One of the more intriguing kinds of archaeological finds is the cache: a collection of objects that have been intentionally stashed, oftentimes hidden, for later use.Ĭaches provide a rare opportunity to study a large number of artifacts in the same context, allowing anthropologists to compare how items were variously made and used.Īnd not long ago, an Oregon scientist made just such a discovery, literally in his own back yard. Stash of Obsidian Blades, Hidden for 1,000 Years, Discovered in Oregon Oldest Human Footprints in the Southwest Discovered at Tucson Construction SiteĢ. Learn all about these newly recorded pieces of rock art, how they were discovered and recorded, and what they reveal about the lifeways of the Ancestral Puebloans.Īnd be sure to see our exclusive photo gallery of the solar calendar at key days of the year. Some of the glyphs were made as recently as the late 19th century, while others are typical of rock art from the so-called Late Archaic period, which dates back as much as 4,000 years.īut the most impressive discovery by far was an intricate Ancestral Puebloan solar calendar, which uses the changing angle of the sun’s rays throughout the year to create a “shadow dagger” during certain celestial events.Īt these times, the dagger interacts with meticulously carved petroglyphs to mark the winter solstice and the spring and fall equinoxes. Led by researchers from the Museum of Northern Arizona, archaeologists recorded more than 1,500 petroglyphs, including hundreds that had never been recorded before.
One of the most popular discoveries we reported on this year was a Western Digs exclusive: new revelations about the full extent - and expertise - of the rock art found among the isolated mesas of Arizona‘s Wupatki National Monument. Rock Art and Solar Calendar Recorded in Arizona
To those of you who are frequent Western Digs readers, a few of these discoveries may already be familiar.Īnd if you’re new to the community, then welcome! There’s no better time to learn about the past than the present.ĥ.
Western Digs reported on dozens of different studies in 2016, but a handful of the ones that we told you about rose to the top, capturing your attention as the most popular archaeological discoveries of the year. Some of these finds were made in the field, others in labs some were made by academics, still more by anthropologists working at private firms.