【ゆっくり解説】考古学者も驚いた考古学的発見5選

I'm Yukkuri Reimu. I'm Yukkuri Marisa. Hey, Marisa, have you ever thought of going to see the old Earth in a time machine? I'm sure I'm curious. Especially recently, there have been surprising archaeological discoveries, so it's even more so. Surprising discoveries? I'm curious. From these discoveries, it's interesting to know the culture that existed in the past. Well, this time, I'm going to explain five surprising archaeological discoveries. Well then, take your time. 1. The Princess and the Warrior Tapu from 2,500 years ago In 1993, a princess mummy was discovered on the permanent plateau of the Ukoku Plateau, located on the border between Siberia and Mongolia, in the Altai Mountains. It is also called the Queen of Ukoku and the Ice Princess. I kind of feel romantic about being a princess mummy. Was there some kind of culture flourishing there? Oh, the place where the mummy was discovered is located in the southern part of Russia. It is the Pazirik Kofun region of the Altai region, and it is clear that there was a lot of exchange with other countries. For example, Persian furniture, Egyptian jewelry, and Chinese bronze mirrors, etc. Hmm. It was a pretty open area. So what did the Queen of Myra look like? According to the investigation, the princess left this world at the age of 25 or so. She was trapped on the permanent plateau with her clothes on, and it remained the same for thousands of years. Oh, that's the land of the Gokkan, the environment unique to Siberia. And it's sad that she died at the age of only 25. When the MRI scan was done on Myra, the princess was seen to have lost her eyes. In addition, it was found that she had fallen off a horse and had broken bones. Oh, the power of science is amazing. And the most characteristic thing about Myra, It was a tattoo engraved on her body. According to Russian archaeologist Natalia Polomask, who was the inventor at the time, it was an amazing level of tattoo art. Now that you mention it, I'm curious about what kind of design it was. One of the things that caught my eye in the tattoo was the legendary animal that looks like a beak and a goat. It reminds me of Griffin. Griffin has been known in Europe as a symbol of strength and nobility since ancient times, so it must have been perfect for showing the dignity of a princess. It's cool. What else? Other than this, you can see a long, large, and winged snow leopard, and other ancient, sophisticated designs. In particular, the tattoo at the time was a symbol of beauty, and the goal was to make it as gorgeous as possible. I thought the design was very elaborate, but there was such a reason. In addition to the tattoo, you can see fragments of eyeliner pencils, and bags of cosmetics on her waist, so I think she was very careful about beauty. In addition, it is said that she was also wearing Chinese silk, which is said to have been used only in the royal costume. It is thought that she was in a fairly high position. Well, she's a princess who rules the country. Oh yeah, I forgot to say, but it wasn't just the princess's mummy that was discovered. Six horses and two warriors were also found together. It is thought that they were buried together with the princess. Is a warrior like a princess's bodyguard? I guess so. According to the story of the jewelry earlier, the queen of the kingdom has been treated quite carefully until she died. However, it is thought that the princess herself was suffering quite a bit until the very end of her life. Various jewelry and leaves were found to soothe the pain by touching her from her grave. She said she died of breast cancer, but it must have been tough for her to go that far. Oh, and 2,500 years ago, medical technology would not have developed as much as it does now, so it must have been unimaginable pain. And when archaeologists proceeded with the investigation of the princess's mummy, there was another new discovery. What is it? It is said that the queen of the kingdom was a skeleton. First of all, archaeologists said that the princess's body was carved in the style of an animal tattoo, so they thought that the princess was a skeleton. It's the first word I've heard, but what kind of people were the skeletons? Skeletons are people who lived in the Eurasian prairie around 800 to 200 BC. It refers to the nomadic Kiba people. You might be able to imagine it from the word nomadic, but they were people who lived in tents and did not settle down, repeating the movement of riding horses. I see. Earlier, there was an explanation that the princess had a fracture from falling off a horse, so if she was moving on a horse in the skeleton, there would be an explanation. That's right. In the culture of the skeleton, horses are important as a means of transportation, and sometimes as a partner in combat, and in the funeral of the owner of the horse, the horse is buried with it. Hmm. Another characteristic of the skeleton is the fashionable sense of tattoos and jewelry. In particular, the design of the animal on the airfield is popular with tattoos, and in the case of the