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explorator 26.18 August 20, 2023
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You can read explorator online at:

https://exploratornews.wordpress.com/

Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Edward Rockstein, Kurt Theis,
John McMahon, Barnea Selavan, Joseph Lauer, Mike Ruggeri, Hernan Astudillo,
Richard Campbell, Barbara Saylor Rodgers, Bob Heuman, David Critchley,
Richard Miller, Kris Curry, Rick Heli, Richard C. Griffiths, Frank MacKay,
Don Buck, mata kimasitayo, and Ross W. Sargent for headses upses this week
(as always hoping I have left no one out).

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EARLY HOMINIDS
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More on homo erectus 'leaving' Europe because of the cold some 1.1 million years bp:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/europes-1st-humans-were-likely-wiped-out-by-a-sudden-freeze-11-million-years-ago
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66331558
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11679-230814-europe-ocean-sediments

More on ice age cycles and early human interbreeding:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230814122355.htm
https://archaeonewsnet.com/2023/08/a-climate-orchestrated-early-human-love-story.html

More on the Neanderthal petroglyphs at La Roche-Cotard:

https://arkeonews.net/the-oldest-known-neanderthal-engravings-were-discovered-in-a-french-cave/

More on the unusual 300 000 years bp skull from China:

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-754588
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AFRICA
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A study of the 16th century sugar plantation estate (slave-based labour) on Sao Tome island:

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-plantation-revealed.html
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/plantation-slavery-was-invented-on-this-tiny-african-island-according-to-archaeologists
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/08/archaeologists-uncover-the-material-culture-of-slavery-on-sao-tome-island/148248
http://www.archaeology.org/news/11690-230818-slavery-sugar-plantation
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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
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Restoration work is underway at the Sariyat Al-Gabal Mosque in Cairo:

https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1207/506661/AlAhram-Weekly/Heritage/Restoration-of-the-Sariyat-AlGabal-Mosque.aspx

Feature on animals in ancient Egypt:

https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1207/506664/AlAhram-Weekly/Heritage/Animals-in-ancient-Egypt.aspx

More on the Greek shipwreck find near El Alamein:

https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/egypt/2023/08/15/how-engineer-and-his-sons-found-ancient-greek-ship-on-egypts-north-coast/

Excavations are underway at Ahvaz (Iran) where urn-like tombs were discovered last year during an oil drilling project:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/487915/Archaeologists-start-new-dig-at-site-previously-yielded-urn-like

Feature on a talk by Erkan Konyar on Urartian settlements in northwestern Iran:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/488049/Turkish-archaeologist-highlights-Urartian-settlements-in-northwest

Feature on scribal education in ancient Mesopotamia:

https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/education/schoolboy-where-are-you-going

A 3800 years bp cuneiform tablet from Turkiye's Accana tumulus:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/culture/3-800-year-old-cuneiform-clay-tablet-unearthed-in-ancient-tumulus-in-southern-turkiye/2965848
http://www.archaeology.org/news/11682-230815-turkey-cuneiform-tablet

A 13th century BCE palatial structure from the Tepecik mound in Aydin:

https://arkeonews.net/in-the-excavations-at-tepecik-mound-in-aydin-turkiye-a-palace-like-structure-dating-back-to-the-13th-century-bce-was-discovered/

A 2300 years bp lead weight from a nymphaeum excavation in Assos:

https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/largest-roman-griffin-weight-unearthed-in-turkiyes-assos/news

A 2300 years bp statue of Hecate (and other items) from Kelenderis in Mersin:

https://arkeonews.net/the-three-headed-statue-of-goddess-hecate-discovered-in-turkeys-mersin/

Brief overview of some recent finds from the excavations in Olba (2nd century CE frieze fragments):

https://arkeonews.net/unique-finds-unearthed-in-the-ancient-city-of-olba-in-southern-turkiye/

In the wake of the earthquakes that affected Hatay a few months ago, some 550 artifacts have been retrieved from the debris:

https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/excavation-efforts-yield-550-artifacts-in-turkiyes-quake-hit-hatay/news

Feature on the Machareus fortress site:

https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/archaeologist-delves-past-machaerus-hilltop-fortress%C2%A0%C2%A0

