Jeffrey Quilter, director of the archaeological project at Magdalena de Cao Viejo in Peru, has announced the discovery of a scrap of paper. Early 17th-century writing on it gives corresponding numbers in Spanish, Arabic numerals, and symbols from an unknown language, possibly an extinct one such as Quingnam or Pescadora. Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology has posted a brief video of Quilter speaking about the find.

The Citadel of Raymond de Saint Gilles, built at Tripoli, Lebanon, by Crusaders in 1103 has been shot at with everything from catapults to rpgs. Now it is peaceful, but the relationship between the archaeologist exploring the site and the soldiers based there is uneasy.

Finds in the ruins of a Buddhist temple in northern Thailand include pottery with second-third-century A.D.  Brahmi inscriptions of Indian origin, attesting ancient trade. A gold plaque bears the South Indian name Brahaspathi Sarma.

Shia Labeouf is enthusiastic about another Indiana Jones film in the works, if nobody else is. He told the UK’s Daily Express, “It sounds really cool.” Our online poll showed that the most recent IJ film, the first with Labeouf, is the least liked of all.

Excavations at Pompeiopolis, an ancient city in northern Turkey probably refer to festivals thought to have been started by Roman Emperor Alexander Severus and held every three to five years.

Specialists from Japan’s Sophia University Angkor International Mission have excavated six Buddhist statues from a circular moat at Banteay Kdei temple. The statues are believed to date to the late 12th or early 13th century.

A few of Pakistan’s flood victims have taken refuge on the high ground at the ancient city of Amri. “There are no shady places on the road and here it’s safe, it’s high up,” explained a man named Achar.

A study of mitochondrial DNA suggests that a maternal ancestor to all living humans lived some 200,000 years ago. “There is always some other female that predated mitochondrial Eve, whose DNA didn’t make it up to modernity,” said Marek Kimmel of Rice University.  

A 2,000-year-old shipwreck has been discovered off the coast of Sri Lanka, near Godavaya Port, a stop on the ancient silk route.  

James Delgado leads the team creating a 3D map of the RMS Titanic. This profile of the maritime archaeologist also mentions some of the other ships he’s explored. “Being underwater, there are times when it’s magic. Sometimes, the water is crystal clear and warm … but ships are often wrecked in waters that are not conducive to divers,” he said.  

When Washington’s state department of transportation began a construction project in Port Angeles, the workers uncovered the ancient Klallam village of Tse-whit-zen and its accompanying burial ground. The construction has stopped, but Lower Elwha Klallam tribal members and archaeologist Bill White are still sifting through soil that was disturbed for artifacts.  

Seven archaeological sites at Luke Air Force Base will be excavated before 50,000 solar panels are installed, and leaders of 16 Arizona tribes have been invited to tour them. “The tribes do need to be a part of the process. They take that very seriously,” said John R. Lewis of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona.  

Ground-penetrating radar was used to locate the remains of the unique slave village at Best Farm, located in Monocacy National Battlefield in Maryland, and now archaeologists and students are excavating the buildings. “That’s why we’re excited about this, in spite of the adversity, they made lives for themselves,” said Joy Beasley of the National Park Service.