World's oldest work of art found in a hidden Indonesian valley
Archaeologists discover a cave painting of a wild pig that is now the world's oldest dated work of representational art.
15 January, 2021
Credit: Maxime Aubert
- Archaeologists find a cave painting of a wild pig that is at least 45,500 years old.
- The painting is the earliest known work of representational art.
- The discovery was made in a remote valley on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
<p>A recently-found picture of a wild pig that was made over 45,500 years ago is the world's oldest known cave painting, according to archaeologists. The painting, which may also be the world's oldest representational or figurative artwork, was discovered on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, hidden away in a remote <span style="background-color: initial;">Leang Tedongnge cave.</span></p><p>If you're wondering, the now-second world's oldest dated painting of 43,900 years of age was previously found in the same Sulawesi area by the same team. That one pictured a group of part-human, part-animal hybrid figures on the hunt. The scientists also point out that these dates are minimum ages, determined from analyzing buildups of mineral deposits on the cave art. The paintings could be as old as 60,000 to 65,000 years. By comparison, the cave paintings in the <a href="https://www.ancient.eu/Lascaux_Cave/" target="_blank">Lascaux cave</a> complex in France are "just" 17,000 years old. </p>
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">The discovery was made inside the </span><span style="background-color: initial;">Leang Tedongnge cave </span><span style="background-color: initial;">by the archaeologist Basran Burhan, a doctoral student and co-author of the study. He's part of a team which involves researchers from </span><span style="background-color: initial;">Griffith University in Australia and </span><span style="background-color: initial;">Indonesia's leading archaeological research centre, Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS).</span></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Humans have hunted Sulawesi warty pigs for tens of thousands of years," <a href="https://news.griffith.edu.au/2021/01/14/worlds-oldest-cave-art-discovered-in-indonesia/" target="_blank">said Burhan</a>, adding "These pigs were the most commonly portrayed animal in the ice age rock art of the island, suggesting they have long been valued both as food and a focus of creative thinking and artistic expression".</p><p>The Sulawesi warty pig was painted using dark red ochre pigment and is about 53 by 21 inches in size. It features some upright hair and horn-like warts on the face that the adults of this species are known for. Another two partially-preserved pigs face the main animal.</p>
Oldest Cave Art Found in Sulawesi
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a9734e306f0914bfdcbe79a1e317a7f0"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b-wAYtBxn7E?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Two hand prints, most probably left by Homo sapiens rather than other human ancestors like the Denisovans, can be seen by the pig's hindquarters. The scientists are looking to extract DNA samples from the prints.</p><p>The cave with the painting is in a valley of limestone cliffs, an hour's walk away from any road. You can only access it during dry season because of flooding during the rainy season. Previously it was only known to members of the isolated Bugis community.</p><p>The site has the oldest evidence of human presence on the islands of Indonesia, known as "Wallacea," and is likely linked to the group of people who were migrating to Australia. </p><p>Read the new study in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/7/3/eabd4648" target="_blank">Science Advances. </a></p>
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How high did our ancestors get? We might soon be able to tell.
Traces of heroin and cocaine have been found in the tartar of 19th-century Dutch farmers.
11 January, 2021
Photo: Elena / Adobe Stock
- Archaeologists can now tell what drugs our ancestors used thanks to tooth tartar.
- For this study, they tested 10 cadavers and discovered 44 drugs and metabolites.
- This new method will offer us insights into the types of drugs our ancestors used.
