Archaeology in Europe Weblog Archaeology in Europe Weblog Archaeological news and information from Europe Articles
Sacred Cave of Rome's Founders Discovered, Archaeologists Say
2007-01-28 13:12:02 Archaeologists say they have unearthed Lupercale?the sacred cave where, according to legend, a she-wolf nursed the twin founders of Rome and where the city itself was born. The long-lost underground chamber was found beneath the remains of Emperor Augustus' palace on the Palatine, a 230-foot-tall (70-meter-tall) hill in the center of the city. Archaeologists from the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Rome Municipality came across the 50-foot-deep (15-meter-deep) cavity while working to restore the decaying palace. "We were drilling the ground near Augustus' residence to survey the foundations of the building when we discovered the cave," said Irene Iacopi, the archaeologist in charge of the area.Read the rest of this article... More About: Founder , Cover , Over , Disco
Normandy grave hints at 300-year defiance of the Roman Empire
2007-01-28 13:12:02 A macabre 1,700-year-old mass grave of people and horses, discovered in Normandy, poses perplexing new questions about the Roma n conquest of France. Was there a small part of ancient Gaul which refused, Asterix-like, to surrender for 300 years? The grave site, from the 3rd century, which was discovered by French state archaeologists at Evreux, appears to contain ritual arrangements of human and horse remains. In one, a human skull is clasped between two horse's skulls, like the two halves of a giant shell.In Gaullish times, 300 years earlier, graves containing both horses and people were common. No such grave has ever been found from the Roman period, and even in the previous era, the remains were kept carefully apart.In the recently discovered grave, about 50 miles west of Paris, the bones appear to have been intentionally mixed. The skeletons of 40 people and 100 horses have been found so far.Read the rest of this article... More About: Rave , Andy , Oman , Empire
ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS GO ON SHOW AT MELTON CARNEGIE MUSEUM
2007-01-28 13:12:02 Melton Carnegie Muse um in Leicester is hosting an exhibition that showcases many of the rare archaeological artefacts unearthed by local residents. The exhibition, Found in Leicestershire, runs until 23 March 2007 and features an array of exciting finds including a wonderful collection of Roman brooches, a rare prehistoric flint dagger, Viking age objects and many medieval items, all from the Melton area. The display tells the story of everyday life for our ancestors and gives a compelling picture of our past. The finds also include an assortment of domestic items made of metal, stone and pottery, whilst accompanying literature reveals their historical importance and how they were found.Read the rest of this article... More About: Show , Find , Logic
Ancient Turkish site set to be flooded
2007-01-28 13:12:02 The Allianoi archaeological site could soon be under water if authorities carry out their plans to flood a newly constructed reservoir. Located in western Turkey, the site is a well-preserved example of an ancient Roman health spa.Archaeologist Ahmet Yaras, head of the Allianoi excavation team, is spearheading a campaign to save the site from being submerged. They are trying to rally international support to pressure the authorities to move the reservoir ? or at least delay the flooding for another five years so that they can finish the excavations.Allianoi is a hot-springs area 18 kilometres northeast of the ruins of ancient Pergamon that was used as a spa in Hellenistic times. It was constructed during major public works done under the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian during the second century AD. In addition to the spa, the Allianoi site includes public squares, streets, gates, bridges, fountains and buildings. Together, they encompass about 50,000 square metres, and they could... More About: Site , Kish , Flooded , Turkish , Ancient
Italian police recover marble reliefs of gladiators
2007-01-27 13:12:01 Italian police have unearthed the hidden cache of a group of grave robbers, recovering ancient Roman marble reliefs depicting stunningly lifelike gladiators locked in mortal combat, officials said Wednesday.The 12 panels were found buried in the garden of a private home near Fiano Romano, some 40 kilometres north of Rome, and officials hailed the recovery as a major archaeological find and a blow to the illegal antiquities market.The reliefs date to the late 1st century BC and are believed to have decorated a tomb, still to be located, in the nearby Roman settlement of Lucus Feroniae, said Anna Maria Moretti, superintendent for antiquities in the area north of Rome. Read the rest of this article... More About: Police , Italia , Italian , Cover , Over
Archaeologists solve mystery of ancient manor's location
