January 8th News

A range of new and interesting stories today. It certainly makes up for the slow days of yesterday and the day before.

New stories as of 10:21 AM:

Ancient Volcanic Ash From Mount Vesuvius Discovered In Greece
Earthtimes.org
Athens - A thick layer of ancient solidified volcanic ash, caused by the eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius some 18,000 years ago, has been discovered in northern Greece, newspaper reports said Tuesday. Scientists from Thessaloniki's Artistole University conducting research in the region of Lake Volvi, in northern Greece, said deposits landed in the area after the volcano erupted, spraying hot ash across Italy and into Albania and Greece, according to a report in the Greek daily Kathimerini...
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/170723.html

Virtual Reconstruction Of Roman Road Revives Ruined Monuments And Ancient Leaders
PR-Inside
ROME (AP) - All roads lead to Rome, even virtual ones.
A museum on Tuesday unveiled a virtual reconstruction of one of the bustling arteries that led into ancient Rome, allowing visitors to wander through rebuilt monuments and interact with the city's political elite...
http://www.pr-inside.com/virtual-reconstruction-of-roman-road-r376540.htm
Also published in:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/08/news/Italy-Virtual-Roads-to-Rome.php

Unearthing City's Vibrant Past One Tiny Piece At A Time
Edinburgh Evening News
THE air was thick with the stench of animals, the din of horses braying and traders raising the volume as they yelled to attract custom...
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/features/Unearthing-citys-vibrant-past-.3648931.jp

Bone Ice Skates Invented By Ancient Finns, Study Says
Kazinform
NEW YORK. January 8. KAZINFORM. Ice-skating—the oldest human-powered means of transportation—was invented in Finland not for fun but for survival, according to a new study...
http://www.inform.kz/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=159021

Rare Roman Coins Found
This Is Bath.co.uk
A rare hoard of Roman coins has been found in Bath at the site of a new city centre hotel.
Around 150 coins have so far been unearthed in the run-up to work on the new Gainsborough Hotel and Thermal Spa...
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=163490&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163316&contentPK=19476235&folderPk=89126&pNodeId=163047

Czech Egyptologists Uncover Intact 4,500 Year-Old Tomb
Radia Praha
It’s not everyday that archaeologists can boast a discovery such as this one: the finding of a fully-intact archaeological site dating back 4,500 years. That is exactly what happened in the pyramid fields of Abusir, Egypt, where Czech experts recently opened a tomb belonging to an Egyptian dignitary. Czech experts revealed the news just a few days ago, having first thoroughly documented the state of the chamber back in November. According to experts, such a find has not been seen in 50 years...
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/99324

Did A Tsunami Wipe Out A Cradle Of Western Civilization?
Discover Magazine
The effects of the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 are only too well known: It knocked the hell out of Aceh Province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, leveling buildings, scattering palm trees, and wiping out entire villages. It killed more than 160,000 people in Aceh alone and displaced millions more. Similar scenes of destruction were repeated along the coasts of Southeast Asia, India, and as far west as Africa. The magnitude of the disaster shocked the world...
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jan/did-a-tsunami-wipe-out-a-cradle-of-western-civilization