01-27-2018, 06:52 AM
The ancient Greek masterpiece etched on a tiny gemstone
This little update is interesting
It shows we had several technologies in prehistory
This is the entropy of history and data loss
Quote:By Katy Scott, CNN
Updated 10:24 AM ET, Fri January 26, 2018
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
More than 40 sealstones were found in the tomb. Others had less detailed designs featuring long-horned bulls and sometimes, human bull jumpers soaring over their horns.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
This 30-inch necklace, with two gold pendants decorated with ivy leaves, was found near the neck of the warrior-king's skeleton.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Four solid-gold rings were found in the tomb -- more than have been found at any single burial site elsewhere in Greece, according to the archaeologists. This one depicts a Cretan bull running scene.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Six ivory combs formed part of the treasure trove, challenging some older ideas around gender, says Stocker.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Stocker deems the discovery "one of the most magnificent displays of prehistoric wealth discovered in mainland Greece in the past 65 years."
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
"We were not looking for tombs in the first place and finding an unlooted tomb is so extremely rare," she says. "This is truly phenomenal."
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
An intricate engraving on an ancient gem has been deemed one of the greatest prehistoric Greek artworks ever discovered.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
The sealstone was one of many treasures discovered in the 3,500-year-old tomb of a Bronze Age warrior. Archaeologist Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati led the dig in southwest Greece in 2015.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
The sealstone was covered in limestone when it was first discovered. Measuring just 1.4 inches in length, it was initially mistaken for a bead.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Experts are stunned by the engraving's detailed representation of the human body and the understanding of bodily movement, says Stocker.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
"The amount of skill that was required to execute such an intricate design on such a small surface is unbelievable," Stocker tells CNN.
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Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
More than 40 sealstones were found in the tomb. Others had less detailed designs featuring long-horned bulls and sometimes, human bull jumpers soaring over their horns.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
This 30-inch necklace, with two gold pendants decorated with ivy leaves, was found near the neck of the warrior-king's skeleton.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Four solid-gold rings were found in the tomb -- more than have been found at any single burial site elsewhere in Greece, according to the archaeologists. This one depicts a Cretan bull running scene.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Six ivory combs formed part of the treasure trove, challenging some older ideas around gender, says Stocker.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Stocker deems the discovery "one of the most magnificent displays of prehistoric wealth discovered in mainland Greece in the past 65 years."
Hide Caption
10 of 11
[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
"We were not looking for tombs in the first place and finding an unlooted tomb is so extremely rare," she says. "This is truly phenomenal."
Hide Caption
11 of 11
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
An intricate engraving on an ancient gem has been deemed one of the greatest prehistoric Greek artworks ever discovered.
Hide Caption
1 of 11
[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
The sealstone was one of many treasures discovered in the 3,500-year-old tomb of a Bronze Age warrior. Archaeologist Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati led the dig in southwest Greece in 2015.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
The sealstone was covered in limestone when it was first discovered. Measuring just 1.4 inches in length, it was initially mistaken for a bead.
Hide Caption
3 of 11
[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Experts are stunned by the engraving's detailed representation of the human body and the understanding of bodily movement, says Stocker.
Hide Caption
4 of 11
[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
"The amount of skill that was required to execute such an intricate design on such a small surface is unbelievable," Stocker tells CNN.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
More than 40 sealstones were found in the tomb. Others had less detailed designs featuring long-horned bulls and sometimes, human bull jumpers soaring over their horns.
Hide Caption
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(CNN)A miniature gemstone discovered in a 3,500-year-old tomb is challenging our understanding of ancient Greek art. Now, nearly three years after it was originally discovered, experts are still trying to fathom how it was crafted.
The limestone-encrusted gem was one of 1,400 treasures found buried alongside a mysterious Bronze Age man -- dubbed the Griffin Warrior -- in Pylos, southwest Greece.
Husband-and-wife team Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati led the excavation near the ancient Palace of Nestor -- a site mentioned in Homer's epic poems -- in 2015.
[img=780x0]http://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180119140747-sharon-stocker-greece-exlarge-169.jpg[/img]
Sharon Stocker stands in the warrior's tomb.
Today experts are still pouring over the jewels, weapons and armor, searching for clues about the ancient world at the dawn of European civilization.
One tiny object measuring just 3.6 centimeters (1.4 inches) was initially overlooked and mistaken for a bead. But, beneath the limestone was a meticulously carved gemstone, now considered one of the greatest prehistoric Greek artworks ever discovered.
It is so tiny that a microscope is needed to fully appreciate the mastery of the engraving, as some details are just half a millimeter (0.0197 inches) in size.
However, no such magnifying tool is known to have existed in the ancient Greek world.
"The amount of skill that was required to execute such an intricate design on such a small surface is unbelievable," Stocker tells CNN.
It shows detailed understanding of the human body and movement which, until now, was thought far beyond the ability of Bronze Age artisans, she says.
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Devil in the detail
This particular gem -- called the Pylos Combat Agate -- is one of 11,000 known sealstones from the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations (2,600 -- 1,100 B.C.).
Sealstones could be stamped into clay or wax as a means of marking identity. Some were even attached to bands and worn as bracelets.
"They're used to mark ownership in what is not totally a preliterate society, but not a fully literate society," Davis tells CNN.
The Pylos Combat Agate depicts a dramatic scene of a near-naked warrior driving a sword into his opponent, while a third warrior lies on the ground.
"We think it references some narrative that was circulating in this period," says Davis.
"It evokes Homer to us," adds Stocker, referring to his epic works "Iliad" and "Odyssey," which scholars believe were written down in the 8th century B.C. -- hundreds of years after the sealstone was crafted.
While it is impossible know for sure, one theory presented by scholars speculates that the warrior image stems from earlier oral versions of Homer's works, explains Davis.
[img=780x0]http://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180119170133-fallen-warrior-sealstone-exlarge-169.jpg[/img]
Up-close photo of the fallen warrior.
Reproducing a miniature masterpiece
Goldsmith Akis Goumas is currently attempting to replicate the stone in hard wax or burnt clay to understand the movements, shape and size of the handheld tools used.
In tracing the tool marks on the sealstone, Goumas speculates that the craftsman may have used a rotating wooden lathe with a sharp edge to engrave the stone.
He thinks one artisan did the basic, three-dimensional engraving while another completed the secondary work.
"It isn't one craftsman's work because we can see different qualities of dexterity in the synthesis," he told CNN over email.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Nodosaurs were herbivores who walked on four legs and were covered in tank-like armor and dotted with spikes for protection. But this recently unveiled 110 million-year-old fossil is the most well-preserved of the armored dinosaurs ever unearthed.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Microfossils found in China have revealed what could be our earliest known ancestor on the tree of life. Saccorhytus was a tiny, bag-like sea creature that lived 540 million years ago.
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Photos: Ancient finds
In 2016, researchers discovered ancient collagen and protein remains preserved in the ribs of a dinosaur that walked the Earth 195 million years ago.
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Photos: Ancient finds
By studying the skeleton of this medieval pilgrim, researchers have been able to genotype leprosy. They also discovered that leprosy-causing bacteria have changed little over hundreds of years, possibly explaining the decline in the disease after it peaked in medieval Europe as humans developed resistance.
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Photos: Ancient finds
The discovery of a species that lived 6.6 million years ago in southwestern China suggests that ancient ottershad "wolf-like" proportions, and weighed roughly 100 Ibs. The creature -- whose skull was excavated in Yunnan province -- would have been twice the size of today's otters.
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Photos: Ancient finds
The tail of a 99-million-year-old dinosaur was found entombed in amber in 2016, an unprecedented discovery that has blown away scientists. The amber adds to fossil evidence that many dinosaurs sported feathers rather than scales.
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Photos: Ancient finds
The oldest known sample of the smallpox-causing variola virus was found within the DNA of a 17th century child mummy in 2016. The mummy was found in a crypt beneath a Lithuanian church. The finding shortens the timeline for how long smallpox may have afflicted humans.
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Photos: Ancient finds
For the first time, researchers discovered genomic evidence of malaria in 2,000-year-old human remainsfrom the Roman Empire. The discovery was made in 2016.
