Archeology Topics. Archeology as a branch of historical science
Tikhonova Daria
Report on the topic: "Archaeology". What is archaeology? Profession: archaeologist.
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ARCHEOLOGY
Introduction
Today we looked at photographs. Isn't it very interesting to see what you were like a few years ago; How small was your mother, what did she look like, what were your grandparents like? Thanks to photographs you can always look into the past. Do you think we need to remember the past, why?
How can you find out about something that happened a long time ago, so long ago that even grandparents don’t remember it? There is not a single photograph of that distant time, for the simple reason that there were no cameras before.
Since ancient times, people have found various objects in the ground: shards of dishes, stone axes, jewelry, products made of stone, wood, arrowheads, individual bones, and sometimes even entire burials, armor, coins, treasures... (showing photographs, images of ancient objects) . How did they get there? Have you noticed that if you don’t wipe your furniture at home for several days, a layer of dust accumulates on it. And over thousands of years, a thick layer of dust, sand and earth covered everything that remained of ancient people. Grasses, trees, or even a whole city grew in this place. As a result of earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions, entire settlements were destroyed and disappeared. Some were overwhelmed by erupting lavas from volcanoes, some disappeared into the oceans. To find traces of the past, people began excavations. People who carry out excavations are called: scientists - archaeologists; science appeared - ARCHEOLOGY.
Archeology translated from Latin means ANCIENT TEACHING
(Archius - ancient, logos - word, teaching)
I invite you to take a short journey, during which we will get acquainted with the profession of an archaeologist and the science of archaeology
Every person should know their history, where it all began, and Archeology helps us with this. Until now, scientists are learning a lot of new, unknown things. Archeology helps to understand many new things in modern human life.
Profession archaeologist
Archaeologist is a scientist who studies the life and culture of ancient civilizations based on the preserved remains of their life. The main tasks of an archaeologist's work include conducting excavations to find research sources. Archeology is often compared to detective work. This is a creative profession, as you have to use imagination and abstract thinking to recreate the pristine picture of the past world. Archaeological scientists work as if with individual elements of a mosaic that need to be put together to solve the mystery. Sometimes it takes years to fully uncover the secrets of an ancient culture or archaeological site.
Job description:
It is rare to find a profession more bleak than that of a field archaeologist working in the desert, among wild rocks, completely removed from any civilization, in difficult climatic conditions that can deprive a person of all courage... And they do not make sensations out of all this - these archaeologists. They continue to work as if their working conditions are something taken for granted. For for them in the whole world there is no more interesting profession than the one they have chosen. They live among dangers, face to face with a secret that has not yet been revealed. Not today or tomorrow it may be revealed, and then the world press will name their names. (Quote from German historian E. Ceren.)
Without a sufficient amount of fanaticism, adventurism and love of history, people do not come to archeology. A craving for ancient times, countries, civilizations, an interest in long-gone and mysterious times - this is what drives those who like to “dig in the sand.” As archaeologists themselves assure, once you find at least a few shards of dishes preserved, say, from the Middle Ages, the thirst to touch history will never leave you.
What does an archaeologist actually do?
An archaeological scientist can, for example, study the remains of sunken ships at the bottom of the sea (marine archaeology), dig up and examine everything that remains from human settlements of past centuries (field archaeology) or, using special materials and techniques, try to reconstruct things of past times, recreating them literally bit by bit (experimental archaeology).
Personal qualities of an archaeologist:
Since the work of an archaeologist involves frequent excavations in various climatic conditions, good physical training and endurance are required, as well as the absence of allergic reactions to various organic materials.
Due to long archaeological expeditions, a person in this profession must also be emotionally prepared, calm and balanced, because the work can be either individual or in a team. In most cases, “antiquities hunters” wield a shovel, scoop, spoon, and even a regular toothbrush. Well, you can’t do without the notorious brushes for cleaning found valuables.
Education (What you need to know?):
Knowing how to use a shovel correctly and having the proper enthusiasm, coupled with some money in your own pocket, getting into excavations is not very difficult. But in order to become a real specialist in your industry, you need to be able to do a number of things.
In addition to profound knowledge in the field of history, a professional archaeologist must have drawing and sketching skills, be able to take photographs, and be sure to master the basics of restoration and conservation of various objects made of stone, clay, metal, wood, leather, fabric, bone, and so on.
Without special knowledge in ethnography, anthropology, topography, geodesy, geology, without a solid grasp of information on auxiliary historical disciplines, such as heraldry, sphragistics, numismatics, textual criticism, an archaeologist cannot become a specialist.
Place of work and career:
Or maybe you will go down in history as Heinrich Schliemann, famous for his finds in Asia Minor on the site of ancient (Homeric) Troy, or as Howard Carter, who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Social significance of the profession in society:
Archaeologists often collaborate with other branches of science in their research, this helps optimize methods for researching and analyzing objects. The work of an archaeologist is in great demand today, since many secrets and mysteries of the ancient peoples and civilizations of our planet have not yet been discovered.
The popularity and uniqueness of the profession:
The main activity of an archaeologist is conducting excavations in order to search for ancient monuments and other historically significant objects. Archaeologists also find employment in museums, where they ensure the safety of objects found during excavations, introduce visitors to finds and the results of their research, organize exhibitions and prepare excursions.
Profession risks:
Since the work of an archaeologist involves frequent excavations in various climatic conditions, good physical training and endurance are required, as well as the absence of allergic reactions to various organic materials. Due to long archaeological expeditions, a person in this profession must also be emotionally prepared, calm and balanced, because the work can be either individual or in a team.
Any profession requires knowledge and broad erudition. For an archaeologist, such sciences as geography, physics, and chemistry are also important. These academic subjects are not as interesting to me as history, but they need to be studied in order to achieve my goal in life.
Many of my friends believe that archeology is a rather boring science that requires painstaking, exhausting work. But I think it is an important, honorable profession. Yes, you need to have strong character traits, be an optimist and believe in miracles. Archaeologists have to work under the scorching sun and pouring rain, sorting through thousands of tons of earth for the sake of a small find. How resilient and efficient these people must be! How difficult it is to get to the bottom of the truth hidden under a thick layer of dust and sand! Not everyone can constantly dig through bones and skulls. Only the brave, courageous and persistent have access to everything. These are the people I value and consider to be my ideal.
Science – Archeology
It is curious that archeology, the science of antiquity, itself arose in ancient times. And then scientists wanted to understand the life and culture of their ancestors. Only thanks to excavations and study of the found material, the period of history preceding writing became known. And the written sources themselves were opened to science by archaeologists, for example, Egyptian hieroglyphs, linear Greek writing, Babylonian cuneiform. Also interesting are the found tools of production and the material goods created with their help: ruins of cities, weapons, jewelry, dishes, remains of clothing. From them they learn what kind of people lived in ancient times, what kind of houses they built, what they wore, and much more.
The profession of an archaeologist was popular back in Ancient Rome and Greece. Even then, people knew about the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, carried out excavations and found ancient architectural monuments. During the Renaissance, numerous excavations were carried out, the main purpose of which was to obtain ancient sculptures.
Archeology as a science was formed only at the beginning of the twentieth century and today represents sections that study various areas of cultures and eras.
For example, archeology confirms
The hypothesis of the appearance and development of man on Earth:
A lot of scientists at different times put forward their hypotheses about the appearance and development of man on Earth. Someone assumed that man was a relative of the dolphin, someone thought that man descended from the pig. The most widespread version is the origin of man from the monkey.Monkey - the closest relatives of people, since they are very close in body structure. In the 19th century, it was assumed that the closest living species of monkey to humans werechimpanzee and that humans and African apes once had a common ancestor.
The remains of animals, birds, fish and even insects have been preserved in different layers of the earth. How would we know that dinosaurs and mammoths once lived? Archaeological research provides us with valuable information.
My favorite thing is studying dinosaurs. If man appeared on Earth more than 2,000,000 years ago, then dinosaurs, JUST IMAGINE, more than 200 million years ago!
The very first dinosaur is considered Staurikosaurus – it was quite small, only 80 cm in height and 2 m in length and weighed no more than 30 kilograms (that’s almost like us!), but it was the fastest predator in the entire history of dinosaurs.
All dinosaurs were divided into 2 types, some looked like lizards, others like birds.
I can’t tell you about them all, since there were about 1000 different types, the most common were:
Tyrannosaurus - this is the largest dinosaur, it was a super predator, it weighed like a huge truck, almost 13 tons
Triceratops - had a large bone collar, threehorns on the face, large thick limbs and somewhat similar to a rhinoceros
Pterosaur - a flying dinosaur. Large dinosaurs mainly fed on land animals, but sometimes, like small ones, they hunted fish, flying above the surface of the water.
All these types of dinosaurs were identified by archaeologists during excavations. Archaeologists have found various dinosaur skeletons, and from them scientists have determined what dinosaurs looked like in the past. Thus, archeology helps to understand how animals and people lived in the distant past.
Archeology in the modern world is a very important science, which allows us to lift the veil of secrets of ancient civilizations, allows us to study the culture and life of different eras, and also introduces us to the remains of ancient animals and plants.
Tasks:
- learn the history of the profession; collect information about the profession of archaeologist; reveal the importance of the profession for the development of the North Baikal region.
Object, subject and basis of research
Object of study: Human.
Subject of study: profession.
Research hypothesis.
Research methods:
collecting information from Internet resources;
analysis of collected information;
generalization.
Research results.
What is archaeology? What is an archaeologist?
Archeology is a historical discipline that studies the historical past of mankind from material sources. An archaeologist is a historian who studies the life and culture of ancient people using various artifacts. According to search methods, archeology can be divided into 3 types:
- field– searching for artifacts through excavations on land; underwater– search under water; experimental– reconstruction of objects of the past.
The profession of an archaeologist was popular back in Ancient Rome and Greece. Even then, people knew about the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, carried out excavations and found ancient architectural monuments. During the Renaissance, numerous excavations were carried out, the main purpose of which was to obtain ancient sculptures. Archeology as a science was formed only at the beginning of the twentieth century and today represents sections that study various areas of cultures and eras.…
Social significance of the profession in societyArcheology in the modern world is a very important science, which allows us to lift the veil of secrets of ancient civilizations, allows us to study the culture and life of different eras, and also introduces us to the remains of ancient animals and plants. Archaeologists often collaborate with other branches of science in their research, this helps optimize methods for researching and analyzing objects. The work of an archaeologist is in great demand today, since many secrets and mysteries of the ancient peoples and civilizations of our planet have not yet been discovered.
Professionogram
The main tasks of an archaeologist's work include conducting excavations to find research sources. Archeology is often compared to detective work. This is a creative profession, as you have to use imagination and abstract thinking to recreate the pristine picture of the past world. Archaeological scientists work as if with individual elements of a mosaic that need to be put together to solve the mystery. Sometimes it takes years to fully uncover the secrets of an ancient culture or archaeological site.
Knowledge and skills required by an archaeologistA professional archaeologist must be able not only to carry out excavations, but also to correctly classify finds, so he is required to have deep knowledge in the history of the ancient world, and in addition, be good at drawing, drafting, have the skills of a photographer, and also know the principles of storage and restoration of antiquities, made from various materials.
It is also worth noting that the archaeologist must have a good understanding of the sciences that are auxiliary to history, such as numismatics, heraldry, textual criticism, etc.
Personal qualities required for an archaeologist
- Perseverance Endurance Accuracy Pedantry Purposefulness Physical health
The main activity of an archaeologist is conducting excavations in order to search for ancient monuments and other historically significant objects. Archaeologists also find employment in museums, where they ensure the safety of objects found during excavations, introduce visitors to finds and the results of their research, organize exhibitions and prepare excursions.
Famous archaeologists
Heinrich Schliemann- a German entrepreneur and amateur archaeologist who in 1873 found the treasure of King Priam on the site of ancient (Homeric) Troy in Asia Minor.
Howard Carter- famous English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor in 1922.
Archeology in Buryatia
The first mentions of the archaeological monuments of Transbaikalia appeared more than three hundred years ago - during the development of the vast, unexplored and mysterious country of Siberia, when the Russian government began to search for routes to East Asia, seeking to develop relations with China...
Thanks to the decree of Peter I of February 16, 1721 ... interest in ancient monuments was elevated to a state rank. The first Academic expeditions (1724, 1733-43, 1768-1772) sent to study the natural resources of Siberia, among many tasks, were required to collect information about all kinds of rarities and ancient monuments...
Participants of the northern Kamchatka expedition –
G. Miller and I. Gmelin, in 1743, undertook the first excavations of ancient graves in the area of the Eravninsky lakes. ...
Witnesses of the pastBronze Age petroglyphs near the village of Turuntaevo
Drawings made in red ocher and dating from the Bronze Age - Early Iron Age, occupy a small area of the rock near the entrance to the cave, as well as on the left side of the grotto. The two compositions discovered are complexes of drawings of birds, men and spots. Investigations of the area adjacent to the cave revealed a rounded stonework, where the remains of charcoal and several large tubular bones were found. Many fragments of vessels and two scrapers with a body made of slate and chalcedony were also discovered.
Neolithic site
A cave with traces of the life of ancient people is located near the village of Ostrog on the right bank of the Selenga in the area of the ferry crossing. At the end of the 19th century. I.D. Chersky discovered Paleolithic tools and remains of a mammoth skin here. In 1948 A.P. Okladnikov found human bones between large blocks of stone at the entrance to the cave, as well as an object made of horn, covered with a Christmas tree ornament, and a bone arrowhead. At a depth of 25 cm, a figurine of a fish made of white marble, an arrowhead, a bull's horn, and fish bones were found.
Hun settlement Suzha
In Buryatia, where the Hun Empire once arose, there are more than 100 unique monuments of this ancient culture. Among them are 40 burial grounds, including 4 royal ones, and 10 settlements. In addition, on the territory of Buryatia there are tiled graves and mounds from the Hun era. Now this heritage is considered as one of the attractive routes of the Baikal Harbor tourist zone, which is being created
on the eastern coast of Lake Baikal.
My Severobaikalye
In the Ludar caves at the northern tip of Cape Ludar, fragments of ceramic dishes from the Kurykan period (V-XI centuries) were found. An ancient human site was found near the caves, the age of which is estimated at approximately 4 thousand years. The surroundings of the village of Baikalskoye are rich in archaeological finds from different eras, which indicates that people have been in this area since ancient times.
The large cave has a round shape with a diameter of about 12 meters. Archaeologist P.P. conducted excavations here for the first time. Good and discovered fragments of Iron Age pottery with applied ridges and arched ornaments, pieces of birch bark, broken bones of a bull, a horse and a seal.
In addition, a New Stone Age site with tools (a jade cleaver and various pottery) was found next to the cave. Later, the cave was examined in more detail by scientists from Irkutsk University V.V. Svinin in 1963 - 1965 and O.I. Goryunova in 1974 - 1976. They identified a Neolithic site here, which is approximately 4,000 years old.
The meaning of archeology
Perhaps the most important evidence of the importance of archeology for the North Baikal region was the discovery in early June 2013 at Cape Khamankit during the “Chasing the Ice” expedition, supported by the Russian Geographical Society, of rock paintings that had not previously been studied by people. Undoubtedly, this will contribute to the further development of tourism in our area.
VIII. Conclusion.
I think the profession of archaeologist is amazing because it
gives the opportunity to be a pioneer;
creates a feeling of continuity of times and eras;
reveals the secrets and mysteries of the past.
IX. Informational resources
Rice. 1. Archaeological excavations. Qumran settlement, which existed around 130 BC. e. - 134 AD e.
Rice. 2. The city of Pompeii, which existed in the 6th century. BC e. - I century n. e.
Rice. 3. Excavations of Carthage
Rice. 4. Amphoras from Carthage
Rice. 5. Pavements in Veliky Novgorod
Rice. 6. Log houses in Veliky Novgorod
Rice. 7. Sickles
Rice. 8. Temple-mausoleum in the rock, Petra
Rice. 9. Excavations of the ancient Greek city of Gorgippia
Archaeological excavations
German archaeologist G. Schliemann (1822-1890)
Russian archaeologist A. V. Artsikhovsky (1902-1978)
English archaeologist G. Carter (1874-1939)
http://atlas-professiy.spb.ru
Scientists and archaeologists insistently assure us that they know everything about our origins and history. In truth, this is not true at all.
Every year new facts are discovered that incredibly expand the familiar, cozy, but very narrow boundaries of the modern world.
Ancient man and extinct creatures
Many thousands of years ago, ancient people tried to capture a visual image of their world. They painted and carved images of people, animals they hunted or tamed, and later some important events. Among this evidence there are some that are very, very unusual: they defy simple explanation.
At the very beginning of the Egyptian royal dynasty, around 3100 BC, when writing was still in its infancy, highly artistic slate palettes were made, which on special occasions were used to mix dyes applied in the form of makeup. A number of such palettes have been found, most notably in Hierakonpolis, the ancient capital of Southern Egypt. All of them are covered with exquisite carvings depicting scenes of hunting or episodes of political life. Numerous animals and people are depicted with great care. The beasts in particular are easily recognizable; there is nothing in them that would suggest that they are a figment of fantasy.
It is all the more surprising that two of the palettes found - one of them is now in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and the other in the Cairo Archaeological Museum - depicts creatures with long necks, corresponding to the description of Mokele-mbembe.
"Narmer Palette", a predynastic Egyptian incised tablet dating to around 3100 BC.
The palette of King Narmer in Cairo is particularly illustrative in this sense. In the center of the tablet - framing rounded recesses in which dyes could be mixed - are the long curved necks of two strange animals with powerful limbs and long tails. Both creatures are depicted as captives: a rope is thrown around the neck of each of them, which is held tightly by the Egyptian guards. Here, perhaps, the illustrations border closest to fantasy: not a single person could hold such a beast alone.
