24 JUIN 2014 NEWS: Edinburgh - Sisupalgarh - Balirajgarh - Ballymena - Cap Haïtien - Hanlin - Beikthano - Sri Kestra - Alexandrie
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ROYAUME UNI -
Edinburgh - Archaeologists in Edinburgh have found a fragment of floor tile from high status medieval Scots and a circular, stone-lined well during a searching for the remains of a chapel built almost 500 years ago. Extensive research suggests the chapel, built by Sir Simon Preston in 1518 and created to rest the “souls” of James III and IV, still lies beneath the "unassuming" buildings of Bridgend Farm. “The excavations unearthed clues which prove there was activity in the area at the time the chapel was constructed and in use,” said a spokesperson for Rubicon Heritage, who collaborated with an enthusiastic group of volunteers from the Greater Liberton Heritage Project. “A fragment of possible medieval floor tile indicates a building of high status in the area – showing that it is not just a farm building. “Pottery from one trench shows even earlier activity during the 13th and 14th centuries, demonstrating the area was utilised before the establishment of the chapel. “One of the most exciting features discovered was located in Trench 2 – a circular stone-lined medieval well which could pre-date the chapel.” The trenches have now been backfilled ahead of analysis work on the finds by experts, with the team hoping to conduct future excavations at the site.
http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art487667-Archaeologists-investigate-lost-medieval-chapel-built-rest-souls-kings-Edinburgh
INDE – 
Sisupalgarh - Sisupalgarh is facing a slow but sure death. Neither is the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) serious about excavating remains of the 2,500-year-old fortified settlement nor is the State Government in protecting the site from rapid urbanisation. Though a protected site, there is no conservation plan for it yet. The site, representing a well-planned city, was first excavated by well-known archaeologist BB Lal in 1948-50 in collaboration with the State Archaeology wing. The area was spread over 562.68 acres of land, but today only 0.775 acres remain under ASI’s control. While 40 to 45 acres is under State Government, the rest are private land holdings. More than 2,000 buildings have come up inside the fort area, violating norms of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. Many more structures have come up within 100-metre radius of the site, particularly the 16 pillars of Sisupalgarh.
INDE - Balirajgarh - A good number of antiquities, including human & animal figurines and beads of terracotta, bangle fragments and ceiling have been found in a recent excavation conducted at Raja Bali Ka Garh, Balirajgarh, in Madhubani district. Altogether over 400 antiquities were found during the excavation in the last six months. The site is 260km away from Patna and 38km west of Madhubani district headquarters. Patna Circle of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had carried out archaeological excavation since January 16 this year. With the onset of monsoon, the excavation work has been stopped. The excavation was carried with the objective to ascertain the nature of settlement, particularly on the northwest area within the fortification and to know a fresh cultural sequence of the site, Chauhan said. In order to ascertain something new, the vertical digging was chosen first to find out cultural sequence near the north gate of the fortification, he added. Raja Bali Ka Garh is an ASI protected monument notified by the name, 'Remains of Ancient Fort or Garh locally known as Raja Bali ka Garh', at a small village Balirajgarh in Madhubani district. The site was earlier excavated during 1962-63 by the mid-eastern circle of ASI and subsequently state archaeology department in 1972-73. Evidence of four cultural period were found. According to archaeologists, this fortification was built in 2nd century BC and the remains in use up to Pala period. The entire area is spread over 176 acres. One separate pottery yard with arrangement of other infrastructure has been made on the mound itself to study the materials revealed from the excavations. Beads of semiprecious stones like carnelian and jasper are noteworthy findings. These antiquities are from Sunga to Pala period, Chauhan told TOI.
ROYAUME UNI - Ballymena - A medieval souterrain and house have been uncovered as part of advanced works on the £65m A26 scheme, it was revealed yesterday (Monday). The early medieval souterrain, which dates to around 600-1200AD, is a substantial archaeological feature consisting of a number of underground passages which would have been used by local people to hide from raiding parties on the search for potential slaves. Speaking after visiting the site to examine the finds, Transport Minister Danny Kennedy said: “The archaeological investigation works completed on the A26 dualling have been a significant success. Advanced site clearance works have allowed the Department to carry out archaeological investigations along the scheme prior to contract award.
http://www.ballymenatimes.com/news/local-news/medieval-house-found-1-6136715
HAITI – 
Cap-Haïtien - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced today that it will provide technical assistance requested by the Government of Haiti and send a mission to the site of an underwater shipwreck, which may be that of the Santa Maria, the flagship of Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to America. In a letter dated 12 June, Haitian Culture Minister Monique Rocourt asked for the support of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body of UNESCO’s 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, requesting that a mission of experts be sent to the site. The agency said in a press release that it will send a mission in the coming months to examine the wreck located off the town of Cap-Haïtien, in the north of the country.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48102#.U6mcp_l_vVR
MYANMAR - 
Hanlin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra - Three Pyu ancients cities have been inscribed into the World Heritage List for the first time, state media quoted the UNESCO as reporting Monday. According to a statement of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Heritage Committee, the three Myanmar ancient cities of Hanlin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra with brick walls and moats were put into the list during the 38th session of the committee held in Doha of Qatar.The three ancient cities are located in vast irrigated landscapes in the dry zone of the Ayeyawaddy River Basin and reflect the Pyu Kingdom that were prosperous for over 1,000 years between 200 BC and 900 AD. The three cities have been partly excavated archaeological sites and more excavation works remain for excavated palace citadels, burial grounds and early industrial production sites as well as monumental brick Buddhist stupas, partly standing walls and water management features — some still in use — that underpinned the organized intensive agriculture. Hanlin, excavated in 1904, 1929-30 and 1962-67, had a rectangular city wall in brick of 3 by 1.5 km with a palace site at the center, while Beikthano, with a side of 3 km quadrangular city walls and gateways, was excavated in 1959-63 and Sri Kestra, the largest Pyu city, enclosed by a circular city wall in brick with a diameter of 4.4 km, according to the report. Ancient Pyu people spoke a language closely related to Myanmar with the stone inscriptions found in some of their monuments providing the only knowledge of this language. The Pyu culture is characterized by specific artifacts of coins , ceramic and metalware and archaeological evidence confirms the emergence of Buddhism in Myanmar during the Pyu period. Moreover, the cultural relics and religious buildings, located in Natma Taung National Park, are reportedly under consideration by UNESCO to be also designated as world heritage sites. PNA
http://www.manilatimes.net/myanmars-3-ancient-cities-put-into-world-heritage-list/106104/
EGYPTE – 
Alexandrie - Russian underwater excavators working in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria have found a collection of sunken French artillery on the northern side of Pharos Island, near the city's eastern harbour and Qaitbay Citadel. The find includes a collection of guns, pistols and cannons that were once onboard a French boat named Le Patriot, part of Napoleon Bonaparte's fleet during the French expedition to Egypt in 1798, said Egypt's Minister of Antiquities and Heritage Mamdouh El-Damaty. The discovery at Alexandria's eastern harbour sheds more light on the importance of the location in ancient times. Pharos Island is home to more than 5,000 artefacts and structural remains scattered over its 5,000 square metre surface.These buildings, which once formed ancient Alexandria, were subjected to destructive earthquakes that led to the collapse of all the city's edifices. The columns, statues, sphinxes and walls from the pharaonic and Greco-Roman eras now lie under Pharos Island along with the ruins of the city's once-legendary lighthouse, at the time considered an architectural wonder and – at 117 metres – the tallest building on earth.
