Saturday, April 30, 2005

Just a couple of quickie items for one of our rare weekend appearances. But it's raining so there's little to do except sit around and do stuff on the computer.

Excavation Starts Where Bones Were Found

Archaeologists began sifting through the dirt off River Road in Maumee on Friday. They're looking for more human bones on a site that is currently planned for river-view homes and condos.

They started their search at the trench where the first remains were found. They set a perimeter of less than 20 yards, then using a bulldozer, they dug up the soil looking for bones buried underneath. "We can get the disturbed soil off the very top layer we can see the tops of potential grave shafts where we see those we will go down further with power equipment," said Michael Pratt, an anthropologist.


Interesting story.

We knew it was there. . . Archaeologists find door 'to the thereafter'

The discovery outside the Egyptian capital of a particularly well-preserved mummy from the 30th Dynasty was announced on Friday by Egyptian government archaeologists.

Zahi Hawwas, head of the antiquities preservation team, said the find was made in Saccara, where a sarcophagus was discovered beneath a layer of sand. Although numerous ceramic amulets were found at the site, they presented no immediate clue to the identity of the deceased.

In addition to the mummy from a dynasty that ruled between 380-343 AD, two burial gates were discovered, one in honour of Iu-Ib, an official in a temple dedicated to Pepi II, who ruled from 2245-2180.

The other marker, also formed in the shape of a door intended to connect the present to the thereafter, was for a scribe by the name of Chentika. - Sapa-dpa


That's the whole thing. Obviously a mixture of old and new, what with the Old Kingdom and 30th Dynasty stuff.

Well, that sounds spooky Dark bastion is at center of Battle of Asheville controversy

Battle of Asheville issues won't die, which is appropriate, since more than 600,000 men gave their lives in the War Between the States for reasons they hoped would transcend their lifetimes. In its last weeks, the war devolved to Western North Carolina, toward which Confederate and Union armies targeted a last campaign.

Though the Battle of Asheville was a small affair, involving a minimal number of casualties in a five-hour exchange of fire, its significance is huge. Because of its position at the entrance to the region's Confederate stronghold, it may be the top candidate for a memorial to the emotion that swirled here as Federals implemented a three-pronged encirclement.