Trudy Myers's Blog, page 3

Mythical or Real? Part 5

 This week, we visit anancient trading center and a Biblical pool.

8. Steinkjer, Norway -

Norse sagas tell of anancient trading center that was, briefly, the largest in the Viking world, butno one knew where or if it had actually existed. In 2013, archaeologists foundsome intriguing evidence during an archaeological investigation conducted nearSteinkjer. Researchers uncovered two separate boat graves associated with awide variety of high-status trade goods, such as a silver button, a set ofbalance scales, imported jewelry, and amber beads.

These findings add tothe area’s rich archaeological record, which includes twenty-two examples of aspecial trade-related Viking-age sword. Taken together, these artifacts suggestthat Steinkjer was the major trading city described in the Norse sagas, andthat its center was likely where its modern church stands today.

 

9. Pool of Siloam,Jerusalem – 700 BCE

In the New Testament,Jesus returns sight to a blind man at the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem.Christians searched for the site for centuries before repair work on a waterpipe south of the Temple Mount in 2004 revealed two ancient stone steps.

During the archaeologicalinvestigation that followed this find, researchers discovered a 2,000-year-old,225-foot-long trapezoidal pool, which they believe to be the site where Jesusconducted his miracle. In addition to being an important part of earlyJerusalem’s water system, the architectural feature was also likely a ritualbath used by visiting pilgrims.

Careful extraction andrestoration work over the past twenty years have preserved the ancient Pool ofSiloam. It was opened to the public as part of the City of David National Park.

 

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Mythical or Real? Part 4

This week, we look intoa famous temple and an infamous labyrinth.

6. Ain Dara (Solomon’sTemple), Syria – 1000 BCE

Armed conflictdestroyed Ain Dara in northwestern Syria in 2018. In the 1980s, somearchaeologists had identified it as the 3,000-year-old temple mentioned asSolomon’s Temple in the Bible. The ancient site shared more features with thetemple described in the Book of Kings than any site uncovered before or since.It included walls carved in reliefs of lions and cherubs, a courtyard paved inflagstones, a monumental staircase guarded by sphinxes, and a multistoryhallway. Even its location—on a raised platform overlooking a city—echoes thetemple’s depiction in the Bible.

Although the bombingand plundering of the site prevents archaeologists from finding any moreevidence of its history, some of its most important artifacts can be seen atthe National Museum of Aleppo.

 

7. Kastelli (Minotaur’sLabyrinth), Greece – 2000 BCE

While building a newairport on the island of Crete, workers uncovered something unexpected. With acentral circular building surrounded by eight stone rings intersected by walls,the site resembled the style of tomb constructed by the Minoan civilizationaround 2000 to 1700 BCE. But to anyone familiar with Greek mythology, it alsolooked like the Minotaur’s labyrinth.

The Minotaur was aferocious creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man who wastrapped in a maze built by the Greek architect Daedalus. Every seven years,Athens sacrificed seven young men and seven young women to the monster untilTheseus, a prince of the city, volunteered to kill the creature. Marking hisroute with a ball of thread, Theseus made his way through the labyrinth,murdered the beast, rescued the not-yet-dead victims, then followed the threadback to safety.

Although archaeologistsare still studying Kastelli, its architectural similarities to the mythicalmaze, combined with evidence of ceremonial offerings and communal feasting thatwas found at the site, suggest that it was part of the story’s origin.

Kastelli is not open tothe public, but Knossos, the ancient palace that was previously believed to bethe site of the Minotaur’s labyrinth, is.

Mythical or Real? Part 3

 This week, we explorean abandoned Norse settlement in North America and a ‘Lake of Gold’ in SouthAmerica.

