Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In ancient Greece collecting fossils was associated with mythology. The legends of heroes and monsters were inspired by the fossilised remains of large animals that had long since been extinct. However, researchers haven't been able to determine how far back the tradition of collecting of large animal fossils in the Aegean goes.
Evidence from the Late Bronze Age has been found in the past but the artefacts often came from unsecured contexts. Now, a reanalysis of a fossil from the Bronze Age Mycenaean citadel has shown that the people who lived there did collect them. Of course, it's still not clear why they did, but there's a strong possibility it was for magical or ritual reasons.
In this week's ancient history news I discuss the paper that details the research into this fossil from Mycenae, as well as the discovery of a Maya stone slab featuring 123 glyphs and the excavation of a cult temple at the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto.
#ancienthistory #bronzeage #mycenaeans
✨ IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Introduction
01:34 Evidence of large animal fossil collecting found at Bronze Age Mycenae
06:44 Stone slab discovered featuring 123 Maya glyphs
08:14 Temple discovered at the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto
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youtube.com/channel/UC0Hs5t0U6Uf993Tba22YmKA/join
✨ SUPPORT VIA PATREON
patreon.com/MegalithHunter
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Instagram & Facebook: @MegalithHunter
Twitter: @Megalith_Hunter
✨ REFERENCES
Meier, J.S., Pliatsika, V. & Shelton, K. The earliest evidence of large animal fossil collecting in mainland Greece at Bronze Age Mycenae. Sci Rep 14, 19158 (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68778-w
Starr, M. (2024). ‘123 Maya Glyphs Found on Huge Stone Reveal Secrets of a Lost City,’ Sciencealert, 15 August. sciencealert.com/123-maya-glyphs-found-on-huge-stone-reveal-secrets-of-a-lost-city
Milligan, M. (2024). ‘Cult temple found in Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto,’ Heritage Daily, 27 July. heritagedaily.com/2024/07/cult-temple-found-in-etruscan-necropolis-of-sasso-pinzuto/152754
✨ PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Diagrams related to the DNA study of the plague, credit: Meier, J. S., et al., in the paper referenced above.
CC BY-SA 2.5 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
Lion’s Gate at Mycenae, credit: Andreas Trepte
CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Path up the Lion’s Gate at Mycenae, credit: Andy Hay
Nohoch Mul pyramid, credit: Gautier Poupeau
Other
Images of the Maya stone slab from Cobá and the excavation, credit: National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)
Image of the Etruscan cult temple, credit: Centre for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (CAMNES)
In ancient Greece collecting fossils was associated with mythology. The legends of heroes and monsters were inspired by the fossilised remains of large animals that had long since been extinct. However, researchers haven't been able to determine how far back the tradition of collecting of large animal fossils in the Aegean goes.
Evidence from the Late Bronze Age has been found in the past but the artefacts often came from unsecured contexts. Now, a reanalysis of a fossil from the Bronze Age Mycenaean citadel has shown that the people who lived there did collect them. Of course, it's still not clear why they did, but there's a strong possibility it was for magical or ritual reasons.
In this week's ancient history news I discuss the paper that details the research into this fossil from Mycenae, as well as the discovery of a Maya stone slab featuring 123 glyphs and the excavation of a cult temple at the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto.
#ancienthistory #bronzeage #mycenaeans
✨ IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Introduction
01:34 Evidence of large animal fossil collecting found at Bronze Age Mycenae
06:44 Stone slab discovered featuring 123 Maya glyphs
08:14 Temple discovered at the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto
✨ JOIN MY CHANNEL
youtube.com/channel/UC0Hs5t0U6Uf993Tba22YmKA/join
✨ SUPPORT VIA PATREON
patreon.com/MegalithHunter
✨ FOLLOW ME ON SOCIALS
Instagram & Facebook: @MegalithHunter
Twitter: @Megalith_Hunter
✨ REFERENCES
Meier, J.S., Pliatsika, V. & Shelton, K. The earliest evidence of large animal fossil collecting in mainland Greece at Bronze Age Mycenae. Sci Rep 14, 19158 (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68778-w
Starr, M. (2024). ‘123 Maya Glyphs Found on Huge Stone Reveal Secrets of a Lost City,’ Sciencealert, 15 August. sciencealert.com/123-maya-glyphs-found-on-huge-stone-reveal-secrets-of-a-lost-city
Milligan, M. (2024). ‘Cult temple found in Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto,’ Heritage Daily, 27 July. heritagedaily.com/2024/07/cult-temple-found-in-etruscan-necropolis-of-sasso-pinzuto/152754
✨ PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Diagrams related to the DNA study of the plague, credit: Meier, J. S., et al., in the paper referenced above.
CC BY-SA 2.5 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
Lion’s Gate at Mycenae, credit: Andreas Trepte
CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Path up the Lion’s Gate at Mycenae, credit: Andy Hay
Nohoch Mul pyramid, credit: Gautier Poupeau
Other
Images of the Maya stone slab from Cobá and the excavation, credit: National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)
Image of the Etruscan cult temple, credit: Centre for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (CAMNES)
