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Week of April 13: 70,000-Year-Old Botswana Python Cave Ritual, 35m Pelusium Temple, and More

The 70,000-year-old Python Cave in Botswana reveals what may be the world’s earliest known Homo sapiens ritual, featuring thousands of deliberately burned spear points and stone tools as ritually decommissioned offerings. Archaeologists uncovered a 35-meter circular water basin temple at Pelusium in North Sinai with 8 centuries of religious use from the 2nd century BC through the 6th century AD, displaying Egyptian, Hellenistic, and Roman architectural influences. The PADIE project discovered jadeite sources at 2,400 meters altitude in the Italian Alps, with axeheads traveling up to 1,800 km from origin points during production from 5300-3500 BCE. A massive 20-foot submerged Vishnu carving at Phnom Kulen in Cambodia—believed to be the largest in the country—depicts the Hindu deity with Lakshmi and cosmic imagery from the Angkor period.

New Excavations & Fieldwork

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable circular water basin temple at the ancient site of Pelusium in North Sinai, measuring 35 meters in diameter and enclosed by red brick walls [V1] [2] [7] [8]. The structure was connected to the Pelusiac branch of the Nile and filled with silt-rich water symbolically associated with the deity Pelusius or Palucius [3] [4] [5] [6]. The name Pelusium derives from the Greek word “Pelos,” meaning mud, connecting to the fertile sediment of the Nile. This water complex served as a temple for religious rituals spanning at least 8 centuries, from the 2nd century BC through the 6th century AD, and displays combined Egyptian, Hellenistic, and Roman architectural influences.

35m circular water basin temple discovered at Pelusium with 8 centuries of use

The temple featured a central square platform likely supporting a large statue, with three entrances oriented to the east, south, and west [V1]. The silt found within the basin was deliberately brought in, supporting a ritual interpretation of the site where sacred water and sediment played a central symbolic role [5] [6] [1] [8] [7]. The complex embodied themes of fertility, renewal, and cyclic regeneration of life. The deity’s name appears inconsistently across sources, recorded as both “Pelusius” and “Palucius,” likely due to transcriptional variation in original documentation.

70,000-year-old python cave ritual site discovered in Botswana

Beneath the waters of a remote mountain stream at Phnom Kulen lies what archaeologists describe as the largest Vishnu carving in Cambodia: a massive 20-foot stone relief depicting the Hindu deity in extraordinary detail [V2]. The submerged relief, which mainstream researchers date to approximately 800–1,000 years ago during the Angkor period, shows Vishnu accompanied by his wife Lakshmi, who appears to be giving him a foot massage. The carving includes cosmic imagery featuring Brahma emerging from Vishnu’s navel, with the figures resting upon a representation of the mythological Ocean of Milk adorned with stone fish.

20-foot submerged Vishnu carving discovered at Phnom Kulen, Cambodia's largest

This discovery holds particular significance given Phnom Kulen’s role as the source quarry for the sandstone used to construct Angkor Wat itself [V2]. While the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art currently displays a separate nearly 20-foot Vishnu bronze sculpture titled “Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean,” which is also approximately 1,000 years old [12] [9] [10] [11], the Phnom Kulen submerged relief represents a distinct and monumental example of Khmer stone carving that had remained largely unknown to modern scholarship until recent documentation efforts.

KV5 tomb contains evidence of multiple catastrophic flood events with layered sediment deposits. Seven distinct flood layers have been documented in one room, revealing a complex stratigraphy of silt, rubble, and ceiling collapse materials. Crucially, this flooding occurred after the tomb was plundered and its seal was broken, allowing water and debris to rush unchecked into the burial chambers [V3]. This sequence of events—plundering followed by flood damage—has profoundly shaped the tomb’s current state and preservation of its contents.

KV5 tomb in Valley of Kings shows evidence of multiple catastrophic floods

Beyond its dramatic flood history, KV5 ranks among the largest tombs in the Valley of the Kings, encompassing approximately 120 chambers [V3] [15] [13] [14]. Pillars and ceiling are in poor structural condition, while walls display rough unfinished surfaces that were likely originally plastered to create a more refined appearance.

