A significant Indian archaeological site has been uncovered on the banks of the Duwamish River exactly where Sound Transit plans to build columns to carry its elevated light rail line across the river.
Archaeologists hired to survey likely spots in advance of construction have discovered more than 900 artifacts in just several small digs so far, including fire-cracked rocks, stone tools, animal bones, shells and evidence of a structure with a hearth.
The site is believed to be more than several hundred years old, going back to a time before white people arrived in the Northwest.
Apparently not anywhere near as major a site as the one found in Port Angeles (the infamous Graving Yard site). This one may be fully excavated as well.
US hero's relation's body 'found'
Archaeologists believe they have found the pioneer's remains
Scientists may have found the bodies of two maternal relations of the man who established the first English-speaking colony in America in 1607.
They hope to find a DNA match of a relation of Captain Bartholomew Gosnold at a church in Stowmarket, Suffolk.
Archaeologists want to trace the relation to authenticate the remains of Gosnold found in the US.
Using radar they think they have found Gosnold's niece's remains at the St Peter and St Mary church.
Lost city. . . .not found yet. . .but they're looking Expedition group to be split into three teams
The group that will be setting out in search of a lost city in Johor will be split into three teams and enter three different parts of the possible location of the ancient site, most likely in early April.
Department of Museums and Antiquities director-general Datuk Dr Adi Taha said the area located around the Linggiu River would be divided into Kangkar, Kahang and Madek.
“We are writing a research proposal to guide us in this research and to have a more focused approach with the same level of expertise at the different locations.
“We have identified the areas and the approach will be concentrated at the mentioned areas. Archaeologists from the universities have agreed to work together,” he said yesterday after chairing a meeting between various parties.
Oxford Center Raises Controversy
Ancient Alexandria was famed for its philosophical disputes, and that tradition is very much alive in excavations now under way in the Egyptian port. Scholars are hotly debating a controversial agreement that gives a nonscientist, French businessman Franck Goddio, control over underwater archaeological data collection for Oxford University. At a conference held in December--a coming-out party for Oxford's new Center for Maritime Archaeology--dozens of scholars discussed new finds (see main text). But others avoided the event, arguing that contracting out the leadership of maritime digs to nonscientists sets a poor precedent.
Subscription-only link. The gist is found in these sentences: But Goddio's deal with Oxford raises concerns among many maritime archaeologists uncomfortable with turning over part of the scientific process to those who lack formal training. . .Robert Grenier, head of Ottawa's Parks Canada maritime archaeology unit, adds that Goddio's record is big on coffee-table books but small on scholarly publications.
and
Cunliffe insists that skilled nonscientists can make an enormous contribution because retrieving information from underwater digs is so technologically intensive and expensive. The choice he sees is to ignore nonscientists' expertise and funding, or to find a creative way to work with it.
It is controversial. Much work could be done with private money, but at what cost? The true difference between professionals and amateurs is in the publication. A dissertation isn't just a device that one does to show that one has "paid his/her dues", it's a testament to the ability to carry out original, significant research. Something that contributes to the field of knowledge rather than to the load-bearing abilities of coffee tables. We are confident that some of these joint ventures can be productive scientifically, but that needs to be demonstrated beforehand and judged ruthlessly. Once it's gone you can't go put it back together.