News and Politics from a Progressive Perspective
26
Nov
Archaeologists are to examine a site near a medieval Herefordshire building before a new library is built.
The dig will take place near the Master’s House in Ledbury before it is extended to house a new library.
Herefordshire Council said a viewing platform will be put up so people can observe the work taking place during the three-week dig from 5 January.
Tags: 5 January, Archaeologists, Ledbury, Medieval Library, New Library
26
Nov
November 25, 2008—Archaeologists are touting a “jewel” of the Roman Empire: the city of Viminacium in modern-day Serbia.
Tags: Archaeologists, Jewel, Roman Empire, Serbia, Viminacium
26
Nov
Archaeologists have uncovered 2,700 previously unrecorded historic features along the length of Hadrian’s Wall by studying thousands of aerial pictures.
The English Heritage experts found ancient burial mounds, medieval sheep farms and 19th Century lead mines.
They were working from more than 30,500 pictures taken during the past 60 years as part of a push to map and interpret archaeological sites across England.
Tags: 19th Century, Ancient Burial Mounds, Archaeological Sites, Archaeologists, England, English Heritage, Hadrian S Wall, Hadrian Wall, Photos, Sheep Farms
26
Nov
Funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will support a project at the University of York to find exciting new ways of making academic research material available online.
The New York-based Foundation has awarded $250,000 to the study led by Professor Julian D Richards, Head of the Department of Archaeology and Co-Director of the online journal, Internet Archaeology.
Professor Richards is examining ways of using the benefits of online publication to allow researchers to link their work to related databases, video, audio and other information in a way that traditional paper-based formats do not allow.
Tags: Academic Research, Andrew W Mellon Foundation, Archaeologists, Archaeology Professor, Co Director, Databases, Grant Funding, Internet Archaeology, Journal Internet, Julian D Richards, New Ways, Professor Julian, Professor Richards, Research Material
24
Nov
New websites at International institute of Anthropology:
60th Birth Anniversary Ian Hodder
http://www.iianthropology.org/ianhodder60thbirthanniversary2008.html
On the changing face of the 21st century Anthropology:
http://www.iianthropology.org/anth21stcentury.html
Archaeologists as people: Douglass Bailey:
http://www.iianthropology.org/douglassbailey.html
Tags: 21st Century, 60th Anniversary, Anthropology, Archaeologists, Birth Anniversary, Changing Face, Ian Hodder, New Websites
24
Nov
Sofia Archaeologists are working on a Thracian bronze chariot, which they unearthed near the village of Karanovo in southeastern Bulgaria. More than 10,000 Thracian burial mounds are scattered across central and southeastern Bulgaria, which is considered to have been the home of the ancient society that lived in the region between 4000BC and AD300.
Digging in the mound near Karanovo was begun because local authorities feared looting. The chariot had probably been buried in the tomb of a rich man in line with the Thracian belief that belongings accompanied the dead into the afterlife, archaeologists said. “It is an ancient four-wheel chariot with a richly ornamented framework and a yoke of figured bronze,” Veselin Ignatov told national radio.
Read the rest of this article…
Tags: Afterlife, Archaeologists, Belief That, Belongings, Bronze Chariot, Burial Mounds, Local Authorities, National Radio, Rich Man, Sofia, Southeastern Bulgaria, Veselin, Wheel, Yoke
24
Nov
Archaeologists in central Greece have unearthed the remains of a Neolithic settlement discovered by workers laying a gas pipeline, the Greek Culture Ministry said Thursday.
Ovens and pottery, rare decorated vases and bone tools found at the site near the city of Larissa show that its inhabitants were already skilled artisans nearly 7,000 years ago, the ministry said.
“The site was unknown until works for the installation of a natural gas pipeline started,” the ministry said in a statement.
Tags: Archaeologists, Bone Tools, Central Greece, Culture Ministry, Discover, Greek Culture, Inhabitants, Natural Gas Pipeline, Neolithic Settlement, Ovens, Pipeline Workers, Skilled Artisans, Stone Age, Vases
24
Nov
Archaeologists have unearthed an elaborately decorated 1,800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Friday. “The lavishly ornamented four-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century A.D.,” Veselin Ignatov said in a telephone interview from the site, near the southeastern village of Karanovo.
But he said archaeologists were struggling to keep up with looters, who often ransack ancient sites before the experts can get to them.
Tags: Archaeologists, Bronze, Chariot, Excavation, Looters, Southeastern Bulgaria, Telephone Interview, Thracian Tomb, Veselin, Wheel
24
Nov
Far from being a hated symbol of military occupation, Hadrian’s Wall was the business opportunity of a lifetime for ancient Britons, archaeologists have discovered.
The 73-mile long Roman wall, built in AD 122 to defend the Roman Empire from hostile Celtic tribes, created a thriving economy to serve the occupying army, according to aerial surveys.
Farmers, traders, craftsmen, labourers and prostitutes seized the occasion to make money from the presence of hundreds of Roman troops.
Tags: Aerial Surveys, Ancient Britons, Archaeologists, Army, Business Opportunity, Celtic Tribes, Craftsmen, Economy, Farmers, Hadrian S Wall, Hadrian Wall, Hated Symbol, Labourers, Military Occupation, Opportunity Of A Lifetime, Presence, Prostitutes, Roman Empire, Roman Troops, Roman Wall
21
Nov
The first Roman tombstone found in Scotland for more than 170 years is among the rare artefacts unearthed by treasure hunters this year.
It forms part of Scotland’s annual Treasure Trove, items found by archaeologists or enthusiasts which have been handed to the Crown Office.
Other pieces include a 5,000-year-old axe head, a Bronze Age sword and mysterious carved stone balls.
Tags: Ancient Roman, Ancient Treasures, Archaeologists, Axe Head, Bronze Age, Carved Stone, Crown Office, Enthusiasts, Rare Artefacts, Scotland, Scots, Stone Balls, Sword, Tombstone, Treasure Hunters, Treasure Trove
19
Nov
A 2,900-year-old gravestone from the ancient kingdom of Sam
Tags: Ancient Belief, Archaeologists, Belief System, Cultures, Gravestone, Indo European, Insight, Iron Age, Pristine Condition, Religious Belief, Semitic Tribes, Servant, Southeastern Turkey, Stele, Suburb, University Of Chicago, Walled City
19
Nov
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL dig has begun in Peterborough’s historic Cathedral Square.
An area of the square has been cordoned off while a mechanical digger is used to excavate the site.
The dig is being carried out before work starts to install a series of water features in the square.
Tags: Archaeologists, Cathedral Square, Digger, Excavation, Peterborough, Water Features
19
Nov
Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey have discovered an Iron Age chiseled stone slab that provides the first written evidence in the region that people believed the soul was separate from the body.
University of Chicago researchers will describe the discovery, a testimony created by an Iron Age official that includes an incised image of the man, on Nov. 22-23 at conferences of biblical and Middle Eastern archaeological scholars in Boston.
The Neubauer Expedition of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago found the 800-pound basalt stele, 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, at Zincirli (pronounced “Zin-jeer-lee”), the site of the ancient city of Sam’al. Once the capital of a prosperous kingdom, it is now one of the most important Iron Age sites under excavation.
Tags: 3 Feet, Age Belief, Archaeologists, Belief That, Boston, Chicago Researchers, Conferences, Discovery, Excavation, Iron Age, Neubauer, Oriental Institute, People, Prosperous Kingdom, Southeastern Turkey, Stone Slab, Testimony, University Of Chicago, Written Evidence, Zin
19
Nov
Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be the largest Greek necropolis in the city of Himera on the island of Sicily, where the ancient version of babies’ beakers has been found.
According to the new agency ANSA, although experts have long known about the burial ground, they have only recently understood its importance because of building work to extend a local railway track.
Hundreds of graves have already been uncovered, but archaeologists believe there are thousands more waiting to be found in the burial ground of the city, which rose to prominence more than 2,500 years ago.
Tags: Ansa, Archaeologists, Babies, Beakers, Burial Ground, Himera, Island Of Sicily, Necropolis, Prominence, Railway Track, Track Hundreds
17
Nov
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered what could be the remains of an ancient Iron Age hill fort in the Black Country.
The exciting find was made during a dig on behalf of the Black Country Housing Group and a group of eager schoolchildren were on hand to witness it.
The community regeneration agency invited pupils from the nearby St Mary’s RC primary school in Wednesbury to watch the dig opposite St Mary’s Church and meet with archaeologists.
Tags: Archaeologists, Community Regeneration, Housing Group, Iron Age, Pupils, Regeneration Agency, Schoolchildren
