19 FEVRIER 2022 NEWS
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ALLEMAGNE – 
Berlin - Located in Berlin-Mitte in the German capital, Stralauer Straße has a storied history which is now known to stretch back to the medieval founding of Berlin in the year 1237. Excavations in January 2022 by archaeologists from Landesdenkmalamt Berlin (LDA) at Molkenmarkt, the oldest sqaure in Berlin, have revealed a medieval plank embankment roughly 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) below the surface. Initial wood samples taken from the causeway have been tested using tree ring analysis, reports Archaeology News Network . The tests reveal the trees were cut down around 1238, dating the wooden planks to the earliest founding of Berlin. The dam-like structure is made from oak, pine, and birch trunks, trees found in abundance near and around the outskirts of the German capital. The embankment provided a safe passage from the Mühlendamm, a major central Berlin street, towards the nearby landmark of the Stralauer Tor. The structure has a width of 6 meters (19.6 feet) and runs for least 50 meters (164 feet) with the planks laid down in three layers. The top layer consists of debarked trunks (with the bark of the tree removed to prevent rotting) which lie side by side across the embankment, resting on three longitudinal parallel beams.
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/causeway-berlin-0016431
VIDEO = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQE-s_QW-YM
ANGLETERRE - 
Wiltshire - A metal detectorist has discovered a medieval gold brooch with a series of Latin and Hebrew inscriptions. The artifact, found in Wiltshire in the U.K., may have mixed religion and magic in an attempt to give its user protection against illness or supernatural events. The Latin inscriptions translate to "Hail Mary full of grace the lord/ is with thee/ blessed art thou amongst women/ and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Amen." The Hebrew initials for "AGLA" are also inscribed on the brooch and represent Hebrew words that mean "Thou art mighty forever, O Lord." The gold brooch dates to sometime between A.D. 1150 and 1400 and may have been used in an attempt to prevent fever, according to a brief report on the brooch published online by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)
https://www.livescience.com/medieval-gold-brooch-supernatural-inscriptions
INDE – 
Nalgonda - Archaeologists and history enthusiasts have found eighth century sculptures in Nalgonda district. The rare sculptures with unique iconographical features dating back to 1,200 years old were unearthed in Bhattugudem village in Peddavura mandal. Archaeologist, found the sculptures of Brahma and Bhairava near Kameswara temple.
MICRONESIE – 
Palau -Archaeologistshave conducted studies of the so-called ‘Pyramids of Palau’ on the island country of Palau, revealing new insights into the construction methods of the monuments. Monumental buildings from prehistoric times are widespread in Oceania, with the creation of earthen monuments terraces on the islands of Palau around 500 BC. Oral traditions suggest that a huge serpent wound around the hills on the Palauan island and created the terraces with her body. Using geo-archaeological methods, an interdisciplinary team of soil scientists, paleoecologists and archaeologists have determined that the builders used weathered volcanic rock, interspersed with large quantities of ceramics to form a base for the mounds, raising upper layers into terraces applied with humus soils for extensive horticulture. “Over many generations, and with an almost unimaginable amount of work, millions of tons of soil must have been moved by workers. An achievement that could only be possible in a politically well-organised society,” explained Dr Annette Kühlem, research coordinator and excavation leader. Whilst the summit on most of the earthworks was used for horticulture, some summits, such as in the south of Babeldaob were used as complex burial sites where the researchers found six skeletons.“Due to the fairly well-preserved skulls, there is still hope of being able to carry out a DNA analyses and thus relationship analyses, perhaps even in comparison with the population living in the area today. This may potentially also close a gap in tracing the settlement of Oceania.” explained Dr Annette Kühlem.
PALESTINE – 
Gaza - A 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery containing at least 20 ornately decorated graves has been uncovered near the shoreline in the northern Gaza Strip. Ruins discovered there include the remains of a siege by Alexander the Great as well as a Mongol invasion. Twenty Roman graves have been located so far and the team expect to unearth 80 in total within the 50-square-meter cemetery. Only two graves have been opened, one contained skeletal remains and some clay jars. Because of the shape of the graves and the relatively ornate decorations, they likely belonged to "senior ranking people" in the Roman empire during the first century.
https://www.reuters.com/world/builders-find-2000-year-old-roman-cemetery-gaza-2022-02-17/?rpc=401&
CHINE – 
Xinjiang - Beijing is challenging the belief that Europe is the birthplace of skiing, claiming the sport actually originated in China more than 10,000 years ago. Northern Europe has been seen as the origin of alpine sports ever since skis dating back to 2,500BC were found preserved in a Swedish peat bog. The drawings, which were found in Xinjiang province in 2005, also feature animals alongside the figures holding ski-like objects, suggesting that people were using them to hunt. They have not yet been carbon-dated.
ISRAEL – 
Jerusalem - Excavators have found that part of David's Citadel wall huge was built without any foundation and what has maintained the wall standing all these centuries is 'a wonder of engineering'. Thank goodness for good engineers. Especially those from the Middle Ages who built at least one section of the walls of David’s Citadel in Jerusalem’s Old City. Apparently at least a 20-meter-long section of the huge monumental wall, which has become a well-known Jerusalem landmark, was not built on any foundation but on constructive fill – which in layman’s terms could loosely be described as a pile of construction dirt.
https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-696829
INDE – 
Keezhadi - A rectangular ivory die was unearthed from Keezhadi excavation site. The die is 4.5 cm in length, 0.9 cm in height and 0.9 cm in thickness. It has marks (dot surrounded by circles) on four sides indicating the numerals - one, two, three and four. This die is said to be the first significant find in the eight hase.
FRANCE – 
Thuir - L’an dernier, les archéologues de l’Institut national de l’archéologie préventive (INRAP) sont ainsi intervenus à Thuir, petite ville située à quelques kilomètres de Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales). Ils ont pu fouiller près de deux hectares sur un vaste terrain promis à la construction, mettant au jour des vestiges dont les plus anciens remontent à 3 500 ans avant notre ère. Avec deux périodes majeures d’occupation, autour du VIe siècle avant notre ère puis durant la période romaine et à la clé une foule de connaissances nouvelles pour l’Histoire du département. L’ensemble le plus impressionnant découvert est peut-être les thermes, 12m de long sur 4m de large, au sein d’une emprise totale estimée à un hectare et demi pour la villa romaine complète qui, elle, n’a pu être mise à jour. Un regret pour l’archéologue Cédric Da Costa : « Les abords de cette zone ont été construits dans les années 1970 et 1980, mais c’était avant que l’archéologie préventive existe. Il y a donc fort à parier que les restes de la villa que nous cherchions sont aujourd’hui détruits sous les constructions. S’il est déçu l’archéologue de l’INRAP ne boude toutefois pas son plaisir d’avoir pu travailler sur un tel site, et d’y avoir trouvé par exemple des fours à chaux. « C’est assez exceptionnel parce qu’il y en a peu dans le sud de la France et qu’en plus, nous sommes là peut-être juste 150 ans après l’invention de la technique en Italie… » Cette zone a été occupée pendant trois siècles à partir de 50 après Jésus Christ selon les premiers résultats des analyses effectuées . Les fouilles ont egalement permis de mettre au jour l’ordonnancement d’un embryon de village, avec des zones spécialisées, remontant au VIe siècle avant notre ère. La zone a été occupée entre 530 et 450 avant Jésus Christ. Cinq puits larges et profonds et des céramiques entières ont été découverts.
