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2000-year-old Roman amphitheatre discovered in Israel

September 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 19 (ANI): A team of archaeologists has discovered a 2000-year-old Roman amphitheatre near Tiberias in Israel.

According to a report in the Haaretz newspaper, Archeologist, Doctor Valid Atrash, from the Israel Antiquities Authority, said that the remnants of the Roman amphitheatre peaks from 15 meters below ground.

The 1990 findings came as a surprise to the archeologists digging near Mount Berniki in the Tiberias hills as there are no references to such a place anywhere in scriptures.

Only at the beginning of 2009, 19-years after the primary discovery, did the uncovering of the theatre in its entirety begin.

The late Professor Izhar Hirshfeld and Yossi Stefanski, the archeologists heading the excavation, initially assessed the remains to belong to the 2nd or 3rd century CE, but quickly realized that they go all the way back to the beginning of the 1st century CE, closer to the founding of Tiberias.

“The most interesting thing about the amphitheatre is its Jewish context,” said Hirshfeld upon the discovery.

“Unlike Tzipori, which was a multi-cultural city, Tiberias was a Jewish city under Roman rule. The findings demonstrate the city’s pluralistic nature and cultural openness, a fact uncommon in those days,” Hirshfeld added.

According to Atrash, in light of the findings, Tiberias appears as particularly liberal for a city that was established over 2000 years ago.

He added that “the theatre was enormous, and being so it attracted a lot of attention. It seated over 7000 people, and appears to have been a prominent landmark for the entire area.”

Zohar Oved, Mayor of Tiberias, said that the discovery of the amphitheatre is undoubtedly “one of the most important findings in the history of the Jewish people” and is planned to open to the public as part of Tiberias archeological gardens in the near future. (ANI)

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Mass cemetery unearthed by archaeologists in Syria

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 14 (ANI): Archaeologists have unearthed a mass cemetery carved in rocks near al-Basel Hospital in Syria.

According to the Global Arab Network, archaeologists at the Syrian Department of Antiquities in Tartous discovered the graveyard.

“The cemetery consists of 7 rooms including burial chambers with some bodies inside. There were no findings or any clay or bone fragments in those chambers,” said Marwan Hassan, Director of the Department.

A hole discovered in the western wall of the cemetery, was thought to be a passage to a small hall.

Another hole, opposite to this one, was found in the eastern wall leading to another hall which includes two rooms and a solo tomb.

Three vessels, two small golden pieces and clay lamp were also discovered inside the tomb.

A room was unearthed in the southern wall of the first hall, inside which a highly constructed basalt sarcophagus was found.

This sarcophagus takes a human shape, consisting of a basin, a lid and a protuberant shelf all around the edges of the basin.

A human face was engraved on the sarcophagus lid with a decorated head cover under which curly hair shows up partly.

The forehead appears with a sunken line, signaling the old age of the dead person. Under the thin eyebrows, almond eyes and long straight nose reveal themselves clearly.

Pruned mustaches and a neatly trimmed and wavy beard surround the mouth, and both ears are distinctly located on both sides of the head.

The body status appears undecorated.

The sarcophagus was transported to the National Museum.

Archeologists at the directorate are working on identifying the age of the cemetery and studying its contents, including a crumbled skeleton. (ANI)

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DNA analysis key for solving mystery of King Tut’s origins

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 26 (ANI): Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, has said that harvesting DNA from ancient mummies would be the key to solving the mystery surrounding Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen’s origins.

According to an article authored by Dr Hawass in the Asharq Alawsat Newspaper, he was in for a surprise when he entered the royal tomb of Tutankhamen with Professor Zakaria, and managed to get DNA samples.

Previously, there was hardly any hope in obtaining DNA samples from mummies, and Dr Hawass believed that he would prove to the world that mummies did not have any DNA suitable for analysis.

“For the first time, I saw that it is possible to harvest DNA from a mummy, and I believe that this will be the key to solving the mystery surrounding King Tutankhamen’s origins,” he wrote in the article.

Tutankhamen, the golden pharaoh, continues to bedazzle the entire world.

