david meadows via jiscmail.ac.uk
5:36 PM (1 hour ago)
to BRITARCH
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explorator 21.15 August 5, 2018
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If you're having problems getting 'the whole issue', read Explorator
online at:

https://exploratornews.wordpress.com/

Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Edward Rockstein, Kurt Theis,
John McMahon, Barnea Selavan, Joseph Lauer, Mike Ruggeri, Hernan
Astudillo,
Richard Campbell, Barbara Saylor Rodgers, Bob Heuman, David Critchley,
Frank Mackay, Don Buck, Rick Heli, Laurel Carey, Richard C. Griffiths, and
Ross W. Sargent for headses upses this week (as always hoping I have left
no one out).

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EARLY HOMINIDS
================================================================
Million years bp stone tools from Bhopal:

http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/020818/one-million-year-old-tools-discovered-in-bhopal.html

Home sapiens success is being tied to the species' ecological
adaptability:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/mpif-hsd072618.php
https://phys.org/news/2018-07-homo-sapiens-ecological-niche-hominins.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180730120247.htm
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/new-human-evolution-theory-we-won-because-we-conquered-new-vistas-1.6334393
https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/39316/20180731/the-secret-to-survival-how-homo-sapiens-outlasted-other-homonins.htm
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/07/30/homo-sapiens-won-human-race-adapting-extreme-climates-study/

A genome study suggests current 'pygmy' populations on Flores Island are
not ancestors to homo floresiensis:

https://phys.org/news/2018-08-modern-flores-island-pygmies-genetic.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/uoc--neo072818.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180802141558.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/02/science/pygmies-flores-evolution.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45049024
https://www.livescience.com/63248-hobbits-pygmies-evolution.html
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/08/the-modern-pygmies-of-flores-are-not-related-to-homo-floresiensis/
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/deadthings/?p=2771
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/dna-analysis-indonesia-pygmies-did-not-descend-hobbits?tgt=nr
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/new-genetic-study-suggests-modern-flores-island-pygmies-and-ancient-hobbits-are-unrelated-180969858/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/6839-180803-indonesia-flores-genes

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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
A pair of Middle Kingdom 'statesmen' tombs from Minya:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/two-ancient-egyptian-tombs-uncovered-in-minya/
https://egyptianstreets.com/2018/08/01/tombs-of-middle-kingdom-state-officials-found-in-minya/
https://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/two-tombs-discovered-pertaining-middle-egyptian-kingdom-1167898
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/31/c_137360003.htm

The search for the tomb of Tut's wife continues:

https://www.livescience.com/63206-tomb-king-tut-wife-mystery.html

This seems like a flashback to the 1970s ... the Great Pyramid apparently
focuses electromagnetic energy:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/iu-srt073018.php
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/great-pyramid-giza-egypt-electromagnetic-energy-radio-chambers-itmo-university-a8471386.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6008131/Great-Pyramid-Giza-focus-electromagnetic-energy-hidden-chambers.html

Feature on evidence of human sacrifice in Egypt:

http://www.asor.org/anetoday/2018/08/Ancient-Egypt-Sacrifice

More on that Ptolemaic sarcophagus:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/antiquities-ministry-brings-researcher-to-check-on-alexandria-sarcophagus-remains/

Evidence of the development of agriculture at Tel Tsaf some 7500 years bp:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/dig-in-mediterranean-diet-first-appeared-in-the-jordan-valley-7500-years-ago/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/6830-180731-jordan-valley-tel-tsaf

What is being dubbed a large 'spa and game complex' attached to a pottery
workshop from Gedera:

https://phys.org/news/2018-07-ancient-pottery-factory-unveiled-israel.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/spa-and-game-room-with-mancala-found-at-ancient-pottery-workshop-in-israel/
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Early-Christianity-era-wine-jug-workshop-unearthed-in-central-Israel-563866
https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2018/07/31/ancient-pottery-factory-dating-back-1800-years-unearthed-in-israel
https://www.archaeology.org/news/6833-170801-israel-pottery-workshop

More on the 1700 years bp mosaic found during construction of the Lod
Mosaic Center:

http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/History/Pages/Additional-1700-year-old-mosaic-discovered-in-Lod-29-July-2018.aspx
https://www.timesofisrael.com/second-stunning-lod-mosaic-unearthed-during-building-of-museum-to-house-original/
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/MAGAZINE-while-building-a-mosaics-museum-in-israel-another-mosaic-is-found-1.6318751
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Excavators-uncover-1700-year-old-mosaic-in-Lod-563700
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/1700-year-old-mosaic-discovered-on-site-of-future-mosaic-museum-in-lod/2018/07/29/
https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/2018/07/ancient-roman-era-mosaics-discovered-in-israel/
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/30/c_137356068.htm
https://elpais.com/cultura/2018/07/30/actualidad/1532957586_719630.html
https://www.archaeology.org/news/6827-180730-israel-lod-mosaic

Latest study of Palmyra:

http://sciencenordic.com/ancient-palmyra-story-urban-resilience
https://phys.org/news/2018-08-ancient-palmyraa-story-urban-resilience.html

Nice feature on Eckart Frahm's identification of those Hobby Lobby (not
mentioned!) cuneiform tablets:

https://news.yale.edu/2018/06/26/yale-assyriologist-discovers-evidence-lost-city-iraq

Another feature on Gobekli Tepe:

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/is-this-the-world-s-first-architecture

An archaeological award named for Khaled al Asaad:

https://thearabweekly.com/international-award-honours-legacy-slain-arab-archaeologist

================================================================
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
================================================================
Remains (apparently) of a Roman library in Cologne:

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-45029960
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/31/spectacular-ancient-public-library-discovered-in-germany
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2462143&CategoryId=13936
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/germany-oldest-library-01082018/
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/cologne-archaeologists-unearth-oldest-library-in-germany
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cologne-archaeologists-unearth-foundations-germanys-oldest-library-180969795/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/6828-180730-germany-roman-llibrary

Also from Germany comes word of a find (last year) of a 3rd century
sarcophagus find with assorted cosmetic items accompanying the body:

https://phys.org/news/2018-07-dead-gorgeous-ancient-sarcophagus-held.html
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-07-30/dead-gorgeous-ancient-sarcophagus-held-mirror-cosmetics
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2018/07/31/death-becomes-her-archaeologists-announce-roman-skeleton-discovered-with-beauty-tools/
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/world/2018/08/01/ancient-beauty-products-discovered-coffin/37241895/

Evidence of a Roman (with Iron Age connections too) settlement at
Alderney:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-45034312

An 1800 years bp gold signet ring of some sort from a Somerset field:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-45028623
https://www.albawaba.com/en/editorchoice/amateur-treasure-hunter-unearths-1800-year-old-gold-roman-signet-ring-1168138
https://www.rt.com/uk/434964-roman-ring-find-somerset/

Roman 'horseshoes' from Vindolanda:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-45034623

Latest from the 'House of Jupiter' in Regio V of Pompeii:

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2462285&CategoryId=13936
http://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/arts/2018/08/03/new-domus-re-emerges-at-pompeii_5ac100f2-a5ad-404a-95e6-c0c922ec421d.html

.... and some very impressive footage of a drone flight over Pompeii:

https://www.rt.com/news/435121-pompeii-drone-footage-excavation/

Hellenistic/Roman burials from Euromos:

https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2018/08/03/7-tombs-dating-back-to-hellenistic-roman-periods-unearthed-in-sw-turkey
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/culture-and-art/turkey-7-tombs-of-hellenistic-roman-period-unearthed/1221768

Really a crime story, but there are no arrests ... find of a Greek
inscription in a 'bag of rocks':

http://www.ekathimerini.com/231307/article/ekathimerini/news/ancient-inscription-found-on-marble-slab-stashed-in-bag-of-rocks
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2018/08/01/marble-slab-with-ancient-inscription-discovered-in-evia-greece/