New Hampshire: Proposed bill aims to protect buried history

From Seacoastonline.com: Proposed bill aims to protect buried history PORTSMOUTH — A proposed Senate bill would require historic district commissions to adopt regulations to protect and preserve “subsurface archeological deposits” found within historic districts. The bill was introduced Jan. 4 and if passed would require historic commissions to adopt archeological preservation regulations by Dec. 31, 2013. The proposed legislation is currently being studied by the Public and Municipal Affairs committee. It’s sponsored by Senators Nancy Stiles and Amanda Merrill and state representatives Terie Norelli, Jacqueline Cali-Pitts, Laura Pantelakos and Jeffery St. Cyr. Related Stories * African Burying Ground park organizers updating councilors * African Burying Ground Committee to speak before City Council * African Burying Ground donations, pledges at $675K * Popovers supports African Burying Ground with donation Wednesday Pantelakos said the discovery of the African Burying Ground during construction on Chestnut Street serves as a lesson about the significance of subsurface archeology. “A lot of people are destroying things we should keep,” she said. “I’m hoping this is something that will make them look at it.” A debate about archeological preservation became heated last year during construction at the Portwalk site, after which local historian J. Dennis Robinson called New Hampshire’s preservation laws “weak” with minimal oversight.

Unique discovery of jade necklace from ancient Mayan ruler at Tak’alik Ab’aj

From the Guatemala Times: Unique discovery of jade necklace from ancient Mayan ruler at Tak’alik Ab’aj Guatemala, Rethaluleu, Asintal. Takálik Ab´aj. Discovery of the necklace of the ancestor of the Mayan- Señor de la Greca - Lord of the Fret Design, the Return to the ancestor at Tak’alik Ab’aj. This is the latest finding at the ancient city of Tak'alik Ab'aj. Tak'alik Ab'aj fulfilled for almost two millenniums, a rich and vigorous role in Mesoamerican history. The sculptured monuments buried there through the centuries, whose tops still emerge from the ground, gave way to the name, which in the K'iche' language means Standing Stone. Tak'alik Ab'aj is an ancient pre-Hispanic city situated in El Asintal, Department of Retalhuleu at the pacific piedmont of Guatemala. This important long distance trade and cosmopolitan cultural center is transcendent because of its long history which endured 1700 years (800 B.C. - 900 A.D). At its beginnings Tak'alik Ab'aj interacted and participated with the Olmec culture, and at its surmise, was one of the protagonists in the development of the early Maya culture. Deep inside Structure 6, one of the most important ceremonial buildings of the Central Group at Tak’alik Ab’aj, in 2011 the team of the National Archaeological Park Tak’alik Ab’aj, lead by archaeologists Christa Schieber de Lavarreda and Miguel Orrego Corzo of the Guatemalan head office for Cultural and Natural Heritage, Ministry of Culture and Sports, concluded with the excavation of a very special offering yielding a necklace of more than 70 beads of jadeite of different forms and outstanding beauty. This “Necklace offering” is situated more than 4 m at the bottom of the building and was deposited there between 190 b.C. and 10 a.D. (Late Preclassic); it is the most ancient of a series of ritual acts succeeding each other through centuries orbiting around one same vertical axis. This sequence of extraordinary offerings apparently corresponds to dedication rituals to the different architectonic versions from Late Preclassic to Early Classic. The “Necklace offering”, due to its special nature, appears to represent the departing point to which are focused the subsequent later offerings. Among those, highlights the notorious “Jadeite mosaic offering” which build the two miniature ceremonial heads discovered in 2010 (see news Guatemala-Times 10 of May 2010 http://www.guatemala-times.com/archeology/takalik-abaj/1555-mysterious-mayan-ceremonial-head-found-at-takaalik-abaaj-.html), giving place to the creation of the allegoric name – “Señor de la Greca” (“Lord of the Fret design”) – for a personage which must have had been one of the most powerful rulers of Tak’alik Ab’aj. At the archaeological site of this ancient city various cases of evidences have been found which tell us about the act of returning or referring to the parting points or ancestral orientations, or “calling into presence” the ancestors themselves. In the present case, the “Necklace offering” may refer to the ancestor of the powerful ruler named “Señor de la Greca” (Lord of the Fret design). The characteristics of the “Necklace offering” invite to think about the possibility that it may represent the burial of an infant or more plausibly an exhumation undertaken in Late Preclassic times, introduced into the middle preclassic version of Structure 6. The extraordinary beauty and quality of the jadeite necklace manifests an utmost expression of status, and the radiocarbon date of 190 b.C. to 10 a.D. of the content of a vessel at the southern end of the space framed by cobble stones in the manner of a very narrow cist, situates this offering or possible burial – 100 years prior to the magnificent royal burial No. 1 discovered some years ago at Tak’alik Ab’aj – as one of the earliest with such an outstanding piece of jewelry. This date might go even further back in time, possibly Middle Preclassic if the interpretation as an exhumation can be confirmed, which would put into evidence even more the magnitude of this kind of early manifestation of power at Tak’alik Ab’aj. With this purpose, this year analysis of the presence of calcium and phosphor traces in the material directly associated to the necklace will be undertaken with the cooperation of the Department of Archaeology and Chemistry of University del Valle of Guatemala, as well as the archaeologists expect to be able to date some organic remains. With this last finding a new precious “bead” has been added to the “necklace” of the most significant discoveries in the last years at Tak’alik Ab’aj, and which have brought us closer to the possible actors behind those historic events and whose signature remains manifest in their material legacy. Some of these personages were immortalized in some of the sculptures at Tak’alik Ab’aj, and their names and important dates of their lives as rulers were sculpted in stone. But it has not been possible to decode those ancient texts, so these personages have made themselves acquainted to the archaeologists by means of their public buildings and artistic expressions.

New Alabama law could mean finders-keepers for historic artifacts found underwater

From Blog.AL.com: New Alabama law could mean finders-keepers for historic artifacts found underwater
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- A battle over historic artifacts hidden below the surface of Alabama's rivers, lakes and bays is surfacing in advance of the opening of Legislature's 2012 regular session on Feb. 7.

Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, has introduced a bill to amend the Alabama Cultural Resources Act, a law that requires underwater explorers to get a permit from the Alabama Historical Commission before going after submerged wrecks and relics.

In Ward's version, the law would still require permits for recovery of artifacts related to shipwrecks and would forbid disturbing Native American burial sites. But treasure hunters would otherwise be able to search state waters and keep what they find.

"The waters, just like the air, belong to the people," said Steve Phillips, an advocate for the changes to the law. Phillips, an owner of Southern Skin Divers Supply Company of Birmingham, is the only person to ever have been arrested under the Alabama Cultural Resources Act.

At trial, Phillips was found not guilty of felony theft of a cultural resource but was convicted of misdemeanor third-degree theft. The charge stemmed from Phillips' 2003 expedition in the Alabama River near Selma in search of Civil War relics, which ended with his arrest and the confiscation of a Civil War era rifle he'd found.

The incident sparked a still simmering conflict pitting Phillips and his fellow divers and collectors against the state Historical Commission and professional archaeologists who fear that removing the restrictions would lead to raids on underwater historic sites.

Aside from the protection of burial sites, there are no restrictions on the recovery of historic artifacts on private property, but artifacts on state-owned property -- whether on land or under water - should not be available for wanton scavenging, opponents of the changes say.

Teresa Paglione, president of the Alabama Archaeological Society, said without legal protections, artifacts from the Civil War, the settlement of the state, the age of European exploration and thousands of years of Native American history could be extracted, kept privately or sold, and lost to history. Those artifacts in state waters belong to all the people of the state, Paglione said.

"(The changes to the law) would allow divers like Mr. Phillips to conduct little more than scavenger hunts for relics -- like a game of finders-keepers, except individuals get to keep what belongs to the state of Alabama and its citizenry," she said.

