Archaeology News Weekly 20.01.08

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First Temple seal found in Jerusalem
The Jerusalem Post, Jan 17, 2008

A stone seal bearing the name of one of the families who acted as
servants in the First Temple and then returned to Jerusalem after
being exiled to Babylonia has been uncovered in an archeological
excavation in Jerusalem's City of David, a prominent Israeli
archeologist said Wednesday. The 2,500-year-old black stone seal,
which has the name "Temech" engraved on it, was found earlier this
week amid stratified debris in the excavation under way just outside
the Old City walls near the Dung Gate, said archeologist Dr. Eilat
Mazar, who is leading the dig. According to the Book of Nehemiah, the
Temech family were servants of the First Temple and were sent into
exile to Babylon following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586
BCE.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xrbv
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?
c=JPArticle&cid=1200475897717&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Ancient queen’s tomb discovered in Ibb
Yemen Observer, Jan 19, 2008

Three tombs believed to date back to the Hemiriate dynasty have been
discovered in the al-Usaibyah area of the al-Sadda district of Ibb
last week. The tombs housed three women, one of them believed to be a
queen. Local sources from al-Sadda confirmed that golden jewels were
found in the tomb, believed to be for a queen or a princess. Other
jewels were found in the other two tombs. In addition, a bronze spear
was found in a second tomb and a 70 centimeter sword in a third tomb.
The three tombs were found in a rocky room around five meters deep
and about 3 meters wide. The room contained large pieces of
alabaster, each piece around 150 cubic centimeters. The room also
contained a 20 centimeter bronze belt.
http://www.yobserver.com/front-page/10013577.html

Achaemenid city ruins found in Iran
Press TV [Iran], Wed, 16 Jan 2008

Archeologists have discovered the ruins of an Achaemenid city during
excavations in the southern city of Nourabad Mamasani in Iran. The
excavations revealed Achaemenid columns and pedestals along with a
hall and a marble staircase and vessels belonging to the same period.
The gray columns, more than one meter thick, are very similar to
those found in the Persepolis hypostyle hall and the pedestals are
decorated with lotus designs and palm-leaf grooves.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=39054&sectionid=351020105

Bronze Age site is found in city
BBC, 17 January 2008

Archaeologists in Cambridge have unearthed the first hard evidence
that an area of the city was occupied during the Bronze Age. The
remains were found during a dig at Fitzwilliam College and probably
belonged to a 3,500-year-old farmstead. The remains comprise a series
of ditches, in which the team found pieces of antler, flint tools,
pottery and animal remains. The items were discovered by the
Cambridge Archaeological Unit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/7194650.stm

Ancient Dwelling Excavated
This is Aberdeen [UK], 17 January 2008

A CENTURIES-OLD house has been found on the site of a hotel
development. Archaeologists have been stunned after finding the
remains of a 16th century townhouse during excavations on the site
for the £30 million City Wharf casino and hotel project. The site,
formerly a car park, lies opposite Provost Ross's House, which was
built in 1593 and is now joined to the Aberdeen Maritime Museum. City
council assistant archaeologist Alison Cameron said the remains of
the house dated to around the same time.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xr9r
http://www.thisisaberdeen.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=148579&command=displayContent&sourceNode=148347&contentPK=1957333
9&folderPk=85351&pNodeId=148318

China excavates 2,500-year-old sword in Jiangxi tomb
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2008-01-16

Chinese archaeologists have discovered an elaborately-made sword,
which they believe is 2,500 to 2,600 years old, in an ancient tomb in
the eastern province of Jiangxi. "It is reckoned as the oldest ever
excavated in the country," said Xu Changqing, chief of the excavation
team. The well-preserved sword, some 50 centimeters long, is black,
gold and bright red. "A dragon pattern was carved on both ends of the
scabbard, and the middle part of the scabbard was decorated with two
rows of a W-shaped design," said Xu.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/16/content_7432822.htm
Photo:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-01/16/content_6399567.htm

DPRK archeologists unearth thousand-year old bridge relic
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2008-01-15

Archeologists in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
have unearthed a stone bridge relic of nearly one thousand years old
in the south of the country, the official news agency said Tuesday.
The relic, which was in Kaesong, a city 200 km south of the capital
Pyongyang, belongs to early time of Koryo era (A.D.918-A.D.1392), the
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The bridge is estimated to be
about 60 meters long, 6.3 meters wide and 2.1 meters high during the
time, the KCNA said. The archeologists found that the superstructure
of the ancient bridge have gone away but its substructure that
consists of footstalls and supporters still remain comparatively in
its origin, said the KCNA. Some cultural relics including Koryo
porcelains, a horseshoe and an iron knife. were also unearthed at the
site.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/15/content_7427271.htm

Ancient frescos discovered in Shandong
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2008-01-17

Gallery of photos taken of pieces of ancient fresco discovered in a
tomb dating back to about 2,000 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty
(206 B.C.-25 A.D.) at a museum in Jinan, capital of east China's
Shandong Province.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/17/content_7440496_1.htm

ASI finds temple relics in Jharkhand
The Times of India, 15 Jan 2008

In a discovery that could shed more light on the antiquity of
Benisagar, the Archaeological Survey of India has discovered two
inscriptions in 'shell script' among the remains of a temple in the
area in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district. The inscriptions,
possibly dating back to several hundred years, closely resemble those
seen on the Ashoka Pillar in Vaishali and Rajgir in Bihar, Ranchi
circle Superintending Archaeologist T J Baidya said. The shell script
on two boulders were found in the remains of an ancient temple
compound having a drainage system on its northern side, he said
adding they inscriptions were dug out recently during an operation by
ASI. The remains include the square sanctum (1.8x1.8 metres), the
square porch (4x4 metres) and another structure (120x90 cm) that
joins the sanctum. The drainage system, Baidya said, might have been
used for discharge of water. Some scholars maintain that the
antiquity dates back to 10th-12th century AD.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xram
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
ASI_finds_temple_relics_in_Jharkhand/articleshow/2700878.cms

1500-yr-old brick structure excavated in Bogra
The Daily Star [Bangladesh], January 18, 2008

The Department of Archaeology recently excavated brick structure of a
temple more than 1,500 years old and a dilapidated wall from the
Gupta dynasty at the Vasu Bihara site of Shibganj upazila in Bogra.
Archaeologist Mahabubul Alam, assistant custodian of the department,
said the brick built temple resembles the temple of Vasu Bihara
constructed during the Pala dynasty suggesting it belonged to the
same period. Nahid Sultana, custodian of the department, said during
the ongoing archaeological excavation, walls, held together with mud,
about two metres wide and antiques including part of an ornamental
brick have been found. "But the entrance gate has not yet been
found," she said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=19882

Radiocarbon dating puts Pattanam antiquity to first millennium BC
NewIndPress [India], January 9 2008

The radiocarbon analysis at the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar,
has put the antiquity of Pattanam to the first millennium BC. What is
more, the studies suggest that the canoe found in a water-logged
trench at Pattanam canoe could be the earliest known canoe in India.
The five samples that were analysed include charcoal samples and
parts of the wooden canoe and bollards recovered from trenches. The
mean calendar dates of these five samples place the antiquity of
ancient maritime activity of Pattanam at about 500 BC.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xuo4
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?
ID=IEO20080108221834&Page=O&Title=Thiruvananthapuram&Topic=0

Researchers Find Old Mexico Time Capsule
Associated Press, January 15, 2008

A time capsule was found atop a bell tower at Mexico City's
Metropolitan Cathedral, where it was placed in 1791 to protect the
building from harm, researchers said Tuesday. The lead box — filled
with religious artifacts, coins and parchments — was hidden in a
hollow stone ball to mark the moment on May 14, 1791, when the
building's topmost stone was laid, 218 years after construction had
begun. Workers restoring the church found the box in October, inside
the stone ball base of a cross that sits atop the 200-foot southern
bell tower. Researchers spent the next three months opening the
airtight box and preserving its contents. Among them was a small case
of wax blessed by the Pope that served to protect against mishaps,
said Rev. Ruben Avila, rector of the cathedral. Also inside was an
engraving of Saint Barbara, a Roman Catholic martyr associated with
lightning whose image served as "a religious lightening rod, to
protect against damage," said archaeologist Xavier Cortes, director
of historic buildings for the National Council of the Arts and Culture.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-SalgXrLK4v5rMnStHSiZuBFfwAD8U6L4I00

Italy Unveils Returned Euphronius Vase
The Guardian [UK], January 18, 2008

With the return of a long-sought masterpiece of antiquity, Italy on
Friday trumpeted one of the successes of its campaign to recover what
it says are looted treasures from museums and collectors around the
world. The 2,500-year-old vase by Greek artist Euphronius, which
Italy regained after signing a deal with the Metropolitan Museum in
New York, was feted in Rome at an official presentation. The
Euphronius Krater - a large vase painted with scenes related to
Homer's epic poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" - is regarded as one
of the finest examples of its kind. The vase was used as a bowl for
mixing wine and water.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7237936,00.html
Photo in The Times [UK]:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3213080.ece

Museum pledges to return remains
BBC, 17 January 2008

A skull and other human remains in Edinburgh are to be returned to
Australia and New Zealand. National Museums of Scotland will give
back the Tasmanian skull following an Australian Government request
on behalf of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. It also agreed to
return four tattooed Maori heads, currently on long-term loan to Te
Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum of New Zealand. It is part of an
ongoing campaign by Australian and New Zealand governments.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/
7193927.stm

Stolen boomerang returns home
Reuters, Jan 17, 2008

Proving boomerangs really do come back, an Australian town was on
Thursday celebrating the return of a boomerang stolen from an outback
museum by an American tourist 25 years ago. The boomerang, a flying
blade used mainly by Aborigines to hunt animals, was posted home to
the city of Mount Isa in the northern state of Queensland by a
Vermont man who named himself in a letter only as Peter. "I removed
this back in 1983 when I was younger and dumber. It was the wrong
thing to do. I'm sorry, and I'm going to send it back," according to
a note read out to Australian media by Mt. Isa mayor Ron McCullough,
who added Peter had also sent a cheque.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xr9c
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKSYD13869920080117?
rpc=401&

Unknown persons destroy ancient bronze coffin discovered recently
Saba [Yemen], 17 January 2008

Unknown persons devastated early morning on Thursday an ancient
bronze coffin and stole another one completely were in an
archaeological location in al-Asibia area in Dhefar valley of Ibb
province. The director general of Antiques and Cultural Properties
Protection in the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums
Hesham al-Thawr held the director general of the security office in
the al-Saddah district responsible for destroying the location and
disinterring the bronze coffin. Al-Thawr said that the security
official has ordered the military patrols, which have been guarding
the area for five days, to leave the location mentioning no reasons
for such action that gave those devastators a chance to do their crime.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news145241.htm
cf Saba [Yemen]:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news145011.htm

Italy's art squad says archaeological looting declining
PR-inside [Austria], 2008-01-17

   Italy's campaign to recover allegedly looted treasures from museums
and collectors worldwide is helping reduce the illegal international
traffic of archaeological artifacts stolen from the country,
officials said Thursday.
Art thefts in 2007 were down by more than 10 percent compared to
2006, while illegal excavations decreased by four percent, said Gen.
Giovanni Nistri, who heads the art squad of the Carabinieri
paramilitary police. "The figures show how, at the moment,
international trafficking ... is surely declining," Nistri said at a
presentation of his unit's yearly report. "In 2007, the trafficking
of archaeological items was more domestic and involved objects of
less important quality. Italy is aggressively combatting the pillage
of its archaeological and artistic treasures. Its efforts include
seeking the return of hundreds of antiquities it claims were dug up
clandestinely, smuggled out of the country and sold to top museums
worldwide."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xuom
http://www.pr-inside.com/italy-s-art-squad-says-archaeological-
looting-r392236.htm

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More on:

Rare Middle-Class Tomb Found From Ancient Egypt
National Geographic News, January 18, 2008

Archaeologists have unsealed the intact burial chamber of an ancient
Egyptian official, providing a rare glimpse into the burial customs
of the Old Kingdom's middle class. The relatively modest tomb,
belonging to a fifth dynasty priest and politician named Neferinpu,
was discovered in 2006 at Abusir, the ancient necropolis of the fifth
and 26th dynasties, located near modern-day Cairo. Only recently,
however, did a Czech team open the tomb's burial chamber, a tiny room
about 33 feet (10 meters) below ground packed with offerings and
personal effects that had remained undisturbed for nearly 4,500
years. "The most important conclusion to be connected with this
discovery—which is, in principle, a major discovery—is that
everything we saw was found intact, which means nobody has seen or
touched this burial since the Old Kingdom," said Miroslav Barta, the
Czech archaeologist who led the excavation.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080118-egypt-tomb.html

Can Egypt Copyright the Pyramids?
National Geographic News, January 15, 2008

If they get their way, Egyptian officials will make it illegal to
produce exact replicas or sell images of the Pyramids and other
recognizable antiquities in the country, though such regulations are
unlikely to be enforced internationally, some legal experts say.
Under the proposed law, manufacturers and retailers worldwide would
have to obtain special permission—and in some cases pay fees—to Egypt
to sell products relating to such prized icons as the Giza Pyramids,
the Sphinx, and the mask of Tutankhamun. Some 120 antiquities would
be protected under the new law, Zahi Hawass, secretary general of
Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told National Geographic
News. The law holds that no exact-scale replica can be made: For
instance, if an object is two inches (five centimeters) tall, a
product of the same dimensions cannot be made without permission. But
a three-inch (six-centimeter) replica would be acceptable, Hawass
said. Lawyers who drafted the bill also said they plan to seek
royalties from those who use images of antiquities commercially in
photography, television, and movies—but not those images used for
educational purposes.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080115-egypt-
copyright.html

Ancient "Lost City" Discovered in Peru, Official Claims
National Geographic News, January 16, 2008

Ruins recently discovered in southern Peru could be the ancient "lost
city" of Paititi, according to claims that are drawing serious but
cautious response from experts. The presumptive lost city, described
in written records as a stone settlement adorned with gold statues,
has long been a grail for explorers—as well as a lure for local
tourism businesses. A commonly cited legend claims that Paititi was
built by the Inca hero Inkarri, who founded the city of Cusco before
retreating into the jungle after Spanish conquerors arrived. On
January 10 Peru's state news agency reported that "an archaeological
fortress" had been discovered in the district of Kimbiri and that the
district's mayor suggested it was the lost city. Mayor Guillermo
Torres described the ruins as a 430,000-square-foot (40,000-square-
meter) fortification near an area known as Lobo Tahuantinsuyo. Few
other details about the site were offered, but initial reports
described elaborately carved stone structures forming the base of a
set of walls.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080116-lost-city.html

Ancient Tomb Art Found in Path of Irish Highway
National Geographic News, January 14, 2008

Tomb engravings dating back 6,000 years are among the latest
discoveries unearthed on the route of a controversial highway under
construction in Ireland. The historic site, at Lismullin in County
Meath, was handed over to road builders last month, just weeks after
the Stone Age art was found inside a medieval bunker. The engravings
have been removed to allow construction of the highway to proceed.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080114-tara-ireland.html

Archaeological collection discovered after relic hunter’s death
Radio Prague [Czech Republic], 15-01-2008

An unusual collection of over 3,000 archaeological items was
discovered two years ago in a Prague apartment whose owner died in a
fire. Archaeologists who have examined the collection say it contains
some unique artefacts – with very little scientific value because
vital information about their origin is missing. Experts complain
that people with metal detectors who dig for treasures of the past
are causing more harm than they might think...
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/99630

Polynesians Descended From Taiwanese, Other East Asians
National Geographic News, January 17, 2008

The ancestors of today's Polynesians and Micronesians were probably
East Asians who quickly island-hopped through Near Oceania—what is
now Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands—a new genetic
study suggests. Jonathan Friedlaender and colleagues found that the
two modern-day groups show little genetic relation to the indigenous
peoples of Near Oceania. The finding supports theories that
Polynesians instead descended from East Asians and aboriginal
Taiwanese who apparently raced through the region.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xrbd
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080117-polynesian-
taiwan.html
See also The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/world/asia/18islands.html?ref=world

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

New Survey To Reveal 'Britain's Atlantis'
ScienceDaily, Jan. 18, 2008

The lost city of Dunwich, Britain's own underwater 'Atlantis', which
has captured the imagination of people for centuries, could be
revealed for the first time with high-tech underwater sonar.
Professor David Sear, of the University of Southampton, and marine
archaeologist Stuart Bacon, will explore the ancient sunken city, off
the Suffolk coast, in the early summer. Dunwich, fourteen miles south
of Lowestoft, was once a thriving port, and in the 14th century
similar in size to London. However, storms, erosion and floods over
the past six centuries have almost wiped out this once prosperous
city, and the Dunwich of today is a quiet coastal village.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080116165058.htm

#====================#

Features:

Treasure hunters dig up fun ways
Express & Star [UK], 2008/01/18

Bill Martin sweeps a metal detector from side to side over the grass,
straining his ears for the sound of even the faintest beep. Suddenly
he stops walking as the detector alerts him. There is a metal object
in the ground below his feet. Grabbing a shovel, the 59-year-old, of
Fordhouses, Wolverhampton, digs out a small mound of earth and puts
on a pair of surgical gloves to work through the soil. His fingers
land on a muddy disk and after cleaning it he pockets it. His latest
find is a penny dropped 100 years ago. “I have been metal detecting
for six years and each time I go out I want to find something even
more older and valuable,” says Bill, a member of Bloxwich Research
and Metal Detecting Club. “When I found a coin from 79AD I thought it
doesn’t get much better than this but then I found a 1500BC Bronze
Age axe near Wolverhampton and a 48BC coin from Julias Ceasar’s era,
which was made in a travelling mint.
http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/01/18/treasure-hunters-dig-up-fun-
ways/

Brutal reality of the tournament
BBC, January 2008

Think of a tournament and you're likely to think of gleaming knights,
splintered lances and well-dressed countesses - the triumph of good
over evil, the polite ritual displays of arms at a joust. But while
jousting was popular in medieval Europe, it originated as the curtain-
opener to a far more brutal affair. This was the melee tournament - a
brutal free-for-all with few rules - designed very much as a
preparation for war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7192262.stm

Lincoln's legacy in Kentucky
The Courier-Journal [USA], January 17, 2008

In a small valley bordered by forested hills and a low creek, Abraham
Lincoln's first memories took root: of planting pumpkins, walking to
school, nearly drowning in a swollen stream and seeing shackled
slaves shuffle along a dusty turnpike. This week, National Park
Service archaeologists are using shovels, sifters and magnetometers
to search for artifacts of Lincoln's Kentucky boyhood, and, if
they're lucky, the farm's Holy Grail: The missing footprint of the
tiny cabin where the nation's 16th president lived from ages 2 to 7.
"He formed his first impressions here, and his connection to Kentucky
followed him throughout his life," said Sandy Brue, an official with
the nearby Lincoln Birthplace National Historic site.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xrbl
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080117/
NEWS01/801170386/1008

Promising Projects for Macedonian Archaeology in 2008
Balkanalysis.com, 1/20/2008

Both tourists and academic experts will want to take note of some
intriguing developments in the upper Mediterranean this year.
According to Pasko Kuzman, archaeologist and Director of Cultural
Heritage Protection in the Macedonian Ministry of Culture, 2008 will
be an exciting year for the continued unearthing of unknown treasures
from several sites around the country. Among the government’s main
priorities are some projects already in progress, and others that
will be completely new...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xunb
http://www.balkanalysis.com/2008/01/20/promising-projects-for-
macedonian-archaeology-in-2008/

A cultural lighthouse
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 17 - 23 January 2008

A scheme to redesign the venerable Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square
as a museum of Pharaonic arts is getting the go-ahead, Nevine El-Aref
reports...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/880/special.htm

Screen rites
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 17 - 23 January 2008

It was quite by chance that I turned on the TV last summer and found
myself watching the most gratifying coverage of an excavation I have
ever seen. The subject of the documentary was an intact chamber at
the bottom of a shaft not far from the tomb of Tutankhamun in the
Valley of the Kings. No fewer than seven coffins were discovered --
two of them apparently intact -- along with 29 large storage jars.
Since the step-by-step coverage of the excavation may not be screened
again -- and even if it is, people may not have a chance to see it --
I shall describe the events that led up to the official opening of
the large sealed coffin in an ongoing and enormously challenging
project...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/880/heritage.htm

Top-10 lists leave out some important discoveries
The Columbus Dispatch, January 15, 2008

2007 appears to have been a banner year for archaeology. Both the
National Geographic Society and Archaeology magazine compiled lists
of the 10 most significant archaeological discoveries of the year.
Remarkably, no two discoveries overlapped on the two lists. Does this
really mean there were so many discoveries of such significance last
year that two independent compilations wouldn’t share even one? I
wish that were the case. Instead, I think it means such lists are
inherently subjective and based on inconsistent criteria...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xumv
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/science/stories/2008/01/15/
sci_archaeology.html?sid=101
cf:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071220-archaeology.html
http://www.archaeology.org/0801/topten/index.html

#====================#

Miscellany:

New study blames Columbus for syphilis spread
Reuters, Jan 15, 2008

New genetic evidence supports the theory that Christopher Columbus
brought syphilis to Europe from the New World, U.S. researchers said
Monday, reviving a centuries-old debate about the origins of the
disease. They said a genetic analysis of the syphilis family tree
reveals that its closest relative was a South American cousin that
causes yaws, an infection caused by a sub-species of the same
bacteria. "Some people think it is a really ancient disease that our
earliest human ancestors would have had. Other people think it came
from the New World," said Kristin Harper, an evolutionary biologist
at Emory University in Atlanta. "What we found is that syphilis or a
progenitor came from the New World to the Old World and this happened
pretty recently in human history," said Harper, whose study appears
in journal Public Library of Science Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xuoq
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?
type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2008-01-15T155519Z_01_N15494658_RTRUKOC_0_U
S-COLUMBUS.xml

Archaeologist hid 'Jesus tomb' for fear of anti-Semitism, widow says
Haaretz [Israel], 17/01/2008

The widow of the archaeologist who discovered the tomb in Talpiot
that some believe to be that of Jesus of Nazareth, explained
Wednesday in Jerusalem to a gathering of senior archaeologists and
other scholars why her husband kept his discovery a secret. In an
emotional voice, Ruth Gat said that Yosef Gat, a Holocaust survivor,
was afraid a wave of anti-Semitism would ensue if he did so. Speaking
at the three-day Third Princeton Symposium on Judaism and Christian
Origins at Mishkenot She'ananim in the capital, Gat also said, "I
thank God his fears did not come true in light of the discovery of
the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth." Yosef Gat worked as an inspector for
the Israel Antiquities Authority for 27 years. He uncovered some 400
sites in the Negev and many other sites in Jerusalem. The cave was
uncovered in 1980, but was not made public until the mid-1990s. Last
year, the story became widely known with the release of the
documentary film "The Lost Tomb of Jesus."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/945672.html

Who are they? World's worst waxworks to be sold off at auction
The Daily Mail [UK], 18th January 2008

Visitors to Louis Tussauds House of Wax are unlikely to forget the
experience - no matter how hard they try. For the museum in Great
Yarmouth, Norfolk, has garnered a unique reputation for creating the
worst waxworks in Britain, if not the world. Its 150-plus life-sized
figures are, in almost every case, remarkable for how little they
look like their subjects.  Nonetheless, the museum - run by Peter
Hayes, 80, for half a century, and named after Madame Tussaud's great
grandson - has attracted a legion of connoisseurs who delight in its
unparalleled naffness. Hayes claims that thousands of visitors come
to see the show - and now, for the first time, he is offering fans a
chance to take home their own wax figures, with 75 being auctioned
off to make room for more, er, up-to-date models.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xr8k
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?
in_article_id=509100&in_page_id=1770&ito=newsnow

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 13.01.08

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

Still slow ...

#====================#

Czech archeologists find intact Egyptian tomb chamber
The Earth Times [USA], 05 Jan 2008

Czech archeologists found an intact 4,500-year-old tomb chamber of an
Egyptian dignitary in the Abusir Pyramids area, the Mlada Fronta Dnes
daily reported Saturday. The Egyptologists discovered the bricked-up
entrance to the four- by-two-metre chamber at the bottom of a 10-
metre-deep shaft, the report said. "And then you are standing at the
door of a tomb (that was) not burglarized. One experiences feelings
of Indiana Jones," the newspaper cited Egyptologist Miroslav Barta as
saying. The tomb chamber belonged to sacrificer Neferinpu who had
lived and worked in the area's pyramids in the 24th Century BC, or
during the Egyptian Old Kingdom era of pyramid-building, the
archeologist said.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/169488.html
See also Radio Prague [Czech Republic]:
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/99324

Archaeologists coining it in at site of hotel
The Bath Chronicle [UK], 10 January 2008

A rare hoard of Roman coins has been found in Bath at the site of a
new city centre hotel. Around 150 coins have so far been unearthed in
the run-up to work on the new Gainsborough Hotel and Thermal Spa. But
the Lower Borough Walls site is expected to yield more than 1,000
coins once the whole haul has been examined. The find has been
greeted with excitement by archaeologists because some of the coins
are thought to date from the middle of the third century, one of the
most poorly represented periods for coins in Britain.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1x7ce
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=163490&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163316&contentPK=1950337
8&folderPk=89126&pNodeId=163047

64 rock inscriptions found in Giribawa
Daily News [Sri Lanka], 12 January 2008

Haththicuchchi near Galgamuwa is associated with many legends prior
to the establishment of the Kurunegala Kingdom. Recently, 64 rock
inscriptions were found in Giribawa, close to Galgamuwa. Excavators
expect to discover more inscriptions in the area. It is of
importance, that Haththicuchchi is probably the only place in the
world where a large number of rock inscriptions are found within a
small area. They can be prepared in chronological order as a series
starting from the era B.C. to the Kandyan era. The excavators have
found the inscriptions with the name ‘Rajangana’ and thus the place
was named Haththicuchchi.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/01/12/news58.asp

Archaeological Fortress Discovered in the town of Kimbiri, Cusco
Living in Peru, 10 January, 2008

A new archaeological fortress, known as Manco Pata, was discovered in
the town of Kimbiri (Cusco), located in the Apurímac-Ene River Valley
(VRAE), announced the mayor of the town, Guillermo Torres. In his
statements, he pointed out that the fortress was located in the rural
community “Unión Vista Alegre”, of the village of Lobo Tahuantinsuyo,
and covers an area of 40,000 square meters. Last December 29, after
clearing the area of brush, beautiful and enigmatic structures built
of large stones were found. They were perfectly cut and formed high
walls. Considering the findings, the mayor explained that this
fortress could be part of the lost citadel of Paititi, which is the
name for a kind of Inca or pre-Inca lost city-state.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1x7gf
http://www.livinginperu.com/news-5464-travel-tourism-peru-
archaeological-fortress-discovered-town-kimbiri-cusco

BYU research team's special methods find ancient Maya marketplace
Deseret News [USA], Jan. 9, 2008

Coaxing answers from 1500-year-old clues hidden in soil clumps, BYU
environmental scientists identified a marketplace in an ancient Maya
city, calling into question archaeologists' widely held belief that
people of the era relied on rulers to tax and re-distribute goods,
rather than trading them with one another. As reported in the
December issue of Latin American Antiquity, BYU professor of
environmental science Richard Terry and his student team confirmed
the location of a suspected marketplace on the Yucatan peninsula,
giving Maya studies powerful new evidence for understanding the
advanced civilization's economy.  Terry's specialty is analyzing soil
from archaeological sites to find chemical traces that indicate what
took place there. Such creative detective work is particularly useful
in tropical areas, where 90 percent of inhabitants' possessions were
made from organic material that has since decomposed. "Looking at
soil residues promises to open up the investigation of ancient Maya
economic systems for the first time," said Bruce Dahlin, lead author
on the new study and archaeologist with Shepherd University."It's the
first way of confirming that an area that looks like a marketplace,
is a marketplace."
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695242549,00.html

Tongan site dated oldest in Polynesia
Stuff.com [New Zealand], 10 January 2008

Using pottery shards, archaeologist David Burley says they have
confirmed Nukuleka, just east of Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, is
Polynesia's birthplace. The confirmation comes as something of a blow
for Samoa which has advertised itself for decades as the "cradle of
Polynesia". Fiji's Sigatoka dunes have also made claims to be
Polynesia's birthplace but they appear now to be several centuries
younger. Archaeologists have focused on Nukuleka for the past five
years following the discovery of rich pickings of Lapita pottery. A
distinctive type of pottery, named for the site in New Caledonia
where it was first found, was carried through Melanesia and into the
Pacific by a mysterious group of people who eventually became the
first Polynesians. Professor Burley, of Simon Fraser University in
Canada, told Matangi Tonga website that a final excavation last year
had nailed Nukuleka's position as Polynesia's first. The pottery was
2900 years old. "Tonga was the first group of islands in Polynesia to
be settled by the Lapita people about 3000 years ago, and Nukuleka
was their first settlement in Tonga," he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4349525a12.html

Historical site discovered at Kondapur
The Hindu [India], Jan 12, 2008

Historians have discovered a 25-ft high mound spread over 100 acres
at Kondapur in Medak district which they presume to be a Buddhist
stupa with myriad segments throwing light on the Buddhist link of the
present Telangana region. The Archaeological Survey of India has
decided to excavate the site-dating to 200 BC- 200 AD -from April. If
a stupa is unearthed as hoped by the ASI, this will be the first
Buddhist site in Telangana, firmly establishing the belief among
historians that this region too was part of the Satavahana empire
that extended into present Maharashtra and that Kondapur, indeed, was
a city that had a direct connection with Paithan.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/12/stories/2008011254960500.htm

Study points to 500 BC Kerala maritime activity
The Hindu [India], Jan 09, 2008

Kerala, or what later came to comprise it, may have had maritime
contacts with far off lands as far back in time as 500 BC or even
earlier, archaeological studies now suggest. The Kerala Council for
Historical Research (KCHR), which last year conducted archaeological
explorations at Pattanam, 7 kilometres south of Kodungallur in
Ernakulam district, says scientific analyses of material collected
from the area have shown the maritime activity there to be as old as
500 BC “The artefacts recovered from the excavation site suggest that
Pattanam, with a hinterland port and a multicultural settlement, may
have had links with the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea
and the South China Sea rims since the Early Historic Period of South
India,” said P. J. Cherian, Director, KCHR.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/09/stories/2008010956451300.htm

Iran Plans on Destroying Tomb of King Cyrus, Friend of the Jews
Arutz Sheva [Israel], January 13, '08

Iran is planning on submerging the tomb of King Cyrus (Coresh), the
Persian King known for authorizing the Jewish exiles to return to
Jerusalem to rebuild the Holy Temple. According to a report by
Omedia, an Iranian organization is demanding that the International
Criminal Court take action against those responsible. The Iranian
ayatollahs are planning on destroying the tomb as part of a general
campaign to sever the Persian people from their non-Islamic heritage;
Cyrus was thought to be a Zoroastrian and was one of the first rulers
to enforce a policy of religious tolerance on his huge kingdom.
Journalist Ran Porat quoted a young Iranian who said that the
measures being taken by the Islamic Republic’s regime include the
destruction of archaeological sites significant to this heritage.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124898

#====================#

More on:

'Artful codger' who sold fake antiques from his garden shed could
skip jail over health concerns
The Mail [UK], 11th January 2008

Sentencing has been adjourned for a pensioner who fooled the art
world for years by selling "antiques" his son had "knocked up" in his
garden shed. Dubbed the "artful codger", silver-haired conman George
Greenhalgh, 84, would turn up in his wheelchair at art houses and
museums claiming to have "found" or inherited the objects. The
partially-deaf pensioner would feign innocence as he presented the
items to stunned art experts, asking if his supposed family heirloom
was worth anything. In fact each "antique" had been "knocked up" by
his son and carer, Shaun Greenhalgh, 47, - a highly skilled, but
thoroughly dishonest, craftsman. Today George Greenhalgh turned up in
a wheelchair, wearing thick, gold-framed spectacles, slippers and a
shawl over his legs, as he appeared for sentence at Bolton Crown Court.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1x7bx
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?
in_article_id=507566&in_page_id=1770

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

#====================#

Features:

Our chessmen were taken, but Scotland is heaving with stolen art
The Guardian [UK], January 12, 2008

National causes can be made of small things - one thinks of Jenkins'
Ear - but few can have had such a charming and witty source as the
collection of small objects known as the Lewis Chessmen that have
since the mid-19th century delighted visitors to the British Museum.
The chessmen inspired the stories of Noggin the Nog; Harry and Ron
Weasley played a game with replicas in the first Potter film. People
take a great shine to them: the queens with their hands to their
cheek looking so wise (or so bored), the wardens or rooks furiously
biting their shields (the "berserkers", the soldiers of Odin). Now
they have been registered as a political grievance. Scotland's first
minister wants them back.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2239705,00.html

City's Own Indiana Unearths Treasures
Express & Echo [UK], 12 January 2008

   His real name is Derek Dugdale but all his mates call him Indiana
Jones. He's the man who visited Exeter's very own Temple of Doom and
emerged with a treasure beyond the dreams of avarice. Derek was
digging deep and hard in Princesshay when he saw something strange,
something glinting deep down in the dark pit where no man had trod
since bad King John was on the throne. Was it a trick of the light
from the explorer's flickering head lamp or was it....? Heart
thumping, hand trembling, Derek stretched out across the thick red
mud and grasped the object. What he gripped revealed a treasure trove
that would astound the experts - a complete 800-year-old jug, which
now forms part of a nationally important find dubbed the Princesshay
Treasure. It was found while archaeologists were taking the chance to
look into Exeter's long buried past after work began on building the
new Princesshay shopping development.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xbbi
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=137199&command=displayContent&sourceNode=136986&contentPK=1952665
0&folderPk=79934&pNodeId=137002

Roman bridge put back together again
The Journal [UK], Jan 12 2008

REMAINS of what was one of the biggest Roman bridges to be built in
Britain have been reassembled on the banks of the River Tyne. The
50ft long and 10ft high reconstruction is opposite Corbridge Roman
site in Northumberland and near the spot where the ornate stone
bridge spanned the river. Excavations rescued stonework from the
bridge which was threatened by river erosion. The bridge carried Dere
Street, the main South-North road, over the Tyne to the important
Roman fort and supply base at Corbridge – and was built accordingly.
The excavations revealed that the bridge, built around 160AD, had
between six and 10 arches and was probably highly decorated with
columns, elaborate parapets, altars and statues of gods and the
emperor and his family. “It would have been a magnificent entry point
to the Hadrian’s Wall area,” said Paul Bidwell, senior manager at
Tyne and Wear Museums’ Archaeology.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xbbu
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/01/12/
roman-bridge-put-back-together-again-61634-20341790/

The Lost Town of Port Tobacco Discovered
Southern Maryland Online, January 09, 2008

Archaeologists discovered at least ten Colonial Period and four
prehistoric American Indian archaeological sites in Port Tobacco
during explorations conducted this past summer and fall. A report
detailing the findings has just been issued by the Port Tobacco
Archaeological Project. The archaeological team, headed by Dr. Jim
Gibb of Annapolis and Dr. April Beisaw of Binghamton University,
sought the houses, shops, and warehouses of this one-time Charles
County seat of government, discovering sites from the 1700s and
1800s, as well as thousand-year-old American Indian sites. The
archaeological team discovered that a thick deposit of gravelly
sediment covered much of the town site, preserving artifacts and
remains of buildings that predate the American Revolutionary War.
http://somd.com/news/headlines/2008/6988.shtml

Hadrian the gay emperor
The Independent [UK], 11 January 2008

The bust is classically Roman, the face imperious. But this is no
ordinary emperor. As a major new exhibition at the British Museum
makes clear, Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus was not only a
peacemaker who pulled his soldiers out of modern-day Iraq. He was
also the first leader of Rome to make it clear that he was gay.
Hadrian: Empire and Conflict will see the bust make pilgrimages to
both ends of Hadrian's Wall, the first time it has left the British
Museum since being found in the Thames 200 years ago. But it is the
singular life-story of the gay emperor that is likely to capture the
interest of most visitors.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article3328406.ece

How Pharaoh sailed to Karnak
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 10 - 16 January 2007

History has a special scent and taste at Karnak Temple. The emotions
it evokes are powerful and timeless. Inside the lofty pylons is
amassed an unsurpassed assembly of soaring obelisks, awe-inspiring
chapels and hushed sanctuaries reflecting the spectacular life and
great civilisation of ancient Egypt. Although most of Karnak has been
thoroughly excavated, the complex still conceals and occasionally
reveals more of the Pharaohs' secrets and mysteries. During 18 months
of excavations at the front of the temple, Egyptian archaeologists
have stumbled upon several important discoveries that are leading
them to reconsider the history and plan of the temples. The
discoveries have included a Ptolemaic ceremonial bath, a private ramp
for the 25th-Dynasty Pharaoh Taharqa, a large number of bronze coins,
an ancient dock and the remains of a wall that once protected the
temples of Karnak from the rising Nile flood.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/879/he2.htm

Dig days: Egypt's top 10: obelisks
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 10 - 16 January 2007

[By Zahi Hawass] Obelisks were signs of victory, and the inscriptions
carved on them record the titles and achievements of the Pharaohs.
The tip of an obelisk, called the capstone or pyramidion, was cased
with gold, its brilliant shine connecting it with the sun-god Re.
Egypt's obelisks were chosen by the Discovery Channel as one of the
top 10 archaeological "discoveries" in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians
cut small obelisks to place inside the funerary temple associated
with each pyramid. The oldest and the largest obelisk still standing,
however, dates from the reign of Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom,
about 3,600 years ago. The site of the ancient city of Heliopolis,
where this obelisk stands, was the centre for the worship of the sun-
god, and temples dedicated to this deity were built here throughout
much of Pharaonic history.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/879/he1.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Egypt to restore "eye of Amenhotep III"
State Information Service [Egypt], January 10, 2008

The Swiss President Pascal Couchepin and Culture Minister Farouk
Hosni singed Wednesday 9/1/2007 a memo of understanding on the
protection and retrieving monuments which illegally went out of
Egypt. Especially as Switzerland is a signatory of UNESCO agreement
on the protection of monuments. The Swiss President said his country
gave back to Egypt one thousand pieces of antiquities. The Swiss
President added that his visit to Egypt was made for signing a memo
of understanding for retrieving by Egypt of the stolen antiquities in
a bid to sign the final agreement in this concern by the two
countries in April next. Meantime, the Secretary General of Egypt's
Supreme Council of Antiquities said that Egypt will restore from
Switzerland a smuggled eye of a statue of king Amenhotep III from
Switzerland, said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1x7aa
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000916.htm

Data: cave bears ate berries, roots, each other
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2008-01-09

Our primitive cave-dwelling ancestors did not have to deal with
dangerous dinosaurs, despite Hollywood portrayals to the contrary,
but they did have to stay clear of saber-toothed cats, dire wolves,
giant man-eating birds of prey and cave bears a third larger than
modern grizzlies. Scientists used to think cave bears were
vegetarians that mostly fed on berries and roots. But, now bones from
the Carpathian mountains suggest cave bears could have also been
carnivores, and possibly even cannibals.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/09/content_7393060.htm

#====================#

Curiosa:

Mongols reached America before the Europeans
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2008-01-10

Challenging the long-held notion that it was the Europeans who were
the first non-native visitors to the Americas, a Mongolian professor
of history has claimed that the Mongols reached the American
continent first. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone
tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America first,"
Sumiya Jambaldorj, a history professor from Chingis Khaan University,
said Thursday. Jambaldorj's claim is based on his study of place
names in America and their similarity to names in the Mongolian
language. "More than 20 place names of the Aleutian Islands belong to
the Mongolian language, five of which are still used in modern
Mongolian, such as 'Ataka' and 'Ushka', " Jambaldorj said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/10/content_7401721.htm

Chinese Terracotta Tennis Warriors
Group Leisure [UK], 13/01/2008

Groups visiting the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum in the next few
months will be able to see the Chinese Terracotta Tennis Warriors.
The set features the world’s top eight male tennis players, who
competed in the Tennis Masters Cup, Shanghai in 2007. The statues of
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy
Roddick, David Ferrer, Fernando Gonzalez and Richard Gasquet will be
on display until the end of March after which they will be given to
each respective player.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1xbb7
http://www.groupleisure.com/news/news.asp?
sCont=ChineseTerracottaTennisWarriors&sRetList=headline

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 06.01.08

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

This week, the main course is skimpy but there are lots of side
dishes ...

#====================#

New Pharahonic mummy found
State Information Service [Egypt], December 31, 2007

Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities has stated that the mummy
which had been unearthed at farms in the governorate of Al-Fayoum is
Pharohnic and priceless. A council's committee said that the mummy
belonged to an important figure in the Pharaohnic age. It cited
advanced and excellent mummification materials and methods.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlub
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000912.htm

Water plant work digs up evidence of Roman fort
The Edinburgh Evening News, 04 January 2008

A 2000-YEAR-OLD Roman fort has been uncovered on the site of a new
£60 million treatment plant for the Capital's drinking water. The
remains of the camp were discovered during preparations for the
Glencorse works on the edge of the Pentland Hills Regional Park. It
is hoped the find will give archaeologists further clues about how
the Romans organised their occupation of the Lothians in the first
century AD. The site is thought to be a Roman marching camp and is
part of a network of other bases, watchtowers and camps across
lowland Scotland. Historians had suspected there were Roman remains
at Glencorse from studying aerial photographs, but this is the first
actual evidence to be found.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlvl
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Water-plant-work-digs-up.
3641122.jp

Furness home to Viking burial site?
The Westmorland Gazette [UK], 7th January 2005

FURNESS archaeologists believe a metal detector enthusiast might have
stumbled on an important Viking burial site after unearthing an
ornate merchant's weight. The man was pottering around Low Furness
farmland before Christmas when his detector's bleeping led him to a
piece of lead 20cm beneath the soil, reports Jennie Dennett. When it
was unearthed, a 70g weight, 42mm long piece inlaid with an ornate
bronze and enamel design depicting what look like entwined mythic
beasts and two men with crossed swords emerged. The pattern indicates
that it dates back to between AD 1030 and AD 1130. It has already
been described by The British Museum as a "remarkable" find and is
setting Viking historians abuzz since it could challenge the textbook
theories on the kind of Scandinavian raiders who put down their roots
in Cumbria.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlwb
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/mostpopular.var.
559497.mostviewed.furness_home_to_viking_burial_site.php

New theory on Tylos-era rituals
Gulf Daily News [Bahrain], Jan 1, 2008

NEW light has been shed on ancient burial customs and worship
practices following excavations at a 2,000-year-old cemetery in
Shakura. A Bahraini archaeologist has a theory that upon the death of
a relative, the Tylos civilisation (250BC until 250AD) would hold a
funeral banquet at a cemetery and offer food to the deceased.
Mohammed Ridha Mearaj said his team found a layer of ash at a
cemetery in Shakura that contained fragments of glazed pottery with
fish and animal bones. He said this gives weight to a theory that the
Tylos civilisation practiced funeral banquets in the cemetery,
besides offering food and drink to the deceased and burying human and
animal bones inside the tomb chamber.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlyl
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?
Article=204463&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30288

Historic site smashed to pieces
Tenerife News [Spain], Jan 2, 2008

The site was located in Santa Cruz, some 250 metres above the TF-1
autopista that links the city with the south. It was still pending a
belated listed category by the authorities. Whoever was responsible
has saved them the trouble. The desolate scene of rocks chiselled and
sledgehammered out of existence indicated, at least to the grieving
conservationists who visited it last week, a deliberate and
systematic exercise in total destruction rather than a simple case of
vandalism. A spokesman for green group ATAN (Asociación Tinerfeña de
Amigos de la Naturaleza) said their members are convinced the blame
lies with developers. “This is one of the areas of city expansion,”
he said, “and that means land here is potentially extremely valuable
and ripe for development.” Any archaeological remains and their
inevitable preservation orders would effectively put the kybosh on
any such plan and hold up work. “It will probably be impossible to
find out who is responsible for this criminal act. It might be easier
to discover who would benefit by such an action,” he said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wm09
http://www.tenerifenews.com/cms/front_content.php?
client=1&lang=1&idcat=8&idart=7376

#====================#

More on:

Aztec Pyramid, Elite Graves Unearthed in Mexico City
National Geographic News, January 4, 2008

A structure believed to be an 800-year-old Aztec pyramid has been
discovered in central Mexico City and could drastically revise the
early history of the ancient empire, officials announced. The
structure was found inside a larger pyramid known as the Grand Temple
at the site of the Aztec city of Tlatelolco. If the age of the
edifice is confirmed, the discovery could push back the age of
Tlatelolco—as well as that of its nearby "twin city" Tenochtitlán—by
a century or more, said Salvador Guilliem of Mexico's National
Institute of Anthropology and History. Guilliem, who is leading an
archaeological effort to study Tlatelolco, said the structure's
construction suggests it could have been built as early as A.D. 1100
or 1200, at least a century earlier than historical accounts suggest
the city was founded.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080104-aztec-
pyramid.html

Skeletons unearthed in Co Galway believed to be combatants from
Battle of Aughrim in 1691
Belfast Telegraph, January 03, 2008

A cache of skeletons unearthed in a small Co Galway village could
prove to be the first recorded victims of the 1691 Battle of Aughrim.
Thirty-two skeletons have been excavated in building work at the
Glebe National School near Aughrim, and another 12 are believed to be
in the area. The discovery has sparked interest from Orange Order
officials keen to preserve evidence of the battle, which was a
decisive event in the Williamite wars. The school, which only has 12
pupils, lies in the grounds of a Church of Ireland rectory and was
also the location for a mediaeval burial site.  Archaeologist Michael
Tierney, who was commissioned by the school to excavate the area
during work to extend the premises, said the remains were laid east-
west, according to Christian tradition, suggesting it was a formal
burial. However, one of the bodies was found to have been decapitated
and another was cleaved in two.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3304353.ece

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Spain's seabed goldmine
The Independent [UK], 4 January 2008

Gazing from the beaches of southern Spain into the blue waters of the
Mediterranean, few tourists have any idea what really lies beneath
the waves. Aside from jellyfish, the occasional whale and the usual
flotsam and jetsam, at the bottom of one of the world's busiest
waterways lies something many a holidaymaker would love to get their
hands on. Maritime historical experts say that, scattered around the
Spanish coastline, lies more gold and silver than in the vaults of
the Bank of Spain. There are said to be the 700 shipwrecks, from
Roman barges, to Spanish Golden Age galleons and British aircraft
carriers. Centuries on from the Spanish conquistadores, their modern
descendants are determined the millions in gold and silver will not
be claimed by 21st-century pirates who employ hi-tech gear to
retrieve the treasures. The Spanish Ministry of Culture has
commissioned the marine archaeologists Nerea Arqueologia Subacuatica
(NAS) to draw up a treasure map, listing all the sunken galleons
around the world to stop others "stealing their heritage". Spanish
officials were angered after the US salvage company, Odyssey Marine
Explorations, spirited away hundreds of gold and silver coins worth a
reputed £250m from a "secret" wreck said to lie off the Spanish coast.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article3291579.ece

Secrets of Miami Circle, known as America's Stonehenge, lie buried
The Orlando Sentinel [USA], January 2, 2008

Nine years ago, an array of American Indians, environmentalists,
preservationists, New Age spiritualists, diviners, even Cub Scouts
rose up to save the Miami Circle, a 2,000-year-old artifact that many
embraced as America's own Stonehenge. But today, the Circle -- a
series of loaf-shaped holes chiseled into the limestone bedrock at
the mouth of the Miami River -- is interred beneath bags of sand and
gravel, laid over the formation in 2003 to protect it from the
elements. And though taxpayers shelled out $27.6 million to purchase
the 38-foot Circle and its surrounding two acres, visitors to the
site's planned archaeological park likely will never see the actual
work of some of Miami's earliest inhabitants. "At this point, we
don't know a way," said Ryan Wheeler, Florida's state archaeologist.
"Maybe in 50 or 100 years archaeologists will have all kinds of
technology . . . that we can't imagine today."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlyd
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/technology/orl-
circle0208jan02,0,992225.story

Dwarf Gene Discovery: Explanation for Hobbit Species?
ABC News [USA], Jan. 3, 2008

In a discovery that could help boost understanding of a rare type of
dwarfism, researchers announced today that they have found a genetic
culprit for the condition. But in addition to increasing knowledge of
this condition, the researchers' conclusions could also fuel the
continuing debate over the origins of a mysterious group of hobbits
that walked the earth tens of thousands of years ago.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4080802&page=1

#====================#

Features:

The 200,000-year-old barbecue
Haaretz [Israel], 03/01/2008

According to University of Haifa researchers, these activities show
that as early as the middle period of the Early Stone Age - about a
quarter of a million years ago - people with modern hunting
capabilities lived in the Carmel region. The ability to hunt large
animals, choose the most suitable cuts of meat for consumption and
grill them is behavior that serves to differentiate between Homo
sapiens and earlier forms of human life. It is possible that one of
the most ancient testimonies to the existence of a human population
with modern behavior patterns has been found in the Misliya caves of
the Carmel. Researchers Reuven Yeshurun, Dr. Guy Bar-Oz and Prof.
Mina Evron, from the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the
University of Haifa, reached this conclusion after a detailed
examination of the remnants of animal bones found at a dig held on site.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/941174.html

Ancient roman pan offers valuable insights at arbeia roman fort
24 Hour Museum [UK], 04/01/2008

An ancient Roman pan, which was made sometime after AD 122 but was
only uncovered in 2003, is to go on display at Arbeia Roman Fort on
Saturday January 5 2007. Unearthed by a man using a metal detector in
the Staffordshire Moorlands, the pan is a tiny cast copper-alloy bowl
missing its base and handle and shows exceptional craftsmanship. It
will go on display until April 27 2008 alongside a selection of
enamelled finds from Arbeia, and staff hope it will offer visitors
valuable insights into the history of Hadrian’s Wall as Alex Croom,
Senior Keeper of Archaeology and Curator at Arbeia Roman Fort,
explained. “Although the pan is a small object, it can tell us a
great deal about life on Hadrian’s Wall,” said Alex. “The inscription
on the pan names four of the westernmost forts of the Wall; it is the
earliest naming of the fort Congabata.”
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART52903.html

Clues from the mists of time
The Los Angeles Times, January 5, 2008

The broken skeletons were scattered like random pottery shards,
rediscovered where they had fallen centuries ago. Were these ancient
people cut down in some long-forgotten battle? Did European-
introduced diseases cause their demise? Were they casualties of some
apocalyptic reckoning at this great walled citadel? The "cloud
warriors" of ancient Peru are slowly offering up their secrets -- and
more questions. Recent digs at this majestic site, once a stronghold
of the Chachapoya civilization, have turned up scores of skeletons
and thousands of artifacts, shedding new light on these myth-shrouded
early Americans and one of the most remarkable, if least understood,
of Peru's pre-Columbian cultures. Among the arresting findings: the
practice of incorporating the dead into defensive walls; the use of
stone missiles to repel invaders; the discovery of gargoyle-like
stone carvings; and the civilization's sudden collapse, possibly in a
final, purifying conflagration.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wpvo
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-
cloud5jan05,1,1409957.story

Nalanda, the ancient university
Daily News [Sri Lanka], 5 January 2008

The name Nalanda has its origin from Sanskrit word Nalam means lotus
(a symbol of knowledge) and da (to give). Another account suggest
that bodhisattva (rebirth of Buddha) once had his capital here and he
gave alms without intermission; hence the name Nalanda. During the
time of Buddha (500 CE), Nalanda was a flourishing temple city.
Sariputta, the right hand disciple of the Buddha, was born and died
at Nalanda. Historical evidence show that the university was
established by Gupta kings around 450 CE. With dormitories, Nalanda
was the world’s first residential universities. It accommodated more
than 10,000 students and 2000 teachers. The curriculum of the Nalanda
contained virtually the entire range of world knowledge then
available. Courses were drawn from every field of learning, Buddhist
and Hindu, sacred and secular, foreign and native. Students studied
science, astronomy, medicine, and logic as diligently as they applied
themselves to metaphysics, philosophy, Samkhya, Yoga-shastra, the
Veda, and the scriptures of Buddhism. They also studied foreign
philosophy.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/01/05/fea02.asp

Grisly discovery of headless bodies gives insight into justice Saxon
style
Yorkshire Post [UK], 31 December 2007

ONCE they were spectacular resting places to honour the dead.
But with pagan Britain's conversion to Christianity, the Bronze Age
burial mounds came to be regarded with suspicion as places where
devils and dragons lurked. It was at one such site in East Yorkshire
that the Anglo-Saxons chose to bury the worst kind of criminals, away
from hallowed ground, leaving their heads to rot on stakes. The
latest archaeological techniques have now thrown a new light on an
eerie cemetery – the only one so far discovered north of the Humber –
where the decapitated bodies of executed criminals were laid to rest.
The dozen skeletons – 10 without their heads – were discovered by
archaeologists in the late 1960s in a Bronze Age barrow at Walkington
Wold, sparking theories that it has been the site of a massacre, a
series of executions or even a Celtic head cult. But a new study by
two Yorkshire archaeologists, involving radiocarbon dating and a re-
analysis of the bones, has uncovered gruesome new evidence about how
the victims –all men – met their deaths. Following their re-
evaluation, Jo Buckberry, from Bradford University and Dawn Hadley,
from Sheffield University have confirmed the site was an execution
cemetery, maybe used for as long as 200 years.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlxc
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Grisly-discovery-of-headless-
bodies.3629080.jp

Bodies point to Alaska's past
BBC, 31 December 2007

It is not the type of a call that an archaeologist receives every
day. There are bodies, the voice on the end of the line told Anne
Jensen; we don't know who they were, or why they are here. "People
started noticing stuff eroding out of the bluff," she recalls, "and I
got called out, along with the police, the real estate people and so
on. "It was very clearly an archaeological burial. And the bluff was
collapsing quickly, so we just got the contents out." The bluff lies
virtually at the end of the Americas, on a narrow, hooked spit
projecting northwards from Barrow. It marks the join of the Beaufort
and Chukchi seas, and is prey to the temperamental vagaries of both.
Now known as Point Barrow, the settlement on it was Nuvuk for at
least 1,000 years, a spot presumably chosen because of its proximity
to the migration path of bowhead whales which would become the
cultural and nutritional centre of Nuvuk life. These bodies, these
bones, clearly came from no crime scene. The police could leave, and
Dr Jensen's team could get to work on a find more closely related to
its own interests. It has been working every summer since.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6902858.stm

Silt, Mystery Surround Old Shipwreck
The Hartford Courant [USA], January 4, 2008

While flying across the Connecticut River in July 2001, pilot Joseph
Roberts spotted something just beneath the surface of the water that
he'd never seen before: a symmetrical shape that turned out to be the
remnants of a large ship. Crews traveled to the site to catch a
glimpse of the sunken ship and possibly dig up the history behind it.
More than six years after the discovery drew State Archaeologist
Nicholas Bellantoni, maritime historians, divers and others to the
East Windsor site, local historians are still conflicted as to where
the boat came from, what it carried and when it sank. Some believe
the remains of the vessel, which was at least 22 feet wide and 77
feet long, were those of a passenger ferry that ran from Hartford to
Springfield, and then to Holyoke. "It was a packet boat, a side-
wheeler," said George Butenkoff, a member of the East Windsor
Historical Society. "We've just never been able to figure out what
the name of it was."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wly0
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-
postscriptl0104.artjan04,0,5440894.story

Panhandle park holds treasures for archaeologists
The Orlando Sentinel [USA],  January 6, 2008

Kristy Mickwee is in a hole. But she is in no hurry to climb out;
this hole has yielded treasure. "Most of it came from this lighter
area," she said, pointing out the different layers of earth with her
spade. Mickwee is part of a University of West Florida archaeology
team surveying 168 acres of the Falling Waters State Park in Chipley.
During the past few weeks, the team has dug the park full of "shovel
tests" in search of Native-American artifacts. Fieldwork was extended
because of the bountiful findings. "I think I would have had problems
prying them out of here," said John Phillips, an archaeologist with
the UWF Archaeology Institute. Phillips was excited about the
opportunity to dig in Chipley. He said he thinks the inland areas of
Florida, particularly in the Panhandle, have not received the
attention they deserve compared with more archaeologically popular
coastal sites. "The Piney Woods area of Florida needs a little bit of
attention," he said. "There's a story to tell here."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wpv8
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-
panhandlesearch0608jan06,0,1046554.story

Can Ice Age art survive Man’s attempt to save it?
The Times [UK], January 2, 2008

The survival of the most important cave paintings in the world is in
doubt because of a severe fungal infection that spread after an air-
circulation system was installed to protect them, archaeologists say.
The 17,000-year-old paintings known as “the Sistine Chapel of pre-
history” - the Lascaux cave in the Dordogne region of southwest
France - are being damaged by black spots that are spreading at an
alarming rate. Fragments of the cave walls have broken off and some
colour tones are fading. Now Unesco is sending a delegation of
specialists to the cave to determine whether it should be placed on
its World Heritage in Danger list. Paul Bahn, Britain’s foremost
specialist in Ice Age art, said that water could be seen running down
the paintings, while black spots - some as large as a hand - were
spreading across the walls and some of the paintings. He said that
the cave had no means of circulating its natural currents of air and
that, as biologists had yet to identify the exact nature of the
spots, they had been unable to prescribe a proper treatment.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlwq
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/
visual_arts/article3118897.ece

Bob Brier is Mr. Mummy
The Courier-Journal [USA], January 4, 2008

Ancient Egyptians thought that by carefully and ritualistically
mummifying their nobility, they would preserve the pharaohs and their
families for the paradise of the next life. Egyptologist Bob Brier
has made mummies his life's work. Known as Mr. Mummy, Brier is the
author of "The Encyclopedia of Mummies" and a Senior Research Fellow
at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville, N.Y.
He has searched the Egyptian desert for mummies more than 100 times.
The Bronx-based scholar spoke by phone about Egyptian beliefs, middle-
class mummies and lookin' good in the afterlife...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wput
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080104/
FEATURES/801040312

Last of the ancient wonders
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 3 - 9 January 2008

For thousands of years, the riddle of the Pyramids has puzzled
observers. Assem Deif (professor of mathematics at Cairo University
and MISR University for Sciences and Technology) looks to the skies
for an answer ...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/878/heritage.htm

Beer From the Bronze Age
Der Spiegel [Germany], December 31, 2007

Two Irish archaeologists have tried to brew beer like their ancestors
used to make -- 3,000 years ago -- in an effort to uncover the
purpose of common, ancient stone mounds ...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,524436,00.html

Boom time for weird history (and by weird we mean bogus …)
The Sydney Morning Herald, January 5, 2008

Why is it that so many people have a craving for weird history?
That's the term the historian Greg Melleuish gives to some massively
popular outpourings of fantasy posing as fact. One example is The Da
Vinci Code, which of course is a novel, but one many readers believe
is based in reality. Another is Gavin Menzies' crackpot 1421, which
claims that Chinese ships circumnavigated the globe in the 1420s, and
which has sold more than 2 million copies. Then there's the field of
biblical archaeology, with all those docos saying someone has just
found Noah's Ark, or the lost tomb of Jesus. And a final example less
familiar to Australians: the claim by the author Anatoly Fomenko that
Genghis Khan was actually a Russian. "Weird science often flourishes
in areas where there's little evidence," Melleuish says. "That
creates room for speculation. People like a good story and often
weird history provides that: it's not just wrong, it's fantastical."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1wlyy
http://www.smh.com.au/news/michael-duffy/boom-time-for-weird-history-
and-by-weird-we-mean-bogus-133/2008/01/04/1198950077189.html

Ancient lives uncensored
The Courier-Mail [Australia], January 04, 2008

For the past 200 years the real story of this ancient town, destroyed
by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79, has been kept from public view.
Our image of Roman life has been censored, sanitised and sanctified.
For anyone raised on the white marble and white toga version of Rome,
the latest offerings on Roman life will come as a shock. The
idealised world passed on to us by the great writers of classical
Latin was largely restricted to the very small minority that
represented Rome's scholarly elite. Forget all those stories about
Caligula and his horse, Nero, in Capri's Blue Grotto and the goings-
on by other degenerate members of Roman imperial families. The
reality was that plenty of ordinary Roman folk were up to, or at
least had no inhibitions about, what gave rise to the term
"pornography". These misunderstandings have arisen because many of
Pompeii's artefacts have been spirited, or locked, away for centuries.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/
0,23739,23001599-5003424,00.html

#====================#

Miscellany:

Myanmar reopens ancient palace to attract tourists
Mathaba News, 2008/01/03

Myanmar has reopened an ancient palace in Bagan, northern part of the
country, to attract more tourists in a bid to promote the development
of tourism, the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported
Thursday. The Thiri Zeya Bumi Bagan Golden Palace of Myanmar's first
ancient empire King Anawratha is among the four ancient palaces
rebuilt after 1988, based on its original architectural style and is
claimed as the most glorious one. The other three are Kambawzathadi
Palace in Bago, Shwebon Yadana Mingalar Palace in Shwebo and Mya Nann
San Kyaw Palace in Mandalay. King Anawrahta reunified Myanmar in
1044, establishing the Bagan empire historically and starting to
extensively build Buddhist pagodas and temples to promote and
propagate Theravada Buddhism (Little Vehicle).
http://mathaba.net/rss/?x=576691

France experiments with free admission to museums
Reuters, Jan 4, 2008

French national museums including the Louvre in Paris will let in
many visitors free in the coming months, in an experiment intended to
open up high culture to a wider public. "French museums are ready for
more visitors, and we hope to draw in a new public, especially young
people ... it's a question of money for some people," Christine
Andre, spokeswoman for the culture ministry's museum body, said on
Friday. Until June 30, 2008, some national museums will offer
completely free admission to their permanent collections, while
others will offer it to those under 26, one evening a week. Foreign
tourists will benefit like the French, but the aim is to draw more
locals into the 18 museums, which include the Centre Pompidou and
Quai Branly in Paris and the Marine Museum in Toulon. "If the French
start seeing long lines in front of the museums, they'll start to
tell themselves: hey, foreigners are taking advantage of this -- we'd
be morons not to!" Andre said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKL1841277820080104

Archaeologists find thousands of items after Prague flat fire
Prague Daily Monitor [Czech Republic], 4 January 2008

Archaeologists have found thousands of mainly metal historical items
in a burnt down flat in Prague, Miroslav Dobes from the Academy of
Sciences' Archaeological Institute, who is exploring the finds, has
told CTK. The extensive collection includes prehistoric stone axes,
Germanic bronze buckles, arrow tips, fragments of weapons, parts of
armour as well as medieval spurs. Nevertheless, their scientific
value is negligible since concrete localities where the finds come
from are unknown. Dobes said the collection resulted from illegal
activities of amateur "metal hunters" not only in the Czech Republic,
but maybe in other central European countries.
http://www.praguemonitor.com/en/244/prague_news/16625/

Museum move uncovers Livingstone net
The Scotsman, 31 December 2007

AN antelope net used by Scottish explorer David Livingstone and a 250
million-year-old fossilised tree are among the items which have been
“rediscovered” at the city’s Royal Museum. The objects are among two
million items held in storage in the Chambers Street museum’s
basement which are being moved to a new facility in Granton next
week. A £46.4 million revamp of the museum will create a series of
new galleries to allow more of the collection – including the best of
the rediscovered objects – to be put on show.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/edinburgh?articleid=3629581

£10K cost of ancient dairy farm
The Cumberland News, 04/01/2008

A CUMBRIAN farmer who planned to build a sheep shelter in the fells
near Buttermere may have to pay thousands of pounds for an
archaeological dig after evidence of an 800-year-old dairy farm was
discovered on the land. Willie Richardson has been waiting eight
months for a decision from the Lake District National Park Authority
(LDNPA) on his plans for the 1,235 square metre shelter at Gatesgarth
Farm. Now the work has been delayed indefinitely after an
archaeological officer visited the site in October and discovered the
remains of a 1260 dairy farm.
http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/farming/viewarticle.aspx?id=582963

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 30.12.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

The year ends quietly ...

#====================#

Maltese claims extraordinary discovery in Sahara desert
The Independent [Malta], December 27, 2007

Explorers just returning from the Sahara desert have claimed they
found a remarkable relic from Pharaonic times. Mark Borda and Mahmoud
Marai, from Malta and Egypt respectively, were surveying a field of
boulders on the flanks of a hill deep in the Libyan desert some 700
kilometres west of the Nile Valley when engravings on a large rock
consisting of hieroglyphic writing, Pharaonic cartouche, an image of
the king and other Pharaonic iconography came into view. Mr Borda
would not reveal the precise location in order to protect the site.
He explained the far-reaching implications of the find for
Egyptology. “Although very active in the Eastern Desert, as attested
to by the innumerable inscriptions they left behind, there is very
little evidence for the presence of the ancient Egyptians in the much
larger and harsher Western Desert."
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=62457

Roman period mosaic in Malatya
Turkish Daily News, December 28, 2007

A mosaic uncovered during excavations in the southeastern province of
Malatya's Kuluncak district revealed that the district used to be an
important trade center in the second century A.D. Malatya Archaeology
Museum Director Izzet Esen said this year's excavations in the
Dogansehir and Kuluncak regions were completed and that a mosaic,
which belonged to the fourth or fifth century A.D., depicting a
figure of a deer was among the important findings unearthed in
Dogansehir, shedding light on the history of the district, the
Anatolia news agency reported.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=91735

Deployed Airmen find ancient artifacts at Iraqi air base
Air Force Link [USA], 12/28/2007

An Airman and his team discovered fragments of pottery, possibly
dating back as far back as 2,000 years during a recent job at Kirkuk
Air Base. Tech. Sgt. Kelly Wayment, a heavy equipment operator with
the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here, was carrying
out a routine operation near a helicopter landing pad when he noticed
something peculiar. Sergeant Wayment was spotting for fellow 506th
ECES member Staff Sgt. Michael Massey as he drove a grader over the
area. "I noticed something on the ground that looked kind of like a
rock," said the NCO deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "I
picked it up and saw it looked more like pottery. So we started
looking around and found more." Much more. At that one location
alone, Airmen have found more than 100 pottery fragments.
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123080691

Remains of ancient civilization discovered on the bottom of a lake
Novosti [Russia], 27/ 12/ 2007

An international archeological expedition to Lake Issyk Kul, high in
the Kyrgyz mountains, proves the existence of an advanced
civilization 25 centuries ago, equal in development to the Hellenic
civilizations of the northern coast of the Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea)
and the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The expedition resulted in
sensational finds, including the discovery of major settlements,
presently buried underwater. The data and artefacts obtained, which
are currently under study, apply the finishing touches to the many
years of exploration in the lake, made by seven previous expeditions.
The addition of a previously unknown culture to the treasury of
history extends the idea of the patterns and regularities of human
development.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20071227/94372640.html

Ancient pyramid found in central Mexico City
Reuters, Dec 28, 2007

Archeologists have discovered the ruins of an 800-year-old Aztec
pyramid in the heart of the Mexican capital that could show the
ancient city is at least a century older than previously thought.
Mexican archeologists found the ruins, which are about 36 feet (11
metres) high, in the central Tlatelolco area, once a major religious
and political centre for the Aztec elite. Since the discovery of
another pyramid at the site 15 years ago, historians have thought
Tlatelolco was founded by the Aztecs in 1325, the same year as the
twin city of Tenochtitlan nearby, the capital of the Aztec empire,
which the Spanish razed in 1521 to found Mexico City, conquering the
Aztecs. The pyramid, found last month as part of an investigation
begun in August, could have been built in 1100 or 1200, signalling
the Aztecs began to develop their civilization in the mountains of
central Mexico earlier than believed. "We have found the stairs of
this, much older pyramid. The (Aztec) timeline is going to need to be
revised," archaeologist Patricia Ledesma said at the site on Thursday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKN2742810220071228
See also The Scotsman:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/world?articleid=3627138

Archaeologists find "premium" site in Puerto Rico
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 12/26/07

The steep canyon walls echoed to the sounds of humans for nearly a
thousand years before Columbus arrived in the Americas. Those voices
were lost after Europeans settled the Caribbean, however, as the
Taino Indians were nearly wiped out by disease and enslavement. Now,
as a result of plans to build a flood control dam nearby,
archaeologists have stumbled onto a major discovery that may help
reconstruct the rhythms of life of those early Caribbean inhabitants.
An Atlanta-area archaeology firm working for the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers has uncovered the outlines of a very large Taino ball court
and ceremonial site, complete with human graves, trash mounds,
building imprints and a few carved petroglyphs that are among the
most intricate and detailed ever discovered in the region. "Suddenly
it went from a very good site to an extraordinary site," said Chris
Espenshade, who led a team of local archaeologists and workers from
New South Associates of Stone Mountain, Ga. at the dig this past
summer and fall. "Part of what makes it extraordinary is that we have
everything here, the midden (refuse) mound, the batey (ceremonial
site), the house patterns, the burials and the rock art."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1w2e3
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/12/26/
PUERTO_DIG27_1226.html

8th century brick kiln discovered in Quang Ngai
Thanh Nien Daily [Vietnam], December 29, 2007

An ancient brick kiln has been discovered in the central province of
Quang Ngai, a provincial archaeologist said on Thursday. The kiln,
which is in one solid piece and measures 3 by 2 meters, was found on
a foundation of 120 square meters in the center of the Chau Sa
Citadel in the Tinh Chau Commune of the Son Tinh District.
http://www.thanhniennews.com/education/?catid=4&newsid=34575

1,800-year-old terracotta discovered
The Daily Star [Bangladesh], 2007-12-29

Khulna office of the Archaeology Department has discovered an 1,800-
year-old terracotta plaque bearing the image of the only female Jain
Tirthankar, Mallinath. The rare terracotta piece was discovered after
digging a large mound of earth at Damdampir of Manirampur upazila in
Jessore on December 18 but the discovery was kept secret for security
reasons. "We did not immediately disclose the facts about this
particular discovery for security reasons," said Shihabuddin Mohammad
Akbar, director of the Khulna regional office of Archaeology Department.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=16958

Rare stone sculpture found
NewIndPress [India], December 28 2007

Students of Archaeological Studies at Mulki Sundaram Shetty College,
Shirva have found a stone sculpture of twin soldiers, at Nadkoor,
near Padubidri. Locally called ‘Bantagoli’, the life size sculpture,
with an arch on the top, has two armed soldiers. Archaeologist Prof
Murugeshi opined that the sculpture belonged to the 15th century AD.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1w2dt
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?
ID=IEK20071227231721&Page=K&Headline=Rare+stone+sculpture
+found&Title=Southern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0

Where and why humans made skates out of animal bones
EurekAlert [AAAS], 23-Dec-2007

Archaeological evidence shows that bone skates (skates made of animal
bones) are the oldest human powered means of transport, dating back
to 3000 BC. Why people started skating on ice and where is not as
clear, since ancient remains were found in several locations spread
across Central and North Europe. In a recent paper, published in the
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Dr Formenti and
Professor Minetti show substantial evidence supporting the hypothesis
that the birth of ice skating took place in Southern Finland, where
the number of lakes within 100 square kilometres is the highest in
the world. “In Central and Northern Europe, five thousand years ago
people struggled to survive the severe winter conditions and it seems
unlikely that ice skating developed as a hobby” says Dr Formenti. “As
happened later for skis and bicycles, I am convinced that we first
made ice skates in order to limit the energy required for our daily
journeys”.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/w-waw122107.php
See also The Times [UK]:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3090363.ece

#====================#

Features:

A good year for the record
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 27 December 2007 - 2 January

Mysteries uncovered, debates enflamed: Nevine El-Aref sums up the
most interesting archaeological events of 2007 ...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/877/heritage.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Egypt to copyright the pyramids and antiquities
The Guardian [UK], December 27, 2007

Egypt is planning to pass a law that would exact royalty payments
from anyone found making copies of the country's ancient monuments or
museum pieces, including the pyramids. Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's
Supreme Council of Antiquities, said his country wanted to own the
copyright to its historic monuments and would use any money raised to
pay for the upkeep of its most prestigious sites. Hawass, an
outspoken figure in the usually cautious world of antiquities, said
the law had been agreed by a ministerial committee and would go
before parliament, where it was expected to be passed easily. It
would then apply anywhere in the world, he said. Hawass gave no
explanation as to how Cairo would begin the fraught task of tackling
any copyright infringements. He said the law would apply to full-
scale, precise copies of any museum objects or "commercial use" of
ancient monuments, including the pyramids or the sphinx. "Even if it
is for private use, they must have permission from the Egyptian
government," he told the BBC.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/egypt/story/0,,2232254,00.html
See also:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/2007/12/quick_hide_your_pyramids.html

How to copyright Michelangelo
The Register [UK], 27th December 2007

Some of the world's greatest artworks are turning into copyrighted
properties.Five hundred years ago, Michelangelo painted the Sistine
Chapel ceiling. Today, those images are copyrighted. How can ancient
cultural icons become commercial properties, centuries after they
fall into the public domain? How this happened is a story that takes
us from a Crusading Pope in the Borgias era, all the way to Bill
Gates' mansion on the shores of Lake Washington...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/27/how_to_copyright_michelangelo/

Egypt to Have Float in 2008 Rose Parade
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, December 2007

THE CAIRO-LOS Angeles Friendship Committee will sponsor Egypt’s first
float entry in the world-renowned Tournament of Roses Parade in
Pasadena, CA on New Year’s Day 2008. Prize-winning designer Paul
Rodriguez has created the concept for the 55-foot float. It will soar
27 feet high and feature an enthroned pharaoh and his consort looking
onto an arrangement of sacred lotuses, and Horus, the falcon deity.
The only object not covered with flowers will be Egypt’s premier
archaeologist, Dr. Zahi Hawass, who will be waving to the bystanders.
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/December_2007/0712065.html

#====================#

Seasonal Fare:

Archaeologist Questions Site Of Nativity
Sky News [UK], December 23, 2007

Millions are about to celebrate the story of Christ's nativity. But -
and it may not be the best time of year to bring this up - that story
could have a flaw in it. We may have got wrong the place where it
happened all this time. Thousands have visited the town of Bethlehem,
south of Jerusalem, in the run-up to Christmas. But, according to
Israeli archaeologist Aviram Oshri, this is the wrong Bethlehem.
There is little evidence anyone was living in the traditional
Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth, he says, and controversially
he has an alternative site. Oshri points to another Bethlehem in the
rolling hills of the Galilee. "There is the fact that Jews were
living here at the time of Jesus, that is absent in the other
Bethlehem," he says. "We have a Christian community, a very large
Christian community, living here and defending itself by building a
fortification wall, signifying that the spot was very important for
them. "We have a large church with a cave underneath which is exactly
the same as the other Bethlehem."
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1298237,00.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 23.12.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Treasure-hunting sisters find human remains from Roman era
Haaretz [Israel], 19/12/2007

Human remains believed to be 2,000 years old were found this week by
two sisters near the ruins of the ancient city of Caesarea. Julia
Shvicky of Kibbutz Barkai and Janet Daws, visiting from England,
found some bones that had washed up on the shore during a stroll by
the beach. "I love taking strolls at this spot. I always look for
special stones and coins from the Roman era," Shvicky said. "Just as
we started walking I said to my sister: 'Wouldn't it be fun if we
found something interesting?'" At first, the sisters did not know
they had found human bones. They took them to the kibbutz nurse who
told them the bones were part of a human spinal cord and hip. They
immediately handed their find over to the police who briefly quizzed
them and sent the human remains to the National Institute of Forensic
Medicine at Abu Kabir for examination. Though test results are not
yet in, police and the Israeli Antiquities Authorities (IAA) estimate
the findings date back to Roman times.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/935997.html

Over thousand rare ancient archaeological pieces found in Tehama
Saba [Yemen], 23 December 2007

Excavation operations at the area of Khamis Bani Sa'ad in Tehama
district of Hodeidah province have discovered over a thousand of rare
archaeological pieces dating back to 300 thousand years BC. A French
expert said that some pieces indicated that the area's inhabitants
had been fishermen not farmers as they are now, but the most
important discovery is a horse tooth and what is amazing here is that
this kind of horses dose not live currently in this area but in the
Middle Asia.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news143784.htm

Archaeologists find mysterious Neolithic structure in Orkney links of
Noltland dig
24 Hour Museum [UK], 19/12/2007

The sands of time have been rapidly eroding at the Orkney Bronze Age
site, the Links of Noltland. Before everything is lost to the sea
around the island of Westray, Historic Scotland have been carrying
out a thorough excavation to learn everything they can. The dig at
the ancient dune-protected houses has now turned up an unexpected and
impressive discovery dating to Neolithic times, archaeologists have
announced following the conclusion of their work. “A previously
unknown Neolithic structure has been found that is very different
from anything else known to exist at this remarkable site,” explained
Peter Yeoman, Historic Scotland senior archaeologist. “It was built
using dressed stone and was clearly intended to look impressive from
the outside. This marks it out from houses of the time, the exteriors
of which tended to be created with function rather than looks in
mind. However there were some very special buildings, including
certain tombs, where a great deal of architectural skill went into
their architecture.”
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART52775.html

Record-breaking haul from Gaul discovered at farm in Brittany
The Independent [UK], 20 December 2007

Asterix and Obelix, had they existed, might have paid for their mead
and other magic potions with gold-silver-copper coins stamped with
elaborate images of men and horses. The largest treasure trove of pre-
Roman, Gaulish money ever to be found has been discovered in central
Brittany. The 545 coins – each worth thousands of euros to collectors
but priceless to historians and archaeologists – could overturn much
of the received wisdom about the complexity, and wealth, of pre-Roman
Celtic society in France. Why was such enormous wealth, a king's
ransom at the time, buried in the grounds of a large Gaulish farm 40
miles south of Saint-Brieuc in the first century BC? Why was the
hoard never recovered? "Treasure on this scale would only have been
used for transactions between aristocratic families," said Yves
Menez, an archaeologist specialising in iron-age Brittany. It has
always been assumed that the Celtic nobility lived in fortified
towns, not in the wild and dangerous countryside. "The reality must
have been more complex," Mr Menez said. Like all Gaulish coins, the
58 "stateres" and 487 quarter "stateres" found near to the village of
Laniscat are copies of early Greek money.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article3266591.ece

Ashoka’s statue found near Gulbarga
The Hindu [India], December 20, 2007

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), during excavations at
Sannithi near Gulbarga, stumbled upon a 5-foot high statue of Emperor
Ashoka made out of soft stone in grey colour. At the foot of the
statue, Ashoka’s name was found inscribed as “Raya Ashoka” in Brahmi
script in Prakrut. According to D. Jithedra Das, Superintending
Archaeologist, Hyderabad Circle, the statue is the only source
available anywhere in the world to give an idea of how Ashoka looked
like. Images of Ashoka are claimed to have been found at Sanchi and
Sarnath, but they are one or two inches in size on frescos depicted
as part of Jataka and Buddha stories on the structures of Stupas.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200712200325.htm

1,500 years old antiques found in Bogra
The Daily Star [Bangladesh], 2007-12-19

Archaeologists have discovered more antiques dating back to the Pala
dynasty, including a terracotta piece bearing a statue of a
meditating Gautam Buddha, at Bhasu Bihar in Shibganj upazila of
Bogra. The terracotta antiques was found on Monday in a monastic cell
of the existing structure of a Buddhist temple, which is more than
1,500 years old, Custodian Nahid Sultana said. A large broken earthen
jar, a niche, and door frames were also found on December 17 in
different cells. Assistant Custodian Md Mahabub-Ul-Alam said a floor
was dug out in the temple beneath a 10-feet layer of ash in the
existing structure. Similar layers were found in other cells.
Archaeologists said the monastic cells were either burnt down during
the Sen dynasty or used as ash reservoirs.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=16093

Ancient underground ‘barracks’ found in Srinagar
Etalaat [India], Dec 17, 2007

Ancient underground barracks were discovered on Monday near the
Central Jail Srinagar. The site is barely a few meters away from the
historic and religiously important Hari Parbat hills. In the early
hours today morning, labourers digging a well found a barrack
consisting of three small rooms and two lanes of ancient times, 30 ft
below the ground. They were digging the well at the house of one
Abdul Rashid Baba of Kathidarwazi locality in Srinagar, for the last
four days. When the news about the find of a well-planned barrack
spread to the nearby localities, people thronged the site - amused
with the architectural expertise of the past. Abdul Rahman, 70, a
well digger by occupation told etala’at, “I have been in the
profession (of digging wells)for the past 50 years and have been
working in the particular area, this is a first time that I have seen
such an ancient structure.”
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vojw
http://etalaat.net/english/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=4209&Itemid=1

Ancient relics of Shang Dynasty unearthed in Henan
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-18

Photo taken on Dec. 14, 2007 shows the excavating spot of the ancient
relics of a small compact community of Shang Dynasty (c.16th-11th
B.C.) in Xingyang, central China's Henan Province. The relics of
about 100,000 square meters was discovered near the Guandimiao
Village of Yulong Township in Xingyang, where a section of the
central route of China's gigantic south-to-north water diversion
scheme is on construction. It is the first time that a compact
community of later period of Shang Dynasty, consisting of inhabiting
area, handicraft-making district, sacrificial altar and tombs, was
unearthed in Henan Province. The excavation is going on with more
than 18,000 square meters of the relics has been unearthed.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/18/content_7270096.htm

Evolution tied to Earth movement
EurekAlert [AAAS], 18-Dec-2007

   Scientists long have focused on how climate and vegetation allowed
human ancestors to evolve in Africa. Now, University of Utah
geologists are calling renewed attention to the idea that ground
movements formed mountains and valleys, creating environments that
favored the emergence of humanity. “Tectonics [movement of Earth’s
crust] was ultimately responsible for the evolution of humankind,”
Royhan and Nahid Gani of the university’s Energy and Geoscience
Institute write in the January, 2008, issue of Geotimes, published by
the American Geological Institute. They argue that the accelerated
uplift of mountains and highlands stretching from Ethiopia to South
Africa blocked much ocean moisture, converting lush tropical forests
into an arid patchwork of woodlands and savannah grasslands that
gradually favored human ancestors who came down from the trees and
started walking on two feet – an energy-efficient way to search
larger areas for food in an arid environment.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/uou-ett121807.php

Darius palace in Bolaghi Valley had ash timber ceiling
Mehr News Agency [Iran], 2007/12/22

Studies have recently determined that the ceiling of the Darius
palace in the Bolaghi Valley had been constructed from ash timber.
The research has been carried out by a U.S. center for archaeological
studies, Mohammad-Taqi Ataii, director of the Iranian archaeological
team working in the valley on the Darius palace, told the Persian
service of CHN on Saturday. The ruins of the palace were discovered
during archaeological rescue excavations at the Bolaghi Valley, which
were carried out as part of a project to study over 130
archaeological sites before the filling of the reservoir of the
Sivand Dam in southern Iran’s Fars Province. At present, filling of
the dam reservoir has almost been completed. “Sometime ago, during
the last phase of excavations, we discovered a large piece of timber
at the ruins of the palace,” Ataii said. “The item was sent to the
U.S. center, and surprisingly they reported that the wood is ash,” he
added. In the report the U.S. center remains unnamed.
http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=609244

Rare find highlights antiquities fears
The Guardian [UK], December 17, 2007

Some 1,650 years ago someone was so comprehensively fed up with the
state of the Roman empire that they committed an act of treason,
blasphemy and probably criminal defacing of the coinage. They cursed
the emperor Valens by hammering a coin with his image into lead, then
folding the lead over his face. The battered scraps of metal
discovered by Tom Redmayne, an amateur metal detector, in a muddy
field in Lincolnshire are a unique find. The mid-fourth century was a
time of turmoil in Roman Britain. A Roman aristocrat, Valentinus, had
been exiled to Britain where he was stirring up trouble. Thousands of
Roman cursing charms survive, scrawled on pieces of lead with a hole
punched to hang them up. Nothing as audacious as cursing an emperor
has ever been found before. However, Sam Moorhead, a coins expert at
the British Museum and expert adviser to the Portable Antiquities
Scheme, which encourages voluntary reporting of finds, is convinced
it is the only explanation.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/story/0,,2228673,00.html

Egyptian-French project to save remaining of Alexandria old lighthouse
State Information Service [Egypt], December 15, 2007

Minister of Culture, Farouq Hosni agreed to form a joint Egyptian-
French mission for rescuing the remaining of Alexandria old
lighthouse. The old lighthouse was drawn in the north area near
Alexandria Eastern port. Dr. Zahi Hawas, General- Secretary of the
Supreme Council of Antiquities said that step came after the great
success of the antiquities expertise in preparing a scientific
historical encyclopedia about Alexandria old lighthouse.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vohs
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000902.htm

Ancient Villas Restored in Rome
The Guardian [UK], December 20, 2007

The restored ruins of two opulent Roman villas and private thermal
baths will open to the public Saturday, along with a 3-D
reconstruction that offers a virtual tour of the luxurious residences
discovered in downtown Rome. The 19,375-square-foot complex, dating
from the second to fourth centuries, features well-preserved mosaic
and marble floors, bathtubs and collapsed walls that archaeologists
believe belonged to a domus - the richly decorated residences of
Rome's wealthy and noble families. "We found part of a residential
high-class neighborhood, where probably senators and knights used to
live," archaeologist Paola Valentini said. Visitors will be able to
walk on glass catwalks above the villas' underground remains,
immersed in semidarkness just a few feet from the modern city. A 3-D
virtual reconstruction recreates the elaborate decorations of the
ancient residences through colored lights and projections.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7169391,00.html

#====================#

More on:

Speared man unearthed after 4,000 years
ABC News [Australia], Dec 21, 2007

Construction workers in Sydney have unearthed what archaeologists say
is the earliest evidence of death by spearing. The men, who were
digging a gas pipeline in Sydney, thought at first that they had
discovered the bones of a recent murder victim and police and the New
South Wales coroner were called in to investigate. But now it appears
the deadly deed happened not in the last few years or even in the
last few centuries, but 4,000 years ago. Dr Jo McDonald, an
archaeologist and senior research fellow at the Australian National
University, explains what they found. "It was actually still
articulated, all the bones were still in their right anatomical
position," Dr McDonald said. "It was lying there where it had fallen,
basically. But basically underneath the bus shelter." Among the bones
the team found 17 stone artefacts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/21/2125690.htm

Months after mummy claim, DNA science still lags
CTV [Canada], Dec. 20 2007

Months after Egypt boldly announced that archeologists had identified
a mummy as the most powerful queen of her time, scientists in a
museum basement are still analyzing DNA from the bald, 3,500-year-old
corpse to try to back up the claim aired on TV. Progress is slow. So
far, results indicate the linen-wrapped mummy is most likely, but not
conclusively, the female pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled for 20
years in the 15th century BC. Running its own ancient-DNA lab is a
major step forward for Egypt, which for decades has seen foreigners
take most of the credit for major discoveries in the country. It's
time Egyptian scientists took charge, said Zahi Hawass, Egypt's
antiquities chief who spearheaded the quest to find Hatshepsut and
build the lab. "Egyptology, for the last 200 years, it has been led
by foreigners."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1voh1
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071220/
mummy_claim_071220/20071220/

Scientists Find Contents of Prehistoric Messenger Bag
Wired News, December 19, 2007

Australian scientists have released a picture that is the prehistoric
antecedent to Flickr's 8,000+ strong pool of "What's in your bag?"
images. Unlike Karen_D's bag (right), the 14,000 year old bag
discovered in Jordan contained no cellphone, Listerine Fresh Strips,
or pens. It did, according to lead researcher Phillp Edwards,
contain: a sickle for harvesting wild wheat or barley, a cluster of
flint spearheads, a flint core for making more spearheads, some
smooth stones (maybe slingshots), a large stone (maybe for striking
flint pieces off the flint core), a cluster of gazelle toe bones
which were used to make beads, and part of a second bone tool.
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/12/scientists-find.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Cabinet okays renewing controversial Temple Mount Mugrabi excavation
Haaretz [Israel], 17/12/2007

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has been instructed by the
cabinet to continue its work at the Mugrabi walkway near the Western
Wall in Jerusalem. The cabinet recently instructed the IAA to
complete the work "as soon as possible, with full transparency and
with the cooperation of the relevant bodies." Excavations at the
site, a walkway leading to the Mugrabi Gate at the Temple Mount, were
halted in June after they raised an international protest.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/935358.html

Ancient merchant boat raised from the depths of the South China Sea
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-21

A merchant boat loaded with porcelain that sank off the south China
coast 800years ago was raised on Friday, one day earlier than
planned. The salvage operation kicked off at 9 a.m. when a huge crane
began lifting a steel basket containing the 30-meter-long vessel,
dubbed the Nanhai No. 1, or "South China Sea No. 1". Two hours later
the wooden wreck breached the surface from 30-meter depth of water
and was placed onto a waiting barge. Archaeologists launched an
operation in May to build a steel basket as large as a basketball
field and as tall as a three-storey building around the boat to raise
the wreck and the surrounding silt. The basket, which has turned from
orange to brown during seven months in water, together with its
content weighed more than 3,000 tons. "Soaked in the sea, the boat
has become very fragile," explained Wu Jiancheng, head of the
archaeological project. Local officials originally planned to hoist
the boat on Saturday but changed their minds due to favourable
weather conditions on Friday.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/21/content_7290626.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/22/content_7296095.htm
See also BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7156581.stm
Reuters video:
http://snipr.com/1vqgc

Egyptian government demolishes mud houses, evict inhabitants near the
Valley of the Kings
International Herald Tribune [France], December 16, 2007

Almost 60 mud brick houses were demolished Sunday near tombs in the
ancient Egyptian city of Luxor after security forces used tear gas to
force out residents, according to inhabitants. For the past half
century, local authorities and officials in Egypt's antiquities
department have been trying to move inhabitants out of the Gurna area
adjacent to the Pharaonic era tombs of the Valley of the Kings. Last
year, several houses were demolished and inhabitants moved to new
houses several miles away, however many locals still refuse to leave,
describing the replacement houses as substandard. "They had no mercy,
if they had any they wouldn't have tear gassed us," Sayed Mohammed
Hassan told the Associated Press late Sunday by telephone from the
Gurna Hospital. "They treated us worse than animals."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vohn
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/16/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Tomb-
Evictions.php

#====================#

Features:

Beirut cashes in on wealth of archaeological sites
The Daily Star [Lebanon], December 19, 2007

Passing through the many narrow avenues that make up Achrafieh, few
would realize that major archeological excavations are under way all
around them. The Beirut neighborhood has been experiencing a
development boom in the past few years, and construction projects are
ongoing, yet in the midst of all this local archaeologists have been
experiencing a boom of their own. Construction companies clearing
away old buildings to make room for new luxurious high-rises have
unearthed the remnants of nearly 5,000 years of successive
civilizations. Assad Seif, head of archaeological research and
examination in Lebanon, said this includes layers of Ottoman, Roman,
Persian and Hellenic civilizations. "Based on previous and ongoing
investigations, Achrafieh may very well be the Roman Necropolis of
Beirut," said Seif.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vojm
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?
edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=87576

Bulgaria Plagued by 'Grave Robbers'
Der Spiegel [Germany], December 21, 2007

The display cabinets of the Bulgarian National Art Gallery in Sofia
are full to bursting with antique treasures. Many of them are
masterpieces of antique craftsmanship: filigree leaves of the finest
gold woven into a laurel wreath like those worn by the Roman Caesars;
or a heavy knee-protector fashioned in silver with decorative designs
in gold, printed with the wearer's rank and authority, produced in
the 3rd or 4th century BC. Archaeologists, recently, have time and
again uncovered treasures from Bulgaria's varied history. But
Bozhidar Dimitrov, director of the Bulgarian National Museum of
History, archaeologist Georgi Kitov and their colleagues have
competition. Plunderers systematically ransack the soils in this
Balkan country in search of antique coins, cast metal statues and
pottery vessels. A battle has begun between raiders and scientists to
be the first to find the treasures of the past.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,524976,00.html

The endangered future of the past
International Herald Tribune [France], December 21, 2007

Such record prices for antiquities ring louder than the lamentations
of any archaeologist over the destruction of clues to the ancient
world. A number of news organizations reported on Sotheby's auction
on Dec. 5 in New York, but their headlines tell only part of the
story: "Ancient figure of lion shatters record price for sculpture at
auction" (BBC World News); "Sculpture as old as civilization tops
$65m" (The Sydney Morning Herald); "Tiny lioness figure fetches hefty
$57M U.S. at auction" (CBC). Why not simply say: "Loot and you will
make vast sums of money!" Despite all of the hard-fought
countermeasures against the looting of archaeological sites, such
headlines only add impetus to trade in the illegal art market. To be
sure, much legislation is in place that forbids the selling of looted
antiquities, but where there is the lure of millions, too many people
are willing to take their chances.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/21/opinion/edwhitmore.php

Can Iraqi sites that have survived seventeen centuries survive the US
military?
The Times [UK], December 22, 2007

American soldiers in Iraq have been issued with thousands of packs of
playing cards urging them to protect and respect the country’s
archaeological sites, in an effort to curb the destruction and
plunder of Iraq’s antiquities. Each card in the deck is illustrated
with an ancient artefact or site, with tips on how to preserve
archaeological remains and prevent looting. The seven of clubs, for
example, is illustrated with a photograph of the great Ctesiphon arch
in Iraq, with the words: “This site has survived for seventeen
centuries. Will it survive you?” The seven of spades declares:
“Taking pictures is good. Removing artefacts for souvenirs is not.”
The jack of diamonds is even more blunt. Alongside a picture of the
Statue of Liberty, it asks: “How would you feel if someone stole her
torch?” The effort to induce greater cultural awareness among US
troops comes amid dire warnings from international archaeologists
that Iraq’s ancient heritage is in greater peril than ever.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article3085253.ece

Surprise Finds at Egypt Temple "Change Everything"
National Geographic News, December 17, 2007

A series of surprising discoveries has been made at the foot of
Egypt's famous Temple of Amun at Karnak, archaeologists say. The new
finds include ancient ceremonial baths, a pharaoh's private entry
ramp, and the remains of a massive wall built some 3,000 years ago to
reinforce what was then the bank of the Nile River. A host of other
artifacts, including hundreds of bronze coins, has also been found.
Together the discoveries are causing experts to reconsider the
history of the largest religious complex from ancient Egyptian times.
Archaeologists are particularly intrigued by the discovery of the
embankment wall, which they say is the first evidence that the Nile
once ran alongside the temple.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071217-egypt-temple.html

Excavation adventures in the Valley of the Kings
CNN, December 20, 2007

A few years back, when I was working as part of an archaeological
mission in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, I unearthed a slab of
white limestone covered in ancient paint smears. More of that later.
First, however, I should tell you about the 3,000 year-old gold
jewelry. I found the jewelry in a tomb known as KV56 (all burials in
the Valley of the Kings are designated with a KV number, the most
famous being KV62 -- Tutankhamun).  Located about 20 meters west of
Tut's final resting place, KV56 is a small, unattributed shaft tomb
-- basically a rock-cut burial chamber at the bottom of a vertical
shaft -- which had originally been discovered in 1908 by American
excavator Theodore M. Davis. Badly damaged and clogged with compacted
mud and debris, the tomb had nonetheless yielded a fabulous array of
late Nineteenth Dynasty (c. 1200 BC) royal jewelry, prompting Davis
to nickname it The Gold Tomb.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/12/19/pharaohs.egypt/

Egypt discovery is the jewel in Ian’s career
The Sunday Post [Scotland], December 22, 2007

A SCOTTISH archaeologist has discovered what he believes is the final
resting place of a 5000-year-old lost mummy — widely regarded as the
holy grail of Egypt. Egyptologist Ian Mathieson (right) , from Lauder
in Berwickshire, has found two vast tombs under the desert sands that
could hold the remains of Imhotep, the architect of the Step Pyramid
and one of the most important figures in ancient history. Ian,
director of The Saqqara Geophysical Survey Project, has led surveys
in the region since 1990 using unobtrusive scanning technology and
now believes he’s within touching distance of the most coveted
treasure of all. He revealed, “Most of the archaeologists working in
Saqqara have been looking for Imhotep. “We’ve now found two large
tombs that fall right within the area where we think he could be. The
largest tomb is immense — around 90 metres long by 50 wide, with
walls more than five metres thick. Right next door is a second tomb,
around 70 by 50 metres with very thick walls and a complicated
internal structure which could point to a courtyard or temple."
http://www.sundaypost.com/news5.htm

Dig days: The Valley of the Golden Mummies
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 20 - 26 December 2007

[By Zahi Hawass] Many people consider the Valley of the Golden
Mummies in Bahariya Oasis to be the "Tutankhamun's tomb" of the
Graeco-Roman period. This discovery appeared in magazines and
newspapers, and even featured on the cover of many of them. TV
programmes all over the world reported on the discovery. A live show
on Fox TV about the discovery featured Bill Pullman, the American
actor who played the American president in the movie Independence
Day. The Golden Mummies captured the hearts of people all over the
world. This year, Atlantic Productions chose the Valley of the Golden
Mummies as one of the top 10 archaeological discoveries in Egypt for
a film that will be shown on the Discovery Channel...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/876/he2.htm

A century of excavation
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 20 - 26 December 2007

  From 1907 to 2007 is a long story to tell. Nevine El-Aref digs into
history and explores the German devotion to preserving Egypt's
cultural heritage...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/876/he1.htm

Archaeologists Dig in the Panhandle
The Ledger [USA], December 23, 2007

Kristy Mickwee is in a hole. But she is in no hurry to climb out;
this hole has yielded treasure.

"Most of it came from this lighter area," she said, pointing out the
different layers of earth with her spade. Mickwee is part of a
University of West Florida archaeology team surveying 168 acres of
the Falling Waters State Park in Chipley. During the past few weeks,
the team has dug the park full of "shovel tests" in search of
American Indian artifacts. Fieldwork was extended because of the
bountiful findings. "I think I would have had problems prying them
out of here," said John Phillips, an archaeologist with the UWF
Archaeology Institute. Phillips was excited about the opportunity to
dig in Chipley. He said he thinks the inland areas of Florida,
particularly in the Panhandle, have not received the attention they
deserve compared with more archaeologically popular coastal sites.
"The Piney Woods area of Florida needs a little bit of attention," he
said. "There's a story to tell here." Part of that story was spread
over a park picnic table, precious antiquities stashed in plastic
bags, each meticulously labeled, holding clues to the past.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20071223/NEWS/712230427/1374

Ancient petroglyphs rest among suburban sprawl
The Salt Lake Tribune, 12/23/2007

An ancient 40-ton jungle gym of sorts, the massive burnt umber
boulder anchors a neighborhood park and beckons suburban kids to
clamber over its mysterious Anasazi etchings. And climb aboard they
do, sometimes even attempting to scratch their own marks before the
adults run them off, neighbors say. Archaeologists typically warn
against even smudging natural skin oils on the chiseled drawings or
the rock's natural mineral glaze so they won't slowly melt away.
"I've climbed on it," acknowledged Melissa Cornwall, whose in-laws
live next to backyard-sized Petroglyph Park in the city's Bloomington
subdivision, near the meeting place of southern Utah's Great Basin
and the Mojave Desert. "It's just kind of cool to see something from
the old, ancient people who used to live here, and to think what it
used to look like before all the houses were here." Odd as it sounds
to don't-touch-the-art purists, in much of archaeology-rich Utah such
a park is about the best that pre-Columbian buffs can hope for. The
state's fastest-growing cities are gobbling up millennium-old rock art.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7791111

#====================#

Miscellany:

Swiss, EBay Stop Sale of Iraqi Treasure
Associated Press, December 18, 2007

A 4,000-year-old clay tablet authorities suspect was smuggled
illegally from Iraq was pulled from eBay just minutes before the
close of the online auction, authorities said Tuesday. Criminal
proceedings have been launched against the seller, identified only as
a resident of Zurich, officials said. A German archaeologist had
spotted the tablet bearing wedge-shaped cuneiform script on the
online auctioneer's Swiss Web site, http://www.eBay.ch, a government
official said. The archaeologist alerted German authorities, who
passed the tip onto their Swiss counterparts, said Yves Fischer, who
directs the Swiss Federal Office of Culture's department on commerce
in cultural objects. EBay Inc. stopped the auction on Dec. 12 "a few
minutes before the end" of its bidding deadline, Fischer said. Zurich
police then confiscated the small tablet — about the size of a
business card — from a storage facility.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOh0J6zoGoIeiN-Z6E11laxZi2MQD8TJT8C82

Drought threatens Indian artifacts
The Earth Times [USA], 19 Dec 2007

North Carolina officials warned that taking advantage of the drought
to look for American-Indian artifacts on lake bottoms is against the
law. The extended drought has exposed acres of lake bed and reservoir
bottom. While picking up souvenirs such as old fishing lures or lost
watches is legal, removing anything from public land that could be of
archaeological interest violates state and federal laws.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/161749.html

Egyptian obelisk begins journey to the Far East
The Northern Echo [UK], 19th December 2007

AN Egyptian obelisk has completed the first stage of its journey to
Japan after being removed from its North-East home of the past 47
years. Specialists were called in to help ease the 3,000-year-old
artefact from its concrete base at the Oriental Museum, in Elvet Hill
Road, Durham City. The structure, which is about 7ft high and weighs
about 400kg, was lifted out of the building with a gantry and placed
on the back of a truck. It was driven to a storage depot in the South
where it will stay until it is shipped to Japan where it will go on a
year-long tour. Museum curator Craig Barclay said it had been
expected that the operation would take three days, but had only taken
one. "It has gone very well,'' he said last night. "We got the
obelisk safely loaded on to the wagon and it started its journey."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vohf
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/display.var.
1914305.0.egyptian_obelisk_begins_journey_to_the_far_east.php

Owner unearths skull in ‘haunted’ home
Irish Examiner, 22 December 2007

A QUEEN ANNE mansion, dubbed a “haunted house” by locals, lived up to
its billing when renovation work uncovered a skull hidden in a
ceiling compartment. Mystery surrounds who the skull belonged to,
although initial examinations by Assistant State Pathologist Dr
Margaret Bolster suggest it was an adolescent who could have died up
to 100 years ago. Gardaí admitted it could take some time to solve
the identity of the person or how they died.  The macabre discovery
was made by the owner of the period house in Ballynoe, Co Cork, on
Thursday. He purchased the two-storey house just two months ago and
was knocking the part of the ceiling between the ground floor and
first floor when the skull fell down. A pair of hand-stitched leather
shoes were found alongside it. The shoe size, however, indicates that
they belonged to an adult.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vohy
http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-
qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=51108-qqqx=1.asp

#====================#

Seasonal Fare:

First Dec. 25 Xmas Tied to Pagan Shrine
The Guardian [UK], December 22, 2007

The church where the tradition of celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25
may have begun was built near a pagan shrine as part of an effort to
spread Christianity, a leading Italian scholar says. Italian
archaeologists last month unveiled an underground grotto that they
believe ancient Romans revered as the place where a wolf nursed
Rome's legendary founder Romulus and his twin brother Remus. A few
feet from the grotto, or "Lupercale," the Emperor Constantine built
the Basilica of St. Anastasia, where some believe Christmas was first
celebrated on Dec. 25. In 325, he convened the Council of Nicaea,
which fixed the dates of important Christian festivals. It opted to
mark Christmas, then celebrated at varying dates, on Dec. 25 to
coincide with the Roman festival celebrating the birth of the sun
god, Andrea Carandini, a professor of archaeology at Rome's La
Sapienza University, told reporters Friday. The Basilica of St.
Anastasia was built as soon as a year after the Nicaean Council. It
probably was where Christmas was first marked on Dec. 25, part of
broader efforts to link pagan practices to Christian celebrations in
the early days of the new religion, Carandini said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7173393,00.html

Reindeer: It's What Was For Dinner
Discovery News, Dec. 20, 2007

Reindeer meat went from being an occasional treat to everyday fare
among prehistoric cavemen who lived in Southwest France and what is
now the Czech Republic, two new studies suggest. In fact, so many
nibbled-on reindeer bones were present in their caves that possible
calendars circa 26,000 years ago might have been carved on the
leftover bones. They may have also been used as counting devices or
for ornamentation.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/12/20/reindeer-meat-cavemen.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 16.12.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Captain Kidd's treasure ship found after 300 years
The Independent [UK], 14 December 2007

It is a discovery big enough even to quicken the pulse of Captain
Sparrow and his Pirates of the Caribbean. But there is nothing
fictional about the cannons and anchors found off the shores of an
island belonging to the Dominican Republic. The real-life scoundrel
linked to its loss was Captain William Kidd. Archaeologists from the
University of Indiana say they have found the wreck of the Quedagh
Merchant, an Armenian ship loaded with treasures – satins, muslins,
silver and gold – that probably belonged to the British East India
Company before being commandeered by Kidd in 1699. Treasure hunters
have been vying for years to be the first to find the 500-tonne
vessel apparently boarded by Kidd in the Indian Ocean. Remarkably, it
has turned up in 10ft of crystal clear waters just a short paddle
from the shore of Catalina Island. Yet, by all indications, no one
before has investigated the site. Certainly, they have not plundered it.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3253097.ece

Archaeologists find unique baby skeleton
Prague Daily Monitor [Czech Republic], 12 December 2007

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique skeleton of a baby, possibly a
sacrifice, from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries in a medieval
house's foundations near a church in the centre of Usti nad Labem,
Lukas Gal told CTK Tuesday. The baby that was not older than six
months was probably buried there intentionally. The find is unique
since the dead were commonly buried at cemeteries then, said Gal from
the Terra Verita company working on the archaeological research for
the local museum. "Human sacrifices were extremely rare in the Middle
Ages," Gal said, adding that the find proves the existence of pre-
Christian, pagan habits in the late Middle Ages in the locality.
"Christianity was widely spread in the 13th and 14th century, but
some older traditions that were not common especially in towns
survived here," Gal said. The archaeologists will now measure the
bones and put them into their original shape. A team of
anthropologists will then determine the baby' sex and study
pathological changes. They will also look into whether the baby was
killed or not. The entire study of the skeleton is to take one and a
half years.
http://www.praguemonitor.com/en/232/life_in_the_czech_republic/15883/

Archaeologists unearth ancient pits
The East Anglian Daily Times [UK], 12 December 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS preparing the ground for a new building at an Anglo-
Saxon village have discovered the remains of three pits dating back
1,500 years. The unexpected find, at the site in West Stow, near Bury
St Edmunds, was made during preparation work for a new timber
construction that will be home to heritage displays and study
facilities when it opens in the summer. It is now hoped that a
mysterious black substance in the pits will help answer age-old
questions about their purpose, and give a better understanding of
Anglo-Saxon life.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vayn
http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?
brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPE
D11%20Dec%202007%2018%3A54%3A50%3A877

Archaeologists find speared skeleton
ScienceAlert [Australia], 12 December 2007

A new report led by an ANU archaeologist on the first evidence of
death by spearing in Australia has been published in the prestigious
British journal Antiquity. The paper outlines the collaborative
detective work that took place following the discovery of the
skeletal remains of an Aboriginal male in the Sydney suburb of
Narrabeen during excavations for gas works in 2005. A number of stone
tools, interpreted as spear barbs, were also discovered at the site.
Lead author Dr Jo McDonald from the Research School of Humanities at
ANU said that anatomical, forensic and artefact studies indicate
death by spearing and the archaeological evidence showed that that
the man was slain and abandoned in a coastal dune around 4000 years
ago. “Ritual punishment using barbed death spears was witnessed at
European contact in the Sydney region,” Dr McDonald said. “The
Narrabeen man provides early archaeological evidence for ritual or
payback killing by spearing. The timing of this event is significant
for understanding other archaeological indicators of increased social
complexity across south-eastern Australia.”
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20071212-16709-2.html

Maori pa site unearthed near Chch
TVNZ [New Zealand], Dec 14, 2007

A new development on the outskirts of Canterbury has unearthed
hundreds of Maori artefacts dating back 500-600 years. The Pegasus
Town development 25 kilometres from Christchurch is now being
recognised as a significant cultural and historical site in New
Zealand. Initially the site where the discovery was made was to be a
golf course, but those plans have changed now to preserve the history
that has been found there. The find has excited anthropologists and
cultural observers in New Zealand.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318241/1504939

Ohio man finds 15,000-year-old flint spear tip
Akron Beacon Journal [USA], Dec 11, 2007

A spear point found in a central Ohio field by a farmer has been
identified by archeologists as being used by hunters to kill
mastodons about 15,000 years ago. Forty-four-year-old Don Johnson of
Heath found the Clovis point about four years ago while on a walk.
Brad Lepper, an archaeologist with the Ohio Historical Society, says
the point is one of the only remaining types of evidence of the
Clovis Paleo-Indians. The group, named for their weapons, used the
points for about 500 years.
http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/12364086.html

Neolithic sword found in SW China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-16

Archaeologists have unearthed cultural artifacts that date back to
the Neolithic period, more than 4,000 years ago, in Chongqing in
southwestern China.Archaeologists have unearthed cultural artifacts
that date back to the Neolithic period, more than 4,000 years ago, in
Chongqing in southwestern China. Several days ago the archeologists
unearthed seven tombs that belong to the Han Dynasty, Chongqing
Business News reported. On Saturday, they dug out several pieces of
stone tools, including an axe, a peeling tool, shovels and adzes.
They also found a delicate bronze willow sword and a lance with
particular Ba cultural images. "Ba" refers to the people who lived in
Chongqing and Sichuan Province in ancient China. Archaeologists have
unearthed cultural artifacts that date back to the Neolithic period,
more than 4,000 years ago, in Chongqing in southwestern China.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/16/content_7258614.htm

Ancient Egyptian glassmaking recreated
EurekAlert [AAAS], 14-Dec-2007

A team led by a Cardiff University archaeologist has reconstructed a
3,000-year-old glass furnace, showing that Ancient Egyptian
glassmaking methods were much more advanced than previously thought.
Dr Paul Nicholson, of the University’s School of History and
Archaeology, is leader of an Egypt Exploration Society team working
on the earliest fully excavated glassmaking site in the world. The
site, at Amarna, on the banks of the Nile, dates back to the reign of
Akhanaten (1352 - 1336 B.C.), just a few years before the rule of
Tutankhamun. It was previously thought that the Ancient Egyptians may
have imported their glass from the Near East at around this time.
However, the excavation team believes the evidence from Amarna shows
they were making it themselves, possibly in a single stage operation.
Dr Nicholson and his colleague Dr Caroline Jackson of Sheffield
University demonstrated this was possible, using local sand to
produce a glass ingot from their own experimental reconstruction of a
furnace near the site.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/cu-aeg121407.php

Ancient fish bones reveal impacts of global warming beneath the sea
EurekAlert [AAAS], 12-Dec-2007

Scientists studying ancient fish bones in Scandinavia have discovered
that warm-water species like anchovies and black sea bream that once
thrived in Danish waters during a prehistoric warm period are now
returning. Some cold-water species, such as cod, were also abundant
during this period, having benefited from a lower fishing effort.
Through the study of archaeological material, tax accounts, church
registers and account books of monasteries, an international group of
fisheries ecologists and fisheries/maritime historians have drawn a
picture of marine life in the northern European seas (North Sea,
Wadden Sea, Baltic Sea, and White Sea) as it looked in the past.
Their findings are presented in a special issue of Fisheries Research
“History of Marine Animal Populations and their Exploitation in
Northern Europe, ” 14 papers starting from ca. 7000 BC to present.
The volume is edited by Henn Ojaveer and Brian R. MacKenzie.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/coml-afb121107.php

Are humans evolving faster?
EurekAlert [AAAS], 10-Dec-2007

Researchers discovered genetic evidence that human evolution is
speeding up – and has not halted or proceeded at a constant rate, as
had been thought – indicating that humans on different continents are
becoming increasingly different. “We used a new genomic technology to
show that humans are evolving rapidly, and that the pace of change
has accelerated a lot in the last 40,000 years, especially since the
end of the Ice Age roughly 10,000 years ago,” says research team
leader Henry Harpending, a distinguished professor of anthropology at
the University of Utah.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/uou-ahe120607.php

Study finds no evidence of discarded Spartan babies
ABC News [Australia], Dec 11, 2007

Researchers say that the Greek myth that ancient Spartans threw their
stunted and sickly newborns off a cliff has not been corroborated by
archaeological digs in the area. Athens Faculty of Medicine
Anthropologist Theodoros Pitsios says after more than five years of
analysis of human remains culled from the pit, also called an
apothetes, researchers found only the remains of adolescents and
adults between the ages of 18 and 35. "There were still bones in the
area, but none from newborns, according to the samples we took from
the bottom of the pit" of the foothills of Mount Taygete near present-
day Sparta. "It is probably a myth, the ancient sources of this so-
called practice were rare, late and imprecise," he added.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/11/2115075.htm?section=world

First stage of Akhenaton Museum finalized
State Information Service [Egypt], December 12, 2007

Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Chief of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities,
announced yesterday 11-12-2007 the finalizing of the first stage of
Akhenaton Museum established on 25 feddans on the Nile at Menya
governorate at a cost of LE 47 million. The first stage includes a
museum in a pyramidal shape established on 5,000 meters and comprises
14 display halls, restoration school, bazaar's area, theater and
cafeteria, said Hawass.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vaxj
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000899.htm

#====================#

More on:

Ancient Toolkit Gives Glimpse of Prehistoric Life
Discovery News, Dec. 13, 2007

Before the end of the last ice age, a hunter-gatherer left a bag of
tools near the wall of a roundhouse residence, where archaeologists
have now found the collection 14,000 years later. The tool set -- one
of the most complete and well preserved of its kind -- provides an
intriguing glimpse of the daily life of a prehistoric hunter-
gatherer. The contents, as described to Discovery News by Phillip
Edwards, a senior lecturer in the Archaeology Program at Melbourne's
La Trobe University, show the owner of the bag was well equipped for
obtaining meat and edible plants in the wild. "There was a sickle for
harvesting wild wheat or barley, a cluster of flint spearheads, a
flint core for making more spearheads, some smooth stones (maybe
slingshots), a large stone (maybe for striking flint pieces off the
flint core), a cluster of gazelle toe bones which were used to make
beads, and part of a second bone tool," he said.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/12/13/ancient-toolkit.html

Ancient Roman Glue Sticks Around
Discovery News, Dec. 14, 2007

Roman warriors repaired their battle accessories with a superglue
that is still sticking around after 2,000 years, according to new
findings on display at the Rheinischen Landes Museum in Bonn,
Germany. Running until Feb. 16, 2008, the exhibition "Behind the
Silver Mask" presents evidence that the ancient adhesive was used to
mount silver laurel leaves on legionnaires' battle helmets. "It's a
sensational find and a complete stroke of luck that we were still
able to find traces of the substance after 2000 years," Frank Willer,
the museum's chief restorer, told Discovery News. Willer found traces
of the superglue while examining a helmet unearthed in 1986 near the
German town of Xanten, on what was once the bed of the Rhine.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/12/14/romans-glue-helmet.html

More Historic Findings Discovered In Path Of M3
The Epoch Times [USA], Dec 12, 2007

A stone thought to be five thousand years old and engraved with
megalithic art similar to the stones at Newgrange has been discovered
in an early historic souterrain complex that is being currently
excavated to make way for the M3. The stone discovered on Friday Nov.
30th exhibits a series of motifs commonly found in passage tombs such
as concentric circles, arcs and zig zags. It is possible that the
stone was taken from a nearby passage tomb during the construction of
the souterrain in the early centuries AD. The promontory fort at Rath
Lugh that has been unearthed at Lismullen and the discovery of this
stone is further evidence of the historic importance of this area and
its continued use through the millennia of Irish history. Muireann Ni
Bhrolchain spokesperson for Save Tara Campaign said that this
excavation which should have taken ten years is being rushed in
months for the sake of this new motorway.
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-12-12/62881.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Baghdad museum's slow recovery
BBC, 14 December 2007

The Assyrian Hall at the Iraqi National Museum is breathtaking. Stone
panels from the royal palace at Khorsabad run along the walls. The
carvings on the friezes depict daily life in the Assyrian royal
court, which at its height about 3,000 years ago controlled a region
stretching across much of the modern Middle East. Perhaps the
Assyrian gallery is so stunning because it is so unexpected in
Baghdad. This gallery, one of only two that are open to visitors to
the Iraqi National Museum, gives a hint of the glories that were once
in the national collection. That collection was devastated in the
days following the US-led invasion in 2003, when looters emptied the
vaults. The only items that were saved were either too heavy to
carry, like those in the Assyrian Hall, or were being stored
elsewhere at the time, like the Nimrud treasures.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7144701.stm

#====================#

Features:

Secrets of Roman town unearthed
BBC, 13 December 2007

New hi-tech investigations of a Roman town in Norfolk have revealed
it to be one of international importance, leading archaeologists have
said. A high-resolution geophysical survey was carried out at the
buried town of Venta Icenorum at Caistor St Edmund. It has shown
detail never seen before, including a semi-circular building which
looks like a Roman theatre. The survey also used a scanning device to
map out buried remains across the entire walled area of the Roman
town. The site was first discovered in July 1928 when the crew of an
RAF aircraft took photographs in the area. The exceptionally dry
summer meant details of the Roman town were revealed as parched lines
in the barley.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/7142414.stm

Using DNA To Unlock History’s Secrets
Harvard Crimson, December 13, 2007

What do an astrophysicist, oceanic chemist, archaeologist, literary
historian, and a paleobotanist have in common? According to Professor
of Medieval History Michael McCormick, they are all key players in
the interdisciplinary cooperation needed to better our understanding
of the history of humanity. “We know more today than we did last
Friday about the past. And last Friday we knew more about the past
than any other human civilization that’s ever existed on the face of
the earth,” McCormick said. In his studies of medieval history and
climate, he has found that this interdisciplinary approach is
extremely powerful for unearthing new data, and has led to a
revolution in the way medieval archaeology is done. “We’re getting
real serious answers that we couldn’t have even posed the questions
two years ago,” he said.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=521328

Mapping Pune's Roman connection
The Times of India, 14 Dec 2007

Ever imagined the Romans taking a circuitous sea route around Africa
to reach the Persian Gulf and further touch the western Indian shores
of Bharuch in Gujarat for trade with Pune over 2,000 years back?
Archaeologists from the Deccan College here have come across a
plethora of evidence at the Junnar excavation site, 94 km from city,
that establishes Pune’s trade links across the oceans, with the
ancient Roman Empire. The evidence suggests that Satavahanas, the
earliest rulers of Maharashtra (230 Before Christ Era), who reigned
from Junnar, were engaged in a flourishing import-export trade not
just with the Romans but also with the Greeks and the Persians.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vb2i
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/
Mapping_Punes_Roman_connection/articleshow/2621231.cms

Córdoba’s Medina Azahara holds many more secrets of the first Islamic
rule of Spain
The Olive Press [Spain], December 16, 2007

INHABITED for just a few decades and forgotten for an entire
millennium, the intriguing history of Córdoba’s Medina Azahara will
take many more years to fully reveal itself. The palace-city is now
“the most important medieval archaeological site in the whole of
Europe,” according to former government minister and archaeology
expert, Manuel Pimentel. And, as if to prove its worth,
archaeologists at the Moorish site recently revealed an entire mosque
dating from the tenth century. Measuring 25 metres in length, the
building was constructed to face Mecca. The excited team of
archaeologists unveiled their discovery on November 16, pointing out
the mosque’s alminar, the tower from which the faithful would have
been called to prayer, as well as an outstanding mihrab - a polygonal
niche which indicates the direction those praying should face. The
discovery is the most significant since excavations at the site
restarted in earnest in April 2007. Yet it is thought that 90 per
cent of the medina remains buried.
http://www.theolivepress.es/2007/12/16/what-lies-beneath/

Keeping old barns standing
The Daily Herald [USA], December 14, 2007

The Nakashima barn on Highway 9 six miles north of Arlington has seen
better days. So have scores of other dilapidated Washington barns
that have weathered nearly a century of rain, wind and snow. As urban
development and other forces eat up old family farms, experts say the
number of barns in the state is dwindling at an alarming rate. The
disappearance of barns from the landscape takes away a glimpse into
Washington's agricultural past. A bipartisan effort to stem the loss
of barns was launched in the Legislature this year with the passage
of House Bill 2115, which sets aside money to help property owners
rehabilitate aging barns. "Barns as you see them on the landscape are
a constant visual reminder of the state's rich history," said Michael
Houser, the state's architectural historian. "They're a nonrenewable
resource. Once they're gone, they're gone."
http://heraldnet.com/article/20071214/NEWS01/712140096

An Island in the Hudson, Plundered in Search of Indian Artifacts
The New York Times, December 12, 2007

For more than 3,000 years, this alluring isle of stone in the Hudson
River north of present-day Kingston has beckoned strangers. Over the
millennia, Indians stopped at its graywacke shores — and at least one
was laid to rest here. They took shelter in a west-facing sandstone
rock shelter. They pulled mounds of shellfish from the river. And
they shaped countless arrowheads in the high, flat belly of the
island before setting out to hunt or fight. Strangers still come to
Magdalen, but now they arrive with shovel in hand to dig up
arrowheads and other prehistoric artifacts illegally. Because
Magdalen is half a mile from the Dutchess County shore, they work
undetected and largely undisturbed, shoveling up great chunks of
earth, even chopping through the roots of huge oaks and hickory
trees, hoping they topple in a strong wind to reveal a new trove of
treasure. The quarter-mile-long island is so pockmarked with looters’
holes that parts look more like a bombing range than a state-owned
parcel of land listed on the national and state registers of historic
places. Magdalen’s defenses now consist of about a dozen white signs
warning “Don’t Dig.” They are routinely ignored. There are holes at
the bases of some trees to which the signs have been nailed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/nyregion/12magdalen.html

CT scan unravels mummy's secrets
BBC, 10 December 2007

Experts have carried out a CT scan on an ancient Egyptian mummy in a
bid to unravel its secrets. Radiographers at University College
Hospital carried out a whole-body computerised tomography on the
3,000-year-old body on Sunday. Nesperennub, a male priest, is
enclosed in a linen and plaster case within a one and a half metre-
long coffin. Staff from the British Museum asked for the scan in
order to find out more about the coffin's contents.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7136135.stm

Ancient secrets emerge from grave
BBC, 16 December 2007

The bones of six bishops buried more than 600 years ago have been
identified using new hi-tech methods. The medieval bishops, who died
between 1200-1360, were discovered during an excavation at Whithorn
Priory in Galloway between 1957-67. It was known the remains were of
powerful churchmen of the Middle Ages, but their identities were a
mystery. But Historic Scotland research has shown when the men died,
who several of them were and even what they ate. Radiocarbon dating
helped identify the graves of bishops Walter (died 1235), Henry (d.
1293), Michael (d. 1359) and Thomas (d. 1362). Also identified was
Gilbert (d. 1253) and a central grave which it is thought was being
used for a second time but had originally been the burial place of
bishop John (d. 1209). Dietary evidence shows the bishops enjoyed
high quality meat and fish - including large sea fish like cod. One
of the most impressive finds from the excavation was a gilded and
enamelled crozier head that dates from around 1175.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7146828.stm

On the trail of the ancient Egyptians in UK museums
24 Hour Museum [UK], December 14 2007

With the return of Tutankhamun’s treasures to London in 2007, Britain
is gripped by a new wave of mummy mania. But if you can't make it to
the 02 Arena and short of visiting the Land of the Pharaohs itself, a
visit to a local museum will open up a wealth of ancient Egyptian
treasures. Venues all across the country are not only chock full of
mummies but also have enough scarabs, amulets, canopic jars,
jewellery, pottery, and textiles to make even the Queen of the Nile
happy. So slip on your sandals, kohl your eyes and walk like an
Egyptian to some of the best permanent collections and exhibitions
the country has to offer...
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/trlout_gfx_en/TRA52483.html

Steady as she goes: the day Cleopatra’s Needle arrived in London
The Times [UK], December 16, 2007

IT required some true Victorian ingenuity to bring Cleopatra’s Needle
from Alexandria to the banks of the Thames. Photographs to be
auctioned next month show it in the final stages of its trip, encased
in an iron cylinder, having been transported some 2,000 miles from
Egypt in a specially built vessel. The rare photographs, dating from
January 1878, capture the moment when the 69ft-high, 187-ton red
granite monument was lifted onto its site on the Thames Embankment.
It had survived an eventful journey. It was given to Britain by
Mehmet Ali, the Albanian-born viceroy of Egypt, to commemorate Lord
Nelson’s victory over Napoleon in the battle of the Nile in 1798, but
the vessel carrying it was caught up in a storm and had to be
abandoned before it was safely towed to harbour. Etched with
hieroglyphs, it became known as Cleopatra’s Needle because of its
association with her home city, Alexandria, even though it was made
in Egypt for Thotmes III, the pharaoh, in 1460BC, about 1,400 years
before her reign.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3056700.ece

Historic graffiti mural discovered in Manhattan building
International Herald Tribune [France], December 12, 2007

It was the stuff of urban legend — rumors that a historic Manhattan
building had important graffiti hidden in its walls. Except, in this
case, it was true. A large mural that was created by some of
graffiti's earliest pioneers was discovered recently in a 10-story
limestone building in SoHo just as developers were converting it into
luxury condominiums. The artwork contains a variety of images and
writing executed in spray paint, grease pencil, magic marker and
whatever else was on hand — in silver, gold, pink and red. There are
cartoonlike pictures of a bomber airplane, images of a heart and a
cake, and several references to Quaaludes, a popular 1970s party
drug. The mural was found in the eighth-floor loft owned by art
critic Edit deAk in the late '70s and 1980s — a time when much of
fringe art, including graffiti, was being validated. The wall is
nearly intact, except for gaps where a dishwasher and plumbing were
installed years later.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vb2q
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/12/arts/NA-A-E-ART-US-Graffiti-
Wall.php

#====================#

Miscellany:

Fake warriors 'art crime of decade', say German critics
The Guardian [UK], December 13, 2007

More than 10,000 visitors to an exhibition of terracotta warriors in
Hamburg are to be offered refunds after organisers admitted the
figures on display were fake. The truth came to light when officials
from Xi'an, home of the 2,000-year-old clay army, said they were
unaware that they had lent any figures to Germany and that those on
display at Hamburg's Museum of Ethnology could not possibly be real
as the originals were elsewhere. Chinese experts are on their way to
the city to examine the Power in Death exhibition, which consists of
eight clay warrior figures, two horses and 60 smaller artefacts
including bronze vessels, weapons and tools. German art detectives
have launched their own investigation.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2226567,00.html

Chinese officials consider legal action over German terracotta army
fakes
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-13

Chinese cultural officials on Thursday said they are considering
legal action against the German exhibitors of fake Chinese terracotta
army statues, which they describe as a "fraud." "It is a serious act
of fraud and has implications for intellectual property rights," said
Chen Xianqi, a spokesman for the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of
Cultural Heritage, in Xi'an, home of the 2,200-year-old terracotta army.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/13/content_7245402.htm

A pea from the tomb of the Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun has been
saved from the brink of extinction
Newbury Today [UK], December 14 2007

A PEA, thought to be from the gardens at Highclere Castle, and
originating from the tomb of Tutankhamun, has been saved from
extinction. Known as the Tutankhamun pea, the rare variety is thought
to be from the gardens of the Carnarvon estate, at Highclere Castle.
The fifth Earl of Carnarvon, along with Howard Carter, discovered the
tomb of Tutankhamun, in 1922, and it is thought that this variety
could be a descendant of peas discovered in the tomb, according to
Garden Organic, a charitable organisation dedicated to organic
gardening. The pea was one of one of 800 varieties of vegetables
highlighted as being saved from extinction by the charity, which runs
the world-renowned Heritage Seed Library, conserving and making
available varieties of vegetables that are fast disappearing.
According to Garden Organic, if more isn't done to save these and
other varieties, the future of world food supplies could be under
threat, with hundreds of traditional vegetables facing extinction,
due to commercial pressures.
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=5841

'Caravaggio worth £50m' discovered
The Telegraph [UK], 12/12/2007

A British art historian has unearthed a previously unknown painting
by Caravaggio, which may be worth up to £50 million. The work -
thought to be an earlier version of Caravaggio's The Card Sharps -
will go on display in Trapani, Sicily, on Saturday. Sir Denis Mahon,
97, a member of the Guinness Mahon banking dynasty, bought the
painting for £50,400 at an auction at Sotheby's last December. At the
time, it was described as the work of an anonymous "follower of
Caravaggio". However, Sir Denis, who has authenticated three other
Caravaggios, decided that the painting was an early work by the
Renaissance master himself, and dated it to 1595.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/12/
wart112.xml

Las Vegas builds a museum of the mob
The Telegraph [UK], 12/12/2007

Las Vegas is building a museum dedicated to the notorious mobsters
that helped make it America's gambling capital - and the FBI is
supporting the project. The mob museum will acknowledge the role
played by figures such as Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, his banker Meyer
Lansky and casino boss Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, and how they gave the
city its image of dissolute glamour during the 1940s and 50s. "This
is more than legend, it's fact," said Oscar Goodman, the city's mayor
and a former lawyer whose clients once included Lansky and Anthony
"Tony the Ant" Spilotro. "This is something that differentiates us
from other cities." The project not only has the backing of the FBI,
it is being overseen by one of its former agents.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vayr
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/12/
wvegas112.xml

Greece: Closed
Infoshop News, December 12 2007

In Greece today public transport and state services are shut down,
while hospitals are operating with emergency staff due to a 24-hour
strike launched by union groups in opposition to the government’s
planned pension reforms. Ferries were stopped across the Aegean
islands, metro trains ground to a halt, and airlines were grounded.
Archaeological sites, including the Acropolis, were closed, and even
telephone directory inquiry lines, motorcycle couriers and pizza
delivery men walked off the job. Journalists left work, cancelling
television and radio news programs. The three state-run television
stations were broadcasting only a text stating their support for the
strike. No Thursday newspapers were to be published. Even the Greek
news agency is shut down today.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20071212120350832

#====================#

Seasonal Fare:

Marvel at winter solstice sunrise in Newgrange
The Telegraph [UK], 15/12/2007

If you put your head on the floor of the burial chamber at Newgrange,
Ireland's most famous passage tomb, rest your cheek on the soft grit
and look back down the slightly wonky passage of upright stone slabs,
you can see a wigwam of light at the end. This is the entrance, which
faces south-east over the wide, shallow valley of the River Boyne and
a ridge called Red Mountain. If you are lucky enough to be one of the
50 people, plus partners, whose names were pulled out of a hat (or
rather, a scale model of Newgrange) by local children in September,
you will be in the tomb one morning next week, between Tuesday and
Sunday, waiting nervously for the winter solstice sunrise. If it's
fine, the sun will clear Red Mountain at precisely 8.58am on each of
these days, pour through a rectangular slot above the tomb entrance
and hit the floor at the back of the chamber. Then, as the sun rises,
the beam will slide back down the passage towards the entrance. By
9.04am the chamber will be dark again - and the most sought-after six
minutes in the world of heritage tourism will be over.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1vay9
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2007/12/15/
et-heritage-115.xml

#====================#

Curiosa:

"Skeleton of Giant" Is Internet Photo Hoax
National Geographic News, December 14, 2007

The National Geographic Society has not discovered ancient giant
humans, despite rampant reports and pictures. The hoax began with a
doctored photo and later found a receptive online audience—thanks
perhaps to the image's unintended religious connotations. A digitally
altered photograph created in 2002 shows a reclining giant surrounded
by a wooden platform—with a shovel-wielding archaeologist thrown in
for scale. By 2004 the "discovery" was being blogged and emailed all
over the world—"Giant Skeleton Unearthed!"—and it's been enjoying a
revival in 2007. The photo fakery might be obvious to most people.
But the tall tale refuses to lie down even five years later, if a
continuing flow of emails to National Geographic News are any
indication.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071214-giant-
skeleton.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 09.12.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Roman Throne Discovered in Italian Ruins
Associated Press, December 4, 2007

Remnants of the first known surviving Roman throne have been
discovered in the lava and ash that buried the city of Herculaneum in
the first century, archaeologists said Tuesday. Decorated with ivory
bas-reliefs depicting ancient deities, two legs and part of the back
of the wooden throne were dug out between October and November. They
were found 82 feet below ground near Herculaneum's Villa dei Papiri,
a first century country home that is believed to have been the
residence of Julius Caesar's father-in-law. Herculaneum, Pompeii and
Stabiae were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that killed
thousands in the year 79. The layers of volcanic ash preserved the
sites for centuries, providing precious information on domestic life
in the ancient world. Archaeologists said the throne was an
exceptional find; furniture of its type had previously only been seen
in artistic depiction. "It's the first original throne from Roman
times that has survived until today," Pietro Giovanni Guzzo,
Pompeii's archaeological superintendent, told a news conference in Rome.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gyrIFdXS9K_TvzdYVEJFJ444LNKQD8TAV7M00

Archaeologists Uncover Jerusalem Mansion
The Guardian [UK], December 7, 2007

Israeli archaeologists uncovered a 2,000-year-old mansion believed to
have been home to Queen Helene of Adiabene, whose clan ruled a region
now in Iraq. The remains of the building were unearthed just outside
the walls of Jerusalem's Old City, underneath layers of a more recent
settlement that was hidden until recently under the asphalt of a
small parking lot in east Jerusalem. Israel captured east Jerusalem
from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast War. Palestinians see the eastern
part of the city as capital of a future state. The dig site is in the
Arab neighborhood of Silwan, built on a slope that houses the most
ancient remnants of settlement in Jerusalem and is known to scholars
as the City of David. The building, which includes storerooms, living
quarters and ritual baths, is by far the largest and most elaborate
structure discovered by archaeologists in the City of David area,
which was home 2,000 years ago almost exclusively to the city's
poor.  Jewish historian Josephus Flavius mentions just one wealthy
family living there - the family of Queen Helene.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7133267,00.html
See also Associated Press:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j5Xmggsj_n39zKXq5FW5iq4e7L0AD8TC80B02

2 Ancient Graveyards Found Near Damascus
The Guardian [UK], December 4, 2007Syrian archaeologists have
unearthed two Bronze-era cemeteries dating from the 18th century
B.C., the third set of ancient graveyards found in less than a month,
the head of the Archaeological Department said Tuesday. Mahmoud
Hamoud said the circular limestone cemeteries that were discovered
Monday in the village of Heina, south of the capital Damascus,
contained skeletons of both adults and children, more than 120 pieces
of pottery, jars and precious stones. Syria's official SANA news
agency, quoting the antiquities directorate, said the cemeteries
resemble sites in the ancient Palestinian West Bank town of Jericho
and the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7126426,00.html

Ancient wood, ropes discovered in Romania
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-06

The Romanian archaeologists have discovered well-preserved wood and
ropes of 3,000 years old at Beclean of Romania's northern Bistrita-
Nasaud County, officials said on Wednesday. The objects, found in the
bed of a highly salted river near Baile Figa, have been well
preserved due to the salted mud, said Valeriu Kavruk, curator of the
Museum of the Eastern Carpathians based in Sfantu Gheorghe, central
Romania. The laboratory tests with Carbon 14 showed the objects dated
from 1000 B.C., Kavruk said, adding that the Figa site represents
"the most important archaeological discovery in the latest decades in
South-Eastern Europe." According to the curator, the importance of
such a discovery resides not only in the fact that it is for the
first time that wood and ropes made of ivy that old, very well
preserved too, were found but also it is highly important such
objects gave an idea about how salt was dug 3,000 years ago.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/06/content_7206692.htm

Discovery of Armenian Graveyard from Mongolian Era near Soltanieh Dome
CHN [Iran], 3 December 2007

Hassan Zohouri- Discovery of an Armenian written gravestone within
the sphere of Soltanieh dome lead to the discovery of a graveyard of
Armenians from the Mongolian era by experts of CHTO and Armenian
archeologists. "Mohammad Reza Ghorban Zadeh" operational manager of
CHTO station at the Soltanieh dome explained: following the discovery
of an Armenian written gravestone two years ago within this area, we
asked for the help of Armenian archeologists and experts to read the
script. The result of researches revealed the fact that this
gravestone is related to Mongolian time, and there is a strong
existence possibility of a graveyard near the mentioned sphere.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7397

Unique Islamic era gravestone discovered western Iran
Mehr News Agency [Iran], 2007/12/09

Five gravestones have recently been found near the village of
Banelkan in western Iran’s Ilam Province, one of which has been
engraved in such a manner as to make it a unique artifact of the late
Iranian Islamic era. The headstone measures 110cm X 50cm and weighs
approximately 300 kilograms, Public Relations director of Ilam
Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Abdolmalek
Shanbezadeh told the Persian service of CHN on Sunday. “The
gravestone bears a bas-relief depicting a naked lady standing with
her left hand over her chest and her right hand over her thighs,
surrounded by a rectangular frame,” he explained. This is the first
instance of the discovery in Iran of such a headstone, bearing this
type of bas-relief and dating from the late Islamic-era. An Arabic
inscription reading “this gravestone belongs to Morva” has been
engraved above the rectangular frame, Shanbezadeh said. Morva is a
female given name.
http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=601601

“Such an image may indicate that the grave belongs to a girl who was
of great beauty, who had been well-known in her tribe and that the
gravestone had been made in her honor,” he explained.

Rewrites Viking history
Aftenposten [Norway], 05 Dec 2007

The discovery of two massive Viking halls in Borre in Vestfold County
gives archeologists reason to reassess the distribution of power in
Viking Norway. Vestfold County archeologists presented finds on
Wednesday that show there are two great hall buildings underneath the
ground about 100 meters from the major burial mounds at Borre. One of
the halls is believed to be up to 40 meters (131 feet) long and 12 to
13 meters (39-42 feet) high, the largest found in Vestfold. "The
finds show that Borre was more than a burial place, but a true royal
power center in Viking times. There have been tribes here from all of
northern Europe for sacrificial ceremonies," archeologist and
information leader at the Midgard Historical Center, Lena Fahre, told
Aftenposten.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2137825.ece

Roman bronze collection unearthed
BBC, 6 December 2007

A rare collection of Roman bronzes have been unearthed at the bottom
of a well in the City of London. Wine buckets, a cauldron, dishes and
handled shallow bowls were among the items found during a nine-month
dig near Throgmorton Avenue this year. Archaeologists have hailed the
find as the most significant in 30 years of excavations in the Upper
Walbrook valley area. The artefacts will go on display at the Museum
of London on Friday. Experts say the bronzes, found in a wood-lined
well, are exceptionally well preserved and offer a rare glimpse into
the last days of Londinium, the Roman name for London.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7130461.stm
See also The Daily Mail [UK]:
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uxvp
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?
in_article_id=500122&in_page_id=1770&ito=newsnow

Female skeleton found in 2,200-year-old tomb in C China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-06

An intact skeleton of a female has been excavated from an ancient
tomb dating back to around 2,200 years ago in central China's Hubei
Province. Archaeologists found the skeleton in the Xiejiaqiao No. 1
tomb excavated in Jingzhou city, Hubei. According to the inscribed
bamboo slips buried in the tomb, the owner, a noblewoman with the
name of "Hui", was buried in 183 B.C., during the Han Dynasty
(206B.C.-220 A.D.). About 200 cultural relics were also recovered in
four coffin chambers, such as bronze ware, lacquer work, wood and
bamboo ware, pottery, and bamboo slips wrapped by delicate and
precious silk cloth.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/06/content_7212867.htm

Ancient metallurgy relics unearthed in C Vietnam
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-07

An archeological site full of metallurgy tools and pottery dating
back nearly 3,000 years ago has been discovered in Vietnam's central
Khanh Hoa province, local newspaper Pioneer reported Friday. The
Vietnam Archeology Institute found a number of bronze molds and
bronze refining tools, eight tombs and over 126,000 pieces of pottery
in the Vinh Yen 50-square meter site in Van Ninh district. The
antiques belonged to an ancient village, whose residents lived on
agriculture, pottery and bronze casting.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/07/content_7215171.htm

18 ancient clay seals found at Bhasu Bihar
The Daily Star [Bangladesh], December 8, 2007

Archaeologists have discovered 18 ancient clay seals, mostly from the
Pala dynasty, and two brick-built structures at Bhasu Bihar
archaeological site in Shibganj upazila of Bogra during an
excavation. One of the clay seals bears the first "Dharmachakra"
message of Gautam Buddha inscribed on it, said Nahid Sultana,
custodian and a member of the excavation team. A seven-member team of
the Archaeology Department headed by Regional Director Abdul Khaleque
started the excavation work on 22 November. Nahid Sultana said most
of the 18 seals are 1,000 years old.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=14663

Ancient cave found in Dolakha
Kantipur [Nepal], 2007-12-05

What once was home to prehistoric humans has been found inside a
tunnel located at the foothills of Bhirkuna area of Gaurimudi VDC,
some 40 kilometers from district headquarters Charikot. Locals said
that although they occasionally ventured inside while hunting for
porcupines, they never knew about its origin and the expanse of the
cave. Ganesh Bahadur Tamang, a local claimed that he and his hunting
mates often sneaked inside the tunnel looking for porcupines. "We
walked for nearly two hours inside the hole, but returned after we
didn't find the end of the tunnel," Tamang said. The tunnel was not
known to anyone except locals of Gaurimudi village until recently.
Locals also informed that the cave is some 1.5 kilometers long.
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=130426

Ancient artefacts found at Domain
Bay of Plenty Times [New Zealand], 08.12.2007

BAY archaeologists believe they have uncovered the remains of an
ancient Maori settlement and military sites dating from the 1860s at
Tauranga Domain during earthworks to build the new athletics track.
An archeologist will begin excavating the sites next Thursday, though
the discovery could set construction of the $1.5 million all-weather
track back by one month. Ken Phillips will further explore Maori
middens and what appears to be a military trench and artefacts such
as ceramic items, rifle pits and redoubts (small forts), which were
uncovered when about 30cm of soil was removed from the surface of the
existing track. He estimates the excavation - carried out by himself
and two or three other archaeologists - will take about a week.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uzv9
http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?
storyid=3757865&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

High soil samples in Mayan city's soil indicate it hosted a market
economy
The Salt Lake Tribune, 12/03/2007

   For years archaeologists have wondered why Mayan cities seemed to
have populations far greater than the local agricultural output could
support. Thanks to sleuthing by a team of soil scientists from
Brigham Young University, a solution to this riddle has surfaced that
may revolutionize what we know about the ancient Mayans who inhabited
Central America 1,500 years ago, according to a study published this
month in the journal Latin American Archaeology. Working with Shepard
University archaeologist Bruce Dahlin, the BYU team proved that the
soils in a clearing at the center of a Mayan city were laden with
phosphorus levels 40 times higher than background levels. The
findings provide evidence of a market economy, which calls into
question the dominant view that ancient Mayans redistributed goods
through a tribute system, said Richard Terry, a BYU professor of
environmental science.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7620583

Rare Maya "Death Vase" Discovered
National Geographic News, December 4, 2007

An extremely rare and intricately carved "death vase" has been
discovered in the 1,400-year-old grave of a member of the Maya elite,
scientists say. The vase is the first of its kind to be found in
modern times, and its contents are opening a window onto ancient
rituals of ancestor worship that included food offerings, chocolate
enemas, and hallucinations induced by vomiting, experts say.
Archaeologists discovered the vase along with parts of a human
skeleton while excavating a small "palace" in northwestern Honduras
in 2005. Soil samples taken from in and around the vessel were found
to contain pollen from corn, cacao, and false ipecac, a plant that
causes severe nausea when eaten. These traces suggest the vase may
have been used in ancient rites the Maya practiced to produce
trancelike states through intense physical purging, said Christian
Wells, an anthropologist at the University of South Florida who lead
the excavation.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071203-maya-vase.html

Ancient Blood Found On Sculptures From Kingdom Of Mali
ScienceDaily, Dec. 3, 2007

Scientists in France are reporting for the first time that sculptors
from the fantastically wealthy ancient Empire of Mali -- once the
source of almost half the world's gold -- used blood to form the
beautiful patina, or coating, on their works of art. Pascale
Richardin and colleagues describe development of a new, noninvasive
test that accurately identifies traces of blood apparently left on
ancient African artifacts used in ceremonies involving animal
sacrifices.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203091232.htm

Most ancient case of tuberculosis found in 500,000-year-old human;
points to modern health issues
EurekAlert [AAAS], 7-Dec-2007

Although most scientists believe tuberculosis emerged only several
thousand years ago, new research from The University of Texas at
Austin reveals the most ancient evidence of the disease has been
found in a 500,000-year-old human fossil from Turkey. The discovery
of the new specimen of the human species, Homo erectus, suggests
support for the theory that dark-skinned people who migrate northward
from low, tropical latitudes produce less vitamin D, which can
adversely affect the immune system as well as the skeleton. John
Kappelman, professor of anthropology at The University of Texas at
Austin, is part of an international team of researchers from the
United States, Turkey and Germany who have published their findings
in the Dec. 7 issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
The Leakey Foundation and the Scientific and Technical Research
Council of Turkey funded the research. Prior to this discovery in
western Turkey, which helps scientists fill a temporal and
geographical gap in human evolution, the oldest evidence of
tuberculosis in humans was found in mummies from Egypt and Peru that
date to several thousand years ago.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/uota-mac120407.php

Neanderthal bearing teeth
Max Planck Society [Germany], December 4th, 2007

An international European research collaboration led by scientists at
the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology reports
evidence for a rapid developmental pattern in a 100,000 year old
Belgian Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis). The report, published in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (online edition
early December), details how the team used growth lines both inside
and on the surfaces of the child’s teeth to reconstruct tooth
formation time and its’ age at death. Scientists found differences in
the duration of tooth growth in the Neanderthal when compared to
modern humans, with the former showing shorter times in most cases.
This faster growth resulted in a more advanced pattern of dental
development than in fossil and living members of our own species
(Homo sapiens). The Scladina juvenile, which appears to be
developmentally similar to a 10-12 year old human, was estimated to
be in fact about 8 years old at death. This pattern of development
appears to be intermediate between early members of our genus (e.g.,
Homo erectus) and living people, suggesting that the
characteristically slow development and long childhood is a recent
condition unique to our own species.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uxvh
http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation/documentation/
pressReleases/2007/pressRelease20071203/

Glue used by the Romans has stuck around for 2,000 years
The Independent [UK], 06 December 2007

German archaeologists claim to have found traces of a glue they say
was made by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago and used to mount
silver laurel leaves on legionnaires' battle helmets. Researchers at
the Rhineland historical museum in Bonn said they had found remnants
of the glue on a legionnaire's iron helmet unearthed near the town of
Xanten. It had lain on what was once the bed of the Rhine for at
least 1,500 years. Frank Willer, the museum's chief restorer, said
researchers came across the glue by surprise while removing a tiny
sample of metal from the helmet with a fine saw. The heat from the
tool caused silver laurel leaves decorating the helmet to peel off
leaving thread-like traces of the glue behind. "It is a sensational
find and a complete stroke of luck that we were still able to find
traces of the substance on the helmet after 2,000 years," Mr Willer
said.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article3226417.ece

Did early Southwestern Indians ferment corn and make beer?
Sandia National Laboratories News Release [USA], December 3, 2007

The belief among some archeologists that Europeans introduced alcohol
to the Indians of the American Southwest may be faulty. Ancient and
modern pot sherds collected by New Mexico state archeologist Glenna
Dean, in conjunction with analyses by Sandia National Laboratories
researcher Ted Borek, open the possibility that food or beverages
made from fermenting corn were consumed by native inhabitants
centuries before the Spanish arrived. Dean, researching through her
small business Archeobotanical Services, says, “There’s been an
artificial construct among archeologists working in New Mexico that
no one had alcohol here until the Spanish brought grapes and wine.
That’s so counter-intuitive. It doesn’t make sense to me as a social
scientist that New Mexico would have been an island in pre-Columbian
times. By this reasoning, ancestral puebloans would have been the
only ones in the Southwest not to know about fermentation.”
http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/ferment.html

Lost pre-Inca treasure found in Spanish lock-up
The Guardian [UK], December 6, 2007

Police have uncovered a hidden storage room in Spain holding 1,800
pieces of pre-Colombian art, including ceremonial masks, ceramics,
jewellery and a suit of 37 plates of gold - artefacts from a
collection last seen in public 10 years ago. Many of the metallic
pieces, including four copper masks, four gold rattles and four gold
nose pendants, derived from the ancient tomb of the Lord of Sipan,
one of the most important vestiges of pre-Inca Moche culture in Peru.
The treasure, "of incalculable value" say police, had remained
undetected for 10 years in a secure room beneath a home in Galicia.
The artefacts had been last exhibited in 1997, in Santiago de
Compostela. The curator of the exhibit, a Costa Rican man who is now
wanted in Peru, has since disappeared, police said in a statement
yesterday. A spokesman refused to name the curator, who they suspect
first hid the treasure then fled the country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2222675,00.html

Proposed federal rule threatens 2 decades of established law
EurekAlert [AAAS], 3-Dec-2007

The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) has condemned a proposed
rule by the U.S. Department of Interior that would put in jeopardy
the highly productive compromise that was reached when the Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was passed
in 1990. On October 16, 2007, the Department of the Interior
published draft regulations that would destroy the use of cultural
affiliation as the principle for repatriation decisions, which is at
the core of NAGPRA and supported by seventeen years of hard work and
effort by tribes, archaeologists, and museum personnel, and replace
it with an undefined notion of "cultural relationship." “The
Department’s proposed regulations have no basis in law or science and
reflect an attempt to impermissibly legislate in a manner not
prescribed by Congress. The adoption of the regulations as they stand
would force the NAGPRA process back to square one,” said Dean Snow,
president of SAA. “This ill-advised rule would irreparably diminish
the archaeological record of the entire U.S. “The damage to some of
our most cherished institutions and the cost to science and the
public is incalculable.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/bki-pfr120307.php

#====================#

More on:

Remains of 'oldest kingdom' unearthed
China Daily, 2007-12-04

Archaeologists are excited at the prospect that the remains of a
4,000-year-old city - larger than the Forbidden City - unearthed on
the east coast could be the oldest kingdom in the nation's history.
The Liangzhu ancient city ruins - found in Yuhang county of Zhejiang
Province - can be traced back at least 4,300 years, and cover an area
of 2.9 million square meters with the city walls 4-6 meters in width.
The first discovery was made in June last year when apartment
buildings were to be built in Putaoban Village of Yuhang.
Archaeologists were called in because the village is part of the
Neolithic Liangzhu Culture protection zone. It is centered on Yuhang
and extends to present day Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and Jiangxi
provinces as well as Shanghai. Under a patch of rice field,
archaeologists found a 40-meter-wide ancient ditch built of hardened
earth, in which were large amounts of pottery shards, Liu Bin, a
researcher at the Zhejiang Archaeological Institute, said over the
weekend. When archaeologists dug a deep hole on the eastern bank of
the north-south ditch, they were surprised to find a large area built
of hammered soil and pebbles. Further excavations showed that the
ditch was a canal outside the city, and the area to its east was the
remains of part of the city wall. The walls extended 1,500-1,700 m
from east to west and 1,800-1,900 m from north to south. The city
covers an area of 2.9 million sq m, 200,000 sq m more than the
Forbidden City.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-12/04/content_6296232.htm

Ancient bamboo slips reveal tomb owner's identity
China.org [China Internet Information Center], December 7, 2007

On December 6 over 200 bamboo slips inscribed with ancient Chinese
characters were discovered packed in a silk bag tucked into the
Xiejiaqiao No.1 tomb in Hubei Province. The tomb is over 2,200 years
old. The ancient documents were found nine days after archaeologists
uncovered a 2.46-meter-long coffin wrapped in four tiers of
embroidered silks. Amazingly, the shroud has remained intact
underground after thousands of years. The bamboo slips revealed the
identity of the tomb owner. She was an aristocratic woman named "Hui"
who lived during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). According to the
documents, the woman was the mother of four officials of noble rank.
She was buried on November 28, 183BC. Archaeologists found an intact
skeleton inside the coffin. The coffin itself was decorated with
woodcarvings that still remained discernible after thousands years of
humidity and erosion.
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/234802.htm

Archaeologists say dig reshapes Roman Jerusalem
Christian Today [USA], December 5, 2007

Israeli archaeologists have unearthed a wall beyond Jerusalem's old
boundaries, showing the city built by biblical King David may have
been much larger than previously thought, they said on Wednesday. The
Israel Antiquities Authority said it believed the 5-metre (16 ft)
high wall was part of a two-storey structure demolished in 70 AD when
the Romans sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the second Jewish temple
built by King Herod. "According to our findings, ancient
Jerusalem ... was much larger than previously thought," Doron Ben-Ami
of the authority told a news conference near the excavation site. Ben-
Ami believes the structure may have been a section of a palace
belonging to Queen Helena of Mesopotamia, who converted to Judaism in
the first century AD, and left behind her kingdom in modern-day Iraq
to settle in Jerusalem.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uxvz
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/
archaeologists.say.dig.reshapes.roman.jerusalem/15257.htm

Oldest dam built by Pharaohs to protect Karnak discovered
State Information Service [Egypt], December 09, 2007

An archeological teamwork discovered the oldest dam built by the
Ancient Egyptians (Pharaohs) to protect the Karnak temple against the
danger of flood as well as a Ptolemic bath dates back to the First
Century and many clay pots and hundreds of coins. Dr. Zahi Hawas,
Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said that a
part of the big sandstone dam was discovered on the depth of 2.5m
with a length of 36.5m and height of 4.5m. A number of houses and
workshops were also discovered thus indicating the human settlement
in the location.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uzuo
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000896.htm

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Stonehenge road and tunnel plans scrapped
The Independent [UK], 07 December 2007

Fears for the future of rare wildlife surrounding Stonehenge were
eased yesterday after the Government ruled out a £540m tunnel under
the ancient monument as well as alternative plans to build a new road
on the site. There were fears that abandoning the 2.1km tunnel on
grounds of cost would lead to a bypass being built across the
Wiltshire plains to ease congestion. Among the birds said to have
been at risk from such a move was the rare stone curlew. Announcing
it was dropping the Stonehenge project, the Department for Transport
said yesterday that "significant environmental constraints" meant
there were no acceptable alternatives to the tunnel, which was
recommended by public inquiry in 2004. A new road-building project
would have jeopardised the habitat of the stone curlew, for which
Wiltshire's chalk grassland is one of only two main UK breeding sites
for the bird. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said more
than 20 other bird species, butterflies and rare plants would have
been harmed by building a road above ground.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article3231222.ece

#====================#

Features:

Roman ruins cast new light on a trip to doctor
The Telegraph [UK], 09/12/2007

An ancient doctor's surgery unearthed by Italian archaeologists has
cast new light on what a trip to the doctor would have been like in
Roman times. Far from crude, the medical implements discovered show
that doctors, their surgeries and the ailments they treated have
changed surprisingly little in 1,800 years. Sore joints were common,
patients were often told to change their diets, and the good doctor
of the seaside town of Rimini even performed house calls.
Archaeologists have spent the past 17 years at the Domus del Chirurgo
- House of the Surgeon - painstakingly excavating the site and
compiling the world's most detailed portrait of medical treatment in
Roman times. Their discoveries go on public display for the first
time on Tuesday. "This is the largest find of surgical instruments
anywhere," said Dr Ralph Jackson, the curator of the Romano-British
collection at the British Museum and an expert in ancient medicine.
Among the 150 different implements is a rare iron tool used to
extract arrowheads from wounds, which suggests the doctor had
experience as a military surgeon. Among the other items uncovered are
scalpels, scales, mortars and vases used for the preparation and
conservation of medicines.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uzuw
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/09/
wroman109.xml

Roman barge under Cologne to reveal shipping history
The Earth Times [USA], 09 Dec 2007

Excited archaeologists are raising part of a Roman barge that sank
near the wharf nearly 2,000 years ago in the German riverside city of
Cologne. Cologne, which derives its modern name from the town's Latin
name, Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, is full of Roman remains
including a largely intact aqueduct. But the oaken boat, found 12
metres below the surface during excavations a few days ago for an
underground mass-transit line, is something special, offering
scientists a new window into life in this cold northern Roman
province. A piece of the vessel's flat bottom, about 8 square metres
in size, with huge iron nails poking out of it, is still in the mud
between modern building machinery and materials. "We archaeologists
are sparing with the word 'sensational'," said the city's top
official for subsurface history, Gerd Hellenkemper, as he showed it
to the media. "Let's just say everyone wants to know more about this.
There's a genuine possibility this could turn out to be the oldest
Roman transport vessel left in central Europe. It's an exciting find
that will tell us a lot about the history of boatbuilding and
transport."
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/155522.html

Rethinking Byzantine-era Judaism
Haaretz [Israel], 04/12/2007

A row of artisans and laborers - one with a saw in his hand, another
with a chisel, and others with various sized hammers - are depicted
on the mosaic floor recently uncovered in a Roman- or Byzantine-era
synagogue at Khirbet Wadi Hamam, on Mount Nitai in the Lower Galilee.
The workers appear next to a very large building, which they seem to
be constructing. Because the image appears on the synagogue floor,
the researchers have assumed it depicts the construction of an
important Biblical structure. Is it the Temple, Noah's Ark, the Tower
of Babel, or some other well-known work? Dr. Uzi Leibner of the
Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology and Scholion
Interdisciplinary Research Center in Jewish Studies, who is leading
the excavation, has no clear answer at this stage. What is clear is
that the mosaic, constructed from very small stones - whose sides
measure about four millimeters each - is unique. No such scenes have
been found in other ancient synagogues or structures in Israel from
that period. But which period exactly are we referring to - the Roman
or the Byzantine? The dig at the synagogue is being carried out to
answer that question.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/930817.html

Archaeologists excavate shell mound site in Guangxi
China.org [China Internet Information Center], December 5, 2007

Since October this year, Chinese archaeologists have been busy
excavating a Neolithic shell mound site in city Chongzuo of the
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China. To date,
archaeologists have unearthed numerous pieces of stone, bone and
mussel implements, ornamental items and the remains of plants and
animals in over 10 pre-historic tombs located 1.6 meters under the
ground. Furthermore, they found a well preserved human being skeleton
at the excavation site. Experts presume that the site belongs to the
middle or late Neolithic era, about 6,000 years ago.
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/234465.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Mystery over ceramic head finds
BBC, 3 December 2007

Archaeologists are trying to solve the riddle of three mysterious
ceramic heads that have been uncovered in Edinburgh and
Dumfriesshire. A bodiless male head was found after St Margaret's
Loch in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, was partially drained. A smaller
female head was later discovered on grassland in the nearby Spring
gardens. A third disembodied head said to resemble The Scream
painting by Edvard Munch was then found near Dumfries. The ceramic
head with bulging eyes and a scar was found on the river bank close
to the New Abbey Corn Mill. An initial examination suggested it may
have belonged to a puppet or toy and could be up to 300 years old.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/
7125345.stm

£10m an inch - 3 1/4in carving of lioness roars into the record books
as Briton buys it for £29m
The Daily Mail [UK]7th December 2007

At a mere 3 1/4in tall, it could be taken for an insignificant
trinket. But, this ancient carving of a lioness smashed sale records
when it was bought by a British man for an astonishing £29million.
The price - the most ever paid at auction for a sculpture - means the
tiny artefact is worth nearly £10million an inch. It had been thought
it would fetch no more than £9million. But fierce competition for the
5,000-year- old Mesopotamian figure came from five bidders, three on
phones and two in the main hall of Sotheby's New York saleroom. The
winner, who was standing at the back, did not enter the bidding until
it reached nearly £14million. After the sale, the man confirmed he
was English, but declined to give his name.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uxw7
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?
in_article_id=500363&in_page_id=1770

Pyramid coin launches on island
BBC, 6 December 2007

A triangular "pyramid" coin, created to mark the new Tutankhamun
exhibition in London, is to be legal tender in the Isle of Man. The
three-sided coin shows some of the artefacts found in the pharaoh's
tomb in the Valley of the Kings by English archaeologist Howard
Carter in 1922. The bronze coins are being produced by Pobjoy Mint in
Kingswood, Surrey. They will be launched on the Isle of Man, where Mr
Carter's great nephew is now a well-known resident.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/isle_of_man/7130235.stm

#====================#

Seasonal Fare:

Blue Santa figurine reveals German immigrants' Christmas dreams
Plain Dealer [USA], December 08, 2007

   He wears a long blue robe and a gentle smile and symbolizes an
endearing old guy who was the center of Christmas dreams for Akron's
German immigrants in the 1890s. The gentleman is a 117-year-old Blue
Santa figurine unearthed in Akron several years ago. Within this
ceramic figurine, which stands only three-and-a-half inches tall,
lies the story of how German immigrants brought many of today's
Christmas traditions to Northeast Ohio. "We've been unable to find
any Santa figurines that predate the 1890s," said Michael Cohill,
director of the American Toy Marble Museum in Akron. "After the turn
of the century, papier-maché figurines of Santa were imported from
Germany." Now, the museum and Elements Gallery in Peninsula are
selling replicas of the Blue Santa for the first time since its
discovery in rubble that was buried in 1904 on the site of a former
toy factory in downtown Akron. "The Germans brought Santa Claus to
Ohio," said Cohill. "The Blue Santa was more of a traditional Father
Christmas. It was their version of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas would
visit on St. Nicholas Day [Dec. 6] and put presents in shoes. These
traditions were blended into what we know as Christmas."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uzv4
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/
1197106836143840.xml&coll=2

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 02.12.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Biblical Wall May Have Been Located
The Guardian [UK], November 30, 2007

A wall mentioned in the Bible's Book of Nehemiah and long sought by
archaeologists apparently has been found, an Israeli archaeologist
says. A team of archaeologists discovered the wall in Jerusalem's
ancient City of David during a rescue attempt on a tower that was in
danger of collapse, said Eilat Mazar, head of the Institute of
Archaeology at the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem-based research and
educational institute, and leader of the dig. Artifacts including
pottery shards and arrowheads found under the tower suggested that
both the tower and the nearby wall are from the 5th century B.C., the
time of Nehemiah, Mazar said this week. Scholars previously thought
the wall dated to the Hasmonean period from about 142 B.C. to 37 B.C.
The findings suggest that the structure was actually part of the same
city wall the Bible says Nehemiah rebuilt, Mazar said. The Book of
Nehemiah gives a detailed description of construction of the walls,
destroyed earlier by the Babylonians.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7115624,00.html

Russian archaeologists find unique mummies in Egypt
Novosti [Russia], 27/ 11/ 2007

Russian archaeologists have found well-preserved mummies in Egypt
dating to the country's Ptolemaic era, the head of the Russian
Academy of Science's Egyptology department announced on Tuesday.
"Well-preserved mummies of this period are extremely rare," Galina
Belova said. The discoveries were made in the Egyptian oasis of Al-
Fayum, where several mummies, combining traits of Hellenic and
Egyptian traditions, have previously been found. Teams of Russian
archaeologists are currently carrying out excavations in Memphis, the
ancient capital of Egypt, in Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast,
and near Luxor in the country's south. "Burials from the Greco-Roman
period are laid at the depth of two meters or lower," Belova said,
adding that as a rule, coffins of the period are not decorated.
However, the Russian team found a 2,000-year-old family tomb
containing three well-preserved mummies from the Ptolemaic era. The
wooden coffins were ornamented with colored paintings and carved with
hieroglyphs, recounting the family's story.
http://en.rian.ru/culture/20071127/89857536.html

Remains of 4,000-year-old dam found in Upper Egypt
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-12-02

Remains of an ancient dam dating back some 4,000 years have been
discovered in Upper Egypt, local English daily The Egyptian Gazette
reported Sunday. Secretary-General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of
Antiquities Zahi Hawass said Saturday that the ancient dam was found
a few meters away from the Karnak Temple in Luxor, some 500 km south
of Cairo. The finding was made by an Egyptian-French archaeological
team, which has been working in Luxor since March, Hawass was quoted
as saying at a press conference. "The 230-meter long dam was built
during the age of the Middle Kingdom (of ancient Egypt) to protect
the temple from the Nile flood," said Hawass. The team had also
unearthed the relics of a Roman bath built in the first century AD
and a clay jar containing 316 coins from different historical periods.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/02/content_7185514.htm

Polish archaeologists have completed another season of excavations in
Saqqara
Science & Scholarship in Poland, 2007-11-28

About 20 burials, including a few fully preserved mummies, were
discovered by Polish archaeologists at a necropolis dating back to
the Ptolemaic dynasty in Saqqara (Eqypt) during the 13th excavation
season. Some of them have beautiful cartonnages – plaster cases which
are covered in religious paintings. “They are extremely valuable as
they confirm that there was a special ‘school’ of producing
cartonnages and decorating mummies in Saqqara” – said Prof. Karol
Mysliwiec, heading the excavations. The tombs were discovered under a
layer of sand at the site of the “upper necropolis” located on the
west side of the oldest pyramid in the world built for pharaoh
Djoser. The aim of the excavations was to find more materials to add
to the already existing ones for publication.
http://en.naukawpolsce.pl/palio/html.run

Syrians Discover Ancient Jar in Ruins
The Guardian [UK], December 1, 2007

Syrian archeologists have discovered an ancient glass jar containing
an infant's ashes at one of the Mideast's most famous archaeological
sites. The discovery of the 2nd century A.D. jar amid the ruins of
Palmyra was the first of its kind, shedding light on previously
unknown funeral practices common at the time, Khalil Hariri, a senior
Syrian archaeological official, told The Associated Press late
Friday. Archeologists unearthed the jar from a newly discovered
cemetery within Palmyra, said Hariri. The ashes inside the container,
which measured 9.5 inches in height and 7 inches in diameter,
revealed that the infant had been cremated, he added.  Hariri said
the mission discovered pottery, furniture and lamps in the cemetery,
as well as glass vials in which mourners put their tears. He could
not provide further details, pending studies on the new discoveries.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7119687,00.html

Olympic digs yield historic finds
BBC, 28 November 2007

Valuable archeological finds have been unearthed on two Olympics 2012
sites. Pottery from the 4th Century and a Roman coin were found on
the London stadium site and Iron Age activity found on the Aquatics
Centre site. The finds will form part of the Museum of London's
collection but digging activity will not delay building work, the
games' organisers say. Archeological work to date the items and place
them in historical context will now take place. The first Londoners
lived in thatched circular mud huts on the site that will house the
Aquatics Centre, but in the Iron Age would have been a small area of
dry land in a valley of lakes, rivers and marshes, archeologists
believe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7117040.stm

Clearance reveals Roman skeleton
The Daily Echo, 28th November 2007

THE skeleton of a man, which was uncovered in Wherwell, dates from
the Roman period. The remains were excavated by professional
archaeologists after it was revealed during routine clearance of
undergrowth. Those doing the work say they don't usually give the
individuals they find names, but because this one was found in the
grounds of the Home Guard club it might well become known as Mr
Mainwaring, after the famous bumbler portrayed by Arthur Lowe, in the
television series Dad's Army. Jacqueline McKinley, from Wessex
Archaeology, said: "The body is of a male aged probably between 35
and 45 and around 5ft 8ins tall. "Most people from those times died
of infectious diseases. There is a record of three graves being found
in this area when the railway line was constructed and it could be a
Christian burial."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ug4e
http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/hampshirenews/display.var.
1853199.0.clearance_reveals_roman_skeleton.php

Archaeological dig on blaze site reveals 'Cowgate palaces'
The Scotsman, 1 Dec 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS digging at the site of the fire that devastated part
of Edinburgh's Old Town have uncovered remains of buildings going
back to the 16th century. It is thought the homes may have belonged
to some of the city's wealthiest inhabitants. Fragments of pottery,
coins and pipes have been recovered from the site, where a major
archeological dig is going on before a hotel is built in the next few
years.  The area where fire struck in December 2002 was one of
Edinburgh's most fashionable quarters in the 16th and 17th centuries
- the so-called "palaces of the Cowgate". But by the mid-1800s it had
degenerated into a notorious slum.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1880652007

Remains of ancient city discovered in east China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-30

Chinese archaeologists said Thursday they have discovered the remains
of an ancient city in eastern Zhejiang Province, which could better
prove the long history of Chinese civilization. The relic was found
near Mojiao Mountain between Liangzhu and Pingyao townships in Yuhang
District of the provincial capital Hangzhou, said Bao Xianlun,
director of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau. Based on
the remains, experts estimate the ancient city covered an area of
about three square kilometers. There are still pieces of walls as
high as four meters at the site. The location of the ancient city
should have been carefully selected and it can be dated prior to the
late period of the Liangzhu culture (about 4,150 to 5,250 years ago),
according to Liu Bin, a research fellow with the bureau.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/30/content_7171298.htm

New Nam Giao altar discoveries in Thanh Hoa
Mathaba News, 2007/11/26

Recent excavation of the Ho dynasty’s Nam Giao altar relic in central
Thanh Hoa province’s Don Son mountain has uncovered the oldest altar
with an undamaged platform. The discovery was announced at a
workshop, held by the Institute of Archaeology and the Thanh Hoa
Culture and Information Department in Thanh Hoa province on November
24. Researchers said the excavated part of the vestige of the Tay Do
Nam Giao altar has a spectacular structure. They said the altar has
many platforms with its east, west and north sides surrounded by
stone walls and its South side leaning on a wall created by a range
of mountain. This special design has not been found in other altars
to date.
http://mathaba.net/news/?x=572228

ASI stumbles upon 1000-yr-old temples in Chandragiri fort
NewIndPress [India], November 27 2007

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stumbled upon a gold
mine of history. It has unearthed two ancient temples, believed to be
at least a thousand years old, on the premises of the Chandragiri
Fort 14 km from here. It followed it up with digging out not one or
two but 250 artistically sculpted granite pillars near Srinivasa
Mangapuram. The temples are understandably in a bad shape.
Nonetheless, are quite interesting given that one is a Vaishnava
temple and the other a Shivaite one. Though idols of the presiding
deities were missing in both, archaeologists were able to identify
their nature by studying the structures. Vaishnava temples are
structurally different from Shivaite temples. The ASI also found a
statue of Nandi near one temple. The other big find was near
Srinivasa Mangapuram. Sources in the ASI say 250 exquisitely carved
pillars, each at least 7 to 8 ft long and all laid out in an orderly
fashion, were excavated at the temple.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ug6s
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?
ID=IEA20071126230538&Page=A&Headline=ASI+stumbles+upon+1000-yr-old
+temples+in+Chandragiri+fort&Title=Southern+News+-+Andhra
+Pradesh&Topic=0

Finding 2,500-year-old bones
Columbus Dispatch, December 1, 2007

On the site beside the Scioto River, the archaeologists had found
fire pits dating to about 550 B.C., shards of pottery, even traces of
an ancient building. This week, Ryan Weller and his team found
something more: a human skeleton, buried on the riverbank by his or
her loved ones as long as 2,500 years ago. What's more, the skeleton
might have company. The archaeologists methodically scraping away the
centuries at the Columbus Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, 6977
S. High St., said yesterday that they have uncovered a prehistoric
burial site. Only one burial has been confirmed so far, with a
skeleton that appears to be largely intact, Weller said. Another spot
appears to be the remains of a cremated person, and clues in the soil
suggest that other people might have been buried nearby. "Possibly up
to nine," Weller said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uijr
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/
2007/12/01/BURIALFOLO.ART_ART_12-01-07_B1_NK8KVV6.html?sid=101

Gauguin’s teeth found in well
The Art Newspaper [UK], 29.11.07

An archaeological dig on the remote Marquesan island of Hiva Oa has
uncovered the secrets of the water well used by Paul Gauguin. The
buried objects range from a New Zealand beer bottle to four human
teeth. Gauguin lived in the village of Atuona from 1901 until his
death two years later. He built his own Maori-style hut, “la Maison
du Jouir” (house of pleasure), and dug a well just outside. The
Marquesans did not use wells, but springs, and after Gauguin died it
was filled with rubbish from his home. The results of the excavation
are revealed in the inaugural issue of Van Gogh Studies, an annual
scholarly review from Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, out this month.
Artistic materials found included three chunks of orange and ochre
minerals, still smelling of linseed oil, suggesting that Gauguin made
his own paint. A broken coconut shell with pigments was probably used
as a palette.
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=6984

Sick Rams Used as Ancient Bioweapons
Discovery News, Nov. 28, 2007

Infected rams and donkeys were the earliest bioweapons, according to
a new study which dates the use of biological warfare back more than
3,300 years. According to a review published in the Journal of
Medical Hypotheses, two ancient populations, the Arzawans and the
Hittites, engaged "in mutual use of contaminated animals" during the
1320-1318 B.C. Anatolian war. "The animals were carriers of
Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia," author
Siro Trevisanato, a molecular biologist based in Oakville, Ontario,
Canada told Discovery News. Also known as "rabbit fever," tularemia
is a devastating disease which even today can be fatal, if not
treated with antibiotics. Its symptoms range from skin ulcers,
swollen and painful lymph glands to pneumonia, fever, chills,
progressive weakness and respiratory failure.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/11/28/biological-warfare-rams.html

Gene study supports single main migration across Bering Strait
EurekAlert [AAAS], 26-Nov-2007

Did a relatively small number of people from Siberia who trekked
across a Bering Strait land bridge some 12,000 years ago give rise to
the native peoples of North and South America? Or did the ancestors
of today’s native peoples come from other parts of Asia or Polynesia,
arriving multiple times at several places on the two continents, by
sea as well as by land, in successive migrations that began as early
as 30,000 years ago? The questions – featured on magazine covers and
TV specials – have agitated anthropologists, archaeologists and
others for decades. University of Michigan scientists, working with
an international team of geneticists and anthropologists, have
produced new genetic evidence that’s likely to hearten proponents of
the land bridge theory. The study, published online in PLoS Genetics,
is one of the most comprehensive analyses so far among efforts to use
genetic data to shed light on the topic. The analysis shows:  genetic
diversity, as well as genetic similarity to the Siberian groups,
decreases the farther a native population is from the Bering Strait;
a unique genetic variant is widespread in Native Americans across
both American continents.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/uomh-gss112607.php

How our ancestors were like gorillas
EurekAlert [AAAS], 29-Nov-2007

Research published in this week’s Science journal shows that some of
our closest extinct relatives had more in common with gorillas than
previously thought. Dr Charles Lockwood, UCL Department of
Anthropology and lead author of the study, said: “When we examined
fossils from 1.5 to 2 million years ago we found that in one of our
close relatives the males continued to grow well into adulthood, just
as they do in gorillas. This resulted in a much bigger size
difference between males and females than we see today. “It’s common
knowledge that boys mature later than girls, but in humans the
difference is actually much less marked than in some other primates.
Male gorillas continue to grow long after their wisdom teeth have
come through, and they don't reach what is referred to as dominant
"silverback" status until many years after the females have already
started to have offspring. Our research makes us think that, in this
fossil species, one older male was probably dominant in a troop of
females. This situation was risky for the males and they suffered
high rates of predation as a result of both their social structure
and pattern of growth.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/ucl-hoa112707.php
See also National Geographic News:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071129-ancient-
harem.html

China to start excavation of horse-and-chariot burial
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-29

Chinese archaeologists will soon start excavations at the horse-and-
chariot chamber of a tomb dating back 2,300 to 2,400 years, more than
100 years older than the tomb containing the terracotta army.
"Excavation will start on the 131-meter-long horse-chariot sector of
the Xiongjiazhong Tomb before February, 2008," said Yan Pin, director
of the Archaeology Bureau of Jingzhou, central China's Hubei
Province, where the tomb is. The tomb is the largest and best
preserved yet found in China from the State of Chu in the Warring
States Period (475-221 BC). The excavation was formally launched in
August 2006 after three comprehensive surveys of the tomb made since
1979. "We have found more than 30 horse-and-chariot pits arrayed in a
row in the tomb. It is the largest of such finds from the Warring
States Period," said Yan. The excavation has been progressing scoop
by scoop, but the work has been assisted with state-of-the-art
mapping and computerized technology.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/29/content_7166001.htm

Chinese archaeologists prepare to open 2,200-year-old coffin
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-27

Chinese archaeologists are preparing to open a 2,200-year-old, well-
preserved coffin in central China's Hubei Province, which may contain
large amounts of silk fabrics. A detailed plan is being drawn up to
open the coffin, excavated in the Xiejiaqiao No. 1 Tomb dating back
to about 200 B.C. in Jingzhou City, said Yan Pin, director of
Jingzhou Cultural Heritage Bureau. The coffin was transported to a
storehouse in the Jingzhou City Museum where archaeologists will open
it on Thursday if everything goes well, Yan told Xinhua. Four layers
of delicate and well-designed silk cloth were found wrapped around
the 2.46-meter-long coffin when it was excavated. Yan said it was
rare to see such a well-preserved tomb in China.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/27/content_7156478.htm
See also China Central Television:
http://www.cctv.com/program/cultureexpress/20071130/103407.shtml

Historians hustle as flood threatens ancient town
RussiaToday, November 28, 2007

A large settlement dating back to the first century BC has been found
in the Russian republic of North Ossetia. But since the
archaeological site is in a valley next to a hydroplant under
construction, there's a race to unlock its secrets, before it's
flooded. Most of the 60 people working at the site in the Zaramag
Valley are amateurs with professionals guiding them. Every day they
antique jewellery, tools, weapons and crockery that once belonged to
the ancient tribe of Alans, the ancestors of modern Ossetians. But in
just a few weeks time, the whole valley will be flooded. It will
become a reservoir for Zaramag hydroplant.
http://www.russiatoday.ru/features/news/17659

The lost artifacts
The Jakarta Post, December 02, 2007

Oscar-winning director Stephen Spielberg could have the next Indiana
Jones movie revolve around the archaeologist's hunt for Indonesian
artifacts missing from the country's museums. Indonesia is home to
thousands of precious statues dating back more than 10 centuries to
Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms, but following the arrests of a museum
curator and employee in the Central Java town of Surakarta for the
theft of ancient statues, nobody knows for sure how many, or few, are
left. That a businessman has been linked to the theft further
suggests that dozens or perhaps hundreds of pieces of our national
heritage have been illegally sold to private individuals. An
investigation into the businessman, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who has
admitted to possessing the stolen items, should uncover how the
protected statues, property of the state, came to decorate his
residence, although he claims he retrieved the statues "to save"
national assets. It is looking more and more necessary to launch an
expanded probe to trace international and national networks involved
in the illegal trade in these statues.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uijy
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?
fileid=20071201.E01&irec=0

Ancient Roman road map unveiled
BBC, 26 November 2007

The Tabula Peutingeriana is one of the Austrian National Library's
greatest treasures. The parchment scroll, made in the Middle Ages, is
the only surviving copy of a road map from the late Roman Empire. The
document, which is almost seven metres long, shows the network of
main Roman roads from Spain to India. It is normally never shown to
the public. The parchment is extremely fragile, and reacts badly to
daylight. But it has been on display for one day to celebrate its
inclusion in Unesco's Memory of the World Register.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7113810.stm

#====================#

More on:

Is Italy's Spectacular Find Authentic?
Der Spiegel [Germany], November 29, 2007

Italy has been rocked by soccer violence, the government is divided
and the economy is sluggish. Now archaeologists have entered the
scene to save the country's national pride. On a hill in the center
of the nation's capital, they have allegedly found the sacred cave of
the founders of Rome. It almost seemed as if the bold media
declaration made a week ago Tuesday was meant to make up for an
earlier setback. Until recently, scholars believed that the famous
sculpture housed in the Capitoline Museums, and portraying Romulus
and Remus suckling under the wolf, was a masterpiece from the days of
antiquity. New metallurgical analyses have revealed, however, that
the statue is in fact a forgery from the Middle Ages. This
development has left many history-conscious Italians feeling
disappointed. Things are generally not going too well in Italy. The
mafia refuses to let up. After police shot a fan in mid-November,
there has been no end to the unrest in soccer stadiums. What's more,
when a Romanian man killed a naval officer's wife, a wave of racism
rippled across the country. So the headlines of the famous lupine
cave emerge as a glimmer of hope -- at least on the horizon to a
golden past. But even this archaeological sensation could lead to
another sobering setback. Most authorities of ancient Roman history
have serious doubts about the brash declarations.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,520440,00.html

Four adults found on Roman site
Wiltshire Times [UK], 27th November 2007

THE developer that owns the land in Staverton where Roman remains
were discovered has revealed more details about the artefacts.
Persimmon Homes says the discoveries will not affect its plan to
build around 100 houses on the site, despite the finds indicating a
wider Roman settlement. The excavation, which involved around 20
archaeologists on site, started on October 1 and finished on November
23. Cotswold Archaeology is cleaning and analysing the artefacts.
Once all the post-excavation work is finished, they will be handed
over to Trowbridge Museum. Gary Male, technical director for
Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: "Full post-excavation analysis has not
yet commenced so all findings are provisional at this stage.
"However, we believe the remains of four adults have been discovered
at the site which we understand date back to the Late Roman period
(3rd to 4th centuries AD).
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ug43
http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/trowbridgenews/display.var.
1860862.0.four_adults_found_on_roman_site.php

Gospel Truth
The New York Times, December 1, 2007

AMID much publicity last year, the National Geographic Society
announced that a lost 3rd-century religious text had been found, the
Gospel of Judas Iscariot. The shocker: Judas didn’t betray Jesus.
Instead, Jesus asked Judas, his most trusted and beloved disciple, to
hand him over to be killed. Judas’s reward? Ascent to heaven and
exaltation above the other disciples. It was a great story.
Unfortunately, after re-translating the society’s transcription of
the Coptic text, I have found that the actual meaning is vastly
different. While National Geographic’s translation supported the
provocative interpretation of Judas as a hero, a more careful reading
makes clear that Judas is not only no hero, he is a demon. Several of
the translation choices made by the society’s scholars fall well
outside the commonly accepted practices in the field. For example, in
one instance the National Geographic transcription refers to Judas as
a “daimon,” which the society’s experts have translated as “spirit.”
Actually, the universally accepted word for “spirit” is “pneuma ” —
in Gnostic literature “daimon” is always taken to mean “demon.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/opinion/01deconink.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Court dismisses Getty curator case
CNN, November 27, 2007

A Greek court on Tuesday dismissed criminal charges against a former
curator of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles accused of
illegally obtaining a golden ancient wreath.  A three-judge panel
ruled that the statue of limitations for criminal charges against
Marion True, 59, have expired. True, who denies any wrongdoing, is
accused of illegally obtaining a fourth century B.C. funerary wreath
allegedly unearthed at an illegal dig in northern Greece.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/27/getty.court.ap/index.html

Grim warnings
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 29 November - 5 December

On 14 November this year, a meeting of the International Coordination
Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq ended
in Paris with a grim warning about the challenges still facing Iraq's
heritage. At the meeting, organised by UNESCO, the United Nations
agency responsible for education, science and culture, it was
reported that more than 4,000 Iraqi antiquities had been seized
between 2004 and 2007, most of them on the Iraqi-Jordanian border,
with other objects seized elsewhere in the region. In Italy, 86 clay
tablets bearing cuneiform writing had been seized, with a further 21
tablets and other items seized in Spain. The illicit excavation,
theft and export of antiquities from Iraq was a problem even before
the 2003 invasion, as the impoverishment of the Iraqi population
during the decade-long sanctions imposed on the country after the
1991 Gulf War had exacerbated attacks on archaeological sites. Since
the war, however, the situation has worsened despite the passage of
UN resolution 1483 in 2003 banning international trade in Iraqi
antiquities, and the Paris meeting ended with an appeal to the
international community to step up its vigilance in this regard.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/873/cu1.htm

Power struggle to control ancient bones
Associated Press, Dec 1 2007

cientists hoping to study the ancient skeleton known as Kennewick Man
are protesting efforts that they say could block them from examining
one of the oldest and most complete set of bones ever found in North
America. For the third time in four years, the scientists oppose a
Senate bill that would allow federally recognized tribes to claim
ancient remains even if they can't prove a link to a current tribe.
They also are contesting draft regulations issued by the Bush
administration on disposal of culturally unaffiliated remains. Both
measures could end up with the same result, scientists say:
preventing an improved understanding of North American history and
the role of the continent's first inhabitants.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071201/ap_on_go_co/kennewick_man_4

#====================#

Features:

Archaeologists Explore Wreck Off Fla.
Associated Press, Nov 26, 2007

When Matthew Kuehne dives to the sandy bottom of Pensacola Bay, he
reaches back 450 years to Spaniard Don Tristan de Luna's hurricane-
doomed effort to form the first colony in the present-day United
States. Archaeologists say the buried hull of a ship from de Luna's
fleet of 11 ships holds crucial clues to the 1559 expedition, which
sailed from Mexico to Florida's Panhandle. The ship's discovery was
announced in October after lead sheeting and pottery from the wreck
site were matched to the de Luna expedition. Another ship in the
fleet was found nearby in 1992. Kuehne, a University of West Florida
archaeology student, has retrieved some ship artifacts from a barge
anchored in the Gulf of Mexico about a half-mile off the coast. He
imagines what de Luna and his men would think of his modern-day
exploration. "I don't know if they would be honored that we are out
here digging up their stuff or if they would be embarrassed that
their technology, their efforts at colonization, failed," he said.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jemocMeJvmOKfxE8_Di90C47De5wD8T5U3480

No calculators, just a brush and papyrus
The Signal [USA], 11/28/07

David Reimer, associate professor of mathematics and statistics,
presented "The Strange Math of the Egyptians" at the College on Nov
14. The lecture focused on re-evaluating how modern mathematicians
view ancient Egyptian mathematics. Reimer, who is currently writing
his own textbook, has studied the history of math going back to
simple calculations by cavemen, but ancient Egypt "is really a
favorite subject," he said. "I maintain that Egyptian math is faster
than our math," Reimer argued. "I can perform Egyptian math nearly
twice as fast at my best."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ug2w
http://media.www.signal-online.net/media/storage/paper771/news/
2007/11/28/News/No.Calculators.Just.A.Brush.And.Papyrus-3117362.shtml

Rich shipwreck mired in legal tangle
The Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2007

For nearly 300 years, the wreck of the Spanish galleon San Jose has
tantalized archaeologists and salvagers alike. When it sank in 800-
foot-deep waters off this fortified Spanish colonial city, it was
carrying gold, silver and precious jewels that a group of treasure
hunters believes are now worth $2 billion. But a quarter of a century
after the U.S. group, which originally included a Hollywood actor, a
professional golfer and a convicted Watergate felon, staked its
claim, exploration and retrieval of the wreck seem as distant as the
sinking sun at dusk over this historic walled city. The stalemate
over the claim by Seattle-based Sea Search Armada is partly the
result of sweeping changes in international marine law and judicial
interpretations during the last two decades that have made business
more difficult for shipwreck salvagers. Colombia is loath to give a
private foreign group access to a valuable historical site, though
exploration permits it issued nearly 30 years ago seemed to do just
that.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uik1
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-
shipwreck2dec02,0,820122.story?coll=la-home-world

#====================#

Miscellany:

Decoding the Achamenidae Inscription of Khaark
CHN [Iran], 27 November 2007

Rasool Bashash, scientific group member of linguistic research center
decoded the discovered inscription of Achamenidae. The mentioned
inscription was accidentally discovered last month by a group of
students.  According to the news, students reported their discovery
to the CHTO of Booshehr province. “I introduced cheer and comfort to
this barren land” this statement is part of the translated
inscription. In this inscription, the name of “Behneh” has been
mentioned, who is believed to be the name of local ruler of that area
who has advised prosperity of that land.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7393

Rare urn has a twin
Yorkshire Evening Post [UK], 29 November 2007

BUTCHER Michael Dearden did a double-take when he picked up his copy
of the Yorkshire Evening Post and read a story about a 4,000 year-old
urn. It t-urns out that the relic, unearthed by archaeologists in
Dewsbury, looks just like one he found while out walking. Mr Dearden,
56, from Micklefield, Leeds, who runs F Dring Ltd butchers in
Kirkgate Market, came across the odd pot in January as he walked near
Sandsend, Whitby, with wife Cathie, 54. Mr Dearden said: "In January
we had a trip to Sandsend. It's all countryside out there and as we
came round one bit, there was a dry stone wall and the urn was just
placed on top of it. Someone must have put it there. "I suspected it
was old but I did not realise just how old it was until I saw the
article in the Yorkshire Evening Post. I couldn't believe it. I
looked at the story and then at my urn and thought, it's the self-
same thing." Mr Dearden said he had no idea how his urn had come to
be on top of a stone wall.
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Rare-urn-has-a-twin.
3534197.jp

Ancient "mummies" in Indiana
NewsLink Indiana, November 29, 2007

As of this Thursday, there are currently three "mummies" in Indiana,
two of which are in Richmond. One of them rests at the Wayne County
Historical Museum. The building itself dates back to 1865 and was
founded by Julia Meek Gaar. Gaar was a world traveler from one of the
oldest and wealthiest families in Richmond. She was always especially
interested in collecting ancient items from around the world.
Executive Director of the Wayne County Historical Museum says Gaar
bought the mummy in 1929. She had it shipped to Richmond and it
arrived here in January 1930. But it took 11 years to cut through the
red tape to get it released by the Egyptian government. “And the
story is that back in the Victorian times the late 1800s a lot of
tourists did buy mummies and they shipped them back as really
souvenirs. The Egyptian government decided they wanted to bring that
to a halt. And so they stopped letting the mummies leave Egypt in
1929,” says Harlan. The second mummy in Richmond is at the Joseph
Moore Museum of Natural History at Earlham College.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ug5n
http://www.newslinkindiana.com/index.php?
src=news&refno=1224&category=Headlines

WWII army bag is found in desert
Kazinform [Kazakhstan], 30.11.2007

A bag belonging to a World War II soldier from Lancashire has been
discovered in the Egyptian desert after lying there for more than 60
years. Alec Ross, from Burnley, lost the bag containing personal
letters and photos, while serving with the 8th Army. Egyptian tour
guide Kahled Makram found the bag in the Sahara desert and traced Mr
Ross's family through a BBC website on World War II. The bag is being
sent to Burnley to Mrs Ross's sister, Irene Porter. Mr Ross, who
settled in Whaddon, Buckinghamshire, after the war and died three
years ago at the age of 87, was a despatch rider in the Long Range
Desert Group.
http://www.inform.kz/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=157915

Filming starts in bath on the drama that makes old bones look sexy
The Bath Chronicle [UK], 29 November 2007

A Bbc drama that aims to make archaeology sexy has begun filming in
Bath.Bonekickers, starring Notting Hill actor Hugh Bonneville, will
fuse dramatic storylines with archaeologists acting as sleuths to
reveal Bath's hidden past and solve mysteries along the way. The
drama has been written by Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah, who
created the hit series Life On Mars, and Michele Buck and Damien
Timmer, of Mammoth Screen. Mr Pharoah lives in Bath and has used his
local knowledge for the series of six one-hour episodes. Viewers will
see the team of archaeologists - based in a fictional department at
the University of Bath- investigating the murder of 18th-century
slaves and searching to discover the location of the True Cross.
Filming will continue in and around Bath until March at locations
including the Assembly Rooms and the University of Bath.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ug3k
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=163530&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163526&contentPK=1910326
1&folderPk=89097&pNodeId=163517

#====================#

Curiosa:

'Spooky' face on skin-bound book
BBC, 27 November 2007

A "spooky" image of a priest executed for treason over the Gunpowder
Plot has appeared on a 17th century book thought to be bound in his
skin, it is claimed. Auctioneers said the face of Father Henry Garnet
could be seen peering from the cover of the "rare and macabre" book
about the Jesuit priest's death. The item will go under the hammer at
Wilkinson's Auctioneers in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on Sunday.
Garnet, was hanged in May 1606 for his involvement in the Gunpowder
Plot. Sid Wilkinson, from Wilkinson's Auctioneers, said: "It's a
little bit spooky because the front of the book looks like it has the
face of a man on it, which is presumed to be the victim's face."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/south_yorkshire/7115174.stm

Footprints seen around Mt.Everest stoke Yeti mystery
Reuters, Nov 30, 2007

A U.S.-based television channel investigating the existence of the
legendary Yeti in Nepal has found footprints similar to those said to
be that of the abominable snowman, the company said on Friday. A team
of nine producers from Destination Truth, armed with infrared
cameras, spent a week in the icy Khumbu region where Mount Everest is
located and found the footprints on the bank of Manju river at a
height of 2,850 meters (9,350 feet). One of the three footprints
discovered on Wednesday is about one foot long, or is of similar size
and appearance as shown in sketches of the mystical ape-like creature
believed to live in snowy caves, the TV company said. "It is very
very similar," Josh Gates, host of the weekly travel adventure
television series, told Reuters in Kathmandu after returning from the
mountain. "I don't believe it to be (that of) a bear. It is something
of a mystery for us," said Gates, 30, an archaeologist by training.
http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSDEL830620071130

#====================#

Seasonal Fare:

America's first Christmas was right here
Tallahassee Democrat [USA], December 1, 2007

Long before present-day traditions of stockings, decorated trees,
Christmas cards and Jingle Bell Runs, the first Christmas in America
was celebrated in our own backyard. Spanish adventurer Hernando
DeSoto and his conquering crew set up camp in present day Tallahassee
during the winter of 1539-40. Historians disagreed for decades as to
the location of America's first Christmas, but Calvin Jones, the late
state of Florida archaeologist, cooled the debate in March 1987 when
he discovered artifacts confirming the DeSoto camp. Among the
evidence were coins dating between 1505 and 1517. According to Jones,
“(The coins) are the next best thing to a signature.” The Christmas
celebration in 1539 was probably a simple ceremony with a high Mass
sung in Latin by priests who accompanied DeSoto.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1uijv
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071201/
OPINION05/712010306/1006/OPINION

Hanukkah’s a holiday, but it’s no holy day
Lebanon Daily News [USA], December 2, 2007

   For Jewish residents of Lebanon County, Hanukkah doesn’t begin to
compare to Christmas. In fact, Rabbi Paula Reimers of Congregation
Beth Israel equates Hanukkah, a minor Jewish holiday that begins
Tuesday, to the Fourth of July. “It’s a celebration of a military
victory,” she explained. “It’s really understood as a struggle for
independence.” The only similarity between the Jewish and Christian
holidays is their location on the calendar: They fall only weeks
apart. “Hanukkah has become associated with Christmas for the sole
reason that it comes the same time of year,” the rabbi said. The
holiday also commemorates “the miracle of the container of oil,”
Reimers said. “At the rededication following the victory of the
Maccabees (leaders of the Jewish revolt) over the Seleucid Empire
(the Greeks), there was only enough oil to fuel the flame in the
Temple for one day,” the rabbi said. “A miracle occurred, though, and
the oil burned for eight days.”
http://www.ldnews.com/news/ci_7612392

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 25.11.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

'Mythical Roman cave' unearthed
BBC, 20 November 2007

Italian archaeologists say they have found the long-lost underground
grotto where ancient Romans believed a female wolf suckled the city's
twin founders. The cave believed to be the Lupercal was found near
the ruins of Emperor Augustus' palace on the Palatine hill. The 8m
(26ft) high cave decorated with shells, mosaics and marble was found
during restoration work on the palace. According to mythology Romulus
and Remus were nursed by a she-wolf after being left on the River
Tiber's banks. Presenting the discovery, Italian Culture Minister
Francesco Rutelli said archaeologists were "reasonably certain" that
the newly unearthed cave could be the Lupercal. "This could
reasonably be the place bearing witness to the myth of Rome, one of
the most well-known cities in the world - the legendary cave where
the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, saving them from death," he
said. "Italy and Rome never cease to astonish the world with
continual archaeological and artistic discoveries, and it is
incredible to think that we have finally found a mythical site which,
by our doing so, has become a real place."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7104330.stm
See also:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7107071.stm


Italian expert sceptical of sacred Roman cave
Reuters, Nov 23, 2007

A leading Italian archaeologist said Friday that the grotto whose
discovery was announced this week in Rome is not the sacred cave
linked to the myth of the city's foundation by Romulus and Remus. The
Culture Ministry and experts who presented the find said they were
"reasonably certain" the cavern is the Lupercale -- a sanctuary
worshipped for centuries by Romans because, according to legend, a
wolf nursed the twin brothers there. But Adriano La Regina, Rome's
superintendent of archaeology from 1976 to 2004, said ancient
descriptions of the place suggest the Lupercale is elsewhere -- 50 to
70 metres northwest of the cave discovered near Emperor Augustus'
palace. "I am positive this is not the Lupercale," La Regina told
Reuters in an interview. Instead, he believes the cave -- which
ministry pictures show is decorated with well-preserved seashells and
coloured mosaics -- was a room in Nero's first palace on the Palatine
Hill, which burnt down in 64 AD in the great fire of Rome.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKN2331072520071123?
rpc=401&

Remains of ancient synagogue with unique mosaic floor found in Galilee
EurekAlert [AAAS], 21-Nov-2007

Remains of an ancient synagogue from the Roman-Byzantine era have
been revealed in excavations carried out in the Arbel National Park
in the Galilee under the auspices of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem. The excavations, in the Khirbet Wadi Hamam, were led by
Dr. Uzi Leibner of the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology
and Scholion – Interdisciplinary Research Center in Jewish Studies.
Dr. Leibner said that the synagogue’s design is a good example of the
eastern Roman architectural tradition. A unique feature of the
synagogue is the design of its mosaic floor, he said. The synagogue
ruins are located at the foot of the Mt. Nitai cliffs overlooking the
Sea of Galilee, amidst the remains of a large Jewish village from the
Roman-Byzantine period. The first season of excavations there have
revealed the northern part of the synagogue, with two rows of benches
along the walls. The building is constructed of basalt and chalk
stone and made use of elements from an earlier structure on the site.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/thuo-roa112107.php

German archaeologists discover royal sarcophagus
State Information Service [Egypt], November 22, 2007

The German archeological mission in Egypt has discovered a
sarcophagus dating back to the 13th royal dynasty, Secretary General
of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawwas has announced. The
sarcophagus, which was uncovered at Abul Naga district in western
Luxor, is decorated by picturesque paintings and cravings, he added.
"It also carries inscriptions showing the process of building the
pyramids," he said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1u4el
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000879.htm

Tamil Brahmi script in Egypt
The Hindu [India], Nov 21, 2007

A broken storage jar with inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi script has
been excavated at Quseir-al-Qadim, an ancient port with a Roman
settlement on the Red Sea coast of Egypt. This Tamil Brahmi script
has been dated to first century B.C. One expert described this as an
“exciting discovery.” The same inscription is incised twice on the
opposite sides of the jar. The inscription reads paanai oRi, that is,
pot (suspended) in a rope net. An archaeological team belonging to
the University of Southampton in the U.K., comprising Prof. D.
Peacock and Dr. L. Blue, who recently re-opened excavations at Quseir-
al-Qadim in Egypt, discovered a fragmentary pottery vessel with
inscriptions. Dr. Roberta Tomber, a pottery specialist at the British
Museum, London, identified the fragmentary vessel as a storage jar
made in India. According to Iravatham Mahadevan, a specialist in
Tamil epigraphy, the inscription is quite legible and reads: paanai
oRi, that is, ‘pot (suspended in) a rope net.’ The Tamil word uRi,
which means rope network to suspend pots has the cognate oRi in
Parji, a central Dravidian language, Mr. Mahadevan said. Still
nearer, Kannada has oTTi, probably from an earlier oRRi with the same
meaning.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/21/stories/2007112158412400.htm

Archaeologist Unearths Ancient Pagan Necropolis In Syria
All Headline News [USA], November 20, 2007

Syrians have unearthed a 2nd century necropolis in the central town
of Palymera. The find, along with statues and several skeletons is
reveals how the early tribes of Arabia may have lived. The
inscriptions on a 75 centimeter (30 inch) by 60 centimeter (24 inch)
sculptured panel discovered at the site, revealed that the cemetery
most likely belonged to a wealthy pagan family and showed two people
from the ancient town. "The first, named Mallay, is wearing a
military uniform and has a sword in his belt which he is holding by
the hilt. The second, called Yadeh Bel, is wearing traditional
Palmyran clothes," Archaeologist mission leader Khalil Hariri said.
Also on the tablet is the image of a camel carrying a tent and being
led by a child. Assaad believes the people would have likely been
"traders on the silk road."
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009222635

Archaeologists find unique Virgin Mary statuette
Prague Daily Monitor [Czech Republic], 21 November 2007

Czech archaeologists have uncovered a unique eight-cm-long ceramic
statuette of Virgin Mary with Jesus from the late 14th century in the
centre of Usti nad Labem, Marta Cvrkova, head of the archaeological
research, told CTK Tuesday. She added that similar finds are very
rare in the Czech Republic. The elaborated artifact, which was
probably part of a family alter-piece, is only slightly damaged. The
faces of Virgin Mary and Jesus may have suffered damage during the
Hussite Wars in the 15th century when Usti was destroyed, as Hussites
used to damage statues during their invasions, Cvrkova added. The
team of archaeologists has been exploring the surroundings of the
local church with the most leaning tower in central Europe, for a
couple of months. The research, the costs of which are put at some 15
million crowns, is to continue till the end of January.
http://www.praguemonitor.com/en/217/czech_national_news/14910/

Five New Words Added to Vocabulary of Ancient Persia
CHN [Iran], 19 November 2007

By decoding the inscription discovered in Kharg Island located in
Persian Gulf which is believed to have belonged to Achaemenid
dynastic era (550-330 BC), 5 new words have been added to list of
vocabulary of ancient Persian language. This is the first inscription
has been ever discovered in Karg Island and five of the six words
carved in this inscription, have never been seen before in any
Persian inscription. In a talk with CHN, Reza Moradi Ghias Abadi,
astronaut archeologist and expert of ancient languages, who have
succeeded to read the discovered inscription in Kharg Island through
the pictures which have been sent by local people, said that the
details and final result will be clarified by researches who will
attend the area to study the inscription.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7387

Papal seal found in northern Germany
The Earth Times [USA], 21 Nov 2007

A rare papal bull, made of lead and stamped by an antipope during a
12th century split in the Christian church, has been discovered at an
archaeological site in northern Germany. Historians said the item had
accompanied a document issued by Anacletus II, who held office from
1130 to 1138 but was only recognized by the states of Poland and
Sicily while the rest of the Christian kings supported Pope Innocence
II. Popes traditionally attached metal seals, or bulls, to their
documents to show they were genuine, and the decrees themselves later
came to be called papal bulls.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/145663.html

Half-tonne coffin and Roman skeleton discovered in North Yorkshire
24 Hour Museum [UK], 23/11/2007

A rare Roman lead coffin containing well-preserved remains has been
found near an ancient tribal settlement known as Isurium Brigantium,
in Aldborough, North Yorkshire. The unadorned 6ft (1.8m) casket, one
of only 300 of its kind in the whole country, was found in a chamber
only inches from the surface by a member of the public looking for
Roman artefacts with a metal detector. Experts from York
Archaeological Trust (YAT) and English Heritage have since opened the
partially crushed lid and are working on unravelling the secrets of
the skeleton. “Although no burial goods have been found, the chief
scientific treasures are the bones themselves,” said Ian Panter,
principal conservator with YAT.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART52125.html

Roman burial site uncovered
Wiltshire Times [UK], 23rd November 2007

A ROMAN burial ground has been discovered on land in Staverton near
Trowbridge. Over the past two months archaeologists have extracted
the remains of four Roman people from the ground. Some of the graves
contained two skeletons. They believe the field behind New Terrace is
on the edge of a Roman settlement dating back to about 55AD. Known
locally as Blacklands the field is a source of much superstition for
locals who have passed on folklore from generation to generation
about the ghosts that lurked beneath the soil. The remains are likely
to be the descendents of Roman peasants who farmed the land before
leaving the country in advance of the Anglo Saxon invasion from 410AD
onward.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1u4fg
http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/trowbridgenews/display.var.
1851300.0.roman_burial_site_uncovered.php

'Dramatic' ancient cemetery found
BBC, 20 November 2007

A freelance archaeologist has uncovered what is thought to be the
only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in the north of England.
Spectacular gold jewellery, weapons and clothing were found at the
109-grave cemetery, believed to date from the middle of the 7th
Century. Excavations were carried out after Steve Sherlock studied an
aerial photo of the land near Redcar, Teesside. Traditionally, Anglo-
Saxon royalty were buried in the south, say experts. The royals found
near Redcar could be linked to the Kentish Princess Ethelburga who
travelled north to marry Edwin, King of Northumbria.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tees/7104498.stm

Mystery of horse bones found in 17th century yorkshire lime kilns
24 Hour Museum [UK], 19/11/2007

When a Yorkshire archaeology group began excavating some 17th century
lime kilns in the Dales National Park, they expected to find remains
linked to the once important industry. Instead, they found a
mysterious collection of horse bones buried inside the kilns, which
had then been backfilled. Members of the Ingleborough Archaeology
Group are now looking for clues to the significance of the strange
burial. One theory is that the remains were ritually buried to ward
off evil before the kilns were abandoned. “These were not animals
that fell in or were thrown in,” said David Johnson, Chairman of the
archaeology group. “In two of the kilns, at Feizor and at Newby Core
near Clapham, we found nearly identical sets of bones – a skull, at
least one large leg bone, one shoulder bone and a couple of
vertebrae,” he went on. “And they had all been stacked in a pile very
neatly. One near Kilnsey just had a horse’s skull in it.” Accounts of
animals and other items being buried in the foundations of buildings
before their construction are known, but to be used in a closure
ritual before a structure is abandoned is not a familiar idea. David
believes the kiln burials are therefore quite unique.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART51988.html

Enthusiast unearths Iron Age comb
BBC, 22 November 2007

A 2,000-year-old Iron Age comb unearthed in Warwickshire is one of
nearly 60,000 archaeological finds made by members of the public in a
year. The comb, found in Tanworth-in-Arden by metal detector
enthusiast Russell Peach, was one of the most notable of the
antiquities unearthed in 2006. The copper-alloy comb was possibly
left there between 25AD and 75AD. Three-quarters of the finds were
unearthed using metal detectors; the rest were found by accident.
Details of the discoveries were contained in the Portable Antiquities
Scheme Annual Report, launched on Thursday at the British Museum.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1u4fv
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/
7108175.stm

1,800-year-old tombs found at construction site in Guangzhou
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-21

Ten tombs, some of which date back 1,800 years, have been discovered
during the construction of new apartment blocks just outside the
downtown area of Guangzhou, south China. Archaeologists excavated the
site and found half of the tombs were built in the Han Dynasty (206
BC-220 AD) or Tang Dynasty (618-907). Others are believed to belong
to the Jin (317-581), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing
(1644-1911) dynasties. All the tombs, covering an area of 1,000
square meters, had underground chambers either built from brick or
wood and mud. The archaeologists also unearthed 125 historical
artifacts, including pottery utensils, china, lacquer work, bronze
and jade ornaments, said Ma Jianguo, an expert with the institute.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/21/content_7121249.htm

Diggers sniff out ancient red wine
China Daily, 2007-11-20

Wine made some 2,400 years ago was found last Thursday in an ancient
tomb in Baishui County, Shaanxi Province. Local archaeologists said
they unearthed a sealed bronze pot containing 2 kg of red liquid
during an excavation of an ancient tomb built in the Warring States
Period (475 BC - 221 BC). Wafts of the ancient vintage greeted the
archaeologists after they opened the pot.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-11/20/content_6265920.htm

Huge Qing Dynasty murals discovered in NW China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-25

A huge set of murals dating from the Qing Dynasty was recently
discovered in a commerce and trade assembly hall in Ziyang County,
located in northwestern China's Shaanxi Province. The huge murals,
which span nearly 220 square meters in total, are well preserved.
According to experts, exquisite murals of this size are a very rare
find in China. The murals cover all the walls of the hall and used to
be protected by local residents in the 1970s with wooden boards.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/25/content_7141419.htm
See also China.org [China Internet Information Center]:
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/232940.htm

Search uncovers relics of historic 1861 battle
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/22/2007

Archaeologists picking through the wooded ridges east of Boonville,
Mo., have unearthed enough old bullets and buttons to map out parts
of the first battle of the Civil War in Missouri. The searchers used
sophisticated metal detectors to look for evidence of the battle on
June 17, 1861, in central Missouri between Union soldiers from St.
Louis and state militiamen allied with then-governor Claiborne
Jackson, who wanted Missouri to join the Confederacy. The Union
soldiers routed the militiamen in what the victors called the
"Boonville races." Boonville leaders and Missouri's Civil War
Heritage Foundation want to pinpoint the battle sites for historical
reference and to plan activities for the sesquicentennial of the
Civil War, coming up in 2011. Douglas Scott, a former National Park
Service historian whose work has appeared on the History Channel, led
the project which began on Nov. 8. Steve Dasovich, an archaeologist
for an engineering firm in St. Charles who has done similar projects
in Missouri, assisted Scott.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1u4gm
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/
story/052DF66C8CC4B0498625739B0008A0E4?OpenDocument

Bear hunting altered genetics more than Ice Age isolation
AlphaGalileo [UK],  23 November 2007

It was not the isolation of the Ice Age that determined the genetic
distribution of bears, as has long been thought. This is shown by an
international research team led from Uppsala University in Sweden in
the latest issue of Molecular Ecology. One possible interpretation is
that the hunting of bears by humans and human land use have been
crucial factors. Twenty thousand years ago Europe was covered by ice
down to Germany, and the climate in the rest of Europe was such that
several species were confined to the southern regions, like the
Iberian Peninsula and Italy. These regions were refuges, areas where
species could survive during cold periods and then re-colonize
central and northern Europe when it got warmer. But the brown bear
was not limited to these regions-it could roam freely across major
parts of southern and central Europe. The current study analyzed
mitochondria from bear remains. Some of the fossils are 20,000 years
old. The analysis shows that the genetic pattern in these ancient
brown bears differed from that of bears living today. "Previously
today’s genetic structure was interpreted as showing that the brown
bear was isolated in southern Europe, just like many other species.
But our study shows that this was not the case,” says Love Dalén, one
of the Swedes participating in the study.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1u4i1
http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?
fuseaction=readrelease&releaseid=525311&ez_search=1

Jade earrings open door on ancient trade
ABC News [Australia], 20 November 2007

Taiwan was at the centre of a one of the most extensive sea-based
trade networks in the prehistoric world, new research shows. The
network, which traded in Taiwanese jade, has been uncovered after
mineral analysis determined the source of jade used in two types of
earring. Lead researcher Hsiao-chun Hung, of the Australian National
University in Canberra, says since the 1930s archaeologists have
noticed two very specific styles of ancient jade earring common
across Southeast Asia. These are the three-pointed, so-called
lingling-o earring, and the double-headed animal ear pendant. Hung
says mineral analysis of a number of these has shown most are made
from Taiwanese jade. Her finding overturns the long-held theory that
the earrings originated in northern Vietnam and spread to the
Philippines and Taiwan.
http://abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/11/20/2095026.htm

Evidence shows cats living with Egyptians since 3700 B.C.
iTWire [Australia], 19 November 2007

   recent discovery of cat bones in a grave, which also contained
other animals, shows evidence that cats were first domesticated in
ancient Egypt around 5,700 years ago. Belgium researcher Veerle
Linseele, of the Center for Archaeological Sciences at Catholic
University of Leuven, Belgium, and fellow-colleagues found a cat
skeleton in a cemetery in Hierakonpolis. The ancient gravesite in
southern Egypt contained the remains of the cat species thought to be
Felis silvestris, also called the Wild Cat, the ancestor of the
domestic cat. It is a member of the family of cats called Felidae, a
hunter of small mammals, birds, and other such creatures.
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/15387/1075/

Desert art in danger at Egypt's new tourism frontier
Middle East Online [UK], 2007-11-22

   A rising tide of travellers seeking out the new frontier of
Egyptian tourism is threatening priceless rock art preserved for
millennia in one of the most-isolated reaches of the Sahara. In
Egypt's southwest corner, straddling the borders of Sudan and Libya,
the elegant paintings of prehistoric man and beast in the mountains
of Gilf Kabir and Jebel Ouenat are as stunning in their simplicity as
anything by Picasso. But lying 500 kilometres (330 miles) from the
nearest habitation, the desert offers little sanctuary for these
masterpieces and any effective protected designation first requires a
deal between the three sometimes quarrelsome nations. Not only the
rock art is at stake, but the region's entire cultural and natural
heritage. "You can't estimate the amount of damage done," says Dr
Rudolph Kuper, a German archaeologist involved in trying to protect
the art, mostly dating from when the desert was a receding prairie
5,000-7,000 years ago.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=23204

The great wall art of China: frescoes in peril
The Independent [UK], 24 November 2007

It is cold and dim in the cave at the edge of the Gobi desert, but
the grotto glows bright when a torch picks out the serene face of a
Buddha – once pink, now black – on a fresco painted 1,000 years ago
to offer comfort to travellers on the Silk Road. Nearby in this
astonishing network of hundreds of vividly illustrated grottoes is
the Library Cave, which was filled from floor to ceiling with ancient
manuscripts and paintings until, 100 years ago, a British
archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein persuaded the monks guarding the
artefacts to sell them and took them back to the British Museum.
There are more than 800 caves in the network, of which about 500 have
painted frescoes. For 1,600 years, these caves – at Dunhuang in
China's Gansu province – survived political upheaval, religious
fundamentalism, clumsy Western adventurers, corrupt Qing dynasty
officials, harsh treatment by White Russian soldiers and the unwanted
attentions of Mao's Red Guards. Now, however, there are fears that
the breath of millions of tourists, combined with the encroaching
Gobi desert, may be more than these paintings can bear. Wide-scale
plundering of the manuscripts has already meant these invaluable
documents are dispersed throughout many countries.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3191531.ece

#====================#

More on:

In search of wine, ancients become earliest chocoholics
Cornell Chronicle [USA], Nov. 14, 2007

The human love affair with chocolate is at least 3,000 years old --
and it began at least 500 years earlier than previously thought,
according to new analyses of pottery shards from the Ulúa Valley
region of northern Honduras. But the first people to appreciate the
cacao tree were probably after a buzz of another kind -- a fermented,
winelike drink, research shows -- and only later discovered the
chocolaty taste we love today. In research published in the Nov. 27
issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cornell
professor of anthropology John Henderson and colleagues found traces
of caffeine and theobromine, an alkaloid similar to caffeine but
specific to cacao, in 11 shards dated to 1100 B.C. The samples came
from excavations directed by Henderson and University of California-
Berkeley anthropology professor Rosemary Joyce at a site known as
Puerto Escondido.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov07/henderson.chocolate.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Reopening of looted museum signals a calmer Baghdad
The Times [UK], November 25, 2007

NEARLY five years after it was ransacked by hordes of looters in the
wake of Saddam Hussein’s overthrow, the Iraq museum in Baghdad is
about to open its doors again. The museum, famous for priceless
antiquities representing the world’s earliest civilisation, is
scheduled to open next month, according to its acting director, Amira
Emiran. Visits will be confined to just two galleries on the ground
floor containing Assyrian and Islamic treasures that are too large
and heavy to be easily removed. The remaining 16 galleries will
remain empty and closed and security will be tight. Nevertheless,
Iraqi and American officials are keen to portray the opening as a
sign that security in Baghdad has improved after the chaos of the
past few years. The decision was welcomed by Matthew Bogdanos, a
colonel in the US Marine Corps reserves, who investigated the theft
and destruction of thousands of artefacts from the museum and from
thousands of Iraq’s poorly protected historic sites where looting has
been conducted “on an industrial scale” since the war.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article2937102.ece

Amateurs Unravel Russia’s Last Royal Mystery
The New York Times, November 25, 2007

On the outskirts of this burly industrial center, off a road like any
other, on a nowhere scrap of land — here unfolded the final act of
one of the last century’s most momentous events. A short way through
a clearing, toward a cluster of birch trees, the killers deposited
their victims’ bodies, which had been mutilated, burned and doused
with acid to mask their origins. It would be 73 more years, in 1991,
before the remains would be reclaimed and the announcement would ring
out: the grave of the last Russian czar, Nicholas II, and his family
had been found. But the story does not end there. Eleven people were
said to have been killed that day in July 1918 on Lenin’s orders.
Just nine sets of remains were dug up here and then authenticated
using DNA. The remains of the czar’s son, Aleksei, and one daughter,
whose identity is still not absolutely clear, were missing. Did their
bones lie elsewhere, or could it actually be that they had escaped
execution, as rumor had it for so long? Only in the past few months
have these questions dating from the Russian revolution apparently
been resolved here, and only by a group of amateur sleuths who spent
their weekends plumbing the case. In fact, it appears that the clues
to what happened to the two children were always there, waiting to be
found. All that was needed was to listen closely to the boastful
voices of the killers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/world/europe/25czar.html

Stonehenge tunnel to be scrapped
BBC, 20 November 2007

Plans for a tunnel taking traffic away from Stonehenge are likely to
be scrapped within days. The BBC has learned the government believes
the tunnel's cost of £510m is too expensive. Transport correspondent
Paul Clifton said an announcement was due next week which will
"almost certainly spell the end of the tunnel". He said Transport
Secretary Ruth Kelly would announce another review of the options,
the 10th such review to date. English Heritage has refused to comment
on the story until the government makes an official announcement.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/7103371.stm
#====================#

Features:

Digging biblical history, or the end of the world
EurekAlert [AAAS], 20-Nov-2007

Some come to dig the Tel Aviv University-directed archeological site
at Tel Megiddo because they are enchanted by ancient stories of King
Solomon. Others come because they believe in a New Testament prophecy
that the mound of dirt will be the location of a future Judgment Day
apocalyptic battle. Hence the second, rather more chilling name for
the site: "Armageddon." Tel Megiddo has been the subject of a number
of decisive battles in ancient times (among the Egyptian, Hebrew and
Assyrian peoples) and today it holds a venerated place in
archaeology, explains site co-director and world-renowned
archeologist Prof. Israel Finkelstein. Says Prof. Finkelstein, from
the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at
Tel Aviv University, "Megiddo is one of the most interesting sites in
the world for the excavation of biblical remains. Now volunteers and
students from around the world can participate in the dig which lets
them uncover 3,000 years worth of history -- from the late 4th
millennium B.C.E. to the middle of the first millennium C.E."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/afot-dbh112007.php

  From UAB, professor finds ruins in Egypt
The Birmingham News [USA], November 18, 2007

In a computer lab on Birmingham's Southside, UAB anthropology
professor Sarah Parcak scours satellite images for hidden Egyptian
archaeological sites half a world away. With the help of the new
technology, Parcak and collaborators are hoping to map the sites and
explore them before urbanization and development destroy them. In the
new $150,000 lab, equipped with 10 computer workstations running a
series of geographic information system and remote sensing programs,
Parcak can travel the world, zooming in close enough to note the
outlines of forgotten settlements, some buried beneath modern cities.
She has identified more than 100 previously unknown ancient sites,
including a lost temple buried beneath agricultural fields, a major
town in the East Nile Delta dating to the time of the pyramids, a
large monastery from 400 A.D. in Middle Egypt and a massive, largely
buried city beneath a field on the East Delta dating to 600 B.C.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1u4eo
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews//index.ssf?/base/news/
1195377767218300.xml&coll=2

Fakes and counterfeits
The Guardian [UK], November 24, 2007

The jailing of Shaun Greenhalgh, the Bolton forger, for conspiracy to
defraud art institutions is instructive. "Forgeries," as Otto Kurz
wrote in his 1948 handbook Fakes, "hunt in packs." That is, they are
rarely made as unique specimens. The amazing Greenhalghs, the Bolton
family of Shaun and his octogenarian parents, were able to pass as
owners of an incredibly rare Egyptian statuette from the Amarna
period (a traditional area for forgery), but began to come unstuck
when they also turned out to own a couple of Assyrian bas-reliefs.
Once a single forgery from their garden workshop had been detected
(by means of a cuneiform spelling mistake), it became possible to
identify the atelier. enerally speaking, we are susceptible to
forgeries, ready to be hoodwinked, when the forger has understood and
devised what it is we would most like to own. Something from the age
of Akhenaten, the Tel el-Amarna pharaoh, would be super-desirable,
and if there are only two statuettes in the world at all comparable
to the fake on offer, then the desirability is enough to warp the
judgment of the purchaser.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/crime/0,,2216089,00.html

A series of articles by George Hart on hieroglyphics in The Times [UK]:
http://snipurl.com/1u1k0
http://snipurl.com/1u1qb
http://snipurl.com/1u1qc
http://snipurl.com/1u1qe
http://snipr.com/1u66q

#====================#

Miscellany:

Shock at priceless mace's glue repair
Herald Express [UK], 23 November 2007

Surprised Totnes councillors have just discovered that one of their
town's priceless civic treasures is a bit of a fake, held together by
adhesive. Some time in the past somebody decided to repair one of the
town's solid silver maces with phoney gold-coloured silver and glue,
and nobody noticed.A section of silver on the large crown at the head
of the three foot long, 300-year-old mace is missing completely. It
has been replaced with some sort of paste, sprayed gold to match the
rest of the mace and then glued into place. It only came to light
when the makeshift repair work from years ago failed and the piece of
fake silver came loose. A worried town council took the mace off to
Exeter Museum to sort out what had happened, to be told the bad news
that a bodger had been at work. Now the town is faced with finding
something like £1,000 to get the old mace fixed properly.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1u4fm
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=135239&command=displayContent&sourceNode=135077&contentPK=1904841
1&folderPk=79060&pNodeId=134831

Monty Python and an £8m extension for the museum of shrunken heads
The Independent [UK], 23 November 2007

Shrunken heads, totem poles, exotic costumes and a bottle that
allegedly has a witch trapped inside – a good place to look for these
and other curiosities is the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford University,
which opened an £8m extension yesterday. Michael Palin, the
television explorer who has been the museum's patron and fundraiser
since the 1990s, joined the university's vice-chancellor, Dr John
Hood, for the opening ceremony. "I have always loved Pitt Rivers'
wonderful eclectic displays," Palin said. "In an over-regimented
world, they engage and stimulate the curious, and encourage a genuine
spirit of discovery." The former Monty Python star put up the money
to pay a year's wages for a technician, Chris Wilkinson, to pack and
unpack the museum's exhibits, which had to be moved while work on the
extension was in progress. Mr Wilkinson was known throughout the year
as "the Palin technician". Indeed the curator, Laura Peers, is
reputed to have been so grateful for the funding that she offered to
imprint the words "Palin technician" on Mr Wilkinson's forehead with
tools from the museum's collection, but he modestly turned down the
offer.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article3187118.ece

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 18.11.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

The oldest iron workshop found
Turkish Daily News, November 13, 2007

The world's oldest iron workshop has been uncovered during
excavations in the central Black Sea province of Corum and
archaeologists hope the find will draw tourists to the region, the
dig's leader said yesterday. The workshop, dating back to the Bronze
Age, was found in Alacahoyuk, Ankara University Archaeologist Aykut
Cinaroglu, told the Anatolia news agency. "Besides the iron workshop,
some ceramic and stone pieces, as well as ornaments, were also among
the findings, which reveal evidence regarding the daily lives of the
Hittites," he said, adding around 100 pieces were unearthed as part
of the excavations.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=87841

Roman road, bath unearthed near Jewish temple site
Reuters, Nov 15, 2007

Israeli archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a second century
terraced street and bath house which provide vital clues about the
layout of Roman Jerusalem. The Israel Antiquities Authority said the
30-metre (90-foot) alley was used by the Romans to link the central
Cardo thoroughfare with a bath house and with a bridge to the Temple
Mount, once the site of Jerusalem's ancient Jewish temple. "We find
bits of Roman road all the time but this discovery helped us piece
together a picture of Roman Jerusalem," Jon Seligman, Jerusalem
regional archaeologist, told Reuters at the site. "It was a real
Eureka moment."
http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKL1558737720071115?rpc=401&

Roman Fortress Found Near Ruse
News.bg [Bulgaria], 12.11.2007

Ruins of a little late-Roman fortress, part of the defense system of
the Romans in nowadays Northern Bulgaria, archaeologists have found
by excavations in Svalenik village. The fortress was raised in IV
Century as a watch fortification, controlling the road in the River
Valley of Malki Lom River. For now archaeologist revealed the south
wall and two inner rooms of the fortress. The finds- coins and
pottery- give a reason to claim the fortress had survived after the
big Huns and Goths invasions in the V century, but as an already
fortified settlement of agriculture population.
http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1238826813

Syria finds 2nd century skeletons, statues
Agence France-Presse, Nov 16, 2007

Syrian archaelogists have uncovered a 2nd century necropolis and
statues in the central town of Palmyra, along with several skeletons,
museum director Walid Assaad told AFP on Thursday. According to
inscriptions on a 75 centimetre (30 inch) by 60 centimetre (24 inch)
sculptured panel found there, the cemetery belonged to a pagan
family. The tablet showed two people of Palmyra. "The first, named
Mallay, is wearing a military uniform and has a sword in his belt
which he is holding by the hilt. The second, called Yadeh Bel, is
wearing traditional Palmyran clothes," Assaad quoted archaeologist
mission leader Khalil Hariri as saying. Besides the two figures
portrayed on the tablet is a camel carrying a tent and being led by a
child. The people would be "traders on the silk road," he said.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5itbQ6FT2pAJiQPcnyqirO4akVwdQ

52 Prehistoric and Historic Site Discovered in Golestan
CHN [Iran], 14 November 2007

Researching attempts of experts of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism
Department of Golestan province have resulted in identifying 52
prehistoric and historic sites and hills in Azad Shahr. Dating in
range from prehistoric to post Sassanid era (Islamic period), these
historic and prehistoric sites belonging to  Bronze Age (3800-3200
BC), Iron Age (750 BC-500 AD), Sassanid (224-651 AD) and Ilkhanid
(1256-1335 AD) dynastic eras. Announcing this news, Mohammad Mehdi
Borhani, head of excavation team in Azad Shahr, Minoo Dasht, and
Ramian, explained that these historic sites have been discovered in
mountainous region of Azad Shahr.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7379

Discovery of Achaemenid Inscription in Kharg Island
CHN [Iran], 17 November 2007

With discovering of an inscription dating back to Achaemenid dynastic
era (550-330 BC) in Kharg Island in ancient Persian language,
archeologists believe that they have succeeded to find strong
evidence to original identity of Persian Gulf. “Although, Persian
Gulf was ever the most appropriate name in the course of history for
these free waters, discovery of this Achaemenid inscription in
ancient Persian language can be referred as another absolute proof to
this claim,” said Ali Akbar Sarfaraz, an archeologists in Cultural
Heritage and Tourism Department of Boushehr province, to CHN. A stone
inscription in ancient Persian language was accidentally unearthed
during road construction activities in Kharg Island located in
Persian Gulf on 14th of November. Considering the evidence,
archeologists estimated that the discovered inscription must have
dated back to Achaemenid dynastic era.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7381

Baltic yields 'perfect' shipwreck
BBC, 15 November 2007

A near-intact shipwreck apparently dating from the 17th century has
been found in the Baltic Sea, Swedish television has said. The
discovery was made during filming for an under-water documentary
series. Public service SVT television said the wreck could be from
the same era as the famous Vasa warship, which sank on its maiden
voyage in August 1628. The broadcaster said the Baltic's low oxygen
content and low temperature had helped preserve the wreck. SVT said
the origins of the ship were unclear but its features resembled the
work of Dutch ship-builders from the period.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7096405.stm

First Bronze Age settlement found at sewage works
Dewsbury Today [UK], 16 November 2007

THE first evidence of a Bronze Age settlement in Dewsbury has been
uncovered at a sewage works in Earlsheaton. The dig, which is being
carried out at the Mitchell Laithes water treatment works on Headland
Lane, has uncovered a possible burial ground, called a barrow, and
items thought to date back to Roman times. One item archaeologists
uncovered was a pot thought to contain human ashes, which is believed
to be about 3,500 years old. The dig is being carried out by
archaeological company Northern Archeological Associates.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tsk5
http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/news/First-Bronze-Age-settlement-
found.3491862.jp

Tides turn up child’s Bronze Age remains
The Journal [UK], Nov 14 2007

HIGH tides and winds that have battered the Northumberland coast
served up a burial mystery for archaeologists yesterday. Erosion by
the sea and weather has revealed what seems to be the remains of a
Bronze Age child, which have emerged from the coastal edge at
Druridge Bay. But what perplexed archaeologists yesterday was a layer
of hard white material which appears to have been moulded around the
body, like a casing. “I have never seen anything like this material.
It has obviously been applied deliberately and it is intriguing and
baffling,” said Sara Rushton, Northumberland County Council
archaeologist. The burial had been purposely cut into a layer of peat
which has been dated to between 3780BC and 1000BC.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tsl9
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2007/11/14/
tides-turn-up-child-s-bronze-age-remains-61634-20103665/

Archaeology student finds Roman remains in garden
York Press [UK], 15th November 2007

AN ARCHAEOLOGY student struck lucky when he began digging the garden
of his new home - and discovered ancient Roman remains. Chris Bevan
had no idea that a historic find was lurking inches beneath his feet
when he moved into the house at Holme-on-Spalding Moor. Now he and
his fellow University of York students are using their spare time to
carry out a survey of the garden in High Street and a neighbouring
field where the ancient pottery was unearthed. "I bought the house in
July and was just doing some gardening when I found a Roman pot and
some Medieval green glaze pottery," says Chris, 24, who is a second
year archaeology undergraduate.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tslo
http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/display.var.
1835934.0.archaeology_student_finds_roman_remains_in_garden.php

Tombs of 1,800 years ago found in Beijing
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-13

Chinese archaeologists have discovered over 290 tombs, some of which
date back 1,800 years, in Yanqing County, in the northern outskirts
of Beijing. Most of the tombs were built in the Han Dynasty (206
BC-220 AD)or Tang Dynasty (618-907),. Others are believed to belong
to the Jin (317-581), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing
dynasties (1644-1911). All the tombs, covering an area of 44,000
square meters, had underground chambers built of brick but the shape
of their ceilings were unique to their dynasties. The archaeologists
also unearthed 870 historical artifacts, including pottery utensils,
china objects, bronze basins, iron items, stone articles and jade
ornaments, said Zhang Shiqun, an expert with the institute.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/13/content_7063981.htm

China Olympics construction unearths cultural relics
Reuters, Nov 13, 2007

China's multi-billion-dollar building boom ahead of the Beijing
Olympics has unearthed hundreds of ancient relics -- some 2,000 years
old -- leaving archaeologists to pick up pieces behind construction
crews. The director of the State Administration and Cultural
Heritage, Shan Jixiang, has urged local officials to conduct
archaeological investigations of sites before construction, the China
Daily reported on Tuesday. But in the rush to finish projects ahead
of the August 2008 opening of the Games, the earth movers are driving
on. "Archaeologists in Beijing are following bulldozers," an
archaeologist with the Beijing municipal cultural heritage
administration, who requested anonymity, told the newspaper. More
than 1,500 gold, ceramic, jade and other artifacts have been
recovered from Beijing's Olympic stadium sites, and more than 700
ancient tombs have been found on the sites during the past two years,
the newspaper reported. The archaeologist said some of the relics
dated back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.).
http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKT10641920071113

Up from the depths of history
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 15, 2007

In a small survey boat, maritime archaeologist J. Lee Cox Jr. was
checking the bottom of the Delaware River at the Sunoco Logistics
pier in South Philadelphia when he got a hit on the side-scan sonar.
A pipe? A log? A hazard to the oil tankers docking nearby? No one was
sure until a diver was sent down weeks later and found a strange
pointed object buried in the muck about 40 feet down. This week, Cox
identified it as the business end of a cheval-de-frise, an iron-
tipped log once embedded in the river, along with many others, to
gore the hulls of British warships menacing Philadelphia in the
mid-1770s. It had been silently resting not far from where oil-laden
Sunoco tankers have berthed since Philadelphia's industrial age.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tsl2
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/
20071115_Up_from_the_depths_of_history.html

Evidence found might contradict conclusions about explorer de Soto
Macon Telegraph [USA], Nov. 13, 2007

Two years ago archaeologist Dennis Blanton led a team into the woods
of southern Telfair County in search of evidence of a lost Spanish
mission. He laughed when one of his team members asked if they might
find artifacts left behind by Hernando de Soto's massive entourage in
the Spanish explorer's trip through Georgia in 1540. "I said, 'No, de
Soto didn't come through here,' " recalled Blanton, who is Fernbank
Science Center's curator of Native American archaeology. He's not
laughing anymore. After two summers of painstakingly sifting through
dirt on sites in Telfair and Coffee counties, the team has found
evidence of early Spanish exploration in Georgia. The evidence
includes several European-made beads and an iron tool, all dated to
the 1500s, approximately 80 years before the Spanish mission
settlement Santa Isabel de Utinahica was believed to have operated in
the area. Spaniards at the mission could have had beads or other
items made almost a century earlier, but it would follow that the dig
would also uncover artifacts dated to the time of the mission,
Blanton said. So far that hasn't happened.
http://www.macon.com/198/story/184923.html

1800s artifacts arise from ashes of Jocko Lakes fire
The Missoulian [USA], November 18 2007

The oversized cartridge was lying on ground left black by last
summer's Jocko Lakes wildfire. When Anya Minetz spotted it last
month, she could see it was something special. “Come look at this
one,” she called to C. Milo McLeod, who was sifting through the
detritus of a modern-day hunter's camp west of Seeley Lake. He came,
saw and performed a double-take. “That's from a Spencer rifle,”
McLeod said. He knew because he owns one of the 1860s-vintage
firearms, the world's first practical repeating rifle. They were a
diverse pair - McLeod an archaeologist and manager of the Lolo
National Forest's heritage program, Minetz a graduate student at the
University of Montana. She was in the second day of her first fire
survey with McLeod. He came to the Lolo in 1975, years before Minetz
was born. Over the next few hours and days, their excitement grew in
tandem as they located artifact after artifact lying exposed on the
charred ground. In an area just 70 feet long and 30 feet wide, McLeod
and Minetz found: 17 more cartridges, most with casings and rounds
intact; An ax head, rusted but with a discernible inscription - the
Douglas Axe Manufacturing Co. of Douglas, Mass., in business from
1836-1897; A pair of scissors or forceps with a funky, Victorian-
style design; A whetstone; A bullet mold; And, their favorite find, a
14-inch buffalo hide scraper.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/11/18/news/local/news03.txt

Women warriors may have battled in ancient Cambodia
Agence France-Presse, Nov 15 2007

Archaeologists have found female skeletons buried with metal swords
in Cambodian ruins, indicating there may have been a civilisation
with female warriors, the mission head said Thursday. The team dug up
35 human skeletons at five locations in Phum Snay in northwestern
Cambodia in research earlier this year, said Japanese researcher
Yoshinori Yasuda, who led the team. "Five of them were perfect
skeletons and we have confirmed all of them were those of females,"
Yasuda told AFP. The skeletons were believed to date back to the
first to fifth century AD. The five were found buried together with
steel or bronze swords, and helmet-shaped objects, said Yasuda, who
is from the government-backed International Research Center for
Japanese Studies. "It is very rare that swords are found with women.
This suggests it was a realm where female warriors were playing an
active role," he said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tsma
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/wl_asia_afp/
japancambodiaarchaeologywomen_071115071811;_ylt=Ai_LqBXgMtJXT.Es3FOk5gRF
eQoB

Vietnam: Dig reveals 2,500 year old artifacts
Mathaba News, 2007/11/15

Archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of stone and earthenware
artifacts believed to be nearly 3,000 years old on the Sa Huynh
culture on the An Hai islet on the Con Dao island district of the
southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Dr Nguyen Trung Chien, head of the
archaeologist group taking part in the 98 sq. m excavations, said
from November 5-13 the site revealed two ancient fire ovens, 144
stone tools, two pieces of jewelry, two items made of buffalo teeth
and hundreds of other ancient objects.
http://mathaba.net/news/?x=570988

New human fossil find adds millennia to China's history
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-13

Chinese archaeologists said they have found fossilized remains of a
primitive human species that lived about 2.04 million years ago in
the Three Gorges Area in southwest China, the earliest ever found in
the country. The findings, including a lower jawbone fragment, an
incisor and more than 230 pieces of stone tools, prove that what is
called Wushan man was more than 300,000 years older than Yuanmou man,
which was discovered in southwestern Yunnan Province in the 1960s and
previously recognized as China's earliest human species. An expert
team led by Huang Wanbo, a professor with the Institute of Vertebrate
Paleontology and Paleoanthropology under the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, reached the conclusion after more than two decades of
excavation at the Longgupo Site in Wushan County in Chongqing
Municipality. "It's an exciting discovery because it may rewrite
China's history," said Huang.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/13/content_7066569.htm

Archaeologists Discovered Early Man Site in Khabarovsk Territory
Vladivostok Times [Russia], November 13 2007

Archaeologists have found a site of ancient humans of the Stone Age.
The site dates back 15 thousand years ago, the Khabarovsk Museum of
Archaeology reported to RIA PrimaMedia. "The site, which dates back
to the end of the ice age, has been found in the Solnechniy District,
not far away from Lake Evoron. A total of four similar sites have
been found in the Territory in the area of the low Amur, but this one
is the largest," said Andrei MALAYVIN, the Chair of the archaeology
department at the Khabarovsk Museum of Archaeology.
http://vladivostoktimes.ru/show.php?id=17237&p=
See also Novosti [Russia]:
http://en.rian.ru/science/20071112/87626985.html

Human ancestors: more gatherers than hunters?
EurekAlert [AAAS], 12-Nov-2007

Chimpanzees crave roots and tubers even when food is plentiful above
ground, according to a new study that raises questions about the
relative importance of meat for brain evolution. Appearing online the
week of Nov. 12 in the early edition of the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, the study documents a novel use of
tools by chimps to dig for tubers and roots in the savanna woodlands
of western Tanzania. The chimps’ eagerness for buried treats offers
new insights in an ongoing debate about the role of meat versus
potato-like foods in the diet of our hominid ancestors, said first
author Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar, who collected the field data for
her doctoral research at the University of Southern California. The
debate centers on the diet followed by early hominids as their brain
and body size slowly increased towards a human level. Was it meat-and-
potatoes, or potatoes-and-meat" “Some researchers have suggested that
what made us human was actually the tubers,” Hernandez-Aguilar said.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/uosc-ham111107.php

Noah's Ark flood spurred European farming
Reuters, Nov 18, 2007

An ancient flood some say could be the origin of the story of Noah's
Ark may have helped the spread of agriculture in Europe 8,300 years
ago by scattering the continent's earliest farmers, researchers said
on Sunday. Using radiocarbon dating and archaeological evidence, a
British team showed the collapse of the North American ice sheet,
which raised global sea levels by as much as 1.4 metres, displaced
tens of thousands of people in southeastern Europe who carried
farming skills to their new homes. The researchers said in the
journal Quaternary Science Reviews their study provides direct
evidence linking the flood that breached a ridge keeping the
Mediterranean apart from the Black Sea to the rise of farming in Europe.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKL1700215420071118?rpc=401&

Eco-ruin 'felled early society'
BBC, 15 November 2007

One of Western Europe's earliest known urban societies may have sown
the seeds of its own downfall, a study suggests. Mystery surrounded
the fall of the Bronze Age Argaric people in south-east Spain -
Europe's driest area. Data suggests the early civilisation exhausted
precious natural resources, helping bring about its own ruin. The
study provides early evidence for cultural collapse caused - at least
in part - by humans meddling with the environment, say researchers.
It could also provide lessons for modern populations living in water-
stressed regions. The findings were based on pollen preserved in a
peat deposit located in the mountains of eastern Andalucia, Spain.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7093685.stm

Prehistoric women had passion for fashion
Reuters, Nov 12, 2007

If the figurines found in an ancient European settlement are any
guide, women have been dressing to impress for at least 7,500 years.
Recent excavations at the site -- part of the Vinca culture which was
Europe's biggest prehistoric civilization -- point to a metropolis
with a great degree of sophistication and a taste for art and
fashion, archaeologists say. In the Neolithic settlement in a valley
nestled between rivers, mountains and forests in what is now southern
Serbia, men rushed around a smoking furnace melting metal for tools.
An ox pulled a load of ore, passing by an art workshop and a group of
young women in short skirts. "According to the figurines we found,
young women were beautifully dressed, like today's girls in short
tops and mini skirts, and wore bracelets around their arms," said
archaeologist Julka Kuzmanovic-Cvetkovic.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL0782181520071112
See also Kathimerini [Greece]:
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=90163

Maya Rituals Caused Ancient Decline in Big Game
National Geographic News, November 15, 2007

Maya rulers' growing demand for animals of symbolic value may have
caused a decline in big game, like jaguars, in ancient Latin America,
a new study suggests. Faced with environmental problems and doubts
about their ability to provide for their followers, the Maya elite
may have ordered more hunting of large mammals whose meat, skins, and
teeth provided proof of power and status, the study says. Kitty
Emery, an archaeologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History, has
studied 80,000 animal bones found in 25 Maya trash mounds to map the
effects of ancient hunting on animal populations over 4,000 years.
The research, which experts said could be the most exhaustive of its
kind, tracked the proportions of bones found from large, status-
marking animals like jaguars and white-tailed deer to those of small
game like armadillos, rodents, and rabbits. The results showed that
large-animal remains were most plentiful from around A.D. 600 to 900,
when the Maya population was at its largest and the proportion of
elites was its highest. However, in the later years of the Maya
empire, from about A.D. 900 to 1500, evidence of big game dwindles,
and bones of smaller animals become more frequent, particularly at
the largest and most politically active Maya sites.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071115-maya-
sacrifice.html

Earliest chocolate drink found
The Telegraph [UK], 12/11/2007

Our love affair with chocolate began at least 500 years earlier than
previously thought, and was combined with a love of alcohol too,
according to traces of the treat found in pottery shards uncovered in
Honduras. Today, researchers say that residue of the chemical
theobromine, which occurs in Mesoamerica only in the cacao plant used
to make chocolate, is present in the shattered remains of liquid-
holding pottery vessels dating from somewhere between 1400 and 1100
BC, marking the earliest known chocolate drink of the New World. Prof
John Henderson of Cornell University, Patrick McGovern of the
University of Pennsylvania Museum and colleagues at the University of
California, Berkeley, and Hershey Foods analysed pottery dug from the
site of Puerto Escondido in the Ulua Valley for theobromine and other
compounds. "The results were astounding," says Dr McGovern. "Every
vessel gave a positive signal for theobromine, the fingerprint
compound for cacao in Central America."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tsdh
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/
earth/2007/11/12/scichoc112.xml
See also UC Berkeley News:
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/11/13_cacao.shtml

#====================#

More on:

Oldest Temple, Mural in the Americas Found in Peru
National Geographic News, November 12, 2007

What may be the oldest documented mural in the Americas has been
found inside a 4,000-year-old temple near the Peruvian coast,
researchers reported yesterday. The discovery, made by Peruvian
archaeologist Walter Alva in a looted site known as Ventarrón, is
located in Peru's Lambayeque valley, some 500 miles (804 kilometers)
from the capital, Lima. "We have found what we believe is the oldest
mural in the Americas," Alva, director of the Royal Tombs of Sipán
Museum, told National Geographic News in an interview. At a Peruvian
government conference this weekend, Alva announced that carbon dating
conducted in the United States shows that the mural and temple are
4,000 years old.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071112-peru-temple.html

Egypt says Sphinx not threatened by water
Reuters, 15 Nov 2007

Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities said on Thursday the Sphinx
was not in danger after some media reported that water below the
surface nearby could damage the 4,500-year-old monument. Concerns
about potential damage to the limestone structure, a mythical animal
with the head of a man and a lion's body, were raised last month
after reports of salt deposits near the statue, state-owned Al Ahram
newspaper said last month. "There is not any danger at all to the
Sphinx from the effects of this water, which remains at a distance
from it of about 50 metres," Egypt's state-run MENA news agency
quoted antiquities official Sabry Abdel Aziz as saying.
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL1544311.html

Gunmen loot 3,500-old Sumerian site
Azzaman [Iraq], November 13, 2007

Tall Asmar, the famous ancient Sumerian settlement, has been stripped
of its contents and digging implements, the Antiquities Department
said in a statement. The site in the restive and violent Diyala
Province is Iraq’s most important and significant Sumerian settlement
in central Mesopotamia. Known as Eshnunna among Mesopotamian
scholars, it has given the Iraq Museum its famous and priceless
collection of votive stone and marble sculptures representing tall
and bearded figures with huge, staring eyes and long, pleated skirts.
“An armed group stormed the archaeological site, handcuffed the
guards and stole its possessions,” the department said in a
statement. Attacks like these have increased recently amid reports
that contraband trade in Iraqi antiquities scratched by illegal
diggers from ancient sites was booming.
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2007-11-9%
5Ckurd3.htm

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Archaeologists harshly criticise Israeli excavation
Middle East Online [UK], 2007-11-16

A team of Turkish experts harshly criticised a controversial
archaeological dig in Jerusalem undertaken by Israel, according to a
report published Friday in the Turkish daily Today's Zaman. Turkish
experts visited the site because the Ayyubid, Mameluke and Ottoman
Muslim dynasties ruled in the area successively between the 12th
century and the beginning of the 20th century. According to the
Turkish team, "the ongoing activities give the impression that they
are a planned and systematically implemented effort which aims to
destroy the values associated with cultural assets and the sources of
information of these cultures," the English-language daily said,
citing the actual report.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/culture/?id=23126

Tutankhamun returns in a blaze of publicity - and controversy
The Guardian [UK], November 13, 2007

One of the most talked-about exhibitions of the year, Tutankhamun and
the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, opens on Thursday in a blaze of
gloriously preserved golden artefacts. But tensions between the
Egyptian lenders to the exhibition and the British Museum threaten to
overshadow the show. Dr Zahi Hawass, the sometimes explosive and
always colourful secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of
Antiquities, today criticised the British Museum for allegedly
stalling on its decision whether to lend the Rosetta Stone for the
opening of Egypt's $600m Grand Museum, in 2012. "The answer is not
straightforward yes or no from the British Museum. They say they must
see the museum; but they know it is not finished until 2012. Other
museums also have played with us. We are not trying to keep these
artefacts for ever. I am disappointed." He added that the Egyptians
had extended goodwill to Britain by lending the 130 objects that form
the Tutankhamun exhibition, but that the trust he has shown in
Britain and the other venues for the touring show has not been
reciprocated.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2210359,00.html

Fraudsters who resented the art market
BBC, 16 November 2007

As a son and his elderly parents learn their fate for faking artworks
and artefacts worth millions of pounds over nearly two decades, we
look at what their motivation was. Shaun Greenhalgh, 47, has been
jailed for four years while his 83-year-old mother, Olive, has been
given a 12-month suspended sentence for her part in the con. His
father, George, 84, is to be sentenced at a later date. For
successful forgers, the trio had an unremarkable lifestyle. Despite
having £500,000 in the bank they lived "in abject poverty", said
police. Olive had never even left Bolton. Their greatest known scam,
before the law finally caught up with them, was conning Bolton
Council into buying the Amarna Princess, a phoney ancient Egyptian
statue, for more than £400,000. Detective Sergeant Vernon Rapley,
from the Met's Art and Antiques Unit, said investigators found half a
million pounds in the Greenhalghs' bank account, and believe they
probably made much more. But he said they did not appear to have been
motivated by money. He said: "They didn't own a computer or live in
luxury; they were living in abject poverty, a very poor lifestyle,
very basic. Olive hadn't even travelled outside of Bolton. "They had
a resentment of the art market and wanted to prove they could deceive
it."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7091435.stm

#====================#

Features:

Anthropologist digs ancient Sudan bones
Arizona State University News, November 13, 2007

  From the looks of the woman’s skeleton, she might have been in a
serious car accident. But, the woman lived sometime between A.D. 300
and A.D. 600, so it was obviously not a crash that killed her. The
woman’s bones are among many recently excavated in northern Sudan –
which, in ancient times, was called Nubia – by Brenda J. Baker, an
associate professor of anthropology in the School of Human Evolution
& Social Change. Baker, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on Nubian
material in Sudan, had done a lot of archaeological work in Egypt,
but none in Sudan. She was spurred to action by an announcement in
the Paleopathology Newsletter in November 2004 about a dam being
built in northern Sudan on the Nile River. The Merowe dam would mean
that the area called the Fourth Cataract would be under water when
the dam was completed, and that the opportunity for archaeological
work would be gone. “I started making inquiries, and I tried to get
something worked out with someone who already had a project in the
area,” Baker says. She learned that Stuart Tyson Smith at the
University of California-Santa Barbara already had a concession, and
she made an agreement with him to join the work.
http://asunews.asu.edu/20071113_anthropologistdig

King Tut's beauty secrets
The Times [UK], November 17, 2007

We have ten depictions of the Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun – most
famously that unforgettable assembly of lapis and gold from his
coffinette. But it is an 11th, latter-day addition that proves most
evocative: a latex reconstruction of his features from CT scan data
of his remains. The description of it, delivered by Professor David
P. Silverman, the curator of the new blockbuster exhibition currently
at the O2 (formerly the Dome), sounds unprepossessing: “Elongated
skull, recessive chin, pronounced overbite, buck-toothed”. And, yet,
the face is haunting: a pierced-eared, wary-eyed teen with a fleshy
pout. He could be any comely adolescent, were it not for those
unmistakable wings of sooty kohl. The glamour of the ancient
Egyptians is a major element of our eternal fascination with them.
Entranced as we may be by the politics of Tutankhamun’s reign, it is
the jet wigs and almond eyes that get us every time. For Alexander
McQueen’s autumn/winter 08 catwalk collection, make-up artist
Charlotte Tilbury paid homage to Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, using
colours since released as the limited-edition line MAC for McQueen.
So successful a look was it for Taylor that it took her some years to
renounce it; a pastiche Egyptian rigout is still the favoured choice
of girls at fancy-dress parties. Not only do we wish to walk like an
Egyptian, we enjoy daubing our faces like one, too.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tse3
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/
specials/tutankhamun/article2856620.ece

Accursed be thy name . . .
The Times [UK], November 16, 2007

As the Tutankhamun exhibition opens in London, our correspondent
explains the truth behind the famous curse of the Pharaoh’s tomb -
and others reaching back through the ages...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tslw
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/
the_way_we_live/article2877143.ece

Hoosier mummies inspire learning, understanding
Noblesville Daily Times [USA], 11-16-2007

Julia Meek Gaar was monied. And well-traveled. She was also
philanthropic. So when she went to Egypt in February 1929 and bought
a mummy from an antiquities dealer, she intended to ship it back to
the Richmond historical society which she had founded. There were
problems, however. The Egyptian government wasn’t convinced the
artifact should leave the country, so it took several months and
assistance from several influential people, including the president
of the United States, to get it to Richmond. Gaar was away on another
trip when it arrived in January 1930. At that time her museum was in
two rooms of a Richmond high school. “She brought all her souvenirs
and artifacts back here, and the students could go in there and look
at them,” said Jim Harlan, executive director of the Wayne County
Historical Museum in Richmond.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tsdv
http://www.county29.net/cms2/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=8016&Itemid=232

He's unbelievably energetic and he's raised the profile of Egyptology
enormously. He gives it drama and cachet ...
The Guardian [UK], November 16, 2007

It is difficult to overestimate the influence that Dr Zahi Hawass,
Egypt's secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities,
wields over his country's stupendously rich ancient heritage.
According to Dr John Taylor, assistant keeper at the British Museum,
"he's an incredibly influential figure. Nothing happens in Egyptology
without his knowledge or support." Hawass is the outspoken,
grandstanding, inflammatory public face of the Tutankhamun exhibition
that opened yesterday at the O2 in London and has been touring cities
in the US for the past two years. He is a celebrity, particularly in
the United States, where he has won an Emmy for his broadcasting on
archaeology. His personal website, at which scholars might arch an
eyebrow, contains an official fanclub section adorned with a dozen
photographs of himself. In a couple he sports an Indiana Jones-style
hat, copies of which are on sale at the King Tut giftshop, displayed
beneath a broadly grinning, larger than life picture of the man himself.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/story/0,,2212188,00.html

Dig Days: How far back we are
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 15 - 21 November 2007

[By Zahi Hawass] Egypt's written history begins around 3,000 BC. This
date also roughly marks the beginning of the First Dynasty, when Hor-
Aha (known as Menes) united the two lands of Upper and Lower Egypt,
ruling them from Inb-hdj, or "White Wall", the first capital of
Egypt. The kings of the First Dynasty chose to be buried at Abydos,
near the place where they were born, a small town called Thinis. They
placed their capital, however, at the juncture of Upper and Lower
Egypt. It is thought that Inb- hdj was located to the north of the
tombs of the First and Second-Dynasty officials at Saqqara. The kings
of the Second Dynasty were buried at Saqqara, with the exception of
the last two, who were buried at Abydos for religious reasons.
Excavations at Abydos have proved two important facts. First, we know
from finds at the site that writing began in Egypt about 150 years
before the founding of the First Dynasty. The other important piece
of knowledge gained at Abydos was that the subsidiary burials beside
the tombs of the kings were for royal followers such as servants and
officials.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/871/he2.htm

A museum piece
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 15 - 21 November 2007

An ambitious restoration project aimed at returning the mosque of Al-
Zahir Baybars to its original glory was launched this week. Nevine El-
Aref reports on the new project by the Ministry of Culture and the
Kazakhstan government...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/871/he1.htm

Tomb raiders
The Guardian [UK], November 15, 2007

The treasures of Tutankhamun are the finest artistic achievement of
ancient times. Why on earth have they been desecrated with papier-
mache pillars and Muzak? Jonathan Jones registers his disgust...
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/story/0,,2211279,00.html

#====================#

Miscellany:

Treasure hunt: Digging for trouble
Mail Tribune [USA], November 18, 2007

Backyard treasure hunters beware. A little-known Oregon statute makes
it illegal for anyone to intentionally unearth artifacts more than 75
years old without a permit from the state — even on private property.
After local bottle hunter Dale Mlasko was featured in the Mail
Tribune and on the Travel Channel show "Cash and Treasures," he
received a letter from the state saying he may have run afoul of the
law. The Oregon State Preservation Office informed him that digging
up items on private property that are 75 years or older — even with
the property owner's permission — must be witnessed by an
archaeologist and signed off by the state. Mlasko said he was shocked
to learn from the letter that "the excavation activities depicted in
the 'Cash & Treasures' episode violate Oregon state law and cannot be
condoned."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ttnm
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071118/NEWS/
711180323

Dinosaur discovered after a century on the shelf
news@..., 15 November 2007

A part-time palaeontologist who programs computers as a day job has
uncovered a new dinosaur species — not buried in the ground but
hidden in the bowels of the Natural History Museum in London, UK.
After 113 years lying unloved and unstudied in the museum's vaults,
the fossil's importance was finally realized by Mike Taylor, who was
trawling the museum's collections as part of his part-time study for
a PhD at the University of Portsmouth. He stumbled across the new
species — represented by a single bone from the dinosaur's spine —
and realized that it was unique. "It leapt out at me as being
different," says Taylor, who specializes in sauropods, the group of
long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs that includes the famous
Diplodocus. The newly described dinosaur is not just a new species
but belongs to a completely new genus, christened Xenoposeidon.
'Xeno', which translates as 'alien', reflects the fact that it is
quite different to its known relatives. 'Poseidon' comes from the
Greek for 'Earth shaker'.
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071115/full/news.2007.249.html

Decade-old Luxor massacre changed tourism, terrorism in Egypt
Daily News [Egypt], November 16, 2007

It was a stunning attack, still recalled with horror a decade later:
Terrorists armed with knives and automatic weapons massacred 58
foreign tourists, mainly Germans, Swiss and Japanese, at one of
Egypt's most popular pharaonic temples. But despite the dramatic
bloodshed, the Nov. 17, 1997 attack at Hatshepsut temple in Luxor
turned out to be the last gasp in the wave of terrorism that struck
Egypt in the 1990s. The 10-year anniversary of the attack highlights
the changes that have happened since in Egypt — both in tourism and
terrorism. Over the years, the jailed leaders of the once robust
Islamic rebellion have publicly called for an end to the violence,
after Egyptian security forces crushed the two main groups of the
1990s, Islamic Jihad and the Gamaa Islamiya. On Sunday, one of the
top ideologues of radical Islam — Sayed Imam, a jailed Jihad leader —
is to publish his "Revisions," a book recanting his past calls for
the use of force to overthrow Arab governments seen as infidel. The
Nile Valley, once the heartland of violence, has not seen a major
attack since the Hatshepsut slayings. But the nature of terrorism has
now shifted: Since 2004, Egypt saw a string of deadly bombings on Red
Sea beach resorts in the Sinai Peninsula that killed 121 people,
including many tourists.
http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=10335

#====================#

Curiosa:

Drink like an Egyptian with Pharaoh's
Response Source [UK], 12-11-2007

A new non-alcoholic wellness drink being launched in the UK is
putting the sparkle into ancient Egyptian recipes. Pharaoh’s Wellness
Drinks are non-alcoholic, bottled drinks in five refreshing adult
flavours: carob, hibiscus, tamarind, peppermint and liquorice. Their
launch comes as interest in all things Egyptian is set to soar with
the opening of the “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs”
exhibition in London this week (15 November) in the UK for the first
time since 1972. Pharaoh’s make a pleasing alternative to the usual
non-alcoholic alternatives, and as the Christmas season approaches,
are ideal for drivers. Their inspiration comes from the ancient
Egyptians, who three thousand years ago used the fruits, leaves and
roots of the carob, hibiscus, tamarind, peppermint and liquorice
plants to prepare medicinal recipes.
http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?
relid=35114&hilite

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 11.11.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Temple built 4,000 years ago unearthed in Peru
Reuters, Nov 11, 2007

A 4,000-year-old temple filled with murals has been unearthed on the
northern coast of Peru, making it one of the oldest finds in the
Americas, a leading archaeologist said on Saturday. The temple,
inside a larger ruin, includes a staircase that leads up to an altar
used for fire worship at a site scientists have called Ventarron,
said Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva, who led the dig. It sits in
the Lambayeque valley, near the ancient Sipan complex that Alva
unearthed in the 1980s. Ventarron was built long before Sipan, about
2,000 years before Christ, he said. "It's a temple that is about
4,000 years old," Alva, director of the Museum Tumbas Reales (Royal
Tombs) of Sipan, told Reuters by telephone after announcing the
results of carbon dating at a ceremony north of Lima sponsored by
Peru's government. "What's surprising are the construction methods,
the architectural design and most of all the existence of murals that
could be the oldest in the Americas," he said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKN1018888320071111?rpc=401&

Archeologists Discovered a 10th Century Tomb in Pskov
Russia-InfoCentre, 8.11.2007

Another chamber entombment dating back to the epoch of Princess Olga
(approximately 10th century) has been found at the Starovoznesensky
digging site in Pskov. According to the director of Pskov
Archeological Centre Elena Yakovleva, the grave is not smaller than
the two other tombs discovered in the previous years. “The findings
are in a very bad condition; it is difficult to say whether the
remains are those of a man or a woman” - she says. Most probably the
buried person once belonged to a noble family.
http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/5123/

Bronze Age child's body found at school
The East Anglian Daily Times [UK], 08 November 2007

THE remains of young child buried thousands of years ago in a west
Suffolk garden have been unearthed by archaeologists. Although the
sex of the child found at Culford is not known, it is thought the
remains belong to a child under the age of 10 and possibly the child
of an important family because of the offerings found close by.
Suffolk County Council's archaeologists were called in by Culford
School, near Bury St Edmunds, to examine the site, close to the
sports centre, before a new tennis court was built on it.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1telj
http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?
brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPE
D07%20Nov%202007%2017%3A17%3A11%3A737

Tron revamp unearths 'treasure chest'
The Scotsman, 9 Nov 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed centuries-old remains of shops,
tenements and cobblestones under the Royal Mile. Experts believe many
of the remains found during work to build a visitor centre at the
Tron Kirk date back more than 500 years. The latest find comes 33
years after the remains of Marlin's Wynd - a 16th century lane
linking the High Street and the Cowgate - were uncovered in the
basement of the building. But John Lawson, chief archaeologist with
the city council, said some of the new finds could date back even
further.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1781842007

Georgian brewery remains found
Whitehaven News [UK], 08/11/2007

THE remains of an 18th century brewery have been discovered during an
archaeological dig in Whitehaven town centre. In scenes reminiscent
of Time Team five trenches have been dug as part of excavations on
the former Studholme and Dickson garage site, Irish Street. The work
is required to comply with a planning condition placed on site
owners, W R Richardson Ltd of Winder Brow Farm, Winder, Frizington,
who are due to undertake a £2.2million project to develop the area
into 27 apartments. Trenches to various depths have discovered
domestic cellars to the front of the site and industrial-use remains
to the rear. The findings are consistent with a 1790 map of the area
which identifies the area as an “Old Brewery.” “It’s a significant
find for the post-medieval planned town of Whitehaven,’’ said Jason
Mole of AOC Archaeology Group, Carlisle.
http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=561847

Archaeologists hit pay dirt in Bristol
Warren Times Gazette [USA], November 7, 2007

Archaeologists digging at the site of a future condominium complex on
Thames Street have discovered the remains of a rum distillery that
likely played a role in Bristol's portion of the infamous Triangle
Trade in the early 19th century. Digging several feet below street
grade in a vacant lot just north of Gillary's Tavern, researchers
over the past five weeks have found approximately 17 molasses
fermentation vats and the remains of a brick still base that would
have helped fuel the distilling operation. Now, the state is working
with developer James Roiter to come up with a plan to document the
site before development begins. "We're very excited about it," said
Suzanne Cherau, who is heading the project for the archaeological
contractor hired for the job, Public Archaeology Laboratory (PAL) in
Pawtucket.
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/290240075704755.php

Ancient Chinese coins unearthed in C Vietnam
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-08

A jar containing Chinese ancient coins dating back to the 10th or
11th century has been unearthed in Vietnam's central Quang Tri
province, local newspaper Saigon Liberation reported Thursday. A
metal scrap collector from Trieu Phong district found the bronze
coins weighing some 34 kg one meter below the earth surface. One side
of many coins has four Chinese characters. Most of the coins were
made in China between the 11th century and the 12 century in the
North Sung Dynasty, and the remainder in Vietnam in the 15th century,
said Le Duc Tho, vice director of the Quang Tri Museum.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/08/content_7032305.htm

Erection of a Trading Center on 6000-Year-Old Civilization
CHN [Iran], 10 November 2007

According to cultural heritage enthusiasts association in Qom
province, the skeleton of a giant trading center has been erected on
the remains of the historic texture of Qom. This is while, prior to
this after conducting excavation in this region, archeologists warned
about existence of 6000-year-old historical evidence in this part of
the city. Construction of this trading center has not only destroyed
the historical evidence in this part of city of Qom but has also
intruded the vicinity of two historic houses in ancient context of
the city. Following demolishing a major part of the historic texture
of Qom, the municipality of Qom issued the credit for construction of
a trading center in this area due to which, a trading complex will be
constructed in Shad Qoli 6000-year-old historic site.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7374

Egypt to restrict visits to Tutankhamun tomb
Reuters, 11 Nov 2007

Egypt will limit the number of visitors to the tomb of the Pharaoh
Tutankhamun to 400 a day from December 1 and close it from May 2008
for restoration work on the wall paintings, the government said on
Sunday. A statement from the Supreme Antiquities Council said the aim
was to preserve the tomb, but it gave no details. The face of the boy
pharaoh went on display in the antechamber of the tomb last week when
his mummified body was moved from his stone sarcophagus to a sealed
Plexiglas case.Chief archaeologist Zahi Hawass said at the time that
the new arrangement would protect the mummy from the damage caused by
hundreds of visitors breathing out humid air.
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN147354.html

#====================#

More on:

Ancient Salad Dressing Found in Jars at Bottom of Mediterranean
FOX News [USA], November 09, 2007

   Genetic analysis has revealed the contents of an ancient shipwreck
dating back to the era of the Roman Republic and Athenian Empire. The
cargo was olive oil flavored with oregano. Beyond discovering
ingredients for Italian salad dressing on the sea floor, such
research could provide a wealth of insights concerning the everyday
life of ancient seafaring civilizations that would otherwise be lost
at sea. An international team of U.S. and Greek researchers
investigated the remains of a 2,400-year-old shipwreck that lies 230
feet (70 meters) deep, roughly a half-mile (1 kilometer) off the
coast of the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. The shipwreck's
contents, revealed in early 2006, has now been more fully analyzed.
By deploying a robot to the wreck to collect two amphoras — two-
handled earthenware jars often used by ancient Greeks and Romans —
they were able to obtain DNA samples by scraping the insides of the
ceramics.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,310038,00.html

Stonehenge's huge support settlement
BBC, 5 November 2007

Archaeologists working near Stonehenge have uncovered what they
believe is the largest Neolithic settlement ever discovered in
Northern Europe. Remains of an estimated 300 houses are thought to
survive under earthworks 3km (2 miles) from the famous stone rings,
and 10 have been excavated so far. But there could have been double
that total according to the archaeologist leading the work. "What is
really exciting is realising just how big the village for the
Stonehenge builders was," says Professor Mike Parker Pearson of
Sheffield University. Allowing four per house, he estimates there
could have been room for more than 2,000 people.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7078578.stm

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Smashed vases go back on display
BBC, 9 November 2007

Three 17th Century Chinese porcelain vases accidentally smashed when
a museum visitor tripped are back on public display after being
restored. The porcelain vases, from the Qing Dynasty, were broken in
January 2006 when Nick Flynn crashed into them at the Fitzwilliam
Museum in Cambridge. Specialist ceramic restorer Penny Bendall, from
Suffolk, took six months to restore the pieces. They will now be
housed in a specially designed case.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/7087084.stm

#====================#

Features:

Mexican standoff: the battle of Chichen Itza
The Independent [UK], 07 November 2007

The problem is partly one simply of Chichen Itza struggling to cope
with its newfound fame. It is four months since it was designated one
of the Seven New Wonders of the World in a global competition that
invited people to vote via the internet. What most visitors do not
know is that beneath the crisis of the vendors is a far more profound
struggle over who is actually in charge of the park. As they file
through the turnstiles, they are setting foot not on government
property but on land owned by the Barbachanos, a prominent Yucatá
family. Since the results of the Seven Wonders vote was announced in
July, Chichen Itza has been plunged into a dispute over its
ownership, pitting the Barbachanos against the federal government.
The row is as bitter as any Mexico has seen in decades, and echoes
the raw class warfare that triggered the national revolution of 1910.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3135400.ece

The rise of blockbuster art shows
BBC, 6 November 2007

When the Tutankhamun exhibition opens at London's O2 arena on 15
November, it will face much more competition than it did the last
time it came to the UK in 1972. Since then, the phenomenon of
blockbuster art show has exploded. "Museums now have to do
blockbuster shows to get the people in," says Paul Williamson,
director of museum and gallery work at Constantine, which specialises
in transporting works of art. "They're under financial pressure to
tour the exhibitions: so various exhibitions may undertake a five, 10
or 15-venue tour around the world." And packing techniques have also
changed since Constantine packed the original Tutankhamun exhibition
in 1972. "I would say it's advanced tremendously - 500% - and it
changes every year."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7080721.stm

The clay soldiers speak of the good and bad of absolute rule
The Guardian [UK], November 8, 2007

The British Museum's Terracotta Army exhibition is a hot item: if you
try to book a ticket online you can only get them for January. These
clay soldiers from the tomb of China's first emperor have clearly
caught the public imagination. But what do they try to tell us? What
is the legacy of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi? To me it is one of absolute
rule, for good or bad. This was the emperor who, in 221BC, put an end
to 350 years of warring states, unifying China for the first time,
giving it a common script, a common currency, common weights and
measures. He tried to impose uniformity of thought, too, burning
books and burying scholars alive. He built a road system that linked
the empire, and even the road width was measured to a standard axle
size. One of his most extraordinary feats of standardisation was to
have all arrows made the same length with identical replaceable tips.
Any arrow would fit any bow. The first emperor invented mass
production long before Henry Ford. The serried ranks of the
terracotta soldiers in the tomb - which, despite their individual
appearance, were also mass produced - are a display of the military
organisation which, together with his brilliant generalship and
guile, enabled him to subdue his rivals.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2206977,00.html

What do mummies eat?
Durham Region News [USA], Nov 06, 2007

Research undertaken by Trent University assistant anthropology
professor Jocelyn Williams into the diets of recently unearthed
mummies has revealed fascinating insights into the lives of the
ancient Inca of Peru. An ancient cemetery containing the remains of
500-year old mummies was discovered underneath the coastal town of
Tupac Amaru, located near Lima, Peru. Due to the extreme dryness of
this coastal desert, the people buried there were exceptionally well
preserved and many still retained their skin, hair, fingernails,
eyelashes, and even tattoos. Prof. Williams sampled different tissues
from the mummies, such as bone, skin, hair, nail, tendon and muscle
to test for chemical signatures left behind by the various foods
consumed by these people. "Because bone develops very slowly, it
records diets for the past 15 years, and hair, which grows at a rate
of one centimetre per month, records diets in the weeks before
death," explained Prof. Williams.
http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/life/article/88858

'An incredible moment'
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 8 - 14 November 2007

The last tourists may have been leaving the Valley of the Kings on
the West Bank in Luxor but the area in front of the tomb of
Tutankhamun remained far from deserted. Instead of the tranquillity
that usually descends on the area in the evening it was a hive of
activity. TV crews trailed masses of equipment, journalists milled
and photographers held their cameras at the ready. The reason? For
the first time since Howard Carter discovered the tomb in 1922 the
mummy of Tutankhamun was being prepared for public display. Inside
the subterranean burial chamber Egypt's archaeology supremo Zahi
Hawass, accompanied by four Egyptologists, two restorers and three
workmen, were slowly lifting the mummy from the golden sarcophagus
where it has been rested -- mostly undisturbed -- for more than 3,000
years. The body was then placed on a wooden stretcher and transported
to its new home, a high- tech, climate-controlled plexi-glass
showcase located in the outer chamber of the tomb where, covered in
linen, with only the face and feet exposed, it now greets visitors.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/870/eg10.htm

How The Times dug up a Tutankhamun scoop and buried its Fleet Street
rivals
The Times [UK], November 10, 2007

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 was one of the news
sensations of the century. But behind that familiar story lies
another, untold tale worthy of Evelyn Waugh’s Scoop: a story of
newspaper skulduggery in a foreign land, chequebook journalism,
feuding, drunken hacks, secret codes and fantastic expenses claims.
It is a story of archaeologists working underground to unearth the
most beautiful and sacred treasures, while above ground journalists
slugged it out in an unholy media scrum. And it is a story, revealed
in documents from the Times archives, in which this newspaper played
the central role. The Times broke the news that Howard Carter and
Lord Carnarvon had found an intact royal tomb in Luxor on November
30, 1922, instigating what would now be called a media feeding frenzy
across the globe...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1tel5
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/
specials/tutankhamun/article2843877.ece

#====================#

Miscellany:

Institute to Get Ancient Bible Parchment
The Guardian [UK], November 8, 2007

The family of man who held a fragment of a more than 1,000-year-old
manuscript of the Hebrew Bible for six decades as a good luck charm
will present it to a Jerusalem institute next week, officials said
Thursday. The parchment, about "the size of a credit card," is
believed to be part of the most authoritative manuscript of the
Hebrew Bible, the Aleppo Codex, said Michael Glatzer, academic
secretary of the Yad Ben Zvi institute. It contains verses from the
Book of Exodus describing the plagues in Egypt, including the words
of Moses to Pharaoh, "Let my people go, that they may serve me." Sam
Sabbagh, then a 17-year-old Syrian, picked up a piece of the
manuscript off the floor of a synagogue in Aleppo, Syria in 1947. The
synagogue had been burned the previous day in riots that followed the
decision by the United Nations to partition Palestine, a step to
creation of the Jewish state of Israel.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7062392,00.html

Digital technology brings 2,400-year-old Chinese bells to life
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-09

The ancient sounds of a set of 2,400-year-old bells are chiming in
central China thanks to the wonders of digital technology. At the 7th
China Arts Festival being held in central China's Hubei Province,
digital technology has captured the sounds of a precious set of
bronze bells and their ancient tones are one of the highlights of the
ongoing gala. Using high-definition microphones, the Hubei Provincial
Museum recorded the sounds of the ancient set of bells from the
Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). It transformed them into
digital code which was stored in a soundtrack database with the help
of midi technology. The sound of the bells drew great public acclaim
when the technology was used to play the Beethoven classic "Ode to
Joy" at the festival which is being held in Wuhan and four other
Hubei Province cities.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/09/content_7040929.htm

Oldest Union command flag revealed
The Guardian [UK], November 9, 2007

A vast Union command flag that flew from the main mast of Earl Howe's
ship, the Queen Charlotte, in a naval battle against the French in
June 1794 was carefully unfurled on the marble floor of the Queen's
House in Greenwich yesterday for the first time since the National
Maritime Museum bought it earlier this year. It is the only known
example of an 18th-century Union command flag and its battered state
- bleached by flying spray, tattered at the edges from lashing winds,
and riddled with shot holes - shows why. Conservation work will cost
almost as much as the £40,000 the museum paid, after a public appeal
to save it from export.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2208092,00.html

Last working WWI tank go on show
BBC, 8 November 2007

The last fully operational World War I tank is going on parade again
90 years after it was first unveiled to the British public. The Mk V
is being taken from the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, to London
where it will join the procession during Lord Mayor's Show on
Saturday. The army's new secret weapon was taken into battle for the
first time in 1916 but not shown to the public until 1917. The museum
said its Mk V is the last one of its kind that could be driven.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/7085101.stm

80,000 Reagan artefacts missing from museum
The Guardian [UK], November 9, 2007

The elephant figurine? Gone. The Western-style embossed belt buckle?
Gone. The crocheted version of the Stars and Stripes? Also gone. A
government audit of the Ronald Reagan presidential library and museum
has failed to account for thousands of items of White House
memorabilia. The missing artefacts - amounting to as many as 80,000
pieces in the collection of 100,000 - were reported by the Los
Angeles Times yesterday. The disappearance has raised doubts about
the management of the facility dedicated to the preservation of
Reagan's legacy, as well as the entire system of presidential libraries.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2208144,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 04.11.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

A somewhat slow week ...

#====================#

Archaeologists Unearth Rare State Seals from 1st Bulgarian Empire
Novinite [Bulgaria], 3 November 2007

Archaeologists have made a sensational finding on Saturday, dated
back to the first Bulgarian Empire (years 681-1018) in the ancient
Bulgarian capital of Pliska. The team of archaeologists found state
seals, which belonged to the rulers Simeon and Petar. The interesting
thing is that the seals were found in the base of one of the wooden
fortified walls, quite far from the Tzar palace. The archaeologists
unearthed the findings, while they were having excavations at a chain
of living and public buildings. The scientists were very surprised
when, among the tools, the bone and medal jewelry and pots they found
also archbishop and ruler's insignia.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=87125

Iron Age chain discovery hailed
BBC, 1 November 2007

A 2,000-year-old bronze Iron Age chain has been discovered during
work in Scatness. The chain, with 20 double links and the remains of
possibly the clasp, was recovered from a roundhouse wall by the
Shetland Amenity Trust. The chain is described as extremely well
preserved and adds to the jewellery and other metal artefacts found
at the site. Shetland Archaeologist Val Turner said: "This discovery
is quite rare."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/7073020.stm

Ancient sea travellers had heads in the clouds
The Telegraph [UK], 31/10/2007

A stone tool found on a remote Pacific island has provided evidence
that early Polynesians travelled 2,500 miles by canoe using only the
stars, clouds and seabirds as navigational aids. Scientists have
found that the stone adze, found on a coral atoll in what is now
French Polynesia, was quarried from volcanic rock in Hawaii, on the
other side of the Pacific Ocean. It was transported about 1,000 years
ago by Polynesian voyagers in wooden canoes, either as a chunk of
uncut rock used for ballast, or as a gift or memento. Its Hawaiian
provenance confirms what Pacific peoples have long been told through
folklore - that their ancestors were among the most skilled
navigators in history.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t3xf
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/31/
wpolynesian1.xml

Luban carpentry ruler found in E China's Shandong
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-10-31

-- An ancient Luban (a carpenter as well as an inventor in ancient
China) carpentry ruler has recently been in the spotlight in Zhaoyuan
in Yantai, east China's Shandong province. An amateur photographer
said he received it from a Taoist priest. Yantai Evening News reports
the ruler is nearly 461 centimeters long and divided into eight
bigger spaces which contain a number of smaller spaces. It was
reportedly made by legendary ancient Chinese engineer and carpenter
Lu Ban some 2500 years ago.     The Luban carpentry ruler was used in
ancient times in the construction of residential houses and
furniture. A whole structure and each of its parts would have its
height, width and length measured in lucky numbers.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/31/content_6981054.htm

Cemetery reveals prehistoric practices
ScienceAlert [Australia], 01 November 2007

Analysis of a 3000-year old burial site in Vanuatu has revealed
strange funerary customs and other important evidence of the way of
life of prehistoric Pacific islanders according to a report released
30 October 2007. The sixty skeletons were found buried next to ornate
ceramic pots, some in carefully laid out south-facing graves, and in
one case three heads  had been laid on the dead person’s chest. The
research team, including several Australians, has been working on the
site since its discovery in 2003. Their findings will be published 30
October 2007 in the journal American Antiquity. The scientists,  from
Durham, UK, Otago, NZ  and the Australian National University, have
analysed the strontium, carbon and oxygen isotope signatures of the
teeth of many of the skeletons to get  vital information about their
geological origin, their diet and likely source of their drinking water.
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20070111-16526-2.html

Dig uncovers ancient desert dwellers
ScienceAlert [Australia], 02 November 2007

New archaeological evidence, published in October in the journal
Australian Aboriginal Studies, reveals that Aboriginal people visited
the Watarrka Plateau, south-west of Alice Springs, 13,000 years ago.
Archaeologists Dr June Ross from the University of New England and Dr
Mike Smith from the National Museum of Australia were dropped by
helicopter on the Watarrka Plateau as part of a survey of rock art in
the Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park. "The new finds were
unexpected," said Dr Ross (who is pictured here at the Watarrka
site). "We were carrying out a small excavation to establish the age
of a rock art site, when we uncovered stone artefacts – small, multi-
purpose tools – in an ancient buried sand plain." Radiocarbon dating
of charcoal in these sediments showed that Aboriginal people were
using the area at the end of the last ice age. "While the results
from the excavation at Watarrka provide a small window into the
past," Dr Ross explained, "we will have to uncover additional
evidence before we can establish a clear picture of desert life over
the past 13,000 years."
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20070211-16527-2.html

China's terra-cotta warriors museum partially closed for repairs
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-11-01

The No.2 pit of the famed terra-cotta warriors excavated around the
Mausoleum of Qinshihuang, the First Emperor of China's Qin Dynasty
(221 B.C.-206 B.C.), was closed to visitors for almost six months of
repair work from Thursday. A spokesman with Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta
Warriors and Horses Museum said leaks had been found in places in the
roof of the shedover the pit. "When it rains, the water comes in
although we have time and again asked experts to mend the leaks, so
we decided to close the pit and repair the roof," said the spokesman.
However, the only part of the pit affected by the leaks was
theunexcavated part.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/01/content_6991631.htm

Part of Ancient Wall in Rome Collapses
CHN [Iran], 3 November 2007

The wall, part of a 16th century restoration, crumbled into a pile of
bricks Thursday evening after water infiltrated the section, said
Paola Virgili, an official in charge of the wall’s restoration. No
one was reported hurt. The Aurelian Wall-named after the third
century emperor who built it to defend the city against the first
barbarian onslaughts- surrounds Rome with more than 11 miles of
fortification, towers and gates. Experts had previously determined
that the entire wall section in the area, a 1100-foot stretch in the
north of the capital, was in danger of collapsing and they had
planned to start restoring it Monday. “It cam down before we could
even cordon it off. The problem is that these walls have a certain
age and they are vulnerable to water infiltration,” added Virgili.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7371

Archaeology Base Will Be Constructed on Trapezitsa Hill
Bononia [Bulgaria], 2007-10-30

The ministry of culture will finance the construction of an
archaeology base on the “Trapezitsa Hill” in Veliko Tarnovo. This
will be the first of its kind building in Bulgaria. The building is
situated on a total area of 250 square metres. The ministry of
Culture will support the project with 300 000 BGN. The archaeology
base will be half dug in the ground to enter in the surrounding
environment. A wide hall will be constructed in the form of atrium;
supportive rooms for the archeologists will be constructed around it.
The roof of the building will service as a scenery ground. The whole
building will be easy accessible for disabled people. Plamen Tsanev
is the architect of the building. After the end of the archaeology
works on the Trapezitsa hill it will become information centre and a
museum. The project is expected to be completed by the next
archaeology season.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t4k6
http://www.visitbulgaria.net/en/veliko_tarnovo/news/20071030/
trapezitsa_hill.html

Face of Tutankhamun reconstructed
BBC, 10 May, 2005

Scientists have carried out the first facial reconstructions of
Egypt's most famous ancient king, Tutankhamun. Three teams of
forensic artists - French, Egyptian and American - built separate but
similar models of the king's face using scans of his skull. The
French and Egyptians knew who they were recreating, but the Americans
were not told where the skull came from. The models of the boy king,
who died 3,300 years ago, reveal a young man with plump cheeks and a
round chin. The models bear a striking resemblance to the mask which
covered the mummified face of King Tutankhamun when his remains were
found by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 and other ancient
portraits.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4535027.stm

Tutankhamun's face goes on public display in tomb
Reuters, 4 Nov 2007

Egypt put the mummy of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun on display in his
tomb in the Valley of the Kings on Sunday, giving visitors their
first chance to see the face of a ruler who died more than 3,000
years ago. In the dimly lit burial chamber workmen removed the gilded
lid of Tutankhamun's mummy case and then hoisted the padded box
containing the mummy out of the stone sarcophagus where it has lain
for most of the time since Tutankhamun's early death. They then moved
it to a climate-controlled acrylic glass showcase in the tomb's
antechamber and sealed the cover. His wizened face is visible at one
end, a white linen cloth covers his body and his blackened feet
protrude at the other end. The mummy's face has high cheekbones and
cracked and blackened skin with an intact nose. Zahi Hawass, the
Egyptian government's chief archaeologist and a passionate promoter
of ancient Egypt, supervised the operation, broadcast live on some
television channels.
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN454082.html

Ancient skeleton was 'even older'
BBC, 30 October 2007

The Red Lady of Paviland has always been a little coy about her age -
but it appears she may be 4,000 years older than previously thought.
Scientists say more accurate tests date the earliest human burial
found in the UK to just over 29,000 years ago. When discovered in a
cave on Gower in the 1820s the bones were thought to be around 18,000
years old, but were later redated to between 25,000 and 26,000.
Researchers said it casts a new light on human presence in western
Europe. The team from Oxford University and the British Museum said
new dating techniques provided more accurate results. The skeleton of
the Red Lady - actually a young male - was discovered at Goat's Hole
Cave at Paviland on Gower in 1823 by William Buckland, then a geology
professor at Oxford University. It owes its name to the red ochre
covering the bones.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7069001.stm

Cask from the past
Exduco [Italy], 2007-10-31

For the first time, researchers have identified DNA from inside
ceramic containers in an ancient shipwreck on the seafloor, making it
possible to determine what the ship's cargo was even though there was
no visible trace of it. The findings, by a team from MIT, the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Lund University in Sweden,
are being reported in an upcoming issue of the Journal of
Archeological Science. By scraping samples from inside two of the
containers, called amphoras, the researchers were able to obtain DNA
sequences that identified the contents of one as olive oil and
oregano. The other probably contained wine, and the researchers are
conducting further analyses to confirm this.
http://www.exduco.net/news.php?id=2494

MSU researchers using high-tech methods to trace ancient pottery
Commercial Dispatch [USA], October 31, 2007

A Mississippi State University anthropologist will use a $46,000
national grant to employ a new non-destructive method for tracing
Southeastern prehistoric pottery and other artifacts to their
sources. MSU associate professor Evan Peacock, senior research
associate with the university's Cobb Institute of Archaeology, is
receiving funding from the National Park Services' National Center
for Preservation Technology and Training. Evans is leading a team
that will analyze the chemical composition of mussel shells and
Native American pottery with the Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled
Plasma-Mass Spectrometer.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t4kn
http://www.cdispatch.com/articles/2007/10/31/local_news/area_news/
area04.txt

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More on:

Major Archaeological Find in Puerto Rico
Associated Press, October 29, 2007

U.S. and Puerto Rican archaeologists say they have found the best-
preserved pre-Columbian site in the Caribbean, which could shed light
on virtually every aspect of Indian life in the region, from sacred
rituals to eating habits. The archaeologists believe the site in
southern Puerto Rico may have belonged to the Taino or pre-Taino
people that inhabited the island before European colonization,
although other tribes are a possibility. It contains stones etched
with ancient petroglyphs that form a large plaza measuring some 130
feet by 160 feet, which could have been used for ball games or
ceremonial rites, said Aida Belen Rivera, director of the Puerto
Rican Historic Conservation office. The petroglyphs include the
carving of a human figure with masculine features and frog legs.
Archaeologists also uncovered several graves with bodies buried face-
down with the legs bent at the knees — a style never seen before in
the region. The plaza may contain other artifacts dating from 600
A.D. to 1500 A.D., including piles of refuse from daily life, Rivera
said.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJdOQXrRIqmWgPuJvP-gKC6lzePwD8SIEOP80

Headless Skeletons Reveal Secrets of Ancient Islanders
National Geographic News, November 2, 2007

A bizarre, 3,000-year-old burial site is providing rare insights into
the lives of an ancient island culture. The site in the South Pacific
country of Vanuatu includes a skull in a jar and 60 headless skeletons
—one of them with three skulls arrayed across its rib cage. In 2003
construction workers at Teouma, an archaeological site on Éfaté
Island, unearthed 60 skeletons. Their skulls had been taken away by
mourners some time after burial. But a new isotope analysis of teeth
left behind has given researchers new clues to the lifestyle and
origins of the mysterious Lapita people, ancestors of today's
Polynesians and Melanesians—roughly the peoples of the central and
southeastern Pacific north and east of Australia.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t4kj
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071102-headless-
skeleton.html

#====================#

Features:

Searching for the sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia
Exduco [Italy], 2007-10-30

Near Amarynthos (Euboea, Greece), a joint excavation by the Swiss
School and the 11th Greek Ephorate brought to light the foundations
of a large building, possibly belonging to the renowned sanctuary of
Artemis Amarysia. In September, a team of Swiss and Greek
archaeologists led by Denis Knoepfler and Amalia Karapaschalidou
discovered the massive foundation of an edifice that could belong to
the most renowned -yet still unlocated- sanctuary on the island of
Euboea, dedicated to Artemis Amarysia. Deep trenches opened at the
foot of the Paleoekklisies hill, near modern Amarynthos (10
kilometres east of Eretria), unearthed a foundation composed of two
courses of large tuff blocks. Excavated on a length of 6 meters, the
line of the wall extends in the neighbouring fields, making
impossible at this stage to ascertain the exact shape and function of
the building to which it belonged. Hundreds of crushed fragments of
marble were also recovered; they once belonged to the elevation of
the buidling, whose marble parts were later used for lime production.
This is confirmed by the discovery of an old limekiln just a few
meters from the foundation.
http://www.exduco.net/news.php?id=2485

Prehistoric Treasures Lost Forever
The Media Line [USA], November 01, 2007

The scene was straight out of an archaeologist's nightmare. Along the
Jordan River, archaeological remains lay in heaps with no chance of
ever being dated. The story behind hundreds of stone tools and animal
bones was lost, along with whatever mystery slumbered beneath the
soil. Eight years later Dr. Naama Goren-Inbar, an archaeologist at
The Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology, is still angry
about what happened. In 1999 Goren-Inbar was excavating a site in
Northern Israel called Gesher Benot Yaakov, when workers from the
Kinneret Drainage Authority intervened. The crew was under orders to
widen the river without affecting the excavations. In the end they
dug up sections they were not supposed to touch and carted off
archaeological material in lorries, rendering it scientifically
useless. Goren-Inbar blames the loss on the person who gave the
orders but also says the event reflects a severe lack of awareness
regarding prehistory in Israel. "It stemmed from sheer ignorance,"
Goren-Inbar says. "The damage was incredible… The authorities are not
aware of the treasures that we have. They don't know that we have to
conserve [prehistory] instead of destroying it."
http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=19435

Mummy clearest
The London Free Press, October 31, 2007

Secrets that had been kept under wraps for nearly 3,000 years were
unravelled in seconds when an Egyptian mummy underwent a CT scan at a
London hospital. The mummy slowly entered the state-of-the-art
scanner at Victoria Hospital Monday night. About a dozen researchers
from different fields watched the mummy's skeletal image emerge on a
computer screen. The image is shown at right. "That's a nice spine.
It's in pretty good shape," said Gayle Gibson of the Royal Ontario
Museum. The scan showed the mummy was four-foot-nine. The average
height for women in 950 BC, when the mummy is believed to have died,
was just under five feet, Gibson said.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2007/10/31/4618864-sun.html

Mummified male priest actually young woman
National Post [Canada], October 31, 2007

A 3,000-year-old mummy long believed to be a low-ranking male priest
from a temple in the Luxor Valley has turned out to be a young woman.
A CT scan penetrated as many as 18 layers of bandages to reveal
breasts as well as evidence the mummy had once given birth. Carried
out at Ontario's London Health Sciences Centre late Monday night,
after the clinic had closed to the living, the scan is the most
recent example of modern medical technology's increasing use to
unlock the secrets of a distant past. But in this case the dramatic
discovery has only deepened the mystery of who the person was, when
she lived and how she died. "Now that we know he's a she, it opens up
a whole other set of questions," said Andrew Nelson, an
anthropologist at the University of Western Ontario.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t4l5
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2af13f68-
faf7-48c0-ba80-88e99659dfa5&k=3286

Well dug
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 1 - 7 November 2007

Last month, Polish archaeologists celebrated an excavation tradition
going back to Kazimierz Michalowski at Edfu in 1937 ...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/869/he02.htm

The Polish school
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 1 - 7 November 2007

As their countrymen prepared for national elections, Polish
archaeologists celebrated 70 years of excavation and restoration in
Egypt. Nevine El-Aref attended the opening of a special exhibition to
mark the event ...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/869/he01.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Wanted: Archaeologists
The Arizona Republic, Nov. 1, 2007

The housing slump may have slowed business for archaeologists in
Arizona, but it hasn't made the need for their services a thing of
the past. "Actually, in the Valley as a whole, there's a lack of
field archaeologists," said Glen Rice, a partner at Rio Salado
Archaeology LLC. "There's a lot of archaeology going on in the
Valley, but there's a plateau in archaeology in the housing sector."
Today, commercial real estate is keeping Rio Salado "holding steady,"
Rice said. Phoenix alone reviews a thousand projects a year, and
about 180 projects are going up now.
http://www.azcentral.com/abgnews/articles/1101abg-archeology11010.html

Scientist brings 50 million year old spider 'back to life'
University of Manchester News, 29 Oct 2007

A 50-million-year-old fossilised spider has been brought back to life
in stunning 3D by a scientist at The University of Manchester. In a
paper published in the latest issue of the Zootaxa journal, Dr David
Penney and co-authors from Ghent University in Belgium report on the
use of a technique called Very High Resolution X-Ray Computed
Tomography (VHR-CT) to 'digitally dissect' tiny fossils and reveal
the preservation of internal organs. Dr Penney, from The School of
Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (SEAES), specialises in
studying spiders trapped and preserved in amber tens of millions of
years ago. The male spider studied in his latest paper is a new
species named Cenotextricella simoni. It is around 53 million years
old and was found preserved in amber in an area of France known as
the Paris Basin. This is the first time the VHR-CT technique has been
used to digitally dissect a fossil in amber - and Dr Penney says it
has the potential to 'revolutionise' their study. The VHR-CT
technique was originally developed for medical diagnostic purposes.
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=126623

Oldest known bratwurst discovered
Metro [UK], November 1, 2007

A hobby historian has discovered the oldest known recipe for German
sausage, a list of ingredients for Thuringian bratwurst nearly 600
years old. According to the 1432 guidelines, Thuringian sausage
makers had to use only the purest, unspoiled meat and were threatened
with a fine of 24 pfennigs -- a day's wages -- if they did not, a
spokesman for the German Bratwurst Museum said on Wednesday.
Historian Hubert Erzmann, 75, found the ancient recipe, inscribed
with pen and ink in a heavy tome of parchment, earlier this year
while doing research in an archive in the eastern town of Weimar,
museum spokesman Thomas Maeuer said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t3x7
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?
in_article_id=73899&in_page_id=2&ito=newsnow

Rice University professor debunks National Geographic translation of
Gospel of Judas
EurekAlert [AAAS], 1-Nov-2007

   new book by Rice University professor April DeConick debunks a
stunning claim by National Geographic's translation of the Gospel of
Judas. According to that translation, Judas was a hero, not a
villain, who acted on Jesus' request to betray him. DeConick
disagrees. Before releasing her book "The Thirteenth Apostle: What
the Gospel of Judas Really Says," DeConick was intrigued by the
original release of the Coptic Gospel of Judas and as a scholar
wanted to read it for herself. While researching and translating it,
she discovered that National Geographic's translators had made some
serious errors. "Once I started translating the Gospel of Judas and
began to see the types of translation choices that the National
Geographic team had made I was startled and concerned," DeConick
said. "The text very clearly called Judas a 'demon.'" DeConick
contends that the Gospel of Judas is not about a "good" Judas or even
a "poor old" Judas. It is a gospel parody about a "demon" Judas
written by a particular group of Gnostic Christians who lived in the
second century. "The finding of this gospel has been called one of
the most important archaeological discoveries in the past 60 years,"
DeConick said. "It's important that we get this right."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/ru-rup110107.php

Egypt's top archaeologist sells trademark hats for charity
International Herald Tribune [France], October 31, 2007

Egypt's top archaeologist has made about US$500,000 (€348,000) for a
children's charity by selling copies of his trademark leather hat
during a recent King Tut tour, he said Wednesday. Zahi Hawass, the
country's top antiquities official, said that the replicas of his
trademark Indiana Jones hat were sold for US$45 (€31) each during the
two-year tour that wrapped up this fall. "Tutankhamun and the Golden
Age of the Pharaohs" drew nearly 4 million visitors during its two-
year foreign tour. The brown suede hat carries Hawass' picture and
signature.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t3wi
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/31/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Hawass-
Hat.php

How they turned King Tut to tat
The Guardian [UK], November 4, 2007

Aboiling hot day in Philadelphia - late September, 90 degrees - and I
am standing on the steps of the Franklin Institute, a big and stately
science museum and the temporary host of what is currently the
world's most successful touring exhibition: Tutankhamun and the
Golden Age of the Pharaohs. A guard tells me that, this morning
alone, they are expecting 500 schoolchildren. Is he exaggerating? No.
A moment later the doors swing open and the first batch advances on
us like a miniature army. These kids don't make my journey around the
exhibition easy - especially since (pray that this trend never
crosses the Atlantic) many of them have iPods with big microphones
attached, into which they read aloud the notes that accompany the
exhibits. It's maddening. So, too, is the sound from the headsets
worn by those taking the audio tour, which is narrated by Omar Sharif
- and the fact that each room has piped music: pan pipes when you're
learning about Tutankhamun's wacky relatives; choral stuff once
you're 'inside' his tomb.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/architecture/story/0,,2204773,00.html

Revealed: What IS the secret of Silbury Hill?
The Daily Mail [UK], 3rd November 2007

Pagan burial site? Too boring. UFO landing pad? Too bonkers. So what
IS the secret of Silbury Hill? Terry the Druid reveals all ...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1t3x2
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?
in_article_id=491447&in_page_id=1770&ito=newsnow

#====================#

Curiosa:

Ancient orange arousing interest
BBC, 2 November 2007

A dried-up orange is attracting great interest since being put on
display at a Staffordshire museum. The 116-year-old fruit belonged to
miner Joseph Roberts, who was fatally injured in an explosion at a
Stoke-on-Trent pit in 1891. It had been kept by his family but has
been donated to the Potteries Museum. A spokeswoman said the museum
had received many calls about the orange and expected larger-than-
usual numbers of visitors at the weekend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/7075358.stm

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 28.10.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Roman villa discovered in Austria
IOL News [South Africa], October 25 2007

Archaeologists in the western Austrian province Tyrol unearthed the
remains of a large-scale Roman villa, complete with extensive floor
mosaics that may have been also a source for a number of local
legends. The archaeologists from Innsbruck University stumbled upon
references to the 1 800-year-old, long since forgotten building
situated near the town Lienz in a manuscript penned in Latin, dating
back to the mid-18th century. Tyrolean proto-archaeologist Anton
Roschmann wrote that he found Roman remains in 1746, but his findings
were lost, the Austrian Press Agency reported. During a dig in
October the remains of five rooms of a building dating back to Roman
times wear unearthed on a 300-square-metre plot. The remains of the
walls show colourful wall paintings, the archaeologists said, but the
most astounding find were large-scale floor mosaics in three of the
rooms.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1srvi
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?
set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20071025122641496C214281

Statues and Cuneiform Tablets Discovered at Tel Mary Site
Syrian Arab News Agency, October 23, 2007

The French expedition excavating in the Tel Mary site near the city
of Bu Kamal announced on Tuesday the discovery of several important
archeological findings. According to the head of expedition Professor
Pascal Peterlain, the excavations at five locations within the royal
wall at Tel Mary site lasted for 33 days and uncovered three statues,
eight cuneiform tablets dating back to the third millennium BC, in
addition to graves dating to the 17th millennium BC and several shops
and bread-making kilns. These findings will be handed over to the
Deir el-Zor Museum.
http://www.sana.org/eng/35/2007/10/23/144982.htm

Roman Statue Found by Building in South-Western Town Kurdjali
News.bg [Bulgaria], 25.10.2007

13 year- old boy found a Roman statue during excavation works for a
house building near Kurdjali. Archaeologists suppose the statue was
part of decoration of aristocratic villa from the Roman age. The find
is well- preserved bottom half of a female body and is produced of
high- quality white marble from the Rodopi Mountain.
http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_380438511

Discovery of a Sasanian Wine Production Workshop in Firuzabad
CAIS News [Iran], 22 October 2007

Archaeological excavations behind Tangab dam in Firuzabad region in
Fars province have led to discovery of a wine production workshop
dating back to Sasanian dynastic era (224-651 CE). Announcing this
news, Hossein Tofighian, head of excavation team behind Tangab dam in
Fars province told Persian service of CHN: “The discovered
constructions are consisted of three sections including a place for
drying raw materials, a storing place, and a place for extracting
grape juice. Contrary to our previous beliefs, instead of mortar,
plaster and stone were used in these constructions. ” Head of
excavation team behind Tangab dam further explained that the
discovered industrial centre must have been 7 hectares in area, parts
of which have been demolished during road construction activities to
get access to the dam. “Therefore, we have managed to conduct our
excavations only in some parts of the hill,” added Tofighian.
Existence of vineyards which can still be seen only in 20 kilometres
distance of the discovered constructions, indicate that this part of
Fars province was a suitable place for growing grape from very
ancient times.
http://www.cais-soas.com/News/2007/October2007/22-10-discovery.htm

Discovery of Sassanian Constructions behind Tangab Dam
CHN [Iran], 22 October 2007

Archeological excavations behind Tangab dam in Firouz Abad region in
Fars province have led into discovering wine production evidence
dating back to Sassanid dynastic era (224-651 AD). Announcing this
news, Hossein Tofighian, head of excavation team behind Tangab dam in
Fars province told CHN: “The discovered constructions are consisted
of three sections including a place for drying raw materials, a
storing place, and a place for extracting grape juice. Contrary to
our previous beliefs, instead of mortar, plaster and stone were used
in these constructions. ”
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7358

Medieval buildings found near Palace
The Local [Sweden], 25th October 2007

Previously undiscovered medieval buildings have been found outside
the Royal Palace in Stockholm, leading historians to revise their
previous understanding of how the Stockholm of the late middle ages
looked. "They were probably built in the 14th century, which is
pretty old for Stockholm, which was founded in 1252," said John
Hedlund, archaeologist at Stockholm Stadsmuseet. The buildings are
made of stone and brick, and were probably houses or storehouses, or
a combination of the two.
http://www.thelocal.se/8904/20071025/

Roman evidence unearthed in Bidford
Stratford Standard [UK], 25 October 2007

EVIDENCE of a what could prove to be a Roman farmstead has been
uncovered in Bidford. The discovery was made through an
archaeological project set up to spark interest in digging up the
past. As part of Buried Under Bidford, run by Warwickshire County
Council's Museum Field Services, volunteers from all walks of life
have been treading a field at Wixford Lodge Farm over the past two
weekends looking for evidence of any ancient settlements. And through
fieldwalking, the simple process of dividing the field into segments
and walking each inspecting the ground and picking up anything
unusual for further analysis by the experts on hand, a wealth of
Roman pottery and tiles were found. Worked flint pointing to human
activity on the site thousands of years ago was also uncovered.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1srv1
http://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/News.tvt?%5Fscope=Flow%2FWebsites%
2FStratford%2FNews&id=25899&%
5Fticket=65MVWVXLQGSGX237CAMAAQ6FBQKACK3URGQFIR0CAN0FANSBCIZGXQRFLZ9KMMT
EDYLABHSI7SUEIOPNCNSEANYECGSGW45MHONCNV1DALOL6Z5FURUSNNNADYN1WKLAFURGUXS
EIOUD9NTLDKLAIMRGUYVEIOQL3

Antiquarians told of treasures found at high school site
The Arran Banner [UK], 27 October, 2007

Last Monday Thomas Rees of Rathmell Archaeology Ltd told the Arran
Antiquarians about the excavations carried out at Arran High prior to
the building of the new school. He runs a commercial archaeology
company which specialises in ‘rescue’ digs at sites earmarked for
development that local councils are legally required to undertake so
that no valuable archaeology is lost forever. At the high school
preliminary trenches were dug outside the playing pitches but nothing
much of interest was found, except a fire pit and some post holes. As
soon as the full site was available a large trench was dug across the
field and this yielded a treasure trove of finds. At first a stone
kist — a coffin-shaped stone sided box, big enough for a crouched
burial or a funerary urn containing ashes, topped with a large
capstone — was uncovered. This led to the digging of a larger trench
of 30 x 30 metres, which revealed four more kists and four urn
cremations. No human remains were found, only a knife and seven
Bronze Age pottery vessels.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1srw3
http://www.arranbanner.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/699/
Antiquarians_told_of_treasures_found_at_high_school_site.html

Napoleonic 'igloo' listening post unearthed at college in kent
24 Hour Museum [UK], 24/10/2007

A unique Napoleonic listening post, built to defend Chatham Dockyard
from French invasion, has been discovered during building work at a
college in Kent. The 19th century brick-built igloo-like structure
was unearthed during construction of the new Mid Kent College (MKC)
site at Gillingham. It would have been used as a monitoring station
for soldiers to listen out for enemy sapping activity (tunnel
digging) and has been confirmed by English Heritage as the only known
exposed listening post in the country. Canterbury Archaeological
Trust is further investigating the site and as the find will not be
affected by the new development it is hoped that the listening post
and network of tunnels connected to it will be carefully preserved as
found.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART51617.html

Dig for freed slave's castle home
BBC, 26 October 2007

Excavations in the grounds of a Scottish castle have uncovered the
remains of a house belonging to a slave freed in the 18th Century.
The dig at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire was launched in an effort to
find out more about the life of Scipio Kennedy. The full findings
will be unveiled at a conference in Glasgow at the weekend. The
National Trust for Scotland said Scipio had been taken from his home
in Guinea at the age of six and was granted his freedom at Culzean in
1725.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7063851.stm

Homework project digs up Roman relic
The Scotsman, 28 Oct 2007

IT HAD lain undiscovered and untouched for almost 2,000 years and
could have been lost forever if not for the persistence of an amateur
archaeologist and his camera phone. Joiner Larney Cavanagh
instinctively knew he had found something special when he and his 10-
year-old son happened upon a Latin-inscribed artefact in a field near
their East Lothian home. What they did not realise was that they had
discovered the first Roman tombstone in Scotland for 173 years. But
Cavanagh's attempts to alert archaeological experts to the find were
treated with scepticism until he sent them pictures of the metre-long
object from his mobile phone. They then launched an investigation
which concluded that the memorial was one of the most important
discoveries of recent times, and provided a fascinating insight into
the life of a Roman cavalryman.
http://heritage.scotsman.com/news.cfm?id=1718052007

Farming from 6,000 years ago
Lincolnshire Echo [UK], 27 October 2007

Evidence of the farming methods of hunter-gatherers from more than
6,000 years ago have surfaced in Washingborough. Rare criss-crossed
ploughing tracks were uncovered before the construction of new
business units on Smile Lane. The feint lines were uncovered during
four weeks of painstakingly removing layers of soil by hand. And they
were made by a rudimentary tool called an ard - a form of early
plough. And flint tools buried in the soil have been bagged and
tagged for proper identification.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1sti3
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=156622&command=displayContent&sourceNode=156618&contentPK=1878971
2&folderPk=87030&pNodeId=156609

Archaeologists in Puerto Rico surprised by discovery of Indian artifacts
International Herald Tribune [France], October 27, 2007

U.S. and Puerto Rican archaeologists say they have uncovered what
they believe to be one of the most important pre-Columbian sites
found in the Caribbean, containing stones etched with ancient
petroglyphs and graves that reveal unusual burial methods. The stones
at the site in southern Puerto Rico form a large plaza measuring some
130 feet by 160 feet (40 meters by 50 meters) that could have been
used for ball games or ceremonial rites, said Aida Belen Rivera,
director of the Puerto Rican Historic Conservation office. The
petroglyphs include the carving of a human figure with masculine
features and frog legs. Archaeologists believe the site might belong
to the Taino and pre-Taino cultures that inhabited the island before
European colonization. The plaza could contain other artifacts dating
from 600 A.D. to 1500 A.D., said Rivera, whose office is receiving
general reports about the findings.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1stih
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/28/news/CB-GEN-Puerto-Rico-
Archaeological-Find.php

China's earliest household registers deciphered from Qin bamboo slips
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-10-23

Some of China's earliest household registers have recently been
deciphered from a bunch of Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC) bamboo slips
excavated from Liye, central China's Hunan Province. "According to
the household registers, slaves and maids were registered as their
masters' household members under the population management system in
China's first united empire of Qin," said Yun Chae Sok, a Korean
scholar, who specializes in reading Qin bamboo manuscripts. Some
37,000 bamboo slips were excavated from Liye, an ancient city on the
border of the present-day Hunan and Sichuan provinces, along with
other burial accessories in 2002.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/23/content_6929360.htm

Historical Discovery of Baekje Urns
The Korea Times, 10-24-2007

A set of gold, silver and bronze urns holding sari, or the remains of
a great monk after cremation, from the Baekje Kingdom (18 -660 A.D.)
has been discovered, 1,430 years after it was buried. It is
considered to be the biggest discovery from a Baekje excavation since
the digging up of a gilt-bronze incense burner in 1993, according to
the Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage Wednesday.
The urns and other sacrificial items were discovered in a Moktap, or
wooden Pagoda. It was found in the Wangheungsa Temple grounds
established by Baekje King Wideok to honor the death of his son in
577. The set is composed of a bronze cylinder urn_10.3cm in
height_holding a silver bottle-shaped urn, which contains a small
gold urn inside it.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2007/10/148_12499.html

Genetic studies show that some Neanderthals may have had red or fair
hair and lighter coloured skin
Max Planck Society [Germany], October 26th, 2007

Fossil remains of Neanderthals paint an incomplete picture; they
cannot tell us about their cognitive skills or give us details of
what they looked like. Since scientists in Svante Pääbo's team at the
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig started
looking into the DNA of Neanderthals, they have made some new and
astonishing discoveries. Just last week, the Leipzig scientists
published their discovery of the human variant of the FOXP2 gene in
our nearest relatives. And they have now revealed another interesting
detail: at least one percent of the Neanderthals in Europe may have
had red hair, according to a report by researchers working with
Carles Lalueza-Fox at the University of Barcelona, Holger Römpler at
the University of Leipzig and Michael Hofreiter at the Max Planck
Institute in Leipzig in the online edition of Science.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1srur
http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation/documentation/
pressReleases/2007/pressRelease200710261/
See also BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7062415.stm

Engineers to Search for Leonardo Fresco
Associated Press, Oct 22, 2007

Analyzing 500-year-old bricks, engineers in California are searching
for a lost Leonardo da Vinci fresco that some researchers believe is
behind a wall in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. The hunt for the "Battle
of Anghiari," an unfinished mural by Leonardo, has captivated art
historians for centuries and is now being tackled by experts wielding
state-of-the art scientific tools. Laser scanners, thermal imaging,
radar and neutrons will be employed in the project that Culture
Minister Francesco Rutelli said is expected to take about a year.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRqtO2vrEOBwKBk1TiqkbEjJ7P-w

Archeologist claims legendary Qin palace didn't exist
China.org [China Internet Information Center], October 23, 2007

"After five years of thorough research, we found no evidence of the
legendary Epang Palace," said Li Yufang, head of the Epang Palace
research team and staff researcher at the Institute of Archeology of
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), at an international
archeological workshop held recently in central China's Hunan
Province, according to a report by Beijing Morning Post on October
21. In the latest archeological excavation, the research team drilled
in an area of 135 square kilometers, extending from the Zao River to
the east, the Pei River to the west, the Wei River to the north, and
the ruins of the Kunming Lake of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) to
the south. A total of 14 historical sites were discovered, but none
of them turned out to be the magnificent Epang Palace belonging to
the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC). Li Yufang told the workshop that all
of the ruins belonged to Shanglinyuan, another imperial palace
belonging to the Qin and Han periods.
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/229363.htm

Portable Antiquities Scheme logs its 300,000th find
24 Hour Museum [UK], 23/10/2007

The Portable Antiquities Scheme, which records and logs
archaeological items found by members of the public in England and
Wales, passed an important milestone yesterday, when it recorded its
300,000th object. The find in question was a lowly Roman coin (a
nummus or radiate) logged onto the PAS database on October 22 2007 by
Charlotte Burrill, the Finds Liaison Officer for Berkshire. Brought
in by a member of the public at a Weekend Wanderer’s Rally, the
modest find now takes its place with similar finds, helping to create
an invaluable pattern of Roman archaeology across the Oxfordshire and
Berkshire region.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART51586.html

Italy Police Find Pensioner's 'Museum'
ABC News [USA], Oct. 22, 2007

Italian police have discovered a huge stash of archaeological
artefacts that a pensioner had dug up to create his own private --
and illegal -- museum, they said on Monday. Police in the Venice
region were stunned to find 12,000 items ranging from bronze age
combs to jewellery, weapons and pottery from down the ages -- many in
display cases in the man's home. "We found this guy who was doing his
own excavations, a kind of dilettante archaeologist," said Colonel
Pier Luigi Pisano of the Venice finance police, which made the raid.
"What we found has incredible value because it covers the whole
history of the region from the 18th century BC to the 18th century AD
-- 3,600 years of history contained in the pieces."
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3760863&page=1

#====================#

More on:

Canal Linking Ancient Egypt Quarry to Nile Found
National Geographic News, October 24, 2007

Experts have discovered a canal at an Aswan rock quarry that they
believe was used to help float some of ancient Egypt's largest stone
monuments to the Nile River. It has long been suspected that ancient
workers moved the massive artifacts directly to their final
destinations over waterways. Ancient artwork shows Egyptians using
boats or barges to move large monuments like obelisks and statues,
and canals have also been discovered at the Giza pyramids and the
Luxor Temple. But the newfound canal, which has since been filled in,
is the first proof discovered at the granite quarries in Aswan.
Almost all obelisks, including those at the Luxor and Karnak Temples,
were originally hewn in the Aswan area. "What you have is very strong
evidence that they may have loaded these stones in at the quarry ...
and as a result not dragging and hauling them over land," said
Richard R. Parizek, a professor of geology at Penn State University
who led the scientific tests confirming the canal's existence. "It
eliminates that land connection."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/10/071024-ancient-
egypt.html

Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers
National Geographic News, October 23, 2007

Muslim workers have unearthed artifacts on Jerusalem's Temple Mount,
says an Israeli agency. The artifacts, which date to the First Jewish
Temple period—the eighth to sixth centuries B.C.—were found by
employees of the Waqf Muslim religious trust doing maintenance work,
the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) reported. The artifacts may be
the first physical evidence of human activity at the Temple Mount—
also known as Solomon's Temple—in that time.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/10/071023-jerusalem-
artifacts.html

Dutch scholar traces ancient seal to Bible's Jezebel
Reuters, Oct 23, 2007

A Dutch scholar has traced an ancient royal seal back to the biblical
figure Queen Jezebel, based on a study of its engravings and symbols.
After close scrutiny of the images on the seal, which dates from the
9th century BC, Utrecht University Old Testament scholar Marjo Korpel
concluded that it must have belonged to Queen Jezebel, she told
Reuters on Tuesday. "Because of the symbolism on the seal, which has
to do with royalty, and the date of the seal, there is a great
possibility that it is the real seal of Queen Jezebel," said Korpel.
"There is a sphinx on the seal, which stands for royalty or king. But
this sphinx has a female crown, which I suppose has to do with a
female owner." Other symbols include two cobras and a falcon, which
she said have also been associated with royalty. The size and the
image quality of the seal, located in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem,
also led Korpel to her conclusion.
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL2317518720071023

Archaeologist uncovers 11,000-year-old artifacts in Syria
Middle East Times [Cyprus], October 23, 2007

Deep in the heart of northern Syria, close to the banks of the
Euphrates River, archaeologists have uncovered a series of startling
11,000-year-old wall paintings and artifacts. "The wall paintings
date back to the 9th millennium BC. They were discovered last month
on the wall of a house standing two meters [6.6 feet] high at
Dja'de," said Frenchman Eric Coqueugniot, who has been leading the
excavations on the west bank of the river at Dja'de, in an area
famous for its rich tradition of prehistoric treasures. The etchings
are "polychrome paintings in black, white, and red. The designs are
solely geometric, and only figurative. The composition is made up of
a system [of] cross-hatched lines, alternating between the three
colours," Coqueugniot said. They were found in a circular building,
around 7.5 meters in diameter. The excavated house features three
solid blocks where the paintings were located.
http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20071023-084658-2536r

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Battle erupts over disputed Maori head
Evening Echo [UK], 25/10/2007

A French court has ruled that a Maori head that New Zealand wants
back must remain in France. The move came after a Normandy museum
offered to return the preserved, tattooed head to New Zealand.
Instead, authorities in Rouen were told off by the French culture
minister for not checking with national authorities first. A Rouen
administrative court ruled yesterday that, pending a decision later
this year, the Maori head must remain in France. For years, New
Zealand has sought the return of mummified Maori heads and other
remains, many of which were collected by Westerners in a grisly
exchange for weapons and other goods. Rouen’s Maori head was given to
the city’s natural history museum in unclear circumstances in 1875.
It was on display there until 1996.
http://www.eecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=303888647&p=3x3889558&n=303889581

King Tut Died in Hunting Accident, Expert Says
National Geographic News, October 23, 2007

King Tutankhamun likely died after falling from his chariot while
hunting, Egypt's top archaeologist says in an upcoming TV
documentary, offering new insights into the boy pharaoh's long-
debated death. Tutankhamun is widely thought to have died of an
infection stemming from a broken leg, after CT scans in 2005 revealed
a severe fracture in his left thighbone, challenging theories that he
had been murdered. "He had an accident when he was hunting in the
desert," said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council
of Antiquities, who has overseen recent examinations of the pharaoh's
mummy. "Falling from the chariot made this fracture in his left leg,
and this really is in my opinion how he died."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/10/071023-king-tut.html

'Western Wall was never part of temple'
The Jerusalem Post, Oct 25, 2007

The former mufti of Jerusalem, Ikrema Sabri, has made the claim that
there never was a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount, and the Western
Wall was really part of a mosque. "There was never a Jewish temple on
Al-Aksa [the mosque compound] and there is no proof that there was
ever a temple," he told The Jerusalem Post via a translator. "Because
Allah is fair, he would not agree to make Al-Aksa if there were a
temple there for others beforehand." Sabri rejected Judaism's claim
to the Western Wall as part of the outer wall of the Second Temple.
"The wall is not part of the Jewish temple. It is just the western
wall of the mosque," he said. "There is not a single stone with any
relation at all to the history of the Hebrews." Asked if Jews would
ever be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount under Muslim control, he
replied: "It is not the Temple Mount, you must say Al-Aksa. And no
Jews have the right to pray at the mosque.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1stip
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?
cid=1192380646406&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

#====================#

Features:

Mysteries remain sealed inside Silbury Hill
The Guardian [UK], October 25, 2007

The dank chill tunnel slopes down through 4,400 years of history into
the heart of a mystery. The ground is slippery underfoot with sodden
chalk dug as the pyramids were rising in Egypt. Archaeologists have
reached the core of Silbury Hill in Wiltshire - and still have no
idea what the most enigmatic prehistoric monument in Europe was for.
They know now there is no burial chamber for a Celtic king, no
treasure hoard, nothing but a shallow bed of gravel, over which three
ever larger mounds were raised until 35m baskets of chalk later, the
monument stood 40 metres high, dominating the surrounding landscape,
the largest artificial hill in Europe. "We know that something about
this site was incredibly special and sacred to generations of people
- but we have no idea what," said Jim Leary, the English Heritage
archaeologist who has led the investigation.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2198955,00.html
See also The Times [UK]:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2733437.ece

Diggers begin Herculaneum task of finding masterpieces lost to volcano
The Times [UK], October 24, 2007

Archaeologists have resumed their search for a library of Greek and
Latin masterpieces that is thought to lie under volcanic rock at the
ancient Roman site of Herculaneum. The scrolls, which have been
called the holy grail of classical literature, are thought to have
been lost when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79, burying the wealthy
Roman city of Herculaneum and neighbouring Pompeii. Previous digs
have unearthed classical works at a building now known as the Villa
of the Papyri, thought to have belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-
law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso, who was known to be a lover of poetry.
“Work can resume because we are combining archaeology with
responsible conservation, which was not the case in the 1990s,” said
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, the director of the British School at Rome
and head of the Herculaneum Conservation Project, which is funded by
the Packard Humanities Institute to the tune of $3 million (£1.5
million) a year.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1srw9
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/
books/article2726757.ece

Ancient history discovered at park
The Detroit Free Press, October 28, 2007

Pulling her hand back through a pile of dirt, Claire Kitzman forced
sand through a sifting screen, revealing a tiny piece of chipped rock
lodged between the bars of the grate. Lifting it up between her thumb
and first finger, she looked more closely. "Take a look at this," she
said, moving the stone fragment toward her professor. John Anderton,
a geo-archaeologist and geography professor at Northern Michigan
University, held the quartzite chip and confirmed it was a piece of
cultural antiquity dating to the Archaic Period in geologic history,
about 2,000 to 8,500 years ago. "It's prehistoric garbage,
basically," Anderton said, referring to the waste flakes from
chipping stones and bits of fire-cracked rock the archaeologists are
discovering at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1stib
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071028/
NEWS06/710280628/1001

#====================#

Miscellany:

Truth of the Knights Templar Unveiled
ZENIT [Italy], 2007-10-25

Due to what a Vatican archivist calls a "sketchy" error, a document
exonerating the Knights Templar of heresy is only now being made
public. This morning in the Old Synod Hall, the a number of Vatican
officials and laypeople presented "Processus Contra
Templarios" (Trial Against the Templars), a compendium of reprints of
the original acts of the hearings against the Knights Templar, the
group novelist Dan Brown linked to the Holy Grail in "The Da Vinci
Code." The volume is the third in the "Exemplaria Praetiosa" series
of the Vatican Secret Archives, issued in collaboration with the
Scrinium publishing house. Despite its hefty price tag -- $8,377 --
the 799 available copies of the volume have been sold to collectors,
scholars and libraries from all over the world, reported the Vatican
press office. The 800th copy will be given to Benedict XVI.
http://www.zenit.org/article-20837?l=english

Archaeologists join opposition of new Yuma Indian casino
The Arizona Republic, Oct. 26, 2007

Archaeologists with a regional museum group who surveyed an Indian
casino site called it a significant cultural and religious site that
would be destroyed if construction goes forward. The Quechan Indian
Tribe's $200 million casino and resort project outside Yuma has been
criticized by some tribal members for the same reason. But building
recently resumed after a majority of the tribe voted to continue work
and not seek a new site. The archaeologists with the Imperial Valley
College Desert Museum Society near El Centro have now petitioned the
Quechan Tribal Council to stop construction, writing that, "To
destroy this site runs counter to Quechan tribal policy of protecting
the cultural past of its tribal lands." Two archaeologists who
surveyed the building site west of Yuma said they found numerous
cultural artifacts.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1026az-casino26-on.html

Earl traces ancestor's footsteps
Newbury Weekly News [UK], October 26 2007

A TELEVISION documentary will follow Lord Carnarvon’s travels back to
Egypt to examine new finds from Tutankhamun’s tomb, which question
long-held theories about the young pharoah. The eighth Lord
Carnarvon, a keen amateur archaeologist, said he has always been
obsessed by the real life of Tutankhamun. His great-grandfather, the
fifth Earl of Carnarvon, helped Howard Carter discover Tutankhamun’s
tomb in 1922, and was present when it was breached. The Earl died
seven weeks after the discovery and was thought to be the first
victim to the curse of King Tut. During his visit to Egypt, the
current Lord Carnarvon met leading experts, including the Secretary
General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Zahi Hawass,
who gave him unique access to unseen artefacts and new research.
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=5495

#====================#

Curiosa:

Vatican Official Confirms the Existence of Extraterrestrials
SBWire, 10/22/2007

Monsignor Corrado Balducci, a demonology consultant to the Vatican
and insider close to the Pope, has stated publicly that
Extraterrestrials(ETs) are real. "The existence of other inhabited
planets is highly probable. Their existence might very well be
correlated with the Salvation through Christ," stated Balducci. Dr.
Bruce Goldberg, author of Egypt: An Extraterrestrial and Time
Traveler Experiment, reports that time travelers from our future
utilize ETs as part of their team when traveleing back in time to
ancient Egypt, for example. "Time travelers, along with ETs, are
responsible for some of the reported UFO abductions," declares
Goldberg. he further reports that these time traveler's main purpose
is to accelerate our spiritual growth.
http://www.sbwire.com/news/view/14307

#====================#

Seasonal Fare:

Halloween – it's a Celtic thing
Ouray News [USA], October 24, 2007

While the observation of Halloween in this country carries an array
of perceptions and conceptions, it is quite a different experience on
the Celtic Isles of Scotland and Ireland where the Hallow E'en
celebration or Oiche Samhain originated. To the Pre-Christian Celts
Halloween was a sacred pagan holy day where it was believed that the
spirits of the dead could return to their former life and make
contact with the spirits of the living. In that ancient society,
dominated by the enlightened and mysterious Druids, Halloween was an
end of the summer fire feast where the gods were thanked for a rich
harvest. The Manx called it Hoptu Naa and the Welsh called it Calan
Gaeaf.  In the Gaeltacht of Western Ireland the people call the
celebration Pooky Night, named after the mischievous Puka, a fairy of
some regard. Either way it was all pretty much the same big carnival
at a time of the year when the crops were in and magic was said to be
most potent. In addition, it represented the mid-point in the Celtic
calendar and the entry into the dark phase of the year.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1srwl
http://www.ouraynews.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-
token.folder=2007-10-24&-token.story=165253.112113&-token.subpub=

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 21.10.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Archaeologists in Moravia discover 7000 year-old sculpture
Radio Prague [Czech Republic], 19-10-2007]

The find of the century is what Czech archaeologists are calling the
discovery of a 7000 year-old statue in Masovice, a village just west
of Znojmo, South Moravia. Although only the lower parts of the
sculpture have been found, experts say that Hedvika, as the statue
has been named by those who discovered it, is a unique find in a
European context. Archaeologist Zdenek Cizmar, who was the first to
lay his hands on this unusual find, explains the significance of the
discovery. The sculpture is unique for two reasons; one of them is
its size. The fragment we have found is 30 centimetres tall, from its
feet to the waistline. We therefore estimate its overall original
height to be 55 to 60 centimetres; this means that it is the largest
statue of the Moravian Painted Ware culture ever found in the whole
Middle Danube Basin".
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/96639

Archaeological remains dated to the First Temple Period discovered on
the Temple Mount
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct 2007

During a recent archaeological inspection on the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority over
maintenance works of the Waqf, a sealed archaeological level probably
dated to the First Temple Period was exposed in the area close the
southeastern corner of the raised platform surrounding the Dome of
the Rock. Archaeological examination of a short section of this
level, undertaken by Yuval Baruch, the Jerusalem District
Archaeologist, uncovered finds that included fragments of ceramic
table wares and animal bones. The finds are dated to the eighth to
sixth centuries BCE. The finds include fragments of bowls, including
rims, bases and body sherds; the base of a juglet used for the
ladling of oil; the handle of a small juglet and the rim of a storage
jar. The bowl sherds were decorated with wheel burnishing lines
characteristic of the First Temple Period.
http://snipr.com/1sgcl
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early+History+-+Archaeology/
Archaeological+remains+dated+to+the+First+Temple+Period+discovered+on
+the+Temple+Mount+21-Oct-2007.htm

8000-Year-Old Residency Discovered behind Galabar Dam
CHN [Iran], 20 October 2007

Archeological excavations behind Galabar dam in Zanjan province
wrapped up after four and half months continual effort in the region.
Discovering of more than 30 graves and burial gifts belongign to
Calcolithic epoch and Iron Ages, a number of architectural evidence
ranging in date from Calcolithic epoch to Islamic period were among
the most important achievements during salvation activities behind
Galabar Dam. 16 and 8 graves have been respectively identified in the
cemeteries belonging to the first and third Iron Ages discovered
behind the dam. 7 graves belonging to children buried in the floor of
the houses during Calcolithic epoch have been also discovered during
archeological excavations behind Galabar dam.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7355

‘National monuments’ found on Hill of Allen
Kildare Nationalist [Ireland], October 18, 2007

THE campaign by the Hill of Allen Action Group in relation to the
quarrying of the hill by Roadstone took a new twist last week, with
the claim that two national monuments are located at the summit of
the hill. In a statement on Friday last, the action group said that
“shocking new evidence” had been uncovered, in the form of an ancient
burial chamber (cist) and a burial mound (tumulus) at the summit.
Moreover, the monuments are listed on documentation held in Kildare
Co Council’s own heritage section, although no reference to them has
been made to date in any of the council’s statements on the Roadstone
issue.
http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=26440&cat=news

Skeletons found at school
Hampshire Chronicle [UK], 19th October 2007

SKELETONS from Britain's Dark Ages have been discovered buried at
Twyford School near Winchester. The remains of 12 bodies were found
by workmen digging foundations for new classrooms. Initially it was
feared it could have been the result of a mass murder, so police were
called and the scene made safe until officers arrived.
However,instead of unearthing a modern murder scene, the workmen had
actually stumbled on a Saxon burial site. Archaeologists now believe
the remains are some 1,300 years old.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1sedt
http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/dailyechonews/display.var.
1772114.0.skeletons_found_at_school.php

Robin Hood's prison? Sheriff's dungeon found at Nottingham Gaol
24 Hour Museum [UK], 17/10/2007

New evidence has been discovered that the medieval caves under
Nottingham’s Galleries of Justice museum were once used by the
Sheriff of Nottingham as a prison. The dark dungeon cells would have
been in use when the Sheriff resided at the Shire Hall and County
Gaol. “It is an exciting discovery,” said Tim Desmond, Chief
Executive at the Galleries. “The cave has always been known as the
‘Sheriff’s Dungeon’, but until now we have only been aware of its
later use as a chapel for the Georgian prison.”
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART51465.html

Victorian ice house unearthed
Newbury Weekly News [UK], October 18 2007

BUILDERS working at a Victorian town house in Donnington Square,
Newbury, recently uncovered a Victorian refrigerator while building
an extension. The workmen uncovered what is believed to be an
underground Victorian ice house in Remon Puig’s back garden while
building a three-storey extension to his home. The large brick-built
igloo, with a limestone top, is approximately four meters in diameter
and more than two meters tall and was found buried a metre-and-a-half
underground behind the house. Archaeologists believe that the
structure was used as a rudimentary freezer for food in Victorian
times by stacking ice blocks on shelves and packing around the
shelves with straw and sawdust. The structures had to be buried deep
so that the earth surrounding it would maintain a constant
temperature and not melt the ice.
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=5443

Evidence of rare 17th-century building discovered under parking lot
Daily Press [USA], October 19, 2007

Archaeologists probing beneath the surface of a Merchants Square
parking lot have discovered evidence of a rare 17th-century building
that dates back to a little understood colonial outpost that preceded
the town's founding in 1699. Located under the SunTrust Bank parking
lot at the corner of Prince George and Henry streets, the 40-foot-
long post-in-ground structure is one of only a handful of buildings
known from the days of Middle Plantation, which was established in
1633. It could provide important new clues about the apparently
substantial but elusive settlement, which has puzzled scholars for
years.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1segl
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-williamsburgdig,0,4180692.story?
coll=hr_breaking_500

2,000-year-old tomb frescos discovered in E China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-10-16

Chinese heritage workers said Tuesday they have discovered well-
preserved frescos in a tomb dating back to about 2,000 years ago in
east China's Shandong province. The frescos painted with blue, green,
black and red colors were found on the walls of a tomb at an old
residential yard in Dongping county, southwestern Shandong, when a
real estate company was excavating the foundation for a planned
shopping mall. The paintings included images of drinking, dancing,
cock fighting, women servants and historical stories, said Yang Hao,
deputy director of Dongping Cultural Heritage Administration Bureau.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/16/content_6891066.htm

Ancient Qin Dynasty road discovered in Hunan
China.org [China Internet Information Center], October 15, 2007

During the third general census of cultural relics in Hunan Province,
an ancient road built during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 b.c.) was
discovered around the environs of Dengjiatang Village, Chenzhou City
in the province. This roadway served as an important communications
route two thousand years ago. "That ancient road is comparable to
today's highway from Beijing to Zhuhai," Xie Wujing, an ancient road
specialist in the Hunan Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau said. "Hoof
prints are still obvious on some of the slates. They couldn't have
been formed in this way without hundreds of years of trampling," He
Qiang, the deputy director of Cultural Relics Bureau of Hunan
Province, said on October 11, 2007.
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/228212.htm

Indian villagers find ancient treasure
Daily Times [Pakistan], October 18, 2007

Villagers in northern India have found a treasure trove of copper
items including a figurine, coins, a harpoon and rings that could be
4,000 years old, an archaeological official said Wednesday. “It was
an accidental find by the villagers,” said Rakesh Tewari, Uttar
Pradesh state’s archaeology chief. Police seized the pieces, which
were acquired by the state archaeology department in August, Tewari
said. Tewari estimated the articles could date as far back as 2000 to
1200 BC, saying they appeared similar to or older than objects
associated with the late Harappan culture that existed in the Indus
valley more than 3,000 years ago.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1sehg
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C10%5C18%
5Cstory_18-10-2007_pg4_20
See also The Hindustan Times [India]:
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1sehl
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?
id=92949bdf-07ff-4c71-b5cc-52476792f9d1&ParentID=f4c18ba8-43fd-4f56-
aa40-15cd09c66b02&&Headline=4%2c000-year-old+site+found+in+UP

Rich haul at rock-art site in Tamil Nadu
The Hindu [India], Oct 19, 2007

A cavern filled with ancient rock paintings has been discovered at
Puthurmalai, 6 km from Usilampatti in Madurai district in Tamil Nadu.
Malaipatti is the nearest village. The paintings include human
figures dancing, marching, hunting and riding on animals, scenes of
chase and unidentified animals. Others include geometrical designs
and abstract paintings. A 10-member team headed by K.T. Gandhirajan,
an explorer who specialises in art history, found the site on October 3.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/19/stories/2007101956912400.htm

Sunken vessel found at bottom of Lake Minneola
Orlando Sentinel [USA], October 16, 2007

Divers with the Lake County Sheriff's Office joined state
archaeologists this morning in trying to unravel the mystery of how a
sunken vessel, possibly an old steamboat from the late 1800s, ended
at the bottom of Lake Minneola. The boat was found under 20 feet of
water by deputies last month while training with recently-acquired
sonar equipment. The boat appears to be between 15 and 18 feet long
and 8 feet wide. A photo of a riveted piece of metal retrieved from
the wreckage was sent to the state's Department of Underwater
Archaeology for research.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1segy
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/orl-bk-
sunkenvessel101607,0,2334262.story

Story of early Florida black settlement emerging
The Miami Herald, Oct. 16, 2007

For 10 years, they fought, hid and prayed for freedom here by the
river, those 750 fugitive slaves, free blacks and black Seminoles who
drifted west from the middle of Florida to form the largest community
of its kind in the early 19th century South. Then, in 1821, their
settlement, which they had named Angola after its kindred region in
West Africa, was burned and looted and destroyed, probably by order
of Gen. Andrew Jackson. For the past five years, documentary producer
Vickie Oldham has searched for the forgotten story of this self-
sufficient village, which survived war, invasion and the threat of
capture long enough to form one of the most extraordinary chapters of
Florida history. Now, Oldham and a team of scientists and historians
believe they have found the bones of the Angola story lying beneath a
several-mile stretch where the Manatee and Braden rivers meet,
secrets suspended under a tranquil trailer park, under the tabby
ruins of a plantation owner's castle, under a playground near a
mineral spring.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/272899.html

Madison's Trash Heap Yields Stuff of History
The Washington Post, October 17, 2007

It was just a broken plate found buried in a trash heap. But to
researchers at James Madison's estate, Montpelier, fragments of
porcelain unearthed last month from the Virginia piedmont tell a
story of a first lady, two U.S. presidents, a king and queen and the
revolutions that bind their legacies more than 200 years later.
Discovered amid oyster shells, a chamber pot and shards of glass that
filled a midden, or trash pile, near Dolley Madison's kitchen, a
fractured dessert plate found by researchers during a $24 million
restoration of Montpelier is believed to date to the late 1700s and
might have once belonged to Marie Antoinette, the French queen with
an infamous penchant for decadent living who perished at the
guillotine during the French Revolution.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1sehp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/
AR2007101601881.html

Researchers find earliest evidence for modern human behavior in South
Africa
EurekAlert [AAAS], 17-Oct-2007

Evidence of early humans living on the coast in South Africa,
harvesting food from the sea, employing complex bladelet tools and
using red pigments in symbolic behavior 164,000 years ago, far
earlier than previously documented, is being reported in the Oct. 18
issue of the journal Nature. The international team of researchers
reporting the findings include Curtis Marean, a paleoanthropologist
with the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University and
three graduate students in the School of Human Evolution and Social
Change. “Our findings show that at 164,000 years ago in coastal South
Africa humans expanded their diet to include shellfish and other
marine resources, perhaps as a response to harsh environmental
conditions,” notes Marean, a professor in ASU’s School of Human
Evolution and Social Change. “This is the earliest dated observation
of this behavior.” Further, the researchers report that co-occurring
with this diet expansion is a very early use of pigment, likely for
symbolic behavior, as well as the use of bladelet stone tool
technology, previously dating to 70,000 years ago.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/asu-rfe101207.php
See also BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7049597.stm

Fossilized cashew nuts reveal Europe was important route between
Africa and South America
EurekAlert [AAAS], 17-Oct-2007

Cashew nut fossils have been identified in 47-million year old lake
sediment in Germany, revealing that the cashew genus Anacardium was
once distributed in Europe, remote from its modern “native”
distribution in Central and South America. It was previously proposed
that Anacardium and its African sister genus, Fegimanra, diverged
from their common ancestor when the landmasses of Africa and South
America separated. However, groundbreaking new data in the October
issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences indicate that
Europe may be an important biogeographic link between Africa and the
New World. “The occurrence of cashews in both Europe and tropical
America suggests that they were distributed in both North America and
Europe during the Tertiary and spread across the North Atlantic
landbridge that linked North America and Europe by way of Greenland
before the rifting and divergence of these landmasses,” explain
Steven R. Manchester (University of Florida), Volker Wilde
(Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Sektion Palaeobotanik, Frankfurt am
Main, Germany), and Margaret E. Collinson (Royal Holloway University
of London, UK). “They apparently became extinct in northern latitudes
with climatic cooling near the end of the Tertiary and Quaternary but
were able to survive at more southerly latitudes.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/uocp-fcn101707.php

First Farmers Wanted Clothes, Not Food
Discovery News, Oct. 15, 2007

People turned to farming to grow fiber for clothing, and not to
provide food, says one researcher who challenges conventional ideas
about the origins of agriculture. Ian Gilligan, a postgraduate
researcher from the Australian National University, says his theory
also explains why Aboriginal Australians were not generally farmers.
Gilligan says they did not need fiber for clothing, so had no reason
to grow crops like cotton. He argues his case in the current issue of
the Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/10/15/farming-agriculture.html

Neanderthals may have talked
Reuters, Oct 18, 2007

Neanderthals, often portrayed as grunting, club-carrying brutes, may
have been capable of sophisticated speech, researchers said on
Thursday. A DNA analysis shows Neanderthals share with humans two key
changes in the FOXP2 gene known to be involved in speech, raising the
possibility the species possessed some prerequisites for language,
the researchers said. "From the point of this gene at least the
Neanderthals could have had language like we do," said Johannes
Krause, a biochemist at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, who led
the study.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKL1874538320071018?rpc=401&

Italian experts to explore parts of ancient Patliputra
The Earth Times [USA], 18 Oct 2007

A three-member Italian archaeologist team, in a joint collaboration
with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), will explore the
undiscovered parts of the ancient Patliputra, near moder-day Patna.
'Our thrust will be to study, explore and identify new sites related
to ancient Patliputra,' Giovenni Veradi, an internationally acclaimed
archaeologist, told IANS here Thursday. 'The team will seek financial
assistance from Italian government to go ahead with its joint
collaboration and to explore the sites,' he said.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/126421.html

Researchers underscore limitations of genetic ancestry tests
EurekAlert [AAAS], 18-Oct-2007

Although many people rely on commercially available genetic tests for
insights into their ancestry, the tests have significant limitations
according to Deborah Bolnick, assistant professor of anthropology at
The University of Texas at Austin. In “The Science and Business of
Genetic Ancestry Testing,” which appears in the Oct. 19 issue of
Science, Bolnick and 13 researchers from universities across the
nation call upon the scientific community to better educate the
public about the limitations of the tests, and urge consumers to
approach the tests with caution. At least two dozen companies market
genetic ancestry tests, which typically cost between $100 and $900,
to help consumers determine the origins of their ancestors. More than
460,000 people have purchased the tests during the past six years and
public interest is growing. The researchers argue that the
assumptions and limitations of the tests make them less informative
than many realize, and commercialization has led to misleading
practices that reinforce misconceptions.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/uota-rul101207.php

#====================#

More on:

Oldest Embracing Lovers Found in Turkey?
National Geographic News, October 17, 2007

Two ancient skeletons found in each other's arms in a grave in Turkey
might be the oldest known embracing couple, archaeologists say. The
remains, believed to be those of a 30-year-old man and a 20-year-old
woman, were found last week in the southeastern Turkish province of
Diyarbakir. The researchers dated the skeletons to 6100 B.C., said
team leader Halil Tekin, an archaeologist at Hacettepe University in
Ankara. Tekin suggests that the couple were members of the Hassunan,
an ancient culture that spread across what is now northern Iraq.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/10/071017-turkey-
lovers.html

Face to face with Tutankhamun
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 18 - 24 October 2007

The mummy of Tutankhamun will be placed on public display for the
first time in November when it is removed from its original golden
sarcophagus and placed in a climate controlled plexi-glass case in
the antechamber of his tomb in Luxor. Few people have had an
opportunity to see the mummy of one of Egypt's most mysterious rulers
since it was discovered by Howard Carter in November 1922. It has
been subjected to scientific scrutiny only rarely, in 1968, 1978 and
2005, when x-rays and CT- scans were carried out on the Pharaoh's
mummified body. "Removing it to a climate-controlled plexi- glass
showcase, like those used to display the royal mummies in the
Egyptian museum in Cairo, will not only help preserve the mummy but
will allow visitors to see the real face of the Pharaoh," Secretary-
General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Zahi Hawass says.
Only the face will be left uncovered. The rest of the body will
remain covered with linen.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/867/eg7.htm

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Subterranean threats
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 18 - 24 October 2007

Concern over the potential effects on the Sphinx of rising water
tables on the Giza Plateau became public earlier this month when salt
deposits began to appear on the surface of the ground facing the
Sphinx valley temple, in an area known as Abul Holl club, located on
the margins of the archaeological site. "The accumulation of salts
suggests that the ecology of the area is changing, and in a manner
that could require quick intervention," said Zahi Hawass, secretary-
general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). Hawass told Al-
Ahram Weekly that environmental and geophysical studies were
currently underway, directed by experts from the Archaeological
Engineering Centre of Cairo and Ain Shams universities, in an attempt
to determine the causes behind this latest rise in the water table of
the plateau and surrounding area. The studies are expected to be
completed early next month, after which tenders will be issued for
the necessary remedial work.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/867/eg8.htm

Aswan Obelisk Quarry more than meets the eye
EurekAlert [AAAS], 16-Oct-2007

The unfinished Obelisk Quarry in Aswan, Egypt, has a canal that may
have connected to the Nile and allowed the large stone monuments to
float to their permanent locations, according to an international
team of researchers. This canal, however, may be allowing salts from
ground water to seep into what has been the best preserved example of
obelisk quarrying in Egypt. "Working deposits and surfaces exposed
during excavation are being damaged by accumulation of salts," the
researchers said at the Second International Conference on Geology of
the Tethyr at the Cairo University. "These unique artifacts document
quarry methods and should be preserved."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/ps-aoq101607.php

Temple Mount dig on hold pending cabinet approval
Haaretz [Israel], October 15, 2007

t, after Culture Minister Ghaleb Majadele appealed to the cabinet
yesterday against a ministerial committee's decision to restart the
work. In his letter to the cabinet, Majadele, who is responsible for
the Israel Antiquities Authority, said that resumption of the work is
liable to cause riots, especially coming so shortly before Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert's planned departure for the Annapolis peace
conference. He also asked that opinions be solicited from all the
relevant agencies, including the Antiquities Authority and UNESCO,
before any decision is made.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/912712.html

EU to sue Govt over Tara road build
Business World [Ireland], October 17 2007

   The EU Commission is to take the Irish government to court over the
route of the M3 through the Tara valley. The Government could face
fines as well as Europe-wide adverse publicity but will unlikely be
forced to reroute the controversial road away from the national
monument. Environment commissioner Stavros Dimas will tell his
commissioner colleagues at a meeting in Brussels today that the
National Monuments Act in the Republic does not offer enough
protection for important archaeological sites.
http://www.businessworld.ie/livenews.htm?a=1868549;s=rollingnews.htm

#====================#

Features:

A Rich and Royal Ruin in the Heart of Hanoi
The New York Times, October 16, 2007

Nine hundred years before Ho Chi Minh declared Hanoi the capital of a
newly independent Vietnam in 1945, the first king of the Ly Dynasty
issued a similar decree.  In 1010 King Ly Thai To picked Thang Long
(“Ascending Dragon”), situated within present-day Hanoi, as the
capital for a country that had defeated the Tang Dynasty less than a
century before, ending a millennium of Chinese rule. “It is situated
at the very heart of our country,” the king declared in Edict on the
Transfer of the Capital. “It is equally an excellent capital for a
royal dynasty for ten thousand generations.” The enormous royal
complex that Ly Thai To built did last, not 10,000 generations, but
900 years, through three major dynasties and repeated foreign
invasions. For the last five years, archaeologists from the Vietnam
Institute of Archaeology have been slowly unearthing the remains of
Thang Long, uncovering millions of artifacts and building features
spanning 1,300 years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/16/science/16dig.html

Modern bridges falling apart, ancient bridges still standing
Turkish Daily News, October 20, 2007

While modern suspension bridges built with state-of-the-art
technology are not holding up as well as expected, many stone bridges
built centuries ago have endured, challenging both nature and time.
When one of the 276 strands of the Bosporus Bridge, the 13th largest
bridge in the world, broke in two in January 2004 the public erupted
with concerns of a possible collapse. Years later across Atlantic, a
Minnesota highway bridge collapsed over the Mississippi River on
August 1, plunging dozens of cars and their occupants into the river.
Thirteen people died and dozens were injured. According to art
history scholar Elmon Hancer, negligence is the reason modern bridges
collapse and active demolition by humans is why most ancient bridges
are crumbling. Periodic maintenance could increase the lifespan of
modern bridges, says Hançer, stressing that steel strands make for a
durable bridge. On the other side of history, Hancer calls attention
to the fact that stone blocks are being ripped out from historic
bridges in Anatolia for use in housing constructions. He argues that
we are at equal risk of losing both functioning historic bridges and
modern bridges.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=86387

Archaeologists Challenge Barnard Professor’s Claims
Forward [USA], Oct 17, 2007

mid charges of mud-slinging, a group of archaeologists turned to dirt-
digging — literally — in their fight against a controversial fellow
academic. On Monday night, Columbia University’s pro-Israel student
group played host to the latest installment in a lecture series
aimed, at least partially, at rebutting Nadia Abu El-Haj, whose work
has been critical of the traditional narratives of Israeli
archeology. Abu El-Haj, an assistant professor of anthropology at
Barnard since 2002, first gained notice with her 2001 book “Facts on
the Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self-Fashioning
in Israeli Society,” in which she argued that Israeli archaeologists
use their research to validate a national origin myth. The book was
praised in some quarters — it won the top award from the Middle East
Studies Association — but was slammed by others as poor scholarship
motivated by ideology. Columbia is currently deliberating whether Abu
El-Haj should be given tenure, and the university has received
petitions from her opponents and supporters.
http://www.forward.com/articles/11840/

The story that lies beneath Phoenix
The Arizona Republic, Oct. 20, 2007

The prehistoric pit houses, a century-old cosmetic-cream jar and
antique bricks tell the story of the first merchants in downtown
Phoenix. Archaeologists earlier this month found those artifacts deep
beneath the downtown parking lot where on Monday crews will begin
building a $900 million hub of shops, offices and restaurants. When
it's complete, developers say, CityScape will pump vitality into a
three-block parcel near Central Avenue and Washington Street,
bringing the area full circle. Long before it was dominated by a park
and the parking lot, that intersection was the cradle of Phoenix
commerce.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1020dig1020.html

Dig Days: Egypt's top 10 archaeological discoveries
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 18 - 24 October 2007

[By Zahi Hawass] I am not the one who put this discovery in the
number two spot on the list of the top 10 archaeological discoveries
in Egypt. This was done by Atlantic Productions when they compiled
their list for their Discovery Channel. I feel privileged, however,
to have been a part of the discovery of the cemetery of the pyramid
builders, which has shown the world for the first time that the
Pyramids were not built by slaves but by the ancient Egyptians
themselves. I am honoured my name is connected with its discovery...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/867/he02.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Am I cursed by King Tut?
The Daily Mail [UK], 17th October 2007

The startling sight the other day of a colossal gold statue of the
Jackal-headed god Anubis sailing under Tower Bridge, heralding the
return to London of Tut-Mania next month, sent shivers down my spine
- but for all the wrong reasons. I am a rational person, but, believe
me, it has led me to question my sanity more than once, and to wonder
in earnest whether I, in the 21st century, have been the victim of
the legendary "Pharaoh's Curse"...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1sego
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?
in_article_id=487991&in_page_id=1879

Halle Berry to rule Egypt
AfterEllen.com, October 18, 2007

"Nefertiti," Halle Berry's collaboration with "Monster's Ball"
director Marc Forster, may be emerging from development hell. The MTV
Movies Blog posted a short (like, twenty-second) clip about the
project from a recent interview with Berry. Berry has the looks, the
style and the regal bearing to play Nefertiti and all of her
adjectival phrases: Great of Favors, Possessed of Charm, Mistress of
Sweetness, Beloved One, Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt. No word on
yet on the epic plot.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1seki
http://www.afterellen.com/blog/jamielynn/halle-berry-to-rule-egypt?
comment=408975

#====================#

Curiosa:

The Secrets of the Exodus Discovered
American Chronicle, October 18, 2007

Most Americans today accept the Bible as a text that is more
mythology than fact. As Dr. Sagan once said: “Outrageous claims
require outrageous proof.” Many of the stories in the Bible seem
simply impossible. But the claim of a long time researcher on the
science behind of the existence of Manna is changing that. This
researcher, an astrophysicist with an impressive and unusual resume,
has made his case with proofs that no one ever expected to see. The
proofs include actual Manna and the equipment he used to produce it.
The scientist, named August Franklin, not only says he can explain
what Manna was, he produced the pearly white substance that possesses
the characteristics ascribed to Manna.
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?
articleID=40661

#====================#

Seasonal Fare:

Even Ancient Greeks and Romans Enjoyed Scary Stories
Newswise [USA], Wed 17-Oct-2007

These days, Halloween is all about good scary fun, but people have
been thrilling to spooky tales as far back as ancient Greece and
Rome, according to University of Massachusetts Amherst classics
professor Debbie Felton, who studies the folklore of the
supernatural. “Ghost stories have been popular for thousands of
years, and there are many reasons why people enjoy them and enjoy
being scared by them,” says Felton. “There’s certainly a cathartic
effect to hearing a ghost story and being scared out of your wits
without ever being in any real danger. But, more essentially, ghost
stories ultimately reflect religious beliefs concerning the
importance of a proper burial and the survival of the spirit after
death. The dead have a need to rest in peace, while the living have a
need to believe in an afterlife; who really wants to think about
eternal non-existence? And the humor in a lot of ghost stories is a
good way to deal with the disturbing reality of death.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/534410/?sc=rsln

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 14.10.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

Slim pickins this week...

#====================#

World's oldest wall painting unearthed in Syria
Reuters, Oct 11, 2007

French archaeologists have discovered an 11,000-year-old wall
painting underground in northern Syria which they believe is the
oldest in the world. The 2 square-metre painting, in red, black and
white, was found at the Neolithic settlement of Djade al-Mughara on
the Euphrates, northeast of the city of Aleppo, team leader Eric
Coqueugniot told Reuters. "It looks like a modernist painting. Some
of those who saw it have likened it to work by (Paul) Klee. Through
carbon dating we established it is from around 9,000 B.C.,"
Coqueugniot said. "We found another painting next to it, but that
won't be excavated until next year. It is slow work," said
Coqueugniot, who works at France's National Centre for Scientific
Research. Rectangles dominate the ancient painting, which formed part
of an adobe circular wall of a large house with a wooden roof. The
site has been excavated since the early 1990s.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1s3yb
http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKOWE14539320071011?
feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews

8,000-yr-old lovers dug up in Turkey
The Times of India, 10 Oct 2007

Turkish archaeologists have discovered the tomb of a young couple
locked in an embrace during excavations in the southeastern part of
the country. The tomb of the couple was found at Hakemi Use in the
Bismil district of Diyarbakir province and archaeologists stated that
the couple, who presumably died some 8,000 years ago, are likely to
set a record as the oldest embracing couple in archaeological
history, Today's Zaman reported. The discovery of the tomb of the two
lovers has sparked a wave of excitement among the team of
archaeologists. "The tomb is at least 1,000 years older than the one
found last year in Verona, Italy. The way they were buried signifies
they were lovers," Halil Tekin, head of the archaeologist team from
Hacettepe University, was quoted by the daily as saying.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1s3yo
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/8000-yr-
old_lovers_dug_up_in_Turkey/articleshow/2444023.cms

Ancient Necropolis Earthed in Busy District in Bulgaria's Coastal Varna
Novinite [Bulgaria], 13 October 2007

Builders, working on a construction site near the market place of the
Bulgarian coastal town of Varna, earthed a second century necropolis
containing two sarcophagi. The graveyard was discovered in a region
known as the Odessos necropolis and contained the skeletons of a 30-
year-old woman and a man, who are believed to have been a poor
family. An ancient coin was found, which is believed to have been put
under the tongue of the dead man.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=86380

Ancient Roman graveyard found in suburban Copenhagen
International Herald Tribune [France], October 10, 2007

Archaeologists have discovered a Roman cemetery from about 300 A.D.
in suburban Copenhagen with about 30 graves, a newspaper reported
Wednesday. "It is something special and rare in Denmark to have so
many (ancient Roman) graves in one place," archaeologist Rune Iversen
was quoted as saying by the Roskilde Dagblad newspaper. The
graveyard's exact location in Ishoej, southwest of downtown
Copenhagen, was being kept secret until the archaeologists from the
nearby Kroppedal Museum have completed their work, the newspaper
wrote. No one at the museum could be immediately be reached for
comment. Archaeologists found necklaces and other personal
belongings, as well as ceramics for containing food.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1s3zd
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/10/europe/EU-GEN-Denmark-Roman-
Graveyard.php

'Europe's oldest city' is found
The Independent [UK], 09 October 2007

Archaeologists in Spain's southern port of Cadiz believe they have
found remains which prove that it is Europe's oldest inhabited city –
Phoenician Gadir, or Gades in Roman times. Remnants of walls have
emerged seven metres deep in a dig beneath Cadiz's old town centre
which have been dated to the 8th century BC. Scientists found shards
of Phoenician pottery, and pieces of jars, bowls and plates once used
in everyday life which all point towards the existence of a town. A
well-preserved bronze brooch has also appeared, suggesting a high
level of civilisation. Previous finds, including funeral relics, did
not provide conclusive evidence of urban settlement. "We need to
excavate further to see where these walls go," said the director of
the dig, Juan Miguel Pajuelo. "The existence of items of daily use
suggests the walls were of houses." Historians have long known that
Cadiz was founded by Phoenician traders more than 3,000 years ago as
their first settlement in Europe.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article3041063.ece

Archaeologists find mysterious carved stone at Whitby Abbey
24 Hour Museum [UK], 12/10/2007

Experts are studying a carved stone recently uncovered on Whitby
Abbey Headland in North Yorkshire to see if it represents the first
Bronze Age artefact from the site. St Hild founded an abbey on Whitby
Headland in 657AD, which is now an important historical site.
However, little was known about the site in the Anglo Saxon period in
which it was founded until archaeologists carried out clifftop
excavations in 2001 and 2002. They found signs of industrial
activities like glass and lead-making from the Anglian period
(7th-9th century), and the first evidence of an Iron Age domestic
dwelling on the site, dating from 500BC-100AD. An archaeological team
returned this autumn for a six-week dig, and found an even more
intriguing object – a mysterious stone carved with linear markings.
Measuring about 40cm by 50cm, it appears to be of the type of Bronze
Age carved stones found on the North York Moors in 2003, dating from
2000BC-700BC.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART51381.html

Disturbing the 6000 Years Sleep of 4 Children in Zanjan
CHN [Iran], 8 October 2007

With unearthing 4 other skeletons belonging to 6000 years ago behind
Galabar Dam, Zanjan province, the number of discovered skeletons in
this prehistoric site has reached to seven. Studying parts of the
skulls of the skeletons which have remained intact, archeologists
give a strong possibility that the discovered skeletons must have
belonged to four children. However, more anthropological researches
are due to be conducted on the skeletons to clarify their identity.
Prior to this the skeletons of 3 children were unearthed behind
Galabar dam. Regarding this recent discovery, Abolfazl Aali, head of
excavation team behind Galabar Dam told CHN: “Since our previous
excavations in prehistoric site behind Galabar dam were not complete,
we decided to resume our excavations during the last days of
excavations in the area which resulted in discovering evidence of
residential layers and skeletons of 4 other children dating back to
the fourth millennium BC.”
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7341

Tribal marker unearthed by archaeologists
The Northern Echo [UK], 11th October 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed what could be one of the earliest
tribal markers ever found in this country. Rock art experts are still
to fully examine the mysterious carved stone, which dates back
thousands of years and was found on the headland at Whitby. But one
theory is that the stone could have been an instantly recognisable
"logo" with a specific meaning to the people that were around at the
time. Project director Sarah Jennings said: "It's possible it had
some sort of symbolic importance that needed no explanation, in the
same way that the well-known logos of today do." Whitby's headland is
regarded as one of the country's most important archaeological sites,
with Iron Age finds dating from the period 500BC to 100AD. However
the carved stone found in the latest dig is much earlier and possibly
dates from the Bronze Age period of 2000BC to 700BC.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1s3y9
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.
1754456.0.tribal_marker_unearthed_by_archaeologists.php

Buried skeletons are found at prison
The Scotsman, 13 Oct 2007

DOZENS of 19th century skeletons have been unearthed during
construction work at a prison, archaeologists said yesterday. The
remains of at least 24 people were found in deep burial trenches in
the grounds of Perth prison. Archaeologists believe the skeletons
date back to the 1830s when an asylum was housed at the site. Further
tests have revealed the men and women most probably died as a result
of a typhus epidemic at the institution.
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1636472007
See also BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/
7041251.stm

Skeletons found on building site
BBC, 12 October 2007

Contractors clearing a building site in the Clifton Triangle area of
Bristol have uncovered several skeletons. A Clifton Diocesan
spokesman said it had been informed of the discovery of human remains
on the site of the former Dominican convent. The remains are thought
to date from the 1850s.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7042091.stm

More ancient coins unearthed
North Shropshire Chronicle [UK], Oct 11, 2007

Treasure hunters have unearthed more ancient gold coins in a field
outside Myddle where five coins worth more than £5,000 were
discovered two years ago. If these four coins are the same as the 600-
year-old gold coins found in the same field in 2005, then their
estimated value is around £1,000 per coin. They were taken to the
British Museum yesterday, Wednesday, to be declared as treasure.
http://www.northshropshirechronicle.com/news/publish/article_18278.php

Priory yields medieval security secrets
Fakenham Times [UK], 11 October 2007

They lay hidden from view for hundreds of years, guarding silently
the secrets of a tumultuous history. But when archaeologists working
on a £900,000 conservation project at Binham Priory, in north
Norfolk, uncovered two medieval windows dating back to the 13th
century, they knew the discovery would provide a rare glimpse into
the site's past. Historians are now working to find out whether or
not the two windows at the site's gatehouse were part of a room
possibly inhabited by a monk who would have kept a watchful eye on
all people, animals and carts entering or leaving the monastery. The
two dressed stone windows had been blocked out when previous owners
built a reinforced concrete pen to house a bull on the existing
mediaeval building, bricking in the ancient walls.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1s5ji
http://www.fakenhamtimes.co.uk/content/fakenhamtimes/news/story.aspx?
brand=FAKOnline&category=news&tBrand=fakonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOE
D11%20Oct%202007%2014%3A45%3A19%3A840

1559 Shipwreck Found Off Pensacola, Fla.
The Guardian [UK], October 12, 2007

In 1559, a hurricane plunged as many as seven Spanish sailing vessels
to the bottom of Pensacola Bay, hampering explorer Don Tristan de
Luna's attempt to colonize this section of the Florida Panhandle.
Almost 500 years later and 15 years after the first ship was found,
another has been discovered, helping archaeologists unlock secrets to
Florida's Spanish past. The colony at the site of present-day
Pensacola was abandoned in 1561, and no trace of it has been found on
land. Teams of University of West Florida archaeology students last
summer discovered what they thought was the shipwreck, picking up
pieces of artifacts from the site. A 32-by-24-foot barge now covers
the site to give divers access.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6990209,00.html

Researchers find wood houses above tree line
Nunatsiaq News [Canada], October 12, 2007

The Hopewell Islands off the Hudson Bay coast near Inukjuak are rocky
and barren breeding grounds for migratory birds and peregrine
falcons, places where only small Arctic willows and grasses thrive
during the summer months. But somehow Inuit living on these islands
200 years ago found enough large logs to use as sturdy wooden beams
for the roofs of their sod houses, say archeologists from Nunavik's
Avataq Cultural Institute. Recent excavations at the Drayton Island
site near Inukjuak show Inuit lived there 200 years ago, building
semi-underground houses that had tunnel-like entrances and used wood
several metres long as beams and shorter piece as roof supports.
Avataq plans to study the wood to see what kinds of trees were used.
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavik/71012_592.html

Newfound ancient African megadroughts may have driven the evolution
of humans and fishes
EurekAlert [AAAS], 8-Oct-2007

  From 135,000 to 90,000 years ago tropical Africa had megadroughts
more extreme and widespread than any previously known for that
region, according to new research. Learning that now-lush tropical
Africa was an arid scrubland during the early Late Pleistocene
provides new insights into humans' migration out of Africa and the
evolution of fishes in Africa's Great Lakes. "Lake Malawi, one of the
deepest lakes in the world, acts as a rain gauge," said lead
scientist Andrew S. Cohen of The University of Arizona in Tucson.
"The lake level dropped at least 600 meters (1,968 feet) -- an
extraordinary amount of water lost from the lake. This tells us that
it was much drier at that time." He added, "Archaeological evidence
shows relatively few signs of human occupation in tropical Africa
during the megadrought period." The new finding provides an
ecological explanation for the Out-of-Africa hypothesis that suggests
all humans descended from just a few people living in Africa sometime
between 150,000 and 70,000 years ago.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/uoa-naa100407.php

Environmental setting of human migrations in the circum-Pacific Region
EurekAlert [AAAS], 10-Oct-2007

A new study by Kevin Pope of Geo Eco Arc Research and John Terrell of
The Field Museum adds insight into the migration of anatomically
modern humans out of Africa and into Asia less than 100,000 years
before present (BP). The comprehensive review of human genetic,
environmental, and archaeological data from the circum-Pacific region
supports the hypothesis, originally based largely on genetic
evidence, that modern humans migrated into eastern Asia via a
southern coastal route. The expansion of modern human populations
into the circum-Pacific region occurred in at least four pulses, in
part controlled by climate and sea level changes in the Late
Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. The initial “out of Africa”
migration was thwarted by dramatic changes in both sea level and
climate and extreme drought in the coastal zone. A period of stable
climate and sea level 45,000-40,000 years BP gave rise to the first
major pulse of migration, when modern humans spread from India,
throughout much of coastal southeast Asia, Australia, and Melanesia,
extending northward to eastern Russia and Japan by 37,000 years BP.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/bpl-eso101007.php

Hobbits mastered use of stone tools
The Australian, October 09, 2007

HOBBITS may have had long arms and tiny brains but our new-found
cousins were agile and smart enough to make stone tools used to
fashion other tools, probably for hunting and butchering animals.
What's more, they did so at least 40,000 years before modern humans
arrived on their home island of Flores in Indonesia. The discovery
comes from Queensland scientists who have studied wear patterns and
residue on about 100 stone tools found with the remains of hobbits
(Homo floresiensis) in Liang Bua cave by Australian and Indonesian
researchers. University of Queensland and Southern Cross University
archeologist and paleobotanist Carol Lentfer said: "We're talking
about a creature that was fairly well advanced. It was able to use
stone tools to make other tools - value-adding in a sense."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/
0,25197,22554319-30417,00.html

Scientist debunks nomadic Aborigine 'myth'
The Guardian [UK], October 9, 2007

Before white settlers arrived, Australia's indigenous peoples lived
in houses and villages, and used surprisingly sophisticated
architecture and design methods to build their shelters, new research
has found. Dwellings were constructed in various styles, depending on
the climate. Most common were dome-like structures made of cane reeds
with roofs thatched with palm leaves. Some of the houses were
interconnected, allowing native people to interact during long
periods spent indoors during the wet season. The findings, by the
anthropologist and architect Dr Paul Memmot, of the University of
Queensland, discredits a commonly held view in Australia that
Aborigines were completely nomadic before the arrival of Europeans
200 years ago.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,2186932,00.html

Dutch researcher claims to confirm Queen Jezebel's seal
Haaretz [Israel], 11/10/2007

For some 40 years, one of the flashiest opal signets on display at
the Israel Museum had remained without accurate historical context.
Two weeks ago, Dutch researcher Marjo Korpel identified article IDAM
65-321 as the official seal of Queen Jezebel, one of the bible's most
powerful and reviled women. Israeli archaeologists had suspected
Jezebel was the owner ever since the seal was first documented in
1964. "Did it belong to Ahab's Phoenician wife?" wrote the late
pioneering archaeologist Nahman Avigad of the seal, which he obtained
through the antiquities market. "Though fit for a queen, coming from
the right period and bearing a rare name documented nowhere other
than in the Hebrew Bible, we can never know for sure."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/911612.html

Ancient burial stones vandalised
BBC, 11 October 2007

A 5,000 year old monument has been targeted by vandals in Lancashire.
A spiral-shaped design has been carved into the ancient Pike Stones -
a long barrow burial chamber - on Anglezarke Moor in Chorley. United
Utilities, who own the land on which the monument stands, claim it is
one of the earliest man-made structures in the county. The Pike
Stones are protected by law and it is an offence to deface them, a
spokeswoman from English Heritage said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/7039675.stm

#====================#

More on:

King Tut's Mummy to Be Displayed for 1st Time
National Geographic News, October 9, 2007

The mummy of King Tutankhamun will soon go on display for the first
time, exposing the bare face of the boy king, Egyptian officials have
announced. The mummy will be removed from its sarcophagus and placed
in a climate-controlled glass case in the antechamber of the
pharaoh's tomb in Luxor in November. "I am taking [the mummy] out to
show it to the public for the first time," said Zahi Hawass,
secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. The move
is part of an effort to preserve the mummy, which has been in poor
condition since it was first discovered, Hawass explained.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/10/071009-king-tut.html

3 Timurid Skeletons Discovered near Minaret of Shamse Tabrizi
CHN [Iran], 10 October 2007

Continuation of archeological excavations near Shams-e Tabrizi
minaret in Khoy, Iranian West Azarbaijan province, led into discovery
of three more skeletons belonging to Timurid dynastic era (1370-1506
AD). According to Reza Heidari, head of the team for sounding works
in tomb of Shams-e Tabrizi, the team has also succeeded in discovery
a number of earthenwares and architectural remains all belonging to
Timurid era near the minaret. Archeologists are not still sure about
the real identity of this architectural monument and its usage.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7344

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Cairo’s Sphinx faces man-made ecological threat
The Daily Star [Egypt], October 10, 2007

The foundations of the ancient Sphinx in the Giza district of Cairo
could be in jeopardy due to a rise in the level of the area’s water
table, or the level of underground water where the monument stands.
Findings by a number of experts in recent years indicate that the
rising water is eroding and thus weakening the foundations and
columns of the Sphinx, as well as a number of other monuments around
the country, including temples in Karnak and Luxor. Lisa Sabbahy,
professor of archaeology at the American University in Cairo (AUC),
says that the groundwater level initially rose due to the completion
of the Aswan dam, which controls the flow and level of the Nile’s
water in order to provide year-round irrigation of crops. This, she
points out, threatens all antiquities in the Nile valley.
http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=9712

Just what did the Mary Rose tell us?
BBC, 11 October 2007

The raising of the Mary Rose in 1982 was greeted with feverish
excitement, but what has this landmark find actually told us in the
25 years since? At the tail end of 1982 it seemed like you couldn't
switch on Newsround without seeing something to do with Mary Rose.
Our fascination with the ship that met a sticky end while firing at a
French invasion fleet in 1545 has flared at times in the years since.
It is almost a rite of passage for some school children to go and see
this emblem of the Tudor age. But as significant as the ship itself
are the artefacts that were recovered (both from within and from the
sea bed), providing an insight into the life of the Tudors; proving
and disproving countless strands of conjecture about the period.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7038519.stm

#====================#

Features:

Unearthing Rome's king
The Times [UK], October 8, 2007

Italian archeologists have uncovered the ruins of a 2,700 year old
sanctuary which they say provides the first physical evidence of Rome
at the time of Numa Pompilius, Rome’s legendary second king, in the
8th century BC. Clementina Panella, the archeologist from Rome’s
Sapienza University who is leading the dig, said Numa Pompilius was
also known to have established religious practices and observance in
the emergent city state, instituting the office of priest or pontifex
and founding the cult of the Vestal Virgins. She said the temple or
sanctuary her team had uncovered lay between the Palatine and Velian
hills, close to the Colosseum, the Arch of Titus and Via Sacra, and
had probably been dedicated to the Goddess of Fortune. The dig began
a year ago, with the help of 130 students and volunteers. The wall of
the temple was found seven metres below the surface, together with a
street and pavement and two wells, one round and one rectangular.
Both wells were “full of thousands of votive offerings and cult
objects”, including the bones of birds and animals and ceramic bowls
and cups.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1s3yu
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/
article2617180.ece

#====================#

Miscellany:

Malta shooting for another epic movie
di-ve [Malta], October 13, 2007

Following hot on the heels of Gladiator's and Troy's success, another
blockbuster is scheduled to commence filming in Malta, www.di-ve.com
has learnt. The story of the multi-million-budget movie is based
around Ancient Egypt. The film will be in pre-production in Malta for
around six months as the set building will involve hundreds of
several local craftsmen. The directors of this production are
expected in Malta in coming weeks to sign the agreement.
http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=289772

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 07.10.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#

Archaeologists stumble on sensational find
B92 [Serbia], 4 October 2007

   Serbian archaeologists found evidence of what could be the oldest
metal workshop in all of Europe.  According to National Museum
archaeologist Dusan Sljivar, experts found a “copper chisel and stone
ax at a location near Prokuplje in which the foundation has proven to
be 7,500 years old, leading us to believe that it was one of the
first places in which metal weapons and tools were made in
prehistoric times.” Archaeologists hope that this find in southern
Serbia will prove the theory that the metal age began a lot earlier
than it was believed to have, Sljivar told Beta news agency. He leads
the team of archaeologists that have been investigating the site over
the past decade.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruvu
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?
yyyy=2007&mm=10&dd=04&nav_category=126&nav_id=44301

New Discoveries in Ebla
Syrian Arab News Agency, October 04, 2007

Italian renowned Archaeologist Paulo Mattieh on Thursday shed light
on the most important archaeological discoveries that the Italian
expedition team at the ancient site of Ebla Kingdom had discovered. "
Statues of two women in the royal palace were discovered, the first
statue is made of silver and wood and the second one is made of
limestone, wood and gold." Matieh said in a press conference at the
Damascene hall in Damascus national museum. He added that two other
statues, cylindrical seal of gilt edges belongs to an important
figure were unearthed in one of the palace's rooms which dates back
to the Akkadi age. A clay that is an economic text was also found in
another room in the palace.
http://www.sana.org/eng/21/2007/10/04/142322.htm

Discovery of a Small 8000-Year-Old Village in Mazandaran
CHN [Iran], 6 October 2007

Sounding works in order to delimit the area of Chough Tepe in
Mazandaran province, has resulted in identifying architectural
layers. Based on historical evidence, archeologists give the
possibility that they have succeeded to trace a small village dating
back to 8000 years ago. “Archeological researches based on systematic
approaches have been started in the region since three years ago by
Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Mazandaran province in
conjunction with Iran’s National Museum. The researches led into
identifying stone tools belonging to almost the 6th millennium BC
which indicate the settlement of human beings in the region during
Neolithic epoch,” said Ali Mahforouzi, head of excavation team in
Chough Tepe.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7338

Excavation of Traces from 3000 BC in Taaleb Khaan Hill, Zabul
CHN [Iran], 2 October 2007

“Mahdi Miri”, Din of the Archeology faculty of Zabul University and
the leader of Excavation team in Taaleb Khaan Hill announced news of
prolonging researches in this area with the aim of finding more
evidence from human settlement concurrent with the era of Share -
Sookhteh (Burnt City)Civilization on this hill. “Miri” states:
although all of our previous findings in this hill were related to no
longer than 3000 years BC, the recent excavation of earthenware
(Ceramic) evidences encouraged us to continue our research. This
recent discovery shows that we will find evidences from a tribe
living in the same time of Share - Sookhteh Civilization if we
continue our excavation in deeper layers of this hill.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7331

Discovery of Two Skeletons in the Steeple of Shams Tabrizi
CHN [Iran], 6 October 2007

Archeologists in City of “Khoy” managed to excavate 2 more skeletons
which date back to the Safavid Dynasty. This news was announced by
“Reza Heidari”, Head of the exploration team in steeple of Shams
Tabrizi. The previously discovered skeletons which were excavated
from the identical area are believed to remain from the Zandian era.
According to “Heidari”, skeletons are related to a 4-5 year old
child, and a middle-aged man.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7334

Underwater archaeologists find mediaeval artefacts in German lake
EUX.TV [Netherlands], October 05, 2007

Archaeologists have made significant mediaeval finds in the northern
German lake, the Arendsee, that reveal fishing activities linked to a
nearby monastery. Speaking before the 14th annual meeting this
weekend of European underwater archaeologists at the lake, Rosemarie
Leineweber of the monuments and archaeology office of the state of
Saxony-Anhalt noted in particular the discovery of a dugout. "We
estimate that the dugout dates back to the end of the 14th century
and that fishermen used it to provide fish for a Benedictine
convent," Leineweber said. Archaeologists, with the aid of the local
underwater diving club, have been researching the lake - at 30 metres
one of the deepest in this part of Germany - since 2004. They have
found several vessels, as well as a fence-like construction for
catching fish dated to the Stone Age.
http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=15628

Ancient rune stone found
Aftenposten [Norway], 04 Oct 2007

Archeologists were very pleasantly surprised to discover an unknown
rune stone under the floor of Hauskjeen church in Rennesøy, Rogaland
in western Norway. The rune stone likely stems from the 11th century,
and tells of Halvard's powers or Halvard's magnificence. The stone
slab has been broken off at both ends, and the text ("Mæktir haluar")
is just a small part of the original inscription. Archeologists from
the Archeological Museum in Stavanger thought at first that they had
rediscovered a rune stone documented in 1639 and 1745, but closer
examination revealed that the stone has not been reported before.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2030287.ece

75 medieval entombments excavated in north-western Russia
newkerala.com [India], Oct 1 2007

Russian archaeologists have found 75 ancient graves dating from the
15th to the 18th century at the excavation site of the necropolis by
Nikolo-Dvorishchenskiy Cathedral in Veliki Novgorod in north-western
Russia. Moscow archaeologist and anthropologist Denis Pezhemsky said,
excavation work has been going on since early July, and they were
expecting more entombments to be dug out. Pezhemski said the remnants
of the ancient Novgorod dwellers are all kept in sarcophagi, which
are of great historical value. Some tombs are probably family ones,
because several people were buried together, he said. He said the dig
also revealed unique pieces of medieval household and fragments of
frescoes belonging to the 12th century, a bone stamp, ancient
crosses, and buttons, as well as lots of coins kept both in the
graves and around them.
http://www.newkerala.com/oct.php?action=fullnews&id=7406

Orkney arrowheads find points to Scotland's earliest settlement
The Scotsman, 5 Oct 2007

THEY may look like just a collection of broken stones, but the finds
made in a field in Orkney might be evidence of the earliest
settlement in Scotland. Two flint "tanged points" or arrowheads found
on the island of Stronsay are thought to have been used by hunters
between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, just after the Ice Age. The
arrowheads were found among a collection of scattered artefacts,
including bladed tools, on a farm by Naomi Woodward and a team of MA
students on an archaeology course at Orkney College. The discoveries
were made during a two-week research trip in April, but have just
been made public.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1589142007

Dig unearths part of city's Viking times
Norwich Evening News [UK], 03 October 2007

The secrets of Norwich's past are being unearthed as part of
archaeological digs in the north of the city - where city walls which
date back to the Vikings have been discovered. Archaeologists have
discovered remains from the city's old walls, dating back from the
10th century, as part of excavation work being carried out in the
Botolph Street area, near Anglia Square. The work, which started two
weeks ago, is being carried out in advance of a planning application
to assess what lies under the ground and is expected to continue
until early November. It is believed the discovery of the ancient
city walls reveals Norwich's historic links with the Vikings.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruwn
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?
brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED0
3%20Oct%202007%2010%3A07%3A47%3A457

Pollen discovery offers clues about China trade
The Yomiuri Shimbun [Japan], Oct. 4, 2007

The nation's oldest safflower pollen, dating from around the mid-
third century, was discovered in large quantities at the Makimuku
ancient ruins in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, the city board of
education announced Tuesday. Used in red dyes, safflowers are
believed to have come to Japan from China. The pollen found is
believed to be from three centuries earlier than the material
previously thought to be the oldest in the nation. The ruins are said
to have been part of the kingdom of Yamatai-Koku, the location of
which has long been debated by experts. A Chinese document of the
time, "Gishi Wajin-Den," states that Yamatai-Koku Queen Himiko gave
red and blue fabric to the Wei dynasty, now China, in 243, according
to the board.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20071004TDY03006.htm

Unearthed - first supermarket
The New Zealand Herald, October 06, 2007

Archaeologists have unearthed remains in Auckland's Carlaw Park of
the house of a Chinese market-gardener believed to be an ancestor of
Foodtown supermarkets co-founder Tom Ah Chee. "You could say we are
standing in Auckland's first Foodtown," archeological consultant Hans
Bader said yesterday, at the site he is excavating for developers of
the former league ground. A man called Ah Chee is recorded on
Government land registry records as having leased the site in 1882,
and a map drawn 14 years later shows several buildings, including
what is believed to be his original home.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10468273

Ancient bodies had hands bound
The Daily News [Canada], October 06, 2007

A traditional burial ground, or the site of a massacre? Questions
continue to surround the discovery of the remains of more than 80
First Nations people at an excavation site near Departure Bay beach
in Nanaimo. Excavation for a condo development uncovered the remains
at the ancient Snuneymuxw burial site. On Friday, Nanaimo media
members received an anonymous tip suggesting that at least 60 of the
bodies were uncovered, with their hands bound and their heads
removed, suggesting a massacre had occurred.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruwv
http://www.canada.com/vancouverisland/nanaimo/story.html?
id=ef4aeed4-640c-4401-a0b6-bdaf7eb68cc0

Scientists uncover Inca children's countdown to sacrifice
EurekAlert [AAAS], 1-Oct-2007

Hair samples from naturally preserved child mummies discovered at the
world's highest archaeological site in the Andes have provided a
startling insight into the lives of the children chosen for
sacrifice. Researchers funded by the Wellcome Trust used DNA and
stable isotope analysis to show how children as young as 6-years old
were "fattened up" and taken on a pilgrimage to their death. A team
of scientists led by Dr Andrew Wilson at the University of Bradford
analysed hair samples taken from the heads and from small
accompanying bags of four mummies found in the Andes. These included
the 15-year old "Llullaillaco Maiden" and the 7-year old
"Llullaillaco Boy" whose frozen remains were found in 1999 at a
shrine 25m from the summit of Mount Llullaillaco, a 6,739m volcano on
the border of Argentina and Chile. The Maiden, described as a
"perfect mummy" went on display for the first time last month in
Salta, northwest Argentina. Dr Wilson and colleagues studied DNA and
stable light isotopes from the hair samples to offer insight into the
lives of these children. Unlike samples of bone collagen and dental
enamel, which give an average reading over time, hair growth allows
scientists to capture a unique snapshot at different intervals over
time, helping build up a picture of how the children were prepared
for sacrifice over a period of months. The results are published
today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
of the USA.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/wt-sui100107.php
See also National Geographic News:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/10/071003-inca-
sacrifice.html

Earliest Scots Braved Ice Age Conditions
Discovery News, Oct. 5, 2007

During the last ice age, Scotland was likely a desolate place covered
by glaciers, but new evidence suggests intrepid settlers braved the
elements by establishing a community there as early as 13,000 years
ago. The determination, published in the latest British Archaeology,
further suggests the earliest Scots shared a common ancestor with the
first Norwegians, meaning that some people of Scottish descent could
be distantly related to modern Norwegians. "So often we hear that
conditions in Scotland during the late Paleolithic and early
Mesolithic would have prohibited human settlements because the
landscape was cold and icy, but now we have to wonder what was
actually going on and why people appear to have been living in the
area during what is thought to have been a glacial period," Naomi
Woodward, who led the project, told Discovery News.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/10/05/firstscots_arc.html

Neanderthals roamed as far as Siberia
NewScientist.com news service, 30 September 2007

DNA extracted from skeletal remains has shown that Neanderthals
roamed some 2000 kilometres further east than previously thought.
Researchers say the genetic sequence of an adolescent Neanderthal
found in southern Siberia closely matches that of Neanderthals found
in western Europe, suggesting that this close relative of modern
humans migrated very long distances.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rvhs
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12711-neanderthals-roamed-as-
far-as-siberia-.html

Scans reveal lost gravestone text
BBC, 3 October 2007

Illegible words on church headstones could be read once more thanks
to a scan technology developed in the US. Scientists at Carnegie
Mellon university are making high resolution 3D scans of tombstones
to reveal the carved patterns in the stone. A computer matches the
patterns to a database of signature carvings which reveals the words.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7024672.stm

Egyptian archaeological team to survey the Nile in search of sunken
antiquities
Daily News [Egypt], October 4, 2007

For the first time, the Nile River will be the subject of an
archeological excavation. An Egyptian archeological team affiliated
with the Supreme Council of Antiquities will track down the locations
of the river’s ancient sunken treasures. Alaa Mahrous, director of
the underwater antiquities department in Alexandria, told Daily News
Egypt that the team of archaeologists headed by Dr Zahi Hawass,
director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, has selected the Nile
to be the subject of their search. The river has not been excavated
to date. “The survey will cover the area between the quarries in
Aswan and Abydos. Over the centuries this was a significant area —
either for the ancient Egyptians or the many rulers of the country
who followed,” Mahrous explained.
http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=9647

King Tut's face to be shown for first time
The Sunday Times [Australia], October 03, 2007

EGYPT will put the mummy of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun on display
next month inside his tomb in Luxor's Valley of the Kings, allowing
visitors to see his face for the first time, Egypt's chief
archaeologist said overnight. Zahi Hawass, head of the High Council
for Antiquities, said he would place the mummy in a climate-
controlled glass showcase in the tomb and cover the body with linen.
Tutankhamun's bare face would be visible. "You will enter the tomb
and see for the first time the face of Tutankhamun ... This is the
first time in history that anyone will see the mummy (in public).
This will continue the magic of Tutankhamun," Mr Hawass said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruv0
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/
0,21498,22523385-5005361,00.html?from=public_rss

Egypt rejects German offer on handing 90 mummies to Egypt against
Nefertiti bust
State Information Service [Egypt], October 02, 2007

Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) rejected an offer made
by the director of the Berlin-based Egyptian Museum who suggested
that his government is ready to hand Egypt 90 pharaonic mummies kept
by the museum against Cairo's silence on restoring the Nefertiti bust
which is also kept by the same museum. Secretary General of the SCA
Zahi Hawwas said that these mummies are not royal and of no
importance. "They were among other pieces smuggled from Egypt during
the 19th century," Hawwas said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruv9
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Miscellaneous/
000002/0207000000000000001627.htm

Archaeologist loses important artifact
The Daily Northwestern [USA], 10/5/07

The story sounds like the foreword to a Dan Brown novel or the
introduction to an Indiana Jones film: An archaeologist searches
valiantly for a lost Bronze Age artifact. It's a small piece of a
vast puzzle that, if solved, could bring to light a civilization
obscured from history. But the premise is far from fiction. On the
morning of Sept. 20, archaeologist David Peterson misplaced a carved
stone artifact in the vicinity of the Sports Pavilion and Aquatics
Center parking lot. Peterson, who is conducting research at the
University of Chicago, was working with colleagues at Northwestern's
Department of Materials Science and Engineering in Cook Hall before
he lost the relic. The artifact is a carved rectangular stone marked
with horizontal dashes and circular designs; it is less than four
inches long and about half an inch thick. The artifact was recovered
from the Eurasian steppes and is an important piece of Peterson's
research. The archaeologist has posted signs near SPAC and
surrounding buildings but without success. Although the relic has no
monetary value, it has great research value to archaeologists
studying ancient Eurasian metalworking, Peterson said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruvq
http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/
2007/10/05/Campus/Archaeologist.Loses.Important.Artifact-3014715.shtml

Vitality of historical archaeology in Cuba stated by specialists
Cuba News Headlines [Cuba], 2007-10-05

Discovering what lies under the ground and the old walls of a city
has been the passion of archaeologists and historians all over the
world, and a countries`necessity to retrieve a cultural heritage,
many times hidden along centuries. More than 200 delegates from
Mexico , Argentina , Perú , Venezuela , Chile and Cuba met in Havana
to Exchange experiences on pre-hispanic archaeology aspects with that
aim. We mean the Second International Seminar Internacional on
Archeology recently concluded. The event held in Old Havana
Historical Centre, enjoyed a wide profile within the speciality at
national level, because works on historical archaeology as well as
the study of aboriginal cultures in the Caribbean island were.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruw8
http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2007/10/05/6213/
vitality_of_historical_archaeology_in_cuba_stated_by_specialists.html

#====================#

More on:

Ancient world treasure unearthed
BBC, 4 October 2007

After seven hot summers of digging, an Italian archaeological team
believe they have discovered one of the most important sites of the
ancient world. Fanum Voltumnae, a shrine, marketplace and Etruscan
political centre, was situated in the upper part of the Tiber river
valley. It lies at the foot of a huge outcrop of rock, upon which is
perched the mediaeval city of Orvieto. A walled sanctuary area, 5m-
wide (16ft) Etruscan roads, an altar, and the foundations of many
Roman buildings that have laid buried for two millennia have been
discovered. And as the dig closed for the 2007 season, with
tarpaulins being pulled over ruins to protect them from the winter
weather, Professor Simonetta Stopponi of Macerata University was
upbeat about the site's significance. "I am confident that for the
first time we have positively identified one of the most important
lost sites of the ancient world," she told the BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7028330.stm

Ancient boats surface as Lake Trafford dries
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 2007-10-06

  From a distance, the brown object near the bank of Lake Trafford
looks like a log, or maybe a big alligator. Close up, though, it
becomes identifiable as a large section of a dugout canoe, possibly
more than 1,000 years old. As lake levels have dropped during the
ongoing drought, normally submerged areas have become dry. Ten
canoes, long buried in the sand, have been exposed. "They started
showing up a couple of months ago, but I wanted to verify what they
were," said Ski Olesky, owner of the Lake Trafford Marina. "That's
why I didn't say anything. Now, the water is coming back up, and
pretty soon, you won't be able to see them." Archaeologist George
Provenzali of Janus Research in Tampa was called in to measure the
canoes and take samples for radiocarbon dating to decipher their age
and to determine what kind of trees they're from. The largest canoe
fragment was almost 14 feet long; some seem to be cypress, others
pine. Radiocarbon dating should be complete within two months,
Provenzali said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20071006/APN/710060581

Silent victims of the sea: rising tides threaten archaeological sites
The Independent [UK], 7 October 2007

When the Neolithic farmers and hunters of Skara Brae first built
their stone houses on Orkney, they were careful to place their
settlement more than a mile from the coast to avoid their homes being
pounded by the harsh winter storms that sweep across the Bay of
Skaill. Some 5,000 years later, the custodians of Europe's most
complete prehistoric village no longer have the luxury of land to
shelter them from the sea. Slowly but surely, erosion has brought the
sea ever closer to the grey rock-built dwellings and now spray from
the wind-whipped Atlantic regularly soaks the World Heritage Site. In
some places the loss of ancient material is already happening. On
Orkney, which has more than 500 archaeological landmarks, parts of
Bronze Age forts have been washed into the sea, skeletons have been
swept from Iron Age burial chambers, and a section of a Viking grave
ship uncovered by a winter storm in the early 1990s has vanished.
Experts point out that the coast, more often than not the first part
of a landmass to be settled, is rich in evidence of human activity
over millennia which remains undiscovered or unexamined. Alongside
submerged prehistoric forests, there are myriad wooden structures
that have been barely documented such as causeways, fish weirs,
burial buildings, clay huts used to refine salt, oyster pits and
shipwrecks.
http://environment.independent.co.uk/article3015288.ece

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Greeks Go for All the Marbles In Effort to Get Back Artifacts
The Washington Post, October 7, 2007

On Saturday, huge cranes will begin lifting ancient statues, carvings
and architectural fragments off the Acropolis, down to a new museum
built at the base of the most famous citadel in the world. For the
vast majority of these stone remnants of the great age of Athens, it
will be the first time they have ever left this rocky summit.
Dimitrios Pandermalis, the president of the museum project, says the
first visitors will be allowed in early next year, and the museum
will have a grand opening sometime in early 2009. At which point,
perhaps, arguments about the building will give way to the building's
basic argument. Which is simple: Greece wants the marble sculptures
that the English ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Lord Elgin,
chiseled off the Parthenon more than 200 years ago. From the ground
up, the building is designed to emphasize the Greek claim that the
"Elgin marbles" should be returned to Athens, to join together in one
place as much of the surviving Parthenon statuary as can be assembled.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rvho
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/05/
AR2007100500162.html

#====================#

Features:

They dig archaeology
The News Journal [USA], October 4, 2007

Bill Taylor doesn't exactly work in the dark, but he does work in the
deep. As a volunteer with the Maritime Chapter of the Archaeological
Society of Delaware, Taylor does most of his work underwater, mapping
shipwrecks to help learn more about Delaware's past. It's just one of
the jobs volunteers perform as members of the Archaeological Society
of Delaware. "It's a lot of fun. It's tricky," said Taylor who relies
on hand signals and rope pulls to communicate underwater. His group
helped map and catalogue wrecks all along Delaware's shore. But work
doesn't stop in the water. "We need landlubbers and researchers,"
said Taylor. There are chapters of the Archaeological Society in
every county of the state. Each works with an archaeologist when
working on a dig site. Currently, only the Sussex County chapter has
any live work under way.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruvw
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/
CROSSROADS/710060309/1008/NEWS03

Even without math, ancients engineered sophisticated machines
EurekAlert [AAAS], 2-Oct-2007

Move over, Archimedes. A researcher at Harvard University is finding
that ancient Greek craftsmen were able to engineer sophisticated
machines without necessarily understanding the mathematical theory
behind their construction. Recent analysis of technical treatises and
literary sources dating back to the fifth century B.C. reveals that
technology flourished among practitioners with limited theoretical
knowledge. “Craftsmen had their own kind of knowledge that didn’t
have to be based on theory,” explains Mark Schiefsky, professor of
the classics in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “They didn’t
all go to Plato’s Academy to learn geometry, and yet they were able
to construct precisely calibrated devices.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/hu-ewm100207.php

Mummies tell their tales from the crypt
The Age [Australia], October 7, 2007

A team of Victorian forensic experts is peeling layers of mystery
from three mummified children, reports Liz Porter. EVEN for a
forensic expert it's a tough case. Three children die in Egypt around
the time of Christ … about 1870, their mummified bodies are stored in
the British Museum … now, after 2000 years, give or take a century,
people are seriously looking for answers. Who were these kids and how
did they die? How old were they? Were they suffering from disease?
Were they related? And were they Egyptians, Greeks or Romans? It
sounds like a job for a "forensic Egyptologist", which is how Janet
Davey describes herself. Ms Davey and a team of colleagues from the
Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine are using modern medical and
forensic techniques, including CT scans and DNA testing, to answer
the questions. The mummified bodies of the boy and two girls,
nicknamed "the angelic one", the "cross one" and the "sad one", had
been in the British Museum since the 1870s.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruw3
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/mummies-tell-their-tales-from-the-
crypt/2007/10/06/1191091425284.html

Ancient shepherds were artists
Science & Scholarship in Poland, 2007-10-02

"The creators of rock drawings in Dakhla were shepherds. They lived
about 8 – 5,000 years ago” – said Prof. Michal Kobusiewicz from the
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology at the Polish Academy of
Sciences, who is studying the relicts of human presence in Dakhla
Oasis in Egypt. The oasis is located in the middle of the Western
Desert. It is known among others due to numerous rock engravings –
depicting women, giraffes and elephants. Full of life in ancient
times, today the dry valleys of the river (“wadi” in Arabic) are a
witness of the past, and are the subject of interest to researchers.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruv6
http://en.naukawpolsce.pl/palio/html.run?
_Instance=cms_naukapl.pap.pl&_PageID=1&s=szablon.depesza&dz=archeology&d
ep=66652&data=&lang=EN&_CheckSum=2146584203

Would Ancient Egyptians Worship your Pet Cat?
PR-GB.com [Bulgaria], 05 October 2007

The next time you sip your morning coffee while watching your
favorite pet feline methodically groom herself for the day, consider
this: your pet cat might have been revered, even worshipped by
Egyptians thousands of years ago. These ancient Egyptians were a
technologically and intellectually advanced society for their time.
What exactly about your pet would they find so worthy of adoration?
To better appreciate this race’s amazing allegiance to their four
footed companions, one must have a modest understanding of history.
The Egyptians wisely utilized the waters from the Nile River, and its
surrounding fertile soil to grow a variety of crops. Those seasons
when the crops failed, the economy suffered horribly, and thousands
of people went without food. This ancient culture relied heavily upon
the wild, or feral cats of their era to protect their prized grains
and harvested crops from disease carrying rats and mice. With their
long, graceful limbs, large eyes, and sleek form, these agile felines
were perfectly suited to catch vermin. It is suggested that terrible
plagues were avoided just from the cats keeping the local rat
population in check.
http://pr-gb.com/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=27046&Itemid=9

This ain't no Discovery Channel
The Prague Post, October 3rd, 2007

When he was 14, Miroslav Bárta received a punishment that was to
change his life. Bárta, now a 40-year-old Egyptologist, remembers he
was an unruly pupil at school. He was punished frequently by his
teachers, who often made him memorize paragraphs of information. One
day, a history teacher made Bárta commit to memory something about
the “bloody pyramid of Khufu,” as he calls it now, one of the three
pyramids of Giza outside of Cairo, the last standing monument of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. He hasn’t looked back. These
days, Bárta is considered a worldwide authority on the artifacts and
civilizations of ancient Egypt. He is known for new theories on
pyramid tools ...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ruwf
http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2007/10/03/this-aint-no-discovery-
channel.php

#====================#

Miscellany:

Scientists tackle Newport's biggest mystery
Warren Times Gazette [USA], October 7, 2007

Is it British Colonial? Norse? Chinese? Scottish? or Portuguese? It
is a historical mystery for sure, and Ron and Jan Barstad of the
Arizona based Chronognostic Research Foundation (CRF) have an
intention of solving what they call, "merely a puzzle," once and for
all, as they begin their second archeological dig on Oct. 9 in Touro
Park. "The tower was built by someone, at some time, for some
purpose. It's a puzzle with missing pieces that has been argued about
for almost two centuries." says Jan Barstad, an animated gal with a
degree in botany and plant ecology. "It is a hole in Newport's
history that we want to fill, and with the generous permission of the
Newport City Council, we will begin this cerebral, physical and, I
might add, very expensive digging and processing procedure."
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/291836657929366.php

Exploring the consciousness of the megalithic temple builders
Malta Independent, October 07, 2007

Metageum’07 is a week-long event that includes an international
conference, guided visits to sacred sites, and workshops exploring
the “Consciousness of the Megalithic Temple Builders”, which will be
held at The Caraffa Stores, Birgu between 3 and 11 November. The
three threads centre on the theme of understanding the consciousness
of the people who built the megalithic temples and consist of an
international, inter-disciplinary conference on different ways of
approaching the thinking and imagination of the Neolithic people who
built the megalithic temples in Malta and elsewhere in the world, a
series of workshops enabling us to make the imaginative leap into the
Neolithic worldview, and a tour of Malta’s megalithic heritage.
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=58610

Egyptian god floats up Thames
BBC, 1 October 2007

A towering golden statue of an Egyptian god has been taken up the
Thames standing on the back of a cargo ship. Tower Bridge was raised
to allow the 25ft (7.6m) statue of Anubis to travel to its position
in Trafalgar Square. The installation is to mark the opening of
Tutankhamun And The Golden Age Of The Pharaohs at the O2 Bubble. The
five-tonne statue arrived in London from the US where a three-year
touring exhibition of the pharaoh's treasures has just ended.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7022829.stm

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 30.09.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#====================#

Ancient quarry used for Second Temple discovered
Yedioth Internet [Israel], 09.26.07

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Sunday the discovery of
a quarry that supplied large stones used to build the Second Temple
compound during King Herod's time. The ancient 1.23 acre quarry was
found during an archeological dig in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood on
the Shuafat ridge in northern Jerusalem. Israel Antiquities Authority
sources said the quarry's stones were placed as the foundations of
the Second Temple. This is the first time such a quarry that can be
linked to Jerusalem's grand construction projects of the Second
Temple period has been discovered. Stones found in the quarry reach
about 26 feet and are similar to stones that were kept at the bottom
parts of the Temple Mount compound. This new discovery seems to
provide an answer to the age-old question of where the giant stones
used for Second Temple period Jerusalem buildings were taken from.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3453394,00.html

Baskets, pots found abandoned in Tutankhamun tomb
Reuters, Sept 24 2007

Egyptian archaeologists working in the tomb of the boy pharaoh
Tutankhamun have found baskets and intact clay pots apparently
overlooked when the tomb was cleared out in the 1920s, the government
said on Monday. The 20 clay pots, sealed with Tutankhamun's name,
probably contain seeds and the remains of drinks, a government
statement said, quoting chief government archaeologist Zahi Hawass.
One of the baskets contains dried fruit and eight others hold almost
60 small limestone plaques also inscribed with Tutankhamun's name in
the traditional cartouche format. They were found in the treasure
room next to the burial chamber where British archaeologist Howard
Carter found Tutankhamun's mummy wrapped in its golden covers in 1922.
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL24428432.html
See also Agence France-Presse:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j7PwdB3jIye5ggAVG3SwOhM2JqUA

Discovery of Colors in Tomb of Achaemenid Kings
CHN [Iran], 26 September 2007

“Mohammad Taqi Ataee”, Archeologist and ex-specialist of the Parseh
and Pasargade Foundation, told CHN about this revolutionary discovery
and explained: on 2003, excavation and repair experts noticed the
existence of color under the dusty layers of rain and wind on the
tomb of Achamenidae Kings, specially the Great Darius. In that time,
and because of the process of legal registration of that new
discovery, no word of it was spoken until this day. According to
these researches, the Great Darius was pictured with azure beard,
black hairs, red eyes, and fully colored clothing in this scene.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7320
Photos:
http://www.chnphoto.ir/gallery.php?gallery_uid=881&lang=en

Discovery of Four Inscriptions in North-West of Iran Approved
Invasion of Sargons
CHN [Iran], 29 September 2007

Researches of Iranian and British linguistics on discovered
inscriptions in Rabbat Hill, revealed name of one of the 42 cities
that were possessed in the 8th invasion of Sargons. According to
“Reza Heidari”, head of research group in Rabbat Hill, two of the
discovered brick inscriptions refer to the name of “Atta” or “Adda”,
the “Manai” king and his territory “Shoor Dair” or “Daira”. This city
is in the list of 42 cities that were possessed in the 8th invasion
of Sargon between the 705 and 723 BC. Two other cuneiform
inscriptions carry names of two Assyrian Goddess “Ball” and “Naboo”.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7323

1000-year-old portable altar discovered in Sweden
newkerala.com [India], Sept 28 2007

Archaeologists have uncovered a 1,000-year-old portable altar at an
excavation site in Varnhem in western Sweden. The stone object was
found resting on the skeleton of a heavy set man believed to have
been a priest. Archaeologist Maria Vretemark from Västergötland's
Museum described the miniature altar as "a fabulous find. When a
priest travelled around to say mass in areas where there weren't many
sacred altars, he would bring with him this little stone. It was
blessed as an altar and is a very beautiful stone," she said.
http://www.newkerala.com/oct.php?action=fullnews&id=6427

Viking Treasure Trove Discovered in Swedish Garden
National Geographic News, September 24, 2007

A thousand-year-old Viking treasure trove has been dug up in a garden
in Sweden, archaeologists report. The hoard of silver coins from
Europe, central Asia, and the Middle East was unearthed earlier this
month by a gardener tending his vegetable patch on the Baltic island
of Gotland. So far 69 coins dating from the late 900s and early 1000s
have been found, said archaeologist Dan Carlsson of Gotland
University. The find contains rare early Viking money and foreign
currency from present-day England, Germany, Ireland, Iraq, and
Uzbekistan. Along with a similar cache recently discovered in
England, the new find paints a picture of Vikings trading and looting
their way across Europe and beyond.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rf3f
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070924-vikings-
treasure.html

Cabin from Viking Era Discovered in West Fjords?
Iceland Review , 09/28/2007

An archeological expedition on the island Hrútey in Mjóifjördur fjord
in Ísafjardardjúp, the West Fjords, have revealed the ruins of a
cabin which may have been built during the Viking Era. According to
Ragnar Edvardsson, an archeologist at the West Fjords’ Natural
Science Center, diggings had revealed an oval building structure with
a double layer of rocks and turf in between that can at least be
traced back to the Middle Ages. “Such thick walls could indicate that
the building derives from the Viking Era,” Edvardsson told
Morgunbladid. “It was obviously a place where someone lived, probably
in relation to mountain dairy farming.”
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rfcb
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?
cat_id=40764&ew_0_a_id=290480

Discovery of 100 Ancient Historical Sites Behind Seimareh Dam
CHN [Iran], 25 September 2007

According to “Seyyed Rasool Seyyedin-Brojeni”, head of the Seimareh’s
Dam research group, these sites are related to some prehistoric times
from Gunmetal, Copper, and Stone ages to Parthian, Sasanid, and
Islamic eras. Considering the large size of this area, a large group
of archeologists should be assigned to cover different seasons of
professional research. Brojeni believes that prioritizing zones of
this site is the key to succeed in this archeological project. Dam
and Generator of Seimareh is under construction on the Seimareh
River, in 30-kilometer north-west of “Darreh-Shahr”, Ilam province.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7318

Life was the pits 4000 years ago
The Scotsman, 28 Sep 2007

BRONZE Age pits have been unearthed that shed fresh light on life on
the banks of the Forth 4000 years ago. Archaeologists carrying out a
routine inspection found pottery and eight small pits in a routine
inspection of a site in South Queensferry. Melanie Johnson, project
manager for archaeologists CFA, said the discovery off Echline Avenue
came out of the blue. She said: "It didn't look too promising when we
started out on this site. But we then found pottery which we could
tell was around 4000 years old buried in small pits which were around
half a metre deep."
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1552002007

Archaeologists discover Bronze Age baby in Peterborough quarry
24 Hour Museum [UK], 25/09/2007

Archaeologists investigating a quarry site near Peterborough have
unearthed the 3,500-year-old remains of a baby in a Bronze Age burial
mound. Phoenix Consulting Archaeology have been conducting routine
investigations into the site at Bardon Aggregates Pode Hole gravel
quarry near Thorney for the last eight years, amassing a vast array
of valuable evidence about the community that once occupied the site,
ranging from the Neolithic era through to the early Iron Age. “In
that time we have found a considerable amount of evidence relating to
the economic aspects of the past, including Bronze Age field systems,
droveways, stock enclosures and animal watering holes over an area of
in excess of 100 acres,” explained the lead archaeologist on the
project, Dr Andy Richmond. “But, up until recently, we have found
very little relating to the actual people that carved out that
landscape.” The baby, believed to be under a year old and possibly a
stillborn birth, is the most dramatic discovery on the site, which
only two months ago yielded a well preserved skeleton of a Bronze Age
man.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART50937.html

Castle wall find at car park dig
BBC, 25 September 2007

Archaeologists and volunteers digging at a village car park believe
they have found the remains of a medieval castle. The dig at
Maenclochog, at the foot of Pembrokeshire's Preseli Hills, has
revealed what is thought to be part of an outer wall of the fortress.
Experts also think they have uncovered signs of a much earlier Iron
Age settlement at the site. Villagers are working with professional
archaeologists for two weeks in a bid to find out more about the land.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7012061.stm

An ancient clue to the first residents of Inverness
Inverness Courier [UK], 28 September, 2007

IS this the earliest evidence of human habitation in the Inverness
area? This small piece of flint, believed to be the tip of a flint
knife or spear, was one of several ancient artefacts uncovered beside
the remains of an ancient campfire by archaeologists called in to
investigate the site of a proposed development of 14 new houses. The
detailed exploration at Glebe Farm in Kiltarlity was led by Claire
Herbert of Alba Archaeology of Kirkhill, who was thrilled when her
digging unearthed dozens of pieces of 4000 to 5000-year-old pottery
and the remains of an early campfire she believes dates from long
before the arrival of the Picts in Scotland. "We came across 70 to 80
pottery shards in relatively good condition and some burnt hazel nut
shells," she said. "There was also a larger type of nut we have not
been able to identify yet and we can't say why these have been burnt."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rf4e
http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3993/
An_ancient_clue_to_the_first_residents_of_Inverness.html

Unexpected treasure trove beneath the sea
The Herald [South Africa], September 28, 2007

An exciting find of crates containing 100-year-old bottles, sealed
and with their contents still inside, has been made on the old wreck
lying on the bottom of Coega harbour. During the fearsome storm of
November 14, 1903, the 65-metre-long, three-masted iron barque,
County of Pembroke, was blown ashore opposite Broad Street on the
North End beach – at the same point where five vessels had been
wrecked during the Great Gale of 1902. The next year, the wrecks were
still on the beach. The vessel lay forgotten for 100 years until May
2004 when divers working on the site of the Coega deep water port
once again found it. The wreck, the top of which is five metres below
the high tide surface and three metres below low tide, was positively
identified after it was examined. Although the original metal letters
had fallen off, the ship‘s name could still be faintly seen on her prow.
http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n08_27092007.htm

Stone Age rice farms found in China
The Austin American-Statesman, September 27, 2007

Stone Age Chinese began cultivating rice more than 7,700 years ago by
burning trees in coastal marshes and building dams to hold back
seawater, converting the marshes to rice paddies that would support
growth of the high-yield cereal grain, researchers plan to report
today. New analysis of sediments from the site of Kuahuqiao at the
mouth of the Yangtze River near Hangzhou provides the earliest
evidence in China of such large-scale environmental manipulation,
experts said. "It shows people were changing the environment,
actively manipulating the system, and well on their way to having an
agricultural way of life," said University of Toronto anthropologist
Gary Crawford, who wasn't involved in the study.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1reu4
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/world/
09/27/0927rice.html

Expert locates tomb of short-lived Chinese emperor
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-09-28

The first emperor of China would be rolling in his grave if he knew
his Qin empire outlived him by only three years, and its last emperor
had since been lying within a kilometer of himself for 2,200 years. A
noted Chinese archaeologist, who was heavily involved in the
excavation and research of Qin Shihuang's terracotta army, has
located the tomb of Ziying, the third and last emperor of the Qin
Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), about 500 meters from the mausoleum of
Emperor Qin Shihuang in the suburbs east of Xi'an, capital of the
northwestern Shaanxi Province. Ziying's tomb, 109 meters long, 26
meters wide and 15.5 meters deep, was the second largest in the area
after the grave of the first emperor himself, said Yuan Zhongyi,
former curator at the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of
Qin Shihuang.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/28/content_6807842.htm

Ancient stone statues discovered in Dong Nai
VietNamNet Bridge, 28/09/2007

Two ancient stone statues which are believed to date back to between
the 6th-12th centuries have been unearthed in Bien Hoa City in
southern Dong Nai Province. The first undamaged sandstone statue was
identified as a Avalokitesvara piece, 70.2cm high and carved in a
standing position. It was believed to be made in the pre-Angkor or in
the post Oc Eo culture style and dates back to between the 7th-8th
centuries. According to archiologists, the statue is similar to five
other statues discovered in the southeast and Mekong Delta regions
recently.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2007/09/745787/

Ancient gongs discovered in Kon Tum
VietNamNet Bridge, 25/09/2007

More than 30 sets of special ancient gongs have been identified in
Central Highlands Kon Tum Province, according to the provincial
Department of Culture and Information. The antiques were among
estimated 2,000 sets of gongs that are currently being preserved by
the locals, according the department.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2007/09/744513/

Le Dynasty stone bridge discovered in Cao Bang
VietNamNet Bridge, 25/09/2007

Experts from the Vietnam Archeological Insitute and Cao Bang Province
Museum have discovered an ancient stone bridge dating back 200 years
in Coc Khoac hamlet, Hung Quoc town, Tra Linh district. According to
local residents, this stone bridge, which is 13 m in length and 2.5 m
in width and covered with green vines, used to have stone hand-rails
which have been replaced by cement ones. The bridge is about 5 km to
the southwest of the Vietnamese-Chinese border. And more than 10 m to
the east of the bridge is a road-side stone tablet with details about
its construction. Initial investigations reveal that the tablet was
erected in 1837 and the bridge, 1789.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2007/09/744535/

80 Ancient "Cloud Warrior" Skeletons Found in Peru Fort
National Geographic News, September 26, 2007

The remains of 80 members of an ancient civilization have been
unearthed in the ruins of a fortress high in the Peruvian Andes, an
archaeologist has announced. The skeletons bear evidence of extremely
quick deaths, the bodies having been found where they fell, without
burial, reported Alfredo Narváez, director of Peru's Kuélap
Archaeological Complex Restoration and Conservation project. The
remains were discovered in the fortress of Kuélap, a mountain
stronghold of the Chachapoya, a culture known as the "cloud warriors"
that thrived in Amazonian cloud forests from the 9th to the 15th
century A.D. "In recent days we have discovered the bones of at least
80 people," Narváez said late yesterday. The bodies belonged to
people of all ages and both sexes and were found alongside everyday
utensils and tools, he said.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070926-peru-bodies.html

Ancient canoes surface at Lake Trafford
NBC2 NEWS [USA], 9/28/2007

There aren't a lot of positive side-effects of the ongoing drought at
Lake Trafford, but here's one - it's exposing ancient history. Water
levels at the lake have dropped, revealing ancient canoes estimated
to be 1,000 years old. A total of 10 canoes have surfaced over the
summer. The best guess is that Native Americans built the vessels,
paddling them from Estero through Corkscrew Slough.
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=14910&z=3&p=

Stone tool reveals lengthy Polynesian voyage
news@..., 27 September 2007

The discovery of an adze fashioned from Hawaiian basalt on a Tuamotu
atoll in French Polynesia provides the first material evidence that
ancient voyagers made an 8,000-kilometre round trip from the South
Pacific to Hawaii and back again. More than 2,000 years ago,
seafarers from Samoa and Tonga ventured eastward to settle on more
remote archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean, including the Cook Islands,
Tahiti, and the Marquesas Islands, colonizing most of these places by
900 AD. Eventually, the travellers set foot on Hawaii. Scientists
have long thought that these journeys must have been accidental or
one-time events, but recent research has hinted that these peoples
were capable of greater feats of navigation than previously
suspected. Despite this, there has been debate about how much travel
and trade took place among these remote islands in eastern Polynesia
during the early years of their colonization; did those settlers who
made it to Hawaii ever travel back again?
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070924/full/070924-9.html

Egyptian mummy prepared for tour
BBC, 29 September 2007

Conservation work on a 2,300-year-old Egyptian mummy is taking place
at Durham University. Specialists have been examining the body of the
adult male at the university's oriental museum, before it goes on a
year-long tour of Japan. It was brought to the UK in the 1860s and
has proved a popular attraction at the museum for many years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/7019728.stm

Curator Craig Barclay said the mummy had what was believed to be one
of the first examples of a prosthetic hand.

Greece to create Alexander the Great museum
Agence France-Presse, September 28, 2007

Greece will dedicate a museum to Alexander the Great in the northern
town of Pella, his birthplace and the seat of the Macedonian kingdom
that ruled an empire from Europe to India, an official said Friday.
Expected to be ready by late 2008, the new museum will contain
mosaics, weapons, jewellery and other finds from a 20-year excavation
of the Pella archaeological site, an official at the culture
ministry's museums department told AFP. "The finds, mainly from
temples, show how these people lived ... we even found a curse which
shows that the Macedonians spoke Doric, an ancient Greek dialect,
from the 5th century BC," the official said. "This is very important,
also in political terms," she said.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5heCDujybwOy4h1Rivjs-GRFTTE9A

#====================#

More on:

Ancient Pharaoh Temple Discovered Inside Egypt Mosque
National Geographic News, September 27, 2007

Parts of a temple dating to the reign of pharaoh Ramses II have been
discovered inside a mosque in Luxor, Egypt, officials report. Experts
restoring the historic mosque uncovered sections of columns,
capitals, and elaborately inscribed reliefs from one of the ancient
temple's courtyards built around 1250 B.C. The previously concealed
architectural elements reveal well-preserved hieroglyphics and unique
scenes depicting the powerful pharaoh. The discovery is likely to
touch a nerve among religious leaders, because the newly exposed
reliefs contain representations of humans and animals, which are
forbidden inside mosques, the experts said.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070927-egypt-temple.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Tutankhamun was not black: Egypt antiquities chief
Agence France-Presse, September 24, 2007

Egyptian antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass insisted Tuesday that
Tutankhamun was not black despite calls by US black activists to
recognise the boy king's dark skin colour."Tutankhamun was not black,
and the portrayal of ancient Egyptian civilisation as black has no
element of truth to it," Hawass told reporters. "Egyptians are not
Arabs and are not Africans despite the fact that Egypt is in Africa,"
he said, quoted by the official MENA news agency. Hawass said he was
responding to several demonstrations in Philadelphia after a lecture
he gave there on September 6 where he defended his theory. Protestors
also claimed images of King Tut were altered to show him with lighter
skin at the "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" exhibit
which leaves Philadelphia for London on September 30.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iB6u3XEMp9IrJfl-kH6FHNgZCg_A

Why King Tut's ethnicity is such a complex issue
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sep. 23, 2007

The King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute will close its doors
Sept. 30. Throughout its U.S. tour, the show has attracted protesters
who claimed it was downplaying the fact that Egypt was in Africa,
downplaying Tut's African racial roots. Protests in Philadelphia
spurred the museum to host a conference on the subject in July. The
King Tut Action Committee of Philadelphia declared that the Franklin
Institute had "knowingly misrepresented the young African king and
African history, culture and heritage to over a million visitors."
The only opinion I will offer concerning Tut's ethnicity is that, to
judge from their official art, the Egyptians seemed to consider
themselves a golden mixture, separate from either Europeans or sub-
Saharan Africans. (That hasn't stopped Europeans from portraying the
Egyptians - and, indeed, Moses, Jesus, and many other non-Europeans -
as positively Western-looking. See below.) If you don't think Tut was
black, fine. But don't think black intellectuals who claim he was are
doing anything other than what people have done since the beginning
of time. The hunger of blacks to see themselves in history is not a
radical revisionism but a core human need.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/
20070923_Why_King_Tuts_ethnicity.html

... And for a bit of levity see The Spoof!:
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s3i25154

Remains May Be Children of Last Czar
The Guardian [UK], September 28, 2007

There is a "high degree of probability" that bones found recently
near the Russian city of Yekaterinburg are those of a daughter and
son of the last czar, an official said Friday, citing preliminary
forensic work. If confirmed, the latest find would fill in a missing
chapter in the story of the doomed Romanov family, whose reign was
ended by the violent 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, which ushered in more
than 70 years of communist rule. The bones were found by
archaeologists in a burned field near Yekaterinburg, a city in the
Ural Mountains where Czar Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, and their
five children were held prisoner by the Bolsheviks and then shot in
1918. The discovery was announced in August.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6955975,00.html

#====================#

Features:

Polish atomic physicists study Egyptian frescoes
Polish Press Agency, 2007-09-25

Thousands of years ago, Egyptians knew many complicated methods of
producing dyes. They used them to create many magnificent frescoes,
which cover the walls of temples, royal palaces and tombs. Time and
atmospheric factors have caused the paintings to lose their initial
colours. The chemical reactions have modified the chemical content of
the pigment. Thus, the colours we see today, are very distant from
the pieces created by their ancient painters. This is why scientists,
with the help of modern knowledge, are looking for ways of recreating
these processes to restore the creations of the Egyptian masters and
craftsmen to their former glory. According to Dr Marek Pawlowski the
spokesman for Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies in Swierk,
this study is a bit like a fascinating detective adventure.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1renj
http://en.naukawpolsce.pl/palio/html.run?
_Instance=cms_naukapl.pap.pl&_PageID=1&s=szablon.depesza&dz=archeology&d
ep=66435&data=&lang=EN&_CheckSum=-2028132824

Digging through the Bible
The Jerusalem Post, Sep 27, 2007

The third season of renewed excavations at Ramat Rahel in Jerusalem
has come to a close, with several exceptional finds that have
increased archeologists' understanding of the site. The excavations
are the result of a joint project between Tel Aviv University and the
University of Heidelberg in Germany, and are scheduled for another
three seasons, with the next to begin in the summer of 2009. Dig
director Dr. Oded Lipschits of Tel Aviv University said that the
goals of this year's dig were to expand the area around a Byzantine
(fourth-seventh centuries CE) church previously excavated by Yohanan
Aharoni of the Hebrew University in the 1950s, and to further expose
a garden and a profound water system from a palace or administrative
building that was in use from the late Iron Age (seventh-sixth
centuries BCE) until the beginning of the Hasmonean period in the 2nd
century BCE.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rf4a
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?
cid=1189411495971&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Ancient Fishermen Lured Fish With Fire
Discovery News, Sept. 25, 2007

Fishermen around areas mentioned in the New Testament worked the
night shift, suggests fishing gear found in a 7th century shipwreck
off the coast of Dor, Israel, west of Galilee, where Jesus is said to
have preached. The standout item among the found gear is a fire
basket, the first evidence for "fire fishing" in the ancient eastern
Mediterranean. Early images and writings indicate fires were lit in
such baskets, which were suspended in giant lantern devices from the
end of fishing boats. Light emitted from the fire both attracted and
illuminated fish, as well as other sea creatures, like octopus, which
men then speared or captured in nets. "Striking at night is
classified as fire hunting," explained archaeologists Ehud Galili and
Baruch Rosen, who excavated the shipwreck. Their findings have been
accepted for publication in The International Journal of Nautical
Archaeology.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/09/25/firefishing_arc.html

The predecessor of the McMansion
The Baltimore Sun, September 24, 2007

Anne Arundel County archaeologists knew they were looking for one of
18th-century Maryland's rich and famous. Samuel Chew was a well-
connected Quaker planter and merchant, and his home on a knoll above
the Chesapeake Bay was an early landmark, used by ship captains to
guide them into the tobacco port of Herrington, on Herring Bay. But
no one expected this. Months of digging to uncover the foundation
walls of the Chew House have revealed one of the largest, most
opulent Colonial homes in the Chesapeake region during the early 18th
century. Rubble lifted from the cellar hole speaks of elaborate,
molded brickwork, polished marble and hand-painted imported tiles.
Most amazing of all, the 2 1/2 -story, hip-roofed mansion appears to
have been bigger than the original Governor's Palace at Williamsburg,
Va. - an extraordinary 66 feet on each side, says county
archaeologist Al Luckenbach.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rf44
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-
md.journal24sep24,0,1520061.story?coll=bal-home-extra

Archaeologists Probe Secret Tunnels in California
FOX News [USA], September 27, 2007

Tunnels run beneath Chinatown in Fresno, Calif.: brick-walled
passages that were once home to people and activities that couldn't
be mentioned aboveground. Rick Lew knows, because he walked the
passages as a child, entering through a trapdoor in his grandfather's
liquor store. "There was a nightlife you couldn't see from the
streets," he said. But to many others, the lace-work of tunnels
sprawling under the city was just another tall tale from Fresno's
days as a Western railroad town and a hub of gambling and
prostitution. Now, a group of archaeologists is using ground-
penetrating radar to find evidence of the secret passages, which are
believed to branch out from long-abandoned basements littered with
animal and human waste, cobwebs and other filth.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298319,00.html

Raiders of the faux ark
The Boston Globe, September 30, 2007

NOAH'S ARK. The Ark of the Covenant. The Garden of Eden. Sodom and
Gomorrah. The Exodus. The Lost Tomb of Jesus. All have been "found"
in the last 10 years, including one within the past six months. The
discoverers: a former SWAT team member; an investigator of ghosts,
telepathy, and parapsychology; a filmmaker who calls himself "The
Naked Archeologist"; and others, none of whom has any professional
training in archeology. We are living in a time of exciting
discoveries in biblical archeology. We are also living in a time of
widespread biblical fraud, dubious science, and crackpot theorizing.
Some of the highest-profile discoveries of the past several years are
shadowed by accusations of forgery, such as the James Ossuary, which
may or may not be the burial box of Jesus' brother, as well as other
supposed Bible-era findings such as the Jehoash Tablet and a small
ivory pomegranate said to be from the time of Solomon. Every year
"scientific" expeditions embark to look for Noah's Ark, raising
untold amounts of money from gullible believers who eagerly listen to
tales spun by sincere amateurs or rapacious con men; it is not always
easy to tell the two apart.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1rju0
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/09/30/
raiders_of_the_faux_ark/

The amazing Golden Ratio
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 27 September - 3 October 2007

It is said that a well-proportioned face must lie in what is called a
"golden rectangle" of dimensions in the ratio of approximately 1 to
1.6. Not only living forms, but also works of art and buildings,
including the splendid domes of Persia and the Athens Parthenon, are
found to adhere to this rule. Historians trace the Golden Ratio back
to Euclid, yet it appears that even before him it was governing the
dimensions of monuments in ancient Egypt. The most pronounced of
these is the Great Pyramid...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/864/heritage.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Bid to unravel a mummy’s past
York Press [UK], 27th September 2007

A TWO-YEAR high security operation to guard a Peruvian mummy during
its stay in York is over - and a television documentary is set to hit
our screens next year. Television crews and a team of about 45
experts have spent the last 24 months studying the human remains, and
now their findings are set to be aired on the History Channel. The
University of York Mummy Research Team was chosen to lead the
project, and dozens of top professionals from home and abroad were
called on to lend their expertise. The mummy has now been taken from
York to a secret location. Jo Fletcher, of the University of York,
who was part of the team studying the remains, said: "This is the
biggest project we have ever had in York and it has been a massive
success. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to tell you the results, but
we have had some very exciting finds."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1retv
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/yorknews/display.var.
1719942.0.bid_to_unravel_a_mummys_past.php

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 23.09.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#====================#

Ancient temple collection discovered in S Egypt
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-09-21

Egyptian restorers have accidentally discovered a collection of New
Kingdom pillars, lintels and reliefs in the country's southern
tourist city of Luxor, Culture Minister Farouq Hosni announced on
Thursday. The collection was discovered within the internal walls of
the Abul Hagag El-Luxory mosque, built on top of the open court of
Luxor temple by restorers from Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities
(SCA) while restoring the mosque and its mausoleum, a SCA statement
quoted Hosni as saying. Meanwhile, SCA secretary general Zahi Hawas
confirmed that the newly discovered collection, which revealed an
important part of the history of Luxor Temple, dates back to the
reign of King Ramses II in the nineteenth Dynasty from 1,304 B.C. to
1,237 B.C. According to the SCA statement, among the most important
reliefs were those featuring Ramses II while offering god Amun Re'two
obelisks to be installed at the temples front facade, one of which is
now at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/21/content_6762420.htm
See also All Headline News [USA]:
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008591456
Photo Gulf Times [Qatar]:
http://www.gulf-times.com/mritems/images/2007/9/20/2_173989_1_248.jpg

New Thracian tomb found in Bulgaria
The Sofia Echo [Bulgaria], 18 Sep 2007

Archaeologists found a Thracian tomb near the town of Ivailovgrad, at
the Bulgarian-Greek border. The tomb was discovered during
excavations, led by the Thracian archaeology expert Georgi Nehrizov,
Bulgarian Academy of Science’s National Institute of Archaeology and
Museum said. Treasure-hunters destroyed the antechamber of the tomb
with a digger in the autumn of 2006, but the burial chamber is
completely preserved, two m high and two to 1.8 m wide. The tomb
dates back to the fourth or third century BC, Focus news agency
reported.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r32r
http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/new-thracian-tomb-found-in-bulgaria/
id_24936/catid_70

Archaeologists unearth ancient city in Turkey's south-west Aegean
province
DailyIndia.com [USA], Sept 19 2007

Archaeologists are unearthing the ancient city of Tabea in the Aegean
province of Denizli in south-west Turkey. Governor Hasan Canpolat
said excavations have started at three parts of the ancient city in
Denizli's Kale district. Canpolat visited the excavation area with
Kale provincial administrator, Ömer Dagdeviren, Kale mayor, Abdullah
Karaayvaz, and Denizlli Culture and Tourism provincial director,
Mehmet Korkmaz. He said the archaeological excavations would bring
the ancient city of Tabea to light.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r32u
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/175335.php/Archaeologists-unearth-
ancient-city-in-Turkeys-south-west-Aegean-province

Bronze Age building uncovered near Gaza
The Jerusalem Post,  Sep 17, 2007

A building from the Late Bronze Age apparently constructed for
Egyptian authorities before the Israelite settlement in the Land of
Israel has been uncovered in an excavation on the edge of the Negev
desert near the Gaza Strip, Ben-Gurion University announced Monday.
The month-long summer dig on the eastern section of the Besor Stream,
about 12 kilometers east of Gaza, revealed the 3,000-year-old site
buried underneath a 7th century Philistine rural village from the
Second Iron Age, said Ben-Gurion University archeologist Dr. Gunnar
Lehmann. The Israeli and German archeologists working on the dig had
known of the existence of the Philistine village at the site due to
earlier surface exploration in the area, but were stunned to find the
much earlier structure which lay underneath it, he said. About 10-15
such buildings are known to exist off the Egyptian border, but most
have been found in an urban context. "We did not expect to find an
administrative building in such a rural site," Lehmann said. The site
has features of Egyptian architecture, as well as Egyptian pottery
and amulets.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r1i6
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?
cid=1189411422291&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Rare Proto-Bulgarian Inscription Found in Former Bulgarian Capital
News.bg [Bulgaria], 20.09.2007

A Bulgarian archaeologist has found a thrilling inscription in an
ancient Bulgarian language at the wall of a stone tomb near the town
of Veliki Preslav, in present day northeast Bulgaria. Prof Kazimir
Popkonstantikov said the inscription on the tomb's wall was found
during routine research of a monastery that dated back to the 10th
century. He said this was the second time in 50 years that he found
such an inscription. He said the inscription suggest that the monk
Sinkel was buried there, and while still alive, he served as the
personal secretary of the patriarch. The stone plate which covers the
tomb is 2,2 metres long and 1,2 wide. The sepulchre chamber is
divided into two sections with different size, where monks from the
monastery had been buried.
http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_701882463

Two Fortresses Revealed on Path of Gorgan’s Wall
CHN [Iran], 17 September 2007

Geophysical operations of Iranian-British joint team on more than 2
hectares of Gorgan’s wall led into identifying two underground
fortresses. Hamid Omrani, Iranian head of the team and head of the
cultural heritage base of Gorgan’s Great Wall announced the discovery
of two buried Sassanian fortresses which are denoted to Gorgan’s wall
during geophysical operations. Iranian-British joint team consisted
of archeologists and experts of Iran’s Cultural Heritage,
Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) and University of
Edinburgh and Durham University, have so far carried out three
seasons of archeological excavations on Gorgan’s Great Wall. The team
is consisted of 17 experts in archeology, archeo-geology, geophysics,
history, architecture, archeo-anthropology, and laboratory.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7297

Discovery of ancient relic in Guwahati creates sensation
newkerala.com [India], Sep 18 2007

Guwahati, Sep 18: Discovery of a 10th-century ancient relic,
resembling a "Shivling", in the premises of a government-run hospital
here has created a sensation among the people and the Archaeology
department. The discovery was made in the premises of the Mahendra
Mohan Choudhury (MMC) hospital in Panbazar area during construction
of a new Regional Diagnostic Centre under the National Rural Health
Mission. Officials of the MMC today said the stone pillar with 256 cm
radius and 173 cm height had been at the spot since long and it was
not disturbed as the spot was vacant.
http://www.newkerala.com/oct.php?action=fullnews&id=1852

Bronze Age burial site unearthed
BBC, 17 September 2007

A Bronze Age burial site has been unearthed by archaeologists working
at a quarry in Cambridgeshire. The find was made at Pode Hole Quarry,
in Thorney, near Peterborough, where a child's skeleton has been
uncovered. Teams had already discovered the 3,500-year-old remains of
a man at the quarry, in July. Archaeologist Andy Richmond said the
find was significant as it helped to piece together the history of
life on the edge of the Fens.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/6998614.stm

Skeletons found on Rathdowney building site
Laois Nationalist [Ireland], September 19, 2007

THE skeletal remains of a mother and baby, believed to be 1,500 years
old, were unearthed during excavation work for a new house near
Rathdowney last week. A man, who was operating a digger on the site
for the house at Johnstown Glebe, close to Bealady cross roads on the
Rathdowney to Donaghmore road, on Tuesday, September 11, was shocked
when he spotted bones where he was digging. The site-owner acted very
responsibly and immediately stopped work on the site. The gardaí were
alerted and the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis was
called to the scene. Similarly the Department of the Environment were
contacted and informed of the find. Following this an archaeologist
was dispatched to the site. Close examination of the site determined
the remains were those of a woman and a baby who appeared to have
died from natural causes some 1,500 years ago. It has since emerged
that the site was a recorded monument based on earthworks which had
indicated that there was some archaeological significance to the area.
http://www.laois-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=26723&cat=news

Archaeology experts 'thrilled' by discoveries
Lochaber News [UK], 22 September, 2007

MORE fascinating finds have been unearthed in the second week of a
major archaeological project in Fort William. Experts are "thrilled"
by discoveries made in the town's Parade area, while fresh digs at
the Old Fort have also uncovered more exciting links to Fort
William's military history. And, as the LN went to press (Wednesday)
experts were beginning metal detector runs near Inverlochy Castle as
part of the project's aims to discover the exact locations of the
1431 and 1645 battles of Inverlochy. At the Parade, the team, led by
renowned researcher Tony Pollard, director of the internationally-
acclaimed Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at Glasgow University,
has made tremendous progress in efforts to find out more about the
early settlement of Maryburgh, which grew up around the Old Fort from
around 1690.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r32a
http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/1621/
Archaeology_experts_'thrilled'_by_discoveries.html

Copper hoard found in Auraiya
The Times of India, 20 Sep 2007

In a significant discovery a copper hoard, estimated to be around
4000 years old, has been discovered in district Auraiya of Uttar
Pradesh. The exploration of the site has shown that the find-spot of
the copper artefacts is part of an ancient site and comprises a thick
cultural deposit. The site of the discovery is located to the south
of village Udaipurwa (Udaipur) bear the Arind or Rind river which is
a small tributary of river Yamuna. It roughly covers an area of 1.5
to 2 acre. Presently this area is under cultivation. The hoard
discovered weighs about 25 kg and comprises various types of
artefacts, including a barbed spearhead (harpoon), an anthropomorphic
figure, flat shouldered axes, chisels and rings. Most of the
artefacts, barring some rings and axes, are broken.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r32d
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/
Copper_hoard_found_in_Auraiya/articleshow/2385245.cms

Peruvian archaeologists find 40 1,200-year-old mummies
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-09-20

Archaeologists in Peru have found 40 mummies dating from the 1,200-
year-old Chachapoyas culture in the Amazon fortress of Kuelap,
project leader Alfredo Narvaez told local media on Wednesday. He said
the mummies were discovered alongside Inca pottery, and that they
showed signs of being affected by a fire in the archaeological
complex, some 1,409 km northeast to the nation's capital. He said the
bodies had been buried under a platform of 24 meters in diameter in
the El Tintero structure during a dig of the Kuelap Archaeological
Complex Restoration and Conservation project. El Tintero contained
six circular buildings, which appeared to be homes to residents of
that time. The mummies, both men and women of all ages, were found
both inside and outside the buildings, Narvaez said, noting it seems
there was no time to bury them. The mummies may have been victims of
an epidemic or a violent invasion which ended in a massacre and the
burning of the stone fortress, Narvaez said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/20/content_6759375.htm

Local historians locate Lake Michigan shipwreck
Post-Tribune [USA], September 19, 2007

An Illinois-based group named for a local historian thinks it has
found the remains of a ship that once carried escaping slaves to
freedom before it was destroyed by slave hunters on the shore of Lake
Michigan in Ogden Dunes. Roger Barski, an underwater photographer and
ex-Hollywood lighting technician, presented the findings of the
Briggs Project to a spellbound audience of two dozen history buffs at
a meeting of the Portage Community Historical Society on Tuesday
night. Barski is a Project leader and a member of the underwater
Archaeological Society of Chicago. He served as official photographer
for the Kankakee Valley Historical Association's 2005 excavation at
the Collier Lodge near Kouts. He said his group has found virtually
everything in the records that can be found about the ship.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/563544,ptghistory.article

Historic mystery could be solved
Suffolk Evening Star [UK], 21 September 2007

AN outbreak of a disease like foot-and-mouth may be the answer to an
archaeological mystery which has been uncovered on the edge of a
market town. A pit discovered on the 22-acre site of a “dig” at Eye
has been found to contain the bones of cattle, sheep and pigs dating
from the Saxon period. But the evidence is that the animals had not
been butchered and eaten by their keepers. “It is very strange and
the most likely explanation seems to be that the animals were
slaughtered and buried as the result of an outbreak of disease,” said
Jo Caruth , senior project officer for Suffolk Archaeological Unit.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r1in
http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?
brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPE
D21%20Sep%202007%2011%3A26%3A05%3A353

Midden turns out to be rubbish, road can go ahead
The New Zealand Herald, September 21, 2007

A major intersection upgrade on Auckland's North Shore is back on
track after an archaeologist's report found a midden, uncovered
during the project, is of little historic or educational value. The
midden - a site where food remains such as shells and bones and
charcoal from fires were thrown or buried - was discovered in July
when a pohutukawa tree was removed from the Esmonde Rd-Lake Rd
construction site in Takapuna, halting the upgrade. The
archaeologist's investigation, conducted on behalf of North Shore
City Council, found the midden dated to the 19th century, and
contained oyster, cockle, mussel and paua shells as well as glass,
ceramics and iron. "The absence of charcoal, ash and rocks indicates
that whoever deposited the shell was not using traditional Maori
cooking methods," the report said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=105&objectid=10464886

Ancient relics threatened by water project
IOL News [South Africa], September 18 2007

An ambitious water diversion project in China risks submerging
cultural relics up to 4 000 years old, despite efforts by heritage
officials to rescue them, state media said on Tuesday. With just
three years left before the South-North Water Diversion Project - a
$25-billion scheme to divert water from China's lush south to its
parched north - is finished, only one third of the preservation
project has been completed, China Daily reported. The relics along
the path of the water project are "far more valuable" than those
along the Three Gorges Dam project, both in terms of quality and
quantity, according to Li Taoyuan, an archaeologist involved in the
preservation project. "Considering the work involved in excavating
and protecting relics in the entire region (of the project), the time
constraints defy imagination," he was quoted as saying. Heritage
workers have already cleared more than 2 000 tombs, temples and other
cultural sites and have relocated about 10 000 pieces of ancient
ceramic, copper, jade and bone objects - but these are only a
fraction of relics that are worth saving in the area.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r1lv
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?
set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20070918084411791C542557

10,000 historic sites at risk from climate change
Sunday Herald [Scotland], September 23, 2007

MORE THAN 10,000 of the most important ancient and historical sites
around Scotland's coastline are at risk of being destroyed by the
storms and rising sea levels that will come with global warming.
Sites in jeopardy include the neolithic settlement of Skara Brae on
Orkney and the prehistoric ruins at Jarlshof on Shetland. Others
under threat range from Viking burial boats to Iron Age brochs and
Mesolithic middens. New surveys for Historic Scotland reveal that the
remains of communities up to 9000 years old could be lost for ever
due to accelerating coastal erosion. The potential loss is
incalculable and has alarmed experts. "This is a uniquely valuable
and totally irreplaceable part of the nation's cultural heritage,
with much still to teach us about our past," said Tom Dawson, an
archaeologist at the University of St Andrews.
http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1708488.0.0.php

Global warming, coastal nibbling
Star-Telegram [USA], Sep. 23, 2007

Ultimately, rising seas will likely swamp the settlement in
Jamestown, Va., as well as the Florida launch pad that sent the first
American into orbit, many climate scientists say. Global warming --
through melting glaciers, disappearing ice sheets and warmer waters
expanding -- is expected to cause oceans to rise by 1 meter, or about
39 inches. That's the troubling outlook projected by coastal maps
created by scientists at the University of Arizona with data from the
U.S. Geological Survey. Some scientists believe that it will happen
in 50 years, others in 100, still others in 150.
http://www.star-telegram.com/national_news/story/244584.html

Egypt antiquities official held
BBC, 17 September 2007

A top official in the Egyptian authority for antiquities has been
arrested as part of an investigation into bribes for restoration
contracts. The head of the technical department, Abdul Hamid Qutb,
was arrested on Saturday and his office was searched. The contracts,
worth tens of millions of dollars, cover some of Egypt's best known
monuments, local media say. Mr Qutb's boss, Zahi Hawwas, defended his
department and said Mr Qutb was not in a position to award contracts.
"Awarding contracts follows a very rigorous procedure at the Supreme
Council of Antiquities, and Mr Qutb had no authority whatsoever in
taking decisions related to that," Dr Hawwas told the BBC Arabic
service.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6999298.stm

#====================#

More on:

Buried treasures
Dorset Echo [UK], 22nd September 2007

AERIAL photographs show how archaeologists are unveiling a Roman
settlement near Dorchester. The excavation at Poundbury has uncovered
burials including one in a stone coffin. And the burials were
probably pagan, even though Roman Dorchester was Christian by then.
Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick of Wessex Archaeology said the site - earmarked
for development as part of Prince Charles's Poundbury - was shedding
light on how people lived and farmed in Roman times. But the setting,
in a rural location away from the large Christian cemetery that
served Roman Dorchester, suggested the burials could have been pagan.
http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.1707718.0.buried_treasures.php

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Mystery of boy in iron coffin leads to county
Intelligencer Journal [USA], Sep 21, 2007

The mystery of a cast-iron coffin found by utility workers in
Washington, D.C., has followed a meandering path to Lancaster County.
Forensic researchers at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum
of Natural History announced Thursday that the remains of a 15-year-
old boy unearthed in 2005 belong to William Taylor White — and his
closest living relative is likely Linda Dwyer, a 64-year-old
convenience store clerk from Lancaster. "It's you! It's you!" was the
message Dwyer received from ecstatic researchers after they confirmed
the connection through a DNA test. "I think it's awesome," Dwyer
said. "The whole technology of finding me and putting it all
together. … It's so cool."
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/209746

Wrist bones bolster hobbit status
news@..., 20 September 2007

More evidence has emerged supporting the theory that the 'hobbits',
which lived on the remote Indonesian island of Flores tens of
thousands of years ago, were indeed a unique species. Painstaking
study of Homo floresiensis wrist bones shows that their wrists were
far more primitive than ours — suggesting that they were
evolutionarily distinct from modern humans. The hobbits' wrists are
so primitive-looking, say the researchers, that tracing our shared
heritage would involve going back millions of years, perhaps to very
birth of the genus Homo in Africa.
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070917/full/070917-8.html

#====================#

Features:

The past is Hemet archaeologist's treasure
Press-Enterprise [USA], September 18, 2007

   As a young housewife and mother, Marilyn Wyss had her interest in
archaeology sparked when she discovered signs of prehistoric
civilization on her Midwest farmland. After contracts with the U.S.
Forest Service, Washington and Montana State universities and the
Department of Transportation in Montana, Wyss accepted a position
with Applied EarthWorks Inc. in 1992. "It was contract work for two
to five years and this project lasted for 10," said Wyss, of Hemet.
After the field work ended, she continued to work with the collection
of artifacts. Applied Earthworks established its Hemet office in 1991
to mitigate the effects of the Eastside Reservoir Project for
Metropolitan Water District. Its senior archaeologist, Melinda Horne,
said Wyss was the senior lab director in charge of the Eastside
collection. The final reports for the Eastside project, now known as
Diamond Valley Lake, were submitted in 2001. Since that time, Wyss
has been working on a Coachella Valley project.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r1ls
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/
PE_News_Local_S_hwyss18.62457d.html

Archaeologists discovering "Prague Pompeii"
Prague Daily Monitor, 17 September 2007

Czech archaeologists are sure of the existence of "Prague Pompeii"
beneath the Old Town Square whose existence would largely complicate
the possible completion of Prague's Old-Town Hall, Lidove noviny (LN)
writes Saturday. According to archaeologists, a lost world is buried
below the Old Town Square and adjacent streets. They say they are
sure of the existence of remnants of Romanesque Prague, such as
torsos of houses, palaces and old residences deep below the surface.
Archaeologists and town-planners have known about the existence of
"Prague Pompeii" for decades from old maps and historical town plans,
which have, however, fallen into oblivion.
http://www.praguemonitor.com/en/171/prague_news/12179/

An ancient grain, farro enjoys a comeback
Napa Valley Register [USA], September 20, 2007

One of the first grains cultivated by man, farro is the ancestor of
modern-day wheat. Also known as emmer, farro sustained the Roman
legions as they conquered Europe. Emmer — which farmers maintain is
true farro — was a wholesome daily staple of the ancient Egyptians
and has been grown for millennia in the Middle East and North Africa.
This non-genetically modified ancient grain belongs to the wheat
family. Originating 7,000 years ago, emmer gave rise to all durum
wheat, even Kamut, or khorasan wheat, which it predates by over 4,000
years. Its younger cousin by about 2,000 years, spelt, which is a
soft wheat, often masquerades as true farro.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r3h3
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/09/20/features/food/
doc46ef20ef48568786301841.txt

Japan's Ancient Underwater "Pyramid" Mystifies Scholars
National Geographic News, September 19, 2007

Submerged stone structures lying just below the waters off Yonaguni
Jima are actually the ruins of a Japanese Atlantis—an ancient city
sunk by an earthquake about 2,000 years ago. That's the belief of
Masaaki Kimura, a marine geologist at the University of the Ryukyus
in Japan who has been diving at the site to measure and map its
formations for more than 15 years. Each time he returns to the dive
boat, Kimura said, he is more convinced than ever that below him rest
the remains of a 5,000-year-old city. "The largest structure looks
like a complicated, monolithic, stepped pyramid that rises from a
depth of 25 meters [82 feet]," said Kimura, who presented his latest
theories about the site at a scientific conference in June.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070919-sunken-city.html

#====================#

Miscellany:

Grab your toga: Roman bath for sale at £300,000
The Times [UK], September 23, 2007

A ROMAN bath house with remains of plunge pools, steam rooms and
clothes lockers is for sale in the town of Battle, East Sussex. Built
for officers of the Roman navy in about AD90, the baths are on the
market for a modest £300,000. Although the property is hardly in a
fit state for a toga party, it contains remains that rarely come up
for sale. “The level of preservation in the baths is particularly
high,” said Paul Roberts, ancient monuments inspector at English
Heritage. “They were buried by a landslide so, although the building
is ruinous, we have all the material in pieces.”
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r49j
http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/
buying_and_selling/article2511780.ece

Indian site sold to couple
Intelligencer Journal [USA], Sep 21, 2007

American Indian groups couldn't stop the auction Thursday of land
that includes important archaeological sites related to the
Susquehannock tribe. But the presence of about 20 Indians, some with
homemade signs, sent a clear message to any potential buyers who
might have plans to develop the parcel. In the end, the 26-acre
Leibhart property at 534 Boat House Road in York County's Lower
Windsor Township was sold Thursday to a Dover couple, Teresa and
Donald Grove, for $1.51 million. The property, just across the
Susquehanna River from Lancaster County, includes a historic three-
story farmhouse and three dozen lots that are rented for riverside
recreation, bringing in about $37,000 per year, according to
auctioneer Bradley K. Smith. On the property are remains of an
important 17th-century Susquehannock settlement, as well as at least
four Native American cemeteries. The property was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1984, according to the
National Park Service's online archives. Researchers say the Indian
settlement existed on the property between 1650 and 1675, with a peak
population of about 900.
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/209752

Revealed: carved footprint marking Scotland’s birth is a replica
Sunday Herald [Scotland], September 21, 2007

A FOOTPRINT supposedly cut in stone around 1500 years ago to mark the
birth of the Scottish nation is not the real thing, Historic Scotland
has admitted. The royal inauguration stone at Dunadd, in Argyll,
where an estimated 50,000 visitors a year place their feet in what
they believe to be the actual ceremonial footprint used to initiate
the earliest Scottish kings, is in fact a fibreglass copy of the
original, placed at the site in the 1980s. The real stone remains
where it has always been, on an exposed outcrop in the bottom of the
Kilmartin Valley. But it is entirely hidden from view, buried
underneath its synthetic counterpart, which has been integrated into
the surrounding turf to make it look as authentic as possible. The
replica is presented as being the genuine article in order to
discourage visitors to the site - which is managed by Historic
Scotland but is unmanned and has no visitor centre - from trying to
remove it and touch the original below.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1r49m
http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.
1708431.0.revealed_carved_footprint_marking_scotlands_birth_is_a_replica
.php

The mystery of the air raid sirens
The Toronto Star,  Sep 23, 2007

"It's a neat thing to look at," says Claire Bryden, referring to the
air raid siren near the corner of Dundas St. W. and Shaw St., a
remnant of Toronto's age of atomic anxiety. The sturdy, horn-shaped
siren rests on a rusting column on the property of Bellwoods Centres
for Community Living. Few of these Cold War relics, which would alert
the population to an imminent nuclear attack, remain in Toronto. One
siren resides atop the York Quay Centre at Harbourfront. Others, like
the one on Ward's Island, disappear when buildings get new roofs.
Today, no one claims ownership of the surviving sirens. Call the City
of Toronto and they refer you to the province. Call the province and
they refer you to the Department of National Defence. Call the
Department of National Defence and they refer you to ... the city.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/259463

Velociraptor was a feathered fiend
The Times [UK], September 21, 2007

The terrifying velociraptors that ripped apart everyone they could
catch in Jurassic Park should have been given feathers by the
director Steven Spielberg. Researchers now say that the dinosaurs,
which leapt into the public imagination when they were featured in
the hit 1993 film, were misrepresented. After analysing fossilised
bones they have discovered that the velociraptor was not the smooth-
skinned creature portrayed in the film, but had feathers. The
discovery means that as well as being more decorative than the
creatures that appeared in the film they could have been an even more
terrifying predator because the feathers would probably have been
improved their manoeuvrability.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2500236.ece

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 16.09.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

[Sorry for the delay. Hopefully things are back on track now.]

