tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85346251192787078532024-03-06T09:12:45.543+00:00Archaeology Dr John Mitchell | specialist insurance for the Archaeology and Heritage sectors from Export and General InsuranceExport & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-17259769651505448342016-06-20T11:33:00.000+01:002016-06-20T11:35:17.890+01:00GO DIGGING SUMMER 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFMCX4sWnCof1XXmW3w1CS3s6Fu5YxKstNPitPyzo-APHPXs0gyrk0dAS6iAcd2wLs1PF_Z58sYkq1LZTY-gBj5hpXDshfFB5IstGl783tHBtp8NvsQPx7CwCXj-kMMExVsedyA8NrAk/s1600/Go+Dig+2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFMCX4sWnCof1XXmW3w1CS3s6Fu5YxKstNPitPyzo-APHPXs0gyrk0dAS6iAcd2wLs1PF_Z58sYkq1LZTY-gBj5hpXDshfFB5IstGl783tHBtp8NvsQPx7CwCXj-kMMExVsedyA8NrAk/s320/Go+Dig+2016.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Look at the
Current Archaeology DIGS! Section to make a plan for the summer:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">“Nothing
beats the excitement of hands-on archaeology, and with the new digging season
almost upon us, there is no time to lose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">This is a
chance to get practical experience, either before heading off to university, or
putting into practice what has been studied in theory. But for most, this is
simply a glorious way to pass the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Our guide
covers the full gamut of locations, periods, and types: from fieldwalking to
recording and cataloguing, from early Neolithic to Medieval and later there is
something for everyone. Some jobs require stamina, but many do not. Young or
old, fit or not, time rich or time poor, all you need is enthusiasm and a
desire to get involved.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> </span><a href="http://www.archaeology.co.uk/digs" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Click here to find a dig </a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Call me to
discuss your insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.archaeology-insurance.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">www.archaeology-insurance.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Email: quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-42769255281736817152016-04-18T16:56:00.000+01:002016-04-18T16:56:31.294+01:00Hope to see you at the CIfA Conference 2016 in Leicester<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">As an
Affiliate member, I will be at the conference from Thursday afternoon until the
close of play on Friday meeting lots of friends and former work colleagues. I had hoped to have a trade stand, but I wasn’t
allowed, so here’s my “no-platformed” platform for all to see!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">See what you
are missing: free pencils, free bottles of water, free photographic scales,
free document cases……and vital insurance advice!!!</span> </div>
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<a href="http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/2016_programme_online_v2.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Click here tosee the full CIfA programme</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Call me to
discuss your insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.archaeology-insurance.co.uk/">www.archaeology-insurance.co.uk</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Email: <a href="mailto:quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk">quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-14982618860923874182016-03-01T17:51:00.000+00:002016-03-01T17:51:40.986+00:00PRESS RELEASE: Rescue Dig of the Year award for 2016, for Drumclay Crannog Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KLK2V_rZ0_u9oGas0ZJM4QZHAoNlBV4UilXTNDoJ-OjK0mlf26kvrtpQAssOVXOmBNFH2UmpfYCZ6KbG-_dtsVzWLMZmLhVEtucHCox-i104em31e8xvLVQdBVLL1dGPoCO6XNohSv8/s1600/CA_AWARDS_Rescue+Dig_2016_600+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KLK2V_rZ0_u9oGas0ZJM4QZHAoNlBV4UilXTNDoJ-OjK0mlf26kvrtpQAssOVXOmBNFH2UmpfYCZ6KbG-_dtsVzWLMZmLhVEtucHCox-i104em31e8xvLVQdBVLL1dGPoCO6XNohSv8/s320/CA_AWARDS_Rescue+Dig_2016_600+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Nora
Bermingham and Caitríona Moore accept Current Archaeology’s prestigious Rescue
Dig of the Year award for 2016, for their work on the Drumclay Crannog</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4j3xDbiycrCeb_4e-QSuTppVvIn8WOn0FkDGOFFiw8a44jUslqNcaHrBJcDeF3IdgmrpXIoszCpVmgCrUiDt-XikAUGu93PHqCwHGwNyZKir8RyYtIixgh10eCSG0Uf-qPIS-wUtj6k/s1600/1C8R1269-circular-house-with-fallen-wickerscreen-wall-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4j3xDbiycrCeb_4e-QSuTppVvIn8WOn0FkDGOFFiw8a44jUslqNcaHrBJcDeF3IdgmrpXIoszCpVmgCrUiDt-XikAUGu93PHqCwHGwNyZKir8RyYtIixgh10eCSG0Uf-qPIS-wUtj6k/s200/1C8R1269-circular-house-with-fallen-wickerscreen-wall-300x200.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
award for Rescue Dig of the Year (sponsored by Export and General Insurance for
the second year running) was accepted by Dr Nora Bermingham and Caitríona Moore
who carried out the rare excavation of a crannog (a medieval artificial island)
in Co. Fermanagh on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Department
for Regional Development in Northern Ireland. The well-preserved remains of
timber structures and thousands of artefacts uncovered at this important site,
are set to revolutionise our understanding of crannog life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lceEFRG96Qs_npuOalnLB0sUCC15WWbMRb1tiL9Ur_XaRQXGRW2uEYiClro_et3IScephCY1DcunFLc_iKIkthLkG9GDfNdnfpB4qjcjHdt5JJifXv7A_pA5V5xfqRMWahINJxmf1VM/s1600/2016-current-archaeology-award-winners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lceEFRG96Qs_npuOalnLB0sUCC15WWbMRb1tiL9Ur_XaRQXGRW2uEYiClro_et3IScephCY1DcunFLc_iKIkthLkG9GDfNdnfpB4qjcjHdt5JJifXv7A_pA5V5xfqRMWahINJxmf1VM/s200/2016-current-archaeology-award-winners.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The prize forms part of the celebrated
Current Archaeology Awards given each year by Current Archaeology, the UK’s
leading archaeology magazine. TV personality and archaeologist Julian Richards
(of <i>Meet the Ancestors </i>fame) announced the winners of the 2016 awards on
26 February, during the Current Archaeology Live! event, held at the University
of London’s Senate House, which saw a record number of ticket sales for the
conference, and was attended by over 400 people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nora Bermingham said:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">‘Thank you so much to everyone who
voted for us. This was a tiny little rural excavation in Northern Ireland, and
we’re thrilled to have won. Doing Drumclay was the experience of a lifetime,
and I don’t think it will be matched – it was a real privilege to direct that
excavation and see the wonders that came out of it. We had a wonderful crew,
and we would also like to thank the Department of the Environment and
Department for Regional Development in Northern Ireland.’</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">John
Mitchell said:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
are delighted once again to be sponsoring this prestigious award – and we are
very happy that it has been won by the Drumclay Crannog Project. It is well deserved!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Call me to discuss your
insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Email <a href="mailto:quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk">quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-64150311005605475062016-02-10T14:13:00.000+00:002016-02-10T14:37:12.421+00:00Stonehenge Findings Reveal Prehistoric Gender Equality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In light of a new study of human remains found at <a href="http://archaeology-heritage-insurance.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/blunt-trauma-battle-of-beanfield.html" target="_blank">Stonehenge</a> in 2008, researchers suggest
that prehistoric Woman was able to attain high status, and may even have been
considered the equal of men.<o:p></o:p></div>
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14 of the 23 remains exhumed at Stonehenge - which is believed
to have been a cemetery for Wiltshire’s antediluvian movers and shakers - belong
to women. According to archaeologists such as Mike Pitts (of <i>British Archaeology)</i>, the study should
be used to revise notions of male-dominated prehistoric societies that are currently
prevalent in the media and the arts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The project, Pitts prates, puts paid to painters’ preponderant
portrayals of a prominent prehistoric patriarchy:<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>“In almost every
depiction of Stonehenge by artists and TV re-enactors we see lots of men, a man
in charge, and few or no women<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>“The archaeology now
shows that as far as the burials go, women were as prominent there as men. This
contrasts with the earlier burial mounds, where men seem to be more prominent.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Other researchers concur that the findings demonstrate a
“surprising degree of gender equality” given artists’ depictions of the site as
being ruled by men “with barely a woman in sight”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Christie Willis of the University College London Institute
of Archaeology was tasked with identifying the sex of the remains which, collectively,
weighed some 45kg and have since been sent off to the universities of Oxford
and Glasgow to be radiocarbon-dated. <o:p></o:p></div>
Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-57120058433120916932016-02-04T16:32:00.002+00:002016-02-04T16:32:30.346+00:00Ancestral worm protection could cause lung disease in Viking descendants <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In a
paper published today in Scientific Reports a group of researchers led by (Liverpool
School of Tropical Medicine) LSTM have found that the key to an inherited
deficiency, predisposing people to emphysema and other lung conditions, could
lie in their Viking roots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Archaeological
excavations of Viking latrine pits in Denmark have revealed that these
populations suffered massive worm infestations. The way that their genes
developed to protect their vital organs from disease caused by worms has become
the inherited trait which can now lead to lung disease in smokers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema affect over 300 million
people, or nearly 5% of the global population. The only inherited risk factor
is alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency, and this risk is compounded if
individuals smoke tobacco.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A1AT
protects the lungs and liver from enzymes called proteases that are produced by
cells of the immune system, but also by parasitic worms. In the absence of A1AT
