30 AOÛT 2017 NEWS: Heraclea Sintica - Salamis - Aspendos - Newcastle - Al Ain -
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BULGARIE – 
Heraclea Sintica - A team of archaeologists working at the Heraclea Sintica site near Petrich in Bulgaria have found a large, extremely well-preserved, gold necklace, possibly dating from the fourth century CE. A Hellenistic and later Roman city, Heraclea Sintica, about 180km south of today’s Bulgarian capital Sofia, was founded in the fourth century BCE and lasted about 800 years when it was destroyed by an earthquake. Earlier, the city was the site of a settlement by the Thracian tribe the Sintians. The gold necklace was made in one of the elite ateliers in ancient Rome, according to a report by Bulgarian National Television. Researchers suggest that the necklace was lost in the panic when the violent earthquake destroyed the city. The necklace was found in what had been one of the shops in the central square of the city. Apart from the necklace, however, there is no evidence to suggest that it was a goldsmith’s shop.Vagalinski indicated that he did not believe that this had been a jewellery shop: “If we were going to find a jewellery shop, we would find some other jewellery and there would have to be some other tools, but in this context, we find that it is a building from the end of the fourth century”. Over the centuries, Heraclea Sintica experienced several strong earthquakes, triggering the decline of the city. Shops became dwellings. According to the report, the owner of the necklace probably survived the earthquake, because no human remains had been found. The residents of the city seemed to have been able to escape to a safe place.
GRECE – 
Salamis - An underwater ruin that could be the remains of a public building situated near the port of Salamis in antiquity – possibly one seen and mentioned by the traveler and geographer Pausanias in the 2nd century AD – is gradually emerging following an archaeological investigation of Ambelakia bay near the island. A culture ministry announcement issued on Monday said that a large and robust structure constructed of stone plinths, roughly 13 metres long, is traced in the mud beneath the water. The find is located a short distance from the more contemporary 48-meter pier, built before 1900 using ancient building materials, that stands out in the northern section of Ambelakia bay. “It is, in all likelihood, the base (with strong localised foundations in its southern section) of a public building construction,” the announcement said. The shape of the foundations, other architectural elements and movable finds located on the site, combined with the earlier nearby find in 1882 of a marble pedestal for a statue with a dedicatory inscription, lead to the initial conclusion that the building was either a temple or stoa used in the later Roman era but possibly built earlier, in the late Classical or Hellenistic eras. The new finds were revealed during the second phase of a underwater survey along the historically important eastern coast of the island of Salamis, taking in the Ambelakia bay, the port of the Classical-era city of Salamis controlled by Athens, which served as the main gathering place of the united Greek fleet before the Battle of Salamis in 480 B.C., as well as the region off the Kynosoura peninsula in the north of the island, where the most important Nike monuments are situated.
TURQUIE – 
Aspendos - Ongoing excavations at the ancient city of Aspendos have unearthed 2,000-year-old shops and storage facilities. Surface surveys were initiated in Aspendos in 2008 and then developed into archaeological excavations with a cabinet decision in 2014. Academic Veli Köse from the Hacettepe University Archaeology Department is currently heading the excavations at Antalya. Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Köse said a two-storey shop complex was discovered in this year’s excavations and the works were centered there. The excavation teams made the building survey of the structures in the field and Köse stressed the importance of the 2,000-year-old shops and structures. “We think valuable materials were sold or held in these stores. Some were used as offices. The fact that such a unique structure was unearthed right next to the agora in the city center supports this idea,” he said. Köse added that they found many coins in the shops dating back to the Hellenistic and Roman eras. “We found a mini glass amphora, pieces of oil and scent bottles, candles, a bronze belt buckle, a bone hair tie, lots of studs, rings and ring stones,” he said. The team also unearthed hundreds of mussel shells in a field, while pieces of some wall paintings were found on the ground. Köse noted that the Aspendos coins, which were printed in the 5th century B.C. in the Persian standards, were frequently used in the early Hellenistic era. He said the coins had a horse figure on one side and a slingshot stone figure on the other side. “The existence of two-storey shops and a structure complex in an ancient city symbolizes that this place was an important commercial center. We also know it from the inscriptions. Aspendos is famous especially for grain harvest and horse breeding,” Köse added. The ancient city of Aspendos was first established in the 10th century B.C., and it is known for having the best preserved ancient theater in Turkey, the Aspendos Ancient Theater, which seats 7,000 people.
ROYAUME UNI – 
Newcastle - Evidence of the lives of people dating back almost 2,000 years have been uncovered on the site of a new housing development. The excavations by the Archaeological Practice focused on two areas at Dorcas Avenue in Benwell, Newcastle. These were where the vicus, or the civilian settlement adjacent to Condercum Roman fort, was situated. On one site the foundations were discovered of open-fronted buildings, one of which was two-storey, through which water channels ran. Archaeologist Richard Carlton said the channels indicated the likelihood that washing processes were taking place in the buildings, linked to possible uses such as a tannery or laundry. On the other site more channels were found, together with pits and hearths, suggesting an industrial zone on the edge of the vicus. “The finds suggest that the vicus was bigger than we expected and was probably a thriving civilian settlement, supplying the fort garrison,” said Richard. As well as the buildings, the archaeologists found coins and Roman pottery including an almost complete amphora, a vessel that was used to transport liquids such as wine and olive oil, and bowls
U.A.E. - 
Al Ain - Archaeological excavations have restarted at Hili 8, one of the UAE’s most significant historical sites with Emirati and international experts participating in a project commissioned by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority. Said to be one of the earliest agricultural settlements in the country, Hili 8 dates back to the Bronze Age, some 5,000 years ago. Using the latest techniques and equipment available, archaeologists are focussing on the recov and analysis of microscopic plant remains from the site. Analysis of plant and animal remains as well as artefacts will help scientists to have a deeper understanding of the beginnings of oasis life in Al Ain, while also helping Abu Dhabi to preserve its culture and heritage dating back thousands of years.