================================================================
explorator 6.43                                february 22, 2004
================================================================
Editor's note: Most urls should be active for at least eight
hours from the time of publication.

For your computer's protection, Explorator is sent in plain text
and NEVER has attachments. Be suspicious of any Explorator which
arrives otherwise!!!
================================================================
================================================================

Thanks to Arthur Shippee,  Bill Kennedy, Donna Hurst, Adrian
Murdoch, Agathon, Michelle Hilling, Dave Sowdon, David Beard,
John Hill, John McMahon, Joseph Lauer, Louis A. Okin, Mata
Kimasitayo, Michael Oberndorf, Paul James Cowie, Richard C.
Griffiths, 'rsh', Steve Rankin, Tom Elliott, Tony Jackson,
Mike Ruggeri, W. Richard Frahm, William Gebhardt, and Yonatan Nadelman for headses
upses this week (as always hoping I have left no one out).

Have you visited our blog yet?

http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/

If you're using an (ahem) old or clunky browser, try accessing
it via Bloglines:

http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=21809

================================================================
================================================================
AFRICA, EUROPE, AND ASIA
================================================================
The human brain apparently began evolving earlier than previously
thought (... resisting the urge to mention its recent devolving):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3496549.stm

A few pieces of grains, apparently, are all that is needed to
convince some folks that the PrePottery Neolithic A period was
roughly 1000 years longer than conventionally believed:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/19/1077072756313.html

A dog apparently did not stumble but "had a nose for history"
when he came across a Bronze Age ax head on the Isle of Wight:

http://tinyurl.com/345jt (Isle of Wight County Press)

The sun rays hit Rameses II's image today, as they have annually
for thousands of years:

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/calendar/html/cl220297.htm

A cave in Israel has revealed some 2500 b.p. 'fashion
accessories':

http://tinyurl.com/ytnbs (AP via Yahoo)
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/396747.html
http://tinyurl.com/36zje (Jerusalem Post)

Plans are afoot to (finally) excavate Tiberias:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/395353.html

... and to raise Cleopatra's palace from the depths (!):

http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/17/1076779958388.html

The collapse of an embankment near Temple Mount is adding to the
anxiety associated with that ongoing saga:

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/394433.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/396747.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/394454.html
http://tinyurl.com/32mxh (Jerusalem Post)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3494035.stm

The discovery of a statue in France (which I believe we mentioned
before in these pages) is providing evidence that Etruscan
'influence' was much wider than previously thought:

http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/040219/statue.shtml

Archaeologists have found additional defensive structures
associated with the Antonine Wall:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/10223.html

A section of Roman road has been uncovered in Hereford:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/3495827.stm

A major Republican Roman coin hoard has been found in Bulgaria:

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=31113

Plans to 'restore' the Roman Forum sound nutty:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3506867.stm

A possible Viking boat burial in Yorkshire is causing excitement:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,11711,1149750,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4295369/
http://tinyurl.com/36wnc (AP via Yahoo)
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_866983.html

================================================================
THE AMERICAS
================================================================
Archaeologists are poking around the Mayan city of Naachtun:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4282998/
http://tinyurl.com/2t2z9 (Reuters)

There is still an active appeal to help save the Quebrada de
Santo Domingo site in Peru:

http://archaeology.about.com/cs/rockart/a/massat.htm

A project to look at the history of slavery in California:

http://tinyurl.com/3g89o

The ESA's Proba satellite has been observing the Nazca lines
from space:

http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/SEMO0R1PGQD_earth_0.html
================================================================
ALSO OF INTEREST
================================================================
On the DNA front, a professor from McMaster thinks DNA can be
recovered from hominid fossils (Holy 'Paleolithic Park' Batman!):

http://tinyurl.com/yv2ga (Independent
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3494543.stm

Back when Explorator began, there were rumblings about this, now
the rumblings are somewhat louder ... plans to build a tunnel
beneath (sort of) Stonehenge are causing controversy (of course):

http://tinyurl.com/yre4e
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=492143

A study of an Iron Age burial site in the UK suggests folks were
feeding their kiddies an ancient form of formula:

http://tinyurl.com/2stu3

That recently-reopened exhibit of two Egyptian tombs at the Met
has been closed early because too many folks were visiting:

http://tinyurl.com/2eg3p

Schoolkids ask questions of an Egyptian archaeologist:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0222egypt22.html

