19 AVRIL 2016 NEWS: Louth - Makli - Vinje - Velim - Chartres - Nancy -

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ROYAUME UNI13971607 large Louth - The earliest Christian artefact to date has been found in the garden of the rectory of St James' Church in Louth. Two fragments of an Anglo-Saxon 10th century stone cross have been discovered during routine maintenance work undertaken by the church staff, and one subsequently during a more detailed search undertaken by the church verger, Christopher Marshall. He knew immediately that he was looking at something important and exciting. He said: "The Louth Cross was erected at a very important time in the development of Louth and the early church and, so far, it is the only tangible evidence that has been found from that period. It gives me tremendous pleasure to know that I was instrumental in finding it and I look forward to it being on display for future generations to see." Experts on early church history, architecture and archaeology Professor David Stocker and Mr Paul Everson, have identified the fragments as part of a pre-Conquest tenth century standing cross.

http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Anglo-Saxon-cross-sheds-light-Louth-s-medieval/story-29131382-detail/story.html?

PAKISTAN - Makli - An inquiry committee has confirmed damage to the tomb of Mir Sultan Ibrahim (1556-1592AD) because of unprofessional handling of conservation work by M/S Heritage Foundation Pakistan at Makli necropolis, the world heritage site, and recommended that the conservation work be withdrawn from the contractor. The committee suggested the foundation be warned over use of substandard material and unskilled, unprofessional and defective conservation work which could have led to a major disaster at the world heritage site. The report found that if the foundation had been familiar with non-destructive investigation techniques such as fiber optic microscopy, infrared, thermography and ultrasonic measurements being internationally applied to architectural surfaces and historical masonries for strategic planning for the conservation interventions and environmental management for the protection of cultural heritage and developing a planning methodology concerning proper, effective and compatible materials and techniques for conservation interventions, it would not have used the destructive investigation technique. Had the foundation been aware of the damage its unprofessional approach to the sensitive work might cause it would have asked its engineers to conduct one of the non-destructive tests mentioned above instead of damaging the 15th-century heritage site, said the report. It said the destructive investigation of cultural property had punctured the brick masonry high drum of the double-shaped dome of tomb at a number of places. The pieces provide a tangible link between the present medieval church and documentary references to an eighth and ninth century Anglo-Saxon monastery, as well as a 10th century shrine of St. Herefrith in the town.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1252478/probe-confirms-damage-to-15th-century-tomb-at-makli

NORVEGE - 1446198070 norway sword Vinje  -  A hiker travelling the ancient route between western and eastern Norway found a 1,200-year-old Viking sword after sitting down to rest after a short fishing trip. Further studies of the area will take place next spring. The sword, found at Haukeli in central southern Norway will be sent for conservation at the The University Museum of Bergen.  Jostein Aksdal, an archaeologist with Hordaland County said the sword was in such good condition that if it was given a new grip and a polish, it could be used today.  The sword was found in very good condition. It is very special to get into a sword that is merely lacking its grip,” he said.  When the snow has gone in spring, we will check the place where the sword was found. If we find several objects, or a tomb, perhaps we can find the story behind the sword,” he said.  He said that judging by the sword’s 77cm length, it appeared to come from 750-800AD. 

http://www.thelocal.no/20151021/hiker-finds-1300-yr-old-viking-sword

Rép. TCHEQUE – Velim - Czech archaeologists have revealed the remains of a well that was used more than 7000 years ago, or in the Early Stone Age, and was part of a large settlement, Tomas Chlup, head of the research team, has told CTK. Only a few wells from this era have been discovered in Central Europe. Chlup said 19 long houses dating from one stage of the Linear Pottery culture have so far been uncovered in Velim, 50 km east of Prague. He said the settlement seemed to last for only a few generations. "We have a rare opportunity to study the everyday life of the first farmers in our country," Chlup said. Czech archaeologists concluded that the first farmers on Czech territory lived in this Neolithic village in lowlands near the Labe (Elbe) River. They have been examining the site since 2006. The people settled in the area after 5500 BC and built the so-called long houses, simple wooden constructions standing on pillars. As the holes made by these pillars have been preserved until now, archaeologists can reconstruct the individual houses and whole settlements thanks to them.

http://www.praguemonitor.com/2016/04/18/archaeologists-reveal-stone-age-well-near-prague?

FRANCE Senlis 60 muse e dart et darche ologie sarcophage denfant me rovingien montataire 1024x585 Chartres - La découverte d’un cercueil de nourrisson à Chartres est l’occasion d’en apprendre davantage sur les rites funéraires des tout petits. À quoi ressemblaient les rites funéraires des enfants ? Jusqu’à présent, les chercheurs n’en savaient pas grand-chose. La campagne de fouille annuelle de l’église de Saint-Martin-au-Val, à Chartres, est peut-être sur le point de changer la donne. À la mi-avril, elle a permis de retrouver une série de sarcophages mérovingiens datant du Ve ou du VIIe siècle. La majorité des cercueils avaient été pillés entre le XIIIe et le XIXe siècles. Toutefois, l’un deux était resté scellé depuis environ 1500 ans. Lors de l’ouverture de ce sarcophage, les archéologues ont fait une découverte rare : les restes d’un bébé âgé de 4 à 6 mois. Des bijoux, des tissus et des objets non identifiés étaient présents à côté du corps. « On a retrouvé un petit anneau en fer au niveau du poignet gauche, des perles enserrées par un alliage en cuivre au niveau de l’oreille droite, des éléments de tissu très bien conservés, s’enthousiasme Bruno Bazin, responsable des opérations archéologiques de la campagne. Quatre petites pierres rondes colorées avaient été déposées au niveau de l’épaule droite. Il est probable que ces pierres sont des objets de jeu, sûrement des osselets. » Le sarcophage, resté dans un état de conservation exceptionnel, pourrait révéler aux chercheurs d’autres rites funéraires jusqu’ici ignorés. Le lieu de la découverte – la nef de l’église – est particulier. Si l’un des premiers évêques de Chartres, Saint Lubin, est enterré dans la crypte, « il est très rare de retrouver un enfant enterré à l’intérieur de bâtiments saints, explique Bruno Bazin. Les personnages qui y étaient inhumés appartenaient à l’élite de l’époque mérovingienne. Cet enfant en faisait certainement partie. »

http://www.nationalgeographic.fr/27231-un-bebe-du-moyen-age-retrouve-dans-un-sarcophage/

FRANCE – Nancy- C'est une immersion dans l'histoire et dans le patrimoine de Nancy. Dans le cadre du projet d’aménagement « Nancy Grand Coeur », porté par le Grand Nancy et la Solorem, une fouille, sur prescription de l’État (Drac Lorraine) est actuellement menée par les archéologues de l’Inrap jusqu’au 8 juin 2016.  La fouille actuellement en cours à l’emplacement de l’ancienne prison Charles III est menée en amont de la 2ème phase d’aménagement et concerne 9000 m2. Selon les équipes de l'Inrap Nancy, la fouille se basera sur une période bien précise de l'histoire à savoir le front bastionné établi avant 1630 et détruit en 1697 suite aux traités de Ryswick qui mirent fin à la guerre entre Louis XIV et la ligue d'Augsbourg composée d'une large coalition européenne. Seront alors étudiés "les vestiges restants après destruction et l’intégration de ces lignes de défense dans la trame urbaine nancéienne à partir du XVIIe siècle." 

http://www.ici-c-nancy.fr/nancy/item/10901-nancy-une-fouille-archeologique-sur-l-emplacement-de-l-ancienne-prison-charles-iii.html