Tepe Secrets Out & the Sycamore Gap Tree Tragedy. Got Wood…for now.

Ancient Origins Unleashed Debrief

Greetings The Unleashed!

It’s been an odd week, with some odd goings on.

Now, I don’t think anyone would describe me as a tree hugger, but I’m still trying to get my head around the seemingly mindless felling of the Sycamore Gap tree that occurred last week at Hadrian’s Wall. I, along with many others I would imagine, just want to know, why?

If you haven’t seen this, here’s our coverage from last Thursday…

England’s Iconic Sycamore Gap Tree Destroyed by Act of Vandalism

First reports were that a 16-year-old boy had been arrested. But there had to be something more to it than a young man with too much time on his hands.

This tree might not have been the oldest in the world, or even the UK - currently, that accolade is held by the Fortingall Yew - but it certainly had a lot of history, and held memories for many, not least due to its appearance in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” back in 1990.

Once a tree is felled, there really is not a lot that can be done. National Trust manager Andrew Poad said the stump was previously "healthy" and they “might be able to coppice the tree, where new shoots grow from the trunk's base”. But I can’t see that resulting in the same tree that once stood tall.

The latest on Monday was that a man in his 60s was arrested and has now been released on bail. Perhaps he thought the tree had got too big for its roots since its Hollywood role. Well, the glorious sycamore is now reduced to wood, I guess like many millions before it.

Actually, it’s not millions we cut down each year. It’s billions. 15 billion, according to 8billiontrees.com. Wow. In the 25 years after ‘Robinhood, Prince of Thieves’ hit the box office, the world lost 129 million hectares of forest – an area about the size of South Africa.

Meanwhile, we are also told this week that replanting trees could be doing as much harm as it is good, and at least might not be compensating way less than we are led to believe.

Anyway, here’s a little homage to trees….

• The Oldest Living Tree on Earth is Older Than the Egyptian Pyramids

• Tree-Hugging is Rooted in the Tragic Tale of the Khejarli Massacre

• The World’s Largest Tree Might Go Up In Smoke

• The Oldest Tree in Europe has been Discovered in Italy

• Scientists Find 280-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Forest…in Antarctica

Now I’ve got that off my chest, to what I think is the biggest news of the week.

The Editor’s Pick…

I’ve been inundated with articles (two) from some of our experts who’ve been in Turkey, reporting back this week’s big revelations from Karahan and Göbekli Tepe. They really are gamechangers…

New Statues and Fresh Insights from Karahan Tepe and Göbekli Tepe

Remarkable new discoveries are coming out of the ground in southeast Turkey, bringing both Gobekli Tepe (9600 BC) and Karahan Tepe (9400 BC) back into the spotlight. Located just 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe is part of the Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) project. While excavations began in 2019, the site has been known to archaeologists since 1997.

Karahan Tepe is home to the oldest winter solstice alignment ever recorded and covers an area larger than Göbekli Tepe . But it was only in September 2023 that a new enclosure at the top of the hill revealed two remarkable statues, both unique to the site.

The first Karahan Tepe statue is the world’s earliest example of a realistic human depiction. Measuring 7 feet 6 inches tall (2.3 m), it was found broken in two, the top part recumbent on the floor. The legs appear to have been found in situ and were originally placed on the bench sitting upright.

Read on…

And some of the best of the rest…

6,200-Year-Old Sandals Found in Spanish Cave are Europe’s Oldest Shoes

Scientists claim to have found Europe’s oldest shoes in a bat cave in Spain’s Andalusia - sandals woven from esparto grass that date back some 6,200 years. These were part of a large haul of objects and artifacts that miners plundered and uncovered in the late 19th century, of which are a fascinating collection of 22 pairs of sandals, and some basketry that is even older than the oldest sandals! Radiocarbon dating has confirmed that most of these artifacts are at least 2,000 years older than previously thought, with cool winds and low humidity acting as preservatives for organic materials.

The research was conducted by an interdisciplinary team that meticulously analyzed 76 artifacts, including items crafted from wood, reeds, and esparto grass. They published their findings in the journal Science Advances. Among the finds were basketry, cords, mats, and a wooden mallet. The basketry dates to 9,500 years ago, evidence of early basket weaving practices among the region's hunter-gatherers and early farmers.

"The esparto grass objects from Cueva de los Murciélagos are the oldest and best-preserved set of plant fiber materials in southern Europe so far known," said co-author María Herrero Otal of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in a news release.

"The technological diversity and the treatment of the raw material documented demonstrates the ability of prehistoric communities to master this type of craftsmanship, at least since 9,500 years ago, in the Mesolithic period.”

Read on…

Carvers of the Jelling Stones Identified by Danish Archaeologists

A new study has solved an intriguing historical mystery involving treasured Danish artifacts that are now more than 1,000 years old, having been made during Scandinavia’s Viking Age in the 10th century AD. Thanks to this fresh research by archaeologists affiliated with the National Museum of Copenhagen, it has been revealed that the ancient rune-inscribed rock slabs known as the Jelling Stones were carved by a runesmith known as Ravnunge-Tue, who was active creating stone monuments that celebrated the life of a popular Danish queen.

The large Jelling Stones can be found perched in front of a 900-year-old Christian church in the village of Jelling in western Denmark, at a spot they’ve occupied since the time they were created. The monumental stones contain carved human images and several sentences written in the ancient Germanic runic alphabet .

These writings reveal that the smaller of the two stones was erected by King Gorm the Old in honor of his late wife Queen Thyra , while the larger stone was installed by Gorm and Thyra’s son (and king of both Denmark and Norway) Harald Bluetooth sometime later in the 10th century. In the latter instance the messages on the standing stone paid tribute to the memory of Harald’s parents, but also referenced his accomplishments as king including his conversion of Denmark to Christianity.

Read on…

Stacked 1,400-Year-Old Zhou Dynasty Emperor’s Tomb Uncovered in China

Archaeologists in Shaanxi Province, northwest China, have discovered the tomb of Emperor Xiaomin (birth name Yuwen Jue), the founding emperor of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581). Emperor Xiaomin's tomb, a medium-sized one in the context of the Northern Zhou dynasty, is situated in Beihe Village, Weicheng District, Xianyang, an area known for its concentration of high-quality tombs spanning from the Northern Dynasties (439-581) to the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907).

The tomb itself faces south and is a single-chamber soil cave tomb with four patios along the sloping tomb passage, according to a press announcement by Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology on Tuesday. Covering a total length of 56.84 meters (186.5 ft) from north to south, the bottom of the tomb lies 10 meters (32.8 ft) beneath the current surface.

According to the press announcement:

“The archaeological discovery of Yuwen Jue’s tomb from the Northern Zhou Dynasty is of great significance. It is the second Northern Zhou emperor’s tomb that has been excavated after the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.”

Read on…

If you are ready to be truly spooked, listen to these disturbing little gadgets…

Scientists Recreate Aztec Death Whistle’s Deathly Noise

Experts have recreated the terrifying sound of the Aztec Death Whistle - using a 3D printer. The whistle's design is based on the skull-shaped originals found in Mexico in the 1990s. Historically, this whistle might have been used by Aztecs in ceremonies honoring the wind god, Ehecatl, before their sacrifice, but its distinctive and terrifying sound was also weapon of psychological warfare.

A video showcasing the 3D-printed whistle's sound, labeled the "The Scariest Sound in the World," was posted by the Action Lab on YouTube. The original whistle's discovery in 1999 was initially categorized as a toy, but its chilling sound resembling a human scream was later revealed. While the whistle's exact purpose remains uncertain, some believe it aided souls in transitioning to the afterlife post-sacrifice.

Get freaked out…

And that’s a wrap on a week filled with the usual whispers of ancient stones, and a tip of the hat to trees that have stood the test of time - or, in some cases, didn't. Let’s remember to hug a tree today (literally or figuratively), and who knows, it might just make it big one day.

Until next time, keep your powder dry, and your wonder alive.

Gary Manners - Senior Editor, Ancient Origins