Science is revolutionizing our understanding of the past.
Paleogenetics reveals surprising secrets from the DNA hidden in bones and soil. Artificial intelligence deciphers ancient texts written in forgotten scripts. Chemical analysis of molecules left behind in teeth, cooking pots, incense burners, and building materials reveals details about ancient diets, smells, and construction techniques.
Here are his five mysteries of human history that scientists will solve in 2023. Moreover, researchers are still puzzled about it.
The true identity of prehistoric leaders
The 5,000-year-old human bones discovered in a tomb near Seville, Spain in 2008 were buried with a spectacular crystal dagger and other priceless artifacts, clearly indicating that they were once an important figure.
The person was initially thought to be a young man based on pelvic analysis, a traditional method used by scientists to determine the gender of human bones.
However, analysis of tooth enamel, which contains a type of protein containing a sex-specific peptide called amelogenin, revealed that the remains were more likely to be female than male.
In other research, the technology has dispelled the stereotype that humans are hunters, which shaped much of our thinking about early humans. "In our opinion, this technique will open a completely new era in the analysis of the social organization of prehistoric societies," Leonardo García San Juan, professor of prehistory at the University of Seville, said in July when the discovery was made public. told CNN. .
The ingredients behind Roman concrete's legendary strength
Roman concrete has proven to be more durable than its modern equivalent, which can deteriorate within a few decades. Take, for example, the Pantheon in Rome, which has the largest unreinforced dome in the world.
Scientists behind the study published in January found that the Romans made building materials so durable that they were able to build elaborate structures in difficult locations such as docks, sewers, and earthquake zones. He said he had discovered a mysterious ingredient that made it possible.
The researchers analyzed a 2,000-year-old concrete sample taken from the city walls of Privernum in central Italy, and found that its composition was similar to other concrete found throughout the Roman Empire. They discovered that white lumps called limestone in the concrete give it the ability to repair cracks that develop over time. Until now, white lumps have been overlooked as a sign of improper mixing or inferior ingredients.
The true identity of Ötzi the Iceman
In 1991, hikers discovered Otzi's mummified body in a valley in the Italian Alps. Its frozen ruins are perhaps the most studied archaeological find in the world, revealing in unprecedented detail what life was like 5,300 years ago.
The contents of his stomach reveal what his last meal was and where it came from, his weapon reveals he was right-handed, and his clothing provides a glimpse of what ancient people actually wore. I was able to. But new analysis of DNA taken from Ötzi's swimming pool in August reveals that his appearance was not what scientists originally thought.
Testing of his genetic makeup revealed that Ötzi the Iceman had dark skin and dark eyes, and was probably bald. This revised appearance is in stark contrast to the well-known reconstruction of Ötzi, which depicts a fair-skinned man with a full head of hair and a beard.
Who wore the 20,000-year-old pendant revealed?
Archaeologists often unearth bone tools and other artifacts at ancient sites, but it is impossible to know for sure who once used or carried them.
Earlier this year, scientists recovered ancient human DNA from a deer bone pendant found in Siberia's Denisova Cave. This clue allowed them to reveal that the wearer was a woman who lived between 19,000 and 25,000 years ago.
She belongs to a group called Ancient North Eurasians and has genetic ties to the first Americans.
It is thought that the deer bone pendant contains her human DNA. This is because the pendant is porous, so genetic material is likely to be retained in skin cells, sweat, and other body fluids.
It is unclear why the deer tooth pendant contained such a large amount of an ancient woman's she-DNA (about the same amount as a human tooth). Elena Essel, a molecular biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who developed the new technique for extracting DNA, says it's probably because it was so popular that it was brought close to the skin for a very long time. He said that it may have been caused by Broken ancient scroll deciphered by AI
The wearer of 20,000-year-old pendant revealed
The famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius about 2,000 years ago burned about 1,100 scrolls. In the 17th century, some enterprising miners recovered vast amounts of volcanic mud.
The collection known as the Herculaneum Documents is probably the largest known library of classical antiquity, but the contents of the fragile documents remained a mystery until a University of Nebraska computer science student won a science competition earlier this year.
Luke Faritor used imaging techniques with artificial intelligence and computed tomography to decipher the ancient Greek words written on his one of these darkened scrolls for the first time.
Farita received $40,000 for deciphering the word ``πορφυρας'' (Greek: porphyrus), meaning purple. Researchers hope it won't be long before they can decipher entire scrolls using this technique.