these proteases can break down lung tissue leading to COPD and emphysema.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDqgVUR5oC_kagAQfuxPgboekLoi8ihTERDw_bOq4YppuPs0JXGmhttMCW5EwJqvHDp_tSdJPuakoCvs4Vt6h1ApRKHczoHiAwQe4638IgMqQx6HpXtmKY-h9xtWglg1sTyjZA5_dknc/s1600/viking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDqgVUR5oC_kagAQfuxPgboekLoi8ihTERDw_bOq4YppuPs0JXGmhttMCW5EwJqvHDp_tSdJPuakoCvs4Vt6h1ApRKHczoHiAwQe4638IgMqQx6HpXtmKY-h9xtWglg1sTyjZA5_dknc/s320/viking.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Deficiency
of A1AT is genetically determined and is due to deviants of A1AT that are
surprisingly common, particularly in Scandinavia, where they evolved in Viking
populations more than two thousand years ago. Why these disease-causing
deviants of A1AT are so common in human populations today has long been a
mystery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">LSTM's
Professor Richard Pleass is senior author on the paper. He said: "Vikings
would have eaten contaminated food and parasites would have migrated to various
organs, including lungs and liver, where the proteases they released would
cause disease."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
this latest paper the authors show that these deviant forms of A1AT bind an
antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) that evolved to protect people from
worms. The binding of A1AT to IgE prevents the antibody molecule from being
broken down by such proteases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Thus
these deviant forms of A1AT would have protected Viking populations, who
neither smoked tobacco nor lived long lives, from worms." Continued
Professor Pleass, "it is only in the last century that modern medicine has
allowed human populations to be treated for disease causing worms. Consequently
these deviant forms of A1AT, that once protected people from parasites, are now
at liberty to cause emphysema and COPD."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://phys.org/news/2016-02-genes-latrinesvikings-worms-clues-emphysema.html?" target="_blank">Click here to read the original article</a></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-71691699607704524202016-01-20T17:32:00.000+00:002016-01-20T17:32:53.600+00:00The world’s first farmers and their slash-and-burn agriculture may have set off global warming.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">[....and I've always said that our best hope of surviving the next ice age is global warming.......Ed.]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Published January 20,
2016</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">FoxNews.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A new analysis of
ice-core climate data, archaeological evidence and ancient pollen samples is
being used to suggest farming some 7,000 years ago helped put the brakes on a
natural cooling process of the global climate, possibly contributing the warmer
climate seen today.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEl_3D87rqd80jkUMKIdEr24TbIOiAeYh9VZW5m19UecvQMCG5uNLfWVdb693upXNyTwN43-OBUpuUN91kzW1tROPddKIYxs3TOHqrrMIGbzPfhcFnE1sPSrAjeyT1ft7DP1fMKi9L60/s1600/slash+and+burn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEl_3D87rqd80jkUMKIdEr24TbIOiAeYh9VZW5m19UecvQMCG5uNLfWVdb693upXNyTwN43-OBUpuUN91kzW1tROPddKIYxs3TOHqrrMIGbzPfhcFnE1sPSrAjeyT1ft7DP1fMKi9L60/s200/slash+and+burn.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But the study is
expected to raise a few eyebrows, given there were far fewer people on Earth
back then and industrialization – and the coal-fired power plants that come
with it - was still a long ways off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_f3PZxEDsHrgxTLh6tKbqQIbK2yXsrt0CXL_3lc-OBJ2DlR-noh73-Yg22PNnUKA1VmXsTLf65YXjU8Z4WsXsxJRo5UWmAWSLFML31Mt6kJ-SJBWQuKGj5BMdg8DEOMNw-pCEtB_r3Q/s1600/freshwater-inuit-hunter_50381_600x4501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_f3PZxEDsHrgxTLh6tKbqQIbK2yXsrt0CXL_3lc-OBJ2DlR-noh73-Yg22PNnUKA1VmXsTLf65YXjU8Z4WsXsxJRo5UWmAWSLFML31Mt6kJ-SJBWQuKGj5BMdg8DEOMNw-pCEtB_r3Q/s200/freshwater-inuit-hunter_50381_600x4501.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A study was the work of
an international team led by William Ruddiman, a University of Virginia climate
scientist, who first grabbed attention a dozen years ago with a controversial
theory that humans altered the climate by burning massive areas of forests to
clear the way for crops and livestock grazing. Dubbed the “early anthropogenic
hypothesis,” Ruddiman and his colleagues found that that carbon dioxide levels
rose beginning 7,000 years ago, and methane began rising 5,000 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It sparked heated debate
back then and continues to be debated among some climate scientists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the latest paper,
Ruddiman and his 11 co-authors from institutions in the United States and
Europe conclude that that accumulating evidence in the past few years,
particularly from ice-core records dating back to 800,000 years ago, show that
an expected cooling period was halted after the advent of large-scale
agriculture. Otherwise, they say, the Earth would have entered the early stages
of a natural ice age, or glaciation period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Early farming helped
keep the planet warm,” Ruddiman said in a statement, regarding the study that
appeared in a recent edition of the journal Reviews of Geophysics, published by
the American Geophysical Union.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“After 12 years of
debate about whether the climate of the last several thousand years has been
entirely natural or in considerable part the result of early agriculture,
converging evidence from several scientific disciplines points to a major anthropogenic
influenc</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">e,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q1QhQ-JgnUNLB93y7IrNyS3h2AkT3OyzuTH2fqURq9M35ham4Fq11_irjgkBmFuTi5QcVlRzJjEqmfqXrNNCaA1fg71nj5QbTz5vSGNRI31HktFQM9_eXpGvzH5zvT_ykkySHKDvrzA/s1600/stuck-in-snow-how-to-live-and-tell-the-tale-16622_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q1QhQ-JgnUNLB93y7IrNyS3h2AkT3OyzuTH2fqURq9M35ham4Fq11_irjgkBmFuTi5QcVlRzJjEqmfqXrNNCaA1fg71nj5QbTz5vSGNRI31HktFQM9_eXpGvzH5zvT_ykkySHKDvrzA/s200/stuck-in-snow-how-to-live-and-tell-the-tale-16622_2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Earth naturally
cycles between cool glacial periods and warmer interglacial periods because of
variations in its orbit around the sun. We currently are in an interglacial
period, called the Holocene epoch, which began nearly 12,000 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Call me to discuss your
insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983</span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-32139478293801108932016-01-18T13:49:00.001+00:002016-01-18T13:49:28.226+00:00"Significant" Viking hoard revealed at the British Museum for launch of Annual Treasure Report <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By Richard Moss | 10
December 2015</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Pe13HOirpY512XWpohRgf1staqG28s2C979vZgXjk8dx7BiWgUq89IoDgrdP3Vbhm_BgWeMuMFy7PbKZXupyZUdA25hnDpu938BIuIW61U9SlvTOlXjW4TaPuwPTI6yth4QdI9cyEj0/s1600/v0_master+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Pe13HOirpY512XWpohRgf1staqG28s2C979vZgXjk8dx7BiWgUq89IoDgrdP3Vbhm_BgWeMuMFy7PbKZXupyZUdA25hnDpu938BIuIW61U9SlvTOlXjW4TaPuwPTI6yth4QdI9cyEj0/s200/v0_master+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A Viking Hoard dating
from the time of the ‘Last Kingdom’, when the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Mercia
and Wessex were fighting for their survival against a ‘Great Heathen Army’ of
Viking raiders has been revealed at the British Museum. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The valuable hoard, which
was discovered by metal detectorist
James Mather in a field in Watlington, Oxfordshire and reported through
the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), headed up the launch of the PAS annual
treasure report at the museum, which details the thousands of finds reported by
detectorists and amateur archaeologists via a network of local museums. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It includes rare coins
of King Alfred ‘the Great’ of Wessex (r.871-99) and King Ceolwulf II of Mercia (874-79), as well as Viking arm-rings
and silver ingots, and is said by archaeologists to be nationally significant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAd0kr9Ey3Buawr2hJ6-kfHhbENiZ2tMni7xf8pSzgMndSSvTVyusIy7QMSjeNep5Z07CazSoxX5jUwMLhrtbDkglquqXILiyxkEGfGAxT1aeVdjx_hYppIPRXmA5epPqm4zCbSIeqpI8/s1600/v0_master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAd0kr9Ey3Buawr2hJ6-kfHhbENiZ2tMni7xf8pSzgMndSSvTVyusIy7QMSjeNep5Z07CazSoxX5jUwMLhrtbDkglquqXILiyxkEGfGAxT1aeVdjx_hYppIPRXmA5epPqm4zCbSIeqpI8/s200/v0_master.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Block lifted in a single
slab of earth, the find was excavated at the British Museum. The 186 coins
(some fragmentary), seven items of jewellery and 15 ingots were then examined
by experts from the museum alongside colleagues from the Ashmolean Museum in
Oxford. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Experts believe the
hoard was buried around the end of the 870s, in the period following Alfred’s
decisive defeat of the Vikings at Edington in 878, a victory which lead to the
unification of England.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Following their defeat,
the Vikings moved north of the Thames and travelled to East Anglia through the
kingdom of Mercia. It seems likely that the hoard was buried in the course of
these events, although the precise circumstances will never be known.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mr5130LQhw_PmWx3yQhf76dcsQS4g5j15QGxRYaT_X6zRupFaCjrfTX2sPCpH_2J64GxxflXHU75jlG0_IiO39IFCHz3hfs8VahjVXMVvqDgYpN26ABRslc__tbfKeD2MSZUPzdp6YA/s1600/v0_master+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mr5130LQhw_PmWx3yQhf76dcsQS4g5j15QGxRYaT_X6zRupFaCjrfTX2sPCpH_2J64GxxflXHU75jlG0_IiO39IFCHz3hfs8VahjVXMVvqDgYpN26ABRslc__tbfKeD2MSZUPzdp6YA/s200/v0_master+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Recalling the experience
of finding the hoard and helping excavate it with archaeologists from the PAS,
finder James Mather said it was the “icing on the cake of my 60th birthday”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“It highlights how
responsible metal detecting, supportive landowners and the PAS contribute to
national archaeological heritage,” he added. “I hope these amazing artefacts
can be displayed by a local museum to be enjoyed by generations to come."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If the Watlington Hoard
is declared Treasure, the Ashmolean Museum and Oxfordshire Museums Service will
be working in partnership with others, and potential funders, to try to ensure
it is displayed for local people to learn about and enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Since 1997, when the
Treasure Act became law, the number of finds reported has increased fivefold
from 201 cases in 1998 (the first full year of the Act) to 990 in 2013, and
1008 in 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Of the finds reported as
Treasure in 2013 (the last year for which figures are available), 363 were
acquired by 91 local museums, so they can be displayed close to where the items
were discovered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This year’s annual
report reveals that in addition to reported Treasure, a further 113,784
archaeological finds have been recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme in
2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All of them are recorded
on the PAS database (finds.org.uk), where local people can learn about them and
discover more about the archaeology and history of their local area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art542878-Significant-viking-hoard-revealed-at-the-british-museum-for-launch-of-annual-treasure-report?" target="_blank">Click here to read more</a></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-57257819386085608292015-11-30T14:05:00.000+00:002015-12-01T15:16:26.570+00:00We're in "Current Archaeology"! - Rescue Dig of the Year Event<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2K_fgLGOcPInkSlzuXJry62ZdHeCRhhiiEzy0Nf3_Tx5Sag8F5WAthSSTMfsAq4MDEDY0RbXf0tjoPSqfcFj92pCkSncmCR08t6ZFXODD2ThN5Mh7gNLFy5aFb_28TJVLZ6VTMoeIZAA/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2K_fgLGOcPInkSlzuXJry62ZdHeCRhhiiEzy0Nf3_Tx5Sag8F5WAthSSTMfsAq4MDEDY0RbXf0tjoPSqfcFj92pCkSncmCR08t6ZFXODD2ThN5Mh7gNLFy5aFb_28TJVLZ6VTMoeIZAA/s640/image+%25281%2529.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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The 'Conference' section of this month's <i>Current Archaeology </i>features the eagerly anticipated 'Rescue Dig of the Year' event, sponsored by your's truly!<br />
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Rescue digs are excavations in areas under threat by human or natural phenomena, and each year archaeologists cross their trowels to compete for a prize which is awarded by E&G.<br />
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<i>Current Archaeology </i>are asking you to consider this year's fascinating menu and cast the vote for your favorite dig. We've broken it down here:<br />
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<b>The Drumclay Crannog-Dwellers</b></div>
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1,000 years of lakeside living revealed</div>
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The excavation of a medieval crannog in Northern Island has prompted comment from Environment Minister Mark H Durkan, who says that the 4,000 object-strong quarry has the potential to "rewrite history". Crannogs are artificial islands constructed in Ireland or Scotland, and crannog excavations reveal significant details about the medieval way of life; Drumclay, however, is of singular importance: "The rich quality of the excavated remains from Drumclay will reshape our understanding not just of this site, but that of crannogs across these islands and medieval settlements in Europe as a whole," Durkan said. <br />
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<b>Ridgeway Hill</b></div>
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A scientific analysis of mass graves</div>
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The scrutiny of 50 decapitated skeletons buried atop Ridgeway Hill, Dorset, have given scientists a grim insight into the life - and death - of Viking raiding parties. The Vikings were put to death by Anglo-Saxons after the former invaded the British Isles; although the immediate circumstances of death remains unknown, forensic analysts have been able to determine the cause of death. Oxford Archaeology, whose archaeologists commandeered the excavation, sum it up as among the "most exciting and disturbing" discoveries in Britain. The Ridgeway Hill excavations are also among the largest to take place in Dorset to date. </div>
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<b>The Barrow Clump Excavations</b></div>
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A warrior cemetery is discovered in a Bronze Age barrow</div>
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Strange objects being kicked out of badger setts is what initially alerted officials to this series of graves in Salisbury Plain, a site now - ironically - under threat by the very same creatures. A plethora of Bronze Age weapons as well as mass graves, decorative beads, brooches and drinking horns were since discovered - making the site one of Britain's most exciting archaeological prospects. Barrow Clump has been subject of interest from the MoD - which fittingly operates a military training ground on the site - and Channel Four's "Time Team", the two having undergone excavations together on a trench. Treasures continue to be uncovered.<br />
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<b>England's Coastal Heritage</b></div>
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A community scheme records Blighty's coastal history before it's washed away</div>
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Winds, waves and tidal scour are eroding Britain's shores and CITiZAN - MOLA's community-led initiative - has begun the noble task of recording English heritage sites under immediate threat from Mother Nature's wrath. MOLA lists "prehistoric forests, Roman buildings, ancient salt-working sites, lost medieval ports, fishing settlements, coastal defences from both World Wars and countless abandoned boats, barges and ships" as sites of chief concern and has teamed up with such organisations as the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Crown Estate to see the project through. </div>
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<b>17th Century Thames Warship</b></div>
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The remains of an English Warship are preserved by the Thames estuary</div>
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A leviathan operation which disturbed <i>The London</i> in her watery tomb found that she was loaded with Reformation-period riches. Funded by "Historic London", hardware such as a well-preserved gun carriage was found on the ship; the item is described as "in near-perfect condition ... a national treasure and the key to new knowledge of our social and naval history" by maritime archaeologist Alison James. Among the highlights of the salvage operation is the 350 year old rope going through the pulley block, which was equally well-preserved because the ship was "enclosed in an anaerobic environment, oxygen-free mud, safe from all the creepy-crawlies that would normally erode it."</div>
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<b>The Fenwick Treasure</b></div>
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A Roman jewellery hoard dating to the Boudiccan War of Independence</div>
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Our final contender is that of a hoard of Roman jewelry found in Colchester. Thought to belong to a well-to-do woman during the sacking of the city by Bouddica's army, the collection includes two armlets, coins, earrings and rings. It has been described as "easily one of the best [discoveries of its kind] in the country" by Philip Crummy of the Colchester Archaeology Trust, as well as "nationally important". Found under the Fenwicks department store on a Colchester high street, the treasure trove was subsequently donated to Colchester Museum." </div>
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<i>Current Archaeology </i>readers may vote in the latest issue (January) of the magazine, or online <a href="http://www.archaeologylive.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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The awards take place on 26-27th February 2016 at <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps?q=Senate+House,+London&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjl9cz7p7jJAhUD1xQKHRxNCToQ_AUIBygB" target="_blank">Senate House, London</a>. </div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-59864025812110571512015-11-26T14:44:00.000+00:002015-11-26T14:51:01.531+00:00E&G Picks: Exciting New British Museum Exhibition<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTflPjzQ0UnwHrGMIzttVfvRXcXZ0Y3GTOljJViAKRg3L1QYF8kgFPTWL414qzcXGzi3lPZr1RSJpe5EM8EnkV1DvZ-Up06wcbnTLWX45u5s0tHGNeejtA2pGXum5FiWFYCRB3ofsvyQ/s1600/v0_master+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTflPjzQ0UnwHrGMIzttVfvRXcXZ0Y3GTOljJViAKRg3L1QYF8kgFPTWL414qzcXGzi3lPZr1RSJpe5EM8EnkV1DvZ-Up06wcbnTLWX45u5s0tHGNeejtA2pGXum5FiWFYCRB3ofsvyQ/s200/v0_master+%25283%2529.jpg" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iron Age shields<br />
© The Trustees of the British Museum</td></tr>
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A new exhibition starts on Britain's most important archaeology finds opens soon at the British Museum.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQVZudG6ToYPhcKz5rNg20SUZDRzVmLql9amePQo-F8EeZXZ1Pn4jDWw1MB6mmDk7EOHwCRlgvI7oo8BOpvbWyfbtRD8WRPrJIAV1iCkhuyqffYdK1QUq0Orv7AUQWbT2GBN4OrpHwEI/s1600/v0_master+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQVZudG6ToYPhcKz5rNg20SUZDRzVmLql9amePQo-F8EeZXZ1Pn4jDWw1MB6mmDk7EOHwCRlgvI7oo8BOpvbWyfbtRD8WRPrJIAV1iCkhuyqffYdK1QUq0Orv7AUQWbT2GBN4OrpHwEI/s200/v0_master+%25281%2529.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver coins dating to the 3rd century AD<br />
© The Trustees of the British Museum</td></tr>
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The display is comprises hundreds of objects including Roman coins, ceramic pots and - perhaps most saliently - a magnificent Frome hoard pot.<br />
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The pot itself was swollen with 52,503 coins when it was found in Somerset in 2010, and promises to be the centerpiece of a fine array of archaeological trinkets, which were described in an article by Culture24 a few days ago.<br />
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Bronze Age weapons discovered in the River Thames will also make an appearance, as will the first Iron Age coin hoards; all of the objects have been subject to extensive study at the British Museum.<br />
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Together, they not only symbolises Britain's rich history, but also the success of her laws: the Treasure Act of 1996 obliged treasure hunters to report their discoveries, and this potentially superb exhibition owes itself to the act.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JdgHXgvG8JHr9OXI44ydL0MM3wlCAih99yeqcEAiAebDQLJR03G-fqFEtZi1D4l5wS3ls_uQctOHDTbmSV2jCk_WZVDAh1Ah0HBdlbYs5kDkgbpZx9qUbuW1YfFDZuP6b5Zxf4jGwQs/s1600/v0_master+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JdgHXgvG8JHr9OXI44ydL0MM3wlCAih99yeqcEAiAebDQLJR03G-fqFEtZi1D4l5wS3ls_uQctOHDTbmSV2jCk_WZVDAh1Ah0HBdlbYs5kDkgbpZx9qUbuW1YfFDZuP6b5Zxf4jGwQs/s320/v0_master+%25289%2529.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman ceramic money box, with coins and a spoon<br />
© The Trustees of the British Museum<br />
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What: <b>Hoards: The Hidden History of Ancient Britain</b><br />
Where: <b>The British Museum, London</b><br />
When: <b>December 3 2015 – May 22 2016.</b><br />