The discovery of King Tut’s tomb, which took place around 85 years ago, remains the most important archeological discovery of our time, not just in Egypt, but in the entire world.

This was the first time that a royal tomb of one of Egypt’s pharaohs was discovered untouched, and with the complete set of funeral furniture which was buried with the King.

In addition to this, there was also the treasures and jewelry which blinded anybody who set eyes on them.

“In an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding King Tut’s family and discover the identity of his father, we find that there are some archeologists who strongly suggest that this is most probably King Akhenaton,” said Dr Hawass.

Akhenaton was the first Pharaoh to advocate monotheism, not just in ancient Egypt, but in the world. Others believe that Akhenaton’s father, King Amenhotep III is a more likely candidate for Tutankhamen’s father.

As for King Tut’s mother, “If we follow the speculation mentioned above with regards to Tutankhamen’s father, his mother is most likely either Queen Tiye, the consort of King Amenhotep III or the extremely famous, Queen Nefertiti, the consort of King Akhenaton,” said Dr Hawass.

These questions are enigmatic, and archeologists are having a hard time trying to answer them.

According to Dr Hawass, “We have embarked upon the quest to solve the mysteries surrounding King Tut thanks to the two DNA analysis laboratories that we have access to, as well as the availability of a CT-Scan machine, through which we are able to know every single detail about a mummy.” (ANI)

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Pharaohs’ tombs in Egypt may disappear in 150yrs, warns head of antiquities

August 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 19 (ANI): Egypt’s head of antiquities Zahi Hawass has warned that the tombs of the pharaohs in Valley of the Kings may disappear within 150 to 500 years if they remain open to tourists.

The Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, where Ancient Egypt’s royalty was mummified, is home to the tombs of legendary pharaohs such as the boy king Tutenkhamun and Queen Nefertiti.

Hawass said that humidity and fungus were eating into the walls of the royal tombs in the huge necropolis on the west bank of the Nile across from Luxor.

Pointing out that several thousand tourists visit the place every day, he said that poor ventilation and the breath of the hordes of visitors were causing damage to the carvings and painted decorations inside the tombs.

He said so while on a tour of the royal necropolis with journalists on Monday. e also revealed that the authorities had decided to close some tombs to tourists, and replace them with replicas, including those of Tutenkhamun, Nefertiti and Seti I.

According to reports, the country’s Supreme Council of Antiquities have already taken a series of measures to protect the tombs, including setting up new ventilation systems and restricting the number of visitors.

“The tombs which are open to visitors are facing severe damage to both colours and the engravings,” the Telegraph quoted Hawass as saying.

“The levels of humidity and fungus are increasing because of the breath of visitors and this means that the tombs could disappear between 150 and 500 years,” he added. (ANI)

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Archaeologists discover third century mansion in City of David excavations

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jerusalem, August 18 (ANI): An Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavation in the City of David, Israel, has revealed a large third century CE building, which is apparently a large mansion.

The spacious edifice from the Roman period (third century CE) – apparently a mansion that belonged to a wealthy individual, was uncovered in excavations carried out in the ‘Givati Car Park’ at the City of David, in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park.

According to Dr. Doron Ben-Ami, the excavation director on behalf of the IAA, together with Yana Tchekhanovets, “Although we do not have the complete dimensions of the structure, we can cautiously estimate that the building covered an area of approximately 1,000 square meters. In the center of it was a large open courtyard surrounded by columns.”

“Galleries were spread out between the rows of columns and the rooms that flanked the courtyard. The wings of the building rose to a height of two stories and were covered with tile roofs,” he said.

A large quantity of fresco fragments was discovered in the collapsed ruins from which the excavators deduced that some of the walls of the rooms were treated with plaster and decorated with colorful paintings.

The painted designs that adorned the plastered walls consisted mostly of geometric and floral motifs.

Its architectural richness, plan and particularly the artifacts that were discovered among its ruins bear witness to the unequivocal Roman character of the building.

The most outstanding of these finds are a marble figurine in the image of a boxer and a gold earring inlaid with precious stones.

