The 'Gouge' thing

German scientists are tickled pink after unearthing one of the world's oldest sculpted phalluses - 20cm of polished siltstone lovingly created around 28,000 years ago.

The stone schlong was discovered in Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm, Swabia, by a T?bingen University team. Professor Nicholas Conard, from the university's snappily-named department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, explained the excitment to the BBC thus: "Female representations with highly accentuated sexual attributes are very well documented at many sites, but male representations are very, very rare."

Indeed, although other examples of male genitalia - from France and Morocco - predate the Ulm member, to have "any representation of male genitalia from this time period is highly unusual". 


The prehistoric "tool" was reassembled from 14 fragments of siltstone.

Link: The Thing

Fur Trade Canada

For Your Information:
Alberta: How the West was Young - Fur Trade and Mission History


Fur Trade Canada

Important Links

The Fur Trade and Historical Archaeology:
A Bibliography

Compiled By Michael A. Pfeiffer
This Version: 13 January 1999

1st Link :
Fur Trade Bibliography

Planarch

Based firstly on developing an understanding of the legal and organisational frameworks for dealing with archaeology and then working together on specific issues relating to the integration of archaeology within the planning process, including:

? Improving field techniques for detecting and establishing the nature, extent, date and quality of archaeological remains potentially affected by development and other activity - this has to underpin effective decision-making relating to management of the archaeological resource at successive stages of knowledge.
? Developing best practices in managing heritage records
? Sharing experience about the story of the Planarch region as told by archaeology
? Improving best practice in reducing the impact of development on archaeology
? Strengthening the links between archaeology and spatial planning
? Promoting awareness of the rich heritage of the Planarch region

Follow this: Planarch - Planning and Archaeology in North West Europe

Appalachians is a picture of history

"Say Appalachia and pictures of coal mines and poverty probably pop into most Americans' minds. But the area has a rich history that says a lot about who we are as a country."

Episode 1 :
When the first European settlers arrive in the Allegheny, Cumberland, and Blue Ridge mountains in the 17th century, they trade and intermarry with the Shawnee, Choctaw, Creek, and Cherokee who have lived there for centuries. But by the mid-18th century, the swelling pioneer population leads to decades of combat on the Appalachian frontier that eventually forces the natives out. As the Scotch-Irish and other immigrants settle in, the isolation of the mountains helps preserve the cultural traditions they have brought with them. The men of Appalachia fight bravely in the American Revolution, but then rail at taxes and regulations imposed by the new American government. Evangelical revivals sweep the region in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and traditional music mingles with the rhythms used by African slaves to form a glorious new gospel music.

And it's also accountable for this side of the frontier.....

Documentary by KET1 :
Appalachians is a picture of history

Also by : The Appalachians is a three-hour film series with companion book from Random House and soundtrack CD from Dualtone Records

Archaeological wonders are under the sea

In September 2004, an ancient bronze statue was discovered.

"Athens - The recent discovery of the remains of a shipwrecked 4th century BC vessel, nicknamed Kythnos I after the Greek island near which it was found, is the latest testimony of the archaeological riches still submerged in Greek waters.

It also demonstrates the technological advances that underwater archaeology has made in this country in recent years.

Greece has no shortage of skilled archaeologists. But when it comes to underwater research, it is only recently that the Greek ministry of culture has begun mixing academic knowledge with hi-tech wizardry."

Try this one : Archaeological wonders are under the sea

Academics search for wreckage of ancient warships

"HISTORY MAKING: Researchers are hoping to find artifacts of ships from a battle in 480 BC, where the Greeks defeated an invading fleet in a battle said to have changed histor"

THE GUARDIAN , ATHENS
Tuesday, Jun 21, 2005,
Link: Academics search for wreckage of ancient warships

Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Presentation

"The Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Presentation, located in Shawinigan-Sud, was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 2004 in recognition of its interior decoration, executed between 1942 and 1955 by Quebecois artist Ozias Leduc. It also contributes to the development of the Mauricie region heritage network, which includes two other national historic sites of Canada that are open to the public: the Forges du Saint-Maurice and the Former Shawinigan Aluminum Smelting Complex. Together, these places help to protect the historic heritage of the Mauricie region and to enhance our understanding of its important contribution to Canada's history, by making it accessible to everyone."
Link to this :

Parks Canada: National Historic Significance of the Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Presentation

"Sage Advice in Archaeology: Think Like a Neandertha"

By CLAUDIA DREIFUS
Published: June 7, 2005
About three years ago, Dr. Ana Pinto, an archaeologist at Arizona State University, was driving past a natural outcropping in northwest Spain and - screech! - she put the brake to her car.

She had just spotted a limestone cave that she sensed might have once been settled by prehistoric humans.

"This cave at Sopeña is almost unique because it has signs of continuous hominid habitation for at least 60,000 years," she said. "This is an incredibly rare find. she said

Link : Sage Advice in Archaeology: Think Like a Neanderthal:

Fort Augusta

"Mr. Delle said the French and Indian War was significant because the British defeated the French and Pennsylvanians were the British at the time. 'This set the stage for America to independence,' he said. Fort Augusta was the largest fort in Pennsylvania at that time and a strong fort that discouraged attacks. 'The French and Indians tried to control the river route. 'There was no battle at Fort Augusta because it was such as strong point. Fort Augusta and Fort Hunter, north of Harrisburg, protected the areas along the Susquehanna River"
Eighteenth Century drawings he has show the fort as diamond-shaped. They are searching for the northeast corner bastion. In 1930, an excavation revealed evidence of a southwest bastion. In 1981, evidence of the moat was found during a dig. A dig in 1993 was done near the powder magazine on the other side of the property.
Link : Fort Augusta

Just a Lonesome Traveler, the Great Historical Bum

by Douglas K. Charles
"After the Ice: A Global Human History, 20,000 to 5000 B.C. Steven Mithen. xvi 622 pp. Harvard University Press,
2004. $29.95
After the Ice offers a fascinating whirlwind tour of an underappreciated segment of human history. Author Steven Mithen, professor of early prehistory and head of the School of Human and Environmental Sciences at the University of Reading, has created a complex, multilayered account of life from 20,000 to 5000 B.C., during the late Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic period"

American Scientist Online - "Just a Lonesome Traveler, the Great Historical Bum" :

The Ontario Archaeological Society

Partners to the Past: Making Connections in the Ottawa River Valley
2005 Symposium, November 3, 4 and 5, 2005
Petawawa, Ontario
"The programme will feature themed and general sessions including an overview of the Ottawa River Valley's archaeological heritage, the role of the Ottawa River in the economic development of Canada, and contributed papers from our
membership."

Link to : OAS 2005 Symposium

Hunters find skeleton, could be 2,000 years old

"Discovery of a 2,000-year-old human skeleton through natural erosion is uncommon, but there is little scientific value associated with the American Indian remains unearthed recently in northeast Nebraska, the head of archaeology for the State Historical Society said Wednesday. Hunters found the remains three weeks ago in the hills near Newcastle. "

By ScottsbluffGering, Nebraska
Link : Hunters find skeleton, could be 2,000 years old

Ancient graves cast new light on history

Scotsman.com News - Sci-Tech -
By - JONATHAN LESSWARE

"ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed more than 200 medieval skeletons on a farm. The graves were discovered when a farmer struck bones while ploughing a field near North Berwick, East Lothian. Archaeologists have described the find as 'extremely interesting'. They have also uncovered the remains of a chapel, thought to be medieval or older and a number of other artefacts including medieval ring brooches. The discovery was made at Auldhame Farm near Tantallon Castle."

