Salt Men to go to Cambridge

To implement genetics studies and DNA analysis, biopsy samples of salt men found in Chehr-Abad Mine in Zanjan Province are going to be transferred to the University of Cambridge. “Following the end of the second season of excavations in the Chehr-Abad Mine, some archeology, anthropology and in particular genetic experts were invited to analyze the outcomes of studies carried out so far on the mummies,” said Abolfazl A’li, head of the archeological excavation team in Chehr-Abad.[...]
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Tübinger Förderpreis für Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie geht an Shara Bailey

In diesem Jahr verleiht das Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters der Universität Tübingen zum achten Mal den Tübinger Förderpreis für Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie. Die diesjährige Preisträgerin Shara Bailey lehrt als Assistant Professor am Department of Anthropology der New York University.
Sie wird ausgezeichnet für ihre Dissertation über die Frage, ob Neandertaler zu unseren Vorfahren zu rechnen sind, oder ob der moderne Mensch sich von Neandertalern unabhängig in Afrika entwickelte. Der Preis, der von der Firma Ratiopharm mit Hauptsitz in Ulm gestiftet wird, ist mit 5.000 Euro dotiert und ist damit der höchstdotierte jährlich verliehene Preis dieser Art für Archäologen.[...]
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Die "Saliera" ist wieder da

Armer Benvenuto Cellini. Umringt von den größten Persönlichkeiten seiner Zeit sitzt er da, mit seiner Saliera auf dem Schoß. Sogar ein Spot wurde auf den italienischen Bildhauer gerichtet, der auf dem riesigen Deckengemälde des Kunsthistorischen Museums verewigt wurde. Nutzte alles nichts. Ein paar Meter darunter genoss sein Meisterstück, das derzeit wohl berühmteste Salzfass der Welt, anlässlich seiner Rückkehr das mediale Blitzlichtgewitter.[...]
[...]Bis 19. Februar ist das am 11.5.2003 gestohlene und kürzlich wiedergefundene Objekt mit einem Schätzwert von 50 Mio. Euro noch im Kunsthistorischen Museum zu bestaunen. Danach folgt eine dreiwöchige Restaurierungsphase. Ab 14. März kehrt das goldene Salzfass dann im Rahmen der Ausstellung "Europa ohne Grenzen" wieder in den Prunkbau an der Ringstraße zurück.[...]
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Mesa Verde exhibit at Denver Public Library

The Colorado Historical Society and the Denver Public Library will present an exhibit titled “From Nordenskiold to Nusbaum: archaeology and photography in the early years of Mesa Verde National Park.” The exhibition will feature photographs, documents and other items involved in the early photographic documentation of the park from its discovery in the late 1800s, its designation as a National Park in 1906, and as a popular tourism destination of the early 20th century.
The photographs and other items will be drawn from the collections of both the Colorado Historical Society and Denver Public Library, and highlights work by archaeologists such as Gustaf Nordenskiold and Jesse Nusbaum, and photographers such as William Henry Jackson and Thomas McKee. The exhibit celebrates the centennial anniversary of Mesa Verde as a National Park, and coincides with the Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month in May.
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Mtarfa housing estate to be built over catacombs

Punic tombs, Roman catacombs and wartime shelters discovered last year on Mtarfa Ridge near Dar il-Kaptan will be buried by a massive block of government flats and garages for more than 40 families if the Malta Environment and Planning Authority gives its go-ahead later this year.Already unofficially approved by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, to the chagrin of concerned residents, the local council and heritage experts, the Housing Authority’s project has been redesigned to leave parts of the archaeological site untouched, but others will be covered by the development and any potential excavations there will have to be sacrificed to new buildings.[...]
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Egyptologists find war goddess and Nubian king

Egyptologists have discovered two 3,400-year-old statues of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet and a rare statue depicting a king with Nubian features, an archaeological conservation director said on Monday. War goddess Sekhmet embodied the cruel powers of the sun, and was also responsible for both curing and causing illness. The excavation team believe the statues were excavated from elsewhere, then hidden at a temple in Luxor either for later sale or to protect them from robbers. One of the Sekhmet statues, made of granite and about 150 cm (five-feet) high, was holding a symbol representing life and a scroll of papyrus.[...]
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Biggest Pre-Historic Cloth Collection in Burnt City

With discovery of enormous pieces of cloths, belonging to the third millennium BC in Burnt City, this historical site has become the owner of the most complete pre-historic cloth collection in Iran. 50 kinds of these cloths have been categorized into several groups. Archeological excavations in Burnt City resulted in discovery of different kinds of cloths in this historical site. While discovering pieces of cloths is a rare phenomenon in historical sites, Burnt City is considered an exception in this respect.[...]
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The second wooden panel

As we continued to excavate Tomb 26, we found the most beautiful female mummy. She wore a gilded gypsum mask, and a band of yellow and red flowers crowned by the uraeus (protective cobra) was upon her head. Her eyes were framed in black, and on her chest was a cartonnage mask covered with painted funerary scenes. Resting on her chest was her child, buried with the mother for eternity.[...]
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Biggest tomb at pharonic Thebes's cemetery renovated

Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni has approved carrying out an urgent project to renovate and develop the biggest tomb at the Luxor Pharaonic cemetery in Thebes'. The project will be implemented in cooperation with the French Strassbourg University and the French Institute for Oriental Studies. Dr. Zahi Hawwas, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said the project aims at reaching deep areas inside the tomb. Hawwas said the tomb dates back to the 26th Dynasty.
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Archäologen finden Statuen im Tempel von Amenhotep III

Deutsche Archäologen haben in einem Tempel im ägyptischen Luxor zwei Statuen aus der Pharaonenzeit entdeckt. Wie die Altertümerverwaltung in Kairo berichtete, fand das Grabungsteam unter Hourig Sourouzian im Tempel von Amenhotep III. zwei Statuen der Kriegsgöttin Sechmet sowie den Kopf einer Statue, die aus einer späteren Periode stammt und ein Mitglied der Königsfamilie darstellt.[...]
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Älteste Kartografie aus der Antike

Wie die "Associated Press" berichtet, haben Archäologen ein ägyptisches Pergament gefunden, welches aus dem ersten Jahrhundert v. Chr. stamme. Dieses Pergament stelle die älteste Kartografie aus der griechisch-römischen Ära dar. Die Geschichte von mehr als zweitausend Jahren Kunst und Kultur sei darauf enthalten. Sie beginne in der Mitte des ersten vorchristlichen Jahrhunderts, als ein Kopist aus Alexandria daran gearbeitet habe, auf einem leeren Stück Papyrus das zweite von elf Büchern eines griechischen Kartografen, Ephesus, zu kopieren.[...]
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Major archaeological excavation to start at city centre kirk

Archaeological experts from all over the world are hoping to find the remains of a 12th-century church at Aberdeen's historic Kirk of St Nicholas when a major excavation project gets underway today (Monday).
Archaeologists from Aberdeen City Council will lead the team of 12, who have come to Aberdeen from countries including Egypt and Spain as well as the UK. The highly skilled team is made up of a combination of archaeologists with large amounts of excavation experience alongside human bone and burial archaeology specialists, which will enable the maximum amount of information to be gleaned from the site. The archaeological dig - which is scheduled to take six months - has been brought about by the need to reinforce the foundations of the Mither Kirk for a new development, which will be launched in the next few weeks.[...]
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Steinzeitmenschen vermutlich an Seuche gestorben

Nach dem spektakulären Fund von Familiengräbern 4400 Jahre alter Steinzeitmenschen im sächsischen Eulau vermuten Experten eine Seuche als Todesursache.
"Ich gehe von einem tödlichen Virus aus, es könnten aber auch Bakterien oder Erreger einer für uns völlig unbekannten Krankheit gewesen sein", sagte der Archäologe Robert Ganslmeier vom Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte in Halle in einem dpa- Gespräch. Seine These stützt er auf erste Erkenntnisse der Untersuchungen eines internationalen Expertenteams.[...]
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Seeschlacht um Milliarden-Goldschatz der "Sussex"

Als das britische Kriegschiff "Sussex" 1694 vor Gibraltar sank, riss es einen riesigen Goldschatz mit in die Tiefe. Um dessen Bergung ist jetzt ein diplomatischer Streit entbrannt. Spanische Boote behindern das von Großbritannien eingesetzte Bergeteam bei der Arbeit.
Der Goldschatz der "Sussex" könnte schon bald die britische Staatskasse auffüllen. Schätzungsweise zehn Tonnen Gold und 100 Tonnen Silber soll das Kriegsschiff an Bord gehabt haben, als es 1694 in einem Sturm vor Gibraltar Schiffbruch erlitt und sank - und mit ihm 500 Mann Besatzung und 80 Kanonen. Der Wert der Ladung wird auf bis zu vier Milliarden US-Dollar geschätzt.[...]
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7000 year-old sacrificial altar found in Hunan

A sacrificial altar, dating back about 7,000 years, has been discovered in central China's Hunan Province, according to Chinese archaeologists. The altar is the earliest sacrificial site so far found in China, said He Gang, a researcher with the Hunan Institute of Archaeology. "Ancients prayed to the gods of nature, such as the gods of the earth, river and heaven," said He at a archaeological forum held by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recently in Beijing.[...]
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Oregon coast yields 10,000-year-old site

Another archaeological site on the Southern Oregon coast has been determined to be about 10,000 years old, making it the second-oldest known site in the state, according to Oregon State University researchers. The site on a bluff just south of Bandon included a large number of stone flakes, charcoal pieces and fire-cracked rock, said Roberta Hall, professor emeritus of anthropology at Oregon State and principal investigator in the study.[...]
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King Tut's granny reduced to rubble

In life, King Tut's grandmother was a powerful woman in ancient Egypt ,but after death a monument to her met an undignified end. A Johns Hopkins University archeological team found a life-sized statue believed to represent Queen Tiye buried face down under the floor of the sprawling Karnak Temple site in Luxor, the ancient Egyptian royal city.[...]
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Archeologists Find Ancient Ship Remains

An American-Italian team of archaeologists has found the remains of 4,000-year-old ships that used to carry cargo between Pharaonic Egypt and the mysterious, exotic land of Punt, the Supreme Council of Antiquities has announced. The ships' remains were found during a five-year excavation of five caves south of the Red Sea port of Safaga, about 300 miles southeast of Cairo, the chairman of the supreme council, Zahi Hawass, said in a statement late Thursday.[...]
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Ancient Papyrus Goes on Display in Turin

It served first as a notebook for ancient painters and then as part of a mummy's wrapping. Now, a first century B.C. parchment believed to contain the earliest cartography of the Greek-Roman era will be on display next month in the northern city of Turin.
The Papyrus of Artemidorus tells a tale of more than 2,000 years of art and culture. Egyptologist Alessandro Roccati, of the University of Turin, said the parchment was "extraordinary" in that it "conserves direct and ancient testimony that helps reconstruct history." Roccati was not involved in the project.[...]
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Soapstones and Cultural Relations between Qom and Jiroft

Discovery of three ornamental soapstone beads, used in Jiroft during ancient times, in Qoli Darvish historical site in Qom, strengthened the possibility of the existence of cultural relations between the Central and Eastern Plateau of Iran during the third millennium BC.
“We discovered three ornamental soapstone beads in Qoli Darvish Tepe. The samples of this kind of stone can only be seen in Kerman province especially near Jiroft. They are very similar to those of Eastern Plateau of Iran,” said Siamak Sarlak, head of excavation team at Qoli Darvish historical site about archeological excavations in the third layers of this site belonging the third millennium BC.[...]
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A Sunken Warship Sets Off a New Mediterranean Battle

What is probably the world's richest sunken treasure — the Sussex, a British warship that went to the bottom of the Mediterranean in 1694 with a cargo of coins now worth up to $4 billion — has become embroiled in a bitter diplomatic dispute that pits Spain against Britain, the United States and an American company that wants to salvage the wreck.
The conflict turns on arcane and often disputed aspects of international law that govern sovereign waters and the rights of shipwreck owners and finders. Spain claims the waters, off the coast of Gibraltar. Britain claims the ship, says its decomposing hull rests in the high seas, and has struck a deal with the American company, Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. of Tampa, Fla., to split the recovery's proceeds.[...]
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Shrinking space for history in text books

Leading historians from across the country on Friday decried the shrinking space for history in school text books and abolition of history departments in some universities, saying 'a nation that fogets its past is like a person who has lost his memory'. On the eve of the 66th Indian History Congress, scheduled to begin in Santiniketan from January 28, the historians also criticised the role of the Archaeological Survey of India in the protection of monuments.[...]
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Neolithic Europeans made cheese and yogurt

Dirty cooking pots dating to nearly 8,000 years ago reveal that some of Europe's earliest farming communities produced dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt. Two separate studies indicate that Neolithic dairying took place in what are now Romania, Hungary and Switzerland. The discoveries suggest people in these regions might have originally learned how to process milk-based foods from Asian farmers.
"These findings lend support to the idea that the antiquity of dairying lies with the origins of animal domestication in southwest Asia some two millennia earlier, prior to its transmission to Europe in the seventh millennia BCE, rather than it being a later and entirely European innovation," wrote Oliver Craig, a scientist at Tor Vergata University in Rome, and colleagues in the first study published in the journal Antiquity.[...]
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Römischer Helm aus Spätantike in Tirol entdeckt

An der Fernpassroute im Tiroler Bezirk Reutte, unmittelbar neben der einstigen römischen Staatsstraße Via Claudia Augusta, haben Archäologen einen fast vollständig erhaltenen Helm aus der Spätantike geborgen. Nun wurde der mehr als 1.600 Jahre alte Fund, der schon vor zwei Jahren ans Licht kam, erstmals der Öffentlichkeit präsentiert.
Laut Gerald Grabherr vom Institut für Archäologie der Universität Innsbruck ist der römische Kammhelm ein einzigartiges Fundstück: "In ganz Österreich haben wir kein auch nur annähernd so gut erhaltenes Exemplar."[...]
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Stone Age tools found near Bolpur

Unearthing of some objects, believed to be Stone Age tools, during excavation of a tank at a village nearby, has prompted the Visva Bharati University's archaeology department to seek assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India to unravel the mystery.
"The scientific excavation is likely to throw new light on the possible existence of stone age people in this part of Bengal," sources in the university's archaeology department said. They said that the tools "bear similarity with those used by the Middle Paleolithic people some 40,000 years ago". [...]
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Sunken antiquities to be on display in Germany & France

Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif has approved the holding of an exhibition for sunken antiquities in Berlin on May 11. Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni said the exhibition is expected to net 1.6 million euros (LE12 million) during its tour in Berlin and Paris. The exhibition will also receive half a million US dollars on a yearly basis from the European Institute for Archaeology for a 15-year period. Zahi Hawwas, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that $42 million will be paid in insurance for the exhibited antiquities. Meanwhile,Hawwas said 85% of reparation works of the Royal Jewelry Museum project have been concluded. He added that the museum is due to open next June.
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Reste von Booten aus der Pharaonenzeit entdeckt

Archäologen haben am Roten Meer Überreste von Booten gefunden, die aus ihrer Sicht beweisen, dass die Ägypter zur Zeit der Pharaonen schon regen Seehandel betrieben.
Die Forscher von den Universitäten Boston und Neapel fanden in fünf Höhlen südlich der ägyptischen Stadt Safaga Reste von Tauen sowie Planken, die beim Beladen der Boote benutzt worden sein sollen. Nach Angaben der Altertümerverwaltung in Kairo entdeckten die Archäologen außerdem Überreste mehrerer Kisten.[...]
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Storm blows up over shipwreck's £279m gold treasure hoard

A simmering row over an expedition to recover treasure worth millions of pounds from the wreck of a 17th-century British galleon erupted into a full-scale diplomatic confrontation yesterday.
HMS Sussex sank in a storm in 1694 off Gibraltar, carrying ten tons of gold and a hundred silver ingots, valued today at up to £279 million. But the Spanish Government yesterday demanded that an American company trying to recover the bullion must halt operations immediately.[...]
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Ancient poet still alive in Chengdu's memory

Fan Xianyu, an experienced journalist from Beijing, felt a pleasant sense of surprise when he visited Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, in mid-January. "It's snowing and biting cold in Beijing, while it's green everywhere in the museum," said Fan, a Chinese literature lover.
Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum is dedicated to Du Fu (AD 712-770), one of China's greatest poets. Du's poems are included in school textbooks, and any foreign student of Chinese literature should be acquainted with his works. Covering 16 hectares, the museum, which is also a great place to relax, boasts over 100 types of flowers in different seasons. Even in this coldest of winters, its evergreen bamboo groves and aroma of plum blossoms give a hint of spring.[...]
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New Discoveries in Jiroft May Change History of Civilization

Latest archeological excavations in Jiroft, known as the hidden paradise of world archeologists, resulted in the discovery of a bronze statue depicting the head of goat which dates back to the third millennium BC. This statue was found in the historical cemetery of Jirof where recent excavations in the lower layers of this cemetery revealed that the history of the Halil Rud region dates back to the fourth millennium BC, a time that goes well beyond the age of civilization in Mesopotamia[...]
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Ausstellung: "Hatschi!...Pollen! Blütenstaub in Medizin und Archäologie"

Pollen bringen Licht in die Erdgeschichte, in die Geschichte der Vegetation und die Geschichte der natürlichen sowie der von Menschen verursachten Veränderung unserer Landschaft. Den Winzlingen ist die neue Ausstellung im Museum Schloss Steinheim gewidmet: "Hatschi!...Pollen! Blütenstaub in Medizin und Archäologie".
Die Ausstellung wird am Samstag, 28. Januar, um 14 Uhr im Marstall des Schlosses durch Kulturdezernent Rolf Frodl eröffnet. Danach wird Dr. Angelika Kreuz aus Wiesbaden einen Vortrag mit dem Titel "Winzlinge als Zeugen der Vergangenheit. Aussagen von biologischen Mikro- und Makroresten zu Landwirtschaft und Umwelt unserer Vorfahren" halten.[...]
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Cemetery damage being assessed

Archaeologists and crime scene analysts scoured the grounds of historic St. Michael's Cemetery on Wednesday trying to determine the extent of damage to at least 27 grave sites that are the final resting place for 45 bodies. Assistant Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons said the investigation is ongoing, and fingerprints were taken from various damaged sites. "It appears they made a genuine attempt to enter caskets or tombs for whatever reason,'' he said. The eight-acre locked cemetery, with 3,200 marked graves, was vandalized sometime between 6:30 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday, cemetery officials said.[...]
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Dog burials go back ages

Pet cemeteries may seem like another one of the modern world's unneeded phenomena, like boy bands and car bras. But they actually have been around as long as man's best friend, one archaeologist says. And that may be telling us as much about people as about dogs. "People have been burying or otherwise ritually disposing of dead dogs for a long time," writes University of Kansas anthropologist Darcy Morey in the current Journal of Archaeological Science. Surveying thousands of dog burials at archaeological sites worldwide, Morey concludes they "are documented from every major land mass in the world except Antarctica."[...]
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The U.S. could’ve protected Iraq’s cultural heritage

Three years after Iraq's ancient treasures were first stolen and smashed, the cradle of civilization is still being looted. It's a catastrophe, says Britain’s former Arts Minister Mark Fisher.
In 2003, when an Invasion seemed imminent, there was enough time to take measures to protect Iraq’s cultural heritage, but international pleas to Bush and Blair were ignored. When Baghdad fell in March 2003, the Iraq National Museum remained unprotected for days, and the country’s archeological sites for months.An article on The Guardian Unlimited states that historical sites in Iraq were protected during the first Gulf War, but shows that nobody prevented the catastrophe in 2003. Ahead of the Gulf War, under Dick Cheney, then Defense Secretary, the U.S. military sought detailed advice on the cultural heritage of Iraq and Kuwait from around 80 international experts and organizations. Several hundred sites, archaeological zones and monuments, as well as important historic buildings, including the National Museum in Baghdad and the Babylon and Ur archaeological zones, were identified for protection from direct acts of war and from any postwar situation. These ancient sites were marked on military maps used for both air and ground attacks.[...]
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Ausstellung: "Antike à la Carte. Antikenrezeption im 19. Jahrhundert"

Unter der Anleitung von Prof. Dr. Carola Reinsberg konnten Studierende der Klassischen Archäologie und des Studiengangs "Historisch orientierte Kulturwissenschaften" die Antiken der Sammlung Eugen von Boch untersuchen. Jetzt werden Stücke der Sammlung zusammen mit klassizistischen Vasen aus den Beständen der Stiftung Saarländischer Kulturbesitz sowie aus dem Simeonsstift in Trier im Saarlandmuseum gezeigt:"Antike à la Carte. Antikenrezeption im 19. Jahrhundert" - Eine Ausstellung des Instituts für Klassische Archäologie im Saarlandmuseum, Alte Sammlung: 3. Februar bis 2. April 2006Weitere Ausstellungen: Akademisches Kunstmuseum, Bonn: Mai bis Juli 2006; Reiss-Engelhorn Museen, Mannheim: 9. Dezember 2006 bis 28. Februar 2007
Mehr als ein halbes Jahrhundert lagen die exquisiten Gefäße in Kisten verpackt in den Magazinen der Keramiksammlung von Villeroy & Boch in Mettlach. Zu Beginn des zweiten Weltkrieges waren sie ausgelagert und in Sicherheit gebracht worden. Nach der Rückkehr blieben sie bis auf weiteres eingepackt. Vor zwei Jahren machten sich Klassische Archäologen der Universität des Saarlandes unter Leitung von Professor Carola Reinsberg daran, die Antiken der Sammlung Eugen von Boch zu sichten, um sie wissenschaftlich auszuwerten und zu publizieren.[...]
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Archaeologists reveal chapel where Henry VIII married his wives

A pavement once paced by Henry VII, and his son Henry VIII, at least two of his unfortunate wives, and his daughters Elizabeth I and Mary Tudor, has emerged from under a car park at the Royal Hospital in Greenwich, south London.
The pavement is part of a royal chapel believed completely destroyed by centuries of later re-building at Greenwich. Although only grubby smears remain of their original smart black and white glazing, the tiles, with a border in an elaborate lozenge pattern, are in remarkably good condition. They mark the site of the altar in the chapel Henry VII built at his palace of Placentia, between 1500 and 1504.
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An Ancient Catacomb Discovered in Gilan

The first catacomb belonging to the Islamic era, which was used as a safekeeping place for the dead, was discovered in Manjil during the excavations in the east bank of Sefidrud River in Gilan province. Most probably this catacomb dates back to the Ilkhanid era. Since the Parthian era, catacombs were built most often on the ways of caravans in Iran. These catacombs were used as a place for temporarily keeping of the dead. Whenever one of the members of a caravan died during the trip, his or her body would be “kept as a trust” in these catacombs and on their way back the caravan would pick it up to bury the body in a cemetery. The chilly weather of the catacombs, which were built inside the mountains, prevented the decay of the corpse.[...]
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Peruvian Archaeological Dig Uncovers New Building

A research team from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona has discovered a new type of construction and unique building, unknown until now, in the archaeological region of Puntilla, in the province of Nazca, Peru.
The “yards” as they are being called were constructed using stone walls, located in the center of the village and date back to near the first millennium BC. Apparently this is where villagers came to do agricultural work or create crafts. The excavation of part of one of these buildings, at the peak of an archeological dig site, has shown that the buildings were primarily used for work, and not for ceremonies as was originally believed. The work undertaken in these buildings included making andesite and obsidian tools, manufacturing ornaments on marine shells, weaving and spinning and food processing.
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Archeologists Unearth 1,300 Skeletons in Leicester

A large medieval cemetery containing around 1,300 skeletons has been discovered in the central English city of Leicester, archaeologists said Tuesday. The bones were found during a dig before the site is developed as part of a 350 million-pound ($630 million) shopping mall. University of Leicester archaeologists say the find promises to shed new light on the way people lived and died in the Middle Ages.[...]
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Archaeologists Unearth Statue of Tiye

An archaeological team, working in Egypt, has found a priceless artifact from the time of the Pharaohs. Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities announces that a statue of Pharaoh Amenhotep III's wife, Queen Tiye, has been found, mostly intact. Buried in the famous Karnak Temple, in the ancient royal city of Luxor, a team from Johns Hopkins University found the statue underneath a state of her husband.
According to the Associated Press, Tiye was the first queen of Egypt to have her name appear on official acts alongside that of her husband. She was known for her influence in state affairs in the reigns of both her husband (1417-1379 B.C.E.) and of her son, Akhenaton, (1379-1362 B.C.E.) during a time of prosperity and power in the 18th dynasty. Her son is remembered for being the first pharaoh to advocate monotheism.
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Discovery of 400,000-year-old Stone Tools in Gilan

The initial excavations in the west bank of Sefidrud River in Gilan province resulted in the discovery of some man-made stone tools belonging to the Paleolithic epoch and the civilization that existed there 400,000 years ago. Gilan province, known as “paradise of human beings” for its green nature and dazzling beauty, has been a settlement area for over a hundred thousand years. Recent discoveries in the caves and also in Rostam Abad area in Gilan province are all proof of this claim. Latest scientific studies and fieldworks in the vicinity of Sefidrud River reveal the existence of a rich culture in this region some hundred thousand years ago.[...]
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Babak Burg zum Teil ausgegraben

Ein Archäologenteam hat ein Monument ausgegraben, die Babak Burg, welches aus der frühen islamischen Ära stammt. Die Burg befindet sich im Osten der Provinz Azarbaijan, etwa fünf Kilometer von Kalibar entfernt. "Die Ausgrabungen dauern seit 2002 an; während dieser Zeit wurden nur ein paar Bereiche der Burg ausgegraben. Unser Team hat neulich einen zweistöckigen Bereich gefunden, der aus der Zeit stammt, in welcher der Islam in den Iran kam", so der Direktor des Teams, Mohammed Pashaii.[...]
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£750K for Dino Relic

An amateur archaeologist hopes to make a monster profit by selling a fossil on the web. Jamie Hiscocks, 39, found the cast of a dinosaur's brain on abeach near his home in Kent. He decided to sell it on net auction site eBay when the Natural History Museum refused to match his asking price of £750,000. The cast shows the nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue of the brain of an iguanodon - a 30ft long herbivore that lived 125 million years ago. Jamie, who has given the relic a starting price of £10,000, said: "This is very special - an extraordinary fossil should fetch an extraordinary price."
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Maybe someone can send me the link for the auction, thanks alot!

Biggest palace structure discovered in Xi'an

Archaeologists in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have discovered a large-scale relic site estimated to be 2,200 years old on the outskirts of the provincial capital Xi'an. The site is the biggest of its kind to have been excavated in the past three decades within the palace grounds of Changle Palace, an imperial residence from the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD). The unearthed ruins, which lie in the northwest part of the palace grounds, are 160 meters long east-to-west and 50 meters wide north-to-south, with a central structure, according to initial excavation results.[...]
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Neanderthal man floated into Europe

Spanish investigators believe they may have found proof that neanderthal man reached Europe from Africa not just via the Middle East but by sailing, swimming or floating across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Prehistoric remains of hunter-gatherer communities found at a site known as La Cabililla de Benzú, in the Spanish north African enclave of Ceuta, are remarkably similar to those found in southern Spain, investigators said. Stone tools at the site correspond to the middle palaeolithic period, when neanderthal man emerged, and resemble those found across Spain. "This could break the paradigm of most investigators, who have refused to believe in any contact in the palaeolithic era between southern Europe and northern Africa," investigator José Ramos explained in the University of Cadiz's research journal.[...]
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Statue der Pharaonengemahlin Teje in Karnak ausgegraben

Ein amerikanisches Archäologenteam hat in der Nähe der oberägyptischen Stadt Luxor eine besonders schöne Statue der Pharaonengemahlin Teje ausgegraben. Die gut erhaltene Skulptur aus schwarzem Granit ist 1,6 Meter hoch und wurde von Forschern der Johns Hopkins Universität im Mut-Tempel in Karnak entdeckt.
Wie die ägyptische Altertümerverwaltung mitteilte, ist auf der Teje-Statue auch der Name des Teje-Gemahls, König Amenophis III., eingraviert und bis heute mit bloßem Auge lesbar.[...]
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Now, Shivneri will have sound and light show

The archaeology department has approved the sound and light show on life and times of Shivaji Maharaj at Shivneri, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Junnar taluka. Superintendent of the department’s Bombay circle G S Narasimhan during his visit the Shivneri fort made the announcement. A delegation of senior government officials also surveyed the ongoing Rs 10 crore restoration works undertaken by various departments at the fort.[...]
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Pre-Achaemenid Cuneiform Inscription Discovered in Qom

Discovery of repeated lines such as cuneiform and other inscription signs on a cylinder in Qoli Darvish historical site near the city if Qom strengthened the possibility of the existence of written language in this historical site during the first millennium BC.
“A 25-centimeter carved stone cylinder was discovered during the third season of excavations in the settlement layers of the Iron Age (3000 years ago) in Qoli Darvish historical site, on which some lines which look like cuneiform writing have been incised. There are some signs on the lower part of this cylinder with might be another form of inscription,” said Siamak Sarlak, head of excavation team in Qoli Darvish historical site.[...]
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Seuche im antiken Athen war Typhus

Forscher haben das Geheimnis um eine Seuche im antiken Athen gelüftet, die von 430 bis 426 vor Christus rund einem Drittel der damaligen Bevölkerung das Leben gekostet hatte. Die Menschen seien an Typhus gestorben, berichtete die Athener Zeitung "Ta Nea".
Das hätten griechische Ärzte und Archäologen bei einer zufälligen Ausgrabung während der Erweiterung des Athener U-Bahnnetzes entdeckt. Bislang hatten sich Wissenschaftler über den Grund für die Seuche gestritten, die auch einer der bekanntesten Historiker der Antike, Thukydides, erwähnt hatte. In der Folge hatte Athen seine damalige Vorherrschaft über die antike Welt verloren.[...]
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Neue Fahrt der Argonauten geplant

Griechische Archäologen und Schiffbauer wollen die Fahrt der Argonauten und des mythologischen Königs Iason (Jason) von der griechischen Hafenstadt Volos (damals Iolkos) nach Kolchis im Schwarzen Meer (heute Georgien) wiederholen.
Aus diesem Grund wird zurzeit in der Hafenstadt Volos das der Sage nach außerordentlich schnelle Schiff "Argo" nachgebaut. Die Stadt Volos sucht 50 gute Ruderer aus allen EU-Staaten, die im Sommer 2006 mitfahren sollen. Wie die Athener Zeitung "Eleftherotypia" berichtete, erwarten die Archäologen von dieser rund zweimonatigen Fahrt neue Erkenntnisse über die Schifffahrt in der frühen Antike. Die Argo werde so weit wie möglich "originalgetreu" rekonstruiert, hieß es.[...]
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Algier wirft Frobenius-Institut Ausplünderung vor

Die algerische Kulturministerin Khalida Toumi hat dem Frankfurter Frobenius-Institut vorgeworfen, mit Hilfe algerischer Stellen Grabungen im Nationalpark Tassili zu plündern.
Das algerische Parlament will nach Medienberichten dazu einen Untersuchungsausschuss einrichten. Das mit der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität assoziierte Frobenius-Institut betreibt ethnologische, historische und prähistorische Forschungen.[...]
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Report on burial ground sheds light on slavery

The 18th century African burial ground in downtown Portsmouth confirms a part of history that has essentially been forgotten: slavery in New England. Archaeologists Kathleen Wheeler and Ellen Marlatt spent the last two years examining remains unearthed from the cemetery discovered below Chestnut Street in 2003. They recently released a lengthy report detailing their findings. While the remains were quite deteriorated, the team from Independent Archaeological Consulting was able to draw some conclusions about who the dead were and what their life was like in Colonial Portsmouth.[...]
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Future citizens help preserve heritage

After the demolition of the Round Building, where former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan once had a brief stay, and sale of lands near the Buddhist sites to IT companies, an urgent need was felt by the INTACH and like-minded individuals to guard the heritage sites.
Any construction or mining activity around the Buddhist sites violates the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. According to the Act no construction should take place up to 300 metres from the protected monument.[...]
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American archaeologists in Madi

American archaeologists have arrived in Dufile fort in Moyo district to find out about the relationship between the Europeans, Egyptians and the Madi, that prompted the building of the fort. Professor Merrick Posnansky of the Archaeology University of California said the Madi played a big role in history yet not much is known about their relationship with foreigners. “Not enough people know about the Madi in West Nile. our mission is to correct the imbalance in the history of East Africa and Uganda that this was among the first tribes in Africa that had contacts with Europeans,” he said. He said this can be done through the revitalisation of Dufile fort, which the Madi built between 1874 and 1879 for governor Charles Gordon.
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A Minoan settlement after destruction by earthquakes

Earthquakes were responsible for the destruction of a Minoan settlement on the island of Karpathos. That was the conclusion drawn following excavations conducted last year at Fournoi Afiatis on Karpathos under the direction of Manolis Melas, a professor of archaeology. The dig was part of a research program by the Dimokritio University of Thrace.
The ceramic fragments scattered about the fields facing the buildings and stratigraphic data showed that the area to the northeast of the settlement was first used in the Minoan palatial era. But the excavation revealed that some 2,000 years later, at the end of the Late Roman period, the area was again in use. The dig began in 2001 and uncovered the remains of stone foundations and the floors of two houses and also of farm walls from the same period.[...]
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The future lies in ruins

The Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) mandate features pretty impressive programmatic statements. The mandate tells you that it protects 3,663 monuments, publishes reports, preserves sites, undertakes and oversees archaeological explorations and excavations. This kind of listing is meant to convey a clear message. Our monument’s national guardian means business.
These phrases, though, no longer dazzle anybody. While we may not know how much lime was used in making ancient mortar or how new masonry must be stained to match the old architecture, this much we certainly recognise: the discrepancy that exists between fact and phrase. Clearly, monuments are not maintained by memorable phrases. ‘Uncared’ rather than ‘protected’ is how most Indians describe large chunks of their heritage. And this, in spite of an annual budget of Rs 250 crore allocated to the ASI.[...]
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Buchvorstellung: "Sie bauten die ersten Tempel"

Sieben Meter hohe Pfeiler, bis zu 50 Tonnen schwer. Vor fast 12.000 Jahren enstand ein gewaltiges Heiligtum im Südosten der heutigen Türkei. Errichtet von Jägern und Sammlern, die durch diese Arbeit am Tempel seßhaft wurden. Der DAI-Archäologe Klaus Schmidt hat diesen Kultort ausgegraben. Sein gleichnamiges Buch ist ab 24. Januar im Handel.
Kurzrezension:
Vor fast 12000 Jahren errichteten Angehörige einer Jäger- und Sammler-Kultur im äußersten Südosten der heutigen Türkei nahe der syrischen Grenze eines der eindrucksvollsten Heiligtümer der Menschheitsgeschichte. Noch ehe die ersten Menschen seßhaft wurden und ehe sie die Technik des Tonbrennens ersannen, brachen sie gewaltige Steine und formten sie zu menschengestaltigen Pfeilern - die größten bis zu 7 Meter hoch und bis zu 50 Tonnen schwer. Sie verzierten sie mit Reliefs, die bis in unsere Gegenwart von ihrer Bilderwelt, aber auch von ihrer Religiosität künden.[...]
Sie bauten die ersten Tempel. Das rätselhafte Heiligtum der Steinzeitjäger
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Neolithic axe head uncovered in Lancashire

History has been rewritten in Barnoldswick (East Lancashire, England) after a Neolithic axe head – dating back 6,000 years – was uncovered. Father and son Chris and Jordan Green were walking along Brogden Lane looking for Roman coins when they made their find, which has since been verified by the British Museum. The fact that people were living in the area back in 4000 BCE stunned the pair, as like most people they had always been led to believe that the first settlers in the area arrived in Anglo Saxon times in the days of Bernulfsuuick.[...]
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German archaeologist discovers the “cradle of civilization"

One of Germany's leading newspapers, Die Welt, reported this week that the world's oldest temple, dating back around 12,000 years, is located on Göbekli Hill in Turkey's province of Şanlıurfa, said the Anatolia news agency. According to an article titled “Holy Hill of the Hunters,” the temple was discovered by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, standing around 15 meters in height and located on a hill upon which a single tree stands.[...]
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Deutscher Archäologe hat die älteste Kultstätte der Menschheit entdeckt

Ein deutscher Archäologe hat die älteste Kultstätte der Menschheit entdeckt. Sie entstand vor fast 12 000 Jahren im Südosten Anatoliens
Die Wiege der Zivilisation steht im Südosten der Türkei. Genauer gesagt: ein paar Kilometer von der anatolischen Provinzhauptstadt Urfa in Obermesopotamien. Weithin sichtbar erhebt sich hier, auf dem höchsten Punkt eines rundherum nackten Kalksteinplateaus, rund 15 Meter hoher Erdhügel mit einem Durchmesser von etwa 300 Metern. Die örtlichen Bauern nennen ihn den "gebauchter Berg" (türkisch: Göbekli Tepe). Gekrönt wird der Hügel von einem einzelnen Baum. Seinen Zweigen pflegen die Einheimischen ihre Wünsche zu übergeben - und hoffen, sie werden in Erfüllung gehen.[...]
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Discovery of a Staircase in Babak Fortress

For the first time, a staircase and a double-floor building were discovered during archeological excavations in Babak fortress near Tabriz city. Babak fortress is one of the most important historical sites of Iran, located in a mountainous region in East Azarbaijan province. This fortress was built during the Sassanid era; however it is famous for the 23 years residence and resistance of Babak Khoramdin who fought against the Arab rulers of the Caliphate of Baghdad. At last, Babak was betrayed and murdered in that castle.[...]
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History on ground as airport flies into future

Popular historic sites, by their very nature, tend to be old, and on the whole, pretty obvious. After all, it's hard to miss a castle perched on top of a volcanic rock, or not to be whisked back in time while wandering down an atmospheric medieval alleyway. So you'd be forgiven for not expecting to find an important prehistoric site at the end of the runway at Edinburgh Airport.
Yet that's exactly where the Cat Stane, a 4ft-high standing stone which archeologists believe dates back more than a thousand years, is located. This hidden gem of Lothian history (believed to mark the final resting place of Vetta, an ancient tribal princess) made the headlines on Thursday when it was revealed that there were plans for it to be relocated as part of the £500 million airport rail link project - a railway tunnel would pass through the Bronze Age burial site.[...]
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Albany Institute showcases Egyptian treasures from the "Father of Archaeology"

In 1880, William Matthew Flinders Petrie went to Egypt to measure the pyramids.
While getting established as an archaeologist, the young adventurer lived in an abandoned tomb at the Giza necropolis, where he used a hammock for a bed. In one feat of excavation, he swung down 25 feet on a rope ladder and squeezed through a pyramid doorway into a flooded burial chamber. With only a candle to light the pitch-black walls, he waded through fetid water filled with floating coffins, skulls and other debris. Shortly after, his sensational finds made him the talk of London.[...]
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Ancient skeleton found at school

Archaeologists uncovered a Roman burial site during building work at Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar, Somerset, last week. The skeleton of a male, aged about 50, was discovered. Somerset County Council archaeologist Steven Membery said: "Although we think he was probably buried in the late Roman period, it is possible that he actually lived in the Dark Ages in the fifth or sixth century AD."
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Archaeologists says Millets older than Wheat or Rice

“It is ironical that whenever we are talking about ancient civilisations and farming communities, the archaeological finds and reseaches have always been based on wheat and rice. Findings prove that millets have been cultivated even more than wheat and rice and can be helpful be identifying the real period and place of first farming.’’[...]
[...]‘‘These are the facts. In Southern India, millets were being cultivated as old as 3000 BC to 2500 BC, while rice came into existence only by 500 BC. and in North India, millet cultivation was even there before it made an entry in South India’’ said Fuller.[...]
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Vestiges of Ly-Tran dynasties unearthed in Hanoi suburb

Archaeologists have found artifacts believed to belong to the Ly (1009-1225) and Tran (1225-1400) dynasties at the Hoa Lam Vien excavation site in Mai Lam commune of Hanoi’s outlying Dong Anh district. This was announced on January 18 by the Steering Board for Celebrations of the 1,000 Years of Thang Long-Hanoi and the Social Science and Humanity College under Hanoi National University. The archaeologists also discovered many high-grade enameled pottery items dating back to the 7th-10th centuries and a number of “Giang Tay Quan” tiles, which have also been unearthed at the ancient Hoa Lu (northern Ninh Binh province) and the Thang Long citadel. Meanwhile, a terracotta-pottery kiln was detected for the first time in Trai Gom hamlet in Viet Long commune of Soc Son district, which is not far from the Thang Long citadel.
These findings are expected to help historians gain a more comprehensive view of the ancient capital of Thang Long.
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New tombs discovered

Tourist and Antiquities Police have taken charge of a number of rocky above-ground tombs and a number of underground tombs, dating to a late Pharaonic dynasty.Said Mohamed, who holds a technical diploma and owns a piece of agricultural land in el-Ayyat, was digging for antiquities on his land, when he stumbled across the tombs and some human bones. He also discovered a manmade well that had been blocked up, as well some large potsherds. Antiquities experts have concluded that Said has come across an ancient cemetery, describing the find as 'significant'.
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Forscher suchen Wurzeln des Menschen

