10 incredible archaeological finds from 2022 [View all]

By Owen Jarus
published 1 day ago

The top 10 archaeological finds of 2022 include ancient bronze Etruscan statues from Italy, a Roman-era mosaic in Syria and a prehistoric chalk sculpture in England.



A newfound ancient shrine with human-like facial features carved into it from Jordan's eastern desert. (Image credit: South Eastern Badia Archaeological Project)

There were many important archaeological discoveries in 2022. Researchers found evidence of prehistoric animations, one of the earliest known Buddhist temples and ancient Egyptian mummy portraits showing vivid images of the deceased — discoveries that captivated people around the globe. In this countdown Live Science takes a look at 10 of the most important archaeological stories from 2022.

1. Mummy portraits



Archaeologists discovered Fayum mummy portraits at an ancient Egyptian site. This one is painted on a linen shroud. (Image credit: Courtesy Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Archaeologists with Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities discovered two complete mummy portraits along with semi-complete and incomplete portraits in a cemetery at the ancient city of Philadelphia, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of Cairo. These realistic portraits date back around 2,000 years.

While mummy portraits can be seen today in museums around the world, many were dug up by looters; the newfound paintings are the first mummy portraits found in a scientific excavation since the British archaeologist Flinders Petrie uncovered portraits in the 1880s. Scholars hope the new discoveries will help them learn more about mummy portraits, as the new finds were unearthed during an archaeological excavation and so were examined with modern scientific methods.

2. Underground city



Many artifacts from the second and third centuries A.D. were unearthed in an underground city in Mardin's Midyat district in Turkey, as shown in this April 16 photo. (Image credit: Photo by Halil Ibrahim Sincar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A hidden underground city may have housed up to 70,000 people beneath the ancient city of Midyat in Turkey, archaeologists discovered. While only about 5% of the underground city has been excavated so far, finds include water wells, grain storage silos, the remains of houses, a Christian church and what seems to be a synagogue with a Star of David symbol on the wall. Coins and oil lamps found in the underground city suggest that it was in use during the second and third centuries A.D. During this time, the Roman Empire controlled the area and persecuted Christians, and it's possible that some people fled to this underground city to escape persecution.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/top-10-archaeological-findings-2022