July 23 News

There's a lot of multimedia in today's news. No fewer than four articles include video clips. Otherwise, there seems to be no 'big' story today, but a lot of smaller stories, and the articles come from all over.

New stories as of 11:40 AM:

New Life Given To Ancient Egyptian Texts Stored At Stanford For Decades
Stanford News Service
They're torn and faded and have the woven texture of a flattened Triscuit. At first glance, the ancient Egyptian texts look like scraps of garbage. And more than 2,000 years ago, that's exactly what they were—discarded documents, useless contracts and unwanted letters that were recycled into material needed to plaster over mummies, like some precursor to papier-mâché...
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/july23/papyri-072308.html

Ancient Roman Spa Unearthed in Serbia
oneindia
Archaeologists have discovered a Roman spa of monumental proportions in downtown Prokuplje in southern Siberia...
http://living.oneindia.in/insync/2008/ancient-roman-spa-southern-siberia-230708.html
Actually, given the rest of the article as well as other articles from previous days, the location is Serbia, which makes a lot more sense.

Roman Spa Found In Southern Serbia
Press TV
Serbian archeologists claim that they have unearthed a Roman spa during a restoration project in the country's southern Prokuplje town...
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=64481&sectionid=3510212

Roman Dog Skeleton Is 'Donated'
BBC News
A Lincolnshire charity has had what could be a 2,000-year-old dog skeleton donated to one of its stores...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/7521517.stm

Roman Tombstone To Go On Display
BBC News
A Roman gravestone which shows a soldier holding the severed head of a barbarian is set to be displayed in Lancashire by the end of the year...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/7521120.stm

Malta Exports Wine... In Antiquity
DI-VE
Malta is getting a reputation for good wine – but this is hardly a recent phenomenon. There is mounting evidence that it was already competing with other ancient Mediterranean producers as far back as the 3th-4th century BC...
http://www.di-ve.com/Default.aspx?ID=72&Action=1&NewsId=53046&newscategory=36

Video: 2000-Year-Old Roman Body Found In West Sussex
Littlehampton Gazette
A 2,000-year-old body has been uncovered in North Bersted...
http://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/6427/VIDEO--2000yearold-Roman-body.4298651.jp

Medieval Maltan Tower Base Found
Zee News
Archaeologists have uncovered the foundations of a semi-circular bastion or tower dating to the Late Middle Ages in the town of Mdina in Malta, which is being considered an extraordinary discovery which may shed light on one of the darkest periods of Maltese history...
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=457304&sid=ftp

Greece: Shades Of Nero's, Um, Glory
The New York Times
German archaeologists using radar technology say they have discovered the ancient chariot track at Olympia where the Emperor Nero of Rome bribed his way to Olympic laurels...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/europe/23briefs-SHADESOFNERO_BRF.html?ref=world

Skeletons Hidden Below London's Streets Go On Show
Times Online
Thousands of skeletons discovered lurking beneath the streets of London have offered historians a glimpse into the diet, diseases and lifestyle of the capital’s inhabitants from as early as the 2nd century...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4380291.ece
The article includes an embedded video of an interview with the curator of the new exhibit.

Germans Find Olympic Course Where Nero Raced Chariot
Reuters India
ATHENS (Reuters) - German archaeologists using radar technology believe they may have discovered the ancient horse racing track at Olympia where Roman Emperor Nero bribed his way to Olympic laurels...
http://in.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idINL2260377420080723
Also published by:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/sc_nm/greece_olympia_dc_1;_ylt=AsR7l4KADD9rJDJo.a1FWg9FeQoB

Video: Entombed Ship Revealed In Egypt
National Geographic News
July 21, 2008—At the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, visitors could see, for the first time, an underground ship apparently intended to carry a pharaoh into the afterlife...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/080721-boat-video-ap.html

Historic Abbey Uncovered In Dig
BBC News
Parts of one of Scotland's most influential religious and historic buildings have been uncovered for the first time in centuries...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7517392.stm
This article also contains a video clip.

July 20th News

I'm sorry for the lack of posts over the last few days. I've been arguing with the new version of Firefox (frankly, I'm wishing I'd never upgraded to Firefox 3).

New stories as of 11:38 AM:

ISRAEL: Underwater Archaeology
Los Angeles Times
A rare 2,500-year-old marble discus was found last week by an Israeli lifeguard diving in the underwater antiquities site of Yavne-Yam, an ancient port city settled in the middle Bronze Age and inhabited until the Middle Ages. (Today, the beach is named for the nearby kibbutz of Palmahim.)...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/07/israel-underwat.html

Roman Spa Unearthed In Southern Serbia
B92 News
Prokuplje -- Archeologists say they have discovered a Roman spa of monumental proportions in downtown Prokuplje...
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=07&dd=20&nav_id=52063

Ancient Rome's She-Wolf Statue Not So Ancient
Fosters.com
She suckled Rome's legendary twin founders and fed Benito Mussolini's ambitious dreams of renewed imperial glories...
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080720/GJLIFESTYLES/487243106/-1/FOSLIFESTYLES

Ancient Egyptian Boat To Be Excavated, Reassembled
Physorg.com
(AP) -- Archaeologists will excavate hundreds of fragments of an ancient Egyptian wooden boat entombed in an underground chamber next to Giza's Great Pyramid and try to reassemble the craft, Egyptologists announced Saturday...
http://www.physorg.com/news135741659.html
Also published at:
http://newsok.com/pharaohs-boat-to-be-excavated/article/3272507/?tm=1216514034

Japanese Camera Reveals Pharaoh's 'Solar' Boat
France 24
A remotely controlled Japanese camera has made it possible to see an ancient Egyptian "solar" boat, entombed 4,500 years ago near Giza's Great Pyramid and designed to carry pharaohs to the afterlife...
http://www.france24.com/en/20080719-japanese-camera-reveals-pharaohs-solar-boat-egypt-archaeology&navi=CULTURE

July 7th News

After a quiet weekend, there's a range of new stories. The state of Pompeii remains a big story today, and I think the one on the Dead Sea Scrolls may end up being a big story for tomorrow.

New stories as of 8:38 AM:

State Of Emergency For Crumbling Pompeii
ABC Science
The Italian government has declared a state of emergency at Pompeii in an effort to rescue one of the world's most important cultural treasures...
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/07/07/2296391.htm?site=science&topic=latest
Also published at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKL0422602020080706

Lagoon's Ancient Secrets Uncovered
Rutland And Stamford Mercury
IRON age and Roman remains have been discovered by archaeologists working on the site of a new lagoon next to Rutland Water...
http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/Lagoon39s-ancient-secrets-uncovered.4256692.jp

Archaeologists Found Skeletons At The Site Of Serbia's Medieval Capital
Balkan Travellers
A team of archaeologists from Belgrade’s Philosophy Faculty discovered a tomb with two skeletons in the area of Gradina-Postenje, where Serbia’s medieval capital, Stari Ras, once stood, national media reported today...
http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/660

Dead Sea Tablet Suggests Jewish Resurrection Imagery Pre-Dates Jesus
Haaretz.com
The premise that the Messiah died and was resurrected after three days is considered the foundation of the Christian faith, one which differentiates it from Judaism. Through the generations, this belief stood at the center of the debate between Christians and Jews...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/999719.html

Uncovering Stone Circle's Secrets
BBC News
A major archaeological investigation is getting under way at one of Western Europe's most impressive prehistoric sites...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7485875.stm

Ancient Tablet Ignites Debate On Messiah And Resurrection
The New York Times
JERUSALEM — A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/world/middleeast/06stone.html

Egypt Uncovers Ancient Royal Burial Ground
Afriquenligne
A team of Egyptian archaeologists have discovered ancient wooden coffins believed to be in a royal burial ground near the necropolis (cemetery) of Abydos in southern Egypt, according to the official Middle East news agency MENA...
http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/africa-news/egypt-uncovers-ancient-royal-burial-ground-200807068365.html

October 4th News

The archaeological season is winding down. It should be interesting to see what kind of stories come up through the fall and winter months.

New stories as of 11:38 AM:

Ancient World Treasure Unearthed
BBC News
After seven hot summers of digging, an Italian archaeological team believe they have discovered one of the most important sites of the ancient world...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7028330.stm
This is one to keep an eye out for next year.

Rome Reborn: An Ancient Virtual City
Times Online
In the fourth century AD, Rome was a sprawling megacity feeling secure about its prominence as the undisputed capital of the world. The recently constructed Aurelian Walls enclosed the city in a fortified embrace, strong enough to fend off any pesky barbarian invaders, the city fathers assured...
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2583317.ece

Getty Sends 1st Of Disputed Works Back To Italy
CBC.ca
California's J. Paul Getty Museum has repatriated the first of 40 disputed artifacts and antiquities to Italy...
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2007/10/03/getty-italy-return.html

Ancient Stone Age Egyptian Carvings Were Made By Shepherds
Daily India
Warsaw, Oct 4: Ancient carvings in the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt were made by shepherds, who lived about 5000-8000 years back, a recent study by Polish archaeologists has revealed...
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/179569.php/Ancient-Stone-Age-Egyptian-carvings-were-made-by-shepherds

Spear Is Star Of Show
This Is Wiltshire
WHEN the curators of a museum offered people the chance to bring in intriguing objects they had found in the countryside to be identified by experts they did not expect such a treasure trove to turn up.
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1734250.0.spear_is_star_of_the_show.php

Archaeologists Stumble On Sensational Find
B92
Prokuplje -- Serbian archaeologists found evidence of the what could be the oldest metal workshop in all of Europe...
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=10&dd=04&nav_category=126&nav_id=44301