18 - 20 NOVEMBRE 2010

 

 - 20 NOVEMBRE :

 - FRANCE :   Beynes - Alors qu’ils venaient de démarrer des études préventives en vue d’un grand chantier de réhabilitation et de mise en valeur de ce château dont les origines remontent au XIIe siècle, des chercheurs de l’Institut national de recherche archéologique préventive (Inrap) ont fait apparaître ce qui pourrait bien être des éléments d’un ancien mur d’enceinte qui aurait été arasé pour laisser place aux douves actuelles. On distingue très nettement les empierrements parfaitement conservés et les fondations de deux constructions qui pourraient être des tours. On peut penser qu’un pont passait ici en prolongement de la rue centrale du château. D’après les constatations des chercheurs et grâce à des fragments de pots en céramique retrouvés sur place et dont on a analysé les dessins ou la composition, « il pourrait s’agir d’édifices remontant au XIVe siècle ».

          http://www.leparisien.fr/yvelines-78/decouverte-archeologique-exceptionnelle-au-chateau-20-11-2010-1157691.php

 - REUNION :  St Paul - Cet après-midi, s'est déroulé un moment important dans l'élucidation de l'origine de la structure en pierre découverte il y a six mois à Saint-Paul. Des prélèvements ont été récupérés dans la roche. Les résultats ne sont, quant à eux, attendus que dans quelques semaines. S'en suivra un travail d'interprétation scientifique avec l'Université de la Réunion. Acte 3 pour ce que l'on nommera, à défaut de certitude, le "puits" de Saint-Paul. Après la découverte en mai dernier et la nouvelle mise à jour il y a deux semaines, le puits s'est laissé osculter cet après-midi sous les outils des spécialistes. Les prélèvements récoltés livreront des débuts de pistes, et uniquement des débuts de pistes dans les prochaines semaines. De là commencera réellement la longue interprétation scientifique. L'intérieur du puits, ou de ce qu'il en reste, est de nature friable. Le moellonage de la pierre semble bien compressé et dense. La petite cavité creusée derrière la paroi s'est vite obstruée après seulement 40 cm d'avancée, à cause de l'ensablage. Promis, des sondages plus profonds devront aller plus loin. A près de deux mètres autour du puits, a été mis au jour une étendue pavée dont les limites ne sont pas encore connues.

          http://www.zinfos974.com/St-Paul-Le-puits-est-pret-a-livrer-ses-secrets_a23223.html?com

 - BURMA :  Mrauk U / Arakan - Many cultural heritage sites have been destroyed as military authorities have bulldozed a path for constructing a railroad through a major archaeological zone in Mrauk U, an ancient city in western Burma's Arakan State. Many ancient structures built by 14th century Arakanese cultures have already been damaged. Many priceless archaeological structures such as pagodas, sculptures, city walls, fortresses, garrisons, and moats have already been bulldozed for the railroad that is being designed to cross the main archaeological zone in the north and northeastern part of the city, and many more structures are still facing demolition. The structures that have already been destroyed include pagodas and sculptures on Thazintan Hills, Praysoe Gree Pagoda, Mungalar Wall, Khrunkite Wall, Ahmrunt Taung Fortress, Khrunkite Fortress, Rae Hla Fortress, Rae Hla Gate, Rae Hla Moat, and Kyein Rwa Moat. Koethaung Temple, one of the largest and most famous structures in the northeast of the city, is also facing demolition as the railroad will cross near the temple. Mrauk U was built by Arakanese king Min Saw Mon in 1430 and it remained the center of the Arakanese kingdoms until 1784, when the Burman king invaded.

          http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2805

 - ROYAUME-UNI : Kirkintilloch - A prominent local historian has speculated that a chance find on a housing development site could pre-date the Roman occupation of Scotland. Contractors working in the grounds of the former Woodilee Hospital, between Kirkintilloch and Lenzie, had unearthed what is thought to be a wooden roundhouse dating back thousands of years. Mr Martin told : "The building is clearly a native dwelling house, with remains of a kind sometimes referred to as a 'hut circle'. "Such hut circles are found all over the country, and vary greatly in size. Sometimes the walls are of timber, as is the case here, and sometimes of stone." Experts from Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) have visited the site. Dr Gavin McGregor, project manager at Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD), said: "The date of the structure is unclear at this stage, but it potentially dates some time from the second millennium BC to the first few centuries AD. "Notably, the site is relatively close to the Antonine Wall. If the structure proves to date to the mid to later second century AD, it may be contemporary with the Roman presence in the area." Mr Martin said: "Given what GUARD have said, it belongs either to the Bronze Age or the Iron Age period, and most probably the Iron Age. "In this connection there is an Iron Age fort in the Campsies, at Meikle Reive, above Lennoxtown."It is likely that the Romans encountered Iron Age people when they arrived in this area." Meikle Reive is thought to have been built in the first century AD, predating the nearby Roman-built Antonine Wall, which was started in 142 AD.

          http://www.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk/news/Ancient-ruin-could-date-back.6628282.jp

 - 19 NOVEMBRE :

 - LIBYE : Tripoli - Plusieurs tombes et des objets de différents âges appartenant à diverses époques ont été découverts lundi et mardi par une équipe d'archéologues au cours d'opérations de maintenance de l'Ecole des arts et métiers. Ces tombes ont été découvertes sous cette école dont la construction par les Turcs remonte à 105 ou 106 ans et qui a été bâtie sur un ancien cimetière islamique baptisé «cimetière des étrangers ». Il y a des couches accumulées dont chacune remonte à une période distincte, indiquant que les découvertes effectuées jusqu'à maintenant concernent des tombes de l'époque byzantine, en particulier à la fin de la première moitié du IVème siècle après Jésus Christ, qui varient selon les périodes et la position sociale du mort, qu'il soit riche ou pauvre.
Des pièces d'une mosaïque ont été trouvées au milieu des tombes au cours des opérations de fouilles du sol et sous les fondations. Les procédés d'enterrement des morts diffèrent au niveau du groupe de tombes retrouvées allant de l'enterrement du défunt dans un bocal ou jarre jusqu'à dans une tombe construite avec des pierres. Les archéologues ont trouvé des signes sur les tombes représentés par des symboles du christianisme portant les initiales du Christ en lettres grecques avec la croix en intermittence avec des slogans utilisés par l'empereur Constantin I au cours de la période de son règne, au IVème siècle après Jésus Christ.

          http://www.afriquejet.com/afrique-du-nord/libye/libye:-decouverte-de-tombes-et-d%27objets-archeologiques-2010110460087.html

 - ROYAUME-UNI :    Cambridgeshire - Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Roman road junction beneath a railway development site. The find reveals a new junction on the historic Fen Causeway road which runs underneath Whitemoor Marshalling Yards, the site where Network Rail are building a brand new railway reycling centre. The discovery points towards the town’s ancient history as a centre for settlement and trade, and provides evidence of further links to nearby settlements. The archaeologists came across a 12 metre-wide road and an additional eight metre-wide road heading south-west of the junction. It is believed that this was built to meet an east-west road recently excavated at the County Council’s waste transfer facility at Melbourne Avenue. Another possible road, though less well preserved, heads north-eastwards towards known settlements and the salterns in the Longhill Road area. Kasia Gdaniec, of the Cambridgeshire County Council’s Historic Environment Team, said: “This has been a rare opportunity to investigate an unexpectedly well-preserved section of the Fen Causeway. It is the first time that a junction has been found in association with it".

           http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/roman_road_junction_discovered_at_network_rail_site_1_731925

 - 18 NOVEMBRE :

 - ROYAUME-UNI :   Uttlesford - A GOLD finger gold ring, a collection of roman coins, and several axe fragments have been discovered across the Uttlesford district and have been declared as treasure. The ring, deemed to be the most precious of all the artefacts, was discovered by local resident. It was found amongst a hoard which also included alloy coins; 12 silver, five gold and one copper, all varying in their value and minted across different locations within the area formally known as the Roman Empire. Elsewhere in Uttlesford, Barry Knee delved deep with his metal detector and emerged with mid to late Bronze Age artefacts; including six copper alloy fragments and also axe fragments believed to date back to between 1500 and 1000BC. In December 2009, an archaeological team from the Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service discovered Bronze Age metalwork, alongside five axe fragments and eight cake ingot fragments. All areas of declared treasure are kept secret to protect them and finders of gold and silver objects which are more than 300 years old have a legal obligation to report such items under the Treasure Act 1996.         

         http://www.dunmowbroadcast.co.uk/news/roman_artefacts_and_gold_finger_ring_found_in_uttlesford_1_72843

 - CHINE :   Chongqing - Seventeen graves from the Western Han Dynasty were discovered at a construction site for the reformation of Beibei District. The 110 unearthed fine cultural relics that were found have both typical Ba State cultural characteristics, as well as traces of the Qin and Han dynasties. There were over 110 cultural objects unearthed. Among the relics were bronze ware, including willow leaf swords, brass spears, seals, coins, brass knives, brass bells and brass rings; iron ware, including iron swords and knives, and pottery, including round bottom jars, flat bottom jars, kettles and earthen bowls. The cultural objects unearthed this time have obvious traces of multiple cultures. Experts speculated that the willow leaf swords, brass spears and seals are typical relics from the ancient Ba State, and the brass garlic-head pot is the product of the Qin Dynasty, and the flat bottom jars and grey potteries belong to the Han Dynasty. The funerary objects that blend the three culture types indicates that the graves are probably of the Cong ethnic group, recording the last years when the culture of the Ba State was blended with the culture of the Central Plains.  According to sources, archaeologists discovered many boat-shaped coffins of the Ba people at the site of Dongyinba in Baxian County in the 1950s. Although only the teeth from the remains were found in the coffins, there were more than 10 weapons, wooden combs, pieces of pottery, lacquer ware and wooden trays. An official of the Chongqing Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology said that since so many graves from the Western Han Dynasty have been discovered on the old Huangjue Street, a large-scale residential area of the Western Han people was most likely located around it. The institute will increase the exploration intensity in nearby areas. At present, the 110 unearthed cultural relics have not been cleaned completely. Once the cleaning is finished, it will be able to provide stronger evidence about the disappearance of the Cong people.

          http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/7197893.html

 - ROYAUME-UNI :    Cheadle - The dig is being organised by the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit, led by County Archaeologist Norman Redhead, and will involve revealing the foundations of Cheadle Hall, which was knocked down in 1958. The imposing, three storey building was constructed in the middle years of the 18th Century and for decades was one of the most prestigious residential addresses in Cheadle. But neglect and a lack of maintenance meant it had become nearly derelict in the immediate post-war era and Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council eventually decided to have it demolished in the late 1950s and have the green extended. The hall had been a manor built in the 13th Century and sold in 1756 to the Reverend Thomas Egerton since which there had been many additional buildings and extensions over the years. The Cheadle Green dig stopped digging when they hit the 1756 walls. Within Cheadle there are lots of archaeological sites for future Community Digs including the Bleach works, the Mill and it would be of significant interest to preserve these archaeological sites for future generations. There is an exciting future for Archaeology and Cheadle's Heritage.

          http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Cheadle/SK8/News/Local-News/180959-The-future-is-bright-for-Archaeological-digs-in-Cheadle