Prehistoric row erupts over hunter-gatherer riddle
A team of Australian archaeologists have sparked an academic row by claiming to have solved the riddle of a missing 1,000 years in human prehistory.
The scientists from Melbourne's La Trobe University have found remnants of grains on the shore of the Dead Sea in Jordan that they believe help fill the 1,000-year gap in our knowledge of man's transition from nomad to farmer.
But not everyone agrees, and the Australian team is now muscling up for an academic arm wrestle next month with the exponents of different theories in France.
The debate is all about the period when man shifted from being a nomadic hunter-gatherer to settling down as a sedentary farmer.
Conventional wisdom is that the transitional period, known as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period, finished about 9,200 BC.
But La Trobe's Archaeology Program Coordinator Dr Phillip Edwards says the university's discovery of wild ancestors to domestic crops in Jordan now proves the PPNA in fact lasted until 8,300 BC.
This period saw "pre-domestication cultivation" of barley, wheat, pulses and pistachio nuts.
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"The theory holds that our forebears certainly began planting crops from about 9250 BC, but the grains they planted for around 1,000 years continued to be wild varieties, leading to the mistaken conclusion that they had been gathered in the wild during those 1,000 years and not cultivated," he said.
This view remains a minority one, with most archaeologists still accepting that man had not begun farming cultivated crops at this time, so the stage is set for a good old academic stoush.
The arena for the bloodletting will be the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Workshop at Frejus, France next month.
Members of the La Trobe team will feature in a documentary on the origins of farming life, Stories from the Stone Age, which will screen on the ABC later in the year.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/19/1077072756313.html
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Tourists To Look for Ancient Persian Army
By Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News
Walking in the Western Desert
Feb. 12, 2004 — Tourists traversing Egypt's desert may solve a mystery that has puzzled archaeologists for centuries: what happened to the 50,000-man Persian army of King Cambyses.
Set up by tourist operator Aqua Sun Desert, the Cambyses project will comb the desert sands using four-wheel-drive vehicles packed with paying tourists eager to find the remains of the lost army swallowed in a sandstorm in 524 B.C., according to the account of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.
"The project is approved by the Ministry of Tourism after the agreement of Ministry of Antiquities. Any evidence will have to be reported to the authorities," Hisham Nessim, manager of Aqua Sun Desert, told Discovery News.
Running between 10 and 22 days, the desert safari expeditions will follow a special route in the Western Desert, one of the world's most beautiful and inhospitable deserts.
Particular attention will be given to an area not far from the Siwa oasis near the Libyan boarder, where four years ago a team of Egyptian geologists stumbled on bits of metal resembling weapons, as well as fragments of human bones.
First thrilled by the news, scholars then reacted with skepticism.
"As nothing was published and no pictures released it is hard to tell whether those were the remains of the lost army. Skeletons can belong to anyone, and without a thorough anthropological study, or any accompanying artifacts, it is hard to judge these allegations," Egyptologist Salima Ikram of the American University in Cairo told Discovery News.
Herodotus reported that after the Persian occupation of Egypt in 525 B.C., Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Great, sent 50,000 soldiers west from Thebes to attack the Oasis of Siwa and destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun, who, according to legend, would have predicted his death.
After walking for seven days in the desert, the army got to El-Khargeh, presumably intending to follow the caravan route via the Dakhla Oasis and Farafra Oasis to Siwa.
But after they left El-Khargeh, they were never seen again.
"As they were at their midday meal, a wind arose from the south, strong and deadly, bringing with it vast columns of whirling sand, which entirely covered up the troops and caused them wholly to disappear," Herodotus wrote.
The sandstorm was probably caused by the khamsin — the hot, strong, unpredictable southeasterly wind that blows from the Sahara desert over Egypt.
Nessim will continue the Cambyses expeditions for the next five years.
"If we discover anything about the lost army, it will be the discovery of the century," he said.
According to Ikram, there might be a chance that tourists find something in the desert.
"There is a lot there. Whether or not it has anything to do with the Persians in Egypt is unpredictable. More likely not, but who knows," Ikram said.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20040209/cambyses.html
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German Archaeologist Throws Light on Pyramid Origin
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=4332908§ion=news
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's ancient pyramids are probably a byproduct of a decision to build walls around the tombs of kings, a leading expert on early Egyptian royal burials said Wednesday.
