FRESH archaeological survey work is under way at a proposed quarry site close to an ancient monument that has become known as 'The Stonehenge of the North'.
And a rigorous standard of investigation, evaluation and scoring used to categorise remains found at the other Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, are being adopted by archaeolgists at the Ladybridge Farm site, near Bedale.
The latest archaeological work at the site - just half a mile from the Thornborough Henges - covers almost four per c
Consultant archaeologist Steve Timms, of MGA Associates, said: "In line with our initial investigation of the site, we are using the same methodology, principles and evaluation system as applied by the consultant archaeologists who advised English Heritage on proposed developments at Stonehenge. We call it the 'Stonehenge Standard.'"
Cairo museum update Those Forgotten Mummies in the Cellar Must Be Cursed
Egyptian archaeologists, who normally scour the desert in search of treasures of the past, have discovered that one of the greatest caches of antiquities may well be in the basement of the Egyptian Museum. For the last century, artifacts have been stored away in crates there and forgotten, often allowed to disintegrate in the dank, dusty cavern.
Forgotten until now. The recent theft and recovery of three statues from the basement have prompted antiquity officials in Egypt to redouble an effort already under way to complete the first comprehensive inventory of artifacts in the basement.
"For the last 100 years, curators sat down to drink tea, but they did not do their jobs," said Zahi Hawass, the general secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. "How many artifacts are in the basement? It was awful."
Excitement at Neolithic site find
Archaeologists have unearthed what is thought to be one of the largest Neolithic settlements in Britain.
The discovery, which includes buildings, a human burial pit, tools, pottery and ritual objects, was uncovered at a Northumberland quarry.
It is hoped it will boost understanding of the period, which dates back thousands of years.
This sounds great because it's near the beginning of the Neolithic in Britain. Especially if they have a reasonable number of structures. Ought to shed much light on early agriculture there.
Ancient Burial Ground Discovered in N.Y.
James Richeson was checking out erosion damage on eastern Long Island after days of torrential rain last month when he made a fascinating discovery.
"I ... saw little bits of bone down the hillside and some of it had washed away in the surf already," said Richeson, the parks supervisor at Indian Island County Park - named in honor of the local Shinnecock and other tribes that have inhabited Long Island for as much as 12,000 years.
A closer inspection uncovered skull and bone fragments, as well as several artifacts, including a ceramic bowl and pipe covered with ornate geometric markings. The artifacts date at least 500 years - and possibly as far back as 700 B.C. - according to one expert who says such finds are becoming more common.
Thought we'd blogged about this earlier, but apparently not.
Bad archaeologist! No cookie! Police arrest archaeologist suspected of ancient relic trade
An archaeologist was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of locating and purchasing an ancient document from antiquities thieves.
Professor Hanan Eshel, of Bar-Ilan University, is suspected of purchasing pieces of a Leviticus scroll from the Bar Kokhba period (132-135 CE) from three West Bank Bedouin for $3,000. The three Bedouin allegedly showed the document first to a doctoral student of Eshel, Roi Porat. Porat, who was also questioned yesterday, allegedly called in Eshel, who subsequently made the purchase. Eshel and Porat were released with limitations after questioning.
Underwater archaeology update Archaeologists search in Charlotte Harbor
Slowly, very slowly Monday, the 24-foot twin-engine Parker bumped through the choppy green water in Charlotte Harbor.
Three archaeologists intently watched two screens — one hooked to a side-scan sonar "tow fish" trailing behind the boat, the other hooked to a magnetometer tow fish — seeking the harbor's maritime history.
"This is really exciting work; going 3 to 4 knots, looking at the bay floor," said J. Coz Cozzi, Mote Marine Laboratory's nautical archaeologist. "This is as exciting as it gets."
With the help of scientists and equipment from Panamerican Consultants Inc. of Memphis, Cozzi has started the first systematic search for sunken and abandoned vessels and the remains of historic structures in Charlotte Harbor.
Ancient artifacts to be returned to Mexico
U.S. customs officials plan to return a pair of seized ancient stone artifacts to Mexico this week during a repatriation ceremony.
Roger Maier, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the "metates," once used to grind grain, were seized during a traffic stop at the Columbus, N.M., border crossing in August 2004. Officials with the El Paso Museum of Archaeology have identified the artifacts as prehistoric relics from the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, Mexico.
Maier said the American citizen who had the artifacts told investigators he found them while hiking in Mexico. No arrests were made, Maier said.
The metates are being returned to Mexican officials on Wednesday under a Treaty of Cooperation between Mexico and the United States that allows for the recovery and return of stolen archaeological, historical and cultural items.
That's the whole thing. There are more stories on it floating around though.
Fort Clatsop update Archaeologists get treat at Fort Clatsop
A team of Northwest archaeologists converged Tuesday at Fort Clatsop, eager to probe the ground where a historic landmark once stood.
A fire last month destroyed the replica of the fort where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805-06, and now National Park archaeologists get a rare chance to learn more about the site.
They will use remote sensing devices such as ground-penetrating radar to seek soil irregularities that might signal a post hole, a fire pit or anything else man-made.
So the upshot is that the destruction of the replica is allowing them to work over the site some to locate the original. They're going to probably rebuild the replica as well, which may or may not be a good idea depending on what the subsurface analysis yields.
Archaeologists kick up dirt in Safford
Under all the sand and desert sagebrush of the Gila Valley lies an archaeologist's heaven, and Eastern Arizona College played host last weekend to a team of scientists interested in the remains of the area's ancient civilizations.
The three-day symposium drew students, researchers, seasoned archaeologists and curious members of the community to the college. It was jointly sponsored by EAC, the Arizona Archaeological Council and the Center for Desert Archaeology. The symposium also included three field trips to various sites in the Valley.
David E. Purcell of Four Corners Research introduced the symposium with a history of the Safford Basin - an area with a history just beginning to be revealed.