February 26th News

Well, there's been quite a bit of news today. While I have chosen to focus on Classical and Medieval times in Europe, the big stories lately all seem to have been coming from Central America. Here's the morning's news in Classical and Medieval news:

New stories as of 9:20 AM:

False Doors For The Dead Among New Egypt Tomb Finds
National Geographic News
Three false doors that served as portals for communicating with the dead are among ancient burial remains recently unearthed in a vast Egyptian necropolis, an archaeological team announced...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/02/080225-egypt-tomb.html

Pyramids Of Giza: One Grand Plan
Discovery News
Two of the pyramids of Giza , the last surviving wonder of the ancient world, were conceived as a single project--a sort of grandiose stage show to represent the final and most important part of a pharaoh's journey to the afterlife, an Italian study has concluded...
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/02/25/pyramids-giza.html

Ash Altar Of Zeus Used For Worship
Zeenews.com
Washington, Feb 26: New evidence from excavations made by archaeologists at the ash altar of Zeus in Arcadia, Greece, has indicated that the place of worship was in use as early as 5,000 years ago, which is at least 1,000 years before the early Greeks began to worship God Zeus...
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=426729&sid=FTP

Tempelsman Sculptures Return To Italy
New York Times
After a long battle two rare sixth-century B.C. marble sculptures that once belonged to the New York businessman Maurice Tempelsman go on view Tuesday at Italy’s presidential palace. For nearly 30 years rumors circulated that tomb robbers had dug up the statues on a hillside in the ancient Greek settlement of Morgantina in Sicily...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/arts/26arts-TEMPELSMANSC_BRF.html?ref=arts

Archaeologists Unearth False Doors For The Dead In Egypt
Thaindian News
Washington, Feb 26 (ANI): Archaeologists have unearthed three false doors that served as portals for communicating with the dead among other ancient burial remains in a vast Egyptian graveyard...
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/archaeologists-unearth-false-doors-for-the-dead-in-egypt_10021323.html

The Magerius Mosaic
Current Archaeology
How a Roman amphitheatre really worked...
http://www.archaeology.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=27

Ancient Toy Or Whistle Found
The Cyprus Weekly
A SMALL masterpiece of coroplastic Early Bronze Age Cyprus (3500- 2000 BC), believed to be a water whistle or a toy, was found during the excavations at Pyrgos/Mavrorachi, in Limassol and restored by an Italian archaeological mission led by Maria Rosaria Belgiorno...
http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/default.aspx?LocalNewsID=437