2007-01-27 13:12:01 Archaeologists working at the Cowdray Ruins heritage site have discovered evidence of a 13th century manor house.The find shows the existence of walls and a cobbled floor area.These were confirmed this week as part of an earlier building which had been demolished before the site was levelled and raised up by tons of soil in preparation for the 1520 building phase of the 'new' Cowdray House.Read the rest of this article... More About: Cat , Location , Mystery , Ancient , Myst
Experts to dig up 'Hobbit' hole
2007-01-27 13:12:01 We could be set to learn more about a tiny type of human that lived 12,000 years ago, after scientists were given permission to dig up their home. The metre tall creatures were found in Indonesia and some people have called them Hobbit s because of their size. Work in the caves where the bones of the Hobbits were found stopped in 2005 after the archaeologists had a row with the Indonesian government. That's been sorted out, so the Hobbits could soon give up their secrets.Read the rest of this article... More About: Experts , Hole , Expert , Pert
DIG COULD UNCOVER ROMAN HORNCASTLE
2007-01-27 13:12:01 FINDS from excavations being carried out on The Wong could provide new information about Horncastle's Roma n history.Archaeologists are expected to be working on the site until mid-February and initial findings suggest the area was part of a field settlement in Roman times.A geophysical survey pointed to the need for a dig, which is being conducted by Lindsey Archaeological Services, in an area where new sewerage pipes are to be laid.A spokeswoman for Anglian Water explained the waterlogged nature of the ground meant the site to be disturbed for the pipework was twice the size originally expected.Read the rest of this article... More About: Castle , Cast , Cover , Oman
DIG COULD UNCOVER ROMAN HORNCASTLE
2007-01-27 13:12:01 FINDS from excavations being carried out on The Wong could provide new information about Horncastle's Roma n history.Archaeologists are expected to be working on the site until mid-February and initial findings suggest the area was part of a field settlement in Roman times.A geophysical survey pointed to the need for a dig, which is being conducted by Lindsey Archaeological Services, in an area where new sewerage pipes are to be laid.A spokeswoman for Anglian Water explained the waterlogged nature of the ground meant the site to be disturbed for the pipework was twice the size originally expected.Read the rest of this article... More About: Castle , Cast , Cover , Oman
Hunting for Hadrian
2007-01-27 13:12:01 HISTORIANS hope to unearth evidence that Roman emperor Hadrian once stayed in a fort along the magnificent wall bearing his name.Archaeologists will be digging along Hadrian?s Wall this summer in an attempt to confirm speculation about why and when it was built.They hope their work at Vindolanda in Northumbria will prove that the emperor once stayed there on a visit to the wall, as well as unlocking secrets about the Roman army and people?s political and social lives.The 73-mile stone barrier ? stretching east to west from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth ? stood as the empire?s most imposing frontier for 300 years.Read the rest of this article... More About: Adrian , Hunting , Hunt
RED SALT & REYNOLDS
2007-01-27 13:12:01 Location: West Virginia Length: 29 min.This film interprets the historical archaeology at the Marmet Lock Replacement Project in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The excavations uncovered four salt furnaces, John Reynolds ' mansion, the cabin occupied by his slaves, and the cemetery where he and several family members were buried. The film uses historical and industrial archaeology, bioanthropology and historic documents to detail the rise and fall of the Reynolds family and the local salt industry which helped spark the Industrial Revolution in America.Watch the video... More About: Salt
REMAINS OF LARGE ROMAN BUILDING UNEARTHED IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE
2007-01-27 13:12:01 A historic woodland just outside Peterborough could hold the key to finding out more about the area?s Roman past as archaeologists prepare to lift the lid on 2,000 years of history. Funding has been made available for a study of the 208-hectare woodland of Bedford Purlieus in Cambridgeshire, which archaeologists believe contains the remarkably intact and undisturbed remains of a large but hitherto unknown Roman structure. ?There was some indication of Roman building in the area,? explained Paul Malcolm, Forester with the Forestry Commission. ?The site is marked on the OS map but we didn?t know this was going to turn out to be the size that it has. I think the extent of it was a surprise.? Measuring an impressive 80 metres by 30 metres with several rooms arranged in two ranges by the side of the building, archaeologists believe the hidden structure could possibly be the remains of a villa, or a mansio, which is a kind of Roman way station.Read the rest of this article... More About: Building , Hire , Earth , Main , Bridges
Hobbit cave digs set to restart
