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explorator 26.12 July 9, 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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300 000 years bp 'giant' handaxes from a site in Kent:

https://phys.org/news/2023-07-giant-stone-artifacts-rare-ice.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/994554
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230706002155.htm
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/06/giant-handaxes-unearthed-kent
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-66112136
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/ice-age-kent-britain-medway-thames-b2370341.html
https://www.newsweek.com/archaeologists-find-ice-age-axe-large-neanderthals-history-1811261
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/archaeologists-find-ice-age-axes-that-were-too-large-to-wield-wjjqr72st
https://greekreporter.com/2023/07/07/ice-age-axe/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5y5n7/archaeologists-keep-unearthing-mysterious-giant-prehistoric-hand-tools
https://www.sci.news/archaeology/giant-acheulean-handaxes-12068.html
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/67712
https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-axes-discovered-from-the-ice-age-but-why-are-they-so-huge
https://arkeonews.net/giant-handaxe-discovered-at-ice-age-site-in-kent-uk/
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/07/300000-year-old-giant-prehistoric-handaxes-found-in-kent/147948

More on humans grinding grains in Italy some 43 000 years bp:

https://phys.org/news/2023-06-evidence-food-italy-neanderthal-to-homo-sapiens.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/07/06/the-old-grind-just-got-a-little-older/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11568-230630-italy-food-grindingearly

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AFRICA
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Concerns for petroglyphs in Libya's Acacus Mountains:

https://www.newarab.com/features/prehistoric-civilisation-libya-verge-extinction

Feature on Aksum:

https://www.archaeology.org/issues/515-2307/features/11500-aksum-ethiopia-eritrea-kingdom
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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
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A sort of overview of this year's archaeological activity in Egypt:

https://www.mutualart.com/Article/Egyptian-Archaeology--Repatriations--Ren/F2E947CBA9449363

An interview with Zahi Hawas on various matters:

https://www.thecollector.com/interview-dr-zahi-hawas/

.... and comments on the recent auction of a stuatue of Pamiu:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/zahi-hawass-comments-on-auctioning-statue-of-pamiu-at-sothebys/

A survey has identified 91 Palaeolithic sites in eastern Iran::

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/486526/91-Paleolithic-sites-discovered-in-eastern-Iran

Evidence of a large Chalcolithic/Bronze Age smetling operation in the Shahdad region of Iran:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/486405/Archaeologists-find-clues-about-prehistorical-smelting-workshops

A French and Iranian group is resuming their survey of Viranshahr:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/486406/Iranian-French-archaeologists-commence-follow-up-survey-in-northeast

An early-Islamic petroglyph of the name of Allah from Fars:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/486434/Petroglyph-bearing-name-Allah-discovered-in-Fars

Review of Matt Waters, *King of the World: The Life of Cyrus the Great*:

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n14/josephine-quinn/drowned-in-a-bowl-of-blood

Burials dating to the 1st-4th centuries CE from Batken (Azerbaijan I think):

https://www.azernews.az/region/211844.html

Researchers in Turkiye are looking for the site of the Battle of Manzikert (1071):

https://www.dailysabah.com/life/history/archaeologists-on-quest-to-find-1071-battlefield-of-manzikert

A new season of excavations is underway at Aizanoi:

https://www.dailysabah.com/life/history/new-season-of-archaeological-excavations-begin-in-ancient-aizanoi

Overview of this year's finds (including evidence of an earthquake) at the Lagina Hekate sanctuary in Mugla:

https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/ancient-quake-traces-unveiled-at-3000-yr-old-historic-turkiye-site/news

They have found more (Byzantine) statuary in the remains of St Polyeuktos church in Istanbul:

https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/turkey-istanbul-byzantine-statues-found-centuries-old

Shipwrecks from various periods located in Izmir Bay:

https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/turkish-university-discovers-sunken-ships-in-izmir-bay/news

Turkiye plans to have 750 projects/excavations underway by the end of the year:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-plans-750-archaeological-excavation-research-projects-by-years-end/2940511
https://www.bernama.com/en/world/news.php?id=2204773

A Jordanian researcher gave an overview of the research potential of the Iron Age Tell Al Rumayth site:

http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordanian-scholar-outlines-research-potential-tell-al-rumayth-archaeological-site-near

An overview of the results of excavations at Tel Burna:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/defending-against-sennacherib/?mqsc=E4153265&dk=ZE3270ZF0

I think we mentioned this 3500 years bp scarab found by an Israeli first-grader:

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/israeli-first-grader-finds-egyptian-amulet-school-trip-2325238

More on 2500 years bp burials of dozens of women at a tomb in the Negev:

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-749249
https://greekreporter.com/2023/07/08/skeletons-unearthed-negev-desert-israel/
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/dozens-of-2500-year-old-skeletons-unearthed-at-ancient-crossroads-in-negev-desert

Study suggests the City of David might not be where it is currently believed to be:

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/07/06/problem-where-ancient-jerusalem/

An overview/update on excavations at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem:

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Jerusalem%3A-How-the-Sepulcher-of-Jesus-was-visited-in-the-4th-century-58756.html

More on Yossi Garfinkel's claims about David's kingdom (and scholarly reaction):

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-07-04/ty-article-magazine/israeli-archaeologist-claims-he-has-found-davids-kingdom-but-fellow-researchers-cry-foul/00000189-2015-d145-a1e9-3377458a0000

Feature on the use of ArchCUT3-D to study petroglyph engravings at Timna:

https://phys.org/news/2023-07-ancient-engravings-unveil-intriguing-insights.html
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-748551
https://archaeonewsnet.com/2023/07/ancient-rock-engravings-unveil-intriguing-insights-into-human-cultures.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/07/04/ancient-rock-engravings-unveil-intriguing-insights-into-human-cultures/

Feature on a current project to use muon detection to shed light on what's underground in the City of David:

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-07-02/ty-article/israeli-archaeologists-enlist-cosmic-rays-to-unveil-underground-secrets-of-jerusalem/00000189-066b-debd-a7ad-876ba4980000

Feature on Megiddo:

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0fy8c7v/armageddon-the-ancient-city-behind-the-biblical-story

Aren Maeir reflects on Indiana Jones and the past four decades of archaeology:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-matters-now-to-archaeologist-aren-maeir-indiana-joness-new-adventure/

-----
This Week in the Ancient Near East Podcast:

https://thisweekintheancientneareast.podbean.com/

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ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
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The gateway to Ullastret has been located in the middle of a dried up lake in Spain:

https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-city-gateway-found-spain-1811359

Overview of the 2023 excavation season at the Erimi Pitharka site in Cyprus (Bronze Age?):

https://archaeonewsnet.com/2023/07/2023-fieldwork-season-at-erimi-pitharka-site-in-cyprus-completed.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/07/05/2023-erimi-pitharka-excavations-completed/

An Augustan-era (probably) marble head of Venus (probably) from the Piazza Augusto Imperatore:

https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/07/08/italian-marble-head-of-aphrodite/
https://greekreporter.com/2023/07/08/greek-goddess-aphrodite-rome/
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/marble-head-unearthed-during-works-in-rome-piazza/
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/marble-head-rome-scli-intl/index.html
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/07/ornate-marble-head-found-in-romes-piazza-augusto-imperatore/147968

Roman burials and remains of an aqueduct from Belgrade:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/roman-aqueduct-and-luxurious-burials-unearthed-during-construction-of-underground-parking-garage-in-serbia
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/67691