The first items (and hype) for the Eternal Egypt exhibition
at the Royal Ontario Museum have hit the newspapers:

http://tinyurl.com/3e6jz (Toronto Star)

Yale University Art Gallery has acquired some Roman mosaics:

http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=25056

Vikings are losing their 'barbarian' image:

http://tinyurl.com/3yz33 (National Geographic)

Vietnam is slowly restoring the ancient capital of Hue:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/16/international/asia/16HUE.html

The popularity of *The DaVinci Code* is apparently brining
*Holy Blood, Holy Grail* back onto the bestseller lists:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/books/review/22MILLERT.html

The Vinland Map is back in the news:

http://tinyurl.com/yu5db (Washington Post)
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0222vinland22.html

There are piles of wrecks in the Baltic Sea:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0216shipwrecks16.html

New evidence suggests that Henry VIII played football (i.e.
what North Americans call 'soccer'):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3496589.stm

The 'Passion' controversy has also resurrected the 'what did
Jesus really look like?' thing (I'd expect more of this in the
coming weeks):

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/21/arts/21JESU.html

... ditto pieces on how crucifixion was 'really' done:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4316694/
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/living/8001383.htm

More Passion-related stuff (assorted):

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/20/arts/television/20TVWK.html

In another controversy/saga, the owner of the James Ossuary
is being accused of having run a "fraud ring":

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/395868.html
cf: http://tinyurl.com/23tag (Jerusalem Post)

Another controversy ... this time over whence came
Robin Hood:

http://www.iht.com/articles/129878.html

Oh... the stuff in the earl's attic (scroll down past the
Arbuses piece):

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/20/arts/design/20INSI.html

Buddhism's holiest shrine was formally given World Heritage
status this week (actually, it was a couple of years ago ...
they had a formal ceremony):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3503483.stm

An Australian Mufti is claiming Afghan Muslims discovered
Australia before Captain Cook (scroll down a bit ... versions
of this keep disappearing this week for some reason; it might
be 'Don't Eat That Elmer' material):

http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=12226

Manchester University has put every (!) book published in
English between 1453 and 1800 online (I hae me doots ... maybe
they mean published in England):

http://tinyurl.com/2bl2o (Manchester Online)

Another archaeologist movie is in the works, this time with
Nicholas Cage as one of a pile of folks looking for a
Revolutionary War treasure:

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&;cf=prev&id=1808408024
================================================================
MAGAZINES AND JOURNALS
================================================================
Archaeology 57.2 (March/April 2004):

http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=curiss/index
================================================================
ON THE WEB
================================================================
Another interesting blog has hit the Blogosphere ... Archaeology
In Europe is definitely worth a look:

http://archaeology.eu.com/weblog/

There has been a substantial update to the Oriental Institute's
'Lost Treasures from Iraq' site/database:

http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/IRAQ/Iraqdatabasehome.htm

The Verbix site has a conjugator for a pile of world languages,
including Latin and 'Vulgar Latin':

http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/
================================================================
CRIME BEAT
================================================================
Discover Magazine has a brief item on one approach to getting
citizens involved in preventing antiquities theft:

http://www.discover.com/web-exclusives/stopping-plunder0219/

The looting of sites in Iraq continues:

http://tinyurl.com/yvwj9 (Sunday Times)

Looting of sites in Colombia:

http://tinyurl.com/2ecbl (Boston Globe)

Another feature on Col. Matthew Bogdanos and his efforts to
recover antiquities stolen from Iraq:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0220/p11s01-woiq.html

Some Palestinian grave robbers were caught red handed this
week:

http://tinyurl.com/2b6y8 (Jerusalem Post)

An opinion piece of sorts on antiquities theft:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110004707

A number of stolen Filipino mummies were returned this week:

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_867992.html
================================================================
BOOK REVIEWS
================================================================
Richard Barber, *The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief*:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/20/books/20BOOK.html

Chris Holmes, *Spores, Plagues, and History: The Story of
Anthrax*:

http://tinyurl.com/2g6hj

Tom Holland, *Rubicon*:

http://tinyurl.com/2h3kz (Newsday)

Christopher Woodward, *In Ruins*:

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=UuikMTTtSb0bxCqh2rXi0m==
================================================================
PERFORMANCES
================================================================
King Lear:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/arts/theater/22GREE.html

Odyssey: The Homecoming:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/21/arts/theater/21ODYS.html

The Women of Owu:

http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=201852004
================================================================
DON'T EAT THAT ELMER (A.K.A. CVM GRANO SALIS)
================================================================
If you can get past the obvious anachronism evident in this one,
you'll no doubt be amazed to learn there is a curse on the
treasure of Jason and the Argonauts, which has, of course, been
found in Kazakhistan (?):

http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/12111_Argonauts.html
================================================================
EXHIBITIONS
================================================================
================================================================
CLASSICIST'S CORNER
================================================================
Somehow it seems right that Classicists know about/get involved
with Socrates Cafes:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/161468_socrates21.html

David Beckham (and a pile of other soccer stars) is the latest
big nameto don gladiatorial gear to make a commercial for Pepsi:

http://tinyurl.com/3ccdk

HBO's Rome:

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2004/0219/hindsc.html
http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/feb/feb195.htm

Plans to search for Mardonios' fleet keep popping up in the
scan:

http://tinyurl.com/ypv7s

Harry Potter in Classical Greek:

http://tinyurl.com/2l7xu

Another Valentine's Day thing:

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/678/op40.htm

Peter Jones in the Spectator:

http://tinyurl.com/2obf8

Akropolis News in Classical Greek (it has returned!):
http://www.akwn.net/

Radio Finland's Nuntii Latini
[best accessed via rogueclassicism on Sundays]

Radio Bremen's Der Monatsrückblick - auf Latein
http://www.radiobremen.de/online/latein/

Weather in Latin:
http://latin.wunderground.com/
================================================================
REPEATS
================================================================
Aksum Obelisk Return Delayed:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3479821.stm

HMS Beagle:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4282998/

Kennewick Man:

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994666

Mapping North Sea Land Bridge:

http://tinyurl.com/2gpb6 (BBC)
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_866343.html
================================================================
OTHER SOURCES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL NEWS
================================================================
About.com Ancient History (blog):
http://ancienthistory.about.com/

About.com Archaeology (blog):
http://archaeology.about.com/mbody.htm

Archaeologica:
http://www.archaeologica.org/NewsPage.htm

Archaeology in Europe (blog):

http://archaeology.eu.com/weblog/

Archaeology Magazine's Newsbriefs:
http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=0305/newsbriefs/index

Bible and Interpretation Breaking News:
http://www.bibleinterp.com/news.htm

CBA Newsfeed:
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/newsfeed/index.html

CBA Archaeoblog:
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/archaeoblog/

Classics in Contemporary Culture (blog):
http://www.people.memphis.edu/~mhooker/ccc.html

Cronaca (blog):
http://www.cronaca.com/

Francis Deblauwe's 'Iraq War and Archaeology' site:
http://cctr.umkc.edu/user/fdeblauwe/iraq.html

Maritime Underwater Archaeological News:
http://www.munarchaeology.com/munarchaeology/news/main.htm

Megalithic Portal
http://www.megalithic.co.uk

Michael Ruggeri's Ancient America and Mesoamerica News:
http://community-2.webtv.net/Topiltzin-2091/AncientAmericaand

Mirabilis.ca (blog):
http://www.mirabilis.ca

Paleojudaica (blog):
http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com

Phluzein (blog):
http://www.binref.com/phluzein/

Stone Pages Archaeo News:
http://www.stonepages.com/news/

Texas A&M Anthropology News Site:
http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/news.html

================================================================
EXPLORATOR is a weekly newsletter representing the fruits of
the labours of 'media research division' of The Atrium. Various
on-line news and magazine sources are scoured for news of the
ancient world (broadly construed: practically anything relating
to archaeology or history  prior to about 1700 or so is fair
game) and every Sunday they are delivered to your mailbox free of
charge!
================================================================
Useful Addresses
================================================================
Read the latest Explorator on the web at:
http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/categories/explorator

Past issues of Explorator are available on the web at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Explorator/messages

To subscribe to Explorator, send a blank email message to:
mailto:Explorator-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To unsubscribe, send a blank email message to:
mailto:Explorator-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

To send a 'heads up' to the editor or contact him for other
reasons, reply to this message.
================================================================
Explorator is Copyright (c) 2004 David Meadows. Feel free to
distribute these listings via email to your pals, students,
teachers, etc., but please include this copyright notice. These
links are not to be posted to any website by any means (whether
by direct posting or snagging from a usenet group or some other
email source) without my express written permission. I think it
is only right that I be made aware of public fora which are
making use of content gathered in Explorator. Thanks!
================================================================

10:38:02 AM