==========================================================explorator 26.17 August 13, 2023
===========================================================
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, Caroline Tully,
Don Buck, mata kimasitayo, and Ross W. Sargent for headses upses this week
(as always hoping I have left no one out).

.... a slow week
===========================================================EARLY HOMINIDS
===========================================================Study suggests homo erectus was in Europe for a while, then around 1.1 million years bp 'left' because of the cold for a few hundred thousand years:when they were replaced:

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-massive-north-atlantic-cooling-event.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230810141044.htm
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/997982
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66331558
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/august/ancient-ice-age-could-have-caused-first-europeans-go-extinct.html
https://www.reuters.com/science/frigid-apocalypse-doomed-early-humans-europe-2023-08-10/
https://scitechdaily.com/europes-ancient-freeze-new-study-reveals-ancient-cooling-wiped-out-early-humans/

Climate is also being studied as a factor in 'early human inbreeding':

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-climate-drivers-early-human-interbreeding.html

A bone from the Grotte du Renne cave in France is leading to speculation about an unknown lineage of homo sapiens:

https://arkeonews.net/anthropologists-discovered-a-bone-in-the-grotte-du-renne-cave-in-france-that-could-indicate-the-presence-of-a-previously-unknown-lineage-of-homo-sapiens/

All the speculation attached to homo naledi over the past while:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-evolution-timeline-archaeology-homo-sapiens-b2391333.html

A 40 000 years bp bracelet from the Denisova Cave:

https://medium.com/@ParanormalActivityBlog/archaeologists-have-discovered-a-40-000-year-old-bracelet-in-siberia-62f833b78811

More on the 'unusual' 300 000 years bp jaw found in China:

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-china-human-lineage.html
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/strange-300000-year-old-jawbone-unearthed-in-china-may-come-from-vanished-human-lineage
https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/world/300-000-year-old-skull-found-in-china-unlike-any-early-human-seen-before-1.6502239
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/10/asia/ancient-skull-china-human-evolution-intl-scli-scn/index.html
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/ryjn4f0j3
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/an-ancient-skull-could-prompt-the-founding-of-a-new-human-species
https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-skull-found-in-china-is-unlike-any-human-seen-before
http://www.archaeology.org/news/11631-230808-china-hominin-skull

cf: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047248423000908
===========================================================AFRICA
===========================================================Feature on the petroglyphs in Tassili N’Ajjer National Park (Algeria):

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/algeria-rock-art-prehistoric-sahara-petroglyphs
===========================================================ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
===========================================================More on the 2300 years bp shipwreck off El Alamein:

https://www.egyptindependent.com/photos-archaeologists-discover-remains-of-2300-old-sunken-ship-in-alamein/
https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/126127/Ministry-of-Tourism-Antiquities-Announces-The-Discovery-Of-An-Archaeological
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/world/article278091472.html
https://egyptianstreets.com/2023/08/07/egypts-coastal-waters-reveals-ancient-shipwreck-and-relics/
https://www.newsweek.com/2000-year-old-shipwreck-wine-jugs-discovered-egypt-1818950

Feature on Abu Simbel:

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

Feature on three Egyptian pharaohs:

https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/3-of-the-most-important-pharaohs-of-ancient-egypt

Feature on Ancient Egyptian religion:

https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-egypt/ancient-egyptian-religion-everything-you-wanted-to-know-podcast-joyce-tyldesley/

Feature on what Cleopatra looked like:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/what-did-cleopatra-egypts-last-pharaoh-really-look-like

Hyping an impending excavation at Iran's Sepahbod-Khorshid Cave, which has 'ancient architectural elements':

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/487747/Archaeologists-to-try-hands-at-cave-bearing-ancient-architectural

Feature on Palaeolithic petroglyphs in Bawa Yawan:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/487791/Tracing-human-history-Iran-s-Bawa-Yawan-yields-remarkable-Palaeolithic

Feature on the recreation of a 3200 years bp Mesopotamian perfume:

https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/06/3200-year-old-mesopotamian-perfume-recreated/

Feature on 'ceremonial standards' in Mesopotamian art:

https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2023/08/ceremonial-standards-early-mesopotamia

A 3800 years bp cuneiform tablet find from the Accana mound in Hatay:

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230811-3800-year-old-cuneiform-clay-tablet-found-in-turkiye/
https://arkeonews.net/3800-years-old-akkadian-cuneiform-tablet-found-in-turkeys-hatay/
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68035

Excavations at Cavustepe Castle suggest the Urartian people built it with potential earthquakes in mind:

https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/studies-in-turkiyes-ancient-castle-shed-light-on-urartian-seismic-precautions/news

A study of the differences between men's and women's jaws in the Middle Ages near the Kortik Tepe mound:

https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/middle-ages-skeletons-in-turkiye-show-jawbone-differences-by-gender/news

A roundup of archaeology finds in Turkey over the month of July:

https://turkisharchaeonews.net/article/july-2023-turkish-archaeology

Overview of the Hirbet Atarus (Iron Age) site in Jordan:

https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/%E2%80%98no-parallel-region%E2%80%99-central-jordan-iron-age-site-%E2%80%94-canadian-archaeologist

ACOR will be working in Jordan to restore some heritage sites:

https://www.jordannews.jo/Section-109/News/Antiquities-department-and-ACOR-sign-agreements-to-restore-heritage-sites-30210

A Roman military amphitheatre from Megiddo:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/roman-training-ground/

Overview of the recent finds at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/round-the-clock-excavations-at-church-of-holy-sepulchre-yield-historical-treasures/

More on the 2500 years bp 'anti-evil-eye' disk found on an Israel beach:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/diver-finds-2500-year-old-disc-used-by-ancient-mariners-to-ward-off-the-evil-eye/

More on the 1500 years bp 'magical mirror' from the Usha site:

https://www.newsweek.com/magical-mirror-protect-against-evil-eye-discovered-1817940
https://arkeonews.net/high-school-student-discovered-a-1500-year-old-ancient-magical-mirror/
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/08/magic-mirror-to-ward-off-evil-found-at-ancient-usha/148183

More on suggestions of ancient necromancy from Teomim Cave near Jerusalem:

https://bigthink.com/the-past/necromancy-jerusalem-cave/

Interview with Jodi Magness on her work at Huqoq:

https://www.wunc.org/arts-culture/2023-08-11/unc-archaeologist-dig-ancient-jewish-synagogue-biblical

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

https://thisweekintheancientneareast.podbean.com/

===========================================================ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
===========================================================A 5th century (or later) cache of figurines and the like from the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento:

https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/11/votive-offering-figurines-valley-temples-italy/
https://arkeonews.net/rich-votive-deposit-discovered-in-the-valley-of-the-temples-of-agrigento/
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68003
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/08/votive-offering-of-figurines-found-at-the-valley-of-the-temples/148206
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11677-230811-sicily-temple-cache

A 2400 years bp prytaneion site in Albania with a large number of drinking vessels:

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article277864038.html
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11629-230807-albania-illyrian-drinking

Remains of a Roman bathing complex (date?) from Cologne:

https://www.newsweek.com/archaeologists-find-ancient-roman-luxury-baths-underfloor-heating-1818046
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/ancient-roman-bath-complex-found-cologne-neumark-1234676943/

Remains of a possible Roman bridge in the mud of the river Wye near Chepstow:

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/23712539.roman-bridge-chepstow-river-wye-mud---diggers-await-dates/

Excavations at a Roman bathing complex in Merida have revealed an iron grate which would have covered a window: