Welcome back, everybody!  This is Rick Pettigrew.  Here we go with the latest batch of top news stories that appeared this past week on Archaeologica!  Send us feedback on The Archaeology Channel Facebook page or post a message on our social networking site, ArchaeoSeek!

A study of stone tools from a half-million-year-old site in Israel suggests that early humans treated older tools as heirlooms.  An Iron Age site in Israel apparently changed its source of income as a result of geopolitics.  Scottish archaeologists are excited about finding a rare Pictish symbol stone.  And Mexican archaeologists have decoded the Zapotec writing on a building in ancient Monte Albán.

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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 March 6th through the 12th, 2022.

Our first story this week brings us to Tel Aviv, Israel, where researchers at Tel Aviv University uncovered evidence that prehistoric humans may have had emotional connections to the tools and possessions of their ancestors. 

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, the team studied 49 flint tools from the 500,000-year-old prehistoric site of Revadim [ ray-va-DEEM ], in southern Israel, which revealed that many of the tools had been through two life cycles.  This discovery suggests that they had been recycled for some reason after their original user had tossed them away.

According to the study, the tools featured two layers of patina—a chemical coating which forms on flint when it is exposed to the elements for a long period of time.  The layers of patina take many years to form, and researchers found that a significant amount of time had passed between uses.  However, they are unable to determine exactly how long the gap in use was. 

By analyzing the patina formed during the recycled utilization of the tools, as well as the wear around their edges via microscopic examination and chemical evaluation, it became apparent that the tools were used very minimally the second time around.  

Analysis of the way edges were chipped during the first use of the tools indicated that they were utilized primarily for cutting, it was determined the second use was applied to less destructive tasks, such as scraping soft materials like leather. 

For this reason, the team determined that prehistoric peoples may have recycled a discarded tool for emotional, sentimental or spiritual reasons.  In their view, the tools were likely collected in a more ritual manner, rather than due to an actual need to use the tool. 

Not unlike antique objects today in the manner collectors treat them, these items were not necessarily related to individuals they knew or remembered.  However, a prehistoric collector may have felt that an item was a valuable connection to their predecessors and that it was worthy of preservation. 

The Revadim site is rich in prehistoric objects that very likely have much more to tell us about ancient people’s complex relationships to these items. 

The study appears in the journal Scientific Reports, published by Nature.

Our next story takes us to a different site in southern Israel, Tel Burna, where the discovery of a large concentration of linseeds gives insight into the political importance and influence of ancient agricultural practices.  Tel Burna is thought to be the probable location of the ancient biblical city of Libnah.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, many crop species have been found in the region.  However, while the economy was previously based mainly on liquid products like olive oil and wine, it later became more reliant on linen because of the fabric’s importance to surrounding ancient societies. 

Linen played a major role in the region, according to archaeological and Biblical evidence.  This included being used in the robes of temple priests, the curtains of the Tabernacle, burial shrouds for New Testament martyrs, and in mummification practices in Ancient Egypt. 

At the site, researchers found loom weights, which likely reflects the use of the flax not just for oil but also for textiles. 

In the late 8th century BC, the Assyrian King Sennacherib [sen-AH-ker-ib] led a military campaign against the ancient region of Judah, claiming to destroy 46 cities there.  As a result of the assault, the king gave parts of Judah to the Philistines.  

In the 7th century BC, the Philistine city of Ekron became the largest oil producer for the entire Assyrian empire. 

Because Ekron was so dominant in oil production, it's likely the ancient people of Libnah were forced to modify their agricultural practices to center their economy on grain production rather than oil. 

Researchers also found traces of other crops from the Iron Age period which included barley, several varieties of wheat, lentils, beans, and a small legume called bitter vetch that is primarily used as animal feed.  Additional crops included grapes, olives, figs, and pomegranates.

An effort to determine which flax crops were used for oil and which were used for textile production is still underway.  At present, the evidence is about equal between the two. 

According to researcher Andrea Orendi, from the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, Germany, the larger seeds were usually used in oil production while the smaller seeds were used for fiber production, namely linen textiles. 

Our third story takes us to Scotland, where the discovery of a Pictish stone provides greater insight into the origins of modern-day Scotland and the Scottish people. 

As reported by The Scotsman, a rare Pictish symbol stone was found near the site of a significant battle that is believed to be a foundational event in the formation of Scotland. 

The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.

The 7th Century Battle of Nechtansmere ended when the Pictish ruler—King Bridei Mac Bili—defeated Anglo-Saxon King Ecgfrith.  The victory stopped the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms from expanding farther to the north.

The stone was found in a farmer’s field at Aberlemno, near Forfar, an area known for strong Pictish evidence including many standing stones.  It dates to about a century before the major battle.  It features a symbol of multiple circles and lines consistent with the other symbol stones. 

The stone was built into the paving of a large 11th or 12th century building, where other examples of prehistoric rock art have also been uncovered.  This building also seems to lie directly on top of another settlement with parts that likely also date back to the Pictish period.

According to Professor Gordon Noble, head of archaeology at Aberdeen University, the rare stone, along with evidence that this site was occupied for so long by the Picts, will offer new insights into this significant time period and culture in the history of Scotland.

The stone is one of only 200 known Pictish symbol stones.  Researchers from the University of Aberdeen expect to examine it much further. 

Our final story this week brings us to Mexico, where a limestone and stucco relief displays one of the longest existing examples of Zapotec writing at Monte Albán [al-BAWN] in the Oaxaca (wa-HA-ka) Valley. 

As reported in Smithsonian Magazine, researchers with Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History uncovered and decoded an ancient frieze, which is a broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration, usually found on walls near the ceiling or roof. 

This frieze comprises a significant amount of Zapotec writing.   It was originally discovered in 2018, located in a complex called Casa del Sur—within the ancient archaeological site of Atzompa (aht-ZOHM-pa) in Monte Albán.

Monte Albán is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dating between 500 BC and AD 900.   The area was inhabited by the Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs [MISH-teks]over the course of about 1500 years.  

According to Heritage Daily, Atzompa was built between AD 650 and 850 as a satellite city to Monte Albán, as the Zapotec civilization expanded in the region,.

The recently interpreted frieze is nearly 50 feet long and depicts glyphs including a quetzal [KET-zal] bird, monkeys, jaguars, and supernatural protective figures—reflecting beliefs of both the Mixtec and Zapotec, two of Mexico’s largest indigenous groups.

Researchers discovered both figurative and numerical illustrations of the Mixtec calendar’s Year of the Lizard, as well as the quincunx [KWIN-kunks]—a geometric design representing the four directions and the center of the universe.

It’s likely the original frieze was around 100 feet long and decorated the main façade of the complex.  It was in a prominent location and was probably intended to depict messages of power or spark discourse. 

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!