January 8, 2024

5,200 years of migrations from Mexico to California may be the origin of a mystery language

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-years-migrations-mexico-california-mystery.html

January 8, 2024

Discovery of ‘Calendar' Rock Carvings from Ancestral Pueblo in US Southwest Surpasses ‘Wildest Expectations’

https://www.newsweek.com/archaeologists-find-ancient-native-american-calendar-colorado-border-1852956

September 21, 2023

Scarlet Secrets: Scientists Uncover Ancient Breeding of Scarlet Macaws

Scitech Daily has the report here; https://scitechdaily.com/scarlet-secrets-scientists-uncover-ancient-breeding-of-scarlet-macaws/

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient North America News https://mikeruggerisancientnorthamerica.tumblr.com

May 10, 2023

Native Americans Conducted Large-Scale Copper Mining 6,000 Years Ago

ScientificAmerican has the report here; https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/native-americans-conducted-large-scale-copper-mining-6-000-years-ago/

May 10, 2023

Wichita State professor uncovers forgotten native nation that could ‘revolutionize’ history of the Great Plains

Wichita.edu has the report here;

https://www.wichita.edu/about/wsunews/news/2023/03-march/quivira_3.php?fbclid=IwAR08lU637CIqJdpso_JIFsW-exzO9r6sK7MlRrQOFXCboTCRQG703-c7Vjs

November 22, 2022

New Research on Parrots at Ancient Southwest Sites

Researchers led by a University of Texas at Austin team are finding out that thick billed parrots found at sites in the Southwest were captured locally and not all of them were imported from Mexico. They do not live in the US today due top habitat loss and hunting. They were abundant in the 1930’s in the Southwest from New Mexico to Arizona and northern Mexico. They live in pine forests. The researchers found that at the 10 sites where thick billed parrots have been found all had buildings made of pine timber. All had pine forests near by. They probably captured the parrots when they were gathering timber.

So the idea that all of the brightly colored parrots found in Southwest sites were from Mexico will change.

The research is published in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology.

Eurekalert has the report here: 

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/970678

October 21, 2022

The Great Serpent Mound and the Milky Way

Archaeologist Brad Lepper wrote an article about the influence of the Milky Way on the construction of Serpent Mound in Ohio for a special forum on cosmic influences on ancient construction. Serpent Mound represents the Great Serpent, Lord of the Underworld. 

In indigenous cultures, the Great Serpent is represented by the Milky Way. Ohio has two effigy mounds, the Serpent Mound and the “Alligator” mound which represents the Underwater Panther. Wisonsin has thousands of effigy mounds built between 700-1150 CE by the Effigy Mound Culture. 

 Brad and his colleagues believe Serpent Mound is three separate mounds representing two figures, the Great Serpent and First Woman who is represented as a wishbone shaped mound with an oval earthwork representing her spread legs and the jaws of the Serpent. The oval is The First Woman’s womb which is the portal through which the Sun sets in the evening. First Woman mated with the Great Serpent and acquired the Great Serpent’s powers of regeneration which she used to create all life. 

Serpent Mound was built in 1100 CE by the Fort Ancient Culture who were also influenced by the Mississippian civilization centered at the site of Cahokia in Illinois, 

 Brad Lepper is the Senior Archaeologist for the Ohio History Connection’s World Heritage Program 

 The forum articles are published in the Journal of Skyscape Archaeology

 Columbus Dispatch has Brad’s research here: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/columns/2022/09/15/look-up-for-another-view-of-ancient-mounds/69493331007/

October 21, 2022

Oldest Mounds Ever Built in North America Researched

Two grassy mounds located at Louisiana State University containing thousands of charred mammoth bones and with a cosmic alignment of both mounds towards a star are among 800 mounds of this type in Louisiana Sediment cores have been taken from the two mounds and they found layers of burned ash from reed and cane plants and burned bone fragments in the cores. 

