Fuck Yeah, Archaeology!

The Lady of Elche is beautiful stone bust of a woman that may...

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:45:00 -0400

The Lady of Elche is beautiful stone bust of a woman that may have been used as a reliquary urn. It was discovered by a farmer in 1897 in near Valencia, Spain. She is now on display in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid.
Believed to be dated to the 5th century BCE, the Lady of Elche is the symbol of Pre-Roman Iberian Archaeology. Her face is found on virtually all Iberian prehistory textbook covers, and even on stuff as ordinary as postage stamps and banknotes. Ironically, this iconic bust actually might be a forgery. Experts who believe this have given the following arguments:

The Lady of Elche is the only one of its kind that is in the form of a bust. All other Iberian statues from this time period, such as the Lady of Baza, are full bodied.
The amount of detail, particularly on the face and round headpieces are extraordinarily detailed compared to other Iberian statues with similar headdresses. Experts have found more similarities between the Lady of Elche and art nouveau/belle epoque aesthetics (which was popular at the time of discovery) than with other Pre-Roman Iberian statues.
The archaeological context of the bust is extremely lacking and shady. The reports have stated that the statue was found buried in loosely packed dirt, easily able to be buried and dug up. Coincidentally, the discovery of the Lady of Elche coincided with the arrival of Pierre Paris, an art collector from the Louvre, in Valencia, who purchased the statue for the Louvre collection days after the discovery.

Whether the Lady of Elche is a fake or not is still a mystery to this day, But her shady past has not stopped millions of tourists from flooding into Madrid every year to catch a glimpse of her.

Syrian Cultural Heritage at Risk

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:32:00 -0400

Syrian Cultural Heritage at Risk:

The ongoing bloodshed in Syria has unfolded on major news outlets, but in addition to the devastating losses of human life and state infrastructure, the threat to local, regional, and even world heritage is also very real. INTERPOL and various cultural heritage and museum organizations are working to save and recover stolen artifacts.

New Mod!

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 01:43:00 -0400

Hello everyone,

My name is Amanda (known to the tumblr world as illuminati-bullshit), and I’m the new mod at Fuck Yeah Archaeology! I guess I’ll talk a bit about myself. I’m currently studying Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology as an undergraduate at Bryn Mawr College. Like many people, my interest in archaeology began as a kid with picture books about Ancient Egyptian mummies. If fact, as a kid I made it one of my goals to be one of those fancy archaeologists that were interviewed on History Channel specials (though the History Channel isn’t so credible nowadays so not sure I still want that.)

The areas I’m mostly interested in are Ancient Egypt and Rome, but recently I have taken a keen interest in Iberian, American, and Medieval archaeology. So I have a wide variety of areas and time periods that I like and it’s going to be difficult to choose what I want to specialize in.

I hope to go into museum work someday. I have interned in the Near Eastern Department at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. So if anyone has a question in reference to museum work, PLEASE don’t hesitate to ask! Also this summer I’m going to be in Tuscany excavating an ruined medieval monastery called L’Abbazia Camaldolese di San Pietro. It’s going to be my first excavation so I’m super excited!

I’m really excited to be a mod for this blog, and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Amanda

I'm a freshman in high school, and thinking about being an archaeologist once I grow up. What sort of advice would you give?

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:55:24 -0400

Hello!

I think I was also a freshman in high school when I decided that archaeology was ultimately the field I wanted to go into. Luckily, my Latin teacher was an archaeologist, so I asked him a lot of questions. If you have anyone like that who you can talk to, even an acquaintance, I’d recommend you do that. Try to gain as many perspectives as possible!

I contacted the Connecticut State Archaeologist (yep, that’s actually a thing!) and arranged to go to UConn’s campus over my spring break to volunteer. I’d try contacting your state’s archaeologist and ask a few questions. Since Connecticut is pretty tiny, I was able to go to the office myself, but if you live in a bigger state, that my not be possible. He even let me tag along on a CRM (Cultural Resource Management) dig. CRM is a huge facet of archaeology nowadays. A house was being built near a known Rochambeau campsite from the Revolutionary War, so we had to dig a bunch of test pits to make sure the house wasn’t being built on anything important. Unless those soldiers were drinking Buds, it turned out to be a bust.

A lot of times, it’ll be a bust. Don’t go into it thinking that you’re gonna find the Holy Grail or something. When I excavated last summer at a Mycenaean settlement in Greece, the most exciting find was a lead joint that would’ve held an ancient pottery break together. Other than that, it was just a lot of pot sherds and animal bones. Oh, and a huge (and disgusting) swarm of giant ants that had taken up residence in a buried pot. If you go into the field of archaeology with this fantasy built up in your head, you’ll be sorely disappointed. But don’t be discouraged!

