Ainsley Broussard's List: ANCIENT HISTORY

• Lost city of Atlantis 'could be buried in southern Spain'
• Archaeologists have begun the search for an ancient civilization in southern Spain that some believe could help pinpoint the legendary lost city of Atlantis.
• By Fiona Govan in Madrid
      Published: 6:00AM GMT 19 Jan 2010
• A team of researchers from Spain's Higher Council for Scientific Study (CSIC) are examining a marshy area of Andalusian parkland to find evidence of a 3,000-year-old settlement.
• They believe that Tartessos, a wealthy civilization in southern Iberia that predates the Phoenicians, may have had its capital in the heart of what is now the Donana national park.
• Until now historians had dismissed the region as a possible site believing that it had been submerged since the ice age.
• But it is claimed new evidence suggests the waters may have receded in time for the Tartessians to build an urban centre, which was later destroyed in a tsunami.
• The Hinojos marshes, an area close to the mouth of the Guadalquiver river where it meets the Atlantic, have now been pinpointed as the site most likely to provide evidence of a lost city.
• Archaeological findings have already proved the existence of Tartessian culture at sites on the opposite bank of the river.
• "If they existed on the other side, they must also have been here (in Donana)," Sebastian Celestino, the archaeologist leading the project told the newspaper El Pais.
• "There were earthquakes and one of them caused a tsunami that razed everything and which coincided with the era in which Tartessian power was at its height."
• Aerial photos show the existence of large circular and rectangular forms that could not have been produced by nature.
• The images, together with literary accounts by ancient Greek geographers have given weight to the theory that a great Tartessian city once existed within the park.
• The Tartessian civilization, which developed in southern Spain between the 11th and 7th centuries BC and became rich trading gold and silver from local mines, has long been linked by mythologists to the Atlantis legend.
• While the Spanish researchers refuse to speculate on whether they are on the brink of discovering Atlantis others believe their research could be a breakthrough in a centuries old quest.
• "Evidence is mounting that suggests the story of Atlantis was not mere fiction, fable or myth, but a true story as Plato always maintained," said Georgeos Diaz-Montexano, a Cuban archeologist who has spent the last 15 years searching for the submerged city.
• "Atlantis is not exactly where the CSIC is looking, but it is close," he claimed.
• The theory is just the latest in a long list of suggested locations for Atlantis, including various Mediterranean islands, the Azores, the Sahara desert, Central America and Antarctica.

