Steven Stanek in Cairo, Egypt
for National Geographic News
January 30, 2008

Four ancient tombs containing well-preserved mummies and ornate painted coffins have been unearthed in El Faiyum, an oasis about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Cairo.

One female mummy was found wearing a gilded mask, a rare treasure at the site known as the necropolis of Deir el-Banat. The burial complex is a frequent target for modern-day grave robbers and was thought to have been looted of its riches.

( Read More )

Kevin Holden Platt in Beijing, China
for National Geographic News
January 29, 2008


A 2,500-year-old tomb containing nearly four dozen victims of human sacrifice has been excavated in eastern China, yielding a treasure trove of precious artifacts and new insights into ritual customs during the era of Confucius, archaeologists say.

The tomb was discovered in January 2007 after police caught looters plundering the site in the province of Jiangxi, said Xu Changqing, who heads the excavation team.

( Read More )

Rory Kress in Jerusalem
Associated Press
January 28, 2008

Experts have restored a 1,400-year-old glass mosaic glowing in gold that was recovered from an ancient palace in northern Israel, authorities announced Monday.

Officials with the Israel Antiquities Authority believe the mosaic panel is the only one of its kind, due to both the quality of its preservation and its gleaming, gilded craftsmanship that suggests Christian origins.

( Read More )

ScienceDaily (Jan. 28, 2008) — The Greek traveler, Pausanias, living in the second century, CE, would probably recognize the spectacular site of the Sanctuary of Zeus at Mt. Lykaion, and particularly the altar of Zeus. At 4,500 feet above sea level, atop the altar provides a breathtaking, panoramic vista of Arcadia.

“On the highest point of the mountain is a mound of earth, forming an altar of Zeus Lykaios, and from it most of the Peloponnesos can be seen,” wrote Pausanias, in his famous, well-respected multi-volume Description of Greece. “Before the altar on the east stand two pillars, on which there were of old gilded eagles. On this altar they sacrifice in secret to Lykaion Zeus. I was reluctant to pry into the details of the sacrifice; let them be as they are and were from the beginning.”

( Read More )

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2008) — Ancient Mayan temple builders discovered and used lustrous pigments to make their buildings dazzle in the daylight, a Queensland University of Technology researcher has discovered.

Studying tiny shards of paint from the Mayan city of Copan, QUT physical and chemical sciences PhD researcher Rosemary Goodall found evidence of mica that would have made the buildings glitter when hit by the sun.

( Read More )

London, Jan 26: Archaeologists have excavated three important ancient sites, one of which has revealed 200 rare Parthian artifacts in southern Iraq.

According to Mohammed Abbas, the head of the excavation team of the Parthian site, "Most of the finds are unique. We have a silver statue of a woman, another silver piece representing a cobra, household utensils, legendary animals, incised pots and various other magnificent items."

Another site that was discovered by the Iraqi archaeologists was a post-Sasanian site that yielded 119 pieces, which consisted of inscribed pots, glassware and beautiful beakers.

The territories that today is known as Iraq had became part of Persian Achaemenid Empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great after conquering Babylon in 539BCE.

The territory almost uninterruptedly remained Iranian until 7th century CE. Muslim-Arab invaders finally occupied Iraq in 7th century, and as the result of mass migration from Arabian peninsula to the region, it has been predominantly occupied by Arabs.

(Original Document).

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

Jan. 25, 2008 -- People started wearing shoes around 40,000 years ago, according to a study on recently excavated small toe bones that belonged to an individual from China who apparently loved shoes.

Most footwear erodes over time. The earliest known shoes, rope sandals that attached to the feet with string, date to only around 10,000 B.C. For the new study, the clues were in middle toe bones that change during an individual's lifetime if the person wears shoes a lot.

( Read More )

View Video at National Geographic.com

Be sure to click the link a little ways down to see the other eight parts of the series on this subject.

An almost complete human skull fossil that could date back 100,000 years was unearthed in Henan last month, Chinese archaeologists announced yesterday.

"It is the greatest discovery in China after the Peking Man and Upper Cave Man skull fossils were found in Beijing early last century, and will shed light on a critical period of human evolution," said Shan Jixiang, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

( Read More )

Hey Everyone,

I've been out sick all week, hence the lack of posting. I will be posting stories tomorrow - barring anything unforeseen - and there are plenty of good ones that have piled up this week.

Cheers,

Jillian

By Katie Thompson

WARWICKSHIRE County Council has published a comic to encourage children and young people to get involved in digging up the past in Bidford.

Its archaeological outreach project, Buried under Bidford, which aims to give people the opportunity to experience hands-on archaeology and learn more about the rich heritage of the village, has produced the comic in a bid to engage youngsters with the scheme.

And feedback so far has shown it is doing just that.

( Read More )