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explorator 11.37
January 4, 2009
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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
and NEVER has attachments. Be suspicious of any Explorator which
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Happy New Year!
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================================================================
Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Hernan Astudillo,
John McMahon, Joseph Lauer, Bob Heuman, Rochelle Altman,
Ross W. Sargent, Alfredo De La Fe, Ruben Post, and W. Richard
Frahm for headses upses this week (as always hoping I have left
no one out).
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EARLY HUMANS
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European Neanderthals were fair-skinned and had freckles:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/4015567/Euro\
pean-Neanderthals-had-ginger-hair-and-freckles.html

... and this week the theory is they died off due to competition:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081229105039.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/plos-ssc122908.php
http://www.physorg.com/news149769271.html
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/12/neanderthals-co.html

A couple of Neanderthals from Asturias apparently had type O blood:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/analisis/neandertales/hallados/Asturias/\
revela/tenian/grupo/sanguineo/elpepusoc/20081228elpepusoc_5/Tes

They were making teardrop-shaped hand axes in southern Africa
1.6 million y.b.p.:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39625/title/Stone_Age_tools_go_south

More coverage of the out-of-Africa-involving-mostly-men story:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081221210201.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/133906.php
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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
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A clumsy Spanish team has found items dating to the First Intermediate
Period near Beni Sweif:

http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/000002/0203000000000000001087.htm

Another imaging-the-DSS piece:

http://spie.org/x32760.xml?highlight=x2410&ArticleID=x32760

What killed Dr. Granville's mummy?:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026877.000-what-killed-dr-granvilles-mum\
my.html

That artificial eye from the Burnt City (found a couple of years
ago) is back in the news:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5432002.ece

... and more burials have been found at the Burnt City:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=80041&sectionid=351020105

More coverage of those 4300 b.p. tombs near Saqqara:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/23/2453471.htm

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/
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ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
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Macedonian archaeologists are claiming to have discovered some
4000 b.p. writing (I hae me doots):

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/4915/2/

Brief item on the discovery of a 6th/5th century B.C. necropolis
at Spoleto:

http://www.terninrete.it/headlines/articolo_view.asp?ARTICOLO_ID=161723

... and a similarly-brief item on the results of this year's dig
at Episkopi-Bamboula:

http://www.famagusta-gazette.com/link.asp?twindow=Default&smenu=69&sdetail=7121&\
mad=No&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=

Some Punic tombs in Malta are getting in the way of private
hospital construction:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081231/local/still-too-early-to-tell\
-fate-of-punic-tombs
http://www.maltamediaonline.com/?p=3654

... as are some Roman burials getting in the way of office construction
in Clerkenwell:

http://www.thecnj.co.uk/islington/2009/010209/inews010209_14.html

The 'Lord of Amiternum' has been restored:

http://iltempo.ilsole24ore.com/abruzzo/2008/12/31/970469-ultimati_restauri_signo\
re_amiternum.shtml

The dig at Troy appears to have secured funding:

http://www.sz-online.de/nachrichten/artikel.asp?id=2034395
http://www.halternerzeitung.de/nachrichten/kultur/art617,444508
http://de.news.yahoo.com/26/20081230/ten-forscher-knnen-ausgrabungen-in-troja-c1\
34cff.html
http://www.mz-web.de/artikel?id=1229759952968
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/magazin/wissen/geschichte/Troja;art15504,2694693

A feature on Vindolanda:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24859839-5013309,00.html

ClassCon in a piece on 2009 predictions:

http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/01/03/cassandras/

More coverage of that claimed link between drought and the
fall of Rome:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/29/roman-empire-cave.html

That Villa delle Vignacce story is still bouncing around:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Well+known+baths+awash+hidden+artifacts+rare+finds/\
1086776/story.html

Review of Mary Beard, *Fires of Vesuvius*:

http://www.tampabay.com/SearchForwardServlet.do?articleId=955342

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/
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EUROPE AND THE UK (+ Ireland)
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Bulgarian archaeologists are claiming to have found 'the most
ancient civilization' in Europe:

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n165021
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-67086.html

A 3rd/2nd century B.C. Celtic village near Krakow:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081229105039.htm

Archaeologists in Cyprus are concerned for Old Nicosia:

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=43264&archive=1

A link between Chester and Stonehenge?:

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2009/01/02/pla\
que-may-provide-link-with-stonehenge-59067-22588788/

A 1000 b.p. burial site at Dorset:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7804287.stm
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-67083.html

Looks like they're playing politics with Hadrian's Wall:

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.296481

Reconstructing patterns of Spanish droughts:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217192739.htm

Review of Peter Ackroyd, *Thames*:

http://features.csmonitor.com/books/2008/12/30/thames-the-biography/

Archaeology in Europe Blog:

http://www.archaeology.eu.com/weblog/index.html
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ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC
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Vague item on a clumsy villager finding some ancient skeletal
remains near Malacca:

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/1/2/southneast/2915170&sec=sout\
hneast

A large section of the Great Wall from Inner Mongolia is missing:

http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-66900.html

Nice feature on Qianlong's retirement residence restoration:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/01/arts/01forb.php

Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog:

http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/

New Zealand Archaeology eNews:

http://www.nzarchaeology.org/netsubnews.htm
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NORTH AMERICA
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Did a meteorite cause a tsunami which hit the New York area some
2300 y.b.p.?:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081231-new-york-tsunami.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/nyregion/30tsunami.html
A mysterious stone circle in Arizona:

http://news.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1017882
http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/arizona-20090102-sierra-vista-old\
-artifact.2f5ca411.html
http://www.azcentral.com/rsslinks/869844

Finds from various periods prior to bridge construction near
Louisville:

http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/644484.html
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081229/NEWS01/812290381/1008

Divers have found the wreck of the Trajan in Newport Harbor:

http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/81248.html

Bringing archaeology (sort of) into the legend of Madoc:

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/251/story/558887.html

Brief item on the discovery of some Native American remains in Friant:

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1099425.html

Dating a pile of items found at dig in Oklahoma:

http://www.kfsm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9586845

Did comets cause the Younger Dryas (with all the baggage that
goes with it)?:

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE5013YZ20090102
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010101490.\
html
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/nationworld/106608.php
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5432002.ece
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=did-a-comet-hit-earth-12900-years-ago
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090101172136.htm
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2008582079_nano02.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/02/comet.diamonds/index.html

More coverage of that Alaskan-dna-not-matching story:

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/rural/southeast/story/636254.html
http://www.ktva.com/alaskanews/ci_11330898
http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=9591078
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CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
================================================================
Plenty of excitement as construction workers find a 250-year-old
ship near the old port of Buenos Aires:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7805549.stm
http://www.physorg.com/news149923563.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_argentina_buried_ship_2
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/world/story/443263.html
http://www.thestate.com/world/story/635504.html
http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=540711
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/31/spanish-galleon-buenos-aires

Human migration into the Amazon Basin apparently occurred much
earlier than previously thought:

http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/materia/9905/especiais/migracao-bem-anterior.htm

Mike Ruggeri's Ancient Americas Breaking News:

http://web.mac.com/michaelruggeri

Ancient MesoAmerica News:

http://ancient-mesoamerica-news-updates.blogspot.com/
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OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
================================================================
Archaeorama ponders what 2009 will bring to archaeology:

http://blogs.discovery.com/news_archaeorama/2008/12/archaeoramas-ne.html

Feature on the digitization of the Cairo Geniza(h):

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5434643.ece

Interesting item on historical drunken euphemisms:

http://proof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/besotted-etymologically-that-is/

Plans to rebuild Berlin's Palace of the Republic (maybe):

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/arts/design/01abroad.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/01/arts/01abroad.php

A group from UVa will be doing some reconstructions with
supercomputers:

http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/education/article/uva_scientists_mar\
ry_humanities_technology/33488/

Dickens may have been mistaken about Oliver Twist's diet:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/30/healthscience/30diet.php

Moby Dick as an allegory for the 21st-century U.S.:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/dec/08/moby-dick-nationa\
l-book

Review of another bit of fiction with an archaeologist as the
main character:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/4014282/The-Hidden-by-Tobia\
s-Hill---review.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/
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TOURISTY THINGS
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Greece:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090104/LIVING03/901040312/1085/LIVING03
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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/
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CRIME BEAT
================================================================
The story of a criminal curator at the V&A:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/stealing-beauty-ndash-the-cura\
tor-who-took-priceless-piece-after-priceless-piece-1222860.html

Looting Matters:

http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/
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NUMISMATICA
================================================================
Imperial Coins newsletter:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2008582079_nano02.html

Revisiting the opening of the Denver Mint:

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/23/sept-2-1904-coins-begin-rollin\
g-mint/

Money of the Civil War:

http://www.us-coin-values-advisor.com/civil-war-coins.html

More coverage of that Jerusalem coin hoard:

http://www.jewishvoicesnj.org/news/2008/1231/mideast/011.html

Ancient Coin Collecting:

http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/

Ancient Coins:

http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/
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EXHIBITIONS, AUCTIONS, AND MUSEUM-RELATED
================================================================
Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries:

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2008/12/30/7878096-sun.html

Guercino:

http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2008-12-29_129273285.html

The Painted Tomb-chapel of Nebamun:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jan/04/british-museum-egyptian-nebam\
un-tomb

Oldest Hannukah Menorah:

http://www.bignews.biz/?id=791791&keys=DavidHBrooks-davidhbrooks-DHB-davidbrooks

Turner and Italy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/arts/design/01turn.html

Anadlucia's Roman heritage:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7807531.stm

Colin Renfrew was all set to praise the Getty and condemn the
Met for their acquisition policies:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/01/gettys-antiquit.html

... then he decided to lighten the tone a bit:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/01/metropolitan-mu.html

Something definitely has been lost in translation in this one ... a
Turkish housewife is opening her own museum with her own artifacts
(perhaps this presages a Crime Beat story) ... nice anachronism
at the end:

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/lifestyle/10682691.asp?scr=1

Neil MacGregor is "Briton of the Year":

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article5429672.ece
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/arts/design/03arts-MUSEUMDIRECT_BRF.html

The King Tut exhibit might not be the moneymaker it was thought
to be:

http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige/museums/one_time_sure_thing_king_tut_exhibit_\
now_struggling_to_make_money_104547.asp

An update of sorts on the problems with Canada's National Gallery:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/arts/design/29gall.html?_r=1
================================================================
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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to archaeology or history prior to about 1700 or so is fair
game) and every Sunday they are delivered to your mailbox free of
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