This is exactly why archaeologists & historians need to post shit online and ask “Does anyone out there know what the fuck this is? ‘Cos we’re fucking stumped.”

Over the years they’ve found 1000s of tiny gold spirals at ancient sites across Eurasia.

Archaeologists & anthropologists: “Ah, yes. Must be for some obscure religious rite.”

Modern embroiderers: “Yeah, nah, we still still use them today, they’re for embroidering the gold bits in tapestries, etc.”

Then there was the TV show where they attempted to recreate how the archaeologists thought the builders of the Skara Brae temple complex and other sites moved massive stone slabs into position. After a few repeated failures at using rollers and a team of 20+ volunteers, the farmer who owned the land the current dig, and experiment, was on suggested using a trail of seaweed to lubricate the path instead of using the rollers. It took three people, two on ropes + one throwing seaweed in front of the slab, to drag the slab over 20m. When asked where he got the idea from, the farmer replied that it was how his grandad used to move rocks out of the way so that he could plough the fields.

The experts rarely ask the locals or people in other fields their opinions.