February 2nd News

It's quiet today, with only the two stories so far.

New stories as of 8:59 AM:

Villa Remains Open In Rome
Chicago Daily Herald
ROME -- The restored ruins of two opulent Roman villas and private thermal baths have opened to the public here, equipped with a 3-D reconstruction that offers a virtual tour of the luxurious residences found in downtown Rome...
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=125865

1,400-Year-Old Mosaic Restored In Israel
The Expositor
Experts have restored a 1,400-year-old glass mosaic glowing in gold, recovered from a site next to the Sea of Galilee, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday...
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=885209

February 1st News

Some interesting news stories start out the new month, and some older ones reappear with more information.

New stories as of 6:11 AM:

Men Unearth Buried Treasure
Salisbury Journal
THREE amateur treasure hunters from Ringwood have unearthed tens of thousands of pounds worth of Bronze Age axe heads in what is one of the largest finds of its kind in Britain...
http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/journalnewsindex/display.var.2011372.0.men_unearth_buried_treasure.php

Mummified Dogs, Among Other Relics Unearthed In Egypt
Thaindian News
Washington, Feb 1 (ANI): Archaeologists have unearthed an unusual grave containing mummified dogs, among four other ancient tombs holding well-preserved mummies and ornate painted coffins in El Faivum, an oasis about 80 kilometers southwest of Cairo in Egypt...
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/mummified-dogs-among-other-relics-unearthed-in-egypt_10015663.html

Gatehouse Opens Door To Past
EDP24
An impressive monastic gatehouse which surprised archaeologists with its unexpected secrets has now been restored to its medieval glory...
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED01%20Feb%202008%2008%3A59%3A43%3A167

Video: Afghanistan's Hidden Treasure
National Geographic News
January 31, 2008—More than 20,000 artifacts and pieces of ancient gold jewelry were discovered in 1979 in Afghanistan. Mysterious "key holders" pledged their lives to protect the treasure from plunderers. Did they succeed?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080131-afghan-video-tw.html

January 31st News

Lots of news today, and nearly all of it completely new stories.

New stories as of 10:21 AM:

Builders Dig Up 35 Skeletons
Doncaster Free Press
BUILDERS working on the site of a new school have stumbled across what could be one of the most historic finds ever unearthed in Doncaster...
http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/free/Builders-dig-up-35-skeletons.3731149.jp

Acquisition Of Greek Coins Enriches Study Of Medieval History
Princeton University
A recent acquisition by the University Library's Department of Rare Books and Special Collections of more than 800 coins from medieval Greece will help researchers deepen their knowledge about a period of Middle Age history that has been little understood by scholars...
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S20/17/36K39/index.xml?section=topstories

Experts Unearth Medieval Berlin Under Car Park
Reuters
BERLIN (Reuters) - A team of experts has unearthed an 800-year-old cellar under a central Berlin car park which they say dates the city back to the 12th century, earlier than previously thought...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKL3188793720080131

Viking Burial Site Found
The Star
ONE of South Yorkshire's most significant archaeological finds ever has been unearthed during work to build a multi-million pound special school...
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Viking-burial-site-found.3730140.jp

"Beautiful" Mummies, Gilded Caskets Found In Egypt
National Geographic News
January 30, 2008—Four ancient tombs containing well-preserved mummies and ornate painted coffins have been unearthed at El Faiyum, an oasis about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Cairo (see map)...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/photogalleries/fayoum-pictures/
The article has a five image slide-show included with some spectacular photos.

Surprise Egypt Tombs Yield Ornate Coffins, Dog Mummies
National Geographic News
Four ancient tombs containing well-preserved mummies, ornate painted coffins, and mummified dogs have been unearthed in El Faiyum, an oasis about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Cairo (see map). (See photos of the tomb treasures.)...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080130-egypt-mummies.html

Thirty-Five Bodies Found At Ancient Burial Ground
The Star
AN ANCIENT burial ground has been unearthed on a South Yorkshire construction site...
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/BREAKING-35-bodies-found-in.3727130.jp

Find May Shed Light On Roman Era
BBC News
A team of archaeologists from the University of Exeter has found a Roman fort dating from the 1st Century AD in fields in Cornwall...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7217173.stm

Video: Treasure Beneath My Home
National Geographic News
January 22, 2008—Egyptian homeowners who find ancient artifacts buried on their land sometimes sell them to smugglers. Lisa Ling goes undercover to show how it's done...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080130-smuggling-video-tw.html

Berlin Dig Finds City Older Than Thought
Yahoo News
BERLIN - An archaeological dig in downtown Berlin has uncovered evidence that the German capital is at least 45 years older than had previously been established, authorities said Wednesday...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080130/ap_on_sc/germany_aging_berlin_3;_ylt=AkM5vyY4LYzk8yE3Jj9NVUhFeQoB

January 30th News

I can see that the discovery of the Egyptian city is going to be the big news for the next few days, and deservedly so.

New stories as of 6:08 AM:

Metropolitan Museum Displaying Three Vases On Loan From Italy
Antiques And the Arts Online
New York City:As a result of the agreement negotiated by Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Ministero per I Beni Culturali e Ambientali, the Republic of Italy is lending the Metropolitan Museum three ancient Greek vases for a period of four years...
http://antiquesandthearts.com/Antiques/TradeTalk/2008-01-29__12-00-33.html
The two images displayed in the article have the best captions I've seen yet for describing the scenery on the vases.

Official: Ancient Archaeological City Unearthed In Egypt
China.org.cn
The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Secretary General Zahi Hawwas on Tuesday said that an archaeological city was excavated in a governorate south to the capital Cairo...
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/241351.htm

Ancient Ruins Found In Fayyum Oasis
Independent Online
Cairo - American archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a city dating back to the period of the first farmers 7 000 years ago in Egypt's Fayyum oasis, the supreme council of antiquities said on Tuesday...
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20080129231645146C269708

Unlocking The Mysteries Of The Parthenon
The Smithsonian Magazine
During the past 2,500 years, the Parthenon—the apotheosis of ancient Greek architecture—has been rocked by earthquakes, set on fire, shattered by exploding gunpowder, looted for its stunning sculptures and defaced by misguided preservation efforts. Amazingly, the ancient Athenians built the Parthenon in just eight or nine years. Repairing it is taking a bit longer...
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/13865192.html

Ruins Of 7,000-Year-Old City Found In Egypt Oasis
CAIRO (AFP) — A team of US archaeologists has discovered the ruins of a city dating back to the period of the first farmers 7,000 years ago in Egypt's Fayyum oasis, the supreme council of antiquities said on Tuesday...
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hg_v5Q68wKBeRJP0lPjsknjAv_Kw

Video: Egypt's Curse
National Geographic News
January 29, 2008—Some of Egypt's greatest treasures have ended up in foreign countries, including the Rosetta Stone, which unlocked the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Now Egypt wants the artifact back—if only for a visit...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080129-rosetta-video-tw.html

January 29th News

Lots of news this morning. The story at Mt. Lykaion is still going strong, and the other big story today is the restored Israeli mosaic. Its not the only story however, there's lots of others.

New stories as of 11:09 AM:

Origins Of Ancient Greek God Older Than Archaeologists Thought
DiscoveryChannel.ca
Zeus's famed alter at Mt. Lykaion may not have always been his, according to recent archaeological findings from Greece...
http://www.discoverychannel.ca/reports/article.aspx?aid=6610


1,400-Year-Old Mosaic Restored In Israel
Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — Experts have restored a 1,400-year-old glass mosaic glowing in gold, recovered from a site next to the Mediterranean Sea, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hch060QBEDXTeTt6cX1D92nHDXHAD8UF54800
Contains a two image slide-show of the mosaic.

1,400-Year-Old Christian Mosaic Restored In Israel
National Geographic News
Experts have restored a 1,400-year-old glass mosaic glowing in gold that was recovered from an ancient palace in northern Israel, authorities announced Monday...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080128-AP-israel-anci.html

Video: Parthenon Marbles Battle
National Geographic News
January 28, 2008—The Parthenon is among Greece's greatest national treasures, but important parts of it have been displayed at the British Museum in London for two centuries. Should Greece's ancient marbles be returned to Athens?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080128-parthenon-video-tw.html

Unique Glass Mosaic Unveiled After Restoration In Caesarea
Haaretz.com
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has restored a unique 1,400-year-old glass mosaic, which was discovered in 2005 during excavation of the ancient Bird Palace in Caesarea, Haaretz has learned...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/948950.html

Black Death Targeted The Weak
Telegraph.co.uk
The Black Death, which killed one person in every three in Europe, was not as indiscriminate as thought, according to studies of remains in mass grave in East Smithfield...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/01/28/sciblack128.xml

Ancient Glass Mosaic Restored In Israel
USA Today
JERUSALEM — Experts have restored a one-of-a-kind 1,400-year-old glass mosaic glowing in gold, recovered from a site next to the Mediterranean Sea, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday...
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-01-28-ancient-glass-israel_N.htm

Ancient Artifact At SIU Museum To Return To Egypt
WSIL 3
CARBONDALE -- An ancient Egyptian artifact is leaving Little Egypt behind, and will be sent back home...
http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=3994&type=top

January 28th News

Lindow Man is moving, more details on the Zeus altar at Mount Lykaion, and discoveries at a medieval priory among other news today.

New stories as of 6:14 AM:

Zeus Was Born Here - But He Wasn't The First
Philadelphia Enquirer
Those who have beheld the stunning vista from remote Mount Lykaion - said to be the birthplace of Zeus - can see why the ancient Greeks picked it as a religious site...
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/weekly/20080128_Zeus_born_here_-_but_he_wasnt_the_first.html

Ancient Mummies, Among Other Relics Unearthed In Egypt (Re-Issue)
Thaindian News
Cairo, Jan 28 (ANI): Archaeologists have unearthed ancient relics like Graeco-Roman mummies, painted wooden sarcophagi, jewellery and papyri in the Deir Al-Banat cemetery in Fayoum, Egypt...
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/ancient-mummies-among-other-relics-unearthed-in-egypt-re-issue_10014918.html

New Home For Iron-Age Lindow Man
Chester Standard
The remains of an Iron Age man found in a peat bog are leaving the British Museum for the first time in 17 years and moving to the Manchester Museum...
http://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/latest-north-west-news/New-home-for-IronAge-Lindow.3716377.jp

Dig At Homes Site Uncovers Skeletons Of Eight Monks
The Northern Echo
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have discovered the complete skeletons of eight Carmelite monks...
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/display.var.1997942.0.dig_at_homes_site_uncovers_skeletons_of_eight_monks.php
The article is short on a few details such as dates of the skeletons, but is otherwise fascinating. Apparently, this site is unusual in how the buildings were arranged.

First-Century Lindow Man Goes Back To His Roots
Guardian Unlimited
Lindow Man is to return to close to the spot where he met an appalling death almost 2,000 years ago, skull smashed in, strangled, stabbed, and finally dumped face down into the bog pool which preserved the evidence of his last terrible hours...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jan/28/archaeology.forensicscience

January 27th News

The news today appears to be that as of 7:40 AM there is no new stories. Maybe this is a good time to catch up on the older stories from the week?