The building, which was constructed during the third century CE, was shaken by a tremor in the fourth century, the results of which are clearly apparently in the excavation area: the walls of the rooms caved-in and their stone collapse, which was piled high, covered the walls of the bottom floor, some of which still stand to a considerable height.

Architectural elements such as columns and capitals, as well as mosaics and the large amount of fresco fragments that were used in the rooms of the second story were discovered inside the collapsed ruins.

The coins that were discovered among the collapse and on the floors indicated the building’s ruins should be dated to circa 360 CE.

According to Dr. Ben-Ami, “Edifices such as these are ‘urban mansions’ from the Roman period that were discovered in Antioch, Apamea and Palmyra. If this parallel is correct, then in spite of its size and opulence, it seems that this building was used originally as a private residence.” (ANI)

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Excavation in Lebanon aims to uncover ancient ruins

July 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Beirut (Lebanon), July 12 (ANI): The Directorate-General of Antiquities, Lebanon, has said that it plans to resume excavation at the Freres’ archaeological site in the old city of Sidon in collaboration with a delegation of the British museum, in order to uncover more ancient ruins.arlier excavation procedures at the site led to the discovery of several of the city’s underground layers, which dated back to 1,000-4,000 B.C.

Claude Doumit Serhal, the head of the British museum delegation, told The Daily Star that archaeological teams would also conduct excavation works at the neighboring site of Sandaqli in order to conduct comparative research among the two sites’ layers.

According to Serhal, the ruins that have been discovered in recent years have highlighted Sidon’s role as the host of multiple civilizations throughout history.

Excavation works are expected to kick off prior to the establishment of Sidon’s historical museum in the same area, which would boost the city’s status as a center for tourism and antiquities.

Serhal said that the excavation at the old Freres site disclosed the presence of six old layers that dated back to 3,000 B.C., eight others to 2,000 B.C. and five to 1000 B.C.

She stressed that the discovery of historical sites in Sidon will promote the city’s status among other worldwide archaeological locations.

Serhal added that the British Museum delegation, in collaboration with the Lebanon’s DGA, have resumed work at the Freres location for the eleventh consecutive year and was recently granted permission to start digging at the Sandaqli site as well.

The work team in charge of restoration works and comparative research will include 90 individuals, according to Serhal, who expressed her hope that the excavations would result in the discovery of new layers and important findings.

Sidon is one of the most important Phoenician cities, and boasts the Phoenician temple site of Eshmoun just to its north. (ANI)

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Archaeologists unearth cache of ancient artifacts in Egypt

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Cairo, July 9 (ANI): Archaeologists have unearthed a cache near the Western gate of the National Museum in Cairo, which contained a table made of limestone, a fragment of a slab with hieroglyphic inscriptions, some stones, and the base of a pharaonic pillar, which date back to the pharaonic period around 1,300 years BC.

“This type of slab was quite widespread during the era of the Pharaohs, who used it to mark a special occasion,” Hawass told The Egyptian Gazette.

“The slab shows the head of a cobra,” Hawass said, adding that foreign archaeologists were in the habit of burying antiquities they had considered ‘useless’ in the Museum’s garden.

“The antiquities will be analysed,” said Hawass, who has been supervising a project for giving a facelift to the Museum.

The project, which is near completion, includes upgrading the museum and adding new, showrooms, meeting rooms, a library, a bookshop and a cafeteria. (ANI)

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Archaeologists unearth cache of ancient artifacts in Egypt

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

“This type of slab was quite widespread during the era of the Pharaohs, who used it to mark a special occasion,” Hawass told The Egyptian Gazette.

“The slab shows the head of a cobra,” Hawass said, adding that foreign archaeologists were in the habit of burying antiquities they had considered ‘useless’ in the Museum’s garden.

“The antiquities will be analysed,” said Hawass, who has been supervising a project for giving a facelift to the Museum.

The project, which is near completion, includes upgrading the museum and adding new, showrooms, meeting rooms, a library, a bookshop and a cafeteria. (ANI)

Archaeologists to reveal secrets of world’s oldest submerged town in Greece

May 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 13 (ANI): With the help of equipment that could revolutionize underwater archaeology, archaeologists will try to uncover the secrets of Pavlopetri in Greece, which is the world’s oldest submerged town.

