Archaeology in Europe

British Archaeology to Stand on the Fourth Plinth

2009-07-03T18:25:00.000+02:00

Mike Pitts, editor of the CBA’s British Archaeology magazine, will be occupying the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square on 29 July, during the Festival of British Archaeology.

The details of Mike’s performance will remain secret until the day, but given his interests we have every reason to expect he will do something that engages deeply with the past. He will, he says, be posting linked texts on his website at the time of the event, and will welcome comments and suggestions now and afterwards.

The empty Fourth Plinth is being used for 100 days from 6 July by the sculptor Antony Gormley, who is inviting participants like Mike to help create ‘an astonishing living monument’. Anybody can go and view Mike’s plinth performance in person, or events can be followed on the Fourth Plinth website. Further news and information of the event will also take place on the CBA website and Mike Pitts’ website.

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Iron Age coins declared treasure

2009-07-03T18:22:00.000+02:00

One of the UK's largest hauls of Iron Age gold coins has been declared treasure at an inquest in Suffolk.

The 840 handmade coins, called staters, were unearthed in a field near Wickham Market, Suffolk, in March last year.

After Michael Dark made the discovery with his metal detector, archaeologists found more coins, which are now at the British Museum in London.

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New Fossil Primate Challenges "Missing Link" Ida

2009-07-03T15:17:00.000+02:00

Remember Ida? It's been just a month since the fossil primate made her debut on the History Channel where she was called a "missing link" between humans and primitive primates and a "revolutionary scientific find that will change everything." But Ida may be robbed of her claim to that title by a new fossil primate from Asia, published today. "It shows that Ida is out of the running as a [human] ancestor," says the fossil's discoverer, paleontologist K. Christopher Beard of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Researchers have long searched for the earliest anthropoids, advanced primates that were the ancestors of humans, apes, and monkeys. Until recently, most scientists thought anthropoids arose in Africa, where the oldest widely accepted members of the group lived as early as 37 million years ago in the Fayum province of Egypt.

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Via Aurelia: The Roman Empire's Lost Highway

2009-07-03T15:13:00.000+02:00

French amateur archaeologist Bruno Tassan fights to preserve a neglected 2,000-year-old ancient interstate in southern Provence

At first glance, it didn't appear that impressive: a worn limestone pillar, six feet high and two feet wide, standing slightly askew beside a country road near the village of Pélissanne in southern France. "A lot of people pass by without knowing what it is," Bruno Tassan, 61, was saying, as he tugged aside dense weeds that had grown over the column since he last inspected it. Tassan was showing me a milliaire, or milestone, one of hundreds planted along the highways of Gaul at the time of the Roman Empire. The inscription had worn away ages ago, but Tassan, a documentary filmmaker and amateur archaeologist, was well versed in the artifact's history. This particular stone, set in place in 3 B.C. during the reign of Augustus, was once a perfect cylinder, set along the nearly 50 miles between Aquae Sextiae (Aix-en-Provence) and Arelate (Arles). "It's one of the last standing," Tassan said.

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Heritage Bill Dropped Again!

2009-07-03T15:12:00.001+02:00

There is deep disappointment again that the Heritage Protection Bill for England and Wales does not appear in the Draft Legislative Programme for 2009/10 announced by the Government this week.

The Programme indicates the legislation likely to be included in the Queen’s Speech for the next parliamentary session. Clearly there is now little expectation of the legislative reforms which the 2007 White Paper promised would place the historic environment at the heart of the planning system. The Bill aimed to simplify and strengthen existing legislation and introduce opportunities for people to be more involved in protecting and enhancing their local heritage. It also paved the way for the signing and ratification of the Hague Convention, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Without the Bill, the UK will soon be the only international power not to have signed the convention.

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Archaeological Excavations at Tetovo Fortress in Macedonia Yield Ottoman Period Finds

2009-07-03T15:11:00.001+02:00

Several important structures and objects dating to the Ottoman Era were unearthed during last year’s excavations of the fortress of the town of Tetovo, located in north-western Macedonia, near the capital Skopje.

The newly discovered structures included three tunnels with underground corridors that connected them, a kitchen and dining room, a covered and a summer saray and a double well, Lulieta Abazi, Senior Custodian and the Manager of the Project, and Srekko Jovanovski, director of the Tetovo Museum, told the Utrinski Vesnik today.

Among the objects found during excavations were a silver-gilded cigarette box with preserved tobacco, coins from the Turkish period and ceramic fragments of smoking pipes.

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Remains of a medieval castle found at St. Adrian's tunnel in Basque Region

2009-07-03T15:10:00.001+02:00

Those responsible for leading excavations into the St Adrian tunnel (between Gipuzkoa and Alava) which started a year ago have been amazed by recent findings.

"This is double what we expected (to find)," said one archaeologist. "Without doubt, what is emerging here is a big surprise."

Remains which have been found inside the tunnel, where today only the old Roman road and an ancient chapel still stand, have lead archaeologists to conclude that there once stool a medieval castle of some magnitude, as well as possibly an inn and a cemetery. All of these are evidence of the importance of the underpass which joins the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Alava.

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Bulgaria: Archaeologists Research Balkans’ Oldest Funeral Site

2009-07-03T15:07:00.000+02:00

A team of Dutch archaeologists has come to the village of Dzhulyunitsa in central northern Bulgaria in order to research the oldest funeral site in the Balkans.

The site, discovered by Nedko Elenski, an archaeologist from the Regional History Museum of Veliko Tarnovo in 2004, is a funeral of a person of the age between 12 and 13, which dates to 6300 – 6150 BC.

The Neolithic settlement near the modern-day village of Dzhulyunitsa existed between 6300 and 5700 BC. The settlement flourished around 6000 BC but, 300 years later, life there ceased to exist due to reasons that are still unknown to archaeologists.

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Builder backs preservation of Roman Circus

2009-07-02T13:18:00.000+02:00

A DEVELOPER has voiced support for plans to preserve Colchester’s Roman Circus.

Taylor Wimpey is building on part of the site, which was discovered in 2004.

There have been efforts to preserve it, including a failed bid by Colchester Council for £1million of lottery funding to build a visitors’ area.

Since then, Destination Colchester has been set up, with a brief to keep in public ownership as much as possible of the chariot racing circus’ footprint.

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Turkey plans to restart work on controversial dam project

2009-07-02T13:16:00.000+02:00

Turkey today announced plans to resume a controversial £1bn dam project in the face of environmental protests that it would displace thousands of people, destroy habitats and drown priceless archaeological treasures.

The environment minister, Veysel Eroglu, said work on the Ilisu hydroelectric dam on the Tigris river in south-east Turkey would restart after a six-month funding suspension ends next week.

The announcement disappointed campaigners who believed that the project had suffered a potentially fatal blow last December, after German, Swiss and Austrian institutions announced they were withholding finance because fears about the dam's environmental and social impact had not been addressed. The governments agreed that 150 World Bank conditions on the environment, heritage sites, neighbouring states and human relocation must be met.

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'Hanging' Judge Jeffrey's privy uncovered at castle

2009-07-02T13:13:00.000+02:00

A PRIVY that may have been used by ‘Hanging’ Judge Jeffreys has been discovered at Taunton Castle.

Excavations there have revealed several previously unrecorded features in the castle’#s Great Hall.

As well as the 17th Century toilet, several even older features have been uncovered.

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The Archaeology in Europe Weblog on Twitter

2009-07-01T14:10:00.000+02:00

Following Kris Hirst’s very useful article “Twitter and Archaeology”, I have decided to add a Twitter feed from the Archaeology in Europe Weblog. You can find the feed at http://twitter.com/ArchEurope , or use the link in the sidebar.

Feature - Grid makes a SPLASH in underwater archaeology

2009-07-01T12:08:00.000+02:00

Submerged beneath the waves lies a large part of human history.

For our ancestors, the ancient coastlines were attractive places to settle and experiment with what became the foundations of civilization. As the major glaciers melted between sixteen and six thousand years ago, these sites — where people first began to make fishing equipment, build boats and create permanent settlements — became engulfed by the rising seas.

But rather than destroying these ancient landscapes, the rising sea level instead preserved many of them, and with them many details in the story of our past.

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Computer Recognizes Archaeological Material And Fake Van Goghs

2009-07-01T12:06:00.000+02:00

People find it very easy to recognise a face, even under very different circumstances. For a computer, on the other hand, it is extremely difficult. Dutch researcher Laurens van der Maaten has developed a new analytical technique which enables the computer to better interpret the content of photos and images, but also of data.

The ‘proof of the pudding' of his technique for automatic image analysis is a system for the automatic analysis and recognition of archaeological material such as pottery, Roman coins and glass from the Middle Ages. Van der Maaten has also successfully used the technique to distinguish forgeries and paintings by contemporaries of Van Gogh from paintings by Van Gogh himself.

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Record event numbers announced as Britain gets set for nationwide archaeology bash

2009-07-01T12:03:00.000+02:00

Festival: The Festival of British Archaeology, various venues, July 28 – August 2 2009

More than 600 events are set to take place during this year's Festival of British Archaeology, the UK's biggest archaeological extravaganza.

Attractions range from foraging for secrets on the Thames foreshore to opportunities to join the excavation of a Victorian terraced house. There are also guided walks around the archaeological monuments of Cornwall and a visit to the dig of an 18th-century latrine. Many events have limited spaces, so booking is essential.

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Archaeology Quiz of the Week: Middle Paleolithic

2009-06-30T19:01:00.000+02:00

Today's Archaeology Quiz of the Week is on Middle Paleolithic, that most exciting period in human history.

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Secrets of Oystermouth to be unearthed

2009-06-30T19:00:00.001+02:00

Fascinating discoveries are hoped for as archaeologists today start a dig on the site of Swansea's 12th century Oystermouth Castle.

Volunteers will work alongside experts as the group excavates outside the castle's west tower, explores the knoll area and looks for the outer wall and ditch.

Daily guided tours are being organised within a few days of starting the dig and everyone taking part will have the chance to learn about excavation techniques, how to record discoveries and how to deal with objects that are found.

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Skeleton reveals violent life and death of medieval knight

2009-06-30T18:57:00.000+02:00

A 620-year-old skeleton discovered under the floor of Stirling Castle has shed new light on the violent life of a medieval knight.

Archaeologists believe that bones found in an ancient chapel on the site are those of an English knight named Robert Morley who died in a tournament there in 1388.

Radio carbon dating has confirmed that the skeleton is from that period, and detailed analysis suggests that he was in his mid-20s, was heavily muscled and had suffered several serious wounds in earlier contests.

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Hard days for Stirling knight who'd been hit by axe, arrow and sword

2009-06-30T18:56:00.000+02:00

WHEN the skeleton was discovered buried beneath Stirling Castle more than a decade ago, archaeologists knew only that the man had been someone important, possibly a priest.

However, new analytical techniques have revealed the 600-year-old bones had a very different past – as they are those of a horrifically injured knight who lived a short but "incredibly violent" life.

Research has shown the man, who was in his twenties, was killed by a sword slicing through his nose and jaw. It also revealed he had previously survived both an axe wound to the forehead and a large arrowhead being embedded in his chest.

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Important historic remains unearthed in Bridlington

2009-06-30T18:55:00.000+02:00

REMAINS of some of the earliest houses ever found in the North of England have been unearthed in Bridlington.

Archaeologists have discovered that buildings stood on the site of the current Cottage Farm development more than 5,000 years ago.

In a significant find, a team uncovered remains of houses, fields, kilns and people during excavations of the area, on the north side of town.

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Dig aims to uncover castle past

2009-06-30T18:54:00.000+02:00

The first major archaeological dig to take place at a medieval castle near Swansea is underway.

Experts and volunteers are hoping to uncover artefacts along with clues as the original layout of Oystermouth Castle in Mumbles.

They will be on site digging and examining trenches for three weeks.

The ruined castle was recently given a £1.7m restoration lifeline which will pay for conservation works and for a new interpretation centre.

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Acropolis Museum: Athens unveils its bid for the Marbles

2009-06-30T18:52:00.001+02:00

Greece’s New Acropolis Museum is a formidable rival to the British Museum and has renewed debate about the Elgin Marbles.

'The opening of the New Acropolis Museum was one of the most emotional experiences of my life” says Tina Daskalantonakis, a Greek hotelier. “It is more than a museum – it is a symbol of national pride and hope for the future.”

The museum in question crouches 300 metres below the Acropolis. An angular behemoth of glass, steel, concrete and marble housing some 4,000 artefacts, it is the culmination of an idea first mooted by Konstantinos Karamanlis’s Conservative government in 1976 and, since the early 1980s, passionately advocated by the Socialist minister of culture Melina Mercouri: the creation of a home in which the Parthenon Marbles can be reunited and displayed to the world.

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Bulgaria: Archaeologists Discover Building Remains in Ancient Town of Marcianopolis

2009-06-30T18:51:00.001+02:00

The foundations of an ancient building were recently discovered during archaeological excavations of the ancient Roman town Marcianopolis in north-eastern Bulgaria, representatives of the Mosaics Museum in the town of Devnya told national media last week.

This is the first time in 20 years that the region is being excavated, according to Ivan Sutev, head of the museum. This year’s archaeological research, he added, is to be carried out in two phases – the first one began on May 13 and has already been completed.

The ancient Roman building’s foundations were discovered in the site’s western part, but Sutev declined to speak about them in detail, as more research of the discoveries needs to be carried out first.

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No proof that Vatican bones are St Paul's, says Dutch expert

2009-06-30T18:47:00.001+02:00

Responding to the claim by Pope Benedict XVI that the bones of St Paul have been found in Rome, a Dutch expert, Rengert Elburg, said Monday this can never be proven.

Elburg, an expert on archaeological study of old bones and organic remains for the government of the German state of Saxony, told the German Press Agency dpa in an interview, 'It's impossible to establish that it's him.'

Even a genetic analysis of the bones in a sarcophagus marked as Paul's would reveal nothing, because there were no proven descendants whose DNA could be compared.

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Prehistoric European Cave Artists Were Female

2009-06-29T15:03:00.001+02:00

Inside France's 25,000-year-old Pech Merle cave, hand stencils surround the famed "Spotted Horses" mural.

For about as long as humans have created works of art, they've also left behind handprints. People began stenciling, painting, or chipping imprints of their hands onto rock walls at least 30,000 years ago.

Until recently, most scientists assumed these prehistoric handprints were male. But "even a superficial examination of published photos suggested to me that there were lots of female hands there," Pennsylvania State University archaeologist Dean Snow said of European cave art.

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