An American tour guide has been arrested in Israel on suspicion of illegally selling artifacts to members of his tour group.

Some historic buildings in the path of the rising Mississippi River may have been spared by the diversion of water through the Morganza Spillway. Flooding and silt from the spillway could damage rural archaeological sites, however.

More than 30,000 rock carvings will be flooded by the reservoir of Pakistan’s Diamer-Basha Dam. The region was once the junction of three ancient trade routes. “We have to respect the decision to build the dam, but it is very sad for us to lose one of the most rich and diverse rock art provinces of the world,” said Harald Hauptmann of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

The archaeological museum in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv says it will sue Bulgaria’s Culture Ministry over the rights to the Thracian gold known as the Panagyurishte treasure. “The Plovdiv archaeological museum has the title deeds for this treasure. We have a document proving rightful ownership dating from the time of discovery. We are the only ones who possess a document proving that the treasure belongs to a certain institution,” said Kostadin Kisyov, director of the museum.

A team of researchers is investigating the Maya port site of Visa Alegre at the remote northeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. “Maya trade was far-ranging between the Veracruz coast of modern Mexico and the Gulf of Honduras, with each port a link in a chain connecting people and ideas. Yet there is still much to learn about the extensive history and importance of the maritime Maya and how they adapted to life by the sea,” said Dominique Rissolo of the Waitt Institute in California.

Excavation of Urridakot in Iceland has revealed the site to be 500 years older than previously thought.

Three Bronze Age burial mounds in Dorset, England, will be excavated because they are being lost to erosion.

Ahmose-Meryet-Amon, an Egyptian princess who died 3,500 years ago, has been named the oldest person known to have had clogged arteries. Cardiologist Adel Allam of Al Azhar University says that wealthy Egyptians would have eaten plenty of meat and fats, vegetables and fruits, and salt.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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