Archaeology News: September 12, 2011

The former bassist for rock'n'roll's most legendary band is anything but retired.

A rolling stone, to coin a phrase, gathers no moss--it’s certainly true of Bill Wyman. The renowned bassist and original member of rock’s most enduring band no longer tours with the Stones, partly because he has interests that extend beyond pop stardom: He’s an amateur archaeologist, author, restaurateur, inventor, and wicked table tennis player.

Understanding underground Jerusalem

Experts and hundreds of visitors attended the 12th annual City of David Archaeology Conference dedicated to research on Jerusalem and the city of David.

Smugglers rob KP of archaeological wealth

Recently, a probe team, headed by Museums and Archaeology Director Nidaullah Sehrai and comprising members of Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) and archaeology department officials, visited various archaeological sites in Mardan and Swabi districts to substantiate reports that relic hunters were engaged in unlawful digging at Gandharan Buddhist sites in these antiquity rich districts.

Petrified Forest National Park Expands by 26,000 Acres

The federal government is gaining control over an even larger expanse of rainbow-colored petrified wood, fossils from the dawning age of dinosaurs and petroglyphs left by American Indian tribes who once lived in eastern Arizona.

Georgian architecture: examples from the era

The Georgian era reveled in the classical form, applying it liberally to terraces, bridges and crescents

Lanyon vault baffles experts

The 2sqm brick vault, hidden for decades, was recently uncovered by gardeners clearing a thick tangle of vines.The materials for the bricks and mortar structure are thought to have been sourced locally and resemble other brickwork on the site dating from the 1800s.

Exhibition marks end of archaeology stint

SHEFFIELD photographic artist Bill Bevan is marking the end of his residency at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Archaeology with an exhibition entitled Diggers.

Experts hail Pictish royal monastery find

AERIAL photographs showing a faint line in fields around a village in Highland Perthshire have mystified archaeologists for decades. Crop marks in the village of Fortingall, famous for its 5,000-year-old yew tree, seem to indicate an ancient boundary long since buried and forgotten.

History brought to life as Battle of Marathon re-enacted

Sweating beneath heavy armour, a group of die-hard archaeology fans brought the Battle of Marathon to life this weekend on the coastal plain where the fate of Europe dramatically changed 2,500 years ago.

Work on new village hall to start

BUILDING work on a new village hall for Holy Island is finally about to start - nearly a decade since the project was first mooted. Hall trustees have had to jump numerous hurdles to reach this stage, not least the archaeological concerns which have taken eight years to overcome.

Exhibition of ancient coins to open on 27th

The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in collaboration with Tourism Corporation will hold a four-day international historical coins exhibition from September 27 at Gor Gathri Archaeological Complex.

Lewis Moody: I always wanted to be an archaeologist - I think I watched too many Indiana Jones films!

The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity… Archaeology. As a boy I’d spend hours digging holes in our garden and get really buzzed finding clay pipes and old bottles. I watch Time Team with Tony Robinson religiously.

Lee University Contributes To Archaeology Dig

This summer Lee University faculty, students and alumni participated in a rare archaeological excavation. The field work included exploring a Central Western Colorado rock shelter and compiling documentation of Native American rock art.

Malla-era archaeological marvel retrieved after two years

KATHMANDU: Art lovers and historians have something to cheer about, for the country has got back one of its lost treasures — a beautiful idol of Laxmi-Narayan dating to the 1640s — which ‘vanished’ during the renovation of the Sundari Chowk, a part of the Patan Durbar, on November 5, 2009.

Va history museum curator to study tavern food

The curator of archaeology at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville is studying the food eaten by guests visiting an 18th century tavern. Elizabeth Moore will study the Golden Ball Tavern in Petersburg. It served as an important meeting venue for America's founding fathers and later British officers during the American Revolution.

Forgotten archaeological gems: The ancient turquoise mines of South Sinai

Rock inscriptions left by ancient Egyptian miners in South Sinai are rich with details of working conditions and weather, as well as praise for the pharaoh and the gods. They present a lively narrative of daily life that can be easily compared to modern business reports, or even a diary.