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A mammoth discovery
A remarkable collection of mammoth bones has been found in a wine cellar in Lower Austria. Excavations at the site in Gobelsburg, carried out by archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), have revealed a dense layer of bones from at least three different mammoths. This quantity suggests that their deaths could have been the result of a trap set by humans. Other finds made in an adjacent wine cellar c.150 years ago – including flint artefacts, fossil jewellery, and charcoal – date to around 30,000-40,000 years ago and are believed to belong to the same site. The discovery of the mammoth bones offers the first opportunity in Austria and its neighbouring countries to investigate such a find with modern methods, as most comparative sites were excavated more than a century ago. Once excavation is complete, the finds will be transferred to the Natural History Museum Vienna for conservation.
Mysterious Minoan structure
Archaeologists excavating on a hilltop in Crete, near the town of Kastelli, have uncovered a large Minoan structure. Covering an area of 1,800m2, the structure is comprised of eight rings of stone walls, up to 1.7m tall, surrounding an inner circle that is split into smaller, interconnected spaces, which may have been covered with a vaulted or conical roof. The site is believed to have been in use primarily between 2000 and 1700 BC. The structure’s function remains uncertain, and no exact parallels are currently known in Minoan archaeology. However, the finds inside include a large assemblage of animal bones, as well as ceramics, which may be associated with ritual activities. These finds, combined with the structure’s prominent position in the landscape, strongly suggest that this was an important communal building of some sort. Work at the site continues; the location was originally intended for a radar station for the new Kastelli airport, but Culture Minister Lina Mendoni says that another spot will be chosen.
Viking ship burial
Excavations at Jarlsberg Manor in south-east Norway have identified a large Viking ship burial. The site has been levelled by centuries of agricultural activity, but rivets found by metal-detector in 2018 and the ground-penetrating radar survey that followed indicated that there was once a burial mound here. Now excavations have identified c.70 rivets of a size that leaves no doubt that they belonged to a large Viking ship. Archaeologists also uncovered a horse crampon, which suggests that other grave goods may still be buried in the soil. Although not much remains of the burial, the discovery represents an important addition to our understanding of Jarlsberg’s wider cultural landscape and confirms that this was a place of significance in the Viking Age.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: © Hellenic Ministry of Culture - Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion
