http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/lost_treasures/ Lost treasures of the world. Read about ancient treasures, Roman coins, shipwrecks and more. Photos and articles. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/lost_treasures/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114256.htm A Mesolithic site may date from as early as 9000 BC, by which time hunter-gatherers had reoccupied an area near Asfordby, England, after the last ice age. These hunters crossed the land bridge from the continental mainland -- 'Britain' was only to become an island several thousand years later. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105084838.htm Archaeologists have discovered evidence of Hernando de Soto's 1540 journey through the Southeast. No evidence of De Soto's path from Tallahassee to North Carolina has been found until now, and few sites have been located anywhere. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105084838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101537.htm Three-dimensional computer graphics is moving into museums. Works of art are being digitally archived in 3-D, simplifying research into related artifacts and providing the public with fascinating three-dimensional displays. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093728.htm There is a likely chance of tsunami waves reaching the shores of Israel, says one researcher, following geoarchaeological research at the port of Caesarea. Tsunami events in the Mediterranean occur less frequently than in the Pacific Ocean, but recent findings reveal a moderate rate of recurrence. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019123105.htm Ancient choices made by Egyptians digging burial tombs may have led to today's problems with damage and curation of these precious archaeological treasures, but photography and detailed geological mapping should help curators protect the sites, according to a researcher. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019123105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016101809.htm Archaeologists surveying the world's oldest submerged town have found ceramics dating back to the Final Neolithic. Their discovery suggests that Pavlopetri, off the southern Laconia coast of Greece, was occupied some 5,000 years ago -- at least 1,200 years earlier than originally thought. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016101809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930194337.htm Archaeologists leading a major excavation of Portus, the ancient port of Rome, have uncovered the remains of an amphitheatre-shaped-building, solving a mystery which has puzzled experts for over 140 years. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930194337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101147.htm A gemstone engraved with the portrait of Alexander the Great was uncovered during excavations by an archaeological team in Israel. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101147.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921173412.htm The archaeological excavations at the royal palace in the ancient city of Qatna, north east of the Syrian city of Homs, have once again unfolded a remarkable archaeological discovery. The summer excavations, a German-Syrian collaboration located a rock tomb-cellar underneath the palace containing hundreds of artifacts as well as human bones from the period 1600-1400 BC. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921173412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909095100.htm The largest cache of rare coins ever found in a scientific excavation from the period of the Bar-Kokhba revolt of the Jews against the Romans has been discovered in a cave by researchers in Israel. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909095100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831131402.htm In an expedition for submerged evidence of early Americans off Florida's Gulf Coast, archaeologists traced two ancient river systems in what they believe is the most extensive delineation of submerged prehistoric river systems ever done. They also identified chert, a stone used by prehistoric peoples in toolmaking, at three sites. Scientists believe they are on the threshold of delivering evidence of human habitation along those inundated rivers. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831131402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161131.htm Recent archaeological discoveries from far-flung corners of China are forcing scientists to reconsider the origins of ancient Chinese civilization -- and a new crop of young archaeologists are delving into the modern nation's roots. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083228.htm A prehistoric water-filled cave in the Dominican Republic has become a "treasure trove" with the announcement by archaeologists of the discovery of stone tools, a primate skull, and the claws, jawbone and other bones of several species of sloths. This rare find is expected to offer insight into both the earliest inhabitants of the Greater Antilles and an issue of worldwide concern -- the extinction of native birds and animals when humans arrive. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083228.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812104141.htm London's oldest timber structure has been unearthed by archaeologists. It was found during the excavation of a prehistoric peat bog adjacent to Belmarsh Prison in Plumstead, Greenwich, in advance of the construction of a new prison building. Radiocarbon dating has shown the structure to be nearly 6,000 years old and it predates Stonehenge by more than 500 years. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812104141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727130600.htm The Cheddar Gorge in Somerset was one of the first sites to be inhabited by humans when they returned to Britain near the end of the last Ice Age. According to new radio carbon dating humans were living in Gough's Cave 14,700 years ago. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727130600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715131437.htm Archaeologists are now establishing a discipline devoted to the history of tool use in non-human primate species in order to better understand human evolution. Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715131437.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803185836.htm A statistical analysis reveals distinct patterns in ancient Indus symbols, and creates a hypothetical model for the unknown language. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803185836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721135602.htm The party was over more than 4,000 years ago, but the remnants still remain in the gourds and squashes that served as dishware. For the first time, researchers have studied the residues from gourds and squash artifacts that date back to 2200 B.C. and recovered starch grains from manioc, potato, chili pepper, arrowroot and algarrobo. The starches provide clues about the foods consumed at feasts, and document the earliest evidence of the consumption of algarrobo and arrowroot in Peru. Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721135602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090710092230.htm A British archaeologist has just returned from a period of fieldwork in Iran, working on the first archaeological project in the country to explore the very recent past. The project looks at the effects the Iranian White Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s had on the ancient ‘Landlord Villages’ of the early Islamic period of the country’s history. Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090710092230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090714103526.htm In the French cave of Arago, scientists has analyzed the dental wear of the fossils of herbivorous animals hunted by Homo heidelbergensis. It is the first time that an analytical method has allowed the establishment of the length of human occupations at archaeological sites. The key is the last food that these hominids consumed. Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090714103526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622152033.htm Archaeologists have used stone tools to answer many questions about human ancestors in both the distant and near past and now they are analyzing the origin of obsidian flakes to better understand how people settled and interacted in the inhospitable Kuril Islands. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622152033.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709120654.htm Where the first Americans came from, when they arrived and how they got here is as lively a debate as ever, only most of the research has focused on dry land excavations. Last summer's pivotal underwater exploration in the Gulf of Mexico yielded evidence of inundated terrestrial sites that may have supported human occupation more than 12,000 years ago, paving the way for another expedition July 23. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709120654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622103831.htm An artificial underground cave, the largest in Israel, has been exposed in the Jordan Valley in the course of a new survey. Archeologists reckon that this cave was originally a large quarry during the Roman and Byzantine era. Various engravings were uncovered in the cave, including cross markings, and it is assumed that this could have been an early monastery. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622103831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163529.htm People find it very easy to recognize a face, even under very different circumstances. For a computer, on the other hand, it is extremely difficult. Researchers have developed a new analytical technique which enables the computer to better interpret the content of photos and images, but also of data. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624213346.htm Researchers in Germany have unearthed new evidence for Paleolithic music in the form of the remains of one nearly complete bone flute and isolated small fragments of three ivory flutes. The discovery suggests themusical tradition was well established when modern humans colonized Europe over 35,000 calendar years ago. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624213346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124023.htm Researchers have devised a more accurate method of dating ancient human migration -- even when no corroborating archaeological evidence exists. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616133940.htm Archeologists have uncovered an ancient and previously unknown Maya agricultural system -- a large manioc field intensively cultivated as a staple crop that was buried and exquisitely preserved under a blanket of ash by a volcanic eruption in present-day El Salvador 1,400 years ago. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616133940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182543.htm More than 100 feet deep in Lake Huron, on a wide stony ridge that 9,000 years ago was a land bridge, researchers have found the first archeological evidence of human activity preserved beneath the Great Lakes. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143835.htm A prehistoric complex including two 6,000-year-old tombs representing some of the earliest monuments built in Britain has been discovered by archaeologists. The researchers found the previously undiscovered Neolithic tombs, also known as long barrows, at a site at Damerham, Hampshire. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605175102.htm Archaeologists have located two large cannon from a sunken Confederate gunboat in the Pee Dee River and have identified where the Mars Bluff Naval Yard once stood on the east side of the river in Marion County, S.C. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605175102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527103528.htm Research suggests people today and in future generations should look to the past in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The dangers of rising sea levels, crop failures and extreme weather were all faced by our ancestors who learnt to adapt and survive in the face of climate change. Fri, 29 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527103528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526202805.htm Anthropologists have recently reported on the analysis of a 4000-year-old skeleton from India bearing evidence of leprosy. This skeleton represents both the earliest archaeological evidence for human infection with Mycobacterium leprae in the world and the first evidence for the disease in prehistoric India. Wed, 27 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526202805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512093635.htm The oldest submerged town in the world is about to give up its secrets -- with the help of equipment that could revolutionize underwater archaeology. The ancient town of Pavlopetri lies in three to four meters of water just off the coast of southern Laconia in Greece. The ruins date from at least 2800 BC through to intact buildings, courtyards, streets, chamber tombs and some thirty-seven cist graves which are thought to belong to the Mycenaean period (c.1680-1180 BC). This Bronze Age phase of Greece provides the historical setting for much Ancient Greek literature and myth, including Homer's Age of Heroes. Wed, 13 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512093635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504193641.htm Archaeologists held their breath more than a decade ago when the launch of eBay theoretically increased the market for looted archaeological treasures. In fact, eBay hasn't increased looting, as originally feared. By creating a market for increasingly sophisticated fakes, eBay has actually had a dampening effect on the market for looted antiquities. Sat, 09 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504193641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420085049.htm The ancient Maya civilization used a rare type of clay called “palygorskite” to produce Maya blue. Combining structural, morphological and geochemical methods, researchers have defined the features of palygorskite clay on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. These findings will make it possible to ascertain the origin of the materials used to produce this pigment, which survives both time and chemical and environmental elements. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420085049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415162649.htm The discovery of a remarkably well-preserved monumental temple in Turkey -- thought to be constructed during the time of King Solomon in the 10th/9th-centuries BCE -- sheds light on the so-called Dark Age. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415162649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309223456.htm Ancient garbage can be like gold to archaeologists. During excavation of an 800-year-old trash dump in Lyon, France, scientists discovered the archaeological equivalent of golden shoe soles: A trove of leather soles of shoes, which is helping scientists understand how leather stays preserved in wet, oxygen-free environments. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309223456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316093629.htm A new dating method finally is allowing archaeologists to incorporate rock paintings -- some of the most mysterious and personalized remnants of ancient cultures -- into the tapestry of evidence used to study life in prehistoric times.  Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316093629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224133206.htm Roman artifacts which are nearly two thousand years old with similarities to ancient remains found at Pompeii in Italy have been examined at the Science and Technology Facilities Council's ISIS neutron source. Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224133206.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225132355.htm More than 80 stone implements were discovered together in Boulder city limits by landscapers. A biochemical analysis of a rare Clovis-era stone tool cache recently unearthed in the city limits of Boulder, Colo., indicates some of the implements were used to butcher ice-age camels and horses that roamed North America until their extinction about 13,000 years ago, according to a new study. Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225132355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203173651.htm The first field season is now over at the hut village of the workmen who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. However, the archaeologists working on the excavation have found that they still have a great deal to do. The sun, the wind and tourists have left their mark on the village, originally discovered by Bernard Bruyère in 1935. Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203173651.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127160712.htm A bust made of marble depicting a miniature image of a bearded man's head was discovered in excavations in the Walls around Jerusalem National Park. The figurine was used as a suspended weight together with a balance scale. This is probably the only find of its kind from excavations in the country. Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127160712.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202175200.htm New excavation evidence indicates that Zeus' worship was established on Mt. Lykaion as early as the Late Helladic period, if not before, more than 3,200 years ago. Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202175200.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127161357.htm One thousand three hundred year old Chanukah money in Jerusalem: a hoard of more than 250 gold coins was exposed December 11 in excavations in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park. "This is one of the largest and most impressive coin hoards ever discovered in Jerusalem -- certainly the largest and most important of its period," archaeologists said. Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127161357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090116091521.htm A researcher has developed a solution that makes it possible to establish the temporal relationships between artefacts within archaeological complexes. He has linked the lifestyle and behavior of the Neanderthals of the Mid Palaeolithic with archaeological remains deposited over the period. This is the best way of understanding the history of stones. Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090116091521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114210910.htm In a macabre discovery fit for Indiana Jones, archaeologists in Spain unearthed a 14th century brick oven with a unique role -- to bake bones. Scientists report that the animal bones were burnt in the oven and mixed with other materials to produce a protective coating to strengthen the grand medieval walls of what is today Granada, Spain. Scientists now describe how they found these materials thanks to a powerful new testing method. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114210910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114075921.htm A researcher has identified what looks to be the oldest archeological evidence for chemical warfare -- from Roman times. Persians appear to have routed Romans with poison gas. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114075921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090112093513.htm A 2000-year-old painted statue is being restored to her original glory by scientists with a conservation project. Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090112093513.htm