================================================================
explorator 11.28 November 2, 2008
================================================================
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
and NEVER has attachments. Be suspicious of any Explorator which
arrives otherwise!!!
================================================================
================================================================
Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Barnea Selavan,
Diana Wright, Donna Hurst, Edward Rockstein, Elie Bennett,
John McMahon, Joseph Lauer, Mata Kimasitayo, Mike Ruggeri,
Richard C. Griffiths, Rochelle Altman, Ross W. Sargent,
Rick Pettigrew, Bob Heuman, Patrick Swan, Toke Lindegaard Knudsen,
and W. Richard Frahm for headses upses this week (as always
hoping I have left no one out).
================================================================
EARLY HUMANS
================================================================
On big-nosed Neanderthals:

http://tinyurl.com/6ro5dz (NS)

On the fire/out-of-Africa connection:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-10/thuo-foo102608.php
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081026/sc_nm/us_science_fire_1
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre49p23s-us-fire/
================================================================
ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
Evidence of malaria in a couple of mummies:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27345796/

National Geographic has put up a feature on human sacrifice at
Abydos:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0504/feature7/index.html

Recent finds suggest Izmir was inhabited much, much earlier than
previously thought:

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=118950

Drought has allowed archaeologists another shot at excavating
Mehr Ali Tepe before the reservoir fills up:

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181286

Plenty of coverage of a study of the DNA traces of the Phoenicians:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7700356.stm
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/31/ancient-phoenicians-may-be-forgo\
tten-but-not-go-2/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081031/ap_on_sc/sci_phoenicians_4
http://www.startribune.com/science/33610564.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27460517/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081030-phoenician-dna-genographi\
c-missions.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/30/healthscience/genes.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/30/america/SCI-Phoenicians.php

Piles of coverage of (and spins being put on) the discovery of a
shard purporting to bear the earliest example of Hebrew writing:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/middle_east/7700037.stm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081031/ap_on_sc/israel_ancient_inscription_7
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081031/NEWS/81031015
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/10/31/earliest-hebrew-writing.html
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/natInt/story.aspx?storyid=74914&catid=288
http://it.moldova.org/stiri/eng/161568/
http://www.kptv.com/education/17854053/detail.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/world/middleeast/30david.html
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_10859629
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Ancient_Hebrew_text_found_in_Israel/art\
icleshow/3657797.cms
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-38657.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,445132,00.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/155015
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27455148/
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/30/africa/30david.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/30/news/ML-Israel-Ancient-Inscription.php
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/30/israel.ancient.text/?iref=mpstoryv\
iew
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJfa-QD2MQYwlFeOwLk5hERiUkOAD9451SUG0
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128174
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/68634/Diggers-find-ancient-Hebrew-text

cf. http://www.elahfortress.com/index.htm

... which came close to eclipsing claims of the possible discovery of
King Solomon's mines:

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/labnotes/archive/2008/10/27/the-real-life-king-so\
lomon-s-mines.aspx
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008318312_apscikingsol\
omonsmines.html
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/10/29/Ancient_copper_mines_date_to_Solomon/\
UPI-17921225254394/
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/38067/title/Return_of_the_kings
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081028-king-solomon-copper-mine-\
missions.html
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/10/28/king-solomon-mine.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5026509.ece
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-sci-solomon28-2008oct28,0,13327\
62.story
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/38067/title/Return_of_the_kings
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027174545.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,444286,00.html
http://tinyurl.com/6p5b3b (NS)
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/43/16460
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Archaeologists_May_Have_Stumbled_Upon_King_Solomo\
ns_Legendary_Mines_27586.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-10/uoc--ks102308.php
http://www.physorg.com/news144345677.html
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/545692/

A list of upcoming digs in Israel:

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early+History+-+Archaeology/Archaeological_Exc\
avations_Israel_2009.htm

Susa appears to be bordering on development:

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181187

More coverage of that early TB case:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017622973&pagename=JPost/JPArticl\
e/ShowFull

Recent finds near Persepolis:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=73317&sectionid=351020105

Finds from various periods at Tyre:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=97308

A First Temple water tunnel beneath Jerusalem:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128152
http://www.forward.com/articles/11873/
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199599844&pagename=JPost%2FJPArti\
cle%2FShowFull
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=1032812

Plans are afoot to rebuild the Artemision in Selcuk:

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=118819

Egyptology News Blog:

http://egyptology.blogspot.com/

Egyptology Blog:

http://www.egyptologyblog.co.uk/

Dr Leen Ritmeyer's Blog:

http://blog.ritmeyer.com/

Paleojudaica:

http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/

Persepolis Fortification Archives:

http://persepolistablets.blogspot.com/

Archaeologist at Large:

http://spaces.msn.com/members/ArchaeologyinEgypt/
================================================================
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
================================================================
Trojan (!) sword from Peperikon?:

http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1474064382

A Roman altar from Dalheim:

http://station.lu/newsDetails.cfm?id=22109

The latest feature on the Archaeology Channel looks at the
Antikythera Mechanism:

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/

Scientists are studying the 'earthquakeproofness' of the Acropolis:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20081031-0618-eu-greece-acropolis-earth\
quakes.html
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iokZ8Sd3sACnxEjAc8jLaDKicCuAD945GD9G0
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D945Q1R81&show_article=1&catnum=-1

Surveying recent restoration projects on the Acropolis:

http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=6988709&maindocimg=6988227&s\
ervice=100

All about the Hippocratic Oath:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7654432.stm

Latin learning with your iPod:

http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/articles/2008/10/28/ara/tech_talk_and_innovatio\
n/7141.txt

Latin is thriving in a couple of Minnesota schools:

http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_10831284

Classics Day at Texas Tech:

http://www.dailytoreador.com/home/news/2008/10/30/LaVida/Carpe.Classics.Day-3515\
008.shtml

What Robin Osborne is up to:

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/908762

Recent reviews from BMCR:

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/recent.html

Recent reviews from Scholia:

http://www.classics.ukzn.ac.za/reviews/2008.htm

Visit our blog:

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

Blegen Library News:

http://blegen.blogspot.com/

Mediterranean Archaeology:

http://medarch.blogspot.com/
================================================================
EUROPE AND THE UK (+ Ireland)
================================================================
On the DNA front, Oetzi is apparently unlikely to have any
modern descendents:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030123829.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081030/sc_nm/us_iceman_children_1
http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?_rss=1&fuseaction=readrelease&releaseid=53\
3347

Interesting talk on Viking burial practices:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article5019976.ece

Possible Norman ring find:

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/Does-ring-found-in-field.4647825.jp

Digging through Martin Luther's garbage:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0%2C1518%2C586847%2C00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/27/martin-luther-protestantism

Archaeology in Europe Blog:

http://www.archaeology.eu.com/weblog/index.html
================================================================
ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC
================================================================
On civic officials and their 'scrolls' in the Warring States
period:

http://en.ce.cn/National/culture/200810/30/t20081030_17233065.shtml
http://en.ce.cn/National/culture/200810/30/t20081030_17233049.shtml

Evidence of a major tsunami hitting India some 700 years ago:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7697482.stm

An escape tunnel for Chinese emperors?:

http://www.haber27.com/news_detail.php?id=15250

Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog:

http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/

New Zealand Archaeology eNews:

http://www.nzarchaeology.org/netsubnews.htm
================================================================
NORTH AMERICA
================================================================
They're making Meadowcroft Rock Shelter into a major tourist
attraction:

http://www.projo.com/travel/content/TRV-MEADOWCROFT_11-02-08_0VBR95E_v10.119032a\
.html

Interesting 'arsenal' in the 'Mardi Gras' shipwreck:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6084688.html
http://politicom.moldova.org/stiri/eng/161239/

Some legal aspects of 'home archaeology' in Louisiana:

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081102/LIFESTYLE/81102\
0335

Review of David Fischer, *Champlain's Dream*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/review/Boot-t.html

Review of George Herring, *From Colony to Superpower*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/review/Joffe-t.html
================================================================
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
================================================================
The latest temple find from Peru housed a 'spider god':

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081029-peru-temple.html

An "enigmatic" Maya/Olmec sculpture from Guatemala:

http://www.guatemala-times.com/archeology/takalik-abaj/484-new-maya-olmec-archeo\
logical-find-in-guatemala.html

Opeddish thing taking inspiration from the collapse of the Maya:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/28/climatechange-population

More on the diversity at Macchu Pichu:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081027-machu-picchu-diverse.html

Mike Ruggeri's Ancient Americas Breaking News:

http://web.mac.com/michaelruggeri

Ancient MesoAmerica News:

http://ancient-mesoamerica-news-updates.blogspot.com/
================================================================
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
================================================================
Very nice/extensive feature in the Guardian on 100 artworks to see
before you die:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/1000-artworks-to-see-before-you-die

... and one in the Times on Claude Levi-Strauss:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article5035934.e\
ce

An amazing restoration of a Raphael:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081028/sc_nm/us_italy_raphael_1
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre49r01m-us-italy-raphael/

I thought we had this 'evidence of Robinson Crusoe' story a few years
ago:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081029105803.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7703375.stm

They want to break up daVinci's Codex Atlanticus:

http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2008-10-28_128277593.html

On the slave trade and wild rice evolution:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027152539.htm

In case you're in need of some post-Hallowe'en cleaning:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/garden/30haunted.html

On Proust and Art (or vice versa):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/arts/design/02kenn.html

Item on rare books (with slideshow):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/education/edlife/rarebks.html

Thoreau the climatologist:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/28/healthscience/28walden.php
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081027/ap_on_sc/sci_walden_pond
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96206248

Some letters of George III to William IV have been found:

http://tinyurl.com/5nuxa9 (Telegraph)

On the history of hedges:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3259098/Competitors-turn\
-bushes-into-barriers.html

