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The US has one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialised world, with more than 2 million fires reported each year. |
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Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2006
Posted on Friday, December 22, 2006 (CST) by Thoth
 100,000 Year Old Shell Beads Found in Middle East: In June, two separate sites in the Middle East have yielded a total of three Nassarius shells that appear to have been deliberately modified to make beads for some type of body modification.
Carbon dating on these shells show them to be between 90,000 and 100,000 years old, making them the oldest known pieces of jewelry to date.
5,000 Year Old Dagger Found in Bulgaria: In August, a small gold and platinum dagger was excavated at a dig near Sofia, Bulgaria. Also found were several hundred tiny gold rings, silver vessels, and an array of pottery. Previous digs in the region have produced thousands of tiny gold rings dating to around 5,000-5,200 BC.
3,000 Year Old Writing Found on Stone Tablet in Mexico: In mid-September, workers
discovered a stone slab containing hieroglyphs at a rock quarry in
Veracruz, Mexico. Experts feel sure that the 28 different hieroglyphs
were made by an ancient society called the Olmec. This civilization
thrived in Mexico long before the Maya came to power, making these
hieroglyphs the oldest form of writing in the Americas.
Tumi Burials Found in Mexico: In late November,
archaeologists found 22 graves containing "tumi" knives. These
ceremonial blades have never before been found in a scientific manner
as all known pieces have come from tomb robbers. The Peruvian people
see the tumi as their national symbol even though this society lived in
the region long before the Incas.
Palace of Ajax Found in Greece: In March, Greek
archaeologists found what they say is a Mycenaean-era complex thought
to be the palace of the legendary warrior-king, Ajax. According to the
Greek writer, Homer, Ajax was one of the great heroes fighting against
the Spartans during the Trojan War. The ruins were found in exactly the
place Homer described in his story, The Illiad. One of the more
interesting finds at this dig was a piece of bronze armor with the
stamp of Pharaoh Rameses II, who ruled in the 13th century BC. The
ruins are thought to date from the same time span.
Aztec Altar and Monolith Found in Mexico: In early October,
archaeologists recovered an Aztec altar depicting the image of their
rain god, and an 11-foot monolith, while digging in the heart of Mexico
City. Spanish conquistadors destroyed the Aztec's capitol and built
Mexico City on it's foundation. In the center of the city stands one of
the few remaining temples of the Aztec nation, the Templo Mayor.
3,400 Year Old Canoe Found in England: In August, workers laying a
natural gas pipeline had to stop their work after finding what seemed
to be a large piece of tree trunk in their way. Archaeologists were
called in and soon realized that they had an ancient, hand tooled
canoe. Also found was a small settlement and some polished stone rings.
A small piece of the oak canoe was sent to Miami for radio carbon
dating, where it was announced that the tree was more than 3,000 years
old.
Book of Psalms Found in Irish Bog: In late July, a man working
in the peat bogs noticed a piece of leather. Experts were called in to
investigate and found the piece to be a book of psalms dating from
between 800-1000 AD. It is being hailed as the greatest find in recent
Irish history. The 20 page book was opened when found and it is thought
that the acidic conditions led to the books preservation.
Lucy's Baby: In late September, the
archaeological world was rocked with the discovery of a hominid child
dated to 3.3 million years old. The skeletal remains of child of the
same species as the famed "Lucy" was found in Great Rift Valley of
Eastern Africa. It will take several years for the skeleton to be
completely removed from the sandstone encasing in which it was found,
but the find will help experts in their understanding of human
evolution.
First Tomb Found in Egypt Since King Tut: In February, Egypt
announced that there had been a new tomb found in the Valley of the
Kings. This was the first such find since Howard Carter found the tomb
of King Tutankhamun in 1922. Though no mummies were found in the tomb,
there were several sarcophagi, including one small golden sarcophagi
meant either for a child or a small statue. Other finds in the tomb
include flower garlands and 20 large sealed jars.
Copyright: Associated Content
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Re: Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2006
by FyreSpirit on Friday, December 22, 2006 (CST)
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | Tumi knives come from Peru, not Mexico. And how could this list have left off the stone python on the cave in South Africa? |
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