American Scientist Online - We Are All Africans

Here is an interesting article by Pat Shipman at American Scientist Online - We Are All Africans.

The "out-of-Africa" theory has been around a long time, but it is only recently that the "multi-regionalists" are beginning to have to bow to the overwhelming evidence.

Historic Scotland - Carved Stones

Historic Scotland - News writes that Frank McAveety, Scotland's Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, has launched a 3-month consultation by "Historic Scotland" on protection, preservation and presentation of the carved stones in Scotland.

The consultation document is available here at Historic Scotland and comment can be submitted pursuant to these guidelines.

Geometry from the Land of the Incas

Look at this beautiful website about Geometry from the Land of the Incas. Problems, theorems, proofs, quizzes, with animations and sounds. Euclidean Geometry.

Neanderthal "face" found in Loire

The BBC has a story by Jonathan Amos,
BBC News Online science staff, entitled Neanderthal 'face' found in Loire

As written there:
>font color="#6D87A2">"A flint object with a striking likeness to a human face may be one of the best examples of art by Neanderthal man ever found, the journal Antiquity reports."

Ancient carved 'faces' found

BBC News has a story by Dr David Whitehouse, BBC News Online science editor, entitled Ancient carved 'faces' found.

The article states:
"A keen-eyed archaeologist claims to have found some of the oldest artwork ever - carved faces 200,000 years old."

The dating is preposterous, but we agree that the human images are actualy carved onto these stones.

There is also more on rock art in the article.

Stone Pages Archaeo News: Japanese rock image a fake

Stone Pages Archaeo News: Japanese rock image a fake

What is disturbing about this report is the archaeologist's statement that this artifact had never been investigated "since it was considered an important historical object".

Is that the standard in archaeology? The more important an object, the less it is studied?

I have several times recommended the reexamination of the Turin Canon by new thermoluminescence methods, since I am sure some of the pieces of this important historical papyrus have been mis-pasted during reconstruction. My suggestions have fallen on deaf ears in Egyptology circles, for the same reason as given above - the object is "too important" to study.

Is this good science? No.

Cronaca

Cronaca, by David Nishimura, an art historian by training, has the motto "Past Imperfect, Present Subjunctive, Future Conditional" and is a blog which describes itself as follows:

"Cronaca is a compilation of news concerning art, archeology, history, and whatever else catches the chronicler's eye, with the odd bit of opinion and commentary thrown in. Since history does not seem to have come to an end, other posts reflect a historian's-eye view of current events."

Nishimura is well known as a dealer and collector of old writing instruments.

Orkney was a large cohesive settlement

In an article of November 3. 2003 by Stephen Stewart in the The Herald entitled "Was Orkney the ceremonial capital of ancient Britain?, one thankfully sees some progress in the archaeologists beginning - finally - to see ancient megalithic locations to be cohesive systematic wholes put up by intelligent beings rather than isolated bunches of stones put up by savages.

On one score, however, the archaeological "community" still has not learned - with the typical archaeologist's fetishism for ceremonies and rituals. I think your average archaeologist should finally come to the realization that ancient man was NOT like your average archaeologist - he was not as ritually or ceremonially oriented, and was surely a better astronomer, and, if ancient men did have ceremonies and rituals, they were those of movable feasts, as determined by the heavenly spheres - as today.

At least, this possibility should be STRONGLY considered.

Stars Stones and Scholars: The Decipherment of the Megaliths as an Ancient Survey of the Earth by Astronomy

My newest book has appeared at Trafford Publishing. This is for general information.

Stars Stones and Scholars:
The Decipherment of the Megaliths as an Ancient Survey of the Earth by Astronomy
by Andis Kaulins
420 pages; perfect bound; catalogue #03-1722;
ISBN 1-4120-1344-5; US$35.99, C$45.99, EUR29.99, £20.99

Go to Trafford Publishing

Read at that order page:
a) About the Book b) About the Author c) View a Sample Excerpt from the Book

Order the book:
If it interests you: order the book.

Note: The book may initially seem expensive by normal standards, but if you compare it to the prices of books in this field (e.g at http://www.eisenbrauns.com), it is quite reasonably priced.

ARGOS search engine discontinued

A Web Project Removal Notice from Argos at evansville.edu has recently posted that the following specialized search engine has been take offline due to a lack of resources

Argos: Limited Area Search of the Ancient and Medieval Internet (argos.evansville.edu)

This news is not surprising.
Who needs specialized search engines when you have all-encompassing tools such as Google or AllTheWeb?
The little guys simply can not compete in this sector.

Moon Watch Resurfaces In Court (washingtonpost.com)

This posting refers to an online article of the Washington Post entitled Moon Watch Resurfaces In Court (washingtonpost.com): "Moon Watch Resurfaces In Court - Astronaut, Smithsonian, Collector Claim Rights To Lost Timepiece", by Jacqueline Trescott, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, October 17, 2003; Page C01

The same criminal problems attendant to archaeology - greed, and more greed - are not just limited to places such as Iraq and the scandals surrounding the looting of its museum. Similar problems are found in the most unexpected places, even among so-called unique "modern" artifacts.

It appears that Astronaut Buzz Aldrin's Omega "Moon Watch" - the first watch on the Moon - may have been "stolen" while on its way to the Smithsonian Institute and has now turned up in the hands of what appears to be a bona fide purchaser (not all the facts are known yet).

Yahoo! Groups : Explorator

Yahoo! Groups : Explorator

Explorator is a fine newsletter service which Dave Meadows runs under the name of "Explorator" at Yahoo groups. The Explorator newsletter appears once a week in your mailbox if you subscribe to it and contains copious links to current archaeology news around the world. One can also access the Exporator newsletter online at the link given above. Take a look at it. At last report, Explorator had over 3000 members - i.e. list recipients - and I can vouch for the list as good, being a recipient myself.

ArchaeoPundit

ArchaeoPundit is a weblog - also called a blog - focused on archaeology and related disciplines, e.g. studies of the megaliths of Ancient Britain and elsewere, research or finds concerning Pharaonic Civiliization as well as studies of the history of the ancient near east, including matters relating to Old Testament scholarship.

As we find materials on the web which we find to be of interest, we will provide links to such materials, and, if appropriate, will add our commentary to what we have found.

We will also peruse archaeology blogs and similar weblogs and blog the bloggers.

Matters of special importance will also find their way into the LexiLine List on the History of Civilization at Yahoo egroups, which we moderate.

Enjoy.