Here are the top archaeological headlines for the period of February 2nd to 15th 2010 | Voici les nouvelles archéologiques pour la période du 2 au 15 février 2010.
Presented by Matt Thompson.
THIS JUST IN: New tests on famed mummy show King Tut died of broken leg, malaria (Inserted at end of episode prior to events listing)
Sponsor: The Trowel Shop – Great archaeology tools and equipment at great prices!
In this episode:
- THIS JUST IN: EGYPT| New tests on famed mummy show King Tut died of broken leg, malaria (Inserted at end of episode)
- MEXICO| Wall with Maya Seignior Glyphs Discovered at Archaeological Zone
- MEXICO| Extinct Ethnic Group Vestiges Discovered in Chihuahua
- PERU| Peru to resume archaeological excavations at Huaca Rajada-Sipan site in April
- GREENLAND| Stone Age Siberians Settled in Greenland
- UK| 3,000-year-old shipwreck shows European trade was thriving in Bronze Age
- UK| Archaeologist uncovers evidence of encircling hedges
- UK| Race to revive UK’s sole Roman chariot circuit
- UK| Search for Columba’s monastery
- ITALY| DNA Testing on 2,000-Year-Old Bones in Italy Reveal East Asian Ancestry
- ISRAEL| Israel archaeologists unearth 1,400-year-old wine press
- ISRAEL| Archaeological findings unveil 1,500-year-old Jerusalem road
- EGYPT| Temple fragment returns to Egypt and its place
- EGYPT| Egypt unveils renovations at oldest Christian monastery, touting coexistence with Muslims
- IRAN| Achaemenid K’aba of Zoroaster On The Verge Of Collapse
- BANGLADESH| 1,500-yr old city gate discovered
- CAMBODIA| Cambodia Discovers Drainage System at Bayon Temple
- NEW ZEALAND | Canoe unearthed at beach
- NEW ZEALAND| Century-old whisky found in Antarctic
MEXICO| Extinct Ethnic Group Vestiges Discovered in Chihuahua
More than a dozen dwelling, ritual and funerary sites, some of them more than 1,000 years old, were located inside shallow caves at Sinforosa Gully in Chihuahua Mexico. According to preliminary studies, vestiges could correspond to the Tubar people, an indigenous group that isolated itself in Tarahumara Mountain Range during Colonial times to avoid evangelization, and extinguished in late 19th century. Nine dwelling sites, 2 ceremonial and 2 of funerary character were found in Ohuivo, Chorogue, Zapuri and Güerachi localities of Guachochi municipality in Chihuahua. Archaeologist Enrique Chacon, from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), added that according to first explorations, 3 types of sites were identified, which, according to architecture, burial system and regional research references, are dated in 16th-17th centuries, while others could go as far back as the 11th century CE.
MEXICO| Wall with Maya Seignior Glyphs Discovered at Archaeological Zone
A wall with a rich glyphic text that includes the complete name of the ruler that founded one of the most important Maya military seigniories was discovered in Tonina Archaeological Zone, in Chiapas Mexico. Épigraphists point out that the finding will bring in new information regarding Maya grammar, since it shows linguistic features yet to be deciphered. The wall – dated to 708CE was discovered at El Palacio; a stucco portrait of K’inich B’aaknal Chaahk, the most powerful seignior of the ancient Maya city, was found as well. Two vaulted rooms found with the wall and portrait are part of El Palacio or of the House of Fireflies, an architectural complex at the Acropolis. Behind the stuccoed wall with hieroglyphs that represent 2 dates corresponding to March and June of 708 AD, is located the seat of a throne, the only of 4 found at El Palacio placed in a very private and restricted location.
The discovery followed the recent find of a sarcophagus uncovered by specialists of the INAH – it measures two metres long, 70 cm wide and 60 cm deep, and it is similar to the “Red Queen” discovered in 1994 in Palenque. Archaeologists added that the object dates from 840 to 900 CE, the period when the last known Maya inscription was made. It is hoped the sarcophagus will contribute new elements on the collapse of the ancient Maya civilisation.
