Unleashed Debrief: Merlin’s Grave, A Bunch of Troglodytes and Clovis Campers
Ancient Origins Unleashed Debrief
Greetings the Unleashed!
Cave living seems to be a strong theme in the articles this week, so I’m going to go with it.
I’ve been in a few deep caves, and I must say, the idea of living in one doesn’t particularly appeal. They’re dark, dank, rocky, scratchy and humid places. Not to mention the constant fear of getting lost, or, the thought that even though they have sat still for hundreds of years, today is the day that the earth moves and rocks come tumbling down, to crush you or simply lock you in a chamber for the rest of your severely shortened life.
On the plus side, they do offer a high chance of getting some peace and quiet, as generally not even phone or GPS signals bother venturing in them, so one can understand why it was the hermits home of choice.
But I have had the luxury of comfortable modern living to soften me up. Compared to the harsh realities of the great outdoors (or great out-of-cave-entrances), I guess they do have the benefit of offering protection both from predators and harsh climates.
But I wonder how many people did actually live in caves? Was the prehistoric world really populated by ‘cavemen’ in the past? Surely there are not enough caves to go round. There must have been a housing crisis if there was no alternative accommodation. Let’s find out shall we.
Evidence in the shape of tools and weapons, animal and human bones and hearths all indicate when a cave has had people (or other hominins) living in it. Famous examples include Denisova Cave in Siberia, with its now very famous inhabitants, Lascaux Cave in France and Altamira Cave in Spain whose wonderful artwork indicate habitation in the 20,000 years and 36,000 year ago range respectively.
From evidence of habitation running over 70,000 years ago in Blonobos in South Africa to the Homo erectus occupation of ‘Peking Man’ Cave in Beijing, there is evidence that caves were popular accommodation choice throughout the ages.
However, other shelters would also have been taken advantage of, such as trees and forests, and even constructed shelters have been used for hundreds of thousands of years, with the earliest known built by Homo heidelbergensis over 400,000 years ago, discovered in Terra Amata, France.
So although caves were popular, many other forms of shelter were adopted, adapted and even constructed by hominins over the ages.
Well, as is discussed in the article below, in Sardinia there was a whole village built in a cave around 2,500 years ago, which must have been a throbbing metropolis for the time.
A bridge built in the Genovesa Cave, in Mallorca has just been dated to 6,000 years ago, showing occupation on the island goes back to at least then.
Who knows what they will find down in the massive void that has been detected under the church at Mitla in Mexico.
And then there are the 13,000 Clovis campers of Michigan…who knew camping was nothing new!
So here are the editor’s picks of some of the great finds recently…
Village people…
The Magic of Tiscali, the Nuragic Village Hidden in a Cave
Sardinia is an island nation with a unique character and intriguing history. And nestled within its rugged terrain lies the Nuragic village of Tiscali, a valuable testament to the island's rich prehistoric past. Unlike the more familiar Nuragic towers or nuraghes that dot the Sardinian landscape, Tiscali offers a unique and somewhat enigmatic glimpse into the lives of the Nuragic people. Hidden within a limestone cave at the summit of Mount Tiscali, this archaeological site challenges our understanding of ancient Sardinian civilizations, offering a rare blend of natural and human history that continues to captivate researchers and visitors alike.
Tiscali is Hidden from View - But Why?
Tiscali was first discovered in the early 20th century, but its true significance wasn't fully appreciated until later archaeological explorations began. Located in the Oliena-Dorgali region, the village is perched atop Mount Tiscali, which is part of the Supramonte mountain range in central-eastern Sardinia.
What makes this village particularly fascinating is its concealment within a collapsed doline - a sinkhole that opens into a large cavern. This natural fortress-like environment provided the inhabitants with a hidden sanctuary, protected from the prying eyes of outsiders. The site is accessible only by a challenging 4-hour hike, further underscoring its isolation and the deliberate choice of its location by the Nuragic people.
Troubled waters…
Submerged Ancient Bridge Discovered in a Spanish Cave Changes Timeline
A new study led by the University of South Florida has shed light on the human colonization of the western Mediterranean, revealing that humans settled there much earlier than previously believed. This research, detailed in a recent issue of the journal, Communications Earth & Environment, challenges long-held assumptions and narrows the gap between the settlement timelines of islands throughout the Mediterranean region.
Rare Evidence of Human Settlement
Reconstructing early human colonization on Mediterranean islands is challenging due to limited archaeological evidence. By studying a 25-foot (7.6 meter) submerged bridge, an interdisciplinary research team – led by USF geology Professor Bogdan Onac – was able to provide compelling evidence of earlier human activity inside Genovesa Cave, located in the Spanish island of Mallorca.
Onac said:
"The presence of this submerged bridge and other artifacts indicates a sophisticated level of activity, implying that early settlers recognized the cave's water resources and strategically built infrastructure to navigate it.”
The cave, located near Mallorca’s coast, has passages now flooded due to rising sea levels, with distinct calcite encrustations forming during periods of high sea level. These formations, along with a light-colored band on the submerged bridge, serve as proxies for precisely tracking historical sea-level changes and dating the bridge's construction.
The void…
Underground Chambers and Tunnels Confirmed at Mitla
Recent archaeological investigations at Mitla, a significant Zapotec site in Oaxaca, Mexico, have confirmed the existence of a vast network of subterranean chambers and tunnels. Using advanced geophysical technologies, including ground-penetrating radar, electric resistivity tomography, and seismic tomography, the team from ARX Project Lyobaa has provided the first solid evidence of what was long suspected: a hidden underground labyrinth that may have served as a gateway to the Zapotec underworld.
Mitla: A Ceremonial Hub of the Zapotecs
Mitla, located in the central valley of Oaxaca, 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Oaxaca City, was a ceremonial center for the Zapotec civilization. After the fall of Monte Albán around AD 750, Mitla emerged as the new religious and political capital. It reached its architectural zenith between the 8th and 15th centuries AD.
The site is renowned for its monumental architecture, especially its intricate geometric stonework, called Grecas, found on both exterior and interior walls of the buildings.
Five principal groups of structures make up the site: the Church Group, the Columns Group, the Arroyo Group, the Adobe Group, and the South Group. While the architectural style varies, the site is famous for its massive stone constructions and large subterranean tombs, particularly in the Columns Group.
Uncovering Subterranean Secrets: Project Lyobaa
Despite numerous excavations over the years, the underground structures at Mitla have remained elusive. Spanish accounts from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly those of Father Francisco de Burgoa, described an extensive underground labyrinth, considered by the Zapotecs to be an entrance to the underworld. According to these accounts, four chambers beneath Mitla’s temples served as the burial sites for high priests and kings, connected to a cavern that extended for leagues beneath the ground.
In 2022, Project Lyobaa—led by experts from the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the ARX Association for Archaeological Research and Exploration—began the first modern exploration of Mitla's underground using non-invasive techniques. The team focused on mapping the subterranean landscape to identify voids or anomalies that could represent man-made structures, tunnels, or natural caverns.
And then there’s camping….
Clovis People Created Seasonal Hunting Camp in Michigan 13,000 Years Ago
Recent archaeological excavations produced evidence showing that the first humans to live in the Great Lakes region of North America built a summer hunting camp in southwestern Michigan, approximately 13,000 years ago during the Late Pleistocene epoch.
In an article about their research published in the journal PLOS ONE, a team of archaeologists from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor introduce proof that the legendary Clovis people built a temporary encampment at what is now known as the Belson site, overlooking a river where Pleistocene herbivores would have congregated in large numbers during the summer.
The most recent excavations at Belson indicate that Clovis hunting and gathering groups returned to this location annually for between three and five years, looking to take advantage of the opportunities for easy hunting provided by the nearby water source. The archaeologists know the visits were temporary and seasonal, based on the distribution of the Clovis artifacts in different layers of soil.
Traces of animal proteins recovered from the surfaces of tools and weapons found at Belson show the Clovis people had hunted and consumed a wide variety of animals there, including rabbits, musk ox, deer, and peccary, an ancient relative of the pig.
"Taken together, the ancient protein data suggests that these people had a broad spectrum diet, eating a wide variety of animals," study lead author Brendan Nash said in a University of Michigan press release.
"Our findings are contrary to the popular notion that Clovis people were strictly big game hunters, most often subsisting on mammoths and mastodons."
He’s real?
Archaeological Finds Support Local Folklore of Merlin’s Grave
In the tranquil region of Tweeddale in southern Scotland, the ancient village of Drumelzier has long been entwined with the legend of Merlin, the mythical wizard famously linked to King Arthur. According to the Vita Merlini Sylvestris—a medieval text likely composed in Glasgow during the 12th century—Merlin was imprisoned, killed, and buried by the banks of the River Tweed. While these tales have captured imaginations for centuries, recent archaeological investigations led by GUARD Archaeology have unearthed evidence that may connect these legendary narratives to real historical sites.
Excavations at Tinnis Fort
In 2022, a dedicated team of volunteers and archaeologists embarked on an ambitious project to explore the archaeological heritage of the Drumelzier area. Their efforts have yielded remarkable findings that shed light on the region's early medieval past, particularly during the time when Merlin’s legend is believed to have originated.
One of the most significant discoveries was at Tinnis Fort, a prominent hillfort overlooking the supposed location of Merlin's grave. The fort was found to have been occupied in the late 6th and early 7th centuries AD, aligning with the period when the story of Merlin is set. This fort, with its commanding view of the Tweed Valley, likely served as a stronghold for local lords, reinforcing the idea that the area was of considerable importance during the early medieval period.
The excavation also revealed the presence of vitrified ramparts at Tinnis, indicating the fort's destruction in a dramatic conflagration during the Late Iron Age. This evidence points to a violent conflict, likely part of the power struggles that characterized the era as emerging kingdoms vied for dominance in the region.
3,600-Year-Old Bronze Minoan Dagger Recovered from World’s Oldest Shipwreck
A thrilling underwater adventure off the coast of Kumluca, Antalya, has just unearthed a dazzling bronze dagger with silver rivets, believed to be around 3,600 years old, from the time of the mysterious Cretan-Minoan civilization! Hidden in the waters of the Mediterranean for millennia, the work on the vessel, which sank in ancient Lycia, began in July and August 2019. To put it into context, the shipwreck find is seen as one of the most exciting underwater archaeology finds in the history of the world!
Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the find on X, stating:
"During underwater excavations conducted off the coast of Kumluca in Antalya, a bronze dagger with silver rivets, attributed to the Minoan civilization of Crete, was discovered.”
Precious Cargo from the Troodos Mountains: A Ship Meets its Fate
The ongoing underwater treasure hunt that began 5 years ago is a team led by the intrepid Hakan Öniz from Akdeniz University. With a green light from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the team has been diving deep into the past.
The dagger was discovered in a sunken ship lying 50 meters (164.04 feet) below the surface, a vessel that once carried precious cargo from the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus. It’s now believed that the ship was sailing towards Crete when it met its fate, reports Anadolu Agency.
Medieval troglodytes…
DNA Reveals Secrets of Cave-dwelling Medieval Community
By Anders Götherström & Ricardo Rodriguez Varela/The Conversation
In a new study, we have sequenced DNA from a Christian community in medieval Spain that lived in artificial caves carved into a rocky outcrop.
This is one of several medieval cave communities known to have lived on the Iberian peninsula – which includes both Portugal and Spain. Why these groups favored caves over more conventional village dwellings is a subject of longstanding debate for archaeologists. While it may be tempting to speculate about hermits or religious groups, there’s scant evidence to support such theories.
DNA Tells the Story
Our study, published in Science Advances, explores the possibilities, adding genetic analysis to what we know about the physical remains of people from the site’s cemetery. DNA was able to shed light on the ancestry of this community, their relationships to each other and the diseases that afflicted them.
The combined information reveals a story of inbreeding, occasional bouts of violence and disease during a fascinating period in history. One possibility is that some of the earliest settlers were people with military experience, though it’s unclear whether they were professional soldiers or not.
The settlement existed from the mid-sixth century to the 11th century AD. The early Middle Ages was a dynamic and tumultuous era in many parts of Europe, including the Iberian peninsula. After the fall of the western Roman Empire in AD476, Iberia came under the rule of the Visigoths, who came from northern Europe.
The Visigothic kingdom collapsed following a conquest by Muslim armies crossing from North Africa in AD711. This event established a territory known as Al-Andalus which, at its greatest extent, covered much of Iberia. But Christian kingdoms persisted in the north of the peninsula and gradually reclaimed territory.
What we know about the period in this part of the world has been dominated by events in Iberia’s major cities at the time, such as Toledo, Granada and Cordoba. These were hubs of trade, diplomacy and power.
Til next time… let’s bring back the days when trolls live under bridges!
Gary Manners - Senior Editor, Ancient Origins
I am Thrilled to have happened upon your Substack! There are So Many fascinating articles just linked from this one—Wow, what a resource for teachers and professors to use to show and explain how our long ago ancestors lived, thrived, explored, and built adapting to local conditions to make that holiest place-of-places—Home.