10 Archaeological Discoveries You Didn't Hear About In School

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Time Capsule: Sunken Ancient Roman City Of Baiae With All Its Streets Imperial Villas And Statues

MessageToEagle.com - Ancient sunken city of Baiae is located just 30 minutes northwest of Naples. Baiae was one of the most important cities of Ancient Rome and Roman seaside resort, overlooking the Bay of Naples. It was a place where rich Romans and emperors spent their leisure time in their luxurious villas clustered in terraces all around the bay near Naples.
A city of Baiae - named after Baios, Odysseus' helmsman - was connected to the Roman Empire’s biggest naval base, Portus Julius, home port of the western Imperial Fleet of ancient Rome.



Click on image to enlargeSubmerged remains of Emperor Claudius' nymphaeum (as found on display in the Phlegraean Fields' Archaeological Museum in the Aragonese Castle in Baia).

Over several centuries, Baiae was Naples Bay city, even more famous than Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Capri.
However, it was also city of scandals, corruptions and hedonistic temptations, according to ancient records.
A major philosophical figure of the Roman Imperial Period, Seneca, called Baiae a “resort of vice,” while Ovid, a Roman poet referred to it as a “favorable place for love-making.”
Famous for its prestigious baths and thermal springs, the ancient city of Baiae was a fashionable bathing and recreation area of the rich and famous individuals of the ancient times.
Emperors Caligula, Nero, Hadrian and Gaius Julius Caesar once owned elegant summer villas in Baiae. Cicero, a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul and constitutionalist entertained them during Saturnalia feasts - a holiday established in honor of Saturn.


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Today Baiae - built during the time of Emperor Claudius - is not a playground of the Roman emperors anymore.
Floors of black and white mosaic attest to a long forgotten villas, remains of ancient amphorae were once held in emperors' hands - now are scattered across the ocean floor.
Baiae lies submerged in just a few feet of water, with all streets, imperial luxury villas and statues.



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Due to high amounts of volcanic activities around Baiae, over a course of 2000 years, the ground level of Baiae kept rising and falling, which ultimately led Baiae and its port to collapse into the ocean.
The underwater environment takes us back into the past allowing us to view the reconstruction of the marble statues, the main street Herclanea and the surrounding thermal bath complex.



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The first recovery of archaeological finds related to Baiae took place in the 1920s when, during the construction works pertaining to the widening of the docks at Port Venero, sculptures, architectonic elements and water systems with imperial insignias came to light.
One of Baiae's greater discoveries was a nymphaeum found in one of the sunken buildings. It belonged to Claudius (10 BC – AD 54), a Roman emperor from 41 to 54 (the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy).



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Because he was afflicted with a limp and slight deafness due to sickness at a young age, his family ostracized him and excluded him from public office until his consulship, shared with his nephew Caligula in 37.
In the 1940s, aerial photographs taken by pilot Raimondo Baucher, provided evidence of the submerged archaeological area of Portus Julius in the shallow waters directly in front of Lake Lucrine.



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Unfortunately, despite interest raised by these discoveries, the first underwater survey of Baiae did not take place until the 1960s. The surveys conducted between 1959 and 1960 contributed to the first map of the sunken city.
Interesting were also finds in the vicinity of Punta Epitaffio at a depth of approximately 6 metres; a paved road flanked with buildings and statues continuing towards the sea, remains of other Baiae's structures reaching out into the sea by means of cemented jetties, now known to have belonged to the marine quarter of the Pisonian villa.
Additionally, approximately 400 metres from the present coast, numerous concrete pillars were discovered; pillars which confirmed the location of the ancient coastline.
The programme of surveying the area was unfortunately soon interrupted due to a lack of funds.

© MessageToEagle.com

Read more: http://www.messagetoeagle.com/underwatercitybaiae.php#ixzz2znfEy4M2

Ancient Advanced Technology At Puma Punku Bolivia

Of all the megalithic ruins of the world, one that still stupefies visitors, researchers and laymen alike, is the complex of Tiwanaku, also called Tiahuanaco in Bolivia. 

The most mysterious part of this archaeological site for many is Puma Punku, a cluster of shattered hard stone building block components that lie undisturbed in the high altitude grasslands near Lake Titicaca.

The strangest thing about Puma Punku is that the stone cutting technology found there is not present at other locations in Bolivia, Peru, or in fact the world!

Source: http://www.adguk-blog.com/2014/01/ancient-advanced-technology-at-puma.html

Paleorivers Flowed Across Sahara 130,000 to 100,000 Years Ago, 100 km Wide Ancient River Made Mighty Mississippi Seem Puny

Paleorivers Flowed Across Sahara 130,000 to 100,000 Years Ago, 100 km Wide Ancient River Made Mighty Mississippi Seem Puny

Paleoclimate simulations reveal potential 'green corridors' across North Africa. The role of the Sahara as a geographical filter and launch zone for dispersals of Homo sapiens out Africa is a controversial topic.

Three ancient river systems, now buried, may have created viable routes for human migration across the Sahara to the Mediterranean region about 100,000 years ago, according to research published September 11 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Tom Coulthard from the University of Hull, UK, and colleagues from other institutions.

