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Previous 10 | Showing 11-20 of 2,580 news posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
Gloucestershire |
Unearthed Ancient British chieftain and probable shaman reveal secrets about old burial ritualsThe 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.. |
Posted by moss25th April 2020ce |
France (Country) |
Oldest ever piece of string was made by Neanderthals 50,000 years agoBy 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 |
Posted by ryaner10th April 2020ce |
Ness of Brodgar (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) |
Ness 2020 Cancelledfull info here https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/ness-2020-excavation-cancelled/?fbclid=IwAR21Y2WxDGKZrpId5LfrI_7lGRvTCJapnPvlU_1ihZkCCe03Kc-oQKbpfb4 |
Posted by wideford20th March 2020ce |
Stonehenge and its Environs |
Stonehenge A303 tunnel given go ahead by chancellorPlans 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 |
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. |
Posted by tjj7th March 2020ce |
Chauvet Cave (Cave / Rock Shelter) |
Meet Our AncestorsChauvet 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 |
Posted by ryaner 4th March 2020ce |
Shropshire |
British Museum acquires 3,000-year-old Shropshire sun pendantGold bulla is described as one of the most important bronze age finds of the last century The British Museum has acquired a shimmering 3,000-year-old gold sun pendant heralded as one of the most important bronze age finds of the last century. The astonishingly well-preserved pendant, or bulla, was discovered by a metal detector enthusiast in Shropshire in 2018. Neil Wilkin, the museum’s bronze age curator, recalled dropping everything when he first saw it. “I was absolutely flabbergasted, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” he said. “To me it is the most important object from this period, the first age of metal, that has come up in about 100 years.” The pendant has been purchased for £250,000 using money from the Art Fund and the American Friends of the British Museum. More: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/mar/04/british-museum-acquires-3000-year-old-shropshire-sun-pendant |
Posted by ryaner 4th March 2020ce |
News |
Neanderthal 'skeleton' is first found in a decadeBy Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC News website Researchers have described the first "articulated" remains of a Neanderthal to be discovered in a decade. An articulated skeleton is one where the bones are still arranged in their original positions. The new specimen was uncovered at Shanidar Cave in Iraq and consists of the upper torso and crushed skull of a middle-aged to older adult. Excavations at Shanidar in the 1950s and 60s unearthed partial remains of 10 Neanderthal men, women and children. During these earlier excavations, archaeologists found that some of the burials were clustered together, with clumps of pollen surrounding one of the skeletons. The researcher who led those original investigations, Ralph Solecki from Columbia University in New York, claimed it was evidence that Neanderthals had buried their dead with flowers. This "flower burial" captured the imagination of the public and kicked off a decades-long controversy. The floral interpretation suggested our evolutionary relatives were capable of cultural sophistication, challenging the view - prevalent at the time - that Neanderthals were unintelligent and animalistic. More: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51532781 |
Posted by ryaner 18th February 2020ce |
London |
Mudlarker unearths a Neolithic skull on the banks of the River ThamesMartin Bushell spotted the 5,600-year-old skull fragment digging in the muddy banks of the Thames A human skull from the Neolithic era has been put on display at the Museum of London. But the incredibly rare specimen wasn't found in some elaborate archaeological dig. The skull was unearthed by a sharp-eyed mudlarker strolling the banks of the River Thames. "When I first saw it, I thought it was a pot that might have been upside down — like a ceramic pot," Martin Bushell told As It Happens host Carol Off. "It looked more like a crab shell." Mudlarkers are amateur archeologists who scour the banks of the Thames at low tide for treasure and historic artifacts. The tradition dates back to the Victorian era. More: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.5028070/british-mudlarker-unearths-a-neolithic-skull-on-the-banks-of-the-river-thames-1.5028073 |
Posted by ryaner 4th February 2020ce |
Jersey |
Jersey ‘drowned landscape’ could yield Ice Age insightsArchaeologists are planning an ambitious survey of part of the seabed off Jersey where Neanderthals once lived. The site is part-exposed during spring low tide, giving the team a four-hour window to dig while the sea is out. Stone tools and mammoth remains have been recovered from the Violet Bank over the years. More: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51299755 |
Posted by ryaner 30th January 2020ce |
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