Fieldnotes: News Briefs

Brief news items on the AIA professional membership and newsworthy activities in the field, including links to recently published institutional press releases or articles in the media.

Antiquity à la Carte 2.0
Ancient World Mapping Center - October 31, 2012
http://awmc.unc.edu/wordpress/blog/2012/10/31/antiquity-a-la-carte-2-0/
The Ancient World Mapping Center is pleased to release version 2.0 of the Antiquity à la Carte application. Version 1.0 appeared in spring 2012 and served as a proof of concept for the mapping application. The application, engineered by Ryan Horne, provides the user with a map base that can be populated by drawing on the collective databases of the Ancient World Mapping Center and the Pleiades Project. The new version, more fully featured, offers the user a range of new capabilities, including: The option of saving data sets assembled using the application and that of uploading data to the map (.json). Options for both printing and exporting the map created using the application; combining the export functionality with the ‘numbered features’ option provides an ideal template for a map-based quiz or examination. Version 2.0 makes extensive use of linked data opportunities by connecting to the Pleiades Project and participating in the linked data initiatives of the Pelagios Project. For Pleiades community editors and members, editing of Pleaides can happen directly by means of this interactive feature of the application. Version 2.0 offers an updated visual interface and site layout. Version 2.0 allows other websites to communicate directly with the application using .json objects or text parameters in the url. Version 2.0 allows the user to create a range of line work, polygons, and shading that then appear in the exported version. These are but a few of the new features offered by Antiquity à la Carte 2.0. We encourage feedback from members of the community who use the application – your comments will help AWMC improve the application. Users can also become registered members of this site and thus be able to closely follow the discussion and receive word of further updates. http://awmc.unc.edu/wordpress/blog/2012/10/31/antiquity-a-la-carte-2-0/ Interested in more information? Email Jeffrey Becker at awmc@unc.edu
Artifact of Chimu culture found in Machu Picchu
Andina - October 23, 2012
http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/noticia-artifact-of-chimu-culture-found-in-machu...
Archaeologists from the Regional Directorate of Culture in Cusco, Peru, unearthed a ceremonial pot and stones at Machu Picchu. The items are thought to have been left as an offering sometime between 1438 and 1470 A.D., but the pot is a couple of hundred years older.
Oldest New World contact site discovered in the terrestrial United States
Halifax Media Group - July 10, 2012
http://www.ocala.com/section/TOPIC0212
Dr. Ashley White, an American archaeologist and his team have discovered the oldest New World contact site in the terrestrial United States.  This archaeological site dated at 1539 was an encampment of conquistador Hernando de Soto’s royal expedition to the New World.  His entrada is arguably one of the most important events in the history of the United States and the most important in the Southeast United States. De Soto was the first European to discover and cross the Mississippi River. Now hundreds of European artifacts correlating with De Soto’s elusive expedition have been recovered during this seven year project near Ocala, Florida. This never before seen collection of rare 16th century artifacts includes beautiful Murano glass fabricated in Italy during the early 1500s as well as the largest cache of medieval coins found in the American mainland so far.   The collection contains very rare King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella related coins and Spanish armor items.  A collection of these lost archaeological treasures will be gifted to the Kingdom of Spain in correlation with a royal visit by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain.  An exhibition of the artifacts will be held in correlation with Florida’s 500th Anniversary Celebration which commemorates Florida’s rich Spanish heritage and diverse cultural history through 2013. For more information, official press and student education packages please contact: The Appleton Museum of Art The College of Central Florida 4333 East Silver Springs Boulevard Ocala, Florida 34470-5001 Ruth Grim, Curator of Exhibitions Steve Specht, Events Coordinator 352-291-4455 x1835 spechts@cf.edu   http://www.appletonmuseum.org/
Rare find at Waterloo of intact 200-year remains
France 24 – AFP - June 12, 2012
http://www.france24.com/en/20120612-rare-find-waterloo-intact-200-year-remains
  Belgian archaeologists have unearthed the complete remains of a soldier on the Waterloo battlefield. The young man is thought to have been killed on June 18, 1815. His skeleton, a musket ball in his ribs, a spoon, a coin, a leather strap, and a piece of wood carved with the initials C.B. were covered by just 15 inches of soil on land held by English troops. The archaeologists will try to identify the remains.
Parks Canada urged to abandon artifact move
CBC News - June 6, 2012
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/06/06/ns-artifacts-parks-ca...
  Cuts to Park Canada’s budget have triggered a plan to move artifacts unearthed in Atlantic Canada’s national parks from a new facility in Nova Scotia to Ottawa, Ontario. “For our historians and our researchers, it should be here. I can see where we’re going to move this to Ottawa and then when we need to make an exposition or whatever we have to bring this back from Ottawa,” said Charles Gaudet, director of La Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse.