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U.S.A. - White Sands - KRQE reports that a trackway left behind by a small adult and a toddler-aged child more than 10,000 years ago has been found at White Sands National Park, which is located in New Mexico’s northern Chihuahuan Desert. The footprints continue for almost a mile along what was the shore of ancient Lake Otero. Sometimes the child walked on its own, and sometimes it was carried by the adult, whose footprints changed in depth and shape as he or she shifted the child from one hip to the other as they traveled. Prints of mammoth, giant ground sloth, dire wolf, and American lions have also been found in the park.
https://www.archaeology.org/news/9135-201013-new-mexico-trackway
ISRAEL – Jerusalem - An ancient limestone-made weight, dating to the Iron age – the First Temple period, was discovered in an archaeological excavation. Adjacent to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The weight, corresponding to the known measurement unit of two shekalim, was retrieved during sifting of earthen fills by the City of David sifting project. The weight is dome-shaped with a flat base. On the top of the weight is an incised Egyptian symbol resembling a Greek gamma (γ), representing the abbreviated unit ‘shekel.’ Two incised lines indicate the double mass: two shekalim." One of the uses of the shekel weight system during the First Temple period was to collect an annual tax of half a shekel dedicated to the sacrifices and upkeep of the Temple. According to previous finds, the known weight of a single shekel is 11.5 grams, thus a double shekel should way 23 grams – exactly as this weight does. The accuracy of the weight attests to advanced technological skills as well as to the weight given to precise trade and commerce in ancient Jerusalem. Coins were not yet in use during this period, therefore accuracy of the weights played a significant role in business.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/288964
ROYAUME UNI – Southsea - Sections of Southsea's original promenade dating back to Edwardian times have been found during ground investigation works undertaken as part of the Southsea Coastal Scheme in Portsmouth. The tunnels beneath the promenade form part of a redesign of Southsea Castle undertaken in the early nineteenth century that allowed defenders to fire into the moat at attackers from all sides. "There are very few historical records relating to the construction of the tunnel or adjustments to the promenade, so we now need to undertake more archaeological research to fill in the missing pieces of the jigsaw."
https://www.geplus.co.uk/news/gallery-southseas-original-promenade-unearthed-during-ground-investigations-13-10-2020/
EGYPTE – Minya - Amulets and scarab figurines have been discovered in a newly unearthed sarcophagus of a high priest of the ancient Egyptian god Djehuty in the Al-Ghoreifa archaeological site in Minya, Upper Egypt. After opening the sarcophagus of Djehuty Imhotep, a 26th Dynasty high priest of the god Djehuty, archaeologists discovered a collection of amulets and scarab figurines of different shapes and sizes. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and head of the excavation mission, said that some of the amulets are heart-shaped and others depict the head of the god Hathor, the four sons of the god Horus, and a winged amulet. He added that more excavations in the area revealed another 10-metre-deep burial shaft containing a large chamber with three niches covered by stone beams. The sarcophagus was uncovered along with a collection ushabti statuettes last week in Al-Ghoreifa archaeological site inside a five-metre-deep burial shaft. This was the mission’s fourth excavations season, where they found a well-preserved limestone sarcophagus decorated with a scene depicting the four sons of Horus. Djehuty Imhotep also held the position of the supervisor of the thrones, and was the son of Hersa Iset, whose sarcophagus was discovered in the area in 2018. The archaeological mission started excavation in Al-Ghoreifa in 2018, and has since uncovered many communal tombs belonging to the high priests of the god Djehuty and senior officials of the 15th region of Upper Egypt. The mission unearthed 19 tombs containing 70 stone sarcophagi of various sizes and shapes, as well as funerary collections.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/388173/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/In-Photos-Amulets-and-figurines-discovered-in-newl.aspx
FRANCE – Grand - Le conseil scientifique de Grand a présenté le bilan de ses trois dernières années de recherches archéologiques. Si la nature exacte de la cité antique de 70 ha reste inconnue, ses remparts se révèlent plus anciens que prévu et renfermeraient un temple, enfoui sous la ville actuelle. Grâce à des analyses effectuées au géoradar , « on a désormais une image claire des différentes voies de communication et de bâtiments au nord-est du site sur de très grandes surfaces », explique Michel Dabas, co-directeur du laboratoire archéologique de l’École normale supérieure. Les remparts, dont le positionnement est en train d’être revu, révèlent également une datation précoce : « La plupart des enceintes gallo-romaines ont été construites aux IIIe et IVe siècles, au temps des invasions barbares. Le rempart de Grand a dû l’être aux Ier et IIe siècles », explique Thierry Dechezleprêtre. Quant à la forme circulaire de la ville - une exception à l’époque romaine, qui favorisait les plans octogonaux - les recherches ont confirmé son origine antique. Malgré ces apports, les inconnues subsistent, notamment sur la présence du gigantesque amphithéâtre , l’un des dix plus grands au monde : « Il est étonnant que ça se trouve à cet endroit », souligne Michel Dabas, interrogeant la nature exacte de la cité : s’agit-il d’un simple bourg ? D’un chef-lieu ? D’une ville sanctuaire ? Des fragments de statues retrouvées attestent en tous cas de la présence « d’un ou de plusieurs temples sous la ville », affirme Thierry Dechezleprêtre. Grand est loin d’avoir livré tous ses secrets.
