Stone Age artists are getting older

RECENT discoveries in Italy and Germany have pushed back the age of Stone Age art in Europe by several millennia. Cave painting from near Verona and carved animal figures from the Danube valley suggest that our ancestors were creating art across a broad area well before 30,000 years ago.

At the Fumane cave, on the southern edge of the Alps, an occupation with tools of Aurignacian type, made by the first modern humans in Europe, has been radiocarbon dated to between 34,000 and 32,000 years ago. In the Aurignacian deposits painted rock fragments were found which had spalled off the walls of the cave because of the freezing of water in cracks: erosion of the paint showed that the art, in red and yellow ochre lines, had been on the walls for some time before it fell and was buried.

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In Schleswig-Holstein und Dänemark entsteht ein virtuelles Geschichtsmuseum

Dänische und norddeutsche Institutionen planen in den nächsten drei Jahren ein „Virtuelles Museum“ und eine Informationsplattform zur gemeinsamen Regionalgeschichte der deutsch-dänischen Grenzregion im Internet aufzubauen.

Durch die Verbindung der aktuellen geschichtswissenschaftlichen und geschichtsdidaktischen Forschung in Dänemark und Deutschland soll eine umfassende gemeinsame Geschichtspräsentation entstehen. Aus archäologischer Sicht werden „leider“ nur die Epochen der neueren und neusten Vergangenheit - die letzten 200 Jahre - multimedial aufgearbeitet.

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Massive Eight-Chamber Tomb Found In Greece

Archaeologists have unearthed a massive tomb in the northern Greek town of Pella, capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander the Great.

The eight-chambered tomb dates to the Hellenistic Age between the fourth and second century B.C., and is the largest of its kind ever found in Greece. The biggest multichambered tombs until now contained three chambers.

The 678-square-foot tomb hewn out of rock was discovered by a farmer plowing his field on the eastern edge of the ancient cemetery of Pella, some 370 miles north of Athens, archaeologists said.

“This is the largest and most monumental tomb of its kind ever found in Greece,'' said Maria Akamati, who led the excavations.

Archaeologists believe the tomb -- filled with dozens of votive clay pots and idols, copper coins and jewelry -- will shed light on the culture of Macedonia in the period that followed Alexander's conquest of Asia.

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Greeks find tomb from era of Alexander

GREEK archaeologists said yesterday they had discovered the largest underground tomb in Greek antiquity in the ancient city of Pella in northern Greece, birthplace of Alexander the Great.

The eight-chamber tomb, rich in painted sculpture, dates to the Hellenistic period between the 3rd and 2nd century BC and offers scholars a rare glimpse into the life of nobles around the time of Alexander's death.

"This is the largest, sculptured, multi-chambered tomb found in Greece, and is significant in that it is a new architectural style there are many chambers and a long entrance arcade," the chief archaeologist at Pella, Maria Akamati, said.

Ms Akamati said the tomb, accessible through a 16-metre-long entrance, was uncovered in an agricultural plot bordering the ancient cemetery of the capital city of the Macedonian kingdom.

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Vast ancient tomb found

ARCHAEOLOGISTS say they have found the largest underground tomb of Greek antiquity in the ancient city of Pella, northern Greece, birthplace of Alexander the Great.

The eight-chamber tomb, rich in painted sculpture, dates to the Hellenistic period (3rd-2nd century BC) and offers scholars a glimpse into the life of nobles at the time of Alexander's death.

"It is significant in that it is a new architectural style - there are many chambers and a long entrance arcade," the chief archaeologist at Pella, Maria Akamati, said.

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'Monumental' tomb find in Greece

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) -- Archaeologists have unearthed a massive tomb in the northern Greek town of Pella, capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander the Great.

The eight-chambered tomb dates to the Hellenistic Age between the fourth and second century B.C., and is the largest of its kind ever found in Greece. The biggest multichambered tombs until now contained three chambers.

The 678-square-foot (63-square-meter) tomb hewn out of rock was discovered by a farmer plowing his field on the eastern edge of the ancient cemetery of Pella, some 370 miles (595 kilometers) north of Athens, archaeologists said.

"This is the largest and most monumental tomb of its kind ever found in Greece," said Maria Akamati, who led the excavations.

Archaeologists believe the tomb -- filled with dozens of votive clay pots and idols, copper coins and jewelry -- will shed light on the culture of Macedonia in the period that followed Alexander's conquest of Asia.

Alexander's empire, which stretched from Greece to Asia, broke into separate kingdoms upon his death in 323 B.C., as his generals battled over the remains of the ancient world's greatest empire.

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CHANCE TO SEE KIRK DIG

An Archaeological dig being undertaken in Aberdeen city centre opens to the public this week.

The Kirk of St Nicholas has been the site of excavations for the past two weeks by archaeologists from countries including Spain, Egypt and the UK.

The team is hoping to find the remains of a 12th-century church. Free hour-long tours will take place on Mondays and Fridays until May 1 with the first one today at 1.30pm.

They are described as "an exciting opportunity to find out more about the history of the church".

For more updates and photographs on the progress, log on to Aberdeen City Council's website at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk or the church website at www.kirk-of-st-nicholas.org.uk

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Digging into town's past

POTTERY relics thought to date from the 13th to 18th centuries have been uncovered in Wednesbury during a housing development project.

The discovery of pottery shards and pots is providing archaeologists with valuable evidence of industry and domestic life in the town in medieval and post-medieval times.

A development of two apartments at a plot of land to the rear of Lower High Street required archaeological work.

The owner and developer Jaswinder Singh, a local businessman who runs Mann Fashion next to the site, commissioned Ironbridge Archaeology to undertake an evaluation on the recommendation of Sandwell Council's archaeologist Graham Eyre-Morgan.

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Monumental Ancient Tomb Unearthed

Archaeologists in northern Greece have unearthed a monumental ancient tomb, believed to be the largest of its kind ever found in Greece, in Pella, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander the Great.

The eight-chamber tomb, dated to the Hellenistic Age (between the fourth and second century B.C.), was accidentally discovered by a farmer ploughing his field on the eastern edge of the ancient cemetery of Pella, some 370 miles north of Athens, archaeologists said.

The discovery was confirmed Friday by a senior archaeologist responsible for the Pella site and will be presented at an Archaeological Conference in Thessaloniki on Feb. 16-19.

Entered by a 53-foot path, the 678-square-foot, rock-hewn tomb is significantly larger than any other found in Greece. Multi-chamber tombs found until now do not contain more than three chambers.

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Irish Bronze Age settlement will not halt road

An ancient Bronze-Age settlement believed to be 4,000 years old has been uncovered in the direct path of the Carlow bypass (Ireland). The discovery was unearthed on a farm this week and consists of a number of ancient circular dwellings, while preliminary examination of the site has also identified an ancient cremation pit. However, despite the historical fascination this discovery will undoubtedly evoke, there is absolutely no intention by the National Roads Authority or the Local Authorities to stop the construction of the N9/N10.

"It is an honour that the discovery was made here on the farm, something like this doesn’t happen every day," stated farm owner Michael Kelly. Mr Kelly indicated his firm belief that we should preserve this link with the past. "Carlow is rich in ancient archaeology - the Brownshill Dolmen is just across the fields from this site," he added. "I do think it’s wrong for a dual carriageway to be built over it and for it to be lost forever," Mr Kelly remarked.

The site is located directly across from Tinryland GAA Club where members put up a huge challenge to divert the path of the roadway from their facility. Preliminary investigations involving test trenching along the path of the roadway last summer revealed archaeological activity at Rathcrogue and closer inspection last week revealed this ancient Bronze Age site on the Kelly farm.

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Grundpfeiler des Glaubens

Ihr Name ist verloren, ihre Mythen sind lange verschollen. Niemand wird je ihre Sprache enträtseln, Herkunft und Schicksal der Jäger und Sammler bleiben ein Mysterium im Dunkel der Vorgeschichte. Doch sie waren Revolutionäre.

Am Ende der Altsteinzeit, rund 6000 Jahre bevor die Ägypter am Nil die ersten Pyramiden hochzogen, errichtete das vorderasiatische Urvolk einen gewaltigen Bau. Die Entdeckung der rund neun Hektar großen Anlage auf dem Göbekli Tepe (»Nabelberg«) bei der Stadt Urfa im Südosten Anatoliens gilt als eine archäologische Sensation, ihre Erforschung hat ganze Szenarien der Prähistoriker auf den Kopf gestellt.

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On a Qing and a prayer

THE set of late-17th Century Qing dynasty porcelain vases which once graced the Fitzwilliam Museum is now lying in hundreds of pieces.

The initial clear-up operation took two-and-a-half days but the painstaking process of restoring the vases to their former glory will take months.

It is the ultimate jigsaw puzzle.

Two vases bore the brunt of Nick Flynn's fall - all 6ft and 13st of him.

The impact caused a domino effect but the third vase escaped relatively unscathed - it only broke into a few pieces.

The same cannot be said of the other two vases.

Flynn's fall sprayed shards and sizeable chunks of porcelain over 30 steps.

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Abbey shows historic discoveries

Visitors are being given the chance to look around Torquay's Torre Abbey for free on Sunday.

The Abbey got nearly £5m in 2004 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to make it a better tourist attraction.

The open day is to show people the restoration work before the main contractors move in.

Visitors will get a chance to look around, meet museum staff and see some of the archaeological discoveries unearthed so far.

