06 AVRIL 2017 NEWS: Achill - Serdica - Bomi - Hala Sultan Tekke - Fahraj - Plovdiv -
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IRLANDE- 
Achill Island - In 2014 the Achill Archaeological Field School began work on an enigmatic monument on the slopes of Slievemore mountain, Achill Island. The monument, dubbed ‘Cromlech Tumulus’ by antiquarians, comprises an irregular mound with protruding orthostats. For over 175 years archaeologists have argued over what the site actually is. As the name suggests it was initially through to be a megalithic burial monument, although later scholars disputed this interpretation. Excavations at the site by the AAFS (2014-16) have revealed a much more complicated history. The ‘Cromlech’ is in fact a large Middle Bronze Age roundhouse with superimposed later medieval and post-medieval huts. The roundhouse is abutted by two pre-bog walls and forms part of a broader prehistoric landscape that extends across Slievemore. The interior of the roundhouse contained a dense concentration of pits and postholes, one of which held the site’s most extraordinary find: a worked beach cobble depicting a human face. The find is hugely significant and is among a tiny handful of examples of anthropomorphic art from Bronze Age Ireland. In 2017 AAFS will return to the ‘Cromlech’. The excavation will focus on the area around the entrance to the roundhouse and a segment of pre-bog field wall.
https://www.archaeology.co.uk/digging/fieldwork/cromlech-roundhouse.htm
BULGARIE – 
Serdica - The eastern necropolis of the ancient city of Serdica has been found during construction work at the site of the former Serdica cinema in Sofia. At the site, next to the Vassil Levski Monument, six family tombs and 20 pit burials were found, though it appears they were damaged during the construction of buildings at the site in the 20th century. The family tombs appear to have been damaged during construction work in the 1950s and 1960s. Yulian Meshekov, leader of the archaeological excavations, said that the tombs were cut practically at foundation level, with little of their higher reaches preserved, probably as a result of the construction work in those past decades. The tombs are believed to date from the early Christian period, between the fourth and sixth centuries, when it was not customary to leave burial gifts. There were no remains in them, which means that over the centuries, they had been subject to vandalism. Human remains were found in the 23 intact pit burials between the tombs. The bones will be sent to Austria for carbon analysis. The dating of the burials will help to shed light on the history of the site.
TIBET - Bomi - Archaeologists have found 13 tombs, which are estimated to be between 1,800 and 2,700 years old, in Bomi County of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The tombs were discovered by construction workers during a road project in Qundo township, Nyingchi, in the second half of 2016, according to the regional institute of cultural relics. Two relatively complete human skeletons were found in two tombs, while human bones were also discovered in other graves, said Shaka Wangdu, associate researcher with the institute. Archaeologists found that the tombs appeared to follow a known burial custom, which is still seen in parts of Qundo. According to the custom, after the body has decayed, the bones are exhumed and reburied. Objects including eight complete examples of pottery, a millstone, three bronze arrowheads and iron residue were also found. "The tombs will help research into Tibetan funeral customs and human development in eastern Tibet in a period without written records," said Shaka Wangdu.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-04/05/c_136184618.htm
CHYPRE – 
Hala Sultan Tekke - A new part of the ancient city, close to Hala Sultan Tekke, in the proximity of Larnaca airport, was unearthed by the Swedish expedition of the University of Gothenburg. According to an announcement by the Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of Transport, archaeological excavations took place between May and June 2015, under the guidance of professor Peter M. Fischer. The ancient city was founded in the 16th century BC and until now, only a small part of it has been explored. The city was destroyed in the 12th century BC and was abandoned. Preliminary results of this year`s research indicate three phases of settlement, with the transition between the two recent ones being dated shortly after 1200 BC, the latest. Those two phases were marked by destructive events, as it is indicated by layers of ashes and damaged buildings. The team also discovered a series of artefacts and burial gifts, including alabaster vases, pottery and an Egyptian scarab. At different locations, the remains of animals were also found, most notably a large turtle shell, dog bones and the remains of a camel, a cow, a sheep and a goat.
http://www.balkaneu.com/archeologists-unearth-part-ancient-city-larnaca-tekke/
IRAN - 
Fahraj - Ruins of an “ancient city” have been unearthed in Iran’s southeastern province of Kerman after a sand storm hit the region on April 4, Mehr news agency reporte. Photos depict remains of potteries, bones, adobe breaks and walls found near Fahraj Couny in Kerman province following the heavy sandstorm.
http://en.trend.az/iran/society/2738766.htm
BULGARIE – 
Plovdiv - Archaeological work has resumed at the Great Basilica site in Plovdiv, with the first day of the 2017 season resulting in the finding of three children’s graves at the necropolis and a beautifully-crafted chapiter of a pillar. The Great Basilica, understood to date from the fourth to the fifth centuries, in the largest early Christian church yet found on the Balkans. Last year alone, the dig team uncovered 250 square metres of mosaic, and this year the process is continuing. The cleaning is a slow process, and more graves continue to appear, which further slows the process. Further, we also find structures that do not belong to the basilica building. Apparently they are some later alterations,” Tankova said.