Princess of Ukoku, there are many points that are similar to the legendary animal Griffin and the snow leopard with wings. There are so many things in common that it's surprising. Next, the Russian research team investigated the Princess of Ukoku at the DNA level. Then, she found that there was a high possibility that she was a nomad in the culture of the skeleton, which flourished between 600 and 200 BC. The culture of Pazirik, which appeared at first, was also a type of skeleton culture. Well, the Princess's mummy was put in the Russian Novosibirsk Archaeological Research Institute for a while, but it was returned to the Anohim Museum in the Republic of China in 2012. However, the research is still going on. Oh. I want to pray that she will continue to sleep in the land where the princess died. In the next part, there is something interesting about the discovery of skeletons, so let's take a look at that. The story of the skeleton continues. I'm curious. 2. Skeleton Warrior At the end of 2019, in the western part of Russia, the remains of two women who were seen as skeletons were found. As with the time of the Queen of Ukoku, it was about 2,500 years ago, and it was suspected that they were horse-riding warriors because they were buried with weapons such as bugs and knives. And this was a revolutionary discovery. What do you mean by a revolutionary discovery? In fact, women warriors have been considered to be legendary for many years, and this discovery was the one that overturned the common sense until now. If you find out that what was thought to be imaginary until now actually existed, well, it's going to be a big deal. The discovered female warriors were buried in armed condition, and it is said that the same burial rites were carried out for them as for male warriors. And after this shocking discovery, another research team investigated the remains of a skeleton found in 1988. What was the result of the investigation? At first, this skeleton did not have any clothing related to women, so it was thought to be a male skeleton. However, when we analyzed the DNA of the skeleton, it turned out to be a 13-year-old girl. 13 years old? Isn't that the age of a junior high school student? Also, when we analyzed the weapons that were buried with her skeleton, it became clear that the 13-year-old girl's skeleton was buried around 700 to 500 BC. In other words, among the skeletons that have been around for hundreds of years, it is the skeleton of an early warrior. Women! And I can't imagine that a child would participate in a battle. Surprisingly, about one-third of female skeletons are injured by battle, and they are buried with their weapons. For what reason were women born in battle? It is said that Sukitaijin had a habit of living with a small number of subordinates. For this reason, all of them had to share their roles, and women also had to take part in battle and hunting. I see. Until now, I've longed to say, I don't care if it's me, but when it comes to moving with a small number of people, that's a lot of work. Now that we've finished talking about Sukitaijin, let's move on to the discovery of Myra. 3. Myra bound in Peru In November 2021, a Myra about 800 to 1200 years ago was discovered from the Kahamalkija Ruins of Peru in South America. It was bound in a rope and covered its face with both hands. As an unprecedented discovery, it became famous all over the world. The Myra itself is found all over the world, but I've never seen or heard of a Myra that looks so ordinary. What was the reason? According to researchers at the time, this was a Myra of the inhabitants of the Andes Mountains, and it was probably part of the burial rites at the time. However, in Peru, there was little government support for archaeological research, and even after a while of discovery, no detailed research was carried out. Well, it's a Myra that's hard to see, and I'm curious about the truth. Also, what I understand about Myra is that it was a tribute to the individuals who were found to be animals and bones of llamas. It's been taken care of since then. It can be inferred from the situation discovered that this Myra was a high-ranking important person. That's the point. There's even a theory that he was a capable merchant. If it's an important person, I'd like to know more about it. Oh, the research team also wanted to investigate the image in detail, not just Myra's age measurement, but also the image of the person. That's where the Japanese Teletubbies came in to help with the investigation. Oh, this is going to be a lot of work. This investigation is scheduled to be filmed on the show, and the investigation using X-ray imaging began at San Marcos National University, where Myra is kept. I'm nervous. In this survey, it was found that Myra's skull shape was that of a mountainous person. And it was revealed that the estimated age of death was a man in his 30s to 40s. Huh? Did you say Myra was found in the Kahamalkija Ruins? Oh, Kahamalkija is a place that connects the mountainous area and the coastal city, and is located along the highway. In