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Tag Archives: Archaeology

The Romans – in Ireland

Although the Romans never actually went to ireland, confining themselves to the Big Island (and only making a brief foray into Scotland), it turns out that the Irish occupants did in fact interact with the Romans.

A new Irish Archaeological organization called the Discovery Programme is beginning to research how much of the Romans impacted and interacted with the Irish (including investigations into the possibility of a Roman invasion). While Irish archaeologists have uncovered Roman goods (ceramic-ware, beads, jewelry, etc), until now there has been little investigation into Ireland’s “Roman heritage.”

To read more about new archaeological investigations and the new Discovery Programme, see this article in the Irish Times: “So What Have the Romans Ever Done for US?

 

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Artifacts at Ancient Olympia Stolen at Gunpoint

Thieves robbed the museum at Olympia (the site of the ancient Olympic Games). Two armed masked men smashed display cases and grabbed priceless artifacts (at least 60) after overpowering guards at the museum.

In the wake of the chaos of Greece’s financial crisis, violent crime (targeting art) has skyrocketed. To read more about the theft, see the article at BBC News.

 

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The Search for Rome’s “Lost Aqueduct”

This edition of Archaeology Magazine highlights the quest of modern archaeologists and explorers in locating the original source of the famed Aqua Traina - built by the Emperor Trajan in the 1st century CE. Aqueducts were the key to sustaining the large population of the ancient city of Rome and even today, stand as a testament to Roman engineering and industrialization.

To learn more about the role of aqueducts, see the article: “How a Roman Aqueduct Works.”

To learn more about the quest to find the source of the Aqua Traina, see the article: “Rome’s Lost Aqueduct” at Archaeology Magazine.

 

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The Saga of the Northwest Passage

The quest to discover and navigate the Northwest Passage long enticed explorers and politicians throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The Northwest Passage is a treacherous sea-route through the Arctic Ocean. It was seen as a potential trade route and not successfully navigated until the early 20th century.

The Northwest Passage

This month’s Archaeology Magazine highlights the dangers of the sea journey and the ill-fated voyage by the HMS Investigator, an expedition led by Robert McClure that was abandoned in 1853 after it was irretrievably trapped in the ice. The ship was rediscovered in 2010 and is subject to investigation and excavation by nautical archaeologists.

Due to the environment and frigid waters, the dangers posed to archaeologists are unique. You can read more about their endeavors and what they have discovered int he 2011 field season in this article: “The Saga of the Northwest Passage.”

HMS Investigator Today

 
 

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Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2011

This month’s Archaeology Magazine highlights the top ten finds of the 2011 Field Season. The list includes:

 

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Pre-Cursor to Stonehenge Located in Northern Scotland

Archaeologists working on the Orkney Islands, one of the northernmost regions of Scotland, have uncovered a stone-age complex that they believe to be a precursor to Stonehenge.

The ritual center called the “Ness of Brodgar” predates Stonehenge by at least a few centuries (early radiocarbon dating suggests that it was first occupied by 3200 BCE). The site hosted several stone age rituals that appear similar to those hosted in Salisbury more than 500 years later.

To learn more about this discovery, see the article in National Geographic or the Orkney Jar Dig Diary.

 
 

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Nature Magazine Highlights Nautical Archaeologists

This month’s Nature highlights the work of nautical (marine) archaeologists working in Greece to find shipwrecks dating to the time of the Minoans (approximately 2700 — 1250 BCE).

Underwater archaeologists risk life and limb in frigid waters at dangerous depths to learn more about this pre and semiliterate society. To learn more about their exploits, see the article in this month’s Nature.

 

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Digitizing Archaeology – Using Technology to Preserve the Past

One of the greatest considerations of all those who work with material objects (be it art, artifacts, buildings, etc) is conservation and preservation. In spite of our greatest resources and attempts, degradation and, ultimately, destruction of material cultural is the reality – nothing lasts forever… or can it?

Live Science is highlighting the work of the Institute of Classical Archaeology at the University of Texas which is focusing on using digital technologies to help preserve (possibly indefinitely) our records of the past.

“The development of digital technologies has exponentially magnified the amount of data we’re collecting, simply because we have the tools now to collect a lot more information much more easily than we did in the past,” Adam Rabinowitz, Ph.D.

So while archaeologists, art historians, and conservationists may not ultimately be able to indefinitely preserve objects themselves (susceptible to destruction in war, theft, negligence, or just natural processes), they may be able to retain and disseminate the information indefinitely. To learn more about these endeavors, see the article in Live Science.

 

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Unique “Winged” Roman Structure Discovered in England

An entirely unique ‘winged’ structure has been discovered by archaeologist working in England, just outside of Norfolk. The building has no parallels in the Roman Empire and is clearly distinct from other structures in the Roman world (both within and outside of Britain).

“Generally speaking, (during) the Roman Empire people built within a fixed repertoire of architectural forms,” Prof Bowden

The structure appears to be connected to a villa complex nearby, but archaeologists are still unsure how the structure fits in with the urban landscape.

To learn more about the find, see the article at MSNBC and Discovery News

 

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The Sumerians Enjoyed Alcohol… Just not Beer

Alcohol is as old as civilization… in fact, some anthropologists have argued that civilization developed so that humans could better brew and ferment grain, rice, and grapes – in short, to produce alcohol.

Ancient Sumer, the world’s oldest civilization, has hundreds of cuneiform tablets focused on the fermentation of grains but key ingredients to beer, namely barley, was not part brewing process (or at least not in the records). So, while the Sumerians had fermented grains, technically, beer may not have been on that list.

 

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