Category: malcolmj - Part 6

Checkmate: Lewis Chessmen Set To Return To Scotland On Loan

Scottish Minister for Culture Mike Russell is expected to announce today that the Lewis Chessmen a collection of 93 individually hand-carved walrus-ivory chess pieces dating from the 12th century, found on the Isle of Lewis in 1831 are to be reunited again. A proportion of the 82-piece set belonging to the British Museum in London will arrive home on loan, to join up with the 11 other artefacts currently held by the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Theyll go on tour around the country in coming months, taking in destinations including Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

The Lewis Chessmen are one of the British Museums most popular exhibits. The temporary return north of even a few pieces (at least 25, probably more) represents checkmate for the Scottish Government, who have been calling for the Chessmens full repatriation for a long time, and were preparing to lobby at Westminster. The agreement hammered out by museum bosses appears to be a compromise intended to head-off any potential debate over ownership. British Museum chiefs fear that repatriation might set a dangerous precedent for the return of other disputed items, such as the much-fought-over Elgin Marbles, Bust of Nefertiti and Rosetta Stone.

British Museum chiefs fear that repatriation might set a dangerous precedent for the return of other disputed items

The British Museums rights over the Lewis Chessmen are much stronger than they are over other controversial artefacts in their collection, such as the Elgin Marbles, which were taken from the Parthenon without clear permission by Thomas Bruce in the early 19th century (the Greeks still hope to get them back). The chess pieces werent plundered, but rather purchased for 80 guineas from a dealer in Edinburgh, who in turn had paid 30 for them himself.

Yet its believed that the Scottish Government which is pursuing a nationalist agenda, with the ultimate goal of Scottish independence from the rest of the United Kingdom wont drop their claim to repatriation altogether in the long term, and may yet make further calls for a permanent release.

Artefact repatriation is a sticky ethical subject its hard to determine who really owns centuries-old artefacts that changed hands in ages before any firm regulation of such exchanges was instituted.

The debate over the Lewis Chessmen is complicated further by the fact that the set is thought to be Scandinavian in origin, since it dates from a time when the Outer Hebrides were ruled by Norway. If the Scots think theyve got a right to the Chessmen, then couldnt a Norwegian claim too logically be made?

Picture by Simon Greig. Some rights reserved.

Highland Archaeology Festival Returns In October

Hot on the heels of Scottish Archaeology Month comes the Highland Archaeology Festival, from October 3-18 a fortnight of over 100 events, activities and open days, most of them free, giving the public a great chance to get hands on with the picturesque northern regions abundant heritage. As well as the archaeology of the Highlands, the festival will also celebrate its history, landscape and culture, through all from guided walks to family events, self-guided trails, archaeological surveys, evening lectures and exhibitions.

Highlights will include an archaeology in action session at the famous Eilean Donan Castle in Skye and Lochalsh, a guided tour of Carn Liath Broch in Sutherland and a project recording hut circles near Ullapool in Wester Ross. In Inverness and Nairn, kids can try becoming a Culloden archaeologist at the legendary battlefield, while their folks slip off to join Forestry Commission Scotland for a guided walk to a recently-discovered illicit whisky still site in Glen Affric, and maybe wee snifter too if theyre lucky.

HAFs grand finale will be a two-day seminar at the Spectrum Centre in Inverness Whats New in Highland Archaeology? from October 17-18. Featuring talks about recent archaeological excavations and projects across the region, itll provide a platform for archaeologists who have been working in the Highlands to present their results to fellow heritage experts and the public alike.

The Highland Archaeology Festival is firmly established as a key event in our cultural events calendar, said Councillor Ian Ross, Chairman of The Highland Councils Planning, Environment and Development Committee, in a statement. Thanks go to all event organisers without whose dedication and hard work the festival would not be possible.

Consultation with participants will be ongoing throughout the festival to decide whether next year it might better be held in the Spring. Be sure to make your opinion heard.

Picture from Highland Archaeology Festival.

Blonde Bombshell: Scandinavians Descended From Stone Age Immigrants

If youre wondering where Scandinavians got their blonde hair and impressive bone structure from then you can tick hunter-gatherers who inhabited the region at the end of the Ice Age off your list. It seems that an immigrant people from the Eastern Baltic region, who drifted into modern Scandinavia in the Stone Age around the time of the advent of farming are the real genetic ancestors of modern Swedes, Danes and Norwegians and even the Saami people of northern Scandinavia, according to new research straddling the boundaries of genetics and archaeology.

The study, published recently in the journal Current Biology, is the work of groups from Sweden, Denmark and the UK, and is led by Anders Gtherstrm from the Department of Evolutionary Biology at Uppsala University and Eske Willerslev, of the Centre for GeoGenetics at the University of Copenhagen.

It involved examining DNA from Stone Age remains to try and determine whether agricultural process were developed by hunter-gatherer communities the so-called Pitted-Ware culture themselves or brought in by new arrivals to the region, who co-existed beside Pitted-Ware people for a millennium until about 2000 BC. The evidence pointed firmly to population replacement by that stage. The hunter-gatherers who inhabited Scandinavia more than 4,000 years ago had a different gene pool than ours, stated Gtherstrm, speaking to ScienceDaily.

Our findings show that todays Scandinavians are not the direct descendants of the hunter-gatherers who lived in the region during the Stone Age.

Petra Molnar, at the Osteoarchaeological Research Laboratory at Stockholm University, concurred. Our findings show that todays Scandinavians are not the direct descendants of the hunter-gatherers who lived in the region during the Stone Age. This entails the conclusion that some form of migration to Scandinavia took place, probably at the onset of the agricultural Stone Age. The extent of this migration is as of yet impossible to determine.

The process by which humans populated the planet is being constantly revised, and this new finding may cause pre-historians to scribble out an extra line on their human migration map.

Picture by Candida.Performa. Some rights reserved.

Research On Sex Lives of Ancestors Hints At Why Monogamous Humans Out-Competed Neanderthals

A research team from the University of Liverpool, led by Evolutionary Anthropology PhD student Emma Nelson, reckon theyve made some tenuous inroads into establishing just how much early human-like primates liked to play the field when it came to sex. With it, they may have found some clues as to why Homo sapiens managed to see off Neanderthals as the dominant species on the planet.

The secret is in the ratio between the index and ring fingers on human hands, which are thought to be telltale indicators of how much androgen and with it, testosterone a person is exposed to in the womb. More androgen means longer ring fingers and a lower index-to-ring finger ratio, and vice-versa; studies (highly contentious ones) have suggested that men and in some cases women exposed to a larger amount of androgen will probably be physically and sexually more competitive, whereas those with shorter ring fingers are more likely to be monogamous.

Nelson and co hunted down male primate fossils that contained hands with intact index and ring fingers two Neanderthals and one Australopithecus afarensis (an extinct hominid ancestor of modern humans) and got their measuring tapes out. The Neanderthal had longer ring digits, suggesting he was a promiscuous chap who spent more time chasing skirt than feathering the nest; the Australopithecus afarensis had shorter ring fingers, suggesting he was a faithful chap who cared for his mate.

They were, in technical terms, a non-pair bonded and pair-bonded male respectively. What theyre seeing is very interesting, commented Dean Snow of Pennsylvania State University, speaking to Discovery News, on Nelson and her teams findings. The difference between being pair-bonded and non pair-bonded mating is a major watershed within primates. If a distinction is that Neanderthals werent pair-bonded and modern humans were, that would be a major consideration in trying to figure out why modern humans out-competed Neanderthals in Europe.

The Neanderthal had longer digits, suggesting he was a promiscuous chap who spent more time chasing skirt than feathering the nest.

The difference would have been most crucial, Snow pointed out, when it came to pregnancy. A pair-bonded male would stick around to help his partner out with food and protection while she was in such a vulnerable condition, greatly improving her and her childs chances of survival. This monogamy would be beneficial to the future of the species too.

Its of course a massive leap from a set of stubby digits to solving one of the great conundrums of human evolution, and Nelson acknowledges that there is much more work to be done. Many more fossil hominids in particular skeletons of Homo sapiens that lived at the same time as Neanderthals need looked at. But it seems there is much to be learned from the sex lives of our ancestors, and as much to be learned from the backs of our own hands.

Picture by Dan Shouse. Some rights reserved.

Wicker Man Found In The Scottish Highlands is Valuable Bronze Age Discovery

A set of unusually well preserved human and other organic remains discovered in the Highlands of Scotland wrapped in animal hide or furs, with a wicker basket curiously encasing the skull have been described by archaeologists as an extremely rare and valuable find that have the potential to tell a great deal about contemporary life and burial practice in the Bronze Age.

They were uncovered last February by landowner Jonathan Hampton, while digging peat with heavy machinery at a farm at Strath Oykel, in Sutherland. Local police were first on the scene and according to an angry Hampton made a botched job of investigating the tomb.

Their carelessness resulted in the removal of a number of parts of the skeleton (including the skull) and a few artefacts, only some of which have been returned. Nevertheless, a full survey was later carried out by Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD), which has returned very positive results.

“[It is] so well preserved for being 4,000 years old. These things don’t normally survive.

Even in its partial state, this assemblage has the potential to shed valuable light on the person buried and the materials used to dress the body, states GUARD’s report. Tests are ongoing on the skeletal remains to establish the sex and specific age of the individual, who is estimated to have died between 2500 and 2000 BC. Research on organic items found in the grave such as the basket (which features representations of plants and animals of the time), some possible food remains and the fur or hide wrapping the body is hoped to lend some further insights into burial practice at the time. They may have comprised objects or garments used in everyday life, or that were created especially for the burial, the report notes.

What about the wicker headgear? A tenuous parallel for this may exist at Cairnapple, suggest GUARD, where a piece of carbonised oak sliced from a sliced from a large log had been placed over a face of an extended inhumation burial. It was interpreted as a possible ceremonial mask, which might have been carved or painted.

The site is very significant in terms of the condition of the human remains, Andrew Puls an archaeologist from Highland Council, who has also been involved with the investigation told The Scotsman. There is certainly evidence of the burial practice of the Bronze Age in the area. [It is] so well preserved for being 4,000 years old. These things don’t normally survive.

Photos Historic Scotland, courtesy of GUARD.

Daming Palace In Xi’an Undergoes Major Restoration As National Relics Park Is Created

Work is ongoing in China on a major project to restore Daming Palace the 1,100 year-old ruling centre of the Tang Dynasty in modern Xian (formerly the Tang capital, Changan) and around it build an expansive National Relics Park. The project was officially launched in October of last year, and is hoped to be completed by October 2010.

Daming Palace was established in 634 AD, in the eight year of the reign of Emperor Taizong. It was the largest of three major palaces in Changan, and the political hub of the empire for 240 years, until the Tang moved their capital to Luoyang in Henan Province in 904. Its architecture was hugely influential on many other major public buildings constructed in its wake, and Daming Palace remains one of the largest and finest examples of the Tang style. Its grounds cover 3.2 square kilometres, and feature various terraces, halls, temples, pavilions and administrative buildings, all of which will be incorporated into the Relics Park.

The Daming Palace Heritage Site Preservation Revelation Project is a key scheme among 100 others outlined under Chinas Eleventh Five-Year Plan. It’s intended to be a model of large-scale heritage site restoration, and with it demonstrate how such an endeavour can help drive wider city development.

The long-term goal is for Daming Palace to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The project is a perfect integration between [the] preservation of ancient cultural heritage and [the] construction of ecological landscape, states the DMGYZ website. Its hoped to be a masterpiece, that makes the most of the buildings aesthetic features, while also fulfilling more utilitarian goals such as accommodating citizens needs of recreation, residence and environment, and mirroring the international standards for improving the humanistic ambience and building up [of] new urban districts.