other words, that man was buried in a different place than where he was born and raised. I see. Now, let's get back to the story. In addition to Myra, the fact that there are no front teeth and cracks in the bones of the forehead has become clear. So, does that mean this person didn't get hit in the head with something? In other words, there is a high possibility that this Myra was hit and died in a sacrifice or some kind of struggle. In the program, if you discover more Myra than in that area and investigate them one by one, you will understand the deeper meaning. That's right. Unlike the initial speculation, it wasn't a great person of status. And just a week after the broadcast of this program, Myra, who is thought to be a sacrifice, was discovered from the same ruins. That and the six bodies. The fact that several sacrificial Myra were found from the same place means that this is a good opportunity to explore the local customs. Before this news was released to the world, the TV program said that it received an urgent message from the responsible Dr. Gemilla and was able to independently cover the site of the discovery as soon as possible. I didn't expect the TV to be involved in such a great thing. Dr. Gemilla said in some ceremony that the sacrifice may have been buried around here in a group. In fact, hundreds of sacrifices have been found from the same place in Peru in the past. And this Myra is also highly likely to have been one of them. It's hard to imagine hundreds of sacrifices. It's scary, but it's an important discovery for the development of archaeology. However, Myra is the only Myra tied up in a rope, and the more Myra is found, the more mysterious it becomes. I'm very curious about when we'll find out the real reason. I'd like you to keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to the follow-up. Now, the next topic is also about Peru. What kind of exciting discoveries are waiting for us in Peru? 4. Peruvian Golden Mask At the beginning of the 1990s, a 1,000-year-old grave was excavated in Peru, and a skull with a golden mask was found in it. The most distinctive feature of this mask was the red paint, but according to an analysis in 2021, it was found that the red paint contained human blood. This is also a shocking discovery. In the north coast of Peru, around 750 to 1,350 years ago, archaeology flourished. It's more than the famous Inca Empire in the air city of Machu Picchu. The history is old. The Inca Empire is well known for its architecture of Machu Picchu and other advanced civilizations, but archaeology is no less. It is a culture with many attractive points, such as the construction of massive waterways and the technology of gold. Was there a unique way to store it in such an archaeological culture? At the beginning of the 1990s, when the grave and golden mask were excavated, the skull of the man was cut off from his body, and he was wearing a red-painted golden mask. Also near the man were the bones of two young women posing as pregnant women and pregnant women, and the bones of two children. I don't know what happened, but when I hear about the pain of my wife and children, my chest hurts. Let's talk about the man for now. At the time, it was known that the paint used in the mask was new, and that it was a major mineral of mercury. However, the details of the organic matter contained in the paint remained unknown. What was the reason that the mystery was solved all the time? The biggest feature of this golden mask is that even after more than 1,000 years, the color continues to remain. And it was thought that the paint had settled on the mask due to the unknown organic matter. It's amazing that it doesn't fade even after 1,000 years. Ah, it means that new analysis was carried out by archaeologists who were interested in the identity of this organic matter. How did the analysis go? Based on this analysis, it was found that protein was contained in the paint. In addition, when the analysis was carried out, it was also revealed that it contained ingredients that are included in human blood. This is the reason why it is called a blood-stained mask. It's pretty gross. Also, it was found that protein from egg whites was also included in the paint. It was not determined what kind of bird egg it was, but it is said that it is a type of bird called Nobariken. Nobariken? It's a name of a bird I've never heard of. It's understandable that Reimu doesn't know. Mainly, it's a large duck that lives in Central and South America. Because it's large, it can grow from 70 cm to 80 cm. It's not just wild, it's also being raised. It seems that it can be obtained all over the world now. Well, well. I understand that it is a special creature in South America. Let's get back to the story of the paint. New cars are used by high-ranking people, and are used as important items for ceremonies. These specifications are confirmed. In the past, it was used as a ritual drug to ward off evil spirits. It was also drunk in China, India, and Europe. Huh? You said that new cars were the main delicacy of mercury, but if you drink mercury, it's dangerous. Well, please accept it as a matter before science has developed. It means that new cars have been supported in the East and West for that long. It means that each paint has a meaning. In that culture, it was believed that new cars represented vitality. The reason why human blood was used as paint with new cars is that researchers say that it has this meaning. Vitality. I understand what you want to say, but still, using human blood is... Well, the world has various cultures and values, so I have no choice but to accept it. The next discovery is also quite interesting. 