Gold Wreath

A fabulous gold wreath has been found with bones in an urn in Greece.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIJG3ZJaCRkgbHkqP4pyMlfy5eYQD92S14JG0

Stone Clock

The accidental find of an old sundial has excited archaeologists in Bulgaria.

http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1858110710

The Royal Family

A number of interesting pictures of the imperial statuary being excavated at Sagalassos, Turkey.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7582165.stm

Dead Sea Scrolls

Found in caves a t Qumran along the dead sea these documents are now being examined using the infrared cameras.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5guWJ-x8xXV4cRdMgFxGdlI-sCkYwD92QNF8O0

Peruvian Mummy

Archaeologists have discovered a beautiful mummy beneath the streets of Peru.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1049754/Oh-mummy-Archaeologists-unearth-ancient-tribe-members-sacrificed-1-300-years-ago.html

National Geographic has an excellent video:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080827-tomb-video-ap.html

Stolen Artifacts

An historical society has been robbed of its entire Indian native collection including artifacts going back thousands of years and other articles that represent serious damage to this society.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8895134&nav=0RaPaNN9

Sunken Ships

Searching the Thames river a number of shipwrecks have been found including one lost in the middle of the 17th century.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23544808-details/Pictured:+Divers+discover+amazingly+preserved+shipwreck+of+HMS+London+on+bottom+of+Thames/article.do

It Just Keeps Getting Better

At the dig in Sagalassos, Turkey the archaeologists have found still another colossal head this time it is Marcus Aurelius and there are other parts of this colossal statue and the others found in the rubble of what was probably a bath house.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7580745.stm

Frozen Neolithic

As glaciers melt around the world objects of ancient times are falling out and opening up new chapters in pre-history.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7580294.stm

Stone Remains

Short article on the discovery of the remains of a stone building in Russia.

http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/6944/

Earthquake Building

Japanese scientists are studying the Parthenon to reveal its earthquake amenities.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080822/sc_afp/greecejapanarchaeologyquakeresearch_080822195031;_ylt=AvV9ypH6Uok7umJIc6GG2bBFeQoB

The Last Supper

The place where Jesus is said to have held the last supper is a place where people become overly excitable in the name of faith.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1219218613467&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Otzi

Oh Gee'z I hope I look better when I am 5000 years old.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080821-iceman-clothes.html

Bronze Age Burial

In the United Kingdom has been found an interesting Bronze age burial and thankfully for us the article is accompanied by a number of good images.

http://www.ely-standard.co.uk/content/ely/news/story.aspx?brand=ELYOnline&category=News&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestELY&itemid=WEED20%20Aug%202008%2012%3A30%3A07%3A903

Uneasy Times in the Ukraine

From the Ukraine comes this most interesting show on the Trypilian culture. Interesting timing for a Toronto show with the Prime minister of Russia not recognizing the Ukraine's borders.

One has to wonder if the collection is perhaps being placed into "exile".

http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=25658

The Venus of Willendorf

She is the most beautiful of prehistoric sculptures and this article has a terrific picture of her.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ia_B_oHLvu53AZybMFKi49md3tiw

Medieval Berlin

During construction a medieval cemetery has been discovered in the center of Berlin.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,573033,00.html

A Thracian Tomb

This article has some lovely pictures of this 2500 year old find.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23538055-details/Unearthed+after+2%2C500+years%2C+the+gold+earrings+that+could+have+been+made+yesterday/article.do#readerComments

The Villa of the Papyri

The famous villa found at Herculaneum that yielded a library of scrolls which are now revealing some to be long lost classics.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24096948-25132,00.html

Explicit Homosexual literatrure ca. 1420

http://www.economist.co.uk/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11745542

Inca Graves

Textiles from mummy bundles have been found in a cave into Peru.

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=9GwUOgz+kLQ=

Statue of Apollon

A very pretty little bronze found in Turkey.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=26790

Assyrian Palaces

The Boston Museum of Fine arts is hosting objects from the collection of the British Museum. The 250 objects are from its Assyrian collection, the finest outside of Iraq.

http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=25603

Roman Sarcophagus Contents

Interesting video on the opening of one of those sarcophagus's found in England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7563146.stm

Finding Xibalba

Caves in the Yucatan might be the place to look for all those seeking a mythical dog to follow.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080815/sc_nm/mexico_mayans_dc_1;_ylt=ApMCWa_eJjXKoPPzB4B3h9xFeQoB

Stone Age Sahara

This article on a stone age cemetery is accompanied by excellent pictures.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/science/15sahara.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

Two Roman Sarcophagi

Two Roman sandstone sarcophagi have been found in Newcastle. When one of the sarcophagus's was opened it revealed a flooded interior and the remains of a child who head was not where it would normally be also possibly the remains of an older individual.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2558802/Two-Roman-coffins-unearthed-in-Newcastle.html

Canada Asserts Herself

This story is more political than archaeological, the Canadian government is worried that Russia and United states are getting ready to swoop in and take over Canada's arctic territory. So it is off to look for the lost Franklin ships.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080813.wfranklin14/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080813.wfranklin14

Greek Mummy

The find of an unusual Greek mummy dated to AD 300.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/08/greek-mummy.html

Living in the Galilee

Three 9000 year old skulls have been discovered in the Galilee.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127175

Looting Iraq

So many of these stories on this tragedy.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-08-12-looting-iraq-antiquities_N.htm

The Head of an Empress

A wonderful head of the ancient Roman Empress Faustina in the dig at Sagalassos in Turkey. This head will go wonderfully with the head of the Roman Emperor Hadrian found last year at the site.

http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/faustina/

Lunch Anybody

The finding of a European skull in New Zealand that dates before the coming of Captain Cook indicates the women who the skull belongs to may have become shipwrecked on the island in the the first half of the 18th century.

The native population told stories of eating shipwreck survivors.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/2505026/European-woman-arrived-in-New-Zealand-before-Captain-Cook.html

Mitochondrial DNA

Huge day in the world of the human lineage a full sequence of mitochondrial DNA from a 38000 year old bone has been discovered.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/07/neanderthal-dna.html

Greek Ship Raised

The 2500 year old Greek ship has been raised off the coast of Italy. I would suppose antiquity laws being what they are that the ship is the property of Greece.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/51176727.html

Roman Temple in the Galilee

A Roman temple has been found under the ruins of a Byzantine monument.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811072503.htm

8000 Years of Istanbul

Recent tunnel excavations beneath the ancient city of Istanbul have revealed four skeletons believed to be thousands of years old.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=112078

Partho-Sasanian Site Destroyed

An Iranian archaeological site has been destroyed to make way for a new hotel.

http://www.cais-soas.com/News/2008/August2008/11-08.htm

Iron Age Warrior

A nice photo accompanies this article on a Roman warrior found in the UK.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080808-british-warrior.html

The Venus of Willendorf

The folks at Vienna's Natural history museum are celebrating the 100 year aniversery of the discovery of the 25000 year old Venus. Vienna's Venus is only the most beautiful and famous of a number of such found sculptures.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7547975.stm

Govenors Palace Found

A medieval palace of a 14th century ruler has been found in Bulgaria next to the palaces still standing tower.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=95929

Happy Galway

Those jovial and kindly Irish may not have always been so.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/4595-murderous-city

Terms of Operation

At the end of America's civil war in 1865 there were three documents of surrender drawn up. Today General Lee's copy is missing and now a historical society may have found it.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080807_Could_Confederate_surrender_paper_be_original_.html

Forgotten in the Past

Just because an object was created in Greece does not make it the property of Greece but rather the property of those who exported it for their own consumption.

We at the Archaeological review believe that the current trend to return to countries of origin objects legally acquired is nonsense, regardless of what yesterday's law was. Poor Egypt will just have to live with what it has left and Greece can save its postcards of marbles long gone and without return.

The hypocrisy of antique empires was on full display last year when the cold generosity of German museum officials offered to return 90 Pharaonic mummies to Egypt and was met with Egypt's Supreme council of antiquities Majordomo's rejection of the mummies. Saying that they were not royal and of no importance.

It would seem that what they want back are the masterpieces not the pollution created by the ancestors who to the great dismay of the leftovers of the antique empires are the forerunners of all mankind and not just of the backwaters of ancient towns.

Italy should be cautious in its hypocrisy as Rome has more ancient Egyptian obelisks than Egypt does. Included in these figures is the obelisk which is said to have been "witness" to the martyrdom of Saint Peter and according to these new ideas belongs back in Egypt.

The sad truth is glory is fleeting and although countries like Egypt, Greece and Italy were once great today they are little more than provinces on the world stage experiencing sellers remorse regardless of who carried these treasures away and where they ended up.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/ben_macintyre/article4304258.ece

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Here we have a very good article on this amazing find of biblical scrolls found in a number of caves surrounding the ancient community of Qumran. This ancient community was occupied by a Jewish religious sect called the Essenes.

This community of monks disagreed with the leaders of the second temple in Jerusalem and as a result retired to the remote community of Qumran. The Essenes most famous prophet was John the Baptist and in 68 ad the Romans destroyed Qumran leaving the nearby caves filled with libraries of scrolls in some cases on shelves in the caves.

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A262024

Head for Sale

Dear God no not another temple dragged into this land dispute. How annoying that the ancients should have put not one but two temples in disputed territory. I think that humanity might be better served with a good old fashion punk rock demolition party.

If anyone finds a stone head lying around I'll buy it!

http://www.bangkokpost.com/060808_News/06Aug2008_news97.php

Maya Green

The why and the how of the colour of green in ancient Maya culture.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/global/article4473373.ece

Thracian Carriage

Archaeologists have found a 1900 year old carriage in a tomb complete with the carriages luxury items. This is the first whole Thracian carriage.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=588&art_id=nw20080806123015589C395782

Shakespeare's Plays

Archaeologists have found the theatre where Shakespeare's plays were first held.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080806/wl_uk_afp/entertainmentbritaintheatreliteraturehistory_080806174111;_ylt=Ap3nOez3.4BBm0mfX0NOob9FeQoB

More Heritage for Sale

This article deals with the antiquities market of Iraq in particularly.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1217798727041&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout

Tragic Temple

Thai troops have been withdrawn from the disputed 13th century temple.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=1929&icid=4&d_str=20080805

Ancient Fragrance

A 900 year old lead vile filled with fragrant oil has been discovered in Bulgaria.

http://www.visitbulgaria.net/en/veliko_tarnovo/news/20080805/fragrance_container.html

Canaanite Warrior

Here we have an article on a Canaanite warrior being excavated by experts representing the British museum in Lebanon.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=94781

Keeping Their Heads Between Their Legs

A cemetery found and excavated in the 1980's in Harestock England revealed skeletons with their heads placed between their legs and dates between 800-1200 ad. It is believed that the grave yard was an execution cemetery in the late Anglo-Saxon period.

Now the skeletons are to be analysed using the most modern sciences.

http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/display.var.2414643.0.bid_to_unearth_saxon_mystery.php

Rock art in Peru

What inspired people in ancient history to decorate rocks and caves probably range from boredom to the spiritual.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804111634.htm

Souvenir

This crudely cast object is made of bronze and 5cm in height its base looks like it has been torn off a larger object.

The object was collected by a librarian while on vacation in Egypt it then passed through auction to another person who sold it to an antique dealer.

The RELIABLE dealer told the story that it had been picked up at a pyramid site and was an Egyptian amulet representing a chair. This caused a problem for it does not look anything like an Egyptian chair however it does have the feel of being anthropomorphic.

It has the appearance of a rising cobra attached to the body of an animal perhaps a gazelle. The detail has been well worn particularly to what may have been the cobra's head and it appears to have a tail. Nowhere in my research have I found anything like it in Egyptian art.

As A footnote to my search on this object came the thought to me that stories might have become twisted perhaps the story of it having been found at the site of a pyramid was true but that the site of that pyramid was not Egypt but Peru and this object may actually be a lama a regular object placed in Inca graves?

Greek Mummy

Here we have an article of a mummy found wrapped in linen lying on a board covered in purple material with gold embroidery. The mummy of a women was found in a lead coffin inside a marble sarcophagus in 1962 in Greece.

http://www.livescience.com/history/080804-greek-embalming.html

More on 2000 year old Mechanism

The Antykithera mechanism is making a lot of news these days.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/14/070514fa_fact_seabrook

Repair of Jerusalem's Zion gate.

The antiquities organization have decided to limit the number of bullet holes in the gate in order to make the 468 year old monument look nicer.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215331116860&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Refreshing News

So often these African articles on archaeology are completely depressing and sometimes dubious. A breath of fresh air is this one on the rescue of the great libraries of Timbuktoo.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,569560,00.html

A Grain of Salt

This recent article on the discovery of a clay impresssion from a seal belonging to a minister of a Biblical King now has doubters. So much news on archaeology coming out of the middle east particularily Israel has to be taken with the tellers favoured political position in mind.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24115029-12335,00.html

Looting Iraq

Well the looting keeps on in the sad state of affairs that is Iraq.

http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news917241.html

Griffon or Not

People who spend decades searching for something often will whittle away their ability to be objective and see things as they wish to see them.

Over the last 300 years a whole lot of european style boats have gone down on lake Michigan and the discoverer here offers no identifying marks to even justify calling the wreck the Griffon.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=5451721&page=1

Tombs Everywhere

In Vietnam a couple of hundred ancient tombs have been excavated. The article is too short but the interesting photo makes up for this, a bit.

http://english.cinet.vn/DefaultArticleDetail.aspx?zoneid=7&newsid=3502