Radiocarbon dating show that the mounds were built 11,000 years ago, and built up over thousands of years. The 11,000 years ago date places these mounds as the oldest ever built in North America. 8,200 years ago, the earlier southern mound was abandoned in a cold period in the Northern hemisphere which lasted 150 years. 7,500 years ago they built a second mound and reworked the abandoned mound 6,000 years ago. 

The mounds were aligned with the giant star Arcturus. 

 The research is published in the American Journal of Science by Yale University. 

 More information: Brooks B. Ellwood et al, The LSU campus mounds, with construction beginning at ∼11,000 BP, are the oldest known extant man-made structures in the Americas American Journal of Science (2022).  DOI: 10.2475/06.2022.02 PhysOrg has the report here: 

https://phys.org/news/2022-08-campus-mounds-oldest-human-made-north.html?fbclid=IwAR34EsPboxUDoDlpfQOIrFcGn57DSX166uvnsdOEudKWJNUNgJdTZXxr5Bs

October 21, 2022

Important Middle Woodland Canal in Ancient Alabama Analyzed

A mile long canal built for canoe travel by Native Americans between 576-650 CE connected the Gulf of Mexico to Oyster Bay and Little Lagoon in Alabama. They built dams at both ends of the canal to  guard against flooding of the canal. In the winter, canoes could traverse the distance to the Gulf. In the summer, it would have been a footpath through the forest. Middle Woodland villagers, living at Plash Island, probably built the canal to get to camps closer to the Gulf to process, smoke and dry fish and shell fish for preservation. They were not agriculturists so this was crucial to their survival. The canal would have also been a good conduit for long distance trade from Mobile Bay to the entire southeast. And there is no evidence for a chiefly elite during this time period. So an equalitarian effort was undertaken to build the canal and constantly clean the canal out and divvy up the water. The research was published in the Journal of Field Archaeology. The report is here at Smithsonian Magazine https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/archaeologists-dig-up-1400-year-old-native-american-canal-in-alabama-180980742/

August 5, 2022

New Research at the Mississippian Capital of Cahokia

Researchers using paleoenvironmental analysis at the giant Mississippian site of Cahokia in Illinois, which exploded into prominence at 1050 CE and thrived for 300 years, was thought to have had four large plazas on the north, south, east and west which surrounded the very large temple known as Monk’s Mound, have found that the north plaza was almost always underwater. Cahokia was built on a flood plain beneath the confluence of the Missouri and Illinois Rivers.

The north plaza is built at the lowest elevation of the site. Two creeks ran through it and it flooded when the Mississippi swelled after heavy rains. The research team extracted sediment cores at the north plaza, took soil samples and analyzed carbon isotope in the soil and found that the area was wet all year. Water was important to Cahokia since they grew wetland plants and traded up and down the Mississippi. Their religious vision would probably have included water in their creation stories.

The chief researcher, Caitlin Rankin, from the Illinois State Archaeological Survey wrote the research paper on this find.

The National Geographic Society and National Science Foundation supported this work.

To reach Caitlin Rankin, email [email protected]

The paper “The exceptional environmental setting of the north plaza, Cahokia Mounds, Illinois, USA” is available online and from the U. of I. News Bureau. DOI: 10.1080/00438243.2022.2077824

news.illinois.edu has the report here;

https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/626821378?fbclid=IwAR3472YzF2JyIer-3UE2IMz_oGFY6dRb-S8iGnpdmzSCIqKQprr3dD6vYu0#image-2

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Cahokia https://mikeruggerisancientcahokla.tumblr.com

