Archaeology in Europe Weblog Archaeology in Europe Weblog Archaeological news and information from Europe Articles
Why did Romans, Celts, and even prehistoric settlers submerg
2006-12-19 06:44:01 Archaeologist Andrej Gaspari is haunted by pieces of the past. His hometown river, the Ljubljanica, has yielded thousands of them?Celtic coins, Roma n luxuries, medieval swords?all from a shallow 12-mile (19 kilometers) stretch. Those who lived near and traveled along the stream that winds through Slovenia's capital of Ljubljana considered it sacred, Gaspari believes. That would explain why generations of Celts, Roman s, and earlier inhabitants offered treasures?far too many to be accidental?to the river during rites of passage, in mourning, or as thanksgiving for battles won. Read the rest of this article... More About: Historic , Oman , Stor
Quantifying the Functional Utility of Handaxe Symmetry: An E
2006-12-19 06:44:01 The aim of this series of experiments was to empirically test the relationship between Acheulean handaxe form and effectiveness for butchery, and contribute to the continuing discussion regarding the factors influencing handaxe form. Whilst a number of small scale experiments have reported upon the efficacy of handaxes for butchery none has gone beyond the subjective experience of a single researcher using a small number of handaxes to butcher one or two carcasses. By using sixty handaxes, thirty fallow deer carcasses and two butchers we were able to produce a dataset which permitted the statistical analysis of the relationship between effectiveness (measured using the proxies of time and the scorings of the butchers) and nine measures of handaxe morphology (frontal and side symmetry, weight, length, breadth, thickness, percentage of the circumference worked, degree of thinning and degree of elongation). The archived dataset comprises a time log for the use of each handaxe (derived ... More About: Fun , Anda , Utility , Hand , Anti
Pope asked to return Greek artifact
2006-12-19 06:44:01 Vatican City - Greece's top religious leader asked Pop e Benedict on Thursday to return a piece of the Parthenon in the Vatican Museums, Greek officials said.Christodoulos, Orthodox archbishop of Athens and of all Greece, made the request during a visit when he and the Pope signed a joint declaration on issues of common concern, such as the defence of life.According to spokespersons for Christodoulos, the Pope was a bit perplexed by the request, perhaps not knowing that the vast museums he technically owns as sovereign of Vatican City have a fragment of the 5th century BC structure.He said he would consider the request, they said.Read the rest of this article... More About: Fact , Return
Rare medal, proclaiming Henry VIII head of the Church of Eng
2006-12-15 12:40:01 A rare Henry VIII medal, military decorations and a Royal Marines helmet, belt and spurs proved to be the star attractions in Thomson, Roddick & Medcalf?s December auction.The Henry VIII silver medal, marked Londini 1545, sold for £22,500 at the coin and numismatic sale at the firm?s auction house in Shaddongate.Only two other examples of the medal, which bears inscriptions in Hebrew and Greek proclaiming Henry as head of the Church of England, exist.The other medals are exhibits at the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.Read the rest of this article... More About: Medal , Head , Proc
Proposed land train to Stones too 'intrusive'
2006-12-15 12:40:01 A PROPOSAL to run a land train as part of plans for a new £67.5m Stone henge visitors centre has come under fire during the second week of the Salisbury public inquiry.The aim is to use the train to transport tourists from the visitors centre to within walking distance of the ancient stones.But the chairman of the Stonehenge Alliance, George McDonic, said the trains would conflict with both national and international policies that seek to protect the landscape around the World Heritage site.Read the rest of this article... More About: Rain , Train , Land , Tones
ARCHAEOLOGY LOOKS AHEAD
2006-12-15 12:40:01 Archaeology experts will be discussing the role their discipline has in today's society at a public discussion in Exeter on Saturday.The Future of Our Past, at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, will look at how archaeology has attracted enthusiasts as a result of popular television programmes on the subject.Tickets for the event are free and can be picked up in advance at reception.Anyone requiring start times or more details should contact the museum on 01392 665858.Read the rest of this article... More About: Head , Look , Ology , Ahead
ENGLISH HERITAGE BEGINS COASTAL ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY IN LINCOL
