Archaeology

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Very interesting. I just saw something comparing the Chinese Junks of their famed explorer to European sea-going technology. The Chinese ships were huge. Over 400 ft long, more than 100 ft wide, and sporting 9 masts.

They were constructed with watertight compartments in the hull which could be individually flooded to create fish-tanks or washing areas, and it is the technology that modern ships still use to this day. Fascinating stuff.

--A

[Prebe]

"I'm not getting aboard that junk!"

[Kinslaughterer]

Evolution Occurs Faster at the Equator
By Ker Than


Plants and animals living in warm, tropical climates evolve faster than those living in more temperate zones, a new study suggests.

The finding, detailed in the May 2 issue of the journal for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help explain why rainforests have such rich biodiversity compared to other parts of the planet.

A census of all the plants and animals around the world would reveal that species richness is uneven: it is highest in the tropics, the regions of Earth near the equator, and lower the closer one goes toward the planet's poles.

What's going on

To investigate the reasons for this trend, Shane Wright of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and colleagues looked at the rate of molecular evolution for 45 tropical plants and compared it to that of related species living at more temperate latitudes.

The researchers examined the rate at which DNA bases in the plants' genetic code are substituted. Like characters in a four-letter alphabet, bases are DNA molecules arranged to spell out instructions for building proteins. If one of the letters—A, T, G or C—become substituted with another, the instructions can change and a dysfunctional or entirely new and useful protein can be produced.

The researchers found that tropical plants had more than twice the rate of base substitution compared to their temperate cousins.

How it works

The finding supports a theory put forth by biologist Klaus Rohde in 1992 that climate can have a powerful effect on how fast organisms evolve and branch off into new species. Scientists think it works like this:

Warmer temperatures speed up metabolism by allowing chemical reactions to occur at a faster rate, but this increased efficiency comes at a price: it produces higher quantities of charged atoms or molecules called "free radicals," which can damage proteins—including DNA. Higher metabolism also speeds up DNA replication, which is just another chemical reaction, and this can increase the number of copying mistakes that can occur.

Together, damage to DNA by free radicals and replication mistakes could result in mutations that, over time and through natural selection pressures, can form new species.

First Flowers Triggered Boom in Ant Diversity
SPECIAL REPORT: Evolution & Intelligent Design
Biodiversity Declining at 'Unprecedented Rate'
How Evolution Works

[Sunbaneglasses]

Updated: 8:00 a.m. ET April 20, 2006
VISOKO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Researchers in Bosnia on Wednesday unearthed the first solid evidence that an ancient pyramid lies hidden beneath a massive hill — a series of geometrically cut stone slabs that could form part of the structure's sloping surface.

Archaeologists and other experts began digging into the sides of the mysterious hill near the central Bosnian town of Visoko last week. On Wednesday, the digging revealed large stone blocks on one side that the leader of the team believes are the outer layer of the pyramid.

"These are the first uncovered walls of the pyramid," said Semir Osmanagic, a Bosnian archaeologist who studied the pyramids of Latin America for 15 years.

Osmanagic said Wednesday's discovery significantly bolsters his theory that the 2,120-foot hill rising above the small town of Visoko is actually a step pyramid — the first found in Europe.

"We can see the surface is perfectly flat. This is the crucial material proof that we are talking pyramids," he said.

Osmanagic believes the structure itself is a colossal 722 feet high, or a third taller than Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza. The huge stone blocks discovered Wednesday appear to be cut in cubes and polished.

"It is so obvious that the top of the blocks, the surface is man made," Osmanagic said. He plans to continue the work throughout the summer, "after which the pyramid will be visible," he said.

Earlier research on the hill, known as Visocica, found that it has perfectly shaped, 45-degree slopes pointing toward the cardinal points, and a flat top. Under layers of dirt, workers discovered a paved entrance plateau, entrances to tunnels and large stone blocks.

Satellite photographs and thermal imaging revealed two other, smaller pyramid-shaped hills in the Visoko Valley.

From the AP

[Kinslaughterer]

I've been reading and watching quite abit about this Bosnian pyramid and I am throughly intrigued by its age and context. Can't wait until some real excavations take place.

[Prebe]

Yeah, that Bosnian pyramid is going to kick ass!

Interesting evolution piece there Kins. However, I feel that they have overlooked an important effect of the climate: Heat all year round doesn't only mean increased metabolism speeds/more free radicals. You simply get a lot more generations of everything, which means that diversification (all else being equal) will proceed much faster.

[Avatar]

What about higher levels of solar radiation?

And yes, the Bosnian pyramid looks to be fascinating.

Major Mayan Tomb Discovered

El Peru Waka - Archaeologists outsmarted tomb raiders to unearth a major Maya Indian royal burial site in the Guatemalan jungle, discovering jade jewellery and a jaguar pelt from more than 1 500 years ago.

The tomb, found by archaeologist Hector Escobedo last week, contains a king of the El Peru Waka city, now in ruins and covered in thick rainforest teeming with spider monkeys.

He may have been the dynastic founder of the city, on major Mayan trade routes that could have stretched from the city of Tikal in Guatemala up through Mexico.

"If this is indeed the founder, then it is a discovery of a lifetime," said David Freidel of Southern Methodist University in Texas, who co-directs the project with Escobedo.

The excavation team were working against the clock, aware that would-be treasures looters were scouting the same area.

Just a day before Escobedo discovered the tomb, looters sneaked into a tunnel the archaeologists dug under the pyramid, clearing out rock and rubble in a fruitless effort to find booty.

Looters frequently raid Mayan archaeological sites in the northern department of Peten. Known as "guecheros," an expression derived from the local word for armadillos, because they dig through dirt, they sell treasure that often finds its way to US museums or private collections.

"They usually work at night or very fast and do whatever they please," Escobedo said.

El Peru Waka was discovered in the 1960s, but Escobedo and his team began scientific excavation three years ago. They had to stabilise the pyramid where he found the tomb after looters opened two tunnels the size of elevator shafts in it, leaving it close to collapse.

On Tuesday, another team of archaeologists found what could be a second royal grave in a pyramid up the hill from the tomb, this one probably dating from some 400 years later.

That tomb has yet to be opened, but judging by an elaborate offering of a dozen miniature figurines of ball players, elegant women, dwarfs and seated lords found inside the pyramid, the burial site is likely to contain more royal remains, archaeologists said.

At that spot, an archaeologist picked up a small disc made of shell and jade about the size of US nickel coin and flipped it over to reveal the elaborate profile of a head of what appears to be monkey.

The Mayans dominated south-eastern Mexico and much of Central America for thousands of years until the Spanish conquest 500 years ago. Their descendants still live in the region.

--A

[Kinslaughterer]

Taking a dig at archaeology
A Mesa Verde gathering debates excavation vs. hands-off, and how to make the work relevant.
By Electa Draper
Denver Post Staff Writer


Towaoc - Messages from the past are important to contemporary society, but scientists who work with those messages seem unable to make their work appear relevant to the public, archaeologist Jim Judge said Friday.

Judge closed a three-day symposium celebrating 100 years of research at Mesa Verde National Park. He called for some second thoughts about why archaeologists work and how they are allowed to work.

Large-scale excavations are increasingly rare, and unheard of at Mesa Verde, because of the strong conservation policy of public land managers.

"Why do we protect and preserve sites at Mesa Verde," asked Judge, professor emeritus of Fort Lewis College in Durango. "Is this preservation for preservation's sake, or do we try to understand the past and inform the public, even though it is often apathetic. ... I would like to see archaeology shed light on the modern human condition."

Clues to the future

For roughly 3,000 years, the ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, lived and farmed on mesa tops and in canyons scattered around Four Corners.

By 1250, they had moved into larger, defensible villages in sandstone alcoves high above the floors at Mesa Verde. Around 1300, they suddenly abandoned these elaborate cliff dwellings and migrated south to the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico and to one region of northern Arizona.

The population had exceeded the capacity of a landscape too stricken by drought and deforestation to meet inhabitants' fuel needs. When the environment could no longer sustain the Anasazi, Judge said, it forced total emigration.

"We need to explain this to people today as a preview of coming attractions," he said.

It could be the story of the modern Four Corners and other locales, he said, if massive, unchecked development continues - and if people are unwilling to change their lifestyles or lose the delusion that advances in technology will save us from ourselves.

Judge also expressed skepticism of the trend in archaeology to disturb sites as little as possible, especially those on public lands. To preserve cultural resources and to respect the wishes of the ancestral Puebloans' descendants, researchers increasingly leave ruins and artifacts intact underground. They rely instead on dazzling new methodologies, such as lasers and computer modeling, to extract data remotely or to glean new answers from old finds.

The assumption is that, like noninvasive surgery, minimally invasive archaeology is always preferable to excavation, he said, but the pendulum may have swung too far.