The ancient town of Pavlopetri lies in three to four meters of water just off the coast of southern Laconia in Greece.

The ruins date from at least 2800 BC through to intact buildings, courtyards, streets, chamber tombs and some thirty-seven cist graves which are thought to belong to the Mycenaean period (c.1680-1180 BC).

Underwater archaeologist Dr Jon Henderson, from The University of Nottingham, will be the first archaeologist to have official access to the site in 40 years.

Although Mycenaean power was largely based on their control of the sea, little is known about the workings of the harbour towns of the period as archaeology to date has focused on the better known inland palaces and citadels.

Pavlopetri was presumably once a thriving harbour town where the inhabitants conducted local and long distance trade throughout the Mediterranean. Its sandy and well-protected bay would have been ideal for beaching Bronze Age ships.

As such, the site offers major new insights into the workings of Mycenaean society.

The aim of Dr Henderson’s project is to discover the history and development of Pavlopetri, find out when it was occupied, what it was used for and through a systematic study of the geomorphology of the area establish why the town disappeared under the sea.

According to Dr Henderson, from the Underwater Archaeology Research Centre (UARC) in the Department of Archaeology, “This site is of rare international archaeological importance. It is imperative that the fragile remains of this town are accurately recorded and preserved before they are lost forever.”

The survey, in collaboration with Elias Spondylis of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, will be carried out using equipment originally developed for the military and offshore oilfield market but looks set to transform underwater archaeological survey and recording.

Dr Henderson and his team will carry out a detailed millimeter accurate digital underwater survey of the site using an acoustic scanner developed by a major North American offshore engineering company.

The equipment can produce photo-realistic, three dimensional digital surveys of seabed features and underwater structures to sub-millimetre accuracy in a matter of minutes.

“The ability to survey submerged structures, from shipwrecks to sunken cities, quickly, accurately and more importantly, cost effectively, is a major obstacle to the future development of underwater archaeology. I believe we now have a technique which effectively solves this problem,” Dr Henderson said. (ANI)

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Archaeologists find rare bronze coin in Saudi Arabia

May 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), May 11 (ANI): A rare bronze coin and remains of Nabatean potteries were discovered at the Domat Al-Jandal archeological site in Saudi Arabia by a team of archaeologists carrying out preliminary exploration work.

“It is very difficult to unearth what is below the soil but we are extremely happy to discover the antiquities after digging seven meters into the ground,” Italian archeologist Alessandro De Maigret, head of the team, told Arab News.

He said that extensive excavations would continue in the area to find the traces of the oldest inhabitants in Domat Al-Jandal. The Adomato Kingdom existed in the area during 685 BC.

“Domat Al-Jandal is an important historic site and it’s one of the oldest civilizations in the Arabian Peninsula,” he said.

It is also linked to Syrian and Yemeni civilizations of the past.

“Domat Al-Jandal is considered a link that connects these civilizations because of its location on the trade route,” said Alessandro.

“The oldest recorded history about this place dates back to the seventh and eighth centuries before Christ,” he added. (ANI)

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Archaeologists discover largest mud-brick temple yet found in northeastern Egypt

May 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 5 (ANI): Archaeologists have found a 3,000-year-old carving in the largest mud-brick temple yet found on northeastern Egypt’s northern Sinai Peninsula.

According to a report in National Geographic News, the carving shows ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II offering gifts to Geb, God of earth.

The temple is among four ancient places of worship discovered at a site near the Egyptian border near the Suez Canal, the country’s archaeology agency announced on April 21.

Found among the ruins of a fortified city, the temples would likely have been the first stop in Egypt for travelers from ancient Palestine and other points east.

Designed to impress on visitors Egypt’s grandeur and might, the city appears to have been the Egyptian military’s headquarters during the New Kingdom (1539-1075 B.C.), a time of war and conquest (ancient Egypt time line).

“This temple was very, very beautiful. Visitors would understand this temple is a good example of Egyptian culture,” said Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, who made the discovery for Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.(ANI)

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Russian wartime bomb found outside Merkel’s Berlin apartment

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Berlin – A lost Russian bomb from the Second World War was discovered Friday just outside the Berlin apartment of Chancellor Angela Merkel, triggering a city-centre lockdown as bomb-disposal experts set about defusing it.

The 100-kilogram bomb was discovered just 10 centimetres below the sandy surface of a museum forecourt.

Merkel lives on the Island of Museums, between two arms of the Spree River. The bomb was found in front of the Neues Museum, one of five museums of art and antiquities which have given the central-city island its name.

While bomb experts worked on the device, a railtrack carrying express and suburban trains was closed and streets were blocked.

Sources said that before they began, Merkel arrived in the cordoned-off area in her chauffeured limousine with her police bodyguards and quickly fetched something from the apartment before driving away again in her motorcade.

Unexploded bombs dropped by the Second World War allies are frequently found in German cities. (dpa)

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Roman-era catacombs unearthed near Bethlehem

May 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

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Jerusalem, April 27 (ANI): Archaeologists have unearthed Roman-era catacombs in Bethlehem during construction in an empty lot beside Bethlehem University./pp
According to a report by the Ma’an News Agency, the small underground cave system opens facing north, and held four stone coffins with engravings on each, housed in two separate dug out burial areas./pp
Wael Hamamrah, Head of Antiquates department in Jericho, estimated that the artifacts, complete with skeletal remains and some pottery are between 1,800 and 1,900 years old./pp
Construction workers preparing to lay pipe in the yard called Palestinian tourism and antiquates police when they went to investigate the sudden collapse of earth in an area they had been digging in that morning./pp
The underground hall leads to two rooms, one 70×28 centimeters and the other 40×24 centimeters./pp
Mohammad Al-Quraji, Head engineer at the site, said the crew was very surprised when the earth collapsed, and stunned when they peered into the underground tombs. /pp
They left the scene untouched until antiquities experts arrived, and helped remove debris as experts investigated the site. (ANI)/p

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Archaeologists stumble upon largest New Kingdom temple ever discovered in Egypt

May 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

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Cairo, April 27 (ANI): Archeologists have uncovered the remains of what is believed to be the largest New Kingdom temple ever discovered in Egypt./pp
According to a report in Al-Ahram Weekly, the temple was found by an Egyptian archaeological mission at Tel-Hebua, known in Pharaonic times as Tharo, the area from which the ancient Egyptian army embarked on military campaigns along Egypt’s eastern borders./pp
The temple, which covers an area of 80×70 metres, is built of mud brick decorated with paintings. /pp
It consists of four rectangular halls containing a total of 34 columns, three limestone purification basins, and a number of secondary chapels, suggesting that the temple was an important religious centre on Egypt’s eastern front. /pp
The site is heavily fortified and surrounded by a four-metre-thick wall. /pp
Paintings featuring Horus, Hathor, Tefnut, Montu and Renenutet were unearthed within the temple walls along with others showing kings Tuthmosis II and Ramses II./pp
On the east and west of the site are two groups of storehouses consisting of 13 rooms each, which probably date to the reigns of Seti I, Ramses II and Seti II. /pp
They contain thousands of inscriptions and seal impressions of the three kings. /pp
One of them is particularly important, points out mission director Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud. It depicts Ramses II before the god Set, patron deity of the Hyksos capital Avaris, now known as Tel Al-Dabaa, some 50 kilometers from Tel Hebua in the eastern Nile Delta./pp
Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), described the discovery as the most important to date in Sinai. (ANI)/p

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Archaeologists discover 85,000 yr old villages in Sharjah

April 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Sharjah, April 23 (ANI): Archaeologists have discovered villages dating back to 85,000 years in Sharjah’s Jebel Fayah, which show that human settlements existed in the area during that time.

Excavation work was carried out as part of a joint programme between the Directorate of Antiquities at the Culture and Information Department in Sharjah and the Institute of Prehistoric Studies and Research at the German University of Tubengin.

The two-month excavation showed the existence of a deeper layer at the depth of four meters below the surface, which dates back to at least 100,000 years.

This coincides with the time when man left Africa and reached Australia around 50,000 years ago.

It had been assumed for hereditary reasons that man moved from East Africa to the south of the Arabian Peninsula and then to the northern coasts of the Indian ocean and South Asia.

During times when the sea level was low, people crossed to the islands now known as Indonesia, which proves that they had some knowledge of navigation that allowed them to sail to Australia.

It can be assumed that some of the ancestors of Australia’s first residents stayed in the rocky shelters on the foot of Jebel Fayah mountain.

The latest discoveries prove that the UAE has a long and rich history.

Considering the international significance of the new discoveries, the international science community put the site under the spotlight, with many scientists and specialists flocking the area to find out more about the archeological discoveries. (ANI)

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Archaeologists find new clues that may uncover Cleopatra and Antony’s tombs

April 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, April 17 (ANI): Archaeologists, digging in a site in Egypt to discover the burial place of the legendary Cleopatra, have come across new leads in the form of 27 graves, a headless statue of the queen, and a mask that could probably be that of Mark Antony.

The findings, by the archaeological mission led by an Egyptian – Dominican team, could help in detecting the burial place of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and her Roman lover Mark Antony.

The most important find made by the expedition was the discovery of a large graveyard outside a temple called Tabusiris Magna, which lies 30 kilometers from the port city of Alexandria in northern Egypt.

So far, 27 tombs have been unearthed in the area, besides burial chambers and 10 mummies, he added.

The place seems to have been a cemetery for nobility and senior employees during the Ptolemaic era in the history of ancient Egypt, according to Zahi Hawwas, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. ther finds include an alabaster head of the last Queen of Egypt in addition to 22 bronze coins bearing her face.

Cleopatra, who came to power at the age of 18, was once the ruler of Egypt and considered the last of seven queens of the same name.

She was famous for her intelligence, her beauty and her political power.

In an early stage of her life, she married the powerful Roman ruler Julius Caesar and gave birth to his son Caesarion.

Born in Rome, Mark Antony was a military general and commander, as well as supporter of Julius Caesar.

After Julius Caesar’s assassination on March 15, 44 BC, Antony formed a triumvirate with Octavian, also known as Augustus, and Marcus Lepidus.

Civil war ensued in Rome due to disagreements between Antony and Octavian, who was Julius Caesar’s heir and who later became Rome’s first Emperor.

Antony was subsequently defeated by Octavian and he later committed suicide. Cleopatra committed suicide after his death in August 30 BC.

Her death marked the end of the Ptolemaic rule in Egypt. (ANI)

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Archaeologists search Egypt for Antony and Cleopatra’s tomb

April 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Cairo – Archaeologists from Egypt and the Dominican Republic will excavate three sites next week in search of the tomb of Antony and Cleopatra, Egyptian officials announced Wednesday.

Archaeologists have been excavating the temple of Taposiris Magna, roughly 50 kilometres west of the Egyptian Mediterranean city of Alexandria, for three years, Egypt’s Supreme Council for Antiquities said Wednesday.

The presence of 27 tombs dating to the 1st Century BC near the temple made them believe that it may have been a royal burial site. A recent radar survey of the grounds revealed three likely locations for the tomb, archaeologists said.

Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra VII and Roman tribune Marc Antony, one of history’s most storied couples, committed suicide in 30 BC, shortly after a Roman navy thwarted their bid for control of the Roman Empire at the Battle of Actium.(dpa)

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4,000 yrs old brightly painted mummies found in Egypt necropolis

April 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, April 14 (ANI): Archaeologists working in an Egyptian oasis have found a necropolis containing dozens of brightly painted mummies dating back as far as 4,000 years.

The necropolis was uncovered near the Ilahun pyramid in Fayoum oasis south of Cairo.

According to a report in Middle East Online, the linen-wrapped mummies are painted in the still-bright traditional ancient Egyptian colours of turquoise, terracotta and gold.

“The mission found dozens of mummies in 53 rock-hewn tombs dating to the Middle Kingdom from 2061-1786 BC,” said Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s antiquities chief.
“Four of the mummies date back to the 22nd Dynasty (931 to 725 BC) and are considered some of the most beautiful mummies found,” he added.

Abdel-Rahman el-Ayedi, who headed the mission, said that a Middle Kingdom funerary chapel with an offering table was also found, and that it was probably used up to the Roman era which lasted from 30 BC to 337 AD.

The team also found 15 painted masks, along with amulets and clay pots, according to Hawass. (ANI)

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Archaeologists discover ancient works of art in Yemen

April 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, April 13 (ANI): An archaeology team in Yemen has discovered ancient works of art in Humat Thiab, 55 km to the east of Dhamar city.

A team of archaeologists from the General Organization for Antiquities and Museum (GOAM) in Sana’a and Dhamar, led by Ali Al-Sanabani, head of GOAM in Dhamar, conducted the excavation that led to the new findings.

“Humat Thiab is a Himyarite city on a hill surrounded with fertile agricultural fields,” said archeologist Ahmad Shamsan, who traveled from Sana’a to lend his expertise to the project.

“Much of the ancient city remains untouched. The ancient wall of the city, a group of building foundations, walls and remnants of reservoir are still visible,” he explained.

“Based on an ancient text and preliminary evidence, the site dates back from the first to the third century AD,” he added.

“The excavation works have uncovered the northern and eastern parts of the structure of a rectangular building built in black volcanic stones,” said Al-Sanabani.

The excavation led to findings including a slab of stone engraved with two oxen facing a tree known as “tree of life” and an incense burner made of volcanic stone.
rcheologists also found a small stone statue of a headless woman in sitting position with two lines of Musnad script -used to write the ancient Himyarite language- on her chest, and some pieces of pottery.

“The findings are still under study and we are yet not sure what the building was,” Shamsan added.

The site has been a priority for GOAM for the last few years to save the history it contains before inhabitants in the area destroyed it.

In the past, people destroyed the site’s walls to use its stones to build their own houses in neighboring villages such as Al-Aqmur, or built new structures on top of the ancient ruins in their original location, according to Shamsan.

“The (next) phase of the excavation will start within three months and we will continue working on this site,” said Al-Sanabani.

Dhamar is rich in antiquities and archeological sites due to the extensive human activity in the area due to its agriculturally fertile land and mild climate since the Neolithic period. (ANI)

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Drought reveals archaeological treasures in Iraq

March 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 23 (ANI): As the Euphrates River dries up in Iraq’s western Anbar province, ancient buildings are emerging from the river bed, which archaeologists can now access for the first time.

According to a report by NPR (National Public Radio), the receding waters of the Euphrates River have revealed ancient archaeological sites, some of which were unknown until now.

That’s because former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had flooded these sites in the mid-1980s.

For Ratib Ali al-Kubaisi, the director of Anbar province’s Antiquities Department, the drought has opened up a whole new land of opportunity.

He explained that civilization began in Anbar, next to the Euphrates River.

“Everyone thought that Anbar was only desert with no historical importance. But, we discovered that this area is one of the most important archaeological areas in all of Iraq. This part of Iraq was the first to be settled,” he said.

In the mid-1980s, Saddam Hussein’s government dammed the Euphrates in the area, flooding a 120-mile-long stretch of land near Iraq’s border with Syria.

What once was an enormous reservoir that stretched as far as the eye could see has shrunk an astonishing 90 percent since summer, according to officials.

Ratib said that at least 75 archeological sites had been partially excavated before the area was flooded. They ran the gamut of civilizations – from 3,000 B.C. to the Sumerian and Roman periods.

Ancient Jewish settlements were also submerged in the area.

But because of the receding waters, Ratib has been able to access some sites for the first time, including, for instance, a cliff with a series of pre-Christian tombs carved into its face.

Though the water has heavily damaged them, Ratib said that they still have value.

“I wish we could excavate these sites again. If we had the money and the resources, we could complete the work we began all those years ago,” he said.

But, it’s not only previously discovered archaeological sites that the drought has made accessible.

Ratib and a colleague have also uncovered what looks like an old stone wall, shards of pottery everywhere, which he believes it is a Roman-era irrigation ditch.

“I’ve never seen this site before. When we excavated this area decades ago, this was all buried underneath the soil, but the receding waters uncovered it,” he said. (ANI)

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