The Lie of a Million Mummies

I was recently asked why I was not covering the breaking news out of Egypt about the "million mummies" that were supposedly found. Here is why.

For anyone who hasn't heard, there is a story circulating on the web about "a million mummies" having been found in Egypt. While the reports are coming from mainstream sources, originally Daily Mail, the story looks to be not only false, but possibly a publicity stunt on behalf of a university looking for funding.

According to the reports, a team of archaeologists from Utah’s Brigham Young University who were excavating an ancient cemetery called Fag el Gamous, found a million Egyptian mummies. Daily Mail reported the story and it went crazy from there. By the time the story made it to more alternative sources, it got spun into a discovery of, not only a million mummies, but giant skeletons as well. I will not even go into the reports on there being extraterrestrials found too. Let’s just say, that things got out of hand.

On Thursday, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities denied the discovery of a million mummies and made an official statement describing the published news as “rumors.” As a result, they decided to stop any cooperation with the excavation, now essentially blacklisting Brigham Young University.

Here is what Dr. Youssef Khalifa, head of Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, told the Luxor Times on the phone:

“What was published in the newspaper is not true. There are no million mummies, a mummy definition to begin with means a complete mummified body and there is only one mummy found at the site of Fag el Gamous in 1980 which is at the Egyptian museum since then.” 

Dr. Khalifa added “In the past few seasons of the mission’s work at the site, only poor skeletons were found and some thousands of bone’s remains. The mission violated the rules and regulations of the agreement with the Ministry of Antiquities concerning making press statements and that’s why the committee of the ancient Egypt department took the decision to stop their permission to work at the site after 28 years of working at the site and the last season finished last March.”

When the lead archaeologist, Dr. Kerry Muhlestein, was asked about the Ministry's decision to stop the mission, he sheepishly said:

“I believe there have been some misunderstandings. I would like to work this out with the Ministry, for whom I have the greatest respect.”

Cases like these serve as a reminder to be skeptical of any claim, regardless of whether it comes from the mainstream. Universities are not sacrosanct! They are comprised of human beings who are subject to the same breaches of principle and morality as all of us. Never trust something simply based on the fact that mainstream sources claim it to be so. Likewise, do not be so quick to judge grassroots or alternative news. There is no fully reliable source; even artifacts can be forged. A sad truth to this debacle is that important cultural artifacts were found. Thousands of human remains are not something to discount, but the publicity-seeking behaviors of a few overzealous academics have now overshadowed this amazing discovery.

It is vital that in days of fast moving information, such as these, we remain critical and thorough in our research. We must be vigilant truthseekers and not fall into the trappings of the mainstream, nor our own desire for a story of such magnificence to be true. Never forget the words of Carl Sagan, “"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

The Opening of the Mummy of Minirdis

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On December 5th, scientists started conservation work on the Mummy of Minirdis, the 14-year-old son of a stolist priest. As a stolist, Minirdis’ father would have been responsible for tending to the needs of the gods, usually in the form of a statue, by dressing and undressing it, rubbing it with oil, and making symbolic offerings of food. The stolic priest would have also been responsible with sealing the temple shut every night to keep it safe. Due to the holiness of the position, the priest needed to keep themselves as pure as possible. One way of maintaining this purity was by shaving off all their body hair. It is likely that Minirdis was training to be a stolic priest, as well. 

The Mummy of Minirdis has been a part of the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago since the 1920s. It is one of 30 complete human mummies from Egypt housed at the museum.

Before opening the coffin, CT scans were performed which showed that the boy’s feet were detached and partially unwrapped with his toes sticking out. His shroud and mask were also torn and twisted sideways.

Scientists are still not sure how the boy died, but plan to work to repair the mummy so that it will be safe to travel. For more information, visit www.fieldmuseum.org.

Sumerian Music: Listen to the World's Oldest Song

Lately, there has been a story floating around the internet about the discovery of the “world’s oldest song,” a Sumerian hymn that was translated from a clay tablet. While a fascinating story worthy of excitement and discussion, it is not a new story. The song came from a collection of music inscribed in cuneiform on clay tablets, excavated in the early 1950s in the ancient Amorite city of Ugarit. 

Ugarit Corbel: The Entrance to the royal palace where

 the Hurrian songs were found.