Read this at : Ancient graves cast new light on history

Sixtieth anniversary of D-Day

The truth about the Second World War
-- By Alan Woods

''The story of D-Day has been told many times. It has made a powerful impression on the public through films such as The Longest Day and, more recently, Saving Private Ryan. The recent celebrations, accompanied by a steady stream of television documentaries, have revived the stories about the heroic invasion of France, the terrible cost in human lives, the sacrifice and the bravery. All of this is true. But it does not tell anything like the full story.''
Read this :
The truth about the Second World War

Fouilles archéologiques à Price

La municipalité de Price effectue présentement des fouilles archéologiques sur les terrains où seront construits ses futurs bassins d'épuration.

Il y a plus de 8000 ans les lieux étaient fréquentés par plusieurs tribus amérindiennes. Jusqu?à maintenant, une tête de couteau fabriquée dans de la pierre gaspésienne a été trouvée.

Une fois les fouilles terminées, d?ici une semaine, la municipalité ira en appel d?offres pour la reconstruction de son système d?aqueduc et d?égouts et la construction de ses bassins d?épuration. Des travaux de 7M$.

Les travaux attendus depuis 1986 devraient prendre fin à l?automne 2006.

Extrait vidéo (Windows Media): Fouilles archéologiques à Price

Defender of the faith revered

Paris-born Jesuit wove Catholicism into the fabric of Quebec

"Prominently displayed on the south choir wall of the ancient abbey church of St-Germain-des-Pres on Paris's left bank is a hand carved, polychrome bas-relief that commemorates an important event in the history of Canada and the Canadian Church. The scene portrayed is the consecration there of new Bishop Francois de Montmorency-Laval by Rome's Papal Nuncio on Dec. 8, 1658. Who was this cleric and why is he remembered there rather than in a cathedral ?''

By TED FITZGERALD
Special to the WCR
Quebec City, Que
Follow this : Blessed Francois de Laval

Bizkaiko Arkeologia eta Euskal Herriko Etnografia Museoa

"The Archaeological, Ethnographic and Basque History Museum of Bilbao : The museum is divided into a number of different sections: prehistory, fishing and the sea, the history of sheep farming, the iron and arms industries, trade and traditional arts and crafts such as ceramics and weaving.
The Archaeological, Ethnographic and Basque History Museum of Bilbao, situated in the old part of the city, next to the church of Santos Juanes, occupies the old Jesuit school of Jesueta de San Andres (1604) and the former Casa de Misericordia.
The museum is divided into a number of different sections: prehistory, fishing and the sea, the history of sheep farming, the iron and arms industries, trade and traditional arts and crafts such as ceramics and weaving. The exhibition is complete with an impressive model of the province of Bizkaia and there are a number of excellent pieces of popular furniture and religious artefacts on display throughout the museum.

Address
Plaza Unamuno, 4
48008. Bilbao
tel. 94- 415 54 23 y 94- 416 92 46

Opening hours
Tuesday to Saturday: 11 AM to 5 PM
Sunday mornings: 11 AM to 2 PM
Mondays and holidays: Closed

Ticket prices
School visits and groups of more than 20, must be booked in advance
Cost per person: 3 euros
Students and groups (10 ): 1.5 euros
Children of under 10 years of age and pensioners: free of charge
Day of the museum, Thursdays: free of charge

LINK : The Archaeological, Ethnographic and Basque History Museum of Bilbao

In the footsteps of Benedict Arnold

"Arnold, then still loyal to the American cause, left Cambridge, Mass., with his troops on Sept. 11, 1775; the force arrived outside the walls of Quebec two months later. The ensuing
battle, which began in a blinding New Year's Eve snowstorm, ended in defeat for the Americans. But perhaps more than the outcome, the 350-mile expedition is remembered for hardships the soldiers endured as they rowed and marched their way up the Kennebec valley, an ordeal popularized by Kenneth Roberts in his 1930 novel, 'Arundel.'

Link : Daily Facts - Historical

The Rich Prehistory of Etolin Island

April is Alaska Archeology Month
"Etolin Island's buried history is deep enough to keep archeologists busy for decades. Island sites represent thousands of years of use and hold details about the Alaska Native people who lived in the area."
Follow this : The Rich Prehistory of Etolin Island: