Proof of human ingenuity five millennia ago fits Armenians’ sense of themselves as ancient nation.
The discovery of a shoe dating back over 5,000 years has boosted Armenians’ pride in their ancient heritage, as well as pleasure at being in the headlines for a positive reason. More practically, the find could encourage greater foreign interest in Armenia and its archaeological heritage.
The moccasin, made from a single piece of cowhide, was found in a cave in the tiny village of Areni in the Vayots Dzor region in 2008. It shot to fame only recently, when recent carbon dating shows that it could be 5,600 years old. That makes it the world’s oldest item of all-leather footwear, although sandals found in Missouri date back still further.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Orkney Venus dig reaches exciting phase, says expert
Orkney Venus dig reaches exciting phase, says expert
An ARCHAEOLOGICAL dig where the Orkney Venus was found last year has entered an "exciting phase" as excavations resumed.
Archaeologists hope the Links of Noltland dig will reveal more about people who lived on the Orkney island of Westray thousands of years ago.
The sand dunes protecting the area have been reduced by winds over the past few decades.
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An ARCHAEOLOGICAL dig where the Orkney Venus was found last year has entered an "exciting phase" as excavations resumed.
Archaeologists hope the Links of Noltland dig will reveal more about people who lived on the Orkney island of Westray thousands of years ago.
The sand dunes protecting the area have been reduced by winds over the past few decades.
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Monday, June 28, 2010
Work starts on prehistoric Marden Henge in Wiltshire
Work on one of Britain's least understood ancient sites is to start.
Marden Henge has been almost destroyed by ploughing and no longer has any standing stones, but encloses an area of 15 hectares (37 acres).
A mound at the centre of the Wiltshire site still exists, which English Heritage archaeologists plan to spend six weeks delving into.
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Marden Henge has been almost destroyed by ploughing and no longer has any standing stones, but encloses an area of 15 hectares (37 acres).
A mound at the centre of the Wiltshire site still exists, which English Heritage archaeologists plan to spend six weeks delving into.
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New excavation begins at Marden Henge
An excavation that hopes to reveal the secrets of the largest prehistoric henge enclosure in the country has begun at Marden, near Devizes.
Marden Henge, thought to date back to between 2400BC and 2000BC, is the largest but least understood ancient monument in Britain.
It measures 10.5 hectares, considerably bigger than Avebury, and was last investigated in 1969 when Professor Geoffrey Wainwright dated the henge from fragments of deer antler found in the area.
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Marden Henge, thought to date back to between 2400BC and 2000BC, is the largest but least understood ancient monument in Britain.
It measures 10.5 hectares, considerably bigger than Avebury, and was last investigated in 1969 when Professor Geoffrey Wainwright dated the henge from fragments of deer antler found in the area.
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Digging resumes at Neolithic site
An archaeological dig where the Orkney Venus was found last year has entered an "exciting phase" as excavations resumed.
Archaeologists hope the Links of Noltland dig will reveal further finds to help discover more about people who lived on the Orkney island of Westray thousands of years ago.
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Archaeologists hope the Links of Noltland dig will reveal further finds to help discover more about people who lived on the Orkney island of Westray thousands of years ago.
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Russians restore face to 30,000+ year-old Kostenki cave man
According to a Jan. 1, 2010 BBC news article, by BBC News science reporter, Paul Rincon, "DNA analyzed from early European," scientists have studied and extracted DNA from the remains of a 30,000 year old European cave man who hunted wild mammoths in the region of Kostenki, Russia about five to ten thousand years before the last ice age began, at a time when Russia was warmer than it is today. Also, in another study, scientists found that about 4 percent (from 2% to 5%) of Europeans, East Asians, Papua-New Guineans, but not any Africans, have inherited Neanderthal genes, at least traces of them. The prehistoric man is known as the Markina Gora skeleton.
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Sunday, June 27, 2010
Anglers catch ancient canoe in the Boyne
HISTORIANS are probing links between an ancient dugout canoe discovered on the banks of the Boyne and the landmark Newgrange site.
The canoe, which has an unusual design and is believed to be unique in Ireland, was yesterday removed from the river by experts from the National Museum.
It was discovered two weeks ago by two local fishermen, Ivan Murphy and Kevin Tuite, who immediately contacted the authorities.
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The canoe, which has an unusual design and is believed to be unique in Ireland, was yesterday removed from the river by experts from the National Museum.
It was discovered two weeks ago by two local fishermen, Ivan Murphy and Kevin Tuite, who immediately contacted the authorities.
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4,000-year-old necklace found in dumpster
A 4,000 year old necklace is in The National Museum of Ireland after it was found in a dumpster.
Worn by early kings the necklace, called a lunala, and discs were worn by the early kings of Ireland. It is thought to day from between 2,300 and 1,800 BC.
In March 1945 it was found in Coggalbeg, County Roscommon by farmer Hubert Lannon. He found it in a bog while he was cutting turf and kept it in his home.
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Worn by early kings the necklace, called a lunala, and discs were worn by the early kings of Ireland. It is thought to day from between 2,300 and 1,800 BC.
In March 1945 it was found in Coggalbeg, County Roscommon by farmer Hubert Lannon. He found it in a bog while he was cutting turf and kept it in his home.
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Council worker stumbles across 3,000-year-old carving
PREHISTORIC art 3,000 years old was discovered by chance in woodland by a council worker while carrying out routine maintenance work.
John Gilpin, a woodlands officer in the Parks and Countryside department, stumbled upon the find in Ecclesall Woods.
He discovered a boulder with a series of markings, lines and cuts - which, after being examined by experts, has been declared a significant archaeological find.
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John Gilpin, a woodlands officer in the Parks and Countryside department, stumbled upon the find in Ecclesall Woods.
He discovered a boulder with a series of markings, lines and cuts - which, after being examined by experts, has been declared a significant archaeological find.
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Serbian site may have hosted first copper makers
An archaeological site in southeastern Europe has shown its metal. This ancient settlement contains the oldest securely dated evidence of copper making, from 7,000 years ago, and suggests that copper smelting may been invented in separate parts of Asia and Europe at that time rather than spreading from a single source.
The find extends the known record of copper smelting by about 500 years, an archaeological team headed by Miljana Radivojević and Thilo Rehren of University College London reports in an upcoming Journal of Archaeological Science. The pair were joined by Serbian researchers, led by Dušan Šljivar of the National Museum Belgrade, and German scientists directed by Ernst Pernicka of the University of Tübingen.
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The find extends the known record of copper smelting by about 500 years, an archaeological team headed by Miljana Radivojević and Thilo Rehren of University College London reports in an upcoming Journal of Archaeological Science. The pair were joined by Serbian researchers, led by Dušan Šljivar of the National Museum Belgrade, and German scientists directed by Ernst Pernicka of the University of Tübingen.
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Thursday, June 24, 2010
Archaeologists make 'spectacular' discovery at Delancey
A Neolithic burial site in the parish of St Sampson has yielded pottery fragments and flints that date back 4,500 years.
They were discovered in a gallery grave, which lies within Delancey Park.
Evidence has also been found of related structures that were previously unknown to archaeologists.
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They were discovered in a gallery grave, which lies within Delancey Park.
Evidence has also been found of related structures that were previously unknown to archaeologists.
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Monday, June 21, 2010
New Agers, neo-pagans see Stonehenge solstice
SALISBURY, England – Thousands of New Agers and neo-pagans danced and whooped in delight Monday as a bright early morning sun rose above the ancient stone circle Stonehenge, marking the summer solstice.
About 20,000 people crowded the prehistoric site on Salisbury Plain, southern England, to see the sunrise at 4:52 A.M. (1152EST), following an annual all-night party.
The event typically draws thousands of alternative-minded revelers to the monument, as they wait for dawn at the Heel Stone, a pockmarked pillar just outside the circle proper, which aligns with the rising sun.
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About 20,000 people crowded the prehistoric site on Salisbury Plain, southern England, to see the sunrise at 4:52 A.M. (1152EST), following an annual all-night party.
The event typically draws thousands of alternative-minded revelers to the monument, as they wait for dawn at the Heel Stone, a pockmarked pillar just outside the circle proper, which aligns with the rising sun.
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Sunday, June 20, 2010
Government Cuts Budget for Stonehenge
What are your views on the British government’s plans to cut the budget for a new visitor’s centre at Stonehenge?
Express your views on the discussions page on the Archaeology in Europe Facebook site.
Express your views on the discussions page on the Archaeology in Europe Facebook site.
Bones from a Cheddar Gorge cave show that cannibalism helped Britain's earliest settlers survive the ice age
New carbon dating techniques reveal that 14,700 years ago humans living in Gough's Cave in the Mendips acquired a taste for the flesh of their relatives, and not just for ritual reasons
Scientists have identified the first humans to recolonise Britain after the last ice age. The country was taken over in a couple of years by individuals who practised cannibalism, they say - a discovery that revolutionises our understanding of the peopling of Britain and the manner in which men and women reached these shores.
Research has shown that tribes of hunter-gatherers moved into Britain from Spain and France with extraordinary rapidity when global warming brought an end to the ice age 14,700 years ago and settled in a cavern – known as Gough's Cave – in the Cheddar Gorge in what is now Somerset.
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Scientists have identified the first humans to recolonise Britain after the last ice age. The country was taken over in a couple of years by individuals who practised cannibalism, they say - a discovery that revolutionises our understanding of the peopling of Britain and the manner in which men and women reached these shores.
Research has shown that tribes of hunter-gatherers moved into Britain from Spain and France with extraordinary rapidity when global warming brought an end to the ice age 14,700 years ago and settled in a cavern – known as Gough's Cave – in the Cheddar Gorge in what is now Somerset.
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Excavation at Iron Age hill fort near Melton Mowbray
One of Leicestershire's most important archaeological monuments is being excavated for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Trenches are being dug up in the Iron Age hill fort at Burrough on the Hill near Melton Mowbray in the hope of finding clues about life from 600BC.
The site is being opened to the public on Sunday.
