August 28th, 2011
Excavations on Bulgaria's St. Ivan island a success -- report
The new archaeological excavations on the island of Saint Ivan close to the seaside town of Sozopol are successful, Tsonya Drazheva, deputy head of the excavations, said.
Quoted by local news agency Focus, she said that the team’s priority this year was to unearth the remaining part of the earliest Christian church where the relics said to be those of John the Baptist were discovered in 2010. (The Sophia Echo)
(Photo: Ecomedia archive)
Thirst for gold threatens historic mining center in Romania
..........The village of Rosia Montana is one of the oldest mining sites in the world, where precious metals have been extracted underground for almost 2,000 years. The grandeur of the Roman Empire was bankrolled with local gold, and some of the original tunnels still exist, offering invaluable treasures to archaeologists and historians alike.
But the mining project, if realized, would inevitably destroy most of those tunnels, both ancient and modern. (Fort Mill Times)
Most Oak Harbor officials knew about archaeological site before project started
Everybody knew.
Or at least very few Oak Harbor decision-makers can legitimately claim they had no prior knowledge of a known archaeological site near SE Pioneer Way, according to city documents obtained through a Whidbey News-Times public records request.
If they didn’t work on the project directly, they were provided with documents that revealed both the site’s existence and the warnings of state regulators to take the appropriate steps before construction began. Those who received the information include every single member of the city council.
The records reveal that some city officials, primarily project leaders, have known about the site for years, as far back as 2007, and that they received repeated warnings from the city’s own hired consulting firm to follow the state’s recommendations regarding the handling of Native American remains.
While it’s still unclear why none of the suggestions were followed, the subsequent discovery of Native American remains on SE Pioneer Way this past June has put the city’s $7.75 million downtown road project at least a month behind schedule, racked up more than $200,000 in unexpected bills, and may have left Oak Harbor vulnerable to lawsuits. (Whidbey News-Times)
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August 27th, 2011
Archaeologists searching for King Arthur's round table have found a "circular feature" beneath the historic King's Knot in Stirling. (The Telegraph)
Archaeologists, Portland Community College students, volunteers and a high school teacher sifted through piles of muck near Woodburn High School last weekend in search of treasure — in this case, the bones of beasts who lived several thousand years ago. (Statesman Journal)
Camp that held Rommel's men surrenders its secrets
A trove of Second World War memorabilia from soldiers of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps captured by the British at El Alamein has been discovered in an archaeological dig at the wilderness camp where they wee held. (Scotsman)
Buy a slice of history at a house with a past
House buyers could get more than they bargained for when they visit a property with a historic past. The picturesque exterior of the 18th Century Bath House, in Piercebridge, near Darlington, hides an archaeologist’s dream of Roman and medieval remains. (Darlington and Stockton Times)
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August 26th, 2011
Didn't catch that cold going around? You just may be part Neanderthal, study suggests
If you've noticed that you're visiting the doctor a lot less than most of your friends and neighbors, it could be that you have a distant, ancient archaic human ancestor to thank for that. A recent study by a Stanford University-led research team found that an admixture of certain genes between early modern humans and other species of archaic humans, the Neanderthals and the Denisovans, led to strengthened immune systems among at least some modern humans today. (Popular Archaeology)
Here to eternity
Nothing about the countryside surrounding the central Chinese city of Xi'an hints at the archaeological wonders buried beneath the surface. This was certainly how the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, intended it. Ruling in the 3rd century BC, he ordered 700,000 workers to build a terracotta army for his afterlife and killed them when his tomb was completed 38 years later, so no one would reveal its location. (TheAge.com.au)
Three medieval walls found at Maenan Abbey Hotel, Conwy
Three medieval walls, thought to be nearly 700 years old, have been found in the grounds of a Conwy hotel. Drainage work at the Maenan Abbey Hotel, near Llanrwst, unearthed two walls - one thought to be the original abbey's cloister wall - underground. On Monday, a third wall was discovered and ancient monuments agency Cadw are due to visit the site on Wednesday to decide how to proceed. (BBC News)
Ancient Anasazi site excavated along new highway route
A major archaeological find along the proposed route of a new highway is offering new insights to the people who inhabited Southern Utah 1,000 years ago. Archaeologists working with the Utah Department of Transportation gave The Spectrum & Daily News a tour Tuesday of the site east of Washington City, where five ancient Pueblo habitations were found at a site near what will soon be an overpass. One may have been built as early as 2,000 years ago. (TheSpectrum.com)
King Arthur Pendragon loses human remains legal battle
A druid who went to the High Court to try to stop researchers examining ancient human remains found at Stonehenge has failed in his legal bid. King Arthur Pendragon wanted the remains found in 2008 to be reburied immediately. He was fighting a Ministry of Justice decision allowing scientists at Sheffield University to analyse the samples for five more years. (BBC News)
August 25th, 2011
Saudis 'find evidence of early horse domestication'
Saudi officials say archaeologists have begun excavating a site that suggests horses were domesticated 9,000 years ago in the Arabian Peninsula. The vice-president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities said the discovery at al-Maqar challenged the theory it first took place 5,500 years ago in Central Asia. Ali al-Ghabban said it also changed what was known about the evolution of culture in the late Neolithic period. (BBC News)
Molars Say Cooking Is Almost 2 Million Years Old
Human molars and jaws responded to the invention of cooking by getting smaller. Fossils thus indicate that controlled-fire cooking probably originated about 1.9 million years ago. (Scientific American)
Crete Inhabited in 130,000 BC!
The archaeological team of the University of North Carolina in the U.S., analyzing soil and tools, concluded that Homo Erectus traveled to Crete and lived there almost 100,000 years earlier than originally believed, from as early as 130,000 BC. (Greek Reporter)
Medieval remains could lie under planned Shrewsbury college site
Medieval human remains could be lying underneath an area of land proposed for a new £1 million building at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, archaeologists have claimed. A report by Shropshire Council’s Archaeology Service is recommending that a field evaluation is carried out to determine exactly what is below a piece of land at the college in Priory Road. (Shropshire.com)
August 24th, 2011
Treasures of Dura-Europos Released for All to See
Many of us think of "diversity" today as pertaining to social initiatives or large cities with great populations like New York or London. Relatively few of us connect the word with historic or ancient towns and cities. But a new exhibition opening on September 23rd, 2011 in New York City promises to open the public's eyes to another, more ancient city that could be considered the quintessential historic example of the best potpourri of different cultures and people at any single location. (Popular Archaeology)
Researchers in a race against time on historic island
For hundreds of years a tiny island at the Maine-New Brunswick border has been a treasure trove of artifacts. It has yielded ancient burial sites, provided clues on Canada’s French settlers and was declared an international historic site. But after providing so much rich detail to both Canadian and American history books, St. Croix Island is facing the ravages of time. High levels of erosion are eating away at the uninhabited piece of land, and a small group of archaeologist is now hoping its work will help preserve the historic site. (TheStar.com)
DNA study deals blow to theory of European origin
A new study deals a blow to the idea that most European men are descended from farmers who migrated from the Near East 5,000-10,000 years ago. The findings challenge previous research showing that the genetic signature of the farmers displaced that of Europe's indigenous hunters. The latest research leans towards the idea that most of Europe's males trace a line of descent to stone-age hunters. But the authors say more work is needed to answer this question. (BBC News)
500 years ago, yeast's epic journey gave rise to lager beer
In the 15th century, when Europeans first began moving people and goods across the Atlantic, a microscopic stowaway somehow made its way to the caves and monasteries of Bavaria. The stowaway, a yeast that may have been transported from a distant shore on a piece of wood or in the stomach of a fruit fly, was destined for great things. In the dank caves and monastery cellars where 15th century brewmeisters stored their product, the newly arrived yeast fused with a distant relative, the domesticated yeast used for millennia to make leavened bread and ferment wine and ale. (GeneticArchaeology)
Neanderthal skull fragment discovered in Nice
Part of a prehistoric skull, dating back 170,000 years, has been discovered during an archaeological dig in Nice. Experts say the discovery could reveal important clues to the evolution of Neanderthals. (The Riviera Times)
Divers recover 'Lusitania' items
A DIVING expedition on the wreck of the Lusitania has recovered some key pieces of equipment, which were handed over to the receiver of wrecks last night. A bronze telemotor, which was part of the ship’s steering mechanism, was among the items recovered from the vessel, which sank 11 miles off Kinsale Head, Co Cork, in 1915 after it was torpedoed by a German submarine. (IrishTimes.com)
August 23rd, 2011
Buried in history: Knowing the who, where and why, but still searching for the when
Unearthing a relic from one of the first European settlements in the New World is cause for excitement and for some, it triggers a total loss of articulation. That’s how it was for Donna Lord recently at the site of Colonial Pemaquid in Bristol, which by all indications was settled by the English in the early 17th century, making it one of the earliest permanent settlements in the United States. (Bangor Daily News)
Ancient Buddhist college to be rebuilt and restored
The Dong Duong Buddhist College, a National Heritage site, would be given back its splendid beauty, a conference on the preservation of cultural relics in central Quang Nam Province was told on Wednesday. As one of the largest centres in Southeast Asia, the Buddhist college, located in a jungle, is now in ruins. (SEAArch)
Man Sent to Prison for Defacing Petroglyphs with Paintball Gun
A man who barraged a culturally sensitive area of Lake Mead National Recreation Area with a spattering of red and green paint was sentenced to prison today, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. David R. Smith pleaded guilty last May to defacing petroglyphs with oil-based pellets shot from a fully automatic paintball gun in March 2010, resulting in a 15-month sentence and an order to pay nearly $10,000 in restitution. (KCET.org)
Nonprofit being sued by Kellogg Co. over toucan logo
Kellogg Co. has its feathers ruffled over a bird perched in the logo of a nonprofit group from California.The company wants the San Ramon, Calif.-based Maya Archaeology Initiative to quit using a toucan in ITS logo, claiming the image infringes on Kellogg's Toucan Sam character and games, the group said in a press release issued Monday. (BattleCreekEnquirer.com)
August 22nd, 2011
Saving Ancient Nineveh
After 2,700 years, the walls and gates of ancient Nineveh can still be seen near the banks of the Tigris river just opposite the modern city of Mosul in Iraq. In ancient times, it was the capital of the great Assyrian empire, a city of more than 100,000 people, and it was a subject of a supreme being's attention throughout the books of the Old and New Testaments in the biblical account. "Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Ammittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."[1] The prophet Jonah's efforts there were rewarded. Nineveh, at least for a time, was saved from destruction. But the city of Nineveh today will require a different kind of saving. There are comparatively few people living there now. It features mostly ruins. Even the ruins, however, will disappear unless, according to the Global Heritage Network's early warning system, urgent steps are taken to arrest the elements that endanger it and to restore and protect what is left. (Popular Archaeology)
Deadly medication? Scientists shed light on the dark secret of Queen Hatshepsut's flacon
The mummified remains of Queen Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt's most famous female pharaoh, lie in a glass case under the national flag moments before being unveiled at the Cairo Museum in 2007. The Egyptian queen who died 3,500 years ago might have poisoned herself accidentally by using a carcinogenic balm to treat a skin complaint, German university researchers said. (PhysOrg.com)
New Finds Point to Roman Fashion Craze
Recent finds from a Roman fort in England have sparked re-examination of common notions about fabric production some 2,000 years ago. German experts believe new evidence indicates the Romans had a surprisingly advanced textile industry -- and possibly a luxury fashion addiction. (SpiegelOnline)
Oldest human settlement unearthed in Sri Lanka
Archaeologists have unearthed a human dwelling in Haldummulla, Sri Lanka, which they believe is the oldest of its kind identified on the island so far. Prof. Raj Somadeva of the post graduate institute of Archaeology in the Kelaniya University said that it was discovered in an archaeological excavation carried out near Koswatta village in Haldumulla. (SouthEastAsiaNews.net)
Wreck of 16th century Swedish warship found in Baltic
The wreck of a Swedish warship that historians hope is the Mars, head of king Erik XIV's fleet before it sank in the Baltic in 1564, has been found off Sweden's coast, museum officials said on Friday. (The Swedish Wire)
Scottish prehistoric mummies made from jigsaw of body parts
DNA tests on British prehistoric mummies revealed they were made of body parts from several different people, arranged to look like one person. The four bodies discovered in 2001 on South Uist, in Scotland's Outer Hebrides were the first evidence in Britain of deliberate mummification. It is thought the body parts may have come from people in the same families. (BBC News)
August 21st, 2011
Ancient Dog Skull Shows Early Pet Domestication
The fossilized remains of a canine found in the 1970s in southern Siberia's Altay Mountains (see map) is the earliest well-preserved pet dog, new research shows. Dogs—the oldest domesticated animals—are common in the fossil record up to 14,000 years ago. But specimens from before about 26,500 years ago are very rare. This is likely due to the onset of the last glacial maximum, when the ice sheets are at their farthest extent during an ice age. (National Geographic)
UC students dig up 13,000 years of history
The clear, flat area in the middle of dense woods is divided into small rectangular spaces by yellow strings and stakes. In each space, two or three people in dirt-smudged clothes dig methodically with shovels and trowels. Others sift dirt through screens suspended from tree branches. Their mission is to uncover objects and pieces of objects left behind by the some of the people who have lived in that area over the past 13,000 years. (Cincinnati.com)
Shipwreck Pictures: Civil War-era Wine, Cologne Found
Off Bermuda, archaeologist Jim Delgado examines fragments of a paint can found in the wreck of the paddle wheel steamer Mary Celestia, a Civil War-era blockade runner that sank 147 years ago. After storms this past winter had swept silt from the wreck, a Bermudan government expedition discovered newly exposed artifacts, including fragrance bottles and unopened—but strong-smelling—wine. (National Geographic)
UI archaeologists dig up 7,000-year-old remains
State archaeologists are hoping thousands of artifacts they uncovered at a site in Des Moines will provide some insight into how people in the area lived nearly 7,000 years ago, from the way they made a living to what they ate and how they interacted socially. (press-citizen,com)
Prehistoric petroglyphs of mammoths found in Utah
Rock art specialists Ekkehart Malotki and Henry Wallace report the discovery of portrayals of mammoths and a possible bison at the Upper Sand Island rock art site along the San Juan River in southeastern Utah (USA), most likely dating between 13,000 and 11,000 BP (before present). Until now, no unambiguously ancient rock art imagery of Ice Age megafauna has been found in North America. The now generally accepted notion is that there were multiple waves of immigrants prior to Clovis (circa 13,500 BP). (Stone Pages)
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