03 AOÛT 2017 NEWS: Sunderland - Smithfield - Antwerp - Jharhiamba - Noisy le Roi -
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ROYAUME UNI – 
Sunderland - For years speculation has swirled around the origins of historic stone structures on the banks of the River Wear at Sunderland. Theories have included a Roman bridge, weir or dam, or a main medieval ferry crossing. Now an archaeological investigation is to be launched in a bid to provide a definitive answer to the puzzle of what may have spanned the river between South and North Hylton. From August 7-18, engineering, environmental and mining consultancy Wardell-Armstrong, helped by volunteers from the Northern Archaeology Group, will conduct excavations on the riverside site at South Hylton, where stone structures remain. The project will also look at other sites in the area where stones, believed to have been taken from the Hylton riversides, are now to be found, including Sunderland’s North Pier where they act as a breakwater, the city’s docks, and Seaham harbour. The excavation will seek dating evidence from the stonework and any surviving timbers.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/could-mystery-river-wear-stone-13413122
USA – 
Smithfield - About 100 unmarked graves have been discovered around the perimeter of a 17th century Smithfield church thanks to ground-penetrating radar. Historic St. Luke’s is the oldest surviving church building in the state. Its Memorial Park Cemetery has more than 600 burial markers, with the earliest grave dated 1767, and the building is much older. Built sometime in the 1600s, St. Luke’s is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The brick building, with a three-story tower and stained-glass windows, sits on about 100 acres near downtown Smithfield in Isle of Wight County. It was originally an Anglican church but hosted an Episcopal congregation after the American Revolution, Popp said.
BELGIQUE – 
Antwerp - Archaeologists in Antwerp have spent the last two weeks excavating parts of a six-metre-high (20-foot) fortified wall that was built around the Belgian city 500 years ago. "When we compare to other cities, it was really a monumental and impressive masterpiece already at that time, and still," archaeologist Femke Martens told Reuters, while standing between two unearthed pillars of what was a bridge to the Red Gate. That medieval gate was not only a way in and out of the city in its day, but also channeled freshwater to breweries inside the city where beer makers had complained of sour water damaging their product.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-belgium-archaeology-gate-idUKKBN1AH4SX
INDE – 
Jharhiamba - The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has found remains of a rare Asokan column from Praneswara temple in Jharhiamba village of Angul district.The site, located 10 kms south of Talcher town, is surrounded by river Brahmani in the north and Nandir Jhor nullah in south and east. Superintending Archaeologist Dibishada B Garnayak said potsherds of red ware, red polished ware, black ware, grey ware and terracotta tiles have also been found near the ash pond site, close to the bank of river Brahmani. All the sculptures might be belonging to pre-Christian era, he added. Local villagers had been worshipping a portion of the broken Ashokan column for several years at the temple considering it to be a part of Shiva Lingam. Some portions of the column are also lying scattered on the temple premises. When a team of ASI officials visited the temple last week, they came across the structure and found that it was an Ashokan column, measuring 3.47 metres. Locals informed that base of the column is buried 3 m below the present ground level. “This is the second such column found in Odisha, the first one being at Bhaskareswara temple in Bhubaneswar,” Garnayak said, adding that all features of the sculptures and location of the site on the confluence of river Brahmani and Nandir Jhor suggest that this was also an important Buddhist establishment dating back to pre-Christian era. The ASI excavation branch is planning to undertake a trial trench excavation at the site to understand its archaeological significance.
FRANCE – 
Noisy le Roi - À partir de ce lundi, il faudra tout remblayer. Et ensevelir ainsi une partie des trouvailles de Bruno Bentz et son équipe. Ce docteur en archéologie habitant Marly et spécialisé dans la période moderne s’était mis en tête de mettre au jour la grotte renaissance du domaine de l’ancien château de Noisy. Mission accomplie au terme d’un chantier de fouilles programmées de quinze jours. Mais autant tout de suite exclure l’idée d’une quelconque cavité naturelle. Par grotte, il faut en effet comprendre un pavillon de jardin semi-enterré permettant, entre autres, d’offrir un peu de fraîcheur aux occupants par temps de grosse chaleur. Et qui dit grotte, dit riche propriété. En l’occurrence il s’agit de celle d’Albert de Gondi, un financier d’origine italienne proche du roi Henri III, installé à proximité du château royal de Saint-Germain à la fin du XVIe siècle. En tant que personnalité importante de la cour, Albert de Gondi se doit d’avoir un château suffisamment fastueux pour y accueillir le roi. « Une chambre lui est réservée, reprend Bruno Bentz. La grotte, dont on pense qu’elle a été construite vers 1590, fait également partie de ces éléments de faste. Faire venir le roi dans un endroit si original avait du sens. Cela marquait l’importance de Gondi ». Bruno Bentz n’avait qu’une vague idée de ce qu’il allait découvrir là, si ce n’est… des coquillages. « C’est sans doute l’élément décoratif le plus spectaculaire. On savait qu’il y en avait car l’histoire raconte que Louis XIII a été emmené ici en 1607 par crainte d’une épidémie de peste à Saint-Germain. Il est alors enfant et vient jouer dans la grotte. Et il y récupère des coquillages pour jouer dans sa chambre ». L’équipe de Bruno Bentz a fouillé environ 10 % de la superficie de la grotte. Suffisant pour mettre la main sur « des pierres de rocaille de toutes formes, des boules noires de quartz pour le sol, mais aussi des éléments de plâtre peint et doré, ce qui est une véritable originalité et ce qui donne une valeur décorative exemplaire à la grotte. Il faut imaginer cela sur 100 m2 ». Et Bruno Bentz de préciser : « Il y a une inspiration italienne évidente dans tout ça. Cela a été travaillé avec une minutie incroyable. Gondi fait venir des artisans italiens qui amènent des décors alors jamais vus en France, d’où l’intérêt de nos recherches ».