British Tourist Finds Lost Underwater City

A British holidaymaker has uncovered what is believed to be a lost, ancient temple while snorkelling in the Mediterranean.
Michael Le Quesne, 16, was swimming off a popular beach in Montenegro with his parents and his ten-year-old sister Teodora when he spotted an odd looking 'stone' at a depth of around two metres.
It turned out to be a large, submerged building which may have been the centrepiece of an important Greek or Roman trading post, swallowed up by the sea during a massive earthquake.
A British team of experts led by Dr Lucy Blue, presenter of BBC Two show Oceans, is to investigate the significant find in this largely unexplored corner of south east Europe.
Dr Blue said that if the discovery is confirmed to be an underwater temple it would “put Montenegro on the map”.
She added: “Montenegro is largely an undiscovered underwater world.”
The discovery was made while Charles and Vera Le Quesne and their two children, from Princes Risborough, Bucks, was on a trip to their holiday home in the tiny Balkan country last month.
The family has been holidaying in Montenegro since 1994, but had never visited Maljevik, a small bay of sand and shingle, sheltered by pines, near the city of Bar.
Once his son reported the find, Mr Le Quesne, a professional archaeologist, fetched a snorkel and dived down to investigate. He discovered fluted columns, 90cm in diameter, on plinths, which appeared to form part of an ancient Greek or Roman temple, basilica or major public building, similar to those at other archaeological sites around the Mediterranean.
On a clear day, the columns are visible from the surface of the water, but it appears that the remains, which include ancient pottery, have stayed untouched for thousands of years.
Michael said: “When I first swam out, I thought they were just rocks, as most people would, but then I noticed that they were cylindrical and knew that they couldn’t be natural, so I called my dad over.
“I’ve been dragged around a lot of ancient ruins, so if it hadn’t been for that I wouldn’t have looked twice.”
The potential size of the structure and the discovery of other architectural remains nearby suggest the ‘temple’ could have formed part of a large Greek or Roman settlement, dating back as far as the 2nd century BC.
No historical records exist of a major settlement on the site, although the Montenegrin coast is dotted with ancient ruins yet to be documented.
The discovery has been described as “something that could rouse curiosity in the world of science” by Mladen Zagarčanin, the curator of the museum in Bar and archaeologist, who inspected the site the following day.
Work on site later this month as Mr Le Quesne returns to Montenegro as part of a team working for the University of Southampton’s Department of Maritime Archaeology.
Dr Blue and Professor David Peacock, both of the department, will join Mr Le Quesne to explore the underwater settlement next spring.
Mr Le Quesne, an archaeology expert and author on the subject, said: “If it is a monumental building it is not going to be part of a small hamlet, but it is not a missing Atlantis, as we would already know about it. It remains a bit of a mystery.”
“The area was an important, ancient trading route, so it may have been a port.
“There are ancient shipwrecks all along this coast which, unfortunately, are being damaged and looted and which need protecting.”
In recent years, Montenegro’s rich, unexplored ancient history has lured organised crime gangs, which have flourished in the region since the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Valuable Roman and Greek pottery from shipwrecks is being plundered and sold to collectors in western Europe, it is believed.
So far, 2009 has proved an exciting year for underwater archaeology in Montenegro, which is promoting its stunning coastline as a tourism hot spot while building a reputation as a cut-price version of Monaco thanks to a relaxed tax regime.
Before the discovery of the ancient temple, a local team working alongside American experts discovered the remains of two Roman cargo ships at the bottom of Kotor Bay, one of Montenegro most popular tourist attractions.---telegraph.co.uk

British Researchers Unlock the Mystery of Ancient Town

Archaeologists from Britain's University of Nottingham and Greece's Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture are using digital equipment to unlock the mystery behind the ancient Greek town of Pavlopetri, thought to be the oldest submerged town in the world. Discovered and mapped by researchers of the Institute of Oceanography at Cambridge University in 1968, no other work has since been conducted at the site. This project could fuel underwater archaeology in the future.

The ruins of Pavlopetri, which lie in three to four metres of water just off the coast of Laconia in the Peloponnese, date from at least 2 800 BC. Buildings are still intact, and streets, courtyards, and chamber tombs exist as well. Experts believe the ruins belong to the Mycenaean period (circa 1680-1180 BC).

Dr Jon Henderson from the Underwater Archaeology Research Centre (UARC) at the University of Nottingham is the first archaeologist in 40 years to obtain special permission from the Greek Government to examine the submerged town. This project will help shed light on how the town was developed, when it was occupied, what it was used for, and why it disappeared under the sea.

'This site is of rare international archaeological importance. It is imperative that the fragile remains of this town are accurately recorded and preserved before they are lost forever,' explained Dr Henderson. 'A fundamental aim is to raise awareness of the importance of the site and ensure that it is ethically managed and presented to the public in a way which is sustainable and of benefit to both the development of tourism and the local community.'

The submerged buildings, courtyards, streets, tombs and graves are located close to an area frequented by tourists and campers. The researchers assert that both tourism and industry are having a negative impact on the ruins; tourists looking for souvenirs can be found snorkelling in the area, and boats cause damage as their anchors are dragged along the seabed.

Dr Henderson and his team, working together with Mr Elias Spondylis of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, are using equipment initially developed for the military and offshore oilfield market. Experts believe the equipment could transform underwater archaeological survey and recording.

The researchers will perform a millimetre-accurate digital underwater survey of the area using an acoustic scanner developed by a North American offshore engineering company. The equipment is able to generate photo-realistic, three-dimensional (3D) surveys of seabed features and underwater structures to sub-millimetre accuracy very quickly.

'The ability to survey submerged structures, from shipwrecks to sunken cities, quickly, accurately and more importantly, cost effectively, is a major obstacle to the future development of underwater archaeology,' Dr Henderson pointed out. 'I believe we now have a technique which effectively solves this problem.'

Dr Nicholas Flemming, the man who discovered the site in 1967, is on board. His team from Cambridge surveyed the area with hand tapes in 1968. Dr Chrysanthi Gallou of the University of Nottingham is currently carrying out a systematic assessment of the finds recovered back then.---europa.eu

Boy Finds Old Shekel Coin in Temple Mount Dirt in Jerusalem

A rare half shekel coin, first minted in 66 or 67 C.E., was discovered by 14 year-old Omri Ya'ari as volunteers sifted through mounds of dirt from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The coin is the first one found to originate from the Temple Mount.

For the fourth year, archaeologists and volunteers have been sifting through dirt dug by the Waqf, the Muslim authority in charge of the Temple Mount compound, in an unauthorized project in 1999. The dig caused extensive and irreversible archaeological damage to the ancient layers of the mountain. The Waqf transported the dug up dirt in trucks to another location, where it was taken to Emek Tzurim. 40,000 volunteers have so far participated in the sifting project, in search of archaeological artifacts, under the guidance of Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Yitzhak Zweig. The project is sponsored by Bar Ilan University and funded by the Ir David Foundation with the assistance of the National Parks Authority.

The half shekel coin was first minted during the Great Revolt against the Romans. The face of the coin is decorated with a branch of three pomegranates and ancient Hebrew letters reading "holy Jerusalem." On the flip side, the letters say "half shekel".

The coin that was found in the sifting project, though it was well preserved, showed some damage from a fire. Experts believe it was the same fire that destroyed the Second Temple in 70 C.E.

Dr. Gabriel Barkay explained that "the half shekel coin was used to pay the temple taxes... The coins were apparently minted at Temple Mount itself by the Temple authorities."

The half shekel tax is mentioned in the book of Exodus (Portion Ki Tisa), commanding every Jew to contribute half a shekel to the Temple every year for the purpose of purchasing public sacrifices.

Dr. Barkay added that "this is the first time a coin minted at the Temple Mount itself has been found, and therein lies its immense importance, because similar coins have been found in the past in the Jerusalem area and in the Old City's Jewish quarter, as well as Masada, but they are extremely rare in Jerusalem."

So far, some 3,500 ancient coins have been discovered in the Temple Mount dirt sifting, ranging from earliest minting of coins during the Persian era all the way up to the Ottoman era.

