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MUIR OF ORD, SCOTLAND—The Scotsman reports that rare traces of skeletal remains have been found within the outline of a coffin in the acidic soil at a Pictish-era cemetery in the Scottish Highlands by a team of archaeologists led by Steven Birch of the North of Scotland Archaeological Society. The Tarradale cemetery was discovered when outlines of possible barrows were spotted in aerial photographs. This burial was situated within a large square enclosure at the site. Because the Picts were a matrilineal society, Birch and his team members think the skeleton may have belonged to a woman of high status. “I was able to identify the spinal column with individual vertebrae, and then moving up the body I uncovered the upper arms and shoulders, all of which were just black stains in the ground,” Birch said. He also discovered the person’s legs, feet, and skull, which had partly collapsed in on itself. Gordon Noble of the University of Aberdeen commented that the discovery of human remains could help scientists date the barrow and offer more information about Pictish burial practices. To read about mysterious carved stone balls dating to the third millennium B.C. found throughout the British Isles, go to "Spheres of Influence."
Skeletal Remains Recovered from Pictish Cemetery in Scotland
Tuesday September 24, 2019
ARCHAEOLOGY MAGAZINE NEWS
THIS SEASON'S LECTURES
ROMANIA: In 1941, when a 33,000-year-old human skull was discovered in southern Transylvania’s Cioclovina Cave, it was recognized as the remains of one of the earliest modern humans in Europe. New research suggests it is also evidence of a Paleolithic murder. Forensic investigation and experimental simulation concluded that two fractures on the skull were inflicted premortem, and not postmortem as originally thought. The individual appears to have been killed by bluntforce trauma to the head with a club-like object wielded by a left-handed suspect.
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VIRGINIA: Divers exploring the York River identified burned wooden timbers and cannons that may belong to a British ship that sank during the Siege of Yorktown. In this, the Revolutionary War’s decisive battle, George Washington’s army attacked the British by land, while the French navy assaulted them from the sea. More than 40 British ships went down during the onslaught, either from enemy fire or because they were deliberately scuttled by Lord Cornwallis in an attempt to stop a French landing.
HAIFA, ISRAEL—According to a Live Science report, a well-preserved mosaic floor dating to the late fifth or early sixth century A.D. has been uncovered at the site of a church in the ancient city of Hippos, which is located in northern Israel on a mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Michael Eisenberg of the University of Haifa said images of loaves of bread, fish, fruit, birds, and baskets in the mosaic could refer to two miracles described in the Christian New Testament, in which Jesus multiplied a few loaves and fishes to feed thousands of people, and his disciples collected leftovers. Although the purported location of the miracles is unclear, he added, the church may have been built in Hippos to mark the site where the miracles were believed to have occurred. Greek inscriptions in the mosaic indicate the structure was built by the church fathers for a martyr named “Theodoros.” The church was burned to the ground in the beginning of the seventh century during the Sasanian conquest. To read about a unique bronze mask found at Hippos, go to "Mask Metamorphosis."
(Photo: North of Scotland Archaeological Society)
JOIN US AT THIS FREE EVENT
International Archaeology Day Celebration Fair
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Beaches Museum, 381 Beach Blvd. Jacksonville Beach
This annual event will include displays by MOSH, Jacksonville Historical Society, Cowford Archaeological Research Society, and the Master Gardeners. Demonstrations will include Native American rope making and pottery making. Children will be able to participate in a simulated archaeological dig. People can bring their local artifacts and have them identified by trained specialists.
(Photo: Elena F. Kranioti, Dan Grigorescu, Katerina Harvati)
Over 5,000 years ago, cattle herders built the earliest and most massive monumental sites in eastern Africa. These megalithic and architecturally complex “pillar sites,” located on the ancient shores of Lake Turkana, served as communal burial grounds for hundreds of individuals who lived during a time of dramatic social and climatic changes. This presentation will detail results from new excavations at the Lothagam North, Manemanya, and Jarigole Pillar Sites, and discuss how and why herding communities came together to construct these spectacular sites. Her research has led to new theories regarding these early cultures.
BRIEFS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Mosaic Uncovered in Israel’s “Burnt Church”
Tuesday September 19, 2019
CURRENT EDITION FEATURES
World of the Griffin Warrior
A single grave and its extraordinary contents are changing the way archaeologists view two great ancient Greek cultures
Minaret in the Mountains
Excavations near a 12th-century tower reveal the summer capital of a forgotten Islamic empire
A River Runs Through It
The twists and turns of a medieval English city’s history emerge from an artifact-rich riverbed
Piecing Together a God's Journey
By tracking a Mesoamerican sculpture’s lengthy voyage from Mexico to Denmark, researchers discover its true identity
The Antarctic Hunt
How late 18th- and 19th-century seal hunters survived on the harsh island landscape of South Georgia
THIS OCTOBER 19, 2019 LECTURE WILL BE HELD AT NOON
at Beaches Museum in Jacksonville Beach (381 Beach Blvd.)
Dr. Katherine Grillo, Assistant Professor, University of Florida
The Lives and Deaths of Neolithic Herders in Northwestern Kenya:New Archaeological Research at the Turkana Basin’s Megalithic Cemeteries
ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE of AMERICA - Jacksonville Society
NOVEMBER 16, 2019
Dr. Scott Branting, professor at the University of Central Florida and Director of the Kerkenes Project, will present a lecture about the work of the Project in Turkey. This work is discussed in the article "Between Two Empires” in the March/April Archaeology Magazine.
JANUARY 25, 2020
Dr. Jacqueline Meier, professor at UNF, will present the results of her research into the lives of Neanderthals with some surprising findings.
FEBRUARY 15, 2020
Dr. John Cherry, Professor at Brown University, will present a lecture titled "Taking to the Water: New Evidence and New Debates about the Earliest Seafaring in the World.”
MARCH 21, 2020
Lisa Duffy, Doctoral Candidate at the University of Florida, will present the results of her fascinating research into pottery residues.
APRIL 18, 2020
Dr. Sarah Clayton, University of Wisconsin—Madison, will present a lecture titled “The End of Teotihuacan: Perspectives on Collapse and Regeneration from Beyond the Ancient Metropolis.”
MAY 16, 2020
Dr. James P. Delgado, Senior Vice President of SEARCH, INC, will present a lecture about the recent recovery of the Clotilda, the last ship to bring slaves into the United States. its location has long been the subject of great interest to archaeologists.