Ancient World Review

Spectacular Sarcophagus Found In Egypt

"The wooden sarcophagus was unearthed by archaeologists at the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa in Aswan, Egypt," according to the Daily Mail.

"Believed to contain the body of a person of some rank, it boasts extraordinarily delicate features, well-preserved by the sands of time."

Note: the face of this sarcophogus is really incredible. Check out the Daily Mail article for pictures.

Trash And Tombs In Ancient Pompeii

"Cemeteries in ancient Pompeii were 'mixed-use developments' with a variety of purposes that included serving as an appropriate site to toss out the trash," according to Science Daily.

New Discoveries In Chinese Archaeology (2009)

Underwater Archaeologists Search Aegean Sea

"Researchers have already found one potential Minoan wreck site by the island of Pseira, off the northeast coast of Crete. In 2003, archaeologist Elpida Hatzidaki of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities discovered a large collection of underwater pottery dating to around 1800 BC." Source: Nature.

According to the Thera Foundation, "Pseira...was first inhabited in the Final Neolithic / Early Minoan I period, and the settlement expanded in the Middle Bronze Age and again in the Late Bronze Age, reaching its greatest size in Late Minoan I. After a destruction in LM IB, the town seems to have been abandoned for a short time. A reoccupation in LM III was followed by another abandonment, and the island may have had only intermittent visitors until the 6th century AD."

More on underwater archaeology in Greece here.

Ancient Sican Tomb Discovered In Peru

"The Sican (also Sicán) culture is the name that archaeologist Izumi Shimada gave to the culture that inhabited what is now the north coast of Peru between about AD 750 and 1375. According to Shimada, Sican means "temple of the moon." Source: Wikipedia. See The Sican Archaeological Project for more information. Note: discovery was apparently made last year.

Divers Retrieve Prehistoric Wood From Lake Huron

"Under the cold clear waters of Lake Huron, University of Michigan researchers have found a five-and-a-half foot-long, pole-shaped piece of wood that is 8,900 years old," according to Science Daily. "The wood, which is tapered and beveled on one side in a way that looks deliberate, may provide important clues to a mysterious period in North American prehistory."

Top 10 Ancient History News Stories Of 2011

List compiled by History Of The Ancient World.

Earliest Known Modern Human Found in Europe

"A piece of jawbone excavated from a prehistoric cave in England is the earliest evidence for modern humans in Europe, according to an international team of scientists. The bone first was believed to be about 35,000 years old, but the new research study shows it to be significantly older -- between 41,000 and 44,000 years old, according to the findings that will be published in the journal Nature. The new dating of the bone is expected to help scientists pin down how quickly the modern humans spread across Europe during the last Ice Age. It also helps confirm the much-debated theory that early humans coexisted with Neanderthals." Source: Science Daily Nov. 2, 2011.

Archaeosoup Productions YouTube Page.

7,000-Year-Old Village Discovered In Iowa

Stonehenge Rocks Origin Confirmed

"Experts say they have confirmed for the first time the precise origin of some of the rocks at Stonehenge," according to BBC News.

"It has long been suspected that rhyolites from the northern Preseli Hills helped build the monument.

"But research by National Museum Wales and Leicester University has identified their source to within 70m (230ft) of Craig Rhos-y-felin, near Pont Saeson." Note: Craig Rhos-y-felin is about 160 miles from Stonehenge.

"The museum's Dr Richard Bevins said the find would help experts work out how the stones were moved to Wiltshire."