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<br />Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-20945835345494920972015-11-25T13:27:00.000+00:002015-11-25T13:27:01.036+00:00Glastonbury's Monk Marketers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaCs31bZKDqGjEgUnsobKuFkam0flMrFcfo1nyRfBght1279xFLeRpgUKFw7MohVpiZfoWjsBVRjYtIx7aWMk7ITTVr8zThFD_5pw4FruBNdYJkcjmPZFtePxNGN8_Xry4Cti02ZDPkQ/s1600/Glastonbury_Abbey_Lady_Chapel_c1900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaCs31bZKDqGjEgUnsobKuFkam0flMrFcfo1nyRfBght1279xFLeRpgUKFw7MohVpiZfoWjsBVRjYtIx7aWMk7ITTVr8zThFD_5pw4FruBNdYJkcjmPZFtePxNGN8_Xry4Cti02ZDPkQ/s400/Glastonbury_Abbey_Lady_Chapel_c1900.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For centuries a mystical atmosphere has swirled around Glastonbury Abbey, which is said to be the resting place of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.<div>
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Since the 12th century, the Abbey has been one of Britain's most sacrosanct destinations for pilgrims and monks; but archaeologists have discovered that it's part in British myth may be more contrived than previously thought. </div>
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In fact, the whole Glastonbury origin myth may have to be rewritten after surveys conducted by Reading University conclusively established that no remains belonging to Arthur or Guinevere are buried on the site. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFosBveJS4CHff2WyQIx1TF_X9WisuqDYNryG4VhOdxWzEyRwDje1GfQRbf1kEClovN5B5UhXWkhrv8VpZv95XxReey-XeS57J-NJ0JBEA1wwMomPed-34gvQ-Aj2Wa6QaRTvvyx7ki0/s1600/King-Arthur-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFosBveJS4CHff2WyQIx1TF_X9WisuqDYNryG4VhOdxWzEyRwDje1GfQRbf1kEClovN5B5UhXWkhrv8VpZv95XxReey-XeS57J-NJ0JBEA1wwMomPed-34gvQ-Aj2Wa6QaRTvvyx7ki0/s320/King-Arthur-1.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
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This leaves open the possibility that the site's monk custodians were actually medieval Mad Men, who invented the myth in a bid to raise funds after a fire destroyed the site in 1184. </div>
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It goes without saying that their mythopoeic marketing strategy was an overwhelming success, and so firmly entrenched Glastonbury Abbey in British folklore that the site's popularity has endured to the modern day. Cynical monks, however, are no match for science's quest for truth.</div>
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The group of archaeologists whose project resulted in the findings say that despite the prospect of "the history of Glastonbury Abbey [being] rewritten", tourist numbers will not dwindle. </div>
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Likewise, site director Janet Bell insists that the report does not "debunk King Arthur's affiliation with the Abbey", and even hints at the possibility of using it as another marketing opportunity. </div>
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Her predecessors would have been proud. </div>
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Export & General's friends at C&N Hollinrake Ltd, consultant archaeologists, are situated in Glastonbury, and devote some of their time to ecclesiastical archaeology. You can visit their website <a href="http://www.hollinrake.org.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-36431465288430320442015-11-20T11:28:00.001+00:002015-11-20T11:29:48.544+00:00"Witch Girl" exhumed in Italy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMiixOWN6F4c4eqPmBNuC2_qSDvSlEF7BBoV5x4A-UIPy3jMoQ_Q4XS-jHTwCQ8asLeUIiH96kAzEY35mmvWCIsp91Egl079VeW5UPreUGNBRSTQam9W8YUV5J9uvYMun5yu0PfI3lo0/s1600/Italy-Witch-Girl-Burial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMiixOWN6F4c4eqPmBNuC2_qSDvSlEF7BBoV5x4A-UIPy3jMoQ_Q4XS-jHTwCQ8asLeUIiH96kAzEY35mmvWCIsp91Egl079VeW5UPreUGNBRSTQam9W8YUV5J9uvYMun5yu0PfI3lo0/s320/Italy-Witch-Girl-Burial.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy to <i>Pontifical Institute of Archaeology</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The skeleton of a young girl has been disinterred in San Calocero, Italy, and is believed to have been accused as a witch before she was murdered.<br />
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The girl - whom scientists determined was severely malnourished at the time of her death, and between the ages of 14-17 - was buried under stone slabs.<br />
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The finding was made by Philippe Pergola of the Pontifical Institute of Archaeology and his team, following a like discovery close to the site two years ago of an original "witch girl" who was also malnourished. Both girls are believed to have been the victims of the same macabre ritual.<br />
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The burial of the condemned girls - while they were possibly still alive - may have followed such tribulations as burning and being swung by the elbows. The fact that the recovered body's head was almost touching its breastbone suggests that the girl may have also been thrown into the pit.<br />
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Both skeletons are dated between the ninth and fifteenth centuries, when suspicion of witchcraft was a fixture of life in parts of the continent.Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-81931086644523128282015-11-18T13:16:00.000+00:002015-11-18T13:24:08.712+00:00'Martian Archaeologist' finds Face Carved in PyramidThe YouTube channel "Martian Archaeology" has singled out a sphinx's face on a pyramidal rock formation on Mars - calling the photographs produced by NASA conclusive evidence of an ancient civilisation.<br />
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The 'Martian Archaeologist's' peculiar avocation involves scouring through NASA photo archives in an attempt to uncover convincing evidence of extraterrestrial life.<br />
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The photos in question were taken by the famous rover <i>Curiosity </i>which has hitherto found no evidence of life at all - even on a microscopic level. In recent months, however, evidence collected by <i>Curiosity </i>indicates that water may once have existed on Mars. The US Space Agency even suggested that large oceans may even have existed on the planet's surface.<br />
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But Martian Archaeology still isn't satisfied, and says that the NASA photo of the sphinx is part of a larger body of evidence which proves beyond doubt that an ancient civilisation once thrived on Mars.<br />
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We remain unconvinced.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not many people purport to be able to explain the origin of the sphinx-face. Much less the mysterious red circle.</i></td></tr>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-22294918301252438812015-11-17T10:53:00.001+00:002015-11-19T09:36:01.633+00:00E&G Picks: New Exhibition Unveiled in ChinaA museum in north China's Hebei Province has unveiled a new exhibition consisting of ancient Buddhist statues and fragments, many of which are over 1,500 years old.<br />
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Having documented an excavation in Mes Aynak, Afghanistan of priest-king and buddhist statues (<a href="http://archaeology-heritage-insurance.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-copper-bottomed-buddhas_30.html" target="_blank">click here</a>), the news from Hebei has made E&G staff particularly excited.<br />
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So much so that we've dispatched a member of our team on tour in China - we hope he'll be visiting the Hebei Province museum and report back to us. <br />
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<i>For specialist insurance for archaeologists, <a href="http://archaeology-heritage-insurance.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</i>Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-55747416979505099062015-11-16T15:41:00.001+00:002015-11-16T15:44:23.669+00:00Breaking News: Europeans are Descendants of "Fourth Tribe"Modern Europeans are the genetic descendants of a recently discovered "fourth tribe", researchers have confirmed.<br />
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It was thought that Europeans are a mix of three distant populations: hunters; Middle Eastern farmers and easterners who arrived during the Bronze Age.</div>
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But Nature Communications has revealed that genetic material retrieved from a skeleton in the Caucasus points towards a fourth population which has contributed to the European gene pool. </div>
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Genomes harvested from burial sites thanks to scientific advances has meant that more data about ancient humans can be collected - altering our conception of our genetic legacy. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 10,000 year old Georgian skeleton, from which the data was collected<br />
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Of the three tribes previously thought to have been the exclusive ancestors of modern Europeans, the hunter-gatherers were the first to arrive in Europe before the Ice Age.<br />
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The migration of Middle Easterners 33,000 years hence shifted the genetic paradigm and introduced agriculture to Europe. 4,000 years later the Yamnaya - a herder people whose genetic contribution is concentrated most voluminously in the modern Norwegian population - entered Europe from the Steppes.<br />
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This groundbreaking discovery means researchers are likely to be puzzling over where the "fourth tribe" fits into the genetic story of Europe for quite some time yet.</div>
Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-13272020795034784982015-11-16T14:13:00.000+00:002015-11-16T14:21:24.923+00:00CBA South-East Conference and AGM <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">We attended the CBA
South-East Conference and AGM on Saturday – where we met some very interesting
people and had a fantastic time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">While we didn’t attend
the lecture sessions, the feedback we got from those who did was fantastic!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Professor Martin Bell</b>
(University of Reading) - The Mesolithic of the Wetland and Coastal Edge in
Southern Britain<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Phil Jones</b> (Surrey
County Archaeology Unit) - Mesolithic Remains at Bletchingley and Mesolithic
Surrey<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Garry Momber</b> (Hampshire
and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology) - Mesolithic Technology at Bouldnor
Cliff: Was it 2,000 Years Ahead of its Time?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Mike Donnelly</b> (Oxford
Archaeology) - New Mesolithic Discoveries on the Bexhill Relief Road Scheme,
Kent<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wtyg8SACtgJJddMZimBGCW1Ov5CUcjRcP5ZRVmXGAO7TF4gLMmgplrNgnfGAu0CEHYTBEM-WKDDGkoja_4-nbiJPQfC2Pwnq0_0axfS6sj4UTc0RjedDQVlZZabze7AVkXINUSpYagA/s1600/th+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wtyg8SACtgJJddMZimBGCW1Ov5CUcjRcP5ZRVmXGAO7TF4gLMmgplrNgnfGAu0CEHYTBEM-WKDDGkoja_4-nbiJPQfC2Pwnq0_0axfS6sj4UTc0RjedDQVlZZabze7AVkXINUSpYagA/s1600/th+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Dr Fraser Sturt</b> (Uni.
