Category: sean-williams - Part 17

Latest Metal Detector Haul: ‘Unique’ Norman Coin Cache

Metal detecting enthusiasts are enjoying a halcyon period this week, as four extremely rare Norman coins have been unearthed in Gloucestershire dating back to the reign of William the Conqueror. The coins, which were discovered by an as-yet unnamed finder, are believed to have been minted in Gloucester between 1073 and 1076. And while they may have been overshadowed by the recent Staffordshire Saxon hoard – and even a recent Roman coin haul in Shropshire – archaeologist Kurt Adams tells the BBC the 0.8mm-thick coins are extremely uncommon. A coroner will soon decide whether the cache can be kept by its finder or declared treasure by the state.

“Coins dating to the age of William (the Conqueror) are very rare finds, but these are unique,” says Mr Adams. “The finder reported them to me and I have taken them in under the 1996 Treasure Act and reported the find to the coroner who will hold a Court of Inquest to prove they are treasure. I’ll then send the coins to the British Museum for examination.

“we are out there to find this kind of stuff and it is out there.” Terry Herbert

“If experts there decide they want the coins they have to be independently valued and the museum would have to find the money,” Mr Adams adds. “Half of that would go to the landowner and half to the finder.” The illustrious events of this week are likely to reinvigorate interest in metal detecting. Terry Herbert, who discovered the Staffordshire hoard, says he had been the source of ridicule before his massive breakthrough, which has been touted as the biggest of its kind in British history. “People laugh at metal detectorists. I’ve had people go past and go, ‘beep beep, he’s after pennies’.

“Well no, we are out there to find this kind of stuff and it is out there.”

New ‘Nazca’ Lines found in Kazakh Mountains

Kazakhstan has become the latest hotbed of UFOspeculation, as experts announce the discovery of a set of geoglyphs in a remote mountainous region of the huge central Asian county. The huge lines, created either by removing topsoil or by decorating with various stones, have been spotted in the country’s southern Karatau range.

And though many will draw comparisons with the better known ‘Nazca Lines‘ of Peru, the Kazakh geoglyphs are strikingly different. Rather than depicting the menagerie of fish, lizards, monkeys, birds and other animals favoured by the mysterious Nazcas, they show a humanoid figure huddled between two odd-shaped structures.

Some UFO ‘scholars’ believe the lines are ancient distress signals to the stars

The revelation has sparked a hive of interest from UFOresearchers, some of whom believe the lines are ancient markers set out by tribes to entice alien contact.

Kazakh site Vesti expects UFOscholars to claim the enigmatic figure is an alien who once visited earth, and that the lines may have once been part of a distress signal pleading for help from ‘star gods’.

Kazakhstan has a rich history, having been perched in the centre of the famous Silk Road – a vital trade route which ran between Europe and the Far East from as far back as the first millennium BC. The lines are close to the historical city of Taraz, an important stop on the route.

Equinox Shines a Light on Loughcrew

Forget Stonehenge – the Autumn/Winter megalithic collection is in, and it’s green. Loughcrew, in County Meath, Ireland, is one of the country’s most important heritage sites, and twice yearly crowds flock from far afield to see its most famous feature, when the equinox sun shines directly on the Cairn T chamber’s beautiful backstone.

While there weren’t 36,500 people in attendance, or the grandiose policing policies that go with Stonehenge on the solstices, visitors to the megalithic complex on Sunday morning were treated to an intimate and touching experience.

As these photos and video from Newgrange.com show, those who donned their fleeces at dawn were treated to a wonderful sunrise.

Groups were then allowed to make their way inside the chambered tomb, which is thought to date back to around 3,300 BC, to marvel at its unique rock-carved petroglyphs.

The carvings are among some of the most stunning in Europe, with spirals, leaves and lines carving a bond between ancient artist and beholder.

The equinoxal event is strikingly similar to that at the better known Newgrange, which allows a thin beam of light to penetrate its narrow chamber on the poignant date.

Equinoxal structures are seen around the world, from Egypt to Mexico – even Yorkshire and Manhatten have their day in the sun.

Judging by these pictures there were none of the unhinged revellers we saw at Stonehenge three months ago – everything’s a little more relaxed in Ireland, isn’t it?

MOVIE: Loughcrew Equinox – Ireland

Images courtesy of www.newgrange.com

Lost Underground City Discovered in Sri Lanka

The dust may be yet to settle over Giza’s supposed ‘tube’ network, but it seems Egypt isn’t the only ancient site in which to find subterranean wonders. Archaeologists in Sri Lanka have recently embarked on a proposed four-year project to uncover a ‘hidden city’ lurking below the famous sacred site of Anuradhapura.

Director-General of the country’s Central Cultural Fund, Dr Siran Deraniyagala, will be joined by archaeologists from Berlin University to unshroud the secrets of one of Sri Lanka’s famous ancient capitals.

Anuradhapura is one of Sri Lanka’s holiest sites

As yet no archaeological team has conducted a complete exploration of Anuradhapura, which is believed to have been founded as far back as the 5th century BC.

The city’s cultural and political zenith was during its era as capital city between the 3rd century BC and 993 AD, when it was abandoned following an invasion. Its pretty ruins, including Ruwanwelisaya Stupa and the Avukana Buddha, remain a popular tourist haunt today. The city still remains a sacred place for Buddhists.

Sri Lankan officials will be hoping this latest coup can reignite foreign passions for a country which has only this year emerged from a bloody 16-year civil war.

‘Sutton Hoo-Standard’ Saxon Skull and Brooch ‘Belong to Sixth Century Princess’

A collection of rare Anglo- Saxon jewellery that was found at the grave in Streethouse, Loftus will now be kept and displayed at the Kirkleatham Museum. A skull and gold-inlaid brooch ‘on a par with the Sutton Hoo burial‘, found by an amateur metal detecting enthusiast, could prove to belong to a 1,500 year-old Saxon princess, experts are claiming. The incredible haul came to light when Chris Bayston, 56, noticed something during a rally with the Weekend Wanderers Metal Detectors Club on farmland near West Hanney, Oxfordshire. On further inspection Mr Bayston found the skull and copper alloy brooch; circular in shape, covered in gold and studded with garnets and coral. “I lifted a shovel load of muck out and as I threw it down I saw the brooch,” he tells the Oxford Mail. “I poked a hole open and saw the bones, and thats when I thought, Christ, I better stop: Ive hit a serious find. I cannot get my head around it yet. Its a dream come true really, just unbelievable. They may be able to learn a lot from this.”

The club subsequently notified local polic to protect the site. The Home Office has commissioned professional archaeologists to begin exhuming the rest of the body, and to look for any more treasure which may have come loose over the years. A date has not yet been set for completion. The quality of the brooch has led many to deduce its owner was someone of significant status.

The club’s chief, Peter Welch, hails the find as the biggest he’s observed in over 20 years. “It could be a Saxon princess or queen, but we will need more excavation to find out,” he says. “The brooch shows some very skilful workmanship, on a par with the Sutton Hoo burial.” Sutton Hoo became Britain’s most famous Saxon haul in 1939, when Basil Brown unearthed the incredible remains of a ship, alongside several precious items including the now-iconic helmet, which now reside in the British Museum.

“The discovery puts this part of Oxfordshire on the map.” Peter Welch

Oxfordshire County Council finds liaison officer Anni Byard recognises the importance of the discovery. “It’s an important find with the burial still intact,” she claims. “Finds like this don’t come along very often.”

Mr Welch adds to the BBC: “To get this grave intact was quite important and we’re now waiting for a licence so the grave can be properly excavated. Potentially there are other pieces with the grave that have yet to excavated. This part of Oxfordshire was previously unknown and unlisted as a Saxon occupation sight, but now it’s on the map.”

Maya Pompeii: Mexico Pyramid Discovery Gives Clue to Civilization Collapse

Archaeologists have made an amazing discovery in Mexico, which could hold the key to one of history’s enduring enigmas. Two pyramids and nine palaces have been found hidden in the jungles of the Puuc region of Mexico’s Yucatan, the birthplace of the famous Maya culture. Experts have described the incredible haul, located at the ancient site of Kiuic, as a ‘Maya Pompeii’ – and believe its sudden abandonment could unlock the mystery of the Mayas, whose highly advanced civilization suddenly imploded around a thousand years ago.

The project, led by Mexico‘s National Institute of Archaeology and History, unearthed an intriguing cache of tools in the hilltop palaces which includes weapons like axes and knives, and agricultural tools such as pots and corn-griniding stones called metates. One of the two pyramids even sat atop one of the palaces, which shows the evolution of Maya residences from the pragmatic to the

“The people just walked away and left everything in place. It’s a frozen moment in time.”

extravagant. Experts know the Maya inhabited Puuc from around 500 BC. Yet why they suddenly downed all their tools and headed for the coast is one of history’s greatest conundrums.

George Bey, of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, is the co-director of the Labna- Kiuic Regional Archaeological Project. He claims Puuc’s illustrious past is a product of immigration, but he is less certain about why they suddenly left the wealth of their homeland for Yucatan‘s northern coasts. “It was completely unexpected. It looks like they just turned

the metates on their sides and left things waiting for them to come back,” he says. Maya expert Takeshi Inomata, of the University of Arizona, is confident the discovery will lead to further knowledge on the culture’s dramatic collapse. “(The team’s) finds look very interesting and promising,” he says. “If it indeed represents rapid abandonment, it provides important implications about the social circumstance at that time and promises detailed data on the way people lived.”

However even Inomata is quick to cool any excitable enthusiasts: “I should add that the identification of rapid abandonment is not easy,” he warns. “There are other types of deposits – particularly ritual deposits – that result in very similar kinds of artifact assemblages.” Bey has hailed the pristine state of the discovery, likening it to an ancient time capsule. “The people just walked away and left everything in place. Until now, we had little evidence from the actual moment of abandonment, its a frozen moment in time,” he tells USA Today. “I think you could compare it to Pompeii, where people locked their doors and fled, taking some things but leaving others.”

Three Arrests in Iraqi War on Artefact Trafficking

Three men have been arrested in Iraq on charges of trafficking eight priceless ancient artefacts, as the war-torn nation clamps down on a burgeoning black market. The men were foiled after trying to sell one item for $160,000 to an undercover intelligence officer of the Iraq Army 12th Division, just outside the northern city of Kirkuk. A fourth trafficker is yet to have been caught by the police. Among the treasures was the bust of a Sumerian king, local army chiefs told Associated Press. All of the objects date from the region’s Sumerian era, between 4,000 and 2,000 BC. Major General Abdul Amir al-Zaidi told reporters the sting was based on information from local residents, and stressed the Iraqi authorities’ commitment to retrieving vital artefacts in the face of civil unrest: “The duty of Iraqi army is not only to chase the terrorists but also to protect state treasures,” he said.

This episode is a light note for a city ravaged by war since the dawn of civilization

The operation is a breath of fresh air in a country which, following the upheaval and demise of tyrannical dictator Saddam Hussein (who based his image on the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II), fell prey to looters and traffickers as the invading US Army failed to secure some of its most precious ancient sites and

artefacts. Some objects have subsequently been found as far afield as Switzerland and Japan, and US soldiers have even been ordered to receive cultural heritage training. The Netherlands returned 69 stolen treasures to Iraq only two months ago, but many more items are unaccounted for. The ancient artefact black market has taken several blows of late, with high-profile sting operations making headlines in the US and Bulgaria. The latter has come under heavy fire from so-called ‘treasure hunters‘ recently, with the government taking a hard-line on those caught in the act of plundering its Roman, Thracian and Byzantine past.

Kirkuk itself stands at the faultline between a myriad ancient and contemporary peoples. Built on the ruins of the Assyrian city of Arrapha, which stood from around 2,000 BC, it was the stage for dozens of bloody battles between the Assyrians and their Babylonian and Median rivals. More recently the city was the scene for further bloodshed, when Hussein ordered its infamous cleansing of Kurdish inhabitants, before becoming a vital step in the US-led coalition’s struggle to control the countrCitizens and officials will be hoping this small victory can prove a turning point in the city’s fortunes.

Egypt and Japan Launch Joint Venture Uses Satellites to Sniff Out Egyptian Sites

Workmen may just have downed tools after laser scanning the Sphinx, but a new Egyptian-Japanese venture aims to seek out even more archaeological hotspots along the Nile, using technology at the bleeding egde of science. The far-flung team, headed by Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, hopes to reach areas in the river’s western Delta and nearby El-Beheira governorate, whose geography has resisted conventional techniques thus far. The team has already employed satellite imaging and remote sensing devices to map heritage sites in the area, and experts are confident more will appear when a second phase gets under way next February.

The Authority’s work is being carried out by cohorts from the country’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and Japan’s Waseda and Tokai universities. And as well as uncovering some ancient wonders, the team is hoping it can discover more about the Nile’s geological history. This could in turn lead to even more breakthroughs, as more could be learned about how the ancient Egyptians settled along the world’s longest river thousands of years ago.

Egyptian archaeology is enjoying something of a gadgetry renaissance of late

Egyptian archaeology is enjoying something of a gadgetry renaissance of late, with not only Giza‘s laser-scanning coup but a glut of mummy CSI cases, as experts rush to radiograph some of the empire’s most alluring enigmas. Yet while preservation and identification will whet the appetites of Egyptologists, the discovery of new heritage sites will ignite the passions of history lovers the world over. Satellites have long been regarded as key archaeological tools, with sites like Syria’s Tell Brak benfitting from the pioneering work by experts like Harvard University’s Jason Ur. The extensive mapping carried out by Google Earth has caused its own stir in recent years, and has even spurred on a number of Atlantis theories with apparent grids being spotted in the Atlantic Ocean.

Plumb With the Sun: Is Karnak Temple Egypt’s Stonehenge?

New research suggests some of Egypt’s most famous ancient temples charted the heavens in much the same way as Stonehenge, with many built to align with various stars as well as the sun and moon.

One of the country’s most recognisable landmarks, Luxor‘s Karnak Temple, was constructed so that New Year coincided with the midwinter sun hitting its central sanctuary. An article in New Scientist reports that Many of the temples, some dating back as far as 3,000 years, would have been precisely aligned so that their people could set agricultural, political and religious calendars by them.

Experts have long been convinced hieroglyphs on temple walls depicting the ‘stretching of the cord’ ceremony – in which a pharaoh marked out the temple‘s dimensions with string – have inferred astronomical purpose.

But this research goes a step further, and shows that each temple was aligned to its own celestial phenomenon. Links to both solstices and equinoxes have been found, as well as alignments with the rising of Sirius, the sky’s brightest star.

“Somebody would have had to go to the prospective site during a solar, stellar or lunar event – as we did – to mark out the position that the temple axis should take,” says Juan Belmonte of the Canaries Astrophysical Institute in Tenerife, Spain. “For the most important temples, this may well have been the pharaoh, as the temple drawings show.”

The idea of pharaohs marking out plumb lines much like a modern builder is good enough for me, personally. Astronomy has always fascinated ancient civilizations. Since the first cities of Sumer, man has looked skywards for farming, religion and sheer curiosity. Indeed, some of the world’s first writing deals with the chronicling of the heavens.

However, the most famous monument known for its astronomical alignments must surely be Stonehenge. Twice yearly thousands (including Heritage Key) flock to the ‘sacred’ stones to celebrate their spectacular synergy with the solstices.

Maybe now we’ll see druid pilgrimages to Cairo, Luxor et al? It’d be a bit too hot for all those robes…

The Volcano Hats of Easter Island

It’s a question that’s bamboozled archaeologists for centuries – just where did the Moai of Easter Island get those big red hats? The answer, two British experts have claimed this week, is one of sacred quarries, iconic top-knots and volcanic highways. Sounds a bit too far-fetched for reality? Bear in mind these are the thousand-plus statues which line the world’s remotest inhabited island, in a corner of Polynesia not even touched by Europeans until the eighteenth century, and the truth may seem a little easier to stomach.

The University of Manchester’s Colin Richards and Sue Hamilton from University College London are the first British archaeologists to explore Rapa Nui – to give the island its indigenous name – since 1914. Yet the pair believe they’ve finally solved the mystery of the Moai‘s mottled headgear, with the discovery of a road emanating from an ancient volcano. The road, which Richards claims was made from cemented red scoria dust, leads to a ‘sacred’ quarry where the hats were made. The team have also found an ‘adze’, an ancient axe used to sculpt the monolithic mitres, buried at the quarry. They believe it was deliberately left as an offering to the gods.

“We know the hats were rolled along the road made from a cement of compressed red scoria dust,” says Dr Richards. “We can see they were carefully placed. The closer you get to the volcano, the greater the number. It’s like a church; you can’t just walk straight to the altar. The Polynesians saw the landscape as a living thing, and after they carved the rock the spirits entered the statues.”

“Potentially this could rewrite Polynesian history.”

The group’s findings may revolutionise the way we understand some of Earth’s most amazing treasures – yet one aspect of the giant hats remains a condundrum: why? There is little in the way of physical evidence, but experts feel the answer may be lie in their rarity. Only 70-75 of the thousand Moai wear the hats, which has led many to believe them to be ancient status symbols. Some even claim they resemble the ancient top-knots or plaits worn by the island’s earliest rulers. “Chieftain society was highly competitive and it has been suggested that they were competing so much that they over-ran their resources,” says Dr Hamilton.

The Easter Islanders were known for their fierce in-fighting, and continuous battles took their toll on the island’s tiny population. The first European to visit the island (on Easter Sunday, hence the name) was Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen. Since then the islanders have been hit by warring, slave-trading, annexation and disease – which at one point during the late nineteenth century saw its dwindling numbers facing extinction. Not content with his latest coup, Dr Richards hopes to date the Moai successfully over the next five years, as part of the Rapa Nui Landscapes of Construction Project. “We will look to date the earliest statues,” he says. “Potentially this could rewrite Polynesian history.”