Archeology - Tumblr Posts
This is legitimately so amazing- it warms my cold dead archaeologist heart
“We don’t just have a skeleton,” said one of the nodosaur researchers involved. “We have a dinosaur as it would have been.”
Known as a nodosaur, this 110 million-year-old, armored plant-eater is the best preserved fossil of its kind ever found.
Source | Source
A painted plaster wall taken from Pompeii. The decoration is in “carpet” style. Within the lozenges alternate human figures, birds, discs, and corollas.
hi did you know that ancient mesopotamians buried their dead under the floors of their own houses to always be close to them? i can't write a poem about this but by god i will write a master's thesis
(via leacky (成都人@東京)さんはTwitterを使っています: 「かわいいものを見せるね 新石器時代(約6000年前)の豚の陶缶 (´･ω･`) 南京博物院蔵 https://t.co/ku3Zs0ZOmd」 / Twitter)
The Lost City by Michael Anderson on Flickr.Machu Picchu, Peru.
Llactapata inca ruins on the way to Machu Picchu, Peru
𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐲
The Legend of [Y/n]
(supernatural horror story)
Summary: Y/N finds themselves pursued by a nameless terror after stumbling upon an ancient artifact. They flee through a dense and menacing forest, desperately trying to escape their pursuer.
Warnings: Suspense, Supernatural, Implied Violence
[Y/N]'s heart pounded in their chest as they sprinted through the dense forest. The moon's pale light barely penetrated the thick canopy above, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance among the trees. They could hear their ragged breaths mingling with the sounds of their pursuer, echoing ominously through the night.
Their skin, a canvas of diverse hues, glistened with sweat, and their wild, curly hair whipped against their face as they ran. Fear coursed through their veins, driving them forward, desperate to escape the nameless terror that lurked behind them. But no matter how fast they ran, it seemed to be closing in, its presence growing stronger with each passing moment.
[Y/N]'s mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. It all started when they stumbled upon an ancient artifact during an archaeological excavation. The moment they touched it, an otherworldly darkness enveloped them, filling their mind with images of unspeakable horrors. And now, they were paying the price for their curiosity.
Branches tore at their clothes, leaving scratches on their exposed skin. The forest itself seemed to conspire against them, twisting and shifting its layout, making it impossible for them to find their way out. Each turn they took only led them deeper into the heart of the sinister woods, trapping them within its clutches.
[Y/N]'s breath hitched as they stumbled upon a small clearing. In the center stood a gnarled, ancient tree, its twisted branches reaching out like skeletal fingers towards the heavens. They could feel an oppressive energy emanating from it, as if it were a gateway to a realm of unspeakable terror.
Just as they were about to turn and flee in the opposite direction, a cold gust of wind swept through the clearing, extinguishing the flickering light of their hope. The woods fell into a deafening silence, a prelude to something far more menacing. The ground beneath them trembled, and the air grew thick with an otherworldly presence.
[Y/N] turned slowly, their heart heavy with resignation. And there it was, standing just beyond the edge of the clearing—a shadowy figure, tall and menacing. Its form seemed to flicker and warp, never fully revealing itself. But its eyes, glowing with an unholy light, pierced through the darkness, fixating on [Y/N].
The figure began to advance, gliding effortlessly through the forest. [Y/N]'s legs turned to jelly as they tried to move, but their body refused to obey. The terror that had pursued them finally caught up, trapping them within its clutches. It whispered their name, a haunting melody that sent shivers down their spine.
With each step, the figure grew closer, its presence suffocating. [Y/N]'s mind screamed for escape, but their body remained frozen, a prisoner to their own fear. And as the figure loomed over them, they realized the chilling truth—there was no running from the darkness that had been unleashed.
The forest swallowed [Y/N], their desperate cries silenced by the night. Their story became another whispered legend, a cautionary tale for those who dared to wander into the unknown. The trees whispered their name, a mournful lament that echoed through the endless night, forever reminding those who heard it of the horrors that lie within the shadows.
However, as [Y/N]'s consciousness faded, a glimmer of determination sparked within them. They refused to succumb entirely to the darkness. With all their strength, they fought against the suffocating grip, struggling to break free.
In the depths of their mind, a memory surfaced—a fragment of the ancient artifact they had touched. It held a clue, a piece of forgotten knowledge that might hold the key to their salvation. Drawing upon their resilience, [Y/N] tapped into their inner strength, refusing to surrender to the encroaching darkness. With a surge of determination, they summoned the memory of the artifact—the symbols etched upon its surface, the whispers of forgotten incantations.
As the figure drew nearer, its menacing presence threatening to consume them, [Y/N] focused their mind. They recited the cryptic words that had once echoed within their thoughts, their voice a shaky but resolute chant.
To their surprise, a faint shimmer of light enveloped their body, shielding them from the malevolent force. The figure recoiled, momentarily stunned by this unexpected turn of events. It hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed.
