A cache pit dating back about 1,000 years was discovered in Alaska last year, military officials recently revealed — providing a glimpse into the food storage methods of the past.

Archaeologists from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Northern Land Use Research Alaska and area tribal councils uncovered the birchbark-lined cache pit along Upper Cook Inlet in June, according to a Dec. 6 news release from the Alaska military complex where the discovery was made.

Cache pits are like root cellars. They were used to preserve fish, meat and berries, archaeologist Elizabeth Ortiz said. 

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"The caches were dug into well-drained soils and lined with birchbark and layers of grasses to preserve food and are rarely discovered intact," Ortiz said, according to the news release.

Initial radiocarbon dating revealed that the food storage pit was used about 1,000 years ago.

The pit was found along a trail well-known to have been used by the region's indigenous Dene people. 

It measured about 3½ deep, researchers said. 

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Dene, or Athabascan, is a language group stretching from the Alaska interior through Canada and into the American Southwest, according to the release. 

Athabascans, including Dena'ina and Ahtna people, are Dene speakers.

"This is the oldest known site on the east side of Upper Cook Inlet and further substantiates Dena'ina and Ahtna oral traditions that JBER and the surrounding area have been used for a very long time," archaeologist and JBER cultural resource manager Margan Grover said.

Most of the site was demolished by the military in 1942, Grover said. 

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Yet the pit and its intact birchbark lining was one of the few undisturbed features left at the Dene site.

Samples of the intact bark lining were used to test the age and contents of the pit. 

"Additional radiocarbon and stable isotope tests could yield new and significant information about the history of Upper Cook Inlet," Ortiz said. 

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"We are also testing to determine what types of food were stored in the cache."

Preliminary findings indicate the cache was used to store moose or caribou meat. 

"People came to this area in the spring and would stay through the summer to catch and preserve salmon," according to the release.

Grover called the discovery "an opportunity for people to understand who the Dene of Knik Arm are and how their ancestors lived on the land that is now JBER and Anchorage."

Construction workers are breaking ground for a new highway in Syracuse, New York, while archaeologists follow not far behind.

A team discovered 11 toilets likely dating back to the mid-1800s, local news outlet Syracuse.com reported.

Crews had sifted through composted human waste to find items that residents had apparently tossed into the toilets. 

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Daniel Seib, an archaeologist, told Syracuse.com, "Each one of these privies is a little time capsule for us."

Teams sifted through 5-foot deep pits, finding a cow bone, a shell and a pocket watch, according to Syracuse.com.

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They also found large chunks of broken plates and a jug handle.

"These are all of the things that they held, and they used and this tells you about how they lived their lives. It’s a very personal thing. So whenever we get artifacts like this, we treat them with great respect," said Seib.

Centuries ago, before indoor plumbing, people would use outhouses separate from their homes.

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Waste workers called "night soil men" would remove feces "from privies under the cloak of darkness so that polite society would be spared from confronting its own feces," according to Waste360, a New York-headquartered company that offers sustainable waste management solutions.

The artifacts will reportedly be sent to the New York State Museum in Albany for public viewing.

Fox News Digital reached out to the New York State Museum for comment.

Archaeologists have unveiled a 4,100-year-old tomb belonging to a physician who treated the Egyptian Pharaohs.

The tomb was found in the southern part of Saqqara, Egypt, belonging to Teti Neb Fu dating back to King Pepi II’s reign of the Old Kingdom, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

In a Facebook post, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities shared photos showing the intricate carvings and lively artwork.

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The discovery was made in a French-Swiss collaborative archaeological mission.

"Teti Neb Fu held prestigious titles such as Chief Palace Physician, Priest and ‘Magician’ of the Goddess Serket (expert in venomous bites), Chief Dentist and Director of Medicinal Plants," read the post.

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The tomb also includes a painted false door along with scenes of funeral offerings. 

Although there is evidence of ancient looting on burial grounds from that time period, Fu’s tomb remains intact, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The group shared Fu’s tomb offers "a rare glimpse into daily life and cultural practices during the Old Kingdom," said the post.

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In addition to the tomb, a stone sarcophagus was discovered bearing inscriptions with the physician's name and titles. 

Saqqara is located about 25 miles southwest of Cairo as "one of the most important cities in ancient Egyptian history," says the Ministry’s website.

It adds, "Saqqara is truly an open-air museum, one that has all of ancient Egyptian history on display" with kings and noblemen from c.3040–2686 BC being buried in the cemeteries.