Auf der Spur der Katzenmumie

Als Jugendlichen faszinierte Stephan J. Seidlmayer eine ägyptische Katzenmumie im Museum seiner Heimatstadt Würzburg. Er wollte mehr wissen. Seit dreißig Jahren bereist und erforscht Seidlmayer nun das Land am Nil. Am 1. Mai wird der 52-Jährige neuer Direktor des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo. Als Nachfolger von Günter Dreyer rückt er in eine Schlüsselposition der deutschen Ägyptenforschung.[...]
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The final collapse of Byzantium

More than half of the Byzantine buildings in the Marmara region have been damaged, according to a report released yesterday by a volunteer group, the Archaeological Settlements of Turkey Project, or TAY.
There are 336 buildings in the area dating from Byzantium that have been severely damaged, TAY coordinator Oğuz Satıcı said in a press conference on the group’s report, "Archeological Destruction in Turkey, 2008, Marmara Region Byzantine Period."[...]
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Indus Valley code is cracked - maybe

A 4,500-year-old mystery has been revived, with Indian-American scientists claiming on April 23 that the puzzling symbols that were found on Indus Valley seals are indeed the written script of a language from an ancient civilization.
But skeptics, such as historian Steve Farmer and Harvard University Indologist Michael Witzel, say that claims of the Indus Valley civilization having a written language, and therefore a literate culture, are generally created by pseudo-nationalists from India, Hindu chauvinists and right-wing political frauds who wish to glorify the existence of an ancient Hindu civilization.[...]
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Roman glass dish found in grave

A rare Roman millefiori dish has been unearthed by archaeologists from the grave of a wealthy Londoner. The dish, which has gone on display at the Museum of London in Docklands, was found during excavations in Prescot Street, in Aldgate, east London.[...]
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Steinzeitlicher Friedhof

Zu Lebzeiten bauten sie Lehmhäuser auf Holzpfählen, gingen auf die Jagd mit Pfeilen aus Feuerstein und züchteten Getreide, das sie zwischen Holzpfählen zermahlten: Die Leute der Großgartacher Kultur. In Entzheim bei Straßburg sind Archäologen nun auf eine Nekropole jener Menschen gestoßen – die größte Nekropole im ganzen Elsaß.[...]
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Archäologen finden steinzeitliche Totenstadt

In neun Monaten haben französische Archäologen beim Straßburger Flughafen eine steinzeitliche Totenstadt ausgegraben – ein echter Knochenjob, wie BZ-Korrespondentin Constance Frey festgestellt hat.[...]
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Tempel auf dem Sinai entdeckt

Bunte Bemalungen schmückten die einst prächtigen Innenräume der Kultstätte, die Decke wurde von 34 Säulen getragen: Auf der Sinai-Halbinsel sind Archäologen auf einen Tempel aus der Pharaonenzeit gestoßen, der im Alten Ägypten zur Festung Tharo gehörte – Tharo liegt am so genannten Horusweg, einer Heeresroute, die einst von Ägypten nach Asien führte.[...]
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China's earliest known carving found in central Henan Province

Chinese archaeologists say they have identified the country's earliest known carving -- a deer antler sculpted into the shape of a bird -- dating back 12,000 to 15,000 years.
The fossilized grey figurine, which is 2.1 centimeters long, 1.2 centimeters high and 0.6 centimeters thick, was found in Xuchang County in China's central Henan Province in March. It is made from evenly-heated antler, and vividly carved with amicrolithic cutting tool.[...]
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Archaeologist bemoans Ark looting

Artifacts of prehistoric people who lived in Arkansas are being excavated by professionals who are trying to piece together more of the story of those who once lived here. Those artifacts are also being dug up by criminals. Dr. Julie Morrow, station archaeologist for Arkansas Archaeological Survey, wants to get the word out that raiding the state's past can be a felony.[...]
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"Kleopatra wurde in diesem Tempel begraben"

Zahi Hawass ist Herr über Pyramiden und Mumien - und der wohl mächtigste Archäologe der Welt. Jetzt will der exzentrische Chef von Ägyptens Altertümerbehörde das Grab Kleopatras geortet haben. Im Interview mit SPIEGEL ONLINE erklärt er, was ihn so sicher macht.[...]
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Archaeologists discover blocked passage in 800-yr-old well

The Baoli with seven live streams and the blocked passage came to light when archaeologists were carrying out conservation work at the well near the Nizamuddin dargah in South Delhi area.
Residents in the capital's Nizamuddin area are only too aware of the deep well in their midst, but were amazed when the 800-year-old 'Baoli' with seven streams was found to be connected with a blocked passage.[...]
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4,300 mediaeval coins unearthed at Carevi Kuli

Total 4,300 mediaeval coins dating back to the second half of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries have been unearthed at the Carevi Kuli archaeological site overlooking Strumica. The coins contained in two ceramic bowls have made one of the largest and most important mediaeval findings so far, according to Archaeologist Zoran Rujak, the head of the ongoing archaeological excavations.
"According to previous knowledge, it is about three types of coins forged under Manojlo I Komnen and subsequent emperors," Rujak says. Coins dating from different historical periods have been found at the site. The oldest one dates back to 350 B.C. (period under Philip II).[...]
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A Mosaic Painting Discovered in Idleb

Archeological Excavation Section of Idleb Ruins Department has discovered a mosaic painting that dates back to the Byzantine era in the Jakara village , 15 km to the west of Salqin town.
The painting includes various drawings of a big peacock , a small bird, two pomegranate and olive trees, and crosses located at the one side of the painting in addition to inscriptions in Latin representing a message of gratitude to the artist who made the paining.[...]
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Cache of mummies unearthed at Egypt's Lahun pyramid

Archaeologists have unearthed a cache of pharaonic-era mummies in brightly painted wooden coffins near Egypt's little-known Lahun pyramid, the site head said on Sunday.
The mummies were the first to be found in the sand-covered desert rock surrounding the mud-brick Lahun pyramid, believed to be built by the 12th dynasty pharaoh Senusret II, who ruled 4,000 years ago. The team expects to announce more finds soon.[...]
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Fragment Of Hebrew Inscription From Period Of Kings Of Judah Found

A fragment of a limestone plaque bearing several letters of ancient Hebrew script was discovered while sifting soil that was excavated in the vicinity of the Gihon Spring, within the precincts of the “Walls around Jerusalem National Park”.[...]
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Nine Mile Canyon: The Longest Art Gallery

Nine Mile Canyon is often referred to as the world's longest art gallery. Located in the state of Utah, the Canyon is five times longer than its name indicates and full of cliffs. But it is also loaded with thousands of ancient images or petroglyphs that go back in time to the mysterious disappearance of a Native American culture.[...]
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Archaeological artifacts found in Iraq

An Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities spokesman says 30 rare Christian archaeological artifacts have been found in Tekrit.
Ministry spokesman Abdulzahra al-Talaqani said the artifacts were located by municipal workers laying down pipes in the city, which had a large Christian population until the late 12th century, the Iraqi newspaper Azzaman reported Thursday.[...]
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Ägypter nutzten Kräuterwein als Medizin

In Überbleibseln von mehr als 5000 Jahre altem ägyptischen Wein haben Forscher Hinweise auf den Zusatz verschiedener Kräuter gefunden. Mit den Pflanzen sollten offenbar verschiedene Krankheiten geheilt werden.[...]
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Archaeological artifacts found in Iraq

An Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities spokesman says 30 rare Christian archaeological artifacts have been found in Tekrit.
Ministry spokesman Abdulzahra al-Talaqani said the artifacts were located by municipal workers laying down pipes in the city, which had a large Christian population until the late 12th century, the Iraqi newspaper Azzaman reported Thursday.[...]
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Archaeologists find largest ancient Egyptian temple to date in Sinai

Archaeologists have discovered the largest ancient Egyptian temple ever to be found in the Sinai Peninsula.
This is the latest find at a dig near the Egyptian town of Rafah, 40 kilometers east of the Suez Canal in northern Sinai. Three other temples and 15 guard towers have already been found there.[...]
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Kleopatras Grab könnte bald gefunden werden

Die Entdeckung des sagenumwobenen Grabs von Königin Kleopatra und ihres Mannes Marcus Antonius steht möglicherweise kurz bevor. Das Rätsel über die letzte Ruhestätte des Liebespaares werde vermutlich gelöst, so die Einschätzung der ägyptischen Altertumsbehörde. "Der Fund dieses Grabs wäre eine der wichtigsten Entdeckungen des 21. Jahrhunderts", sagte Behördenchef Sahi Hawass. Das Grab wird im Tempel von Taposiris Magna vermutet, rund 50 Kilometer westlich von Alexandria.[...]
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Team's re-creation of ancient Karnak brings history of pharaohs to life

