================================================================
explorator 11.45 March 1, 2009
================================================================
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 all who answered my question about html links last
weekend; I'm hoping to implement that style of link in the near
future but have to do a bit more fiddling.
================================================================
================================================================
Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Diana Wright, Donna Hurst,
Edward Rockstein, Rick Heli, Hernan Astudillo, Joan Griffith,
Deborah N. Carlson, John McMahon, Joseph Lauer, Mike Ruggeri,
Michael Oberndorf, Richard C. Griffiths, Rochelle Altman,
William Gebhardt, Ross W. Sargent, and Towse Harrison for headses
upses this week (as always hoping I have left no one out).
================================================================
EARLY HUMANS
================================================================
Plenty of coverage of an early hominid footprint find from Kenya:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/7913375.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/27/earliest-human-footprint-found
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2009/02/26/8547546-ap.html
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=15-million-footprints-uncover
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090227/sc_nm/us_footprint_ancient_2
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/rutgers_university_students_fi.html
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/feet+the+same+after+15m\
+years/3003462
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5812463.ece
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/02/26/kenya.footprints/index.html?eref=ib_t\
opstories
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/140546.php
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/02/27/MNR7165PFH.DTL
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101191786
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/science/27foot.html (JNW)

At least once a year we hear about this fungus problem at Lascaux:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/27/france-cave-fungus.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_sc/eu_france_cave_drawings_5

More on the Neanderthal genome:

http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_11789588?source=rss
================================================================
AFRICA
================================================================
A sort of general archaeology-in-Libya piece:

http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13034&Itemid=5\
821
================================================================
ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
Some more (4) sarcophagi from a tomb in Saqqara:

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1645759/archeologists_uncover_wooden_sarcop\
haguses_in_egypt/
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE51P39O20090226
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Saqqara-Reveals-Wooden-Sarcophagi-105534.shtml
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090226/sc_nm/us_egypt_sarcophaguses_1
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aPErvWkPyv2E&refer=muse
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/International/wireStory?id=6963537

... I'm pretty sure these ones from Dashur are the same as above
(but the source is Dr Hawass' blog, so it's a bit different than
the regular press coverage):

http://www.drhawass.com/blog/press-release-wooden-coffins-and-ushabti-figurines-\
found-dahshur

Cleaning operations near Menkaure's pyramid revealed a small statue
of some unidentified persona:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090224/sc_nm/us_egypt_statue_2
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/257244,ancient-statue-discovered-in-%20e\
gyptian-pyramid-during-cleaning.html
http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/30537/4500-year-old-wig-wearing-statue-found-n\
ear-pyramid/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29368122/
http://news.scotsman.com/world/Statue-unearthed-at--Giza.5012405.jp

Some Garden of Eden stuff (Gobekli Tepe):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1157784/Do-mysterious-stones-mark\
-site-Garden-Eden.html

A cuneiform tablet from Homs:

http://www.sana.sy/eng/35/2009/02/19/213522.htm

Bridge construction whcih threatened Naqsh-e Rustam has been cancelled:

http://www.payvand.com/news/09/feb/1347.html

Interesting First/Second Temple site from Umm Tuba:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1235410694625&pagename=JPost%2FJPArti\
cle%2FShowFull
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1066361.html
http://cwnewz.com/content/view/619/2/
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel+beyond+politics/Royal-seal-impressions-discover\
ed-23-Feb-2009.htm
http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Cultura/?id=3.0.3054139368 (Italian)
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/02/23/1003218/biblical-seal-impressions-found-i\
n-jerusalem

Some more fragments of the Turin King List have been identified:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/27/egyptian-papyrus.html
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-102126.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29430681/

Can't remember if we mentioned this inscription-on-a-skull story when
it first came out:

http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=35&Issue=2&ArticleID=9

This story of a retired farmer's project to build a model of Herod's
Temple was making the rounds this week:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/4837608/Farmer-builds-model-\
of-Biblical-temple.html
http://tinyurl.com/balpqv (photos ... wow!)

Nice feature on the ongoing work at the synagogue at Umm el-Kanatir:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304824152&pagename=JPost/JPArticl\
e/ShowFull

More coverage of the Nefertiti nefariousness:

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/935/he1.htm

In case you missed the Heliodorus Stele fragments story:

http://www.antiquities.org.il/article_Item_eng.asp?sec_id=25&subj_id=240&id=1493\
&module_id=#as
http://www.antiquities.org.il/images/press/iaa_heliodoros.zip (photos)

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)
================================================================
The Kizilburun shipwreck's cargo was destined for a Greek temple:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090223-roman-shipwreck-turkey-mi\
ssions.html

A fresh round of concern for underwater sites in Greece:

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200902/20090224/article_392044.htm

A so-called Etruscan vase moon rising:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090223.html

Construction folks have dug up a Roman pot in Highworth:

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/4145675.Builders_dig_up_ancient_Roman_po\
t/

Colchester's Roman Circus is up for sale:

http://www.essexcountystandard.co.uk/news/4139331.Colchester__Roman_circus_to_be\
_sold_alongside_sergeant_s_mess/

Battlestar Galactica as a retelling of the Aeneid:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2009/02/27/is-batt\
lestar-galactica-a-retelling-of-the-aeneid.aspx

A triangular temple (!) from Cyprus:

http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/003194.html

More on that ISIS scanning technology ... this time with a Classical
spin:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/satf-oop022409.php



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 metal detectorist has found a medieval ring near Flint:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/02/26/flint-metal-detector\
-finds-medieval-ring-in-farm-field-55578-23013472/

Despite a recent find, scholars are still pretty much stumped about
"Southwest Script":

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_re_eu/eu_portugal_lost_language_1
http://www.whotv.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-portugal-lost-language,0,709902.\
story
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/02/28/news/doc49a983b5b0e7a807652122.txt
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11809904
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gviH8MrBKH1ZmFJT-konqjBCs7XQD9\
6KNS400

Concerns about Odyssey Marine's treatment of the HMS Victory:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/guernsey/7915104.stm

The Timewatch folks have a nice video of those Elizabethan cannons
mentioned last week:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/elizabethsarmada/

Archaeology in Europe Blog:

http://www.archaeology.eu.com/weblog/index.html
================================================================
ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC
================================================================
A 2000 b.p. Shiva shrine from Uttar Pradesh:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/2000-yr-old-Shiva-shrine-found/rssartic\
leshow/4172761.cms

Not sure when this is from, but it's involves (very) interesting elongated
skulls found in Siberia:

http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2009/02/elongated-skulls-found-in-siberia.html

Plenty o' stuff found during the restoration of a Perth cathedral site:

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=11932

Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog:

http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/

New Zealand Archaeology eNews:

http://www.nzarchaeology.org/netsubnews.htm
================================================================
NORTH AMERICA
================================================================
Some landscapers digging a fishpond in Colorado came across some
Clovis tools:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225132355.htm
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008789802_apancienttools.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,501285,00.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_sc/ancient_tools_4
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/18794396/detail.html
http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-t6-college-weapons_0228.artfeb28,0,11\
64966.story
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/us/26tools.html
http://www.colorado.edu/news/r/1124c0243883c267a7759da4bc4a2902.html
http://www.emol.com/noticias/internacional/detalle/detallenoticias.asp?idnoticia\
=346443
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ANCIENT_TOOLS?SITE=NJVIN&SECTION=HOME&TEM\
PLATE=DEFAULT

... National Geographic puts a different emphasis on this one:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090227-ice-age-tools.html

Digging Latta House:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4606268/

Bybeen Pottery has been around for 200 years:

http://www.kentucky.com/964/story/702106.html

Searching for long-lost burials in a cemetery in Santa Monica
Canyon:

http://www.today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/archaeologists-join-hunt-for-long-82682.aspx

Archaeological sites on desert military bases:

http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_archaeology22.3d0f1\
14.html?npc
================================================================
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
================================================================
Possible oldest site and/or origin of cave art in the Americas:

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=328485&CategoryId=12394

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
================================================================
Interesting coverage of the folding of the Rocky Mountain News:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/us/28rocky.html

Once again, DNA confirms the identity of the remains of some of
Nicholas II's children:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225132526.htm

An early Leonardo portrait?:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7916351.stm
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/ar\
ticle5785697.ece
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090227/stage_nm/us_italy_leonardo

Galileo's finger is going on display:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/4861889/Galileos-finger-g\
oes-on-display-in-Italy.html
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-02-26_126317874.html

Identifying the oldest English words:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/7911645.stm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/I-we-two-Oldest-words-in-English/articl\
eshow/4198133.cms

Studying the effects of the 1816 Tambora eruption:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225161422.htm

Concerns about trawlers destroying underwater sites:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/feb/22/marine-archaeology-sunken-ships

An interview (transcript) with Jane Burleigh (with typos galore):

http://www.soundauthors.com/nina-burleigh-live-on-sound-authors.htm

Nice feature on the Battle of Poltava:

http://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=33208

The latest 'dying languages' piece:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100874724

A tale of errata in the Encyclopedia Judaica:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1235410694161&pagename=JPost/JPArticl\
e/ShowFull

Terrorism impacting archaeology:

http://www.heraldnews.com/opinions/x1658751189/FOCUS-Terrorism-impacting-archaeo\
logy-02-22-09

