Category: sean-williams - Part 20

Israel Fury Over World Archaeological Conference ‘Exclusion’

Israeli authorities are raging this week, after what they perceive to be their deliberate exclusion from a World Archaeological Congress on Wednesday. The conference, which concerned ‘overcoming structural violence’ and the negative impact of politics on archaeology, was held in the Palestinian city of Ramallah. The Israeli Antiquities Authority is outraged on three fronts: that their experts weren’t informed of the event; that it was held in Palestine, which has a notoriously bad record on preserving ancient remains; and that the WAC conducted a tour of the Temple Mount and City of David Archaeological Park – even though both currently reside within Israeli hegemony.

In a furious letter to WAC president Claire Smith, IAA deputy director Dr Uzi Dahari accused the conference of perpetrating exactly what it has was formed to condemn – reports the Jerusalem Post. “We remind you that this is a conference organised by the World Archaeological Conference, and not a Palestinian archaeological organisation,” writes Dr Dahari. “This requires you to make it universal. The omission to include or invite Israeli speakers to address issues that directly affect their daily work shows that this conference is certainly not that.”

In a more strongly-worded exerpt, Dr Dahari complains that the conference included huge numbers of inaccuracies and insidious past-mastering which turned the event into little more than a political demonstration. The conference’s visit to the previously mentioned archaeological sites was another thing that has caused outrage in Israel, with Dr Dahari describing the tours as unethical and unprofessional. According to City of David official Doron Spielman, the event was orchestrated to “use archaeology as a guise to enforce an extreme political agenda to weaken Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem.”

However the WAC has hit back by insisting Israeli experts were told about the conference, and that many simply decided to boycott the event both to complain afterwards, and to protest at its location. Claire Smith also defended the tours, which she said are “being led by highly respected Palestinian and Israeli archeologists. These tours are to public areas and do not include visiting active archeological excavations,” Smith adds. “They’re timed so that delegates are free to gain additional knowledge through taking the normal paid tours. However, if you would like to send someone to provide an additional perspective, you would be welcome to do so.” Smith insisted the choice of location was because of the difficulty many Palestinian expertsc face when trying to leave their country: “Since it is difficult for Palestinian archeologists to interact with the international community, we decided to bring members of the international community to Palestinian archeologists,” she adds.

“The international archeological community should be outraged by this farce, which sullied the very name of archeology as an academic discipline”

However Spielman has another gripe with the event being held in Palestine; namely the Palestinian track record with preserving priceless antiquities: Choosing to hold the conference in Ramallah (the seat of the Palestinian Authority) is ironic given that the Palestinian Authority-controlled Wakf carried out in 1999 what is likely the largest archeological devastation in recent history, when they bulldozed and dumped 13,000 tons of archeological earth from the Temple Mount,” he argues. “The international archeological community should be as outraged as we are by this farce, which sullied the very name of archeology as an academic discipline, which the conference supposedly supports.”

The involvement of politics in archaeology is hardly a new phenomenon: only recently the troubles in Kashgar have led archaeologists to argue they should be involved in national policy which endangers cultural heritage sites. The Iraq War has also seen thousands of Mesopotamian treasures vanish into the black market, as digs and museums were looted in the conflict’s early days, and Libya has seen some of its own stunning statues stolen.

The Israeli – Palestine chaos has even spread to the display of the Dead Sea Scrolls as far away as Canada, with more unrest set to visit Toronto when the Ten Commandments scroll goes on exhibition there in October.

New Rock Art Discovered in Scotland

An amateur enthusiast has reignited Scotland’s rock art heritage this week, by discovering more than 90 ancient cup marks on a rock in Perthshire. The stunning find was made by George Currie at Ben Lawers, near Loch Tay. Similar discoveries have been made in the area, but Mr Currie’s is the first containing so many marks.

Some cups still show the signs of individual blows by their maker’s tools, while others are encircled by a ring. The purpose of the marks remains a mystery, though Derek Alexander, an archaeologist for the National Trust for Scotland, is convinced the area is a hotbed of similar artworks that are yet to be uncovered: “This is an exciting find as it shows that there remains undiscovered prehistoric rock art to be found in the Scottish hills,” Mr Alexander tells the BBC. “More surprising are the quantity and variety of the symbols displayed on this boulder. Through both targeted research by professional archaeologists and the work of dedicated amateurs like George Currie,” he continues, “we now know that Ben Lawers forms one of the major concentrations of cup and ring marks in the Highlands, which suggests it was a very significant landscape in prehistory.”