 These clay tablets date to approximately 1400 BCE, making the songs the oldest found so far. They are Hurrian songs that include a 3,400 year-old cult hymn called Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal, or A Zaluzi to the Gods. The hymn is known to archaeologists as simply, h.6, and is of an unknown composer(s).

Head of Ningal

Nikkal, or Nikkal-wa-Ib, was a goddess of Ugarit/Canaan and later Phoenicia. Her Sumerian equivalent is the goddess Ningal, the mother of Inanna and Ereshkigal. Nikkal was the goddess of orchards, whose name derives from Akkadian/West Semitic "´Ilat ´Inbi" meaning "Goddess of Fruit.”

In the sixties, Anne Kilmer, a professor of Assyriology at the University of California, interpreted the musical notation using mathematic calculations. According to Professor Kilmer, the tablets found were primarily lists of numbers for mathematical operations, along with instructions for a singer accompanied by a nine-stringed sammûm, a type of lyre. Once Professor Kilmer was able to understand the mathematical function of the coefficient numbers, researchers were able to conclude that the tablets were, indeed, related to numbers and not just a coincidence. From there, they were able to translate the music. 

It was widely believed that the harmony did not exist before the ancient Greek Delphic Hymns, but thanks to these tablets and the work of researchers like Professor Kilmer, we can now say that harmony existed 3,400 years ago! There have been numerous musicians arranging and recording the tune, many with their own creative interpretations. However, I happen to like the following version most because it is based on the original transcription of the melody, as interpreted by Professor Richard Dumbrill, a leading expert in the archaeomusicology of the Ancient Near and Middle East and founder of ICONEA, (International Conference of Near Eastern Archaeomusicology).

Have a listen! For all you musicians out there, here is a link to the sheet music so you can give it a go. 

More on the recent news of the ancient kingdom discovered beneath a mound in Iraq

During an archaeological survey in 2008, at a site called Satu Qala, a villager brought archaeologists cuneiform inscriptions engraved with the name of an ancient city. The villager reported that the text originated from beneath a mound. The inscriptions identify the city as Idu, dating it to the 12th century BCE. The actual excavations started in the 2010-2011 digging season in cooperation with Leiden University, University of Leipzig, and Iraq’s Salahaddin University. Researchers included students from Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq.

This latest discovery is quite amazing in that it could add a previously unknown chapter to the history of the Middle Assyrian Empire. Satu Qala is the first identified provincial capital in the eastern part of the empire. Until now, only the western part of the empire had been discovered. Some of the many artifacts found include pottery and a substantial number of cylinder seals.

According to some of the inscriptions deciphered, the flat summit of the mound was the location of the palace of the Middle Assyrian kings. Other inscriptions record the delivery of payments for barley, honey, sesame, and fruit. Though its perimeter has yet to be established, the city turns out to be much larger than previously believed, measuring at least 300 meters (about 984 feet) around the tell. The city of Idu was clearly of great importance and likely used as an administrative center for the surrounding territory.

interestingly, burials were also found oriented in differing directions. The bodies were in various flexed positions, with one on its back with arms crossed over the chest. Archaeologists theorize that these burials may not belong to the Neo-Assyrian or the Middle Assyrian periods since few grave gifts were found. More research will be conducted.

Apart from what has been reported publicly in a recent press release, I have been looking deeply into this story and have uncovered many extraordinary details too voluminous for a simple Facebook, or even blog post. These are details that are not being reported publicly.

Thus, I am compiling a full report, including the translations and pictures of the cylinder seals. Stay tuned…

Bulgarian Archaeologists Uncover Unusually Large Relief of Zeus

Bulgarian archaeologists have discovered an unusually large votive relief of the Greek god Zeus near the Bulgarian village of Starosel, indicating that it was once the center part of an ancient temple. 

The temple is believed to have been built in the 6th or 5th century BCE, and could have very well been the power center of Ancient Thrace in the 4th century BCE. It was subsequently destroyed during the rise of the Macedonian state of Philip II in 342-341 BCE.

In antiquity, Zeus was commonly featured as, or with, an eagle. Strangely, the archaeologists reported that a large eagle appeared in the sky as they were about to uncover the artifact. 

Perhaps it was Zeus watching over them?

A Concrete Example of the Modern Benefits of Ancient Technology

I will never forget the disbelief I felt when my undergraduate art history professor mentioned that civilization had lost the recipe for concrete. This seemed preposterous. I've walked on a sidewalk before, skipped down the paved path as a child, watching diligently to not step on cracks for fear of “breaking my mother’s back”, as the old saying warned. We have concrete!

What she went on to explain was that the original recipe for the highly durable Roman concrete had been lost to history. For thousands of years, people have tried to reverse engineer this seemingly simple technology. It has been quite a challenge. Though we have concrete now, it is not the same as the concrete used by the Romans. The concrete we use in modernity is actually pretty poor in comparison to the Roman concrete of the past. Think about it for a moment. Roman concrete roads, aqueducts, and structure are still doing well considering there antiquity. Consider all the times you've driven down a road of potholes or walked down a sidewalk with pits and cracks and questioned, “Didn't they just pave this a few years ago?” 

While some of this may be seen as planned obsolesce, it is still testament to the relative inefficiency of modern concrete, most of which lasts only decades. Commonly, what is used is Portland cement. We have been using this recipe for over 200 years, not a bad recipe, but compared with the durability of Roman concrete, it falls flat, especially when exposed to salt water. 

After years of research, scientists in the US and Europe have finally figured out the recipe to Roman concrete. The findings are published in this month's issues of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and American Mineralogist, a publication to which I’m sure you all subscribe. ;)

According to the scientists, "The Romans made concrete by mixing lime and volcanic rock. For underwater structures, lime and volcanic ash were mixed to form mortar, and this mortar and volcanic tuff were packed into wooden forms. The seawater instantly triggered a hot chemical reaction. The lime was hydrated – incorporating water molecules into its structure – and reacted with the ash to cement the whole mixture together." It is because of this lime and volcanic ash mixture that Roman concrete has such tremendous binding ability. 

It gets better, though. Not only is this concrete far superior in durability, but unlike modern concrete, it is more environmentally sustainable. The manufacturing of most modern concrete accounts for 7% of greenhouse gas emissions. With these new, ancient methods, we have the potential to make amazingly durable structures and live in harmony with the environment. 

I wonder what other lost technology we may find and for use in modernity? It is my belief that ancient civilizations possessed a number of technologies that we may never fully understand. Since they used the natural resources around them, a lot of evidence of such “green” technologies may have simply decayed or been lost to history, though some have not. 

Between the pyramids, Baghdad Battery, and the Antikythera mechanism, just to name a few, there is little doubt that the ancients were far more advanced than they are commonly depicted. 

Excavation to Search for E.T. in New Mexico Desert?!

Yes. You read that correctly. 

Weird, but true, local authorities have granted a Canadian film company permission to excavate a New Mexico landfill in search of a unique artifact. 

The mysterious relic they are seeking? 

The Atari video game of E.T., inspired by the 1982 Steven Spielberg film. Though the film was a blockbuster success, the video game was a flop and considered to be one of the worst video games of all time. 

But why would E.T. be in New Mexico? (Insert Roswell E.T. joke here.)

Buried deep in a New Mexico desert, there is rumored to be an Atari graveyard. Here, it is believed that numerous truckloads of games were dumped in September of 1983. The film company is planning to document their exploration. 

When authorities were asked, Alamogordo, New Mexico's District 1 Commissioner Jason Baldwin admitted to having played the E.T. Atari game and confirmed that, it "indeed, was horrible".

More News from the Latest Discovery Near Ur

Here are some photos of the newest artifacts coming out of the excavation near the ancient city or Ur. 

Various bits of pottery and artifacts have been systematically collected, bagged up and shipped out for further analysis. 

Also, a rim fragment from a once magnificent alabaster bowl has been found. 

Next, there is a mysterious item made from rare and expensive diorite that has been recovered. Theories for what this artifact is have ranged from a recycled chip of larger relic to possibly a game piece. No one knows for certain yet. 

Finally, the shallow grave of an infant was found just under the surface. The gender of the infant is still unclear. Its body was placed into a pottery jar which was then laid on its side.

There have been many more, one in particular that is potentially revealing that I will speak about tonight on OWRN. 

Stay tuned! I will be posting more photos from this excavation tomorrow!

The New Proposed Age for Stonehenge

New research into the age of Stonehenge suggests that the structure may have been occupied at least five thousand years earlier than previously thought. 