Guenter Dreyer, director of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, said he based his theory on similarities between Egypt's first pyramid, built at Saqqara south of Cairo for the Pharaoh Zozer in about 2650 BC, and the structure of the tomb of one of his immediate predecessors.
The Saqqara pyramid, known as the Step Pyramid because of its unique shape, began as a flat mound about eight meters (25 feet) high built over the burial chamber of the pharaoh.
At the slightly earlier tomb of the Pharaoh Khasekhemwy, at the old royal cemetery at Abydos in southern Egypt, German excavators found evidence of a similar flat mound covering the central part of the underground burial complex.
The walls in the central part of the tomb were compacted to about twice the thickness and half the height of the walls to the sides, suggesting a heavy weight had once stood on top, Dreyer told Reuters in an interview.
Khasekhemwy's complex also had one of the niched enclosure walls which later became a distinctive feature of the dozens of pyramids built along the western edge of the Nile Valley for hundreds of years to come, he said.
MOUND OF CREATION
But in the Abydos example, the enclosure wall was much further from the tomb than in the case of Saqqara.
"My theory is that...these two elements (the mound and the wall) were united at Saqqara by his successor Zozer and then something happened. The mound on top of the tomb was hidden by the large surrounding wall -- it was not visible.
"This was a problem, because this mound I think represented the primeval mound of creation and guaranteed the resurrection of the king," said Dreyer.
The architects of the Saqqara complex solved the problem by building another smaller flat mound on top of the first and then decided to extend it upwards by adding more mounds.
The Sakkara pyramid is an intermediate stage between the flat mounds, known as mastabas, of the earlier period and the smooth-sided classical pyramids of the type found at Giza, just outside the modern city of Cairo.
Archaeologists have long speculated that the pyramids are an extension of the mastaba concept but Dreyer's theory adds the enclosure wall as an explanation for the transition.
Dreyer, who has spent the last decade studying the kings who ruled in southern Egypt in what was called the pre-dynastic period, before about 3100 BC, said he now believed he had identified another king from the period, known by the name of Horus or Hor, the same as that as the falcon god.
He is basing his theory on a close analysis of two ancient palettes, flat ceremonial stone plates on which early Egyptians appear to have recorded historical and mythological events.
Two palettes show a Horus falcon in a context which Dreyer interprets as the place where the name of a king should appear.
Several palettes have been interpreted as commemorating the conquest of Nile Delta towns by the kings from the south, a process which later led to the political unification of Egypt.
The conquest has traditionally been attributed to either King Narmer or King Aha, who lived about 200 years later.
"He (King Horus) started the whole thing, conquering the Delta, several generations before Narmer. Why? He wanted to safeguard trade routes to Palestine which ran along the Delta, where the Egyptians brought all the wine in," Dreyer said.
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Iron Age Site Discovered in United Arab Emirates
SHARJAH - An Australian-American archaeological team hosted by the Antiquities Directorate of the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information from December 2003 till last month, conducted detailed inspections of the Iron Age site found earlier in Muweileh in Sharjah.
The site, located 15km west of Sharjah city, has already revealed substantial evidence for a 3000-year old settlement which is one of the largest sites dating back to that age discovered so far in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Previous finds included the oldest writing found in the UAE, the oldest Iron-Age artifacts and many buildings including a columned hall that must have functioned as the centre of an economic and political power within the settlement.This season’s excavations, the eighth at the same site, revealed several buildings inside the fortification wall, said a spokesperson of the department. “Previously, we had assumed that the central area of the site consisted of an open courtyard, but it appears that it is not the case,” the spokesperson said, adding that the recent excavations also revealed a new gateway in the eastern side of the settlement. “
This was constructed from stone and had a hardened plaster floor and had evidence for holes for large wooden doors. Several complete painted vessels and some iron artifacts were found associated with this gateway. To the south, a new building adjoining the fortification was also unearthed. This house is larger than most at the site and had plastered floors. A stone incense burner was found on the floor of one of the rooms of this building,” he said.
He said the joint team found evidence throughout all these buildings of a fiery destruction that brought the settlement to an end around 750BC. “This conclusion was drawn from the fact that a lot of archaeological materials have been discovered including pots, clay ovens, animal bones, burnt dates and date-seeds and shells that would have been obtained by the old inhabitants from the coast for eating,” the spokesperson observed, revealing that continued analysis of these finds will provide unparalleled data on how people lived 3000 years ago in Sharjah.
