12 JANVIER 2011
- 12 JANVIER -
-INDE - 
Gayathripuzha - A large number of prehistoric posthole sites of pillared halls have been found in the Gayathripuzha Valley — a left-bank tributary of the Bharathapuzha in Palakkad district. The architectural activity has manifested in socket remains (cupules/postholes) found on several rock outcrops at the foothills Thenmala of the Western Ghats in the Palakkad gap zone. These sites were perhaps used for construction of mandapas (pillared halls) or some wooden structures. Out of 13 posthole sites with 24 pillared halls identified, 12 are in the rocky plateaus, 3-5 km from Thenmala (Venkatamala) in the same belts on both sides of the banks of the Ikshumathipuzha — a tributary of the Gayathripuzha flowing through Kollengode, Muthalamada and Elevanchery — and the other one is found at Polpully, about 20 km away from Thenmala. The sockets found on the wall of the rock shelter at Manjikkal Kotta of the Thenmala Valley are for fixing beams for top covering the top, and for steps to reach the top. Similar postholes on rock surface at Nagarjunakonda and Brahmagiri sites in Andhra Pradesh and other areas suggest that these must have been part of a Neolithic settlement between 4000 and 1000 B.C, studies have shown. The unearthing of prehistoric Mesolithic artefacts, rock engravings and Megalithic monuments on the peripheries of the posthole sites of pillared halls and the similarity of these postholes to the the Nagarjunakonda and Brahmagiri sites, clearly suggest that the area was a Neolithic settlement site. On an earlier occasion, Neolithic stone tools were found at Parambikulam of Muthalamada Grama Panchayat. Recent studies have revealed that Palakkad district has several important prehistoric sites, which can be directly attributed to the geographical factors. The presence of a mountain valley, granite hillocks, caves, natural rocks shelters, granite rocky plateaus, vast plain land, naturally protected mountain ranges, medium temperature, average rainfall, a natural drainage system, water storage in ponds, availability of food products and accessibility to peninsular India through the Palakkad gap might have encouraged the prehistoric people to settle in this area. They changed their habitation from the caves and rock shelters of the hillocks and mountain ranges to the granite plateaus, surrounded by agricultural land. All Neolithic findings from the district have been published in research thesis in the Department of Studies in Geography, University of Mysore
. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/article1087885.ece
- FRANCE – Dax - Les premiers coups de pelle ont été donnés hier à la recherche de vestiges antiques- Sous l'œil des archéologues de l'Inrap, les premiers coups de pelle - mécanique - ont été donnés, hier après-midi, dans la rue qui sépare la cathédrale du parking semi-enterré. Comme nous l'indiquions dans notre édition de samedi, l'objectif de ces travaux est simple : établir un diagnostic archéologique du site de manière à envisager la possibilité d'un agrandissement de ce parking- . La profondeur des recherches étant, quant à elle, déterminée au fur et à mesure. Mais les deux archéologues n'excluaient pas de devoir creuser jusqu'à 3 mètres. Là où, très probablement, se situent les niveaux recherchés- Ce quartier a été fortement remanié lors de la construction du parking puis des Halles. Lors de ces travaux, des niveaux du Haut Empire romain ont été vus. Ils dateraient du I er au IIIe siècle après JC. À cette époque, Dax est une ville enfermée dans son enceinte avec des tours, qui a déjà bâti sa renommée autour de ses sources thermales, c'est aussi un petit port fluvial. C'est une ville avec beaucoup de passage.
http://www.sudouest.fr/2011/01/11/les-archeologues-ont-commence-a-creuser-286911-3350.php
- CHINE - Xiangxi - The relics in central China's Hunan Province where the ancient king of Tusi lived, has seen the peaceful coexistence between Tujia, Miao, and Han peoples for the last 800 years. After three-months of digging, an archaeology team discovered a highly complex drainage system in the ancient relic. The drainage system was created using calcium rich earth and clay, which made it stable and easy to preserve. The archaeologists also found some heating equipment commonly used in northern China, which represents the cultural communication between Hunan and the north. Local authorities say their next excavation plan will focus on analyzing samples in order to properly date the relics found at the site.
http://www.kaogu.cn/en/detail.asp?ProductID=2663
- FRANCE – Fougères - Un an de retard et une « ardoise » salée : c'est le tribut à payer pour s'acquitter des (nécessaires) fouilles archéologiques dans l'extension de la zone d'activités de Plaisance...Au dépôt du permis d'extension (32 ha supplémentaires, composant Plaisance II), les services de l'État ont déclenché un diagnostic archéologique car des photos aériennes avaient détecté un possible enclos de quelques centaines de m2 datant de l'époque gauloise - Par tranche de trois mètres de large sur vingt de long, chacune, l’INRAP a ainsi sondé les 32 ha à la recherche d'indices lesquels pouvaient déclencher, si nécessaire, des fouilles plus approfondies. Ce fut le cas, de petits vestiges ont été trouvés, non pas dans l'enclos comme supposé, mais dans une petite parcelle d'à peine 10 000 m2 située dans la zone d'accès- Au nord de la zone ont été trouvés des vestiges d'habitat gaulois. D'autant plus surprenants et intéressants qu'ils se trouvent dans une zone très humide à l'époque. D'où la présence de vestiges organiques (bois, noisettes...), bien conservés dans un pH (potentiel hydrogène) favorable, datant au moins de l'époque médiévale (Xe siècle), voire plus anciens -
- NEPAL – Lumbini - An international team of archaeologists has begun a three-year survey, coordinated by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) of the archaeological ruins of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha in Nepal. Lumbini is a world-renowned Buddhist pilgrimage destination and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. The project, funded by the Japanese government and coordinated by the UNESCO office in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, aims to identify the presence, or absence, of archaeological deposits, invisible below the surface, so that appropriate placing of pilgrim facilities can be made without damaging valuable archaeological resources- This project offers a unique opportunity to investigate some of the earliest developmental phases of one of the world's great religious traditions, and will introduce new scientific evidence into the debate surrounding the date of the Buddha's birth-
http://www.china.org.cn/world/2011-01/13/content_21728249.htm