04 MAI 2012 NEWS : Etreham - Campoussy - Wadi Moth - Bhunaneswar - Strathearn - Beersheba - Hubei -
INSTITUT SUPERIEUR D'ANTHROPOLOGIE
INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY
ONLINE COURSES / COURS A DISTANCE
INSCRIPTION 2012 / Session III : Juillet 2012
REGISTRATION 2012 / Term III : July 2012
FRANCE – 
Etreham - C'est en réalisant des travaux de déviation d'une route entre l'école et l'église, qu'un sarcophage mérovingien a été mis à jour en janvier. Alerté, le service archéologique du Calvados a vite répertorié plus de « soixante tombes » sur la petite emprise du chantier. Ce constat a motivé la mise en place de deux mois de fouille plus approfondie mais limitée à la partie mise à jour. La première découverte de tombes à Etréham remonte à « 1924 par la découverte de deux sarcophages » aujourd'hui dans un musée à Caen. Le site est très particulier par sa densité. Soixante-trois tombes ont été mises à jour. Des sépultures datant du VI e et VII e siècle. « Avec une église construite dessus. Il est même possible que la commune ait compté deux églises très proches », explique Vincent Hincker, archéologue spécialisé sur ce type de fouille. Si au moyen âge, « les morts étaient enterrés loin des habitations et des lieux de vie », le christianisme a permis un rapprochement, d'où la construction d'église dans les cimetières. Au XVII e siècle, il y a des écrits comme quoi l'évêque a demandé la diminution du cimetière, qui était à la charge de l'église. D'où la construction d'un mur autour de l'église. Les fouilles permettent d'établir le mode de vie, la position sociale et bien autre enseignement viendront avec les analyses des ossements. Quelques objets ont été trouvés comme des boucles, des broches. Mais très peu, les tombes étaient pillées peu d'années après l'enterrement.
FRANCE – 
Campoussy - Campoussy, petit village de 43 habitants situé en Fenouillèdes, possède une église romane probablement bâtie par les moines de l'abbaye Saint-Michel de Cuxà à la fin du XIe siècle ou au début du XIIe à laquelle s'est agrégée une église construite avant la Révolution (1785) et qui est inspirée du gothique catalan. Lors de la restauration d'une maison située à quelques pas de l'église, des universitaires, Sylviane Pairet et Jean Benkhelil, professeurs de géologie, ont découvert une pièce de monnaie La pièce de cuivre a été clairement identifiée par Jérôme Bénézet du pôle archéologique départemental comme étant un double tournoi frappé au nom de Frédéric de Nassau, prince d'Orange. Les doubles tournois sont officiellement des monnaies émises sous Louis XIII, roi de France. Cependant les princes d'Orange frappaient la monnaie dans leurs Etats (ville d'Orange et environs) à imitation de la monnaie française et leurs pièces circulaient dans tout le royaume sans difficulté, étant acceptées par la population aussi bien que la monnaie royale.
YEMEN – 
Wadi Moth - Ali al-Surimi, the Deputy Chairman of Manarat Historical Studies Center affirmed the historical and archaeological importance of Joban Directorate especially after the discovery of the remains of three mummies, which he said will pave the way for great archaeological discoveries in the Directorate. Archeologists told the Bikyamasr.com that it was local residents who came across the mummies, adding that between 10 and 15 others were still lying within the mountain, well preserved. “Joban Directorate is an area where many mummies, ancient monuments and inscriptions have been discovered throughout the years. They confirm the historical depth of Yemen and its rich civilization,” Surimi said in statement, pointing out that it was local residents who found the remains of the mummies scattered around after thieves had thrown them from a mountain overlooking Wadi (valley) Moth. Ahmed Mohammed al-Rua’ni, a member of the Board of trustees in Manarat Center said,”in our study of the inscriptions found on many rocks in Joban area, we concluded that the mummies dated back to the beginning of the Hymiarite period. Although The mummies’ parts were full, they were badly handled by thieves as they sought to remove gold and jewelry from the relics. Since they did not need the mummies themselves, they simply discarded it, throwing it at the foot of the mountain.” Al-Rua’ni added that there were many other mummies and graves that thieves couldn’t access to.
http://bikyamasr.com/67925/discovery-of-three-mummies-from-the-hymiarite-era-in-yemen/
INDE – Bhunaneswar - The Culture Department has drawn up a road map to develop the various Buddhist sites in the State. An amount of Rs 12 crore has been earmarked for conservation, documentation and development works of Buddhist heritage sites scattered across the State. Archaeologist-cum-secretary of the Odishan Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies Sunil Patnaik, who is associated with this project, said altogether Rs 12 crore would be utilised in three phases for conservation of 33 of the existing 120 Buddhist sites in the State. Of these 33 sites, nine are protected by the State Archaeology and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and 24 are unprotected sites. These sites are in the districts of Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jajpur and Boudh. The maximum number of such sites have been traced in areas like Dharmasala, Neulipur, Deuli, Tarapur, Kaima, Radhanagar, Langudi Hills and other areas of Jajpur district and Boudh which has substantial presence of sculptures and Buddha idols. Patnaik said many Buddhist sites in the Dharmasala area of Jajpur district stand testimony to the existence of the Buddhist culture in this region for centuries.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/road-map-drawn-to-develop-buddhist-sites/254678-60-117.html
ROYAUME UNI – 
Strathearn - The Beauly to Denny power line works are continuing to throw up more historical finds. Of the nine sites of archeological interest uncovered along its 137-mile stretch, three areas of interest have been flagged up in Strathearn. The first was a timber circle near Pittentian Farm on Crieff’s southside - which uncovered evidence of the Strath capital’s original settlers and is believed to date back over 5000 years to Neolithic times. Fragments of burnt clay, flints and bones were also found by archaeologists who spent weeks excavating the site. Second was a medieval site at Fort Cottage, near Fendoch, just outside Crieff at the mouth of the Sma’ Glen. The initial trigger for a requirement for archaeology work to be carried out was the presence of a nearby Roman fort of the same name and a Roman signal station. However, investigations have thrown up finds from a range of historic eras from Neolithic to medieval times. Archaeologists say the discoveries have added a new dimension to the story of this strategically important location at the entry point to the Highlands and are currently preparing a full report. And this month archaeologists are surveying ground at Sheriffmuir. They have been carrying out metal detecting on the north side of the A9 since the start of April, with detections on the south side of the A9 (through the Sheriffmuir forest) due to commence shortly.
ISRAEL – 
Beersheba - When the Israel Antiquity Authority began excavating before renovations at the Beersheba bus station, they did not know that they were sitting just above the center of a Byzantine city. The recently completed excavations exposed two well-preserved churches, a Roman camp and several other structures. Surprisingly, most of the rooms were empty with no signs of destruction, suggesting that the residents left the area of their own accord. The Byzantine site is remarkably well preserved due to centuries of abandonment following Arab invasions in the seventh century C.E. and recent coverage by the bus station itself. After months of public exposure to the site, a conservation crew will work to preserve the site before re-covering and protecting the remains from the construction of the new Beersheba bus station. Artifacts from the recent excavation will be placed on display at the new bus station.
CHINE – Hubei - Archaeologists in Hubei province said that over 200 wells have been unearthed in the capital of a 3,000-year-old kingdom. The large well complex, a rare discovery in China, was closely grouped in an artificial waterway in Jinan township of Jingzhou city, according to the city's archaeological authority. The wells are similar in size to their modern equivalents, measuring 0.8-meter in diameter and five to eight meters deep, and their inner walls are tiled with bamboo or pottery scraps, archaeologists said. Initial probes concluded that the wells were dug during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), when Jinan was the capital city of the Chu State (1042-223 BC). The wells suggest heavy water usage in cities at that time. More than 200 pieces of pottery and wood- and iron-ware were also unearthed at the site, which could help researchers understand the urban life and culinary cultures of the Chu State.