Free Republic 2nd Qtr 2024 Fundraising Target: $81,000 Receipts & Pledges to-date: $25,797
31%  
Woo hoo!! And we're now over 31%!! Thank you all very much!! God bless.

Travel (General/Chat)

Brevity: Headers | « Text »
  • Australian archaeologists shed light on Paphos ancient theatre

    02/11/2020 8:48:08 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 11 replies
    in-cyprus.com ^ | December 12, 2019 | Edited by Bouli Hadjioannou
    The theatre of ancient Nea Paphos is one of the most significant Hellenistic-Roman structures in Cyprus; it was in use for more than six centuries between its construction in c. 300 BC and its final destruction by earthquake around 365 AD. It was initially used for dramatic performances, but in its final Roman phases the theatre was converted to an arena and could be flooded for water spectacles... the Hellenistic-Roman theatre, located in the north-east corner of the ancient capital of Cyprus. A number of trenches were opened by the Australian team with the intention of exposing the continuation of...
  • UK coronavirus ‘super spreader’ fears he’s infected at least 11 others

    02/11/2020 8:23:48 AM PST · by BenLurkin · 19 replies
    NY Post ^ | 02/11/2020 | Amanda Woods
    Steve Walsh is under quarantine at a London hospital after becoming infected at Singapore’s Grand Hyatt hotel during a conference for Servomex, a British gas company, the Sun reported. Walsh, 53, a businessman and local scout leader, then traveled to French ski chalet Les Contamine-Montoje with friends Bob and Catriona Saynor, according to the report. Both Bob and his 9-year-old son contracted the illness and are being treated at a French hospital. And three men and a woman — including two health care workers — who knew Walsh and are believed to have stayed at the same French resort also...
  • Vomiting voyagers: Cruise ship returns to US from Caribbean after 300 passengers suffer gastroenteritis

    02/11/2020 5:56:11 AM PST · by C19fan · 55 replies
    UK Daily Mail ^ | February 11, 2020 | Jack Elsom
    An American cruise ship riddled with vomiting passengers has been denied entry to its Caribbean destination and is steaming back to the United States. More than 300 on-board have come down with gastroenteritis, an uncomfortable stomach bug which causes vomiting and diarrhea. Spooked by the outbreak which has quickly spread, Trinidad and Tobago's health ministry turned around the Caribbean Princess liner, which is making the 1,600-mile journey back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The two-week trip carrying 3,000 holidaymakers and 1,100 crew departed American shores on February 2 before heading south to the popular tourist island.
  • Wuhan LATEST update! On corona virus outbreak as of (Feb 9, 2020): what's really happen inside wuhan

    02/10/2020 9:12:40 AM PST · by NorseViking · 35 replies
    Youtube ^ | Ferbuary 9, 2020
    Wuhan forced quarantine is becoming a "Martial Law", What's really happen inside Wuhan, China amid Coronavirus Outbreak Lastest coronavirus outbreak updates: As of 2020-02-09 08:33 National Statistics Coronavirus Updates – Confirmed cases: 37,251 in China, 316 abroad - Suspect 28,942 – Deaths: 812 in China, 1 abroad – Discharged from hospitals in the Chinese mainland: over 2,651 - China flies back 61 Hubei tourists stranded in Bali, Indonesia
  • Watch live @ 10:30 pm ET: Atlas V rocket launching Europe's Solar Orbiter

    02/09/2020 5:36:44 PM PST · by devane617 · 15 replies
    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the Solar Orbiter spacecraft for NASA and the European Space Agency tonight. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida during a 2-hour launch window that opens at 11:03 p.m. EST (0403 GMT on Feb. 10).
  • British Airways Boeing 747 Hits a Record 825 MPH During NYC-London Trip

    02/09/2020 3:27:05 PM PST · by DUMBGRUNT · 105 replies
    The Drive ^ | 9 Feb 2020 | CALEB JACOBS
    With a little help from a massive tailwind, of course. British Airways Boeing 747 traveled from New York to London in just four hours and 56 minutes, hitting a top ground speed of 825 miles per hour and setting a subsonic flight record for the route. That 250+ mph tailwind meant that the 747’s true airspeed was still below the speed of sound, but that doesn’t take away from how incredible it is to get across the Atlantic in just over four hours. It should be mentioned that while flight BA112 smashed the subsonic record, the fastest time from NYC...
  • Campaign to save Gloucestershire Roman villa unearthed on estate

    02/08/2020 11:27:36 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 11 replies
    BBC ^ | February 4, 2020 | unattributed
    A campaign has been launched to protect the remains of a Roman villa unearthed during work on a new housing estate. The villa was discovered in Cam, Gloucestershire, by archaeologists working on behalf of Bovis Homes. BBC TV presenter and archaeology expert Professor Mark Horton is among those calling for it to be saved, describing it as "a very important discovery". But the developer says archaeologists have told them the villa does not qualify for preservation. Resident Christie McLean has started a petition to help save the villa, which had over 2,000 signatures within a day of launching. She said...
  • Israeli researchers grow new date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds: Six saplings sprout from ancient kernels gathered at Judean archaeological sites; scientists hope to pollinate female plants and produce fruit

    02/08/2020 10:55:42 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 23 replies
    Times of Israel ^ | February 6, 2020 | Stuart Winer and Sue Surkes
    Israeli researchers revealed Wednesday that they successfully grew extinct date plants from ancient seeds found at archaeological sites in the Judean Desert. Dozens of seeds were gleaned from archaeology collections gathered at locations in the dry Dead Sea area, including the Masada hilltop fortress built by King Herod the Great in the first century BCE and the ancient site of Qumran, famous for the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940s. Six saplings grew from 32 seeds sown and the plants have been dubbed Adam, Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, and Hannah... Radiocarbon dating revealed the seeds used for...
  • The Coronavirus in Asia and ASEAN – Live Updates by Country

    02/08/2020 10:21:22 AM PST · by EBH · 12 replies
    ASEAN Briefing ^ | 2/8/2020 | Dezan & Shira Associates
    Due to the developing situation in China and Asia concerning the Coronavirus, we will be operating this article as a running live update service to keep businesses involved in ASEAN and Asia updated with the latest relevant regional news. For specific updates concerning China, please click here We have concerns about the levels of screening, monitoring and protection in several ASEAN and Asian nations and note the apparent commencement of cross-border infections from February 4. Government and border checks and restrictions have become more stringent and are sometimes being imposed arbitrarily. Travelers should check with their respective airlines and government...
  • Phoenician ship completes Atlantic voyage [crew is pretty old now]

    02/08/2020 10:08:12 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 72 replies
    Lyme Regis ^ | February 7th, 2020 | Francesca Evans
    The replica of a wooden Phoenician ship, which visited Lyme Regis last year, has completed its 6,000 mile voyage across the Atlantic. The Phoenicia visited Lyme Regis last July before setting out on its voyage from the old port of Carthage, Tunisia, in September. It called in at Cadiz (Spain), Essaouira (Morocco), Tenerife (Canary Islands) and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) before arriving in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the Coral Ridge Yacht Club on Thursday, February 4... The ship's trans-Atlantic voyage was part of the Phoenicians Before Columbus Expedition, designed, with the help of the US-based Phoenician International Research Center, to...
  • 22 Chinese nationals isolated in Yekaterinburg

    02/08/2020 6:08:30 AM PST · by NorseViking · 17 replies
    KV ^ | February 7, 2020
    All Chinese citizens who arrived in Yekaterinburg will be taken to a health center for two weeks of observation, Interfax reported on February 7, citing a source. According to the Agency, several dozen Chinese arrived from Beijing at the Koltsovo International around 10: 00 (8-00 Moscow time). From the airport, foreigners will go to the Yekaterinburg health center "Cheerfulness". According to Rospotrebnadzor, as of February 7 in the Sverdlovsk region, 22 people who arrived from China showed signs of SARS. None of them is diagnosed with coronavirus yet. "Cheerfulness" is closed to new reservatuons since yesterday. A medical center has...
  • Ancient Roman Garum Factory Found in Israel, Suitably Far Away From Town

    02/07/2020 9:20:48 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 52 replies
    Ha'aretz ^ | December 16, 2019 | Ruth Schuster
    A factory to make Roman fish sauce about 2,000 years ago has been found in Ashkelon -- about 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) outside the ancient city. The location of the vats on the southern city's outskirts shores up the supposition that the fish sauce, called garum, had to be manufactured out of town because the process was an olfactory abomination. The fish farms that provided the raw material for this ancient industry were no joy to live next to either, it seems. Being a reeking concoction that begins with drying fish guts and then a fermentation stage, adding spice and...
  • More than 2,000 people are stranded on Holland America cruise ship after four countries refuse to let it dock over coronavirus fears - despite crew's insistence there are no cases on board

    02/07/2020 6:47:54 AM PST · by C19fan · 60 replies
    UK Daily Mail ^ | February 7, 2020 | Tim Stickings
    More than 2,000 people are marooned at sea after four countries denied entry to a cruise ship over coronavirus fears - despite the crew's insistence that there are no virus cases on board. Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and the US territory of Guam have all denied permission for the MS Westerdam to dock. Japanese leader Shinzo Abe yesterday said his country would not allow foreign passengers to disembark, saying there were suspected virus patients on board. However, cruise operator Holland America said last night that 'the ship is not in quarantine and there are no known cases of coronavirus on...
  • Police Rescue Wallaby Struggling Nearly Four Miles Off Shore

