Ancient Mayan theater discovered in Mexico

[Business Standard]  Archaeologists have unearthed a unique 1,200-year-old theatre in Mexico which functioned not as a place for art and culture but as a political tool for Mayan elite. Researchers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have found the Mayan theatre at the archaeological site of Plan de Ayutla, in Ocosingo, Chiapas.

Shipwreck Reveals Precious Coins, Rare Pewter Artifacts

[Sacramento Bee]   The most important shipwreck of its kind dating from the 1500s was recently discovered by Anchor Research & Salvage SRL. According to noted pewter expert Martin Roberts "Pewter finds from the 2012 diving season continue to support present hypotheses on date and origin while also surprising collectors and challenging orthodox knowledge of the mid-16th Century pewter trade. The quantity of pewter now recovered definitely makes this the largest single cache ever discovered."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/06/4793842/shipwreck-reveals-precious-coins.html#storylink=cpy

Could ancient Egyptians hold the key to 3D printed ceramics?

[PhysOrg]  A 7,000 year old technique, known as Egyptian Paste (also known as Faience), could offer a potential process and material for use in the latest 3D printing techniques of ceramics, according to researchers at UWE Bristol.

Judge rules unearthed coins belong to Uncle Sam

[Courthouse News Service]  The 1933 Saint-Gaudens double eagle, named after its designer Augustus St. Gaudens, is "one of the most sought-after rarities in history," according to the U.S. Mint. Though the double eagle was originally valued at $20, one such coin that belonged to King Farouk of Egypt sold for more than $7.5 million at a Sotheby's auction in the summer of 2002, making it the most valuable coins ever auctioned at the time. The Philadelphia Mint struck 445,500 double eagles at the height of the Great Depression, but it pulled them back weeks later as President Theodore Roosevelt ordered U.S. banks to abandon the gold standard.

Ancient Buddha idol, monastery unearthed in Jajpur

[Money Control]  An ancient statue of Gautama Buddha and remains of a Budhha Vihar (monastery) have been unearthed from Kesharaipur-Hatikhol village in the vicinity of world famous Lalitgiri Buddhist site in Odisha's Jajpur district. Workers came across the articles while digging the land for a drain there three days ago, said noted Buddhist researcher Harischandra Prusty.

Third 5,000-year-old figurine found at Orkney dig

[BBC]  Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "There was understandable excitement when the first figurine, believed to be the earliest artistic representation of the human form ever found in the UK, was found in 2009. "To now be able to say that two more examples have been uncovered is unprecedented."

Find hints at early medieval monastery

[Independent]   ARCHAEOLOGISTS exploring links among early medieval monasteries in Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe have discovered important evidence of a settlement in Co Donegal.
The team of tutors and students from the University of Sunderland made their discovery last week during a 10-day field trip to Culdaff on the Inishowen peninsula.

9,500-year-old figurines found in Israel

[Fox News]   Archaeologists believe these objects might have had cultic importance for the people who created them. The animal figurines were found near the remains of an ancient round building, dating back to a dynamic time in the region's history when humans were transitioning from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of farming and settling in villages.

Bronze Age Settlement Unearthed In China

[Personal Liberty Digest]  In addition to nearly 100 tombs, the center of the stone ruins features a uniquely designed residential structure, leading archaeologist Cong Dexin of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said.

New stone inscription shows list of offerings to ancient gods

[Ahram Online]  A section of a New Kingdom stele listing offerings made to ancient Egyptian gods was discovered today by chance at Matariya in northern Cairo.

Couple discover 33ft deep hole built in middle ages beneath their living room after spotting bump in the floor

[Daily Mail]   A couple have discovered they are sitting on a piece of history after uncovering a 33ft-deep medieval well under their sofa....And just five feet into the dig he made another discovery - an old sword.

World record as message in bottle found after 98 years near Shetland

[BBC]  The drift bottle - containing a postcard which promised a reward of six pence to the finder - was released in June 1914 by Captain CH Brown of the Glasgow School of Navigation.
It was in a batch of 1,890 scientific research bottles which were specially designed to sink to help map the currents of the seas around Scotland when they were returned. Only 315 of them have been found.

Ancient genome linked to modern humans

[Health24]   A group of ancient humans called Denisovans - who were closely related to Neanderthals - may have contributed somewhat to the modern human genome, say scientists who sequenced the Denisovan genome. The existence of the Denisovans only came to light in 2010 when a piece of a finger bone and two molars were discovered in the Denisova Cave in southern Siberia.

Senegal floods uncover ancient artefacts in Dakar

[BBC]  Pieces of jewellery, pottery and iron tools dating back thousands of years have been discovered in Senegal's capital, Dakar, following recent floods, researchers say.

Mysterious tablet’s secrets revealed

[Hurriyet Daily News]  A tablet found at the Ziyarettepe excavation area has stirred excitement among scientists and archaeologists. The tablet, which belongs to third century has writings in unknown language. Currently, scientists are working on it

Neil Armstrong 'had 20 seconds to make Moon landing decision'

[BBC]  US astronaut Neil Armstronghas died aged 82. Reg Turnill, who was the BBC's aerospace correspondent when Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon, remembers the man and the mission....  When Apollo 11 reached the point of hovering over the lunar surface Neil Armstrong had 20 seconds to decide whether to continue or abort. He had to be decisive.

Antarctic Peninsula started warming 600 years ago

[Chicago Tribune]  Temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula started rising naturally 600 years ago, long before man-made climate changes further increased them, scientists said in a study on Wednesday that helps explain the recent collapses of vast ice shelves. The study, reconstructing ancient temperatures to understand a region that is warming faster than anywhere else in the southern hemisphere, said a current warming rate of 2.6 degrees Celsius (4.7 Fahrenheit) per century was "unusual" but not unprecedented.

'Mr Treasure' finds Nottinghamshire's biggest hoard of ancient weapons

[This is Nottingham]  The Bronze Age sword blades, axe and spear heads were declared treasure at Nottingham Coroner's Court this week so they can be bought by a museum. Experts hailed his efforts and say it is probably the biggest-ever haul of its type found in the county.

Prehistoric druidical rock shelter found in Srikakulam

[The Hindu]  The cluster of unique oval-shaped standing rock formations each measuring about eight metres in height and 28 metres in circumference and having well-defined ledge cuts and postholes used for wooden canopy like shelter, could have been a habitation and a place of worship. That a prehistoric circular hut existed here is indicated by circular postholes found on boulders opposite to the cluster of standing rocks within a radius of 3.05 metres.

Letters, Documents Found In 100-Year-Old Package From Norway

[Huffington Post]  was a mystery 100 years in the making. On Friday, the contents of a mysterious package from Otta, Norway were finally revealed. The package, which dates back to 1912, appeared to hold a collection of historical documents, letters, newspapers and national decorations.