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explorator 20.03 May 14, 2017
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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,
Trevor Watkins, Barbara Saylor Rodgers, Bob Heuman, Bill Kennedy, Gary
Kirkpatrick, Kris Curry, David Critchley, Rick Heli, David Emery, Richard
Campbell, 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
===============================================================
= Plenty of coverage of the latest find of 18 (or so) skeletons of homo naledi in
a South African cave (we make have had this before, but there’s a ton of
coverage all of a sudden):

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/uow-sac050417.php
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/uotw-hns050717.php
https://phys.org/news/2017-05-homo-naledi-surprisingly-young-age.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170509083557.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39842975
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/09/new-haul-of-homo-naledi-b
ones-sheds-surprising-light-on-human-evolution
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/early-human-homo-naledi-ma
y-have-made-tools-buried-dead-n756916
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2017/researchers-disco
ver-more-homo-naledi-remains-in-rising-star-cave
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5539-170509-homo-naledi-skull

… the focus of a pile of features is that homo naledi was concurrent with homo
sapiens:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/jcu-jts050717.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170509083554.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170509083551.htm
http://www.nature.com/news/small-brained-early-human-lived-more-recently-th
an-expected-1.21961
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/world/2017/05/09/fossils-suggest-ho
minids-may-have-lived-alongside-modern-humans/101462922/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/05/09/
humanitys-strange-new-cousin-is-shockingly-young-and-shaking-up-our-family
-tree/
https://www.seeker.com/culture/archaeology/this-human-relative-may-have-liv
ed-alongside-our-species-in-africa
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/primitive-cousin-may-have-lived-
africa-early-humans-180963218/
http://elpais.com/elpais/2017/05/08/ciencia/1494269515_595710.html

… possible source for all this excitement:

https://elife.elifesciences.org/

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= ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
===============================================================
= Plenty of excitement over the find of 17 (give or take) non-Royal mummies
from Minya:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/268686/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/
Cachette-of--mummies-unearthed-in-Egypts-ElMinya.aspx
https://egyptianstreets.com/2017/05/13/chamber-of-17-mummies-discovered-i
n-egypts-minya/
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/5063/Ministry-announces-18-mummies-di
scovered-in-central-Egypt
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2017/05/13/17-mummies-newly-discovered-b
uried-minya-cemetery/
http://www.livescience.com/59100-catacomb-filled-with-mummies-discovered-
egypt.html
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/archaeologists-egypt-uncover-human-ne
cropolis-least-17-mummies-n759066
https://phys.org/news/2017-05-mummies-central-egypt.html
http://www.dw.com/en/archaeologists-discover-new-mummy-burial-site-in-egy
pt/g-38830323
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-39908747/mass-mummy-find-
in-ancient-egypt-site
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/13/egypt-discovers-new-necropolis-
17-mummies/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/14/egypt-archaeologists-find-17
-new-mummies-in-necropolis
http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Middle-East/2017/May-13/405695-17-mum
mies-discovered-in-central-egypt-ministry.ashx
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Egypt-uncovers-chamber-of-17-mummies-49
0678
http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.788925
http://www.timesofisrael.com/17-mummies-found-in-ancient-egyptian-burial-sit
e/
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/travel-and-tourism/2017/05/13/
Dig-finds-17-mummies-in-central-Egypt-antiquities-ministry.html
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/613877/Egyptian-17-mummies-cat
acombs-antiquities-ministry
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/05/13/egyptian-archaeologi
sts-uncover-necropolis-17-mummies/101638880/
http://www.euronews.com/2017/05/13/17-mummies-found-in-egypt
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/17-well-preserved-mummies-believed-be-greco-roma
n-period-found-egypts-el-minya-1621492

… and a 13th Dynasty tomb from Dahshur:

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/4961/Burial-chamber-from-the-13th-Dynas
ty-found-in-Dahshour
https://egyptianstreets.com/2017/05/11/egypt-continues-its-discoveries-with-a
-3700-year-burial-chamber-in-dahshur/
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/268521/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/
Burial-chamber-of-recently-unearthed-th-Dynasty-Py.aspx
https://phys.org/news/2017-05-egypt-burial-chamber-dating-years.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/egypt-found-burial-chamber-dati
ng-back-3700-years-47329489
http://www.therepublic.com/2017/05/10/ml-egypt-antiquities-2/

… which appears to belong to a pharaoh’s daughter (I think this is the same as
the above):

http://www.livescience.com/59066-burial-chamber-of-princess-in-egypt-pyrami
d.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39882254
http://theartnewspaper.com/news/archeology/archaeologists-uncover-ancient-
egyptian-princess-s-tomb-in-dahshur/
http://observer.com/2017/05/3700-year-old-egyptian-pyramid-dahshur-princes
s/

There was also an animal necropolis found at Minya (which might be the
same as the first item? News from Egypt was confusing this week):

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/268613/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/
Egyptian-archaeologists-to-announce-new-discovery-.aspx

… not sure if this is the same find:

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/5039/Greco-Roman-grave-intact-mummie
s-discovered-in-Minya

Pondering a mongoose on a leash portrayal:

http://www.livescience.com/59022-egypt-tomb-with-leashed-mongoose-drawin
g.html

More on that funerary garden find:

http://www.livescience.com/59006-ancient-funerary-garden-discovered-in-egy
pt.html
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/05/08/ancient-egyptian-funerary-garden-dis
covered.html

As might be expected, all the recent finds are raising hopes for Egyptian
tourism:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-egypt-archaeology-discovery-idUKKBN1890F4
?il=0
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/egypt-uncovers-chamber-mummies-sees-life-t
ourism-120556313.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/05/14/egypt-hope
s-slew-of-recent-archaeological-discoveries-will-bring-blessings-to-struggling-
economy/

An attempted smuggling of a scribe statue was foiled:

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/4878/Smuggling-attempt-of-Pharaonic-scri
be-statue-obstructed

… as was one involving a pile of ushabtis:

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/4788/Smuggling-attempt-of-52-artifacts-is-
obstructed

Discussing how to move Tut’s artifacts safely:

https://phys.org/news/2017-05-experts-egypt-king-tut-artifacts.html
http://www.timesofisrael.com/experts-meet-in-egypt-over-moving-king-tut-artifa
cts/

… related:

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/4786/Grand-Egyptian-Museum-prepares-f
or-unveiling-King-Tut%E2%80%99s-treasures

… and there are plans to put remains of his stillborn daughters on display as
well:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ancient-egypt-archaeologists-plan-exhibit-remains-tut
ankhamuns-stillborn-daughters-1620473

The Philistines apparently brought their pigs with them to Israel:

http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.787738
Cf: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-00701-y

Latest WWI artifacts found in Israel are more military in nature:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/229373
http://www.livescience.com/59049-wwi-artifacts-found-in-israel.html
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5543-170510-wwi-weapons-israel

While a cache of Biblical artifacts collected by Polish soldiers during WWII
was found as well:

http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium-1.788061

Jerusalem has opened its archaeological garden:

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-unveils-archaeological-garden-in-Jeru
salems-Old-City-490138

War in Yemen is creating concern for mummies:

https://phys.org/news/2017-05-yemen-war-threatens-millennia-old-mummies.h
tml
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4495690/2-500-year-old-mummies-disi
ntegrating-Yemen.html

Moving a 15th century tomb in Turkey to make way for a(nother) dam:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/12/historic-turkish-tomb-zeynel-
bey-moved-hydroelectric-dam

Seeking funding for a dig in Turkey: