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Archeo-news archive: March-April 2006
Olive branch clue to how Minoans were wiped
out
(Apr 30, 2006)
A single olive branch may have solved one of ancient history's
most enduring mysteries: when and why did the great Minoan civilisation
of the Mediterranean come to a sudden end? The branch was buried
during a cataclysmic volcanic eruption on the Aegean island of
Thera – now known as Santorini – and scientists believe
they can date the precise moment of the tree's death.
Read
more. Source: Independent |
Dig for ancient pyramid in Bosnia
(Apr 15, 2006)
Archaeologists have begun digging for what they think might be
a pyramid hidden beneath a hill in Bosnia. Known as Visocica,
the 650m (2,120ft) triangular mound, overlooking Visoko, has long
been shrouded in local legend. The Bosnian archaeologist leading
the project says it resembles pyramid sites he has studied in
Latin America. Initial excavations have revealed a narrow entrance
to what could be an underground network of tunnels.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Stone age man used dentist drill
(Apr 9, 2006)
Stone age people in Pakistan were using dental drills made of
flint 9,000 years ago, according to researchers. Teeth from a
Neolithic graveyard in Mehgarh in the country's Baluchistan province
show clear signs of drilling. Analysis of the teeth shows prehistoric
dentists had a go at curing toothache with drills made from flint
heads.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Ancient pyramid found in Mexico
(Apr 6, 2006)
Archaeologists have discovered an ancient pyramid buried under
a hill on the outskirts of Mexico City. The pyramid is said to
be 1,500 years old and was built by the same ancient people who
constructed the Teotihuacan complex, known as the City of the
Gods. Parts of the structure have been badly damaged as the hill
has been used for decades to stage re-enactments of the crucifixion
of Christ during Holy Week.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Mayan underworld holds natural wonders
(Mar 22, 2006)
The ancient Maya once believed that Mexico’s jungle sinkholes,
containing crystalline waters, were the gateway to the underworld
and the lair of a surly rain god who had to be appeased with human
sacrifices. Now, the “cenotes,” deep sinkholes in limestone that
have pools at the bottom, are yielding scientific discoveries
– including possible lifesaving cancer treatments.
Read
more. Source: MSNBC/Reuters |
Parthenon once a riot of color
(Mar 22, 2006)
If the ancient Greeks sold kitschy postcards to tourists 2,000
years ago, they would have depicted much different views of the
popular sites that visitors flock to today. Archaeologists say
many of the stony ruins looked much different in their prime.
Many were brightly painted in hues that have faded with time and,
in some cases, with forced removal. The Parthenon in Athens was
once covered in colorful splashes of paint, for example.
Read
more. Source: LiveScience.com |
Coffin with scenes from Homer's epics found
(Mar 21, 2006)
A 2,500-year-old stone coffin with well-preserved color illustrations
from Homer's epics has been discovered in western Cyprus, archaeologists
said Monday. "It is a very important find," said Pavlos Flourentzos,
director of the island's antiquities department. "The style of
the decoration is unique, not so much from an artistic point of
view, but for the subject and the colors used."
Read
more. Source: MSNBC/AP |
Egypt Pharaoh find 'not a tomb'
(Mar 16, 2006)
Archaeologists in Egypt have said that a chamber unearthed last
month in the Valley of the Kings was not a tomb as first thought.
Instead the room was used by the ancient Egyptians for mummifying
pharaohs. The chamber was discovered in the Valley of the Kings
by a team from the University of Memphis. It contained seven wooden
coffins and a number of sealed jars.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Did humans devastate Easter Island on arrival?
(Mar 10, 2006)
The first humans may have arrived on Easter Island several centuries
later than previously supposed, suggests a new study. If so, these
Polynesian settlers must have begun destroying the island's forests
almost immediately after their arrival. Easter Island has often
been cited as the classic example of a human-induced ecological
catastrophe. The island – one of the most remote places on Earth
– was once richly forested, but settlers cut the forests, partly
to use the wood in construction of the massive stone statues and
temples for which the island is famous. When Dutch sailors arrived
in 1722, they found a starving population on a barren island.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Henges years older than pyramids
(Mar 1, 2006)
An ancient North Yorkshire monument has been recognised as being
almost 1,000 years older than the pyramids of Giza. Researchers
at Newcastle University have found the Thornborough Henges are
one of the earliest major monuments aligned to the constellation
Orion. The 5,500-year-old earthworks, north of Ripon, and the
Egyptian pyramids are thought to have been built to mirror Orion's
belt for its religious focus.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
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