06 JUILLET 2017 NEWS: Auch - Pudukkottai - Cao - Tappeh Silveh 2 - Barhilia -
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FRANCE – 
Auch - L'Inrap a réalisé une très belle découverte, dans la rue Augusta : les vestiges d'une demeure gallo-romaine du IIIe siècle après JC, dans le cœur de la ville antique. «Un projet immobilier existait, et des sondages ont été effectués ici en 2012, confie Pascal Lotti, l'archéologue en charge des fouilles. Ces sondages sont motivés par la connaissance du site : on sait depuis des décennies que le centre de la ville antique se trouve ici. Les premiers éléments collectés en 2012 nous ont persuadés qu'on trouverait une grosse maison ici, mais sans plus d'information.» C'est bien plus qui est apparu à mesure que la pelle mécanique déblayait le terrain de 800 m2. Une domus, une maison de la noblesse patricienne. 800 m2 de fouilles, mais bien plus à trouver…Elle était vraisemblablement encadrée par deux rues, et très proche du forum, le cœur de la ville romaine. «On sait avec certitude que nous ne dégageons là que l'angle nord-est du bâtiment. La bâtisse pouvait être beaucoup plus grande. Elle l'est probablement, mais le reste se trouve sous d'autres maisons !» Certaines de ces demeures patriciennes couvraient plusieurs milliers de mètres carrés. Et celle de la rue Augusta affiche un luxe qui n'a rien à leur envier. «On a trouvé, par les huit pièces dégagées, un ensemble balnéaire : des thermes privés. C'est très rare, et la marque d'une grande richesse du propriétaire des lieux.» D'autres éléments viennent à l'appui de cette abondance. Dans les débris triés au cours des fouilles, les archéologues retrouvent des débris de marbre. «Ce sont les restes de dallages, de plinthes, peut-être de revêtements muraux.» S'y ajoutent des traces de mosaïques murales en pâte de verre, qui valaient une fortune à l'époque… et des mosaïques dans trois pièces ! L'étude des strates semble indiquer une occupation de ce secteur de la ville avant l'An 0, à l'époque d'Auguste. Et si la construction initiale a été remaniée à plusieurs reprises, elle a toujours été importante. Au IIIe siècle de notre ère, elle subit encore deux grandes modifications, dont l'ajout des thermes privés, avant d'être abandonnée vers la fin du IVe ou le début du Ve siècle ap. J.-C.
VIDEO = http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/07/04/2606252-riche-passe-ville-romaine-refait-surface-rue-augusta.html#CZohqhMFv7xim4F1.99
INDE – Pudukkottai - A team of archaeology enthusiasts have unearthed a 12th century soolakkal(boundary stone) near Pudukkottai. The team led by founder of Pudukkottai Heriage Research Centre, Manganur A Manikandan stumbled upon the four-faced stone at a cotton field near Valamangalam village recently. The stone has human faces etched on two sides and tridents on the other two. Manikandan said the `soolakkal' reflects the land survey system which was in practice during the rule of Chola rulers Rajaraja and Kulothunga I. The land where the marker was found was donated to a shiva temple, he said. Director of Dr M Rajamanikkanar Centre for Historical Research R Kalaikkovan said that several such markers have been discovered across the state. There is a big fish engraved on a soolakkal belonging to the pandian era found in Samayapuram , he said, while adding that the oldest boundary stone discovered in this region belonged to the Pallava period. He said that soolakkal engraved with tridents were used to mark borders of land donated to shiva temples. If the donation was made towards a vishnu temple, the stone was called Thiruvazhikal and had a chakra etched ion it, he said
PEROU – 
Cao - She died some 1,700 years ago, after ruling over a desert valley in ancient Peru. But the likeness of the famed former priestess, known as the Lady of Cao, can now be seen thanks to 3D imaging technology and forensics archaeology. The model, unveiled this week was based on the priestesses skull structure. and has taken 10 months to create. The goal is to bring the world closer to one of of Peru’s best archaeological finds and to reveal insights into the genetic development of Peruvians. The Lady of Cao shattered the belief that the ancient Moche people, who occupied the Chicama Valley from about 100-700, was patriarchal. After she was discovered in 2005, several other female mummies were found in graves with objects denoting their high political and religious standing.
VIDEO = http://www.euronews.com/2017/07/05/peru-reveals-face-of-ancient-priestess
IRAN – 
Tappeh Silveh 2 - The Public Relations Office of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) quoted head of the exploration team Kiomars Haji-Mohammadi Tuesday as saying the burials can provide researchers in the field of physical anthropology with ample anthropological information for different studies. Valuable works from the Iron Age and architecture of the Historic era up to the packed cemetery dating back to the Middle Islamic centuries till the contemporary time have been discovered in the Tappeh Silveh 2 (Sarbaz) area the oldest works of which belong to the Bronze era and the Iron Age 3 (Historic period), he said. Haji-Mohammadi went on to say that the establishment in Tappeh Sarbaz of Silveh in Piranshahr which encompasses close to three meters of the thickness of the works in that area mostly dates back to the Iron Age and the Historic period. With regard to the abundant regional and trans-regional developments in the northwest in the Bronze era and the Iron Age, the discovered architectural works and cultural remains are noticeable, he noted. He pointed to the remains of adobe architecture and clay flooring with adobes measuring 45x45 cm, and said the works resemble samples which were discovered in Aghrab Tappeh of Hassanlou and its concurrent areas.
http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82587785/
SYRIE - 
Barhilia - The national archeology expedition operating in Barada valley in al-Zabadani area in Damascus Countryside uncovered a floor mural dating back to the 4th century AD. The mosaic, which has an area of around 50 meters, was found in Barhilia town, and makes up the floor of a hall with a wide entrance and two narrow entrances.The mural features artistic scenes and geometric, plant-shaped, and symbolic decorations, all executed with small stone tiles. The style indicates that the mosaic dates back to the end of the Roman era and the beginning of the Byzantine era. Director of Damascus Countryside Archeology Department Mahmoud Hammoud said that this mural is the first of its kind to be found in the area of Damascus and its countryside, and underlines the importance of the site where it was discovered as it was the seat of a kingdom established by the Iturians, and many archeological finds were uncovered in three villages in Barada valley; Souq Wadi Barada, Barhilia, and Kafr al-Awamid.
