Episode 9 – I for Indigenous Archaeology, Archaeology News, and Staffordshire Hoard Archaeology Porn

Into the Dust Archaeology

ABCs of Archaeology – I is for Indigenous Archaeology

Indigenous archaeology refers to a few different but related phenomenon. It essentially is movement of indigenous people to reclaim their archaeological heritage. Since the end of colonialization starting after WWII, artefacts and human remains began to be returned to indigenous ‘source’ communities – a process which has greatly accelerated in recent years. Indigenous people are increasingly doing the archaeology and taking back control of their own narratives, telling the story with their own voices. While undoubtedly a positive development, this process isn’t totally unproblematic or without controversy, as indigenous people are not always on the same page, and objective science can sometimes be obscured.

Archaeology News – A Tale of Two Tombs, plus a newly-discovered Pyramid???

In today’s episode, we discuss a richly furnished tomb in Panama whose discovery was not at all surprising as well as a neolithic tomb in Germany which indeed was a shocker. In Panama, what is interpreted as the tomb of a priest from approximately 1,200 years ago was filled with gold artefacts. Located in an archaeological park, the tomb was the ninth one excavated there, so while its richness was stunning, its existence was not in doubt. However, in Germany, the construction of an industrial facility led to the uncovering of a bizarre Neolithic tomb, which was then repurposed by later civilizations over time. This is something we see elsewhere, with successive peoples incorporating old stuff into their own monuments long after the people who build the initial structures were gone. Finally, a sensational story of a 25,000 year old pyramid in Indonesia goes bust!

Sources:

· https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/13/world/ancient-tomb-gold-artifacts-panama-scn/index.html

· https://micultura.gob.pa/descubren-importante-tumba-con-suntuoso-ajuar-de-oro-en-parque-arqueologico-el-cano/

· https://idw-online.de/de/news830373

· https://allthatsinteresting.com/magdeburg-germany-chariot-burial

· https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/arp.1932

· https://www.unilad.com/news/study-humans-built-25000yearold-pyramid-removed-error-286154-20240321

Archaeology Porn – Staffordshire Hoard

Once upon a time in 2009, a detectorist near the town of Hammerwich in Staffordshire came upon some gold in a field…a lot of gold. In fact, 5.1kg of gold and 1.4kg of silver were pulled out of the earth in the form of elaborate and impossibly intricate works of expert craftmanship from the early Medieval period. In fact, it was the largest hoard of Medieval precious metals ever found in the UK – even more than in the famous Sutton Hoo ship burial. However, beyond that, mysteries abound. Why are all of the pieces martial in nature, almost entirely pieces of weapons – but there are no actual blades? Why would pieces of such value be deliberately destroyed and buried in the ground? Who would do such a thing? Fifteen years later, we’re closer to some answers, but the mystery will probably never be completely solved.