Welcome to Archaeoscoop, the place to find heritage and archaeology related news stories from around the world!
Today the ‘Zombie’ of archaeological news rises once more…
1) Crusade for Spitfires in Burma continues:
Researchers in Hawaii find lost Japanese WWII mega-sub:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/03/us/japanese-submarine-found/
Plains Indian Fortress with Moat, ‘underground apartments’ unearthed in Oklahoma:
Plains Indian Fortress With Moat, ‘Underground Apartments’ Unearthed in Oklahoma
abandoned Ancient Road pathway to China’s History:
http://english.cri.cn/11354/2013/11/27/2743s800716.htm
New evidence for Battle of Hastings site considered:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-25191208
Guatemala Recovers Mayan artifact dating from 250-900 AD from US:
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/latino-daily-news/details/guatemala-recovers-mayan-artifact-dating-from-250-b.c.-from-u.s/28198/
Builder discovers C16th Gold on Lindisfarne:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/10477614/Builder-discovers-16th-Century-gold-on-Lindisfarne.html
Building Dating to Hasmonean Period Discovered in Jerusalem:
A Building Dating to the Hasmonean Period Discovered in Jerusalem
Six months after villagers find Gupta era gold coins in Murshidabad, ASI yet to act:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/six-months-after-villagers-find-gupta-era-gold-coins-in-murshidabad-asi-yet-to-act/1202087/
New evidence suggests Neanderthals organized their living spaces:
New evidence suggests Neanderthals organized their living spaces
Prof Paula Reimer helps develop carbon dating breakthrough:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25192934
Post 1-6
A few facts to suggest that this still has a way to run.
I arrived in Burma on day 8 of this expedition as a self funded independent observer.
This was my fifth visit to Burma on Spitfire matters since 1987, previously unrelated to burials.
On day 10 the digger started its first trench on Tuesday the 10th January at a position reached by consensus but not actually where David Cundall wanted it. He was not the leader, just the figurehead. I arrived on site mid morning that day and David Cundall told me “they should be digging about 100 metres further west”, adjacent to where he thought the 'Old Prome Road' had been covered by the 1946/47 runway extension. The position where the eyewitness said he had seen them. I said “not to worry, your time will come we are here for another couple of weeks”.
Post 2-6
It has to be understood that Mingaladon airfield 1945/6/7 is covered with about 2-5 metres of 1950/60/70's spoil where the whole airfield has been graded flat and a new major jet capable runway laid on a different orientation that will take a fully loaded 747 freighter. There are no visual references to 1946.
The following day, day 11, the department for the Minister of Transport arrived on site and halted further excavation on the grounds of safety of the airport infrastructure.
So, a big problem for Wargaming, with the world's press arriving and waiting for the scheduled conference on Saturday the19th. What do you tell them? They choose the route to cancel the press conference and tell them it is a myth, it is a fantasy, David Cundall is a 'Walter Mitty'.
Post 3-6
With 76 news agencies carrying the story, Wargaming had achieved the publicity they sort through their sponsorship.
This would have been fine save for one fact, the Wargaming team and myself returned home, but David Cundall stayed on for a period, returning later with new Geophysics equipment up to May 2013. He has located a significant anomaly close to the runway lights some metres deep covering an area 15×20 metres and, you have guessed it, spot on, just to west of the Old Prome Road, and significantly in undisturbed earth not contaminated with now buried 1945/7 old runway and taxiway infrastructure.
Post 4-6
I was at the well rehearsed and choreographed presentation at the RAF Museum in June 2013. I was not impressed with the inaccuracies and the inconsistencies delivered. It is strange that the promised publication of the results seems to have gone off the boil. Now why would that be?
In recent months a full analysis of the spoken words at the presentation, particularly the Q & A, has been conducted by a US analyst and much work has been done overlaying a range of operational PRU images from 1944-47 with 2004-2013 Google Earth. It makes very interesting reading and viewing.
Post 5-6
I understand David Cundall is currently conducting boring exploration at Mingaladon prior to submitting a civil engineering plan for approval should he discover anything significant.
Myanmar is not an easy country. I have no idea whether there are Spitfires buried at Mingaladon or elsewhere. What I do know is that the number of pieces of this incomplete jigsaw, that I have at my disposal, suggest to me that on balance there might just be something in all this.
So, one major trench down to 1945 level, a bit of scratching around in 1960's spoil and some selective extracts from the National Archives …and a myth exploded? I think not.
Post 6-6
To put this in the context of a three day ‘Time Team’ dig. It would be like looking for items buried on Hounslow Heath whilst in the middle of Heathrow airport with all the attendant security and infrastructure issues, then being stopped by the British Airport Authority just before lunch on the first day.
This still has a way to run.
Peter Arnold – Spitfire Historian