Artifact Discoveries

The discovery of jadeite sources at over 2,400 meters altitude in the Italian Alps by Professor Pia Petrika’s PADIE project represents one of the most significant archaeological findings of recent decades [V6]. Funded with one million euros plus an additional 300,000 euros, the interdisciplinary team used systematic field walking in the high Alps, informed by 25 years of ethnographic research in Papua New Guinea. Their work identified Monte Viso and Montebua as primary jadeite sources, effectively confirming an identification made by August Damour in the 1880s-1890s that had been subsequently ignored by geologists [V5]. The team employed spectra radiometry, operated by Michelle Era, as a non-destructive sourcing technique [V4].

PADIE project discovers jadeite sources at 2,400m altitude in Italian Alps

These Alpine jadeite sources produced axeheads that traveled astonishing distances of up to 1,800 km from their origin points, with one extraordinary example from Lazio covering a circuitous path totaling 3,700 km [V4] [V5]. Production began around 5,300–5,500 BCE and continued until roughly 3,500 BCE, with the finest luminous green jadeite from the Ouanchingo Valley below Monte Viso specifically targeted from 4,600 BCE onward—jadeite that could be ground thinly and produced an edge-glow when held to sunlight [V8]. These axeheads were polished to a glassy finish designed to reflect sunlight, described as “the original solar power,” and the PADIE team interpreted them as “pieces of places,” drawing on Papua New Guinea ethnographic parallels where mountains were considered sacred and imbued with divine power. Since the 2003 discovery, these source sites have been placed within a national park, yet they have been significantly disturbed by visitors, including an incident where someone detonated explosives to remove a large jadeite block and airlifted the material away, prompting the PADIE team to advocate for protective measures [V7].

Bioarchaeology & Ancient DNA

Carbon-13 isotope ratios reveal a striking dietary transformation from Early Archaic Period diets lacking maize to maize-dependent diets by the Basketmaker II era, a shift confirmed through analysis of 44 human paleofeces specimens from Turkey Pen Ruin [V10] [20] [V11] [18]. Maize was first domesticated in Mexico around 7000 BCE and reached the Southwest between 2400 and 1900 BCE, but genetic studies indicate that around 1000 BCE a new wave of maize arrived from Mexico, triggering this dramatic dietary change. Despite maize’s dominance, Basketmaker II diets remained relatively broad at Turkey Pen Ruins, incorporating substantial wild plant contributions including goosefoot and purslane alongside corn smut, found in 43 of 44 paleofecal specimens [19] [17] [16]. Squash appeared following the 1000 BCE maize introduction, with beans joining the agricultural system approximately 500 years later, the latter climbing maize stalks for support while replenishing soil nitrogen. Turkeys were also domesticated at this time, subsisting on maize-based diets and originating from southern populations rather than local stock [V9].

Basketmaker II Agriculture: Maize Domestication and Introduction of Squashes, Beans, Turkeys

In Brief

The North Face Corridor discovered by the Scan Pyramids mission has been confirmed as a physical feature within the Great Pyramid of Giza through multiple non-destructive testing techniques. The ScanPyramids project, launched in 2015, applies advanced imaging technologies to explore the pyramid’s internal structures without physical intervention [21]. A chevron assembly of limestone blocks positioned in front of the North Face Corridor provides additional structural evidence supporting this alignment. However, significant criticisms of the model exist.

The Black Pyramid at Dashur suffers from fundamental structural flaws rooted in its inadequate foundation. Poor quality marl clay and limestone bedrock beneath the monument was unable to support the immense weight of the structure, making ground failure the primary cause of instability [V12]. Some sections were constructed from unreinforced mud brick, leaving them particularly vulnerable to compression failure. The consequences of foundation failure are visible throughout the substructure. Ceiling blocks have cracked in multiple locations as direct evidence of structural distress under load [V12]. Multiple passages and chambers show signs of deterioration, with certain areas in danger of imminent collapse, while the southern tomb area has already partially collapsed and was sealed with rubble. The western entrance area reveals exposed bedrock and iron oxide deposits, indicating ongoing degradation of the foundation materials.

