The Greeks: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great Exhibit at Field Museum

The most comprehensive exhibition of Greek art and artifacts ever to tour outside Greece opened at the Field Museum of Chicago on November 25. This highly recommended show will be on view until April 10. From Chicago, it will move to the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. and be on display from May 26 through October 9.

The Greeks were a diverse group of peoples inhabiting mainland Greece and the Greek islands, and, in ancient times, the coast of what is now Turkey. They shared a common language and religion, and many of the same political institutions.

Over the course of the several millennia of their ascendancy, the Greeks passed through a variety of social formations: from early class societies on the basis of the “Neolithic Revolution” in agriculture that began some 10,000 years ago in western Asia to the societies, based to a large degree on slave labor, which provided the material basis for a flowering of Greek culture and politics.

“Classical beauty,” wrote Hegel in his Aesthetics, “with its infinite range of content, material, and form is the gift vouchsafed to the Greek people, and we must honour this people for having produced art in its supreme vitality.”

The Greeks is organized by the Canadian Museum of History and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports in partnership with National Geographic Society and The Field Museum. The exhibition is co-presented in Chicago by The Field Museum and the National Hellenic Museum. The exhibition is developed by the Hellenic Republic – Ministry of Culture and Sports – Directorate General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage (Athens, Greece), The Field Museum (Chicago, USA), the Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau, Canada), the National Geographic Museum (Washington, DC, USA) and Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archeology and History Complex (Montréal, Canada).

The Field Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.

Check out the full story on World Socialist  and the exhibit on the Field Museum website.

Must See Archaeology Exhibits in 2015

Whether your traveling abroad this summer, or live close by to these venues and archaeological exhibits, they are certainly worth a peek. I was looking forward to visiting one of the local venues, Mummies of the World, in downtown Orlando. True, Orlando is most known for the parks filled with million upon millions of tourists, however once in a while, a great exhibition will come to town, giving parents something more relaxing to do while Jimmy rides Magic Mountain for the tenth time.

Check out Archaeology Travel's wonderful article-Temporary Archaeology Exhibitions Around the World in 2015, the Archaeological Institute of America's Exhibition Page, as well as read below for some more United States exhibitions, hopefully in your hometown.

Must See Temporary and Permanent Archaeology Exhibits in 2015

Heritage Awareness Diving Seminar (HADS)
St. Augustine, Fl

The Heritage Awareness Diving Seminar is intended to explain the advantages of conserving shipwrecks and other submerged cultural resources, not only to preserve information about our collective past, but also to preserve the vibrant ecosystems that grow around historic shipwrecks. HADS focuses on providing scuba training agency Course Directors, Instructor Trainers, and Instructors with a greater knowledge of how to proactively protect shipwrecks, artificial reefs, and other underwater cultural sites as part of the marine environment. Upon completion of HADS, participants can teach the new Heritage Awareness Diving Specialty Course, approved by PADI, NAUI, and SDI, as well as incorporate underwater historic preservation into other courses.

Exhibition Details

Mummies of the World-Orlando Science Center
Orlando, Fl

Mummies of the World portrays a once-in-a-lifetime collection of real mummies and artifacts from across the globe. This compelling collection, presented with reverence and dignity, includes ancient mummies dating back as far as 4,500 years. A fascinating mix of old and new, this captivating collection bridges the gap between past and present with contributions from 10 world-renowned Institutions and two private collectors.

The Exhibition is open Sunday through Thursday 10 am to 5 pm; Friday & Saturday 10 am to 9 pm. Last entry to the exhibition is 60 minutes before closing.

Exhibition Details

Pirates of Populonia -- the Myth of Etruscan Piracy in the Ancient Mediterranean
Ottawa, ON

Did the Etruscans deserve their reputation as seafaring villains? Jean MacIntosh Turfa, University of Pennsylvania Museum, thinks not. Come and find out why!

Exhibition Details

Time Exposures: Picturing a History of Isleta Pueblo Museum Exhibit-Heard Museum
Phoenix, AZ

In the fascinating new exhibit “Time Exposures: Picturing a History of Isleta Pueblo in the 19th Century”, the people of Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico tell their history and the lasting effects of 19th century changes on their lives today through historic photographs and a variety of media. The story unfolds in three parts: first, Pueblo people describe the year’s cycle as it was in the mid-19th century, then the arrival of Americans and how this disrupted their way of life, and finally they examine the historic photographs as products of Anglo culture and ask what kind of record they really represent.

Date(s) - 06/18/2015 - 09/27/2015
All Day

Exhibition Details

Extinct Madagascar: Picturing the Island's Past – Field Museum
Chicago, IL

You’ll learn how Field Museum scientist Steve Goodman and State University of New York professor Bill Jungers teamed up with artist Velizar Simeonovski to recapture the extinct animals and their habitats by creating digital illustrations—from the bones up.

Exhibition Details

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age– Field Museum
Chicago, IL

Journey back millions of years ago to when mammoths and mastodons roamed the Earth. Joust with mammoth tusks. Touch colossal mastodon teeth. Confront their fierce neighbors—dire wolves and saber-toothed cats. Discover ancient cave drawings and learn why early humans both hunted and honored these majestic animals. Walk among these larger than life creatures for a day, in the most captivating exhibition since the Ice Age, back at The Field Museum by popular demand.

Exhibition Details

Before the Dinosaurs: Tracking the Reptiles of Pangaea – Field Museum
Chicago, IL

Journey across the globe with a Field Museum paleontologist and his team in search of what life was like before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. On this special expedition, see firsthand what it takes to find the perfect dig site and what supplies to pack - then start fossil hunting! See how a single rock layer can preserve hundreds of fossils, and then back in the lab, decide which fossils should be studied first. Examine the subtle features on a fossil bone that scientists use to figure out what species it is and how that species is related to other animals. Explore how the greatest extinction event of all time made room for the animals we know today. And learn how scientific collaborations like this let us unravel the mysteries of the evolution of life on Earth.

Exhibition Details


Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology-National Geographic Museum
Washington, DC

This first-of-its-kind touring museum exhibition was developed by X3 Productions in collaboration with a team of world-renowned specialists to ensure it presents a factual interpretation of the principles and methodologies of field archaeology. Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology, presented by the National Geographic Society, immerses you in the science and history of field archaeology. Walk in the footsteps of beloved film hero Indiana Jones as you embark on this interactive museum adventure.

Exhibition Details


Please contact me about listing a museum event in your town. Or, please feel free to post it in the comments area.

Archaeology Event at Campus Martius Museum

I'm a Buckeye at heart so I had to share. It's important to share what's going in the smaller community museums as well as the world.

The Campus Martius Museum was filled on Saturday with people wanting to learn the history of the Mid-Ohio Valley through the "Digging the Past," an archaeology-centric event.

"I am a wannabe archaeologist and I love being part of things like this," said Jerrel Anderson, of Vienna.

The retired research scientist for DuPont worked on a number of research archaeology digs in Wood County for his job and brought a number of artifacts from a couple of sites, including in the Marrtown area and near the Memorial Bridge.

Archaeologists Annette Erickson, director of Archaeology Studies at Hocking College, and Stephen House speak with amateur archaeologist Jerrel Anderson, of Vienna, on Saturday in the main room of Campus Martius Museum during the “Digging the Past” Archaeology Day.

"I will be working this summer doing an archaeological dig on Blennerhassett Island with geophysical surveys and things," Anderson said. "It is exciting and I look forward to looking through the island because I'm sure there is a treasure trove of things yet to be found."

Along with a display of colorful Flint Ridge flint, the museum also hosted flintknappers and an identification clinic from the Ohio Historical Society.

Bill Reynolds, organizer of the event and historian at the museum, said he was pleased with the event.

"We have many ages of history on display here," he said. "We have items from prehistory and objects all the way to the Civil War, which is a long span."

The prehistoric items, such as arrowheads, are as old as 9,500 years while other items include pottery that dates a little more than a century.

"This is a great program that I think we need more of in this area," said Brian Kesterson, of Parkersburg, who had an extensive display of Civil War artifacts related to the local area from his collection.

Many of Kesterson's items came from the Fort Boreman area and included bullets, buttons and other items.

"There are historic items around us every day and people should have a knowledge of what they are looking at and how to find it," Kesterson said. "Living in the Mid-Ohio Valley, many of us could find artifacts in our back yards, if we knew what we were holding in our hands."

During the event, speakers included retired Ohio Department of Transportation archaeologist Wes Clark who spoke about the Temples at Ankor Wat, Cambodia, and in Thailand; Bill Pickard with the OHS who talked about Fort Laurens, Ohio's only Revolutionary War fort; Annette G. Erickson, director of Archaeology Studies at Hocking College, who talked about being an archaeologist and opportunities within the field; and Reynolds discussed the Deming site with a study of the material culture of the New England family from 1796 through 1890.

"Everything in this museum is a part of our history," Reynolds said. "It is all around us and is part of our everyday culture; to know that there were people living here thousands of years before we were even thought of is amazing and through the items they left behind, we can get a glimpse of the daily lives of people long gone."

Mystery of Mummy Conservation at University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

The Penn Museum is unwrapping the mystery of mummy conservation, giving the public an unusual close-up of researchers' efforts to preserve relics from ancient Egypt.

AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma

Human and animal mummies, as well as an intricately inscribed coffin, are among the items undergoing treatment and repair at the Philadelphia institution's newly installed Artifact Lab.

Housed in a special gallery, the glass-enclosed workspace lets visitors share in "the thrill of discovery," museum director Julian Siggers said.

