Saturday, January 31, 2004



Soggy Balkan relics reveal ancient life

A waterlogged archaeological site in Croatia has given European archaeologists an insight into Bronze Age life.

News in Science


Carrickmines decision overturned

New legislation must be passed before further work to demolish the Medieval remains of a castle can be carried out, a court ruled today.

The High Court overturned the Government’s approval to build on the archaeological site of Carrickmines Castle, Co Dublin, quashing two orders and declaring them unconstitutional.

Ireland On-Line


Royal societies facing eviction in row over rent

Several of Britain's oldest and most illustrious scientific societies are facing possible eviction in a dispute with the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, over their right to occupy their London headquarters rent free.

Guardian

Friday, January 30, 2004



British Museum Treasure Weekend

14 & 15 February 11.00-17.00

Have you ever found anything in the ground and wondered what it was? Bring it along to the British Museum this weekend and one of our curators will see if they can identify it for you! Would you like to meet a Roman soldier and find out how they lived? Re-enactors from the Colchester Roman Society will be on hand to demonstrate and explain.



Visit the Buried Treasure Microsite


Treasure dates back 3,000 years

THIS gold earring found buried under a few inches of soil in a ploughed field in East Yorkshire could be more than 3,000 years old.

Yorkshire Post Today


HARD CASH FOR OUR DREAMING SPIRES

The West's cathedrals got a massive boost yesterday as they received £618,000 from English Heritage to carry out crucial repair work. The grants are part of the nationwide funding package of £2million, with the two biggest handouts going to Salisbury, £200,000 to mend the roof, and Hereford, £118,000 to rebuild a turret.

Western Daily Press


CATHEDRALS WIN A SHARE OF £2M HERITAGE WINDFALL

Westcountry Cathedrals have been chosen to benefit from a slice of £2 million of English Heritage grants split between 20 cathedrals nationally, it was announced yesterday.

Truro and Exeter Cathedrals received a combined £221,000 for vital structural repairs.

This is Devon


The Mysteries Of The Medieval Ship

Fri 30 Jan 21:00 - 21:50 BBC Two

In 2002 archaeologists in Newport found the remains of an 80ft medieval merchant vessel. Kate Hunter and Nigel Nayling trace its past.

Thursday, January 29, 2004



Artefact recalls witches' shadow

A chilling reminder of our superstitious past has been unearthed from a rural farmhouse.
The "witch bottle" was discovered buried in old foundations in the Lincolnshire village of Navenby.

BBC News


Wissenschaftler erforschen Umfeld der Himmelsscheibe

Wissenschaftler der Universitäten Leipzig, Halle, Jena und Freiberg erforschen gemeinsam die Bedeutung der Himmelsscheibe von Nebra für die Bronzezeit Europas. Geplant ist ein auf sechs Jahre angelegtes Forschungsprojekt, das von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft gefördert werden und im August dieses Jahres beginnen soll.

Archäologe on line


Cathedrals get £2m repairs boost

A £2 million package to repair 20 cathedrals and churches around the UK has been announced by English Heritage.

BBC News


Cathedrals share heritage money

Two cathedrals in the east of England are to benefit from a £2m funding package announced by English Heritage on Thursday.

BBC News

Wednesday, January 28, 2004



Injunction halts work at Dublin castle

Building work on the site of Carrickmines Castle, Co Dublin was halted today pending the outcome of an appeal against the construction of a roundabout over the medieval remains.

UTV


Protester May Appeal over Ruined Castle Site

A conservationist was today granted leave to appeal against a decision made by the Irish government to dismantle historic castle ruins to make way for a roundabout.

The Supreme Court overturned a High Court order made three weeks ago which had rejected Michael Mulcreevy’s request to appeal against controversial plans to build a junction for the M50 motorway on the site of Carrickmines Castle, south Dublin.

Scotsman.com


Stones may hold key to why we are here

They may not look like the greatest talkers, but these stones have a story to tell.

Hundreds of thousands of years ago they were washed down to East Anglia with a vast river that cut through the middle of England.

EDP 24


MEDIAEVAL FLUTE UNEARTHED

A Mediaeval wind instrument has been unearthed during excavations for the construction of a multimillion-pound concert hall. The dig at the rear of Perth Art Gallery and Museum was supervised by the Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust and the Scottish University Archaeological Trust.

