Ancient weather records kept by Arabic scholars between 816-1009 AD are helping scientists study climate change. Until now researchers have relied on official records detailing weather patterns including air force reports during WW2 and 18th century ship’s logs. Now a team of Spanish scientists from the Universidad de Extremadura have turned to Arabic documentary sources [...]
A Stone Age pebble, engraved 100,000-years-ago, may be the world’s oldest abstract art. “Upon engraving the piece with a sharp lithic implement, it is likely to have produced a markedly bright and dark red-maroon powder,” Rifkin said. “The design may therefore have been strikingly visible shortly after it was produced.” Ochre is a mineral-rich, naturally [...]
A 1000-year-old game board has been found on the Maya site of Dzibilnocac in Mexico. “It is an esgraffito scoreboard of approximately 50 centimeters (19.68 inches) on each side, which was discovered on the floor of the second highest space” in the building denoted A1, the archaeologist said. Etched into the surface of the board [...]
The silver and gold coins valued at $500 million that Odyssey Marine recovered from the wreck of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes have now been flown to Spain. American courts ruled that the coins had been removed illegally and that they … Continue reading →
A nearly 300-million-year-old forest has been found underneath a coal mine near Wuda, China. [Thx Mike G!] The study site, located near Wuda, China, is unique as it gives a snapshot of a moment in time. Because volcanic ash covered a large expanse of forest in the course of only a few days, the plants [...]
Archaeologist Richard Pettigrew is speaking out against the upcoming auction of treasures recovered from the Titanic, the “unsinkable” ship which sunk on April 15th, 1912. “Imagine a crime scene: when police arrive on the scene they section if off to prevent people from disturbing the evidence. Right?” said Pettigrew ,as he sat in his chair [...]
Just as preparations for moving the world’s oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide, to her namesake city in Australia, are getting underway, Peter Maddison, a former councillor from Sunderland, where the ship was built, has occupied the old clipper, … Continue reading →
Last April we posted, Slavery at Sea ? Abuse of Sailors on New Zealand Chartered Fishing Vessels. Secret papers reveal the government has allowed fishermen from poor countries to be exploited in New Zealand waters. Workers are fishing in rusting boats turned … Continue reading →
When earlier this month a federal circuit judge ordered Odyssey Marine Exploration to return the vast treasure recovered from the shipwreck code-named “Black Swan” to Spain, I assumed they’d appeal the ruling to a higher court. That’s what they’ve done every other time a judgement went against them in the five years since they first [...]
A well-preserved Viking sword has been uncovered at a Norwegian construction site. NTNU Museum of Natural History and Archaeology archaeologist Anne Haug told NRK, “It’s extremely exciting, the sword has some remnants of wood and fabric, and it is very rare.” It is believed that the swords are in such good condition because they lay [...]
122 sets of human remains, discovered in a cave in Borneo and taken to the US for study, may find their way back home again soon. According to Sarawak Museum Department director Ipoi Datan, the process of acquiring all 122 skeletons taken from Niah Cave in Miri was done with cooperation from the National Heritage [...]
Researchers have reassembled a collection of Iron Age life-sized stone warriors from thousands of fragments of stone found on Sardinia. Archaeologists and conservation experts on the Italian island of Sardinia have succeeded in re-assembling literally thousands of fragments of smashed sculpture to recreate a small yet unique army of life-size stone warriors which were originally [...]
The remains of a WWII RAF ace has been found after being listed as missing in action for 71 years. He was listed as missing in action presumed dead and his status remained that way for seven decades until historian Andy Saunders began researching the case. He discovered FO Allen’s body had been removed from [...]
Archaeologists examining a Stone Age settlement under the Solent, a straight between the English coast and the Isle of Wight, have found evidence of an 8,000-year-old “high street”. “One area they were doing boat building, nearby they were on riverbanks and sand bars collecting reeds or doing a bit of fishing or elsewhere they would [...]
Construction work on a wind farm in Wales came extremely close to destroying the Neolithic stone row on Betws Mountain. “As it is, the row has been cut in two places by the windfarm access road. “What does concern us is that at no time was anyone asked to carry out a basic survey of [...]
Archaeologists working in Egypt have uncovered a trove of animal mummies, as well as a wooden statue of Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh who ruled 3,500 years ago. Packed tightly into one of the chambers, the team discovered a cache of at least 83 animal mummies, which dates back more than 2,000 years. Most of the [...]