Archeologists unravel mystery of buried Byzantine bucket

LONDON — Archaeologists say they have cracked the mystery of a 1,500-year-old bucket unearthed from an Anglo-Saxon royal burial site, with new analysis revealing it contained cremated human and animal remains — suggesting it was used to bury an important person.
The Bromeswell bucket is a 6th-century artifact that was discovered in 1986 at Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in Suffolk, England.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

Scientists Working to Decode Signal From Earliest Years of Universe

As mysterious as the Big Bang that gave birth to the universe is the brief but tumultuous period that immediately followed it. How did the cosmos transform from a uniform sea of darkness into a chaotic swirl brimming with radiant stars? What were these first stars like, and how were they born? So far, we have very strong suspicions, but no hard answers. One reason is that the light from this period, called the cosmic dawn, is extremely faint, making it nearly impossible to infer the traits of these first cosmic objects, let alone directly observe them. But that's about to change, according to a team of international astronomers. In a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the astronomers argue that we're on the verge of finally decoding a radio signal that was emitted just one hundred millions years after the Big Bang. Known as the 21 centimeter signal, which refers to its distinct wavelength, this burst of radiation was unleashed as the inchoate cosmos spawned the earliest stars and black holes. "This is a unique opportunity to learn how the universe's first light emerged from the darkness," said study co-author Anastasia Fialkov, an astronomer from the University of Cambridge in a statement about the work. "The transition from a cold, dark universe to one filled with stars is a story we're only beginning to understand." After several hundred thousand years of cooling following the Big Bang, the first atoms to form in the universe were overwhelmingly neutral hydrogen atoms made of one positively charged proton and one negatively charged electron. But the formation of the first stars unbalanced that. As these cosmic reactors came online, they radiated light energetic enough to reionize this preponderance of neutral hydrogen atoms. In the process, they emitted photons that produced light in the telltale 21 centimeter wavelength, making it an unmistakeable marker of when the first cosmic structures formed. Deciphering these emissions would be tantamount to obtaining a skeleton key to the dawn of the universe. And drum roll, please: employing the Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen telescope, which is currently undergoing calibration, and the enormous Square Kilometer Array, which is under construction Australia, the researchers say they've developed a model that can tease out the masses of the first stars, sometimes dubbed Population III stars, that are locked inside the 21 centimeter signal. While developing the model, their key revelation was that, until now, astronomers weren't properly accounting for the impact of star systems called x-ray binaries among these first stars. These are systems where a black hole or neutron star is stripping material off a more ordinary star that's orbiting it, producing light in the x-ray spectrum. In short, it appears that x-ray binaries are both brighter and more numerous than what was previously thought. "We are the first group to consistently model the dependence of the 21-centimeter signal of the masses of the first stars, including the impact of ultraviolet starlight and X-ray emissions from X-ray binaries produced when the first stars die," said Fialkov. "These insights are derived from simulations that integrate the primordial conditions of the universe, such as the hydrogen-helium composition produced by the Big Bang." All told, it's another promising leap forward in the field of radio astronomy, where recent advances have begun to reveal an entire "low surface brightness" universe — and a potentially profound one as well, with the promise to illuminate our understanding of the cosmic dawn as never never before. "The predictions we are reporting have huge implications for our understanding of the nature of the very first stars in the universe," said co-author Eloy de Lera Acedo, a Cambridge astronomer and a principal investigator of the REACH telescope. "We show evidence that our radio telescopes can tell us details about the mass of those first stars and how these early lights may have been very different from today's stars." More on astronomy: Scientists Investigating Small Orange Objects Coating Surface of the Moon

Yahoo

3 hours ago

• Yahoo

Record number of Asian hornets trapped in Alderney

A record number of Asian hornets have been trapped in Alderney, a volunteer group has said. Alderney Asian Hornet Group said 365 Asian hornet queens had been caught in traps and three primary nests destroyed, a significant increase on previous years that experts have attributed to warm spring temperatures and consistent easterly winds in the Channel Islands. In 2024 a total of 99 queens were trapped and 26 in 2023, said the group. The first Asian hornet, an invasive species which feeds on native bees and wasps, was found in Alderney in 2016. More news stories for Guernsey Listen to the latest news for Guernsey David Jarolík, the group's administrator, asked volunteers to now remove the Asian hornet traps to avoid catching other insects. He urged them to look for secondary nests which the hornets would now be forming. "The possibility of discovering secondary nests is practically island-wide," he said. He thanked volunteers for their support and asked islanders to send a photo and details to the group if they suspected they had found an Asian hornet or nest. Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Record-breaking Asian hornet nest found in pump Asian hornet numbers rise after 'perfect winter' Asian hornet season starts 'earlier than usual' Asian hornets removed from Alderney Asian hornets: Why so many in the Channel Islands? States of Alderney - Asian Hornets

Yahoo

6 hours ago

• Yahoo

Was '28 Years Later' worth the wait? Beauty in the frightening madness of zombie movie

It's been 23 years since Danny Boyle and Alex Garland collaborated on 28 Days Later, and with such a large gap in films, a big question for 28 Years Later has been whether it can reinvigorate the excitement of the first. Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell and Alfie Williams, the new movie feels electric. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to really feel surprised by a movie, with so many clinging to familiar and beloved plot points and storytelling elements. But 28 Years Later is able to fully shock and surprise. 28 Years Later release date: June 20Director: Danny BoyleWriter: Alex GarlandCast: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'ConnellRuntime: 115 minutes It's been, as the title states, almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory and decimated the U.K., prompting a strict quarantine. A small group of survivors live on an island, connected to the mainland by a causeway, which can only be crossed during a low tide. The film is focused on 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who we meet on his first day of an excursion to the mainland with his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). It's a rite of passage for Spike to take the intimidating journey for his "first kill," as he says goodbye to his sick mother Isla (Jodie Comer), who suffers from a condition that's impacted her both physically and cognitively. While on the hunt Spike finds out about Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and hopes that he could help his ailing mother. Jamie is adamant that won't be the case, but Spike doesn't listen and travels back with his mother to reach Dr. Kelson on the mainland. Garland and Boyle certainly aren't giving us the expected with 28 Years Later. The film is firmly planted in the horror genre, while including rich commentary on modern society, without sacrificing any off the gruesome elements. The first portion of the movie is largely focused on intense chase scenes and terrifying zombie surprises with the introduction of the Alphas. The naked creatures are some of the most terrifying zombies we've gotten in a long time, while the film also suggests that the zombies may not be as mindless as many believe. Boyle's direction takes a brisk pace through the film. It feels sharp and impactful with a really satisfying execution of something thrillingly chaotic. Using elements like stock footage of British soldiers and clips of other films, it adds to the startling nature of the movie. Notably, the movie was filmed on iPhones, an evolution from the digital cameras used in the first film, as Boyle provides terrifying frenzied shots, in addition to breathtaking images of the landscape. As we get deeper into the story, there's more time spent on the film's examination od humanity, including our relationship with death and questions about the ecosystem, while adding a sprinkling of dark comedy. But that's what Garland does well, he adds a compelling richness to films while making room for visual impact, and creating a foundation to elevate both elements. While some may think 28 Years Later is too wacky for them, while the story could have more cohesion overall, there's no denying the spectacle of the film as we lean into the feeling of dread throughout the story.