Friday, September 19, 2008

September 19th News

There's lots of news today. I'm actually fairly sure I've missed stories, but I'm running out of time for the day to post.

New stories as of 6:47 AM:

Lullingstone Roman Villa
This Is Sussex
One of England's most important Roman sites has re-opened after the completion a year long refurbishment project...
http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/entertainment/Lullingstone-Roman-Villa-1/article-334217-detail/article.html

Dead Sea Scrolls To Be Showcased At ROM Next Year
National Post
The biggest international exhibition yet of the Dead Sea Scrolls will be showcased at the Royal Ontario Museum next year...
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/09/18/dead-sea-scrolls-to-be-showcased-at-rom-next-year.aspx

'Ancient' Christian Amulet Exposed As Modern Hoax
Times Online
A silver cross regarded as one of the most important early Christian artefacts found in Britain is a modern fake, scientists confirmed yesterday...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4783042.ece
This is certainly something you don't see too often in the news. I wonder how often it really happens. The last one I can think of was the Jesus Family Tomb controversy.

Bulgarian Archaeologist Georgi Kitov Dies At 65
Associated Press
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Archaeologist Georgi Kitov — an expert on the treasure-rich Thracian culture of antiquity — died of a heart attack while excavating a temple in central Bulgaria considered to be one of his greatest discoveries, his family said Thursday...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVhJBNwN-kmrDM4Q9FoVe6Hd2yygD939AF8O1
I know I've linked a number of articles where he's been interviewed. Just check the 'bulgaria' tag to see them. He seems to have been an archaeologist with tremendous luck when it came to new and spectacular discoveries.

Colchester: Roman Circus Site - New Deal

Gazette
A DEAL has been negotiated which could allow the public daily access to the site of the starting gates of Colchester's Roman circus...
http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/businessnews/3681087.Colchester__Roman_circus_site___new_deal/

'Field Of Dreams' Treasure Site May Be Investigated
The Press And Journal
Two men using metal detectors find hoard of coins and other artefacts...
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/846053?UserKey=

Tracing Urban Development In Ancient Pompeii
SF State News
September 19, 2008 -- During SF State's first archeological field school in Pompeii this summer students unearthed a preserved drain pipe and its contents from the first century -- evidence that will provide clues about the urban development of Pompeii...
http://www.sfsu.edu/~news/2008/fall/7.html

Georgi Kitov
Telegraph.co.uk
Archaeologist who unearthed a remarkable Thracian treasure trove in Bulgaria's 'Valley of the Kings'...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2984482/Georgi-Kitov.html

'Ancient' Christian silver cross worn by former Archbishop of Canterbury is exposed as a 19th century FAKE
Mail Online
Since its dramatic discovery in a Roman burial site, this silver cross was hailed as the earliest evidence of Christian worship in Britain...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1057648/Ancient-Christian-silver-cross-worn-Archbishop-Canterbury-exposed-19th-century-FAKE.html

'Ancient' Christian Amulet Declared A Fake
Telegraph.co.uk
The discovery of the tiny silver cross in a fourth century Christian burial site was hailed as one of the archaelogical finds of the century...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/2982490/Ancient-Christian-amulet-declared-a-fake.html

Archaeologists Uncover 10th-Century Viking Shield

Charleston Daily Mail
COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Danish archaeologists say they have found a well-preserved Viking shield that is more than 1,000 years old...
http://www.dailymail.com/News/NationandWorld/200809180221
Also published at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_sc/eu_denmark_viking_shield_1;_ylt=Ahl1r57.kBU3kTWuJ8y6G2RFeQoB

Medieval Cross Stone Discovered Underwater In Veliki Novogrod
Russia IC
Underwater archaeologists working on Volkhov River in Veliki Novgorod have found a huge 12th century stone with a cross, which disappeared in the 1960s...
http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/7092/

Important Finds In Bronze Age Settlement

Cyprus Mail
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered the remains of an unusual 1.2 metre high wall with once curved end and one straight end during continued excavations at Kissonerga-Skalia in Paphos...
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=41472&cat_id=1

Georgi Kito, Bulgarian Archaeologist

International Herald Tribune
Georgi Kitov, a Bulgarian archaeologist whose discoveries helped illuminate the culture of ancient Thrace, but whose methods - especially using bulldozers and backhoes - appalled his more meticulous colleagues, died Sunday in Starosel, Bulgaria. He was 65...
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/18/news/obits.php

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Re: Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at ROM:

Controversy already surrounds this exhibit. See the following items:

http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=954321
(National Post article on topic)

http://www.oi.uchicago.edu/pdf/dss_review_sandiego_catalogue_2007.pdf
(historian Norman Golb’s critique of San Diego exhibit catalogue)

http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=970819
(letter by Michael Hager, director of San Diego museum, attacking Golb)

http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/story.html?id=983256
(Golb’s response to Hager)

http://robertdworkin.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/the-ethics-of-exhibition-romancing-the-scrolls/
(article by Robert Dworkin on exhibit controversy)

It should be mentioned that the Jewish Museum in New York has now specifically acknowledged that there are “two basic theories” of scroll origins, thereby posing the question whether the curators at ROM will also admit as much, or whether they will allow their "guest curator" from San Diego to conceal the facts the way she has apparently done before. For additional links (now amounting to an entire press dossier) and commentary on this scandal, see

http://michaelhagerspeaks.wordpress.com/