Ancient Origins Unleashed Debrief: Mad Aztec Whistles, Bonkers Egyptian Cocktails, even the Neanderthals were on the Glue!
Greetings the Unleashed!
The last two weeks have been quiet, but still I think there’s something for everyone on this week’s list.
From deciphering ancient recording systems to uncovering the chilling purpose of Aztec instruments, these articles will captivate your imagination and expand your knowledge. Here’s what’s in store in the editor’s picks…
A Step Closer to Reading the Inca Khipus Data Recording System
Unlock the mysteries of the ancient Andean khipus with new revelations about their use in record-keeping during the Inca Empire.Professor Finds First Physical Evidence Egyptians Drank Hallucinogenic Cocktails
Dive into the discovery of hallucinogenic residues in an ancient Egyptian Bes mug and their cultural significance.Gladiator II: Historians on the Fate of the Real Roman Royalty Featured in the Film
Explore the real history behind the cinematic sequel to Gladiator and how it aligns (or doesn’t) with historical records.Aztec Death Whistle Will Mess Up Your Mind, Study Reveals
Learn how the eerie sounds of Aztec death whistles affect the human brain, hinting at their chilling uses.65,000-year-old Neanderthal Glue Factory Discovered in Gibraltar
Marvel at the advanced technology of Neanderthals who crafted tar adhesives thousands of years before modern humans.Ship Wrecked in Norway’s Deepest Lake 700 Years Ago Reveals its Secrets
Uncover the story of a medieval cargo ship discovered in Lake Mjøsa and what it reveals about life in medieval Scandinavia.
Knot writing…or is it?
A Step Closer to Reading the Inca Khipus Data Recording System
For more than a millennium, many Andean peoples used an object called a “khipu” (also spelled “quipu” and pronounced “key-poo”) to record and communicate information.
Khipus were made with cords or strings with knots tied into them. And experts understand that many, but not all, of these knots were used to represent numbers.
In a new study published today, I make a numeric connection between two important khipus from history – the first being being the largest khipu ever known and the other one of the most complex.
What were khipus used for?
While khipus were used in earlier times, they were especially important to the Inca Empire, which lasted from around 1438 AD to 1532 AD (when the empire was conquered by the Spanish). Since the Inca did not leave any written records, khipus are understood to have been their main system of communication and record-keeping.
Khipus were commonly made from either cotton or fibers sourced from camelids (the group of animals that includes camels, llamas and alpacas). These materials could be dyed or left naturally colored. Some khipus even include plant fibers, while several incorporate human hair.
It seems specially-trained khipu makers (“khipukamayuqs”) made very deliberate decisions when constructing these record-keeping tools. These decisions related to the colors used, the direction of spin and ply of the cord fibers, the spacing and type of the cord attachments, and the structure and position of the knots.
Early Spanish chroniclers wrote about the khipu’s various numeric applications, which included recording storehouse inventories, population censuses and tax and tribute obligations.
Gotcha!
Professor Finds First Physical Evidence Egyptians Drank Hallucinogenic Cocktails
A University of South Florida professor found the first-ever physical evidence of hallucinogens in an Egyptian mug, validating written records and centuries-old myths of ancient Egyptian rituals and practices. Through advanced chemical analyses, Davide Tanasi examined one of the world’s few remaining Egyptian Bes mugs.
Such mugs, including the one donated to the Tampa Museum of Art in 1984, are decorated with the head of Bes, an ancient Egyptian god or guardian demon worshiped for protection, fertility, medicinal healing and magical purification. Published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, the study sheds light on an ancient Egyptian mystery: The secret of how Bes mugs were used about 2,000 years ago.
“There’s no research out there that has ever found what we found in this study,” Tanasi said.
“For the first time, we were able to identify all the chemical signatures of the components of the liquid concoction contained in the Tampa Museum of Art’s Bes mug, including the plants used by Egyptians, all of which have psychotropic and medicinal properties.”
The presence of Bes mugs in different contexts over a long period of time made it extremely difficult to speculate on their contents or roles in ancient Egyptian culture.
“For a very long time now, Egyptologists have been speculating what mugs with the head of Bes could have been used for, and for what kind of beverage, like sacred water, milk, wine or beer,” said Branko van Oppen, curator of Greek and Roman art at the Tampa Museum of Art. “Experts did not know if these mugs were used in daily life, for religious purposes or in magic rituals.”
Spoiler alert…it’s fiction
Gladiator II: Historians on the Fate of the Real Roman Royalty Featured in the Film
Twenty-four years after Gladiator, Ridley Scott has returned with a sweeping sequel to his epic tale. Thanks to cutting-edge CGI, Rome’s grandeur – and its downfall – have never looked so breathtaking.