PERU| Peru to resume archaeological excavations at Huaca Rajada-Sipan site in April
Huaca Rajada-Sipan museum director Luis Chero Zurita recently announced that archaeologists will resume excavations at the famous Peruvian archaeological site in April. According to the researcher, the final report of the previous excavation campaign is being drafted and will be submitted to the National Institute of Culture (INC). The excavation campaign will focus on the archaeological monument of Huaca Rajada, including the cemetery and the surrounded area of the site. Chero Zurita added they will further explore architecture and the relationship between these areas and the archaeological monument.
GREENLAND| Stone Age Siberians Settled in Greenland
Hair preserved in permafrost for 4,000 years has shed light on a tribe of Stone Age hunters who crossed from Siberia to Greenland. Unearthed at a site in western Greenland, the hair provides a vivid portrait of a man who died four millennia ago and overturns a mainstream theory about how humans colonized the Arctic New World. Greenland’s first known settlers were not Inuit or Native Americans as widely believed, but the direct descendants of Siberians who somehow crossed the Bering Strait to Alaska and then headed east – this is according to the report, published by Nature. The tuft of hair and four pieces of bone, uncovered at Qeqer-tasussuk, are the only human remains ever found of Saqqaq culture, an enigmatic coastal-dwelling community that lived in western Greenland for some 1,700 years.
UK| 3,000-year-old shipwreck shows European trade was thriving in Bronze Age
Last year the South West Maritime Archaeological Group, a team of amateur archaeologists, brought the cargo of a 3000 year old shipwreck to the surface. The vessel, carrying copper and tin ingots used to make weapons and jewellery, sank off the Scotish coast near Salcomb in Devon and is thought to date from 900BCE. The discovery was announced at this month’s International Shipwreck Conference, in Plymouth. It is thought that the goods – 259 copper ingots and 27 of tin – were destined for Britain but collected from several different sources in Europe. The discovery reveals the high level of sophistication maritime trade in Europe had reached, even in ancient times. This is the first time Tin ingots from this period have been found in Britain. Experts at the University of Oxford are analysing the cargo to establish its exact origins.
UK| Archaeologist uncovers evidence of encircling hedges
According to a new study, Stonehenge may have been surrounded by a hedge that blocked onlookers from seeing secret rituals. Evidence for two encircling hedges—possibly thorn bushes—planted some 3,600 years ago was uncovered during a survey of the site by English Heritage, the government agency responsible for maintaining the monument in southern England. The archaeologists didn’t find any physical evidence of vegetation, but the shallow features resemble former hedge banks that are seen around formerly hedged fields. While there’s no firm evidence for a British prehistoric landscape-gardening tradition, there’s evidence for tree cultivation at the time Stonehenge was in use. The latest finds are reported in the March/April edition of British Archaeology magazine.
UK| Race to revive UK’s sole Roman chariot circuit
Britain’s only known Roman chariot-racing circuit, described as one of the most important sites in the country, risks being lost under a housing project unless campaigners can raise the cash to preserve it in time. Traces of the huge track were unearthed by archaeologists in the ancient city of Colchester, once the capital of Roman Britain, in Essex, 90 km northeast of London in late 2004. They discovered the elliptical track and key parts of the structure which would have held rows of tiered stone seating, during a routine survey for builders seeking to redevelop a Victorian army barracks and associated garden. “The circus in Colchester is the only one in Britain, explained Philip Crummy, director of Colchester Archaeological Trust, who made the discovery – adding it is one of only a handful of chariot-racing tracks ever to be found in the former northwestern provinces of the empire, and the first to be found in the last 20 years.
UK| Search for Columba’s monastery
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are hoping to find the exact location of the original monastery built by St Columba when he arrived in Scotland in 563CE. A team from Orkney College is carrying out a series of geophysical tests in the fields around Iona Abbey, searching for evidence of a monastery built by the Irish monk. The last geophysical survey of the area was carried out in the 1970s, with relatively primitive equipment. A spokeswoman said the results of the old search had given the archaeologists an idea where the wall might be. They hope the current survey, which is using far superior equipment, will reveal the real shape of the structures. They might even be able to create a 3D reconstruction. Results from the survey will be published this spring.
