that it seems to be the oldest evidence of ear surgery carried out in the world. Several cut marks are visible in the skull around the left ear canal, which implies that surgery around the ear may have been done to relieve pain. Also Read: New species of crocodile who preyed on a young dinosaur found in Australia, say scientists In an article released in Scientific Reports on Tuesday, the Spanish researchers concluded, "These evidences point to a mastoidectomy, a surgical procedure possibly performed to relieve the pain this prehistoric individual may have suffered as a result of otitis media and mastoiditis." The skull seems to have belonged to a middle-aged woman, who lived in the Neolithic Age, concluded researchers. It was discovered in a tomb, which is known as the Dolmen de El Pendon. It is located in Burgos, Spain. Also Read: Scientists use human heart cells to power an artificial fish In 2016, the skull was found by researchers of the University of Valladolid along with remains of nearly 100 others. The skull also showed evidence of two perforations on both sides of the skull near its mastoid bones. It indicates that the surgery was attempted to relieve growing pressure on the ear canal. (With inputs from agencies)

Evidence of first ear surgery found in 5,300-year-old skull, say archaeologists

In what can be called a treasure trove for archaeologists and palaeontologists, fossils of five&nbsp;ice age mammoths have been unearthed in Cotswolds, the UK in an extraordinary state of preservation. &nbsp;

The remains of two adults, two juveniles and an infant, who used to roam on Earth around 200,000 years ago have been found near Swindon. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-reveals-that-proteins-taken-from-shark-immune-systems-can-neutralise-covid-19-and-its-variants-437822" hreflang="en">Study reveals that proteins taken from shark immune systems can neutralise COVID-19 and its variants</a>

Not just this, some tools used by Neanderthals to hunt these 10-tonne beasts were also discovered at the site. &nbsp; &nbsp;

As only a fraction of the vast site, which is a gravel quarry, has been excavated, a lot more can be found here. In a nutshell, the site seems to be a goldmine for archaeologists. &nbsp;

At this site, several big to tiny creatures have been preserved. These include ice age giants elks, seeds, freshwater snails, dung beetles, pollen and plant fossils, etc. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/worlds-leggiest-creature-a-millipede-with-1306-legs-discovered-in-australia-437564" hreflang="en">World's leggiest creature, a millipede with 1,306 legs, discovered in Australia</a>

It may also offer new clues to how Neanderthal ancestors lived in ice age Britain. It is a period of prehistory about which very little is known. It will also be explored in a documentary. &nbsp;

Evolutionary biologist professor Ben Garrod told the Observer, “This is one of the most important discoveries in British palaeontology.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

Garrod said that finding a complete skeleton of mammoth is “incredibly rare”. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In what can be called a treasure trove for archaeologists and palaeontologists, fossils of five ice age mammoths have been unearthed in Cotswolds, the UK in an extraordinary state of preservation.

In what can be called a treasure trove for archaeologists and palaeontologists, fossils of five ice age mammoths have been unearthed in Cotswolds, the UK in an extraordinary state of preservation. The remains of two adults, two juveniles and an infant, who used to roam on Earth around 200,000 years ago have been found near Swindon. Also Read: Study reveals that proteins taken from shark immune systems can neutralise COVID-19 and its variants Not just this, some tools used by Neanderthals to hunt these 10-tonne beasts were also discovered at the site. As only a fraction of the vast site, which is a gravel quarry, has been excavated, a lot more can be found here. In a nutshell, the site seems to be a goldmine for archaeologists. At this site, several big to tiny creatures have been preserved. These include ice age giants elks, seeds, freshwater snails, dung beetles, pollen and plant fossils, etc. Also Read: World's leggiest creature, a millipede with 1,306 legs, discovered in Australia It may also offer new clues to how Neanderthal ancestors lived in ice age Britain. It is a period of prehistory about which very little is known. It will also be explored in a documentary. Evolutionary biologist professor Ben Garrod told the Observer, “This is one of the most important discoveries in British palaeontology.” Garrod said that finding a complete skeleton of mammoth is “incredibly rare”. (With inputs from agencies)

Goldmine for archaeologists? Remains of five ice age mammoths found in UK

The earliest evidence of use of alcohol has been found by archaeologists in China, a Xinhua report said on Friday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In the new discovery, the researchers have found that people in the ancient times used monascus to prepare alcohol in 8,000-year-old clay pots in central part of the China. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/goldmine-for-archaeologists-remains-of-five-ice-age-mammoths-found-in-uk-438277" hreflang="en">Goldmine for archaeologists? Remains of five ice age mammoths found in UK</a>

Li Yongqiang, assistant researcher, Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that a huge amount of monascus hypha and cleistothecia, together with fermented starch grains from rice, were discovered in the remnants of two clay pots, which were found at the Peiligang cultural site in Henan Province. &nbsp;

Li said that as per the finding of the researchers, these pots were once utilised in brewing and then storing alcohol in the ancient times. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/worlds-leggiest-creature-a-millipede-with-1306-legs-discovered-in-australia-437564" hreflang="en">World's leggiest creature, a millipede with 1,306 legs, discovered in Australia</a>

Dating back to 8,000 years, Peiligang in China is one of the oldest village ruins. &nbsp;

The archaeological site has been helpful in understanding about the past of the human society as it gives vital evidence for studies based on the origin and development of agriculture, textile industry, pottery making, alcohol making techniques, etc in ancient times. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The earliest evidence of use of alcohol has been found by archaeologists in China, a Xinhua report said on Friday. In the new discovery, the researchers have found that people in the ancient times used monascus to prepare alcohol in 8,000-year-old clay pots in central part of the China.

