Archaeology

Archaeology and related sciences

Example of anti-plague burial ritual unearthed in Venice

Submitted by AEschwynne on Thu, 2009-03-12 17:21
Archaeologists excavating medieval mass graves in Venice have uncovered a woman buried with a brick in her mouth to stop her chewing on her bloody burial shroud after death, a practice believed at that time to spread the plague.

650-year-old perfume bottle survives the Black Death

Submitted by Morag filia Scayth on Sat, 2009-03-07 10:41
Maev Kennedy takes a tour around the treasures of the Black Death exhibition at The Wallace Collection, London, including a tiny perfume bottle that was owned by a victim of a superstitious anti-plague pogrom.

The archaeology of farming

Submitted by Milica on Thu, 2009-03-05 22:45
Those interested in the history of farming and agriculture will want to visit Roberta Alunni's website on the Fratticciola Museum of Farming Culture which looks at "parallels between Etruscan and Tuscan agriculture."

California monks reconstruct 800 year old building

Submitted by trbrown on Thu, 2009-03-05 20:23
Monks at the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, California are rebuilding an 800 year old chapter house transported from Ovila, Spain to California in 1931 by William Randoph Hearst.

Ancient Rome on a budget

Submitted by Milica on Sun, 2009-03-01 13:08
The Ancient Coins for Education, Inc. website offers hints for budgeting in ancient Rome the article "What things cost in Ancient Rome ."

Treasures found in 2008

Submitted by Milica on Tue, 2009-02-17 09:38
Have metal detector, will travel? It's amazing what can be found with patience and practice, as WTF? Place reports: 10 great archaeological finds for the year 2008.

Archaeologists ponder Pagan mosaic found under cathedral

Submitted by AEschwynne on Sat, 2009-02-14 10:04
Three mosaics of tiny tiles, featuring naked people possibly performing pagan rituals, have been unearthed underneath the Cathedral of Reggio Emilia in Italy.

Life in Roman Britain through the eyes of garrison wives

Submitted by Milica on Sun, 2009-01-18 14:10
One of the most important aspects of the excavations at England's Vindolana archaeological site is the insight given to everyday life at the fort, especially through the preserved letters of those stationed there. Australia's Couriermail.com has a feature.

Labour Party blamed for England's crumbling treasures

Submitted by Milica on Wed, 2009-01-14 15:59
Macer Hall, Political Editor of the Daily News reports that England's Labour Party is being blamed for the sorry state of many of Britain's historic buildings and sites, some of which are considered “at risk” by experts.

Lost church of Bix Gibwyn found in Oxfordshire

Submitted by Milica on Thu, 2008-12-25 13:28
Archaeologists are hoping that they have found the location of the "lost" church of Bix Gibwyn, an 800-year-old structure that was abandoned in the late 16th century. The research team has discovered three medieval graves which could pinpoint the site of the church.

Metal detectors cause of 12% rise in discovery of historic artifacts

Submitted by Milica on Fri, 2008-12-19 19:10
An Iron Age torc, valued at UK£350,000, is one of the highlights of this year's archaeological discoveries in the UK. The necklace was found near Newark in Nottinghamshire. (photos)

Photos reveal undiscovered features of Hadrian's Wall

Submitted by Milica on Sun, 2008-12-14 09:09
Researchers have been poring over more than 30,000 photos taken over the past 60 years for hints to the real nature of Hadrian's Wall. So far, the study has revealed "2,700 previously unrecorded historic features."

Scotland's annual Treasure Trove includes Roman tombstone

Submitted by Milica on Sat, 2008-12-13 11:08
Scotland's Crown Office each year gets the honor of collecting rare artifacts discovered by archaeologists, metal detectorists and treasure hunters into a Treasure Trove. This year's finds include a Bronze Age sword and the first Roman tombstone discovered in nearly 200 years.

2nd century bronze chariot found in Bulgaria

Submitted by Milica on Thu, 2008-12-11 11:53
A bronze-plated, elaborately-decorated chariot dating to the 2nd century was found recently at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria. Experts believe the vehicle was buried as part of the belongings of a wealthy Thracian aristocrat.

Sewer construction unearths Roman and medieval settlements in Cumbria

Submitted by Milica on Fri, 2008-12-05 11:26
Sewer construction near Penrith in northern England has uncovered a Roman settlement a mere meter beneath the soil. The project has also unearthed several medieval buildings, including a rare Grubenhauser. (photos)

Ancient Celtic coins found in Dutch cornfield

Submitted by Milica on Sat, 2008-11-29 19:51
A cache of 1st century gold and silver coins was found recently by a metal detectorist near the city of Maastricht, Netherlands. The mix of Germanic and Celtic coins. The Celtic treasure is believed to have been minted by a tribe called the Eburones.

Digging up dirt on Martin Luther

Submitted by Milica on Tue, 2008-11-25 12:01
German scientists are taking an unusual approach to studying the domestic life of 16th century churchman Martin Luther. They are digging through his garbage.

The spiritual life of the Vikings

Submitted by Milica on Mon, 2008-11-24 13:36
Recent discoveries of Viking burial sites have led researchers to rethink previously-held beliefs about the lives of the Norse, especially in regard to their spiritual life.

"New" Vikings enjoyed fashion and poetry

Submitted by Milica on Tue, 2008-11-18 08:50
Scholars at Cambridge University feel that Vikings have gotten a bad rep, and they have set out to right it by way of a campaign "to recast them as 'new men' with an interest in grooming, fashion and poetry."

Study of graves gives new insight into early Norse life

Submitted by Milica on Sat, 2008-11-15 12:19
New research on excavations of early pagan Norse burial sites has given scholars a new understanding of the lives of the Vikings, especially in regard to their funeral practices.

Archaeologists puzzle over layers of history in Hungary

Submitted by Milica on Tue, 2008-11-11 18:26
A 3,500-year-old gravesite, a Roman military camp, and a medieval road are just three of the possibilities archaeologists are exploring at a dig near Rábapatona, Hungary.

Did Norse bring Christianity to Scotland?

Submitted by Milica on Sat, 2008-11-08 09:29
A team of archaeologists from the University of Nottingham are trying to determine if Vikings brought Christianity to Caithness, Scotland before Saint Columba brought the religion to Iona. (video)

Fifty years of "Medieval Archaeology" available online

Submitted by Justin on Fri, 2008-10-31 07:43
In honor of their fiftieth anniversary of publication, the scholarly journal Medieval Archaeology has made fifty years of articles available on the web in scanned-page format, free for nonprofit research and educational purposes.

Vindolanda site receives funds for museum upgrade

Submitted by Milica on Tue, 2008-10-28 16:28
The Roman fort of Vindolanda in northern England will receive UK£4M from the Heritage Lottery. The money will be used to upgrade the museum allowing them space to display many of the Roman site's spectacular discoveries.

"Gateway to the Roman invasion" found

Submitted by Milica on Sat, 2008-10-25 16:46
New excavations in Kent, England have uncovered the hard surface of the country's coastline during the first Roman invasion (43 C.E.). The coast would have been two miles from the current coast. Also found: a Roman wall and a medieval dock.

Garum helps date Pompeii volcanic eruption

Submitted by Milica on Mon, 2008-10-20 17:55
Garum, a pungent, fish-based seasoning, used in Roman cooking is being used to help precisely date the volcanic eruption that buried the city of Pompeii.

Roman villa found in Budapest

Submitted by Milica on Sun, 2008-10-19 12:15
Several months of excavation have unearthed the remains of a second century Roman villa in Budapest, Hungary, thought to be one of the earliest in the country.

Stonehenge dating controversy continues

Submitted by Milica on Sat, 2008-10-18 11:45
New research on Stonehenge finds that it is actually older than previously believed. A recent excavation headed by Mike Parker-Pearson, professor of archaeology at Sheffield University, finds the monument to date to 3000 BCE and to have connections to cremation of the dead.

Russian horse tomb stumps archaeologists

Submitted by Milica on Fri, 2008-10-10 14:42
The discovery of a 14th century tomb at Staraya Russa holding the remains of 14 horses puzzles archaeologists. The experts feel the site was not used for slaughter or rituals, but have no other explanation for the mass grave.

Vikings needed women!

Submitted by Milica on Wed, 2008-10-08 17:18
New research may show that the Viking raids of the 8th through 11th centuries may have been triggered by a shortage of marriageable women, possibly brought on by the Norsemen themselves.