Tobacco tins from Lawrence of Arabia’s army discovered

I couldn't pass up sharing this, seeing as I'm a huge fan of T.E. Lawrence's work as well as a Bristol alum.



Two tobacco tins used by Lawrence of Arabia’s army have been discovered during an excavation of a campsite used during the 1916-18 Great Arab Revolt.

The tins were discovered by archaeologists who have been surveying the Arab army site in Wuheida, southern Jordan, since it was discovered in November.

They were used to supply Wills cigarettes from Bristol to British and Arab troops fighting the Ottoman Turks during the First World War.

Archaeologists from Bristol University also recovered numerous bullets, spent cartridges, cartridge clips, and British military buttons from the encampment

In 1916 Arabs keen on freeing themselves from Ottoman rule launched the Great Arab Revolt.

TE Lawrence, or Lawrence of Arabia, led a small band of Arab fighters to capture the important town of Aqaba from Ottoman hands — a key moment in the war.

From Telegraph.co.uk

Blaise Castle Hill history on show in Henbury lecture

One of my favorite places in all of England is Blaise Castle. That's why when I stumbled upon this I felt inclined to share. UK Sexy Archaeologists take note:

A local historian is highlighting the history of Blaise Castle Hill in Henbury this month.

Andrew Chugg will be holding the talk on behalf of Henbury Conservation Society at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 27 April.

It will take place at Henbury Village Hall, near the local church and entry is free.

Blaise Castle Hill in the Blaise Estate is in fact "the original Henbury" and the name actually means lofty fortress in Anglo-Saxon.

It was originally an Iron Age hill fort but was adapted into a military base by the Romans in the 4th Century as part of the defences of the Severn Estuary against raids by Irish pirates.

The Roman base incorporated a temple, which became a chapel dedicated to St Werburgha around AD700 - its dedication was changed to St Blaise around 1400.

It was abandoned after the dissolution of the monasteries and its ruins were excavated to provide building stone for a small Summer House tower in 1707.

The famous Blaise Castle folly was constructed near the hill - by Thomas Farr - in 1766 to 1768 and still stands to this day.

Many other features, including three caves, were added by Humphry Repton and John Nash around 1800.

Blaise Castle was immortalised by being described as "the finest place in England" in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey.

From BBC Bristol

Research indicates last Neanderthals in Europe died out 37,000 years ago

The last Neanderthals in Europe died out at least 37,000 years ago - and both climate change and interaction with modern humans could be involved in their demise, according to new research from the University of Bristol published today in PLoS ONE.

The paper, by Professor João Zilhão and colleagues, builds on his earlier research which proposed that, south of the Cantabro-Pyrenean mountain chain, Neanderthals survived for several millennia after being replaced or assimilated by anatomically modern humans everywhere else in Europe.

Although the reality of this 'Ebro Frontier' pattern has gained wide acceptance since it was first proposed by Professor Zilhão some twenty years ago, two important aspects of the model have remained the object of unresolved controversy: the exact duration of the frontier; and the causes underlying the eventual disappearance of those refugial Neanderthal populations (ecology and climate, or competition with modern human immigrants).

Professor Zilhão and colleagues now report new dating evidence for the Late Aurignacian of Portugal, an archaeological culture unquestionably associated with modern humans, that firmly constrains the age of the last Neanderthals of southern and western Iberia to no younger than some 37,000 years ago.

This new evidence therefore puts at five millennia the duration of the Iberian Neanderthal refugium, and counters speculations that Neanderthal populations could have remained in the Gibraltar area until 28,000 years ago.

These findings have important implications for the understanding of the archaic features found in the anatomy of a 30,000 year old child unearthed at Lagar Velho, Portugal. With the last of the Iberian Neanderthals dating to many millennia before the child was born, 'freak' crossbreeding between immediate ancestors drawn from distinct 'modern' and 'Neanderthal' gene pools cannot be a viable explanation. The skeleton's archaic features must therefore represent evolutionarily significant admixture at the time of contact, as suggested by the team who excavated and studied the fossil.

Professor Zilhão said: "I believe the 'Ebro frontier' pattern was generated by both climatic and demographic factors, as it coincides with a period of globally milder climate during which oak and pine woodlands expanded significantly along the west façade of Iberia.

"Population decrease and a break-up of interaction networks probably occurred as a result of the expansion of such tree-covered landscapes, favouring the creation and persistence of population refugia.

"Then, as environments opened up again for large herbivore herds and their hunters as a result of the return to colder conditions, interaction and movement across the previous boundary must have ensued, and the last of the Neanderthals underwent the same processes of assimilation or replacement that underpin their demise elsewhere in Europe five millennia earlier."

The dating was undertaken by experts at the University of Vienna (VERA laboratory) led by Professor Eva Maria Wild, and at the University of Oxford's Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit.

Professor Wild, head of the 14C program at VERA (Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator) said: "Accurate 14C dating was crucial for this study. For layer 2 of the cave sediment we achieved this by selecting teeth for 14C dating and by comparing the 14C results of the same sample after different, elaborate sample pre-treatments. Agreement between the results obtained with different methods provides a proof for accurate dating."

From University of Bristol

Diving into history in Bath

History buffs in Bath are being given the chance to delve into the city's Roman history.

A day course is being held at the Roman Baths, which will investigate the "special nature" of the venue and also explore the Roman culture and people.

There also will be illustrated lectures, guided tours and artefact-handling sessions.

The special day school takes place between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, January 23.

The event has been organised by Bath and North East Somerset Council and the University of Bristol's department of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Councillor Terry Gazzard said: "Bath and North East Somerset Council is very proud of Bath's Roman history.

"This really is a great opportunity to find out more about the unique position the site holds in Roman-British studies.

"Those who come along will also have the chance to see behind the scenes of a museum with a collection which is designated as being of national and international importance."

The day school costs £36 - more information on the course can be found via the University of Bristol website.

Homeless excavate site in Bristol

A team of homeless people are to begin excavating a derelict corner of Bristol which has been used by rough sleepers for more than 40 years.

"Turbo Island" in Stokes Croft is to be excavated in a project funded by the Council of British Archaeology.

Archaeologist Rachael Kiddey, who developed the scheme, said: "This project seeks to break down barriers."

Ms Kiddey and colleague John Schofield thought up the project after speaking to rough sleepers in the underpass.

Mr Schofield said a host of stories were attached to the traffic island including that it is the site of a bombed WWII building; that it was once a "Speaker's Corner"; and that it was "where pirates were hanged".

He added: "It doesn't matter whether these stories of Turbo Island are true - we are more interested by how many people were keen to tell us its history.

"Places that matter to homeless people and those who have a marginalised existence in society are significant in their own right."

Ms Kiddey added: "Using conventional archaeological methods to understand modern culture is both fascinating and socially relevant."

Volunteers from the police and Bristol University student helpers will also take part in the project on the corner of Stokes Croft and Jamaica Street.

The results of the dig will be presented in talks and lectures in spring 2010, culminating in an exhibition in Stokes Croft.

From BBC.co.uk