Ancient Gold Treasure Puzzles Greek Archaeologists

A priceless gold wreath has been unearthed in an ancient city in northern Greece, buried with human bones in a large copper vase that workers initially took for a land mine.

The University of Thessaloniki said in a statement Friday that the "astonishing" discovery was made during its excavations this week in the ruins of ancient Aigai. The city was the first capital of ancient Macedonia, where King Philip II — father of Alexander the Great — was assassinated.

Gold wreaths are rare and were buried with ancient nobles or royalty. But the find is also highly unusual as the artifacts appear to have been removed from a grave during ancient times and, for reasons that are unclear, reburied in the city's marketplace near the theater where Philip was stabbed to death..........

Associated Press

A 2,6000 Year Old Clay Seal Impression Uncovered in Jerusalem

A 2,600 year old clay seal impression, or bulla, bearing the name
Gedaliah ben Pashur has recently been uncovered completely intact
during archaeological excavations in Jerusalem's ancient City of
David, located just below the walls of the Old City near the Dung
Gate. The name appears in the Book of Jeremiah (38:1) together with
that of Yehuchal ben Shelemayahu, whose name was found on an
identical clay bulla in the same area in 2005. The two men were
ministers in the court of King Zedekiah, the last king to rule in
Jerusalem before the destruction of the First Temple..........

ArchNews

Complete Neanderthal Mitochondrial Genome Sequenced from 38,000 Year Old Bone

A study reported in the August 8th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell
Press publication, reveals the complete mitochondrial genome of a
38,000-year-old Neandertal. The findings open a window into the
Neandertals' past and helps answer lingering questions about our
relationship to them........... It also shows that the last common ancestor of Neandertals and humans
lived about 660,000 years ago, give or take 140,000 years...........

EurekAlert

The Bard's First Theatre Found

An archaeological dig has recovered what is thought to be the remains of the theatre where Shakespeare's plays were first performed..........

BBC News

Fully Preserved Thracian Chariot Discovered

A team led by archaeologist Daniela Agre of Bulgaria's National Institute of Archaeology unearthed an ancient four–wheel chariot near the Borissovo village in the Elhovo region, dating back from the first half of the second century ACE, Focus news agency reported..........

Sofia Echo