After being crowned one of ancient Egypt’s rare female pharaohs, Queen Hatshepsut renovated a coronation hall lined with statuary depicting her father, her highly regarded predecessor, as a god. In the center of the hall, she installed two 10-story red granite obelisks and a beautiful red quartzite chapel inscribed with images of herself erecting the colossal obelisks.[...]
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4 new temples discovered in Egyptian Sinai

Archaeologists exploring an old military road in the Sinai have unearthed four new temples amidst the 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortified city that could have been used to impress foreign delegations visiting Egypt, antiquities authorities announced Tuesday.
Among the discoveries was the largest mud brick temple found in the Sinai with an area of 70 by 80 meters (77 by 87 yards) and fortified with mud walls 3 meters (10 feet) thick, said Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.[...]
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Die Römerschlacht am Harzhorn

Es war ein Glücks- aber kein Zufall, dass die Entdeckung des Schlachtfeldes am Harzhorn in der Nähe des niedersächsischen Kalefeld historisch und archäologisch so aufregend ist. Als nämlich im Sommer 2008 der Northeimer Kreisarchäologin Dr. Petra Lönne römische Fundstücke zur Begutachtung übergeben wurden, reagierte sie sofort und veranlasste eine sofortige Abschirmung des Fundortes von der Öffentlichkeit und eine ausgiebige Prospektion des Geländes mit Metalldetektoren.[...]
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Römische Bronze in Wetzlar gefunden

Einen bemerkenswerten Fund haben Jenaer Archäologen bei Grabungen im mittelhessischen Wetzlar-Dalheim gemacht: Ein 118 Gramm schweres und rund 2000 Jahre altes Bronzefragment, das Teil einer lebensgroßen vergoldeten Reiterstatue war. Diese soll einst in einer römischen Siedlung im heutigen Lahnau-Waldgirmes gestanden haben. Der Jenenser Archäologe Andreas Schäfer nennt den Fund eine Sensation, bezeugt er doch die Existenz einer regulären Römerstadt östlich des Rheins in den Jahren vor der Varusschlacht.[...]
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Origins Of Maya Blue In Mexico

The ancient Maya civilisation used a rare type of clay called "palygorskite" to produce Maya blue. Combining structural, morphological and geochemical methods, Spanish researchers have defined the features of palygorskite clay on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. These findings will make it possible to ascertain the origin of the materials used to produce this pigment, which survives both time and chemical and environmental elements.[...]
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A German institute presents the geophysical archaeology of ancient Kosovo

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Valton Beqiri, hosted the director of the Archaeological Institute of Frankfurt and Germany's representative for Archaeological Heritage, Dr. Friedrich Lüeth.
On this occasion, Dr. Lüeth handed over a report to Minister Beqiri on scientific research of geophysical archaeological site of the ancient town of Ulpiana which is made pursuant to a cooperation memorandum signed in February of 2008 by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosovo and the Institute Archeology of Frankfurt (Germany).[...]
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27 graves, gold mask of Mark Anthony detected

An Egyptian - Dominican archaeological mission has discovered new leads that could help in detecting the burial place of legendary Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and her Roman lover Mark Antony.
The mission has uncovered an alabaster head of the last Queen of Egypt in addition to 22 bronze coins bearing her face and a headless statue of the queen and another mask that could probably be that of Mark Antony, said Zahi Hawwas, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.[...]
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First-ever digital survey of ancient Paphos theatre

The latest technology is being implemented in surveying methods at the site of the ancient Paphos theatre, in a groundbreaking project, the results of which will help to understand and preserve the UNESCO site.
The ancient Hellenistic-Roman theatre of Nea Paphos, has been home to ongoing excavations conducted by the university of Sydney on behalf of the Cyprus department of Antiquities since 1995.
Franco Niccolucci, one of the Professors taking part in the project told the Cyprus Mail that previews of the data may be available as early as the end of May, but that the results would be fully presented in mid June.[...]
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Kleopatras Grab vor Entdeckung?

