The discovery of bison bones in Peoria County proves the animals were in Illinois about 1,700 years earlier than previously thought, according to scientists.
Radiocarbon dating confirmed a group of eight bison died at a site along the Illinois River around 265 B.C., said Alan Harn, an archaeologist with Dickson Mounds Museum. Until the dating tests, scientists did not have evidence of bison in Illinois before 1450.
"It's the first and only sample we've found like this in Illinois," Harn said.
3000-year-old Baby Skulls Found in Isfahan
Two skulls belonging to 3000 year old babies or probably even fetuses have been discovered in new excavations in one of Isfahan provincial archaeology sites.
While excavating Ashna Tepe (hill), part of Chadegan of Isfahan province, two skulls dating to some 3000 years ago were discovered in baskets similar to tree trunks. According to head of the Tepe excavations, Asadollah Mirza Aghajani, the delicate structure of the unique skulls is proof that they belong to babies or even fetuses.
The skulls were buried next to each other, which Mirza Aghajani believes, "shows that the babies have probably been twins." He adds that a final identification necessitates further anthropology studies.
Damn kids Stunning jewelry find
Two playful five-year-olds in Tromsø have made an archeological find that has stunned experts.
The pair of boys discovered jewelry over 1,000 years old while playing near their house. Associate Professor Inger Storli at Tromsø Museum called the find sensational and unique, NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) reports.
"Our eyes popped, because none of us had seen anything like it before," Storli told NRK.
Even some stupid kids find cooler stuff than we ever have. . . .
Remote sensing update
Balloons help spot ancient sites
Archaeologists are to take to the skies above north Wales in hot air balloons in an attempt to spot long-lost ancient sites.
Balloonists preparing for the weekend's Llangollen Balloon Festival will take archaeologists up in their craft to allow them to take aerial photographs.
Many ancient sites can only be spotted from the air with slow-flying balloons ideal for landscape photography.
Egypt discovers ancient tomb
A joint Egyptian-US archaeological team has discovered a 5,000-year-old funerary complex in Upper Egypt, the Egyptian Gazette reported Wednesday.
The tomb was found in the Kom al-Ahmer region near Edfu, some 97 km south of the famous ancient city Luxor on the west bank of the Nile, Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, was quoted as saying.
Hmmmm. Article says it's 5k years old which would make it Old Kingdom, but it also refers to the tomb belonging to ruler of a Greek city in Egypt, which would make it much later (?). We'll have to check on the followup.
Remote sensing update II Fort Ancient Officials Find New Structure
Archaeologists said Monday they have something new to study at Fort Ancient State Memorial. A previously unknown circular structure about 200 feet in diameter was detected recently during preliminary work for an erosion-control project at the site of 2,000-year-old earthworks, state authorities said.
More study will be needed to determine whether the structure is an earthworks or the remains of a ditch that held a series of large posts or of some other kind of structure, state authorities said.
"The reaction is 'Wow!'" Jack Blosser, Fort Ancient's site manager, said of the new find. Blosser said the last major discovery at the site was the remains of several homes found during excavation for a museum and garden area built in 1998.
Antiquities Market update Official laments magnitude of illegal excavations in Mazandaran
Iranian archaeologists say that the historical sites in Iran’s northern province of Mazandaran are frequently plundered by smugglers, the Persian service of the Cultural Heritage News (CHN) agency announced on Tuesday.
“The plundered items were decorative stones, bracelets, earrings, and headdresses that date back to 3500 years ago which were buried in cemeteries during the Iron Age,” the director of the Archaeology Center of the Mazandaran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department told CHN.
Earthenware items were also among the looted objects, which are often broken due to the crude excavation techniques of the smugglers, Ali Mahforuzi said.
Articles of 4,000-year-old Ha Long culture exhibited in Quang Ninh
More than 200 articles dating back 4,000 years and unearthed in archeological digs in the northern city of Ha Long are on display at Quang Ninh’s provincial museum.
Ceramic bowls from the so-called Ha Long culture were decorated with waves, S-figures, and mollusks. The articles displayed also include bracelets, necklaces, stone tools such as axes and hoes, and lead pieces used for fishing nets.
Scientific records and pictures documenting the excavations at 30 archaeological sites in Ha Long, such as in Van Don District and Hon Hai-Co Tien Mountain, are also included in the exhibition. A tomb with 30 skeletons and their belongings which were uncovered at Co Tien Cave last year are also introduced.