Some gleanings from today’s newsletter … as always, some repeats, some alternate versions, some things I hope I’ll get to blog:
================================================================
ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT
================================================================
Finds from various periods at Medinet al-Far (Syria):

http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201101058547/Related-news-from-Syria/ar\
chaeologists-head-statue-mosque-walls-islamic-coins-discovered-in-syria.html

All sorts of translation/transcription problems with this Byzantine (?)
mosaic (?) find from
Kfamboda, Hama (Syria):

http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201101068555/Related-news-from-Syria/ar\
chaeologists-unearthed-byzantine-mosaic-painting-in-syria.html

Marble ‘pillars’ from Gaza:

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=347876
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ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME (AND CLASSICS)
================================================================
Brief item on some Roman and Byzantine tombs being found at Sweida (Syria):

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/01/03/Ancient-tomb-sites-uncovered-in-Syria\
/UPI-34231294079010/
http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201101028499/Travel/archaeologists-byza\
ntine-and-roman-tombs-unearthed-in-south-of-syria.html

Evidence of a Roman legionary settlement of some sort from Balaklava:

http://www.thenews.pl/international/artykul146739_polish-archeologists-discover-\
roman-fort-in-ukraine.html

An update of sorts from one of the digs in Paphos:

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/features/house-expected-reveal-hidden-secrets-ancient\
-city/20110109

Possible Roman burial from Epsom:

http://www.epsomguardian.co.uk/news/8774591.Bones_found_by_workmen/

A large complex from the Roman period found during excavations at Vlou
(Cyprus):

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/history/large-ancient-dwelling-uncovered-anogyra/2011\
0107
http://www.mcw.gov.cy/mcw/da/da.nsf/All/CB740A26E2D59C534225780A003818BB?OpenDoc\
ument

Feature on the Villa dei Quintili:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0103/1224286668742.html

The Romeyka dialect seems to be a survival of Pontic Greek:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/jason-and-the-argot-land-where-g\
reeks-ancient-language-survives-2174669.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-not-such-a\
-dead-language-2174681.html
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/01/04/Modern-dialect-linked-to-ancient-Gree\
k/UPI-58711294187312/
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100010_05/01/2011_122140
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-endangered-language-window-video.html

Identifying the owner of a New Testament papyrus that dates to the time of
Constantine:

http://www.unreportedheritagenews.com/2011/01/flax-merchant-from-egypt-owner-of-\
4th.html

Reviewing the year in archaeology in Bulgaria:

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=123905

Claims of finding Alexander’s tomb … in Illinois (really is Elmer
material):

http://www.carmitimes.com/area_news/x1728384742/Does-Alexander-the-Great-rest-in\
-southern-Illinois

… and claims about Achilles’ grave are likely in the same category:

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-231953-mythological-warrior-achilles-to-have-his\
-trojan-horse-back.html

Interesting theory that the vallum that runs along Hadrian’s Wall was
originally intended
to be a road:

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/archaeologist-claims-vallum\
-was-abandoned-roman-road-1.795685?referrerPath=/courant-news-and-sport-1.257779
cf:
http://structuralarchaeology.blogspot.com/2010/11/40-reverse-engineering-vallum.\
html

Nice hype for Kathryn Gutzwiller’s mosaic paper at the APA:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-mosaics-pieces-popular-ancient.html
http://www.uc.edu/profiles/profile.asp?id=12911

… and Kathleen Lynch’s sympotic evolution paper at the AIA:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-toast-history-years-wine-drinking-cups.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110103110327.htm
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=ancient-greek-symposium\
-featured-dr-11-01-03
http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=12888

Ross Kilpatrick sees some Horace (and Petrarch) allusions in the Mona Lisa:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-professor-hidden-literary-mona-lisa.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/127134/professor-uncovers-hidden-literary-re\
ferences.html
http://www.sify.com/news/professor-uncovers-hidden-literary-references-in-mona-l\
isa-news-international-lbhsahgeihf.html
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/hidden-literary-code-found-in-\
da-vincis-masterpiece
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110106153123.htm
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20110107/professor-probes-mona-lisa-secr\
ets-110109/

What Umit Dhuga is up to:

http://www.calvin.edu/news/detail.html?id=f5ed48de-e671-46ef-b376-c1074da9dfdb

Cartledge and Romm continue to talk about Alexander:

http://blogs.forbes.com/booked/2011/01/03/two-great-historians-talk-alexander-th\
e-great-part-4/

A new ‘preservation plan’ for Rome:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/culture/2011-01/05/c_13676620.htm

Some Cleopatra movie gossip/observations:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/09/cleopatra-paul-greengrass-angelina-j\
olie

An interview with Stephen Dando-Collins about his *Legions of Rome*:

http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2011/01/roman-legions-interview

… and one with Philip Matyszak about his *Legionary: The Roman Soldier’s
(Unofficial) Manual*:

http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/05/31/an_interview_with_philip_maty\
szak_on_legionary/

The Antikythera Mechanism is the APOD:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110109.html

