02 NOVEMBRE 2016 NEWS: Nanchang - Xingyi - Herqueville -
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CHINE – 
Nanchang - The site of Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) Emperor Liu He's tomb recently offered new findings as the archaeological work has entered the stage of dismantling the outer coffin. Archaeologists have found numerous handwritings and symbols at the bottom of the outer coffin, according to Nanchang Evening News. Liu He (92-59 BC), who was later given the title "Haihunhou" (the Marquis of Haihun), was the grandson of Emperor Wu, the greatest ruler of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history. The main coffin chamber of Liu He's tomb has been dismantled since September, and now the third level of the tomb is under extraction and dismantling. Crosstie and charcoal will be extracted later, which may reveal remains of sacrifices or other relics. Archaeological expert Yang Jun said that they found handwritings and some symbols on the coffin and their meanings are still unknown, but archaeologists guess it marks the information of the coffin, such as the size and origin. Yang revealed that the dismantling work will last for two months. Archaeologists will number each piece of coffin wood, which will be recorded, photographed and scanned before dismantling. After that, experts will excavate or dissect the tomb bottom for two months. The dismantled coffin wood will be dehydrated, undergo insect and pollution proofing and restored to the original position after the excavation work. According to a previous report from the magazine Archaeology, the bamboo book unearthed from the Haihunhou tomb titled Wu Se Shi Sheng (Five-colored Food Treasure) is a book about the art of necromancy with five colors representing five kinds of food, resembling the Chinese wuxing (five phases of wood, fire, earth, metal and water) theory. However, according to experts from Fudan University, "green" and "white" are only words about colors discovered in the book, which refer to black and white. As there was a chessboard found in the tomb before, experts guess the book is about Liubo, a popular chess game from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). After comparing with other chess-related books, the experts are more certain about the conclusion, who said that the Wu Se Shi Sheng should change its name to Liubo Chess Manual, which will be the first discovered book about Liubo chess. As the archeological work of Liu He's tomb comes to an end, the Number 2 tomb that belongs to Liu He's wife will undergo excavation soon after the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
http://www.ecns.cn/2016/11-01/232377.shtml
CHINE – 
Xingyi- A dig site in Yuxi Prefecture (玉溪市) has so far offered up pottery fragments, smelted copper pieces, burial sites and a massive collection of snail shells. The discovery was initially made in June 2015 when construction workers began flattening a small hill in the village of Xingyi (兴义村). Scientists from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Yunnan Archaeological Institute have now dug more than nine meters into the ground. Their discoveries are challenging them to rethink how ancient people once lived on the shores of Qilu Lake (杞麓湖). Carbon dating of burnt acorns found at the site show they and the other relics are at least 3,450 years old. Once the acorns were accurately dated, Zhu and his team placed particular importance on investigating the bronze pieces found in Xingyi. These artifacts include the remnants of kettles and containers, indicating people in Yunnan were mining ore and smelting it much earlier than scientists previously thought. The people of the Dian Kingdom (滇国) and others have long been known from their bronze and iron artifacts. However, the discoveries at Xingyi push back the length of the Bronze Age in Yunnan several hundred years, according to Zhu Zhonghua (朱忠华), director of the Yunnan Institute of Archaeology. The collection of shells found in Xingyi — thought to be the remnants of a giant food trash pit — has also revealed new insights into this mysterious culture. While sifting through thousands upon thousands of freshwater snail shells, archaeologists identified five larger specimens of an unknown tropical origin. Zhu believes the saltwater shells indicate the existence of trade networks stretching from Yunnan to either the Indian or Pacific oceans more than 3,000 years ago. Bones taken from a dozen burial sites are currently undergoing DNA tests in an effort to identify who the ancient people of Qilu Lake were and whom they were related. Looking down into the excavation pit, Zhu recently told reports, "This is a history book, and each stratum is an individual page [...] The book spans thousands of years, and it is clear there are many mysteries waiting to be solved."
FRANCE – 
Herqueville - La Hague n’en finit plus de révéler ses secrets archéologiques. Un sondage a eu lieu sur la côte, dans la commune d'Herqueville (dans La Hague), en début de semaine dernière, confirmant une occupation remontant au néolithique moyen. En début de semaine, un sondage archéologique a eu lieu à Herqueville (dans La Hague), entre Les Fontenelles et Les Treize Vents, à proximité du ruisseau du Val, face à la mer, dans un champ du conservatoire du littoral. Des traces de vie humaine remontant au néolitique moyen (environ 4000 ans avant JC) ont été repérées. Le site est connu depuis les années 1960. Les découvertes s'ajoutent lors de chaque campagne de fouilles.