Roman wall unearthed at city site

Archaeologists working in Leicester say they will be able to find out more about the city's history after the discovery of part of a Roman wall.

The find was made by experts excavating the new Shires Shopping Centre site on Freeschool Lane.

It is a large section of wall and an archway, believed to be part of a market hall.

The building was first discovered in the 1950s under High Cross Street, but this section of the wall had collapsed.

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Atipanakuy

Location: Peru Length: 7 min.

Atipanakuy is a Quechua word meaning "confrontation" or "fight." This imaginative film, much of it in Quechua with English and Spanish subtitles, reflects the Taki Ongoy cultural resistance movement of the 1500s and the rediscovery of Peruvian history through the rebirth of two scissors dancers, who dance through modern Peruvian culture. Juxtapositions of time and space, the past and the present, show the scissors dancer as a unique survivor and bearer of the ancient Andean civilization that is visible today mostly in its ruins.

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Greece fights for its lost treasures

An untold amount of Greek heritage has been lost to international smugglers, but now Greece is fighting back, determined to bring its treasures home.

The gate of Apollo in the Cycladic island of Naxos
Greece is littered with antiquities and archaeological sites
"Smuggling is a very big problem and it is becoming bigger by the day. Everybody in Greece is doing some kind of digging or looting somewhere."

Yannis - the name he gives himself - is a key figure in the international smuggling network.

In an exclusive interview for BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents, conducted at a secret location, he revealed his insights.

"It starts at the top, from politicians down to ordinary people," he continued, "and the motivation is always money."

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Golden dagger found in tomb sharp as it was 5,000 years ago

A GOLDEN dagger dating to 3,000BC and 500 golden ornaments have been found in a tomb in central Bulgaria, an archaeologist said yesterday.

The six-inch dagger was said to be in perfect condition and still sharp despite the passage of 5,000 years since it was made.

"It's a really sensational discovery," Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of the Bulgarian national museum, said.

"The dagger, which we believe is made of gold and platinum, most probably belonged to a Thracian ruler or to a priest. No item of this type was found even in the legendary city of Troy."

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Ancient dagger found in Bulgaria

Archaeologists have discovered a precious golden dagger dated to about 3,000BC in a Thracian tomb in the centre of Bulgaria.

It is the latest find from one of many tombs believed to have formed the cradle of Thracian civilisation.

The dagger, made of an alloy of gold and platinum, was found near the village of Dubovo.

Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of Bulgaria's National Museum, told Reuters news agency the discovery was "sensational".

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Keith Lilley, Chris Lloyd and Steve Trick, 2005

This resource derives from the Mapping the medieval urban landscape research project which began in 2003 with two years funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Using mapping as a medium, the project examined how urban landscapes were shaped in the middle ages, the project furthers an understanding of the forms and formation of medieval towns. It is the first project to have used spatial technologies – Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) – as a basis for mapping and analysing medieval urban landscapes. The project team was Dr Keith Lilley (director), Dr Chris Lloyd (co-director), and Dr Steven Trick (researcher) and the research was conducted at Queen’s University Belfast.

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Medieval Justice Not So Medieval

Labeling idleness a crime may have been a bit strict, but the justice system in medieval England should never be considered backwards.

Punishments for offenses in those days were perhaps even more sensible and humane than they are now, say some historians. [Medieval Torture's 10 Biggest Myths]

"The common view of the medieval justice system as cruel and based around torture and execution is often unfair and inaccurate," said University of Cambridge historian Helen Mary Carrel. Most criminals received gentle sentences merely meant to shame them, Carrel said, with the punishments often carried out in the open so townspeople could bring them charity.

Carrel presented her views recently during the International Medieval Congress, hosted by the University of Leeds.

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Cat drags in new theory on Scottish cairns

The actions of a domestic cat have thrown up a new theory about ancient stone burial cairns in Caithness (Scotland). Archaeologists built a mock-up of the structures as part of an experiment. Emma Sanderson, of Caithness Archaeology Trust, said it was found that a dead rabbit had been left in the replica by a cat. She said it could mean that animal bones found in real cairns were not the remains of ceremonial offerings, as thought, but left by other creatures.

Archaeologists built reconstructions of burial cairns and ancient towers called brochs as part of a series of research projects and excavations carried out in Caithness over the summer. The archaeologists are now analysing their field work, including new insights into cairns.

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Neolithic site confirmed at Orcadian Bronze Age cemetery

Questions surrounding an 'unusual' building at the Knowes o' Trotty Bronze Age cemetery (Harray, Scotland) have been answered – at least partially. The structure has turned out to be an early Neolithic house, which predates the Harray cemetery by approximately 1,500 years. Dating from around 3,500 BCE, the structure resembles the Knap o' Howar in Papa Westray. The house, and the various finds from within, is also very similar to buildings excavated at Stonehall in Firth.

The house was originally discovered during an exploratory dig at the Knowes o' Trotty in 2002. Subsequent excavations left the archaeologists puzzled as to its origin and purpose. But returning to the site this year it became clear that a Stone Age settlement was once sited at the foot of the Ward of Redland. Dr Jane Downes, of Orkney College, and Orkney Archaeological Trust's Nick Card, led the excavators. They extended the previous trenches to clarify the extent and layout of the building. It was oblong in shape and measured approximately 7m x 4m.

The different wall constructions showed that multiple phases of occupation, with a large central hearth – typical of Neolithic dwellings throughout Orkney – dominating the floorspace. A second doorway in the structure was particularly intriguing. Built into the south-west corner of the building, it led into a small, stone cell dug into the slope of the hill.

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Ancient Gold Dagger Unearthed in Central Bulgaria

Archaeologists have unearthed a gold-platinum dagger and more than 500 gold ornaments from an ancient tomb in central Bulgaria.

The director of Bulgaria's National Historic Museum says the artifacts are part of a treasure trove first discovered last year in a Thracian-era tomb that may be the resting place of an ancient ruler or priest.

Speaking Sunday in Sofia, Bozhidar Dimitrov said the 16-centimeter dagger, which dates back to the third millennium B.C., remains extremely sharp and in near-perfect condition.

The burial site was discovered two years ago near a village in central Bulgaria. Last year, archaeologists found more than 15,000 miniature gold pieces at the site.

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Turkey begins controversial dam

Turkey has begun building a major dam, despite criticism that the project will ruin an ancient archaeological site and displace thousands of people.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan led a ceremony to begin work on the Ilisu dam in the south-eastern Turkey.

Turkey says the $1.55bn (£800m) project will help irrigate vast areas of farmland and provide vital energy.

Critics argue that it will destroy ruins and artefacts at the Hasankeyf site dating back thousands of years.

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Roman temple to make way for insurers

Like many institutions in the City of London, it was dedicated to truth, honour and courage - and it also catered for visitors who liked to celebrate with a drink.

More recently it has been a tourist attraction, but now the third-century Temple of Mithras, one of the most important Roman discoveries in the City, is to move from its location in Queen Victoria Street to make way for the £300m Walbrook Square development by the Legal and General insurance group.

The temple will be returning to its original underground location beside the covered-over river Walbrook, which was an important source of fresh water in Roman Londinium.

The move, which has the support of English Heritage and the City of London Corporation, reverses the journey made by the temple in 1962.

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Iron Age site dig open to public

Archaeologists excavating an Iron Age farmstead in west Wales say the site may have been home to "several families" as early as 200 BC.

After two weeks' digging at the 2,000-year-old plot, the team have uncovered the remains of a circular house together with pits and postholes.

Other buildings found last year appear to have been surrounded by two large protective ditches and banks.

The site, near Tremain, Ceredigion, is open to the public on Sunday 6 August.