An additional important archaeological discovery in the sifting project was another well preserved coin, minted between 175 and 163 B.C.E. by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, against whom the Hasmoneans revolted. This revolt brought about the re-dedication of the Temple after Antiochus seized the Temple's treasures and conducted idol worship in it. The coin depicts a portrait of Antiochus the Seleucid King.---.haaretz.com

Archeologists Study the Treasures of Wealthy Roman Citizens

The archaeological work around Portus tells us more about how the Romans lived and how important the port was. The Roman empire marched on its stomach and even after the huge artificial harbour of Portus was built – when the volume of freight had become too much for the original harbour at Ostia – ships would still have had to queue to get to the wharves and unload.
They carried basic foodstuffs such as grain, wine, oil and olives, the ubiquitous sauce made of rotted fish which was the ketchup of its day, and luxuries including exotic fruits and spices.
Although thousands of workers would have lived in the port, they might well have seen noble visitors pass by. Emperors kept a close eye on Portus, staying in a palace by the water: if the grain supply failed, there would be riots in Rome.
Luxuries coveted by Rome's increasingly wealthy citizens streamed through the port. Shipwrecks have revealed the scale of the trade: marble to face new imperial buildings, lead and bronze ingots, unguents and fragrances, silks and dyes, Baltic amber, linen and cotton from Egypt and India, gold, silver and gems, marble and bronze statues stripped from temples in Greece.
Other ships bore living cargo: exotic animals from Africa and India and slaves, all destined for rich households – or to provide one bloody afternoon's entertainment in the amphitheatre. - guardian.co.uk

Archaeology as Part of Human History

Archaeology, like many academic words, comes from Greek and means, more or less, ‘the study of old things’. So, it is really a part of the study of history. However, most historians use paper evidence, such as letters, documents, paintings and photographs, but archaeologists learn from the objects left behind by humans of long ago. Normally, these are the hard materials that don’t decompose or disappear very quickly - things like human bones and skeletons, objects made from stone and metal, and ceramics
Sometimes, archaeologists and historians work together. Take, for example, the study of the Romans, who dominated the Mediterranean area and much of Europe two thousand years ago. We know a lot about them from their writings, and some of their most famous writers are still quoted in English. We also know a lot about them from what they made, from their coins to their buildings. Archaeologists have worked on Roman remains as far apart as Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England and Leptis Magna in Libya.
Of course, for much of human history, there are no written documents at all. Who were the first humans, and where did they come from? This is a job for the archaeologists, who have found and dated the bones and objects left behind. From this evidence, they believe that humans first appeared in Africa and began moving to other parts of the world about 80,000 years ago. The movement of our ancestors across the planet has been mapped from their remains — humans went to Australia about 70,000 years ago, but have been in South America for just 15,000 years. The evidence of archaeology has helped to show the shared origin and history of us all.
It is very unusual to find anything more than the hard evidence of history — normally, the bacteria in the air eat away at soft organic material like bodies, clothes and things made of wood. Occasionally, things are different.
A mind-boggling discovery
In 1984, two men made an amazing discovery while working in a bog called Lindow Moss, near Manchester, in the north of England. A bog is a very wet area of earth, with a lot of plants growing in it. It can be like a very big and very thick vegetable soup — walk in the wrong place and you can sink and disappear forever. After hundreds of years, the dead plants can compress together and make ‘peat’, which is like soil, but is so rich in energy that it can be burned on a fire, like coal.
The men were cutting the peat when one of them saw something sticking out - a human foot. Naturally, the men called the police, who then found the rest of the body. Was it a case of murder? Possibly — but it was a death that occured nearly 2,000 years ago. The two men had found a body from the time of the Roman invasion of Celtic Britain. Despite being so old, this body had skin, muscles, hair and internal organs — the scientists who examined him were able to look inside the man’s stomach and find the food that he had eaten for his last meal.
Why was this man so well preserved? It was because he was in a very watery environment, safe from the bacteria that need oxygen to live. Also, the water in the bog was very acidic. The acid preserved the man’s skin in the way that animal skin is preserved for leather coats and shoes.
How did he die?
Understandably, archaeologists and other scientists wanted to know more about the person that they called Lindow Man. His hands and fingernails suggested that he hadn’t done heavy manual work in his life — he could have been a rich man or a priest. They found that he hadn’t died by accident. The forensic examination revealed that he had been hit on the head three times and his throat had been cut with a knife. Then a rope was tightened around his neck. As if that wasn’t enough, he was then thrown into the bog.
So, Lindow Man was killed using three different methods, when just one would have been sufficient. The archaeologists believe that he was sacrificed to three different Celtic gods, called Taranis, Esus and Teutates. Each god required a different form of death, for example, a sacrifice to Teutates required drowning, which is why he was found in the bog. Nobody can tell the complete story of Lindow Man. The Romans said that the Celts made sacrifices every May to make sure that there was enough food that year. Was he a typical ‘routine’ sacrificial victim?
An archaeologist called Anne Ross has suggested that Lindow Man was a special case. Why would an important man be sacrificed to three gods? Perhaps it was in response to the Roman invasion of Britain, which started in the year 43 AD, close to the time that Lindow Man died. He might have been killed to gain the help of the gods against the Romans. It didn’t work. The Romans stayed in Britain for 400 years and Lindow Man stayed in his bog for 2,000.
Lindow Man’s home is now the British Museum in London (although he is currently on long-term loan to a museum in Manchester). Whereas the bodies of the Egyptian kings and queens were intentionally preserved, Lindow Man is with us by accident. Whatever his origins, it is a fascinating experience to see him face to face. I recommend it.
Vocabulary
Five words/phrases from the text:
* decompose: to break down gradually by bacteria or fungi
* sink: to go down below the surface
* compress: to push something into less space
* preserved: kept from being changed or destroyed
* drowning: dying in water because you can’t breathe
Exercise one
Vocabulary gap fill. Now use the five words/phrases to fill the gaps in the sentences below:
The remains of a 2,000-year-old man were found near Manchester in the 1980s. The man may have died by ………[1] when his fellow Celts made his body ………[2] into a bog. The skin and internal organs of the man didn’t ………[3], because dead vegetation combined with the mud to ………[4] and form peat which ………[5] the body
Exercise two
Comprehension: true or false. Decide whether these sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text:
1. Which language does the word archaeology come from?
2. How many years have humans been in Australia?
3. What was Lindow Man’s ethnic group?
4. How many years has Lindow Man been buried?
5. What is the name of the museum that has the remains of Lindow Man?
Answers
Vocabulary
1. drowning; 2. sink;
3. decompose;
4. compress;
5. preserved
Comprehension
1. Greek; 2. 70,000;
3. Celtic; 4. 2,000;
5. British

Archaeologists Unearth Jurassic Nest in Tamil Nadu

Geologists in Tamil Nadu have stumbled upon a Jurassic treasure trove buried in the sands of a river bed. Sheer luck led them to hundreds of fossilized dinosaur eggs, perhaps 65 million years old, underneath a stream in a tiny village in Ariyalur district.

Researchers from the Salem-based Periyar University found clusters of eggs of what they believe to be the most aggressive Carnosaur and the docile, leaf-eating Sauropod at Sendurai village.

While Carnosaurs were large predatory dinasaurs, Sauropods were long-necked, herbivores which grew to enormous heights and sizes.

That dinosaurs once roamed the area was known from the fossils found there on earlier expeditions. But this is the first time that hundreds of nests embedded with hundreds of clusters of dinosaur eggs have been unearthed in the district.

Located on the highway between Chennai and Tiruchi, the Ariyalur and the neighbouring Perambalur geological sites nestle in the northern plains of the Cauvery river. The place is a veritable museum of ancient organisms, dating back to 140 million years. Ever since a British couple -- the Wines -- collected 32 boxes of "strange stone objects" in 1843, the Ariyalur region has drawn geologists from across the world for its rich fossil presence and diversity.

Scientists have found the tiniest marine algae or the nano fossils besides the rare shell-like bivalve, gastropoda, telecypoda and brachiopoda in the geological sites spread across 950sqkm in Ariyalur and Perambalur districts.

