Ancient Settlements - Astronomy News

Blobrana

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Date: Jul 13 13:37 2007

RE: Ancient Settlements	Permalink

Water works have uncovered the most significant archaeological site of ancient Britons in County Durham dating back 5,000 years. Northumbrian Water are building a new £3.5 million drinking water reservoir on the outskirts with views overlooking Durham City Cathedral and Castle. Before work began extensive archaeology investigations were undertaken. Experts from Tyne and Wear Museums found evidence of continuous settlement on the site from 3,000BC to 300BC by stone age, bronze age and iron age man. Pottery remains and flint knives and skin scrapers were unearthed. Digging also uncovered very well preserved timbers used to shore up ditches and shaped by bronze age tools and elsewhere traces of iron age fields were found. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Jul 6 11:14 2007

Paphlagonian Hadrianopolis	Permalink

The ancient city of Hadrianoupolis, located in the Black Sea province of Karabük, is bidding to become a source of income for tourism in Eskipazar - a district of Karabük. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Jul 1 14:31 2007

Latakkia	Permalink

The Syrian-Belgian joint excavation mission in the coastal city of Latakkia, Tall Twaini site has recently discovered a bronze archaeological masterpiece on a shape of furniture stuffed with a lead material in addition to a bronze dagger dating back to the old bronze age. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Jul 1 10:56 2007

Abkhazia	Permalink

Lower Palaeolithic hunting-gathering encampments formed the first known settlements on the territory of modern-day Abkhazia. The earliest examples have been unearthed at the sites of Iashkhtva, Gumista, Kelasuri, and Ochamchire. Upper Palaeolithic culture settled chiefly the coastline. Mesolithic and Neolithic periods brought larger permanent settlements, and marked the beginning of farming, animal husbandry, and the production of ceramics. Read more "I shall not quarrel with you. The throne shall soon be yours. But first you must do one thing. Bring back the Golden Fleece from the kingdom of Colchis. It hangs on a tree there and is guarded by a dragon that never sleeps. This rams fleece of gold belongs to our kingdom, and only a strong, fearless man like you can recover it. When you return with it, I shall yield my throne" - King Pelias. Read more The Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece has been told for 3,000 years. It's a classic hero's quest tale - a sort of ancient Greek mission impossible - in which the hero embarks on a sea voyage into an unknown land, with a great task to achieve. He is in search of a magical ram's fleece, which he has to find in order to reclaim his father's kingdom of Iolkos from the usurper King Pelias. The story is a set a generation before the time of the Trojan War, around 1300 BC, but the first known written mention of it comes six centuries later, in the age of Homer (800 BC). The tale came out of the region of Thessaly, in Greece, where early epic poetry developed. The Greeks have retold and reinterpreted it many times since, changing it as their knowledge of the physical world increased. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Jun 28 14:05 2007

Iron Age roundhouses	Permalink

One of the biggest Iron Age roundhouses ever found in Scotland has been uncovered during an archaeological dig near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. The 2,000-year-old stone building was found in the Bennachie hills on the site of an earlier Bronze Age fort. The archaeologists who uncovered it said the size of the building suggested it was inhabited by society's elite. But they said it was impossible to say what relationship the owners had with Roman soldiers living in nearby camps. The 20m wide roundhouse was lived in by the predecessors of the Picts around the time of the Roman invasions of northern Scotland. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Jun 28 14:05 2007

RE: Ancient Settlements	Permalink

Archaeologists are excavating the remains of houses believed to date back 2,000 years after they were uncovered by a ferocious storm. Fife-based charity Scottish Coastal Archaeology and the Problem of Erosion (Scape) is leading a community project at the site on North Uist. Scape is investigating the suspected Iron Age round houses before they vanish in another powerful storm. The organisation is also carrying out work at another historic site in Brora. Violent weather exposed the ruined houses at Baile Sear, North Uist, in January 2005. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Jun 7 22:07 2007

Skara Brae	Permalink

Work to install a grass-covered roof on the best-preserved Neolithic house at Skara Brae is due to be completed by the end of the month. After extensive environmental monitoring of the conditions within the House 7, experts have conceded that the current metal and glass roof, fitted in 1930, should be replaced with a lightweight timber structure supporting a hydroponic mat roof with planted sedum grass on the top. It is hoped that on completion of the work, a more benign environment will be created for the interior of the prehistoric building; one which will better preserve the stone structure, fixtures and fixings. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Jun 3 22:42 2007

RE: Ancient Settlements	Permalink

The Hebridean island of Barra became the scene of a mass excavation last month as Tony Robinson and his fellow Time Team diggers uncovered a Bronze Age cemetery arguably as impressive as Orkney's Skara Brae. More than 50 archaeologists and crew from the popular Channel 4 show were joined by local experts to dig up the Allasdale sand dunes, revealing burial kists with skeletons dating back almost 4000 years. During their three-day dig, the team also discovered whale, seal and sheep bones, a stone wheel house - so named as its internal walls resemble the spokes of a wheel - and two Iron Age round houses, with one considered the best preserved in the show's 11-year history of excavating relics. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: May 15 15:38 2007

Orcadian earth-house	Permalink

A three-week excavation is under way in Harray after the discovery of an Iron Age earth-house during routine farm-work. The subterranean structure came to light while farrowing a field near Corrigall. The farmer noticed two holes had appeared in the ground, with the soil dropping down into what appeared to be a rocky pit. The discovery is causing some excitement as it is one of the only Orcadian earth-houses found in recent times that has not been disturbed either by later activity on the site or by more-recent antiquarian studies. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: May 12 09:23 2007

Tartessos	Permalink

Where was the capital of Tartessos, the legendary pre-Roman civilization which once existed on the Iberian Peninsula? The culture which flourished from around 800 to 500 BC is believed to have been located mainly around the present-day cities of Cadiz, Seville and Huelva in southern Spain, but no traces of a major urban settlement have been found. Now, however, scientists have discovered surprising clues to where a major Tartessian city may have been... Read more __________________

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