I hope you have all survived the holidays with an abundance of pleasant times with friends and family. I’m looking forward to a new year. Here are some posts from around the web that I enjoyed last week.
The Late Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke on Cyprus, right next to the Larnaca airport had a productive excavation in 2015 according to the Swedish team from U of Gothenburg. My husband and I visited here in 2014 during a wild windstorm that blew sand into our eyes while we clomped across a roughly plowed field and chatted with the archaeologists. The Swedish students working the dig joked that these people had a lot of anchors and pots—that seemed to be what they were finding that year. Now there is a salt lake, but in ancient times it was a harbor, so the anchors made sense and, of course, potshards are the thing one finds most. This year they continued some ground penetrating radar and other survey work and are realizing the city is much more extensive than thought. The uppermost layer has been harmed by plows, and there are two other strata beneath with only about 50 years of time separating them. As with much of the eastern Mediterrranean at the end of the 12th C, there are destruction layers of ash and destroyed buildings. Upheavals stretch across the region at that time, including the islands. (Read Cline’s 1177 BC the Year Civilization Collapsed if curious.) Exciting finds this year included a thick, probably defensive wall—first of its kind found at this site, Egyptian faience, alabaster vessels including an almost complete pilgrim flask, Mycenaean imported pottery, lead sling bullets, and an offering pit with a rich assemblage of objects and pottery from the 15th C BCE. I may locate a novel in this ancient city down the road, so all of this is lovely to hear, although it seems cruel to put Briseis back in a city headed for destruction. But that is a writer’s job—make life hell for her characters! Click here for “New Findings at Bronze Age site in Larnaca” from Archaeology News Network
Hittite seal (the seal itself not an impression as is usually found) confiscated from a smuggler and brought to the Çorum museum. This article is a bit confused and unhelpful about whose seal it was. The idea of it being for “writing between a king and a clerk” must be a mistranslation of the idea that the king would use it to seal writing done by a clerk/scribe. I can see the cuneiform writing on it, so more will no doubt come out from informed observers. The Çorum museum is outstanding, so it’s in good hands now. There’s a Çorum museum app for your phone if you want to visit the museum and turn objects around to look at them etc. My favorite Turkish museum, for sure! A similar Hittite seal ring is a key clue in the historical mystery I’m currently shopping around. Click here for Hurriyet Daily News “Rare Hittite Seal Seized in Corum”
Here’s a calming beautiful post for end of year: desert photos with lots of enchanting critters by the talented Melissa Crytzer Fry. Take a meditative moment of observation. Click here for “Inspired Sights” on Melissa Crytzer Fry’s blog What I Saw
More cool underwater archaeology. This time to uncover Corinth’s Greek harbor that bustled as a maritime trade center for over 1,000 years. While I love the ancient stuff, I have to say the discovery of how the underwater sea wall was constructed in the Byzantine period is fascinating. Apparently similar technique used at Constantinople—purposely building and sinking cement filled wood boats to slow the force of the water on the exposed coast. Maybe they should try this in front of New Orleans? Much more to come about the earlier Greek harbor town. When I traveled to Corinth as a college student it was an industrial city with no signs of ancient world. I was so puzzled. Now I know. The ancient part was sunken! Underwater archaeology had barely begun back then. So fun what can be done. I did have great fish at a taverna on the side of the commercial harbor. Click here for University of Copenhagen’s “Greek and Danish archaeologists excavate ancient Greek harbour town of Lechaion”