HMS Victory Found by Controversial Salvage Company

This famous ship was lost with all hands in 1744 and has now been rediscovered unfortunately by the folks of U.S. based Odyssey Marine exploration so no doubt the most valuable of the remains will be transported back to Florida.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/feb/01/hms-victory-wreck

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know

Theoretical Structural Archaeology is on the presence of structures that exist today as little more than post holes. Very interesting!

http://structuralarchaeology.blogspot.com/

Chemical Warfare

Here we have Roman soldiers in the most unpleasant of circumstances but war is war whether it is infected sheep or plague ridden corpses being tossed over walls chemical warfare is as old as war itself.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/30/earliest-chemical-warfare.html

Looting Greece

Greece's efforts to turn its coastline into an open water museum may be subjecting it to looting. The thought of the government offering redundant or unwanted antiquities for sale at reasonable prices has not occurred to them and so the collector will get it anyway and besides many people find smuggling antiquities exciting and profitable.

That is why men like Wallis Budge, Howard Carter and many more upstanding individuals participated in such ventures.

You might want to look at Norbert Schimmel's collection of Amarna talatats in the Metropolitan museum of art or Ani's book of the dead in the British museum, the bust of Nefertiti in Berlin or the Dendera zodiac in the Louvre or perhaps George Ortiz's collection of Egyptian middle kingdom bronzes in Switzerland not to mention the mask called Kanefernefer in the St. Louis art museum and that is just some of the Egyptian pieces, Greece is no different.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/30/greek-shipwrecks-scuba-diving-ban

Sipan's New Museum

In the shadow of the Moche pyramids a new museum has opened displaying the fabulous treasures of the Moche culture of ancient Peru.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKTRE50S7AN20090129

Tragedy in Jakarta

A worker smashed a sarcophagus because he thought it would make a pretty statue, uh DOH!

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/01/30/dust-to-dust-ancient-relics-reduced-rubble.html

Ancient Istanbul

Here we have a video on the recent discoveries in Istanbul which have pushed the date of habitation of the city by many thousands of years.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090129-istanbul-video-ap.html

Otzi's Life

The last days of the 5000 year old ice man were not pleasant as he may have been attacked twice.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/28/oetzi-iceman-death.html

That Ugly Black Swan

The Marine Odyssey who a couple of years ago arrived back in Florida with half a million Spanish coins is subject to the debate on the ownership of discovered treasure. The antiquities trade is big news these days with one side wanting everything old to be studied than placed in a box and stored in a drawer for preservation of history.

On the other side life is to short to be kept in a drawer and without mystery pretty boring too.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2009-01-25-sunken-treasure_N.htm

Silbury Hill

The mystery of this four thousand year old feature may soon be solved.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/4385933/Silbury-Hill-mystery-soon-to-be-resolved.html

In the Ionian Sea

The coast of Albania has long been a treacherous stretch of water lastly by the communist government which turned the country into a fortress.

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1410051

A Thousand Archaeological Sites

English Heritage has discovered nearly a thousand new sites in a recent survey including a number of shipwrecks.

http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/features/Hidden-Wrecks-Revealed.4926218.jp

Pueblo Jar Returned

Federal authorities in the United states have returned a jar stolen from a New Mexico Pueblo.

http://kob.com/article/stories/S766113.shtml?cat=500

Gaza's Damaged History

A private museum in Gaza was one of the victims of the shelling by the Israel.

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=16827

The Ice Mans Last Days

The mummy found in the Alps a few years back may have survived two attacks but not for long.

http://www.en.uni-muenchen.de/news/research/oetzi.html

Digging Up the Old Lady

The article about reburying a skeleton found in 1929 has the Archdruid of Stonehenge and some pagan who says that you wouldn't dig up your grandmother.

That sounds like a bet to me!

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/4080054.Avebury_skeleton_s_fate_to_be_decided_this_week/

Yellow Marble Boxer

Here we have a photo of that marble bust recently found in Jerusalem.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127160712.htm

and Here:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/27/jerusalem-figurine.html

Four Thousand Year Old Cemetery

Archaeologists are excavating a cemetery in Thialand which contains skeletons 4000 years old.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Digs-Bodies-of-Evidence.html

Little Creepy Rosalia

The formula used to mummify a child in the catacombs of Palermo Italy has been discovered. The Child "Rosalia" is one of the more famous mummies in the catacombs and died of pneumonia in 1920.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090126-sicily-mummy.html

Etruscan Art

Here a show on Etruscan art at the Meadows Museum with a nice picture of a fourth century BC diadem.

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=28590

Zues's Alter

Excavations for the past three years on the mountain top alter dedicated to Zues has brought forth many interesting discoveries.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/26/zeus-cult-greece.html

Lucy Bummed

The Pacific Science center is not receiving the attendance they need and fear that even with the famous fossil of Lucy that the center will loose $500 000 on this current show.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20090125/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_who_loves_lucy

Marble Bust

A marble bust of a bearded man has been found in an archaeological dig in good old happy Jerusalem.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1058861.html

The King and Queen

The picture of the two "smuggled" statuettes look suspicious to me but hey! Note her modesty while he's all like check this out!

http://www.ennaharonline.com/en/news/254.html

Skeletons From the Burnt City

In the remains of a burnt ancient city in Iran have discovered a number of citizens of the city.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=187827

Charlestone Harbour

The excavations of the harbour promise intriguing American civil war era finds.

http://www.charleston.net/news/2009/jan/24/harbor_give_up_historic_secrets69446/

Justice Italian Style

Even if you are innocent Italian justice will steal many years of your life before the verdict ever sees the light of day. The Marion True trial has now opened for its fourth year!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/arts/design/24arts-TRIALRESUMES_BRF.html

Right, Sure?

Apparently Chinese officials say they will not bid on the two bronze animal heads stolen by soldiers from a fountain at the imperial palace during the opium war. The heads being the rat and rabbit are going on the auction block after there previous owner fashion design giant Yves St. Laurent passed away last year.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/23/content_10709494.htm

The Epic of Noah and Gilgamesh

Noah may not have needed the ark the animals may have just walked to higher ground.

http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=1640

Cultures getting Older

This ancient city in Pakistan may be as old as 9000 years.

http://www.timesnow.tv/Newsdtls.aspx?NewsID=27411

On the Last Day

As usual the best discoveries often come as the excavation is closing no different here.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlboroughexpress/4827697a6008.html

Lost Motzart

Here we hear the debut of a piece of music by Mozart.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7845688.stm

Time to Open Baghdad's Museum

The Minister in charge wants the world famous museum opened much to the chagrin of the museums staff.

http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/01/iraqi-minister.html

Greek Brothels

Archaeologists have long searched for what they always knew was there.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/21/greece-brothel-pub.html

A Return of a Collection

A collection of objects from a couple of shipwrecks are to be released by the Netherlands and returned to Australia.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,27574,24948912-2761,00.html

Ancient Laws

A 1000 year old wood tablet has been translated and bears laws.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090122p2a00m0na013000c.html

The Rat and the Rabbit

Here we have two of the famous zodiac animal heads stolen from the imperial palace fountain in 1860 and now the Chinese government wants them back. The Chinese authorities have been searching for the twelve animal heads for years but these two have been in the collection of fashion design giant Yves Saint Laurent.

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,,yves-saint-laurent-and-the-stolen-artworks,72018

Too Much History

This article make the point about the quantity of archaeological material and is a perfect example of why there needs to be a public antiquities market.

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED20%20Jan%202009%2013%3A19%3A18%3A960

Roman Mosaic

I have not blogged this story because of a lack of a picture, well here we are and it looks like a terrific find.

http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/4062378._40_foot__Roman_mosaic_uncovered_in_Cotswolds/

Washing Away Nazca

Here we have a photo of the damage and it would seem to be much about nothing.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jk3ghp_WFmEfk9H1mZOp5otwxU3g

Galileo's DNA

Well it looks like it is time to dig up Galileo to extract his DNA to see if they can find out what caused his blindness.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/01/20/2470283.htm?site=science&topic=ancient

Saving the Indus Valley

Here we have another video from the fine people at the Archaeology channel.

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/index.asp

Get Out of the Way

Some 3600 years ago disasters changed the way of life for a Peruvian settlement.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090119/ap_on_sc/sci_ancient_calamity

Nazca Lines

Rain has caused some minor damage to some of the figures.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/721709/heavy-rains-damage-perus-nazca-lines

A Murderers Diary

Danish astronomer Tycho de Brahe who died in 1601 is now believed to have been killed on order of Danish King Christian IV.

http://praguemonitor.com/2009/01/20/danes-want-exhume-tycho-brahe-remains-prague

A Birtrhday to Remember

On the 350th anniversary of its founding an old piece of Harlem may soon be uncovered.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/under-a-bus-depot-traces-perhaps-of-nieuw-haarlem/

Vancouver's Hollow Tree

Tonight I visited the 800 year old cedar for what may be the last time. The tree has been a tourists destination in Vancouver's Stanley park for more than a century but tomorrow it may be gone as the parks board has decided rightfully that the dead stump is a danger to the public.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/04/01/bc-stanley-park-tree.html

Ancient Gas

The horrors of war never cease the cruelty of man has little to no bounds, here are the remains of Roman soldier poisoned by the enemy. Awesome photo!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7837826.stm

Queen Mary in Turmoil

The Scottish Catholic archives will soon be releasing some of the gems of its collection on their website including letters (some coded) written by Mary Queen of Scots.

http://www.scotsman.com/latestnews/How-Mary-Queen-of-Scots.4886651.jp

Ancient Rock Art

Newly discovered paintings may be as much as 1000 years old. Here is a short video with beautiful landscapes.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jan/18/finding-an-aladdins-cave/

Ancient Medicines

Probably the most ancient form of medicine is a strong belief in ones God. Here we have an article on the little acknowledged ancient practitioners of healing, lots of pictures of artifacts.

http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/medicine-in-the-ancient-world.asp#

On the Move

The Utah museum of natural history is on the move and never have I seen pictures of so much beautiful pots be sure to check out the 5 photos.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1%2C5143%2C705278106%2C00.html

Greek Ships Rebirth

The remnants of a 2500 year old Greek ship has arrived at Portsmouth for a program of restoration that will probably ten years.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ancient-greek-vessel-docks-for-pompey-refit-1418923.html

A Haul of Gold

A huge deposit of ancient gold coins have been found in England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/7835228.stm

More Laws More Criminals

China and the United states have signed a pact to restrict the import of Chinese antiquities.

Admirable indeed and foolish yes prohibition will do less to protect archaeological sites than a free market in doubles and lesser pieces of import especially if those antiquities are allowed to keep their provenances, far more desirable to the collector than wanderers without but till then good luck to them.

I don't buy it this seems to be more about collection of revenue than preservation of history.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/17/america/NA-US-China-Heritage.php

Credibility Crunch Hits

Theoretical Structural Archaeology is a series of articles on timber framed building a subject often based on ghosts of structures and thankfully here with lots of pictures. Excellent read!

http://structuralarchaeology.blogspot.com/

The Vergina Star

The elements which include the Vergina star and the Greek key are discussed in this picture filled article.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/88044

Maya Hold On

Ancient traditions of the Maya are still with them today and practiced by their descendants.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090114-unconquered-maya-missions.html

Getting Mossy

When the mummy of Otzi the iceman was found he had with him four species of moss with him.

http://archaeology.about.com/b/2008/12/03/moss-and-the-iceman.htm

Wooden Tablets

Thousands of inscribed wooden tablets have been found in the remains of an ancient Japanese palace.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090116p2a00m0na011000c.html

Olmec Heads Damaged

Some dorks have entered Le Venta archaeological park and poured grape juice and oil over 20 sculptures in the park, three loser's have been detained and hopefully will be horse whipped.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090114-olmec-video-ap.html

Bits and Bones

The walls around Granada Spain have been found to contain animal bones baked to add strength to the medieval walls.

http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/article.php?q=09011454-medieval-walls-spain-contain-bits-bone

Goodbye Neanderthal

Neanderthals may have faced extinction because his tools were inferior.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/14/neanderthals-weapon.html

Nasca Kept Their Own

Those trophy heads are back in the news such, delightful people.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/14/nazca-trophy-heads.html

Parchment DNA

More on this story about DNA being used to identify the regions the parchments lived in.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090114-olmec-video-ap.html

Stolen Artifacts Returned to Panama

here we have some lovely items being returned to the government of Panama, check out the beautiful frog.

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/panamaartifacts011309.htm

Korea in the Sixteenth Century

A short article containing a picture of a robe discovered along with other pieces of clothing in a tomb from the sixteenth century.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200901/200901130019.html

Those Parchment Books

Scientist are using DNA technology on rare parchment documents!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090112093328.htm

Mayan Beauty

Those ancient Americans sure were a colourful bunch and without a doubt beautiful people even if it all makes me cringe and thank God I am not Mayan.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article5504226.ece

No Airhead Here

A cave in Armenia has yielded valuable artifacts from a gruesome past including the brain of a sacrificed teenage girl.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39826/title/Armenian_cave_yields_ancient_human_brain

Painted Roman Head

Here is a video on that painted Roman head and the science of restoration.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/scientists_bring_2000/pics/

Romans in Syria

A story of the horror of war and the extreme depravity that takes hold of desperate people.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39814/title/Ancient_chemical_warfare_comes_to_light

Ancient Fleet

Ancient shipwrecks show sophistication of the ship building art in ancient times.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39810/title/Shipwrecks_harbor_evidence_of_ancient_sophistication

Not Seeing the Wood or the Trees

Histories most beautiful wood buildings and contents have not survived as a result a more simplified primitive model takes its place its carvings and inhabitants represented more often than not as disintegrated posts in holes in the ground.