Southampton) and Dr Duncan Garrow (Uni. Reading) - Stepping Stones to the
Neolithic: Seafaring, Connectivity and the Mesolithic/Neolithic Transition<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Dr Jodie Lewis</b>
(University of Worcester) - Caves, Springs and Depositing Things: Approaching
the Mesolithic and Neolithic in the South West<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Dr Rick Schulting</b>
(University of Oxford) - Violent Times in the Neolithic? A Review of the
British Evidence<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Don Henson</b> (University
of York) - Public Engagement in the Mesolithic
and Neolithic</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">All good stuff. <a href="http://www.cbasouth-east.org/events/news-and-other-events/" target="_blank">Click here to read more</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Just about everyone there (with a few exceptions) pulled a Christmas cracker with us too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">From our point of view, we found yet again that there is a great deal of interest in our insurance services - and we were able to provide quotes 'on the spot' for a number of individuals, local societies and commercial businesses. Of course we will be following up all of those enquiries in the coming days - and getting some new clients on cover!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As for the location –
the Surrey History Centre – well, that was also fantastic!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What a great resource – and what a change
from the usual look and feel of the county records office!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/heritage-culture-and-recreation/archives-and-history/surrey-history-centre" target="_blank">Click here to read more about the Surrey History Centre</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Call me to discuss your
insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Email </span><a href="mailto:quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-39983780155176248892015-11-16T13:37:00.002+00:002015-11-16T13:39:44.682+00:00The Chinese Lamps That Swallow SmokeWhat's the most curious thing unearthed in archaeology this week?<br />
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The smoke lamp: A goose-shaped Chinese contraption designed to 'swallow' smoke produced by the burning of wax, which is consequently dissolved by water in its belly.</div>
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Two such lamps were this week discovered by archaeologists in China. Dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (roughly 221 - 206 BC) and made of bronze, they preempt the eco-friendly craze by roughly 2200 years - and could teach modern Chinese a thing or two about environmental awareness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePLcmaEbyMjbNW4RCTP4g8A0DAzpl9xwQ2Muyh2XLuWJYAkczNNzwk3O1kokqdGpDailcbQmcvDfuzOfvPH98sfSKWD1iYNUGtkhEBrcJRUdnzjUdQEfDzZapHTZT4I-K5GFGvmh1zg/s1600/Han-dynasty-Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePLcmaEbyMjbNW4RCTP4g8A0DAzpl9xwQ2Muyh2XLuWJYAkczNNzwk3O1kokqdGpDailcbQmcvDfuzOfvPH98sfSKWD1iYNUGtkhEBrcJRUdnzjUdQEfDzZapHTZT4I-K5GFGvmh1zg/s400/Han-dynasty-Map.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bronze lamps were a staple of the Han Dynasty, but these smoke absorbent ones are the first such discovered of their kind. Xin Lixiang, who led the excavation, says that the discoveries are set to change existing conceptions of Han industry. </div>
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The fact that none have been discovered before makes this story particularly - ahem - absorbing; the findings hint at an element of exclusivity in Western Han society. It is likely that the increased production of bronze lamps reduced their price, encouraging more innovative variations of bronze lamps to be devised. </div>
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The ingenious nature of the smoke lamps doesn't stop there. The ability to adjust the brightness of the lamp, a feature not even universally present in modern lamps, was enabled through the use of swinging shades. Furthermore, the whole lamp could be dismantled according to the anatomical parts of the goose, in order that it be preserved and maintained. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBIVmPAIMkaSPbI9nXHM5gThdxNULbPL3QROlnSod_vFGuCmIq_e-DToosS3A-uMj1MUF01hx86QqOUJoxD_gIBfxuB-AhR4z7uQphbiY9BYl0OP-xbl88HRlZHkIeP8nKMQ5AW5Xasg/s1600/tomb_dig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBIVmPAIMkaSPbI9nXHM5gThdxNULbPL3QROlnSod_vFGuCmIq_e-DToosS3A-uMj1MUF01hx86QqOUJoxD_gIBfxuB-AhR4z7uQphbiY9BYl0OP-xbl88HRlZHkIeP8nKMQ5AW5Xasg/s320/tomb_dig.jpg" width="320" /></a>And as with many ancient Chinese innovations, function is complemented by form - which typically draws on beguiling natural imagery:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
"It is both an artwork and an example of ancient innovation," said Lixiang, who spoke to Chinese news agency Xinhua. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The finding was made in a cemetery - Hailhunhou - in Jiangxi Province, itself an archaeological discovery dubbed the most "complete Western Han Dynasty cemetery" yet discovered in China by ancient-origins.net. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Excavations at the site first began in 2011, and the lamps symbolise the promise of new discoveries yet to be made. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-29655039787661998982015-11-16T13:33:00.000+00:002015-11-16T13:33:33.674+00:00Chartered Institute for Archaeologists membership! <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH3VtdBM0eZvpNvTQVbWrukCj1ZuMf6W9pL4BUvDPFBURVSr2w5pPcaFSaZHUC3RODlhLJ1o2OA5rMbUtYCs5vdebCgzvqZsewlMzl5TH5wbV-EBMNgJ40PEZrBnhCv5jbx3oUcHmI3k/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH3VtdBM0eZvpNvTQVbWrukCj1ZuMf6W9pL4BUvDPFBURVSr2w5pPcaFSaZHUC3RODlhLJ1o2OA5rMbUtYCs5vdebCgzvqZsewlMzl5TH5wbV-EBMNgJ40PEZrBnhCv5jbx3oUcHmI3k/s320/11.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">At last my membership
pack from the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists has arrived! I might only be an Associate, but it is a
start!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I realise that the CIfA
is not loved by everyone across the archaeology sector in the UK - and I
understand why – but at least it is something of a central hub for archaeology
professionals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I look forward to
gathering further opinion at the CIfA annual conference in April next year…..presuming
that as an Associate member, I am invited…..and not banned again this year from
attending by CIfA’s only insurance partner……<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.archaeologists.net/" target="_blank">Click here to read more</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Call me to discuss your
insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Email </span><a href="mailto:quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-32296284015974756762015-11-03T10:02:00.000+00:002015-11-03T10:02:32.780+00:00Gloucester Cathedral - a political dynasty beneath your feet<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSH6VGWbNDvikKBvuP-0_sBLGr9X1EAo4WeE1A0w50TDdbLyNTQkj_PKYP4a39U8PnynjrVgxh20kuz68ffU0qnKg8tYOzk53h_y_rDErrrAtkgGurbWpPk6iLf09EtnAuGzkydnMIuw/s1600/_86353831_gopro10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSH6VGWbNDvikKBvuP-0_sBLGr9X1EAo4WeE1A0w50TDdbLyNTQkj_PKYP4a39U8PnynjrVgxh20kuz68ffU0qnKg8tYOzk53h_y_rDErrrAtkgGurbWpPk6iLf09EtnAuGzkydnMIuw/s200/_86353831_gopro10.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bones under the ledger stone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The unexpected discovery
of an 8ft deep family burial vault in the North Transept of Gloucester Cathedral
is a fascinating story for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkj4w6enwo6BPdTq0vQYvbg2BuIDb-UD3Ckds_T8maScCFEV0VNUBv76LETU8mKb43LnkXqyhoQ-sMAPSVNeJuNYPvU4GP__do9vTNxKlhvlZwo-K8vFMjFYfpeERxjGnQJ7AN-zh6ks/s1600/CSvGIiKXAAAiYvK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkj4w6enwo6BPdTq0vQYvbg2BuIDb-UD3Ckds_T8maScCFEV0VNUBv76LETU8mKb43LnkXqyhoQ-sMAPSVNeJuNYPvU4GP__do9vTNxKlhvlZwo-K8vFMjFYfpeERxjGnQJ7AN-zh6ks/s200/CSvGIiKXAAAiYvK.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Many of us have trodden
over the ledger stones at Gloucester and elsewhere and wondered what is
beneath. As a child, I hoped that there
was nothing underneath and that the actual burial was elsewhere –
perhaps a way of persuading my 12 year old self that ‘morning chapel’ wasn’t
taking place surrounded by dead bodies!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, of course, I love
the idea of an intricate network of tunnels and rooms under the floor – most yet to be discovered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF17lD3vk3X3yIF7CfDD8zIyBPveGKHExO4d57FJV_62mviNuHeSiHAorD5WBkngiooHpzx8gRvTKT-Fgsy7V1cFjzU3wPx0N0xb9LgchVOfDmSh-ftuEkGmj-qSNXp_brC6NuuJa683E/s1600/ledger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF17lD3vk3X3yIF7CfDD8zIyBPveGKHExO4d57FJV_62mviNuHeSiHAorD5WBkngiooHpzx8gRvTKT-Fgsy7V1cFjzU3wPx0N0xb9LgchVOfDmSh-ftuEkGmj-qSNXp_brC6NuuJa683E/s320/ledger.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ledger stone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
From the news reports
the family name was Hyett – I can see on the ledger:<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Also<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Benjamin Hyett & Elizabeth w…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">daughter of Joseph Morwent<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He dyed 1711 aged 62<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She dyed 1708 aged 55<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">also their children<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">.. 1692 ..<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">.. 1706 ..<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">.. 1712 ..<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And from on of the coffin lids:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Frances Hyett<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daughter of<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">…ny Hyett and Fran Hyett<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Died Feby 16 1748?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Aged 9 Months<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4zDGQJIVitxHcXkCo6VPyHqnnVbuqYeGXMXka1UbTIiaEt8wvafjHigKPwCJO4Ha2M2IwejUt3Hj1HynlwxVyWrImwT3deqbS1x_Q724Uv0VnOj6QD_Sg3dJDfxwKG11LS_Mj9Sckmk/s1600/CSlPthRWoAAP5wl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4zDGQJIVitxHcXkCo6VPyHqnnVbuqYeGXMXka1UbTIiaEt8wvafjHigKPwCJO4Ha2M2IwejUt3Hj1HynlwxVyWrImwT3deqbS1x_Q724Uv0VnOj6QD_Sg3dJDfxwKG11LS_Mj9Sckmk/s200/CSlPthRWoAAP5wl.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the vault</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A very brief scan of the
internet shows a Charles Hyett (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">1677 or 1686 to 1738)</span><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> who had two sons - Benjamin Hyett II (1708 to 1762)
and Nicholas Hyett (1709 to 1777). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Charles’s father is recorded as Benjamin Hyett (1651 to 1711) who I
think is our man – so at least one of Benjamin and Elizabeth’s children
survived. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Charles was MP for
Gloucester between 1722 and 1727 and built Painswick House “to escape the smog
of Gloucester” but he died not long after moving there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhez8qo4l3jrlr42u3b50-W848wYWPcLAXPf4k577LlUD3SokfrmzbYSSF_c0ks5yp8EfOcsL-mKtL0_p5gJZ7Ha3SpWWoPWPy78FnDrXYUvF2ixfQrGEOr1HjPO4OeOfaWuH3HvnPZahw/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhez8qo4l3jrlr42u3b50-W848wYWPcLAXPf4k577LlUD3SokfrmzbYSSF_c0ks5yp8EfOcsL-mKtL0_p5gJZ7Ha3SpWWoPWPy78FnDrXYUvF2ixfQrGEOr1HjPO4OeOfaWuH3HvnPZahw/s200/Untitled.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robins' painting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Benjamin II inherited
Painswick House where he created the now famous Painswick Rococo Garden which
was painted by Thomas Robins the Elder in 1748.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nicholas was a lawyer
and Justice of the Peace and one of “the last keepers and constables of the
Castle of Gloucester”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Both Nicholas and
Benjamin II failed in their attempts to follow their father’s footsteps into
Parliament, but a long line of later descendants were more successful in this
endeavour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Press reports show Richard
Clavering Hyett Dickinson (Lord Dickinson) as the living relative – and the
grandson of Willoughby Hyett Dickinson, 1<sup>st</sup> Baron Dickinson of
Painswick, who, like his ancestor </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Charles </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(and probably many other Hyetts) was an MP. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mQhMoJuxQJ07baXU73DedD_VP2OmYiZa8EtzYh7zbapllOs38HVIFTxOwEnH604zh4RSVoV45lpByKpxTrScb1fInQHc4uSaYsaDRaRK5KeHZqguxct4mfr5TM9yxPE5ni2-R5QRXsM/s1600/525870_dd04a787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mQhMoJuxQJ07baXU73DedD_VP2OmYiZa8EtzYh7zbapllOs38HVIFTxOwEnH604zh4RSVoV45lpByKpxTrScb1fInQHc4uSaYsaDRaRK5KeHZqguxct4mfr5TM9yxPE5ni2-R5QRXsM/s200/525870_dd04a787.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painswick House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Back to the story, I
think that I heard in a radio interview the new bishop of Gloucester – the </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rt Rev Rachel Treweek</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- talking about
renovations to the Bishop’s Palace and the installation of a new kitchen.
Clearly her ‘new broom’ extends to the North Transept renovations and the
installation of a lift – which is how this great discovery was made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It is only by remaining
current and fit for purpose in our ever-changing world that our great buildings
will survive – and to survive, they need to do what they have always done –
change!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My final hope is that
the plan is to record the vault by camera and then close it up and leave the
Hyetts just as they are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Call me to discuss your
insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-78834844496050592412015-11-02T11:50:00.002+00:002015-11-02T11:59:19.672+00:00Ice Age engravings found in JerseyThe recent discovery in Jersey of fragments from stone slabs proves that, like us, settlers in the UK were tablet aficionados 14,000 years ago. <i>Plus ça change... </i><br />
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The dig uncovered stone engravings which are similar to those discovered on the continental mainland - which are also dated similarly - but are the first of their kind here and pre-date the earliest discovered art in Britain. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ATvzH99ni5p7CUqx8MtBZfQV71WYXGWV5NlWs8y5dq6XE9s3mUdQrSSELxoKGLiX2X1NOxuAV8aCbUlAJdd-4E2v1_5-UT5GImXbL4FLOvgDP6Zy17jpLbSzRDUWmY5_9CA19Oq1qos/s1600/jersey1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ATvzH99ni5p7CUqx8MtBZfQV71WYXGWV5NlWs8y5dq6XE9s3mUdQrSSELxoKGLiX2X1NOxuAV8aCbUlAJdd-4E2v1_5-UT5GImXbL4FLOvgDP6Zy17jpLbSzRDUWmY5_9CA19Oq1qos/s400/jersey1.jpg" width="400" /></a>The 'art' in question - for we are using the term a little loosely here - comprises a series of criss-crosses carved into tablets, and are significant in that they perhaps mark the point when our ancestors began to think in a more abstract way. </div>
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Unlike at other Magdalenian sites where tablets have been discovered with representations of other horses and animals on them, the carvings consist exclusively of repeated lines, leading experts to surmise whether the artist in question is in fact <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTggc0uBA8" target="_blank">a distant ancestor of Ed Miliband</a>. </div>
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The discoveries were made by archaeologists who have been patiently toiling away at the site - 'Les Varines' - for five consecutive summers. And Dr Conneller, a lecturer at the University of Manchester, is hopeful their labours will bear yet more fruit:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6cd-xiAinJA8E6UrbOFpLqnpG1B09mjOV7-2zarO3RsbdpaRFrwmY8FMZGqQDOF6kRzM73MzqBvrJgviCIzOBs8rNiIGv8RjG6Az24maXN5t0RLenxMMVgUu7RgUHCSiQ6mnQxeEtEg/s1600/jersey2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6cd-xiAinJA8E6UrbOFpLqnpG1B09mjOV7-2zarO3RsbdpaRFrwmY8FMZGqQDOF6kRzM73MzqBvrJgviCIzOBs8rNiIGv8RjG6Az24maXN5t0RLenxMMVgUu7RgUHCSiQ6mnQxeEtEg/s400/jersey2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"We're hoping this is a hint of what is to come, because at some other sites you get hundreds of these pieces. What we've got at the moment is only a fragment of something much larger."</div>
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A fragment of something much larger indeed:- Dr Silvia Bello of the Natural History Museum is confident that the fragments are the real deal, revealing a shift in hunter-gatherer attitudes from the simplistic to the aesthetic:</div>
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"the stones ... show clear incised lines consistent with being made by stone tools, and they do not have any obvious functional role."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLx3x9r1suGOiJ7Q3kb85DdA1UZZM575AQ1VIcHBGFmvq74jRz1luwosaubhF2DktK06KrEcRtMC2wEej6zGLWbwe60ckizIMpRnW2SdtjW5fRB5kGNSVoz1rn8fUJxq-_D-CL7khR3Q/s1600/jersey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLx3x9r1suGOiJ7Q3kb85DdA1UZZM575AQ1VIcHBGFmvq74jRz1luwosaubhF2DktK06KrEcRtMC2wEej6zGLWbwe60ckizIMpRnW2SdtjW5fRB5kGNSVoz1rn8fUJxq-_D-CL7khR3Q/s320/jersey.jpg" width="320" /></a>£180,000 has been <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-33289169" target="_blank">invested by the Jersey States</a> in the project - dubbed the Ice Age Island Project - and work resumes. </div>
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We'll keep you updated as more discoveries, fingers crossed, follow. </div>
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<i>For competitive archaeology insurance,</i> <a href="http://www.archaeology-insurance.co.uk/" target="_blank">click here</a>. </div>
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<i>Hat-doff to the BBC for pictures.<br />
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-11327436046791698052015-11-02T10:54:00.002+00:002015-11-02T14:05:06.812+00:00Sinister Catacombs of Odessa: the Lost Girl<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QdCybMIzbQjggQd3Qw8HsqjAy2dKoUwHWCRr7deD2M9Ona7Iv-yxHeAPIX-O1hpOWMi1AlbxJDde1lM96Q6waUiACwKu9wdwffqRAawyIGNprm73ldOX9ZL5S7NhP7cBh2dQpeDCaRI/s1600/catacombs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QdCybMIzbQjggQd3Qw8HsqjAy2dKoUwHWCRr7deD2M9Ona7Iv-yxHeAPIX-O1hpOWMi1AlbxJDde1lM96Q6waUiACwKu9wdwffqRAawyIGNprm73ldOX9ZL5S7NhP7cBh2dQpeDCaRI/s400/catacombs.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Everybody knows about
the Parisian catacombs, but the sprawling lesser-known maze beneath Odessa harbours a
notoriety which continues to this day.</i></div>
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Urban exploration is a burgeoning pastime among young people
and archaeologists who fancy themselves as Howard Carter types. E&G staff
have been known to dabble in it during work hours, counting a <a href="http://archaeology-heritage-insurance.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-tale-of-converted-victorian.html" target="_blank">Victorian swimming baths</a> in Bristol as one of our favourite haunts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Catacombs, however, are a different animal entirely. The