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• What is Happening Under Giza? Lost Cave System Becomes More Mysterious & More Controversial
• by Dr. Greg Little
• When Andrew Collins, his wife Sue Collins, and Nigel Skinner-Simpson entered the lost cave system under Giza in March 2008, they knew that what they had found was extremely important.
• The caves had been briefly described nearly 200 years earlier in an obscure personal journal, but the journal was hidden away in the British Museum.
• During those 200 years Giza was extensively explored and the many finds dutily cataloged, but no one rediscovered the caves.
• Myths of a labyrinth of caves under Giza, concealing a hidden repository of lost knowledge, persisted, but that's all they were—myths.
• According to the official catalogs of archaeological locations at Giza, no natural cave system exists.
• That is, it didn't exist until 2008 when the hidden entrance to unrecorded caves was found deep inside an obscure tomb, known as “NC2,” on the north face of the Giza plateau by Collins who was spurred on by the clues in the forgotten journal.
• It's likely that the Collins' team thought that their discovery would be appreciated by Egyptian authorities, but one thing they probably never expected was an official denial that the dark, dangerous place that they bravely explored didn't even exist.
• The official denial of the caves' existence, by Dr. Zahi Hawass, has created an even more intriguing story.
• Collins detailed the discovery of the caves in his book, Beneath The Pyramids, which was released in October 2009.
• However, prior to the book's release a flurry of activity on the internet happened revealing the discovery. Numerous articles and press releases—along with film and stories by MSNBC, Discovery, and other news sources came out that revealed the existence of the previously-unknown caves and their extent.
• Collins had actually handed Dr Hawass a private report in April 2009 fully informing him about the caves, but Hawass appears to have dismissed the report.
• Even more oddly, in October 2008, Hawass was shown photos of the cave system in his office in Cairo. In that meeting, Hawass related that the system was "unknown" to him.
• Not long ago Hawass officially responded to the cave controversy by first relating that the NC2 tomb, which Collins called the "Tomb of the Birds," due to its ancient usage as a bird necropolis, was well-known and had been fully explored.
• Hawass speculated that Collins and his team had become "confused" and mistook the tomb as a cave system. But the description of the tomb given by Hawass clearly showed that it was Hawass who was confused.
• It was obvious at that time Hawass was completely unaware that a cave system extended for some considerable distance from the back of the actual tomb.
• Oddly, on his internet site Hawass dismissed internet reports by stating, "I hope people who wish to learn more about the Giza tombs will consult academic sources, for example books published by scholars such as myself and not rely on unsupported Internet accounts." Indeed—use an internet release to belittle internet reports.
• Hawass's recent description of pop-singer Beyonce as "stupid" shows that he can become deeply offended by what he sees as intrusions into Egyptology by outsiders and people who don't appreciate the depth of Egyptology.
• What also seems likely is that Hawass sees himself as the sole guardian of Giza and it creates a deep resentment when something new is found that comes as a surprise. (It is true in some ways that he is the guardian and that fact needs to be recognized.)
• When Collins first approached him about the caves' existence, Hawass responded by consulting the known archaeological reports and quickly concluded that all Collins did was enter the actual tomb NC2. The reason is that the tomb itself is a little over 100-feet long with various rooms and compartments.
• Hawass concluded that the description of the caves extending for hundreds of yards was wrong and again that Collins was confused. That accounts for Hawass's initial statements that a cave system didn't exist.
• But as the furor over the caves increased with the publication of Collins' book, a team was dispatched to the tomb by Hawass. Much to their amazement, the unrecorded cave system did, in fact, exist. It had been missed by everyone.
• But while Hawass is capable of calling someone "stupid," he seems incapable of admitting that he was wrong. For a professional and academic, that looks pretty stupid.
• One of the things that Andrew Collins was concerned about, and a concern that he directly related to Dr. Hawass several times, was that as long as the tomb was open and accessible, others would secretly enter and then the possible archaeological finds that might be made could be compromised.
• Hawass responded by keeping the tomb open, but oddly he dispatched a professional team, described by him in an email as a group of "archaeologists, geologists, engineers, and architects" to completely excavate the entire site.
• The clearing and excavation of the system quietly began in August 2009 after Hawass was told that the caves did, in fact, exist.
• The extent and discoveries made by this team is becoming increasingly clear, and what they may find might prove even more embarrassing to Hawass.
• Obviously following the description and photos of the cave system entrance in Collins' book, another British citizen (Richard Gabriel) recently gained entrance into the caves and managed to take dozens of photos.
• Collins has written an article about the newly released photos which make it clear that Collins was correct and Hawass was wrong. From the photos it is apparent that Gabriel entered the system recently and at a time when workers were not present.
• The photos show that the tomb that provides access to the caves has been now cleared of debris and dust. In addition, excavation tools and equipment are shown lying in several areas of the tomb.
• Two previously unrecorded descending stairways have been revealed inside the tomb’s anteroom and newly-cleared sub-floor chambers are also visible.
• Precisely how Hawass will describe the clearing of the caves he had earlier stated don't exist is unclear, but it's unlikely he'll ever admit that he was wrong.
• One group that seems to understand the situation is the Egyptologist's Electronic Forum (EEF), a subscription-only group comprised of some of the world's top Egyptologists.
• But even members of that group have been sometimes confused by wrongly suggesting that the caves Collins discovered might have been something previously explored by Dr Mark Lehner, an Egyptologist, director of Ancient Egypt Research Associates (AERA), who for 25 years has explored and recorded the hundreds of monuments and tombs at Giza.
• On the EEF, as well as on other key Egyptological forums, there have been discussions of the controversy with the consensus being that the Giza caves do seem to be unrecorded, and are thus worthy of further investigation.
• Oddly, a few of the newly-released photos give credence to a local folk legend telling how the caves are guarded by a giant snake.
• A natural rock face in a chamber deep inside the system has a protrusion that looks like a massive snake head.
• And a recently released satellite-based ground penetrating radar image examined by Collins indicates that the cave system he has found might well follow the course of localized geological faulting that extends all the way to the Second Pyramid.
• Collins points out that it is this pyramid, and not the more obvious Great Pyramid, that was said to be the location of the lost cave-tomb of Hermes, a legendary wisdom bringer and founder of Egyptian civilization.
• Collins most recent musings on the situation are here.
• Overall this is an intriguing story that becomes more and more interesting as the caves appear to become a free-for-all that is being entered by more and more people.
• Hawass has only increased the intrigue and mystery by denying that the very thing he's investigating even exists!
• It is quite likely that whatever is eventually reported to be found in the caves by Hawass will be important to Giza and Egyptology, but it's also likely that Hawass will take credit for it by relating that he knew about it all along.
• Nevertheless, Egyptology should accord some respect and recognition to Collins as the individual who made it all come about. Sadly, that's unlikely.

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• EXPLORATION  OF GIZA CAVE TOMB
  STEPS UP A GEAR

• Experts  in Different Fields Called in
  to Examine Egypt's Lost Labyrinth

  News  Story by Andrew Collins
• Wednesday,  3 February 2010. Cairo:
• Work at the enigmatic tomb concealing the hidden entrance  to Giza's lost cave world has stepped up a gear as Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary General  of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, reveals that the mysterious location  is being probed by a host of experts.
• "We  have experts in all fields working with us," he revealed this week. "Archaeologists,  geologists, engineers, and architects, to name a few."
• Dr  Hawass is, however, being tight lipped on exactly why there is so much interest  in the tomb, designated "NC2" by American Egyptologist George A. Reisner
• (although renamed by us the "Tomb of the Birds" due to its ancient,  albeit secondary, usage as a bird cemetery - see below).
• "I  will be posting information about our excavation at Giza on my web site,"  he told me in a recent email, "and will be publishing the results of our  work in due course."
• with two new rock-cut shafts and stairways being uncovered to date. These have  been found to lead into a maze of underground chambers and galleries never before  seen in modern times.
• Work  at the cave-tomb began quietly in August last year, and has continued ever since,
• Their exact age is unclear, although recently, in an email  to the author, Dr Hawass strongly hinted that the tomb in fact dates to the Old  kingdom period, its "catacombs", as he calls them, later being reused  as a bird and animal necropolis.
• Dr  Hawass realised the potential significance of Giza's Tomb of the Birds following  the rediscovery in its interior of a concealed entrance leading into a natural  cave system. This was located by Egyptological researcher Nigel Skinner Simpson  and myself in March 2008.
• A small breach in a stone and mud wall allowed entry  into a fantastic cave world full of bats, poisonous spiders, and untouched archaeology.
• To  find these caves, Nigel and I explored vital clues left in the 200-year memoirs  of a British diplomat named Henry Salt (1780-1827), which were published for the  first time in 2007.
• Despite  Dr Hawass admitting that experts are now helping in the investigation of Giza's  cave-tomb, the world's most famous Egyptologist will not be drawn into debate  on the existence of what he refers to as "Collins' caves".
• On  a prestigious online Egyptological forum that has been following the story, I  recently wrote: "Dr Hawass has said that there are no natural caves at the  site, simply a pharaonic tomb later reused as catacombs. This is despite a wealth  of evidence, including various published photos, that suggest differently."
• The  forum, which is subscribed to by some of the world's top Egyptologists, had been  debating the topic of the caves, suggesting, quite wrongly, that American Egyptologist  Dr Mark Lehner might have been shown exploring them in a documentary entitled  "Mysteries of the Pyramids ... Live", first screened in 1988 with Egyptian  actor Omar Sharif as narrator.
• However, after some diligent checking by myself  and Nigel Skinner Simpson, it was determined that Lehner is actually shown in  a montage of underground locations at Giza, as well as in the so-called Osiris  Shaft beneath the Second Pyramid's causeway (even though this sequence was cut  from the version of the documentary afterwards put on general release), and even  in a tomb at Saqqara (despite the fact that Saqqara fails to get a mention in  the documentary).
• Nowhere is Lehner shown in either the Tomb of the Birds, or  its associated cave system.
• All  this comes in the wake of dozens of new photos of the cave underworld being posted  online.
• These come from a British man named Richard Gabriel who, with his partner  Judith, was able to gain access to the tomb and cave system and take a sequence  of breathtaking pictures that go a long way to enhance our knowledge of the site.
• One  posted photo displays rock simulacrum in the form of a snake's head, making sense  of local folk stories which claim that the caves are haunted by a giant snake  called el-Hanash.
• Our  exploration of Giza's cave underworld, and the amazing research that led to its  rediscovery, is detailed in my book Beneath the  Pyramids (4th Millennium Press), available by clicking here.
• For  the full story on Richard Gabriel's cave pictures click here