Lost history

On a recent afternoon, Phillips was at the Museum of Iron and Steel at Tannehill Ironworks State Historical Park where more than 100 artifacts he's loaned -- from Selma-made bullets to a tree trunk with a large shell lodged in it -- are on display.

Phillips recovered some of the items by diving but much of the rest he bought from museums whose collections are overflowing with artifacts. Phillips has more of his personal collection on loan to Confederate Memorial Park in Clanton and other museums, and the remainder is available for loan, too.

His interest in being able to dive the rivers flows from a personal passion, not profit, he said.

"I haven't sold a relic in 25 years," Phillips said. "I want to know what is under there."

Besides, you couldn't make a living selling relics anyway, Phillips said.

"Not a chance. You couldn't make enough to pay for your gasoline," he said.

Phillips doesn't hide the fact he'd like to see more divers in the waters of the state. It'd be good for business, but, he argued, it would also be good for recovery of lost history.

Without amateurs and collectors, Phillips said, much of the knowledge base professional archaeologists rely on wouldn't exist.

And besides some shipwreck exploration, there isn't any professional underwater archaeology going on anyway. An energized corps of amateurs would likely produce new discoveries.

"Archaeologists don't do it," he said. "Is it better for it to rust and fall apart and be lost forever?"

Paglione and others said that artifacts in freshwater environments are oftentimes better off remaining underwater rather than being brought to the surface where they quickly decay unless carefully preserved. And for archaeologists, random expeditions and finds that might or might not be reported add up to a recipe for lost knowledge.

Knowing where an artifact is found and what is found near it is often more important than the physical artifact itself, Paglione said.

"A popular saying in archaeology is, 'It is not what you find, but what you find out,'" she said. "If an object is removed from its context with no understanding of its intrinsic informational value, there is a substantial loss to the archaeological record -- and the heritage of Alabama," she said.

The conflict over the issue has led to poor relations and name calling between the two sides of the issue.

Ward said he hoped that through discussion in the legislative process, the conflict can be resolved. Ward said he found the wording of the current law ambiguous. He said he would be open to amendments that would be more protective of valuable historic sites. He doesn't want to lose valuable archeological sites, either.

"That is not my intention at all," he said.

At the same time, Ward said, it should be clearer what is permitted. Ward said he'd like to get suggestions from academics and Historic Commission representatives.

"I'm glad to sit down and work with them," Ward said. "I don't want to give the divers carte blanche. I want to make the law better."

What is Archaeology?

From Wikipedia:
Archaeology, or archeology (from Greek arkhaios, "ancient"; an -logia, "-logy"), is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes (the archaeological record). Because archaeology employs a wide range of different procedures, it can be considered to be both a science and a humanity and in the United States it is thought of as a branch of anthropology, although in Europe it is viewed as a separate discipline.

Archaeology studies human history from the development of the first stone tools in eastern Africa 3.4 million years ago up until recent decades. It is of most importance for learning about prehistoric societies, when there are no written records for historians to study, making up over 99% of total human history, from the Palaeolithic until the advent of literacy in any given society. Archaeology has various goals, which range from studying human evolution to cultural evolution and understanding culture history.

The discipline involves surveyance, excavation and eventually analysis of data collected to learn more about the past. In broad scope, archaeology relies on cross-disciplinary research. It draws upon anthropology, history, art history, classics, ethnology, geography, geology, linguistics, physics, information sciences, chemistry, statistics, paleoecology, paleontology, paleozoology, paleoethnobotany, and paleobotany.

Archaeology developed out of antiquarianism in Europe during the 19th century, and has since become a discipline practiced across the world. Since its early development, various specific sub-disciplines of archaeology have developed, including maritime archaeology, feminist archaeology and archaeoastronomy, and numerous different scientific techniques have been developed to aid archaeological investigation. Nonetheless, today, archaeologists face many problems, ranging from dealing with pseudoarchaeology to the looting of artifacts and opposition to the excavation of human remains.

Medieval fishing village discovered in Outer Hebrides by island boatman

The Outer Hebrides (Scottish Gaelic: Na h-Eileanan Siar, ) also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. They form part of the Hebrides, separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the waters of the Minch, the Little Minch and the Sea of the Hebrides. Scottish Gaelic is the predominant spoken language, although in a few areas English speakers form a majority.

Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from ancient metamorphic rocks and the climate is mild and oceanic. The 15 inhabited islands have a total population of about 26,500 and there are more than 50 substantial uninhabited islands.

There are various important prehistoric structures, many of which pre-date the first written references to the islands by Roman and Greek authors. The Western Isles became part of the Norse kingdom of the Suðreyjar, which lasted for over 400 years until sovereignty was transferred to Scotland by the Treaty of Perth in 1266. Control of the islands was then held by clan chiefs, principal of whom were the MacLeods, MacDonalds, Mackenzies and MacNeils. The Highland Clearances of the 19th century had a devastating effect on many communities and it is only in recent years that population levels have ceased to decline. Much of the land is now under local control and commercial activity is based on tourism, crofting, fishing, and weaving.

Sea transport is crucial and a variety of ferry services operate between the islands and to mainland Scotland. Modern navigation systems now minimise the dangers but in the past the stormy seas have claimed many ships. Religion, music and sport are important aspects of local culture, and there are numerous designated conservation areas to protect the natural environment.

From the Daily Mail: Medieval fishing village discovered in Outer Hebrides by island boatman
A medieval fishing village is believed to have been found in the Outer Hebrides after a tip-off from an islander.

The site is among potential new historic finds made along the islands’ coasts following information from members of the public.

Archaeologists said they were told about the village after bumping into local man JJ MacDonald. The possible fishing station was discovered near Loch Euport, on North Uist.

The project team said on Ordnance Survey maps the area is called Havn, the Norse word for harbour.

Last year, fishermen, beachcombers, divers and islanders in the Hebrides were asked for information on where archaeologists might find ancient sites along shorelines.

The project involves the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), WA Coastal and Marine, Historic Scotland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council).

Archaeological investigator at RCAHMS, Dr Alex Hale, said the village was among the most promising tip offs.

'Meeting JJ MacDonald was one of those fortuitous moments that can only happen when you are in the field,' he said.

'We bumped into JJ at his boat shed, by chance, and the amount of knowledge he has of the local environment is incredible.

'He’s obviously very knowledgeable about the area of South Uist where he lives and was able to help us identify sites that we’ll now be able to investigate further, such as the fishing station.'

The experts are now working on confirming, dating and analysing the sites and relics they were alerted to, along with aerial photographs of the locations.

Finds included Neolithic pottery found by a diver in Loch an Duna, on Lewis.

A previously unknown complex of fish traps and evidence of occupation south of Lochboisdale on South Uist have also been found.

Dr Jonathan Benjamin, of WA Coastal and Marine, said local knowledge was key to the first major study of the Western Isles’ marine archaeology.

He said: 'As full-time archaeologists we don’t have the benefit of observing the shoreline between the low and high tides, day in and day out, year after year.

'That’s why we’re relying on the knowledge of people who live and work on or near the sea, and who might have noticed something out of the ordinary, either in a fishing net, or at an especially low tide.

We’re also explaining to people the sorts of things that we’re interested in, because they may have seen or noticed things in the past, but disregarded them as not important.'

The Western Isles’ coasts have been a rich source of archaeology in the past.

The 12th Century Lewis Chessmen were found beneath a sand dune near Uig on the west coast of Lewis at some point before 1831.

More recently, in 2007, ancient coins were discovered on a beach, giving new clues to the far-reaching influence of the Roman Empire.

Archaeologists believed the pieces of copper alloy dated from the middle of the 4th Century.

Like the chess pieces, they were found in a sand dune, but the location in the Uists has been kept secret to protect the site.

Manifesto

A blog about archaeological discovery