Project plans to map out a major part of Doggerland
On the Guardian web site today.
theguardian.com/science/2019/may/08/mapping-begins-of-lands-lost-to-north-sea-during-the-stone-age
mascot
Bronze Age Cist discovered near Wooler
Human remains thought to date back 4,000 years have been discovered during building work at the Tankerville Arms Hotel in Wooler.
Contained human remains in crouched position but no artefacts reported at this time.
More data and photos at link below
Read more at: northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/4-000-year-old-human-bones-found-in-wooler-1-9660925
Oldest Human DNA – from the “Pit of the Bones,” in Spain
Nice article on this at the link below. 400,000 years old the DNA (in Spain) has close links to later samples taken from Siberia.
news.sciencemag.org/biology/2013/12/oldest-human-dna-contains-clues-mysterious-species
Melting ice in Norway has revealed an Iron Age tunic.
Amazing preservation.
Great photo on BBC web site.
Oldest North American Stone Art Discovered
Dated to between 10,200 and 14,800 years ago...
Some pictures at:
“An intricately-inscribed stone described as potentially the finest example of Neolithic art found in the UK for several decades has been found in Orkney.
Archaeologists working at the Ness of Brodgar excavations made the discovery.....”
BBC News Link
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-23529871
Site Dig Link at
orkneyjar.com/archaeology/nessofbrodgar/
Archeologists have uncovered evidence of pre-farming people living in the Burren more than 6,000 years ago — one of the oldest habitations ever unearthed in Ireland.
Radiocarbon dating of a shellfish midden on Fanore Beach in north Clare have revealed it to be at least 6,000 years old — hundreds of years older than the nearby Poulnabrone dolmen........
irishexaminer.com/ireland/6000-year-old-settlement-poses-tsunami-mystery-193230.html
Nice update and article with some cracking photos of some of the finds
pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/04/2012/must-farm-bronze-age-site-the-finds
Newgrange may have a second passage, and it too could be aligned with a solstice event.
Check out link below for more info:
independent.ie/national-news/search-on-for-a-second-passage-in-newgrange-2908492.html
Article at New Scientist covers the potential risk to the rock art paintings here if the caves are opened to the public to help local tourism.
newscientist.com/article/dn21020-ancient-cave-paintings-threatened-by-tourist-plans.html
BBC report on a dig at Willow Tree Fen, near Bourne in Lincolnshire.
Nice video and more details at:
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-15168543
Mac
Very good article from the local paper on the dig at Forteviot.
More “news teasers” from the BBC for Digging for Britain – but looks like the series will be worth watching.
This one covers a planned Iron Age settlement near Reading.
“The site, excavated in June, may have been part of a route across the River Waveney and surrounding wetland at Geldeston in Norfolk...”
Bright coloured decorations found on Iron Age interior walls
Archaeologists in Saxony Anhalt have discovered a 2,600 year old wall painted in bright patterns. It reveals that Iron Age houses were not the drab constructions they were once thought to be.
Full details – with photo at:
BBC News report of this find at Thrumster, near Wick.
Prehistoric islands built up from middens?
I know it’s way out of the normal geographical focus of TMA but there’s an interesting article on how Pre-historic midden dumps may have grown to become larger “islands” in the Florida everglades.
I wonder if they will find evidence of “Crannogs” as they dig down more?
news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/03/prehistoric-garbage-piles-may-ha.html?ref=hp
Article on the dig here at
pasthorizons.com/index.php/archives/03/2011/marden-henge-excavations-opens-window-on-neolithic-ritual
Archaeologists working on a housing development in Oxfordshire claim to have found one of the oldest complete pots in the country (5,500 years old).
Nice photo at
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-12698321
The Nottinghamshire public are being offered a rare opportunity to handle a 75,000-year-old axe and other ancient artefacts at a local museum.
The University of Nottingham Museum of Archaeology is putting on a Prehistory Day on 23 February 2011, in conjunction with the BBC’s Hands On History.
Full details at:
news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9398000/9398611.stm
Researchers Map Out Ice Sheets Shrinking During Ice Age
A set of maps created by the University of Sheffield have illustrated, for the first time, how our last British ice sheet shrunk during the Ice Age.

Link below with some graphics
archnews.co.uk/featured/5322-researchers-map-out-ice-sheets-shrinking-during-ice-age.html
Sheffield Uni press release at:
shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2011/1842-ice-sheet-age-melt-maps.html
More details and graphics at:
physorg.com/news/2011-02-ice-sheets-age.html
Looks a lot different from UK rock art of the same period but interesting to compare these finds with what we see when out and about.
Given the site of these finds (west coast of Norway) and the period (late Iron Age) I can’t believe there wasn’t some form of cultural exchange across the North Sea to Shetland/Orkney?
pasthorizons.com/index.php/archives/02/2011/norways-secret-petroglyphs
Aboriginal Sundial Pre-Dates Stonehenge
Interesting news article on research from Oz on local “sundial” that pre-dates stonehenge.
More information on the site here:
atnf.csiro.au/research/AboriginalAstronomy/Examples/WurdiYouang.htm
I know this has been covered before and affects wider than Stonehenge but it’s interesting to see that EH’s approach to photo rights is getting wider exposure (pun intended).
yro.slashdot.org/story/10/10/21/0019257/All-Your-Stonehenge-Photos-Are-Belong-To-England
"Out of Africa" date being revised from stone tool finds?
BBC carrying news item on new stone tool finds that potentially point to an earlier date for the spread of human ancestors from Africa.
Australian Rock Art may be 40,000 years old
Interesting article at link below – “An Australian Aboriginal rock art may depict a giant bird that is thought to have become extinct some 40,000 years ago, thereby making it the oldest rock painting on the island continent. ”
scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2010/05/australian_aboriginal_rock_art.php
Guardian on-line has details of Carbon Dating of peat at Cut Hill showing the monument was raised around 3,500 BC.
guardian.co.uk/science/2010/apr/19/ancient-stones-devon-dartmoor
At New Scientist web site:
“Elaborate symbols and ornate depictions of animals carved in stone by an ancient Scottish people have given up their secret – to mathematics. Statistical analysis reveals that the shapes are a forgotten written language. The method could help interpret many other enigmatic scripts – and even analyse animal communication.....”
newscientist.com/article/dn18725-mathematics-of-ancient-carvings-reveals-lost-language.html
Full research article available at:
rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/03/26/rspa.2010.0041.full.pdf+html
Marked Egg Shells Oldest Form of Symbolism?
BBC web site reports findings of 60,000 year old egg shells with clear circular markings.
Finds come from Western Cape area of South Africa.
Most Europeans descended from Early Farmers
Interesting news item on the BBC web site.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8467623.stm
Claim is that:
“Most men in Europe can trace a line of descent to early farmers who migrated from the Near East, a study says.”
Link to research paper mentioned in news item
plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1000285
Discovery of man-made structures on the seabed off Orkney – the well preserved structures are near the island of Damsay and some of the structures may date back thousands of years.
One structure found was a stone “table” with 4 legs.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8416600.stm
Dig in Scotland has discovered a bunch of meadowsweet blossoms in a Bronze Age grave at Forteviot, south of Perth.
More at
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8412938.stm
UK Geology Maps Available Online
The BGS has set up a web service to allow free access to Geology Maps.
BBC News article here
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8398451.stm
BGS Web service here
7,000 year old evidence of mass cannibalism in Germany
BBC carrying this news story on findings from a site in South West Germany
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8394802.stm
Antiquity link article link at
antiquity.ac.uk/ant/083/ant0830968.htm
The BBC have obviously gone for the “big headline” story here (as I have) but there is strong debate around this as evidence cannibalism vs processing of bodies as part of a death ritual.
Skeleton found in a substantial stone cist, partially wrapped in animal/furs with a wicker basket over the skull area.
Links to BBC story with photo
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8261343.stm
and Scotsman article
news.scotsman.com/latestnews/39Whicker-Man39-tomb-to-yield.5661633.jp
Europe’s first farmers were segregated, expert incomers
Article in National Geographic seems to show clear genetic differences between the first farming communities (circa 5500 BC) found and local hunter gatherer groups in the same regions.
Hypothesis is that the earliest farming communities were incomers who arrived with pre-existing farming skills and domesticated animals in tow.
Link
news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2009/09/090903-europe-first-farmers.html
A new dig at Kents Cavern neat Torquay starts next week to continue excavations looking for more evidence of Neanderthal occupation.
The cavern will be open from September 10 and visitors will be able to view the dig.
Link to article
thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Caves-secrets/article-1291040-detail/article.html
Oldest "Musical Instrument" Found – 35,000 years old
BBC web site has coverage of a 35,000 year old “Flute” made from bone. Found in Hohle Fels cavern in southwest Germany:
Part of Neanderthal Skull dredged up from North Sea
Well known that there must be lots of ancient archeology under the North Sea but first evidence of Neanderthals dredged up.
BBC web site article at
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8099377.stm
Exciting new dating method for pottery
BBC web site has details of a new dating method for pottery based on the rate that it takes up water since firing.
If this works as stated here then it offers significant dating opportunities for sites where other dating approaches aren’t possible.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8058185.stm
Royal Society Link at royalsociety.org/news.asp?id=8527
Paper by authors from 2008 outlining the processes involved
mace.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/staff/academic/profile/publications/journal_pdfdownload.php?id=1766