11 Recent Discoveries in Europe
From the shocking discovery of a well preserved Roman artifact in a backyard to possibly the oldest gold artifact in the whole world!
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6. Anglo-Saxon Grave Marker
With a little help from crowdfunding, in July 2016 archaeologists got to work on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England. This was an important center of Celtic Christianity from the 6th Century AD. They believe that this stone here maybe important to solving an enduring mystery of early christianity. The stone dates back to about 1000 AD which was around the time the Vikings plundered the monastery here. The monks who inhabited the island were famous for the Lindisfarne Gospels, which were scrolls believed to be elaborately handwritten and to be some of the finest works of Celtic Christian monks. These gospels are still trying to be deciphered and this grave marker could help playing a role accomplishing that goal.
5. Viking Crucifix
Vikings mythology is truly unique and they supported gods many people are familiar with like Thor and Odin. We know they eventually gave up these beliefs and began supporting christian ideologies. But when exactly did they begin to convert? This crucifix here, found in Denmark may make us rewrite the history books. An amateur treasure hunter came across this pendant in March 2016 which could prove that the Danes adopted Christianity somewhere around this time, and earlier than we previously thought. It’s widely accepted that Denmark was one of the last countries in Europe to embrace christianity so this discovery comes as shocking to many people. The oldest known proof of this come from the Jelling Stones that date back to 965 AD Some people remain skeptical however that this is definitive proof of Christianity in Denmark in the first half of the 10th century and not just some kinds of loot from another settlement.The craftsmanship and detail make it a remarkable find none the less.
4. 2000 Year Old Bowl
You never know what you might find in your backyard these days! It turns out that a man In Alcester, United Kingdom dug up this bowl while planting rhubarb. He had actually used it as a bird bath for 10 years with out having a clue that it was a remarkable Roman artifact from the 1st or 2nd century AD! After taking it to a museum to have it analyzed the research crew revealed that this was one of the most complete Roman bowls they had ever seen discovered in the past 50 years! This is what’s known as a mortarium and was a type of ancient roman pottery and was used for pounding and mixing different foods on. This should certainly increase the real estate value on the property! He generously donated the bowl to the museum where it could be preserved and so the public can learn from his discovery.
3. Oldest Gold Artifact?
This tiny bead may not look like much but some archaeologists believed that they may have uncovered the world’s oldest golden artifact in the world! In 1976 researchers unearthed golden jewelry off the coast of the Black Sea, but this one maybe even older. This tiny bead found in Bulgaria, could date back to 4500 BC and was found in the town of Pazardzhik. It only weighs 0.005 ounces but it’s certainly a big discovery. The dig site was one of the first urban settlements of Europe of a people that were believed to have been of Turkish descent. It was eventually destroyed by hostile tribes who invaded this area in 4,100 BC.
2. Earliest Domesticated Dogs
It turns out that dogs have been man’s best friend for quite some time now. A tooth belonging to a dog was discovered in October 2016 near the ruins of stonehenge that date 7,500 years ago which is nearly 2000 years older than the construction of stonehenge.! Judging by the tooth itself, researchers are able to determine that it was from a domesticated animal. This came from the Vale of York which is an area flat of northeast England, meaning someone gave it a serious walk! It seems like they had some good dog food as well. It feasted on trout, salmon, wild pig and deer. This proves that dogs accompanied man on long journeys and served as valuable tools when it came to herding.
1. Hunted Mammoth Bones
Archaeologists came across hunted bones from a woolly mammoth in North Russia in January 2016. Marks on the bones indicate that the beast was stabbed repeatedly and butchered for its meat. The tusks were also found damaged, suggesting that ancient humans used them for crafting ivory tools. This determines that humans were indeed inhabiting the area of Russia’s arctic seas 45,000 years ago.