Tag: archaeology
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Throwback Thursday #99: Western Electric Magazine Rockhounds
This is Throwback Thursday #99. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! William Allaway was one of the founders of ESCONI. He served as the first Chairman/President of ESCONI from…
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PBS Eons: How Horses Went from Food to Friends
PBS Eons has a new episode. This one is about the domestication of horses. Do our modern horses descend from just one domesticated population, or did it happen many times, in many places? Answering these questions has been tricky, as we’ve needed to bring together evidence from art, archaeology, and ancient DNA…Because, as it…
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ESCONI February 2022 General Meeting – February 11th, 2022 at 8:00 PM via Zoom – “Before Yellowstone: Native American Archaeology in the First National Park”
The ESCONI February 2022 General Meeting will be on February 11th, 2022 at 8:00 PM via Zoom. The talk will be presented by Dr. Douglas MacDonald from the University of Montana, The title of his presentation is “Before Yellowstone: Native American Archaeology in the First National Park”. An article in the January 2021 edition of…
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Facial reconstruction shows powerful Bronze Age woman’s serene expression and huge earrings
Live Science has a story about some facial reconstruction performed on a Bronze Age woman’s skull. Researchers in Spain, discovered the remains of the woman in 2014. She was buried with lavish jewelry – including a diadem, beaded necklaces, silver-crafted rings, bracelets, spiral hairpieces and earplugs with spirals, as well as a silver-rimmed drinking pot…
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Found in a Candy Tin: One of the First Coins Struck in Colonial North America
The Cool Finds column at Smithsonian Magazine has a story about a remarkable find. A one shilling coin minted in 1652 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony was found in a candy tin. One of 40 known to exist, it was sold at auction for $351,912. A silver coin minted in colonial Boston in 1652 has sold for…
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Century-Old Levi’s Jeans Discovered in Abandoned Mine
Over on yahoo!life, there’s a story about a discovery in an old abandoned silver mine in a ghost town in California. The ghost town is called “Cerro Gordo”. Brent Underwood is living there and working to restore it to its past glory. His Youtube channel “Ghost Town Living” documents his progress over the last 18…
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Volunteers with Metal Detectors Needed
On September 1, 1961, TWA Flight 529 crashed on the Willowbrook/Clarendon Hills border. Seventy-three passengers and five crew members were killed. The cause was deemed to be a mechanical failure leading to a loss of aircraft control. The debris field stretched 200 feet by 1,100 feet. Now a museum exhibit and a possible memorial are being…
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Cahokia: What Doomed a Sprawling City Near St. Louis 1,000 Years Ago?
The New York Times has a story about Cahokia, which was a Native American city in pre-Columbian times. Cahokia was located near Collinsville, IL across the Mississippi River from what is now St. Louis, MO. It rose around 1050 CE and reached its zenith around 1100 CE. At its apex with a population of 20,000,…
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ESCONI April 2021 General Meeting – April 9th, 2021 at 8:00 PM via Zoom – “Pits, Posts, and Palisades: The Archaeology of the 17th-century Plymouth Colony Settlement on Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts”
The speaker at our April 2021 meeting via Zoom will be Dr. David Landon from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Landon is one of the project directors for the Plymouth Colony Archaeological Survey. In conjunction with the Town of Plymouth and the Plimoth Plantation, the Survey has been working to uncover the remains of…
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Video: ESCONI December 2020 General Meeting – “What Genetics Tells Us About the Peopling of the Americas”
The title for our Dec 4th program is “What Genetics Tells Us About the Peopling of the Americas” by Dr. Jennifer Raff, of the University of Kansas. Dr. Raff’s research includes ancient DNA, anthropological genetics, human evolution and population history, migration, bioarchaeology, and scientific literacy. You can find more about her on her page at…
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The Winfield Mounds
There’s an interesting series on the Winfield Mounds over on the BeHistoric channel on Youtube. The mounds are prehistoric effigy mounds in Winfield Illinois. There are 5 videos – all about 30 minutes long, with the first being an introduction. Part One of the video series in which we explore the history and archeology…
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LiveScience: The 10 biggest archaeology discoveries of 2020
LiveScience has a story about the top 10 biggest archaeology discoveries of 2020.
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NYT: Ancient Remains in Peru Reveal Young, Female Big-Game Hunter
The New York Times Trilobites column has a story about an ancient big game hunter… a female big game hunter. The 9,000 year old female skeleton was discovered with what archaeologists describe as a “big-game hunting kit” in the Andes highlands of Peru. This discovery is challenging the beliefs that in hunter-gatherer societies – males…
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Reminder: ESCONI General Meeting for February 14th, 2020 “Worked Stones and Gold of the Ancient Tayrona of Santa Marta, Colombia” by Ellen Steinberg, Ph.D
The program at our February 14th, 2020 meeting will be presented by Ellen Steinberg, Ph.D. The title of her talk is “Worked Stones and Gold of the Ancient Tayrona of Santa Marta, Colombia”.
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World Atlas: What Is The Difference Between Paleontology And Archeology?
Check out this article in the World Atlas. I hear this all the time when I mention fossil hunting… quite often they say something like “I love archeology” or “When did you get interested in archeology” or even “Where do archeologists find dinosaur bones?” Hopefully, this will clear up the concepts, paleontologists study dinosaurs and…
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43,900-Year-Old Cave Painting Portrays Part-Human, Part-Animal Beings
SciNews has a story about a very old cave painting discovered in Indonesia. Archaeologist excavating the limestone cave of Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi discovered a painting that is about 43,900 years old. The painting depicts a group of ‘therianthropes’, abstract beings which combine qualities of people and animals, hunting…
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Roy Plotnick: I am not Indiana Jones or why I am writing a book (it’s not for the money)
Roy Plotnick has an insightful blog post over on Medium. He discusses perceptions of paleontologists and Paleontology in general – who they are, what they do, and why it’s important. Check it out! If you’ve read any of his previous posts, you’ll know it’s a great read! The confusion with archaeologists is of somewhat understandable;…
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NYT: The F.B.I. and the Mystery of the Mummy’s Head
The New York Times has a story about a 4,000 year mystery, which involves a mummy’s head. Was it Mr. or Mrs. Djehutynakht’s (juh-HOO-tuh-knocked) head? Interesting story, read it to find out! In 1915, a team of American archaeologists excavating the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Deir el-Bersha blasted into a hidden tomb. Inside the cramped…
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NY Times: Wine From Prehistoric Georgia With an 8,000-Year-Old Vintage
The NY Times has a story about the discovery of 8000 year old wine. Looking for some vintage wine for the holidays? Well, researchers in Georgia have found wine that dates back to about 6000 BC. Too bad… or maybe too good, it’s just wine residue. The find was described in a paper published in…
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Humans Today Have Even More Neanderthal DNA Than We Realised
George Dvorsky Oct 6, 2017, 6:00pm Before this new study, only four Neanderthal specimens have had their genomes sequenced. Of these, only one — an Altai Neanderthal found in Siberia — was of sufficient quality, where scientists were able to accurately flag variations in the genome. The new analysis, enabled by a remarkably well-preserved genome…
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Free Lecture: Prehistoric Dogs in Illinois, May 22nd 2016 at the Evanston Public Library
Free Lecture – Chicago Archaeology Society Sunday, May 22, 2016, 3:30 pm The Archaeology of Man's Best Friend: Recent Studies of Prehistoric Dogs in Illinois Dr. Steven Kuehn Evanston Public Library 1703 Orrington Evanston, Illinois
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Archaeology Meeting Canceled for September
The Archaeology study group meeting has been canceled for September. See you in October!
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Last Study Group Meeting Until September
ESCONI Archaeology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage – Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) – Topic: “Primitive Money – design and use; 3000 BCE to 500 CE” In addition to the fascinating talk about ancient and primitive coinage-feel free to bring a coin or two that you need identified. Eric will…
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Archaeology Group: Bermuda Triangle and Asiatic Echoes
On Friday Feb 20th, Eric Schmidt will be presenting on what he considers to be one of the most intriguing places on Earth, the Bermuda Triangle. While this is considered by some to be nothing more that a stretch of dangerous waters, others believe it to contain unexplainable forces that have caused the disappearance of thousands of…
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CBS Sunday Morning has a story about Stonehenge
On CBS Sunday Morning today (January 25th, 2015), there is a story about the archaeological work which is working to discover the secrets of Stonehenge. The story discusses newer techniques using underground imaging to reveal never before seen details of what Stonehendge was back when it was built. These techniques have shown the positions of…
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Next Archaeology Meeting, Saturday, November 22, 2014 – This History of Money in the US
This history of money in the United States: Colonial Currency and its evolution from the early 1700’s to the Revolutionary War: By Eric Schmidt Travel back in time to when the British controlled the colonies. The Paper Currency system that was used has changed dramatically over the last 230+ years. Eric will take you on…
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Wanted Archaeology Speakers!
Do you have an interest in archaeology or history? Do you have a story to tell about a recent field trip or archaeological dig? Do you like to teach others about an interest you have in archaeology? Do you want to learn more about archaeology in general? We are always looking for speakers…
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Archaeology Study Group Meeting Topic for October 26th, 2014
The Archaeology and history of King Richard III of England – presented by Eric Schmidt Into 2012, archaeologists unearthed the remains of Richard the Third of England. This find is not only archaeologically significant, it is also historically remarkable. What made King Richard the third so famous? How were Archaeologists able to prove that the bones…
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Field Trip – Oriental Institute, Saturday, May 10, 2014- Reserve Now
Eric Schmidt, the ESCONI Archaeology Study Group Lead, has arranged a special tour for members of ESCONI club at the Oriental Institute Museum on Saturday, May 10 at 1 PM. The admission is free. Attendees must be a member of ESCONI (to become a member click here). If you are interested, please sign-up by sending e-mail…
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Archaeology Study Group Lecture This Sat. 3/22
Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, – Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038B (Map) Topic: “History & Science of the Shroud of Turin.” Dr John Ruskamp will be lecturing on the history and science of the famous Shroud of Turin. As one of most famous shrouds of history, Dr Ruskamp will display a life size replica…
