December 2011, Daily News

Archaeology News for the Week of January 15th, 2012

Sun, Jan 15, 2012

January 21st, 2012

Were the ancient Sumerians the world's first brewers?

A newly published German report suggests the evidence of a fermented beverage from present-day Iraq may, in fact, not have been beer, but rather, a very low alcoholic drink. Still, other experts beg to differ. For some people, researching the origins of beer is as stimulating as consuming it. Peter Damerow, a historian of science and a cuneiform-writing scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, was one such person. Damerow, who passed away in November, delved into archaeological findings of ancient beer production and consumption, focusing on ancient Sumerian brewing processes. (DW-WORLD.DE)

Seafaring in the Aegean: new dates

Seafaring before the Neolithic - circa 7th millennium BCE - is a controversial issue in the Mediterranean. However, evidence from different parts of the Aegean is gradually changing this, revealing the importance of early coastal and island environments. The site of Ouriakos on the island of Lemnos (Greece) tentatively dates to the end of the Pleistocene and possibly the beginning of the Holocene, circa 12,000 BP. (Stone Pages)

Into the mind of a Neanderthal

What would have made them laugh? Or cry? Did they love home more than we do? Meet the real Neanderthals A NEANDERTHAL walks into a bar and says... well, not a lot, probably. Certainly he or she could never have delivered a full-blown joke of the type modern humans would recognise because a joke hinges on surprise juxtapositions of unexpected or impossible events. Cognitively, it requires quite an advanced theory of mind to put oneself in the position of one or more of the actors in that joke - and enough working memory (the ability to actively hold information in your mind and use it in various ways). (New Scientist)

Anthropology researcher searches for slave-era shipwreck

Anthropology professor Stephen Lubkemann thinks his planned trek into the sea will soon help shape the understanding of one of the ugliest aspects of human history: the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Lubkemann has spent two years pinpointing the site of a shipwreck near Cape Town, South Africa that killed more than 200 slaves being transported between East Africa and the Americas during the 1790s. (The GW Hatchet)

January 20th, 2012

Ancient Maya Center Saved from Destruction

If you want to save an ancient archaeological site from impending destruction, here is one way to do it: Buy it. That is exactly what happened in 2011 as the monumental remains of a Classic period Maya kingdom located in northwestern Belize faced destruction from bulldozing. Action from expanding development pressures began to inch closer to three Maya archaeological sites in northwestern Belize, sites that have not yet been badly damaged by bulldozing. One of the sites, known as Grey Fox (named after a type of fox that is indigenous to the area), is located on the edge of a 500 sq. km., low-lying un-impacted forest area known as the Bajo Alcranes. (Popular Archaeology)

Accelerating archaeology

If in generations to come, archaeologists excavate the highways that Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov is so keen to build and find fascinating relics beneath, they will have both Borissov and their 21st century colleagues to thank. Borissov’s tetchiness about what he sees as the tardiness of archaeologists working on sites at the Hemus and Strouma motorways dates back some time, and has been shared by Regional Development Minister Liliana Pavlova, Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov and Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov. (The Sofia Echo)

Expert unearths evidence of mass graves at Treblinka death camp

A FORENSIC archaeologist has unearthed fresh evidence to prove the existence of mass graves at the Nazi death camp Treblinka. Some 800,000 Jews were killed at the site, in north east Poland, during the Second World War but a lack of physical evidence at the site has been exploited by Holocaust deniers. (Independent.ie)

Medieval Jewish manuscripts discovered in Afghanistan include an unknown work by Saadia Gaon

This much is known: rare, medieval Jewish manuscripts have been discovered along the fabled Silk Road in Afghanistan and are for sale. Are they authentic? Scholars who have examined them say they are. The rest — who found them, where they came from, whether there are more to unearth — remains a mystery. But the discovery of the 200 or more documents, some in good condition and others crumpled or in fragments, has excited academic interest around the world. (TheStar.com)

Structure Dating Back to 3rd Century AD Uncovered in Nibal Peak Site

Excavations by the national archeological expedition in Nibal Peak site near the town of Jableh in Lattakia governorate uncovered a rectangular structure in the western area of the site. Director of Jableh Archeology Department Ibrahim Younes Kheirbek said that the structure measures 26.5 meters from north to south and is 13.15 meters across, built with large stones and smaller, intricately-carved stones in the style of Roman temples. (Syrian Arab News Network)

January 19th, 2012

Ancient Popcorn Discovered in Peru

Scientists have discovered that people were eating popcorn 1,000 years earlier than previously thought. Scientists discovered some of the oldest known corncobs, husks, stalks and tassels (dating from 6,700 to 3,000 years ago) at Paredones and Huaca Prieta, two mound sites on Peru's arid northern coast. An ancient maize cob is pictured above. The researchers say the cobs indicate that the sites' ancient inhabitants ate corn several ways, including popcorn and flour corn. (Science News Blog)

