This Thursday, U.S. Forest Service District Archaeologist Carl Burdick will be in a bit of a historian’s dilemma. On July 1,  the USFS will clamp down a metal gate barring access to the Gypsy Copper Mine site near Sullivan Lake, and Burdick, an advocate for the site, will likely be thinking of all the untappped historical value of the former mine camp. The site’s “powder shed,” for example, once held dynamite for a mining operation dates back to 1898 and is the oldest standing structure on the Colville National Forest. Burdick said there is much to be learned from the site and how its rudimentary accommodations testify to the grit and toughness of the early miners. He noted that the site creates an important historical link that is hard to ignore. “The miners had to pack all of their equipment into this remote location on horses, often having the horses and mules swim the river in order to reach the site,” he said. “It took a lot of effort and shows us how these early miners helped develop the economy of the area.” [...]

Archeologists have uncovered a mass grave with the complete skeletons of 51 horses buried side-by-side, probably the long-forgotten equine victims of a 17th century battle over a strategic Dutch river. It was the largest known equine burial ground in Europe, although chief archaeologist Angela Simons said Wednesday that many such sites have probably existed and have been plowed up over the centuries by unwitting farmers. The archaeological team had been looking for evidence of prehistoric human settlements in the area when they came across the unexpected find. "From the first shovel, it was horses, horses and more horses," said Angela Simons, of the Hazenberg company, which was employed by the Dutch government to survey the ground ahead of a construction project. The horses showed signs of being buried quickly: their bodies were not carefully arranged, and the skeletons occasionally overlap. "It's easy to imagine this is how cavalry men might dispose of dead mounts in war time," Simons said. Disease or a plague could not be ruled out. It also was unclear whether the horses were buried out of respect, or because of the fear of contamination from so many decomposing corpses. [...]

Archaeologists have begun a major dig to unearth the hidden mysteries of a buried ancient stone circle site that is ten times bigger than Stonehenge. The enormous 4,000 year old Marden Henge, in Wiltshire, is Britain's largest prehistoric structure stretching for 10.5 hectares, the equivalent of 10 football pitches. English Heritage is carrying out a six-week dig hoping to reveal the secrets behind the giant henge which has baffled historians for centuries. Most of the Neolithic henge has been destroyed over the years due to farming and erosion but minor excavations in 41 years ago estimate the site to between 2,000 and 2,400BC. Marden Henge was once a 45ft high mound surrounded by a water filled ditch which was used for sacrificial offerings. Although the henge no longer has its vast stone circle it has a large puzzling sunken circular feature which is almost unheard of at Neolithic sites. A team of 15 archaeologists and historians believe the dig could show the ancient site is even more significant than both Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles. [...]

After more than 40 years archaeologists have finally reached the end of the mysterious tunnel in the tomb of Seti I. Yet hopes it would lead to the pharaoh's secret burial site have been crushed, after the seemingly unfinished tunnel suddenly stopped after a back-breaking 174m. The tomb, in the Valley of the Kings, was first discovered in 1817 by strongman-turned-archaeologist Giovanni Belzoni. But despite being one of the site's most spectacular tombs, its strange tunnel wasn't excavated until the 1960s. Back then a team led by Sheikh Ali Abdel-Rasoul took a wrong turn and workers abandoned the project around 130m in, fearing further digging could bring the tomb crashing down. Yet a excavation beginning in 2007, and led by Egyptian antiquities chief Dr Zahi Hawass, discovered a descending passage, 25.6m long and 2.6m wide, 136m into the partially-excavated tunnel. The team unearthed a myriad 18th Dynasty (1569 – 1315 BC) artefacts including shabtis, pottery fragments, limestone cartouches of Seti I and a model boat made from faience. [...]

