Archaeology News for the Week of June 26th, 2011

December 2011, Daily News

Sun, Jun 26, 2011

July 2nd, 2011

1500 Year Old Sealed Mayan Tomb Visited By Camera Robot

Palenque, Mexico Researchers have lowered a small camera into a previously unexplored early Mayan tomb at the Palenque archaeological site in southern Mexico, revealing an intact funeral chamber, apparent offerings and red-painted wall murals. Footage of the approximately 1,500-year-old tomb taken by the small, remote-controlled camera show a series of nine figures depicted in black on a vivid, blood-red background. Vases and jade ornaments can be seen on the floor of the small chamber. (Barking Moonbat)

First Temple findings reinforce Jewish Jerusalem

Claiming one in the eye for the Palestinian trend of "Temple denial", Israeli archaeologists are preparing, for the first time, to open buildings from the First Temple era to the public. In recent years Palestinians, including leaders of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, have claimed in growing numbers that there was never a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The new finds mean that not only can Israel cite archaeological evidence of the Second Temple but that it can also boast a major a complex of excavations from the First Temple, built some five centuries earlier. (TheJC.com)

Burial ground may be located under Oak Harbor's Pioneer Way

State experts now believe that the bones found under SE Pioneer Way in Oak Harbor are from at least four Native Americans. State Historic Preservation Officer Allyson Brooks, who is also the director of the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, said it’s becoming more and more clear that the bones are not isolated cases and may, in fact, represent a Native American graveyard. (Whidbey News Times)

Rare link with ancient times revealed in village

A RARE link between North Cork and an order of 13th century Christian knights has been revealed following a Cork County Council archaeological survey of Mourneabbey near Mallow. Excavations at the site of a 13th century church uncovered the remains of a headquarters or preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller, of whom little other evidence exists in Ireland today. (Corkman.ie)

July 1st, 2011

Ossuary Belonging to a Daughter of the Caiaphas Family of High Priests Discovered

Three years ago the Israel Antiquities Authority Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery acquired a decorated ossuary bearing an engraved inscription. The ossuary was discovered by antiquities robbers who plundered an ancient Jewish tomb of the Second Temple period. During the course of the investigation it was determined that the ossuary came from a burial cave in the area of the Valley of 'Elah, in the Judean Shephelah. To check the authenticity of the artifact and the significance of the engraved inscription, the Israel Antiquities Authority turned to Dr. Boaz Zissu of the Department of the Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology of Bar Ilan University and Professor Yuval Goren of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations of the Tel Aviv University. (Artdaily.org)

1,400-year-old St Paul fresco discovered in ancient Roman catacomb

The fresco was found during restoration work at the Catacombs of San Gennaro (Saint Januarius) in the southern port city of Naples by experts from the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Art. The announcement was made on the feast day of St Peter and Paul which is traditionally a bank holiday in Rome and details of the discovery were disclosed in the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. (The Telegraph)

Search continues in Canada's North for lost ships of Franklin expedition

The search continues for the lost Franklin ships. Archaeologists will scour frigid Arctic waters this summer for polar explorer Sir John Franklin's lost ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The Erebus and Terror have been lost to the icy depths of the Canadian North since 1845 when Franklin and his men got trapped in the ice in their quest for the Northwest Passage. (The Pony, Pemberton, BC)

Navy, NOAA turn to 3D mapping of old shipwrecks

World War II shipwrecks off North Carolina and Civil War shipwrecks in Virginia are being analyzed with sonar technology so sophisticated that the public could one day view near photographic images in detail even better than diving at some of the sites could provide. (NavyTimes)

A Rosetta Stone for the Indus script

Do you love a good mystery and ancient texts? Rajesh Rao sure does. He is a computational neuroscientist at the University of Washington in Seattle. He has devoted much of his professional life to cracking "the mother of all crossword puzzles": How to decipher the 4000 year old Indus script. (guardian.co.uk)

Did Australian Aborigines Change the Weather?

When the first European settlers arrived in Australia in the 17th century, they observed a strange farming practice among the natives. The aborigines routinely burned grasslands and vegetation in many parts of northern Australia during the cool months of the dry season between winter monsoons. These controlled burns were intended to help stimulate regrowth during the upcoming rainy period. But they may have also inadvertently caused the end of that summer dry spell to be much warmer and drier than normal, a new study suggests. (ScienceNow)

June 30th, 2011

Human Ancestor in Indonesia Died Out Earlier Than Once Thought

Homo erectus, an ancient human ancestor that lived 1.8 million - 35,000 years ago, is said by theorists of human evolution to have lived alongside Homo sapiens (modern humans) in Indonesia, surviving most other Homo erectus populations that became extinct in Africa and most of Eurasia by 500,000 B.P. Perhaps not so, according to an international team of researchers, after conducting archaeological investigations and a new dating study at sites on the Solo river in Indonesia. (Popular Archaeology)

Solved puzzle reveals fabled Cambodian temple

It has taken half a century, but archaeologists in Cambodia have finally completed the renovation of an ancient Angkor temple described as the world's largest three dimensional puzzle.The restoration of the 11th-century Baphuon ruin is the result of decades of painstaking work, hampered by tropical rains and civil war, to take apart hundreds of thousands of sandstone blocks and piece them back together again. (Yahoo News)

Mexican Archaeologists Find Probable Prehispanic Maya Cemetery in State of Tabasco

In the surroundings of Comalcalco Archaeological Zone, Tabasco, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) found 116 burials that are more than 1,000 years old; 66 of them were deposited in funerary urns while the other 50 were placed around them. The finding represents the greatest skeleton sample found in this Maya region, suggesting it could be a Prehispanic Maya cemetery. (ArtDaily.org)

Archaeology: Unique frescos from 15th century found in a Bulgarian monastery

Bulgarian archaeologists found unique frescoes dating from the 15th century in the Saints Petar and Pavel church in the city of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) said on June 29 2011. Eighteen fragments depicting saints were found at a depth of 1.5 metres. A depiction of Saint George was very well preserved. (The Sofia Echo)

Jamestown dig probes historic church and Civil War earthwork

When archaeologist William Kelso began digging at Jamestown in 1994, few historians gave him much chance of finding the long-lost English fort of 1607. Most believed the pioneering outpost had disappeared into the James River by the 1800s. Some noted that Kelso himself was among several luckless archaeologists who had probed the site before and come away empty handed. (Daily Press)

Communal burials in ancient Turkish settlement

Human remains discovered beneath the floors of houses at one of the world's first permanent settlements were not biologically related to one another - a finding that paints a new picture of life 9,000 years ago on a marshy plain in central Turkey. At the famous site of Catalhoyuk, researchers found that even children as young as eight were not buried alongside their parents or other relatives. (StonePages)

San Remigio dig yields Philippine Iron Age artifacts

Archeological artifacts dating back to more than 2,000 years ago were unearthed in San Remigio this month. Jose Eleazar Bersales, co-director of the University of San Carlos and University of Guam Joint Archaeological Fieldwork in San Remigio, said that the artifacts would be sent to the United States for radio carbon dating to determine the "absolute date" of the materials. (SEAArch)

June 29th, 2011

Peking man differing from modern humans in brain asymmetry

Paleoanthropologists studying the fossil endocasts of Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens have reported that almost all brain endocasts display distinct cerebral asymmetry. Peking man's endocasts are good examples of ancestral brains and are useful in studying human evolution. However, studies examining brain asymmetries in fossil hominids are usually limited to scoring of differences in hemisphere protrusion rostrally and caudally, or to comparing the width of the hemispheres. (PhysOrg.com)

Avenue of Sphinxes back to its ancient appearance

After five years of hard work, the avenue of Sphinxes has been reincarnated into its original form, inviting Luxor's visitors to walk along the historical avenue as the ancient Egyptians did in the days of the Pharaohs. (ahram online)

Prehistoric finds on remote St Kilda's Boreray isle

The remains of a permanent settlement which could date back to the Iron Age has been uncovered on a remote Scottish island, according to archaeologists. It was previously thought Boreray in the St Kilda archipelago was only visited by islanders to hunt seabirds and gather wool from sheep. Archaeologists have now recorded an extensive agricultural field system and terraces for cultivating crops. (BBC News)

Archaeologists furious over councillor's 'bunny huggers' jibe

Archaeologists have condemned a Tory council leader's threat to dismantle all archaeological controls on development, saying that the regulations are necessary to protect the UK's unique national heritage. (guardian.co.uk)

Shipwreck yields cannon off St. Augustine coast

They were instruments of combat on a ship that sailed between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and sank 30 feet under the ocean within sight of the current lighthouse and St. Augustine Beach Pier. (Jacksonville.com)

NOAA and Navy to conduct archaeological survey of two Civil War shipwrecks in Hampton Roads, Va.

NOAA and the U.S. Navy embarked today on a two-day research expedition to survey the condition of two sunken Civil War vessels that have rested on the seafloor of the James River in Hampton Roads, Va., for nearly 150 years. (NOAA News)

Dig finds treasured tools of leading 18th century scientist

SCIENTIFIC equipment dating back to the 18th century and believed to have been owned by a leading Enlightenment figure has been uncovered in an archaeological dig at the University of Edinburgh. The items uncovered include laboratory apparatus and brightly coloured chemicals, which were almost certainly the property of Joseph Black, a professor of chemistry best known for his discovery of carbon dioxide gas. (Edinburgh Evening News)

June 28th, 2011

Ryedale Windy Pits skeletons were 'sacrificial'

A new investigation has revealed that human skeletons discovered in caves on the North York Moors were likely to have been the victims of ritual sacrifice 2,000 years ago. A forensic examination of their bones, for the BBC's History Cold Case series, has revealed evidence that at least one of them had been scalped. Human remains were first discovered in the series of caves, known as the Ryedale Windy Pits, in the 19th Century and further excavations took place in the 1950s. While it has always been clear the bones had experienced some kind of trauma it has taken a new forensic investigation to reveal more about how these people might have met their deaths. (BBC News)

Prehistoric BBQ Leftovers Found

Stone Age barbecue consumers first went for the bone marrow and then for the ribs, suggest the leftovers of an outdoor 7,700-year-old meaty feast described in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science. The remains, found in the valley of the River Tjonger, Netherlands, provide direct evidence for a prehistoric hunting, butchering, cooking and feasting event. The meal occurred more than 1,000 years before the first farmers with domestic cattle arrived in the region. (BBC News)

11 Most Endangered U.S. Historic Sites Named

From the ranch house where John Coltrane wrote A Love Supreme to a giant Pillsbury mill—see historic sites said to be on the edge of ruin. (National Geographic)

Newport firm stabilises Egypt's earthquake-hit pyramid

Giant inflatable air bags are being used to make the 4,700 year old pyramid safe. A south Wales engineering company is using 21st Century technology, including air bags, to help preserve one of Egypt's most imposing landmarks, dating back to 2,700 BC. (BBC News)

New Pharaonic artefacts discovered in North Egypt's site of San El-Hagar

During routine excavation work, French excavators working at the San El-Hagar archaeological site unearthed hundreds of painted limestone blocks that were once used in the construction of the temple of the XXII dynasty king Osorkon II. (ahramonline)

Navy archaeologist monitoring Pearl Harbor site for possible Hawaiian remains, artifacts

The Navy says an archaeologist is monitoring Pearl Harbor land it plans to develop to see if any Native Hawaiian remains and artifacts might be buried there.Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii said Thursday its first staff archaeologist, Jeff Pantaleo, is leading the monitoring which began earlier this week. (The Republic, Columbus Indiana)

June 27th, 2011

Ancient Chinese Cooled Foods With Ice

Dating from 147 A.D, Guangsheng Temple near Huoshan Mountain in China's Shanxi province is renowned for its 13-story "Flying Rainbow Pagoda" and its murals which portray the local populace propitiating the Water God during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). This month the Chinese state mouthpiece Xinhua reported that a researcher had found evidence of refrigeration being used to preserve food. One of the temple's murals depicts a splendid mansion and the life within. Drawn on the palace hall's northern wall, it portrays Chinese maidens carrying musical instruments and lotus flowers. The furniture and other accoutrements illustrate the pleasurable life enjoyed in that era. (The Epoch Times)

Archeologists make new discoveries in Pachacamac temple

A group of archeologists, lead by Katiusha Bernuy, recently discovered the entry to the Calle Norte –Sur (North-South street) of the temple of Pachacamac, in southeast Lima.Such entry would be the original entrance to this pre-Hispanic center, and this space is expected to be opened for visitors in 2013. (Andina)

Archaeology: 7500-year-old skeleton found in northeastern Bulgaria

Bulgarian have archaeologists found the remains of what seems to be a 7500-year-old prehistoric skeleton in the region Koriyata, near the town of Suvorovo in northeast Bulgaria, Focus news agency reported on June 27 2011. The skeleton was found during the excavations of an ancient village dated from fifth century BC. (The Sofia Echo)

Golden letter from Burmese king rediscovered in Germany

An 18th century letter written by King Alaungmintaya to King George II has been rediscovered – in a library in Hanover. The letter was no ordinary piece of correspondence, having been written on a plaque of gold and decorated with rubies! (SEAArch)

Bulgarian Archaeologist: Biblical Deluge Might Boost Black Sea Tourism

The Black Sea could turn in a worldwide attraction for underwater tourism if countries cash on the story that the Biblical Deluge happened in the area, according to Bulgarian archaeologist Petko Dimitrov. According to Prof. Dimitrov, who is the director of the Underwater Archaeology unit of the Oceanology Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, there are enough findings in the Black Sea's aquatorium to make it an attractive destination for that kind of tourism. (novinite.com)

Hunley's hidden hull revealed, studied for clues

The first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship is upright for the first time in almost 150 years, revealing a side of its hull not seen since it sank off the South Carolina coast during the Civil War. (The Washington Times)

Civil War graffiti covers this Virginia home

Graffiti is now a fairly common part of our culture's dialogue, but did you know soldiers in the Civil War also tagged, doodled, and conversed with one another on walls? Inside a two-story home in Virginia, historians are slowly uncovering one of the largest collections of Civil War graffiti that has ever been found. (Gadling.com)

June 26th, 2011

Video reveals first time view inside 1,500 year Mayan tomb

Archaeologists in Mexico have revealed video that shows a first-time glimpse inside an ancient Mayan tomb sealed for over 1,500 years. The tomb lies in the Southern Acropolis archaeological site of Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico released images taken by a tiny, remote-controlled video camera, which they say show red-painted walls outlined with human figures in black, an undetermined amount of jade and shells, and 11 vessels. (earthsky.org)

Digging up the past: Tsunami repair work uncovers Indian artifacts

The recent discovery of cultural artifacts on Port of Brookings Harbor land has temporarily slowed repair of the steel wall required for dredging the Chetco River. However, Port Interim Executive Director Ted Fitzgerald said an alternative construction technique will allow the project to go forward without affecting what he called “a culturally sensitive area.” (CurryPilot.com)

Firing of Utah Archaeologists Alarms Community

The Utah archaeological community is in an uproar over the abrupt firing earlier this week of Kevin Jones, Utah's state archaeologist, and two of his colleagues. State officials have said that the layoffs came because of budgetary cutbacks mandated by the legislature, but many preservationists and archaeologists believe that the dismissals were targeted on an office that has been an outspoken champion of archaeological sites threatened by high-profile development projects. (Science Insider)

Archaeologists Uncovering Artifacts in York County

A historical site in York County is getting a lot of attention. Archaeology work is being done at Dill's Tavern in Dillsburg. Archaeologist, Steve Warfel, is leading the project. He was hired by the Northern York County Historical and Preservation Society, after some students stumbled upon something big. "They invited a group of elementary school students to come in and do a little exploration and in that process they started to discover the masonry ruins of a structure," said Warfel. (Fox43.com)

News Source Credits

See more articles at Archaeology News 

Please login to post your comments.