“It is now clear that the ancient settlement of Muweileh was larger and more complicated than we originally thought. We look forward to continued research at the site with the support and collaboration of Sharjah Archaeological Museum,” said a spokesperson for the Australian-American team.
Meanwhile, a Spanish Archaeological expedition from Otonoma University arrived in Sharjah last week to conduct excavations at Ak Thaquiba site in Al Madam Plain.
The Spanish team will focus on resuming excavations of ancient canals of water springs discovered last season in addition to digging other parts of this agricultural settlement which dates back to the first millennium B.C.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2004/February/theuae_February114.xml§ion=theuae
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Copper Age Village Found in Northern Bulgaria
A village from the Copper Age was found in northern Bulgaria. The village is situated just 800 metes away from the place where the bridge Vidin -Kalafat is to be built.
The archaeological treasure was found near the Antimovo village when a study in connection to the Danube Bridge 2 construction was made.
The ancient village is not within the road-bed of the bridge, but all necessary measures for its preservation will be taken, engineer Kostantin Zhiponov, one of the people dealing with the construction of the bridge said, cited by the local radio Gama.
Some of the finds will be transported to the archeological museum in the town. More researches will be launched in the spring of 2004.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=30841
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Soggy Balkan Relics Reveal Ancient Life
Lucy Andrew
ABC Science Online
Friday, 30 January 2004
A Greco-Illyrian helmet found at the Cetina River valley in Croatia (University of Birmingham).
A waterlogged archaeological site in Croatia has given European archaeologists an insight into Bronze Age life.
Researchers from the U.K.'s University of Birmingham, the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split, Croatia have uncovered an underwater site.
The site is in the Cetina River valley in Croatia, which so far has yielded metal, stone and timber artefacts, some dating back to 6000 BC.
Project leader, Dr Vincent Gaffney, director of the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity at the University of Birmingham, is excited about the find.
"The Cetina Valley is certainly the most remarkable site that I have, and will ever, have the privilege of being involved in ... I believe this to be one of the most important archaeological wetlands in Europe," he said.
Balkan archaeologists have long known about the site but it is only now that the British researchers realised its significance.
Initial surveys of the site in October last year yielded artefacts from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.
The Neolithic or New Stone Age was characterised by the use of polished stone tools and weapons; the Bronze Age was when the metal alloy bronze was made by combining copper and tin.
The archaeologists found artefacts including swords, helmets and a Roman dagger and sheath that date back to the Bronze Age. There were also jewellery, axes and spearheads.
The researchers could also see remains of wooden buildings from the Neolithic and early Bronze Age, submerged in the water at the bottom of the valley.
The fact that the site was waterlogged has led to exceptional preservation of the artefacts, said Gaffney.
The river would have been an important source of water for the people who once lived there, Gaffney said. Inhabitants seem to have thrown metal and stone objects into the water deliberately, possibly as an offering to river gods.
The Cetina valley, Croatia (University of Birmingham)
Team member and environmental archaeologist Dr David Smith said he planned to examine ancient plant and soil samples from the area.
"Through examination of pollen cores and peat samples from within the basin we can gain a real insight into the everyday life of the people; the food they ate, the crops and animals they kept, and the crafts and activities they pursued."
River sediments will provide information about the Croatian environment over the past 10,000 years, said Smith.
The researchers will go back to the Cetina valley in April or May this year to continue their search for more clues to its past.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1032539.htm
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World's First Bowling Alley Discovered
Egypt, Local, 1/29/2004
The Italian team excavating at Madi city in Fayyoum has unearthed an open structure dating back to the Ptolemaic age.
The floor is composed of a single large block of limestone with a groove 10 cm deep and 20 cm wide. In the middle there is a 12 cm-square hole.
The team found two balls of polished limestone, one of which fits the groove and the other the square hole. The structure is like no other found in the ancient world.
After study it was proposed that it might be a first attempt at the practice of bowling.
The pre-sumed bowling track was found next to the remains of a number of houses each made up of two rooms with a large hall.
The team has recently found papyri scrolls dating back to the Ptolemaic period, pottery shards, glass utensils, copper tools and some pieces of faience in the area.
The archaeological site of Medinet Madi is one of the most complete. The oldest of its monuments is a 12th Dynasty temple dedicated to the harvest goddess Renenutet and the crocodile-god Sobek.