"It's all well and good to conserve the resource, but resources should be interpreted. If it takes more excavation to extract relevant information, so be it," he said.
Judge's comments, a hint of rebelliousness during a fairly staid event, sparked reaction.

William Lipe, an archaeology professor from Washington State University, said the public pays for most archaeological research, and researchers require a wide range of tools to interpret cultural resources.

"The public can legitimately ask for a continuing supply of new discoveries and for new understanding," Lipe said. "We can talk all we want about noninvasive archaeology, but if you're going to do research, you have to do research."

Ricky Lightfoot, director of the private, nonprofit Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, said that it is good to make frugal use of resources.

"But it is a concern if investigators' access to public lands is continually cut off," he said.

Need to protect lands

Mesa Verde National Park Superintendent Larry Wiese said researchers may still ask and answer many questions using existing collections.

"I'm always going to come down on the side of preserving and protecting," Wiese said. "It does not mean we're not going to dig in the future."

But Lipe said that much ground is disturbed - and archaeological work permitted - because of federal agency decisions to construct roads or excavate for pipelines.

"If widening a road or putting in a waterline is justification to disturb resources, the public's interest ought to be at the same level," Lipe said.

Peter Pino, tribal administrator for the northern New Mexico Zia Pueblo, gave a closing prayer and had the last word.

"Whatever you do with your archaeology, remember we're still here. We're descendants of the people, and we are still here. There are spirits still here."

[Drundaar Rockheart]

Ever since I was about five I've had an incresing interest in archaeology. It started with my dreams to travel (I live in Maine) then escalated when I started reading books and watching documentarys on the subject. I'm only sixteen (going on 17) and am trying to achieve my goal.... I take a great interest in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations and just wanted to ask if there is any advice you can give an aspiring archaeologist Kins?

[Kinslaughterer]

any advice you can give an aspiring archaeologist Kins?

Certainly...

1) This may be difficult since you live in Maine but if possible try to volunteer at a field school of a university working in the area. Most college/university level fieldwork (the acutal digging and such) takes place during the summer typically in June but in many places into July and August as well. The fact that you're still in high school isn't important (you could always say you were thinking of going to said school...)

I did a little checking and their is a field school being run by Southern Maine Community College. I don't know how close you are but it may be an option.
shovelbums.org/content/view/32/92/

As for the actual volunteering, don't be afraid just give who ever is in charge a ring or send and email. Be very nice and describe your interest and ask if it would be acceptable for you to come and help out for a few days. Most would love the extra help and can relate to someone with similar interests in this case.

Volunteering is important because you'll want to get the feel of the work. It can be difficult and tedious at times but the sheer joy of discovery and new knowledge however small is great fun. Also I should note everyone does things a little differently and different regions/area utilize different methods (ie the Southwest, Mesoamerica, Classical-Greece/Rome, Iron-Age Britain etc) So working in Maine will give you the general idea but actual work in the Mediterranean is at least somewhat different.

2) Be prepared to read a great deal about the theory of archaeology and its intent (Processual Archaeology seeks to understand why and how cultures change) along with culture history of whatever area you plan on studying. Lots of work has been done in Classical archaeology so lots of books and site reports on the subject are available. Do a search on Amazon and pick up a couple used books on Roman archaeology and see what you think. Its good to get the basics and understand what the field has been doing. I can point you in the right direction too, pm your mailing address and I can send along a couple of books to get you started.

That's alot to digest, I hope I was able to help and if you have any questions feel free to ask. ( That goes for anybody of course as I love discussing the subject)

[Drundaar Rockheart]

I thank you very much and the help you have given me is immense.... I've already contacted them for the volunteer work and the descision is now pending. In the time it takes me to graduate I'm going to accumulate as many books on the subject as I can. And again A thousand Thank You's!

[Kinslaughterer]

Another option is volunteering with the Park Service, Forest Service, or Bureau of Land Management. All three of these government agencies undertake excavations periodically and generally accept volunteers depending on who is in charge. Usually a fully trained archaeologist runs most of the work and all three agencies hire for both the short term and long term.

Each state has a "state archaeologist" who keeps track of work done in their particular piece of the union. They also excavate periodically, coordinate with the aforementioned agencies, and usually have a hand in the state musuem (assuming there is one). I'll see if I can find out who the state arch of Maine is and his/her contact info. That person would be the best to contact and let you know where work is being done this summer.

