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surface and we've dug down about 15 feet [4.6 m] below the present surface. And we're still going down! What that means is that the ancient surface has risen through time. There've been deposits that have come from the mountains; silt and dirt have been deposited around this archaeological site, raising the surface through time. So we don't know how much further we have to go down. And it's very exciting that it's continuing to reveal older and older stre to investigate. That's one of the joys of archaeology. You can never predict what you are going to find. Every season there are new surprises. oo were flourishing and the Egyptian pyramids were being constructed. Musical instruments were part of the Caral culture, which Science reported on April 27 as the Western hemi- sphere's oldest city and home to a civilisation as old and advanced as any in the world. See Earthfiles Science Report dated 6 May 2001 at www.earthfiles.com/earth236.htm. important. In Central Asia, people built cities as they did in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. But in the areas of Europe, arming took much longer to get there. The farming that finally entered into Europe after Central Asia, thousands of years and after the Indus Valley, represents a different type of culture. LMH: Where does your work go from ere? What's next? Prof. Hiebert: We're very excited about discovering the stamp seal at our site dated to 2300 BC. We're certainly going to go ack and look for more evidence of literacy and administration of trade from this time eriod. We hope to dig deeper to find out ow [far down] this particular civilisation and site goes in this area. We haven't reached the bottom yet. We're still digging down. We really look forward to going back for a couple more seasons at this par- ticular site. Then we hope to expand our research into looking at the ancient trade routes in the area. LMH: How deep are you down? Prof. Hiebert: We have a site that is about 35 feet [10.7 m] above the present - rome vou we don't know how much further we About the Interviewer: to go down. And it's very exciting that it's Linda Moulton Howe is a graduate of continuing to reveal older and older strata Stanford University, USA, and has a to investigate. That's one of the joys of | Masters degree in communication. She is archaeology. You can never predict what a science and environment reporter for you are going to find. Every season there television and radio, including Premiere are new surprises. co Radio Networks, and a reporter and edi- tor on www.earthfiles.com. Over the last Interviewer's Notes: eight years she has regularly reported + Dr Hiebert and the geological team planto news for Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell return to the Anau site fora month in June and Dreamland on Sundays. Her film 2001 to core down through the archaeological documentaries, A Strange Harvest and dig to see how much further it isto natural Strange Harvests 1993, explored the geological strata. They are planningan excava- | worldwide animal mutilations phenome- tion trip for September 2001 or June 2002. non. Linda's books include: An Alien ¢ A book about Dr Hiebert's work (Origins Harvest; Glimpses of Other Realities — of the Bronze Age Oasis Civilisation in Central Vol. I: Facts & Eyewitnesses and Vol. II: Asia) was published in 1994 by the Peabody High Strangeness; and Mysterious Lights Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at and Crop Circles (see review this issue). Harvard University; it is available from These are available via amazon.com and Amazon.com. barnes&noble.com. Most of Linda's «In other archaeological news, the Caral site books and videos can also be obtained in the Supe Valley in Peru has now been dated from NEXUS offices in Australia, New to between 2627 BC and 2020 BC—the same Zealand, United Kingdom and The time period that Central Asia and Mesopotamia Netherlands. NEXUS = 89 A Central Asian Civilisation as Ancient as Sumeria Continued from page 59 AUGUST — SEPTEMBER 2001 www.nexusmagazine.com