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explorator 26.28 October 29, 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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Neanderthal stone tools from Poland's Moravian Gate area:

https://scienceinpoland.pl/en/news/news%2C98539%2Cneanderthal-stone-tools-discovered-raciborz.html
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11862-231026-poland-neanderthal-tools

Evidence of shoes (flip flops?) being used in the Mesolithic:

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-earliest-evidence-flip-flops-middle.html

Study suggests early hominids might have had a cannibalistic side 1.45 million years bp:

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/ancient-human-cannibalism/

Study suggests Neanderthals knew how to start a fire and regularly used it:

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-10-22/ty-article/neanderthals-in-spain-started-the-fire-researchers-deduce/0000018b-57c2-d2b2-addf-77fa1d650000

Study suggests part of the Neanderthal genome came from an extinct lineage of modern humans:

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/neanderthals-carried-genes-acquired-ancient-interactions-cousins-modern-humans
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-neanderthals-inherited-genome-now-extinct-lineage.html
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11848-231019-neanderthals-extinct-humans

.... another paper in a similar vein it seems:

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-encounter-neanderthals-homo-sapiens-told.html

Mone on Neanderthal/sapiens interbreeding:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/humans-and-neanderthals-mated-250000-years-ago-much-earlier-than-thought

Suggestion that Neanderthals were a 'different human form' rather than a separate species:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/neanderthals-different-human-form-not-species-b2434280.html

Study of when the first modern humans reached Europe (60 000 years bp?):

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-modern-humans-europe.html
https://archaeonewsnet.com/who-were-the-first-modern-humans-to-settle-in-europe/
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/first-modern-humans-in-europe-are-associated-with-the-gravettian-culture/148967
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AFRICA
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More on the chi-rho tattoo found on a medieval body excavated in Sudan:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/christ-tattoo-discovered-on-1300-year-old-body-in-sudan
https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/10/23/a-rare-medieval-christogram-tattoo-from-ghazali-sudan-reveals-greek-letters/
https://arkeonews.net/a-rare-medieval-christogram-tattoo-from-ghazali-sudan/
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/rare-christogram-tattoo-found-in-nubian-burial/148957
https://archaeonewsnet.com/a-rare-medieval-tattoo-from-ghazali-sudan/
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/10/24/a-rare-medieval-tattoo-from-ghazali-sudan/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11854-231023-sudan-medieval-tattoo

A study of South African pots (137 CE - 1643 CE) sheds light on herders' diets:

https://theconversation.com/ancient-pots-hold-clues-about-how-diverse-diets-helped-herders-thrive-in-southern-africa-211462
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ancient-pots-clues-diverse-diets.html
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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
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Brief item on the find of a pair of tombs from the Valley of the Kings (date?):

https://see.news/hawass-2-new-tombs-discovered-in-luxor

A genetic study of mummified baboons from Egypt suggests inter alia the regions of Punt and Andulis may have been the same place but at different times:

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-exploring-history-baboons-early-egypt.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231024110554.htm
https://archaeonewsnet.com/examining-the-geographic-origin-of-mummified-baboons-in-ancient-egypt/
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/genetic-analysis-of-baboons-provides-evidence-that-ancient-punt-and-adulis-were-the-same-place/148999

More on venomous snakes in ancient Egypt:

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ancient-egypt-venomous-snakes-country.html

More on the recent finds at Tuna al-Gebel:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/ancient-egyptian-cemetery-holds-rare-book-of-the-dead-papyrus-and-mummies

More on additional rooms found in Sahura's pyramid:

https://www.sci.news/archaeology/egyptian-pharaoh-sahure-pyramid-hidden-rooms-12307.html

Feature on the Pharos of Alexandria:

https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2023/10/pharos-lighthouse-alexandria

Researchers have recreated the scent of an ancient mummified person:

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/10/23/scent-of-the-afterlife-scientists-recreate-the-fragrance-of-an-ancient-egyptian-mummy
https://www.artdependence.com/articles/scientists-recreate-the-fragrance-of-an-ancient-egyptian-mummy/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/egyptian-mummies-edible-perfumes

Folks went out to watch the sun alignment at Abu Simbel:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/video-3000-tourists-observe-sun-alignment-on-king-ramses-iis-face-at-abu-simbel/

Feature on the sarcophagus of Ramses II (currently on tour):

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/i-want-that-coffin-how-australia-secured-ancient-egyptian-treasure-20231014-p5ec78.html

Study suggests the existence of human settlements in the area of Isfahan some 5000 years bp:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/490481/Human-settlements-established-in-Isfahan-5-000-years-ago-study

Remains of a 'royal' wall/gateway associated with Cyrus the Great from southwestern Iran:

https://arkeonews.net/a-new-finding-in-persepolis-reveals-a-royal-wall/

A Sassanian funerary complex of some sort from the area to be flooded by the Chaparabad Dam:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/490571/Archaeologists-uncover-Sassanian-funerary-ruins-in-northwest

Overview of this year's excavations at Tell Muhammad (Iraq):

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/new-discoveries-at-tell-muhammad/149033

A massive 2700 years bp Lamassu sculpture (missing the head, but it's already in a museum) from near Mosul:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/490639/2-700-year-old-massive-sculpture-unearthed-in-Iraq
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/10/iraq-unveils-ancient-assyrian-lamassu-statue-nineveh-province
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231025-iraq-dig-unearths-2-700-year-old-winged-sculpture-largely-intact
https://greekreporter.com/2023/10/25/ancient-assyrian-deity-statue-iraq/
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/10/27/ive-never-unearthed-anything-this-big-in-my-life-assyrian-sculpture-with-rich-history-unearthed-in-northern-iraq
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/archaeologists-excavate-a-lamassu-at-ancient-khursbad/148982
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11863-231027-iraq-headless-lamassu

Feature on Yale's tablet with a portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh:

https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticutmagazine/history/article/yale-ancient-gilgamesh-tablet-18424498.php

A 5000 years bp 'mother goddess' figurine from Izmir's Yesilova Mound:

https://bianet.org/haber/ancient-goddess-statue-unearthed-in-izmir-286955
https://arkeonews.net/5000-years-old-mother-goddess-statuette-unearthed-in-yesilova-mound/
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68603

A pair of cuneiform inscriptions an a Urartian temple from Turkiye's Van province:

https://arkeonews.net/excavations-at-korzut-castle-unearth-2-cuneiform-inscriptions-and-a-new-urartian-susi-temple/

On the use of 'nano lime' to protect the sculptures at Nemrut:

https://arkeonews.net/nano-lime-protects-nemrut-throne-of-the-gods/

.... and a feature on Mount Nemrut:

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0gndvlg/mount-nemrut-turkey-s-mystical-stone-monoliths

Feature on some students working on the Cape Gelidonya shipwreck site:

https://news.ecu.edu/2023/10/23/oldest-shipwreck/

More on the 11 000 years bp sculptures found at Karahan Tepe:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/11000-year-old-statue-of-giant-man-clutching-penis-unearthed-in-turkey
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/prehistoric-sculptures-turkey-2374962
https://hypebeast.com/2023/10/archaeologiests-discover-ancient-sculpture-turkey-karahan-tepe
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-statue-man-holding-penis-2381399
http://www.archaeology.org/news/11855-231024-turkey-sculpture-deceased

.... and the 11 000 years bp boar sculpture from Gobekli Tepe:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/11000-year-old-boar-statue-uncovered-at-gobekli-tepe/

More on violence in the MIddle East 4500-3300 BCE:

https://archaeonewsnet.com/is-violence-a-natural-part-of-human-nature/