The temple is magnificently decorated with reliefs showing the kings of the 12th Dynasty worshipping the gods.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040129/2004012928.html
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4,750 Year Old Harp to be Recreated
A harp enthusiast is hoping to recreate the first working copy of the famous Harp of Ur, which was vandalised in Iraq's national museum following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Andy Lowings, 52, from Cambridgeshire, wants the replica instrument to be as close to the 4,750 year-old original as possible, even down to the source of the wood.
His £25,000 project caught the imagination of a nearby RAF squadron who agreed to collect two pieces of cedar wood from Basra and presented it to Mr Lowings on Wednesday.
The musical director of the Stamford Harp Festival was moved to act last April when the harp's remains were among antiquities destroyed by thieves in Baghdad's main museum.
"I want it to continue as a playing instrument to bring very early Iraqi and Arabic culture to people's attention again," he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/3445049.stm
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3,000 Year Old Gold Earing Found at Driffield
Gold earring found buried under a few inches of soil in a ploughed field in East Yorkshire could be more than 3,000 years old.
A metal detector enthusiast, part of a group from Durham, stumbled across the treasure near Driffield last year.
The late Bronze Age ring has narrow stripes of yellow and paler gold and when analysed by experts at the British Museum was found to be 73 per cent gold and 23 per cent silver. Tests showed that the precious metals covered a hoop of base metal.
Weighing just 10gms, it was dated between 1150BC and 750BC.
There is no idea yet of the value, which will be settled next month by an independent valuation committee. Both the British Museum and local museums will be given the first chance to bid.
An inquest in Hull heard the earring was found by Gary Turnbull in around six inches of soil.
Yesterday, after the ring was declared treasure, the landowner said she hoped it would go to a local museum.
The farmer, who asked not to be named, said: "These metal detectorists have been coming for a few years but this is the first thing to come to light."
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticleMore2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=731820&Page=1&ReturnUrl=NewsFrontMore.aspx
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At Binsoe is a large artificial mound, known locally as a conical hill and listed on the SMR as a barrow.
Interestingly, the line of a potential Roman Road reported by Fisher in the 1800's may cut through Binsoe. Fisher claimed that this road then travelled to Thornborough.
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I am now much happier that Pickhill was an area of importance during the Late Neolithic period. It is likely that the Thornborough cursus was built along a trade route between the Ure and Swale, and that Pickhill may represent the Swale terminus of this route. A string of Axe finds between Pickhill and the ure running parallel with the line of the cursus seems to back up this suggestion.
I would expect there to have been a permanant settlement in the viscinity of Pickhill.
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Prehistoric Cave for Sale
Perigueux, France - Looking to buy in southwest France? A retired farmer in the Dordogne region is selling his prehistoric cave adorned with drawings for just one million euros ($1.3m).
"I'm 76 years old and I can't show people around anymore. I can't go up and down the steps," Ernest Paluzzano, who has shown his "Grotte du Sorcier" to thousands of tourists over the years, told AFP on Monday.
In 1969, Paluzzano, a farmer of Italian descent, bought the site in the town of Saint-Cirq, which owes its name - "the sorcerer's cave" - to a drawing of a human figure detailing the face, back and limbs.
The cave, discovered in 1952 by a dentist and amateur archaeologist, is home to drawings dating back to the Magdalenian period, or between 22 000 and 15 000 years BC, according to French experts.
Paluzzano told AFP he had received a barrage of telephone calls from interested buyers since he posted a "for sale" sign near the entrance to his cave a few days ago.
Link: news24.com
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Experts Dig Out an Ancient Ironworks
Leominster's biggest-ever archaeological excavation uncovered important clues about the town's long history.
The extensive dig, covering half an acre of the Focus DIY development site at Mill Street, revealed that Leominster was a hive of industry from a very early period.
A large volume of iron working slag found below ground could date from pre-Roman times. Blacksmiths may have toiled in forges at the site for centuries.
Before the dig began underground scanning equipment revealed `hot spots'.
"We were very excited by what we saw," said archaeology team leader Huw Sherlock. "The slag really stood out in red on the screen. When we excavated the area we found the huge dump of iron waste which must be the remains of a very large-scale iron working enterprise.
"We are awaiting the results of dating tests and, for the time being, our best guess that it could be pre Roman. The area seems to have been the focus of an iron-working industry for many centuries."
