Finally a sensible use for those little fish hooks and tiny icepicks that the dental hygenist stabs into my gums on a regular basis.

Indeed!!! I was just thinking that *;)

*laugh* my dad used to get those so he could fiddle with his model trains! and just yesterday, i read that they are also used to help clean seashells!!

I clean my computer keyboard with one. I should excavate a larger area so things would not keep sliding onto the floor!

Sculpture From Athens Dig Is Ancient Masterpiece ATHENS (Reuters) - A marble statue unearthed in Athens last month is the third known masterpiece of an outstanding Greek sculptor who lived more than 2,500 years ago, archaeologists said on Friday. "This discovery is very important as we now have a new masterpiece by one very renowned sculptor," Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos told reporters. The archaic Greek statue -- a Kouros -- was carved in the sixth or seventh century B.C. by the Sculptor of Dipylo, named after the place where his first statue was found a century ago. His real name remains a mystery. The statue of a standing male youth was in excellent condition, displaying the stern expression, almond-shaped eyes and long, ornate curls characteristic of the Archaic period. It was found lying face down near a branch of the ancient river Iridanos during excavations by the German archaeological school in the central Athens district of Kerameikos, the site of the ancient city walls and cemeteries. Only two other works by the Sculptor of Dipylo have been discovered, both standing male youths like the latest find. One is now in the New York Metropolitan Museum and one in the National Museum in Athens. The rigid Kouros -- and the female equivalent, the Kore -- statues preceded the more naturalistic, Classical sculptures of Athens' Golden Age. Their fists are clenched, arms close to the body, and usually one foot is stepping out ahead of the other. "There is no doubt that this is the work of the sculptor of Dipylo," German archaeology Professor Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier told reporters during a presentation of the finds. Niemeier is leading the excavation. The German Archaeological Institute, which has been digging in the same area since 1913, also unearthed two marble lions, fragments of a Sphinx whose exact twin was found almost 100 years ago, and the remains of two capitals, all from the sixth century B.C. Asked if there were more ancient artefacts in the Kerameikos area, despite 150 years of extensive excavations, Niemeier said anything was possible. "A hundred years ago archaeologists discovered the first finds of the sculptor (of Dipylo) and we were almost certain that that was it. Now I can only say that I really, really don't know any more," he said.

yaaay, any pics yet?

I'm still looking for the elusive picture. You can rest assured that I will post it as soon as I find one.

A picture released by the Greek culture ministry of an ancient sphinx dated 560 B.C., one of the important findings, which came into light during excavations at the Kerameikos ancient cemetary in Athens, and were presented during a press conference at the ministry on Friday. The excavations were carried out by the German Archeaological Institute. http://www.ana.gr/

I am still looking for the statue of the kouros. Even if I keep it for my eyes only. If you wonder why, search google.com for what a kouros is.

uh oh!!

Alas, as I mentioned some time ago, bits of a delicate nature are missing from most of these beautiful naked Greek male youth statues. Noses and other parts which protrude from the main body seem most fragile. You can find lovely examples here http://www.eekman.com/virtual_gallery/sculptures/kouros.shtml

Masterpiece revealed - Statue found at Kerameikos is work of early 6th century master Archaeologists cleaning a channel associated with the Eridanus River that flowed through the Kerameikos cemetery in antiquity were surprised to discover an early sixth-century BC masterpiece by the first great Attic sculptor, known as the Sculptor of Dipylos because of the site where part of this kouros�s twin was found in 1916. The new kouros was found face down along with other marble sculptures. It was used to hold up a road surface and showed marks from cart wheels. The marble statue of a young man that was discovered in the ancient Kerameikos cemetery last month is a masterpiece created by the first great sculptor of Attica, officials said yesterday. The 2.10-meter-high statue is the better-preserved twin of a kouros, as the archaic type is known, part of which was found in 1916 and is on display at Athens�s National Archaeological Museum. A slightly smaller one (1.84 meters), found in 1932, is at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The statue was found lying face down on April 5 during a German Archaeological Institute excavation aimed at cleaning a channel associated with the Eridanus River, which traversed the cemetery in antiquity. The statue, dating from about 600 BC, was the most important of several other finds, including a sphinx (dated to about 560 BC and whose twin is also in the Athens museum after being found in 1907), two early-sixth century marble lions (one of which is in perfect condition) and fragments of columns. �After 140 years of excavations at the Kerameikos no one could have imagined a new work by the Sculptor of Dipylos coming to light. And yet this happened,� archaeologist Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier, who is responsible for the digs, said at an official presentation at the Culture Ministry yesterday. The artist�s name is not known but he has been named for the fact that the first kouros was discovered at the Dipylos, or Double Gate, on the eastern side of Keremeikos. �We have a new masterpiece by a known sculptor, the sculptor of Dipylos,� said Culture Minister Evangelos. Niemeier said that the finds were discovered near the Sacred Gate (on the west side of Kerameikos) under a dirt track which was created during the construction of Athens�s new defensive walls by Themistocles in 479-478 BC. �It appears that the Eridanus would flood at this point now and then. The sculptures show marks of wagon wheels that passed over them. In a way, they held up the road surface,� Niemeier said. Further research will indicate their original placements. Niemeier surmised that Persian invaders destroyed the burial plots and the Athenians had then used the fragments in construction work. �The new finds from Kerameikos enrich our picture of Athens�s archaic sculpture. It is especially important that we have a new masterpiece by the first great Attic sculptor, the Dipylos sculptor,� he said. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100004_11/05/2002_16308

I wish they had turned him over! I've seen the one in the Metropolitan! He was holding up the road surface?! How terrible that is.

Aha! Persistence and determination has proven fruitful. I have a front view! From CNN international: Ancient statue 'a masterpiece' ATHENS, Greece (AP) --German archaeologists digging in a Greek burial ground have found a 2,600-year-old statue that appears to be another masterpiece by an acclaimed -- but anonymous -- ancient artist. The find -- a nearly complete statue of a young man called a "kouros" -- bears the stylistic hallmarks of works attributed to a sculptor known only as Dipylos after the neighborhood where his works were found. "After 140 years of excavations ... no one could imagine that a new work by the Dipylos sculptor would come to light. But it happened," Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier, head of the German archaeological digs in the area, said Friday. The new statue was discovered in March along with other antiquities, including two lion sculptures and a sphinx, near the Sacred Gate, one of two portals into ancient Athens. The finds date from the Archaic period, which was about 900-510 B.C. Another Dipylos kouros is at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The National Archaeological Museum in Athens also has one. Digs in the area have been going on for more than a century and fragments of several kouros figures have been found. But it is rare to find one as complete as the latest find, which is missing portions of its legs and face. Similarities in facial features, hair and body type among all the finds have led experts to believe they were created by the same artist or workshop. Niemeier said the newly uncovered statue has striking similarities to the Dipylos work in New York. When it was complete, the statue may have stood as tall as 6 feet 6 inches tall. "This find is important ... Greece, which is a vast archaeological area, provides and will always provide the joy of this kind of discovery," said Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos. Kouros are sculptures of standing young men, typically with one leg slightly forward. Their original use or meaning is unknown. Some were later used as building material for roadways, presumably after they lost their cultural significance. The sphinx dates back to 560 B.C. and is the twin of one found in 1907. One of the two lions was found in fragments, but the other was intact, Niemeier said.

Kouros are sculptures of standing young men, typically with one leg slightly forward. Their original use or meaning is unknown. Some were later used as building material for roadways, presumably after they lost their cultural significance. My favorite thing - smashing up antiquities to make roadways. How sad I am...

