Archaeology News: April 8, 2013

Djehuty Project discovers significant evidence of the 17th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

The Djehuty Project, led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has discovered on the hill of Dra Abu el-Naga in Luxor (ancient Thebes), the burials of four personages belonging to the elite of the 17th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, who lived about 3.550 years ago. These findings, discovered during the 12th campaign of archeological excavations of the project, shed light on a little-known historical period in which Thebes becomes the capital of the kingdom and the empire's foundations become established with the dominance of Egypt over Palestine and Syria to the north, and over Nubia to the south.

Sharjah museum marks 20 years, archaeological ‘gems’ go on show

Over 100 items pertaining to archaeological discoveries will be on display at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum, which is marking its 20th anniversary.

The 7-month-long exhibition, starting April 7, is titled “Our Monuments Narrate Our History” and includes findings unearthed since the first local archaeological excavation mission in 1993.

Israeli Archaeologists Find Rare Artifacts near Ashkelon

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have unearthed a huge wine press and a ceramic model of a church dating back to the early-Byzantine period (5th – 6th centuries CE).

Stanbury Hill Project unearths Bingley Moor history

A team of archaeologists have unearthed evidence which suggests Bingley Moor used to be as warm as the South of France. The Stanbury Hill Project, a community archaeology venture, has been investigating a prehistoric 50,000 square metre site since 2008 and will share its findings with the public later this month.

Sunken Ancient Egyptian Port-City Reveals Some Of Its Secrets

The ancient Egyptian sunken port-city of Thonis-Heracleion is now having some of its secrets revealed thanks to new research from the University of Oxford. The port-city served as the obligatory gateway to Egypt sometime around the first millennium BC, being the place where incoming cargo from other regions was inventoried and taxed, before being transferred to Egyptian ships for transport down the Nile.

Chemical Analysis Leads to New Discoveries in Archaeological Research

Gathered together at the 245th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in New Orleans on April 8, 2013, a body of scientists revealed the advances and discoveries that have been made in recent years using chemical and biological analysis on archaeological finds, and how they have helped elucidate the human past. Of note was a presentation by Joseph G. Barabe, a senior research microscopist at McCrone Associates, who helped verify the authenticity of the much-publicized and controversial "Gospel of Judas", the ancient 3rd century AD manuscript that related a Gnostic gospel written in Egyptian Coptic and whose content consists of conversations between the Apostle Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ.

UR Project confirms massive building complaex in Southern Iraq

The Ur Region Archaeology Project has put together a team of Iraqi and international expertise to begin a new age of discovery, using the latest techniques to unveil and interpret a shared heritage. The team, directed by Professor Stuart Campbell, Dr Jane Moon and Robert Killick, has already discovered a remarkable new structure. First spotted from satellite remote sensed images, the building complex is thought to be an administrative centre serving one of the world’s earliest cities.