'Sad' state of our historical sites

I'm sad to say that many historical and archaeological sites in Cumbria, and I'm sure this is the same all over England, Scotland and Wales, are not as loved and looked after as they perhaps should be. Nor are they as accessible as one would possibly hope.

There are castles, stone circles, earthworks and other sites dotted around the county that no one gets to see, to visit or to photograph. Sites that are nothing but shadows of their former selves, whether through neglect, vandalism, wanton destruction or mother natures relentless attention.

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Molecules As Fossils

Mass spectrometry is helping paleontologists dig up molecular clues about prehistoric creatures

There was a time when a paleontologist's tool kit consisted of little more than a hand pick, a hammer, and a magnifying glass. But outfitting a paleontologist in the 21st century is a considerably more high-tech endeavor.

The "New Approaches to Paleontological Investigation" symposium at last month's American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in St. Louis highlighted how high-tech tools have become indispensable in paleontology. Scientists can now study fossils in greater detail than ever, thanks to state-of-the-art computers and instrumentation such as magnetic resonance imaging, computer-assisted tomography, and mass spectrometry.

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Über die Grabungen in Hattusa, der Hauptstadt der Hethiter

Vor 100 Jahren begannen deutsche Wissenschaftler in Zentralanatolien mit der Ausgrabung von Hattusa, der Hauptstadt der Hethiter. Die rund 30.000 Keilschrifttafeln, die dort seitdem gefunden wurden, haben das Geschichtsbild der Späten Bronzezeit in Vorderasien wesentlich mitbestimmt. Bei einer Tagung an der Uni Würzburg liefern nun mehrere Ausgräber aus erster Hand Informationen über aktuelle Ergebnisse.

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Google Earth: Find the Archaeology

Find the Archaeology is a game on the Google Earth community bulletin board where people post an aerial photograph of an archaeological site and users must figure out where it is. It looks like it might be fun to play, if you could find a listing of all the entries so far, so here they are (at least the ones I could find!)

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Robert the Bruce to hit tourist trail

LIKE their famous ancestor, they will keep on trying until they finally succeed. The descendants of Robert the Bruce are determined to build a lasting tribute to one of Scotland's greatest heroes by launching a heritage trail in his memory.

Other national icons such as William Wallace and Robert Burns have well-trodden tourist trails that keep their memories alive for native Scots and overseas visitors.

But the Bruce family believes a distinctive King Robert I heritage tour will both boost tourism and cement his reputation for future generations.

The Earl of Elgin, the 37th chief of the Bruce clan, will hold a special ceremony next weekend to mark the 700th anniversary of the Bruce's accession to the Scottish throne.

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Survey aims to find 'lost garden'

A survey is being carried out on an old building in Saltash on Sunday before work can start on the re-creation of an Elizabethan garden at the site.

The garden at Mary Newman's Cottage in Culver Road is set to undergo a geophysical examination.

The Tamar Protection Society, which manages the cottage, has asked the Tamarside Archaeological Survey to see if anything is buried under the land.

It hopes to detect the old garden lay out, paving or any earlier building.

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East Kirk of St Nicholas

The weekly diary has transferred to the news section for the next few weeks.

This week, Judith Stones, Keeper of Archaeology, writes…

At the end of last week a window was installed at ground floor level within the church, which gives a new perspective on the dig (pictured below), in addition to the superb high-level view from the East Kirk gallery.

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Rare ancient coffin in Kouklia

A SARCOPHAGUS of unique archaeological value came to light yesterday during excavating works in Kouklia, Paphos, identical to two others that were found in other areas of Cyprus in the early 19th century.

A sarcophagus is a coffin usually made of stone that was in ancient times decorated with carvings of the deceased or religious icons.

The Antiquities’ Department believed this one to be a rare find, like the two that were also found in Cyprus but exported by the British during colonial times. Those two sarcophaguses can be located now at the Metropolitan Museums of New York and Britain.

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Saladin und die Kreuzfahrer - Sonderausstellung im Landesmuseum Oldenburg

Die Sonderausstellung ‚Saladin und die Kreuzfahrer’, die bis zum 2. Juli 2006 im Landesmuseum für Natur und Mensch in Oldenburg zu sehen sein wird, zeigt in fünf Themenbereichen erstmals eine Gegenüberstellung der Zeugnisse der Kreuzfahrer aus den neu gegründeten Reichen mit denen der islamischen Welt. Für die Ausstellung wurden über 220 herausragende Objekte aus dem Vorderen Orient sowie zahlreiche exquisite Exponate aus europäischen Museen, Bibliotheken und Sammlungen ausgewählt.

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World's oldest football – fit for a Queen

A LITTLE-known fact about Mary, Queen of Scots was that she enjoyed sport. Mary would swing a golf club or tennis racket from time to time and she was a spectator at sporting competitions. But did she also play football – Scotland's national sport?

During an excavation project inside Stirling Castle in the mid-1970s, workers came upon a small round object tucked behind the thick oak-panelled walls of the bed chamber once used by Mary. What they found was a leather ball, slightly larger than a softball. But it was not just any ball.

This little grey orb has been determined to be the oldest football in the world - dating back to the mid-16th century and signifying the earliest known reference to the sport and royalty. While horse racing has long been known as the Sport of Kings, perhaps football was once the Sport of Queens.

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Cleopatra Worked Her Power Hair

Egyptian queen Cleopatra used her hairstyles in calculated ways to enhance her power and fame, according to a book published recently by a Yale art history and classics professor.

Statues, coins and other existing depictions of the queen suggest Cleopatra (69-30 B.C.) wore at least three hairstyles, according to Diana Kleiner. The first, a "traveling" do that mimicked the hair of a Macedonian Greek queen, involved sectioning the hair into curls, which were then often pulled away from the face and gathered into a bun at the back.

The next was a coiffure resembling a melon, and the third was the regal Cleopatra in her royal Egyptian headdress, complete with a rearing cobra made of precious metal.

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Experts to preserve rare swords found in region

ONE of the most important archaeological discoveries in East Yorkshire in years is to be put under the spotlight by a leading team of experts.

The hoard of Iron Age weapons found at South Cave in 2002 will eventually take a starring role at the new £5m Treasure House complex in Beverley when it opens in early 2007. But before then they need to be cleaned up.

The Museum of London Archaeology Service (Molas), which includes experts from the British Museum, has been awarded a contract by East Riding Council to preserve the finds.

The team will carry out detailed analysis of the finds – three iron swords in bronze scabbards covered in beautiful Celtic decorations, and a bundle of 2ft long socketed spearheads – and produce a report to go out in a major archaeological journal.

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Das berühmte Moor-Mädchen von Windeby war ein Junge

Schleswig/Wiesbaden (archaeologie-news) - Die bekannteste deutsche Moorleiche, das rund 2.000 Jahre alte so genannte "Mädchen von Windeby" aus der Gegend des heutigen Eckernförde in Schleswig-Holstein, war kein Mädchen, wie es bislang hieß, sondern ein Junge, den man jetzt scherzhaft als "Windeboy" bezeichnet. Seit einem halben Jahrhundert wird das vermeintliche Mädchen zusammen mit männlichen Moorleichen im Archäologischen Landesmuseum auf Schloss Gottorf in Schleswig präsentiert. Weltweit kennt man rund 700 Leichenfunde aus Moorgebieten, von denen zehn in Schleswig liegen.

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Broadmead dig finds are unveiled

Artefacts uncovered by archaeologists during the £500m revamp of Bristol's Broadmead have gone on show to the public for the first time.

Historians have been sifting through the rubble while the Quakers Friars area of the city centre is demolished to make way for a new shopping centre.

Among the foundations, they have discovered numerous artefacts, including 13th Century floor tiles.

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Leuvense opgravingen in Soedan werpen nieuw licht op Paleolithische economie

De Nijlvallei zou 200.000 jaar geleden al een complex systeem van economische specialisatie gekend hebben. Dat concluderen de Leuvense prehistorici Veerle Rots en Philip van Peer op basis van de gebruikssporen op Midden-Paleolithische werktuigen die ze vonden bij opgravingen in Soedan. Ze publiceerden hun bevindingen deze maand in het vaktijdschrift 'Journal of Archaeological Science'.

De Eenheid Prehistorische Archeologie van de K.U.Leuven voert al jaren opgravingen uit in Egypte en Soedan. In het kader van deze opgravingen concentreert post-doctoraal onderzoekster Veerle Rots zich op een functionele analyse van het lithisch materiaal van verschillende sites in Noordoost-Afrika. Een belangrijke methode om de functie van dergelijke lithische artefacten te bepalen is het microscopisch gebruikssporenonderzoek.

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HUMAN EVOLUTION: ON THE NEANDERTALS

The following points are made by Jean-Jacques Hublin (Current Biology 2006 16:R113):

1) A Neandertal (Homo neanderthalensis or Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) is a kind of human that lived in Europe and Western Asia until around 30,000 years ago. The first Neandertal skeleton was found by quarry workers in 1856 in the Neander Valley in Germany. At first people thought the odd-looking skeleton was that of a diseased person or of a Cossack from the Napoleonic War. It was only later, when similar remains were found in Belgium, that Neandertals became fully accepted as an extinct type of human. Since then, a debate about their relationship to modern humans has raged among paleontologists and geneticists, and inspired many writers of fiction.

2) Around 400 fossils of Neandertals or their direct ancestors are known, and several almost complete skeletons have been discovered, including immature individuals. They show that Neandertals looked very different from extant humans. In fact, morphometric comparisons show that Neandertals were as different from modern humans as are closely related species of great apes from each other, such as bonobos and common chimpanzees. They had large brains in elongated braincases, receding foreheads and supraorbital buttresses. Their faces were long and very projecting in the mid-part, with large noses and no chins. They had large husky bodies weighing around 80 kg. Their bones and muscles were extremely robust, maybe partly because of their behavior and level of activity. However, some of the typical features of Neandertals, for example the shape of the inner ear, were established even before birth. To sustain their muscular bodies they required lots of calories per day. Isotopic studies show that they did this by eating a lot of meat and fat.

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Ancient carving throws more light on Roman religious beliefs

AN ANCIENT rock carving has been uncovered near Chesters Roman Fort.

The carving of a 40cm high figure, holding a shield in one hand and spear or sword in the other, was found at Carr Edge near the fort by a team of rock carving experts.

It was uncovered by a team of enthusiastic local volunteers looking for prehistoric rock art as part of the Northumberland and Durham rock art project – a scheme funded by English Heritage and run by Northumberland and Durham County Councils.

Rock art project officer Tertia Barnett said: “This is a completely unexpected discovery.

“It shows how much there is still to discover about Northumberland’s ancient past.

“It was discovered by a team out looking for prehistoric art work.

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John Wymer

JOHN WYMER was one of Britain’s foremost archaeologists. In the course of a lifetime devoted to seeking out the earliest traces of human beings, he made many significant discoveries in Britain and abroad.

John James Wymer was born in 1928 and brought up in southwest London, near Kew Gardens. He was introduced to the quest for ancient flint implements by his parents whom he accompanied on many visits to nearby gravel pits where flint implements and the bones of extinct animals were to be found.

He began his career as a teacher. However, at the age of 27, while working at Swanscombe in Kent, he found part of the skull of a fossil hominid — it turned out to be the oldest human cranium from Britain — and he soon turned to archaeology full-time. In 1956 he was appointed to the staff of Reading Museum, from where he continued his search for Palaeolithic implements in the quaternary sediments of the River Thames.

The research was described in his first monograph, Lower Palaeolithic Archaeology in Britain: as Represented by the Thames Valley (1968), which catalogued thousands of discoveries and used them as a basis for a chronology of the Lower Palaeolithic period. The monograph was illustrated by fine pen-and-ink drawings of the hand-axes and other flint tools characteristic of the period — such illustrations would be a feature of each of his reports.

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Famed Pompeii house reopens

Naples, March 16 - One of Pompeii's most famous houses is reopening after more than ten years .

The Casa degli Amorini Dorati (House of the Flying Cupids), one of the supreme examples of the refined taste of the age of the Emperor Nero, will open its doors again after long renovation on April 3 .

The house was built in the III Century BC and restyled on several occasions up to the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius that buried the city in smouldering ash .

It has a charming rural air, according to the vogue of its last incarnation, with a little temple, water-spouting statues and bas-reliefs of Maenads and Satyrs .

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Italian medieval archive to be digitised

Italy and other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have embarked upon a project to digitise their archives.

Thousands of documents and maps, some 1,000 years old, will be made available online. David Willey reports from Rome.

BBC video report...

Archaeology Dig 2006: Briquetage de la Seille (France)

July 16 to 26 August 2006. Projet Briquetage de la Seille. The Briquetage Field School, Moselle, France, is a training school for all students with an interest in archaeology, anthropology, geology and geography and related disciplines.

Training focuses on understanding the Briquetage de la Seille - an Iron Age/Celtic landscape of salt-making workshops, settlements and cemeteries which comprise perhaps the most important centre for proto-industry in Europe.

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WORLD'S LAST CRUCIBLE STEELWORKS IN SHEFFIELD SAVED BY £7M PROJECT

The last surviving steel crucible workshop in the world is to be saved from dereliction as part of a £7 million regeneration project to help revitalise the steel industry in Sheffield.

Once in the vanguard of a technological revolution, Darnall Works in the Lower Don Valley, stands as a relic of the city’s steel making tradition. At its core is a unique red brick crucible workshop dating from the 1870s.

In a deal that will see the steel industry use the site again, more than 200 jobs will be created, 3.8 acres of land redeveloped, and 60,000 square feet of high quality commercial space made available.

“The Darnall Works is a superb example of heritage-led regeneration in an area that made a crucial contribution to Britain’s Industrial Revolution,” said Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage. “The iconic crucible workshop is the world’s only known survivor of this type of steelworks.”

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Hadrian’s Wall world heritage site could include city centre

THE Hadrian’s Wall world heritage site could be extended to cover Carlisle city centre.

Carlisle and Newcastle were excluded when the 73-mile long Roman wall became a world heritage site in 1987.

Now English Heritage is consulting on extending the area to Roman Carlisle, known as Lugavalium.

City councillors are expected to back the idea when the council executive meets on Monday.

A report from Catherine Elliot, the council’s director of development services, says designation could attract more tourists, and it would put Carlisle in the company of the Taj Mahal, the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China – all world heritage sites.

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Before Scandinavia: These could be the first skiers

Move over Bode. You may have competition you don't know about - among a sturdy skiing clan in northwest China.

They are central Asians, Mongols, and Kazaks, living in the remote Altay mountains of Xinjiang province, where some claim skiing was first conceived.

Using curved planks whose design dates back 2,000 years, the Altaic peoples are formidable skiers. They might not win a medal on perfectly groomed Olympic trails. But they can break their own paths, track elk for days in deep snow, and capture them live.

They don't zig-zag through slalom courses or bump down moguls. But using a single pole, they plunge straight down mountainsides in a blaze of efficiency, and climb hills with a speed and grace that has wowed the few Western experts who have witnessed their prowess.

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Spezielle Funde bei Grabungen am römischen Gutshof in Dietikon

Bei laufenden Ausgrabungen der Kantonsarchäologie Zürich am römischen Gutshof in Dietikon sind einige besondere Funde zum Vorschein gekommen. Der Höhepunkt der Grabung bildet die Entdeckung zweier gut erhaltener Bronzefiguren: eine kleine Büste eines glatzköpfigen Mannes mit einem erigierten Penis auf dem Schädel sowie eine Statuette der Göttin Minerva. Gleichzeitig wurden 13 Gräber von Früh- und Neugeborenen sowie drei Nebengebäude des großen römischen Gutshofs freigelegt. Dank den neuen Funden kann das bisherige Bild des römischen Dietikon in verschiedenen Bereichen vervollständigt werden. Die Ausgrabung läuft noch bis Ende März, danach wird auf dem Gelände ein neues Bezirksgebäude errichtet.

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Archaeology film fest in Rome

Rome, March 15 - Europe's best ancient history documentaries are on show here this weekend at the debut edition of Rome's International Archaeology Cinema Festival .

The four-day event, which kicks off Friday at the city's posh new Auditorium Music Park, has a fascinating programme of film screenings, meetings with directors and debates .

"Paradoxically, our city has never had an archaeology cinema festival, though archaeology is an integral part of the territory," said Rome Culture Councillor Vincenzo Vita .

"This festival is bound to be a success because Rome has an enormous desire for culture" .

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Ancient Greek shipwreck surveyed

Archaeologists are reported to have examined a 4th century BC wooden merchantman in the eastern Aegean.

The wreck was discovered in 2004 during a sonar survey near the islands of Chios and Oinoussia. February's two-day survey, a joint exercise by Greek and American experts, was carried out by ROV and sonar to build up detailed photographic and computerised images.

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Archaeologists unearth 9,000-year-old settlement in Seydişedir

As a result of four years of painstaking excavation, a settlement dating back 9,000 years was discovered in central Anatolia. The tumulus is unique for the region as it is surrounded by walls

A settlement dating back 9,000 years was discovered during archaeological excavations in Seydişehir, a district of the central Anatolian province of Konya.

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Tara motorway campaigner is hit with costs for court battle

An environmentalist who lost his court challenge against the routing of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara yesterday had legal costs of up to €600,000 (£413,000) awarded against him.

Vincent Salafia said he was facing the prospect of bankruptcy in the wake of Judge Thomas Smyth’s ruling at the High Court.

“If I don’t pay up fairly quickly, they will bring bankruptcy proceedings against me. It obviously will be a huge factor in my ability to own or direct a corporation.
“It will affect my ability to make a living, to provide for my family, so really it’s basically a very punitive judgment.”

Mr Salafia said he would appeal to the Supreme Court. He said the costs might not be awarded against him if his appeal was successful.

The environmental campaigner, from Dodder Vale, Churchtown in Dublin, said he had taken the action on public interest grounds and that there was no personal gain involved.

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Landscape’s clues about how people lived long ago

WHEN it comes to putting the random chaos of life’s misfortune and adversity into perspective, one way is to look at the landscape and remember the people who have lived and died here, going back over the centuries.

At first you could well miss the signs – the signs of past times. When you look closely you start to see clues and recognise that our edifices and ‘improvements’ are often simply cosmetic.

Even the townland names give us tantalising hints about the lives of earlier residents. It does not take a genius to wonder who, so many years ago, lived at Poll na Callighe: it means Hags Hollow and I can just picture an old lady, known for her sharp tongue, her healing hands and her skills with herbs. What about Knock Cnoc an Muclagh – meaning hill of swine droves or piggeries? Then at Ros an gCabhas, you can see the women lifting up their skirts as they made their way across the Ilen River causeway, gingerly stepping from stone to stone, which is what the townland name means.

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Ancient cesspit found in castle

An ancient cesspit has been discovered during restoration work at Mont Orgueil Castle in Jersey.

The archaeological discovery is believed to have been built sometime between the 13th and 15th Century.

Glass, clay pipes, tableware and bottles found in the pit are being cleaned before being put on display for members of the public at La Hougue Bie.

The castle is currently undergoing a £3m improvement programmed by the Jersey Heritage Trust.

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M3 objector must pay €600,000 legal costs bill

ENVIRONMENTALIST Vincent Salafia was ordered by the High Court yesterday to pay a legal costs bill, which could be over €600,000, arising from his unsuccessful challenge to the proposed routing of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara.

However, Mr Salafia is appealing to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s rejection earlier this month of his case and his lawyers are expected to ask the Supreme Court to put a stay on payment of the costs pending the outcome of the appeal.

Mr Justice Thomas Smyth yesterday rejected arguments on behalf of Mr Salafia, of Dodder Vale, Churchtown, that he should be given the costs of his proceedings and instead directed Mr Salafia pay the costs incurred by the State, Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority in opposing his case.

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Hunt on for satyr's 'brothers'

Palermo, March 14 - The hunt is on for the 'brothers' of a 2,400-year-old bronze satyr fished out of the sea off Sicily seven years ago .

"We are sure there are similar objects down there," said Sicily's maritime culture chief Sebastiano Tusa .

The Sicilian regional government has contacted top Italian fuels group Eni to tap into its experience laying underwater cables .

"They've provided us with special equipment that should enable us to find the satyr's brothers," Tusa said .

The official said Eni's dredging probes had already enabled specialists to locate the wreck of a IV century AD Roman ship that will be raised from the sea floor in the next few weeks .

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Court defeat clears way for motorway work

THE way could be cleared for construction work to start by this time next year on the controversial M3 motorway following the failure of a High Court challenge to the road last week.

Sources have suggested that if there is no appeal to last week’s decision, that work is likely to begin in March 2007, allowing for archaeological excavations to be completed by the end of this year and site preparation work to get underway in the autumn.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) is this week meeting with its legal team to examine the judgement of High Court Justice Mr Thomas Smyth, who last week dismissed the challenge by campaigner Vincent Salafia against the route of the M3 motorway through the area between the Hill of Tara and Skryne.

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Ancient Phoenician city not destroyed

MOZIA, Italy, March 14 (UPI) -- The ancient Phoenician city Motya, believed destroyed by ancient Greeks, has been found to have been inhabited long after that supposed event.

Maria Pamela Toti, the head of an Italian archeological team, said researchers have found cooking pans, Phoenecian-style vases, small altars and numerous other items at the site.

Those artifacts "show Motya had a thriving population long after it is commonly believed to have been destroyed by the ancient Greeks," she told the Italian news agency ANSA.

Some scientists previously suspected Motya had not been destroyed, but no proof had been found. However, early this month archaeologists reported discovering rooms of a new house at a previously unexamined part of one of the city's siege walls, ANSA said.

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Environmentalist in plea over M3 challenge legal costs

An environmentalist who lost his court challenge to the routing of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara today appealed for his costs to be granted.

Vincent Salafia is claiming that he took the action on public interest grounds and that there was no personal gain involved.

The environmental campaigner, from Dodder Vale, Churchtown in Dublin, is facing a six-figure legal bill if costs for the seven-day hearing are awarded against him.

At the High Court, barrister Colm O’hEochaidh said Mr Salafia had been motivated by the spirit of the public interest.

“Mr Salafia is not against road building. His motivation was to protect the national heritage and the national monument,” he said.

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Thornborough Complex proclaimed "world Heritage Class" by English

Thornborough Complex proclaimed "world Heritage Class" by English
Heritage.

The newly rediscovered internationally important ancient monument
complex at Thornborough in North Yorkshire has been proclaimed to be
of "World Heritage Class" by the UK's culture watchdog English Heritage.

The comments were revealed in the minutes of the English Heritage
Advisory Committee – EHAC and they show that the organisation is as
convinced as many members of the British public that Thornborough is
an exceptional site of international importance that deserves better
protection.

From the minutes:

"Thornborough is one of the top ten prehistoric landscapes in the
country."

"The site and its wider landscape are of world heritage class, in the
top league of prehistoric landscapes."

The statements are included within the minutes for February 2006,
these are available online:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/EHAC_Minutes_Feb06.pdf

This is Item 7 in the report - Pages 8 to 10

Top Bulgarian Archaeologist Wants Trade in Antiquities Legal

Prominent Bulgarian archaeologist Professor Nikolay Ovcharov called for legalizing trade in antiquities in a bid to remove the strong incentives for the pillage of archaeological sites.

"Trade in antiquities should be strictly regulated by the state and should take place at auctions only," Professor Nikolay Ovcharov said at a press conference on Monday. He spoke of the huge interest that the ancient sanctuary of Perperikon, in the heart of the Rhodopes, and the tomb near the village of Tatul drew at the International Tourism Bourse in Berlin.

"It is not only by legalizing private collections, listing all objects and publicly following their discovery that we can limit treasure-hunting," said Professor Ovcharov.

He expressed discontent with the sluggish pace at which the current government is moving to adopt legislation on the acquisition, trade and granting of concessions of monuments of culture.

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Dad finds skeleton as he digs garden

A VILLAGER found a human skeleton while digging in his garden.

Paul Lucas came across the remains as he carried out landscaping work on his property at Milborne St Andrew, near Dorchester.

Mr Lucas and his wife Sue called the police when they realised the bones could be human, according to the parish magazine.

Officers arrived within minutes and were able to confirm to the relief of the household that it was an ancient burial.

First a pair of crushed feet was unearthed, but the rest of the bones - which have a honeycomb appearance - were perfectly preserved in the solid chalk of the garden.

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Castles could receive cash boost

CASTLES could receive a cash boost in a bid to improve accessibility to visitors.

The Welsh Assembly is investing additional funds to make Wales’ historic monuments more accessible to people.

Two of the county’s castles, in Flint and Hawarden, could be set to benefit if the funding goes ahead.

The announcement that the historic buildings could be receiving extra funding was made last week by culture minister Alun Pugh.

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A BLOODY HISTORY AT PUCKLECHURCH

The South Gloucestershire village of Pucklechurch, about eight miles from Bristol, is best known to historians not because of its unusual name, or even from the nearby but long closed-down coal mines, but because of the brutal murder of a young Saxon king, Edmund the Magnificent. After the 18-year-old Edmund had succeeded Athelstan, Alfred the Great's grandson, as king, Vikings moved down from the north.

After rallying his troops, the young king marched on their capital at York and eventually drove them out of the country.

The murder happened in the spring of 946 AD, while the 25-year-old warrior was enjoying time at his "palace" at Pucklechurch (probably just a wooden hunting lodge). Back then, the village was deep within Kingswood Forest.

It's been claimed that the king's killer was a banished robber, Leofra, who had returned unexpectedly. Edmund, retainers said, had been trying to stop the exiled man from assaulting his steward.

But the king wasn't buried in Pucklechurch, where there was probably only a wooden chapel, but was taken by cart to Bristol and then to Glastonbury Abbey.

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Venetian coins found in Cyprus

Some 300 to 400 copper Venetian coins have been unearthed during excavations in the old city of Nicosia, local press reported on Sunday.

The coins were found near the remains of an Ottoman Bath, where new offices of the Sewage Board will be built.

The excavation site of the coins led to speculation that the bath was built during the first few years of the Ottoman period in Cyprus, when Ottoman currency may not yet have been initiated and circulating around the island.

The Venetian Period in Cyprus lasted from 1489 until 1571, when the Ottomans conquered Famagusta and brought Cyprus under the umbrella of the Ottoman Empire for the next 300 years.

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Historic church renovation plea

An historic church in Greater Manchester has launched an appeal to raise £300,000 to pay for modernisation and urgent repairs.

Bury Parish Church is a Grade I listed building near The Rock.

The building is also the Garrison Church for the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Lancashire.

The church has called its appeal "Step Inside" as it is keen to encourage more passers-by, visitors and residents to come in for a look around.

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World's oldest football – fit for a Queen

A LITTLE-known fact about Mary, Queen of Scots was that she enjoyed sport. Mary would swing a golf club or tennis racket from time to time and she was a spectator at sporting competitions. But did she also play football – Scotland's national sport?

During an excavation project inside Stirling Castle in the mid-1970s, workers came upon a small round object tucked behind the thick oak-panelled walls of the bed chamber once used by Mary. What they found was a leather ball, slightly larger than a softball. But it was not just any ball.

This little grey orb has been determined to be the oldest football in the world - dating back to the mid-16th century and signifying the earliest known reference to the sport and royalty. While horse racing has long been known as the Sport of Kings, perhaps football was once the Sport of Queens.

Artefacts recovered from historic sites – such as Stirling Castle – often eventually end up in the nearest museum. In this case, the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum became the proud owner of this mystery ball where it sat hidden away in a storage vault for nearly 20 years. On a visit to the gallery, a member of the National Museums of Scotland noticed the ball - collecting dust in storage - and thought it might have some intrinsic value. Indeed it did.

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Venetian coins in an Ottoman Bath

REMAINS of an Ottoman Bath have been unearthed during excavations in the old city near the Paphos Gate where the new offices of the Sewage Board will be built.
The added discovery of a stash of 300-400 copper Venetian coins has led to speculation that the bath was built during the first few years of the Ottoman period in Cyprus, when Ottoman currency may not yet have been initiated and circulating around the island.

The Venetian Period in Cyprus lasted from 1489 until 1571, when the Ottomans conquered Famagusta and brought Cyprus under the umbrella of the Ottoman Empire for the next 300 years.

“The most likely scenario is that the Ottoman bath was built sometime from 1571 to 1578, when they may have still been using the Venetian coins,” said Director of the Antiquities Department Pavlos Flourentzos.

But Flourentzos told the Sunday Mail yesterday that another possibility, though less likely, was that the hammam was built in the Venetian Period.

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Looted Afghan art smuggled into UK

UP TO four tons of ancient Afghan artefacts have been seized in Britain after an unprecedented wave of looting from archeological sites in Afghanistan that has exceeded the plundering of treasures in Iraq.

“All the attention has been on Iraq but this is a far, far bigger problem,” said Detective Sergeant Vernon Rapley, who heads the art and antiques unit of the Metropolitan police. “Afghanistan is the main source of unprovenanced antiquities into Britain. It’s coming in by air freight, sea freight, DHL, you name it.

“It’s so widespread that I’m getting reports of people being murdered and clubbed to death on the planes in disputes about who should have the antiquities.”

As the crossroads of Asia — criss-crossed by invaders from Alexander the Great to Babur, the first Mughal emperor — Afghanistan has acquired one of the world’s richest cultural heritages.

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The Twists and Turns of History, and of DNA

EAST ASIAN and European cultures have long been very different, Richard E. Nisbett argued in his recent book "The Geography of Thought." East Asians tend to be more interdependent than the individualists of the West, which he attributed to the social constraints and central control handed down as part of the rice-farming techniques Asians have practiced for thousands of years.

A separate explanation for such long-lasting character traits may be emerging from the human genome. Humans have continued to evolve throughout prehistory and perhaps to the present day, according to a new analysis of the genome reported last week by Jonathan Pritchard, a population geneticist at the University of Chicago. So human nature may have evolved as well.

If so, scientists and historians say, a fresh look at history may be in order. Evolutionary changes in the genome could help explain cultural traits that last over many generations as societies adapted to different local pressures.

Trying to explain cultural traits is, of course, a sensitive issue. The descriptions of national character common in the works of 19th-century historians were based on little more than prejudice. Together with unfounded notions of racial superiority they lent support to disastrous policies.

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Carving of 'northern god' found

A 2000-year-old carving of a so-called "northern god", adopted by the Romans for protection and good luck, has been uncovered in Northumberland.

The 40cm high figure, holding a shield in one hand and spear or sword in the other, was discovered near Chesters Fort on Hadrian's Wall.

Experts say the find is exciting as it helps shed light on how people used local idols for protection.

The carving is thought to be that of Cocidius, a Romano-British warrior god.

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Whoops (again)! We didn't insure £100,000 vases, admits museum

It was perhaps the most catastrophic "Norman Wisdom moment" in the history of museums and fragile artworks, and it has just got worse.

Things seemed bad enough when a loose shoelace sent Nick Flynn tumbling down a staircase at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The ensuing crashlanding smashed three 300-year-old Qing Dynasty Chinese vases, (estimated value, when not in smithereens, £100,000.)

Now documents obtained by this newspaper reveal that the museum will receive nothing in compensation for the smashed vases because it failed to get them insured.

And the same papers reveal that the debacle was not the only "Norman Wisdom moment" at the museum.

