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Tag Archives: Cultural heritage
The old quarry that was reused as a beer brewery
Working with the Berne Minster Workshop on mapping the quarries used for the cathedral, I visited the Wabern quarry just outside the city centre yesterday. Though it is unclear to what extent it was employed for the cathedral in the Middle Ages, it is a most remarkable quarry: For it was reused as a brewery for “Gurten Beer” from the 1860s on. Since I have noted the link between stone extraction and beer drinking through history (see last part of this story), I thought I ought to post the photo above of a wonderful old horse cart with a beer barrel remaining in the quarries. Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, New projects, Old quarries, Switzerland
Tagged Bern, Berner Sandstein, Cultural heritage, quarry, sandstone, Wabern
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Ten quarries of Ancient Egypt: 8 – The quarry at Widan el-Faras that disappeared
Many of you know the Old Kingdom basalt quarries at Widan el-Faras in the Northern Faiyum Desert. Some of you are also familiar with the partial destruction of the quarries by modern basalt quarrying. When we first started to work at Widan, about 12 years ago, in a project headed by Elizabeth Bloxam at UCL, the breathtaking lava and escarpment landscape was still quite pristine. A few years later a substantial part of the quarries had been eaten by machines. Though we had learnt by then that many other quarries in Egypt were under threat from modern development, Widan was a key reason for starting the QuarryScapes project – an EU-funded project on conservation of ancient quarries. Continue reading
Alpine heritage impressions from a summer in Grisons (Graubünden, Switzerland)
Grisons – or in German Graubünden – is the largest canton in Switzerland, in the middle of the Alps, bordering Italy and Austria. It is renowned for its magnificent nature and countless medieval castle ruins. But Grisons has a truly … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Old mines, Old quarries, Rock art, Ruins, Switzerland
Tagged Cultural heritage, Graubünden, quarry, rock art, Surselva
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The Palaeolithic rock art in Wadi Abu Subeira, Egypt: Landscape, archaeology, threats and conservation
Since the publication of the threats to the Palaeolithic rock art in Wadi Abu Subeira three weeks ago, there has been much response through e-mail and social media, and the case has been covered by many online magazines and blogs. People in Egypt and elsewhere are concerned, and I wish to thank you all for your interest and for bringing the case along to friends and colleagues, as well as to administrators and politicians. There now seems to be a need for an “unbiased”, comprehensive overview of what is actually known about the landscape, the archaeology, the rock art, the threats, current conservation efforts and options for the future. The overview below is based on published literature, and information that otherwise belongs to the public sphere. It is written in close cooperation with Adel Kelany, and we have benefitted from input by Dirk Huyge. Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Heritage destruction, Rock art
Tagged Ancient Egypt, Aswan, conservation, Cultural heritage, Qurta, rock art, Wadi Abu Subeira
5 Comments
Classic Cars, Castro’s Cuba: Conservation in practice
Slightly off-topic, but how Cubans skilfully care for their classic Plymouths, mFords, Buicks and Pontiacs may be a reminder for anyone dealing with heritage conservation. However, it is not necessarily out of love that the Cubans care for their cars, … Continue reading
International conference on millstone in Bergen – and the Hyllestad quarry landscape
Last week the Norwegian “millstone community” invited to an international conference in Bergen – “Seen through a millstone: Geology and archaeology of quarries and mills”. It included an excursion to the Hyllestad quarries where the participants got to know a … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Norway, Old quarries
Tagged conservation, Cultural heritage, grinding stone, Kvernsteinsparken, millstone, Norway, quarry
4 Comments
De gamle jerngruvene i Neskilen ved Arendal
Neskilen var fra slutten av 1600-tallet et av de viktigste jerngruveområdene i Norge, stort i Norge og stort i “Arendalsfeltet”. Jerngruvedriften var svært viktig for Arendalsområdet og har vært med å prege den historiske utviklingen. Denne artikkelen gir en oversikt over et fortsatt velbevart gruvelandskap. Her var det drift i 200 år fra slutten av 1600-tallet – og her lekte vi som barn ved dype gruveåpninger… Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Norway, Old mines
Tagged Arendal, Cultural heritage, Neskilen, Norway, old mine
5 Comments
Hunting with stone lines: The ancient game traps in Egypt and Nubia
See updates and a new paper on game drives in a new post (2022): https://per-storemyr.net/2022/03/19/new-paper-in-new-book-the-ancient-game-traps-across-lower-nubia/ There is still a lot of important archaeology to be found in Upper Egypt and Lower Nubia. One group of archaeological sites is hunting features, … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, New projects, New publications
Tagged Ancient Egypt, Cultural heritage, hunting, Nubia
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A Google Map of the Northern Faiyum Desert
A little while ago I posted about the Egyptian Petition to save the marvellous landscape in the Northern Faiyum from destruction by massive tourist and other development. Since then the campaign NO PORTO FAYOUM is putting increasing pressure on developers … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Old quarries
Tagged Ancient Egypt, conservation, Cultural heritage, Faiyum
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Egyptian petition: Stop destruction of Lake Qarun Protected Area in the Faiyum!
For all interested in landscape conservation: Please sign the Egyptian petition on stopping the destruction of a truly spectacular, protected landscape in the Northern Faiyum! The Northern Faiyum has it all: Splendid landscape, fantastic fossils, a unique cultural heritage back … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Old quarries
Tagged Ancient Egypt, conservation, Cultural heritage, Faiyum, quarry
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Per Storemyr Geoarchaeology & Conservation 