26 JUIN 2017 NEWS: Alderney - Belcher - Burzahom

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ROYAUME UNI Alderneyr Alderney - Workers digging a trench for electricity cables off discovered a skull and other small fragments of bone. They also found a cist – a small coffin-like box. Four sets of remains have now been unearthed, as well as a section of wall, leading experts to believe that the site is a formal burial ground. Dr Jason Monaghan, director of Guernsey Museums, described the finds as ‘very exciting’.One feature turned out to be a cremation capped by a huge boulder. This consisted of charred bones interred in a black urn.I removed the cremation and its contents as completely as possible. It was brought in several bags back to Guernsey,’ he said. Dr Monaghan also hand-excavated the contents of a second cist. We hand-excavated the rest of the skull and some vertebrae, but left the ribs in section under the road.The body is facing north-east, supine, with head raised so the chin rests on the chest. The skull was brought back to Guernsey still partly encased in sand,’ he said.The face appears intact and we also recovered the lower jaw. It appears, at first inspection, to be female.Late in the day a hip came out of the bottom of the trench just east of the cist and we partly exposed a small supine burial – body three. It is at right angles to the cist burial, facing north-west. At this point we decided that the amount of archaeology emerging was beyond our immediate resources,’ he added. All of the bodies and burial sites were found within a 15-metre stretch of the trench. Dr Monaghan continued: ‘These burials are very exciting archeologically – their fresh state means we can get useful scientific data and we will probably send [remains] for carbon-14 dating. This find expands our knowledge of Roman Alderney and underlines how much archaeological potential there is on Longis Common.’

http://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2017/06/25/roman-burial-ground-unearthed-in-alderney/

USA - Canoe10 Belcher  - Archaeologists have unearthed a large, prehistoric Indian canoe along the Red River in north Louisiana. KTBS-TV reports one archaeologist says the almost 34-foot-long dugout canoe is in very good condition, even though one side is missing. Officials say it weighs an estimated 1,000 pounds and could be one of the largest ever found intact in North America. It was found earlier this spring by a woman looking for artifacts along the river’s banks. Excavation, which was conducted near Belcher in Caddo Parish, was completed Wednesday. The canoe is believed to be 800 to 1,000 years old and believed used by Caddo Indians who settled along the Red River and its tributaries.

http://www.kurv.com/archaeologists-find-prehistoric-canoe-in-north-louisiana/

INDEKashmir 647 062517040212 Burzahom - Over four decades after extensive excavations at Burzahom, 16 km north-east of Srinagar city, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report on the unpublished data suggests that Kashmiris in olden times were traditionally an artisan community, adept at weaving and intricate craftsmanship.The findings submitted this week by outgoing additional director general of the government body, RS Fonia, also link the Neolithic (or New Stone Age) site to the contemporary Indus Valley civilisation and establish the inhabitants' regular trade with the Harappans. Ranging from 3000 BC to 1000 BC, the culture in Burzahom illustrates various stages of evolution from food gathering to food producing. Evidence of bone needles, cotton, wool and other fabric point to a fairly dominant textile industry. The report also details how the community adapted to the adverse climatic conditions with innovations such as underground dwelling pits and use of wool. The findings throw up signs of sophistication in technology with the introduction of new tool types such as double-edged picks, spindle whorls, spear-heads, copper arrowheads, harvesters, celts and knife blades. Items such as pendants, beads, terracotta bangles suggest cultural and commercial contacts with the people of neighbouring regions of Pakistan, Tibetan Plateau and other sub-Himalayan areas. The manufacturing of stone and bone tools show professional competence, skilled technique and cultural contacts. Particular mention is made of harvesters (both in stone and bone) with two holes for handling it, indicating contacts with China

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kashmir-burzahom-srinagar-archaeological-survey-of-india-indus-valley-civilisation/1/986834.html