The Tudor period carrack Mary Rose under going conservation with polyethylene glycol at the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Source: Mary Rose Trust
1. An Egyptian Handbook of Spells Deciphered
Researchers have deciphered an ancient Egyptian “Handbook of Ritual Power,” revealing a series of invocations and spells. Written in an Egyptian language called Coptic, this 20 page illustrated book from about 1300 years ago includes love spells, exorcisms and a cure for black jaundice. Read more at Live Science.
2. Remains of Alexander the Great’s Father Confirmed Found
A team of Greek researchers has confirmed that bones found in a two-chambered royal tomb at Vergina, a small town in northern Greece, belong to the Macedonian King Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. Scholars have argued over those bones ever since Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos discovered the tomb in 1977-78. Read more at Discovery.com.
3. Hundreds of Ancient Children’s Shoes Found in Utah Cave
A wealth of artifacts found in a cave on the shores of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, including hundreds of animal-skin moccasins that would have mostly belonged to children, raise new questions regarding the little-known ancient culture that inhabited the region. Read more at Ancient Origins.
4. New Preservative Could Save Ancient Ships for Archaeologists
With a chemical based on shrimp protein, scientists from Cambridge are helping to preserve wooden ships like the Mary Rose, a warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. Read more at Scientific American.
5. Roman Tomb and Skull Unearthed in Turkey
Sewer system excavations in the northwestern Turkish province of Düzce have unearthed an ancient tomb with a human skull six meters below ground level. Read more at Hurriyet Daily News.