<p>Archaeologists rejoiced last year when a team discovered that an Israeli shrine <a href="https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/cannabis-bible" target="_self">contained remnants of cannabis and frankincense</a>. Improved laboratory techniques allowed the researchers to test substances discovered on the altar, which dates back to 750-715 BCE. The team believes this is another indication that cannabis served a ritualistic purpose during biblical times. </p><p>Brian Muraresku, the author of "The Immortality Key," hopes religious scholars will <a href="https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/psychedelic-christianity" target="_self">take such techniques seriously</a>. For example, testing ancient vessels for hallucinogenic resins will allow us to form a more complete picture of early Christian rituals. </p><p>Every year, breakthroughs are made in the technologies we use to study the past. At this point, all we need is the will—and serious funding, of course.</p><p>Researchers from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Denmark's Aarhus University have utilized another means for tracing the past: tooth tartar. In a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073820305090?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new study</a>, published in Forensic Science International, the archaeologists utilize ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to peer into the lives of our ancestors through their dental calculus. </p><p>And you've been letting your dentist scrape away valuable information. </p><p>This research began when Leiden University doctoral student Bjørn Peare Bartholdy was investigating the self-medication techniques of 19th-century Dutch farmers. He wanted to understand how they managed pain and disease. Tartar, which can survive more than one million years on fossils, has previously been used to study ancient diets. If it could reveal carbohydrate intake, it should offer insights into opioid use. </p><p>So he turned to the team at Aarhus, including forensic dentist Dorthe Bindslev, who mixed tartar minerals such as hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite with a variety of controlled substances to detect the molecules in the fossils. For this study, they tested 10 cadavers and discovered 44 drugs and metabolites.</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjIwMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTgxMjY1N30.dXESAVsjEprL_0TVI1Ta9Ma4ltW2up5Uj3U51WGaIUY/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C114%2C0%2C114&height=700" id="f5241" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a19e0c3d83a0db8c6cd2f984cd3d2ac2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1245" data-height="700" />
Credi: Сергей Кучугурный / Adobe Stock
<p>This is no easy method. Tartar levels vary from person to person. As they write, the variables include "the intake of fermentable carbohydrates, acidic foods and medicines; the salivary flow rate; the endogenous concentrations of inorganic ions in saliva; and salivary buffer systems, impact calculus formation."</p><p>They also have to factor in accidental consumption or inhalation of drugs, which also leaves a record. That said, the team is pleased with the results. Archaeology has long measured cultural drug use; now they can gain insights into exactly <em>who</em> did the inhaling, which might provide information about the identity and role of the skeletons they unearth.</p><p>The team found cocaine, heroin, and heroin metabolites in the remains of these Dutch farmers, which could help Bartholdy piece together their pain management protocols. More pedestrian consumption was also found: "The common consumption of caffeine containing drinks and the widespread use of tobacco products were reflected by the investigated samples."</p><p>There are a few barriers: this particular technology is expensive and hard to access—it's not a common laboratory machine. And while tartar is hardy, not every substance is going to survive for millennia, or even years. Amphetamines, MDMA, and codeine have "low logP and plasma-protein binding," while benzodiazepines and morphine exhibit "high plasma-protein binding." The team was surprised to discover cocaine and heroin in the samples given their chemical and enzymatic instability.</p><p>That said, this research empowers archaeologists with yet another tool in their research kit. While scholars like Muraresku might not convince the Vatican to give up their vessels, we may soon have another way of discovering early Christian psychedelic usage. We should also learn more about pain management—and maybe even the pleasure of our ancestors.</p><p><span></span>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. His most recent book is</em> "<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRVMP2M?pf_rd_r=MDJW43337675SZ0X00FH&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy</a>."</em></p>
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Did early humans hibernate?
New anthropological research suggests our ancestors enjoyed long slumbers.
30 December, 2020
Credit: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock
- Neanderthal bone fragments discovered in northern Spain mimic hibernating animals like cave bears.
- Thousands of bone fragments, dating back 400,000 years, were discovered in this "pit of bones" 30 years ago.
- The researchers speculate that this physiological function, if true, could prepare us for extended space travel.
<p>Humans have a terrible sense of time. We think in moments, not eons, which accounts for a number of people that still don't believe in evolutionary theory: we simply can't imagine ourselves any differently than we are today. </p><p>Thankfully, scientists and researchers have vast imaginations. Their findings often depend on creative problem-solving. Anthropologists are especially adept at this skill, as their job entails imagining a prehistoric world in which humans and our forebears were very different creatures. </p><p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003552120300832" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new paper</a>, published in the journal L'Anthropologie, takes a hard look at ancient bone health and arrives at a surprising conclusion: Neanderthals (and possibly early humans) might have endured long, harsh winters by hibernating. </p><p>Adaptability is the key to survival. Certain endotherms evolved the ability to depress their metabolism for months at a time; their body temperature and metabolic rate lowered while their breathing and heart rate dropped to nearly imperceptible levels. This handy technique solved a serious resource management problem, as food supplies were notoriously scarce during the frozen months. </p><p>While today the wellness industry eschews fat, it has long had an essential evolutionary function: it keeps us alive during times of food scarcity. As autumn months pass, large mammals become hyperphagic (experiencing intense hunger followed by overeating) and store nutrients in fat deposits; smaller animals <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/367950" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bury food nearby</a> for when they need a snack. This strategy is critical as hibernating animals can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3105343/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lose over a quarter of their body weight</a> during winter. </p><p>For this paper, Antonis Bartsiokas and Juan-Luis Arsuaga, both in the Department of History and Ethnology at Democritus University of Thrace, scoured through remains of a "pit of bones" in northern Spain. In 1976, archaeologists found a 50-foot shaft leading down into a cave in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Atapuerca" target="_blank">Atapuerca</a>, where thousands of bone fragments have since been discovered. Dating back 400,000 years—some of the fragments may be as old as 600,000 years—researchers believe the bodies were intentionally buried in this cave.</p>
Evidence of ancient human hibernation / human hibernation for space travel | Dr Antonis Bartsiokas
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c18723ed15c9b3ed88a24552f681711e"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ba72UrBWsc4?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>While the fragments have been well studied in the intervening decades, Arsuaga (who led an early excavation in Atapuerca) and Bartsiokas noticed something odd about the bones: they displayed signs of seasonal variations. These proto-humans appear to have experienced annual bone growth disruption, which is indicative of hibernating species.</p><p>In fact, the remains of cave bears were also found in this pit, increasing the likelihood that the burial site was reserved for species that shared common features. This could be the result of a dearth of food for bears and Neanderthals alike. The researchers write that modern northerners don't need to sleep for months at a time; an abundance of fish and reindeer didn't exist in Spain, as they do in the Arctic. They write, </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The aridification of Iberia then could not have provided enough fat-rich food for the people of Sima during the harsh winter—making them resort to cave hibernation."</p><p>The notion of hibernating humans is appealing, especially to those in cold climates, but some experts <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/dec/20/early-humans-may-have-survived-the-harsh-winters-by-hibernating" target="_blank">don't want to put the cart before the horse</a>. Large mammals don't engage in textbook hibernation; their deep sleep is known as a "torpor." Even then, the demands of human-sized brains could have been too large for extended periods of slumber.</p><p>Still, as we continually discover our animalistic origins to better understand how we evolved, the researchers note the potential value of this research.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The present work provides an innovative approach to the physiological mechanisms of metabolism in early humans that could help determine the life cycle and physiology of extinct human species."</p><p>Bartsiokas <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba72UrBWsc4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">speculates</a> that this ancient mechanism could be coopted for space travel in the future. If the notion of hibernating humans sounds far-fetched, the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/01/human-hibernation-real-possibility/605071/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">idea has been contemplated for years</a>, as NASA began funding research on this topic in 2014. As the saying goes, everything old is new again. </p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>. His new book is</em> "<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRVMP2M?pf_rd_r=MDJW43337675SZ0X00FH&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy</a>."</em></p>
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New DNA evidence rewrites Caribbean history
Two new studies shed light on who first inhabited the islands, who replaced them, and how few people lived there.
28 December, 2020
Credit: zstock / Adobe Stock
- A pair of new studies has finally managed to analyze the DNA of early residents of the Caribbean.
- The DNA indicated that many residents were closely related, despite hundreds of miles of distance between them.
- The findings dramatically alter our understanding of the residents of the Caribbean before Europeans arrived.
<p> The loss of information about the history of peoples can sometimes occur by accident, caused by nothing more than environmental factors. It is particularly true for genetic information in certain climates. Warm, wet climes, like that of the Caribbean, can cause the genetic material in human remains to decay long before science can examine it. </p><p>Thanks to advances in technology, geneticists can gather more information about the Caribbean people before Europeans arrived than ever before. The findings, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03053-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nature</a>, shed light on their origins, numbers, and their level of interaction with others. </p>
How to recover DNA in a tropical environment
<p> As mentioned above, the DNA in human remains breaks down fairly quickly in tropical environments. It is only now that we can use certain bones, those which protect the inner ear, to acquire enough material to learn about the original residents of the area. </p><p>An international team of researchers examined the remains of 174 <a href="https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-12/fmon-adr122220.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">people</a>. The findings of a previous <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6502/456" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> that examined 93 other skeletons were also included in their <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/12/invaders-nearly-wiped-out-caribbeans-first-people-long-before-spanish-came-dna-reveals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">analysis</a>. Unlike many previous studies, this investigation was carried out with the knowing consent of the decedents of the island natives. </p>What does the DNA tell us?
<iframe width="730" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uVrVdtSFK7c" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe><p> The oldest remains indicate that original inhabitants of the islands arrived there around 6,000 years ago and were related to groups living in South and Central America. These people are known as the "Archaic Age People" but who they are exactly remains unclear, as the genetic findings didn't match any particular group in South America. </p><p> Then, around 3,000 years ago, another group of people migrated north. These Arawak-speaking, ceramic-making farmers from South America displaced the Archaic Age People. While small groups of the latter appear to have held out in isolation until 900 C.E, they eventually disappeared as a separate group of people. However, intermarriage between the two groups appears to have been rare. </p><p> The DNA also tells us that people were rather closely related across vast distances. In one case, dozens of individuals, including two men living 600 miles apart, shared as much DNA as first cousins. Such a high proportion of such cases suggests a low population with only limited levels of genetic diversity. </p>What does this mean for our understanding of the pre-contact Caribbean?
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzNDMyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTQ5MTA4OX0.7eL6KWx70ABnOjqMbSCiWl9haTxGaITfRzxS8sjeGRM/img.jpg?width=980" id="04f14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="471edf9fc8866f923f21d36f004fb686" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1440" data-height="960" />vessel, made between AD 1200-1500 in present-day Dominican Republic
Credit: Kristen Grace/Florida Museum
<p> The findings upend ideas of multiple, large migrations of South American people into the region entirely. Archaeologists had previously associated different pottery styles with different eras caused by new groups of people moving in and bringing their ceramics with them. This study found no reason to suppose these migrations took place. Instead, these same people seem to have changed their style. </p><p>Additionally, the genetic similarities between the people across large swaths of time and space suggest that the populations were much smaller than previously reported. While Columbus reported millions of people living on the islands he landed on, these findings provide support estimates the population was in the tens of thousands at the time. This could have implications for our understanding of the history of post-contact interactions.</p><p>It also raises new questions about how the pre-contact peoples interacted. Genetic evidence suggests the archaic group was largely left alone, but why was that? We know that some trading was taking place between groups on different islands, but how much? Was this trade what prevented some smaller groups from suffering the adverse effects of inbreeding? </p><p>Such questions will have to be the subject of further research.</p>
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How young is the oldest building in your state?
Map shows oldest buildings for each U.S. state – but also hints at what's missing.
17 December, 2020
Credit: Malcolm Tunnell, reproduced with kind permission
- How old is the oldest building in your state? This map will tell you.
- While the East Coast has some pretty ancient stuff, the oldest buildings elsewhere are many centuries older.
- The Pueblo dwellings in the Four Corners states go back to 750 CE.
Oldest drinking establishment
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTU4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjk1ODM2NX0.IJ6vJ-MxeSdgAkDrvkvQTTXPipbBizbDKHFkNFKUTFs/img.jpg?width=980" id="2ac3b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3cab5af48086fc901853f3e64be5e186" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="The White Horse Tavern in Newport, the oldest drinking establishment in the United States." data-width="3000" data-height="2002" />The White Horse Tavern in Newport, the oldest drinking establishment in the United States.
Credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
<p>What's the difference between a European and an American? Well, there are many, but here's a good one: for a European, 100 miles is far; for an American, 100 years is old. </p><p><span></span>It's a cliché with some truth to it. In Europe's political and cultural mosaic, 100 miles may put you in a different country, among people with whom you don't even share a language. Consequently, most Europeans are not keen to move too far away from home. </p><p><span></span>America, on the other hand, was built by and for people with the moving itch. In 2018, <a href="https://www.moving.com/tips/us-moving-statistics-f..." target="_blank">1 in 10 Americans moved home</a>. Of those, 15 percent moved to another state.</p><p>However, what Europe's human geography lacks in long distances, it makes up for in longevity. In Ireland, for example, you can drink at Sean's Bar, which has stood near the banks of the Shannon since the year 900 (for more 'oldest companies', see #<a href="https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/oldest-companies" target="_blank">1042</a>).</p><p>By comparison, the oldest drinking establishment in the United States, the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island has only just opened its doors: it's from the late 18th century, which means it's not even three and a half centuries old.</p><p><span></span>As demonstrated by this map of the oldest buildings for each U.S. state (plus Puerto Rico), most of the nation's ancient real estate is even younger: 15 buildings are from the 19th century, 18 are from the 18th century. A further dozen places on the map were built by conquerors and colonizers after the European arrival in the Americas, clocking in at half a millennium or less. </p><p><span></span>The really old stuff is of Native origin – the oldest even predates the Irish drinking establishment by a century and a half. What's remarkable, however, is that there is so little of it. Only six states have Native American (or Hawaiian) structures as their oldest buildings.</p><p><span></span>A few non-sinister reasons can be adduced. Many Native tribes led itinerant lives, without the need for permanent dwellings; and those that did settle down often built houses out of wattle, wood and other matters that easily decay. </p><p>However, the preponderance of 'European' buildings also masks a grimmer truth. Many Native structures were abandoned and fell into disrepair or oblivion when the Europeans arrived, or were destroyed outright. <br></p>Mounds not included
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTU5NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1ODQ0ODM4NX0.f9aVd-d4fW-6YixSep6J_Z_7u4bYTKpZjnsF5Jam0po/img.png?width=980" id="f3b1c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c76ee52a2fe94dca9eeedd60ddc2aa2d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="\u200bDue to the definition used, Native structures that don't qualify as buildings have not been included on the map." data-width="3840" data-height="2160" />Due to the definition used, Native structures that don't qualify as buildings have not been included on the map.