The earliest evidence of use of alcohol has been found by archaeologists in China, a Xinhua report said on Friday. In the new discovery, the researchers have found that people in the ancient times used monascus to prepare alcohol in 8,000-year-old clay pots in central part of the China. Also Read: Goldmine for archaeologists? Remains of five ice age mammoths found in UK Li Yongqiang, assistant researcher, Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that a huge amount of monascus hypha and cleistothecia, together with fermented starch grains from rice, were discovered in the remnants of two clay pots, which were found at the Peiligang cultural site in Henan Province. Li said that as per the finding of the researchers, these pots were once utilised in brewing and then storing alcohol in the ancient times. Also Read: World's leggiest creature, a millipede with 1,306 legs, discovered in Australia Dating back to 8,000 years, Peiligang in China is one of the oldest village ruins. The archaeological site has been helpful in understanding about the past of the human society as it gives vital evidence for studies based on the origin and development of agriculture, textile industry, pottery making, alcohol making techniques, etc in ancient times. (With inputs from agencies)

Remnants of over 8,000-year-old alcohol found by archaeologists in China

Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed a well-preserved mummy that could be at least 800 years old. The pre-Incan mummy was discovered at the archaeological complex of Cajamarquilla and is thought to be from the pre-Inca Chaclla culture.

Peruvian Archaeologists discovered a mummy thought to be around 1,200 years old

An antique gold ring decorated with a semiprecious stone and may be used as a convenient hangover cure was recently unearthed during an excavation in Yavne, in the country's central area, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority on Tuesday.

The ring, which weighs 5.11 grammes (0.18 ounces) and has a purple stone placed on top, was discovered at a location that also houses the world's biggest known Byzantine-era winepress, according to the IAA.

According to the IAA, it dates back to at least the 7th century, although it might be up to four centuries older.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Israel: New early human discovered in 130,000-year-old fossils

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"The person who owned the ring was affluent, and the wearing of the jewel indicated their status and wealth. Such rings could be worn by both men and women," said Dr Amir Golani, an expert on ancient jewellery at the IAA.

"A semi-precious stone called amethyst was placed in the ring."

"Amethysts are mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 precious stones worn by the high priest of the Temple on his ceremonial breastplate."

"Many virtues have been attached to this gem, including the prevention of the side effect of drinking, the hangover."

The ring was discovered only 150 metres (492 feet) away from the ruins of a warehouse housing amphora, a type of wine vessel.

The excavation site has been dated to the 7th century, at the end of the Byzantine era and the beginning of the Early Islamic period, while experts believe the ring might be earlier.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

An antique gold ring decorated with a semiprecious stone and may be used as a convenient hangover cure was recently unearthed during an excavation in Yavne, in the country's central area, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority on Tuesday.

An antique gold ring decorated with a semiprecious stone and may be used as a convenient hangover cure was recently unearthed during an excavation in Yavne, in the country's central area, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority on Tuesday. The ring, which weighs 5.11 grammes (0.18 ounces) and has a purple stone placed on top, was discovered at a location that also houses the world's biggest known Byzantine-era winepress, according to the IAA. According to the IAA, it dates back to at least the 7th century, although it might be up to four centuries older. Watch | Israel: New early human discovered in 130,000-year-old fossils "The person who owned the ring was affluent, and the wearing of the jewel indicated their status and wealth. Such rings could be worn by both men and women," said Dr Amir Golani, an expert on ancient jewellery at the IAA. "A semi-precious stone called amethyst was placed in the ring." "Amethysts are mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 precious stones worn by the high priest of the Temple on his ceremonial breastplate." "Many virtues have been attached to this gem, including the prevention of the side effect of drinking, the hangover." The ring was discovered only 150 metres (492 feet) away from the ruins of a warehouse housing amphora, a type of wine vessel. The excavation site has been dated to the 7th century, at the end of the Byzantine era and the beginning of the Early Islamic period, while experts believe the ring might be earlier. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel: Ancient ‘hangover cure’ ring found at Yavne excavation

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a 2000-year-old “slave room” at a Roman villa in Pompeii, Italy. Officials lauded the discovery as a rare insight into slavery and the daily life of the enslaved.

Archaeologists discover 2000-year-old ‘slave room’ at Pompeii, Italy

In what has been deemed as a "once-in-a-lifetime" discovery, archaeologists have unearthed Roman statues in a mausoleum under an old church. The discovery was made while working on a high-speed railway project in a small English village.

While archaeologists were excavating a circular ditch around what was considered the foundations of an Anglo-Saxon tower, they discovered three stone busts that appeared to be Roman.&nbsp;

Two of the busts include a head and torso which had been split before deposition. The third one comprises just a head.&nbsp; 
It has been concluded that the statues belong to one female adult and one male adult, along with the head of a child.

