[continued from previous message]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/world/venezuela-gold-rush-fishing-village.html

More on the 'planned layout' settlements revealed in the Brazilian rainforest:

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_829836_en.html https://phys.org/news/2020-12-newly-ancient-villages-laid-clock.html https://www.livescience.com/clock-face-shaped-villages-amazon-rainforest.html https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/12/newly-discovered-ancient-villages-laid.html
http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/circular-mound-villages-09144.html https://www.sciencealert.com/lidar-scans-reveal-hidden-ancient-amazonian-villages-arranged-like-clock-faces
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2020/12/09/ancient-amazonian-villages-laid-out-like-a-clock/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/9302-201209-brazil-rainforest-villages

More on the petroglyphs in Colombia:

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/12/08/ancient-cliff-art-amazon
-----
Mike Ruggeri's Ancient Americas Breaking News:

http://goo.gl/1VdeA

Ancient MesoAmerica News:

http://ancient-mesoamerica-news-updates.blogspot.com/

================================================================
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST ================================================================
More lists of top archaeological finds of 2020:

https://gulfnews.com/world/infographic-the-best-archaeological-discoveries-made-in-2020-1.1607255519284
https://gizmodo.com/the-most-intriguing-archaeological-discoveries-of-2020-1845776060

Finds from 2020 that 'fundamentally altered' our understanding of human history:

https://www.businessinsider.com/discoveries-changed-understanding-human-history-evolution-2020-12

A painting in a Brussels town hall has been identified as being painted by Jacques Jordaens:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55244347 http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/445/reader/reader.html?social#!preferred/0/package/445/pub/445/page/58/article/111737

Some statuary removed from Notre Dame for restoration just before the fire are returning:

https://fr.aleteia.org/2020/12/06/trois-apotres-de-la-fleche-viollet-le-duc-bientot-de-retour-a-paris/

... while restoration of the organ is a major project:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/notre-dames-voice-will-sound-again-180976524/

On the arab ancestor of the guitar:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/origins-of-the-oud

General features on Hanukkah:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/35030671 https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2020/12/06/some-little-known-facts-about-hanukah/ https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/local_news/what-is-the-story-of-chanukah/article_10f6a329-7ef1-5932-a830-220b71698ac8.html
https://www.jns.org/opinion/hanukkah-guide-for-the-perplexed-2020/

... and the Hanukkah scroll:

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/wherefore-the-hanukkah-scroll-651714

... and the origins of Christmas tree decorations:

https://www.sent-trib.com/community/ancient-romans-started-tree-decorating/article_f7d75e24-3969-11eb-8f54-27e513b68a38.html

... and the precursors to Christmas carols:

https://aleteia.org/2020/12/10/before-christmas-carols-christians-sang-these-holiday-hymns/

Hype for a book on Nazi-looted libraries in Belgium:

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/publication-details-nazi-looted-libraries-during-holocaust-in-belgium-651484
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/online-project-documents-libraries-looted-nazis-180976486/

Feature on 'love settlements' in 12th century law:

https://psyche.co/ideas/the-language-of-love-in-a-12th-century-english-law-book

Feature on cave art:

https://aeon.co/essays/ice-age-art-making-was-a-tactile-joyous-exploration-of-the-world

Feature on Linnaeus:

https://www.livescience.com/carl-linnaeus.html

Feature on Hugo Grotius:

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/who-was-hugo-grotius-and-what-is-grotian-world

Feature on Waldemar Haffkine and his work with vaccines:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55050012

Feature on abortion and contraception in the Middle Ages:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/abortion-and-contraception-in-the-middle-ages/

Interesting study of 7 centuries of wind in the Southern Hemisphere:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55260908 https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00059-6

What archaeology reveals about past epidemics:

https://menafn.com/1101265292/What-the-archaeological-record-reveals-about-epidemics-throughout-history-and-the-human-response-to-them&source=29

Feature on assorted bat-borne viruses in history:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/opinion/covid-bats.html

On modern math and a lost Islamic library:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201204-lost-islamic-library-maths

The NYT best historical fiction list for 2020:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/books/review/best-historical-fiction.html

... and NPR's list of history books for 2020:

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/06/943604660/2020-book-concierge-books-for-history-lovers

Review of Francesca Fiorani's book on why Leonardo was a great artist:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/books/review-shadow-drawing-science-leonardo-francesca-fiorani.html

Review of Judith Schalansky's book on things lost to history:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/books/review/judith-schalansky-inventory-losses.html

Reviewish of a book on the Chinese diaspora:

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/3112979/history-chinese-coolies-one-poverty-piracy-and

More on that find of an enigma machine in the Baltic:

https://www.livescience.com/nazi-enigma-machine-discovered-baltic-sea.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/04/germany-museum-to-restore-enigma-machine-found-seabed
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/300178425/divers-discover-lost-nazi-coding-machine-under-baltic-sea
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/divers-discover-rare-nazi-enigma-cipher-machine-wwii-180976469/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/9297-201207-enigma-encryption-machine

More on Isaac Newton's thoughts on the Great Pyramid:

https://www.livescience.com/burnt-great-pyramid-fragments-reveal-isaac-newton-occult-apocalypse-theories.html
https://www.sciencealert.com/burnt-great-pyramid-fragments-reveal-isaac-newton-s-occult-apocalypse-theories
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/notes-revealing-isaac-newtons-occult-theory-great-pyramids-sold-180976478/

================================================================
MUSEUM MATTERS
================================================================
Jewish Resistance to the Holocaust:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/modern-maccabees-scope-of-jewish-resistance-to-nazis-highly-underestimated/

Antiquarianism and Philhellenism:

https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2020/12/10/exhibition-antiquarianism-and-philhellenism/

Towards the Mosque:

https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/95242/Egypt-participates-with-84-islamic-artifacts-in-%E2%80%9CTowards-the-mosque

Searching for Shakespeare (virtual):

https://phys.org/news/2020-12-relics-shakespeare-home-virtual.html https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-12/su-rfs121020.php

A 19th century cabriolet has arrived at the Royal Chariots Museum for restoration:

https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/95172/Al-Qaseer-cabriolet-arrives-at-the-Royal-Chariots-Museum-for
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/396597.aspx

The museum in Mosul has finally reopened:

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/12/iraq-mosul-museum-antiquities-islamic-state-assyrian-reopen.html

Feature on the Benaki museum:

https://www.ekathimerini.com/260129/article/ekathimerini/whats-on/benaki-collections--ongoing

Greece is willing to lend items to foreign museums for up to 50 years, apparently:

https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/12/10/greece-lend-artifacts-50-years/

The politics of museums in the US:

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/11/945389843/sen-mike-lee-blocks-legislation-for-latino-womens-museums

More on the British Museum's Great Court:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/dec/07/how-we-made-the-british-museum-great-court

================================================================
AUCTIONS AND SALES RELATED ================================================================
Those Isaac Newton notes mentioned above were actually up for auction and fetched a huge price:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/09/isaac-newton-notes-almost-destroyed-by-dog-sell-for-380000-pyramid-egypt

Some 180 year old photos of Rome are coming to auction:

https://www.metro.news/180-year-old-roman-photos-set-to-sell-for-colossal-120k/2249077/

An Elizabeth Barrett Browning letter:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/10/elizabeth-barrett-browning-letter-describing-lonely-quarantine-up-for-sale

================================================================
ON THE DNA FRONT ================================================================
The lingering effects of Neanderthal DNA on modern humans:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/health/neanderthal-genes-human-health-covid19-scn-wellness/index.html
https://www.sapiens.org/biology/neanderthals-covid-19/?ct=t() https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-impact-of-neandertal-dna-on-human.html
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2020/12/08/the-impact-of-neandertal-dna-on-human-health/

DNA from some Spring and Autumn period tomb occupants in Henan is being examined to determine the 'ethnic mix':

https://www.shine.cn/news/nation/2012101433/

DNA suggests that all humans are immigrants of some sort, apparently:

https://www.livescience.com/are-all-humans-immigrants.html

================================================================
THE TECHY SIDE
================================================================
Interesting re-examination of the GI tracts of a number of mummies found decades ago in Arizona:

https://phys.org/news/2020-12-mummy-gi-tracts-yield-evidence.html https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/mummy-gi-tracts-yield-evidence-of-early-hospice-care/
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/12/mummy-gi-tracts-yield-evidence-of-early.html
http://www.archaeology.org/news/9301-201209-mummy-intestine-foods

I think we mentioned the x-ray diffraction examination of a 1900 years bp mummy of a 5 year old girl from Egypt:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201210112137.htm https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/12/under-wraps-x-rays-reveal-1900-year-old.html

Using AI to recreate the faces of some of China's emperors:

https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3112919/video-game-developer-uses-ai-recreate-faces-ancient-chinese-emperors
================================================================
CLIMATE MATTERS ================================================================
A study of stratigraphy in Finland is causing a bit of a rethink of the last European Ice Age:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/12/new-geological-findings-from-finland.html
================================================================
TOURISTY THINGS ================================================================
Fogo Island:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20201207-canadas-little-known-emerald-isle

Timgad:

https://happinesstimes.com/g/anthropology-and-history/places/africa-roman-ghost-city-sunk-desert/

Llanelly:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20201210-llanelly-an-abandoned-welsh-town-in-australia

Baalbek:

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201212-discover-baalbek-lebanon/ ================================================================
PERFORMANCES AND MUSIC RELATED ================================================================
Black Swans:

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/08/944287525/black-swans-new-collection-features-recordings-of-early-black-classical-musician

Reviewish of Barbarians:

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/netflixs-barbarians-taught-me-those-romans-had-it-coming

Feature on the roots of Tejano:

https://www.dw.com/en/netflix-honors-selena-and-the-german-origins-of-tejano/a-55859126

================================================================
TV/DOCUMENTARY HYPISH THINGS ================================================================
Some documentary about the 'cradle of civilization':

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1369390/archaeology-news-ancient-mesopotamia-bible-iraq-babylonia-exile-christianity-sumerians-spt
================================================================
CRIME BEAT
================================================================
A bust on Kalymnos for possession of ancient amphorae:

https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2020/12/10/arrest-on-kalymnos-for-possession-of-ancient-amphorae/

On Facebook as a font of the illegal antiquities trade:

https://slate.com/technology/2020/12/facebook-stolen-antiquities-art-black-market.html

Feature on the illegal antiquities trade in West Africa:

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-12-09-inside-the-illegal-trade-in-west-africas-cultural-heritage/
https://allafrica.com/stories/202012100017.html
----------
conflict antiquities:

http://conflictantiquities.wordpress.com/

anonymous swiss collector:

http://www.anonymousswisscollector.com/

Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues:

http://paul-barford.blogspot.ca/

Looting Matters:

http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/

Illicit Cultural Property:

http://illicit-cultural-property.blogspot.com/

SAFE:

http://www.savingantiquities.org/blog/

================================================================
REPATRIATION AND RECOVERY ================================================================
After a long legal battle with a collector, Turkey is repatriating a Cybele statue:

https://art-crime.blogspot.com/2020/12/restitution-cybele-anatolia-goddess-of.html

A Norman tower key 'borrowed' fifty years ago was returned:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-55243080

Turkey wants a number of items back from German museums:

https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/germany-resists-calls-for-return-of-artifacts-smuggled-from-turkey-decades-ago/news

A 10th century gospel is returning to the monastery it was stolen from:

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/11/rare-handwritten-gospel-looted-in-wwi.html

A missing surrealist painting was found in a German recycling bin:

https://www.dw.com/en/german-police-rescue-280000-painting-tossed-in-trash-at-airport/a-55899847

Dutch museums are being encouraged to be more proactive in returning their Nazi-looted items:

http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/439/reader/reader.html?social#!preferred/0/package/439/pub/439/page/48/article/111301

A Nazi-loot case before the US Supreme Court:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55193792 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55193792 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/us-supreme-court-hears-world-war-two-era-jewish-property-claims-651446

Feature on colonial-related repatriation:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dpd9x/the-colonized-world-wants-its-artifacts-back-from-museums-v27n4

Feature on some 'once-stolen' artifacts that haven't been returned yet:

https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/these-oncestolen-ancient-artifacts-have-yet-to-be-returned-to-their-home-countries/
================================================================
NUMISMATICA
================================================================
On reading ancient Roman coins:

https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/reading-ancient-roman-coins/

Feature on the 'most important' ancient coins ever minted:

https://www.thecollector.com/important-ancient-coins/

Latest e-Sylum:

http://www.coinbooks.org/v23/club_nbs_esylum_v23n49.html

... and the one which should appear later today:

http://www.coinbooks.org/v23/club_nbs_esylum_v23n50html ------------------------

Coin Week:

http://www.coinweek.com/

================================================================
OBITUARIES
================================================================
Ian Jenkins:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2020/12/07/ian-jenkins-british-museum-curator-opposed-calls-return-elgin/

Tom Winnifrith:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/nov/29/tom-winnifrith-obituary

Allen C. Myers:

http://eerdword.com/2020/12/09/in-memoriam-allen-c-myers/

Ralph Hester:

https://news.stanford.edu/today/2020/12/10/stanford-french-professor-ralph-hester-dies/

Beatrice Andre-Salvini:

https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2020/12/08/l-archeologue-beatrice-andre-salvini-grande-specialiste-de-la-mesopotamie-est-morte_6062658_3382.html

Jim Flynn:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/123686012/worldrenowned-otago-professor-and-giant-amongst-scholars-jim-flynn-dies

================================================================
AUDIO/VIDEO NEWS ================================================================
Audio News from Archaeologica:

https://www.archaeologychannel.org/audio-guide/audio-news/3008-audio-news-from-archaeologica-november-29-through-december-5-2020
================================================================
GENERAL ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS BLOGS ================================================================
Archaeology Magazine News Page:

http://www.archaeology.org/news/

About.com Archaeology:

http://archaeology.about.com/

Archaeology Briefs:

http://archaeologybriefs.blogspot.com/

Atlas Obscura:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/

Heritage Daily:

https://www.heritagedaily.com/

Sapiens Archaeology:

https://www.sapiens.org/category/archaeology/

Taygete Atlantis excavations blogs aggregator:

http://planet.atlantides.org/taygete/ ================================================================ PODCASTS/VODCASTS ================================================================
Archaeosoup:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Archaeos0up?feature=watch

Archaeology Podcast Network:

http://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/ ================================================================
EXPLORATOR is a free weekly newsletter bringing you the latest
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