Thursday, September 30, 2004



6,000-year-old intact tomb found in France

A French-English team of archaologists have discovered a 6,000-year-old tomb in France. Human bones and ceramic pottery were found inside the tomb. The discovery may help better understanding of Neolithic social structures, according to the French Research Council bulletin.

The tomb was found at the Prissé la Charriere site, where excavations have been carried out since 1992. The newly-discovered tomb is the first one to have been unearthed completely intact.

Six human skeletons (two men, a woman and three children) were found inside the tomb, placed one on top of the other. The researchers also identified two ceramic pots (one of them could date back to 4,300 BCE), a spear and a jewel.

Stonepages

Wednesday, September 29, 2004



Roman goddess of love found in German canal

Cologne - Construction workers in the western German city of Cologne have discovered a priceless Roman-era Venus statue, the director of the city's Roman-Germanic Museum said on Monday.

The 1 600-year-old find, unearthed at a depth of five metres during digging for a canal shaft, was "extremely rare for the entire Roman period in Germany", said Professor Hansgerd Hellenkemper.

IOL Discovery


Hi-tech bid to find ancient treasures

There is something missing from the ornate church in one of Norfolk's most picture-perfect villages.

Twelve stone apostles and one stone Jesus Christ were stripped from it during Henry VIII's Reformation, so folklore goes, before being thrown into the nearby harbour in a bout of religious fervour.

Now the residents of Cley, in North Norfolk, want them back. But instead of relying on divine inspiration, the very traditional village is turning towards rather hi-tech methods to sniff them out.

EDP 24


Internationaler Verbund der Neandertaler - Forschung

Ein neues EU-Projekt soll erstmalig die internationalen Forschungen über den Neandertaler zusammenführen und im weltweit bisher größten Forschungsverbund zu diesem Thema die Herkunft und Entwicklung des modernen Menschen klären. Durch den Einsatz moderner Medientechnologien wird die größte digitale Sammlung von Neandertalerfunden entstehen.

Archäologie

Tuesday, September 28, 2004



'SPECTACULAR' NEW BRIDGE FINDS REVEAL MORE ABOUT ROMAN NORTH EAST

Excavations at Corbridge in Northumberland have unearthed spectacular discoveries that offer fresh insight into what is thought to have been the largest stone bridge in Roman Britain.

Steadily being eroded by the River Tyne, the remains of the bridge were in urgent need of preservation when Tyne and Wear Museums, backed by English Heritage and a £303,500 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, began work earlier this year.

Over the summer, archaeologists, joined by volunteers from the local area and all over the country, unearthed the full length of the bridge’s retaining wall and some of its elaborate decoration.

Experts now believe they have enough information about the bridge to piece together a picture of what an awesome sight it once was.

24 Hour Museum News


Ancient Artefacts Found in Rock Formations

Archaeologists have discovered ancient remains and buildings in some of the most inaccessible areas in the country, it emerged today. Members of the Severe Terrain Archaeological Campaign (Stac) have been using climbing equipment to explore sea stacks in Lewis and Shetland reports The Scotsman.

Since forming in 2003, the Stac team has visited nine stacks and found buildings from the Iron Age and Bronze age, as well as pottery dating back to the Neolithic period.

The archaeologists are now planning to return to some of the stacks to excavate them before erosion causes the settlements to be swallowed up by the sea, and lost forever.

Megalithic Portal


Nine Stones and Hellstones dolmen defaced

The Nine Stones stone circle and Hellstones dolmen have recently been defaced with swastikas and six-pointed stars. Portal contributor teufel caught up with the perpetrator.

"He gave his name as Mike Crowley. Said he had a web site but I've not been able to find it. Amiable but quite oblivious to what he was doing, also stated he buries crystals at many sites. [not a good idea either! - Ed]

He says he treats the swastikas as crosses and said he places them sympathetically so as not to harm the stones.

Megalithic Portal


Canal workers find Roman statue

CONSTRUCTION workers in the western German city of Cologne have discovered a priceless Roman-era Venus statue, the director of the city's Roman-Germanic Museum said today.

The 1600-year-old find, unearthed at a depth of five metres during digging for a canal shaft, was "extremely rare for the entire Roman period in Germany", said Professor Hansgerd Hellenkemper.

The figure, which is missing its head and legs, features a nude torso of carrara marble.

The Australian

Monday, September 27, 2004



More Money for Bulgaria's Valley of Kings

Bulgaria's archaeological expedition TEMP 2004 will receive additional BGN 20,000 to continue its work in the so-called "Valley of Kings" near the city of Kazanluk.

Kazanluk's mayor Stefan Damyanov will allot the money for the expedition. The mayor also pledged that he would do his best to preserve and protect the region rich in archaeological findings.

Novinite


FU Berlin gründet Interdisziplinäres Zentrum "Alte Welt"

Der Akademische Senat der Freien Universität Berlin hat beschlossen, ein Interdisziplinäres Zentrum (IZ) zum Thema "Alte Welt" einzurichten. Vertreter der Disziplinen Ägyptologie, Alte Geschichte, Altorientalistik, Klassische Archäologie, Klassische Philologie, Kunstgeschichte, Prähistorische Archäologie, Religionswissenschaft und Vorderasiatische Altertumskunde werden gemeinsam die frühen Phasen der menschlichen Kultur bis in die Zeit um 800 n. Chr. in regionaler und in gesamtweltlicher Perspektive analysieren.

Archäologie

Sunday, September 26, 2004



Noah's Ark Quest Dead in Water -- Was It a Stunt?

In April businessman and Christian activist Daniel McGivern announced with great fanfare a planned summer expedition to Mount Ararat in Turkey. The project, he said, would prove that the fabled Noah's ark was buried there.
Explorers have long searched for the ark on the Turkish mountain. At a news conference in Washington, D.C., McGivern presented satellite images, which he claimed show a human-made object—Noah's ark—nestled in the ice and snow some 15,000 feet (4,570 meters) up the mountain.

"We are not excavating it," McGivern told the audience. "We're going to photograph it and, God willing, you're all going to see it." If successful, he said, the discovery would be "the greatest event since the resurrection of Christ."

National Geographic

Saturday, September 25, 2004



Nunnery site holds huge wealth of secrets

SCOTLAND’s first Cistercian nunnery, founded in a war zone more than 850 years ago, must have been one of the wealthiest religious establishments in the country, its lands alone carrying a modern-day value of up to £1.5 million.

But for all its power and influence, nothing could stop the destruction of St Leonard’s nunnery, which somehow survived for 150 years as battles between the armies of English and Scottish kings raged around its impressive architecture.

An archaeological excavation at the site of the long-abandoned religious house on the outskirts of Berwick-on-Tweed has revealed the importance of St Leonard’s, and has suggested that an ancient community known as Bondington may have existed long before the town became the busiest and most important of all Scottish ports.

The Scotsman


Ancient Priory history revealed

A long lost pillar from Coventry's Benedictine Priory Cathedral - demolished on the orders of King Henry Vlll - has been uncovered after 460 years.

The precise location of the Norman pillar, or pier, had been guessed at by archaeologists working on excavations ahead of the multi-million pound Phoenix Initiative.

But city conservation chief George Demidowicz was resigned to the fact there was no way of ever seeing more of the remains of the great support structures because they lay beneath the foundations of the eighteenth century buildings in Priory Row.

I C Coventry


EXPERTS BRIDGE GAP IN ROMAN DIG

A MAJOR archaeological rescue dig revealing the largest stone bridge in Roman Britain is nearing its end.

Experts working on the summer excavation on the River Tyne, in Corbridge, have uncovered the most completely preserved construction of its type in the country.

The dig, carried out by archaeologists from Tyne and Wear Museums, revealed huge stone blocks, up to a ton in weight, and carved masonry, showing the scale and decoration of the bridge.

Hexham Courant


Bulgarian Archaeologists Unearth 2,400 Year-old Temple

SOFIA (bnn)- Bulgarian archaeologists unearthed a 2,400 year-old temple belonging to the civilisation of the Thracians, which thrived in the Balkans since the Bronze Age till the early Middle Ages, state radio said Saturday.

A team led by famous archaeologist Georgi Kitov discovered the fifth century B.C. temple during excavations at a mound near the central Bulgarian village of Shipka, some 200 kilometres (124 miles) east of Sofia, the report said.

Earlier last week Kitov found a fine crafted bronze head portraying an ancient Thracian ruler in the same area.

Bulgarian News Network


Bronze Age bands uncovered by metal detector fan

A last-minute decision not to discard scraps of wire uncovered with a metal detector has landed Shaun Raynsford with a prize he could only dream of. For the pieces of metal he almost threw away were found to be pre-historic gold jewellery - thousands of years old. The precious items had lain beneath the Berkshire Downs (England) for 3,000 years before Mr Raynsford and 399 other metal detector enthusiasts began scouring the land.

A delighted Mr Raynsford handed over the Bronze Age wrist and arm bands to excited experts at West Berkshire Museum for safekeeping. He said: "This is my greatest find. The most I have found before are Roman brooches and coins. My initial thought was: it's just wire. I was going to pick it up and throw it away. But as soon as I dug the first one out, I knew it was gold." The timing of the significant find came as Mr Raynsford celebrates 13 years of metal detecting.

Stone Pages

Friday, September 24, 2004



Castle dig reveals a medieval mystery

DIGGING up clues to the past has unearthed a medieval mystery in the latest excavation to take place within Bamburgh Castle.

For two weeks the Bamburgh Research Project has been excavating the medieval Chapel of St Peter and has turned up an intriguing find.
Along with the expected Anglo Saxon pottery pieces, the archaeologists also found a diagonal wall which strangely cut the 7th century chapel in two.

Northumberland Today


Brooch is 600 years old

A CHANCE glance in the right direction led to an unusual find for local man Alexzander McBeath.

Mr McBeath was walking along the beach near Ferryden when his attention was drawn to an object lying at the edge of a rockpool. He thought it was a regimental cap badge from World War II and took it to the local museum who sent it on to the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh for further examination. Mr McBeath has now received a letter telling him the object appears to be part of a late mediaeval pewter brooch originating in the Netherlands and dating from around 1350 to 1400.

Stuart Campbell of the Treasure Trove Advisory Panel Secretariat told Mr McBeath that such brooches are reasonably common finds in the mudflats of the Thames and Low Countries but not in Scotland.

Montrose Review


Brooch is 600 years old

A CHANCE glance in the right direction led to an unusual find for local man Alexzander McBeath.

Mr McBeath was walking along the beach near Ferryden when his attention was drawn to an object lying at the edge of a rockpool. He thought it was a regimental cap badge from World War II and took it to the local museum who sent it on to the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh for further examination. Mr McBeath has now received a letter telling him the object appears to be part of a late mediaeval pewter brooch originating in the Netherlands and dating from around 1350 to 1400.

Stuart Campbell of the Treasure Trove Advisory Panel Secretariat told Mr McBeath that such brooches are reasonably common finds in the mudflats of the Thames and Low Countries but not in Scotland.

Montrose Review


Balzan - Preis geht an Archäologen

Colin A. Renfrew, Großbritannien, ist einer von fünf Preisträgern des Balzan-Preises 2004. Der Balzan - Preis wird jährlich an herausragende Wissenschaftler aus jeweils ausgewählten Fachdisziplinen vergeben.

An Colin A. Renfrew bis 2004 Professor für Archäologie an der Universität Cambridge, schätzen seine Kollegen vor allem seinen herausragenden analytischen Verstand. "Renfrew ist einer der ganz wenigen, die dazu aufgefordert haben, dass die prähistorischen Archäologen nicht nur Nabelschau betreiben, sondern er hat durch seine theoretischen Arbeiten angeregt, dass man die archäologischen Hinterlassenschaften des Menschen möglichst breit betrachtet", sagt Prof. Hermann Parzinger, Präsident des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Berlin.

Archäologie


First excavation of ancient fort

The first excavation of a well-known pre-historic monument has shown it to be much older than previously thought.
The archaeological dig at Badbury Rings near Wimborne in Dorset has uncovered evidence that the site was inhabited at least 5,000 years ago.

The excavations, which were prompted by concerns that tree roots on the summit were damaging the site, have found the remains of a Neolithic settlement.


BBC News


Archaeologist discovers Saxon burial site in field

AN ANCIENT burial site of international archaeological importance has been found in a field near Clanfield.

Amateur archaeologist Peter Beasley, from Waterlooville, has made many archaeological finds in the area since he began exploring with a metal detector in 1976. But this, he believes, is by far the most important.

The discovery began when he found a shield boss which was approximately 1,400 years old. He was convinced there was more to find in the vicinity and went on to find spears, the skeleton of a young woman from the 5th or 6th century and, nearby, a warrior from about the same Saxon or Jute period.

The skeletons have been reburied, but the spears and shield boss are on show in Winchester Museum.

Petersfield Herald

Thursday, September 23, 2004



Scientist makes the case for Aegean underwater museum

Robert Ballard, the scientist who investigated the wreck of the Titanic, has called for a long-term research program to follow the Aegean’s ancient trade routes and hopes the underwater exploration can be broadcast live.

Kathimerini


Archaeolink to stage Bronze Age funeral experiment

A Top north-east Scotland visitor attraction will recreate a Bronze Age funeral this weekend, cremating the body of a pig in a bizarre but significant Scottish Archaeology Month experiment. Saturday will see staff at the Archaeolink prehistory park at Oyne teaming up with colleagues from the National Museums of Scotland to stage an inferno investigation. The 11am-5pm event will see the experts create an ancient cremation pyre, then set it ablaze to find the effect of heat on objects from clothing and jewellery to offerings.

This is North Scotland


Neolithic site found near Stamford

Thousands of years of history were uncovered when excavations started in a village near Stamford last week. Archaeologists spent three days carving trenches out of the landscape to uncover artefacts which dated the site at Northborough to 6,000 years ago. The experts think the site is one of only seven of the same type of Neolithic site in the country.

Megalithic Portal

Wednesday, September 22, 2004



RINGS WERE SECRET MARK OF WAR GOD

A ring worn by worshippers faithful to an ancient Celtic god during the Roman occupation of Lincolnshire has been found.

The second century finger ring is just the latest of around 20 silver rings found over the past year with the letters TOT inscribed in them.

It is thought that the letters represent the Celtic war god Toutatis and might have been worn to show membership of a tribal cult dedicated to him.

This is Lincolnshire


Dig site reveals glimpse of past

AN archaeological dig on Teesside has unearthed materials that reveal details of the lives of the people who used to live and work there.

Volunteers and experts from Tees Archaeology are working on the settlement at Foxrush Farm, in Dormanstown, Redcar.

This year, archaeologists hope to uncover exactly what industry used to take place at the site.

This is East Cleveland


EXPERTS RAISE CONCERNS OVER CLIMBING ON PREHISTORIC ROCK CARVINGS

Experts have voiced their concerns about the future of prehistoric rock carvings on a boulder being used by climbers in the north of England.

Copt Howe, a large rock near the village of Chapel Stile in the Lake District, boasts a series of cup and ring markings believed to have been created between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago.

The site is used by climbers for bouldering, a hard-going, gymnastically-challenging form of climbing without the use of ropes on boulders and short out-crops.


24 Hour Museum News


EXPERTS RAISE CONCERNS OVER CLIMBING ON PREHISTORIC ROCK CARVINGS

Experts have voiced their concerns about the future of prehistoric rock carvings on a boulder being used by climbers in the north of England.

Copt Howe, a large rock near the village of Chapel Stile in the Lake District, boasts a series of cup and ring markings believed to have been created between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago.

The site is used by climbers for bouldering, a hard-going, gymnastically-challenging form of climbing without the use of ropes on boulders and short out-crops.

24 Hour Museum News


Bronze Zeus Surprises Bulgaria

Bulgarian archaeologists unearthed on Tuesday a new treasure - a bronze head believed to be that of Zeus.

BTA news agency sited archaeologist Georgi Kitov, head of the TEMP 2004 expedition, as saying that the bronze head was disclosed Tuesday evening.

