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Gods, Graves, Glyphs
Weekly Digest #17

Ancient Europe

Decision Due On Hill Of Tara Motorway (Archaeology) ^

Posted by blam
On News/Activism ^ 11/11/2004 4:10:37 PM PST · 15 replies · 254+ views

The Guardian (UK)y | 11-11-2004 | Angelique Chrisafis
Decision due on Hill of Tara motorway Archaeologists say 'heart and soul of Ireland' is threatened Angelique Chrisafis, Ireland correspondent Thursday November 11, 2004 The Guardian (UK) It is Ireland's most sacred stretch of earth and one of the most important ancient landscapes in Europe. The Hill of Tara, with its passage tomb, earthworks and prehistorical burial mounds, is the mythical and ceremonial capital of Ireland, dating back 4,000 years. But now the landscape in county Meath, north-west of Dublin, is the subject of a campaign to save it from what one archaeologist has called the "worst case of state-sponsored...

Pompeii Pottery May Rewrite History ^

Posted by blam
On News/Activism ^ 11/08/2004 11:40:27 AM PST · 15 replies · 602+ views

ABC Net | 11-8-2004 | Heather Catchpole
Pompeii pottery may rewrite history Heather Catchpole ABC Science Online Monday, 8 November 2004 A broken plate is one of the pieces in the puzzle of how ancient cultures traded (Image: Jaye Pont) Archaeologists may need to change their view of Pompeii's role in trade and commerce, after a ceramics expert's recent discovery. Australian researcher Jaye Pont from the Museum of Ancient Cultures at Sydney's Macquarie University says people who lived in Pompeii bought their pottery locally and didn't import it. Pont said the find could "make waves" among archaeologists looking at trade in the Mediterranean. And she said researchers...

Ancient Egypt

Scientists Wrap Up Old Mystery (Archaeology) ^

Posted by blam
On News/Activism ^ 11/09/2004 2:36:57 PM PST · 25 replies · 1,020+ views

Housron Chronicle | 11-8-2004 | Eric Burger
Nov. 8, 2004, 10:57PM Scientists wrap up old mystery Mummies' tar provides a link to ancient trade routes By ERIC BERGER Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle RESOURCES Historians have long known that Egyptians used tar to seal mummies during the embalming process. What wasn't known until now is where the tar came from. Thanks to work by some Texas geochemists, however, scientists are now answering this millennia-old mystery. The Middle East is, of course, littered with natural oil seeps, in which tar and other black deposits bubble up from oil beneath the surface. Within each oil seep, however, the tar has a...

Epigraphy and Language

Basques ^

Posted by Ptarmigan
On General/Chat ^ 11/06/2004 10:36:31 PM PST · 14 replies · 175+ views

Basques people, better known as Euskalduna in their language. Basque is the only language in Europe that is not Indo-European in origin. The origins of Basque is a mystery. Some linguists believe it is related to Armenian, Etruscan, Finnish, Hungarian, Indians tribes of America, Ainu, and even the language of lost Atlantis. Basque seems to show some characteristics of Caucasian languages and Armenian. Some scientists believe Ainu and Basque are related to each other. Some even think Basques are directly related to Cro-Magnon humans. Basques live in northern Spain and southern France. Prominent Basques are Louis Daguerre, the inventor of...

Burushaski ^

Posted by Ptarmigan
On General/Chat ^ 11/06/2004 10:34:09 PM PST · 5 replies · 94+ views

Burushaski is a language spoken in northern Pakistan and Kashmir. It is spoken by 40,000 to 50,000 people. It has no known relatives and some believe it maybe a remnant of a prehistoric language. Burushaski is like Ainu and Basque, language isolate with no known relatives. Language Museum Burushaski: An Extraordinary Language in the Karakoram MountainsWikipedia-Burushaski

LINGUISTICS: Early Date for the Birth of Indo-European Languages ^

Posted by Lessismore
On News/Activism ^ 11/28/2003 10:24:23 AM PST · 32 replies · 184+ views

Science Magazine | 2003-11-28 | Michael Balter
Ever since British jurist Sir William Jones noted in 1786 that there are marked similarities between diverse languages such as Greek, Sanskrit, and Celtic, linguists have assumed that most of the languages of Europe and the Indian subcontinent derive from a single ancient tongue. But researchers have fiercely debated just when and where this mother tongue was first spoken. Now a bold new study asserts that the common root of the 144 so-called Indo-European languages, which also include English and all the Germanic, Slavic, and Romance languages, is very ancient indeed. In this week's issue of Nature, evolutionary biologist Russell...

PreColumbian, Clovis, PreClovis

2004: Top (Archaeological) Finds On Bolivian Highlands ^

Posted by blam
On News/Activism ^ 11/07/2004 5:39:09 PM PST · 41 replies · 591+ views

Helsinki University | 11-7-2004
2004: Top finds on Bolivian highlandsFinnish scientists discovered the most significant relics of antiquity in recent Bolivian history. In the excavations on Pariti Island in Lake Titicaca, in the highlands of Bolivia, the historical-archaeological research team of the University of Helsinki discovered a ritual offering site with well-preserved pieces of ceramics. The find adds substantially to what is known about the Tiwanaku culture, which flourished before the Incas and for which the island was probably an important religious site. ìThe dig contained approximately 300 kilograms of deliberately broken ritual ceramics, which, according to radiocarbon dating, have been buried sometime between...

Kenosha Dig Points to Europe as Origin of First Americans ^

Posted by afraidfortherepublic
On News/Activism ^ 03/04/2002 12:05:29 PM PST · 86 replies · 477+ views

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | 3-4-02 | John Fauber
A contentious theory that the first Americans came here from Europe - not Asia - is challenging a century-old consensus among archaeologists, and a dig in Kenosha County is part of the evidence. The two leading proponents of the Europe theory admit that many scientists reject their contention, instead holding fast to the long-established belief that the first Americans arrived from Siberia via a now-submerged land bridge across the Bering Sea to Alaska. The first of the Europe-to-North America treks probably took place at the height of the last Ice Age more than 18,000 years ago, said Dennis Stanford, ...

Leif Erikson Day, October 9, 2004 ^

Posted by U.S. Resident
On News/Activism ^ 10/10/2004 3:14:20 PM PDT · 42 replies · 1,037+ views

The White House | October 7, 2004 | By the President of the United States of America
Leif Erikson Day, 2004 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation More than 1,000 years ago, Leif Erikson led his crew on a journey across the Atlantic, becoming the first European known to have set foot on North American soil. Every October, we honor this courageous Viking explorer, his historic voyage, and the rich heritage of Nordic Americans. Immigrants from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and their descendants have made great contributions to our Nation in the fields of business, politics, the arts, education, agriculture, and other areas. Nordic Americans have also made a significant...

The Mandans ^

Posted by Ptarmigan
On General/Chat ^ 11/06/2004 11:04:33 AM PST · 15 replies · 159+ views

The Mandans were an Indian tribe that lived in the Midwest, present day western North Dakota. The Mandans were different from other Indian tribes when White explorers encoutered them. Instead of the red skin and black hair, the Mandans had blonde or red hair, blue eyes, and light skin. Some spoke Welsh. The Mandans gladly welcomed the White explorers. It is believed they came from a Welsh settlement in the Ohio River Valley, which was first established in the mid 14th century, about 300 years before the first White settlers came to America. Madoc a Welsh prince is though to...

Let's Have Jerusalem!

Majdel Tarshish (Roman Remains - 50 km from Beirut) ^

Posted by SunkenCiv
On Bloggers & Personal ^ 11/06/2004 8:32:02 PM PST · 5 replies · 66+ views

Ikama Lebanon | 2003 | staff
Majdel Tarshish used to be a station for the retinue of passengers on their way to Metn-Bekaa. The Romans paved roads to cross it, linking, thus, the seaside with the inner plains. They are especially evident in "Bourj Al-Hamam", (tower of pigeons). Majdel Tarshish was a well fortressed castle in time of invasions that raided down the Bekaa. Rocky sarcophaguses of the Roman era bear witness to that glorious age.

