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explorator 23.34 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 13, 2020
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You can read explorator online at:

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Edward Rockstein, Kurt Theis,
John McMahon, Barnea Selavan, Joseph Lauer, Mike Ruggeri, Hernan Astudillo,
Richard Campbell, Barbara Saylor Rodgers, Bob Heuman, David Critchley,
Richard Miller, Kris Curry, Rick Heli, Richard C. Griffiths, Frank MacKay,
Don Buck, mata kimasitayo, and Ross W. Sargent for headses upses this week
(as always hoping I have left no one out).

Chag Chanukah sameach to all those celebrating!
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EARLY HOMINIDS
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Some new ?evidence that Neanderthals buried their dead:










Theorizing on the evolutionary development of homo floresiensis:




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AFRICA
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A pre-Roman 'Libyan' artifact from an Algerian site:



Artifact-looting concerns in Mali:



Feature on the last queen of Madagascar (Ranavalona III):




... related:



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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
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A 4th millenium BCE petroglyph from Wadi el Malik is being touted as the oldest place name sign:



Recently-identified as separate pieces from the same statue of Ramesses VI have been reunited:




The lists of 'major finds of 2020' started appearing this week ... here's the first from Egypt:



Marking the 108th anniversary of the discovery of the bust of Nefertiti:



Of course the Saqqara finds made Archaeology Magazine's 'top ten' list:



More on that 'counterfeit silver' from Canaan (which is being given an Egyptian spin this week):



Feature on chariot use by women in ancient Egypt:



Feature on the Saqqara Saite tombs project:



Feature on the 'tug of war' over the Rosetta Stone:



Feature on the discovery of Tut's tomb:



Feature on Alexandria:



Feature on life in Hellenistic Egypt:



Hyping the upcoming 'Royal Parade' of Egyptian mummies:



I think we mentioned this theory seeking proof by drilling into the Great Pyramid:



There's apparently a major announcement coming from Saqqara in January:



The French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Egypt is celebrating its 140th anniversary:



Not sure what to think about Egypt opening a major replicas factory:




A theory about 'missing blocks' from the Great Pyramid:



Latest survey work in Iran reveals prehistoric links between Iran, Anatolia, the Caucasus, and Mesopotamia:



Brief item on a 'massive underground city' beneath modern-day Tafresh:



Suggestion that writing began on the Iranian plateau:



Feature on the importance of the fortress at Machaerus:



Interesting real and virtual excavation of a Neolithic site off the Carmel coast of Israel:



Just in time for Hanukkah, kinda sorta, ?comes a find (actually a few decades ago) of a Hasmonean-era menorah petroglyph:





... and some explainers on Hanukkah:




... and the story told with a 500 elephants spin and no Macabees:



This 2000 years bp lantern find might be in a similar Hanukkah spirit:



A 2300 years bp (or so) seal impression purchased from an Israeli market 40 years ago is been declared genuine:



(Hebrew)

Israel is opening up some previously-unseen structures in the Herodium:






I think we mentioned this find of a Second Temple era gaming die fro Khirbet Kfar Mor:



Fatamid and Byzantine gold coins (and other things) from Caesarea:




More on the purported find of Jesus' childhood home:



... and an interesting feature on the role of 19th century nuns in the excavation:



More on the rethinking of Goliath's height:



A rather strange 'tunneling award' for an archaeological project in Israel:



Pondering the evidence for Solomon's Temple:



Feature on the House of Wisdom (destroyed in the 13th century) and Islam's role in establishing several modern math concepts:



The Council of Europe has condemned the conversion of Hagia Sophia:



43 facts about the Assyrian Empire:


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ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
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A Bronze age settlement, including mass burials from an ongoing dig on Cyprus:



Phrygian era inscriptions and later (Greek) finds from a site in Turkey's Zonguldak province:



7th century BCE finds from a dig on Lesvos:



Remains of a Phoenician moat find from Spain's Costa Blanca:






... and related concerns:



A 4th century BCE Scythian burial near the Don River:



New finds at a Temple of Zeus in Qanawat (Syria):




Remains of a 'pile dwelling' village dating to 400 BCE at Desenzano del Garda (article in Italian):



An Illyrian helmet from a burial in Croatia:




Railway work near Caltanisetta revealed traces of a 1st century CE settlement (Italian):







Examination of a 4th-6th century CE burial from Vaste reveals possible evidence of leukemia (all coverage in Italian):





A Roman-era statue head of Venus from Chieti:





A reinterpretation of a site at Priors Hall suggests it might be a Romano-Celtic temple/mausoleum:



A dig on the via Alessandrina in Rome has revealed a new section of the Imperial Fora (Italian):




Overviewish thing on the dig at the 2000 years bp site of Hypaipa:



A Late Antiquity 'plaza' find from Aquileia (article in Italian):



