In the heart of Lake Bolsena, in the Italian province of Viterbo, lies an archaeological treasure that has remained hidden beneath the waters for centuries. This is the prehistoric settlement known as “Gran Carro”, whose existence has been confirmed since the late 1950s, but only recently has it begun to reveal its deepest secrets thanks […]
Bronze Age Archaeology
Exploring diverse Bronze Age cultures across Europe, the Near East, North Africa, South Asia and beyond, archaeologists gain insights into social hierarchies, religious beliefs, and emergence of complex chiefdoms and states. Transitions to more permanent settlements, long-distance trade of metals and luxury goods also characterized this important transitional period between Stone Age hunter-gatherers and the rise of Iron Age civilizations.
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Researchers Question the Violent Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula During the Transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age
A recent study conducted by researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Murcia (UM) challenges the prevailing idea that warrior groups with “steppe” ancestry from Eastern Europe violently replaced the male population in the Iberian Peninsula around 4,200 years ago. Instead, it proposes a more nuanced scenario in which these […]
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The Lost Shipyards of the Nordic Bronze Age, an Enigma Hidden in Plain Sight
The Nordic Bronze Age, marked by its iconic imagery of ships carved into rocks and metal objects scattered throughout Scandinavia, has always left an unsolved enigma for archaeologists: where were these ships built? Despite the abundance of ship representations in the region’s archaeology, direct evidence of prehistoric shipyards has been extremely scarce. Now a new […]
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A Dagger from the Minoan Civilization of Crete Found in a Bronze Age Shipwreck
Under the direction of Professor Dr. Hakan Öniz, head of the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Akdeniz University, a team of archaeologists has made an extraordinary discovery: a bronze dagger with silver rivets, approximately 3,600 years old. This finding, made at underwater sites off the […]
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Researchers confirm that there really was a dockyard at Lothal, the commercial center of the Harappan civilization and the world’s oldest port
Lothal, located about 30 kilometers inland from the coast of the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat, India, was a prosperous port during the Harappan period of the Bronze Age (2600 BCE to 1900 BCE). This settlement is a key piece in the Harappan production and distribution network, connecting various centers along the Gulf and the […]
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A Megalithic Complex Found in Kazakhstan was a Place of Worship for Gold Miners in the Bronze Age
A team of researchers has recently published the results of a comprehensive study on an impressive megalithic monument located in the Burabay district, in the Akmola region of Kazakhstan. The complex, named “Taskamal” by the local inhabitants, meaning “stone fortress” in Kazakh, features unique and monumental architecture that archaeologists believe could be closely linked to […]
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The Discovery of an Ancient Game Board from Bronze Age Challenges Its Egyptian Origin
A recent archaeological study has revealed that an ancient board of a game, known as the fifty-eight-hole game, and found in 2018 on the Absheron peninsula, located in present-day Azerbaijan, is the oldest one known. This discovery challenges previous theories about the origin and spread of this enigmatic pastime, which was played in various parts […]
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A Sanctuary from the Late Copper Age with a Decorated Stele Found in Northern Italy
During excavations for the construction of the new gymnasium at the primary school in Berbenno di Valtellina (in the northern Lombardy region of Italy), the remains of a sacred area dating back at least five thousand years have emerged. Archaeologists are working to document this exceptional discovery. It consists of several archaeological structures, including a […]
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An Extinct Rhinoceros Bone Found in Mycenae Is the First Evidence of Fossil Collection in Bronze Age Greece
A team of researchers has revealed the existence of the first fossil of a large animal found in a secure archaeological context on the Greek mainland. This discovery, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, not only confirms the antiquity of human fascination with fossil remains but also provides tangible evidence of the intentional collection […]
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Bronze Age Temples Associated with Metallurgical Activities, Discovered in Sardinia’s Sanctuaries
The University of Sassari (UNISS) has successfully completed its annual excavation campaigns at three protohistoric sites of great importance in Sardinia. Led by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, these investigations have shed light on the construction and organization of temples and sanctuaries that characterize the island from the end of the Bronze Age […]