Latest news with #ancientartifacts
CTV News
30-05-2025
- CTV News
How 2,300-year-old gold rings bring an ancient chapter of Jerusalem's history to life
Researchers found a tiny gold ring, embedded with what's believed to be a garnet, during recent excavations in Jerusalem. (Eliyahu Yanai/City of David via CNN Newsource) Archeologists in Jerusalem say they have discovered a roughly 2,300-year-old gold ring with a red gemstone that's remarkably similar to another piece of jewelry found less than a year ago. The two rings, small enough to fit a child, were artifacts unearthed at the City of David site in the Jerusalem Walls National Park. The team analyzing the pieces believes the rings may be connected to coming-of-age ritual by young women before marriage, suggesting the items were buried intentionally. Researchers said the rings, along with bronze earrings, a gold earring resembling a horned animal and a decorated gold bead, likely come from the Early Hellenistic Period in Jerusalem. The Hellenistic era, associated with the spread of Greek culture and influence, lasted from 332 to 141 BC in the city. Remarking on the novelty of finding so much gold jewelry from this period in Jerusalem, Efrat Bocher, an excavation manager from Bar-Ilan University and the Center for the Study of Ancient Jerusalem, said in a May 21 statement that '(t)his displayed wealth is very rare in any archeological layer, and it attests to the wealth of Jerusalem and the high standard of living of the city's residents during this period.' Gold jewelry A gold earring and a gold bead previously uncovered at the site appear to originate from the same period. (Clara Amit/Israel Antiquities Authority via CNN Newsource) Recovered from the foundations of a large building, both objects were in a layer of dirt dated to the late third century or early second century BC, according to excavation managers Dr. Yiftah Shalev, an archeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Yuval Gadot, head of the Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology and professor of archeology at Tel Aviv University. The discoveries are shedding light on a chapter of Jerusalem's history known primarily from ancient texts, as only a sparse archeological record existed — until now, Gadot said. Twin rings signal a transition The newfound gold ring, set with what appears to be a garnet, was in such excellent condition that excavators first thought it was a modern piece of jewelry dropped by a team member. But Rivka Lengler, one of the first excavators to examine the artifact, recognized its ancient design and called over the rest of the team. Rings The discovery of the gold ring (left), thought to be from the Early Hellenistic Period, occurred less than a year after archaeologists found a similar ring (right) at the City of David site. (Yiftah Shalev/Israel Antiquities Authority via CNN Newsource) 'When I held this ring in my hand, I felt that I could actually touch and connect with the people who lived here thousands of years ago,' Lengler said in a statement. The ring uncovered at the site less than a year ago is also set with a red precious gem and lacks signs of age. 'I was sifting earth through the screen and suddenly saw something glitter,' said Tehiya Gangate, an excavation team member, in a release in 2024. 'I immediately yelled, 'I found a ring, I found a ring!' Within seconds everyone gathered around me, and there was great excitement. This is an emotionally moving find, not the kind you find every day.' Both rings would fit on a woman's pinkie finger at most, but more likely on a girl's finger, the researchers said. Dr. Marion Zindel, an archeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority, analyzed the rings and believes artisans made them by hammering thin gold leaf onto metal ring bases. Excavators recovered all the jewelry at the site from beneath the building's floors, suggesting the pieces were placed there on purpose, Zindel said. One hypothesis is that the jewelry was used in 'a well-known Hellenistic period custom in which betrothed women would bury jewelry and other childhood objects in the house foundations as a symbol of the transition from childhood to adulthood,' Zindel said in a statement. Associated with the Early Hellenistic Period, the trend of combining colorful gems with gold was influenced by Indian and Persian fashion and brought to the region by Alexander the Great's eastern conquests, which opened trade channels transporting luxury goods between various regions, according to the researchers. Hallmarks of wealth Pieces of jewelry and other finds indicate that the Early Hellenistic Period in Jerusalem was a time associated with wealth and urban planning, but the extent of its residents' prosperity and affluence wasn't previously known, Bocher said. Excavations in the Givati parking lot, located on the western slope of the City of David hill, have been ongoing for years, she said in a YouTube video sharing the discovery. The excavations have been jointly conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University. Givati parking lot Excavations of the Givati parking lot in the City of David, where the ring was found, are ongoing. (Maor Ganot/City of David via CNN Newsource) The team is eager to gain a better understanding of Jerusalem between the first and ninth centuries BC — a period that has been missing from the archeological record so far — and the city's long, diverse heritage, Gadot said. The items show that the city's inhabitants were open to adopting Hellenistic cultural trends, lifestyle and architecture — which differs from traditional interpretations from ancient texts about Jerusalem. Experts previously believed the city was culturally isolated, rejecting outside influences, based on mentions in ancient texts, Gadot said. But the jewelry, and the customs associated with its burial, changes that assumption, Gadot added. Researchers now have a new way of understanding how the region was changing at the time. With few structures and artifacts from the era, it was easy to assume that Jerusalem was a small town. But the discoveries so far have uncovered an entire neighborhood including domestic and administrative buildings that extended westward from the City of David hilltop, where a Jewish temple once sat, Gadot said. In addition to analyzing the jewelry, the team will also study animal bones, coins and pottery recovered from the site to learn more about interregional connections, the origin of imported goods and even the culinary habits in Jerusalem at the time. The bones could reveal whether inhabitants practiced Kashrut regulations, or kosher Jewish dietary laws, which govern what animals could be consumed, and how they should be prepared and handled. 