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Searcher08 » Tue Jan 03, 2017 7:50 am wrote:
Travelled over to Newgrange for the first time.
The inside of the chamber is suffused with a deep peace and a velvet silent warm blackness. We watched a simulation of the solstice light illuminate lines of quartz filled stones. The rock art felt like it was on the boundary between living and symbolic.
'Sicilian Stonehenge' discovered by amateur archaeologists
The Local
news@thelocal.it
5 January 2017
09:38 CET+01:00
'Sicilian Stonehenge' discovered by amateur archaeologists
The town of Gela, where the discovery was made. Photo: Federico Patti/Flickr
A group of friends stumbled across an unusual arrangement of stones in Sicily, which experts have now confirmed form a prehistoric sundial dating back to the Bronze Age.
"Making an archaeological discovery is in itself an important event, but to be part of one of the most sensational finds in recent years fills me with pride," said Giuseppe La Spina, one of the group which made the discovery.
He added that the fact the sundial was located in Gela, the town on Sicily's southern coast where he was born, "makes me very emotional".
La Spina and his colleagues came across the stones while carrying out surveys of World War II bunkers. Their report was read by Professor Alberto Scuderi, a regional director of Italy's Archaeologist Groups, who suggested the discovery get scientific confirmation.
The professor, who specializes in archeoastronomy, has been studying the find for three months, completing the work on Tuesday, January 3rd. Scuderi was due to present the full results of his analysis on Thursday at Gela's Archaeological Museum.
But a professional verification carried out on December 21st - the winter solstice - confirmed that the sundial would have been used to determine the season and solstices.
Experts used cameras, a compass and a GPS drone fitted with video recording equipment to check that the sundial worked.
The 'Sicilian Stonehenge' dates back to between 6000 and 3000BC, and is located close to the prehistoric necropolises of Grotticelle, Ponte Olivo and Dessueri.
But according to La Spina, the "really exciting part" is that the site may hold more archeological treasures. He said that it was likely the area held more clues to the past, "no less spectacular than the sundial itself."
http://www.thelocal.it/20170105/calenda ... rchaeology
Stonehenge tunnel given green light after nearly 30 years of delays
Stonehenge CREDIT: PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH/PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH
Steven Swinford, deputy political editor
12 JANUARY 2017 • 12:01AM
A tunnel at Stonehenge has finally given the go-ahead after decades of delays despite fears that it could blight the historic landscape.
The Government has confirmed that it intends to turn the whole length the A303, which passes within a few hundred metres of Stonehenge, into a dual carriageway with a 1.8 mile long tunnel.
The plans will be put out to consultation after 30 years of delays amid bitter divides over the impact on the environment and the World Heritage site.
While Unesco, the United Nations cultural body, has given its backing to the plans the Council for British Archaeology has suggested that it should be longer to ensure it does not blight the landscape.
Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, said: “This government is taking the big decisions for Britain’s future, underlined by our record £15 billion funding for road schemes. “This major investment in the South West will transform the A303 and benefit those locally by cutting congestion and improving journey times.
“It will also boost the economy, linking people with jobs and businesses with customers - driving forward our agenda to build a country that works for everyone and not just the privileged few.”
People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire on the winter solstice to witness the sunrise on the shortest day of the year
People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire on the winter solstice to witness the sunrise on the shortest day of the year CREDIT: BEN BIRCHALL/BEN BIRCHALL
Highways England has given its backing to the plans amid concerns that 35 miles of the A303, between London and the South West, remains a single carriageway.
It said that nearby villages have become “clogged, noisy and polluted rat runs” and belives that the road needs to be widened. More than 24,000 vehicles pass Stonehenge on the road every day, which campaigners have said disrupt the peace and tranquility of the World Heritage site.
Proposals for a tunnel were first announced in 1989 but have since then been repeatedly shelved. Ministers have announced a formal consultation on the tunnel with a view to starting work in 2020 and completing the new “South West Expressway” by 2029.
Jim O’Sullivan, the chief executive of Highways England, said: “Our plans for the A303 recognise the national importance of the route and these improvements will bring real benefit to the region and local communities. “The public exhibitions will provide an excellent opportunity to explain further our plans and to hear feedback from stakeholders on our proposals to deliver the scheme.”
Stonehenge
Stonehenge CREDIT: PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH/ PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH
Mike Heyworth, director at the Council for British Archaeology, said: “Ideally we would like a longer tunnel. There is no doubt there will be benefits to removing the A303 from the immediate vicinity of Stonehenge but there will be potential damage if the portals are in sensitive locations.
“It is a very sensitive archaological landscape. Ideally we want it to avoid sensitive areas and to make sure it doesn’t have any impact on views or the setting. There was a plan for 2.7mile tunnel and everybody regarded that as the gold standard, but obviously we have to be realistic about the state of public finances.”
Dan Snow, the historian, has been more forthright in his concerns. He has said: “Of all our many treasures on these islands, none is more internationally revered than Stonehenge.
“We have recently started to realise that the standing stones are just a beginning, they sit at the heart of the world’s most significant and best preserved stone age landscape. The government’s plans endanger this unique site.
