Welcome back, everybody!  This is Rick Pettigrew.  You’ve come to the right place to hear the latest weekly batch of top news stories that appeared on Archaeologica!  Send us feedback on The Archaeology Channel Facebook page or post a message on our social networking site, ArchaeoSeek!

A 3000-year-old burial in Japan turns out to contain the oldest known victim of shark attack.  DNA research on Tikal in Guatemala shows that the people of that influential ancient Maya city tended urban parks containing plants from the surrounding tropical forest.  And some surprising discoveries at Göbekli Tepe in Anatolia lead to the conclusion that starchy seeds were already a staple food before actual farming emerged.

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And now, here’s Laura Pettigrew with the Audio News from Archaeologica.  We hope you find this to be a valuable part of your day!

Welcome to the Audio News from Archaeologica!  I’m Laura Pettigrew, and these are the headlines in archaeological and historical news for the week of June 20th through the 26th, 2021

Our first story this week takes us to the Seto Inland Sea, off the coast of Japan, where a group of Oxford-led researchers have discovered the 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient shark attack victim. 

Their paper, to be published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, documents the earliest direct evidence for a shark attack on a human.

As reported by Heritage Daily, the research focused on the Japanese islands of Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, and began by analyzing the bones of hunter-gatherers for evidence of physical trauma.  

The remains of an adult male, referred to in the study as Individual 24, were previously excavated at the Tsukumo shell-mound cemetery site.  These bones displayed nearly 800 significant, serrated injuries across the arms, legs, front of the chest, and abdomen.

Researchers were initially puzzled as to why a body in such a condition would be buried at what is thought to be a community site if the injuries were the result of human conflict.  

After ruling out this possibility, as well as that of other more common animal predators or scavengers found in the area, the team examined another potential cause. 

The researchers worked with George Burgess, Director Emeritus of the Florida Program for Shark Research, and also referenced forensic evidence from more recent shark attack cases to determine the details of Individual 24’s demise.  

Using radiocarbon dating, the team concluded that the individual died sometime between 1370 and 1010 BC. 

Based on reconstructive comparison, researchers surmised that the wounds were consistent with a defensive struggle against either a tiger or a white shark.

The distribution of the wounds strongly suggests that the victim was alive at the time of attack, and had his left hand sheared off in the attack.  The team also believes that the body was recovered shortly after the attack and prepared for traditional burial. 

The man was buried missing his right leg, and his detached left leg was placed in an inverted position atop the rest of his body. 

Given the recovery of his body parts, it’s possible this ancient shark attack victim was fishing with other people who may have quickly recovered his body’s remains.

This discovery is an example of an especially rare finding in the archaeology world, and therefore gives unique insight into prehistoric life and customs in ancient Japan.

Our second story this week comes out of the ancient Maya city of Tikal, in northern Guatemala, where a new DNA research technique is being used on soil samples taken from ancient reservoirs.

The study was headed by Professor David Lentz, a paleoethnobotanist in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cincinnati.  

He and his team developed a new method to examine ancient plant DNA in the sediment of Tikal’s temple and palace water reservoirs.  

A paper on the findings was published in the journal, Scientific Reports.

Tikal was a flourishing seat of power and trade in Mesoamerica, with expansive infrastructure and public spaces to accommodate its estimated population of 40,000 to 62,000 people.  As originally published by Sci-News.com, DNA evidence collected from plants found here suggests the inhabitants carefully maintained the tropical forest plants surrounding their water reservoirs. 

Tikal was largely paved at its city center, which would have resulted in excess heat, particularly during the daytime.

The presence of lush forests would have been a welcome reprieve from such a cityscape during the dry season.  Professor Lentz noted that the areas may have been reserved for elite citizens, such as members of the royal family.

The research team was able to amplify small strands of DNA from chloroplasts, the plant structures where photosynthesis takes place.

Then they could match the ancient samples with the DNA of known plant species, in much the same way scientists amplify ribosomal DNA to identify species of bacteria.

They matched the samples from inside Tikal’s city boundaries with the DNA from current plant species in the surrounding wilderness. 

The team identified more than 30 species of trees, grasses, vines, and flowering plants that were cultivated along Tikal’s reservoirs.  It appears that the swath of land surrounding these reservoirs was intact native forest containing a diverse mix of vegetation. 

Researchers believe these wild areas of plants were similar to a modern-day park, with people perhaps using the areas as a cool place to relax and enjoy the outdoors.  

The people who lived here made an effort to establish and maintain these lush meridians within their city. 

Tikal was later struck with a series of droughts that likely devastated these spaces or made them impractical.  Many of the great Maya cities were simply abandoned, leaving more questions than answers about the fate of the ancient residents who built them.

Our final story this week brings us to the ruins of Göbekli Tepe [go-BECK-lee TEP -ay] in southern Turkey, where evidence suggests that ancient humans found ways to indulge in grains and beer even before the establishment of formal agriculture.  This site is well known as the location of the world’s oldest temple, dating to 11,600 years ago.  The presence of an elaborate temple with art works has long been a puzzle as it predates the formal development of farming in the Neolithic Period.

As originally published by Nature.com, researchers from the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin have been studying artifacts and structures at sites across this region.  

They have found evidence of cooking pits for animal meat as well as vats for porridge and stews made primarily of wild grains. 

Despite the fact that these ancient peoples left no signs of organized farming, the food remains point towards plants being an important dietary staple.

The researchers believe that this evidence shows that these people were already heavily reliant on gathered grain 12,000 years ago, much earlier than anticipated, and prior to the Neolithic Revolution.  They have used a variety of methods and techniques to develop this hypothesis, including examining microscopic marks on ancient tools and analyzing DNA residues inside cookware.

The pre-Neolithic reliance on grain is a groundbreaking hypothesis that could help to fill in gaps about the types of food that made up standard ancient diets.

Processing facilities that could grind up almost industrial-levels of milled grains were found as well, showing a relatively advanced technological ability tied to this food source..  

The discoveries included more than 10,000 grinding stones and nearly 650 carved stone platters and vessels.  Researchers say no other settlements in the Near East have nearly as many tools as these, making these discoveries truly remarkable for their time period. 

Archaeologists can sometimes tell when ancient people had developed farming capabilities based on an unusual amount of plants and grains in an area.  

The evidence at Göbekli Tepe suggests that the grains were wild, gathered by members of the community to be ground and prepared as meals.

Researchers have not only identified the types of grains consumed, such as einkorn wheat grains, but also have been able to determine the cooking methods used to prepare them.

Evidence of both bread and beer consumption are present at other sites across the Near East.  The hearty carbohydrates found in these types of foods apparently provided an important source of calories in the regional diet earlier than had been previously recognized. 

The findings show us that hunter-gatherers in what later became the Fertile Crescent likely ate a more balanced diet than originally thought, with a hearty mix of starchy seeds to go along wth meat and other food sources.  

That wraps up the news for this week!

For more stories and daily news updates, visit Archaeologica on the World Wide Web at www.archaeologica.org where all the news is history!

I’m Laura Pettigrew and I’ll see you next week!