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U.K. census finally online -- 921 years later

Domesday Book, a 'national treasure,' can be searched on website

The Middle Ages met the Internet age Friday when the Domesday Book, a survey of England conducted almost 1,000 years ago, went online.

The Domesday Book -- the oldest record held by Britain's National Archives and one of the country's most valuable documents -- details the landholdings and resources that belonged to King William the Conqueror in 1085. It gives a minute record of the wealth of England and the families settled throughout the countryside at that time.

Now, the text of the book in the original Latin, along with an English translation, was put online at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday.

Anyone with an Internet connection can -- for a fee -- download copies of handwritten records that provide a picture of life in the 11th century.

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More pieces of hidden bog book found

More fragments of an ancient manuscript concealed in a Co Tipperary bog over 1,000 years ago with a view to later recovery, have been found by the National Museum of Ireland, writes Seán Mac Connell

The discoveries also include a fine leather pouch in which the manuscript was originally kept.

Museum experts have excavated the site at Faddan More, in north Tipperary, since the discovery of the manuscript last month by excavator driver Eddie Fogarty.

He found the book on July 20th while digging peat on a bog owned by brothers Kevin and Patrick Leonard, according to a statement issued by the museum last night.

It said archaeologists and conservators had completed excavation of the area where the ancient manuscript was found. It described the find as "an extremely significant discovery".

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Children and adults will dig Archaeology Week

A RANGE of talks, tours and workshops are to be held to celebrate the fifth annual East Lothian Archaeology Week.

Among the locations being used is the John Muir Birthplace in Dunbar and old parts of Prestongrange.

There will also be a tour of the archaeological remains at Bilsdean and Dunglass.

Biddy Simpson, East Lothian Council heritage officer, said: "All events are free and there should be something for everyone, no matter your age or level of interest."

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Bronze Age boat is uncovered

THE village of Netley, in Rathnamaugh, Crossmolina, was the scene of some painstaking work this week as archaeologists toiled to excavate a prehistoric logboat discovered some weeks ago in the area.

The dugout or logboat was stumbled upon in the course of pipe laying works as part of the Ballina Regional Water Scheme being carried out by Ward & Burke. Upon the discovery, on Sean and Aileen Gough’s land in Netley, Mayo County Council enlisted a team of archaeologists to assess and unearth the artefact. Following a visit to the site, The National Museum has expressed significant interest in the find.

Site Director, Ms Joanna Nolan, told the Western People: “The boat dates back to pre-historic times; obviously a tree-trunk boat, it is most likely Bronze Age which would be 3000 years ago”.

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Experts discover Bronze Age motorway

Experts have been called in to investigate what is believed to be the remains of an ancient motorway, it emerged today.

A trio of university archaeologists were contacted after contractors working in Suffolk unearthed a number of vertical timbers thought to have once supported an ancient wooden causeway.

Experts said excavations at the site of a multi-million pound flood alleviation project for Broadland had revealed the remains of a structure which ran for more than half-a-mile, from dry land on the edge of Beccles Town marshes, across a swamp to a spot on the River Waveney.

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Rolling stones helps broch study

Archaeologists and volunteers spent more than two years constructing a 10m tall replica of an Iron Age stone-built tower - only to demolish it.

The project, run in a quarry at Spital, near Thurso, Caithness, was part of research into brochs.

There are estimated to be 200 of them lying in ruins in the region.

Knocking down the reconstructed tower is helping archaeologists to better differentiate tumbledown brochs from the remains of other buildings.

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Drought holds key to centuries-old mystery

Archaeologists puzzling over a 500-year-old architectural enigma in a drought-bleached suburban park believe they have finally solved the mystery of its identity - and that the key lies with the Tudors' struggles to cope with water shortages similar to those we face today.

The mysterious structure in the heart of Bruce Castle Park in Tottenham, north London, has in the past been variously explained as a garden folly, or a platform for flying hawks.

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