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Secrets of the Dead: Caveman Cold Case
This week, PBS airs "Caveman Cold Case", the latest episode of the long-running series Secrets of the Dead, featuring archaeological evidence of survival cannibalism by Neanderthals some 49,000 years ago.... Read Full Post
"Over 120 years of experience" of Artefact Hunting
Further to my comments on the upcoming televised artefact grabfest "Dig Wars" by Travel Channel, over on a metal detecting blog near you, "Chicagoron" explains (May 12, 2013 at 7:21 pm) This show is something different than anything that has been on. Show More Summary
On the Move
Ian taking delivery of the new fleet Wessex Archaeology has just received the latest additions to its fleet of cars and vans, featuring our new branding. With fleet vehicles now based in Sheffield and Rochester, as well as Salisbury,...Show More Summary
Deaccessioning of Material from Public Collections
Damien Huffer on the complicated issues of deaccessioning: "Museums and the Market: When Cultural Institutions Must Sell" (It Surfaced Down Under, May 12th 2013) and the differing issues connected with archaeological research archives and shelved cultural property of other types. Show More Summary
The Many Faces of a Hobby
This video (UK Beach Hunting with AT Pro International) raises two issues. The first is why somebody whose hobby consists of searching sandy beaches for dropped change, lost property and buried cutlery, such as Bournemouth retiree John...Show More Summary
Renewed Focus on UK metal Detecting: The Importance of a Name...
UK tekkies are easily impressed it seems, they prefer to treat as 'authoritative' a handful of comfortable statements made by somebody else, this presumably saves them having to think things out for themselves. So, we currently have a very good example of this in the treatment several days ago of the two opposing propositions. Show More Summary
Syrian Conflict: Samarkeolog Examines the Trade in Looted Antquities
Samarkeolog (Conflict Antiquities) has an interesting text on: 'Syria/Lebanon: Syrian-Lebanese antiquities-for-arms trade' (May 12th 2013). In the past week, two investigations have explored the Syrian antiquities market in Lebanon.Show More Summary
Happy Mother's Day: Academia and Maternity Leave
I'm about half-way through my second pregnancy right now. I gave birth to my almost-4-year-old daughter while in grad school, right after I accepted a fellowship to complete my dissertation. It was a fairly traumatic delivery, and it...Show More Summary
"Men With Guns" in Syria
Paul Danahar has a few words to say about the Syrian crisis against which we should see the discussion of the looting: The situation in Syria is complicated. If you are not confused by what is going on there, then you do not understand it. Show More Summary
Museums and the Market: When Cultural Institutions Must Sell
An interesting and thought provoking piece has come to my attention recently. It specifically posits the question of what, and to what extent, an established but deeply indebted museum (using Chicago's Field Museum as an example) can sell off previously held collections on the open market. Show More Summary
"The Importance of Public Debate on History"
"Our past is the fuel for debate about the future" argues Tristram Hunt in the Guardian: history enjoys a uniquely controversial place within British public life. [...] Even if academic historians might not like it, politicians are right to involve themselves in the curriculum debate. Show More Summary
Travel Channel, "Dig Wars", from June 12th
Kelly Anderson, “Red, White and New,” “Dig Wars” join Travel’s slate', Realscreen March 13, 2013U.S. cable network Travel Channel is investing in American inventions and relic hunters via two series set to launch this spring [...] The...Show More Summary
Black-market Dinosaurs Returned to Source Country
The Heritage Auctions tarbosaurus sale case has thrown a spotlight on the lucrative world of paleontological trading. Sources in Mongolia say that a ring of middlemen had been responsible for a steady flow of remains, worth up to £1Show More Summary
Discard
This weekend is the annual “spring cleaning pick-up” weekend in Grand Forks. Residents of the community can discard anything they want at the curb. This creates some interesting assemblages. Local junk collectors roam the streets before the official pick up occurs gleaning interesting or valuable objects. Here’s one in my neighborhood. The first photo is […]
Egyptology news for the 9th-11th May 2013
Copied from Twitter @egyptologynews The Two-Dogs Palette from the Main Deposit,Hierakonpolis. c.3300-3100BC1896-1908 E.3924Ashmolean Museum Fieldwork The week one dig diary for the South Asasif Conservation Project is up on their blog,...Show More Summary
"Sotheby’s Claims Ignorance"
Although last week, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced that it would repatriate two statues from the Koh Ker temple complex after receiving evidence they had been looted, the foreign press is somewhat scathingly noting...Show More Summary
ACCG: "They cannot refuse to try our case"
The ACCG are determined to confront the US gubn'mint (Wayne Sayles, 'German Supreme Court ruling favorable to Ancient Coin Collectors' (sic) Ancient Coin Collecting blog, Wednesday, May 01, 2013 ) U.S. Courts have consistently avoided hearing arguments about the validity of imposing trade restrictions on ancient coins[...]Show More Summary
Peruvian Smuggling Mystery Followed by Miami Forfeit
While US auction houses flog off Precolumbian artefacts from the southern part of the continent which have zero documentation of how they "surfaced' on the market, and a bunch of disgruntled US dugup dealers are protesting that they should not be required to show any such documentation, the trade in dugups goes on. Show More Summary
Caveat Vendor
If we are to believe what we read in Al Ahram (Nevine El-Aref, 'Stolen Egyptian artefacts rescued from Christie's auction', Al Ahram, 2 May 2013 [ link broken, rewritten as: 'Exclusive: Britain's largest seize of stolen artefacts since...Show More Summary
Heritage UKIP: "Britain triumphs over the rest of the world!"
Heritage Action's latest 'Cheers and Boos' includes the latest comment: A while back the public had to raise £3.3 million pounds to give two people a “reward” for finding and handing over national treasure that never belonged to them. Show More Summary
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