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The M3 toll-motorway test-trenching road scar

This site presents a series of pictures showing the damage already caused to the archaeological landscape by the test trenching in advance of the M3 Motorway construction.

http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/archaeology/Tara_M3_scar.html

Hill of Tara / M3 Motorway

A discrete national monument has been discovered in the pathway of the
M3 motorway, during investigative archaeological excavations. It is
entitled Baronstown 1, by the NRA, and lies just on the other side of
the N3, between the hills of Tara and Skryne. It can be seen at:

http://www.m3motorway.ie/Archaeology/Section2/Baronstown1/

A protest involving local and national activist groups is planned for
12.00PM, March 15th, at 'Baronstown 1', a newly discovered national
monument in the pathway of the M3 motorway. Evidence regarding this
site was not allowed to be presented in the High Court case, because
Justice Smyth denied an application for cross-examination of expert
witnesses.

Maps, photographs and archaeological and historical information about
the site is available at http://www.tarawatch.org

If you haven't yet done so, please use the "SAVE TARA" button at the top of this page to sign the online petition

Viking event 'better than ever'

Organisers of the Viking festival on the Isle of Man say this year's event will be bigger and better than ever.

Peel Viking Festival will run for a week from 2 July - longer than its usual two-day stint.

Among the attractions will be a village big enough to house several people and a market with goods from the Viking home of Scandinavia.

Chairman of the Festival, Roy Baker, said it is very exciting to be involved in the event.

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DIGGING UP A LITTLE HISTORY

The site of the 13th century building is steeped in history, and now the former monastery is to undergo another major step in its colourful history.

It is set to be transformed into the centrepiece of a new European-style public square, featuring a mix of shops, restaurants, cafes and apartments, as part of the Merchants Quarter development to be opened in 2008.

But before work on the revamp can get under way, a team of historians and archaeologists are investigating the site to unearth information about one of the oldest areas of the city.

An archeological dig at Quakers Friars is being carried out by a team from Cotswold Archaeology, who will compare their findings with evidence from historical documents and maps to build up a picture of how the area developed from marsh.

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Delos to see restoration?

Important ancient monuments on the Aegean island of Delos are slated for restoration work following recent approval by the Central Archaeological Council.

The Lake Palaestra and the Granite Palaestra, the theater and the Portico of Philip are all badly eroded by wind, humidity and rain, not to mention human neglect and promises never fulfilled.

Another enemy was recently discovered in the form of wasps’ nests built in cracks in the ancient ruins.

The monuments are certainly in a somewhat sorry state. One of the most important and impressive archaeological sites in Greece is riddled with cracks in the walls and in other architectural elements as well as containing several areas of fallen plaster.

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Who owns Inca treasures?

That day dawned unpromising, cold and drizzly, in the jungle foothills of Peru 95 years ago. The guides wanted to sleep in, but the explorer insisted on pressing deeper into the land of the Inca.

Which way are the ruins? demanded Hiram Bingham, a product of Yale in a battered gray fedora. The guide pointed straight up the mountain.

They climbed more than 2,000 feet along narrow paths, dodging poisonous snakes, inching across slippery logs spanning a raging river.

They rounded a promontory — and the stunned explorer beheld his future and humanity's past.

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Dig planned for Lakes beauty spot

Archaeologists hope to unearth Bronze Age treasures after receiving £50,000 to help fund a dig in a Cumbria valley.

The three-year project in the Duddon Valley in the south west of the Lake District, will be carried out by professional archaeologists.

Much of the work will focus on the cairn at Seathwaite Tarn - a mound of landmark and burial stones.

The project is costing £133,000 in total and is being supported by the Lake District National Park Authority.

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Court defeat clears way for motorway work

THE way could be cleared for construction work to start by this time next year on the controversial M3 motorway following the failure of a High Court challenge to the road last week.

Sources have suggested that if there is no appeal to last week’s decision, that work is likely to begin in March 2007, allowing for archaeological excavations to be completed by the end of this year and site preparation work to get underway in the autumn.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) is this week meeting with its legal team to examine the judgement of High Court Justice Mr Thomas Smyth, who last week dismissed the challenge by campaigner Vincent Salafia against the route of the M3 motorway through the area between the Hill of Tara and Skryne.

Mr Justice Smyth ruled that Mr Salafia was not entitled to succeed in any of his claims because of an unjustified two-year delay in bringing them. In a 60-page decision delivered over two and a half hours last Wednesday, Mr Justice Smyth considered all the arguments made by Mr Salafia, including claims that the National Monuments Amendment Act 2004 were unconstitutional, and rejected all of them.

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If you haven't already done so, please use the SAVE TARA button at the top of the page to sign the online petition

MIT Tool May Reveal Architectural Past; Could Unlock Secrets Of Ancient Cathedrals, More

A computer design tool originally created for animation may soon unlock the secrets of the structure of ancient cathedrals, according to MIT Assistant Professor John Ochsendorf of architecture.

A structural engineer specializing in architectural and construction history, Ochsendorf recently presented to colleagues a virtual design method that has been extended in novel ways by a team of architects, computer scientists and engineers at MIT.

"This is the kind of work -- crossing the boundaries of engineering, history and architecture -- that could only happen at MIT," Ochsendorf said.

The method, known as particle-spring systems, is a three-dimensional design tool that was originally developed by computer scientists for creating graphics such as character animation and cloth simulation. For example, particle-spring systems produced the clothes "worn" by virtual characters such as Yoda in "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

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John Wymer

Enthusiastic hunter of skulls, stone tools and the roots of history

n the mid-1930s, a dentist found two pieces of the same ancient human skull in the quarries at Swanscombe, Kent. Twenty years later, John Wymer, who has died aged 77, unearthed a new piece of the same skull, which had, he said, the "consistency of wet soap". At 400,000 years old, it remains the only pre-Neanderthal skull from Britain. Thus began Wymer's career pursuing early human history, though he had started as a teenager with his father, a professional artist, who had been searching for palaeolithic flint handaxes in Kent for decades.

Wymer was born and brought up in Richmond, Surrey, and educated at East Sheen county school and Shoreditch Training College. After the Swanscombe find, he became curator at Reading Museum, having worked as a journalist, a British Rail clerk and a teacher. For 10 years he studied Reading's handaxe collection and directed excavations at mesolithic hunter-gatherer camps in the Kennet valley. The most important was at Thatcham, where he recovered artefacts and animal bone refuse at a site used by generations of hunters.

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Roman coin find declared treasure

A hoard of Roman coins unearthed in Suffolk is thought to be the largest discovery of its kind in Britain.

Paul Flack, who had recently started metal detecting, discovered the find of more than 600 copper alloy coins in a field last October.

Experts say the find was of the usurper emperors Carausius (287-293 AD) and Allectus (293-296 AD).

At an inquest, the find was declared treasure. The finder will be compensated for its value.

John Newman, of Suffolk County Council's Archaeological Service, said: "This appears to be the largest hoard of legitimately-minted coins of the two usurpers from Britain to date.

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Don’t ruin our Roman heritage

RESIDENTS in Monton have raised fears a major new development could disturb the remains of a Roman road which could be hidden underneath the site.

Those living around the land on Chorlton Fold have voiced concerns that the planned development of 23 houses could destroy any chance of unearthing Salford’s Roman history.

Resident Len Hotchkiss, 79, said: "To go against this development is like David going against Goliath.

"We believe there is an area of significant historic importance under the land to be developed and that it should not be disturbed. It should be preserved."

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Plan for henges under fire from quarry firm

THE row over the Thornborough Henges continues after English Heritage outlined its views for a 'management zone' around the prehistoric site.

The national conservation group believes that an area about threequarters of a mile around the henges near Ripon should be included in a protected 'management zone'.

The zone would include Nosterfield Nature Reserve and village, half of Ladybridge Farm, areas which have already been quarried and down to the edge of the River Ure. The zone skirts around the edge of Thornborough village and West Tanfield.

English Heritage say that farmers whose land falls inside the zone should be entitled to subsidies if they agree not to farm the land.

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Huge hoard of Roman coins discovered

A HOARD of Roman coins unearthed in a Suffolk field is the largest discovery of its kind ever to be made in Britain.

Experts say the rare find of 621 copper alloy coins, made by a metal detector enthusiast in October, could have been buried for safe-keeping during times of political turmoil.

John Newman, from Suffolk County Council's Archaeological Service, said the treasure, which would originally have been adorned with a silver wash, was of the usurper emperors Carausius (287-293 AD) and Allectus (293-296 AD).

