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Byzantine underground city and cistern unearthed in Talas Tuesday, January 3, 2006 ANKARA - Turkish Daily News An underground city and cistern dating to the Byzantine era have been discovered at the foot of Mt. Ali in the Talas district of Kayseri. Talas Mayor Rýfat Yýldrým said archaeologists have so far unearthed 300 meters of the underground city and that the cistern is estimated to be 60 meters in length and 5 meters wide. Noting that they had initiated excavations following reports of the existence of a city and cistern, Yýldýrým said: “We have unearthed parts of the underground city...

An Antiques Authority worker climbing out of one of the recently discovered prison cells in Tiberias. (Yaron Kaminsky) Last update - 02:16 28/11/2005 Ancient prison cells unearthed in Tiberias dig By Eli Ashkenazi A bit of what prisoners suffered in ancient times can be seen as of yesterday at the archaeological dig in the old city of Tiberias. Excavations of the basilica compound in the eastern part of the old city recently unearthed two small chambers believed to have served as holding cells for prisoners awaiting trial. If today's custody conditions at police stations elicit complaints from detainees and defense...

Villa buried by Pompeii eruption is unearthed By Hilary Clarke in Rome (Filed: 22/11/2005) An archaeological dig on the Amalfi coast has revealed the first luxury villa to be built in the idyllic fishing village of Positano, a popular haunt of today's rich and famous. A frescoe on a wall of the villa found in Positano Two storeys of a first century millionaire's abode have been found under a church which was hidden for 2,000 years by the same volcanic eruption that devastated Pompeii in 79AD. During renovation work on the church's crypt last summer, roof beams were found poking...

2,000-year-old periwig unearthed in Sichuan www.chinaview.cn 2005-11-09 17:18:32 CHENGDU, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese might have learned to adorn themselves with periwigs more than 2,000 years ago, said archeologists who unearthed a skeleton wearing a hairpiece from an ancient tombs in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The wig, found on the lower part of the skull, was made of hemprope, says Zhang Rong, a heritage repairs technician with a local museum in Liangshan prefecture, where the finding was reported. Zhang said she had consulted several seasoned hemp knitters in the prefecture before she came to the conclusion. The wig dates...

Eastern Zhou grave pit unearthed in Luoyang www.chinaview.cn 2005-10-26 13:51:52Two worker clear up the relics in the newly unearthed pit. [newsphoto] The horse-and-vehicle pit excavated in this cultural relics discovery [newsphoto] Archaeologists and workers excavate cultural relics from an Eastern Zhou Dynasty grave that was found in Luoyang of Central China's Henan Province on October 25, 2005. Bronzeware, jade, and horse pit unearthed from the burial site are in good shape, which is peculiar in this ancient city of Luoyang, as usually 90 percent of the graves are empty upon discovery. [newsphoto]According to the experts, it is a a scholar-bureaucrat's...

Stone Age Cemetery, Artifacts Unearthed in Sahara Brian Handwerk for National Geographic News October 21, 2005Archaeologists have excavated a trove of Stone Age human skeletons and artifacts on the shores of an ancient lake in the Sahara. The seven nearby sites include an extensive cemetery and represent one of the largest and best preserved concentrations of ancient skeletons and artifacts ever found in the region, researchers say. Harpoons, fishhooks, pottery, jewelry, stone tools, and other artifacts pepper the ancient lakeside settlement. The objects were left by early communities that once thrived on the former lake's abundant fish and shellfish. "They...

Bones of dismembered warriors unearthed at ancient Tul Talesh TEHRAN, Oct. 12 (MNA) -- Archaeologists recently unearthed a great number of skeletons at the ancient site of Tul Talesh which are believed to be the remains of warriors who were dismembered and killed in battle, the Persian service of the Cultural Heritage News (CHN) agency reported on Tuesday. The skeletons were found without heads, feet, and hands in the cemetery of Tul Talesh, which covers an area of 350 hectares. Located 140 kilometers northwest of Rasht in Gilan Province, the cemetery is one of Iran’s unique ancient burial grounds. Tul...

Roman theatre goddesses unearthed in Crete 30/09/2005 - 3:10:36 PM The life-sized marble statues of two ancient Greek goddesses have emerged during excavations of a 5,000-year-old town on the island of Crete, archaeologists said today. The works, representing the goddesses Athena and Hera, date to between the 2nd and 4th centuries – a period of Roman rule in Greece – and originally decorated the Roman theatre in the town of Gortyn, archaeologist Anna Micheli from the Italian School of Archaeology told The Associated Press. “They are in very good condition,” she said, adding that the statue of Athena, goddess of...

Royal Seal Unearthed in City of David 12:48 Aug 02, '05 / 26 Tammuz 5765 (IsraelNN.com) A royal seal dating to the period of the First Temple has been found in an archeological dig in the City of David, adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem. The seal’s inscription has the name of Jehudi, son of Shelemiah, one of the top officials in the court of the last Judean king prior to the destruction of the First Temple, King Zedekiah. He is mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. The seal dates from about 580 B.C.E. The seal was found at...

Golden Treasure Unearthed in Bulgaria By NEVYANA HADJIYSKA, Associated Press Writer Mon Jul 25, 8:08 AM ETAP Photo: A Bulgarian archeologist shows a golden wreath of laurels, discovered late Saturday by his team... " SOFIA, Bulgaria - Archaeologists have unearthed a 2,400-year old golden treasure in an ancient Thracian tomb in eastern Bulgaria, the director of the country's History Museum said Monday. The gold-rich burial was discovered late on Saturday by a team of archaeologists, working on excavations near the village of Zlatinitsa, some 290 kilometers (180 miles) east of the capital, Sofia. The most impressive finds included a golden...