San Antonio, Texas: Bible & Archaeology Fest VI ^

Posted by SunkenCiv
On News/Activism ^ 11/12/2004 10:52:46 PM PST · 2 replies · 1+ view

Biblical Archaeological Society | 2004 | editors
Join Us November 19-21, 2004... The Biblical Archaeology Society offers you a fabulous opportunity to learn more in three days than you ever thought possible! Choose your own program from a roster of world-famous teachers who will gather in San Antonio for the annual meetings of Bible and archaeology scholars. Interact with other interesting people who share your desire to learn. Special events include a plenary session and a banquet. Hear what these eminent scholars have to say about the latest discoveries relating to the New Testament and the Hebrew Bible.

Asia

Ruins Of Manichean Center Discovered In West Azerbaijan ^

Posted by blam
On News/Activism ^ 11/08/2004 11:52:36 AM PST · 18 replies · 448+ views

Tehran Times | 11-8-2004
Ruins of Manichean center discovered in West Azerbaijan Tehran Times Culture Desk TEHRAN (MNA) ñ- The ruins of what is believed to be the center of Mani (216-276 C.E.), the founder of Manicheanism, was discovered during the seventh stage of excavations at the ancient site of Qalaychi Hill in West Azerbaijan Province which began last month. Experts used to believe that Hasanlu Mound was the major early Manichean center, but the recent excavation seems to prove otherwise. An inscription found at Qalaychi Hill last year showed that Qalaychi Hill, not Hasanlu Mound, was probably Maniís early center. After the most...

Origins and Prehistory

Chimps are not like humans - much greater genetic differences than expected ^

Posted by tallhappy
On News/Activism ^ 06/10/2004 12:36:58 PM PDT · 1,008 replies · 358+ views

BioMed Centra - The Scientist | 5-27-04 | Cathy Holding
†May†27, 2004 Chimps are not like humans Whole-chromosome comparison reveals much greater genetic differences than expected | By Cathy Holding The vigorous debate on how different chimpanzees are from humans is fuelled by new data in this week's Nature, as the International Chimpanzee Chromosome 22 Consortium reports that 83% of chimpanzee chromosome 22 proteins are different from their human counterparts.The difference is "much more complicated that we initially imagined or speculated," Yoshiyuki Sakaki, who headed the consortium, told The Scientist. "Our group completed the human chromosome 21 sequence about 3 years ago," Sakaki, director of the RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center,...

Gene Study Identifies 5 Main Human Populations ^

Posted by Pharmboy
On News/Activism ^ 12/21/2002 3:54:34 AM PST · 201 replies · 400+ views

New York Times | 12-20-02 | Nicholas Wade
Scientists studying the DNA of 52 human groups from around the world have concluded that people belong to five principal groups corresponding to the major geographical regions of the world: Africa, Europe, Asia, Melanesia and the Americas. The study, based on scans of the whole human genome, is the most thorough to look for patterns corresponding to major geographical regions. These regions broadly correspond with popular notions of race, the researchers said in interviews. The researchers did not analyze genes but rather short segments of DNA known as markers, similar to those used in DNA fingerprinting tests, that have no...

Medieval Black Death Was Probably Not Bubonic Plague ^

Posted by Gladwin
On News/Activism ^ 04/15/2002 11:36:11 AM PDT · 70 replies · 118+ views

Science Daily | Posted 4/15/2002 | Penn State
The Black Death of the 1300s was probably not the modern disease known as bubonic plague, according to a team of anthropologists studying on these 14th century epidemics. ìAlthough on the surface, seem to have been similar, we are not convinced that the epidemic in the 14th century and the present day bubonic plague are the same,î says Dr. James Wood, professor of anthropology and demography at Penn State. ìOld descriptions of disease symptoms are usually too non-specific to be a reliable basis for diagnosis.î The researchers note that it was the symptom of lymphatic swelling that led 19th century...

Shar-Peis, Huskies Are Closest to Wolves ^

Posted by Junior
On News/Activism ^ 05/20/2004 12:11:18 PM PDT · 112 replies · 383+ views

Science - AP | 2004-05-20 | RANDOLPH E. SCHMID
WASHINGTON - The tail-wagging, stick-fetching family pooch may be more closely related to Lassie, Rin Tin Tin or even White Fang than its human companions think. While dogs have about 99 percent of their genes in common, a few very distinct genetic differences separate them into some 400 breeds known worldwide. Comparing dog genes to wolves, researchers found that a group of ancient dog types split off first. Later the majority of canines evolved into three other clusters of dog variants ó hunters, herders and guard dogs ó largely as a result of breeding programs developed over the last several...

Thoroughly Modern Miscellany

DNA Tests to Be Performed on Mozart Skull ^

Posted by uglybiker
On News/Activism ^ 11/12/2004 8:00:28 PM PST · 36 replies · 598+ views

AP via Yahoo News | By SUSANNA LOOF, Associated Press Writer
VIENNA, Austria - DNA tests could soon solve a century-old mystery ó whether a skull held by the International Mozarteum Foundation is that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Archaeologists have opened a grave in Salzburg thought to contain the remains of Mozart's father and other relatives. Experts plan to compare the remains' genetic material with the foundation's skull to determine if it belonged to the famed Austrian composer. Mozart died in 1791 and was buried in a pauper's grave at Vienna's St. Marxer Cemetery. The location of the grave was initially unknown, but its likely location was determined in 1855. The...

Historic Beer Discovery ^

Posted by Willie Green
On News/Activism ^ 11/10/2004 5:00:03 PM PST · 66 replies · 1,793+ views

ABC -- WPVI.com | 11/10/2004 | The Associated Press
MILWAUKEE-November 10, 2004 ó When Pabst Brewing Co. abruptly closed its headquarters here in 1996, the owner and its workers left behind a treasure trove of relics dating back to the brewer's 1844 origin. A yellowed visitors' registry and vintage photographs uncovered in a basement storage area of the former brewing complex provide a link to the rich heritage of Pabst, once the nation's largest brewer. A calendar on the wall in one corporate office is still turned to December 1996, when the brewing era came to a halt at the 22-acre complex. Dusty ornaments hang on an artificial balsam...

Lady Eleanor Talbot

Posted by SunkenCiv
On General/Chat10/24/2004 8:31:05 PM PDT · 7 replies · 63+ views

Fact-Index.com | prior to today | Wikipedia
No records survive of the meeting of the Parliamentary lords on June 9, 1483, where Stillington is said to have presented the evidence of the pre-contract, including documents and other witnesses. The Duke of Buckingham is supposed to have told Morton afterwards that he had believed that evidence when he saw it but had later changed his mind. When Henry VII of England came to the throne, he ordered all documents relating to the case to be destroyed, as well as the act of parliament by which Richard was enabled to claim the throne; so efficiently were his orders carried...

Newly declassified MI5 files finally tell the truth of Rudolf Hess's 1941 flight ^

Posted by Ahriman
On General/Chat ^ 11/08/2004 7:56:09 PM PST · 5 replies · 159+ views

The Scotsman | Nov. 9, 2004 | Edward Black
It was one of the most bizarre episodes of the Second World War. When Hitlerís deputy, Rudolf Hess, landed by parachute in 1941 near the estate of the Duke of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, it raised the question of whether British intelligence or members of the aristocracy were trying to broker a secret peace deal with the Nazis. But recently declassified MI5 files shed more light on Hessís mysterious flight to Scotland, and finally prove the conspiracy theories to be unfounded, according to the dukeís son, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, the Lothians MSP. The Conservative peer said yesterday that the new MI5...

Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History ^

Posted by Destro
On News/Activism ^ 09/25/2002 12:09:36 AM PDT · 99 replies · 345+ views

historyplace.com | 1996 | Mary Lefkowitz
Not Out of AfricaWas Greek Culture Stolen from Africa? Modern Myth vs. Ancient History Excerpted from her book: Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History Why I wrote the book In the fall of 1991 I was asked to write a review-article for The New Republic about Martin Bernal's Black Athena and its relation to the Afrocentrist movement. The assignment literally changed my life. Once I began to work on the article I realized that here was a subject that needed all the attention, and more, that I could give to it. Although...