“This appears to be the largest hoard of legitimately minted coins of the two usurpers from Britain to date,” he said.

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US museums face scrutiny over acquisitions

US museums have come under fire over the way they acquire antiquities after Greece, Italy and Peru have demanded the return of ancient pieces from American institutions.

European museums have usually been the ones needing to answer over their acquisitions of artifacts collected during colonial days, but American institutions have faced demands for the return of allegedly looted antiquities.

To improve the transparency of acquisitions, the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) released new guidelines last month on loans of antiquities and ancient art.

The guidelines, among other things, say loans should conform to US laws, while lenders should provide evidence of a work of art's provenance history and museums must be prepared to undertake additional inquiries if appropriate.

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Ancient Cypriots fed olive oil to furnaces-study

It is praised for its culinary and health properties by any cook worth his salt, but long before olive oil made it into the Mediterranean diet Cypriots used it as fuel to melt copper, archaeologists say.

Italian researchers have discovered that environmentally friendly olive oil was used in furnaces at a site in southern Cyprus up to 4,000 years ago, instead of the fume-belching charcoal used in industry for hundreds of years since.

Described as "liquid gold" by the ancient Greek poet Homer, olive oil has long been associated with grooming, pampering and the religious rites of the ancients, but not - at least in the Mediterranean - with heavy industry.

"We know that olive oil made it into our food around 1,000 BC, but it is the first time we have laboratory evidence that it was used in smelting as a fuel," archaeologist Maria Rosaria Belgiorno told Reuters.

Cyprus was famed in antiquity for its copper and is believed to have given its name to the Latin term for the metal, Cuprum.

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Town's medieval bridge unearthed

Archaeologists have been revealing details about the discovery of a medieval bridge in Shropshire.

The discovery was made as contractors dug up the site of a new entertainments complex in Shrewsbury.

The bridge, known as St George's Bridge, once acted as a gateway to the town from Wales and was in existence during the 15th Century.

Talks are under way with contractors to work out the best way of giving people the chance to view the site.

The bridge is thought to be one of three medieval fortified gates in the country.

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Clashes between museums, nations more frequent

Providing a dramatic backdrop for an exhibit of Incan artifacts here, large photos of Machu Picchu help a visitor imagine how the pottery, jewelry and tools on display fit into life some 500 years ago at the mountaintop retreat, one of the most famous ruins in the Americas.

But Peruvian officials say no imagination would be needed if the objects were back where they belong - in a museum close to the site in the Peruvian Andes.

And last week, Peru said it would sue Yale University, which exhibits many of its Machu Picchu artifacts at its Peabody Museum of Natural History, to get them back.

The increasingly fractious dispute between the Ivy League university and Peru, involving at least 250 artifacts, is one among many in a recent upsurge of ownership controversies between U.S. museums and foreign governments.

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Tarxien Temples: past, present and future

Although the Tarxien Temples may not be the most photogenic archaeological site of the Maltese Islands, they nonetheless offer a stimulating experience for visitors. The temples in fact hold the largest number of exceptional examples of prehistoric art and attest to an extraordinary society that produced astounding advances in art, technology and architecture, some 5,000 years ago.

Unlike the other extensive prehistoric sites such as Ggantija, Mnajdra or Hagar Qim Temples, Tarxien Temples do not have a monumental bearing on their surrounding landscape; on the contrary, they have been rather dwarfed by the urban development which has, over time, encroached within metres from the site.

The site was discovered in 1913 when local farmers informed Sir Themistocles Zammit, Malta’s first Director of Museums, that they struck large blocks of stone while ploughing their field. At the time, Zammit was completing excavations at the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, and he requested the farmers to dig a trench in their field.

This led to the discovery of two large stone blocks and a quantity of pottery sherds. Consequently, Sir Temi Zammit excavated the site between 1915 and 1919, bringing to light an extensive megalithic site and putting our understanding of Maltese prehistory on a solid foundation.

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New Wisdom on Ancient Skeleton's Teeth

She's not a girl but is now a woman. No, we're not talking about Britney Spears, but the Magdalenian Girl, the skeleton of an early modern human housed at the Field Museum in Chicago since 1926.

For years, these bones dating from 13,000 to 15,000 years ago were thought to be from a girl because her wisdom teeth had not yet erupted, something that typically should happen between the ages of 18 and 22. But new analyses provide evidence that she was in fact a 25- to 35-year-old woman at the time of death.

And the Magdalenian Girl's impacted wisdom teeth, which had failed to emerge at the normal time, provide new clues about the dietary changes of humans.

Because the coarse diet of early humans required a lot of chewing, there was more growth stimulation of the jawbone and more room for wisdom teeth to emerge. But when they started cooking their food and making it softer, the wisdom teeth had more trouble surfacing.

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Ancient warning for modern Italian city

Bronze-age farmers escaping a volcanic eruption abandoned their homes in and around what is today the Italian city of Naples, leaving food and cooking implements on their tables as they fled.

Others were trapped and died where they had lived, their bodies a warning that the modern city needs to consider the threat from Mount Vesuvius in planning for the future, said Michael Sheridan, a geology professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

"Scenes of everyday life, frozen by the volcanic deposits, testify that people suddenly left," Sheridan and co-authors report in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In one area there were "the molds of four huts with pottery and other objects left inside; skeletons of a dog and nine pregnant goat victims found in a cage; and footprints of adults, children and cows filled in by the first fallout pumice."

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HEADLESS HORSE AMONGST BIZARRE FINDS AT LOVE'S FARM EXCAVATION

One of the largest archaeological excavations ever undertaken in the UK has revealed some unusual finds amidst 2000 years of evidence that could change the way we think about rural history in the Iron Age and Roman periods.

The investigation was carried out at Love’s Farm near St Neot’s in Cambridgeshire during 2005 and 2006 in response to plans to develop the site to provide new homes, a school and other facilities.

Archaeologists believe finds, which were discovered by digging 30 hectares of the 60-hectare site, could open the door to a new understanding of how the people of Iron Age and Roman Britain lived in the countryside.

“About five years ago we got involved in the project and at that stage we had no idea what was underneath the ground,” explained Mark Hinman, Excavation Director for Archaeological Field Unit of Cambridgeshire County Council.

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Why blokes barbecue: ancient embers reveal all

THE barbecue is strictly a male domain, and now we know why.

Put it down to instinct, says Dr Mark Horton, head of the department of archaeology and anthropology at the University of Bristol, in Britain.

"Our early ancestors were doing exactly the same thing hundreds of thousands of years ago," said the visiting scholar, who was at the Australian Museum, in Sydney, yesterday.

"It is not surprising that even today, some of our behaviour may be influenced by instincts that developed through our long evolutionary history.

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Churches given £2.5m for repairs

Historic churches and chapels in the east of England are to be given nearly £2.5m to carry out repairs.

Of the 33 Grade I and II listed buildings chosen for the English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund grants, 14 are in Norfolk.

Four are in Bedfordshire, three in Cambridgeshire, three in Essex, seven in Hertfordshire and two in Suffolk.

The biggest grant of £112,000 is going to the parish church of St Mary's in Tunstead, Norfolk.

English Heritage regional director Greg Luton said the grants scheme contribution was "a drop in the ocean" compared with the sums raised by dedicated volunteers and popular support.

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CAD Users Dig Up the Past through "Industrial Archeology"

Museums and history buffs have begun using SolidWorks 3D CAD software for an exciting new application - breathing life into centuries past.

"Industrial archeology" is the study and re-creation of machines, parts, vehicles, and buildings that may have vanished, been destroyed, gone obsolete, or perhaps never existed at all. The practice combines art, history, craftsmanship, and, in a new twist, computer-aided design.

Industrial archeologists like William L. Gould of Fallbrook, Calif., use SolidWorks software as an efficient, mechanically faithful way to illustrate, in three dimensions and myriad individual components, a piece of lost history.

For example, his full-color 3D CAD model of the 1879 Mason Bogie, a steam locomotive rendered in SolidWorks and PhotoWorks software, exists as a 3D CAD model with hundreds of discrete parts. It is available as a fine art lithographic print or a set of plans in exacting detail.

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Deal preserves heritage landmarks

A deal is set to plough £850,000 into three Medway landmarks by 2011.
Medway Council and English Heritage have formed an agreement on the management of two castles and a 13th Century house for the next five years.

The council already runs Rochester Castle, Upnor Castle and Temple Manor in Strood for the conservation charity.

English Heritage regional director Dr Andrew Brown said: "It means the future of these three national treasures remains in the hands of local people."

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Air raid shelter surfaces in dig

An archaeological dig at a north London school has uncovered a Second World War air raid shelter.
A week-long excavation at Edgware Junior School revealed the shelter, hidden under playing fields.

It contained the remains of electrical fittings and gas heaters as well as shoes, an ink-well, a wartime fire bucket and a metal escape ladder.

Chalk drawings and other artefacts were also found. It is hoped the shelter will be kept open for history lessons.

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Tools 'may be 250,000 years old'

Stone tools found at one of the South's most important early prehistoric sites could date back 250,000 years, archaeologists claim.
The historic finds were uncovered at a former gravel quarry on the Isle of Wight during digs last summer.

Flint axes found near Great Pan Farm, Newport, are thought to be of the sort used by Neanderthal man. Elephant teeth from the same period were also found.

Specialists are now to carry out further investigations of the site.

A spokeswoman for Isle of Wight Council said the tools found at the site opened up "the possibility that this site may well date to 250,000 years ago".

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Landmark day in church recreation

The biggest restoration project ever undertaken by the St Fagans: National History Museum on the outskirts of Cardiff has taken another step forward.

The first part of an intricate decorative rood screen has been placed in St Teilo's church, marking the beginning of its interior work.

The museum says it is a key day in the long-running project to rebuild the pre-Reformation church.

The first service is due to take place at the recreated St Teilo's next year.

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Vesuvius has been saving biggest bang for the future

VESUVIUS, the volcano that obliterated Pompeii in AD79, has the capacity to make that event look like a sideshow, volcanologists have found.

Nearly 4,000 years ago it erupted far more violently, destroying the area of present-day Naples and sending a Bronze Age population fleeing for their lives.

Michael Sheridan, of the University of Buffalo, and a group of Italian colleagues investigated the remains of the eruption, called the Avellino catastrophe after a village that bore the brunt of it.

They studied the well-preserved remains of Nola, another village about ten miles (16 km) northeast of Vesuvius, where volcanic deposits overwhelmed the settlement 3,780 years ago. They also found evidence that thousands of people fled as the eruption began, leaving footprints solidified in cooling ash.

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Dig for Battle of Worcester

AN archaeological survey of a Civil War battlefield stretching eight miles across Worcester could be carried out in the next few years.

Taking in Powick Hams, Fort Royal Park and Perry Wood, it is one of the projects envisaged by the Battle of Worcester Society.

Archaeologists, historians, county and city councillors are working towards establishing a tourist trail to commemorate the historic conflict of September 3, 1651.

It could include a purpose-built battlefield centre on the former toposcope site overlooking Powick Hams, an exploration route marked by sculpted relief panels depicting key events, a city centre memorial and a specially commissioned accurate painting of the battle.

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MEDIEVAL REMAINS UNEARTHED IN SURVEY

Experts investigating one of Derbyshire's most famous dales say that they have found almost 200 previously unrecognised archaeological features, including prehistoric burial places, medieval fields and lead mines.

Until recently, much of the history of Lathkill Dale, near Bakewell, part of the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve, had remained hidden and protected by the steep and rocky terrain.

But, during several weeks of field survey, John Barnatt, who works for the Peak District National Park Authority, has discovered 192 previously unidentified features to add to an existing list of 18.

He said: "These range from impressive but overgrown lead mine workings cut deep into the wooded daleside to details such as inscribed stones at the boundary between the estates of the Duke of Devonshire and Lord Melbourne in the 18th century.

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Replica of Bergama Altar to be Erected

The Turkish Culture Ministry will erect a replica of the Bergama (ancient Pergamum or Pergamon) Zeus Altar, which is now on display in the Berlin Pergamon Museum, and attach a sign indicating the original is held in Berlin.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koc told The New Anatolian that he is deeply saddened about the artifacts lost by being smuggled out of Turkey and that their return must not be compromised.

Koc informed Turkey signed a related international agreement, but does not work retroactively. "There is no chance of having the altar returned from Germany, because we have no legal right. But now we have a new project. The exact copies (replicas) of those historical artifacts will be built on the original sites. We will erect signs that read for example, 'The original of this replica is now in the Berlin Museum."

Koc said they will meet with foreign authorities and suggest similar signs attached to the original artifacts in their museums; for the Bergama Altar a notice for example, it should read, "This altar was brought here from Bergama, Turkey."

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An Evening of Feasting and Song in support of the Tara Litigation Fund

You are cordially invited to an evening of feasting and song in support of the Tara Litigation Fund at Drimnagh Castle on Friday 24th March 2006, from 6 p.m. until midnight.

Further details can be found at: The Hill of Tara / M3 Motorway - Litigation Information Website.

Please use the SAVE TARA button at the top of this page to sign the online petition.

European Court of Justice may have final say over heritage dispute

The battle for Tara is not over yet, writes Frank McDonald, Environment Editor

The Irish Times
Thursday, 02 March 2006

The odds were stacked against anyone succeeding in a legal action against the M3. So it is not surprising that the High Court has found in favour of Minister for the Environment Dick Roche and his "directions" allowing this controversial motorway to snake past the Hill of Tara.

The 2004 National Monuments (Amendment) Act rewrote heritage protection legislation in such a drastic manner that the Minister was given sole discretion in deciding whether any archaeological site is a national monument and what to do with it - including authorising its demolition.

That was Martin Cullen's contribution to the statute books following the row over Carrickmines Castle in south Co Dublin, when archaeologists and conservationists were blamed for holding up completion of the M50. The Government was determined this wouldn't happen again. However, the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the final appeal in the Carrickmines case by Dominic Dunne and, in particular, on his challenge to the constitutionality of the 1994 legislation.

The court's tardiness - it recently deferred its decision for the fourth time - may have proved fatal for the Tara case.

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Mountaineers enlisted to assist Acropolis conservation work

Archaeologists carrying out conservation work on Greece's most prized monument have hit on a new extreme sport, one unlikely to feature in visitor tours anytime soon - rappelling down the walls of the Acropolis, the ancient citadel overlooking Athens.

Part of an operation to determine the condition of the walls -- which are over 2,300 years old -- the stunt teamed up conservation experts with veteran mountaineers enlisted to place electrode sensors onto the citadel's southern side, a senior archaeologist said Sunday.

Maria Ioannidou, the senior archeologist in charge of conservation work on the Acropolis, said the sensor readings would be used to compile a geological scan of the walls, and detect possible damage caused by centuries of soil erosion and water seepage.

"The original surface of the citadel was much higher, what we see today is the result of several excavations," Ioannidou told AFP. "As a result, there is the possibility of water seeping into the walls. But there is no reason for concern, we are just inspecting the wall's condition at this stage," she added.

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Dean's Park, York Minster Training Excavation 2006

Following on from the great success of the St Leonard's Hospital (2001–2004) and the St Mary's Abbey Precinct (2005) training excavations, York Archaeological Trust has access to a fantastic new site and will be running a training excavation throughout the summer of 2006.

The training excavation will run from the 20th of June until the 9th of September 2006 and is open to anybody over the age of 16 (16 as a lower age limit is negotiable, please contact below). People can come for as long as they want, be it for a one-day taster or a module over several weeks.

The training will include excavation, recording, planning, drawing and finds processing. Any specific requests for training can be made (contact below). Professional field archaeologists, who routinely run and excavate archaeological sites, give all of the training that is offered.

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Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology

Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology
Meeting of the UK Chapter
Archaeology, University of Southampton
March 30th and 31st 2006
Final call for papers

The CAA UK chapter is intended as a forum for research in the area of archaeological computing and quantitative methods. Based at the University of Southampton and supported by EPOCH, the chapter meeting aims to facilitate exchange of ideas between researchers and cultural resource managers, and is particularly focussed on the presentation of new and innovative research areas. The meeting organisers are also particularly keen to encourage new researchers to present their work for the first time and we are now able to offer bursaries for student participants.