Structural Collapse: Mud Brick Weight Causing Substructure Instability

Approximately 70,000 years ago, humans gathered in Python Cave, located in Botswana’s Saddle Hills, to perform what may be the world’s earliest known ritual: worshipping a stone python [25]. Archaeologist Sheila Coulson discovered the site in 2006 and led its comprehensive study [V13] [24] [26]. The site contains thousands of spear points and stone tools that were intentionally burned or broken, interpreted as ritually decommissioned offerings deposited over many generations. Coulson interprets Python Cave as representing the earliest proof of symbolic behavior and organized ritual among Homo sapiens [V13] [23] [25] [24] [22] [26]. Media sources have described the python carvings as potentially the first sacred idols or the first known human rituals. The site’s geographic significance is further enhanced by its location near the Out of Africa migration hub, positioning it at a significant crossroads for early human migration.

Paracas Candelabra elongated skulls in Peru show evidence of deliberate concealment

The discovery of workers’ tombs at Giza has fundamentally challenged the longstanding myth that enslaved peoples built the pyramids. Carbon dating of skeletal remains confirms Giza pyramid workers were contemporaneous with Fourth Dynasty pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure [V14]. Egypt’s chief archaeologist Zahi Hawass publicly stated the discoveries demonstrate workers were paid labourers, not slaves [28], and mainstream archaeological consensus now holds that paid laborers, not enslaved people, built the Giza pyramids [29] [32]. The Wadi el-Jarf papyri provide primary documentary evidence directly from the construction period, representing first-hand eye-witness accounts of highly skilled pyramid builders emerging from the world’s oldest known harbor [27]. Pyramid builders were peasants conscripted on a rotating part-time basis under skilled artisans and craftsmen, not enslaved labor [V14] [31]. A dedicated workers’ settlement known as the Lost City of the Pyramid Builders existed at Giza as an organized base for pyramid construction [30] [33].

Pyramid construction involved skilled workers, not enslaved peoples

A viral story claiming the discovery of a 3,000-year-old castle beneath the waters of Lake Van, Turkey, drew widespread attention after social media posts described underwater ruins forming a perfect circular structure near the mountain-top fortress of Kef Kalesi [V15]. LiveScience subsequently published a fact-check article titled “The True Story Behind Turkey’s Ancient ‘Underwater Castle’” in response to the spreading claims [35]. However, scrutiny of the available evidence reveals a significant problem: all specialist analyses of this site derive from a single YouTube video source, and no independent verification exists from Turkish archaeological surveys, academic publications, or geophysical survey data [V16]. Furthermore, the thestageoftime.com website referenced in the video description could not be evaluated, as no actual content from this source was provided in any specialist analysis [34]. Without corroborating evidence from established archaeological institutions or scientific surveys of the lake floor, the precise nature and even existence of the described circular underwater structure remains unverified by the scientific community.

Underwater ruins at Lake Van form perfect circle structure

The most significant evidence concerns deliberate concealment around the Paracas elongated skulls. Museum records document 429 bundles from the excavations, yet 22 claimed bundles apparently never existed, and when a museum director opened 54 bundles in 1979, only 6 were ever recorded in official documentation [V17]. The elongated skulls belong to the Paracas Candelabra culture, which existed in Peru approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, and were discovered in 1927 by archaeologist Julio C. Tello. This practice of deliberate cranial modification fits within a documented global tradition, with similar examples documented in Jilin Province and Hutamuga in China, Australia, and among Vikings on Gautland island [V18].

The 2024/2025 period marked a rare window for testing theories about Stonehenge’s lunar alignments, as the major lunar standstill cycle reached its peak [V19]. A study launched in Spring 2024 leveraged this celestial alignment to investigate whether the monument’s stones align with moonrise during the major lunar standstill, building on research by Fabio Silva at Bournemouth University’s Skyscape Academy [36] [37]. Silva, who transitioned from astronomy to archaeology and serves as editor-in-chief of the Skyscape journal, has developed statistical methodologies including the curvigram method and maximum likelihood approaches for analyzing archaeoastronomical alignments. His interdisciplinary work has focused on understanding how ancient peoples perceived and engaged with the sky and landscape. The four station stones at Stonehenge form a rectangle that aligns to different moon cycles, representing a key component of the monument’s astronomical design. This research program aims to determine whether these ancient alignments were intentional, using the rare occurrence of the major standstill to validate alignments that would have been visible to prehistoric builders.

