Archaeology Links - 10/13/14

Article: Large mosaic in ancient tomb uncovered in Greece

Another article about the massive tomb being excavated in Greece.

There is still no word on who is buried there.

The mosaic, 3 meters (10 feet) long and 4.5 meters (15 feet) wide, depicts a horseman with a laurel wreath driving a chariot drawn by two horses and preceded by the god Hermes. According to a Culture Ministry announcement on Sunday, Hermes is depicted here as the conductor of souls to the afterlife.

The mosaic is made up of pebbles in many colors: white, black, gray, blue, red and yellow. 

Article: Britain to hunt for King Harold's body to test theory about his death

King Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, has long been thought to have been killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. But British archaeologists are to test a theory he survived on the anniversary of the famous battle this Tuesday.

But Peter Burke, an amateur historian in southern England, has said an alternative version of events exists in a 12th century document called Vita Harold, which is housed in the British Library.

Burke has suggested Harold may have lived to fight another day and survived as a hermit for a further 40 years. 

"We have the Norman story put through the Bayeux Tapestry – the English story is a different one," Burke told The Independent on Sunday newspaper.

We know that the victors write history. Alfred being dead is a story that would serve the French victors. On the other hand, the story of brave Alfred, living in exile, ready to return when called for would serve the defeated Anglo-Saxons.

So who knows? 

Article: 1000-year old Viking treasure hoard found in Scotland

A hoard of Viking gold and silver artifacts dating back over 1,000 years has been discovered by a treasure hunter with a metal detector in Scotland, in a find hailed by experts as one of the country's most significant. 

Derek McLennan, a retired businessman, uncovered the 100 items in a field in Dumfriesshire, southwest Scotland, in September. 

Amongst the objects is a solid silver cross thought to date from the 9th or 10th century, a silver pot of west European origin, which is likely to have already been 100 years old when it was buried and several gold objects.