2000-year-old human skeleton found at Gloucestershire Roman villa dig (United Kingdom)

2000-year-old human skeleton found at Gloucestershire Roman villa dig (United Kingdom)

A 2,000-YEAR-OLD human skeleton has been unearthed alongside Iron Age artefacts near Tewkesbury.
Archaeologists uncovered signs of the ancient Roman villa in a field on the edge of Bredon's Norton. It is thought the finds could be of national importance.
Metal detector hunts in recent years had led historians to suspect an ancient community might be found there.
That was confirmed when contractors who were laying a new water pipeline began digging.
Senior project manager Stuart Foreman is leading a team of archaeologists on a six-week excavation at the site.
Mr Foreman, of Oxford Archaeology, said thousands of pieces of masonry, nails, tiles, pottery and clothing will have been unearthed by the time the project is complete.
The area being examined is 200 metres long and 15 metres wide.
He said: "Whenever you find a new villa, it's of national importance. It's pretty unusual to find a new villa that hasn't been recognised before. It's an important local centre."
He said large pieces of masonry and flagstone flooring had been found and it was well preserved.
He said: "Fragments of stone peg-tiles from the roof and sections of painted wall plaster indicate a building of high quality and status.
"The footings survive to a height of nearly 1m cut into the hillside."
He said it did not rank as highly as the famous Roman Villa at Chedworth, near Cheltenham, but was still an important addition to a cluster of villas found in the Cotswolds and upper Thames valley.
Experts estimate that the villa is more than 1,700 years old.
They do not know yet whether the skeleton is of a male or female but believe it is at least 2,000 years old. It has been taken to Oxford to be analysed.
The discoveries were made because Severn Trent Water is laying a new 10.5-mile water pipeline from Strensham water treatment works to Coombe Hill.
It will act as a back-up water supply for Gloucestershire in case the 2007 flooding of the Mythe water treatment works at Tewkesbury happens again. That led to 350,000 people losing their drinking water supply.
The items found by the archaeologists are expected to be handed over to Worcestershire County Museum.

Fuente: This is Gloucestershire: http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/cotswolds/Roman-villa-remains-discovered/article-2378214-detail/article.html

Roman Ships and Amphorae Found off Sardinia and Panarea

Roman Ships and Amphorae Found off Sardinia and Panarea

Roman ship-discovery season is in full flow, with several finds and explorations announced in the past week.
Yesterday Ansa ran a story about the discovery of a 25-metre merchant ship from the first century AD with its cargo of 500 amphorae containing fruit and vegetables still on board. The ship is said to be in perfect condition and was found south of Panarea, in the group of Aeolian/Lipari islands north of Sicily. The news agency reported that Italy's Maritime Superintendency and the Aurora Trust, an American foundation, were responsible for the find.
Aurora Trust found five wrecks off the Italian island of Ventotene last year, and in fact finding Roman shipwrecks in the Mediterranean is not a rare occurrence. Several discoveries from 2009, at Ventotene and Cyprus, were reported on Heritage Key, while another company searching off the coast of Campania (Capo Palinuro) earlier this year also found a Roman ship carrying amphorae.
Last week two discoveries were announced off the coast of Sardinia. A Roman merchant ship, dating from around 100 BC, was found off the coast of La Maddalena, an island off the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, while another wreck site has been detected off the north-western coast, near Costa Paradiso.
According to a local newspaper, La Nuova Sardegna, the ships are from between the second century BC and the first century AD.
However, the 'normality' of coming across a 2,000-year-old ship in the Med is reiterated by Dr Rubens D'Oriano, an expert in under water archaeology at the Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage for the provinces of Sassari and Nuoro, in Sardinia.
Speaking earlier this week about the discovery of the ancient shipwreck near La Maddalena, he said: “Traces of a Roman sailing vessel have been found, which is to say that there are traces on the surface of the sea bed, showing that part of a Roman ship is buried under the sand.”
Dr D'Oriano added: “Fragments of amphorae and bronze nails have been found on the surface and it is archaeologically interesting. However, it's a very well documented type of archaeological discovery.” He emphasises that the discovery off La Maddalena is nothing out of the ordinary and describes it as “completely normal”.
When asked if the site may be investigated further or excavated, he is highly sceptical, noting that there is absolutely no funding at all from the Italian state for this type of archaeological site in Sardinia.
The sites were first noticed by amateur divers and were then investigated by archaeologists accompanied by a team of underwater experts from the Carabinieri's cultural heritage guards in the province of Sassari.
The site off Costa Paradiso is near the town of Trinità d'Agultu e Vignola. Large Roman ceramic vases, known as dolia, from the first century AD have been found at a depth of 50 metres.

Fuente: Heritage Key: http://heritage-key.com/blogs/bija/roman-ships-and-amphorae-found-sardinia-and-panarea

Una 'guardería' de momias (EEUU)

Una 'guardería' de momias (EEUU)

La ciudad de Los Angeles está acostumbrada a los estrenos. El 1 de julio acogerá la 'premiére' de una nueva exposición, aunque en esta ocasión algunas de sus estrellas tienen miles de años de antigüedad.

'Momias del mundo' ('Mummies of the world') reúne una colección de más de 140 momias de seres humanos y animales, así como objetos procedentes de Sudamérica, Europa, Asia, Oceanía y Egipto. Se trata de una exposición itinerante que durante los próximos años viajará a varios países.

Entre los 'tesoros' de la muestra destaca una momia de un niño peruano de 6.420 años de antigüedad en un sorprendente buen estado de conservación. 'El niño Detmold' es una de las más momias más antiguas que se conservan y pertenece al museo Landes de Detmold, en Alemania. Según las pruebas de carbono a las que ha sido sometida, el pequeño vivió hacia el 4504-4457 antes de Cristo. Un reciente escáner ha ofrecido otros datos, como la edad que tenía cuando murió, la causa de la muerte y su estado de salud.

Sofisticadas técnicas forenses
Por primera vez se exhiben juntos los cuerpos de una familia entera (los Orlovits) ya que los tres fueron momificados en el siglo XVIII. Michael y Veronica Orlovits y su hijo Johannes se conservaron en buen estado gracias a la combinación de frío, aire seco y el aceite de las tablas de pino con las que se construyeron sus ataúdes. Los análisis de ADN han ofrecido información sobre la causa de su muerte. El Museo de Historia Nacional Húngaro, en Budapest, ha cedido las momias para esta muestra.

La momia de un noble alemán del siglo XVII (se cree que mirió durante la Guerra de los 30 años [1618-1648] en Sommersdorf, Alemania) fue encontrada en la cripta de un castillo con las botas puestas.

También forman parte de la muestra varias momias de animales egipcios que han sido hallados junto a sus dueños. Los gatos egipcios que se exhiben datan de la Dinastía Ptolemaica, y reflejan el ritual que se seguía para embalsamarles utilizando sales y resinas. Las momias han sido cedidas por varios museos alemanes.

Las nuevas tecnologías y las modernas herramientas utilizadas por los forenses han permitido estudiar las momias y añadir valiosa información sobre la fecha en la que murieron, su estado de salud y las causas por las que fallecieron. En la muestra se explican los métodos utilizados para examinar los cuerpos sin dañar las momias.

Los responsables de la muestra subrayan que los hallazgos de numerosos ejemplares en lugares tan distantes como los desiertos de Sudamérica o varios países europeos demuestran que la momificación era una técnica utilizada en gran parte del mundo.

Fuente: El Mundo: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/06/30/ciencia/1277915655.html

Website maps Welsh archaeological finds (Wales, United Kingdom)

Website maps Welsh archaeological finds (Wales, United Kingdom)

ARCHAEOLOGICAL finds from across Wales can now be explored at the touch of a button, thanks to a new online database being launched tomorrow.
The website, Archwilio – which means “to explore” – catalogues the historic environment records of Wales, allowing users to freely explore details of thousands of different archaeological sites dating back more than 100,000 years.
Created using information from the four archaeological trusts of Wales, the new service is being launched by Welsh heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones.
Emily La Trobe-Bateman, of Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, said the website is an exciting step forward in recording data.
“Archwilio is the online access system to the Historic Environment Records (HER) of Wales,” she said. “The idea is to disseminate information leading to a wider understanding of our cultural heritage and historic environment.”
Currently around 100,000 individual entries are held by the four regions, which are continually updated and expanded as new information becomes available.
“As well as big well-known sites like castles, churches and hillforts, you’ve also got little records of deserted long houses and small deserted medieval settlements, which could be just a ruined cottage site in the uplands,” said Marion Page, HER manager with Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
As well as being able to view artefacts such as an Iron Age bronze plaque found at the Moel Hiraddug hillfort on the Clwydian hills in North Wales, web users can find details of any excavation work or archaeological discoveries local to them.
Among the sites are a Roman discovery beneath a school car park in Neath. The Glamorgan- Gwent Archaeological Trust is working with Wales and West Utilities, Dwr-y-felin Comprehensive School and Cadw to investigate the remains of a Roman fort called Nidum.
“These are the kinds of projects that can be discovered and shared by using the site,” said Mrs Page.
“It is a very exciting prospect to be able to share such a wealth of information on a database that will hopefully just grow and grow.”

Fuente: Wales News: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/30/website-maps-welsh-archaeological-finds-91466-26753513/

CU Researcher Finds 10,000-Year-Old Hunting Weapon in Melting Ice Patch (USA)

CU Researcher Finds 10,000-Year-Old Hunting Weapon in Melting Ice Patch (USA)

To the untrained eye, University of Colorado at Boulder Research Associate Craig Lee's recent discovery of a 10,000-year-old wooden hunting weapon might look like a small branch that blew off a tree in a windstorm.
Nothing could be further from the truth, according to Lee, a research associate with CU-Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research who found the atlatl dart, a spear-like hunting weapon, melting out of an ice patch high in the Rocky Mountains close to Yellowstone National Park.
Lee, a specialist in the emerging field of ice patch archaeology, said the dart had been frozen in the ice patch for 10 millennia and that climate change has increased global temperatures and accelerated melting of permanent ice fields exposing organic materials that have long been entombed in the ice.
"We didn't realize until the early 2000s that there was a potential to find archaeological materials in association with melting permanent snow and ice in many areas of the globe," Lee said. "We're not talking about massive glaciers, we're talking about the smaller, more kinetically stable snowbanks that you might see if you go to Rocky Mountain National Park."
As glaciers and ice fields continue to melt at an unprecedented rate, increasingly older and significant artifacts -- as well as plant material, animal carcasses and ancient feces -- are being released from the ice that has gripped them for thousands of years, he said.
Over the past decade, Lee has worked with other researchers to develop a geographic information system, or GIS, model to identify glaciers and ice fields in Alaska and elsewhere that are likely to hold artifacts. They pulled together biological and physical data to find ice fields that may have been used by prehistoric hunters to kill animals seeking refuge from heat and insect swarms in the summer months.
"In these instances, what we're finding as archaeologists is stuff that was lost," Lee said. "Maybe you missed a shot and your weapon disappeared into the snowbank. It's like finding your keys when you drop them in snow. You're not going to find them until spring. Well, the spring hasn't come until these things started melting for the first time, in some instances, in many, many thousands of years."
The dart Lee found was from a birch sapling and still has personal markings on it from the ancient hunter, according to Lee. When it was shot, the 3-foot-long dart had a projectile point on one end, and a cup or dimple on the other end that would have attached to a hook on the atlatl. The hunter used the atlatl, a throwing tool about two feet long, for leverage to achieve greater velocity.
Later this summer Lee and CU-Boulder student researchers will travel to Glacier National Park to work with the Salish, Kootenai and Blackfeet tribes and researchers from the University of Wyoming to recover and protect artifacts that may have recently melted out of similar locations.
"We will be conducting an unprecedented collaboration with our Native American partners to develop and implement protocols for culturally appropriate scientific methods to recover and protect artifacts we may discover," he said.
Quick retrieval of any organic artifacts like clothing, wooden tools or weapons is necessary to save them, because once thawed and exposed to the elements they decompose quickly, he said.
An estimated 10 percent of Earth's land surface is covered with perennial snow, glaciers and ice fields, providing plenty of opportunities for exploration, Lee said. However, once organic artifacts melt out of the ice, they could be lost forever.
"Ninety-five percent of the archaeological record that we usually base our interpretations on is comprised of chip stone artifacts, ground stone artifacts, maybe old hearths, which is a fire pit, or rock rings that would have been used to stabilize a house," Lee said. "So we really have to base our understanding about ancient times on these inorganic materials. But ice patches are giving us this window into organic technology that we just don't get in other environments."
To view a short video on Lee's discovery visit www.colorado.edu/news/ and click on the ice field artifacts story.

Fuente: University of Colorado: http://www.colorado.edu/news/r/6f01e0cf192c909927c88da29caafdd8.html

Las obras del parque arqueológico y la Vía Verde, ya en marcha (Cartagena, Murcia)

Las obras del parque arqueológico y la Vía Verde, ya en marcha (Cartagena, Murcia)

La parte alta del céntrico cerro del Molinete y el antiguo trazado del ferrocarril a su paso por Barrio Peral serán nuevas zonas de paseo y esparcimiento para cartageneros y visitantes. El Ayuntamiento acaba de iniciar las obras de acondicionamiento de esos espacios para crear, en el caso del Molinete, un parque complementario a la explanada arqueológica, y en Barrio Peral un lugar pensado para peatones, ciclistas y senderistas.
De los trabajos en el casco antiguo, que durarán ocho meses, se encarga la empresa Transportes Europeos del Campo de Cartagena, S.L., a la que el consistorio adjudicó las obras por un presupuesto de casi 3,8 millones de euros.
Las obras consistirán en abrir un vial desde la prolongación de la calle Adarve hacia la cima del Cerro, donde se habilitará un mirador hacia la ciudad y los restos de época romana recuperados. Entre éstos hay una casa del siglo I Después de Cristo (la misma época que el Teatro Romano) y unas termas.
El parque, que permitirá a los ciudadanos disfrutar de una perspectiva de la ciudad nueva en un barrio castigado por la degradación urbanística durante las últimas dos décadas, tendrá árboles y zonas de descanso.
Tres barrios unidos
En cuanto a Barrio Peral, los operarios de la empresa Ealsa trabajan ya con palas y excavadoras en la vieja vía del tren, tras vallar la mayor parte de los dos kilómetros de longitud que serán reformados.
La limpieza de matorral y maleza y el movimiento de tierras dará paso a las tareas de relleno de las trincheras y taludes con unos 50.000 metros cúbicos de tierra para dejar la zona a la altura de las calles. De esta forma, se acabará con la barrera física que separa ahora Barrio Peral de Los Barreros y Cuatro Santos.
La vía verde, una reivindicación de los vecinos desde hace más de diez años, tendrá aceras, alumbrado, carril bici y juegos infantiles.
El proyecto, que cuesta 1,5 millones de euros euros, ha salido adelante tras un entre el Ayuntamiento y el gestor estatal de infraestructuras ferroviarias Adif (del Ministerio de Fomento). Adif cede la vía y, a cambio, recibe unos terrenos que, llegado el caso, podría vender para edificar.

Fuente: La Verdad de Murcia: http://www.laverdad.es/murcia/v/20100701/cartagena/obras-parque-arqueologico-verde-20100701.html

Recuperan dos miliarios de la Ruta de la Plata a su paso por Salamanca (Salamanca)

Recuperan dos miliarios de la Ruta de la Plata a su paso por Salamanca (Salamanca)

Uno de los tramos mejor conservados de la calzada romana Vía de la Plata, el que transcurre entre las localidades salmantinas de Fuenterroble de Salvatierra y San Pedro de Rozados, ha recuperado dos de sus elementos distintivos perdidos, los miliarios de granito que marcaban la milla 153 y la 154 en el recorrido desde Mérida.
El delegado de la Junta en Salamanca, Agustín Sánchez de Vega, asistió ayer a la recolocación de las dos piezas en su lugar original, considerando que «se trata de un día de fiesta en el patrimonio de Salamanca, la restitución de estos miliarios supone enriquecer más este itinerario histórico en un año especialmente simbólico». Sánchez de Vega explicó que la particularidad de estos dos miliarios es que se encontraban troceados formando parte de la base de un puente sobre un arroyo en la localidad de Palacios de Salvatierra, pedanía del municipio de Guijuelo.

Fuente: El Norte de Castilla: http://www.nortecastilla.es/v/20100701/castilla-leon/recuperan-miliarios-ruta-plata-20100701.html

Proyecto Arqueológico 'Entorno Jamila' (Ciudad Real)

Proyecto Arqueológico 'Entorno Jamila' (Ciudad Real)

El Proyecto Arqueológico 'Entorno Jamila' en colaboración con el M.I. Ayuntamiento de Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real) pone en marcha una nueva campaña de excavación. En concreto, entre el 1 y el 22 de agosto de 2010 se intervendrá en el edificio columnado de Jamila con el fin de conocer las causas de la destrucción de esta estructura tan singular, así como se pretende poner en valor toda la columnata al dejarla, por primera vez, toda libre de derrumbes.
Jornadas teórico-practicas de Arqueología en el yacimiento de Jamila, un edificio columnado con fases prerromanas y medievales (ss. XIII-XIV).
Orientado especialmente a:
· Excavación arqueológica de los testigos de la zona columnada (relectura estratigráfica)
· Consolidación-Restauración de estructuras arqueológicas
· Dibujo Arqueológico
Durante la campaña se imparten nociones teóricas complementarias a la práctica arqueológica y acerca de los contextos relacionados con el yacimiento excavado.

Del 1 al 22 de agosto de 2010

Dirección: Pedro R. Moya Maleno (Universidad Complutense)

Restauración: Tina Velasco Rodríguez


Para más información: http://www.telefonica.net/web2/entornojamila/index.htm

Pasillo abierto hacia la tumba del faraón Seti I (Egipto)

Pasillo abierto hacia la tumba del faraón Seti I (Egipto)

Una misión de arqueólogos ha descubierto en el Valle de los Reyes, en la ciudad de Luxor, el último tramo de un pasillo subterráneo que conduce a la tumba del faraón Seti I, padre de Ramsés II y que reinó entre 1314 y 1304 antes de Cristo.
El Consejo Supremo de Antigüedades (CSA) anunció este miércoles en un comunicado que este hallazgo fue posible después de una búsqueda que se prolongó 200 años en esta zona de Luxor, a unos 600 kilómetros al sur de El Cairo.
Se trata de la primera vez en la que los arqueólogos consiguen descubrir totalmente un pasillo excavado en las rocas de hasta 174,5 metros de longitud y que lleva a una tumba de 98 metros de profundidad, según el secretario general del CSA, Zahi Hawas.
Dentro del pasillo, los arqueólogos encontraron piezas de cerámica que datan de la dinastía XVIII (1569-1315 a.C.), escaleras decoradas con inscripciones y la maqueta de un barco.
Durante las excavaciones, se localizó, además, otro pasillo de seis metros de longitud y cuya entrada lleva inscripciones que contienen las instrucciones que daba el arquitecto que lo diseñó a los obreros durante la construcción de este.
La construcción del primer pasillo principal fue suspendida con la muerte de Seti I, tras la cual Ramsés II, empezó a construir un túnel igual dentro de su propia tumba.
El pasillo que conduce a la tumba de Seti, ya descubierta, fue hallado en 1817 por el aventurero italiano Giovanni Belzoni, quien logró pasar por los primeros cien metros de este túnel.
Entre 1903 y 1908, el arqueólogo británico Howard Carter, quien descubrió la tumba de Tutankamón en 1922, restauró la entrada del pasillo, cuya excavación fue continuada a lo largo de los años hasta hoy.

Fuente: El Mundo: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/06/30/cultura/1277891681.html

Dos yacimientos rupestres ubicados en Ávila, declarados Itinerario Cultural (Ávila)

Dos yacimientos rupestres ubicados en Ávila, declarados Itinerario Cultural (Ávila)

Los yacimientos rupestres del Risco de las Zorreras, en el anejo candeledano de El Raso, y la atalaya del Canto del Cuervo, en Muñopepe, ambos en la provincia de Ávila, han sido declarados Itinerario Cultural y Natural del Consejo de Europa e incluidos dentro de los Caminos de Arte Rupestre Prehistórico, según informó este martes la Delegación Territorial de la Junta de Castilla y León.
El proyecto se enmarca en la Asociación Internacional 'Caminos de Arte Rupestre Prehistórico', una entidad transnacional sin ánimo de lucro cuyo objetivo es promocionar y difundir los enclaves rupestres y dar a conocer las manifestaciones artísticas prehistóricas del ámbito meridional europeo.
Esta propuesta pretende conservar, conocer, difundir y facilitar la visita al legado cultural e histórico de los primeros pobladores prehistóricos del continente a través de una ruta supranacional.
Así, en el caso del Risco de las Zorreras, de El Raso, y la Atalaya del Canto del Cuervo, en Muñopepe, se reflejan pinturas rupestres de tipo esquemático cuya cronología estaría entre el IV y el II milenio antes de Cristo.
Estos dos enclaves han sido incluidos dentro de la ruta 'Caminos de Arte Rupestre Prehistórico', declarada Itinerario Cultural del Consejo de Europa, por la fácil accesibilidad y la inclusión dentro del yacimiento arqueológico más visitado de la provincia, el castro de El Freíllo, en el Raso, en el caso de Las Zorreras, y por la cercanía a un núcleo turístico importante como es Ávila, en el caso de la Atalaya del Canto del Cuervo.
Dentro de Castilla y León se han integrado en esta propuesta, que ayudará a intercambiar buenas prácticas en materia de valorización de la ruta, 14 elementos singulares con arte rupestre de diferentes etapas, que se suman a otros yacimientos del resto de España y de países como Francia, Portugal, Italia, Irlanda, Suecia y Noruega.
Con esta declaración, se reconoce que las primeras expresiones artísticas desarrolladas por el Homo Sapiens en cuevas, abrigos, afloramientos rocosos y estructuras megalíticas constituyen un referente de su pasado común.

Fuente: El Mundo: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/06/29/castillayleon/1277829644.html

Rock Paintings at La Pintada Archaeological Zone Catalogued (Mexico)

Rock Paintings at La Pintada Archaeological Zone Catalogued (Mexico)

More than 2,000 rock paintings distributed in a natural canyon part of La Pintada Archaeological Zone, in Sonora, are being digitalized by experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). Designs reveal the world vision of ancient groups that dwelled this area 1,200 years ago, as well as at the colonization process.
It has been calculated that more than 2,500 graphics are found in the area, from which 70 per cent have already been registered, with the aim of creating an inventory of images for their study and for the preparation of a monitoring plan for their preservation.
Since 2007, a group of technicians headed by archaeological Manuel Graniel have been conducting the meticulous analysis and digital registration of the ancient manifestations distributed along 33 hectares.
“Research has revealed that La Pintada was an important space for diverse human groups, from 12th and 13th centuries’ hunter-gatherers to Seri, Yaqui, and Pima groups that used it as ritual space ritual between 17th and 18th centuries of the Common Era.
“The canyon represented an oasis because it stores rainwater, and it was used as a hide-out during evangelization, since it is a hard to reach place”.
Manuel Granier explained that for registration “we do a photographic panning on each surface with paintings and parting from a reticule system we unite the designs to get every detail, just as they are placed.
“This way, we are able to reproduce in large format the designs located in hard to reach places, for their analysis”.
Regarding images at rocks, the archaeologist part of Sonora INAH Center mentioned that those created 1,200 years ago represent local fauna such as deer, reptiles and birds; hunter-gatherers captured them with the intention of propitiating abundance.
During 17th and 18th centuries, facing hounding from colonizers, many natives took refugee in the canyon; they were also attacked by Spaniards, who were represented in paintings riding without the horse, in the belief that they would not attack natives, since they would loose power”.
One emblematic image at La Pintada is El Venado, one of the largest graphic representations, where a boy is riding a deer, scene of the Seri myth of the mighty boy.
Graniel detailed that analysis of paintings has allowed identifying 3 different styles at the Contact (with Europeans) Age; “by the limits of Seri, Yaqui and Pima settlements that came together at the canyon, and by descriptions made during the 17th century, we think they dwelled La Pintada 300 years ago.
“Styles were determined based on anthropomorphic images, since each group wanted to represent themselves differently”.
The archaeologist explained that different techniques confirm that not all paintings were created by a single group. Finally he commented that digital registration of rock paintings will be used to place large format pictures of designs placed in hard to reach places, for their exhibition.

Fuente: Art Daily: http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=38957

Bitola, Macedonia: Archaeologists Stumble Upon Ancient Necropolises During Stadium Reconstruction (Macedonia)

Bitola, Macedonia: Archaeologists Stumble Upon Ancient Necropolises During Stadium Reconstruction (Macedonia)

During the reconstruction works of the Tumbe Kafe stadium and recreational zone in Macedonia’s south-western town of Bitola, archaeologists have found necropolises, most likely dating to the third century.
“All construction activities have been halted in order to examine the artefacts. The skeletons might belong to Christians, but the possibility of their being pagan is not ruled out either. It is believed that necropolises originate from the third century, because the deceased had been buried underground since,” archaeologist Gordana Filipovska-Lazarovska told national media today.
The archaeologists working at the site believe that the area might yield other archaeological findings. Therefore, they intend to ask for assistance and support at the national level, in order to continue their research.
Before construction activities were halted, the reconstruction of the Tumbe Kafe stadium and recreational zone was financed by the local self-government and international donations.
Tumbe Kafe Stadium is a multi-use stadium, which is currently used mostly for football matches. It is is the home stadium of FK Pelister and has a seating capacity of 6,100 people.
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Fuente: Balkan Travellers: http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/2072

Archaeologists: Temple dating back to Hellenistic and Roman eras unearthed in Syria (Syria)

Archaeologists: Temple dating back to Hellenistic and Roman eras unearthed in Syria (Syria)

Syria (Damascus) - Archaeologists have unearthed an archaeological temple dating back to the Hellenistic and Roman eras /150 B.C/ in addition to a stone-made bridge dating back to the Roman era.
The findings were uncovered in the village of al-Bared River, 20 kms to the west north of Apamea, central Syrian Province of Hama.
Director of Hama Antiquities Department Jamal Ramadan said that the temple was built near a spring with a distinguished architectural style and a very huge size, adding that it was built of 210-centimeters long and 170-cenetimeters wide stones inscribed from their internal side.
The square-shaped temple includes a single hall. Studies showed that the temple was built over two different historical phases, the oldest of which is the Hellenistic Era as the temple was built according to the Hellenistic architectural style while the second stage is the Roman Era where many huge buildings were built.
The unearthed stone-made bridge dates back to the Roman Era. It consists of stone pieces. The rock bridge is 10-meter long and 3-meter wide. The bridge has three asymmetric arches.(SANA)

Fuente: Gobal Arab Network: http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201006296398/Related-news-from-Syria/syria-archaeologists-unearthed-a-temple-dating-back-to-hellenistic-and-roman-eras.html

La entrada al MEH será gratuita el último domingo de cada mes (Burgos)

La entrada al MEH será gratuita el último domingo de cada mes (Burgos)

A escasas 14 jornadas para la esperada inauguración oficial, poco a poco se van conociendo los pormenores del plan que maneja la dirección del Museo de la Evolución Humana para promocionarlo y darlo a conocer entre el gran público en sus primeros meses de andadura. A falta de concretar más detalles del citado plan, sí es seguro que el acceso al Museo será gratuito los últimos domingos de cada mes, una medida que podría ampliarse a más días durante estos meses de verano, con el objetivo de acercar el máximo número posible de visitantes locales y foráneos al edificio principal del Complejo de la Evolución Humana y que el efectivo sistema del boca a boca empiece a funcionar y a animar la llegada de público.
Por el momento, aún no se han fijado oficialmente los precios de las entradas al MEH, aunque ya se trabaja con unos horarios determinados de apertura al público. Así, los días laborales se abrirá en jornada partida, de 10,30 horas a las 14,30 y desde las 16,30 a las 20,30 horas; mientras que los sábados, domingos y días festivos la jornada será continua y se prolongará desde las 10,00 horas hasta las 20,30.
Los responsables del MEH están poniendo especial cuidado para coordinar los horarios del Museo con los de las visitas guiadas a los yacimientos de la Sierra de Atapuerca, dado que el objetivo es que el visitante pueda conocer todo lo que rodea a estas investigaciones sobre la evolución humana en el lugar donde se vienen realizando desde hace más de 30 años y, a su vez, completar la visita con el paso por el MEH.

Espectáculo

Recordemos que la semana inaugural del MEH tendrá como aliciente los diferentes espectáculos previstos para colorear esta apertura. Al anochecer del día 13, horas después del acto oficial en el que estará presente la Reina Sofía, un montaje audiovisual bautizado con el nombre de ‘Millones de miradas’ y centrado en la evolución humana, Atapuerca y Burgos, envolverá el edificio.
El miércoles 14, el barrio de Gamonal acogerá una amena demostración de la industria lítica a cargo del especialista Mikel Aguirre.
Un día después, uno de los conciertos del festival de percusión Atapercu, organizado por la localidad que da nombre a los yacimientos, se traslada al MEH. Concretamente, será el grupo Neopercusión el encargado de la música.
El fin de semana del 16, 17 y 18, en la explanada del mirador exterior del Museo bailará el viernes Aida Gómez y el ballet contemporáneo de Alberto Estébanez. Esa misma noche escucharemos a Tonino Carotone y el sábado 17 habrá un gran concierto de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Burgos bajo el título de ‘Música Sapiens’.

Fuente: Diario de Burgos: http://www.diariodeburgos.es/noticia.cfm/Vivir/20100630/entrada/meh/sera/gratuita/ultimo/domingo/cada/mes/85A8DBFE-EFDD-AE1F-C2760DE50DFCE7D6