News

Tarradale. Blog from NOSAS Nice piece on the excavations at another major Pictish site https://nosasblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/26/barrow-loads-of-barrows-excavating-a-monumental-pictish-cemetery-at-tarradale-on-the-black-isle/ Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by strathspey 27th May 2020ce

Avebury (Circle henge)

Avebury closed for Summer Solstice It will come as no surprise - car parks, Red Lion and all facilities will be closed and over the Solstice. For anyone wanting a solitary walk, the 49 bus from Swindon and Devizes is still running a 2 hourly service (face masks and hand sanitizer not supplied). https://heritageaction.wordpress.com/2020/05/18/avebury-closed-for-summer-solstice/ Also applies to Stonehenge. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by tjj 19th May 2020ce

Tap o' Noth (Hillfort)

Ancient Tap O' Noth hillfort in Aberdeenshire one of 'largest ever' A hillfort in Aberdeenshire is one of the largest ancient settlements ever discovered in Scotland, researchers have said. More info : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-52660032 Comments (4)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by drewbhoy 14th May 2020ce

Boyne Valley Complex

Underwater study reveals possible quay at Brú na Bóinne Conference hears many more discoveries could be made at archaelogical site An underwater archaeological reconnaissance of the bed of the River Boyne near the Brú na Bóinne complex in Co Meath has revealed features that may represent log boats or man-made quays, a research conference was told on Saturday. The sonar study, carried out by Annalisa Christie of University College Dublin and Dr Kieran Westley of University of Ulster, surveyed 10km of the river from Oldbridge to a weir 1.8km east of Slane Bridge. Christie told the conference, titled The Pleasant Boyne and organised by the UCD school of archaeology as part of its world heritage programme, that it was likely that for the first visitors to this landscape, the river provided the easiest way to travel, offering an accessible route through a largely wooded landscape. As such, it represented a major communications artery, not just for local visitors but also connecting communities in the area to those from farther afield, such as Wales or even Orkney. More: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/underwater-study-reveals-possible-quay-at-br%C3%BA-na-b%C3%B3inne-1.4189765 Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by ryaner 12th May 2020ce

Gloucestershire

Unearthed Ancient British chieftain and probable shaman reveal secrets about old burial rituals The once monumental final resting place of a probable prehistoric chieftain and, potentially, his shaman has been discovered in southwest England. It’s one of the most fascinating archaeological discoveries in southern Britain in recent years. Significantly, the duo formed part of a remarkable social and political process which changed human history – and still shapes our world today. The probable chieftain or prestigious leader – a man in his thirties or forties – had been interred underneath the centre of a large funerary mound which had been constructed specifically for him inside his own personal 20m diameter ditched enclosure. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/archaeology-anicent-british-chieftain-shaman-burial-ritual-a9480321.html Note: It would be interesting to pinpoint this site near a confluence of four rivers.. Comments (3)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by moss 25th April 2020ce

France (Country)

Oldest ever piece of string was made by Neanderthals 50,000 years ago By Michael Le Page A piece of 50,000-year-old string found in a cave in France is the oldest ever discovered. It suggests that Neanderthals knew how to twist fibres together to make cords – and, if so, they might have been able to craft ropes, clothes, bags and nets. “None can be done without that initial step,” says Bruce Hardy at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. “Twisted fibres are a foundational technology.” His team has been excavating the Abri du Maras caves in south-east France where Neanderthals lived for long periods. Three metres below today’s surface, in a layer that is between 52,000 and 41,000 years old, it found a stone flake, a sharp piece of rock used as an early stone tool. Examining the flake under a microscope revealed that a tiny piece of string (pictured top right), just 6 millimetres long and 0.5 millimetres wide, was stuck to its underside. It was made by twisting a bundle of fibres in an anticlockwise direction, known as an S-twist. Three bundles were twisted together in a clockwise direction – a Z-twist – to make a 3-ply cord. “It is exactly what you would see if you picked up a piece of string today,” says Hardy. The string wasn’t necessarily used to attach the stone tool to a handle. It could have been part of a bag or net, the team speculates. Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2240117-oldest-ever-piece-of-string-was-made-by-neanderthals-50000-years-ago/#ixzz6JAE2zndN Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by ryaner 10th April 2020ce

Ness of Brodgar (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork)

Ness 2020 Cancelled full info here https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/ness-2020-excavation-cancelled/?fbclid=IwAR21Y2WxDGKZrpId5LfrI_7lGRvTCJapnPvlU_1ihZkCCe03Kc-oQKbpfb4 Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by wideford 20th March 2020ce

Stonehenge and its Environs

Stonehenge A303 tunnel given go ahead by chancellor Plans to dig a two-mile (3.2km) road tunnel near Stonehenge have been given the go ahead by the chancellor. The A303, which often suffers from severe congestion, currently passes within a few hundred metres of the ancient monument. The plan is to build a dual carriageway alternative out of sight of the World Heritage site but it is opposed by some archaeologists and environmentalists. Rishi Sunak told the commons: "This government's going to get it done." More: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-51838402 Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by ryaner 12th March 2020ce

Avebury & the Marlborough Downs (Region)

Avebury byways becoming impassable ... ... Rogue 4x4 drivers are blamed. https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/18287094.avebury-byways-becoming-impassable-rogue-4x4-drivers-blamed/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR2CVZyr_8DWkTnWjz7cEzCyM2AnhksJfRSpOKjSJ3VeZHrRtlSUJl1sNyY AVEBURY is leading the charge to get damaged byways fixed and protected. Routes around the village, and the nearby ancient historic site of Windmill Hill are now so badly damaged that they have become impassable. Rogue 4 x 4 enthusiasts - some who travel from as far afield as Germany to drive some of Wiltshire's 695km of by ways - are being blamed for the damage. The campaign is being supported by the countryside charity CPRE. Anne Henshaw, the Wiltshire representative said: "I am trying to form a charity/community not for profit group of parishes and other interested parties to set up something similar to the Cotswold Warden scheme," she said. This could see some of the byways closed to traffic at certain times of the year to protect them from heavy traffic use. Stephen Stacey, chairman of Avebury Parish Council said: "These by ways are for everyone's use, but the actions of a few selfish people have made them inaccessible. "We would like interested parties like ramblers, horse and bike riders and other local authorities to work together, and perhaps work with Wiltshire Council to see if we can come up with a solution between us." Some of the byways are so badly damaged that tree roots are exposed, and the ruts are more than two feet deep in places. Solutions, he said, could include a volunteer force using council equipment and materials to make repairs as he says cut backs at Wiltshire Council are to blame for the disrepair. Contd. Comments (2)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by tjj 7th March 2020ce

Chauvet Cave (Cave / Rock Shelter)

Meet Our Ancestors Chauvet Cave: a 36,000-year-old art gallery, normally closed to the public, opens to everyone through immersive tech More: https://artsandculture.google.com/project/chauvet-cave Comments (1)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by ryaner 4th March 2020ce