PRISTINA, Kosovo (AFP) – Kosovo’s culture minister on Friday said Germany had returned seven millennia-old artifacts that were smuggled out during the 1998-1999 war with Serbia and were unexpectedly found in a German police raid.
The seven terracotta items, including a small bowl, date back to the neolithic era, between 3,500 to 4,000 B.C. They were found by German police in an unrelated investigation against two Serbs several years ago, Memli Krasniqi said, adding that it took a while to confirm the items came from Kosovo.
According to the minister, Serbia stole scores of artifacts from Kosovo during the fighting.
“Serbia took more than 1,200 archaeology and ethnology items from the Kosovo museum,” Krasniqi said, urging Belgrade to return the artifacts.
The conflict ended after NATO aircraft drove out the Serbian forces that had fought ethnic Albanian guerillas, paving the way for Kosovo to proclaim independence in 2008.
This Chinese underglaze blue porcelain brush pot attributed to Wang Bu (Chinese, 1898-1968) sold for an astounding $534,300. Clars Auction Gallery image. OAKLAND, Calif. – Feb. 16 and 17, 2013, will go down at Clars as the strongest sale in the firm’s 41-year history. It will also go down as the sale that held numerous surprises and astounding prices on several lots in all categories. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
After the two-day event was over, President Redge Martin commented, “Yes, it was the strongest in our history. Overall, the auction was just one of those sales. I’ve seen four or five similar to this over the past 20 years where everything just seemed to work out, fueled by the great property offered, good marketing of the sale, an improving economy, very strong bidders and lots of pleasant surprises. The strength of this sale was seen across all categories. Of particular note is the strength of our Internet bidding as we have the strongest presence online of any auction house west of the Mississippi and that is proving increasingly important.”
While the Saturday sale did $300,000, that left $2.3 million to be earned on the just over 1,000 lots offered on Sunday. Asian, fine art and decorative arts all had their day and their astounding surprises.
The Asian category was the most remarkable of the categories in prices realized. Coming near the end of the sale, Lot 3150, a Chinese underglaze blue porcelain brush pot attributed to Wang Bu (Chinese, 1898-1968) measuring 6 1/2 inches high, had been assigned a conservative estimate of $6,000 to $8,000. Joyce Kwong, Asian art specialist at Clars, noted that “In general, works by Wang Bu have a very strong market and he is known for underglaze blue decorated porcelain.”
Martin opened the bidding on this piece at $13,000 and for several minutes, the increments of $10,000 kept rising steadily. In the end, the brush pot sold $534,300.
Furthering the remarkable Asian prices realized at this sale was Lot 3126, a Himalayan gilt bronze figural group of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava Ekavira, 19th century, measuring 10 1/2 inches high. The estimate was conservatively placed at $1,000 to $2,000 as it had some arm and attribute loss. That did not seem to faze bidders on this lot, however, as it sold for $248,300.
The fine art category offerings were particularly impressive at this sale and the prices realized in this category matched the level of works offered and greatly exceeded them in a few cases.
The European bronzes offered seemed to know no limits once the bidding began. Topping the bronze offerings was Lot 2246, an after-Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917) bronze titled Nude Study of Pierre de Weissant, 1995. The bronze bore the artist’s name “A. Rodin” and was inscribed “By Musee de Rodin 1955-George Rudier.” According to Rick Unruh, vice president and director of fine arts, “This was a rare casting after the artist from 1955 from the Musee de Rodin. Due to very limited auction records, we chose to assign the very conservative estimate of $4,000 to $6,000 but our global audience dictated a much more impressive outcome.” Impressive indeed as this bronze sold for $59,500, almost 10 times its high estimate.
A second bronze that more than doubled its high estimate was Lot 2243, a gilded bronze sculpture, circa 1890-1900, by Mathurin Moreau (French, 1822-1912). Titled Immortalite, this work sold exceedingly well for $28,560.
It was an American painting however, that topped the fine art category overall. An impressive work (Lot 2201) by Joseph Henry Sharp (American, 1859-1953) titled Does Everything – Crow Chief, Custer and Reno Scout’ was expected to achieve a high of $50,000. Again, highly competitive bidding on this work saw the final selling price soar to $77,350.
