2017 brought many archaeological discoveries. We were able to discover long-lost temples, as well as discover ancient settlements, a giant statue, and records of the oldest solar eclipse.
1. Giant colossus under the slums of Cairo
This year, archaeologists discovered three ancient graves near the city of Samalut and the tomb of the jeweler Amenemhat near the Valley of the Kings with a mass of artifacts. But the most exciting discovery is a giant statue found in March near the Cairo suburb of Mataria. First, the three-ton torso of the statue was excavated, then its head, and then the pedestal and two fingers. It was a statue of Pharaoh Psamtek I from the 26th Dynasty and is 9m high.
2. Solving the mystery of "Henley"
On February 17, 1864, the Confederate submarine Henley sank. Its wreckage was discovered in 1995 and raised in 2000. The skeletons of all eight crew members were in place, and they did not seem to be trying to escape. The question arose: what killed them? At the beginning of this year, the researchers said that the cause of the death of the submarine was the explosion of its own torpedo.
3. Lack of Ecocide on Easter Island
For many years there was a myth about "ecocide", that is, the natives of Rapa Nui allegedly died out due to wars and deforestation. Archaeologist Carl Lipo argues that the main evidence for warfare is only rumors 300 years old. As for the trees, the Polynesian rat turned out to be the culprit of their death. In addition, raids from the mainland, imported diseases, and forced migration since the 18th century are what actually led to the death of the population.
4. The Long Lost Temple of Artemis
After nearly 100 years of searching, archaeologists have found the remains of a lost ancient temple dedicated to Artemis on the Greek island of Euboea. To clarify: no, this is not the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders that was on the territory of modern Turkey. The island temple has been searched since the end of the 19th century, and the main source of information was the not entirely accurate records of Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian of the 1st century.
5. Historical finds on Antikythera
The wreckage of a ship from the era of the Roman Empire was discovered in 1900 near the Greek island of Antikythera. Then a complex device called the "Antikytherian mechanism" was found. However, the wreckage turned out to be a treasure trove of historical artifacts. More recently, divers raised the hand of a bronze statue. Archaeologists suggest that the remaining parts can be found somewhere nearby.
6An Ancient Settlement Found In Canada
Early history North America very foggy, and new discoveries are constantly proving it. This year, one of the earliest settlements was found on Tricket Island, off the coast of British Columbia, where ancient people found a home and refuge. After excavating several meters of earth, archaeologists discovered a layer of soil with a prehistoric hearth about 14 thousand years old.
7 The First Viking Woman
Back in the late 19th century, 1,100 graves of the 10th century Vikings were found in the village of Birka on the island of Björko (Sweden). But only one of them immediately stood out. It was full of equipment: a sword, an ax, a spear, a combat knife, arrows, shields and horses, that is, the tomb clearly belonged to a respected warrior. Everyone thought he was a man, but this year researchers used DNA samples taken from a skeleton's hand and tooth and saw that he was missing a Y chromosome. It was a woman!
8. The Lost City of Alexander the Great
Drones have proven to be an invaluable tool for capturing aerial photographs of hard-to-reach areas. This is how the lost city of Kalatga Darband, founded by Alexander the Great at the end of the 4th century, was found. It is located in modern Iraq, but after a few centuries the city disappeared, and information about it disappeared for almost 2000 years. Excavations at the site have already revealed Greco-Roman statues and Greek coins to the world.
9. The oldest record of a solar eclipse
The oldest recorded solar eclipse occurred on October 30, 1207 BC. Scientists have calculated this date by comparing the ancient Egyptian and biblical texts. The Bible story is taken from the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament. And the Egyptian text says that Pharaoh Merneptah defeated the people of Israel in Canaan during the fifth year of his reign. Using this information, the researchers claim that the only solar eclipse visible from Canaan was on the afternoon of October 30, 1207.
10 Subway Builders Stumbled On A Roman Aqueduct
Builders working on a new metro line in Rome 18m below Piazza Selimontana stumbled upon part of one of the oldest aqueducts in Roman history. The aqueduct is about 2300 years old, and it probably fell into disuse later and was used as a sewer.
The last year has been very fruitful for archaeologists. Scientists have made many interesting discoveries, which made it possible to learn a lot of new things and revealed the secrets of artifacts found earlier. In this review, the "ten" of the most significant archaeological finds of recent months.
1. Giant colossus 
Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled Alnani said the year was "a year of archaeological discovery," especially after a period of stagnation following the 2011 Arab Spring protests. This year, archaeologists discovered a Roman-era tomb near the city of Minya, three more ancient tombs near Samalut that could be much more large cemetery, as well as a tomb near the Valley of the Kings, owned by a jeweler named Amenemhat. Hundreds of artifacts were found in the latter. 
A giant colossus found in the slums of Cairo.
But the most exciting discovery is a gigantic statue discovered in March near the Cairo suburb of Mataria. Initially, archaeologists found the three-ton torso of the statue, and then dug up her head. Further excavations revealed a pedestal and two fingers, but scientists are confident that they will find all the missing parts of the statue. Based on the size of the torso, the height of the entire statue should be about 9 meters. 
A giant colossus found in the slums of Cairo.
What made this discovery particularly intriguing was that at first, experts believed that the statue represented Ramses the Great, especially since it was located near the ruins of his temple. However, subsequent research unearthed an engraving inscribed with Neb Aa, a name used only by Pharaoh Psamtek I of the 26th Dynasty. This makes this discovery the largest late period statue ever found in Egypt.
2 The Hunley Mystery 
Submarine Hunley.
On February 17, 1864, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley became the first combat submarine to sink a battleship when it attacked the USS Housatonic. This success came at a great cost, as the Hunley and her entire crew disappeared the same day and were considered missing for 130 years. The wreckage of the submarine was discovered in 1995 and raised to the surface in 2000. The skeletons of all eight crew members were at their posts and no signs of an evacuation attempt were found. 
Restoration work on the submarine of the southerners during the American Civil War H. L. Hunley.
This gave rise to a new question - what caused the death of the crew. Earlier this year, the researchers announced that they thought they had found the answer after conducting extensive experiments - the explosion of their own Hunley torpedo led to the death of all people on board the ship. The submarine was armed only with a pole torpedo - a mine at the end of a long pole that did not detach (in fact, the boat had to ram the ship with this pole with a mine at the end). The explosion caused a strong pressure drop, which caused the death of the crew of the submarine.
3 Easter Island Genocide 
No environmental genocide on Easter Island.
A genetic study published this year effectively debunked the myth of Easter Island's "environmental genocide", which claimed that people on Rapa Nui had died out due to war and deforestation. Tiny Easter Island became famous around the world thanks to the moai statues, after which it was studied quite well by scientists. The more scientists explored this small island, which is now almost devoid of any resources, the more they believed that the natives themselves caused "ecocide" on Easter Island. 
The Lost Island of Rapa Nui.
This idea was based on two statements. First, the island's original population numbered in the tens of thousands of inhabitants before it dwindled to a few thousand by the time Europeans arrived on the island in early XVIII century. Secondly, the people of Rapa Nui had a careless attitude to the cultivation of the land, which led to a gradual decrease in yields and a shortage of wood. This eventually escalated into war and the complete extermination of the population. Archaeologist Carl Lipo was one of the first to challenge this theory mass war between the island tribes. He argues that the main evidence of war is oral history, which is barely 300 years old, and its reliability is extremely doubtful. 
Somewhere on Easter Island.
Only 2.5 percent of the human remains on the island that were examined showed any signs of trauma. As for trees, Polynesian rats may have caused the most damage because they fed on both palm nuts and saplings. The results of a new genetic study confirm that South Americans made contact with Rapa Nui centuries before Europeans. It also confirms that slave raids, introduced diseases, and forced migration since the 18th century are what actually led to population decline.
4 Lost Temple Of Artemis 
The long-lost temple of Artemis.
After more than 100 years of searching, archaeologists have announced that they have found the remains of a lost ancient temple dedicated to Artemis. The ruins are located on the Greek island of Euboea, near the coastal town of Amarynthos. It’s worth clarifying right away that this is not the temple of Artemis, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the remains of which are located in modern Turkey. Archaeologists began looking for the temple at the end of the 19th century. 
Excavations in Greece.
The reason why the search took so long is because the archaeologists were looking in wrong place, based on the records of Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian of the 1st century (he wrote that the temple was located seven stages from ancient city Eretria, and in the end, the ruins were discovered 60 stades or almost 11 km from this city). After initial excavations, inscriptions with the name of Artemis were found, which confirmed the temple's identity.
5. Finds of Antikythera 
A number of historical finds near Antikythera.
The remains of an ancient shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera were discovered back in 1900, but scientists still continue to make new discoveries at this place. Recently, divers found at the site of a shipwreck great amount relics, and especially archaeologists were intrigued by the hand of the bronze statue. Firstly, bronze statues are among the rarest artifacts of antiquity.
It is known from surviving records that they were incredibly popular, but due to the value of bronze, most of the statues were melted down and recycled. Second, the hand fragment does not match any statue bodies that have been found so far. This led to speculation that the rest of the statue (and possibly others as well) could be found somewhere near the underwater search site.
6. ancient settlement In Canada 
An ancient settlement found in Canada.
The early history of humans in North America is still obscure to scientists, and new discoveries are constantly rewriting modern understanding of that time period. In 2017, archaeologists discovered one of the earliest North American settlements on Tricket Island off the coast of British Columbia. This new find supports the idea that the coast of British Columbia experienced a major human migration at one point in history.
In addition, it also confirms the oral tradition, as the site was discovered based on the stories of the Heiltsuk indigenous people. According to them, Tricket Island was a small piece of land that never froze during the last ice age, and the ancestors of the Heiltsuk took refuge there. After excavating to a depth of several meters, archaeologists discovered a layer of soil that contained a prehistoric hearth. It contained small flakes of charcoal soot, whose age was determined to be 14,000 years old.
7. Woman Warrior 
Model of the Viking settlement of Birka.
Back in the 1880s, archaeologists discovered a large 10th-century Viking cemetery in the village of Birka on the island of Bjorko. Approximately 1,100 graves were located in this area, but among them one stood out strongly with the code number Bj 581. In this grave, which was located on an elevated terrace next to the garrison, they found "the complete equipment of a professional warrior" - a sword, an ax, a spear, a combat knife , arrows, shields and horse skeleton.
In addition, the scientists also found a board game called "hnefatafl" on the skeleton's lap. According to Dr. Charlotte Hedenstein-Johnson, this indicated that the man was a strategist who made military decisions. The tomb clearly belonged to a high-ranking warrior. Everyone considered the warrior to be a man, but in the last few decades some have questioned this, claiming that there are signs of a woman in the skeletal remains.
In early 2017, researchers at Stockholm University put an end to the controversy by using DNA samples recovered from the skeleton's hand and tooth to show that the remains did not have a Y chromosome. Those. this discovery is the first confirmed burial of a high-ranking Viking female warrior.
8. City of Alexander the Great 
Alexander the Great.
Drones have proven to be an invaluable tool for archaeologists due to their ease of use and the speed with which they can provide high-quality aerial photographs of hard-to-reach areas. In a short period of time, drones have helped find a number of ruins, shipwrecks and other historical relics. One more item needs to be added to this list - the lost city founded by Alexander the Great. The city in question is called Qalatga Darband and is located in the modern Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The city was founded somewhere at the end of the 4th century BC and the wine trade flourished in it. Despite this, after a few centuries the city disappeared from historical records and was forgotten for almost 2000 years. The first photographs of Kalatga Darband were actually taken in the 1960s by CIA spy satellites. The pictures were declassified in 1996 and only recently fell into the hands of scientists who realized what kind of ruins they are visible.
Subsequently, Iraqi and British archaeologists used drones aircrafts to take contemporary photographs of the area and found the lost city. During excavations at this site, Greco-Roman statues and Greek coins have already been found. Excavation progress is extremely slow due to armed conflicts in the region.
9. "The sun stopped and the moon stopped" 
Solar eclipse.
According to researchers from the University of Cambridge, the oldest solar eclipse ever recorded occurred on October 30, 1207 BC. They figured out this date by comparing ancient Egyptian and Biblical texts and developing a new method for calculating eclipse dates. The biblical story in question is taken from the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament. When Joshua led the people of Israel to Canaan, "The sun stopped and the moon stopped." Cambridge scholars were not the first historians to believe that this passage was a description of a real astronomical event.
However, they were the first to realize that it might not be a total eclipse, but an annular eclipse with a "ring of fire" during which the Moon is too far away to completely cover the Sun's disk. There is independent archaeological evidence (the Merneptah Stele) confirming the presence of Israelites in Canaan between 1500 and 1050 BC. This Egyptian text, now in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo, says that Pharaoh Merneptah defeated the people of Israel in Canaan during the fifth year of his reign.
Based on this time span, the Cambridge researchers claim that the only solar eclipse visible from Canaan occurred on the afternoon of October 30, 1207. Moreover, scientists can use this eclipse as a fixed point in history for other events, such as the reign of Merneptah or, more importantly, his father, Ramses the Great.
10. Roman aqueduct in the subway 
Aqueduct of Piazza Selimontana.
In late 2016, people working on a new metro line in Rome stumbled upon "a sensational discovery of enormous significance." After spending 6 months studying and authenticating the find, archaeologists made an official announcement in April 2017 - they had discovered part of one of the oldest aqueducts in Roman history. It measures 32 meters long and two meters high and is located 18 meters below Piazza Selimontana.
According to archaeologist Simon Morrett, the aqueduct is approximately 2,300 years old and is probably part of the Aqua Appia, the oldest known Roman aqueduct, built in 312 BC. As newer aqueducts were built in Rome, this one began to be used as a sewer.
Thanks to these important finds, new pages were opened in the history of our country. So, you are ready to find out what shocked the archaeologists, and behind them - the whole scientific world Last year? Read!
1. Unexplored Tauris.
A huge amount of archaeological research in 2017 was carried out in preparation for the construction of the Tavrida highway. The highway will connect the Crimean bridge, Kerch, Simferopol and Sevastopol, and will become the main transport artery of the Crimean peninsula.
Archaeologists are seizing the moment and studying what the earth has been hiding for centuries. Hundreds of discoveries have been made. Let's briefly list.
- god head
Before the start of the construction of the Kerch bridge, archaeologists examined the bottom of the strait separating the Crimea from the mainland. Many finds were raised to the surface, but the most interesting was the head of a large terracotta sculpture. It is true to size and very well preserved. The head belonged to a statue of an ancient hero or god. According to the manufacturing technology, the find was dated to the 5th century BC. According to archaeologists, it was made in one of the Greek cities of Asia Minor. Now leading experts in ancient Greek art are trying to unravel the history of the find.
- Roman manor
For decades, this unremarkable hill stood on the 11th kilometer at the edge of the road that connected the two urban areas of Kerch. Now it has been unearthed, and it turned out that a rural estate of Roman times was hidden in its bowels, where representatives of the middle class of the Bosporan kingdom lived in the middle of the 1st century AD. Since the family was not prosperous, the finds were as follows: many fragments of ceramics, fragments of terracotta figurines, a series of bronze figured pendants, jewelry - rings and rings, bronze brooches, pendants and linings, glass beads.
