Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Astoria dig update The dirt on the Chinook dig

Preliminary excavations of what may have been a Chinook Indian building from the time of Lewis and Clark are continuing but are taking longer than expected, an archaeologist on the project said Friday.

The dig near U.S. 101 west of the Astoria-Megler Bridge was kicked off when archaeologists found impressions of side-by-side wood planks in soil. Department of Transportation crews had planned to begin roadwork in the area on Jan. 31, but put those plans on hold until they hear back from archaeologists.


Actually, not much of an update, but there you have it.

Look, mohr from Mehr I love the Burnt City: Italian archaeobotanist

The eighth excavation season at the Burnt City ended in January, with archaeologists’ new discoveries shedding light on the way of life in the 5200-year-old city.

They learned more about the lifestyle of the ancient residents of the site and discovered comprehensive information about their art and industry.

Located 57 kilometers from Zabol in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, the Burnt City covers an area of 150 hectares and was one of the world’s largest cities in the third millennium B.C. It was built in 3200 B.C. and flourished until it was destroyed in 2100 B.C.


Troy revisited Professor separates fact and fiction surrounding Trojan War

By now, a relatively large part of the population has heard of the movie "Troy" with Brad Pitt, but did Troy, and all of the personalities involved, actually exist?

UM-St. Louis Professor Michael Cosmopoulos discussed this issue in "Searching for the Kings of Trojan War," a lecture held on Saturday at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters.

Cosmopoulos is Hellenic Government-Karakas Family Foundation Professor in Greek Studies and Professor of Anthropology at the University.


Archaeological survey to preserve jetty sites

A marine archaeological survey has started at a historic convict site on the Tasman Peninsula.

Melbourne's Flinders University has sent 26 researchers to the site on Norfolk Bay, which was mined between 1830 and 1870.

During that time eight jetties were built along the foreshore to transport coal and agricultural goods to Hobart and as far away as Norfolk Island.

The researchers are mapping the remains of the jetties and looking at relics dumped off the ships, including ballast rocks, in an attempt to get a cleared picture of where the ships arrived from and departed to.

It is hoped that the information gathered will help develop a management plan and preserve the disappearing jetty sites.


That's the whole thing.

Now, this is cool Ancient engravings found in Somerset cave

Two members of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society have discovered an engraving in a cave in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, which may be at least 10,000 years old.

Graham Mullan and Linda Wilson, who have spent much of the last ten years studying Palaeolithic cave art, recently began a systematic search of caves in southern Britain in the belief that such works in this country would not simply be confined to those found at Creswell Crags, Nottinghamshire.

. . .

“The pattern is comparable with others known from Northern France, Germany and Denmark giving a wider context for the finds of this time and a rare glimpse of what may have been a rather special means of communication.”


Excavation unearths oldest archaeological site in UAE

The oldest archaeological site in the UAE dating back to 7,000 years, has been discovered on the island of Marawah, located about 100km west of Abu Dhabi, according to Dr Mark Beech, Senior Resident Archaeologist for the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS).

Dr Beech disclosed the findings at a lecture organised by the Dubai Natural History Group which was attended by a large crowd.

The lecture covered important findings and discoveries by ADIAS during their excavation in 2004 including a skeleton of what is believed to be the earliest-known inhabitant of Abu Dhabi.


Not a whole lot of news today. We'll post more if we come across anything else.