A number of other trades, including flax processing and tanning, were known to have been carried on in ancient times in the area which may have been the town's first `industrial estate'.
The major dig provided a "fascinating glimpse" into Leominster's past, said Huw of Westhope, the director of Archenfield Archaeology.
"We found the remains of substantial medieval buildings close to the River Kenwater and just outside the limits of the Priory precinct," said Huw.
"A series of large ditches were found to contain well-preserved stakes and a fence line consisting of wattle hurdles carefully placed in the base of the ditch. It is thought the ditches may have been part of a fish-farming or fish-trapping system.
"We found a causeway made of large pieces of slag and unglazed medieval floor tiles bisected the site from north to south. Tantalisingly, the causeway was heading in the direction of the recently discovered possible `rotunda' on the north side of the Priory."
Footings of the rotunda, or round church, thought to date from Saxon times, were shown to exist beneath a car park during another project, a ground penetrating radar scan carried out for the Friends of Leominster Priory. The major find was exclusively reported by the Hereford Times earlier this month.
The Mill Street diggers also uncovered a large quantity of glazed medieval roof tile, a medieval coin, pieces of lead flashing and several large iron keys .
The finds are now being analysed by experts but there is no doubt in Huw Sherlock's mind that the dig uncovered some important pieces of Leominster's historical `jigsaw'.
The positive attitude of the landowner/developer was crucial, said Huw. "Frank H Dale Ltd recognised the sensitive archaeological background of the site and was co-operative in ensuring the area affected by the new development was fully recorded," he said.
Link: thisishereforshire.co.uk
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House Decoration Lime Used by Prehistoric Humans
HEFEI, Jan. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- White lime used by prehistoric humans 5,000 years ago to bedeck their houses and their handprints on thewalls were discovered in the Yuchi Temple prehistoric site in eastChina's Anhui province.
Located in Mengcheng county, Yuchi Temple site belongs to the later period of the Dawenkou Culture (approximately 5000 B.C.- 2600 B.C.), a culture of the late New Stone Age.
The white lime was spotted among the relics of red-earth houses.
"As no white lime was found on the wall, we can tell that the lime had been decorated on the ceiling, just like today's suspended ceiling," said a local archaeologist.
Handprints of prehistoric humans were also available on part ofthe wall of a southeast-northwestern row of houses, only part of which were excavated and the number of the houses remain unknown.
"Those marks were left precisely when the prehistoric humans plastered mud on the wall," noted the archaeologist.
Moreover, a few utensils used to store food grains were unearthed at this site. Enditem
Link: xinhuanet.com
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In the 1970's this site was totally destroyed by gravel quarrying. These operations are continuing to this day and are continuing to remove important archaeology over a widespread area.
This henge was one of only eight henges in Britain known as type 2A - two entrances and two sets of banks.
It's similarity to the Thornborough henges is striking - very similar size, form and entrances on the same alignment. Another similarity is that Peterborough Ware pottery was found.
The quarry company that destroyed this henge knew it was there - it was excavated in the 1950's, yet they totally destroyed it.
Today you cannot even walk over this sacred site - it is a lake.
Given the similar activities of quarry companies at Thornborough, one could be forgiven for thinking there was a deliberate attempt to remove these henges from the record books.
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Rescuing History For The North
Newcastle scientists are helping to save an ancient North site from destruction.
The archaeologists will help promote the little-known henges in Thornborough, near Ripon, North Yorkshire as tourist attractions.
The Neolithic site is said to be equal in importance to Stonehenge. Constructed in 3,000 BC, the triple henge occupies an area larger than Stonehenge itself.
Jan Harding, an archaeologist at Newcastle University, has spent six years leading a research project into the three henges.
Only limited archaeological work was done at Thornborough from the late 19th Century to the 1950s but Dr Harding's research involved extensive surveys and field walking which yielded a number of flint tools.
Her work coincides with a BBC 2 series in which TV presenter and archaeologist Mark Horton expressed his horror that one of the most important ancient sites in the region will be destroyed.
During the making of the Time Flyers programme, Dr Horton tells of his shock at current proposals to quarry the entire surrounding area, "which will leave the henges on an `island' surrounded by open gravel pits".
He was horrified to discover the extent that quarrying to date had already removed substantial areas of the surrounding landscape, during which a vast amount of related archaeology was destroyed.
