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Black and white photograph of amphitheater ruins taken in Sicily or elsewhere in Italy.

Effigy is a relief carving of a human face on a half-round, oval piece of stone. The nose is prominent. Eyes are deep-set and round under high, arching eyebrows. The prominent lips are stylized. Ears are small and stylized. There is a large vertical groove on the back side. The effigy is made of brown sandstone. Nose, lower lip and lower portions of both ears have been restored with painted plaster.

Complete Newtown Cordmarked ceramic vessel, with repairs, has a flat lip. The rim flares outward slightly from the neck. Shoulders and base are rounded. Cordmarking on the neck goes all the way to the rim and is vertical; cordmarking on the body of the pot is more random in appearance. The vessel is gray, light reddish brown and very dark gray in color.

The Study Committee is directed to review s. 157.70, Stats., to determine whether the statute adequately balances the interests of scientists, landowners, developers and others with an interest in a burial site, including those with a kinship interest and those with a general cultural, tribal or religious affiliation with the burial site. The Study Committee shall consider whether modifications to these procedures are necessary to protect all interests related to any human burial site encountered during archaeological excavation, metallic or nonmetallic mining, construction, agricultural activities, environmental impact assessments or other ground-disturbing activities, without causing avoidable or undue delay or hardship to any person who has an interest in using the land on which the burial site is located.

This Dead Sea Scroll replica set (jar: w/ lid: 4" tall x 1 3/4" round, scroll: 13" long, text: 4 1/2 x 6") includes a hand made replica of one of the jars which contained the dead sea scrolls, a scroll reproduction with the texts transcribed into modern Hebrew lettering, and an illustrated brochure on the story of the finding of the dead sea scrolls including a translation of the scroll given herein. This miniature jar and scroll are replicas of ones discovered in a cave near the Dead Sea in 1946. The text included on the scroll is the Rule of the Congregation, an appendix to a separate scroll, one of the first 7 scrolls discovered in Cave 1. (See the translation in the book, included with the replicas.)

This is a monochromatic ceramic Chimu pot (6 x 7 inches) decorated with the figures of three monkeys. The term "Chimu" refers to a rather general art style of the Chimor Kingdom, created on the north coast of Peru. The style is loosely defined because it includes a great deal of regional and local variation. The Chimu were residents of Chimor, a large adobe city in the Moche Valley of present-day Trujillo, Peru, from around 900 AD to 1470 AD. The main features of Chimu ceramics were small sculptures, and pottery for ceremonial or domestic use. Domestic-use pottery was used for storage of wet and dry goods and to transport goods from one point to another. Much of the simpler domestic Chimu pottery was made with molds in large quantities. A variety of figures adorn Chimu vessels - monkeys were very popular, as is displayed on this piece. The shiny black finish is achieved by firing the pottery at high temperatures in a closed kiln, which prevented oxygen from reacting with the clay.

This monochromatic ceramic Sicán-Lambayeque stirrup spout vessel (9 x 5 inches) is decorated in an image of Lord Naymlap, the mythological founder of the Sicán-Lambayeque. Lord Naymlap is identified as having a human face with slanted eyes and tattoos. Incised lines or dots under his eyes are tears; symbolic of rain. He is seem as the provider of (precious) water for his peoples and their crops. The Sicán-Lambayeque inhabited the north coast of Peru between about 750 A.D. and 1375 A.D. Ceramics allowed them to convey political and religious ideology in the forms of storage vessels, architectural ornaments, cooking vessels, and sculptures of the Deity or animals. In these vessels the stirrup handle actually forms part of the spout, which emanates from the top of the stirrup. The jars, which were often elaborately figurative, would be cast from a mold, while the stirrup spout was built by hand and welded to the vessel with slip. The shiny black finish is achieved by firing the pottery at high temperatures in a closed kiln, which prevented oxygen from reacting with the clay.

This monochromatic ceramic Chimu pot (6 x 7 inches) decorated with figure of a monkey wearing a helmet interacting with a crab, is a double-spout whistling vessel. It likely consists of two chambers with their spouts linked together. As fluid rocks back and forth between the two chambers, air is forced out of the spout, producing a whistle or sound reminiscent of labored breathing. Likely meant for use as a funerary object. The term "Chimu" refers to a rather general art style of the Chimor Kingdom, created on the north coast of Peru between A.D. 900 and 1532. The style is loosely defined because it includes a great deal of regional and local variation.

