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explorator 7.32 December 5, 2004
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Editor's note: Most urls should be active for at least eight
hours from the time of publication.

For your computer's protection, Explorator is sent in plain text
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Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Bill Kennedy, Dave Sowdon, Francis
Deblauwe, Donna Hurst, Glenn Meyer, Hernan Astudillo, Joan
Griffith, John Hill, Bob Heuman, king123, Hernan
Astudillo, John McMahon, Joseph Lauer, Louis A. Okin, Mark Morgan,
Paul James Cowie, Bob Heuman, Richard Campbell, Robert Greaves,
Rick Pettigrew, Mike Ruggeri, Sally Winchester, Vitor Oliveira
Jorge, Susan Jaslow, Tony Jackson, W. Richard Frahm, and
Yonatan Nadelman for headses upses this week (as always hoping I
have left no one out).


Have you visited our blog yet?

http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/

If you're using an (ahem) old or clunky browser, try accessing
it via Bloglines:

http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=21809

editor's note: folks who are reluctant to register to some
of these online sources should visit http://bugmenot.com/ and
type in the url of the newspaper in question. They will provide
you (usually) with a useable user name and password. For the
record, though, I've never had any problems with any of the
sites used in Explorator ...


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================================================================
AFRICA, EUROPE, AND ASIA
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An 'Iron Age' coin hoard has been found on the Isle of Wight
(designating something as 'Iron Age' confuses me ... this one
has Celtic and Roman coins):

http://tinyurl.com/6hmv2 (IoW Today)

DNA tests on bones from a warrior burial from Iran dating to
2000 b.p. suggest the warrior was a woman (and nary a mention
of Amazons):

http://tinyurl.com/5mwa9 (Reuters)

Other DNA tests planned in Iran:

http://www.payvand.com/news/04/nov/1255.html

... and some heights of burials in ancient Iran:

http://tinyurl.com/6zl8p (Iranmania)

What's happening at Beit She'an:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/509223.html

Nice feature on the 'cursed' tombs at Meda'in Saleh:

http://tinyurl.com/5p8hn (Reuters via Yahoo)

... and one on the excavations at Arslantepe:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/12/03/features/conway.html

Since there were problems with the 'ancient Roman rest stop'
story last week, here's another version:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20041129/romanreststop.html
http://tinyurl.com/549fd (SMH)

A Roman necropolis is being excavated in Modena:

http://tinyurl.com/6wcgc (IOL)

More on that Gallic discovery at Tintignac:

http://tinyurl.com/54ekb (in French but with piles of photos)

A major (?) Roman site has been found on Malta:

http://www.independent.com.mt/daily/newsview.asp?id=28957
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=171166 (photos)

... and one has also been found in Isleworth (UK):

http://tinyurl.com/6dx2p (This is London)

Nice roundup of finds from Malta in the past year:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=171325

A Viking cache of jewellery has been found in Cheshire:

http://tinyurl.com/4ym4f (Chester Chronicle)

A Saxon burial from Marlborough:

http://tinyurl.com/hb46 (Gazette and Herald)

A tomb with some interesting murals dating to the time of the
Western Han dynasty has been found in China's Shaanxi province:

http://tinyurl.com/53g4z (China Daily)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/29/content_2272337.htm
(great colour photos)
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THE AMERICAS
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The early inhabitants of the Americas are now not being blamed
for the extinction of bison and other large mammals:

http://tinyurl.com/5z2j2 (Herald-Leader)

Uruguayan 'Incas':

http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/boletim_dentro.php?id=2948
(article in Portuguese)

The Pyramid of the Moon has yielded some decapitated skeletons
(interesting how recent events overseas appear to have
coloured the portrayal of this sort of thing):

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6641153/
http://tinyurl.com/5zwmy (Reuters via Yahoo)
http://tinyurl.com/454gh (Reuters via CNN ... photo)
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996756

Scurvy did some major damage to one of the first French
settlements in North America:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-11/rson-its112204.php
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6608926/
http://tinyurl.com/3n3a7 (Reuters via Yahoo)

... here's the research which spawned the above:

http://tinyurl.com/6vdhb
http://tinyurl.com/627la (both from RSNA)

A skull from Jamestown shows evidence of attempted skull surgery
(trepanning, maybe) and autopsy (!)(how do they know it wasn't
all done to just a skull someone found?):

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-surg02.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6630546/
http://tinyurl.com/6zum2 (AP via Yahoo)

Mesoamericans were apparently engaging in some genetic selection
to create what is known as maize:

http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041129/full/041129-8.html

They're checking into the authenticity of the Vinland Map:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/afp/20041129/vikingmap.html
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ALSO OF INTEREST
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A new theory on how those big stones at Stonehenge were moved:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/4064817.stm

Interesting item on using radiology to recreate ancient art
items (as opposed to just xraying a mummy):

http://tinyurl.com/4woxz (Eurekalert)

The latest boat recreation project involves a bronze age craft
which will be sailed from Britain to France (where's the mast?):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4056021.stm

Zahi Hawass ponders Champollion:

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/719/he2.htm

Speaking of Zahi Hawass, NPR was speaking with Zahi Hawass
this week:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4195158

Following Sinuhe's story:

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/719/he1.htm

Nice little feature on Geoffrey Emberling (who is now director
of the OI's museum):

http://tinyurl.com/45rbv (Ann Arbor News)

Interesting item on a company which preserves paper artifacts
by a unique process:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04326/413932.stm

... and one on preserving wood artifacts from being eaten by
little beasties:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6645260/

The Homo floresiensis discovery is possibly turning into a
saga as there is controversy after the project was "hijacked by
foreigners":

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6639617/
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6635193/
http://tinyurl.com/6mw6c (Independent)

cf: http://tinyurl.com/4e6qs (Jakarta Post)

Another touristy thing on Libya:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/travel/05libya.html

... and one on Turin:

http://tinyurl.com/4nk3s

... and one on Troy:

http://tinyurl.com/3v2jn (Canada.com)

... and one on various English Palaces:

http://tinyurl.com/42dha (Newsday)

Very interesting (p)review of the *Scarith of Scornello*, a
book about some forged Etruscan texts:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/12/01/features/Cwhat.html

Putting a positive spin on Machiavelli:

http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=1392322004

Nice piece on Scott Cook's early work with Chinese philosophical
texts:

http://tinyurl.com/6zxj3 (WCF Courier)

We've all heard of 'bookmobiles', but this one's about a sort of
'Archaeomobile':

http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/boletim_dentro.php?id=2939
(article in Portuguese)

A bunch of wine from the cellars of Nicholas II is coming up to
auction:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4064607.stm

The Queen's art collection on display ... not enough?:

http://tinyurl.com/6v8qf (Guardian)

If Shakespeare had Powerpoint (link courtesy of Mirabilis):

http://www.homeport.org/~adam/hamlet.htm

The Knights Templar are seeking a papal apology:

http://tinyurl.com/7xugy (Independent)
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MAGAZINES AND JOURNALS
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Biblical Archaeology Review (November/December 2004):

http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/indexBAR.html

History Today (December 2004):

http://tinyurl.com/6unvk
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ON THE WEB
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The ARCO project creates 3d virtual exhibitions for the web:

http://tinyurl.com/5uvjp (main page after an annoying flash
splash page ... if you want that, go to http://tinyurl.com/658ah)

CBA Research Reports online:

http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/cba/rrs.cfm

Megalithic sites in Portugal (with dig opportunities):

http://architectures.home.sapo.pt/Entrada.htm
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ON THE ARCHAEOLOGY CHANNEL
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Guardians of a Legacy (Pompeii):

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/
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CRIME BEAT
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A major antiquities theft ring in Iran has been 'smashed':

http://tinyurl.com/4o25b (Reuters via Yahoo)
http://tinyurl.com/3lyky (Reuters)

A tablet stolen from Yemen a decade ago was returned this week:

http://tinyurl.com/6k299 (Newsday)

Police seized a number of "antique idols" in Varanasi (India)
this week:

http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=45052

Those 'lost' German tourists found in the Algerian desert were
given (rather short) prison terms for antiquities theft:

http://tinyurl.com/6o5ml (Washington Times)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4054823.stm

A pile of Greek artifacts from the 4th Century down to Byzantine
times were found in an apartment in Halkida this week:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/12/01/news/briefs.html
(go to page 3)

In light of the numerous articles we've featured about art
taken by the Nazis, the following might seem ironic (or
possibly not):

http://tinyurl.com/4ym2h (CNN)
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BOOK REVIEWS
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John Gordon, *An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American
Economic Power*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/03/books/03book.html

Charles Nicholl, *Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the Mind*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/books/review/05GELERTN.html

Assorted Art and Archaeology books:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/books/review/05ARTR01.html

Assorted religion in early America books:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/books/review/05FREEDMA.html

Patrick Collinson, *The Reformation*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/books/review/05KEANEL.html

John J. Miller and Mark Molesky, *Our Oldest Enemy: A History of
America's Disastrous Relationship With France.*

