Friday, July 03, 2009
British Archaeology to Stand on the Fourth Plinth
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:25 PM 
Iron Age coins declared treasure
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:22 PM
New Fossil Primate Challenges "Missing Link" Ida
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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# posted by David Beard @ 3:17 PM
Via Aurelia: The Roman Empire's Lost Highway
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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# posted by David Beard @ 3:13 PM
Heritage Bill Dropped Again!
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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# posted by David Beard @ 3:12 PM
Archaeological Excavations at Tetovo Fortress in Macedonia Yield Ottoman Period Finds
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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# posted by David Beard @ 3:11 PM
Remains of a medieval castle found at St. Adrian's tunnel in Basque Region
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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# posted by David Beard @ 3:10 PM
Bulgaria: Archaeologists Research Balkans’ Oldest Funeral Site
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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# posted by David Beard @ 3:07 PM
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Builder backs preservation of Roman Circus
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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# posted by David Beard @ 1:18 PM
Turkey plans to restart work on controversial dam project
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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# posted by David Beard @ 1:16 PM
'Hanging' Judge Jeffrey's privy uncovered at castle
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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# posted by David Beard @ 1:13 PM
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
The Archaeology in Europe Weblog on Twitter
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.
# posted by David Beard @ 2:10 PM
Feature - Grid makes a SPLASH in underwater archaeology
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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# posted by David Beard @ 12:08 PM
Computer Recognizes Archaeological Material And Fake Van Goghs
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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# posted by David Beard @ 12:06 PM
Record event numbers announced as Britain gets set for nationwide archaeology bash
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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# posted by David Beard @ 12:03 PM
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Archaeology Quiz of the Week: Middle Paleolithic
Today's Archaeology Quiz of the Week is on Middle Paleolithic, that most exciting period in human history.
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# posted by David Beard @ 7:01 PM
Secrets of Oystermouth to be unearthed
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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# posted by David Beard @ 7:00 PM
Skeleton reveals violent life and death of medieval knight
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:57 PM
Hard days for Stirling knight who'd been hit by axe, arrow and sword
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:56 PM
Important historic remains unearthed in Bridlington
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:55 PM
Dig aims to uncover castle past
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:54 PM
Acropolis Museum: Athens unveils its bid for the Marbles
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:52 PM
Bulgaria: Archaeologists Discover Building Remains in Ancient Town of Marcianopolis
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:51 PM
No proof that Vatican bones are St Paul's, says Dutch expert
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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# posted by David Beard @ 6:47 PM
Monday, June 29, 2009
Prehistoric European Cave Artists Were Female
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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# posted by David Beard @ 3:03 PM
Oldest known portrait of St Paul revealed by Vatican archaeologists
Vatican archaeologists have uncovered what they say is the oldest known portrait of St Paul. The portrait, which was found two weeks ago but has been made public only after restoration, shows St Paul with a high domed forehead, deep-set eyes and a long pointed beard, confirming the image familiar from later depictions.
L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, which devoted two pages to the discovery, said that the oval portrait, dated to the 4th century, had been found in the catacombs of St Thecla, not far from the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, where the apostle is buried. The find was “an extraordinary event”, said Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
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# posted by David Beard @ 3:01 PM
Students dig Iron Age
TROWELS are at the ready for an annual dig that will uncover new information about an Iron Age settlement.
The annual Silchester dig on the site of Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, near Silchester, begins on Monday for six weeks, until August 9.
The dig is organised by the Field School at Reading University’s Department of Archaeology as a research and training excavation which this year will involve about 70 first year archaeology students and 200 other people learning the ropes of excavation.
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# posted by David Beard @ 2:58 PM
Acle dig finds rewrite history
Two top archaeologists and a group of budding relic-hunters are hoping to rewrite Norfolk's history books by digging up 11 back gardens.
Dr Carenza Lewis and Paul Blinkhorn, both of TV Time Team fame, and a team of high school students have unearthed evidence in Acle that may go on to prove the region's rich past was much more turbulent that thought.
Acle is one of 10 villages in Norfolk and Suffolk to have opened up their gardens to the archaeologists for a new book which is set challenge the traditional view of village life from the Dark Ages and medieval times.
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# posted by David Beard @ 2:57 PM
Pope claims human remains belong to St Paul
Human remains found beneath the Vatican have been identified as belonging to St Paul, Pope Benedict XVI said, apparently laying to rest the mystery of a tomb first discovered in the city in 2006.
Archaeologists found material and fragments of bone dating to the first or second century AD inside the tomb at the basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
Vatican experts claim the tomb's position, underneath the epigraph Paulo Apostolo Mart (Paul the Apostle and Martyr), at the base of the main altar is proof that it belongs to the apostle.
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# posted by David Beard @ 2:55 PM
Castle bones may belong to knight
Archaeologists believe that bones discovered at Stirling Castle may have belonged to a knight killed in battle or during a siege in the early 1400s.
It is thought that despite the warrior's relatively young age of about 25, he may have suffered several serious wounds from earlier fights.
Researchers thinks it is also possible he may have been living for some time with a large arrowhead in his chest.
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# posted by David Beard @ 2:51 PM
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Ancient river found beneath the Channel during Olympics survey
An ancient river bed that has lain unseen for 185,000 years has been uncovered by scientists mapping the parts of the English Channel in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.
The groundbreaking discovery was made during a two-year £300,000 project to map 500 square miles of seabed off the Jurassic coast in Dorset.
Using new and incredibly accurate mapping techniques, experts traced the river that may have once been used as a watering hole by woolly mammoths that roamed the area.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:33 PM
Evidence Found of Parthenon Coloring
The iconic pure white of ancient Greek sculptures makes it difficult to picture them in any other way, but new evidence suggests that the Parthenon temple’s statues and friezes were originally colored. Researchers at the British Museum say they have detected tiny traces of blue paint on the building's statues and friezes. Although only a few hints of a pigment called Egyptian blue have been detected so far, experts believe the original coloring would have included red, along with highlights of gold. At the same time, the original marble still showed through white in places.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:32 PM
Models of Earliest (Camel-Pulled) Vehicles Found
Some of the world's first farmers may have sped around in two-wheeled carts pulled by camels and bulls, suggests a new analysis on tiny models of these carts that date to 6,000-5,000 years ago.
The cart models, which may have been ritual objects or children's toys, were found at Altyndepe, a Chalcolithic and Bronze Age settlement in Western Central Asia near Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Together with other finds, the cart models provide a history of how wheeled transportation first emerged in the area and later developed.
"Horsepower" is a common term today, but the ancients had bull-power, followed by camel-power, researcher Lyubov Kircho explained to Discovery News.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:31 PM
Oldest human settlement in Aegean unearthed on Limnos island
The ruins of the oldest human settlement in the Aegean found so far have been unearthed in archaeological excavations by a team of Greek, Italian and American archaeologists on the island of Limnos, headed by Thessaloniki Aristotle University (AUTH) professor of Prehistoric Archaeology Nikos Efstratiou.
The excavation began in early June and the finds brought to light so far, mainly stone tools of a high quality, are from the Epipaleolithic Period approximately 14,000 years ago. The finds indicate a settlement of hunters, food-collectors and fishermen of the 12th millennium BC.
