From an unidentified creature hitting headlines all over the world to a rare astronomy find, the headlines of September 2009 also include new discoveries in an ancient Greek cemetery.
Unidentified Creature , What is It?
In Panama, four teenagers have come across an unidentified creature that is causing quite a stir across the airwaves and news headlines. The photograph of the odd ‘thing’ is seen dead on a rock. While it appears to possess a head with animal-like characteristics, the body strangely resembles a slim human with arms. Rumors of an alien presence to wild creatures of the unknown have been spreading like wildfire. The teenagers claim that the creature was alive when they first encountered it, but when it started to make its way towards the youths, they threw rocks and sticks at it , causing its death. Zoologists in Panama are puzzled as to what kind of animal the creature is, but many liken it to a dead fetus of some kind.
New Discoveries at Ancient Greek Cemetery
In Greece, Arhontiko is an ancient cemetery dating back to the 6th century, where archeologists have found 50 new graves and many artifacts, including weapons and gold ornaments. The historical significance of the site is that the cemetery is located close to the ancient city of Pella , the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Researchers were pleased with their finds, which ranged from two bronze helmets with gold inlay to weapons made out of iron. Other artifacts included statuettes and pottery.
Some of the dead were also dressed in ornaments of gold foil, which were especially created for funeral. These pieces would cover the mouths and chests of the dead. Arhontiko has proven a goldmine for exploring the ancient Greek world, as a total of 965 graves have been excavated over the course of nine years. Archeologists are eager to discover the other treasures thought to exist at the site, which they believe only 5% of the entire cemetery has been uncovered so far.
Rare Meteorite Found in Australia
Published in the journal Science, we learn that researchers have uncovered an odd kind of meteorite in desert of Western Australia and have even pinpointed where in the Solar System it originated. When it comes to meteorites, they serve as the only surviving physical record regarding the formation of our Solar System. Researchers are able to learn beneficial information on what kind of conditions were in place during the early days of the Solar System.
Over the past 200 years, about 1,100 documented meteorites exist, but only a dozen have details attached to how they were traveling about the Solar System before falling to the Earth, as well as where they started out. With the help of a new camera network, the location and other data regarding meteorites are now possible. This new specimen measures the same size as a cricket ball and will mark the first of its kind that is retrieved after researchers hailing from Imperial College London, Ondrejov Observatory in the Czech Republic, and the Western Australian Museum, established a trial system comprised of cameras in the Nullarbor Desert in Western Australia (2006).