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/books/review/05LEVYL.html

Patricia Brown, *Private Lives in Renaissance Venice*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/books/review/05BOUCHER.html

Stephen Mitchell, *Gilgamesh: A New English Version*:

http://tinyurl.com/49n82 (Globe and Mail)
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~27~2574950,00.html

Tore Janson, *A Natural History of Latin*:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,923-1374676,00.html
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PERFORMANCES
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By the Bog of Cats (Medea adaptation):

http://tinyurl.com/4huyq
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EXHIBITIONS (AND MUSEUM STUFF)
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Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs:

http://tinyurl.com/3obmz (NG)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6631690/
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6645691/
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6631713/
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/01/arts/design/01tut.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/02/arts/design/02tut.html
http://tinyurl.com/4l3c6 (Reuters via Yahoo)

cf: Steve Martin's comments:

http://nytimes.com/2004/12/05/opinion/05martin.html

Rubens retrospective in the works:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/03/arts/design/03voge.html

At the auctions, a bust of a Ptolemy and a cameo of Claudius:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/03/arts/design/03anti.html

The University of Chicago is going to put together an online
database of finds from Iraq:

http://www.kwqc.com/Global/story.asp?S=2626672

Nice feature on Giotto:

http://tinyurl.com/3s3qz (Guardian)
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ALEXANDER MOVIE RELATED
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What Made Alexander Great? (possibly a repeat):

http://slate.msn.com/id/2110188/

Military Genius or Megalomaniac?:

http://tinyurl.com/6paol (Newsday)

Alexander actually Albanian:

http://tinyurl.com/6zn4r (Sun Sentinel)

Review of Steven Pressfield's *Virtues of War* (fiction):

http://tinyurl.com/4cmy7 (USA Today)

Reviews of the movie itself:

http://tinyurl.com/5xl3h (Daily Trojan)
http://www.the-tidings.com/2004/1203/moviecaps.htm
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/509218.html

The Greek reaction:

http://tinyurl.com/3odzk (AFP via Yahoo)
http://tinyurl.com/4rt5d (AP via Yahoo)
http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=161943&pid=null
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CLASSICIST'S CORNER
================================================================
The Winslow Lecture at Hamilton College will be delivered by
Peter White:

http://tinyurl.com/4xqsk (Press release)

Jennifer Moss' Cleopatra course at WSU:

http://tinyurl.com/5hynw (South End)

Hype for a documentary about Pompeii which will be coming out in
January (!):

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041202/dcth020_1.html

Coverage of the Classical Association's Recitation Contest:

http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/viewarticle.asp?id=159225

Latest in the Elgin/Parthenon Marbles saga:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20041129/elginmarbles.html

A jazz interpretation of Ovid:

http://tinyurl.com/3mbse (SF Chronicle)

Peter Jones in the Spectator:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/article.php?id=5351&issue=2004-12-04
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REPEATS
================================================================
Prehistoric 'Julia Roberts' from Bulgaria:

http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1253943.htm

Roman Face Cream:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1202/p14s01-stss.html
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OTHER SOURCES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL NEWS
================================================================
About.com Ancient History (blog):
http://ancienthistory.about.com/

About.com Archaeology (blog):
http://archaeology.about.com/mbody.htm

Archaeologica:
http://www.archaeologica.org/NewsPage.htm

Archaeology in Europe (blog):
http://archaeology.eu.com/weblog/

Archaeology Magazine's Newsbriefs:
http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=0305/newsbriefs/index

Bible and Interpretation Breaking News:
http://www.bibleinterp.com/news.htm

CBA Newsfeed:
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/newsfeed/index.html

CBA Archaeoblog:
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/archaeoblog/

Classics in Contemporary Culture (blog):
http://www.people.memphis.edu/~mhooker/ccc.html

Cronaca (blog):
http://www.cronaca.com/

Egyptology News (blog):
http://www.egyptology.blogspot.com/

Francis Deblauwe's 'Iraq War and Archaeology' site:
http://cctr.umkc.edu/user/fdeblauwe/iraq.html

Maritime Underwater Archaeological News:
http://www.munarchaeology.com/munarchaeology/news/main.htm

Megalithic Portal
http://www.megalithic.co.uk

Michael Ruggeri's Ancient America and Mesoamerica News:
http://community-2.webtv.net/Topiltzin-2091/MIKERUGGERISANCIENT

Mirabilis.ca (blog):
http://www.mirabilis.ca

Paleojudaica (blog):
http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com

Stone Pages Archaeo News:
http://www.stonepages.com/news/

Texas A&M Anthropology News Site:
http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/news.html

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