Credit: Malcolm Tunnell, reproduced with kind permission
<p>An argument may be had about the criteria for inclusion. It defines a 'building' as a free-standing, human-made structure used at least at some point for residential purposes, and still standing today. </p><p><span></span>That excludes a lot of older mounds of Native origin, such as the Etowah Indian Mounds (near Atlanta) and Monks' Mound (near St Louis). However, it is unclear why the list should include a number of churches, which never had an appreciable residential function. </p><p><span></span>Finally, this list, culled from the National Register of Historic Places and–gulp–Wikipedia is not without its problems. Some of the datings are disputed, and in several cases, states have competing candidates for 'oldest building'. </p><p>All that being said, the map does present a clear lesson. Leave the states with Native buildings out of the equation, and a familiar pattern becomes visible. The oldest structures are on the Eastern Seaboard, next up are what is now the Midwest and the Pacific coast. Then comes the 'Wild' west, the last frontier. This is the story of westward expansion and fulfillment of Manifest Destiny. </p><p>But the map also reveals traces of an older, less familiar narrative. The Ancestral Puebloans were already carving out their desert mansions around 750 CE, before there even was an England. We know little of the culture that built the Ocmulgee Earthlodge in Georgia around the year 1000. The Malae Heiau barely escaped bulldozing, despite being at least 800 years old. These Native structures, what few remain, contradict the well-worn story – or complete it, if you will. </p><p>Here's an overview of all the places on the map, from youngest to oldest. <br></p>The 'youngest' oldest building
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTYwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjIyMTIyN30.bCU7A55I71nXRurkS8nUbNS4UMnG6Kck_y5NsuLvXnU/img.jpg?width=980" id="a6471" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f46235563618e5555c971c8801028934" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="\u200bMagazine at Fort Sisseton, the oldest building complex in South Dakota." data-width="2019" data-height="1393" />Magazine at Fort Sisseton, the oldest building complex in South Dakota.
Credit: Ammodramus, Public Domain.
<p><strong>1864 - </strong><strong>South Dakota: Fort Sisseton, Lake City</strong></p><p>The 'youngest' oldest building of any state. Named after a local Indian tribe, this fort is located atop the Coteau des Prairies, an excellent defensive position.</p><p><strong>1855 - Nevada: Old Mormon Fort, Las Vegas</strong></p><p>The first permanent structure in what is now Las Vegas was an adobe fort built by Mormons, sent out from Utah to set up a new stronghold for the Latter-Day Saints. That didn't quite go as planned.</p><p><strong>1853 - Idaho: Cataldo Mission, Cataldo</strong></p><p>The Mission of the Sacred Heart in Cataldo was built by Catholic missionaries to the tribe of the Cœur d'Alene tribe. A picture of this mission hangs in the Brumidi Corridors of the US Capitol.</p><p><strong>1849 - Wyoming: Fort Laramie, Goshen</strong></p><p>Founded as a private fur trading station, later repurposed as a military fort. </p><p><strong>1844 - Montana: Old Fort Benton Blockhouse, Fort Benton</strong></p><p>Once the terminus of the Mullan Road, which linked the Missouri and Columbia rivers, and the last fur trading post on the Upper Missouri River. </p><p><strong>1843 - North Dakota: Kittson Trading Post, Walhalla</strong></p><p>This is the only surviving of three trading posts built by, Norman W. Kittson, trader for the American Fur Company. It was later used as stables for a local hotel. </p><p><strong>1843 - Washington: Fort Nisqually granary, Tacoma</strong></p><p>Founded in 1833 and currently located in Point Defiance Park, Fort Nisqually is the oldest European settlement on Puget Sound. The granary is its oldest surviving building.</p><p><strong>1840 - Oklahoma: Fort Gibson Barracks, Fort Gibson</strong></p><p>In competition for the title of oldest building in the state with the Cherokee National Supreme Court Building in Tahlequah.</p><p><strong>1835 - Nebraska: log cabin, Bellevue</strong></p><p>According to legend, this log cabin was built as an outpost of John Jacob Astor's legendary American Fur Company. Due to a cholera outbreak, it was moved away from the Missouri River, and in 1850 it was relocated to its present position, near the Old Presbyterian Church.</p><p><strong>1833 - Iowa: Louis Arriandeaux Log House, Dubuque</strong></p><p>The log cabin originally stood at 2nd and Locust Streets in Dubuque but has since been moved twice. The oldest building in Iowa, once home to pioneer settler William Newman, can now be found on the grounds of the Mathias Ham House. <br></p>Grouseland, fit for a president
