Thursday, February 24, 2005

Pun alert! House decides to dig deeper into archaeology issue

The House of Representatives has backed away from a proposal to transfer the state archaeologist and staff to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Instead, a substitute bill passed Tuesday calls for a study of where best to put these experts — destination not specified, as long they are kicked out of their present home in the state Division of State History.
"What that means," commented Duncan Metcalfe, curator of archaeology at the Utah Museum of Natural History, "is that they can choose the second best."


Ewwww. . . . Archaeologists Baffled by Headless Bodies Find

Archaeologists have been left mystified by the discovery of 36 decapitated bodies, it was revealed today.

Experts from the York Archaeological Trust unearthed the skeletons of 49 young men and seven children at a Roman cemetery they discovered in The Mount area of the city.

But they were stunned to find that most of the men had had their heads chopped off, while another was bound with iron shackles.


Out from underfoot

Southwest Ranches · It wasn't a housing development or retail complex that put a prehistoric Indian site at risk.

It was a herd of cows.

Although registered with the state as a protected site, few residents know that deep in Southwest Ranches is a former Everglades tree island, with artifacts from a civilization dating back more than a thousand years.


We here at ArchaeoBlog really like cows and hope some accomodation may be made for them.

1st century Buddha relics unearthed near Taxila

A group of South Korean team of archaeologists has discovered rare artefacts dating back to the early Kushan period in the 1st Century AD near the ancient city of Taxila.

According to The News, archaeologists have unearthed more than 200 remains, including one Buddha stupa belonging to the Buddha civilisation in Jaulian near Taxila. The Jaulian monastery is located atop the hill some 300 feet high, about six kms northeast of the Taxila Museum.


Saving Norwich market's history

Archaeologists from Norfolk Archaeological Unit are working closely with Norwich City Council to ensure that important remains of the historic market place in Norwich are not lost during the current refurbishment works.

The market, established between 1071 and 1074, is one of the oldest and largest in England. It once contained major buildings such as the Market cross, first built in 1411 and which stood over 60 feet high. This structure contained a chapel on top of a plinth 30 feet wide.

The refurbishment works require reduction of the entire area of the market by nearly two feet in depth, destroying almost all surviving medieval deposits. Staff of the Norfolk Archaeological Unit have therefore been appointed to ensure that any archaeological features, surfaces and finds are recorded.


Santa Fe civic center update Archaeologists: Stop Civic Center

The Santa Fe Archaeological Review Committee recommends the city avoid building a new civic center at the site of the Sweeney Convention Center because of the remains of a pre-Columbian village at the downtown site.

But two city councilors reached Friday said the report won't necessarily stop plans for a new center there.

"The preference is not to go ahead with it, but, if we do, that we get somebody good to come in and do the rest of the archaeology and try to get the best picture of what's down there and then also incorporate it into the design," said Councilor Karen Heldmeyer.


Heh. Probably swooped in by Blackhawk helicopter -- with trowels drawn! Experts have bones to pick on seashore

A RAPID response archaeology team has been sent to Orkney after storms exposed skeletons on the shore below St Thomas' Kirk.
Orkney Archaeological Trust informed Historic Scotland of the damage and the decision was taken to move forward a planned excavation which Historic Scotland had agreed to fund this summer.
The team will excavate, record and assess storm damage to the medieval graveyard at the kirk and the broch at Hall of Rendall.


Not too much coming over the wires today besides that. EEF news should be arriving shortly, and we'll post that. . . .errrrr, whenever. Probably tomorrow actually.

In the meantime, enjoy some pictures of dairy cows:

This one is out standing in his field. (Okay, her field. Probably).


This is what happens when Cows Go Bad:


A lovely cow in bas relief:


EEEEK!


What cows do most of the time:


This one is called "Dairy Cow Incarnate":


And finally, an "Awwwwww..." cow: