May/June 2024 Issue

Along the coast of the Taiwan Strait outside Taoyuan City, an area known for its Neolithic stone tools, a delicately molded 3.5-inch-long ceramic snake was plucked from the dunes. The object seems to depict a striking Taiwan cobra that has its mouth open and displays its distinctive neck hood. Researchers believe the serpent may have been part of the handle of a ceremonial cup or bowl used by tribal shamans during rituals.

Among the ruins of a 3,000-year-old Iron Age settlement near the town of Rustaq that includes residential buildings and large defensive structures, archaeologists exposed an oddly shaped building. What they found inside was even more curious than the building’s design. Scattered within the property were graves of more than 30 children, including newborns. Experts are not yet sure why these young people were buried together in this fashion as this practice was previously unknown in the region during the Iron Age.

While following a tip from local residents, an archaeologist searching for prehistoric sites in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya’s central highlands located an arcade of ancient gaming boards. At least 20 shallow pits carved into the bedrock were probably used to play mancala, a 2-player strategy game that involves dropping tokens into receptacles to capture your opponent’s pieces. The site was likely used by local herders for hundreds if not thousands of years.