05 - 06 MARS 2011 News - Skikda - Spice Route - Hertfordshire - Bannockburn - Vizhimjam - Nandra - Pointe-du-Buisson -

 - 05 - 06  MARS

 - ALGERIE – Kollo - Des vestiges remontant à l'époque romaine  ont été découverts dans la commune de Collo dans la wilya de Skikda a indiqué une responsable de la direction de la culture. Cette découverte representant un temple dédié à Neptune, Dieu des Mers et des Océans selon la mythologie romaine, a été faite lors de travaux de restauration de la mosquée Sidi-Ali El Kébir construite en 1756, a precisé Mlle Ghania Chekrit, chef du service du patrimoine culturel. "Les travailleurs du chantier ont découvert des escaliers à l'endroit précis où, à l'époque de la colonisation française, a été découverte une pierre sur laquelle était gravée l'inscription Neptuno", a-t-elle précisé. La direction de la culture de Skikda a pris attache avec le Centre national de la recherche en archéologie (CNRA), en vue de dépêcher une équipe chargée d'entamer des fouilles sur le site, a encore indiqué la même source ajoutant que les travaux de restauration de la mosquée, construite durant la période ottomane, "se poursuivront normalement". D'autres travaux de construction ou de restauration, engagés dans la wilaya de Skikda, avaient permis de faire plusieurs découvertes  "intéressantes", à l'instar des gradins du théâtre romain, découverts au mois de novembre dernier.

http://www.latribune-online.com/l_info_en_continu/48336.html

- INDE – Kerala - Remains at an excavation site in Kerala's ancient port town of Vizhinjam have given further push to the state's bid to get UNESCO heritage status for the 'Spice Route' used for trade with the outside world centuries ago. For over 2,000 years, Kerala has been a key player in Indian Ocean commerce and its trading partners have included the Roman Empire, Arabian Gulf and Far East, their merchants driven there by the ancient world's love for spices, especially pepper. Vizhinjam is mentioned in medieval inscriptions. It was once the capital of the Ay dynasty which ruled southern Kerala from the 8th to 10th century AD. However, its history prior to this period has always remained something of a mystery. Now, an exciting new project is underway that is slowly revealing its early past. Ajit Kumar of Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala, in collaboration with Robert Harding of the Civilisations in Contact Project (funded by the Golden Web Foundation), University of Cambridge, has commenced excavation at Vizhinjam with a view to understand the town's cultural antiquity and chronology. Two trenches have been laid and several interesting pottery types recovered. While the majority is of local and South Tamil Nadu origin, there are a number of distinct foreign pottery types that are of significance, Kumar said. A distinctive amphora base and a side section of an amphora with bitumen coating have been found, along with two smaller amphora shreds, he said.

http://www.zeenews.com/news691316.html

 - FRANCE – Thil - Depuis environ quarante-cinq ans, de nombreuses découvertes archéologiques ont été effectuées sur le territoire de Thil et aux alentours de celui-ci. La période la plus ancienne (vers 100 000 avant J.C.) est notamment représentée par un biface (outil taillé sur ses deux faces) qui servait surtout de couteau, trouvé sur le terroir de Saint-Thierry. Après, une grande lame de silex marque la présence de l'Age du renne (Paléolithique supérieur, âge de la grotte de Lascaux). Plus tard, l'époque des chasseurs- cueilleurs du Mésolithique est attestée par deux sites de Thil, avec de petites pointes de flèches géométriques, les microlithes.La période la plus abondamment représentée (11 sites) est la fin de l'Age de la pierre polie (7 sites sur Thil, 2 sur Saint-Thierry, 1 sur Pouillon, 1 sur Courcy). L'Age du bronze est présent dans sa phase finale. La période gauloise (2e Age du fer) comprend une nécropole sur le terroir de Saint-Thierry. Ensuite les Gallo-Romains ont occupé quelques sites sur Thil, dont un atelier de fondeur de fer, car des scories ont été trouvées à cet endroit.

http://www.lunion.presse.fr/article/autres-actus/thil-archeologie-de-nombreuses-decouvertes 

 - CANADA – La-Pointe-du-Buisson  -  . Le site archéologique de la Pointe-du-Buisson compte maintenant parmi les sites d'intérêt national reconnus par la Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du CanadaLa responsable du Service d'archéologie du Musée, Amélie Sénécal, a rappelé les caractéristiques de ce site, occupé par les peuples autochtones de la région depuis quelque 5000 ans. Le site était notamment un lieu de prédilection pour la pêche, la cueillette de petits fruits et pour le portage.

http://monteregieweb.com/main.cfm?l=fr&p=01_300&JournalID=13&ArticleID=687789 

 - INDE –Lohgarth-Nandra -  In a significant discovery, archaeologists have stumbled upon an ancient rain water harvesting site having 13 rock-cut reservoirs, in central Maharashtra, which they say is the largest one in the country. The site is unique as the harvesting area, a hill in this case, has been carved in circular and pyramidal shape, with steep natural ridges retouched to maintain security and isolation. Located at Lohgarh-Nandra village, in Phulambri tehsil of this district, the site is 38 km north-west of the city, on the old trade route between Aurangabad and Ajanta caves, which are famous all over the world for paintings and architecture. It was discovered in one of the four hillocks on the Lohgarh hills, which have rich archaeological evidence, in the form of rock-cut structures. The dome-shaped top portion of the hill has been levelled to acquire the desired slope, followed by a flat even surface, so that rain water spills in this direction to enter the rock-cut reservoirs, Rahul Bhosle, assistant director, department of archaeology, Aurangabad division, said. These reservoirs, of unequal size and shape, and sub-divided into many more, have been excavated over the hill in a circular fashion, Bhosle said. The reservoirs were the first to be built along with the caves on the other hills and are tentatively bracketed to the period around 7th century AD, Bhosle said.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_archaeologists-discover-ancient-rain-water-harvesting-site-in-maharashtra_1516236 

 - ROYAUME-UNI –Bannockburn -  Excavations have taken place at the National Trust for Scotland’s site at Bannockburn to see if there are any medieval finds from the famous 1314 battle in which the Scots led by Robert Bruce won a decisive victory over the English-

http://www.pasthorizons.com/index.php/archives/03/2011/archaeologists-search-for-medieval-evidence-at-bannockburn#ixzz1FqJWqFMH

 

 - ROYAUME-UNI –  – Hertfordshire - Archaeologists have discovered around 100 Roman and Iron Age artefacts in a Hertfordshire village. The find, which uncovered the remains of historic second century buildings, wells and a small kiln, was made on a Welwyn road – believed to sit next to a major Roman route going from St Albans to Colchester- “The so-called ‘Welwyn Complex’ of remains lies scattered around the modern village and includes Iron Age chieftain’s burials, Roman villas and industrial remains- The archaeological remains discovered at the site add to what is known about the area in the Roman period and are thought to be associated with one of the two nearby Roman villas at Lockleys and Dicket Mead- Finds from the site also included several “interesting” examples of personal items including a silver brooch and a pair of tweezers, as well as pottery and a beam slot for a timber wall. The pottery included a variety of finewares. Among these were several examples of the ubiquitous Samian ware, which was imported to Britain from Roman Gaul in large quantities. It has been possible to identify several of the pieces as the work of individual potters. The base of a plate or dish is stamped with the words ‘CETTAS.F’, which indicates that it is the work of Cettus of Les Martre-des-Veyre in central Gaul.A piece of black Samian ware which shows a reclining figure of Apollo was probably the work of the potter Butrio, who operated between AD120 and 145 in Lezoux, another settlement in central Gaul. It is believed what is now Trevena Gardens lay on the south-west periphery of the village until the Medieval era. It had since remained undeveloped farmland before homes were constructed on School Lane during the mid 20th century-

http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/roman_artefacts_at_village_homes_site_1_820335