,000-Year-Old Letter Seal Found In Israel Hints At Ancient Long-Distance Trade
Archaeologists recently discovered Israel’s oldest known seal impression, a device that stamps a pattern onto soft material such as clay or wax in order to seal an object. The tiny clay impression dates back 7,000 years and was likely used to seal and sign deliveries, as well as to keep storerooms closed, according to a new study.
Hoard Of Silver Coins May Have Been Part Of Historic Ransom To Save Paris
A hoard of silver coins minted in the Carolingian Empire about 1,200 years ago has been unearthed in northeastern Poland and may have been part of a historic ransom to save Paris from a Viking invasion. It’s the first time anyone has found so many Carolingian coins in Poland. Only three such coins — of a distinctive style with Latin inscriptions and a central crucifix — have been found in the country before now.
Herodotus Lied About Famous Greek Battle Against Carthage, New Study Finds
Herodotus, the famed ancient Greek historian, lied about a pivotal battle between the Greeks and the Carthaginians, a new study finds. In his magnum opus “The Histories,” Herodotus detailed the First Battle of Himera on Sicily in 480 B.C. He wrote that when the “barbarian” Carthaginians attacked the Greek colony of Himera, a coalition of Greek allies from other Sicilian cities joined the fray, leading to a Greek victory.
But now, a chemical analysis of the bones of the soldiers who fought at the First Battle of Himera reveals that those Greek “allies” were actually foreign mercenaries, likely hired by the Greeks to help vanquish their foes.