[Y/N] seized the opportunity and, mustering every ounce of courage, willed their legs to move. Step by step, they inched away from the menacing figure, navigating the twisted forest with newfound determination. The dark woods seemed to yield to their unwavering resolve, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.
The shadows writhed and contorted, desperate to reclaim their prey. But [Y/N] pressed on, guided by a faint glimmer of light that beckoned them forward. It led them deeper into the heart of the forest, towards an ancient stone altar nestled amidst the trees.
With cautious steps, [Y/N] approached the mystical altar, feeling its power resonate within their core. The symbols engraved upon its surface seemed to pulse with an ethereal energy, as if waiting for the touch of destiny.
Driven by an inexplicable intuition, [Y/N] placed their trembling hand upon the altar. A surge of ancient energy surged through their veins, filling them with renewed strength and clarity. The darkness that had pursued them recoiled, unable to breach the protective barrier now emanating from [Y/N].
A blinding burst of light erupted from the altar, illuminating the surrounding forest and banishing the encroaching darkness. The figure, once imposing and formidable, now stood weakened, its malevolence fading into nothingness.
As the light subsided, [Y/N] found themselves standing in the midst of a transformed forest. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, replaced by a sense of tranquility and awe-inspiring beauty. The trees, once twisted and menacing, stood tall and majestic, their leaves shimmering with newfound life.
With gratitude and relief washing over them, [Y/N] realized that they had triumphed over the darkness that had sought to consume them. Their resilience, coupled with the forgotten power of the artifact, had set them free from its clutches.
As they emerged from the forest, their heart filled with a renewed sense of purpose. The tale of their harrowing encounter would be shared, cautioning others to tread carefully, but also inspiring them with the reminder that even in the face of overwhelming darkness, strength and resilience can prevail.
From that day forward, [Y/N] became a symbol of courage, an embodiment of the triumph of light over darkness. Their name echoed through the ages, forever etched in the annals of those who dared to face their deepest fears and emerge victorious.
And as they walked away from the forest, head held high, [Y/N] carried with them a newfound appreciation for the power within, ready to face any challenge that lay ahead. For they knew that no matter how formidable the darkness may appear, the light of resilience and determination would always prevail.
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Hidden in the jungle, the mayan ruins of Yaxchilan, Chiapas / Mexico
About the Pantheon in Rome, Italy…
The Pantheon in Rome
The Pantheon in Rome, now a church, was built as a temple to all the gods. It has been a shrine for architects since the Renaissance. It is also a worthy tribute to the skills of the ancient Roman masons and engineers who built it and the incredible alchemy of their concrete mix.
If there Was a competition to find the most durable and beautiful concrete structure ever built, the Pantheon in Rome would most surely win the prize. It also stands as a monument to the genius of Roman concrete.
Commissioned by Hadrian (who was emperor 117-138 CE) as a temple to all the gods, the Pantheon replaced Agrippa’s earlier temple following a fire. It is still the most visited site in Italy, having weathered centuries of tourists, floods, wars and earthquakes.
Its huge concrete dome – 43.4m in diameter and 21.75m high – was unrivalled in size until the building of Florence Cathedral in the 1400s, and is still the largest ever made with unsupported concrete.
“The mastery of building something so daring and having the structure resist essentially without any structural support for more than 19 centuries is simply extraordinary,” says Renato Perucchio, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Archaeology, Technology, and Historical Structures Programme at the University of Rochester in the US.
So how did the Romans do it, what were the secrets of their concrete recipe and what lessons can architects and civil engineers learn from its construction today?
As every builder knows, foundations are everything. One of the most overlooked aspects of the Patheon’s remarkable construction lies below its famous dome. Although Rome is not on one of Italy’s major seismic zones, it has known earthquakes. Many historians believe seismic activity caused damage to the Colosseum. Moreover, until some of the River Tiber’s tributaries were buried in the late 19th century, it was also subject to major flooding.
The foundations of the Pantheon were made of concrete, originally 4.7m deep and 7.3m thick. During construction, however, they cracked due to the marshy, clay land below. “For this reason, a second reinforcement ring was built, projecting three metres beyond the original perimeter,” according to the Archeoroma website. Thick buttress walls were also built to the south of the building anchored to the Basilica of Neptune next door. “This had the effect of stabilising the structure by counterbalancing the forces and weights at either end of it,” Archeoroma writes.
Romans did not invent concrete. It had already been around for hundreds of years before the Pantheon was built.
Curiously that accolade probably goes to the Nabatean Bedouin tribes of the land that is today southern Syria and northern Jordan, who were using it to create hidden underground water cisterns around 700BC.
The basic concrete recipe the Romans followed can be found in the Roman architect Vitruvius’s book ‘De Architectura’, published 100 years before the building of the Pantheon. He described how to make concrete out of lime and pozzolana sand, a type of volcanic ash found near Naples, all mixed with stone mass.
Different aggregates were used to give the concrete diverse densities. Travertine limestone gave the Pantheon’s foundations a density of 2,200kg per cubic metre, while lighter rock was chosen for the dome.
Pozzolans, made of siliceous and aluminous materials, possess little or no cementitious value, but when mixed with water, react chemically with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperature to form cementitious compounds.
It was the chemistry of this material that formed the basis of the durability of the dome, enabling it to survive two millennia without the steel tension rods used today.
Indeed, the Romans understood that the bigger the structure, the stronger it was, because the simplest way to keep concrete in compression is to put heavy stuff on top of it, like more concrete.
It is a trick still used today. Many large concrete dams are either gravity or arch structures that rely on their own weight and geometry to withstand water.
However, the circular structure of the dome meant that before the ancient engineers could start making its concrete ceiling, they needed to figure out how to direct the weight away from the centre. If they didn’t, and removed the wooden structure holding it in place, the 3,000 tonnes of concrete used to make the dome would have pushed outwards and the whole edifice would have collapsed under its own weight.
Even the kind of scaffolding framework used to support such a framework is still under discussion. “Think of the design of the scaffolding that holds a structure of that weight,” says Perucchio. “They [the ancient Romans] had a high mastery in using timber framing in a way that no other earlier cultures had developed.”
Today when we build in concrete, we introduce a steel tension rod which picks up half of the stresses in the concrete. The Romans used their ancient concrete recipe, and an abundance of highly skilled artisan labour, who tamped the stiff mixture into moulds and walls, rather than pouring it as is done today.
To build the dome, the Roman builders constructed a solid base, a wall six metres thick in the shape of a rotunda, to act as the foundation for the ceiling. They then used the vertical walls on either side to buttress the dome itself.
As the ceiling rose towards its apex, the master craftsmen mixed increasingly lighter aggregate materials into the concrete.
This principle of using different weights of aggregate goes from the heavy travertine used in the base right up to the top of the dome.
“It doesn’t look like it from the inside but on the outside it’s a very thick dome, but relatively light,” says Norbert Delatte, head of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Oklahoma State University.
In some parts, the ancient builders mixed in small clay vases, called amphorae, to control the weight.
The aggregate of the concrete used to make the upper dome region consists of alternating layers of light tuff, found in abundance north of Rome, and pumice stone, the material we use today to file off rough skin. The concrete substance at the top of the dome had a density of just 1,350kg per cubic metre.
To make the ceiling even lighter, masons moulded recessed concrete waffle-like panel bricks called coffers; five layers of these bricks formed the interior ceiling. They pounded the concrete into the moulds using some kind of tamper, most likely made of wood or iron.
This meant that aesthetically, they had allowed an area of the dome to be decorated while simultaneously reducing the amount of concrete necessary for the dome itself.
At the top, the Pantheon’s crowning glory is an open oculus, 7.8m in diameter, which allowed light to shine in, adding to the sense of wonderment the building still incites today. But most importantly, it meant the apex of the dome was made of the lightest material of all, air.
Today, engineers all over the world are looking at the chemical properties of Roman concrete to see if it can be reproduced today to make buildings that last longer. Although the basic ingredients were set out by Vetruvius, modern measuring technologies are making it easier to ascertain the exact chemical properties from just small samples of material.
Yet the clever use of engineering and the unique Roman concrete material is not the only reason this enduring temple to all the gods is still there to inspire awe today. History also played a role in its staying power. The event that probably most ensured its long destiny happened in 609 AD, nearly 400 years after it was built.
The Emperor Phocas, the Byzantine emperor in the east, gave the Pantheon to the Catholic Church in Rome. The Vatican has used it as a place of worship ever since, while its formidable structure also still serves a shrine for architects and engineers the world over.
By Hilary Clarke.
Please please please read this!! Donate if you can, reblog to signal boost!
One of my coworkers was telling me that they had seen these really cute trilobite plushies at another gift shop and recommended them to the store manager at our museum, which lead to us scrolling through the manufacturer's website together on shift today and SHRIEKING with laughter at the exact same moment when we simultaneously noticed that they sell a giant $100 eurypterid body pillow
This is what hieroglyphs and figures in ancient Egyptian temples looked like before their colors faded. They were recreated using a polychromatic light following thorough research
I don't know who needs to hear this today but;
Your gods don't hate you.
Emperor Hadrian
Antalya Archeology Museum
Source: dantesse, 2022
Archeology For The Extremely Immature: Herm at Stoa of Attalos, Athens
I really want a romantasy book between an archeologist girl and fae guy, because it makes the most sense why she would fall for a guy that’s 5 times her age. You know because archeologists love old stuff and I would totally get why she would be interested in him when they first met.