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explorator 24.40 January 23, 2022
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You can read explorator online at:

https://exploratornews.wordpress.com/


Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Edward Rockstein, Kurt Theis,
John McMahon, Barnea Selavan, Joseph Lauer, Mike Ruggeri, Hernan Astudillo, Richard Campbell, Barbara Saylor Rodgers, Bob Heuman, David Critchley, Nancy Hurley,
Richard Miller, Kris Curry, Rick Heli, Richard C. Griffiths, Frank MacKay, David Emery,
Don Buck, mata kimasitayo, and Ross W. Sargent for headses upses this week
(as always hoping I have left no one out).

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CUT AND PASTE CORRIGENDA ============================================================
Several folks alerted me to the mispasting of a piece on Benedict Arnold last week ... apologies, and here it is:

https://wnyt.com/saratoga-county-ny-news/benedict-arnold-movie/6357909/ ============================================================
EARLY HOMINIDS
============================================================
Study suggests that a 200 000 years bp hominid skull found in the 1970s in China may have contained the largest known brain at the time:

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/20220117/e9d002941df44c5a8c9f56190342a2b6/c.html
http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0117/c90000-9945331.html http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2022-01-18/detail-ihauveie2088096.shtml

More on an older dating for homo sapiens in eastern Africa:

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/22/1073878448/volcano-eruption-humans-research-africa
https://hyperallergic.com/706321/researchers-find-evidence-human-beings-are-way-older-than-we-thought/
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/01/researchers-date-the-oldest-known-human-skull-at-233000-years/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10286-220118-ethiopia-volcano-fossil

Suggestion that Neanderthals had language:

https://elpais.com/ciencia/2022-01-16/para-mi-esta-muy-claro-que-los-neandertales-hablaban.html
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AFRICA
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A study of West African plant-based food remains from some 3500 years bp pottery fragments:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2022/january/origin-of-plants-in-west-african-cuisine.html
https://phys.org/news/2022-01-west-african-cuisine.html https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/tracing-the-origins-of-plants-in-west-african-cuisine/142557
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/tracing-origins-of-plants-in-ancient.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/19/tracing-the-origins-of-plants-in-west-african-cuisine/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/10290-220119-west-africa-plants

More on a Liberian script and its clues to the evolution of writing:

https://www.shh.mpg.de/2089042/evolution-of-writing https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/17/rare-african-script-offers-clues-to-the-evolution-of-writing/

More on 100 000 years bp bone tools for making clothing from Morocco:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102988

More on 50 000 years bp ostrich eggshell beads:

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-692730 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jan/16/trail-of-african-bling-reveals-50000-year-old-social-network
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/ostrich-beads-archaeology-discovery-africa-1234616055/
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/stone-age-social-network-2062268

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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT ============================================================
[not a lot happening in the ANE this week ...]

More on the 4000 years bp structures associated with copper and turquoise mining in the Sinai:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-egypt/copper-and-the-history-of-the-alphabet-in-ancient-egypt/
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/01/egypt-unearths-ancient-quarters-mining-leader
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10292-220120-egypt-mining-administration

More on blocks and other bits from a pair of massive limestone sphinxes of Amenhotep III from Luxor:

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/455206.aspx https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/01/more-ancient-egypts-largest-mortuary-temple-uncovered
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10427285/Pair-sphinxes-depicting-King-Tutankhamuns-grandfather-discovered-Egypt.html
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/sphinxes-found-amenhotep-iii-temple-luxor-1234616230/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkp399/archeologists-discover-two-huge-sphinxes-in-egyptian-ruins
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/huge-blocks-for-sphinx-shaped-amenhotep.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/18/sphinx-and-sekhmet-statues-found-at-pharaoh-amenhotep-iiis-mortuary-temple/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10291-220119-egypt-luxor-amenhotep

More on the foetus preserved in a 2000 years bp mummy:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/foetus-inside-egyptian-mummy-preserved.html

Egypt and South Korea have signed an MOU to cooperate in the antiquities and museum sectors:

https://dailynewsegypt.com/2022/01/22/egypt-south-korea-sign-mou-to-enhance-cooperation-in-antiquities-museums-sector/

... part of which includes Korean participation in restoration work at Egyptian temples:

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/01/120_322713.html http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220123000192 http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220123000127 https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220123001400325

Egypt was celebrating archaeologists last week:

https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1207/456543/AlAhram-Weekly/Heritage/Celebrating-archaeologists.aspx

5 000 years bp evidence of tool and 'instrument' (!) making from Qale-Rostam (Iran):

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/469262/People-in-southeast-Iran-had-know-how-to-make-tools-5-000-years

Digging has resumed (I thought it had already) at the Burnt City:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/469207/Archaeological-work-begins-near-Burnt-City

Feature on the Luristan Bronzes:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/469334/Luristan-Bronzes-a-glimpse-into-their-mystery

An 800 years bp prayer room found beneath the al-Nuri mosque in Mosul:

https://local12.com/news/nation-world/archaeologists-discover-800-year-old-prayer-room-archaeology-mosul-iraq-isis-mosque-pray-religion-tourism-caliphate-holy-war-al-nuri-iraqi-antiquities-and-heritage-cincinnati-ohio
https://wset.com/news/nation-world/archaeologists-discover-800-year-old-prayer-room-archaeology-mosul-iraq-isis-mosque-pray-religion-tourism-caliphate-holy-war-al-nuri-iraqi-antiquities-and-heritage-cincinnati-ohio

More on European archaeologists returning to Iraq:

https://thearabweekly.com/european-iraqi-archaeologists-again-work-digging-treasures-cradle-civilisations

More on the 6th century mosaic floor from a Byzantine basilica site in Hatay province (not sure about the translation):

https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/01/17/mosaic-in-greek-prepared-by-a-freed-slave-to-thank-god-found-in-turkeys-hatay/
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63144

Pondering some 9000 years bp skulls found in the 1980s which had been smeared with asphalt from the Judean Desert:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/what-was-asphalt-doing-on-9000-year-old.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/21/what-was-asphalt-doing-on-a-9000-year-old-skull/

More on evidence from that Jerusalem toilet of parasites among the elite:

https://www.zmescience.com/science/ancient-toilet-intestinal-parasites-924632456/

More on the 'good shepherd ring' from a shipwreck off Caesarea:

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2022/january/good-shepherd-ring-discovered-off-the-coast-of-caesarea

Haven't had a piece pondering whether the Exodus happened in a while (this one is actually sort of touristy):

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-693872

Marking Conrad Schick's 200th birthday:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/archaeologists-biblical-scholars-works/the-foundations-of-jerusalem-archaeology/?mqsc=E4141253&dk=ZE2410ZF0

Feature on Haggai and Zechariah in a Persian context:

https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2022/01/haggai-and-zechariah-books

Review of a book aimed at getting children interested in archaeology in Israel:

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-692459

The National Library of Israel acquired 90 more pages from a 15th century work of Jewish Law:

https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-693909

More on the 4500 years bp 'funerary avenues' from Saudi Arabia:

https://www.livescience.com/ancient-arabia-funerary-avenues-discovered https://www.sciencealert.com/archaeologists-have-discovered-some-spectacular-lost-highways-from-ancient-arabia
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/archaeologists-discover-ancient.html
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10289-220119-saudi-arabia-avenues

More on that 4000 years bp board game from a site in Oman:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/archaeologists-find-4000-year-old-board.html

-----
This Week in the Ancient Near East Podcast:

https://thisweekintheancientneareast.podbean.com/

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ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS) ============================================================
Overviewish piece on this season's finds at Kition:

https://cyprus-mail.com/2022/01/20/excavations-shed-further-light-on-ancient-kition/
https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/the-2021-archaeological-excavations-at-ancient-kition-completed/
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/results-of-2021-kition-pampoula.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/20/results-of-2021-kition-pampoula-excavations/

Overviewish of finds from the Gemina Tomb at Tarquinia (found a few months ago):

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/discoveries-at-tarquinia-gemina-tomb.html
https://greekreporter.com/2022/01/22/excavation-etruscan-tomb/

A find of what seems to be a marble workshop from Pompeii (Italian):

https://mediterraneoantico.it/articoli/news/lastre-di-marmo-pregiato-ritrovate-nellinsula-occidentalis-di-pompei/

Remains of a 4th century CE Roman amphitheatre from Aargau (Switzerland):

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/swiss-archeologists-dig-up-youngest-roman-amphitheatre/47274624
https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/tutte-le-notizie-in-breve/kaiseraugst--ag---scoperto-anfiteatro-romano/47274086
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/roman-amphitheatre-unearthed-in-switzerland/142560

A metal detectorist in Cornwall found a 2000 years bp Roman ring in his wife's flower bed:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10410043/Maths-teacher-unearths-2000-year-old-Roman-ring-garden-wife-gave-metal-detector.html
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/gallery/man-discovers-roman-gold-wifes-6497198

A 2nd/3rd century coin hoard from South Derbyshire (found in 2019?):

https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/roman-coins-found-south-derbyshire-6505156

An 1800 years (amazing) Roman glass bowl from Nijmegen:

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63180

A coin hoard (looks 3rd century) with a couple of bracelets found by metal detectorists in Ribble Valley:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-60055386 https://www.burnleyexpress.net/heritage-and-retro/heritage/awe-struck-detectorists-unearth-huge-hoard-of-roman-coins-and-jewellery-in-ribble-valley-3529628

I think we mentioned this 3rd century CE statue of a woman from Perge:

https://greekreporter.com/2022/01/18/third-century-ad-statue-of-woman-unearthed-in-ancient-greek-city-of-perge/

Something about a Greek mosaic floor find during mine excavations in Syria:

https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/01/17/ancient-greek-mosaic-syrian-hama/

In case you missed the Greco-Roman era rock-cut tombs from west of Aswan:

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/455265.aspx https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/01/17/greco-roman-rock-cut-tomb-unearthed-in-aswan/
https://greekreporter.com/2022/01/19/greek-mummy-aswan-egypt/ https://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2022/01/17/archeology-university-of-milan-researchers-find-assuan-tomb_5f8493bf-5019-479f-a21a-da176fb3e9e1.html
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/greco-roman-tomb-containing-twenty-mummies-discovered-near-aswan/142530
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/graeco-roman-tomb-with-20-mummies.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/19/aswan-egypt-new-finds-from-a-greco-roman-tomb-in-the-aga-khan-area/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10293-220120-egypt-burial-chambers

... and claims of a Turkish harem on the Acropolis:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/turkish-harem-acropolis-athens-b1996199.html

Plans for protection/management of the site of Gla:

https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/18/acropolis-of-gla-yes-to-the-plan-for-protection-and-management-of-site/

Salamis' overseeing committee is reflecting on their successes:

https://cyprus-mail.com/2022/01/22/protection-of-salamis-mosaics-named-as-among-committees-significant-works/

Brexit delays heritage payments relating to Hadrian's Wall:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/22/hadrians-wall-threat-brexit-delays-heritage-payments/
http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/855/reader/reader.html?social#!preferred/0/package/855/pub/855/page/16/article/264092

More on that Roman-era (maybe) wooden figure found during HS2 construction near Buckinghamshire:

https://www.dw.com/en/rare-roman-wooden-figure-found-in-the-uk/g-58291898 https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/rare-roman-wooden-figurine-unearthed-at.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/17/archaeologists-uncover-rare-roman-wooden-figure/

