04 AVRIL 2019: Kirkwall - Marawah - Mandela - Erbil - Quesna - Saqqara -

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ROYAUME UNI -   Kirkwall  - A section of wall belonging to what is thought to be a 14th century castle has been uncovered during work by contractors in Orkney. The Broad Street alterations work was being carried out in the centre of Kirkwall close to St Magnus Cathedral. The old Kirkwall castle was originally built in 1379 to defend the town. It was demolished in 1614. Most of the stone was used in other building projects.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-47791436

U.A.E. -  Marawah - The latest archaeological excavations on Marawah Island have shed new light on Abu Dhabi's earliest known settlement, which dates back 8,000 years. The most recent excavations conducted by specialist teams from the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) from February to March this year,have uncovered stunning new evidence on the architecture, art and technology of Abu Dhabi's Neolithic inhabitants. Marawah lies around 100km to the west of the city of Abu Dhabi, and approximately 25km northwest of the port of Mirfa. The dig site is situated on top of a rocky limestone plateau located just to the west of Ghubba village in the south-western part of the island. First discovered in 1992 during an archaeological survey of the island, the site consists of at least seven mounds that appear to be the remains of collapsed Neolithic stone structures. Previous archaeological excavations focused on one of the smaller mounds at the site, and uncovered a well-built, three-room stone structure and a number of significant finds. These included an imported ceramic vase - which the public can now see on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi - as well as flint arrowheads and pearl oyster shell buttons, which are currently on display at Qasr Al Hosn. Other finds retrieved included numerous plaster vessel fragments, shell and stone beads, marine shells, fish bones, mammalian bones from gazelles and dugongs, and cetacean bones from dolphins. Expanded excavations have taken place at the site since 2017 and these have concentrated on the largest mound, revealing the presence of numerous stone buildings. The recently completed excavation season successfully uncovered the full extent of this mound with an exceptional range of artefacts   found around this unique building. These included a large number of stone arrowheads, as well as decorated and undecorated plaster vessel fragments. The plaster vessel fragments are richly painted and represent the earliest known decorative art yet discovered in the UAE.  Radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments from different layers in the site demonstrates that the site was occupied between about 8,000 years ago to about 6,500 years ago.    

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/abu-dhabi/8000-year-old-archeological-discovery-in-uae

CHINE - Mandela -  Several 4,000-year-old rock paintings depicting the celebration of birth in a tribe have been discovered in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, archeologists said. The ancient paintings were found on two sides of a giant rock in Mandela township in Alxa Right Banner. Many human figures dancing hand in hand are carved on one side, while three people in a row, a female in the middle, are on the other side, according to the local cultural relics bureau. "These well-preserved paintings depict a tribe celebrating the birth of a child," said Wu Yi from the bureau. "They record the ancient tribes' reverence for the prosperity and circle of life." Wu said the paintings' unique content can offer precious materials for Chinese archeological and anthropological research. More than 2,000 rock paintings have been found in Mandela township. Local authorities have hired local herders to patrol on the sites for better protection of the paintings.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-04/02/c_137943824.htm

KURDISTAN-  Erbil - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, has described the historic Erbil Citadel, located in the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan Region, as the oldest human-occupied settlement on Earth. According to a statement on its website on Tuesday, NASA said the citadel dates back at least 6,000 years, noting that “its extensive history is embedded in its own ground.” The Erbil Citadel has been passed through Sumerian, Assyrian, Sassanid, Mongol, Christian, and Ottoman hands. Throughout history, the citadel has been home to mosques, churches, synagogues, schools, and homes.

http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/979793c3-413d-485c-8045-2a7930baaa2d

EGYPTE –  Quesna - The discoveries were made at the Quesna Cemetery, dating from the early Ancient Egyptian period in 3100 B.C. up to the Ptolemaic period which terminated in 30 B.C., according to Dr Ayman Ashmawy of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, as cited by Newsweek. Two mummies "on top of each other" and a limestone coffin belonging to the early ancient Egyptian period were discovered in the Nile Delta region north of Cairo in a new archaeological mission, the outlet said.  The condition of the unearthed mummies is reportedly poor. 

https://sputniknews.com/africa/201904021073764410-egypt-mummies-coffin/

EGYPTE –   Saqqara - Egypt says archaeologists have found the tomb of a noble from the time of one of the earliest pharaonic dynasties. The Antiquities Ministry said Tuesday that the tomb uncovered in the Saqqara pyramids complex outside Cairo dates to the 5th Dynasty, which ruled the Nile Valley from 2388-2356 B.C.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article228724939.html#navlink=SecList