Cardinal Newman's bones are missing:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7672099.stm

Does a Led Zeppelin reunion count as 'ancient news' now?:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/arts/music/29arts-MOSTOFLEDZEP_BRF.html

Review of Martin van Creveld, *The Culture of War*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/books/31book.html

Review of Russell Shorto, *Descartes' Bones*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/review/Rosen-t.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/chapters/chap-decartes-bones.html

A couple of other reviews of crime novels which might be of interest:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/review/Crime-t.html

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Lives of the Week:

http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/lotw/

Arts and Letters Daily:

http://aldaily.com/

Past Preservers:

http://pastpreservers.blogspot.com/
================================================================
TOURISTY THINGS
================================================================
Hatay:

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=157068&bolum=117

Tikal:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4740776a34.html

Compiegne:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/travel/02hourfrom.html

Beijing:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/travel/02globe.html
================================================================
DIG DIARIES/BLOGS
================================================================
[please send in suggestions! current digs only please!]

Norton Community Archaeological Group:

http://nortoncommarch.wordpress.com/

Tel Kadesh:

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/kelseymuseum.digdiary/read_our_blog

Tel Dan:

http://teldan.wordpress.com/

Hopkins in Egypt Today:

http://www.jhu.edu/egypttoday/index.html

================================================================
GENERAL MAGAZINES AND JOURNALS
================================================================
Archaeology (Nov/Dec):

http://www.archaeology.org/curiss/

Biblical Archaeology Review (Nov/Dec ... includes a piece on
the Oded Golan trial):

http://www.bib-arch.org/

About.com Archaeology:

http://archaeology.about.com/

Archaeorama:

http://blogs.discovery.com/news_archaeorama/

Archaeoblog:

http://archaeoblog.blogspot.com/

Archaeology Briefs:

http://archaeologybriefs.blogspot.com/
================================================================
CRIME BEAT
================================================================
Some Iraqui antiquities were seized in Lebanon:

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5huJJcZpDncm2aOsIjiG8zYQFOJwg
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2008-10-29%5Ckurd.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/29/content_10274767.htm

Spain has returned some purloined Peruvian artifacts:

http://www.pr-inside.com/spain-returns-looted-peruvian-artifacts-r883223.htm

More returns of Nazi loot:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/arts/31arts-PAINTINGSTOL_BRF.html

Surprisingly little coverage of the apparent 'collapse' of the prosecution's
case against Oded Golan:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/29/MN3U13QHMD.DTL

cf. more reviews of *Unholy Business*:

http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=112898
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/AP/story/747091.html
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/33535904.html
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/entertainment/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-11/12\
253163485890.xml

More on efforts to protect Afghan antiquities:

http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/6918.aspx

Looting Matters:

http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/
================================================================
NUMISMATICA
================================================================
A major Roman coin hoard from Wales:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/7699953.stm
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/10/30/treasure-hunter-unearths\
-6-000-gold-coins-91466-22154391/
http://www.mk-news.co.uk/mknews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=361917

Ancient Coin Collecting:

http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/

Ancient Coins:

http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/
================================================================
EXHIBITIONS, AUCTIONS, AND MUSEUM-RELATED
================================================================
The Aztec World:

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=26873

Van Dyck:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/01/arts/melik1.php

Picasso and the Masters:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/arts/design/28abro.html

Jan Lievens:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/arts/design/31liev.html

Some bronze statuary from Yemen is being sent to the Louver (sic)
for restoration:

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news167241.htm

Ambitious plans for restoring Afghanistan's cultural heritage:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/30/afghanistan-taliban-heritage-museums\
-kabul

Latest Acropolis Museum coverage:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/getaways/10/28/acropolis.museum/index.html

Coverage of the Print Fair:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/arts/design/31fair.html

Turner's Temple of Jupiter is coming to auction:

http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=26866

... as is an interesting chapter in the history of longitude:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5041907.ece

Maybe early reports of good auction results were premature:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/arts/design/02voge.html
================================================================
PERFORMANCES AND THEATRE-RELATED
================================================================
The Grand Inquisitor:

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/theater/reviews/30grand.html
================================================================
OBITUARIES
================================================================
Frank W. Walbank:

http://tinyurl.com/59xmwp (Independent)
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/obituaries/2008/10/29/prof-frank-walba\
nk-64375-22140701/

Herbert Mitchell:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/nyregion/29mitchell.html
cf:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/29/nyregion/30collector_index.html

Albert Boime:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/arts/design/02boime.html
================================================================
PODCASTS
================================================================
The Book and the Spade:

http://www.radioscribe.com/bknspade.htm

The Dig:

http://www.thedigradio.com/

Stone Pages Archaeology News:

http://news.stonepages.com/

Archaeologica Audio News:

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/AudioNews.asp
================================================================
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on-line news and magazine sources are scoured for news of the
ancient world (broadly construed: practically anything relating
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game) and every Sunday they are delivered to your mailbox free of
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