Estopadas Arqueológicas 2.0

Arqueologia. Património. Ciência. É tudo uma grande e agradável estopada. — Maria João Valente

Aug 28

[vídeo] A extinção dos Neandertais

O website da revista Scientific American publicou recentemente um vídeo que tenta resumir uma das actuais teorias explicativas da extinção dos Neandertais. Trata-se de uma explicação principalmente baseada nas alterações climáticas. A ver.


Aug 9

Mapa do Magdalenense? (Ou seja... muito antigo!)

Uma pedra descoberta na Gruta de Abauntz (Arraiz, Navarra), em 1993, pode ter gravado o mais antigo mapa (conhecido) da Europa Ocidental. Recolhida em níveis magdalenenses, a pedra tem as dimensões de 17,5 x 10 x 5,4 cm e pesa pouco menos de 1kg. A datação associada é de 13.600 anos cal BP.

Cueva Abauntz Map - DN

Fonte imagem: Diario de Navarra.

Referência:

Utrilla, P. et al. (2009) - A palaeolithic map from 13,660 calBP: engraved stone blocks from the Late Magdalenian in Abauntz Cave (Navarra, Spain). JHE, 57:2, pp. 99-111.

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.05.005

Sumário:

An engraved block from the cave of Abauntz is interpreted as a Magdalenian map in which the actual surrounding landscape, including mountains, rivers, and ponds, is represented. Some possible routes or avenues of access to different parts of the geography are also engraved on the landscape. The engraving seems to reproduce the meandering course of a river crossing the upper part of side A of the block, joined by two tributaries near two mountains. One of these is identical to the mountain that can be seen from the cave, with herds of ibex depicted on its hillsides, on both sides of the gorge in front of which the cave of Abauntz is strategically located. In the southern part of the gorge, there is a completely flat area where the watercourses slow down, forming meanders and flooding in springtime. The following elements are also represented on the block: tangles of concentric strokes and bundles of lines forming very marked meanders. In short, all of these engravings could be a sketch or a simple map of the area around the cave. It could represent the plan for a coming hunt or perhaps a narrative story of one that had already happened. This paper is provided in the context of recent discussions on early modern human capacities of spatial awareness, planning, and organized hunting.


Jul 16

Jul 2

Music from 40,000 years ago (via ReutersVideo)

Vídeo sobre a já famosa flauta recuperada na gruta de Hohle Fels.


Jun 29

Stonehenge no seu melhor: o lixo do solstício

Até fiquei mal disposta quando vi isto… O resultado de uma mega-festa de solstício em Stonehenge.

Stonehenge e o lixo

Não que eu tenha uma infinita estima por Stonehenge (sempre achei a sua importância um pouco empolada). Mas mesmo assim… é preciso não esquecer que Stonehenge é Património Mundial. Sem mais comentários.

Notícia (e foto) original no Daily Mail. (via TYWKIWDBI)


Jun 25

Jun 18

Neandertal submerso na Holanda

Scientists have identified a fragment of Neanderthal skull in sediments extracted from the bottom of the North Sea, (…). This is the oldest human bone discovered underwater, and it gives scientists clues about humans living in northern Europe during the last ice age.

The skull fragment, which probably belonged to a young adult male, was found with animal remains and artefacts. They were dredged up 15km off the coast of the Netherlands in an area called Zeeland Ridges, part of the now submerged ‘Doggerland’.

(…)

It matched most closely remains from France that belonged to Neanderthals living roughly 50-60,000 years ago.

Fonte: NHM

Comunicado oficial (pdf).

Fragmento de crâneo de Neandertal

Foto: National Museum of Antiquities (Leiden, NL)


Tivéssemos nós dinheiro para fazer prospecções subaquáticas continuadas…  Este achado será brevemente publicado no Jornal of Human Evolution.


Jun 17

6ª Edição do Curso Livre de História do Algarve

A realizar durante o mês de Julho no Campus de Gambelas da Universidade do Algarve.

Webpage oficial aqui.


Jun 10

May 17
“One of science’s most puzzling mysteries - the disappearance of the Neanderthals - may have been solved. Modern humans ate them, says a leading fossil expert. The controversial suggestion follows publication of a study in the Journal of Anthropological Sciences about a Neanderthal jawbone apparently butchered by modern humans. Now the leader of the research team says he believes the flesh had been eaten by humans, while its teeth may have been used to make a necklace.”

How Neanderthals met a grisly fate: devoured by humans | Science | The Observer (The Guardian)

O artigo do The Guardian parece-me uma generalização especulativa… mas os dados de base são muito interessantes e o artigo publicado no Journal of Anthropological Sciences vai ser lido atentamente.

Fonte:

Rozzi et al. 2009 - Cutmarked human remains bearing Neandertal features and modern human remains associated with the Aurignacian at Les Rois. Journal of Anthropological Sciences, v. 87, pp. 153-185. (versão pdf disponibilizada)


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