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Post by theshee on Nov 4, 2014 9:35:07 GMT 10
It wasn't a buried cache of gold or silver that excavators came across as they methodically dug down through the remains of one of Scotland's most ancient archaeological sites. But in a very important sense, the discovery was equally exciting. They were the skeletal remains of an animal—a very, very big one. And a very old one. "It is so big that there was an immediate need for an expert opinion," reported the Dig Diary blogger for the Ness of Brodgar Excavations project. So they called upon Jen Harland, an expert at identifying faunal remains. "She has confirmed that the bones belong to an enormous cow—so big indeed that it is probably off the scale for the biggest known modern cow and into the range for an aurochs."*This is considered big news, because the aurochs, a huge, prehistoric ancestor to the modern day cow, is now extinct, the last one having died in the Jaktorów Forest, Poland in 1627. But even during Neolithic times, they had already become relatively rare. Thus far, the animal's massive horn core has been revealed, along with part of the skull. But much more work needs to be done when the excavators return for the next season. "Further identification will be needed and this will have to wait until next year when the contexts can be properly excavated without the need to rush," continues the blog report. "However, it will have important implications for our understanding of the agricultural economy of the Neolithic in Orkney, and for the range of animals present at that time." linkThe aurochs pictured above is dated to about 7500 BC and is one of two very well preserved aurochs skeletons found in Denmark. The Vig-aurochs can be seen at the National Museum of Denmark. The circles indicate where the animal was wounded by arrows in antiquity.
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Post by theshee on Nov 4, 2014 9:30:59 GMT 10
The first Stone Age settlement identified in Polish waters has been discovered in the lake Gil Wielki, I?awa Lake District (Warmia and Mazury) by underwater archaeologists led by Dr. Andrzej Pydyn from the Department of Underwater Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru?. The discovery was made in the project carried out in cooperation with the Warsaw branch of the Scientific Association of Polish Archaeologists. "In shallow water in the reservoir we found a large amount of animal bones, remains of tools made of antler and numerous fragments of pottery, used at various times by ancient communities. Among them, the fragments that caught our attention relate to the tradition of late Neolithic, probably associated with the so-called Corded Ware culture" - told PAP Dr. Andrzej Pydyn. Researchers are now waiting for the results of physical and chemical analyzes, which should ultimately confirm the suggested, the early timeline of the flooded village. According to Dr. Pydyn, examples of other countries show that the sites of this type have very high research potential that allows you to recreate not only the material culture, but also the environment of prehistoric communities. The researcher noted that science does not know many Corded Ware culture settlements, which further increases the importance of the discovery. It is not only this year find of archaeologists from Toru? in I?awa Lake District. The result of this work include finding several new potential archaeological sites in lakes I?awskie, Drw?ckie and Gra?ymowskie. During the study, archaeologists used modern non-invasive methods. The most important of them include sonar scan and side scan. This allowed scientists to create detailed bathymetric maps (maps showing depth) and locate anomalies in the bottom of the examined water bodies, indicating places of potential interest to archaeologists. To check what was beneath the bottom, they used penetrating radar that shows the anomalies in bottom sediments. These studies are the result of the cooperation between the Warsaw branch of the Scientific Association of Polish Archaeologists and the Department of Underwater Archaeology of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru?. The project entitled "Identification of archaeological resources of lakes and coastal areas of I?awa Lake District" is a continuation of the work carried out in 2013, is funded by the National Heritage Institute in the framework of the programme "Cultural Heritage" and priority "Protection of Archaeological Sites". link
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Post by theshee on Nov 4, 2014 9:28:14 GMT 10
I hope they dont stop putting this info out. I have a feeling they will
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Post by theshee on Nov 4, 2014 9:27:04 GMT 10
I was at the Centre for Life on Saturday and they explained this in easy to understand lingo inside the Planetarium
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Post by theshee on Nov 4, 2014 9:24:06 GMT 10
Happy birthday, hope you had a great day and night
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Post by theshee on Nov 4, 2014 9:17:50 GMT 10
Thank you Stone
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Post by theshee on Nov 4, 2014 9:17:10 GMT 10
Welcome from me too
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Post by theshee on Nov 2, 2014 10:52:42 GMT 10
