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explorator 21.39 January 20, 2019
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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, mata kimasitayo, 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
================================================================
The so-called Xujiayao juvenile fossil shows dental development similar to
modern children:

https://phys.org/news/2019-01-ancient-relative-humans-surprisingly-modern.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/osu-aar011019.php
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/caos-dso011619.php
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-child-fossil-jaw-east-asia-grew-teeth-modern-human
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7309-190117-china-child-teeth

Using AI to identify an unknown hominin ancestor (I don't quite get this
one):

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/cfgr-aia011619.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190116122650.htm

A pair of skeletons from South Africa turn out to be from the same species
(sediba):

https://phys.org/news/2019-01-scientists-pair-skeletons-early-hominin.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/nyu-scp011719.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190117110830.htm

Feature on sediba:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/dc-uoe011719.php
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/19/health/australopithecus-sediba-human-history-scli-intl/index.html

Not quite sure where to put this item with upper Paleolithic finds from
Azerbaijan:

https://www.azernews.az/nation/144108.html
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AFRICA
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Feature on Algeria's pyramid tombs:

https://phys.org/news/2019-01-algeria-ancient-pyramid-tombs-shrouded.html
https://www.france24.com/en/20190114-algerias-ancient-pyramid-tombs-still-shrouded-mystery
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Arts-and-Ent/Culture/2019/Jan-15/474033-algerias-pyramid-tombs-still-shrouded-in-mystery.ashx
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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
A relief from Tell Edfu which was damaged some 3500 years bp:

https://www.livescience.com/64514-ancient-egyptian-carving-afterlife.html
http://www.archaeology.org/news/7310-190117-tell-edfu-sculpture

A pair of Roman-era tombs from the Dakhla Oasis:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/321792/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Roman-tombs-discovered-in-Egypts-Dakhla-Oasis.aspx
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/63551/Pictures-Several-discoveries-found-in-Al-Amriyah
https://egyptianstreets.com/2019/01/16/egyptian-expedition-uncovers-two-tombs-from-roman-period/
https://www.livescience.com/64512-ancient-tombs-egypt-daklha.html
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-archaeologists-rome-era-tombs-egypt-western.html
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/16/c_137746585.htm
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7305-190115-egypt-mud-brick-tombs

Plans for the Dendera temples complex to become an 'open air museum':

http://cairoscene.com/Buzz/dendera-temple-to-be-turned-into-open-air-museum
https://egyptianstreets.com/2019/01/15/magnificent-dendera-temple-to-be-turned-into-an-open-air-museum/
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/63433/Dendera-Temple-to-be-converted-into-an-open-museum

Honours for Zahi Hawass:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/5/1188/321823/Arts--Culture/City-Lights/Ancient-Sicilian-city-of-Noto-honours-Zahi-Hawass-.aspx

.... even though he's hyping finding Cleopatra's tomb and hasn't:

https://www.ilmessaggero.it/mondo/cleopatra_tomba-4227052.html
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/63389/Tomb-of-Antony-and-Cleopatra-to-be-uncovered-soon

More on the mummy of the pharoah's eye doctor:

https://www.livescience.com/64513-pharaohs-eye-doctor-leaves-cool-mummy.html

Evidence from Jordan ca 11 500 years bp suggests humans were using dogs
for
hunting purposes:

https://phys.org/news/2019-01-year-old-animal-bones-jordan-early.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/uoc--1ab011519.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190115132904.htm
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium-prehistoric-people-hunted-with-dogs-in-jordan-archaeologists-conclude-1.6848935
http://cphpost.dk/news/dogs-mans-best-friend-since-the-stone-age.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-and-dogs-may-have-hunted-together-prehistoric-jordan-180971291/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/7308-190117-jordan-dogs-hunting

Feature on recent finds (with drones and other tech) in Petra:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/science/petra-platform-sarah-parcak.html

Op-Eddish on the search for more Dead Sea Scrolls (paywalled, maybe):

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium.MAGAZINE-the-race-for-the-next-dead-sea-scrolls-and-why-we-may-lose-it-1.6846311

Recent finds from Al Ain seem to be overshadowed by a prince visiting
them:

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/middle-east/new-archaeological-discoveries-in-al-ain-refl-533321.html

Feature on the Al Ula site, which is being set up for tourism purposes:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2019/01/14/feature/unlocking-a-kingdoms-long-hidden-treasures/?utm_term=.c7707a9aa466

Feature on the dig at Tel Abel Beth Maacah:

http://www.asor.org/anetoday/2019/01/Northern-Exposure-Tel-Abel-Beth-Maacah

More on the finds at Kiriath-Jearim which the press is connecting to the
Ark of the Covenant for some reason:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/biblical-site-tied-to-ark-of-the-covenant-unearthed-at-convent-in-central-israel/
https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/2019/01/discovered-in-israel-a-biblical-shrine-for-the-ark-of-the-covenant/?print

This one is paywalled, but seems to be about seeds found at various sites
in Israel:

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-what-you-d-find-in-pantries-in-the-land-of-israel-6-000-years-ago-1.6845384

More on that Beit Shemesh road construction from a month or so ago:

https://www.jpost.com/In-Jerusalem/Ancient-city-arouses-controversy-in-Beit-Shemesh-577633

More on that inscription with the traditional spelling of 'Jerusalem':

https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/2019/01/an-ancient-hebrew-inscription-supports-the-traditional-spelling-of-jerusalem/
https://members.bib-arch.org/biblical-archaeology-review/45/1/10

A 3000 years bp 'warrior grave' from northern Iran:

https://ifpnews.com/exclusive/grave-belonging-to-iron-age-warrior-discovered-in-northern-iran/

Evidence of an Ayyubid era copper production site in Jordan:

http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/archaeologists-find-clues-%E2%80%98important%E2%80%99-ayyubid-settlement
https://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/jordan-has-ayyubid-copper-production-site-dating-12-century-us-archaeologist-1238412
http://www.archaeology.org/news/7301-190114-jordan-ayyubid-site

Concerns for sites in Iraq:

https://thearabweekly.com/iraqs-archaeological-sites-face-looting-urbanisation-threats

Concerns for monuments in Jordan:

https://menafn.com/1097981014/India-Jordans-monuments-threatened-by-population-growth-theft

More on Persians recognizing at least three genders:

https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/ancient-persians-recognized-at-least-three-genders/
================================================================
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
================================================================
Thracian and Roman finds from the Nebet Tepe Fortress site (Bulgaria):

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2019/01/08/wooden-buildings-from-ancient-thrace-colorful-roman-building-discovered-at-nebet-tepe-fortress-in-bulgarias-plovdiv/

Greek and Roman artifacts from Alexandria:

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1552481/greek-roman-artifacts-discovered-alexandria

A Roman road in Lancashire:

http://aboutmanchester.co.uk/roman-road-m6-unearthed-by-salford-archaeologists/

A Roman-era tomb accidentally found in Tripoli:

https://www.libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/roman-ancient-tomb-discovered-accident-tripoli

Interesting feature on excavating mosaics in Larnaca and Akaki:

https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/01/13/uncovering-mosaics-a-painstaking-process/

Overviewish thing on what's happening at Herculaneum:

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/arts/2019/01/16/new-developments-at-herculaneum_790d0b69-8484-4721-927f-f7695ea7dabc.html

I think we mentioned these Roman-era residences from Plovdiv/Philipopolis:

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2019/01/11/6-luxury-quarters-with-brothel-like-pompeiis-lupanar-formed-heart-of-roman-city-philipopolis-in-bulgarias-plovdiv-archaeologists-reveal/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/7302-190115-bulgaria-luxurious-structures