Antiquities have been taken off the market when investigators and scholars recognize them from archives of photographs seized by the police. These thousands of pictures had been taken by dealers and had been intended to be shown to potential buyers.

Extensive wood and leather remains of posts, shoes, and tents from the Roman period were unearthed at Carlisle castle, in Cumberland, northwest England. “The data from this site has added significantly to the knowledge concerning the construction and appearance of Roman military buildings in the first and second centuries,” said John Zant of Oxford Archaeology North. Archaeologists also uncovered articulated armor and personal items that had belonged to the soldiers.  

Archaeologist Rita Elliot is reporting her Revolutionary War discoveries in Savannah, Georgia, on Facebook and YouTube. “We’re trying to reach the younger generation, to make this relevant to them,” she said.  

Volunteer scuba divers from across the United States travel to Channel Islands National Park, where they assist scientists map shipwrecks, airplanes, and other archaeological sites on the ocean floor. “The park benefits because they’re able to put more people in the water, particularly now with budgets so tight,” said archaeologist Kelly Minas.  

A replica of a sixteenth-century wine fountain has been unveiled at Hampton Court Palace in London. The original was unearthed there in 2008. Two such fountains had been built for King Henry VIII’s meeting with the French king, Francis I.

A cache of unexploded World War II weapons has been removed from Lake Como. The bombs, hand grenades, and mortars had been spotted by a fisherman near Villa Oleandra, owned by American actor George Clooney.

A new genetic study suggests that humans interbred with an extinct species, perhaps either the Neanderthals or Homo heidelbergensis. Genetic anthropologist Keith Hunley of the University of New Mexico examined the genetic diversity of 2,000 people living around the world. He thinks that the first occurrence of interbreeding may have taken place 60,000 years ago, shortly after modern humans left Africa. A second period of interbreeding may have occurred in the Pacific Islands. “The conclusion makes sense and fits with the majority of the data available,” commented Erik Trinkaus of Washington University in St. Louis.

A highway is reportedly being constructed adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mohenjodaro in Pakistan. “The National Highway Authority should have consulted the Ministry of Culture before they wanted to construct the road. Law protects Mohenjodaro as a heritage site. It is surprising how the NHA started the road project and did not even ask for clearance from the ministry,” said Culture Secretary Moin Bukhari. 

A piece of an Anglo-Saxon carved stone scheduled to be auctioned at Bonhams in London has been withdrawn from the sale. The carving was part of a monument dedicated England’s first female hermit.  

And, there’s more information on the Roman sculptures withdrawn from a Bonhams auction. 

Traces of a Roman kiln will be preserved beneath a children’s playground in western England.  

The Bureau of Land Management reports that more damage has been done to the petroglyphs in California’s Inscription Canyon this year. Bob Hilburn, Mojave River Valley Museum president and a volunteer with the Society for California Archaeologists’ Site Stewardship Program, encourages people to report any vandalism and theft that they witness to the BLM or law enforcement. “Don’t approach them [the perpetrators] because they will hurt you,” he cautioned. 

A pair of American Indian gloves dating to the 1930s was stolen from a display at Western Michigan University.