Interesting Ancient Finds The thing about archaeology is we keep discovering more about our history and sometimes what we find is totally unexpected. One of the fascinating things we find are so many more villages than we expected. We seem to have a long history of traveling, stopping and then creating shelter and even remaining. Sometimes what was once the shore where some of these villages were built is now part of the ocean and we are discovering submerged settlements. A Neolithic settlement was found near Croatia off its coast. It dates back about 6,000 years. The only reason if was found was it appeared in satellite images. When the village was dived on, divers found walls around the village, tools, ceramics and flint knives. It turns out in was in the part of the Mediterranean which doesn’t experience large waves, which was one of the reasons the site was so well preserved. One discovery which was very unusual excited archaeologists. They had discovered a staff carved into a serpent which was estimated to be 4,400 years old. It makes one wonder who would have carried such a thing. The staff was discovered in the wetlands of Finland. Ditch diggers were working by the shore of Rautajarvi Lake and in 2019 it was decided to do an ongoing excavation. The soil in that area is such that wood buried in it is well preserved. The staff is about 20 inches long and the guess is it might have been used by a shaman for rituals, but that is only a guess. One archaeologist stated there seemed to be some sort of connection to snakes and people of that period. This object was not the only wooden item found. Archaeologists also found fishing equipment along with utensils and structural pieces. Did you know there are several structures in Greece known as the Greek Pyramids? There actual name is the Pyramids of Argolis. They don’t look like actual pyramids but they do look like truncated pyramids. They don’t seem to fit into the mold used to design other ancient Greek structures. Next to them are blockhouses. Another problem for archaeologists is the structures seem to have been only mentioned once by Pausanias who lived from 110 to 180 A.D. and even that is contested. He said these structures were constructed to honor the dead from a great battle which ended indecisively. He also said this was the first battle in which armies used shields. Supposedly that is the reason shields have been carved on the monument. The Great Lakes of America are huge fresh water lakes and travel on them can be as dangerous as sailing on the ocean. Many ships have sunk into these lakes, but what I am about to tell you has nothing to do with that. While diving in Lake Huron archaeologists found ancient obsidian flakes. This was an important find because this was what was used in many cases to make tools like knives and spears before the advent of metal. The find was said to be in an area dated back to 9,000 years. It was said the obsidian came from a location in Oregon which was 4,000 kilometers away. This is about 2,500 miles away. Obsidian is almost never found this far away from the mine. The find was from an area said to be from the early Holocene period. This period of time began about 12,000 years ago and continues today. One of the things puzzling archaeologists is also under the water in a Great Lake, specifically Lake Michigan. Everyone is familiar with Stonehenge in England, the great stone circle of stones, but there is also a stone circle which have been found in the lake. The stones in the lake are not stacked as they are in Stonehenge. It is obvious however they were placed in their current positions. Scientists claim the water level in Lake Michigan dropped very low around 10,500 years ago and remained that way for about 3,500 years creating far more dry land and it was on this dry land the circles were created. About 5,000 years ago the water levels rose again dramatically covering any structures which were in its path. Archaeologists believe they have made a discovery about people who lived during the iron age. They think people in those times saved things as mementos reminding them of dead relatives and friends even if these items were not useful in any other way. They found outgrown baby clothes and what they called hideous mugs once used by a parent. This would mean people then were very similar in that way to people today. A lot of useless stuff was found in a roundhouse at the Scottish settlement of Broxmouth. Scientists believe because of the location where the articles were found they were not for normal use, just keepsakes. Scientists know there was contact between modern humans and Neanderthals because modern humans have some Neanderthal genes. Now a site has been found where it is believed Neanderthals and modern humans lived very near each other. The Neanderthals lived in the Negev Desert and near them a group of modern humans had moved to a nearby site. This took place about 50,000 years ago. Neither site contains the remains because the soil is full of gypsum which decomposes bones, but the sites were located by the tools which were found. The Neanderthals were using their typical tools and the modern humans had their distinctive tools. It amazes me how the Neanderthals just disappeared so recently in the time line. Sometimes we find abandoned places which we have no information on what happened. It may be hard to believe, but there are about 2,000 deserted villages in England. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since there are about 3,800 ghost towns in the United States. The outlines of the village in England I am talking about is still visible from the air. The village was listed as Gamelstorp in the Doomsday Book of 1086. There had been a census ordered at around that time. By 1616 the village had become deserted. A survey was taken back then in which was stated nothing was standing. No one knows why this village was abandoned. An ancient fossil of a rhino was found. Surprisingly, it was taller than a giraffe and weighed about 50,000 pounds. After the dinosaurs were wiped out, some mammals increased dramatically in size. This led to such animals as the one ton armadillo and a two ton bear. Be thankful they are not around today.
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