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explorator 20.05 May 28, 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,
Barbara Saylor Rodgers, Bob Heuman, Gina Salapata, Kris Curry, Rick Heli,
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
===============================================================
= Much is being made of 7.2 million years bp ‘pre-human’ remains in the
Balkans:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/uot-sf7051717.php
https://phys.org/news/2017-05-scientists-million-year-old-pre-human-balkans.
html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170523083548.htm
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2017/7-2-million-year-ol
d-hominin-remains-discovered-in-the-balkans

… with speculations about humans evolving in Europe, rather than Africa:

https://phys.org/news/2017-05-humans-evolve-europe-africa-dont.html
http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium-1.791397
http://www.dw.com/en/study-the-oldest-pre-human-could-originate-from-europe
-not-africa/a-39004699
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/05/22/europe-birthplace-mankind-not-
africa-scientists-find/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/controversial-study-claims-apes-
and-human-ancestors-split-southern-europe-180963426/

Meanwhile, a child Australopithecus skeleton is telling us things about the
evolution of the human spine:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170523083546.htm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/05/26/
how-a-3-3-million-year-old-toddler-offers-researchers-a-window-into-human-ev
olution/
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/23/529693497/3-3-million-yea
r-old-fossil-sheds-light-on-how-the-spine-evolved
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2017/7-2-million-year-ol
d-hominin-remains-discovered-in-the-balkans
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-hominin-toddler-was-kind-u
s-180963424/

More pondering of the homo naledi genome:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/23/homo-naledi-genome-will-
we-ever-find-this-elusive-key-to-human-evolution

… related:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/may/25/early-human-fossils-homo-n
aledi-johannesburg-south-africa

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= AFRICA
===============================================================
= Study suggests ochre was being used at Porc-Epic Cave in Ethiopia for 4500
years during the Mesolithic:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/p-oub051817.php
https://phys.org/news/2017-05-ochre-middle-stone-age-humans.html
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2017/ochre-use-persist
ed-over-thousands-of-years-in-ethiopian-cave
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5583-170525-ethiopia-porc-epic-cave

Feature on pyramids in Algeria:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2017/05/23/Algerian-culture-minister-sa
ys-pyramids-were-discovered-in-Tiaret.html

===============================================================
= ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
===============================================================
= Plenty of embalming materials found in the tomb of a 20th Dynasty vizier at
Deir al Bahari:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/269208/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/
Embalming-materials-for-Middle-Kingdom-vizier-Ipi-.aspx
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2436765&CategoryId=13936
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5568-170522-egypt-mummification-material
s

A lintel with a cartouche of Sesostris II from Ihnasya:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/269618/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/
Lintel-bearing-Middle-Kingdom-cartouches-unearthed.aspx

More on that Nectanebo II inscription found in a ‘looting hole’:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ancient-egyptian-pharaoh-carving-found-114100
165.html

Feature on mummies’ curses and mummy mania:

http://theconversation.com/friday-essay-desecration-and-romanticisation-the-r
eal-curse-of-mummies-77476

Feature on Egyptian blue:

https://hyperallergic.com/366307/egyptian-blue-the-first-synthetic-pigment/

Long distance obsidian trade in Paleolithic Syria:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/tool-sharpens-focus-stone-age-networkin
g-middle-east
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5578-170524-syria-paleolithic-obsidian

A 4000 years bp ‘trading post’ on Sir Beni Yas Island:

http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/culture/archaeological-team-on-sir-bani-yas-isla
nd-finds-4-000-year-old-trading-post-1.2032258
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/evidence-of-4000-year-old-trading-post-
uncovered-on-sir-bani-yas-island

5000 years bp ‘luxurious’ dwellings from Yassitepe:

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/yassitepe-excavations-reveal-ancient-luxur
ious-life-in-izmir-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=113529&NewsCatID=375
https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2017/05/22/archaeologists-unearth-5000-
year-old-luxury-settlement-in-western-turkey

5000 years bp necropolis (maybe) from southern Iran:

http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/413727/Archaeological-probe-finds-prehisto
ric-gravestones-in-southeast

They’ve cleaned up finds from the oldest baptistery (Mardin):

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/artifacts-in-worlds-first-baptistery-cleaned-.
aspx?pageID=238&nID=113389&NewsCatID=375

Napoleonic mass grave from Jaffa:

http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.790107

A database of at-risk sites in the Middle East:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/new-database-charts-20000-at-risk-archaeologic
al-sites-in-the-middle-east/
http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/20000-archeological-sites-threatened-
mena-region-war-major-cause-978582

Finds from the ‘last battle of Jerusalem’ (when the Romans breached the
walls) were put on display this week:

http://www.antiquities.org.il/Article_eng.aspx?sec_id=25&subj_id=240&id=428
5 http://www.jpost.com/Six-Day-War-Anniversary/Evidence-of-2000-year-old-batt
le-for-Jerusalem-unearthed-in-City-of-David-493901
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/evidence-revealed-of-the-l
ast-battle-of-jerusalem-from-2000-years-ago/2017/05/25/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-war-for-jerusalem-echoes-as-stones-and
-arrowheads-uncovered/
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4967557,00.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/230167
http://artdaily.com/news/96206/Exhibition-reveals-evidence-of-the-last-battle-f
or-Jerusalem-from-2-000-years-ago-

Studying pools used by pilgrims in the Old City:

http://www.jns.org/news-briefs/2017/5/23/study-jerusalem-reservoirs-used-by-
pilgrims-2000-years-ago
https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/05/24/research-elucidates-ancient-jerusale
m-reservoirs-known-as-elephant-in-the-room/
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=42607

On epigraphic evidence for names in the Bible:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865680748/53-Old-Testament-names-conf
irmed-by-archaeological-inscriptions.html

Review of Veyne, *Palmyra*:

http://www.sfchronicle.com/books/article/Palmyra-An-Irreplaceable-Treasure-b
y-Paul-11174001.php

Feature on Hatra:

https://www.apollo-magazine.com/hatras-embattled-history-from-the-romans-t
o-isis/

===============================================================
= ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
===============================================================
= An 1800 years bp kiln from Verulamium:

http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/new-roman-artefact-uncovered-in-st-albans-ver
ulamium-park-1-5023975

Remains of a Roman bath house and other finds from Carlisle:

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/Experts-stunned-by-Premier-League-Rom
an-find-in-Carlisle-a6c85ddc-31c9-429b-b455-9b208d9de418-ds
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/809860/Carlisle-Roman-remains-archaeolo
gical-discovery

Interesting study of those sling bullets found at Burnswark:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/ancient-slingshot-lethal-44-magn
um-scotland/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/05/26/
roman-militarys-secret-weapon-wailing-slingshot-bullets-with-power-of-44-mag
num/

On some pyramids in Algeria with a Classical connection:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2017/05/23/Algerian-culture-minister-sa
ys-pyramids-were-discovered-in-Tiaret.html

Plans for that mosaic from Leicester to go on display:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-39997600

France’s new education minister is promoting the study of Latin and Greek:

http://eu.greekreporter.com/2017/05/24/new-french-education-minister-to-prom
ote-latin-and-ancient-greek-in-schools/

Brexit is a threat to Classics funding:

https://www.ft.com/content/c9755056-3fab-11e7-82b6-896b95f30f58

On the Classical World New Zealand project:

http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/departments/school-of-humanities/
classical-world-new-zealand/classical-world-new-zealand_home.cfm