Eight square meter vault and marble door found in Amphipolis tombIn an effort to reach the fourth chamber in the Amphipolis tomb, the excavation crew reached an 8.4 square meter vault and found an almost intact marble door weighing 1.5 tons. According to an official announcement by the Greek Ministry of Culture, the removal of the backfilling earth from the fourth chamber exposed a vault dug on the natural slate floor. The vault has a surface of 4X2.10 meters and its floor is sealed with limestone. In addition, a marble door that belongs to the third chamber with dimensions 2X0.90X0.15 meters, weighing 1.5 tons, was found with only a small part missing. Parts of the limestone remain intact and are connected to the side walls. On the west part of the floor, there is an incline caused by the floor caving in. On the east part, the limestone is in place. The stones from the west wall will be removed to facilitate supporting and bracing works. The report describes the vault as filled with soil, like the rest of the monument, and the removal of soil has led to a depth of 1.40 meters so far and it looks like it goes much deeper. The second door was found inside the soil. The removal of soil is continuing uninterrupted. Meanwhile, sensors that measure distortion have been put in order to measure the sturdiness of the supporting mechanisms during excavation and supporting works. Support beams have been placed on walls, as well as on the domes of the second and third chamber. link
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Post by theshee on Nov 2, 2014 10:48:39 GMT 10
Stone figurines are seen in a tunnel that may lead to a royal tombs discovered at the ancient city of TeotihuacanA sacred tunnel discovered in the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan is filled with thousands of ritual objects and may lead to royal tombs, the lead Mexican archaeologist on the project said on Wednesday. The entrance to the 1,800-year-old tunnel was first discovered in 2003, and its contents came to light thanks to excavations by remote-control robots and then human researchers, archeologist Sergio Gomez told reporters. The site is located about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Mexico City. The ruins have long been shrouded in mystery because its inhabitants did not leave behind written records. The artifacts found inside the tunnel, located below the Temple of the Plumed Serpent, include finely carved stone sculptures, jewelry and shells. An estimated 50,000 objects, 4,000 made of wood as well as scores of obsidian blades and arrow heads, provide clues into how the city's priests and rulers conceived the underworld. "Due to the magnitude of the offerings that we've found, it can't be in any other place," said Gomez, who works for Mexico's national anthropology and history institute, referring to the possibility of finding royal tombs. "We've been able to confirm all of the hypotheses we've made from the beginning," he added, saying ongoing excavations could yield more major discoveries next year. One of Mexico's most-visited ancient sites, Teotihuacan is home to massive pyramids, temples and elite residences including many adorned with colorful murals. The city reached its peak between 100 B.C. and 650 B.C. with a population as large as 200,000, growing rich from a wide-ranging trade in obsidian that in pre-Colombian times was used to make knives and other weapons. The city had long been abandoned by the time the Aztecs came to power in the Valley of Mexico in the 14th century, yet it continued to play an important role as a destination for religious pilgrimages. In Nahuatl, the Aztec language still spoken in many parts of Mexico, Teotihuacan means "abode of the gods." An undated graphic shows the tunnel that may lead to a royal tombs discovered underneath the Quetzalcoatl temple in the ancient city of Teotihuacan in this October 29, 2014 National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) handout picture.link
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Post by theshee on Nov 2, 2014 10:34:17 GMT 10
A family scared out of their own home have become so desperate that they had an exorcism carried out. On one occasion Hayley Keating’s son, Oscar, screamed in terror because he was sharing a bath with a boy with black hair. She and her boyfriend Michael Roberts, 19, also claim to have heard strange noises in the night and their TV turned itself on in the early hours of the morning. They have now called on Father Christopher Cunningham to perform an exorcism at their home in Warrington, Cheshire. She said: ‘It all started a couple of weeks ago. We were sound asleep in bed and the TV remote was on the floor. ‘All of a sudden we were woken up because it had turned itself on and was on full volume. We’d been watching a bit of TV the night before but we’d had it on really quietly. ‘We scrambled for the remote and turned it off and we didn’t really think much of it at the time. ‘Then an hour later, at about 5am, Oscar woke us up shrieking in his bedroom. ‘He was really distressed and it was nothing like I’d ever heard before but I eventually managed to calm him down and he went back to sleep. ‘The next night, we were woken up again by strange knocking. It sounded like it was coming from the bedside table but there was nobody there. ‘The following day I came home from work and found the washing basket turned upside down and it was in a different place to where I’d left it. ‘The DVDs on top of Oscar’s cupboard had fallen off and were lying all over the floor. It looked as though something had been thrown at them.’ On another occasion Oscar was in the bath. ‘I heard him say “no, they are my toys” and I thought he was just talking to himself,’ Hayley said. ‘He said it a few more times and started to become really agitated. I thought it was strange so I stuck my head round the door to see if he was alright. ‘He had his back to the taps and his knees up and he said ‘somebody is in my bath. He was really upset and told me it was a boy with black hair.’ Three days after the exorcism, Michael said ‘things have calmed down’ since Fr Cunningham visited their home. Fr Cunningham, from St Albans Church in Warrington, Cheshire, arrived at the home on Friday, where he sprayed holy water in each room and said the Lord’s Prayer. He said: ‘I do this quite often. It has become more popular but usually it’s for people who have moved into a new home and want it blessed.’ linkThere is a video on the link page!
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