The Archaeology Thread

[Wanderer]

From the ongoing excavations at the Amphipolis site:

Greece's largest ancient tomb: Amphipolis

[Karl Henning]

Wow!

[Florestan]

Alexander the Great's burial site may forever remain a secret.

Ummm, not quite. The moment they'll find the remains of a right hang protruding from a coffin, they''ll have found it all right. 

[MusicTurner]

Bump.

It's an often interesting and entertaining subject, so why not post a bit about some recent findings etc., when stumbling across major news in the field.

Here's one about the dating of a strange, abandoned set of Uyghur buildings, set on an island at 1300 m altitude in a desolate landscape, that I'd never heard about, on the border between Mongolia and Russia: the Por-Bajin or Por-Bazhyn island


https://scitechdaily.com/year-777-radiocarbon-dating-pinpoints-date-for-construction-of-mysterious-por-bajin-complex/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Por-Bazhyn
https://random-times.com/2018/09/07/the-mystery-of-the-medieval-fortress-of-por-bajin-in-siberia/
+ supplementary info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manichaeism

[Wanderer]

From the ongoing excavations at the Amphipolis site:

Greece's largest ancient tomb: Amphipolis

The Amphipolis tomb has now a Wikipedia page.

[Wanderer]

The Amphipolis tomb has now a Wikipedia page.

And after inexcusable delays, even near-abandonment of the whole excavating effort, by the previous, infamously incompetent, Greek government, things are looking up again:

Greece Aims to Open the Amphipolis Tomb to Visitors by 2022

[BWV 1080]

Still wondering if the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the largest complex in the world, will be opened in our lifetimes

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Still wondering if the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the largest complex in the world, will be opened in our lifetimes

I believe that that is the one that I read about within the past year with the special (spiral?) mounds?  Surrounded by water?  Or no?

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

From the ongoing excavations at the Amphipolis site:

Greece's largest ancient tomb: Amphipolis

Look forward to reading it!

PD

[BWV 1080]

I believe that that is the one that I read about within the past year with the special (spiral?) mounds?  Surrounded by water?  Or no?

PD

It's where the terra cotta warriors were found, the floor of the tomb supposedly contains a huge stone map of China with rivers of mercury

[Herman]

And after inexcusable delays, even near-abandonment of the whole excavating effort, by the previous, infamously incompetent, Greek government, things are looking up again:

Greece Aims to Open the Amphipolis Tomb to Visitors by 2022

Opening up archeological sites to the public may be pleasant to the public, but from an archeological POV it's actually really bad.

Large nrs of people means attrition and destruction.

Perhaps the days of mass tourism are over anyway.

[Wanderer]

Opening up archeological sites to the public may be pleasant to the public, but from an archeological POV it's actually really bad.

Large nrs of people means attrition and destruction.

Perhaps the days of mass tourism are over anyway.

The crux of my post, perhaps not being emphasized enough in the linked article, was not the opening up to the public, which will definitely be welcome but will be done only when deemed appropriate by the archaeological service (whose zeal in protecting the country's archaeological sites and findings from any notion of commercialization is legendary), but the approval of the - absolutely essential for the survival of the structure - restoration project and its implementation. The previous government for petty ideological reasons was hostile to the whole project, let the site be abandoned and stalled all necessary restoration work (the whole structure of the tomb was in the verge of collapsing because of these delays).
After the restoration is complete, small groups of visitors might be able to enter in limited guided tours. The site is near my mother's hometown and I will definitely avail myself to a visit whenever they open the tomb to the public, in whatever limited capacity is deemed necessary. I'm not worrying about mass tourism flooding the area. The Royal Tombs at Aegae (Vergina) have been open to the public for decades, complete with a spectacular underground museum and most tourists visiting the country are oblivious to their very existence.

[Herman]

After the restoration is complete, small groups of visitors might be able to enter in limited guided tours. The site is near my mother's hometown and I will definitely avail myself to a visit whenever they open the tomb to the public, in whatever limited capacity is deemed necessary. I'm not worrying about mass tourism flooding the area. The Royal Tombs at Aegae (Vergina) have been open to the public for decades, complete with a spectacular underground museum and most tourists visiting the country are oblivious to their very existence.

Cool.
In what part of Greece do you live now, if I may ask?

[steve ridgway]

Bump.

It's an often interesting and entertaining subject, so why not post a bit about some recent findings etc., when stumbling across major news in the field.

Here's one about the dating of a strange, abandoned set of Uyghur buildings, set on an island at 1300 m altitude in a desolate landscape, that I'd never heard about, on the border between Mongolia and Russia: the Por-Bajin or Por-Bazhyn island


https://scitechdaily.com/year-777-radiocarbon-dating-pinpoints-date-for-construction-of-mysterious-por-bajin-complex/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Por-Bazhyn
https://random-times.com/2018/09/07/the-mystery-of-the-medieval-fortress-of-por-bajin-in-siberia/
+ supplementary info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manichaeism

That's a fascinating looking and remote site. I like to hear about these distant places in Asia I'd not been aware of before.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It's where the terra cotta warriors were found, the floor of the tomb supposedly contains a huge stone map of China with rivers of mercury

On further reflection, I'm pretty sure that the ones that I was thinking of were in Japan.  They were circular in nature and were surrounded by I want to say water moats?  And haven't been opened.  Ah! I found the story:

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07lq60x/the-ancient-tombs-kept-under-lock-and-key

I'll have to read the story about the term cotta warriors which I've heard about and seen pictures in the past...thanks!   

PD

[Wanderer]

Cool.
In what part of Greece do you live now, if I may ask?

In Athens, but I usually spend the summer in the Peloponnese.

[Herman]

In Athens, but I usually spend the summer in the Peloponnese.

I envy you (for the summer part).

[MusicTurner]

I envy you (for the summer part).

I cycled the Peloponnese many years ago in Spring, including the Mani peninsula before it became so touristy. That and the Mistras Byzantine site was the highlight. Near Tripoli, anyone could literally pick up antique fragments at some archaelogical museum sites, there was just a loose wire fence (not that I did). I still haven't been to places like the Bassae temple ruins and Karitena mountain village though, would love to.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I just read this article today...found it to be fascinating...both regarding the site, a supervolcano (Campi Flegrei), and developing underwater technology.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200713-baiae-a-roman-settlement-at-the-bottom-of-the-sea?referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2F

Best,

PD

[MusicTurner]

Bump:

"'Mind blowing' ancient settlements uncovered in the Amazon"

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01458-9?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=9bc6fd08a5-briefing-dy-20220526&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-9bc6fd08a5-45297858