Dr Horton, head of archaeology at Bristol University, said: "I've been appalled by what I've seen at Thornborough. Archaeological sites like this should be protected and plans such as these shouldn't even be proposed. That such destruction could even be considered around Stonehenge, or even lesser-known sites in the South, is unthinkable".
Original article - Newcastle Evening Chronicle
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UK Sending Message That It Dumps Trash On Its Treasures
A spoof news article, distributed by the Friends of Thornborough has attempted to raise the profile of the landfill site at Thornborough.
Astonishment as to how anyone could consider building a landfill close to the Thornborough Henge Complex was yesterday expressed by Dick Lonsdale, a resident close to the site.
"I was personally astonished that anyone could consider this," Dick told the Friends of Thornborough yesterday.
Mr Lonsdale said anything considered in this region should be very carefully planned as the area was "way too sensitive" adding that ideally an alternative place for the landfill should be found.
"The message that UK seems to be sending to the rest of the world is that it dumps trash onto its treasures," Lonsdale said.
And Mr Lonsdale's belief was supported by a number of archaeological experts from around the world, who have registered their concern on the Friends of Thornborough online petition. The petition is trying to stop extensive quarrying from being allowed close to the 5,000 year old henge complex.
The Friends of Thornborough is a non-profit organisation that deals with the prehistory of Yorkshire, England. Education, research and observation activities are being planned, and profit from will be used to promote a campaign for the better protection of the UK ancient heritage.
Mr Lonsdale explained that the organisation was set up three years ago from a personal obsession about the henges, which he said were the largest, oldest and most important ancient site in England outside of Wiltshire.
Rest at
http://friendsofthornborough.org
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Malta Sending Message That It Dumps Trash On Its Treasures
BOSTF Director
Cynthia Busuttil
Astonishment as to how anyone could consider building a landfill close to the Mnajdra temples was yesterday expressed by Linda Eneix, the director and president of the North America based Old Temple Study Foundation (OSTF).
"I was personally astonished that anyone could consider this", she told The Malta Independent yesterday.
Ms Eneix said anything considered in this region should be very carefully planned as the area was "way too sensitive", adding that ideally an alternative place for the landfill should be found.
"The message that Malta seems to be sending to the rest of the world is that it dumps trash onto its treasures", she said.
And Ms Eneix's belief was supported by a number of archaeological experts from around the world, who attended a conference at the end of last month. The conference - Exploring the Maltese Prehistoric Temple Culture - was the first of its kind organised by the OSTF, and a number of issues regarding the local temples were raised.
The OSTF is a non-profit organisation that deals with the prehistory of Malta and Gozo. Ms Eneix explained to this paper that the organisation plans education, research and observation activities, and profit from these is used to finance research about the temples.
Ms Eneix explained that the organisation was set up eight years ago from a personal "obsession" about the temples, which she said were older than anything else.
The Mnajdra temples were at the centre of discussion during the conference not only because of the proposed landfill, but also because of its astronomical significance. Engineer Chris Micallef made a convincing case for an alignment for the equinoctial sunrise. But he asked: "If it was so important for the builders, why was it not applied in other temples?"
Full article: www.independent.com.mt
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Ritual Landscapes
The Later Neolithic and early Bronze Age is known (to EH at least) as the period of ritual landscapes. This is because it was during these times that Henges and other "ritual" landscape features were being created for the first time, their apparent lack of practical use, and relationship to burial grounds, typically represented by barrows.
At Thornborough there is a convincing argument for a ritual landscape. Between Borroughbridge and Thornborough there are six identical yet unique henge monuments, these all share the same size (260m dia.) and type (henge with two entrances and ditches on the inside and the outside of the bank). Four of the henges sit on an alignment with the Devils Arrows, at Boroughbridge, the other two forming a second alignment with the same.
Archaeological evidence shows that the henges had at least two distinct phases of construction, which resulted in their current shape. Firstly, approx. 2,200BC a classic type II henge was canstructed (two entrances, one outer bank, one inner bank), then the outer bank was reduced and a new bank created inside the original ditch, with a new ditch being constructed within this, thus forming their current shape.
The uniformity of construction, coupled with the alignments that they sit on, and other factors identified by archaeology strongly suggest that they were a part of a prolonged and co-ordinated "architecting" of the overall landscape.
It is probably the term "ritual" which is the most unfortunate (although I can't think of a better term) since it brings up all sorts of religious connotations which somewhat cloud the waters.
A good example of the case for ritual however, also comes from Thornborough, where a large number of polished stone axes from Langdale in Cumbria have been found. These were mainly in an "as new" condition, and seemingly were deposited in what would have been a boggy area slightly to the north of the complex (the current quarry). The evidence of them being unused and apparently deposited yet presumably of having some value (they travelled here from Cumbria, and were extremely well made) is suggestive of a deliberate and ritualistic deposition. Combining these two factors and one can see how this period could easily construed as that of ritual landscapes.
But the term ritual does not simply mean religious, look at football - it is possibly the largest example of ritual behaviour in Britain, many would say verging on a religion for some, it has resulted in the creation of thousands of large amphitheatres, and no doubt has resulted in the creation of many personal and group rituals, some may include the destruction of prized objects, yet it does not form part of our "religion" as such.
So, ritual deposits - an offering to the gods? or did the "axe team" lose the championship?
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Metalworking And Mystery At Minehowe
The latest four week archaeological excavation at Minehowe in Tankerness came to an end last week - but although it confirmed the extent and importance of metalworking around the enigmatic Iron Age site, it has again left the experts with as many questions as answers.
http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/minehowe2003.htm
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Possibly one of the most significant discoveries in the area of recent times. The area of BellFlask has been sites by many as being of possible significance, it's name possibly being a derivative of Bel or Baal. Furthermore, the 1929 OS map shows an alignment of nine stones. The estate map of the same period shows 11 stones - an additional two on the southern side of the river. It is likely that this entire alignment os now destroyed by recent quarrying.
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Online Archaeology Course
This chap is offering an internet-based archaeology course on world archaeology,
which will run from 5 October until 30 November 2003. The cost is £30/$50.
All the materials are provided for you. The course itself is divided into
four modules, each last two weeks with one week dedicated to reading and
the second week to e-mail discussions.
1. Introduction to and history of archaeology, evolutionary theory, dating
techniques, and the Oligocene and Miocene apes
2. Our early hominin ancestors, an overview of Multiregionalism and
Out-of-Africa, and an indepth examination of the southern African site of
Swartkrans
3. The Middle Stone Age-Later Stone Age and Middle Palaeolithic-Upper
Palaeolithic transitions, disperal into the Americas and an indepth
examination of the southern African site of Duinefontein 2
4. The Neolithic Revolution in the Fertile Crescent, early state formation,
carbon isotopes and an indepth examination of the site of Great Zimbabwe
http://www.antiquityofman.com/course_worldarchaeology.html
Looks interesting.
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When I turned up on site Jan Harding seemed pretty excited about these. There were two large pits, which Jan said were similar to the pits he had excavated a couple of years ago and he said they would have contained large posts - these are 2m+ in diameter!
He said they were part of a larger pit alignment he had identified from air photo's and they were in line with the rising of Orion for the early Neolithic period.
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'Don't destroy this Stonehenge of the North'
Jon Lowry, chairman of the Friends of the Thornborough Henges, has received a letter confirming that Tarmac Northern Ltd, which is already quarrying in other areas around the henges, "is shortly to submit a planning application for the Ladybridge Farm area."
http://www.ripontoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=18&ArticleID=650053
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Rich Finds in Macedonia
Recent finds at the ancient settlement of Archontiko, near Pella in northern Greece, have shed further light on the wealth, heroic culture, commerce and burial rituals of ancient Macedonians, following the discovery of 396 unlooted tombs and 5,000 objects, dating between the 7th and 4th centuries BC.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=33279
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3rd Century BC Bone Workshop Found In Bulgaria
A unique ancient workshop for bone articles which had no parallel in antique Thrace was unearthed in the vicinity of village Sveshtari in northeast Bulgaria which is famous for the royal tomb discovered there a few years ago.
http://www.novinite.com/newsletter/print.php?id=25465
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The triple henge complex at Thornborough, North Yorkshire is under immediate threat from quarrying.
You can help prevent prevent these activities from destroying any further archaeology by signing our petition.
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A Bronze Age Village Has Been Excavated in Israel:
Bronze Age village uncovered in highway dig near Kiryat Gat
An archeological excavation ahead of advancing
highway construction crews in southern Israel
turned up an 8,000-year-old Bronze Age settlement
and the remains of a first century C.E. Jewish
homestead, the Israel Antiquities Authority said
yesterday.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=330859
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SMR Entry for Westwood:
MONUMENT: Bowl barrow on Westwood Common, 610m north west of Blackmill
PARISH: BEVERLEY
DISTRICT: EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE
COUNTY: EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE
NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 26558
NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): TA01843954
DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT
The monument includes a bowl barrow on the northward side of Westwood Common,
Beverley, 120m to the south of the A1079 York - Beverley Road and 610m north
west of Blackmill. It is one of an important group of prehistoric funerary
earthworks surviving together on Westwood Common, which represents a sizeable
area of land in which prehistoric earthworks have survived because of the
establishment of common grazing rights here in the 14th century AD.
The barrow survives as a visible mound 7m in diameter and up to 0.75m in
height. It is surrounded by a ditch up to 2m wide, which although infilled
through the course of time and now no longer visible at the ground level, will
survive as a buried feature.
There is no indication that this barrow has been excavated in the past, and it
is therefore thought to survive with its burial contents intact.
ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments
dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most
examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as
earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple
burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often
acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar,
although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form
and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are
a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable
variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
The monument is one of a closely associated group of prehistoric earthworks on
Westwood Common, which includes both square and round barrows, as well as
Romano-British enclosures, linear boundary dykes and a short section of Roman
road. The group has survived as part of a rare landscape characterised by
features dating back as far as the Bronze Age, which has owed its survival to
the granting of common grazing rights to the local people of Beverley in the
14th century AD. The survival of such an extensive area of earthworks is
unusual in this region of East Yorkshire, where arable agricultural practices
have resulted in the destruction of many earthwork remains of monuments above
ground. It offers important insights into ancient land use and territorial
divisions for social, ritual and agricultural purposes in this area and the
development of these through time.
As the monument has not been excavated, it will still contain primary and
secondary burials, and further archaeological information relating to its
construction.
SCHEDULING HISTORY
Monument included in the Schedule on 21st June 1978 as part of:
COUNTY/NUMBER: Humberside 5
NAME: Burial mounds and enclosure on Westwood Common
The reference of this monument is now:
NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 26558
NAME: Bowl barrow on Westwood Common, 610m north west of Blackmill
SCHEDULING REVISED ON 19th January 1996
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7,000 year old clay figure found.
An ancient clay figure of the lower half of a male body believed to date back to the Stone Age has been discovered in eastern Germany, archeologists said Thursday
The figure, which details a male body from the waist to the calves, is the first such representation of a man to be found in the area, believed to date from 5,000 B.C., Oexle said. Previous finds have been representations of women.
Full story here
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YOUNG ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER NEW SITES
YOUNG ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER NEW SITES
A group of young people on an archaeological holiday in Cornwall with the Young Archaeologists' Club (YAC)(1) have discovered two previously unrecorded oblong, grave-shaped stone mounds (2) on Minions Moor, part of Bodmin Moor.(3)
Since this discovery in June, experts have examined the sites, which could date back to the Bronze Age. Local archaeologists had no idea these stone cairns were there and are planning to undertake further research in November, when summer vegetation has died down.
As Holiday Leader Tony Blackman explained, "The group literally stumbled over these finds and were quick to assess their context within the ancient prehistoric landscape of this area."
These are not the first Prehistoric monuments discovered by youngsters on a YAC holiday on Bodmin Moor.
The Young Archaeologists' Club, which is run by the Council for British Archaeology,(4) has a UK network of 70 branches and its members regularly make new archaeological discoveries.
"Many of our Branches work in close contact with local archaeologists and the results can be amazing," said Alison Bodley, Co-ordinator of the Club. "For example our North Downs Branch recently found a previously unknown Iron Age enclosure whilst field-walking near Maidstone. The area was to form part of a country park, and the plans for the design of the park were subsequently altered in order to preserve the site".
Branches of the Young Archaeologists' Club run a programme of varied activities including recording graveyards, excavating sites and preparing museum exhibitions.
The Director of the Council for British Archaeology, George Lambrick said, "Young people are sharp-eyed and open-minded - key attributes for making interesting new discoveries. YAC gives them a hands-on experience of what archaeology is all about - and they can make a real contribution to our knowledge of the past."
-Ends-
For further details:
For Cairns found by YAC Cornwall Holiday members, contact Tony Blackman 01872 572725 [email protected]
For images, Young Archaeologists' Club and YAC Branches, contact Alison Bodley 01904 671417/ 0788 4444675 [email protected]
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