Archaeology News: November 30, 2011

Glasswork from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires has been discovered during the Marmaray excavations in Istanbul. Experts previously believed Ottomans did not develop a unique glasswork style.

A century ago, European explorers reported finding mummies with European features in Central Asia’s Tarim Basin. The mummies dated back up to 4000 years. During the classical period, several references to Europeans living in the region appear. In all likelihood, Europeans migrated eastward and formed settlements in the region.

Archeological research of pagan graves in the valley Þegjandadalur in Suður-Þingeyjasýsla county in northeast Iceland support the theory that ritual human sacrifice was practiced during paganism in Iceland.

An ancient tomb more than 2,000 years old has been recently excavated by archaeologists in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. This archaeological discovery is expected to break traditional views on ancient civilizations in that part of the country.

Earlier this year, programmer Justin Ouellette picked up an 11-inch 1983 VT220 terminal and, after a little bit of wrangling, got it to display the command line for his 2010 Mac Pro, running 2011 OS X Lion.

The three buildings of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, home to thousands of artifacts from ancient times to the Ottoman Empire, are preparing for an earthquake. Officials at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums are continuing work to protect the facility’s cultural treasures in the event of a possible earthquake.

For almost 100 years Queensland’s Historical Society was oblivious to the precious artefacts buried literally on its doorstep. It took a burst water main during January’s flood to unearth one of the most notable finds in recent years, right outside the entrance of the Historical Society’s Brisbane headquarters. The gushing water pushed over two retaining walls between the edge of William Street and the 1829 convict-built Commissariat Store – home to the Historical Society. Century old bottles, bones and broken plates started falling out of the wall.

Archaeologists and, in turn, citizens may soon learn more about Pocahontas, the Native American woman who has, without question, become an American legend. Dr. William Kelso, the Director of Archaeology for Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), says he’s unearthed the church where Pocahontas and tobacco planter John Rolfe were married.

Skeletons and colonial-era uniform buttons discovered on Rogers Island in 2006 probably mark the place of a military cemetery dating to the French and Indian War, according to a report compiled by the New York State Museum. “There’s clear evidence of additional burials nearby,” said state archaeologist Lisa Anderson.

The second Bogazköy Sphinx, which was taken to Germany during World War I, has returned to Turkey. The other was returned sometime between 1924 and 1937.

Researchers say they've found two pits to the east and west of Stonehenge that may have played a role in an ancient midsummer ceremony. The discovery suggests that the 5,000-year-old circle of stones we see today may represent just a few of the pieces in a larger geographical, astronomical and cultural puzzle.

Should Stonehenge be lit up in the evening? The monument was lit up at night in the 1970s and early 1980s, but English Heritage stopped the practice because of an increase in car accidents caused by distracted drivers on the nearby A303.