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• DNA Testing on 2,000-Year-Old Bones in Italy Reveal East Asian Ancestry
• ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2010)
• Researchers excavating an ancient Roman cemetery made a surprising discovery when they extracted ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from one of the skeletons buried at the site: the 2,000-year-old bones revealed a maternal East Asian ancestry.
• The results will be presented at the Roman Archeology Conference at Oxford, England, in March, and published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology.
• the isotopic evidence indicates that about 20% of the sample analyzed to-date was not born in the area around Vagnari.
• The mtDNA is another line of evidence that indicates at least one individual was of East Asian descent.
• 
   

  Image of the burial site. (Credit: Image courtesy of McMaster University)
• "These preliminary isotopic and mtDNA data provide tantalizing evidence that some of the people who lived and died at Vagnari were foreigners, and that they may have come to Vagnari from beyond the borders of the Roman Empire," says Prowse.
• "This research addresses broader issues relating to globalization, human mobility, identity, and diversity in Roman Italy."
• Based on her work in the region, she thinks the East Asian man, who lived sometime between the first to second centuries AD -- the early Roman Empire -- was a slave or worker on the site.
• His surviving grave goods consist of a single pot (which archaeologists used to date the burial). What's more, his burial was disturbed in antiquity and someone was buried on top of him.
• Prowse's team cannot say how recently he, or his ancestors, left East Asia: he could have made the journey alone, or his East Asian genes might have come from a distant maternal ancestor.
• However, the oxygen isotope evidence indicates that he was definitely not born in Italy and likely came here from elsewhere in the Roman Empire.
• During this era, Vagnari was an Imperial estate owned by the emperor in Rome and controlled by a local administrator.
• Workers were employed in industrial activities on the site, including iron smelting and tile production. These tiles were used for roofing buildings on the site and were also used as grave covers for the people buried in the cemetery.
• Fragmentary tiles found in and around Vagnari are marked "Gratus Caesaris," which translates into "slave of the emperor."
• In addition to the mystery the find uncovers, Prowse sees the broader scientific impact for archaeologists, physical anthropologists, and classicists: The grave goods from this individual's burial gave no indication that he was foreign-born or of East Asian descent.
• "This multi-faceted research demonstrates that human skeletal remains can provide another layer of evidence in conjunction with archaeological and historical information," says Prowse.
• For the last seven years, Prowse has been digging the cemetery at the site of Vagnari, just west of the city of Bari in southern Italy.
• The cemetery was first discovered in 2002 by her colleague, Alastair Small (University of Edinburgh), who directs the excavations at Vagnari and continues to excavate other areas of the site. Prowse's research focuses on the bioarchaeological analysis of the people buried in the cemetery, including isotopic, palaeopathological, and aDNA analysis.

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