Along Fort Lauderdale Beach, archaeologists have found wooden posts from the third Fort Lauderdale, constructed in the 1830s. “It would be amazing if you could find the footprint of the fort,” said Christopher Barfield of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society. The city does not have the money for further excavation at this time, but human remains may be buried nearby, so archaeologists are urging that the site be protected.

The remains of one person were recovered from a Maori shaft burial in the cliff tops of Back Beach, New Zealand, that had been exposed by erosion. Artifacts associated with the burial are between 200 and 800 years old. Archaeologist Ivan Bruce thinks there could be additional burials in the area.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti announced a 105 million euro project intended to preserve the residential areas of Pompeii, including the reconstruction of the House of the Gladiators, which collapsed 18 months ago. “We want to ensure that this is accomplished through honest and capable workers and companies while keeping away the organized crime this is still strong in this area,” he said.  You can watch a clip of the prime minister’s speech and view footage of Pompeii at BBC News.

A team of scientists conducted a genetic study of 1,600-year-old cotton samples discovered in Egypt’s Upper Nile region, and cotton from ancient sites in Peru and Brazil. They found that the genome of the Egyptian cotton underwent a burst of rapid change, while the South American cotton remained stable. “It’s possible that cotton at the Qasr Ibrim site has adapted in response to extreme environmental stress, such as not enough water,” said Robin Allaby of the University of Warwick. The researchers were also able to determine that Egyptian domesticated cotton was an African variety, and had not been imported from India.

After April 15, the wreck of the Titanic will be 100 years old, and eligible for UNESCO protection under the 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. “There are thousands of other shipwrecks that need safeguarding as well… We do not tolerate the plundering of cultural sites on land, and the same should be true for our sunken heritage,” explained Irina Bokova, director general of UNESCO.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Friday, April 6, 2012. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

Comments posted here do not represent the views or policies of the Archaeological Institute of America.