CWA 136 crossword, and answers to crossword #135

This article is from World Archaeology issue 136

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Across

7 Mercian king who ruled from AD 657 to 674 (8)
8 Extinct language of Anatolia (6)
10 US state containing the Grimes Point archaeological site (6)
11 Roman name for York (8)
12 Minstrel and poet of the Anglo-Saxon period (4)
14 Ancient region of north-western France (8)
17 The Muse of History in Greek mythology (4)
18 Boudica’s tribe (5)
19 Portrait, usually on wood, of Christ or another holy figure (4)
21 Phase of farming cultures in the Amazon area of Brazil c.AD 1500 (8)
22 ___ Layard, English poet and archaeologist who became the first female
president of the Prehistoric Society in 1921 (4)
24 Geological periods of Britain, such as the Wolstonian and Devensian (8)
26 Princess of Tyre and mother of three sons of Zeus in Greek mythology (6)
28 Mongol ruler who founded the Il-Khanid dynasty (6)
29 Neolithic village in north-eastern Greece (8)

Down

1 Roman festival of fertility (8)
2 Mercian king who died in AD 796 (4)
3 US state, location of the Marrow Bone Spring archaeological site (5)
4 Early English monk and historian (4)
5 King of the Ostrogoths in the late 5th to early 6th century AD (9)
6 Animal whose wool was highly prized by the Incas (6)
9 Term describing patterns of technology, architecture, art, and others over a period (9)
13 Ancient region of the eastern Mediterranean (9)
15 Magistrate in Anglo-Saxon England (5)
16 Central American country, location of the Ruins of León Viejo World Heritage Site (9)
20 Son of Dionysus and king of Chios in Greek mythology (8)
21 ___ Italicus, Roman poet, author of the epic poem Punica (6)
23 Irish county, location of the Newgrange passage tomb (5)
25 Former city on the Karkeh River in south-west Iran (4)
27 European capital, which had joined the Hanseatic League in 1282 (4)

For answers to #136, see next issue.

150 years ago… 

Excavations at Mycenae, carried out by Heinrich Schliemann under the supervision of the Ephor of Antiquities Panagiotis Stamatakis in 1876, uncovered a royal cemetery comprising six shaft graves, known as Grave Circle A. The burials were richly furnished with weapons, gold jewellery, and other valuable objects. Among the finds was a gold death mask that Schliemann, an avid fan of Homer’s epic poems, labelled ‘The Mask of Agamemnon’, believing it to depict the Greek leader featured in the Iliad. Today, we know that the individuals buried in Grave Circle A belong to the first generations of Mycenaean rulers, dating to the 16th century BC – at least 400 years before any conflict that could be identified with the Trojan War. Schliemann’s archaeological work remains controversial, and questions have been raised about the authenticity of several of his discoveries, including ‘The Mask of Agamemnon’. However, it is now widely accepted that his findings from Grave Circle A were genuine, although unrelated to the Trojan War. 

Technology + archaeology: The Conservation Soft Box 

An innovative tool has been developed for the conservation of organic cultural heritage. The Conservation Soft Box (CSB) comprises flexible plastic tubing that holds a sheet in place, creating an airtight environment around the object inside. This environment can then be regulated with activated carbon filters, to absorb any gases emitted by the organic matter, and silica gel bags, to control humidity levels. Testing confirms that the CSB provides the same level of protection as much more sophisticated and expensive display cases, as well as being better suited for transport, disinfecting artefacts, and conducting new research.

Answers to Crossword #135

Across: 7 Java Man, 8 Paracas, 10 Jade, 11 Alaca Huyuk, 12 Piltdown, 13 Trento, 14 Bramber, 16 Samarra, 19 Hecate, 21 Apuleius, 23 Washington, 25 Niah, 26 Cluniac, 27 Iconium.

Down: 1 Jauari, 2 Tarentum, 3 Palaeocene, 4 Tara, 5 Canute, 6 Baluster, 9/18 Magna Carta, 13 Tiahuanaco, 15 Rievaulx, 17 Apennine, 20 Athena, 22 Uranus, 24 Naas.