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explorator 21.32 December 2, 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, Richard Miller, Frank MacKay, Adrienne Mayor, Jona
Lendering, Don Buck, Richard C. Griffiths, and Ross W. Sargent for
headses upses this week (as always hoping I have left no one out).

.... family function today so we're earlier than usual!

================================================================
EARLY HOMINIDS
================================================================
Evidence of toolmaking 2.4 million years bp from Algeria:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/aaft-csa112618.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181129142407.htm
https://phys.org/news/2018-11-stone-tools-date-early-humans.html
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-homo-stone-tools-north-afric
a-arabia-early
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/30/24-million-year-old-tools-fo
und-algeria-could-upend-human-origin/
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/30/world/human-tools-north-africa-humanity-s
cli-intl/index.html?no-st=1543605520
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07570-z
https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/11/29/ciencia/1543492747_755404.html
https://www.dw.com/en/algeria-the-new-cradle-of-civilization/a-46515910
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/11/we-found-rocks-in-a-
hopeless-place/576967/
http://theconversation.com/human-ancestors-may-have-spread-to-north-afri
ca-earlier-than-thought-stone-tool-discovery-suggests-107834
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/deadthings/?p=3051
https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/24millionyearold-stone-tools-fou
nd-in-algeria-could-rewrite-human-origin-story/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7172-181129-north-africa-hominins

An Acheulean presence in the Arabian peninsula ca 190 000 years bp:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/mpif-stl112618.php
https://phys.org/news/2018-11-stone-tools-linked-ancient-human.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181129100030.htm
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/deadthings/?p=3053
https://www.livescience.com/64203-ancient-hominins-saudi-arabia.html
http://www.archaeology.org/news/7175-181130-saudi-arabia-acheulean

Again with the human/Neanderthal interbreeding fascination:

https://phys.org/news/2018-11-multiple-instances-inter-breeding-neandert
hal-early.html
https://www.livescience.com/64189-neanderthals-and-humans-interbreeding.
html

Evidence of a human presence on the Tibetan plateau some 30-40 000
years bp:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/caos-nas112918.php
https://phys.org/news/2018-11-archaeological-site-human-habitation-timel
ine.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181129142426.htm
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/stone-age-people-conquered-tibetan-p
lateau-thin-air
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2018/11/29/tibetan-plateau-hum
an-occupation-migation/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/11/earliest-evidence-sto
ne-age-humans-tibetan-plateau-tools-found/
https://cosmosmagazine.com/archaeology/high-plains-drifters-tibetan-plat
eau-colonised-for-30-000-years
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7173-181129-high-altitude-tools

Paleolithic cave art from across Europe suggests 'relatively advanced'
knowledge of astronomy:

https://phys.org/news/2018-11-prehistoric-cave-art-reveals-ancient.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/uoe-pca112718.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181127111025.htm
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/cave-paintings-tell-complica
ted-stories-of-the-stars-rpcvdd8cm
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/ancient-cave-paintings-a
stronomy-28112018/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bridaineparnell/2018/11/28/cave-paintings-m
ay-actually-be-sophisticated-star-maps/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/7168-181128-cave-art-constellations

On Neanderthal trading relations:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/arsc-apf112918.php
================================================================
AFRICA
================================================================
Feature on Christianborg Castle (Accra):

https://menafn.com/1097742592/Slavers-in-the-family-what-a-castle-in-Acc
ra-reveals-about-Ghanas-history

More on humans being off the hook for African megafauna extinctions in
the past:

https://www.archaeology.org/news/7163-181126-africa-megafauna-extinction
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2018/11/human-ancestors-not-to-blame-for-a
ncient-mammal-extinctions-in-africa/122189
================================================================
ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
Eight late period mummies from the Dashur necropolis:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/318090/Heritage/Ancient-Egy
pt/Eight-Late-Period-mummies-discovered-in-Dahshur-ne.aspx
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/61104/8-coffins-uncovered-at-archaeo
logical-area-of-Dahshour
https://egyptianstreets.com/2018/11/28/egyptian-expedition-discovers-new
-burial-grounds-in-dahshour/
https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-egypt-eight-mummies-discovered-ornately
-decorated-sarcophagi-1237050
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/ancient-egypt-archa
eology-mummies-cairo-king-amenemhat-ii-dashur-a8659741.html
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/culture-and-art/archaeologists-in-egypt-discove
r-trove-of-mummies/1323249
https://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/archaeologists-discover-eight-mumm
ies-near-giza-1219826
https://www.philstar.com/world/2018/11/28/1872643/egypt-unearths-eight-a
ncient-mummies
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Ancient-mummies-found-in-Pyramid-of-Ki
ng-Amenemhat-II-573108
https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/archaeology/egyptian-mummies-
dating-back-2300-years-unearthed/news-story/d296d7d2de2a8b149e4e93d78ee2
cf3f
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2018/11/ancient-egypt-mummies
-discovery-pyramid/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7171-181129-dashur-royal-necropolis

A Middle Kingdom tomb from Luxor "with very nice paintings":

https://www.livescience.com/64174-mummies-in-luxor-tombs.html
https://www.livescience.com/64164-photos-mummies-luxor.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/egypt-unveils-ancient-luxor-tomb-with-very
-nice-paintings/
http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2018-11/26/content_74208343.htm
https://ww.egyptindependent.com/antiquities-minister-to-announce-new-sig
nificant-luxor-archaeological-discovery/

A Chinese delegation is excavating at Luxor's Montu Temple:

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/27/c_137633110.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2018-11/30/
content_74223885.htm

Restoration of a Ramses II statue has started:

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/61156/Restoration-of-last-statue-of-
Ramses-II-begins

More on those two mummies (17th and 18th Dynasty) mentioned last week:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/mummy-egypt-found-unopen
ed-coffin-3000-luxor-western-bank-nile-elasasef-necropolis-a8650866.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/25/mummified-woman-dating-bac
k-3000-years-unveiled-in-egypt
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/egypt-female-mummy-1402603
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/egypt-mummy-woman-unveiled-intl/
index.html
https://abcnews.go.com/International/13th-century-priests-tomb-discovere
d-egypts-luxor/story?id=59418449
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/well-preserved-female-mummy-fo
und-elite-egyptian-necropolis-180970902/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/7160-181126-egypt-luxor-sarcophagi

A 9000 years bp stone mask from the West Bank:

https://www.livescience.com/64199-rare-neolithic-stone-mask.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/9000-year-old-mask-from-hebron-hills-sheds
-light-on-the-dawn-of-agriculture/
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/9000-year-old-stone-mask-discovered-in
-southern-Hebron-Hills-573012
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/255386
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5416546,00.html
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/archaeology-news/9000-year-old-stone-mas
k-sheds-light-on-stone-age-cottage-industry/2018/11/28/
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium.MAGAZINE-archaeologists-rec
over-rare-9-000-year-old-mask-found-by-west-bank-settler-1.6698074
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46376993
https://www.france24.com/en/20181128-israel-unveils-rare-ancient-mask
https://www.newsweek.com/creepy-9000-year-old-mask-linked-beginnings-agr
iculture-discovered-west-bank-1238887
https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/incredibly-rare-9000yearold-meti
culously-carved-stone-mask-discovered-in-israel/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2018/11/neolithic-stone-mask-
discovery-archaeology-forgery/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7167-181128-neolithic-stone-mask