Archaeoastronomer Fabio Silva presents Stonehenge lunar standstill research

El Manatí, a sacrificial bog utilized by the Olmec during the Early Formative period, contains the first evidence of cohesive Olmec culture, with ritual burials dating to approximately 1600-1500 BCE [41] [V20] [38]. Excavations conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s established the site’s identification as an Olmec sacrificial complex [40]. Rubber balls represent the earliest phase of Olmec activity at the site, dating to approximately 1700 BCE. The waterlogged, anaerobic conditions of the bog preserved remarkable wooden sculptures in excellent condition. The site’s long-distance trade connections are demonstrated by jade sourced from the Motagua River Valley in Guatemala, some 300-500 kilometers away, and obsidian from the Guatemala highlands and Puebla, 125-250 kilometers distant. A Macayal Phase at the site has been dated to approximately 1040 BCE based on rubber ball deposits.

El Manatí Sacrificial Bog: Earliest Olmec Evidence Dating to 1600 BCE

The remarkable durability of Cyclopean walls owes much to their polygonal masonry technique, which proved exceptionally resistant to earthquakes and water damage—a structural advantage that may explain why these massive stone barriers have endured for millennia when other contemporary structures have not [V21] [43]. Built without mortar, Cyclopean masonry consists of enormous stone blocks fitted together with minimal clearance, creating a tight interlocking pattern that distributes seismic forces and resists water infiltration more effectively than many later construction methods [42] [45] [44]. This meticulous approach finds a remarkable parallel in the Inca construction tradition, where builders shaped rocks using stone hammers and chisels to achieve similarly precise fits without metal tools—suggesting that such pre-metal techniques could produce architectural achievements of remarkable sophistication and longevity [46].

Cyclopean walls built without metal tools; purpose was privacy and display, not defense

Sources

Videos

V1. Ancient Architects — “NEW DISCOVERY: Ancient Egyptian Round Temple Rewrites History!” V2. PraveenMohan — “1000 Gods Hidden UNDERWATER… In Cambodia?” V3. Brothers of the Serpent — “Primordial Egypt - On the Trail of the Ancients” V4. The Prehistory Guys — “THE MAGICAL ALPINE AXEHEADS of Neolithic Europe | Interview with Dr. Alison Sheridan” V5. The Prehistory Guys — “THE MAGICAL ALPINE AXEHEADS of Neolithic Europe | Interview with Dr. Alison Sheridan” V6. The Prehistory Guys — “THE MAGICAL ALPINE AXEHEADS of Neolithic Europe | Interview with Dr. Alison Sheridan” V7. The Prehistory Guys — “THE MAGICAL ALPINE AXEHEADS of Neolithic Europe | Interview with Dr. Alison Sheridan” V8. The Prehistory Guys — “THE MAGICAL ALPINE AXEHEADS of Neolithic Europe | Interview with Dr. Alison Sheridan” V9. Ancient Americas — “Basketmaker Culture and Puebloan Origins” V10. Ancient Americas — “Basketmaker Culture and Puebloan Origins” V11. Ancient Americas — “Basketmaker Culture and Puebloan Origins” V12. UnchartedX — “Going Beneath the Mysterious Black Pyramid Of Dashur - Rarely Seen Ancient Egyptian Pyramid!” V13. Timeless with Fred Snyder — “70kya “Oldest Ritual Site” Beliefs Spread with Out of Africa?” V14. Luke Caverns — “5 Lies Most People Believe About Ancient Egypt” V15. Matthew LaCroix — “Ancient Code of a LOST Civilization? | Egypt, Turkey, India, Bolivia - Matthew LaCroix, Danny Jones” V16. Matthew LaCroix — “Ancient Code of a LOST Civilization? | Egypt, Turkey, India, Bolivia - Matthew LaCroix, Danny Jones” V17. DeDunking — “The Elongated Skull Information Anton Petrov Missed” V18. DeDunking — “The Elongated Skull Information Anton Petrov Missed” V19. MegalithomaniaUK — “Megalithomania Conference 9th-10th May 2026 + Live-Stream | Earth Ancients Podcast” V20. World of Antiquity — “The OLMECS: Everything You Need to Know” V21. One-eyed giant building walls — “The Romans believed their empire was built on the shoulders of a titan, a cyclops: Saturn.”

Originally published on Ancient Nerds — explore 750,000+ archaeological sites on our interactive 3D globe.

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