The thesis project topic is on Inspiration and Bible Archaeology. The project's main reason is a perceived lack of confidence in the Bible's stories being real. The project addresses this worldview, which causes this belief to influence our church members. The study includes an explanation of the post-modern world view concerning the certainty of historical events. A Biblical viewpoint is addressed, and the relationship with this to Bible inspiration is explored. A survey is given to individual members of the congregation, which gives questions concerning these issues. Two interventions are then presented, one in which the debates concerning the United Monarchy of Israel is presented to show the differences between the minimalist's and the maximalist's view of these historical issues in the field of Biblical archaeology. The second intervention is presented to show historical matters as they apply to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then it will be explained how this is important to spiritual growth and confidence because of the doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible. This apologetic issue is vital in challenging the church in understanding the issues that cause people to lose confidence in the Holy Scriptures. It includes examples of how to address these issues.

This monograph represents the first attempt in Polynesian archaeology to systematically examine rock art in the Marquesas Islands in relation to settlement patterns and excavation data. Sidsel N. Millerstrom's groundbreaking archaeological research is based on more than 15 years of field work in the islands. Surveying the dramatic landscapes of the deep valleys and thick forests of the Marquesas, Millerstrom and her team found a significant quantity of rock art. They learned that every image was not randomly placed but rather purposefully positioned according to prehistoric Marquesan cultural norms. The images were found on public and private prehistoric architecture, on outcrops, rock shelters, walls of underground pits, narrow ridges and springs. Based on our present understanding of science, Millerstrom also explains what the prehistoric petroglyphs, pictographs and anthropomorphic sculptures probably signified to the past inhabitants.

Scholarship comparing the Minoan Hall System with the Mycenaean 'megaron' has in general emphasized either the similarities or differences between the two types of suite. Early archaeological literature tends to equate the two suites, with scholars such as Joseph Hazzidakis (Hazzidakis 1934:16-17) suggesting that the differences between the two can be explained by differences in climate between Crete and mainland Greece. On the other hand, in more recent scholarship, the two forms are distanced from one another, in effect polarizing the two architectural forms. Comparisons such as these tend to imply that the form of both types of hall system is very regular, with each suite likely hosting the same function as the next. In order to study the similarities and differences between the Minoan Hall System and Mycenaean 'megaron', 27 Minoan hall systems and 15 megaron-units have been analysed and compared. These hall systems will be compared in their form, in the way they were incorporated into the surrounding building, and in the features they incorporate. To discuss how the hall systems were incorporated into buildings, Space Syntax Analysis will be used alongside a typology of access and circulation developed by Miriam Clinton (2013) for Minoan architecture. The climate-controlling features of open-air spaces, pier and door partitions and hearths will also be discussed. A close examination of a wide variety of Minoan Hall Systems and Mycenaean 'megarons' shows that both forms differed considerably from site to site. Within each architectural form are examples of vastly different sizes, which are incorporated into buildings in very different ways. It is likely, therefore, that these buildings would have functioned in different ways. With this wide variation, it is unsurprising, therefore, that in comparison while some Minoan Hall Systems and Mycenaean 'megarons' are very different, others are very similar.

The Late Minoan (LM) II period at Knossos, c. 1470-1420 BC, represented a pivotal point in the history of the Aegean Bronze Age, but the full extent to which it shaped the following centuries has yet to be fully appreciated or studied. During this period, Mycenaeans from the mainland gained control of the palace of Knossos, an administrative centre hitherto unparalleled in their world. From the necessity of maintaining political control over an often hostile island, these Mycenaean dynasts were thrust into new roles, rulers of a palatial administration for the first time. Thus LM II Knossos can be viewed in its neglected aspect as a period of Mycenaean history, and the foundational phenomenon of the florescent Late Helladic III period - the birth of the Mycenaean palaces - can be placed within its proper historical context. The first Mycenaean experiment in palatial administration at LM II Knossos provided the model followed shortly after by the mainland polities, who in following this path to power dominated the Aegean for the next 200 years.

