ACROSS
8 Egyptian agrarian culture of 4500-3250 BC (8)
9 Son of Daedalus in Greek mythology (6)
10 Édouard ….. , French archaeologist noted for his work on the Palaeolithic (6)
11 William ….. , British antiquary and author of Avebury (1743) (8)
12 Neolithic and Bronze Age tell in the Azmak Valley, Bulgaria (8)
14 Visigoth king who captured Rome in AD 410 (6)
15 Complex of ancient hunter-gatherer communities in Alaska (6)
16 Water nymphs of Greek mythology (6)
19 Chambered tomb of the Balearic Islands (6)
21 Timber circle on the Norfolk coast, discovered in 1998 (8)
23 Ancient stringed musical instrument (8)
24 Middle Eastern city captured by the Mongols in 1260 (6)
26 The Muse of astronomy in Greek myth (6)
27 City in which the Topkapı Palace and the Blue Mosque are located (8)
DOWN
1 Mexican state, location of Mitla archaeological site (6)
2 Egyptian goddess of truth and order (4)
3 ….. Man, a famous hoax fossil of the early 20th century (8)
4 City of Minoan Crete (7)
5 Animal whose wool was highly prized by the Incas (6)
6 Neolithic pottery from southern Italy (6,4)
7 Marcus …. , Roman emperor, author of Meditations on Stoic philosophy (8)
13 Region in northern Australia containing the Madjedbebe rock-shelter site (6,4)
15 Biblical craft associated with a great flood (5,3)
17 Huntress of Greek mythology (8)
18 Mesopotamian city-state conquered by the Medes in 614 BC (7)
20 Phase of activity in the Tehuacán Valley, Mexico, dating to 4300-3000 BC (6)
22 Soft mineral used to make plaster of Paris (6)
25 ….. Township Mounds, archaeological site in Ohio (4)
For answers, see the next issue (CWA 122)
150 years ago…
A remarkable collection of Viking Age gold objects was discovered on the German island of Hiddensee, in the Baltic Sea. The Hiddensee Treasure was found by members of the local community in 1873 on the beach near Neuendorf, following a severe storm and flooding in November 1872. Altogether, the group consists of 16 objects: 14 pendants, a brooch, and a neck ring. The items are all made of gold, weighing 600g in total. This makes the Hiddensee Treasure the largest collection of Viking jewellery discovered in Germany. The objects date to the late Viking Age, around the second half of the 10th century AD. The hoard, which is believed to have been deposited in a bog on Hiddensee island, is thought to have been associated with the nobility of southern Scandinavia, and may even be connected to the famous Danish king Harald Bluetooth. The pendants are decorated with a combination of pagan motifs (such as stylised birds’ heads) and Christian crosses. This reflects the growing influence of Christianity in 10th-/11th-century Scandinavia and makes the objects an interesting testament to this unique cultural moment. The treasure is kept in the Stralsund Museum of Cultural History.
Answers to Crossword #120
Across: 7 Tesserae, 9 Ogadai, 10 Calico, 11 Tlatoque, 12 Giza, 13 Ionic Order, 15 Chiapas, 16 Elamite, 20 Mabinogion, 23 Nail, 24 Hakataya, 26 Shogun, 27 Daniel, 28 Reindeer.
Down: 1 Megalith, 2 Armorica, 3 Ventana, 4 Mosaic, 5 Mayo, 6 Canute, 8 Shirataki, 14 Roman road, 17 Longship, 18 Tribunes, 19 Milagro, 21 Arawak, 22 Oracle, 25 Apis.