Antiquity unearthed Downtown Lindsay A. Miller / Arizona Daily Star Desert Archaeology crew member Jennifer Sandretto fields a question from Tucson resident John Cushman about the excavation site at a triplex on Court Avenue Downtown. Lying beneath the triplex is a pit house dating back 2,000 years, which predates the Hohokam Indians by centuries. The triplex is destined to become a museum in the Presidio Historic Park, a Rio Nuevo project Downtown. The shallow trenches and holes in the dirt, roped off in the back yard of an old adobe row house Downtown, seem at first like nothing more than...

PORTUGAL: MEDIEVAL MUSLIM BURIAL GROUND UNEARTHED Lisbon, 12 May (AKI) - Skeletons belonging to some 35 corpses have surfaced from a Portuguese excavation site which archaelogists believe could be one of the the largest medieval Muslim burial grounds in Europe. The corpses, found in vaults carved out of the rockface were buried facing due west in the direction of the Muslim holy city, Mecca. The remains were unearthed at the Largo de Candido Dos Reis park, near the northern Portuguese city of Santarem. Local authorities believe the burial ground, discovered by Portuguese archaeologist, Antonio Matias, could extend over an area...

Major Bronze Age haul unearthed More than 140 pieces have been recovered from the garden A large haul of Bronze Age artefacts has been uncovered by a gardener. The 145 items, dating from about 800BC, were found by Simon Francis as he landscaped the grounds of a house in Cringleford, near Norwich. Norfolk County Council archaeologists say the haul is one of the largest and most significant they have known. Curator of archaeology Alan West said: "The items are in good condition and the more items we find the better knowledge we can develop of the era." It is very...

Archeological gold mine unearthed in UP Aradhana Sharma Tuesday, April 19, 2005 (Sanchankot): The residents of Sanchankot village in Uttar Pradesh on the banks on Sai river never knew they were sitting on an archeological goldmine. Excavations in the mounds here have revealed proof of civilizations of four different periods. The oldest being the Painted Grey Ware period dating from 1400 to 800 BC and the latest the Gupta period of the 4-6th century AD. A 10th century temple of the Pratihar dynasty has also been found during the excavations. ExcavationsThe archeological significance of the site has been known for...

MOORPARK, Calif. - The remarkably well-preserved remnants of an estimated half-million-year-old mammoth - including both tusks - were discovered at a new housing development in Southern California. An onsite paleontologist found the remains, which include 50 percent to 70 percent of the Ice Age creature, as crews cleared away hillsides to prepare for building, Mayor Pro Tem Clint Harper said. Paleontologist Mark Roeder estimated the mammoth was about 12 feet tall, Harper said. Roeder believed it was not a pygmy or imperial mammoth, but he had not yet determined its exact type, Harper said. "It's considered a very significant find,...

Shrine to Hercules unearthedArchaeologists in Thebes discover remains of altar, dwellings used for more than 3,000 years APPanayiotis Valmas, the head restorer at the Museum of Thebes, is pictured last month brushing a tiny ancient bronze statue of the mythological hero Hercules slaying a lion. The figure was found at an ancient prayer site. By Derek Gatopoulos - The Associated Press THEBES - Rummaging in the dirt, Costas Kakoseos pulls up pieces of history steeped in legend. It is an archaeological site dubbed “Hercules’ House” — the place, experts say, that the ancient Greeks may have held to be the...

New Desert Coffins Unearthed in Xinjiang Archeologists found the first wooden coffins with mud cover at Lop Nur Desert in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the regional archeology institute. Excavation of Xiaohe tomb complex began in October in 2003, leading to the discovery of 108 tombs so far. The most recent excavation yielded 33 tombs, including 25 for adults and eight for children. Those buried in coffins with mud cover may be of relatively high social status. But the conclusion can only be made after the coffins are opened, according to scientists with the institute. Archeologists have...

History unearthed Dec 3 2004 Chester Chronicle A HOARD of Viking jewellery has been found by a metal detector enthusiast in the Cheshire countryside. The finder, Steve Reynoldson from Keighley in West Yorkshire, made the discovery near Huxley on Sunday during a metal detecting rally which attracted almost 100 enthusiasts. Archaeologist Dan Garner, who works for Chester Archaeology, went to the site where he confirmed the booty of 20 silver arm bands was likely to date from the Viking period in the 10th century. Mr Garner said: 'Of the treasure-detected finds in the area, it has to be one of...

Unearthed painting fragments point to ancient fire in Nara IKARUGA, Nara -- Numerous fragments of burned wall paintings have been unearthed at Nara Prefecture's Horyuji Temple, underscoring descriptions in ancient literature of a fire that broke out in 670. Mainichi ShimbunHoryuji Temple Officials of the Ikaruga Municipal Board of Education said they believed wall-painting fragments found near the famous Minami Daimon gate of Horyuji Temple were those from a hall in the temple, which was built in the early 7th century. Horyuji holds another set of paintings created at the end of the 7th century that are believed to be...

Date Added:Nov 24 2004Inscribed Bricks Unearthed South of Iran Iran-11/23/2004 In the latest round of archeological excavations at the historical site of Enshan, Fars province, Iranian and American archeologists have unearthed several inscribed bricks and a seal dating back to the mid-Elamite era (1100 BC).Enshan is regarded as one of the capitals of the Elamites and is rich in cultural heritage artifacts ranging from the Elamite to the Achamenid era (3500 BC to 500 AD). Dr. Kamyar Abdi, an instructor of Dartmouth College in the United States told Cultural Heritage News (CHN) agency that in the course of excavations in...