June 14th News

There's a wide variety of stories today. I think the one to keep an eye on for the upcoming weeks is the one about the recreation of the Greek legend of Jason and the Argonauts.

New stories as of 10:02 AM:

Sailors Recreate Argonaut Legend
BBC News
Modern adventurers have set sail from the Greek town of Volos to recreate the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts in a replica of the ship from the ancient legend...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7454781.stm
This article includes a large embedded video clip.

Europe And the Indo-European Languages
The Brussels Journal
This essay was first published at the Scandinavian blog Snaphanen, but since some of my readers may not have seen it I republish it here. It was inspired by the book Indo-European Linguistics: An Introduction, by James Clackson...
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3337

Mythical Ship Returns To Sea
UPI
ATHENS, Greece, June 13 (UPI) -- Organizers said the recreation of the mythical ship Argo, which legend says carried Jason and the Argonauts, will stop at 37 ports...
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/06/13/Mythical_ship_returns_to_sea/UPI-19381213399775/

Replica Of Jason's Mythical Ship Sets Sail On Saturday
AFP
ATHENS (AFP) — A replica of 'Argo', the mythical ship that bore Jason and the Argonauts on their heroic quest for the Golden Fleece sets sail again after six years of preparation, organisers said on Friday...
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ipXjyTLG_JbZ4As7UoEIzsbNTIOQ

Turkey's Iron Age City Plundered
Press TV
Smugglers in Turkey have plundered the ruins of an Iron Age city with their bulldozers and hired mineworkers to excavate the site...
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=59955&sectionid=3510212

Ancient Roman Ritual Recreated
The Press Association
History-loving Italians are to recreate an ancient Roman ritual in which women dressed as Vestal Virgins light a sacred flame at a villa in Tivoli, near Rome...
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hXCYFE9ENmoLDst4F8qtkziq7pLQ

Soma's Ancient Treasures In Coma
Turkish Daily News
Smugglers use construction equipment and hire mine workers at cheap prices to use as labor force in excavations...
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=106383

"Oldest Church" Discovery "Ridiculous," Critics Say
National Geographic News
A Jordanian archaeologist's announcement this week that he had uncovered the world's first Christian church in an underground cave drew surprise and skepticism from experts in Jordan and beyond...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080613-old-church.html

Roman Horse Skeletons, Chariot Dug Up
Herald Sun
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have dug up the skeletons of 16 horses and a two-wheeled chariot in a grave dating back to the Roman Empire in north-east Greece, the culture ministry announced today...
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0%2C21985%2C23851106-23109%2C00.html

June 10th News

There's lots of news today, ranging from the discovery of the Roman necropolis to more details on the Cyprus shipwreck.

New stories as of 8:53 AM:

Roman Site A Window Into Ancient Working-Class Life
San Francisco Chronicle
First-century burial grounds near Rome's main airport are yielding a rare look into how ancient longshoremen and other manual workers did backbreaking jobs, archaeologists said Monday...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/09/DDQ91165FV.DTL
Also published at:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKvgUclxefB2iLkkRP6K-nzmlSKQD916SSR80

Roman-Era Necropolis For The Poor Found Intact
The US Daily
ROME (Reuters) - Archaeologists have discovered a nearly 2,000-year-old, intact necropolis on the outskirts of Rome that gives a rare insight into the lives of poor laborers in the Roman era...
http://www.theusdaily.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=416728&type=Science
Also published at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSHER95435020080609

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Roman-Era Tombs
redOrbit
The recent discovery of a 2,000-year-old necropolis on the outskirts of Rome is giving researchers a glimpse of the lifestyles of poor workers during the Roman era...
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1423939/archaeologists_discover_ancient_romanera_tombs/

Ancient Necropolis Found In Rome
Press TV
Italian archeologists have found a 2,000-year-old necropolis near Rome, which provides information about the lives of Roman slaves...
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=59449&sectionid=3510212

Mystery Solved? Stonehenge A Burial Site
ThomasNet
The mystery of why Stonehenge was built has kept people guessing for centuries. New radiocarbon dating indicates one certainty: the monument stood as giant tombstones to the dead for centuries...
http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2008/06/why-was-stonehenge-built-radiocarbon-dates-determine-elite-burial-site.html

Jordan Archaeologists Unearth 'World's First Church'
AFP
AMMAN (AFP) — Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world's first church, dating back almost 2,000 years, The Jordan Times reported on Tuesday...
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5giTliyK-fmjEFehwpUOYtvV_INBQ

2350-Year-Old Ancient Ship May Have Carried Most Expensive Greek Red Wine
Thaindian News
London, June 10 (ANI): Archaeologists working on a 2,350 year-old ancient shipwreck in Cyprus, have determined that the ship was carrying the renowned red wine of Chios, which is perhaps the most expensive Greek wine of the Classical period...
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/2350-year-old-ancient-ship-may-have-carried-most-expensive-greek-red-wine_10058596.html

World's First Christian Church Found In Jordan
RussiaToday
Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the first Christian church ever built. It’s located in a cave underneath the Saint Georgeous Church in Rihab in northern Jordan – where it’s thought early Christians fled to escape persecution in Jerusalem...
http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/26023

Ancient Cave Found Under Church
MSNBC
AMMAN, Jordan - Archaeologists in Jordan said Monday they have discovered a cave underneath one of the world's oldest churches that may have once been an even more ancient site of Christian worship...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25061134/
Also published at:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,364486,00.html

Ancient Ship Was Carrying The Finest Wine
Cyprus Mail
ARCHAEOLOGISTS working on recovering amphorae from the 2,350-year-old Mazotos shipwreck have completed their work for the moment and will resume in October, expedition leader Dr Stella Demesticha said yesterday...
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=39639&cat_id=1

'Cursus' Is Older Than Stonehenge: Archaeologists Step Closer To Solving Ancient Monument Riddle
ScienceDaily
A team led by University of Manchester archaeologist Professor Julian Thomas has dated the Greater Stonehenge Cursus at about 3,500 years BC – 500 years older than the circle itself...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610095001.htm

June 9th News

It's a very quiet day in terms of history and archaeology themed news.

New stories as of 8:26 AM:

Digging Into Roman Past
Wigan Today
Inquisitive archaeologists are digging up a car park in Wigan's town centre to find more evidence of a Roman settlement...
http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Digging-into-Roman-past.4165098.jp