California artist Arthur Frank Mathews (1860-1945) came in second place in paintings with his oil on board (Lot 2165) titled Afterglow at the Seashore. Offered with an estimated of $20,000 to $30,000, this work nicely surpassed this achieving $38,675. On the contemporary side, Black Suckers by Wayne Thiebaud (California, b. 1920) performed nicely within estimate selling for $28,560. And Charles Schulz (American, 1922) surpassed his high estimates with two of his comic strips, PeanutsDaily (Lot 2314) and Peanuts Sunday (Lot 2315) both selling for $16,660 each.
On the European paintings side, it was a work (Lot 2212) by French artist Georges Washington (1827-1910) titled Orientalist Battle Scene that surpassed its high estimate selling for $21,420. An ink drawing on paper (Lot 2294) by Salvador Dali (Spanish/French, 1940-1989) titled Destino also surpassed high estimate earning $17,850.
The Decorative Arts category featured rare works by Teco and Tiffany which perfomed well, but it was a Georgian-style gilt bronze mounted bracket clock (Lot 2469), late 19th century, that unexpectedly achieved seven times its high estimate. Offered for $8,000 on the high side, intense bidding drove the price to $59,500. Deric Torres, vice president and director of decorative arts and furnishings attributed the remarkable sale price to “its monumental size and the triple fusee engraved movement.”
As expected, however, (Lot 2408) the rare Teco glazed earthenware vase (1900-1904) drew highly competitive bidding resulting in the final sale price of $29,750. Selling beyond expectation, from Tiffany and Co., and coming from the N. Lee and B. Herbst-Gruhn Estate, was a service for 18 sterling flatware service in the Renaissance pattern. Offered for $10,000 to $15,000 at estimate, this set sold impressively for $19,040.
And, on the side of whimsy and art, a rare and important carousel reindeer (Lot 2500) by master carver and artist, Gustav Dentzel, Phladelphia, early 20th century, went to a new owner for a respectable $14,200.
For additional information call Clars at 510-428-0100 or email: info@clars.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog for Clars Auction Gallery’s Feb. 16-17 auction, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
This Chinese underglaze blue porcelain brush pot attributed to Wang Bu (Chinese, 1898-1968) sold for an astounding $534,300. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Furthering the remarkable Asian prices was this Himalayan gilt bronze figural group of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava Ekavira, 19th century, which sold for $248,300. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Topping the bronze offerings was this after-Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917) bronze, which achieved an incredible $59,500, almost 10 times its high estimate. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Topping the fine art category overall was this impressive work by Joseph Henry Sharp (American, 1859-1953) titled ‘Does Everything – Crow Chief, Custer and Reno Scout,’ which soared past its high estimate selling for $77,350. Clars Auction Gallery image.
California artist Arthur Frank Mathews (1860-1945) came in second place in paintings with his oil on board titled ‘Afterglow at the Seashore,’ which surpassed its high estimate achieving $38,675. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This oil on canvas by French artist Georges Washington (1827-1910) titled ‘Orientalist Battle Scene’ surpassed its high estimate selling for $21,420. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This Georgian-style gilt bronze mounted bracket clock sold for $59,500. Clars Auction Gallery image.
The rare Teco glazed earthenware vase (1900-1904) drew highly competitive bidding resulting in a price of $29,750. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Created by Gustav Dentzel of Philadelphia, this beautiful carousel reindeer sold for $14,200. Clars Auction Gallery image.
The Kosovo Museum has an extensive collection of archaeological and ethnological artifacts, including the Neolithic Goddess on the Throne terracotta, unearthed near Pristina in 1960. Photo by Agim Zeka, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AFP) – Kosovo’s culture minister on Friday said Germany had returned seven millennia-old artefacts that were smuggled out during the 1998-1999 war with Serbia and unexpectedly found in a Germanpolice raid.
The seven terracotta items, including a small bowl, date back to the neolithic era, between 3,500 to 4,000 BC. They were found by German police in an unrelated investigation against two Serbs several years ago, Memli Krasniqi said, adding that it took a while to confirm the items came from Kosovo.
According to the minister, Serbia stole scores of artefacts from Kosovo during the fighting.
“Serbia took more than 1,200 archaeology and ethnology items from the Kosovo museum,” Krasniqi said, urging Belgrade to return the artefacts.
The conflict ended after NATO aircraft drove out the Serbian forces who had fought ethnic Albanian guerillas, paving the way for Kosovo to proclaim independence in 2008.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Kosovo Museum has an extensive collection of archaeological and ethnological artifacts, including the Neolithic Goddess on the Throne terracotta, unearthed near Pristina in 1960. Photo by Agim Zeka, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
A local historical group paid $6,900 for three volumes of Virginia Confederate documents. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. MOUNT CRAWFORD, Va. – The top-selling lots in Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates vataloged variety auction on Feb. 16 were all rarities, all from private collections and all were in great condition. These three elements made for aggressive bidding not only for these lots, but also for most others in the auction. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
Top price of the day was a collection of important Virginia Confederate veterans manuscript records contained in three volumes, for the Stonewall Jackson Camp #25, UCV# 469, located in Staunton, Va. The 870 pages in the three journals included extensive notes and records of member’s war services, resolutions, newspaper clippings, signed letters from Mrs. Jefferson Davis and Gen. Eppa Hunton. Famous members of Stonewall Jackson’s entourage who were affiliated with the camp include Maj. Jed Hotchkiss, Stonewall Jackson’s mapmaker; Dr. Hunter McGuire, chief surgeon of Stonewall Jackson’s Corps and the doctor who amputated Jackson’s arm in a vain attempt to save the general’s life; and Gen. John Echols. Estimated to realize $500-800, the colection [Lot 265] sold for $6,900 to a representative of a local historical group.
Two items from the collection of the late Veronica “Ronnie” Riefler Strathmann, Pittsburgh, Pa., also realized strong results. A wrought-iron Arts & Crafts candleholder by Samuel Yellin (1885-1940) with an open-spiral shaft raised on a circular pan-like base and three five-toed pad feet, stamped “SAMUEL YELLIN” under base, dating to the first half of the 20th century, realized $4,600 against an estimate of $800-1,200 [Lot 368]. A wonderfully detailed circa 1900 Victorian painted wood doll’s greenhouse with amazing details including accoutrements such as potted plants, flower pots, baskets, miniature animals, etc., sold for $2,990 [Lot 188]. It was discovered disassembled in the attic of the Strathmann home by Beverley Evans who immediately recognized its auction potential.
Another of the popular lots in the auction was also a toy, a massive German Elastolin play set of approximately 160 pieces. The Western set included a log cabin and fence, two canoes, a covered wagon, teepees, campfires and approximately 148 Native American and cowboy figures. Many of the larger pieces were marked Germany or U.S. Zone Germany. It was accompanied by five boxes and packing papers that appeared original. Dating to the second quarter 20th century and the property of an old Virginia family, the set [Lot 191] realized $2,645.
The auction included a 2,000-plus piece collection of souvenir spoons and silver flatware from the estate of Lillian Merchant of Cape Cod, Mass., which proved very popular with bidders. A lot of 11 spoons and forks [Lot 778] having Western American themes featured ornate figural handles including miners, cowboys and cowgirls and nude figures sold for $1,150.
“Fresh estate merchandise with no reserves and low estimates is drawing strong interest and selling for very respectable prices,” said Jeffrey S. Evans. “This is the largest number of registered bidders that we have had for an auction since the economic downturn. It certainly demonstrates that buyers are coming back into the market and are enticed by the great values available today compared to prices five or six years ago. That renewed interest and energy is a good predictor of an upswing in the antiques and collectibles markets in the coming year.”
The 849 lots realized $208,714.50 (including 15 percent buyer’s premium). There were more than 1,400 Internet bidders with more than 7,225 bids submitted over the Internet.
Phone 540-434-3939 for more details or to consign to future auctions.
View the fully illustrated catalog for Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates cataloged variety auction on Feb. 16, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Kaspar Benedikt Beckenkamp (German 1747-1828) portrait of Louis, Comte de Provence, later King Louis XVIII of France, and portrait of Charles, Comte d’Artois, later King Charles X of France, oils on canvas. Exhibitor: Nicholas Bagshawe. Images courtesy Chelsea Antiques Fair.
LONDON – Visitors to the 2013 Chelsea Antiques Fair, which takes place from Wednesday, March 13, through to Sunday, March 17, at Chelsea Old Town Hall on the Kings Road, will see several changes to the event that was established in 1950.
The fair will be supporting two charities – Parkinson’s UK and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Faith Clark, daughter of Lady Wright, one of the founders of Hearing Dogs, will open the antiques fair at 2 p.m. on March 13.
Fiona Eddings of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, commented: “As a nongovernment funded organization, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People relies on the support of the public and fundraising events like these to ensure more partnerships between deaf people and hearing dogs are created. We are delighted to be a chosen charity and hope it will be a great success.”
Fair organizer Caroline Penman said: “The Chelsea Antiques Fair is the ideal destination for all those looking for that perfect painting, piece of furniture or beautiful decorative vase for their house, making it also a wonderful resource for interior designers. It’s the perfect place to go, if you want to add to an already existing collection or even to start collecting as you will get the chance to talk to lots of different dealers who will share some of their expertise with you. Never has there been a better time to buy antiques, while prices are so tempting in the current climate. Regular visitors to the fair will see several changes including a new stand plan, which incorporates a diamond-shaped central space – making the fair feel a lot more open and light. They have also recruited the services of events organizer and antique dealer Alasdair Brown to “dress” the fair and create atmospheric lighting and wonderful floral arrangements. In addition, there will be new catering with freshly prepared food and a bar.
The fair, which has 37 exhibitors, includes several new faces such as Hickmet Fine Arts from Portobello Road, Eastdale Antiques from Shropshire, who specialize in silver as well as Mark Stacey’s Vintiques from Brighton.
Highlights of the fair will include the glistening jewels of T Robert of Norfolk, fascinating works of art and jewels from Shapiro & Co. from Grays Antiques Market and some of the finest designer costume jewelry from Monika.
Paintings will be offered by Nicholas Bagshawe of St. James’s as well as Baron Fine Art of Chester, Paul Mayhew and Saunders Fine Art of Solihull. Silver will be represented by Paul Bennett of George Street, London and S. & A. Marsh of Surrey.
Furniture includes the stylish Art Deco pieces from Jeroen Markies of Sussex, oak furniture of Peter Bunting of Matlock, Derbyshire, and 17th–19th century furniture by Midwinter Antiques of Shropshire.
Violet’s Antiques of Swansea will be displaying a myriad of objects such as treen and smaller items. Rugs will be represented by Pars Rug Gallery of Hampshire,
Among the wonderful array of ceramics and glass will be Richard Hoppe of Devon, who is noted for his scent bottles; M&D Moir, who specialize in Art Nouveau and Art Deco glass and Christopher Sheppherd of Kensington Church Street will be offering Ancient and Antique Glass, as will Brian Watson Antique Glass of Norfolk.
Event Details:
Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, London SW3 5EE. Open Wednesday 2-8 p.m., Thurs-Sat 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: £5 Details & E-Tickets: www.penman-fairs.co.uk. T: 01825 744074
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Kaspar Benedikt Beckenkamp (German 1747-1828) portrait of Louis, Comte de Provence, later King Louis XVIII of France, and portrait of Charles, Comte d’Artois, later King Charles X of France, oils on canvas. Exhibitor: Nicholas Bagshawe. Images courtesy Chelsea Antiques Fair.
Enameled gold order of the Society of the Cincinnati, designed by Maj. Pierre L’Enfant and construction attributed to Duval & Francastle, Paris, 1784. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
CLEVELAND – A true piece of American history will be auctioned on Wednesday, March 6, at Gray’s Auctioneers – an enameled gold Order of the Society of the Cincinnati eagle. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding. The 338-lot auction will begin at 11 a.m. EST.
This is one of only 140 original eagles designed and conceived by Maj. Pierre L’Enfant for the inaugural members of the Society of the Cincinnati, the nation’s oldest patriotic organization. The society was founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution. This particular eagle (Lot 156) belonged to Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Polish-born hero of the Revolution and the chief engineer of West Point. In 1783, Kosciuszko was appointed brigadier general and initiated into the order by Gen. George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. The eagle was inherited by the consignor through direct descent of Stevens Thompson Mason (1760-1803), a U.S. senator from Virginia, and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Armistead (1760-1825), who were personally acquainted with Kosciuszko. According to family history, Kosciuszko was awarded the eagle, which he then gifted to Mary Elizabeth Armistead, for whom he had great affection. It has been passed down in the Mason family ever since.