"It demonstrates to you the work that's actually being done behind the walls of these galleries," Siggers said.

Visitors can watch staff members use microscopes, brushes and other tools of the trade to inspect, study and preserve items including the mummy of a 5-year-old girl, several human heads, a colorful but damaged sarcophagus, and a painting from a tomb wall. Flat-screen monitors display magnified views of the relics as they are being examined.

Conservators will also set aside time twice a day to answer questions from the public. The archaeology and anthropology museum has identified 30 objects from its 42,000-piece Egyptian collection to be conserved during the evolving project. Many of the lab items have not been exhibited before because of their poor condition, said conservator Molly Gleeson. Among Gleeson's first projects are preserving the mummies of a cat, falcon and ibis. She described the falcon's linen wrappings as frayed and powdery, and noted its precariously attached head would need to be stabilized before the mummy could be displayed. Also undergoing study are hieroglyphic-inscribed slabs of wood that comprised the coffin of an Egyptian named Ahanakht, circa 2000 B.C.

"Conservation efforts led researchers to discover hidden inscriptions on the seams", said David Silverman, curator-in-charge of the Egyptian section. Head conservator Lynn Grant said staff members continuously experience a sense of wonder as they work with historical artifacts. "It is a delight, with this new space, to be able to share that with our visitors and give people an idea of what's going on behind the scenes," Grant said.

Source © artdaily.org

Grim Exhibition Shows Role of Grave Robbers in Medical Science

It was the skeletons that apparently had four legs or three arms that startled the archaeologists, not the mere fact of finding masses of human bones in the back yard of one of London's most famous teaching hospitals.

In 2006 archaeologists from Museum of London Archaeology stumbled on evidence of a grim chapter in the history of the London Hospital and other hospital – the decades when the corpses of executed criminals were the only legal source of bodies to teach surgeons anatomy. In the early 19th century there was a problem: the number of crimes meriting a death sentence fell sharply. The gap was filled by corpses dug up by grave robbers, or in the case of the London Hospital the unfortunate poor who died in its wards, and in the most infamous cases by murder.

In the 19th century the London Hospital had had a burial ground, neatly marked on later maps, but the archaeologists were digging in unmarked ground where there was no record of burials. The bones had been neatly buried in long since rotted coffins, in the Christian east-west alignment, but they were a bizarre jumble of skulls with the crowns neatly cut through like the top of a hard boiled egg, bones wired for teaching, or bones clearly dissected rather than cut through in operations, and animal bones including dogs, tortoises and a guinea pig.

Altogether they uncovered 262 burials, but in the confusion of different remains in the same coffin, layers of burials which had slumped down together into the ground, and many missing skulls, hands and feet, they may have found the remains of up to 500 individuals.

It took the archaeologists years of poring over hospital records – those for the London on either side of a crucial date, the Anatomy Act of 1832, were missing – and contemporary newspaper accounts, pamphlets, medical and social history collections, even ballads and broadsheets, to understand what they had found. The site was a covert burial ground where the unfortunates who died in the hospital, having been dissected illegally in the adjoining anatomy school, were buried by night.

The excavation has inspired the new exhibition at the Museum of London, as gruesome as any Halloween horror film.

The terror inspired by grave robbers is vividly reflected in objects such as an extraordinary patented locking iron coffin, from the vaults of St Bride's church, designed so that once it was closed it was almost impossible to open again. Few were wealthy enough to afford such protection.

The exhibition includes some of the bones found at the London, and also remains of grave robbers who themselves ended by being executed and handed over to the medical schools. There is a fragment of the brain of William Burke, partner of William Hare – the legendary Edinburgh grave robbers who turned to murder to obtain bodies more conveniently. There is also tattooed skin of either Thomas Williams or John Bishop, whose case was even more notorious in London. The case of "the Italian boy" – probably a poor young cattle herder whom they captured at Smithfield – provoked such outrage that it helped bring about the Anatomy Act which ensured a supply of legal bodies. This introduced a new terror for the poor who knew that if they died in hospital and their families could not afford to claim and bury them, the anatomists would have them.

In the 1820s the London Hospital's surgeons would have regarded themselves as fortunate. They did not need to buy from the body snatchers. Enough of their patients died, including previously healthy strong men in the prime of life injured on ships or at the nearby docks, far from home and unclaimed, to provide them with a ready supply.

The hospital evidently had so many bodies that they were able to sell the surplus to other hospitals, but their own burial ground was targeted by body snatchers. In 1823 the prison governor, William Valentine, reported that patients were woken by strange sounds in the night, and saw men trying to dig up a body buried immediately below their ward windows: the terrified patients raised enough uproar to frighten off the grave robbers.