"Rift Dynamics, Uplift and Climate Change in Equatorial Africa: Interdisciplinary Research linking Asthenosphere, Lithosphere, Biosphere and Atmosphere", kurz RIFT-LINK, so lautet der offizielle Titel eines Projekts, das eine Forschergruppe bearbeitet, deren Förderung für die kommenden drei Jahre der Hauptausschuss der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft auf seiner letzten Sitzung beschlossen hat. Sprecher der Gruppe ist der Frankfurter Geophysiker Prof. Georg Rümpker. Das Fördervolumen beträgt rund 1 Mio. Euro pro Jahr.[...]
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Archaeological officer’s report dispels threat to Sun Temple

Superintendent of state archaeology department, Mr BK Rath, today submitted his report to the state government on the safety of Konark Sun Temple after inspecting the ancient monument. The report said there was no immediate threat to the safety of the temple. Culture minister Dr Damodar Rout, said the state government would take up the matter with appropriate authorities after examining the report of the technical committee of the ASI. He said the state government was concerned since the monument was the property of Orissa. Dr Rout had sought a report yesterday from the departmental officials in consultation with the local authorities of Archaeological Survey of India, after he came across a media report about a crack on the “Jagmohan” of Sun temple and depression of sand filling inside the shrine.
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"Schatzsucher" grub illegal nach alten Stücken

Den vermutlich größten "Schatz" nach den Wertstücken der Wettiner hat ein "Raubgräber" im Norden und Osten Sachsens aus dem Boden geholt. Rund 700 Stücke, darunter Münzen, Ringe, Siegelstempel, Warenplomben, Gewandschmuck, einen gotischen Schlüssel und eine Sichel aus der Bronzezeit grub der Mann aus. Der Wert seiner Funde ist noch nicht bekannt. Das Landeskriminalamt fand die Stücke bei einer Durchsuchung in der Wohnung des Mannes, jetzt liegen sie in Klotzsche beim Landesamt für Archäologie.[...]
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Gefahr für "Ötzi" durch Bakterien

Bakterien könnten die Gletschermumie "Ötzi" gefährden, das wissen die Verantwortlichen im Bozner Archäologie-Museum bereits seit längerem. Jetzt soll die Konservierung der Gletscherleiche verbessert werden. 5.300 Jahre ist die Gletschermumie alt. Die konservierte "Ötzi"-Leiche ist damit die älteste Feuchtmumie der Welt. Und sie will gut gepflegt werden. Denn Ötzi ist jetzt von Luft und nicht mehr von Eis umgeben. Das bringe die ständige Gefahr möglicher Bakterien in der Luft mit sich.[...]
http://www.iceman.it/
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Australian in Bosnia pyramid riddle

Australian archaeologist Royce Richards is among a team preparing to look for the truth behind a theory that Bosnia-Herzegovina has an ancient pyramid. Archaeologists from Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, and Slovenia will begin excavation work in April on the Visocica hill, 32 kilometres north-west of Sarajevo. The hill is quite symmetrical, and the theory that it was once a pyramid is supported by preliminary investigations.[...]
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Byzanz in der Schweiz

Das Rätische Museum in Chur stellt eine einzigartige Monumentalmalerei aus dem Kloster Disentis vor. In einer Sonderausstellung sind noch bis zum 12. März 2006 die Reste einer frühbyzantinischen Monumentalmalerei zu bestaunen. Sie zeigen unter anderem eine überlebensgroße Gestaltung des Strafgerichts der sieben Engel mit Posaune, eine riesige Engelsglorie und mehrere Heilige, die zusammen ein großangelegtes Weltgericht bilden. Weiterhin ist eine Koimesis abgebildet. Es handelt sich um die weltweit ältesten materiell nachweisbaren Darstellungen dieser Art.[...]
Rätisches Museum in Chur
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Ancient 'Cyclops' wall collapses

Part of a massive wall started in around 600 BC around the central Italian town of Amelia collapsed on Wednesday morning for reasons still unclear. The so-called Polygonal walls around Amelia are famous not only for their age but also their size. Built out of huge polygonal stones, they are 8-10 metres high and about 3.5 metres thick. The 20-metre section of wall which collapsed was undergoing restoration work in recent weeks although activity had been suspended for a few days because of bad weather.[...]
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3.000 Jahre alte Grabstätte unter Forum Romanum entdeckt

Unter dem antiken Forum Romanum in Rom haben Archäologen ein 3.000 Jahre altes Grab entdeckt. Das italienische Fernsehen berichtete am Donnerstagabend über die Arbeiten an der Ausgrabungsstätte, die einem tiefen Brunnen gleicht. Offen gelegt wurden sowohl Vasen als auch die Urne mit der Asche des Toten. Das Grab wurde auf die Zeit um 1.000 vor Christus datiert und ist damit älter als die Stadt Rom, die der Legende nach im Jahre 753 vor Christus von den Zwillingsbrüdern Romulus und Remus gegründet wurde. Die Archäologen vermuten nach eigenen Angaben, dass sie einer Totenstadt aus mehreren Gräbern auf der Spur sind.
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Archaeologists unearth Calusa artifacts

Southwest Florida's past is meeting the present at an archaeological dig in Goodland. Scientists are learning more about the life of ancient Calusa Indians at the southern Collier County site. Lead archaeologist John Beriault watched a backhoe Thursday as it moved mounds of oyster shells dumped by the Calusa tribe. "We're literally standing on 10-15 feet of old meals," Beriault said. Beriault believes the shells were put there on purpose, to build up the swampland, making good land for living. "They had mounds, canals, bridges, causeways, all sorts of formations made out of their own refuse," Beriault said.[...]
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Tomb Raiders at Babylon

Three years after Iraq's ancient treasures were first stolen and smashed, the cradle of civilisation is still being looted. It's a catastrophe, says former arts minister Mark Fisher'Pillagers strip Iraq museum of its treasure," the New York Times reported on April 13 2003 as Baghdad fell to coalition forces. The next day the Independent reported that "scores of Iraqi civilians broke into the museum ... and made off with an estimated 170,000 ancient and priceless artefacts".[...]
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Archaeologists Find Tomb Under Roman Forum

Archaeologists digging beneath the Roman Forum have discovered a 3,000-year-old tomb that pre-dates the birth of ancient Rome by several hundred years. Archaeologists were excavating under the level of the ancient forum, a popular tourist site, when they dug up the tomb, which they suspect is part of an entire necropolis, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Also found inside the tomb was a funerary urn, ANSA said. Legend has it that Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the god of war, Mars.
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La Dama de Elche to come home

The Minister for Culture, Carmen Calvo, has announced that the famous sculpture, La Dama de Elche, will travel to the town that bears her name for a temporary exhibition. She said the decision had been made because all the technical inspections and reports carried out on the bust have come back positive and there are no objections it being moved.[...]
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China launches belated archaeological rescue

China is mounting a massive operation to rescue cultural relics from hundreds of archaeological sites threatened by the South-North Water Diversion project, a hugely ambitious 100 billion yuan ($12.4 billion) scheme to divert 44 billion cubic metres of water from the Yangtze River every year to the arid northern provinces along three canals running through the eastern, central, and western parts of the country. Each of the canals is over 750 miles in length. So great is the urgency of the rescue mission that almost all other archaeological activities in China have been suspended so that archaeologists from across the country can concentrate on the sites in the path of the canals.[...]
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Spuren aus vorgriechischer Zeit auf Sizilien gefunden

Heute haben Archäologen, welche auf Sizilien Forschungen anstellen, im sizilianischen Tal der Tempel wichtige Spuren gefunden: Spuren von Siedlungen, die in die Zeit vor den ersten griechischen Tempeln zurückreichen (etwa vor 600 v.Chr.).
Das Tal, welches sich in der Nähe von Agrigento befindet, ist eines der archäologisch bedeutendsten Gebiete in Europa. Es markiert einen heiligen Bezirk, den die Griechen errichtet haben, als sie anfingen, Süditalien zu besiedeln.[...]
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Illegaler Schatzsucher in Sachsen gefasst

Ein Schatzsucher hat in Sachsen etwa 700 archäologisch wertvolle Fundstücke illegal ausgegraben. Bei der Durchsuchung der Wohnung des 42-Jährigen nahe Dresden wurden unter anderem zahlreiche historische Münzen aus Silber und Eisen, Ringe, Siegelstempel, gotischer und mittelalterlicher Gewandschmuck, Sporen, ein Armbrustbolzen sowie eine aus der Bronzezeit stammende Sichel gefunden, wie das Landesamt für Archäologie und das Landeskriminalamt Sachsen am Donnerstag mitteilten. Die Schätze hätten eine große kultur- und landesgeschichtliche Bedeutung für Sachsen. Ihr Wert sei nicht zu beziffern, sagte Christoph Heiermann vom Landesamt für Archäologie.[...]
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Dark shadow over Sun temple’s future

It's 800 hundred years old, it's a world famous architectural marvel and it's going to collapse. Is this how we take care of India's heritage? The structure of the 13th century world famous Konark temple is under serious threat. Officials say it might fall at any time. On December 16, an eight-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India and state Government's Works department visited the Konark temple to study the structural safety of the Sun temple. The State Works secretary, who was member of the panel, revealed to CNN-IBN that the Archaeological Survey of India and is not doing enough for the safety of the temple.[...]
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Plan 2 dates to see archaeologist, mountaineer

You may want to keep Wednesday and Thursday evenings free next week since two experts from the Northwest will be in Louisville to discuss archaeology and mountaineering. Remember the discovery of Kennewick Man, as he has come to be known? His skeleton was found by two young men in 1996 along the Columbia River near Kennewick, Wash. The remains were taken to James C. Chatters, who determined that they were nearly 9,500 years old.[...]
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Theory of Landscape Archaeology

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna will be holding its next monthly public lecture today at 6.15pm, at their new premises Notre Dame Gate, Vittoriosa. The lecture will deal with the “Theory of Landscape Archaeology” and will discuss a Maltese case study.The lecture is going to be delivered by Jonathan Borg, resident archaeologist at Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna.The lecture will begin by defining landscape in its various forms and a brief history on the evolution of landscape studies.[...]
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Hair-gelled Celt may have been sacrificed

The hair-gelled head of an ancient Celt, dubbed the Iron Age Beckham because of his slicked-back look, has been reconstructed by Scots scientists. Examinations of the Clonycavan man, found fully preserved in a peat bog in Ireland, revealed he used a gel made from a mixture of plant oil and pine resin, believed to be from south-west France or Spain, on his hair.
The discovery has been held up as the first evidence of the trade of luxury goods between Ireland and Southern Europe 2,500 years ago. Archaeologists suggest the gel may have been applied in an attempt to increase the man's diminutive stature - he was only 5ft 2in tall.[...]
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The archaeologists of old Ganjing

Their rendezvous with city of ‘nawabs’ began in 1967 and Lucknawi culture fascinated them. The archaeologist couples Jean-Francois Jarrige and Catherine Jarrige from Paris are back in the city after a gap of over three decades to attend the seminar organized by Directorate of Archaeology. Though the silhouette of the city has changed and it is moving fast on the path of modernity, but the Jarriges get nostalgic while talking about the old Lucknow. Jean says the traffic on the road has increased and roads are studded with multi-storied buildings, but the good point is that old Lucknow has not changed much.[...]
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Kadusi Governmental Citadel Discovered in Gilan

Archeological studies in Kaluraz Tepe in Gilan province indicated that this historical site was once the governmental citadel of Kadusi people. Being used as a border guard, it prohibited the invasion of Amarta and Marlik people to this region. The first season of archeological excavations in Kaluraz Tepe led to the discovery of the first architectural plan belonging to the Iron Age (800-550BC). There is a construction with big halls and several rooms in this historical site.[...]
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Bosnian Pyramid Valley

The Steering Board of the Foundation “Archeological park: Bosnian pyramid of the Sun” held a session on Wednesday at which it was concluded that the works on digging up the pyramids in Visoko would be the greatest archeological-geological project in Europe in this year.[...]
The current information on preparing the Project can be found at the official web page of the Foundation www.piramidasunca.ba.
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Archäologen entdeckten Ruinen mittelalterlichen Spitals in Breslau

Archäologen im niederschlesischen Breslau (Wroclaw) haben bei Grabungen die Ruinen des mittelalterlichen Kinderkrankenhauses entdeckt, des wohl einzigen in Mitteleuropa. Die Entdeckung sei eine wissenschaftliche Sensation, berichtete die «Gazeta Wyborcza» in ihrer Breslauer Online-Ausgabe. Das Spital «Gottesgrab» stand den bisherigen Erkenntnissen zufolge etwa seit dem Jahr 1411 in der Breslauer Altstadt.[...]
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Ausgrabungen sollen Bestehen von Pyramiden in Bosnien betätigen

In Zentralbosnien sollen sich die einzigen vorgeschichtlichen Pyramiden Europas befinden. Für April ist der Beginn internationaler archäologischer Ausgrabungen nahe Visoko, 30 Kilometer nördlich der Hauptstadt Sarajevo, vorgesehen. Das gab die private Stiftung «Archäologischer Park: Bosnische Sonnenpyramide» in Sarajevo bekannt.[...]
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Viet Nam to propose recognition of four more sites as world heritage

The Ministry of Culture and Information will send files of four more sites in Viet Nam to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for consideration and recognition as world natural and cultural heritage sites.
They include Thang Long Royal Citadel Site in Ha Noi, Cat Tien National Park which comprises Cat Tien archaeological sites in southern Dong Nai province and the Central Highlands Lam Dong province, the citadel of the Ho dynasty in central Thanh Hoa province and Con Moong cave archaeological site in northern Ninh Binh province.[...]
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Friends cremate German archaeologist

The body of German archaeologist Gundrun Corvinus was consigned to the flames at Kailash crematorium on Tuesday evening. She was murdered by real estate agent Ehqlaq Fakir Mehmoob Shaikh at her Koregaon Park flat on January 1.
The Pune police handed over the body on Tuesday to close friend Mohan Agashe and others who had volunteered to take charge of the body. The German Consulate gave the permission to hand over the body after getting permission from the deceased’s relatives in Germany.
‘‘We have been in close touch with the consulate and the Pune police. We have also received permission to immerse her ashes,’’ Agashe added. He also informed that a memorial service will be organised by Gundrun’s friends in Pune.
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Monumental Task

ASI invites private players to restore heritage sites The Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) decision to outsource the restoration of Lodhi Gardens in Delhi is welcome. The ASI has signed a deal worth Rs 1 crore with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to restore the 15th and 16th century monuments inside the garden. The agreement is a result of changes made in the structure of the National Culture Fund, which was set up to encourage corporate funding of restoration projects. Whereas earlier companies could only contribute to the fund, now they can directly hire qualified people to do restoration work.[...]
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Report says burial ground likely for slaves

An archaeological review of a 300-year-old graveyard for blacks discovered in Portsmouth that the people buried there likely were slaves. The study by Independent Archaeological Consulting said that one of the eight bodies unearthed showed signs of repetitive forearm rotation and possible inflammation in the right leg -- likely caused by repeated shoveling and other strenuous work. Senior researcher Ellen Marlatt says any information archaeologists can gather about the remains is essential because the site is the only known African-American cemetery of its age in New England.
Archaeologists say there may be as many as 200 other graves in the area. The graves were found during a sewer project in October 2003. The city plans to build a memorial at the site.
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Jäger und Imker sind die Themen 2006 im Federseemuseum

Beim Stichwort Steinzeit denken viele zunächst an handwerkliche Entwicklungen. Doch wie sah die Lebenswelt darüber hinaus aus? Das Verhältnis von Mensch und Tier, Mensch und Umwelt, die Klima- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte stellt das Federseemuseum in den nächsten Jahren ins Zentrum. Zu den Themen ist eine Kooperation mit der Uni Freiburg geplant.
"Museen müssen sich ein Profil geben. Der Unterschied darf nicht nur das historische Zeitalter sein, mit dem sie sich beschäftigen", sagt Dr. Ralf Baumeister, Leiter des Federseemuseums in Bad Buchau. "Brotbacken mit dem Besucher kann man überall. Handwerkliche Vorführungen in archäologischen Museen unterscheiden sich bundesweit fast nicht." Deshalb sucht Baumeister nach Themen, die das Federseemuseum von der Konkurrenz absetzen.[...]
[...]Für das Jahr 2006 sind drei Sonderschauen zum Thema Mensch und Tier vorgesehen: Um die steinzeitliche Imkerei geht es vom 2. April bis 2. Juli. Am 21. Mai startet die Ausstellung über Pelztierjäger. "Wir gehen davon aus, dass es einen bestimmte Berufsgruppe gab, die Pelztiere jagte", berichtet Baumeister. Um diese Jäger, ihre Beute und um Hunde wird sich die Ausstellung drehen. Am 3. September startet schließlich die Schau zum Thema Ziegen und Ziegenhaltung. Das gesamte Programm finden Interessierte ab der kommenden Woche im Internet unter www.federseemuseum.de.[...]
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"Die Peitsche der Erinnerung"

Jonathan Meese und Daniel Richter gestalten einzigartiges Ausstellungsprojekt "Die Peitsche der Erinnerung"
Der archäologische Teil der Ausstellung ist für den Künstler Daniel Richter hinter einem Treppenschacht unerreichbar. Sonst würde er ihn erbarmungslos in das Gesamtwerk integrieren. Aus «Protest» befestigt er das verrostete Fragment eines alten Gewehrs so, dass es auf das Riesenplakat vom Bischofsgrab Gottfried von Arnsbergs ausgerichtet ist. Der archäologische Teil der Ausstellung ist für den Künstler Daniel Richter hinter einem Treppenschacht unerreichbar. Sonst würde er ihn erbarmungslos in das Gesamtwerk integrieren. Aus «Protest» befestigt er das verrostete Fragment eines alten Gewehrs so, dass es auf das Riesenplakat vom Bischofsgrab Gottfried von Arnsbergs ausgerichtet ist. Währenddessen drischt Künstlerkollege Jonathan Meese einen Zweig in eine Leinwand, lässt daraus schließlich ein Gesicht entstehen. Das Kunsthaus Stade war am Dienstag Schauplatz einer spektakulären Kunstaktion.[...]
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Gräberfeld in Globasnitz gab neue Erkenntnisse preis

Bei den Ausgrabungen in Globasnitz wurde im Fundament einer frühchristlichen Kirche ein Taufbecken entdeckt. Jetzt vermutet ein Experte, dass die Christianisierung zurückdatiert werden müsse.
Nach den wiederholten Arbeiten am Gräberfeld von Globasnitz im vergangenen Sommer lässt Archäologe Franz Glaser vom Kärntner Landesmuseum mit einer neuen Meldung aufhorchen. Wie berichtet wurden am Fuße des Hemmaberges Ostgotengräber freigelegt. Zudem fand Glaser das Fundament einer frühchristlichen Kirche. "Wir entdeckten ein Taufbecken. Dieses lässt die Vermutung zu, dass die Christianisierung früher und intensiver vorangegangen ist, als zuvor angenommen", weiß Glaser zu berichten. Die Begräbniskirche soll um 400 nach Christus erbaut worden sein, also noch vor der Besiedelung des Hemmaberges. "Die These wird durch ähnliche Kirchenfunde in Ovarno bei Tolmezzo und in Aguntum bei Lienz bekräftigt", fährt Glaser fort. In den Sommermonaten wird die Freilegung der Gräber in Globasnitz fortgesetzt.
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Odyssey Marine spurns Spanish government

Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. turned down Spain's request for the company to make a statement regarding its ongoing exploration of the site believed to be HMS Sussex.
It was Odyssey's legal counsel's opinion that Odyssey doesn't fall under Spain's jurisdiction. The Odyssey Explorer, Odyssey's 251' deep-ocean archaeological platform, continues to work on the site believed to be HMS Sussex pursuant to the project plan as presented to all appropriate government authorities in Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom. Odyssey maintains that all activities are being undertaken legally and pursuant to all relevant authorizations necessary for the continuation of these operations. It believes that interference with these lawful operations from any entity without jurisdiction would be illegal.[...]
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Underground Louth revealed

A maze of forgotten tunnels have been discovered underneath a Louth town centre estate agent.
The discovery was made on Thursday at Peter Mountain in the Cornmarket, when the cellar was being cleared out to make room for a new commercial department. The tunnels, which have not been entered for years, stretch under the Old Market Hall and the Cornmarket. The building now occupied by Peter Mountain used to be the Crown and Woolpack pub until it closed in the seventies. Several stalactites and one huge stalagmite were found in the cellars by local historians Jean Howard, Stuart Sizer and David Robinson, when they took a peak. Mr Robinson told The Leader: "A lot of properties on this side of the Cornmarket are riddled with cellars from licensed establishments. "This is were the pub would have stored their wine and beer.[...]
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Dorf aus der Ming Dynastie gefunden

Im Südwesten der chinesischen Guizhou Provinz ist ein gut erhaltenes historisches Dorf gefunden worden. Man gehe von einem Alter von ungefähr 636 Jahren aus. Das Dorf, dessen Name Baojiatun sei, befinde sich in der Stadt Ashun, 75 km von der Hauptstadt der Provinz entfernt. Bao Shixing, chinesische Expertin für altertümliche Städteplanung, zufolge, stamme das Dorf aus der Ming Dynastie. Architektonische Merkmale würden dies bestätigen. Darüber hinaus sei das Dorf älter als die beiden anderen Dörfer, die im südlichen Teil der chinesischen Anhui Provinz gefunden worden seien. Ursprünglich sei das Dorf 1369 zur militärischen Nutzung erbaut worden. Dennoch wiesen die Wohngebäude Merkmale des philosophischen Bildes der acht Diagramme auf: Ein Oktogon welches durch drei miteinander verbundenen Linien gebildet wurde.[...]
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Two 400-year-old Stone Inscriptions Discovered in Tehran

Two historical stone inscriptions have been accidentally discovered in a park in Takhti St. of Tehran. Archeologists of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of the province of Tehran believe that these inscriptions belong to 400 years ago.[...]
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Ancient Kitchen Unearthed in IN Park

Workers building a boat ramp at southeastern Indiana's Charlestown State Park have uncovered the apparent remains of a 4000 year old "kitchen." They believe that ancient American Indian tribes may have used it to prepare their winter food supply. The discovery of the site in eastern Clark County prompted the state to temporarily halt work on the Ohio River boat ramp project.[...]
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10,000-year-old relics site found in western Beijing

A relics site, dating back about 10,000 years, offers new clues about the development of people living in northern China in the early Neolithic period. The excavation of Donghulin Site, located in Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, in the western suburbs of Beijing, fills the archaeological gap after the discovery of the Upper Cave Man, a type of primitive man who lived in the late Old Stone Age about 20,000 years ago and whose fossil remains were found in 1933 at Zhoukoudian in western Beijing.[...]
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Is the Sun Temple at Konark crumbling?

Is the Sun Temple at Konark crumbling? Orissa Government thinks so but the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) here says no. The State Culture Minister Damodar Rout on Thursday constituted a two-member committee to examine the World Heritage Site and submit a report within 24hours following reports that a technical committee of ASI spotted "structural weaknesses." In fact, the eight-member committee, constituted by Director General of ASI, visited the structure on January 16 and held meeting with ASI officials about the monuments' conservation.[...]
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2600 Jahre alter Stein mit Text eines unbekannten Herrschers geborgen

Im Jemen haben deutsche Wissenschaftler die größte je bei einer Grabung gefundene Inschrift der Arabischen Halbinsel freigelegt. Bei Grabungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts (DAI) wurde in der Tempelanlage Sirwah ein rund 2600 alter Stein geborgen.
Auf dem sieben Tonnen schweren Fund berichtet ein bisher unbekannter sabäischer Herrscher über seine Kriegszüge. Der 7,25 Meter lange Block sei bei einem Erdbeben vom Sockel gestürzt und im Lauf der Jahrhunderte von Sand bedeckt worden, sagte Grabungsleiterin Iris Gerlach vom DAI.[...]
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A 3000-year-old Architectural Plan Discovered in Gilan

The first season of archeological excavations in Kaluraz Tepe in Gilan province led to the discovery of the first architectural plan belonging to the Iron Age (800-550 BC).There is a construction with big halls and several rooms in this historical site.
Kaluraz Tepe is one of the most important historical sites in Gilan in which for the first time an architectural plan dating back to the first millennium BC was discovered. This historical site is located in Rostam Abad and recently archeologists have succeeded to find the architectural remains dates back to the Parthian era.[...]
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Kunstwerke vom toten Bischof

Der Ruf nach Stade erreichte die Künstler aus der Vergangenheit. Seit fast 650 Jahren nämlich liegt Gottfried von Arnsberg, einst Erzbischof von Bremen, in seiner Gruft. Die meiste Zeit völlig ungestört. Erst Mitte der 90er Jahre wurde sein Grab unter dem heutigen Zeughaus entdeckt. "Ein außergewöhnlicher Fund", sagt Stadtarchäologe Andreas Schäfer (37). "Ein Bischof hat in Stade eigentlich nichts zu suchen." Auch Daniel Richter (43) und Jonathan Meese (34), beide Lieblinge der neuen deutschen Künstler-Garde, hatten bis vor kurzem nichts mit dem niedersächsischen Kreisstädtchen zu tun. Trotzdem werden sie ihre ersten gemeinsamen Werke von morgen an dort ausstellen - statt wie sonst in Berlin, Basel, London oder New York.[...]
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Ägyptens versunkene Schätze

Im Martin-Gropius-Bau wird vom 13. Mai bis 4. September 2006 die Ausstellung „Ägyptens versunkene Schätze“ zu sehen sein. Wie der französische Unterwasserarchäologe Franck Goddio (http://www.franckgoddio.org)und der Direktor des Martin-Gropius-Bau, Gereon Sievernich, mitteilten, sollen in der Ausstellung Funde gezeigt werden, die bei Goddios Unterwasserexpeditionen vor der ägyptischen Mittelmeerküste, vor Alexandria und Aboukir, geborgen wurden.[...]
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Keltische Gräber entdeckt: Archäologische Sensation

Auch dieser „Grabungs-Krimi“ begann mit einem normalen Bauvorhaben. Die Firma Ferdinand Schmack jun. aus Regensburg wollte auf dem Areal Minoritenweg 11-17, dort, wo vernachlässigte Parkplätze das Straßenbild trübten, zwei Häuser mit insgesamt 54 Wohnungen bauen. Doch unter den Resten einer Seifensiederei des 19. Jahrhunderts stieß man beim Ausschachten auf einen nirgendwo erwähnten mittelalterlichen Friedhof (MZ vom 30. September 2005). Nach der Bergung aller Skelette war Bauherr Martin Schmack schon froh, dass es nun keine Verzögerungen mehr gäbe. Doch die beauftragten Archäologen vom „Büro für Ausgrabungen und Dokumentation Dieter Heyse“ aus Münsterschwarzach bohrten weiter – und wurden erneut fündig: Hart an der Grundstücksgrenze entdeckten sie zwei keltische Gräber. Im einen lag eine Frau, im anderen, gut 20 Meter entfernt, ein Mann, etwa 2400 Jahre alt. „Das sind für die Regensburger Archäologie sensationelle Funde“, freut sich Dr. Silvia Codreanu vom Landesamt für Denkmalpflege. Immerhin wurde das römische Kohortenlager Castra Regina 500 Jahre später gegründet.
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Visiting Tutankhamun

For sure, in 1327 B.C. when King Tutankhamun was buried deep in his tomb, it was expected he and all the material goodies that accompanied him would transcend into heavenly forms.[...]
[...]Since the exhibition opened Dec. 15 at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, more than 220,000 demographically diverse visitors have visited "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs." You see them wearing everything from T-shirts and trucker hats to Armani sweaters and Chanel suits. They are of every flavor and color, with a wide range of accents. From young children shepherded in strollers to the elderly, guided in wheelchairs. They all ooh and aah over amazingly well-preserved items such as a huge golden sarcophagus, gilded wooden furniture, bejeweled head pieces, intricate statuettes, magnificent statuary and more.[...]
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Napoleon's exploits in Egypt subject of new exhibition

Napoleon Bonaparte is well-known for his military victories, his habit of placing one hand in his jacket and his love for his wife, Josephine. Bet you didn't know that his 1798 invasion of Egypt helped kick off "Egyptomania" across Europe and fostered the modern study of archeology. Along with his armies, Napoleon brought a crew of 150 people to document ancient Egypt's treasures, and along the way they dug up the Rosetta stone. Now on display at the British Museum in London, the famed slab helped cracked the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics by including Greek translations. That's all documented in the latest exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon, "Napoleon in Egypt."[...]
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Parthenon Statue Fragment to Be Returned to Greece

A German university plans to give back a fragment of the Parthenon sculptures, marking the first time any piece of the statues held outside Greece has been returned to Athens, the Culture Ministry said Monday. The vice-rector of Heidelberg University, Angelos Chaniotis, informed Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis of the decision during a meeting Monday in Athens, the ministry said.[...]
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Ausgrabungen stellen jüdische Geschichte in Frage

Mit der Entdeckung eines antiken Dorfes in der Nähe von Jerusalem haben Archäologen eine 2.000 Jahre alte Geschichte in Frage gestellt: Die Flucht der Juden nach der Zerstörung des Jerusalemer Tempels durch die Römer im Jahr 70 hat möglicherweise so nicht stattgefunden. Sollte es sich bei der Ortschaft, die nach der Tempelzerstörung noch bewohnt war, um eine jüdische Siedlung handeln, müsste die Geschichte möglicherweise umgeschrieben werden.[...]
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Vaterschaftstest nach 4400 Jahren bei den Steinzeitmenschen von Eulau

Eine internationale Expertengruppe hat mit der Entschlüsselung genetischer Merkmale der 4400 Jahre alten Steinzeitmenschen von Eulau (Sachsen-Anhalt) begonnen.
"Die Gräber von Eulau bergen Rätsel und wir hoffen jetzt einen Teil mit modernen naturwissenschaftlichen Analyseverfahren aufzuklären", sagt der Landesarchäologe von Sachsen-Anhalt Harald Meller. An dem Projekt sind Wissenschaftler der Universität Mainz, des Landesmuseums in Halle und ein Labor der Universität in Bristol (England) beteiligt.[...]
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Arjan Historical Site and a History of Over 6500 of Years

Discovery of new clay relics in Homayoon Tepe which belong to Susan and Lapouei periods indicate that the history of Arjan historical site goes back to 6500 years ago. Arjan Elamite city is located 10 kilometers north of the city of Behbahan in Khuzestan province. “In this season of excavations, the most important accomplishment of the archeology team that is working in this site was the discovery of some relics which revealed that settlement in Arjan historical site goes back to the fifth millennium BC,” said Kamyar Abdi, head of archeological team of Arjan historical site.[...]
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Tomb of ancient coin collector unearthed

Archaeologists in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have discovered an ancient tomb, possibly of a coin collector, dating back more than 600 years. During a recent excavation at a Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) tomb in the suburb of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi, archaeologists found over 150 coins of different dynasties, together with 60 ceramic utensils. Twenty kinds of coins were in circulation in the dynasties of Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Jin (1115-1234), spanning about 600 years. They might have been collected by the owner of the tomb who was interested in ancient coins, archaeologists reckoned.[...]
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Discovery of ancient quarry rewrites HK's human history

As Asia's trade and finance hub born out of small fishing villages in less than 200 years, Hong Kong is far less attractive to archaeologists than it is to businessmen and bankers. A newly-discovered ancient quarry at Sai Kung in eastern Hong Kong, however, has roused interests of anthropologists, who announced Saturday that the human history on the territory can be traced back to 30,000 years ago rather than the conventionally-believed 6,000 or 7,000 years ago. Field excavation and sample studies showed that irregularly-shaped stones found at the site were actually manufactured products of human beings of the Paleolithic era, ranging from 35,000 to 39,000 years before present, Steven Ng, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Archaeological Society, told reporters.[...]
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More traces of Tran dynasty architecture discovered

Archaeologists have found architectural traces of a royal palace believed to belong to the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400) at an area adjacent to the Tran temple in the Red River delta province of Nam Dinh. Bricks, tiles, decorative items and royal house-wares were also discovered at the 50 sq. m excavation site, said Pham Nhu Ho, Head of the Archaeology Institute’s Historical Archaeology Section. He added that these artifacts, which are still intact, have similarities to those unearthed in Ha Noi’s Thang Long citadel, which housed relics of the Tran Dynasty. The findings expose important depth for archaeologists to dig further down to search for more artifacts at the area, Ho said.
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No evidence found of Donners' cannibalism

There's no physical evidence that the family who gave the Donner Party its name had anything to do with the cannibalism the ill-fated pioneers have been associated with for a century and a half, two scientists said Thursday.
Cannibalism has been documented at the Sierra Nevada site where most of the Donner Party's 81 members were trapped during the brutal winter of 1846-47, but 21 people, including all the members of the George and Jacob Donner families, were stuck six miles away because a broken axle had delayed them.[...]
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2005: Das Jahr der Archäologie in China

Mit zahlreichen bedeutenden Entdeckungen war das vergangene Jahr für chinesische Archäologen äußerst erfolgreich.
Auf dem "Archäologie-Forum", das am Dienstag in Beijing begonnen hat, sprach Liu Qingzhu, der Direktor des Archäologischen Instituts der Chinesischen Akademie der Sozialwissenschaften (CASS), von neuen Entdeckungen, die vom Paläolithikum bis zur Ming-Dynastie (1368-1644) reichen.[...]
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Indian burial method intrigues archaeologists

Archaeologists excavating two American Indian burial sites in downtown Miami say they have found hundreds of remains piled in limestone fissures, some of the bones layered in limestone boxes. "In terms of the rest of Florida, we've never seen anything that's been the same," said state archaeologist Ryan Wheeler. "It's a very unusual mode of burial." Wheeler compared the layered chambers to a "condo or a mausoleum."[...]
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Bemerkenswerter Gräberfund in Ägypten

Einen bemerkenswerten Fund haben österreichische Archäologen in einer antiken Palastanlage in Ägypten gemacht. Die Wissenschafter des Instituts für Ägyptologie der Universität Wien und des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts in Kairo sind auf einen antiken Friedhof gestoßen, auf dem zahlreiche kleinwüchsige Menschen bestattet wurden.
Die österreichischen Archäologen führen seit 1966 Ausgrabungen im Gebiet der Stadt Tell el-Dab'a im nordöstlichen Nildelta durch. Dort lag zunächst Auaris, Hauptstadt der so genannten Hyksos (1640-1530 v. Chr.). Im Neuen Reich (15. Jahrhundert v. Chr.) wurde der strategisch günstig gelegene Platz für die größte ägyptische Militär- und Marinebasis namens "Perunefer" genutzt. Zuletzt war die Siedlung als "Ramses-Stadt" und Residenz von Ramses II. bekannt.[...]
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Archaeologists excavating two downtown Miami burial sites

Archaeologists excavating two American Indian burial sites in downtown Miami say they have found hundreds of remains piled in limestone fissures, some of the bones stacked in limestone boxes." In terms of the rest of Florida we've never seen anything that's been the same. It's a very unusual mode of burial," State Archaeologist Ryan Wheeler said. The bone piles were discovered in at least five fissures according to archaeologist Robert Carr, director of the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy. Carr said there have been two other ossuaries discovered in the area but that those contained no more than a dozen individuals and no limestone boxes.[...]
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UNH archaeologist uncovers earliest Maya writing system

An excavation of Maya ruins in Guatemala, by University of New Hampshire archaeologist William Saturno, has revealed that a Mayan writing system was in use centuries earlier than previously thought.
The finding is detailed in the latest issue of the journal Science, by Saturno and his colleagues, David Stuart of the University of Texas at Austin, who is working to decipher the hieroglyphic writing, and Boris Beltran, of the Universidad de San Carlos in Guatemala. Shortly after Saturno discovered the site, known as San Bartolo, in 2001, its vividly painted mural was heralded as the "Sistine Chapel" of the pre-Classic Maya world. The site contains a pyramid complex and several buried rooms.[...]
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ECU still waiting for archaeologist to return valuable ring

A retired East Carolina University archaeologist has promised to return a priceless 16th-century gold signet ring from a dig in Buxton by the end of this month. If David Phelps doesn't return the ring by then, the school will consider how to force its return, a school official said. Phelps, who has had the ring since 1998, had previously assured the school that he would bring the ring and other artifacts from his digs at the site of the Croatan chiefdom to the university in December.[...]
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International archaeology congress kicks off in Osaka

The Inter-Congress of the World Archaeological Congress, being held for the first time in East Asia at the Osaka Museum of History in Chuo Ward, Osaka, will welcome more than 300 archaeologists from about 30 countries from Thursday to Sunday. The organization, formed in 1986, is a worldwide body of archaeologists with the goal of fostering international cooperation and interaction. Its inter-congress is an event to bridge the major international congresses held every four years.[...]
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Archaeologists tour Garamendi Ranch

A band of 30 historical archaeologists, looking for a break from the tedium of scuba diving in shipwrecks or digging up ancient castles, pulled up here Wednesday in a big green tour bus. They munched sandwiches inside this historic hamlet's library and confessed to being charmed by the Mother Lode's rusting ore-stamping mills and the weirdly eroded hills left behind by placer mining.[...]
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Parish ‘shocked’ at plan to relocate 500 skeletons

People living in the rural Co Laois parish of Cullahill have expressed outrage that the National Roads Authority is pressing ahead with its plan to relocate 500 skeletons uncovered by archaeologists working on the route of the proposed new M7 motorway. Local priest Fr Willie Hennessy said: “Local people here are shocked that the burial site of their ancestors which remained undisturbed for 1,500 years is now being desecrated.”[...]
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Jiroft Inscription, Oldest Evidence of Written Language

Studies by five linguists from the United States, France, Russia, Denmark, and Iran on a discovered inscription in Jiroft indicate that this Elamit script is 300 years older than that of the great civilization of Susa. Archeologists believe that Jiroft was the origin of Elamit written language in which the writing system developed first and was then spread across the country and reached Susa. The discovered inscription of Jiroft is the most ancient written script found so far.
The city of Jiroft is situated close to Halil Rud historical site. Halil Rud, located on the basin of Halil Rood River enjoyed a rich civilization. Many stone and clay objects as well as other historical evidence belonging to the third millennium BC have been discovered during the archeological excavations and also the illegal diggings by the smugglers in this area. 120 historical sites, including that of Jiroft, have been identified in the basin of the 400 kilometer length of Halil Rud River.[...]
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Auf Gilgameschs Spuren

Angesichts der anhaltend schlechten Nachrichten aus dem Irak, dem antiken Zweistromland, scheint das ungeheure kulturelle Erbe dieser Region vergessen, das bis heute in unsere Zivilisation hineinwirkt.
Durch den Golfkrieg sind die historischen Schätze des Landes immens gefährdet. Nicht allein durch die Kriegshandlungen selbst, sondern vor allem durch ungehinderte Raubgrabungen im großen Stil werden zur Zeit ganze antike Städte zerstört.
Einzigartige archäologische Befunde gehen der Forschung damit unwiederbringlich verloren. Als eine der wenigen historischen Stätten des Irak wurde die alte assyrische Hauptstadt Assur von der UNESCO im Juli 2003 zum Weltkulturerbe erklärt und auf die Liste der gefährdeten Kulturgüter, die sogenannte Rote Liste, gesetzt.[...]
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Chance to join dig at historic Pan

The call has gone out for residents of Pan to get their hands dirty to uncover the past on the Newport estate. John Ashall, project archaeologist for the Pan Community Archaeology Project, is organising five weekends of fieldwalking investigations in the area, to unearth evidence for the possible location of Le Penne, the medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and also find evidence of Paleolithic occupation or activity.[...]
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Centenary of German archaeologist's expedition marked in Ethiopia

International scholars gathered in Ethiopia's northern ancient city of Axum on Wednesday for centenary celebrations honoring the historic expedition to the city by German archaeologist Enno Littmann. The 1906 expedition team left a legacy by unearthing the tomb of Emperor Kaleb, the noted fourth century ruler of the Aksumite Kingdom.[...]
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New archaeological discovery rewrites Hong Kong's history of human activity

Archaeologists have discovered a new site of human activity in remote antiquity in Sai Kung, Hong Kong. Zhang Shenshui, researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua here Wednesday that the important archaeological discovery not only rewrites the history when Hong Kong began having human activity, but also puts forward new topics of research for archaeologists.[...]
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12 archeological sites unearthed in Beijing

Archeologists have discovered 12 cultural heritage sites and ancient tombs during the construction of the Beijing section of the south-to-north water diversion project. Excavation has started to unearth the relic sites, which are located near Nanzheng village in Fangshan district, southwest Beijing. At Nanzheng heritage site, one of the biggest covering 6,100 square meters, archeologists have unearthed, after two weeks of excavation, 10 tombs and three pottery kilns that date back to the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties (206 BC - AD 220), said Zhang Zhiqiang, who is in charge of archeological work along the 80-kilometer-long Beijing section of the water diversion project.[...]
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Der letzte Bruder

Vor 150 Jahren wurde der Neandertaler entdeckt.
Nun wird er gefeiert.
Wie waren unsere Verwandten?
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Archaeological dig unearths ‘exciting’ medieval treasure

A medieval arrowhead, possibly forged as a weapon to slay poachers hunting on the king’s land, has been unearthed at Mellor hill top. The 13th to 14th century arrowhead was recovered from a medieval post pit following this summer’s excavations by Manchester University’s Archaeological Unit, in co-ordination with Mellor Archaeological Trust. Wrought from iron, the arrowhead is 8cm long and is deliberately designed to maim humans, rather than animals.[...]
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Die grinsenden Totengräber der Kultur

Nur mit Drogen lässt sich mehr verdienen als mit geraubter Kunst. Museen, Sammler und Auktionshäuser scheren sich nicht um die Herkunft der Ware – und die Schweiz war der Nabel der Unterwelt.
Kunst veredelt Geist und Charakter – dies zumindest glauben viele Besitzer von Antiquitäten und fördern mit ihrem Sammeltrieb die Plünderung von Tausenden von archäologischen Stätten jährlich: «Die Sammler sind die wahren Räuber, und die Mittelsmänner profitieren am meisten davon», sagt Ricardo J. Elia, Professor für Archäologie an der Boston University, zum Geschäft mit geraubten Antiquitäten.[...]
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New Equipment for Iraqi Archeologists

Polish soldiers provided computers and specialist equipment for Iraqi students from the archaeology faculty, Diwaniyah University. The new equipment will help students in scientific research. This project was undertaken to support the process of protecting Iraqi historical monuments. Thanks to MultiNational Division Central-South, in the beginning of 2006, the archaeology department of the University in Ad Diwaniyah city received 25 computers and a satellite internet server.[...]
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Review: China's 7 significant archaeological discoveries in 2005

Seven archaeological discoveries in 2005 are considered the most significant in China.
The selection result, unveiled on Jan. 10 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, is thought the most authoritative one. An early New Stone Age human skeleton buried with bent limps that lived about 9,000 years ago was discovered in Donghulin Village of Zhaitang Town in Beijing's Mentouguo District. This prehistoric site shed new light on human activities in North China during early New Stone Age.[...]
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Artifact Stolen From Forest Service

The Forest Service is hoping for help from the public after an artifact was stolen from the Deschutes National Forest. The set of wooden wheels attached to a wooden axle (pictured) was taken last summer from a historic mill in the Sisters Ranger District. Archaeologists believe that loggers used the equipment more than 100 years ago to haul logs from forests or as part of a wagon used at the mill. "When items like these are removed from their setting, it takes away part of our local history," Officer Fred Perl said. "We're asking the public to provide information so it can be recovered. Their assistance in protecting our heritage is always appreciated."
Anyone with information is asked to call at (541) 549-7641.
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Forscherin findet Einkerbungen auf den Zähnen von Wikingerskeletten

Die Wikinger haben durch Einkerbungen ihrer vorderen Schneidezähne ihre Zugehörigkeit zu einer Gilde oder einem militärischen Rang angezeigt. Das vermutet Caroline Arcini vom National Heritage Board in Schweden nach Untersuchungen an mehr als 500 Skeletten von vier schwedischen Wikingerfriedhöfen. Zehn Prozent der Männerskelette wiesen tiefe, meist horizontale Einkerbungen der oberen Schneidezähne auf. Die genaue Bedeutung der Kerben ist allerdings noch nicht bekannt.[...]
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Das Geheimnis des Tells. Eine archäologische Reise in den Orient

Archäologie für Kinder? Warum eigentlich nicht, dachte sich der gebürtige Chemnitzer Dieter Vieweger, selbst leidenschaftlicher Archäologe. In seinem Buch „Das Geheimnis des Tells“ erzählt er die Erlebnisse der Kölner Kinder Aaron und Katia, die nach Palästina, in die Heimat ihrer in Jerusalem geborenen Mutter, reisen. Sie erfahren dort von kulturellen Spannungen, vor allem viel über die Geschichte des Alten Orients und die Arbeit der Archäologen. Denn ihr Großvater führt dort Ausgrabungen auf einem Tell durch.[...]
Dieter Vieweger: „Das Geheimnis des Tells. Eine archäologische Reise in den Orient“. Verlag Philipp von Zabern. 86 Seiten. 19,90 Euro. ISBN 3-8053-3519-9.
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N.M. excavations uncover acequia history

Excavations of a long-buried arroyo and four acequias are giving Santa Fe more information about its historic ditch system and what the community was like hundreds of years ago.
"In 1610, when they first started colonizing this place, the first things they did were build a church and start digging acequias," said Chris Wenker, project manager with the state Office of Archaeological Studies. "It created this spider web of canals on both sides of the river - a vast web of canals that is almost completely lost now."[...]
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USC seeks volunteers for excavating ancient archaeological sites

The University of South Carolina is accepting registrations from volunteers to help excavate ancient archaeological sites along the Savannah River from May 2 - June 3, 2006. The expedition will be led by USC archaeologist Dr. Albert Goodyear, whose discoveries at the Topper site in Allendale County have captured international media attention.[...]
Volunteers can register online at www.allendale-expedition.net or by calling 803-777-8170.
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Egypt’s ancient treasures expanding, luring more tourists and intrigues

Top archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and director of the Giza and Sakkara Pyramids, recently inaugurated the much-awaited King Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit being held here. The displays of 180 artifacts will remain at the Museum of Arts in Las Olas until April 2006.
In an interview with the eTurbo News, Hawass revealed a host of recent discoveries his team and other experts have made, making Egypt a destination culture vultures and heritage tourists long to visit year to year.[...]
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Bibliotheca Alexandrina builds copycat version of ancient Farous lighthouse

The Alexandria Study Center of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina has started the building of a copycat version of the ancient Farous lighthouse. The move is part of a project implemented by the center to take part in the Strabo program to establish a Web site on the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean Basin countries. The project also includes the building of three-dimensional versions of the Qaytbay Citadel and Ottoman mosques in Alexandria.
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Discovery of Murals of Four Sassanid Princes in Gour City

Archaeological excavations in an ancient palace near Menar area of Gour city which goes back to the Sassanid era resulted in the discovery of colored fresco of four Sassanid princes on one of the walls of this palace. This is the first time that such a design has been discovered.
Historical city of Gour, located near Firuz Abad in Fars province, is the first circle-shaped city of Iran, which was established during the third century AD by the order of Ardeshir Babakan, the founder of Sassanid dynasty, and was one of the most important cities during that period. Recently, archeological excavations in this historical site started for the first time under the supervision of Professor Dietrich, a German archaeologist and were taken up by an Iranian team.[...]
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2005 sees plentiful archaeological discoveries in China

Chinese archaeologists have reported huge harvest in 2005, with a large number of significant discoveries reported over the past year. At the "Archaeology Forum" which opened here Tuesday, Liu Qingzhu, director of the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said that the new discoveries ranging from the paleolithic age to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The discoveries have not only helped resolve many academic questions, but also pointed toward new directions of future research, said Liu.[...]
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Archaeological Prospectors offers new service

Archaeological Prospectors recently began helping people search for unmarked graves with geophysical surveying. The company's technology and expertise in this area has already been used in a number of projects around the Fredericton region.
The service is the latest addition to the array of options Archaeological Prospectors offers its customers. Opened around five years ago, the company offers services ranging from environmental impact assessments to excavation to geophysical surveying. As well, the business operates a website at www.archaeologicalprospectors.com.[...]
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Discovery of a 5000-year-old Jar Burial in Qoli Darvish Tepe

Archeological excavations in the upper layers of Qoli Darvish historical hill belonging to the third millennium BC resulted in the discovery of a 5000-year-old jar burial of a child at the bottom of a room which dates back to the Bronze Age. Archeologists believe that the skeleton belongs to an 11 month old child.
Qoli Darvish historical tepe (hill) is located on the way of Qom-Jamkaran highway. The construction of this highway resulted in the destruction of more than 40 hectare of the 50 hectare area of Qoli Darvish Tepe; and the height of the hill was reduced to 6 meters while once it was more than 30 meters high.[...]
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Temple of As-Sawda’: A South Arabian pantheon

A survey was organized in March 2004, in Al-Jawf area. The main objective was to record the location and the state of destruction and looting in archaeological sites in the region. Part of the job was to bring to the attention of the Yemeni authorities and international organizations the disastrous state of archaeological sites in Al-Jawf in general and the site of As-Sawda’ in particular.
It was realized that all historical sites of Al-Jawf, with the exception of Baraqish, had been in the last few years the subject of illegal excavations, which are supporting a prosperous trafficking of antiquities. Archaeologists visited historical sites of Kamna, Ma’in, As-Sawda’, Shaqab Al-Manassa, and Darb As-Sabi.[...]
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Wissenschaftler entdecken 4700 Jahre altes Doppelgrab

Ein rund 4700 Jahre altes Doppelgrab mit Textilschmuck haben Archäologen in einer Steinzeit-Siedlung bei Karsdorf (Burgenlandkreis) entdeckt. In dem Grab lagen eine Frau unbekannten Alters und ein Junge, nicht älter als zehn Jahre. "Bei der Frau befanden sich in merkwürdiger Anordnung tausende winziger, durchlochter Plättchen aus Muschelkalk, wie sie nur am Flusslauf der Unstrut vorkommen, und etwa 300 durchlochte Zähne von Hunden, Wölfen oder Füchsen", sagte Archäologe Hans Joachim Behnke vom Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie in Halle. "Die beiden Personen müssen gleichzeitig gestorben sein, ob es Mutter und Sohn sind können nur DNA-Untersuchungen zeigen."[...]
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Pune Police arrest real estate agent for beheading German archaeologist

Police in the Pune on Sunday arrested a real estate agent on for the murder of an elderly German woman whose beheaded body was found in her home. Police said the lure of her two flats in Liberty Apartments in the IT hub of Pune, one of which she occupied, was the reason behind the cruel beheading.[...]
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Deutsche Archäologin in Pune ermordet

BILD-Artikel dazu

Pune estate agent held for German's murder

An estate agent was arrested today in connection with the brutal murder of a 72-year-old German woman, Gudrun Korvinos, at her apartment in the posh Koregaon Park area here.
DCP Anand Shinde told reporters that the estate agent, Iqbal Mohammad Sheikh, was eyeing the lady's two properties in the upmarket Koregaon Park and was aware that she lived alone. With a motive to forge her signature and take over her properties, the accused had killed her on January 1, Shinde said, adding that her severed head was found in a gunny bag at Kharadi in the city outskirts. The woman's headless body was found last night.[...]
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Archaeological excavation hints at pre-historic temple ruins

A recent archaeological excavation and findings near Malinithan, a renowned place of pilgrimage and tourism under West Siang district, has indicated presence of more temples adjacent to the main temple, which is likely to throw more light on historical facts.
The antiquities, stone sculptures of Brahmanical deities and architectural pieces that have been unearthed along with a temple base speak volumes on probable presence of many other temples ruins that have been damaged either by earthquake or landslides, director of research Tage Tada told a team of visiting media men here yesterday.[...]
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The "first farmer" belonged to India, says ASI

China's "First Farmer" crown is up for grabs! Archaeological findings in Lahuradeva in Sant Kabir Nagar district have indicated that the Middle Ganga Valley (Uttar Pradesh) might have been home to the First Farmer.
The State Archaeological Department, which has carried out excavation at the mound of Lahuradeva, says the findings indicate that ancient humans residing in this valley bid adieu to nomadic life and took to farming and domestication of animals during the New Stone Age.
Historians and archaeologists around the world have been debating over the home of the First Farmer. The Chinese claim that first time farming started in their country 10,000-years back. But Middle East and West Asian countries have countered this asserting that first farming started in their river valleys.[...]
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Antike Statue am Straßenrand auf Kreta gefunden

Auf der Mittelmeerinsel Kreta ist an einem Straßenrand nahe der Hafenstadt Iraklion eine rund 2 000 Jahre alte Marmor-Statue einer Frau gefunden worden. An der aus der späten hellenistischen oder frühen römischen Zeit stammenden Statue fehlen zwar die Beine und der Kopf, der Körper sei jedoch gut erhalten, berichtet der staatliche griechische Rundfunk. Ein Lastwagenfahrer hatte die Statue zufällig in der Nähe einer Müllhalde der Hafenstadt Iraklion entdeckt. Die Statue sei 1,5 Meter groß.Quelle

Sangtarashan Discoveries and New Ambiguities

Some delicate and beautiful bronze articles and two iron swords have been discovered during the archeological excavations in historical site of Sangtarashan in Lurestan province, without any evidence of a grave or an architectural structure nearby. The issue has puzzled archeologists about the usage of Sangtarashan area during the first millennium BC.
Sangtarashan historical site in Lurestan province had been known to be a cemetery belonging to the third Iron Age (800 to 550 BC). However, no remains of human skeletons have been discovered so far during the archeological excavations. Furthermore, there are neither any architectural remains nor any clue of temporary habitations in the area. Nevertheless, the area is full of delicate bronze relics.[...]
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Headless Body of German Archaeologist found in Pune

A 72-year-old German woman was found brutally murdered at her apartment in the posh Koregaon Park locality late last night, the police said here. The body of Gudrun Korvinos, a researcher in archaeology, was found with her head severed. The murder came to light after a complaint was lodged by one Farooq Wadia (68), whose wife is a close friend of Dr Korvinos.[...]
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Archaeologists find ancient Mayan glyphs

Archaeologists have announced the discovery of the earliest known Mayan hieroglyphs in central America, although they can only read one word.
Experts said the 2,300-year-old glyphs prove the Mayan civilisation had mastered writing many centuries earlier than previously believed. Of the 10 glyphs, inscribed on plaster and stone, only one has been deciphered. It is believed to be Mayan for "ruler". Another glyph shows a hand, possibly holding a sharp instrument.
David Stuart, of the University of Texas, said: "We can't read this stuff because it's so early. It's even more exotic looking than the known Mayan glyphs." The hieroglyphs were found at the same site in northern Guatemala where the archaeologist William Saturno found the earliest known Mayan murals.
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Unique Embryo Burial Discovered in Burnt City

During the ninth season of excavations in historical site of Burnt City, the graves of two embryos who were buried using a strange method have been discovered which faced archaeologists with new questions. Two big clay bowls were placed on top of the embryos, a feature never seen before in any of the graves in Burnt City.
According to Farzad Forouzanfar, anthropologist who is part of the excavation team in Burnt City, the discoveries of the ninth season of excavations were somehow different with the previous ones. During this season of excavation, 11 methods of embryo burial have been discovered while two of them were absolutely different from the rest.[...]
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Monastic sculpture discovery puts Nobber on the map of attractions

A routine clean-up of an Irish country graveyard in County Meath has turned up a dozen stone artefacts dating back more than a thousand years. Experts say they are astonished that the discovery, centring on monastic sculptures, should have been made by accident rather than through planned excavation.
The find includes complete crosses, several feet in height, together with the remains of larger crosses. All are sculpted with Christian depictions, some with geometric motifs. The discovery was made in the village of Nobber, in Meath, a county rich in historical associations dating back 4,000 years. Archaeologists are excited by the discovery while local politicians envisage it as the basis for a new tourist attraction.[...]
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Berlin zeigt "Ägyptens versunkene Schätze"

Der Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin hat eine Weltpremiere mit "Ägyptens versunkenen Schätzen" angekündigt. In der Ausstellung sollen vom 13. Mai an 1200 bis 2700 Jahre alte Funde von zwei im Mittelmeer untergegangenen Städten erstmals der Öffentlichkeit präsentiert werden. Zu sehen sind 500 antike Schätze, die der französische Archäologe Franck Goddio während einer Unterwasserexpedition nahe Alexandria fand, wie das Museum mitteilte. Die Funde werden bis zum 4. September ausgestellt.
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Älteste Schriftzeichen der Maya entdeckt

Die Schriftkultur der Maya ist offenbar älter als bisher angenommen. Die Ureinwohner Mittelamerikas benutzten schon vor etwa 2300 Jahren Hieroglyphen, wie ein Fund in Guatemala nahelegt.
Zehn Schriftzeichen, mit dicken schwarzen Linien auf weißen Gips gemalt, sollen das älteste bekannte schriftliche Zeugnis der Maya-Kultur sein. Eine feine, rosa-orange Linie soll als Orientierung beim Schreiben gedient haben, berichten Wissenschaftler im Fachblatt "Science". Der Mauerrest stamme aus einer Pyramide im Dschungel von Guatemala, wo ihn der guatemaltekische Archäologe Boris Beltran durch Zufall entdeckte.[...]
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Researchers Discover Greek Temple In Albania Dating Back To 6th Century B.C.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati’s Classics faculty are preparing to make their first public presentation of details surrounding their find of one of the earliest Greek temples in the Adriatic region north of Greece.
The UC researchers, along with colleagues from the International Centre for Albanian Archaeology and the Institute of Archaeology, Tirana, will be presenting on their new work on Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, in Montreal at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America.
"This is a case where a hunch about the potential of a site is paying off in the discovery of a temple that has extraordinary and singular importance to Albanian archaeology and to the history of Greek colonization in the Adriatic Sea region," says Jack L. Davis, the Carl W. Blegen Professor of Greek Archaeology at the University of Cincinnati and co-director of the international research team working at the site.[...]
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Archaeologist pursued 30-year curiosity about Jamestown

William Kelso has a knack for finding things that others pass by - such as the remains of the Jamestown colony, which is enabling two continents to refine their histories. The discovery of Jamestown's fort, and hundreds of thousands of 17th century artifacts, sprang from Kelso's curiosity as a graduate history student in the 1960s.
Eager to see for himself the site of the nation's first permanent English settlement, the Ohio native at first was disheartened when a park ranger at Jamestown Island told him he was a couple of centuries too late. Excavations before the 350th anniversary of the colony's founding in 1957 uncovered no evidence that the fort existed, and scientists concluded that it and the land around it had been washed into the James River.[...]
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Historic Jamestowne

Familiensonntag im Westfälischen Archäologiemuseum in Herne

Auch 2006 gibt es im Westfälischen Museum für Archäologie in Herne an jedem ersten Sonntag im Monat Veranstaltungen für die ganze Familie. Am kommenden Sonntag (8.1.) um 14 Uhr werden unter dem Motto „Vom Gießen und Schmieden“ Kinder im Alter von acht bis zwölf Jahren zu kleinen Metallhandwerkern, während ihre Eltern an einer Führung durch die Landesausstellung teilnehmen können. Um 15 Uhr steht dort der Paderborner Archäologie Dr. Sven Spiong Interessierten Rede und Antwort. Anschließend wird eine Führung für Kinder angeboten.[...]
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Westfälisches Museum für Archäologie

Viking Unst project secures funding

The Viking Unst project will definitely go ahead this summer after securing the final piece of funding from Europe. Shetland Amenity Trust, which is managing the £1m project, will receive just over £109,000 from the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund which pays for rural development projects. Last summer the project was awarded almost half a million pounds by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Further funding has been pledged by Historic Scotland (£15,000), Shetland Development Trust (£45,000), Shetland Islands Council (£15,000) and Shetland Enterprise (£40,000).[...]
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Mongolia looks to archaeologists and dinosaur hunters to help create jobs

Archaeologists and dinosaur hunters are digging up Mongolia's vast countryside, seeking to retrace thousands of years of history in this storied but still mysterious land. It was from here that Genghis Khan's armies conquered China and threatened Europe some 700 years ago, and where untold herds of dinosaurs once roamed.
"Mongolia is still a big question: Who was where? Who was doing what?" said Jargalan, a 22-year-old archaeology student who is working on a tomb dig at Baga Gazryn Chulu in the Gobi Desert, and like many Mongolians uses only one name.
"Mongolian archaeology is just a baby," he said. Mongolia, a former Soviet satellite, is now a desperately poor country eager for foreign investment. It is welcoming archaeology and paleontology expeditions as a way of creating jobs and training Mongolia's growing corps of homegrown scientists.[...]
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Archeological dig offers online viewing

Egyptologist Betsy Bryan and her crew are sharing their work with the world through an online diary. Visitors to "Hopkins in Egypt Today" will find photos of Bryan and her students working on Johns Hopkins University's 11th annual excavation at the Mut Temple Precinct in Luxor.[...]
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A new home for mummies

"A new hall for mummies will open at the Egyptian Museum in a fortnight's time," said Zahi Hawass, Secretary- General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). The first hall contains the mummies of the Egyptian warrior Pharaohs from Sekhen-en-Ra to Ramses II, while the new hall will house the mummies of the high priests of Amun, Hawass added.[...]
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Hundred of Artifacts Found in Temple Mount Rubble

Archaeologists have discovered hundreds of coins and artifacts in Temple Mount rubble removed by Arabs who are building a huge underground mosque. Among the finds are a seal that was used to close sacks of silver at the time of the prophet Jeremiah, shortly before the destruction of the First Temple.[...]
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Treasures of Cyprus found in friend's attic

An amateur archaeologist has discovered an important hoard of ancient Cypriot artefacts dating back more than 2,000 years in a Cheshire loft. James Balme, from Warrington, found the treasure, including pottery vessels bearing the earliest Christian symbols, while clearing a friend's attic. The artefacts were brought back from the Greek island in the 1960s and stored in the attic as "holiday trinkets".[...]
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Discovery of Grave of a Mother with her Daughter in Arms

Following the discovery of 108 graves in ancient site of Burnt City during the 9th season of archaeological excavations in this historical site, five other mass graves were found recently. Among these five mass graves, three graves contained bodies of women, two in each, who presumably died at the same time and were buried together.
“One of these graves belongs to a mother embracing her daughter. The other one contains two young 18 and 20 year-old girls who were buried together. The third grave belongs to a 30 to 40 year-old woman and a 17 to 20 years old girl,” said Farzad Forouzanfar, anthropologist who is part of the excavation team of Burnt City.[...]
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Tiny fossil tooth new evidence of land bridge to Europe

The tiny fossilized tooth of a new species of opossum-like mammal that lived 66 million years ago presents new evidence that a land bridge existed between North America and Europe during the age of the dinosaurs. The discovery of the tooth -- less than two millimetres in size -- marks the first time a marsupial has been identified as living in Europe alongside dinosaurs during the last period of the Mesozoic Era.
Until now, paleontologists assumed marsupials had not made the crossing from North America to Europe until some 10 million years after the dinosaurs' extinction. "We all got very excited once we identified what it was, because of the implications of this thing," Judd Case, dean of science at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, Calif., said in a telephone interview Tuesday.[...]
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Taj Mahal is no big draw on full moon nights

Contrary to hype and the expectation of local authorities, a scheme to view the Taj Mahal in Agra on full moon nights has failed to draw crowds. Visitors' records with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains the architectural wonder, and the Uttar Pradesh tourism department show that the turnout for viewing the white marble monument at night has been poor. Initially, when the Taj was thrown open to viewing at night in November 2004, there was quite a rush, with the daily turnout ranging between 200 and 300 people. It has now plummeted to as low as half a dozen people on some days. Even on the best days this winter, the scheme failed to draw over 50 tourists.[...]
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The Jerusalem that Jesus Knew: The Archaeological Finds

Prof. Katharina Galor of Brown University's Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World will open the Newport Art Museum's winter lecture series on Saturday at 2 p.m. with "The Jerusalem that Jesus Knew: The Archaeological Finds." Galor has worked and studied at archaeological excavations in Jerusalem for 20 years. She will discuss archaeological discoveries and knowledge of the city based on literary evidence.

Rätselhafter Untergrund

Antdorfer Ortskern und Frauenrain gelten als Bodendenkmäler
Im Antdorfer Untergrund schlummern möglicherweise ungeahnte historische Schätze. Deshalb stehen jetzt sowohl der alte Antdorfer Ortskern, der Gemeindebereich Frauenrain, das Gräberfeld an der Straße nach Iffeldorf und eine weitere vermutete Grabstätte zwischen Antdorf und Frauenrain unter Denkmalschutz. Die Gebiete gelten als Bodendenkmale. Das hat künftig nachhaltige Auswirkungen auf jegliche Baumaßnahmen.[...]
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Arabs Make Charges Over Temple Mount

Israel's Islamic Movement accused Jews of secretly building a synagogue under the Al Aksa Mosque. Movement leader Sheik Raed Salah claimed that Jews have prayed in a five-room complex built under cover of excavations on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, 100 yards from the site of Al Aksa.[...]
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Muslim clerics sound al-Aqsa alarm

The Supreme Islamic Association and al-Aqsa Association for Construction of Holy Shrines have accused Israeli authorities of carrying on excavations under al-Aqsa mosque in occupied Jerusalem and threatening its stability, Aljazeera reports.
The head of the Islamic Movement inside the Green Line, Shaikh Raed Salah, said on Tuesday that Israelis are building a synagogue 97 metres away from the Dome of Rock as part of the ongoing excavation work under al-Aqsa mosque.[...]
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Attempt to recreate ancient trade route sank, but hopes of success still float

Humbled after three attempts at making a vessel modelled on an ancient Bronze Age boat float, the team that conceptualised the Magan Boat project — an attempt at recreating the trade route between Harappan and Magan civilizations — was in the city to participate in a two-day international seminar on the ‘Magan and Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC)’. The seminar, which began on Wednesday, is being jointly organised by the Archaeology Department of MSU and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Greggory Possehl (anthropology professor from Pennsylvannia University), Tom Vosmer (Oman), Maurizio Tosi (Bologna University), Alok Tripathi (ASI), Serge Cleuziou (University of Paris), Ali Elmahi and Mohammed Ali Al-Belushi (Sultan Qaboos University), associated with the project in various stages were present at the seminar.[...]
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Archäologen untersuchen Fundort der Moorleiche

Nach der Aufsehen erregenden Entdeckung einer 2650 Jahre alten Moorleiche im Uchter Moor (Niedersachsen) wollen die Archäologen den Fundort noch einmal unter die Lupe nehmen.
Er rechne damit, dass die Torfschichten, in denen "Moora" gelegen habe, noch in diesem Monat gehoben werden können, sagte der Moorarchäologe Alf Metzler vom Landesamt für Denkmalpflege in Hannover. Danach sollen weitere Grabungen dort vorgenommen werden. "Wir müssen sicherstellen, dass nichts übersehen wurde."[...]Source

Artifacts Unearthed in Downtown Wilmington

Excavators sift through layers of dirt in downtown Wilmington. With each shovel full, they find items like ceramic pottery, a babydoll shoe and pieces of bottles. At a future building site at Church and Front Streets, they also dig up much larger evidence of buildings long gone.
"The everyday history is not typically known, so when we uncover the way people used to live, lifeways of the past, it really gives you a fuller image of what people were like a few hundred years ago," says Archaeologist Kathy Southerly.[...]
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Montreal hosts the 107th Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America

Montreal is the host of the 107th AnnualMeeting of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). The Annual Meetingbrings together over 2400 professional archaeologists, students and members ofthe general public at the Palais des Congrès convention center in Montrealfrom January 5-8.
The complete conference calendar is available at archaeological.org [...]
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Woollies gets go-ahead after conserving local heritage

The Heritage Council of New South Wales has approved the work Woolworths is doing to protect the archaeological evidence of Australia's first ironworks at Mittagong. Woolworths applied for approval to modify their original development application to build a Big W on the site because relics of greater significance than first thought have been uncovered in the excavation. Principal heritage officer with the Heritage Office, Murray Brown, says Woolworths has been very active and cooperative in the matter. "Woolworths has [given up the] equivalent of 60 car parking spaces, and we think it's been a terrific win for the community and for the development because the development will be going ahead."
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