Archaeology breakthrough as skeletons of warriors discovered | World | News
A remarkable discovery had been made during the construction of a new powerline in Germany, after a dig uncovered a ten-grave cemetery in Förderstedt – over 100 miles from Berlin – that dates back an incredible 4,500 years.
So far, three burials have been uncovered and all have been found in an impressive condition, while their unique burial positions have made it possible to identify the culture they belonged to.
The graves belonged to the Bell Beaker Culture, an ancient people group known for their pottery and whose deceased were laid in their graves in a specific way: women on the right side with their head to the south, while men lay on the left side with their head to the north.
“A common burial mound covered all three deceased,” said Susane Friederich, the project leader from the State Office for Heritage Preservation and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt.
One skeleton was identified as a warrior or hunter, the archaeologists revealed, as the grave contained a stone wrist guard, which was worn to protect the forearm when shooting a bow and arrow.
More evidence of archery was discovered in another grave, as “two arrowheads were found next to his back in a discoloration of the soil which could indicate a past quiver of organic material,” officials revealed.
“Evidence for organic objects, such as the possible quiver discovered here, are very rare,” added Ms Friedrich. “That’s what makes this find so special.”
The third grave was simpler and included only one jar, “which probably contained food items,” archaeologists said.
Excavations at the cemetery are ongoing and it is hoped that these graves will offer crucial clues into how this ancient culture which lived across western and central Europe thousands of years ago.
According to Arkeonews, the plan now is to excavate the graves entirely and relocate them to a laboratory for a closer examination.
Other recent archaeological discoveries have included an incredible 3,500-year-old royal home in Egypt, which is believed to have supported Pharaoh Thutmose III’s military campaigns.
Thutmose III reigned between 1479 BC to 1425 BC and was a warrior who brought the Egyptian empire to its glory after conquering all of Syria.
Meanwhile, what is believed to be the world’s oldest mixed poison has been found in South Africa, which contained a sediment-like substance in which two known poisons were found.
Justin Bradfield conducted chemical tests at the University of Johannesburg and confirmed the presence of two glycosides – digitoxin (from foxgloves) and strophanthidin (from Strophanthus plants) – both classified as poisonous and disrupt the heart’s function.
