Heritage News of the Week
Discoveries!
Archaeologists are unsure why people in Stone Age Slovakia removed corpses' heads before burying them in a neighborhood ditch.
At the entrance to a Stone Age neighbourhood in Slovakia, archaeologists have uncovered a ditch full of headless human skeletons. While the bones reveal cut marks that signal decapitation, researchers think the practice was not a violent mass killing but rather part of a complex burial ritual more than 7,000 years ago. In other words, the individuals were likely beheaded postmortem.
New discoveries during restoration of Otto the Great’s tomb
Archaeologists and conservators working inside Magdeburg Cathedral have revealed new insights into the ongoing restoration and investigation of the tomb of Emperor Otto the Great, one of medieval Europe’s most influential rulers.
Archaeologists uncover oldest known structure at Hadrian’s Villa
Researchers from Pablo de Olavide University have uncovered what may be the oldest documented structure ever identified at Hadrian’s Villa near Rome, shedding new light on the origins of the vast imperial complex built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian.
Exceptional Gallo-Roman mosaic discovered in Soissons
An exceptional ancient mosaic has been uncovered in the French commune of Soissons, once again revealing the remarkable archaeological richness hidden beneath the soil of Aisne.
Brain removal and the burial traditions that connected Iron Age northern Scotland
A multidisciplinary study has found evidence for a previously unknown Iron Age funerary tradition stretching around Scotland’s northern coast.
Archaeologists unearth remains of submerged medieval trading centre
Underwater archaeological excavations in Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, have unearthed the remains of a major medieval trading centre that disappeared beneath the water after a catastrophic earthquake in the early 15th century.
Cave provides insight into prehistoric life 300,000 years ago
Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved prehistoric cave near the Zichron Yaakov interchange, in northern Israel, offering rare insights into human life hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Iron Age Celtic grave discovered in Hesse
During surveys for a solar park in Hesse, archaeologists uncovered a Celtic princely tomb with exceptional grave goods near Bad Camberg, a find of European significance.
Lost segment of Inca road network found under modern Cusco
Archaeologists in Cusco have uncovered a previously hidden section of the Inca road network linked to Qollasuyo during stormwater drainage works in the historic Peruvian city.
Lost Japanese “hellship” discovered off Philippines after 80 years
The wreck of the infamous Japanese World War II “Hellship” Hōfuku Maru has been discovered off the coast of the Philippines, marking one of the largest previously unknown resting places of Allied prisoners of war lost during the conflict.
Complete skin of an adult horse found with 10th-century woman and newborn in rare Siberian burial
Archaeologists in Russia have discovered a rare elite burial of a medieval woman who was accompanied in death by a newborn child and a flayed horse. A mirror and silver stirrup found in the grave were decorated in the style of Chinese art, revealing multicultural connections in 10th-century Asia.
Ancient salt trade revealed by rare briquetage finds along the Elbe
Archaeologists in eastern Germany have uncovered compelling new evidence that ancient communities transported brine along the Elbe River for salt production more than 2,500 years ago, shedding fresh light on prehistoric trade networks and industrial practices in Bronze and Iron Age Europe.
Greco-Roman cemetery excavated in northern Egypt
Excavations near the coast of northern Egypt, at the site of at Tell Kom Aziza, have revealed a cemetery dated to the Greek and Roman periods,
Beads and burnt bones unearthed at major Iron Age burial site in Sweden
Archaeologists excavating one of Södermanland’s largest archaeological sites have uncovered colourful glass beads, cremation urns and burnt human remains at an Iron Age burial ground near Rogsta outside Nyköping, offering a rare glimpse into life and death in Sweden some 1,500 years ago.
Pupils amazed by Tudor tunnels under their school
While repairing a nearby ha-ha, which is a long ditch used to contain livestock, workers found the entrance to a tunnel, along with pottery, bones, glass bottles and more.
Ancient royal water system discovered beneath Angkor Thom
Archaeologists working for Cambodia’s Apsara Authority have uncovered significant remains of a 12th-century hydraulic system and architectural features within the ancient royal palace complex of Angkor Thom, shedding new light on the engineering and daily life of the Khmer Empire during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.
Evidence of alchemy discovered at Gnandstein Castle
Archaeologists working at Gnandstein Castle in Germany have uncovered a rare distillation vessel that may point to alchemical activity at the medieval stronghold during the 15th or 16th century.
‘Marks that speak across time’: rock carvings and drawings discovered in Oman
A newly discovered archaeological site has revealed a massive rock face covered in art that is believed to be ancient
Napoleonic fortification identified in Saxony
Archaeologists have identified a Napoleonic military fortification in woodland near the German village of Göppersdorf, dating to the Wars of Liberation in 1813.
Museums
Isro scientist Nandini Harinath wore the sari on the "single most critical day" of India's Mars mission.
On a day that Nandini Harinath describes as the most important of her life, the Indian space scientist turned up to the office in a vibrant red and blue silk sari. That sari is now in pride of place in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
Phoenix Art Museum receives largest gift of Native American works
A hundred works by Indigenous artists tracing creative resilience over the course of a century will go on view at the institution in August.
Citing financial trouble, Charleston’s International African American Museum to furlough staff
Citing ongoing financial difficulties, Charleston’s International African American Museum will furlough its entire staff, including senior leadership, according to a statement from the institution.
Brunel’s SS Great Britain site renamed as new museum prepares to launch
The Bristol site where the steamship (SS) Great Britain is docked will be rebranded as it prepares to unveil a major redevelopment this July. Previously known as Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the destination is changing its name to Bristol Dockyards.
'Genius of the Renaissance': Leonardo da Vinci exhibition opens in Astana
An exhibition dedicated to the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci has opened in Astana, offering visitors a chance to explore the ideas of one of history's most influential inventors, artists and scientists.
The bird brooch that defied the Nazis: Cartier’s diamond menagerie – in pictures
Fresh from a sell-out showing at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Cartier is coming to the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne as part of the gallery’s Winter Masterpieces series. The exhibition features more than 350 jewels, including gemstones the size of golf balls, and tells the story of how three brothers – Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier – took their grandfather’s small Parisian business and transformed it into a global sensation.
Screw you, Nazis!
French Supreme Court tears up lawsuit aiming to halt Bayeux Tapestry loan to the British Museum
The court ruled on Friday, June 5, saying that “given the diplomatic context in which it is situated and the symbolic and historical significance for Franco-British relations of the loan of this work by France to the United Kingdom, this decision must be considered inseparable from the conduct of France’s international relations,”
Museums close early due to serious disorder in Belfast
Cultural institutions in Belfast were among many venues across the city centre that closed early this week due to violent unrest.
Repatriation
The returns follow on D.A. Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Doris Wiener, a New York gallery dealer and known antiquities trafficker who die
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has repatriated two sandstone sculptures in its collection to the people of Cambodia: an Angkor period guardian deity (rākṣasa), dating to c. 921-945, and a lintel featuring a carving of an anthropomorphic dragon from the mid-7th century.
Mexico demands a halt to an auction of Mexican artifacts in Colorado
The Mexican Ministry of Culture has demanded the suspension of an auction in Colorado. Organized by Artemis Fine Arts in Louisville, Colorado, the sale, titled “Fine/Visual Art, Ancient, Ethnographic Art,” includes 80 artifacts of Mexican origin. The works were flagged by Mexico’s federal agency, the National Institute of Anthropology and History, one of whose roles is to protect the country’s cultural heritage.
Private citizen returns ancient vessel to Cyprus
An ancient ceramic vessel has been reclaimed from an online auction and returned to Cyprus after a year-long investigation.
Heritage at risk
Given the region’s abundant petroglyphs, why are there so few legal protections and only one World Heritage inscription?
In July, the World Heritage Committee meets in Busan, South Korea, to decide which places will be added to the World Heritage List — and what it will take to safeguard them. As it weighs new inscriptions, the Northern Lowlands of South America face a blunt question: Given the region’s abundant rock art, why are there so few legal protections — and only one World Heritage inscription?
Profit over protection: state institutions destroy African heritage
Assessment of four heritage sites in Tanzania finds that all are under threat from the institutions meant to steward them, prioritising income from tourism over the sites’ preservation and refusing to engage with community protection initiatives.