The auction also features a suite of 16 vintage, hand painted, floor to ceiling wallpaper panels in the Décor Eden pattern, designed by Fuchs and produced by Defosse of Paris, circa 1912, (Lot 130). This magnificent and vibrant wallpaper, covered in majestic birds and tropical plants, comes from the famed Warren Packard Mansion of Lakewood, N.Y. Warren Packard, originally from Warren, Ohio, moved to the resort town of Lakewood to build his dream estate in 1912; a neo-Georgian home with 32 rooms, extensive grounds, servant’s cottages and its own electric light plant in the basement. Defosse was the premiere manufacturer of French scenic wallpaper, a style that reached its pinnacle of popularity in the mid-19th century and found its way into the homes of the most elite Europeans and Americans.
Gray’s is also offering an extraordinarily strong selection of works of fine art. The highlights of the auction include an oil painting by George Durrie (1820-1863) titled Winter Landscape with River (Lot 16), and a watercolor by Eugene Galien-Laloue (1854-1941) titled Paris Street Market Scene (Lot 18). There is also a strong selection of contemporary works by artists such as Picasso, Calder, Warhol, Miro and Chagall.
In addition, Gray’s is offering two pieces by sculptor Max Kalish. Kalish, born in Lithuania, was raised and schooled in Cleveland, Ohio. From 1920 to 1937, Kalish earned international recognition for his figures of American laborers. Gray’s is offering one of these outstanding bronzes entitled Barge Toiler (Lot 121). Also up for auction is his Female Torso (Lot 122), a rare marble statue, a medium the artist seldom worked in.
For the sportsmen, Gray’s is pleased to offer a unique collection of sporting and equestrian antiques including a set of sterling silver Keeneland julep cups by Mark J. Scearce of Kentucky (Lot 151), a Copeland Spode dinner service in the Herring Hunt Scene pattern (Lot 268), several lots of antique duck decoys from such makers as Evans, Mason and Dodge Factories, and equine portraiture by various artists including Allen F. Brewer Jr.
Other notable pieces in this auction include a 20th century Tiffany and Co. 18K yellow gold double-handle presentation cup (Lot 155) weighing 363.2 pennyweight, an 18K rose and white gold diamond ring by Mario Buccellati (Lot 157), and a stunning selection of silver servingware.
Condition reports and shipping quotes are provided on request.
For more information please contact Serena Harragin at 216-458-7695 or by email at serena@graysauctioneers.com .
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Enameled gold order of the Society of the Cincinnati, designed by Maj. Pierre L’Enfant and construction attributed to Duval & Francastle, Paris, 1784. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
Max Kalish (1891-1945), ‘Female Torso,’ marble. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
George Durrie (1820-1863), ‘Winter Landscape with River,’ oil on board. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
Eugene Galien-Laloue (1854-1941), ‘Paris Street Market Scene,’ watercolor gouache on paper. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
Max Kalish (1891-1945), ‘Barge Toiler,’ bronze. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
Suite of vintage hand-painted wallpaper panels in the ‘Decor Eden’ pattern, circa 1912. Designed by Fuchs and produced by Defosse, Paris. From the Warren Packard Mansion, Lakewood, N.Y. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
Four sterling silver julep cups, 20th century, by Mark J. Scearce, Shelbyville, Ky. Gray’s Auctioneers image.
Historic brick street in downtown Natchitoches, La. Image by Billy Hathorn. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) – In some of the oldest parts of Wilmington, shaded brick streets welcome you into calm neighborhoods. The bricks harken back to much earlier days, serving as a bumpy reminder of when horses – not tires – traveled the streets.
But in the years just after the Great Depression, the city moved away from paving new streets with brick, in part, to save money. Over time, many of the brick streets were covered with asphalt.
Eventually, the asphalt wears away to show the brick streets underneath – sturdy reminders of bygone decades.
Today, brick streets within the city’s Historic District and Historic District-Overlay are to be maintained as brick streets. That includes keeping stockpiles of older bricks to replace worn or missing ones.
But what happens to brick streets covered in asphalt?
That’s not as clear.
Janet Seapker, an architectural historian and vice-chairman of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, wants to change that.
Seapker, who was the longtime director of the Cape Fear Museum, has asked city planners to consider updating Wilmington’s brick streets policy. If she has it her way, the city will ensure the policy prevents paving over bricks that have been uncovered as asphalt wears away.
“I’ve been concerned about it for years,” Seapker said.
Her interest grew after she saw asphalt eroding to show more brick streets than she even knew existed. The policy update could also further define procedures for repairing brick streets.
Although planners are studying the proposal, no change is imminent, said Ron Satterfield, the city’s planning manager. He said the matter is in the discussion-and-brainstorming phase, adding that there’s no draft policy to release.
Richard King, the city’s public services director, said the 1980s policy to maintain certain brick streets doesn’t explicitly address brick streets that have been paved over.
In practice, he said the city has allowed asphalt to erode if there is a brick street underneath.
Eventually, city staff will bring a revised brick streets policy back to the Historic Preservation Commission. Ultimately, it would have to be approved by the City Council.
In the 1930s, Wilmington, like other cities, began turning away from bricks to asphalt, according to J.F. Newber Jr., who chronicled the city’s bricked streets in his 2006 book, A Study of the Brick-Paved Streets of Wilmington, North Carolina.
“Whenever an old brick pavement became uneven or needed expensive repair, the solution was all too easy: pave over it with inexpensive asphalt,” Newber wrote.
Residents became alarmed that the city was covering a part of its history, Newber wrote, adding that some pushed to spare brick streets from being repaved.
In many of those streets, names of the manufacturers of the bricks are visible, which was not the proper way to install the bricks. According to Newber, the bricks were meant to be laid on edge, which would have obscured the manufacturers’ names and stamps. Those stamps were designed, in part, to allow spaces between the brick so sand could be swept into their joints, he wrote.
“But laying street bricks on edge was more expensive than laying them with the wider, primary face upward,” he said. “If laid on edge, more bricks would be needed to cover a given area than by laying the brick with the wider face upward.”
Today, their economizing means you can peer down to see names, such as “August Block” or “Southern Clay MFC Co.” stamped on the face of the bricks.
George Edwards, the executive director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, said he would endorse the expansion of the policy to protect more bricks.
“I think that the presence of more brick streets in the city would serve multiple purposes,” he said. “Number one, it’s a traffic-calming device. Number two, it really makes our historic neighborhoods more appealing, both to locals and visitors.”
Every year, the foundation releases a list of “most threatened” historic places. While brick and stone walls and granite curbs have been on the list in recent years, brick streets haven’t.
“We don’t feel that any of the existing brick streets are in any jeopardy,” Edwards said, adding that the city has been committed to never paving over brick streets.
At the end of his book, Newber alluded to the future discoveries of bricks that are hidden beneath the asphalt. He said he hopes that historians or preservationists will seek to preserve those bricks, even if it meant removing layers of asphalt.
King said the city has looked into equipment that removes asphalt from bricks streets to restore them. City officials have talked to representatives from several companies to see if they are willing to do a demonstration, he added.
It’s possible Newber’s wish could be granted after all.
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Information from: The StarNews, http://starnewsonline.com
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-02-20-13 2052GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Historic brick street in downtown Natchitoches, La. Image by Billy Hathorn. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
An archaeological site at Edgewater Park, Coralville, Iowa. Image by Billwhittaier. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
DURYEA, Pa. (AP) – Officials are asking for the public’s help in identifying the vandals who ransacked an archaeology dig in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Times-Tribune of Scranton reports that the damage to the Conrail Research Site in Duryea upends three decades of work.
Professional and amateur archaeologists have been digging at the site since the early 1990s. They have unearthed knives, tools and pottery, some of which date back thousands of years.
Sometime Sunday or Monday, vandals trampled the excavation area, damaged equipment and ruined a protective tarp.
Al Pesotine, a member of the Society of Pennsylvania Archaeology, says it will take months to repair the destruction. But he says it will be worth the effort.
The site overlooks the confluence of the Lackawanna and Susquehanna rivers.
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Information from: The Times-Tribune, http://thetimes-tribune.com/
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-02-20-13 2220GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
An archaeological site at Edgewater Park, Coralville, Iowa. Image by Billwhittaier. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s armored bus. Image courtesy J.P. Humbert Auctioneers. LONDON (AFP) – There are better looking tin cans but they rarely have such a good pedigree as the rusty, armor-plated bus once used by Margaret Thatcher and sold in Britain for nearly £17,000 (20,000 euros, $26,000).
The 28-ton “battle bus” was apparently built in the 1980s for the former prime minister’s tour of Northern Ireland, the British-controlled province which at the time was a hotbed of sectarian violence.
At an auction on Thursday night it sold for £16,940 to a vehicle collector, beating its £10,000 estimate, according to Jonathan Humbert of JP Humbert Auctioneers in Northamptonshire, central England.
“There was immense interest in the bus,” he said. “It sold to a spontaneous round of applause in the saleroom.”
According to Humbert, the bus was commissioned by the British government and furnished with its own auxiliary generator and air supply, with the perhaps rather optimistic hope that it would be “chemical, biological and nuclear proof.”
With room for 35 passengers, it was used for the Iron Lady herself and government ministers before being turned over to the army for troop deployments, although it only clocked up 28,000 kilometres (17,400 miles).
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s armored bus. Image courtesy J.P. Humbert Auctioneers.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Egyptian company planning to invest $1.4 billion to build a fertilizer plant in southeastern Iowa may have to pay for archaeological digging at the site because Native American artifacts were found there, the state archaeologist said Wednesday.
Artifacts such as pottery, stone tools and spear points that are likely between 1,000 and 1,600 years old have been found in clusters on the 300-acre site north of Burlington where Orascom Construction Industries hopes to break ground soon, State Archaeologist John Doershuk said in an interview. The discovery adds another layer of complexity – and potential controversy – to a project that has been criticized because it’s been promised more than $200 million in state and local tax subsidies.
A consultant hired by Orascom is conducting additional analysis of the land and will recommend whether any of the areas are eligible for the National Register for Historic Places. If any areas are eligible, Orascom would be required to pay for “a full-blown excavation” before building on them to allow archaeologists to recover anything of significance, Doershuk said.
Doershuk said that his office and the State Historic Preservation Office would get to offer input on the findings before any decisions are made. He said he hopes the issue does not cause construction delays, but it’s too soon to say how it might affect the plans.
Work could begin elsewhere on the property while archaeologists dig in affected areas, but the impact would “depend on where they sit within the footprint of that construction,” he said.
“From what I’ve learned so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of these site areas get designated as eligible,” he said. “But I’m still waiting for the full data so I can add my two cents.”
The pottery and tools recovered thus far aren’t particularly significant since similar items have been found before, he said. But the additional sampling and evaluation being conducted by Orascom’s consultant, the Louis Berger Group, Inc., is looking at whether the areas are potentially significant because of the amount of materials clustered and how they are preserved. Perhaps they will find the remnants of a house or an “activity area” where people cooked food or processed hides, he said.
“If those kinds of things are intact, then the artifacts start to tell us a lot about the life of the people,” he said. “That’s what they are trying to drill into right now.”
He said no human or animal bones have been found on the site, which had not been studied by archaeologists previously. It’s still unclear whether researchers will be able to trace artifacts back to a specific tribe, he said.
Workers at the State Historic Preservation Office have been in contact with the company about the site, and are waiting to provide their input on the findings and offer technical assistance, a spokesman said.
Samantha Kampman, a public relations representative for Orascom, said the company hired the consultant to study the archaeological significance of the land because that is required as part of its application for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit to build on wetlands. She downplayed any problems, saying: “Everything is running according to schedule.”
The plant would employ 165 full-time workers after production begins in 2015 and support more than 2,000 temporary construction jobs, state officials say. Supporters say it would save money for farmers by reducing the cost of fertilizer and provide a needed economic jolt to the region. Critics say the tax breaks are too generous, especially for a large, foreign company, and that they are concerned about the plant’s environmental impact.
A spokeswoman for Louis Berger, which is expected to complete its report in coming days, had no immediate comment. Doershuk said the consultant has done extensive testing in January and February, which is unusual given the cold weather, after officials determined that “select areas had research potential and needed further study” before the permit would be approved.
He praised Orascom for working with regulators and following the process as it’s supposed to work.
“They have chosen to cooperate, which is wonderful and really speeds things along,” he said. “These folks are being smart about it.”
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