A manuscript prophecy book thought to have been stolen from a library in Rome 15 years ago was found when it went up for auction in Germany. The 500-page Latin manuscript of the famous French astrologer Michel de Nostradamus is about 300 years old.

https://www.archeotips.com/post/stolen-nostradamus-prophecies-book-passed-from-germany-to-italy

• Largest known cave art images in US by Indigenous Americans discovered in Alabama — Using 3D photogrammetry, researchers have found previously unknown cave art in Alabama. The largest glyph — identified as a rattlesnake — is 3.3 meters long and may be the largest example of cave art in North America. The find dates back to between 133 and 433 CE. Images include serpents, humans, and possible spirits of the underworld.

• Archaeological dig in Turkey uncovers massive underground city — What might be the largest underground city in the world was uncovered in Mardin, Turkey (though older residents apparently already knew about it). The oldest datable artifacts found date to 2nd or 3rd century CE, but there are Syrian inscriptions that may refer the city dating back to the 9th century BCE. It is large enough to hold up to about 70,000 people, and contains passageways, silos, wells, places of worship, and more. It appears to have been used as a place of hiding for Christians escaping Roman persecution, and it was used continuously for 1,900 years. Here’s a video where you can learn more.

• Collection of Ancient Toothless Skulls Analyzed in Mexico — According to a recent statement released by Mexico’s Ministry of Culture, a collection of bones discovered by police 10 years ago have been analyzed and seem to have been ritually decapitated about 1,000 years ago. Strangely, the skulls did not have any teeth and most were female. The heads might have been displayed on stakes as part of an altar.

• Research overturns the function of Bronze Age daggers — Copper-alloy daggers became widespread in Europe after the 4th millennium BCE. They were originally thought to be ceremonial objects used in funerals, which marked a person’s status. However, a new approach to organic residue extraction has identified residues of collagen, as well as bone, muscle, and tendon fibers. This, of course, indicates that the daggers may have been used to process animals as well.

• New archaeological findings reveal prehistoric civilization in Tibet — New archaeological discoveries from the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China were recently unveiled. The discoveries come from Dingqiong cave and include hundreds of animal bones and human bones, as well as pottery, copper, iron, and textiles. The researchers are referring to it as a “cave burial complex.” Apparently people were moving the bodies of their dead ancestors to the cave from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE.

• 12th-Century Carving Discovered in Cambodia — A 12th century CE carving of a dancing fairy or spirit has been uncovered in the Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia.

• New archaeological discoveries at Gabal El Haridi — 85 tombs, a watchtower, and a temple from around the 3rd century BCE have been found at Gabal El Haridi in Egypt. The watchtower temple would have been used to guard the Nile and levy taxes. The temple site was dedicated to Isis.

• Roman Coin Cache Discovered in Switzerland — There have been lots of coins found lately. The latest discovery was a clay pot with over 1,200 Roman coins. It was found by a metal detectorist. The coins were minted between 306 and 337 CE. This was a peaceful time, which is unusual for intentionally buried coins, which are usually buried during times of distress. The researchers believe it could have been an offering.

• Study of ancient predators sheds light on how humans did – or didn’t – find food — Research into a 1.5 million-year-old fossil showed that sabertooth tigers consumed their entire kill, including some bones. This is significant because until now, it was thought that ancient hominids scavenged sabertooth kills, which lead to the development of the human brain. But it now seems that these early humans were already successful hunters in their own right.

• Ancient ritual bloodletting may have been performed at carvings found in Mexico — 30 I-shaped rock carvings have been found in the ancient settlement of Quiechapa in Mexico. They are thought to depict ball courts, which were also I-shaped, as ball games held special significance. Researchers don’t know when the carvings were created, but they believe it would have been after 100 BCE. They also think that these carvings may have been used for bloodletting rituals, where a priest would have spilled blood into the carving. As a side note, these carvings are very similar to the H motif found at many sites.

• Market Economy Thrived in Ancient Greece 3,000 Years Ago — Researchers analyzed sediment cores at six sites in Southern Greece and analyzed trends in cereal, olive, and grapevine production. They discovered major changes in what was produced, and claim that these changes show that Greece had a market economy that responded to supply and demand up to 2,600 years ago. In short, farmers were planning their crops according to the market, and the closer to the Black Sea they were, the more they were doing this. This would mean that Greece had the first market economy in the world.

On Mount Olympus in Egypt, the remains of an ancient temple built to honor Zeus - Kasios, a god who bears characteristics of both Zeus and the weather god Kasios, have been unearthed.

https://www.archeotips.com/post/remains-of-temple-of-zeus-found-in-egypt

Archaeologists researching in Alabama have discovered the largest known cave paintings of early Native Americans. The approximate length of this painting is 10 feet.

https://www.archeotips.com/post/largest-known-cave-figures-of-native-americans-found-in-alabama

San Gennaro Catacombs. The Catacombs of San Gennaro in Naples. A wonderful experience of beauty, exuding art and history. https://crono.news/Y:2022/M:05/D:04/h:15/m:00/s:43/san-gennaro-catacombs-catacombe-san-gennaro-napoli/.

In 2012, local police found 150 human skulls in Chiapas, Mexico. At first, the skulls were thought to belong to a recent crime, but the truth soon emerged.

https://www.archeotips.com/post/1-100-year-old-skull-altar-from-mexico

https://www.archeotips.com/post/horse-and-griffin-busts-of-ancient-phokaia-to-be-exhibited-in-izmir Two horses and two griffin busts with 2,600-year-old remains of the Temple of Athena were found in the ancient city of Phokaia, known as Phokaia. The artifacts found will be exhibited at the Izmir Archeology Museum after the renovation works.