'We are only now beginning to explore the story of 4th-2nd century BCE Jerusalem,' Gadot said in an email. 'With the Temple at one end and the Hellenic cultural presence at the other end, we want to understand the position of the people living in Jerusalem.' Written by Ashley Strickland, CNN
CTV News
29-05-2025
- Science
- CTV News
How 2,300-year-old gold rings bring an ancient chapter of Jerusalem's history to life
Researchers found a tiny gold ring, embedded with what's believed to be a garnet, during recent excavations in Jerusalem. (Eliyahu Yanai/City of David via CNN Newsource) Archeologists in Jerusalem say they have discovered a roughly 2,300-year-old gold ring with a red gemstone that's remarkably similar to another piece of jewelry found less than a year ago. The two rings, small enough to fit a child, were artifacts unearthed at the City of David site in the Jerusalem Walls National Park. The team analyzing the pieces believes the rings may be connected to coming-of-age ritual by young women before marriage, suggesting the items were buried intentionally. Researchers said the rings, along with bronze earrings, a gold earring resembling a horned animal and a decorated gold bead, likely come from the Early Hellenistic Period in Jerusalem. The Hellenistic era, associated with the spread of Greek culture and influence, lasted from 332 to 141 BC in the city. Remarking on the novelty of finding so much gold jewelry from this period in Jerusalem, Efrat Bocher, an excavation manager from Bar-Ilan University and the Center for the Study of Ancient Jerusalem, said in a May 21 statement that '(t)his displayed wealth is very rare in any archeological layer, and it attests to the wealth of Jerusalem and the high standard of living of the city's residents during this period.' Gold jewelry A gold earring and a gold bead previously uncovered at the site appear to originate from the same period. (Clara Amit/Israel Antiquities Authority via CNN Newsource) Recovered from the foundations of a large building, both objects were in a layer of dirt dated to the late third century or early second century BC, according to excavation managers Dr. Yiftah Shalev, an archeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Yuval Gadot, head of the Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology and professor of archeology at Tel Aviv University. The discoveries are shedding light on a chapter of Jerusalem's history known primarily from ancient texts, as only a sparse archeological record existed — until now, Gadot said. Twin rings signal a transition The newfound gold ring, set with what appears to be a garnet, was in such excellent condition that excavators first thought it was a modern piece of jewelry dropped by a team member. But Rivka Lengler, one of the first excavators to examine the artifact, recognized its ancient design and called over the rest of the team. Rings The discovery of the gold ring (left), thought to be from the Early Hellenistic Period, occurred less than a year after archaeologists found a similar ring (right) at the City of David site. (Yiftah Shalev/Israel Antiquities Authority via CNN Newsource) 'When I held this ring in my hand, I felt that I could actually touch and connect with the people who lived here thousands of years ago,' Lengler said in a statement. The ring uncovered at the site less than a year ago is also set with a red precious gem and lacks signs of age. 'I was sifting earth through the screen and suddenly saw something glitter,' said Tehiya Gangate, an excavation team member, in a release in 2024. 'I immediately yelled, 'I found a ring, I found a ring!' Within seconds everyone gathered around me, and there was great excitement. This is an emotionally moving find, not the kind you find every day.' Both rings would fit on a woman's pinkie finger at most, but more likely on a girl's finger, the researchers said. Dr. Marion Zindel, an archeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority, analyzed the rings and believes artisans made them by hammering thin gold leaf onto metal ring bases. Excavators recovered all the jewelry at the site from beneath the building's floors, suggesting the pieces were placed there on purpose, Zindel said. One hypothesis is that the jewelry was used in 'a well-known Hellenistic period custom in which betrothed women would bury jewelry and other childhood objects in the house foundations as a symbol of the transition from childhood to adulthood,' Zindel said in a statement. Associated with the Early Hellenistic Period, the trend of combining colorful gems with gold was influenced by Indian and Persian fashion and brought to the region by Alexander the Great's eastern conquests, which opened trade channels transporting luxury goods between various regions, according to the researchers. Hallmarks of wealth Pieces of jewelry and other finds indicate that the Early Hellenistic Period in Jerusalem was a time associated with wealth and urban planning, but the extent of its residents' prosperity and affluence wasn't previously known, Bocher said. Excavations in the Givati parking lot, located on the western slope of the City of David hill, have