Until now, it was believed that the oldest human presence in the Aegean had been located in the Archipelagos of the so-called Cyclops Cave on the rocky islet Yioura, north of the island of Alonissos, and at the Maroula site on Kythnos island, dating to circa 8,000 (8th millennium) BC.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:30 PM
Die Kunst der Kelten in in Bern
Zum ersten Mal im deutschsprachigen Raum wird mit der Ausstellung «Kunst der Kelten – 700 vor bis 700 nach Chr.» das Kunstschaffen der antiken Kelten in den Mittelpunkt gestellt. Präsentiert werden rund 450 Meisterwerke aus vierzehn Jahrhunderten. Die ausgesuchten Ausstellungsstücke stammen aus ganz Europa, vom Atlantik bis zu den Alpen und von Schottland bis nach Bulgarien. Die Ausstellung dauert bis zum 18. Oktober und entstand in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Landesmuseum Württemberg in Stuttgart.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:29 PM
Twitter and Archaeology
Now I know Twitter is not everybody's cup of tea, but I was poking around today and discovered some very interesting projects in Twitter. If you've been interested in seeing what different archaeological groups are up to on Twitter, or contemplating running a Twitter feed for your own group, this blog is for you.
It took me several hours, but I found a lot of professional archaeologists and students who were tweeting about archaeology; and I also found a lot of creative use of Twitter by organizations, archaeological sites, museum, magazines—even a handful of CRM firms to get news out about their organizations. Each of the following links should take you to a Twitter page, where you can cruise at your own pace and see what others are doing.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:18 PM
Important trade links unearthed
AN archaeological dig in the centre of Worcester has been hailed as the most important excavation of the Roman period in 20 years.
The excavation of The Butts, on the site of the future Worcester Library and History Centre site, has given local historians a major insight into the Roman town of Vigornia – which became Worcester.
Worcestershire County Council’s historic environment and archaeology team can now prove that Roman Worcester was a well-developed town with trade links across the empire.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:17 PM
Scarborough's Roman coin find
METAL-detecting enthusiasts could soon be coining it in after discovering a hoard of silver Roman cash dating back 1,500 years.
The find of 75 silver coins and 10 bronze, dating back to the year 355, was made on farmland near Filey.
They were issued during the reign of several Roman emperors, including Julian, Valentinian and Valens.
The discovery was officially confirmed as treasure by Scarborough coroner Michael Oakley at a special inquest. That means the British Museum Trust has "first refusal" on the find.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:15 PM
Controversy arises over ancient stone site
The controversy over Ale's Stones (Ales stenar), a sandstone monument in the form of a ship, in Skåne in southern Sweden has taken a new turn.
The county administrative board has taken a decision to charge amateur archeaologist Bob G. Lind a fine of 20,000 kronor per day if he puts up signs at the popular tourist destination, reports Skånska Dagbladet newspaper.
Lind's previous signs at Ale's Stones, which has been called the "Stonehenge of the Nordic region", have been removed by the county board. They describe Lind's theories about the origins of the monument, which differ from those of professional archaeologists.
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# posted by David Beard @ 4:13 PM
Friday, June 26, 2009
Giving the archaeology buffs a chance to get their hands dirty
A series of training courses will begin next month, aimed at tempting armchair archaeology buffs out of doors and into the field.
As part of the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme, members of the public can now participate in a series of archaeological excavation courses - ending up working on one of two digs in the county.
The courses centre around the ongoing archaeological work at Cantick and the Cairns, Windwick, South Ronaldsay.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:35 PM
Huge dig uncovers mill on the Foss
THE remains of one of England's largest flour mills have been uncovered during the biggest archeological dig a Yorkshire city has seen for 25 years.
The Victorian building which once housed a massive steam engine used to power machinery has been discovered during the excavations in York.
While York is normally associated with the chocolate and railways industries, the remains of the flour mill have provided evidence of another facet in the city's history.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:33 PM
Bronze Age burial ground uncovered
MAJOR roadworks on one of Ulster's main thoroughfares have uncovered items of archaeological significance.
Excavation as part of the upgrade of the A1 Belfast to Dublin road between Loughbrickland and Beech Hill has uncovered a Bronze Age burial ground and a Neolithic settlement site dating back 6,500 years.
The find has been described as "rare and extremely significant".
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:32 PM
Grimsby's secrets set to be revealed by dig
ARCHAEOLOGISTS hoping to uncover the secrets of Grimsby's past are studying their initial findings after carrying out an exploratory dig in Cartergate.
Pre Construct Archaeology, which is carrying out the work on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council, has carried out trial trenching and will now compile a report before deciding which areas require more detailed work and preservation.
The site, soon to be transformed into a £12m residential and retail development, could reveal clues and remains of the town's past dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:31 PM
Fetternear dig set for 15th season
A LOCAL archaeological excavation is about to begin its 15th season
The dig, at Fetternear, is will commence on Monday (June 29).
Since 1995, fieldwork has included the excavation and landscape survey of the medieval Bishop's Palace and the post-medieval mansion. It forms part of the Scottish Episcopal Palaces Project that aims to study the residences of the medieval bishops in Scotland.
Fetternear was the summer place of the bishops of Aberdeen; it was a moated earthwork site, which later became a masonry building. After the Reformation, it became the main seat of the Leslies of Balqauhain. The buildings went through various transformations becoming a towerhouse, hallhouse and finally a mansion, which burned down in 1919.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:30 PM
Stone Age flutes found in Germany
Prehistoric people made musical instruments out of bone and ivory soon after reaching Europe
The hills may be alive with the sound of music, but so were vulture bones and mammoth tusks for ancient Europeans. Researchers working at two Stone Age German sites have unearthed a nearly complete flute made from a vulture’s forearm as well as sections of three mammoth-ivory flutes.
These 35,000- to 40,000-year-old finds are the oldest known musical instruments in the world, says archaeologist and project director Nicholas Conard of the University of Tübingen in Germany.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:29 PM
Race to save rare cave carvings
Experts have been trying to find out why ancient carvings in a mysterious chalk cave in Royston town centre are slowly disappearing.
Watch the video...
# posted by David Beard @ 5:28 PM
A Little Flute Music To Warm The Cave
Archaeologists say they have unearthed the world's oldest musical instruments. They are flutes, made of vulture bone and mammoth tusks. They were found in caves in southwestern Germany and date back to the time when modern human beings — who actually looked like us — were first venturing into Europe.
Scientists have little doubt that music is so basic to human nature that it goes back to our earliest days as a species. It's hard not to make music, when you think about it.
"Clap your hands, tap your foot, dance, sing, whistle. There's endless music you can make just with your body," says Nicholas Conard at Tuebingen University.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:25 PM
35,000-year-old flute is oldest known musical instrument
The discovery, reported in the journal Nature, suggests that the first humans to occupy Europe had a fairly sophisticated culture. The instrument was excavated from a cave in Germany.
The wing bone of a griffon vulture with five precisely drilled holes in it is the oldest known musical instrument, a 35,000-year-old relic of an early human society that drank beer, played flute and drums and danced around the campfire on cold winter evenings, researchers said Wednesday.
Excavated from a cave in Germany, the nearly complete flute suggests that the first humans to occupy Europe had a fairly sophisticated culture, complete with alcohol, adornments, art objects and music that they developed there or even brought with them from Africa when they moved to the new continent 40,000 years or so ago.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:23 PM
Erstmals seit dem Ende der Antike: Zwei römische Schiffe treffen sich auf der Mosel
Das rekonstruierte Kriegsschiff "Victoria" kommt nach Trier
Römische Kriegsschiffe auf der Mosel? Hat es das seit den glorreichen Zeiten des Kaisers Konstantin jemals wieder gegeben? Die Verleihung des Ausonius-Preises an Prof. Dr. Rainer Wiegels, einen der führenden Varus-Forscher, am 26. Juni 2009 macht es erstmals möglich: Das rekonstruierte Kriegsschiff "Victoria" kommt im Rahmen der Ausstellung "Imperium Konflikt Mythos. 2000 Jahre Varus-Schlacht" nach Trier.
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# posted by David Beard @ 5:21 PM
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