Who Owns Torahs?

We're asking for them back from former Iron Curtain countries, on the grounds that they persecuted or killed Jews and then confiscated them ... but the State Department seems to be sending the Iraqi Jewish Archive (currently in Maryland) back to Iraq? Didn't Saddam persecute and kill the Jews until there were none left, then confiscate their belongings?

Anyway, this guy thinks that Torahs belong to Jews rather than their persecutors, and I applaud him for it.
However, I remain dubious about his methods, and many of his claims ... there was one about the 82nd Airborne helping him in a city they weren't it, etc.

Rabbi to the Rescue: Menachem Youlus is called the Indiana Jones of Torah recovery and restoration. But there are doubts about his thrilling tales - Washington Post

A Chinese Slave in Imperial Italy?

This sounds like a fascinating discovery at Vagnari - the DNA of a skeleton was tested, and turned out to have mitochondrial DNA from haplogroup D, which indicates an origin on the mother's side in East Asia. We can't tell if that's one or a dozen generations back, nor can we tell his father's origins ... so it's partly speculative, but still fascinating. The finds look poor to me, and from the context I'm guessing slave.

Ambassador or slave? East Asian skeleton discovered in Vagnari Roman Cemetery - The Independent (via RogueClassicism); photo from the article, courtesy Professor Tracy Prowse.

Terrorism and Archaeological Looting

I'm very skeptical of the link so many archaeologist propose, as I've never seen any evidence for it in Iraq or Afghanistan* ... I'm pretty sure it's just another propaganda claim, which is why, I suspect, that this story has been getting so little coverage, though Giuseppe Proietti attempts to publicise it regularly.

9/11 hijacker attempted to sell Afghan loot - The Art Newspaper

* = I'd even go so far as to say I've seen evidence that seems to contradict the claim.

Archaeo-puppy?

Archaeology takes years of training, but Ellie is starting early. She still doesn't quite have the hang of using a trowel. Practice, practice, practice ...

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