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A 'once in a lifetime' find: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Archaeologists?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Archaeologists</a> uncover 3 ancient <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Roman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Roman</a> statues dating back 2,000 years underneath the site of a Norman church in Stoke Mandeville 
The 3 stone busts were found by archaeologists for the HS2 train line <a href="https://t.co/FSGsKhGwKJ">pic.twitter.com/FSGsKhGwKJ</a>
— Hans Solo (@thandojo) <a href="https://twitter.com/thandojo/status/1454405464414851075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The work has been carried out by HS2’s Enabling Works Contractor, Fusion JV, and their archaeological contactor, L-P Archaeology.&nbsp;

Dr Rachel Wood, Lead Archaeologist for Fusion JV, in a press release said, “For us to end the dig with these utterly astounding finds is beyond exciting. The statues are exceptionally well preserved, and you really get an impression of the people they depict literally looking into the faces of the past is a unique experience. Of course, it leads us to wonder what else might be buried beneath England’s medieval village churches."

Apart from the statues, a well-preserved hexagonal glass Roman jug was also discovered. The jug had large pieces still intact despite being buried for years.&nbsp;

Archaeologists have concluded that the square building that pre-dates the Norman church is a Roman mausoleum.&nbsp;

The artefacts will be taken to a specialist laboratory where they will be further examined. However, the final destination for the finds is yet to be determined. 
&nbsp;

In what has been deemed as a "once-in-a-lifetime" discovery, archaeologists have unearthed Roman statues in a mausoleum under an old church. The discovery was made while working on a high-speed railway project in a small English village.

In what has been deemed as a "once-in-a-lifetime" discovery, archaeologists have unearthed Roman statues in a mausoleum under an old church. The discovery was made while working on a high-speed railway project in a small English village. While archaeologists were excavating a circular ditch around what was considered the foundations of an Anglo-Saxon tower, they discovered three stone busts that appeared to be Roman. Two of the busts include a head and torso which had been split before deposition. The third one comprises just a head. It has been concluded that the statues belong to one female adult and one male adult, along with the head of a child. A 'once in a lifetime' find: #Archaeologists uncover 3 ancient #Roman statues dating back 2,000 years underneath the site of a Norman church in Stoke Mandeville The 3 stone busts were found by archaeologists for the HS2 train line pic.twitter.com/FSGsKhGwKJ — Hans Solo (@thandojo) October 30, 2021 × The work has been carried out by HS2’s Enabling Works Contractor, Fusion JV, and their archaeological contactor, L-P Archaeology. Dr Rachel Wood, Lead Archaeologist for Fusion JV, in a press release said, “For us to end the dig with these utterly astounding finds is beyond exciting. The statues are exceptionally well preserved, and you really get an impression of the people they depict literally looking into the faces of the past is a unique experience. Of course, it leads us to wonder what else might be buried beneath England’s medieval village churches." Apart from the statues, a well-preserved hexagonal glass Roman jug was also discovered. The jug had large pieces still intact despite being buried for years. Archaeologists have concluded that the square building that pre-dates the Norman church is a Roman mausoleum. The artefacts will be taken to a specialist laboratory where they will be further examined. However, the final destination for the finds is yet to be determined.

'Utterly astounding finds': Archaeologists find Roman statues while excavating English church

NASA is scheduled on Saturday to launch a probe toward clusters of asteroids along Jupiter’s orbital path. They are known as the Trojan swarms, and they represent the final unexplored regions of asteroids in the solar system. The spacecraft, a deep-space robotic archaeologist named Lucy, will seek to answer pressing questions about the origins of the solar system, how the planets migrated to their current orbits and how life might have emerged on Earth.

“We have never gone this far to study asteroids,” said Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA. “In so doing, we’re going to be able to better understand the formation of the solar system, and better understand ourselves and our development.”

After a six-year cruise, Lucy will fly close to seven Trojan asteroids through 2033, completing wild circuits of the sun that conjure the outline of a Formula 1 racetrack in some graphic renderings.

The spacecraft will study the geology, composition, density and structure of the Trojans, which are small bodies locked in stable points along Jupiter’s orbit of the sun, fixed in their own orbits ahead or behind the massive planet.

“It’s always interesting to go somewhere for the first time,” said Cathy Olkin, the deputy principal investigator of the Lucy mission. “Every time we’ve done that, we’ve learned more and more about our solar system and the area in space that we live in.”

Humanity has explored a variety of small rocky bodies throughout the solar system. The NEAR mission landed on Eros in the inner asteroid belt. The Dawn mission orbited Ceres and Vesta, the two largest worlds in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Japan’s Hayabusa missions and NASA’s OSIRIS-REX completed close encounters with near earth asteroids. And the New Horizons mission visited Arrokoth, an object in the solar system’s distant Kuiper belt.

But the Trojans in Jupiter’s vicinity have yet to be investigated. About 10,000 such objects have been discovered. When the first was spotted more than a century ago, astronomers began naming them after heroes of Homer’s Iliad. The result was the overall descriptor of “Trojan.”

The mission name “Lucy” is a nod to the 3.2 million-year-old australopithecine skeleton discovered in 1974, which revealed secrets of human evolution. The NASA team hopes that the robotic Lucy does the same for the solar system’s evolution, and prehistory is a recurring theme among the mission’s scientists.

