1 . Archeologists said on Wednesday they have unearthed the oldest wooden structure ever discovered, dating from nearly half a million years ago, which suggests that our ancestors may have been more advanced than previously thought.
The exceptionally well-preserved wooden structure was found at Kalambo Falls in the north of Zambia near the border with Tanzania. It dates back at least 476,000 years, well before the evolution of Homo sapiens (智人), according to a study describing the find in the journal Nature.
The wood bears cut-marks showing that stone tools were used to join two large logs to make the structure, which is believed to be a platform, walkway or raised dwelling to keep our ancestors above the water. A collection of wooden tools, including a wedge and a digging stick, was also discovered at the site. The ancestors of humans were already known to use wood at this time, but for limited purposes such as starting a fire or hunting.
Larry Barham, an archeologist at the U. K.’s University of Liverpool and the study’s lead author, said the structure was a “chance discovery” made in 2019 while excavating the site located on the banks of the Kalambo River, above a 235-meter waterfall.
Discoveries involving such ancient wood are rare, because it tends to rot leaving behind little trace for the historical record. But the high level of water at Kalambo Falls is believed to have preserved the structure over the centuries.
Excavations at the Kalambo site in the 1950s and 1960s unearthed some wood, but it was not able to be accurately dated. However, this time around, the researchers used a new method called luminescence dating, which determines age by measuring the last time certain minerals were exposed to sufficient heat or sunlight. This revealed that the structure was much older than the researchers had thought, dating back at least 476,000 years.
The discovery of the wooden structure “changed how I thought about these people”, Barham added. “They transformed their surroundings to make life easier, even if it was only by making a platform to sit on by the river to do their daily chores,” he said. “They used their intelligence, imagination and skills to create something they’d never seen before, something that had never previously existed.”
1. What can be learned about the wooden structure according to Paragraphs 1 and 2?A.It was found in Tanzania. | B.It enjoyed a long history. |
C.It was partially damaged. | D.It was used by Homo sapiens. |
A.A bridge. | B.A weapon. | C.A walking stick. | D.A hunting tool. |
A.The shape of the wood. | B.The water in the wood. |
C.The weight of the wood. | D.The certain minerals in the wood. |
A.Approving. | B.Worried. | C.Indifferent. | D.Objective. |
2 . 听下面一段对话,完成填空。
Well, the cave was first discovered in
3 . 听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1. Where are the speakers?A.In a hotel. | B.In a cave. | C.In a university. |
A.Around 500 years old. | B.Around 1 ,000 years old. | C.Around 17,000 years old. |
A.A professor. | B.A painter. | C.A hotel owner. |
4 . Lingjiatan Ancient Cultural Site
Position
Lingjiatan site is located in Lingjiatan village, Hanshan County, Anhui Province.
Status
·With a history of about 5,600 years, it is the largest and best preserved Neolithic settlement site found in Chaohu Lake Basin in the lower reaches of the Changjiang River.
·The unearthed area is 2,200 square meters, including 1 altar in the late Neolithic age, 66 tombs, 1 relic built with large-area red pottery blocks, 1 house site, and 1,300 precious cultural relics such as delicate jade ritual vessels, stone tools and pottery, of which jade accounted for more than half.
Importance
·The “Stonehenge” unearthed at the site is the only site found so far that there are Stonehenge remains in the Neolithic period in China, and its construction age is about 1,000 years earlier than that of Stonehenge in Britain.
·Unearthed “jade dragon”, the flat round jade dragon connected end to end is called “the first dragon in China”.
·The unearthed stone drill is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the Neolithic Age in China in the 20th century.
Research value
·Studying urban elements
Lingjiatan site is the first settlement site in China with hierarchical architecture based on terrain. It plays a noticeable role in studying the evolution of Chinese ancient society and the exchange and collision of East, West, North and South cultures.
·Moving the history of Chinese cities forward for more than 1,000 years.
Mysteries to be solved
·Did the Youchao people master the metal smelting technology at that time? Have they produced the most primitive text symbols?
·After the discovery of Lingjiatan site, does Youchao’s birthplace lie in Chaohu Lake Basin?
1. How many precious cultural relics were unearthed according to the text?A.1,000. | B.1,300. | C.2,200. | D.5,600. |
A.There exists the only Stonehenge in the world. |
B.The jade dragon is considered as “the first dragon in China”. |
C.The stone drill is the most important archaeological discovery in history. |
D.Moving the history of Chinese history forward for more than 1,000 years. |
A.Youchao’s birthplace lies in Chaohu Lake Basin. |
B.The Youchao people mastered the metal smelting technology. |
C.Lingjiatan site was the first settlement site for the ancient people. |
D.The exchange of four-direction cultures ever happened in Lingjiatan site. |
Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was a
Pompeii was a typical Roman city but was buried by the ashes and rocks
The recent opening of a new exhibition building at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan, in Sichuan province, made the place
For those who cannot make it to Guanghan,
It provides a time-travel experience for both an educational and artistic appeal. The journey begins
On show
Images of these objects found at Sanxingdui and their
7 . More than 3,400 years after two ancient Egyptians were laid to rest, the jars of food left still smell sweet. A team of analytical chemists and archaeologists (考古学家) has analysed these smells to help identify the jars’ contents. The study shows how the exploration of smell can enrich our understanding of the past.
The 1906 discovery of the undisturbed tomb (墓穴) of Kha and Merit symbolized an important stage in Egyptology. The tomb remains the most complete non-royal ancient one ever found in Egypt, showing important information about how high-ranking individuals were treated after death.
Unusually for the time, the archaeologist who discovered the tomb resisted the temptation to open the sealed containers even after they were sent to the Egyptian Museum. The contents of many of these containers are still unknown, although there are some clues, says analytical chemist Ilaria Degano. “From taking with the museum keeper we knew there were some fruity smells in the display cases,” she says.
Degano and her colleagues placed various artefacts (人工制品) inside plastic bags for several days to collect some of the chemical substances they released. Then the team used a special machine to identify the components of the smells from each artefact. They found some chemicals associated with dried fish, and some chemicals common in fruits. The findings will feed into a larger project to reanalyse the tomb’s contents and produce a more comprehensive picture of burial customs for non-royals that existed when Kha and Merit died, about 70 years before Tutankhamun became the Egyptian ruler.
Aside from showing more about past civilizations, ancient smells could make museum visits more inviting. Usually, people admire exhibits with their eyes in museums. “Smell is a relatively unexplored gateway to the collective past for museum visitors,” says Cecilia Bembibre at University College London. “It has the potent alto allow us to experience the in a more emotional, personal way, through our nose.”
1. What can we describe the 1906 discovery of Kha and Merit’ tomb as?A.A landmark in Egyptology. | B.A turning point in human history. |
C.A breakthrough in archaeology. | D.A mirror of ancient non-royal life. |
A.Pressure. | B.Ambition. | C.Desire. | D.Tendency. |
A.protect them from harm | B.gather their smells |
C.test the special machine | D.back up a larger project |
A.They bring them back to the past. |
B.They give them emotional support. |
C.They change their view on civilizations. |
D.They add to their experience. |
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