Gladiator II picks up years after the original film, taking place during the reign of the co-emperors Caracalla (played by Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn) in the early 3rd century AD. The film follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus (protagonist of the first Gladiator movie). Now an adult, he’s been living in the ancient northwest African kingdom, Numidia, under the guise of a new identity to escape Roman politics.
When Roman forces, led by Tribun Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), invade Numidia, tragedy strikes. Lucius’s wife is killed and he is captured. Purchased as a slave by the Roman Macrinus (portrayed masterfully by Denzel Washington), Lucius is transported to Rome. There he is forced into the brutal world of gladiatorial combat, fighting to bring his captor profit in the arena.
But which of these characters were based on real ancient people – and how far did their fates match the arc they have in Scott’s sequel?
In a good way?
Aztec Death Whistle Will Mess Up Your Mind, Study Reveals
One of the most remarkable ancient musical instruments ever discovered is the so-called Aztec death whistle. Newly published research seems to confirm the correctness of the ‘death whistle’ label, as it turns out these whistles create sounds that would be at home on the soundtrack of any good horror movie, based on the way they are perceived by the human brain—which is as frightening, and possibly extremely so depending on the circumstances.
The Screaming Whistle and its Chilling Impact
Found inside the graves of sacrificial victims and other deceased people in Aztec burial grounds, these small, skull-shaped wind instruments produce a haunting and eerie sound that is at least somewhat reminiscent of a human scream (when blown forcefully).
There has been ongoing debate about the true purpose of these whistles, for the dead as well as for the living. In a new study just published in the journal Communications Psychology, a team of researchers from the Cognitive and Affective Neurosciences Unit at the University of Zurich in Switzerland decided to explore a somewhat different but related question. They were interested in learning how the human brain reacts to the otherworldly, high-pitched, wind-like sounds produced by these unique whistles, information which could make it easier to figure out how they were used.
For the purposes of their research, the Swiss scientists recruited volunteers who were asked to listen to Aztec whistles being blown while their brain activity was being monitored. The results of this research proved most enlightening, as the scientists discovered that these haunting instruments produced sounds that listeners experienced as unpleasant and even frightening.
65,000-year-old Neanderthal Glue Factory Discovered in Gibraltar
A recent discovery in Gibraltar has unveiled one of the most advanced manufacturing sites of the ancient world: a Neanderthal tar distillation oven dating back 65,000 years. Hidden in Vanguard Cave, part of the UNESCO-listed Gorham’s Cave Complex, this find offers compelling evidence of the technological prowess of our ancient cousins.
Led by the University of Murcia, the research team uncovered a specialized hearth structure where Neanderthals processed tar from resin-rich plants like rockrose (Cistaceae), reports Phys.org. The tar, used as an adhesive to bind stone tools to wooden handles, represents a remarkable innovation that predates similar techniques by modern humans by over 100,000 years.
Evidence of Complex Fire Use
The study, published in Quaternary Science Reviews, analyzed a unique hearth pit structure at the cave site. It featured a central fire area flanked by two trenches and was covered with a seal made of guano and sand to create a low-oxygen environment essential for tar production. This deliberate construction suggests a high degree of planning and an understanding of fire manipulation.
Organic geochemical analysis detected compounds such as levoglucosan and retene, indicative of burning resinous plants, and lipid biomarkers from rockrose leaves. Charcoal from the site further supported controlled low-temperature combustion, essential for extracting tar without burning the plant material entirely.
Micromorphological analysis of the hearth revealed no evidence of heating above 500°C, consistent with low-oxygen, low-temperature conditions. Surrounding sediments lacked pollen, while the hearth contained abundant grains, suggesting that Neanderthals deliberately added specific plants to the fire.
Ship Wrecked in Norway’s Deepest Lake 700 Years Ago Reveals its Secrets
A ship that sunk in Norway’s deepest lake several centuries ago has been identified as a føringsbåt, a type of boat that was used to haul cargo and passengers between 1300 and 1900 AD. These particular vessels were actually built specifically to cross Lake Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake (73 miles or 117 kilometers long), and have been used for that purpose since medieval times.
The 33-foot (10-meter) medieval boat was first spotted on the bottom of the lake at a depth of approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) in 2022. This was an accidental result of a sonar search undertaken by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), which was designed to find munitions that had been dumped in the lake during World War II.
Unfortunately, the scientists responsible for this exciting discovery were only able to return to get a good look at the wreck this past October, which is why until now it had been considered a mystery ship.
When the wreck of this unknown ship was first discovered and explored, this was done through the use of an autonomous underwater vehicle that was in the possession of the Norwegian armed forces. This second time around researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology deployed a similar vehicle, although this one was remotely operated by NTNU scientists who could direct it to wherever they liked.
Until next time… try and keep it together…
Gary Manners - Senior Editor, Ancient Origins