Bulgarian Valley of Kings

A four-wheeled wooden chariot, its intricately carved bronze plating and fittings, plus the skeletal remains of two horses and a dog have been preserved in situ instead of being removed to a museum. Thracian chariots were often buried with up to eight horses and their elaborately decorated bridles. Thracians established a powerful kingdom in the fifth century B.C. The capital was thought to be Seutopolis, whose ancient ruins lie under a large artificial lake near Shipka, in an area dubbed 'the Bulgarian Valley of Kings' for its many rich tombs. It is believed that there are over 1500 funeral mounds in the region, with only 300 being researched so far.

The Kazanlak Tomb was found accidentally on 19 April 1944 by soldiers who were digging for entrenchment against aircraft. It dates to the first half of 3rd century BC.

The Svetitsa mound revealed a spectacular gold mask, which was laid on the face of the deceased person. It was made of a solid 673-g gold plate with individual features - thick hair, beard and mustache, the eyes half-closed. This is one of the earliest and richest tombs discovered in the Valley.

Ancient mosaics of Lod

An ancient mosaic that once belonged to a Roman villa in the city of Lod was discovered in 2018 by archaeological excavations at the site. The mosaic-decorated reception and courtyard, as well as a water system were found as the Israel Antiquities Authority dug in preparation for the construction of a visitors’ center in Lod.

A 1,700-year-old mosaic discovered in Lod, Israel, was revealed to the public for the first time in November, 2015. Measuring 36 by 42 feet, the impressive artwork covered in depictions of nature. It was found near another artwork found two decades ago in that same area.

Celtic coins - Geoff Cottam collection

Spink London sold the Celtic coin collection of Geoff Cottam on December 2, 2015. One of the most stunning rarities is one of the finest known gold quarter staters of the Atrebates and Regni peoples, minted under Tincomarus, (c.20 BC-AD 10). It is a 'Medusa' type.

Celtic, Trinovantes and Catuvellauni, uninscribed coinage, (c.60-20 BC), gold Quarter Stater, 1.25g,

Addedomaros Crescent Cross. c.45-25 BC.

The Celtic tribes left little archaeological evidence  to understand their culture, and almost all written description of them comes from others. All that remains are a few artifacts; of which this collection was an incredible treasure trove.

Stolen Roman ballista stone returned

The thief cited the current coronavirus outbreak as the reason for returning the artifact.

A man has returned an ancient Roman projectile that he took from an ancient site in Jerusalem 15 years ago.  The man took the ballista stone from the City of David in the Jerusalem Walls National Park.

The ballista stones at the City of David likely date to the Roman siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.

Black Death

The Black Death plague arrived in western Europe in 1347 and in England in 1348. It faded away in the early 1350s. The Black Death, or ‘pestilencia’ was the worst catastrophe in recorded history. It destroyed a higher proportion of the population than any other single known event. One observer noted ‘the living were scarcely sufficient to bury the dead.’ Old and young, men and women: all of society – royalty, peasants, archbishops, monks, nuns and parish clergy. None were immune to the Black Death. In Europe it is thought that some 50 million people died.

In a study published in January 2017, researchers simulated Black Death outbreaks. The model that focused on fleas and ticks on humans was the most accurate for explaining the spread of the disease.

In Medieval times people believed that the Black Death came from God, and responded with prayers. Rats have long been blamed for spreading the Black Death. A study suggests that rats weren’t the main carriers of fleas and lice that spread the plague ... it was humans.

Hummingbird sized dinosaur - Oculudentavis khaungraae

A hummingbird-sized predatory bird is the smallest known dinosaur to live during the Mesozoic Era, between 252 million and 66 million years ago. Of modern birds the bee hummingbird is the smallest. The new species, dubbed Oculudentavis khaungraae, was similar in size. The earliest birds, such as Archaeopteryx, arose around 150 million years ago, and this find suggests that bird body sizes were reaching their lower limit by 99 million years ago.

Tomography scans reveal a 3-D image of the bird’s skull, preserved in amber. They show the deep eye sockets and sharp teeth of a predator. Researchers need to figure out where the new species belongs on the tree of life.

SS Central America - Territorial Gold Coins

Second finest known 1854 Kellogg $20 Territorial gold coin, graded PCGS MS62+

Coins from the SS Central America include rare Territorial Gold Coins. "Territorial" is a term that encompasses a wide range of coins issued by private minters, semi-official entities, entrepreneurs, and opportunists.

