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



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For additional current archaeological news items, see the Bookmarks

section:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchNews/links



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