Good Heavens! Oldest-Known Astrologer's Board Discovered

A research team has discovered what may be the oldest astrologer's board, engraved with zodiac signs and used to determine a person's horoscope. Dating back more than 2,000 years, the board was discovered in Croatia, in a cave overlooking the Adriatic Sea. (Live Science)

1,300-Year-Old Flask Holds Mayan Tobacco Remains

People have used tobacco for well over a thousand years. And researchers recently found unique physical evidence of the ancient habit. They detected traces of tobacco in a 1300-year-old Mayan container. The work is in the journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. (Scientific American)

UK scientists find 'lost' Darwin fossils

British scientists have found scores of fossils the great evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin and his peers collected but that had been lost for more than 150 years. (Yahoo News)

January 18th, 2012

Imperial Rome's Great Ancient Seaport City

It was mentioned in the novels, I, Claudius and Claudius the God in scenes spanning from the reign of Augustus through the reign of Claudius, and it was mentioned in the movie, Gladiator, in the scene where Maximus is informed that he had a loyal army encamped there and awaiting his orders. Historically, it is documented as the Roman harbor city of Ostia, the vital town of maritime commerce near the sea at the mouth of the Tiber River. Today it is a large archaeological site that now lies about 3 km from the sea, a distance created through time by silting and a drop in sea level. It is known for its well-preserved and impressive ancient buildings, mosaics and frescoes (see photo images below). Now, archaeologists are investigating a find here that has never been explored, using a new model of archaeological excavation. (Popular Archaeology)

The fermented cereal beverage of the Sumerians may not have been beer

Archaeological finds from cuneiform tablets and remnants of different vessels from over 4,000 years ago show that even around the dawn of civilisation, fermented cereal juice was highly enjoyed by Mesopotamia's inhabitants. However, besides the two basic ingredients, barley and emmer (a species of wheat) the brew produced in the clay jars of the Sumerians is shrouded in mystery. (EurekAlert)

Greek archaeological sites may open to advertisers to ease national debt

The Greek Culture Ministry said on Tuesday January 17 it is making it easier to rent some of the nation's most iconic archaeological sites for filming and photography for advertisers and other ventures. The ministry says the money raised would help maintain and protect the sites. The new plan would allow for greater access to the ancient Greek ruins. (The Sofia Echo)

Archaeology team unearthing old Provo Tabernacle

Archaeologists from Brigham Young University are planning to unearth the foundations of a little-known Provo Tabernacle building torn down nearly a century ago. (Universe.byu.edu)

Texas crews excavate bones of purported ex-slaves

Crews of scientists with wooden spoons and small metal picks dig carefully around bones embedded in a dry lake bed, excavating what is believed to be the remains of freed slaves and their children buried in a long-forgotten cemetery. More than two dozen graves were exposed this summer in a section of a reservoir that dried up in the severe Texas drought. Officials later organized a thorough excavation effort and were recently embroiled in a brief legal battle over where to rebury the bones. (The Baytown Sun)

January 17th, 2012

Once Hidden by Forest, Carvings in Land Attest to Amazon’s Lost World

Edmar Araújo still remembers the awe. As he cleared trees on his family’s land decades ago near Rio Branco, an outpost in the far western reaches of the Brazilian Amazon, a series of deep earthen avenues carved into the soil came into focus. “These lines were too perfect not to have been made by man,” said Mr. Araújo, a 62-year-old cattleman. “The only explanation I had was that they must have been trenches for the war against the Bolivians.” But these were no foxholes, at least not for any conflict waged here at the dawn of the 20th century. According to stunning archaeological discoveries here in recent years, the earthworks on Mr. Araújo’s land and hundreds like them nearby are much, much older — potentially upending the conventional understanding of the world’s largest tropical rain forest. (The New York Times)

New Alabama law could mean finders-keepers for historic artifacts found underwater

A battle over historic artifacts hidden below the surface of Alabama's rivers, lakes and bays is surfacing in advance of the opening of Legislature's 2012 regular session on Feb. 7. Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, has introduced a bill to amend the Alabama Cultural Resources Act, a law that requires underwater explorers to get a permit from the Alabama Historical Commission before going after submerged wrecks and relics. (Al.com)

BMC Archaeologist, Students Unearth Evidence of Early Camel Domestication in Arabia

The recent excavation work of Associate Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Archeology Peter Magee and a group of Bryn Mawr students may lead to a better understanding of the expansion of human settlements during the Ancient Near East Bronze Age, according to an article in The National, an English-language newspaper published in the United Arab Emirates. (Bryn Mawr Now)

Gold diggers ravage archeological site

Two antiquity thieves were apprehended at a Beit Shemesh-adjacent archeological dig where they managed to destroy ancient artifacts in their search for gold. (ynetnews.com)

Tool caches give insight into ancient cultures

Augustana event highlights discoveries of lithic bifaces in the Dakotas (ArgusLeader.com)

