Czech archaeologists have discovered a 4,500-year-old tomb of a Pharaonic princess named Shert Nebti just south of Cairo. The ancient burial site, which is located at the Abu Sir complex near the famed step pyramid of Saqqara, is surrounded by the tombs of four high officials from the Fifth Dynasty dating to around 2,500 BC. And excitingly, archaeologists now suspect that the area contains other sites just waiting to be unearthed. 
It was, perhaps, inevitable that Homo floresiensis, the 1m tall species of primitive human discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores, would come to be widely known as “hobbits.” After all, like J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation, they were “a little people, about half our height.”
However, a New Zealand scientist planning an event about the species has been banned from describing the ancient people as “hobbits” by representatives of the Tolkien estate.
Brent Alloway, associate professor at Victoria University, is planning a free lecture next month at which two of the archeologists involved in the discovery of Homo floresiensis in 2003, Mike Morwood and Thomas Sutikna, will speak about the species. The talk is planned to coincide with the premiere of The Hobbit film, and Alloway had planned to call the lecture “The Other Hobbit,” as Homo floresiensis is commonly known.
However, when he approached the Saul Zaentz Co/Middle-earth Enterprises, which owns certain rights in The Hobbit, he was told by their lawyer that “it is not possible for our client to allow generic use of the trade mark HOBBIT.”
“I am very disappointed that we’re forbidden by the representatives of the Tolkien Estate to use the word ‘Hobbit’ in the title of our proposed free public event … especially since the word ‘Hobbit’ is apparently listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [and hence apparently part of our English-speaking vocabulary], the word ‘Hobbit’ [in the Tolkien context] is frequently used with apparent impunity in the written press and reference to ‘Hobbit’ in the fossil context is frequently referred to in the scientific literature [and is even mentioned in Wikipedia on Homo floresiensis]. I realize I’m in unfamiliar word proprietry territory [as an earth scientist] … so I’ve gone for the easiest option and simply changed our event title,” Alloway said.
The event is now called “A newly discovered species of Little People — unravelling the legend behind Homo floresiensis.”
“Certainly, this name change won’t diminish the curiosity of the New Zealand public nor our collective enthusiasm for the Hobbit — whichever form you might be interested in knowing more about — the movie/book fantasy version or the fossil version found in Flores,” Alloway said.
Games, General Geekery, and what knots found on the web
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Egyptian princess's tomb dating from 2,500 BC found near Cairo
Egyptian princess's tomb dating from 2,500 BC found near Cairo
Nov 6, 2012 10:43 AM 388
3
3Egyptian princess’s tomb dating from 2,500 BC found near Cairo
Czech archaeologists have discovered a 4,500-year-old tomb of a Pharaonic princess named Shert Nebti just south of Cairo. The ancient burial site, which is located at the Abu Sir complex near the famed step pyramid of Saqqara, is surrounded by the tombs of four high officials from the Fifth Dynasty dating to around 2,500 BC. And excitingly, archaeologists now suspect that the area contains other sites just waiting to be unearthed.
Mohammed El-Bialy, who heads the Egyptian and Greco-Roman Antiquities department at the Antiquities Ministry, noted that inscriptions on the four limestone pillars of the Princess' tomb indicate that she is the daughter of King Men Salbo.
The current excavation has also unearthed an antechamber containing the sarcophagi of the four officials and statues of men, women, and a child.
Source and images: Associated Press.
Mohammed El-Bialy, who heads the Egyptian and Greco-Roman Antiquities department at the Antiquities Ministry, noted that inscriptions on the four limestone pillars of the Princess' tomb indicate that she is the daughter of King Men Salbo.
The current excavation has also unearthed an antechamber containing the sarcophagi of the four officials and statues of men, women, and a child.
Source and images: Associated Press.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Mom Hand-Creates Bag End Doll House [Gallery]
Mom Hand-Creates Bag End Doll House [Gallery]
Read more at http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2012/11/05/mom-hand-creates-a-bag-end-doll-house-gallery/#bSWu1UTCTcfbtU0k.99
Mom Hand-Creates Bag End Doll House [Gallery]
Maddie Chambers first read The Hobbit when she was 10 and then The Lord of the Rings about a year later. Since then, she has read the LOTR trilogy over 20 times.
