Monday, July 11, 2005

News from Vietnam Archaeologists dig deeper into Tay Son's history

Archaeologists announced their recent findings about the architectural design of the Citadel of the Tay Son Dynasty (the 18th century) in the central province of Binh Dinh's An Nhon district.

Dr Le Dinh Phung of the Viet Nam Archaeology Institute said archaeologists dug three holes during the second excavation of the site from June 3-28.


Heh. Well, you know, we try to cover it up with highfalutin language, but really, we just dig holes.

Amateur archaeology update Amateur Archaeologists Celebrate Area Petroglyph Sites’ Significance

The Holbrook and Winslow Homolovi Chapter and the Heber Agave Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society, in conjunction with the Arizona Site Steward Program, held a picnic June 25 at the Chevelon Steps, part of the Rock Art Canyon Ranch to celebrate the area’s archaeological sites.

Members of both organizations came from across the state for a day of fun and to tour the site.


This seems like a good area for amateur participation in archaeology. Amateur astromonomers have been playing an increasingly significant role in that discipline, since there are only so many professionals around to look for more obscure objects (comets, asteroids, etc.) and in many cases only limited professional recognition would accrue from studying them. Most academic researchers and CRM professionals are generally too busy with doing their paid labor and/or contracted/research work to just go out and look for stuff. As long as the activity is limited to locating and recording objects and glyphs, we think this could have a significant impact on CRM. Not that amateurs (that is, non-institutionally funded people) couldn't reasonably excavate a site, but even professionals, unless they're specifically contracted to do so, ought only to be recording what they come across.

Orpheus statue update Statue of Orpheus unearthed

A rare statue of the ancient Thracian hero Orpheus has been unearthed in Bulgaria, near a place archaeologists say might house the hero's tomb, the leader of excavations said.

The 9cm (3.5in) bronze statue, dating from the 1st or 2nd century AD, was found in the village of Tatul, 200 miles south-east of Sofia, an archaeologist, Nikolai Ovcharov, said.

The statue, which was perfectly preserved, was found a few days ago by villagers, and handed to archaeologists working on the site, he said.


Charming headline House of the medieval dead lurks in lawyers' basement

A rare medieval charnel house which lay undiscovered for 300 years has been restored to its former glory, English Heritage said yesterday.

The charnel house was previously included in the annual Buildings at Risk register, because of its uncertain future in the face of commercial development. The latest register of England's most important threatened buildings, announced there yesterday, has 1,302 entries including the Cutty Sark, which needs expensive conservation work.


Artists' conception of the lawyer making the discovery:


ANd speaking of which. . . Archaeology of Horror: Findings of WWII

The Museum for Pre- and Early History presents Archaeology of Horror: Findings of the Second World War in Berlin, on view through September 11, 2005. To mark the 60th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War, the Museum for Pre- and Early History presents results of archaeological research in Berlin on the period of Nazism and war. This is the first showing of the results of archaeological exploration and research into this critical period in the history and development of Berlin.


Important Saxon find in car park

The remains of a Saxon rotunda in Herefordshire is being hailed as a site of international importance.

Archaeologists will begin next month excavating the area in Leominster which is currently being used as a staff car park for Herefordshire Council workers.

The rotunda is thought to be part of a monastery founded by one of Britain's ancient rulers.


Apparently, this is a stunning find.

High school students help uncover MSU's past

College students weren't the only ones digging into the past this summer.

Local high school students spent a week learning about archaeology firsthand by helping with the excavation of the Saints' Rest dormitory at Michigan State University.


Romans' brutal crackdown on Celts

Norfolk acted as a hub of resistance against Roman occupation, new analysis of archaeological finds has revealed.

But the empire's military might eventually eclipsed native East Anglians in a brutal crackdown described as a "lost holocaust".

A sprawling Celtic 'proto-city', as significant to its Iceni occupants as modern-day London, sprawled across eight square miles of West Norfolk, almost certainly providing a regular home to Boudicca.


More news later. There's tons of stuff out there today.