Royal Medieval Jewelry Unearthed in Hungary

VISEGRÁD, HUNGARY—Hungary Today reports that researchers from King Matthias Museum and the National Archaeological Institute of the Hungarian National Museum excavated the site of a medieval palace in northern Hungary, and discovered a pair of gilded silver clothing clasps in its courtyard. The jewelry, dated to the first half of the fourteenth century, would have been worn at a woman’s neckline. The researchers think the clasps may have been worn by Queen Elizabeth Piast, a member of the Polish royal house of Piast who married Charles I of Hungary in 1320. She is thought to have lived at the Visegrád palace after the death of her husband in 1342. The building was eventually demolished at the end of the fourteenth century. Replicas of the historic structures will be built as part of the Visegrád Renaissance Development Program. To read about a Roman doctor's instruments unearthed near present-day Jászberény, go to "Around the World: Hungary."

What Did Early Human Ancestors Eat?

BURGOS, SPAIN—A new analysis of the teeth of early primates recovered from Egypt’s Fayum Depression, including those of members of the genera Propliopithecus, Apidium, and Aegyptopithecus, suggests that they ate mostly soft foods, such as fruit and insects, according to a Science News report. Dental anthropologist Ian Towle of Spain’s National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH) and his colleagues examined more than four hundred fossilized primate teeth dated to between 29 and 35 million years old. Only five percent of the teeth in the study had sustained damage visible to the naked eye. “That’s right at the low end of what we see in living primates,” Towle said. Monkeys that consume hard foods may have damage to as many as half of their teeth, he added. Decay in two of the Propliopithecus teeth could indicate that the soft foods may have been sweet fruits. Previous analysis of the shapes of Apidium and Aegyptopithecus teeth, however, suggested that these creatures ate hard foods, like seeds and nuts. “At the moment, we really don’t know why [different methods] are coming up with different results,” Towle said. “It’s definitely something that’s going to be interesting for researchers to look into.” Read the original scholarly article about this research in American Journal of Biological Anthropology. To read about monkey-made stone flakes that could be mistaken for human-made tools, go to "The Monkey Effect."

Kingdom of Macedonia’s Ancient Palace of Aigai Reopens

VERGINA, GREECE—According to an Associated Press report, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the reopening of the site of the 2,300-year-old Palace of Aigai after a 16-year excavation and restoration project. The structure was built by Philip II, ruler of Macedonia from 359 to 336 B.C. and father of Alexander the Great. Considered to be the largest structure in classical Greece, the 160,000-square-foot palace consists of column-lined courtyards, courts, banquet halls, and temples decorated with patterned marble floors and mosaics. Tombs found near the palace contained a gold casket and the possible remains of Philip II. To read about a mystery cult into which Philip and his wife Olympias were initiated, go to "Secret Rites of Samothrace."

Signs of Hunter-Gatherer Life Examined in Britain

READING, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that footprints and fish traps dated to the Mesolithic period have been found in the Severn Estuary, where the River Severn meets the Bristol Channel, between southwestern England and southern Wales. Martin Bell of the University of Reading said that the 7,000-year-old traps were made by strong, flexible willow stems woven around wooden stakes to form a V-shaped fence. “The discovery is particularly important because, within the channel containing the fish traps, low tides have revealed hundreds of footprints of people, animals, and birds,” he explained. The footprints appear to travel between campsites and the edge of the channel where the traps were located. Many of them belonged to small children, he added. To read about traces of a lost Mesolithic world submerged beneath the North Sea, go to "Letter from Doggerland: Mapping a Vanished Landscape."

Ancient Egyptian Mummy Study Identifies Childbirth Death

WASHINGTON, D.C.—According to a Live Science report, a new study of the mummified remains of a teenager recovered in Egypt in 1908 has revealed that she died while giving birth to twins. The girl is thought to have stood about five feet tall and weighed between 100 and 120 pounds at the time of her death. The remains of one fetus, bandaged and placed with the placenta between the girl’s legs, was discovered during an initial examination in 1908. The second fetus was first spotted in the mummy’s chest cavity in 2019, when archaeologist Francine Margolis took a CT scan of the remains. She and David Hunt of George Washington University have now X-rayed the mummy for another look. “When we saw the second fetus we knew we had a unique find and a first for ancient Egyptian archaeology,” she said. The researchers concluded that the teen died in labor, when the head of the first fetus became trapped in the birth canal. The remains of the second fetus are thought to have shifted into the chest cavity during the mummification process. The mummy’s head is missing, although photographs taken of it in 1908 are available. “If we found her head and her teeth are present, destructive testing on teeth and hair could provide information on her diet and metabolic stress she was experiencing during her life,” Margolis said. Read the original scholarly article about this research in International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. To read about noninvasive CT scanning of Egyptian mummies, go to "Inside a Pharaoh's Coffin," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2022.

Old Kingdom Tomb Discovered in Saqqara

CAIRO, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that a tomb dated to between 2649 and 2150 B.C. has been discovered in Saqqara by a team of Japanese and Egyptian archaeologists. Mustafa Waziri of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities said that the remains of an adult, who was interred wearing a colored mask, and the burial of a small child were found in the rock-cut tomb. In this area of the necropolis, the researchers also uncovered burials from Egypt’s Late Period (712–332 B.C.) and the Ptolemaic period (304–30 B.C.), as well as an 18th Dynasty (1550–1295 B.C.) coffin containing a well-preserved alabaster vessel. Two terracotta statues of the goddess Isis; a terracotta statue of Harpocrates, a child deity; amulets; pottery models; and ostraca bearing hieratic inscriptions were also recovered. To read about another discovery from Saqqara, go to "Old Kingdom Tomb," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2019.

1,500-Year-Old Gold Plaques Unearthed in Kazakhstan

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN—Live Science reports that two gold plaques each measuring about 1.5 inches wide have been recovered in remote eastern Kazakhstan from the tomb complex of Eleke Sazy by a team of researchers led by Zainolla Samashev of Kazakhstan’s Institute of Archaeology. The sixth-century A.D. tomb is thought to have belonged to a nobleman or prince who was later deified in the seventh century, when the tomb was expanded and became a pilgrimage destination. The plaques were found in the tomb’s central chamber, where the occupant had been cremated. One of the gold artifacts was badly damaged during the cremation, Samashev said. Images on the ornaments, which are thought to have been worn as belt buckles, depict the great khan, or khagan, of the nomadic Gōktürks, he added. The crowned ruler is shown seated on a throne resembling two horses and is flanked by kneeling servants offering food. “This clearly depicts the sacred nature of power in ancient Turkic society,” Samashev explained. The plaques may have been worn by the occupant of the tomb, or perhaps by aides who attended his cremation. Additional artifacts recovered from the site include horse equipment, an amulet made of rock crystal, and objects made of silver, iron, and bronze. To read about 2,700-year-old burials uncovered in eastern Kazakhstan, go to "Iron Age Teenagers."

Early Medieval Cemetery Discovered in Wales

CARDIFF, WALES—According to a BBC News report, a cemetery dated to the sixth or seventh century A.D. is being excavated in southeastern Wales. Eighteen of the estimated 70 graves have been uncovered so far. Osteoarchaeologist Summer Courts of the University of Reading said that the teeth of some of these individuals are very worn, indicating that the people might have used their teeth as tools. “Maybe for textile work, leather work, or basketry—they’re pulling something through their front teeth,” she explained. Some of the individuals had been buried flat on their backs, as would be expected for the time period, but others had been placed in their graves on their sides, or with their knees tucked up to their chests. Fragments of butchered and burnt animal bones, pottery perhaps imported from North Africa, glass imported from France, and a carved peg that may have been used as a gaming piece have also been recovered. Archaeologist Andy Seaman of the University of Cardiff suggests that the people buried here were wealthy and had access to high-quality goods. Feasting may have also taken place at the cemetery, he added. DNA analysis and more precise dating could offer more information about the identities of the dead. To read about how a 2018 drought exposed traces of a medieval fortification in western Wales, go to "The Marks of Time: Medieval Castle."