A 5th century CE (!) mosaic find from Cotswalds:











... and a feature on some mosaic sites in Britain:



I think we mentioned this metal-detectorist-found hoard of Roman silver from Hertfordshire:




More on that altar to Pan from a Byzantine church in Israel:



Plans to restore Pheidias' workshop:



A real estate development on the 'palace of Hasdrubal' site on Cartagena is controversial:



A new (sort of) theory on the Antikythera mechanism:



Feature on Roman dining practices:



... with a slightly different spin:



Feature on Termessos:



Feature on Saturnalia:



Feature on Herodotus:



Feature on the impact of Alexander:



Feature on decline and prosperity in Late Antiquity:



Feature on barbarian invasion v settlement in Late Antiquity:



Feature on religious and intellectual movements in ?Late Antiquity:



Tim Winters is named to the board of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy:



Angus Smith has published his work on his dig at Ayia Sotira:



Reviewish of *Greek Slave Women in Ancient India*:



Review of Mike Duncan, *The Storm before the Storm*:



In case you were wondering, a Roman warship is the next LEGO thing being hyped:



More on efforts to make the Acropolis of Athens more accessible:



... meanwhile, there was some flooding on the Acropolis this week:



... but it wasn't as bad as the press made it out to be, apparently:



-----
Roman Archaeology Blog:



Rogueclassicism:


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EUROPE AND THE UK (+ Ireland)
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Interesting study of a Neolithic skull from Spain revealing a violent death:



A Bronze Age princely burial from Normandy:



Finds from various periods, including a bronze Celtic figurine with gold eyes from a site in Slovakia:




Apparently gardening during lockdown has revealed a number of Tudor gold coins (and more):












Pondering an Anglo-Saxon silver cross which was part of the Galloway Hoard:



Interesting finds from various periods (Bronze Age, Roman, and ?), including a mystery 'pit skeleton' in various digs in Bishops Stortford:





Some 1000 years bp murals have been found in Augsburg Cathedral:



An Iron Age stone tower at Caithness has been conserved:



A previously-unknown Pictish stone covered with mythical beasties is now on display:



The 500 years bp Rathmullan Abbey at Donegal has been restored:



Apparently there was flooding in Venice again:




Feature on the Spanish Armada:



A dispute over the sale of the Abbaye de Pontigny:



More on plans to redefine 'Treasure' in the UK:



... and a related op-Ed:



More on the rethinking of the purpose of Venus figurines:



More on the Gjellestad ship excavations:



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Archaeology in Europe News:



Medievalists.net:



Viking Archaeology Blog:



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ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC
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5000 years bp bronze remains from the Tontiandong site in China's Xinjian Uygur Autonomous Region:



Finds from China made Archaeology mag's top ten list:




Assorted jewellery from a royal 5th century CE Silla Tomb in South Korea:






A study of pot residues suggests the Indus Civilization had a meat-heavy diet:









An 11th century CE relief of a follower of Lord Shiva from Akaram (India):




Latest plans to help the Taj Mahal deal with pollution damage:



Pondering the continued existence of tigers and elephants in India:



Feature on those skeletons in a Himalayan lake that were in the news a few months ago:



Gold Rush-associated burials from Otago:



Rio Tinto has to restore the caves it blew up:





More on palaeolithic migration to Japanese islands being a choice, not an accident:



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NORTH AMERICA
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An 'intermontane stemmed point' find from near Kamloops:



A sinkhole has revealed a 19th century well in a Boston park:







Burials from that First Baptist Church dig at Colonial Williamsburg:



Somewhat vague press release on a 17th century shipwreck find (maybe) off Florida:



Mid-19th century finds from a construction site in Lexington:



Evidence that the founder of JHU was a slave owner:







... and a related oped:



Latest episode of the Cerutti Mastodon site interpretation:



Interesting feature (podcastish) on a 300 years bp farmhouse in Brooklyn:



Feature on a famous photo associated with the extermination of bison:



Feature on Abigail Adams having her kids inoculated against smallpox:



Feature on how a flu outbreak in 1872 affected the US economy:



On the evolution of the US public health system:



Feature on assorted presidential transitions:



Changes in circulation in the North Pacific at the end of the last Ice Age had human migration implications, perhaps:




More on ancient Puebloans finding water in lava tubes:




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CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
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More sections of an Aztec skull tower from downtown Mexico City have come to light:






Feature on Tomas Cruz and his work in Tenochitlan:



During the past years, some 1800 Maya artifacts have been found in the Yucatan:



Some sort of 'treasure frenzy' going on in Venezuela after some gold jewellery washed up on a beach (probably recent):



More on the 'planned layout' settlements revealed in the Brazilian rainforest:










More on the petroglyphs in Colombia:


-----
Mike Ruggeri's Ancient Americas Breaking News:



Ancient MesoAmerica News:



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OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
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More lists of top archaeological finds of 2020:




Finds from 2020 that 'fundamentally altered' our understanding of human history:



A painting in a Brussels town hall has been identified as being painted by Jacques Jordaens:




Some statuary removed from Notre Dame for restoration just before the fire are returning:



... while restoration of the organ is a major project:



On the arab ancestor of the guitar:



General features on Hanukkah:






... and the Hanukkah scroll:



... and the origins of Christmas tree decorations:



... and the precursors to Christmas carols:



Hype for a book on Nazi-looted libraries in Belgium:




Feature on 'love settlements' in 12th century law:



Feature on cave art:



Feature on Linnaeus:



Feature on Hugo Grotius:



Feature on Waldemar Haffkine and his work with vaccines:



Feature on abortion and contraception in the Middle Ages:



Interesting study of 7 centuries of wind in the Southern Hemisphere:




What archaeology reveals about past epidemics:



Feature on assorted bat-borne viruses in history:



On modern math and a lost Islamic library:



The NYT best historical fiction list for 2020:



... and NPR's list of history books for 2020:



Review of Francesca Fiorani's book on why Leonardo was a great artist:



Review of Judith Schalansky's book on things lost to history:



Reviewish of a book on the Chinese diaspora:



More on that find of an enigma machine in the Baltic:







More on Isaac Newton's thoughts on the Great Pyramid:





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MUSEUM MATTERS
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Jewish Resistance to the Holocaust:



Antiquarianism and Philhellenism:



Towards the Mosque:



Searching for Shakespeare (virtual):




A 19th century cabriolet has arrived at the Royal Chariots Museum for restoration:




The museum in Mosul has finally reopened:



Feature on the Benaki museum:



Greece is willing to lend items to foreign museums for up to 50 years, apparently:



The politics of museums in the US:



More on the British Museum's Great Court:



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AUCTIONS AND SALES RELATED
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Those Isaac Newton notes mentioned above were actually up for auction and fetched a huge price:



Some 180 year old photos of Rome are coming to auction:



An Elizabeth Barrett Browning letter:



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ON THE DNA FRONT
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The lingering effects of Neanderthal DNA on modern humans:






DNA from some Spring and Autumn period tomb occupants in Henan is being examined to determine the 'ethnic mix':



DNA suggests that all humans are immigrants of some sort, apparently:



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THE TECHY SIDE
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Interesting re-examination of the GI tracts of a number of mummies found decades ago in Arizona:






I think we mentioned the x-ray diffraction examination of a 1900 years bp mummy of a 5 year old girl from Egypt:




Using AI to recreate the faces of some of China's emperors:


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CLIMATE MATTERS
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A study of stratigraphy in Finland is causing a bit of a rethink of the last European Ice Age:


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TOURISTY THINGS
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Fogo Island:



Timgad:



Llanelly:



Baalbek:


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PERFORMANCES AND MUSIC RELATED
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Black Swans:



Reviewish of Barbarians:



Feature on the roots of Tejano:



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TV/DOCUMENTARY HYPISH THINGS
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Some documentary about the 'cradle of civilization':


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CRIME BEAT
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A bust on Kalymnos for possession of ancient amphorae:



On Facebook as a font of the illegal antiquities trade:



Feature on the illegal antiquities trade in West Africa:



----------
conflict antiquities:



anonymous swiss collector:



Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues:



Looting Matters:



Illicit Cultural Property:



SAFE:



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REPATRIATION AND RECOVERY
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After a long legal battle with a collector, Turkey is repatriating a Cybele statue:



A Norman tower key 'borrowed' fifty years ago was returned:



Turkey wants a number of items back from German museums:



A 10th century gospel is returning to the monastery it was stolen from:



A missing surrealist painting was found in a German recycling bin:



Dutch museums are being encouraged to be more proactive in returning their Nazi-looted items:



A Nazi-loot case before the US Supreme Court:





Feature on colonial-related repatriation:



Feature on some 'once-stolen' artifacts that haven't been returned yet:


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NUMISMATICA
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On reading ancient Roman coins:



Feature on the 'most important' ancient coins ever minted:



Latest e-Sylum:



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


------------------------

Coin Week:



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OBITUARIES
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Ian Jenkins:



Tom Winnifrith:



Allen C. Myers:



Ralph Hester:



Beatrice Andre-Salvini:



Jim Flynn:



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AUDIO/VIDEO NEWS
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Audio News from Archaeologica:


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GENERAL ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS BLOGS
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Archaeology Magazine News Page:



About.com Archaeology:



Archaeology Briefs:



Atlas Obscura:



Heritage Daily:



Sapiens Archaeology:



Taygete Atlantis excavations blogs aggregator:


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PODCASTS/VODCASTS
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Archaeosoup:



Archaeology Podcast Network:


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