In Explorator 13.38

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
================================================================
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
Yahoo site:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Explorator/

To subscribe to Explorator, send a blank email message to:

Explorator-subscribe@yahoogroups.com