USA Rock Art
In the Arkon Beacon Journal long article on hotel’s collection of rock art versus a state park’s outdoor rock art, the question of which is the best way and of Native American sensibilities.
Latest News
January 20, 2004
January 19, 2004
Fragments of femur excavated from an Iron Age burial site in east Yorkshire (England) have been analyzed by the department of archaeological sciences at Bradford University. For scientists, bones such as these contain a key piece of information about ancient societies: what people ate. Remarkably, bones retain a chemical signature of what went into making them in the first place: what it was in the diet that provided the raw materials for the bone to grow. By examining bone in this way, the Bradford researchers, led by Dr Mike Richards, have made a number of significant discoveries. The most intriguing is that around 6,000 years ago Stone Age man in Britain seems suddenly to have stopped eating fish and shellfish. This dietary restriction persisted for the better part of 4,000 years, until the Romans arrived.
Mandy Jay has been examining the diet of people buried at the largest Iron Age cemetery in Britain at Wetwang, on the Yorkshire Wolds. The cemetery dates from the 3rd or 4th century BCE, and contains around 450 people. “The cemetery was used over a period of about 200 years, and there is a very particular pattern to the burials,” says Jay. “There are five chariot burials, where bodies have been buried with chariots. It is assumed that these were the highest-status individuals. There are remains of bodies that were buried under specially constructed mounds, or barrows, which presumably was also indicative of status, and finally bodies buried in the ditches surrounding the barrows – suspected to be the lower status.”
“The question I wanted to ask is whether we could see a difference in diet depending on the assumed status of the individuals,” says Jay. Following isotope-ratio analysis on almost 50 samples, Jay has concluded that there is no difference between the three groups in terms of the source of their protein. “All of the samples showed quite a lot of animal protein in the diet,” she says. The proportion of animal and plant protein remained similar throughout the period that the cemetery was being used. This suggests that the community was highly economically stable over this time, with the same farming practices persisting for two centuries. “The other thing that we can say with some confidence is that there is no evidence of any marine protein having been consumed,” says Jay. “Things like fish and shellfish were absent from the diet.” This fits in with a recent finding by Dr Richards that people simply did not eat seafood at this point in history.
“We know that about 6,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period, there was a revolution in the way people lived. People stopped being nomadic hunter-gatherers and started to farm animals and crops, and live in villages.” said Dr Richards. There were big cultural as well as economic changes at this time. Domesticated animals were brought over from the Continent, and wheat and barley appeared. Pottery began to be made, and elaborate burial monuments started to appear. “From a dietary point, before this time there was only wild food,” says Dr Richards. “If you do isotope analysis of bones found at coastal sites, you find evidence of a large amount of marine food in the diet. But after about 4,000 BCE suddenly there is no marine food in the diet. People simply stopped eating fish and shellfish.”
The reasons for this are not clear. One school of thought suggests that a shift in climate at that time, causing sea levels to rise, made fishing difficult. Other archaeologists think that the advent of farming made the food resource much more secure – there was no need to harvest wild food. Dr Richards believes that the radical change in diet reflected larger changes in society. “It coincides with the appearance of pottery and of big monuments and new burial practices,” he says. “My hunch is that there was a spread of a new kind of belief system, a new way of looking at the world, and a big part of that could have been a change in diet. But it is rare that you see such sudden changes.”
Fish seems not to have appeared again on the menu until the Romans arrived, 4,000 years later. The pattern is confirmed in Jay’s findings. She has looked at samples of Iron Age bone from two coastal sites, in Cornwall and East Lothian. These, too, are devoid of any evidence of a marine diet. “We know that the technology for fishing existed and you would have thought that a ready source of food would be exploited. It might have been that seafood in some way became taboo. Even now there are dietary taboos – for example we balk at the thought of eating horsemeat or dog, but these are eaten in some societies. In fact we know that people in the Iron Age did eat dogs and horses.” says Jay.
Source: The Independent (14 January 2004)
Black coverings put on parts of an English white horse landmark to advertise a car have been torn down by a protester. A restoration group allowed panda markings to be put on the historic white horse at Cherhill in Wiltshire in return for a donation. The publicity stunt was connected with the launch of a Fiat car and the black vinyl sheets were due to be removed after a few days. The National Trust had given permission but there were complaints that the transformation at the ancient hillside site had not turned out as planned.
Bob Husband of the White Horse Restoration Group said : “It’s a fair representation of the sketch we were shown but what it looks like is probably either unprintable or unspeakable.” Summer St John of Earth Energies, who works to protect sacred sites, said the marketing stunt was “disrespectful”. Then an anonymous protester took direct action and removed the black sheets. He telephoned the parish council to say what he had done. Eighteen months ago the Cherhill white horse, Wiltshire’s second oldest, had a makeover by specialist teams using local chalk.
Source: BBC News (16 January 2003)
January 16, 2004
Historic Scotland are to start referring to two of Orkney’s best known monuments by their rightful Orcadian names.
The government agency are to stop using the name “Ring of Brogar” when referring to the Ring o’ Brodgar in Orkney’s West Mainland.
In addition, they are to revert to the local one-word spelling of Maeshowe, doing away with the “Maes Howe” spelling that does not reflect the Orcadian pronunciation.
Increasing visitor numbers is not having a detrimental effect on one of Orkney’s top visitor attractions, according to initial findings.
State-of-the-art technology was brought in by Historic Scotland scientists concerned for the future of Maeshowe and Skara Brae.
The Orcadian revealed last year that detailed analysis was being carried out to discover whether the walls were moving and being eroded at both sites. Interim results for Maeshowe have suggested that visitor numbers are not a problem.
January 14, 2004
A Ceredigion paintball company based on land adjacent to Old Warren hillfort have recently caused a stir among some local residents by applying for planning permission to extend their operations. The Cambrian News recently carried an article about it, by Scarlet Jones. Most of the article focused on the alleged detrimental effects that paintballing has had on wildlife in the area, but it briefly alluded to the hillfort:
“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.”
The application hasn’t yet been heard by Ceredigion County Council Planning Committee, but the consultancy period expired in December.
Source: The Cambrian News, Thursday 1st January 2004
January 13, 2004
A Bronze Age axe head unearthed in a Lincolnshire field is baffling archaeologists – because they think it is too heavy to use.
Made of stone, the axe head weighs 4.4lb and was produced some time between 2000BC and 1600BC. It was found when a walker stumbled across it last summer in a farmer’s field near Scotter, north of Gainsborough.
Once the axe head was cleaned it was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme – a project run by North Lincolnshire Council which records artefacts found by the public.
The artefact is a traditional axe shape and features a hole through the middle where a stick would have been placed as a handle. Archaeologists often refer to these items as axe hammers.
But principal keeper of archaeology Kevin Leahy (57) said the artefact would have been hard to use. Continues here...
January 12, 2004
An eagle-eyed walker’s stroll in English countryside has turned up a piece of history going back at least 3000 years. Michael Lowsley was on one of his regular walks through the picturesque Crimple Valley when an object sticking from the soil suddenly stopped him in his tracks. “I thought straight away it looked interesting. But I had no idea how interesting until I picked it up and gave it closer examination,” said Mr Lowsley, countryside secretary of Harrogate Ramblers’ Association.
The find was eventually declared a Neolithic stone axe after being taken to officials at Harrogate Museums service who sought confirmation from an expert at Manchester University. The discovery has fuelled speculation of a Neolithic settlement in the valley and the possibility of a geological survey by experts.
Alistair Smith, assistant curator for Harrogate Museums and Arts, described the axe head as a very interesting find. It had been declared stone, not flint. The axe head is believed to be the first discovery of its kind in the valley, although development works in Harrogate have produced historical finds in the past.
Although it was found by a walker while on a public right of way the axe head was on privately owned land and belongs to the landowner. Mr Lowsley said following a “very positive” meeting the landowner had agreed to donate it to the museum with the intention of its being displayed in the near future.
Source: Harrogate News (9 January 2004)
January 11, 2004
The 400BC Ferrari
The Iron Age chariot unearthed at an Edinburgh building site has been proved the oldest in Britain.
Radiocarbon tests on the wheels of the chariot have proved it dates back to 400BC – 200 years earlier than the previous oldest British find.
Scientists have just finished studying the remains and it is now being prepared to go on public display, probably at the Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street.
The only other places in Western Europe where similar discoveries have been made are in East Yorkshire and France.
The discovery of the Iron Age chariot – hailed as one of the most important ever made in Scotland – was made near another historic city site.
The chariot is remarkably complete, with surviving parts including its base, two wheels and even the remains of a bridle.
The National Museums of Scotland is carrying out conservation work on the remains so they can go on public display.
link:
news.scotsman.com/archive.cfm?id=8102004
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Experts have uncovered evidence of Iron Age houses and pottery dating from around 100 BC at a major Tyneside development.
Residents at the Newcastle Great Park (NGP) development are learning about their Iron Age counterparts after the latest archaeological work on the site uncovered evidence of an ancient settlement.
Artefacts, described as being of significant archaeological interest, have been found since the works began over two years ago.
However this latest area to be examined has caused the most excitement.
Senior keeper of field archaeology at Tyne & Wear Museums, Steve Speak, said: “This site, which is south of the new SAGE development, has produced not only pottery, but also so-called Quern Stones, which were used to grind wheat.
“The settlement shows three phases of occupation over a period of about 75 years.
“We know this because our calculations show that a house would last around 25 years before it started to deteriorate and needed to be built again.”
Drawings of the site show a large round house about 10 metres in diameter, surrounded by an enclosure which was likely to be used to keep in livestock.
Also featured are the remains of houses from previous phases of occupation along with ditches used for drainage and the disposal of waste.
Tyne and Wear’s county archaeologist is currently deciding on the scope of a full excavation of the site.
Mr Speak added: “The good thing about this area is that there has been little or no ploughing over the site which so often wipes out any archaeology under the soil.
“Any artefacts we uncover here should be of good quality and I feel we will get an informed idea of what life was like for the earliest inhabitants of Newcastle Great Park”.
link:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/3374037.stm
For those who often travel up the A1 north of Gosforth, this is right next to the new mounds that look a bit like Silbury...
January 9, 2004
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.
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.
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
Archaeologists were left red-faced when an excavation site they believed was a Norse settlement of “national significance” was actually a sunken patio. Experts rushed to the site when amateur archaeologists unearthed a meshwork of massive stones while exploring the ground in their garden.
Officials from Fife Council suspected the slabs had been ferried from a nearby beach about 1000 years ago to the homes of Viking settlers. The archaeologists hoped the tiny back garden in Buckhaven would provide the first evidence of Viking homes built on mainland Scotland. The team sealed off the area but after several days of painstaking excavation, they found the massive rocks were simply part of a sunken patio built in the 1940s.
Chief archaeologist Douglas Speirs, 34, admitted his team had been made to look “very stupid”. He said: “We looked at the slabs and guessed they could’ve been part of a Viking settlement considering the area has strong links to Norse culture. It had all the hallmarks of ancient building techniques with the types of stones used and the layout. After all our efforts, you can imagine how silly we felt in the end.”
January 8, 2004
From English Heritage website -
“Sutton Bank is well known as the home of Kilburn White Horse, created in 1857, and of the Yorkshire Glider Club, founded in 1933. But very few people are aware that the promontory is also the site of one of the most important prehistoric monuments in the region: a giant hillfort built in the Iron Age, around 400 BC. The guided tour will be on Saturday 22nd May 2004. Please note that places on this tour are reserved for English Heritage Members only.
For further information about the tour, contact Jonathan Hogan in English Heritage’s York office on 01904 601 971 901 or e-mail [email protected] ”
From English Heritage website.
Guided tour: Grime’s Graves Neolithic flint mines
Grime’s Graves is one of only handful of Neolithic flint mines in Britain, and the only one where you can actually go down into one of the 5,000 year old mine shafts. The guided tour will be on Sunday 27th June 2004 and will include a spot of DIY fieldwork! Please note that places on this tour are reserved for English Heritage Members only. For further information about the tour, contact Pete Topping in English Heritage’s York office on 01223 582 700 or e-mail [email protected].
Rock Carvings of North and West Europe Symposium
A symposium organised by the British Academy in association with the Royal Swedish Academy of letters History and Antiquities.
Venue
The Royal Academy
Date
15-16 April 2004
January 6, 2004
from the Salisbury Journal and Avon Advertiser, 5th Jan 04
Full article (thisiswiltshire.co.uk)
Residents living on the edge of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site have accused heritage bosses of placing more importance on life 4,000 years ago than the quality of life of today’s inhabitants who live close to the ancient stones.
People living in Fargo Road and Strangways, near Larkhill, say English Heritage and the National Trust plan to remove “20th century clutter” from the site but will be replacing them with “21st century clutter”.
The accusations were made at a public meeting in Figheldean last week, when English Heritage and the National Trust revealed their plans for the multi-million-pound Stonehenge visitor centre and the revolutionary land trains that will ferry tourists to and from the stones.
Residents living in Fargo Road and Strangways were notified just before Christmas that English Heritage and the National Trust had chosen their preferred route.
Drop-off points containing just a shelter will be at strategic points along the route and, once at the terminal, visitors will have a ten-minute walk along a bridleway to the stones. The bridleway will be upgraded, so that it can be used by disabled visitors and people in wheelchairs.
The route the land trains will travel goes within 50m of the backs of houses in Fargo Road and Strangways but tree-screening and fencing will help obscure the trains from the houses, said Mr Maloney.
Jane Danser, of English Heritage who is based in Salisbury, assured those present they would meet residents in the New Year individually or as a group, to talk over concerns.
Penny Worboys, who lives in Fargo Road, said the plans for Stonehenge only replaced 20th century clutter with 21st century clutter.
She said: “There are no land trains or tracks there now, no visitor centre. They are being introduced. You are putting something at the back of our houses that is not there now.”
Residents were told that, on peak days, up to six land trains an hour would operate. On other days, there were likely to be between two or three an hour but during the winter months perhaps only one an hour.
Residents suggested that the land train route be sunk into the ground slightly, to reduce the impact, and they asked that any screening be as close to the route as possible, to maximise its effect.
Mr Maloney promised that all suggestions made at the meeting would be looked at and discussed further with local people in the new year, prior to the planning application.
The ministry has not yet agreed to sell the land it owns near Larkhill which is needed for the land train route.
January 5, 2004
Ramblers have held a mass trespass on one of Dartmoor’s most popular landmarks to protest over its closure. Vixen Tor at Merrivale (Cornwall, England) was shut to the public when a new landowner bought it earlier last year. Mary Alford closed the tor after the insurers said she could be liable if someone injured themselves in the area, which includes several ancient monuments.
Rambler Richard Doswell, who was one of about 20 ramblers at the tor, said: “We are not causing any damage, we are simply exerting our rights to walk on part of Dartmoor National Park.” Following the closure, a walker reported Mrs Alford to the Department for Rural Affairs (Defra), alleging that fertiliser had been spread on the moorland around the tor. Defra investigated and Mrs Alford has now been charged with carrying out land improvements without an environmental impact assessment. The assessments are required by law so that rare plants, wildlife and archaeology can be protected from potential damage caused by any working of land.
Source: BBC News (1 January 2004)
January 4, 2004
From ‘The Grauniad’, January 2004
The secrets of how the ancient ancestors of modern Britons lived and died could be lost forever because the evidence is being destroyed by badgers.
Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire has harboured the mysteries of civilisations for more than 5,500 years, making it one of Europe’s most treasured archaeological sites.
Just beneath the surface are the remains of Bronze Age burials, Iron Age enclosures, Roman villages, Saxon and Medieval settlements and the Second World War.
Yet a fast growing population of badgers, attracted to easy digging conditions, is building networks of tunnels that threaten to wreck Britain’s historical treasure trove.
Read whole story here
Cheers! Remains of 8,000yr Old Wine Found in Georgia.
Traces of a Retsina type wine have been identified in ceramic vessels. The added resin would have preserved the wine better.
Full article from The Independent, 28 Dec. 03
news.independent.co.uk/world/science_medical/story.jsp?story=476468
January 2, 2004
Colonisation of Arctic regions started 16,000 yrs earlier than first thought.
30,000 years ago the Siberian Arctic was cool and dry and the abundant game was hunted by the early settlers.
The Doctor Little Heritage Group is behind a bid to preserve the Panorama Stones, a group of rocks with ancient cup and ring markings, located in Ilkley (England). The group has got the green light to prepare a plan to move them from the overgrown and neglected St Margaret’s Park, Queen’s Road, to the Manor House Museum.
After a meeting with English Heritage, the group wanted to gauge local opinion. At a follow-up open meeting, no voices of dissent were raised against the plan to make replicas of the stones and move them. Parish councillor Brian Mann, the group’s treasurer, said that everyone involved with the project had been astounded to learn that the prehistoric carvings, which could be 5,000 years old, were viewed as one of the most significant European examples of rock art.
The cup and ring markings, made during the Neolithic or Bronze Age, are in serious danger of wearing away from natural erosion. In 1890, Dr Fletcher Little, medical officer at Ben Rhydding Hydro, bought the stones for £10 from the owner of the land at Panorama Rocks where they were situated, because the area was due for development. To preserve them for posterity, he arranged to have them moved to St Margaret’s Park, surrounded by iron railings. While being moved the largest stone, known as the Panorama Stone, broke and had to be repaired.
The plan is to make replicas of the stones to leave in St Margaret’s Park while the actual stones themselves will be transported to a protective enclosure at the Manor House Castle Yard. This would allow the carvings on the replica stones to be recreated in their original glory while preserving what little is left of the originals.
If a grant is awarded the money will go towards research and a feasibility study for the larger project of copying and moving the stones. Coun Mann is confident that the whole project can be completed with the help of the Countryside Agency after officials expressed support for the project in principle. But if the replica stones are not constructed the scheme to move the originals will not be followed through. A less ambitious plan will be substituted to leave the stones where they are with some sort of protective cover constructed to preserve them.
Source: The Ilkley Gazette (19 December 2003)
Revised proposals have been submitted to the Peak District National Park Authority for the reopening of the controversial quarries at Stanton Lees near Matlock (England). Stancliffe Stone Ltd is seeking to commence work at the quarries, which have been dormant for several decades.
The National Park Authority has previously stated that it does not want the quarries to be reopened due to their proximity to Stanton Lees and the scheduled ancient monuments on Stanton Moor. However, the Authority will now examine the company’s proposals and a consultation process will get underway.
John Bull, Chair of the Authority’s Planning Control Committee, said: “This is a very sensitive site and the proposal to reopen the quarries will be controversial. After several years of uncertainty we hope to move ahead and bring the matter to a conclusion by next April. However, people need to be aware that it is not within our power to refuse permission for the quarries to re-open – the site already has permission. The Authority’s role will be to approve a set of modified conditions for working the site in an appropriate way.”
Interested parties will have around two months to lodge their comments, which should be made in writing to the Planning Service, Peak District National Park Authority, Aldern House, Baslow Road, Bakewell DE45 1AE.
Source: The Megalithic Portal (21 December 2003)
December 25, 2003
Neanderthals 'Almost' Human?
From the BBC-
Neanderthals were shedding their sturdy physique and evolving in the direction of modern humans just before they disappeared from the fossil record.
Newly-identified remains from Vindija in Croatia, which date to between 42,000 and 28,000 years ago, are more delicate than “classic” Neanderthals.
One controversial explanation is that these Neanderthals were interbreeding with modern humans in the region.
Full story at -