09 JUIN 2015 NEWS: Comines - Euiseong - Euiseong - Black Desert - Tarxien - Banya - Sofia -
INSTITUT SUPERIEUR D'ANTHROPOLOGIE
INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY
ONLINE COURSES / COURS A DISTANCE
FALL TERM : OCTOBER 2015
REGISTER NOW
FRANCE – 
Comines - Les fouilles archéologiques menées sur le site rue du château rue d’Hurlupin n’ont pas été aussi vaines qu’il n’y paraissait au premier abord. Le rapport de l’INRAP, qui a mené ces fouilles préventives, montre notamment la présence d’objets remontant au Xe siècle. Selon le rapport, toutes les tranchées réalisées, à l’exception d’une seule « sont archéologiquement positives ». Ces fouilles ont ainsi permis de mettre en évidence des structures anciennes. Un des sondages a permis de découvrir la berge récente du fossé de ville. Les archéologues ont également mis en évidence un fossé du bas Moyen âge (XIVe siècle) qui semble « correspondre à la limite parcellaire visible sur le cadastre napoléonien ». Mais aussi « deux possibles tranchées d’installation de sablières basses, dont du bâti », daté potentiellement du XIIe siècle. Ils ont également relevé un fossé ancien qui pourrait dater du Xe siècle. Les occupations plus anciennes sont cantonnées « à la moitié septentrionale de l’emprise ». Les archéologues se demandent si ces aménagements ne se situeraient pas en marge du secteur castral et ecclésial ancien. « Ces structures appartiennent à la préhistoire de l’agglomération castrale ». Le corpus du mobilier céramique, « abondant malgré la faiblesse des tests », détermine cinq phases d’occupation, allant du Xe au XVIe siècle. En tout, les archéologues ont recensé « 307 tessons pour 39 individus reconnus ». Comprenez objets. On y a trouvé des pots à goulot, des oules, pichets, poêlons, assiettes, terrines… Parmi ceux-ci, 15 tessons pour 5 individus sont datés de la période carolingienne, dans la première moitié du Xe siècle. Autre découverte intéressante, celle de céramique du XIIe siècle. « La présence de céramique des X et XIIe siècles est particulièrement intéressante car les ensembles sont encore trop rares et les problèmes d’identification nombreux », note le rapport. En plus d’un intérêt archéologique, « une telle occupation présente un véritable intérêt céramologique ». De là à engager des fouilles complémentaires ?
http://www.nordeclair.fr/info-locale/des-objets-carolingiens-decouverts-sur-le-site-ia47b1807n757373
France – 
Valenton - Ce lundi, deux archéologues du conseil départemental vont démarrer des fouilles à Valenton, à l’angle de la rue du Colonel-Fabien et du Rû-de-Gironde. C’est là qu’une résidence de 48 logements doit être construite. Au préalable, les archéologues vont sonder le sol jusqu’au 19 juin, sur plus de 5 400 m2, en quête d’éléments du patrimoine archéologique pouvant concerner le bourg médiéval et moderne.La parcelle se situe également à proximité des jardins du château et, d’après des cartes et plans anciens, un moulin pourrait se situer sur un canal conduisant les eaux du Rû-de-Gironde.
COREE DU SUD - Euiseong - A telltale find - Korean archaeologists uncovered from a sixth-century tomb in Euiseong, North Gyeongsang, what appears to be the most ornate and intricately decorated pair of gold earrings in Korea’s history outside the province’s Gyeongju city. The earrings, which appear to have belonged to the tomb’s owner, display unprecedented craftsmanship from the period. Korean researchers say they bear a remarkable resemblance to the earrings found in the famous Cheonmachong Tomb in Gyeongju from Korea’s ancient Silla Dynasty (676-935), displaying the styles unique to accessories worn by Silla aristocrats of that time. The earrings, they say, show the status of the people buried here and indicate that the location could have been a major transportation hub during the era. Provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3005127
JORDANIE - Black Desert - A team of archaeologists in Jordan who have been working for a few years in the Black Desert has made a discovery that could shed light on how early humans made the leap to agriculture. The team found 14,000-year-old evidence that could lead to a new understanding of culture and the environment at the dawn of human civilization in the region. At that time, this area used to get much more rain and was able to sustain human settlement. “It’s really startling new evidence that we didn’t expect to find in this particular part of southwest Asia. And it changes the way in which we think about these hunter-gatherer communities at the end of the last ice age, who were on the brink of developing these new technologies of agriculture, these new ways of life that are influencing us still today,” says archeologist Tobias Richter from the University of Copenhagen. Underneath the volcanic basalt on the windswept, arid and rocky plain, within sight of the Syrian border, the bones of a child and adult are slowly coming to the surface after at least 14,000 years entombed in the desert. By analysing bones, seeds and other remains scientists hope to discover that in this area, 14.000 years ago, humans began farming, settling and forming large social groups. “We can then identify different species of plants, which in turn will tell us what sorts of things were growing out here. It’s hard to imagine right now because it’s all desert, but back many, many years ago, it was actually really nice and very, very green, and we can tell that from these plant remains,” says finds co-ordinator Erin Estrup. The team hopes that further discoveries in the desert will help them to build a clearer picture of how the environment and climate changed over time, and the impact this had on the development of human civilization in the area.