Past analysis of the carbon-14 radioisotope from a piece of charred oak found in an excavated pit at Stonehenge estimated the site to be 3,800 years old. 

Now, a new excavation of a site about a mile from Stonehenge revealed a semi-permanent settlement that, according to carbon-dated materials, was occupied from 7,500 to 4,700 BCE. This evidence also shows that there were repeated visits to this area from the 9th to the 5th millennia BCE. 

Clearly, this location has been an important site to humans for a very long time. How amazing it is that still, pilgrimages are made to marvel at Stonehenge’s enigmatic grandeur!

Monumental Mystery in the Sea of Galilee

Originally detect by sonar in 2003, a giant stone structure has finally been confirmed to be under the Sea of Galilee in Israel. This massive structure is a conical shaped monument made from unhewn basalt cobbles and huge boulders. The monument measures 32 feet high, about 230 feet in diameter, and weighs approximately 60,000 tons!   

What’s even more astonishing is that researchers agree that the structure is over 4000 years old! 

Though no decipherable cutting patterns have been recognized, scientists have agreed that it is definitely man-made. Archaeologists hope to be able to excavate the structure in the future in order to officially date any artifacts they find. 

Still, we have yet to figure out why this was built. The two main theories, thus far, are that it may have been either a burial place or a lost ancient city. 

What other reasons could there be?

New Discovery Causes Rethinking of Ancient’s Technological Capabilities

An unbelievable discovery at the Gonur-Tepe site points to earlier advances in human civilization than had previously been believed. Researchers consider it to be home of the 5th oldest civilization, a civilization lost but clearly quite advanced. Once inhabited by Indo-Iranian people, Gonur-Tepe dates back to 2500 BCE.  

New discoveries at the site are forcing archaeologist to reconsider the technology of mosaic making. A well-preserved mosaic found at the site pre-dates the classical Greek and Roman mosaics known today.  

Gonur-Tepe  is home to a grand palace, fortified walls, and temples with Zoroastrian fire altars. Advanced molded metal, silver and gold trinkets, and glazed pottery are among some of the artifacts being uncovered. In addition to containers with traces of various mind altering plant residue, there is also evidence of tools for making and using soma for rituals, as mentioned in the Rigveda and haoma as in the Avesta.

The city is a massive walled complex. From an aerial view it resembles a maze and is about 30 miles from the ancient city of Merv outside the modern city of Mary. Merv dates back to the time of the Achaemenid Persians and reached its peak under Turkic rule in the 12th century CE. Merv was eventually sacked by the Mongols in 1221 which killed tens of thousands of people, leading others to abandon the ruins. 

Gonur-Tepe contains at least 354 archaeological monuments, the majority of which have only recently been studied due to its isolated location in Turkmenistan. Unfortunately, archaeologists are in a quandary about what to do with the artifacts since they need such careful restoration and conservation. 

While it is encouraging to see such cooperation in archaeology recently, more cooperation is needed. We must ensure that these discoveries are not only shared with the general public, but also preserved in their home countries. Cultural heritage is vitally important. It gives humans a sense of unity and belonging and can give us insight into our shared human origins. 



Let's hope they continue working in unity to find a solution.

More Breaking News on Ancient Sumerian Site

The British team assigned to the site has described what was initially thought to be a large temple as being even larger than anticipated. It has been measured, so far, to be about the size of a football field.

It is extremely unusual to find complexes this old at this scale. Sources are describing the site as Ur’s “administrative center”, dating back at least 4,000 years.

While it’s still early, among some of the artifacts found was a 3 ½ inch clay plaque, depicting a worshiper dressed in a long fringed robe (as shown on the left).

The actual excavation of the site was started last month in a joint collaboration with British and Iraqi teams. There are more foreign teams being allowed in, and more information will soon be available.

Time will only tell what they will discover! I have been making arrangements to speak directly with the officials involved so I will update everyone on this discovery as details emerge.

Stay tuned…

The Real-Life Archaeology of Tolkien’s Ring

A cursed Roman ring believed to have been the inspiration for Tolkien’s hobbit ring is now on exhibition at The Vyne, a sixteenth-century home built for King Henry VIII’s Lord Chamerlain. 

The inscription on the ring speaks of a curse tablet that was actually discovered about 100 miles away at an iron-age site with ancient mine workings known as "The Dwarf's Hill".

The tablet reads a warning to potential thieves:

“Among those who bear the name of Senicianus to none grant health until he bring back the ring to the temple of Nodens.” 

But how are we to believe that this ring was the inspiration for Tolkien’s story?

Eight years before The Hobbit was published, archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler had contacted Tolkien about the ring and the curse. Wheeler sought Tolkien’s help in understanding the name of the god mentioned in the inscription.

It had been originally assumed that Tolkien's sources were mostly literary, but a closer look into his life and research is yielding newer information.

Quite a "Precious" find! ;)

Magnificent Lost Egyptian City Found Underwater

We really do live in a time of great discovery!

What has been called “The Gateway to Egypt”, the lost city of Thonis-Heracleion was an extravagant, pre-Alexandrian international trade hub in the first millennium BCE. The city had huge religious significance, as it housed the grand Temple of Amun. Hints of its location could only be found in ancient texts and rare inscriptions. Thonis-Heracleion had been considered a mere legend until only recently.

The city was called Thonis by the Egyptians and Heracleion by the Greeks, hence its current name. Anyone coming into the port had to stop and unloaded their cargo so it could be inspected and taxed by temple officials. Those who refused would have their ships deliberately sunk. To win favor, some would bring votives of Egyptian deities.

Similar to Pompeii, this is a civilization frozen in time. Evidence shows that this was a majestic and wealthy place of grandeur. The city’s population seemed to have peaked from the 6th to the 4th century BCE.

Amidst over 700 anchor points and over 60 beautifully preserved shipwrecks, they have recovered a trove of artifacts said to be in excellent condition. Retrieved material includes everything from colossal statues, inscripted tablets, architectural elements, jewelry, coins, bronze statuettes, pottery, and strange ritual objects. Most of the material depicts Egyptian deities Osiris, Isis, and Horus.

The city was discovered about 4 miles off the present coast, extending into the western side of Aboukir Bay. Excavations will continue in a joint effort between The Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology at the University of Oxford, the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology and Egypt’s Ministry of State for Antiquities. The results of this in-depth (no pun intended) research was recently presented at an international conference at the University of Oxford.

So what happened to this once glorious city? Evidence suggests that it sunk into the Mediterranean in the 8th century CE after multiple natural disasters, perhaps a deluge. There is no conclusive evidence yet, so for now, it remains a mystery.

Ancient Sumerian Temple Discovered

A buried temple-like structure near the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur (in modern day Iraq) has been found. It is believed to be at least 4000 years old. 

 The size of the structure is massive. The walls are nine feet thick, indicating that the building was of great importance. It’s a monumental complex with rows of rooms encircling a large courtyard. 

Using modern archaeological methods, researchers are testing soil samples to determine information about climate, agriculture, and possible uses for this building. 

 What makes this discovery so important is its location. At more than 10 miles from Ur, it is the first major archaeological find that far from the city center. It is also notable since foreign archaeologists have been banned from the area by the Iraqi government for political reasons many years. This is one of the first discoveries made since archaeologists have been allowed back into the area. 

 What more might they uncover?

Mystery Surrounding 1700 Year Old Tunic

About 2,000 meters (6,560 ft) above sea level on what was likely a Roman-era trade route in southern Norway, a thawing glacier revealed a rare find: a pre-Viking tunic, carbon dated at around 300 CE. It was made to be used as loose fitting outer garment for a man about 176 cms (5 ft 9 inches) tall.

The tunic is made of lamb's wool that has turned greenish-brown with age. There is evidence of a diamond pattern and several patches and repairs indicating it got a lot of use. Only a handful of similar tunics have been found in Europe to date.

Interestingly, there were many other artifacts found nearby including a wooden tent peg, various textiles with decorative shells, spear tips and arrows with ingenious design and even a horse shoe!

The researchers in Oslo are baffled by the tunic. Why would anyone take off a warm tunic by a glacier 6,560 feet above sea level?

So far, the only hypothesis offered is that the owner of the tunic was suffering hypothermia, causing him to feel deceptively warm and confused, leading him to take off his tunic and toss it into the glacier.

A good start, but it is still conjecture. What other reasons could there have been?