The Grassfields region of Cameroon is home to many museums. In a region that is known for its prolific, well studied, vibrant arts and cultures, museums have been a part of the cultural landscape for nearly one hundred years. This dissertation seeks to address questions about constructing heritage and how that heritage transforms objects, is understood by different communities, and is used by people in power through the lens of four recently constructed museums in the region: the Mankon Museum, Baham Museum, Babungo Museum, and Bafut Palace Museum. First, this dissertation will address how these museums are used to construct heritage and, keeping in mind that heritage is the utilization of the past for the needs of the present, specific examples will be examined to understand how heritage fulfills the agendas of those involved in the funding, organization, and ownership of the museums. An understanding of how the museums are utilized with regard to heritage leads into a discussion of how the museums are consequently perceived by a variety of constituencies. With an emphasis on local visitors, this dissertation attempts to delve into the range of perceptions expressed by Cameroonian residents of the regions where museums exist, and some of the driving factors behind these opinions. As the act of utilizing cultural objects to create heritage narratives has a clear impact on the way that locals view their own material culture, this dissertation also examines the effects that this process has on the objects themselves. Finally, as institutions that have the ability to mold heritage and history, impacting the ways in which locals understand their own culture and the way that objects take on entirely new roles in the museum, Grassfields palaces have come to understand that museums have great potential to act as arbiters of change.

This dissertation investigates pastoral adaptations, multi-resource economic strategies and monument construction and use diachronically in the Darkhad Depression of northern Mongolia. This program of research has utilized GIS analysis, predictive modeling, pedestrian survey, targeted excavation, experimental archaeology and ethnoarchaeology. The results of this research contribute to a more detailed understanding of how this region contributed to broader social, political and economic change in the Bronze and Iron Ages through the Xiongnu period (ca. 2500 BCE - 200 CE). Numerous models have been proposed to explain the transition from an agricultural economy to an agro-pastoral or fully nomadic economy. However, there are far fewer explanatory models for the incorporation or adoption of pastoralism into existing hunting, gathering and/or fishing economies. Furthermore, a hyper-focus on connections between China and Inner Asia has dominated discussions of inter-regional, inter-economic relationships. Such trends have overshadowed potentially earlier important relationships with groups to the north, including the hunter-gatherers of Lake Baikal, and early pastoralists of the Minusinsk Basin and Tuva (Russian Federation). This dissertation research, in contrast, has employed a holistic landscape approach that examined both ritual and domestic activity areas in order to model the introduction and integration of herding practices with existing hunting-gathering-fishing economies. Recent archaeological research in the Darkhad Depression of north-central Mongolia has investigated the ritual landscape and has concluded that the monuments in this region, while not particularly large, are the oldest of their kind known in Mongolia and neighboring regions of Kazakhstan and Russia. If these monuments are connected with new forms of a pastoral economy and hierarchical social organization, as some have suggested, this underscores the importance of this region for modeling early

One Bar Kokhba papyrus recreation (6 x 5 inches) facsimile letter. This facsimile of the ancient papyrus contains an order from Bar Kokhba (Aramaic for "Son of a Star"). Simon Bar Kokhba was the Jewish leader of what is known as the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire in 132 CE, establishing an independent Jewish state which he ruled for three years as Prince. His state was re-conquered by the Romans in 135 CE. The papyrus, written when he was ruler, states, "We want to apprise you that the cow which Yehosef, son of Yaaqov, son of Yehudah, whose house is in Beth-Mashko, belongs to him. And if the foreigners were not so close to us, I would have gone up and declared you free of obligations of this account."

A room with many well-preserved artifacts was excavated at Tell Halif in a level associated with Ancient Judah. By using analogy the use of these artifacts can be compared with that of other similar objects. Analogy is at the heart of archaeological interpretation and allows a more explicit determination of the possible uses of artifacts and their patterning. The artifacts serve as evidence for reconstructing life in and around an archaeologically excavated space. By discerning the patterns of artifact distribution we can interpret how the space might have been used. The room excavated at Tell Halif has strong evidence for food processing, closely integrated with storage. Textile production was also carried out in the room. Other artifacts point to food consumption, play, personal ornamentation and the use of symbolic images. The patterning of the artifacts indicates a busy multi-use space.

