News Items by Kammer

Historic Site Reveals its Secrets

Archaeologists are set to learn about new discoveries at one of Scotland's most important ancient sites.

Investigators began work at Traprain Law in East Lothian after a major fire in 2003 which damaged some historical remains and endangered others.

The experts called in to carry out a full assessment made a number of finds, including 5,000-year-old Neolithic rock art and Bronze Age axes.

The details will be revealed at a conference in Edinburgh on Saturday.

African Rock Art Under Threat

International experts in early human art are calling for greater protection to save many of these ancient paintings from destruction.

They say rock paintings by early man in Africa are particularly at risk, as human populations grow, and expose sites to vandalism and graffiti.

Near Nairobi this week, experts saw for themselves the problem facing rock art.

Arts Minister Hails Success of Portable Antiquities Scheme

Last year an incredible 47,000 historic artefacts were found by amateur archaeologists and reported, identified and recorded through the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

From prehistoric weapons to a Victorian antidote to witchcraft, the unearthed objects span almost 500,000 years and were all discovered by metal detectorists, gardeners, farmers, builders or walkers.

This extraordinary success was revealed on October 26 at London's Roman Amphitheatre, where Arts Minister Estelle Morris, announced the publication of the Portable Antiquities Scheme's Annual Report for 2003/4.

Concerns Over Climbing on Rock Carvings

Experts have voiced their concerns about the future of prehistoric rock carvings on a boulder being used by climbers in the north of England.

Copt Howe, a large rock near the village of Chapel Stile in the Lake District, boasts a series of cup and ring markings believed to have been created between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago.

The site is used by climbers for bouldering, a hard-going, gymnastically-challenging form of climbing without the use of ropes on boulders and short out-crops.

RCAHMW Launch Coflein

What is COFLEIN?
Coflein is the online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW) - the national collection of information about the historic environment of Wales.
The name is derived from the Welsh cof (memory) and lein (line).

Coflein contains details of many thousands of archaeological sites, monuments, buildings and maritime sites in Wales, together with an index to the drawings, manuscripts and photographs held in the NMRW archive collections. Sites can be displayed on Ordnance Survey maps and ordered geographically, as well as by text queries. The data can be searched by location (place-name, area or Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 map sheet), by type (the classification or function of a site, monument or building) or by keyword.

http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/coflein.shtml

Local Group Raises Concerns at Application to Quarry

Local campaigners have voiced their concerns following an application by building materials supplier Tarmac to extend gravel extraction operations near the Neolithic complex of henges at Thornborough in Yorkshire.

Last week Tarmac, which is already quarrying in areas around the henges, lodged a planning application with North Yorkshire County Council to begin gravel extraction at the nearby Ladybridge Farm site.

Campaign group the Friends of Thornborough has reacted by issuing a rallying call to the British public, seeking help in stopping the application's success.

"Up to now my objective has been to publicise the danger that exists to a little known site that we believe should be recognised as being of national importance," the organisation's Mike Sanders told the 24 Hour Museum.

A meeting is planned for the evening of June 8, when the organisation will look at ways in which they can raise objections to the application as well as mobilising public support.

Swanborough Tump For Sale

Neanderthals were 'adults by 15'

The Neanderthals reached adulthood at the tender age of 15 according to a report in the journal Nature.

French and Spanish researchers analysed growth records preserved in the teeth of Neanderthals, modern humans and two other human species.

Breaks in the deposition of crown enamel reveal how fast teeth grow.

Neanderthals formed their crowns 15% quicker than we do, reaching adulthood when modern humans of the same age were still floundering in adolescence.

South African Cave Yields 'Earliest Jewellery'

The oldest pieces of jewellery made by modern humans have emerged in Africa.

Shell beads found in Blombos Cave on the southern tip of the continent are 75,000 years old, scientists say.

The pea-sized items all have similar holes which would have allowed them to be strung together into a necklace or bracelet, the researchers believe.

Paintballing Planning Application

"The woodland itself is separated by means of a footpath from Old Warren Hill, the largest single ditched hill fort in Wales and a designated nature reserve."

"I don't think it would be suitable to have a paintball area so close to such a valuable piece of historical land."

Ancient Disc Declared Treasure

A Bronze Age gold disc used as an item of adornment at a burial 4,000 years ago has been declared treasure trove by a coroner at Aberystwyth.

The disc dating back 4,000 years was discovered at Cwmystwyth Mines near Aberystwyth - and is only the third known piece of gold from the Bronze Age discovered in Wales.

In November, the inquest had to be adjourned because the disk was not presented in court by representatives of the National Museum of Wales.

The find - roughly the size of a milk bottle top - is said to be as significant as the famous Mold cape - thought to have been worn as a garment for religious ceremonies by a great authority.

German 'Stonehenge' Marks Oldest Observatory

The Goseck Circles are the remains of a henge-like monument, visible only as crop mark in a field, near the town of Goseck in Germany. Archaeologists published their first findings in August having first discovered the site from the air.

The Goseck Circles are thought to be Neolithic, dating back to 4900 BCE, taking the form of four concentric circles, a mound (or bank?), a ditch and two wooden palisades. Three palisade gates faced north, southwest and southeast. The article describes an alignment with the Winter Solstice sunrise between the centre of the circles and the southern gate.

Last year an etched disk known as the Nebra disk was found 25km from the circles, reinforcing the theory that the site may have been used as a very early observatory.

Buried Megaliths Discovered at Stone Circle Site

Archaeologists have discovered an arc of buried megaliths that once formed part of the great stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire.

The National Trust says the existence of these enormous stones, originally constructed more than 4,500 years ago, has remained a puzzle for the last 300 years.

Visitors to Avebury will see most of the standing megaliths in the western half of the stone circle.

The famous map of Avebury drawn up by William Stukely in the 1720s showed that many of the stones in the south east and north east quadrants of the circle were missing.

Now, the first ever geophysics survey of these areas of Avebury, carried out by the National Trust, has revealed that at least 15 of the megaliths lie buried in the circle itself.

Dig Unearths Bronze Age Sun Disc

An ancient gold disc which was used as an item of adornment at a burial 4,000 years ago has been discovered in Ceredigion.

Experts say the priceless sun disc is the first one of its kind to be found in Wales and only the third known piece of gold from the Bronze Age uncovered here.

The disc found by chance by an archaeologist digging at Copa Hill at the Cwmystwyth Mines - 10 miles outside Aberystwyth - was the subject of a treasure trove inquest heard by Ceredigion coroner on Tuesday.

Ancient Man 'Used Tooth Picks'

Our human ancestors may have taken a close interest in dental hygiene.
Palaeontologist Dr Leslea Hlusko, of the University of Illinois, claims to have evidence ancient man used rudimentary tooth picks.

She has shown that curved grooves found on fossil teeth dating back 1.8 million years could be the result of erosion caused by repeated rubbing with grass stalks.

Sceptics argue today's toothpicks leave no such marks, but Dr Hlusko said grass is more abrasive.

Indigenous People Win Bone Battle

UK museums and universities could soon have to repatriate many of the human remains in their collections to indigenous peoples around the world.

MPs were told on Tuesday that a working group that has been looking into the issue will recommend a panel be set up to oversee the return of collections.

Campaigners have pressurised curators to hand over old bones so that they can be buried in their tribal homelands.

Some scientists have resisted the calls because they still study some material.

They have argued that this research has provided invaluable information about human origins and evolution.

Ancient Carved 'Faces' Found in Italy

A keen-eyed archaeologist claims to have found some of the oldest artwork ever - carved faces 200,000 years old.

The human images were found in 2001 by Pietro Gaietto on an expedition through the Borzonasca district of Italy.

He claims the rock has been sculpted into faces that look in opposite directions; one is bearded with what Gaietto calls an "expressive face".

If this is genuine, the artist would have been an extinct human species that died out about 150,000 years ago.

Scanning Reveals Axe Carvings

Using laser scanning technology to study Europe's most famous ancient monument, a team of computer experts and archaeologists has discovered carvings of two axe heads on Stonehenge.

The most hi-tech investigation of the monument to date, the study was carried out between 2002 and earlier this year by a team from Wessex Archaeology and Archaeoptics Ltd.

Although similar carvings were first found at Stonehenge 50 years ago, they have never been fully surveyed or studied.

Verlamiom* Iron Age Coin For Auction

A rare coin that was made in St Albans 2,000 years ago is expected to fetch up to £1,300 when it goes up for auction in London. The Iron Age coin was struck in Verulamium [sic] between 10BC and 25 BC and horse-riding Celtic warriors are depicted.

Ancient Runes Were Cut by Barry The Builder

Cryptic runic symbols discovered on a block of granite in Norfolk, initially thought to be of huge archaeological significance, have been found to be just eight years old.

The two-tonne rock, imported from Norway in the 1980s to strengthen sea defences at Gorleston-on-Sea near Great Yarmouth, was exposed this year by high tides. It was engraved with intertwined serpents and runic symbols which, it was felt, had a definite 2,000-year-old Norse look about them. Dr John Davies, chief curator for North Norfolk Museums, declared it unlikely to be a fake.

"It looks genuine; not the sort of design someone would doodle," he said. The town's local newspaper reported a "potentially very important discovery" — but the sculptor then confessed. Barry Luxton, 50, an unemployed construction worker with an interest in druids, said that he cut the design with a hammer and chisel over three days in 1995 to coincide with May Day celebrations.

"It is hilarious that they were taken in," he said yesterday. "I certainly did not intend to deceive anyone."