A recent discovery uncovered ancient cheetah remains, dating back up to 1,800 years, in a cave. Researchers in Saudi Arabia excavated seven mummified cheetahs, along with the bones of 54 others, near the city of Arar. The preserved creatures exhibit cloudy eyes and shriveled limbs, resembling dried-out husks, leading experts to speculate that it may have been a denning site for mother cheetahs.
Mummification, a process that prevents decay by preserving dead bodies, is commonly associated with Egyptian mummies but can occur naturally in various environments like glacier ice, desert sands, and bog sludge. Joan Madurell-Malapeira from the University of Florence expressed astonishment at the discovery, noting its uniqueness.
Scientists have also found rare mummified remains of other large cats, such as a saber-toothed cat cub in Russia. Preserving large mammals to this extent is unusual, requiring the right environmental conditions and protection from scavengers.
Cheetahs, once widespread across Africa and parts of Asia, now inhabit only nine percent of their former range, with no recent sightings in the Arabian Peninsula due to factors like habitat loss, hunting, and reduced prey availability. An examination of the cheetahs’ genes revealed similarities to modern-day cheetahs from Asia and northwest Africa, offering insights for potential reintroduction efforts.
In a separate archaeological discovery, evidence of a Roman industrial hub has been found near the present-day Nissan car plant site in the UK. The site near Sunderland yielded over 800 whetstones used for blade sharpening and 11 stone anchors from the Roman era, confirmed by sediment analysis from Durham University archaeologists. This finding highlights the significant industrial role of the north east of England in Roman Britain before later industries like coalmining and shipbuilding emerged.