MUFONET-BBS GROUP - MUTUAL UFO NETWORK ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS - WIRE ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД

MUFONET-BBS GROUP - MUTUAL UFO NETWORK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS - WIRE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї і=START= XMT: 11:07 Wed Feb 05 EXP: 11:00 Sat Feb 08 і і і іRESEARCHERS LOCATE "ATLANTIS OF THE SANDS," ANCIENT CITY IN і іMIDDLE EAST і і і іLOS ANGELES (FEB. 5) UPI - Researchers, using special radarі іscans from the space shuttle for guidance, located the lost і іcity of Ubar, a magnificent city that was the center of the і іancient frankincense trade in what is now the Middle Easternі іcountry of Oman, reports said Wednesday. і і і іThe team of Los Angeles archaeologists believes Ubar і іcollapsed into a large limestone cavern over which it had і іbeen built. They already have excavated the remains of an і іeight-sided structure, a fortress with 10 foot to 12 foot і іwalls 2 feet thick and 60 feet long. і і і іEach corner of the structure had a 30-foot tower, which wereі іa distinguishing feature of Ubar as described in the Islamicі іholy book, the Koran. і і і іCalled ''the Atlantis of the sands,'' Ubar was built some і і5,000 years ago and was a thriving trading capital for the і іhighly valuable resin. Its rulers became wealthy, and - і іaccording to Islamic legend - so wicked that God allowed theі іcity to be swallowed up by the desert. і і і іUbar was located in what now is Oman, in an area known as і іthe Empty Quarter because it is so barren, said the Los і іAngeles Times. і і і іDetails of the finding were to be reported at a news і іconference in San Marino, Calif. і і і іThe archaeologists engaged the help of NASA scientists, who і іused a radar device on the last successful mission of the і іshuttle Challenger to pick out features of the geology і іbeneath the desert sand. і і і іUsing this technique, they located ancient trade routes, і іwhich were packed down into a hard surface by the passage ofі іmany camels. Once an area where the trade routes converged і іwas identified, researchers on land were able to begin і іexcavations. і і і і''After four days of digging, it was clear we had hit pay і іdirt,'' George Hedges, an organizer of the expedition, told і іThe New York Times. і і і іPrevious researchers attempted to locate Ubar, with one of і іthem, Bertram Thomas, apparently coming close about 60 yearsі іago. At the time he observed the ruins of a ''rude fort'' і іbut judged it to be a few hundred, not thousand, years old. і і і і=END= і