Two olive trees rowed to Otranto by crew of the Olympic Idea craft The Olympic Idea is a triacontor � a replica of the 30-oared craft that plied the Mediterranean in antiquity. It set out from Piraeus on Palm Sunday and arrived in Otranto on May 2, bearing two olive trees from Iraklion to this formerCretan colony to build cooperation and cultural ties between Greece and the Grecophone areas ofsouthern Italy. HELBI A 30-oared triacontor called Olympic Idea has sailed from the port of Piraeus to the port of Otranto in Sicily, carrying two olive trees from Iraklion, Crete, to be planted in the park of Otranto. The intention was to establish new deep roots for cooperation and cultural exchanges between Greece and the Greek-speaking areas of southern Italy. The triacontor and its crew of 30 young rowers set out on Palm Sunday, April 28, and arrived in Otranto on May 2, where it met with a rapturous reception from the eight mayors of the Greek-speaking areas of southern Italy. Otranto was the Cretan colony Idria in antiquity. In addition to the two olive trees, the boat also bears the Olympic Idea, which is its name. The whole enterprise was organized by the Ligue Europeenne and its president, Ioannis Sakellaridis.

I have created Hisory 10 to discuss Greece's history. I can think of no country more deserving of this tribute - my humble opinion, of course. http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/history/10/new Historical Setting of Greece THE BURDEN OF HISTORY lies heavily on Greece. In the early 1990s, as new subway tunnels were being excavated under Athens, Greece's museums were being filled to overflowing with the material remains of the past: remnants of houses from the Turkokratia (the era of Ottoman rule); coins and shops from the period of the Byzantine Empire; pottery remains from the Greek workshops that flourished during the Roman Empire; and graves, shrines, and houses from the classical period when Athens stood at the head of its own empire. The glories of ancient Greece and the splendor of the Christian Byzantine Empire give the modern Greeks a proud and rich heritage. The resilience and durability of Greek culture and traditions through times of turmoil provide a strong sense of cultural destiny. These elements also pose a considerable challenge to Greeks of the present: to live up to the legacies of the past. Much of the history of the modern state of Greece has witnessed a playing out of these contradictory forces. An important theme in Greek history is the multiple identities of its civilization. Greece is both a Mediterranean country and a Balkan country. And, throughout its history, Greece has been a part of both the Near East and Western Europe. During the Bronze Age and again at the time of the Greek Renaissance of the eighth century B.C., Greece and the Near East were closely connected. The empire of Alexander the Great of Macedonia brought under Greek dominion a vast expanse of territory from the Balkans to the Indus. The Byzantine Empire, with its heart in Constantinople, bridged the continents of Europe and Asia. Greece's history is also closely intertwined with that of Europe and has been since Greek colonists settled the shores of Italy and Spain and Greek traders brought their wares to Celtic France in the seventh century B.C. A second theme is the influence of the Greek diaspora. From the sixth century B.C., when Greeks settled over an expanse from the Caucasus to Gibraltar, until the dispersal of hundreds of thousands of Greeks to Australia and Canada during the 1950s and 1960s, Greeks have been on the move. The experience of the diaspora has been and continues to be a defining element in the development of Greece and Greek society. The third major theme is the role of foreign dependence. Until 1832, the Greek nation had never existed as a single state. In antiquity, hundreds of states were inhabited by Greeks, so the Greek national identity transcended any one state. For much of their history, Greeks have been part of large, multiethnic states. Whether under the suzerainty of the emperors of Rome or the dominion of the Ottoman Empire, much of Greek history can only be understood in the context of foreign rule. In more recent times, the fortunes of Greece have been linked in integral ways to the struggles of the Great Powers in the nineteenth century and the polarizing diplomacy of the late twentieth-century Cold War. The history of Greece and the Greek people, then, is bound up with forces and developments on a scale larger than just southeastern Europe. To understand the history of Greece, one has to examine this complex interplay between indigenous development and foreign influences. http://www.gogreece.com/learn/history/historical_settings.html

Temple ruin goes hi-tech Ancient ruins unearthed by builders on a housing development in Wiltshire could be turned into a tourist attraction. Archaeologists believe the discovery, much of which is still buried beneath a modern housing estate, is an extensive Roman water temple. Now experts are examining the idea of using display panels to simulate the temple and setting up a website to recreate how the site would have looked. There has been uncertainty over what to do about the find since is was stumbled upon by workmen at Abbey Meads, Swindon, in 1996. Play area At that time the construction of 25 new houses was cancelled. The site, surrounded by about 1,000 houses, is still used by locals as a play area. Paul Weston, from Land Use, a firm researching how to develop the ruins, said: "We are proposing a small observatory platform where you will be able to look at a reconstruction of the site." A hoard of silver coins and a stone-lined water system were also discovered at the location. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1975000/1975136.stm

BRITISH MUSEUM CHANGESPOSITION ON PARTHENON MARBLES London, 26 May 2002 (19:53 UTC+2) The new Director of the British Museum, Neil McGregor, who will take up his duties in August, agreed, according to today's �Sunday Telegraph�, to start working on the Parthenon Marble's issue as soon as he begins. In fact, Mr. McGregor is prepared to have discussions with the British Committee for the Repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles for the first time in the long conflict of the two sides. The Telegraph mentions that the British Museum is more lax on the Marbles issue, although today's Director recently stated that the marbles will never return to Greece. According to the Sunday Times, this apparent change in attitude has to do with the fact that the Greek government promised to give the British Museum other recent archeological finds, in exchange for the Marbles. This could allow the British Museum, always according to the Telegraph, to cover a huge deficit it has by charging visitors for a possible special exhibit of new archeological finds from Greece. http://www.mpa.gr/article.html?doc_id=270805

* Faces from the Ice Age * A German scientist is reawakening interest in what he thinks may be the oldest lifelike drawings of humans yet discovered. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_2012000/2012385.stm

Has the face of the creator of Stonehenge been staring at us unrecognised for more than 4,000 years? A British archaeologist claims to have seen a face carved into the side of one of the mighty stones at Stonehenge. It is the first face ever seen on the Neolithic monument and one of the oldest works of art ever found in Britain. It was recognised by Terrence Meaden, an archaeologist with a fascination for the ancient standing stones of the British Isles. "I just happened to be there at the right time of day because only when the light is right can you see it properly. During the summer months it is only obvious for about a hour each day around 1400." It is amazing that it has never been recognised before. Dr Meaden believes that it was missed because previous researchers concentrated on the fronts of the standing stones and not their sides. The particular viewing conditions to see it at its best will have also played a part in it not being seen. "But once you see it it's obvious," he says. It seems to carry a serious expression, almost a frown, as it looks across the Salisbury plain. Stonehenge was built about 2450 BC but why does Dr Meaden believe the carving was made at the time and was not done much later. "Why would anyone do that?" he asks, "The type of stone, Sarsen, is the hardest stone know to man. It would have taken hundreds of hours working on a platform to do it. Why bother?" Meaden's photographs are being evaluated by other archaeologists. He also claims that other faces can clearly be seen on the Avebury stones not far from Stonehenge. But who is the face of Stonehenge? "We will never know," says Meaden, "He could be the patron of the monument or even its architect. Perhaps the designer of Stonehenge has been looking at us for four thousand years and we didn't see him." Terence Meaden can be contacted by email at terence.meaden@stonehenge-avebury.net. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_474000/474977.stm

Here is the "face" at Avebury. Esbee, get thee hither and look into it for us!

i see a face in both of them (but i could see a face in the smoke from the world trade centers too)

I see Mme Pele in the smoke clouds over the volcano, too. I really should have put those "faces on the megaliths" in Geo 31 which is where the rest of them are. If you look long enough at anything I think it is possible to see anything you wish to see. That German one is truly imaginative. I saw nothing of what he saw.

Esbee, get thee hither and look into it for us! Right! i'm on the case. Will be there ASAP!! ....er, of course, that wont be for another year, but still - *happy dance* *singing* i'm going back to England!! It does look like a face, doesnt it?

Better late than never... Antiquities law Parliament yesterday passed a new law on antiquities, according to which anyone illegally in possession of objects dating to before 1453 must declare them to the authorities within 12 months of the law�s publication in the government gazette and may be allowed to keep them. Restrictions also apply, in some cases, to artifacts up to 100 years old. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100022_31/05/2002_17062

Yup it does look like a face. I'd love to join you on that trip...*sigh*

Why Dont you???? You'd be most welcome! :-)

Sweetie, I'm leaving for your neck of the woods for a week at least on Thursday!

Can you do lunch on Sunday??????

are you really??? *WOW*

Hang on. Gotta check with Iki. Email me your phone number, please!!! I'll be midstate, Wolfie, but we just have to meet one of these days. perhaps on my return trip. More details in email *;)

Yes, I am. Been loading and talking to people on my laptop to make sure I can contact them all and have addresses I need. If you don't hear from me,. drop e a line with Hello as the subject and I will add you to my address list. Thanks. Geo will not be forsaken!

First volume of 'Protato's Relics' presented Athens, 05/06/2002 (ANA) The first of two volumes of ''Protato's Relics'', a publication including all ritual relics safeguarded for centuries at Protato's temple, was presented during a special event held at the Old Parliament building on Tuesday. Among others, Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Vasso Papandreou, Education Minister Petros Efthymiou, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Alternate Foreign Minister Tassos Giannitsis attended the event. Father Ioannis, a monk and secretary of the Holy Community, referred to the contents of the first volume, saying that the Holy Community appealed to acknowledged Greek experts for its excellent appearance. http://www.gogreece.com/news/headlines/story.html?id=5358

Historical background: On an autumn stormy night in the middle of the Sicilian Channel a sailing cargo ship is in serious distress. The captain is cursing for having ignored the first signs that a few hours before had warned of the weather worsening, and for having decided not to stop for the night in Pantelleria Island in front of which the ship had passed two hours before, just after the sunset. The 24 meters long ship, rigged with a single mast and a big square sail, left the port of Carthage on the African coast early the morning before, heading toward the port of Marsala, in Sicily, were she planned to arrive the next morning with her mixed cargo composed mostly of 600 amphorae of three different qualities of wine, 50 amphorae of oil, other goods, some slaves to sell on the slave market in Selinunte and a few passengers. The first half of the 110 NM trip went very fine, until in view of the island of Pantelleria, when the south-western breeze turned into a fresh and taut NW wind, with moderated waves. he captain evaluated the new situation, considering the possibility in heading towards Pantelleria and passing the night there. Finally decided to head directly toward Sicily. The wind grew stronger, reaching soon a stormy force with very heavy sea. The ship can't proceed, the sail gets damaged, and many times the ship risks to capsize. The captain decides to head back toward Pantelleria, hoping to find a shelter along the coast of the island. While inverting her course the ship is invested by giant waves on her side, and the mast gets broken. The sailors manage to somehow repair it, and now the ship heads toward Pantelleria with reduced sail. In the darkness of the night the captain views what seems to be a small repaired bay with relatively calm waters behind a rocky headland, and decides to try to reach it. While approaching he gives orders to the men to stay ready with anchors and sailing rigs. But something goes wrong, the sea and wind push the heavy ship over the opening of the bay, and towards the ro ks. The men can clearly hear the thunder of the waves breaking on the rocks; they throw at sea all the anchors trying to arrest the ship, but it is all vane. All the anchors get broken, and the ship hits violently and repeatedly on the rocks. Tons on water enter from the broken hull, then the sea takes back what already is a floating wreck; part of the cargo is overthrown at sea, until the ship finally sinks. Some of the men survived, but the majority of the crew, passenger and "goods" drowned. If you'd like to read more about this classical era shipwreck: http://www.fifthd.com/divestore/classes/events.htm

Finding the lost city of Atlantis is tantamount to locating the Holy Grail. So when Anton Mifsud and a group of Maltese investigators put together a compelling body of research citing Malta as one of the fabled civilisation�s remnants, more than a few eyebrows were raised. In publication now since 2000, the concise study has sparked wide interest, while also attracting international TV crews and publishers. This is mainly due to the validity of the suggestions put forth in Malta � Echoes of Plato�s Island, authored by Anton Mifsud, Simon Mifsud, Chris Agius Sultana and Charles Savona Ventura. The research presented by Anton Mifsud makes a strong case that the Maltese and Pelagian Islands � which include Lampedusa, Linosa and Lampione � are the remnants of Plato�s Atlantis, although he had originally set out with the intention of disproving such a theory. Mifsud explains that he actually became frustrated by his failure to discredit the suggestion put forth by fellow researcher Chris Agius Sultana � that today�s Maltese Islands form part of what was left when the sizeable land mass of Atlantis was submerged. The link for this is: http://www.maltamag.com/topstory/atlantis100402/

Thank you Cheryl!!! I can't wait until I have a moment to read the REST of the stories. They are currently retracing ancient ship routes in modern rebuilds of athe same ships.

This is for those who interested on the genealogical tree of the Greek ancient god's. ...In the beginning, Hesiod says, there was Chaos, vast and dark. Then appeared Gaea, the dep-breasted earth, and finally Eros, ' the love which softens hearts ', whose fructifying influence would thenceforth preside over the formation of beings an things. From Chaos were born Erebus and Night who, uniting, gave birth in their turn to Ether and Hemera, the day. On her part Gaea first bore Uranus, the sky crowned with stars, ' whom she made her equal in grandeur, so that he entirely covered her '. Then she created the high mountains and Pontus, ' the sterile sea ' with its harmonious waves... Find more information about each one here: http://www.ancientgreece.com/mythology/mythology.htm With my special regards to Marcia's friends in the Tennessee archaeological company. John

How wonderful, John! I will give your regards to my friends and let them know that not only the people they study had geneologies. It looks quite familiar not only from remembering my childhood studies of Greek Mythology and trying to keep who was who is my mind, but it is also something I have come tolook over bvery carefully over the weekend and this week in reveiwing all I heard presented in learned papers at the conference. Zeus did create a lot of children, but his ancestry was memorable!

As an aside, I find it remarkable that Athena is listed as from the union of Zeus and Hera. I thought Athena came full born and in armor from her father's head. I did not know who or if there was a mother involved!

*laugh* everyone came from chaos!!

Have you think that the myths but also the Old Testament are trying to tell humans a truth that they can not understand with their knowledge Marcia? Indeed! Finally, Everything came really from Chaos Wolfie. Remember also Big-Bang theory. Our universe became from the NOTHING! John

Yes, John, you are quite right. Allegories have always been forms of teaching us what we should know and what to believe is true. We are more than a little dense and stubborn in coming to terms with these mystical truths. I am trying. My Host has found his answers. I am still looking. Chaos has been my life forever. I try to be the calm still place within it so I can think quietly, but that is not always possible. The truth remains unchanged no matter what form the tales take to make it easier to understand. We just have to find the right ones for us, I suppose. Each of us.

Finally, there will always be MUCH humans do not understand. If their egos are not in the way, then some sort of prejudgement is. *Sigh*

The Boule - Development and Spread of a Greek Institution in Ancient Times The Boule, a basic institution of the ancient city-state in historical times, consisted of the citizens' representatives who assembled in order to confer and decide about public affairs. In the cities of Ionia it was called "Boule", "Gerousia", or "Synedrio", whereas in the Dorian cities it was called "Alia", "Apella", or "Aliaia". The first archaelogical finds of buildings serving this purpose date back to the 6th century BC, although already in prehistorical times certain open spaces or buildings were used as places of assembly by the members of a particular community. The first reference to the term "Boule" is found in Homer's epics, where it means the council of noblemen attending the king and assisting him in the exercise of the legislative, executive, and judiciary powers. The decisions of this aristocratic body were announced at the assembly of the active citizens, which consisted of the warriors and was called initially "Agora" and later "Ekklesia". The "Boule" and "Ekklesia" of historical times were government bodies of varying size, social constitution and political role in different cities and periods, and thus defined the democratic or oligarchical character of the government of each city-state. As they developed historically from the archaic to the classical period, these bodies were expanded and represented wider strata of the population to a different degree in different cities. At the same time the common citizens participated more actively in public affairs, as a result of the expanded responsibilities of the "Ekklesia of Demos" (Assembly of the People). This development culminated in the democratic regime of Athens in the middle of the 5th century BC. The Boule of Athens, consisting of 500 members, i.e., 50 members from each of the ten tribes, was invested with considerable consultative, legislative and judiciary powers. It drew up laws and proposals, the so-called "provouleumata", on political, economic and administrative matters, and submitted them for voting to the "Ekklesia of Demos", the general assembly of the citizens. The executive authority at the highest level was exercised by the "Prytany", consisting of the 50 representatives of each tribe who held office alternately for one tenth of the year. The Hellenistic and Roman periods were characterised by interference in the cities' internal affairs on the part of Hellenistic monarchs and Rome. Through increasing subjugation to them the city gradually lost its political autonomy, and the political role of the Boule, as a symbol of local self-government, was limited. These developments took place both in the Greek mainland and the Greek colonies, since the institution of the Boule spread along with the Greek colonial expeditions, mainly to Asia Minor as well as to Lower Italy and Sicily. Much more here: http://www2.fhw.gr/projects/bouleuterion/ John

I will go seek more information about the Boule. Is that the same root for which we get Boulean logic? I suspect it is! Thank you for a bit of classical archaeology in a house full of archaeologists who talk about archaeology of a far different sort. I can better relate to yours than to mine (if southern archaeology is anything like "mine" though I rather think it is NOT.) I have been proofing a rather lengthy paper for a jopurnal for my host. He was kind enough to acknowlede my research contributions and now is kind enough to listen to my suggestions. I am most pleased. This is about as close as I will get to becoming an archaeologist! For that reason alone, this time away from Hilo has been of great worth to my heart and soul. Discussions long into the night result from sitting down to have something small to eat. One night we alctually talked until after the sun rose. My mind has hungered just to listen to such a conversation. To take part in this is a honor and joy I will never forget. And, I am living surrounded by books it will take me two lifetimes to read, but I eagerly devour one whenever I can. My absence from Geo is unconscionable but please forgive me. This is a dream of a lifetime to have the opportunity to be present at discussions of the most elemental archaeological research - and the resultant episodic tales of interesting things that happened during t e course of researching it. Thank you again, John. Our foundations could never pass the tests of the Bouleans of Ancient Greece. We are getting far too indiscriminate and thoughful.

No Marcia. It has the root of the Greek ancient word "VOULOMAI" = "I WANT". Boule or VOULI = The place where they are expressing and discussing what they wanted or what were their opinion on each subject. They used logic but not the Boolean Logic. "smile" John

Do you believe that the helicopter existed in the ancient world? This is a photo of an ancient temple at Abydos, Egypt. It shows some objects that seem like our contemporary aircraft. Do you think that you see a helicopter on it? Find more about ancient flying machines here: http://paranormal.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.veling.nl%2Fanne%2Ftemplars%2Fancientaircraft_nf.html John

well, yeah, it looks like a helicopter. where'd you get this pic? i've watched just about everything on the ancient pyramids and this is the first time i've seen anything like this!

Oh John! This is very strange and amazing and VERY easy to fake. Do you believe in their authenticity? Erik Von Daniken was full of this sort of thing. Many followed him and the innocent public swallowed it whole.

(Yes, I understand the Boolean Logic!!! *;))

I don't know. But I wonder. Look what big steps have made our technology the last 50 years. And he makes bigger and bigger steps every second now. Why we are the first generation that can make incredible things? In any case is mystery. I am very reserved against Erik Von Daniken. But when I wondered what is doing a green hill at the mid of low land, I was informed that there was ancient buildings under it. Just as Erik Von Daniken suggests. John

i've never heard of erik von daniken......

Wolfie, Von Daniken wrote books explaining many things all of which were space beings created. Anything we cannot explain he explained away with alien asissistance. Unhappily he did not do very good research even if some of his theories have proven true. In turn, he created a bit of a rush for other suthors to make other such suggestions and a lot of books appeared in the same manner as his. I have just about all of them since my Dad and I discussed them./ Unhappily, most played down religion as worshipping these aliens. "Chariots of the Gods" was Von Daniken's first and most famous book.

By way of introduction, I am an archaeologist working in Louisville, Kentucky. My research interests are oriented primarily toward historic era sites and materials including the study of 19th century rural farmsteads, sites associated with niter mining and the production of blackpowder, the identification and analysis of archaeologically recovered firearm-related artifacts, 19th century grave markers, and folk/traditional architecture. A current research project is an extended study of Civil War era paper mills in the Confederate South. For me, part of the excitement of my field is not merely the chance to examine a wide variety of early materials but the opportunity to explore many little known and previously overlooked vistas of past lifeways. Comments and discussion on archaeological topics are welcomed.

Welcome, Don! You honor us with your presence. I am certain when people find you are the REAL thing that many questions will arise for your answering. Per tradition, I add my *HUGS* of Aloha and a warm hope that you will feel very much at home here. As my host, you have been more than kind. This was unexpected and is greatly appreciated. You do us great honor on Geo's third birthday.

Welcome Donald. It is great honour your presence between us. Geo is based on scientific reality from its creation time before just three years. So, your scientific position will help us understand our roots, from where and through what filter meshes we are going to the unknown future. Archaeologist is a time researcher walking on unknown paths of previous levels of the human life. A small part of the work of an Archaeologist is that he is distinguishing and conclude for the historical events (Most people believe that it is the whole work of an Archaeologist). I know that it is not true. Materials, technology and the way of life in the past years are very interesting since the pleated frill of history has many dark areas. I am glad that I can discuss with you. Personally, I hate the platitudinous history (mainly for those dates) but I am very interested for the lost captures of the human perceptive mind. My best wishes from Volos, Central East Greece. John

Hi Don, Marcia and all. City of Knossos The Palace of King Minos From the Palace of Knossos Inside the Queen's mansion in the east wing of the palace. �Excavations showed that the area was inhabited since the Neolithic times (6000 BC and perhaps even earlier) and verified that the Neolithic levels of Knossos are amongst the deepest in Europe. An important Pre Palace already existed on this Neolithic site as far as 3000 BC. while the first Palace was built around 2000 BC and destroyed 300 years later. On the same site a new Palace was built, more elaborate than the previous, only to be severely damaged from an earthquake one hundred years latter. During this period we see the development of a series of satellite buildings like the "Little Palace", the "Royal Villa" and the "South House". Knossos has now developed into a large city whose population - judged by the adjacent cemeteries - must have not been less than 100 000 inhabitants. The Palace now lives and prospers until the next disaster of around 1450 BC connected to the volcanic eruption of Santorini. Following this event, it is restored once more and used by the Achaean sovereign until at least 1380 BC although other city states in Crete had already been destroyed. After its final destruction the palace was not used again except for the "temple of Rhea" in later historical times. Knossos survived through the historical times as a great city - state until the first Byzantine times. Its final decline came during the Middle Ages where it was diminished to an unimportant small village with the name "Makrys Toihos". The Palace of Knossos is divided by its central court into two wings, the West and the East. The West wing where the visitor enters today is where the religious and official state rooms are found while the East wing is occupied by domestic rooms and workshops. More and good photos here: http://www.dilos.com/region/crete/kn_01.html John

Hi Don Find local weather forecast and the sky map for your place in our portal. It is under Weather, Time & SKY Reports For GEO-Friends. Best regards from the hot Greece John