been ongoing for years, she said in a YouTube video sharing the discovery. The excavations have been jointly conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University. Givati parking lot Excavations of the Givati parking lot in the City of David, where the ring was found, are ongoing. (Maor Ganot/City of David via CNN Newsource) The team is eager to gain a better understanding of Jerusalem between the first and ninth centuries BC — a period that has been missing from the archeological record so far — and the city's long, diverse heritage, Gadot said. The items show that the city's inhabitants were open to adopting Hellenistic cultural trends, lifestyle and architecture — which differs from traditional interpretations from ancient texts about Jerusalem. Experts previously believed the city was culturally isolated, rejecting outside influences, based on mentions in ancient texts, Gadot said. But the jewelry, and the customs associated with its burial, changes that assumption, Gadot added. Researchers now have a new way of understanding how the region was changing at the time. With few structures and artifacts from the era, it was easy to assume that Jerusalem was a small town. But the discoveries so far have uncovered an entire neighborhood including domestic and administrative buildings that extended westward from the City of David hilltop, where a Jewish temple once sat, Gadot said. In addition to analyzing the jewelry, the team will also study animal bones, coins and pottery recovered from the site to learn more about interregional connections, the origin of imported goods and even the culinary habits in Jerusalem at the time. The bones could reveal whether inhabitants practiced Kashrut regulations, or kosher Jewish dietary laws, which govern what animals could be consumed, and how they should be prepared and handled. 'We are only now beginning to explore the story of 4th-2nd century BCE Jerusalem,' Gadot said in an email. 'With the Temple at one end and the Hellenic cultural presence at the other end, we want to understand the position of the people living in Jerusalem.' Written by Ashley Strickland, CNN
CNN
28-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Mysterious gold stash found on hiking trail perplexes researchers
An Anglo-Saxon ship found at the Sutton Hoo estate in Suffolk, England, has long captivated history enthusiasts since its discovery on the eve of World War II. And the site of the seventh century royal burial has yielded still more wonders of the ancient past in more recent decades. In 1986, a tractor harrow unearthed pieces of a Byzantine bucket. Made from a thin sheet of copper alloy, the artifact depicts a North African hunting scene. The sixth century object had made an unusual journey from Antioch (in modern-day Turkey) to the eastern coast of Britain, researchers believe. Archaeologists found and assembled fragments of the bucket over the years, but its base — and any clues that could shed light on its purpose — remained elusive. Now, new excavations at Sutton Hoo have revealed the entire base of the bucket, as well as the contents it once housed: cremated remains, along with precious items that might help unveil the person's identity. In another remarkable find, when two hikers exploring the Krkonoše Mountains in the Czech Republic happened upon an aluminum box jutting from a stony wall, they uncovered a mysterious cache of gold bracelets, cigar cases, a powder compact and hundreds of coins. The duo took the discovery to the Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové, where experts are now studying the pieces. Community residents have been sharing speculations on where the trove could have come from, as none of the coins are of local origin, said Miroslav Novak, head of the museum's department of archaeology. One hypothesis is that the collection is related to departures of Czech and Jewish populations prior to World War II, or the post-war German exodus in 1945, he said. But the most recent coin in the stash is dated 1921, which adds another layer to the riddle. If you've ever wondered why your teeth ache after biting into something very cold or sweet like ice cream, ancient fish may be the root cause (no pun intended!). New research has shown that dentine, the sensitive interior of human teeth, likely evolved from the sensory tissue within bumps on the exoskeletons of armored fish 465 million years ago. The fish used these bumps, called odontodes, to sense their surroundings in Earth's early oceans, which were teeming with predators. Over time, the genetic tool kit for odontodes was repurposed for teeth in animals — and even humans. During the study, scientists had another surprising revelation: A fossil long thought to belong to an ancient fish was something else entirely. Biologists and engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, teamed up to create an acrobatic robot with the leaping and landing skills of an animal. Watch this squirrel-like robot's parkour moves. Camera traps on Jicarón Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of Panama, have captured perplexing behavior by some male capuchin monkeys, according to a new study. A white-faced capuchin, nicknamed 'Joker' for a scar on his mouth, was seen kidnapping baby howler monkeys — and other juvenile male capuchins followed suit. Other than toting the babies on their backs, none of the capuchins interacted with or cared for the howlers, and eventually all the infants died of starvation. Given the endangered status of the howler monkey population on the island, researchers set out to find the possible motivations behind such unusual behavior — and they uncovered a behavioral tendency the primates share with humans as the likely reason. Two distant galaxies have entered into a 'cosmic joust' while in the process of merging into one larger galaxy. As the massive objects hurtled toward one another at more than 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour), one galaxy repeatedly pierced the other with intense radiation. The dynamic activity, powered by a bright object at the galaxy's center, disrupted gas clouds and stellar nurseries — and it could prevent stars from forming in the future. You don't want to miss these must-reads: — After back-to-back explosive mishaps, SpaceX has been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration to launch the latest Starship test flight as early as Tuesday. The company plans to reuse a key component of the launch vehicle for the first time. — An ancient reptile relative made tiny clawed footprints that were fossilized in 356 million-year-old rock. The tracks are rewriting the way scientists understand the evolution of four-legged creatures. — As any owner of an orange cat knows, golden-hued felines are special. Now, scientists think they know why: an unusual genetic mutation that has not been found in any other animal.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mysterious gold stash found on hiking trail perplexes researchers
Editor's note: A version of this story appeared in CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. An Anglo-Saxon ship found at the Sutton Hoo estate in Suffolk, England, has long captivated history enthusiasts since its discovery on the eve of World War II. And the site of the seventh century royal burial has yielded still more wonders of the ancient past in more recent decades. In 1986, a tractor harrow unearthed pieces of a Byzantine bucket. Made from a thin sheet of copper alloy, the artifact depicts a North African hunting scene. The sixth century object had made an unusual journey from Antioch (in modern-day Turkey) to the eastern coast of Britain, researchers believe. Archaeologists found and assembled fragments of the bucket over the years, but its base — and any clues that could shed light on its purpose — remained elusive. Now, new excavations at Sutton Hoo have revealed the entire base of the bucket, as well as the contents it once housed: cremated remains, along with precious items that might help unveil the person's identity. In another remarkable find, when two hikers exploring the Krkonoše Mountains in the Czech Republic happened upon an aluminum box jutting from a stony wall, they uncovered a mysterious cache of gold bracelets, cigar cases, a powder compact and hundreds of coins. The duo took the discovery to the Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové, where experts are now studying the pieces. Community residents have been sharing speculations on where the trove could have come from, as none of the coins are of local origin, said Miroslav Novak, head of the museum's department of archaeology. One hypothesis is that the collection is related to departures of Czech and Jewish populations prior to World War II, or the post-war German exodus in 1945, he said. But the most recent coin in the stash is dated 1921, which adds another layer to the riddle. If you've ever wondered why your teeth ache after biting into something very cold or sweet like ice cream, ancient fish may be the root cause (no pun intended!). New research has shown that dentine, the sensitive interior of human teeth, likely evolved from the sensory tissue within bumps on the exoskeletons of armored fish 465 million years ago. The fish used these bumps, called odontodes, to sense their surroundings in Earth's early oceans, which were teeming with predators. Over time, the genetic tool kit for odontodes was repurposed for teeth in animals — and even humans. During the study, scientists had another surprising revelation: A fossil long thought to belong to an ancient fish was something else entirely. Biologists and engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, teamed up to create an acrobatic robot with the leaping and landing skills of an animal. Watch this squirrel-like robot's parkour moves. Camera traps on Jicarón Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of Panama, have captured perplexing behavior by some male capuchin monkeys, according to a new study. A white-faced capuchin, nicknamed 'Joker' for a scar on his mouth, was seen kidnapping baby howler monkeys — and other juvenile male capuchins followed suit. Other than toting the babies on their backs, none of the capuchins interacted with or cared for the howlers, and eventually all the infants died of starvation. Given the endangered status of the howler monkey population on the island, researchers set out to find the possible motivations behind such unusual behavior — and they uncovered a behavioral tendency the primates share with humans as the likely reason. Two distant galaxies have entered into a 'cosmic joust' while in the process of merging into one larger galaxy. As the massive objects hurtled toward one another at more than 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour), one galaxy repeatedly pierced the other with intense radiation. The dynamic activity, powered by a bright object at the galaxy's center, disrupted gas clouds and stellar nurseries — and it could prevent stars from forming in the future. You don't want to miss these must-reads: — After back-to-back explosive mishaps, SpaceX has been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration to launch the latest Starship test flight as early as Tuesday. The company plans to reuse a key component of the launch vehicle for the first time. — An ancient reptile relative made tiny clawed footprints that were fossilized in 356 million-year-old rock. The tracks are rewriting the way scientists understand the evolution of four-legged creatures. — As any owner of an orange cat knows, golden-hued felines are special. Now, scientists think they know why: an unusual genetic mutation that has not been found in any other animal. Like what you've read? Oh, but there's more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt and Jackie Wattles. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.
CNN
25-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Mysterious gold stash found on hiking trail perplexes researchers
An Anglo-Saxon ship found at the Sutton Hoo estate in Suffolk, England, has long captivated history enthusiasts since its discovery on the eve of World War II. And the site of the seventh century royal burial has yielded still more wonders of the ancient past in more recent decades. In 1986, a tractor harrow unearthed pieces of a Byzantine bucket. Made from a thin sheet of copper alloy, the artifact depicts a North African hunting scene. The sixth century object had made an unusual journey from Antioch (in modern-day Turkey) to the eastern coast of Britain, researchers believe. Archaeologists found and assembled fragments of the bucket over the years, but its base — and any clues that could shed light on its purpose — remained elusive. Now, new excavations at Sutton Hoo have revealed the entire base of the bucket, as well as the contents it once housed: cremated remains, along with precious items that might help unveil the person's identity. In another remarkable find, when two hikers exploring the Krkonoše Mountains in the Czech Republic happened upon an aluminum box jutting from a stony wall, they uncovered a mysterious cache of gold bracelets, cigar cases, a powder compact and hundreds of coins. The duo took the discovery to the Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové, where experts are now studying the pieces. Community residents have been sharing speculations on where the trove could have come from, as none of the coins are of local origin, said Miroslav Novak, head of the museum's department of archaeology. One hypothesis is that the collection is related to departures of Czech and Jewish populations prior to World War II, or the post-war German exodus in 1945, he said. But the most recent coin in the stash is dated 1921, which adds another layer to the riddle. If you've ever wondered why your teeth ache after biting into something very cold or sweet like ice cream, ancient fish may be the root cause (no pun intended!). New research has shown that dentine, the sensitive interior of human teeth, likely evolved from the sensory tissue within bumps on the exoskeletons of armored fish 465 million years ago. The fish used these bumps, called odontodes, to sense their surroundings in Earth's early oceans, which were teeming with predators. Over time, the genetic tool kit for odontodes was repurposed for teeth in animals — and even humans. During the study, scientists had another surprising revelation: A fossil long thought to belong to an ancient fish was something else entirely. Biologists and engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, teamed up to create an acrobatic robot with the leaping and landing skills of an animal. Watch this squirrel-like robot's parkour moves. Camera traps on Jicarón Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of Panama, have captured perplexing behavior by some male capuchin monkeys, according to a new study. A white-faced capuchin, nicknamed 'Joker' for a scar on his mouth, was seen kidnapping baby howler monkeys — and other juvenile male capuchins followed suit. Other than toting the babies on their backs, none of the capuchins interacted with or cared for the howlers, and eventually all the infants died of starvation. Given the endangered status of the howler monkey population on the island, researchers set out to find the possible motivations behind such unusual behavior — and they uncovered a behavioral tendency the primates share with humans as the likely reason. Two distant galaxies have entered into a 'cosmic joust' while in the process of merging into one larger galaxy. As the massive objects hurtled toward one another at more than 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour), one galaxy repeatedly pierced the other with intense radiation. The dynamic activity, powered by a bright object at the galaxy's center, disrupted gas clouds and stellar nurseries — and it could prevent stars from forming in the future. You don't want to miss these must-reads: — After back-to-back explosive mishaps, SpaceX has been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration to launch the latest Starship test flight as early as Tuesday. The company plans to reuse a key component of the launch vehicle for the first time. — An ancient reptile relative made tiny clawed footprints that were fossilized in 356 million-year-old rock. The tracks are rewriting the way scientists understand the evolution of four-legged creatures. — As any owner of an orange cat knows, golden-hued felines are special. Now, scientists think they know why: an unusual genetic mutation that has not been found in any other animal.