- old bridge
In October 2017, scientists from the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) discovered the oldest engineering structure in Crimea. It turned out to be a small stone bridge, which was found in the Belogorsk region, near the village of Nekrasovo. An arched single-span bridge was built across the Ashil stream, which flowed in this place, but by the end of the 19th century it had completely dried up. The length of the structure is about 30 meters, the width is about 8 meters, the width of the arch is no more than 2 meters. Archaeologists believe that the construction of the bridge was timed to coincide with the journey of Empress Catherine II to southern regions Russian Empire.
- Kubrick and the steamer
In November, on the Malakhov Kurgan in Sevastopol, road builders accidentally found the crew quarters of battery number 111 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Alexei Matyukhin, who held the defense of the slopes of the Sevastopol Bay during the Great Patriotic War. Four quarters, two large cellars, as well as three positions of anti-aircraft DShK (mounted heavy machine gun) and two 45-mm guns in pillboxes were found in the vicinity. And earlier, in April, off the coast of Crimea, the ship Boy Federsen (formerly Kharkiv), which sank during the Great Patriotic War, was discovered, which, presumably, was exporting valuables from the peninsula occupied by the German army.
In just a year, 80 archaeological discoveries were made in the vicinity of the future Tavrida highway alone. Experts say Crimea is experiencing a golden age of archaeological research.
2. Moscow treasures.
In Moscow, in December 2017, the main work under the My Street program was completed. Of course, the main goal was the improvement of 118 streets of the capital or city squares. But in the course of the excavations, the workers now and then stumbled upon treasures. A total of 6,000 artifacts were raised.
- Stone Age. Tiny silicon tools fell into the hands of the researchers - it turned out that this was the Stone Age. The first people appeared on the territory of modern Moscow 27 thousand years ago!
- Chamber of Secrets. A special room at the base of the Kitaigorod wall, opposite the Church of St. John the Evangelist under the Elm. When the defenders of the fortress from the time of Ivan the Terrible were in the ear, they could follow the enemy on the other side of the wall. Near the secret room, stone cannonballs were found - a warehouse of ammunition for medieval artillerymen.
- Relics of the 12th century. On a hundred square meters of Birzhevaya Square this summer, archaeologists and builders unearthed half a thousand objects from the ground, dating back to the 12th century. The discovered objects testify that already in the 12th century Moscow was a large trading city with extensive connections.
Treasure of silver coins of the 15th - 17th centuries.
- Hoards. At the exhibition at the Museum of Moscow, you can also see treasures, as well as copper coins, ceramics and everyday life items of Muscovites of different times. Treasures of silver coins were found more than three, copper - in the form of purses and individual coins - much more. Even a "squeak" was found - a coin with a pointed edge, which was wielded by a pickpocket in the 18th century.
3. Church of the Annunciation in Veliky Novgorod.
In 2017, the excavations of the Church of the Annunciation on Gorodische in Veliky Novgorod were completed. This is the second oldest stone Orthodox church in the north of Russia. The church was built in 1103 by Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich, son of Vladimir Monomakh, and destroyed in the 14th century, then rebuilt and once again destroyed during the war.
Church before restoration.
During two years of excavations, scientists completely opened the temple early XII century, whose architecture was unknown to us. Remains of walls, floors, foundations of domed pillars have been cleared; numerous fragments of frescoes of the 12th century have been collected in the rubble of the destroyed building. But the most remarkable finds are fragments of plaster with graffiti inscriptions. Among them are records of the death of Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich, he is one of the brightest figures in Russian history of the XII century.
The museumification of the remains of the Church of the Annunciation on Gorodische, the arrangement of “archaeological windows” here will make it possible to exhibit the remains of a building from the beginning of the 12th century and will be the next step in the development of a network of similar open-air archaeological expositions in our country.
The temple is preparing to receive tourists. Autumn 2017.
4. Mysterious Aleyka.
The object that was in the spotlight in 2017 is the Aleika-7 burial ground in the Kaliningrad region. This is a necropolis with 800 burials of the 4th-7th centuries, that is, the era of the migration of peoples and the very beginning of the Middle Ages.
Vicinities of Aleyka, Kaliningrad region.
On Aleyka, several burials were discovered containing items of very high artistic quality. These are horse equipment, weapons, the pommel of a drinking horn with a bird's head. Similar things in this era accompanied the burials of the military elite. They are found in different parts of Europe and reflect the very high mobility of this elite. Exactly the same horn pommel was found in the barrow Sutton Hoo (Satten-Khu), in England, in one of the most famous necropolises of the Anglo-Saxon nobility.
Golden pommel of the horn.
These findings indicate that the elite of the Aestians, the Baltic people who inhabited the Sambian Peninsula, experienced a noticeable German influence during this period. These are completely new pages of world history, because the monuments of this time in the Kaliningrad region were little studied, and the undisturbed burials of the military elite of that time were not excavated.
