Plaque removed from ancient teeth could provide information about early diets without destroying any precious bone samples. Scientists have analyzed the amount of carbon and nitrogen in dental calculus taken from 58 historic skeletons buried in Spain’s Cathedral of Santa Maria with a mass spectrometer. The results were similar to tests that use bone collagen. “It could save a lot of time and effort, and also allow for analysis when things like hair, muscle, and nails are no longer available,” said G. Richard Scott of the University of Nevada.

In Qatar, archaeologists have uncovered a human burial at the 7,500-year-old site of Wadi Debayan, where they have been conducting a remote-sensing survey. Wadi Debayan was occupied for about 3,000 years and is known for its fire pits and post holes. “The grave was a very surprising find that came out of one of the several test pits. We have seen some pieces of the tibia, one of the two leg bones, which shows the skeleton is in a crouched position typical of Neolithic burials,” said Richard Cuttler of the University of Birmingham.

More than 150 glass-plate negatives taken in India at the time of the British Raj have been discovered in a shoebox at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Archivists say that some of the images were taken in 1912, when King George V and Queen Mary visited Calcutta, but they don’t know who took the images, or how the shoebox ended up in the collection. “Some of the most interesting discoveries can be made in the most unlikely of places,” said architectural historian Claire Sorensen.

A 1,500-year-old Buddhist temple has been unearthed in the Tarim Basin area of China’s Taklimakan Desert. The temple dates to the early spread of Buddhism into China, and its three square-shaped corridors reflect Indian architecture. A large pedestal at the site suggests that there was a Buddha statue within the structure that was at least nine feet tall. Wall paintings show the Buddha’s feet, Buddhists, and auspicious animals. Residential structures, kilns, and coins were also found. Wu Xinhua of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences expects to uncover a scripture hall, a stupa, and additional housing.

Two men went hiking and “looking for artifacts” in a New Jersey county park over the weekend. One of them ended up trapped by a boulder in a shallow hole. It took two teams of rescue personnel and a system of ropes and pulleys several hours to free the man, whose legs were seriously injured.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Monday, May 7, 2012. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

Comments posted here do not represent the views or policies of the Archaeological Institute of America.