The head from a colossal statue of Ramses II was uncovered in Egypt’s Tell Basta area. “The discovery is important because it may indicate that the excavators are close to the ruins of a major temple of Ramses II in the area,” said Zahi Hawass, head of the antiquities department.  

A forest fire in Peru’s Andes Mountains has burned two archaeological sites, Wayna Q’ente and Torontoy.  

Two new species of bacteria have been discovered in the Roman catacombs. “The special conditions in the catacombs have allowed unique species to evolve,” said Clara Urzi from the University of Messina. The bacteria can cause damage to the underground tombs.  

Excavations in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province revealed a prehistoric jar burial containing bones, teeth, stone jewelry, and pottery.  

This BBC News article calls the leek the “unofficial icon” of Wales, and says that the domesticated variety probably arrived with the Romans at Caerleon. “We’ve used archaeological remains and research to interpret a Roman garden,” said Andrew Dixey, estate manager for National Museum Wales.  

This video from National Geographic News shows some of the damage inflicted upon ancient Babylon by American and Polish military forces. Unfortunately, you’ll have to watch a commercial before you get to the story.  

Take a look at some photographs of the Venus project (The Virtual Exploration of Underwater Sites) provided by the University of Hull.  

Albert Einstein’s personal telescope has been restored, and will go on display at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, which he co-founded. The telescope was found in a storage shed on campus.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Thursday, September 25, 2008. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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