* Astronomy

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RE: Rehydroxylation dating

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Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed a new way of dating archaeological objects - using fire and water to unlock their 'internal clocks'.
The simple method promises to be as significant a technique for dating ceramic materials as radiocarbon dating has become for organic materials such as bone or wood.
A team from The University of Manchester and The University of Edinburgh has discovered a new technique which they call 'rehydroxylation dating' that can be used on fired clay ceramics like bricks, tile and pottery.
Working with The Museum of London, the team has been able to date brick samples from Roman, medieval and modern periods with remarkable accuracy.
They have established that their technique can be used to determine the age of objects up to 2,000 years old - but believe it has the potential to be used to date objects around 10,000 years old.
The exciting new findings have been published online today (20 May 2009) by the Proceedings of the Royal Society A.

Source University of Manchester

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RE: Archaeology

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A team of researchers at the University of Portsmouth, UK, has claimed to have solved the ancient Mediterranean mystery of how 2 feet deep tracks were cut into the rock of Malta.

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A County Tyrone family could be in line for a reward after finding a rare Bronze Age gold bracelet on their land.
Farmer Gary Sproule accidentally unearthed the precious artefact while ploughing over a field at Castlegore near Castlederg last April.

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Stupa found in Bihar 'could be world's second largest'
A huge Buddhist stupa has been discovered in Bihar's Nalanda district and archaeologists on Monday said it could be the second largest such structure in the world.
A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) located the brick stupa at Ghorakatora.

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1,800-year-old figurine found in Jerusalem
An 1,800-year-old figurine believed to have originated from the eastern stretches of the Roman Empire has been discovered by archaeologists outside the walls of the old city, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said. The 2-inch marble bust depicts the head of a man with a short curly beard and almond-shaped eyes who may portray a boxer.

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Marlborough iwi say erosion is threatening a 700-year-old site at the Wairau Bar which they believe is the first Maori settlement in New Zealand.

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Hidden secrets of the past are revealed for the first time in a series of aerial photographs.
Wartime defences at Ryhope, Sunderland, are among 1,000 new archaeological sites discovered along the North East coast.
A team of English Heritage-funded archaeologists examined thousands of aerial photographs of the coastline and pieced together the most up-to-date record of historical sites scattered along the coast.

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Can Satellites be the key to Unlock more Ancient Mysteries?
Satellites have been recording images and for the past ten years and scientist have been trying to use this method for archaeologists too, in hopes that if it is refined enough, this could technique could easily trace more ruins.

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