Possible Signs of Border Violence Found in Scottish Churchyard

SWINTON, SCOTLAND—Chronicle Live reports that human bone fragments have been discovered in disturbed soil in the area of Swinton Parish Church, which is located in Scotland near the Anglo-Scottish border, by researchers from the Border Reivers Archaeology Unit. The bones are thought to represent two adults and three children who suffered multiple injuries around the time of their deaths. Blade wounds thought to have been made with an ax or sword were found on three of the leg bones. One of these bones and another thigh bone bear teeth marks from a large dog or wolf, indicating that they had been left unburied for a time, perhaps after a battle or massacre. Wolves were also known to have dug up graves in order to eat human remains during the sixteenth century, however. Swinton Parish Church is thought to have been used as a refuge during the border raids of the Anglo-Scottish wars from the fourteenth century through the sixteenth century, and raids conducted from the late thirteenth century to the seventeenth century by both English and Scottish border reivers. Traces of a possible defensive earthwork have also been identified in the churchyard. To read about the fortifications of a crucial bastion during the Wars of Scottish Independence, go to "Storming the Castle."

German Museum Returns Wine Jug to Greece

HANOVER, GERMANY—The National Herald reports that the August Kestner Museum has repatriated a seventh-century B.C. oenochoe, or wine jug, to Greece. Traces of decoration are still visible on the neck of the jug. The museum received the oenochoe as a gift in 1986, along with a letter stating that the artifact had been found at one end of the Corinth Canal in an excavation conducted in 1943, during the Nazi occupation of Greece. The letter also includes a description of the trench in which the jug was found and its position in it. “The August Kestner Museum joins the group of international museums that have in recent years made great efforts to investigate provenance issues of artifacts in their collections,” said Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni. To read more about Greek drinking vessels, go to "Alcohol Through the Ages: Socializing at the Symposium."

Clovis Points May Have Had Multiple Uses

KENT, OHIO—A new study suggests that Clovis spear points may have been used for butchering as well as hunting big game, according to a Phys.org report. Clovis points and tools, dated to between 13,500 and 12,800 years ago, were first identified at a site near Clovis, New Mexico. A team of researchers led by Metin I. Eren of Kent State University and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History asked five modern hunters to use large, hand-held stone flakes and replica Clovis points mounted on wooden handles to process a full-grown bison. The hunters were able to butcher the animal in three hours and 10 minutes, and reported that the Clovis points worked more efficiently than the stone flakes. In fact, four of the hunters cut themselves using the hand-held stone flakes, while no injuries occurred using the Clovis points affixed to handles. The hunters did note, however, that the Clovis points had to be sharpened often and that they broke more easily than the hand-held flakes. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. For more on Clovis points, go to "Destination: The Americas."

Ancient Graves Uncovered in Southern Portugal

FARO, PORTUGAL—Portugal Resident reports that three burials dated to the fifth or sixth century A.D. have been unearthed in southern Portugal, at the site of the ancient Roman city of Ossónoba. The tombs, which held the remains of a man, a young woman, and baby who was no more than six months of age at the time of death, had been sealed with limestone slabs taken from older monumental buildings. It is not clear if the individuals were related to each other, but analysis of DNA samples and isotopic analysis of the bones may offer more information about who these people were, what they ate, and where they lived, said archaeologist Francisco Correio of ERA Arqueologia. The burials appear to have been looted in the past, added biological anthropologist Cláudia Maio. She expects that small bracelets, necklaces, and rings were taken. The researchers also recovered Roman artifacts in the area, including ceramics, bone dice, nails, pins, a spoon, possible evidence of a dye factory, and coins minted during the reign of Constantine the Great, between A.D. 306 and 337. To read about one of the largest known Roman towns in northern Portugal, go to "Off the Grid: Tongobriga, Portugal."

Traces of an Ancient City Discovered on a Pacific Island

NUKU’ALOFA, KINGDOM OF TONGA—ABC News Australia reports that traces of an ancient city in the form of some 10,000 mounds have been identified on the Pacific Island of Tongatapu through high-tech mapping with aerial scanners and archaeological fieldwork. “Earth structures were being constructed in Tongatapu around A.D. 300. This is 700 years earlier than previously thought,” said Phillip Parton of The Australian National University. As the settlement spread and grew, he explained, people would have interacted in new ways and done different kinds of work to support the larger population. The city’s influence eventually spread across the southwest Pacific Ocean between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries, until it collapsed with the arrival of Europeans and unknown diseases. “This is just the beginning in terms of early Pacific settlements. There’s likely still much to be discovered,” Parton concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. To read about another discovery from the island nation, go to "World Roundup: Tonga."

Shoe Buckle Found on Scotland's Culloden Battlefield

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND—An excavation of the Culloden battlefield has recovered musket balls, grapeshot, and a shoe buckle that may have belonged to a Scottish Jacobite clan chief, according to a report in The National. The defeat of the Jacobite army by British forces at the Battle of Culloden on April 16, 1746, resulted in the collapse of the Jacobite uprising. Archaeologists from the National Trust Scotland think the copper alloy buckle may have belonged to Donald Cameron of Lochiel, the Jacobite chief of Clan Cameron, who was wounded during the battle. Archaeologist Derek Alexander believes that the flattened grapeshot hit the shoe buckle, since the two artifacts were found in the same hole just 65 to 100 feet from the position of the British army’s front line. Known as The Gentle Lochiel, Donald Cameron is known to have been leading the 400 Camerons close to the front line when he was wounded with grapeshot in both ankles. “This description shows us that Lochiel was hit in the ankles charging forward and if he had been wearing shoes with buckles, it is possible that these would have been hit and partly absorbed the impact,” Alexander said. Cameron survived the battle and escaped to France with the grandson of the deposed king, Charles Edward Stuart, or Bonnie Prince Charlie. To read about the defeated Scottish survivors of the 1650 Battle of Dunbar, go to "After the Battle."

Roman Road Uncovered in Southern France

NÎMES, FRANCE—The Miami Herald reports that researchers from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) uncovered a 2,000-year-old stone roadway under the modern Beaucaire Road during an investigation ahead of a construction project in southern France. Ruts and signs of replaced stones were found in the road, which measures about 50 feet wide. The pavement is thought to have been a crossroad of the Via Domitia, the main Roman access route to the city of Nîmes. Tombs containing human remains and well-preserved pottery and glass in the forms of vases, lamps, and bowls were found between the two roads. Cremated human remains were also discovered in glass or ceramic vessels. For more on Roman France, go to "Gaul's University Town."

How Did Ancient Egyptians View the Milky Way?

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND—Astrophysicist Or Graur of the University of Portsmouth and his colleagues think that the sky goddess Nut may have been understood by ancient Egyptians as an expression of the Milky Way, according to a Gizmodo report. Nut, the goddess of the sky, stars, and the universe, was often shown with stars all over her body and arched over her brother and husband, Geb, the god of Earth. The researchers analyzed ancient Egyptian texts, including the Book of Nut, which focuses on the movements of the moon, sun, planets, and cycles of the stars. They also reviewed models of what the Milky Way would have looked like from different locations in Egypt between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago, and how its appearance changed throughout the night. Graur determined that the orientation of the Milky Way in the simulated model of the ancient Egyptian night sky corresponded with the description of Nut’s body in the Book of Nut—her head and rear at the western and eastern horizons and her arms lying at an angle to her body. “My research shows how combining disciplines can offer new insights into ancient beliefs, and it highlights how astronomy connects humanity across cultures, geography, and time,” Graur concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. To read about a painting depicting Nut with one of Egypt's best known pharaohs, go to "Inside King Tut's Tomb."

Study Identifies Possible Neolithic Human Sacrifices in Europe

PARIS, FRANCE—Live Science reports that forensic pathologist Bertrand Ludes of Paris Cité University, biological anthropologist Eric Crubézy of Paul Sabatier University, and their colleagues reexamined a Neolithic burial discovered in southern France some 20 years ago and other European tomb sites. They found evidence for a total of 20 cases of human sacrifice using incaprettamento—a method of killing by tying people’s necks to their legs bent behind their backs so that they strangle themselves. Crubézy said that the tomb at Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux held the skeletons of three women. The body of the first woman was found in the center of the grave. She is thought to have died of natural causes. Study of the remains of the other two women found in the tomb, however, suggests that they had been bound incaprettamento, and then pinned down with grinding stones, perhaps because they were still alive at the time of burial. The pit itself, the researchers explained, resembles a silo for storing grain. The burial was then topped with a wooden structure aligned with the sun at the solstices. Broken stones for grinding grain were also uncovered nearby. “You have the alignment, you have the silo, you have the broken stones—so it seems that it was a rite related to agriculture,” Crubézy surmised. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Science Advances. To read about a 3,500-year-old ritual pool uncovered in Italy that seems to have been tied to a Bronze Age community's agrarian prowess, go to "Italian Master Builders."

Rare Coins Recovered From Medieval Grave in Sweden

JÖNKÖPING COUNTY, SWEDEN—According to a report in The Miami Herald, an excavation at the historic Brahe Church on the island of Visingsö off Sweden’s southern coast has uncovered two graves estimated to be 800 years old. One grave held the remains of a man thought to have been between the ages of 20 and 25 at the time of death. Archaeologist Anna Ödéen of the Jönköping County Museum said that Christian graves from this time period usually do not contain any artifacts, but some 170 silver coins minted between 1150 and 1180 were recovered. Some of these coins are unique examples, she added. The coins are being analyzed while the excavation at the church site continues. To read about astronomer Tycho Brahe's island observatory, go to "Off the Grid: Ven, Sweden."

Frescoed Dining Hall Discovered in Pompeii

NAPLES, ITALY—According to a BBC News report, a large banqueting hall with frescoed walls and a white mosaic floor has been unearthed in Regio IX of Pompeii, a Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said that the paintings were placed on a black background, which may have been chosen to hide smoke deposits from burning lamps. “In the shimmering light, the paintings would have almost come to life,” he added. The room features two paintings of mythic Greek figures: the first depicts the Trojan priestess Cassandra with the god Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecy, but then cursed her when she rejected his romantic advances so that her prophecies, although true, would not be believed. She predicted that if the Trojan prince Paris went to Sparta and returned with Helen, the Queen of Sparta, it would result in the destruction of Troy. Paris ignored the prophecy, and the second painting shows his doomed meeting with the beautiful Helen. This so-called “black room” was found in the same structure where a bakery that likely operated using the labor of enslaved workers was found. Construction supplies have also been uncovered in the reception hall. Inscriptions found in the building indicate it belonged to Aulus Rustius Verus. “We know him from other political propaganda in Pompeii," said archaeologist Sophie Hay. "He’s a politician. He’s super-rich." To read about another painting recently found in Pompeii, go to "Pizza! Pizza?"