The work is expected to continue until 2008.

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A tiny paradise slips away

Rome's tiny Non-Catholic Cemetery possibly contains the highest density of famous and important bones anywhere in the world, the cramped final resting place of the poets Shelley and Keats, dozens of diplomats, the Bulgari family, Goethe's only son, and Antonio Gramsci, a founding father of European Communism, to name a few.

The site, also widely known as the Protestant Cemetery, although it contains the graves of Jews and other non-Christians, is also the oldest burial ground in continuous use in Europe, conservationists say.

More than that, it is hard to think of another urban site quite so glorious - cemetery or no - with towering cypress trees protecting a hodgepodge of elaborate and eclectic graves and monuments, nestled on a hill in the shadows of the Pyramid of Cestius (12 B.C.) and a section of Rome's ancient Aurelian wall.

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Fortified settlements discovered

Part of the peribolos of an ancient settlement found at Nea Karvali, near Kavala in northern Greece, during a cleanup by the 18th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.

Two ancient fortified settlements were discovered in Nea Karvali, Kavala, northern Greece, during a cleanup by the 18th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities on the outskirts of the municipality.

The first find was the outer side of the ancient wall, with a tower that protects the gate at the southernmost point. It looks as if two fortified towers protected the northern gate, which appears to have been the main entrance of the settlement.

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Lucky find reveals biggest ancient cave

A farmer in northern Greece has stumbled across a 2,300-year-old chiseled cave with eight chambers and measuring some 63 square meters — the biggest ever discovered in this country — it was revealed yesterday.

The cave was found near the ancient city of Pella, which was the capital of the Macedonian kingdom. Archaeologists are studying the cave and believe it was probably used as a tomb by a wealthy Macedonian family between the second and third centuries BC, the Athens News Agency reported.

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QUARRYING AT THORNBOROUGH - PLANNING DECISION APPROACHES

The application to increase quarrying operations near the Thornborough Henges Neolithic site in North Yorkshire will be determined at a planning meeting of North Yorkshire County Council on February 21 2006.

Following the publication of new archaeological investigations, the quarrying and construction company Tarmac has applied to extend gravel extraction at Ladybridge Farm - close to the 5,500 year-old site.

The original planning decision was deferred in September 2005 to allow further surveys to determine whether the area was of national archaeological significance. The resulting independent report, commissioned by Tarmac, concluded that archaeological remains at Ladybridge are not of national significance.

Thornborough Henges comprises three linked earthworks that once formed part of a ceremonial landscape and is considered to be one of the most important and best-preserved prehistoric sites in the country. The Henges themselves are protected and not under threat but the value of the surrounding landscape, which includes the Ladybridge site, has been hotly debated.

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See also the Friends of Thornborough Website

Medieval Diaries Aid Scientists Ascertain Increase In Hot Spots Due To Global Warming

The temperature of the northern hemisphere has increased over a larger area in the last century than at any time in the past millennium a report published in Science reveals this week.

The study finds that the number of 'hot spots' has increased dramatically in the Northern Hemisphere in the last century compared to the past 1200 years, adding to the growing evidence of wide-scale global warming.

Dr Tim Osborn and Prof Keith Briffa, of the Climatic Research Unit team at the University of East Anglia, analyzed thermometer measurements of temperature from 1856 onwards to establish the spatial extent of recent warming, and compared it with evidence from as far back as AD 800 (from tree rings, ice cores and shells).

The study found evidence for periods of significant warmth (890 - 1170) in the Northern Hemisphere during medieval times and for clearly colder periods (1580 - 1850) during the so-called "Little Ice Age".

Their key conclusion was that the 20th century stands out as having unusually widespread warmth, compared to all of the natural warming and cooling episodes during the past 1,200 years.

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Chief of Getty arts trust resigns in dispute over perks

Barry Munitz, the chief executive of the Getty Trust, the world's richest arts institution, resigned yesterday under a cloud of allegations about his salary, perks and lavish spending.

Mr Munitz, who took over the Getty eight years ago promising to instil "a sense of economic reality", quit his $1.2m-a-year (£690,00) post less than two weeks after the reopening of the Getty Villa in Malibu and amid a trial in Italy of the Getty's former senior curator of antiquities on charges that she knowingly acquired looted items.

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Axe head excites experts

AMATEUR ARCHAEOLOGISTS in Angus have stumbled across what is thought to be a burial ground dating back thousands of years.

What they first believed to be a long-gone settlement, covered up over time, could prove to be ancient graves after the discovery of a rare artefact.

An archaeology expert is now toying with launching an in-depth excavation of a field at Mill of Invereighty, near Forfar, following the find.

Excitement is growing at Kinnettles and District Heritage Group after member David Mackland, from Carnoustie, found part of a beautifully polished small stone axe and a piece of worked flint.

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