Welcome back, everybody!  I’m Rick Pettigrew.  Get ready to hear about four fascinating news stories from this past week of Archaeologica.  Send us feedback on The Archaeology Channel Facebook page or post a message on our social networking site, ArchaeoSeek!

Our stories this time are about a LiDAR survey revealing a vast cultural landscape in Ecuador; extremely ancient poisoned arrowheads in southern Africa; a massive concentration of administrative clay markers in Iran; and a very rare but well preserved bronze battle trumpet from Britain’s Iron Age.

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And now, here’s Laura Kennedy, 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 Kennedy, and these are the headlines in archaeological and historical news for the week of January 4th through the 10th, 2026.  

Our first story this week takes us to northwestern Ecuador, where archaeologists have identified hundreds of previously unknown pre-Hispanic mounds, terraces and roadways hidden beneath dense rainforest.

As reported by the archaeology news site Heritage Daily, researchers from the Metropolitan Institute of Heritage, a municipal body in Quito, Ecuador, carried out an archaeological investigation in December 2025 in the Andean Chocó [cho-KOH] region, northwest of Quito.

Steep terrain and thick vegetation have long limited traditional archaeological surveys in this area.  To better document the landscape, the research team used LiDAR, which sends laser pulses through the forest canopy and records the shape of the ground surface below.

Before the survey, archaeologists believed the area contained around forty mounds and ten terraces.  Analysis of the LiDAR data revealed a much larger landscape, with more than two hundred mounds and over one hundred terraces spread across roughly six hundred hectares.

Based on associated material remains, archaeologists have attributed the features to the Yumbo culture, a pre-Hispanic society known to have occupied parts of the northwestern Andes.  The mapped landscape includes circular and rectangular earthworks connected by ancient roadways.  This pattern appears to reflect deliberate modification of the environment.

Field investigations also identified a sunken rectangular structure near the San Francisco River.  Its form resembles architectural elements documented at the Tulipe Archaeological Complex in nearby parishes of Gualea [gwah-LAY-ah] and Nanegalito [nah-neh-gah-LEE-toh].  This similarity may indicate shared building traditions and an understanding of water management.

The surveyed area represents only about two percent of the Andean Chocó, which covers more than two hundred eighty thousand hectares.  Based on current evidence, archaeologists suggest that similar features may exist across much larger portions of the region.

Researchers involved in the project emphasize that documenting these sites supports long term protection and preservation of the region’s archaeological landscape.

Our second story this week takes us to southeastern South Africa, where archaeologists have identified the earliest direct evidence of poisoned weapons used by early humans.

As reported by Science News, researchers analyzed five quartz arrowheads dated to about sixty thousand years ago.  The artifacts were recovered from the Umhlatuzana [oom-hlah-too-ZAH-nah] rock shelter in what is now South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal [kwah-ZOO-loo nah-TAHL] province.

Chemical analysis revealed traces of a poison made from a bulbous flowering plant known as gifbol, also called Boophone disticha [boo-FOH-nee dis-TEE-kah].  The plant was used until recent centuries by traditional hunters in southern Africa and is sometimes referred to as poisonous onion.

Before this research, the earliest known poisoned arrowheads were dated to less than seven thousand years ago.  The new findings extend the timeline for poisoned weapons by more than fifty thousand years.

South African archaeologist Jonathan Kaplan originally excavated the arrowheads in 1990.  To confirm the findings, researchers first used geochemical and magnetic analysis to verify the age of the sediment layer in which the artifacts were found.

They then applied gas chromatography mass spectrometry to search for chemical traces of plant-based toxins on the stone surfaces.  They compared the results with residues from poisoned arrows collected in southern Africa in the eighteenth century.

The researchers found traces of the same gifbol-based poison on both sets of weapons, despite the many tens of thousands of years separating them.  Based on current evidence, archaeologists cannot determine whether this method of poison use was passed down continuously or rediscovered independently over time.