When her twin sons were 1, she took a college course about “the importance of play” and at the end of the term, each student had to submit a toy. She first decided to make a little hill with a front door and call it Bag End, using her Warhammer scenery components. Then, Bag End took off and she kept trying to make it bigger and better!
The result is a complete Bag End “doll house” of sorts — with nearly EVERYTHING made BY HAND by Ms. Chambers herself!
[For more details about the mini Bag End, click here for Chambers's WordPress page!]
When her twin sons were 1, she took a college course about “the importance of play” and at the end of the term, each student had to submit a toy. She first decided to make a little hill with a front door and call it Bag End, using her Warhammer scenery components. Then, Bag End took off and she kept trying to make it bigger and better!
The result is a complete Bag End “doll house” of sorts — with nearly EVERYTHING made BY HAND by Ms. Chambers herself!
Read more at http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2012/11/05/mom-hand-creates-a-bag-end-doll-house-gallery/#bSWu1UTCTcfbtU0k.99
Friday, November 2, 2012
Archaeologists comment on second skeleton found in Grey Friars dig — University of Leicester
Archaeologists comment on second skeleton found in Grey Friars dig — University of Leicester
Archaeologists comment on second skeleton found in Grey Friars dig
In September, the University announced that it had discovered two sets of human remains at the site of the church of the Grey Friars. One set is currently being subjected to rigorous laboratory tests. Now, the experts have provided some theories as to whom the second set, of disarticulated remains of a female, could have belonged to.
The team have suggested that the remains could be of a woman with connected to the church, and a likely candidate would be Ellen Luenor, a possible benefactor and founder of the church with her husband, Gilbert.
Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist of the Grey Friars project and co-director of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, said that at some point in the past, the bones had been disturbed and subsequently reburied. He said the skeleton may have been dug up by a gardener when the site was the garden of a mansion house in the 17th century. The remains were then reburied at a higher level than the church floor.
Archaeologist Deidre O'Sullivan said: "The founders of the friary may well have been buried in the east end of the friary church and it is not impossible that the disturbed skeleton is one of these. But we don't know this for sure, and may never do so although there are still a couple of trails to pursue. If a further stage in the project develops, and more of the church is excavated, we will be in a better position to make an informed comment about the friary founders."
The University team have yet to examine this second set of disarticulated remains but say it is unlikely that they will ever know its identity for certain
Archaeologists comment on second skeleton found in Grey Friars dig
Posted by pt91 at Oct 30, 2012 04:25 PM | Permalink
Filed under: Magazine:Staff, Magazine:Research, Magazine:Student, Richard III, University of Leicester, Archaeology
Experts speculate on female remains uncovered in University of Leicester-led Search for Richard III
Early stages of excavation; the burial was found towards the north (farthest) side of the shallow excavated section.
In September, the University announced that it had discovered two sets of human remains at the site of the church of the Grey Friars. One set is currently being subjected to rigorous laboratory tests. Now, the experts have provided some theories as to whom the second set, of disarticulated remains of a female, could have belonged to.
The team have suggested that the remains could be of a woman with connected to the church, and a likely candidate would be Ellen Luenor, a possible benefactor and founder of the church with her husband, Gilbert.
Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist of the Grey Friars project and co-director of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, said that at some point in the past, the bones had been disturbed and subsequently reburied. He said the skeleton may have been dug up by a gardener when the site was the garden of a mansion house in the 17th century. The remains were then reburied at a higher level than the church floor.
Archaeologist Deidre O'Sullivan said: "The founders of the friary may well have been buried in the east end of the friary church and it is not impossible that the disturbed skeleton is one of these. But we don't know this for sure, and may never do so although there are still a couple of trails to pursue. If a further stage in the project develops, and more of the church is excavated, we will be in a better position to make an informed comment about the friary founders."
The University team have yet to examine this second set of disarticulated remains but say it is unlikely that they will ever know its identity for certain
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tolkien estate, film unit bans use of word ‘hobbit’ - Taipei Times
Tolkien estate, film unit bans use of word ‘hobbit’ - Taipei Times
Tolkien estate, film unit bans use of word ‘hobbit’
MY PRECIOUS:A public lecture planned for New Zealand about primitive humanoids nicknamed ‘hobbits’ has been told it cannot use that term
The Guardian
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