2007-01-27 13:12:01 Archaeologists who found the remains of human "Hobbit s" have permission to restart excavations at the cave where the specimens were found. Indonesian officials have blocked access to the cave since 2005, following a dispute over the bones. But Professor Richard "Bert" Roberts, a member of the team that found the specimens, told BBC News the political hurdles had now been overcome. The researchers claim that the remains belong to a novel species of human. Read the rest of this article... More About: Start , Star , Rest , Tart
Tracing the route of our shared DNA from Africa to Yorkshire
2007-01-27 13:12:01 African blood has run through British veins since at least the 18th century and perhaps since Roman times, a study suggests. A set of typically West African genes has been found in seven white British men who share the same rare surname, allowing scientists to trace an African heritage that none had any idea he shared. The African Y chromosome ? the packet of genetic material passed down through the male line ? probably originated from a man from Senegal or Guinea-Bissau who lived in York shire in the early 18th century and was inherited by his male descendants. It is even possible that the line goes back farther still, to Roman soldiers from North Africa posted to Hadrian?s Wall 1,800 years ago. This ?division of Moors?, which included the earliest known Africans in Britain, included recruits from what is now Morocco. Read the rest of this article... More About: Hire , Africa , Racing , Share
Storm damages Cologne mosaic in 100 places
2007-01-27 13:12:01 The priceless Roman floor mosaic that was damaged last week in the German city of Cologne by the storm called Kyrill has been chipped in at least 100 places, the city's Roman-Germanic Museum said. The museum, packed with Roman artefacts dug up in Cologne, was built over the spot where the well-preserved work of art was discovered in 1941 during efforts to dig an air raid shelter in the heart of the city. On January 18, the storm hurled timber through plate-glass windows, covering the tiny tiles of the Dionysos Mosaic with debris. "We have found 100 places where it was damaged and expect to find about 150 in all," museum manager Bernhard Ostermann said. Read the rest of this article... More About: Storm , Places , Stor , Place
Antonine Wall now closer to heritage status
2007-01-27 13:12:01 Phil Miller Arts Correspondent THE bid to have a historic Scottish landmark recognised alongside the Great Wall of China and the pyramids of Egypt has come a step closer to success.The Antonine Wall was put forward by Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary, as Britain's latest nomination for a site that is worthy of World Heritage Site status.The 2000-year-old wall, which runs for 37 miles from Bo'ness in West Lothian to Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire, is one of the most significant Roman remains still in existence.The structure was built to keep Caledonian tribesman out of the northern part of Rome's empire.Read the rest of this article... More About: Nine , Tatu , Close
Roman Treasures Discovered
2007-01-27 13:12:01 Work on Rome's Palatine Hill has turned up a trove of discoveries, including what might be the underground grotto where ancient Roma ns believed a wolf nursed the city's legendary founders Romulus and Remus. Archaeologists gathered Tuesday at a conference to save crumbling monuments on the Palatine discussed findings of studies on the luxurious imperial homes threatened by collapse and poor maintenance that have forced the closure of much of the hill to the public. While funds are still scarce, authorities plan to reopen some key areas of the honeycombed hill to tourists by the end of the year, including frescoed halls in the palaces of the emperor Augustus and of his wife, Livia. After being closed for decades, parts of the palaces will be opened for guided tours while restoration continues, officials said. Read the rest of this article... More About: Cover , Oman , Over , Roman
Rome's Palatine Hill shows new treasures
2007-01-27 13:12:01 Work on Rome 's Palatine Hill has turned up a trove of discoveries, including what might be the underground grotto where ancient Romans believed a wolf nursed the city's legendary founders Romulus and Remus.Archaeologists gathered Tuesday at a conference to save crumbling monuments on the Palatine discussed findings of studies on the luxurious imperial homes threatened by collapse and poor maintenance that have forced the closure of much of the hill to the public.While funds are still scarce, authorities plan to reopen some key areas of the honeycombed hill to tourists by the end of the year, including frescoed halls in the palaces of the emperor Augustus and of his wife, Livia.After being closed for decades, parts of the palaces will be opened for guided tours while restoration continues, officials said.Read the rest of this article... More About: Show , Latin , Sure
Byzantine Icons Returned
2007-01-23 19:08:02 An American foundation hands over centuries-old religious artworks.A ceremony at the Consulate General of Cyprus in New York on January 10 marked the return of six stolen Byzantine icons to the Church of Cyprus. The repatriation was amicable, with the Charles Pankow Foundation voluntarily giving the icons to the Church. The Foundation, based in Ontario, California, had consigned the icons to Sotheby's in 2005. Hearing of the proposed sale, the Cypriot government intervened and through its Washington embassy requested that the sale in New York be halted, maintaining that the lawful owner was the Church of Cyprus.The importance of the occasion was underscored by the presence ofÊ Andreas Kakouris, ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the United States, the Metropolitan of Morfou from the Church of Cyprus, and Martha Mavrommatis, the consul-general of Cyprus in New York, as well as Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of America. Read the rest of this article... More About: Icon , Icons , Return , Anti , Turn
Man unearths Bronze Age dagger in field
2007-01-23 19:08:02 A METAL detecting enthusiast has unearthed a 3,600-year-old dagger from the depths of a South Lakeland field.The finder, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear others will descend on the secret site, said he could not believe his luck when he stumbled across the Bron ze Age relic."I was going along a small footpath when I got a good signal from the detector. I dug down a few inches and saw a piece of green metal," he explained."My immediate reaction was it's Bronze Age'."After carefully exhuming the delicate dagger, the member of the Kendal and District Metal Detecting Club contacted Kendal Museum.Read the rest of this article... More About: Earth , Near , Agger
World Heritage support for wall
2007-01-23 19:08:02 A landmark representing the most northerly walled frontier of the Roman Empire has become the UK's official nomination for World Heritage status. The Antonine Wall runs 37 miles from Bo'ness, near Falkirk, to Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire. The announcement was made by UK Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell. Conservation body Unesco, which is responsible for the scheme, will examine the proposal and make a final decision at a future date. Read the rest of this article... More About: Port , Support
Railway construction unearths ancient artifacts in Germany
2007-01-23 07:08:02 COLOGNE, German y -- Genialinius Gennatus was one fine duck hunter.In the third century , he recorded his prowess in high Latin on a stone tablet that he dedicated to Jupiter. That and a hefty donation probably ensured that the tablet won display in the temple to the Roman god in the settlement then called Colonia.Five or six centuries later, Cologne's early Christians, perhaps offended by the tablet dedicated to a pantheist god, chucked it into the silting channel between the Rhine river port and a small island on the Rhine, unknowingly ensuring the hunter's immortality.Historians now know the ordinary man named Gennatus hunted ducks and prayed to Jupiter because of Cologne's decision to punch 2 1/2 miles of new north-south light railway tunnel through the silt and sediment that lie beneath one of Germany's oldest cities.Read the rest of this article... More About: Facts , Earth , Construction
Do you have any photos of old Falmouth?
2007-01-23 07:08:02 The National Maritime Museum Cornwall is appealing to the people of Falmouth, Penryn and the Fal estuary to lend it photos for a new temporary exhibition on Falmouth. The exhibition will run for three months from late March. If you have a picture, document or photograph telling the maritime history of the towns, waterside or river, contact Jo Warbuton at the Museum, tel: 01326 313388.Read the rest of this article... More About: Photo , Photos , Mouth , Have
Archaeological discovery halts Nenagh Castle project
2007-01-12 13:01:02 THE discovery of significant archaeological remains surrounding Nenagh Cast le has halted renovation works on the 13th century castle.The 'Tipperary Star' has learned that initial exploratory archaeological excavations in five trenches has unearthed interesting findings at the rear of 35 Pearse St, in a house which was formerly owned by the Ayer's family. A portion of the find also extends into the rear of 36, Pearse St.Archaeologists are believed to have unearthed the remains of a stone 'curtain wall', which would have formed part of medieval keep and manor house, and would have been part of a defensive-type structure surrounding the castle.Archaeologists believe that initial findings have the potential of leading to what could be a find of significant archaeological importance, but investigations are currently at a preliminary stage.Th0e news of the find will stall plans for a new visitors' centre, which has been planned on the site of the find, but local Dail Deputy, Maire H... More About: Discovery , Project , Cover
A scientific discovery on the trail of Homer
2007-01-12 13:01:02 Using boreholes and seismic imaging to analyze subsurface geological features, British researchers have provided a key confirmation of their claim that Ithaca, the home of the legendary Greek warrior Odysseus, was located on a present-day peninsula of the island of Cephalonia.The jutting piece of land, the scientists say, was a small island separate from Cephalonia until rubble from landslides and earthquakes over the centuries filled the channel between them.The researchers think the peninsula, called Paliki, was the residence of the hero of the epic poem "The Odyssey," which along with "The Iliad," in which Odysseus also appears, is said to have been written by Home r in the 8th or 7th century BC.The findings support earlier studies by the trio of researchers that linked specific sites on the peninsula to locations mentioned in Homer's verses.Read the rest of this article... (Free registration may be required) More About: Discovery , Cover , Over , Rail
Always Revealing, Human Skin Is an Anthropologist?s Map
2007-01-12 13:01:02 In an era of academic hyper-specialization, Dr. Nina G. Jablonski has an amazingly broad résumé. At 53, she heads the anthropology department at Pennsylvania State University. She?s also a primatologist, an evolutionary biologist and a paleontologist.Last year, Dr. Jablonski led an expedition to China, where she dug for human fossils in an attempt to learn how early man coped with climate change. This month, she?s in Kenya, where she and Meave Leakey are putting together a study on prehistoric monkeys.For more than a decade, Dr. Jablonski has been trying to get her arms around a ubiquitous and yet mysterious topic: the biology, evolution and social function of human skin. The results of her studies have been published by the University of California Press as ?Skin : A Natural History.?Read the rest of this article... (Free registration may be required) More About: Human , Uman , Ealing , Always
Ancient 'warrior' found in permafrost
2007-01-12 13:01:02 RUSSIAN archaeologists have uncovered the 2000-year-old remains of a warrior preserved intact in permafrost in the Altai mountains region, the official Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily says.The warrior was blond had tattoos on his body. He was wearing a felt coat with sable fur trimmings and was buried in a wooden frame containing drawings of mythological creatures with an icepick beside him, the paper said.Local archaeologists believe the man was part of the ruling elite of a local nomadic tribe known as the Pazyryk. Numerous other Pazyryk tombs have been found in the area.Read the rest of this article... More About: War , Erma , Arri , Perm , Afro
REVEALED - NEW DISCOVERIES AT CHESTER'S ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE
2007-01-12 13:01:02 Groundbreaking research has revealed that Chest er?s Roma n amphitheatre was in fact a grand two-storey structure, similar to those found in parts of the Mediterranean, and was built on the foundations of a second, earlier theatre.The new theories are to be fully revealed at the first international conference on amphitheatres, also to be held in Chester over the weekend of February 17 and 18 2007.Speaking to the 24 Hour Museum, Dan Garner, Co-Director of the excavations at Chester, spoke about the fascinating new research:?The original interpretation of the amphitheatre has been largely rewritten with the research we have done over the last three years,? he explained.Read the rest of this article... More About: Heat , Cover , Oman
Italy to ask Japan for return of 'looted' antiques
2007-01-12 13:01:02 The international effort to recover ?stolen? works of art from some of the world?s best museums gathered pace today with reports that Italy is seeking the return of Roman antiquities from Japan .Authorities in Italy suspect that up to 100 treasures from ancient Rome were looted and have asked the Japanese government to help secure their return, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported.About 50 of the missing treasures, including a sculpture and fresco painting, are being kept at the Miho museum, a private museum in Shiga prefecture in western Japan known for its large collection of Asian and western antiques, the newspaper said, citing unnamed Italian prosecutors.Read the rest of this article... More About: Return , Antiques , Anti
THE SLEDGE OF THE STONE AGE: TRANSPORT OF A MEGALITH
More articles from this author:2007-01-11 13:00:02 Location: Germany Length: 3 min.The huge stones of Neolithic and Bronze Age tombs in Europe often inspire questions about how people using simple technology could have transported them from their quarries. Those who ask such questions tend to underestimate the ingenuity of people living thousands of years ago. This film confirms that there is no need for giants to move the gigantic rocks of a megalithic tomb. In a demonstration of experimental archaeology, a group of students shows how simple it is to transport the stones.Watch the video... More About: Sport , Transport , Port , Stone , Edge 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
|
 |
|
 |