Vor etwa 2000 Jahren gingen der römische Feldherr Antonius und die berühmte Pharaonin in den Tod - nun gibt es Hinweise auf das Grab des Paares. Auf der Suche nach dem Grab der ägyptischen Königin Kleopatra und ihres Geliebten Marcus Antonius hoffen Archäologen fündig geworden zu sein.
Die Forscher wollen in der kommenden Woche Ausgrabungen in einem Tunnelsystem in Ägypten beginnen, in dem sich nach ihrer Meinung das Grab des sagenumwobenen Paars befinden könnte, wie britische Medien berichteten.[...]
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Ägyptische Mumifizierungs-Technik

Wer schön sein wollte, kam unters Messer - auch nach dem Tod: Um die Verstorbenen für die Reise ins Jenseits zu präparieren, scheuten die altägyptischen Einbalsamierer vor keinem noch so drastischen Eingriff zurück. Ihre Arbeiten halten bis heute.[...]
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Mumien aus der Zeit des Mittleren Reiches gefunden

Südlich von Kairo haben Archäologen dutzende Mumien gefunden. Wie der Chef der Altertümerverwaltung, Sahi Hawass, der Nachrichtenagentur AFP sagte, sind einige der Mumien bereits rund 4000 Jahre alt. Sie datieren aus der Zeit des Mittleren Reiches. Die Mumien sind türkisfarben, ocker und gold gemalt.[...]
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Iranian Archaeologists Return to 7500-Year-Old Sialk Site

A team of Iranian archaeologists began the second season of excavation at the northern mound of the 7500-year-old Sialk site near the central city of Kashan last week.
The mound is the ruins of a village, which is considered to be Iran’s most ancient rural structure.
“This part is the very village, which we believe is Iran’s and even the world’s most ancient village. Thus we are carrying out our studies in the line with last year’s research on the ancient strata,” team director Mohammad-Hassan Fazeli Nashli told the Persian service of CHN on Tuesday.[...]
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Egypt to search 3 sites for Cleopatra's tomb

Archaeologists next week will begin excavating three sites in Egypt near the Mediterranean Sea that may contain the tombs of doomed lovers, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.
In a statement Wednesday, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities said the three sites were identified last month during a radar survey of the temple of Taposiris Magna as part of the search for the lovers' tombs.
The temple is located on Lake Mariut which is today called Abusir, near the northern coastal city of Alexandria, and was built during the reign of King Ptolemy II (282-246 B.C.).[...]
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Römer-Schlachtfeld größer als angenommen

Das erst im vergangenen Jahr entdeckte römische Schlachtfeld bei Oldenrode im niedersächsischen Kreis Northeim ist größer angenommen. Nach jüngsten Untersuchungen ist das Areal, auf dem sich Römer und Germanen vor rund 1800 Jahren ein Gefecht lieferten, fast zwei Kilometer lang und mehrere hundert Meter breit.[...]
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Graverobbers feared as lake reveals Iraqi history

Drought and dams have vastly shrunk a lake in Iraq's western Anbar province, revealing ancient dwellings and burial sites that archaeologists fear will now be targeted by thieves.
"We found recently opened graves with destroyed grave items around. We found some bones scattered nearby. Some of this is due to the water, but this was also due to recent activity," said Yassin Jbara, an archaeologist supervising Haditha sites.[...]
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Iraq plans to open Saddam museum

Iraq plans to open a museum filled with toppled dictator Saddam Hussein's weapons, statues, paintings, furniture and artefacts, officials told AFP on Saturday.
The items collected and catalogued in the six years since the US-led invasion are being handed back to the Iraqi government, which will consider a site for what would undoubtedly become a major attraction.[...]
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U.S. Archaeologists To Excavate In Iraq

A U.S. archaeological team will return to Iraq’s ancient city of Ur, the biblical birthplace of Abraham, to conduct excavations after the area is returned to Iraq by U.S.-led forces on May 13.
An official told RFE/RL’s Radio Free Iraq (RFI) that Iraqi archaeologists will work with a university team from the state of Pennsylvania, which on an earlier visit uncovered statues, baked clay pots, and other artifacts from Ur for the Iraqi National Museum.[...]
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Skelett aus der Eisenzeit und Scherben der Linienbandkeramik

"Wenn man so will, sind das vorgeschichtliche Kühlschränke", sagt Ulf Petzschmann. Der Grabungsleiter des Landesamtes für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie spricht gerade von Kegelstumpfgruben, die er auf dem Gelände bei Aderstedt freigelegt hat. Seit etwa zwei Wochen ist Petzschmann gemeinsam mit seinen Helfern im Einsatz, um archäologische Befunde und Funde zu sichern, die beim Bau einer neuen Kabeltrasse zutage treten.[...]
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Archaeology Excavations and Conservation Works at Treskavec Continue

