archaeology

Pompeii Lands In New York City

Pompeii has plopped down in New York City. A new exhibit, "Pompeii The Exhibit: Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius" has opened at New York's Discovery Times Square. There's something about the centuries-old story of Pompeii that never fails to captivate the general public. It ties into our end-of-days fears, that idea that at any moment, a disruption could simply wipe us all out. Life went on at Pompeii for 700 years, a rich and artistic culture before, on a fateful day in 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the citizens and all their worldly goods under lava and ash.

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World's Oldest Wine Press Discovered

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The human love of wine may stretch back over 6,000 years judging by what has been unearthed in Armenia. The Areni-1 cave complex in Armenia has yield evidence of a 6,100-year-old wine-making operation. The wine vat, pots and drinking bowl were discovered in the cave near the Iranian border. Older evidence of wine drinking has been found but this is the oldest evidence of the wine-making process. Findings from a team led by UCLA archaeologist Hans Barnard will appear in the upcoming Journal of Archaeological Science. This area was also where the world's oldest leather shoe, dating back to 5,500 years ago, was discovered last summer.

The archaeologists found grape seeds, remains of pressed grapes and dozens of dried vines in an area surrounded by graves suggesting that the beverage had ritual significance. AOL News reports that the earliest comparable remains were found in the tomb of the Egyptian king Scorpion I, dating to around 5,100 years ago. The Egyptians are famous for their love of beer but also used wine for festivals and other events.

Tags: archaeology, armenia, wine, worlds oldest wine

The Archaeological Conservancy, Charity of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day

I mentioned the Nature Conservancy earlier this month but a lesser known conservancy is the Archaeological Conservancy. The Archaeological Conservancy is a non-profit organization which is dedicated to acquiring and preserving our nation's remaining archaeological sites. Many sites in the U.S. which contain prehistoric and historic remains have been destroyed by both looters and urban development. By owning these sites the Archaeological Conservancy is safeguarding the history of North America and preserving them for posterity. Since its beginning in 1980, the Conservancy has acquired more than 325 endangered sites in 39 states across America. The types of sites range from the earliest habitation sites in North America to a 19th-century frontier army post.

For a contribution of just $18 dollars you get their quarterly magazine, American Archaeology and you can send a gift membership to someone else. They also offer various archaeological tours. Their next one is planned for March 13-23, 2008 in Guadalajara, Mexico and costs $2,695.

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Tags: american archaeology, AmericanArchaeology, archaeology, conservancy, history, preservation