International archaeology team announces major Rhine valley discovery

Neolithic science just got rewritten. Scientists excavating a lone grave in a copse of woods that make up part of the Black Forest have announced a fascinating new discovery. Here are a few excerpts from articles I've found across the Web:

The grave site for the supposed princess reportedly led Professor Felecia Bonnet, a French anthropologist who teaches at the Van Gelder Institute, to discover buried ancient wooden platforms, walls, and other artifacts associated with a City in the Trees. The tree-dwelling humans appear to have lived in the region for many thousands of years and were closely associated with the white fortress on the western side of the Rhine. Excited members of the team uncovered and restored a road leading to the city and built a replica of its largest surviving house.

Source: Flanitos

The University of the Rhine accepted a bequest from Van Gelder’s will to establish the Reinhard Van Gelder Institute of Anthropology and Archaeology, which is now headed by Van Gelder’s longtime student and friend, Dr. Ernst Voorst. Voorst made headlines this week when he announced that further work in the Golden Wood had led to the discovery and excavation of a grave site for a female human from about 10,000 years ago. Dubbed the Princess of the Golden Wood, her burial led researchers to uncover wooden artifacts that are believed to have been used to construct homes in the treetops.

Source: Singona

The excavation of the female’s grave led to a stunning discovery of carefully preserved wooden structures that, the team concluded, had once adorned majestic trees in the ancient world. The team reconstructed one such home and dubbed it the Palace of the Princess from the City of the Trees in the Golden Wood. Initial reaction to the announcement has been guarded but hopeful. Some experts insist that Dr. Voorst’s work will have to be confirmed by other experts in the field who have not been tainted by the controversy.

Source: Info-Monster

The Voorst expedition returned to the Golden Wood and uncovered a remarkable deposit of carefully preserved wooden artifacts from the era. It is almost as if the inhabitants of the Golden Wood disassembled their homes and left the area about 10,000 years ago. They may have planned to return because they left enough material to rebuild at least a few of the houses that were once supported by ancient trees of monumental height.

Source: GeoStatics

One of the more amazing pictures associated with this story depicts a restored roadway through the Golden Woods.



I'm sure there will be more stories. It seems like this party is just getting started!

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