Exploration May Be Near Naymlap Tomb

Figure found on mural near site.

Among the most colorful pre-Columbian Peruvian legends is of Naymlap, fearless founder of a centuries-old dynasty that supposedly ruled the Lambayeque Valley in northern Peru.

Archaeologist Christopher Donnan’s revelations about the legend are detailed in a new 268-page book that was just published by the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press, Chotuna and Chornancap: Excavating an Ancient Peruvian Legend.

According to UCLA:

As the legend goes, Naymlap arrived with a vast fleet of balsa rafts carrying an entourage that included a chief wife and many concubines. He also brought with him an idol made of green stone, and he built a palace where it was installed. In his court were a trumpeter who blew through shells much prized by the Indians; a servant who scattered the dust of pulverized seashells on the ground where Naymlap tread; and servants who tended his every need, from an official bather to the keeper of his feathered shirts. 

Throughout Naymlap’s long reign, the tale continued, people enjoyed peace until his death, kept secret by his attendants who — fearing that his followers would find out their venerated leader had succumbed to this human fate — buried him in the same room where he had lived. Saddened by his mysterious disappearance, many of his followers abandoned their homes to find him.

Donnan and his UCLA team of students and fellow archaeologists found a wealth of ceramics, burials, colorful wall murals and other materials in an area that once was the location of domestic dwellings, pyramids, palace complexes, walled enclosures and a room-filled site. In other words, the archaeologist said, “What we found was perfectly in keeping with the legend.”


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Platform Might Lead to Aztec Ruler Tomb

No Aztec ruler’s tomb has ever been found, but archaeologists are optimistic that the recent discovery of a ceremonial platform in Mexico City might lead them to such a tomb.

According to Latino Fox News: 

Researchers have been on a five-year quest to find a royal tomb in the area of the Templo Mayor, a complex of two huge pyramids and numerous smaller structures that contained the ceremonial and spiritual heart of the pre-Hispanic Aztec empire. 

 "The historical records say that the rulers were cremated at the foot of the Templo Mayor, and it is believed to be on this same structure — the 'cuauhxicalco' — that the rulers were cremated," said archaeologist Raul Barrera. 

 "That is what the historical sources say," he said, referring to accounts written by Roman Catholic priests who accompanied the Spanish soldiers in the 1521 conquest. "Of course, now we have to find archaeological evidence to corroborate that."

The platform is about 15 yards in diameter and probably was built around A.D. 1469. It is still being unearthed and is covered with at least 19 serpent heads, each about a half-yard long.

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Photo shows two of the platform's serpent heads.

Another 37 Ancient Tombs Found Near Pellas

Greek archaeologists last week announced discovery of 37 ancient tombs dating back to the Iron Age in a cemetery near the ancient Macedonian capital of Pellas.

Discoveries at the site included a bronze helmet with a gold mouthplate (shown at right), weapons and jewelry in the tomb of a warrior from the 6th century BC.

The newly discovered tombs brings the total to about 1,000 tombs ~ dating from 650 BC to 280 BC ~ discovered in the area since archaeological work began in 2000. The tombs contain iron swords, spears and daggers, as well as vases, pottery and jewelry of gold, silver and iron.

Europe's Stone Age Tombs Built in Brief Period

The Ring of Brodgar, a Neolithic tomb in Orkney, Scotland.

New research indicates western Europe’s huge prehistoric tombs were built in an isolated burst of activity around 4000 BC instead of throughout the Stone Age. “It trivializes the tombs to call it a fad, but building such structures seems to have become a fashion where great numbers were built and then there was a cessation for centuries,” says archaeologist Chris Scarre of Durham University.

According to USA Today:

Rather than a single “megalithic” culture stretching across Europe, the outburst of mound tombs likely represents an idea reaching local cultures, he suggests, which then “stopped and started” across the centuries. 

“One big implication is the realization that the people buried in this fashion represent only a small fraction of the people who were alive then,” Scarre says. “Until the Roman era, thoughtful burial of the dead may have been a rare thing in this part of Europe.”

Improved dating of materials such as birch bark, bone and stone left in the tombs now reveals the clustered construction times of the mounds, according to Scarre.

Click here for the article.

Rare Mayan Tomb Found in Guatemala

Archaeologists have penetrated a Mayan pyramid in a Guatemalan jungle and uncovered the sealed tomb of a ruler who lived 1,600 years ago. The significance is epic, says Stephen Houston, the Brown University archaeologist in charge of the operation: “It’s a great, great rarity.”

 “Once we opened an area of about 30 to 40 inches, it became clear that the surface was covered with human bone, pieces of jade, textiles,” Houston said of the Mayan site.

There was more than that. There were also the bones of six children and possibly those of an adult male who rested on a raised bier that had collapsed during the passing centuries.

“There seemed to be a vessel with an alcoholic substance that exploded and left a strange, chalky material around,” he said. The 1,600-year-old textiles still retain color. “You can see the weaving.” 

The El Diablo pyramid is one of the largest in Central America, Houston said, and was part of a religious complex in the Mayan city of El Zotz. He estimated that the site had been inhabited over a period of 2,000 years, if not longer.

Click here for the complete article.

Photo shows bust recovered from tomb.

India's Stone Age Megaliths Still a Mystery

How the massive tombs were built remains unknown.

Considerable mystery still surrounds an enormous and isolated megalithic site in southern India, called Hire Benakal, where scores of supposed tombs are constructed of upright slabs topped by capstones weighing 10 tons or more. Current conjecture is that the granite structures once contained graves, though no trace of human remains have been found there.

According to Archaeology.com:

The monuments were built over more than 1,000 years spanning the southern Indian Iron Age (1200-500 B.C.) and Early Historic (500 B.C.-A.D. 500) periods, and there are more than 1,000 of them across nearly 50 acres, from modest rock enclosures to mausoleum-like tombs.

Click here to see several photos of Hire Benakal and a brief description of it.

Mayor of Memphis Tomb Rediscovered

The world learned today that archaeologists have unearthed the 3,300-year-old tomb ~ lost under sand since treasure hunters stole pieces of it during the 19^th century ~ of the mayor of ancient Egypt’s capital city, Memphis. The mayor, named Ptahmes, also served as army chief, overseer of the treasury and royal scribe under Seti I and his son and successor, Ramses II, in the 13th century BC.  According to the Associated Press:

The discovery of his tomb earlier this year in a New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara, south of Cairo, solves a riddle dating back to 1885, when foreign expeditions made off with pieces of the tomb, whose location was soon after forgotten.

"Since then it was covered by sand and no one knew about it," said Ola el-Aguizy, the Cairo University archaeology professor who led the excavation. "It is important because this tomb was the lost tomb."

Some of the artifacts ended up in museums in the Netherlands, the United States and Italy as well as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, providing the only clues about the missing tomb.

A team from Cairo University's archaeology department found the tomb during new excavations of the area that started in 2005, el-Aguizy said. The inner chambers of the large, temple-style tomb and Ptahmes' mummy remain undiscovered. In the side sanctuaries and other chambers they uncovered, archaeologists found a vivid wall engraving of people fishing from boats made of bundles of papyrus reeds. There were also amulets and fragments of statues.

Click here for the ABC News article.

Click here for the MSNBC News article.

Mummies in Newly Discovered Tombs

A sarcophagus from inside one of the newly discovered tombs.

Archaeologists south of Cairo have discovered 57 tombs, most of which hold a painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egyptian authorities announced today. The oldest tombs date back to around 2750 BC., during the period of Egypt's first and second dynasties. Twelve belong the 18th Dynasty, which ruled Egypt during the second millennium BC, and included well-known pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Akhenaten and Queen Hatshepsut.

The mummies dating to the 18th Dynasty are covered in linen decorated with religious texts from the Book of the Dead and scenes featuring ancient Egyptian deities, authorities said. Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, head of the archaeological mission that made the discovery, said some of the tombs are decorated with religious texts that ancient Egyptians believed would help the deceased to cross through the underworld.

One of the oldest tombs is almost completely intact, with all of its funerary equipment and a wooden sarcophagus containing a mummy wrapped in linen. In 31 tombs dating to around 2030-1840 B.C, archaeologists discovered scenes of different ancient Egyptian deities, such as the falcon-headed Horus, Hathor, Khnum and Amun, decorating some of the tombs.

Click here for the complete article.

Tomb May Link Zoque and Mayan Cultures

Pyramid containing the ancient tomb in Chiapa de Corzo.

Archaeologists are hoping the 2,700-year-old pyramid in Chiapa de Corzo in southern Mexico can help settle debate on origins of the mysterious Zoque civilization.

The pyramid tomb ~ see post below for more information ~ is a window into how two unique cultures emerged from the Olmec, one of the oldest civilizations in the New World. The Olmec fanned out from their Gulf of Mexico homeland around 1200 BC and influenced many later Mesoamerican civilizations.

In the centuries prior to the construction of the recently unearthed tomb, Chiapa de Corzo likely was a large village along a major trade route operated by the Olmec from their capital city, La Venta, on the Gulf Coast. As Chiapa de Corzo gained wealth and power it began to assert its own identity.

The newly discovered tomb ~ which includes Olmec and Zoque traits ~ suggests this transition was well underway by 700 BC. Emerging from the influence of the Olmec, the nascent Zoque culture at Chiapa de Corzo may have been influencing other cultures, including the Maya Empire.

Click here for the National Geographic article.

Tomb Believed Oldest in Mesoamerica

Body in the tomb is believed to have been a high priest or ruler.

Archaeologists in southern Mexico have discovered a 2,700-year-old tomb that may be the oldest such burial documented in Mesoamerica. It holds a man about 50 years old, buried with jade collars, pyrite and obsidian artefacts and ceramic vessels.

Archaeologist Emiliano Gallaga said the tomb dates to between 500 and 700 BC. “We think this is one of the earliest discoveries of the use of a pyramid as a tomb, not only as a religious site or temple,” he said.

The tomb was found at a site built by Zoque Indians in Chiapa de Corzo. It may be almost 1,000 years older than the better-known pyramid tomb of the Mayan ruler Pakal at the Palenque archaeological site, also in Chiapas.

The man is thought to have been a high priest or ruler of Chiapa de Corzo, a prominent settlement at the time. The body of a one-year-old child was laid carefully over the man's body inside the tomb, while that of a 20-year-old male was tossed into the chamber with less care, perhaps sacrificed at the time of burial.

Click here for the complete Guardian article.

Click here for a lengthier New York Times article.

Statue Unearthed near Amenhotep Tomb

Upper portion of the newly discovered Thoth statue.

A colossal statue of the Egyptian deity of wisdom, Thoth, has been unearthed near the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III during archaeological works aimed at controlling the subterranean water level on Luxor's west bank, according to the London Independent.

The 3.5-metre red granite statue is one of several artifacts discovered in the area since excavations began. The head of a 2.5-metre statue depicting Pharaoh Amenhotep III in a standing position ~ possibly the best preserved depiction of the pharaoh’s face found to date ~ was unearthed at the King's funeral temple at Kom El-Hettan only months ago. A statue of the god Thoth in the shape of a baboon was also discovered. Last year two black granite statues of Amenhotep III were found at the temple, as well as a 5-metre statue similar to the Thoth statue just found.

Amenhotep III ruled Egypt between 1390 BC and 1352 BC, and recent DNA and forensic research suggests that he was probably the grandfather of Tutankhamun. His temple was built closer to the river than any other temple at Thebes and within 200 years it had collapsed.

Click here for the complete article.

Luhan Pyramid Tomb Some 5,000 Years Old

Abdul Rahman Ayedi brushes dust from vessels found in the tomb.

Archaeologists have unearthed a 5,000-year-old tomb near Egypt's mud-brick Lahun pyramid.

According to Reuters, the find debunks beliefs that the site dates back only to 12th dynasty pharaoh Senusret II who ruled 4,000 years ago, archaeologist Abdul Rahman Al-Ayedi said.

"The existence of this tomb is very significant because now we know that Senusret II, the builder of the pyramid, is not the founder of this site," Ayedi told Reuters in an interview. "It must have had religious significance in ancient Egypt, so that's why he chose it for his pyramid."

Inside the tiny tomb, too small for a person to stand, a box-like wood coffin contains the remains of a 40 to 49-year-old man who was likely a significant figure in the ancient Egyptian government of the time, Ayedi said. Buried in a bent position and wrapped in linens, the body was not well preserved because the tomb predates the era in which ancient Egyptians mummified their dead.

"This was a very early example of a coffin,” he said. “The body was buried flexed. The lid of the coffin was vaulted and the side of the coffin has a representation of the facade of a palace or a house."

Click here for the Reuters article.

Temple Images Show Pharaohs and Gods

Here are two photos released this week related to the significant discovery in the Sinai peninsula of four ancient Egyptian temples. Archaeologists believe the four and a brick fortified wall were a religious center at the eastern gateway to Egypt around 1500 BC.

The top photo shows Pharaonic King Tuthmosis II (left) in front of the god Raa Hoor Akhti carved on a wall at one of the temples. The lower photo shows Pharaonic King Ramses II (right) and Geb, god of earth, carved on a wall at another one of the temples.

Click here for my previous post, based on a Reuters article.
Click here for the Associated Press article.

Tomb May Have Held Ramses' Granddaughter

Remnants of the noblewoman's sarcaphagus displays hieroglyphics.

A 3,000-year-old tomb uncovered recently has been identified as belonging to a woman named Isisnofret, possibly the granddaughter of Pharaoh Ramses II, who reigned during the 13th century B.C.

The tomb was found in a burial complex long buried by sand and rubble on a rocky outcrop on the outskirts the ancient royal burial city of Saqqara. The complex includes the base of a pyramid, a monumental gateway, a colonnaded courtyard, and an antechamber with three cult chapels.

Though Isisnofret's chapels are in ruins, partly due to looting, archaeologists have found fragments decorated with hieroglyphics. In general, cult chapels were painted with scenes of daily life and offerings—in case the family failed to provide the real thing.