ITALY| DNA Testing on 2,000-Year-Old Bones in Italy Reveal East Asian Ancestry
Researchers excavating an ancient Roman cemetery made a surprising discovery when they extracted ancient mitochondrial DNA from one of the skeletons buried at the site: the 2,000-year-old bones revealed a maternal East Asian ancestry. According to Tracy Prowse, assistant professor of Anthropology, and the lead author on the study, the isotopic evidence indicates that about 20% of the sample analyzed to-date was not born in the area around Vagnari. The mtDNA is another line of evidence that indicates at least one individual was of East Asian descent. The results will be presented at the Roman Archeology Conference at Oxford, England, in March, and published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology.
ISRAEL| Israel archaeologists unearth 1,400-year-old wine press
Israeli archaeologists announced that they’ve discovered an unusually shaped 1,400-year-old wine press that was exceptionally large and advanced for its time. The octagonal press measures 6 by 16 meters and was discovered in southern Israel, about 40 kilometers south of both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The size of the wine press attests to the fact that the quantity of wine that was produced in it, during the 6th and 7th centuries, was not meant for local consumption but rather for export to Egypt or to Europe. An identical wine press was previously uncovered 20 kilometers away, north of Ashkelon. The shape of the press’ collecting vats was impractical because sediment would collect in the corners – leading researchers to submit that they were built in this manner, and not in the customary circular or square shape, for aesthetic reasons. The entire apparatus originally measured 15 by 16.5 meters and included a central treading floor with a mosaic pavement where the grapes would be trod on. The juice produced from the grapes would flow from the treading floor to a distributing vat and from there through holes into two collecting vats located on either side.
ISRAEL| Archaeological findings unveil 1,500-year-old Jerusalem road
Archaeologists in Israel have announced the discovery of a 1500 year old road. Researchers knew of the possible existence of the road due The Madaba map, the oldest surviving depiction of Jerusalem dating back to the 6th to7th centuries CE. Made of ancient mosaic and found in a Jordanian church in Madaba, it depicts the land of Israel during the Byzantine period. According to the map, the entrance to Jerusalem from the west was via a large gate that led to a single, central thoroughfare on that side of the city. Until recently, archaeological excavation was not permitted at the site, as it serves as a crossroad in the Old city, and the entrance into one of the city’s most popular markets. However, due to digging in the area carried out by the Jerusalem Development Authority in recent months, the Antiquities Authority was able to excavate and confirm the maps’ findings. Approximately four and half meters below the street, they discovered the meter-long stone blocks that the ancient road was built from.
EGYPT| Temple fragment returns to Egypt and its place
A piece of red granite belonging to an ancient Egyptian temple has been returned to its rightful place – the base of Amen-emhat the first’s naos – Amen-emhat reigned from 1991 to 1962 BCE. The naos piece was returned to Egypt last October by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, after it was purchased by the Museum from an antiquities collector in New York – the first time a museum has bought an object for the purpose of returning it to its country of origin. The naos fragment was presented to the Metropolitan Museum by a collector, who claimed he bought it in the 1970s. Dr. Dorthea Arnold, the curator of the Egyptian section at the Metropolitan Museum made the discovery that the fragment joined with the naos in Karnak.
EGYPT| Egypt unveils renovations at oldest Christian monastery, touting coexistence with Muslims
Egypt’s antiquities chief unveiled the completion of an 8-year, $14.5 million restoration of the world’s oldest Christian monastery. St. Anthony, widely revered as the founder of Christian monasticism, settled in the remote mountainous area at the end of the 3rd century to live in isolation. Upon his death, his followers built the monastery, which was completed around 350 CE and remains in use today. In the government-sponsored project, workers renovated the fortress-like ancient wall surrounding the monastery and the walls of its two main churches – the 14th century Church of the Apostles and the 6th century Church of St. Anthony. They also renovated monks’ quarters and a 6th century tower into which monks would retreat during attacks by marauding Bedouin tribes throughout the Middle Ages. Amid the renovations, archaeologists from the American Research Center in Egypt discovered the remains of the original monks’ cells dating back to the 4th century under the Church of the Apostles.
