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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Archaeology news updates
    Posted: 01-Jul-2012 at 06:28

CSIC recovers part of the genome of 2 hunter-gatherer individuals from 7,000 years ago

A team of scientists, led by researcher Carles Lalueza-Fox from CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), has recovered - for the first time in history - part of the genome of two individuals living in the Mesolithic Period, 7000 years ago. Remains have been found at La Braña-Arintero site, located at Valdelugueros (León), Spain. The study results, published in the Current Biology magazine, indicate that current Iberian populations don't come from these groups genetically.

The Mesolithic Period, framed between the Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods, is characterized by the advent of agriculture, coming from the Middle East. Therefore, the genome found is the oldest from Prehistory, and exceeds Ötzi, the Iceman, in 1700 years.

Researchers have also recovered the complete mitochondrial DNA of one of these individuals, through which they could determine that European populations from Mesolithic Period were very uniform genetically. Carles Lauleza-Fox, from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), states: "These hunters-gatherers shared nomadic habits and had a common origin. Despite their geographical distance, individuals from the regions corresponding to the current England, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Spain, shared the same mitochondrial lineage".

The DNA data, which represent the 1.34% and the 0.5% of both individuals total genome, show that they are not directly connected to current populations of the Iberian Peninsula. Iberians from the Mesolithic Period were closer to current populations of northern Europe, who could have assimilated part of the genetic legacy of these hunters-gatherers.........

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/snrc-crp062512.php

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Jul-2012 at 06:32
Bulgaria archaeologists discover underwater settlement during excavations at Akin Cape

Archaeologists with the team of Associate Professor Dr Ivan Hristov, Deputy Director of the National Museum of History, discovered an underwater residential quarter during the excavations at Cape Akin close to the coastal town of Chernomorets. Bozhidar Dimitrov, Director of the National Museum of History, announced the news exclusively for FOCUS News Agency.“During the excavations under the Via Pontica government programme at Cape Akin, one of the three capes of the town of Chernomorets, apart from the massive fortified wall with two battle towers at the peninsula itself, archaeologist Dr Ivan Hristov also discovered a continuation of the fortified wall into the sea. The continuation of the wall surrounds a big shoal Southwest of the cape. The fortified wall is preserved to some big height and the team has seen the outlines of a big battle tower of five meters height and three and a half meters width,” Bozhidar Dimitrov explained.
In his words, the archaeologists have already ascertained that this is the early Byzantine fortress Krimna, which was situated there. Due to some circumstances, since the beginning of the WWI until a couple of years ago the fortress was within the area of a military unit and it was impossible for the archaeologists to study it. 
“The part of the fortress on dry land covers nearly 40 decares. The fortified wall is bigger even than the one in Sozopol – of around 2.6 metres width. The coins found by the archaeologists prove that the wall was built by Anastasius I in around 513, then reinforced by Justinian I over the next decades and probably the settlement was destroyed during the big Avarian invasion in 583-586,” Dimitrov said further. 
According to Bozhidar Dimitrov, the discovery of an underwater residential quarter is not a surprise.
“The discovery of this underwater quarter in one of the coastal towns is so far the sole quarter discovered along the Black Sea coast and it may turn into a wonderful site for cultural and historical tourism under the Via Pontica programme,” Dimitrov remarked.
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n281878
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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Jul-2012 at 06:36

Mystical marks in virgin forest explained

Patches of bark have been removed from older pines in the Øvre Dividalen National Park, but not in ways that would prevent the trees from continuing to grow. 

The mysterious scars on ancient pine trees in northern Norway have been explained. The pines were once used as a food supplement.


During a recent mapping of the rare virgin forest in and around the Øvre Dividalen National Park in Troms, Norway, scientists noticed some scars reappearing on the trees. Many trees had some of their bark cut away on one side, leaving marks that were hard to explain.

Arve Elvebakk of the University of Tromsø (UiT) headed the study. He worked together with Andreas Kirchhefer, an expert in dating old trees by tree-ring analysis. He had already used ancient pines to chart weather and climate conditions.