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTYxNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAwNjE1OH0.a-6FoXJ10GCwQoiXXd7FUDbxzQ0s--fkhj7-3CUOFUA/img.jpg?width=980" id="63e2f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a5c6d5e03d7414ecd461cfcc31d35838" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Grouseland was built by William Henry Harrison before he became the 9th president of the United States." data-width="2816" data-height="2112" />Grouseland was built by William Henry Harrison before he became the 9th president of the United States.
Credit: Nyttend, Public Domain.
<p><strong>1824 - Arkansas: Woodruff Print Shop, Little Rock</strong></p><p><strong></strong>In the late 1810s, New Yorker Andrew Woodruff moved to Arkansas, where he would publish the Arkansas Gazette. From 1824, he lived and worked in the print shop that is now part of the Historic Arkansas Museum.</p><p><strong>1820 - Minnesota: Fort Snelling Round Tower, St Paul</strong></p><p><strong></strong>When Fort Snelling was completed in 1825, this tower–built at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers–was already five years old. The Fort's aim was to keep British influence out of what was then the Northwestern United States and it was in service until 1858. </p><p><strong>1810 - Alaska: Baranov Museum, Kodiak</strong></p><p>Originally built as a warehouse for the Russian-American Trading Company in Kodiak, the oldest Russian settlement in Alaska. The building housed workers in the 19th century, was the site of a murder in 1886, and is supposedly haunted. </p><p><strong>1808 - Alabama: Joel Eddins House, Huntsville</strong></p><p>Originally built in Ardmore, this log cabin was moved to its current location in 2007. </p><p><strong>1804 - Indiana: Grouseland, Vincennes</strong></p><p>William Henry Harrison was not only the 9th president of the United States, but also the builder of what has turned out to be the oldest building in Indiana. He built Grouseland, a brick mansion, in 1804 when he was governor of the Indiana Territory. He lived there until 1812, when he took command of American forces in the Northwest Territory in the war with the British. </p><p><strong>1799 - Oregon: Molalla Log House, Molalla</strong></p><p>Built by fur traders of French-Canadian and/or Native American origin.</p><p><strong>1792 - Missouri: Louis Bolduc House, Sainte Genevieve</strong></p><p>Ste Genevieve is Missouri's oldest European settlement, founded by the French and named after the patron saint of Paris. The oldest house in town was built by Louis Bolduc, trader, miner, planter, and a descendant of Louis XIV's apothecary.</p><p><strong>1790 - Kentucky: Historic Locust Grove, Louisville</strong></p><p>In the running for oldest building in Kentucky, in close competition with the Old Providence Church in Winchester, John Andrew Miller House near Georgetown, and others. Lewis and Clark were officially welcomed back here in November 1809, after their western expedition.</p><p><strong>1788 - Ohio: General Rufus Putnam House, Rutland</strong></p><p>Named after Rufus Putnam, a Revolutionary War general who helped found Marietta, Ohio. Now a B&B.<br></p>The convent saved by prayer
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTYyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODEwODE5MX0.-OsynrFzl2b0fUX5v6vYl-WdmYTFs6QOnss1tgXOVcM/img.jpg?width=980" id="b08df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="96d510ec5d6fa2164c7d9c429b047a32" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="The Old Ursuline Convent in New Orleans." data-width="4355" data-height="3421" />The Old Ursuline Convent in New Orleans.
Credit: Carol M. Highsmith / Library of Congress, Public Domain.
<p><strong></strong><strong>1785 - West Virginia: Rehoboth Church, Monroe County</strong></p><p>A log cabin outside the town of Union, built as a Methodist church, is now a National Methodist Shrine. </p><p><strong>1780 - Michigan: Officers' Stone Quarters, Mackinac Island</strong></p><p>The Officers' Stone Quarters are the oldest part of Fort Mackinac, an originally British fort on Mackinac Island that was turned over to the Americans in 1796.</p><p><strong>1778 - Tennessee: Christopher Taylor House, Jonesborough</strong></p><p>Built by Christopher Taylor, a veteran of the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Andrew Jackson lived in it in 1788-1789 while practicing law in Jonesborough. Possibly the oldest house in the state; another candidate is the Carter Mansion in Elizabethton.</p><p><strong>1776 - Wisconsin: Tank Cottage, Green Bay</strong></p><p>Built by French-Canadian fur trader Joseph Roi on the Fox River, purchased in 1850 by Nils Otto Tank, a Norwegian missionary.</p><p><strong>1776 - California: Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano</strong></p><p>The mission survived dereliction, earthquakes, revolution, and expropriation. In 1910, it was the backdrop for "The Two Brothers" by D.W. Griffith, the first movie shot in Orange County. The mission of San Juan Capistrano is famous for the swallows that return here each spring. Mission San Diego de Alcalá (est. 1769) was the first in California and is thus older; but none of the original buildings survive.</p><p><strong>1769 - Vermont: William Henry House, Bennington</strong></p><p>Built for Elnathan Hubbell and reworked around 1797 for William Henry, a locally prominent politician whose son went on to become a U.S. Congressman. Now operating as a B&B.</p><p><strong>1765 - Washington DC: Old Stone House</strong></p><p>When it was built, the Old Stone House stood in the British colony of Maryland. The building was preserved out of reverence for the city's founders – by accident. It was thought this was where George Washington met with Pierre L'Enfant, who designed the DC street grid. But it turns out this was not Suter's Tavern. At the time, this was a clock shop, owned by the tavern holder's son, John Suter Jr. </p><p><strong>1757 - Mississippi: LaPointe-Krebs House, Pascagoula</strong></p><p>Also known as the Old Spanish Fort, this house is the oldest structure in the entire Mississippi Valley.</p><p><strong>1748 - Louisiana: Old Ursuline Convent, New Orleans</strong></p><p>The convent was spared destruction by a city-wide fire, which stopped just a street short of the building, perhaps thanks to the nuns' prayers to Our Lady of Prompt Succor. Prayers are still addressed to her when hurricanes and other disasters threaten the city. </p><p><strong>1740 - Illinois: Old Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia</strong></p><p>Built in the 1730s by the French as a house, it has been used as a courthouse since 1793 and is most famous as the headquarters for Lewis and Clark around 1803 when planning their expedition. <br></p>America’s oldest masonry fortress
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTYzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Mjg4NjM3OX0.NcDoGkzp2vaRaFHWhphsb9VgicqCAFOMJQq2O2_qJcQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="0dee5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2d001281cb97bb426261e1a69eb01d3e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="The Castillo de San Marcos, as seen from above." data-width="5948" data-height="4636" />The Castillo de San Marcos, as seen from above.
Credit: Daniel Cring, CC BY-SA 4.0.
