Belgian Skeleton Unveils Bones from Five People Across 2,500 Years of History
A recent analysis of a skeleton discovered at an ancient Roman cremation cemetery in Pommerœul, Belgium, has revealed an unusual find – the bones actually belong to at least five different individuals spanning a period of 2,500 years. Originally unearthed in the 1970s near the French border, the grave included one skeleton in a fetal position, an uncommon pose for Roman-era burials. Initial assumptions suggested it was a single Roman-era burial, but new scientific examinations show otherwise, challenging previous understandings of the site.
Radiocarbon Dating Reveals a Patchwork of Bones
In 2019, radiocarbon testing provided surprising results, showing that while the cremated remains were indeed from the Roman period, bones in the fetal burial traced back much earlier to the Neolithic era, around 7000 to 3000 B.C. Archaeologists, led by Barbara Veselka of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, applied various techniques, including DNA sequencing and radiocarbon dating, to confirm that the grave contained bones from five distinct people. Although the exact number may exceed five, Veselka confirmed that DNA analysis identified at least five separate individuals.
An Intentional Assembly or Ritual?
The discovery prompted further investigation into why Roman burials would feature Neolithic remains. A Roman bone pin was found near the skull, which was identified as belonging to a Roman-era woman from the third or fourth century A.D. One hypothesis suggests that Roman settlers may have stumbled upon the Neolithic grave and decided to add the woman’s skull to the site. Another possibility is that the Romans created this composite skeleton by arranging scattered bones from different time periods in an intentional pattern.
Speculation on Cultural Significance
Experts believe the Pommerœul site may have held cultural or spiritual significance due to its proximity to a river, which has often been considered a powerful location across various periods and cultures. Bioarchaeologist Jane Holmstrom of Macalester College, who was not part of the study, remarked that the Romans may have aimed to establish a historical or territorial connection to the land by assembling these remains, reflecting an ancient form of land-claiming through burial practices.
The true purpose of this composite burial, however, remains a mystery lost to history.
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Science
Astronomers Capture First-Ever Image of a Dead Star That Exploded Twice in Rare Supernova Event
One of the world’s most advanced satellites for detecting methane and other gases that contribute to the warming of the planet has gone dark and stopped communicating with ground-based controllers just over a year after being launched into orbit. Created by the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the satellite — estimated to cost as much as $88 million — hitched a ride into space on a SpaceX rocket in March 2024. It was charged with monitoring methane leaks from oil and gas operations, and then making the data available to policymakers and scientists through open access. But on June 20, contact with the satellite was lost, and attempts to recover it have failed. EDF officially reported on July 1 that MethaneSAT has lost power and appears unlikely to recover.
MethaneSAT Failure Marks Setback for Climate Transparency Despite Data Gains and Global Support
As per a statement released by EDF, MethaneSAT’s failure came despite multiple recovery attempts. The satellite was constructed to lift the veil off methane’s invisible, weighty impact on global warming. It is nowhere near as common as carbon dioxide, but over a timescale of, say, a century, it is 20 to 30 times more efficient at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. That makes its emissions a prime target in the effort to minimize the risks of global warming. MethaneSAT was developed to independently corroborate industrial methane reports, especially those from fossil fuel extraction. The loss of the satellite is a remarkable setback for transparency in climate science and monitoring of emissions worldwide.
Yet mission operators are hopeful that data already collected will have far-reaching effects. EDF emphasized that insights from MethaneSAT’s year in orbit will continue to be processed and made public in the coming months. The mission included backing from 10 partners such as Harvard University, the New Zealand Space Agency, BAE Systems, Google, and the Bezos Earth Fund.
Officials called MethaneSAT a bold and needed move to hold our climate accountable. Although the mission was cut short, it signaled one of the largest joint efforts between science, advocacy, and technology to battle climate change. “To succeed in meeting the climate challenge, we need bold action and fearless innovation,” EDF mentioned, describing the satellite as “at the vanguard of science.”
MethaneSAT’s brief history highlights the difficulty — and importance — of deploying space-based instruments to try and combat climate change. As other missions get ready to blaze the same trail, the data and experience this little spacecraft provided will influence the future of Earth observation.
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A newly confirmed interstellar comet is making a rare passage through our solar system — and skywatchers can catch it live online tonight. The object, now called 3I/ATLAS, is just the third interstellar visitor ever detected after the well-known ‘Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). The comet was so fresh when first detected on July 1 by the ATLAS telescope in Chile that it hadn’t even been given a name yet; the Minor Planet Center has it listed as “3I,” the “I” standing for interstellar. Tonight’s webcast will kick off at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT) from the Virtual Telescope Project’s virtual observing facilities in Italy.
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Speeds Toward Sun at 68 km/s, Offers Rare Study Opportunity
As per a report by Space.com, 3I/ATLAS was detected as a faint object displaying subtle cometary features, including a marginal coma and a short tail. Currently located 4.5 astronomical units (AU) from the sun — about 670 million kilometers (416 million miles) — the comet is faint at magnitude 18.8, making it invisible to amateur telescopes. The interstellar object is traveling at an astonishing pace of 68 kilometers per second (152,000 mph) relative to the sun, but NASA officials say it poses no danger to Earth.
It was imaged by the Virtual Telescope Project on July 2, showing the comet as a point of light within the trailing background stars — a sure indication that it is indeed moving through space. 3I/ATLAS should brighten a little as it approaches the sun, particularly when it gets closest, or its perihelion, on Oct. 30, when it swings within 1.4 astronomical units of the sun or Mars’ orbit.
The close pass by this interstellar visitor is a rare chance for astronomers to study the materials and dynamics outside our solar system. 3I/ATLAS, which is racing along at a frenetic pace on an elliptical orbit, may also support research into how these objects change as they sit in different stellar environments.
After disappearing behind the sun in late fall, 3I/ATLAS is projected to return to observational reach in early December. Researchers anticipate further analysis then, expanding our understanding of these rare visitors that traverse the galaxy — and occasionally, pass through our celestial neighborhood.
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