Site directors said hill forts were enigmatic monuments which had rarely been scientifically excavated.
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Trenches are being dug up in the Iron Age hill fort at Burrough on the Hill near Melton Mowbray in the hope of finding clues about life from 600BC.
The site is being opened to the public on Sunday.
Site directors said hill forts were enigmatic monuments which had rarely been scientifically excavated.
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Ancient Humans May Have Dined on Hyenas
It's already been shown that hyenas ate humans, but did early humans likewise dine on hyenas? They might have, say Spanish researchers who found evidence of human "processing" of hyena bones in an ancient hyena den.
"Although the interaction between hyenas and hominids is a constant throughout human evolution, consumption of these animals by our ancestors has never before been documented," said researcher Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo of the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. His paper announcing the discovery appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Taphonomy.
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"Although the interaction between hyenas and hominids is a constant throughout human evolution, consumption of these animals by our ancestors has never before been documented," said researcher Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo of the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. His paper announcing the discovery appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Taphonomy.
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Saturday, June 19, 2010
Coalition's cuts are final betrayal of Stonehenge
Cancelling what was already an inadequate plan for the site's rehabilitation just adds insult to injury to this wonder of the world
In a world of specialisms you can fool all of the people some of the time because every case has its own detailed context. We know we don't know all the pros and cons. But the sad story of Stonehenge is one I have followed for the last few years, so this week's ugly betrayal of our greatest national monument is something I know is wrong. The coalition's first cultural cuts include the cancellation of plans for a £25m visitor centre at Stonehenge: a callous and unjustified assault on a wonder of the world.
These cuts are presented as the hacking away of Labour excess, the pragmatic cure for the last lot's fiscal foolery. However, there was nothing excessive, careless or even generous about this plan for Stonehenge. It was in fact a parsimonious, limited, and barely adequate solution to what has long been recognised as the disgracefully shabby presentation of this world-famous site.
Read the rest of this article...
In a world of specialisms you can fool all of the people some of the time because every case has its own detailed context. We know we don't know all the pros and cons. But the sad story of Stonehenge is one I have followed for the last few years, so this week's ugly betrayal of our greatest national monument is something I know is wrong. The coalition's first cultural cuts include the cancellation of plans for a £25m visitor centre at Stonehenge: a callous and unjustified assault on a wonder of the world.
These cuts are presented as the hacking away of Labour excess, the pragmatic cure for the last lot's fiscal foolery. However, there was nothing excessive, careless or even generous about this plan for Stonehenge. It was in fact a parsimonious, limited, and barely adequate solution to what has long been recognised as the disgracefully shabby presentation of this world-famous site.
Read the rest of this article...
Mystery near Marden of henge
A site at Marden, near Devizes, rivalled Stonehenge and Avebury in its day, says English Heritage.
The group is about to undertake a six-week dig at the site close to the village, starting on June 28.
Unlike Stonehenge and Avebury, Marden Henge no longer has any surviving standing stones, but its sheer size is astounding.
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The group is about to undertake a six-week dig at the site close to the village, starting on June 28.
Unlike Stonehenge and Avebury, Marden Henge no longer has any surviving standing stones, but its sheer size is astounding.
Read the rest of this article...
Archaeologists Discover Early Neolithic Grave in North-Western Bulgaria
A grave of a man filled with burial gifts, dating from the early Neolithic period, was recently discovered by archaeologists Georgi Ganetsovski from the Vratsa History Museum, during the renewed excavations of the prehistoric settlement in the Valoga area near the north-western Bulgarian village of Ohoden.
The prehistoric man’s skeleton is amazingly well preserved, although it has been underground for almost 8,000 years, Ganetsovski explained, cited by national media. The archaeologist said that the man’s body was laid on its back and his legs were bent to the left, in a pit that was especially dug out for it. Next to the man’s head was found a fully preserved ceramic, spherical vessel, and next to his right shoulder – a flint knife. The traces of the burial ceremony, according to Ganetsovski, can be easily seen.
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The prehistoric man’s skeleton is amazingly well preserved, although it has been underground for almost 8,000 years, Ganetsovski explained, cited by national media. The archaeologist said that the man’s body was laid on its back and his legs were bent to the left, in a pit that was especially dug out for it. Next to the man’s head was found a fully preserved ceramic, spherical vessel, and next to his right shoulder – a flint knife. The traces of the burial ceremony, according to Ganetsovski, can be easily seen.
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£25m Stonehenge visitor centre axed
Government funding for a £25 million project to build a new visitor centre at Stonehenge has been axed as part of a review of public spending projects.
The withdrawal of public funding for the plans – which include a new visitor centre and closing an adjacent main road – is the latest setback to efforts to improve the World Heritage Site. But the Treasury said that if non-government funding was identified, the scheme to revitalise the prehistoric site could still go-ahead.
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The withdrawal of public funding for the plans – which include a new visitor centre and closing an adjacent main road – is the latest setback to efforts to improve the World Heritage Site. But the Treasury said that if non-government funding was identified, the scheme to revitalise the prehistoric site could still go-ahead.
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