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Welcome to History Buff, a blog for history lovers everywhere! History Buff brings news stories about archaeology from around the world together on one site. From finds in ancient Egypt to new discoveries in anthropology, History Buff wants to know.

Michelle Moran
Historical fiction author








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10.30.2009

Austrian archaeologists make Babylonian find in Egypt

Austrian archaeologists have found a Babylonian seal in Egypt that confirms contact between the Babylonians and the Hyksos during the second millennium B.C.

Read the rest here.

10.29.2009

Unique Stone Age burial items unearthed in central Sweden

Unique Stone Age burial items unearthed in central Sweden

Swedish archaeologists are marveling over a collection of 9,000 year old artifacts recently uncovered at an excavation site central Sweden.

Read the rest here.


The Whisper of Tombs



Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- In my opinion, the Israelite Exodus from Egypt will remain a point of controversy amongst scientists and researchers until the Day of Judgment or until new archaeological evidence is unearthed that is able to settle this issue. However in light of the information currently available to historians and archaeologists, we can do no more than practice moderation and caution.

Read the rest here.

10.28.2009

The map that changed the world

An annotated guide to the 1507 map

Drawn half a millennium ago and then swiftly forgotten, one map made us see the world as we know it today... and helped name America. But, as Toby Lester has discovered, the most powerful nation on earth also owes its name to a pun.

Read the rest on the BBC.


10,000-year-old flint found on Coventry allotment

BUDDING archaeologist Samuel Owens uncovered a 10,000 year old piece of history when he found a segment of flint in his dad’s allotment.

Read the rest here.


Battle of Bosworth: dig finally pins down long disputed site

Martin Wainwright

Five centuries of searching for one of Britain's most significant battlefields has finally ended with the discovery of "extraordinary and unexpected" pieces of artillery in a Leicestershire field.

Read the rest on the Guardian.

10.27.2009

At Ur, Ritual Deaths That Were Anything but Serene

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

A new examination of skulls from the royal cemetery at Ur, discovered in Iraq almost a century ago, appears to support a more grisly interpretation than before of human sacrifices associated with elite burials in ancient Mesopotamia, archaeologists say.

Read the rest on the NYT.


Skull of huge sea monster that could have eaten T. rex found in Dorset

Sam Scriven, of the Jurassic Coast team

(Dorsetcc/PA) Sam Scriven, of the Jurassic Coast team, sits inside the jaws of the pilosaur

Dinosaur experts in Dorset, England, are examining the fossilized skull of a sea monster so large they say it could have eaten a Tyrannosaurus rex for breakfast.

Read the rest here.

10.26.2009

Neanderthals ‘had sex’ with modern man

Modern humans and Neanderthals had sex across the species barrier, according to a leading geneticist who is overseeing a project to compare their genomes.

Read the rest on the Times Online.


German Archaeologist: Beneath Every Footstep in Syria is an Ancient Civilization

By H. Sabbagh / Kh. Aridi
syria_Civilizations_-

Syria, the land of civilizations and history, is rife with ancient monuments that tell the stories of the many peoples and civilizations that lived in it, whose stories endured in the face of time to tell humanity about their greatness.

Read the rest here.


'Death can tell us a lot about living,' mummy expert says

By Val Willingham, CNN Medical Producer
Ronn Wade, with samples from the Burns Collection,  mummified a dead rat for his ninth-grade science project.
Ronn Wade, with samples from the Burns Collection, mummified a dead rat for his ninth-grade science project.

BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- Throughout his life, Ronn Wade has been surrounded by death. And in most cases, it hasn't seemed to bother him.

Read the rest on CNN.

10.24.2009

Penn Museum show casts new light on ancient Iraq

By Jon Hurdle

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters Life) - A flattened human head draped with gold and lapis lazuli jewelry lies in a glass case at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, its teeth the only recognizable feature.

Read the rest on Reuters.


HISTORY'S HORRORS IN THE PRESENT: Journalist to Receive 60 Lashes

(AP) RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A Saudi court on Saturday convicted a female journalist for her involvement in a TV show, in which a Saudi man publicly talked about sex, and sentenced her to 60 lashes.

Read the rest here.

10.23.2009

Ancient Greeks introduced wine to France, Cambridge study reveals

The original makers of Côtes-du-Rhône are said to have descended from Greek explorers who settled in southern France about 2500 years ago, it claimed.

Read the rest on the Telegraph.


HISTORY'S HORRORS IN THE PRESENT: Farmers sell wives to pay debts in rural India

By Sara Sidner

BUNDELKHAND, India (CNN) -- The cattle slowly drag the old-fashioned plow as a bone-thin farmer walks behind, encouraging them to move faster with a series of yelps.

Read the rest on CNN.


The First Men And Women From The Canary Islands Were Berbers

A team of Spanish and Portuguese researchers has carried out molecular genetic analysis of the Y chromosome (transmitted only by males) of the aboriginal population of the Canary Islands to determine their origin and the extent to which they have survived in the current population. The results suggest a North African origin for these paternal lineages which, unlike maternal lineages, have declined to the point of being practically replaced today by European lineages.

Read the rest on Science Daily.

10.22.2009

Ancient Anglo Saxon and Iron Age artefacts and human remains found between Rudston and Boynton East Yorkshire

ANCIENT human remains have been unearthed during an archaeological dig at the Caythorpe Gas Storage site between Rudston and Boynton.

Read the rest here.


Byzantine Clay Lamps & Glass Kohl Jars Uncovered in Syria

By H. Sabbagh / Kh. Aridi
Syrian_Clay_Lamps_and_Glass_Kohl_Jars

The excavations of the Syrian-Polish Joint Expedition during 2009 in the site of Horta, 15 kilometers north of the ancient city of Apamea in Hama, uncovered a number of clay lamps and glass kohl jars dating back to the Roman and Byzantine periods.

Read the rest here.


'Dutch' Batavians more Roman than thought

The Batavians, who lived in the Netherlands at the start of the Christian era were far more Roman than was previously thought. After just a few decades of Roman occupation, the Batavians had become so integrated that they cooked, built and bathed in a Roman manner. Dutch researcher Stijn Heeren discovered this during archaeological research.

Read the rest here.

10.21.2009

World's Oldest Submerged Town Dates Back 5,000 Years


Underwater archaeologists at Pavlopetri. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Nottingham)

Archaeologists surveying the world’s oldest submerged town have found ceramics dating back to the Final Neolithic. Their discovery suggests that Pavlopetri, off the southern Laconia coast of Greece, was occupied some 5,000 years ago — at least 1,200 years earlier than originally thought.

Read the rest on Science Daily.


Are Humans Still Evolving? Absolutely, Says A New Analysis Of A Long-term Survey Of Human Health

ScienceDaily — Although advances in medical care have improved standards of living over time, humans aren't entirely sheltered from the forces of natural selection, a new study shows.

Read the rest on Science Daily.


Tooth contains 4,000-year-old mummy's DNA?

Scientists have extracted a tooth from the head of a 4,000-year-old mummy to obtain valuable DNA information in the hope of identifying the ancient Egyptian.

Read the rest here.

10.20.2009

Ancient cult of the Viking kings

Could a large mud building unearthed in Lejre have been a cult place or beer hall of the ancient Viking kings? The hall, 48 metres long and seven metres across, overlooks the site of a Viking palace unearthed in 1986 in what is an historic area of Denmark.

Read the rest here.

10.19.2009

Has the original Labyrinth been found?

A disused stone quarry on the Greek island of Crete which is riddled with an elaborate network of underground tunnels could be the original site of the ancient Labyrinth, the mythical maze that housed the half-bull, half-man Minotaur of Greek legend.

Read the rest on the Independent.


‘Tomb 10A’ lets you look history right in the face

By Sebastian Smee

There are some things that bring the ancient Egyptians closer to us, and some that make them seem further away. Their religious beliefs, for instance, can be dauntingly arcane. And hieroglyphics, too, are hard to parse. But when Djehutynakht, a governor in Middle Kingdom Egypt, informs us that he has no wish to spend eternity eating his own excrement, I think we can all relate.


Read the rest on Boston Globe.

10.15.2009

Technology brings new insights to ancient language

Tablets uncovered at Persepolis in Iran are covered with writing in Aramaic. The archive, being studied at the University of Chicago, provides new insights on the language, which has been written and spoken in the Middle East continuously since ancient times.
Tablets uncovered at Persepolis in Iran are covered with writing in Aramaic. The archive, being studied at the University of Chicago, provides new insights on the language, which has been written and spoken in the Middle East continuously since ancient times. (Oriental Institute, University of Chicago)

New technologies and academic collaborations are helping scholars at the University of Chicago analyze hundreds of ancient documents in Aramaic, one of the Middle East’s oldest continuously spoken and written languages.

Read the rest here.


Pharaonic-Era Sacred Lake Unearthed in Egypt

CAIRO (Reuters) - Archaeologists have unearthed the site of a pharaonic-era sacred lake in a temple to the Egyptian goddess Mut in the ruins of ancient Tanis, the Culture Ministry said on Thursday.

Read the rest on ABC News.


Archeologists unearth 'lost' mini Roman Coliseum

By Paula Newton

FUMICINO, Italy (CNN) -- Under a canopy of elegant Italian pines, the foundations of a mini Roman Coliseum are at once unmistakable and exhilarating.

Read the rest on CNN.

See the photos.

10.14.2009

Mosaics tell of Somerset prosperity in Roman times

They were the perfect way to demonstrate wealth and culture in Roman Britain, and a new book on Roman mosaics says a little town in Somerset was probably home to some of the art's best craftsmen.

Read the rest here.


Ancient Artisans' Footprints Discovered Beneath Lod Mosaic


IAA conservators working on the mosaic(Israel news photo: Niki Davidov / IAA)

by Hana Levi Julian

The ancient footprints of the artisans who built a stunning 1,700-year-old mosaic floor in Lod were discovered recently, when conservators from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) were in the process of detaching the huge work of art from the ground.

Read the rest here.


Pterodactyl fossil fills gaps in evolutionary tale

(CNN) -- Scientists say a very rare find of some 20 fossilized pterodactyls has produced the first clear evidence of a controversial theory of evolution.

Read the rest on CNN.

10.13.2009

Statue of Alexander the Great found in Alexandria

A statue of Alexander the Great has been discovered in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, Governor Adel Labib said on Wednesday 7/10/2009.

Read the rest here.


Stolen Egyptian Relics On Their Way Home

Pascale Mollard-Chenebenoit, AFP
Homecoming

France decided on Friday to return to Egypt five relics stolen from Luxor's Valley of the Kings and sold to the Louvre, two days after Cairo severed ties with the Paris museum in protest.

Read the rest on Discovery.


Fingerprint Tech IDs Leonardo da Vinci

Multispectral analysis with a revolutionary camera confirms Leonardo da Vinci work

The ghost of a fingerprint in the top left corner of an obscure portrait appears to have confirmed an extraordinary art discovery: an unrecognized painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

Read the rest here.

10.12.2009

Saved from the sea, the secret Tudor hoard of the Mary Rose on display for the first time

A sailor's tankard
A tankard used by sailors to drink their daily ration of gallon of beer

By Beth Hale

She was the pride of Henry VIII's fleet. After 34 years at sea and three wars, the Mary Rose was regarded by many as invincible. But on July 19, 1545, as she defended England from a French invasion force, she sank - taking 500 men and a vast treasure trove with her to the seabed.

Read the rest on the Daily Mail.

10.11.2009

Gloucester body 'is Goth warrior'

Goth warrior skull
Chemical analysis of the warrior's bones show he was mostly vegetarian

A late Roman period body unearthed in Gloucester has stunned experts after tests suggested it was a Goth warrior from eastern Europe.

Read the rest on BBC.

10.08.2009

Man digging potatoes finds axe belonging to Ireland's first farmers

by Sean Keane

A RARE archaeological find, dating back 6,000 years has been made in South Kilkenny. A Stone Age neolithic axe head was found in Ballygorey, Mooncoin last week by a man out digging potatoes.

Read the rest here.


Paleontologists Find Giant Dino Footprints

(AP) PARIS – Now that's one big foot. Paleontologists in eastern France have reported the discovery of some of the largest dinosaur footprints ever documented, measuring about 1.4 meters to 1.5 meters (4.6 feet to 4.9 feet) in diameter.

Read the rest here.

10.07.2009

Bronze Age box unearthed in Salzburg

By David Rogers

Archaeologists claim to have made a "sensational" find after they unearthed a 3,000-year-old wooden box used in central Europe’s biggest copper-mining operation at the Mitterberg mountain in Salzburg’s Pongau region.

Read the rest here.


Buried Coins May Hold Key To Solving Mystery Of Ancient Roman Population

ScienceDaily — Using a mathematical model to predict population trends based on ancient coin hoards, a UConn biologist and a Stanford University historian have concluded that the population of ancient Rome was smaller than sometimes suggested.

Read the rest on Science Daily.


Archaeological sites face ruin from treasure-hunting 'nighthawkers'

Archaeological sites face ruin from treasure-hunting 'nighthawkers'
Terry Herbert from Burntwood, Staffordshire with a helmet cheek plate, one of more than 1,500 pieces he found in a field near his home with a metal detector Photo: PA

More so-called 'nighthawkers' are taking to the fields under cover of darkness in the hope of finding buried treasure from the past.

Read the rest on The Telegraph.

10.06.2009

Italian Scientists Reproduces Shroud of Turin

ROME — An Italian scientist says he has reproduced the Shroud of Turin, a feat that he says proves definitively that the linen some Christians revere as Jesus Christ's burial cloth is a medieval fake.

Read the rest here.

10.05.2009

Does brooch dug up in Oxfordshire field belong to 6th century Saxon princess?

Does brooch dug up in Oxfordshire field belong to 6th century Saxon princess
Does brooch dug up in Oxfordshire field belong to 6th century Saxon princess?

A SAXON brooch and skull uncovered by a metal detecting enthusiast may point to a 1,500-year-old royal grave hidden beneath a farmer’s fields.

Read the rest here.


Rune in Norway dates to 400 AD

The first rune stone discovered in Norway since 1947 dates to about 400 AD and may contain a grave, archaeologists in the city of Mandal said.

Read the rest here.


Mystery head could be rare statue of Emperor Nero

By Andy Bloxham
Head found at Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex, Nero head: Mystery head could be rare statue of Emperor Nero
The damaged head will be scanned and recreated to see if it is a rare marble statue of Nero as a young boy Photo: SOLENT

The chunk of stone, which is the right side of a boy's head and his lower face, is to be scanned using sophisticated technology and the remainder generated by computer to suggest what he may have looked like.

Read the rest on The Telegraph.

10.03.2009

Bluehenge unearthed: Prehistoric site that could be famous stone circle's little sister

By David Derbyshire

Archaeologists have discovered Stonehenge's little sister - just a mile from the famous monument. The prehistoric circle, unearthed in secret over the summer, is one of the most important prehistoric finds in decades.

Read the rest on the Daily Mail.

10.01.2009

Archaeologists Discover Amphitheatre In Excavation Of Portus, Ancient Port Of Rome


Marble head of statue is unearthed close to remains of an amphitheatre discovered by University of Southampton archaeologists. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Southampton)

ScienceDaily — University of Southampton archaeologists leading a major excavation of Portus, the ancient port of Rome, have uncovered the remains of an amphitheatre-shaped-building, solving a mystery which has puzzled experts for over 140 years.

Read the rest on ScienceDaily.


Stone Age village found under sea

By Martin Neville

In a desperate race against time, marine archaeologists say the remains of a submerged Mesolithic community found at Bouldnor Cliff, off Yarmouth, could be lost to the sea if money is not found soon to continue vital excavation work.

Read the rest here.


ARMENIA: ARCHEOLOGISTS SAY THEY’VE FOUND REMAINS OF WORLD’S OLDEST HUMAN BRAIN

Gayane Abrahamyan

An Armenian-American-Irish archeological expedition claims to have found the remains of the world’s oldest human brain, estimated to be over 5,000 years old. The team also says it has found evidence of what may be history’s oldest winemaking operation. The discoveries were made recently in a cave in southeastern Armenia.

Read the rest here.


Fresh autopsy of Egyptian mummy shows cause of death was TB not cancer

Ian Sample, science correspondent

The mysterious death of an Egyptian woman, whose mummy became a public spectacle in Georgian Britain, has been solved by a team of researchers in London.

Read the rest on The Guardian.


Oldest human skeleton offers new clues to evolution

By Azadeh Ansari

(CNN) -- The oldest-known hominid skeleton was a 4-foot-tall female who walked upright more than 4 million years ago and offers new clues to how humans may have evolved, scientists say.

Read the rest on CNN.