Another interesting post from Geoff Carter.

http://structuralarchaeology.blogspot.com/

Ancient Istanbul

Workers digging a subway station in Istanbul to link Europe with Asia have found the city is many thousands of years older than previously thought. The workers are uncovering ancient piers as well as ships and very old skeletons as much as 8000 years old.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7820924.stm

Interview with Jim Delgado

Maritime archaeologist Jim Delgado here gives an interview to Archaeology magazine.

http://www.archaeology.org/videos/delgado.html

Flooding the Unknown

Here this sad video shows an archaeological site of importance which is set to be flooded in the name of progress.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/dam-construction-threatens-venezuelan-ruins-1264501.html

The Secret Chamber

Old Portsmouth is a lively place these days with this chambers discovery.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/Secret-chamber-may-be-part.4859139.jp

Restored Inca Building

The restoration of the building has preserved an important monument of the Inca.

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=ESQN0+yvi9A=

1922 Cuckoo

This quaint film is an early wildlife film on those dastard cuckoo's.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7818686.stm

Qing Dynasty Mummy

Here a photo of one of the five mummies recently found during construction work.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/photogalleries/wip-week112/index.html/photo3.html

What Passes as Protection ?

Okay so they want to preserve perhaps the best conservation is to remove any remaining military installations and do less rather than more. I smell archaeology by guilt!

No Nebuchadnezzar's palace did not have a giant yellow "M" in the middle of the site.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=apwIlJ7IbtWc&refer=muse

Michigan's Stonehenge

Here an article on prehistoric circle of stones and petroglyphs forty feet beneath lake Michigan.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Stonehenge-in-Lake-Michigan.html

Wan Li's Hunting Garment

The tomb of the last Ming Emperor has been open for much of the past since the emperor died. It was feared when the Ching came to power that the last Ming emperor had taken the treasury of China to his grave as a result Wan Li has not rested in peace.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/07/content_10617100.htm

H. M. Mermaid

The famous 1829 shipwreck off Queensland of the HM Mermaid may have been found, love the anchor!

http://www.powerboat-world.com/Museum-team-finds-historic-shipwreck-off-North-Queensland-coast/52543/arc

Iraq's Lost Memory

I love the Videos from the archaeological channel this one on the thefts from the Baghdad museum.

When you are there check out the video on the Antykithera mechanism.

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/index.asp

Nasca Trophy Heads

Here we have an article on the trophy heads in the Field museum and the relationship to the local Nasca population.

Turkey's Lost Treasures

An article on the theft and efforts to retrieve objects taken illegally from Turkey including the treasure of Troy smuggled out of Turkey by Heinrich Schliemann.

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/lifestyle/10697408.asp?scr=1

Stealing Ganesha

A stelae of the Hindu god has been acquired by the Portland art museum unfortunately the thousand year old stelae has no provenance before the year 2000.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/01/hindu-god-ganes.html

Vancouver Trash

Vancouver, British Columbia is a beautiful city who's origins revolved around the founding of a lumber mill in its Burrard inlet.

Here a flat iron building of the era and in the neighbourhood in question stands in front of Victory square.

http://www.columbian.com/article/20090104/NEWS02/701049978

In the Cradle of Humankind

A display of very old humanoid fossils goes on show in South Africa.

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090105/FOREIGN/282934830/-1/NEWS

Back to the Henge

Could Stonehenge be a giant concert venue? No doubt that too! Or perhaps a cremation cemetery?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/4108867/Stonehenge-was-giant-concert-venue.html

Early Jewellry

It always amazes me the great distance in time from the beginning of the earliest cultural revolution.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article5446489.ece

Pompeii in a Path of Devistation

Here is an interesting article on the destruction of a city in antiquity and the destroyer that still lives. The picture is nice.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09004/938911-37.stm

Matisse Stolen

A private gallery in Berlin has been robbed of dozens of pieces of art work.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7808869.stm

Viet nam's Glory

The history of a site excavated has brought to light many royal residences and archaeological material in the tens of thousands.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2009/01/821628/

Lost Spanish Galleon

Here is a video of the ship found in Buenos aires.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081231-galleon-video-ap.html