More Zombie Austen:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/weekinreview/22schuessler.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
================================================================
Ithaca:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5798358.ece

Cubagua:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/world/americas/25venez.html

Turkey's top ten museums:

http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=168292
================================================================
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
================================================================
Digital Humanities Quarterly (Winter 2009)

http://www.digitalhumanities.org/dhq/

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
================================================================
Organized gangs are stealing tiles from Portugal's heritage sites:

http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=999-28

Italy returned a number of smuggled items to Bulgaria:

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/257233,italy-returns-2200-smuggled-works\
-of-art-to-bulgaria.html
http://bsanna-news.ukrinform.ua/newsitem.php?id=8299&lang=en

Looting Matters:

http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/
================================================================
NUMISMATICA
================================================================
Ancient Coin Collecting:

http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/

Ancient Coins:

http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/
================================================================
EXHIBITIONS, AUCTIONS, AND MUSEUM-RELATED
================================================================
Real Pirates:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=6679816

Cezanne and Beyond:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101142961

Okay ... the Iraqi National Museum did open up after all:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7905000.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7905968.stm
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2008798588_iraqmuseum01.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwK_CSpBxsNuVUEaDuOwmSSCiqGwD9\
6H6TA82
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-02/23/content_10877470.htm
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/23/baghdad.museum.opening/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article5792704.ece
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090223/ts_afp/iraqculturemuseumopen_20090223153947
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=9957\
3
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/world/middleeast/24museum.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/24/nationa-museum-of-iraq
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/24/iraq-artefacts-art
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/23/world/AP-ML-Iraq.html
http://www.france24.com/en/20090223-iraq-national-museum-reopens-us-invasion-ant\
iquities-heritage-baghdad-treasures
http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2009/02/restored-baghdad-museum-dedicated-2

... and talks are still being given about the looting thereof:

http://www.asuherald.com/news/2009/02/23/News/Professor.Stresses.Importance.Of.S\
tolen.Destroyed.Antiquities-3643720.shtml

... while Italy is planning a virtual Baghdad Museum:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g3PR9mFBRoLLT0rNXSyNob_V3MOQD9\
6INNA81

Bronzes from France:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/design/27bron.html

Some European paintings at the Frick:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/design/27fric.html

Another state-of-the-art-market piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/magazine/01Brothers-t.html

... while a Matisse fetches a record price:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/23/world/AP-EU-France-Saint-Laurent-Auct\
ion.html

Layoffs at the Walters:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/design/27arts-ANOTHERARTMU_BRF.html

... and elsewhere:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/arts/design/26arts-BUDGETCUTSBR_BRF.html

Don't think we've ever mentioned antique spittoons before:

... and the Met closes shop(s):

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/met-museum-to-close-shops-freeze-hi\
ring

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/design/27anti.html

Incredibly (over)ambitious plans for a submerged museumish thing at Seuthopolis:

http://www.topnews.in/submerged-ancient-thracian-city-see-daylight-bulgaria-2130\
657

... probably inspired by the Alexandria thing:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/20/alexandria-sunken-treasures-underwat\
er-museum

They were/are on strike at the Acropolis again:

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100005_27/02/2009_105102

The results of the Yves Saint Laurent auction:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-02/26/content_7516779.htm
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iMlIwXK4NqE1vLtFIWOPIsc5x3Vg
http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Abroad/0,,2-1225-1243_2476371,00.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100962267
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/world/europe/27auction.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/world/europe/26auction.html

In the aftermath, China responded by putting more controls on auctions:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aVRJlc8zoqLk&refer=asia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7911691.stm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/24/AR2009022402290.\
html

... background:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5811722.ece
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101133231
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/23/world/AP-EU-France-Saint-Laurent-Auct\
ion.html
http://www.france24.com/en/20090226-china-demands-return-christies-looted-relics\
-yves-saint-laurent-auction-paris

... and, of course, the obligatory patrimony oped pieces:

http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090227-191362/More-nation\
s-demanding-return-of-relics

Pondering the fate of some art formerly belonging to Nicholas Ceausescu:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/arts/design/26abroad.html
================================================================
PERFORMANCES AND THEATRE-RELATED
================================================================
Layla and Majnun:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/arts/music/01toum.html

Othello:

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/theater/reviews/24othe.html

Winter's Tale:

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/theater/reviews/23winter.html

Odyssey:

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/02/25/an_inspired_journey_in\
_this_odyssey
================================================================
ON THE WEB
================================================================

================================================================
OBITUARIES
================================================================
Gerald Myers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/arts/dance/23myers.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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email source) without my express written permission. I think it
is only right that I be made aware of public fora which are
making use of content gathered in Explorator. Thanks!
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