The archaeological research and conservation efforts at the Treskavec Monastery near the town of Prilep in southern Macedonia, will continue with full force this year, after the country set aside significant funds for the project.
The Macedonian Ministry of Culture has allotted 3 million Macedonian dinars (around 48,800 euro) for research, conservation and restoration works at the site. Talks about the construction of a road to the site are underway with the Transport Ministry.[...]
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Rare gold jewelry finds in Boljoon town

Gold jewelry was unearthed, again, at the archaeological dig located within the Patrocinio de Maria parish compound in Boljoon town, south of Cebu. A 14 karat to 18 karat gold necklace measuring 1.1 meter long and weighing 34.1 grams was found in a burial ground along with the remains of a female.[...]
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Zweifel an der Echtheit des Jahrhundertfunds

Einer der sensationellsten archäologischen Funde des vergangenen Jahrhunderts - die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra – entpuppt sich offenbar als Farce. Wie einem bisher unter Verschluss gehaltenen Gutachten zu entnehmen ist, stammt das Objekt nicht aus der Bronzezeit – sondern ist allenfalls 35 Jahre alt.[...]
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Quest for the tomb of Monthemhat in Egypt

Using Georadar technology, a team of specialists from the Terranova and In situ Testing enterprises have explored all the enclosures of a funerary complex, in order to identify hidden rooms which might hold the sarcophagus of the fourth prophet of Ammon and Governor of Upper Egypt (670- 648 B.C.).[...]
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Inscription from the time of Alexander the Great

Unique marble slab with the image of Alexander the Great and a passage of an inscription was discovered in archaeological excavations in the ancient Baktriya, Baktriya Press Agency informed.
The slab represents an ancient king on a horse heading Macedonian cavalry and Macedonian phalanx at the background.[...]
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Iraq to reopen Ur to public after US pullback

Iraq will reopen ancient Ur, the Biblical birthplace of Abraham, to the public after the US military hands back the archaeological site next month, the government said on Wednesday.
"The transfer from US forces of Ur in Dhi Qar province is on May 13. On this occasion, we will hold a ceremony and then rehabilitate the place and open it to visitors," a tourism and antiquities ministry spokesman said.[...]
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Nofretetes erstes Gesicht

Die weltberühmte Büste der ägyptischen Königin Nofretete verbirgt unter ihrer Oberfläche ein weiteres Gesicht. Dessen Zeichnung überrascht die Forscher.
Nofretetes innere Schönheit ist unter vier zarten Schichten von Gips verborgen: Die berühmte, mehr als 3000 Jahre alte Büste der sagenumwobenen Königin ist von ihrem Bildhauer aufwendig nachbearbeitet worden.[...]
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Giza Pyramids Align Toward City of Sun God

Some of Egypt's most magnificent pyramids were deliberately designed to follow a pattern of invisible diagonal lines, an Italian study has concluded.
According to Giulio Magli, professor of archaeoastronomy at Milan's Polytechnic University, these invisible lines would connect most of the funerary complexes raised by the kings of the Old Kingdom between 2630 and 2323 B.C.[...]
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Nefertiti got extreme makeover

German researchers said Tuesday they have uncovered a second, hidden face within one of ancient Egypt's most treasured artefacts, the bust of legendary beauty Queen Nefertiti.
The delicately sculpted face on the interior, revealed when the bust underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan, indicates that Nefertiti may not have been the flawless beauty depicted on the bust's exterior.[...]
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U.S. fought to protect Iraqi history, Marine says

Soon after the U.S. Marines seized the ancient Iraqi city of Babylon in 2003, Iraqi treasure hunters were picking through the ruins of a 2, 600-year-old palace.
Capt. Emilio Marrero Jr., a Navy chaplain, watched from atop a fortress wall with a few Marines and two Iraqi guides. An Iraqi host whispered, "Ali Baba." Thieves.
Armed with little more than indignation and the cross on his left collar, Marrero hollered down in his Bronx accent at the looters: "Ali Baba! Stop."[...]
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Die 1992 im Solling (Kreis Northeim) wiederentdeckte und im Hochmittelalter untergegangene Stadt Nienover hat nach Ansicht des Landesdenkmalamts einzigartige Erkenntnisse für die Stadtarchäologie gebracht. Das Amt stellte am Montag in einem rekonstruierten mittelalterlichen Haus in Nienover den 378-seitigen Bericht der Grabungsleiterin Sonja König vor.[...]
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