WIM LUSTENHOUWER/VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM
1. Lost Levantine Village Discovered
Archaeologists have partially excavated a 7,500-year-old underwater water well from a site on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. “For history and archaeology, the Levantine coast is absolutely world-class and its contribution to world prehistory simply cannot be ignored.” Read more at Phys.org.
2. Coffin’s ‘Odd’ Art Hints at Ancient Egypt’s Brain Drain
A 2,400 year-old Egyptian coffin with strange and amateurish decorations has been revealed. The odd features of the coffin are likely related to a period in Egyptian history when the Persian Empire was in control of the region. Read more at LiveScience.
3. Etchings on a 500,000-year-old Shell Appear to Have Been Made by Human Ancestor
The etched shell from the Indonesian island of Java was found where Homo Erectus, thought to have made only simple tools out of stone, was discovered. Archaeologists also report that one of the shells was used as a tool of some sort. Read more at Sciencemag.org.
4. How Did Chinese People Dress 500 Years Ago?
In 2008, archaeologists working in the Sensen Village section of Taizhou City on the East China Sea coast unearthed a couple’s grave containing finely preserved clothing of exceptional quality. Chinese archaeologists found skirts and shoes in the woman’s coffin. “The fabric is woven with flowers, insects and miscellaneous treasure patterns. The train of the skirt is woven in a full circle pattern of gold thread.” Read more at Ancient Origins.
5. Archeologists explore ancient ship of Song Dynasty
Archeologists have started exploring the interiors of the ancient wrecked ship of Song Dynasty “Nanhai Number One,” which was constructed during the Song Dynasty and sunk more than 800 years ago. The 30.4-meter-long and 9.8-meter-wide ship is the oldest and the largest wrecked merchant vessel yet discovered, and also the best preserved. Read more at China.org.cn.