================================================================
explorator 12.03 May 10, 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 Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Donna Hurst, Edward Rockstein,
Hernan Astudillo, John McMahon, John McChesney-Young, Joseph Lauer,
Mike Ruggeri, Richard C. Griffiths, Richard Campbell, Joos Postma,
Rochelle Altman, Trevor Watkins, and Ross W. Sargent for headses upses
this week (as always hoping I have left no one out).

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers and mother-figures out there!
================================================================
EARLY HUMANS
================================================================
This week, homo floresiensis is considered a separate species:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8036396.stm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090507/ts_afp/scienceanthropologyindonesiahobbits_\
20090507011503
http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2009/05/07/ancient-hobbit-humans-a-new-species\
/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/07/hobbit-indonesia-primates-research
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090506/full/news.2009.448.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/evolution/5285290/The-or\
iginal-hobbits-whose-brain-shrank-due-to-remote-home.html
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/06/hobbit-species.html

... with foot problems (pretty much the same info spun differently):

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/science/07hobbit.html (JNW)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090506144307.htm

... and the dwarf hippo connection:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507185535.htm
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/pie/hipopotamos/ayudan/interpretar/Hobbi\
t/elpepusoc/20090506elpepusoc_7/Tes

An early human appears to have run afoul of a hyena:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/archeology/5299352/200000-year-old-\
human-hair-found-in-dung.html

'Biocide resistance' seems to be a problem in preserving Lascaux:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/43632/title/Biocides_inducing_resista\
nce_in_Lascaux_cave%E2%80%99s_microbes

Haven't had a facial reconstruction for a few weeks, so here's one of
the 'earliest european':

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1683473/forensic_scientist_recreates_face_o\
f_earliest_european/index.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/revealed-the-face--of-the-first-europe\
an-1678537.html
http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-32431.html
================================================================
AFRICA
================================================================
Remember those 'oldest beads' found a while ago? They might be
even older:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505163021.htm
http://www.ccnmag.com/article/82,000-year-old_beads_discovered_in_ancient_cave
================================================================
ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
Getting a pile of coverage this week is a story suggesting the
famous bust of Nefertiti is a fake:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/may/07/nefertiti-bust-berlin-egypt-a\
uthenticity
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=1017\
37
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2009/05/09/nefertiti-bust-fake.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hesdEvM5E_PC4GzRm3iHA9fAYdQg
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090505/ts_afp/entertainmentarthistoryegyptgermany
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25436791-12377,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8038097.stm

... not much of the coverage includes Zahi Hawass' response to the claim:

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/05/09/72373.html

A 5000 b.p. tomb near the Lahun pyramid:

http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE54445920090505
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/middle_east/8035748.stm

That Egyptian fortress in the Sinai is getting renewed coverage (I
think this is the same one as a few weeks ago, no?):

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE5465N120090507
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre5465n1-us-egypt-archaeology/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/photogalleries/ancient-egypt-tem\
ples-pictures/index.html

... perhaps this 'Karnak connection' is the reason for the renewed
coverage:

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1684994/egyptian_inscriptions_used_to_map_o\
ther_ancient_military_outposts/index.html?source=r_science

Identifiying the herbs in Egyptian medicines:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090504/ART16/905040309

Israeli police have recovered a 1900 b.p. Hebrew papyrus which was
on the illegal antiquities market (more coverage under 'crime beat'):

http://www.antiquities.org.il/about_eng.asp?Modul_id=14
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=1083530
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710880134&pagename=JPost/JPArticl\
e/ShowFull

Nabatean pottery from near Jeddah:

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=122347&d=9&m=5&y=2009

Now tourism is a threat to Iraq's antiquities:

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidANA20090508T040659ZDWI14/New%20threat%20to%20I\
raq's%20antiquities%20-%20tourism

There's a new archaeological garden near the Knesset:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131236
http://www.antiquities.org.il/about_eng.asp?Modul_id=14

Rachel Elior's theories continue to garner press coverage:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710889763&pagename=JPArticle%2FSh\
owFull

... related:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710889686&pagename=JPost/JPArticl\
e/ShowFull

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)
================================================================
Remains of a Roman 'shanty twon' from Bowes:

http://www.teesdalemercury.co.uk/teesdale-news/story,2088.html

Some folks who stole a chunk of the Colosseum 25 years ago have
returned it:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30639987/
http://www.azcentral.com/rsslinks/1031213
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5293725/US-couple-return\
-ancient-artifact-to-Rome-after-25-years.html

Plans to build a highrise next to the site of Plato's Academy
have been scrapped:

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100002_07/05/2009_106913

Haven't had a decline-of-Rome-parallel piece for a while, so:

http://www.forbes.com/global/2009/0511/056-stocks-commodities-oil-short-the-west\
.html

In case you missed the 3d catacombs story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/8027650.stm
http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-32450.html

Rome was built in a day ... sort of:

http://www.archaeology.org/0907/trenches/liz_glynn.html

Romes 'talking statues' are getting some 'censorship' (?):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30587334/

... while UNESCO sites in Paphos apparently can't be cleaned up:

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=45568&cat_id=1

Latest in the Alexander 'chess game' between Greece and FYROM:

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/6596/2/
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/18719/
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=320&\
NrSection=2&NrArticle=20555

The Ephebe as Lampbearer is on display at the Getty:

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=30689
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/05/getty-pompeii.html

Interesting bequest to a couple of Australian universities:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/classical-greek-and-latin-alive-and-wel\
l-20090503-argj.html
http://www.smh.com.au/national/classical-greek-and-latin-alive-and-well-20090503\
-argj.html

The Marbles Reunited folks are back in the news:

http://au.sys-con.com/node/950449

... not sure if this was connected or not:

http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=7576624&maindocimg=1328581&s\
ervice=144

Susan Mazur reviews Vernon Silver, *The Lost Chalice*:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0905/S00036.htm

Recent reviews from BMCR:

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

Recent reviews from Scholia:

http://www.classics.ukzn.ac.za/reviews/2009.htm

Visit our blog:

http://rogueclassicism.com/

Mediterranean Archaeology:

http://medarch.blogspot.com/
================================================================
EUROPE AND THE UK (+ Ireland)
================================================================
A very old wooden spear tip from Slovenia:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Tech%2Band%2BScience/Story/STIStory_\
373630.html

Archaeologists are going to be looking for remains of a Redcoat
camp near Fort Augustus:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8028966.stm

A 'lost' Medieval church found:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/8039915.stm

A Medieval button found a couple of years ago has been declared
treasure:

http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/4347556.Medieval_button_declared__treasure_\
/

A Viking ship from a Swedish lake:

http://www.thelocal.se/19342/20090508/

They're excavating a mass WWI grave in France:

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-eu-france-wwi-graves,0\
,2360956.story
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10570466&ref=rs\
s

Bulgaria is seeking UNESCO Heritage Status for its 'Valley of the Kings':

http://www.bnr.bg/RadioBulgaria/Emission_English/News/0905B5.htm
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=103440

A 1641 'passport':

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8036982.stm

Archaeology in Europe Blog:

http://www.archaeology.eu.com/weblog/index.html
================================================================
ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC
================================================================
A prehistoric cave site from Guizhou province:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/08/content_11335403.htm

Some very well preserved Joseon Dynasty burials:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2904524

They're returning to the Peking Man site:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/04/content_11312426.htm

Interesting item on attempts to 'modernize' China's written language:

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/chinese-language-ever-evolving\
/

Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog:

http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/

New Zealand Archaeology eNews:

http://www.nzarchaeology.org/netsubnews.htm
================================================================
NORTH AMERICA
================================================================
Possible evidence of a tsunami hitting the New York region 2300 years b.p.:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8028949.stm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/04/tech/main4988732.shtml?source=RSSattr=\
HOME_4988732

A Middle Woodland site from Anne Arundel County:

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/05/04-10/Dig-ask-dig-some-more.ht\
ml

Some burial mound finds are hold up creation of an artificial lake
in Florida:

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090505/NEWS01/905050321/1006/rss01

Flood damage inspection at Knife River Indian Villages revealed some
archaeological
sites too:

http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=29885

Hype for an upcoming dig of the William Ladd homestead site in
Minot (Maine):

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/316291-3/LewistonAuburn/Hilltop_dig_may_unearth_\
peacemovement_relics/

More details of what they've found at the Macon Airport site
(prior to runway extension):

http://www.thefranklinpress.com/articles/2009/05/08/news/02news.txt

More on those Franklin letters found in the British Museum:

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/may/05/ucsd-professor-discovers-important-franklin\
-letter/

Review of T.J. Stiles, *The First Tycoon*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/books/review/Kazin-t.html

================================================================
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
================================================================
Some 'Tenon Heads' from Peru:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=mLXMZsqstxc=

A large Tarascan 'ritual complex' near Lake Patzcuaro:

http://newsinfo.colostate.edu/index.asp?url=news_item_display&news_item_id=59658\
2858

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
================================================================
Latest claim from the art world -- Gaugin cut off van Gogh's ear:

http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/31320/book-claims-gauguin-lopped-off-van-goghs\
-ear/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/arts/design/06arts-WASGAUGUINTH_BRF.html

Trying to preserve some Tesla sites:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/science/05tesla.html

Nice feature on technology and ancient manuscripts:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124173896716198603.html

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland have made the 2009 Rhind Lectures
(looking at various aspects of the Neolithic Revolution by Trevor Watkins)
available online:

http://www.socantscot.org/article.asp?aid=257

Latest on Leonardo's Codex Atlanticus:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/arts/09leon.html
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/paseo/geniales/artilugios/Leonardo/elppgl\
/20090505elpepucul_8/Tes

Handling pirates in the 'Golden Age':

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103691069

How Google scans all those books:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/library/2009/04/the_granting_of_patent_7508978.html

They might allow women into the Vatican army:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8035235.stm

Review of a novel featuring Richard (Francis) Burton:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/books/review/Macintyre-t.html

More reviews of Darwiniana:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/books/review/Barcott-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
================================================================
Seoul:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090507/utravel/travel_seoul_on_a_budget_1

Luxor:

http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2009/0508/travel/085.html

Paestum:

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trw-mozzarellapaestumside10-2009may10,0,5221260\
.story
================================================================
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
================================================================
CSA newsletter (April 2009):

http://csanet.org/newsletter/#spring09

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
================================================================
Israeli police foiled an attempt to sell a 1900 b.p. Hebrew papyrus
document:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090506/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_plundered_scroll_3
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519167,00.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQWGVP3Y1d5UO2kgW4ZZNLVC5lEwD9\
80QU400
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131223
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3711796,00.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1083530.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jBxDr_P7MhQGzSG9r8HUzdBAjKiw
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30605650/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/8036881.stm
http://www.thestar.com/article/630300
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/05/06/1004957/israeli-police-seize-ancient-hebr\
ew-scroll

... and an "amateur antiques hunter" in Tubas was arrested:

http://beth.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37650

eBay is apparently having a 'chilling effect' on the looting of antiquities:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504193641.htm
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=ebay-lessens-antiquitie\
s-looting-09-05-06
http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/05/ebay_vs_the_tomb\
_raiders/
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-05/uoc--ehu050409.php
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/may/10/ebay
http://www.archaeology.org/0905/etc/insider.html
http://www.physorg.com/news160667205.html

An attempted sale of a Sarnath idol was foiled in India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Person-trying-to-sell-ancient-idol-nab\
bed/articleshow/4488749.cms

Looting Matters:

http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/
================================================================
NUMISMATICA
================================================================
The largest known (and previously unknown) Roman silver coin is
coming to auction:

http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=6658

... as is a hoard of Jacobite gold coins:

http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/7136.aspx

Nice feature on the Ancient Coins for Education program:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09115/965529-55.stm

Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of US and Colonial Coins:

http://breenencyclopedia.com/index.html

Ancient Coin Collecting:

http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/

Ancient Coins:

http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/
================================================================
EXHIBITIONS, AUCTIONS, AND MUSEUM-RELATED
================================================================
Pompeii and the Roman Villa:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-pompeii9-2009may09,0,559376\
2.storylink
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-05-05_105355345.html

Amsterdam/New Amsterdam:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/arts/design/09huds.html

Painted Metaphors (Maya):

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124148062911385269.html

Al Ain Museum:

http://www.aam.gov.ae/sections/archaeology.htm

OpEddish thing on who should own antiqutities:

http://www.onthecommons.org/content.php?id=2436

A pile of 16th century torture devices are coming to auction:

http://news.therecord.com/article/532701

Women can now see some of the treasures from Mount Athos:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/after-1000-years-women-can-see-tr\
easures-of-mount-athos-1679730.html

The Blanton Museum of Art has a new director:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/arts/design/09arts-NEWDIRECTORF_BRF.html


Latest in the Brandeis/Rose Art Museum saga:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/arts/design/05arts-CRITICISMOFI_BRF.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/may/05/rose-art-museum

Latest on the Met's 'Crystal Palace':

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/arts/design/05met.html

Some hype for the soon-to-be-opening Acropolis Museum:

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/civ_1KathiLev&xml/&aspKath/civ.asp&fdate=\
05/05/2009Celebratingbeneath

Strategies for raising funds for acquisitions:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/arts/design/10fink.html

... and scaling back on the 'big shows':

http://www.daytondailynews.com/entertainment/ohio-theater-arts/museums-forced-to\
-scale-back-on-blockbusters-113402.html?showComments=true

Not a lot (groan) seems to be being offered at the big auctions any more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/arts/09iht-melik9.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/arts/design/06auction.html

... but antiques dealers seem to be doing well:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/business/smallbusiness/07sbiz.html

Check out what's coming up to auction at Christies:

http://www.christies.com/Lotfinder/searchresults.aspx?searchids=3635|8222#action\
=refine&selectedids=3635|8222&sid=0f9e966f-5360-4b15-a737-d2979de0e5e6

... and news of (non)restructuring:

http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/7125.aspx

Assorted auction and antiquities news:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/arts/design/08anti.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/arts/design/08arts-TREASURETROV_BRF.html
================================================================
PERFORMANCES AND THEATRE-RELATED
================================================================
Merchant of Venice:

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/theater/reviews/08merc.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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game) and every Sunday they are delivered to your mailbox free of
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