May 22, 2022

3D Scans Reveal Largest Cave Art in North America

Researchers have found mud drawings in a limestone cave in Alabama mad by torchlight bearing artists 1000 years ago. This is not of the largest rock art creations in North America. 3D photogrammetry was used to reveal the art. 5,000 square feet of art has been revealed by researchers lying down inside the cave chamber to 3-D the art. The artists would have done the same. There are thousands of engravings. Now that this discovery has been made, there will probably be others found. 3D photogrammetry IS an emerging technology that creates three-dimensional models based on overlapping photographs. The researchers used a digital camera, LED lights, and a photo rig alternatively set up on the dry cave floor or in patches of knee-deep water. They found 16.000 images. Then it required uploading and processing each 50-megapixel photo into a larger 3D model. (The sheer amount of data “melted our first computer,” Alvarez says.) Many of the figures are life sized. A rattlesnake drawing was 11 feet long, the largest piece of cave art ever found. The drawing naked to the human eye date to 100 CE-1100 CE. This find shows that rock art in the Southwest was as large as rock art in the Southwest. Researchers will be racing to find more such cave art work using this new technique. Just touching the art work can erase it. National Geographic has the story here with many breathtaking photos; https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/3d-scans-reveal-largest-cave-art-in-north-america?rid=$%7BProfile.CustomerKey%7D&cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=Science_20220504

MAY 30, 2022

13,000-Year-Old Red Ocher Quarry Found in Wyoming

Researchers have found a red ochre (hematite) quarry in the Rocky Mountains, Wyoming. The mining is dated tt 12,480-12,505 years ago at the Powars II site. This mine is now the oldest hematite mine found in the Americas. Clovis points have been found there with other projects, tools and shell beads, animal bones and antlers. The site was mined for 1000 years. Some of the projected points came from as far away as Texas. The mined hematite found its way across North America. Further excavations are planned. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Spencer R. Pelton et al. 2022. In situ evidence for Paleoindian hematite quarrying at the Powars II site (48PL330), Wyoming. PNAS 119 (20): e2201005119; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2201005119 Sci-news has the report here: http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/powars-ii-red-ocher-quarry-10825.html

April 10, 2022

Hopewell Influence Stretches to the Great Plains

The Hopewell Interaction Sphere was a social network that stretched across across eastern North America from CE 1-400. Seashells, copper, and mica and other raw materials were traded within this network. People within the network adopted copper ear ornaments and drilled bear teeth as cultural symbols. Drilled bear teeth were found in a field in eastern Kansas similar to teeth in Hopewell sites in Ohio and Illinois.

Recently, these teeth have been studied. There are 14 teeth in the collection from Kansas and they were made into a necklace. They will research whether these belonged to Ohio bears, and perhaps a pilgrim from Kansas obtained them from a Hopewell site. If they are Kansas bears, perhaps the necklace was made in imitation of bear necklaces seen by a Kansas pilgrim at a Hopewell site. But the fact that these were found in the Great Plains shows the extent of Hopewell influence.

The great Brad Lepper reported on this in the Columbus Dispatch; https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/columns/2022/03/24/hopewell-influence-may-have-ranged-much-farther-west/7127569001/

October 12, 2021

Ancient Southwest Turkeys Research

Researchers studying the raising of turkeys in the Ancient Southwest found that turkeys were often penned in rooms like the room near Room 28 at Pueblo Bonito. Turkeys were also allowed free range tied to tethers for over 1,600 years in the Southwest and northwest Mexico. Turkeys were used for the creation of blankets, paints, tools, musical instruments, food, and art. They were fed maize and ate fresh range diets.

“The DNA of the Ancestral Pueblo domesticated turkey survives in some wild Merriam’s turkey populations within the Southwest. So, when you are hunting for turkeys in New Mexico, or simply experience them in the environment, there is likely an aspect of that turkey that is related to the birds, peoples, and experiences described in this research,” he noted, adding, “There is a direct connection between what we perceive as ‘wild’ turkeys within the environment today and their ancestors of the past who interacted with and were managed by Pueblo peoples. It makes this research important because it was the specific conditions in which Ancestral Pueblo peoples managed these birds that allowed for this current relationship.

Turkey Conrad, management of the ancient Pueblo Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo spp.), Journal of archaeological methods and theories (2021). DOI: 10.1007 / s10816-021-09531-9

Phys.org has the report here; https://phys.org/news/2021-09-delves-role-turkeys-ancestral-pueblo.html

October 12, 2021

Very Sophisticated Engineering 3.400 Years Ago At Poverty Point, Louisiana

Researchers at Washington University, St. Louis  have found that the inhabitants of Poverty Point in Louisiana 3,400 years ago were highly skilled engineers who could build massive earthen structures in months that lasted far into the future. Their earthworks have have held together for 3,000 years with no failure or erosion. They built 72 foot tall earthen mounds without modern tools, horses or wheels.

