Researchers believe that horse riding was introduced to China from the northern regions of Central Asia, but the Yanghai saddle is the oldest to appear in our archaeological record. This consists of pieces of leather sewn together and stuffed with straw and animal hair; organic compounds of this type generally decompose quickly, but in this case, the arid desert environment preserved them.
A decorated jade mask, made from several interlocking jade fragments, with shells for eyes and teeth, was discovered in the tomb of a Mayan king in Chochkitam, Guatemala. Carbon-14 dating shows that it dates from around 350 CE and its discoverers believe it represents a Mayan storm god. It was not uncommon for such masks to be made for the burials of members of the Mayan royal family. Engravings made using a knife or chisel in volcanic obsidian also decorated the tomb of this king.
Stonehenge, a Neolithic monument in the southwest of England, may have achieved fame since the Middle Ages, but that does not prevent us, thanks to new techniques, from continuing to discover details concerning its construction. In August, researchers noticed that the stone altar near the center of the structure was made of sandstone that came from Scotland, hundreds of miles from Salisbury Plain, where it was erected as a monument. Such transportation certainly represented a major undertaking 4,600 years ago, when archaeologists believe the stone was installed: it weighs more than six tons and those who placed it there probably did not use wheels .
