================================================================
explorator 11.33 December 7, 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, Donna Hurst,
Chris Hopkins, Edward Rockstein, Hernan Astudillo,
John McMahon, Joseph Lauer, Kim Dammers, Mata Kimasitayo,
Mike Ruggeri, Richard C. Griffiths, Rochelle Altman,
Ross W. Sargent, Bob Heuman, and W. Richard Frahm for headses
upses this week (as always hoping I have left no one out).
================================================================
EARLY HUMANS
================================================================
Rethinking the "long road to modernity":

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/1201/1

Some very interesting Upper Paleolithic artifacts from Russia:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7758986.stm
http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/7482/
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1603615/artistic_statues_from_stone_age_dis\
covered_in_russia/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/12/04/2008-12-04_magical_stone_age\
_artifacts_discovered_i.html

Oetzi's last meal:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201101700.htm
================================================================
ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
Archaeologists are rushing to save Bronze-Age sites in Iran prior
to flooding by a dam:

http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1019.html

A number of 'missions' will be digging Kuwait:

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093222798

Another high tech look at the DSS:

http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3491\
&Itemid=2

... somewhat similar:

http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/16020.html

A Byzantine-era bathhouse from Zikhron Ya‘aqov:

http://www.antiquities.org.il/article_Item_eng.asp?sec_id=25&subj_id=240&id=1447\
&module_id=#as

A report on the 2008 excavations at Old Nisa:

http://parthia.com/nisa/nisa2008.htm

... and Khuzistan:

http://parthia.com/khuzistan/

More coverage of the Khirbet Qeiyafa excavations:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601104&sid=agxYhKgpSBws

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)
================================================================
A very interesting burial of an adherent of the cult of Cybele:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pagan-transvestite-priest-died-af\
ter-ritual-castration-651922.html

A major stretch of the Via Aemilia Scaura has been found:

http://www.instablog.org/ultime/35270.html

A 'lamp factory' from near Modena:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/05/roman-oil-lamps.html
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Millennia-Old-Roman-Oil-Lamp-Factory-Discovered-9\
9444.shtml
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28072109/

A study of stalagmites in a Jerusalem cave is being used to link
climate change to the decline of the Roman Empire:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081204/sc_nm/us_climate_cave_1
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre4b35zo-us-climate-cave/

Not sure if we've mentioned the dig at Romuliana here yet:

http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-53837.html
http://www.zeenews.com/past/2008-12-01/487514news.html

Not sure how 'new' this is, but we appear to have more precise
dating for the Thera eruption:

http://www.ana.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=7093622&maindocimg=1564949&servi\
ce=100

Fair bit of coverage of the 'first credit crunch' in 88 B.C.:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/28/credit-crunch-roman-republic-lect\
ure
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/worlds-first-credit-crunch-may-ha\
ve-occurred-in-88-bc_100125631.html

Another chunk of the Parthenon has been returned:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKTRE4B15XZ20081202
http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=7094688&maindocimg=7093180&s\
ervice=10
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=29&art_id=nw20081203084110201C760975&set\
_id=1
http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/29669/greece-gets-another-piece-of-the-parthen\
on/

A hall in the palace of Diocletian has reopened to the public:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081204/utravel/travel_notes_bath_1

One of the items coming up for auction at Sotheby's next week is
a very nice statue of Hadrian:

http://www.iberianet.com/articles/2008/12/04/news/doc4936c519c5d7a891721782.txt

Is Classics at UIC threatened?:

http://www.chicagoflame.com/home/news/2008/12/01/Features/Future.Of.Classics.Dep\
artment.Uncertain-3563115.shtml

... while Harvard is adding a ClassCiv option:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=525679

Bonnie Tinsley's Latin fever:

http://www.dnj.com/article/20081204/NEWS07/812040308/1002/rss

... while Karen Guy is doing her part too:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1318136.html

I think we've mentioned this 4th century shipwreck from Cyprus before:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/Chipre/estudia/barco/hundido/epoca/Alejan\
dro/Magno/elppgl/20081122elpepucul_6/Tes

HBO's 'Rome' seems to be in the 'we're not dead yet' category:

http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE4B00VV20081201
http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/books/story.html?id=2865b145-1952-401\
6-929c-c64010beaa76

Some NJCL coverage:

http://www.flowermoundleader.com/articles/2008/11/30/flower_mound_leader/news/20\
fm.txt

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)
================================================================
A Bronze age amber necklace from Mellor:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7758075.stm
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1603468/rare_necklace_is_found_in_north_wes\
t_england/index.html