4. L'Anse Aux Meadows(Vinland), Newfoundland – 1000 CE

For a long time,explorers searched for evidence of Vinland, a place described in the 13thcentury Greenlanders’ Saga as having lush meadows, teeming salmon and wildgrapes. If the legend was true, the site was briefly settled by Leif Eriksonand his crew around 1000 CE. That would make it the first place “discovered” byEuropeans in the New World. That settlement preceded the arrival of ChristopherColumbus by almost 500 years. When they found evidence of Norse-designedsod-walled buildings on the far north coast of Newfoundland in Canada in the1960s, archaeologists were hopeful that, at long last, Vinland had been found.

Soon, they identifiedEuropean artifacts; a bronze cloak pin, a spindle whorl, a gilded fragment ofbrass, and a place for smelting and working iron. Scholars were convinced thatthey’d stumbled upon the fabled Vinland. They still continue to study the long-heldsecrets of this site today. It is called the L’Anse aux Meadows NationalHistoric Site, and it includes reconstructions of the original dwellings whereVikings lived (on-and-off) for about twenty years.

 

5. Lake Guatavita (ElDorado), Colombia – 1541 CE

Spanish conquistadorsfirst described a mythical South American kingdom of unfathomable riches ruledby El Rey Dorado in 1541. According to what they said, this chief’s initiationrites included covering himself in gold dust and ceremonially dropping treasureinto the center of a sacred lake. In the centuries that followed, explorerssearched for the kingdom of “El Dorado” throughout Colombia, Venezuela, Guyanaand Brazil, but never found it. Eventually, they gave up.

But that doesn’t meanthe story is completely false. Juan Pablo Quintero-Guzman, an archaeologist andthe curator at Colombia’s Museum of Gold, says that “All lakes in the Muiscaterritory were places of offering.” He believes that similar rituals werecarried out in some lakes but that Lake Guatavita was, from 600 to 1600 CE, theplace where this ritual was performed the most often.

For the past 400 years,numerous artifacts have been pulled from Lake Guatavita. These artifactsinclude tumbaga (an alloy of gold and copper), emeralds, human-like clayvessels, hair, cotton, and animal skulls. Quintero-Guzman has evidence thatrituals were taking place at the water’s edge, possibly at a temple or aceremonial site intended for making offerings. His findings do not definitivelyprove that Lake Guatavita was the site spoken of by the conquistadors, but theydo not contradict the possibility, either. At least for now, the chiefdom ofGuatavita seems to be the most likely origin of the myth.

 

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Mythical or Real? Part 2

This week, we have acave and a castle to explore.

2. Gorham’s Cave(Medusa’s Cave), Gibraltar – 600 BCE

As far as ancientmariners knew, Gorham’s Cave, a natural cavern at the base of the Pillars ofHercules in the Strait of Gibraltar, was the edge of the known world. But astudy published in 2021 suggests that the cave may have played an even greaterrole in Greek mythology. Deep inside the cave, archaeologists found fragmentsfrom the head of a large, ceramic Gorgon dating to about the sixth century BCE.According to legends, the Gorgons were three monstrous sisters who terrorizedGreek sailors by turning them to stone with a single look. Their lair wassupposed to be near the Rock of Gibraltar. It was in their lair that Perseusbeheaded the snake-haired Medusa—the most evil of the siblings—while she slept.

Other Medusa figureshave been found in the region, but this was the first to be discovered inside acave. By combining archaeological evidence, historical accounts, geography, andmyth, researchers have concluded that Gorham’s Cave was likely the site thatearly seafarers believed to have been the home of the Gorgons, and the site ofMedusa’s defeat. Visitors can examine the cave’s entrance on biweekly summertours offered at the British territory of Gibraltar’s Gorham’s Cave ComplexWorld Heritage Site, a limestone ridge off the southern tip of Spain.

Now, it’s myunderstanding that a cave in Gibraltar—possibly Gorham’s Cave—was inhabited byNeanderthals during the last ice age, and that stone tools, human and animalremains had been found in the cave.

