Controversial Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University claims that ancient fortifications uncovered in Jerusalem indicate that the city was ruled by a strong central government 3,000 years ago. “It means that at that time, the 10^th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction,” she said, suggesting that such a government would have been ruled by the biblical kings David and Solomon.    There’s more on Mazar’s excavation at Science Daily.

A 3,000-year-old painted coffin seized in 2008 by US Customs officials will be returned to Egypt. The coffin was smuggled out of Egypt in 1884, and was intercepted while in the possession of an antiquities dealer.   Discovery News has photographs of the coffin.  

Stone tools have been found in India beneath a 74,000-year-old layer of volcanic ash. “This suggests that human populations were present in India prior to 74,000 years ago, or about 15,000 years earlier than expected based on some genetic clocks,” said Michael Petraglia of the University of Oxford. The archaeological team continues to look for human fossils.  

Someone has stolen the head of legendary pirate Klaus Stortebeker, who was executed 600 years ago, from Hamburg Museum, Germany. Police think it may have been taken by a local chapter of Hell’s Angels.  

Plumbing repairs in a Hollywood, California, basement turned up a Civil War-era cannonball. “I just didn’t think it was a good idea to have ancient munitions in your basement,” said homeowner David Goggin, who called the Los Angeles police bomb squad.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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