Don is working offline and I have the modem cord (is it possible to link up a W95 and W98 computer in a peer to peer network?) Thank you for posting the weather for this location. The links are even better. My humble gratitude and great hugs of aloha are yours for being the heart and soul of Geo during my forced "vacation" from home here with you. You are back on my desktop. Next - to find you on my IM...*SIGH*

New Acropolis Museum by 2004 ANA An artist�s impression of the new Acropolis Museum (c), as seen from the Acropolis. Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos announced yesterday that construction company Themeliodomi had been chosen for the first phase of the project, the foundations. The second phase is to begin sometime around September. The foundations of the new Acropolis Museum will begin to be laid by early next month and the building will be completed before the Athens Olympics, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. Denying reports that construction had been delayed, he said during a news conference, �We say with certainty that construction of the Acropolis Museum will be completed before the 2004 Olympics.� Venizelos rejected criticism that the museum would damage antiquities at the Makriyianni site facing the Acropolis. He argued that the building would stand on �stilts,� like the roof over the Akrotiri antiquities on Santorini. Athens hopes the new museum will help its efforts to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles that Lord Elgin sold to the British Museum. Prof. Anthony Snodgrass, chairman of the British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles, who was at the news conference, noted that public opinion in Britain was increasingly in favor of their return. He noted that the British Museum's new director, Neil McGregor, who assumes his duties in August, had agreed to meet with him. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100004_17/07/2002_18832

In the summer of 2000 and 2001, a scientific team directed by the Greek archaeologist Dr. Dora Katsonopoulou, President of the Ancient Helike Society, and Dr. Steven Soter of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, brought to light the Classical Greek city of Helike, destroyed and submerged by an earthquake and seismic sea wave in 373 BC. They also discovered its prehistoric predecessor, which was evidently submerged in the same place about two thousand years earlier. Classical Helike was the principal city of Achaea, in the northern Peloponnesos. It had a venerable pan-Hellenic temple and sanctuary of Poseidon, the god of earthquakes and the sea. For centuries after the city was destroyed, ancient writers reported that its submerged ruins could still be seen. Later the site was silted over and lost. The rest of this article is at: http://www.geoprobe.org/helike/news.html

Ruins May Be Ancient City Swallowed by Sea By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD From the New York Times, October 17, 2000, Section: Science Copyright The New York Times In a winter night in 373 B.C., the one-two punch of an earthquake followed by a surging tidal wave destroyed the grand old Greek city of Helike, near the Gulf of Corinth. The city was, coincidentally, a venerated center for worship of Poseidon, the god of earthquakes and the sea. The land and the city ruins sank beneath the sea, and all the people were said to have perished. Ancient Greece had not known a natural disaster as devastating in more than 1,000 years, when an exploding volcano destroyed much of the island of Thera, modern Santorini. The Helike catastrophe, some scholars speculate, may have inspired Plato's story of Atlantis, a land that supposedly sank to the bottom of the sea. For several centuries after the disaster, writers like Pliny, Strabo and Ovid reported that the ruins could still be seen on the sea floor, just offshore. Then all traces of Helike disappeared. Here was another "lost" city to challenge the sleuthing instincts of archaeologists. In excavations this summer, Greek and American researchers uncovered what they think is the first evidence pointing to the location of Helike (pronounced ha-LEE-key). After 12 years of searching, mostly offshore and invariably in vain, they began digging on a coastal plain near the town of Aigion, 45 miles northwest of Corinth. Some of their first trenches yielded stones of a paved road and building walls, classical ceramics and a bronze coin, which was minted in the late 5th century B.C. "It's just a glimpse," one of the researchers, Dr. Steven Soter of the American Museum of Natural History, said in an interview. "But it's the first strong evidence for Helike that is consistent with descriptions in ancient accounts." Dr. Soter and Dr. Dora Katsonopoulou, an archaeologist and president of the Ancient Helike Society in Aigion, reported the discovery at a recent conference of archaeologists in Greece. Though Dr. Soter is a planetary scientist, his research on earthquakes drew him into the search for Helike in collaboration with Dr. Katsonopoulou. Dr. Soter directed the use of remote-sensing technology like magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar in surveying buried terrain where the city was thought to be. These surveys, followed by the sinking of scores of bore holes, located ancient ceramic fragments and other evidence of human occupation over an area of about one square mile. Digging among the orchards and vineyards of modern villages, archaeologists reached layers of sediment 10 feet deep bearing classical pottery along with seashells and other marine remains. In their reports, the researchers said these findings suggested that the pavement and wall stones were from the time of Helike's destruction and supported stories that the city ruins were for a long time submerged in the sea or a lagoon. The ruins were buried by silt, which, combined with a general uplifting of the land, had left the once-submerged site about half a mile inland from the present shore. A house built on the shore between the Selinous and Kerynites Rivers in the 1890's is now about 1,000 feet from the sea. "It's a very important find in classical studies," said Dr. Robert Stieglitz, an archaeologist and classics professor at Rutgers University at Newark. "These are definitely signs of a settlement. Now they need to expand the excavations to look for the temple and theater and other public buildings that should be at the core of a city like Helike." As a measure of his confidence that the site of Helike has been found, Dr. Stieglitz said he would join the expanded excavations next summer. Dr. Soter and Dr. Katsonopoulou said the discovery of paving stones from a buried road might be especially rewarding. So far, only a short segment of the road's cobbles and boundary boulders have been uncovered, but enough to tantalize archaeologists. "We think the road may be the best thing we could find," Dr. Soter said. "This could lead us to the rest of the city. And it could provide a relatively undisturbed `time capsule' from the classical period of Greece." On the other hand, Dr. Soter acknowledged, the earthquake and tsunami, a towering sea wave, might have left few recognizable ruins. Scientists suspect that a strong earthquake set off a submarine landslide, which in turn produced the tsunami. Aftershocks of the quake could have caused the landscape to collapse, perhaps sinking below sea level. And a tsunami, perhaps more than 35 feet high, could have swept away most of the remains. But digging deeper and wider at the likely site of Helike will probably be irresistible to archaeologists seeking to learn more about public and private life during the golden age of Greece. At the time of Helike's destruction, Plato was teaching and Aristotle was a boy of 12. Socrates and Aristophanes had died at the beginning of the century.

Archaeologists from UCLA and the University of Delaware have unearthed the most extensive remains to date from sea trade between India and Egypt during the Roman Empire, adding to mounting evidence that spices and other exotic cargo traveled into Europe over sea as well as land. "These findings go a long way toward improving our understanding of the way in which a whole range of exotic cargo moved into Europe during antiquity," said Willeke Wendrich, an assistant professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA and co-director of the project. "When cost and political conflict prevented overland transport, ancient mariners took to the Red Sea, and the route between India and Egypt appears to have been even more productive than we ever thought." "The Silk Road gets a lot of attention as a trade route, but we've found a wealth of evidence indicating that sea trade between Egypt and India was also important for transporting exotic cargo, and it may have even served as a link with the Far East," added fellow co-director Steven E. Sidebotham, a history professor at the University of Delaware. The rest of the article is at: http://www.college.ucla.edu/berenike.htm

What's new in the world of achaeology? Is the world a time capsule?

What goods did India offer for trade, Cheryl?

The world is indeed a time bcapsule. Thanks TERRY!!!

Thanks for the great articles, Cheryl. I had missed them. Fascinating!

DB stitting beside the unique drystone wall of about 2 meters in height. Plum Creek, Spencer County, Kentucky

That wall is about 2 1/2 feet (.76M) THICK and 1,800 feet (550 M) LONG.