 

3. Tintagel Castle(King Arthur’s Castle), England – 1203 CE

Writer Geoffrey ofMonmouth described Tintagel Castle as the place of King Arthur’s conception.Since then, the 13th-century fortress on the rocky coast ofCornwall, England, has been associated with Arthur’s legend. But untilrecently, no one knew that beneath the ruins of Tintagel Castle lay an evenolder settlement with features that could correspond to the legendary leader.It appears that the older settlement was an exceptional place, with goods andluxury commodities arriving from the Mediterranean world in great numbers.Although archaeologists can’t say for sure who ruled the earlier site, KingArthur fits the profile.

Whether he was actuallythere or not, King Arthur has very much become a part of the story that’s beenhanded down over generations. Tintagel Castle was built around 1203 CE byRichard, the Earl of Cornwall. It had no military value, but was constructed,in part, at least, to draw a connection between his authority and the legendaryKing Arthur.

Arthur’s myth is notthe only one that haunts Tintagel Castle. There’s also a Celtic legend retoldin the 12th century as a story of forbidden love in which the knightTristan fell in love with Princess Isolde even though she was set to marry KingMark of Cornwall. There are several places around Cornwall that are associatedwith King Mark, Tristan, and Isolde. Their story was circulating around Europeat the same time as King Arthur’s. But somehow, the ruins of Tintagel Castlebecame known at King Arthur’s home.

Mythical or Real? Part 1

This will be acontinuing series for a while. I want to explore nine mythical places thatarchaeologists think may have actually existed.

History is rife withmythical lands, from the homes of legendary kings to the earthly abodes of godsand monsters. Past civilizations have dreamed of extraordinary places hiding inplain sight.

But while many peoplebelieve it unlikely that either Atlantis or Shangri-La was real, other mythsmay have more truth to them than anyone realized. A growing body of archaeologicalresearch suggests certain places—the Minotaur’s maze from Greek mythology;Vinland, the first North American Viking settlement mentioned in Norse sagas;Solomon’s Temple described in the Bible; and others—could have been more thanfables.

From western Turkey toJerusalem, and from coastal England to the Colombian Andes, evidence indicatesthat these nine mythical places may have really existed.

Let’s look at the firstone today.

1. Troy, Turkey – 1200 BCE

The city of Troy was atthe heart of Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid. It is one of themost legendary sites of classical Greek mythology. Fantastic details are woveninto the tales such as; the interference of the gods in the Trojan War, thehalf-divine heritage of the Spartan hero Achilles, and the gift of a woodenhorse filled with Greek soldiers. But these days, archaeologists believe someaspects of the stories were true.

Nearly 150 years ofexcavations at the site of Troy in modern Turkey have revealed that it wasoccupied for 4,000 years. Also, during the Late Bronze Age (when Homer’s TrojanWar allegedly took place), the Trojans began to prepare for an insurgence fromoutside.

Researchers are stilllooking for proof of the battle that raged outside the city’s walls for tenyears. If it’s there, it’s buried under 65 feet of sediment, which built upalongside the shifting Scamander (now the Karamenderes) River. It’s the mouthof that river that makes Troy so important in the first place. Troy was settledover and over again because if you controlled the harbor, you controlled theMediterranean and Aegean Seas.

Troy isn’t the onlymythological site discovered in the region. Apollon Smintheion is an imposingtemple built for the god Apollo on top of a settlement from the sixth centuryBCE. Antandros was an ancient shipbuilding settlement. These and the sacredforests of Mount Ida are all historical sites that correspond to placesmentioned in the Ilied and Aeneid. Together, they now make upTurkey’s Aeneas Route, a tourist corridor following the epic journey taken byAeneas, the father of Rome, after he escaped Troy’s sacking by the Greeks.

Proofreading

I reached a pointearlier this year where I needed to make some extra money, in order to pay offsome bills. The local fast-food restaurants were hiring, but I did that as ateenager, and I didn’t want to go backwards. I retired from my day job in 2011,and I was used to staying home, or going out to run errands, whenever I wanted.I wanted something part-time that I could do at home.

