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explorator 26.20-21 September 10, 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, Virginia A. Wulfkuhle,
Richard Miller, Kris Curry, Rick Heli, Richard C. Griffiths, Frank MacKay, John Keller,
Don Buck, mata kimasitayo, and Ross W. Sargent for headses upses this week
(as always hoping I have left no one out).

.... a few more items to catch up with next week!
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EARLY HOMINIDS
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A study of Ubeidiya spheroids (1.4 million years bp):

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-limestone-spheroids-ubeidiya-intentional-imposition.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1000441
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/sep/06/early-human-ancestors-turned-stones-into-spheres-on-purpose-study-suggests
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-experts-cast-light-on-mysterious-orbs-carved-by-humans-1-4-million-years-ago/
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-757748
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230906-early-humans-deliberately-made-mysterious-stone-spheroids
https://arkeonews.net/early-humans-appreciated-geometry-and-symmetry-and-were-intentionally-crafting-spherical-shapes-1-4-million-years-ago-according-to-a-new-study/
https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-stones-may-represent-an-ancient-quest-for-the-perfect-sphere
https://www.science.org/content/article/were-these-stone-balls-made-ancient-human-relatives-trying-perfect-sphere
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390655-mysterious-ancient-stones-were-deliberately-made-into-spheres/

Suggestion (controversial) that humans almost went extinct some 930 000 years bp (based on DNA models):

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/999723
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/august/human-ancestors-may-have-almost-died-out-ancient-population-crash.html
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/31/population-collapse-almost-wiped-out-human-ancestors-say-scientists
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-ancestors-extinction-doom-almost-b2403157.html
https://www.popsci.com/science/human-population-pleistocene/
https://www.ft.com/content/af73c088-7ba9-4def-b2ef-bda93ae8e360
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/science/human-survival-bottleneck.html
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/human-ancestors-homo-sapiens-extinct-scientists-find-mgs9fp2pl
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-ancestors-nearly-went-extinct-900-000-years-ago/
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390124-our-ancestors-may-have-come-close-to-extinction-900000-years-ago/
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02712-4

A study of early humans eating elephants in Israel some 400 000 years bp:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-humans-in-israel-once-ate-elephants-when-they-disappeared-weapons-improved/

A study of the evolution of hunting weapons:

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-small-prey-compelled-prehistoric-humans.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/09/08/extinction-of-large-prey-drove-evolutionary-changes-in-prehistoric-humans/

Rethinking that Neanderthal 'flower burial':

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/famous-neanderthal-flower-burial-debunked-because-pollen-was-left-by-burrowing-bees
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/28/study-casts-doubt-on-neanderthal-flower-burial-theory
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/06/world/neanderthal-burial-flower-pollen-scn/index.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2023/08/29/neanderthal-burial-with-flowers-likely-the-result-of-animal-activity-new-study-finds/
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/09/06/neanderthals-did-not-bury-dead-with-flowers/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/11723-230905-flower-burial-pollen

How ancient bee burrows expanded our knowledge of Neanderthals:

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-ancient-bee-burrows-neanderthals.html

Evidence of Neanderthal transformation of forest into grassland some 125 000 years bp:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/neandertals-first-hominid-modify-environment-forest-grassland

Possible evidence that humans were wearing shoes some 100 000 years bp:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389497-ancient-humans-may-have-worn-shoes-more-than-100000-years-ago/

Features on homo floresiensis:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/02/asia/homo-floresiensis-hobbit-discovery-anniversary-scn/index.html
https://www.thecollector.com/homo-floresiensis-what-do-we-know-hobbit-people/
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934540-900-the-untold-story-of-the-curiously-controversial-homo-floresiensis-dig/

Feature on homo erectus:

https://www.thecollector.com/homo-erectus-most-successful-humans/
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AFRICA
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Evidence of a Mesolithic ochre culture at Porc-Epic Cave (Ethiopia):