Could the cuts in the bark have been left by settlers who started farms in the Dividalen valley in 1850? These dalesmen logged the pine forest, but the scars appeared to be from long before this.

Some suggested the cuts in bark could have been made by indigenous Sami herders as markers of reindeer migration routes and indicators of territorial grazing rights – or simply as signs marking footpaths.

A third proposal was that the cuts were made by Finnish immigrants who used the trees for bark bread. In hard times with failed crops and famine at home they could cross over to Norway in search of food and game.

“How wrong we were,” says Elvebakk.

The mystery was solved when the scars in the bark were dated back to the 17th and 18th centuries. This was over a century before the dalesmen arrived. There were also too many of the scars for the footpaths or reindeer routes theory to be plausible.

“It turned out that this came from the ancient Sami practice of harvesting pine bark for food," explains Elvebakk. "In a laborious process the bark was converted into flour that could be used in cooking.” 

This was a tradition that had been lost in Norway. But in Sweden research on the theme has been conducted for the last couple of decades, and the solution to the Norwegian bark mystery was given by studies in the neighbouring country..........

http://sciencenordic.com/mystical-marks-virgin-forest-explained

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  Quote Centrix Vigilis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Jul-2012 at 23:47
''Danish archaeologists believe they have found the remains of the fabled Viking town Sliasthorp by the Schlei bay in northern Germany, near the Danish border.....''
http://sciencenordic.com/legendary-viking-town-unearthed
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"

S. T. Friedman


Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-Jul-2012 at 05:53

Mosaic of Samson found in village’s ancient synagogue


Biblical Samson ties burning torches to the tails of foxes, as related in the Book of Judges, and two human faces flank a medallion with a Hebrew inscription that refers to rewards for those who perform good deeds.

These images are depicted in a newly discovered 1,600-year-old synagogue mosaic. The work was uncovered by archaeologists excavating the Jewish village of Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee.

“This discovery is significant,” said Jodi Magness, an archaeolog from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Only a small number of ancient Roman synagogue buildings are decorated with mosaics showing biblical scenes, and only two others have scenes with Samson.”

One is at another site just a couple of miles from Huqoq.” Magness said the discovery suggests a high level of prosperity in the village, which is several miles inland from the Sea of Galilee and is known for cultivation of the mustard plant.

“It was a surprise that the village was that affluent,” Magness said in a phone interview from the site. “I never would have thought that the mustard plant would be that lucrative.” Archaeologists plan several more seasons of excavations at the site and may have more information at the end of the dig, she added. The next excavation is planned for the summer of 2013, an emailed statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

According to the Bible, Samson caught 300 wild foxes, tied burning torches to their tails and made them run through the corn fields of the Philistines.

http://triblive.com/news/2141175-74/samson-village-magness-site-synagogue-archaeologists-biblical-burning-discovery-foxes



Edited by TheAlaniDragonRising - 04-Jul-2012 at 05:53
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  Quote Centrix Vigilis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05-Jul-2012 at 12:38
Religious fanatic idiots. But it is in keeping with the madness of the fundo.


See the link. http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2012/07/02/mali-islamists-destroy-ancient-timbuktu-sites-3/
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"

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Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Jul-2012 at 06:19
China's earliest wine unearthed in NW tomb
Liquid inside an ancient wine vessel unearthed in Shaanxi province is considered to be the earliest wine in China's history, archaeologists told Xinhua Thursday.

The wine vessel made of bronze was unearthed in a noble's tomb of the West Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 771 BC) in Shigushan Mountain in Baoji city.

The liquid is likely the oldest wine discovered in China, said Liu Jun, director of Baoji Archaeology Institute, who is in charge of the project.

The vessel, one of the six discovered in the tomb, could be heard to contain a liquid when it was shaken, Liu said.

However, the cover of the vessel was pretty solid and there was no appropriate tools to open it at the excavation site, so the liquid remains a mystery, he said.

During the Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC), the dynasty before the Zhou Dynasty, wine became a symbol of corruption as Shang officials used to drink excessively, he said.

The people of Zhou made "prohibition devices" to put on the table to remind people to drink in moderation, he said.

