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TURQUIE – Aktopraklık - Archaeological excavations on the Aktopraklık Mound in the northwestern province of Bursa’s Nilüfer district have unearthed 8,500-year-old stones that were used for slingshots which boasted a throwing mechanism that is today known as the Palestinian slingshot. “Starting from 6000 B.C., these slingshot stones were used in this region,” said Istanbul University Archaeology Department academic Associated Professor Necmi Karul, who heads the excavations in the Akçalar neighborhood’s Hasanağa industrial zone. “Some think that these slingshot stones were used by people in fights, but our information does not confirm that. We think that the people who lived in this era used these slingshot stones to hunt small and fast animals like rabbit and bird,” he said. Excavations have revealed materials from various periods in Aktopraklık such as hunting tools and beads, Karul said, adding that the area had effectively become an archaeology school and open-air museum. “In the excavation field, the places in which people lived, the tools they used and some of the materials in their structures have survived until today in both good and bad condition,” he said, noting that the findings in the area were the oldest examples of such tools. Karul said experts were attempting to animate the prehistoric era by examining some findings with archeometric, excavation and laboratory methods. “Aerodynamic features are necessary to avoid missing the shot. The stones should be in this shape, too. These ancient slingshot stones have this feature, too,” Karul said regarding the slingshots, adding that they had a conical feature. “It shows that people in this era made solutions using this technology. The slingshot stones were made … in the shape of a pear. They could fit in the palm of a hand and they were not kiln-dried. Most probably they were dried lightly. We found these stones in masses next to furnaces. They lost water inside when they were kiln-dried. We think that they dried the stones to some extent to prevent water loss. In this way, the stones keep their weight,” he said. Karul added that experiments show that such hunting tools could be shot at ranges of up to 200 meters. Excavations on the Aktopraklık Mound were initiated in 2004, Karul said.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ancient-slingshot-stones-were-aerodynamic-dig-reveals-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=113803&NewsCatID=375
KURDISTAN - Xarab-I Kilashin - Archaeologists have discovered an ancient city, roughly 4,000 years old, on the banks of the Great Zab River in the Kurdistan Region. The city known as Xarab-I Kilashin was unearthed as part of a major archaeological investigation of a 3,000 square kilometer area in the Region which began in 2012 and is expected to conclude this year. "What is surprising is the size of this settlement," one of the expedition leaders, Rafał Koliński of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, told IBTimes UK. "All the earlier settlements evidenced in the area are very small in size, rarely exceeding 1 hectare. The same can be said of settlements contemporary to Xarab-i Kilashin, our urban site, which were mere villages." Xarab-i Kilashin is arranged in a semi-circle around the northern river bank, stretching for a diameter of about 300 meters. Settlements of this size were not thought to have existed in the region before the Middle Ages. Some 12,000 artifacts were discovered in the area, including pottery and terracotta stamps used mainly for decorating tissues. The ancient Mesopotamian city is thought to have been an independent administrative seat for a dignitary who ruled prior to the rise of the Assyrian empire. The archaeologists plan on releasing a series of maps of the area by 2018.
http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/64db7480-0b5c-412e-b8d3-cb3e49d1c1e0
AUSTRALIE – Googong - Pieces of rusted door hinges, roofing nails, stone walls and slate pencils are artefacts providing clues about a forgotten school in Googong. Archaeologists have unearthed a 19th-century schoolhouse on land set to be developed as the newly constructed township expands.
http://www.theage.com.au/act-news/anu-archaeologists-unearth-19th-century-history-at-googong-20170605-gwkgqy.html
ROYAUME UNI – Lincoln - A cat's paw print has been found in a 1,900-year-old Roman tile which was uncovered by an archaeological dig. The historical artefact was found during construction of Lincoln Eastern Bypass. Experts believe the cat left the mark when the tile was laid out to dry by a potter. Tiles from the site near Washingborough Road, Lincoln, have also been found with the imprints of a dog's paw and a deer's hoof. "It is exciting, this site here is one in a thousand," Mr Lopez added. "The Romans had pets as we do."You identify with finds like this. We are used to it of course, it's our job, but it is always exciting to find something like this."Large quantities of tiles have been discovered, evidence that points to a complex of buildings - possibly a villa - built around AD100. Walls made of stone have been exposed and the tiles show it could have had a tiled roof and a hypocaust [hot air heating system] according to archaeology reports.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-40158189
ROYAUME UNI – Aghagallon - Fancy being one of the first to unearth an ancient ringed fort at a unique archaeological dig near Lurgan? Archaeologists probing a Neolithic henge-type feature at Aghagallon, believed to date back more than 4,500 years, are calling for volunteers. And it is the reason why Aghagallon has its name and now the ‘Standing Stone’ is to be given its proper place in history. Aghagallon, translated from Gaelic means Field of the Standing Stone, and it was just a few years ago that its true significance was uncovered when they discovered the giant ringed site. For many years it was unclear where this standing stone might be, however when the local community association made plans to extend its building on the Aghalee Road, it was discovered that they were right beside the standing stone. The ringed site which is in the townland of Derrynaseer was designated as a scheduled historic monument in 2003. Little is known about this large enclosure, formed by a large earthen bank with encloses a domed area some 180 metres in diameter and is clearly visible on Google Earth. It has some similarity to the Giant’s Ring on the outskirts of Belfast which was used as a ceremonial centre during prehistoric times but it also has a similarity to the monastery sites of the Early Medieval period, such as Nendrum in Co Down.
http://www.lurganmail.co.uk/news/work-to-begin-on-neolithic-henge-site-in-aghagallon-1-7988358
INDE – Khurda - The latest archaeological findings and site found at Asuradhipa Balunkeswar temple in Makundprasad block of the district could unravel a new facet of the history of Khurda town. Prof Anam Behera of PG department of Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology, Utkal University, claims that the site may contain lots of Chalcolithic and Neolithic evidences. Informing about the exploration, Behera said, “In the last week of May, a water channel close to the site was being dug for better clearance of water. Recently, I along with Biswajit Behera and Kaibalya Charan Pati, Ph.D research scholars, found antiquities like potteries shred (red, black and grey ware), knobbed ware and a fossilised antler from some portion of the exposed site which could be from chalcolitihc period.” The findings are interesting which also include microlithtic tools. Almost similar objects were found from Dianparbati, Asurahuda, Podaput at Keranga. The site is hardly 15 to 12 km from the rock art site discovered by ASI in Damapada region of Banki, said Behera.
http://www.orissapost.com/archaeological-site-discovered-in-khurda/
FRANCE – Chartres - Les archéologues chartrains ont présenté le site d'exception qu'il ont exhumé quelques jours plus tôt, sur le chantier de fouilles du sanctuaire de Saint-Martin-au-Val, à Chartres. Ce trésor archéologique, exhumé à 3 mètres de profondeur, date de près de 2.000 ans (entre 70 av J.-C et 200 ap J.-C). Il se compose d'un bassin antique bordé de marbre, en parfait état de conservation, dans lequel se trouvent des troncs d'arbre carbonisés, vestiges d'une charpente détruite par un incendie.Cet ensemble architectural se trouve dans ce qui était sans doute un bâtiment à vocation cultuelle, dont les murs en terre cuite et les escaliers semblent presque avoir été érigés hier.
http://www.lechorepublicain.fr/chartres/insolite/2017/06/02/ce-bassin-antique-dormait-depuis-2-000-ans-sous-le-quartier-saint-brice-a-chartres_12427189.html
FRANCE – Marseille - Les travaux entrepris en octobre dernier, boulevard de la Corderie à Marseille ont mis au jour des vestiges de l'époque grecque. Cette ancienne carrière servait à extraire du calcaire. Ce même calcaire qui a servi à construire la cité phocéenne. Les sous-sols de ce quartier proche de l'abbaye Saint-Victor sont riches de traces des tous premiers habitants de la ville. Les fouilles s'achèveront dans deux semaines.
VIDEO = http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/metropole-aix-marseille/marseille/riverains-du-boulevard-corderie-marseille-veulent-que-site-grec-soit-preserve-1265031.html