Significance and integrity are key concepts for archaeology, and how they are judged is determined by an archaeologist's perceptions of disturbance. This thesis explicitly considers these concepts and how they relate to evolutionary theory and National Register eligibility. A site with known disturbance was chosen to determine whether it could be judged significant assuming that there was no disturbance. Controlled surface collection, magnetometer survey, excavation and landowner interview data were used to determine whether what made the site significant had been lost due to disturbance. The results indicate that the co-mingling of occupations in the plow zone normally would have prevented the site from being determined eligible. However, because of the clusters of Gulf Formational-period diagnostics and intact Early Archaic midden, the site was determined significant. If future work were to be performed, occupation-based work focusing on the artifact clusters and the Archaic midden is recommended.

This thesis investigates historic settlement pattern changes during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through shifting scales of selection derived from evolutionary theory. Artifacts from 65 archaeological sites were used to establish mean dates, site function, and duration of occupation. Geographic Information Systems analysis of these data and related historical records was used to investigate success and failure of farmsteads. Settlements in the study area developed over time from a rural, subsistence-based pattern of isolated farmsteads, to one including local communities with specialist professions, to a more specialized, market-driven urban settlement pattern. The results show that market-oriented agricultural strategies, like cotton farming and beef production, along with the development of peripheral urban economic centers led to the development and abandonment of rural farmsteads in Kemper and Lauderdale counties. These shifts occurred rapidly, indicating that they were the result of selection acting on entire settlement/subsistence systems and at various scales over time.

A cartouche, originally called a "shenu" by the ancient Egyptians, is an oblong, magical rope which was drawn to contain the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics that spelled out the name of a king or queen. The "magical oval" was intended to protect the ruler from evil spirits while he lived and in the afterworld and represent the leader as the ruler of all that the sun encircled. Cartouches have been found on Egyptian monuments and documents. "Cartouche" is the French word given to the symbol by Napoleon's soldiers during the 1798 French military campaign into Egypt. Over the past 5000 years, the cartouche has become a universal symbol of long life, good luck, and protection from any evil. The lid of the box reads as follows: "Tut Ankh Amun" (Living image of Amun), as spelled by the top seven symbols, and ruler of southern On, as spelled by the bottom three. "On" was the name for present day Thebes, the city in which King Tut lived. The original of this box, measured 25" x 12" x 12" in size, and is one of the treasures found in the tomb of the young King Tutankhamun. Most of its contents had been plundered by ancient robbers, but some scepters still remained. If these were original equipment, the box was probably used on ceremonial occasions, possibly even at the king's coronation.

2003 Excavations of the Taraco Archaeological Project

The original Venus of Willendorf is a 4 3/8 inch high statuette of a female figure estimated to have been created between 24,000 BC -- 22,000 BC. It was discovered in 1908 by archaeologist Josef Szombathy at a paleolithic site near Willendorf, a village in Lower Austria near the city of Krems. It is carved from an oolitic limestone that is not local to the area, and tinted with red ochre. She is thought to represent the Earth and its fertility and continuation of life, the Mother Goddess. Women in the Paleolithic era were recognized as the life-givers and sustainers. They were revered as priestesses. Since this figure's discovery, several similar statuettes have been discovered. They are collectively referred to as Venus figurines, although they pre-date the mythological figure of Venus by millennia. The purpose of the carving is subject to much speculation. The statue's feet do not allow it to stand on its own. It has been speculated that it was meant to be held, rather than simply looked at. The Venus is an idealization of the female figure. Her features are heavily pronounced, suggesting a strong connection to fertility. Her tiny arms are folded over her breasts. The figure has no visible face, her head being covered with circular horizontal bands of what might be rows of plaited hair, or a type of headdress. The figurines may have been created as self-portraits. When thought of as a woman looking down at her own body, the physical features, seem correct. There are striking similarities between such figurines and a pregnant woman when perceived from above. Venus of Willendorf is part of the collection of the Museum of Natural History in Vienna.