Sunday Round Up

Sunday Round Up is a post where I highlight all the great articles I read this week, but didn't have time to post about. Most of these articles are Archaeology News from around the world. History, Egyptology and other articles also included.

Some Articles I read:

* The Lost City of the Pyramids
* How Old are the Pyramids?
* Talking Trash Through the Ages
* Whales in the desert: Fossil bonanza poses mystery

Some Websites I found:

* California Academy of Skulls
* Underwater Archeology
* Ancient Egypt Research Associates
* Archaeography Photoblog
* Theban Mapping Project

The Human Lineage Through Time

I stumbled upon an amazing website called Becoming Human, that has a wonderful interactive timeline of the human lineage through time.

Click here to see it, or on the picture/preview below:

Source: http://www.becominghuman.org/node/human-lineage-through-time

Want a Giant Megalodon Jaw?

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Megalodon2.jpg

Do you want your own massive Megalodon jaw? A giant Megalodon jaw is being auctioned off in June in Dallas. Bidding will start at $625,000.

The is 11 feet across and 8.5 feet high. Some of the teeth are over 7 feet long.

You can see more details and photos here.

Garden dig leads to a grave discovery

Source: http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-2956506483

Pat Tiernan unearthed items up to 4,000 years old in his back garden afters he started work on a home extension. This is when he found the items and a skeleton. A team from the National Museum then stepped in and the finds will be preserved and analyzed at the museum.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/garden-dig-leads-to-a-grave-discovery-15095717.html?r=RSS#ixzz1FESFcmiO
And here: 

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0225/1224290838870.html

Ancient skeleton found in Golden shroud

 Source: http://www.imageabstraction.com/gallery/pic.php?id=216

An Ancient female skeleton has been found by Greek archaeologists in a 7th century grave in Crete. But what makes this skeleton so interesting is that it was found covered with more than 3000 pieces of gold foil. The foil is thought to have been sewn onto the robe.

The grave also contained a second skeleton, pottery, perfume and tons of beads. But the most significant find was a pendant in the form of a bee goddess.

Source:

http://news.scotsman.com/world/Golden-shroud-of-ancient-skeleton.6555616.jp

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/09/28/ancient-greek-grave-hides-golden-skeleton/

Ancient invalid / Stonehenge skeleton / Trampling of Artifacts

The first known ancient invalid cared for by Hunter-gatherers

 Just for illustration

An ancient Hunchback that lived 500,000 years ago is the most elderly ancient human ever found (45 years old when died). He has been named "Elvis" after his pelvis and lower backbone were found in Spain. 

"His spine was bent forward so, to keep an upright posture, he possibly used a cane, just like elderly people today," says Alejandro Bonmatí of the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. (Source)

More on this topic:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19568-huntergatherers-cared-for-first-known-ancient-invalid.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

Stonehenge skeleton came from Mediterranean

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonmarulanda/3736708170/

It is said that the "The Boy with the Amber Necklace" (he was wearing amber beads) buried near the Stonehenge monument came from the Mediterranean. He is dated to 1,550 B.C. and believed to be from a rich family.

"The find adds considerable weight to the idea that people traveled long distances to visit Stonehenge, which must therefore have had a big reputation as a cult center," Timothy Darvill said. "Long distance travel was certainly more common at this time than we generally think." (Source)

More on this:

http://www.argus-press.com/news/international/article_b7a880e7-3650-567b-900c-0aa6b0d09ae0.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39440606/ns/world_news-europe/

What happens when a Artifact gets Trampled? 

Just for illustration © Copyright Bill Boaden

Around the world, the hooves of water buffaloes, goats, and other large animals may have propelled countless Stone Age artifacts back in time, at least as far as archaeologists are concerned. In wet areas, wild or domestic animals' heavy footfalls can push stone artifacts deep into the ground, making them seem older than they really are—in some cases, thousands of years older—according to a new study. (Source)

This is fascinating! Read here how to identify such a site and all the implications of this! There is also a picture of this study in India!  

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100929-trampling-stone-age-artifacts-dating-goats-science/