IRAN| Achaemenid K’aba of Zoroaster On The Verge Of Collapse
The Achaemenid dynastic structure known as the Ka’aba of Zoroaster is on the verge of collapse due to escalating earth sinkage at the ancient site of Naqsh-e Rostam in Iran’s Fars Province. The measured earth sinkage previously reported by experts was five centimetres, but a new survey shows that this amount has increased over the past few days. Experts believe that the occurrence may lead to the damage or even the destruction of the nearby 2500 year-old structure – barely 5 meters away. Drilling numerous wells by the Islamic Republic and consequent reduction in the level of water tables in the region is the proposed main factor. A number of experts believe the cause of the sinkage is also related to a recently constructed railroad which connects Isfahan to Shiraz and is located only 1km away from the ancient site – where the train vibrations can easily be felt.
BANGLADESH| 1,500-yr old city gate discovered
Archaeologists in Mahas-than-garh archaeological site, in Bangladesh, have recently discovered an ancient city gate, used as the city’s entrance at least 1,500 years ago. A joint archaeological excavation team of France and Bangladesh found the ancient city gate on the south-western side of the site. French archaeologist Ernelle Berliet said that several types of stone including sandstones were used along with brick to construct the floor of the gate. The width of the gate was at least 2.95 metres.. The joint team started the excavation in mid-January in the south part of the city wall. This is however not a remnant of the sites odest occupation period – for example a few years ago, a joint team found a mud stove dating as far back as 400 BCE.
CAMBODIA| Cambodia Discovers Drainage System at Bayon Temple
A team of Cambodian and Japanese archaeologists said it has uncovered an ancient man-made drainage system at the site of the Bayon temple at Angkor Thom. The temple, built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries during the reign of King Jayav-arman the 8th, has been the subject of three digs since 1999, but this is the first time such a drainage system has been discovered. The drainage system served for rainwater flow from the first and second levels. The ongoing dig, which began in January, is being carried out under the auspices of UNESCO and the Apsara Authority, which manages the Angkor Wat temple complex. The dig is expected to conclude by the end of March.
NEW ZEALAND | Canoe unearthed at beach
A full-length Maori waka was unearthed at Muri-wai Beach –in New Zealand – after a member of the public spotted it sticking out from the sand. A canoe used for fishing and river travel, the waka tikai was discovered at the southern end of the beach. It took a couple of days to plan its excavation so that the seven-metre waka would not be damaged. Finding the whole length of a waka is fairly rare, as usually only sections are found, such as the prow or stern. Auckland Regional Council parks staff and locals carefully moved the waka on to a truck, which took it to a temporary home at the regional council depot. Although the waka has parts of its sides missing, it can potentially be preserved through treatment. Conserving the waka is the first priority and its future will be decided after consultation with local iwi.
NEW ZEALAND| Century-old whisky found in Antarctic
Lastly in the news, also out of New Zealand – Five crates of Scotch whisky and two of brandy have been recovered by a team restoring an Antarctic hut used more than 100 years ago by famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. Ice cracked some of the bottles that had been left there in 1909, but the restorers told reporters they are confident the five crates contain intact bottles “given liquid can be heard when the crates are moved.”
Finally This just in : You might have noticed that we are rather late putting out this week’s podcast – we were hoping to get in the results of DNA Testing and CAT scans performed on King Tut’s Mummy before going online – well thanks to time zones were are able to include preliminary info now. So far the Los Angeles times has reported this much: The new research indicates that Tut’s cause of death was probably due to complications from a broken leg and malaria. Using a new approach for analyzing mummies called molecular Egyptology, an international team of researchers found DNA traces of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in Tut’s brain and three other mummies, including his grandmother, suggesting the disease was a fairly common problem among the Egyptian royalty. Examination of Tut’s body and his genes confirmed that he suffered from a cleft palate and clubfoot, and showed he had a degenerative bone condition called Kohler disease II. That infection, combined with necrosis, or death of bones, caused by Kohler disease could have weakened him severely. The broken leg, possibly from a fall, could then have been the final event that led to his death. But he did not suffer from Marfan syndrome or other diseases that would have feminized his appearance, as many researchers have speculated from observing busts from the period. By matching Tut’s DNA to samples from other mummies, the team was able to identify one — previously known only as KV55 — as the pharaoh Akhenaten and the probable father of Tut; another as Tiye, Akhenaten’s mother and Tut’s grandmother; and a third as a sister of Akhenaten who was probably Tut’s mother.
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01/08/2010 11:05 | 
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