09 JANVIER 2017 NEWS: Gloucester - Philadelphia - Tom Maroon - Eastbourne - Maryland - Keezhadi -

INSTITUT SUPERIEUR D'ANTHROPOLOGIE

INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY

ONLINE COURSES / COURS A DISTANCE

WINTER TERM : JANUARY 2017

REGISTER NOW

ROYAUME UNI –  Gloucester - Archaeologists working at Gloucester Cathedral have uncovered a series of finds, including a rare Janus Bead, human remains and what may be Roman coins. The finds come after a busy month of excavation in the grounds of the cathedral, and included a rare Janus Bead around 500 years old, along with several fragments of human remains. The two coins are currently being examined by experts, and are possibly of Roman origin, which could give greater insight into the history of the site. The cathedral sits in the area of the second century stone wall, which marked the perimeter of the original Roman town, called Glevum.
http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/roman-coins-and-500-year-old-beads-found-under-gloucester-cathedral-during-project-pilgrim-dig/story-30038018-detail/story.html

USA –  Philadelphia - At an archaeological dig site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a major discovery has occurred: the first physical proof of Revolution-era American-made hard-paste porcelain pottery. While it sounds like a minor thing, the process behind making hard-paste pottery during the eighteenth century was painstaking. First created by the Chinese in the seventh century CE, western artisans were often stymied in their attempts to replicate the process. Also sometimes called true porcelain, pottery made in this manner was highly sought-after for its translucency and beauty. According to an interview in Heritage Daily with archaeologist Robert Hunter, editor of Ceramics in America, the rediscovery of methods for creating it was a major milestone in the world of ceramic history; trying to find evidence of eighteenth century American artisans having the skills and expertise to create true porcelain has been elusive however, until now. He said that finding the bowl is akin to discovering the “holy grail” of American ceramic art. At first, experts thought the bowl was simple stoneware until geochemical archaeology expert Dr. J. Victor Owen and his team of colleagues found that the item was in fact hard-paste porcelain. What was even more astounding was that there was evidence that the item, a large, white punch bowl, had been made in Philadelphia during the eighteenth century.

http://www.newhistorian.com/key-discovery-revolution-era-pottery-unearthed-philadelphia/7830/

IRAN –  Tom Maroon - Research Institute of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization quoted head of the excavation team Siamak Sarlak, as saying that that archaeologists came across two oval furnaces, welding parts, furnace slag iron and glass pieces during their excavations. He further noted that among the objects included a glass button-like seal which can be important in analyzing economic relations between Tom Maroon and other regions during that era. He listed the aims of the current season of excavations as identifying the succeeding cultural eras of the region, drawing up a chronology of the area and defining the role and importance of the area in the shaping cultural relations of communities inhabiting the northern and southern shores of the Persian Gulf in the Bronze Age up to the Islamic era. Sarlak cited other objectives of the excavations as understanding the instinctive features of the region in developing the cultural outlook of communities residing in the region, particularly in the Bronze Age, conducting research works in cultural-historical area of the Persian Gulf, and collecting fresh documents with the aim of clarifying the historical position and importance of the Persian Gulf. The third phase of the explorations will be launched by mid-March 2017 given the cultural features of the region and the coordination with the Archeology Institute and Hormuzgan Cultural Heritage Department, he added. Sarlak pointed out that in the second season of the excavations approximately 7.5 meters of the accumulated layers and cultural objects of the area were surveyed. He added that nine main and two sub-phases of the architecture of the Parthian era were also identified. Based on the documents obtained in the exploration of Tom Maroon, Sarlak noted that the most important construction material used in the architecture of the Parthian era is large-size adobes using clay mortar. He said up to three decades ago, there were five satellite mounds around Tom Maroon which have now been completely leveled to the ground and transformed into citrus orchards and currently only a small portion of Tom Soltan Miran, 800 meters from Tom Maroon, remained intact. The archaeologist stressed that based on the documents obtained in the excavations on the southern slopes of Tom Maroon, four cultural periods, including the ancient Bronze era, the Parthian era, the Sassanid era and the early centuries of the Islamic period have been identified. He said the Persian Gulf is considered one of the important regions in archaeological studies of Iran and ancient Orient in view of its strategic location. Archaeological studies conducted in Hormuzgan, the Old Stone Age, the ancient Bronze era, the Parthian, the Sassanid and the Islamic periods (especially the Safavid) show that thriving cultures and civilizations existed in the region. Tom Maroon is located in Hormuzgan Province in a fertile alluvial plain, known as Komiz Plain, surrounded by low mountains.

http://www.payvand.com/news/17/jan/1033.html

ROYAUME UNI –  Eastbourne - Malling Hill, near Lewes. Recent investigations at the downland site resulted from a piece of human bone found eroding out of a rabbit burrow on the east side of the hill. A mass grave was discovered containing the skeletons of a group of men executed in the Saxon period, who may have been captured by Viking raiders.

http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/evidence-of-executions-on-the-hill-1-7761306

USA –  Maryland - A perfectly preserved example of early colonial history in the United States, most of what the 17th-century site has to tell us lies buried beneath fallow fields. Since the late 1960s, archaeologists have labored in the summer sun unearthing remnants of the 1600s, a colony whose significance lay in an experiment of religious toleration. While not perfect, the system instituted by the Second Lord Baltimore, Cecilius Calvert, allowed those of different faiths to practice how they would. This helped the colony survive several rebellions until the Protestant Rebellion of 1689 eventually placed Maryland under crown rule, which lasted until the American Revolution. Historic St. Mary’s is one of only two National Historic Landmarks in Maryland (The other is Accokeek) based solely on its archaeological remains.

http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/0117/artifactsfrommarylandsfirstcapitalhousedinnewhome.html

INDE - Keezhadi -  Keezhadi,- a small but a historical village near Silaiman on the border between Madurai and Sivagangai District in Tamil Nadu." An excavation of Archaeological Survey of India there has revealed an ancient and important landmark of Tamil's civilization dating back to Sangam era,ie 2500 years ago, he said. Last year a group of archaeologists from ASI "was able to excavate a major and monumental settlement near Keezhadi in which wells, red brick walls, pottery and ornaments, including bone accessories, iron spears and a ceramic tile with a Tamil inscription were abundantly found," he said.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/8261428_Allow-further-archealogical-excavation-at-Keezhadi--DMK.html