  Images: Temple of Luxor and an ancient library in Ephesus
New discoveries of ancient cities, sites, statues, etc
Chinese archaeologists have found the ruins of an ancient city buried in the Taklamakan Desert, in northwest China,
by using satellite technology. The Chinese Xinhua news agency reports that the city is Niya, which disappeared nearly
2,000 years ago.
Ancient city discovered in Cambodia
The lost city was discovered under dense vegetation at the Angkor temple complex. The Angkor complex originally
contained up to 1,000 temples, many of which are partially lost to the thick undergrowth.
Irrigated by a network of reservoirs and canals, the plain had a population of more than a million between the 8th and
13th centuries.
Divers find Pharaohs' lost city
Underwater archaeologists working off the Egyptian coast have discovered an entire submerged city dating from
ancient times.
It is is believed to be the ancient city of Herakleion.
Divers have located a lost world of temples, houses and colossal statues.
Numerous artefacts were also recovered from its sister city of Menouthis. It is still not known what destroyed the
cities more than 1,000 years ago.
City of Atlantis 'could be found'
Scientists say they have found evidence of the site of the lost kingdom of Atlantis off the coast of Cyprus.
A team of experts spent six days scanning an area of the sea bed in between the countries of Cyprus and Syria using
sonar technology. They think they found evidence of huge structures beneath the ocean floor, including two straight
walls on a hill. For hundreds of years there have been stories written about an ancient city that sank into the sea.
'Mythical Roman cave' unearthed
Italian archaeologists say they have found the long-lost underground grotto where ancient Romans believed a female
wolf suckled the city's twin founders.
The cave believed to be the Lupercal was found near the ruins of Emperor Augustus' palace on the Palatine hill.
The 8m (26ft) high cave decorated with shells, mosaics and marble was found during restoration work on the palace.
Presenting the discovery, Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli said archaeologists were "reasonably certain" that
the newly unearthed cave could be the Lupercal.
"This could reasonably be the place bearing witness to the myth of Rome, one of the most well-known cities in the
world - the legendary cave where the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, saving them from death," he said.
"Italy and Rome never cease to astonish the world with continual archaeological and artistic discoveries, and it is
incredible to think that we have finally found a mythical site which, by our doing so, has become a real place."
The ancient cave was found 16m (52ft) underground in a previously unexplored area during restoration work on the
palace of Augustus, the first Roman emperor.
Exploration of the cavity was hampered, however, by fears that it might collapse and damage the foundations of the
surrounding ruins.
The Palatine hill is covered in palaces and other ancient monuments, from the 8th Century BC remains of Rome's first
buildings to a mediaeval fortress and Renaissance villas.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Vatican reveals Roman burial site
They were digging the foundations of a new multi-storey car park under the Vatican.
But what the bulldozers uncovered was an ancient world ofthe dead - a Roman necropolis, or burial site, dating back to
the time of Christ.
Since then the excavations have brought to light more than 200 tombs, arranged on multiple levels and in remarkable
condition. In addition to funerary inscriptions they have uncovered a wide assortment of statues, vases, terracotta urns,
coins and skeletons. The burial site paints a complex picture of life and death in ancient Rome and for the first time
gives archaeologists a valuable insight into the life of lower- and middle-class Romans.
Simple artisans
Some of them were simple artisans, buried with clues to their trade.
In the tomb of a set designer for Pompey's theatre, there are the symbols of a compass and a T-square.
There are the tombs of a letter carrier, a circus horse trainer and a slave who was freed and later rose to a respected
position in the household staff of the Emperor Nero.
But they have also uncovered skeletons of paupers, possibly slaves, who were buried without names and in simple
wooden caskets. "We found a little Pompeii of funeral life, " said Giandomenico Spinola, head of the Vatican Museums'
classical antiquities department. "We have had the mausoleums of Hadrian and Augustus," Mr Spinola said. "But in
Rome we are short of these middle- and lower-class burial places."
In some parts of the necropolis lie the tombs of much wealthier Romans. Some of them are complete with ornate funeral
altars. The inscriptions help to fill out family trees and they provide an important insight into daily life.
There is the sarcophagus of a male member of ancient Rome's class of knights, who died as a teenager and was
remembered in death with a sculptured figure with hands outstretched as if in prayer.
The kind of figure known as an orante was widely taken as an early symbol of Christianity. Before archaeologists could
begin the excavation, they had to clear tons of dirt and rock.
In the second century there had been a landslip on the hill which helped preserve some of the tombs.
Dionysus' mosaic
Black-and-white mosaic flooring was unearthed depicting Dionysus, an ancient god of fertility and wine, along with a
grape harvest scene.
It has all been carefully restored in the Vatican Museums' laboratory and placed back in its original location.
From specially constructed walkways, visitors can look down on the skeletons, including that of an infant buried by
loved ones who left a hen's egg beside the body.
The egg, whose smashed shell was reconstructed, was either a play thing or perhaps was left by the family as a symbol
of rebirth. Throughout the necropolis there are a number of terracotta pipes that emerge from the tombs.
In ancient times families would sit by the grave and picnic, occasionally pouring wine, milk or honey down the pipe to
feed the dead. Originally the necropolis ran along the edges of an ancient Roman road, the Via Triumphalis
(Triumphal Way).
Now we know that the area uncovered is just a small section of a much bigger necropolis that would have covered a
large part of the hill. But many of the secrets will remain buried.
Archaeological digs like this are expensive - the work carried out so far has cost the Vatican around 400,000 euros
(£268,851) - and the current site is now surrounded by the imposing stone pillars of the new multi-storey car park.
The advance of the modern world has, for the time being, put paid to any further excavations.
Ancient secrets emerge from grave
The bones of six bishops buried more than 600 years ago have been identified using new hi-tech methods.
The medieval bishops, who died between 1200-1360, were discovered during an excavation at Whithorn Priory in
Galloway between 1957-67.
It was known the remains were of powerful churchmen of the Middle Ages, but their identities were a mystery.
But Historic Scotland research has shown when the men died, who several of them were and even what they ate.
Radiocarbon dating helped identify the graves of bishops Walter (died 1235), Henry (d. 1293), Michael (d. 1359) and
Thomas (d. 1362).
Also identified was Gilbert (d. 1253) and a central grave which it is thought was being used for a second time but had
originally been the burial place of bishop John (d. 1209).
Analysis using new techniques showed that the bishops had all probably come from southern Scotland or maybe
Cumbria - at this time the church in Galloway fell under the archdiocese of York.
Dietary evidence shows the bishops enjoyed high quality meat and fish - including large sea fish like cod.
One of the most impressive finds from the excavation was a gilded and enamelled crozier head that dates from around
1175.
The grave also contained brocade threads from vestments, gilded sequins from his headdress and silver altar vessels.
This has now been identified as the grave of bishop Simon (d. 1355).
Peter Yeoman, senior archaeologist with Historic Scotland, said: "This has been a rare opportunity to build up a picture
of life and death among Scotland's rich and powerful churchmen of the Middle Ages.
"Very fine gilded altar vessels, a gold pontifical ring, and the remains of a wooden crozier were found with the skeleton
in the central grave, all of which showed he was a bishop.
"But it was only when we had the radiocarbon dating that we were able to say it was probably Bishop Henry who died
in 1293, who had been important in rebuilding parts of the priory after it was raided and damaged by soldiers in 1286."
The finds made during the excavation are all in the collections of National Museums Scotland.
The research was carried out by Edinburgh-based Headland Archaeology on behalf of Historic Scotland.
'Breakthrough' at Stonehenge dig
Archaeologists carrying out an excavation at Stonehenge say they have broken through to a layer that may finally
explain why the site was built.
The team has reached sockets that once held bluestones - smaller stones, most now missing or uprooted, which
formed the site's original structure.
The researchers believe that the bluestones could reveal that Stonehenge was once a place of healing.
The dig is the first to take place at Stonehenge for more than 40 years.
The team now needs to extract organic material from these holes to date when the stones first arrived.
Professor Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, who is leading the work with Professor Geoff Wainwright, president of
the Society of Antiquaries, said: "The first week has gone really well. We have broken through to these key features.
"It is a slow process but at the moment everything is going exactly to plan."
The two-week excavation is being funded by the BBC and filmed for a special Timewatch programme to be broadcast in
the autumn.
Professors Darvill and Wainwright say that finding out more about the history of the bluestones could be key to solving
the mystery of why the 4,500-year-old landmark was erected.
They believe that the bluestones, which were transported 250km (150 miles) from the Preseli Hills in Wales to the
Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, were brought to the site because the ancient people believed they had healing properties.
Professor Geoffrey Wainwright said the site could have been a "Neolithic Lourdes".
The giant sarsen "goal posts", which came from about 20km (12 miles) away, were thought to have arrived much later.
As well as reaching the bluestone sockets, the archaeologists have also unearthed a whole host of other finds as they
have peeled back the layers of the 2.5m-by-3.5m (8.2ft-by-11.5ft) trench.
These include a beaker pottery fragment, Roman ceramics and ancient stone hammers.
Source: bbc.co.uk
CAIRO — Archaeologists say they have discovered a more than 3,200-year-old tomb in the ancient Egyptian necropolis
of Saqqara.
Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities says a limestone sarcophagus belonging to a nobel woman was found in the
tomb in Saqqara, which is south of Cairo.
In the statement, the council says three mummies and several funerary fragments were also in the tomb.
It was not known who the mummies were. The council says the sarcophagus was found in pieces along the south wall
of the tomb, which dates back to the 19th Dynasty.
Excavations at Saqqara have been going on for 150 years, uncovering a necropolis of pyramids and tombs dating
mostly from the Old Kingdom but also tombs from as recently as the Roman era.
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