July/August 2022 Issue

AUSTRALIA: Golden wattle, a type of acacia tree, is an important symbol of modern Australia and serves as its national flower. However, its roots run much deeper among the continent’s original inhabitants. Charcoal remains from Karnatukul cave shelter in the Carnarvon Range show that the hardy tree was an important resource for the Aboriginal Martu people, especially as a source of fuel. The 50,000-year-old cave site is the oldest known inhabited site in the Western Desert and contains the area’s earliest known use of firewood.

INDIA: Researchers conducting an archaeological survey in the state of Assam chanced upon 65 giant stone jars spread across 4 sites. The mysterious sandstone vessels vary in shape and size, with some reaching a height of 10 feet. The jars are similar to examples previously found in Laos and Indonesia, but researchers are unsure who carved them, much less when or why they were made. Although the vessels were found to be empty, they may have been used for burials as long ago as 400 B.C.

ISRAEL: Small spherical ceramic vessels, which were ubiquitous in the medieval Middle East, were used to hold a variety of liquids, including beer, wine, oil, and perfume. Occasionally, they could also be used as weapons. Residue analysis of an 11th- or 12th-century vessel from Jerusalem’s Armenian Garden indicates that it may have contained an explosive substance. It’s possible this small jar was converted into a type of hand grenade to be hurled at the nearby Crusader castle.