<p><strong>1724 - Texas: Alamo Mission Long Barracks, San Antonio</strong></p><p>The oldest extant part of the Alamo, which was founded as a Spanish mission but is best remembered for the Battle of the Alamo (1836), which played an important role in Texan independence from Mexico. </p><p><strong>1718 - North Carolina: Lane House, Edenton</strong></p><p>Steve and Linda Lane didn't know how old their house was until they had it renovated. Behind the cheap wall paneling, the workers found 18th-century timber structures. </p><p><strong>1694 - South Carolina: Middleburg Plantation, Berkeley County</strong></p><p>This two-story frame house was built by Benjamin Simons, a French Huguenot planter, and is still owned by his descendants.</p><p><strong>1675 - Maryland: Old Trinity Church, Church Creek</strong></p><p>An Anglican church since 1692, the building has been Protestant Episcopal since the Revolution. The cemetery holds the remains of several revolutionary war heroes. </p><p><strong>1673 - Rhode Island: White Horse Tavern, Newport</strong></p><p>Not just the oldest building in the state, also the oldest bar in the entire country. In the spirit of its age, the tavern is still lit by oil lamps and candles.</p><p><strong>1672 - Florida: Castillo de San Marcos, St Augustine</strong></p><p>The Spanish-built Caste of St Mark is the only surviving 17th-century military structure in the United States. It is also the country's oldest masonry fortress. It is located in St Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the continental United States. </p><p><strong>1665 - Delaware: Ryves Holt House, Lewes</strong></p><p>Built by Dutch settlers but named after the first Chief Justice of Delaware, who bought it in 1723. </p><p><strong>1660 - Maine: William Whipple House, Kittery</strong></p><p>Birthplace of General William Whipple, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. </p><p><strong>1650 - Kansas: El Quartelejo ruins, Lake Scott S.P.</strong></p><p>The northernmost Native American pueblo and the only one in Kansas, established by a group that left New Mexico. In 1706, the Spanish conquered the area and forced the inhabitants back. The structure was rediscovered in 1898 and is now part of a State Park.</p><p><strong>1650 - Pennsylvania: Lower Swedish Cabin, Drexel Hill</strong></p><p>Now on the outskirts of Philadelphia, this cabin was built by Swedish immigrants as a trading post. It has since served various purposes, including film set and girl scout meeting house. <span></span></p>Ancestral dwellings
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTY0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Mzg3NjAzNH0.xYje3n-guUIGKTS1gOy2zSaBPJGyC0XBwJrg5MhCDog/img.jpg?width=980" id="c2e53" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="179d0c4da43866666bfbe635d0a47f60" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Thousand-year-old Puebloan structures built adjacent the living rock, creating buildings that stood the test of time." data-width="1280" data-height="853" />Thousand-year-old Puebloan structures built adjacent the living rock, creating buildings that stood the test of time.
Credit: au_ears, CC BY-SA 2.0.
<p><strong>1647 - Virginia: Jamestown Church, Jamestown</strong></p><p>Only the tower dates from the 16th century, the rest of this building in Historic Jamestown park is actually the sixth version of the original. In one of those, Pocahontas and John Rolfe got married.</p><p><span></span><strong>1641 - Massachusetts: Fairbanks House, Dedham</strong></p><p>Fairbanks House is the oldest still standing wooden structure in North America. It was built for Jonathan Fairbanks, a tradesman, and his family. His descendants continued to live in the house well into the 20th century. </p><p><span></span><strong>1640 - Connecticut: Henry Whitfield House, Guilford</strong></p><p>Built for the Reverend Henry Whitfield, a Puritan leader and the founder of Guilford. This is the oldest stone house in all of New England.</p><p><span></span><strong>1639 - New York: Gardiners Island shed, Gardiners Island</strong></p><p>A wooden shed purportedly built when Lion Gardiner bought the island from Montaukett chief Wyandanch. Located off the tip of Long Island, Gardiners Island is still owned by Gardiner's descendants. It is one of the largest private islands in the U.S. In June 1699, Captain Kidd buried treasure here (it has since been retrieved – you're too late).</p><p><span></span><strong>1600 - New Hampshire: Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth</strong></p><p>Not a single building but an entire historic district, featuring around 40 restored buildings. Saved from redevelopment in the 1950s, the area opened as a museum in 1965.</p><p><span></span><strong>1521 - Puerto Rico: Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, San Juan</strong></p><p>Extensively added to and renovated since its inauguration almost five centuries ago, this is the oldest church in the United States and its territories.</p><p><span></span><strong>1200 - Hawaii: Malae Heiau, Wailua River S.P.</strong></p><p>The largest <em>heiau</em> (Hawaiian temple) on Kauai, one of the largest surviving temple platforms in all of Hawaii, as well as the oldest building still in existence in the state. </p><p><span></span><strong>1015 - Georgia: Ocmulgee Earth Lodge, Macon</strong></p><p>A reconstructed ceremonial lodge originally built a millennium ago by the South Appalachian Mississippian culture on a site with evidence of 17,000 years of continuous human habitation. It is now part of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.</p><p><span></span><strong>Ca. 750 - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico Utah: ancestral Puebloan dwellings</strong></p><p>Hundreds of stone and adobe dwellings, often constructed in canyon walls, scattered throughout the Four Corners states. Most were abandoned around 1300 due to climate change.</p><p><em><br></em></p><p><span></span><em>Map by Malcolm Tunnell, reproduced with kind permission. See the original context </em><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/jvl8w6/o..." target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><span></span><strong>Strange Maps #1062</strong></p><p><em>Got a strange map? Let me know at </em><a href="mailto:strangemaps@gmail.com">strangemaps@gmail.com</a><em>.</em><br></p>
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