Researchers used a novel palaeohydrological and hydraulic modelling approach to test the hypothesis that under wetter climates c.100,000 years ago major river systems ran north across the Sahara to the Mediterranean, creating viable migration routes. They confirm that three of these now buried palaeo river systems could have been active at the key time of human migration across the Sahara.

Unexpectedly, it is the most western of these three rivers, the Irharhar river, that represents the most likely route for human migration. The Irharhar river flows directly south to north, uniquely linking the mountain areas experiencing monsoon climates at these times to temperate Mediterranean environments where food and resources would have been abundant. The findings have major implications for our understanding of how humans migrated north through Africa, for the first time providing a quantitative perspective on the probabilities that these routes were viable for human habitation at these times.

Simulated probability of surface water during the last interglacial. This figure details Archaeological sites, and an annual probability that a location has surface water. The archaeological data are derived from a number of sources (including. The findspots are characterized by Aterian and Middle Stone Age artefacts such as bifacial foliates and stemmed Aterian points and/or typical ‘Mousterian’ points, side scrapers and Levallois technology. Most are represented by surface scatters but where stratified examples exist these can be shown by dating (OSL and U-series techniques) and geomorphological setting to belong within MIS 5e

Credit: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074834.g002

Simulating paleoclimates in the region, the researchers found quantitative evidence of three major river systems that likely existed in North Africa 130,000-100,000 years ago, but are now largely buried by dune systems in the desert. When flowing, these rivers likely provided fertile habitats for animals and vegetation, creating 'green corridors' across the region.

At least one river system is estimated to have been 100 km wide and largely perennial. The Irharhar river, westernmost of the three identified, may represent a likely route of human migration across the region. In addition to rivers, the researchers' simulations predict massive lagoons and wetlands in northeast Libya, some of which span over 70,000-square kilometers.

Yearly average rainfall from a 25 year snapshot of an ESM experiment and catchment area (hatched region) as well as the time series of zonally averaged precipitation for two stripes south of the catchment highlighting the (i) South-North gradient of rainfall during the wet seasons (June to September) and (ii) the modelled year to year variability of the monsoon system. The data is drawn from 12 hourly precipitation data produced during a time-slice experiment of the last Interglacial (MIS 5e, ~124 ka BP) performed by the fully coupled atmosphere-ocean- sea ice-biosphere general circulation model of the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology. The ESM consists of the spectral atmosphere model ECHAM5 including the land surface model JSBACH and a dynamic vegetation module coupled to the general circulation ocean model MPIOM. The model runs for the atmosphere at a truncation T31, which corresponds to a horizontal resolution of ~300 km in the area under investigation

Credit: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074834.g001

"It's exciting to think that 100 000 years ago there were three huge rivers forcing their way across a 1000km of the Sahara desert to the Mediterranean -- and that our ancestors could have walked alongside them" said Coulthard.

Previous studies have shown that people traveled across the Saharan mountains toward more fertile Mediterranean regions, but when, where and how they did so is a subject of debate. Existing evidence supports the possibilities of a single trans-Saharan migration, many migrations along one route, or multiple migrations along several different routes. The existence of 'green corridors' that provided water and food resources were likely critical to these events, but their location and the amount of water they carried is not known. The simulations provided in this study aim to quantify the probability that these routes may have been viable for human migration across the region.

For the first time, the simulations demonstrate that Saharan “Humid Corridors” were highly likely during the last interglacial strongly re-affirming the viability of these routes as migratory corridors for early hominids. This research provides an unprecedented means of developing new hypotheses for past human, faunal and floral activity in this region and for validating the performance of palaeo climate simulations, according to the researchers.
Contacts and sources:

 Kallie Huss
Public Library of Science

Citation: Coulthard TJ, Ramirez JA, Barton N, Rogerson M, Brücher T (2013) Were Rivers Flowing across the Sahara During the Last Interglacial? Implications for Human Migration through Africa. PLoS ONE 8(9): e74834. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074834

Source: http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.nl/2013/09/paleorivers-flowed-across-sahara-130000.html

Controversial Artifacts No One Wants To Examine Thoroughly - Is There Something We Are Afraid Of Discovering?

 

MessageToEagle.com - An extremely high tech civilization definitely existed in the distant past of our planet, we currently know nothing about these beings. Most of what we can learn about prehistoric people is from the artifacts they left behind.However, certain prehistoric findings seem to be extremely frustrating when it comes to analyzing their unknown properties. One of them is the three-pronged plug embedded in a small piece of granite. Based on a few, preliminary consultations with an engineer and geologist, the artifact has an appearance of an electronic component embedded in a naturally formed, solid granite stone composed of quartz and feldspar - including very small percentages of mica - already existed at the time of the formation of the rock.In addition, it resembles an electronic XLR connector or another very similar component and reveals no trace of having been glued or welded. It shows a weak magnetic attraction, and ohm meter readings reveal that it has a strength approaching that of an open circuit. The three-pronged plug is held by a matrix of a thus-far indeterminable origin. The 0.3-inch diameter piece does not appear to be manufactured out of wood, plastic, rubber, metal, or some other recognizable material.
A stone embedded with a three-pronged plug is approximately 100,000 years old. Photo Credits: John J. Williams
Williams used a powerful X-ray revealing that the matrix component extends into an opaque internal structure within the stone.The questions remain: Why would the three-pronged plug be embedded in a rock?
What purpose would such an object serve?
The matrix component extends into an opaque internal structure within the stone
Is this object of extraterrestrial origin or perhaps a product testifying highly advanced technological skills of a prehistoric civilization lost in time?

Geological analysis of the rock has established that the artifact is approximately 100,000 years old.
Further scientific analysis could shed some more light on this controversial, archaeological finding from the distant past and confirm whether it is an elaborate hoax or... a discovery that might also radically change our understanding of human history. In 1990, an odd type of blue stone, was discovered by geologist and archaeologist, Angelo Pytoni during one of his archaeological excavations in Sierra Leone, West Africa.He sent the mysterious stone to be investigated at several laboratories around the world.
Mysterious stone produced by an unknown, highly advanced civilization lost in time.
The tests were carried out at laboratories of the University of Geneva, the University of Rome, Utrecht, Tokyo and Freiberg, Germany. All experts say the same thing, namely that the blue stone does not exist because it is not even similar to any type of rock known in nature of this planet! Therefore it must be an artificial stone. Since, the stone is blue with thin white veins, it was called "Skystone" or "Stone of Heaven". Its composition was found to be more than 77% oxygen, along with traces of carbon, silicon, calcium and sodium.

The composition makes the "skystone" similar to a kind of concrete or stucco, and seems to have been artificially colored. The natives living in the area where the stone was found, already knew about its existence because this stone-like artifact used to jump out during the diggings of holes in the ground.
Another mystery related to the stone of heaven is that this artifact is always found in soil layers dating to at least 12000 BC. The stone was certainly produced by an unknown, highly advanced civilization lost in time.

Source: http://www.messagetoeagle.com/forgottencontroversial.php

10,000-year-old remains of settlements are unearthed in Bolivia - making it the oldest archaeological site in the Amazon

• Swiss researchers from the University of Bern said mounds of snail shells were left by settlers in the early Holocene period, around 10,400 years ago
• Experts once thought the previously unexplored area had been rarely occupied by communities due to poor environmental conditions

Ten thousand-year-old remains of human settlements have been found in Bolivia and is now the oldest archaeological site in the Amazon region.
The find came as a surprise to experts as it was thought the previously unexplored area had been rarely occupied by communities due to poor environmental conditions.
Swiss archaeologists made the discovery after analysing forest islands - small forested mounds of earth - which are found throughout Amazonia.

Swiss archaeologists analysed forest islands - small forested mounds of earth - which are found throughout Amazonia (pictured). Dashed lines and the grey arrow highlight the onion-like growth of the midden. The black triangles above mark the coring locations used to examine the contents of the mound

Just by looking as these mounds scientists are able to show the history of the region and ancient human activity.
In this study, the authors, from the University of Bern, found three of these islands were shell middens or mounds of shells that were left by settlers in the early Holocene period, around 10,400 years ago.

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Samples of soil from these three mounds revealed a build-up of snail shells, animal bones and charcoal.

The scientists analysed three shell middens left by settlers of the early Holocene period. The older layers were mostly composed of snail shells (pictured)

Samples of soil from these three mounds revealed a build-up of freshwater snail shells, animal bones and charcoal. Shell fragments cemented together are pictured

They appear to have formed in two phases with an older layer composed mostly of snail shells and a top layer containing materials such as pottery, bone tools and human bones.

The two layers are separated by a thin band rich in pieces of burnt clay and earth and the uppermost layer of deposits was also seen to contain occasional fragments of earthenware pottery.

Radiocarbon analysis of two middens found humans settled in the Bolivia Amazon region during the early Holocene and shells and other artefacts built up into mounds over a 6,000 year period of human use.

The top layer of the middens contained materials such as pottery, bone tools (pictured) and human bones. The older and newer layers are separated by a thin band rich in pieces of burnt clay and earth and the uppermost layer of deposits was also seen to contain occasional fragments of earthenware pottery

Radiocarbon analysis of two middens found humans settled in the Bolivia Amazon region during the early Holocene and shells and other artefacts built up into mounds over a 6,000 year period of human use. A 'wasp chamber' is pictured

It is thought the area may have been abandoned as the climate shifted towards wetter conditions.

Study author Doctor Umberto Lombardo, from the University of Bern, said: 'We have discovered the oldest archaeological sites in western and southern Amazonia.
'These sites allow us to reconstruct 10,000 years of human-environment interactions in the Bolivian Amazon.'

It is thought the area may have been abandoned as the climate shifted towards wetter conditions, as the scientists expressed surprise at their findings

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2404383/10-000-year-old-remains-settlements-unearthed-Bolivia--making-oldest-archaeological-site-Amazon.html#ixzz2eOGKQyxg