Novinite


Seminar on Xaghra Stone Circle

Heritage Malta, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gozo is organising a half day seminar on the Xaghra Stone Circle. This will be held at the Ministry of Gozo on Saturday at 10am.

Independent

Tuesday, September 21, 2004



5,700-year-old house found at bypass site

THE archaeological ghost of a house a thousand years older than the earliest Egyptian pyramid have been discovered in Co Cork.

Evidence of the dwelling, which has been carbon-dated as being built in 3700BC, was unearthed during work on the €170 million Ballincollig bypass.

Archaeologists revealed that 33 other sites of historic importance were identified during work on the road. These include the discovery of an early Bronze Age enclosed settlement, dating back to 2450BC, which was unearthed in Curraheen.

Irish Examiner


ARCHAEOLOGIST DIGS IN FOR TALK

Lincoln: A top professor will address an audience on the problems of communicating archaeology to the public.

Tim Schadla-Hall, who was in charge of Leicestershire Museums, was also the chairman of the Trust for Lincolnshire Archaeology, now known as Heritage Lincolnshire.

He now teaches archaeology at University College Lincoln.

The talk, entitled Druids Are Us: the Problems of Public Archaeology, is organised by the Friends of Lincoln Archaeological Research and Excavation (Flare).

The free lecture will be held on Wednesday at 7.30pm at St Hugh's Church Hall, Monks Road, Lincoln.

This is Loncolnshire

N.B. Tim is also giving this talk on Wednesday, 3 November to the Orpington & District Archaeological Society.

Further details in The Archaeological Events Diary


EXPERTS THRILLED BY ROMAN DISCOVERIES

Roman remains and a gravestone of "national importance" have been discovered during an archaeological dig in the middle of Gloucester.

The discoveries - which included the skeletons of five Romans, the cremated remains of three other people, plus Roman and medieval pottery - were made underneath the former Esso petrol station on London Road. The recent excavation also turned up what could prove be a highly unusual find - a gravestone for a 14-year-old slave boy called Martialis.

This is Gloucestershire


More time sought as campaign intensifies to save archaeological site

THE report on the archaeological site at Woodstown, on the route of the city by-pass will not be taken for several months yet it has been stated by the Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen.

“I have not received any reports of any hue and there will not be any reports for some time,” he said last week .

Describing recent public comment as “unhelpful” Minister Cullen said that in the past three weeks he had approved the bringing on board three more experts to examine the site.

Waterford News & Star


Windmill dig unearths history

Amateur archaeologists have been invited to an excavation site to find out about the history of a windmill in south London.

The dig at the Brixton Windmill will take place after the site is prepared with the help of the Museum of London Archaeology Service.

BBC News


New Web Address For LacusCurtius: Into the Roman World

The site LacusCurtius can now be found on: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/home.html

Monday, September 20, 2004

Hannibal ad portas - Macht und Reichtum Karthagos

Vom 25. September 2004 bis zum 30. Januar 2005 zeigt das Badische Landesmuseum in Karlsruhe eine Ausstellung über die legendäre antike Metropole Karthago.

Etwa 450 einzigartige Exponate aus Tunesien, Spanien, Italien, England und Frankreich, die zum Großteil erstmals in Deutschland zu sehen sind, lassen nicht nur die unheilvolle Geschichte der Punischen Kriege, sondern auch die kulturelle Hochblüte einer der bedeutendsten Städte der Antike lebendig werden.

Archäologie


Roman settlement dig site is opened to eager public

THE previously undiscovered remains of a North-East Roman settlement were packed with visitors yesterday. The significance of the site at Faverdale, in Darlington, was discovered as a result of standard archaeological investigations for the development of a new Argos warehouse. Robin Taylor-Wilson, of Pre-Construct Archaeology, who has been working on the site since July, said the eight-hectare area was packed with visitors yesterday eager to see the historic remains. This is the North East
SUCCESSFUL NIGG BAY EXCAVATION UNEARTHS IMPORTANT PIECES

The dig at the ruined Church of St Fittick at Nigg Bay, Aberdeen, which came to an end on Saturday, has been deemed a great success.

The excavation by Aberdeen City Council's archaeological unit ended with an open day attended by more than 200 members of the public.

This is North Scotland
Neolithic site found near Stamford

Thousands of years of history were uncovered when excavations started in a village near Stamford (England) last week. Archaeologists spent three days carving trenches out of the landscape to uncover artefacts which dated the site at Northborough to 6,000 years ago. The experts think the site is one of only seven of the same type of Neolithic site in the country.

Time Team researcher Karen Kirk explained they thought the site may have been a meeting place or have a ritual significance. Either way there have been some exciting finds, including a leaf shaped arrow head and a piece of flint. The team also uncovered pottery from 3,500 BC and animal bone with marks on it consistent with them being hit.

Stone Pages




SUCCESSFUL NIGG BAY EXCAVATION UNEARTHS IMPORTANT PIECES

The dig at the ruined Church of St Fittick at Nigg Bay, Aberdeen, which came to an end on Saturday, has been deemed a great success.

The excavation by Aberdeen City Council's archaeological unit ended with an open day attended by more than 200 members of the public.

This is North Scotland


Roman settlement dig site is opened to eager public

THE previously undiscovered remains of a North-East Roman settlement were packed with visitors yesterday.

The significance of the site at Faverdale, in Darlington, was discovered as a result of standard archaeological investigations for the development of a new Argos warehouse.

Robin Taylor-Wilson, of Pre-Construct Archaeology, who has been working on the site since July, said the eight-hectare area was packed with visitors yesterday eager to see the historic remains.

This is the Nerth East

Saturday, September 18, 2004



Archaeological Events Diary

I am in the process of updating the Archaeological Events Diary with
features archaeological lectures, excavations, filed trips and conferences
in the UK.

If anyone has any events that they would like me to add to the Diary, please
email details to events@archaeology.eu.com.

You can find the Archaeological Events Diary at http://www.archaeology.eu.com/events/


HOW ROMANS' FAMOUS ROAD CUT THROUGH BATH

Bath's position as a flourishing town in Roman times has been reinforced, thanks to discoveries made during an ambitious excavation project. A two-year dig near the Royal Crescent has unearthed Roman burial sites and buildings, and allowed archaeologists to piece together how the most important road in early Roman Britain cut through the city.

The excavation by the Bath Archaeological Trust also revealed the Georgian and Victorian history behind three former coach houses in Crescent Lane.

This is Bath


Unmasking Truth behind the Gold Face

A unique archeological finding of a solid gold mask a couple of months ago stirred the world and rocketed Bulgarian pride of its history to unknown heights.

The face with closed eyes and robust expression found in the outskirts of Shipka Peak, near the town of Kazanlak, is believed to belong to one of mightiest Thracian kings - Seutus III, whose ruling dates around III century BC. According to its discoverer and head of the archeological expedition TEMP 2004 Georgi Kitov, the image outruns all its analogs found so far, as it is made of pure, solid gold weighing more than half a kilogram.

Sofia News Agency


denkmal 2004 - Europäische Messe für Restaurierung, Denkmalpflege und Stadterneuerung

Vom 27. bis 30. Oktober 2004 wird Leipzig wieder zum internationalen Treffpunkt in Sachen Restaurierung, Denkmalpflege und Stadterneuerung.

Zum sechsten Mal lädt die Europäische Messe "denkmal" Restauratoren, Handwerker, Denkmalpfleger, Planer, Wissenschaftler und Bauherren zur Information und zum Diskurs über die Bewahrung von Baudenkmälern sowie von Kunst- und Kulturgütern in aller Welt ein.

Archäologie


Roman Wall found in garden

Lost stretches of the Roman Wall have been discovered hidden under a grandmother's suburban garden.

For more than a century the wall, a World Heritage Site, lay undiscovered as building work went on around and above it.

But during a recent development the find was made near the Fossway in Byker, Newcastle.

IC Newcastle


'Extinct' horses back in the wild

Three rare horses classified as extinct in the wild have been set free to help protect an Iron Age settlement.
The Przewalski horses will roam around a 12-acre paddock in Clocaenog Forest near Ruthin in Denbighshire.

The horses once roamed Britain 4,000 years ago and visitors to the forest will now be able to see them in the 21st Century

BBC News

Friday, September 17, 2004




Large Roman coin cache found in Surrey

One of the biggest finds of Roman coins ever discovered in Surrey has been
unearthed on a farm at Leigh.

Almost 60 silver denarii dating back to 30BC were located after Martin
Adams, a metal detecting enthusiast, received a signal on his machine.

IC Surrey On-Line


Ancient mosaic uncovered in park

AN ARCHAEOLOGIST has unearthed a colourful 3rd Century mosaic in Verulamium Park, St Albans, during building works on the ancient hypocaust and mosaic
site.

The field archaeology unit at St Albans Museums was digging a trench for a
new electricity cable when Jack Couch made the new find of a chequered
mosaic.

Probably not seen for nearly 2,000 years, the mosaic is made up of red or
brown tessera in a grid of grey Purbeck marble. It may be from the corridor
of a town house built close to the hypocaust.

This is Hertfordshire



Thursday, September 16, 2004



Archaeological Events Diary

I am in the process of updating the Archaeological Events Diary with
features archaeological lectures, excavations, filed trips and conferences
in the UK.

If anyone has any events that they would like me to add to the Diary, please
email details to events@archaeology.eu.com.

You can find the Archaeological Events Diary at http://www.archaeology.eu.com/events/



Stonehenge centre plans unveiled

Plans for a £67.5m visitors' centre, which will help rejuvenate facilities
at Stonehenge, have been unveiled. The proposals, submitted by English
Heritage, are for a single-storey building two miles from the stones.

Around 750,000 people visit Stonehenge each year, but the site's facilities
have been slammed by critics who have called them "a national disgrace".

Sir Neil Cossons, chairman of English Heritage, said: "Until now, we have
let our ancestors down."

Megalithic Portal



CORINIUM MUSEUM WELCOMES ITS FIRST VISITORS AFTER £5M
RE-VAMP


The first people to visit the Corinium Museum in Cirencester for two years
walked through its doors on September 15 to see the result of a massive £5
million transformation.
"It's just wonderful to be down here today," Collections Management Officer
Judy Mills told the 24 Hour Museum.
"This is the real test of seeing people come in," she added, "it's been
great to see that everybody is enjoying it."
24 Hour Museum News


Wednesday, September 15, 2004



Archaeologists find earlier evidence of life in glen

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered evidence “potentially of national significance” in a remote Perthshire glen, showing people living there 1200 years ago.

Carbon dating of material from Bunrannoch, in the shadow of Perthshire mountain Schiehallion, has revealed activity there during the Dark Ages in structures previously thought to be medieval.

The Courier


What Makes Humans Do the Crane Dance?

