http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/archaeology/ en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:10:49 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2049804/posts In the remote desert highlands of southern Yemen, a team of archaeologists have discovered new evidence of ancient transitions from hunting and herding to irrigation agriculture 5,200 years ago. As part of a larger program of archaeological research, Michael Harrower from the University of Toronto and The Roots of Agriculture in Southern Arabia (RASA) team explored the Wadi Sana watershed documenting 174 ancient irrigation structures, modeled topography and hydrology, and interviewed contemporary camel and goat herders and irrigation farmers. "Agriculture in Yemen appeared relatively late in comparison with other areas of the Middle East, where farming first developed near the... Science Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2049804/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:10:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045610/posts A recent mission to Iraq headed by top archaeologists ... found that, contrary to received wisdom, southern Iraq's most important historic sites ... had neither been seriously damaged nor looted after the American invasion. This, according to a report by staff writer Martin Bailey in the July issue of the Art Newspaper. The article has caused confusion, not to say consternation, among archaeologists and has been largely ignored by the mainstream press. Not surprising perhaps, since reports by experts blaming the U.S. for the postinvasion destruction of Iraq's heritage have been regular fixtures of the news. Up to now ...... WSJ.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045610/posts#comment Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:52:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045299/posts Pardubice, East Bohemia, July 11 (CTK) - Archaeologists have uncovered a 4000-year-old grave in Mikulovice, east Bohemia, with remains of what might have been considered a vampire at the time, Nova TV has reported. The experts made the terrifying find within their research of a burial site from the Early Bronze Age. One of the graves was situated somewhat aside. The skeleton in it bears traces of unusual treatment. When buried, the dead man was weighed down with two big stones, one on his chest and the other on his head. "Remains treated in this way are now considered as... Czech News Agency (ČTK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045299/posts#comment Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:20:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044141/posts PERSEPOLIS, once the capital of the Persian empire, and the massive mud-brick Bam citadel are among the nine listed World Heritage Sites in Iran. Yet leading archaeologists are urging colleagues to refuse any military requests to draw up a list of Iranian sites that should be exempted from air strikes. "Such advice would provide cultural credibility and respectability to the military action," said a resolution agreed by the World Archaeological Congress in Dublin, Ireland, last week. Instead, delegates were advised to emphasise the harm that any military action would do to Iran's people and heritage. NewScientist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044141/posts#comment Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:33:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041778/posts An unpublicized survey last month of eight of southern Iraq's most important archaeological sites by a team of international specialists found no evidence of looting since the invasion of the country in 2003 by the U.S. coalition, despite earlier, widespread claims of extensive damage. The 25-person mission, titled the Cultural Heritage Initiative, included four international archaeologists, three Iraqi archaeologists, a helicopter crew and military personnel for protection, reported the Art Newspaper. The group began their three-day survey on June 3 from Basra, staying overnight at another airbase 180 miles southeast of Baghdad. The helicopter and armed protection was provided by... World Nut Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041778/posts#comment Mon, 7 Jul 2008 12:47:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2040478/posts Texas Archaeological Dig Challenges Assumptions about First Americans Ancient stone artifacts reveal the day-to-day lives of Clovis people while offering tantalizing clues of an even earlier culture By Elizabeth Lunday Excavations at the Gault site in central Texas. FLORENCE, TEX.—"Look at that—isn't it gorgeous?" Sandy Peck asks as she rinses dirt from a flaked stone about the length and width of a pinky finger. Peck runs a hose over soil on a fine-mesh screen, prodding at stubborn clods of clay with a muddy glove. "Look, there's another one." Peck, sorting soil that had been disturbed by a recent thunderstorm, is... Scientific American http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2040478/posts#comment Thu, 3 Jul 2008 23:12:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2040167/posts Research by a Valparaiso University geography professor and his students on the creation of Kankakee Sand Islands of Northwest Indiana is lending support to evidence that the first humans to settle the Americas came from Europe, a discovery that overturns decades of classroom lessons that nomadic tribes from Asia crossed a Bering Strait land-ice bridge. Valparaiso is a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research..... Science Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2040167/posts#comment Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:55:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2039567/posts Puerto Rico archeological find mired in politics Posted on Tue, Jul. 01 By FRANCES ROBLES U.S. archaeologist Nathan Mountjoy sits next to stones etched with ancient petroglyphs and graves that reveal unusual burial methods in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The archaeological find, one of the best-preserved pre-Columbian sites found in the Caribbean, form a large plaza measuring some 130 feet by 160 feet that could have been used for ball games or ceremonial rites, officials said. SAN JUAN -- The lady carved on the ancient rock is squatting, with frog-like legs sticking out to each side. Her decapitated head is dangling... Miami Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2039567/posts#comment Wed, 2 Jul 2008 03:34:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2039079/posts <p>June 25, 2008 -- The phrase "blame it on the weather" takes new meaning in light of research suggesting that regional climate may very well have been responsible for the evolution of lifestyle, culture and even religion in the Middle East.</p> Discovery News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2039079/posts#comment Tue, 1 Jul 2008 11:53:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038768/posts Iranian, foreign experts to excavate salt men’s necropolis TEHRAN, June 30 (MNA) -- A joint team of Iranian and foreign experts will collaborate on a project planned to excavate the Chehrabad Salt Mine, where all six of the “salt men” were discovered. Archaeologists and experts on other related fields from Germany, England, and Austria will participated in the project, which is expected to begin in spring 2009 in the salt mine located in the Hamzehlu region near Zanjan, northern Iran, the Persian service of CHN reported on Monday. “The Chehrabad Salt Mine is one of important Iranian ancient sites, on... Mehr News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038768/posts#comment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:37:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038759/posts Magnetic fields used to date Indian artifacts June 22, 2008 REPUBLIC COUNTY - You might be surprised what you can learn from a campfire. A campfire that has been cold for, say, 300 years. Stacey Lengyel hopes she can tell, within 30 years or so, when it was used. Lengyel, a research associate in anthropology at the Illinois State Museum, is the country's leading authority on archeomagnetic dating, a process built around two phenomena: when heated, magnetic particles reorient themselves to magnetic north; and over time, magnetic north is, literally, all over the map. "They call it a 'drunken wander,'... The Wichita Eagle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038759/posts#comment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:26:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035259/posts Archaeology - Hidden City Provides Fascinating Insight into the Structures of Hellenistic SettlementsSix centuries of Hellenistic culture lay hidden under the sand. The site has provided a unique insight into the structures of settlements at that time. (Excavations as at 2007, © A. Schmidt-Colinet) The discovery of an ancient city buried beneath the sands of modern-day Syria has provided evidence for a Hellenistic settlement that existed for more than six centuries extending into the time of the Roman Empire. The site provides a unique insight into the structures of a pre-Roman Hellenistic settlement. The project, funded by the Austrian Science... FWF http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035259/posts#comment Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:58:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034085/posts Ky. grand jury indicts Ohio man in rock dispute June 19, 2008 FRANKFORT, Ky.: An Ohio historian could face hard time, all because of a rock. A Kentucky grand jury indicted Steve Shaffer on Thursday for leading efforts to pull an 8-ton boulder known as Indian Head Rock from the Ohio River. The indictment accuses Shaffer of breaking Kentucky law by removing a protected archaeological object, a felony. He could face one to five years in prison if convicted. "I'm really surprised," Shaffer said. "It's not about historic preservation, we all know that. It's about revenge." The rock's removal triggered... IHT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034085/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:58:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033330/posts Two wine presses found in Egypt were likely part of the area's earliest winery, producing holy wine for export to Christians abroad, archaeologists say. Egyptian archaeologists discovered the two presses with large crosses carved across them near St. Catherine's Monastery, a sixth-century A.D. complex near Mount Sinai on the Sinai Peninsula. (See a map of the area.) More presses are likely to be found in the area, which was probably an ancient wine-industry hub, according to Tarek El-Naggar, director for southern Sinai at Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Weeks after discovering the first wine press, excavators unearthed a nearly identical... Nat Geo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033330/posts#comment Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:37:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2028840/posts AMMAN (AFP) — Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world's first church, dating back almost 2,000 years, The Jordan Times reported on Tuesday. "We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33 AD to 70 AD," the head of Jordan's Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, Abdul Qader al-Husan, said. He said it was uncovered under Saint Georgeous Church, which itself dates back to 230 AD, in Rihab in northern Jordan near the Syrian border. "We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians -- the 70... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2028840/posts#comment Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:48:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026499/posts SAQQARA, Egypt - Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered the "missing pyramid" of a pharaoh and a ceremonial procession road where high priests carried mummified remains of sacred bulls, Egypt's antiquities chief said Thursday. Zahi Hawass said the pyramid — of which only the base remains — is believed to be that of King Menkauhor, an obscure pharaoh who ruled for only eight years more than 4,000 years ago. In 1842, German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius mentioned Menkauhor's pyramid among his finds at Saqqara, calling it the "Headless Pyramid" because its top was missing, Hawass said. But the desert sands covered Lepsius'... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026499/posts#comment Thu, 5 Jun 2008 16:09:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026049/posts Living in the 'bowels of the earth' In caves all over Greece, archaeologists reveal the secrets of the past HEINRICH HALL * The mythical birthplace of Zeus: the Idaean Cave, central Crete AT SOME point between AD575 and 600, at least 33 men, women and children entered a cave near modern Andritsa, southwest of Argolid, in the eastern Peloponnese. They carried a Christian cross, some money and food supplies, perhaps intending to hide from some temporary threat. They were never to see the light of day again. One by one, they died from starvation, unable or unwilling to escape the... Athens News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026049/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 21:18:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2023312/posts Archaeologists at the University of Sheffield have revealed new radiocarbon dates of human cremation burials at Stonehenge, which indicate that the monument was used as a cemetery from its inception just after 3000 B.C. until well after the large stones went up around 2500 B.C. The Sheffield archaeologists, Professor Mike Parker-Pearson and Professor Andrew Chamberlain, believe that the cremation burials could represent the natural deaths of a single elite family and its descendants, perhaps a ruling dynasty. One clue to this is the small number of burials in Stonehenge´s earliest phase, a number that grows larger in subsequent centuries, as... ScienceDaily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2023312/posts#comment Fri, 30 May 2008 01:43:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2022359/posts Jon Erlandson shakes out what appears to be a miniature evergreen from a clear ziplock bag and holds it out for me to examine. As one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient seafaring, he has devoted much of his career to hunting down hard evidence of ancient human migrations, searching for something most archaeologists long thought a figment: Ice Age mariners. On this drizzly late-fall afternoon in a lab at the University of Oregon in Eugene, the 53-year-old Erlandson looks as pleased as the father of a newborn—and perhaps just as anxious —as he shows me one of his... Discover Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2022359/posts#comment Wed, 28 May 2008 11:14:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022026/posts VATICAN CITY, May 27, 2008(AP) The Vatican unveiled the largest and most luxurious of the pagan tombs in the necropolis under St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday after nearly a year of restoration work. A family of former slaves built the Valeri Mausoleum during the second half of the second century, when Emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled. It is one of 22 pagan tombs in the grottoes under the basilica. The newly restored tomb was shown to media Tuesday. Visitors can have a guided tour of the grottoes by appointment. Emperor Constantine, a convert to Christianity, had the pagan burial grounds covered up... CBS News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022026/posts#comment Tue, 27 May 2008 18:58:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2014417/posts Posted as a discussion thread for the topic of caucus thread at: This FR location Many readers have read about the finding of ancient votive altars in Yemen that appear to bear the Book of Mormon place-name Nahom. This significant find has been noted in the Ensign magazine,[1] in the April 2001 general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,[2] and in a recently published volume by Terryl Givens in which he refers to these altars as "the first actual archaeological evidence for the historicity of the Book of Mormon" and "the most impressive find to date... Journal of Book of Mormon Studies http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2014417/posts#comment Sun, 11 May 2008 14:57:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2013390/posts Hamburg - Archaeologists believe they have found the Queen of Sheba's palace at Axum, Ethiopia and an altar which held the most precious treasure of ancient Judaism, the Ark of the Covenant, the University of Hamburg said Wednesday. Scientists from the German city made the startling find during their spring excavation of the site over the past three months. The Ethiopian queen was the bride of King Solomon of Israel in the 10th century before the Christian era. The royal match is among the memorable events in the Bible. Ethiopian tradition claims the Ark, which allegedly contained Moses' stone... Deutsche Presse-Agentur http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2013390/posts#comment Fri, 9 May 2008 01:33:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2009895/posts Tse-whit-zen artifacts languish in storage By Jonathan MartinSeattle Times staff reporter An arrowhead created by a Lower Elwha Klallam tribal member. One of the Pacific Northwest's most astonishing archaeological finds in a generation has languished for more than a year, lingering on metal shelves in a Seattle warehouse, unseen by the public and unexamined by scientists. No one questions the discoveries — artifacts from a 2,700-year-old Native American village excavated from the Port Angeles waterfront amid great public interest — should be exhibited, analyzed and celebrated. But the 900 boxes of artifacts — such things as spindle whorls carved from... Seattle Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2009895/posts#comment Thu, 1 May 2008 20:42:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008295/posts Japanese Royal Tomb Opened to Scholars for First TimeTony McNicol in Tokyo for National Geographic NewsApril 28, 2008 A rare visit by archaeologists to a fifth-century imperial tomb offers hope that other closely guarded graves in Japan might soon be open to independent study. This month a group of 16 experts led by the Japanese Archaeological Association released results from their February visit inside Gosashi tomb. The event marked the first time that scholars had been allowed inside a royal tomb outside of an official excavation led by Japan's Imperial Household Agency. Archaeologists have been requesting access to Gosashi tomb... National Geographic News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008295/posts#comment Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:33:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2004911/posts Turkish site a Neolithic 'supernova' By Nicholas Birch April 21, 2008 Archaeologist Klaus Schmidt was among the first to realize the significance of the Gobekli Tepe site, which is 7,000 years older than Stonehenge. URFA, Turkey - As a child, Klaus Schmidt used to grub around in caves in his native Germany in the hope of finding prehistoric paintings. Thirty years later, as a member of the German Archaeological Institute, he found something infinitely more important: a temple complex almost twice as old as anything comparable. "This place is a supernova," said Mr. Schmidt, standing under a lone tree on... Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2004911/posts#comment Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:24:52 GMT