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Week of April 6: 42,000-Year-Old Horse with Liquid Blood, Sohag Ostraca Find, and More

Scientists extracted liquid blood from a 42,000-year-old prehistoric horse foal discovered in Siberia’s Batagaika crater—the oldest liquid blood ever recorded. An Egyptian-German team uncovered 13,000 ostraca at Sohag near the Temple of Athribis, bringing the total to 43,000 and establishing the site as the largest collection ever found at a single location in Egypt. Researchers identified 9,000-year-old Mesolithic shaman remains at Bad Dürrenberg adorned with flower pollen, including meadowsweet, mullein, and buttercup, along with a deer antler headdress and dental modifications indicating survival through ritual practices. A comprehensive study of 200+ objects from Central Europe revealed that early modern humans developed structured information encoding systems approximately 43,000 years ago, with geometric signs exhibiting information density comparable to proto-cuneiform tablets from 3,000 BCE.

New Excavations & Fieldwork

An Egyptian-German archaeological team has uncovered approximately 13,000 ostraca at Sohag, near the Temple of Athribis—the site of ancient Akhmim in Upper Egypt [4] [2] [1] [5] [7] [3]. This discovery brings the total number of ostraca at the site to roughly 43,000, establishing it as the largest collection ever found at a single site in Egypt [6] [V1].

13,000 new ostraca found at Sohag brings total to 43,000 at ancient Akhmim

The oldest ostraca date to the 3rd century BCE during Macedonian rule of Egypt, while the latest extend to the 10th or 11th century during early Arab rule, spanning over a thousand years of history [V1] [6]. The contents include personal letters, grocery lists, notes, tax payments, delivery orders, and student writing exercises—vivid snapshots of everyday life in ancient Akhmim. Excavations continue at a rate of 50 to 100 sherds per day [2].

Dating & Chronology

The archaeological site of Monte Verde 2 (MV2) in Chile, long celebrated as evidence of human presence in the Americas predating the Clovis culture, faces renewed scrutiny over its dating. Research by Dr. Tom Dillehay, beginning in 1977, claimed the site was approximately 14,500 years old, and by 1997 it was acclaimed as the earliest known site in the Americas and the first undoubted pre-Clovis settlement [V2] [11]. However, Dr. Todd Surovell has published a new study challenging these dates, arguing that soil erosion processes indicate the site should be dated to just 6,000–8,000 years ago [12] [9] [10] [13] [8]. A newer independent analysis suggests an even younger occupation of approximately 4,200 years ago, while Latorre’s nuanced interpretation proposes that the organic material dates are reliable but represent geological deposits predating actual human occupation. Surovell’s soil erosion hypothesis suggests that post-depositional processes mixed older geological material with more recent archaeological evidence, artificially inflating the site’s apparent age.

Monteverde dating controversy challenges 14,500-year-old pre-Clovis occupation claims

Monte Verde 2 was described as a campsite of approximately 20–30 people featuring hut structures, footprints, and hearths [V2]. The original excavation site has been destroyed by flooding, complicating verification efforts, and both radiocarbon dating and thermoluminescence analysis were employed in Surovell’s study. The debate remains ongoing, with Dr. Dillehay preparing a detailed scientific response to the new claims.

Remote Sensing & Technology

The idea of a second sphinx at Giza has circulated for centuries. The earliest documented account comes from 14th-century traveler Aladrazi, who described a smaller mud-brick sphinx faced with stone that was already in poor condition during his visit [V3]. The shifting course of the Nile River since that period may have washed away any physical traces of this structure. In more recent years, several researchers have advanced new claims: Egyptologist Basan El Shama suggested in 2011 CE that a second sphinx existed to the north of the Great Sphinx and was destroyed by lightning, while Jerry Cannon and Malcolm Hutton proposed in 2017 that another lay buried beneath an unexcavated mound at Giza. Italian researcher Filippo Biondi claimed radar evidence of a second sphinx buried beneath the Giza Plateau, and in 2026 the Coffey scan team used synthetic aperture radar to claim discovery of another mound, with interpretations that went viral in popular media coverage [15]. Mainstream Egyptology has responded tepidly to these claims; no confirmed archaeological evidence exists, no excavation has taken place, and no peer-reviewed research supports any of these assertions [16] [14]. Compounding the skepticism, the mound cited by the 2026 Coffey scan team shows signs of being geologically recent, reportedly not present in aerial photographs taken 100 years ago, making it an unlikely location for an ancient sphinx.

Historical claims of a second Sphinx found unsubstantiated by mainstream Egyptology

Bioarchaeology & Ancient DNA

This individual displayed the typical Western European hunter-gatherer phenotype—dark complexion, straight dark hair, and striking blue eyes [V5] [23]—a combination characteristic of European hunter-gatherers from at least 7,000 to 12,000 years ago [21] [17] [20] [18] [22]. These skeletal anomalies contributed to the interpretation of the Bad Dürrenberg individual as a shaman [19].

Shaman had rare spinal malformation and hunter-gatherer phenotype

Supporting this interpretation, the Bad Dürrenberg burial revealed deliberate dental modifications: the front upper incisors were filed to expose root canals by skilled third parties, and the individual survived intense pain from a tooth abscess without modern intervention [V4].

Pollen analysis has revealed that a Mesolithic shaman interred at Bad Dürrenberg approximately 9,000 years ago was adorned with flowers at the time of burial, with flower pollen discovered near the individual’s head suggesting a floral headdress or garland [V7] [24] [27]. The Bad Dürrenberg excavation uncovered a double burial containing a female individual aged 30-40 years and a male infant aged 6-8 months who were fourth or fifth degree relatives rather than mother and child, as DNA analysis in 2023 revealed [V8] [26] [25].

Flower pollen and goose feathers discovered in 9,000-year-old burial

Eight distinct plant species were identified in the pollen found near the skull, including meadowsweet, mullein, buttercup, devil’s-bit scabious, birch leaves, buckthorn bark, hops, and lady’s mantle, many with documented medicinal properties such as diuretic, laxative, sedative, and wound treatment applications [V7] [24] [27]. The burial also included a deer antler headdress with attached goose and songbird feathers, along with a crane’s hollow wing bone container holding 31 flint microliths [V6]. The combination of floral adornment, medicinal plants, and ceremonial objects suggests this individual held a specialized role within the Mesolithic community.

42,000-year-old prehistoric horse found with liquid blood in Siberia

Scientists extracted liquid blood from a 42,000-year-old prehistoric horse foal discovered deep within the Batagaika crater in Siberia’s Verkhoyansk region—constituting the oldest liquid blood ever recorded [38] [36] [34] [33] [29] [35] [30] [28] [31] [37] [32] [V9]. The foal was identified as a Lena horse (Equus caballus lenensis) and was only approximately 1-2 weeks old at the time of death. The extraordinary preservation of the specimen—which retained individual hairs, delicate tissues, and traces of urine in the bladder—is attributed to the foal drowning in soft mud that froze rapidly, locking the animal in a state of suspended animation for millennia.

Architecture & Monuments

At Osaka Castle in Japan, one of the most remarkable megalithic structures is the Octopus Stone, also known as the Drum Stone, measuring an impressive 5.5 meters by 11.7 meters with a thickness of 70-90 centimeters and weighing more than 120 tons [V10]. This extraordinary stone is not an isolated feat of engineering—Osaka Castle contains five stones exceeding 100 tons each, along with 15 additional stones weighing more than 50 tons. The megalithic blocks, despite their irregular shapes, are fitted together with spectacular precision that continues to puzzle modern experts who remain uncertain how such massive stones were assembled in ancient times. The origins of these enormous megaliths remain debated among researchers; they may be remnants of the original imperial palace from the 4th century CE, or they could have been repurposed from a Buddhist temple.

Osaka Castle's Octopus Stone weighs over 120 tons, among 5 megaliths exceeding 100 tons

In 647 CE, Pakal constructed the Olvidado temple as the first double chamber building in the Maya world, introducing unique corbel arch engineering that would become a hallmark of Palenque’s architectural identity [V11] [39].

Pakal builds Palenque palace with innovative double vault architecture

Inscriptions & Texts

Archaeologists have unearthed 53 inscribed oracle bones at the Zhouyuan site in Shaanxi province, providing what specialists describe as the first direct textual evidence confirming the location as the Western Zhou capital associated with King Ji Chang (Wen Wang), the dynasty’s founder who ruled circa 1100-1050 BCE [V12] [41]. The bones were recovered from a moat ditch outside the city’s south wall, where they had been deliberately broken and discarded into a garbage pit—a disposal pattern consistent with ritual practices of the period. Among the more than 80 identifiable characters on these inscriptions, researchers identified a rare combined inscription of King Wen’s honorary name, a particularly significant find given its direct royal attribution. Combined with over 200 inscribed oracle bone fragments previously discovered at Zhouyuan, the cumulative evidence bridges the gap between the site’s extensive architectural remains—including large building foundations and a distinctive triple-walled city layout—and conclusive textual documentation of its royal status [42] [40].

53 inscribed oracle bones confirm Zhouyuan as Western Zhou capital Shi

In Brief

Archaeological evidence from Central Europe reveals that early modern humans developed structured information encoding systems at least 43,000 years ago, far earlier than previously recognized. A comprehensive study analyzing over 200 objects adorned with several thousand geometric signs demonstrates that these intentionally engraved patterns—dots, lines, crosses, notches, and crosshatchings—exhibited information density comparable to proto-cuneiform tablets from approximately 3,000 BCE [V13] [47] [49] [44]. Researchers employed computational modeling, statistical analysis, and machine learning methods to examine these sign sequences from the Aurignacian culture, associated with the first modern humans in Central Europe. The analysis revealed that these signs represent a structured sign system, suggesting humans developed visual encoding capabilities tens of thousands of years before the emergence of writing systems [48] [50] [46] [43].

43,000-year-old carved signs suggest earliest information encoding before writing

The artifacts, dating between 43,000 and 34,000 years before present, include tools, pendants, and figurines carved with geometric designs [V13] [50] [47] [43]. Many originate from caves in the Swabian Jura region of Germany [45]. Researchers hypothesize these signs may have served functional purposes including coordinating hunting activities, tracking seasonal patterns, and preserving cultural knowledge across generations.

Rock Ship of Masuda: 800-tonne megalith carved with mysterious square holes

The Younger Dryas was catastrophic, with rapid cooling beginning approximately 12,900 years ago [V15] [52] [51] and lasting roughly 1,300 years until about 11,600-11,700 years ago. The Younger Dryas was not an isolated event; it was embedded within a broader sequence of abrupt climate shifts during deglaciation, with both its onset and conclusion marked by rapid transitions in atmospheric composition occurring on decadal timescales or less [55] [V14]. The Younger Dryas interrupted the gradual warming that followed the last Ice Age [53], and both the onset and termination occurred within just 10-20 years, representing one of the most dramatic examples of abrupt climate change in the geological record.

Younger Dryas: Catastrophic rapid cooling event 12,900 years ago

The Younger Dryas cooling had global extent, affecting both hemispheres [54] [53] [55]. Glacier advances in New Zealand were synchronous with the Younger Dryas onset, indicating global rather than regional forcing. The cooling began at high northern latitudes and propagated southward through atmospheric and oceanic processes before reaching Antarctica. Deep sea sediment cores and lake records show the Younger Dryas was the most prominent feature of the deglaciation period [V15] [V14].

At the ancient port city of Byblos on Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast, archaeologists have documented both gray granite and rose granite pillars that originated from the Aswan quarries in Egypt—spanning at least 1,000 miles [V16]. Rose granite, prized throughout the ancient Mediterranean for monumental construction, was particularly valued for its durability and aesthetic appeal [56]. Some of these granite elements were reshaped by Roman craftsmen and repurposed in later structures, demonstrating the enduring utility of Egyptian stone even centuries after its initial extraction.

Roman-reshaped granite pillars at Byblos (Lebanon) traced to Aswan quarries 1,000 miles away

The transportation of such massive stone across these vast distances required sophisticated logistics. The Aswan unfinished obelisk quarry contained a canal system that may have connected to the Nile for transporting large stone monuments, providing a plausible mechanism for moving these heavy granite pillars southward before their maritime journey north. It is worth noting that while similar Egyptian pink granite columns appear at the Baalbek site approximately 30 kilometers from Byblos, scholarly sources treat these as pertaining to a different archaeological locality [57].

The Rock Ship of Masuda (Masuda-no-Iwafune) presents one of Japan’s most intriguing archaeological puzzles. This massive basalt monolith, weighing approximately 800 tonnes, was carved from a single block and stands near the top of a hill in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, measuring roughly 11 meters in length, 8 meters in width, and 4.7 meters in height [V17] [58] [59]. Despite extensive study, archaeologists cannot confirm who created this monument, when it was carved, or what its original purpose might have been—various theories suggest religious function, commemoration of a former lake, astronomical observation, or royal burial. The monument’s nickname derives from its visual resemblance to a canoe, not from any understood original intention [60]. Evidence suggests the monument may never have been completed: visible cracks indicate an incomplete carving process, and “Latattis-shaped” indentations at the base relate to the builders’ flattening technique. Some estimates place the monument at over 2,500 years old, though this remains scientifically unverified, and no human remains have ever been discovered at the site.

Burrs Hill burial ground artifacts reinterred in concrete vault in 2017

This marked the culmination of efforts to address decades of disturbance and dispersal of the Wampanoag burial ground, which had been compromised beginning in 1853 when the site was used as a sand and gravel source for railroad construction, leading to extensive looting [V18].

The original artifact assemblage at Burrs Hill included over 600 items, among them Chinese tripod vessels described as made of iron, copper, and cast iron, along with copper beads, gold lances, golden scrolls, and red jackets with solid gold buttons embroidered with gold thread [V18].

Archaeologists have uncovered an extensive underground tunnel stretching approximately 1,305 meters beneath Taposiris Magna temple, located west of Alexandria along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. The passage was carved through sandstone some 42 feet (13 meters) below the ground surface, with a height of roughly 2 meters. Associated with the temple dedicated to the god Osiris at this site, the tunnel represents a significant architectural achievement from ancient Egypt [61].

Underground tunnel discovered beneath Hatshepsut Temple

While the research question references Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahri, the source materials consistently indicate this discovery is located at Taposiris Magna—a separate site entirely [61]. Some researchers have speculated that the tunnel’s purpose may be connected to the lost tomb of Cleopatra, though this hypothesis remains contested and unproven. The discovery has nonetheless generated considerable excitement for what it reveals about underground construction techniques and religious practices at Osiris temples during the Ptolemaic period.

Sources

Videos

V1. World of Antiquity — “10 Mind-Blowing Ancient Inscriptions Unveiled (2025-2026)” V2. Inside Archaeology — “Latest #Archaeology Discoveries: March 2026” V3. DeDunking — “The Second Egyptian Sphinx is in the Sky #archaeology #egypt #sphinx #ancientastronomy #history” V4. The Prehistory Guys — “9,000 year old BAD DÜRRENBERG SHAMAN has a story to tell.” V5. The Prehistory Guys — “9,000 year old BAD DÜRRENBERG SHAMAN has a story to tell.” V6. The Prehistory Guys — “9,000 year old BAD DÜRRENBERG SHAMAN has a story to tell.” V7. The Prehistory Guys — “9,000 year old BAD DÜRRENBERG SHAMAN has a story to tell.” V8. The Prehistory Guys — “9,000 year old BAD DÜRRENBERG SHAMAN has a story to tell.” V9. Universe Inside You — “Unexplained Frozen Discoveries from an Ancient Apocalypse” V10. Ancient Architects — “The Enormous Megaliths of Osaka Castle in Japan” V11. Archaeologist Ed Barnhart — “Pakal: The Most Famous Maya Ruler Ever” V12. World of Antiquity — “10 Mind-Blowing Ancient Inscriptions Unveiled (2025-2026)” V13. Inside Archaeology — “Latest #Archaeology Discoveries: March 2026” V14. The Randall Carlson — “Cold War Secrets and The Discovery of Catastrophic Climate Change” V15. The Randall Carlson — “Cold War Secrets and The Discovery of Catastrophic Climate Change” V16. Brien Foerster — “Exploring The Ancient Sea Port Of Byblos In Lebanon” V17. Ancient Architects — “The Mysterious Monoliths of Asuka Nara, Japan” V18. Institute for Natural Philosophy — “The Roundtable Chronicles - Ep-15”

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

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