Egypt's antiquities department has announced the excavation of an unfinished tunnel, possibly meant to be a secret tomb, inside a 3,300-year-old pharaoh's grave. The 570-foot long tunnel (174 meters) stretches away from the main tomb of New Kingdom Pharaoh Seti I (1314-1304 B.C.) descending two staircases before abruptly ending. Antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said in Wednesday's statement that the unfinished tunnel may have been an attempt by the pharoah to build a secret tomb-within-a-tomb before he died. Archaeologists found figurines, pottery shards and written instructions from the architect to the workmen in the tunnel. [...]

Why is this diver burrowing into the bottom of this mini-lake? She’s literally disappearing into the sand and gravel of the water’s floor.  Only debris and the occasional bubbles from her breathing tank are visible. She’s part of a project, largely funded by National Geographic, to dive into the sacred pools of the ancient Maya. [...]

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ARCHAEOLOGICAL finds from across Wales can now be explored at the touch of a button, thanks to a new online database being launched tomorrow. The website, Archwilio – which means “to explore” – catalogues the historic environment records of Wales, allowing users to freely explore details of thousands of different archaeological sites dating back more than 100,000 years. Created using information from the four archaeological trusts of Wales, the new service is being launched by Welsh heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones. Emily La Trobe-Bateman, of Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, said the website is an exciting step forward in recording data. “Archwilio is the online access system to the Historic Environment Records (HER) of Wales,” she said. “The idea is to disseminate information leading to a wider understanding of our cultural heritage and historic environment.” Currently around 100,000 individual entries are held by the four regions, which are continually updated and expanded as new information becomes available. [...]

Specialists of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) restored 40 square meters of a 17th century mural painting discovered in the subsoil of Palacio de Bellas Artes, in Mexico City, during reconditioning work conducted at the building. Fragments of mural painting were located on the rests of a wall of the former convent of Visitacion de Maria Santisima, which existed until mid-19th century in the terrain occupied to present by the Palacio de Bellas Artes. A fountain was discovered as well in the northwest area of the former convent. Claudia Salgado Ricaño, restorer at INAH, informed that the finding occurred in December 2009 during the excavation conducted to build a cistern at the eastern patio. “We found decorative elements in excellent conservation state of the Convent of the Visitation of Holy Mary, built in 1670 by the Order of Saint Clare”. The specialist from the National Coordination for Cultural Heritage Conservation mentioned that this convent was occupied until 1861 and demolished to free the terrain and construct what today is known as Palacio de Bellas Artes. [...]

It’s tiny, made of silver and the man who had it minted lost his head for treason. A unique English coin – a small, Charles I silver penny – is currently on display as part of a fascinating exhibit of coins found during excavations undertaken at Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site in Bristol. The small coin, dated 1630, is one of nine coins and a jetton, or counting piece, now being shown at the Colonial Pemaquid Museum, which also houses numerous artifacts found at the early colonial site. It is the oldest coin currently on display. Two years in preparation, the coin exhibit that includes just English or colonial tokens shows the sophistication of the trade taking place at the seasonal fishing village, which was established by England in 1607 for the production of salted cod, according to park staff. “These coins are wonderful because they tell us time [by the dates on them],” said Kate Raymond, a Colonial Pemaquid staffer who did much of the research for the exhibit. “They tell us about these people, and they tell us they used coins and didn’t just barter.” [...]

Archaeologists have discovered a mass grave containing the remains of between 35 and 50 horses in Borgharen, a village in the south of the Netherlands. Carbon-14 dating of the bones revealed that they are from the 16th or 17th century. It is the first time that a mass burial site with so many horses has been found in Western Europe. Archaeologists have posited that the animals may have been killed during the 80 years War (1568 to 1648) or during the 1673 siege of Maastricht. Archaeologist Angela Simons, who is coordinating the dig, said the remains were stacked in a 40 metre long ditch: "We've excavated several almost complete skeletons as well as a number of horseshoes. We haven't found any bridles or saddles so far". Archaeologists say it is the largest such find in Western Europe. [...]