#====================#====================#

Excavations reveal first beehives in ancient Near East
EurekAlert [AAAS], 3-Sep-2007

Archaeological proof of the Biblical description of Israel really as
“the land of milk and honey” (or at least the latter) has been
uncovered by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Institute of Archaeology. Amihai Mazar, Eleazar L. Sukenik Professor
of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, revealed that the first
apiary (beehive colony) dating from the Biblical period has been
found in excavations he directed this summer at Tel Rehov in Israel’s
Beth Shean Valley. This is the earliest apiary to be revealed to date
in an archaeological excavation anywhere in the ancient Near East,
said Prof. Mazar. It dates from the 10th to early 9th centuries
B.C.E. Tel Rehov is believed to have been one of the most important
cities of Israel during the Israelite monarchy. The beehives there
were found in the center of a built-up area there that has been
excavated since 1997 by Dr. Nava Panitz-Cohen of the Hebrew
University. Three rows of beehives were found in the apiary,
containing more than 30 hives. It is estimated, however, based on
excavations to date, that in all the total area would have contained
some 100 beehives.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-09/thuo-erf090307.php

Second Temple-era escape route unearthed
Haaretz [Israel], September 10, 2007

Archaeologists have accidentally discovered Jerusalem's main
subterranean drainage channel from the Second Temple period, which
the writings of Josephus Flavius indicate enabled thousands of Jews
to survive the siege and then flee the Roman destruction of the city
in 70 C.E. Pottery shards, vessel fragments and coins from the end of
the Second Temple period were discovered inside the channel,
archaeology professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa and Eli
Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority told a news conference
announcing the discovery yesterday.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/902485.html

Bronze age settlement found at US Embassy site
The Times of Malta, Sep 15, 2007

A series of tombs and silos, probably dating back to the Bronze Age
and early Roman period, have been discovered on the site set to
become the new US Embassy, in Ta' Qali. A team of nine archaeologists
and students have been working at the site since August in a bid to
survey the area as thoroughly as possible because a number of the
structures - which are in very bad shape - may now be buried again
under the new pentagon-shaped compound that will house the new
embassy. Even though the findings are still being processed, it seems
that people had originally settled there in the Bronze Age but there
is evidence to suggest it was populated during early Roman times
(from AD 1 to 3). Unfortunately, the tombs in particular suffered
extensive damage over the years. Besides having been quarried in the
1800s, the site was levelled off and developed, to be used eventually
as the counting hall during general elections. Little more than a few
inches is left of the once storey-high tombs, for instance.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=274449

Second pagan temple (slowly) unveiled in Artashat
ArmeniaNow, September 14, 2007

Armenian archeologists have discovered the second pagan temple in
Armenia after Garni. The temple found 5.5 meters under ground not far
from the modern town of Artashat about 30 kilometers to the south-
east of Yerevan was devoted to Mihr – the God of the Sun in Armenian
mythology. The temple – the symbol of sun-worship was built near
Artashat which maintained its status the longest among the capitals
of Armenia - from the 2nd century B.C. to the 5th century A.D. “By
discovering the remains of the temple we found out that the temple
was even more gorgeous and beautiful than Garni. That means we have
found a big historical wealth that needs being kept by all means,”
says Zhores Khachatryan, 72 year old coordinator of the archeological
expedition team.
http://armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=2486&CID=2468&IID=&lng=eng

Temple of Augustus found in Turkey
Zee News [India], September 16, 2007

Archaeologists have uncovered a forum and temple of Roman emperor
Augustus in the ancient city of Pompeiopolis, a Roman city-state
located in Taskopru district in Turkey's Kastamonu province. Team
leader, Latife Summerer of Munich University in Germany, said, while
other Temples of Augustus have been found in Ankara and Izmir's
Bergama region, the recent find is the best - preserved of its kind
discovered till date. He said no other sample exist in the Black Sea
region and they are looking forward to find other items such as
inscriptions and coins in further excavations at the site. Renowned
geophysicist J?rg Fassbinderm who carried out the initial excavation
at the site, said, the discovery is quite promising.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qs3v
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?
aid=395031&sid=FTP&sname=&news=Temple%20of%20Augustus%20found%20in%
20Turkey

Thracian stone vault uncovered in Perperikon area
Focus Information Agency [Bulgaria], 13 September 2007

‘A new Thracian stone vault has been uncovered in the Perperikon area
some 50 m from the stone wreath in the forest’, archaeologist Nikolay
Ovcharov has revealed to FOCUS News Agency. ‘We dug it out together
with Ass. Prof. Leshtakov from Sofia University. The facility is not
that big. At one time it had a wall and we found a stone circle in
its inside. It is covered with a stone plate’, he tells Focus.
According to the archaeologist the stone circle has to do with ritual
practices, but it is hard to understand what exactly it was used for
as it dates back to 3000 years ago.
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n121973

Ancient Greek Jar Found on Albania Coast
Associated Press, Sept 13 2007

Encrusted with tiny shells and smelling strongly of the sea, a 2,400-
year-old Greek jar lies in a saltwater bath in Durres Museum, on
Albania's Adriatic coast. Part of a sunken shipment of up to 60
ceramic vessels, the 26-inch storage jar, or amphora, was the top
find from what organizers say is the first archaeological survey of
this small Balkan nation's seabed, conducted by U.S. and Albanian
experts. "Touch it, touch it. It's luck," said mission leader George
Robb of the Key West, Florida-based RPM Nautical Foundation. "You're
touching something that was made before Plato was born." Launched in
July, the month-long survey was the first step in compiling an
underwater cultural heritage map that could eventually plot the
position of sunken fleets from ancient and mediaeval times believed
to lie along Albania's 220-mile coastline.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j3QtCeueZ7w12PhlVk6gcdHDUQ1Q

Greek archaeologists find temple dedicated to Hercules
newkerala.com [India], Sept 12 2007

Greek archaeologists claim to have identified a temple dedicated to
mythical hero Hercules, son of king of gods, Zeus, and mortal
Alcmene. Researchers found bronze vases, lead and clay objects,
weapons, iron tools and figurines in the archaic-era sanctuary on the
hill of Spartia, Sesklo, in the prefecture of Magnesia. One
outstanding find was a bronze, navel-shaped flask bearing the
inscription "Tilephilos dedicated me to Herakles," said Ephor Argyro
Doulgeri-Intzesiloglou, an archaeologist, who was jointly in charge
of the dig with Evangelia Stamelou. The experts said the rare
discovery has identified the sanctuary with the altar to the mythical
hero. "In any case, the cult of Herakles is directly linked to the
ancient city of Pherae, and is documented in the area by
commemorative inscriptions from the Hellenistic era. It is also
linked with the myth of Alceste and Admetos which we know from the
work of Euripides," said Doulgeri-Intzesiloglou.
http://www.newkerala.com/july.php?action=fullnews&id=59568
See also Kathimerini [Greece]:
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=87669

Construction Workers Discover Ancient Roman Graves
Javno [Croatia], September 10, 2007

Graves containing five skeletons were discovered in the course of
excavations and initial work on the construction of a residential
building in Juraj Dalmatinac Street, not far from the centre of
Vinkovci, confirmed Anita Rapan Repesa, an archaeologist at the
Vinkovci town museum. The discovered graves are in the northern part
of the Cibalaea necropolis, a district that was located in the area
of present day Vinkovci in Roman times, says Rapan Repesa. "The
skeletons date from the period between the 2nd and 4th century and,
since no accompanying objects or jewelry were discovered in the
graves, we assume that these were either poor people who were buried
here or that the graves are from the Christian period," said the
archaeologist.
http://www.javno.com/en/croatia/clanak.php?id=79367

Prehistoric find located beneath the waves
Swissinfo SRI,  September 10, 2007

Archaeologists have discovered traces of Switzerland’s oldest known
building, but it will never draw tourists: it lies underwater in the
middle of a lake. Since it was made of wood scientists used
dendrochronology – the technique of dating by tree rings – to give a
precise figure of 3863 BC. The find in Lake Biel, northwest of the
Swiss capital, Bern, was described as “sensational” by Albert Hafner,
who is in charge of underwater archaeology in the region.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qqcc
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/feature/detail/
Prehistoric_find_located_beneath_the_waves.html?
siteSect=108&sid=8202971&cKey=1189427815000&ty=st

Rain uncovers Viking treasure trove
The Local [Sweden], 14th September 2007

A bout of torrential rain left a surprising legacy in the garden of
one Swede: a Viking treasure trove. Two coins were uncovered by the
rain on the lawn of farmer Tage Pettersson, on the island of Gotland,
in early August. He called in Gotland's archaeologists, who last week
found a further 52 coins on the site. Most of the coins are German,
English and Arabic currency from the late 900s and early 1000s. But
archaeologists are most excited about the presence of six very rare
Swedish coins, from the reign of Olof Skötkonug, king of Sweden from
994-1022.
http://www.thelocal.se/8484/20070914/

Rare medical, astronomical manuscripts found at Dar al-Kotob
State Information Service [Egypt], Septemper 16, 2007

A number of rare and invaluable medical and astronomical manuscripts
have been found at the National Library of Egypt (also known as Dar
al-Kotob). A senior official at Alexandria Library said Saturday that
the ancient documents were just laying there in the forgotten Dar al-
Kotob archieves for many years but thanks to his Centre for
Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT) they were
"technically rediscovered". "They are really priceless," he
reiterated. The medical papers give prescription of the treatment of
some chronic diseases, bone fractures and bruises and lessons in body
and eye anatomy, CULTNAT chief Fathi Saleh said. The other
manuscripts that are of the possessions of the al-Azhar Library are
about astronomy and time measurement and they date back to the golden
years of the ancient Arab and Islamic civilizations, he said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qs3e
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000832.htm

Pre-historic skeletons found in Egyptian desert
State Information Service [Egypt], Septemper 14, 2007

A tomb dating back to the Coptic era has been discovered Al-Wadi
Gadid governorate. Khaled Saad, of the Pre-historic Antiquities
Administration, said expeditions of the black and white deserts in El-
Farafra and El-Bahariya Oases have led them to the burial chamber, in
which three skeletons lay. "We came upon two female skulls full of
hair that also covered their ears," Saad said in press statements
Thursday 13/9/2007. A third empty-but-intact skull was also found, he
added, noting that the remaining parts of the skeleton were so
fragile. Concrete adobe columns measuring three metres long were
lined up in a rectangular frame, Khaled went on to say.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qq4c
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000831.htm

810 Historical Sites Identified in Sistan Plain
CHN [Iran], 15 September 2007

After 3 months continual researches in Sistan plain located in
Iranian southeastern province of Sistan va Baluchistan, identifying
810 historic and prehistoric sites was the main achievement of the
first season of archeological excavations. Announcing this news, Reza
Mehafarin, head of the archeology team of Sistan va Baluchistan
University told CHN: “11 districts from 22 districts of archeological
areas of Sistan plain have undergone researches during the first
phase of archeological excavations in the area which have resulted in
identifying 810 prehistoric and historic sites in the region.
Discovery of such a large number of historical sites indicates the
existence of a historical site in each 5 to 6 kilometers of Sistan
plain.”
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7294

30 Parthian-Sassanian Sites Discovered near Gorgan Wall
CHN [Iran], 15 September 2007

By wrapping up archeological excavations on Gorgan’s Great Wall,
Iranian-British joint team has succeeded in identifying 30 historical
sites dating back to Parthian (248 BC-224 AD) and Sassanian (224-651
AD) dynastic eras. The joint Iranian-British archeology team
consisted of experts of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and
Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) and University of Edinburgh and Durham
University, started the second season of excavations on Gorgan’s
defensive wall in Kolaleh, Gonbad Kavus, and Turkmen port, all
located northern Iran.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7295

Evidence of Khosro Parviz Last Palace Discovered in Bisotun
CHN [Iran], 8 September 2007

Earlier archeological excavations in Bisotun plain, located in
Iranian Kermanshah province, resulted in discovery of a number of
chambers belonging to a caravanserai dating back to Ilkhanid dynastic
era (1256-1336 AD). Announcing this news, Mehdi Rahbar, head of
Bisotun excavation team, further explained about discovery of stones
of Bisotun mountain under the remnants of this Ilkhanid caravanserai,
which were scraped in order to be implemented for construction of the
last palace of Khosrow Parviz, the last emperor of Sassanian dynasty
which was collapsed by invasion of Arabs to Iran in 651 AD. According
to Rahbar, the name of the stonemason was also carved on the stones.
“The construction of this Sassanid palace was left unfinished and
later during Ilkhanid era it was changed into a caravanserai. The
chambers of this caravanserai were erected around an 80x85 square
meters area,” said Rahbar to CHN.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7283

Parts of Tamisheh Wall Discovered in Gorgan Gulf
CHN [Iran], 12 September 2007

Underwater archeological excavations of Iranian-British joint team on
Gorgan’s defensive wall resulted in discovering parts of Tamisheh
wall in Gorgan’s gulf. Tamisheh wall constitutes a part of Gorgan
historic wall. Announcing this news, Hamid Omrani, Iranian head of
Gorgan’s wall archeology team told CHN: “As it was anticipated, parts
of Tamisheh wall have been identified during underwater archeological
researching and through scuba diving activities in Gorgan’s gulf and
we are determined to conduct more studies in the next season of
excavations to find more parts of this wall.” The researches which
have been made so far show that just like the Gorgan wall, 37x37x10
centimeters bricks were implemented in Tamisheh wall as well. Omrani
and the archeology team give the possibility that Tamisheh wall and
Gorgan wall reach to each other in one place and completed each
other. However, more researches are needed to prove this theory.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7290

Iron age site found at school
Hampshire Chronicle [UK], 12th September 2007

EVIDENCE of an Iron Age settlement has been found at a school near
Winchester. A routine inspection at Kings Worthy Primary School,
prior to the start of work on a £1.3m extension project, alerted
archaeologists. Then, during August, evidence of an Iron Age
settlement was uncovered. It included the discovery of flint, thought
to be used for skinning fish, sheep bones and pottery. There was also
evidence found of ancient track ways, post holes from houses and a
grain store. The discovery was made when the school's playground was
being dug up as part of the landscaping for the extension project.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qq9s
http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/news/display.var.
1682834.0.iron_age_site_found_at_school.php

Treasure trove is found in Cumbria
Cumberland News [UK], 14/09/2007

AN ALADDIN’S cave of treasure has been found in Cumbria. A medieval
silver brooch, 16 coins and 253 bits of broken Viking silver went
before a treasure trove inquest in Penrith this week when south and
east Cumbria coroner Ian Smith declared them officially treasure. The
brooch, which is more than 10 per cent silver, was found on farm land
in the Lupton area in April 2006 by metal detectorist Carol Handley.
“It was a stray find in soil,” said Dot Bruns, finds liaison officer
for Cumbria. “It was broken in three small pieces before I took it
down to London.” Experts say the brooch dates back to the late 13th
century. Sixteen coins were found in the Tebay area by Brian Steadman
of Kendal’s metal detecting group. They were scattered across an area
about one square mile.
http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=542571

Viking ship resurfaces under Merseyside boozer
The Register [UK], 10th September 2007

A team from Nottingham University's archaeology department believes
it has rediscovered the remains of an intact Viking boat under a
Merseyside pub - originally unearthed in the 1930s by builders
excavating the boozer's basement, but quickly reburied because they
feared "an archaeological dig would disrupt their work". According to
The Times, builder John McRae found the 10th-century vessel under the
Railway Inn on the Wirral, "uncovered the bow and excavated 5ft"
before his foreman intervened. McRae's son, also called John,
recounted: "The foreman, who was called Alf Gunning, came along and
said: 'For God's sake cover it up. We don't want an archaeological
dig to stop the build.'"
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/10/viking_ship/

Pottery found at parade dig site
BBC, 11 September 2007

A piece of pottery that may date from the 17th Century and the
possible remains of a wartime cinema have been uncovered at a former
parade ground. Dr Tony Pollard, of Glasgow University, is leading the
first archaeological investigation of the site in Fort William and
its nearby ruined fort. The finds were made on The Parade in the
town, an area where Red Coat soldiers once marched. Archaeologists
believe they have also found the concrete floor of a cinema. Dr
Pollard hopes local people will come forward with their recollections
of the World War II picture house which was housed in a Nissen hut.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qqc0
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/
6989012.stm

Bones found at priory
The Sentinel [UK], 14 September 2007

Human remains dating back at least 400 years have been unearthed by
workmen at a building site.The bones were discovered during
excavation work near St Thomas's Priory, off Baswich Lane, in Weeping
Cross, Stafford, this week. Workmen digging a trench for a water main
unearthed several bones, including what is believed to be a man's
pelvis. Samples taken away for analysis by a pathologist at
Staffordshire General Hospital have confirmed the bones had been in
the ground at least 400 years. Lichfield-based developer Fresh Space
is currently converting several barns on the site into luxury homes,
and building 20 other houses nearby. Profits from the new housing
will be used to pay for the costly conversion of the barns, which sit
on medieval foundations. Archaeologist Nic Appleton-Fox, of
Shropshire-based Marches Archaeology, was supervising the excavation
work when the bones were discovered.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qq9x
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk./displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=158767&command=displayContent&sourceNode=158593&contentPK=1838537
8&folderPk=87654&pNodeId=158324

Roman grave dug up at Corfe Castle
Dorset Echo [UK], 15th September 2007

EXCITEMENT is growing over the discovery of a suspected Roman grave
at Corfe Castle. Corfe Castle was in the spotlight after a metal
detectors' club event at Norden Farm uncovered the find. Metal
detector enthusiasts and archaeologists attended the annual event
from around the world. Michiel Bil, a Government worker from Holland,
came across the historic gem. He said: "I found the large piece of
lead and stone and I was very excited because I had my suspicions
that it might be a coffin. I called the archaeologist over and they
also were excited and now it will be properly dug up this weekend and
filmed on TV."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qs3p
http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.
1691094.0.roman_grave_dug_up_at_corfe_castle.php

1,700-year-old tombs found in NW China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-09-12

Nine 1,700-year-old brick tombs have been discovered in northwest
China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which, experts say, provide
valuable clues for the research of exchanges between the central
Chinese government at that time and remote Western Regions. It is the
first time ancient tombs with typical characteristics of China's main
Han nationality have been found in the Uygur ethnic region, said Yu
Zhiyong, deputy head of the Xinjiang Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Institute. Archaeologists from Beijing, Shaanxi and Xinjiang
concluded that the tombs were built between the middle and late third
century and fourth century. The tombs were unearthed during the
construction of a road earlier this year in Kuqa county, 740 km from
Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and part of the ancient Qiuci State.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/12/content_6710716.htm

Chinese ancient coins found in central Vietnam
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-09-07

A jar containing Chinese ancient coins has been unearthed in
Vietnam's central Quang Tri province, local newspaper Pioneer
reported Friday. Local farmers in Hai Phong district found the jar
and the coins, totally weighing nearly 100 kg, intact. However, their
broke part of the jar during their digging process. The coins were
circulated in China from the 16th to the 18th century, according to
Le Duc Tho, vice director of the Quang Tri Museum.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/07/content_6680566.htm

Ancient wooden statue found off Quang Nam
VietNamNet Bridge, 12/09/2007

A fisherman from Quang Nam Province has discovered an ancient statue
made of precious wood while fishing ten nautical miles northeast of
the Cu Lao Cham archipelago. The 30cm-tall paunchy figure on a
pedestal wears a mandarin’s bonnet and boots, and a costume with a
colorful flowery pattern all over. The fisherman has offered the
statue to the island’s Hai Tang Pagoda, an ancient temple that houses
quite a few centuries-old statues of the Buddha as well as a 100-
kilogram bronze bell that’s been there since the pagoda was founded.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2007/09/739843/

700-year-old tree coffin discovered in Quang Tri
VietNamNet Bridge, 04/09/2007

The Quang Tri Museum has recently received an ancient coffin made
from a tree trunk, according to the museum’s director, Mai Truong
Manh. The coffin was discovered on August 28 in Trung Chi village,
Dong Luong ward, Dong Ha commune at 1.2 m underground when local
residents were digging for the construction of an electricity post.
The coffin is 2.25 m in length, 0.49 m in width and 0.28 m in height
with the body and lid skillfully done.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2007/09/737088/

Settlers' history rewritten: go back 30,000 years
The Sydney Morning Herald, September 15, 2007

A CACHE of charcoal, stone tools and artefacts unearthed to make way
for a high-rise apartment block has been found to be 30,000 years
old, more than doubling the accepted age of Aboriginal settlement in
Sydney. The discovery, to be presented to an archaeological
conference opening at the University of Sydney next weekend, was the
result of a dig originally set up to search for signs of convict era
occupation. It is the oldest evidence yet found of humans occupying
what is now metropolitan Sydney. Aboriginal burial sites at Lake
Mungo, in south-western NSW, have been dated at 40,000 years, The
archaeologist who led the dig, Jo McDonald, said the previous oldest
evidence of human habitation around Sydney had been found in the Blue
Mountains (14,700 years), at Kurnell (12,500), and near the old Tempe
House on the Cooks River (10,700).
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qs48
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/settlers-history-rewritten-go-
back-30000-years/2007/09/14/1189276983698.html

Tularosa resident digs up old bones in front yard
Santa Fe New Mexican [USA],  September 16, 2007

A contractor digging up a yard in Tularosa to find a leak in a
sprinkler system found old bones instead. The human remains,
estimated to be up to 4,000 years old, were discovered earlier this
month about 4 feet down in the front yard. The home’s owner, Bill
Turner, called police, who contacted the Otero County sheriff, who
called the medical examiner in Alamogordo. “I ended up with a lot of
different officials at my house,” Turner said. When the officials
determined the remains were not modern, they left. The homeowner
turned to Pete Eidenbach, a professor of archaeology at the
Alamogordo branch of New Mexico State University, who came to the
site to examine the bones. Eidenbach, in an e-mail explaining his
findings to Turner, said the remains belonged to a young male who
lived before A.D. 500.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/68643.html

Possible Mastodon Carving Found on Rock
Associated Press, Sep 4, 2007

They aren't certain, but underwater archaeologists say they may have
discovered a boulder with a prehistoric carving in Lake Michigan's
Grand Traverse Bay. The granite rock has markings that resemble a
mastodon — an elephant-like creature that once inhabited parts of
North America — with what could be a spear in its side, say divers
who have seen it. They came across the boulder at a depth of about 40
feet while searching for shipwrecks in June, said Mark Holley, a
scientist with the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve Council.
"When you see it in the water, you're tempted to say this is
absolutely real," Holley said Tuesday during a news conference with
photos of the boulder on display. "But that's what we need the
experts to come in and verify."
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hD6SV_lZob0FSORb4VLqNqk4Qvqg

New evidence on the role of climate in Neanderthal extinction
EurekAlert [AAAS], 12-Sep-2007

THE mystery of what killed the Neanderthals has moved a step closer
to resolution after an international study led by the University of
Leeds has ruled out one of the competing theories – catastrophic
climate change – as the most likely cause. The bones of more than 400
Neanderthals have been found since the first discoveries were made in
the early 19th century. The finds suggest the Neanderthals, named
after the Neander Valley near Düsseldorf, where they were first
recognized as an extinct kind of archaic humans, inhabited Europe and
parts of western Asia for more than 100,000 years. The causes of
their extinction have puzzled scientists for years – with some
believing it was due to competition with modern humans, while others
blamed deteriorating climatic conditions. But a new study published
today in Nature has shown that the Neanderthal extinction did not
coincide with any of the extreme climate events that punctuated the
last glacial period.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-09/uol-neo091107.php

Pig DNA reveals farming history
BBC, 4 September 2007

The first domesticated pigs in Europe were introduced from the Middle
East by Stone Age farmers, a new study shows. The international
research project examined DNA in the jawbones or teeth of modern and
7,000-year-old pigs. The genetic investigation provides fresh insight
into the immigration of ancient peoples and ideas. The scientists
tell the journal PNAS that the incoming farmers brought more than
just ideas - they brought examples of domesticated livestock.
Agriculture is thought to have begun about 12,000 years ago, in the
central and western parts of the Middle East, known as the Near East
to archaeologists.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6978203.stm

Ancient Egyptians Mummified Their Cats With Utmost Care
ScienceDaily, September 13, 2007

Examination of Egyptian mummies has shown that animals such as cats
and crocodiles were given a far more careful and expensive trip to
the afterlife than previously thought. The mummification process,
which was crucial to the ancient Egyptians so their bodies survived
and they could become immortal, is being investigated by Dr Stephen
Buckley at the University of York. He was speaking on September 11,
2007 at the BA Festival of Science. His work uses modern chemistry
techniques to look at exactly what was used to mummify humans and
animals.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912155750.htm

Widely held beliefs about early Cherokee settlement patterns likely
incorrect
University of Georgia News [USA], Sep 4, 2007

By 1763, the world of Cherokee Indians in the Southeastern U.S. was
in tatters. The French and Indian War had wracked the sprawling
Cherokee settlements that stretched from the headwaters of the
Savannah River in South Carolina and Georgia to the Overhills towns
in eastern Tennessee. Though 75 years would pass before the Trail of
Tears would banish the remnants of the nation west to Oklahoma, the
tribe watched hopelessly as much of its history rapidly faded.
Researchers have long wondered why the Cherokee settled where they
did, building clusters of small towns in fertile river valleys in
mostly mountainous areas. Scientists have also studied why the
society collapsed with such relative speed as the eighteenth century
unfolded. Now, two new studies show for the first time that long-held
assumptions about Cherokee settlement patterns may have been
incomplete at best. “There has been a lot of speculation about these
issues, but it’s often been outside the realm of evidence,” said Ted
Gragson, an anthropologist in the University of Georgia’s Franklin
College of Arts and Sciences. “We were surprised in these studies at
the relatively low impact that the Cherokee had on the Southern
Appalachian landscape. They really left a very limited footprint on
the land they occupied.”
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qq4n
http://www.uga.edu/news/artman/publish/
070904_CherokeeSettlementPatterns.shtml

'Battle rage' fed Maori cannibalism
The New Zealand Herald, September 08, 2007

Pre-European Maori practised cannibalism but not to consume a dead
enemy's mana, says a historian and author. Professor Paul Moon, who
is writing a book on cannibalism, believes the practice had more to
do with what he calls "post-battle rage".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=252&objectid=10462390

Angkor -- Medieval 'Hydraulic City' -- Unwittingly Engineered Its
Environmental Collapse
ScienceDaily, September 12, 2007

The architects of Cambodia’s famed Angkor – the world's most
extensive medieval "hydraulic city" – unwittingly engineered its
environmental collapse, says research by UNSW scientists and a team
of international scholars. This revelation, published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, supports a disputed
hypothesis by French archaeologist Bernard-Philippe Groslier, who 50
years ago suggested that the vast medieval settlement of Angkor was
defined, sustained, and ultimately overwhelmed by over-exploitation
and the environmental impacts of a complex water-management network.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070905145001.htm

Cyprus to seek ancient shipwrecks off its coast
Reuters, 6 Sep 2007

Cyprus is to launch sea surveys in an area where dozens of vessels
led by warring successors to Alexander the Great are believed to have
sunk in battle for control over the island in 306 BC. Encouraged by
the discovery of one wreck from a later Roman era, the survey slated
for the summer of 2008 will extend into deep waters from the south-
east tip of the island, known as Cape Greco, the island's Antiquities
Department said. "Cyprus is a crossroads and is very rich in ancient
shipwrecks," said Pavlos Flourentzos, director of Cyprus's Department
of Antiquities. Historical accounts suggest that the Cape Greco
region -- a rocky outcrop between the now popular tourist resorts of
Agia Napa and Protaras, saw one of the biggest naval battles of the
ancient world. According to the ancient Greek historian, Diodorus of
Sicily, in 306 BC Demetrios the Poliorketes (Besieger) triumphed over
Ptolemy I of Egypt in a naval engagement off Cyprus, with dozens of
vessels sunk as the result of combat.
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL06624059.html

Viking queen exhumed to discover mystery companion
Reuters, 10 Sep 2007

Archaeologists exhumed the body of a Viking queen on Monday, hoping
to solve a riddle about whether a woman buried with her 1,200 years
ago was a servant killed to be a companion into the afterlife. As a
less gruesome alternative, the two women in the grass-covered Oseberg
mound in south Norway might be a royal mother and daughter who died
of the same disease and were buried together in 834. "We will do DNA
tests to try to find out. I don't know of any Viking skeletons that
have been analysed as we plan to do," Egil Mikkelsen, director of
Oslo's Museum of Cultural History, told Reuters at the graveside.
http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnL10768881.html
See also Aftenposten [Norway]:
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1988891.ece

Archaeologists hunt fire disaster
BBC, 16 September 2007

Archaeologists have begun digging in Nottinghamshire to search for
evidence of a medieval disaster. Records show that Mansfield
Woodhouse and its church were devastated by fire in September 1304 -
but little else is known about the event. The excavation team said
they want to expand some of the details about how extensive the
damage really was. Over the next few weeks a series of trenches will
be dug near St Edmund's Church to investigate signs of burning.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/6993087.stm

Attack on giant Pakistan Buddha
BBC, 12 September 2007

Suspected pro-Taleban militants have tried to blow up an ancient
carving of Buddha in north-west Pakistan. The statue, thought to date
from the second century BC, sustained only minimal damage in the
attack near Manglore in remote Swat district. The area has seen a
rise in attacks on "un-Islamic" targets in recent months. This is the
first such attack in Pakistan and is reminiscent of the Taleban's
2001 destruction of the giant Buddhas at Bamiyan in Afghanistan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6991058.stm

Libya to protect past treasures with huge eco project
Agence France-Presse, Sep 14, 2007

In a country that is mostly desert, Libya wants to preserve a rare
verdant region with archaeological treasures from the ravages of
looting and encroaching urbanisation. To meet that ambitious goal the
north African country has launched the world's first large-scale
conservation and sustainable development project in the mountainous
region of Djebal Al-Akhdhar (Green Mountain), about 1,200 kilometres
(750 miles) from the capital Tripoli. The massive ecological and
cultural project, encompassing a region nearly the size of Wales,
will be headed by the son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. "It is
time to join developed countries and make a statement that we are
also concerned about the environment and culture," said Seif al-Islam
Kadhafi at the project launch.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jkXV8YPuOgJXZ_jINmR5rF7Xr-Jw

Colosseum is menaced by vandals again
The Times [UK], September 15, 2007

The Colosseum, symbol of the Eternal City and one of the world’s most
famous monuments, is at risk from vandalism and graffiti, Rome’s city
authorities said yesterday. Visitors to the 1st-century amphitheatre
are taking away “chunks of stone” as souvenirs despite the presence
of guards and surveillance cameras, according to Angelo Bottini, the
Superintendent of Archaeology for Rome. He said that most of the five
million tourists who visited the Colosseum annually behaved
responsibly. But others covered it in graffiti, left their rubbish
behind and picked up bits of Ancient Roman wall or paving. “Nothing
surprises me any more,” said Professor Bottini. He said he had
started an inquiry and was asking police to reinforce patrols and
closed-circuit television surveillance at the Colosseum and the
adjoining Roman Forum, where tourists also pocketed souvenirs.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2457310.ece

Indian relics or just rocks?
The Boston Globe, September 9, 2007

Long before the first European settlers, bands of Indians roamed the
hills and woodlands in this section of northern Rhode Island. They
hunted game in the hills and likely settled along the rivers and
swamps. Some scholars believe the various tribes that traversed this
area for centuries buried their dead in the forested hills, using the
abundant rocks scattered throughout to create uniquely shaped mounds
to honor them and to mark their burial sites. What these piles mean
and whether they are significant are questions that have sprung anew
now that a group of developers wants to turn 264 acres of these
woodlands into residences. The proposed Rankin Estates development
would consist of up to 120 single-family homes, making it by far the
largest single residential development in this rural town of about
11,000. The developers have been stymied so far by a heated dispute
over whether clusters of rocks found on the property are Indian
burial mounds or simply piles of stones cleared away by early
settlers to farm the land.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qqcq
http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/articles/2007/09/09/
indian_relics_or_just_rocks/

'Super-scope' to see hidden texts
BBC, 13 September 2007

The hidden content in ancient works could be illuminated by a light
source 10 billion times brighter than the Sun. The technique employs
Britain's new facility, the Diamond synchrotron, and could be used on
works such as the Dead Sea Scrolls or musical scores by Bach. Intense
light beams will enable scientists to uncover the text in scrolls and
books without having to open - and potentially damage - them. The
research was presented at the British Association science festival.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6991893.stm

Explorer Who Found Lost Peru Cities Dies
The Guardian [UK], September 16, 2007

Douglas Eugene "Gene" Savoy, an explorer who discovered more than 40
lost cities in Peru and led long-distance sailing adventures to learn
more about ancient cultures, has died. He was 80. Savoy died of
natural causes Tuesday at his Reno home, his family said Saturday.
Dubbed the "real Indiana Jones" by People magazine, Savoy was
credited with finding four of Peru's most important archaeological
sites, including Vilcabamba, the last refuge of the Incas from the
Spanish Conquistadors.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6924984,00.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Remnants of the Second Temple Being Destroyed by Islamic Wakf
Arutz Sheva [Israel], September 14, '07

A large trench being dug on the Temple Mount is destroying a never
before uncovered section of the outer wall of the Second Temple. The
construction is being supervised by the Wakf—the Muslim Authority
acting as custodians to the Temple Mount. Israeli archeologists have
been calling for construction to halt on the trench, which is
approximately 1,300 feet long and five feet deep.  The Wakf claims
the trench is being dug to replace 40-year-old electrical cables for
nearby mosques. New photos of construction debris from the Temple
Mount show carved stones casually dumped in a pile that appear to be
a section of the outer wall of the Second Temple, according to
archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123575

Akrotiri roof headed for repair
Kathimerini [Greece], 14/09/2007

Repair work on the shelter roof over the Akrotiri archaeological site
on the island of Santorini is expected to start in three months, two
years after the site was shut down due to a fatal accident. Sources
said yesterday that work on the roof which collapsed in September
2005 and killed a British tourist is scheduled to be completed by the
end of next year. “I believe that (the work) is moving in the right
direction. The architectural and bioclimatic design is not being
changed by the study,” architect Nikos Fintikakis, who designed the
roof, told Kathimerini. A huge steel roof covering the ancient Minoan
city caved in when workers were watering soil laid on it, killing a
46-year-old man and injuring six others.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qqbj
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/
_w_articles_politics_100009_14/09/2007_87804

Miami-Dade man's trans-Atlantic trip on reed boat cut short by storm
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, September 14, 2007

A Miami-Dade County real estate broker, part of a crew that set off
on a ship made of reeds to prove that ancient people could have
voyaged across the Atlantic, is on his way home after storms cut the
journey short. José Valmana was aboard the Abora III, a 12-ton reed
boat, when it left New York on July 11. The 12-person crew, brought
together by experimental archaeologist Dominique Goerlitz, planned to
take about three months to reach the Canary Islands off the northwest
coast of Africa. In doing so, Goerlitz hoped to prove that trans-
Atlantic travel was possible as early as 14,000 years ago, well
before the Vikings and Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas.
However, a stormier than usual August thwarted their plans, Valmana
said. A series of storms last month had already damaged the boat, but
the crew was able to repair it at sea. On Sept. 3, when another storm
hit, the crew did not have the materials to fix a makeshift rudder
they had built the last time it was seriously damaged.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qqde
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-
flbabora0914sbsep14,0,6917184.story

China's ancient sunken ship to be hoisted out of water in October
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-09-04

Workers placed the first steel beam under the ancient sunken ship
South China Sea No.1 on Tuesday, paving the way for the ship to be
hoisted out of water in mid October, officials said. Another 34
beams, each stretching 15 meters and weighing more than five tons,
would be placed under the ship at a pace of one steam for each day
afterwards, said Wang Renyi, an official with Guangzhou Salvage
Bureau who is in charge of the salvage of the ship. The beams were
made airtight and hollow to be buoyant, Wang said. Two floating bags
were tied on each end of one beam and start inflation when the beam
goes under water to generate more buoyant force. Salvage operations
on the ship South China Sea No.1 produced during Southern Song
Dynasty (1127-1279) started in May as a specially designed steel
structure was lowered into the sea near Yangjiang, in south China's
Guangdong Province.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/04/content_6663177.htm

#====================#

Features:

A city of stature in days of old
Haaretz [Israel], 04/09/2007

About two weeks before the end of the last excavation season at Tel
Hatzor, in July, a clay tablet with hieroglyphic was found. The
tablet teaches how to forecast the future with an animal liver, a
practice common in the ancient East. The priests would examine the
liver of an animal that had been sacrificed to the gods and use it to
predict the future. The tablet found at Hatzor has not yet been
deciphered, but its hieroglyphics are reminiscent of the style of
early documents from the ancient kingdom of Mari on the Euphrates, in
what is today Syria. Mari was an important political center during
the Middle Bronze Age, in the years 2000-1500 B.C.E., and Hatzor was
the only city in the Land of Israel that had connections with it at
that time. The ties between the two cities were described in 20
documents found in an archive in Mari. The documents from Mari
address the importance of Hatzor, the commercial caravans that passed
through it, the emissaries sent there and the musicians and singers
who lived there. In the 18th century B.C.E., Hatzor underwent a
process of expansion and growth. The city was apparently founded at
the end of the Early Bronze Age, in the third millenium B.C.E., on
the upper part of what is now the tel.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/900032.html

'Titanic' rescue ship yields up its treasures
The Independent [UK], 16 September 2007

Almost a century after it steamed to the rescue of the stricken
Titanic, saving the lives of more than 700 stranded passengers, and
89 years after it was sunk, the wreckage of the RMS Carpathia has
finally been explored, yielding precious artefacts. An amateur dive
team performed a record-breaking feat of underwater archaeology to
salvage objects such as the telegraph machine used on the liner to
communicate between the bridge and the engine room. They also brought
up crockery bearing the insignia of the ship. The divers' haul has
been handed over to the owners of the wreck of the Titanic, and will
be included in a touring exhibition that will visit London next year.
The dive was led by a Manchester fireman, Ric Waring, whose 10-strong
Dive Carpathia group spent an unprecedented 15 hours at depths of up
to 160 metres investigating the bows of the liner, which lies 200
miles off the Cork coast and 250 miles from Plymouth.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2966964.ece

Cultural heritage: Whose deep sea treasure is it really?
International Herald Tribune [France], September 4, 2007

The United Nations 2001 convention on protecting underwater cultural
heritage was right to oppose the plundering of sunken archaeological
treasures for profit. Unfortunately, only 15 countries have ratified
the agreement, and the plundering has begun. In what may become the
biggest underwater find ever, Odyssey Marine Explorations, a
commercial operation from Tampa, Florida, has reportedly hauled 17
tons of gold and silver from a ship widely believed to be the Spanish
galleon Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes that was sunk by a British
warship off the coast of Portugal in October 1804. The company claims
ownership of its find. And, of course, Spain is hiring lawyers and
preparing its legal claim to the trove, claiming a sovereign nation's
right over its cultural heritage. It's clearly going to be a
protracted legal battle, but we think it would only be right to let
another set of plaintiffs stake their claim to the treasure, too:
Spain's former colonies in Latin America, where the loot was looted
in the first place.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/04/opinion/edtreasure.php

Medieval women 'had girl power'
BBC, 11 September 2007

A new study by an academic says that "girl power" was alive and
kicking around 600 years ago. Dr Sue Niebrzydowski at Bangor
university said medieval women enjoyed a golden era with a greater
life expectancy than men. "We found women running priories,
commissioning books, taking early package tours to visit the Holy
Land," she said. She added women were also defending their property
and property rights. Dr Niebrzydowski's research involving middle
aged women in the middle ages will be discussed at a conference at
the university on Wednesday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/6987874.stm

The 8000-year-old haggis
Daily Record [Scotland], 14 September 2007

HAGGIS-STYLE puddings have been around for more than 8000 years and
are among the oldest British recipes, according to researchers. The
ancient culinary delight, along with nettle pudding and roasted
hedgehog, was first recorded in 6000 BC, scientists revealed
yesterday. Researchers spent months scouring the annals of Britain's
culinary history to find what our forefathers ate and drank. Records
show nettle pudding to be the oldest recipe, closely followed in
chronological order by smokey stew - a combination of bacon and
smoked fish - haggis-like pudding, barley bread and roast hedgehog.
Garum and liquamen, sauces made from fish guts and heads, were also a
favourite. Dr Ruth Fairchild of the University of Wales, who led the
research, said: "The team have pieced together evidence taken from a
wide range of sources, archaeological evidence, social history texts
and medieval records, to bring together what we see as 'the oldest
recorded recipes in the UK'."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qq9y
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/news/tm_headline=the-8000-year-old-
haggis%26method=full%26objectid=19788760%26siteid=66633-name_page.html
See also The Independent [UK]:
http://www.independent.co.uk/living/food_and_drink/news/
article2961286.ece

Ancient Scots Mummified Their Dead
Discovery News, Sept. 14, 2007

The ancient Egyptians were not the only ones to mummify their dead,
according to a study in this month's Antiquity Journal that claims
prehistoric Scottish people created mummies too. The researchers do
not think the Egyptians influenced the Scots, but that mummification
arose independently in the two regions. Initial evidence for Scottish
mummies was announced in 2005, when archaeologists unearthed three
preserved bodies — an adult female, an adult male and an infant —
buried underneath two Bronze Age roundhouses in South Uist, Hebrides,
at a site called Cladh Hallan. The bodies date to between 1300 and
1500 B.C.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/09/14/mummifiedscots_arc.html

Bog Mummies Yield Secrets
ScienceDaily, September 10, 2007

Human remains yield secrets. Researchers, including Dr. Heather Gill-
Robinson, assistant professor of anthropology at North Dakota State
University, are now probing the secrets of 'bog mummies' some dating
back 2000 years, preserved from the Iron Age with amazing detail in
peat bogs of Europe. Bog mummies have particularly interesting
stories to tell. Physical anthropologists draw conclusions from the
eerily preserved hair, leathery skin and other features that emerge
from the bogs.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070908095852.htm

Archaeology is a necessary science
The San Francisco Chronicle, September 13, 2007

Cal Day brings over 35,000 community members to the Berkeley campus
every April. It is the one event of the year when Berkeley turns to
the wider community and welcomes it to share in the expertise of the
world-renowned faculty, and witness firsthand the enthusiasm of
undergraduate and graduate students. On Cal Day, the Archaeological
Research Facility building echoes with the sounds of students
learning how to chip volcanic glass into tools, and their delighted
laughter as they create their own cave paintings. These enthusiastic
visitors, and more than 1,000 students in local schools who every
year visit the campus archaeology center or are visited by graduate
students committed to serving the public, would be surprised to
learn, as Corbin Collins' asserted ("Who owns the past?" Open Forum,
Sept. 5) that archaeology is "luxury endeavor for a limited
audience." They might even question whether the most relevant
standard is whether the pursuit of knowledge will "cure disease,
prevent global warming or solve other problems of vital consequence,"
a standard that would rule out all but utilitarian research. And if
they did agree with this characterization, they would be completely
wrong, because archaeology today makes a profound emotional impact on
the public.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qqbn
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/09/13/
ED1OS4OSS.DTL

#====================#

Miscellany:

Archaeology Takes to the Skies as SitesandPhotos.com teams up with
Albatross Aerial Photography
PR Leap, September 06, 2007

SitesandPhotos.com, the world’s only photo and video bank devoted
entirely to archaeology has teamed up with Albatross Aerial
Photography to add aerial photos and video to their already
comprehensive library. Sitesandphotos.com was started by Shmuel
Magal, a certified archaeologist specializing in Classical and Marine
Archaeology, who wanted to preserve the world’s archeological sites
through photos and videos. As a student Mr. Magal came to realize how
little photographic and video documentation was available for
archeological sites.
http://www.prleap.com/pr/92413/

Indian Group Blasts Meteorite Sale
The Guardian [UK], September 14, 2007

The Willamette Meteorite is a sacred icon to the Oregon-based
Clackamas Indians. The tribe has its own name for the massive space
rock, Tomanowas, and holds an annual religious ceremony with the
meteorite in its home at the American Museum of Natural History. Now
a chunk of the 10,000-year-old meteorite is up for auction, and the
tribe is denouncing its sale. But the owner of the fragment, noting
the vast majority of the 15.5-ton meteorite remains untouched, said
his sympathy for the group's complaints would not halt next month's
sale. The 30-pound piece, sliced from the renowned rock's crown
nearly a decade ago, is expected to bring in more than $1 million.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6921115,00.html

Report on Hindu god Ram withdrawn
BBC, 14 September 2007

The Indian government has withdrawn a controversial report submitted
in court earlier this week which questioned the existence of the
Hindu god Ram. The report was withdrawn after huge protests by
opposition parties. The report was presented to the Supreme Court on
Wednesday in connection with a case against a proposed shipping canal
project between India and Sri Lanka. Hindu hardliners say the project
will destroy what they say is a bridge built by Ram and his army of
monkeys. Scientists and archaeologists say the Ram Setu (Lord Ram's
bridge) - or Adam's Bridge as it is sometimes called - is a natural
formation of sand and stones.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6994415.stm

Musical to be born anew
The Chicago Tribune, September 9, 2007

When the musical "Nefertiti" arrived here in the late '70s, Americans
were delirious with Egyptian fever. The first "King Tut" exhibit
spawned headlines and long lines, so a musical about this unusual
queen and her pharaoh, Akhenaten, seemed a natural. But, like so many
stage musicals, "Nefertiti" stumbled. The Tribune dubbed the 1977
premiere at the old Blackstone Theatre here "one quarter top-notch
old-fashioned musical comedy and the rest noble failure." That's
despite impressive pedigree. The book for the musical was written by
Christopher Gore, who went on to earn an Oscar nomination for writing
"Fame" -- a rare hit movie musical in its day. But, like the mummies
of horror legend, "Nefertiti" won't die. Three decades later, she's
about to get a revamped, revised reincarnation, courtesy of Deeply
Rooted Productions and its artistic director Kevin Iega Jeff -- one
of the more tantalizing undertakings of the fall dance season.


#====================#

Curiosa:

German town wants its own Great Pyramid
The Telegraph [UK], 02/09/2007

The pharaohs may have set the standard, but German entrepreneurs are
hoping to challenge Egypt's pre-eminence in monumental self-
indulgence by building the world's largest pyramid. They have secured
€90,000 (£61,000) in state funding to assess the feasibility of
building a 1,600ft tall "Great Pyramid" near the town of Dessau, in
the impoverished east German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Like the
original Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt, this would be a place of
burial. But instead of one ruler and his hangers-on, it would come to
house the remains of millions of people. The improbable plan is based
on the belief that people will pay to have their ashes encased in the
concrete blocks used to construct the monument. Millions of people
would have to sign up to make it viable, though if the team behind it
is successful, its members will be rich beyond the wildest dreams of
even the most ambitious pharaoh.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qq3e
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/02/
wdessau102.xml

Satellite Images Support 3D Terrain Visualization for Mt. Ararat
Anomaly in Turkey
PRLog.Org [Romania], Sep 04, 2007

In cooperation with GeoEye and INTA Space Turk, Satellite Imaging
Corporation has created a 3D representation of the mysterious Mt.
Ararat anomaly, located in northeastern Turkey. The creation of the
3D Flythrough movie was made possible with the use of Stereo IKONOS
Satellite image data and 5m DEM extracted from the image data. “This
new 3D terrain model will provide researchers with an engaging new
perspective, which could help to resolve an intense geopolitical and
religious debate as to whether or not the anomaly could prove to be
the remains of Noah’s Ark.” The anomaly itself, which lies surrounded
by rugged strato-volcanic rock at the northwestern corner of Mt.
Ararat’s western plateau, is over 980 feet long, and sits mostly
buried underneath a permanent glacier. It first drew attention due to
its relatively smooth surface texture, as well as its unusual
physical composition. The site occupied by the anomaly, which is
located at 15,300 feet above sea level, remains unexplored.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1qq37
http://www.prlog.org/10029453-satellite-images-support-3d-terrain-
visualization-for-mt-ararat-anomaly-in-turkey.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 02.09.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

[Next week's edition will be delayed several days]

#====================#====================#

Golden mummies found in el-Kharga
The Egyptian Gazette, August 28, 2007

A French team has discovered in western Egypt a graveyard dating back
to the Ptolemaic era, antiquity officials said yesterday.Most of the
25 tombs, found in the el-Kharga Oasis, New Valley Governorate,
consist of a chamber 2 metres square and 1.45 metres high, they
added.Six gold-painted mummies were also unearthed in good condition.
Papyri, gold masks, funerary beds and bronze shaving implements were
also found as well as statues of the four children of the god Horus.
http://news.gom.com.eg/gazette/tourism/detail_8_88.shtml

Pristine Pre-Roman Tomb Discovered in Italy
National Geographic News, August 31, 2007

A 2,200-year-old tomb has been discovered completely intact in
central Italy, revealing the remains and ornate possessions of some
30 Etruscans, members of the ancient civilization that ruled the
region before the rise of Rome. The find was unearthed earlier this
month by a team of amateur archaeologists working in the woods of
Tuscany, 70 miles (115 kilometers) south of Florence. The 6.5-foot
long (2-meter-long) carved stone chamber contains dozens of urns full
of human ashes, a typical burial method of the Etruscans, said Andrea
Marcocci, an archaeology student at the University of Siena who
discovered the site and directed the excavation. "All in all, there
were 30 urns—3 of them made of stone, 2 bronze, and 25 terra-cotta,"
Marcocci said. "The remains probably belong to the members of a
single family, the smaller urns holding the ashes of the servants."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070831-italy-tomb.html

Roman mosaics discovered in Hasankeyf
Zaman [Turkey], 28.08.2007

Wall mosaics belonging to the Roman era have been discovered during
excavations in Batman’s ancient city of Hasankeyf. Hasankeyf
excavation team leader Professor Abdulselam Ulucam yesterday reported
that the colorful wall mosaics, which have been discovered following
excavations beginning in 2005, were of crucial importance to the
history of the city. “At the end of our work, we discovered a
composition made from colorful mosaics that was in line with the
building’s historical structure. This is the first time we discovered
wall mosaics in Hasankeyf. It has been revealed that the walls of
this monumental structure, belonging to the Roman era, were covered
with mosaics starting one-and-a-half meters from the ground."
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=120581

Possible remains of second temple found in Jerusalem: TV
Agence France-Presse, 30/08/07

Remains of the Jewish second temple may have been found during work
to lay pipes at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem,
Israeli television reported Thursday. Israeli television broadcast
footage of a mechanical digger at the site which Israeli
archaeologists visited on Thursday. Gaby Barkai, an archaeologist
from Bar Ilan University, urged the Israeli government to stop the
pipework after the discovery of what he said is "a massive seven
metre-long wall." Television said the pipework carried out by the
office of Muslim religious affairs, or Waqf, is about 1.5 metres deep
and about 100 metres long.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gbClp0fxv1YdSyEhqt5ZKFttzlLg

Doubts over 'second temple remains' in Jerusalem
Agence France-Presse, 31/08/07

Israeli officials cast doubt Friday over claims that remains of the
second Jewish temple might have been found during work to lay pipes
at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem. "If that was the case,
the antiquities authority, which has an observer on site, as well as
police, also monitoring the work, would have stepped in," said
archaeologist Dan Bahat, a former excavations official in Jerusalem.
On Thursday, archaeologist Gaby Barkai from Bar Ilan University told
local television that "a massive seven metre-long (23 feet) wall" had
been found, and urged the government to ask the Muslim religious
authorities to stop laying pipes. Bahat said he would visit the site,
but accused nameless archaeologists with a nationalist agenda of
"waging a politically inspired campaign, systematically for several
years, to strengthen Israeli control over the esplanade".
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7pd
http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-
news.html?id=070831091047.jxltve01&cat=null

Burial clue to early urban strife
BBC, 30 August 2007

Archaeologists working in Syria have unearthed the remains of dozens
of youths thought to have been killed in a fierce confrontation 6,000
years ago. According to Science magazine, the celebrating victors may
even have feasted on beef in the aftermath. The findings come from
northeastern Syria, near Tell Brak, one of the world's oldest known
cities. More than 30 years of continuous excavation have revealed the
site's remarkable sophistication.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6971289.stm

Mass Plague Graves Found on Venice "Quarantine" Island
National Geographic News, August 29, 2007

Ancient mass graves containing more than 1,500 victims of the bubonic
plague have been discovered on a small island in Italy's Venetian
Lagoon. Workers came across the skeletons while digging the
foundation for a new museum on Lazzaretto Vecchio, a small island in
the lagoon's south, located a couple of miles from Venice's famed
Piazza San Marco (see an aerial picture of the Venetian Lagoon). The
island is believed to be the world's first lazaret—a quarantine
colony intended to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The lazaret was opened during the plague outbreaks that decimated
Venice, as well as much of Europe, throughout the 15th and 16th
centuries A.D.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070829-venice-
plague.html

700 Historic and Prehistoric Sites Identified in Sistan Plain
CHN [Iran], 1 September 2007

In pursuing their researching activities in Sistan plain, archeology
team of Sistan va Baluchistan University has succeeded to identify
more than 700 historic and prehistoric sites in this part of Sistan
va Baluchistan province. Since the excavations in Sistan plain have
not been wrapped up yet, Rasoul Mousavi Haji, one of the heads of the
archeology team in Sistan plain gives the possibility for identifying
some more historic sites in the area. “Although discovery of a large
number of prehistoric sites shed light into the importance of this
area during very ancient times, we have also succeeded in identifying
a number of historical sites dating back to the Parthian (248 BC-224
AD) and Seleucids (312-64 BC) dynastic eras for the first time in
this area. A number of historical sites belonging to 12-15 centuries
AD have been also identified in the region, which were never seen
before,” said Mousavi to CHN. The archeology team has also succeeded
in identifying of historical sites dating back to Achaemenid (550-330
BC) and Sassanian (224-651 AD) dynastic eras in the region.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7275

UCC archaeologists uncover hilltop fort from 1200 BC near Innishannon
The Southern Star [Ireland], September 1st, 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS from University College Cork have uncovered the oldest
hilltop fort in Ireland on a ridge near Innishannon overlooking huge
tracts of County Cork and believe that it was the first capital of
Cork. According to Prof. William O’Brien of the Dept. of Archeology
at University College Cork, the oval-shaped hilltop fort near
Knockavilla, Innishannon, overlooking the Lee Valley, was built over
3,000 years ago, making it the oldest known prehistoric hillfort in
Ireland. "For many years, an ancient enclosure, known locally as the
‘Cathair’ was known to exist on the ridge overlooking Knockavilla on
the northern side of Innishannon parish," said Prof. O’Brien, adding
that radiocarbon dating revealed the site was built around 1200 BC.
Prof. O’Brien led a team of archeologists from UCC on an extensive
survey and excavation of the 169-metre high site over the past three
years and the team is currently writing up its report which they hope
will help persuade the government to declare it a national monument.
"This is a particularly significant site. It dates from some 500
years before the Celts arrived in Ireland, so it was built by the
indigenous Irish. Its antiquity and size, covering about eight
hectares, suggest it was one of the most important prehistoric
settlements in the south west."
http://www.southernstar.ie/article.php?id=287

Ferrybridge henge extension discovered in West Yorkshire
24 Hour Museum [UK], 30/08/2007

Archaeologists investigating the site of a housing development in
West Yorkshire believe they have found an extension of the renowned
Ferrybridge Henge, a partially lost prehistoric ceremonial monument
dating from the Neolithic period. Located near Pontefract where
builders Broadacre Homes are planning to build a row of mews homes,
archaeologists from AOC Archaeology Group have discovered a field
system and drainage ditches just a few feet below the ground that are
thought to date back to the Iron Age or Romano-British period. “This
is a very useful discovery as it paints a broader picture of an area
which is already renowned for its historical significance,” said
Jason Mole of AOC Archaeology Group. “The field system and drainage
were built over 2,000 years ago.”
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART50167.html

Wigan was made in the Iron Age
Wigan Observer [UK], 30 August 2007

They came looking for evidence of Roman Wigan - but archaeologists
believe they may have dug even deeper into the town's ancient past by
unearthing artefacts from the Iron Age. The car park off The Wiend
has been the centre of activity in recent weeks with experts from
Oxford Archaeology North digging a series of trenches to explore
Wigan's history. It is widely known that the Romans were in Wigan
around the second century AD, although proof remains elusive that the
settlement of Coccium seen on maps from the time is actually Wigan.
With previous digs revealing the presence of a bath-house and
furnaces on the site of the Grand Arcade shopping centre, the time
team were keen to find more evidence to support the theory that it
was once the site of a Roman fort. That would be the biggest boost
possible to the Coccium theory. But on the last day of the dig,
archaeologist Chris Healey revealed that the team had come across a
piece of pottery that may pre-date the Roman occupation and hail from
the distant Iron Age.
http://www.wigantoday.net/wigan-news/Wigan-was-made-in-the.3162804.jp

Excavation uncovers burial site in Poverty Bay
Stuff.com [New Zealand], 30 August 2007

A decision by a Poverty Bay school to build a new art block has
uncovered the remains of one of the region's first European
settlements. Three weeks ago, construction of Tolaga Bay Area
School's new art block ground to a halt when builders unearthed more
than 40 graves dating back 160 years. Since then, archaeologists from
around New Zealand have converged on the remote township, 45
kilometres northeast of Gisborne, to scour the site for traces of an
early missionary settlement. Gisborne archaeologist Gordon Jackman,
who has overseen the excavation, said the bones were the remains of
the region's first Christian settlement, and would give a significant
insight into early interaction between Maori and Pakeha.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4183173a7694.html

1.5 tons of ancient coins discovered in N China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-30

A cellar containing 1.5 tons of ancient coins, including some 2,000-
year-old ones, have been discovered by a villager in Changzi County,
north China's Shanxi Province. The man in Qianwanhu village
discovered the cellar with some 10,000 coins, ranging from 3 cm to 1
cm in diameter, on Aug. 23 when he was digging a channel to place
pipes for tap water, said Li Lin, an official of the Changzi Center
of Cultural Heritage and Tourism. The "money cellar" was 1.5 meters
under the earth, with coins being piled orderly into a cuboid of 1.3
meters long, 0.65 meter wide and one meter high, Li said. Most of the
coins were made during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) with the
remainders made during Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and Tang Dynasty
(618-907), Li said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/30/content_6634163.htm

Ancient screen wall unearthed in N China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-29

Chinese archaeologists say they have discovered the remains of a
screen wall for a large state granary dating back 260 years in
north's China's Hebei Province. The wall's main body, was unearthed
about 20 meters outside the front gate of the Yingyi granary built in
1747 in Shenzhou city, 260 km south of Beijing. The main body of the
screen comprised four stone slabs, each 0.2 meters wide and 1.2
meters long, inscribed with the names of fund donors and costs for
the reconstruction of the granary in 1897 and its managers, said Xing
Enze, director of the Shenzhou Cultural Relic Institute. The well-
preserved Yingyi granary has 54 storage rooms covering 3,000 square
meters. It could hold at most 1,500 tons of grain, archaeologists
said. The granary's structure was designed to be damp-proof and
earthquake-proof, they said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/29/content_6627050.htm

Prehistoric bronze, ceramic artefacts found in Khanh Hoa
Nhan Dan [Vietnam], August 27, 2007

Recent excavations at the Vinh Yen relic site in Van Thanh commune,
southern Khanh Hoa province, have revealed numerous artefacts that
prove the site was a ceramic workshop dating back an estimated 3,000
years. At the excavation site, archaeologists from the Institute of
Archaeology and Khanh Hoa Museum found more than 120,000 pieces of
ceramic objects including jars, pots and bowls, and about 402 tools
used in ceramics and bronze casting. They also unearthed eight graves
that contained bronze, stone and ceramic objects.
http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/culture/270807/culture_p.htm

12th century Buddhist sculptures found in Indonesian cave
International Herald Tribune [France], August 29, 2007

An Indonesian cave used for meditation by Buddhist priests in the
12th century contains previously undiscovered sculptures depicting
the spiritual journey of Buddha, a religious leader said Wednesday.
The sprawling cave — a reminder of the rich Buddhist past in the
world's most populous Muslim nation — was discovered more than two
decades ago near Jireg village in East Java province. But it had
never been thoroughly explored because of its remote and difficult-to-
reach location, said Dhamma Subho Mahathera of Shangha Theravada
Indonesia — the country's largest Buddhist organization — who visited
the site on Aug. 12. "As far as I know it is the only Buddhist cave
in the world for meditation of Buddhist priests," Mahathera said.
"There are reliefs representing four levels of meditations, from
Sutatana to Arahata." The sculptures include depictions of an
elephant, cow, monkey, and a lotus — Buddhism's symbol of peace.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7pr
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/29/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-
Buddhist-Cave.php

Eighth-century old Hindu temple discovered in Kashmir
Daily India, Sep 1 2007

Pilgrims going to Jammu and Kashmir will now have a new destination
to visit, as an eighth-century temple has been discovered recently
with only its pyramid shape rooftop seen above water. Situated in the
Manasbal Lake, the temple is located about 32 kilometres away from
Srinagar. The tourist department of the area stumbled on the ancient
temple during excavation work. About 8 to 9 feet of the temple
structure was below water. Rising water flows caused by constant
digging, however, is hampering the work.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7pb
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/170452.php/Eighth-century-old-Hindu-
temple-discovered-in-Kashmir

Hurricane reveals ancient cannons in Mexico
IOL News [South Africa], August 30 2007

Hurricane Dean's rampage over Mexico's Caribbean coast last week
unearthed three rusted 18th century cannons that had lain buried
under a sandy beach for decades. The cannons, around 1.8m long, were
spotted poking through the sand on a beach near the arty resort of
Tulum after Dean hit on August 21, Mexico's National Institute of
Anthropology and History (INAH) said on Wednesday. Believed to be
from a shipwrecked European galleon, the badly corroded cannons will
be put back in to the sea to protect them from faster corrosion
onshore and for scuba divers to enjoy, it said. "People started
working to clear up the beach and they found three artifacts that
were uncovered when sand was torn away by the strong winds that hit
the region," INAH's director in the region, Adriana Velazquez, said
in a statement. She could not be reached directly because of damage
to telephone lines from Hurricane Dean.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7pp
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?
set_id=1&click_id=588&art_id=nw20070829224732762C184537

New research challenges previous knowledge about the origins of
urbanization
EurekAlert [AAAS], 30-Aug-2007

Ancient cities arose not by decree from a centralized political
power, as was previously widely believed, but as the outgrowth of
decisions made by smaller groups or individuals, according to a new
study from researchers at Harvard University, the University of
Cambridge, and the University of Edinburgh. Published in the Aug.
31st Science, the research was led by Jason Ur, assistant professor
of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard
University, with Philip Karsgaard of the University of Edinburgh, and
Joan Oates of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research of
the University of Cambridge. “The results of our work show that the
existing models for the origins of ancient cities may in fact be
flawed,” says Ur. “Urbanism does not appear to have originated with a
single, powerful ruler or political entity. Instead, it was the
organic outgrowth of many groups coming together.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/hu-nrc082807.php

Migration of Early Humans From Africa Aided By Wet Weather
ScienceDaily, August 30, 2007

The African origin of early modern humans 200,000--150,000 years ago
is now well documented, with archaeological data suggesting that a
major migration from tropical east Africa to the Levant took place
between 130,000 and 100,000 years ago via the presently hyper-arid
Saharan-Arabian desert. This migration was dependent on the
occurrence of wetter climate in the region. Whereas there is good
evidence that the southern and central Saharan-Arabian desert
experienced increased monsoon precipitation during this period, no
unequivocal evidence has been found for a corresponding rainfall
increase in the northern part of the migration corridor, including
the Sinai-Negev land bridge between Africa and Asia. Passage through
this "bottleneck" region would have been dependent on the development
of suitable climate conditions.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070828155004.htm

Inside a Caveman's Barbeque
Discovery News, Aug. 27, 2007

Either modern humans were in Israel over 200,000 years ago, or our
now-extinct ancestors behaved a lot like us when they hunted and
cooked, suggest artifacts and bones from a newly excavated cave.
Together, the remains paint a picture of relatively sophisticated
hunting and food preparation at the site, called Misliya Cave, in
Mount Carmel, Israel. According to lead author Reuven Yeshurun, the
cave exhibits "the full array of modern hunting behavior." This
behavior included "systematic hunting of large, prime-age animals,
transport of the animals — or parts thereof — to the site, systematic
butchery in order to extract meat and marrow, and roasting the meat,"
Yeshurun, a University of Haifa archaeologist, told Discovery News.
He and colleagues Guy Bar-Oz and Mina Weinstein-Evron found
"thousands of flint flakes, blades and tools, many of which could
have been used for butchering large carcasses."
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/08/27/biggame_arc.html

China has no plan to excavate mausoleum of first emperor Qinshihuang
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-31

The mausoleum of China's first emperor Qinshihuang, near which the
world-famous terracotta army was unearthed, would stay underground in
peace in the foreseeable future, a leading expert said. "I would not
witness the excavation in my life. In the foreseeable future the
mausoleum will maintain the status quo," said Prof. Cao Wei, deputy
curator of the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of
Qinshihuang. Chinese researchers in 2002 confirmed that there was a
huge underground palace in the mausoleum by using remote sensing and
geophysical exploration technologies, which Cao said did no harm to
the mausoleum. The Shaanxi government is planning to set up a 2.9-
square-km theme park of the Qinshihuang mausoleum site and a museum
of bronze chariots unearthed near the mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/31/content_6640220.htm

Early warning system installed to protect ancient Chinese cave paintings
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-28

Scientists have installed an early warning system in China's most
precious Buddhist caves, hoping to protect its centuries-old murals
from rises in temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide density
brought by tourists. The system, developed jointly by the Dunhuang
Academy based in the northwestern Gansu Province and Zhejiang
University, consists of thermometers, hygrometers and carbon dioxide
detectors, said Fan Jinshi, curator of the Dunhuang Academy. "When
any one of these indices reaches an alarm level, the system will beep
and we will evacuate all tourists and close the grotto until the
warning is lifted," said Fan. Trial operation of the system has begun
in 10 of the 50 grottoes that open to visitors. Management of the
grottoes will eventually impose an upper limit on the number of
tourists based on the monitoring results. An average 3,000 to 5,000
tourists flock into the desert city daily in the peak season between
May and October to see its thousands of Buddhist cave murals, and, in
doing so, exhale harmful gas into the caves.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/28/content_6618977.htm

Great Wall could be lost to sands of the desert
The Independent [UK], 30 August 2007

Sandstorms in northern China are reducing large sections of the Great
Wall to rubble. Archaeologists say whole chunks of one of the seven
wonders of the world could be gone in 20 years, swallowed up by the
Badain Jaran desert. More than 20 centuries old, the Great Wall once
stretched 3,980miles through China, from Shanhaiguan Pass in the
north-eastern province of Hebei to Jiayuguan Pass in the north-
western province of Gansu. The wall was originally built to defend
China against invasion by northern nomadic tribes. About 310 miles
from the Jiayuguan Pass lies Minqin county, where 37 miles of the
wall is disappearing rapidly, a victim of extensive farming since the
1950s, which has sapped underground water and destroyed the local
ecology. "This section of Great Wall was made of mud rather than
brick and stone, so is more prone to erosion," Zhou Shengrui, a
former curator of the local museum, told the Xinhua news agency.
"Similar erosion happened in other places, but the situation is worse
here. Frequent storms not only eroded the mud, but also cracked the
Wall and caused it to collapse or break down."
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2906342.ece

Ancient stone work starts
Shetland Times [UK], 31 August 2007

MONDAY saw the start of an international project to partially
reconstruct the Norse stofa at the Biggins, Papa Stour. Spearheaded
by the Papa Stour History Group, Barbara Crawford, archaeological
project leader Beverley Ballin Smith, stone craftsman Espen
Martinsson from Norway, drystone dyker Jim Keddie and archaeologist
Rick Barton will work on the project for two weeks this year.
Preparation has started on the ground works and reconstruction of the
medieval stone wall (vernemur) that protected the wooden stofa
brought from Norway in the 13th century, the remains of which had
been excavated by Dr Crawford. The aim of the project is to provide
an educational focus and visitor attraction in the island.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q79d
http://www.shetlandtoday.co.uk/Shetlandtimes/content_details.asp?
ContentID=23414

#====================#

More on:

Second longest 'Great Wall' in Asia discovered in Iran
Daily India, Aug 27 2007

British and Iranian archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a 200
kilometre long wall, the second longest wall in Asia after the Great
Wall of China, in northern Iran. Experts believe the Gorgan Great
Wall in northern Iran's Golestan Province was built at about the same
time as the 'Great Wall' and was used as a defence system against the
invasions of the Ephthalites, a nomadic people who once lived in
Central Asia. Archaeologists also discovered a 50-kilometre long
stretch of a canal near the wall that was used to transfer water from
the Gorganrud River to the people who once lived in the vicinity of
the wall.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7pt
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/168877.php/Second-longest-Great-Wall-
in-Asia-discovered-in-Iran

Ancient lifestyle may link art found in Egypt, Europe
The Columbus Dispatch [USA], August 28, 2007

National Geographic News reported last month that an international
team of archaeologists had discovered the oldest known art in Egypt.
The country is, of course, known for its pyramids and mummies, but
the art in question is 10,000 years older than the dawn of Egyptian
civilization. The art consists of petroglyphs, or engravings on
stone, estimated to be 15,000 years old. Its style is closer to the
art of Paleolithic France than to that of Pharonic Egypt. The
National Geographic report quoted Dirk Huyge, a curator at the Royal
Museums of Art and History in Brussels, Belgium, as saying, "It is
not at all an exaggeration to call it 'Lascaux on the Nile,' "
referring to the most famous French cave art site. Huyge is not
suggesting any direct connection between Paleolithic France and
Egypt. Instead, he said the similarities in the art likely occurred
because the artists shared a common way of life. "When people are
confronted with similar conditions, this will automatically lead to a
similar kind of thinking, a similar creativity." Huyge's point is
well-taken and has broad applicability.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q78t
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/science/stories/2007/08/28/
sci_lepper28.ART_ART_08-28-07_B5_2A7MIT9.html

CT scans show how mummies were preserved
The Quad-City Times [USA], August 29, 2007

How they died is still a mystery. But medical scans performed last
week clearly show how the two ancient Egyptian mummies on display at
Davenport’s Putnam Museum were preserved. Puncture holes, incisions
and rolled-up linens seen inside the two bodies — now verified as
that of a man and a woman — offer important clues about the
mummification process used thousands of years ago, museum curator
Eunice Schlichting said Tuesday. Now, the investigation continues.
The museum is seeking an Egyptologist or cultural anthropologist to
further study the CT, or computed tomography, scans of the mummies
that were donated last week by Genesis Medical Center. An expert
might be able to help the museum better determine when the two people
lived and therefore how old the mummies are, Schlichting said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q78p
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/08/29//news/local/
doc46d5007e6dc22949161085.txt

Ancient sandal print uncovered near Sea of Galilee
EurekAlert [AAAS], 26-Aug-2007

Archaeologists have discovered a footprint made by the sandal of a
Roman soldier in a wall surrounding the Hellenistic-Roman city of
Hippos (Sussita), east of the Sea of Galilee. The footprint was
discovered during this eighth season of excavation, led by Prof.
Arthur Segal from the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the
University of Haifa in conjunction with archaeologists from the
Polish Academy of Sciences and Concordia University in St. Paul,
Minnesota. "This rare footprint, which is complete and well
preserved, hints at who built the walls, how and when," said Michael
Eisenberg of the Zinman Institute at the University of Haifa. The
print, made by a hobnailed sandal called caliga, the sandal worn by
Roman soldiers, is one of the only finds of this type. The discovery
of the print in the cement led archaeologists to presume that
legionnaires participated in construction of the walls.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/uoh-asp082607.php

Ancient yucca chaws yield ancient DNA
PhysOrg.com, August 31, 2007

In a groundbreaking study, two Harvard scientists have for the first
time extracted human DNA from ancient artifacts. The work potentially
opens up a new universe of sources for ancient genetic material,
which is used to map human migrations in prehistoric times. By
contrast, the genetic material used in the Harvard study came from
two types of artifacts — 800 to 2,400 years old — that are found by
the hundreds at archaeological sites in the American Southwest.
“Quids” — small fibrous bundles of stripped yucca leaves — are the
spit-out remnants of a kind of ancient chewing gum. Cells from long-
dried saliva yield usable DNA. And “aprons” were thong-like woven
garments worn by women. They are stained with traces of apparent
menstrual blood, a source of DNA.
http://www.physorg.com/news107787862.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Whack to Head, Not Arrow, Killed Iceman
Discovery News, Aug. 30, 2007

A final blow to the head, not an arrow wound, killed Ötzi, the 5,000-
year-old Iceman found in the Italian Alps, says a new study on the
world's oldest and best-preserved mummy. Presented at the Institute
for Mummies and the Iceman at the European Academy in Bolzano, a new
research center launched in July, the study re-examines forensic
data, various CT scans, and focuses on the unnatural position in
which the mummy was found. "The Iceman's body doesn’t only feature
the already known arrowhead wound on the shoulder and wounds on the
hand. There is also a traumatic cerebral lesion caused by a frontal
attack," the academy said in a statement.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/08/30/iceman_arc.html

Jerusalem Holy Site Dig Questioned
The Guardian [UK], August 31, 2007

Israeli archaeologists charged on Thursday that digging overseen by
Islamic religious leaders at a hotly disputed Jerusalem holy site
damaged a wall that might date back to the Bible. Islamic authorities
responsible for Haram as-Sharif, known to Jews as Temple Mount, said
digging a trench was necessary to replace 40-year-old electrical
cables. They called the Israeli group's charges "sheer propaganda."
The hilltop compound is a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Home to the silver-domed Al Aqsa Mosque and gold-capped
Dome of the Rock, it is Islam's third-holiest shrine. Jews revere it
as the location of the two biblical Jewish temples, making it the
holiest site in Judaism. Disagreements over who should control the
holy site have helped scuttle past Mideast peace talks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6887208,00.html

#====================#

Features:

Tomb raiders strip Bulgaria of its treasures
The Telegraph [UK], 31/08/2007

Among the paperclips in the bottom drawer of a desk in Bulgaria's
National History Museum is a small cardboard box packed with 5,000-
year-old gold rings. "We found 25,000 of them when we went into a
grocery shop a couple of months ago," said Svetla Tsaneva-Dimitrova,
the head of the museum's restoration team. "A farmer's wife was
wearing them as a necklace. Her husband had just dug them up in a
field nearby. As you can imagine, we were stunned." Each tiny gold
ring is 23-carat gold, but nobody knows how they were crafted.
"Modern jewellers cannot make these things without a magnifying
glass," said Miss Tsaneva-Dimitrova, adding that similar rings were
discovered at Troy. Found at the same time was a small 20-carat gold
dagger from 3,000BC that is "still so sharp you can shave with it."
Priceless antiques are strewn all over the chaotic laboratory, as
restorers are hard at work on a pair of bronze greaves, or leg
armour, engraved with the image of Athena, the Greek goddess of
wisdom. Bulgaria, which was once part of Ancient Thrace, ranks behind
only Italy and Greece in Europe in terms of the numbers of
antiquities lying in its soil.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7oj
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/29/
wbulgaria129.xml

Revealedix: the Gaul of Asterix was no joke
The Telegraph [UK], 02/09/2007

Fighting with his bare fists, and massively outnumbered, France's
cockiest Gaul, Asterix, led a brave rebellion against the Roman
occupier. Not only was his little village encircled by Julius Cæsar's
troops, it was up against an expanding empire - unequalled in the art
of warfare and determined to civilise a backward people who
worshipped druids and believed in magic potions. Or so it was thought
until now. But a discovery in central France has led to a significant
reassessment of the Gauls, who were, it transpires, much more
advanced than previously thought. Rather than the random gatherings
of rudimentary thatched huts illustrated in the Asterix books, first
published in 1961, archaeologists now believe the Gauls lived in
elegant buildings with tiled roofs, laid out in towns with public
squares or forums. They also crafted metalwork just as complex as
anything produced by the Romans, even before the Roman invasion in
52BC. The findings have been made at a dig in Corent, near Lyon,
where archaeologists have uncovered what they believe is the palace
of Vercingetorix, the last military leader of all Gaul.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q8bl
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/02/
wgaul102.xml

Montreal's unknown underground
The Suburban [Canada], 2007-08-29

More of Montreal’s origins have recently been unearthed at Fort Ville-
Marie, the birthplace of this city. It began with an elderly Montreal
couple who wanted to sell their warehouse. They approached Francine
Lelièvre, executive director of Pointe-a-Callière, Montreal’s museum
of archaeology and history. The selling point: a goldmine for buried
artifacts. Before purchasing the building, Lelièvre wanted to check
out the merchandise. With the couples’ consent, excavation was
started in the basement at Callière Point. “We found 35,000 objects
in five weeks,” said the Museum’s director, who revealed the remains
of Fort Ville-Marie. This pointed to the location as being the first
French settlement in Montreal. With the support of the Ministère de
la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition feminine and the
City of Montreal, the Pointe-a-Callière Foundation bought the old
warehouse in 1998. “It has become the breeding ground for future
archaeologists to carry out urban archaeological digs at the most
important site in our history,” said Lelièvre.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7p2
http://thesuburban.com/content.jsp?
sid=52587912049037406013812429691&ctid=1000000&cnid=1012584

Tut still revealing secrets
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sep. 1, 2007

Egypt's top antiquities official was down in the fabled tomb of
Tutankhamun a few weeks ago - doing a television interview, of all
things - when he noticed something curious he had never seen before.
In a back room closed to public view, Zahi Hawass spotted a cluster
of reed boxes crammed with plaster fragments and limestone seals used
to stamp hieroglyphs. Intrigued, the scholar took a closer look and
saw that both were marked with a trio of icons - sun, scarab and
basket - whose meaning he recognized instantly: Neb-kheperu-re, the
throne name of the boy pharaoh. Eighty-five years after his tomb was
discovered, and after his treasures have been ogled by millions of
museumgoers, King Tut is still revealing surprises.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q8be
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/
20070901_Tut_still_revealing_secrets.html

There could have been two sphinxes, argues one researcher
The Daily Star [Egypt], August 28, 2007

A thorough analysis of Ancient Egyptian history and examination of
archaeological evidence indicate that there were two sphinxes on the
Pyramids Plateau, an Egyptian researcher argues. Egyptologist Bassam
El Shammaa believes that the famed half-lion, half-man statue was an
Egyptian deity that was erected next to another sphinx, which has
since vanished without a trace. This contradicts what many have
believed for centuries — that a single colossal statue functioned as
a guard to the Pyramids. The idea of two sphinxes is more in line
with ancient Egyptian beliefs, which were mainly based on duality,
the researcher said. He cited Ancient Egyptian records and mythology
saying that lightening had destroyed part of the Sphinx. This may
have been a reference to the second sphinx which was eliminated after
a curse by the chief Egyptian deity.
http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=9016

Sending out an SOS
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 30 August - 5 September 2007

A plea goes out to rescue Qasr Ibrim, the sole in situ archaeological
site remaining among Nubian monuments. Nevine El-Aref reports...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/860/hr1.htm

Dig days: Egypt's top 10 archaeological discoveries: Khufu's boat
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 30 August - 5 September 2007

[By Zahi Hawass]  Any two lists of the top 10 archaeological
discoveries in Egypt would be different in only one or two items.
Atlantic Productions is making a film for the Discovery Channel based
on just such a list, and asked me to be its host and introduce these
finds to the public. I felt honoured that two of the discoveries
included on the list were my own. It was my first time working with
this fantastic team, and I really enjoyed it. They did their
homework, and Ben, the director, was very quick and smart. We spent
the entire first day of filming at Giza, beginning with an interview
in front of the Great Pyramid. We looked at two discoveries on the
plateau. The first was the boat of King Khufu which was found by
Kamel El-Mallakh in May of 1954...
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/860/hr2.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Photo in the News: Ancient Olympic Site Saved From Fire
National Geographic News, August 27, 2007

Appearing to gasp for air through the smoke, a winged statue of
victory stands surrounded by wildfires that nearly destroyed the site
of the ancient Olympic Games in southwestern Greece. Firefighters
scored a victory of their own yesterday, when they beat back flames
that skirted the edge of Olympia, birthplace of the Games and one of
the most sacred sites of ancient Greece. "The fire reached the hill
overlooking ancient Olympia but was stopped just before entering the
archaeological site," a member of the brigade told the Reuters news
service. "Six planes, 2 helicopters, 15 fire engines, and 45 firemen
participated in the effort."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070827-greece-fires.html

Iron Age sword discovered again
BBC, 29 August 2007

An Iron Age sword which was stolen from a Cambridgeshire museum 13
years ago has been returned after it was spotted at an auction in
Germany. The weapon was first unearthed during gravel extraction at
Orton Longueville in the 1980s and displayed at Peterborough Museum.
The sword, stolen in 1994, and its scabbard were spotted by
collectors in Germany and returned to the city. Council
archaeologists described the sword's recovery as "miraculous".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/6968115.stm

China publishes Genghis Khan's code of laws
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-30

Chinese researchers have republished Genghis Khan's code of laws,
probably the world's earliest that banned homosexuality. "Genghis
Khan's Code", published by the Beijing-based Commercial Press,
contains Chinese and English versions of the code as well as
interpretations of the laws based on research findings. In article 48
of what is believed to be the world's first constitution, Genghis
Khan banned homosexuality, saying "men committed sodomy shall be put
to death", according to experts with Inner Mongolia's research
institute of ancient Mongolian laws and sociology who spent 14 months
to compile the code. Experts say this was because Genghis Khan wanted
to expand the Mongolian population, which was around 1.5 million,
compared with 100 million rivals of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) that
dominated today's central China. Reproduction of the code was based
on research findings of the experts, who referred to literatures on
Mongolian history as well as other classics including Marco Polo's
travelogue to find content of the code, as its original text was lost
more than 600 years ago.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/30/content_6630792.htm

Fossil reveals orchids bloomed when dinosaurs roamed
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-30

In a scene straight out of "Jurassic Park," scientists have
discovered the remains of an extinct bee with a piece of orchid
pollen stuck to its back inside a chunk of amber which affirms
orchids bloomed earlier than expected, some 76 million to 84 million
years ago. "Our analysis places orchids far toward the older end of
the range that had been postulated, suggesting the family was fairly
young at the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million
years ago," said lead study author Santiago Ramirez of Harvard's
Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and
Evolutionary Biology. The fossil specimen was found by a private
collector in the Dominican Republic in 2000, but it wasn't until 2005
that Ramirez and his colleagues got their hands on it. After
analyzing the position and shape of the pollen, the scientists placed
the orchid, dubbed Meliorchis caribea, within one of five living
subfamilies of orchids.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/30/content_6633187.htm

Fisherman's find? Tombstone typos
The Indianapolis Star [USA], August 31, 2007

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has solved the riddle of
grave markers nearly a century old that were discovered by a
fisherman in the White River last month. The dozen or so headstones
are scrap pieces with mistakes in spelling or dates, said Jeannie
Regan-Dinius, cemetery registry coordinator with DNR's Division of
Historic Preservation and Archaeology. More than 50 years ago, Regan-
Dinius said, the stones were sold to an Indianapolis homeowner to
shore up the riverbank on his property. "This is the best possible
outcome," Regan-Dinius said. "The actual tombstones are in their
places where they belong, and nobody's grave was desecrated."
Fisherman Jim Hodges was clearing a snagged line when he happened
upon the headstones last month. The find quickly drew the interest of
Regan-Dinius and officials at the Indiana State Museum, who feared
the stones might have been illegally dumped.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1q7p0
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070831/
LOCAL18/708310467/1195/LOCAL18

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 26.08.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#====================#

Prehistoric Greek Water Works Found
The Guardian [UK], August 25, 2007

Archaeologists excavating a sprawling prehistoric fortress in
southern Greece have discovered a secret underground passage thought
to have supplied the site with water in times of danger. Dating to
the mid-13th century B.C., the stone passage passed under the massive
walls of the Mycenaean citadel of Midea and probably led to a nearby
water source, authorities said Friday. The passage would allow the
people of Midea, about 93 miles south of Athens, safe access to
drinkable water even in times of enemy attack. "It is a very
important discovery, which gave us great joy," excavation director
Katie Demakopoulou said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6874950,00.html

Ancient Roman city's temple discovered in Romania
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-24

Romanian archeologists have found the Capitol of Sarmizegetusa, a
temple in the ancient Roman province of Dacia, Rompres news agency
reported Thursday. "We were glad to confirm the suppositions we have
been nourishing for 25 years, about the place where the Capitol lies,
one of the most important temples of Roman Dacia," said Ioan Piso, an
official of Transylvania National History Museum in central Romania.
"This is the temple of Jupiter and the Triad Capitoline, made of
Jupiter, Junona and Minerva," Rompres quoted Piso as saying. Such
temples used to be erected in every Roman city, after the model of
Rome, Piso said, noting the significance of the latest discovery to
the history of Romania.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/24/content_6593962.htm

"Cyclopean" walls discovered in northern Albania
Southeast European Times, 24/08/07

Archaeologists searching the mountains of northern Albania for traces
of Ottoman-era fugitives were surprised to find something much older:
the ruins of a Bronze Age fortress, dating from around 800 BC. The
walls were made of boulders assembled without cement, using the
"Cyclopean" technique found in the ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae.
According to Michael Galaty, the US researcher who led the
expedition, the discovery shows that the area, one of the most remote
in Europe, has been in use for thousands of years. At the time the
fortress was built, Illyrian kingdoms were active along the Adriatic
Coast, while Greece was emerging from the ancient Dark Ages. Galaty's
team says it is not yet clear who may have lived there.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxug
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/
blogreview/2007/08/24/blog-03

Relics found at Kingston Lacy offer insight into ancient Egypt
24 Hour Museum [UK], 22/08/2007

A crate of ancient Egyptian relics discovered at a National Trust
property has turned out to be a large collection of inscribed pottery
sherds known as 'ostraka', used by scribes to write a variety of
notes and messages. Among the pieces, found during work in the
cellars of Kingston Lacy in Dorset are over one hundred tax receipts
given by officials for poll tax, mortgages and income tax, providing
a fascinating glimpse into everyday life in ancient Egypt. The
ancient sherds form part of a considerable collection of Egyptian
artefacts brought to Kingston Lacy in the 19th century by its owner,
pioneer Egyptologist William John Bankes. Numbering over two hundred
pieces, Bankes’ collection of ostraka are believed to have originated
from the island of Elephantine in Lower Egypt. They vary in date, and
a number of different languages and ancient scripts appear on them.
The majority are tax receipts dating from 200 AD, in Greek, an
official language of Egypt at that time.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART49964.html
See also The Guardian [UK]:
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2153479,00.html

Paleolithic Residency Traced in Bushehr Province
CHN [Iran], 25 August 2007

For the first time, during excavating operations in city of Jam-o Riz
in Bushehr province, Iranian archeologists have succeeded in tracing
evidence of human beings settlement dating back to Paleolithic epoch
to Middle Stone Age (40,000-10,000 years ago) in this region. Prior
to this, some excavations were conducted by British archeologists in
different parts of Bushehr province. “Archeological excavations in
Jam-o Riz city in southern and northern slides of midst mountain
plain resulted in discovering evidence belonging to Paleolithic, and
Middle Stone Age periods,” said Abdolreza Dashtizadeh, head of
archeology team in Jam-o Riz city to CHN. He further explained that
16 prehistoric sites have been discovered during these excavations,
among which 6 enjoys a high archeological potential to be studied in
detail.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7271

Number 16 Fortress of Gorgan’s Wall Discovered
CHN [Iran], 20 August 2007

Continuation of geophysical activities of Iranian-British joint
archeology team on great wall of Gorgan have resulted in discovery of
the no. 16 fortress which is located inside the vicinity of Gorgan’s
wall. Regarding the architectural style of this newly discovered
fortress, Hamid Omrani, Iranian head of the archeology team explained
that the interior parts of the fortress were constructed symmetrical.
“The fortress is located in the interior space of the wall and while
more than 1700 years have passed since its construction, it has still
remained intact,” added Omrani.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7263

28 Parthian and Sassanid Sites Identified in Golestan
CHN [Iran], 22 August 2007

Archeologists of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism
Department of Golestan province have succeeded in identifying 28
historical sites belonging to Parthian (248 BC- 224 AD) and Sassanian
(224-651 AD) dynastic eras which must have a relation with Gorgan’s
big wall. According to Hamid Omrani, Iranian head of Iranian-British
joint team in excavation project of Gorgan’s big wall, the newly
discovered areas in eastern part of Gorgan’s wall date back to
Parthian dynastic era. Considering the high density of Parthian
historic sites in this area, Omrani believes that this region was the
place where Parthian tribe entered Iran from Turkmenistan and later
formed Parthian empire dynasty.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7267

Roman remains found at golf club
Wiltshire Times [UK], 23rd August 2007

Shards of pottery and roof tiles were found at Cumberwell Park Golf
Club near Bradford on Avon during work to build three new holes on
the course. A man out walking his dog found the objects after workmen
had stripped the top soil away. Susan Farr, at Wiltshire County
Council's archaeology service, said: "We haven't confirmed the nature
of the discovery yet, but it is likely it came from a Romano British
dwelling. "We are planning to go back in a week or two with the
Wiltshire Field Group, who are a group of volunteers based at the
Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxts
http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/bradfordnews/display.var.
1635130.0.roman_remains_found_at_golf_club.php

Medieval pendant found in village
Daily Echo [UK], 24th August 2007

A METAL detectorist who discovered a rare 700-year-old pendant in
Osmington is delighted to hand his treasure over to the British
Museum. Paul Rainford, 53, of Littlemoor Road, Preston found the
medieval pendant with a green stone engraved with a woman's portrait
in a farmer's ploughed field on March 6. He told a treasure inquest
at West District Coroners Court: "It was four inches deep. "I just
dug out a little tuft of grass and saw it sticking out of the soil. I
honestly thought it was a Victorian pendant but when I got home and
cleaned the mud off it, I saw the medieval writing and I thought
that's quite old.'" A report by the British Museum said the pendant
is silver gilt and dates from the 13th or early 14th century.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxtk
http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.
1641280.0.medieval_pendant_found_in_village.php

Cameras might shed light on city crypt mysteries
This is Exeter [UK], 22 August 2007

Thanks to modern technology some of the mysteries surrounding a crypt
under the floor of St Stephen's Church in Exeter could soon by
solved. Although the crypt has been there since the church was built
in the 11th century it has no door, so architects and archaeologists
are planning to use fibre optic cameras to see what is there. The
church in Exeter High Street is undergoing a £1m restoration. The
roof and tower are being repaired and the medieval sanctuary, which
was above St Stephen's Bow, will be restored. Depending on what the
cameras reveal in the crypt, lighting and a glass floor could be
installed so visitors could see into it.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxxz
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=137199&command=displayContent&sourceNode=136986&contentPK=1816844
8&folderPk=79934&pNodeId=137002

Excavations reveal Yorks folk’s changing skulls
York Evening Press [UK], 25 August 2007

YORKSHIRE folk's skulls dramatically and inexplicably changed shape a
few centuries ago, archaeologists have discovered. Research by
English Heritage has confirmed that Yorkshire men were not so much
big heads as "round heads" in early medieval times - and the findings
have left boffins baffled. Studies of nearly 700 skeletons from the
ruined church of St Martin's and its graveyard, in the deserted
village of Wharram Percy, near York, has revealed a puzzling shift in
men's skull shapes between the 11th and 13th centuries. Before
1000AD, men had longer, narrower heads, and the same is true after
1200AD. But between those dates, men's heads were, bizarrely,
rounder. Stranger still, women's heads didn't change.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxsx
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/yorknews/display.var.
1643681.0.excavations_reveal_yorks_folks_changing_skulls.php

Burial mound on Downs is Neolithic
Hastings Observer [UK], 25 August 2007

A county council archaeologist has found that an unusual 'figure of
eight' shaped burial mound at Pashley Down, Old Town, is 1,000 years
older than anyone realised. Rather than a Bronze Age double barrow,
as previously thought, it is probably a much rarer Neolithic oval
burial mound. Archaeologist Greg Chuter worked with 15 volunteers
from the Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeological Society on two
days of topographical and geophysical surveys as part of National
Archaeology Week.
http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/488/Burial-mound-on-Downs-is.
3147536.jp

Archaeologists discover textile in 2500 yr old Chinese tomb
Zee News [India], Aug 20 2007

Chinese archaeologists have found textiles in a mysterious tomb
dating back to nearly 2,500 years in eastern Jiangxi province, which
could rewrite the history of the booming nation's textile sector, the
state media reported. The textiles, which are well-preserved and
feature stunning dyeing and weaving technologies, will rewrite the
history of China's textile industry, says Wang Yarong, an
archaeologist who has been following the findings in the textile
sector for more than three decades. "Chinese anthropologists suspect
the textile industry burgeoned in distant periods of history and this
is the first piece of concrete evidence to support their hypothesis,"
she said. Wang and her colleagues found more than 20 pieces of fine
silk, flax and cotton cloth in 22 of a total 47 coffins unearthed
from the tomb in Lijia village of Jing'an county. "Most of them are
fine fabrics and the largest piece is 130 cm long, 52 cm wide and
woven with complicated techniques," said Wang, a researcher with the
Textiles Preservation Centre of the Beijing-based Capital Museum.
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=389891&sid=FTP