Archaeology isn’t glamourous, but it is fulfilling. There are so many facets to the field that you could pursue. Start looking now! Do you think you’d be more into marine archaeology, Classical, Near Eastern, or American? There’s also palaeobotany, zooarchaeology/bioarchaeology, geoarchaeology, and tons more! Of course, there’s also the possibility of doing museum and professorial work instead of fieldwork, if you realise that’s not your thing. One of my professors absolutely abhorred fieldwork, so she teaches instead. So I’d recommend reading up on different fields and looking for colleges that’ll be a good fit. Personally, I wanted to go to a school with its own archaeology major, as opposed to one where archaeology was merely attached to anthropology. But don’t rush it! You’ll have plenty of time to worry about college later.

I’m about to start worrying about grad school next year, so that’s a whole new can of worms. Take all the time you need to research your options! Youth is definitely on your side.

And to all of you other aspiring archaeologists: this advice totally applies to you, too. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

Happy digging,

Sasha

lenofi: Entrance to Newgrange (Co. Meath, Ireland), a...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:52:57 -0500

lenofi:

Entrance to Newgrange (Co. Meath, Ireland), a Neolithic passage tomb

The window above the door to the passage allows a shaft of light to illuminate a carving deep within the inner chamber on one day a year for approximately 17 minutes. This is possible due to the alignment of the entire structure and the gentle slope of the passage, ensuring the light enters above a visitor’s head, but upon reaching the inside of the corbelled chamber is near the floor.

A follow-up to the Newgrange post the other day. Photos taken Summer 2008.

Treasure-filled warrior’s grave found in...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:05:00 -0500

Treasure-filled warrior’s grave found in Russia

“Hidden in a necropolis situated high in the mountains of the Caucasus in Russia, researchers have discovered the grave of a male warrior laid to rest with gold jewelry, iron chain mail and numerous weapons, including a 36-inch iron sword set between his legs.”

fuckyeahvikingsandcelts: Newgrange (Irish: Sí an Bhrú) is a...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:44:00 -0500

fuckyeahvikingsandcelts:

Newgrange (Irish: Sí an Bhrú) is a prehistoric monument in County Meath, Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built about 3200 BC, during the Neolithic period, which makes it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Newgrange is a large circular mound with a stone passageway and chambers inside. The mound has a retaining wall at the front and is ringed by ‘kerbstones’ engraved with artwork. There is no agreement about what the site was used for, but it has been speculated that it had religious significance – it is aligned with the rising sun and its light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. It is the most famous monument within the Neolithic Brú na Bóinne complex, alongside the similar passage tomb mounds of Knowth and Dowth, and as such is a part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. Newgrange also shares many similarities with other Neolithic constructions in Western Europe, such as Maeshowe in Orkney, Scotland and the Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales.

One of the coolest sites I’ve ever visited. The chamber, if memory serves, is corbelled, with the earthen mound built up. The outer kerbstones and white stones were part of the attempt to restore the structure to its original appearance. The boulder outside the entrance is covered in carved spirals. The site is also known for the triple spiral found on a stone wall deep within the chamber. The carving is illuminated when the light on the solstice penetrates the chamber, as the entranceway has a window above it and the entire passage gently slopes allowing the shaft of sunlight to land on a specific panel of stone in the chamber.

The so-called Chalcolithic “Eye Idols” of Tell Brak,...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:35:00 -0500

The so-called Chalcolithic “Eye Idols” of Tell Brak, a site in northeastern Syria. The site was occupied between the Neolithic Period and the Late Bronze Age (6000-1360 BCE). The idols have been dated to the 4th millennium BCE, which falls within the Ubaid Period of Mesopotamian history. Hundreds of these alabaster figurines were incorporated into the mortar of a public structure which came to be known as the Eye Temple.

The meaning behind the idols is unclear, but they may have been votive offerings that were dedicated to the temple at the time of its construction.

thambos: By day, Janet Stephens is a hairdresser at a...

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:43:09 -0500

thambos:

By day, Janet Stephens is a hairdresser at a Baltimore salon, trimming bobs and wispy bangs. By night she dwells in a different world. At home in her basement, with a mannequin head, she meticulously re-creates the hairstyles of ancient Rome and Greece.

Ms. Stephens is a hairdo archaeologist.

Her amateur scholarship is sticking a pin in the long-held assumptions among historians about the complicated, gravity-defying styles of ancient times. Basically, she has set out to prove that the ancients probably weren’t wearing wigs after all.

(via On Pins and Needles: Stylist Turns Ancient Hairdo Debate on Its Head - WSJ.com)

Hi there! I love your blog just came across it today. So glad to see there's an archaeology community on tumblr! I was wondering if you know of any graduate schools that have a good bioarchaeology program? I'm on the hunt for schools to apply to.

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:21:00 -0500

Thank you so much! :)

I myself have been thinking about pursuing bioarchaeology/osteoarchaeology in grad school (but, of course, I need to complete my undergraduate work first!). I did a quick search, and here’s what I’ve found:

Hope that was helpful!

-Sasha

A quick little video showing the burial of Richard III in situ.

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:47:14 -0500

A quick little video showing the burial of Richard III in situ.

Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king's

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:56:27 -0500

Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king's:

“A skeleton found beneath a Leicester car park has been confirmed as that of English king Richard III.”

Air Pollution Has Been a Problem Since the Days of Ancient Rome | Smithsonian Magazine

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:26:55 -0500

Air Pollution Has Been a Problem Since the Days of Ancient Rome | Smithsonian Magazine:

“Before the Industrial Revolution, our planet’s atmosphere was still untainted by human-made pollutants. At least, that’s what scientists thought until recently, when bubbles trapped in Greenland’s ice revealed that we began emitting greenhouse gases at least 2,000 years ago.”

Indus civilization food: How scientists are figuring out what curry was like 4,500 years ago.

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:53:11 -0500

Indus civilization food: How scientists are figuring out what curry was like 4,500 years ago.

themuseingreece: My beautiful labels. Complete with 5th century...

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:42:38 -0500

themuseingreece:

My beautiful labels. Complete with 5th century BCE capital Omegas and Byzantine Mus.

The top one is for όστρακα (sherds). The one in the middle is for the lead joint. Finally, the one on the bottom is for ζωικά οστά (animal bones). “Δοκιμαστική Τομή” means “test trench,” since we were doing an extension of a partially excavated floor and weren’t necessarily working in a set square on the grid; it was more like an area where a bunch of squares met. :)

This post is on the importance of labeling your finds! Over the summer, I helped excavate a site called Mygdalia Hill, which is about five km outside of Greece’s third largest city, Patras. One of my favourite tasks was writing labels because I love writing in the Greek alphabet.

We dug a lot of layers (stroma, pl. stromata in Greek), and therefore ended up with dozens of bags full of artefacts (mostly pot sherds and animal bones). Every single bag ended up with one of these labels. The particular labeling convention we used was:

Name of the site (Akropoli Mygdalias, Petrotou) on the top of the label
Room or test trench (these three labels are from a test trench, but we were also working in what could have been a residential structure, so we had labels that said “Room 4” as well).
A number in either a circle or triangle. The number itself just says which bag number the label was for. A circle was for more “run of the mill” finds and was therefore mostly used for pot sherd bags (ostraka). Triangles were used for “special” finds, like animal bones or the lead joint I found, which would have been used to repair ancient breaks in pottery. There were more bags with triangles because sometimes only one artefact would go into those, whereas you’d have a bag of pot sherds that was practically filled to the brim!
What’s actually in the bag. Even if we were working in the same layer and found both animal bones and pot sherds, they would have to go into separate bags. But the information on the label itself can tell you that they were found in the same layer.
Layer (stroma).
Date.

As you can see, labeling gets very specific! This helps the archaeologist look back at his or her finds and piece the site back together after excavation. As one of my professors is very fond of saying, excavation is destruction. Therefore, recording your finds carefully means that you can pretty much always determine the site’s stratigraphic history, even after you’ve done extensive excavating!

It's been a while!

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:30:34 -0500

Thanks for hanging in there, all you archaeology aficionados!

I haven’t been posting in forever, and I think it’s time to change that! Expect some more frequent posts starting with this new year!

Also feel free to ask us any questions!

Keep on digging,

Sasha :)

Eight million mummified animals unearthed at ancient catacomb in Egypt

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:22:38 -0500

Eight million mummified animals unearthed at ancient catacomb in Egypt:

centuriespast:

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered around 8 million mummified animals at a dog catacomb near Cairo. A team of international researchers excavating the site at an ancient burial ground in Saqqara unearthed bones and is recording the mummification techniques used to prepare them.

lenofi: allthingseurope: York, UK (by markspokes49 |...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 08:00:38 -0500

lenofi:

allthingseurope:

York, UK (by markspokes49 | tumblr)

FUN FACT ABOUT YORKMINSTER CATHEDRAL:

The entrance is not aligned with the approach street. Underneath it, the Norman foundations are on another axis. The Roman footprint is at the axis of the original approach road (some of which are now pedestrianized…and have medieval and Tudor era facades crowding the street). if you get a chance to visit, definitely take the tour through the crypts and the foundations. WELL WORTH IT.

Hello all, Just a quick reminder since we haven’t posted much lately, feel free to ask us any...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:50:02 -0500

Hello all,

Just a quick reminder since we haven’t posted much lately, feel free to ask us any questions about archaeology and related things (schools, programs, resources, etc). If we don’t have an answer, we’ll do some research.

I’m queuing up some posts now that I am officially done with grad school (Huzzah!). It’ll be a mix of reblogs and new posts.

Also drop us a line if there are particular time periods or regions you’d like to see more of. We jump around a lot, but could put together a mini-spam of stuff depending on your input!

Thanks!

lenofi: mysticplaces: Jarlshof archaeological site | Shetland,...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:23:48 -0500

lenofi:

mysticplaces:

Jarlshof archaeological site | Shetland, Scotland

Super cool site with multi-period use (which is my favorite thing in archaeology)…for more info check this out from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. It includes evidence of Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Norse, Late Medieval, and Post-Medieval occupation.