IMPORTANT FINDINGS IN THE PERAMA CAVE Important findings among them, human bones, came to light during the recent exploratory missions conducted in the Perama Cave by the Speleology Club of Ioannina. The human bones and the cave-bear teeth found by an exploratory team were discovered 60 meters away from the spot where the bones of another cave-bear, that lived 300.000 years ago, were found 40 years ago. http://www.hri.org/news/greek/mpa/2002/02-07-08.mpa.html

Terry, you'd asked what was India trading with the Roman Empire. Among those things were spices, especially black peppercorns. South Indian peppercorns dating from the first century have been excavated in Germany. Other goods included Indian coconuts, batik cloth, as well as exotic gems, including sapphires and carnelians. There were also glass beads which may have come from Sri Lanka.

If I recall correctly, there was also trade is scents and incense.

Sandalwood, of course, among others. You're right, Marcia.

According to Gutasagan (the Gotlandic Tale), Gotland was an enchanted island , which rose every evening and sank again every morning. The enchantment was broken when a man by the name of Tjelvar came to the island, bringing with him fire. Geological studies have shown that, although the tale might not be true, the island has sunk and risen again many times from the sea. In this way Gutasagan, written down in the beginning of the 13th century, tells its version of the origin of Gotland. Still today the island is as enchanted, very rich on memories from the past. In an endless number of archaeological remains in the countryside as well as in Visby you can see ancient time, middle ages and present time running side by side. You can see it from the more than 90 middle age churches still in use. Archaeological findings show that people have lived on Gotland for over 8,000 years. Over 31,000 ancient remains have been recorded, making the island one of the richest areas in Scandinavia in this perspective. Everywhere in the landscape one is impressed by mighty shipmoulds and stonegraves from the bronze age, as well as the more than 700 gravefields from the iron age. You can read more at: http://gotland.luma.com/History.html

Thanks, Cheryl. This is fascinating and new to me. However, I am not surprised. Little volcanic islands have formed and submerged into the North Atlantic off Iceland for as long as written history has been kept there. The Sagas go even further back in time. How great that Ultima Thule has another name and a little geology to back it up. I rather like the whole idea. Heaven? Not warm enough for me, but it makes sense geologically.

Hope for the Temple of Zeus Ditching 16-year old plans � which were never implemented � to partially conserve the battered Temple of Olympian Zeus in central Athens, one of the capital�s major landmarks, the Ministry of Culture has expressed willingness to press ahead with a wide-ranging facelift on the ruined building. During a meeting late on Tuesday, the ministry�s Central Archaeological Council (KAS) decided to commission a study on conserving the entire structure, which was the largest temple in mainland Greece. By the end of August, KAS agreed, the ministry�s restoration service must decide on the basic guidelines along which the study will be drawn up. In 1986, the ministry had approved restoration work on two of the temple�s 16 surviving Corinthian columns � initially, there were 104 � that supported a massive slab of marble from the architrave, which contains a large crack. But KAS found that project unsatisfactory. Council members stressed that conservation should proceed even at the cost of having the monument shrouded in scaffolding during the 2004 Olympics. The temple was completed in 131 AD, eight centuries after it was started. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100012_01/08/2002_19402

Only 800 years to finish the Temple of Zeus. That is even longer than it took to finish one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals of a later age. Cologne Cathedral was started in 1248 and was not completed until 1880; the latter generations of builders always remained faithful to the original plans. It only took over seven centuries for Cologne Cathedral, has opposed to the eight required for the completion of the Temple of Zeus. Oh, to have seen the Temple at its height in the 2nd Century, CE.

A large sophisticated civilization equal to Sumeria and Mesopotamia and thriving at the same time at least 5,000 years ago was lost in the harsh desert sands of the Soviet Union near the Iran and Afghanistan borders. But now details are beginning to emerge. This week I visited archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. There he has some exquisite pottery shards the Russian government gave him permission to bring back to the United States from his recent excavations in the Kara Kum desert of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the Iran and Afghanistan borders. No American archaeologist had been there since 1904 when New Hampshire archaeologist and geologist, Raphael Pumpelly, discovered ancient ruins at Anau in southern Turkmenistan near Iran. But the Soviets did not develop the Anau site. In the 1970s, Soviet archaeologists working west of Afghanistan reported vast ruins, all built with the same distinct pattern of a central building surrounded by a series of walls. Several hundred were found in Bactria and Margiana on the border that separates Afghanistan from Russia's Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. But nothing was reported beyond a few Soviet journals that were never translated. Then in 1988 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Dr. Hiebert first received permission to travel to Anau. He has discovered it is about 2,000 years older than the Bactria and Margiana sites further to the east, going back nearly seven thousand years to at least 4,500 B. C., or the Bronze Age. Not only are the oldest shards from there of high craftsmanship, this past summer Dr. Hiebert also found a black rock carved with red-colored symbols that, to date, are unidentified but considered to be evidence of a literacy independent of Mesopotamia. The discovery is revolutionary to earlier academic thought that Sumeria was the first civilization with language. If you want to read further about the "First Asians", here's the link: http://www.crystalinks.com/firstasians.html

Greek archaeologists have recently discovered a Late Neolithic or Chalkolithic period settlement that dates back to 5,000 BC on the island of Andros, the Cyclades, Greece. This settlement (which is actually a town, by the standards of that era) lies on the Strofilas plateau in western Andros and is unique in many ways. It is large, intensively built, fortified and very well preserved. The main body of the town stretches in an area of about three hectares and has --among others-- a number of big, rectangular, arch-ending buildings. Other findings include refined artwork (pottery, jewels), utilities, stone tools and weapons equipped with opsidian stone pikes, as well as figurines and many objects made of copper. Due to the variety and quantity of the latter, prehistoric archaeologists might have to reconstruct some of their views, regarding the start and level of metallurgy in the Aegaean. Indeed, the island of Andros seems to have been the ideal place to work out such techniques, for several reasons: it lies near continental Greece, it is rich in waters and has many fields that could easily support agriculture -a doubtlessly attractive area for people to settle. http://users.hol.gr/~ianlos/a014.htm

Great posts, Cheryl. My little first archaeological "dig" was anticlimatic. We found nothing but also were not disappointed as we were not expecting anything. Rescue archaeology is not like finding Troy, unfortunately! But, I did enjoy holding the shovel and carrying the maps.

Greek concern over museum�s lost head Not missing the opportunity to score points over the custodians of the Elgin Collection of Parthenon Marbles, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos yesterday sought explanations from the British Museum regarding the theft, this week, of a Greek artifact from its collections. The battered, 6th-century BC marble head of a woman was acquired by the museum in 1922, and Greece has never sought its return � unlike the architectural sculptures removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. The ministry yesterday said Venizelos has written to the museum�s new director, Neil MacGregor, �seeking information on the theft... given the historic and cultural interest Greece has in Greek antiquities, wherever they may be.� The 12-centimeter high head was found to be missing on Tuesday, and is believed to have been stolen the same day. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100012_03/08/2002_19487

Thanks to DirtDevil JohnG for sending me the following: Oldest bakery found -- and looks familiar By Seif Al-Nasrawi From the International Desk Published 7/28/2002 1:20 PM View printer-friendly version CAIRO, July 28 (UPI) -- An American archaeological team has discovered the remains of the oldest bakery to date used by ancient Egyptians to produce "sun bread" -- bread still made today in Egypt's southern villages, officials said Sunday. The secretary-general of the Archaeological Higher Council, Zahi Hawas, said the archaeologists were digging south of the Sphinx in Giza when they found what was, in the third millennium B.C., a fully stocked and functioning bakery. He told United Press International the discovery showed modern farmers in the rural villages in Egypt were still using the same methods to produce the same bread their forefathers made more than 4,000 years ago. The team, headed by archaeologist Mark Lener, found trays and tools used to make and ferment the dough. Also uncovered were closets used to store the seeds before sending them to the bakeries, Hawas said. Egyptologists said ancient Egyptians succeeded in producing yeast during the Old Dynasty (2686 to 2181 B.C.), and used it to produce the oldest known types of alcoholic beverages and 12 kinds of bread and pastries. Team leader Lener told UPI the team also found tools and equipment used to construct two of the three pyramids of Giza, built to bury two of the most important pharaohs who ruled in the Fourth Dynasty between 2613 and 2494 B.C. Among other discoveries: -- a collection of archaeological pieces used to count the laborers building the two pyramids, believed to have exceeded 20,000 workers; -- primitive statistical drawings to record the number of tools handed out to the workers; -- an industrial zone that manufactured bronze tools and special uniforms for the laborers building the pyramids. -- 250 ceramic stamps printed with the names of the Pharaohs Khafra and Manqara, owners of the second and third largest pyramids in Egypt. The latest discoveries came within an archaeological campaign by Egyptian and U.S. archeologists in the Giza and Sakkara areas to uncover tools and technologies used by the ancient Egyptians to build the pyramids.

Thanks Marcia, and thanks to DirtDevil JohnG. The Egyptians had a saying that was, "Like barley, eaten but maligned." They cultivated both wheat and barley. Wheat has always been incredibly valued a crop; this can be evidenced in that it has, and is, virtually never used as animal fodder. The Egyptians valued wheat higher as foodstuff than barley; however, they did make beer from barley.

I was just reading an archaeology report prepared in the prospect of a certain little river valley being submerged under a lake. They mentioned that the first white settlers in the valley raised corn for food and what was left over they made into "moonshine" (distilled spirits) which proved to be much more profitable. I suggest every new settler on the planet has discovered this truth. Even the ancient Egyptians!

Prehistoric burial ground discovered A prehistoric burial ground has been found at the site of a lost abbey in Cheshire. Cremated fragments of human bone believed to date back up to 4,000 years have been excavated in the hamlet of Poulton near Chester. They were discovered with broken pieces of pottery, believed to be the container in which they were buried. The Daily Post reports scientific tests confirm the bone is human and work is now under way to dig up all the remains. The discovery came during excavations to find the abbey of Poulton, which once stood on the site, bordering the Duke of Westminster's Eaton estate. Archaeologist Mike Emery, who is the brother of actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes, said: "The burial ground dates from between 2,300 BC and 1,000 BC. In the past we have discovered evidence hinting at prehistoric activity but this is a major find. "Once the site has been fully excavated we will send the bone for dating and we should be able to find out how many people were buried here, their gender and ages." Gerry Fair, a former Lord Mayor of Chester, who owns the land where the remains were found, says they'll go on permanent loan to the city. Mr Emer has run the dig independently for four years and is currently registering the Poulton Research Project as a charity. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_644681.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery.archaeology

Archaeologists excavate monastery to reveal Gaza Strip�s ancient lineage Away from the ongoing violence, researchers uncover the vestiges of Palestine�s Byzantine past EPA An archaeologist looks at the site of an ancient Byzantine monastery on Monday, near Nusseirat in the Gaza Strip. A mere 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Gaza City, after a short drive through lush vineyards, one discovers the stunning site of an ancient Byzantine monastery whose first church is believed to have been erected at the end of the fourth century AD. The site was first excavated by the Palestinian Authority in 1998, four years after it took control of the Gaza Strip. By Sophie Claudet - Agence France-Presse NUSSEIRAT, Gaza Strip - Just a short drive outside Gaza City, through lush vineyards, Palestinian and French archaeologists are excavating a remarkable Byzantine monastery which they hope will draw tourists once the violence is over. The site, whose first church is believed to have been erected at the end of the fourth century AD, was first excavated by the Palestinian Authority in 1998, four years after it took control of the Gaza Strip. �But the Israeli army stumbled on the site when it was still occupying the area, although the Israelis did not carry out proper digs,� explained Abdelaziz Midan, the site�s archaeological supervisor. The current works, mainly intended to uncover the remaining 20 percent of the large monastery that spans one and a half hectares (3.7 acres) in the middle of the Gaza Strip, are being undertaken by a French delegation of experts and financed by the French Consulate in Jerusalem. �We are working closely with the Palestinians at the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry,� said Rene Elter, who heads the French cooperation mission. �We bring them our expertise and benefit in return from their prior knowledge of the site,� he said. Midan could not agree more: �We greatly benefit from this cooperation by learning more about the significance of the site, by having access to technologies and an expertise we do not have or cannot afford.� Once the entire site is uncovered and its remarkable mosaics are restored, Palestinians hope to turn part or all of the site into a museum � with French help. �There are no tourists now, but they will be back one day,� says Ahmed Abdelrahman, who is responsible for the site�s excavation. Pupils and local inhabitants are already drawn to the site, attracted by its beauty and originality in the otherwise battered and impoverished Gaza Strip. To Elter, the site is of great importance on more than one account. �The monastery was originally built around the remains of Saint Hilarion, who settled here as a hermit. With him started the construction of monasteries throughout historical Palestine.� Saint Hilarion, of Greek descent, was born in Gaza in AD 329 and fled to Cyprus when his secluded hermitage was overrun by monastic followers. Although he died there, his remains were brought back to Gaza around AD 370. �Until the eighth century, this site was a mandatory resting and worshiping area for pilgrims coming from Jerusalem on their way to the Sinai,� he said. North of the monastery, vestiges of a hostel and the well-preserved remains of a hamam, or Turkish bath, with marble tubs, large pools, and a sophisticated plumbing network still stand. Elter attaches special value to this site because �it links Palestinians to ancient history, to their roots and ancestors. In fact, the Byzantines are more of their ancestors than they are ours,� he adds. The Nusseirat site, 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Gaza City, is one of the many Byzantine sites on the Gaza Strip, which also housed a large Roman city and port, rivaling Alexandria. �Egyptians, Persians and Greeks also once inhabited the Gaza Strip. The oldest vestige ever found here dates back 3,500 years and is Egyptian,� said Elter. Midan and Abdelrahman noted that Palestine and its indigenous Canaanite people were always occupied but that �some occupations were much better than others. The rulers were changing but the population stayed pretty much the same,� says Midan, who could not help drawing his colleagues� attention to an F-16 Israeli warplane streaking over the site. �It�s surreal working here because we�re cut off from reality, except for a few reminders when we hear bombings, shootings and planes in the distance,� says Elter. Meanwhile, Palestinian workers are busy uncovering and cleaning newly found mosaics whose tints of blue, red, green and ocher are wonderfully intact. Previously discovered mosaics feature delicate drawings of animals, birds, fountains and flowers. In the center of the site lie three floors of mosaics with intricate geometric patterns on which the last of the three churches that have been discovered so far was built. Elter is confident that yet another church will be discovered under the mosaics, one dating back to Saint Hilarion�s times. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_310430_08/08/2002_19621

