The enigmatic tablets, the subject of intense study by archaeologists throughout Europe, are small artifacts made of terracotta or stone dating back to the Bronze Age, specifically between 2100 and 1400 BCE. These mysterious objects have been found since the second half of the 19th century at various archaeological sites across the continent, primarily in […]
Bronze Age
Posted inAntiquity
The Relationship Between the First Bronze Alloy Used by Humans and the Deformity of Some Gods Like Hephaestus and Vulcan
Toward the end of the 4th millennium B.C., a revolutionary technology emerged in the Near East: metallurgy, which gave its name to the prehistoric period we now know as the Bronze Age. Bronze was the first significant alloy obtained by humans, and for millennia it was the basic alloy used for the production of tools, […]
Posted inArt
Analysis of the bust of Sargon’s son reveals the beginnings of lost-wax casting technique in Mesopotamia
A recent study of an ancient Mesopotamian sculpture using cutting-edge technology has provided information about the earliest metal casting techniques in human history, revealing the technical challenges faced by artisans more than 4,000 years ago. The research, published in the journal Heritage Science, focused on the “Head of a Ruler“, an impressive copper piece that […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Cypriots that Carried Copper Ingots on their Shoulders in the Bronze Age
Oxhide ingots are metal slabs, primarily made of copper, although sometimes also made of tin, produced during the Late Bronze Age on the island of Cyprus and later distributed across the Mediterranean. They were used, at least since 1500 BC, as a means of transporting copper and for bulk sales across the Mediterranean via maritime […]
Posted inPrehistory
Europe’s Oldest Wooden Staircase was found Inside a Bronze Age Mine, Only 2 Percent of whose Tunnels have been Explored
One of the most important archaeological sites in the world is the Austrian village of Hallstatt, located on the shore of the lake of the same name and at the foot of Hoher Dachstein, the highest peak in the Salzkammergut Alps. Since prehistoric times, a salt mine has been exploited there, which is considered the […]
Posted inHistory
How Archaeologists Discovered the First Diplomatic Treatises, Written in a Previously Unknown Language
In 1964, a team of archaeologists from the University of Rome La Sapienza, led by Paolo Matthiae, began excavating at Tell Mardikh, a site located 55 kilometers southeast of Aleppo, Syria. Their goal was to demonstrate that Syria had hosted its own cultures in ancient times. Over the years, the discoveries accumulated: ancient palaces, statues, […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Glass Beads, a Pin and Ceramic Vessels Found inside a Bronze Age Dolmen
Archaeologists excavating two ancient dolmens in the Golan Heights have made some intriguing discoveries that provide new insights into these monumental stone structures. Dolmens are megalithic tombs from the Middle to Late Bronze Age, between 3000 BC to 1200 BC, constructed from large stone slabs. They consisted of a central chamber made of cobblestones and […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Huge 4,000-year-old Fortification Discovered Surrounding the Khaybar Oasis in Northwestern Arabia
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of fortified settlements that inhabited the oases of northern Arabia between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC. A team of scientists from the CNRS research center and the Royal Commission for AlUla recently uncovered a fortification wall surrounding the Khaybar oasis in northwestern Arabia. The Khaybar oasis fortress, along with the […]
Posted inCulture
The Byblos Syllabary, a 3800-year-old Writing System whose Inscriptions Have yet to Be Deciphered
In 1928 French archaeologist Maurice Dunand began excavating the ancient coastal city of Byblos, located in what is now Lebanon. Byblos was an important Phoenician city whose origin dates back to around 5000 BC and had a long history of trade and cultural exchanges with neighboring civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia. During four excavation […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Bronze Age Fortification Discovered on the Small Island of Ustica, to the North of Sicily
A new and fascinating chapter in the history of the Mediterranean Sea adds interest to an archaeological settlement that, over decades of studies and excavations, has provided a rich and sophisticated treasure trove of artifacts, evidence of the presence on the small island of Ustica of an evolved and affluent community, whose existence was abruptly […]