VIDEO = http://www.euronews.com/2015/06/08/jordan-s-black-desert-may-hold-key-to-earth-s-first-farmers/
MALTE – 
Tarxien - Archaeological remains have been discovered on a building site in Tarxien, and authorities are carrying out an investigation to discover the extent and significance of the remains. The plot, located in Ġorġ Caruana Street, approximately 200 metres away from the Tarxien Temples, is currently covered by a development application for the construction of a block of apartments, including two underground garages. The remains currently visible, approximately two metres below street level, consist of a series of stone-cut agricultural trenches, which were used to irrigate fields from antiquity up until the 19th century. Deputy superintendent for cultural heritage Nathaniel Cutajar said an archaeological investigation on the site was still ongoing and it was unclear if the plot housed any significant remains. The trenches would likely not be reason in and of themselves to halt development on the site. “The results of this investigation would inform all parties on how to proceed with the application. Should important archaeological remains be discovered they would have to be preserved in line with existing legislation on the matter,” he said. Tarxien resident Joe Cassar, a former magistrate and amateur historian, said the surrounding area was rich in archaeological remains, many of which had not been extensively documented or preserved. “Sir Temi Zammit [who excavated the Neolithic temples] thought he had uncovered everything in the area, but all he found was a small part,” Dr Cassar said. He pointed to a large exposed stone in St Francis Street that he said had the same origin as the temples, and added that in one instance a hunter’s hide (dura) had been found to have been constructed from the same material, while another discarded plot held the remains of a Neolithic apse.
BULGARIE – 
Banya - The first ever archaeological excavations of the Late Antiquity fortress “Kaleto” near the centralBulgarian town of Banya, Panagyurishte Municipality, Plovdiv District, have been wrapped up helpting the archaeologists confirm the hypothesis that it was built in order to protect the Balkan provinces of the Later Roman Empire from barbarian invasions from the north. The archaeological team has discovered a large amount of weapon artifacts and ceramic vessels. Historians and archaeologists think that the fortress Kaleto near Banya (“kale” is a Turkish word meaning “fortress” left over from the Ottoman period commonly used for the numerous ruins of ancient and medieval fortresses all over Bulgaria whose proper names are sometimes unknown) was originally an Ancient Thracian settlement. The first stone masonry on the site and the construction of the fortress wall date to the 4th century AD, and there are indications that it was destroyed during the barbarian invasion of the Huns in the 5th century AD. After that, the fortress near Banya was rebuilt, but in the 12th century AD it fell prey to an invasiononce again – this time it was destroyed by the crusader knights from the Third Crusade (1189-1192 AD). The Kaleto fortress near Banya was important in ancient and medieval times because of its strategic location between the Valley of Zlatitsa and Pirdop, and the Upper Thracian Plain .
BULGARIE – Sofia - The first major archaeological excavation of the Sveta Nedelya Square site in central Sofia in 60 years is to begin in mid-June, in a project that will continue all summer and that is expected to last three years. Archaeologists will be looking for the forum of ancient Serdica, from the time that what is now Bulgaria’s capital city was a town in the Roman empire. They also will be looking into what appears to have been a large public building, the purpose of which is currently not known. The forum of ancient Serdica is believed to have been on the site now used as a parking area in front of the Sofia Hotel Balkan, formerly the Sheraton. Archaeological research was last conducted in the area in the 1950s. The forum, which was orientated north-south, is believed to have been about 26 metres wide. Its length is not known because it extends to a point beyond the building line of the hotel. The city’s Bouleuterion, the building that housed the council of citizens, was found on the site where the hotel was to be built. Reportedly, the remains were destroyed and the foundations of the hotel placed on them. On the north-western part of the forum, there was a large public building, with evidence suggesting that it had had an ornate facade. There are various theories about what it was, including possibly an ancient theatre, a religious sanctuary, a palace, baths, basilica or praesidium. The building is believed to have had two floors, with a height of 9.5 metres. The style of the architectural elements suggests the economic and cultural prosperity of Serdica in the second half of the second century to the beginning of the third century CE. These issues are to be examined in the course of the archaeological project this summer. Previously also found was evidence of the walls of a large building very close to Sveta Nedelya church. The building may have been the praetorium, the main building of the ruler of Serdica. Another hypothesis is that it may have been the palace of Emperor Constantine. The dig this summer will not reveal anything about the building because work on that aspect has been set aside for a later stage.