4,000-Year-Old Snake-Shaped Artifact May Have Been Used for Ancient Ritual Purposes Unearthed in Taiwan

Snake-shaped artifacts have been discovered in a city in Taiwan. Researchers believed they were used in ancient rituals.

Snake Artifacts Unearthed in Taiwan

The artifact was discovered by a group of researchers from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University in a dune site in Guanyin District, western Taoyuan City, on the island's northwest coast.

Numerous prehistoric archeological artifacts from Taiwan have been discovered at the coastal location. Among them is a recently found area of extensive stone tool processing, according to Hung-Lin Chiu, an associate professor at Tsing Hua's Institute of Anthropology. In this region, several stone flakes and cores have been discovered.

The snake artifact find was initially publicized on a Facebook page to post university archaeology news. A post on the page called it an "important" discovery in Taoyuan City.

Utilizing radiocarbon dating methods, the researchers ascertained the age of the artifact fashioned like a snake, noting that it was around 4,000 years old.

"This 4,000-year-old 'snake-shaped pottery handle'... has a vivid figure, like a cobra, with its head raised and the skin folds of its head and neck bulging. We believe this incomplete artifact may have been pottery used for ritual purposes," Chiu said.

Many ancient communities in East Asia and other parts of the world share a common symbolism in the form of snakes.

"Snakes are often regarded as symbolic animals in religion, mythology, and literature and are considered to be the bridge between heaven and man," Chiu said.

Since these animals can shed their skin, ancient tribes connected them to the life-death cycle and saw them as representations of creation and change.

The researchers speculate that the snake-shaped pottery handle originated from a sacrifice vessel used by shamans in prehistoric tribal communities for ceremonial purposes.

"This reflects that ancient societies incorporated animal images into ritual sacrificial vessels to demonstrate their beliefs and cognitive systems," Chiu said.

Egyptian Tomb With Snake-Bite Protection

Snake has played a significant role in various cultures and beliefs. In Egypt, experts also unearthed another rare find involving snakes.

Archaeologists discovered a "richly decorated" tomb of an ancient Egyptian dignitary filled with mysterious customs intended to prevent snake bites. According to an announcement from the Czech Institute of Egyptology (CIE) at Charles University in Prague, which oversaw the research, the tomb was discovered during excavations at the archaeological site of Abusir in April and May. It is estimated to have been built in the middle of the first millennium B.C.

Located in a western area of Abusir, the newly discovered tomb served as a cemetery for the final resting places of important military commanders and bureaucrats from ancient Egypt's 26th and 27th dynasties.

Interestingly, the snakes mentioned in the spells were powerful defenders for the deceased and his mummy despite being considered dangerous.

Inside the burial room is a large stone coffin, or sarcophagus, decorated with figures of gods and hieroglyphic writing. Among the inscriptions is a collection of ancient Egyptian funeral literature called the Book of the Dead, which contained spells and magic formulas in tombs. These writings were thought to support and protect the deceased in the afterlife.

Check out more news and information on Ancient Egypt in Science Times.