The Press and Journal


Hamburg University plans to close Archaeology Departments

The presidium of the Hamburg University is planning to close the departments of Prehistorical and Early Archaeology, Egyptology, and Mesoamerican Studies. Only the Classical Archaeology will remain.

Hamburger Archäologisches Institut kurz vor der Schließung

Was bleibt von Hamburgs Uni?


Inuit whalers changed Arctic ecosystems long before arrival of Europeans

New findings from Canadian scientists dispel the belief that European settlers were the first humans to cause major changes to Canadian and U.S. freshwater ecosystems.

Inovations Report


Neanderthals 'not close family'

The Neanderthals were not close relatives of modern humans and represent a single species quite distinct from our own, scientists say.

BBC News


Marbles row hits gallery

THE Walker art gallery was at the centre of a political storm last night after agreeing to host the launch of a campaign to strip the British Museum of the Elgin Marbles.

Cheshire Online


Piecing together the past: an open day at the Museum of London's Resource Centre

Saturday, 7 February
10:30 - 4:00
Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED

The next in the series of open days at the Museum of London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre(LAARC) is featuring archaeological conservation with a programme of activities and displays aimed at the general public and families. The programme includes displays of conserved objects, hands on activities for children, tours of the Centre and a chance to participate in packing archaeological finds.

Tuesday, January 27, 2004



RELICS TO BE SHOWCASED

Hidden relics from Roman settlements in the heart of Lincoln could be safeguarded and showcased as part of a new scheme.

Lincoln City Council's archaeology unit has devised the Roman monuments conservation plan to safeguard the city's 27 monuments.

This is Lincolnshire


EU Funds Neglect Bulgaria's Grand Ancient Monument of Perperikon

The unique ancient and medieval sanctuary of Perperikon, situated in the Eastern part of the Rhodopes Mountains, failed to be among the short-listed applicants for EU funds financing, local Bulgaria radio reported on Monday.

Novinite.com


Neanderthal Extinction Pieced Together

In a prehistoric battle for survival, Neanderthals had to compete against modern humans and were wiped off the face of the Earth, according to a new study on life in Europe from 60,000 to 25,000 years ago.

Discovery Channel


Campaigners given hope in Carrickmines row

A conservationist was today granted leave to appeal against a decision made by Environment Minister Martin Cullen to demolish archaeological remains to build a roundabout.

Breaking News


Roman soldier's life unfurls

Nearly 2000 years ago a young Roman soldier wrote home, asking his father's permission to marry his girlfriend.

In another letter, he asks for boots and socks to keep his feet warm during a cold winter. And he tells how he must violently put down those who revolt and riot in Alexandria.

The Enquirer


That Neanderthal was not your grandfather

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - You may think your grandparents act like Neanderthals, but U.S. researchers say they have strong evidence that modern humans are not descended from them.

Reuters


Medical history

Elizabeth Cripps on research into the agricultural origins of TB and the effects of urbanisation on human health.

Guardian

Monday, January 26, 2004



Repair clue links Kingmaker to medieval ship

Britain's sole surviving medieval ship may have belonged to Warwick the Kingmaker, one of the most powerful figures of the 15th century, according to new evidence.

Telegraph


The cradle of western philosophy

Once the oldest and most powerful metropolis among the 12 Ionian cities,Miletus now stands in a marshy, neglected landscape

Athens News


Pollen traces shipwrecks' roots

How do you work out where an ancient ship was originally built? Try looking at the pollen caught in the joints of the wreck, suggests a French ecologist.

Nature

Sunday, January 25, 2004



Migdale Hoard returns to the Highlands, for a little while

More than 100 years after it was discovered by workmen blasting a granite knoll near Bonar Bridge, the Migdale Hoard - a priceless collection of early Bronze Age jewellery - has been returned to the Highlands for temporary public display.

The Northern Times


Unentdeckt in einsamer Höhe - Karlsruher Wissenschaftler erforschen antike Burganlage

Vier Karlsruher Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aus Universität und Fachhochschule haben mit der Erforschung einer riesigen hellenistischen Burganlage in der Türkei im September 2003 zusammen mit fünf weiteren Forschen aus Deutschland und der Türkei begonnen.