January 16th, 2012

Archaeologists Return to World War II Japanese American Internment Camp

During World War II, this camp was considered the 10th largest city in Colorado. Today, the camp has a resident population of 0, a lonely, desolate place covered by scrubby vegetation and small cacti. Most of the buildings have been removed -- except one -- a pumphouse beside a water tank, still used. Now, besides the lone building, one sees only old cement foundations of the former buildings. Visitor signs have been posted to show the former locations of schools, clinics, dining halls, laundries, a fire station, and other buildings. (Popular Archaeology)

Roman villa 'rare and important for Peterborough' says archaeologist

A "substantial, high-status" Roman villa discovered in Peterborough has shed new light on the city's occupants 2,000 years ago, archaeologists say. Although the city - known as Durobrivae - was well-documented as a strategic area for the movement of Roman troops, there was little evidence of occupation - and no evidence of wealthy occupants in the east of the city. (BBC News)

The Peopling of the Aleutians

The ancient Aleuts began exploring the 2000-kilometer Aleutian archipelago—the world's longest—at least 9000 years ago and had the islands to themselves for thousands of years, making the archipelago is a living laboratory for studying human migratory behavior. (www.Science.org)

Fort Hawkins continues to expand on rich heritage

Marty Willett’s mantra when it comes to creating an educational environment at Fort Hawkins is pretty simple. “History and learning should be fun,” he said. It’s a phrase that Willett -- the fort’s project coordinator -- repeated several times in some variation Sunday during the Fort Hawkins Candlelight Tour. “I want it to be more educational and more entertaining,” Willett said. “It should be a fun experience.” Willett said 2012 will be a significant year for the fort for a variety of reasons. (www.Macon.com)

Jordanian Police Recover 7 Ancient Manuscripts

Jordan's archaeology chief says security police have recovered seven ancient manuscripts from local smugglers. The writings are part of 70 manuscripts that Jordanian archaeologists discovered five years ago in a cave in the north. (ArtDaily.org)

Remains of prehistoric hut found in San Antonio

About 3,500 years ago, when the Bronze Age was ending in Europe and the Olmec civilization was thriving in Mexico, natives in San Antonio were living off the land using primitive tools, as they had been for thousands of years. Signs of ancient human settlements have been found elsewhere in Texas, some more than 10,000 years old. And now there's evidence that about 1500 B.C. — three millennia before the Spanish Conquest — natives were building structures along the San Antonio River. (www.mysanantonio.com)

January 15th, 2012

Remarkable Cave City Needs Guardian Angels

It is off the beaten path of world tourism. Unlike the great monuments of ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, China and Mesoamerica, it sees comparatively fewer visitors. Yet if casual tourists or expeditionary scholars were to see it, they would likely say that it is every bit as impressive as the Roman Colosseum or the Pyramids of Giza. Built astride and into the sheer cliff face of a mountain, it resembles something of a hybrid of ancient Petra in Jordan and the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings of the U.S.....or, for those familiar with the Tolkien works, a Minas Tirith in ruins. Known as the cave city or monastery of Vardzia, it was dug into the side of Mount Erusheli near the town of Aspindza and the Mtkvari river in southern Georgia during the late 12th century. Today, it is a tourist destination for Georgians, Europeans and others throughout the world who know of its existence. But some of its remarkable remains will crumble away into oblivion if expert care and conservation is not realized in full. (Popular Archaeology)

Researchers, tribes clash over human bones

On a bluff overlooking a sweep of Southern California beach, scientists in 1976 unearthed what were among the oldest skeletal remains ever found in the Western Hemisphere. Researchers would come to herald the bones — dating back nearly 10,000 years — as a potential treasure trove for understanding the earliest human history of the continental United States. But a local tribal group called the Kumeyaay Nation claimed that the bones, representing at least two people, were their ancestors and demanded them back several years ago. (USA Today)

Study shows humans were skilled fishermen 42,000 years ago

Fish hooks and fishbones dating back 42,000 years found in a cave in East Timor suggest that humans were capable of skilled, deep-sea fishing 30,000 years earlier than previously thought, researchers in Australia and Japan said on Friday. The artifacts — nearly 39,000 fishbones and three fish hooks — were found in a limestone cave in Jerimalai in East Timor, 50 metres (165 feet) above sea level, said Sue O’Connor from the Australian National University’s department of archaeology and natural history. (The Raw Story)

Archaeologists unearth female singer's tomb

In a rare find, Egyptian and Swiss archaeologists have unearthed what is estimated to be a 1 100-year-old tomb of a female singer in the Valley of the Kings, an antiquities official said on Sunday. It is the only tomb of a woman not related to the ancient Egyptian royal families ever to be found in the Valley of the Kings, said Mansour Boraiq, the top government official for the Antiquities' Ministry in the city of Luxor. (Mail & Guardian Online)