Weekly Roundup of Archaeology, History and Historical Fiction April 29-May 5

Here are some posts I enjoyed this week:

If you are intrigued by archaeology, the real stuff, you’ll enjoy this modest video of recent discoveries, with some twists and unexpected turns at the Idalion site in Cyprus. Pamela Gaber shows how radically small discoveries can alter the interpretation of a site. She and her crew are interpreting platforms, altars, ash pits and figurines to reconstruct as fully as we can the religious practices that seem to have been observed at this site more or less continuously across periods from Late Bronze age, 12^th C BCE to Roman. She draws comparisons to other sites in Israel and elsewhere on Cyprus to contextualize what she has found at her site. The video is clear and will make sense to anyone whether you know anything about archaeology or not. It does give a sharp sense of the realities of archaeology, limitations and excitement both. It’s about 20 mins. A good companion to a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Click here for ASOR’s youtube chanel “The 2015 Season of the Lycoming College Expedition to Idalion, Cyprus”

A recently uncovered tomb near Luxor, Egypt had lots of mummies and coffins in it, apparently because some official stashed them there for safe keeping during a period of high tomb robbing. The location was a smart choice since it doesn’t look like anyone found it to rob. The 3,500 year old tomb belonged to a nobleman named Userhat, but he gained some company later on. The painted wooden sarcophagi are lovely. Click here for Archaeology News Network “Mummies discovered in ancient tomb near Egypt’s Luxor”

Recent spate of Roman finds in north England indicate much earlier and more sophisticated industrial and administrative Roman activities than previously thought. The finds and the conclusions drawn from them are fun: lots of keys, so people had valuables to lock up, inkpots and styli in such high numbers that many people must have been literate, an amber carving of man in toga imported from Italy that is a very high value treasure which indicates officials of power and wealth, high number of high quality shoes and we all know only fancy people have fancy shoes, and the furthest northern Roman coin production facility ever found, so apparently an early version of Wall Street way in the wilds of northern Britannia. Looks like Roman Britain is getting a mild reinterpretation all caused by the building of a new highway, which has uncovered the finds. We’ll have to hope they aren’t rushing the archaeologists too much as they push to get the road built, but that’s far too much to hope for. Click here for Archaeology News Network “New discoveries shed light on Romans in northern England”

Mycenaean rock cut chamber tomb with grave goods found on Salamina, an island just off the coast from Athens. Pottery, figurines and skeletal remains will add to the understanding of Mycenaean life. The find is close to a previously excavated Mycenaean cemetery and is assumed to be part of that. Excavation is complicated by underground springs that flood the tombs. Some tricky engineering is required. The tomb was found during a project to connect a house to the city sewage system. Click here for Archaeology News Network “Mycenaean chamber tomb with grave offerings found on Greek island of Salamis”