Copenhagen, Denmark -- Archaeologists have discovered a Roman cemetery from about 300 A.D. in suburban Copenhagen with about 30 graves, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
"It is something special and rare in Denmark to have so many (ancient Roman) graves in one place," archaeologist Rune Iversen was quoted as saying by the Roskilde Dagblad newspaper.
The graveyard's exact location in Ishoej, southwest of downtown Copenhagen, was being kept secret until the archaeologists from the nearby Kroppedal Museum have completed their work, the newspaper wrote. No one at the museum could be immediately reached for comment.
Archaeologists found necklaces and other personal belongings, as well as ceramics for containing food.
"It shows that we're dealing with the wealthy segment of that population," Iversen was quoted as saying. The objects were buried with the deceased "to show that one could afford it, show one's social status."
Excavations are due to be completed in early November, according to Roskilde Dagblad.
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=54420
Showing posts with label Ancient History Discoveries Archaeology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancient History Discoveries Archaeology. Show all posts
Monday, 15 October 2007
Saturday, 13 October 2007
Researchers find 1559 shipwreck
PENSACOLA -- In 1559, a hurricane plunged as many as seven Spanish sailing vessels to the bottom of Pensacola Bay, hampering explorer Don Tristan de Luna's attempt to colonize this section of the Florida Panhandle.
Almost 500 years later and 15 years after the first ship was found, another has been discovered, helping archaeologists unlock secrets to Florida's Spanish past. The colony at the site of present-day Pensacola was abandoned in 1561, and no trace of it has been found on land.
Teams of University of West Florida archaeology students last summer discovered what they thought was the shipwreck, picking up pieces of artifacts from the site.
A 32-by-24-foot barge now covers the site to give divers access.
Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning joined divers Thursday for a close look at the shipwreck, partially buried in sand about 12 feet below the water surface. It was "incredible" to touch something that has been submerged for centuries, Browning said.
"It was in good condition. As far as pieces of pottery, you could feel the bowls," he said.
The discovery is "another piece of the puzzle" of Florida's Spanish ancestry, Browning said, adding that he does not expect the ship to be removed from the water.
About 650 artifacts, mostly pieces of pottery and wood, were on display Thursday for about 100 people, among them members of the public, who gathered on land about a half mile from the shipwreck.
"It's an amazing site," said Gregory D. Cook, a University of West Florida nautical archaeologist.
Test excavations suggest about 60 to 66 feet of preserved hull from a small to medium-size vessel, he said.
The ship would likely have been built a few years before 1559, said Dr. Roger C. Smith, the state's underwater archaeologist.
The first de Luna ship was found in 1992 in the same area, near what de Luna founded as Florida's initial European settlement.
Researchers believe as many as five other vessels were lost in the hurricane Sept. 19, 1559. The search for the others continues.
"These sites are unique doorways into Florida's past," Smith said.
They also give archaeology students an unusual opportunity for research.
Siska Williams of Atlanta, a West Florida graduate student in archaeology, said she has made about 100 dives at the site. In one, divers recovered seeds and rat skeletons, she said.
The ship apparently held food stocks and other supplies for the colonization campaign, a carefully planned expedition financed by the Spanish crown.
After the storm, only three ships were still afloat, including two small barks and the expedition's only caravel.
No human remains were found at the site, Williams said: "Most of the crew had gone ashore because of the hurricane."
http://staugustine.com/stories/101207/state_news_025.shtml
Almost 500 years later and 15 years after the first ship was found, another has been discovered, helping archaeologists unlock secrets to Florida's Spanish past. The colony at the site of present-day Pensacola was abandoned in 1561, and no trace of it has been found on land.
Teams of University of West Florida archaeology students last summer discovered what they thought was the shipwreck, picking up pieces of artifacts from the site.
A 32-by-24-foot barge now covers the site to give divers access.
Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning joined divers Thursday for a close look at the shipwreck, partially buried in sand about 12 feet below the water surface. It was "incredible" to touch something that has been submerged for centuries, Browning said.
"It was in good condition. As far as pieces of pottery, you could feel the bowls," he said.
The discovery is "another piece of the puzzle" of Florida's Spanish ancestry, Browning said, adding that he does not expect the ship to be removed from the water.
About 650 artifacts, mostly pieces of pottery and wood, were on display Thursday for about 100 people, among them members of the public, who gathered on land about a half mile from the shipwreck.
"It's an amazing site," said Gregory D. Cook, a University of West Florida nautical archaeologist.
Test excavations suggest about 60 to 66 feet of preserved hull from a small to medium-size vessel, he said.
The ship would likely have been built a few years before 1559, said Dr. Roger C. Smith, the state's underwater archaeologist.
The first de Luna ship was found in 1992 in the same area, near what de Luna founded as Florida's initial European settlement.
Researchers believe as many as five other vessels were lost in the hurricane Sept. 19, 1559. The search for the others continues.
"These sites are unique doorways into Florida's past," Smith said.
They also give archaeology students an unusual opportunity for research.
Siska Williams of Atlanta, a West Florida graduate student in archaeology, said she has made about 100 dives at the site. In one, divers recovered seeds and rat skeletons, she said.
The ship apparently held food stocks and other supplies for the colonization campaign, a carefully planned expedition financed by the Spanish crown.
After the storm, only three ships were still afloat, including two small barks and the expedition's only caravel.
No human remains were found at the site, Williams said: "Most of the crew had gone ashore because of the hurricane."
http://staugustine.com/stories/101207/state_news_025.shtml
Sunday, 7 October 2007
2000-year-old earthenware unearthed
Tamil Nadu - Tirunelveli
P. Sudhakar
Proof that Tamils were experts in making baked mud vessels: archaeologist
— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen
Accidental find: The articles excavated from
South Ilanthaikulam near Kayathaar in Tuticorin district.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/07/stories/2007100750680200.htm
P. Sudhakar
Proof that Tamils were experts in making baked mud vessels: archaeologist
— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen
Accidental find: The articles excavated from
South Ilanthaikulam near Kayathaar in Tuticorin district.
TIRUNELVELI: Archaeologists here have unearthed 2,000-year-old earthenware from South Ilanthaikulam under Kayathaar union in Tuticorin district.
When some villagers of this hamlet excavated sand with earthmovers from an elevated area, they found the burial urn.
They informed renowned archaeologist, M. Senthil Selvakumaran, Archaeological Officer, Tirunelveli, about the findings. A careful examination of this spot by Dr. Senthil Selvakumaran and his team revealed that some of the urns had copper ornaments, extremely beautiful mud vessels with stand and intricately made mud cups with lid. The surface of these mud vessels in red and black are so elegant and shining as well.
Another interesting finding is a partially broken 16-cm-long article made of tusk with a broad rear portion and narrow front section.“We presume that this article, going by its shape, might have been used as a musical instrument or a tool to give medicine to the cattle. However, the holes carved on the tusk suggest that this article should have been a musical instrument or some other ornamental piece as a medical tool does not require such intricate details,” Dr. Selvakumaran said.
“From these rare findings, we can infer that the Tamils were experts in making baked mud vessels and professionals in fabricating ornaments by melting copper.”
Since preliminary investigations of these antiques have not provided any vital clue, steps have been taken to clean these vessels to find whether they were carrying any marks or letters, Dr. Selvakumaran said.http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/07/stories/2007100750680200.htm
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Archaeologist Links Newark, Ohio Mounds to Milky Way & Cygnus
by Dr. Greg Little
In the February 2007 issue of AP, I posted an article entitled, "Cygnus: From The Pyramids of Egypt to the Newark, Ohio Earthworks." The article began by showing that the three large pyramids at Giza are actually built to mimic the three cross stars of the Northern Cross—the Cygnus Constellation. As Andrew Collins convincingly showed in his book, The Cygnus Mystery, the ancients revered the Cygnus Constellation, located in an area known as the "dark rift" in the Milky Way, as the gateway between the sky world and earth. Collins also showed that numerous ancient sites showed key alignments to Cygnus. Among these sites are several important mound complexes in America.
One mound complex especially intrigued Collins. It is a massive formation of geometrical earthworks and mounds, many of which still exist at Newark, Ohio. As related in the earlier article:
"The Newark site dwarfs every other mound complex in the Americas. It was constructed by what American archaeologists term the Hopewell Culture between 500 B.C.-100 B.C. A curious earthen embankment on the western side, constructed by walls of earth piled from 6 to 20 feet high, formed a perfect circle attached to an octagon. The circle enclosed 20 acres while the octagon enclosed 50 acres. Inside the octagon are 8 truncated earthen pyramids at each corner. This intact formation has now been shown to have been utilized to precisely calculate the movements of the moon over 18.61 years, in essence serving as a functional eclipse calculator. From the Circle-Octagon site, three parallel sets of walls formed walkways. They were all 175 feet wide, formed by earthen walls 3-feet or more high.
The northernmost walkway led a mile east to a complex set of mounds, embankments, and circles that defy description. The center walkway also extended east to a 20-acre embankment in the form of a square. To the southeast from the square, more embankments led to a gigantic, 30-acre circular earthwork with a single opening pointing to the northeast. The circle, generally known as the ‘Great Fairgrounds Circle,’ was formed by an outer wall 9-feet tall. A moat, 7-feet deep, ran inside the wall, creating a 16-foot high, continuous interior wall.” As should be obvious after studying the survey of the immense Newark site, that the function of this complex remains one of the greatest mysteries in American archaeology."
One of the reasons that Collins became so intrigued with the Newark site is that the Great Circle at Newark is quite similar to the circular Avebury site in England. The earthwork and stone circle of Avebury is virtually identical in size to the Great Circle at Newark and both have a similar outer embankment and moat. Utilizing a computer astronomy program, Collins ran the data from the Newark site back to 100 B.C., the time that Newark was at its height. He found that two hours before sunrise at the midsummer, the Milky Way stood straight up as viewed from the top of the effigy mound toward the only opening. Following the Milky Way to the center of the sky—directly overhead of the bird effigy mound, was Cygnus. I later obtained the same results using a different astronomy program.
In an internet article issued by archaeologist William F. Romain in November 2005 titled, "Newark Earthwork Design Iteration II," Romain asserted that, "On the date of the summer solstice therefore, the Great Hopewell Road would mirror on earth the direction of the celestial Milky Way." Romain also specifically mentions the visibility of Cygnus in the alignments and affirms Collins idea that the Milky Way (and Cygnus) were focal points of belief. Romain states, "...many Native American peoples - including the Apache (Curtis 1011:34), Pawnee (Von Del Chamberlain 1982: 113), Cheyenne (Curtis 1911: 158), Sioux (Powers 1975: 53, 93) and Shoshone (Mooney 1896: 290) believed the Milky Way was the path deceased souls traveled to reach the Otherworld."
http://www.mysterious-america.net/newarkohio-2.htmlA hero stone rewrites history
The inscription seems to be one of the earliest found at Hosagunda
TREASURE: The Hosagunda hero stone.
A hero stone that was found during the conservation and renovation of the 12th century Uma Maheshwara Temple at Hosagunda in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district has thrown new light on the founder of the dynasty of Hosgunda. Earlier, it was believed that Aliya Beerarasa was the founder of the Hosgunda dynasty. An inscription on the hero stone says that it was Kumara Birarasa who founded the Hosgunda dynasty, according to a team of scholars of the Malenadu Research Academy. G.V . Kallapur, Jagdish and S.G. Samak are studying the inscription on the hero stone that was found in the vicinity of the Uma Maheshwara Temple recently while the ground was being levelled. The hero stone has, in all, 18 lines written on the panels. The figure on the stone depicts a hero fighting his enemies. In the panel in the middle, the hero is being taken to the heavens by nymphs while the third and the topmost panel depicts the hero attaining “Veera Swarga” (martyrdom) in the abode of Lord Shiva. The inscription, which belongs to 1100 AD, seems to be the earliest of the inscriptions found at Hosagunda. It is said to belong to the Santara family of Hosagunda. The language used in the inscription is Kannada. According to the inscription, the land grant was made to a hero, Tailana, who was the son of Abbiyabbe. He sacrificed his life while fighting the enemies. At that time, Kumara Birarasa was ruling Hosagunda and Mahamandaleshvara Bhujasbala Santara was ruling Humcha, a famous Jain pilgrim centre in Hosnagar taluk of Shimoga district. The dismantling of the ancient Uma Maheshwara Temple is going on as part of the conservation which has been taken up by the Dharmasthala Srikshetra Trust in consultation with the State Department of Archaeology and Museums.
TREASURE: The Hosagunda hero stone.
A hero stone that was found during the conservation and renovation of the 12th century Uma Maheshwara Temple at Hosagunda in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district has thrown new light on the founder of the dynasty of Hosgunda. Earlier, it was believed that Aliya Beerarasa was the founder of the Hosgunda dynasty. An inscription on the hero stone says that it was Kumara Birarasa who founded the Hosgunda dynasty, according to a team of scholars of the Malenadu Research Academy. G.V . Kallapur, Jagdish and S.G. Samak are studying the inscription on the hero stone that was found in the vicinity of the Uma Maheshwara Temple recently while the ground was being levelled. The hero stone has, in all, 18 lines written on the panels. The figure on the stone depicts a hero fighting his enemies. In the panel in the middle, the hero is being taken to the heavens by nymphs while the third and the topmost panel depicts the hero attaining “Veera Swarga” (martyrdom) in the abode of Lord Shiva. The inscription, which belongs to 1100 AD, seems to be the earliest of the inscriptions found at Hosagunda. It is said to belong to the Santara family of Hosagunda. The language used in the inscription is Kannada. According to the inscription, the land grant was made to a hero, Tailana, who was the son of Abbiyabbe. He sacrificed his life while fighting the enemies. At that time, Kumara Birarasa was ruling Hosagunda and Mahamandaleshvara Bhujasbala Santara was ruling Humcha, a famous Jain pilgrim centre in Hosnagar taluk of Shimoga district. The dismantling of the ancient Uma Maheshwara Temple is going on as part of the conservation which has been taken up by the Dharmasthala Srikshetra Trust in consultation with the State Department of Archaeology and Museums.
Pramod Mellegatti in Shimoga
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Overlooked relics found in Tutankhamun tomb
Cairo - Egyptian archaeologists working in the tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun have found baskets and intact clay pots apparently overlooked when the tomb was cleared out in the 1920s, the government said on Monday.
The 20 clay pots, sealed with Tutankhamun's name, probably contain seeds and the remains of drinks, a government statement said, quoting chief government archaeologist Zahi Hawass.
One of the baskets contains dried fruit and eight others hold almost 60 small limestone plaques also inscribed with Tutankhamun's name in the traditional cartouche format.
They were found in the treasure room next to the burial chamber where British archaeologist Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's mummy wrapped in its golden covers in 1922.
"Carter didn't mention these things in his report but it looks as though his people put them aside and left them in the treasury room," an official at the Supreme Council for Antiquities said, asking not to be named.
Tutankhamun ruled Egypt between about 1361 and 1352 BC. He was buried along with many other pharaohs of the period in the Valley of the Kings near the modern town of Luxor.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20070924222715535C503898
The 20 clay pots, sealed with Tutankhamun's name, probably contain seeds and the remains of drinks, a government statement said, quoting chief government archaeologist Zahi Hawass.
One of the baskets contains dried fruit and eight others hold almost 60 small limestone plaques also inscribed with Tutankhamun's name in the traditional cartouche format.
They were found in the treasure room next to the burial chamber where British archaeologist Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's mummy wrapped in its golden covers in 1922.
"Carter didn't mention these things in his report but it looks as though his people put them aside and left them in the treasury room," an official at the Supreme Council for Antiquities said, asking not to be named.
Tutankhamun ruled Egypt between about 1361 and 1352 BC. He was buried along with many other pharaohs of the period in the Valley of the Kings near the modern town of Luxor.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20070924222715535C503898
Ancient wall found in Iran
Archaeologists in northern Iran have uncovered the remains of a 124-mile-long wall, the second longest such structure in Asia after the Great Wall of China.
Experts believe the wall in Golestan Province was constructed centuries ago, the Fars News Agency reported Monday. It was used to defend against by nomadic tribes from Central Asia, called the Ephthalites, who invaded the region in the 5th and 6th centuries.
The team of British and Iranian archaeologists also found a 31-mile-long section of a canal near the wall they believe was used to move water from the Gorganrud River to people living nearby. Iranian team leader Hamid Omrani said canal section was still in use until the 1979 Islamic Revolution when French engineers built the Voshmgir Dam, the news agency said.
China`s Great Wall was about 4,000 miles long and was built over several hundred years beginning in the 5th century.
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1359354.php/Ancient_wall_found_in_Iran
Experts believe the wall in Golestan Province was constructed centuries ago, the Fars News Agency reported Monday. It was used to defend against by nomadic tribes from Central Asia, called the Ephthalites, who invaded the region in the 5th and 6th centuries.
The team of British and Iranian archaeologists also found a 31-mile-long section of a canal near the wall they believe was used to move water from the Gorganrud River to people living nearby. Iranian team leader Hamid Omrani said canal section was still in use until the 1979 Islamic Revolution when French engineers built the Voshmgir Dam, the news agency said.
China`s Great Wall was about 4,000 miles long and was built over several hundred years beginning in the 5th century.
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1359354.php/Ancient_wall_found_in_Iran
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Skeletons found on Rathdowney building site
THE skeletal remains of a mother and baby, believed to be 1,500 years old, were unearthed during excavation work for a new house near Rathdowney last week.
A man, who was operating a digger on the site for the house at Johnstown Glebe, close to Bealady cross roads on the Rathdowney to Donaghmore road, on Tuesday, September 11, was shocked when he spotted bones where he was digging.
The site-owner acted very responsibly and immediately stopped work on the site. The gardaí were alerted and the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis was called to the scene.
Similarly the Department of the Environment were contacted and informed of the find. Following this an archaeologist was dispatched to the site.
Close examination of the site determined the remains were those of a woman and a baby who appeared to have died from natural causes some 1,500 years ago. It has since emerged that the site was a recorded monument based on earthworks which had indicated that there was some archaeological significance to the area.
When contacted no one in the archaeological section of the Department of the Environment was available for comment. Wwhen skeletal remains such as these are discovered they immediately become the property of the National Museum and are treated with the greatest respect.
An austio-archaeologist will clean up the remains and gather and record any information attached to them. The remains are then usually re-interred. Archaeologists from the Department of the Environment are due to meet with the site owner this week to discuss what next will happen the site.
The site is about seven miles from where up to 500 skeletal remains were unearthed at Parknahown close to Collahill in the course of excavation work on the new M7/M8 motorway in December 2005 Tests on sites from Portlaoise to Borris-in- Ossory in the west and extending as far south as Cullahill were carried out. The sites dated from the Neolithic period and extend through the Bronze age and Iron age, spanning a period between 4,000BC to 500AD.
One of the main differences between this find and the latest in Rathdowney is that the motorway site was not a recorded site.
http://www.laois-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=26723&cat=news
A man, who was operating a digger on the site for the house at Johnstown Glebe, close to Bealady cross roads on the Rathdowney to Donaghmore road, on Tuesday, September 11, was shocked when he spotted bones where he was digging.
The site-owner acted very responsibly and immediately stopped work on the site. The gardaí were alerted and the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis was called to the scene.
Similarly the Department of the Environment were contacted and informed of the find. Following this an archaeologist was dispatched to the site.
Close examination of the site determined the remains were those of a woman and a baby who appeared to have died from natural causes some 1,500 years ago. It has since emerged that the site was a recorded monument based on earthworks which had indicated that there was some archaeological significance to the area.
When contacted no one in the archaeological section of the Department of the Environment was available for comment. Wwhen skeletal remains such as these are discovered they immediately become the property of the National Museum and are treated with the greatest respect.
An austio-archaeologist will clean up the remains and gather and record any information attached to them. The remains are then usually re-interred. Archaeologists from the Department of the Environment are due to meet with the site owner this week to discuss what next will happen the site.
The site is about seven miles from where up to 500 skeletal remains were unearthed at Parknahown close to Collahill in the course of excavation work on the new M7/M8 motorway in December 2005 Tests on sites from Portlaoise to Borris-in- Ossory in the west and extending as far south as Cullahill were carried out. The sites dated from the Neolithic period and extend through the Bronze age and Iron age, spanning a period between 4,000BC to 500AD.
One of the main differences between this find and the latest in Rathdowney is that the motorway site was not a recorded site.
http://www.laois-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=26723&cat=news
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