2006-12-15 00:39:01 Archaeologists working for English Heritage have begun examining 12,000 aerial photographs, some dating back to the Second World War, to identify historic sites on the brink of being lost to the North Sea.The project is examining 137 kilometres (85 miles) of vulnerable coastline from Whitby to Donna Nook, in North East Lincolnshire, including Holderness, where erosion rates are as high as six metres per year."Rates of erosion along many parts of the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire coast are very high,? explained Peter Murphy, Coast al Strategy Officer with English Heritage. ?It's also an area rich in archaeology, so it's a national priority to get the work done.?Read the rest of this article... More About: Archaeology , Survey
13th century finds uncovered in Berwick dig
2006-12-15 00:39:01 A SILVER coin dating from the 13th century reign of King Henry III is among the medieval finds uncovered by archaeologists in the Walkergate area of Berwick.The short-cross penny, which is still in very good condition having been preserved in the soil for centuries, dates from the 1260s."This date and the quality of the building's construction suggest that it may relate to the medieval heyday of Berwick," explained Chris Burgess, Northumberland county archaeologist."It appears to have been slightly disturbed by some of the later pits and robbing, but should be in a comparatively good state of preservation, having been largely protected by the depth of the dark-earths that overly it. Read the rest of this article... More About: Cent , Find , Cover , Over , Covered
Famous archaeologist supports battle centre
2006-12-15 00:39:01 ARCHAEOLOGY expert Tony Pollard is the latest high-profile figure to support the Battle of Prestonpans Heritage Trust?s bid for a £7.5 million visitor centre to mark the famous conflict.The Trust is making plans to have a permanent commemoration to the famous battle which it hopes would attract visitors on a scale similar to the Culloden site near Inverness.Tony is one of the foremost experts on battle sites in Britain and presented the BBC2 series, Two Men In A Trench, alongside former Courier deputy editor Neil Oliver.The pair wrote a book of the same name and have investigated major battle sites all over the UK, with their findings sometimes turning history on its head.Tony is hoping to conduct an archaeological survey of the Prestonpans area to highlight its historic importance. Read the rest of this article... More About: Port , Cent , Famous , Support
Quantifying Butchery by Handaxe
2006-12-15 00:39:01 Oh, of course this isn't about serial killers (but maybe it would make a good title for a movie), but Archaeological Data Service has a new article on experimental archaeology using Acheulean handaxes, and it is very interesting indeed: Read the rest of this article... More About: Chery , Cher , Anda , Hand , Anti
3,000-year-old dam revives farming in Turkish village
2006-12-14 18:38:01 In this central Turkish village, peasants and archaeologists celebrate a unique achievement -- a 3,246-year-old dam, once buried under mud and slime, is back in service to irrigate farmlands.The dam is a heritage of the Hittites, who ruled over vast areas of the Middle East from 2000 to 1000 BC, fought Pharaoh Rameses The Great, among others, and built some of the biggest cities of the time in the heart of Anatolia, the Asian part of modern Turkey.The 2,500 inhabitants of Alacahoyuk know the Hittites well: since the early 20th century, archaeologists have been digging the remains of a royal city at the entrance of their village about 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of Ankara.The tombs of the settlement, its foundations still guarded by two imposing stone lions, have yielded some of the most precious Hittite treasures -- plates, jewelry, bronze and gold statuettes now on display at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.Read the rest of this article... More About: Kish , Village , Farm , Vive
Race against time to record coastal history
2006-12-14 18:38:01 Experts rush to make records of valuable sites before they disappear forever into the advancing North SeaIT is rugged, dramatic and ever-changing.And now the Yorkshire coast is to be scrutinized like never before.Archaeologists are poring over 12,000 aerial photographs, some dating back to the Second World War, to uncover and identify historic sites on the brink of being lost to the North Sea.The project, funded by English Heritage, is examining 85 miles (137km) of vulnerable coastline stretching from Whitby to Donnna Nook in North East Lincolnshire.The results will be fed into English Heritage's national Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey, which aims to provide the most detailed picture yet of the threat posed to the nation's heritage by rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and the managed realignment of the coastline.Read the rest of this article... More About: History , Story , Time , Race , Stor