More on the Neolithic child burial featuring an ornate necklace from Jordan:

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-08-13/ty-article-magazine/child-buried-in-neolithic-jordan-with-stunning-jewelry-archaeologists-deduce/00000189-edfd-d1f1-a5df-edfd439a0000

A 5500 years bp city gate find at Tel Erani:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/discovery-of-israels-oldest-gate-resets-clock-on-local-urbanization-by-centuries/
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-08-15/ty-article/archaeologists-unearth-earliest-monumental-city-gate-in-israel-from-5-500-years-ago/00000189-f837-de6e-a1ff-faff96060000
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-754789
https://www.jns.org/archeology/archaeology/23/8/15/310784/
https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/08/15/israels-oldest-gate-offers-glimpse-into-ancient-urbanization/
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/archeology/1692089834-archaeologists-uncover-oldest-known-gate-in-israel-moving-back-clock-on-urbanization
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/oldest-city-gate-tel-erani-israel-1234677071/
https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/16/ancient-gate-holy-land-israel/
https://arkeonews.net/5500-year-old-city-gate-unearthed-in-israel-the-earliest-known-in-the-land-of-israel/
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/canaans-earliest-city-gate/
https://www.sci.news/archaeology/tell-erani-city-gate-12193.html
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/08/5500-year-old-gate-found-at-tell-erani/148278
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11685-230815-israel-city-gate

A 4000 years bp vaulted arch in an 'enigmatic' structure being excavated at Tel Shimron:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-northern-israel-massive-3800-year-old-monument-stuns-and-stumps-archaeologists/
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-08-17/ty-article/archaeologists-find-perplexing-4-000-year-old-canaanite-arch-in-northern-israel/00000189-fcfa-d9d1-a79b-fffbab460000
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-755083
https://www.jns.org/israel-news/archaeology/23/8/17/311400/

An arch of a Roman aqueduct in Caesarea collapsed:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/arch-of-famous-caesarea-aqueduct-collapses-official-we-repeatedly-sounded-alarm/
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-08-20/ty-article/.premium/an-ancient-section-of-one-of-israels-leading-tourist-attraction-collapses-after-warnings/0000018a-0f65-d8f3-af9f-fff7f7660000
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-755292
https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/rkxrpl63n
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/375768

Controversy arising over Israel's plans to remove a Christian mosaic at Megiddo and lend it to the Museum of the Bible:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-may-uproot-ancient-christian-mosaic-send-it-to-us-evangelical-museum/
https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/h1kywb52n
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-755006
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-12407835/Israel-uproot-ancient-Christian-mosaic-near-Armageddon-Where-sparks-outcry.html
https://apnews.com/article/jesus-bible-armageddon-israel-museum-mosaic-christian-2b3a1806e238e995d51d11a8acbf2935
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-megiddo-mosaic-outcry/
https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/israel-may-uproot-ancient-christian-mosaic-near-18296240.php
https://english.elpais.com/usa/2023-08-15/israel-may-uproot-ancient-christian-mosaic-near-armageddon-where-it-could-go-next-sparks-outcry.html
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-08-15/israel-may-uproot-ancient-christian-mosaic-armageddon
https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/08/16/controversy-surrounds-ancient-christian-mosaic-should-it-be-loaned-to-us-museum/
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ancient-christian-mosaic-sparks-outcry-185505
https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/tensions-rise-over-proposal-to-loan-ancient-jesus-mosaic-to-us-museum/news
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/ancient-christian-mosaic-may-be-loaned-to-museum-of-the-bible-causing-concern-for-archaeologists-1234677242/

Feature on the mosaics in the Ma-on synagogue:

https://allisrael.com/ancient-ma-on-synagogue-in-israel-s-southern-negev

More on that 'magic mirror' find:

https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/18/byzantine-exorcism-mirror-israel/
https://aleteia.org/2023/08/18/byzantine-exorcism-mirror-discovered-in-archaeological-dig-in-israel/

OpEd on Israel's use of archaeology to justify occupation of Palestine:

https://www.dailysabah.com/world/mid-east/israel-exploits-archaeology-to-legitimize-occupation-of-palestine
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-uses-archaeology-to-legitimize-occupation-of-palestine-says-scholar/2969072