Archaeology by Prau123 – Page 276 – Main Forum

Prau123 · 2020-04-23T00:56:31Z

Here's an update on some of the new discoveries in recent years in the Mesoamerican region. Tonina - Considered the new tallest structure in Mesoamerica. It's debatable since El Mirador is actually 172 meters tall. The largest structure is still Cholula. There are still several areas in the El Mirador Basin that needs to be excavated and measured. There are 61,000 plus sites that were scanned a few years ago and that was only a mere portion of the El Mirador Basin. 15 facts about the Maya Civilization 1. THEIR PYRAMIDS AND CITIES ARE STILL BEING DISCOVERED.It’s amazing to think that something as large as a pyramid could elude archaeologists today. But it was only a few years ago that a Maya pyramid more than 1000 years old was discovered at Toniná in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It had been hidden under what was believed to be a natural hill. In 2015, researchers said this newfound monument was actually Mexico’s tallest pyramid at 246 feet (75 meters) in height, surpassing the 213-foot Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan. The ruins of two Maya cities concealed by thick vegetation were also recently discovered in Mexico’s state of Campeche. Tonina Picture They also found El Palmar and Angamuco a few years ago also. El Palmar - El Palmar is 40 to 70 times larger than previously acknowledged. It’s 40 times larger than we thought it was,” Garrison says. “This is now this huge city that would have been a rival to Tikal An early city called El Palmar seemed now to be 70 times larger than we had suspected, with raised fields for agriculture. An “isolated” royal palace had an extensive swath of settlement extending a kilometer or more. Angamuco - Angamuco had as many buildings as Manhattan city. A new laser-mapping technology, called lidar, has been used to confirm a truly mind-blowing ancient city buried in western Mexico. Called Angamuco, researchers say that it has about 40,000 buildings. This is around the same amount of building foundations as there are in Manhattan, New York. Whoa! El Mirador - Articles: Videos:

Around 12,440-12,550 years ago, hunter-gatherers returned regularly to Tagua Tagua Lake in Chile to hunt ancient elephant relatives called gomphotheres and take advantage of other local resources, according to a research team led by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile archaeologists.

The site of Taguatagua 3 in Chile: (A) combustion feature spatially associated with gomphothere cervical vertebrae and skull fragments; (B) sacral and caudal vertebrae, vertebral discs, and unfused coxal portions; note the distance between the first sacral vertebra and its vertebral disc; (C) end scraper in situ; (D) core debitage in situ spatially associated with gomphothere remains. Image credit: Labarca et al., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302465.

Multiple archaeological sites are known from the region of Tagua Tagua Lake in central Chile, representing some of the earliest known human settlements in the Americas.

In a new study, Dr. Rafael Labarca from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and his colleagues discovered an ancient hunter-gatherer camp dating to the Late Pleistocene, between 12,440-12,550 years old.

Named Taguatagua 3, this site features the fossil remains of a gomphothere, an extinct relative of elephants.

Signs of butchery on the bones, along with stone tools and other evidence, indicate that Taguatagua 3 represents a temporary camp established around the task of processing the large carcass.

Other activities were also carried out during the camp’s brief period of use, including processing of other foods as indicated by additional charred remains of plants and small animals such as frogs and birds.

Fossil cactus seeds and bird eggshell suggest that this camp was occupied specifically during the dry season.

Numerous such sites of similar age are now known from this region, implying that Tagua Tagua Lake was a recurring hunting and scavenging ground for people during the Late Pleistocene due to abundant and predictable local resources.

This area was a key location along the routes taken by mobile communities of the time and that temporary camps might have hosted regular meetings between these mobile bands,” the archaeologists said.

Further investigation of this rich archaeological region will continue to provide insights into the mobility and subsistence strategies of early humans in South America.

“Taguatagua 3 helps us to understand better how the early humans adapted to fast changing environments in central Chile during the Late Pleistocene times,” the researchers said.

The findings appear online in the journal PLoS ONE.

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R. Labarca et al. 2024. Taguatagua 3: A new Late Pleistocene settlement in a highly suitable lacustrine habitat in central Chile (34°S). PLoS ONE 19 (5): e0302465; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302465

A study published in the European Journal of Archaeology by Mathilde Vestergaard Meyer and Dr. Felix Riede examines how children’s toys influenced the adaptability of two cultures, the Norse and the Inuit, during the Little Ice Age in Greenland. This research reveals the unexpected role of childhood play in societal survival under extreme climatic conditions.

The role of children's toys in adaptation during Greenland's Little Ice Age — Nordic toys. a: bird figure (wood); b: toy sword (wood); c: doll ( steatite); d: pot (steatite); e: knife (wood); f: spinning top disk (whalebone); g: ship’s bow pole (wood); h: fish figure (wood); i: bowl (steatite). Not to scale. Credit: Meyer MV, Riede F., Journal of Archaeology (2024)

Nordic toys. a: bird figure (wood); b: toy sword (wood); c: doll ( steatite); d: pot (steatite); e: knife (wood); f: spinning top disk (whalebone); g: ship’s bow pole (wood); h: fish figure (wood); i: bowl (steatite). Not to scale. Credit: Meyer MV, Riede F., Journal of Archaeology (2024)

Greenland, one of the world’s largest islands, has a narrow inhabitable strip of land. During the Little Ice Age (ca. 1458–1552 CE), both the Norse settlers, who arrived around CE 986, and the Inuit, who migrated from northern Alaska via Canada during the eleventh century, faced the harsh environmental challenges of colder and drier climates. While the Inuit adapted and thrived, the Norse disappeared. Traditional theories attribute the Norse decline to factors such as overgrazing, reliance on unsustainable agriculture, increased sea ice hindering trade, and violent storms. However, this study introduces a new perspective—children’s toys as a proxy for societal adaptability.

The research team analyzed over 3,000 Inuit toys and 72 Norse toys from archaeological sites. Inuit toys included miniature kayaks, harpoons, knives, and lamps, all designed to teach practical survival skills in a hostile environment. These play objects fostered creativity, experimentation, and autonomy, preparing children for real-world challenges.

In contrast, Norse toys were fewer in number and focused on reinforcing agricultural roles, such as figurines of birds and basic tools. This limited variety reflected a more rigid cultural framework, leaving little room for innovation or adaptation as environmental conditions deteriorated. Dr. Riede explains, “The Inuit’s diverse toy kits not only mirrored their adaptive strategies but actively nurtured innovation among younger generations. The Norse toys, however, reinforced a normative and static way of life.”

Inuit toys from the collection of the National Museum of Greenland in Nuuk. a: sledge runner and upstander (wood), b: disc for spinning top (wood), c: doll (wood), d: sealing stool (for sitting on when hunting seals on the ice (bone), e: harpoon (baleen), f: cooking pot (soapstone), g: lamp with ledge (soapstone), h: ajagaq (bone), i: snow knife (wood), j: ulo blade (women’s knife; slate), k: harpoon head (bone). Not to scale. Credit: Meyer MV, Riede F., Journal of Archaeology (2024)

Categorized into skill play, social play, transport, tools, and weapons, the study revealed significant differences in the diversity and purpose of toys. Meyer notes, “The Inuit toy kits contained a greater percentage of weapons, while Norse toy kits had more tools. More strikingly, the Inuit toy diversity increased over time, particularly during the onset of the Little Ice Age. This may reflect a deliberate cultural adaptation or unconscious responses to environmental pressures.”

The Inuit’s ontogenetic niche, or the developmental environment for children, emphasized autonomy and exploration. These practices allowed children to experiment with new technologies and strategies, such as dog sleds and the umiaq (a large boat), crucial for surviving the harsh conditions. In contrast, the Norse ontogenetic niche adhered to established norms, limiting their capacity to innovate or transition to marine-based economies.

Inuit play objects. Left: a collection of ajagaqs made from the bones of different animals. Right: spinning top discs made of wood and bone. Credit: Meyer MV, Riede F., Journal of Archaeology (2024)

The study highlights how the material culture of childhood contributes to societal resilience. The diversity in Inuit toys reflects not just their adaptability but also a deliberate pedagogical approach that enabled experimentation and independence. This contrasts starkly with the Norse, whose rigidity is evident in their limited toy assemblage and inability to fully transition to new subsistence strategies.

“Our data support the idea that the objects filling the cultural niches of these societies had a vital effect on their ability to adapt and survive adverse environmental conditions over multiple generations and centennial timescales,” the researchers conclude.

This research invites reflection on how contemporary societies educate children to face modern challenges, such as climate change and social crises. By fostering creativity and adaptability in childhood, future generations can better navigate uncertainties. The Inuit experience demonstrates how a culture’s approach to childhood can make the difference between survival and decline.

More information: Meyer MV, Riede F. (2024). Playing to Survive: Children and Innovation During the Little Ice Age in Greenland. European Journal of Archaeology:1-20. doi:10.1017/eaa.2024.36

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