    02/07/2020 12:49:05 AM PST · by nickcarraway · 9 replies
    UPI ^ | FEB. 6, 2020 | Ben Hooper
    Police in Australia shared video of the rescue of a wallaby found swimming in circles nearly 4 miles from shore. The Queensland Police Service said a Water Police boat responded Wednesday to a call from a resident who spotted the marsupial swimming and monitored the animal for two hours, determining it was confused and unable to find the way back to shore. Police shared video of officers plucking the wallaby, dubbed Dawny after swimmer Dawn Fraser, out of the water. The officers gave the wallaby a lift to North Stradbroke Island, where the animal was released onto dry land.
  • Large scale feasts at ancient capital of Ulster drew crowds from across Iron Age Ireland

    02/06/2020 6:57:14 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 16 replies
    Phys dot org ^ | December 24, 2019 | Cardiff University
    People transported animals over huge distances for mass gatherings at one of Ireland's most iconic archaeological sites, research concludes. Dr. Richard Madgwick of Cardiff University led the study, which analysed the bones of 35 animals excavated from Navan Fort, the legendary capital of Ulster. Researchers from Queen's University Belfast, Memorial University Newfoundland and the British Geological Survey were also involved in the research. The site had long been considered a centre for ritual gatherings, as excavations found a huge 40m diameter building and a barbary ape cranium, likely from at least as far as Iberia. Results suggest the pigs, cattle...
  • Paris metro passengers stop Arab men from harassing Jewish man

    02/05/2020 8:49:30 AM PST · by Olog-hai · 12 replies
    JTA via Jerusalem Post ^ | February 4, 2020 06:30 | Cnaan Liphshiz
    Passengers aboard a metro train in Paris stopped four Arab men from pursuing a Jewish man they were harassing over his faith, the victim said. […] The four men asked a Jewish man wearing a yarmulke for a cigarette, said the report based on the man’s testimony. When he said he didn’t have one, one of the men told him: “You Jews have enough money to buy some.” The Arab men then cornered the man against the wall of the train car, but he escaped. The men pursued him, but were blocked by other passengers. …
  • Plane Forced to Turn Around After Man Falsely Claims to Have Coronavirus, Arrested

    02/05/2020 1:22:22 AM PST · by Berlin_Freeper · 11 replies
    india.com ^ | February 5, 2020 | Ritu Singh
    A WestJet flight from Toronto to Jamaica was forced to turn around on Monday after a passenger claimed he had coronavirus mid-flight. The airline said in a statement that 243 passengers aboard Flight 2702 were on their way to Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay when the flight was disrupted by an “unruly guest.” As per reports, during the flight, a man stood up, told passengers he was recently in China and declared he had contracted the coronavirus while taking selfies. Flight attendants initially gave him a mask and gloves and ordered him to the back of the plane. Meanwhile,...
  • Archaeology -- Social inequality in Bronze Age households

    02/04/2020 2:04:08 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 19 replies
    EurekAlert ^ | October 10, 2019 | Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Muenchen
    Archaeogenetic analyses provide new insights into social inequality 4000 years ago: nuclear families lived together with foreign women and individuals from lower social classes in the same household. Social inequality already existed in southern Germany 4000 years ago, even within one household, a new study published in the journal Science finds. Archaeological and archaeogenetic analyses of Bronze Age cemeteries in the Lech Valley, near Augsburg, show that families of biologically related persons with higher status lived together with unrelated women who came from afar and also had a high status, according to their grave goods. In addition, a larger number...
  • Ancient monkey painting suggests Bronze Age Greeks travelled widely

    02/04/2020 1:46:16 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 43 replies
    New Scientist ^ | December 11, 2019 | Michael Marshall
    A Bronze Age painting on a Greek island shows a monkey from thousands of kilometres away in Asia. The finding suggests that ancient cultures separated by great distances were trading and exchanging ideas. The artwork is one of several wall paintings in a building at Akrotiri on the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea. Akrotiri was a settlement of the Minoan civilisation in Bronze Age Greece that was buried by ash from a volcanic eruption in around 1600 BC. Many of the paintings show monkeys, yet there were no monkeys in Greece at the time. Most of...
  • How to feed an invading army thousands of miles from home

    02/04/2020 1:21:41 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 19 replies
    Phys dot org ^ | October 5, 2017 | Cardiff University
    Conquering Romans relied on resources from near and far to sustain their forces against the native tribes in Wales, according to new research by Cardiff University archaeologists... Using strontium isotope analysis to analyse the bones of domestic animals from the fortress, the researchers identified a mix of sources. Significantly, the diverse pattern of results does not suggest a centralised supply chain from near or far ñ results that challenge existing theories. While the majority of livestock are consistent with origins in the local area, analysis found that at least one quarter of the pigs, cattle and caprines (sheep/goats) originated outside...