"We found clusters and clusters of spherical eggs of dinosaurs. And each cluster contained eight eggs," says Dr M U Ramkumar, geology lecturer of the Periyar University. Each egg was about 13 to 20 cm in diameter and they were lying in sandy nests which were of the size of 1.25 metres.

In the 1860s, a British geologist first recorded the presence of bone remains of dinosaurs in Ariyalur. Over a century and a half later, the egg of a dinosaur was found in a cement factory of the state-owned Tamil Nadu Cements Ltd in 1990s. But officials realized that it was a dinosaur egg only 10 years later.

On a sultry afternoon on September 12 this year, Ramkumar and his research students went to Ariyalur to scour the rocks and sediments as part of a study funded by Indian and German scientific institutions. As they paused by a stream on a grazing land at Sendurai, they found spherical-shaped fossils peeping out of the sand beds. "We got really excited. As I have seen a dinosaur egg, I was sure these were dinosaur eggs," said Ramkumar.

A quick digging revealed clusters of eggs beneath seven layers of sand spread over two sqkm. The eggs may not have hatched due to the Deccan volcanic eruptions or seasonal flooding, surmise the team. "We suspect the extinction of dinosaurs was triggered by the Deccan volcano. Volcanic ashes cap the eggs," said one researcher.

"This is a very significant finding as never before have we found so many dinosaur eggs in the country. Besides the spherical size of the eggs covered with sand and volcanic ash provide significant insight into the possible reasons for extinction of the species," says Dr Jyotsana Rai, senior scientist, Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleobotany in Lucknow. Her team will collect samples of these eggs to determine its exact age.
Because a similar discovery in Jabalpur led to a plunder of the fossilized treasure, the researchers have requested the Ariyalur district administration to cordon off the site. Samples of the eggs will travel to Germany for further research. The vicinity of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh is considered the richest dinosaur field in the country.---timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Archaeologists Found the Palace of Japan's Warrior Queen

Archaeologists believe they have discovered the palace of Japan's "Boadicea" – the warrior Queen Himiko.
The building covering nearly 300 square metres was located close to the city of Sakurai and the former Japanese capital of Nara, 300 miles south-west of Tokyo.
Built on stilts, the structure was found beside three other aligned buildings, leading archaeologists to believe it is the site of Himiko's Yamatai palace.
"A building cluster that is placed in such a well-planned manner is unprecedented in Japan at that period in time," Hironobu Ishino, director of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Archaeology, told Kyodo News.
The discovery coincided with celebrations today to mark the 20th anniversary of the enthronement of the present emperor.
Queen Himiko is a popular character in Japanese history. She was apparently able to wield great power in the Yamatai Kingdom from around the end of the second century. Legends handed down from the time describe her as "being skilled with magic".
Japanese revere her as a heroic Boadicea-type figure who unified the kingdom after years of fighting with rival tribes, before her death around 248AD.
The precise location of Yamatai has been one of the most bitterly disputed issues in Japanese archaeology, with some claiming the kingdom was in present-day Kyushu. The latest finding supports the claim of central Japan to the queen's lands.
The researchers' conclusions on the palace are supported by a huge traditional keyhole-shape tomb which is nearby and may be the last resting place of the third-century relative of Emperor Akihito.
Excavation of the tomb could settle that debate once and for all, although the Imperial Household Agency appear to have ruled that out.
Security in Tokyo has been stepped up ahead of official celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the emperor's accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the longest royal dynasty in the world.
Akihito took over the throne after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito, in 1989.
Ceremonies are to be held at the Royal National Theatre and 30,000 people are expected to attend a public ceremony later in the day.
More than 16,000 police have been mobilised to provide security and demonstrations by extreme left-wing groups opposed to the imperial system are planned just outside the grounds of the palace in central Tokyo. Clashes with nationalist groups are expected.---telegraph.co.uk

Archaeologists Find New Egyptian Pyramid

Archaeologists have discovered a five meters tall subsidiary pyramid of queen Sesheshet at Saqqara necropolis in Egypt.
Queen Sesheshet was the mother of King Teti I, the founder of the Sixth Dynasty.
According to a report in Al-Ahram Weekly, the discovery of the new pyramid not only brings the number of pyramids discovered in Egypt to 118, but it enriches archaeologists” knowledge of the Sixth Dynasty and its royal family members.
Sesheshet’’s pyramid, found seven metres beneath the sands of the Saqqara necropolis, is five metres in height, although originally it reached about 14 metres. The base is square and the sides of the pyramid slope at an angle of 51 degrees.
The entire monument was originally cased in fine white limestone from Tura, of which some remnants were also unearthed.
Ushabti (model servant) figurines dating from the third Intermediate Period were also found in the area, along with a New Kingdom chapel decorated with a scene of offerings being made to Osiris.
Also found were a group of Late Period coffins, a wooden statue of the god Anubis, amulets, and a symbolic vessel in the shape of a cartouche containing the remains of a green substance.
These objects will be transported to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square where they will be restored and put on display.
According to Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), who led the excavation team, the finds show that the entire area of the Old Kingdom cemetery of Teti was reused from the New Kingdom through to the Roman Period.
Culture Minister Farouk Hosni described it as “a great discovery” and said he wished that within the next couple of weeks, excavators could find more of the funerary complex of the queen.
“Sesheshet’’s pyramid is the third subsidiary pyramid to be discovered within Teti’’s cemetery,” Hawass said.
He added that earlier excavations at the site had revealed the pyramid of King Teti’’s two wives, Khuit and Iput.
“This might be the most complete subsidiary pyramid ever found at Saqqara,” he said.
The archaeologists found that a shaft had been created in Sesheshet’’s pyramid to allow access to her burial chamber, so they do not expect to find Sesheshet’’s mummy when they reach the burial chamber within the coming two weeks.
However, they anticipate finding inscriptions about the queen, whose name, according to Hawass, was only known from being mentioned in a medical papyrus.---thaindian.com

Archaeologists Discovering Forgotten Ancient Monuments at Lizard Peninsula

Budding archaeologists are discovering previously uncovered and forgotten monuments and buildings around the Lizard Peninsula.
The Lizard Ancient Sites Network has already discovered a settlement of prehistoric round houses near Kynance Cove and the spectacular rampart of an iron age cliff castle at Chynall's point has been unearthed for the first time in many years.
It consists of local enthusiasts and is currently seeking new members.
To get involved call Cheryl Straffon on 01736 787186 or turn up at the next event, which meets at the Traboe Cross car park at Goonhilly Downs this Monday at noon.
More details are in today's Packet.---falmouthpacket.co.uk

Archaeologists Discover Rare Gold Coins in Jerusalem

Some Israeli archaeologists are having a particularly happy Hanukkah, thanks in part to a British volunteer who took time off from her job to work on a dig. The Israel Antiquities Authority reported a thrilling find - the discovery of 264 ancient gold coins in Jerusalem National Park.
The coins were minted during the early 7th century.

"This is one of the largest and most impressive coin hoards ever discovered in Jerusalem -- certainly the largest and most important of its period," said Doron Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets, who are directing the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Researchers discovered the coins at the beginning of the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which started at sunset on Sunday.
One of the customs of the holiday is to give "gelt," or coins, to children, and the archaeologists are referring to the find as "Hanukkah money."

Nadine Ross, a British archaeological volunteer, happened onto the coins during the dig just below the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

"To be honest, I just thought, 'Thank God I didn't throw it in the rubbish bucket,' " said Ross, who had taken four weeks off from her engineering job in England to work at the site. "I was just glad I sort of spotted it before I disturbed it too much."

The 1,400-year-old coins were found in the Giv'ati car park in the City of David in the walls around Jerusalem National Park, a site that has yielded other finds, including a well-preserved gold earring with pearls and precious stones.

They were in a collapsed building that dates back to the 7th century, the end of the Byzantine period. The coins bear a likeness of Heraclius, who was the Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641.
The authority said that while different coins had been minted during this emperor's reign, the coins found at the site represent "one well-known type."

In that style, the emperor is clad with military garb and is holding a cross in his right hand. On the other side is the sign of the cross.

Authorities said the excavation of the building where the hoard was discovered is in its early stages. They are attempting to learn about the building and its owner and the circumstances of its destruction.