More on the remains of a sizeable Roman-era trading town in Northamptonshire:

https://www.livescience.com/ancient-roman-market-town-excavated-uk https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-roman-trading-settlement-unearthed-80-miles-from-london-180979406/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10282-220118-england-roman-town

More on an 1800 years bp broken statue of Venus from Croatia:

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/59345-venus-statue-in-zadar http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63170 https://www.archaeology.org/10294-220120-croatia-venus-statue

More on the Hypogeum of Cristallini Street (a Hellenistic necropolis outside Naples) opening to the public:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/naples-greek-tombs-cristallini/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/naples-greek-tombs-cristallini/index.html
https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/01/19/ipogeo-dei-cristallini-ancient-greek-tombs-in-naples-rewrite-history-opens-in-june/

cf: https://ipogeodeicristallini.com/

More on badgers in Spain revealing a hoard of Roman coins:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/burrowing-badger-unearths-roman-era.html

Plans for an underwater museum at Piraeus proceed apace:

https://news.gtp.gr/2022/01/20/piraeus-plans-for-underwater-antiquities-museum-get-approval/
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/20/procedures-going-ahead-for-the-museum-of-underwater-antiquities/

The US is funding a project to restore and preserve mosaics at Volubilis:

https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/us-funds-restoration-ancient-roman-city-morocco

In case you were wondering what happened to Classics at UVermont:

https://classicalstudies.org/scs-blog/john-c-franklin/blog-news-vermont-ambrose-graduate-fellowship-classical-languages

Charlotte Higgins on applying Greek myth to modern crises:

https://time.com/6140064/greek-myths-covid-19-pandemic/

Victor Nuovo is starting a new series ... this one gets to Lucretius:

https://www.addisonindependent.com/2022/01/20/victor-nuovo-like-everyone-i-ask-what-does-it-all-mean/

Feature on Cynicism:

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/01/cynicism-modern-ancient-true-meaning/621314/

Feature on Roman dog crucifixion:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-romans-used-to-crucify-dogs https://uk.news.yahoo.com/romans-used-crucify-dogs-101323688.html

Feature on Dura-Europos:

https://smarthistory.org/dura-europos/

Feature on the Library of Alexandria:

https://www.livescience.com/rise-and-fall-of-the-great-alexandria-library

Feature on some Roman columns at Brindisi:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/roman-columns-of-brindisi

Feature on TROY university students participating in digs in Italy:

https://today.troy.edu/news/troy-professor-students-make-discoveries-at-italian-excavation-sites/

Feature on ancient Rome as the Founding Fathers' inspiration for the US economy:

https://fee.org/articles/how-the-roman-empire-provided-the-founding-fathers-a-blueprint-for-america-s-economy/

Imagining life in ancient Rome:

https://bigthink.com/the-past/ancient-rome-life-routine/

Yet another feature on the Antikythera Mechanism:

https://astronomy.com/magazine/news/2022/01/dissecting-an-ancient-computer

Pondering how quiet Vesuvius seems to be:

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/940754 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220120125422.htm

More on pressure apparently increasing on the BM to return the Parthenon sculptures:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/jan/18/parthenon-sculptures-greece-pressure-british-museum
https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/world/britain-greece-elgin-marbles-italy-b1994144.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/18/the-london-times-are-in-favour-of-the-return-of-the-parthenon-sculptures/
https://greekherald.com.au/news/greece/greece-step-up-pressure-parthenon-marbles-amid-signs-changing-views-uk/
https://www.thenationalherald.com/the-proposal-of-the-times-of-london-is-interesting/

... and the Times seems happy with the attention they received for their stance:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/greek-rapture-elgin-marbles-support-the-times-rmx28gvcg

Review of Kyle Harper, *Plagues Upon the Earth*:

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/3164119/professor-rewrites-history-disease-and-explains-why

