When was the last time you heard about a recent scientific discovery relating to history? For example, new fossils being unearthed, a mystery about an ancient plague finally being solved, or even a new archaeological discovery? It has been a disturbing trend in the news that discoveries like these are glossed over for more engaging or trendy stories. It is important for these stories to be talked about for the benefit of the general public’s knowledge of the world and history.
In an article published by Science American titled Paleontology Is Far More Than New Fossil Discoveries, they mention excellent reasons why these fields of exploring ancient fossils or historical sites are important. “Paleontologists are prophets of the future because they know the past,” and using that information they find they can predict what could happen next to our planet. Paleontology is not just the study of dinosaur bones like most people may think, it is also finding remnants of ancient ecosystems and how the climate of the earth changed over time. Sometimes it will show a pattern that applies to current events happening around the world such bottlenecks in biodiversity or climate change.
The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) published an article discussing the merits of archaeology. “Increasing understanding of the past is at the heart of everything archaeologists do – and is, itself, a public benefit.” It can give opportunities for communities to learn more about their histories, cultural heritage, and potential tourist attractions to bring more diversity to their area. Communities can learn more from past societies than you might think.
Anthropology is another field of study that is often overlooked, but can provide insights into mysteries of the past, bridge gaps between societies, and reveal why cultural norms are the way they are in today’s societies. “Anthropology offers something no other discipline can match: a comprehensive approach to understanding human diversity in all its forms,” as published by BANotes.org.
Two prime examples of the underreporting of these discoveries would be the discovery of the Silurian Horseshoe Crab and the discovery of Thutmose II’s Tomb near the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Both carry their own weight in the history of our world.
The Silurian Horseshoe Crab is a newly discovered genus of horseshoe crab that lived around 424 million years ago and has been given the scientific name of Ciurcalimulus discobolus. These crabs have a long history, dating back 450 million years, but there was an 80-million-year gap in the fossil record before Samuel J. Ciurca, Jr found the fossil in the Kokomo Member of the Wabash Formation in Indiana back in 1975. If the fossil was found in the 1970s, why is it only this year that it was properly identified? That is because with every fossil found, if it seems to fit within a species, then there are risks of misidentifying it. So, they put them through multiple tests and study it relentlessly to ensure it gets properly identified.
Thutmose II’s Tomb near the Valley of the Kings was the last tomb left undiscovered from the 18th dynasty of Egypt, otherwise known as the Tutankhamun Dynasty, until February of this year. It may hold secrets into the inter familial relations and is the first tomb to be found near the famous Valley of the Kings since 1922. He was the husband of Hatshepsut, commonly known as the one and only female Pharaoh of Egypt. His tomb had several murals that had never been seen, and some of the burial practices used challenge previous findings and hypothesis about royal family burial practice of the time.