Russian scientists are studying “Lyuba,” the four-month-old mammoth discovered last year in the Arctic. “This is the best preserved specimen not only of the mammoth but of any prehistoric animal,” said Alexei Tikhonov of the Russian Academy of Science’s Zoological Institute. Silt in Lyuba’s airways and digestive system suggest that she drowned.  

A cave containing 2,000-year-old burial jars was found on the Philippine island of Mindanao. The jars bear images of human figures with different facial expressions.  

Two American archaeologists have developed a 39-point Israeli-Palestinian Archeology Working Group Agreement. They hope that the two groups will agree on how to preserve and protect their archaeological past. “In the Middle East, the archaeological links to the past represent more than scientific knowledge. They underpin each side’s claims to the land,” explained Lynn Swartz Dodd of the University of Southern California. “We are archaeologists,” adds Ran Boytner of the University of California, Los Angeles, “but we are peacemakers first.”  

The Archaeological Survey of India has asked the Indian Army to stop construction work in an area between the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.   

An altar built by a Roman solider to two goddesses was unearthed in Manchester, England. “This is the first Roman stone inscription we have found for 150 years. It is a very, very valuable find and it is in fantastic condition, considering it has been in the ground for 2,000 years,” said Norman Redhead, the county archaeologist.

The ancient Roman asclepion known as Allianoi was discovered seven years ago during a routine survey prior to the construction of the Yortanli dam in Turkey. “We found the best preserved thermal spa from the second century A.D., but unfortunately they haven’t stopped the dam project,” said Ahmet Yaras of the Bergama Museum.   

Seventeen metopes will be removed from the Parthenon for cleaning.  

Here’s another article on the plans to “paint” Trajan’s Column with projected light next year. “The column, like many other statues of antiquity, was a carnival of color. The knights, the shields, the horses, the rivers, the sky were all painted,” said Maurizio Anastasi of Rome’s Superintendency for Archaeology.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Thursday, April 10, 2008. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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