The 12 Coolest Things That Archaeologists Found In 2018

Another year has passed and archaeologists have been busy exploring Earth once again. From ancient shipwrecks to mysterious tombs, their findings never cease to amaze us.

#1 Oldest Shipwreck Found In The Bottom Of Black Sea

Image source: The Guardian

Over a mile deep under the surface of the Black Sea, archaeologists discovered a 2,400-year-old shipwreck. It was discovered by the Black Sea Maritime Archeology Project near the coast of Bulgaria and they say it’s the oldest intact shipwreck found so far. The reason the ship remained intact for so long is because of the oxygen-free environment of the sea’s depths.

#2 Archaeologist Excavate The Last Unexcavated Area Of Pompeii

Image source: Efe

In 2018, the formerly untouched area of Pompeii was excavated and explored. Inside the area, called Regio V, archaeologists found intricate frescoes and a shrine to Lares, the guardian deities who were believed to protect homes and fields. “During the excavations in Regio V new walls and other treasures are emerging from lapilli. In one of the houses that were partially excavated in the late Nineteenth century – the house of Jupiter – now we can see brightly colored walls and some frescoes, including the first mythological scene found during these excavations: probably it is Adone Wounded in the arms of Aphrodite, surrounded by Cupids,” said the researchers.

#3 The First Bakers 14,400 Years Ago

Image source: Pnas

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have found a small campsite in northeastern Jordan belonging to the Natufians, where they discovered traces of bread-like products. That led them to believe that Natufians collected wild cereals and tubers to make flour and bake bread inside primitive ovens. Although the bread wasn’t an everyday meal like we’re used to today – it was reserved for special occasions. Further analysis of the tools found in the campsite by scientists at Stanford University proved that the Natufians were brewing beer from wheat and barley 13,000 years ago. These discoveries proved that humans were able to bake bread and brew beer before the dawn of agriculture.

#4 Incredibly Unique Mummy Found Inside Burial Site In Egypt

Image source: Sciencealert

An ancient funeral parlor was discovered in Egypt by German and Egyptian archaeologists. The building was most likely a mummy workshop since numerous ceramic bowls containing the oils used in mummification were found inside. In the workshop’s courtyard, a 100-feet-long tunnel leads to the burial chambers where dozens of mummies were found. Inside the archaeologists found the sarcophagus of a lady named Tadihor, whose tomb was decorated with many protective figurines. A silver mask was found placed on the face of the woman, signifying a transformation into a god after death.

#5 Bacteria That Caused The Black Death Plague Also Found In Skeletons From 3800 Bc

Image source: Nature

The Black Death swept throughout Europe in the 14th century and is considered to be one of the most tragic events in history, claiming over 50 million lives. Turns out the plague-causing bacteria Yersinia pestis might be even older than the 14th century. On the recently discovered skeletons from 3800 BC, traces of this bacteria were found, proving that plague outbreaks might have happened as early as the Bronze Age. Johannes Krause, a German geneticist says the outbreak might have had an important role in the migration of steppe herders from Eastern Europe to the West between 3000 and 2500 BC.

#6 Oldest Human Footprint

Image source: LiveScience

In March 2018, archaeologists found the oldest human footprints, dating over 13,000 years old, on Calvert Island, Canada. They are believed to belong to three people – two adults and a child – and only remained intact because they were pressed into wet clay that hardened with time. The archaeologists also found a piece of wood nearby that helped them date the footprints using radiocarbon dating.

#7 These 13,000-Year-Old Tools Made Historians Wonder Who Were The First People To Live In America

Image source: ScientificAmerican

Archaeologists might have finally answered the important question of who were the first people to live in America. It was commonly believed that the first people to live there were the Clovis culture, having come to America around 13,000 years ago through Siberia. But excavations in Texas recently discovered tools that are even older than that. They found blades, projectile points, and flake tools, that are between 16,000 to 20,000 years old.

#8 Oldest Sketch Ever Drawn

Image source: NYTimes

Last year, archaeologists discovered a stone with red lines, believed to be 73,000 years old. It might not sound like much, but it is believed to be the oldest sketch ever discovered. Inside the Blomos cave where it was found, the archaeologists also found bone tools, teeth, and engravings by Homo Sapiens. This discovery has shed new light on the Homo Sapien use of symbols that served as a foundation for mathematics and languages.

#9 Earliest Representation Of A Human Body Part

Image source: NYTimes

Back in 2017, a few treasure hunters found a bronze dagger, a rib bone and an artifact representing a human hand. At first, Swiss archaeologists weren’t sure the artifact was authentic as they’ve never seen anything like that before. However, recently it was discovered that it dates all the way back to the middle of the Bronze age, making it the earliest representation of a human body part discovered so far.

#10 Our Ancestors Might Have Been Drinking Beer Earlier Than You’d Think

Image source: LiveScience

Archaeologists in Israel have discovered a 13,000-year-old graveyard cave that had traces of wheat and barley lining the pits inside the bedrock. They believe humans brew beer there for a funeral feast, making it the oldest man-made alcohol ever discovered.

#11 Sarcophagus Bodies With Weird Red Sewage Inside

Image source: livescience

The sarcophagus, unearthed in Egypt last year, was found to contain some mysterious red sewage inside that some people insisted to drink, even creating a petition that thousands of people signed. However, apart from the sewage, archaeologists found the body of a young woman believed to be between 20 and 25 years of age and the bodies of two men. The sarcophagus is believed to be the largest ever found in Alexandria.

#12 A Ramp That May Have Been Used To Build Pyramids

Image source: LiveScience

The mystery of how the Great Pyramid at Giza was built might finally be solved! Archaeologists found a 4,500-year-old ramp system that people used to pull up heavy alabaster stones up a steep slope. “Using a sled, which carried a stone block and was attached with ropes to these wooden posts, ancient Egyptians were able to pull up the alabaster blocks out of the quarry on very steep slopes of 20 percent or more,” explained Yannis Gourdon, the co-director of the joint mission at Hatnub.