Using modern research methods: radiocarbon dating, microscopic analysis of soils and magnetic measurements of soils, the research provides conclusive evidence that the earthworks were built rapidly. Essentially, there is no evidence of boundaries or signs of weathering between the various levels, which would have occurred if there was even a brief pause in construction. This required a large labor force, organized and good leadership. These were hunter-gatherers coming together on a huge common goal. They mixed clay, silt and sand to avoid erosion due to being in a flood plain.

Phys.org has the report here; https://phys.org/news/2021-09-evidence-idea-america-civilization-sophisticated.html?fbclid=IwAR3EyIfBTDkjqNhq7_EMhAQ59cQyqPTiHKsxwvUDhq4Pt8qXUGRBho2zvC8

October 12, 2021

New Research on Ancient Southeast US Cave Art

In 1980, ancient cave art in the Southeast was found for the first time. The initial discovery was made in a cave near Knoxville, Tennessee. Since then, 92 dark-zone cave art sites have been discovered across the Mid-West and Eastern USA. The first cave art was named Mud Glyph Cave, and the art stretches back to 10,000-1000 BCE. The earliest are simple mostly abstract motifs, although some representational pictures have also been found there.

During the Woodland Period (1000 BCE-1000 CE) mythical creatures like bird-humans appear.

During the Mississippian Period (1000 CE-1500 CE) was the most prolific period with religious symbolism including spirits and mythical animals, and stories were being told.

Archaeologists are working with the present day Native Americans to discern the meanings of the art.

Archaeologists have divided south-eastern dark-zone cave art into three categories: mud glyphs, which are drawings traced into pliable mud surfaces preserved in caves; petroglyphs, which are drawings carved into the limestone of the cave walls; and pictographs, which are paintings on the cave walls, usually made with charcoal-based pigments. In some caves one can find two or even three of these categories.

Cherokee archaeologists, historians, and language experts have joined forces with archaeologists to translate these cave writings.

The dark-zone cave art is associated with death, transformation and renewal. They feature otherworldly characters, supernatural serpents and dogs that accompanied dead humans on the path of souls. The images are largely painted in black, a color associated with death.

https://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/20/us/tennessee-cave-art/index.html

https://news.utk.edu/2021/10/01/ancient-american-art-deep-within-caves-in-the-southeast/

October 13, 2021

Tobacco Use in Ancient Utah at 12,300 Years Ago

Researchers have found the oldest human use of tobacco at a US Air Force base in Utah. Four charred tobacco seeds show that inhabitants of this site were chewing tobacco 12,300 years ago, 9.000 years earlier than previously thought. The seeds were found in an open air camp with a hearth, animal bones and stone tools. The camp is called Wishbone site because hundreds of bones of water fowl were found there, the main food source for these inhabitants. The previous believed oldest tobacco find was in Alabama, where tobacco residue was found in a 3,300 year old smoking pipe. Tobacco would not have grown in the humid area where the seeds were found, so the seeds had to have been transported from elsewhere. The seeds found at Wishbone belong to Nicotiana attenuata, the species of wild tobacco with the highest content of nicotine, thus the tobacco was selected out. The people of Wishbone site belonged to the so-called Haskett culture. This was a stone tool complex that developed around 13,000 years ago The tobacco at Wishbone may have had ceremonial value, or enjoyed for the energy and focus that a stimulant such as nicotine could provide to exhausted hunter-gatherers. It’s also addictive, so in the end it would probably become part of your everyday life. The research is published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, Haaretz has the report here: https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium-a-12-000-year-old-addiction-archaeologists-identify-earliest-tobacco-use-by-humans-1.10284266?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=haaretz-news&utm_content=7aae743808&fbclid=IwAR0SYczduPc7_jMfLouYt9JLe_dE_iuZQwucqNwkT3anoKEG9QXpvzYjqw8