https://www.vosgesmatin.fr/magazine-tourisme-et-patrimoine/2020/10/11/un-temple-enfoui-sous-la-commune-de-grand
GRECE – Pella - The Palace where Alexander the Great was born is being revealed. The palace is located in Pella, western Macedonia, northern Greece. There one can see the digital representation not only of the palace where the Macedonian king was born but of the building ensemble which consisted of seven huge buildings, with inner courtyards, corridors, staircases and galleries that were connected to each other. “The total area of the building is around 70 acres. These dimensions can be understood if we take into account the fact that Pella was then the capital of the Macedonian Kingdom,” Tsigarida stressed. The palace started smaller, but expanded after the campaign of Alexander the Great. The period from 320 to 250 BC was a time of great prosperity for Macedonia, while the wealth of the palace was also known. We do not forget that throughout the third and second BC century, Pella was the center of the Macedonian Kingdom, one of the most important states of the time ” Tsigarida underlined. These were, after all, the reasons why the palace was looted by the Romans when the Macedonians were defeated in 168 BC they came straight to Pella.
https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2020/10/11/alexander-the-great-palace-born/
CANADA – Vancouver - De nouvelles recherches sur l'alimentation des chiens qui vivaient sur la côte de l'île de Vancouver jettent un nouvel éclairage sur l'histoire précoloniale de la Première Nation Tseshaht. L'archéologie démontre sans équivoque que de grandes populations de Tseshaht vivent dans le détroit de Barkley depuis des milliers d'années. Une étude publiée par Dylan Hillis, porte sur le régime alimentaire des chiens laineux qui vivaient autrefois avec la Nation. Ces chiens avaient une fourrure blanche épaisse, très semblable à la laine de mouton. Ces chiens étaient vraiment importants pour la production de laine pour l'économie locale, explique M. Hillis. Leur fourrure était un élément essentiel des couvertures de cérémonie, par exemple. Après des contacts avec des commerçants européens et l'introduction de la laine de mouton moins chère de la Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson, cependant, les chiens de laine ont disparu en tant que race distincte. Les chiens étudiés par Dylan Hillis vivaient il y a 300 à 3000 ans. Le régime alimentaire des chiens, qui a été révélé par une analyse isotopique, a montré qu'ils consommaient presque exclusivement des aliments marins, comme du saumon, du hareng et de l'anchois, ainsi que des mammifères marins plus gros, comme le phoque et la baleine. Les chiens ne sortaient pas pour attraper ces aliments eux-mêmes, ils dépendaient des gens de la Nation Tseshaht pour aller pêcher et leur fournir la nourriture, note M. Hillis. Ces données peuvent faire la lumière non seulement sur les pratiques de pêche de la Première Nation Tseshaht, mais aussi sur leurs pratiques d'élevage et sur l'importance culturelle de leurs chiens de compagnie.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1740350/archeologie-histoire-autochtones-animaux-compagnie