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-39957-y

Hyping an upcoming dig by Polish archaeologists at Ptolemais:

https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/09/07/university-of-warsaw-archaeologists-return-to-ancient-ptolemais/

The earthquake in Morocco has damaged several heritage sites:

https://apnews.com/article/morocco-earthquake-marraskesh-7f4a503009dede0dec0208c08d6b100b
https://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/1454/reader/reader.html?#!preferred/0/package/1454/pub/1454/page/45/article/NaN
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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
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Latest 'scent recreation' is an Egyptian mummification balm:

https://theconversation.com/what-would-an-ancient-egyptian-corpse-have-smelled-like-pine-balsam-and-bitumen-if-you-were-nobility-212504
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-unbottling-scent-afterlife-ancient-egyptian.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-ancient-egyptian-corpse-balsam-bitumen.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230831121651.htm
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/999374
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/elite-ancient-egyptian-woman-was-embalmed-with-exotic-ingredients-smelling-of-vanilla-and-larch-new-analysis-reveals
https://www.egyptindependent.com/the-scent-of-eternity-scientists-recreate-ancient-egyptian-perfume-used-during-mummification/
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-08-31/ty-article-magazine/burial-jars-of-pharaohs-wet-nurse-reveal-secrets-of-ancient-egyptian-mummification/0000018a-45d1-dbb1-a1ff-45dd9c190000
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/31/world/ancient-egypt-balm-scent-scn/index.html
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/egypt/2023/08/31/egypt-archeology-mummification-jars/
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/09/scent-of-the-afterlife-scientists-recreate-recipe-for-egyptian-mummification-balm/
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/09/04/the-scent-of-the-afterlife-unbottled-in-new-study-of-mummification-balms/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/11725-230906-egypt-mummification-recipes

cf: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-39393-y

A wooden ceiling installed at the Temple of Karnak is drawing criticism:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/wooden-ceiling-installed-on-karnak-temple-draws-criticism/

Feature on the Egyptian concept of the 'otherworld':

https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2023/08/egyptian-conceptualization-otherworld

Concerns about recent demolition of historic sites in Cairo:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/26/world/middleeast/egypt-cairo-city-construction-demolition.html
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/507477.aspx

cf: https://www.egyptindependent.com/authorities-deny-demolishing-tomb-of-poet-ahmed-shawqi/
https://www.egyptindependent.com/govt-denies-plans-to-demolish-historic-minaret-of-qusun-mosque/

Feature on Sennacherib's prisms:

http://www.aina.org/news/20230904113551.htm

More on extraction of DNA from a 2900 years bp clay brick from Kalhu:

https://arkeonews.net/researchers-extract-ancient-dna-from-a-2900-year-old-clay-brick/
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/09/04/researchers-extract-ancient-dna-from-a-2900-year-old-clay-brick/

Paleolithic finds from northern Iran:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/488554/Paleolithic-objects-discovered-in-cave-northern-Iran

A Parthian monument of some sort from Viranshahr:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/488856/Archaeologists-discover-Parthian-monument-in-northeast-Iran

The authenticity of a recently-returned relief confirms it dates to Sassanid times:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/488550/Relief-of-bearded-man-recovered-from-the-UK-passes-microscopic

Remains of an 8200 years bp water channel near Izmir:

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/8-200-year-old-water-channel-discovered-in-izmir-185763
https://arkeonews.net/one-of-the-earliest-water-channels-in-history-dating-back-8200-years-was-discovered-in-western-turkiye/

3700 years bp burials of two individuals with some preserved skin and brain tissue from Tavsanli Hoyuk:

https://www.newsweek.com/archaeologists-discover-brain-remnants-people-lived-3700-years-ago-1825076
https://www.dailysabah.com/life/history/brain-skin-remnants-discovered-at-bronze-age-settlement-in-turkiye
https://arkeonews.net/3700-years-old-brain-and-skin-remnants-discovered-at-bronze-age-settlement-in-western-turkiye/
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68192