Depending on your aptitude for swimming or certification with scuba-diving, I understand there is some underwater archaeology going on with sunken ships in the North Atlantic. Oh, and there is always Canada too.
Let me know if I can help out.

[duchess of malfi]

Here's one for Luci

Mummy may have been female warrior

Tuesday, May 16, 2006; Posted: 7:52 p.m. EDT (23:52 GMT)

The woman had complex tattoos covering both arms and other areas.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A female mummy with complex tattoos on her arms has been found in a ceremonial burial site in Peru, the National Geographic Society reported Tuesday.

The mummy was accompanied by ceremonial items including jewelry and weapons, and the remains of a teenage girl who had been sacrificed, archaeologists reported.

The burial was at a site called El Brujo on Peru's north coast near Trujillo.

They said the woman was part of the Moche culture, which thrived in the area between A.D. 1 and A.D. 700. The mummy was dated about A.D. 450.

The presence of gold jewelry and other fine items indicates the mummy was that of an important person, but anthropologist John Verano of Tulane University said the researchers are puzzled by the presence of war clubs, which are not usually found with females. (Watch as archaeologists unwrap the mummy -- 1:30)

The woman had complex tattoos, distinct from others of the Moche, covering both arms and other areas. Bone scarring indicated the woman had given birth at least once. The cause of her death was not apparent.

Verano said she would have been considered an adult in her prime. Some Moche people reached their 60s and 70s.

The grave also contained headdresses, jewelry made of gold and semiprecious stones, war clubs, spear throwers, gold sewing needles, weaving tools and raw cotton.

"Perhaps she was a female warrior, or maybe the war clubs and spear throwers were symbols of power that were funeral gifts from men," Verano said.

In the thousands of Moche tombs previously exposed, no female warrior has been identified.

The find is described in the June issue of National Geographic magazine.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Avatar]

I was just about to post that Duchess!

Here's the link to the same story, but by NatGeo:

Tattooed Mummy Discovered In Peru

And another find in Peru:

Oldest Observatory in Americas Discovered In Peru

--A

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Fossil meteorite a 'challenge'

Johannesburg - A fossil meteorite has been discovered in the Kalahari Desert announced scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) on Wednesday.

"We are excited about this discovery because it challenges the conventional wisdom about the nature of the meteorite impact process," said Wits School of Geosciences researcher, Professor Lew Ashwal.

The 25cm meteorite was found in a the 145 million-year-old Morokweng crater, 766m beneath the Kalahari Desert in North-West, he said.

A scientific research paper confirming the find was published in the international science journal Nature this week.

Chemical and mineral data confirmed the meteorite was a fragment of the original five-to-ten-kilometre asteroid that formed Morokweng's 70km-diameter crater at the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary.

The boundary is home to the first complete fossil stony meteorites found in an impact melt.

Ashwal said the chemical composition of the latest find differed from that of previous discoveries: "This discovery is significant because it means the original asteroid made it through the atmosphere, impacted with the surface of the earth and survived the intense heat it created.

"In most cases, meteorites simply vaporise when they reach the atmosphere."

The discovery could suggest that previous evolution models of the projectile during impact were incomplete, and it supported the assumption that the identity of a large impactor could be inferred, said Ashwal.

"There is also no doubt that the discovery will help us to better understand meteorite impacts," he said.

--A

[Prebe]

Fossil meteorite? As in petrified stone?

[Avatar]

--A

[Drundaar Rockheart]

You already have helped me a whole lot Kins! Thanks again

[Kinslaughterer]

Egypt to excavate Roman city submerged in sea

May 22, 2006 — CAIRO (Reuters) - The Egyptian authorities have given the go ahead for the underwater exploration of what appears to be a Roman city submerged in the Mediterranean, Egypt's top archaeologist said on Monday.

Zahi Hawass said in a statement that an excavation team had found the ruins of the Roman city 35 km (20 miles) east of the Suez Canal on Egypt's north coast.

Archaeologists had found buildings, bathrooms, ruins of a Roman fortress, ancient coins, bronze vases and pieces of pottery that all date back to the Roman era, the statement said. Egypt's Roman era lasted from 30 BC to 337 AD.

The excavation team also found four bridges that belonged to a submerged castle, part of which had been discovered on the Mediterranean coastline in 1910.

The statement said evidence indicated that part of the site was on the coast and part of it submerged in the sea. The area marked Egypt's eastern border during the Roman era.

[Kinslaughterer]

www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0606/fe ... lery1.html