Ping List Envy---How big is your Ping List? ^

Posted by PJ-Comix
On General/Chat ^ 11/12/2004 9:31:12 AM PST · 328 replies · 1,323+ views

PJ-Comix | November 12, 2004 | PJ-Comix
Over the past couple of months, my DUmmie FUnnies PING List has grown very rapidly until it now numbers 252 Freepers. Okay, so how big is your Ping List? Maybe I'm suffering from Ping List Envy but I have to know how big the other Ping Lists are.

end of digest #17 20041113

Gods, Graves, Glyphs
Weekly Digest #18

Ancient Seas and Thereunder

Atlantis Hunt Reveals Structures In Sea Off Cyprus

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/13/2004 3:54:27 PM PST · 50 replies · 1,729+ views

Reuters | 11-13-2004
Atlantis Hunt Reveals Structures in Sea Off Cyprus Sat Nov 13, 2004 06:33 AM ET NICOSIA (Reuters) - An American researcher on the trail of the lost city of Atlantis has discovered evidence of man-made structures submerged in the sea between Cyprus and Syria, a member of his team said Saturday. Robert Sarmast, who is convinced the fabled city lurks in the watery depths off Cyprus, will give details of his findings Sunday."Something has been found to indicate very strongly that there are man-made structures somewhere between Cyprus and Syria," a spokesperson for the mission told Reuters. The mystery of...

Lost Atlantis 'found near Cyprus'

Posted by aculeus
On News/Activism 11/14/2004 6:57:47 PM PST · 44 replies · 1,558+ views

The Daily Telegraph (UK) | November 15, 2004 | By Tabitha Morgan in Limassol
A team of American ocean researchers said yesterday that they were convinced they had found evidence of the lost kingdom of Atlantis off the coast of Cyprus. The team used the latest sonar technology to create images of the sea bed a mile below the surface of the Mediterranean. The expedition, led by Robert Sarmast, spent six days at sea surveying the area. "I am absolutely convinced I have found Atlantis," Mr Sarmast said, speaking on the deck of his research ship on his return to Limassol. "The sonar images showed what appeared to be two straight walls each about...

German Physicist Disputes Atlantis Discovery Claim By American

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/17/2004 12:34:11 PM PST · 26 replies · 672+ views

Yahoo - AFP | 11-16-2004
German physicist disputes Atlantis discovery claim by American Tue Nov 16, 3:00 PM ET Science - AFP BERLIN (AFP) - The remains of the lost city of Atlantis which a United States researcher claims to have found off the Mediterranean island of Cyprus are in fact submarine volcanoes, according to a German physicist. US researcher Robert Sarmast claimed Sunday to have found proof that the mythical lost city of Atlantis actually existed and is located under the Mediterranean seabed between Cyprus and Syria. But German physicist Christian Huebscher said he had identified the phenomenon as 100,000 year-old volcanoes that spewed...

Ancient Egypt

New Likeness of King Tut on Display

Posted by Asmodeus
On News/Activism 09/30/2002 10:03:56 PM PDT · 21 replies · 286+ views

Austin American Statesman | Austin American Statesman
LONDON (AP)--A fiberglass bust that purportedly shows the true face of ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun went on display Monday at London's Science Museum. The likeness was crafted as part of an investigation into how the teenage pharaoh died more than 3,000 years ago. The fiberglass cast of Tut's head, based on computer models generated from 1969 X-rays of his mummified corpse, shows an attractive round-headed youth with full lips. But it bears little resemblance to the golden funeral mask found in the pharaoh's tomb. The opulent tomb of Tut, who died around 1350 B.C., was found almost intact by British...

X-ray attempt to find out why Tutankhamen died

Posted by F15Eagle
On News/Activism 11/13/2004 9:03:24 PM PST · 175 replies · 1,418+ views

CNN.Com - Science & Space | Saturday, November 13, 2004 Posted: 10:51 PM EST (0351 GMT) | Reuters
CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) -- Egypt plans to X-ray the mummy of Tutankhamen to find out what killed the king who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago and died while only a teenager. Archaeologists will move Tutankhamen's body from its tomb, which was discovered packed with treasure in 1922, to Cairo for tests which should resolve the mystery over whether he died naturally or was murdered. "We will know about any diseases he had, any kind of injuries and his real age," Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass told Reuters. "We will know the answer to whether he died normally or...

Ancient Europe

Archaeologists Uncover A Russian "Stonehenge"

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/13/2004 4:25:38 PM PST · 30 replies · 1,092+ views

Novosti | 11-12-2004 | Olga Sobolevskaya
2004-11-12 18:08ARCHEOLOGISTS UNCOVER A RUSSIAN "STONEHENGE" MOSCOW (RIA Novosti commentator Olga Sobolevskaya)-- Russia now has a Stonehenge of its own. In the summer, a 4,000-year-old megalithic structure was uncovered at a Spasskaya Luka site, in the central Russian region of Ryazan. This structure, which, archeologists believe, was built as a sanctuary, sits on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Oka and the Pron rivers. The surrounding area has always been seen as an "archeological encyclopedia," a kaleidoscope of cultures ranging from the Upper Paleolithic to the Dark Ages. "If we look at this archeological site as represented on a...

PreColumbian, Clovis, PreClovis

5,000 Year-Old Artifacts (Found) Near Texas Coast

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/14/2004 2:33:59 PM PST · 38 replies · 1,316+ views

Washington Post | 11-13-2004 | lynn Brezosky
5,000-Year-Old Artifacts Near Texas Coast By LYNN BREZOSKY The Associated Press Saturday, November 13, 2004; 8:50 PM HARLINGEN, Texas - Archaeologists have discovered a cache of artifacts near South Padre Island that they say could be up to 5,000 years old, potentially providing new clues about early peoples of the Texas coast. Ricklis said the find is significant because so little is known about the ancient Rio Grande Valley. Most early manmade items would have been eroded by sand and sea air, or washed out by the ever-changing course of the waterways of the Rio Grande basin near the Mexican...

Archeologist finds evidence of humans in North America 50,000 years ago

Posted by SunkenCiv
On General/Chat 11/17/2004 10:04:06 PM PST · 38 replies · 237+ views

Canoe (Canada) | November 17, 2004 | AP
University of South Carolina archeologist Al Goodyear said he has uncovered a layer of charcoal from a possible hearth or fire pit at a site near the Savannah River. Samples from the layer have been laboratory-dated to more than 50,000 years old. Yet Goodyear stopped short of declaring it proof of the continent's earliest human occupation. "It does look like a hearth," he said, "and the material that was dated has been burned." ...Goodyear, who has worked the Topper site since 1981, discovered the charcoal layer in May.

(South Carolina) Fire Pit Dated To Over 50,000 Years Old (More)

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/19/2004 8:07:26 AM PST · 51 replies · 756+ views

AP | 11-18-2004 | Amy Geier Edgar
Fire Pit Dated to Be Over 50,000 Years Old Thu Nov 18,10:10 AM ET Top Stories - AP By AMY GEIER EDGAR, Associated Press Writer COLUMBIA, S.C. - In the growing debate about when people first appeared on this continent, a leading archaeologist said Wednesday he has discovered what could be sooty evidence of human occupation in North America tens of thousands of years earlier than is commonly believed.University of South Carolina archaeologist Al Goodyear said he has uncovered a layer of charcoal from a possible hearth or fire pit at a site near the Savannah River. Samples from the...

LUZIA - Second Oldest Human Skeleton Ever Found In The Americas

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/18/2004 3:51:27 PM PST · 26 replies · 503+ views

Andaman.org | 12-2003
The Lagoa Santa (or "Luzia") Group (Minas Gerais, Brasil) A skull belonging to a roughly 20 year old woman was unearthed in Brazil by the French archaeologist Annette Laming-Emperaire in the 1970s. She died before being able to do much work on her dicovery. Annette Laming-Emperaire at work in her Lapa Vermelha excavation. The skull was later re-discovered by Brazilian Prof. Walter Neves and analyzed. He also excavated more remains in the same cemetery-like site where the original "Luzia" had been found. Neves named the ancient lady "Luzia" in analogy to the famous and much older African "Lucy" - the...

Asia

The Mummies of Urumchi

Posted by MacDorcha
On News/Activism 11/16/2004 10:35:31 AM PST · 38 replies · 654+ views

Just a point of curiosity, has anyone got any extensive information about the mummies of Urumchi? I found some 5 year old websites making a few talking points about them, but nothing detailed as to origins or anything. Comments and discussion please, keep links to a minimum.

Mesopotamia

Ancient Iranian Site Shows Mesopotamia-Like Civilisation

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/16/2004 4:45:22 PM PST · 16 replies · 361+ views

New Kerala | 11-16-2004
Ancient Iranian site shows Mesopotamia-like civilisation [World News]: Tehran, Nov 16 : Shellfish is not seen on most Iranians dining tables but it was part of the daily diet of the inhabitants of ancient Jiroft in southern Iran 5,000 years ago that showed the existence of an ancient civilisation. Jiroft, located in Kerman province, is one of the richest historical areas in the world, with ruins and artefacts dating back to the third millennium BC and with over 100 historical sites located along the approximately 400 km of the Halil Rood riverbank, according to Mehr news agency. Many Iranian and...

Susa, Favorite Residence of Persian King, Darius the Great

Posted by freedom44
On News/Activism 11/18/2004 7:23:21 PM PST · 16 replies · 338+ views

Iranian Cultural Heritage | 11/18/04 | Iranian Cultural Heritage
Susa is one of the oldest cities in the world. Excavations have established the existence of urban structures about 4000 BCE, and it is reasonable that the town, situated between the rivers Karkheh and Dez (one of these is the ancient Eulaeus), was already the political center of Elam in the fourth millennium. A castle on a steep hilltop dates back to this period (in the center of the picture). The Assyrian king Aööurbanipal destroyed the Elamite capital between 645-640. The city was rebuilt by the Persian king Darius the Great (522-486). It was clearly his favorite residence. The Greek...

Origins and Prehistory

Ancient Animal Could Be Human-Ape Ancestor

Posted by Willie Green
On News/Activism 11/18/2004 3:41:57 PM PST · 90 replies · 1,142+ views

The Centre Daily Times | Thu, Nov. 18, 2004 | DIEDTRA HENDERSON -- Associated Press
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. WASHINGTON - A nearly 13 million-year-old ape discovered in Spain is the last probable common ancestor to all living humans and great apes, a research team says in Friday's issue of Science magazine. A husband-and-wife team of fossil sleuths unearthed an animal with a body like an ape, fingers like a chimp and the upright posture of humans. The ancient ape bridges the gap between earlier, primitive animals and later, modern creatures. This newest ape species, Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, is so significant that it adds a new page to ancient human history....

Fossil Ape May Be Ancestor of All Apes - Report

Posted by Pharmboy
On News/Activism 11/18/2004 7:00:02 PM PST · 116 replies · 1,228+ views

Science - Reuters | Thu Nov 18, 2004 | Maggie Fox
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An ape that lived 13 million years ago in what is now Spain may have been the last common ancestor of all apes, including chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans, researchers said on Thursday. The fossil provides a missing link, not directly between humans and an apelike ancestor, but between great apes and lesser apes such as gibbons, the researchers said. The creature, named Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, had a stiff lower spine and flexible wrists that would have made it a tree-climbing specialist, the researchers write in this week's issue of the journal Science. "This probably is very close...

Humans Were Born to Run, Scientists Say

Posted by ElkGroveDan
On News/Activism 11/17/2004 11:06:41 AM PST · 339 replies · 3,336+ views

Reuters | 11/17/2004 | Patricia Reaney
LONDON (Reuters) - Humans were born to run and evolved from ape-like creatures into the way they look today probably because of the need to cover long distances and compete for food, scientists said on Wednesday. From tendons and ligaments in the legs and feet that act like springs and skull features that help prevent overheating, to well-defined buttocks that stabilize the body, the human anatomy is shaped for running. "We do it because we are good at it. We enjoy it and we have all kinds of specializations that permit us to run well," said Daniel Liberman, a professor...

In Evolutionary Race, Humans Went the Extra Mile, Study Says

Posted by Ernest_at_the_Beach
On News/Activism 11/18/2004 11:56:04 AM PST · 68 replies · 667+ views

Humanity was born to run. Humanity was born to run. More than by brain size or tool-making ability, the human species was set apart from its ancestors by the ability to jog mile after lung-stabbing mile with greater endurance than any other primate, according to research published today in the journal Nature. Indeed, human beings evolved as the cross-country stars of a primordial runner's world 2 million years before the advent of jogging shoes, tracksuits and arthroscopic knee surgery. Mounting a challenge to the conventional wisdom about human origins, researchers at Harvard University and the University of Utah concluded that...

Running 'key to human evolution'(body evolved to support long distance running)

Posted by TigerLikesRooster
On News/Activism 11/18/2004 7:32:47 AM PST · 70 replies · 709+ views

BBC NEWS | 11/18/04 | n/a
Running 'key to human evolution' People run to keep fit today but our ancestors ran for different reasons Long-distance running may have been a driving force behind evolution of the modern human body, scientists say. American researchers said humans began endurance running about 2 million years ago to help hunt for prey, influencing the development of the human body. Previous studies have suggested running was purely a by-product of walking. But the study, published in Nature, said humans evolved big buttocks, a balanced head and longer legs to help gather food. Professor Dennis Bramble, of the University of Utah, and...

Stone age Julia Roberts

Posted by Red Badger
On News/Activism 11/18/2004 12:13:18 PM PST · 49 replies · 1,636+ views

Ananova | 11/17/2004 | Staff
Archeologists have nicknamed a stone age skeleton Julia Roberts because of her perfect teeth. They were stunned by the condition of the women's teeth - still strong and straight after 9,000 years. Archaeologists now believe stone age man must have had a secret way of making toothpaste. Preserved remains of cattle bones and wheat found near her body show her diet was similar to what many people eat today in less developed areas of the world - but her teeth were far superior. Georgi Ganetsovski, who led the archaeological expedition to Ohoden in northwest Bulgaria, said the skeleton was believed...

Thoroughly Modern Miscellany

C.B. wreck hunters reveal treasures

Posted by uglybiker
On News/Activism 11/15/2004 10:32:55 PM PST · 37 replies · 720+ views

Halifax Herald | Monday, November 15, 2004 | TERA CAMUS
C.B. wreck hunters reveal treasuresRiches worth hundreds of millions in waters near Sable Island By TERA CAMUS / Cape Breton Bureau MAIN-A-DIEU - A share of sunken treasure recovered off the coast of Cape Breton this summer was handed over to the province Friday. Officials with Le Chameau Explorations Ltd., a treasure hunting company based in Cape Breton, delivered dozens of precious gold, silver and copper items, including coins, sword handles, silverware, crosses and pieces of ships. The items were recovered during the summer from several wreck sites off Cape Breton and near Sable Island. "These wrecks are worth hundreds...

Gutenberg Printing Method Questioned

Posted by blam
On News/Activism 11/14/2004 4:43:31 PM PST · 36 replies · 818+ views

Discovery Channel | 11-12-2004 | Rossella Lorenzi
Gutenberg Printing Method Questioned By Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News Nov. 12, 2004 ó Johannes Gutenberg may be wrongly credited with producing the first Western book printed in movable type, according to an Italian researcher. Presenting his findings in a mock trial of Gutenberg at the recent Festival of Science in Genoa, Bruno Fabbiani, an expert in printing who teaches at Turin Polytechnic, said the 15th-century German printer used stamps rather than the movable type he is said to have invented between 1452 and 1455.Overlapping Letters in the Gutenberg Bible Gutenberg and His Bible Gutenberg (c.1397-1468), whose real name was Johannes...

Missing Kabul treasures found

Posted by Ginifer
On News/Activism 11/19/2004 7:39:37 AM PST · 16 replies · 605+ views

National Post | November 19, 2004 | Chris Lefkow
WASHINGTON - Ivory statues, Buddhist carvings, gold coins and thousands of other precious objects from the Kabul Museum feared stolen or destroyed under Soviet occupation and Taliban rule have been found, an American archeologist said yesterday. Packed in toilet paper and sawdust in iron safes and tin boxes, the treasure trove of 5,000 years of Afghan history was hidden 25 years ago by museum staff in the Kabul presidential palace and other places, said National Geographic fellow Fredrik Hiebert. "The majority of the items that were on display in the old Kabul Museum -- and that is the masterpieces --...

end of digest #18 20041120

Gods, Graves, Glyphs Weekly Digest #17
Ancient Europe
Decision Due On Hill Of Tara Motorway (Archaeology) ^
	Posted by blam On News/Activism ^ 11/11/2004 4:10:37 PM PST · 15 replies · 254+ views The Guardian (UK)y \| 11-11-2004 \| Angelique Chrisafis Decision due on Hill of Tara motorway Archaeologists say 'heart and soul of Ireland' is threatened Angelique Chrisafis, Ireland correspondent Thursday November 11, 2004 The Guardian (UK) It is Ireland's most sacred stretch of earth and one of the most important ancient landscapes in Europe. The Hill of Tara, with its passage tomb, earthworks and prehistorical burial mounds, is the mythical and ceremonial capital of Ireland, dating back 4,000 years. But now the landscape in county Meath, north-west of Dublin, is the subject of a campaign to save it from what one archaeologist has called the "worst case of state-sponsored...

Pompeii Pottery May Rewrite History ^
	Posted by blam On News/Activism ^ 11/08/2004 11:40:27 AM PST · 15 replies · 602+ views ABC Net \| 11-8-2004 \| Heather Catchpole Pompeii pottery may rewrite history Heather Catchpole ABC Science Online Monday, 8 November 2004 A broken plate is one of the pieces in the puzzle of how ancient cultures traded (Image: Jaye Pont) Archaeologists may need to change their view of Pompeii's role in trade and commerce, after a ceramics expert's recent discovery. Australian researcher Jaye Pont from the Museum of Ancient Cultures at Sydney's Macquarie University says people who lived in Pompeii bought their pottery locally and didn't import it. Pont said the find could "make waves" among archaeologists looking at trade in the Mediterranean. And she said researchers...
Ancient Egypt
Scientists Wrap Up Old Mystery (Archaeology) ^
	Posted by blam On News/Activism ^ 11/09/2004 2:36:57 PM PST · 25 replies · 1,020+ views Housron Chronicle \| 11-8-2004 \| Eric Burger Nov. 8, 2004, 10:57PM Scientists wrap up old mystery Mummies' tar provides a link to ancient trade routes By ERIC BERGER Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle RESOURCES Historians have long known that Egyptians used tar to seal mummies during the embalming process. What wasn't known until now is where the tar came from. Thanks to work by some Texas geochemists, however, scientists are now answering this millennia-old mystery. The Middle East is, of course, littered with natural oil seeps, in which tar and other black deposits bubble up from oil beneath the surface. Within each oil seep, however, the tar has a...
Epigraphy and Language
Basques ^
	Posted by Ptarmigan On General/Chat ^ 11/06/2004 10:36:31 PM PST · 14 replies · 175+ views Basques people, better known as Euskalduna in their language. Basque is the only language in Europe that is not Indo-European in origin. The origins of Basque is a mystery. Some linguists believe it is related to Armenian, Etruscan, Finnish, Hungarian, Indians tribes of America, Ainu, and even the language of lost Atlantis. Basque seems to show some characteristics of Caucasian languages and Armenian. Some scientists believe Ainu and Basque are related to each other. Some even think Basques are directly related to Cro-Magnon humans. Basques live in northern Spain and southern France. Prominent Basques are Louis Daguerre, the inventor of...

Burushaski ^
	Posted by Ptarmigan On General/Chat ^ 11/06/2004 10:34:09 PM PST · 5 replies · 94+ views Burushaski is a language spoken in northern Pakistan and Kashmir. It is spoken by 40,000 to 50,000 people. It has no known relatives and some believe it maybe a remnant of a prehistoric language. Burushaski is like Ainu and Basque, language isolate with no known relatives. Language Museum Burushaski: An Extraordinary Language in the Karakoram MountainsWikipedia-Burushaski

LINGUISTICS: Early Date for the Birth of Indo-European Languages ^
	Posted by Lessismore On News/Activism ^ 11/28/2003 10:24:23 AM PST · 32 replies · 184+ views Science Magazine \| 2003-11-28 \| Michael Balter Ever since British jurist Sir William Jones noted in 1786 that there are marked similarities between diverse languages such as Greek, Sanskrit, and Celtic, linguists have assumed that most of the languages of Europe and the Indian subcontinent derive from a single ancient tongue. But researchers have fiercely debated just when and where this mother tongue was first spoken. Now a bold new study asserts that the common root of the 144 so-called Indo-European languages, which also include English and all the Germanic, Slavic, and Romance languages, is very ancient indeed. In this week's issue of Nature, evolutionary biologist Russell...
PreColumbian, Clovis, PreClovis
2004: Top (Archaeological) Finds On Bolivian Highlands ^
	Posted by blam On News/Activism ^ 11/07/2004 5:39:09 PM PST · 41 replies · 591+ views Helsinki University \| 11-7-2004 2004: Top finds on Bolivian highlandsFinnish scientists discovered the most significant relics of antiquity in recent Bolivian history. In the excavations on Pariti Island in Lake Titicaca, in the highlands of Bolivia, the historical-archaeological research team of the University of Helsinki discovered a ritual offering site with well-preserved pieces of ceramics. The find adds substantially to what is known about the Tiwanaku culture, which flourished before the Incas and for which the island was probably an important religious site. ìThe dig contained approximately 300 kilograms of deliberately broken ritual ceramics, which, according to radiocarbon dating, have been buried sometime between...

Kenosha Dig Points to Europe as Origin of First Americans ^
	Posted by afraidfortherepublic On News/Activism ^ 03/04/2002 12:05:29 PM PST · 86 replies · 477+ views Milwaukee Journal Sentinel \| 3-4-02 \| John Fauber A contentious theory that the first Americans came here from Europe - not Asia - is challenging a century-old consensus among archaeologists, and a dig in Kenosha County is part of the evidence. The two leading proponents of the Europe theory admit that many scientists reject their contention, instead holding fast to the long-established belief that the first Americans arrived from Siberia via a now-submerged land bridge across the Bering Sea to Alaska. The first of the Europe-to-North America treks probably took place at the height of the last Ice Age more than 18,000 years ago, said Dennis Stanford, ...

Leif Erikson Day, October 9, 2004 ^
	Posted by U.S. Resident On News/Activism ^ 10/10/2004 3:14:20 PM PDT · 42 replies · 1,037+ views The White House \| October 7, 2004 \| By the President of the United States of America Leif Erikson Day, 2004 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation More than 1,000 years ago, Leif Erikson led his crew on a journey across the Atlantic, becoming the first European known to have set foot on North American soil. Every October, we honor this courageous Viking explorer, his historic voyage, and the rich heritage of Nordic Americans. Immigrants from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and their descendants have made great contributions to our Nation in the fields of business, politics, the arts, education, agriculture, and other areas. Nordic Americans have also made a significant...

The Mandans ^
	Posted by Ptarmigan On General/Chat ^ 11/06/2004 11:04:33 AM PST · 15 replies · 159+ views The Mandans were an Indian tribe that lived in the Midwest, present day western North Dakota. The Mandans were different from other Indian tribes when White explorers encoutered them. Instead of the red skin and black hair, the Mandans had blonde or red hair, blue eyes, and light skin. Some spoke Welsh. The Mandans gladly welcomed the White explorers. It is believed they came from a Welsh settlement in the Ohio River Valley, which was first established in the mid 14th century, about 300 years before the first White settlers came to America. Madoc a Welsh prince is though to...
Let's Have Jerusalem!
Majdel Tarshish (Roman Remains - 50 km from Beirut) ^
	Posted by SunkenCiv On Bloggers & Personal ^ 11/06/2004 8:32:02 PM PST · 5 replies · 66+ views Ikama Lebanon \| 2003 \| staff Majdel Tarshish used to be a station for the retinue of passengers on their way to Metn-Bekaa. The Romans paved roads to cross it, linking, thus, the seaside with the inner plains. They are especially evident in "Bourj Al-Hamam", (tower of pigeons). Majdel Tarshish was a well fortressed castle in time of invasions that raided down the Bekaa. Rocky sarcophaguses of the Roman era bear witness to that glorious age.