“Some cave art is clearly decoration, with very talented artists expressing themselves in different ways.”

Far from popular belief, you don’t have to go antipodean to see stunning rock and cave art. Creswell Crags, near Worksop, is a Paleolithic cave settlement discovered in 2003, which contains some of the most eye-catching ancient imagery in the world. The 13,500 year-old masterpiece is now the subject of a small museum. “Creswell was a Palaeolithic condo,” says archaeologist Paul Bahn. “Some cave art is clearly decoration, with very talented artists expressing themselves in different ways. A lot of them involve passing on information, telling stories, perhaps creation myths.” Though Creswell is the only known British cave art, rock art is startlingly common – with most examples found in the north of England, Scotland and Ireland. Cup marks can also be found at Old Bewick, Northumberland; and on Long Meg in Cumbria.

The area of Tayside and Perthshire, not generally known for its ancient heritage, has been hitting the archaeological headlines recently due to some incredible finds at Forteviot.

Huge Neolithic Temple Discovered on Orkney

An ‘amazing’ Neolithic temple has been unearthed on the northern Scottish island of Orkney, which ‘dwarfs’ its more famous prehistoric neighbours. The 7000 – 1700 BC monument was discovered beneath the strip of land dividing Harray Loch and Stenness Loch, and is the latest addition to an area which already boasts an incredible archaeological heritage. The temple may be sandwiched between the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness – but at 65ft long and similarly wide, the newly uncovered temple far eclipses its illustrious company for size. Though the building has remained hidden to this day its form is clearly visible, with slightly worn walls measuring 3ft tall by 16ft thick. And experts believe one of its standing stones, split with an hourglass-shaped hole, is the first of its kind found anywhere in the world. Its exact usage is undetermined, though archaeologists are speculating that it had a religious significance, with its cross-shaped inner sanctum and stone art and furniture.

“A building of this scale and complexity was here to amaze”

Nick Card, from the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology who are leading the excavation, believes the monument’s sheer size made it the ritual centrepiece for a huge area: “In effect it is a Neolithic cathedral for the whole of Scotland,” he tells The Herald. “A building of this scale and complexity was here to amaze – to create a sense of awe in the people who saw this place. Today it is still so impressive and when you look down on it from above it is almost jaw dropping,” he adds. “It is a real privilege to work here and we feel that this was a very special place when built four-and-a-half to five thousand years ago.”

Archaeologist Antonia Thomas reveals the excitement experienced by the team, in video footage of the excavation on STV. She says, “It’s absolutely amazing. I mean this is for myself and the other archaeologists why we are in the profession… You really have to suspend your disbelief sometimes. Almost every 10 minutes someone pops up and they’ve found something amazing.”

Other experts have been equally gushing of the discovery. “A structure of this nature would have been renowned right across the north of Scotland, and is unprecedented anywhere in Britain,” says Dr Colin Richards, reader in archaeology at Manchester University. Orkney is a Neolithic goldmine, with dozens of prehistoric treasures dotted along its rugged coastlines. As well as the previously mentioned sites, the island includes the majestic Maeshowe, Cuween Hill Cairn, Midhowe Cairn, Taversoe Tuick, the Knap of Howar, Rennibister Earth House and Quoyness Cairn. Its most famous attraction however, is the perfectly preserved Neolithic village of Skara Brae, which is currently undergoing work to save it from the encroaching Atlantic Ocean.

Human Hatred of Sprouts ‘Evolutionary Mystery’

Who likes sprouts? Thought not, and now it seems we’ve got a solid excuse for our parents when they try to force the fetid, vile veg down our throats – we’ve been programmed to hate them since we were Neanderthals! A new study by the Spanish National Research Council claims to have debunked a mystery of evolution this week, by discovering a gene which makes us dislike a bitter taste common in some food. The gene, which causes an adverse reaction to phenylthiocarbamite – or PTC as it’s mercifully known – has been present in hominids for nearly 50,000 years. The findings follow the sequencing of 48,000 year-old Neanderthal bones at El Sidron, northern Spain. The researchers claim the gene is there to prevent us from eating other toxic plants which contain PTC, but they are mystified as to why the Neanderthals they studied possessed a recessive variant – meaning they wouldn’t have been able to detect the taste.