Rare 884 THOUS variety 1853 U.S. Assay Office $20, graded PCGS AU55+

Small Head variety 1852 Wass Molitor $5 gold coin, with a counterstamp advertising Sacramento dentist W.W. Light

The coins arose out of necessity and were created to fill a void that government would not fill. Until they intervened, these issues flourished; once the government entered the market, they were made illegal.

One of the finest known 1855 Wass Molitor Small Head variety $20 gold coins, PCGS AU58

See ----->https://psjfactoids.blogspot.com/2018/07/superb-california-fractional-gold-coins.html

Iron Age and the Bones of the Dead

A macabre discovery rewrites what we knew about the rituals and beliefs of Iron Age man.

In 2012 ancient remains were discovered in a bog in Denmark. Archaeologists are piecing together what happened to the dozens of dead warriors found at Alken Enge. Researchers were startled by what appeared to be desecration of the skeletal remains.

Protohistoric cultures had many traditions of ensuring the respect of their ancestors, and protection from their dead enemies.

At least six months after the warriors died, their bones were collected, scraped of remaining flesh, sorted and dumped in a lake. Some were handled in a bizarre manner; four pelvises were found strung on a stick. Researchers guess that the desecration of the body parts was an ancient ritual. Were these grisly desecrations a barbaric ritual of triumph over defeated enemies, as Roman records suggest? There have been Iron Age rites of warding, ensuring the ghosts of a fallen enemy wouldn’t return from the grave to wreak revenge.

Norse folktales included the mythology of the draugr, an undead creature, literally meaning “again-walker”. The draugr was a corpse risen from the grave, a decomposed body. It would seek out and attack those who had wronged it in life.

So horrifying was the prospect of creating a draugr that special care was taken to ensure a proper burial of the dead.

Rare 'year 4' Judea coin found

In 2018, while sifting through debris taken from the City of David, workers discovered an ancient coin minted by Jewish Rebellion forces in the year 69 AD. It was originally found in the sewers beneath ancient Jerusalem. The few coins that the Jews minted in the year 69 all bear the words “For the Redemption of Zion”; this one depicts a wine cup, while the obverse shows the “four species” (symbolic fruits and branches used in the celebration of the Jewish feast of Sukkot) and the words “Year Four.”

There is a subtle difference between the coins of 67 and 69 AD; they changed the phrase “Freedom of Zion” to “Redemption of Zion.” The writing on the coins may be an indicator of the fading hopes of the Jewish forces.

See ----->Coins of the Jewish War

Ancient Jade Axe found in China.

A Ritual Jade Yue (battle-axe), Western Zhou Dynasty 西周玉鉞. Mottled with teeth inlays on the edge, for ritual purposes in Shang and Zhou Dynasty.

Archeologists discovered jade ware that dates back over 4,000 years in 2018 at a site in central China's Hubei Province. Jade battle-axes, an astronomical instrument and a tube, dating back to between 4,600 to 5,100 years ago, have been unearthed at the Mulintou site in Baokang County. Skeletons, stoneware and pottery have also been found at the site. A jade battle-axe was a symbol of power.

The Qujialing culture is a late Neolithic culture discovered in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Ancient gold in Staffordshire

In 2017 a hoard of gold was found in Staffordshire. The find was made on farmland in the parish of Leekfrith. The hoard contained four torcs – three necklaces and bracelet – which would only be worn by the elite.

The decoration on the bracelet is thought to be some of the earliest Celtic art from Britain. This discovery was found 45 miles north of the famous Staffordshire Hoard.

See ---->The Staffordshire Hoard
See ---->Staffordshire Hoard Roman helmet recreated

The worst years to live through in human history - 536 CE

If one were to guess the worst times to live through there are many choices. 1347 CE was nasty. The Black Death hit Europe. The Holocaust, between 1941 and 1945. Or perhaps 1918, the year of the Spanish flu pandemic. Scientists have come up with an answer. 536 CE. 536 was in the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great. Temperatures plunged, causing global chaos - drought, crop failures, summertime snow, and widespread famine.

The Triumph of Death. Pieter Bruegel the Elder. 1562.

In the year 536 CE, volcanic ash and debris was mixed in with the ice layer, indicating a large volcanic event. Greenland and Antarctic ice cores showed evidence of a second eruption in 540 CE. Then in 541, the Justinian Plague appeared, compounding the human misery and death. In a single year, the outbreak killed an estimated 25 million.