Naturally, since such creatures are not recognized by science today, they were quickly classified as “mythological”. However, after a moment it becomes clear that such a conclusion is not justified.
Leaving aside the preconceptions of modern science, the logic of the palette itself - and this is the only logic that matters in this situation - requires that we consider these two long-necked creatures as real, as known, like any other animals and people depicted on the palette . Therefore, we cannot help but conclude that the ancient Egyptians managed to catch specimens of some huge beast, which either no longer exists or lives only in some distant area, which is unknown to science. A beast remarkably similar to the one that, according to local residents, was seen in the Congolese swamps.
But the ancient Egyptians were not the first people to capture such strange creatures that must have inhabited their world and which may still inhabit ours. Millennia before them, during the last Ice Age, people depicted similar monsters.
It is well known that many caves have been found in Spain and France containing images made by early man. Some of them are carved with sharp stones; some are drawn with charcoal; others are painted. What's most striking about these illustrations is the extreme level of artistic skill displayed by people we otherwise tend to charitably refer to as "cavemen." In addition, the verisimilitude with which the animals are depicted makes it easy to identify the vast majority of them. All the more surprising is the fact that among the thousands of drawn, carved or painted images, there are only two known cases where animals with long necks are illustrated, not similar to any of the currently known animals.
Depiction of a long-necked creature from the Perguze Cave, in France, dating to approximately 10,000-13,000 BC. BC.
The first such image is found in the Perguze cave in Southern France and dates back more than 12 thousand years. This is a carefully carved image of an animal with a very long neck, with the head positioned like a horse. Isn't this a giraffe? Unlikely, considering the almost arctic Ice Age conditions that existed outside. Isn't this then a creature like Mokele-mbembe? Or perhaps a sea creature like the Vancouver Cuddy? Nobody knows this. Archaeologists who brought it to attention in 1997 noted that “the long neck is not an accident; the lines were highlighted or re-cut several times...” They suggested that this and other images were probably fantasies created under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. Is it possible; however, it is much more likely that, as in the case of other drawings, this creature lived in the world outside the cave walls and the artist saw it.
An image of a group of unknown reptilian creatures carved into the wall of the Casares Cave, Spain, dating back to the Ice Age.
The second sample is even more mysterious. Spain's Casares Cave, also dating from the Ice Age, depicts a group of three monstrous dinosaur-like creatures. Two of these animals are large, possibly adults, and the third animal is small, most likely a baby. All three have long necks, massive but ill-defined torsos, and strange reptilian heads. They look menacing.
As in other cases, the logic of the caves themselves suggests that these are creatures that the artists actually saw outside the walls of their homes.
Until relatively recently, did our ancestors encounter real-life monsters when they hunted in forests or fished in rivers? These drawings seem to prove that this was the case. In any case, whatever the reality, to classify these creatures as “mythological” or as “fantasy” is to jump to conclusions and dismiss potentially significant historical data.
It may happen that we dig up their bones somewhere. Unless, of course, they were aquatic or partially aquatic inhabitants of coastal rivers - in which case their bones were probably carried far out to sea long ago.
Flying monsters
From 1911 to 1922, Englishman Frank Melland served the British colonial authorities as a district judge in what is now Zambia. He had a keen interest in natural history and was accepted as a member of the Royal Anthropological Institute, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Zoological Society. In 1923, back in England, he published In Enchanted Africa, a study of the tribal shamanism he observed during his service in the colony. In it, he described how his curiosity as a zoologist was once aroused when he was told about a certain magical spell that was used at certain river crossings in order to avoid attack from a certain terrible creature, which the natives were very afraid of and called “kongamato”.
When he asked: “What is this, congamato?” - he received an answer that surprised him. He was told that it was a kind of bird, or rather a flying creature, like a lizard, with wings like those of a bat, measuring from four to seven feet in diameter. Moreover, this creature’s beak had numerous sharp teeth. Melland wrote: “I sent for two books to my house, in which there were pictures of a pterodactyl, and all the natives present immediately and without hesitation pointed to it and said that it was a congamato.” According to them, this creature lived in wetlands in the jungle, especially in the swamps upstream of the Mvombezi River, which originates near the border with Zaire.
Further south, in Zimbabwe, there were stories of a similar creature. The English journalist J. Ward Price related a story told to him by a colonial officer, whose jurisdiction included a huge swamp, which the locals were so afraid of that they usually refused to approach it.
One man, however, was foolhardy enough to venture into the swamp. Some time later, he returned with a deep wound on his chest and reported that he had been attacked by a large bird with a long beak. The colonial officer obtained a book containing illustrations of prehistoric animals and showed it to the wounded man. He examined it silently until he came across an image of a pterodactyl. Then he screamed and immediately ran away.
The officer told Price: “It seems to me quite possible that pterodactyls are still found in these vast and unexplored areas.”
But not only the natives saw these strange creatures. In 1941, a British army officer and his subordinate soldiers observed one such flying creature overhead.
That year, Lieutenant Colonel Symonds was in Sudan under the command of Ord Wingate, who was preparing his invasion of Ethiopia to restore the exiled Emperor Haile Selassie to the throne. In accordance with the developed strategic plan, Symonds, commanding a very small group of soldiers and officers, was sent to the south. He and his men left the town of Roseires in southern Sudan and crossed into Ethiopia, moving east through the jungle towards the mountains, which they reached fifteen days later. During this forced march, they just saw a strange flying creature that fit the description of a pterodactyl.
In a private memoir he wrote for his daughter, Lieutenant Colonel Symonds described what happened: “During our forced march we constantly saw and heard wild animals, and although I told this story when I returned to civilization, I don’t think that anyone believed me, even now. We all saw a bird of incredible size gliding above us, which seemed to have something like a second wing at the end of the main wing - almost like an arm. She made a huge swing, and then another small one. When I arrived in Cairo, I reported this to naturalists, who, after checking the information, said that what I saw was a pterodactyl, which had been extinct for more than a million years!”
Creatures of the New World
Reports of pterodactyls are not limited to isolated “islands” of swamps in the jungles of Africa. They are found in other areas, in what would seem to be one of the most studied regions of the world, namely North America.
April 26, 1890 « TombstoneEpitaph» (a newspaper bearing one of the most delightful names in the world) published a story, replete with the usual exaggerations, of how, a few days earlier, two travelers on horseback were traveling through the Guachuca Desert, south of Tombstone, about fifteen miles north of the Mexican border. , met a huge flying monster. It was reported that the monster was over ninety feet in length, and its wings - like those of a bat, leathery and featherless - were 160 feet across. The head, eight feet long, had a jaw with a row of sharp and strong teeth. Two horsemen shot and killed the bird, the newspaper said.
In 1969, the same story, with all the exaggerations of the original report, was presented in a magazine, where it was seen at that time by an elderly man who, in his childhood, personally knew both eyewitnesses and heard this story from them themselves. He decided to correct the situation and stated everything as it was. He explained that both participants in that story were well-known and respected cattle breeders in the area. That day they actually met a very unusual creature, something completely unknown to them with large leathery wings. The creature's wings were not as huge as the newspaper reported; they estimated that the wingspan was somewhere in the region of twenty to thirty feet - of course, this is also quite a lot. They fired at him with rifles, but did not kill him; twice he managed to rise into the air, but it fell back down again. They left him wounded, still struggling to fly.
Much more recently in Texas, on April 24, 1976, three schoolteachers were driving along a country road near the Mexican border when a huge shadow suddenly engulfed them. Above them they saw a large flying creature with very large wings in the form of skin tightly stretched over long thin bones, very similar to the wings of a bat. Except that these wings were between fifteen and twenty feet across. Never before had they seen anything even remotely resembling this creature. They later spent some time leafing through reference books, looking for anything, living or dead, that might explain the bird - if it was a bird.
Eventually they found a creature that seemed to exactly match what they had seen: it was a pteranodon - a pterosaur with a very large beak and wings that reached thirty feet in diameter. Unfortunately, this flying creature went extinct during the time of the dinosaurs, almost 65 million years ago.
Oddly enough, a few days before them, a similar flying creature - possibly the same one - was seen by two other eyewitnesses, also near the Mexican border.
Similar creatures may have even flown further north. On the morning of August 8, 1981, a married couple was driving through the Tuscarora Mountains in Pennsylvania. Suddenly two large bat-like creatures appeared ahead of them, running towards them. Apparently, they were startled by the sudden appearance of the car, and, spreading their leather-covered wings wide open, they tried to take off. Their wings spanned the width of the road, spanning at least fifteen feet. The giant birds soared upward, and for the next fifteen minutes the couple watched as they gradually disappeared high into the sky. The couple later identified them as “prehistoric birds” like pterosaurs.
The world of academic science cannot explain these cases. He is forced to either ignore them or classify them as optical illusion, fantasy or falsification. However, science is able to provide evidence that exactly such creatures once lived in exactly this area. Between 1971 and 1975, the fossil remains of three pterosaurs were recovered from rock in west Texas. The remains dated back to the last years of the age of dinosaurs, and although the skeletons were not entirely complete, enough bones were found to calculate their wingspan to be about fifty feet.
Not only are these the largest such flying creatures ever found, but they are also the closest pterosaurs ever found to us, dating back to the very end of the era of dinosaurs. According to fossil evidence, this species was the most recent species to once exist on Earth. Someday, perhaps, we will be able to extract from the earth some fossils of this type closer to us in time - or perhaps some remains of them.
We have seen how isolated but climatically stable areas can harbor large, unexplored animals long thought to be extinct. The sea, which has already lifted the veil on some of its secrets in the case of the coelacanth and the largemouth shark, may yet discover the existence of more unknown creatures - the same megalodon, perhaps, or Cuddy. The jungles of Central Africa clearly harbor the existence of one or more species of semi-aquatic monsters, which in fact may turn out to be relict dinosaurs. But could Texas be such an area?
There has long been a strong belief that everything in Texas is the biggest. Perhaps these stories are just an exaggerated account of an encounter with a large species of bat? Is it really possible that such unknown creatures could find refuge in North America, where planes and helicopters seem to roam the skies forever? Are there any isolated and remote areas near Texas - similar to those in Central Africa - where some large, but as yet unidentified creature could live? The fact of the matter is that one such area exists.
Northern Mexico is dominated by the largely unexplored Sierra Madre mountain range, which stretches like a spine from Oaxaca to the American border. This region is an ideal place where unknown creatures could still live, isolated from human contact. Cryptozoologist Dr. Carl Zucker suggests that this is where one might look for them. Dr. Zucker notes another intriguing possibility: In 1968, an archaeologist discovered an unusual topography in the ruins of the Mayan city of El Tajin, which lies at the southeastern foot of the mountain range. This carved relief depicted a “snake bird”, which, according to the archaeologist, was not some kind of fabulous legendary beast, but an accurate depiction of a certain flying creature well known to the ancient Mayans. This “snake bird” bears a striking resemblance to a pterosaur. Perhaps the archaeologist is right? If this is true, then this means that such a creature lived in historical times, perhaps even during the final collapse of the Mayan civilization a thousand years ago. Dr. Zucker comments:
“Cryptozoology is full of astonishing coincidences, but there are few coincidences more astonishing... than the indisputable fact that reports today of gigantic pterosaur-like creatures come from none other than the same region that once the real habitat of a creature of this type.”
More ancient than dinosaurs
What are the chances of a creature found in a 64-million-year-old fossil layer surviving to this day? One would think that they were quite ghostly. What would we say about a creature whose age is twice that? That his chances will be half as good? The successful existence of the coelacanth demonstrates how absurd such appeals to common sense are in this area. It seems possible that any older animal could, given the right conditions, have had a chance of survival. It may be objected that the sea is a much more stable environment than any land area. And this seems like a reasonable argument. However, the facts indicate much stranger things.
For example, there is one animal whose prosperous existence makes all zoologists think twice, even those who are most skeptical. This creature is a tuatara, or tuatara.
The tuatara is a very primitive reptile, resembling a lizard in appearance, with three eyes - the third eye is only partially functional. It reaches about two feet in length and is primarily solitary and nocturnal. The fossil remains of this type of creature are estimated to be more than 200 million years old, and these animals have changed little since that time. In all parts of the world, with the exception of the South Pacific, fossil tracks of these creatures are being lost along with fossil tracks of dinosaurs. If it were not for the survivors of these creatures in the South Pacific, all these creatures would have been thought to have disappeared during the same cataclysm that killed off the dinosaurs. But the tuatara outlived the dinosaurs; It may well happen that she will outlive people.
It still lives on a few, very small and very remote islands off the coast of New Zealand. The second species lives about two thousand miles away on an isolated ten-acre island in the Cook Islands. The question arises, how did it happen that not somewhere on the globe, but precisely on these islands, far apart from each other and separated by enormous distances from the mainland, were the only surviving species of tuatara?
What chance would science have of predicting this situation? It is fair to say that, no matter how far beyond the bounds of common sense reasoning, scientists could never come to the conclusion that such survival in such an isolated environment was even remotely possible.
We can only conclude that when we deal with nature, anything is possible. And forgetting this simple truth means living in a fantasy world. Cryptozoologists must be right in their approach: the probability is higher rather than lower that large unknown species still exist, still continuing to elude our gaze - at sea, on land or in the air.
