15 Major Historical Archaeological Discoveries Made In 2017

9. A stunningly well-preserved dinosaur fossil went on display to the public

In August 2017, a breathtaking new specimen began welcoming visitors to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Canada. Hailed as one of the best fossil finds of all time, the 110-million-year-old ankylosaur known as Borealopelta resembles a sculpture in its detail, right down to the heavy armor-like scales and the 20-inch spikes protruding from its shoulders. Borealopelta was excavated by miners in an oil and sand quarry back in 2011, then painstakingly separated from the stone surrounding it during thousands of hours of work over five years. The sands of the quarry preserved the creature’s body so well that scientists can even speculate on its color and pattern, thanks to traces of pigment left in its skin.

10. A century-old fruitcake and a doomed explorer’s painting were unearthed in Antarctica

This summer saw two big discoveries in Antarctica. In June 2017, the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust revealed that scientists working on a restoration of historic huts on Cape Adare had sifted through layers of dust, paper and penguin poop to uncover a delicate watercolor painting of a bird. Dated 1899, it was painted by Dr. Edward Wilson, who died on the failed South Pole expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott in 1911-12. In August, the same restoration project turned up a fruitcake made by the British company Huntley & Palmers, still wrapped in paper and encased in a battered tin. Scientists think the cake, which looked and smelled “(almost) edible” also dates to the Scott expedition, as the explorer was known to have favored that particular brand.

11. Researchers located the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis

In August 2017, a team of civilian researchers led by Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, discovered the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis, a U.S. Navy cruiser, on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The cruiser had been sunk 72 years ago by a torpedo blast from a Japanese submarine. Considered one of the greatest maritime tragedies ever suffered by the U.S. Navy, the Indianapolis had just delivered components of the atomic bomb that would be used in Hiroshima when it was hit on July 30, 1945. Only 316 of the nearly 1,200 sailors and Marines aboard the ship survived. Allen’s team found the Indianapolis after previous attempts failed, using a 250-foot research vessel that could dive up to 6,000 meters (or 3 ½ miles) deep.

12. Archeologists found the underwater ruins of two ancient Roman cities

After a seven-year search, a team of Italian and Tunisian scientists located about 50 acres of Roman ruins, including streets and monuments, off the northeastern coast of Tunisia, near the modern-day town of Nabeul, in late August 2017. Experts believe the ruins may be part of Neapolis, the coastal city thought to have been destroyed and partially submerged by a tsunami in the fourth century A.D. Then in December, divers uncovered another underwater Roman city—Baiae, a former center of luxurious hedonism—in early December off Italy’s western coast. Historians think Baiae has also submerged some 1,700 years ago, as volcanic activity forced the Italian coast into the Bay of Naples.

13. DNA evidence proved Viking women were warriors

In September 2017, DNA analysis of remains found in a 10th-century grave in Sweden provided the first genetic confirmation of a female Viking warrior. The skeleton in question had been buried with various weapons, two horses, a game board and a full set of gaming pieces, all of which suggested the individual was a high-ranking warrior with strategic and military know-how. Ever since the grave was first excavated back in the 1800s, historians and archaeologists had assumed the skeleton was male. But after extracting DNA from the skeleton, researchers concluded that in fact, the remains were those of a woman, who stood somewhere around 5 feet 6 inches tall and lived more than three decades.

14. The National Archives released (some of) the last top-secret JFK files

According to a 1992 law passed by Congress, October 26, 2017, marked the final deadline for all records relating to John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination to be released to the public. Though the files released in October yielded some interesting revelations—such as details about contacts between shooter Lee Harvey Oswald and the Cuban and Soviet intelligence agencies—the biggest one might be that U.S. agencies like the FBI and CIA are continuing to withhold evidence related to the assassination. In the final hours before the release, concerns by national security and intelligence officials led President Donald Trump to block the disclosures of some 300 files, pending a six-month review.

15. Scientists found a mysterious “void” inside the Great Pyramid

Using a high-tech method involving cosmic radiation, scientists identified a previously unknown space inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, aka Khufu’s Pyramid. Hovering just above the cathedral-like Grand Gallery, which leads from the Queen’s burial chamber to the King’s, the enclosure may be a structural feature that relieves weight on the gallery below. But scientists are now exploring whether the “void” may serve some other, unknown purpose, which could shed light on the enduring mysteries of the pyramids.

Credits: history.com

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