"Since no pottery vessel was discovered adjacent to the hoard, we can assume that it was concealed inside a hidden niche in one of the walls of the building. It seems that with its collapse, the coins piled up there among the building debris," Ben-Ami and Tchekhanovets said.
The find is a a golden moment for Ross, who said "it is a pity that I can't take it home with me. But there you go."--cnn.com

Antique Furniture - Best Treasure

Antique furniture has a major advantage over other antique items like porcelain and painting: It can be used in everyday life and isn't just for appreciation.
What's more, no matter how trendily your home is decorated, a few pieces of antique furniture will inject it with unexpected radiance.
Panjiayuan, Beijing's most renowned antique market, is always swarming with tourists and is definitely not the right place to go.
Gaobeidian Antique Furniture Street
Located in Gaobeidian, on the outskirts of Chaoyang district, this street has been home to antique furniture businesses for more than two decades. It is now lined with more than 150 furniture shops and workshops.
Despite having narrow fronts, many shops are attached to warehouses, where antique furniture is available in many forms, from jewelry cases, chairs and couches, to beds, altar tables and niches for Buddhist statues.
The only pity is that some pieces are smothered in dust and are not displayed in an orderly way.
Many of shop owners come from the south, including Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, so they sell southern-style furniture featuring delicate woodcarving and elegant shapes.
One shop owner, Chen from Jiangxi, has run a business there for years. Like other businessmen in the street, the three-story building is not only his shop but also his home, in which the family lives on the top floor and the rest is used for business.
"We open the shop everyday and stay late if customers come around at night," he explains.
According to Chen, his best sellers are second-class items costing around 1,000 yuan ($140), or small items for 200 yuan ($28). They are mainly made in ordinary wood, for example China fir and camphorwood.
Shopkeepers can usually tell the item's geographical origins and rough age but if they can't, you have to use your own judgment.
Gaobeidian's prices tend to be lower than those in Panjiayuan but you can often bargain 20 per cent off from the listed price. What's more, the further you go into the street, the cheaper the prices get.
One thing should be pointed out. Once the item is yours, especially if it is a woodcarving, you will need to clean it yourself. It's a painstaking job but it's great fun to see how the antique gradually reveals its original beauty.
The street also has some imitation antique furniture shops, offering more options for buyers.
One thing the street lacks, though, is a place to eat, drink or take a rest. I even find it difficult to buy a bottle of water.
Lujiaying Antique Market
While some collectors hardly ever visit Panjiayuan, it's different with the ever-popular Lujiaying.
Located in the southeastern outskirts, the market is known among insiders as the "Hebei warehouse".
In the 1980s, many Hebei natives gathered here to repair antique or old furniture before reselling it. As time passed by, it developed into one of the country's top distribution centers of antique furniture, much of it from Hebei, Shandong and Shanxi provinces.
Unlike Gaobeidian, Lujiaying Antique Market (LAM) mainly conducts wholesale business. It attracts not only city distributors, but also film and TV drama production units. The film Red Cliff, for instance, bought several set items here.
The price in LAM is even lower than Gaobeidian's but wandering around it will tax your stamina.
Although most shops have more than 100-sq-m floor area, some are still not big enough to display all their furniture so that much is piled up or left outside.
Summer is definitely not the right time to visit LAM - the warehouse has no air conditioning and is hot and stuffy.
Having said that, though, a beautiful woodcarving or jewelry case more than makes up for it.
Putiange Antique Furniture
Putiange is a well-known antique shop among expatriates living in Houshayu, northeastern Beijing in Shunyi district, but will soon be on the move to Yangzhen, a 40-minute drive from the city.
Its 6,000-sq-m warehouse is an eye-opening experience for antique furniture lovers. There seems to be an infinite variety on offer. What's more, each piece is clean and has a fine sheen.
"I don't think antique furniture should be covered with dust and spider's web to prove its age," says the owner, Liu Haihong. "The main attraction of a piece of antique furniture is its style and 'Bao Jiang' (literally, treated with TLC and still looking great after all these years)."
According to Liu, the furniture is collected from around China, for example Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Fujian and Shanghai. About 80 percent of her clients are foreigners.
Putiange features folk articles, such as kang tables (a kind of small short-legged table for use on a heatable bed), bookshelves and cabinets.
Putiange in Houshayu, Shunyi district, has many antique furniture pieces such as bamboo beds (left) and camphorwood cupboards (right).
"I believe they are all interesting pieces of artwork", says Liu.
"Even though they were from an ordinary farmer's home rather than from an official's family, the sizes and styles all followed certain roles, and every detail was tended to. They are the fruit of one person's painstaking work and worth collecting."
Tips:
1. You can get to Gaobeidian by metro line 2 and it should be no more than a 15-minute walk from Gaobeidian station. Besides, it is very difficult to get a taxi back, so some friendly shopkeepers will give you a lift to the nearest main road to catch one.
2. Autumn is the best time to visit Lujiaying. There is no cash machine around, so you'd better take some cash just in case you find something really interesting. The cheapest way to get there is to take metro line 10 to Jingsong station, then a taxi to Lujiaying.
3. As a beginner, it's better not to pay more than 1,000 yuan for one item. If you really like it, just take a photo and show it to some experts to see if it's worth the price.
4. Ask the owners how to clean and maintain the furniture after you buy it.--sina.com

Ancient Treasures Found in Western Turkey

Archeological treasures including a Greek amphitheatre have been unearthed in the ancient city of Laodicea, which is being excavated in western Turkey. Local businesses have been working with regional leaders in the western province of Denizli on the project, the first of its kind in Turkey.

"Something has taken place here that is unseen in the rest of the country," Celal Simsek, head of the excavation team, told the Anatolia news agency.

"The industrialists and businessmen of Denizli contributed to the Laodicea excavations in 2003-2004. This is the finest example of taking care of an ancient city."

Laodicea, originally called Diospolis, or the City of Zeus, was built by Antiochus II Theos, in 261-253 BC, in honour of his wife Laodice.

Local authorities in Denizli are in charge of the excavation of the ancient Greek city.

"For the past year and a half, we have been responsible for the excavation site," said local mayor Nihat Zeybekci.

While the university conducts the excavations, the municipality provides protection, security, and finance under supervision by the culture ministry.

Simsek is also head of the archaeology department at Denizli Pamukkale University.

He has been working at the ancient site for seven years and said he loved the place as if it were his own child.

"There was nothing here when we started working," said Simsek.

He said he and his team had unearthed a street, a city door and its towers, a monumental fountain, a temple, theatres, and the biggest coliseums in ancient Anatolia or Asia Minor, where the modern Turkish Republic is located.

Simsek said they had created a "living park of archaeology" in one of the longest excavations in Turkey.

Businessmen from Denizli Chamber of Industry also provides funding for the excavation team.--adnkronos.com

Ancient Roman Coins Once Again Found in the UK

This is yet another story from the UK, where a metal detector hobbyist stumbled upon a treasure of a lifetime. Keith Bennett was using his metal detector on a Stratford farm owner’s field when his metal detector suddenly alerted him of a strong signal. This strong signal turned out to be over 1,400 Roman coins (or Denarii as they were called back in the day) dating back between 2006 BC to 195 BC! The coins have already been deemed “authentic treasure” which is good in case someone was trying to play a big practical joke on Mr. Bennett.
Apparently, the silver Roman coins were stashed in a large pot (4 feet deep) that was broken on the top half. It seems that the pot had been struck when the field was being plowed, causing a few coins to be scattered around the pot. Since this was a rather large collection of coins, it is possible that they could be tied to a wealthy land owner back in Emperor Augustus (or perhaps earlier) reign.
Even though this treasure is expected to bring in tens and thousands of pounds, and Mr. Bennett supposedly allowed to keep half; I can only imagine the sensation of coming across such a historic find. As you can imagine he was quite stunned as you can reflect from his words:
“I just had an incredible feeling of history and going back in time. I felt a sense of connection with the person who buried these coins all those years ago. I wondered who they were and why they didn’t come back for it. It was brilliant – an experience everyone should have.”
Congratulations Mr. Bennett on such a stellar find, we hope that you find much more to come in your days of treasure hunting! Below are photographs of the Roman coins, check them out to get a feel for how old they are.--treasurehunting.com