There is a longstanding myth that the Great Wall of China is the only manmade object visible from space. It and several variations on the theme are great fodder for water cooler arguments. In reality, many human constructs can be seen from Earth orbit.
Shuttle astronauts can see highways, airports, dams and even large vehicles from an Earth orbit that is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) high. Cities are clearly distinct from surrounding countryside, and that's true even from the higher perch of the International Space Station, which circles the planet at about 250 miles (400 kilometers) up.
Hat tip to Sara Orel of Truman State U.
Michelangelo's David Restoration Complete
After a clean-up marked by bitter controversy, Italian cultural authorities have unveiled Michelangelo's restored David, saying that the project was a success.
Funded in equal parts by two charities — the Dutch foundation Ars Longa and Friends of Florence, whose members include the singer Sting and the actor Mel Gibson — the 400,000-euro ($480,200) cleaning program removed gypsum and yellowish spots of beeswax but left the masterpiece "the same as ever," according to the restoration team.
Unusual antler tool latest find at Macktown dig
About 400 years ago, before Europeans began settling North America, a native hunter sat and cleaned his latest kill where the Pecatonica and Rock rivers merge.
The hunter used a prehistoric pocketknife of sorts, fashioned from a deer antler, to scrape the flesh from a bear, elk or other animal that was common to the area now known as Rockton.
Fast-forward to fall 2003. Archaeologists and students discovered the hunting tool buried deep within the soil of the Macktown settlement, home of what is believed to be Winnebago County's first white settler.
The antler remained intact, much to their surprise. The acidic soils common to northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin had spared this artifact from ruin.
The burning issue
The discovery and control of fire by our early human ancestors is considered a milestone in man's evolution. Not only was it a technological achievement that provided humans with a wider choice of food and an extended geographical range, it was also a sign of intelligence. Keeping a fire going showed that we could plan ahead, and its presence on dark nights must have provided a unique focus of social interaction - the caveman's equivalent of a modern dinner party.
Fire's importance cannot be overestimated. It provided heat and light and scared away dangerous predators at night. Fire also allowed humans to smoke and dry fish and meat, offering an early and invaluable form of food preservation. It also enabled them to experiment with a range of foods that could not be easily eaten raw or uncooked: the discovery of fire led to the invention of cooking.
'If you like, this is where Greek history starts'
'I have seen the face of Agamemnon." No, not the reaction of filmgoers after seeing Brian Cox's depiction of the Greek king in Troy, but that of the celebrated 19th century archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann after digging up a striking Bronze Age gold mask from ancient Greece.
Schliemann was not known for understatement - on excavating the ruins of Troy he said he had "opened a new world" for archaeology - but on this occasion he was wrong. The shaft graves at Mycenae where he found the mask have now been dated to 1500BC, and it would stretch even the historical flexibility of a Hollywood scriptwriter to place Agamemnon there several centuries before he led the Greeks in the Trojan war. The glittering death mask, treasure and the rest of the haul recovered from the graves were not his, but whose were they? The question has long puzzled archaeologists.
Iraq update UN-sponsored experts draw up blueprint to safeguard Iraq’s cultural heritage (subscriber restricted)
26 May 2004 – Girding itself for the “immense and vital” challenge of safeguarding Iraq’s cultural heritage, a United Nations-sponsored group of international experts today drew up a seven-point blueprint for comprehensive conservation, rehabilitation, capacity building, training and coordination.
The International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq, established under the joint auspices of the Iraqi authorities and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), concluded its first meeting today at the Organization’s Paris headquarters, chaired by Iraqi Minister for Culture Moufid al Jazairi.
Several young Indiana Jones' in the making Young Indianas try out archaeology
Whoever lived on the site of K.I. Jones Elementary School sure knew how to get their groove on.
Sixth-graders from Shadia Jones' class unearthed evidence of the ancient party animals Wednesday during a social studies lesson. The students excavated two pits in a small courtyard and found several items, including a Styrofoam ball studded with colorful glass discs.
"Maybe it's a disco ball," said Britney Hart, 11.
This is a great idea.
Translation and Commentary of the Hieroglyphic Inscriptions on the Late 21st Dynasty Egyptian Coffin and Lid in the Burke Museum
"What follows is a listing of the hieroglyphic inscriptions, their
translation, and a brief explanation of the scenes found on the 21st Dynasty
Egyptian coffin in the Burke Museum. In addition, a review of both texts and
scenes within the context of Egyptian religious beliefs of the period is
given." - 19 pp., pdf-file: 950 KB
Thanks to Michael Tilgner and The EEF
The Demotic Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago
he Oriental Institute announces the on-line publication of CDD G.
The Demotic Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of
Chicago, Letter G. Janet H. Johnson, editor. Chicago: The Oriental
Institute, 2004. Pp. 1-82.
And two web site updates, courtesy Mike Brass and The EEF:
The Antiquity of Man website has been updated. Amongst others,:
-- Two archaeology courses to be run,
- World Archaeology: from Sunday 18 July - Saturday 11 September 2004
- The Ancient Egyptian Past: from Sunday 18 July - Saturday 04
September 2004
http://www.antiquityofman.com/courses.html
-- How can we attempt to assess what real power the scribes
of ancient Egypt wielded?, by Mikey Brass (unpublished Masters
degree essay, 2004, in pdf format)
http://www.antiquityofman.com/Ancient_Egypt_articles.html