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Science is revolutionizing our understanding of the past.
Paleogenetics reveals surprising secrets from the DNA hidden in bones and soil. Artificial intelligence deciphers ancient texts written in forgotten scripts. Chemical analysis of molecular residues left on teeth, cooking pots, incense burners, and building materials reveals details about past diets, smells, and construction techniques.
Introducing 6 mysteries about human history Scientists figured it out in 2023. Moreover, it is a question that researchers are still struggling with.
A 5,000-year-old skeleton discovered in a tomb near Seville, Spain in 2008 was buried with a spectacular crystal dagger and other priceless artifacts, clearly indicating that it was once an important figure. is.
The person was initially thought to be a young man based on pelvic analysis, the traditional way scientists determine the gender of human bones.
However, analysis of tooth enamel, which contains a type of protein containing a sex-specific peptide called amelogenin, revealed that the remains were female, not male.
In other research, the technology also dispelled the “human hunter” cliché that influenced much thinking about early humans.
“We believe that this method opens up a completely new era in the analysis of the social organization of prehistoric societies,” says Leonardo García San Juan, professor of prehistory at the University of Seville. told CNN in July. when the discovery is made public.
Research group ATLAS at the University of Seville
A crystal dagger was discovered buried with the body of a 5,000-year-old prehistoric female leader.
Roman concrete has been proven to outlast its modern equivalents, which can deteriorate within a few decades. Take, for example, the Pantheon in Rome, which has the largest unreinforced dome in the world.
the scientist behind Research published in January They said they discovered a mysterious ingredient that made construction materials so durable that the Romans were able to build elaborate structures in difficult locations such as docks, sewers and earthquake zones. .
The researchers analyzed a 2,000-year-old concrete sample taken from the city walls of Privernum in central Italy, which was similar in composition to other concrete found throughout the Roman Empire.
they discovered it white lump in concreteCalled limestone, it gave concrete the ability to repair cracks that formed over time. White lumps have traditionally been overlooked as evidence of sloppy mixing or low-quality ingredients.
Domenico Stinellis/AP
The Pantheon in Rome was built during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus between 27 and 25 BC to celebrate all the gods worshiped in ancient Rome. It was rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Hadrian from 118 AD to his 128 AD.
In 1991, hikers discovered Ötzi’s mummified body in a valley in the Italian Alps. His frozen remains are perhaps the most thoroughly studied archaeological find in the world, revealing in unprecedented detail what life was like 5,300 years ago.
The contents of his stomach give information about what his last meal was and where it came from, his weapon reveals that he is right-handed, and his clothing reveals what the ancients actually wore. Valuable information was obtained that showed what was happening.
but, New analysis of extracted DNA A study discovered in Ötzi’s pelvis in August revealed that his appearance was not what scientists first thought.
Research into his genetic makeup revealed that Ötzi the Iceman had dark skin and dark eyes, and was probably bald. This revised look is in stark contrast to Ötzi’s well-known reconstruction, which depicted a fair-skinned man with a full head of hair and a beard.
Minami Tirola Art Museum/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
A close-up of the head of Ötzi’s 5,300-year-old frozen corpse at the Archaeological Museum in Bolzano.
Archaeologists frequently unearth bone tools and other artifacts from ancient sites, but it is impossible to know for sure who once used or wore them.
Earlier this year, scientists recovered ancient human DNA from a pendant made from deer bone found in Siberia’s Denisova Cave. The clues allowed them to reveal that the wearer was a woman who lived between 19,000 and 25,000 years ago.
She belonged to a group known as the Ancient North Eurasians, who had genetic ties to the first Americans.
The deer bone pendant likely contained human DNA. This is because pendants are porous and therefore likely to retain genetic material present in skin cells, sweat, and other body fluids.
It is unclear why the deer tooth pendant contained such a large amount of the substance. ancient female DNA (About the same amount as a human tooth). Elena Essel, a molecular biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who developed the new technique to extract DNA, said it was probably loved for a very long time and was worn close to the skin. I asked if there was any.
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
The deer tooth pendant contained DNA left behind by its wearer.
Approximately 1,100 scrolls were destroyed during the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius about 2,000 years ago. In the 1700s, some enterprising miners recovered huge deposits from volcanic mud.
The collection, known as the Scrolls of Herculaneum, is probably the largest known library of classical antiquity, but the contents of the fragile documents remained a mystery until a University of Nebraska computer science student discovered them. . won a science contest earlier this year.
With the help of artificial intelligence and computed tomography image processing, Luke Faritor has for the first time deciphered words written in ancient Greek on one of the darkened scrolls.
Faritor won $40,000 for deciphering the Greek word πορφυρας, or porphyrus, meaning purple. Researchers hope it won’t be long before they can decipher entire scrolls using this technique.
Salvatore Laporta/AP
The scroll is one of hundreds recovered from the ruins of a luxurious villa in Herculaneum, one of several Roman cities destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, along with Pompeii. was.
Scientists have discovered some of the substances and concoctions used by ancient Egyptians to mummify their dead in fragments of discarded jars at embalming workshops.
By chemically analyzing the organic residues left behind in the containers, researchers found that ancient Egyptians used various oils to anoint their bodies after death to reduce unpleasant odors and protect their bodies from fungi, bacteria, and decay. It was discovered that he was using a substance. Identified substances include vegetable oils resins from juniper, cypress, cedar, and pistachio trees, animal fats, and beeswax.
Scholars have long learned the names of substances used to embalm the dead from Egyptian texts, but until recently they could only guess at exactly what compounds or substances they referred to. I could not do it.
The ingredients used in the workshops were varied and sourced from far beyond Egypt, suggesting long-distance exchange of goods.
Nikola Nevenov
An artist’s recreation of a priest embalming a body in the basement.
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in 1827 at the age of 56 after suffering from a series of chronic health problems, including deafness, gastrointestinal problems, and liver disease.
Beethoven wrote to his brothers in 1802, asking his physician, Johann Adam Schmidt, to investigate the nature of the composer’s illness after the composer’s death. This letter is known as the Heiligenstadt will.
Almost 200 years after his death, scientists extracted DNA from preserved strands of hair. We will try to honor this request.
kevin brown
A strand of hair from which Beethoven’s entire genome was sequenced.
Although the research team was unable to make a definitive diagnosis, Beethoven’s genetic data helped rule out potential causes such as celiac disease, an autoimmune disease. Lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome.
Genetic information also suggested that extramarital affairs ran in the composer’s family.
Ashley Strickland and Taylor Nicioli contributed to this report.