The long-term goal is for Daming Palace to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, since Xian is the starting point of the celebrated Silk Road the 2,000-year-old trade route linking Asia and Europe its also hoped that the project will aid the drive by China and other East Asian countries to get numerous major landmarks on the Silk Roads path added to the UNESCO list. Currently, several sites along the road have been nominated by the Chinese government for inclusion, although the ancient city of Kashgar remains conspicuously absent from the list.

Orkney Venus And Holm of Papa Westray Lintel Stone Could be Sisters

A possible connection has been established between the tiny, 5,000-year-old carved figurine discovered last month at Links of Noltland on Orkney and a lintel stone found on the nearby remote islet Holm of Papa Westray.

Archaeologists identified a potential correlation between the distinctive heavy, curved eyebrows and dotted eyes on the so-called Orkney Venus which is thought to be Scotlands earliest representation of the human face and markings that theyd earlier seen etched into the lintel rock, which lies inside a large chambered Neolithic burial cairn. Mike Brooks, of the Historic Scotland photographic unit, was dispatched to Holm of Papa Westray which is only accessible by private boat hire to take some high-quality snaps of the stone; initial comparisons do show a similarity.

It may point, commented Historic Scotland cultural resources team senior archaeologist Richard Strachan in a statement, to the possibility that the markings in the cairn are meant to show human eyebrows and eyes, as the style is very similar to the figurine. Alternatively, we may be seeing the re-use of a motif familiar to the carver and applied to different contexts with different meaning.

This is highly intriguing and raises yet more questions about Neolithic peoples attitudes to artistic representations of human beings.

This is highly intriguing and raises yet more questions about Neolithic peoples attitudes to artistic representations of human beings, he continued. Images of people are very rare indeed, which some people believe suggests that it was considered taboo.

But the discovery of the figurine shows there were some exceptions, and the lintel in the tomb may suggest that there were situations where particular features could be shown.

Mass Cemetery in Syria was cut Into Rockface

A mass ancient cemetery, seven rooms large and revealing a number of human bodies, has been discovered dug into rocks near the city of Tartus in western Syria, archaeologists from the Syrian Department of Antiquities have reported. One of the rooms contained a large basalt sarcophagus, with a human face engraved on it. Other small items located have included vessels, two small golden pieces and a clay lamp.

The sarcophagus is a large, human-shaped basin with a lid and a protruding shelf all around the edges (see here for a picture of it). Details of the face such as sunken lines in the forehead suggests the coffin was for a male of old age, with almond eyes, a long nose and neatly manicured facial hair. The body is undecorated. The artefact has been transported to the Syrian National Museum for further study. Another solo tomb was additionally found 23 metres to the northeast of the cemetery which is located near the Tartuss al-Basel Hospital carved into limestone rocks. It revealed three heavily degraded human skulls, some clay jars and some bronze and gold jewelry.

Details of the face such as sunken lines in the forehead suggests the coffin was for a male of old age, with almond eyes, a long nose and neatly manicured facial hair.

Founded as the Phoenician colony of Antarudus, Tartus has a history stretching back to the 2nd millennium BC. It was linked to two larger and more important nearby settlements, the island-city of Arwad (for which Antarudus acted as a mainland base) and the temple city of Amrit. Not much remains of Phoenician Antarudus, which was later occupied by the Greco-Romans, the Byzantines, the Crusaders, the Muslims and the Ottomans.

Hat Trick Victory Against Artefact Looting

A hat-trick of victories have been won around the world this week in the global fight against the theft and sale of archaeological artefacts a multi-million dollar international industry. The arrest of three men in Bulgaria in connection with their possession of a number of precious Roman coins and other items is particularly heartening, since it offers some sign that the tide might be turning in the struggle against a black-market industry that has been destroying the countrys rich ancient heritage.

In the US on Wednesday, the former head of Long Island Universitys Hillwood Museum Barry Stern, was arrested and charged with the theft of nine items each over 2,000 years old from the museums collection. The artefacts among which are wood, bronze, quartz and limestone models of Egyptian mythical figures had turned up in London fine art auctioneers Christies catalogue in June, ten months after Sterns contract had been terminated. They went on to sell for a total of $51,000. Stern told authorities that the items had been gifts from his parents, but he was later forced to admit his guilt. Hell now be charged with lying to an FBI agent, as well as theft.

Topping Stern for stupidity is James Edward Truhls of Eureka, California, who on Monday pleaded guilty to illegal excavations and the removal of artefacts from a Native American heritage site at Patricks Point State Park, a year on from his arrest. In 2008, several disturbances had been reported at Patricks Point by the Yurok Tribe, who oversee and maintain the land. How did the police go on to catch this cunning criminal? After spotting a video Truhls posted of himself on Youtube, digging at said archaeological hotspot. Hes looking at up to a year in a county jail and a fine of $10,000.

How did the police go on to catch this cunning criminal? After spotting a video Truhls posted of himself on Youtube, digging at the site.

The arrests in Bulgaria were made in the western town of Bobovdol. The three men aged 41, 42, and 52, all with previous criminal convictions were caught carrying 30 bronze Roman coins, dating from between the 1st century BC and 5th century AD, as well as two Roman rings, a spear head and lead melts. They confessed that the items been found near the village of Chukovets; nearby, archeologists from the Regional History Museum in the city of Kyustendil later discovered a religious plaque with Greek inscriptions dedicated to the Thracian god Heros.

Once comprising the bulk of the ancient kingdom of Thrace, Bulgaria is steeped in ancient history, and according to some experts could thrive as a cultural tourism hotspot in the same way as Greece or Italy. But the impoverished former Soviet States government has made scant attempt to build a tourist industry around its heritage sites, and instead allowed a massive illegal industry in the theft and sale of archaeological artefacts to spring up over the last 20 years. A tougher stance on Bulgarias treasure hunters has been promised hopefully these arrests reflect that new approach.

Mount Zion Mug Gives Insight Into Bible-Era Jerusalem

We all get a bit ticked off when someone else uses our favourite coffee mug. But for the Jews in ancient Jerusalem, keeping their best cups sacred was apparently a matter of the gravest importance.

A stone drinking receptacle dating from around the time of Jesus Christ, found recently on historic Mount Zion, has shed light on strict religious ritual when it came to mugs in Biblical times. It bears tens lines of strange script scratched into its side, which while not yet deciphered are nevertheless believed to indicate that the cup wasnt to be casually used by just anybody.

The mug, found broken up into three fragments, dates from some time between 37 BC and AD 70 when the Romans nearly destroyed Jerusalem after the Jewish revolt. It was discovered by archaeologists digging in the remains of an elite neighbourhood that once stood near the palace of King Herod the Great (who lived from 74 BC to 4 BC). The same team recently found a stone nearby, also engraved with mysterious markings. The script looks like its written in a kind of secret code, combining the two languages used in Jerusalem at the time Hebrew and Aramaic.

They could be instructions on how to use [the cup], which could have incantations or curses. Its not going to be something mundane like a shopping list.

They wrote it intending it to be cryptic, said Shimon Gibson of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte one of the lead excavators on the dig speaking to National Geographic. Clearly the cup bore some enigmatic meaning which similar to, say, the writing in the Dead Sea Scrolls was intended to be understood only by certain specific individuals. They could be instructions on how to use [the cup], which could have incantations or curses, he continued. Its not going to be something mundane like a shopping list.

Cups of the time that came into contact with forbidden foodstuffs had to be smashed up and disposed of, according to strict Jewish purity laws on eating and drinking. This one was very practically made out of stone. According to Jewish law, stone cannot become ritually impure, explained archaeologist Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill an expert on daily life in biblical Jerusalem also talking to National Geographic. In the long run, if youre observing purity laws, its cost-effective to use stone vessels.

Such mugs are very commonly found in the area. However, this one is unique. This is the first time an inscription has been found on a stone vessel of this type, commented Gibson. Hes been circulating images of the artefact as widely as possible among experts on writing from the period, and also hopes to get as many pictures as possible online in the hope of it being spotted by someone who can interpret the text.

Were welcoming suggestions too. Serious ones only please.