Colosseum Collapse

Thankfully no tourists are allowed in the Colosseum just before dawn. Last Sunday, a chunk of mortar came falling down, buckling the netting whose job it was to protect the tourists below. Sadly this is not the first time this has happened in Rome (or in many other places in the world). Parts of Nero's Palace and the Palatine have also crumbled, and Rome is scrambling for the dollars to be able to fix these monuments before someone is seriously injured, or killed. In light of Sunday's collapse, a $8.4 million emergency restoration plan has been put in place.

Per Newsweek.com:
"This ambitious project, set to begin later this month, again includes a much-needed exterior cleaning and replacement of key support structures - including new metal bands that hold some of the marble in place. Stone archways will be reinforced and safety netting under the fragile ancient ceilings will be updated. The area around the Colosseum will also be cordoned off, and pedestrian traffic near the monument will be restricted in case of further collapse during the work. In 2000, the city of Rome installed a gladiator exhibit on the second tier, complete with elevator and gift shop. Now, the museum and elevator will likely be removed, and parts of the ancient ampitheater will be permanently closed to the public. Plans to open the third tier and the subterranean tunnel system to attract even more visitors were also in the works before last Sunday's collapse. Those areas will likely now never be accessible to the public."

Read the entire article on Newsweek.com here.

Science and the Shroud

One of the most controversial religious objects in the world, the Shroud of Turin has been brought out of it's treasure chest behind bullet proof glass (see photo I took on a previous visit to Turin) to be unveiled to the world. Even the pope himself will pay it a visit. Back in 1988, the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin seemingly lay put to rest after carbon dating dated it to the 14th century. However, scientists are now convinced that the dating method was flawed. Even so, many scientists believe that the fiber itself is newer than that of a fiber dating to the time around Jesus. Others sincerely argue with their faith that the technique dates to the 1st century. Regardless of your personal beliefs, read one of the latest articles about the science behind dating the shroud on BBC News here.

Egypt's Avenue of Sphinxes Now Open

If you visit Karnak and Luxor, two of Egypt's most impressive temples and tourist attractions, you will no doubt see a portion of the Avenue of Sphinxes. Once upon a time the Avenue of Sphinxes joined the two locations, providing a processional route between summer and winter palaces. Built over 3000 years ago, this Avenue has been weathered by it's most ancient enemy, sand. However, archaeologists have been working hard to uncover the first portion of the two-mile stretch and it is now open to the public. Unfortunately, the opening of the Avenue had drawn much international controversy, because in the rush to open the Avenue, many potential archaeological sites have been destroyed.

Read the story in the UK's Times Online here.

Anglo Saxons Get A-Head

Typically when one reads a story about Vikings, the story is about the poor village/town/community that was ransacked, razed, pillaged (need I continue?). This archaeological discovery caught my attention because here, the victims are the Vikings themselves, in fact, young men around 20-30 years old. Even more notable than their age is the fact that they are all missing their heads.

According to BBC News, "Archaeologists from Oxford believe the men were probably executed by local Anglo Saxons in front of an audience sometime between AD 910 and AD 1030." There are fifty-one of these skeletons so far, and with that, it makes it one of the largest mass burials of executed foreigners. They were discovered in Weymouth Ridgeway, where Anglo Saxons were increasingly at the mercy of the Vikings.

Apparently they found a way to stand together and remove the threat.

Read the full story here.

Eggshells: A New Form of Communication

According to researchers, a recently collected cache of ostrich eggshells were used as symbolic methods of communication among African hunter-gathers 60,000 years ago. These shells have been collected over a period of the last few years at Diepkloof Rock Station in South Africa by the University of Bordeaux. Two hundred and seventy in all, this is a large enough sample to demonstrate that Stone Age people created design traditions. Some of these eggshells also have holes in them, demonstrating that they were used as canteens.

Read about the eggshell cache and see a sample of the finds on news.discovery.com here.

Atlantis...in Spain?

Something about Atlantis tickles the imagination: a lost city, held captive by the sea, with vast riches awaiting discovery. One of the newest theories as to Atlantis's discovery rests in the hands of a team of Spain's Higher Council for Scientific Study who are examining a marshy portion of the currently known Donana National Park.

So what makes this a candidate for Atlantis? It seems as if this site was home to the Tartessians, a culture that predates the Phoenicians by a significant amount of time. Not only that, but this site was destroyed by a tsunami. Aerial photos are starting to produce circular and rectangular areas that couldn't possibly have been made by nature.

Read the full story in the Telegraph here.

Bristol University's Dig for the Homeless

Dr. Mark Horton, with a team of Bristol University students, recently recruited a team of homeless as a part of a wider project looking at the history and modern homelessness. The team aims to look at patterns of behavior and culture in "rough sleepers". The dig took part on Turbo Island in Bristol, an area currently a place of refuge for the homeless, but historically a place with a lot of interesting stories, including a place where pirates were hanged. Co-leader of the project John Schofield put it perfectly when he said, "Heritage can and should be for everyone." I can't think of a better way to get people involved in meaningful work that will be for the good of the human race to come.

Read the story at Bristol University's website here.

Future Archaeology Digs on the Moon?

Apollo 11's journey home involved the transport of moon rocks and soil samples. In order to make room for the weight of these objects, the crew was forced to abandon a veritable treasure trove of space goodies from cameras, space boots, armrests, and even bags of human waste. There are a growing amount of sites around the world awarded some type of protection so that history does not become, well, history. But until now, this protection has been limited to this planet. That may be about to change, for California is to be the first state to register the items from Trinity Base as as official State Historical Resource. Can archaeological digs in space be a part of our future? Once can only hope.

Read the full article in the Los Angeles Times here.

Alexander the...Sexy?

Alexander the Great has now become Alexander the Sexy, according to a new find in Israel this week which shows a young, virile Alexander portrait carved into a brilliant red gemstone. This gemstone is a rare find, for while Alexander used his image as a marketing tool, the gemstones have habitually popped up at auctions and in people's "junk" collections, making their authenticity questionable.

Read about the exciting new find courtesy of Discovery News here.

King Tut's Tomb - Closed Forever?

I should have seen this article a few weeks ago when it came out on Discovery News. When visiting the Valley of the Kings we were told that only a handful of tombs were ever open to the public at any given time. Going into King Tut's tomb in particular is an additional fee that you pay when going through the gates. However, due to the humidity and fungus eating away at the carvings and decorations, these tombs are scheduled to be closed.

When, you ask? That has yet to be determined. Currently experts are using laser technology in order to build replicas that would be open to tourists. So if you've always wanted to step inside the cursed chambers of King Tut, you had better head to Egypt quickly.

See the entire article here.

Archaeology News Tid Bits - September 1-8, 2009

**NEWS**
The past few days have yielded a large amount of impressive discoveries for the human race, from a double-edged stone axe in Spain, to a Colossal Apollo statue in Turkey. Since most of us only have a few minutes to search the web, here's a few links to some of the highlights.

Colossal Apollo Statue Unearthed in Turkey from Discovery News
Colossal statues are rare indeed; only a dozen exist to our knowledge, and now we have a new one to add to our collection.

Fossil Find in Georgia Challenges Theories on Early Humans from guardian.co.uk
Early humans may have taken a quick jaunt into Eurasia before traveling to Africa.

Giant Statues Give up Hat Secret from BBC News
Anyone loving the mysterious statues from Easter Island should appreciate that the statues were an ancient equivalent of the red hat society...

Europe's Oldest Stone Hand Axes Emerge in Spain from ScienceNews
Although arguments ensue as to the actual age of these hand axes, it is agreed that these hand axes may be the oldest ever found in Europe.

Taking Ancient History Too Far

I am certainly the last person to rebuff someone for having hobbies that are a tad bit eccentric. Historians and history buffs beware, however, before you take your hobbies a bit too far.

Read the story as reported by Tom Phillips for Metro.co.uk on Friday below or click here.

History buff fires cannonball into neighbour's house
By TOM PHILLIPS - Friday, September 4, 2009
A Pennsylvania history buff who recreates firearms from old wars accidentally fired a two-pound cannonball through the wall of his neighbour's home.

Fifty-four-year-old William Maser fired a cannonball on Wednesday evening outside his Uniontown home - which then ricocheted and hit a house 400 yards away.

The cannonball, about two inches in diameter, smashed through a window and a wall before landing in a closet. Authorities say nobody was hurt.

State police charged Maser with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Maser told local news station WPXI-TV that recreating 19th century cannons is a longtime hobby of his. He added that he is sorry, and he will now stop shooting the cannons on his property.

Irish Butter: An Ancient Food Source

Ah, Irish butter. Rich and creamy (and loaded with calories), there are few substitutes as a toast topper for your breakfast. Apparently the ancients thought so too, and a recent article in Discovery News may put an end to the age-old question of how butter should be stored, and should it be refrigerated, or merely buried in the local peat bog?

A 3000 year old oak barrel has been discovered in Ireland containing what appears to be fairly well-preserved iron age butter. Found buried in a peat bog by peat farmers John Fitzharris and Martin Lane, the butter has since turned to what could only be described as a white wax. When asked what to do with the barrel, the two men told reporters:

"It's a national treasure. You can't be going hacking bits of it off for your toast."

Read the entire article here.