Not sure where to classify this rock-cut tomb from Malta find:

http://www.di-ve.com/Default.aspx?ID=72&Action=1&NewsID=56589&newscategory=36
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081207/local/ancient-rock-cut-tombs-\
discovered-near-bulebel

A Medieval bishop's palace from Ross:

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/3933481.Medieval_Bishop_s_palace_discovered_in\
_Ross/

... and a nearby Medieval library site is to be excavated:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hereford/worcs/7749925.stm

The search is on for a treasure-laden Armada shipwreck:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/07/scotland-divers-armada-treasure

More coverage of that dugout 'canoe' find in the Black Sea:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008451092_bulgaria30.html
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11105163

Review of Piers Brendon, *The Decline and Fall of the British
Empire*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/books/review/Wheatcroft-t.html

Review of Tony Spawforth, *Versailles*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/books/review/Sullivan-t.html

Archaeology in Europe Blog:

http://www.archaeology.eu.com/weblog/index.html
================================================================
ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC
================================================================
A petroglyph might be evidence of a hitherto unknown species of
bat (reading a lot into this one, no?):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/7765136.stm

The conservation v. tourism debate in Pakistan:

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=150357

More coverage of that marijuana 'stash' from a Chinese tomb:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/03/marijuana-stash.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460425,00.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008466900_chinapot04.html
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1315403,CST-NWS-pot05.article

Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog:

http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/

New Zealand Archaeology eNews:

http://www.nzarchaeology.org/netsubnews.htm
================================================================
NORTH AMERICA
================================================================
A rather late repeat of the Paisley Caves thing:

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/dec/04/dna-secrets-caves-latrines-yield-\
new-evidence-abou/

Joseph Smith's journals are being published:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081202/ap_on_re_us/mormon_press

Promoting and reporting on a dig in the Kaibob National Forest:

http://www.williamsnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=8375

Interviewish sort of thing with James McPherson about Lincoln
during wartime:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/22/books/22linc.html

Interesting slave-trade database project:

http://www.wcbs880.com/topic/ap_news.php?story=AP/APTV/National/a/a/SlaveryDatab\
ase

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

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/24/books/24fren.html
================================================================
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
================================================================
Dental evidence suggests ancient folk in Peru ate well:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201200121.htm
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/02/teeth-peru-diet.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/stri-efd120108.php
http://www.physorg.com/news147374126.html
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2008/12/01/7600746-ap.html
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081202/lima_peru_081202/20\
081202
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/12/02/Ancient_teeth_suggest_Peruvians_ate_w\
ell/UPI-56831228241812/
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/2DA71FA2\
6FD761E98625751400057917?OpenDocument
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081201/ap_on_sc/sci_ancient_teeth;_ylt=AhNeu33l5WuE\
0q_h2Wib5nQiANEA

On pre-Columbian BBQs at grave sites:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081205-tribal-party-missions.htm\
l

Recent finds from the Peralta Archaeological Zone:

http://dti.inah.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=39&Itemi\
d=150

Not sure if we've mentioned this 'lost city' of 'cloud people' find before:

http://tinyurl.com/5v768u (Daily Mail)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/international/2008/December/Lost-City-Discov\
ered-in-the-Andes.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/peru/3545998/Lost-city-of\
-cloud-people-found-in-Peru.html
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20081202/tsc-expedition-uncovers-ancient-citadel-c2f\
f8aa.html
http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?Id=Z9ELyIpRUcc=
http://www.emol.com/noticias/internacional/detalle/detallenoticias.asp?idnoticia\
=333756

More coverage of that burial near Machu Picchu:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081201-machudiscovery-video-ap.h\
tml
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-54145.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
================================================================
A Brown University team is getting a major grant to apply
technology to archaeological reporting type things:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/bu-nab120308.php

Not sure how to classify this piece on assorted bits of wisdom:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/opinion/01opart.html

A couple of historians are splitting the Kluge prize:

http://chronicle.com/news/article/5599/2-historians-will-split-1-million-kluge-p\
rize

Pico della Mirandola and the divine gift to mankind:

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/11/hbc-90003927

... and some evidence of Tycho Brahe's supernova:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081203/ap_on_sc/sci_tycho_s_supernova
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7762939.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/science/AP-SCI-Tychos-Supernova.html

This week's DNA focus looks at the Etruscans (but seems to have
some dating problems?):

http://www.nature.com/ejhg/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ejhg2008224a.html

... and the Moors left their DNA traces on the Iberian Peninsula:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5289283.ece
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/05/healthscience/05genes.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/science/05genes.html

A bit out of our time period, but a nice use of ground penetrating
radar to find some WWII graves:

http://www.military.com/news/article/searchers-say-139-marine-graves-found.html?\
col=1186032325324&ESRC=dod.nl

... and a bit out of our subject matter, but folks might be interested
in the origins of the cold virus:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120073115.htm

... and the water levels in Venice:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7758831.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-EU-Italy-Venice-High-Water.html

On Oscar Wilde's letters:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/design/05voge.html

Megavision's digital imaging projects:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-camera2-2008dec02,0,7568720.story

Johns Hopkins is going to have an archaeology program separate from
anthropology:

http://flathatnews.com/content/69631/archaeology-stay-part-anthro-dept

More coverage of technology use to warn when manuscripts are
deteriorating:

http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-54130.html

Review of five tomes debunking 'pseudohistory':

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122853070522984883.html

Review of Barry Cunliffe, *Europe Between the Oceans*:

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200812/editors-choice

Review of Susan Pinkard, *A Revolution in Taste*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/books/review/Weber-t.html

Review of Ann Greene, *Horses at Work*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/books/review/Crain-t.html

Review of Ian Kelly, *Casanova*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/books/review/Bentley-t.html

Review of Les Standiford, *The Man Who Invented Christmas*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/books/review/Harrison-t.html

Review of Sarah Vowell, *The Wordy Shipmates*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/books/review/Heffernan-t.html

Review(ish) of Dennis Danielson, *Paradise Lost*:

http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/paradise-lost-in-prose

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
================================================================
Milas:

http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=160839
================================================================
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
================================================================
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 items taken by a US helicopter pilot have been returned to
Egypt:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/arts/design/04arts-EGYPTREGAINS_BRF.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081204/ap_en_ot/antiquities_returned_3
http://news.scotsman.com/world/Ancient-39stolen39-artefacts-head-back.4760824.jp
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081204/stolen_antiquities_\
AM_081204/20081204
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12042008/news/worldnews/pathetic_urn_ings_for_stolen\
_artifacts_142601.htm
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/03/america/NA-US-Antiquities-Returned.php
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gNtQL5ZQChyNJWZpTyV\
f0bToN0SA

Nice OpEd piece on some recent high-profile forgery cases in Israel:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2005/jan/20/heritage.museums

Looting Matters:

http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/
================================================================
NUMISMATICA
================================================================
A hearing on a hoard of Roman coins found in Shropshire:

http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/12/04/hearing-over-roman-coins-found-in-field\
/

Some 15th century coins from the Netherlands:

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/11/27/Excavations_uncover_15th_century_coin\
s/UPI-53151227820920/

Ancient Coin Collecting:

http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/

Ancient Coins:

http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/
================================================================
EXHIBITIONS, AUCTIONS, AND MUSEUM-RELATED
================================================================
Worshipping Women:

http://www.onassisusa.org/occ.art.htm

The Myth of Antiquity:

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/whatson/results.asp?id=1102892

The Last Emperor's Collection:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/design/05liao.html

Choir of Angels:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/design/05ange.html

A preview of the upcoming antiquities auction at Sotheby's:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/design/05anti.html

... while Iraq managed to get Christie's to withdraw some disputed
earrings (with some dating problems in some of these):

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1204/p07s02-wome.html

... and that fragment of the Gospel of John was withdrawn from
Sotheby's:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKTRE4AR4KP20081203

Generally, on both auctions:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/design/05anti.html

The National Academy is selling a couple of items to bolster its
finances:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/arts/design/06acad.html

Nice OpEd piece (by Sharon Waxman) about what the new head of
the Met will be dealing with:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/opinion/01waxman.html

... and an interview with Sharon Waxman:

http://www.boston.com/ae/books/blog/2008/12/sharon_waxman_o.html

More/ongoing coverage of the dispute between the St Louis Art
Museum and Egypt over that mummy mask:

http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/29633/st-louis-and-egypt-battle-over-gold-mumm\
y-mask/

Last week we mentioned some layoffs at the Penn Museum due to
economic vagaries ... here's a different spin:

http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2008/12/04/N\
ews/Museum.Firings.Not.Due.To.Economic.Crisis-3569218.shtml

How not to run a museum:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/design/05moca.html
================================================================
PERFORMANCES AND THEATRE-RELATED
================================================================
Thais:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/arts/music/07davi.html
================================================================
OBITUARIES
================================================================
Cornelius Vermeule:

http://tinyurl.com/6bmwxw (BGlobe)

Helmut N. Friedlaender

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/books/01friedlaender.html

Dorothy Sterling:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/05sterling.html

Dorothea Rabkin:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/arts/05rabkin.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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