18 SEPTEMBRE 2017 NEWS: Mont Athos - Side - Oranjemund - Kanjur Marg - Umm Qais - Parion - Carrowkeel - Mazarrón -
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GRECE – 
Mont Athos - A Kuwait University archaeological team has discovered rare manuscripts written in Arabic at Mount Athos in Greece. Dr Al Ajmi said that the discovery at Mount Athos, an ancient sacred place chosen as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites in 1988, was crucial to understand the history of Arabs and Muslims in the region. He pointed out that the manuscripts, which date back to the golden Islamic age, cover various subjects pertaining to daily events, scientific observations, religious affairs and more.
TURQUIE – 
Side - Three unique ancient statues from the third century A.D. have been discovered during archaeological excavations in Turkey's southwestern Antalya province, Culture and Tourism Ministry said Saturday. The discovery follows the discovery of three other statues found by archaeologists in the ancient city of Side located in Antalya's Manavgat district. Two of the statues discovered in Side are males while the other one is a female and all of them are dressed. Experts believe the statues represented senior civil servants in the Roman Empire. Furthermore, archaeologists are researching why the statues, which were supposed to be standing upright inside the niches were found lying on the ground. In this regard, researchers note that during renovations of the southern portico of the structure [referred to as the M building] in the fourth century A.D., the Romans could have used the statues but re-sculpted the head part and came up with new portraits. Professor Alanyalı told Ihlas News Agency that the practice of re-sculpting the heads of old statues was a common practice in the late Roman Empire as a result of economic crisis during the period. The ancient city of Side is located on the eastern part of Pamphylian coast, and was founded by ancient Greek settlers.
NAMIBIE – 
Oranjemund - Diamond prospectors in Namibia nearly a decade ago stumbled upon remnants of a shipwrecked Portuguese vessel whose trading journey to India was cut violently short by a storm in 1533. Today the artifacts from the doomed ship, described by archaeologists as one of that era's most important finds, remain a hidden treasure. Relics stored in a dimly lit warehouse at a diamond mine on Namibia's Atlantic coast include bronze cannons, copper ingots, eroded musket stocks, cracked ivory tusks and rusted sword sheaths, but they are seen by only a small number of visitors who navigate sealed doors and other stringent security features at the mine operated by Namdeb, a joint venture between Namibia and the De Beers company. More than 2,000 gold coins from the wreck, most of them Spanish and Portuguese, are in a central bank vault in Windhoek, the capital. The remains of the ship owned by Portuguese King Joao III, identified by archaeologists as the Bom Jesus, are in limbo in this southern African country where many vessels foundered over the centuries on its treacherous coastline. While Namibia says it needs resources to preserve, restore and display the trove, some archaeologists believe political will is lacking and worry that the chance for valuable research and a tourism bonanza is closing as decay takes its toll.
INDE - Kanjur Marg - While exploring the nearby hillock area in the city, a group of students studying archaeology stumbled upon a small cave structure in Kanjur Marg area. While exploring the historic importance of a temple on Hanuman Tekadi, the students heard about a small room underneath it. Sneaking into the hidden space, which locals consider as a room, the group found a small structure of caves that might belong to the 10th century. Excited about the finding, Vinayak Parab, archaeologist, and researcher, said, "There are old staircases and space for two people to sit and meditate. The locals have kept several idols inside and worship them. Similar structures were also found in Mulund near LBS Marg and Bhandup. One of the walls inside is damaged. Since they are similar structures, we think that are from the same group. The research is going on."
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-kanjur-marg-caves-could-date-to-10-ad-2546183
JORDANIE – 
Umm Qais - ordanian archaeologists have discovered an ancient temple that was built in the Hellenistic era in the third century BC. The archaeologists believe that the temple, located 120 kilometres north of the capital, Amman, was dedicated to Poseidon, the Ancient Greek god of seas. Hellenistic pottery was also found on the site in Umm Qais which is also home to Roman, Byzantine and Islamic ruins.
http://www.trtworld.com/mea/archaeologists-discover-ancient-temple-in-jordan-s-amman-10564
TURQUIE – 
Parion - The skeletons of a total of 24 people, including one child, have been unearthed from a chamber tomb opened during this year’s excavations in the ancient city of Parion in the northwestern province of Çanakkale. The mystery of this multi-burial tomb, which has surprised archaeologists and is estimated to date back to a period between the 1st and 3rd centuries, will be solved by anthropologic researches to be carried out next year. This year’s excavations have recently ended after they were initiated on July 3 in the 2,600-year-old ancient city of Parion, located in the Biga district’s Kemer village. Headed by Ondokuz Mayıs University Archaeology Department Professor Vedat Keleş, the excavations unearthed new findings this year. Among them, the most interesting one was the skeletons found in a chamber grave. The tomb was unearthed in 2011 during illegal excavations and the last tomb was opened this year. “A chamber tomb was uncovered here in 2011. We started excavations in the same year and found six 2,600-year-old chamber tombs. Their architectures are similar to each other. But particularly the one that we opened this year and named OM-5 is very interesting in terms of its burial method. Even though the other five have the same architectural features, their burial methods are different. We found the skeletons of 23 adults and a child inside this one,” Keleş said. He noted that they believe the people were buried at a time between the 1st and 3rd centuries. “It shows us that there was a significant demographic increase in Parion during those years. The skulls of 15 skeletons were found on one side of the tomb. Seven were buried in the northeast direction. We also found the skeleton of a child. The existence of six chamber tombs next to each other shows that people with special statuses were buried in this field,” he added. The professor said they also found some objects inside the tombs, which were put as gifts for the dead.“We found ancient items, including three tear bottles, one of which is a glass, a plate, an amphora and a pitcher. We also found a strigil, used by ancient people to clean their bodies,” he added.
IRLANDE – 
Carrowkeel - Burial practices and death rites of the ancient people of Ireland have been revealed by a new analysis of bones by researchers, including some at the Institute of Technology Sligo. The bones were found in 1911 during an excavation of the 5,300-year-old passage tomb complex in Carrowkeel, Co Sligo. The bones came from around 40 different individuals, some of whom were cremated and others that were not. Analysis suggests the remnants date to between 3500 and 2900 BC and that some of the individuals may have been dismembered. The findings, which have been published in the journal Bioarchaeology International, are part of a project applying modern techniques and research questions to the human remains.
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2017/0915/905136-burial-practices-analysis/
ESPAGNE – 
Mazarrón - Underwater Archaeology students from Murcia University (UMU) have found a gold pendant dating back to 620 BC. The ornament is said to be similar to another locket found in Malaga from around the same date. The find was made by the students on the beach de la Isla (Mazarrón), according to Juan Pinedo, who was coordinating the course. This is just the third time the Underwater Archaeology course has been run by the UMU in collaboration with the Department of Historic Heritage of Mazarron, and already it has revealed important advances in the study on the presence of Phoenician history on the Mediterranean coast. This find makes the scholars think that Mazarrón was not only a place of transit for traders who were attracted by the area’s mineral wealth, but it could also indicate the presence of a port complex in this area of the Mediterranean. “This is a tremendous leap because the usual pieces we have found such as amphoras, plates and goblets, indicate a maritime trade. But we can now add to the possibility of a settlement made up of aristocrats of the time, “said Pinedo, who said that the piece belonged to some very wealthy family.
http://www.theleader.info/2017/09/14/golden-pendant-dating-620-bc-found-beach/#_