================================================================ explorator 12.07                                   June 7, 2009 ================================================================ Editor's note: Most urls should be active for at least eight hours from the time of publication. For your computer's protection, Explorator is sent in plain text and NEVER has attachments. Be suspicious of any Explorator which arrives otherwise!!! ================================================================ ================================================================ Thanks to Arthur Shippee, Dave Sowdon, Donna Hurst,  Edward Rockstein, Rick Heli, Jim Houser, John McMahon, Joseph Lauer, Mata Kimasitayo, Clark Whelton, Tim Parkin, Mike Ruggeri, Bob Heuman, Rochelle Altman, and Ross W. Sargent for headses upses this week (as always hoping I have left no one out). ================================================================ EARLY HUMANS ================================================================ Not sure where to put this one, but apparently laughter is not unique to hominids: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jun/04/laughter-primates-apes- evolution-tickling http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/8083230.stm http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090604/ap_on_sc/us_sci_ape_laughter A previously-unknown hominoid primate from Spain: http://www.physorg.com/news163155873.html http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/uadb-rft060209.php http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602083729.htm http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Lluc/hominido/vivio/Cataluna/ elpepusoc/20090601elpepusoc_21/Tes ================================================================ AFRICA ================================================================ They think they've solved the mystery of how the rock-hewn churches at Lalibela (Ethiopia) were built: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4 &article_id=102629 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090531/wl_africa_afp/ethiopiareligionar chaeologyfrance http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gF8Y2i1OKTWpItpAi4 7b8uxMC6FQ http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090601/world/ethiopia_religion_archaeo logy_france_1 A fire at the Archaeology Department at ABU: http://allafrica.com/stories/200906040347.html ================================================================ ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT ================================================================ On the DNA front, Egyptian researchers are trying to determine Tut's lineage: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4 &article_id=102630 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hOuCMFEO55L5ru_hLv YAdxhynVAw ... and apparently they've opened up a second mummy DNA lab in Egypt just for that purpose: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/01/content_11470972.htm Italian archaeologists have found some 'commoners' neighbourhoods' at Persepolis: http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Altro/?id=3.0.3397053272 ... and Italy is looking for new ways to restore the site: http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=889493 Report on a panel discussion of threats to Persian antiquities: http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jun/1043.html Some English (blog) coverage of that cuneiform tablet found at Tell el- Dab'a: http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2009/05/hyksos-palace-excavated-at-tell- el-dab.html A few weeks ago, the press was giving big attention to someone who returned a chunk they had pocketed from the Colosseum; this week, it's a rather large piece of marble from an Old City site taken 12 years ago: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8079825.stm http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=4 &Article_id=102711 http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243872316255 &pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull http://jta.org/news/article/2009/06/02/1005554/stolen-jerusalem- antiquity-returned http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088 &sid=a685QO3TQGZE&refer=muse http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131666 http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=1089804 A piece on the Temple Mount thing: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8076772.stm U.S./Iraq cooperation in regards to antiquities: http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news2009-06-03 kurd.htm Photo of a child burial from some unidentified ongoing dig in Tyre: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no= 294916&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17 An interviewish thing with Norman Golb about that DSS business: http://www.chicagomaroon.com/2009/6/1/dead-sea-scrolls-scandal ... and Lawrence Schiffman was giving a talk about the DSS: http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/910026/jewish/Professor- Analyzes-Ancient-Scrolls.htm Review of Nina Burleigh, *Unholy Business*: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-1190113/Traders-lost- ark-UNHOLY-BUSINESS-BY-NINA-BURLEIGH.html Egyptology News Blog: http://egyptology.blogspot.com/ Egyptology Blog: http://www.egyptologyblog.co.uk/ Dr Leen Ritmeyer's Blog: http://blog.ritmeyer.com/ Paleojudaica: http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/ Persepolis Fortification Archives: http://persepolistablets.blogspot.com/ Archaeologist at Large: http://spaces.msn.com/members/ArchaeologyinEgypt/ ================================================================ ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS) ================================================================ A sort of Sympathy for Malaria piece which makes claims about Rome: http://www.teatronaturale.com/article/658.html Plato on the world soul: http://harpers.org/archive/2009/06/hbc-90005127 How's your Classical education?: http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/2009/06/do-you-need-a- better-classical-education-take-our-quiz.html Moving a replica Roman tombstone: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/Replica-Roman-tombstone-on- the.5337128.jp The Vindolanda Tablets are returning to Vindolanda: http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/latest/Roman-tablets-to-come- to.5339586.jp Photo from a Pompeii gladiator helmet exhibition: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/04/2588811.htm? section=entertainment http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1190727/Pictured-The-2-000- year-old-gladiators-helmet-discovered-Pompeiis-ruins.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/gallery/2009/06/04/GA2009060402446.html Comparing Tiberius to Mussolini and Berlusconi (sort of): http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributor s/article6418491.ece How the Socratic Dialogue fits into Western Civilization and all that: http://globalpolitician.com/25669-western-civilization Pondering Eris: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/6/3/738360/-How-a-Woman- Becomes-a-Goddess:Eris Reviewish thing on the influence of Arthur Evans' excavations: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the _tls/article6422447.ece Review of a couple of Roman-themed books by Goldsworthy and Matyszak: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5443192/The- Fall-of-the-West-by-Adrian-Goldsworthy-and-Legionary-by-Philip- Matyszak-review.html Time for the semi-annual pondering of the rebuilding of the lighthouse at Alexandria: