M.J. Rose

The Empire Of Death – Art In Human Bone

An incomplete cocoon? A new type of baby spider nursery? An alien invasion in the making? What on earth is this bizarre and unknown biological structure?

WTF Is This Weird Web-Tower Thing? We Asked Around. No One Knows

by Nadia Drake (WIRED)

“Something in the Peruvian Amazon is making weird, intricate structures that resemble white picket fences surrounding an Isengard-like spire.

No one has any idea who the mysterious craftsbug (fungus? spider?) is, or what the structure is even used for, excepting the fence part, which almost makes sense. Nobody, not even the scientists. We asked.

The first of the fence-and-spire structures, spotted June 7.

Troy Alexander, a graduate student at Georgia Tech, spotted the first of these structures on June 7. The little, seemingly woven fence was parked on the underside of a blue tarp near the Tambopata Research Center, in southeastern Peru. He later spotted three more of the bizarre enclosures on tree trunks in the jungle.

“All of them were on the small island used to view the parrot clay lick at Tambopata Research Center,” Alexander said. He described the fences as small – about 2 centimeters across — and posted a second photo of the structure on the subreddit whatsthisbug last week, hoping someone could explain the origin of the fortified mini-Maypoles. No one could…”

For the rest click here.

We are women, hear us roar…

Unearthed Peruvian tomb confirms that women ruled over brutal ancient culture 

by Scott Sutherland

This ancient Peruvian priestess ruled over her people roughly 1,200 years ago.

“Archaeologists digging in an ancient Peruvian tomb have unearthed a skeleton, confirming that a mysterious people known as the Moche were ruled by a succession of queens that presided over a brutal and ritualistic society.

Centuries ago, in the Sechura Desert of northern Peru — one of the most arid and brutal environments on our planet — the Moche people developed an equally-brutal culture. With no written history left behind, much of their society still remains a mystery, but paintings on pottery have shown researchers evidence of a rigid culture of survival, with ritualized combats where the losing side was sacrificed.

Findings in recent years expanded the tale of these people even further, telling a story of how they were ruled by women, priestesses who also acted as queens…”

For the rest click here.