5. Sword-treasurer.
Gnezdovo is a microdistrict on the outskirts of Smolensk. There were about 4.5 thousand burials of the 9th-11th centuries underground here. This forgotten necropolis was discovered by chance in 1867 during the construction of the Oryol-Vitebsk railway Since then, excavations have been going on here.
In 2017, a surprise awaited archaeologists - a sword, presumably dating back to the 10th century. Such finds, as scientists note, have not been here for 30 years.
Melee weapons, which have lain in the ground for more than a thousand years, are well preserved and promise to tell researchers something new about medieval Russia.
To be continued…
Internet marketer, editor of the site "In an accessible language"
Publication date: 08/16/2017
Understanding the culture of your ancestors is an important element in understanding yourself.
Awareness of the value of the heritage that our ancestors left us, gives us archeology.
The evidence found by archaeologists allows us to lift the veil of secrecy and learn a little more about the history of past years. Often, the facts recorded by archaeologists dispel the spirit of mysticism that reigns around certain events, add more rational explanations to history.
Today we will look at seven interesting archaeological discoveries made in Russia and in the world in the first half of 2017.
Archaeologists have found the native village of the apostles Andrew and Peter
Photo: Kinneret Academic College Facebook account In the northern part of Israel, specialists who carried out archaeological work found the remains of a village, presumably the birthplace of the apostles Philip, Andrew the First-Called and Peter.
The basis for such conclusions was the description of the village of Bethsaida, which was mentioned more than once in the New Testament and, according to legend, was the immediate homeland of the apostles.
During the archaeological work on one of the shores of Lake Tiberias in El-Araj, Roman baths were found by specialists.
It is worth noting that the baths, which are part of the urban culture, judging by the features of the baths and the description of the area, it can be assumed that it was in this place that the city of Yuliada was previously located, built exactly on the spot where the village of Bethsaida used to be.
Secret rooms found in Kitaygorodskaya wall of Moscow
Photo: ntv.ru The Kitaigorod wall of Moscow, an ancient fortification built during the reign of Princess Elena Glinskaya (1535-1538). A wall was built to protect against raids Crimean Tatars, who in those days raided the Moscow Posad.
During excavations in the spring of 2017, archaeologists discovered 5 secret rooms. Previously, no one knew about the existence of these rooms.
The peculiarity of these rooms is that they have exits to the outside. According to scientists, these rooms were designed to eavesdrop on the enemy from them.
Photo: sputnik-georgia.ru The discovery of the tomb of Jesus Christ was especially exciting for believers, and indeed for the entire world community, in 2017. The marble slab set on the tomb was raised for the first time since its installation in 1555.
According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ was buried in a cave carved into Mount Calvary, it is believed that it was there that the resurrection of Jesus took place.
During the excavations carried out in this area, St. Helena discovered the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and it was there that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was later founded.
A thorough analysis of the contents of the tomb of Jesus Christ, located in the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord in Jerusalem, made it possible to confirm its authenticity.
Archaeologists confidently declare that this is exactly the tomb that the crusaders worshiped.
Remains of previously unknown pyramid found in Egypt
Photo: AFP During archaeological excavations conducted in the Dahshur region near Cairo, the remains of an ancient, previously unknown pyramid were discovered. According to scientists, the building dates back to the XIII dynasty of the pharaohs.
The found ruins represent a passage into the interior of the structure, in addition, the passage connected the pyramid with other ground structures.
Archaeological specialists also found parts of a tablet with hieroglyphs, 17x15 centimeters in size, and several fragments of stone blocks.
Photo: AFP The temple of Kukulkan consists of three pyramids, like a matryoshka
Photo: mgmi.org A sensational discovery also in 2017 was the discovery of a third-level pyramid inside the famous temple of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza (Mexico).
Back in the 40s of the XX century, scientists managed to find out that the pyramid of the temple is a shell for a smaller pyramid located inside, however, this year, during research, signs were found that there is another level - the second pyramid is also hollow, and inside it is another similar structure of a smaller size.
There is an opinion among scientists that the temple can be built in the form of a kind of "matryoshka", each of the pyramids of which is a shell for the other.
The discovered pyramid can be created as early as 500-800 AD. With all this, the building belongs to the time period when the Mayan tribe existed.
Ancient prosthesis found in Egypt
In the course of archaeological work in the tomb of a noble woman from ancient egypt perhaps the oldest prosthesis on Earth was found, which replaced part of her right foot.
According to the head of archaeological work, the artifact was discovered in a necropolis located near Luxor. It is in Sheikh Adb-el-Kurna that the bodies of noble people living 3.5-3 thousand years ago are buried.
The structure of the found prosthesis allowed scientists to draw conclusions about what it was created by a person with good anatomical knowledge, as well as woodcarving skills.
The prosthesis was attached to the woman's leg with numerous straps and perfectly matched the shape of the deceased's leg. According to the research, the mechanism has been redesigned and changed more than once to fit the shape of the foot. This probably allowed the woman to move around calmly and not feel discomfort when walking.
Treasure from the time of Ivan the Terrible found in the center of Moscow
Photo: official portal of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow An unusual and valuable find was discovered right in the center of the capital. The treasure, hidden back in the time of Ivan the Terrible, was inside the chess piece of an elephant.
Such amazing news became known thanks to the official portal of the mayor of Moscow, who spoke about the unique find. According to the report, there were 10 coins in the cavity of the chess piece. According to experts, the treasure dates back to the middle of the sixteenth century.
According to the data received from the head of the department of cultural heritage, coins of various denominations amounted to 5 kopecks in total. At the same time, it should be noted that the coins were created at different mints: one - at Tver, and the rest - at Moscow.
The figure in which the treasure was found consists of three parts and is made of bone. Scientists have suggested that a full set of figures can hide up to 160 kopecks.
A valuable find was found in a construction trench prepared to replace gas communications.
2017 was a generous year for historians and archaeologists. Scientists managed to make several sensational discoveries and get answers to questions that arose during the study of artifacts and fossils discovered many years ago. Excavations still continue, because secrets await us at every corner, but the discoveries of this year have already helped scientists to better understand how our world was arranged hundreds and thousands of years ago.
In this incredible list, you'll learn about long-lost temples, giant statues, ancient settlements, the very first mention of a solar eclipse, uncover a military secret, and hear about the debunked Easter Island myth.
10Giant Colossus Discovered Beneath Cairo Slums
Egypt's Minister of Antiquities, Khaled Alnani, acknowledged that 2017 was a veritable "year of archaeological discovery" for his country, due in no small part to the lull since the 2011 Arab Spring protests. This year, near the city of Minya, researchers unearthed a tomb from the time of the Roman Empire; in the Samalut city area, three ancient graves were found, which may be only part of an even larger cemetery; and near the Valley of the Kings (gorge) was found the tomb of a jeweler named Amenemhat, which contained hundreds of unique artifacts. But the most delightful discovery was a gigantic statue unearthed in March in a suburban area of Cairo, in Mataria.
First, archaeologists stumbled upon the three-ton torso of the statue, and then dug up the head itself. Further work made it possible to reveal to the world the pedestal and toes of the giant colossus. The authorities believe that scientists will soon be able to dig up, if not the entire statue, then most of it. Given the size of the torso, the height of the entire sculpture is probably 9 meters.
For science, this discovery is of particular value. Initially, experts believed that they discovered the statue of Ramesses II the Great, because it was located near the ruins of his temple. However, further study of the site led to an engraving of unexpected content. The discovered phrase "Neb Aa" is an inscription that was used only for the pharaoh Psamtek I (Psamtek I, circa 664-610 BC). This means that the giant statue turned out to be the largest find from the Late Period of Egyptian history.
9 Hunley Submarine Mystery
On February 17, 1864, the Confederate States of America submarine H.L. Hunley became the first ship in the history of the Civil War to sink an enemy vessel. The breakthrough was achieved during an attack by the US Navy propeller sloop Housatonic, but the price of success was too high - the Hunley itself and its entire crew also sank, and their location remained unknown for almost 130 years.
The wreckage of the submarine was discovered in 1995, and in 2000 they were finally lifted from the bottom for detailed study. The bodies of all 8 crew members were at their posts, and scientists could not find the slightest sign that the soldiers were trying to escape. What killed these people? If they were conscious, wouldn't they try to leave the sinking ship?
Perhaps the soldiers from the enemy ship Housatonic managed to shoot down the side of the Hunley, which hastened its fatal sinking. Although there is a possibility that the submarine collided with another ship on the way home. However, in early 2017, scientists announced that they had finally solved the mystery of the Confederate submarine. After conducting large-scale experiments, the researchers came to the conclusion that the Hunley crew died due to the explosion of their own guns.
The submarine was equipped only with a pole mine, and this type of missile was never intended to be launched over long distances. With its help, the crew rammed the enemy ship, but this provoked an explosive wave, which turned out to be powerful enough to pass through the hull of the submarine and kill all the people on board. It turns out that either the crew died almost immediately, or all participants in the attack received a lung injury, due to which they lost consciousness, lost control of the submarine and drowned.
8 Ecocide On Easter Island
The results of a genetic study released in 2017 were further confirmation that there was no ecocide (mass destruction) on Easter Island. It seems that new evidence may debunk the myth that the Rapanui people (local residents) disappeared due to internecine wars and ecological disaster caused by various anthropogenic factors.
Today, Easter Island is best known for its legendary Moai stone statues. An almost barren piece of land, this island has become a real center of serious research, and for recent decades it has already been visited by many respected archaeologists. Previously, experts believed that the natives were themselves to blame for the disappearance of their culture. They came to this conclusion for two reasons. Firstly, archaeological finds suggest that tens of thousands of people once lived here, and by the time the first Europeans arrived in the early 18th century, the population of local residents was already estimated at only 2-3 thousand. Secondly, scientists came to the conclusion that Rapanui mercilessly cut down forests, both for the needs of settlements and in the process of making and installing famous idols. Deforestation led to problems with crops, depletion of resources and provoked local residents to real wars for the best parts of the island. For a long time it was believed that all this was the reason for the disappearance of purebred rapanui.
Archaeologist Carl Lipo was the first to challenge the version of mass clashes between the island tribes. He argues that the main evidence of large-scale civil strife is oral history, which is now almost 300 years old, which means that it is difficult to rely on them. In addition, only 2.5% of the human remains found on Easter Island indicate a traumatic death. As for the disappearance of trees, the Polynesian rats, which are so omnivorous that they eat not only palm fruits, but also young trunks and stems of plants, could cause the biggest damage.
A recent genetic study calls into question the generally accepted view that centuries before the visit of Europeans, South Americans managed to make contact with Rapanui. According to new data, the reasons for the destruction of the Easter Island aboriginal population were the slave trade, diseases brought to the island, from which the locals had no immunity, and forced relocation in the 18th century to hard labor in distant European colonies.
7. The Long Lost Temple of Artemis
After nearly 100 years of searching, archaeologists say they have finally found the ruins of a lost ancient temple of Artemis, the Greek goddess of fertility and the hunt. As it turned out, the remains of the sanctuary are located on the Greek island of Euboea, near the coastal town of Amarynthos. For reference, we are not talking about the very Temple of Artemis, which is located on the territory of modern Turkey and has long been included in the list of Seven Wonders Ancient World.
Scientists have been looking for the ruins of the lost temple since the late 19th century, and it took so long to discover it only because the search was initially conducted in the wrong direction. The main source of information for the researchers was Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian of the 1st century AD. Almost 2000 years ago, this learned man wrote that the temple was 7 stages from the ancient city of Eretria. However, in the end, the temple was found almost 60 stages or 11 kilometers from the place described by Strabo.
The search team hit the right track after they found the Byzantine church. It was much further away than Strabo indicated, and its masonry obviously used stones from which another ancient building had been built before. Having lost confidence in the words of the ancient Greek historian, modern archaeologists have shifted their search closer to Amarynthos, who in the past was often associated with the goddess revered by the Greeks.
First, the researchers discovered the galleries of the northern and eastern parts of the temple, and then excavated the central part of the sanctuary. The inscriptions with the name of Artemis were the main confirmation that in 2017 the century-long search was finally crowned with success.
6. New discoveries in the area of the Greek island of Antikythera (Antikythera)
In the scientific community, few people do not know about the wreckage of an ancient ship discovered near the island of Antikythera. The vessel has been carefully studied for quite a long time, but it is possible that many more discoveries are waiting for us related to this amazing artifact from the time of the Roman Empire. The wreckage was found by sea sponge divers in 1900, and the remains of the ship received their celebrity for an incredibly advanced mechanism for those years, discovered aboard an antique sailboat. The device was then called the most ancient analogue of a computer.
However, in addition to the mysterious mechanism, there was a whole treasury of historical relics on the Antikythera ship, and the most recent dives give reason to believe that another sensation awaits scientists ahead. Among the most unexpected finds made during recent expeditions was the hand of a bronze statue. Scientists were truly delighted with such an artifact, and there are at least two reasons for this. Firstly, bronze statues are one of the rarest artifacts in the history of archeology, because products from this alloy were considered very valuable in ancient times, but most of them were subsequently melted down and recycled. Secondly, the hand fragment does not match any of the statues found at the crash site. This means that the rest of the statue is still waiting in the wings. Perhaps scientists are waiting for a whole collection of bronze artifacts hiding at the bottom in an area that was first explored just a few months ago.
An expert on ancient Greek relics, Professor Carol Mattusch (Carol Mattusch) considers Antikythera a real time capsule, which will still give us incredibly valuable information about ancient statues and ancient ships. In addition, in the future, this place will be the first where bronze artifacts will be searched for with aiming and using modern technologies. Previously, bronze relics were found by chance during non-archaeological dives or in fishing nets, and all these were rather rare isolated cases.
5. Ancient settlements discovered in Canada
The early history of the inhabitants of North America is full of dark spots, and new discoveries are constantly forcing scientists to change their understanding of how and when the first settlers appeared here. This year, archaeologists discovered traces of one of the oldest North American stops.
The find was made on Triquet Island in the British Columbia area, and it strongly supports the theory that at some point in history there was a massive migration of peoples in this coastal region. The discovery was made on the basis of the stories of the Heiltsuk Indians, which means that other indigenous legends may also be a valuable source of information for choosing a new excavation site.
According to the stories of the Indians, Triket Island was once a part of the land that did not freeze completely even during the last ice age. That is why the ancestors of the native Indians took refuge in the local forests for some time. At a depth of several meters, archaeologists discovered a layer of soil with ancient spears, fish hooks and tools for making fire. The artifacts are about 14,000 years old. The finds turned out to be even older than the Egyptian pyramids!
4. The first female Viking warrior
In the 1880s, archaeologists discovered a huge 10th century Viking graveyard in the area trading city Birka on the island of Björkö (Birka, Bjorko). Approximately 1100 graves were found at the burial site, but one of them turned out to be completely unusual. This grave was located on an elevated terrace and hid in itself the full ammunition of a professional - a sword, an ax, a spear, a combat knife, arrows, shields and even horses. On the skeleton's lap lay a board game of checkers called hnefatafl, which, according to Dr. Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, indicated the remains of a strategist who made important military decisions.
