Paphael News

A growing body of scientific research is offering fresh insight into the origins of one of the most devastating health crises in human history, the Black Death. Recent studies indicate that a major volcanic eruption around the year 1345 may have initiated a sequence of environmental disruptions that ultimately paved the way for Europe’s deadliest pandemic. According to researchers involved in this multi-disciplinary investigation, geological evidence points to a massive eruption that occurred in the mid-fourteenth century, releasing enormous quantities of ash and sulfur into the atmosphere. Scientists reported that this event likely caused dramatic shifts in global climate patterns, including cooler temperatures and widespread crop failures. These conditions, they say, created an environment in which disease vectors could thrive, setting the stage for the rapid spread of plague across continents. Experts studying ice core samples from Greenland and Antarctica observed unusual spikes ...

In an exceptional archaeological discovery, Cambodian authorities have reported the unearthing of twelve sandstone statues believed to be centuries old at the Angkor World Heritage Site near Siem Reap.  The statues, identified as “door guardians,” were found close to the north gate leading to the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom, the 11th-century capital of the Khmer Empire. The find was confirmed on Wednesday by Long Kosal, a spokesperson for the Apsara National Authority, which manages the site. The Angkor Thom complex, renowned for its massive stone structures and detailed carvings, served as the last capital of the Khmer Empire and is a significant cultural and historical landmark in Cambodia. The newly uncovered statues are thought to have played a role in protecting the ancient palace entrance, reinforcing Angkor Thom’s historical role as a fortified center of Khmer civilization. The discovery occurred as excavation teams were conducting assessments on the structural i...