Eighty-five hundred years after someone in ancient Anatolia drilled holes in the wings of a crane -- evidently to make a bird costume for a ritual dance -- then hid one wing in a narrow space between mudbrick houses at Çatalhöyük in what today is Turkey, scientists are asking a two-part question: Why stash the wing, along with a pile of other unusual items, in a place where only modern-day archaeologists would be likely to find it? And why do people around the world dance like cranes?

Newswise


Saarbrücker Forum für Altertumskunde gegründet

Zu den Bodenschätzen des Saarlandes gehören zahlreiche Zeugnisse der römischen und gallo-römischen Geschichte, wie sie in großangelegten Grabungsprojekten zunehmend zu Tage gefördert werden - etwa in Reinheim, Borg oder im Wareswald am Fuße des Schaumbergs.

Archäologie


Bronze Age sauna may sink plans for tourism

The remains of a sauna used by Bronze Age Brummies is set to scupper a multi-million pound marina project for the city. The "hot tub" threat emerged as planners investigated possible sites for the big money tourist scheme.

Megalithic Portal


Tarmac Condemned by Heritage Experts

The archaeologist who knows most about what is now recognised as a unique sacred prehistoric landscape around the Thornborough Henges near Ripon has castigated Tarmac Northern for seeking to extend its open-cast quarrying on to Ladybridge Farm. Dr J.Harding of Newcastle University has carried out research-driven fieldwork in the area for nearly 10 years and condemns the mining company for submitting factually misleading statements and failing to recognise the importance of Ladybridge.

Megalithic Portal


Roman Basilica Target of New Dig in Tiberias

The next scheduled excavation session at the ancient site of Tiberias will be devoted to the exposure of the Roman basilica and auxiliary buildings in use between the 2nd and 10th centuries CE. In contrast to the basilical plans of the church on top of Mount Berenice and the synagogue of Hammat Tiberias, this basilica was not used for sacral purposes. The excavation is planned between October 31-November 25, 2004.

Roman Archaeology

Tuesday, September 14, 2004



Oxford Experience 2005

Details of the Oxford Experience summer school programme for 2005 are now available on the internet.

This unique summer school, which is held at Christ Church, Oxford, features a number of interesting archaeological courses.

Further details can be found here.


Grimes Grave set for virtual reality

Visitors to a Neolithic site near Thetford will soon be able to go on the world's first virtual tour of a prehistoric mine.

The Grimes Graves site on heathland in Thetford Forest contains hundreds of flint mines dug more than 5000 years ago. Now one of the most important mines has been mapped by laser to allow visitors to "fly" in virtual reality over the surface and along the shafts and galleries.

Pete Topping, head of archaeological investigation for English Heritage, said: "You will be able to fly over the lumps and bumps on the surface and then go underground."

EDP 24


Unearthing a Viking Graveyard

A small graveyard in northern England reveals the remains of six people whose jewelry and clothing identify them as Vikings. The find could shake up some assumptions about the Vikings' role in early Britain. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and British archaeologist Faye Simpson.

NPR


Forscher wollen Regensburgs Mittelalter lebendig machen

Zahlreiche Wissenschaftler der Regensburger Universität wollen mit einem interdisziplinären Forschungsvorhaben die mittelalterliche Vergangenheit der ehemaligen Reichsstadt Regensburg wieder lebendig werden lassen. Durch die Initiative soll die Vergangenheit der Donaustadt besonders in der Öffentlichkeit verankert werden und lebendig dargestellt werden.

Als erstes großes Projekt organisiert der seit knapp zwei Jahren bestehende Arbeitskreis "Forum Mittelalter" vom 30. September bis 2. Oktober eine internationale Tagung zum Thema "Das mittelalterliche Regensburg im Zentrum Europas".

Archäologie


Sunken forest found after 6500 years

IT has all the ingredients of an Indiana Jones adventure: an academic, an old map, and a search for hidden treasure older than the pyramids of Egypt.

This treasure, however, is a forest in Orkney, which was buried beneath rising sea levels 6500 years ago.

The Herald

Monday, September 13, 2004



Ancient graves uncovered at pit

Quarry workers have unearthed a 1,500 year-old Christian burial ground.
The 20 stone-lined graves were found in a sand and gravel pit at Auchterforfar, near Forfar in Angus.

Archaeologists working for Historic Scotland excavated the scene and have now removed a number of bone remains for examination.

BBC News



Dive recovers Cromwell's sailor


A sailor from a sunken ship belonging to Oliver Cromwell's navy had the upper body of a trapeze artist but bowed legs, his recovered skeleton shows.

The able seaman, who was in his early 20s, stood 157cm (5ft 2in) tall and suffered from rickets as a child.

About 80% of the man's skeleton was recovered from the wreck of the Swan, a warship that sank off the Isle of Mull in Scotland on 13 September 1653.

The results were presented at the BA Festival of Science in Exeter.

BBC News


The Masked King

A TEAM of Bulgarian archaeologists, led by Professor Georgi Kitov, discovered a 2400-year old golden mask in the tomb of an ancient Thracian king on August 19. The mask bears the image of a human face and is made of 500 grams of solid gold, Kitov said. The discovery was made near the town of Shipka, in the heart of the Stara Planina Mountain. Dozens of Thracian mounds are spread throughout this region, which archeologists have called "the Bulgarian valley of the kings", a reference to the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, which is home to the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs.

Greece News


1500-year-old Christian burial ground uncovered at quarry

QUARRY workers have discovered an ancient graveyard which is giving archaeologists an insight into the lifestyle, nutrition and health of early Christians in Scotland.
Machine operators unearthed 19 graves in a previously unknown 1500-year-old cemetery at the quarry.

Experts are analysing 17 skeletal remains found at the site to glean more information about the dawn of Christianity in Scotland and its impact on the native Picts.

The Herald


Crannogs - revealing a lost chapter of Orkney's history

When is an island not an island? The answer? When it is a crannog.

Crannogs are small, artificial islands found in many of Scotland's lochs and inland waters. They are a class of monument not usually associated with Orkney.

But is this because there is a lack of them? Or simply because they have gone unnoticed or been ignored for centuries?

From the shore, most crannogs look like rocky mounds or low grassy islets, accessible to only the most dedicated explorer. This inaccessibility may be part of the reason Orkney's crannogs have remained firmly in the shadow of the county's grander monuments.

Orkneyjar


Plans for Iron Age tourist camp

An archaeologist plans to offer tourists the chance to experience life as an Iron Age villager.
Jasper Blake aims to transform farmland in the Forest of Dean into a working Iron Age settlement.

Paying visitors will be able to live at the village for a week, wearing authentic costumes, foraging for food or learning to weave.

BBC News

Saturday, September 11, 2004



Famous ‘Celtic’ nations may be misnamed

Genetic studies hint at unexpected origins of clans


DUBLIN, Ireland - Celtic nations like Ireland and Scotland have more in common with the Portuguese and Spanish than with “Celts” — the name commonly used for a group of people from ancient Alpine Europe, scientists say.



MSNBC News


Ancient bones may be Iron Age

A TEAM of archaeologists working in East Yorkshire has made more exciting discoveries.

The Evening Press reported last month how diggers excavating the site near Pocklington unearthed fragments of a human skeleton which almost certainly dated back to Roman times.

Now work has been extended after human remains were found that could date back centuries earlier, to the Iron Age, possibly around the year 300BC.

Archaeologists are almost certain a Roman-era skeleton and Roman pottery have also been recovered, in a dig which excited experts are already hailing as "significant".


This is York


Roman ships update from Naples

The first step of their restoration, an estimated five years, took place today, with the removal of the first ship from the sand and slime that protected them for centuries. Two of the three ships from the Imperial Age were taken away for a large crane from the subway station being built in Piazza Municipio in Naples. The delicate operation, done with companies which won the bid for the job and the Naples and Caserta Archaeological Superintendent, started today with the removal of the first hull, 12 meters long and weighing 21 tons in its fibreglass conservation shell, and its transport to a specially made warehouse in Piscinola, a northern suburb of the city.

Cronaca


Viking burial ground dispels myth of longship marauders

A Viking burial ground, which has held bodies undisturbed for 1,000 years with all the trappings of the Sagas including swords, jewellery and firemaking materials, has been uncovered in Cumbria, after a chance find by a metal detector.
The site - thought to contain the first formal burial of bodies discovered in England - is believed to date from the 10th century, when the Vikings had been Christianised, but were evidently still hedging their bets.

Guardian


DNA shows Scots and Irish should look to Spain for their ancestry

THE Irish and Scots may be as closely related to the people of Spain and Portugal as the Celts of central Europe.

Historians have long believed the British Isles were invaded by Iron Age Celts from central Europe in about 500 BC. But geneticists at Dublin’s Trinity College now claim the Scots and Irish have as much, if not more, in common with the people of north-western Spain.

The Scotsman

Friday, September 10, 2004



The Norse Burial Ground in Cumwhitton, Cumbria

A number of exceptionally rare Viking burials, probably dating from the early 10th century, have recently been discovered on farmland at Cumwhitton, Cumbria. Excavations carried out by Oxford Archaeology North found six richly furnished graves, containing swords, spears, jewellery and the remains of spurs and a possible horse harness. Other than a small fragment of skull no human bone had survived in the acid soil conditions, but the objects found in the graves suggest that four men and two women had been buried here.

Oxford Archaeology


ROMAN START TO HERITAGE EVENT

Archaeologists working on the new three-year dig at the site will tomorrow show members of The Explorers’ Club the tricks of the trade.

The youngsters, aged eight-16, will be taught basic excavation techniques and finds processing between 10am and 11.30am and then from 1.30pm-3pm.
Chester History and Heritage and Chester Civic Trust have brought together 36 buildings and events across the district for this year’s nationwide Heritage Open Days weekend.

The buildings involved will open their doors to the public free of charge from September 10-13.

l Yearly Explorers Club membership includes a quarterly newsletter, a members-only event every month, free family events throughout the year and information about other local events. More details from Jane at Chester Archaeology on 01244 402009.

Chester Now


Abbey aims to open doors to the public

COMBERMERE Abbey is opening its doors and parkland to the public for several events this weekend

The Abbey will open for tours as part of the Heritage Open Days festival, a nationwide celebration of England's historic architecture and culture, today (Friday), for tours at 2pm and 4pm; and on Monday for tours at 10am and noon.

Admission is free but pre-booking is essential on 01948 662880 as each tour will cater for a maximum of 25 people

I C Cheshire On-line


Public support sought to save Viking site

THE city’s long awaited bypass should not be constructed at the expense of the internationally significant archaeological site recently discovered at Woodstown on the outskirts of the city.

That’s the claim of the Socialist Workers Party who are hosting a public meeting in the Granville Hotel, on September 16 at which a campaign will be launched to save the Viking Site. Speakers at the meeting which gets underway at 8 p.m. includethe well known local historian and writer, Jack O’Neill, and a Dublin based archaeologist, Paula Geragthy. The Woodstown Viking Site, discovered during preparations for the Waterford bypass has been described as the most significant new find in Viking studies in perhaps a century, by Professor Donnchadh O’Corrain, medieval historian at UCC, and “Ireland’s equivalent of Pompeii” by archaeologist John Maas.

Waterford News


Lincolnshire Archaeology Day, 9 October 2004

The conference takes place on Saturday 9 October from 9.45am till 5pm, at the Riseholme campus of the University of Lincoln (c2 miles north of the city, off the A15). This year's theme wil be Lincs Archaeology 70 years after C W Phillips' famous survey 'The Present State of Archaeology in Lincolnshire'.

Megalithic Portal


Death, burial and metalworking at Westray's Knowe o' Skea

The summer of 2000 saw excavations begin on what were soon to become two of Orkney's most enigmatic archaeological sites. While Minehowe in Tankerness attracted most of the attention, out in Westray, work on the Knowe o' Skea on Berstness began almost unnoticed.

Megalithic Portal


30,000 tourists visit Malta for its archaeology

The Malta Tourism Authority recently compiled a report about the temple complex of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples. The report presents the results of a year-long survey which was carried out among over 850 tourists visiting the temples, with the aim of gathering information on the current visitor experience at the temple sites.

Independent On-Line


MARMO AFRICANO PER IL PERISTILIO DELLA VILLA DI AUGUSTO

Il rinvenimento è stato fatto da una equipe archeologica giapponese a Somma Vesuviana durante lo scavo della villa dove si pensa sia morto l’imperatore Augusto. Le indagini hanno riportato alla luce anche una testa di Dioniso e il timpano di una Basilica.

Cultural Web

Thursday, September 09, 2004



METAL DETECTORIST'S FIND LEADS TO "HAUNTING" VIKING BURIAL GROUND

A chance find by a metal detectorist has led to the discovery of an extremely rare Viking burial site, containing the graves of four men and two women.

The site, near Cumwhitton in Cumbria, is believed to date from the early 10th century and was unearthed in March this year after local metal detectorist Peter Adams found two copper brooches.

Peter reported his discovery to the local Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer, Faye Simpson, and, as he put it: "Finding the brooches was just the beginning."

Experts from Oxford Archaeology North were brought in and with the help of English Heritage began further excavations.

24 Hour Museum News


'Amazing' Viking cemetery found

Archaeologists have made what is believed to be the first discovery of a Viking burial site in England.
The burial ground is described as being among the most significant discoveries made in the UK in the past 100 years.

The location, containing the bodies of four men and two women, was found outside the village of Cumwhitton, near Carlisle by local metal enthusiast Peter Adams.

The site is believed to date back to the 10th Century.

BBC News


Medieval graveyard uncovered in Oslo's Old City

On the weekend the Medieval Park in Oslo's Gamlebyen (Old City) district played host to 30,000 concert-goers dancing the days away at the annual Øya festival. On Tuesday archaeologists dug up 44 skeletons nearby - from a depth of just 40 centimeters (15.7 inches). . .
Archeologists have long believed that the skeletons in this area belonged to a Dominican monastery located here from 1240 until the Reformation in 1537. The discovery of skeletons from women and young children mingled with the monk's remains came as a surprise. . .

Archeologists believe that the old graveyard at Olavskirken may conceal 500 skeletons

Cronaca


Experts Hail Viking Burial Site Find

Archaeologists have excavated an “extremely important” Viking burial ground in Cumbria, it was announced today.

The burial site of six Viking men and women, complete with swords, spears, jewellery, fire-making materials and riding equipment, was discovered near Cumwhitton.

It is believed to date back to the early 10th Century and was discovered at the end of March when amateur archaeologist Peter Adams found two copper brooches with a metal detector.

The Scotsman


Viking grave discovery 'the find of a lifetime'

British archaeologists said they had excavated an "extremely important" burial site of six Viking men and women, complete with swords, spears, jewellery, fire-making materials and riding gear.

The site in Cumbria, northern England, is believed to date back to the 10th century and was discovered at the end of March when an amateur archaeologist found two copper brooches with a metal detector.

ABC News On-line


Experts Hail Viking Burial Site Find

Archaeologists have excavated an “extremely important” Viking burial ground in Cumbria, it was announced today.

The burial site of six Viking men and women, complete with swords, spears, jewellery, fire-making materials and riding equipment, was discovered near Cumwhitton.

It is believed to date back to the early 10th Century and was discovered at the end of March when amateur archaeologist Peter Adams found two copper brooches with a metal detector.

The Scotsman


4000 year old longhouse found in Norway

Archaeology students working on a summer dig at Alta, Finnmark county in the far north of Norway have uncovered the foundations of an ancient longhouse.

Believed to be 4000 years old, the longhouse was more than 10 metres long and would have housed 10-12 people. Evidence was found for two fireplaces in the middle of the longhouse.

Other artefacts associated with the longhouse included flint knives, axes and daggers, and also two possible grave sites.

Stone Pages


Neolithic homes unearthed in Northern Ireland

A cemetery of eight early Bronze Age ring ditch barrow cremation burials, dating to 1800 BC, have been excavated and recorded, following three months of work by 12 archaeologists, is one of a number of prehistoric settlements that have been discovered in County Down (Northern Ireland). Neolithic homes, which date to 4000 BCE, were also uncovered by archaeologists along the A1 road near Newry. Evidence from the excavation is being preserved before work begins on upgrading the road at Loughbrickland.

Stone Pages