Before the archaeologists was the grave of a high-ranking warrior, and for a long time everyone believed that it was certainly a man. Recent years 20 in the scientific community there were doubts about this, since the skeleton also had female features, and in early 2017 all disputes were completed thanks to the results of the latest study, which proved that the discovered body belonged to a woman.
Researchers at Stockholm University (Stockholm University) used DNA samples recovered from the bone of the hand and tooth of the skeleton, and proved that the mysterious Viking did not have a Y chromosome. The discovery means that for the first time scientists have unearthed the tomb of a high-ranking Viking warrior, and it forces us to almost completely reconsider our understanding of the social and gender norms of that distant era. Swedish researchers believe that they will be able to find other female graves among the soldiers' graves in Denmark, and the good old DNA test will again be able to help them in this.
3. The Lost City of Alexander the Great
AT recent times Drones have repeatedly proven their value for archaeological exploration due to their lightness, speed and high-quality aerial photography. These unmanned devices can be sent to the most inaccessible corners of the planet, where common man getting there is not so easy. In a fairly short period of time, drones have helped to discover a number of ancient ruins, sunken ships and other historical relics, and this year another incredible object was added to the existing list - a lost city founded by Alexander the Great himself.
The city is called Qalatga Darband, and it is located on the territory of modern Kurdistan. The settlement was founded around the end of the 4th century BC, and at one time a thriving center for the wine trade developed here. A few centuries later, this place literally evaporated from all historical annals, and for almost 2000 years, absolutely nothing was heard about it.
The first photographs of Kalatgi Darband were taken around the 1960s using CIA intelligence satellites. The pictures were declassified only in 1996, and they fell into the hands of scientists only recently. On them, the researchers noticed the outlines of the mysterious. A joint team of Iraqi and British archaeologists launched drones into the air to take modern images of the area where the mysterious city was supposedly hiding.
During the excavations, scientists have already managed to find Greco-Roman statues and Greek coins. The study of the area is very slow, since the lost city is located in the disputed territories, which are claimed by both the Kurds and the Arabs. British researchers have to teach their Iraqi partners how to excavate properly so as not to damage the artifacts themselves, because the presence of representatives of local authorities is a prerequisite.
2. The oldest mention of a solar eclipse
A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge believes that the oldest record of a solar eclipse dates back to October 30, 1207 BC. Scientists came to this conclusion by comparing ancient Egyptian and biblical texts. Based on them, they created an algorithm that calculated the date of the eclipse, taking into account a number of variables, including the rotation of the Earth over time.
The oldest documented eclipse is supposedly mentioned in the biblical Book of Joshua (Old Testament). This passage of Scripture tells how Joshua led the people of Israel into the land of Canaan, and on one of the days of this procession, at the request of the successor of Moses, "the sun stopped, and the moon stood" (Joshua 10:13). The Cambridge scholars are not the first to suspect that this passage we are talking about a real astronomical phenomenon. However, they were the first to suggest that it was not about total eclipse, but about the annual eclipse, during which the Moon is too far away to completely cover the solar disk. It is in this case that the “ring of fire” appears.
Biblical tales are supported by one independent archaeological evidence, which proves that the Israelites did indeed pass through the Canaan lands between 1500 and 1050 BC. This event is written in the Merneptah Stele, an ancient Egyptian text found in the Cairo Museum. The granite stele tells of the victory of Pharaoh Merneptah in the battle over the people of Israel in Canaan in the fifth year of the reign of the Egyptian king.
Comparing the biblical stories with the events mentioned on the Merneptah Stele, Cambridge scientists came to the conclusion that the only solar eclipse that could be observed in this part of the world occurred on the afternoon of October 30, 1207 BC. The discovery could allow experts to use the date of the eclipse as a reference point for calculating other important dates, including the years of the life and reign of Merneptah's father, Ramesses II the Great.
1 Subway Workers Discovered A Roman Aqueduct
At the end of 2016, Italian workers building a new branch of the metropolitan metro made a "sensational discovery of incredible significance." After carefully checking the find for its authenticity in April 2017, Italian archaeologists finally made an official statement. It turns out that the builders accidentally dug up part of the oldest aqueduct in the history of Rome.
The discovered fragment of the water pipe stretches for 32 meters in length and has 2 meters in height. The aqueduct was found at an impressive depth of 18 meters under Piazza Selimontana (Piazza Selimontana), which in itself is a major achievement for ancient people with their modest technologies. According to archaeologist Simona Morretta, the ancient structure is about 2,300 years old. It was probably once part of the Aqua Appia system, the oldest Roman aqueduct built in 312 BC. When new and more advanced aqueducts appeared in Rome, this outdated plumbing, apparently, ceased to be so in demand and soon began to be used as a sewer.
The sensational find allows archaeologists to properly study both the structure itself and the remains of food and animal bones. Perhaps here, scientists will discover not only the animals that were part of the diet of the ancient Romans, but also ancient pets. Research on the aqueduct is still ongoing, and in the future, the authorities plan to dismantle it and move it to a more convenient location for public viewing.