A 95-centimeter-long and 21-centimeter-tall "prohibition device" was unearthed with the wine vessels on June 25 in the same tomb, which is the first of this kind unearthed in Baoji, he said.

Many other bronze devices with inscriptions were unearthed on Thursday.

The excavation work is still underway at the site and more bronze devices are expected to be discovered in the next couple of days.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-07/06/c_123377142.htm

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Jul-2012 at 06:30
Excavations reveal the forgotten cultural treasures of Sidon’s past

The discoveries increase the understanding of the complicated stages of Sidon’s history. (The Daily Star/Mohammed Zaatari) 
The discoveries increase the understanding of the complicated stages of Sidon’s history.

Excavations led by a delegation from the British Museum at the Frères’ archaeological site in the old city of Sidon unearthed more important antiquities during their 14th year, it was revealed Tuesday.

Preparations also got under way for the construction of a museum to display the findings at the site. The construction is due to begin in September.

Discoveries at the site since excavations began in 1998 have revealed artifacts from the Early Bronze Age, which began around 3,000 B.C., through to the Iron Age, which covered around 1,200-539 B.C.

Among the latest discoveries was a particular type of Phoenician architecture, which the archaeologists said was not commonly found in Lebanon, consisting of stones cut for the construction of walls or floors.

Over 50 amphorae were also found, as well as a stunning Attic vase, depicting two riders going to war wearing white tunics and holding spears.

Excavations also turned up further graves in addition to those found in previous years, dating to the second millennium, bringing the total number of graves found at the site to 122. Among the latest discoveries was a Mesopotamian-style cylinder seal, which was used to roll pictures onto surfaces, featuring the God of water and the Goddess Lama.

Archaeologists also found further evidence that shelters were constructed at the time of burial, and food such as lentils, chickpeas and beans were consumed. Among the findings this year were a platform used around 1,600 B.C. within a large temple built for burial ceremonies.

Also among the discoveries in Sidon was a coin depicting the legend of Europa, a Phoenician woman who was abducted by Zeus disguised as a white bull and taken to Crete, increasing speculation that Europa may have been a Sidonian.

The importance of the discoveries at the site prompted the director of the Middle Eastern branch of the British Museum, Jonathan Tubb, to travel to Lebanon, where he resided in Sidon for several days to supervise the excavation works taking place.

Tubb said that the site is the only one in the Middle East that the British Museum is currently excavating.

“[These discoveries] increase understanding of the complicated stages of Sidon’s history and make them clearer,” Tubb said. “We are very interested in knowing the complete story of Sidon, its history and the history of its civilizations, which no one has achieved so far.”

The head of the British Museum delegation in Lebanon, Claude Doumit Serhal, said the Frères’ site “can now summarize the history of Sidon and of the civilizations that lived there for 6,000 years, and also removes the mystery of some stages that were missing from Sidon’s history.”

The excavation works, which are supported by the British Museum, the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development and Cimenterie National SAL, focused this year on the north of the site, where work will begin later this year for a museum to display the findings. Serhal said the museum would add significant value to the work done on the Sidon site.

“Of equal importance to the archaeological discoveries is having them available to the public because culture that cannot spread among people is not culture,” Serhal said.

One pillar of the museum will be placed in one of the excavation rooms, dating to the third millennium B.C. Excavation work was therefore speeded up in this area.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Jul-04/179284-excavations-reveal-the-forgotten-cultural-treasures-of-sidons-past.ashx#axzz1zlHVsv2e

 


Edited by TheAlaniDragonRising - 07-Jul-2012 at 06:33
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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09-Jul-2012 at 04:22

Archaeologists Uncover Gold Treasure Near Herzliya

Gold coins (illustrative)
Gold coins

One of the largest gold treasures ever to be discovered in Israel was uncovered last week at an archaeological dig near Herzliya.

The treasure, more than 100 gold pieces and weighing approximately 400 grams (nearly one pound), is estimated at a worth of more than $100,000.

The coins were found hidden in a partly broken pottery vessel at the Appollonia National Park, where archaeologists say the former Crusader town of Apollonia-Arsuf once thrived. The dig is being carried out under the joint auspices of Tel Aviv University and the Nature and Parks Authority.

Included among the items found were 108 gold coins, including 93 that weighed four grams each, and 15 that weighed 1 gram each. The gold was not new and clearly was part of someone's family treasure or business investment. The coins were minted in Egypt approximately 250 years prior to their burial under the floor tiles of the 13th century CE fortress that has been under excavation for more than 30 years.

A large cache of arrowheads – hundreds, in fact – and other weaponry, including stones used in catapults, also was found. Archaeologists said the find indicated a fierce battle had taken place at the time the Mameluks seized the area from the Crusaders.

TAU Professor Oren Tal pointed out that the manner in which the treasure was hidden indicated its owner's intention of returning to reclaim it. "I think the stash was deliberately buried in a partly broken vessel, which was filled with sand and buried under the floor tiles so if anyone were to discover it, he would simply believe it to be a broken pot, and ignore it.” 

Appollonia National Park director Haggai Yoynana added that if one were to add the treasure to the findings of the weaponry, “it tells the story of a prolonged siege and a harsh battle.”

According to the website of the Biblical Archaeological Society, the clash has been identified as the Battle of Arsuf, between Saladin and Richard the Lionheart.

The Crusader fortress had been uncovered at the site some time ago, along with remains of a port city dating back to the time of the Phoenicians. Archaeologists have also found the remains of a Roman villa, a well-preserved market street from the Early Islamic period and a massive gate complex.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/157609#.T_nIpGukd8E

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jul-2012 at 00:24

Archaeologists uncover Mona Lisa model's remains

mona
Archeologists are uncovering the remains of what they believe is the model behind Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa"

IT'S the face that launched a thousand imitations. Now, archaeologists are convinced they've found the body of the real Mona Lisa.

Buried in a crypt beneath a convent in Florence, Italy, archaeologists believe they have uncovered the skeleton belonging to the model who posed for Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece in 1504.

The wife of a rich silk merchant, Lisa Gheradini, is generally accepted by historians to be the woman with the mysterious smile.

Lisa Gheradini, whose married name was Giocondo, became a nun after her husband's death. She was buried in the grounds of the Convent of Saint Ursula where she died in 1542, aged 63.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/archeologists-uncover-mona-lisa-models-remains/story-fnddckzi-1226428689373

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jul-2012 at 22:24

Archaeology: Golden medallions from Roman era found in village near Bulgaria’s Bourgas

Debelt North View Photo Vassia Atanassova E1342515327857
Golden medallions featuring inscriptions and images found in a gravesite dating to the Roman era in Debelt, a village in the region of Bourgas on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, have been identified by archaeologists as being from the second century CE.
According to archaeologists, the graves are those of veterans of the eighth legion of Augustus. They are in the western part of the ancient Roman colony of Deultum, according to a report on July 17 2012 by public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television.
Today the gravesite is next to a street in the latter-day village of Debelt. Deultum, in its time, was known as “Little Rome in Thrace”, the report said.
The find was made by accident while people were pouring concrete for construction. The vibration of the concrete mixer caused the surface to crack and a tomb was found.
Krasimira Kostova, director of the Archaeological Museum in Debelt, said that the find was of extremely high value. The valuable gifts were evidence that the people who lived there were of high status.
The finds included golden jewellery and a needle, beads and scrapers used by the ancient Romans for bathing and massage and in medicine as a means of inserting medication in the ears and throat, the report said. All of these were signs of urban life in what was then an important place in the Roman empire.
An inter-ministerial committee will decide what will become of the site. According to the report, Debelt archaeological reserve is the only one in Bulgaria to have “European archaeological heritage” status.
http://sofiaglobe.com/2012/07/17/archaeology-golden-medallions-from-roman-era-found-in-village-near-bulgarias-bourgas/
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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jul-2012 at 22:29

New 'Iron Age' discoveries made in Inverness

Beechwood
An aerial view of Beechwood showing evidence of roundhouses and ironworking furnaces

New discoveries made in Inverness have fuelled speculation among experts that it was an important area of prehistoric iron production.

Rare finds of well-preserved metalworking hearths, or furnaces, have been uncovered at Beechwood during work by Edinburgh-based AOC Archaeology.

Archaeologists believe the discoveries date to the Iron Age.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is spending £25m on preparing the land for the new Inverness Campus.

The University of the Highlands and Islands and businesses will eventually occupy buildings constructed on the former farmland.

HIE commissioned AOC Archaeology to evaluate and record any buried historical sites and artefacts at Beechwood, before bulldozers moved in earlier this year.

Excavations were done in 2011 and work is now being undertaken to understand what those digs revealed.

Several timber roundhouses of possible Iron Age date - around 700BC to AD400 - as well as evidence of earlier activity in the area stretching back thousands of years into the Neolithic period 3500BC were uncovered.

Examinations of Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery fragments, quern stones for grinding grain and significant quantities of iron sl*g are still in the early stages.

But AOC Archaeology said the finds provided "tantalising hints" of Beechwood's important past.

'Much rarer'

A spokesman said: "The metalworking evidence from Beechwood is providing clues that there were two ironworking areas on site.

"One is a possible clay-lined ironworking hearth or furnace and a dump of waste material, and the other, a spread of debris from smelting and blacksmithing which appears to come from an area now lost to modern urban expansion........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18840754

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jul-2012 at 22:32

Roman fertility eagle dug up

151.11
A Roman symbol of fertility found near Selkirk, shaped like an eagle emerging from a flower with a berry in its mouth, highlights the discoveries made in Scotland in this year’s Treasure Trove Report.

The talisman, excavated in 2010 by a local metal detectorist between Selkirk and Galashiels, is believed to have adorned a Roman wagon or chariot, and is the first relic of its kind to be found north of the border.

The report described the artifact as: “A copper alloy mount in the shape of an eagle head, the sacred bird of Juno, found near Selkirk. The eagle is depicted emerging from a flower with a berry held in the beak and was intended as a symbol of good luck or fertility. Mounts of this type were used on the supporting frames of Roman wagons and this is the first such mount from Scotland, with only a small number known from Britain.”

Selkirk historian Walter Elliot, to whom the finder took the object for identification, guessed its ancient origin by the “patination”: “I knew it was not a modern find because it was bronze-green with age. It looked very Roman, but I wasn’t sure.”

It took his friend, archeologist Dr Fraser Hunter of Glasgow University, who had seen an identical copper eagle in York, to identify the rare artifact as Roman.

“It just shows there’s still a lot of things in the Borders that we don’t know about yet,” Mr Elliot said.

The Queen’s and Lord Treasurers Remembrancer (QLTR) and the Scottish Archeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) then dealt with the discoveries. Under Scots law, the Crown can claim any archaeological objects found in Scotland, and finders have no ownership rights, and must report any objects to the Treasure Trove Unit.

Other Roman relics unearthed in the Borders this year included three brooches in Roberton, Oxton and Melrose, and a seal box lid found at Philiphaugh near Selkirk.

In total, 152 artefacts were claimed by the Crown and gifted to museums, while 87 were returned to finders. Rewards totalling £36,535 have been claimed, with individual pay-outs ranging from £15 to £6,000, the seventh annual Treasure Trove Report revealed.

QLTR Catherine Dyer said the new publication confirmed another “magnificent year” of finds.

“Some outstanding and very significant finds have been reported, preserved and displayed in museum collections around Scotland,” Ms Dyer commented.

“Once again I would like to praise the tireless work of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel, the National Museums of Scotland, the Treasure Trove Unit and the QLTR office.

“Thanks should also be given to the hundreds of members of the public who have played an important part by reporting their finds and in doing so have assisted in preserving the history of Scotland for all to enjoy.”

http://www.selkirkweekendadvertiser.co.uk/news/local-headlines/roman-fertility-eagle-dug-up-1-2394870

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-Jul-2012 at 06:41

Roman cemetery discovered in Great Ellingham

It was not unusual for the Romans to place the heads of the deceased by their feet.

In November 2011, when Chris Birks Archaeology excavated a trial trench in Great Ellingham, Norfolk, on the site of a future housing development, little did they know that they were about to uncover one of the biggest Romano-British burial sites in the region.

The eponymous archaeologist and his team stumbled upon severalin situ burials and isolated artefacts confirming that a cemetery extended in to the development site.

When work concluded in early July, 85 graves had been discovered, making Great Ellingham the largest excavated Roman burial site in Norfolk. The cemetery has been dated to the 2nd and 3rd centuries thanks to the discovery of a small pottery assemblage.

David Gurney, Norfolk county archaeologist said: “Given the later Roman date of the cemetery, the alignment and the lack of grave goods, these are likely to be Christian burials.”.........

http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/news/roman-cemetery-discovered-in-great-ellingham.htm

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-Jul-2012 at 06:59

ANCIENT LIFE-SIZE LION STATUES BAFFLE SCIENTISTS

lion

A life-size granite lion sculpture discovered in the town of Karakiz in Turkey. Dating back more than 3,200 years, to the time of the Hittite Empire, the lion is shown "prowling forward" with rippling muscles and a curved tail.


Two sculptures of life-size lions, each weighing about 5 tons in antiquity, have been discovered in what is now Turkey, with archaeologists perplexed over what the granite cats were used for.

One idea is that the statues, created between 1400 and 1200 B.C., were meant to be part of a monument for a sacred water spring, the researchers said.

The lifelike lions were created by the Hittites who controlled a vast empire in the region at a time when the Asiatic lion roamed the foothills of Turkey. 

"The lions are prowling forward, their heads slightly lowered; the tops of their heads are barely higher than the napes," write Geoffrey Summers, of the Middle East Technical University, and researcher Erol Özen in an article published in the most recent edition of the American Journal of Archaeology.

The two lion sculptures have stylistic differences and were made by different sculptors. The lion sculpture found in the village of Karakiz is particularly lifelike, with rippling muscles and a tail that curves around the back of the granite boulder.

"The sculptors certainly knew what lions looked like," Summers told LiveScience in an interview. He said that both archaeological and ancient written records indicate that the Asiatic lion, now extinct in Turkey, was still very much around, some even being kept by the Hittites in pits.

Curiously the sculpture at Karakiz has an orange color caused by the oxidization of minerals in the stone. Summers said that he doesn't believe it had this color when it was first carved.......

http://news.discovery.com/history/lion-statues-turkey-120725.html


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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-Jul-2012 at 04:24

Archeologists unearth extraordinary human sculpture in Turkey

The head and torso of the human figure, intact to just above its waist, stands approximately 1.5 meters in height, suggesting a total body length of 3.5 to four meters. The figure’s face is bearded, with beautifully preserved inlaid eyes made of white and black stone, and its hair has been coiffed in an elaborate series of curls aligned in linear rows. Both arms are extended forward from the elbow, each with two arm bracelets decorated with lion heads. The figure’s right hand holds a spear, and in its left is a shaft of wheat. A crescent-shaped pectoral adorns its chest. A lengthy Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription, carved in raised relief across its back, records the campaigns and accomplishments of Suppiluliuma, likely the same Patinean king who faced a Neo-Assyrian onslaught of Shalmaneser III as part of a Syrian-Hittite coalition in 858 BC.

A beautiful and colossal human sculpture is one of the latest cultural treasures unearthed by an international team at the Tayinat Archaeological Project (TAP) excavation site in southeastern Turkey. A large semi-circular column base, ornately decorated on one side, was also discovered. Both pieces are from a monumental gate complex that provided access to the upper citadel of Kunulua, capital of the Neo-Hittite Kingdom of Patina (ca. 1000-738 BC).

"These newly discovered Tayinat sculptures are the product of a vibrant local Neo-Hittite sculptural tradition," said Professor Tim Harrison, the Tayinat Project director and professor of Near Eastern Archaeology in the University of Toronto's Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations. "They provide a vivid glimpse into the innovative character and sophistication of the Iron Age cultures that emerged in the eastern Mediterranean following the collapse of the great imperial powers of the Bronze Age at the end of the second millennium BC."