A Sri Lankan Classicist is also a national hero:

http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/01/03/fea01.asp

Folks might be interested in checking out Adrian Murdoch’s podcasts on Roman
emperors which will be appearing every Monday:

http://adrianmurdoch.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/01/emperors-of-rome-augustus.htm\
l
================================================================
CRIME BEAT
================================================================
Marion True talks about her trial:

http://theartnewspaper.com/articles/%E2%80%9CNeither+condemned+nor+vindicated%E2\
%80%9D/22163
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/trial-over-former-getty-curator-spe\
aks-out/
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/01/getty-antiquities-marion-\
true-speaks-out-about-her-five-year-43-session-trial-in-italy.html

… while Paolo Ferri talks about the problems of making a case when it
involves clandestine
digging:

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/%E2%80%9CClandestine+excavation+is+a+cri\
me+that+is+hard+to+prove%E2%80%9D/22164

================================================================
NUMISMATICA
================================================================
A huge hoard of coins (actually two of them) from the excavations at
‘Pistillus’ workshop’ in Autun:

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=43979
================================================================
OBITUARIES
================================================================
Andrew Berube:

http://www.nj.com/bayonne/index.ssf/2011/01/beloved_teacher_at_bayonnes_ho.html

================================================================
================================================================
Past issues of Explorator are available on the web via our
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Explorator-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Seen on the Classicists list (please direct any queries to the folks mentioned in the item and not to rogueclassicism):

Dear all,
A new e-journal called "Electra" is about to be launched by the Centre for
the Study of Myth and Religion in Greek and Roman Antiquity, founded by
the Department of Philology of the University of Patras, Greece.
(http://electra.lis.upatras.gr/)
In general, Electra shall welcome articles focusing on Ancient Greek and
Roman Mythology and Religion from a philological, historical,
anthropological, archaeological, linguistic or philosophical point of view.
Particularly, for the first issue (to be published online by the end of
spring 2011) we are looking for papers focusing specifically on the
Atreids myth (approached from any aspect).
Anyone interested should submit their papers until 30th April 2011.

Seen on the Classicists list (please direct any queries to the folks mentioned in the item and not to rogueclassicism):

CALL FOR PAPERS:

Irony and Humour as Imperial Greek Literary Strategies: The Playful Plutarch

IOANNOU CENTRE FOR CLASSICAL AND BYZANTINE STUDIES,

(UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD ,12-13 July 2011)

Plutarch of Chaeronea is always taken very seriously. The old image of a sober moralist, whose words should be taken at face value and whose ethical judgements are clear and simple, still dominates research. Even readers who are willing to grant him a sense of humour are seldom prepared to see this as anything more than a flash in the pan.

Yet Plutarch often employs irony; almost no other ancient author is more receptive to the different intellectual and cultural uses of humour. From the Table Talk’s concern with identifying appropriate uses of jesting at the symposium, to the Political Precepts’ admonition to make measured use of witticism in political discourse; or from the lively interest exhibited by the Lives in joking as evidence of good or bad character, to the various effects that irony achieves in the Moralia, Plutarch’s corpus consistently testifies to the importance of humour as a means of intellectual engagement and communication in the period of the high Roman Empire.

This conference aims to examine the centrality of humour in Plutarch’s works, both as a literary device and as a topic in its own right. By ‘humour’, we wish to encompass a broad spectrum of discursive and intellectual practices, literary devices and manifestations of psychological processes: laughter, wit, anecdote, ridicule, joking and jesting, mockery, derision, satire and the satirical, parody and irony.

We welcome papers exploring specific passages in Plutarch’s writings where humour features, as well as papers tracing his views and works to broader cultural practices of playful engagement in public festivals or elite symposia. In particular, we suggest the following key topics for investigation:

Seen on the Classicists list (please direct any queries to the folks mentioned in the item and not to rogueclassicism):

This is to let you know that Iota, a new magazine for primary school children, will be out this month and you can now purchase a copy or subscription online in advance on our website at http://irismagazine.org/iota.html

Iota is a Classics magazine produced by The Iris Project (www.irismagazine.org) for younger children. It introduces Classics and Latin in a fun, informative and engaging way, and its content is designed and written to fit in with the key stage two material on the ancient Greeks and Romans.

There will be three editions published per year – one for each school term – and every issue will be themed around a different Classical myth. Through five exciting, fact-filled and vibrant sections, children can find clues about the story while learning about how the Romans and Greeks lived, as well as being introduced to the Latin language through activities and games.

Please get in touch if you have any questions, and best wishes for 2011!

Lorna.

Seen on the Classicists list (please direct any queries to the folks mentioned in the item and not to rogueclassicism):

CFP: APPROACHES TO ANCIENT MEDICINE – UNIVERSITY OF EXETER 22-23 August 2011

Continuing the annual series held at Newcastle, Reading and Cardiff since 2000, the 2011 "Approaches to Ancient Medicine" conference will be held at the University of Exeter on Monday and Tuesday 22-23 August 2011, hosted jointly by the Centre for Medical History and the Department of Classics and Ancient History.

If you are interested in giving a paper at the conference, please send an abstract of up to 200 words to Robert Leigh ral212 AT ex.ac.uk by 28 February 2011 at the latest. Papers should be of 20 minutes duration. In addition to papers relating to the classical Greek and Roman period we welcome proposals relating to medicine in late antiquity, to the transmission of classical medicine including via the Syriac/Arabic traditions and to its reception at all periods up to the early modern.

It is hoped that the programme will be finalised in late March 2011.

Please direct any enquiries to Robert Leigh (ral212 AT ex.ac.uk).