December 2011, Daily News

Archaeology News for the Week of October 2nd, 2011

Sun, Oct 02, 2011

October 8th, 2011

Evidence of earliest mass production found in Israel

If someone described to you that a factory had been set up to mass produce tools and weapons and that, attached to the factory there was a kitchen and a canteen, you would probably accept this as a description of a modern day industrial area in any city or town around the world. But what if this factory was 40,000 years old?  (Stone Pages)

Studying Grecian Battles and Human Origins 

In 2007, Marean and a team of researchers reported finding evidence at Pinnacle Point that suggests humans may have eaten seafood more than 40,000 years earlier than previous estimates and it may have been a catalyst for early human migration out of Africa. (LiveScience.com)

Archaeologists think they uncovered ruins of first Roman Catholic church built in Peru

Archaeologists say they’ve discovered the ruins of what is believed to be Peru’s oldest Roman Catholic church. (Washington Post)

Mexican archaeologists find Aztec temple platform at Mexico City's Templo Mayor ruin

Archaeologists found a round Aztec ceremonial platform studded with stone carvings of serpent heads at Mexico City's Templo Mayor ruin, raising hopes in the search for an emperor's tomb, authorities said Thursday. (ArtDaily.com)

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October 6th, 2011

Saving Altamira Cave

Policy and science are at loggerheads about opening the world-famous Altamira Cave to the public. (Popular Archaeology)

Archaeologist argues world's oldest temples were not temples at all

Ancient structures uncovered in Turkey and thought to be the world's oldest temples may not have been strictly religious buildings after all, according to an article in the October issue of Current Anthropology. Archaeologist Ted Banning of the University of Toronto argues that the buildings found at Göbekli Tepe may have been houses for people, not the gods. (Eurekalert)

Ancient Maya road unearthed in El Salvador

Archaeologists excavating a Mayan village in El Salvador buried by a volcano 1,400 years ago say they've found an ancient white road leading from the town. (UPI.com)

Exclusive sneak peek: 'Curiosity' uncovers the secrets of ancient Egypt

Ready to dig deep to learn about ancient Egypt? The Discovery Channel's latest episode of "Curiosity: Egypt: What Lies Beneath?" is set to reveal secrets that have been hidden under the sand for 4,000 years. (The Clicker)

Melting Galciers Reveal Ancient Artifacts

well preserved male hunter’s coat from around the year 300 A.D. was found this summer in the Breheimen National Park, making it the oldest piece of clothing in the country. (The Norway Post)

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October 5th, 2011

The Mysterious Village

Historical and archaeological investigations reveal the drama of an early American frontier settlement destroyed during the War of 1812, resolving an archaeological cold case. (Popular Archaeology)

Unexpected trove of artifacts discovered near Stonehenge

An archeological treasure trove unearthed by a team from the Open University could transform our understanding of Stonehenge. (Stone Pages)

Archaeologists in Roman Road dig at Sandford Heath

A ground-breaking archaeological search for an ancient Roman road starts in Purbeck next week.

Experts will excavate part of the straight footpath running through Sandford Heath, known locally as the Roman Road. (Daily Echo)

Vanished Silk Road city studied in China

Chinese archaeologists say they've found evidence of agricultural activity in an ancient vanished city that was a pivotal stop along the famous Silk Road. (United Press International)

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October 4th, 2011

Archaeologists returning to Fort Hawkins

During the month of October, Fort Hawkins will see more of its history uncovered as the Lamar Institute resumes the archaeological research of the outer palisade wall and northwest blockhouse, according to a news release. (macon.com)

Roman artefacts found at Camelon Tesco site 

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of at least two Roman forts at a supermarket construction site near Falkirk. (BBC News)

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October 3rd, 2011

Archaeologist Makes a Case for Discovery of a Judean Town of the Time of King David

With the discoveries at Khirbet Qeiyafa, a site in the Elah valley, Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of Hebrew University is convinced that he has uncovered a Judean town that is dated to the 10th Century B.C.E. To build fortifications like those at Khirbet Qeiyafa, requiring moving 200,000 tons of stone, could not have been a local initiative but would have required a centralized government. (Popular Archaeology)

New pits of Chinese terracotta figures opened

Two new pits of civil servant and acrobat terracotta figures at the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang (259 BC-210 BC) have opened to the public this month. (3News)

Palaeolithic Period stone weapons found in Jaffna

Some stone weapons belonging to the Palaeolithic period have been unearthed in the Jaffna peninsula. This has also been assessed by Dr Shiran Deraniyagale, an expert on the pre-historic period, Deputy Archaeological Director Dr Nimal Perera told the Daily News. (Daily News (Sri Lanka))

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October 2nd, 2011

Centuries of history dug up in a year

With all the development that has occurred in Philadelphia, archaeologists thought it unlikely they would ever find significant remnants of early Native American cultures.

Those artifacts would have been deeply buried, carted away, or crushed.

But not long ago, along I-95 in North Philadelphia, they uncovered tobacco pipes, arrowheads, pottery, and other Native American artifacts dating back 3,000 years. (The Inquirer)

Generous George’s crusading discovery

The pommel of a Crusader’s sword, dating from the late 13th century and discovered on farmland in Selkirkshire, has been hailed as one of the most significant relics of the Middle Ages ever found in Scotland. (Selkirk Today)

The jar beside a spring

There is something almost universal in the literal sense of the word about the work of the archaeologist. His concern is not with hours or days, or even months or years, but with the testimony of centuries. (San Francisco Chronicle)