The case sounds more like an esoteric crime novel than a simple legal tussle, involving as it does archaeologists, rare-coin dealers, customs officials, and the Iraqi embassy in Berlin. At its heart is a golden vase just six centimeters high that may or may not have its origins in ancient Mesopotamia. The vase is currently being held by Michael Mueller-Karpe, an archaeologist at the Roman-Germanic Central Museum in Mainz, Germany. Three years ago he was charged with providing the court with an expert opinion on the provenance of the object, which is at the center of a lawsuit over fencing illegally trafficked goods. [...]

Adventurers who conquered Mount Everest successfully launched a replica of an ancient Philippine boat Saturday that they will use to sail around Southeast Asia and possibly to Africa to promote Filipino pride and unity.The replica of the balangay — a wooden-hulled boat used in the archipelago about 1,700 years ago — was built in 44 days by native Badjao boat-builders from the southernmost Philippine province of Tawi Tawi using traditional skills handed down through the generations.About 300 spectators counted down to the launch, cheering and applauding as the bow hit the water in Manila Bay. [...]

The Addis Ababa University (AAU) is preparing to launch new postgraduate education program in paleoanthropology.University academicians were gathered at the Arat Kilo Science Faculty on Saturday to discuss the launching of the program.Program coordinator, Dr. Mohammed Omar said on the occasion that the launching of the program would contribute to the development and use of a number of heritages found in the country while helping the institution to produce more scholars in the field.The new program increases the number of postgraduate fields to six. It also helps the nation to effectively manage and make use of its heritage and history of ancient humans.Director General of the Ethiopian Heritage Studies and Conservation Authority, Jarra Hailemairam on his part said Ethiopia could be regarded as the first country, which has a number of paleoanthropological studies.The authority will continue in its support to the AAU so as to make the institution effective in the implementation of the new program, he added. [...]

The cornerstone for Sidon's first archaeological museum was placed in the coastal city's Frres archeological site on Saturday. The project will be executed and supervised by Lebanon's Culture Ministry and funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, which allocated around $5 million to build the museum.The laying of the foundation stone was held on the same excavation site where the British Museum delegation has been uncovering ruins for many years now. The reception was attended by caretaker Premier and Sidon MP Fouad Siniora.An array of political and social figures attended the reception, which was opened by both the Lebanese and Kuwaiti national anthems.The head of the Council for Reconstruction and Development (CDR) Nabil al-Jisr stressed the importance of the project in displaying to the public the "valuable ruins uncovered in Sidon over the years." [...]

A new study suggests that much of the islands that line South Florida's southern tip could lose much of their land mass. [...] 'South Florida is on the front line against sea-level rise in the United States, and the Florida Keys are ground zero,'' Evan Flugman, who co-authored a Florida International University study told The Herald. The discovery was made by accident. As treasure seekers canvassed the Florida Straits they discovered buried land just 35 miles from Key West. There, 45 feet below the surface, they discovered dense mud with well-preserved mangoes, pine cones and pine tree pieces. The shoreline could date back to 8,500 years. 'Looking at it, I was thinking: `Wow, this could be the shoreline of Big Pine Key,' '' said Corey Malcom, director of archaeology for the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society. [...]

Archaeologists believe that bones discovered at Stirling Castle may have belonged to a knight killed in battle or during a siege in the early 1400s.It is thought that despite the warrior's relatively young age of about 25, he may have suffered several serious wounds from earlier fights. Researchers thinks it is also possible he may have been living for some time with a large arrowhead in his chest. The bones were discovered in a chapel at the castle in 1997. They were excavated when archaeologists were working in an area of the castle which turned out to be the site of a lost medieval royal chapel. Peter Yeoman, from Historic Scotland, said because the man was buried at the heart of a royal castle, it was indicative he was a person of prestige, possibly a knight.Some research was carried out on the skeleton at the time of its discovery, but a lack of technology meant it was difficult to assess the remains in more detail. [...]