After looking around atvarious possibilities, I decided to take some training on how to proofreadother people’s work. I felt I was halfway there already, since a typo ormisplaced word always made me stop reading to figure out what was amiss.

I worked my way throughthe lessons, and the quizzes at the end of each lesson. Most of the lessons Iwas familiar with, but I even mastered the quizzes having to do withpunctuating dependent clauses and participial phrases, when one or the other was all I had to worry about. I got through all the lessonsand then downloaded 40 practice essays to proofread and 2 worksheets to do.These are to be done before I take the final exam. I have worked my way throughhalf of them so far.

The actual proofreadingis not as easy as I thought it would be, even though I can (and should) do asmuch research as I need to do. I always have the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS),a dictionary, and Google open and ready on my computer when I start toproofread. And still I make mistakes.

First, CMOS is not theeasiest manual to figure out. Sometimes I can’t find anything on the problem I’mlooking for, possibly because I don’t know what kind of sentence I’m lookingat. Is one of the clauses dependent? Is one of these clauses actually aparticipial phrase? I’ve decided to go back and restudy the lessons on thesesentence parts before I attempt to proofread any more practice essays.

Second, some of thesubject matter (like music), I don’t know anything about, and that makes ithard to catch misspelled words. In another essay, it mentioned a Japanesemanagement method, and it capitalized the name. The name wasn’t in thedictionary, but Google knew what it was, and it capitalized the name everytime, even in the middle of a sentence. So I didn’t correct it, only to be toldthat it should have been uncapped and italicized, as a foreign word.

Third, there are a lotof times when I don’t think 2 words should be joined as one word, but thedictionary says they are. I catch some of them, but frequently, I don’t catchthem all. I have to be more diligent in looking up 2 words that might be joinedinto one word.

No, it’s not as easy asI thought it would be. I always go through these essays 3 and 4 times, tryingto catch all the mistakes. But that just means that once I start proofreadingfor real, I will earn every penny I charge.

On the upside, I dugout my old college textbook from my English class. I started a ‘cheat sheet’ onparts of sentences to help me figure out if I’m looking at a clause or just aphrase, and how to punctuate it. I read that cheat sheet every day to remindmyself what’s on it, and it has become another resource I have ready and athand when I’m proofing. My number of mistakes has gone down, and they arerarely mistakes about where to put a comma. So I’m making progress.

Humans reach southern South America

DNA from 139 Indigenousgroups reveal that humans reached southern South America by 14,500 years ago.

A new genetic analysisreveals that humans crossing from Asia along the Bering Land Bridge during thelast ice age underwent three major population splits as they traveled throughthe Americas. This journey has been identified as the longest human migrationout of Africa. Eventually, a group settled in the southern part of SouthAmerica some 14,500 years ago.

An international teamof scientists analyzed 1,537 genomes of people from 139 different ethnic groupsto identify genetic characteristics of the earliest Americans.

The GenomeAsia 100Kconsortium collected the genetic material, including some from Asianpopulations whose ancestors made early migrations into the Americas. Thescientists were able to identify the genetic background of indigenous peoplethroughout the Americas. They pinpointed three key time periods when thelong-distance travelers split up.

The first populationsplit occurred between 26,800 and 19,300 years ago during the Last GlacialMaximum. This was when Indigenous Americans split from North Eurasian people.These dates are consistent with a Native American presence at White Sands inNew Mexico, as evidenced by ancient footprints and vehicle drag marks dated to23,000 to 21,000 years ago.

The next majorpopulation split happened between 17,500 and 14,600 years ago. The indigenouspopulation in North America split, and some made their way south. ThisMesoamerican group then split rapidly into four native genetic lineages around13,900 years ago. These groups were ancestral Pueblo peoples in the southwestUS, as well as Amazonians, Andeans and Patagonians in South America.

This estimationactually fits well with the archaeological records, which indicate that peoplewere living in the furthest southern reaches of the South American continent byabout 14,500 years ago.

As people made theirway into the new land tens of thousands of years ago, they experienced areduction in their genetic diversity. First it was because of geographicbarriers. Later, the populations were decimated after the arrival of Europeancolonists.

One key loss was in thevariation in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. A high diversity of HLA genesis important for immune system health. In regions such as Southeast Asia with ahigh number of disease-causing organisms, previous studies found a highdiversity of HLA genes. But in the Indigenous South American genomes, there wassignificantly lower diversity in the HLA genes. This may have led to thesepeople being more vulnerable to novel pathogens.

One of the researchers’aims is to emphasize the special medical needs of contemporary Indigenouspeoples. Some have gene variants associated with problems like adverse drugreactions.

 

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What Was the Earth Like?

We’ve examined some ofthe creatures that existed before the dinosaurs, but what was the Earth likeway back then?

From 354 to 290 millionyears ago was the Carboniferous Period. Hot and humid conditions covered thenorthern landmass, while the southern lands were much colder. Large clubmosses, tree ferns, and horsetails grew in swamps and estuaries, along withseed-bearing plants. Some plants were up to 100 feet tall.

The insect populationwas quite varied, with millipedes, dragonflies, and other bugs. Some flyinginsects had wingspans up to two feet wide! Around the middle of the period,reptiles evolved as the first land-dwelling animals, and sharks and bony fishesreplaced the jawless agnathans and armored placodems in the seas. Starfish,gastropods, sea urchins, and other marine invertebrates flourished on thereefs.

Approximately 350million years ago, coal forests began to form in wetlands at the edges ofcontinents. The submerged plant matter did not decompose completely and endedup being buried. This eventually transformed into coal.

The early reptiles hadsimilar skeletal features to those of amphibians, but there were differences intheir skulls and vertebrae that signified their relationship to later reptilessuch as turtles and dinosaurs.

Then came glaciations,a decrease in sea levels, and the formation of Pangaea, when the continentsjoined together. A minor extinction event of both marine and land life happenedat the end of the period due to climate change. This is known as theCarboniferous rainforest collapse.

 

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Pre-Dinosaurs Prehistoric Animals

Dinosaurs wandered theEarth for millions of years, searching for food and defending theirterritories. They roamed the world from 252- to 66-million years ago. But whatabout before the dinosaurs? It turns out that Earth’s creatures were highlydiverse, as well as enormous. Let’s take a look at 9 massive prehistoricanimals that lived before dinosaurs.

Scutosaurus

This “shield lizard”arose around 298 million years ago. It was among the largest reptiles at thetime. It features a 20-inch spiked skull and an armor-plated body that couldgrow over 10 feet. It was hulking and intimidating, but research suggests itwas a slow, heavy-footed herbivore that walked for miles through its deserthabitat looking vegetation. It was vulnerable to predators, like theGorgonopsids.

Gorgonopsids

Named after the Greek Gorgon,this group of saber-toothed mammals had narrow skulls and elongated teeth,which they used to slash and stab. They were vicious hunters. They would takechunks out of their target and retreat until it was so weak, they couldn’tavoid the final, killing bite. Gorgonopsids may have begun relatively small butevolved to bear sized. They became apex predators in area of Tanzania, Zambia,and Malawi.

Pterygotus

This sea scorpion wasan enormous predatory aquatic arthropod. It reached almost 6 feet and lived onEarth’s oceans, hunting other creatures, such as fish. I had no stinger, buthad behemoth claws and would wait in ambush for its prey, when it would graband puncture them with its pincers. The first Pterygotus fossils were found inearly Devonian deposits in Scotland and Western England. Some of its featuresare recognizable in modern sea creatures, but sea scorpions no longer exist.

