What a 5,000-year-old whale tooth tells us about ancient craftspeople
A rare sperm whale tooth, discovered at the Copper Age Valencina archaeological site in southwest Spain, offers new insights into ancient Iberian artistry.
This fossil, dated to between 5,300 and 4,150 years ago, is the first marine mammal tooth of its kind found from this period in Iberia.
Copper Age craftspeople likely collected the tooth from an ancient shoreline and fashioned it into personal ornaments or symbolic artifacts before its deliberate burial.
Analysis revealed the tooth belonged to an adult sperm whale, showing signs of natural marine erosion and distinct human modifications like drilled holes and cut marks.
The discovery significantly enhances understanding of ivory use in prehistoric times.
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The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
What a 5,000-year-old whale tooth tells us about ancient craftspeople
A rare sperm whale tooth, discovered at the Copper Age Valencina archaeological site in southwest Spain, offers new insights into ancient Iberian artistry. This fossil, dated to between 5,300 and 4,150 years ago, is the first marine mammal tooth of its kind found from this period in Iberia. Copper Age craftspeople likely collected the tooth from an ancient shoreline and fashioned it into personal ornaments or symbolic artifacts before its deliberate burial. Analysis revealed the tooth belonged to an adult sperm whale, showing signs of natural marine erosion and distinct human modifications like drilled holes and cut marks. The discovery significantly enhances understanding of ivory use in prehistoric times.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- The Independent
Rare whale tooth fossil reveals secrets of ancient Iberian people
A rare whale tooth unearthed at a Copper Age 'mega village' in Spain has shed light on the artistry of Iberian people who lived in the Mediterranean region over 4,000 years ago. The tooth, discovered at the Valencina archaeological site in southwest Spain in 2018, is the first such fossil dated to this period in Iberia. According to a study published in PLOS One, the tooth was likely collected from an ancient shoreline and carefully worked on by Copper Age craftspeople. The craftspeople, living in a coastal village 5,300 to 4,150 years ago, likely used the tooth to fashion personal ornaments or symbolically meaningful artefacts. After it was worked on, the fossil was deliberately buried as indicated by further wear and tear and the hard crust covering its surface, the study noted. The findings add to our understanding of the use of ivory to craft ornaments, musical instruments and sculptures since the Old Stone Age, which began almost 40,000 years ago. Ivory 's striking appearance, durability, and strength made it an integral part of trade and sociocultural activities of ancient societies. However, much of what we know about the use of ivory in prehistoric times is based only on examining ivory sourced from terrestrial animals like elephants, hippos, deer and bears. While previous research underlines elephant ivory use in Old Stone Age and Copper Age societies of southern Spain, little is known about the significance of the material from marine mammals. The whale tooth from Valencina, measuring 17cm tall and 7cm wide and weighing over 0.5kg, provides a unique glimpse into the past. Analysis of the fossil revealed it came from an adult sperm whale and showed evidence of erosion from worms and barnacles as well as suspected shark bites, indicating it spent time on the seafloor. Researchers also identified signs of human activity on the tooth, like drilled holes and distinct cut marks that could not have occurred naturally. These observations prompted researchers to conclude that the whale likely died of natural causes, following which its body sank to the seafloor and one of its teeth washed ashore before it was found and used by ancient Iberians. 'Although no ivory artefact has yet been diagnosed as coming from a sperm whale tooth, recent finds of ivory of marine origin in European archaeological contexts have brought a new focus to the study of the use of marine resources by prehistoric societies,' the study said.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Experts finally find treatment for incurable viral infection suffered by 122million Americans
Half of Americans are suffering from an incurable disease that causes painful - and embarrassing - blisters and sores around the mouth. About 122million people have herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), the oral strain of herpes. It's spread though close skin-to-skin contact and differs from the sexually transmitted herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), which causes genital blisters and sores. There is no cure for HSV-1, but antiviral medications can manage outbreaks and reduce the risk of transmission. Now, however, researchers from Spain, have discovered how the virus acts on a person's DNA, opening the door for a possible cure. The team found that the virus 'hijacks' a certain enzyme in the body that allows herpes to replicate itself, but if that enzyme is blocked, it brings 'the hostile takeover to a halt.' The researchers are hopeful that the study's findings, which provide the first proof herpes actually reshapes a person's DNA within only hours of infection, may help address the public health burden of HSV-1. Globally, nearly 4billion people have this type of herpes and experts are becoming more concerned as drug-resistant strains are developing, which could lead to more transmission. And unmanaged herpes can lead to devastating complications, traveling to the brain and triggering inflammation, which can increase the risk of dementia. Researchers in Spain analyzed human cells and infected them with HSV-1, and found almost immediately that it reshapes cell DNA so it can access more genes and spread rapidly throughout the body. However, blocking the enzyme topoisomerase I, which controls DNA replication, stopped HSV-1 from rearranging genes during infection, stopping it from spreading. Blocking the enzyme can be done with drugs called topoisomerase inhibitors, which are usually used in chemotherapy regimens to stop DNA from replicating and forming more cancer cells. This could be the first-ever method of slowing the spread of HSV-1. The researchers said while more evidence supporting a possible treatment is needed, the study could be the first step in preventing worldwide herpes outbreaks. Professor Pia Cosma, corresponding study author and researcher at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, said: 'In cell culture, inhibiting this enzyme stopped the infection before the virus could make a single new particle. 'That gives us a potential new therapeutic target to stop infection.' Herpes is most commonly transmitted from a carrier to a person without herpes by touching a cold sore, which actively produces or 'sheds' the virus. However, it can cause genital herpes by spreading through oral sex. HSV-1 leads to painful blisters around the lips and mouth, skin and genitals. When the virus infects a person, it may travel up to a cluster of sensory nerves in the brain and remain dormant there for months or even years after the initial infection. But in times of stress, severe fatigue, or changes to the immune system, the virus can reactivate, multiply, and travel back to the skin through nerve fibers. These stressful times can result in new blisters in the same area as the initial infection. The new study, published Thursday in Nature Communications, looked at human A549 cells, which are caused by the cancer lung carcinoma. The cells were then infected with HSV-1 representing one, three and eight hours post infection. Researchers found after eight hours, HSV-1 had occupied 70 percent of the cells, suggesting it would take less than a day for the virus to completely overtake cell DNA and spread. Dr Esther Gonzalez Almela, first study author, said: 'HSV-1 is an opportunistic interior designer, reshaping the human genome with great precision and choosing which bits it comes into contact with. 'It's a novel mechanism of manipulation we didn't know the virus had to exploit host resources.' The researchers then tried to suppress topoisomerase I, which relaxes DNA and makes it easier for it to replicate. They found this 'hindered viral replication.' The team wrote that suppressing the enzyme stops HSV-1 from progressing, suggesting it could be most beneficial for those in later stages of infection. Topoisomerase inhibitors are sold under names like etoposide, irinotecan and topotecan to slow the growth of lung, colorectal, ovarian and testicular cancers, among others. Some are also used to treat multiple sclerosis, a progressive neurological disorder that attacks the spinal cord, by reducing central nervous system inflammation. They can be given as either pills or intravenously for anywhere from $8 to $61 depending on the method.
