Chemical Elements

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Two ostrich Eggs found in the "Isis-tomb", an elite burial at Etruscan Vulci (Italy)

If you wanted to give an extravagant gift in front of 5,000 years, the you have selected, you can an Ostrich Egg .

Now, some of these beautiful Easter-egg-are large objects in the British Museum in London.

The were found Eggs , made in Italy, But their origins are still a Mystery have been ostriches are not indigenous to Europe.

Now, the research in The Museum 's collection by an international team of archaeologists have revealed new insights into its history.

the people in the whole of Europe, The Mediterranean and North Africa traded ostrich Eggs up to 5,000 years ago, in The Bronze and iron ages.

the Eggs were decorated, often painted, decorated with ivory or precious stones, or other materials or metals, or with small glazed.

The Five Eggs in the British Museum collection are decorated with animals, flowers, geometric patterns, soldiers, and chariots.

archaeologists in General, the Eggs are found in the tombs of the wealthy people, and they were probably luxury items, says Dr. Tamar Hodos, The Project Manager at the University of Bristol.

But you are working out, where the Eggs were laid, you can show more about your history, the says.

Dr. Hodos team were interested to know where the ostrich Eggs are, and whether the ostriches were wild or farmed.

Wild ostriches are very dangerous, so much so that the ancient wrote the Greek historian Xenophon, that no one managed to catch you.

Find out this kind of information helps us to better understand the ancient civilizations and trade flows, The Foundation stone for the modern world.

What is discovered by the researchers?

The archaeologists analyzed isotopes, or Chemical Elements , the shells in the Eggs .

With the help of modern ostrich Eggs from Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Turkey, the researchers compared the isotopes in ancient and modern Eggs to trace their origins.

The results suggest that ostrich Eggs could be traded over large distances in the Nile Delta in Northern Egypt and the Levant (including Jordan, Syria and Turkey).

Dr. Hodos team also believe that the ostriches were wild, suggesting that the dealer went to great lengths to get the Eggs .

"It's a risky undertaking, because the ostrich is incredibly dangerous, not just someone need to find The Nest sites, But then they had to explained to steal the Eggs ," Dr. Hodos.

What did you find out about the exquisite decoration?

The researchers used A Number of tools and techniques, to create, to try new methods of ancient craftsmen to decorate the Eggs - But in the end The Team was not able to replicate the decoration.

This suggests that Eggs hold many more secrets, and to tell their fuller story, more research is needed, Dr. Hodos said.

The archaeologists plan to examine the symbols, and the use of ostrich Eggs , and why they are so popular in The Mediterranean region (where ostriches were not native).

So remember, when you are ' stuffed re in a chocolate egg this Easter weekend, you are the last in a very, very long queue of people decorated Eggs to share.

history, archaeology, british museum

Source of news: bbc.com