In 1832 one of the most intriguing characters in the story, a man called William Millard, was arrested in the burial ground. He was charged with vagrancy – since he had not actually got around to digging up any bodies – and eventually died in prison. His enraged wife Anne was a formidable character who petitioned parliament, and not only published a pamphlet called "An account of the circumstances attending the imprisonment and death of the late Mr William Millard" but bought a printing press to do so. She continued to insist after his death what he claimed in life, that he was not a grave robber but had been transporting bodies with the tacit sanction of the hospital. Millard, it seems, may not have come to dig up a body, but to collect one from the back door.

Source: The Guardian

Animatronic Dinosaurs at Aussie Museum Too Real

The first time I ever went to The American Museum of  Natural History, I was in awe of the dinosaur skeletons. I always thought they would come alive and roam the halls. Childlike curiosities always drove our interests when it came to these prehistoric beasts, but what happens when they actually do come alive? In a technical sense that is.

The Aussie Museum of Natural History's animatronic dinosaur exhibit has adults and children running for their lives lunches. They're snatching coolers out of guests hands and chasing kids around, and they've also been rumored to ride the elevator for fun.

As an adult I find these exhibits thrilling and innovative, but some of the kids in the video got more than they bargained for when they wanted to see a dinosaur up close. Nothing R-Rated I assure you, just some tearful children, unaware these creatures had more of a bite in person than on the movie screen.

 

U-boat Exhibits and Museums

So what exactly happened to the U-boats after World War II? Many u-boats were used for scrap metal, however some retired to some of the most recognizable and popular museums in the world. People like you and I can take a gander at the accommodations, walk down the tightly constructed decks, and gaze upon the operational equipment used during submarine warfare, that looks almost too complicated to understand.

U-505 at The Museum of Science in Chicago, Illinois

My first experience with a U-boat was at the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago close to 15 years ago. At that time, the German U-505 German Submarine- Type IXC Long Range Attack u-boat exhibit - was kept inside the main museum. The U-505 Submarine was commissioned in 1941 and from there on out, suffered countless malfunctions and a string of bad luck. One account speaks of a commanding officer who committed suicide on board. The crowning blo, however, came when the US boarded the vessel and took possession on June, 1944, NW of Dakar. The US officers found secret documents and confiscated equipment while on board. The U-boat Submarine is surprisingly in pristine condition, completely intact, and is amongst the few surviving U-boats in the world.

U-534  at The Historic Warships Museum, Birkenhead, United Kingdom

The U-534 German Submarine - Type IXC Long Range Attack U-Boat-was commissioned in December 1942. With only a small amount of time spent at sea, she was already spotted by a British Liberator while sailing in the Kattegat, Denmark on 5th May 1945. She was, of course, sailing on the surface along with three other U-boats, making her demise inevitable. The Liberator attacked and promptly sank her with ten depth charges, this came after the first initial nine misses and then a direct hit. There were 49 survivors.

In 1993, she was raised by a Danish consortium Aage Jensen, with the ceremony being witnessed by her own surviving crew and those of the Liberator who sank her. Rumors were swarming at the time that U-534 held a hoard of Nazi gold, prompting immense media coverage. The uboat was empty, however, much to people’s dismay.

U-995 at The Navy Memorial, Laboe, Germany (Laboe, Strandstrasse 92, Germany)

The U-995 German Submarine - Type VIIC/41i was used for submarine warfare and was commissioned in September 1943 with Oberleutnant Walter Köhntopp in command. The heavy duty “work horse”, she was called, is the last surviving of her kind. The U-995 surrendered to the Allies at the end of the war, and was handed to the British as war booty. During her hay day, the U-995 sunk three ships for 1,560 GRT, one auxiliary warship sunk for 633 GRT, one warship for 105 tons, and one ship a total loss for 7,176 GRT. In 1948, she was transferred to the Norwegian Navy before being returned to her homeland in Germany for the symbolic price of one Deutsche Mark. The U-995 is now a museum ship, as tourists can walk through the entire vessel.

U-61 - World War 1 Attack Boat at The Bayerisches Armeemuseum, Ingolstadt, Germany

The U-61- German Type U-57 submarine warfare attack vessel - was commissioned in December 1916. U-61 sank 33 allied ships, totaling 84,564 tons. She also damaged 7 ships of 23,783 tons and the US destroyer USS Cassin before fleeing the fight. After being forced to the surface by depth charge, she was rammed and sunk in March 1918 by US submarine chaser PC-51 with all hands in the Irish Sea. The 88mm deck gun is all that remains of this boat and is on display in Ingolstadt, Germany.

The U-1 at The Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany

The U-1 German Submarine - Gasoline Powered Boat-was launched in August 1906, however it was never used for submarine warfare. It was used as a training vessel.  “Testing of the U-1 resulted in a collision while on a training exercise in 1919. The U-1 was sold to the Germaniawerft foundation at the Deutsches Museum in Munich where it was restored and can be viewed on display.”

U-9 at The Naval Museum of the Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol, Ukraine

The U-9 German Submarine - Type IIB Coastal Attack U-Boat Submarine-was commissioned in August 193. The U-9 was a Type II used for coastal submarine warfare, carrying out 19 patrols and claiming 9 ships before being sunk by Russian aircraft on 20th August 1944 at Constanza, Romania. The emblem of the U-9 was the Iron Cross, welded on the conning tower in memory of the first U-9 under Otto Weddigen. You’ ll remember that on September 22, 1914, commander of the U-9 Captain Otto Weddigen, sank three English vessels in less than an hour. The Soviets raised the U-9 in 1945 and the insignia is now on display in Sevastopol, Ukraine.

Brandtaucher - World’s Oldest Diving Boat

The Brandtaucher is the world’s oldest diving boat on display at the Militärhistorisches Museum. The Brandtaucher was built in 1850 by Wilhelm Bauer and is one of the first submersibles which had all the basic elements of a functional submarine and later became a forerunner of the U-boats that we know of.

On February 1, 1851 BrandtaucherOn 5th July 1887, the boat was recovered and today it is on display in Dresden, Germany.

U-2540 at Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (German Maritime Museum) Bremerhaven, Germany

The U-2540 German Submarine - Type XXI Elektroboat-was used as an advanced u-boat submarine, entering service in February 1945. Less than 3 months later U-2540 was destroyed by her own crew. In 1957, she was raised after spending more than ten years at the bottom of the Baltic Sea and returned to service on 1st September 1960 as the research submarine Wilhelm Bauer.

You’ll remember that in 1850, Wilhelm Bauer was asked to design a submarine for the government, incorporating all aspects of the more modern vessels. The Brandtaucher weighed 70,000 pounds, was 28 feet long, and was powered by two sailors turning a tread wheel. U-2540 served in a civilian role under various research projects before decommissioning on 15th March 1982.” On 24th April 1984, she was transferred to the Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (German Maritime Museum) as the Technikmuseum Wilhelm Bauer. U-2540 is the only floating example of a XXI U-boat.”

UB-46 at The Turkish Naval Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

The UB-46- Type UB II Coastal Attack Boat- was commissioned in June 1916, she operated in Turkish waters and claimed 13 ships before hitting a mine in the Black Sea and sinking with all hands in December 1916. None of her 20 men crew survived. The UB-46 was a little more than 121 feet (37 m) in length and displaced between 270 and 305 metric tons (300 and 336 short tons), depending on whether surfaced or submerged. She was equipped to carry a complement of four torpedoes for her two bow torpedo tubes and had a 5-centimeter deck gun. Today, parts of her hull are on display in the Turkish Naval Museum (Demiz Muzesi) in Istanbul, Turkey.

In conclusion, if you haven't seen one yet, and let's face it, you should, it's a wonderful opportunity to experience an important aspect of our history as a nation, and all over the world.

Related Articles

History of the Submarine and German U-Boat Fleet

Cornelius Drebbel, a Dutch inventor working for the English Royal Navy, tested the first submarine on the Thames River in England. Between 1620 and 1624 Drebbel successfully built and tested two more submarines, each one bigger than the last.

Read More: History of the Submarine and German U-Boat Fleet. Part One 

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Planes used during World War I

Although Kitty Hawk North Carolina would become home to the first manned flight of human kind, the Germans would take these physical parameters into a whole new realm. As the skies offered another battlefield in which to kill and mame, countries that did not embrace this new arena were quickly left behind. During the first world war, the Germans would gain an early edge over most of the Allies as concerned with WWI aircraft. Planes used during World War I became designed around the many German models, which would help the Allies win many later battles of the global war. There are many WWI planes that were important during the war although some played far greater roles than others.

Read More: Planes used during World War I

Sources

U-boat 505 Source
UB-46 U-boat 11 October 2009 (© Patrick Costello / Flickr)
U-534 picture via Wikipedia page U 534

Naval Museum of Black Fleet Picture

U-2540 Pictures

U-995 Picture via Wikipedia

Brandtaucher - World’s Oldest Diving Boat  Picture via Wikipedia

**This article was part of a compilation of U-boat articles that managed to get lost within the extensive details of the series. I'm presenting it again for you to enjoy!

Archaeology News: July 22, 2011

Wow, what a great day for archaeology! Ancient Digger brings you the latest archaeology news everyday of the week, and today, it’s hard to keep up. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, several towns are celebrating archaeology festivals. Check out the headlines below!

Roman jug unearthed at site of new theatre

Archaeologists working on the site of Doncaster’s new civic and cultural quarter, believed to have previously been the site of a Roman cemetery where cremations took place, have unearthed a rare Roman glass jug dating back to around AD150.

Archaeologists Uncover Ruins of Biblical City Shekem in War-Torn Palestine

Archaeologists in Palestine are digging up the ruins of Shekem. The biblical ruin lies inside a Palestinian city in the West Bank, where modern researchers are writing the latest chapter in a 100-year-old excavation that has been interrupted by two world wars and numerous rounds of Mideast upheaval.

Materialism vs. science in archaeology, and the difference it makes

In “First Person: The Bible as a Source of Testable Hypotheses”(Biblical Archaeology Review (Jul/Aug 2011) Hershel Shanks tells a story from Biblical archaeology that explains more than I ever could about how materialism stifles science.

2,000-year-old golden bell Discovered

A tiny, 2,000-year-old golden bell was found in a drainage channel near the Old City of Jerusalem. The bell was probably sewn onto the garment of a high official.

Governor stresses for starting Archaeology Department in HPU

The Himachal Pradesh Governor Urmila Singh today stressed the need to start the Archaeology Department in the state university besides introducing tourist guide course to generate employment avenues for youth. Speaking in the inaugural function of the three day long 42nd Foundation Day celebrations of the Himachal Pradesh University here, she said the state was rich in cultural heritage and Archaeology Department could make people aware about the glorious historical background of the State. Singh, who is also the chancellor of the University, said there were plenty of employment opportunities in the tourism sector and added that introducing Tourist Guide Course could help in guiding the tourists coming to the state.

Archaeological neglect: council fined

A charge of unlawfully modifying and damaging archaeological features was brought by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust which says the council should have know a shell midden was located at Maketu the Western Bay, having earlier commissioned an archaeologist to review the archaeology of Maketu, with a report produced in 2003.

Copperopolis to rise again

The remains of ‘Copperopolis’ – once the epicentre of the world’s copper industry – are to be preserved as a major heritage complex on a currently derelict 12 acre site in Swansea, South Wales.

Tidewater Archaeology Weekend

Historic St. Mary's City's annual event will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 23 and 24. Visitors can take guided tours of archaeological sites and the archaeology laboratory and discover how researchers learn about the past.

PORTLAND: Explore the treasures of Portland Museum

The secrets and treasures of Portland Museum could be revealed during a family archaeology day.

Several test pits will be excavated in the museum garden, under the supervision of archaeologist Stella de Villiers, where everyone will get a chance to practice digging. They will be explaining how archaeologists record the things they find and there will be the opportunity to have a go at this yourself.

Slideshow: D.C.'s Ancient History

The artifacts, stored at the D.C. Archives, were unearthed as part of archaeological digs tied to the canceled Barney Circle Freeway project. While the Washington Business Journal wasn't able to see or photograph artifacts from that project, D.C. Archaeologist Ruth Trocolli shared some of the city's other antiquities.

First Nation artifacts discovered, divert highway

Archaeologists have found evidence that proves First Nations people were in New Brunswick more than 10,000 years ago.

What Was Machu Picchu For? Top Five Theories Explained

Now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Machu Picchu's original purpose is still unknown—though many archaeologists think they are closer to finding an answer. (Take a Machu Picchu quiz.)

Scarborough's Festival of Archaeology

If you like the strange and spooky, go to Scarborough's Festival of Archaeology. It should appeal to the whole family, with interactive fun, archaeological trials and making your own reconstructed face.

History of the Korean War

The Korean War lasted from June 25, 1950 until the signing of an armistice on July 27, 1953. Although the fighting only lasted three years, the events leading up to the war in Korea go back several decades earlier.



The history of the Korean War is long and complex, involving several decades of foreign rule prior to the conflict, and the involvement of dozens of nations during the actual fighting.

Some could argue the history of the Korean War began in 1876, when the Japanese first got involved in the region by forcing the Koreans to sign the Treaty of Ganghwa. Japan made Korea its protectorate in 1905, and officially annexed the peninsula in 1910. Japan then officially ruled the Korean peninsula until September 2, 1945, when they were forced to give up rule by the Allied Powers for losing World War II. Korea was then divided into North and South along the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union occupied North Korea after World War II, while the United States occupied South Korea. Under Allied rule, North and South quickly became divided, and the Korean War became imminent soon after.

War in Korea inched closer to reality in 1948, when a failure to hold democratic elections led to the North installing a Communist government. Tension intensified between North and South, even during reunification talks. The 38th parallel increasingly became a political border, as both sides conducted skirmishes and raids on targets just over the border. Finally, the North invaded the South on June 25, 1950, and the Korean War officially began. It was the first armed conflict of the Cold War.

The Korean War was a "war by proxy" between the United States and the Soviet Union, in which both sides backed opposing forces in a war, instead of fighting each other directly. In the history of the Korean War, however, Soviet and American troops did not fire on each other.

