Archaeological Videos

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Greek temples tended to face the dawn(details) Humans used Cascade Range nearly 10,000 years agodetails) Mesolithic blades excavated in England(details) Three preColumbian tombs found in Costa Rica(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: BNew Mayan mural shows rare glimpse of common peoples life(details) Early Japanese building raises new debate over location of ancient kingdom(details) Newly found Tennessee fort was a stop on the Trail of Tears(details) Canaanite palace mural shows Minoan connections(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Beads may document de Sotos exploration of southeast(details) Crusader builder supply was stockpile of recycled marble(details) Medieval ship remains found in Swedish lake(details) Young man is newest Moche noble burial(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Steppe bison may offer clue to early American migration(details) Stone Age wooden artifacts found in Sweden(details) West Indian site may rewrite history(details) Beer bottle used as 17th century talisman(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Seventeen wooden statues discovered in Peru(details) Alexandria settled before Alexander the Greatdetails) Bronze Age skeletons found under German railway line(details) Hadrian's "liberal arts school" discovered near the Roman Forum(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Central Canadian campsite yields evidence of early dinner recipe(details) Long abandoned quarry in Crete could be the real Labyrinthdetails) Middle eastern murals capture Crusader ideas of heaven and hell(details) Louisiana students dig into Civil War siege works(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Ancient Roman Population may be smaller than believed(details) Possible Goth mercenary found in Britaindetails) Bluestonehenge may be Stonehenge crematorium(details) A dozen Pre Columbian graves discovered in Peru(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Revolving banquet hall of Emperor Nero is found(details) Peruvian digs uncover temple with colorful murals(details) Computer re analysis of early Pacific canoes builds new picture of migration(details) Tucson area dig discovers entire irrigated field system(details)

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Skeletons may date to Trojan War(details) Metal detecting enthusiast finds Anglo Saxon war bootydetails) Ancient Syrian cellar reveals bounty and burials(details) Gulf of Mexico may hold evidence of early human habitation(details)

NexCAVE exploration of Jordan archaeological excavation site. Speaker: Tom Levy, Professor, UCSD and Associate Director, CISA3

CORNEA 3D virtual reality environment and exploration of Jordan archaeological site. Speaker: Tom Levy, Professor, UCSD

News items read by Laura Kelley include: Shrines on rocky Hawaiian islet are still a mystery(details) Hellenistic town of Tel Dor includes fine carving of Alexanderdetails) Tomb of Peruvian priestesses holds unexpected man(details) Early Bulgarian shrine may have Minoan connections(details)

www.nativeartefacts.com:Nubian Artefacts

In his latest phone message, Uncle Lon recalls his days as a young man, dancing every night away...

At a time when Rome was just a village, it was here in Athens that the foundations of our Western civilization were laid. And today, in the mist of such a rich heritage, the vibrant capital of Greece still thrives.

Durrington Walls - this time with the Northern timber arrangement (and sunrise/sunset).

Reconstruction of the Sanctuary at Avebury (stone and timber phase).

Threat to the Hill of Tara The Hill of Tara is under threat from the construction of a new motorway, the M3, which is currently being built and will disect the tranquil Tara-Skryne valley and pose a threat to many monuments which will doubtlessly be uncovered during its construction. Already a unique hengiform site has been revealed at Lismullen, and this has stopped work on the motorway. The Hill of Tara, known as Temair in gaeilge, was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland -- 142 kings are said to have reigned there in prehistoric and historic times. In ancient Irish religion and mythology Temair was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld. Saint Patrick is said to have come to Tara to confront the ancient religion of the pagans at its most powerful site. One interpretation of the name Tara says that it means a place of great prospect and indeed on a clear day it is claimed that features in half the counties of Ireland can be seen from atop Tara. In the distance to the northwest can be seen the brilliant white quartz front of Newgrange and further north lies the Hill of Slane, where according to legend St. Patrick lit his Pascal fire prior to his visit to Tara in 433 AD. Early in the 20th century a group of Israelites came to Tara with the conviction that the Arc of the Covenant was buried in on the famous hill. They dug the Mound of the Synods in search of the Arc but found only some Roman coins. Official excavation in the 1950s revealed circles of post holes, indicating the construction of substantial buildings here. A new theory suggests Tara was the ancient capital of the lost kingdom of Atlantis. The mythical land of Atlantis was Ireland, according to a new book. There are a large number of monuments and earthen structures on the Hill of Tara. The earliest settlement at the site was in the Neolithic, and the Mound of the Hostages was constructed in or around 2500BC. There are over thirty monuments which are visible, and probably as many again which have no visible remains on the surface but which have been detected using special non-intrusive archaeological techniques and aerial photography. A huge temple measuring 170 metres and made of over 300 wooden posts, was discovered recently at Tara. Only two monuments at Tara have been excavated - The Mound of the Hostages in the 1950s, and the Rath of the Synods at the turn of the 19th-20th Centuries. Click here to see a comprehensive map of the monuments on Tara. Click here for the Tara photo gallery. The Stone of Destiny Sitting on top of the King's Seat (Forradh) of Temair is the most famous of Tara's monuments - Ireland's ancient coronation stone - the Lia Fail or Stone of Destiny , which was brought here according to mythology by the godlike people, the Tuatha Dé Danann, as one of their sacred objects. It was said to roar when touched by the rightful king of Tara. Formerly located just north of the Mound of the Hostages (see map), it was moved to its current site after the Battle of Tara during the Irish revolution of 1798 to mark the graves of 400 rebels who died here. Some say the true Stone of Destiny was formerly the Pillow of Jacob from the Old Testament. They also claim it was flat and that it was moved from Tara by King Fergus of Scotland and was named the Stone of Scone which then became the coronation stone of British kings at Westminster Cathedral. Many historians accept that the present granite pillar at Tara is the true Stone of Destiny, but a number of people have argued that the Stone of Scone is in fact the real thing. One legend states that it was only one of four stones positioned at the cardinal directions on Tara - and it is interesting to note that the Hall of Tara, the ancient political centre of Ireland, is aligned North-South.