Further details ...

Europe's most ancient graves unearthed in Poland

Five of Europe's most ancient graves, dating back 10,000 years, have been unearthed in the village of Dwreca, central Poland. Archaeologist Marian Marciniak found the graves on the site of ancient post-glacial dunes. In them, a young woman, believed aged 18 to 21, was put to rest with a baby, a child aged 5 to 7 and another aged 7 to 11. An adult male found at the site was buried sitting upright, as if on a throne or chair.

The bodies were dressed in animal skins decorated with the teeth of wild animals and wrapped in tree bark. The remains were then placed in tombs lined with pine logs, sprinkled with powdered red ochre to symbolise blood and burned.

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TAC Festival 2006 Preview

The world's best films and videos on archaeology and indigenous peoples are showcased at The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival, to be held 7-11 March 2006 at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene, Oregon, USA. This preview video includes a short clip from each of the 17 productions that will compete on the big screen. Film-makers from 15 countries submitted a total of 56 entries for this event, which is one of the world's few contests in the genre of heritage film.

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UNEARTHING TREASURES AT DIG - YORK'S LATEST ARCHEOLOGY ATTRACTION

Budding archaeologists will get the chance to try their hand at digging for treasure at a new attraction in York, set to open in April 2006.

DIG, an interactive archaeological adventure, will give visitors the chance to take part in an excavation where they are guaranteed to discover some genuine artefacts beneath the soil.

Four digging areas will contain finds discovered by the York Archaeological Trust as well as evidence about the city’s 2000-year history.

“DIG satisfies a growing demand for increased access and a more hands on approach to archaeological experiences,” explained Sarah Maltby, Head of Attractions at York Archaeological Trust.

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Over 100 ancient theaters throughout Anatolia await excavation

There are 115 ancient theaters either completely unearthed or are still being excavated, said Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koç on Thursday during a visit to the Kartepe Skiing Center located in the province of Kocaeli.

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14th-Century Shipwreck Found in Stockholm

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Archeologists have found a shipwreck from the late 1300s buried in the mud of a bay in central Stockholm, officials said Thursday.
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They are now awaiting permission to excavate the wreckage — one of the oldest ever found in the Swedish capital — hoping it will shed light on shipbuilding techniques and trade in the 14th century.

Experts say they might be able to bring the ship up on land, as was done with the 17th century warship Vasa, which is now housed in a museum that is one of Stockholm's main tourist attractions.

Parts of the wreckage are protruding from the brackish sediment at a depth of about 30 feet in the Riddarfjarden bay leading into the heart of Stockholm, National Maritime Museum officials said.

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Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen zeigen die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra

Die in Halle gestartete Ausstellung „Der geschmiedete Himmel - Die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra“ ist nun ab dem 10. März in den Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim zu sehen. Neben der Originalscheibe führen archäologische Funde aus ganz Europa den Besucher in die Lebenswelt der Bronzezeit ein. Die Ausstellung berichtet von genauen Beobachtungen des Himmels, wie auch von Mythen und Riten dieser Zeit.

Das Mannheimer Museum hat der Ausstellung den Bereich Archäometrie hinzugefügt, der nur dort zu sehen sein wird. Dabei werden nicht nur Ergebnisse dieser Forschungsrichtung erläutert, sondern auch Methoden und Arbeitsvorgänge gezeigt. Archäometrische Untersuchungen spielten beim Echtheitsbeweis der Scheibe eine gewichtige Rolle.

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Late-Roman apse found in Our Lady's Basilica

In the city of Tongeren (prov. Limburg) archaeologists continue the second phase of the complex excavation project in Our Lady's Basilica. Recently they unearthed additional parts of a house from the 2nd century AD and the 4th century apse of (probably) a church. The luxurious Roman house extends under the whole basilica. It probably burnt down in the 3rd century. On top of the remains of the house archaeologists have now found also the apse of a late-Roman building that most likely acted as a church.

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Wartime bunkers 'could hide Roman treasures'

A LOST Roman palace lies beneath a forgotten wartime bunker in York and could contain priceless treasures, according to a leading archaeologist.

Paul Bidwell, who is an expert in reconstructing Roman remains, has spent a year studying sites in York in preparation for a major exhibition on Emperor Constantine which opens in the city's Yorkshire Museum at the end of this month.
The display marks the anniversary of Constantine being proclaimed emperor in York in AD306.

The transfer of power to Constantine on the death of his father was believed to have taken place at the legionary headquarters near the site of a statue by the south wall of York Minster.

But Mr Bidwell, head of archaeology for Tyne and Wear Museums, believes it actually happened at the lost governor's palace by the ramparts of the Bar Walls facing York railway station.

Three bunkers were dug into the ramparts in 1939 for air raid shelters and workmen unearthed what was thought to be the remains of a Roman bath, but no further excavations took place due to the war.

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Archaeologists to establish true value of Roman silver coins

An archaeologist at the University of Liverpool is examining more than 1,000 Roman silver coins from museums around the world in order to establish their true economic value.
An archaeologist at the University of Liverpool is examining more than 1,000 Roman silver coins from museums around the world in order to establish their true economic value.
Dr Matthew Ponting, from the University's School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, is investigating the chemical composition of the coins to further understanding of how and where they were made. Dr Ponting believes that analysis of the coins will also shed more light on the political and economic issues of the Roman Empire.

Dr Ponting and his colleague Professor Kevin Butcher from the American University of Beirut, are using unique analysis techniques to examine the make-up of the coins and establish their silver content. The analysis will also identify particular chemical elements which will help the archaeologists establish where and how the coins were made.

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Excavations in the oldest center of Ghent

Since December archaeologists are working on the Bisdomplein (Diocese Square) in Ghent. This square is in the middle of the oldest town, the trade city or portus of 9th-10th century. After a post-medieval cobblestone level came to light in the first weeks, the remains of an impressive brick construction were unearthed. Recently also traces of potters' activities were found. The finds included also a number of utensils for baking majolica and faience. The objects are attributed to the second half of the 17th century.

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Phoenician temple found in Sicily

Palermo, February 28 - An ancient Phoenician temple unearthed in Sicily is "unique" in the West, the head of the Italian dig team claims .

"You have to go all the way to Amrit in Syria to find a similar one," said Lorenzo Nigro of the Rome University team .

The temple came to light last year after a portion of a lagoon surrounding the Phoenician city of Motya (present-day Mozia) was drained .

The pool began to fill up again and a fresh-water spring was found - a fact Nigro believes proves it was used as a holy place .

"The Phoenicians placed their cities on the coast near water springs, which for them meant that there was a divine presence there." Digs at the site, on the westernmost tip of Sicily near Marsala, have brought to light the ruins of a "monumental" temple including columns of a type used by the Phoenicians on Cyprus - as well as fragments of an obelisk .

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Traces of a Roman settlement in Evergem?

Archaeologists of Ghent University currently conduct archaeological excavations in a district of Evergem (prov. Eastern Flanders) that will disappear as a result of the extension of the Ghent sea port. An area of about 170 hectares must be examined within a period of approximately nine months. Until now a large part of the area has been examined with test trenches. The oldest finds indicate the presence of people during the Middle Stone Age. A number of drains and ditches have been found as well. Though their dating is still unclear, their orientations might indicate the presence of a Roman settlement.

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Practical Archaeology Training Course at Down Farm

Practical Archaeology Training Course at Down Farm, Sixpenny Handley
September 4th-8th and 11th-15th

Following the success of the courses held in 2004 and 2005, these five day courses will take place at Martin Green’s farm on Cranborne Chase “one of the most carefully studied areas in western Europe”. The Down Farm landscape includes parts of the Dorset Cursus and Ackling Dyke, Bronze Age barrows and Roman and Iron Age buildings. It is a rich, multi-period site in a wonderful setting.

To find out more or book your place, visit our 2006 Training Dig webpage.