This scientific adventure is yet to be continued.
Many objects that people used in ancient times are now under a thick layer of earth. To find them, it is necessary to carry out excavations. Tools, jewelry, weapons, treasures, ancient burials - all these and other material sources help to restore the lives of people in the distant past, about which there is often no written information.
Archeology is an independent science. The main occupation of archaeologists is excavations, which make it possible to extract from the ground material monuments of human life in ancient times.
Without the scientific discoveries of archaeologists, it is impossible to imagine the life of people in the distant past. Found objects become the property of museums and become available to people.
Excavations
Excavations are very hard work. Archaeologists are literally sifting through large masses of land bit by bit in search of monuments of the past. Sometimes aviation is used to survey the area. Archaeologists have to work in a variety of conditions. Excavate a burial ground, explore a cave inhabited in ancient times, work in places where construction is underway, go down to the seabed in a sunken city or ship - and this is not all that can await them.
Archaeologists do not choose excavation sites at random. They know what territories people could have used for their settlements in ancient times. Hints can also be found in the works of ancient writers. They may contain information about where battles took place, fortresses were built, and cities that no longer exist were located. This helps archaeologists determine where to excavate.
Excavations for the purpose of extracting antiquities are often carried out by unscrupulous people: collectors who want to replenish their personal collection, robbers who sell found objects for their own enrichment. In such cases, invaluable evidence of the past disappears without a trace for science. According to Russian laws, this is considered a crime.
Study of finds
Searching for remnants of the past is just the beginning of the work; then archaeologists begin studying the finds. The most important task is to determine to what time certain archaeological finds belong. When studying, scientists pay attention to everything: the shape, color, age of the object, the material from which it is made, and other characteristics. Analysis of objects and the soil in which they were located is carried out in the laboratory. They are also taking measures to preserve the finds.
Important information can be obtained by comparing objects found in one place with similar ones. It is necessary to do everything to ensure that the finds become such historical sources that help reveal the secrets of the past. For example, stone arrowheads found by archaeologists make it possible to judge both the hunting tools and the settlement areas of ancient hunters.
During excavations of the Qumran settlement (Fig. 1), located on the western coast of the Dead Sea in Israel, archaeologists found manuscripts, most of which were written in Hebrew. These finds are of great value for historical science. The oldest manuscripts date back to the 2nd century. BC e.
In southern Italy in ancient times there was a city of Pompeii (Fig. 2). It was located at the foot of the Vesuvius volcano. In 79, during a volcanic eruption, the city was covered with a layer of ash up to the roofs. Several centuries later, nothing reminded anyone of the city that had once been located here. In 1748, its excavations began, temples, markets, residential buildings and much more were discovered.
The excavations of Carthage (Fig. 3) made it possible to look into the depths of time. Carthage is an ancient city in North Africa, in the region of modern Tunisia. Founded by the Phoenicians in 825 BC. e. It was once a powerful state on the Mediterranean Sea, conquering North Africa and even lands in Europe.
Clay vessels - amphorae, found by archaeologists during the excavations of Carthagin (Fig. 4) have a narrow neck, a pointed or rounded bottom and two handles. Wine, olive oil, and grain were transported and stored in them. The ancient Greeks and Romans widely used them in their households. Typically, such vessels were marked with a mark - a sign indicating the name of the potter and the place where they were made. Archaeologists find such amphorae, as a rule, on sunken ships, in settlements and burials. Material from the site
In Veliky Novgorod, archaeologists discovered pavements dating back to 938 (Fig. 5). Residents laid logs along the entire street, and wooden blocks were laid on top of them. Log houses discovered during excavations in Veliky Novgorod (Fig. 6) help to find out how our ancestors lived in the 10th century, what utensils and tools they used and much more
The sickles found by archaeologists during excavations (Fig. 7) allowed scientists to come to the conclusion that in Ancient Rus' the same technique was used to make sickles as in the 19th-20th centuries.
Petra (Fig. 8) is a city that existed from the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. to the 15th century n. e. in South Jordan. Here, archaeologists discovered under a layer of earth the remains of temples, theaters and even cave dwellings.
Gorgippia (Fig. 9) is an ancient city in the Bosporan state on the eastern shore of the Black Sea (modern Anapa). City blocks were excavated here, household items and burials were discovered. The time to which archaeologists attribute the found objects is approximately the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e. Today, on the site of this ancient Greek city, the Anapa Archaeological Museum-Reserve has been created.
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