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explorator 26.16 August 6, 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, Andrew Szegedy-Maszak,
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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A 300 000 years bp jawbone from China is triggering talk of a possible third human species:

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-china-human-lineage.html
https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/05/remains-china-third-human-lineage/
https://www.iflscience.com/300000-year-old-hybrid-jawbone-discovered-with-ancient-and-modern-human-characteristics-70091

cf: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047248423000908

More on the Hula Valley flint source finds:

https://archaeonewsnet.com/2023/07/unearthing-ancient-intelligence.html

More on evidence of 300 000 years bp woodworking skills by early humans:

https://archaeonewsnet.com/2023/07/early-humans-were-weapon-woodwork-experts-study-finds.html

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AFRICA
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Evidence of the first (17th century) English slave fort (Fort Kormantine) on Ghana's coast:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66359512
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11623-230802-ghana-fort-kormantine
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ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
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A 2300 years bp shipwreck (looks Greek) off the shore of Alamein:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/photos-archaeologists-discover-remains-of-2300-old-sunken-ship-in-alamein/
https://www.gulf-times.com/article/665905/region/shipwreck-from-3rd-century-bc-discovered-northwest-of-egypt
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2023/08/06/remains-of-ancient-merchant-ship-discovered-in-mediterranean-waters-near-el-alamein/

More on the 100+ Roman burials at a site in Gaza:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roman-era-cemetery-tombs-gaza-180982634/

More on the xray/chemical analysis of some Egyptian funerary paintings:

https://archaeonewsnet.com/2023/07/secrets-of-egyptian-painters-revealed-by-chemistry.html
https://the-past.com/news/painting-secrets-revealed/

More on the pair of mummification workshops recently revealed at Saqqara:

https://the-past.com/news/mummy-workshops/

Feature on ancient Greek settlements in Egypt:

https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/02/settlements-ancient-greeks-egypt/

Feature on Abu Simbel:

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/nightlife/abu-simbel-rediscovered/102695422

Egypt has a large budget for the restoration of antiquities:

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2348536/middle-east
https://cairoscene.com/Buzz/EGP-30-Billion-Set-as-Budget-for-Restoration-of-Egyptian-Antiquities

Zahi Hawass is suggesting Egypt 'invest in' Egyptian antiquities found in Saudi Arabia:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/hawass-suggests-investing-in-egyptian-antiquities-discovered-in-saudi-arabia/

Evidence of a Parthian administrative center in northeast Iran:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/487384/Archaeologists-hail-find-of-Parthian-administrative-center-in

Feature on changes to the writing systems of various cultures in the Ancient Near East:

https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2023/08/before-and-after-babel

Review of Emily H Wilson, *Inanna*:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/05/somehow-i-failed-to-clock-her-magnificence-was-the-worlds-first-literary-hero-a-woman

Statue heads of Aphrodite and Dionysus from Aizanoi (not sure of the date of this find):

https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/01/statuary-aphrodite-dionysus-unearthed-ancient-greek-city/
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/greek-gods-sculptures-heads-found-aizanoi-turkey-1234676114/

Feature on the renovation (not sure what that word implies) of the ancient synagoge at Sardis/Sart:

https://arkeonews.net/women-with-sart-renovate-largest-synagogue-of-ancient-world/

A 'chapel' of uncertain date from Istanbul's Bagcilar district:

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/historical-chapel-discovered-in-istanbul-185245
https://arkeonews.net/a-mysterious-chapel-discovered-in-istanbul-bagcilar/

More on the dig (various periods) at Zerzevan Castle (some dating issues in the headline):

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/30/1190970450/an-archeological-dig-in-turkey-has-uncovered-artifacts-dating-back-1-000-years

Restoration of the 2000 years bp King's Daughter Roman bath in Turkiye is almost complete:

https://arkeonews.net/restoration-of-turkiyes-2000-year-old-kings-daughter-roman-bath-nears-completion/

An ornate Neolithic necklace from a child's grave in Jordan:

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-neolithic-necklace-child-grave-reveals.html
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-753603
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/world/neolithic-necklace-reconstruction-scn/index.html
https://www.sciencealert.com/spectacular-9000-year-old-necklace-reconstructed-from-ancient-childs-grave
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/child-necklace-ancient-farmer-social
https://www.science.org/content/article/ancient-child-s-necklace-sheds-light-how-early-farmers-buried-their-dead
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/a-stone-age-village-buried-a-mysterious-girl-with-fine-jewelry-befitting
https://arkeonews.net/a-neolithic-ornate-necklace-with-over-2500-stones-found-in-a-childs-grave/
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/67962
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/08/necklace-found-in-neolithic-grave-reveals-complex-ancient-culture/148156
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11626-230803-jordan-neolithic-necklace

cf: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0288075

Feature on Clare Rasmussen's work studying Roman water distribution practices in Jordan:

http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/american-archaeologist-looks-roman-water-distribution-practices%C2%A0

A 2500 years bp marble disc (with anti-evil-eye properties, apparently) at a beach near the Yavne-Yam site:

https://arkeonews.net/a-rare-2500-year-old-marble-disc-designed-to-protect-ancient-ships-and-ward-off-the-evil-eye-discovered-near-palmachim-beach/

A Roman military amphitheatre find near Tell Megiddo:

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-08-01/ty-article-magazine/archaeologists-find-roman-military-amphitheater-in-israel-with-blood-red-walls/00000189-afdb-db2e-adfd-affb274e0000

A 1500 years bp 'magic mirror' piece from the Usha archaeological site:

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-753505
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-08-03/ty-article/israeli-high-schooler-on-day-dig-finds-mirror-plaque-against-demons/00000189-bab8-d821-afdd-bbbc9eeb0000
https://www.jns.org/archeology/archaeology/23/8/3/307593/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/375048
https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/08/06/student-discovers-ancient-magical-mirror-during-excavations-in-north/
https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/sjbk8adjh
https://www.jewishpress.com/news/archaeology-news/girl-discovers-ancient-sorcery-mirror-in-northern-israel/2023/08/03/

More on the find of remains of a building burned during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem:

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-753210
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385449-ancient-babylonian-arson-in-jerusalem-revealed-by-chemical-clues/

More on the latest Huqoq mosaic finds:

https://phys.org/news/2023-07-archaeological-galilee-uncovers-mosaics-samson.html
https://aleteia.org/2023/07/31/archaeological-dig-in-galilee-uncovers-late-roman-mosaics-of-samson/

More on the 'Rebellion coin' find made just in time for Tisha B'Av:

https://arkeonews.net/researchers-find-evidence-of-the-destruction-of-the-second-temple-at-the-hands-of-roman-soldiers/

More on that 900 years bp Crusader sword find from the sea off Israel:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/crusader-sword-found-in-holy-land-was-bent-possibly-in-naval-battle-x-rays-reveal
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/x-rays-reveal-secrets-of-perfectly-preserved-900-year-old-crusader-sword/
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11628-230804-israel-crusader-sword

Study of gemstones found in the Arabian-Nubian Shield to reveal ancient trade routes:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230801131633.htm
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-753658
https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/earth-sciences/tracing-the-origin-of-ancient-gems/
https://www.newswise.com/articles/using-gemstones-unique-characteristics-to-uncover-ancient-trade-routes/?sc=c52
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2023/08/01/gemstones-offer-a-window-on-egyptian-and-saudi-history/

Feature on Jay Rogosin's work in the Old City:

https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/sk9z2dwsh

Another incident of Israeli forces 'raiding' the archaeological site of Sebastia: