explorator 14.43 February 12, 2012

explorator 14.43 February 12, 2012
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================================================================
================================================================
Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, David Critchley,
Diana Wright, Donna Hurst, Jennifer Cosham, Tim Parkin,
Edward Rockstein, Rick Heli, Kurt Theis, John McMahon, Barnea Selavan,
Joseph Lauer, Mike Ruggeri, Richard Campbell, Richard C. Griffiths,
Bob Heuman, Anne B. Hurley, Patrick Swan, and Ross W. Sargent for
headses upses this week (as always hoping I have left no one out).
================================================================
EARLY HUMANS
================================================================
Cave paintings in Spain may have been made by Neanderthals:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21458-first-neanderthal-cave-paintings-dis\
covered-in-spain.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2097869/The-oldest-work-art-42-00\
0-year-old-paintings-seals-Spanish-cave.html

On the Denisovan genome:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-entire-genome-extinct-human-decoded.html
http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/genetic/high-resolution-denisovan-genome-sequ\
ence-online-414335/
http://scienceblog.com/52000/entire-genome-of-close-human-relative-decoded-from-\
fossil/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/genome-of-denisovan-mapped_n_1262985.ht\
ml

... and Neanderthals' genetic legacy:

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2012/02/08/Study-Neanderthals-left-a-genetic-leg\
acy/UPI-83181328744289/

The latest theory on Neanderthal demise:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-neanderthal-demise-due-cultural.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/asu-rnd020612.php

Another feature on Peking Man:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328502.500-lost-treasures-peking-mans-bo\
nes.html

Penn Museum posted a video of Thomas Tartaron's talk on Otzi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZJpRTrYDeI&feature=uploademail

Learning from Laetoli footprints:

http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/features/story.aspx?id=1095
================================================================
AFRICA
================================================================
A possible clue to the Queen of Sheba's gold wealth:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/feb/12/archaeologists-and-quest-for-sheba\
-goldmines

Leptis Magna is apparently a 'ghost town':

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/africa/2012/02/20122105011366224.html

On humans' role in the decline of African rainforests some
3000 years b.p.:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-humans-decline-african-rainforests-years.htm\
l
http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/december-2011/article/ancient-farmers-had-i\
mpact-on-disappearance-of-african-rainforests
================================================================
ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
Plenty of coverage that the 'Hill of Jonah' was inhabited some
3000 years b.p.:

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=53483
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early+History+-+Archaeology/Archaeology_verifi\
es_life_time_Jonah_6-Feb-2012.htm
http://www.antiquities.org.il/about_eng.asp?Modul_id=14
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=256717
http://www.livescience.com/18327-fortress-hill-jonah-prophet.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2097616/Fortress-hill-Israel-Bibl\
es-Jonah-supposedly-buried-dates-800BC.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46294237/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Mount Scopus National Park seems to be the latest site of archaeological
controversy in
Israel:

http://www.haaretz.com/watch-israel-nature-authority-destroys-caves-in-new-natio\
nal-park-1.411431

Feature on a dig at the acropolis of Kinik Hoyuk (and environs):

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/turkey/2012/02/10/visualizza_new\
.html_77413658.html

What Irving Finkel is up to:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120206/NEWS/202060333

A new approach to the Nag Hammadi codices:

http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/02/2012/nag-hammadi-codices-a-n\
ew-interpretive-approach

The Spanish mission has returned to dig in Egypt:

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/egypt/2012/02/06/visualizza_new.\
html_75538782.html

Egyptology News Blog:

http://egyptology.blogspot.com/

Egyptology Blog:

http://www.egyptologyblog.co.uk/

Dr Leen Ritmeyer's Blog:

http://blog.ritmeyer.com/

Paleojudaica:

http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/

Persepolis Fortification Archives:

http://persepolistablets.blogspot.com/
================================================================
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
================================================================
Some mosaics are BGSU appear to have questionable origins:

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/02/07/Origin-of-ancient-mosaics-at-BGSU-su\
spect.html

A hurricane in Bulgaria revealed a hitherto unknown Roman/Byzantine village:

http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2012-02-10&article=38388
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=136503

... and a sarcophagus:

http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2012-02-11&article=38398

More Roman remains turn up in Potters Bar:

http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/ancient_roman_ruins_unearthed_in_potters_bar_1_120\
5886

Some 2000 years b.p. cremations from Cawston ... described as 'Iron Age'
(but there
seems to be something Roman going on too?):

http://www.therugbyobserver.co.uk/2012/02/08/news-Ancient-cremated-bodies-found-\
in-field--29456.html

Evidence of the Romans using camels ... in Belgium:

http://www.newser.com/story/139357/romans-beasts-of-burden-camels.html
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2012/02/roman-army-ran-\
on-camel-power/1?csp=34news

Those pills from that Greek shipwreck are in the news again for some reason:

http://usa.greekreporter.com/2012/02/05/ancient-greek-pills-found-in-greek-shipw\
reck/

... as is the UMinn's involvement in the Ancient Lives project:

http://www.mndaily.com/2012/02/09/excavators-find-treasure-egyptian-trash-heap


The Pergamon Altar is closed for three years for renovations:

http://eu.greekreporter.com/2012/02/08/pergamon-altar-closed-to-visitors-for-thr\
ee-years-due-to-renovations/

A Classics prof comments on (modern) Greek matters:

http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/02/10/professor-of-greek-history-worries-abo\
ut-his-homelands-future/

International Mother Language Day is coming:

http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6176702&s_cid=tesmagazinehome

A 'Gladiator Latin' program sounds interesting:

http://www.wanderer.com/?p=1379

... as does Retelling the Ancient Story:

http://www.jhunewsletter.com/arts-entertainment/promiscuous-prometheus-powers-up\
-intersession-1.2766721#.TzesMFE8euI

A team working at Pavlopetri have earned honours in an Extreme Imaging
competition:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-images-life-submerged-city.html
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/student-takes-awa\
rd-for-revealing-submerged-citys-secrets/2450647.aspx

Michael Scott talks about life in ancient Greece:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-life-ancient-world.html

Interview with Philip Freeman about his electioneering book:

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/07/146541242/ancient-roman-text-offers-tips-on-winnin\
g-elections

Review of Dorothea Wender's translation of *Theognis*:

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Poetry-Review-Elegies-by-\
Theognis-translated-3084188.php

Latest reviews from BMCR:

http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/recent.html

Visit our blog:

http://rogueclassicism.com/
================================================================
EUROPE AND THE UK (+ Ireland)
================================================================
A 13th century Jewish tombstone from Effurt:

http://www.vosizneias.com/100623/2012/02/08/effurt-germany-oldest-jewish-tombsto\
ne-found-intact-in-germany/

A WWI trench turns up 21 German soldiers 'perfectly preserved' a la Pompeii,
supposedly:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2099187/Bodies-21-German-soldiers-buried\
-alive-WW1-trench-perfectly-preserved-94-years-later.html

The gardens at Dalapre Abbey have been restored:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-16944043

A Viking axe head is likely an 18th century woodworking tool:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-16907224

Feature on the good side of Attila the Hun:

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/02/nice-things-to-say-about-attila-\
the-hun/

Pondering Napoleon's failure in Russia:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16929522

Latest theory on the origin of Robin Hood:

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Robin-Hood-really-Kent/story-15097152-detail/s\
tory.html

Interesting application of Google Earth and Stonehenge:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/feb/06/stonehenge-models-google-softwar\
e

More on those Viking mercenaries in the guise of tv hype:

http://scienceblog.com/51992/viking-apocalypse-linked-to-elite-killers-of-the-me\
dieval-world/

Archaeology in Europe Blog:

http://archaeology-in-europe.blogspot.com/

================================================================
ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC
================================================================
House construction in Dharmapuri turned up some idols of Lord
Ranganathar and Hanuman:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Idols-found-from-housing-plot\
-near-Dharmapuri/articleshow/11855059.cms

Excavation of a stupa in Bihar is about to commence:

http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-157494.html

An Indus seal from Cholistan:

http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/07/rare-indus-seal-discovered-in-cholistan.html

Sunet is apparently an archaeological goldmine, but the ASI isn't doing
anything
about it:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sunet-sits-on-archaeological-goldmine-asi-slum\
bers-on/910176/
http://www.ludhianadistrict.com/landmarks/sunet-village-ludhiana.php

More on Hue antiquities becoming national treasures:

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/arts-entertainment/18590/hue-antiquities-to-beco\
me-national-treasures.html