San Antonio, Texas: Bible & Archaeology Fest VI ^
	Posted by SunkenCiv On News/Activism ^ 11/12/2004 10:52:46 PM PST · 2 replies · 1+ view Biblical Archaeological Society \| 2004 \| editors Join Us November 19-21, 2004... The Biblical Archaeology Society offers you a fabulous opportunity to learn more in three days than you ever thought possible! Choose your own program from a roster of world-famous teachers who will gather in San Antonio for the annual meetings of Bible and archaeology scholars. Interact with other interesting people who share your desire to learn. Special events include a plenary session and a banquet. Hear what these eminent scholars have to say about the latest discoveries relating to the New Testament and the Hebrew Bible.
Asia
Ruins Of Manichean Center Discovered In West Azerbaijan ^
	Posted by blam On News/Activism ^ 11/08/2004 11:52:36 AM PST · 18 replies · 448+ views Tehran Times \| 11-8-2004 Ruins of Manichean center discovered in West Azerbaijan Tehran Times Culture Desk TEHRAN (MNA) ñ- The ruins of what is believed to be the center of Mani (216-276 C.E.), the founder of Manicheanism, was discovered during the seventh stage of excavations at the ancient site of Qalaychi Hill in West Azerbaijan Province which began last month. Experts used to believe that Hasanlu Mound was the major early Manichean center, but the recent excavation seems to prove otherwise. An inscription found at Qalaychi Hill last year showed that Qalaychi Hill, not Hasanlu Mound, was probably Maniís early center. After the most...
Origins and Prehistory
Chimps are not like humans - much greater genetic differences than expected ^
	Posted by tallhappy On News/Activism ^ 06/10/2004 12:36:58 PM PDT · 1,008 replies · 358+ views BioMed Centra - The Scientist \| 5-27-04 \| Cathy Holding †May†27, 2004 Chimps are not like humans Whole-chromosome comparison reveals much greater genetic differences than expected \| By Cathy Holding The vigorous debate on how different chimpanzees are from humans is fuelled by new data in this week's Nature, as the International Chimpanzee Chromosome 22 Consortium reports that 83% of chimpanzee chromosome 22 proteins are different from their human counterparts.The difference is "much more complicated that we initially imagined or speculated," Yoshiyuki Sakaki, who headed the consortium, told The Scientist. "Our group completed the human chromosome 21 sequence about 3 years ago," Sakaki, director of the RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center,...

Gene Study Identifies 5 Main Human Populations ^
	Posted by Pharmboy On News/Activism ^ 12/21/2002 3:54:34 AM PST · 201 replies · 400+ views New York Times \| 12-20-02 \| Nicholas Wade Scientists studying the DNA of 52 human groups from around the world have concluded that people belong to five principal groups corresponding to the major geographical regions of the world: Africa, Europe, Asia, Melanesia and the Americas. The study, based on scans of the whole human genome, is the most thorough to look for patterns corresponding to major geographical regions. These regions broadly correspond with popular notions of race, the researchers said in interviews. The researchers did not analyze genes but rather short segments of DNA known as markers, similar to those used in DNA fingerprinting tests, that have no...


Medieval Black Death Was Probably Not Bubonic Plague ^
	Posted by Gladwin On News/Activism ^ 04/15/2002 11:36:11 AM PDT · 70 replies · 118+ views Science Daily \| Posted 4/15/2002 \| Penn State The Black Death of the 1300s was probably not the modern disease known as bubonic plague, according to a team of anthropologists studying on these 14th century epidemics. ìAlthough on the surface, seem to have been similar, we are not convinced that the epidemic in the 14th century and the present day bubonic plague are the same,î says Dr. James Wood, professor of anthropology and demography at Penn State. ìOld descriptions of disease symptoms are usually too non-specific to be a reliable basis for diagnosis.î The researchers note that it was the symptom of lymphatic swelling that led 19th century...

Shar-Peis, Huskies Are Closest to Wolves ^
	Posted by Junior On News/Activism ^ 05/20/2004 12:11:18 PM PDT · 112 replies · 383+ views Science - AP \| 2004-05-20 \| RANDOLPH E. SCHMID WASHINGTON - The tail-wagging, stick-fetching family pooch may be more closely related to Lassie, Rin Tin Tin or even White Fang than its human companions think. While dogs have about 99 percent of their genes in common, a few very distinct genetic differences separate them into some 400 breeds known worldwide. Comparing dog genes to wolves, researchers found that a group of ancient dog types split off first. Later the majority of canines evolved into three other clusters of dog variants ó hunters, herders and guard dogs ó largely as a result of breeding programs developed over the last several...
Thoroughly Modern Miscellany
DNA Tests to Be Performed on Mozart Skull ^
	Posted by uglybiker On News/Activism ^ 11/12/2004 8:00:28 PM PST · 36 replies · 598+ views AP via Yahoo News \| By SUSANNA LOOF, Associated Press Writer VIENNA, Austria - DNA tests could soon solve a century-old mystery ó whether a skull held by the International Mozarteum Foundation is that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Archaeologists have opened a grave in Salzburg thought to contain the remains of Mozart's father and other relatives. Experts plan to compare the remains' genetic material with the foundation's skull to determine if it belonged to the famed Austrian composer. Mozart died in 1791 and was buried in a pauper's grave at Vienna's St. Marxer Cemetery. The location of the grave was initially unknown, but its likely location was determined in 1855. The...

Historic Beer Discovery ^
	Posted by Willie Green On News/Activism ^ 11/10/2004 5:00:03 PM PST · 66 replies · 1,793+ views ABC -- WPVI.com \| 11/10/2004 \| The Associated Press MILWAUKEE-November 10, 2004 ó When Pabst Brewing Co. abruptly closed its headquarters here in 1996, the owner and its workers left behind a treasure trove of relics dating back to the brewer's 1844 origin. A yellowed visitors' registry and vintage photographs uncovered in a basement storage area of the former brewing complex provide a link to the rich heritage of Pabst, once the nation's largest brewer. A calendar on the wall in one corporate office is still turned to December 1996, when the brewing era came to a halt at the 22-acre complex. Dusty ornaments hang on an artificial balsam...

Lady Eleanor Talbot
	Posted by SunkenCiv On General/Chat10/24/2004 8:31:05 PM PDT · 7 replies · 63+ views Fact-Index.com \| prior to today \| Wikipedia No records survive of the meeting of the Parliamentary lords on June 9, 1483, where Stillington is said to have presented the evidence of the pre-contract, including documents and other witnesses. The Duke of Buckingham is supposed to have told Morton afterwards that he had believed that evidence when he saw it but had later changed his mind. When Henry VII of England came to the throne, he ordered all documents relating to the case to be destroyed, as well as the act of parliament by which Richard was enabled to claim the throne; so efficiently were his orders carried...

Newly declassified MI5 files finally tell the truth of Rudolf Hess's 1941 flight ^
	Posted by Ahriman On General/Chat ^ 11/08/2004 7:56:09 PM PST · 5 replies · 159+ views The Scotsman \| Nov. 9, 2004 \| Edward Black It was one of the most bizarre episodes of the Second World War. When Hitlerís deputy, Rudolf Hess, landed by parachute in 1941 near the estate of the Duke of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, it raised the question of whether British intelligence or members of the aristocracy were trying to broker a secret peace deal with the Nazis. But recently declassified MI5 files shed more light on Hessís mysterious flight to Scotland, and finally prove the conspiracy theories to be unfounded, according to the dukeís son, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, the Lothians MSP. The Conservative peer said yesterday that the new MI5...

Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History ^
	Posted by Destro On News/Activism ^ 09/25/2002 12:09:36 AM PDT · 99 replies · 345+ views historyplace.com \| 1996 \| Mary Lefkowitz Not Out of AfricaWas Greek Culture Stolen from Africa? Modern Myth vs. Ancient History Excerpted from her book: Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History Why I wrote the book In the fall of 1991 I was asked to write a review-article for The New Republic about Martin Bernal's Black Athena and its relation to the Afrocentrist movement. The assignment literally changed my life. Once I began to work on the article I realized that here was a subject that needed all the attention, and more, that I could give to it. Although...

Ping List Envy---How big is your Ping List? ^
	Posted by PJ-Comix On General/Chat ^ 11/12/2004 9:31:12 AM PST · 328 replies · 1,323+ views PJ-Comix \| November 12, 2004 \| PJ-Comix Over the past couple of months, my DUmmie FUnnies PING List has grown very rapidly until it now numbers 252 Freepers. Okay, so how big is your Ping List? Maybe I'm suffering from Ping List Envy but I have to know how big the other Ping Lists are.
end of digest #17 20041113

Gods, Graves, Glyphs Weekly Digest #18
Ancient Seas and Thereunder
Atlantis Hunt Reveals Structures In Sea Off Cyprus
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/13/2004 3:54:27 PM PST · 50 replies · 1,729+ views Reuters \| 11-13-2004 Atlantis Hunt Reveals Structures in Sea Off Cyprus Sat Nov 13, 2004 06:33 AM ET NICOSIA (Reuters) - An American researcher on the trail of the lost city of Atlantis has discovered evidence of man-made structures submerged in the sea between Cyprus and Syria, a member of his team said Saturday. Robert Sarmast, who is convinced the fabled city lurks in the watery depths off Cyprus, will give details of his findings Sunday."Something has been found to indicate very strongly that there are man-made structures somewhere between Cyprus and Syria," a spokesperson for the mission told Reuters. The mystery of...

Lost Atlantis 'found near Cyprus'
	Posted by aculeus On News/Activism 11/14/2004 6:57:47 PM PST · 44 replies · 1,558+ views The Daily Telegraph (UK) \| November 15, 2004 \| By Tabitha Morgan in Limassol A team of American ocean researchers said yesterday that they were convinced they had found evidence of the lost kingdom of Atlantis off the coast of Cyprus. The team used the latest sonar technology to create images of the sea bed a mile below the surface of the Mediterranean. The expedition, led by Robert Sarmast, spent six days at sea surveying the area. "I am absolutely convinced I have found Atlantis," Mr Sarmast said, speaking on the deck of his research ship on his return to Limassol. "The sonar images showed what appeared to be two straight walls each about...

German Physicist Disputes Atlantis Discovery Claim By American
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/17/2004 12:34:11 PM PST · 26 replies · 672+ views Yahoo - AFP \| 11-16-2004 German physicist disputes Atlantis discovery claim by American Tue Nov 16, 3:00 PM ET Science - AFP BERLIN (AFP) - The remains of the lost city of Atlantis which a United States researcher claims to have found off the Mediterranean island of Cyprus are in fact submarine volcanoes, according to a German physicist. US researcher Robert Sarmast claimed Sunday to have found proof that the mythical lost city of Atlantis actually existed and is located under the Mediterranean seabed between Cyprus and Syria. But German physicist Christian Huebscher said he had identified the phenomenon as 100,000 year-old volcanoes that spewed...
Ancient Egypt
New Likeness of King Tut on Display
	Posted by Asmodeus On News/Activism 09/30/2002 10:03:56 PM PDT · 21 replies · 286+ views Austin American Statesman \| Austin American Statesman LONDON (AP)--A fiberglass bust that purportedly shows the true face of ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun went on display Monday at London's Science Museum. The likeness was crafted as part of an investigation into how the teenage pharaoh died more than 3,000 years ago. The fiberglass cast of Tut's head, based on computer models generated from 1969 X-rays of his mummified corpse, shows an attractive round-headed youth with full lips. But it bears little resemblance to the golden funeral mask found in the pharaoh's tomb. The opulent tomb of Tut, who died around 1350 B.C., was found almost intact by British...

X-ray attempt to find out why Tutankhamen died
	Posted by F15Eagle On News/Activism 11/13/2004 9:03:24 PM PST · 175 replies · 1,418+ views CNN.Com - Science & Space \| Saturday, November 13, 2004 Posted: 10:51 PM EST (0351 GMT) \| Reuters CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) -- Egypt plans to X-ray the mummy of Tutankhamen to find out what killed the king who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago and died while only a teenager. Archaeologists will move Tutankhamen's body from its tomb, which was discovered packed with treasure in 1922, to Cairo for tests which should resolve the mystery over whether he died naturally or was murdered. "We will know about any diseases he had, any kind of injuries and his real age," Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass told Reuters. "We will know the answer to whether he died normally or...
Ancient Europe
Archaeologists Uncover A Russian "Stonehenge"
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/13/2004 4:25:38 PM PST · 30 replies · 1,092+ views Novosti \| 11-12-2004 \| Olga Sobolevskaya 2004-11-12 18:08ARCHEOLOGISTS UNCOVER A RUSSIAN "STONEHENGE" MOSCOW (RIA Novosti commentator Olga Sobolevskaya)-- Russia now has a Stonehenge of its own. In the summer, a 4,000-year-old megalithic structure was uncovered at a Spasskaya Luka site, in the central Russian region of Ryazan. This structure, which, archeologists believe, was built as a sanctuary, sits on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Oka and the Pron rivers. The surrounding area has always been seen as an "archeological encyclopedia," a kaleidoscope of cultures ranging from the Upper Paleolithic to the Dark Ages. "If we look at this archeological site as represented on a...
PreColumbian, Clovis, PreClovis
5,000 Year-Old Artifacts (Found) Near Texas Coast
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/14/2004 2:33:59 PM PST · 38 replies · 1,316+ views Washington Post \| 11-13-2004 \| lynn Brezosky 5,000-Year-Old Artifacts Near Texas Coast By LYNN BREZOSKY The Associated Press Saturday, November 13, 2004; 8:50 PM HARLINGEN, Texas - Archaeologists have discovered a cache of artifacts near South Padre Island that they say could be up to 5,000 years old, potentially providing new clues about early peoples of the Texas coast. Ricklis said the find is significant because so little is known about the ancient Rio Grande Valley. Most early manmade items would have been eroded by sand and sea air, or washed out by the ever-changing course of the waterways of the Rio Grande basin near the Mexican...

Archeologist finds evidence of humans in North America 50,000 years ago
	Posted by SunkenCiv On General/Chat 11/17/2004 10:04:06 PM PST · 38 replies · 237+ views Canoe (Canada) \| November 17, 2004 \| AP University of South Carolina archeologist Al Goodyear said he has uncovered a layer of charcoal from a possible hearth or fire pit at a site near the Savannah River. Samples from the layer have been laboratory-dated to more than 50,000 years old. Yet Goodyear stopped short of declaring it proof of the continent's earliest human occupation. "It does look like a hearth," he said, "and the material that was dated has been burned." ...Goodyear, who has worked the Topper site since 1981, discovered the charcoal layer in May.

(South Carolina) Fire Pit Dated To Over 50,000 Years Old (More)
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/19/2004 8:07:26 AM PST · 51 replies · 756+ views AP \| 11-18-2004 \| Amy Geier Edgar Fire Pit Dated to Be Over 50,000 Years Old Thu Nov 18,10:10 AM ET Top Stories - AP By AMY GEIER EDGAR, Associated Press Writer COLUMBIA, S.C. - In the growing debate about when people first appeared on this continent, a leading archaeologist said Wednesday he has discovered what could be sooty evidence of human occupation in North America tens of thousands of years earlier than is commonly believed.University of South Carolina archaeologist Al Goodyear said he has uncovered a layer of charcoal from a possible hearth or fire pit at a site near the Savannah River. Samples from the...

LUZIA - Second Oldest Human Skeleton Ever Found In The Americas
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/18/2004 3:51:27 PM PST · 26 replies · 503+ views Andaman.org \| 12-2003 The Lagoa Santa (or "Luzia") Group (Minas Gerais, Brasil) A skull belonging to a roughly 20 year old woman was unearthed in Brazil by the French archaeologist Annette Laming-Emperaire in the 1970s. She died before being able to do much work on her dicovery. Annette Laming-Emperaire at work in her Lapa Vermelha excavation. The skull was later re-discovered by Brazilian Prof. Walter Neves and analyzed. He also excavated more remains in the same cemetery-like site where the original "Luzia" had been found. Neves named the ancient lady "Luzia" in analogy to the famous and much older African "Lucy" - the...
Asia
The Mummies of Urumchi
	Posted by MacDorcha On News/Activism 11/16/2004 10:35:31 AM PST · 38 replies · 654+ views Just a point of curiosity, has anyone got any extensive information about the mummies of Urumchi? I found some 5 year old websites making a few talking points about them, but nothing detailed as to origins or anything. Comments and discussion please, keep links to a minimum.
Mesopotamia
Ancient Iranian Site Shows Mesopotamia-Like Civilisation
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/16/2004 4:45:22 PM PST · 16 replies · 361+ views New Kerala \| 11-16-2004 Ancient Iranian site shows Mesopotamia-like civilisation [World News]: Tehran, Nov 16 : Shellfish is not seen on most Iranians dining tables but it was part of the daily diet of the inhabitants of ancient Jiroft in southern Iran 5,000 years ago that showed the existence of an ancient civilisation. Jiroft, located in Kerman province, is one of the richest historical areas in the world, with ruins and artefacts dating back to the third millennium BC and with over 100 historical sites located along the approximately 400 km of the Halil Rood riverbank, according to Mehr news agency. Many Iranian and...

Susa, Favorite Residence of Persian King, Darius the Great
	Posted by freedom44 On News/Activism 11/18/2004 7:23:21 PM PST · 16 replies · 338+ views Iranian Cultural Heritage \| 11/18/04 \| Iranian Cultural Heritage Susa is one of the oldest cities in the world. Excavations have established the existence of urban structures about 4000 BCE, and it is reasonable that the town, situated between the rivers Karkheh and Dez (one of these is the ancient Eulaeus), was already the political center of Elam in the fourth millennium. A castle on a steep hilltop dates back to this period (in the center of the picture). The Assyrian king Aööurbanipal destroyed the Elamite capital between 645-640. The city was rebuilt by the Persian king Darius the Great (522-486). It was clearly his favorite residence. The Greek...
Origins and Prehistory
Ancient Animal Could Be Human-Ape Ancestor
	Posted by Willie Green On News/Activism 11/18/2004 3:41:57 PM PST · 90 replies · 1,142+ views The Centre Daily Times \| Thu, Nov. 18, 2004 \| DIEDTRA HENDERSON -- Associated Press For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. WASHINGTON - A nearly 13 million-year-old ape discovered in Spain is the last probable common ancestor to all living humans and great apes, a research team says in Friday's issue of Science magazine. A husband-and-wife team of fossil sleuths unearthed an animal with a body like an ape, fingers like a chimp and the upright posture of humans. The ancient ape bridges the gap between earlier, primitive animals and later, modern creatures. This newest ape species, Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, is so significant that it adds a new page to ancient human history....

Fossil Ape May Be Ancestor of All Apes - Report
	Posted by Pharmboy On News/Activism 11/18/2004 7:00:02 PM PST · 116 replies · 1,228+ views Science - Reuters \| Thu Nov 18, 2004 \| Maggie Fox WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An ape that lived 13 million years ago in what is now Spain may have been the last common ancestor of all apes, including chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans, researchers said on Thursday. The fossil provides a missing link, not directly between humans and an apelike ancestor, but between great apes and lesser apes such as gibbons, the researchers said. The creature, named Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, had a stiff lower spine and flexible wrists that would have made it a tree-climbing specialist, the researchers write in this week's issue of the journal Science. "This probably is very close...

Humans Were Born to Run, Scientists Say
	Posted by ElkGroveDan On News/Activism 11/17/2004 11:06:41 AM PST · 339 replies · 3,336+ views Reuters \| 11/17/2004 \| Patricia Reaney LONDON (Reuters) - Humans were born to run and evolved from ape-like creatures into the way they look today probably because of the need to cover long distances and compete for food, scientists said on Wednesday. From tendons and ligaments in the legs and feet that act like springs and skull features that help prevent overheating, to well-defined buttocks that stabilize the body, the human anatomy is shaped for running. "We do it because we are good at it. We enjoy it and we have all kinds of specializations that permit us to run well," said Daniel Liberman, a professor...

In Evolutionary Race, Humans Went the Extra Mile, Study Says
	Posted by Ernest_at_the_Beach On News/Activism 11/18/2004 11:56:04 AM PST · 68 replies · 667+ views Humanity was born to run. Humanity was born to run. More than by brain size or tool-making ability, the human species was set apart from its ancestors by the ability to jog mile after lung-stabbing mile with greater endurance than any other primate, according to research published today in the journal Nature. Indeed, human beings evolved as the cross-country stars of a primordial runner's world 2 million years before the advent of jogging shoes, tracksuits and arthroscopic knee surgery. Mounting a challenge to the conventional wisdom about human origins, researchers at Harvard University and the University of Utah concluded that...

Running 'key to human evolution'(body evolved to support long distance running)
	Posted by TigerLikesRooster On News/Activism 11/18/2004 7:32:47 AM PST · 70 replies · 709+ views BBC NEWS \| 11/18/04 \| n/a Running 'key to human evolution' People run to keep fit today but our ancestors ran for different reasons Long-distance running may have been a driving force behind evolution of the modern human body, scientists say. American researchers said humans began endurance running about 2 million years ago to help hunt for prey, influencing the development of the human body. Previous studies have suggested running was purely a by-product of walking. But the study, published in Nature, said humans evolved big buttocks, a balanced head and longer legs to help gather food. Professor Dennis Bramble, of the University of Utah, and...

Stone age Julia Roberts
	Posted by Red Badger On News/Activism 11/18/2004 12:13:18 PM PST · 49 replies · 1,636+ views Ananova \| 11/17/2004 \| Staff Archeologists have nicknamed a stone age skeleton Julia Roberts because of her perfect teeth. They were stunned by the condition of the women's teeth - still strong and straight after 9,000 years. Archaeologists now believe stone age man must have had a secret way of making toothpaste. Preserved remains of cattle bones and wheat found near her body show her diet was similar to what many people eat today in less developed areas of the world - but her teeth were far superior. Georgi Ganetsovski, who led the archaeological expedition to Ohoden in northwest Bulgaria, said the skeleton was believed...
Thoroughly Modern Miscellany
C.B. wreck hunters reveal treasures
	Posted by uglybiker On News/Activism 11/15/2004 10:32:55 PM PST · 37 replies · 720+ views Halifax Herald \| Monday, November 15, 2004 \| TERA CAMUS C.B. wreck hunters reveal treasuresRiches worth hundreds of millions in waters near Sable Island By TERA CAMUS / Cape Breton Bureau MAIN-A-DIEU - A share of sunken treasure recovered off the coast of Cape Breton this summer was handed over to the province Friday. Officials with Le Chameau Explorations Ltd., a treasure hunting company based in Cape Breton, delivered dozens of precious gold, silver and copper items, including coins, sword handles, silverware, crosses and pieces of ships. The items were recovered during the summer from several wreck sites off Cape Breton and near Sable Island. "These wrecks are worth hundreds...

Gutenberg Printing Method Questioned
	Posted by blam On News/Activism 11/14/2004 4:43:31 PM PST · 36 replies · 818+ views Discovery Channel \| 11-12-2004 \| Rossella Lorenzi Gutenberg Printing Method Questioned By Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News Nov. 12, 2004 ó Johannes Gutenberg may be wrongly credited with producing the first Western book printed in movable type, according to an Italian researcher. Presenting his findings in a mock trial of Gutenberg at the recent Festival of Science in Genoa, Bruno Fabbiani, an expert in printing who teaches at Turin Polytechnic, said the 15th-century German printer used stamps rather than the movable type he is said to have invented between 1452 and 1455.Overlapping Letters in the Gutenberg Bible Gutenberg and His Bible Gutenberg (c.1397-1468), whose real name was Johannes...

Missing Kabul treasures found
	Posted by Ginifer On News/Activism 11/19/2004 7:39:37 AM PST · 16 replies · 605+ views National Post \| November 19, 2004 \| Chris Lefkow WASHINGTON - Ivory statues, Buddhist carvings, gold coins and thousands of other precious objects from the Kabul Museum feared stolen or destroyed under Soviet occupation and Taliban rule have been found, an American archeologist said yesterday. Packed in toilet paper and sawdust in iron safes and tin boxes, the treasure trove of 5,000 years of Afghan history was hidden 25 years ago by museum staff in the Kabul presidential palace and other places, said National Geographic fellow Fredrik Hiebert. "The majority of the items that were on display in the old Kabul Museum -- and that is the masterpieces --...
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