St. Paul's Tomb Unearthed in Rome
2006-12-14 00:36:02 St. Paul 's stone coffin has been found beneath Rome 's second largest basilica, but its contents remain a mystery, Vatican archaeologists announced today. The sarcophagus dates back to about A.D. 390 and was uncovered in Rome's Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, named for its location beyond the ancient wall surrounding Rome's center. Long believed to be buried beneath the church's altar, the coffin is now on display for the first time in centuries?its precious cargo, however, is not. "For now we didn't open the sarcophagus to study the contents. Our aim was to unearth the coffin venerated as St. Paul's tomb, not to authenticate the remains," said Giorgio Filippi, the archaeologist of the Vatican Museum, who directed the excavations. Read the rest of this article... More About: Earth , Near , Unearthed
4,000-year-old Seahenge to rise again ? but not until 2008
2006-12-14 00:36:02 CONSERVATION work on the Seahenge wooden circle is continuing apace ? but it will be at least a year before the Bronze Age monument will be on display in Lynn.The 4,000-year-old structure was uncovered by waves on the beach at Holme in 1998, sparking frenzied interest from the archaeological community.In 1999 the pieces were excavated and preserved before they were handed to the Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth for conservation, with the ultimate aim of putting them on display in Lynn.The pieces chosen to go on display in Lynn Museum are currently being removed from a waxy substance called peg, which holds the wood fibres together.Over the next two or three months they will be freeze-dried to remove any remaining water, before they are cleaned by experts and transported to Lynn Museum.Robin Hanley, area museums manager for West Norfolk, said staff will spend the following six months painstakingly creating mounts and supports for the individual pieces.Read the rest of this article... More About: Again , Rise , Year , 2008
Ancient Ape Ruled Out Of Man's Ancestral Line
2006-12-14 00:36:02 Ancient remains, once thought to be a key link in the evolution of mankind, have now been shown to be 400,000 years too young to be a part of man's family tree.The remains of the apeman, dubbed Little Foot, were discovered in a cave complex at Sterkfontein by a local South African team in 1997. Its bones preserved in sediment layers, it is the most complete hominid fossil skeleton ever found.Little Foot is of the genus Australopithecus, thought by some to be part of the ancestral line which led directly to man. But research by Dr Jo Walker and Dr Bob Cliff of the University of Leeds School of Earth and Environment, with Dr Alf Latham of Liverpool University's School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, shows the remains are more than a million years younger than earlier estimates.The team used uranium lead chronology to date the remains. Working on extracts of stalagmite deposits from immediately above and below the body, they dated the skeleton at around 2.2 million years old... More About: Stra , Line , Ancient , Rule
Antiquities smuggling: 'A crime against humanity'
2006-12-14 00:36:02 She's 2,500 years old, stunningly beautiful and at the center of the latest smuggling scandal to have sullied the world of antiquities.On Monday the Los Angeles-based J. Paul Getty Museum announced it would return a sixth century B.C. marble statue of a young woman to Greece following claims by the Greek government that the artwork was illegally excavated and taken out of the country without proper authority.The statue is one of two ancient artifacts on their way back to the Aegean from the display cases of the Getty Villa in Malibu -- the section of the J. Paul Getty Museum specializing in classical remains from Greece and Italy. The other is a fourth century B.C. gold funerary wreath."It is the appropriate way to resolve complex ownership claims involving ancient works of art," declared a museum statement. Read the rest of this article... More About: Crime , Human , Mani , Humanity , Again
Life-size sketch of giant dome uncovered
2006-12-14 00:36:02 Archaeologists digging to reach the tomb of St Paul have stumbled across a life-size "sketch" of the dome of St Peter's produced by one of its architects in the 16th century.The excavation of St Paul's tomb at the church of St Paul's Outside-the-Walls in Rome is now complete, and the sarcophagus will be on view from the beginning of next year.However, three feet below the floor of the enormous church, which is the second-largest in the city, the project's team came across a surprise from the Renaissance.An architectural drawing of the arches and walls of the dome of St Peter's had been carved into 1,726 marble slabs by Giacomo Della Porta, who took over the design and construction work of the dome after the death of Michelangelo. The slabs had formed the floor of the church at the time.Read the rest of this article... More About: Life , Cover , Giant , Over , Size
FOLLOWING ANTIGONE: FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY AND HUMAN RIGHTS I
2006-12-13 12:35:02 Location: Worldwide Length: 40 min.This film tells how forensic sciences and archaeology have been used to investigate international human-rights abuses in trouble spots around the world. The Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF), an international Non-governmental Organization (NGO), took footage of forensic investigations they carried out in Argentina, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, and East Timor in order to tell the story of what they do. Exhumation and reburial sequences document the heavy emotional toll befalling survivors and their families.Watch the video... More About: Human , Rights , Human Rights , Gone , Following
New scan of 'Neanderthal' jawbone
2006-12-13 12:35:02 A piece of jawbone found in a Devon cave is being re-examined by scientists who believe it may be Britain's first direct evidence of Neanderthal man. The bone was excavated from Kents Cavern in Torquay in 1927 and was thought to be about 31,000 years old. But more research showed the Torquay Museum piece could be 40,000 years old. A computer scan is to be carried out to determine if the bone was put back together correctly after it was found, and to see if DNA can be extracted. Read the rest of this article... More About: Scan , Thal , Bone
British Neanderthals: jawbone may provide first evidence
2006-12-13 12:35:02 A piece of jawbone known to be thousands of years old is being re-examined by scientists who believe it may be Britain's first direct evidence of Neanderthal man.The bone was excavated from Kents Cavern in Torquay, south Devon in 1927 and was thought to be about 31,000 years old.However a team at the Natural History Museum are wondering if the jawbone is actually more ancient, perhaps from a Neanderthal.The new research was initiated when Dr Roger Jacobi and Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum obtained new radio-carbon dating for animal bones found in cave sediments directly above and below where the jaw fragment was found. Read the rest of this article... More About: Evidence , British , First , Thal , Bone
Vatican may open St Paul's tomb
2006-12-13 12:35:02 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican said on Monday it was studying the possibility of opening a thick marble sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of the 1st century apostle St Paul to study its contents.Click to learn more...The prospect was raised at a news conference at which Vatican officials unveiled the results of an archaeological dig which has made part of the sarcophagus in Rome's Basilica of St Paul 's Outside the Walls visible to pilgrims."We tried to X-ray it to see what was inside but the stone was too thick," said Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the basilica on Rome's outskirts."We will now take the necessary steps to seek the authorisation to explore the inside. This is being studied," he said, adding that the Pope would have to give eventual permission since the Vatican owns the basilica.Read the rest of this article... More About: Open , Tomb
Restoration unveils Roman 'Sistine Chapel of the Middle Ages
2006-12-13 12:35:02 A series of medieval frescoes painstakingly restored over nearly a decade was unveiled to the public in Rome Tuesday.Visitors, including Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli, were on hand to take a first glimpse at the 13th-century frescoes in the Santi Quattro Coronati monastery, which sits atop a hill in Rome. The secluded area was formerly a closed community where the Augustinian nuns had maintained cloistered lives since the 16th century.While the monastery is not usually open to the public, Rutelli said the area where the frescoes are located will be opened in the spring so everyone can enjoy them.A team of six experts carried out the restoration project, which began in 1997 and was financed completely by the Cultural Heritage Ministry.Read the rest of this article... More About: Roma , Middle , Chapel , Oman , Stor
Shortcuts: How to make it as an archaeologist
2006-12-13 12:35:02 Following news that archaeologists in Rome have discovered a sarcophagus containing what they believe to be the mortal remains of St. Paul the Apostle, we offer a few tips on how to get in on the world of excavation.Forget the bull whipIt might have got Indiana Jones out of a scrape or two, but then Indiana Jones has little if anything to do with real archaeology. Excavators these days are far more likely to be armed with a theodolite and laptop than a whip and pistol, so if you are working on the assumption that archaeology = glamour you're going to be sorely disappointed. Mind you, if you find yourself digging somewhere hot then an Indiana Jones Fedora might come in useful.Study hard, get the qualificationsGone are the days of the enthusiastic amateur -- men such as 19th Century businessman Heinrich Schliemann who, having made a fortune contracting during the Crimean War, decided to turn his hand to excavating and, at Mycenae and Troy, made some of the most spectacular discoverie... More About: How To , Shortcuts , Make , Short , Cuts
Vatican Hopes to Look Inside Found Tomb
2006-12-13 12:35:02 A white marble sarcophagus believed to be the final resting place of St. Paul has been unearthed from beneath the altar of Rome's second-largest basilica after centuries hidden from view, but those curious about its contents will have to wait still longer.Vatican experts, announcing Monday that the coffin had been unearthed, said they hoped to be able to examine it more closely and maybe even look inside.But Giorgio Filippi, a Vatican archaeologist, said researchers' first concern was to free it from centuries of plaster and debris in the hope of finding other clues on the sarcophagus itself.'Right now we can treat it as a symbol, regardless of its contents,' Filippi said.Read the rest of this article... More About: Hopes , Hope , Inside , Side
L.A. Museum to Return 2 Greek Treasures
2006-12-12 12:35:01 The J. Paul Getty Muse um announced Monday that it would return to Greece an ancient gold wreath and a marble bust that Greece claims were illegally spirited out of the country. At a news conference with the Greek culture minister, museum director Michael Brand said they had ``reached an agreement in principle on the return of two objects.'' A statement added that ``a formal agreement, which will More About: Return , Sure
Study Detects Recent Instance of Human Evolution
2006-12-12 12:35:01 A surprisingly recent instance of human evolution has been detected among the peoples of East Africa. It is the ability to digest milk in adulthood, conferred by genetic changes that occurred as recently as 3,000 years ago, a team of geneticists has found. The finding is a striking example of a cultural practice ? the raising of dairy cattle ? feeding back into the human genome. It also seems to More About: Evolution , Study , Human , Cent , Recent
Emperors in crisis
2006-12-12 12:35:01 Roman emperors had to implement drastic reforms in the third century. In order to retain their position of power in this turbulent period they developed an emperor ideology. With this they increasingly laid claim to their dynastic and godly position, says Dutch researcher Janneke de Jong. Using Greek papyrus texts she investigated how the power of Roman emperors was presented and received in More About: Emperor , Crisis , Isis , Cris
Ancient Irish Tomb Big Draw at Winter Solstice
2006-12-12 12:35:01 From December 19 to 23?if the weather cooperates?20 lucky people a day will crowd into an ancient Iris h monument's main chamber. There, they'll bathe in 17 minutes of light put off by the rising sun on the shortest days of the year. This year about 28,000 people applied to take part in the ritual at the Newgrange monument, located in the Irish countryside in County Meath, reports the Brú na More About: Winter , Inter , Draw
WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY AND FLICKR: HOW WE USE WEB 2.0
2006-12-12 12:35:01 Wessex Archaeology is one of the largest commercial archaeological practices in the UK, employing over 160 people. We are a registered charity with educational objectives and play a vital role in helping people learn about their past. In September 2005, we decided the Wessex Archaeology gallery (on the web) was looking a little long in the tooth. It was using a proprietary ASP gallery script and More About: Web 2 , Flickr , Esse , Essex
Flag fen digs in for £1m grant
More articles from this author:2006-12-12 12:35:01 THE team behind the most important bronze age site in Europe are making a bid for a £1 million grant. Flag Fen Bronze Age Centre in Fengate, Peterborough, relies solely on grants and donations to keep up its important archaeological work and growing tourist appeal. Today, general manager Georgia Butters and her team are hoping to be given the Heritage Lottery Fund cash to make the centre and More About: Rant , Grant 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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