archaeological – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

The charity plans to make the site accessible to the public

UK: Heighington Station [1827] – First Train Platform in World! (19.1.2026)

19/01/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

Last year Heighington Station, which dates to back to 1827 and was part of the first passenger railway to use steam trains in the world, was bought by the charity Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

The group’s chair Niall Hammond said the excavation of a small train platform located near the site was planned.

He said it was presumed it was the “original for the building” because it looked the right size and shape.

He said plans were still in the early stages, but that the group hoped to attract lots of volunteers to the dig over the summer.

Hammond said the platform, which is next to the station, was “tiny” and had cobbles.

He said ideally the team would find a “Georgian penny” at the bottom of the platform during the dig which would confirm its age.

Painted pottery (bottom left) from the Fujia cemetery, as well as from the southern grave (FJ_S21; middle left) and northern grave (FJ_N07; top left). The right panel illustrates the layout and features of the Fujia archaeological site, highlighting residential areas, pottery kilns and the two cemeteries. Scale bar, 50 m. Credit: J. Wang et al., Nature (2025)

China: DNA Study Reveals “Fujia” Matrilineal Society! (4.1.2026)

04/01/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

All 14 individuals from the northern cemetery possessed the same maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA haplogroup — a genetic population group sharing a common ancestor — and exhibited identical mitochondrial DNA sequences, while 44 of the 46 individuals from the southern cemetery had another mitochondrial DNA haplogroup and identical mitochondrial DNA sequences, indicating that the individuals in each group shared a maternal lineage.

Rutland: Standing To Attention Was Abit Different in the 1600s! (27.10.2025)

27/10/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

We are currently staying in a 17th century cottage in Market Overton. All the door-frames seem to be about 5’8″ high – if that. Blimey, if I volunteered for Cromwell’s forces, I would probably need a Shire Horse and a massive breast-plate! I am around 6’2″ tall and when I stand to attention – about a third of my head protrudes above and beyond the height of the average door-frame. I am always advising my two daughters to stand-up tall so that they grow to their full potential. Gee is 5’4″ tall – which is tall for a Chinese person who ancestors hail from South China.

UK: Early Roman “Basilica” Found in London! (13.2.2025)

13/02/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

The site was discovered at 85 Gracechurch Street, an office building that’s about to be demolished and redeveloped.

Earlier archaeological investigations revealed the ancient basilica’s approximate location, so the team created several small test pits to see what was hidden beneath the concrete floor.

On the third attempt, digging between the filing cabinets, they struck lucky.

“You can see a huge chunk of Roman masonry, and it’s incredible that it survives this well. We’re absolutely thrilled that there’s so much of it here,” said Sophie Jackson.