Ancient artifacts force changes to bridge project
Prince George Citizen [Canada], 23 August 2007

Findings from an archeological excavation near the Simon Fraser
Bridge have proved significant enough to alter plans to twin the
crossing, Tony Bennett, the transportation ministry's director for
the project, said Wednesday. Bennett said the work will avoid the
infield off the ramp from Queensway onto the bridge, meaning work on
the approaches to the ramp will be scaled back. "There's still enough
time that we can make some changes," he said. Another excavation
between Queensway and the Fraser River turned up nothing of
importance. Archaeologist Frank Craig, who helped conduct the dig
over the last two summers, said items at the site were found as much
as a metre below the surface, including some hearths that held carbon
from burning. That allowed some carbon dating to be carried out and
it was determined some of the artifacts were as much as 10,000 years
old -- back to the time when glaciers still covered much of British
Columbia and the Fraser River was flowing north into the Peace
because the canyon was full of ice.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxu3
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=104802&Itemid=159

CU-Boulder team discovers first ancient manioc fields in Americas
EurekAlert [AAAS], 20-Aug-2007

A University of Colorado at Boulder team excavating an ancient Maya
village in El Salvador buried by a volcanic eruption 1,400 years ago
has discovered an ancient field of manioc, the first evidence for
cultivation of the calorie-rich tuber in the New World. The manioc
field was discovered under roughly 10 feet of ash, said CU-Boulder
anthropology Professor Payson Sheets, who has been directing the
excavation of the ancient village of Ceren since its discovery in
1978. Considered the best-preserved ancient village in Latin America,
Ceren's buildings, artifacts and landscape were frozen in time by the
sudden eruption of the nearby Loma Caldera volcano about 600 A.D.,
providing a unique window on the everyday lives of prehistoric Mayan
farmers. The discovery marks the first time manioc cultivation has
been discovered at an archaeological site anywhere in the Americas,
said Sheets. The National Geographic Society funded the 2007 CU-
Boulder research effort at Ceren, the most recent of five research
grants made by NGS to the ongoing excavations by Sheets and his
students.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/uoca-ctd082007.php

Stone Age chewing gum, one careful owner
ABC News [Australia], 21 August 2007

A Stone Age piece of chewing gum, one of the oldest discovered, has
been found by an archaeology student in Finland. The 5000-year-old
glob still bears tooth impressions, was made from birch bark tar and
looked "just like a dirty piece of modern chewing gum", Sarah Pickin
told The Scotsman newspaper. "I was also worried it could have been a
bit of fossilized poo," she adds. Pickin made the discovery while on
a six-week volunteer program at the Kierikki Centre, an
archaeological and exhibition site on the west coast of Finland. The
unflavoured birch bark contains carbolic acid, an antiseptic
compound, which would have proved useful in treating mouth infections.
http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/2010771.htm

Ancient Chewing Gum Yields DNA
ScienceNOW Daily News [AAAS], 22 August 2007

teven LeBlanc has been dreaming about ancient DNA for several
decades, but he never had any luck extracting it from museum
artifacts. Then, a few years ago, LeBlanc, an archaeologist and
collections manager at Harvard University's Peabody Museum in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, had a brainstorm. He was staring at drawers
full of quids--wads of plant material chewed by ancient Native
Americans--when he realized, "Quid ... saliva ... DNA ... DING!" In
the September Journal of Field Archaeology, LeBlanc and several co-
authors report that they have recovered DNA from 2000-year-old quids,
as well as from aprons worn by Native Americans. The quids and aprons
belonged to a vanished tribe that archaeologists call the Western
Basketmakers. Between about 500 B.C.E. and 500 C.E., they lived in
caves and rock shelters in what is now southern Utah and northern
Arizona. Dry conditions are ideal for preserving DNA, and researchers
have previously extracted ancient DNA from skeletons and feces of
both humans and animals.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/822/4

Are civil unions a 600-year-old tradition?
EurekAlert [AAAS], 23-Aug-2007

A compelling new study from the September issue of the Journal of
Modern History reviews historical evidence, including documents and
gravesites, suggesting that homosexual civil unions may have existed
six centuries ago in France. The article is the latest from the
ongoing “Contemporary Issues in Historical Perspective” series, which
explores the intersection between historical knowledge and current
affairs. Commonly used rationales in support of gay marriage and gay
civil unions avoid historical arguments. However, as Allan A. Tulchin
(Shippensburg University) reveals in his forthcoming article, a
strong historical precedent exists for homosexual civil unions.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/uocp-acu082307.php

Were seafarers living here 16,000 years ago?
Victoria Times Colonist [Canada], August 21, 2007

In a Canadian archeological project that could revolutionize
understanding of when and how humans first reached the New World,
federal researchers in B.C. have begun probing an underwater site off
the Queen Charlotte Islands for traces of a possible prehistoric camp
on the shores of an ancient lake long since submerged by the Pacific
Ocean. The landmark investigation, led by Parks Canada scientist
Daryl Fedje, is seeking evidence to support a contentious new theory
about the peopling of the Americas that is gradually gaining support
in scholarly circles. It holds that ancient Asian seafarers, drawn on
by food-rich kelp beds ringing the Pacific coasts of present-day
Russia, Alaska and British Columbia, began populating this hemisphere
thousands of years before the migration of Siberian big-game hunters
-- who are known to have travelled across the dried up Bering Strait
and down an ice-free corridor east of the Rockies as the last
glaciers began retreating about 13,000 years ago.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxy2
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?
id=34805893-6a53-46f5-a864-a96d53991051&k=39922

Researchers say communities abandoned the coastal plai
Haaretz [Israel], 23/08/2007

The history of the Land of Israel over the last few thousand years
has been fraught with upheavals and wars, and the arrival and
disappearance of many peoples. A recently published study raises the
possibility of a different kind of cause for shifting settlement
patterns in the land some 5,500 years ago: Climate change led to the
flooding of the coastal plain (which had been a populated commercial
and settlement center) and the creation of many swamps. The
concentration of population, commerce and trade in Israel's coastal
plain is not a phenomenon unique to our era. Even before the events
the Bible describes in the Land of Israel, during the early first
Bronze Age, 5,500 years ago, numerous communities dotted the coastal
strip, from the vicinity of Gaza to the Galilee. The first royal
dynasties appeared around that time in Egypt, and clay vessels
uncovered in southern coastal communities indicate that the area
(apparently under Egyptian control) served as an important trade
route for the Egyptians. And then, 5,500 years ago, say the
archaeologists, there was a dramatic change. The coastal region was
almost completely abandoned while concurrently in other areas an
urban revolution was underway, with large fortified cities being
built. After the era of urban, commercial prosperity, for almost a
thousand years, the coastal plain mostly contained but a few small
and scattered communities.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=896578

Queen lends support to new Viking research project
The Copenhagen Post, 24.08.2007

Danes need to know more about the land’s ancient Viking fortresses,
according to Queen Margrethe, whose foundation is behind a new
project with that goal in mind. The foundation, known as the
Augustinus Foundation and Queen Margrethe II’s Archaeological
Foundation, will cover all expenses relating to a major research and
excavation project led by Moesgård Museum outside Århus in Jutland.
It is the first time in 27 years that the foundation has itself
initiated an archaeological dig in Denmark, although it has funded
many through the years. Project leaders hope the work will unearth
more information about Harald Bluetooth’s massive coastal fortress
network of Trelleborg, Aggersborg, Fyrkat and Nonnebakken. Harald
ruled Denmark from 958-987 and is considered one of the nation’s
greatest kings. ‘It is believed the fortresses played a decisive role
in the battles between the different rulers during Denmark’s Viking
period,’ Jan Skamby Madsen, Moesby Museum’s director, told Århus
Stiftstidende. ‘But it’s still unclear how much and in what way the
fortresses were related to the period’s naval corps.’
http://www.cphpost.dk/get/103221.html

Archaeological museum woes
Kathimerini [Greece], 25/08/2007

In a few months’ time, Athens will be ready to open the New Acropolis
Museum, but it would be wonderful if it were also in a position to
open a New Archaeology Museum by 2015. It is feasible, and above all
desirable. When Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis opened the new
gift shop at the National Archaeological Museum the other day – do
government ministers anywhere else in the world do this? – it once
more became clear how little scope there is for developing a museum
that is stifled by the Culture Ministry. It could be the top money
earner for tourism in Athens, even more so than the Acropolis, if it
functioned like other major museums in the world. It may sound petty,
but if a country like Spain or Italy had the treasures of the Athens
museum, the gift shop would not have been opened in 2007. The 19th
century museum building was ideal for a city of 50,000 people and
very few visitors. Its recent renovation for the Athens Olympics
highlighted the building’s inherent weaknesses, for although both
aesthetically and architecturally pleasing, it remains unbearably
provincial. The surrounding gardens are unkempt, a sign of the
overall mediocrity that extends from the outside area to the way the
building functions.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxuk
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/
_w_articles_columns_100025_25/08/2007_87104

#====================#

More on:

Roman Soldier's Sandal Print Uncovered Near Sea Of Galilee
ScienceDaily, August 24, 2007

Archaeologists have discovered a footprint made by the sandal of a
Roman soldier in a wall surrounding the Hellenistic-Roman city of
Hippos (Sussita), east of the Sea of Galilee. The footprint was
discovered during this eighth season of excavation, led by Prof.
Arthur Segal from the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the
University of Haifa in conjunction with archaeologists from the
Polish Academy of Sciences and Concordia University in St. Paul,
Minnesota. This rare footprint, which is complete and well preserved,
hints at who built the walls, how and when," said Michael Eisenberg
of the Zinman Institute at the University of Haifa.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070824184336.htm

Tuscan Hills Are Alive With Amateur Archaeologists
The New York Times, August 21, 2007

The Etruscan tomb was hidden in such a remote corner of Tuscany that
Andrea Marcocci, the archaeology student who found and identified it
about a decade ago, was not very worried that anyone else would
stumble upon it. Then, this year, woodsmen began to clear brush in
the area, and Mr. Marcocci — who had believed the tomb would be safe
as long as it was concealed in a forest — realized he had to act. “I
became worried that what’s supposed to be the patrimony of mankind
would become the patrimony of an individual,” he said. Armed with a
permit from the archaeological authorities (in Italy, anything found
underground belongs to the state), he and a handful of volunteers
began to dig. What they found last week was a complete surprise: a
tomb dating back more than 2,000 years with a cache of almost
perfectly preserved ceramic and bronze funerary objects, including
cremation urns for more than two dozen people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/arts/design/21tomb.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Bones found by Russian builder finally solve riddle of the missing
Romanovs
The Guardian [UK], August 25, 2007

It was one of the great mysteries of the 20th century. In the early
hours of July 17 1918 a Bolshevik firing squad killed Russia's last
tsar, Nicholas II, together with his wife, four young daughters and
son. The Romanov family were dug up in 1991, formally identified
using DNA samples, and reburied in a St Petersburg cathedral. But two
of the Romanovs were never found. The bodies of the tsar's heir,
Prince Alexei, and his sister Princess Maria were missing. That was
until last month when Sergei Plotnikov, a 46-year-old builder,
stumbled on a small hollow covered with nettles. Mr Plotnikov was
part of a team from an amateur history group who spent free summer
weekends looking for the lost Romanovs. Mr Plotnikov said he was
searching in the clearing surrounded by silver birch trees when his
prodder hit something hard. "We found several bone fragments. The
first was a piece of pelvis. We then discovered a fragment of skull.
It had clearly come from a child." Mr Plotnikov said the evidence he
discovered showed that the two missing Romanovs had suffered the same
fate as their siblings and murdered parents.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2155904,00.html

#====================#

Features:

A rare find
Star-Telegram [USA], Aug. 25, 2007

An archaeological dig led by Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary has turned up collapsed mud-brick walls burned centuries ago
at a fortification built by King Solomon in Gezer, Israel. The dig by
more than 80 volunteers also turned up a cylinder seal into which was
carved a king, his outstretched bow in hand, riding on a beast; and a
silver coin dating to the reign of Ptolemy IV during 207-205 B.C.,
said Steven Ortiz, an associate professor of archaeology and biblical
studies at Southwestern. The coin is only the third of its kind
excavated in Israel, he said. The Bible, in 1 Kings 9:15-17, says
that Solomon fortified Gezer, as well as Jerusalem, Hazor and
Megiddo, Ortiz said.The mud-brick walls were burned, perhaps during
an attack by the Assyrians in the eighth century B.C., Ortiz said.
"We were quite surprised at the preservation of the Assyrian
destruction," he said. "Although this represents a tragedy in the
history of Gezer, it means that the results of next season will be
very promising."
http://www.star-telegram.com/religion/story/213475.html

Mummies' exodus to Genesis goes well
The Quad-City Times [USA], August 22, 2007

So, have you heard the one about two Egyptian mummies wheeled into
the hospital? Someone said they were easy patients. They were “all
wrapped up” in getting high-tech radiology scans … ba-dum-bump. Even
though the scanning and handling of the Putnam Museum’s two mummies —
believed to be thousands of years old — was serious business Tuesday
afternoon at Genesis Medical Center’s West Central Park campus in
Davenport, hospital staff still had fun with their unusual guests. “I
don’t think he’ll survive,” radiologist Andrew Berkow quipped about
the wrapped mummy, spurring laughter as the Bangles’ “Walk Like an
Egyptian” and Steve Martin’s “King Tut” songs played in the
background. For the first time in museum history, the mummies were
temporarily removed Tuesday from the Putnam and brought by ambulance
to Genesis for modern CT, or computed tomography, scans of the mummy
skeletons.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxss
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/08/22//news/local/
doc46cbb8ec67d3d675500197.txt

First World War tunnels to yield their secrets
The Telegraph [UK], 26/08/2007

As battle raged across the fields of Flanders, British soldiers found
brief respite from the horrors of the First World War in "underground
towns" far below the mud and gore. Now, more than 90 years after the
armies left and the extraordinary networks of tunnels were flooded,
the task of finally revealing their secrets has begun. The prize,
archaeologists and historians believe, is an unprecedented insight
into the lives of British troops on the Western Front. They believe
that, because of the absence of light and oxygen in the flooded
tunnels, possessions, such as beds, weapons, helmets, clothing and
even newspapers, will have been preserved and will be found exactly
as they were left in 1918. After finding the entrances to dozens of
miles of tunnels in the countryside near the Belgian town of Ypres,
archaeologists and historians last week began extensive surveying
work. Robots will then be sent into the tunnels before, eventually,
experts from Britain and Belgium hope to pump out the water so that
they can venture into the subterranean military towns.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pysg
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/26/
ntunnel126.xml

Interest in Old Bones on the Rise
The Guardian [UK], August 25, 2007

Among all the fossils, skeletons, meteorites and gemstones for sale
Sunday at the I.M. Chait Gallery natural history auction, lot #127
stands out. It's a mummified baculum, or penis bone, from a species
of walrus that went extinct 12,000 years ago. The piece is more than
4 feet long, curves to a point and is covered with weathered skin and
dry muscle tissue. Who would want to own such an odd thing? Lots of
people, including technology executives, Hollywood producers and A-
list celebrities. Bidding starts at $16,000. "Size matters, and the
walrus has got everybody beat," said Josh Chait, operations director
for his family's auction house in Beverly Hills. "It's a little sick,
but where else are you going to get another one? That's how
collectors think." For the rich, famous, and scientifically literate,
collecting such things has become a trendy hobby, despite concerns
from scientists who say such artifacts belong in museums where
they're available to researchers, educators and the public.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6875857,00.html

How historic sites are excavated
San Luis Obispo Tribune [USA], Aug. 26, 2007

Archaeologists use maps and historical records to pinpoint the
privies and trash pits that often reveal the history of human
occupancy at a site. When it is known where a building once stood,
they look for the backyard, a veritable repository of things people
threw out before the days of weekly garbage collection. “It’s part
research and part intuition,” said Wendy Nettles. Nettles is an
archaeologist who works for Applied Earthworks, the consulting firm
on both the Chinatown Project and Garden Street Terraces, two major
projects proposed for downtown San Luis Obispo. The Chinatown Project
particularly is expected to be rich in artifacts, possibly from
prehistoric to modern time. Nettles said the California Native
American Heritage Commission and other cultural groups will be
consulted on how to handle the sites.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/126553.html

Where will next trove of artifacts be stored?
San Luis Obispo Tribune [USA], Aug. 26, 2007

As local developers increasingly must finance archaeological digs on
their land before building, there is a growing question about where
to store the remnants of the past that are excavated. It is expected
to become more of a problem as major projects — including the
Copelands’ Chinatown Project and Garden Street Terraces on Marsh
Street—are proposed for historic areas of downtown San Luis Obispo.
Both are large hotel, retail and residential projects, but Chinatown
in particular will be on some of the oldest continually occupied land
in the county. Archaeologists expect it to produce possibly many
layers of artifacts from bygone San Luis Obispo. The project is
proposed to take up three-quarters of the block between Chorro,
Morro, Monterey and Palm streets near Mission San Luis Obispo.
Prehistoric, Chumash, mission-era and old Chinatown artifacts have
been found nearby in the past. Newer federal and state laws require
archaeological excavation of sites before development, unearthing an
abundance of artifacts nationwide without government support for
curation facilities. Curation combines detailed cataloging and storage.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/126550.html

#====================#

Miscellany:

Lost city found at Stonehenge
Salisbury Journal [UK], 24th August 2007

A RENOWNED archaeologist, who shot to national prominence last year
with his amazing discovery of Stonehenge's lost alter stone by a
roadside in Berwick St James, now claims to have found the famed lost
city of Apollo in the land around Stonehenge. Dennis Price, who is an
expert on the history of Stonehenge and who used to work with Wessex
Archaeology, believes the lost city of Apollo is located at King's
Barrow Ridge, overlooking Stonehenge. The lost city is believed by
many to be mythical but, after working with language experts at
Exeter University, Mr Price is convinced the city exists and that it
is right here on the outskirts of Salisbury. The team painstakingly
deciphered the works of an ancient Greek mariner named Pytheas of
Massilia. Mr Price explained that Pytheas was known to have visited
Britain in around 325 BC and in his chronicles he wrote of the lost
city of Apollo and a site similar to Stonehenge. He said: "There is a
passage that apparently refers to Stonehenge which has long
fascinated people, but there is also a repeated reference made to a
city sacred to Apollo which has gone completely unremarked upon."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pxtp
http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/salisbury/salisburynews/
display.var.1638952.0.lost_city_found_at_stonehenge.php

Terracotta warriors with feat of clay
The Telegraph [UK], 26/08/2007

The stampede for Terracotta Army tickets has begun ("It's phenomenal,
absolutely staggering", says the British Museum, which has already
sold 50,000 of them) yet why run the risk of disappointment when, for
a mere £750 including shipping charges, you can have a lifesized
terracotta warrior of your own? The Chinese manufacturers say the
replicas are popular as garden ornaments, or as alternatives to the
alabaster lions long favoured by Oriental restaurants. The inability
of modern China to pass up any half-decent business opportunity goes
a long way to explaining why, for all the buzz surrounding next
month's blockbuster exhibition in London, the Terracotta Army's
arrival is as much about commerce as culture.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pysl
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/08/26/
do2608.xml

Global warming causing Mediterranean Sea to rise, threatening Egypt's
lush Nile Delta
The Ledger Dispatch [USA], August 22, 2007

Millions of Egyptians could be forced permanently from their homes,
the country's ability to feed itself devastated. That's what likely
awaits this already impoverished and overpopulated nation by the end
of the century, if predictions about climate change hold true. The
World Bank describes Egypt as particularly vulnerable to the effects
of global warming, saying it faces potentially "catastrophic"
consequences. "The situation is serious and requires immediate
attention. Any delay would mean extra losses," said Mohamed el-Raey,
an environmental scientist at Alexandria University. A big reason is
the vulnerability of Egypt's breadbasket - the Nile Delta, a fan-
shaped area of rich, arable land where the Nile River spreads out and
drains into the Mediterranean Sea. Although the Delta makes up only
2.5 percent of Egypt's land mass, it is home to more than a third of
this largely desert country's 80 million people.
http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/news/newsview.asp?c=223481

Mixed signals
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 16 - 22 August 2007

Yet another public controversy has caught the Ministry of Culture,
though this time it does not involve the person of Minister Farouk
Hosni -- one of the most controversial figures in the cabinet over
his 20-year tenure. Frequently, during this time, Hosni was locked in
conflict with National Democratic Party and other politicians over
what were seen as excessively liberal positions he held. This time
the furore involves, rather, two of his aides: the head of the Nubian
Antiquities Salvage Fund Hussein Ahmed Hussein; and Ayman Abdel-
Moneim, who is both director-general of the Cultural Development Fund
and general supervisor of the Historic Cairo Development Project.
Both were arrested on charges of bribery.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/858/eg19.htm

Americans celebrate a national symbol as the Big Mac turns 40
The Independent [UK], 25 August 2007

It's up there with the dollar bill and the Statue of Liberty as one
of the great symbols of American culture, so it seems only fitting
that the Big Mac's 40th birthday be marked in style this week, with
the opening of its own museum. Fans of the world-famous burger can
now immerse themselves in its history and play Big Mac games at the
museum in Pennsylvania, which calls itself "the most tasteful in the
world". The triple-decker sandwich - with its two beef patties,
sauce, lettuce, a sesame seed bun, and a distinctive middle layer of
bread - was an instant success when it was invented by a McDonald's
franchise owner, Jim Delligatti, in 1967. And now at the age of 89,
Mr Delligatti is behind the opening of the new museum, which pays
tribute to both burger and chef with a 14ft-high Big Mac and a life-
size bronze bust of its creator.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2893894.ece

#====================#

Curiosa:

Derek's near-death on the Nile
The Sun [UK], Derek's near-death on the Nile

DEEP inside the Great Pyramid celebrity psychic Derek Acorah was
feeling uneasy. He’d encountered several scary ghosts in Britain
filming spooky series Most Haunted, but something told him Egyptian
spirits were on another level entirely. According to Derek a strange
force struck him hard on the face – leaving him unable to breathe and
fearing for his life as colleagues looked on helpless. The terrifying
ordeal, which lasted several minutes, will be screened next month on
Living TV’s Paranormal Egypt. Derek, 57, says: “It took me completely
by surprise, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. “We were filming in the
main chamber of the Great Pyramid and I could tell there was a lot of
spiritual activity going on." During his month-long Egypt
investigation in June, Derek claims his supernatural powers helped: -
Uncover the real reason behind boy king Tutankhamun’s premature death
-Establish the Curse Of The Pharaohs was a myth -Discover two new
passageways inside the Great Pyramid that had remained secret - until
now.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2007390039,00.html

Escaping the curse
7DAYS [United Arab Emirates], 23 Aug, 2007

A German man has returned several stolen pharaonic carvings to Egypt
in the hope that his stepfather's soul can now rest in peace after he
was reportedly struck down by the curse of the pharaohs. The man went
to the Egyptian embassy in Berlin last week and handed over an
envelope containing carvings his stepfather had taken from a tomb in
Egypt's Valley of the Kings in 2004, the Supreme Council of
Antiquities in Cairo said.
http://www.7days.ae/showstory.php?id=57060
See also Deutsche Welle [Germany]:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2750617,00.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 19.08.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#====================#

Egyptian Tomb of Noblewoman Found
National Geographic News, August 16, 2007

An ancient Egyptian noblewoman's large stone coffin has been found in
a tomb near the pyramid of Unas, experts announced yesterday.
Archaeologists were digging near the crumbling pyramid in Saqqâra, 15
miles (25 kilometers) south of Cairo, when they discovered the tomb,
which had been built more than 600 years before the noblewoman's
death. The find is another example of the enduring gravity of ancient
Egypt's sacred places, said expedition leader Ola el-Aguizy of Cairo
University. El-Aguizy said the coffin of the noblewoman, named
Sekhemet Nefret, was the first from Egypt's 27th dynasty (525 to 402
B.C.) to be found in this part of Saqqâra, an ancient royal burial
ground. The walls of the burial shaft were made in part with carved
stone slabs, known as stelae. The stone dates from the even earlier
reign of the pharaoh Djoser, who was buried in Saqqâra's distinctive
step pyramid.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070816-egypt-tomb.html

Archaeologists uncover ancient Tuscan tomb
ABC News [Australia], Aug 14, 2007

Archaeologists have discovered a more than 2,000-year-old Etruscan
tomb perfectly preserved in the hills of Tuscany with a treasure
trove of artefacts inside, including urns that hold the remains of
about 30 people. The tomb, in the Tuscan town of Civitella Paganico,
probably dates from between the 1st and 3rd centuries BC, when
Etruscan power was in decline, archaeologist Andrea Marcocci said.
"It's quite rare to find a tomb intact like this," Mr Marcocci said,
who had suspected one might exist in the area after work on a nearby
road scattered with pieces of artefacts. "When we found fragments
outside, we thought we would find that the tomb had been violated,
but the main burial room was completely intact." Inside the tomb, a
narrow corridor led to a small burial chamber about 2 metres long and
1.79 metres wide, he said. It housed about 80 objects, including
vases and mirrors in bronze and ceramic. Urns holding human remains
were also found.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/14/2004536.htm
See also International Herald Tribune [France]:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/17/europe/tuscany.php

Yet Another Ancient Tomb Unearthed in Bulgaria's Sozopol
Novinite [Bulgaria], 14 August 2007

A team of Bulgarian archaeologists unearthed Tuesday an ancient stone
tomb, dated back to the 4th century BC, Darik News reported. The
team, lead by Krastina Panayotova, stumbled upon the tomb during the
annual archaeological excavations on the Harmani beach of the Black
Sea town of Sozopol. A man, probably an athlete, had been buried in
the tomb because the team found an object used by athletes in
antiquity. Just a day earlier the archaeologists came upon the grave
of another man, probably a gambler. The grave was full of dice,
backgammon pieces and coins.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=84199

Bulgaria Discovers Biggest Ancient Water Tank on the Balkans
Novinite [Bulgaria], 17 August 2007

Bulgarian archaeologists announced they have discovered the biggest
ancient tank for storing water on the Balkans, etched into the rock
sanctuary of Perperikon, near Kardzhali in southern Bulgaria. Top
archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov, who unearthed the water tank to add
it to the long list of exciting finds from the rock sanctuary, says
the discovery proves that there were times when Perperikon was
densely populated and with huge water supplies. The tank, measuring
twelve-meter-long, six-meter-wide and six-meter-deep, has a capacity
of 432 000 litres.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=84290

64-Hectare Fortress Discovered near Gorgan’s Wall
CHN [Iran], 18 August 2007

Iranian-British joint team consisted of experts of Iran’s Cultural
Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) and
University of Edinburgh and Durham University, have succeeded in
discovering the biggest fortress in one kilometer distance of
Gorgan’s wall. Having 64 hectares area, the citadel of this fortress
which is located on southern side of Gorgan’s wall, had control over
the whole fortress and through geophysical operations, experts have
succeeded to figure out its architectural style. Regarding the
architectural style of this fortress, Hamid Omrani, Iranian head of
the team told CHN: “The interior space of the fortress which is known
as Kharabeh fortress was divided into four sections through a canal.
Sounding works in this fortress approved the conception of
archeologists indicating implementation of brick and adobe in
construction of the fortress.” He deferred further explanations about
the fortress to later time after completing excavations in the fortress.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7261

Archeologists discover footprint made by sandal of Roman soldier
Haaretz [Israel], 15/08/2007

Archeologists have discovered a footprint made by the sandal of a
Roman soldier - one of the few such finds in the world - in a wall
surrounding the Hellenistic-Roman city of Sussita, east of Lake
Kinneret. The discovery of the print made by a hobnailed sandal, the
kind used by the Roman legions during the time when Rome ruled the
region, led to the presumption that legionnaires or former
legionnaires participated in the construction of walls such as the
one in which the footprint was found. "We know that urban
construction projects in Israel were run by the cities themselves,
and the Roman imperial system wasn't involved," said Professor Arthur
Segal of Haifa University, who is heading the excavation.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/893560.html

Tomb dating to the 2nd millennium BC found in Plovdag area, Azerbaijan
Azeri-Press Agency [Azerbaijan], 13 Aug 2007

The representatives of Archeology and Ethnography Institute of
National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan found a tomb of tribe
leader during excavations in Plovdag area of Ordubad region, the head
of expedition Bahlul Ibrahimov told the APA. There were two barrows,
one of them was unveiled and a grave of man lived 4000 years ago. The
tomb belonged to the leader of the tribe, there was a sword and
arrows there.
http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=32572

Ancient urban sprawl surrounded Angkor Wat
The Guardian [UK], August 14, 2007

The famous medieval temple at Angkor Wat in Cambodia was once
surrounded by a giant urban sprawl of settlements, according to a new
map of the area published by an international team of archaeologists.
The experts spent years studying Nasa images of the Angkor region and
checking possible sightings on the ground, and found enough ruins to
conclude that the site was the largest settlement in the pre-
industrial world. Carpeted with vegetation and obscured by low-lying
cloud, the ruins spill over 400 square miles around the distinctive
temple, and are linked by a complex irrigation system. The findings
could pose a problem for conservation experts, as the historical
remains spread beyond the designated World Heritage site around the
temple.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2148132,00.html
See also The Independent [UK]:
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2864205.ece
Photos:
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pmyt
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/photogalleries/Angkor-
pictures/

Rare ice age rock carving of mammoth found in Cheddar Gorge
24 Hour Museum [UK], 16/08/2007

Archaeologists have discovered an extremely rare Ice Age rock
engraving in a Cheddar Gorge cave, made by our Stone Age ancestors
13,000 years ago. It’s considered to be the most exciting find of its
kind since the famous carvings discovered at Creswell Crags four
years ago. What makes the new find all the more sensational is that
unlike the abstract rock art previously found in the area, this image
reveals the clear outline of an animal – a mammoth, in fact. The
Upper Palaeolithic carving was found in a small alcove of Gough’s
Cave, the main showcave of the popular attraction at Cheddar Caves
and Gorge, just yards from where tourists view the caves every day.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART49804.html

Castle dig unearths lost tower
The Scotsman, 13 Aug 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed the remains of a medieval tower at
Edinburgh Castle thought to have been lost forever. Fragments of
Constable's Tower, which was destroyed by Elizabeth I's army during a
siege, were found during excavation work for the attraction's new
visitor centre. A team of experts found a drain beneath the surface
just inside the Castle's main portcullis gate, where a new timber
kiosk selling audio tours is to be built. They were amazed to find
part of the disused drainpipe had been from a three-foot long piece
of ornately carved masonry. Archeologists now believe it originally
came from the lost Constable's Tower, which stood from the 14th
century to the "Lang Siege" of 1581-73.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1274532007

Ming Dynasty castle discovered in S China
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-13

The Guangzhou Daily reported Monday that a well-protected Chinese
Ming Dynasty castle has been discovered recently in Nanxiong, south
China's Guangdong province. Located in the wild mountains in
Nanxiong, Shaoguan city, in the north of Guangdong Province, the
ancient castle dates back almost 630 years ago to 1377 A.D. of the
Ming Dynasty, when people living in central China fled wars, moving
to the south, building their haven. The ancient castle is built of
black bricks on granite footstones, looking to the south and
occupying over 10,000 square meters, with over 600 rooms. The castle
is a nuttily defensive building with 9-meter high and 70 to 170-
centimeter thick walls, with shooting holes every three meters. There
are still many traps in the city. There are two gates to each castle
passageway, a 6-centimeter thick steel gate and a 10-centimeter thick
wooden gate. The castle has the name of Huangwucheng, which implies
that all owners living there are surnamed Huang. So far there are
only ten families living in the ancient castle.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/13/content_6522131.htm

Ancient Cham citadel found in Ba Ria
Vietnam News Agency, 18-08-2007

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient Cham citadel
in Xuyen Moc District in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
Buried at a depth of 1-1.5m in Go Cat Village, the brick citadel is
400m long and 300m wide and appears to have been built 1,400-1,600
years ago. The experts from the southeastern region Archaeology
Centre and the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province General Museum also found
several fragments of pottery items and tools.
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01ANT180807

Egypt Finds What Could Be A Two Million-Year-Old Human FootPrint
All Headline News [USA], August 17, 2007

A delegation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has
found what could be the oldest human footprint in history, Zahi
Hawas, the Secretary-General for the organization said in a press
conference Thursday. The footprint was found in Siwa, an oasis in the
western Egyptian desert. "The print could be two million years old
and we are running tests on it, if our expectations are correct, it
will be the oldest antiquity on earth," Hawas told reporters. "The
footprint was imprinted on a clay-sand dried surface," he added.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008230671

UD scientists take underwater robot on Black Sea expedition
University of Delaware News, Aug. 15, 2007

Using a novel underwater robot, University of Delaware marine
scientists will help reveal the mysteries of the Black Sea's geology
and maritime history, including ages-old shipwrecks, during an
international expedition that is now underway. The Institute for
Exploration and the Institute for Archaeological Oceanography at the
University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography are
leading the mission, which will conduct geological and archaeological
research in the Aegean and Black Seas--waterways that have served as
major trade routes for centuries. Robert Ballard, professor of
oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, and president of the
Institute for Exploration, is the principal investigator on the
research cruise, which will include a multidisciplinary team of
scientists from several nations.
http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2008/aug/cruise081507.html

Mummy Was Painted Red With Spanish Lead
Discovery News, Aug. 14, 2007

Egyptian mummies may be more international than previously thought,
as analysis of one such mummy in the Brooklyn Museum's collection has
revealed a surprising connection to Spain. The mummy, named
"Demetrios," turns out to have been wrapped in linen that was
decorated with red pigment containing lead that originated in Spain,
according to the museum. "We now think the ancient Egyptians made
very specific material choices for mummy preparation," Lisa Bruno,
the museum's lead object conservator, told Discovery News. "Red was
thought to ward off danger," she added, explaining that the lead-
based paint is toxic, so the Egyptians might have been fighting
poison with poison.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/08/14/mummy_arc.html

6000-year-old prehistoric site totally bulldozed in central Iran
Mehr News Agency [Iran], 2007/08/14

Bulldozers working for the Ammar Yasser construction project in Qom
have entirely demolished the 6000-year-old Shad Qoli archaeological
site in central Iran, the Persian service of CHN reported on Tuesday.
“The license for excavation of the area was issued by the
Archaeological Research Center of Iran (ARCI) two years ago at a time
when approximately half of the site had already been flattened,” said
Siamak Sarlak, director of the team which was to have conducted
salvage operations at the location. “According to the cultural
heritage regulations in Iran, the Governor General’s Office of Qom,
which is in charge of the Ammar Yasser construction project, was
responsible for sponsoring salvage excavations. However, the office
refused to provide the necessary funds for carrying out the
excavation work and we have recently been informed that the remainder
of the site has been completely destroyed by bulldozers,” he added.
http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=534635

Massive Tsartlip artifact stolen from Mayne Island beach
Times Colonist [Canada], August 17, 2007

A massive stone bowl believed to be between 4,000 and 6,000 years old
has been stolen from a beach on Mayne Island, an area belonging to
the Tsartlip First Nation. Drag marks are visible down Helen Point
Beach and band members assume a large boat was used to remove the
bowl, said Chief Chris Tom. "It has to weigh at least a couple of
tonnes. This was not done on the spur of the moment. Someone must
have recognized it and made plans," he said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pn0y
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/capital_van_isl/
story.html?id=d0cf98ea-b6fb-440e-ab96-58319c1cb275&k=57910

Artefacts on show in virtual world
The Press and Journal [Scotland], 18 August 2007

ANCIENT historical artefacts are now available at the click of a
mouse through Aberdeen City Council's new website. Aberdeen's Past On-
line gives users more than 700 files related to archaeological and
historic sites in and around Aberdeen. The first records went online
yesterday with surfers being able to search by site type, historical
period, parish and map reference. Specialists at Aberdeen City
Council's archaeology unit painstakingly catalogued artefacts,
excavations and monuments to provide users with a fact-packed
website. Users can expect to find more than 3,000 archaeological and
historic sites, ranging in date from 8000BC right up to the 1960s.
The site also promises to provide a wide selection of up-to-date
information to a worldwide audience as well as offering a useful
resource for schools, community groups, local history enthusiasts and
tourists.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1poo0
http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=149664&command=displayContent&sourceNode=149490&contentPK=1813685
7&folderPk=85696&pNodeId=149221

#====================#

More on:

Neolithic village found in Orkney sheds new light on Stone Age life
The Times [UK], August 14, 2007

The remains of a Neolithic settlement discovered in Orkney were
hailed yesterday as potentially as important as the Skara Brae
village on the islands. The 2.5 hectare site is believed to date back
nearly 5,000 years and to include a complex system of temples and
dwellings spread over two fields. The find, at Ness of Brodgar,
between the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness, will add to
the area’s reputation as home to some of the most remarkable
archaeological monuments in Europe.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2253781.ece

Ireland's 'Ancient' Love Affair With Ale
Sky News [UK], August 19, 2007

The Bronze Age Irish were as fond of a beer as their modern-day
counterparts, according to new research. Two County Galway
archaeologists have put forward the theory that one of the most
common ancient monuments across Ireland may have been used for
brewing ale. For years, fulacht fiadh (pits or recesses), were
thought to have been used as ancient cooking pits. But archaeologists
Billy Quinn and Declan Moore disagreed with that widely-held view,
arguing that it would surely have been easier to roast meat over an
open fire rather than boil it. They believe that the fulacht fiadh
were, in fact, the country's earliest breweries - dating Ireland's
brewing industry way back to 2500BC - somewhat earlier than Arthur
Guinness, who began brewing his black stuff in Dublin in 1759.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1280349,00.html?f=rss

Juneau woman discovers relic
Juneau Empire, August 17, 2007

July 2 was shaping up as a typical day in the Unalaska dirt for
Juneau-born Shawna Rider, an archaeologist with the Anchorage-based
Cultural Resource Consultants. The 26-year-old and her four
colleagues were excavating a 3,500-year-old village site in the path
of a planned $28 million bridge between Amaknak and Unalaska islands
in the Aleutians. Rider was exploring a small section with a shovel,
when all of a sudden she saw something sticking out of the earth. It
was two pieces of a shattered, 3,000-year-old Unangam whalebone mask,
perhaps the oldest such mask found. "It was definitely exciting to
see," Rider said Thursday, from Dutch Harbor. "This whole site is
just amazing. (The mask) just kind of adds to it. It's one of many
cool things that we saw out here." Based on previous C-14 radiocarbon
analysis from the part of the site where the mask was found, the
archaeological team believes it may be 3,000 years old.

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Dig will unearth Henge's secrets
Salisbury Journal [UK], 18th August 2007

YOUNG people are being offered a unique opportunity to get involved
in one of the country's most high profile archaeological projects.
The Stonehenge Riverside Project, which begins on Sunday, aims to
understand the purposes of Stonehenge between 2000 and 3000BC. The
archaeological excavations are pursuing a hypothesis that Neolithic
Durrington Walls was the land of the living' and Stonehenge the land
of the dead,' linked by a transitional journey along the River Avon.
As part of this exciting project, young people aged 16-25 are being
invited to get involved through a youth volunteering project, which
develops opportunities in the heritage and conservation sector in the
south west. Opportunities available will include helping devise a
young person's trail which would be available to all visitors to the
archaeological site, assisting with the visitor centre - welcoming
visitors and sharing the collection of artefacts with visitors and
being a guide onsite to the various digs.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pook
http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/salisbury/salisburynews/
display.var.1623431.0.dig_will_unearth_henges_secrets.php

Scientists dig into Dwarka’s past
Daily News & Analysis [India], August 18, 2007

Marine archaeologists may finally be able to put an end to
speculations regarding Lord Krishna’s submerged city of Dwarka off
Gujarat coast, and provide a scientific history of the fascinating
underwater landscape. A team of marine archaeologists and navy divers
have collected credible samples from the submerged regions of the
mythological town where Lord Krishna is believed to have settled down
after leaving Mathura. Without scientifically qualifying the
purported mythology behind the Dwarka story, Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) and Indian Navy (IN), which collaborated on the survey
and sample collection, said: “For the first time, we have lifted
samples from the structures under water.” They would be sent to
several laboratories in India and abroad for carbon dating to assess
their age. The tests would put to rest all speculations, officials said.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1116241

Viking ship ends voyage in Dublin
BBC, 15 August 2007

A replica Viking ship has pulled into Dublin nearly 1,000 years after
the original sank off Denmark's coast. The arrival of the Sea
Stallion in Dublin's harbour on Tuesday capped a 1,700km (1,000 mile)
journey across the waters of northern Europe. The 65 crew were
overjoyed after the six-week voyage, during which they faced
unfavourable sailing conditions. The endeavour took the crew from
Scandinavia, around Scotland and into the Irish Sea. The passage was
being undertaken as part of a "living archaeology" project that aims
to understand better the seamanship of early Norsemen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6947453.stm

Miami Circle secured for now — but seawall funding uncertain
Miami Today, 16 August 2007

A temporary fix to the crumbling seawall adjacent to the famed Miami
Circle in Brickell is just about complete, says State Archeologist
Ryan Wheeler — but circle supporters will have to wait until at least
next summer to see any further movement in securing the site. Should
the Legislature in March grant a $2.5 million request for funds to
construct a permanent wall, the money could come in by July, Mr.
Wheeler said, with construction to begin later in the year. Florida's
Division of Historical Resources funded the $150,000 in remedial
shoring, he said. Should the state deny the $2.5 million, Mr. Wheeler
said he is "not sure" where plans would go from there.
http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070816/story3.shtml

#====================#

Features:

Centuries-old pit house found in Draper
Daily Herald [USA], August 14, 2007

Archaeologists have discovered tools, burned animal bones and other
artifacts as they excavate a centuries-old pit house near the Utah
State Prison in Draper. Radiocarbon dating of the burned items put
the age of the house at about 3,000 years old. Kevin Jones, the state
archaeologist, and his assistant, Ron Rood, have been working since
May to uncover the home's site with the help of staff members and
some volunteers, including elementary and high school students.
Elementary school students had to submit essays and do research in
order to qualify for the dig. Each wrote a page about prehistory in
Utah and why they would like to help with the project. "It was fun,"
said Alyson Kyle, 9, who is about to enter fourth grade at Escalante
Elementary. "I found, like, these gopher's jaw and some lithics (and)
fire-cracked rocks."
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/233069/4/

UWO tests mystery of mummies
The London Free Press [Canada], August 16, 2007

Covered in protective gauze and wrapped in layers of ancient
bandages, the lives of three mummies that arrived yesterday at UWO
are shrouded in mystery. But hopefully not for long. The unusual
guests, who may have lived as long as three thousand years ago, are
soon to undergo CT scans here that researchers hope will unlock some
of the mystery -- without removing a single bandage. "The objective
is to find out as much as we can about these mummies without being
destructive," said Andrew Nelson, a UWO anthropologist and research
associate at the Royal Ontario Museum, which loaned the mummies for
testing.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/08/16/4421799-sun.html

State tries to unearth legend of 'pirate' John Avery
The News Journal [USA], August 18, 2007

He was one of Delaware's early settlers, a sea captain, a possible
raider of the Dutch settlement at Lewes and eventually a justice of
the peace and judge. But most of all, John Avery was a landowner. By
the time he died, he owned more than 900 acres around Rehoboth Bay.
And now state and volunteer archaeologists are working together to
examine Avery's Rest -- land he received by patent in 1675. The site,
just west of Rehoboth Beach and near the upper end of Rehoboth Bay is
significant because it is an early settlement and because the current
property owner has given archaeologists access to the property and
time to investigate and dig there, said Craig Lukezic, a state
archaeologist. The site is slated for a residential housing development.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1poo4
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070818/
NEWS/708180333/1006/NEWS

#====================#

Miscellany:

Lincoln may have had facial defect
Lexington Herald-Leader [USA], Aug. 14, 2007

Artists, sculptors and photographers knew Abraham Lincoln's face had
a good side. Now it's confirmed by science. Laser scans of two life
masks, made from plaster casts of Lincoln's face, reveal the 16th
president's unusual degree of facial asymmetry, according to a new
study. The left side of Lincoln's face was much smaller than the
right, an aberration called cranial facial microsomia. The defect
joins a long list of ailments - including smallpox, heart illness and
depression - that modern doctors have diagnosed in Lincoln. Lincoln's
contemporaries noted his left eye at times drifted upward
independently of his right eye, a condition now termed strabismus.
Lincoln's smaller left eye socket may have displaced a muscle
controlling vertical movement, said Dr. Ronald Fishman, who led the
study published in the August issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
http://www.kentucky.com/513/story/149818.html

Napeoleon's 'death mask' not his
IOL News [South Africa], August 18 2007

The purported death mask of Napoleon on show in a Paris museum is not
that of the emperor, a historian alleged on Saturday, with some
reports suggesting it is really that of his butler. Bruno Rey-Henry
said the real death mask had been auctioned in 2004 to an
unidentified individual after being on display in London's Royal
United Services Institute museum for about 25 years. Rey-Henry said
the mask in Paris's military museum, close to Napoleon's tomb in the
Invalides, does not display a scar on the left cheek which figures in
a portrait of the emperor after his surrender in 1815 by British
artist Charles Lock Eastlake. The scar was on the mask formerly in
the London museum, he said, adding that the French example also did
not match up to Napoleon's known appearance, with a big head and
powerful jaw. The French daily Liberation said on Saturday the Paris
mask could be that of Napoleon's butler, Cipriani Franceschi, whose
body conspiracy theorists claim was the one brought back to France
for burial in the Invalides in 1840.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1poo7
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?
set_id=1&click_id=588&art_id=nw20070818143650929C591520

Handsome By Chance: Why Humans Look Different From Neanderthal
ScienceDaily, August 16, 2007

Chance, not natural selection, best explains why the modern human
skull looks so different from that of its Neanderthal relative,
according to a new study led by Tim Weaver, assistant professor of
anthropology at UC Davis. "For 150 years, scientists have tried to
decipher why Neanderthal skulls are different from those of modern
humans," Weaver said. "Most accounts have emphasized natural
selection and the possible adaptive value of either Neanderthal or
modern human traits. We show that instead, random changes over the
past 500,000 years or so – since Neanderthals and modern humans
became isolated from each other – are the best explanation for these
differences."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070813101018.htm

Medieval Cross Turns Up in Trash
The Guardian [UK], August 16, 2007

A medieval cross that was hidden from the Nazis and ended up the
trash has been found to be worth more than a half-million dollars,
police said Thursday. A woman looking for old crockery in a trash
container in the western Austrian town of Zell am See stumbled upon
the piece in 2004, Salzburg police said Thursday, when they announced
the find. The woman, who has not been identified, apparently did not
know what she had found and stashed the cross behind her couch. Last
month, a neighbor with a keen eye had an inkling the cross might be
something special and took it to a local museum in the village of
Leogang. Now experts say the cross could be worth more than $500,000
at auction. A local museum has custody of it for the moment, and it's
unclear whether the trash-foraging woman will get so much as a penny
for her find.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6854883,00.html
Photo:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2274297.ece

Etruscan chariot may be a fake
ImediNews [Georgia], August 14, 2007

An Italian community may rethink its quest to get a Etruscan chariot
from a New York museum after a top archaeologist called the cart a
"beautiful fake." Jerome M. Eisenberg, an authority on ancient art
forgeries, said technical features of the chariot prove it's a sham,
the Italian news agency ANSA reported Monday. His findings are in the
latest edition of the Minerva, The International Review of Ancient
Art and Archeology.
http://www.imedinews.ge/en/news_read/57713

Danes say sorry for Viking raids on Ireland
The Guardian [UK], August 16, 2007

More than 1,200 years ago hordes of bloodthirsty Viking raiders
descended on Ireland, pillaging monasteries and massacring the
inhabitants. Yesterday, one of their more mild-mannered descendants
stepped ashore to apologise. The Danish culture minister, Brian
Mikkelson, who was in Dublin to participate in celebrations marking
the arrival of a replica Norse longboat, apologised for the invasion
and destruction inflicted. "In Denmark we are certainly proud of this
ship, but we are not proud of the damages to the people of Ireland
that followed in the footsteps of the Vikings," Mr Mikkelson declared
in his welcoming speech delivered on the dockside at the river
Liffey. "But the warmth and friendliness with which you greet us
today and the Viking ship show us that, luckily, it has all been
forgiven."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2149421,00.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 08.08.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

[Slender offerings this week due to lateness of last's.]

#====================#====================#

Giant statue of Hadrian unearthed
BBC, 9 August 2007

Parts of a huge, exquisitely carved statue of the Roman Emperor
Hadrian have been found at an archaeological site in south-central
Turkey. The original statue would have stood 4m-5m in height, experts
estimate. His achievements include the massive wall built across the
width of northern Britain which bears his name. Ruling Rome from
AD117 to AD138; he was known as a great military administrator and is
one of the so-called "five good emperors". So far, the excavators
have unearthed the head, foot and part of a leg. But they are hopeful
other parts of the statue may be uncovered in coming weeks.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6939024.stm

Indigenous Vic site dated at 40,000 years old
ABC News [Australia], 2007/08/12

Archaeologists have discovered that an ancient occupation site in
north-west Victoria is much older than first thought. Tests on
charcoal and stone fragments found in Box Gully, near Lake Tyrell,
confirm the site was occupied 44,000 years ago. This would make the
gully the oldest Indigenous site in Victoria, and one of the oldest
in Australia - a finding welcomed by Tati Tati traditional owner
Brendan Kennedy. "Anybody who knows anything in our communities
recognises this place here as a meeting place and as a place that is
relevant to all the tribes around here," he said. Archaeologist Tom
Richards has told ABC TV's Landline the site could one day rival Lake
Mungo in New South Wales for its cultural and scientific importance.
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/12/2002654.htm

Islamic Medina found in Cacela Velha
The Portugal Resident, 09 August 2007

DETAILS ABOUT the Islamic Medina, or town, discovered by
archaeologists in Cacela Velha, Vila Real de Santo António, during
excavations inside the local fortress, have been revealed to The
Resident. Structures discovered during the experimental excavations,
which lasted from May 7 to July 4, have now been revealed as the
Medina of Qast’alla Daraj dating back to the 10th Century when it was
controlled by the Berber family Banu Daraj. This family’s most famous
member was Ibn Darraj Al-Qastalli (958-1030), a poet and the
chancellor secretary and is said to be one of the most emblematic
figures of his time. A spokesman from Vila Real de Santo António
Câmara said: “The existence of the habitation of the Cadi of this
important coastal post of the Garb Al-Andalus, the Algarve, was
uncovered. Seven corn pits, five of which are very large and an
archaeological rarity, were found in the structure.” These pits were
used to store cereals and grain at the time and show evidence of a
rich agricultural society.
http://portugalresident.com/portugalresident/showstory.asp?ID=20559

Human remains, artifacts found
St. Helena Star [USA], August 9, 2007

The city’s decision to postpone construction on its flood project
until 2008 was prompted not only by funding problems and the Living
Rivers Council, but by spearheads, firepits and human skeletons. As
part of a required cultural resources study, archaeologists have been
scouring Vineyard Valley Mobile Home Park and other areas affected by
the project since 2005 for traces of American Indian life. As is
common in Napa County, they found plenty, said archaeologist John
Holson. During the first few years of the project, archaeologists
tested the site to determine the extent of its archaeological
features, and discovered a significant number of artifacts. This
summer, they dug up to nine feet deep to recover those artifacts:
arrowheads, flakes of obsidian produced during tool- and weapon-
making, discarded animal bones, and projectile points that might have
been attached to spears as far back as 5,000 B.C. Archaeologists also
unearthed human remains, including three full skeletons of unknown
age and sex. Many of the artifacts probably were left by the Wappo
American Indian tribe, said Holson. A representative from the
Mishewal-Wappo tribe oversaw the excavation.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pfyu
http://www.sthelenastar.com/articles/2007/08/09/news/local/
doc46ba8bfe5d62b585977569.txt

Alexandria Archaeologists Discover Ancient Artifact
NBC4 [USA], August 10, 2007

Archaeologists working at Freedmen's Cemetery in Alexandria have
unearthed a stone tool believed to be about 13,000 years old. The
artifact was discovered during a dig last week, officials said.
Although the tip of the spear point is broken, archaeologists from
Alexandria and Fairfax have identified it as a reworked Clovis point.
Clovis points are recognized by their distinctive shape and serve as
one of the diagnostic markers for an era known to archaeologists as
the Paleoindian period that lasted from as early as 18,000 to about
12,000 years ago.
http://www.nbc4.com/news/13863212/detail.html

How Bronze Age man enjoyed his pint
BBC, 11 August 2007

Bronze Age Irishmen were as fond of their beer as their 21st century
counterparts, it has been claimed. Two archaeologists have put
forward a theory that one of the most common ancient monuments seen
around Ireland may have been used for brewing ale. Fulacht fiadh -
horseshoe shaped grass covered mounds - are conventionally thought of
as ancient cooking spots. But the archaeologists from Galway believe
they could have been the country's earliest breweries. To prove their
theory that an extensive brewing tradition existed in Ireland as far
back as 2500BC, Billy Quinn and Declan Moore recreated the process.
After just three hours of hard work - and three days of patiently
waiting for their brew to ferment - the men enjoyed a pint with a
taste of history attached. Three hundred litres of water were
transformed into a "very palatable" 110 litres of frothy ale.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6941951.stm

Ancient human fossils show women much smaller
Reuters, Aug 9, 2007

Homo erectus, long viewed as a crucial evolutionary link between
modern humans and their tree-dwelling ancestors, may have been more
ape-like than previously thought, scientists unveiling new-found
fossils said on Thursday. Revealing an ancient skull and a jawbone
from two early branches of the human family tree -- Homo erectus and
Homo habilis -- a team of Kenyan scientists said they were surprised
to find that early female hominids were much smaller than males. The
skull was the first discovery of a female Homo erectus. It suggests
mankind's upright ancestors may have been physiologically closer to
modern gorillas and chimpanzees, which also exhibit big differences
in size between males and females, than had been supposed. "Prior to
the discovery of the new specimens, scientists did not know that Homo
erectus males were far larger than the females," said Dr Emma Mbua,
one of the team.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pgyt
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL0980963720070809?
feedType=RSS

Mary Rose fights the acid reign of bacteria
The Telegraph [UK], 12/08/2007

One of Britain's greatest archaeological treasures, the Mary Rose, is
facing the biggest threat to its survival since it was raised from
the seabed 25 years ago. In contrast to the towering French warships
it faced as Henry VIII's flagship, it is fighting a much smaller,
though no less daunting, enemy. Scientists have discovered that
bacteria growing on the timbers of the Tudor warship are producing a
corrosive acid that could cause the hull to disintegrate. They
believe that the bacteria, together with a chemical reaction
involving iron from rusted bolts and nails, is converting nearly two
tons of sulphur in the waterlogged wood into sulphuric acid. They
fear that the remains of the 150ft-long ship will crumble to dust as
the acid eats away the hard material in the wood as it is dried out.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pgyf
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/12/
sciship112.xml

#====================#

More on:

The tale of a city
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 9 - 15 August 2007

This summer, for the second time, Qantara East was in the limelight
when early last week Egyptian excavators chanced upon the fort of
Tharo east. The fortress is 500 metres long, 250 metres wide and with
walls 13-metre thick and a 12-metre-wide south entrance. A giant
water-filled moat that once surrounded the fort was also found. "This
is the largest fortress found yet," Abdel-Maqsoud told Al-Ahram
Weekly, adding that it consisted of 24 huge defence towers 20 metres
in width and four metres thick. Along with Tharo West, Abde- Maqsoud
said, the fort was considered to be the eastern front of the ancient
Egyptian military town of Tharo and Egypt's gate to the Delta. It was
also the point where the ancient Egyptian army carried out several
military campaign to secure the eastern the city borders at the time.
Graves of soldiers and horses were also found. "Bones of humans and
horses found in the area attest dramatically to the reality of such
battles," Abdel-Maqsoud said.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/857/hr1.htm

Mummy Birds Recovered From Egypt Factory
National Geographic News, August 9, 2007

Egyptian antiquities authorities have obtained eight mummified birds
that had been displayed in a textile factory for nearly a century.
Three ibises and five falcons had apparently been kept in glass
display cases since 1927 at the sprawling Mahalla factory, located
about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Cairo, said Zahi Hawass,
director general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070809-mummy-birds.html

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Fossil Hunter Condemns Lucy Tour of U.S.
The Guardian [UK], August 10, 2007

One of the world's leading paleontologists denounced Ethiopia's
decision to send the Lucy skeleton on a six-year tour of the United
States, warning Friday that the 3.2 million-year-old fossil will
likely be damaged no matter how careful its handlers are. The
skeleton was quietly flown out of Ethiopia earlier this week for the
U.S. tour. Paleontologist Richard Leakey joined other experts in
criticizing what some see as a gamble with one of the world's most
famous fossils. The Smithsonian Institution also has objected to the
tour, and the secretive manner in which the remains were sent abroad
has raised eyebrows in Ethiopia, where Lucy has been displayed to the
public only twice. "It's a form of prostitution, it's gross
exploitation of the ancestors of humanity and it should not be
permitted," Leakey told The Associated Press in an interview at his
office in Nairobi.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6841528,00.html

Viking ship arrives in Ireland
Evening Echo [UK], 10/08/2007

A reconstruction of a 900-year-old Irish-built Viking ship, which set
sail from Denmark seven weeks ago, arrived in Ireland today. The Sea
Stallion of Glendalough, the biggest reconstruction of a Viking long
ship in the world and crewed by 65 people, put into shore early this
morning at Clogherhead, Co Louth. After sailing 1,000 miles from the
Danish port of Roskilde, via Norway and the Orkneys, it is expected
to arrive in Dublin early on Tuesday and will be put on show in the
National Museum. A Danish tourism spokesman said: “The arrival in
Dublin will be a homecoming of sorts as the Sea Stallion is a
reconstruction of a ship, the Skuldelev 2, built in Dublin in 1042."
http://www.eecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=85250352&p=85z5x6y6&n=85250644

#====================#

Features:

The terracotta invaders
The Times [UK], August 11, 2007

In 1974 a group of Chinese peasants sinking a well on scrubby land
outside the city of Xi’an discovered some fragments of terracotta. As
the work progressed, one side of the well disappeared into an
underground pit. If they had started digging a few feet in the other
direction, they would have missed the subterranean chamber
altogether. One of the wonders of the world might then have remained
undiscovered and the British Museum would not now be preparing for
what is expected to be its biggest exhibition. Ancient sources
referred to the tomb of the First Emperor of China, and the huge
burial mound was visible above ground. But there was no mention of
what the Emperor had buried with him: an entire army of terracotta
warriors to guard him in the afterlife. The roof of the pit had
collapsed, shattering the figures into pieces that had to be
painstakingly reassembled. “At first we were not sure what they
were,” says Yuan Zhongyi, the first director of the site. “It was a
year before we realised the significance."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pfxp
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/
visual_arts/article2216566.ece

Mysterious saga of a 2,200-year-old lingam
The Asian Age [India], August 12, 2007

The most ancient Shiva lingam known to mankind is standing at the
crossroads. Sri Parasurameshwara temple, located in Gudimallam, a
hamlet 13 km from Renigunta junction in Chittoor district in southern
Andhra Pradesh, has a 2,200-year old history as the longest
continuously worshipped Shiva temple in the world. Its fascinating
past and equally gripping present have culminated in a classic
confrontation between modern values and ancient traditions. Dating
back to the third and second century BC, it is a simple structure
consisting of a single semicircular chamber below ground level.
Walking down the few steps into the garbha griha brings one face to
face with a 1.35-metre, seven-sided monolithic lingam. The front
plane has the figure of Parasurama standing on the crouching figure
of a Yaksha. It rests on a base of seven concentric rings, or
peethams, only two of which are visible above the surface.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pgyp
http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/asian-age-plus/
culture-plus/mysterious-saga-of-a-2,200-year-old-lingam.aspx

English were dedicated followers of French fashion 1,400 years ago
The Times [UK], August 10, 2007

The British, it seems, have assiduously followed European fashion
trends for years. It now turns out that it may have been for
centuries. Stylish Anglo-Saxon women, for example, wore front-
fastening coats clasped with brooches that were common on the
Continent at the time and would not be completely out of place on the
catwalks of Paris today. Penelope Walton Rogers is an archaeologist
who has undertaken a significant study of Anglo-Saxon graves and
settlements and come up with some surprising findings. Evidence
pieced together from more than 1,700 graves shows that followers of
fashion in the middle of the 6th century wore outfits typical of
northern France and territories west of the Rhine.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pgyr
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/
article2231406.ece

Dig days: Scholars who love Egypt
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 9 - 15 August 2007

[By Zahi Hawass] Scholars from all over America gather to discuss the
history and archaeology of Egypt. There are many universities in the
United States whose programmes are considered among the best in the
world for the study of Egyptology. When I took a Fulbright
Scholarship to study in the States, I chose the University of
Pennsylvania. One day, I was sitting in the laboratory when I met a
lady who was working for a busy colleague of mine. The lady looked at
me and said, "where are you from?" I replied, "from Egypt." The lady
laughed, and said, "you are here in America to study Egyptology?"
Many people do not know that Egyptology was essentially invented by
great scholars from France, Germany and America.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/857/hr2.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Public toilet is listed
icSouthLondon, Aug 9 2007

VISITORS will need to spend more than a penny at this loo after it
was named on a list of historic buildings at risk. The underground
lav at Kennington Cross dates from the Victorian era and was already
Grade II listed before being named by English Heritage on its 2007
Buildings at Risk register. According to the charity,the loo - unused
since the 1980s - is noted for its "ornate railings" and "elegant
flue ventilator pipe and adjacent 19th century bollards and horse
trough". The loo rubs shoulders with some more obvious historic
monuments on the list, including tea clipper The Cutty Sark in
Greenwich which was devastated by fire in May and needs £10million of
repairs.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pfyp
http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/
0200southlondonheadlines/tm_headline=public-toilet-is-listed%
26method=full%26objectid=19602178%26siteid=50100-name_page.html

Sketch of Mona Lisa painting unveiled after 500 years
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-08-10

After 500 years this sketch, which was believed to be the original
work of Leonardo da Vinci around 1504, was unveiled recently at the
Louvre in Paris of France.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/10/content_6507024.htm

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 08.08.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

[Sorry for the delay; we're back on track -- for now.]

#====================#====================#

"Gentrified" Egyptian Burial Chamber Discovered
National Geographic News, August 2, 2007

A recycled burial chamber with unusual decorations has been
discovered just south of Cairo, archaeologists announced today. The
chamber may offer further proof of how the nobles of Egypt's 26th
dynasty (664 to 525 B.C.) "gentrified" the 2,000-year-old necropolis,
or vast burial grounds, of their 5th-dynasty predecessors. The
necropolis had fallen into disrepair in the intervening millenia. The
find occurred near the three weathered pyramids of Abu Sir—remnants
of an original seven—located 22 miles (35 kilometers) south of Cairo.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070802-egypt-burial.html

Pharaonic tomb discovered
State Information Service [Egypt], August 03, 2007

Culture Minister Farouk Hosni announced the discovery of the cemetery
of the royal bodyguard of the Pharaohs' 26th dynasty at the
historical area of Abu Sir, near the governorate of Sharqiya.
Archaeologists unearthed a huge sarcophagus made up of white
limestone, which contained another small one inscribed with prayers.
The Czech excavation team has also discovered pots, seals and
mummification tools.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pa1x
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000805.htm

Archaeologists Excavate Ancient Tannery
The Guardian [UK], July 31, 2007

Archaeologists excavating an ancient tannery believed to be the
largest ever found in Rome said Tuesday they might need to move the
entire work site, which is being threatened by railroad construction.
The 1,255-square-yard complex includes a tannery dating to the second
or third century, as well as burial sites and part of a Roman road.
At least 97 tubs, some measuring more than three feet in diameter,
have been dug up so far in the tannery, archaeologists said. The
complex, located in the Casal Bertone area in the outskirts of Rome,
lies between two tunnels of a high-speed railway being built to link
Rome and Naples, said Stefano Musco, the director of the
archaeological excavations.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6818017,00.html
See also ABC News [USA]:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=3431881

Archaeologists discover sixth-century mosaic floor near Palmahim
Haaretz [Israel], 07/08/2007

A floor mosaic dating back to the sixth century, depicting trees and
fruit baskets, was uncovered this week at the Yavneh-Yam
archaeological site near Kibbutz Palmahim. The floor, discovered
during excavations by Tel Aviv University's Institute of Archaeology,
decorated the dining room of a Byzantine villa, containing unbroken
pottery. The Yavneh-Yam site, 15 kilometers south of Jaffa, served as
a seaport from the middle of the second millennium B.C.E. until the
ancient Islamic period. The numerous artifacts uncovered at the site
point to extensive cultural and trade ties with Egypt, Lebanon,
Cyprus and the Greek Isles.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/890786.html

Medieval mosque discovered in Sicily
The Earth Times [USA], July 30 2007

U.S. archaeologists working at a dig in Sicily have uncovered what is
believed to be the ruins of a 9th or 10th century medieval mosque.
The discovery was made by Northern Illinois University graduate
student Bill Balco at an archaeological dig adjacent to an ancient
castle in west-central Sicily. The dig site has revealed a long
history dating to the 6th century B.C. But the surprising mosque
discovery came in June with the uncovering of the base of an ancient
column.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/88289.html
See also PhysOrg.com:
http://www.physorg.com/news105029488.html

New Viking graves discovered
Aftenposten [Norway], 30 Jul 2007

While most parts of Norway have experienced the wettest summer in
years, the county known as Nord-Trøndelag, not far from Norway's
third largest city Trondheim, has experienced extreme drought. But
due to the dry summer, supposedly the driest in a century, more
traces from Norway's Viking past have appeared. The most recent
findings include around 120 Viking graves, traces of houses, and even
traces of what could be the Viking Chief's hall. A total of 145
antiquities have been found in the area. "These are some of the most
exciting antiquities ever found in this part of Norway," said county
archaeologist Lars Forseth to newspaper Aftenposten.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1911815.ece

Ancient Sami village discovered
The Norway Post, 28.07.2007

So far, more than 50 foundations, mostly of turf huts, have been
located on the site, which is located on both sides of Higway E-6.
Archaeologist Joern Henriksen of the University in Tromsoe says the
find is unique, and believes more discoveries are waiting to be
uncovered. More than 300 cultural artifacts have been found, and the
oldest is a stone axe, which dates back to around 3000 BC. In
addition to the foundations, they have also found traces of deep
ditches used to  trap wild reindeer. They have earlier found the
remnants of a hollowed-out river boat.
http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=92779

Bulgarian Archaeologists Unearth 2,500-Years-Old Tomb
Novinite [Bulgaria], 7 August 2007

Archaeologists from the Bulgaria's National History Museum have
unearthed a tomb of a citizen, who lived in the ancient city of
Apollonia, which is today's Black Sea town of Sozopol. The team of
Krastina Panayotova is working on the Harmani beach of Sozopol, a
site which archaeologist have been exploring for many years now.
During regular excavations Panayotova's team stumbled upon the tomb.
When the scientist opened it they found many pottery, the skeleton of
a man, who lived some 2,500 years ago and a huge ceramic bowl with an
inscription in ancient Greek.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=83923

9,000-year-old cemetery found in Syria
IOL News [South Africa], August 07 2007

A Syrian-Japanese archaeological team uncovered recently a 9 000-year-
old cemetery in north-east Syria, Syrian state-controlled newspaper
al-Thawra reported on Tuesday. The cemetery, found at Ein al-Karkh
site in Idlib province, 330km north of the capital Damascus,
represents "ancient Syrian society and the stage of transformation
from big agricultural villages to the building of the first city",
said Jamal Haider, the head of the Syrian side of the archaeological
team. About 20 adult skeletons were found in the cemetery, with clay
tools and stone bowls found near them.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pcbx
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?
click_id=31&art_id=nw20070807214536261C302113&set_id=

3500 year old frescos discovered in the region of Batna
Echorouk online [Algeria], August 02 2007

An important archaeological discovery has been made recently in the
region of Batna (east of Algeria) which consists in prehistoric
frescos that date back to some 3500 years. Local experts are asking
for the immediate intervention of the minister of culture to send
international searchers to probe in the matter, because of the
importance this unprecedented historical discovery. The province of
Batna is famously known by its outdoor historical sites such as
Timgad, Ouazana and Imedghassen.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pccr
http://www.echoroukonline.com/english/modules.php?
name=News&file=article&sid=7063

Area Covered with Red Clays Discovered in Ray City
CHN [Iran], 30 July 2007

Archeologists have succeeded in discovering a 7000-year-old
prehistoric site in Hassan-abad village located in vicinity of Shahr-
e Ray historic city, southern Tehran. Existence of a large number of
red clays resemble to those previously discovered in Cheshmeh Ali
historic site and other historical relics belonging to the Islamic
period (651 AD afterwards) indicate the continuation of residency in
this historic site since fifth millennium BC up to the Islamic
period. Located next to the dyke built by local farmers for
agricultural lands, this historic site is in a risky status.
Regarding the measures have been undertaken so far to prevent
possible damages may pose to this 7000-year-old historic site,
Mohammad Ali Kaki, archeologist, said: “Experts of Cultural Heritage
and Tourism Department of Shahr-e Ray city, checks on the situation
of this prehistoric site everyday. The dyke would be inactivated as
soon as it is recognized that the continuation of its activity is a
threat to this historic site.”
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7243

Discovery Moustrian Stone Tools and Animal Remnants in Gilan
CHN [Iran], 8 August 2007

In continuing their joint research in Paleolithic sites of Gilan
province, a stone tool belonging to Moustrian people, more than
100,000 years ago, and remnants of animals dating back to the same
epoch have been discovered. Announcing this news, Mohammad Reza
Bagherian, Iranian head of Iran-South Korea joint team told CHN:
“During these researches, two rocky dwellings, two river terraces,
and 13 caves have been excavated which have resulted in discovery the
remnants of animal skeletons and stone tools belonging to 100,000
years ago in one of these caves. An animal tooth and part of its jaw
have been discovered in the cave which according to Chi Dong Di, they
must have dated back to Moustrian epoch, more than 100,000 years ago.
He further concluded that the discovered stone instrument should have
belonged to the same period as well.”
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7253

400 Historical Sites Discovered within 7 Days in Mazandaran
CHN [Iran], 30 July 2007

Researches conducted by 16 teams in an attempt to prepare the
archeological map of Mazandaran province has resulted in discovery of
400 historical sites just within the first week of this project. It
is anticipated that the number of historical sites in this Iranian
northern province would reach to 10,000 until the end of the project.
Due to the ecosystem and historical diversity of Mazandaran province,
as it was supposed the discovered historical sites belonging to
different prehistoric and historic periods and ranging in date from
Paleolithic epoch and Stone Age to historical and Islamic periods.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7240

Discovery of a Kufic Inscription in Seimareh
CHN [Iran], 30 July 2007

Sounding and stratigraphy works conducted by experts of Research
Center of Seimareh historic city located in Iranian western province
of Ilam, have resulted in discovery of an earthenware inscription in
Kufic language belonging to the advent of Islamic period in Iran (651
AD afterwards). Announcing this news, Behzad Farhadian, head of
Research Center of Seimareh told CHN: “This earthenware inscription
was discovered during the operations for clarifying the limits of the
historic city of Seimareh.” He further added that the word of Al
Muses in Kufic and Arabic languages can be seen on this earthenware
inscription.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7241

Archaeological dig finds Roman coins and games
Northampton Chronicle and Echo [UK], 08 August 2007

A new dig at an ancient archaeological site has found Roman artefacts
and musket balls fired during the English Civil War. Archaeologists
began work excavating the site at Bury Mount in Towcester on July 17
and an initial metal scan of one part of the area has already
uncovered a number of Roman pieces, including an unusual carved disc
believed to have been used in a board game similar to draughts. Jim
Brown, project officer for Northamptonshire Archaeology, said: "We
haven't even started excavating the front section yet but we have
carried out a metal scan and retrieved a number of Roman artefacts
including some lead cloth seals, a fourth century Roman coin and a
small gaming piece.
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news?articleid=3093060

Perthshire rock art sheds light on Scotland's prehistoric past
24 Hour Museum [UK], 03/08/2007

Archaeologists have discovered a large group of ancient rock art in
Perthshire, which they hope will shed more light on the area’s
prehistoric inhabitants. A team working on National Trust for
Scotland (NTS) land as part of the Ben Lawers Historic Landscape
Project found the previously undiscovered ‘cup-and-ring’ style
markings on a hillside overlooking Loch Tay and Kenmore. The carvings
could date back to Neolithic times and be up to 5,000 years old. Cup-
and-ring rock art features abstract symbols of circles and cups,
chipped out of the stone some time between 3,000-1,500 BC, from the
late Neolithic period to the early Bronze Age. Other examples have
been found at locations in upland Britain and across Atlantic Europe,
from Portugal to Orkney.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART49620.html

Roman holiday!
Huddersfield Examiner [UK], Aug 2 2007

FASCINATING clues about life in a Roman ‘motel’ were uncovered during
an archaeological dig on the moors above Huddersfield. Top Roman
officials and well-to-do travellers could well have stopped off at
Slack while out and about on vital business. And another exciting
discoveries during the project near Outlane was the remains of what
could be an aqueduct. The nine-day dig – paid for by a £10,000 grant
from the Lottery’s Awards for All scheme – was carried out by
Huddersfield Archaeological Society.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pccj
http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/examiner/news/regional/
tm_headline=roman-holiday%26method=full%26objectid=19558070%
26siteid=50060-name_page.html

Bronze Age skeleton is dug up in quarry
Peterborough Today [UK], 31 July 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS believe they may have unearthed a Bronze Age cemetery
near Peterborough after digging up the remains of a 3,500 year-old
skeleton. Experts who made the find at Bardon Aggregates' Pode Hole
Farm quarry in Thorney, near Peterborough, say they expect to come
across further burial sites as excavations continue. The skeleton,
which is thought to date from the middle to late Bronze Age, was
uncovered by Milton Keynes-based Phoenix Consulting Archaeology
Limited, during routine excavation work. Lead archaeologist Dr Andrew
Richmond said: "We have been excavating for seven years and have
found Bronze Age remains, but this is the first body. I don't think
it will be the last."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pcd1
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?
sectionid=845&articleid=3071435

Mass grave offers a glimpse of wartime life in 17th century
The Independent [UK], 7 August 2007

A mass grave of soldiers slaughtered during Europe's bloody Thirty
Years War is yielding up valuable data on how they lived before their
violent deaths. Skeletons of more than 100 warriors who fought in the
Battle of Wittstock near Berlin in 1636, were discovered by workmen
excavating a sandpit. The remains are under scrutiny from
anthropologists who say they offer a fascinating insight into the
health of Europeans nearly four centuries ago. Superficially, the
bodies bear all the hallmarks of terrible fighting: shoulder blades
smashed by axes, spines run through with swords, skulls with the
holes made by musket balls in them. Many of the bones bear traces of
shrapnel from exploding shells. The Battle of Wittstock took place on
4 October 1636, when a Protestant army of 16,000 Swedes beat a force
of 22,000 from the Catholic alliance of the Holy Roman Empire and
Saxony. Some 7,000 men died in the fighting.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2833901.ece
See also The Scotsman:
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1201232007

Ancient whalebone mask is found in Unalaska
The Seattle Times, July 30, 2007

Archaeologists working in Unalaska have found the remains of a
whalebone mask believed to be about 3,000 years old. The partial
mask, stained brown by soil, is about 2,000 years older than any
known Aleut mask, according to archaeologists. It was created around
the time Homer was producing "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey." The Earth
had suddenly cooled, and ice surrounded the Aleutian Islands almost
year-round, according to Rick Knecht, an archaeologist and professor
at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The mask was discovered
earlier this month while archaeologists were unearthing an ancient
village.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pc9g
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2003812375_ancientmask30m.html

Hohokam canals found at ASU construction site
The Arizona Republic, Jul. 31, 2007

When Arizona State University students move into a new residence hall
and honors college in fall 2009, they will be living and learning
among historical findings. Two canals from the Hohokam time period
have been unearthed at Apache Boulevard and Rural Road - the future
home of ASU's Barrett Honors College. The college is currently housed
at Apache Boulevard and College Avenue. Pieces of pottery were also
found at the site, said Glen Rice, of Rio Salado Archaeology and an
ASU emeritus faculty member in the School of Human Evolution and
Social Change. The canals, dating back as far as 1000 A.D., show that
the land was most likely used for agriculture fields and not home to
an entire village. "Maybe a mom and a few kids lived out there to
weed," Rice said. "Or two teenage boys. But not a whole family."
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0731tr-asudig0801.html

Team finds 19th century schooner preserved near Oak Orchard Harbor
The Journal Register [USA], August 06, 2007

Finding shipwrecks and having an adventure usually reserved for sea-
faring divers is not so far-fetched for western New York, as
researchers Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville have discovered. The duo
recently found a 19th century schooner, possibly the oldest found to
date, resting at the bottom of Lake Ontario off Oak Orchard Harbor in
Point Breeze. According to Kennard, the discovery of the Milan was
exciting because the ship is in relatively decent shape for having
been at the bottom of a lake for nearly 160 years. “The masts are
still attached to the ship,” he said. “Usually they break off and
fall next to the ship.”
http://www.journal-register.com/local/local_story_218001324.html

Archaeologists in Mexico City find first tomb of Aztec ruler
The Guardian [UK], August 6, 2007

Archaeologists believe they have made the first discovery of a tomb
of an Aztec ruler. Radar equipment suggests the tomb has several
chambers and lies 5 metres (15ft) below ground in a major ceremonial
site in the heart of Mexico City. Leonardo López Luján, the lead
archaeologist, told Associated Press that his team hoped to be inside
the chambers by October, staring at the ashes of Ahuizotl, as well as
offerings befitting his status as the last Aztec ruler to die in
power. Article continues
The team was moving slowly because the entrance is flooded and filled
with rocks, forcing the need for pumps to keep the water level down
as archaeologists excavate while hanging from slings, he said. He
said the conditions may have helped preserve the tomb's contents.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2142250,00.html
See also The Times [UK]:
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pai8
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/
article2195672.ece

Graveyard found under Sydney Town Hall
ABC News [Australia], August 7, 2007

Archaeologists have discovered a First Fleet graveyard under Sydney's
Town Hall, containing at least 20 bodies believed to have been left
by a devious contractor. The Town Hall has been a prominent meeting
point for the living since its construction in 1869 but before then,
it was a resting place for the dead. A First Fleet cemetery operated
there between 1792 and 1820, but Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says
it was supposed to be moved west to make way for the fast growing
city. "The story goes that when the Town Hall was constructed later
in 1869, a contractor was paid to exhume the bodies and they were to
be taken to Rookwood," she said. "But story has it that perhaps he
might have taken the money but didn't transfer all the bodies."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/07/1998292.htm?site=idx-nsw

Tunnel built in 11th century discovered
The Statesman [India], Aug. 1 2007

An ancient tunnel leading to a pond dug by a local king in the 11th
century was exposed while excavating at the City Centre in the heart
of the city, barely 600 metres from the SDO’s office on 31 July. The
site came to light when the local masonry labourers were removing a
burden for the purpose of a new construction. The sub-divisional
administration is to hold an inquiry at the site. At a newly set up
housing colony, developed by the Asansol Durgapur Development
Authority in a joint venture with a private real estate major, the
ancient historical site was unearthed.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=192304&usrsess=1

Chinese archaeologists make ground-breaking textile discovery
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-07-31

Chinese archaeologists have found textiles in a mysterious tomb
dating back nearly 2,500 years in eastern Jiangxi Province, the
oldest to be discovered in China's history. The textiles, which are
well-preserved and feature stunning dyeing and weaving technologies,
will rewrite the history of China's textile industry, says Wang
Yarong, an archaeologist who has been following the findings in the
textile sector for more than three decades. "Chinese anthropologists
suspect the textile industry burgeonedin distant periods of history
and this is the first piece of concrete evidence to support their
hypothesis," she said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/31/content_6455958.htm

5600-year-old tinder device unearthed
People's Daily [China], August 02, 2007

Archaeological staff recently unearthed a tinder device made in 5600
years ago in Luoyang, which was used as fire storage devices. This is
the first discovery of tinder device made in the Neolithic Age.
Experts said it helps us understand how people store tinder in the
Neolithic Age 5,000-6,000 years ago. After studying the device,
archeologists preliminarily figured out how to use the device: place
live charcoal inside the device, cover it by black charcoal, then
appropriately shut down the entrance cover and put it in a place with
good air circulation. In this way, the charcoal will burn slowly in
the device.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90874/6230419.html

Beyond Mesopotamia: A radical new view of human civilization reported
in Science
EurekAlert [AAAS], 2-Aug-2007

A radically expanded view of the origin of civilization, extending
far beyond Mesopotamia, is reported by journalist Andrew Lawler in
the 3 August issue of Science. Mesopotamia is widely believed to be
the cradle of civilization, but a growing body of evidence suggests
that in addition to Mesopotamia, many civilized urban areas existed
at the same time – about 5,000 years ago – in an arc that extended
from Mesopotamia east for thousands of kilometers across to the areas
of modern India and Pakistan, according to Lawler. “While Mesopotamia
is still the cradle of civilization in the sense that urban evolution
began there,” Lawler said, “we now know that the area between
Mesopotamia and India spawned a host of cities and cultures between
3000 B.C.E. and 2000 B.C.E.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/aaft-bma080107.php

Mapping System Unearths Civil War History
The Journal News [USA], August 6, 2007

After years of shoveling his way through archaeological digs so
intense that they injured his L5 vertebra, John Rutherford made his
biggest discovery sitting in a cubicle west of Seven Corners in
Fairfax County, Va. He was scouring 1937 photographs of Centreville
on his computer screen when the star-shaped outline of a Civil War
fort came into view, like an intricate painting on the landscape. The
fort is invisible in contemporary aerial photos. But those early
images - 215 high-resolution pictures taken by a U.S. government
photographer from the sky as part of a national agricultural
surveying effort - offer a view virtually unchanged since the end of
the Civil War. "It was mind-boggling," Rutherford said. The "star
fort," in a key strategic area on an eastward path toward Washington,
just appeared. "Then you walk out in the field, and then there it
is ... something you saw in a 70-year-old photograph."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1pcc2
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070806/
LIFESTYLE01/708060302/1031

Vandals destroy 8,000-year-old artwork
ThinkSpain, August 7, 2007

Heartless vandals have destroyed cave paintings dating back thousands
of years with graffiti. Fluorescent yellow paint was sprayed over
carvings, thought to be around 8,000 years old, inside the Cova de la
Clau in Palma de Gandia, last week. However, they left a 16,000-year-
old engraving of a horse in the Cova del Parpalló untouched. Gandia’s
municipal archaeologist, Joan Cardona, was said to be ‘horrified’ at
the news. “It would be like destroying a Goya, a Picasso or a
Velázquez,” he laments.
http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/13549

#====================#

More on:

Ancient "Lost" City's Remains Found Under Alexandria's Waters
National Geographic News, July 31, 2007

The first physical clues to a long-rumored town that existed on the
site of present-day Alexandria have been uncovered—by accident. While
searching under the waves of Alexandria's East Bay for Greek and
Roman ruins, archaeologists discovered signs of building construction
700 years older than Alexander the Great's invasion of Egypt. The new
find is "the first hard evidence" of Rhakotis, a town mentioned in
several histories of the region but whose existence had never been
substantiated, said geoarchaeologist Jean-Daniel Stanley of the
Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. And the
results, which are published in the August issue of the journal GSA
Today, were "a bit of serendipity," Stanley said.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070731-alexandria-
city.html

Queen Nefertiti: More than a pretty face
Expatica [Netherlands], 8 August 2007

Maybe wrinkles are not so bad, after all, some German scientists have
discovered. In ancient times, such laugh lines and wrinkles around
the mouth improved the face of Nefertiti, the Egyptian queen
acclaimed as the world's most beautiful woman. X-ray pictures of the
bust by a computer tomography machine at the nearby Charite Hospital
in Berlin revealed that the sculpture is a piece of limestone with
details added using four outer layers of plaster of Paris. "We have
discovered that the sculptor later added gentle wrinkles to her face,
especially around the eyes," said Dietrich Wildung, director of the
Museum of Egyptology housed in the upper storey of the Altes Museum.
"The wrinkles make the image more individual and expressive." The
scientists speculate that Nefertiti, who would have sat for the
sculptor, herself approved the older look.
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?
subchannel_id=26&story_id=42679

#====================#

Features:

Alexander's Gulf outpost uncovered
BBC, 7 August 2007

Alexander the Great's awe-inspiring conquest of Asia is drawing
archaeologists to a desert island off the shores of Iraq. Greek
government experts are going to Failaka - a Gulf outpost of
Alexander's army, now governed by Kuwait. The island's bullet-holed
buildings tell of a conflict still fresh in people's memories -
Saddam Hussein's brief occupation of Kuwait in the early 1990s.
Beneath the sun-baked sands of Failaka, archaeologists hope to
unearth the secrets of an earlier conquest - a settlement established
by Alexander's general, Nearchus, in the 4th Century BC. The
excavations will focus on the ruins of an ancient citadel and
cemetery, the general secretary of the Greek culture ministry,
Christos Zahopoulos, told the BBC News website.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6930285.stm

Zinc metallurgy in ancient India
Deccan Herald [India], Aug 7 2007

Ancient mine workings and distillation furnaces indicate that ancient
India had acquired the technical knowledge much before the industrial
revolution. The heritage of zinc metal is unique to India. In a way,
it is a tribute to the technical excellence of our ancient people who
pioneered the zinc extraction for the first time anywhere in the
world. The chief evidences are : the existence of ancient mine
workings, smelting (metallurgical) sites and artefacts – especially
the zinc-based alloys, notably brass recovered from the
archaeological sites. The state of Rajasthan, in the northwestern
part of the country, exhibits a number of ancient zinc-lead mines
viz, at Zawar, Rajpura-Dariba and Rampura-Agucha which are
approximately 2300- 3000 years old ( radio -carbon dates). Zawar,
45kms south of Udaipur city, was the major producer where an
advanced, zinc mining and smelting activity flourished in the past.
It is no wonder that even at present Rajasthan is the principal
producer of zinc and lead in the country.
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug72007/snt2007080617507.asp

Jerusalem: 2000 year-old ashes
Yedioth Internet [Israel], 07.30.07

The renovation of the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem that started in
1967 lasted over 15 years. During the construction of the Kotel
Yeshiva over the Western Wall's plaza, an impressive building complex
was discovered including the homes of affluent Jews, and ashes from
the city's destruction in 70 AD. The complex, better known as the
Herodian Quarter – the Wohl Archaeology Museum, is the largest roofed
archeological site in Israel (about 2,700 square meters). Actually it
is a Jewish neighborhood overlooking the Temple from the final days
of the Second Temple period. A bridge connected the Mount with the
neighborhood in which the Temple's priests resided. Findings reveal
the lavish lifestyle of the neighborhood's residents including dozens
of ritual baths, art works such as mosaics, frescos and stuccos.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3429723,00.html

In Afghanistan, 900-foot Sleeping Buddha eludes archaeologists
The Christian Science Monitor, August 7, 2007

After the Taliban fell, France sent Zemaryalai Tarzi to this Afghan
valley on a quest bordering on the mythological. His goal: to find
Sleeping Buddha, the reclining sculpture that, at 900 feet long,
would be nearly 10 times the size of the Buddhas destroyed by the
Taliban in 2001. He brought the ultimate treasure map – the journal
of a 7th- century Chinese pilgrim who recorded every major monument
in painstaking detail. But six years later, there's no Sleeping
Buddha. When it comes to this prize, the journal is frustratingly
vague. And, Dr. Tarzi freely acknowledges, he has been otherwise
occupied as he and other archaeologists have found, preserved, and
worked to understand Afghanistan's other ancient riches, starting
right here in Bamiyan. What he has found are the remnants of the
culture that built the Buddhas – one of the most lavish and powerful
kingdoms of ancient Central Asia.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0807/p01s05-wosc.html

Mummy’s Log: Visited Scan God in Land of the Dead
The New York Times, August 6, 2007

There were no obvious signs of foul play. The corpse had no broken
bones, its skull was intact, and it had a full set of teeth. There
was no evidence of a vitamin deficiency or previous trauma. And the
bony tips of the fingers allowed examiners to rule out degenerative
diseases. “The normality of it all is what is so surprising,” said
Dr. Lawrence Boxt, the director of cardiac MRIs and CT scans at North
Shore University Hospital here, as he surveyed images on a series of
computer screens. “He may have died a quiet, natural death.” As
Demetrios, a 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummy belonging to the Brooklyn
Museum, lay on the table of the “64-slice” CT scanner, a cluster of
art curators, conservators and medical specialists looked on, riveted
by the macabre spectacle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/arts/06mumm.html

The tale of the mummy
Kane County Chronicle [USA], 2007/08/06

Beyond suits of Japanese armor and a stuffed shark, it lies silently,
wrapped in coffee-brown linen strips, clutching what appears to be an
infant. A leg bone protrudes, and the Mummy of Fabyan Villa bares its
teeth. However, unlike mummies from the movies, the Fabyan Villa
mummy isn’t cursed and has never walked. In fact, the Fabyan Villa
mummy is a fake that contains one bone – from a dog. “For the time
period, it was certainly a good fakery,” said Lynn Dransoff, director
of the Fabyan Villa Museum, in the Fabyan Forest Preserve. “It was
thought for many years to be real.” In 1982, an expert examined the
mummy, and an X-ray revealed the truth. The fake mummy originally was
owned by George Fabyan, a wealthy Chicago businessman who used the
villa as a summer retreat.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1p9zo
http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2007/08/06/news/local/
doc46b6e7d6b5b05309289299.txt

Cray Supercomputer at Sandia Helps Researchers Discover Origin of
Mysterious Glass Found in King Tut's Tomb
Macro*World Investor, July 31, 2007

Global supercomputer leader Cray Inc. today announced that
researchers running simulations on the Cray supercomputer at Sandia
National Laboratories have re-created what could have happened 29
million years ago when an asteroid explosion turned Saharan sand into
glass. The greenish natural glass, which can still be found scattered
across remote stretches of the desert, was used by an artisan in
ancient Egypt to carve a scarab that decorates one of the bejeweled
breastplates buried in King Tutankhamen's tomb.
http://www.macroworldinvestor.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=264072231

Mysterious Indian battle is 'holy grail' of Alabama digs
The Houston Chronicle, July 30, 2007

It's out there. Somewhere underneath cat claw briars or mud flats or
even modern subdivision tracts, there are shards of Spanish metal,
burned clay and a palisaded wall waiting to be found, which could
answer one of the South's famous mysteries: Where is Mauvilla?
Historians gleaning descriptions from written accounts of Spanish
explorer Hernando De Soto's expedition across the South say the
earliest and bloodiest battle between Europeans and Indians happened
at Mauvilla, a fortified village that researchers spell a variety of
other ways, including Mabila and Mavila. It sat between two rivers,
likely in Alabama. The accounts describe the landscape, the village,
the daylong battle and the weeks of recovery the Spanish spent there
after Mauvilla burned to the ground. "It's the holy grail of sites in
Alabama," said Stacye Hathorne, archaeologist for the Alabama
Historical Commission. "It's fun to look for it. There are enough
clues in the four known accounts of De Soto's travels here for it to
be tantalizing. It's definitely findable, and could add volumes to
what we know about early European contact with Indians."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5012765.html

#====================#

Miscellany:

Famous fossil Lucy starts US tour
BBC, 6 August 2007

The oldest humanoid skeleton ever found has been taken out of
Ethiopia for a controversial tour of American museums. Archaeologists
say the 3.2m-year-old remains - known as Lucy - are far too fragile
to be moved around. But Ethiopia said it would use cash raised from
the six-year tour to fund museums back home and build new ones. The
real Lucy remains have only been exhibited publicly in Ethiopia
twice. A replica is on display at the Natural History Museum in the
capital Addis Ababa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6934230.stm

Mahala Textiles return disputed mummies
Daily News [Egypt], August 6, 2007

The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) has received eight bird
mummies, previously at display at the corporate office Al-Mahala
Textile factory. In a press release sent to Daily News Egypt, The
council announced the end of the dispute between the state-owned
company and the council over the antiquities. The mummies are
estimated to date back to the late Ancient Egyptian era and the early
Greco-Roman period. Since 1927, they have been at display at the
corporate offices of Al Mahala Textiles. Following an agreement
between the ministers of culture and investment, the mummies have
been transferred to the SCA. The SCA has agreed to provide the
company with a replica of the collection to replace the genuine one,
which is currently at display at the Egyptian Museum.
http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8647

Crocodile rumors, theories abound in Egypt
The Seattle Times, August 7, 2007

Floating down the Nile's muddy waters on any given day are soda cans,
plastic bags, swimming boys, tourists on felucca boats and patches of
marsh grasses with birds hitching a ride. This summer, a crocodile
joined the flotsam and jetsam. Or so it seems. No photos have
confirmed the rumor in the two weeks since reports of sightings
surfaced, but the Egyptian media have been abuzz. All that's clear is
that an animal from the crocodilian family — perhaps a native Nile
croc or a foreign alligator — has made its way to the urban waters of
the northern Nile, something Cairenes say hasn't happened in living
memory. The officer in charge of the police patrolling the waterways
in central Cairo confirms there is, in fact, a reptile in the river.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003824757_nile07.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 29.07.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

[I'm off on holiday next week, so next week's news will arrive a bit
later than usual]

#====================#====================#

Pharonic Fortress Found 2 Miles From Suez
All Headline News [USA], July 23, 2007

Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni announced the discovery of a
military fortress belonging to the 19th dynasty in Tal Hebwa, 1.8
miles east of the Suez Canal. The huge defense fortress was built to
ensure the delta entrance and to protect the capital built by the
ancient king Ramses the second. The fortress is 500 meters long, 250
meters wide with 13-meter thick walls. The fort has a 12-meter
southern entrance. The water canal that surrounds the fort was found
as well. The Supreme Council of Antiquities found the monument as
part of its plan to discover the military path that extends from
Egypt to Palestinian lands through the northern parts of Sinai. Some
human and horse skeletal remains were found indicating that battles
went on around the fortress.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007983675
See also News 24 [South Africa]:
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2151531,00.html

Geological team uncovers evidence of a hidden city
St. Petersburg Times [USA], July 27, 2007

Alexander the Great founded Alexandria to immortalize his name, but
his was apparently not the first city on the famed site on Egypt's
Mediterranean coast. A Smithsonian team has uncovered underwater
evidence pointing to an urban settlement at the site dating back
seven centuries before Alexander showed up in 331 B.C. Alexandria has
long been a source of intrigue and wonder, but little was known about
the site in pre-Alexander times other than Rhakotis, a fishing
village that was located there. Coastal geoarchaeologist Jean-Daniel
Stanley of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History said
his team's work suggested a much larger community at Rhakotis than
had previously been believed.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ouxo
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/27/Worldandnation/
Geological_team_uncov.shtml

Spiral wall motifs reveal Catalhoyuk migration
Zaman [Turkey], 26.07.2007

In the course of an excavation project currently under way at
Catalhoyuk, researchers have recently discovered a burial chamber and
wall paintings that echo spiral motifs first seen on ancient seals
and kitchen utensils. Catalhoyuk is a 9,000-year-old Neolithic site
in central Turkey that displays evidence of animal domestication and
agricultural activities and is considered to be one of the first
permanent community settlements.
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=117686

Discovery of the Second Persian Geometrical Inscription
CHN [Iran], 25 July 2007

The second Persian geometrical inscription which was carved in
Kaftarlou hill have been discovered in Akhtarabad region in Shahryar
plain located in Iranian western province of Kurdistan. Due to the
similarity of this geometrical writing with those previously found in
Susa clay stamps and Jiroft’s inscription, experts estimate that this
newly discovered geometrical inscription must have dated back to at
least 5000 years ago. After Kan Charmee inscription which was
discovered previous year in northern Kurdistan, this is the second
geometrical inscription ever found in Iran. Regarding the antiquity
of this inscription, Reza Moradi Ghiasabadi, archeologist and
researcher, says: “Based on the signs implemented in creating this
geometrical writing and its similarity to Susa stamps, it is believed
that it must have belonged to 4200 to 4500 years ago. On the other
hand, due to the rate of oxidization, we give the possibility that
the inscription must have been more ancient.”
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7237

Discovery of Mosaic Dating Back to the Umayyad Age
Syrian Arab News Agency, July 28, 2007

The French -Syrian  archeological expedition discovered on Saturday a
3x4 meters mosaic depicting birds, animals and plants at al-Bara site
in the northern governorate of Idleb. The head of the French
expedition indicate  that the mosaic was found inside a mosque dating
back to the Umayyad era, and that the Arabic writings on it are
currently being identified and deciphered.
http://www.sana.org/eng/35/2007/07/28/131407.htm

Ancient Sami village discovered
The Norway Post, 28.07.2007

So far, more than 50 foundations, mostly of turf huts, have been
located on the site, which is located on both sides of Higway E-6.
Archaeologist Joern Henriksen of the University in Tromsoe says the
find is unique, and believes more discoveries are waiting to be
uncovered. More than 300 cultural artifacts have been found, and the
oldest is a stone axe, which dates back to around 3000 BC. In
addition to the foundations, they have also found traces of deep
ditches used to  trap wild reindeer. They have earlier found the
remnants of a hollowed-out river boat.
http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=92779

Remains of Napoleonic soldiers found
IOL News [South Africa], July 26 2007

The remains of 224 soldiers who served French Emperor Napoleon
Bonaparte were found in the former Soviet republic of Belarus, the
Belapan news agency reported on Wednesday. A Belarusian army search
unit found the graves in a rural region of the central Minsk
province. Talks were in progress with representatives with French
government representatives to transfer the graves to the site of an
1812 battlefield, also in Belarus, said Viktor Shumsky, an army
spokesperson. Paris has requested the soldiers be reburied near the
Belarusian town Borisov, by the Berezina River, Shumsky said.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1owq1
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?
set_id=1&click_id=588&art_id=nw20070726221155756C971448

Tenth century burial ground uncovered at construction site
Kyiv Post [Ukraine], Jul 25 2007

A burial ground dating back to the 10th century was found on the
construction site of a new office center alongside the Dnipro River
in Kyiv’s Podil district. City officials backed the construction
company’s right to continue building at the location, while the
developer has pledged Hr 300,000 ($60,000) to help investigate the
site thought to be an early Christian cemetery near the Poshtova
Ploshcha metro station. Archeologists uncovered 12 distinct burials
in the last month. The cemetery “possesses significant Christian
characteristics,” according to Mykhaylo Sahaydak, head of the Podil
archeological expedition. In an agreement struck between the
archeologists and the construction company, the researchers have
until September to complete their excavations.
http://www.kyivpost.com/nation/27009/

Pictish structure built on cemetery
The Press and Journal [Scotland], 27 July 2007

Archaeologists investigating the site of a Pictish monastery in
Easter Ross thought to have been founded by St Columba in 565AD have
discovered that it was built on top of a prehistoric cemetery. The
revelation follows the excavation of three 5th-century graves by a
team of experts from York University, who have been working on the
Tarbat Peninsula at Portmahomack since 1994. Professor Martin Carver,
who is leading the dig, yesterday said these were the first burial
sites they had found outwith St Colman's Church and they shone new
light on why the monastery site was chosen. Prof Carver said there
were Bronze Age and Iron Age burials all along the coast of the
Tarbat Peninsula, many of them encountered years ago by builders.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ouxy
http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=149664&command=displayContent&sourceNode=149490&contentPK=1793921
6&folderPk=85696&pNodeId=149221

Four skeletons identified as female in 2,500-year-old tomb
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-07-28

Chinese scientists have identified four skeletons unearthed from a
2,500-year-old tomb in the eastern Jiangxi Province as females aged
around 20 -- possibly maids who had been buried in sacrifice with a
dead aristocrat. Intensive lab analysis of the skeletons found no
apparent sign of injury or disease -- except for a dislocated jawbone
in one of them, said Wei Dong, an archaeologist from northeast
China's Jilin niversity, a member of the research team working on the
mysterious tomb containing 47 coffins in Lijia village of Jing'an
county of Jiangxi. Seven of the coffins contained human skeletons and
these four were in a better state of preservation, he said. "They all
lay in peace in the coffin and there is no sign of their being bound
at death," said Wei.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/28/content_6442884.htm

Hepatitis B found in South Korean mummy's liver
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-07-26

The liver of a 500-year-old child mummy unearthed in South Korea
still holds samples of the hepatitis B virus, which will aid
scientists to understand how the virus evolved to its present state
and what to expect in the future. This is the first time hepatitis B
has been found in a mummified body. "This is a 'know your enemy'
expedition to see if we can get information that can help today's —
and tomorrow's — sufferers," said Mark Spigelman of the Kuvin Center
for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. Spigelman is a paleo-epidemiologist, who
studies ancient diseases found on mummified bodies to shed light on
the modern forms of such illnesses. In South Korea, 12 percent of the
population are hepatitis carriers, more than double the world average.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/26/content_6434638.htm
See also Kazinform [Kazakhstan]:
http://www.inform.kz/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=153861

Treasure trove 'found by octopus'
BBC, 25 July 2007

An octopus with a porcelain plate stuck to its suckers has led to the
discovery of a hoard of ancient pottery, South Korean scientists say.
A fisherman caught the octopus off South Korea's west coast in May.
He said the animal appeared to be hiding under a plate.
Archaeologists searched the area and discovered a 12th Century wooden
wreck buried in mudflats. They said more than 500 pieces of porcelain
had been recovered so far. "These are the highest quality artefacts
ever discovered in our seas," said Yun Yong-i, a Korean art history
professor from Myongji University.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6915941.stm

Ancient artifacts unearthed in central province
Mathaba News, 2007/07/26

Archaeologists have discovered several valuable antiques and
sculptures at a site of Cham towers in central Quang Nam province.
According to the scientists, who work at the province's Relic
Preservation Centre, the artefacts, including three sandstone
sculptures and several reliefs which used to decorate the bottom part
of the towers, date back to the 9th century. The centre director,
Tran Anh, said his team will continue the excavation on an area of
4,300 sq. m around the Khuong My tower group in the next three months.
http://mathaba.net/rss/?x=558813

Tiny toy club unearthed at Squaxin dig site
The Olympian [USA], July 27, 2007

A toy war club less than 2 inches long has been discovered at the
Squaxin Island Tribe ancestral archaeological site at Mud Bay. The
miniature war club, which is several hundred years old, consists of a
wooden handle and stone bound by golden cherry bark fiber, South
Puget Sound Community College anthropology professor Dale Croes said
Thursday. The artifact is the first toy discovered in nine years of
field work at the fish camp and food-processing site called Qwu'gwes,
pronounced “quot gwes,” said Margaret Seymour-Henry, a cultural
resources technician and Squaxin tribal member. “It’s very unique in
that it was made for a child,” she said. “It could have been used as
an accessory for a doll.”
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/173966.html

Old cannon dug up in Miami Beach
Miami Herald, Jul. 25, 2007

Construction workers digging on the Venetian Causeway made an unusual
discovery Tuesday: a rusted iron cannon that experts believe dates to
a late 18th century shipwreck. ''Usually, we find items like this in
the bay or underwater,'' said Jorge Zamanillo, a Historic Museum of
South Florida curator. Because much of Miami Beach was once a
mangrove barrier island, storm-tossed ships occasionally foundered
there, the remains buried when dredges built up the land for
development. Workers from Alpine Construction were installing new
drainage pipes outside the former Lido Spa Hotel, 40 Island Ave., now
the Standard, when they made the find. At first, they thought they'd
hit a pipe. But as their cranes and shovels dug in, they realized it
was a cannon. ''We just kept digging and digging and the pipe was
bigger,'' said Asbiel Benitez, 23, who made the initial discovery.
"All I know is it's old. It's heavy.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/467/story/181295.html

Colonial Parkway dig underway
Daily Press [USA], July 27, 2007

The National Park Service has commissioned a multi-year
archaeological survey designed to locate buried historical sites
along the Colonial Parkway. Conducted by archaeologists from the
College of William and Mary, the study marks the first comprehensive
exploration of the right of way along 23-mile-long roadway, which
connects the site of the first permanent English settlement on
Jamestown Island to the historic colonial capital of Williamsburg and
Yorktown Battlefield. After just more than a month or work, the field
crew has opened up more than 1,500 shovel test pits -- each spaced
about 50 feet apart and discovered numerous pieces of evidence along
the Jamestown leg of the road dating from the 20th century to the
early settlement period.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-parkway-jl27,0,3855007.story

U.S.-Cuban Dig Seeks Insight Into People Columbus Encountered
ScienceDaily, July 27, 2007

Researchers in an ongoing U.S.-Cuban archaeological expedition, co-
led by The University of Alabama, are attempting to learn more about
the native people Christopher Columbus encountered on his first
voyage to the New World. UA’s department of anthropology and the
Central-Eastern Department of Archaeology of the science ministry in
Cuba are partnering in the effort, funded by the National Geographic
Society and focused on a former large native village, El Chorro de
Maita, in eastern Cuba. “This season, the team is mapping the site
and determining the size and location of residential areas within
it,” said Dr. Jim Knight, professor of anthropology at UA who set up
the project and is advising it. “We hope to find evidence of how the
residents of this large Indian town were affected by the Spanish
conquest of Cuba.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070727170655.htm

Enlightened Medicine Found in Dark Ages
LiveScience [USA], 23 July 2007

The Dark Ages had a few more proverbial light bulbs on than once
thought, at least when it came to issues of the body. People living
in Europe during early Medieval times (400—1200 A.D.) actually had a
progressive view of illness because disease was so common and out in
the open, according to the research presented at a recent historical
conference. Instead of being isolated or shunned, the sick were
integrated into society and taken care of by the community, the
evidence suggests. "The Dark Ages weren't so dark," said University
of Nottingham historian Christina Lee, co-organizer of the second
conference on Disease, Disability and Medicine in Early Medieval
Europe. "The question we should be asking is whether illness was
actually seen as a problem. What was classified as a disability? What
was an impairment? The answer can't be generalized."
http://www.livescience.com/health/070723_medieval_medicine.html

Alarm over site of ancient relic
Hereford Journal [UK], Jul 25, 2007

A campaign to preserve the “Rotherwas Ribbon” – the 4,000-year-old
burnt-stone site found during access road excavations on the
outskirts of Hereford – was hotting up this week. As torrential rain
fell before and during the weekend, campaigner Martin Wyness paid two
visits to the Ribbon site, and told the Journal: “I am very concerned
that they are not looking after this very important archaeological
find”. While taking care not to walk on the Ribbon itself, he said
tracks from a digger travelling on the haul road appeared to have
caused “a collapse” onto the site of the serpent-shaped stone site.
“I am concerned that they are not looking after the site. “Rivulets
from the heavy rainfall have caused erosion damage, and the fire-
cracked stones are dropping off the edge of the Ribbon."
http://www.herefordjournal.com/news/publish/article_17573.php

Floods threaten ancient and historic sites
The Guardian [UK], July 27, 2007

Rain was falling remorselessly on Silbury Hill yesterday, pooling on
the sodden fields at its foot, and dangerously seeping down into the
core of the most enigmatic prehistoric monument in Europe. The entire
hill near Avebury in Wiltshire is artificial, built around 4,500
years ago by stupendous human effort with an estimated 35m baskets of
chalk. Yesterday, archaeologists and engineers were engaged in urgent
discussions on how to save Silbury, after the torrential rain caused
further damage to a structure already weakened by earlier floods.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/story/0,,2136400,00.html

China launches first national survey of underwater relics
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-07-24

China has begun a huge survey of its underwater cultural relics to
find out more about the sunken treasures and how to protect them in
the future. "As the first national survey on underwater relics, the
survey aims to update information about underwater relics that are
already known, locate new relics and set up preservation zones for
the valuable ones," said Gu Yucai, director with the preservation
bureau under the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) at
a national conference over the weekend. "Technologies including
remote sensing, satellite navigation and sound navigation will be
used in the survey," Gu said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/24/content_6420019.htm

The ‘Ephesus’ of the Black Sea to be unveiled
Turkish Daily News, July 24, 2007

The remains of an ancient city on the Black Sea coast will be
unearthed for the first time next month. Archaeologists are beginning
excavations and underwater dives with the aim of unveiling the
architectural plan of Teion (or Tion), located in Zonguldak's Filyos
district. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, archaeologist Sümer
Atasoy said the excavation team conducted surface research last year
but that the major digging will start in August with a 30-member
excavation team. He said they had outlined an aqueduct, a theater,
defensive walls, a breakwater, a port and port walls by examining
remains close to the surface. "The ancient city hosted many
civilizations including Persians, Romans, Genoas and Ottomans. The
work, which was carried out for the first time on the Black Sea
coast, indicates that the ancient city was an important trade center
in the region. Its inhabitants sold forest products and bonitos. We
uncovered an ancient Roman theater with a 2,000-person capacity as
well as marble and bronze statues."
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=78680

Past May be Destroyed: Development Threatens Hidden Artifacts
WRAL.com [USA], Jul. 22, 2007

Mark Willis and several of his friends have spent decades combing the
fields, stream banks and woods north of Greensboro in search of lost
treasure. Their quest, which borders on an obsession, doesn't involve
glittering gems, tidbits of precious metal or anything else of much
financial value. In fact, the average person would be hard-pressed to
distinguish some of their more significant finds from the average
field stone. But the Native American artifacts they have collected
tell rich stories of vanished cultures spanning 10,000 years on a
Piedmont landscape that has undergone massive changes, perhaps none
more dramatic than those of the past five or 10 years. "This is just
some of what we've got," Willis said, gesturing toward a huge display
including arrowheads, cookware and pieces of what could be a child's
burial urn. "We have thousands of things. We can't bring it all out,
it's so much." But their hobby is threatened by all the development
in the area, including a proposal to put a 775-home, golf-course
community amid one of their prime artifact-hunting areas.
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/1621391/

Ice Age cave art site preserved
BBC, 29 July 2007

Work to protect and preserve an Ice Age site in Derbyshire has been
completed. The project at the Ice Age cave art centre at Creswell
Crags was funded by the East Midlands Development Agency and the
county council. It included building new scree banks to show how the
gorge would have looked about 10 to 50,000 years ago. A county
council spokesperson said archaeologists were consulted during the
preservation project to ensure the site's natural beauty was not
spoiled.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/6921125.stm

Researchers divulge details about mummy
Times-Picayune [USA], 7/28/2007

He was probably a redhead, tall and in good shape when he died of an
unidentified cause by age 30. That's according to researchers, who
used X-rays and a computerized topography scan to learn more about
the 2,300-year-old mummy housed at the Louisiana Art and Science
Museum. The release of their findings coincided with the unveiling of
a major renovation of the museum's ancient Egypt gallery.The research
also provided answers to questions left unresolved after X-rays done
in the 1980s, and more details about man behind the mummy researchers
say was found near Thebes, Egypt.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1owpn
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/
news-33/1185654248202800.xml&storylist=louisiana

#====================#

More on:

Bowling Invented in Ancient Egypt?
Discovery News, July 25, 2007

Throwing stone balls along a lane might have been a popular game in
ancient Egypt, according to evidence unearthed some 56 miles south of
Cairo by Italian archaeologists. A mixture of bowling, billiard and
bowls, the game was played at Narmoutheos, in the Fayoum region, in a
spacious room which appears to be the prototype of a modern-day
bowling hall. The room was part of a structure, perhaps a residential
building, which dated from the Roman period, specifically between the
second and third century A.D. "We first discovered a room with a very
well-built limestone floor. Then we noticed a lane and two stone
balls," Edda Bresciani, an Egyptologist at Pisa University, told
Discovery News.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/07/25/game_arc.html

Is 'Cairo toe' the first practical prosthetic?
The Telegraph [UK], 28/07/2007

Academics want to test an ancient fake big toe to see if it really
did help its owner to "walk like an Egyptian". They have made a
replica of the "Cairo toe", a bending leather and wood body part
which they believe could be the world’s earliest practical
prosthetic. Now they are seeking volunteers who themselves lack a
right big toe, to test their theory that it actively helped its
original user to walk. If proved correct, it would mean prosthetic
medicine started at least 700 years earlier than previously thought.
Jacky Finch, lead researcher at Manchester University’s KNH Centre
for Biomedical Egyptology, said the fact that it showed signs of wear
indicated it was a practical limb. It was found strapped to the
mummified foot of a 50- to 60-year-old woman who had undergone a toe
amputation. "The toe dates from between 1069 and 664BC, so if we can
prove it was functional then we will have pushed back prosthetic
medicine by as much as 700 years," she said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/27/
wtoe127.xml
Seee also University of Manchester News:
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=120814

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

#====================#

Features:

Digging up the past
The Stanly News & Press [USA], July 26, 2007

Squatting on their hands and knees for hours on end, volunteers from
all over the country chisel away at the earth in hopes of finding
evidence of those from North Carolina’s past. The latest find, during
the two-week process, was a piece of soapstone that seemed to be a
portion of pottery, perhaps a pipe stem, with engraving dating back
to the time of nomadic herders. Also during the dig, more than 10,000
fragments of tools, arrowheads and evidence of the making of
projectile points have been found. Using trowels, dental picks, paint
brushes, toothbrushes and their bare hands, the group, part of the
program, Passport in Time, a nationwide volunteer archaeology and
historic preservation program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Service, works to excavate artifacts from thousands of years
ago deep in the Uwharrie Forrest.
http://www.thesnaponline.com/local/local_story_207142759.html

Archeological dig at Nurse Homestead brings history to foreground
Danvers Herald [USA], Jul 26, 2007

For the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, a whole new world is within reach —
all it will take is a bit of elbow grease, a dozen or so trowels and
a keen eye for detail. July marked the beginning of a summer-long
archaeological field school that is taking place at the homestead, a
25-acre plot of land famous for its association with major events
particular to the Salem witch trials. The field school is the result
of collaboration between the Danvers Alarm List Company, which owns
the homestead, the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology at
Phillips Academy and the Summer Session at Phillips Academy. The
field school’s dig, which began with preliminary testing last summer,
has all participants anxious to see what more will turn up in the
soil in depths of up to 70 centimeters beneath their feet.
http://www.townonline.com/danvers/homepage/x1807337027

Egypt's fourth pyramid
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 26 July - 1 August 2007

Braving the heat waves that hit Egypt last week, Culture Minister
Farouk Hosni embarked on his first field tour of the Grand Egyptian
Museum (GEM) to inspect the progress on building the most ambitious
archaeological museum ever planned. At the western edge of the GEM,
on a plot overlooking the Al-Rimayah residential complex, a huge high-
tech building complex is planned lying 10 metres below street level.
The layout is for four main museological facilities; an
archaeological conservation centre, archaeological storehouses, a
firefighting unit and an energy production station which will provide
the power needed to operate equipment for restoring the estimated
150,000 objects of the museum's display.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/855/heritage.htm

#====================#

Miscellany:

Scientists back at the lobster`s lair
Isle of Wight County Press, July 27, 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have returned to an internationally-important
archaeological site in The Solent. Experts from the Hamphire and
Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology (HWTMA) moved in on the
submerged mesolithic site off Bouldnor Cliff on Monday, with the hope
of revealing more submerged secrets. The trust has been working on
and off the 8,000-year-old site since it was discovered thanks to the
antics of a lobster in 1998. HWTMA staff and volunteers were on a sea
bed survey dive and observed a lobster pushing worked flint tools out
of its burrow. Further discoveries have since revealed the remains of
an archaeological site dating back more than 8,000 years.
Investigation has shown the site to be of international importance,
representing one of only a handful of examples of mesolithic
settlements in Britain.
http://www.iwcp.co.uk/News/SCIENTISTS_BACK_AT_THE_LOBSTERS_LAIR_1.aspx

WWII device found under footpath
BBC, 26 July 2007

Bomb disposal experts have removed a live piece of ordnance from
underneath the public footpath on Lihou Island. 101 Engineer Regiment
has been working to remove unexploded bombs left behind by German
forces who used Lihou for target practice during World War II. Maj
Sean Lightowler said some of the items found during the two-week
survey were potentially dangerous. Concerns have been raised about
the survey as the island has a large amount of archaeological
material. But the Territorial Army said great care was being taken to
protect the island's history. Maj Lighthowler told BBC News: "We
found four items which are fully live and fused."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/guernsey/6917144.stm

#====================#

Curiosa:

Graves of Hittite royalty to be revived
Zaman [Turkey], 23.07.2007

As part of a project endorsed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,
the burial sites of Hittite princes and princesses in the Alacahoyuk
village in Corum will be replaced by graves with clear coverings and
occupied with replica skeletons, Hittite sun icons and gold and
silver artifacts that can be viewed by visitors. Professor Aykut
Cinaroglu, head of the Alacahöyük excavation team and a lecturer in
the archaeology department of Ankara University, said there are 13
such graves in Alacahoyuk, according to a statement given to the
Anatolia news agency. He added, however, that the Hittite sun icons
and other artifacts found in the graves are currently being exhibited
in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, making the graves "empty
and meaningless four-walled spaces."
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=117338

Tourism threatens man's first moon steps
ABC News [Australia], 25 July 2007

The sanctity of the first moon landing site is threatened by the dawn
of a new race to put tourists in space, a US researcher says. Dr Beth
O'Leary, a space heritage archaeologist from New Mexico State
University, says this includes the imprints of man's first steps on
the moon, which were made at Tranquillity Base almost 40 years ago,
and remain on its surface. O'Leary says issues about preserving moon-
based artefacts and landing sites need to be thought through before
the push to return to the moon and space tourism see people again
walking on its surface.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/1987067.htm

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 22.07.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#====================#

Old Kingdom settlement found
The Australian, July 17, 2007

A SETTLEMENT dating back to the time of the pyramid builders was
discovered in Egypt's western desert, the first find of its kind
there, Egypt's Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA) said today. "A
joint Egypt-Czech archaeological mission found a city dating to the
Old Kingdom (2687-2191 BC) in the Garat al-Abyad region in Bahariya,"
SCA chief Zahi Hawass said, referring to an isolated oasis 400
kilometres southwest of Cairo. "Remains of walls, buildings as well
as pottery were found in this area not far from where the golden
mummies were discovered," said Mr Hawass, recalling the cache of
Roman-era gilded mummies found in the late 1990s to great fanfare.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22086195-1702,00.html
See also The Daily Star [Egypt]:
http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8281

Mycenaean grave with gold chalice unearthed
MSNBC, July 16, 2007

Roadworks in southern Greece have unearthed a rare Mycenaean grave
thought to be well over 3,000 years old and containing important
burial offerings including a gold chalice, the culture ministry said
Monday. Archaeologists said it appeared to be the grave of a local
military official and was the first time a single grave had been
found with such a combination of objects — including a bronze and
gold sword, and a bronze spear point, knife and pot. Pottery found in
the grave dated it to around 1200 B.C. “It included one dead body in
a fetal position, whose bones had disintegrated,” the ministry said
in a statement. “But the burial offerings are in very good condition
and especially important.” The Bronze Age grave, found near the town
of Agrinio in the Peloponnese, measures 1.48 by 0.78 meters and is
made with limestone slabs.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19792453/

Phallus Throne Unearthed at Perperikon Rock Sanctuary in Bulgaria
Novinite [Bulgaria], 19 July 2007

Bulgarian archaeologists have added a throne with an upright phallus
on it to their exciting collection of finds from the rock sanctuary
of Perperikon, near Kardzhali in southern Bulgaria. Top archaeologist
Nikolay Ovcharov, who unearthed the four-legged throne on the eve of
his fiftieth birthday, explained that the phallus symbolizes the
prelude to a holy marriage. The find is dated to the fourteenth
century. Perperikon, a trove of buried treasures, also yielded a
golden coin, which is believed to have belonged to a Byzantine
emperor. It has never been used and archaeologists say it has been
stored in a basin.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=83222

Archaeologists Dig Up Roman Bath Complex
CBS News [USA], Jul. 19, 2007

A large 2nd-century bath complex believed to be part of a wealthy
Roman's luxurious residence has been partially dug up, archaeologists
said Thursday. The exceptionally well-preserved two-story complex,
which extends for at least five acres, includes ornate hot rooms,
vaults, changing rooms, marble latrines and an underground room where
slaves lit the fire to warm the baths. Statues and water cascades
decorated the interiors, American archaeologist Darius A. Arya, the
excavation's head, said during a tour offered to The Associated Press
on Thursday. Only pedestals and fragments have been recovered. Arya
spoke as students and experts were brushing off dirt and dust from
ancient marbles, mosaic floors and a rudimentary heating system, made
of pipes that channeled hot air throughout the complex.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/19/ap/world/main3078830.shtml

Old Stone Age artifacts found in Abu Dhabi
Gulf News [UAE], July 17, 2007

Some stone artifacts from the Old Stone Age, the earliest period of
human development, were discovered in the Western Province of Abu
Dhabi, it was announced on Tuesday. The discovery, which was
announced by Mohammad Khalaf Al Mazroui, Director-General of Abu
Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, included stone artifact
made of the Levallois technique, an industry that was known during
the Old Stone Age. The finds were identified by a team from the
authority and two visiting scholars.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/17/10139893.html

Medieval city gate uncovered
Expatica [Netherlands], 19 July 2007

Archaeologists uncovered a city gate from the 15th century in the
centre of Eindhoven on Thursday. The so-called Woensel gate was one
of the three guarded entrances to the centre. City archaeologist Nico
Arts says the gate stood at the middle of a wooden bridge that
crossed over a 30-metre wide city moat. Only two rectangular
foundation stones are left of the Woensel Gate, which was once three
metres across. A large number of archaeological items have been found
in the immediate vicinity, including an enormous iron cannon ball,
pot shards, remains of butchered animals, spearheads, coins, keys and
pilgrims' insignia. "The moat used to be the city's garbage dump. The
items they threw out are archaeological treasures to us now," Arts says.
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?
subchannel_id=1&story_id=42071

Ancient Mariner Tools Found Near Cyprus
The Guardian [UK], July 19, 2007

Archaeologists excavating the seabed off Cyprus have discovered the
tools of ancient mariners, which they believe were used by foragers
more than 10,000 years ago - before the island had permanent
settlements. The underwater discovery of what archaeologists said
were the oldest materials recovered off the island's coast could shed
fresh light on the early history of Cyprus and Mediterranean
seafaring. Archaeologists say the new discoveries indicate that
ancient Aspros was much larger than the landward section visible
today. The Aspros site, discovered in 2004, now extends more than 820
feet along the top of a cliff on the north side of the dry Aspros
River bed, the archaeologists said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6791659,00.html

Rediscovered: Lost abbey where Bruce was crowned
The Scotsman, 21 Jul 2007

ONE of Scotland's most important "lost" historic sites - the ancient
abbey where Robert the Bruce is believed to have been crowned on the
Stone of Destiny - has been rediscovered. Archaeologists using
sophisticated magnetic imaging technology have traced the exact
location of Scone Abbey, the ancient seat of ecclesiastical and royal
power where Scottish kings were inaugurated for four centuries. The
find could eventually pave the way for excavations to begin to reveal
the remains. The major archaeological investigation in the grounds of
Scone Palace is led by Oliver O'Grady, of the Department of
Archaeology at Glasgow University, and Peter Yeoman, a prominent
expert on medieval Scotland. Mr O'Grady said yesterday that the
discovery of the outline of the "lost" abbey had exceeded all the
expectations of his team. "We have had some startling results," he
said. "For the first time we can say this is the location of the
great main abbey church of Scone. It was the location of many
inaugurations of Scottish kings and is believed to have been where
the Stone of Destiny was housed in the main altar at the eastern end
of the abbey. It is certainly thought to be the location where Robert
the Bruce was inaugurated."
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1139172007
See also Dundee Courier [Scotland]:
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/07/21/newsstory10025654t0.asp

Roman dining room unearthed in London
The Edmonton Journal [Canada], July 18 2007

London's building boom has given archeologists an unexpected bonus --
the city's ancient past is being laid bare. The latest piece of the
historical jigsaw is most of the interior decor of a rich merchant's
dining room dating to 120 AD when the Roman emperor Hadrian ruled an
Empire stretching from northern England to northern Africa. The
decorated plaster was discovered under the floor of an Italian
delicatessen on the edge of Leadenhall Market which is next to the
site of what was the city's Roman town hall. One section of the
green, blue and terra cotta coloured murals painted on plaster show a
girl's head, a bunch of grapes and candelabra. "This is an amazing
discovery because it allows us to reconstruct the decoration within a
Roman London room from the early second century," said Museum of
London archaeologist Sophie Jackson.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1okuh
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?
id=1c62abea-7337-42a1-9982-10ac4d3ee021

Ancient ring find proves tribal theory
Lincolnshire Echo [UK], 19 July 2007

The discovery of an ancient ring has confirmed a long-held theory
that Lincolnshire's ancestors worshipped a Celtic god during Roman
rule. For decades, many experts believed our predecessors worshipped
the non-Roman god Toutates well into the third century. Their belief
was based on the fact many rings had been found with the inscription
TOT - suspected to be an incorrect abbreviation of his name. But now
historians' suspicions have been confirmed, they say, by a man with a
metal detector in Bedfordshire. Greg Dyer discovered a ring with an
inscription reading DEO TOTAT. The side of the ring reads FELIX. The
full inscription roughly translates as 'To the God Totatis, use this
and be happy'.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oku1
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=156401&command=displayContent&sourceNode=156169&contentPK=1787117
8&folderPk=87024&pNodeId=156140

Mystery of Great War's lost army uncovered
The Telegraph [UK], 21/07/2007

They made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, hurling
themselves from the trenches before vanishing in a hail of German
bullets so thick that it was described by one witness as a
"crisscrossed lattice of death". Now, more than 90 years after
hundreds of British and Commonwealth soldiers died and disappeared in
the First World War killing fields of northern France, historians
believe they have found several mass graves containing the remains of
the "lost army". The find is the biggest of its kind since the end of
the Great War and may lead to the discovery of 399 soldiers who were
killed but whose bodies were never found and the building of the
first new British war cemetery since the Sixties.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1om7g
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/22/
wgraves122.xml

War plane recovered at Pawlett - after 65 years
This is The West Country [UK], 21st July 2007

ALMOST exactly 65 years after a World War Two plane crashed at
Pawlett, killing its crew, the aircraft has been recovered - thanks
to a ten-year labour of love by a Somerset man. Plane enthusiast Tim
Hake confesses to being "obsessed" with aviation archaeology,
finding, researching and sometimes recovering aircraft from war-time
crash sites. He is part of a group called Somerset Aviation
Enthusiasts, and in 1996 he and Highbridge historian Colin Parish set
out to locate and recover a Bristol Blenheim bomber thought to have
crashed at Pawlett Hams. Tim told the Mercury: "Luckily, Colin's
father knew exactly where the location was and it was duly logged. We
located the joint landowners living not far from me, so permission
was asked to do a dig. To cut a long story short, there then followed
10 years of research - blood, sweat and tears - until last Saturday
when the recovery took place."
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1om7k
http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/display.var.
1560408.0.war_plane_recovered_at_pawlett_after_65_years.php

800-year-old pots unearthed
Chennai Online [India], July 20 2007

Four 800-year-old mud pots, engraved with figurines, have been found
at Avaraikari village near Ranipet in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district.
The pots with figures of king, queen, dancing girl and elephant were
unearthed when an uncultivated land belonging to one Srinivasan was
dug up using earthmovers for brick making. The pots were around two-
and-a-half feet wide and three feet tall.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1okv3
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7B1D3A9BEE%
2DB314%2D4F1F%2DB26B%2DAF41AF6DE59C%7D&CATEGORYNAME=Tamil+Nadu

Shubenacadie Canal history unearthed in Dartmouth
CBC [Canada], July 19, 2007

An archeological team in Dartmouth has uncovered a turbine that
helped ships move through the Shubenacadie Canal almost 150 years
ago. After two weeks of work, stone walls, a stone archway and part
of a wooden frame are now visible at the municipally owned lot at the
corner of Pleasant Street and Albert Road. "It's just a wonderful
example of the masons' skill," said Bruce Stewart, president of the
Cultural Resources Management Group, which is overseeing the project.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2007/07/19/starr-dig.html

New research proves single origin of humans in Africa
EurekAlert [AAAS], 18-Jul-2007

New research published in the journal Nature (19 July) has proved the
single origin of humans theory by combining studies of global genetic
variations in humans with skull measurements across the world. The
research, at the University of Cambridge and funded by the
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC),
represents a final blow for supporters of a multiple origins of
humans theory. Competing theories on the origins of anatomically
modern humans claim that either humans originated from a single point
in Africa and migrated across the world, or different populations
independently evolved from homo erectus to home sapiens in different
areas. The Cambridge researchers studied genetic diversity of human
populations around the world and measurements of over 6,000 skulls
from across the globe in academic collections. Their research knocks
down one of the last arguments in favour of multiple origins. The new
findings show that a loss in genetic diversity the further a
population is from Africa is mirrored by a loss in variation in
physical attributes.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/babs-nrp071607.php

Experts conduct CT scan in Gonzales on 2,300-year old mummy
The Weekly Citizen [USA], July 18, 2007

The mummy, a native of Egypt and most recently a resident of Baton
Rouge as the star attraction of the Ancient Egypt Gallery at the
Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM) for the past 21 years,
arrived at about 8:15 a.m. for a computerized tomography (CT) scan.
"The mummy and artifacts in the Ancient Egypt Gallery make it one of
LASM's most popular exhibits," museum director Carol Gikas said.
"With the research and updated information, the renovated gallery
will fulfill LASM's new vision: 'Where Art & Science Connect.'"
http://www.ascensioncitizen.com/articles/2007/07/18/news/news04.txt

#====================#

More on:

Treasure hunters share £1m Viking hoard looted from round the world
The Guardian [UK], July 20, 2007

A Viking treasure hoard of silver and gold, traded and looted from
across Europe and as far afield as Asia and north Africa, and lost
for more than 1,000 years, was revealed to public view again
yesterday at the British Museum. The find is one of the most
spectacular recent discoveries from anywhere in the Viking empire:
600 coins, some unique, from as far as Samarkand in central Asia,
Afghanistan, Russia and north Africa, hidden in a silver and gold
pot. "This is the world in a vessel," said Jonathan Williams of the
British Museum. The hoard was found in January near Harrogate by
David and Andrew Whelan, father and son hobby metal detectorists, in
a bare field due to be ploughed for spring sowing. They first found
fragments of the lead sheeting which once protected it, then the pot
itself. They could see coins and scraps of silver poking out, but
restrained themselves and brought the whole thing intact to their
local archaeological finds officer. The site, then as now, seems to
have been an empty field: archaeologists scoured it for evidence, but
found no trace of any settlement or structure.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/story/0,,2130832,00.html
See also BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/6906107.stm

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Impact of M3 on Tara 'overestimated'
The Irish Times, 20/07/2007

A senior state archaeologist today said fears about the impact of the
controversial M3 motorway on the Hill of Tara had been overestimated.
The National Roads Authority's (NRA's) Mary Deevy said she believed
the proposed road would not impact on the Tara landscape in Co Meath
and was further from the ancient site than the existing carriageway.
She was giving journalists a guided tour of the archaeological
excavations at the newly discovered national monument at Lismullen,
near the Tara monument, which she agreed should be preserved by
record. This comes as environmentalists plan to take to the streets
of Dublin tomorrow for a Love Tara march, before presenting the
Government with a petition demanding the road be re-routed. "I think
Tara is a very special place, but I think some people have
overestimated the impact (of the motorway)," Ms Deevy said.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0720/breaking69.htm

Second phase of Grand Egyptian Museum completed by end of year
State Information Service [Egypt], July 18, 2007

In the first field trip to the Grand Egyptian Museum, Minister of
Culture Farouk Hosni inspected on Tuesday 17/7/2007 the second phase
which is due to be completed by the end of this year. The phase
includes setting up a power station, a monument renovation centre and
a firefighting unit. The great achievements in the century's project
astonished everyone especially that the 2700 workers and engineers
are working in 24 hour shifts, the minister said. This phase, which
will last for 18 months, will be followed by the third phase of
constructing the main building at the start of next year. At a press
conference, the Minister confirmed that the museum is designed to
withstand all possible dangers, whether natural (earthquakes) or man-
made (wars).
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1okse
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000799.htm

#====================#

Features:

Lost kingdom of Sun found
People's Daily [China], July 21, 2007

   The construction site in the western suburbs of Chengdu, in Sichuan
Province, looked much like any other. It all started when a bulldozer
driver heard a scraping sound as his machine bit deep into the
ground: he struck a collection of golden, jade and bronze objects.
Workers and passersby snapped up the treasures and scurrying off.
Those too late to get anything, disgruntled, report the find to the
police. And that's how, in February 2001, the world learned about the
relics of a mysterious 3,000-year-old Jinsha kingdom in the mountains
of southwest China. Police have been able to recover most of the
relics purloined from the construction site -- about 100 items in
all, but no one can confidently claim that they have recovered
everything. In the past six years, the site has yielded up about
6,000 gold, jade, bronze and stone artifacts, tens of thousands of
pottery items and also hundreds of elephant tusks.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/6220825.html

Talkers: Outhouses ‘are archaeological gold mines’
Kansas City Star, Jul. 18, 2007

A spot where a pair of outhouses stood 130 years ago is proving to be
a treasure trove for archaeologists who braved the lingering smell in
the dirt to uncover some 19th-century artifacts — and a mystery. The
one-time site of privies for men and women has been built upon
repeatedly. Crews recently demolished a former school bus barn on the
downtown site to build a condominium complex and a parking garage.
But first, archaeologists were called in. They uncovered a pistol, a
bowie knife, whiskey flasks, a set of false teeth, two dog skulls and
a blade from a set of sheep shears. “It might be an early crime
scene,” project archaeologist John Foster said. “It looks like the
two dogs were decapitated. Then whoever did it dumped the skulls and
the blade, thinking the women probably wouldn’t be looking too hard
into the bottom of the privy.” The work has its drawbacks. “The
further you go down, the stronger the smell,” archaeologist Marisa
Solorzano said. “But … these privies are archaeological gold mines.”
http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/195808.html

Dig Days:An Egyptologist to be remembered
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 19 - 25 July 2007

[By Zahi Hawass] I first met David O'Connor when he came to pick me
up from Malawi in Minya, where as a young man I served as an
inspector of antiquities at Tuna Al-Gabal. I was lucky to work with
him in 1974 at Malkata on the west bank at Luxor, where Amenhotep III
built his palace and the lake used for recreation by his wife, Tiye.
In 1979, I spent three months with the Pennsylvania-Yale University
expedition at Abydos, supervised by O'Connor and William Kelly
Simpson. At Abydos, O'Connor used to rest after a long day work and
have a beer. After dinner, we would talk about politics with the
young American archaeologists. I was very impressed by President
Gamal Abdel-Nasser, but when we began arguing O'Connor would always
say, "No politics -- we are at a dig house, not a congress." Um Seti
("mother of Seti"), the English woman who believed she had served
Seti I in an earlier life, would visit us at Abydos and was keen to
help me improve my English.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/854/he2.htm

Just a day at the museum
The Telegraph [India], July 17, 2007

Invaluable manuscripts, paintings, relics and remains are scattered
throughout Calcutta’s museums and libraries. A look at how much care
is taken of them...
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070717/asp/opinion/story_8041100.asp

#====================#

Miscellany:

Expert identifies ancient coin and reveals probable history of find
Hemel Gazette [UK], 18 July 2007

The receipt of an ancient coin from a Gazette reader created great
interest recently when it was handed over to Berkhamsted Local
History and Museum Society, as requested by reader 84-year-old James
Fellowes, of North Walsham, Norfolk. Mr Fellowes told us how the coin
had been given to him by a friend, Alf Frampton, when he worked in
Hemel Hempstead, shortly after the war. Dacorum Heritage Store was
unable to date it, but sent it to expert Peter Clayton (vice-chairman
of Dacorum Heritage Trust and Expert Adviser for Coins and
Antiquities to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport). And from
such a notable source we have the following explanation: The coin is
a Billon Tetradrachm from the mint of Alexandria in Egypt. It was
struck under the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II Gothicus (reign
September 268 - August 270), at that time Egypt was part of the Roman
Empire.
http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/heritage?articleid=3037137

MGM Mirage to renovate pyramid-shaped Luxor casino in Las Vegas
Daily Herald [USA], July 22, 2007

The pyramid-shaped Luxor hotel-casino is getting a multimillion
dollar makeover. The name and distinctive shape of the resort near
the south end of the Las Vegas Strip will remain the same, but the
interior and most hotel rooms will be renovated, said Jenn Michaels,
executive spokeswoman for resort owner, MGM Mirage Inc. "The outside
of the Luxor is one of the most famous icons of Las Vegas. We're not
going to change that," Michaels said. "What MGM Mirage and Luxor are
looking to do is deliver on the promise of the dramatic exterior with
a series of contemporary dynamic amenities within the resort." Next
year, Luxor's atrium will be changed from a family friendly arcade to
more adult-themed amenities with restaurants, lounges and
entertainment venues. Many Egyptian-themed amenities have been
removed, and hieroglyphics and other symbols on interior casino walls
also are being eliminated."We're not a British museum with ancient
artifacts, we're a casino-resort," Luxor President and COO Felix
Rappaport told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
http://www.dailyherald.com/travel/story.asp?id=333701

#====================#

Curiosa:

Painting meets its femme fatale
BBC, 21 July 2007

A woman who says she was so overcome with passion for a valuable
painting on display in France, has been charged with criminal damage
after kissing it. The immaculate white canvas so attracted Sam Rindy
she smudged it with her lipstick, saying later she had wanted to make
it even more beautiful. The 3x2m (9x6-foot) painting by US artist Cy
Twombly is valued at more than $2m (£970,000). Ms Rindy, herself an
artist, is due to appear in court on 16 August.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6910377.stm

Wish for rain to wash away Homer
BBC, 16 July 2007

Pagans have pledged to perform "rain magic" to wash away a cartoon
character painted next to their famous fertility symbol - the Cerne
Abbas giant. A doughnut-brandishing Homer Simpson was painted next to
the giant on the hill above Cerne Abbas, Dorset, to promote the new
Simpsons film. The painted Simpsons character has been painted with
water-based biodegradable paint which will wash away as soon as it
rains. Ann Bryn-Evans, joint Wessex district manager for The Pagan
Federation, said: "We were hoping for some dry weather but I think I
have changed my mind."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/6901543.stm

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 15.07.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#====================#

Bulgaria's Gold Rush Going Strong with New Thracian King Mask
Novinite [Bulgaria], 14 July 2007

A village in South-Eastern Bulgaria turned out to be harbouring a
trove of buried gold treasure dating back to 4000 B.C. Archaeologist
Georgi Kitov, widely known as Bulgaria's Indiana Jones, announced his
team have discovered a gold mask and a silver rhyton during
excavations at a Thracian mound near the village of Topolchene, the
municipality of Sliven. The tomb and the mask is believed to have
belonged to a rich Thracian king, about whose name no speculations
are being made yet. The silver rhyton is thirty-centimetre-long and
depicts the head of an animal, most probably a hind.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=83027

New Rare and Unique Finds Found in Perperikon
news.bg [Bulgaria], 10.07.2007

Two ceramic animal heads with enormous importance were found in the
latest excavations in Perperikon, reported the archaeologist
professor Nikolai Ovcharov. On of the heads represents a dragon head
with open mouth and mane, and the other one is broken head of cobra,
painted in aggressive pose also with open mouth. Ovcharov explained
that the finds date from 3-1 c.B.C., which means that are from the
‘Tsepina' culture - archaeologist term, connected with fortress in
Western Rhodopes, where actually ware found the first excavations
from this culture. The discovery of a cobra head is very unique
because the snake is the guard of the land's debts, cult directly
connected with the Thracian god Dionysius, which sanctuary is now
under examination in Perperikon.
http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1963793751

Miriam's Well, Transplanted to Kinneret - Found!
Arutz Sheva [Israel], July 15, '07

Archaeologist Yossi Stepansky, based on centuries-old texts and
legwork around the Kinneret Sea, says he's found the long-lost site
of Miriam's Well, as identified by the Kabbalist sage Rabbi Yitzchak
Luria. Yosef Idan, writing for the Hebrew NFC news site, reports in
detail on the most recent discovery of the found-again, lost-again
holy site.  Archaeologist Stepansky has discovered the pillars of
ancient synagogues alongside the Kinneret Sea, which have long been
considered the landmarks for Miriam's Well, near the Tiberias
Municipal Beach, in the southern part of the city. The famous
preeminent Kabbalist master known as the Arizal, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria
of 16th-century Jerusalem, Egypt and Tzfat, was the first to note the
location of Miriam's Well - somewhere in the Kinneret.  It is on his
authority, in fact, that many of the burial sites of famous Talmudic
sages and others in the Land of Israel are known.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123007

Amir Sharlogh Iron Age People Lie under Cross Layers
CHN [Iran], 15 July 2007

Archeological excavations behind Kalpush Dam in Semnan province led
into discovery of a unique cemetery dating back to Iron Age (1350 to
550 BC) with earthen graves. “The Iron Age cemetery in which
archeologists have recently started their excavations is considered a
part of Amir Shalough hill where prior to this historical evidence
belongign to Ilkhanid dynastic era were discovered. Since, we are
still keeping on our researches in Amir Sharlogh historic site, we
have not yet opened the graves to examine their burial gifts and
skeletons,” said Mahnaz Sharifi, head of excavation team behind
Kalpoush dam in Semnan province to CHN. According to Sharifi, what
has made this cemetery distinguished is the unique architectural
style which was implemented in it. In the graves of this Iron Age
cemetery, rectangle clay layers were used in a cross model, a method
which was seldom practiced in the architecture of Iron Age graves in
which most often stones were used. Similar graves have already been
discovered in other parts of Semnan province such as Kharand and
Gandab historical cemeteries.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7224

Islamic Fortress Unearthed behind Kalam Dam
CHN [Iran], 14 July 2007

Salvation project in biggest historical hill in Iran behind the newly
constructed dam of Kalan, led into discovery of a historic fortress
dating back to the Islamic era (651 AD afterwards) which was
constructed on remains of a Parthian fortress. Announcing this news,
Hassan Rezvani, head of archeology team in 22-meter-height of Patapeh
historic hill located behind Kalan Dam in Malayer, which would be
submerged by inundation of the dam, told CHN that a unique
architectural style was implemented in this Islamic fortress. This
Islamic fortress is consisted of a number of columned chambers with
remains of enormous niches. The remains of channels which were used
for transferring waste waters can be also seen in some parts of this
Islamic fortress. According to Rezvani, the fortress was constructed
on the peak of the hill and after digging channels for transferring
waste waters, the rooms were constructed in the fortress.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7222

British Museum makes important breakthrough in biblical archaeology
24 Hour Museum [UK], 10/07/2007

An expert working at the British Museum has confirmed the existence
of an important Biblical figure after deciphering a cuneiform
inscription on a small Babylonian clay tablet. Austrian Assyriologist
Dr Michael Jursa made the breakthrough discovery confirming the
existence of a Babylonian official mentioned in the Old Testament and
connected to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. The clay document is
dated to the 10th year of Nebuchadnezzar II (595 BC) and names the
official, Nebo-Sarsekim. According to chapter 39 of the Book of
Jeremiah, he was present at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC with
Nebuchadnezzar himself.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART48827.html

Metal detector find reveals grisly Romano-British slave trade
24 Hour Museum [UK], 11/07/2007

In the year of the bicentenary of the Parliamentary Act to abolish
the Atlantic slave trade a rare Roman figurine that references an
earlier trade in slaves has been discovered near Andover in
Hampshire. The small bronze decoration came to light during a metal
detecting rally attended by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in
Hampshire in June 2007. The PAS helps metal detectorists and other
members of the public to identify and log archaeological finds in
England and Wales. Cast in bronze the figure crouches with his elbows
and knees drawn together. A rope starting around the neck also binds
his wrists and ankles. “The posture of the figure and the manner of
his shackling strongly suggests that it represents an enslaved man,”
explained Rob Webley the PAS Finds Liaison Officer who handled and
photographed the find.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART48885.html

Ancient coins discovered on beach
BBC, 12 July 2007

Ancient coins have been found on a beach in the Western Isles giving
new clues to the far reaching influence of the Roman Empire.
Archaeologists believe the pieces of copper alloy date from the
middle of the 4th Century.  They were found in a sand dune, but the
location in the Uists has been kept secret to protect the site.
Archaeologists said it was a "lucky find" as the coins were at risk
of vanishing in a high tide. Just seven other Roman coins have
previously been found on the isles.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oaix
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/
6895653.stm

Could this be St Petroc's ancient well?
The Cornishman [UK], 14 July 2007

The discovery of an ancient well on a Cornish estate has led to
speculation that it is the legendary well of St Petroc. The discovery
was made by amateur archaeologist Jonathan Clemes while searching for
a secret tunnel in the grounds of Prideaux Place, an Elizabethan
manor house at Padstow. Mr Clemes regularly works with TV's Time Team
and carries out a lot of excavations on the Prideaux estate.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oaj2
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nod
eId1=232470&contentPK=17832629

Major Buddhist site comes to light
NewIndPress [India], July 10 2007

A chance digging by mulberry farmers in agricultural lands have
uncovered major Buddhist architectural finds in Kanthamanenivarigudem
of West Godavari district. Two ancient sites are not only seen as
prototypes of the present-day temples, but they have also provided
the first-ever proof of the existence of another major Buddhist sect
apart from the hitherto known Mahayana, Hinayana and Vajrayana sects.
Interestingly, the new finds are just 2 km away from the famous
Second Century rock-cut Buddhist caves of Guntupalli or
Jilakarragudem in West Godavari, known as the Ajantha of Andhra.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oajw
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?
ID=IEA20070710035510&Page=A&Title=Southern+News+-+Andhra+Pradesh&Topic=0

Ancient tomb found in downtown Guangzhou
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-07-10

A tomb with more than 1,000 years of history was unearthed in
downtown Guangzhou recently, according to the local archaeology
institute. "We prospected the region for antiquities for a long time
before discovering the tomb last month," Ma Jianguo, a researcher
with the Guangzhou Research Institute of Historical Relics and
Archaeology, said yesterday. Ma said the red brick tomb was built in
the Southern Dynasty (AD420-589) for people of wealth. The tomb is
located in the eastern part of the city on Huanshidong Road, one of
Guangzhou's busiest areas. During the Southern Dynasty, it was a
suburban area, where many tombs were concentrated. The tomb is
rectangular in shape, about 8 m long, 3 m wide and 90 cm deep.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/10/content_6352841.htm

300 more ancient porcelain objects recovered from China's sunken ship
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-07-15

Archaeologists have retrieved more than 300 pieces of porcelain from
an ancient sunken ship in the South China Sea off the Guangdong
coast. These porcelain objects, mostly bowls, plates, pots and
bottles, were believed to be produced in the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644), said Dr Wei Jun with the Guangdong Archaeology Institute
(GAI). "They have a great value in archaeology," Wei said, without
specifying details.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/15/content_6376401.htm

Ancient Chinese coins dug up in central Vietnam
Thanh Nien Daily [Vietnam], July 14, 2007

Three refuse collectors found five jars July 11 containing the coins
and weighing around 30 kilograms in Ham Ninh commune. At the same
place a week earlier a local farmer named Nguyen Duc Dung found a pot
weighing 20 kilograms containing copper coins while digging on a rice
paddy. On all the coins one side has four Chinese characters while
the other is plain. Tran Anh Tuan, director of the Quang Binh Museum,
said the coins were rare and valuable and had appeared in Vietnam at
the peak of the Tang Dynasty’s rule.  “The money was circulated in
Vietnam for trading during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty,” he added.
http://www.thanhniennews.com/entertaiments/?catid=6&newsid=29991

Ancient stone bridge found in Cao Bang
Nhan Dan [Vietnam], July 11, 2007

An ancient stone bridge dated back to the Le dynasty has been found
in Coc Khoac hamlet, Hung Quoc township, Tra Linh district, northern
border Cao Bang province. Researchers from the Vietnam Archaeology
Institute and the Museum of Cao Bang province said that the vaulted
bridge, which is 4.75 m long and 2.46 m wide is almost intact. It was
built from large slabs of stone with lime and honey. According to
scripts on a stone stele erected in 1831.
http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/culture/110707/culture_an.htm

Ancient Massacre Discovered in New Mexico -- Was It Genocide?
National Geographic News, July 12, 2007

Seven skeletons discovered in a remote New Mexico canyon were victims
of a brutal massacre that may have been part of an ancient campaign
of genocide, archaeologists say. The victims—five adults, one child,
and one infant—were members of an obscure native culture known as the
Gallina, which occupied a small region of northwestern New Mexico
around A.D. 1100. The culture suddenly vanished around 1275, as the
last of its members either left the region or were "wiped out,"
archaeologists say. The newfound skeletons could provide crucial
clues to the people's mysterious fate, since scarcely more than a
hundred Gallina remains have ever been found, said Tony Largaespada,
an archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service who made the discovery
in 2005.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070712-chaco-
massacre.html

Archaeologists find artifacts in Beaverly
Prince George Free Press [Canada], Jul 13 2007

UNBC students have been quite successful in their work in the first
anthropological dig in Northern B.C. since 1975. They found over 100
artifacts dating at least 400 years old. “The vast majority of it are
stone tools... manufacturing flakes,” UNBC anthropology professor
Farid Rahemtulla said. A number of these found tools have been
projectile points. Many of the points are broken, possibly through
the manufacturing process. This leads Rahemtulla to believe that the
Beaverly area is an ancient First Nations camp, and that they went
away to hunt, where their unbroken projectile points should lie.
Their main reason for finding mainly tools is that “A lot of the
organic materials... decay very quickly,” leaving mainly only rocks,
according to Rahemtulla. They plan on carbon dating one of the items
to find out just how old it is. He said the process should take a
couple of weeks.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oaj4
http://www.pgfreepress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?
paper=26&cat=23&id=1025052&more=0

Greek Statues Chained, Padded for Move
The Guardian [UK], July 12, 2007

Many of Greece's most valued ancient statues are wearing chains and
padded vests, ready for a rare outing. Culture Ministry officials
demonstrated Thursday how more than 300 statues from the Acropolis
are being packed for a move this fall to a new museum being built at
the bottom of the hill. Statues from the Parthenon and other temples,
up to 2,600 years old and weighing up to 2.5 tons, are being fitted
with padded harnesses and will be lowered by chains and pulleys into
styrofoam-filled boxes made of plywood and metal. Once packed, they
will be moved about 300 yards by crane from a cramped museum on the
Acropolis to the new glass-and-concrete museum designed by U.S.-based
architect Bernard Tschumi.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6775649,00.html

Acropolis to Be Shut by Strike
The Guardian [UK], July 12, 2007

The usually busy Athens Acropolis will be shut down this weekend
after the union of guards called a 48-hour strike to demand better
working conditions. The Greek union of keepers of archaeological
sites wants temporary personnel to be given permanent positions. The
group also wants more flexible hours for its members, who have public
servant status. The union also said it would hold a four-day work
stoppage at the Acropolis on July 21-24. The actions will not affect
operations at other ancient sites and museums around the country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6775585,00.html

'Rogue fisherman' has spoilt Bronze Age site
The Cornishman [UK], 11 July 2007

   One of the country's most significant maritime archaeological sites
has been severely damaged, it is claimed, by a rogue fishing boat.The
undersea site off Prawle Point, South Devon, has been found to
contain Bronze Age artifacts dating back 3,500 years. On Monday,
carefully placed marker buoys which indicated where the site lies had
disappeared, and archaeologists said anchored lines pinpointing the
wreck on the seabed had been torn up and cut. Ronald Howell of the
South West Maritime Archaeological Group (SWMAG), said he was
"devastated" to see their hard work had been destroyed.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oajc
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?
nodeId=144694&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144660&contentPK=1780176
4&folderPk=83364&pNodeId=144659

Nubians alarmed about dam plans
Radio Netherlands, 12-07-2007

In Nubia, Northern Sudan, there is growing anxiety about the planned
construction of three dams on the Nile. The Sudanese government
refuses to reveal the plans and claims that nothing has been decided
upon as yet. But Nubians fear the dams will inundate most of their
territory and force hundreds of thousands to leave their homeland.
"Stop Kajbar Dam now! Rescue the Nubian people!" A group of about 25
Nubians protested on Monday in front of the Sudanese and Chinese
embassies in The Hague; holding up photographs of four demonstrators
who died in a recent clash with the Sudanese police. Nubians are
still traumatized by the construction of the huge Aswan Dam by the
Egyptian government in the 1960s. In a state of perplexity, 50,000
Nubians were evacuated from the region that had been theirs for
thousands of years. Now, some 40 years later, it looks as if the
tragedy is about to repeat itself.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/nil070712

Jerusalem Seeks Return of Ancient Tablet
The Guardian [UK], July 13, 2007

Jerusalem's mayor has asked the Turkish government to return a 2,700-
year-old tablet uncovered in an ancient subterranean passage in the
city, sugggesting that it could be a "gesture of goodwill" between
allies. Known as the Siloam inscription, the tablet was found in a
tunnel hewed to channel water from a spring outside Jerusalem's walls
into the city around 700 B.C. - a project mentioned in the Old
Testament's Book of Chronicles. It was discovered in 1880 and taken
by the Holy Land's Ottoman rulers to Istanbul, where it is now in the
collection of the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6777342,00.html

Warriors Once Occupied Dead Sea Scrolls Site
LiveScience [USA], 12 July 2007

Fierce warriors once occupied the famous complex where the Dead Sea
Scrolls were written, new research suggests. Ruins of the Qumran site—
in the present-day West Bank—resemble a monastery, but scholars have
argued over its uses before the religious sect who penned the scrolls
moved in somewhere between 130 and 100 B.C. Using the world's first
virtual 3-D reconstruction of the site, historians recently found
evidence of a fortress that was later converted into its more
peaceful, pious function. “Once you put all the archaeological
evidence into three dimensions, the solution literally jumps out at
you,” said William Schniedewind, chair of Ancient Eastern
Mediterranean Studies at UCLA and the project’s principle investigator.
http://www.livescience.com/history/070712_scrolls_site.html

New software lights up archaeology
BBC, 10 July 2007

New software which works out much more realistically how ancient
buildings would have looked in their glory by generating accurate
plays of light sources has been developed by scientists in England.
The project, developed at Warwick University in the West Midlands,
brings ancient architectural features to life through a revolutionary
sophisticated modelling of light. This allows archaeologists to study
how buildings and artwork would have really looked at the time, right
down to the differing lighting provided by the types of candles used.
"What you need to do to get an accurate image is model exactly the
physics of the light - what colour the light source is, how it moves
within the environment, and how it reflects and refracts off all the
different surfaces," said Alan Chalmers, professor of visualisation
at the Warwick digital laboratory. Once you've modelled the physics
right, you're modelling closer to what nature does - and you're
achieving a realistic, physically-based image, and you can use that
as a tool to understand what the environment really was like."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6284760.stm

DNA unveils the secrets of ancient Egyptian history
State Information Service [Egypt], July 15, 2007

Applera Corp-Applied Biosystems Groups announced its collaboration
with the Discovery Communications Inc. and Egypt's Supreme Council of
Antiquities in establishing the first laboratory in Egypt dedicated
to testing ancient DNA samples. The laboratory, which is located in
the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, began testing samples of ancient royal
mummies dating back to the 18th Dynasty in April as part of a project
to identify the mummy of Hatshepsut, Egypt's most famous queen. DNA
testing, combined with other forensic techniques, holds the potential
to bring closure to unsolved mysteries and help Egypt fill in gaps in
its significant history. Applied Biosystems provided the Supreme
Council of Antiquities with DNA analysis instrument systems,
reagents, software, and training. This included an Applied Biosystems
9700 Thermocycler for DNA amplification and a 3130 Genetic Analyzer
for DNA analysis, as well as forensic testing reagents including its
newest advance in human identification technology, the AmpFISTR
MiniFiler PCR Amplification Kit.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ob4q
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/
000001/0203000000000000000797.htm
See also EurekAlert [AAAS]:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/uom-muh071307.php

#====================#

More on:

Egypt's Oldest Known Art Identified, Is 15,000 Years Old
National Geographic News, July 11, 2007

Rock face drawings and etchings recently rediscovered in southern
Egypt are similar in age and style to the iconic Stone Age cave
paintings in Lascaux, France, and Altamira, Spain, archaeologists
say. "It is not at all an exaggeration to call it 'Lascaux on the
Nile,'" said expedition leader Dirk Huyge, curator of the Egyptian
Collection at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels,
Belgium. "The style is riveting," added Salima Ikram of the American
University in Cairo, who was part of Huyge's team. The art is "unlike
anything seen elsewhere in Egypt," he said. The engravings—estimated
to be about 15,000 years old—were chiseled into several sandstone
cliff faces at the village of Qurta, about 400 miles (640 kilometers)
south of Cairo.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070711-egypt-
artwork.html

Breasts Key Clue to Hatshepsut's Obesity
Discovery News, July 13, 2007

When mummy experts piece together what an ancient person looked like
in real life, one key to body type that's a dead giveaway is the size
of the mummy's breasts. Paleopathologists who have been trying to
reconstruct the appearance of Hatshepsut — whose mummy is the subject
of a Discovery Channel documentary on Sunday, July 15 — say they know
that Egypt's greatest female pharaoh was obese in part because her
breasts were so very large, even after 3,000 years. "Huge and
pendulous," Hatshepsut's upper girth immediately caught the attention
of mummy experts, according to Zahi Hawass, Egypt's secretary general
of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Egyptologist and
paleopathologist Bob Brier, one of the world's foremost experts on
mummies, told Discovery News: "Breasts are one clear indication of
obesity in female mummies. It is fairly simple: fat is deposited
there, the skin stretches and that skin does not retract with
mummification. So it is easy to see excess skin in the area of the
breasts."
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/07/13/obesemummy_arc.html

Found: Egypt’s lost queen
The Times [UK], July 13, 2007

Behind the latest discovery lies a great detective tale ...
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oaio
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/
visual_arts/article2064934.ece

#====================#

Continuing Sagas:

Waqf Temple Mount excavation raises archaeologists' protests
Haaretz [Israel], 11/07/2007

The Waqf Muslim religious trust is digging a ditch from the northern
side of the Temple Mount compound to the Dome of the Rock as a
prelude to infrastructure work in the area, generating protests from
archaeologists. The dig has been approved by the police, but the
Israel Antiquities Authority declined to respond to the Waqf's
excavations and would not comment on whether one of its
archaeologists had approved the move. The Committee for the
Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, an
apolitical group comprised of archaeologists and intellectuals from
the left and right, criticized the use of a tractor for excavation at
the Temple Mount "without real, professional and careful
archaeological supervision involving meticulous documentation."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/880761.html
Photos:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123042

Bothered and bewildered
Al-Ahram [Egypt], 12 - 18 July 2007

On 7/7/7, at 7pm, the New Seven Wonders of the World were announced,
the culmination of an 18- month international poll during which
members of the public could cast an Internet vote for one of the 77
nominated sites. The only criteria governing the nominations being
that they were constructed before 2000 and remain standing. The whole
project managed to attract the disapproval of UNESCO, which keeps its
own list of World Heritage Sites. It distanced itself from the
campaign, distributing an official press release stating that,
"UNESCO's World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world
heritage, had no link whatsoever to the current campaign concerning
the New Seven Wonders of the World". Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni
told Al-Ahram Weekly that the project was "absurd" and described
Weber as a man "concerned primarily with self-promotion". "After
several months ask anyone to name the new seven wonders, they won't
be able to remember them. But ask any primary school pupil about the
seven wonders of the world he will still list the ancient wonders of
the world," Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of
Antiquities, predicted.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/853/eg6.htm

Machu Picchu faces new threat
The Scotsman, 14 Jul 2007

EXPERTS and archaeologists have welcomed the inclusion of Peru's
Machu Picchu among the modern-day wonders of the world, but fear it
could spell the destruction of the ancient Inca citadel. "Look, we do
not want to dampen the euphoria over the honour granted to Machu
Picchu, but with it comes immense responsibility," said Alberto
Delgado of the NGO Instituto Machu Picchu, dedicated to the
monument's preservation. "The site is already being badly damaged by
tourists and could reach a point of no return should strict measures
not be implemented right now."
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1098052007

#====================#

Features:

Mystery of Tut's Father: New Clues on Unidentified Mummy
National Geographic News, July 10, 2007

Egyptologists have uncovered new evidence that bolsters the
controversial theory that a mysterious mummy is the corpse of the
heretic pharaoh Akhenaten, husband of Nefertiti and, some experts
believe, the father of King Tut. The mummy's identity has generated
fierce debate ever since its discovery in 1907 in tomb KV 55, located
less than 100 feet (30 meters) from King Tutankhamun's then hidden
burial chamber. So an international team of researchers led by Zahi
Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, used a CT
scanner to peer inside the body and those of several other Valley of
the Kings mummies. (The expedition was partially funded by the
National Geographic Society, which owns National Geographic News.)
The scan revealed a number of striking physical similarities between
the mystery mummy and the body of Tut, including a distinctive egg-
shaped skull.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com//news/2007/07/070710-king-tut.html

Egypt's Antiquities Tsar Wields His Power
The New York Sun, July 12, 2007

Egypt currently has a dozen new museums under construction — and not
enough masterpieces of ancient art to fill them, the secretary-
general of the Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass,
said yesterday in an interview. "People used to say that Egypt does
not have good museums. We have better museums now than they have,"
Mr. Hawass, who is in New York to promote the Discovery Channel
documentary, "Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen," about the possible
identification of the mummy of Hatshepsut, said. But "we don't have
enough objects," Mr. Hawass said.
http://www.nysun.com/article/58293

More than 13,000 inscriptions
Kathimerini [Greece], 7-14-2007

The Epigraphical Museum in Athens, the only one of its kind, has a
rich collection of inscriptions ranging from the early historic to
the Early Christian era: 13,510 inscriptions, most of them written in
Greek. They record resolutions, laws, letters, tax lists and
financial accounts that indicate organization and planning, such as
the account of expenses for the construction of the chryselephantine
statue of Athena by Pheidias. The museum at 1 Tositsa Street in
downtown Athens is little known to the general public, but is highly
valued by specialists and researchers, as well as schoolchildren and
fans of deciphering. The Epigraphical Museum would like to attract
more visitors. Maria Lagoyianni, the museum’s new director, believes
it is time to be more outgoing.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=85689

A Race to Solve the Mystery of the Subterranean Chambers
The New York Times, July 14, 2007

It started with an ever-expanding sinkhole at the entrance of the
Mystic Pointe condominiums here and led to an excavation this spring
that revealed an underground complex of brick chambers with vaulted
ceilings. Now the subterranean structure, believed to date to the
mid-19th century, is a mystery just begging to be solved. Is it as
pedestrian as a root cellar? Or as storied as a stop on the
Underground Railroad? Does it stretch beyond the cluster of at least
nine known rooms to connect to tunnels elsewhere? An ad-hoc group of
residents, local historians and archaeologists in this Westchester
County suburb is racing to figure it out before road repairs that
could lead to the destruction of the rooms, which sit under a wooded
area that had been part of a Victorian estate and once was owned by a
Catholic church.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/nyregion/14mystery.html?ref=nyregion

#====================#

Miscellany:

Outrage as historic dolmen is turned into 'baked potato'
The Irish Independent, July 15 2007

AN HISTORIC Irish dolmen has been wrapped in tin foil and silver
plastic - so that it now looks more like a Flash Gordon spaceship
than a prehistoric monument. Labby Rock, near Castlebaldwin, Co
Sligo, and overlooking Lough Arrow, looked more like a "baked potato"
according to one expert who visited it recently. The famous 70-ton
dolmen was said to have been used as a bed by Diarmaid and Grainne
when fleeing Fionn MacCumhaill. But Mary Quinlan, who has been
visiting ancient monuments for 20 years, had never seen anything like
it. "We came out of the wood and the first thing I saw was the Labby
Rock covered in what looked like tin foil/silver paper. I was upset
to see this 5,000-year-old monument looking a bit ridiculous. "On
closer inspection I was more concerned because I noticed a lot of the
grass and heather from the top of the monument had been cut. The
orthostats (the stones the roofstone sits on) looked for all the
world like baked potatoes," said the antropologist.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1ob4v
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/outrage-as-historic-dolmen-is-
turned-into-baked-potato-1037837.html

Puzzle man takes a crack at stones riddle
Salisbury Journal [UK], 12th July 2007

A PUZZLE expert believes he may have solved one of the greatest
mysteries in the history of mankind by coming up with a computer
programme showing how Stonehenge was built. The question of
Stonehenge's beginnings - particularly how the stones were moved to
the site from the Prescilly mountains in Wales, and what the site was
originally used for - has stumped archaeologists and historians for
centuries. But now, after 30 years devoted to the issue, life-long
Mensa member, puzzle expert and inventor of the Bedlam cube Bruce
Bedlam believes that he may finally have solved the riddle of the
stones. Through painstaking analysis of the structural properties of
Stonehenge, Mr Bedlam has come up with a theory that the stones we
now see standing alone on the site were once the foundation blocks of
a giant wooden structure.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1oaj6
http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/mostpopular.var.
1537452.mostcommented.puzzle_man_takes_a_crack_at_stones_riddle.php

#====================#

Curiosa:

Squirrels Unearth Ancient Artifact In Roseville
CBS13 [USA], Jul 13, 2007

An amazing discovery has been unearthed in Placer County. Amazing
because of its historical significance....and amazing because of how
it was found. Archaeologists did not carefully unearth the 8,000 to
10,000 year old artifact, but it appears some curious squirrels dug
it up. Now, folks at the Maidu Indian Interpretive Center are trying
to preserve what the squirrels unearthed. The center allows people to
learn how Native Americans lived thousands of years ago. And it was
here that the squirrels made their find in what could be called an
ancient compost pile. "We only find what the squirrels are giving us
right now. And that's Okay. We don't want to dig." said Park
Specialist Chuck Kritzon.
http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_194095839.html

#====================#====================#

For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks
section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links

#====================#====================#

Website URLs are long and difficult to remember. SnipURL allows you
to "snip" your long URLs into small, friendly and persistent links
for sharing and remembering. Free! http://snipurl.com/index.php

#====================#====================#

Archaeology News Weekly 08.07.07

Wrapped URLs may require cut-and-paste restoration. Longer URLs have
been shortened using SnipURL. Some articles may "time out" after
several days. The New York Times, along with a few others, requires
free registration (for a third-party user name and password, try
http://bugmenot.com/ ).

#====================#====================#

5000-Year-Old Golden Architectural Decoration Unearthed in Bulgaria
Novinite [Bulgaria], 2 July 2007

A team of archaeologist of Bulgaria's National Historical Museum
unearthed Monday a 5000-years-old golden architectural ornamentation
near the village of Dabene. While carrying out excavations of small
prehistoric moulds, archaeologist Martin Hristov also discovered well-
preserved wall ornamentation details in the form of spirals, which
are made of tubules of pure gold. Those spirals are unique artifacts
compared to all prehistoric ones found in Bulgaria until now. In the
middle of the mound Hristov unearthed eight different pottery
objects, hidden in a hole and covered with stones.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=82541

Bulgarian Archaeologists Find Roman-era Items in Thracian Tomb
Novinite [Bulgaria], 7 July 2007

The excavations of Bulgaria's best-known archaeologist Georgi Kitov
near Sliven have yielded yet more artifacts, this time from the Roman
era, state radio BNR reported on Saturday. The latest finds include
two pairs of gold earrings, five rings, a ritual coin and a semi-
precious stone, all found in a tomb dating to the first century AD,
at the earliest. All the items were found in the second of the 14
tombs Kitov plans to excavate this summer near the villages of
Topolchane and Kaloyanovo in the Sliven region, southeastern Bulgaria.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=82730

Medieval Church Ruins Found Near Bulgaria's Tzarevetz Fortress
Novinite [Bulgaria], 8 July 2007

Bulgarian archaeologists found the remains of a medieval church,
later turned into a bath, in the immediate vicinity of the Tzarevetz
fortress, the seat of Bulgarian rulers in the Middle Ages. The find
is unique among the hundreds of Bulgarian medieval churches studied
so far, said Konstantin Totev, the head of the local branch of the
Archaeology Institute with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who is
in charge of the dig. Although the foundations of the church were
first discovered in 1992, excavations were soon frozen due to the
renovation of the nearby St. 40 Martyrs church, itself one of the
oldest and most historically important places of worship in Bulgaria.
But this summer the archaeologists began the study of the necropolis
to the south of the St. 40 Martyrs and were surprised to find the
foundations of the other church just 80 meters to the south, on the
bank of the Yantra river. Archaeologists say the church was razed
down sometime in the 13th or 14th century, when Veliko Tarnovo lost
its capital status.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=82735

Archaeologists discover old artefacts in Walled City
Gulf Times [Qatar], 5 July, 2007

In the recent digging for broadening roads in the Walled City of
Lahore, the Punjab Archaeology Department has discovered some
artefacts that date as back as 2000 BC, official sources have
disclosed. Officials of the Punjab Archaeology Department (PAD) said
the experts were studying them in the hope that they would also
narrate some of the city’s history. The officials, who wished not to
be named, said the department had identified the areas surrounding
Lahore Fort, Tibbi City, Mahmood Booty, Pani Wala Talab and few
nearby areas from where it had found the artefacts.  The department
has also decided to conduct a study on the artefacts and the area.
The officials said the artefacts had been moved to the Archaeology
Research Centre to study them for their input to the history of Lahore.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1nxlq
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?
cu_no=2&item_no=159096&version=1&template_id=41&parent_id=23

56 Post Achamenid Graves Discovered behind Salmane Farsi Dam
CHN [Iran], 3 July 2007

The first season of archeological excavations in the Sassnian city
behind Salman-e Farsi dam in Iranian Fars province has been wrapped
up with unearthing 56 graves belonging to post Achamenid period
(333-248 BC) to Sassanid dynastic era (224-651 AD) and a number of
Sassanian industrial centers in the eastern side of the city.
Announcing this news Alireza Jafari Zand, head of excavation team
behind Salman-e Farsi Dam told CHN: “A number of these graves have
already been plundered but some of them were plundered by local
people when they noticed the graves will be submerged by inundation
of Salman-e Farsi Dam.” In spite of plundering and severe damages
already caused, a large number of objects have been unearthed in
these graves which show the close relation of this region in Fars
province with Persian Gulf. According to Zandi, most of the graves
have been looted during the past 19-12 years. “A large number of
necklaces designed with Persian Gulf’s shells have been found in some
of these graves which show the relation of this region with Persian
Gulf,” explained Jafari Zand in this regard.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7201

Third 3500-Years-Old Site Discovered Behind Galabar Dam
CHN [Iran], 3 July 2007

With discovery of the third 3500-year-old historic site belonging to
Iron Age, behind Galabar Dam in Iranian western province of Zanjan,
archeological excavations in this area has entered a new stage. Nine
graves, all dating back to the Iron Age have been discovered so far
in this historic site. Announcing this news, Abolfazl Aali, head of
excavation team behind Galabar Dam in Zanjan told CHN: “Since the
surface of the discovered area is covered by clays, we can not say
for sure yet whether this area is a cemetery or a settlement area.”
This is the third Iron Age site which has ever been discovered behind
Galabar Dam. Prior to this one a historic site and a cemetery both
belonging to the Iron Age were discovered in the area.
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7202

Archaeologists rise to solstice circle discovery
The Scotsman, 5 Jul 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS working on a remote Scottish island have discovered an
ancient stone ceremonial enclosure that is perfectly aligned to the
winter and summer solstices. The find was made by members of the Bath
and Camerton Archaeological Society (Bacas) working on the island of
Foula. The stones were found on the last day of an extensive
geophysical survey at an area called Da Heights. The group found
stones rising from the ground in a curve which did not look like they
were placed naturally. Extensive research has shown the stones were
part of an early Bronze Age ceremonial enclosure. The structure would
have been built some time between 3500 and 2000BC.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1046352007

Old Serpentine Mound Found in Britain
The Guardian [UK], July 4, 2007

The stones were likely heated in a fire and quickly doused in cold
water, cracking before being placed along the serpentine earthen
mound. The result: a curving paved structure possibly used in a
ritual by Britain's Bronze Age inhabitants. The archaeologist who
announced the discovery of the 65-yard-long "Rotherwas Ribbon" in
western England said so-called "burnt stones" that cover the 4,000-
year-old mound could shed more light on early civilization. Mounds of
burnt stones litter northern Europe and some experts believe they
were once used in cooking. But their presence on the snakelike mound
also suggests the stones were used in rituals, Herefordshire County
archaeologist Keith Ray said Wednesday. "It's the only structure we
have from prehistory from Britain or in Europe, as far as we can
tell, that is actually a deliberate construction that uses burnt
stones," Ray said. "This is ... going to make us rethink whole chunks
of what we thought we understood about the period."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6757971,00.html
See also BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hereford/worcs/6268900.stm

Celtic village found on park and ride site
Cambridge Evening News [UK], 05 July 2007

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have discovered a Celtic village close to Milton. The
late Iron Age site is believed to have been the first settlement in
the area and with many Britons still boasting Celtic blood in their
veins, this may have been where ancestors of current Milton,
Landbeach and Cottenham once lived. Archaeologists have been digging
up Iron Age remains in the surrounding villages for years, but until
now did not know where people's homes were. Now they have found the
remains of enclosure ditches, round houses, granaries and even
cremations on the site south of Butt Lane, next to the A10, and
people are being invited to visit the dig on July 11.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1nxl4
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/
2007/07/05/3bae2460-19f8-4ec0-8bb7-449ee02ae178.lpf

Duke's palace uncovered
The Advertiser [UK], 06 July 2007

EXCITING glimpses of Norwich's hidden history have been uncovered by
archaeologists working at a city centre development. Sixteenth
century flint walls and railways lines have been discovered at the
site of the new Duke's Wharf development, opposite St Andrew's Car
Park in Duke Street. It is believed to be the remains of outer walls
forming the Duke of Norfolk's Tudor palace. Six trenches have been
dug at the site, which is being turned into a new community quarter
comprising housing, restaurants and cafes and public spaces. Along
with the foundations of the flint walls, evidence has also been
uncovered of flint and chalk quarries used in making lime wash, cloth
dying probably from the 13th and 14th centuries, narrow gauge railway
lines believed to be part of the old Anchor Quay brewery works and
other industrial action from the Victorian era, after the Duke's
Palace had been demolished.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1nxli
http://www.advertiser24.co.uk/content/advertiser24/news/story.aspx?
brand=NOROnline&category=News&tBrand=NOROnline&tCategory=News&itemid=NOE
D06%20Jul%202007%2009%3A33%3A37%3A200

Ancient remains found by pupils
BBC, 4 July 2007

Pupils from different schools in Cambs and Suffolk were on a higher
education course digging near Halesworth when their spades hit a
skull. Cambridge University archaeologist Carenza Lewis said they do
not know all that much about the body they found. "We think she may
be Anglo Saxon or from before the Norman Conquest. She is ancient,
adult and female," she said. The dig, in the village of Chediston,
was part of a series of higher education field academies run by
Access Cambridge Archaeology.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6269746.stm

Rare green crystals found in 2,500-year-old tomb in Jiangxi
Xinhua News Agency [China], 2007-07-04

Chinese archaeologists exploring a 2,500-year-old tomb in east
China's Jiangxi province that contained 47 coffins in a remarkable
state of preservation were stunned to discover several pieces of
green crystal lodged in the bones of the skeletons in the coffins.
One of the diamond-shaped crystals was 8.5 centimeters long. The
coffins also contained bronze, gold, silk, porcelain and jade items
and even body tissue. Archaeologists said the crystals appeared to
have "grown" in the bones. They pointed out that the coffins were
made from halved nanmu, a rare and extremely durable wood, and
covered in white plaster and a layer of loess. The fact that the
coffins were fire-heated to make them waterproof and airtight may be
a factor in the creation of the crystals. Classically, crystals are
formed when rocks are heated and then cool slowly over time.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/04/content_6328528.htm

3,000 year-old artefacts found in Dak Lak
VietNamNet Bridge, 06/07/2007

Vietnamese archaeologists have unearthed a significant cache of 3,000
year-old artefacts in Krong Pach district in the Central Highlands
province of Dak Lak. “Thousands of ceramic pieces, hundreds of stone
tools, including various axes and jewellery, and four tombs were
found during an excavation conducted at the Rau village
archaeological site in La hamlet, Hoa Tien commune,” Tran Quy Thinh
from the Vietnam Archaeology Institute said. Researchers said the
objects reflect a close connection between ancient inhabitants of Dak
Lak province and those living along the Dong Nai and Po Ko rivers in
Kon Tum province and the Bien Ho (To Nung Lake) in Gia Lai province.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2007/07/714741/

Ruins found on courthouse site
The Chapel Hill News [USA], Jul 08, 2007

Archaeologists excavating the site of the future county courthouse
expansion have discovered what they believe to be remnants of a 200-
year-old pottery kiln, a previously unknown part of Hillsborough's
history. Archaeologist and historian Steve Rankin of Durham-based
Legacy Research Associates said the excavation turned up pieces of
pottery and small pieces of "pottery kiln furniture" used to hold
items being fired. At first, Rankin said, the group thought someone
had dumped the pieces there, since there were no known historical
references to a kiln in the area. But then they found nearby several
layers of charred surface and some heavily burned brick, consistent
with a kiln. "To me, the significance is no one knew that there had
ever been [a kiln] in Hillsborough," Rankin said.
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/8367.html

1,000-year-old fire pit is arsenal's 'buried treasure'
The Huntsville Times [USA], July 08, 2007

More than 20 members of the Alabama Archaeological Societyy conducted
an excavation on Redstone Arsenal near Byrd Spring. "All we're doing
is rummaging through someone's garbage, really," said John Smith, a
retiree from Morgan City. "If we're lucky, we'll find a garbage pit.
Those are real fun." Volunteers from the society worked with Redstone
archaeologist Ben Hoksbergen to excavate 20 squares, each 1 meter by
1 meter, on a site that eventually will become part of Patriot
Parkway. The dig started as a field trip for society members, who
came from Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and several areas in North Alabama.
The volunteers divided into four-person teams to dig, sift and
record. Several sites turned up pottery shards and pieces of flint
discarded during toolmaking. A group of amateur archaeologists
discovered the day's biggest find: a possible 1,000-year-old fire pit.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1nz0z
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/
1183886230120040.xml&coll=1

Tomb believed to be older than "Señor de Sipan" found in northern Peru
Living in Peru, 3 July, 2007

A team of archaeologists, led by Walter Alva, have discovered the
wooden tomb of another member of the Mochica culture's elite - older
than the "Señor de Sipan" (Lord of Sipan). These findings belong to
the Moche civilization, which ruled the northern coast of Peru from
the time of Christ to 800 AD, centuries prior to the Incas. Alva has
stated that he and his team are investigating and within the next few
days will know the role of this noble in the Mochica society. "We
have found the tomb of a person that belonged to Mochica nobility.
Inside the coffin, discoveries of copper and copper-plated
decorations - covered in rust, demonstrate that this person was not a
Lord but was among the Mochica elite," Alva explained.
Short URL: http://snipr.com/1nxlc
http://www.livinginperu.com/news-4182-artculturehistory-peru-tomb-
believed-be-older-than-senor-de-sipan-found-northern-peru

Ancient humans in Asia survived super-eruption, find suggests
Kazinform [Kazakhstan], 06.07.2007

A group of rocks that could easily be mistaken for gravel suggests
that modern humans were in India spearing dinner and filleting meat
76,000 years ago, according to an international team of scientists.
The stone tools were found both above and below a layer of ash left
behind by a volcanic "supereruption" 74,000 years ago. The discovery
hints that humans in the region survived the blast's devastating
effects. The eruption of Toba, in what is now Indonesia, was the
largest volcanic event of the last two million years.
http://www.inform.kz/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=153385

Greenland's ancient for