Mongolia
I have recently had a bit of a rest from writing as certain adjustments are being made in my life and, quite frankly, there has been little to report anyway. The new digging season, at least in the northern hemisphere, is just about under way, so soon we should be receiving news of interesting new finds.
A recent find in Mongolia, however, has shown the riches that were traded along the famous and ancient Silk Road. A body has been found covered in silk (the silk trade gives the road its name) and also an incredibly valuable bowl has ancient Greek gods carved into it. Also found were many gold pieces of jewellery. No doubt the individual was extremely wealthy, and the archaeologists believe the body may have been that of an elite family.
Although the digs were carried out between 2012 and 2014, as usual it can take many years for the findings to be released. This is often the result of the time consuming work required to unravel the finds – in this case a coffin – as ancient textiles especially can disintegrate on exposure to the air or by being handled. Also, finds are kept under wraps (another great pun!) until the site has been deemed to be secure to stop grave robbers coming along and destroying the rest of the possible artefacts that may be in the same area.
The grave here dates to around 1,500 years ago, and archaeologists believe this to be a rich burial belonging to the Northern Wei Dynasty, which flourished between 386 to 534 AD. The bowl shows depictions of “Zeus, Hera, Athena and Aphrodite”, according to this report. The body itself is still covered in silk so the archaeologists do not know anything about the occupant, such is the difficulty in removing the silk without damage.
http://www.livescience.com/58630-ancient-cemetery-found-inner-mongolia.html
Scotland
A dig on a construction site in Carnoustie, Angus, has produced a bronze age hoard of weapons, among other items, that dates to between 1000 BC to 800 BC.
A bronze sword and a gold spearhead are the two most valuable items, and I am not referring to their monetary value. Organic materials, namely that of a leather and wooden sheath that covered the sword – the best preserved ever found from the bronze age – and fur skin covering the gold spearhead, are equally as valuable. Items of this nature rarely survive due to climatic conditions, so the preservation of these items makes the findings even more important.
The Celtic tribes that existed in ancient Britain, prior to the many invasions from Europe, consisted of warrior clans in small numbers, most likely farming and hunting communities. Although the druids were not mentioned until at least 400 years after 800 BC, the tribes likely had shamanic priests who were also tribal leaders, soothsayers, and medical and political advisors. The gold spearhead was likely to have been used as a symbolic status symbol, but also may have been used in ritual. In other words these items may have belonged to a very important tribal leader.
On the same site, the largest neolithic hall ever found in Scotland, and dating to 4000 BC, has also been discovered. This was clearly an important settlement that had continuity for at least 3,000 years. To put that into perspective, the neolithic hall is 3,000 years older than the bronze age hoard, and the bronze age hoard is 3,000 years older than today…