5. A man attacked by a shark 3,000 years ago. At the end of June 2021, the research team of the Kyodai excavated a scar on the human skeleton from Tsukumo Kaizuka, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture, which was identified as the result of a shark attack. A shark attack. Sometimes I hear it on the news, but I can't imagine it was 3,000 years ago. The latest record of shark attacks so far is located in the northeast of the Caribbean, so it was about 1,000 years ago when it was found in Puerto Rico. This discovery means that the record will be updated for more than 2,000 years. In the first place, it's interesting that there are records about shark attacks. I wonder if sharks have always been a threat to humanity. The discovery of this human skeleton was made in 1919, and the right leg and left hand were missing. It was clear that there were countless wounds on the bones. However, I haven't known the reason for a long time. It's been a mystery for about 100 years. By the way, I wonder what kind of place Tsukumo Kaizuka, where the human skeleton was found, is. Tsukumo Kaizuka is one of the representative ruins that are said to be from the end of the Jomon period. In the first place, Kaizuka is a place where they threw away shell shells and animal bones, but there are many other human skeletons other than these in Tsukumo Kaizuka. From this Kaizuka, you can read and understand the culture of the time. Oh, especially the fact that the human skeleton of an adult with a few missing front teeth stands out. It is said that there was a custom of pulling out the teeth at a special place like an adult ceremony. Oh, it's an interesting story that can be explained in one book, not just about sharks. And 3,000 years ago, the Seto Inland Sea spread right next to Tsukumo Kaizuka, and even if the locals were attacked by sharks, it was not a strange environment. I've learned about Tsukumo Kaizuka, but I'd like to know more about the last record of the shark attack. I noticed that the human skeleton of Tsukumo Kaizuka was caused by sharks, and it was Professor Alissa White, a graduate student studying biophysics at Oxford University. She noticed it during her research on the scars left on the human skeleton of the Jomon and Yayoi eras. The research on the scars of the human skeleton is also a diary. Well, thanks to these people, we were able to make a historical discovery. The brothers cooperated with universities and overseas laboratories, including Tokyo University, to carry out the research. It was a bigger research than I expected. And according to this research, the human skeleton belongs to men between the ages of 35 and 45, and the time of death was found to be between 1370 and 1010 BC. Also, at least 790 scars were left on the whole body. Oh, I can see that it was a massive attack. And he said that he was bitten several times in the same area, and that there were deep scars on the lower body. I saw some scars that matched the characteristics of shark damage. Also, there was a cut on the left wrist, and there was no damage to the right hand, so the research team concluded that the man may have used his left hand to protect the shark. You even know that. I can feel the seriousness of the research team. Even so, when a shark appears, you feel the fear of death, and if possible, you don't want to see it. I understand the feeling of being afraid of sharks. However, during the Jomon period, shark teeth were sometimes used as decoration. What? Did you want to get such a dangerous thing? Perhaps, even though people at the time knew sharks were dangerous animals, they must have found value in such dangerousness. The research team also says so. Well, even so, I want to prioritize my life. So this time, I explained five amazing archaeological discoveries. I learned that there are various cultures from what I found all over the world. Well, there were some values that were hard to understand. Including that, I can't stop exploring the world's mysteries. As Reimu said at the beginning, I want to go and see what it was like at the time in each location on the time machine. But if the mystery is revealed all at once on the time machine, it might be boring. After all, Marisa's explanation is enough for me. You say something that puts pressure on me. I will do my best to live up to Reimu's expectations. So that's it for today's video. If you enjoyed the video, please like and subscribe. Thank you for watching until the end.