Archaeology News: July 14, 2011

Last known dinosaur: Fossil find suggests meteor caused extinction

The leading culprit for the end of the Age of Dinosaurs is a catastrophic meteor strike about 65 million years ago. Although it is now widely accepted that a cosmic impact took place about then — a time known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary, or K-T boundary — it was unclear if the mass extinctions started gradually before the hit, perhaps due to volcanoes or other factors.

Arctic Exhibit In Texas Highlights A Lifetime Of Work

When people picture archaeologists hard at work in a far-flung dig, they might imagine the deserts of the Middle East, the ruins of South America or the great savannah in Africa. But in the early 1950s, archaeologist and anthropologist Ted Carpenter created a unique trail of discovery by going alone to the Canadian Arctic to live with a family of Inuit hunters.

Archaeologists Excavate Medieval Fort near Sevlievo

Archaeologists have begun excavations focused on the history of the Early Byzantine and medieval fortress of Hotalich some 4 km from town, the head of the team Nadezhda Boteva said. The team is from the local museum of history.

Mexico Finds Two Sculptures of Mayan Warriors

Two 1,300-year-old sculptures of Mayan warriors have been discovered by Mexican archaeologists. The sculptures have hieroglyphic inscriptions on their loincloths and chest that say the warriors belonged to the city of Copan. The discovery proves warriors from Copan helped those in Palenque during the city's' 26-year war against Tonina.

Biblical Bad Guy: Archaeologists Excavate Goliath's Hometown Any one of thousands of smooth stones being excavated at Gath could be the one that toppled Goliath, the giant conquered by David via a slingshot outside the city. Cuban Anthropologists: Race Issue Vital for National Unity Cuban anthropologists are placing great importance on researching and scientifically debating the race issue, as a vital theme for the good of the nation and national unity.

Ankara museum reopens after renovation process Ankara’s Painting and Sculpture Museum reopened Wednesday following renovations that focused on refurbishing its display rooms. “We have reorganized the museum from display rooms to security systems,” Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay said at a ceremony marking the facility’s reopening. Trafficking in ancient Egyptian coffins Federal agents charged a group of men with trafficking in ancient Egyptian coffins and other artifacts yesterday. “Antiquities dealers and collectors are on notice that the smuggling of cultural patrimony will not be tolerated,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch.