Graphic shows top archaeological discoveries in 2017.
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Archaeological discoveries of 2017

By Jordi Bou

December 31, 2017 - Graphic shows some of the top archaeological discoveries in 2017.

1. SWEDEN – Female Viking warrior
DNA analysis of remains found in a 10th-century grave at Birka provided the first genetic confirmation of a female Viking warrior. The tomb, containing weapons, two horses, and gaming pieces, shows it belonged to a high-ranking warrior

2. MOROCCO – Oldest Homo sapiens
Fossils unearthed at Jebel Irhoud were found to be over 300,000 years old – 100,000 years older than any other known remains of Homo sapiens. The finding goes against the idea that modern people evolved in a single “cradle of humanity” in East Africa some 200,000 years ago

3. PACIFIC OCEAN – WW2 warship
The USS Indianapolis, lost for 72 years, was found at a depth of more than 5.5km. The cruiser was returning from a secret mission to deliver parts for the Hiroshima atomic bomb when it was sunk by a Japanese torpedo on July 30, 1945. Only 316 of the 1,196 men on board survived in the largest loss of life at sea in U.S. naval history

4. MEXICO – Tower of skulls Archaeologists found over 650 skulls caked in lime near the Templo Mayor in what was the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, today’s Mexico City. They are believed to be part of the Huey Tzompantli, a massive tower of skulls that struck fear into the Spanish conquistadores when they captured the city in 1521

5. ITALY – Oldest aqueduct
Workers constructing a new metro line in Rome uncovered what is believed be part of the Aqua Appia, Rome’s oldest aqueduct, which dates back to 312 BC. The section, 332 metres long and 2m high, was found near the Colisseum

6. EGYPT – Great Pyramid “void”
Scientists using imaging technology based on cosmic rays detected a large, mysterious “cavity” inside
the Great Pyramid of Giza. The void, 30 metres long and hovering just above the Grand Gallery, is the first large structure discovered within the 4,500-year-old pyramid since the 1800s

7. ANTARCTICA – Super fruitcake
Scientists restoring Antarctica’s oldest building on Cape Adare found a fruitcake thought to have been left in 1911 by members of Britain’s Terra Nova expedition, led by Robert Falcon Scott. The tin holding the Huntley & Palmers fruitcake was rusted but the cake itself looked and smelt (almost) edible

Sources
PUBLISHED: 19/12/2017; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Hjalmar Stolpe; Newscom; Jean-Jacques Hublin/MPI-EVA, Leipzig; Archaeological Superintendency Rome, New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, AP
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