Ancient tombs looted for antiques By Philippe Coumarianos - Agence France-Presse BAKHCHISARAI, Ukraine - Small-time tomb-raider Volodya shone his torch into the ancient terra-cotta amphora and swore. No gold. No precious stones. No documents. Nothing. Foiled, yet again. Night after night, Volodya and his band have combed the forests of southern Ukraine, tracking down one grave after another, in search of gold bracelets, rings and broaches commissioned by wealthy merchants but drawn a blank. Twelve burial sites, all dating back to the mists of time, have offered up a barrow-load of clay pottery but little that would flutter the hearts of the collectors and specialists who frequent the region�s illegal antiquities markets. �Hey, look over here,� hissed Sergei, an accomplice, as he bent over a stone slab he had uncovered at a depth of 3 meters (10 feet). �Another tomb.� Several hefty blows with a steel bar later, and Volodya is able to squeeze through a passage into the neighboring vault. This time the beam of his torch falls onto the scattered remains of a woman buried some 1,500 years ago. Scratching around among the bone fragments, he�s able to unearth a few bronze bits and pieces, some multicolor paste-glass necklaces, and some red earthenware jars, worth maybe a few hundred dollars at the Sevastopol flea market where Ukrainian and Russian collectors do their antiquity shopping. Every weekend in the season, the merchants and the adventurers gather on the hill overlooking the Black Sea port to negotiate their deals and commissions for the stolen historic treasures. Contacts are made by phone, or through trusted intermediaries for whom a nod is as good as a wink. The prize objects � gold artifacts, statuettes, glazed objects and vases from the Hellenic era � are sure of a rapid transfer to Moscow where they will change hands for a handsome profit. Some find their way onto the international antiquities market and to the auction houses where they can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. �It�s a disaster. Thousands of tombs have been looted in the past 10 years, and there�s no sign of it abating,� said Culture Ministry official Shukri Seytumerov. The Crimean peninsula, jutting into the Black Sea, forms a historic crossroads between the Mediterranean world and the Eurasian steppes. It has been home to numerous civilizations. The Scythians, among the earliest of the region�s known occupants, were followed from about the seventh century BC onward by the Greeks, to be succeeded by the legionnaires of Rome and the emperors of Byzantium. The burial sites, scattered over what is now wild and broken terrain, mostly date back to the period between the second century BC and the fourth century AD. Older Greek and Roman tombs are exceedingly rare. �Most of the tombs belonged to ordinary people. The objects buried with them usually have no commercial value but are extremely valuable historically,� said Seytumerov. During the winter, bands such as Volodya�s roam the region looking for possible sites and preparing for the spade work which they begin in the spring. They move in groups of three or four, communicating by cell phone and leaving men strategically posted to stand watch in case the police should show. �Their leaders are specialists, often having extensive historical knowledge comparable with archaeological experts,� Seytumarov noted. �Unfortunately, Ukrainian law is not strict enough to stamp out the trade in antiquities and the police are inefficient,� he said. In most cases, he noted, the few tomb-raiders who fell into police clutches faced little more than a suspended sentence. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_2031903_16/08/2002_19837

To GEO's resident archaeologist (even if he is currently too busy to be more than my guidance at this time...) HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DON !!! Ti leaf and Orchid Lei. Ti leaf for protecion against evil and orchids for beauty.

I did close the tags. I wonder what went wrong...b

14th century window on burrowed time Rabbits have been credited with unearthing the remains of a rare glass window which once adorned a 14th century manor house. An English Heritage spokesman says the rabbits, which burrowed into what appeared to be a mundane grass-covered hump, had uncovered a large quantity of hand-painted medieval glass. Conservation experts are now attempting to preserve the glass before it deteriorates after being exposed to the air. Further details about the discovery, which was made at a secret location in Warwickshire, are expected to be released by English Heritage later. Story filed: 08:16 Tuesday 13th August 2002 http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_649042.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery.archaeology

If you keep company with an archaeolgist long enough you will end up being suggested for giving a paper. I think the one I have kept company with of late has me in mind for a future meeting at which he will also give a paper. My topic will either be stone walls of central Tennessee - a survey. Or gravehouses of the same area. I photographed the latter last weekend and foundthem unique and fascinating. I will post images of them shortly. I am curious if anywhere else in the world has such structures.

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Marci, John, Cheryl, and others -- my sincere apologies for being silent these past few weeks. During this time, I have been continuing my work relating to a rather extended study of paper mills in the southern Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861-1865) as an aspect of industrial archaeology, the study of "archaic" manufacturing facilities. According to the 1860 Federal manufactures census schedules, there were but 24 such mills recorded in the southern states out of 555 in the entire nation. Efforts on the part of the Confederates resulted in the construction of several additional mills but the vast majority of these were destroyed during the war. The focal point of my efforts has been directed toward the history and architecture of the 1849 William S. Whiteman paper mill near the small settlement of Whites Creek near Nashville, (Davidson County) Tennessee. As best as I can determine, this forlorn structure is likely the last standing Confederate paper mill in existence. It operated as a paper m ll until the spring of 1862 when Whiteman fled Nashville in advance of the Union occuption of that town. After the war, it was not placed back into service and was converted into use as a barn about 1870 (a function it still serves). The paper making equipment was apparently sold long ago. The property left Whiteman family hands in 1919. Comments from folks familiar with any comparable studies would be greatly appreciated. Marci will be posting a photograph of this structure in the near future.

1849 Whiteman Paper Mill near Nashville, Tennessee

Notes on Whiteman Paper mill: The picture posted above is as the mill looks today. The center part with two windows, loft and main door are the original brick structure painted white on the outside. Interior shots to follow. The extensions to the left of the photograph are cattle sheds added after the mill ceased operation. The above photograph is in glorious black and white in preparation for journal publication on which Don is working.

hi Don!!

Center of Athens set to get new park by 2004 The 7-hectare area is situated next to the Byzantine Museum A panoramic view of the existing area surrounding Vassilisis Sophias and Vassileos Constantinou avenues as well as Rigillis Street. The new park, which will be constructed next to the Byzantine and Christian Museum, is set to become a mini oasis for Athenians. By Dimitris Rigopoulos - Kathimerini By the spring of 2004, once the extension to the Byzantine and Christian Museum is complete, the residents of Athens will be able to enjoy what is expected to be a unique, 7-hectare leisure park, an oasis between two of the city�s busiest roads (Vassilisis Sofias and Vassileos Constantinou) which will combine relaxing walks with archaeological sightseeing. Two events were catalytic to the forwarding of this ambitious plan: First and foremost was the discovery of the Aristotle Lyceum and the decision to transform it into an open-air archaeological site. The other factor was that the area on the corner of Vassileos Constantinou and Rizari, which once was an apartment building that was knocked down and then subsequently left to turn into a stinking swamp, is currently being transformed into a 700-space underground car park that will serve the nearby Evangelismos Metro station. According to the director of the Byzantine and Christian Museum, Dimitris Constantios, �intense pressure was applied on the ministries of Culture and Public Works for the right to exploit the land above the car park and make it a part of the park.� Their efforts paid off well and besides getting permission to use the area above the car park, the group was also allowed to plant trees and shrubbery which, according to Constantios, are part of a well-researched landscaping plan that examined the species of flora that existed in the area during antiquity. �We want to recreate the landscape and that is why you will not see plants here which have nothing to do with the Athenian reality,� he said. The new park will be open 24 hours a day (the museum will hire security personnel and have a closed-circuit television surveillance system installed) and admission will be free of charge. The aim of the park will be, first and foremost, to create a model environment and, secondly, to provide a leisurely ambience for visitors to the museum or to Aristotle�s Lyceum. �If we succeed in attracting more people to the museum that way, then so much the better,� said Constantios. To add to visitors� enjoyment, the museum also has a cafe overlooking the park at the back of the museum while there are plans to build a restaurant there as well. Furthermore, an idea to have a small-sculpture display area is being discussed, as are plans for a small, 400-seat amphitheater that will host various shows during the summer months. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/civ__2452120KathiLev&xml/&aspKath/civ.asp?fdate=19/08/2002

My best wishes for your birthday Don. I am late but it is better now instead never, as we say in Greece. I find your work very interesting and useful even if I work on completely different object. John

We say "better late than never" as our recycling of ancient axioms continues. I suspect that if we each did only one thing everyone considered "important" that history and many other fields would suffer. We hardly have time to teach today's children what we once learned. How will they ever know what is important and what is a waste of time? Only they can determine that. We each put pieces of the human experience puzzle into place to make a complete picture. John is as valuable in his profession and research as is Don in his. We need everyone. That, my mother informed me, was the reason we each liked different things. So we could get the most complete picture possible! Thanks for each of your different interests. Your expertise is what makes Geo precious.