12 JUIN 2023 NEWS
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ESPAGNE – 
Ría de Vigo - Archaeologists found a six-inch stone penis while excavating the Tower of Meira (Torre de Meira) in the city of Ría de Vigo in the northwest region of Spain. Phallic symbolism is commonly found in prehistoric artifacts, but it is less common in finds from the medieval era. That’s why archaeologists couldn’t understand why this object was in medieval grounds. But now the relic stands out, not just for its phallic form, but for its violent purpose – to sharpen weapons in preparation for bloody battles during the Irmandiño War in Spain. Experts said this kind of symbolism may have been related to the violent uprisings taking place in the region around the time when the tower was demolished. Torre de Meira was brought down in 1476 during the Irmandiño revolts when peasants rose up against the Spanish nobility. Some 130 castles and forts suffered the same fate. According to Darío Peña from the Árbore Arqueoloxía team, sharpening stones are commonly discovered at medieval sites, and can have different forms. The archaeologists determined the function of the stone penis by observing a distinct pattern of wear on one side of the phallic whetstone. The artifact’s cultural significance is unknown, but its proximity to the fortified tower may provide some insight. It might have had a symbolic significance in relation to the war or served a useful function during that trying time. “It materializes the symbolic association between violence, weapons, and masculinity,” archaeologist Darío Peña told Hyperallergic. “An association that we know existed in the Middle Ages and that is present in our culture today.” The phallic stone was found among other artifacts including pottery and stone spindles according to Árbore Arqueoloxía e Restauración S. Coop. Galega, the group leading the excavations.
https://arkeonews.net/stone-penis-found-in-medieval-spanish-ruins-had-violent-purpose/
INDE – 
Periyeripatty - Miscreants have been stealing stones and boulders from the rock pool at Periyeripatty near Tharamangalam in Salem district and damaging the 1,700-year-old archaeological site that is known for ‘Brahmi’ stone inscriptions, say local residents and archaeology enthusiasts. A T Mohan, a researcher and archaeology enthusiast, said the state archaeology department was not maintaining the rock pool, which is the oldest archaeological site in the region, properly. According to him, the ancient rock pool was dug by Viyakkan Koban Kanadevan, son of Gogur village chieftain Varamban. Varamban seems to have been associated with the Sangam period, , between the third century BC and third century AD. Data available with the archaeological department confirms that the rock pool could be at least 1,700-year-old.
INDE – 
Sreenarayanapuram. - Trissur: An ancient well made of clay has been discovered near Kodungallur at a place called Sreenarayanapuram. The well, believed to be centuries old, was found in the field belonging to Parthasarathy Master. People are flocking to the place to see the old terracotta well. The well was discovered when the land was being dug up for burying waste materials. The well, which is made of clay rings, is still pretty much intact, compared to its ancient origins. However, this well bears resemblance to terracotta well recently unearthed in Tamil Nadu during excavations. That terracotta well has been dated to 2,000 years using Carbon dating. The well near Kodungallur consists of eight rings made up of clay baked in fire. The well beings at a depth of even feet below ground. Though it is estimated that the well is old, only an advanced Carbon age test can confirm its exact time of origin.
https://english.janamtv.com/news/kerala/59896/ancient-well-made-of-clay-discovered-near-kodungallur/
TURQUIE - 
Tralleis - Researchers have proven that breeding small brachycephalic (shorter-nosed) dogs took place already in ancient Rome. Research on a 2,000 years old dog skull indicates that the dog resembled a French bulldog. Analyzing the remains of a canine skull at a Roman-era site in Türkiye, researchers have determined that the ancient pooch had a brachycephalic skull similar to that of a French Bulldog. In 2007, dog bones were found in the ruins of the ancient Tralleis, near the Turkish city of Aydın. The find was incomplete, and due to the poor condition of the remains no one paid much attention to it for many years. In 2021, the bones caught the attention of Professor Aleksander Chrószcz and Dr. Dominik Poradowski from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences and a team of researchers from Istanbul University led by Professor Vedat Onar. The discovery of the remains of a dog with this anatomy brings us valuable information. Scientists have been able to prove that in Ancient Rome, Molossian hounds were not the only known brachycephalic dogs. It would not be new information if not for the fact that this animal was much smaller, and its morphology more similar to that of a French bulldog, a modern companion dog. It was supposed to accompany its guardian, sharing a fairly comfortable life, instead of being a working dog often mentioned in the available Roman literature, we read in the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences press release. According to the release, the animal was probably cared for not only during its life, but also after death. Skeletal examinations showed that the quadruped was treated exceptionally well, which distinguishes it from other discovered remains of working dogs. ‘Someone must have loved this dog, because most they likely they ordered to be buried with it. This means that the love between humans and animals is not a modern invention’, concludes the scientist from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences.
https://arkeonews.net/new-research-prove-that-romans-were-breeding-small-bulldogs/
BELGIQUE – 
Brakel - Possible find material from the construction period of the cellar promises to secure the high medieval dating – the large number of ceramic finds sometimes allows a very narrow chronological classification of the findings. A filling layer mixed with burning rubble in the area of the cellar can be assigned to the 13th century due to numerous fragments of the so-called »almost stoneware« »In addition to ceramics from the various epochs, we were able to salvage a non-ferrous metal coin and a bone comb. This probably belongs to the 12th or 13th century. We also found two iron knife blades,” explains excavation manager Thies Evers. The medieval terrain relief, which at that time fell sharply to the north, is no longer recognizable today. Here the experts assume that the space will be filled in and leveled after the basement has been given up. »The oldest medieval finds even go back to the suburban period. In the area of a ditch or a larger pit, ceramics from the period between 1050 and 1150 were recovered,” explains Dr. Andreas Wunschel from the LWL Archeology for Westphalia. Already at the beginning of the excavations in March 2023, a large well and a surface fortification, probably from the 16th/17th century discovered. The excavation company also penetrated into layers of soil from the High Middle Ages – among other things, they provide evidence of a large city fire shortly after 1200, in which 70 houses burned down.
https://www.breakinglatest.news/news/an-800-year-old-cellar-under-the-market-square-in-brakel/
GRECE – 
Kythnos - Archaeologists excavating a hilltop temple complex on the Cycladic island of Kythnos (commonly called Thermia) Greece have unearthed more than 2,000 intact votive offerings dedicated by ancient worshippers. Greece’s Culture Ministry said Wednesday statement said the finds from work this year included more than 2,000 intact or almost complete clay figurines, mostly of women and children but also some of the male actors, as well as tortoises, lions, pigs, and birds. Several ceremonial pottery vessels discovered are associated with Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone, to whom the excavated sanctuary complex was dedicated. The ancient city of Kythnos, one of the earliest settlements in the Cycladic Islands, was continuously inhabited from the 12th century B.C. to the 7th century A.D. On the northern portion of the plateau, which has a view of the ocean, the sanctuary complex was constructed. The earliest building, which was built in stages, dates back to the seventh century B.C. Up until the fourth century A.D., the temple complex was in continuous use. The artifacts were discovered in the scant ruins of two small temples, a nearby long building that may have served as a temple storeroom, and a nearby pit where older offerings were buried to make room for new ones. The excavation by the Greece’s University of Thessaly and the Culture Ministry also found luxury pottery imported from other parts of Greece, ornate lamps, and fragments of ritual vases used in the worship of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis, an ancient Athens suburb.
ISLANDE – 
Seyðisfjörður - A 10th-century female costume was found during archaeological excavations in Seyðisfjörður. An expert says finding Viking Age clothing is extremely rare, especially in Iceland. Archaeological research took place in 2021 in Seyðisfjörður in the Fjarðar area.
https://nord.news/2023/06/11/a-thousand-year-old-female-costume-has-been-found-in-seydisfjordur/
ESTONIE – 
Saaremaa - Recent excavations at the Asva mound in Saaremaa have uncovered a wide range of artifacts, including possibly 3,000-year-old barley grains, Estonia's oldest eating utensils and the oldest horseshoes. All of these indicate that Asva was inhabited during both the Bronze Age and the subsequent Viking Age of Salme ships burials. And not just a handful of grains of barley were discovered in Asva, but enough to place a container of them in the cornerstone of the five-year-old Asva Viking Village for future generations to study. "We still have several hundred of them, at least 800," Sperling said. The historic bronze age settlement hill and the present Viking Village, also called Saaremaa Vikings, where the old story of Asva is told, are a mile apart. Kajar Lember, the founder of the Viking village, said that Asva was inhabited both in the Bronze Age and much later in the Viking Age.Sperling said 30,000 kilograms of pottery have been unearthed over an area of 60 square meters. They have also discovered 2,000 bronze molds. "You won't find them very often anywhere else because they are made of clay and thus perishable. Extremely rare, the oldest horse, the oldest horse equipment, an elk horn plow blade and a reindeer horn spoon, the oldest cutlery unearthed in Estonia, in superb shape. There are many surprises here," Sperling explained. Also, a few days ago, a 3,000-year-old dog feces was discovered in a nearly two-meter-deep excavation.
https://news.err.ee/1609004918/saaremaa-excavations-unearth-estonia-s-oldest-artifacts
OMAN – Ibra - A tip from locals in Ibra, Oman, led German archaeologists to discover a rare lump of copper dating from the Early Bronze Age (about 2600-2000 BC). The lump, weighing 1.7 kilograms, was corroded on the outside and consisted of three individual ingots in the shape of a round cone. According to the researchers, during that period, the territory of present-day Oman was one of the most important producers of copper for ancient Mesopotamia – in modern-day Iraq -, as well as for the Indus culture in what is now Pakistan and India. It was only there that copper ore occurred on a larger scale. Casted into ingots, the red metal was a coveted commodity, as documented by cuneiform texts from Mesopotamia. Since copper ingots were usually further processed to make tools and other objects, they are only rarely unearthed in archaeological excavations. All the more surprising was the discovery of several such ingots in Ibra’s Early Bronze Age settlement. The copper ingots have a plano-convex shape typical for the period, which was formed by pouring the molten metal into small clay crucibles. Through the discovery of the copper ingots, it is possible to learn more about the role of Oman in interregional trade relations during the Early Bronze Age, as well as about the metal processing technologies already known at that time. Smelting copper requires a lot of combustible material, which was likely to have been a major challenge in a region as arid and low in vegetation as Oman. How people in the Early Bronze Age handled their limited resources and whether it was possible for them to use these sustainably are questions to be answered in the further course of the project.Several pottery sherds of ‘black-slipped jars,’ large storage vessels of the Indus culture that were also dug up there, also corroborate that the newly discovered village was in close exchange and contact with the Indian subcontinent. All combined, the discoveries seem to signal that even a small, rather rural settlement in Central Oman was part of a system of interregional trade and exchange of goods.
ANGLETERRE – 
Eynsham - Archaeological excavations at the site of Oxfordshire County Council's project to build the A40 Science Transit Park and Ride at Eynsham have uncovered significant finds that give insight into the area's rich history. The excavation, led by Cotswold Archaeology’s Milton Keynes team on behalf of the council, which took place last year, uncovered an Early Bronze Age cremation burial of a child that contained a unique eagle-bone pin. The pin had been made from the phalanx (toe bone) of what is highly likely a golden eagle. Archaeologists also found evidence for a Middle Iron Age settlement at the site. Features included possible roundhouse buildings, post-built structures and probable livestock enclosures. Announcing the result of the excavation, project manager for Cotswold Archaeology, Jo Barker, said: “Along with a moderate quantity of Iron Age pottery, the site produced a small assemblage of fired clay. Particularly interesting are one near-complete triangular object and fragments of a second, likely of similar form, which were recovered from the postholes associated with two of the roundhouses.” The objects described are loomweights, used on a vertical warp-weighted loom, and suggest that textile manufacture took place here. The discovery provides insight into the organisation and use of a small, local Iron Age farmstead, which could have had a focus on textile production. "In an area famous for the Witney Blanket, it is fascinating to find the evidence of textile manufacture going back millennia. Truly West Oxfordshire is the birthplace of the blanket,” Councillor Enright said.
https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ancient-artefacts-found-at-the-site-of-eynsham-park-and-ride/
FRANCE – 
La Réunion – Saint Pierre: Près de 200 trous de poteaux, quelques sablières et des maçonneries, mis au jour sur la parcelle 103, révèlent les plans de petites habitations du XVIIIe siècle, de 10 à 15 m². Ces bâtiments sont associés à un ensemble de palissades dessinant une trame parcellaire qui suit le plan quadrillé de la ville.Quatre de ces alignements de piquets forment un enclos de 180 m², où une paillote, montée sur trous de poteaux, est présente. Au nord de l’enclos, Il ne reste d’un autre bâtiment que les soubassements maçonnés qui pouvaient contreforter les parois ou servir de sablières. L’orientation de ces maçonneries est légèrement désaxée par rapport aux paillotes et aux palissades qui suivent la même orientation. À l’extrémité nord-ouest du site, a été retrouvé une assise de fondation d’un moulin du XVIIIe siècle. La présence d’un dallage interne, d’un niveau de sol de chaux, de trous de poteaux et d’une cloison peuvent être associés à une construction accolée au moulin, qui en protégeait l’entrée. Il ne semble pas y avoir eu d’autres bâtiments à proximité. Au sud, un axe de circulation sépare le moulin du reste des bâtiments. Il ne suit pas l’orientation de l’ensemble des structures et la trame de la ville. Il est orienté nord-est/sud-ouest. Il s’agit d’une bande de 3,50 m de large, constitué de 0,08 m de chaux compact, dont les bordures comportent des amas de coraux. Ce chemin permettait probablement aux charrettes de coraux, nourrissant les fours à chaux, de circuler sur le site. La seconde emprise fouillée se trouve en contrebas du site. Le substrat est composé d’une coulée magmatique appelée coulée du trou blanc. Il est le témoin d’une éruption datant d’il y a 8000 ans. Les structures et éléments retrouvés sur cette emprise, proche de la rivière, sont à associer à l’activité maritime qui se développait au abord du port. Dans les années 1860-1870, un important incendie a détruit le bâtiment qui a été abandonné. De nombreux éléments métalliques y ont été retrouvés dans les niveaux d’incendie. Ce bâtiment était composé de sept espaces qui ont été fouillés.
https://www.inrap.fr/des-vestiges-du-xviiie-et-xixe-siecles-saint-pierre-la-reunion-17257#