WWII archaeology in Malaysia:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gi_dH2t3uY6Tw30JrmtjaT2Ge8Hw?\
docId=CNG.ea0c57f059882514e7abda316c4b8389.531

East Asian Archaeology:

http://eastasiablog.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/east-asian-archaeology-cultural-her\
itage-%E2%80%93-2052010/

Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog:

http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/

New Zealand Archaeology eNews:

http://www.nzarchaeology.org/netsubnews.htm
================================================================
NORTH AMERICA
================================================================
An archaeological 'treasure trove' in a ditch near San Gabriel Mission
in/near Los Angeles:

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-artifacts-found-20120206,0,1801757.sto\
ry

Hopes of confirming a shipwreck off Rhode Island is the USS Revenge:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9071959/USS-Revenge-M\
ystery-of-200-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-US-coast.html
http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-probe-year-old-shipwreck-ri.html
http://www.stltoday.com/news/science/researchers-probe--year-old-shipwreck-off-r\
i/article_f5c17c46-8819-55e3-9a2c-1b0a32155bb5.html
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=0220026MAKWE

Hmmm ... Fort William Henry's skeletons weren't buried after all:

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=53471
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/skeletons_from_last_of_the_moh.ht\
ml

Honouring Yale's earliest women PhDs:

http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/publications/news/201202/first-yale-women-phd\
s.html

More on that Magna Carta restoration completion:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-charter-encasing-magna-carta.html
================================================================
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
================================================================
Remains of pre-Aztec housing from Amecameca:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-mexican-experts-ancient-home.html
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=53534
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10086922
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2012/02/09/mexican-expert\
s-excited-to-find-ancient-ruins.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/08/2632353/mexican-experts-excited-to-find.ht\
ml

cf: http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-mexico-road.html

Mike Ruggeri's Ancient Americas Breaking News:

http://web.mac.com/michaelruggeri

Ancient MesoAmerica News:

http://ancient-mesoamerica-news-updates.blogspot.com/
================================================================
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
================================================================
Time Team appears to be falling apart:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2097965/Veteran-quits-Cambridge-bea\
uty-joins-TVs-Time-Team.html
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a365015/time-team-mick-aston-mary-ann-ochota\
-leave-show.html

Marking Dickens' 200th birthday:

http://news.discovery.com/history/dickens-anniversary-bigpic-120207.html

... and we might as well mention this Dickens theme park:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/magazine/dickens-world.html

Interesting 'monastical' class at UPenn:

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/11/2149091/penn-class-teaches-students-how.html

All about paleofeces:

http://io9.com/5883873/paleofeces-inside-the-archaeology-of-poop

I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't know the 'Ponytail Shape Equation'
was
a 'thing':

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre81918v-us-hair-rapunzel/

Germany has returned to Prague a Gregor Mendel manuscript:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-prague-modern-genetics-founder-mendel.html

A seventeenth century pastoral novel:

http://scienceblogs.com/aardvarchaeology/2012/02/17th_century_pastoral_novel.php

Interesting potential for poking around Antarctica (read last paragraph):

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-08/science/31037082_1_lake-v\
ostok-antarctic-lake-subglacial-lake

Some 'historical' Barbies:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2098756/Jocelyne-Grivaud-recreates-ico\
nic-images-Barbie-dolls.html

http://www.ancientdigger.com/
================================================================
BLOGS
================================================================
About.com Archaeology:

http://archaeology.about.com/

Archaeology Briefs:

http://archaeologybriefs.blogspot.com/

Taygete Atlantis excavations blogs aggregator:

http://planet.atlantides.org/taygete/

Time Machine:

http://heatherpringle.wordpress.com/
================================================================
CRIME BEAT
================================================================
Vandals did a pile of damage at Aztec Ruins:

http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-news/ci_19934608

Brief notice of a 'red list' of stolen antiquities (Egyptian? ) being
published:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201202060331.html

A wine steward has admitted some art thefts in New York:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/nyregion/wine-steward-admits-to-new-york-art-t\
heft.html

Looting Matters:

http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/

Illicit Cultural Property:

http://illicit-cultural-property.blogspot.com/

Safe Corner:

http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/
================================================================
NUMISMATICA
================================================================
Can't remember if we mentioned this huge hoard of bronze Roman coins found
by
a metal detectorist:

http://www.coinworld.com/articles/metal-detectorist-makes-find-of-lifetime-with/

Latest eSylum:

http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v15n06.html

... and the one which will appear later today:

http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v15n07.html

Ancient Coin Collecting:

http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/

Ancient Coins:

http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/

Coin Week:

http://www.coinweek.com/========================================================\
========
EXHIBITIONS, AUCTIONS, AND MUSEUM-RELATED
================================================================
Fascinating Mummies:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16990344

Renoir:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/arts/design/renoirs-full-length-paintings-at-t\
he-frick-collection.html

Migrations:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/feb/06/welcome-to-\
pleasure-dome-peter-lely

Carambolo:

http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2012/02/04/a-golden-exhibit-for-spain/

DSS:

http://www.njherald.com/story/16685706/nycs-dead-sea-scrolls-exhibit-has-10-new-\
scrolls

The Bison:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/02/story-of-survival/

The Milwaukee Public Museum isn't making money from that Cleopatra
exhibition:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/cleopatra-doesnt-bring-riches-for-milwauk\
ee-public-museum-oc43oka-138904724.html

Russia returned a pile of Byzantine artifacts to Germany:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iRb0hDL3U13R_qzBTxVj4p_igqQA?\
docId=CNG.956cc047c755305c8ad4580183554bcc.271
http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/lost-antique-treasures-berlin-museum-detectiv\
e-717/

UNESCO isn't happy about the closure of the Wedgewood Museum:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/feb/05/wedgwood-museum-closure-condemned-\
unesco

More plans for the Met:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/arts/design/olin-designs-metropolitan-museum-a\
-new-fifth-avenue-plaza.html

Check out our Twitter hashtage for more ancient exhibition reviews:

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23classicalexhibit
================================================================
PERFORMANCES AND THEATRE-RELATED
================================================================
The Convert:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/theater/reviews/pascale-armand-in-the-conv\
ert-by-danai-gurira.html

Some early Rossini Operas:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/arts/music/rossini-double-bill-by-julliard-ope\
ra-at-lincoln-center.html

Refracted Bach:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/arts/music/dessoff-choirs-at-church-of-st-paul\
-the-apostle.html

Armide:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/arts/music/tellings-of-armidas-story-including\
-glucks-at-juilliard.html

The Changeling:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/london-theater-journal-revenge-serv\
ed-sticky-and-cleanly-staged-comedy/

Macbeth:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/nyregion/macbeth-1969-at-the-long-wharf-theate\
r-review.html

Seven Sicknesses:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/theater/reviews/these-seven-sicknesses-at-\
flea-theater.html

The Philanderer:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/theater/reviews/the-philanderer-from-the-p\
earl-theater-company.html

Check out our Twitter hashtag for Ancient Drama reviews:

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23ancientdrama

... and for Sword and Sandal flicks:

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23swordandsandal
================================================================
ON THE WEB
================================================================
The AIA has a page with resources for students:

http://www.ajaonline.org/students
================================================================
OBITUARIES
================================================================
William Danker:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/obituaries/rev-frederick-william-danker-dies-\
renowned-bible-scholar-taught-and/article_09364329-9b28-549c-aa6d-be43d44cacde.h\
tml

Robert Hecht:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/art-obituaries/907\
5390/Robert-Hecht.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/arts/design/robert-hecht-antiquities-dealer-di\
es-at-92.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-robert-hecht-20120209,0,3127431.sto\
ry
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/02/robert-e-hecht-jr-figure-\
in-antiquities-case-involving-the-getty-is-dead.html
http://www.galleristny.com/2012/02/robert-e-hecht-jr-antiquities-dealer-accused-\
of-trafficking-looted-objects-is-dead-at-92/
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/08/3418199/robert-hecht-jr-controversial.html
http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/08/2145959/robert-hecht-jr-controversial.html

================================================================
HUMOUR
================================================================
Mayan 'calendar' worries?

http://www.gocomics.com/theargylesweater/2012/02/07
================================================================
PODCASTS
================================================================
The Book and the Spade:

http://www.radioscribe.com/bknspade.htm

Stone Pages Archaeology News:

http://news.stonepages.com/

Archaeologica Audio News:

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/AudioNews.asp

Naked Archaeology Podcast:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/archaeology/
================================================================
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