Wednesday, 29 May 2019

Ancient marble head of god Dionysus discovered under Rome

The head of Dionysus was found near the Roman Forum. Photos: 
Archeological Park of the Colosseum.

Archeologists in Rome have uncovered a large marble head from Rome’s imperial age that is believed to show Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, music and dance.

The white marble bust, believed to be 2,000 years old, was discoved in the heart of the city, near the Roman Forum, during excavations last week.

The head had been reused to form part of a medieval wall but experts say it is in excellent condition.

The head, with hollow eyes probably once filled with glass or precious stones, would have belonged to a large statue of the god created in the imperial age.

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Medieval home of Lords of the Isles virtually reconstructed

Credit: University of St Andrews

Major archaeological work by the National Museum of Scotland has enabled the University of St Andrews’ Open Virtual Worlds Team, and spin-out company Smart History, to digitally recreate Finlaggan.

In collaboration with the Finlaggan Trust, the reconstruction is based on discoveries made by the Finlaggan Archaeological Project, led by archaeologist Dr David Caldwell (formerly of the National Museum of Scotland), who provided advice to the St Andrews team.
Documentary research and comparison with other late medieval sites has been used to ensure the reconstruction is as accurate as possible.

The digital research in St Andrews was led by Dr Alan Miller of the School of Computer Science, while digital modelling was undertaken by Sarah Kennedy of the School of Computer Science, with additional historical research by Dr Bess Rhodes of the School of History and the School of Computer Science.

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Monday, 27 May 2019

Remains of entire Roman town discovered next to motorway in Kent

Workers at the Roman settlement discovered in Newington ( KMG/SWNS.com )

‘This site changes our understanding of Newington’s development,’ says expert
Archaeologists have hailed the discovery of an entire Roman town and main road as “massive” for their understanding of ancient Kentish development.

An 18-acre settlement containing rare coins, pottery and jewellery dating back as early as 43 AD has been uncovered next to a major motorway in Newington.

Evidence of a 7m-wide road was also found, alongside the remains of an ancient temple, close to the A2 – which itself tracks an ancient link with Canterbury and the coast.

Experts have said the discovery is one of the most significant finds made in the region.

Dean Coles, chairman of the Newington History Group, said: “This is very exciting. The scale of this site, with the huge number and quality of finds, changes our knowledge of Newington’s development.”

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LATE BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT DISCOVERED IN NORTHWEST BULGARIA IN TURKISH STREAM GAS PIPELINE RESCUE DIGS


A settlement originally dating back to the Late Bronze Age, which was also subsequently inhabited in the Thracian and Roman Antiquity, and the Middle Age, has been discovered by archaeologists near Rasovo in Northwest Bulgaria during rescue excavation on the projected route of the Turkish Stream natural gas transit pipeline.

A total of three archaeological sites have been found along the route of the proposed extension of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline (dubbed Turkish Stream – Northwest) that would potentially be transporting natural gas from Russian via the Black Sea, Turkey, and Bulgaria into Central Europe.

One of the three newly discovered sites is the settlement from the very end of the Bronze Age dating back to ca. 1,200 BC near today’s town of Rasovo, Medkovets Municipality, Montana District, in Northwest Bulgaria.

Because of the fact it was also inhabited during later historical periods, however, the archaeologists have described it as a “multilayer settlement".

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Roadworks uncover Bronze Age urn burial site in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Credit: ct-press

Construction work along the future A14 highway between Dolle and Lüderitz has revealed an urn burial ground from the late Bronze Age.

More than 100 cremation burials dating to around 800 BC have been found here, reports chief archaeologist Susanne Friederich, head of the department for the preservation of archaeological monuments at the State Office for Archaeology and Monument Conservation.

"The place obviously served as a 'cemetery' for several villages, whose remains were also found nearby", she said

"The deceased were burned on pyres. Their relatives placed their ashes and bone remains in urns, together with anything which had not been destroyed by fire, such as bronze clasps or jewellery made of metal," excavation leader Anette Schubert explains.

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NOUVELLE FOUILLE DE LA TOMBE DE LA « DAME DE VIX »


Le site de Vix en Côte-d’Or est avant tout célèbre pour la tombe de « la Dame de Vix », dont la fouille, menée en 1953, a révélé un mobilier d’une incroyable richesse. Hormis la sépulture, le vaste monument funéraire qui l’abritait n’a jamais été réellement fouillé. D’août à novembre 2019, il fera l’objet, d’une importante fouille sous la direction de l’Inrap (Bastien Dubuis), en partenariat avec le Laboratoire ARTEHIS (CNRS/Université de Bourgogne) et avec le soutien de la DRAC Bourgogne-Franche-Comté et de la Communauté de Communes du Pays Châtillonnais. Les nouvelles approches et méthodes de l’archéologie devraient permettre une contextualisation et une compréhension plus fine de cette tombe emblématique du phénomène princier celtique.

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Entire 18-acre Ancient Roman town discovered next to major motorway

An 18-acre settlement dating back as early as 43 AD has been uncovered 
(Image: KMG / SWNS.com)

An entire Ancient Roman town including a temple and main road has been uncovered buried next to a major motorway .

This discovery has been hailed one of the most significant finds in regional archaeological history.

The 18-acre settlement, which contains rare coins, pottery and jewellery, dates back as early as 43 AD.

It has been uncovered next to the A2 in Newington, Kent.

The site includes remains of a temple which has since been named Watling Temple - making it one of only 150 sites recorded in England.

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Ancient marble head of god Dionysus discovered under Rome

The head of Dionysus was found near the Roman Forum. Photos:  Archeological Park of the Colosseum. Archeologists in Rome have uncovered a la...