Science is changing our understanding of the past. Paleogenetics uncovers astonishing DNA secrets hidden in bones and dirt. Artificial intelligence decodes ancient texts written in a forgotten script. Chemical analysis of molecular residues left on teeth, cooking vessels, clay vessels and building materials reveals details about past diets, smells and building techniques.
CNN brings you three mysteries about human history that scientists have solved in 2023. Plus, one that researchers are still struggling to solve.
Actual appearance of Otzi the Iceman
In 1991, mountaineers found the mummified body of Otzi in a ditch high in the Italian Alps. Its frozen remains are perhaps the most closely studied archaeological finds in the world, revealing in unprecedented detail what life was like 5,300 years ago.
The contents of his stomach yielded information about what his last meal was and where he came from, while his weapons showed he was right-handed and his clothing provided a rare glimpse into what the ancients actually wore.
However, new analysis of DNA taken from Otzi’s pelvis revealed in August that his physical appearance was not what scientists first thought.
A study of his genetic makeup showed that Otzi had dark skin and dark eyes and was probably bald. This revised appearance is in stark contrast to the well-known reconstruction of Otzi, which depicts a pale-skinned man with bushy hair and a beard.
The identity of the person who wore the 20,000-year-old pendant has been revealed
Archaeologists often unearth bone tools and other artifacts from ancient sites, but it has been impossible to know for sure who once used or carried them.
Earlier this year, scientists discovered ancient human DNA from a pendant made from deer bone found in Denisova Cave in Siberia. Using that clue, they were able to discover that the pendant was worn by a woman who lived 19,000 to 25,000 years ago.
She belonged to a group known as ancient northern Eurasians, who are genetically related to the first Americans.
Human DNA is likely preserved in the deer bone pendant because it is porous and more likely to retain the genetic material present in skin cells, sweat and other bodily fluids.
The first word deciphered on ancient papyrus using artificial intelligence
About 1,100 scrolls burned to the ground during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago. In the 1700s, some prospectors extracted a large supply from the volcanic mud.
The collection, known as the Herculaneum papyri (papyrus scrolls), may be the largest known library from classical antiquity, but the contents of the fragile documents remained a mystery until a University of Nebraska computer science student won a science competition this year.
With the help of artificial intelligence and computer technology, Luk Faritor was the first to decode a word written in ancient Greek found on one of the ancient papyri in the collection.
Faritor was awarded $40,000 for deciphering the word “πορφυρας” or “porfiras”, which is the Greek word for the color purple. Researchers hope it won’t be long until the entire scrolls are deciphered using this technique.
Beethoven: A family secret revealed – but one mystery remains
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven died at the age of 56 in 1827 after a series of chronic health problems, including hearing loss, gastrointestinal problems and liver disease.
In 1802, Beethoven wrote a letter to his brothers asking his doctor, Johann Adam Schmidt, to investigate the nature of his illness after he died. The letter is known as the Heiligenstadt Testament.
Nearly 200 years after his death, scientists have extracted DNA from preserved locks of hair in an attempt to honor this request.
The team was unable to reach a definitive diagnosis, but Beethoven’s genetic data helped researchers rule out possible causes of his disease such as autoimmune celiac disease, lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome.
Genetic data also suggested that there was an extramarital relationship in his family.