Review of Lindsey Davis, *A Comedy of Terrors*;

https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/books/news/2022-01-16-murder-mystery-and-a-riotous-romp-through-ancient-rome/

Review of Emily Katz Anhalt, *Embattled*:

https://dartreview.com/embattled-a-review/

Revisiting Donna Tartt's *Secret History*:

https://www.gawker.com/culture/tartt-for-tartts-sake-the-secret-history-at-30 -----
Roman Archaeology Blog:

http://romanarc.blogspot.com/

Rogueclassicism:

http://rogueclassicism.com/ ============================================================
EUROPE AND THE UK (+ Ireland) ============================================================
A study of some gold and silver tubes found in a 5000 years bp burial mound in Russia in 1897 have been identified as 'beer straws':

https://phys.org/news/2022-01-oldest-straws.html https://www.livescience.com/oldest-drinking-straws-on-record https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/ancient-metal-tubes-unearthed-in-1897-could-be-oldest-surviving-drinking-straws
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10415037/Archaeology-Oldest-known-drinking-straws-gold-silver-3ft-long-used-communal-bowl.html
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-694263 https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/earliest-drinking-straws-identified-from-5-500-year-old-tomb-in-caucasus-1.10547390
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/ancient-scepters-actually-straws-communal-boozing-researchers-say-rcna12545
https://gizmodo.com/these-5-000-year-old-drinking-straws-were-used-to-sip-b-1848378709
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/archaeologists-identify-the-oldest-example-of-drinking-straws/142546
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/oldest-known-drinking-straws-identified.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaelogists-find-ancient-drinking-straws-used-to-drink-beer-180979433/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/10295-220120-maikop-drinking-straws

cf: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00119-1

An Iron Age gold curved coin hoard from near Baitz (Germany):

https://www.livescience.com/celtic-gold-hoard-discovered-germany https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/archaeologists-uncover-ancient-gold-coin-hoard/142536
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2022/01/18/celtic-gold-hoard-uncovered-in-brandenburg/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10288-220118-germany-rainbow-cups

What they're finding in a Visigoth dump in Toledo:

https://elpais.com/cultura/2022-01-22/el-vertedero-visigodo-de-toledo-se-convierte-en-un-tesoro-arqueologico.html

A 1400-1700 years bp golden 'neck ring' from Denmark:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/ancient-golden-neck-ring-of-almost.html

Remains of a medieval garden from Soba:

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/12/1000-year-old-garden-unearthed-in-medieval-town-of-soba/142358

I think we mentioned this medieval pendant as the PAS's one millionth find:

https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/news/people/binbrooks-one-in-a-million-find-3532864

A metal detectorist found a gold coins of Henry III in a Devon field:

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/rare-henry-iii-gold-coin-6502924 https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/60021916 https://www.cnn.com/style/article/henry-iii-gold-penny-first-coin-intl-scli/index.html
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/16/treasure-hunter-strikes-gold-discovery-700-year-old-henry-iii/
http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/850/reader/reader.html?social#!preferred/0/package/850/pub/850/page/40/article/262038
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/800-year-old-gold-penny-found-in-english-field-could-sell-for-half-a-million-180979420/

The skull of a woman of African origin (maybe) from a medieval burial ground in Bohemia:

https://english.radio.cz/black-womans-skull-found-medieval-burial-ground-bohemia-8739771

17th century finds from Plymouth's first navy supply yard:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/fascinating-rare-items-found-during-6536357

Reallllly vague report of 'archaeological finds of interest' from a Plymouth cave:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/history/sherford-bone-cave-containing-archaeological-6503978
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-60042700

More on the small size of medieval warhorses:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/medieval-horses-size/2022/01/14/4a90530e-73da-11ec-bc13-18891499c514_story.html

A 14th century burial vault from a church in Bruges has been removed whole (!) for conservation and display purposes:

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63152

Feature on the Gjermundbu Viking helmet:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/did-this-viking-helmet-belong-to.html

Feature on reconstructing Sweden's (mesolithic) 'seated woman' burial:

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0bhtslq/how-sweden-s-mysterious-seated-woman-came-to-life

Feature on what might have been 'the original Stonehenge':

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/original-stonehenge-a-dismantled-stone-circle-in-the-preseli-hills-of-west-wales/B7DAA4A7792B4DAB57DDE0E3136FBC33

Viking-era wooden sailboats have been put on UNESCO's heritage list:

https://apnews.com/article/travel-lifestyle-united-nations-denmark-norway-1a7bd1a5c82a0f4bcbd79083ede4dd7e
----------
Archaeology in Europe News:

http://archaeology-in-europe.blogspot.com/

Medievalists.net:

https://www.medievalists.net/category/news/

Viking Archaeology Blog:

http://viking-archaeology-blog.blogspot.com/

============================================================
ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC ============================================================
Remains of 70+ Neolithic semi-subterranean dwellings from China's Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region:

http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0118/c90000-9946448.html

Evidence of alcohol use in China some 8000 years bp (I think we mentioned this):

https://ukranews.com/en/news/826432-archaeologists-discover-remnants-of-8-000-yr-old-alcohol-in-china

A cluster of 3000 years bp burials of a wealthy clan in Henan possibly have evidence of warriors being buried alive:

https://www.livescience.com/ancient-chinese-tombs-warriors-buried-alive

Oldest yet found (ca 450 BCE) brewed tea leaves from a royal burial in Zoucheng:

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63185

A cluster of 400+ burials dating to Eastern Zhou and Han Dynasty times from Shanxi:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202201/1246229.shtml http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2022-01/18/content_77995947.htm

Remains of a Shang Dynasty city gate from Yanshi:

https://ukranews.com/en/news/826378-ancient-city-gate-remains-discovered-in-central-china

Feature on four sites from Xizang:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202201/1245867.shtml

A study of the Silk Road mummy known as Yingpan Man:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04383-5

China will soon roll out its next five-year plan for archaeology:

http://www.china.org.cn/china/Off_the_Wire/2022-01/17/content_77994700.htm http://www.ecns.cn/news/2022-01-17/detail-ihauveie2087784.shtml https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202201/1246271.shtml

... while in 2021 China worked on 1388 archaeological projects:

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-01-18/China-carried-out-1-388-archaeological-projects-in-2021-16UYRyip1f2/index.html

I think we mentioned plans to use muon rays to shed more light on the terracotta army:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/cosmic-rays-to-shed-light-on-tomb.html

... while 25 more pottery figurines have been found in one of the pit's at Qin's mausoleum:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202201/1246670.shtml

Review of Jing Tsu, *Kingdom of Characters*:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/books/review/kingdom-of-characters-jing-tsu.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/21/books/review/podcast-jing-tsu-kingdom-of-characters-kathryn-schulz-lost-found.html

A study analyzing orientation of some Japanese tombs via satellite images:

https://phys.org/news/2022-01-secrets-ancient-japanese-tombs-revealed.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/940596 https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/satellite-imagery-reveals-new-insights-into-the-kofun-keyhole-burial-mounds/142550
http://www.archaeology.org/news/10296-220121-japan-kofun-sun

cf: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/2/377

More on possible prototypes of ninja weapons from a 16th century site in Japan:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2022/01/artifacts-found-in-japan-thought-to-be.html

Somewhat vague item on the find of a 12 foot statue (maybe) of an elephant by villagers in Belur taluk:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/12-feet-statue-unearthed/article38298785.ece

Plans for an underwater survey off the coast of Korkai:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tn-archaeology-dept-to-conduct-reconnaissance-survey-in-sea-off-the-coast-of-korkai/article38297147.ece

Feature on seven digs starting in February in Tamil Nadu:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/tamil-nadu-receives-nod-for-excavations-at-7-sites-101642705533415.html
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tamil-nadu-archaeological-excavations-in-seven-sites-to-begin-in-feb-1072952.html
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/jan/21/tamil-nadu-archaeology-department-plans-excavations-at-seven-places-in-2022-2409457.html
https://menafn.com/1103574061/Archaeological-excavations-will-establish-prominence-of-TN-in-history-of-Indian-subcontinent&source=30

Concerns for Hindu temples and other heritage sites in Islamic Pakistan:

https://hinduexistence.org/2022/01/19/vanishing-hindu-temples-shrines-and-heritage-sites-of-islamic-pakistan/

More on evidence of food items from charred 800 BCE remains from kadebakele:

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/938345 https://www.archaeology.org/news/10245-211223-india-charred-lumps

Feature on the growing importance of art restoration in India:

https://www.thehindu.com/society/repaired-retouched-reborn-art-restoration-is-finally-getting-its-due-in-india/article38302011.ece

Latest burial mound finds from the 'Siberian Valley of the Kings':

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/new-discoveries-in-the-siberian-valley-of-the-kings/142523
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63162 ============================================================
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND ============================================================
Feature on the history of reporting bushfires in Australia:

https://theconversation.com/mythologised-memorialised-then-forgotten-a-history-of-australias-bushfire-reporting-170778
============================================================
NORTH AMERICA
============================================================
A 370 years bp Spanish cross find from a site in Maryland:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/01/23/spanish-cross-stmarys-dig/

Latest analyses of the finds from Poverty Point:

https://www.ulm.edu/news/2022/poverty_point_discovery_011822hy.html https://www.knoe.com/2022/01/20/archeologists-discover-more-about-poverty-point-world-heritage-site/

An Indigenous man wa apparently fired for refused to dispose of human remains found during restaurant renovations near the Alamo:

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/01/19/indigenous-man-fired-san-antonio-construction-artefacts-bones-uncovered

Fighting to save a grain elevator in Buffalo:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/22/nyregion/buffalo-grain-elevator.html

More on evidence of a European presence in North America in 1021:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03972-8

Feature on George McJunkin and the Folsom site:

https://www.sapiens.org/column/curiosities/george-mcjunkin/

Feature on the Eagle Bay Hotel:

https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2022/01/the-eagle-bay-hotel-1897-1945-fourth-lake.html

Feature on the Washington Knickerbocker theatre disaster:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/01/19/knickerbocker-theater-centennial/

Review of Ben Raines, *The Last Slave Ship*:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/23/last-slave-ship-review-clotilda-africatown-ben-raines

============================================================
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA ============================================================
Recent finds by McMaster researchers regarding Maya settlements in Mexico and Guatemala:

https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/researchers-uncover-new-information-about-ancient-maya-settlements-in-mexico-and-guatemala/

Feature on the Chachabamba water complex at Machu Picchu:

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/archaeologists-uncover-ceremonial-water-structures-machu-picchu-2053699

... and some recently-revealed structures:

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/ancient-hidden-machu-picchus-complexity-uncovered-archaeologists-rcna12900
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ancient-hidden-machu-picchus-complexity-234456431.html
https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2022/01/previously-unknown-structures-found-by-archaeologists-among-machu-picchus-ruins/

cf: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440321001898

Pondering the golden pectoral from Monte Alban:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/who-wore-the-golden-pectoral-of-monte-alban

Feature on Brazil's Valango Wharf and its connection to the slave trade:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/17/brazil-slavery-valongo-wharf/

Features on Inca khipu:

https://smarthistory.org/inka-khipu/ https://aeon.co/videos/reading-the-strings-and-knots-that-keep-the-secrets-of-the-inka-empire

Some fact-checking regarding a skull from Peru with a metal plate in it:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/2000-year-old-peruvian-skull/
-----
Mike Ruggeri's Ancient Americas Breaking News:

http://goo.gl/1VdeA


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