Inside Isisnofret's tomb building, a limestone sarcophagus was found holding three skeletons—degraded mummies whose ages and sexes have yet to be determined.

Archaeologists at the site are unsure why the sarcophagus holds three bodies, or even what the original state was. The sarcophagus is missing its internal, wooden coffin—perhaps stolen during the ancient pillaging that seems to have stripped the tomb of funerary objects.

Click here for the complete article.

Jewelry, Skeletons Found in Moche Tomb

This 1,500-year-old gilded-copper-and-seashell funerary mask was found several months ago in a treasure-filled tomb of the Moche culture in Peru. It's one of two masks that shielded the face of the so-called Lord of Ucupe.

Archaeologists believe the Lord of Ucupe in life would have been covered nearly head to toe in shining metal, so as to dazzle and distract his subjects. The tomb ~ found at the base of a mud-brick pyramid ~ also contained 19 golden headdresses, various pieces of jewelry and the skeletons of two other men and a pregnant woman.

The tomb's mysterious contents and location ~ far from known Moche capitals ~ could shed new light on this little-known culture of Peru's arid northern coast. Thriving between A.D. 100 and 800, the highly agricultural Moche Indians are known in large part by their stepped pyramids, jewelry-filled tombs, and exquisite pottery and art.

Click here for the complete National Geographic article.
Click here for a video on the discovery of the Moche tomb.

Egypt Seeks Return of Pharaoh's Stolen Coffin

Egypt expects U.S. authorities to return a 3,000-year-old wooden coffin illegally smuggled out of Egypt more than a century ago. Zahi Hawass, head of Egyptian Antiquities, said the nearly 5-foot-long coffin was stolen in 1884 from a tomb in Luxor, an ancient pharaonic capital in southern Egypt.

The ornamented coffin belonged to Pharaoh Ames of the 21st Dynasty, which ruled over Egypt from 1081-931 B.C.

According to the Associated Press, the coffin is currently in the hands of customs authorities in Miami, who confiscated it after it was shipped to the United States from Spain. Egypt has launched a drive to recover its antiquities taken abroad, including some residing in famous museums.

Superb Artifacts Found in Saqqara Tomb

Ancient Egyptian treasures have recently been unearthed by a team of Japanese archaeologists from Waseda University who’ve been digging in the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo. Two weeks ago they made significant discoveries in the 3,300-year-old tomb. Top photo shows one of four wooden sarcophaguses, richly engraved with symbols and hieroglyphics. The lower photo shows three canopic jars recovered among the tomb’s numerous grave goods.

Gold Jewelry Found in Treasurer's Tomb

Egyptian officials announced yesterday that archaeologists have found ancient golden jewelry in a pharaonic-era tomb that belonged to a senior official under Egypt's most powerful queen.

Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities says five golden earrings and two rings have been found in the tomb of Gahouti, head of the treasury under Queen Hatshepsut ~ Ancient Egypt’s most powerful queen ~ who ruled 3,500 years ago.(Photo at left shows a painted mural wall in Gahouti's tomb.)

The tomb is located on the west bank of the Nile River in Luxor, a southern Egyptian city famous for its Valley of the Kings and other ruins from pharaonic times. The tomb had been looted, and its gates were engraved with text from the "Book of the Dead," which Egyptians believed would be needed in the afterlife.

Two More Ancient Tombs Found in Saqqara

Workers continue digging around openings of the newly discovered tombs at Saqqara, south of Cairo.

Panels of hieroglyphics adorn the entrances to both tombs.

Egyptian archaeologists have found the tombs of two court officials ~ one in charge of pyramid-building, the other of music ~ from the reign of Pharaoh Unas.

"We announce today a major important discovery at Saqqara, the discovery of two new tombs dating back to 4,300 years ago," Zahi Hawass, Egypt's antiquities chief, said earlier today.

One belonged to Iya Maat, supervisor of pyramid-building under the reign of Unas. He organized the acquisition of granite and limestone from Aswan and other materials from the Western Desert.

The second tomb housed the remains of Thanah, who was in charge of singers in the court of Unas. The entrance of Thanah's tomb shows carved images of her smelling lotus flowers.

Tomb Contents Long Stolen

Both tombs feature hieroglyphics at their entrances but the contents of the tombs have long since been stolen, Hawass said, adding that 70 percent of Egypt's ancient monuments remain buried under sand.

The death of Unas brought to an end the fifth dynasty, as he did not have a male heir. His daughter is widely believed to have become a queen to the first king of the sixth dynasty, which is considered to be the last dynasty of the Old Kingdom (2613-2494 BC), after which Egypt descended into famine and social upheaval.

Click here for the complete Reuters article.