King Tut 'died from broken leg'
King Tutankhamun was not murdered and may have died of complications from a broken leg, say researchers who hope the pharaoh will now be left alone.
A CT scan on the Egyptian king's 3,300 year-old mummified body indicates that he may have suffered the fracture shortly before his death, aged 19.
Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said the research suggests the boy king died after the wound became infected.
Not all the team agree, but all now reject the long-standing murder charge.
We have decided that this is probably a bit premature. As noted, the broken leg theory is not a unanimous decision, and there were some questions raised about it in the article we linked to yesterday. Murder oughtn't be ruled out, since, let's face it, apparently healthy 20-year olds don't generally just up and die. There may be some non-traumatic natural cause that leaves no visible (from the sorts of scans performed thus far) indications (i.e., disease) and even homicidal causes (i.e., poison) would leave no visual trace. So, we think it's still an open question as to cause of death; it's just that the blow-to-the-head theory seems caput.
More here.
Go Swiss! Swiss help restore Egyptian tomb
Swiss experts are helping restore the Osireion – one of the most important burial sites of ancient Egypt, which is crumbling away with time.
The 4,500-year-old Osireion was a place of pilgrimage for the ancient Egyptians, who went there to worship King Osiris – the father of pharaonic culture- who they believed was buried there.
Maybe NOW we'll find out what Tar-heels are Ancient Artifacts Found on North Carolina Campus
The discovery of 2,000-year-old artifacts on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is prompting archaeologists to rethink their theories about the early presence of Native Americans in North Carolina.
The artifacts include spear points and pottery fragments. Their location indicate that small bands of roaming Indians made a seasonal home on ground that later became the site of the nation's first state university, said Steve Davis, associate director of UNC's Research Laboratories of Archeology.
Treasure! Divers find Bronze Age artefacts off Devon coast
Divers have discovered a submerged hoard of Bronze Age artefacts off the Devon coast, it emerged today.
The haul, found off Salcombe and believed to have come from an ancient shipwreck, is being studied at the British Museum.
It includes swords and rapiers, an axe head, an adze, a cauldron handle and a gold bracelet, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. The swords are among the earliest found in north-west Europe.
Archaeological dig uncovers relics from Bronze Age to 19th century
ARCHEOLOGISTS have unearthed evidence of medieval life – including fragments of pottery and animal bones – at an excavation near Huntingdon.
The finds have been discovered by archaeologists from the Archaeological Field Unit of Cambridgeshire County Council, who are working in conjunction with Clegg's Ltd on behalf of the County Council at Walden House on George Street.
Now, this is interesting Fossil bones may give up secrets of cavemen
THE mysteries of whether birds are descended from dinosaurs and if cavemen were cannibals could be solved by techniques developed at York University to unlock the secrets of fossils.
Scientists believe a whole range of questions about the human and dinosaur family trees could be answered by examining proteins remaining in preserved bones.
DNA is the best tool for examining our past – but DNA only survives in fossils less than around 100,000 years old.
More here.
More on Ethiopian find
Several stories:
Oldest Biped Skeleton Found?
Scientists unearth early skeleton
Fossil find could be first bipedal human ancestor
And finally, we cannot let this item pass, even though it has about as much to do with archaeology as. . .well, Alexander:
Should Wisconsin Allow Feral Cat Season?
What is the best way to deal with the feral cat problem in Wisconsin? That's a question being asked of animal lovers, wildlife ecologists, and now hunters.
The Conservation Congress is considering a proposal to hunt wild cats.
And, of course, we have instant humor:
Via Ramblings' Journal via Althouse.