Prehistoric man may not have enjoyed sprouts, but he did enjoy a spot of cannibalism.

“This indicates that variation in bitter taste perception predates the divergence of the lineages leading to Neanderthals and modern humans,” says the team’s report, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. “The sense of bitter taste protects us from ingesting toxic substances.” The recessive gene, however, has the team stumped: “This feature … is a mystery of evolution,” the report adds. “These (bitter) compounds can be toxic if ingested in large quantities, and it is therefore difficult to understand the evolutionary existence of individuals who cannot detect them.” The report gives modern man a unique look into his prehistoric past. And on a personal note it’s nice to think of Neanderthals spitting out sprouts in disgust, echoing the scene at Christmas dinner tables all over the world. There have been, however, some subtle changes in human diets over the years – only 9,000 years ago prehistoric Britons were tucking into succulent cuts of their own kind and a recent discovery on the Isle of Man suggests hazelnuts played an vital role in the diets of these cannibals’ contemporaries. Still, human and nuts or sprouts? Close call.

Image by Jane Hudson.

Chiqua Penn Parades King Tut Throne and Other Treasures

King Tut's Throne by Sandro Vannini There are already three major Tutankhamun exhibitions travelling North America this year and next, with many of his treasures making appearances in San Francisco, Toronto and Indianapolis. Even Zahi Hawass was drafted in to enlighten ancient Egypt fans in the latter city, about the mysteries and legends behind the dripping opulence of the civilization’s greatest discovery. And keen to capitalise on the States’ endless fascination with the boy-king, North Carolina’s Chinqua Penn Plantation is currently showcasing its own collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts – including a replica of King Tut‘s famous golden throne chair.

Other objects on display at the event, which runs from August 1 – 30 and explores the civilization’s burial practices, include a faience necklace, an ivory fail and a 1,600 BC bronze figure of Horus.

The stunning replica throne is just one of two in the world, and was commissioned in Cairo, in 1929.

The impressive replica throne, one of only two in the world, was commissioned by then-owners of the plantation Jeff and Betsy Penn while on a world tour to be made by the Cairo-based sculptor E. Hautoun.

Today it sits as just one of many world heritage items on show at the English countryside mansion. Thanks to the plantation’s early ties with the tobacco trade, there is also a significant Chinese collection. Of course, you can get a glimpse of the real King Tut throne right here at Heritage Key, where renowned photographer Sandro Vannini has exclusive access to all of the pharaoh’s burial masterpieces, which were recreated virtually and are on display in King Tut Virtual. Just take a look at the creations in King Tut VX to see the opulence of Egypt’s most famous ruler.

Image by Sandro Vannini

Discovered: Stone Age Munchies at Ancient Isle of Man House

The discovery of a 9,000 year-old Stone Age house on the Isle of Man has raised an impromptu debate about the dietary habits of Britain‘s early inhabitants. The discovery, made during construction at Douglas’ Ronaldsway Airport, comprises a 23ft wide pit, dug down 12 inches.

The dwelling is encompassed by six postholes which contain carbonised timbers, suggesting the home’s supports were around six inches thick. The building contains some simple stone tools, such as hammers and anvils, and 14,000 fragments which would have once been tools – yet possibly the most intriguing discovery at the site is its large burial mounds of hazelnuts.

“There were presumably so many hazelnuts near the house as a result of processing and consumption of these within the building,” says Oxford Archaeology North’s Fraser Brown. He concludes that the house’s inhabitants, “probably had a permanent base near the sea so that they could have easy access to marine resources, but given the small size of the Isle of Man, it would have been a simple matter to foray inland to exploit the different resources available there.”

“Perhaps the smell of the burnt shells had some significance? Could it have had a more complex, ritual meaning?” Mike Pitts

The mystery of the settlement’s hazelnuts has alerted some of Britain’s top archaeologists. Mike Pitts, editor of British Archaeology magazine, speculates the burial mounds may have had a deeper meaning than mere waste removal: “Perhaps the smell of the burnt shells had some significance? Was it comforting, redolent of good meals, or could it have had a more complex, ritual meaning?” The discovery comes just a month after an 8,000 year-old dwelling was unearthed just yards away, which experts believe succumbed to a devastating fire.

So far an area the size of 20 football pitches has been excavated, with many more exciting finds expected before the project’s end in December. “I would regard the finds as being of national importance for the Isle of Man,” claims Andrew Johnson, curator of Field Archaeology at Manx National Heritage. “(It’s) certainly of international significance in that they add to what at present is only a very small number of Mesolithic buildings found in Northwest Europe.”

Image by Jessica.

Dr. Zahi Needs Your Help!

Dr. Zahi Hawass examines a mummy. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini Zahi Hawass has arguably given more than anyone to the field of Egyptology – but now he needs your help, as he aims to raise $2 million to employ the world’s best Egyptologist as professor at Cairo’s American University. The esteemed archaeologist has been Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) for over seven years, and has dedicated most of his adult life to the wonders and mysteries of the ancient civilization. Now he wants to pass the baton to Egypt’s younger generation in style: I always say that to like something is not enough, to love something is not enough, Dr Hawass says on his official website. You need to give your passion, and you need to give it all. I have given all my passion to Egyptology. And now I need your passion, to add to mine.

So far Dr Hawass has raised $200,000 of the total, leaving $1,800,000 to be given so that future students in Cairo can get the best head start in their Egyptology careers. Maybe one of these students will have my passion, jokes the doctor.

“I have given all my passion to Egyptology. And now I need your passion, to add to mine.” Zahi Hawass

Throughout his distinguished career, Zahi Hawass has constantly been making groundbreaking discoveries in his beloved home nation. He has unearthed the Valley of the Golden Mummies, the Osiris Shaft at Giza, and a new cemetary at Saqqara, and has identified the mummies of Hatshepsut and the family of King Tut using cutting-edge technology. Dr Hawass‘ work has never stopped: he is still searching for the elusive KV64 tomb at the Valley of the Kings, and is unravelling the legend of the Great Pyramid‘s ‘doors’. The doctor’s love for the ancient Egyptian empire has seen him visit all four corners of the globe, visiting and lecturing curators, dignitaries and fans alike – as well as entertaining Heritage Key’s own Keith Payne this week. Dr Hawass even met US President Barack Obama earlier this year for a trip round the pyramids.

For your donation to be tax deductible, Dr Hawass asks you to give fifty dollars or more – and if you donate to the Zahi Hawass Chair of Egyptology you will see your name listed on his website. Click here to visit the AUC website and make your donation, and select the ‘Zahi Hawass Fund in Egyptology’ toward the bottom of the page, under the section Direct Gift to one or more of the following funds. Dr Hawass will be eternally grateful for your donations.

Legless Akkadian Cures Century-Old Headache

He’s been legless for millennia – in fact he’s been missing everything from the neck down. But this week saw an ancient Akkadian statue’s head, dating from between the 21st and 23rd centuries BC, united with a replica of his body in Iraq’s Baghdad Museum (also known as the National Museum of Iraq). The head, discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Ashur in 1982, has been conspicuously bodiless – until Berlin’s Pergamon Museum agreed to send its own replica body, which was itself found in 1905. The deal also sees a copy of the head move in the opposite direction, as the Baghdad Museum strives to claw back an enviable Mesopotamian collection, after war-torn looting saw the museum stripped bare.

Curator Mohsen Hassan Ali tells AFP the head was lucky to survive the infamous looting, which has seen the occupying US Army come in for much criticism: “We have succeeded in bringing the two parts together, more or less, after a very long time.

“By chance the head was hidden during the looting of the museum while the Americans arrived in Baghdad” Mohsen Hassan Ali

“By chance the head was hidden during the looting of the museum when the Americans arrived in Baghdad,” Ali adds.”If not, maybe the two pieces – or to be more precise the two copies – would not have been reunited.” Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, thousands of prized Mesopotamian treasures have fallen into the hands of black market dealers and wealthy private owners.

Earlier, UNESCOpublished a damning report on the treatment of Iraq’s heritage by occupying forces. So far, objects have been returned from as far afield as Switzerland, Japan and the UAE – though a myriad more is still unaccounted for. The head, thought to be that of an Akkadian ruler, was originally copied in the 1990s with a view to this latest swap deal. However, the ensuing madness of two wars put paid to the museums’ plans. Germany has also offered its help in restoring Ezekiel’s tomb, south of Baghdad. The tomb is a shrine to the prophet who followed the Jews into Babylonian exile, following Nebuchadnezzar‘s 7th century BC conquests.

Image by ElissaSCA.

Assyrian Leader’s Doomed Pleas for Help Discovered

“Death will come out of it! No-one will escape! I am done!” It may sound like the death-knell of a tragic big screen hero, but it’s actually the desperate pleas for help of an ancient Assyrian leader, as his city awaits destruction at the hands of bloodthirsty Babylonian armies. The words have been discovered inscribed on a cuneiform tablet at the site of Tushan – an Assyrian city near Diyarbakir, SE Turkey. The tragic epsiode was written by Mannu-ki-Libbali in 630 BC, as a final call-to-arms for allies in the region – yet experts believe the tablet never met its intended recipient, and Tushan was soon torn to shreds by advancing Babylonian forces.

“Death will come out of it! No-one will escape! I am done!”

The demise of Tushan was the beginning of the end for the once-glorious Assyrian Empire, which crumbled under the weight of Mesopotamia’s marauding southerners just three years later. And from Mannu-ki-Libbali’s words, which comprise a 30-line soliloquy the size of a mobile phone, it’s apparent Tushan had been deserted long before the Babylonians stormed in. He pleads for commanders, craftsmen, coppersmiths, blacksmiths, bow and arrow makers, horses, bandage boxes and chariots to defend his city, yet: “Nobody mentioned in this letter, not one of them is there! How can I command?”

John MacGinnis is leading the University of Cambridge excavation which has thrown up the fascinating find. He tells the Times: “The letter is written during the process of downfall. The chances of finding something like this are unbelievably small.” The British Museum‘s Assyrian expert Irving Finkel is equally jubilant at the discovery. “It has an almost Hollywood quality,” he says. “This sense of the enemy are coming – I can hear their hooves.” Though he would have had professional scribes, experts believe Mannu-ki-Libbali could have written the dramatic epigraph, which is being held in the Diyarbakir Museum, himself. Cuneiform is said to have been the first ever writing form, and comprised triangles pressed into wet clay in different combinations. Some combinations could involve as many as 13 triangles.

Images by Andre Nantel andJill.

Byzantine Black Sea Fortress Found in Bulgaria

Archaeologists from the Varna Archaeological Museum working near the picturesque Black Sea town of Byala, Bulgaria have rediscovered a late antiquity fortress from the country’s early Byzantine period. A Christian basilica has also been discovered at the site, which is believed to have been a settlement of some importance during the reigns of Anastasius I (491 – 518 AD) and Justinian I (527 – 565 AD). However the settlement has not yet been located. The impressive fortress has in fact been discovered before, by Hermingild and Karel Skorpil – the founders of Bulgarian archaeology – as far back as 1892.

The fortress will face stiff opposition from land developers and treasure hunters to survive its discovery intact.

It would again come to light in a short 1970 expedition, yet the building of a Bulgarian Army base in the 20th century put paid to any further excavations. It is thought that the fortress may even be the same one mentioned by the famous Roman historian Strabo, which he called Larisa, to the south of ‘Odesso’ (modern-day Varna). Yet experts are keeping cool on its precise provenance, according to Sofia news agency Novinite. The excavations are set to continue, yet worryingly the army base itself was abandoned to make way for glitzy real estate along what is now one of Europe’s most sought-after coastlines. And what with the continual ransacking of Bulgarian heritage sites by fervent treasure hunters, this latest invaluable find may face plenty of obstacles if it can remain untouched for the forseeable future.

Image by Klearchos Kapoutsis.