The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/archeology)
Excavations beneath Cologne’s future Jewish museum have uncovered a rare 2nd-century Roman household shrine: the first lararium found north of the Alp that is reshaping our understanding of domestic religion along the Rhine frontier.
Archaeologists in central Romania have uncovered a rare 7,500-year-old clay figurine depicting a female figure with arms raised in invocation. Discovered during preventive excavations, the small Neolithic artifact illuminates the symbolic and spiritual world of Europe’s earliest farming communities.
Medusa is making a little comeback. Recent archaeological discoveries in Türkiye and Austria reveal unexpected images of Medusa, from a smiling ceiling carving to a finely cut gemstone cameo. These finds highlight her ancient role as a protective figure and her enduring presence in religious, civic, and personal life.
Olive oil has nourished kitchens, temples, and rituals for thousands of years. A new archaeological study, however, presses long-held assumptions, suggesting that some residues once identified as olive oil may be a little slippery—and hide unexpected pitfalls in the ancient record.
Archaeologists in northern Iraq have uncovered a monumental Uruk-period building that may have served as a “cultic space.” The find at Kani Shaie reveals early ritual architecture and deepens understanding of how mountain communities connected to ancient Mesopotamia’s first cities.