Ancient

Forty hectares of Oaken Wood could be razed after it was identified as potential site of expansion by Reform-run councilIt was at the confluence of seven forest paths that Allison Sweetman came to a stop. Trees rose on all sides, save for a recently coppiced section to the north-east. The noon heat had silenced most birds, but the quiet was peaceful.“This is what they call Seven Wents,” she said. For centuries, the people of Kent had travelled this way, from East Malling to Barming, from Ditton to Teston, for church, commerce and friends. “It’s on maps going back 400 years.” Continue reading...

Jewellery made from BC Iran worn at Odyssey photocall throws spotlight on the trade of rare archeological findsThe Odyssey has stormed cinemas, but while its take on the Homeric epic has created ripples among western classicists, it is an actor’s earrings that have made waves further afield.Zendaya, who portrays the goddess Athena in the movie, provoked outrage when she appeared at a London photocall wearing earrings that were allegedly made from Iranian artefacts dating back to the 1st millennium BC. Continue reading...

Film star promotes Christopher Nolan film epic wearing gold artefacts dating back almost 3,000 yearsThe Odyssey is a story about a Greek king’s long journey home. But a pair of earrings worn on the new film adaptation’s press tour – and their long separation from their homeland – is sparking controversy.At a photocall in London, Zendaya, who plays the goddess Athena in the Christopher Nolan film, wore a pair of earrings fashioned from Iranian artefacts dating back to 700BC. Continue reading...

• A roughly 2-pound meteorite that crashed through a home in Hillsborough, New Jersey, in 2024 has been identified as a rare CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite. • Researchers publishing in Science Advances noted the sample is exceptionally pristine because the homeowner immediately preserved the fragments in glass jars using gloves and foil. • This discovery is scientifically significant as it is only the second confirmed fall of this specific primitive material, providing a rare glimpse into ancient asteroid brine.

• NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered the largest concentration of complex organic molecules to date within mudstones in the Jezero Crater. • The findings consist of macromolecular carbon, which are complex carbon-based compounds that serve as the chemical backbone for all known life on Earth. • This discovery provides the strongest evidence yet of potential ancient life on Mars, as the rover has been exploring this specific region since February 2021.

Well-preserved fourth-century quarters reveal details of daily life, urban development and economic activitiesArchaeologists in Egypt have uncovered a well-preserved Byzantine-era city in the western desert.The fourth-century quarters had residential and religious structures, including a basilica-style church in the Dakhla oasis. Archaeologists also found coins, pottery fragments and tools. Continue reading...

• The 7th Western Digital Economy Expo (WDEE Expo) concluded on June 28 in Xi'an, China, focusing on the theme of digital convergence and smart innovation. • The event featured representatives from over 30 Chinese cities, 119 leading digital economy companies, and international delegations from Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Cambodia. • The expo highlights Xi'an's strategic transition from an ancient capital to a modern "Digital Silk Road" hub, emphasizing the integration of industrial and digital sectors.

• Firefly Aerospace is pursuing a $110 million loan to scale up its spacecraft production capabilities. • Astronomers have revealed that comet 3I/ATLAS is approximately 12 billion years old, providing a rare glimpse into the early universe. • In other news, the FIFA Museum is hosting a tech exhibit on the evolution of soccer, while U.S. tech stocks are currently experiencing a slump.

• NASA's Perseverance rover has detected hundreds of organic molecules within two mudstone samples in the Jezero crater on Mars. • These findings represent the most robust detection of complex carbon-based materials to date in this specific region of the Red Planet. • The discovery is significant because organic compounds are essential building blocks for life, strengthening the hypothesis that Mars once hosted ancient microbes.

• NASA's Perseverance rover has detected organic carbon molecules in rocks located on an ancient Martian riverbed that flowed billions of years ago. • This discovery complements previous findings by the Curiosity rover in the Gale crater, meaning organic-bearing mudstones have now been identified more than 2,000 miles apart. • While these signatures are potential indicators of ancient microbial life, scientists caution that they do not yet provide definitive proof of biological activity.

• Archaeologists conducting a routine excavation in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula uncovered an ancient ritual platform and a series of buried offerings. • The discovery provides physical evidence of how ancient Mesoamerican societies integrated architectural construction with spiritual ceremonies and belief systems. • This find is significant as it offers new insights into the specific ritualistic behaviors and cultural practices of the region's early inhabitants.

Discovery in Siberia suggests bacterium from raw marmots devastated hunter-gatherer tribes about 5,500 years agoThe earliest evidence for an outbreak of plague has been uncovered at late stone age cemeteries in south-eastern Siberia where dozens of hunter-gatherers and their children were buried.Ancient DNA collected from the remains suggests the disease tore through the sparse communities in devastating waves that began about 5,500 years ago, at least two centuries after the bacterium responsible, Yersinia pestis, first emerged. Continue reading...

• In 1892, archaeologists and laborers conducting excavations at the foot of Mount Parnassus discovered a buried ancient village. • The dig unearthed the site of the Oracle of Delphi, one of the most influential religious centers of the ancient Greek world. • This discovery is significant because it provided tangible evidence and physical context for the mysterious Oracle, transforming the historical understanding of the site.

Conquering of Beaufort Castle for first time in 26 years bring back memories of occupation of southMiddle East crisis – live updatesWhen Hussain Alawieh used to take tourists to Beaufort Castle, they would marvel at the view. The ancient hilltop fort, captured nearly 1,000 years earlier by Crusaders, still offered the same sweeping panoramic views of south Lebanon and the Litani River that empires fought over for a millennia.On Sunday, the view from the castle was obscured by white phosphorus smoke, the toxic incendiary munition providing a smoke-screen for advancing Israeli soldiers. Out of the fog rose an Israeli flag, and the castle, for the first time in 26 years, was once again conquered. Continue reading...

Paperwork supplied by Andrew Crowley, 46, found to be made using printing methods 25 years too modernA fraudster who tried to sell fake ancient statues to Sotheby’s was foiled when his bogus accompanying paperwork was found to be written with printing methods that were 25 years too modern, a court has heard.Andrew Crowley, 46, asked the auctioneers to value three Cycladic figures and one Anatolian stargazer statuette that he had inherited from his grandfather, Southwark crown court in London was told on Friday. Continue reading...

Nearly 2,000-year-old artifact handed over by FBI matches piece missing from museum near Rome for decadesA nearly 2,000-year-old Roman grave marker discovered in a New Orleans backyard has now been returned to Italy.The marble epitaph – dating back roughly 1,900 years – was officially handed over to Italian officials in Rome on Wednesday during a ceremony led by the FBI. The event also marked the repatriation of another antiquity recovered in the US, the agency said. Continue reading...

Document shows partial felling last year, which led to legal action against Toby Carvery, was done by Ground ControlA mystery contractor who chainsawed an ancient oak in north London for the Toby Carvery restaurant chain has been identified by the Guardian, prompting more questions about the incident.The unauthorised partial felling of the 500-year-old oak a year ago on Friday in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, prompted widespread public outrage and questions in parliament. Continue reading...

Body is latest in series to be found in Dijon. Scientists trying to work out why Gauls buried some of their dead in this wayChildren at a primary school in eastern France found a strange attraction next to their playground this week: a skeleton sitting upright, peeking out the top of a circular pit.It is the latest in a series of bodies discovered in the city of Dijon that were buried in a seated position facing west. Continue reading...

Researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and global collaborators identified over 2.3 million conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs) across 314 plant genomes from 284 species, using a new computational tool called Conservatory. These ancient 'DNA switches' originated before flowering plants diverged from non-flowering ancestors more than 400 million years ago, with some confirmed essential for developmental functions through genetic editing. The discovery provides a comprehensive atlas for plant biology, aiding crop breeders in addressing drought and food shortages by fine-tuning traits. CSHL's Zachary Lippman described it as 'a new window into the evolution of life across eons.'

Researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), Hebrew University, and Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University published a study in Science identifying over 2.3 million conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs) across 314 plant genomes from 284 species, some originating more than 400 million years ago before flowering plants diverged from non-flowering ancestors. The team developed a new computational tool called Conservatory to locate these ancient DNA 'switches' essential for plant development, with co-first author Anat Hendelman confirming their function through genetic editing. This comprehensive atlas includes dozens of crop species and wild ancestors, offering plant biologists and breeders tools to address drought and food shortages by fine-tuning traits. CSHL's Zachary Lippman described it as 'a new window into the evolution of life across eons.'

Sonselasuchus cedrus, discovered in fossils from Arizona, was a crocodile relative from the Triassic period that grew into an ostrich-like adult