Tom Statler, the Lucy program scientist at NASA, describes Lucy as “planetary archaeology” and compares it to the study of the pyramids in Egypt.

“If you want to understand how the pyramids were built, you can go and look at the outsides of them, you can climb all over them,” Statler said. Doing that, however, will answer very little about how they were actually built.

“If you can find and excavate the abandoned construction site that’s next to the pyramids, however, and you find the tools used to build them, and you find the leftover blocks — the things that got broken and shaped but didn’t get used — then you start getting insight into a pyramid’s interior and how it got there,” he said.

“That’s what we’re doing with asteroids,” he said. “We’re excavating the leftovers from the construction site.”

The mission was born of necessity.

Thirty years ago, the concept of planetary formation was much more orderly than it is today. A star formed in the center of a rotating disc of protoplanetary material. Gradually, the material condensed and collected into eight planets in simple orbits (as well as Pluto).

However, when Hal Levison, a planetary scientist, and fellow theorists tried to simulate the formation of the solar system, they repeatedly ran into a problem: It was virtually impossible to build Uranus and Neptune in their present orbits. To account for those worlds, known as the ice giants, Levison, now the principal investigator of the Lucy mission, and three other researchers developed the Nice model of solar system evolution (named for the city in France).

The model suggests that the giant planets formed much closer to the sun than their current orbits, and that the increasingly eccentric orbits of a young Jupiter and Saturn destabilized and rearranged the solar system. In the process, as the giant planets moved, and Uranus and Neptune bounded outward, they scattered the small bodies of the solar system. Some comets and asteroids were flung to the deep outer solar system, and others were ejected entirely out into the Milky Way.

A small minority of scattered asteroids were ensnared in two of Jupiter’s permanent Lagrange points, which are regions of space where the gravitational and orbital influences of the planet and the sun are balanced. The regions both lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit. Those asteroids are the Trojan swarms.

Today, the Nice model offers the predominant understanding of how a disc of dust and gas about 4.6 billion years ago became a system of planets circling a sun. Moreover, telescope observations of exoplanets prompted a broader scientific reevaluation of how star systems, including our own, can form. Some distant stars are orbited by giant planets that are closer to them than Mercury is to our sun.

Levison came to believe that the planetary science community’s ideas about planetary formation outpaced the data it had available. The best way to constrain variables in the Nice model would be to account for the origins of the Trojans.

“One of the surprising things about the Trojan population is that they are physically very different from one another but occupy a really small region of space,” he said. “That diversity in that small region is telling us something important about the early evolution of the solar system.”

To understand the secrets locked in the Trojans’ orbits, Levison needed to persuade NASA to build a spacecraft to study them and determine what formed where. Lucy is the result. It was chosen for flight in 2014 through NASA’s Discovery Program, in which scientists compete over smaller mission proposals.

Studying camera imagery will be an important part of the Lucy team’s scientific efforts. By counting the number of craters spotted on each asteroid, an object’s surface age is revealed. (Older surfaces will have been hit by more impactors and thus show more craters.) The scientists will also analyze the returned images for the distribution of color across the asteroids’ surfaces, which can be an indicator of what the rocks are made of: Thermal measurements will help identify the compositions and structures of the asteroids. They will also use infrared spectra to measure the presence of minerals, ices and organic molecules.

NASA is interested in finding primordial organic material on asteroids because billions of years ago, they may have seeded Earth with the chemical ingredients necessary for life.

Despite the Trojans sharing an orbit with Jupiter, Lucy will not visit Jupiter. Before the spacecraft even launches from Earth, it will be closer to Jupiter than when it visits the Trojans.

During its 12-year mission it will be powered by two giant solar arrays that are stowed at launch and gradually expand outward like folding fans. Lucy’s roller coaster-like trajectory will carry it farther than any solar-powered spacecraft has ever flown. And it will be moving at about 6 miles per second at its fastest clip.

“Its speed will be like running a 10K every second,” Olkin said.

The spacecraft will be in a sophisticated orbit of loop-the-loops across the solar system, circling the sun, borrowing gravity from Earth for free propulsion to Jupiter’s orbital path at a point known as Lagrange 4. Gravity will take it back around the sun to the Earth, whose gravity will again hurl it outward, this time to Lagrange 5, and back, the process repeating. The trajectory is driven by the positions of planets and gravity assists, meaning the spacecraft, if nothing stops it, will continue to do this for hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of years.

Each encounter will be at an altitude of 600 miles or less from the Trojan’s surface. After the final flyby, depending on Lucy’s health, NASA can target future asteroids and other celestial objects for analyses.

“As we are flying past a Trojan asteroid, we are taking data,” Olkin said.

NASA is scheduled on Saturday to launch a probe toward clusters of asteroids along Jupiter’s orbital path. They are known as the Trojan swarms, and they represent the final unexplored regions of asteroids in the solar system.

