French contract archaeologists were on strike this past winter to protest the destruction of Iron Age, Gallo-Roman, and medieval remains at a construction site in Rodez. The protest was sparked by the revelation that Prime Minister Alain Juppé had authorized continuing construction despite the discoveries. The archaeologists claimed Juppé violated historic preservation codes and called for tougher laws.
Dutch Fort Orange
Thousands of artifacts and remains of a 14-foot-long, 5-foot-high wall were recovered in rescue excavations at the Dutch colonial site of Fort Orange in Albany, New York. A six-story building housing New York State offices will be constructed on pilings over the site.
Côa Valley Gets a Museum
When the Portuguese government halted construction of a hydroelectric dam in the Côa Valley last year (see "Rock Art Saved," ARCHAEOLOGY, March/April 1996), it saved not just a valleyful of Palaeolithic rock art but also the Quinta da Ervamoira vineyard. In celebration, the vineyard's owners are establishing a museum, opening this fall in Ervamoira, dedicated to the region's archaeological treasures.
Strachey's Coat of Arms
A brass signet ring with William Strachey's coat of arms has been found at Jamestown, Virginia. Strachey, later secretary of the colony, is credited with writing a letter sent to England describing the 1609 voyage to Virginia of Sir William Somers, who was blown off course and shipwrecked in Bermuda. The letter is thought by many to have been an inspiration for Shakespeare's Tempest.
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