South Korea was officially backed by the United Nations, who aided the effort in repelling the North. The United Nations forces backed the North behind the 38th parallel, nearly to the Yalu River, until the Chinese officially entered the war in Korea. With Chinese aid, the U.N. forces were pushed back near the 38th parallel in 1951. From 1951 to 1953, little ground was gained by either side in the Korean War.

United States involvement in the war in Korea occurred primarily because of the American view of Korea as a strategic ally against the communist Chinese and Soviets. President Truman also viewed non-action in Korea as the beginning of the downfall of the United Nations, where Communism would be free to spread unchecked across the globe. Final approval to send US forces came when an intercepted communication from the Soviets stated that it would not act against US ground troops during the war in Korea. The United States officially entered the Korean War in July 1950.

Both sides ceded territory to the other quite often early in the war, until the front stabilized in 1951 near the original border at the 38th parallel. From then, very little ground was gained by either side and casualties kept rising with little to show for it. American officials raced to discuss an armistice with the North, fearing that increasing tensions with China and the Soviet Union would lead into World War III. The Korean War officially ended on July 27, 1953, after more than two long and frustrating years of negotiations.

The war in Korea led to more than 5 million combat and civilian casualties all told. The history of the Korean war is somewhat forgotten in American history, being sandwiched between the two biggest US conflicts-- World War II and Vietnam. However, the Korean War claimed the lives of more than 54,000 American troops, on par with Vietnam although in a much shorter time. Chinese and Korean casualties were nearly 10 times that of the United States. The war in Korea led to tensions between the North and South which persist to this day, although the history of the Korean War is remembered differently by each side. All-out warfare has not occurred between North and South since the end of the original conflict.

Author bio: This history of the Korean War was written by Erik Allermann. Erik lives in Watertown, Wisconsin with his wife and son. He is a 2004 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Museum Exhibits: Largest Exhibit On Blacks In Civil War

The African-American Civil War Museum in Washington has been going through a major revamping as 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the north and south's bitter battle between 1861-1865. To learn about the museum's grand re-opening, which is scheduled for July, and the history of African-Americans in the Civil War, guest host Tony Cox speaks with the museum's founding director Frank Smith.

The African-American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C. is gearing up for a major festival to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The museum's interactive exhibits tell of the sacrifices that African-Americans have made for freedom. Many of us have been taught about the history of the Civil War, including the Union's bloody victory at Antietam in September of 1862.

Read More: Largest Exhibit On Blacks In Civil War @NPR

Early Years of Flight Day 4: Nieuport 28

Our week started with the very early years of flight, along with the Schneider Schulgleiter SG 38 and Halberstadt CL IV. We continue our tour of flight's early years with the French built Nieuport 28.

 

The Nieuport 28 was the first fighter airplane flown in combat by pilots of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in World War I. The first flight on April 14, 1918 resulted in two victories by  Lts. Alan Winslow and Douglas Campbell of the 94th Aero Squadron. The first victories by an AEF unit in fact.



The creativity and super savvy painted body of the the Nieuport 28 was no match for the aircraft’s terrible reputation to shed it’s upper wing fabric on dives.  In 1918, many considered the Nieuport 28 obsolete. Yet, there were many famous pilots who faired quite well in this early years plane.

WWI 26-victory ace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker flew the Nieuport 28 several times during his career. The Nieuport was soon replaced by a less maneuverable aircraft in March 1918 called the SPAD XIII.

The aircraft on display at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio is a reproduction. Like many of the  planes from the early years hanger, it contains wood and hardware from an original Nieuport 28.
 
The aircraft is painted and marked to represent a Nieuport of the 95th Aero Squadron, Third Flight, as it appeared in July 1918. It was placed on display in May 1994.

Read the Entire Series:

• Part One: Early years of Flight
• Part Two: Schneider Schulgleiter SG 38
• Part Three: Halberstadt CL IV

Early Years of Flight Day 3: Schneider Schulgleiter SG 38

When we think of the fighters and gliders of the early years of flight, we hardly picture a sloped wooden seat, made purposefully to seat a pilot and used by the Luftwaffe for training in the late 1930s and into the 1940s. The SG 38 was appropriately named Schulgleiter or "school glider" and the year it first flew, 1938.

The Germans were facing strict limitations on powered aircraft after World War I therefore they turned to gliders for studying aerodynamics and training pilots. In 1933, the DFS or German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight was forced by the Germans to make all gliding activity in Germany centralized. Training gliders, such as the Schneider Schulgleiter SG 38, were developed for both the Hitler Youth Flyers and Luftwaffe.

The Luftwaffe made its appearance in 1935 after the Nazis began their attempt at a rapid large-scale rearmament program. The expansion created a need for safe gliders used for student pilots in training. The The DFS worked with Edmund Schneider, who had opened a glider factory in 1927 and was producing some of the world's best gliders, to design the Schneider Schulgleiter SG 38.

