Thursday, July 28, 2005

Happy ending Historical agreement will let road work restart on U.S. 101

Archaeologists and the Chinook Indian Tribe have reached an agreement that will allow construction to resume on a waterfront park at the site where the Lewis and Clark expedition reached the Pacific Ocean nearly 200 years ago.

The first stage of the project - the $1.1 million rerouting of U.S. 101 near the mouth of the Columbia River - was suspended in January after Indian artifacts and trade goods were unearthed at the site.

. . .

The artifacts, including stone tools, arrowheads and glass beads, were found during a pre-construction archaeological survey conducted earlier this year.


Although we wonder how 'historical' this arrangement will end up being a number of years from now.

Dozens of amateur archaeologists dig into Portland's past

Curiosity brought Portland resident Fred Frick Jr. to Portland Wharf Park last week to see the latest historic dig.

But yesterday, as Frick joined other volunteers at the park sifting through dirt for bits of pottery, pipes and other pieces of neighborhood history, he reveled in his new role -- amateur archaeologist.

"I've always loved history. It's given me a chance to be an adult, get dirty and enjoy myself in my own neighborhood," he said. "If you like to know where things come from and have a sense of discovery, this is ideal."


Days when all motorways led to Rome

THE ancient Romans had the equivalent of a modern-day motorway dotted with service stations, archaeologists have revealed.

Stretching 535 miles across Albania, Macedonia and Greece, the stone-paved road made the going easy for charioteers, soldiers and other travellers. Archaeologists excavating along Greece's ancient Via Egnatia say the road, which was about 30ft wide, came complete with safety features, inns and service stations.

"This was a busy road, and the Romans managed to make it completely functional," archaeologist Polyxeni Tsatsopoulou said.


Oh dear. . . . Beaker people’s bones to reveal the past

They died 4000 years ago and, for as long as a century, some have been in the care of Aberdeen University.
Now, the skeletons of 23 men and women have been transferred to Sheffield to help reveal the lifestyles of those who lived in the north-east during the early Bronze Age.

. . .

Since the nineteenth century, experts have argued over whether the appearance in Britain of burials with pots – or "beakers" – marked the arrival of continental migrants around 2400-2200BC.

These ancient people have been variously credited with introducing metalworking to Britain, spreading the Indo-European language group and building Stonehenge.


Obviously a very advanced people. Artists' conception of what a typical Beaker person may have looked like: