Clipmarks | Archaeology Clips

Some pics of the Ig nobel prizes :)

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:44:04 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Ig Nobel Prizes

Ig Nobel last year for their research of sword swallowing

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Physics

heaps of hair, or string, will inevitably tangle

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Peace

adopting the principle that plants have dignity

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Nutrition

food tastes better if it sounds better. So, the crispier, the tastier

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Biology

fleas that live on a dog can jump higher than fleas that live on cats

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Archaeology

detailing the ability of armadillos to move artifacts up, down, and even laterally by several yards at archaeological dig sites.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Medicine

people felt better when they took more expensive fake medicines than cheaper fake medicines.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Chemistry

Diet Coke's effectiveness as a spermicide.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Economics

exotic dancers make more money when they are at peak of their fertility cycles.

"some lap dancers have scheduled shifts based on this research."

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Cognitive Science

slime molds can do more than just feed on microorganisms in decaying vegetable matter; they can also solve puzzles.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Literature

A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations

Tags: nobel prizes

Ancient Peru pyramid spotted by satellite

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:29:50 GMT

clipped by: infopunk

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

Infrared and multispectral images reveal 9,000-square-mile structure

In this satellite image, the white arrows show the buried pyramid and the black arrows other structures which have yet to be investigated.

"We know that many buildings are still buried under Cahuachi's sands, but until now, it was almost impossible to exactly locate them and detect their shape from an aerial view," Masini told Discovery News. "The biggest problem was the very low contrast between adobe, which is sun-dried earth, and the background subsoil."

Cahuachi is the best-known site of the Nazca civilization, which flourished in Peru between the first century B.C. and the fifth century A.D. and slid into oblivion by the time the Inca Empire rose to dominate the Andes.

Between 300 and 350 A.D., two natural disasters — a powerful flood and a devastating earthquake — hit Cahuachi. The site lost its sacred power to the Nazca, who then abandoned the area.

they sealed all monuments and buried them under the desert sand.

Tags: peru, archaeology

IgNobel research prizes awarded

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:46:08 GMT

clipped by: pcmkrfn

Clip Source: www.weirduniverse.net

2008 IgNobels

Clip Source: www.weirduniverse.net

Ten science research prizes were awarded last night: biology (fleas on dogs jump further than fleas on cats), nutrition (modifying the sound of potato-chip crunching to make the eater think they're fresher than they are), physics (all string will eventually tangle itself up), chemistry (competing findings that Coca-Cola is/isn't an effective spermicide), archaeology, medicine, cognitive science, economics, literature, and peace (Swiss scientists declaring that plants have dignity). Agence France-Presse via Yahoo /// Annals of Improbable Research

New Discovery Refers to Christ as the 'Magician'

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:02:56 GMT

clipped by: CarnivalBorn

Clip Source: www.thirdeyeconcept.com

A team of scientists led by renowned French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio recently announced that they have found a bowl, dating to between the late 2nd century B.C. and the early 1st century A.D., that is engraved with what they believe could be the world's first known reference to Christ

The full engraving on the bowl reads, "DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS," which has been interpreted by the excavation team to mean either, "by Christ the magician" or, "the magician by Christ."

"It could very well be a reference to Jesus Christ, in that he was once the primary exponent of white magic," Goddio, co-founder of the Oxford Center of Maritime Archaeology, said

found the object during an excavation of the underwater ruins of Alexandria's ancient great harbor. The Egyptian site also includes the now submerged island of Antirhodos

The bowl is currently on public display in the exhibit "Egypt's Sunken Treasures" at the Matadero Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain, until November 15. MSNBC

Neanderthals 'enjoyed broad menu'

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:55:42 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Still do.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

It seems Neanderthals enjoyed a wide range of foods - a much broader menu than had previously been supposed.

Excavations in caves in Gibraltar once occupied by the ancient humans show they ate seal and dolphin when they could get hold of the animals.

There are even indications that mussels were warmed to open their shells.

The simplistic image of Neanderthals is slowly changing

The findings, reported in the journal PNAS, give the lie to the popular view that Neanderthals ate a diet utterly dominated by meat from land animals.

It is one more example of the greater sophistication now being ascribed to Homo neanderthalensis; and further complicates the story of how modern humans (Homo sapiens) out-competed and out-lived their evolutionary cousins.

"Moderns still had a more efficient way of extracting the maximum out of the environment compared with the Neanderthals," said lead author Chris Stringer from London's Natural History Museum.

"So there still is an element of superiority

Tags: archaeology

Bird the size of plane found near London

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:22:49 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Probably was shot down during the Battle for Britain

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Scientists have revealed the existence of a huge bird with bony teeth and wings spanning five metres, that once swooped over the wetlands of southern England 50 million years ago.

The creature was discovered in clay, east of London.

Dr Gerald Mayr, writing in the journal Palaeontology, says the bird is about the size of a small plane.

Tags: archaeology

New Ramses II Statue

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:11:33 GMT

clipped by: ramsesemerson
clipper's remarks: Yay!! Egypt!!

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ancient statue of Ramses II found near Cairo

Egyptian archaeologists located the pink, granite monument at a site in Tell Basta, once the capital of the ancient state 50 miles north of Cairo.

Ramses, also known by his Greek name Ozymandias, commanded a mighty empire during Egypt's new kingdom from 1279-1213 BC.

"The head is 76 cm high (around 30 inches), the nose is broken, and the false beard that was once attached to the king's chin is missing," Mr Hawass said.

"The discovery is important because it may indicate that the excavators are close to the ruins of a major temple of Ramses II in the area".

Archaeologists are still excavating the Tell Basta site in the hopes of discovering the rest of the statue.

Ramses was buried in the valley of the kings at Luxor, but was discovered last century and his mummified remains are now displayed in a Cairo museum.

Tags: archaeology, egyptology, egypt, statue

Dig pinpoints Stonehenge origins

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:57:25 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: More info and a video at the source (I nearly said "site" instead of source).

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Archaeologists have pinpointed the construction of Stonehenge to 2300BC - a key step to discovering how and why the mysterious edifice was built.

The radiocarbon date is said to be the most accurate yet and means the ring's original bluestones were put up 300 years later than previously thought.

The dating is the major finding from an excavation inside the henge by Profs Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright.

The duo found evidence suggesting Stonehenge was a centre of healing.

Others have argued that the monument was a shrine to worship ancestors, or a calendar to mark the solstices.

Date demand

For centuries, archaeologists have marvelled at the construction of Stonehenge, which lies on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

Mineral analysis indicates that the original circle of bluestones was transported to the plain from a site 240km (150 miles) away, in the Preseli hills, South Wales.

This extraordinary feat suggests the stones were thought to harbour great powers.

Tags: archaeology

Red Lady controversy

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:25:35 GMT

clipped by: yewtree
clipper's remarks: Interesting, a repatriation case between two museums.

Clip Source: www.walesonline.co.uk

AN Elgin Marbles-style campaign has begun to secure the return to Wales of the Red Lady of Paviland, one of the world's most important archaeological finds.

The skeleton of the "Red Lady" complete with jewellery and a mammoth's head marker was discovered in 1823 at Paviland Cave on Gower.

Later analysis showed the skeleton to be that of a man, possibly a chieftain, but the Red Lady tag stuck.

It emerged that the bones, stained by red ochre, were the oldest ceremonially buried remains ever found in Western Europe.

They go back to 24,000BC pre-dating Stonehenge by 20,000 years.

Tags: archaeology

Stonehenge Partiers Came From Afar, Cattle Teeth Show

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:04:03 GMT

clipped by: hitchhiker08
clipper's remarks: Interesting...

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Stonehenge Partiers Came From Afar, Cattle Teeth Show

Prehistoric cattle remains found close to Stonehenge suggest that partying pilgrims brought the animals from afar, scientists report.

Cattle slaughtered during ritual festivities at the site may have come from as far away as Wales, Jane Evans of the United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council announced this week at the British Association Festival of Science in Liverpool.

The discovery is based on 4,500-year-old cattle teeth and bones recently unearthed at a late Stone Age village at Durrington Walls (learn more), less than two miles (three kilometers) from the famous stone circle.

Probably Wales

"These animals were grazing on soils that developed on relatively old rocks," Evans said, adding that the nearest locations where such rocks are found are Wales and Scotland.

Wales is the likelier of the two, Evans said, because it is closer to Stonehenge and has other archaeological connections.

Tags: stonehenge, partiers, rituals, uk, cattle, archaeology

Anthropology Museum database to go online

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:12:53 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: article continues:
Nearly 50 artifacts connected to the Cherokee culture including baskets, ceremonial pipes, jewelry, ceramics and a range of other objects can be found in the database. Thousands of American Indian projectile points, most of them found in North Carolina, have also been cataloged.

The oldest artifact in the collection dates to 10,000 B.C.

Archaeology and anthropology enthusiasts can search by country to find objects from a particular geographic area or by culture, such as the Hopi, to find all objects in the collection associated with that culture. People can also search for a type of artifact. For example, by entering “basket” as a search term, someone could find records for more than 150 baskets in the collection.

Anyone can use the database, but the database will be particularly valuable for North Carolina teachers, said Stephen Whittington, director of the museum.

Teachers can use images and the descriptions from the database to plan lessons

Clip Source: www.wfu.edu

Wake Forest University's Anthropology Museum to unveil online database of entire collection

From 10,000-year-old American Indian tools and weapons to 20th century African masks, more than 26,000 artifacts in the Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology’s collections will be accessible online in a searchable database.

Beginning Sept. 9, the public will be able to search the online database, www.wfu.edu/moa/database, and find a photograph and description of each object, including information about where it was collected.

The collection includes Japanese kimonos, thousand-year-old Egyptian coins, 19th century Inuit dolls, pre-Columbian earthenware pots, and a vast array of other artifacts from cultures around the world.

Ancient and contemporary textiles, jewelry, tools and weapons are cataloged.

The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:15:00 GMT

clipped by: Imnclady
clipper's remarks: Documentary using archaeological evidence pertaining to Jesus and the Bible. Then compare it to the Book of Mormon which has no archaeological evidence pertaining to the Book of Mormon, which states that Jesus appeared to an ancient people who later became the Mormons.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon

[Video]

SYNOPSIS:

The Book of Mormon claims to be "a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible." Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon declare themselves to be ancient, historical, and reliable rules of faith--the very word of God.

These claims have historically been taken on faith. But is there any evidence to support them one way or the other? Is it even possible to "test" a rule of faith? More to the point, is there any basis for placing one's faith in the Bible or the Book of Mormon?

It's an important question. It's an eternal question. This presentation puts the Bible and the Book of Mormon to the same tests. History, archaeology, textual criticism, and other disciplines combine to shed light on what is true...and what is false.

Truth never fears investigation. Faith need not--and should not--be blind. Discover for yourself which of these books is worthy of being called "scripture" and which is worth of your trust.

Category: Education

Tags: religion, jesus, human, spirituality, faith, profile

Buddha statue find at Afghan site

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:10:08 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

A giant statue of a Buddha has been discovered in central Afghanistan, near to the ruins of the world-famous Bamiyan Buddhas.

Archaeologists say the 19m (62ft) statue is in a sleeping position and dates back to the Third Century.

Other relics such as coins and ceramics were also found.

The Taleban blew up two giant standing Buddhas carved into the mountainside at Bamiyan - once a thriving centre of Buddhism - in 2001.

The statues, the tallest such standing Buddhas in the world at the time, were considered by the Taleban to be un-Islamic representations of the human form.

Archaeologists are working on restoring the largest of the two Buddhas in a project that is expected to take a decade.

A local official in Bamiyan said the newly found statue had been badly damaged, but some parts of it, such as the neck and right hand, were in a good condition.

Tags: afghanistan, buddhism, archaeology

First architecture in North America

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:43:02 GMT

clipped by: WallClip
clipper's remarks: It's like Clovis people lived in wood huts wit gravel floor.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

One of the most unusual finds at Gault is this gravel pavement 21.5 feet (two meters) square. The team carefully uncovered and documented this area, which experts suggest formed the floor of some kind of shelter. The pavement provides the first evidence of architecture in North America.

Tags: clovis, architecture, archaeology

'Keep an eye on the Sphinx"

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:44:54 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly

Clip Source: weekly.ahram.org.eg

Keep an eye on the Sphinx

While the SCA secretary-general was being interviewed for "Guardian's Spotlight" in July 2008, pigeons were seen pecking away at the eyes and ear cavities of the Sphinx and their droppings were splattered on the stone. Jill Kamil discusses this new danger

The secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities had much to tell his interviewer on "Spotlight". Zahi Hawass waxed lyrical about "exciting things" that have been happening in the field of archaeology -- the discovery of a new tomb of a queen at Saqqara that has yet to be formally announced; the entrance to two tombs in the Valley of the Kings on which excavation will begin in October; and "big happenings" in Aswan, Edfu and Kom Ombo. He was enthusiastic about the "improvements" at Dendera and the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, and gave details of the new museums at Rashid, Arish, Minya and Amarna, as well as site management at Beni Hassan and Tuna Al-Gabel.