HOT NEWS !

By Doyle Fox - Leader Post

Lori Johnston and Sean Frisky won't be looking for the fictional necklace named "The Heart of the Ocean" when they dive down in a midget submersible vehicle to see the legendary British ocean liner Titanic in September.

No, Johnston and Frisky will be representing Regina-based Droycon Bioconcepts and studying the bacteria and other contributing factors to the degradation of the Titanic.

"Most of the wrecks I've studied, including the Titanic, are designated graveyards," said Johnston, a microbiologist by trade. "We are not there as treasure hunters — everything we do is noninvasive."

Johnston has visited shipwrecks all over the world, including the Titanic's sister ship HMHS Britannic as well as the German battleship Bismarck. However, she first made the four-kilometre dive to see the world famous shipwreck.

"On my first dive, we came in contact with the bow and my first thought was 'this is a massive ship and beautiful'," Johnston said. "It wasn't harsh looking, it had a very soft feel."

Johnston, a University of Regina graduate, has made five dives to study the Titanic with renowned local scientist Roy Cullimore. Together, Johnston and Cullimore studied the bacteria that is eating away the iron on the Titanic.

"The degradation rate is basically the recycling process of nature — you can try to manage it, but it would be very difficult," Johnston said. "It's more interesting to see nature take its course."

In 2002, Johnston placed steel platforms built by IPSCO in the degradation "hot-spots" of the Titanic in hopes of discovering the rate at which the ocean liner is degrading.

Frisky, president of Regina's Ground Effects Environmental Services, said he and Johnston will measure, compare and analyze the "rusticles" left on both the Titanic and on the steel platforms.

"Rusticles are up to six metres long and they look like icicles on the side of the ship," said Frisky, who is readying for his first dive to Titanic.

"If there looks like there is enough (rusticles) to give us significant data, we will bring them up," Johnston said.

Johnston is also excited at the prospect of determining how much electricity can be generated from the rusticles and bacteria on the Titanic.

She believes the bacteria can generate over one watt of electricity and can potentially be the key to harnessing a greener source of power.

Aside the from the scientific aspect of the excursion, Johnston still marvels at the human element of the Titanic.

By Lacie Lowry - The News On 6

A massive restoration project is under way in Muskogee on a true war hero.

The USS Batfish is a World War II submarine that's highly decorated with military honors, but her condition has highly deteriorated over the years.

A group of Active Duty and Reserve Chief Petty Officers of the United States Navy spent Saturday painting the USS Batfish black, restoring the submarine to her glory days of World War II.

"It amazes me how many people don't realize we have a sub in Oklahoma. To see a sub to begin with is a treasure, to see a World War II sub is an even bigger treasure," said Rick Dennis, Muskogee War Memorial Park Manager.

The officers working are from across Oklahoma and northern Texas. They have volunteered their time as part of their naval training.

"We're trying to give back to the community what the Navy has given us. It's been one of the best parts of our lives and it's given us great things," said MMC Casey Bills, United States Navy.

The project not only restores the sub, but preserves our history, too.

"She was commissioned in 1943. That makes her well over 60-years-old and she has seen some action and it tells a story," said Dennis.

And what a story she has. The USS Batfish was a sub killer. In February of 1945, she sank three Japanese subs in only 76 hours, a naval record that still stands today.

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By Marilyn Ong -  The Star

Sunken treasures ! The very words conjure up dazzling visions of romance and adventure on the high seas. Professor Augustine Vinh speaks on the perils of collecting sunken treasures.

Internationally acclaimed sunken treasure hunter and collector Professor Augustine Vinh does not at all comply with one’s image of a treasure hunter — deeply-tanned and with rock solid physique.

“I don’t dive nor scour the sea beds, picking up centuries-old porcelain and pottery,” smiles the scholarly-looking Vietnamese-American, who lectures on business management at National University of Vietnam. “I am more of an advisor and, occasionally, I provide funding for expeditions. At 60, I really should not be deep-sea diving!”

Born in Haton outside Hanoi, Prof Vinh got his first degree in foreign affairs and went on to do his MBA at Georgetown University in Washington DC. His interest was piqued in 1976 when he was doing his Masters in Foreign Service in Philadelphia.

“I went to a flea market looking for a Chinese porcelain flower vase. I was a student and could not afford the one I liked, which cost US$10. So I pointed to an old, dirty vase which I could clean and make good as new. To my horror, it was more expensive at US$50!

“I was so naive I assumed all old stuff had less value than new ones. The new vase was so pretty and shiny but the dirty one cost more! I was shocked but learned my first lesson — antiques had value!”

The fascinated young man stood enthralled and decided there and then to invest in antiques and make money.

“But I was still naive and thought it would be easy to buy and sell such antiques,” he says.

And so began a love affair that continues unabated to this day. “I worked hard and spent all my salary on antiques, buying Chinese vases, bowls and plates in America. I was more interested in quantity and built a nice collection which was my pride and joy.”

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By Edward D. Murphy  - Kennebec Journal

Treasure hunter Greg Brooks, who led a trouble-plagued relief mission to Haiti last winter, has set his sights on a salvage job with both business and humanitarian components.

Brooks, who is from Gorham, wants to put his sea salvage skills to work removing an estimated 16,000 pounds of valuable mercury from a 66-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Maine.

He contends the mission would defuse a ticking environmental time bomb, though scientists have concluded the wreck is best left undisturbed.

The federal government prohibits any activity near the ship, but Brooks is hoping he can get the ban lifted. If he does, he would gain access not only to the mercury, but also to other cargo, including what he says is copper-platinum wire worth $200 million.

The wreck is the Empire Knight, a British freighter that struck an underwater ledge, split in two and sunk in a blizzard near Boon Island, off the coast of York, in February 1944. In 1990, the Coast Guard learned the ship carried 221 flasks of toxic mercury.

Divers subsequently recovered 1,230 pounds of the mercury and 2,200 pounds of contaminated debris, but determined that another 16,000 pounds of mercury had escaped from the casks and was in a cargo hold near the stern of the ship.

Officials eventually decided it would be better to leave the mercury alone, concluding that in time, sediment will cover the ship, burying it and its toxic cargo.

Attempting to remove the mercury, officials said, could result in the mercury escaping into the sea and contaminating the food chain.

In the late 1990s, as salvage companies tried to stake claims to the wreck, federal officials created an environmental safety zone around it, prohibiting diving, salvage and other activities.

Brooks thinks it's time to lift the limits and allow him to remove the mercury, via a high-pressure vacuum and filter system. That could also clear the way for him to salvage what he believes is copper-platinum wire that was included in the wartime cargo and could be what he terms "semi-valuable" -- to the tune of $200 million or so.

Officials have said they believe the wire is copper only and pegged its value at about $1 million in the mid-1990s, although prices for the metal have risen since then.

Brooks said his research suggests the more valuable wire is aboard and added that he also believes there's a "secret cargo" of coins in the wreck.

Those coins, he said, could be worth $10 million to $15 million for the metal content alone, and more than that if there are coins that are valuable to collectors -- which is likely, given the age of the wreck.

By Sandip Hor - Today Online

When in Egypt, many travellers overlook Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast in favour of the traditional tourist path along the Nile, covering Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.

However the historical significance of the city inspired me to explore its seafront spread, where in 332BC Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great established the capital of the Graeco-Roman Empire. In its halcyon days, Alexandria rivalled Rome in art, culture and commerce.

It boasted a lighthouse which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and had a colossal library where the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew to Greek.

I knew not much of that period remains, as devastating floods and earthquakes had destroyed most of the ancient city. I visited Alexandria instead to look for some of the enduring connections with its cherished past.

At first sight, the landscape and atmosphere of the city appeared more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern.

It stems from a renaissance the city underwent in the 19th century under the rule of Pasha Muhammad Ali, who is regarded as the founder of modern Egypt because of the dramatic military, economic, and cultural reforms he instituted.

However, with Cairo booming after the country was declared a Republic in 1953, Alexandria again declined in stature and whatever stands today is only a hint of its past brilliance. Yet, it is still captivating enough to make someone fall in love with it.

The necklace-like seaside promenade called Corniche is the tourist epicentre as several of the city's attractions - monuments, mosques, museums, hotels and restaurants - are situated along its 32km waterfront.

At one end of Corniche lies the Sultan Quatbay Fort. It was built in the 15th century at the site of the city's fabled Pharos Lighthouse, which had been destroyed by a massive earthquake a century earlier. It was said that blocks of stone from the lighthouse were used in the construction of the fort.

Gazing at the turquoise water of the Mediterranean from the fort's bastion, I imagined that I was standing at the balcony of the third century lighthouse watching workers navigating ships through the notorious stretches of the sea.

At the other end of the Corniche stands the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the city's iconic new library. It sits on the same site as Alexandria's 3rd century BC library, the greatest of its time. According to Bibliotheca's director, the modern version captures the original institution's spirit of openness and scholarship promoted by Alexander's successors.

Still, a large part of Alexandria lies in the bay or buried under the streets, waiting to be discovered, which explains archaeologists' fascination with the city.

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From People's Daily Online

The underwater archaeological team from the National Museum of China will visit Kenya in Africa in November to search for the legendary "sunken ships of Zheng He's fleet."

A few days ago, the land-based archaeological team that has already arrived in Kenya sent a piece of news back that they found some Chinese cultural relics, including "Yongle Tongbao," which are ancient Chinese coins used in the Ming Dynasty, in a local village.

The China-Kenyan Lamu Islands Archaeological Project, launched by the National Museum of China, the School of Archaeology and Museology of the Peking University and the Kenya National Museum, was officially launched in July 2010.

The project's main purpose is to confirm the authenticity of some local villagers' claims that they are "descendants of the ancient Chinese people" and to salvage the ships in Zheng He's fleet, which were sunk 600 years ago.

The aboveground archaeological team led by Qin Dashu, an archaeological professor from the Peking University, arrived at Kenya at the end of July and has began to search for Chinese cultural relics left in Kenya.

After searching for nearly one month, the archaeological team has found many relics, including the "Yongle Tongbao" of the Ming Dynasty.

The land-based archeology project chose a historic site near the Mambrui Village, Malindi, Kenya as the excavation site.

The most convincing evidence archeologists have found are the "Yongle Tongbao" Ming Dynasty coins and the Long Quan Kiln porcelain provided only to the royal family in the early Ming Dynasty.

Qin said that he has studied the place where the porcelain used in the imperial palace was made and the characteristics of the porcelain found in the early Ming Dynasty.

Now they have found this kind of porcelain in Kenya, he believes that it may be related to Zheng He because as an official delegate, Zheng may have brought some imperial porcelain there as rewards or presents.

Full story...

By Monica Haynes - Post-Gazette

Be prepared to spend at least 90 minutes, probably longer on the weekends when attendance tends to be heavier. There are 140 artifacts from a variety of sources, including the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, cultural institutions such as the Egyptian Museum in Berlin and private collectors.

Among the artifacts are ancient coins that archaeologists believe bear Cleopatra's likeness. And guess what ? She looked nothing like Elizabeth Taylor.

Still, like the tale of King Tut (the Franklin Institute hosted an exhibition on the boy Pharoah three years ago), Cleopatra's is an intriguing story wonderfully told not only with artifacts but also through video clips, audio narration, maps and photographs.

"Based on our success with King Tut and through our own research, Egypt and Egyptian themes tend to resonate very well with the American public.

Why that's the case we don't know, but nevertheless, they continue to be interested," said Troy Collins, senior vice president, programs, marketing and business development for The Franklin Institute.

"Cleopatra is one of these very timeless, iconic pieces of history. ... People think they know a lot about [her], but once they know the true history and the true story, they become even more fascinated."

Visitors to the exhibition first encounter a room with a glass floor and blue and green lighting moving around the walls. It gives the feel of being underwater, where many of the artifacts were discovered. Beneath the floor is sand and items such as urns and portions of statues. They next enter a room where a brief film on Cleopatra is narrated by the Queen herself. (Actually, it's an actress.)

Egypt's last ruler was of Greek descent and a member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. While her body has never been found and no one really knows what she looked like, she's been described by many ancient historians as "beautiful" and "intelligent."

The Romans obliterated all traces of her when they conquered Egypt in 30 B.C. Still, enough has been discovered to put together Cleopatra's life, a life less ordinary.

She was not the first Cleopatra, but actually Cleopatra VII. She was 17 when she became Pharoah and ruled the country with her younger brother, whom she married. She was well-educated and fluent in Ethiopian, Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and ancient Egyptian.

She had one son with Julius Caesar (Caesarion or little Caesar) and three children with Mark Antony, including a set of twins.

Perhaps the artifact that gives the most insight into this mysterious monarch is a papyrus from the Egyptian Museum of Berlin, which bears her handwriting.

It was a document granting a tax exemption for a businessman and friend of Mark Antony. To it, Cleopatra added the word "ginesthoi" -- which means "make it happen."

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By Keith Morelli - The Tampa Tribune

In the pitch-black depths of an isolated North Port spring sits a silt-covered ledge that is revealing secrets about a prehistoric nomadic people, secrets held in murky silence for 100 centuries.

Now, with diving gear and artifact-collecting bags, archaeologists with the University of Miami and The Florida Aquarium are sweeping away the muck and uncovering that distant past.

This stuff could be as old as 13,000 years old, when wandering tribes traversed Florida. Their travels included stopovers at what is now known as Little Salt Spring, 90 minutes south of Tampa.

Artifacts are delicately uncovered from a ledge 90 feet below the surface, archaeologists say, offering up glimpses of what life was like for who is believed to have been Florida's first residents.

John Gifford, an underwater archaeologist with UM's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science along with aquarium divers are working together to gather the artifacts.

"In the last ice age, between about 10,000 and 13,000 years ago, the water level was 90 feet lower then than it is today," Gifford said. "It's generally thought that along that early beach area, those early humans left their tools or whatever artifacts they found at that site."

The site has been under excavation by scientists sporadically over the past three years, and only about 6 percent of the submerged ledge has been scoured.

"Little Salt Spring," Gifford said, "is where we have at least a fighting chance at finding some traces of human activity say 9,000 or 10,000 years ago."

The work is painstaking and somewhat dangerous but worth the effort, archaeologists say. Little Salt Spring, they say, is one of the most important archaeological sites in the state, and perhaps the nation, for its wealth of information about the dawn of civilization here in Florida.

The sinkhole's water chemistry and temperature have helped to create a one-of-a-kind, prehistoric submerged site where late Paleo-Indian and Archaic artifacts are unusually well preserved.

"Our research has only begun to scratch the surface of what this site may reveal to us," Gifford says in a statement released this week.

"The anoxic (absence of oxygen) environment at the bottom of the spring does not allow microbes and bacteria to live, so decomposition of organic material deposited there thousands of years ago is greatly reduced.

Wooden and other organic tools, as well as animals' soft tissues and bones, are preserved nearly intact in this unique environment."

In 2005, Gifford and his graduate students discovered two exceptional Archaic artifacts – a greenstone pendant and a carved stone that appears to be part of a spear thrower – estimated to be approximately 7,000 years old.

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