Nachricten aus der Archäologe

Saturday, January 24, 2004



World heritage site faces quarry threat

RESIDENTS living close to an island quarry fear its planned expansion could affect an internationally renowned archaeological site.

Orkney Islands Council will next week consider a planning application to extend the islands’ largest quarry on Heddle Hill in Finstown which is near the Neolithic sites of Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and Skara Brae, classed as a World Heritage Site.

Scotsman.com


Archaeologists to dig into secrets of amphitheatre

THE first part of a major archaeological investigation of Chester's Roman Amphitheatre began this week.

Chester On-Line


Boning up on Vikings

UNEARTHED, the new exhibition at Jorvik in York, will get to the bare bones of the matter.

From January 29, visitors to the Viking centre in Coppergate will be able to see, find and interpret facts about the Vikings from skeletal remains excavated from sites around York. Through hands-on activities, they will explore how people in Viking York lived and died and can study how archaeologists construct a picture of the past and how they work out the physical characteristics of Vikings.

This is York


Roman murder victim brought to life

The victim of a murder in Carlisle in the 3rd Century AD is to be part of an exhibition looking at the Roman way of death.

BBC News

Thursday, January 22, 2004



The Portable Antiquities Scheme: Revolutionising Research

Stevenson Lecture Theatre, Great Court, British Museum, 12 February 2004

A free one-day seminar at the British Museum looking at the way in which the systematic recording of finds made by the public - as facilitated by the Portable Antiquities Scheme - has revolutionised our knowledge of artefacts and their contexts from the prehistoric times to the post-medieval period. Speakers to include Steven Ashley, Mary Chester-Kadwell, Nina Crummy, Geoff Egan, Helen Geake, Adam Gwilt, Adrian Marsden, Andrew Rogerson and Sally Worrell; chaired by Richard Brewer and Roger Bland. Admission free. For further details and to book contact Claire Costin, Portable Antiquities Scheme, British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, tel.: 020 7323 8618, or e-mail: ccostin@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk


ARCHAEOLOGISTS SET TO EXPLORE CHESTER'S ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE

Chester City Council and English Heritage are set to join forces to conduct an archaeological survey and improve visitor facilities at Britain’s largest Roman amphitheatre.

24 Hour Museum News


Neanderthals 'were frozen out of existence'

Scientists say Neanderthals, the human species that once lived alongside our ancestors, were probably frozen out of existence.

Mystery surrounds the extinction of the Neanderthals, which abruptly vanished from Europe almost 30,000 years ago. The effects of climate and failure to compete with Homo sapiens are two theories that have deeply divided experts.

Ananova


CAVEMEN WIPED OUT BY WINTERS

SCIENTISTS have found why Neanderthals were wiped out nearly 30,000 years ago it was too cold. They could not cope with the harsh winters of the ''big chill'' and didn't have the clothing or know-how to deal with it.

Daily Record


'Salt ship' is raised

A PAINSTAKING project to save a medieval 'salt ship' unearthed in Nantwich got underway this week.

Nantwich Guardian


RESCUE AGM

The Annual General Meeting of RESCUE: The British Archaeological Trust will be held at 12.00 noon on Saturday 6th March, 2004 and will be followed by the annual Open Meeting at 2.00pm.

Both meetings will take place at the Museum of London, London Wall, EC2 in Interpretation Rooms B/C. There is no charge for admission and both meetings are open to non-members as well as to RESCUE members.

Tuesday, January 20, 2004



Digging deep at York flats site

A PIECE of York's history-steeped past could be opened up to the public at the site of an eyesore former working men's club.

This is York


Historic finds halt £2.4m road

A 17th Century coin and the remains of an ancient cobbled street and tower have been found during a road building worked in the mid Wales town of Brecon.

BBC News


AMPHITHEATRE EXCAVATION CITY £5 MILLION BOOST

A FULL excavation of Chester´s historic amphitheatre could generate an additional £5.65 million to the local economy each year, according to a report from tourism impact consultants.

Chester Standard

Monday, January 19, 2004



Archeologists discover 4th-century church in Mtskheta

TBILISI, January 19 (Itar-Tass) - In the Georgian city of Mtskheta, 20 km from Tbilisi, archeologists have discovered the ruins of a church built in the middle of the 4th century A.D. by King Mirian, Academician Andria Apakidze, Head of the Archeological Commission of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, and Professor Guram Kipiani, director of excavations, told Itar-Tass on Monday.

ITAR-TASS


Bid to find lost Persian armada

Archaeologists have embarked on an epic search for an ancient fleet of Persian ships that was destroyed in a violent storm off northern Greece in 492 BC.

BBC News


CRESWELL ART IN EUROPEAN CONTEXT

Conference at Creswell, Derbyshire, UK 15th-17th April 2004

To mark the discovery of Britain's first Palaeolithic cave art, a major conference featuring lectures from 16 British and international speakers will be held in Creswell village, to publicise the art and place it in its artistic and behavioural context. Scaffolding will be erected in Church Hole cave for the duration of the conference to allow a unique opportunity to see the art at close hand. Themes include Palaeolithic cave art and Upper Palaeolithic archaeology. Speakers include Paul Bahn, Antonio Martinho Baptista (Coa), Andrew Chamberlain, Jill Cook, Clive Gamble, Roger Jacobi, Michel Lorblanchet, Paul Pettitt, Alistair Pike & Sergio Ripoll.

For further details contact either Andrew Chamberlain (a.chamberlain@sheffield.ac.uk) or Paul Pettitt (p.pettitt@sheffield.ac.uk).


Museum of London to bury skeletons

The Museum of London has announced it plans to re-bury most of the 17,000 skeletons in its collection after proper study and has sparked debate focusing on the morality of keeping human remains for research purposes.

The 17,000 skeletons are Britain’s largest collection of archaeologically excavated human remains and the museum’s director, Jack Lohman, believes the possible reburial of the collection remains ‘an ethical issue’.

Leisure Opportunities


Images of the ancient world explored in museum exhibition

LIFE in ancient Greece is explored through the work of its potters and vase painters in an exhibition in Durham.

This is Durham

Sunday, January 18, 2004



Relics of Ancient Burial Rites Reveal Siberian Trade Route

YEKATERINBURG, Russia -- In a medieval Siberian graveyard a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, Russian scientists have unearthed mummies roughly 1,000 years old, clad in copper masks, hoops and plates -- burial rites that archaeologists say they have never seen before.

Moscow Times


Significant archaeological finds made

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed the remains of an Iron Age hill village dating back to around 800BC.

They have discovered a series of roundhouses, burials sites and an array of significant artifacts on the Fairfield Park site near Stotfold.

Biggleswade Today


Unearthing the past

Scientists have reconstructed the environmental history of a Celtic mining town by digging through a peat bog near Dijon in France in search of lead residues and pollen grains.

Nature


Historic find is pure gold!

City archaeologists have struck gold - with a major Bronze Age discovery in eastern Europe.

A team of experts from the University of Birmingham has discovered what may be one of the most important archaeological sites of the last 50 years, in a riverbed in Croatia.

I C Birmingham

Saturday, January 17, 2004



Battle to save Saxon past

COUNCILLORS are being urged to defer a decision on giving planning consent for a homes development in Castle Acre because it could disturb Saxon remains near the castle.

Lynn News


Rescue for medieval salt ship

Archaeologists are preparing to rescue a medieval salt ship that has been buried beneath mud in Cheshire for nearly 700 years.

BBC News


Excavations offer insight into medieval Perth

A TUNEFUL discovery has been exciting archaeologists in Perth as just part of a find-filled year at digs around the town.

The experts from the locally-based Scottish Urban Archaeology Trust, working with Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, are now custodians of Perth’s earliest-known musical instrument.

The Courier


The 'Million Pound Mosaic'

The 'Million Pound Mosaic' is the name of the Fishbourne Roman Palace Development Appeal. The aim is to renovate the building over the famous mosaics, redisplay the museum, improve physical and intellectual access and to build a new Collections Discovery Centre at Fishbourne. With an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £2.5 million, and money from a range of other sources the Sussex Archaeological Society still has to raise another million pounds from a public campaign.

The Buy a Brick campaign lets everyone make a contribution to this important project. Each £5 donation will represent a brick in the new Collections Discovery Centre. The donation will be registered and each donor will receive a certificate. Why not buy one or more bricks for yourself or as a present for someone interested in archaeology? There is no limit to how many bricks you can buy!

Further information

Thursday, January 15, 2004



Museum find unearths grisly past

THE DISCOVERY of a preserved male skeleton dating from the 16th century lying beneath Worcester’s Commandery Museum is expected to lead to hundreds more human remains being unearthed at the historic site.

A county council archaeological expert believes the significant find proves a graveyard from the medieval period is underneath the former monastic hospital.

Worcester Standard


Clamping down on the looting trade

Britain had long dragged its heels over ratifying various international conventions aimed at tackling the illegal trade in looted antiquities.

BBC News


Group Demands U.K. Return Elgin Marbles

LONDON -- Activists launched a fresh bid Wednesday to persuade the British Museum to return ancient sculptures from the Parthenon to Greece, saying even a loan would be a huge step forward.

Newsday.com

Wednesday, January 14, 2004



BRONZE AGE DISCOVERY 'TOO HEAVY TO BE AXE' THEORY

A Bronze Age axe head unearthed in a Lincolnshire field is baffling archaeologists - because they think it is too heavy to use.

Made of stone, the axe head weighs 4.4lb and was produced some time between 2000BC and 1600BC.

This is Lincolnshire


New measures will help to safeguard Wales' past, says Alun Pugh

A series of measures are to be introduced to help protect and promote Wales' historic environment for the enjoyment of future generations, Culture Minister Alun Pugh announced today (Tuesday, 13 January).

Cymraeg


Elgin marbles campaign launches

A campaign to return the Elgin marbles to Greece is launched on Wednesday.

BBC News


History: it's all in the past

QCA proposals to 'sex-up' the history GCSE and make the qualification more vocational are misguided, says Tristram Hunt

Educational Guardian


Scientists unlock Monte Rosa’s secret history

Swiss and Italian researchers are digging near the summit of Monte Rosa on the Italian border in search of secrets locked deep within the ice.

They hope to reveal what sort of pollution the Romans caused and how the climate has changed over the past 10,000 years.

Swiss Info

Monday, January 12, 2004



A MODERN-DAY MEDIEVAL MYSTERY

Experts have accused the custodians of Nottingham Castle of failing to protect rare stonework from going missing. The city council blames a lack of funding and practical difficulties. JAMES SMITH reports on what is being done to safeguard what little remains of Nottingham's spectacular medieval castle

Nottingham Evening Post


Greeks enrol top PR in fight for Marbles

Greece has hired one of the world's leading public relations companies in a fresh attempt to get the Elgin Marbles returned to Athens.

The Telegraph


Return of the damned after 400 years

Archaeologists have uncovered a mass grave which may throw lights on one of the strangest and most gruesome events of the Elizabethan age: the curse of Roland Jenks.

The Observer

Sunday, January 11, 2004



Uns is in alten Mären
Das Nibelungenlied und seine Welt


Exhibition about the Nibelungenlied

Karlsuhe - der Schloss

13.12.2003 - 14.3.2004

Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00

Link to website

Saturday, January 10, 2004



Roman treasures unearthed during subway dig

Naples, Italy - Italian archaeologists have discovered a Roman ship and hundreds of amphorae dating to the second century AD during excavation works for a new subway in the southern city of Naples.

IOL

Friday, January 09, 2004



Research Day on Monumentality in Late
Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Britain


The Department of History and Archaeology, in association with the
Prehistoric Society, are holding a day school on Monumentality in Late
Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Britain in Cardiff from 10am on Saturday
17th January. Speakers include Richard Bradley, Colin Richards and
Andrew Fitzpatrick. All are welcome!

For more information visit the website at:


http://www.cf.ac.uk/hisar/conferences/archaeology/dayschool/dayschool2004.html


Medieval hall may be restored

A medieval hall could soon be restored to its former glory, 30 years after being ripped apart.

Manor Cottage stood at the centre of what was the sleepy village of Southwick for about 500 years.

The Argus, Sussex


Prehistoric cave for sale

Perigueux, France - Looking to buy in southwest France? A retired farmer in the Dordogne region is selling his prehistoric cave adorned with drawings for just one million euros ($1.3m).

News 24


Iron Age find at business park

Experts have uncovered evidence of Iron Age houses and pottery dating from around 100 BC at a major Tyneside development.

BBC News


Siberian graveyard's secrets

YEKATERINBURG, Russia In a medieval Siberian graveyard a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, Russian scientists have unearthed mummies roughly 1,000 years old, clad in copper masks, hoops and plates - burial rites that archaeologists say they have never seen before.

International Herald Tribune


Greece's Olympic treasure hunt

A CLOUD of white dust hovers over Athens’ former international airport as crews using heavy equipment build sports facilities for the upcoming Olympics.

A few paces away, another team of workers, with only brushes and garden tools, carefully digs into the past.

It’s part of an unexpected gift for archaeologists - Olympic projects clearing the way for the single biggest antiquities treasure hunt in Athens and the surrounding areas.

The Scotsman


When archaeology gets bent

Although archaeology is sometimes associated with dry digging and forgotten ruins it also has another, sometimes darker aspect - one that has used evidence from the ground for political ends.

BBC News


Experts dig out an ancient ironworks

LEOMINSTER'S biggest-ever archaeological excavation uncovered important clues about the town's long history.

The extensive dig, covering half an acre of the Focus DIY development site at Mill Street, revealed that Leominster was a hive of industry from a very early period.

This is Herefordshire

Wednesday, January 07, 2004



'Time team' goes green

One of the region's leading archaeological companies has moved into new state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly premises in Barnard Castle.

IC Teeside


Castle Ruins Must Make Way for M-Way Roundabout

Work to dismantle historic castle ruins to make way for a roundabout was given the go ahead today.

The decision paves the way for the roundabout on the site of Carrickmines Castle in south Dublin.

The Scotsman


Museum urges reburial of skeletons in its closet

Most of a Museum of London collection of 20,000 skeletons should be reburied after being properly studied, the museum director said yesterday.

The Guardian


How do you find a shipwreck?

New technology has driven the task of locating shipwrecks, otherwise known as the art of looking for a needle in a haystack, into a boom period over the past decade. Remotely operated vehicles (Rovs) and accurate positioning of sunken ships have been two big leaps forward in a field once limited by manual searches and how deep divers could go. The wreck of the American steamer Republic - seen above in a painting from 1860 - which sank in 1865, was found last week off the coast of Georgia using technology formerly available only to oil and gas prospectors.

The Guardian


Why did Neanderthals have such long faces?

No, not just because they were sad about their imminent extinction: it is actually about skull shape and human evolution. In fact it's not that they had long faces, but that we have short ones.

The Guardian


New planning appeals statistics revealed

It's been revealed that the Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen, rejected nearly one third of the planning appeals which his heritage officials suggested be taken to An Bord Pleanala.

RTE News


Archaeologists make a dig for victory as success prompts a move to new unit

An Archaeology company is digging into new premises on a County Durham enterprise park to house its expanding operation.

Northern Archaeological Associates (NAA) has moved into energy-efficient units on Harmire Enterprise Park in Barnard Castle, a £1.4m scheme developed by One NorthEast and Teesdale District Council.


IC Newcastle - Northwest


There may be gold in them there ships

Underwater explorers are set to recover history's richest sunken treasure - and net the British taxpayer an unexpected windfall.

IC Newcastle - The Journal

Tuesday, January 06, 2004



Museum skeletons 'to be reburied'

The Museum of London is considering reburying its collection of 17,000 skeletons on ethical grounds.

BBC News

Monday, January 05, 2004



Heritage trail would bring history to life

PLANS to bring a town's hidden history to light will be unveiled this week.

Chester-le-Street Heritage Group, the district council and other organisations have been working for months to develop a heritage trail through the town.

The Northern Echo


Have the heritage police gone power mad?

Eighteen months after he bought Slepe Cottage, his dream home but a listed wreck of a building in a Dorset hamlet, it all got too much for Peter Burden. At the end of October, the 45-year-old father of four went home to the cottage, a former tea room, and hanged himself from a beam.

The Times


Volunteers needed for Roman festival

A MASSIVE cash injection has boosted plans to celebrate Northwich's Roman heritage with a festival.

But now volunteers are needed to help make it a success.

Brian Curzon, a retired archaeologist and museum curator, said: "This year promises to be an exciting one for anyone interested in history, archaeology, art and design or even photography, as all these skills are needed for the Northwich Community Roman Celebrations.

Northwich Guardian


TV to focus on Newport's medieval ship

A NEW BBC documentary will explore the intrigue surrounding Newport's medieval ship.

The Timewatch programme on BBC2 will examine the origins of the 560-year-old ship, discovered in the muddy banks of the Usk in July 2002, and its connections with Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick.

This is Gwent

Sunday, January 04, 2004



Island yields its ancient secrets

SECRETS buried on Poole Harbour's Green Island are due to be uncovered on national TV in February.

Channel 4's popular archaeology exploration programme Time Team spent three days on the privately owned island in the summer.

This is Poole


Tunnelling badgers endanger Britain's trove of hidden relics

The secrets of how the ancient ancestors of modern Britons lived and died could be lost forever because the evidence is being destroyed by badgers.
Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire has harboured the mysteries of civilisations for more than 5,500 years, making it one of Europe's most treasured archaeological sites.

The Observer


Tunnelling badgers endanger Britain's trove of hidden relics

The secrets of how the ancient ancestors of modern Britons lived and died could be lost forever because the evidence is being destroyed by badgers.

Guardian Unlimited


Couple on the button

JULIE and Julian Goodman have struck gold (literally) with a new year cash bonanza of £1,400.

That's the valuation which experts from the British Museum have put on a gold button which the couple found while they were digging in their back garden.

Luton & Dunstable on Sunday

Saturday, January 03, 2004



ANCIENT REMAINS SAVED

A site which is home to archaeological remains thought to be thousands of years old has been saved. Owners of the land, between Alstone Road and Alstone Lane, which has remains dating back to the Iron Age and Roman times, are hoping to build 30 houses.

But members of Sedgemoor District Council development control committee voted against the plans, made by Alexander Holderness and Joan Dowling.


Burnham Times


DEBATE FORCED ON MUSEUM CUTS PLAN

Plans to close Gloucester Folk Museum for 42 weeks a year have been put on temporary hold.

The proposals, which would see the creation of a single museum in the city, were called in by the opposition Conservative group of councillors in a move initiated by the group's deputy leader, Coun Andrew Gravells. He was supported by four other councillors - Paul James, Martyn White, Mike Rentell and Bob Gardiner.

Thisd is Gloucestershire


The 400BC Ferrari

AN Iron Age chariot unearthed at an Edinburgh building site has been proved the oldest in Britain.

Radiocarbon tests on the wheels of the chariot, which has been described as a "Ferrari of the Iron Age", have proved it dates back to 400BC - 200 years earlier than the previous oldest British find.

Edinburgh Evening News

Friday, January 02, 2004



On the path of the ancient pathogen
DNA research laboratory


The TV sleuths on Da Vinci's Inquest and CSI have nothing on Carney Matheson and his colleagues at a unique research centre in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Cold case? Try unravelling forensic mysteries from 3,000-year-old bits of bone or an ancient tooth. How about finding the cause of death in a mummified man from the 18th century?

National Post


Ancient site hints at first US settlers

Stone-age people lived in the lands north of the Arctic Circle before the last Ice Age - much earlier than had been thought, suggests new findings.

The discovery of the site in eastern Siberia also hints that people might have moved from the Old World into the Americas at a much earlier date than believed.

New Scientist


Finds show humans were in arctic earlier

HUMANS may have inhabited the desolate and icy lands of the Arctic twice as early as previously thought, new archaeological research showed today.

Belfast Telegraph


Romans wiped out Scots tribes

THE Monty Python team famously once asked what the Romans had ever done for civilisation – and then reeled off a list of the empire's great achievements.
But along with roads, viniculture, acquaducts, and education, new research has unearthed evidence that the legions may have caused such widespread devastation in Scotland that some areas took centuries to recover.

The Herald