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TIMES PAST ARCHIVE:. |
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3 CAVE RELATED NEWS STORIES |
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Recently recovered FarShores file Jan 2007
Prehistoric Skeleton Family Found in Cave
PARIS (AP)--Road workers in southern France have stumbled across a prehistoric cave containing ancient human skeletons and artifacts. Two workers were clearing the way for the construction of a new highway connecting the cities of Millau and Beziers in the Languedoc region when they discovered the cave Friday about 25 miles west of Montpellier, police said.
Skeletons of three adults and a child were preserved in the cave as well as cooking pots, an ax and a vase, which could date from the Neolithic era, 8,000 to 3,500 B.C. The area has been sealed off and work stopped on that part of the new highway. [Update: The site has since been violated. An axe and several other artifacts were removed -- G¬ ]
The nation's most famous prehistoric cave is Lascaux in the Dordogne region in south-central France, where magnificent paintings of animals have been preserved.
.:Story originally published by:.
Waco Herald-Tribune / TX | Gregory Bull - Oct 17 1998
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Ancient Relics Found in Mexico
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP)--A routine roadblock led to the discovery of 2,700 archaeological pieces, some dating back as many as 3,000 years, the Mexican attorney generals office said Thursday. Authorities also arrested a man they believe planned to sell the items on the black market, where they would be worth about $93,000, Deputy Attorney General Everardo Moreno Cruz said.
Moreno Cruz said police stopped a truck driven by Humberto Bustos Reyes on Tuesday about 50 miles northeast of Acapulco and found 2,070 items that apparently had been stolen from archaeological sites. Police said Bustos Reyes claimed he was transporting the pieces to a museum. They later searched his home and found 630 pieces, Moreno Cruz said.
Authorities believe the pieces were taken from archaeological sites in the municipality of Igualapa, about 100 miles northeast of Acapulco. The artifacts are believed to date back as far as 1000 B.C. Among the items confiscated were 1,340 miniature plates and 700 ceramic chips, each about 4 inches long, which may have used as money or on scales, said Cristina Sanchez del Real of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Sanchez del Real said Guerrero state, the southwestern state that includes Acapulco, has about 900 archaeological sites. Most lack adequate security and are vulnerable to theft.
Bustos Reyes could be charged with illegally possessing and transporting archaeological items, which carry maximum penalties of 10 years imprisonment.
.:Story originally published by:.
Waco Herald-Tribune / TX | Gregory Bull - Oct 16 1998
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UN Recognition Sought for Ancient Caves
MIRI: The Government has proposed that the Niah Caves, which was home to a 40,000 year-old prehistoric tribe, be named a World Heritage Site under Unesco. Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said the Government had recommended the Niah Caves, along with the Kinabalu National Park in Sabah and Taman Negara in Peninsular Malaysia, to the UN body for the special recognition.
Speaking at the opening of the Niah Caves Museum about 90km from here, he said the three regions should be categorised as world heritage sites because of their uniqueness and immense value to the global community. "Evidence discovered during excavations at the west mouth of the caves have revealed that ancient tribes had lived there about 40,000 years ago. If Niah is listed as a world heritage site, it will be in recognition of its contributions to pre-historic civilistion and archaeology," he said.
Chin said the Niah Caves museum, which will serve as a venue to highlight the vast array of valuable artefacts discovered in the caves, was constructed through a RM1.6mil grant from the Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry. He called on the locals in Niah to assist the authorities in protecting the caves and to conserve them as tourists attractions.
The caves are also home to thousands of swifts. Their nests are edible and said to have medicinal value. Some of the high-quality nests can fetch thousands of ringgit per kilo.
.:Story originally published by:.
The Star | Malaysia - Oct 13 1998
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