The head and torso of the human figure, intact to just above its waist, stands approximately 1.5 metres in height, suggesting a total body length of 3.5 to four metres. The figure's face is bearded, with beautifully preserved inlaid eyes made of white and black stone, and its hair has been coiffed in an elaborate series of curls aligned in linear rows. Both arms are extended forward from the elbow, each with two arm bracelets decorated with lion heads. The figure's right hand holds a spear, and in its left is a shaft of wheat. A crescent-shaped pectoral adorns its chest. A lengthy Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription, carved in raised relief across its back, records the campaigns and accomplishments of Suppiluliuma, likely the same Patinean king who faced a Neo-Assyrian onslaught of Shalmaneser III as part of a Syrian-Hittite coalition in 858 BC.

The second sculpture is a large semi-circular column base, approximately one metre in height and 90 centimetres in diameter, lying on its side next to the human figure. A winged bull is carved on the front of the column and it is flanked by a sphinx on its left. The right side of the column is flat and undecorated, an indication that it originally stood against a wall.

"The two pieces appear to have been ritually buried in the paved stone surface of the central passageway through the Tayinat gate complex," said Harrison. The complex would have provided a monumental ceremonial approach to the upper citadel of the royal city. Tayinat, a large low-lying mound, is located 35 kilometres east of Antakya (ancient Antioch) along the Antakya-Aleppo road.......

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/uot-aue073012.php

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Aug-2012 at 23:11

Archeologists unearth Celtic artifacts, plus ancient Roman and Greek silver coins on future track of Romanian highway

road work Photoxpress 1221680 Archeologists unearth Celtic artifacts, plus ancient Roman and Greek silver coins on future track of Romanian highway
Several metal archeological objects and over 280 silver coins were discovered by archeologists on the track of the future Sibiu – Nadlac highway in Romania. One of the discoveries, a small iron replica of a chariot was deemed unique in the region. The objects discovered in the nine archeological sites, dating from the early Neolithic to the Medieval Ages, will most likely be restored within a year. A first exhibition including some of the objects will be open in May 2013.

A team of 40 Romanian and foreign archeologists searched around 40 kilometers on the future highway track in three counties, Sibiu, Alba and Hunedoara. This was one of the biggest archeological digs ever undertaken in Romania, according to Sabin Luca, director of the Brukenthal National Museum.

esearchers discovered a Bronze age settlement and “the first level of colonization which could be connected to our ancestors dates from the Celtic era, in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC,” according to Sabin Luca. The small iron chariot discovered will most likely be unique, he went on to say. In Celtic areas, the iron chariot is usually buried with the full size chariot, but in this case it was buried separately. The piece was in 80 pieces and its restoration took three weeks.

The archeologists found weapons, tools, weapon tips, heels and a stash of 280 silver coins, including Ancient Greek and Roman examples. “There are hundreds of this kind of silver hoard from that period, but they are rarely found in archeological sites by researchers. Discoveries are usually accidental,” the Brukenthal museum director explained.

http://www.romania-insider.com/archeologists-unearth-celtic-artifacts-plus-ancient-roman-and-greek-silver-coins-on-future-track-of-romanian-highway/62275/

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-Aug-2012 at 01:57

Ancient amulets for toddlers found on Yeronisos

ARCHEOLOGISTS digging a small island off Cyprus’ western coast have discovered amulets bearing male names, believed to have been worn by male toddlers over 2,000 years ago, it was announced yesterday.The artefacts were found on the island of Yeronisos, or Holy Island, near Peyia, an important place of pilgrimage during the later Hellenistic period - 325-58 BC - when worshippers crossed the waters to pray at its sanctuary of the god Apollo.
“A series of small amulets that may have been worn by toddler boys brought to Yeronisos to mark their transitional time of weaning have been recovered,” the department of antiquities said. “One recently discovered amulet is inscribed with the male names Minas, written along the side, and Diophantes, written on the bottom. These may represent the names of boys who wore the talisman during special ceremonies on Yeronisos.”
A shell also recovered from the site bears the male names Chariton, Thrasayis, Nikkon and Hereas.
“These are perhaps the names of boys who participated in the weaning rituals,” the department said.
Other shells found on Yeronisos preserve the writing exercises of children practicing their Greek letters. “These suggest that a school for boys may have been part of the sanctuary.”
That these amulets were made on Yeronisos is suggested by the discovery, this season, of an unfinished charm, not yet pierced for suspension and not yet engraved with designs. 
In the north side of the island, archaeologists unearthed a circular platform, which they believe was used for dancing – an integral part of the boys’ education and a means of pleasing Apollo – the Olympian god of music and song, prophecy and oracles.
Late Hellenistic pottery excavated this season includes drinking cups, bowls, and juglets.
The excavation was undertaken by the New York University Yeronisos Island Expedition, under the direction of Professor Joan Breton Connelly.
NYU started exploring the island in June 1990, at around the same time as it was officially declared an ancient monument.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/yeronisos/ancient-amulets-toddlers-found-yeronisos/20120809

Edited by TheAlaniDragonRising - 10-Aug-2012 at 01:59
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  Quote Don Quixote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-Aug-2012 at 03:18

For Indians, ax marked first chapter of disaster


"...Curse of the Ax, a documentary film that premiered this month on Canada’s History Television, tells the story of an iron ax that was discovered at the Mantle site, a large Late Iroquoian village on the northern outskirts of Toronto, Ontario. Five centuries ago, the Mantle site was the largest site in the region, where 1,500 to 2,000 people lived.

The ax is significant because it predates the documented arrival of European explorers in the region by a century or more.It likely was brought to America by Basque whalers or fishermen who traded it to some coastal-dwelling Indian for animal furs. It then must have been passed from one tribe to another until it was eventually acquired by a resident of the Mantle site.

European artifacts also have been found at the late prehistoric Madisonville site in Hamilton County in southwestern Ohio. Although large by Ohio standards, it wouldn’t have compared to the Mantle site. Archaeologist Penelope Drooker estimated that Madisonville probably never had more than 300 residents. It was, nevertheless, one of the most important sites in the upper Ohio valley during this period.

Archaeologists have recovered nearly 500 metal and glass artifacts of European manufacture from the site, including several bits of Basque iron that might well have passed through the Mantle site. The Ohio finds represent the southernmost documented occurrence of this material...."http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2012/07/29/for-indians-ax-marked-first-chapter-of-disaster.html

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  Quote Don Quixote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-Aug-2012 at 03:30

Mass grave in London reveals how volcano caused global catastrophe

"...When archaeologists discovered thousands of medieval skeletons in a mass burial pit in east London in the 1990s, they assumed they were 14th-century victims of the Black Death or the Great Famine of 1315-17. Now they have been astonished by a more explosive explanation – a cataclysmic volcano that had erupted a century earlier, thousands of miles away in the tropics, and wrought havoc on medieval Britons.

Scientific evidence – including radiocarbon dating of the bones and geological data from across the globe – shows for the first time that mass fatalities in the 13th century were caused by one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the past 10,000 years.

Such was the size of the eruption that its sulphurous gases would have released a stratospheric aerosol veil or dry fog that blocked out sunlight, altered atmospheric circulation patterns and cooled the Earth's surface. It caused crops to wither, bringing famine, pestilence and death.

The Icelandic volcano of 2010, which spewed out ash which disrupted flights for a few days, was miniscule in comparison.

Mass deaths required capacious burial pits, as recorded in contemporary accounts. In 1258, a monk reported: "The north wind prevailed for several months… scarcely a small rare flower or shooting germ appeared, whence the hope of harvest was uncertain... Innumerable multitudes of poor people died, and their bodies were found lying all about swollen from want… Nor did those who had homes dare to harbour the sick and dying, for fear of infection… The pestilence was immense – insufferable; it attacked the poor particularly. In London alone 15,000 of the poor perished; in England and elsewhere thousands died."http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/05/medieval-volcano-disaster-london-graves

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