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Photos: Ancient finds
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Photos: Ancient finds
An investigation of skeletons buried during the 1665 Great Plague of London revealed the DNA of the bacteria responsible for the disease in 2016.
The skeletons were discovered in an ancient burial site during construction of London's Crossrail train line.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Scientists reconstructed the genome of an ancient plague in 2016, which may shed new light on how certain diseases can either mysteriously disappear or continue to evolve and spread. An adult woman's skeleton (on left) and adult man's skeleton (on right) tested positive for the presence of Y. pestis, what researchers believe caused the Justinian Plague.
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Photos: Ancient finds
The earliest modern human fossil ever found outside of Africa has been recovered in Israel. This suggests that modern humans left Africa at least 50,000 years earlier than previously believed. The upper jawbone, including several teeth, was recovered in a prehistoric cave site.
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Photos: Ancient finds
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Photos: Ancient finds
Standing about 4 feet tall, early human ancestor Paranthropus boisei had a small brain and a wide, dish-like face. It is most well-known for having big teeth and hefty chewing muscles.
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Photos: Ancient finds
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Photos: Ancient finds
An illustration shows the dodo on Mauritius near the Mare aux Songes, where many dodo skeletons have been recovered.
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Photos: Ancient finds
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Photos: Ancient finds
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Photos: Ancient finds
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Photos: Ancient finds
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Photos: Ancient finds
The oldest fossil remains of Homo sapiens, dating back 300,000 years, were found at a site in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco. This is 100,000 years older than previously discovered fossils of Homo sapiens that have been securely dated. The fossils, including a partial skull and a lower jaw, belong to five different individuals including three young adults, an adolescent and a child estimated to be 8 years old.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Nodosaurs were herbivores who walked on four legs and were covered in tank-like armor and dotted with spikes for protection. But this recently unveiled 110 million-year-old fossil is the most well-preserved of the armored dinosaurs ever unearthed.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Ancient finds
Microfossils found in China have revealed what could be our earliest known ancestor on the tree of life. Saccorhytus was a tiny, bag-like sea creature that lived 540 million years ago.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Ancient finds
In 2016, researchers discovered ancient collagen and protein remains preserved in the ribs of a dinosaur that walked the Earth 195 million years ago.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Ancient finds
By studying the skeleton of this medieval pilgrim, researchers have been able to genotype leprosy. They also discovered that leprosy-causing bacteria have changed little over hundreds of years, possibly explaining the decline in the disease after it peaked in medieval Europe as humans developed resistance.
Hide Caption
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[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Ancient finds
The discovery of a species that lived 6.6 million years ago in southwestern China suggests that ancient ottershad "wolf-like" proportions, and weighed roughly 100 Ibs. The creature -- whose skull was excavated in Yunnan province -- would have been twice the size of today's otters.
Hide Caption
15 of 21
[img=780x439]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAJAJEAAAAAAP///////wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI+py+0Po5yUFQA7[/img]
Photos: Ancient finds
The tail of a 99-million-year-old dinosaur was found entombed in amber in 2016, an unprecedented discovery that has blown away scientists. The amber adds to fossil evidence that many dinosaurs sported feathers rather than scales.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Ancient finds
The oldest known sample of the smallpox-causing variola virus was found within the DNA of a 17th century child mummy in 2016. The mummy was found in a crypt beneath a Lithuanian church. The finding shortens the timeline for how long smallpox may have afflicted humans.
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Photos: Ancient finds
For the first time, researchers discovered genomic evidence of malaria in 2,000-year-old human remainsfrom the Roman Empire. The discovery was made in 2016.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Researchers found the first preserved dinosaur brain in history in 2016. They believe it was preserved due to the dinosaur dying in a swamp-like environment which mixed low levels of oxygen -- known to slow decay -- and acidity which can preserve soft tissue for long periods. It is 130 million years old.
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Photos: Ancient finds
An investigation of skeletons buried during the 1665 Great Plague of London revealed the DNA of the bacteria responsible for the disease in 2016. The skeletons were discovered in an ancient burial site during construction of London's Crossrail train line.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Scientists reconstructed the genome of an ancient plague in 2016, which may shed new light on how certain diseases can either mysteriously disappear or continue to evolve and spread. An adult woman's skeleton (on left) and adult man's skeleton (on right) tested positive for the presence of Y. pestis, what researchers believe caused the Justinian Plague.
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Photos: Ancient finds
The earliest modern human fossil ever found outside of Africa has been recovered in Israel. This suggests that modern humans left Africa at least 50,000 years earlier than previously believed. The upper jawbone, including several teeth, was recovered in a prehistoric cave site.
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Photos: Ancient finds
This is an excavated structure at the northern edge of the Grand Plaza at Teposcolula-Yucundaa in Oaxaca, Mexico. Researchers investigated a "pestilence" cemetery associated with a devastating 1545-1550 epidemic. New analysis suggests that salmonella caused a typhoid fever epidemic.
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Standing about 4 feet tall, early human ancestor Paranthropus boisei had a small brain and a wide, dish-like face. It is most well-known for having big teeth and hefty chewing muscles.
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Photos: Ancient finds
A grand grave of a great Viking warrior excavated during the 1880s has been found to be that of a woman. She was also buried with a gaming board and pieces, hierarchically associated with officers to use for battle strategy and tactics. The drawing is a reconstruction of how the grave with the woman originally may have looked.
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Photos: Ancient finds
An illustration shows the dodo on Mauritius near the Mare aux Songes, where many dodo skeletons have been recovered.
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Photos: Ancient finds
A 5,000-year-old dog skull found in Germany underwent whole genome sequencing. It was found to be very similar to the genome of modern dogs, suggesting that all modern dogs are direct ancestors of the domesticated dogs that lived in the world's earliest farming communities in Europe.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Razanandrongobe sakalavae, or "Razana," was one of the top predators of the Jurassic period in Madagascar 170 million years ago. Although it looks different from modern-day crocodiles and had teeth similar to a T. rex's, Razana was not a dinosaur but a crocodile relative with a deep skull.
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Photos: Ancient finds
An artist's reconstruction shows Macrauchenia patachonica, which roamed South America thousands of years ago. Combining a range of odd characteristics from llamas and camels to rhinos and antelopes,Macrauchenia defied clarification until now and has been added to the tree of life. It belongs to a sister group of Perissodactyla, which includes horses, rhinos and tapirs.
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Photos: Ancient finds
This prosthetic device was made for a priest's daughter who had to have her right big toe amputated 3,000 years ago. This surprisingly lifelike toe was made to look natural by a skilled artisan who wanted to maintain the aesthetic as well as mobility during the Early Iron Age. It was designed to be worn with sandals, the footwear of choice at the time.
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Photos: Ancient finds
The oldest fossil remains of Homo sapiens, dating back 300,000 years, were found at a site in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco. This is 100,000 years older than previously discovered fossils of Homo sapiens that have been securely dated. The fossils, including a partial skull and a lower jaw, belong to five different individuals including three young adults, an adolescent and a child estimated to be 8 years old.
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Photos: Ancient finds
Nodosaurs were herbivores who walked on four legs and were covered in tank-like armor and dotted with spikes for protection. But this recently unveiled 110 million-year-old fossil is the most well-preserved of the armored dinosaurs ever unearthed.
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While Goumas may soon have answers as to how it was fashioned 3,500 years ago, Stocker says we will probably never know how it came into the Griffin Warrior's possession.
"We don't have a firm date for the grave and the creation of the sealstone," says Stocker, adding that the gem may have been created before the Griffin Warrior was born.
"But we believe that he certainly would have identified with the image that's represented on the stone."
![[Image: 180119162743-pylos-combat-agate-exlarge-169.jpg]](http://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180119162743-pylos-combat-agate-exlarge-169.jpg)
![[Image: 180124164241-01-ancient-finds-0124-exlarge-169.jpg]](http://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180124164241-01-ancient-finds-0124-exlarge-169.jpg)
This little update is interesting
It shows we had several technologies in prehistory
This is the entropy of history and data loss