The poison produced from gifbol is not immediately fatal.  Researchers suggest that hunters using it would have needed to plan carefully, track wounded animals, and allow time for the toxins to take effect.  This approach indicates a hunting strategy that relied on foresight rather than immediate force.

Although these early hunters would not have understood the chemical processes involved, the findings suggest they possessed practical knowledge that allowed them to identify toxic plants, extract their substances and apply them effectively.

The study appeared in the journal Science Advances.

Our third story this week takes us to western Iran, where archaeologists have recovered more than seven thousand ancient artifacts that point to a highly organized administrative center dating to about five thousand years ago.

As reported by the news site Greek Reporter, archaeologists working at the site of Tapeh Tyalineh [TAH-peh tee-ah-LEE-neh] uncovered evidence suggesting that it played a central role in recordkeeping, storage and regional exchange during the Early Bronze Age.  The site lies on fertile land near the Mereg River, a location that would have supported agricultural production and movement of goods.

Shokouh Khosravi [shoh-KOO khos-rah-VEE] of the University of Kurdistan led the excavations during two seasons of rescue archaeology carried out in 2023 and 2024.  The team recovered thousands of clay seal impressions, clay tokens, figurines, and both stamp and cylinder seals.  These objects appear to have been used to regulate access to storage areas and to mark containers such as jars and sacks.

To reach the archaeological deposits, researchers opened five trenches across the site.  Many of the artifacts came from sealed trash pits and mudbrick structures.  Layers of ash from ancient waste fires helped preserve the materials, including some clay items that were unbaked or only partially fired, suggesting that the burning was accidental rather than intentional.

More than two hundred distinct seal designs turned up among the impressions.  Similar designs are known from other Early Bronze Age sites across Iran and Mesopotamia.  This pattern suggests that Tapeh Tyalineh did not operate in isolations, but instead connected to a wider regional network..

The presence of both stamp seals and cylinder seals indicates that formal procedures regulated goods and facilities.  Some seals appear to have been reused on different types of containers and entryways, pointing to repeated administrative use.

The scale and variety of artifacts recovered at Tapeh Tyalineh exceed those documented at nearby sites from the same period.  The findings provide insight into how administrative systems developed in western Iran before writing became widespread.

The study appeared in the journal Antiquity.

Our final story this week takes us to eastern England, where archaeologists uncovered a rare group of Iron Age objects during a routine pre-construction excavation.

As reported by the British newspaper The Independent, the excavation took place on privately owned land in west Norfolk during planning work for new residential housing.  The heritage firm Pre-Construct Archaeology carried out the dig as part of the standard development process.

Among the discoveries was a near complete carnyx [KAR-niks], a bronze battle trumpet dating to about two thousand years ago.  Celtic groups used these instruments across Europe and designed them with animal-headed bells, often shaped like boars or other creatures.

The newly excavated carnyx is one of only three known examples from Britain and is among the most complete found anywhere in Europe.  Archaeologists also recovered a sheet-bronze boar’s head believed to have come from a military standard, five shield bosses and an iron object whose original function remains unclear.

To protect the fragile finds, the excavators removed the objects from the ground within a single block of soil.  Initial scanning revealed how the items were arranged, after which conservation specialists at Norfolk Museums Service carefully removed each object for preliminary examination.

Historic England is coordinating research and conservation efforts with Pre-Construct Archaeology, Norfolk Museums Service and the National Museum of Scotland, which is regarded as a leading authority on carnyces [KAR-ni-seez].

The objects are in a delicate condition and will require extensive stabilization work before detailed study can begin.  Their legal status remains undetermined and will be reviewed by a coroner early this year.  This will help decide their long term care and display.

Archaeologists say the discovery adds important detail to what is known about Iron Age Britain and the material culture associated with warfare and ritual. 

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!  Also, be sure to check out our growing subscription platform, Heritage Broadcasting Service, at heritagetac.org!

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