NASA is scheduled on Saturday to launch a probe toward clusters of asteroids along Jupiter’s orbital path. They are known as the Trojan swarms, and they represent the final unexplored regions of asteroids in the solar system. The spacecraft, a deep-space robotic archaeologist named Lucy, will seek to answer pressing questions about the origins of the solar system, how the planets migrated to their current orbits and how life might have emerged on Earth. “We have never gone this far to study asteroids,” said Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA. “In so doing, we’re going to be able to better understand the formation of the solar system, and better understand ourselves and our development.” After a six-year cruise, Lucy will fly close to seven Trojan asteroids through 2033, completing wild circuits of the sun that conjure the outline of a Formula 1 racetrack in some graphic renderings. The spacecraft will study the geology, composition, density and structure of the Trojans, which are small bodies locked in stable points along Jupiter’s orbit of the sun, fixed in their own orbits ahead or behind the massive planet. “It’s always interesting to go somewhere for the first time,” said Cathy Olkin, the deputy principal investigator of the Lucy mission. “Every time we’ve done that, we’ve learned more and more about our solar system and the area in space that we live in.” Humanity has explored a variety of small rocky bodies throughout the solar system. The NEAR mission landed on Eros in the inner asteroid belt. The Dawn mission orbited Ceres and Vesta, the two largest worlds in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Japan’s Hayabusa missions and NASA’s OSIRIS-REX completed close encounters with near earth asteroids. And the New Horizons mission visited Arrokoth, an object in the solar system’s distant Kuiper belt. But the Trojans in Jupiter’s vicinity have yet to be investigated. About 10,000 such objects have been discovered. When the first was spotted more than a century ago, astronomers began naming them after heroes of Homer’s Iliad. The result was the overall descriptor of “Trojan.” The mission name “Lucy” is a nod to the 3.2 million-year-old australopithecine skeleton discovered in 1974, which revealed secrets of human evolution. The NASA team hopes that the robotic Lucy does the same for the solar system’s evolution, and prehistory is a recurring theme among the mission’s scientists. Tom Statler, the Lucy program scientist at NASA, describes Lucy as “planetary archaeology” and compares it to the study of the pyramids in Egypt. “If you want to understand how the pyramids were built, you can go and look at the outsides of them, you can climb all over them,” Statler said. Doing that, however, will answer very little about how they were actually built. “If you can find and excavate the abandoned construction site that’s next to the pyramids, however, and you find the tools used to build them, and you find the leftover blocks — the things that got broken and shaped but didn’t get used — then you start getting insight into a pyramid’s interior and how it got there,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing with asteroids,” he said. “We’re excavating the leftovers from the construction site.” The mission was born of necessity. Thirty years ago, the concept of planetary formation was much more orderly than it is today. A star formed in the center of a rotating disc of protoplanetary material. Gradually, the material condensed and collected into eight planets in simple orbits (as well as Pluto). However, when Hal Levison, a planetary scientist, and fellow theorists tried to simulate the formation of the solar system, they repeatedly ran into a problem: It was virtually impossible to build Uranus and Neptune in their present orbits. To account for those worlds, known as the ice giants, Levison, now the principal investigator of the Lucy mission, and three other researchers developed the Nice model of solar system evolution (named for the city in France). The model suggests that the giant planets formed much closer to the sun than their current orbits, and that the increasingly eccentric orbits of a young Jupiter and Saturn destabilized and rearranged the solar system. In the process, as the giant planets moved, and Uranus and Neptune bounded outward, they scattered the small bodies of the solar system. Some comets and asteroids were flung to the deep outer solar system, and others were ejected entirely out into the Milky Way. A small minority of scattered asteroids were ensnared in two of Jupiter’s permanent Lagrange points, which are regions of space where the gravitational and orbital influences of the planet and the sun are balanced. The regions both lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit. Those asteroids are the Trojan swarms. Today, the Nice model offers the predominant understanding of how a disc of dust and gas about 4.6 billion years ago became a system of planets circling a sun. Moreover, telescope observations of exoplanets prompted a broader scientific reevaluation of how star systems, including our own, can form. Some distant stars are orbited by giant planets that are closer to them than Mercury is to our sun. Levison came to believe that the planetary science community’s ideas about planetary formation outpaced the data it had available. The best way to constrain variables in the Nice model would be to account for the origins of the Trojans. “One of the surprising things about the Trojan population is that they are physically very different from one another but occupy a really small region of space,” he said. “That diversity in that small region is telling us something important about the early evolution of the solar system.” To understand the secrets locked in the Trojans’ orbits, Levison needed to persuade NASA to build a spacecraft to study them and determine what formed where. Lucy is the result. It was chosen for flight in 2014 through NASA’s Discovery Program, in which scientists compete over smaller mission proposals. Studying camera imagery will be an important part of the Lucy team’s scientific efforts. By counting the number of craters spotted on each asteroid, an object’s surface age is revealed. (Older surfaces will have been hit by more impactors and thus show more craters.) The scientists will also analyze the returned images for the distribution of color across the asteroids’ surfaces, which can be an indicator of what the rocks are made of: Thermal measurements will help identify the compositions and structures of the asteroids. They will also use infrared spectra to measure the presence of minerals, ices and organic molecules. NASA is interested in finding primordial organic material on asteroids because billions of years ago, they may have seeded Earth with the chemical ingredients necessary for life. Despite the Trojans sharing an orbit with Jupiter, Lucy will not visit Jupiter. Before the spacecraft even launches from Earth, it will be closer to Jupiter than when it visits the Trojans. During its 12-year mission it will be powered by two giant solar arrays that are stowed at launch and gradually expand outward like folding fans. Lucy’s roller coaster-like trajectory will carry it farther than any solar-powered spacecraft has ever flown. And it will be moving at about 6 miles per second at its fastest clip. “Its speed will be like running a 10K every second,” Olkin said. The spacecraft will be in a sophisticated orbit of loop-the-loops across the solar system, circling the sun, borrowing gravity from Earth for free propulsion to Jupiter’s orbital path at a point known as Lagrange 4. Gravity will take it back around the sun to the Earth, whose gravity will again hurl it outward, this time to Lagrange 5, and back, the process repeating. The trajectory is driven by the positions of planets and gravity assists, meaning the spacecraft, if nothing stops it, will continue to do this for hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of years. Each encounter will be at an altitude of 600 miles or less from the Trojan’s surface. After the final flyby, depending on Lucy’s health, NASA can target future asteroids and other celestial objects for analyses. “As we are flying past a Trojan asteroid, we are taking data,” Olkin said.

Why NASA is launching a robotic archaeologist named Lucy

Brooklyn Museum returns 1,305 artefacts to Costa Rica

A 3D map has been unearthed in France which belonged to the Bronze Age and may be the oldest map to exist in Europe.

Archaeologists in France found the Bronze Age stone, which they believe was earlier once unearthed in 1900 in the prehistoric burial ground in Finistère by Paul du Chatellier.

After that, the slab was reportedly forgotten under a moat at Mr du Chatellier's home, the Château de Kernuz and was then found again in a cellar of a castle in 2014.

The stone is 2m b 1.5 m slab and has patterns engraved on it, which are being assumed to be markings of a map of an area in western Brittany.

As per experts, the piece of rock, called Saint-Bélec Slab is dated back to the Bronze age, between 1900 BC and 1650 BC.

The “presence of repeated motifs joined by lines” on the surface of the slab made experts believe it to be a map.

"This is probably the oldest map of a territory that has been identified," Dr Clément Nicolas from Bournemouth University, one of the study's authors, told the BBC.

"There are several such maps carved in stone all over the world. Generally, they are just interpretations. But this is the first time a map has depicted an area on a specific scale."

He also believes that the map may have been a trial to mark a particular area, affirming ownership of the territory by a small King or Prince.

A 3D map has been unearthed in France which belonged to the Bronze Age and may be the oldest map to exist in Europe. Archaeologists in France found the Bronze Age stone, which they believe was earlier once unearthed in 1900 in the prehistoric burial ground in Finistère by Paul du Chatellier.

A 3D map has been unearthed in France which belonged to the Bronze Age and may be the oldest map to exist in Europe. Archaeologists in France found the Bronze Age stone, which they believe was earlier once unearthed in 1900 in the prehistoric burial ground in Finistère by Paul du Chatellier. After that, the slab was reportedly forgotten under a moat at Mr du Chatellier's home, the Château de Kernuz and was then found again in a cellar of a castle in 2014. The stone is 2m b 1.5 m slab and has patterns engraved on it, which are being assumed to be markings of a map of an area in western Brittany. As per experts, the piece of rock, called Saint-Bélec Slab is dated back to the Bronze age, between 1900 BC and 1650 BC. The “presence of repeated motifs joined by lines” on the surface of the slab made experts believe it to be a map. "This is probably the oldest map of a territory that has been identified," Dr Clément Nicolas from Bournemouth University, one of the study's authors, told the BBC. "There are several such maps carved in stone all over the world. Generally, they are just interpretations. But this is the first time a map has depicted an area on a specific scale." He also believes that the map may have been a trial to mark a particular area, affirming ownership of the territory by a small King or Prince.

France: Archaeologists unearth 3D map from Bronze Age

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Archaeologists in Italy has discovered an ancient street food shop in the ancient city of Pompeii and unearth frescoed food shop served the ancient equivalent of street food passers by before 79 AD.

Archaeologists unearth frescoed food shop in the ancient city of Pompeii

Finding the tomb of an ancient king full of golden artifacts, weapons and elaborate clothing seems like any archaeologist’s fantasy. But searching for them, Gino Caspari can tell you, is incredibly tedious.

Caspari, a research archaeologist with the Swiss National Science Foundation, studies the ancient Scythians, a nomadic culture whose horse-riding warriors terrorized the plains of Asia 3,000 years ago. The tombs of Scythian royalty contained much of the fabulous wealth they had looted from their neighbors. From the moment the bodies were interred, these tombs were popular targets for robbers; Caspari estimates that more than 90% of them have been destroyed.

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He suspects that thousands of tombs are spread across the Eurasian steppes, which extend for millions of square miles. He had spent hours mapping burials using Google Earth images of territory in what is now Russia, Mongolia and Western China’s Xinjiang province. “It’s essentially a stupid task,” Caspari said. “And that’s not what a well-educated scholar should be doing.”

As it turned out, a neighbor of Caspari’s in the International House, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, had a solution. The neighbor, Pablo Crespo, at the time a graduate student in economics at City University of New York who was working with artificial intelligence to estimate volatility in commodity prices, told Caspari that what he needed was a convolutional neural network to search his satellite images for him. The two bonded over a shared academic philosophy, of making their work openly available for the benefit of the greater scholarly community, and a love of heavy metal music. Over beers in the International House bar, they began a collaboration that put them at the forefront of a new type of archaeological analysis.

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A convolutional neural network, or CNN, is a type of artificial intelligence that is designed to analyze information that can be processed as a grid; it is especially well suited to analyzing photographs and other images. The network sees an image as a grid of pixels. The CNN that Crespo designed starts by giving each pixel a rating based on how red it is, then another for green and for blue. After rating each pixel according to a variety of additional parameters, the network begins to analyze small groups of pixels, then successively larger ones, looking for matches or near-matches to the data it has been trained to spot.

Working in their spare time, the two researchers ran 1,212 satellite images through the network for months, asking it to look for circular stone tombs and to overlook other circular, tomblike things such as piles of construction debris and irrigation ponds.

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At first they worked with images that spanned roughly 2,000 square miles. They used three-quarters of the imagery to train the network to understand what a Scythian tomb looks like, correcting the system when it missed a known tomb or highlighted a nonexistent one. They used the rest of the imagery to test the system. The network correctly identified known tombs 98% of the time.

Creating the network was simple, Crespo said. He wrote it in less than a month using the programming language Python and at no cost, not including the price of the beers. Caspari hopes that their creation will give archaeologists a way to find new tombs and to identify important sites so that they can be protected from looters.

Other convolutional neural networks are beginning to automate a variety of repetitive tasks that are usually foisted on to graduate students. And they are opening new windows on to the past. Some of the jobs that these networks are inheriting include classifying pottery fragments, locating shipwrecks in sonar images and finding human bones that are for sale, illegally, on the internet.

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“Netflix is using this kind of technique to show you recommendations,” Crespo, now a senior data scientist for Etsy, said. “Why shouldn’t we use it for something like saving human history?”

Gabriele Gattiglia and Francesca Anichini, both archaeologists at the University of Pisa in Italy, excavate Roman Empire-era sites, which entails analyzing thousands of broken bits of pottery. In Roman culture nearly every type of container, including cooking vessels and the amphoras used for shipping goods around the Mediterranean, was made of clay, so pottery analysis is essential for understanding Roman life.

The task involves comparing pottery sherds to pictures in printed catalogs. Gattiglia and Anichini estimate that only 20% of their time is spent excavating sites; the rest is spent analyzing pottery, a job for which they are not paid. “We started dreaming about some magic tool to recognize pottery on an excavation,” Gattiglia said.

That dream became the ArchAIDE project, a digital tool that will allow archaeologists to photograph a piece of pottery in the field and have it identified by convolutional neural networks. The project, which received financing from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, now involves researchers from across Europe, as well as a team of computer scientists from Tel Aviv University in Israel who designed the CNNs.

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The project involved digitizing many of the paper catalogs and using them to train a neural network to recognize different types of pottery vessels. A second network was trained to recognize the profiles of pottery sherds. So far, ArchAIDE can identify only a few specific pottery types, but as more researchers add their collections to the database the number of types is expected to grow.

“I dream of a catalog of all types of ceramics,” Anichini said. “I don’t know if it is possible to complete in this lifetime.”

Shawn Graham, a professor of digital humanities at Carleton University in Ottawa, uses a convolutional neural network called Inception 3.0, designed by Google, to search the internet for images related to the buying and selling of human bones. The United States and many other countries have laws requiring that human bones held in museum collections be returned to their descendants. But there are also bones being held by people who have skirted these laws. Graham said he had even seen online videos of people digging up graves to feed this market.

“These folks who are being bought and sold never consented to this,” Graham said. “This does continued violence to the communities from which these ancestors have been removed. As archaeologists, we should be trying to stop this.”

He made some alterations to Inception 3.0 so that it could recognize photographs of human bones. The system had already been trained to recognize objects in millions of photographs, but none of those objects were bones; he has since trained his version on more than 80,000 images of human bones. He is now working with a group called Countering Crime Online, which is using neural networks to track down images related to the illegal ivory trade and sex trafficking.

Crespo and Caspari said that the social sciences and humanities could benefit by incorporating the tools of information technology into their work. Their convolutional neural network was easy to use and freely available for anyone to modify to suit their own research needs. In the end, they said, scientific advances come down to two things.

“Innovation really happens at the intersections of established fields,” Caspari said. Crespo added: “Have a beer with your neighbor every once in a while.”

Finding the tomb of an ancient king full of golden artifacts, weapons and elaborate clothing seems like any archaeologist’s fantasy. But searching for them, Gino Caspari can tell you, is incredibly tedious.

Finding the tomb of an ancient king full of golden artifacts, weapons and elaborate clothing seems like any archaeologist’s fantasy. But searching for them, Gino Caspari can tell you, is incredibly tedious. Caspari, a research archaeologist with the Swiss National Science Foundation, studies the ancient Scythians, a nomadic culture whose horse-riding warriors terrorized the plains of Asia 3,000 years ago. The tombs of Scythian royalty contained much of the fabulous wealth they had looted from their neighbors. From the moment the bodies were interred, these tombs were popular targets for robbers; Caspari estimates that more than 90% of them have been destroyed. Also read| NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures 'cosmic cinnamon bun' He suspects that thousands of tombs are spread across the Eurasian steppes, which extend for millions of square miles. He had spent hours mapping burials using Google Earth images of territory in what is now Russia, Mongolia and Western China’s Xinjiang province. “It’s essentially a stupid task,” Caspari said. “And that’s not what a well-educated scholar should be doing.” As it turned out, a neighbor of Caspari’s in the International House, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, had a solution. The neighbor, Pablo Crespo, at the time a graduate student in economics at City University of New York who was working with artificial intelligence to estimate volatility in commodity prices, told Caspari that what he needed was a convolutional neural network to search his satellite images for him. The two bonded over a shared academic philosophy, of making their work openly available for the benefit of the greater scholarly community, and a love of heavy metal music. Over beers in the International House bar, they began a collaboration that put them at the forefront of a new type of archaeological analysis. Also read| Israeli scientists go 'backward in time' by successfully reversing ageing by 25 years A convolutional neural network, or CNN, is a type of artificial intelligence that is designed to analyze information that can be processed as a grid; it is especially well suited to analyzing photographs and other images. The network sees an image as a grid of pixels. The CNN that Crespo designed starts by giving each pixel a rating based on how red it is, then another for green and for blue. After rating each pixel according to a variety of additional parameters, the network begins to analyze small groups of pixels, then successively larger ones, looking for matches or near-matches to the data it has been trained to spot. Working in their spare time, the two researchers ran 1,212 satellite images through the network for months, asking it to look for circular stone tombs and to overlook other circular, tomblike things such as piles of construction debris and irrigation ponds. Also read| Signs of recent volcanic eruption on Mars hint at Habitats for life At first they worked with images that spanned roughly 2,000 square miles. They used three-quarters of the imagery to train the network to understand what a Scythian tomb looks like, correcting the system when it missed a known tomb or highlighted a nonexistent one. They used the rest of the imagery to test the system. The network correctly identified known tombs 98% of the time. Creating the network was simple, Crespo said. He wrote it in less than a month using the programming language Python and at no cost, not including the price of the beers. Caspari hopes that their creation will give archaeologists a way to find new tombs and to identify important sites so that they can be protected from looters. Other convolutional neural networks are beginning to automate a variety of repetitive tasks that are usually foisted on to graduate students. And they are opening new windows on to the past. Some of the jobs that these networks are inheriting include classifying pottery fragments, locating shipwrecks in sonar images and finding human bones that are for sale, illegally, on the internet. Also read| Skeletons of rich man and his 'male slave' found from ashes at Pompeii excavation “Netflix is using this kind of technique to show you recommendations,” Crespo, now a senior data scientist for Etsy, said. “Why shouldn’t we use it for something like saving human history?” Gabriele Gattiglia and Francesca Anichini, both archaeologists at the University of Pisa in Italy, excavate Roman Empire-era sites, which entails analyzing thousands of broken bits of pottery. In Roman culture nearly every type of container, including cooking vessels and the amphoras used for shipping goods around the Mediterranean, was made of clay, so pottery analysis is essential for understanding Roman life. The task involves comparing pottery sherds to pictures in printed catalogs. Gattiglia and Anichini estimate that only 20% of their time is spent excavating sites; the rest is spent analyzing pottery, a job for which they are not paid. “We started dreaming about some magic tool to recognize pottery on an excavation,” Gattiglia said. That dream became the ArchAIDE project, a digital tool that will allow archaeologists to photograph a piece of pottery in the field and have it identified by convolutional neural networks. The project, which received financing from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, now involves researchers from across Europe, as well as a team of computer scientists from Tel Aviv University in Israel who designed the CNNs. Also read| Climate change is making winter ice more dangerous The project involved digitizing many of the paper catalogs and using them to train a neural network to recognize different types of pottery vessels. A second network was trained to recognize the profiles of pottery sherds. So far, ArchAIDE can identify only a few specific pottery types, but as more researchers add their collections to the database the number of types is expected to grow. “I dream of a catalog of all types of ceramics,” Anichini said. “I don’t know if it is possible to complete in this lifetime.” Shawn Graham, a professor of digital humanities at Carleton University in Ottawa, uses a convolutional neural network called Inception 3.0, designed by Google, to search the internet for images related to the buying and selling of human bones. The United States and many other countries have laws requiring that human bones held in museum collections be returned to their descendants. But there are also bones being held by people who have skirted these laws. Graham said he had even seen online videos of people digging up graves to feed this market. “These folks who are being bought and sold never consented to this,” Graham said. “This does continued violence to the communities from which these ancestors have been removed. As archaeologists, we should be trying to stop this.” He made some alterations to Inception 3.0 so that it could recognize photographs of human bones. The system had already been trained to recognize objects in millions of photographs, but none of those objects were bones; he has since trained his version on more than 80,000 images of human bones. He is now working with a group called Countering Crime Online, which is using neural networks to track down images related to the illegal ivory trade and sex trafficking. Crespo and Caspari said that the social sciences and humanities could benefit by incorporating the tools of information technology into their work. Their convolutional neural network was easy to use and freely available for anyone to modify to suit their own research needs. In the end, they said, scientific advances come down to two things. “Innovation really happens at the intersections of established fields,” Caspari said. Crespo added: “Have a beer with your neighbor every once in a while.”

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