Three archaeological stories that I read today all have fascinating discoveries, and each show how we're losing the history of our planet every day.
The first one is about a 2,500 year old Olmec influenced city which was, surprisingly, found hundreds of miles away from the traditional Olmec territory in Mexico. While the scientists don't think that the site was inhabited by true "Olmec people" they do think that trade routes existed between them and the Olmec society 250 miles away which influenced their buildings, statues and art. The problem with this site is that it's on the edge of a rapidly growing city with "10 housing developments, a gas station, a highway and a commercial building on the site now." This type of city encroachment has buried many archaeological sites, and threatens to do the same to this one.
In Italy police have recovered marble carvings from an ancient and widespread detriment to archaeology: grave robbers. Along with other artifacts, some of the best known carvings of gladiators in combat were recovered from a private residence which was the hiding place for a large cache of ancient artifacts stolen from grave sites. The carvings will eventually be shown at Rome's Villa Giulia Museum after some restoration work.
Also, in an effort to construct a new reservoir for drinking water, Turkish officials are planning on flooding an area that holds an ancient site which includes an ancient spa and medical center. The site has only been approximately 20% excavated, and has yielded over 10,000 artifacts thus far. The site includes marble floors and walls, some of which still reach the ceiling, and is in an incredible state of preservation. While it seems as though there might be ways of preserving the site, apparently Turkish officials are going to go ahead with the flooding of the area anyway.
The pressures of modern society upon the ancient cities which could teach us about our past seem to be overwhelming. Everyday evidence of what's happened here on Earth previously is destroyed. Is it any wonder that there's so many questions as to the true history of our planet?
Labels: Allianoi, ancient history, ancient site, archaeology, flooding, gladiator, grave robbers, history, Italy, marble, Mexico, Olmec, reservoir, Zazacatla
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2 Comments:
I'm not at all surprised to see shopping malls built on ancient ruins in the western hemisphere. It's more shocking when the eastern hemisphere allows such things to happen, when these sites are sometimes so protected not even legitmate scientists can get to them.
You know what, though? Sometimes I think that the sites are "protected" just so that they can't be fully studies in the east. Take the Chinese pyramids, for example. The officials don't want anyone to think that there might have been people there that aren't covered in their official history, so they hide the pyramids and even go so far as to cover them in dirt and plant trees on them so that they look like ordinary hills. All in the name of keep the status quo...it's really too bad that we can't just all know the truth of what's happened on our own planet!
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