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Archaeological discoveries reveal ancient violence and rituals
Recent archaeological findings across Scandinavia, Egypt, and Turkey are providing new insights into ancient violence, rituals, and health.
In Scandinavia, a study led by Professor Marianne Hem Eriksen analyzed the remains of 192 individuals from the Iron Age and Viking Age. The research indicates that many were buried in domestic settings, such as house foundations and wells, rather than traditional cemeteries. At least twelve individuals, including men, women, and a child, showed signs of fatal violence.
In Egypt, bioarchaeologist Roselyn Campbell examined 46 skulls from the Umm el-Qaab necropolis in Abydos. Approximately 39 percent of the skulls showed injuries, such as fractures to the skull roof, supporting long-held theories that some individuals may have been killed to serve rulers in the afterlife.
In Turkey, excavations in the ancient Hittite city of Šamuḫa have uncovered 131 cuneiform tablets. These records from the reign of King Tudhaliya II document a fever epidemic that affected infants and children, including the death of a young princess, and detail the subsequent royal medical monitoring and religious rituals used to manage the crisis.
Entities
Hittite Empire · Kayalıpınar · Marianne Hem Eriksen · Mehmet Nuri Ersoy · Purdue University · Roselyn Campbell · Sivas · Tudhaliya II · University of Oslo
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The total number of discovered cuneiform tablets and fragments has reached 184. www.nrz.de · www.tlz.de · www.wp.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] A young princess in the city of Ziulila died from the illness. www.nrz.de · www.tlz.de · www.wp.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] The documents describe a fever epidemic that spread between cities and primarily affected infants and children. www.nrz.de · www.tlz.de · www.wp.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy reported the discovery on X. www.nrz.de · www.tlz.de · www.wp.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Archaeologists discovered 131 cuneiform tablets and fragments in the ancient Hittite city of Šamuḫa. www.nrz.de · www.tlz.de · www.wp.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] The records date back approximately 3,400 years to the reign of Hittite King Tudhaliya II. www.nrz.de · www.tlz.de · www.wp.de