Dimetrodon Angelensis

Although this creaturelook reptilian, it’s not related to dinosaurs. It’s more closely related tomammals, though it’s not a mammal. It belongs to a group of advancedcarnivores. Its most prominent feature is a sizeable spine sail, supported byspines extending from its vertebrate. I walked on 4 legs, had a curved skull,and large teeth. Its fossils have been found in southwestern US, in Oklahomaand Texas.

Jaekelopterus

This was another giantscorpion living during the Devonian Period 390 million years ago. It was thebiggest arthropod ever, growing over eight feet long. This scorpion developedin freshwater systems like rivers, where it was an apex predator. Research suggestsit chased its prey in lagoons and estuaries with much maneuverability andagility.

Arthropleura

Gigantic millipedearthropods roamed the forests of North America and Europe 345 million yearsago. They were the largest land invertebrates ever and wouldn’t have had manypredators. They grew over 7 feet and could stand upright and spray acid at anythreat. These millipedes were some of the first plant-eaters. Their powerfuljaws were used to break down tough vegetative matter.

Meganeura

This was the largestflying insect and resembled a modern dragonfly. It inhabited the forestsalongside the Arthropleura and mainly consumed other insects. Its wingspanreached 25.6 inches. Its larvae was at least 12 inches long. It spent much ofits time in the air, looking for food. Scientists first discovered it fossil inFrance in 1880.

Titanichthys

This was a giantarmored fish from the late Devonian Period. It lived I shallow seas. Scientistsbelieve it was the first large vertebrate filter feeder, using its mouth toinhale small fish. It could reach a length of 16 feet, had a huge mouth, andblunt teeth.

Aegirocassis

This creature lived 480million years ago. It was the largest animal to exist at the time and theearliest giant filter feeder. This arthropod most closely resembled a prawn. Itreached 7 feet long and had swimming flaps and a filtering mesh that helpedguide food into its mouth. It lived in a shallow sea that covered what is todaythe Sahara Desert.

 

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Lost Mayan City Found

Archaeologists werescanning through jungle terrain when they stumbled on what could have been animportant Maya location. They discovered a mysterious structure built under aball court, which was popular in large Maya cities. Other discoveries includedpyramids and evidence of drainage systems. Most of the findings have beencalculated to have been used between 200 AD to 1000 AD.

The height of the Mayakingdom stretched from 250 to 900 AD. The rise of the Maya Ballgame, sometimescalled pitz, saw the building of ball court structures in the center ofmajor cities. These courts were a symbol of wealth and power, hence their primeplacement.

Not only was one ofthese courts found in a Mexican jungle, but also uncovered was a crypticconstruction under the court, leading to questions about the structure’s use.

Archaeologists wereexploring light detection and ranging (lidar) readings in the Mexican stateCampeche when they noticed unique shapes in a roughly 54-square-mile section ofthe Balam Ku Biosphere Reserve. The shapes were actually modest-sizedsettlements with a few larger buildings. There were practically no standingwalls, and no key architectural decoration.

The impression was thatthe Maya culture of this region was less elaborate than those in other regions.

While excavating theball court, the team discovered parts of a building covered with remnants ofpainted stucco located beneath. Because ball courts were typically built at thecenter of cities, speculation is that the building had some prominence as well.But speculation is all they have for now. It is estimated that the buildingdates somewhere between 200 and 600 AD.

Other major finds includea main plaza surrounded with elongated structures. The plaza features a pyramidand a drainage channel. The team believes the site was occupied from 600 to1000 AD.

Another discovery is a52-foot-tall pyramid near a water reservoir, complete with the remains ofofferings atop the structure. The offering remnants included ceramic fragments,a flint point, and an animal leg, likely of an armadillo or large rodent. Thescientists believe this find dates from 1250 to 1524 AD and that it shows thepresence of humans in the area even after the height of the Maya civilizationand before the arrival of the Spanish.

 

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