International organisations and Lebanese culture ministry issue warnings amid Israeli capture of Beaufort Castle and strikes on Tyre
ICOMOS Lebanon, UNESCO, and the Lebanese Ministry of Culture have all issued urgent alerts about Israeli strikes that have damaged Beaufort Castle as well as Tyre in recent days.
Crimean museum struck by Ukrainian drone, reportedly damaging collection
Ukrainian drones damaged a historic museum in annexed Crimea amid a recent escalation in strikes on Russian-controlled territory in the Black Sea peninsula.
National Park Service orders removal of quotes at Bunker Hill after visitor complains of ‘woke’ ideology
At Bunker Hill, historical displays are accompanied by panels with quotes that reflect on the monument and the Battle of Bunker Hill. One of the quotes removed came from an 1971 editorial by Vietnam War veterans Arthur Johnson and Bestor Cram written after a three-day anti-war march that ended at the monument. The offending quote reads, “We find, upon reflection, that our duty to our country has not ended … We as Vietnam Veterans, strongly feel that the United States should cease to build memorials to death and begin to glorify life.”
Trump administration must restore history, science materials at parks, US judge rules
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to reinstall exhibits and signs on topics like slavery and climate change that it had removed from parks and monuments nationwide because they "do not align with its preferred narrative."
Three men convicted in high-profile Dutch museum heist of ancient Romanian gold
Three men have each been sentenced to 47 months in prison for the theft of ancient Romanian gold from a Dutch museum, marking a major development in the 16-month-long case.
'Operation Pushkin': six Georgians on trial in France over theft of rare Russian books
The trial is the latest case aimed at delivering justice after a series of similar thefts in libraries across Europe, allegedly by an organised network.
Chilean lawmakers propose ‘museum of truth’ for pre-Pinochet years
Far-right lawmakers in Chile have proposed the creation of a “museum of truth” to tell its own version of the years preceding Gen Augusto Pinochet’s bloody dictatorship – and emphasise the plight of what it calls the victims of Salvador Allende’s socialist government.
Construction of Trump’s Washington, DC arch could put archaeological sites at risk
There are more than a dozen documented archaeological and historic sites within one mile of the proposed arch location, according to a new report, and additional undocumented materials may be present
Odds and ends
At least 3,000 Herero and Nama people died in a German concentration camp at Shark Island, Namibia. A new forensic exhibition in Berlin is u
At least 3,000 Herero and Nama people died in a German concentration camp at Shark Island, Namibia. A new forensic exhibition in Berlin is using digital technology to unearth how colonisers scarred a landscape, and a community.
'A place of legend': The ancient engineering marvels of the world's tallest church
Antoni Gaudí was known as "God's architect", and the centuries-old arch design he drew on for Barcelona's Sagrada Família helps it soar higher than any other church in the world. Today, it has been perfected using modern techniques.
Mi'kmaw history easier to find with new digital archive
A new digital archive by a local Mi’kmaw rights organization is bringing together a wide range of historical records related to the Mi’kmaq of P.E.I. L’nuey’s new Mi’kmaw-led online archive, called Tku Atlasma’lit, is free to the public thanks to a partnership with the Robertson Library at University of Prince Edward Island through the Island Archives platform.
Overdue library book returned almost 77 years late
A library book borrowed in October 1949 has finally been returned, almost 77 years after it was due back. The book - The Devil Held the Aces, by Patrick Doncaster - was handed in to a member of Norfolk County Council's mobile library service last week after being found in an attic.
From bikinis to cat bowls: how museum gift stores became the place to shop
Curated edits mean people are treating museums as stand-alone shopping destinations rather than simply exit points.
Whale of a Time beaded whale crossbody handbag, available at the Royal Ontario Museum Boutique
The rise of wonky costume dramas is getting weird
Modernity is creeping into historical fiction in increasingly thoughtless ways.
‘It’s massive destruction’: outcry in Texas over waivers to allow border wall in Big Bend national park
Despite plunging border crossings, the Trump administration is circumventing laws to expedite building in a vast, pristine wilderness