It would appear that the design of the SG-38 was overtly simply and a bit dangerous looking, however the aircraft had to compensate for inexperienced student pilots. Would you believe that this training glider was actually launched with bungee cords from the hillsides of Mount Wasserkuppe in central Germany? The glider only remained airborne for a short time in order to prevent heavy-handed students from over steering and stalling the glider. Eventually, 9,000 to 10,000 SG 38s were built.

After World War II, Schneider moved to Australia and continued to build gliders. This Schneider Schulgleiter SG 38 came to the USAF National Museum in 2010.

Read the Entire Series:

• Part One: Early years of Flight
• Part Two: Halberstadt CL IV
• Part Three: Schneider Schulgleiter SG 38

Related Posts

Planes used during World War I

Although Kitty Hawk North Carolina would become home to the first manned flight of human kind, the Germans would take these physical parameters into a whole new realm. As the skies offered another battlefield in which to kill and mame, countries that did not embrace this new arena were quickly left behind. During the first world war, the Germans would gain an early edge over most of the Allies as concerned with WWI aircraft. Planes used during World War I became designed around the many German models, which would help the Allies win many later battles of the global war. There are many WWI planes that were important during the war although some played far greater roles than others.

Read more: Planes used during World War I

Strategic missiles at The National Museum of the United States Air Force

Tourists fly in from all around the world to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force and who could blame them. The museum is completely free, only taking donations if you’re willing to spare a cent, and all this for a weeks worth of military history. It took me several days to walk the museum, spending most of my time with the Planes from WWI and aircraft from WW2. One of my favorite hangers in the museum is the space gallery, and the focal point is a round room featuring massive strategic missiles.

Read More: Ballistic Missiles at Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Shoo Shoo Baby: B17G At Wright Patterson Air Force Base

So before I start sharing, I wanted to start off the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Series with the Shoo Shoo Baby B-17G. For those of you plane and aircraft enthusiasts, you already know the B17G Flying Fortress was one of the most famous airplanes ever built. The B17G prototype first flew on June 28, 1935, yet few of the B-17 flying fortresses were flying prior to the United States’ entrance into World War II.

Read more:Shoo Shoo Baby: B17G At Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Hosts the Terracotta Army

On June 27th Ancient Digger reported that The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) will host the Canadian premiere of The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army from June 26, 2010. There has now been a change to the venue.

UPDATE: Chinese officials' enforcement of government policy is limiting the time the terracotta warriors can travel out of the country to one year.

Therefore, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) will be the FINAL stop for The  Warrior Emperor as tour dates that followed (at the Glenbow Museum in  Calgary and the Royal BC Museum in Victoria BC) were cancelled in late  September.

On view from February 12 to June 26, 2011 at the MMFA, The Warrior  Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army features the largest collection of  artifacts ever displayed in North America related to Qin Shihuangdi, the  First Emperor of a unified China. Nearly 1/3 of the 240 remarkable  objects including funerary figurines; paintings and sculptures;  architectural elements; arms and armor; ornaments in jade and gold, and  earthenware objects excavated from the largest burial complex in China  (the greatest archeological site in the 20th century since King Tut’s  tomb) have never been before on public display internationally.

Highlights on view at the MMFA include the following national treasures  and newly discovered artifacts dating as far back as 2,200 years:

The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army showcases one of the  most significant archaeological finds in history: the 1974 discovery,  in Shaanxi province in north-central China, of thousands of life-sized  terracotta sculptures of Chinese warriors. These extraordinary figures,  along with countless treasures yet to be uncovered in the elaborate  underground tomb complex of China’s First Emperor, were created 2,200  years ago, during the Qin dynasty. 


Read More about the MMFA's Exhibition of The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army
Via The Montreal Museum of Fine Art

Secrets of the Silk Road Exhibition

Secrets of the Silk Road from Penn Museum on Vimeo.

In February 2011, the Secrets of the Silk Road exhibition will be coming to the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The exhibition will include several ancient and well preserved  mummies, all excavated in the vast Tarim Basin desert of East Central Asia—a crossroads of the Silk Road. "Included in the exhibition are three exquisitely diverse mummies—a man, a woman popularly known as the “Beauty of Xiaohe,” and a child, dating back to 1800 BCE to 400 CE." Several artifacts found with these particular mummies will be on display as well.

In  addition, there will be 150 artifacts on display including  jewel-encrusted vessels, masks, jewelry, clothing, highly valued silk and other textiles, wooden and bone implements, and coins testify to the remarkable international trade that passed through the region.

The materials come from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in Urumqi in northwest China.

Tickets
Individual tickets go on sale beginning Fall 2010.
Timed ticket prices (includes admission to Museum):
Adult: $22.50
Senior (65+)/Military/Students (full-time with ID): $18.50
Children (6 to 17 years): $14.50