Friday, September 21, 2012

Pottery-making in the Ice Age, even more

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/science/ceramic-fragments-point-to-ice-age-artistry.html?_r=3

Weapon-making by hominids 300,000 years ago

http://phys.org/news/2012-09-skilled-hunters-years.html
A crazy site in Germany that preserves spearheads that may be the world's oldest weapons.

Where to (re)bury Richard III?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/sep/18/blogpost-richard-lll-york-minster-leicester-university-bosworth-archaeology
Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York.
I never get tired of that line. It's even easy to type, on top of being easy to say.
Now that everyone thinks they've found Richard's body--curved spine, traumatic head injury, lying under an old church--the debate begins about where to re-bury him. Can't put him back where they got him, because it's now under a "car park."
Mind you, the DNA report is not in yet, but everybody seems quite convinced that it's Richard.
Here's what I take from this article: 1) There are still people around in England who are blood descendants of Richard III. 2) Only in England could you get 4 experts to comment on the issue of where someone who died in 1485 should be re-buried. And comment very passionately: York Minster! No! Leicester! No! Westminster Abbey!
One expert comes up with a solution: Ask the Queen. "The final decision sits with the Royal Household."
The British: people different from us.

The Battle of Bannockburn

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/archaeology/9552291/Archaeologists-dig-to-find-site-of-Battle-of-Bannockburn.html
1314: Robert THE Bruce, Edward Longshanks, and a medieval army marching on a road built by the Romans! It doesn't get much better. And Stirling Castle...where I definitely MUST go one day.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

New Roman Curse Tablet Discovered in Britain

http://news.discovery.com/history/curse-ancient-roman-lead-scroll-120821.html
Rolled-up lead tablet, just as it should be. Unfortunately, this one isn't very legible. They have deciphered some names on it, but nothing else. Nice pictures, though.

Stone Age figures found near Jerusalem

http://news.discovery.com/history/two-stone-age-statuettes-120830.html
Two small animal figurines (a ram and a ???) were found near Jerusalem. Date estimated around 9000 BCE. The ram is really cute.