Odessa tunnels in Ukraine span three levels, cover a staggering distance of
2,500 kilometres and have 1,000 (known) entrances.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So large are the catacombs, in fact, that they haven’t even
been fully mapped. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Starting out as an isolated series of limestone mines in the
19<sup>th</sup>-century, local smugglers began connecting them in a macabre
game of dot-to-dot that would eventually claim lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH2GW9ZO4FPXlks2Cbkg3pj6_DgRBmwr6dB8lXsOwaHsjN7PpXrP_ndrYLufYPHNGTiONNfZjW2oYfWdypvm_Ud9Dln_xeM3R6U9IgaPjAA3wzjDaX1JBpLBn-oELvvfZz0f4ndHF-VY/s1600/odessa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH2GW9ZO4FPXlks2Cbkg3pj6_DgRBmwr6dB8lXsOwaHsjN7PpXrP_ndrYLufYPHNGTiONNfZjW2oYfWdypvm_Ud9Dln_xeM3R6U9IgaPjAA3wzjDaX1JBpLBn-oELvvfZz0f4ndHF-VY/s320/odessa1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is very difficult to convey in words just how dauntingly
expansive a 2,500 kilometre network of tunnels is, especially when they often
lead nowhere or double-back on themselves. Resembling enormous black bronchi
(see map at top), the tunnels are arid and stifling; they provide no bearings or
signposts for the lost. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Which compounds the tragedy of the case of a 19 year old
girl who wandered, perhaps while intoxicated, into one of the entrances after
having been to a New Year party in 2005. She was only discovered four months
later by urban explorer hobbyists after police, having been informed that the
girl was missing, refused to enter the catacombs should they suffer the same
fate. One story has it that she was initially with a group of friends when she
entered the tunnels and ran ahead to scare them. It was said that they went a
different direction, and never saw her again.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab2sxco-PHjr-BkdmakqDlW82-zSffWMnMl3vqK3eo2CntWD3LVQ_aMB2g6OrPTueOFD5MAUNzy2ijd4sDcOR6b9-m3YqH02mr02YlcGiNIb0S0Z4RF_OCRvkOOxN64EBgswdkA9yBSg/s1600/odessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab2sxco-PHjr-BkdmakqDlW82-zSffWMnMl3vqK3eo2CntWD3LVQ_aMB2g6OrPTueOFD5MAUNzy2ijd4sDcOR6b9-m3YqH02mr02YlcGiNIb0S0Z4RF_OCRvkOOxN64EBgswdkA9yBSg/s320/odessa.jpg" width="320" /></a>Despite the government having attempted to seal the known
entrances in 1980, others are frequently being discovered. Along with
explorers, the catacombs have become popular with derring-do teenagers and
archaeologists who are intrigued by its history as a hiding place for civilians
and officials in WWII. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The body of the lost girl, named Masha, was recovered two
years after her disappearance, in 2007. Based on where her body lay it is
believed she spent three days wandering the catacombs, trying to find her way
out, before perishing of dehydration. Her case serves as a reminder of the
dangers the catacombs of Odessa continue to pose to the carefree or
ill-prepared. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>For competitive bespoke archaeology insurance </i><a href="http://www.archaeology-insurance.co.uk/" target="_blank">click here</a>.<i> </i></div>
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<i>For competitive bespoke travel insurance </i><a href="http://www.exportandgeneral.co.uk/travel-insurance.php" target="_blank">click here</a>.<i> </i></div>
Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-66779395765073656052015-10-30T18:19:00.004+00:002015-11-01T12:31:51.210+00:00The Copper-Bottomed Buddhas<div>
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<i><i><i>What do one of the world's largest untapped copper mines; Buddhist monk-kings; an al-Qaeda training camp and the Chinese have in common?</i></i></i><i></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW38XjxlryLWjsVfe_vfoYtVgHBjY_deMwimyVGlED8TQ11-UzjUSvhXy3toO2iQbqg8g9eKpvmaKV7ruk_4cH-cBYqtiLPAFyHKApYk33-M8xObX83jHtsRltWQtHpypl8Y7zxwKyz0/s1600/7--Mes-Aynak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW38XjxlryLWjsVfe_vfoYtVgHBjY_deMwimyVGlED8TQ11-UzjUSvhXy3toO2iQbqg8g9eKpvmaKV7ruk_4cH-cBYqtiLPAFyHKApYk33-M8xObX83jHtsRltWQtHpypl8Y7zxwKyz0/s400/7--Mes-Aynak.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Not much at all, except for Mes Aynak.</i></div>
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The archaeological site of Mes Aynak in Afghanistan is one of the most promising of its kind in the Middle East. A buried pre-Islamic city of monks shrouded in copper ore, it comprises monastic fortifications, buddha schist statues and human remains dating as far back as 300AD. </div>
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The priest-kings, and the city they ruled, prospered ever since the first ore was smelted and up until the forested environs - on which the process depended for fuel - was gradually cleared. Contrasting the peace which the city used to enjoy, the site is now a bone - or several - of contention for mining companies, archaeologists and militants.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCuLJSRRj_Sze8cAm1Li0RdQiCkCd1L-x8ch7QCspWf_MASdPqd0j9O3I3b786duvgUx8AjerUB-KpDqZtxukPoBAUp_j1Zr_6bYGSXICdYjkge4dUcgEQh9TTYpgGuUKXkoMPKLA8Xc/s1600/mesa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCuLJSRRj_Sze8cAm1Li0RdQiCkCd1L-x8ch7QCspWf_MASdPqd0j9O3I3b786duvgUx8AjerUB-KpDqZtxukPoBAUp_j1Zr_6bYGSXICdYjkge4dUcgEQh9TTYpgGuUKXkoMPKLA8Xc/s320/mesa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The copper which built the city might just doom its legacy. 12.5 million tonnes of it is buried underground, and in 2007 the China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) won the rights to mining operations on the site. For Afghanistan, the prospect of new infrastructure and a £780m boost to it's febrile economy proved too alluring, despite the risks to Afghan heritage that the mining operation will pose.</div>
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But the Chinese are not mining yet, due to continuing conflict in the region. Islamists are the source of the conflict, and look askance at the idea of pre-Islamic heritage anyway. The Taliban, which still has a stake in the area, have been known to harass archaeologists who are trying to salvage the site's riches before the Chinese move in.</div>
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Under the Taliban's aegis, an al-Qaeda base used to be located at Mes Aynak; four of the terrorists who conducted the 9/11 attacks were trained there. Conflict continues. The Chinese were forced to defer the beginning of ore extraction operations after rocket attacks in 2012 and 2013, which scarred a landscape already pockmarked by looters who have robbed it of some of its riches. Alas, it doesn't seem to matter anyway. The National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul have accepted so many artefacts that they no longer have room for them. Thousands of discoveries sit in limbo at storage facilities.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFeFQx6hYTI2Z8Dmzeutdq0_C117_jbiG6Xf1u6ujq1KcaLNPheZXTq9qSMDlb92UlFrZaCkM_LwWef_rIRo-ZhLs4YkHUCZ7Ix5FKNd_cp3DNKgkbTXiSteHCuo7bgNSg_pbi3NOJac/s1600/mes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFeFQx6hYTI2Z8Dmzeutdq0_C117_jbiG6Xf1u6ujq1KcaLNPheZXTq9qSMDlb92UlFrZaCkM_LwWef_rIRo-ZhLs4YkHUCZ7Ix5FKNd_cp3DNKgkbTXiSteHCuo7bgNSg_pbi3NOJac/s320/mes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The date for mining continues to be offset, which gives archaeologists time to work on the site and <a href="http://archaeology-heritage-insurance.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/attitudes-surrounding-destruction-of.html" target="_blank">make digital records</a>. They have the time but not the manpower: they rely on volunteer labour and are low on resources. Nobody knows what the future holds for the site, but one thing's for sure: as rockets streak the skies and Chinese machinery looms, archaeology is Mes Aynak's only prospect for preservation. </div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-55205215756385273992015-10-27T16:12:00.000+00:002015-10-27T16:12:10.002+00:00Middleham Quilters Handmade Quilt Draw 2015<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6QTIjJeWKw30ZOaIjDl1Z1wZSHZtbPAfh1wGB1_2ax2RlXA6SyvaTo9JtMcrn5GIk_lbwfc7Wpd7hGagGMl9SUgl2NTytY5HOBSQEQ-456vGuD8oGR2QDwFH0PuX1WquP__WcfBGGrw/s1600/Quilt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6QTIjJeWKw30ZOaIjDl1Z1wZSHZtbPAfh1wGB1_2ax2RlXA6SyvaTo9JtMcrn5GIk_lbwfc7Wpd7hGagGMl9SUgl2NTytY5HOBSQEQ-456vGuD8oGR2QDwFH0PuX1WquP__WcfBGGrw/s200/Quilt1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Millennium Hanging</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Middleham Quilters
Handmade Quilt Draw 2015 will take place on December 19th 2015.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tickets are available from the Middleham Key
Centre office.(<a href="http://www.middlehamkeycentre.co.uk/">http://www.middlehamkeycentre.co.uk</a>/).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">1st prize: Handmade
double-bed sized quilt in 100% cotton in "Double Irish Chain"
(colour-way cream & wine) made and kindly donated by Middleham Quilters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2nd prize: bottle of
whiskey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">3rd prize: Box of
chocolates.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAfyRZIIapvDzuyWCD9Q3Ic68xx09sbSTB3aFHyd9P6PEaAveoWL0hBDF9HaV6HHNHu-aVy7N8gwQFW7wYtQd0sOas8hYj7EGtoUxexPprLLaKbxP3tUnrWgVbcJ8r8qXBW_ou5nqcWU/s1600/Quilt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAfyRZIIapvDzuyWCD9Q3Ic68xx09sbSTB3aFHyd9P6PEaAveoWL0hBDF9HaV6HHNHu-aVy7N8gwQFW7wYtQd0sOas8hYj7EGtoUxexPprLLaKbxP3tUnrWgVbcJ8r8qXBW_ou5nqcWU/s320/Quilt3.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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The Middleham Quilters
have just had their Biennial Exhibition and if you missed it, here are some pictures from the show.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Established in 1989, the
Quilters meet weekly to work on group and individual quilting projects in the
Middleham Key Centre, where their Millennium hanging illustrating the history
of the town is hung permanently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv_V5McIVYljEtxRmcjA1UWFGpBmmSEaUYzXeKqgu2FUOMZRhXaCRyrRg9h2FkMmVbB8xh9SXyMhLY_ZY1fW_SbA4nBt5AnBoH6M1Yk7TBOZJz9RmKHkZIiLzAofHNBOUK1jU8VpkXDo/s1600/Quilt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv_V5McIVYljEtxRmcjA1UWFGpBmmSEaUYzXeKqgu2FUOMZRhXaCRyrRg9h2FkMmVbB8xh9SXyMhLY_ZY1fW_SbA4nBt5AnBoH6M1Yk7TBOZJz9RmKHkZIiLzAofHNBOUK1jU8VpkXDo/s320/Quilt2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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Over the last 26 years,
the Middleham Quilters have made 36 group quilts, thirteen of which have been
raffled to raise funds of over £23,000 for charities such as Marie Curie Cancer
Care, The Friarage Hospital in Northallerton and Riding For the Disabled.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What fantastic
work, but having insured the show, I would say that wouldn't I!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More information on
quilting can be found at <a href="http://www.quiltersthreads.co.uk/">http://www.quiltersthreads.co.uk/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Call me to discuss your
insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Email </span><a href="mailto:quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">quote@archaeology-insurance.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-50209599838828320872015-10-21T17:01:00.002+01:002015-10-21T17:01:59.423+01:00We are now Affiliate members of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIFA)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqNsXIkLoZIL5rAJe5Uewa0CGC1i8zMB23Wy2Eh7TavxAgmlQA8ur5zrm9Xu_A1VyArnRNJwLkqJB2YdjRTXPkcxThK5GxYMSWM2T3OCEfWM8P0ldatS2-UGB5B2GVseXq1wONKhY-CI/s1600/Untitled1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqNsXIkLoZIL5rAJe5Uewa0CGC1i8zMB23Wy2Eh7TavxAgmlQA8ur5zrm9Xu_A1VyArnRNJwLkqJB2YdjRTXPkcxThK5GxYMSWM2T3OCEfWM8P0ldatS2-UGB5B2GVseXq1wONKhY-CI/s320/Untitled1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We are now Affiliate grade members of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIFA). </div>
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Hurrah!!</div>
Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-79865588779306535022015-10-20T14:17:00.000+01:002015-10-20T14:17:00.168+01:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWZ13eWFaqb5rp1L-ZbtsIyeYympb00EVXQzEV5w9ItxmzySAJ-yhlxWAB89lfLKQ6VBdnkt1EAitpW04x8TJzHROJMQE5yI8cjyegGanaAgciSCjgtzNML7v61TctuAmZr6mEaoepQo/s1600/Untitled1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWZ13eWFaqb5rp1L-ZbtsIyeYympb00EVXQzEV5w9ItxmzySAJ-yhlxWAB89lfLKQ6VBdnkt1EAitpW04x8TJzHROJMQE5yI8cjyegGanaAgciSCjgtzNML7v61TctuAmZr6mEaoepQo/s320/Untitled1.jpg" width="244" /></a>Today Historic England published an update to their Heritage
at Risk register – “an annual snapshot of England’s historic environment”. Have a look at:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.historicengland.org.uk/">https://www.historicengland.org.uk/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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".....from domestic buildings, to protected wrecks, archaeological
ruins to industrial sites and places of worship."<o:p></o:p></div>
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In terms of categories under threat – and in order of risk:<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Barrows<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Residential buildings<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. Settlements<o:p></o:p></div>
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Though regionally priorities vary. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In summary, progress is being made, but the challenge is
still very significant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A skim through the South East register highlights for me<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>The old Broadmore hospital which is planned to become a
hotel</li>
<li>The 12<sup>th</sup> century barn at New Manor Farm at
Broughton</li>
<li>The many at risk barrows in the Meon Valley, near Winchester</li>
<li>No. 6 Dock, Basin No.1, Portsmouth Dockyard</li>
<li>Brookwood Cemetery</li>
<li>The Amberley Limeworks near Horsham</li>
</ul>
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It really brings home the fact that there is just so much
out there!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534625119278707853.post-75921601456686552572015-10-20T13:17:00.000+01:002015-10-20T13:43:39.532+01:00The Tale of a Converted Victorian Swimming Baths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5EZfCISLbXfbhTvlVuFmW8MJPg2KGRhopG6x31f7mHB7YLCGNis8VWpcm1gC87UIVehkaj-0V_0lGTY6RTpsW74rtLXxp97JTJId3cjsAaDIR19awcqQJDcqvba3uMPzniUp88FqYyY/s1600/exterior_day_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5EZfCISLbXfbhTvlVuFmW8MJPg2KGRhopG6x31f7mHB7YLCGNis8VWpcm1gC87UIVehkaj-0V_0lGTY6RTpsW74rtLXxp97JTJId3cjsAaDIR19awcqQJDcqvba3uMPzniUp88FqYyY/s320/exterior_day_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a doctor of Archaeology, Export & General managing
director Dr John Mitchell has a niche interest in the modern craze of “urban
archaeology”; but the case of the Bristol Community Dance Centre is one
building which he’d rather see preserved. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Bristol Community Dance Centre is a converted Victorian
swimming baths and spa-cum-dance studio; a monument to the fortitude of manager
Alan Roberts who has run the premises since the 1980s; and a sentinel part of
Bristol’s cultural landscape.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Both the studios and their custodian exude charm: Alan
Roberts jokes that the ‘ravages of time’ have left their mark on him; but he
isn’t intent on some cosmetic renovations of his own; it is the building that
is in need of restoration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Bristol Community Dance Centre has been running for
almost 30 years, during which time it has hosted performances by Disney, Elbow,
Frank Bruno and other stars who regard the Studio One dancefloor as one of the
best – if not the best – in Britain. The fact it was built over a former
swimming pool makes it ideal for dance: the suspending metal springs beneath
mitigate the risk of ankle splint injuries and conduce to more seamless dance
manoeuvres. Both it, as well as the performance equipment in the studio, were
fitted because of Alan’s tireless campaigning. During his stewardship a total
of £1.5m in capital has been raised for fittings and renovations; having showed
us the before and after photos of the building, it became clear that his contribution
to not only salvaging the building from dilapidation – but also utilising it –
has been a staggering feat. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Export & General have insured the studios almost since
their inception, and we simply aren’t prepared to see its majesty crumble. It
isn’t an exaggeration to say the Dance Centre has played a transformative role
in Bristol’s community: Alan relates that a young local gangster - who
regretted his life decisions and feared for his life to the extent he rarely
went out - was taken to see the annual fandango and was so inspired that he
joined the dance troupe, went abroad to dance and left his life of crime
behind. This sense of purpose – Alan says – is an example of the magic of dance
and drama, made more magic when set inside the soaring red brick walls, arching
steel buttresses and vaulted ceilings of a listed Victorian baths. The
question, then: isn’t the building owed a transformation of its own?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9MdEOmh8kiiLUkRdEnYHP5cJbTKFIm6U1ReLXRqco8sXU9rbnSrVFv11V489lWXAYrUQVs_-cxGNJH55L5A4bbWLb_1I5HtvBKNiZ4gJoTsPiQWcao0QFN_c3u7yxkNwUgT-8WieSK8/s1600/winter_garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9MdEOmh8kiiLUkRdEnYHP5cJbTKFIm6U1ReLXRqco8sXU9rbnSrVFv11V489lWXAYrUQVs_-cxGNJH55L5A4bbWLb_1I5HtvBKNiZ4gJoTsPiQWcao0QFN_c3u7yxkNwUgT-8WieSK8/s320/winter_garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So Alan has spent thousands commissioning an architect to
draw mock ups of what a renovated premises would look like. The results are
simply stunning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Plans include a plush new reception, glass veneers
throughout the building including a glass balcony encompassing studio one and
connecting the building’s 15 levels. The old tank and pump rooms would not only
be restored, but given architectural significance: the Victorian bath tank
would prop up a glass floor in the café, so you can peer into its fathoms while
sipping a latte. A new studio dedicated to flamenco dance would be constructed
in the spacious pump room, surrounded by towering steel beams, and would be the
only one of its kind in Britain. The charming bathhouse fixtures like the
spring valves, which are still connected to the historic 14<sup>th</sup>
century stream built by a Jewish sect running beneath the building, would be
restored. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At Export & General we actively embrace innovation and
heritage. While the two concepts may seem like uneasy bedfellows, we see Alan’s
plans for the Dance Centre as a symbol of our ethos – and their realisation:
its total embodiment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Which is why we really rather like it, and hope it stays around. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.bristolcommunitydancecentre.co.uk/" target="_blank">Click here to see Alan's plans.</a></i></div>
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Export & General Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634275370412287042noreply@blogger.com0