“Around the world we see pictures of our fellow humans smashing the treasures of the past and count ourselves lucky that we live in a country which values its rich history and appreciates what it offers modern Britain. Our heritage helps us understand ourselves, how we got here and where we are going.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01 ... rs-delays/
Sunken, 600-year-old Buddha emerges from water in China
By Serenitie Wang, CNN
Updated 12:49 PM ET, Mon January 16, 2017
600-year-old Buddha statue emerges from lake
600-year-old Buddha statue discovered in a reservoir
Statue could date back to Ming Dynasty, say archaeologists
Beijing, China (CNN)A 600-year-old Buddha statue has been discovered in a reservoir in east China's Jiangxi Province after water levels fell during renovation work.
A local villager first spotted the head of the Buddha last month when the water level fell by more than 10 meters during work on a hydropower gate, official state news agency Xinhua reported.
The Buddha's head sits against a cliff and gazes serenely over the body of water. It has attracted many tourists as well as locals, who see it as an auspicious sign.
Archaeologists said the statue could date back to Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
"A preliminary study of the statue suggests it was probably built during early Ming Dynasty, maybe even earlier as the Yuan Dynasty," Xu Changqing, director of the Research Institute of Archaeology of Jiangxi province, told CNN in a phone interview.
The statue is potentially just the tip of an untapped archeological treasure trove. A base of a temple hall was also found under the water. Local records suggest the reservoir was located on the ruins of an ancient town called Xiaoshi.
Xu said an underwater archeology team is investigating both the ancient town and the statue and working on a preservation plan.
MORE: Sunken church emerges from water
The statue was submerged in 1960 when the Hongmen reservoir was built.
The statue was submerged in 1960 when the Hongmen reservoir was built.
Water helps protect statue
Xu added that being submerged in water could have preserved the statue, which features surprisingly detailed carving.
"If the statue wasn't preserved in the water, it could have suffered weathering, oxidation or other risks, we reckon," Xu said.
Many cultural relics were destroyed during the country's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s when people were told to get rid of everything old, feudalistic and superstitious.
The statue is around 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) tall and carved into a cliff.
MORE: Nanjing's Porcelain Tower brought back to life
An underwater archeology team is investigating both the ancient town and the statue.
An underwater archeology team is investigating both the ancient town and the statue.
China is home to a number of striking Buddhist cliff and cave carvings. The most famous is Leshan Giant Buddha, the world's tallest Buddha statue.
Guan Zhiyong, a local official, told Xinhua that the Buddha statue was built by ancient people as a spiritual protector to calm the rapid-flowing current where two rivers converge.
The statue was submerged in 1960 when the Hongmen reservoir was built. At that time, local authorities weren't aware of heritage protection, said Xu.
The re-emergence of the Buddha has brought back memories for some village elders. Huang Keping, a 82-year-old local blacksmith, said he saw the Buddha first time in 1952.
"I remember the statue was gilded at that time," Huang told Xinhua.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/16/travel/ch ... esurfaces/
Egypt finds remains of 3,700-year-old pyramid
9 hours ago
An undated handout photo from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities showing the remains of a 13th dynasty pyramid at Dahshur (3 April 2017)Image copyrightEPA
Image caption
The beginning of a corridor was uncovered during the initial excavations
The remains of a pyramid built some 3,700 years ago have been discovered in Egypt, the antiquities ministry says.
An interior corridor and a block engraved with 10 hieroglyphic lines were among the finds at the Dahshur royal necropolis, south of Cairo.
The ministry said they were in very good condition and that excavation work was continuing to try to reveal more and establish the size of the pyramid.
It is believed to have been built during the 13th pharaonic dynasty.
An undated handout photo from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities showing alabaster block engraved with 10 vertical hieroglyphic lines found at Dahshur (3 April 2017)Image copyrightEPA
Image caption
An alabaster block engraved with 10 vertical hieroglyphic lines was also among the finds
Dahshur is where King Sneferu of the 4th Dynasty built ancient Egypt's first true smooth-sided pyramid, the 104m-high (341ft) Red Pyramid, about 4,600 years ago.
He also constructed an earlier version, the 105m-high Bent Pyramid, whose slopes change angle from 54 degrees to 43 degrees about halfway up.
Sneferu was succeeded by his son Khufu, the renowned builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza, which is 138m high and was a wonder of the ancient world.
EGYPT
An Ancient Pyramid Was Just Discovered in Egypt
Maya Rhodan
9:21 AM ET
Remnants of an ancient pyramid have been discovered by an excavation team in Egypt, the Associated Press reports. The structure is believed to date back some 3,700 years.
Few details about the discovery, which includes an inner corridor and interior blocks, have been released. But the AP reports the structure was located near King Sneferu's bent pyramid south of Cairo in the Dashur royal necropolis, which was a burial site for high-ranking officials.
Ancient Statue Believed to be of Pharaoh Ramses II Discovered in Cairo Slum
A giant, eight-meter statue thought to depict Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1213 BCE, has been discovered submerged in groundwater in a slum in Cairo
The slope of the pyramid is said to mark the ancient Egyptians' first attempt to build a "smooth sided pyramid."
http://time.com/4722681/pyramid-ancient ... iscovered/
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