Ancient History News Archive February

LiveScience is reporting that an ancient Greek helmet has been found at the bottom of Haifa Bay in Israel. The helmet dates from c. 600 BCE and belonged to a Greek mercenary warrior who likely served Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt (r. 610-595 BCE). This unique artifact has since been cleaned and is now on display at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa, Israel. Please click here to read more about the fascinating history of this helmet and the role of the Greeks in the Near East.

Peregrini, Barbari, and Cives Romani: Concepts of Citizenship and the Legal Identity of Barbarians in the Later Roman Empire

By Ralph W Mathisen

The American Historical Review... [continue reading]

Giza plateau was crowded on Monday as journalists, TV anchors, photographers and antiquities officials flocked to the northern side of King Khufu's Great Pyramid to witness Japanese scientists and archaeologists taking samples from different parts of Khufu's second solar boat... [continue reading]

Giza plateau was crowded on Monday as journalists, TV anchors, photographers and antiquities officials flocked to the northern side of King Khufu's Great Pyramid to witness Japanese scientists and archaeologists taking samples from different parts of Khufu's second solar boat... [continue reading]

The Romans and Their Roads – The Original Small Element Pavement Technologists

By J. Knapton

Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Concrete Block Paving, June 23-27, 1996

Introduction: French... [continue reading]

The archaeological examination by robotic camera of an intact first century tomb in Jerusalem has revealed a set of limestone Jewish ossuaries or “bone boxes” that are engraved with a rare Greek inscription and... [continue reading]

The legends of ancient lost cities are often overwhelming, yet those who are keen on actual facts are welcome in Greece. The ancient city of Helike, discovered in 2000, is seeking volunteers to help with the excavation works.  A view of the excavations... [continue reading]

New archaeological evidence suggests that America was first discovered by Stone Age people from Europe – 10,000 years before the Siberian-originating ancestors of the American Indians set foot in the New World.  Solutrean tools, Upper Palaeolithic... [continue reading]

This summer, Tel Aviv University's Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology is adding another excavation to their already expansive list of seven active digs. Azekah, a city of the ancient kingdom of Judah that features prominently in the Bible — both... [continue reading]

This summer, Tel Aviv University's Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology is adding another excavation to their already expansive list of seven active digs. Azekah, a city of the ancient kingdom of Judah that features prominently in the Bible — both... [continue reading]

The fate of the Ninth: The curious disappearance of Legio VIIII Hispana

By Duncan B Campbell

Ancient Warfare, Vol.4:5 (2010)

Introduction: On the morning of 7 October 1854, The York Herald and General Advertiser carried... [continue reading]

The remains of what could be the oldest stringed instrument to be found in Europe have been discovered in a remote cave on Skye.  The standing section between trenches 2 and 15, within the forecourt area outside the stairwell entrance to Bone passage, before... [continue reading]

There, in a gloomy underworld, departed heroes such as Achilles gathered mostly to grouse about their boredom, and await the verdict of the judges of the dead.  Alepotrypa Cave "I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man's house and be above ground... [continue reading]

Archaeologists discovered an earthen wall and different objects of the Maurya, Gupta and Pal dynasties in Mahasthangarh archaeological site of Bogra district last week.  The site where archaeologists discovered an earthen wall and different objects... [continue reading]

Prehistoric Eurasian nomads are commonly perceived as horse riding bandits who utilized their mobility and military skill to antagonize ancient civilizations such as the Chinese, Persians, and Greeks. Although some historical accounts may support this view... [continue reading]

Mass killings, systematic violence or warfare seem to have existed across all stages of the human civilization. A mass burial excavated at Titris Hoyuk, an archaeological site of Early Bronze Age (3000-2000 BC) in southern Turkey, shows evidence of massacre that... [continue reading]

Life in ancient Nubia could be brutal. Residents of Mis Island – a remote area along the Fourth Cataract of the Nile River in present day Sudan – were plagued by meager diets, high infant mortality and diseases such as scurvy and tuberculosis. Angela Soler, a recent... [continue reading]

In a narrow, modest laboratory in Michigan State University’s Giltner Hall, students pore over African skeletons from the Middle Ages in an effort to make the bones speak.  A Nubian skeleton laid out on a table at Giltner Hall Little is known about... [continue reading]

The Roman Ninth Legion’s mysterious loss

By Miles Russell

BBC News Magazine (2011)

Introduction: One of the most enduring legends of Roman Britain concerns the disappearance of the Ninth Legion.

The theory that 5,000 of Rome’s... [continue reading]

Lucretia: An Ancient Example of Honor

By Aubrey Hanson

Published Online (2009)

Introduction: The Roman historian, Livy, wrote a comprehensive history of Rome during the reign of Augustus. The work, Ab Urbe Condita, spanned from the time of Aeneas, preceding... [continue reading]

To Nurture or Neglect: The Body in Early Christian Art and Cappadocian Thought

By Laurie J. Christianson

Essays in Medieval Studies, Vol.7 (1990)

Introduction: Christians of the fourth century faced a true dilemma... [continue reading]

Blended Cuisine in Ancient Rome

By Charles Feldman

Repast: Quarterly Newsletter of the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor, Vol.20:4 (2004)

Introduction: They [fundamental elements] prevail in turn as the cycle moves round, and decrease into each other... [continue reading]

Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned

By Mary Francis Gyles

The Classical Journal, Vol. 42, No. 4 (1947)

Introduction: Curiosity concerning the origin and development of the expression “Nero fiddled while Rome burned” leads to an investigation which... [continue reading]

Colchester Before the Romans or Who Were Our Belgae?

By Christopher Hawkes

Essex Archaeology and History, Vol.14 (1982)

Excerpt: Pre-Roman Colchester fell in A.D. 43, to the Romans under Claudius. It was the previous... [continue reading]

Cynicism Then and Now

By John Christian Laursen

Iris: European Journal of Philosophy and Public Debate, Vol 1, No 2 (2009)

Abstract: Ancient cynicism was a moralistic school of ascetic and anti-materialistic gadflies and critics. Modern cynicism is generally understood... [continue reading]

A Historical Study of Athletics in Ancient Athens to 322 B.C.

By Donald Gordon Kyle

PhD Dissertation, McMaster University, 1981

Abstract: This dissertation investigates the historical development and significance... [continue reading]

The lifting of mud from a site in east of Khairpur Joso has resulted in the discovery of an archaeological site locally called Nathar-j-Daro  Mohenjo Daro, Larkana People of the area found some artefacts when contractors of the Frontier Works Organisation... [continue reading]

A "significant discovery" of a Bronze Age artefacts in Carmarthenshire have been recorded as treasure.  The museum says the hoard shows the type of weapons and dress items worn nearly 3,000 years ago The hoard of 13 bronze items found in a field at... [continue reading]

So did the Romans have much of anything to do with the "Emerald Island"? The Irish Times is reporting that a new academic project has commenced, exploring the links between Roman Europe and Celtic Ireland. Entitled "Late Iron Age and Roman Ireland (Liari)," the project has already caused quite a stir! Please click here to read about this fantastic initiative.

Iraqi and foreign archaeologists have uncovered a temple at the Sumerian city of Ur, which dates back to about 2500 B.C., the head of the Antiquities Department says.  Ruins iof Ur, Southern Iraq So far the scientists have uncovered one of the walls... [continue reading]

For the first time archaeologists are showing a 1.8-kilo haul of gold they found while performing excavations around a gas pipeline last year.  Archaeologists in Lower Saxony are, for the first time, displaying a priceless gold haul found during the construction... [continue reading]

The BBC reports that the popular belief of eight hours of sleep being optimal is a development of the 19th century, and that people have had a very different pattern of sleep before. In previous times humans usually had a first period of sleep of several hours, followed by a night-time awake phase, which in turn is followed by a second period of sleep of several hours. Many historical sources reference this bi-modal sleep pattern as if it was common knowledge, which appears to have been lost in the course of the Industrial Revolution (particularly with the advent of street lighting). Between the two periods of sleep people would be awake, and they meditated their dreams, prayed, had sex with their partner, or even visited their neighbours. It appears that many sleep-related problems may stem from the fact that the eight hour sleep is unnatural.

The outline of a figure scratched into a cave in Lapa do Santo in central-eastern Brazil is believed to be between 10,000 and 12,000 years and has been dubbed "the horny little man" because of its oversized phallus.  The figure, dubbed 'The little horny... [continue reading]

More than a Hull: Religious Ritual and Sacred Space on Board the Ancient Ship

By Carrie E. Atkins

Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University, 2010

Abstract: Greco-Roman religion in the ancient Mediterranean... [continue reading]

Archaeologists have made perhaps one of the most exciting Pre-Columbian finds in recent decades! In the vicinity of El Caño, Panama, excavations have unearthed fantastic tombs filled exquisite golden items. Since 2010, dozens of artifacts have been recovered and now scholars are peeling back the layers of time in order to solve the mysteries of this long forgotten civilization. Please click here to read an article about the excavation process from National Geographic Magazine. Also of interest is this news piece from National Geographic Daily News. Please click here to read that article.

The New York Times ran an article last month, detailing the importance of geoglyphs found deep within the Amazon rainforest in northwestern Brazil. Although they have been known to scientists and archaeologists since the 1970s, these "land carvings" are receiving increasing attention from the international community. Characterized by remarkable "geometric precision" and intricate detail, scholars debate their genesis and purpose. Please click here to read this fascinating piece.

A  joint team of American, British, Danish and Jordanian archaeologists working in eastern Jordan has announced its discovery of 20,000-year-old hut structures, the earliest yet found in that country. Along with materials found in the huts, the find suggests... [continue reading]

If you look at a map of the Old City of Jerusalem, you'll notice something odd. While the vast majority of the Old City's streets form a crowded casbah of winding alleyways, there are a few straight-as-a-ruler streets that bisect the city from north to south and... [continue reading]

LONDON. Ever wondered how the Celts warded off evil spirits? Come along to this event and find out more about the Celts. The British Museum is hosting an event of Celtic art and mythological stories for children and adults alike. The event costs GBP 12 and takes place on Sunday 04 March at the British Museum in London, from 14h00 to 19h00. Find out how to book a place at the British Museum Website.

Archaeologists on Monday began restoration on a 4,500-year-old wooden boat found next to the pyramids, one of Egypt's main tourist attractions.  In this Thursday, June 23, 2011 file photo, an Egyptian and Japanese team of scientists use a pulley system... [continue reading]

The Costa Concordia, a cruise liner than recently sunk off the Italian island of Giglio, nearly landed on an ancient Roman shipwreck. The modern ship sunk only a ship's length away from the ancient wreck. The waters around Giglio are in fact an ancient ship graveyard, as many vessels have sunk there before. Even the oldest known shipwreck of the Mediterranean lies off Giglio: a freighter carrying goods from Phoenicia, Etruria, and Eastern Greece sank here 2600 years ago. Read more on Spiegel.de (in German).

Russian biologists have managed to regrow flowers from seeds that were frozen for about 30.000 years. The seeds of prehistoric Silene stenophylla were extracted from plant seeds found in the Russian permafrost soil. They were probably dug in by Ice Age squirrels and never defrosted since. The flowers show significant differences from their modern counterparts: The blossoms look slightly different, and the prehistoric plants first only grew female blossoms, while the modern ones immediately grow hermaphroditic blossoms. You can read more about this on Spiegel.de (in German).

Mount Padang, the largest Megalithic site in Southeast Asia, has been renowned since the 16th century. It has even been mapped out by the National Archeological Research Center.   The Gunung Padang Megalithic site It faded away for awhile due to... [continue reading]

This is an anthology of 21 articles by professional archaeologists engaged in Harappan studies and allied sciences. The articles include long-term critical surveys of archaeological discoveries; literature on metal use; specialised archaeo-metallurgical analyses of copper smelting... [continue reading]

The ministerial committee that deals with national heritage sites, under the auspices of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, decided last week to embrace a new West Bank project: Thanks to a government allocation of NIS 5 million, archaeological excavations... [continue reading]

Some of the earliest evidence of prehistoric architecture has been discovered in the Jordanian desert, providing archaeologists with a new perspective on how humans lived 20,000 years ago.

The ancient hut structures in eastern Jordan were discovered... [continue reading]

Four previously unknown shipwrecks have been discovered some 30 kilometers off the Bay of Irakleio, Crete, in recent underwater exploration conducted by the ephorate of underwater antiquities.  The new finds comprise two Roman era shipwrecks, one containing... [continue reading]

The Wall Street Journal had a great review of Aelian's "On the Nature of Animals," in a of a new translation, by Gregory McNamee. Born c. 170 CE, Aelian is perhaps the world's first "naturalist." Please click here to read this review.

We have the unfortunate news of reporting a robbery of precious items from the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games, in Olympia, Greece. The BBC is reporting that around seventy items were stolen and that the museum has been significantly damaged. The news prompted the resignation of Greece's Minister of Cultural Affairs, Pavlos Geroulanos, but did not surprise the Greek public. Since the economic downturn in Greece, funding to museums and cultural organizations has been slashed due to austerity measures and severe budget cuts. Please click here to read more about this pressing tragedy.

The Roman Revolution: Could the Embrace of Rationalist Principles Have Saved the Republic?

By Gene Callahan

Oakeshott on Rome and America (Imprint Academic, 2012)

Introduction: One of the most frequent... [continue reading]

ABC News is reporting that a joint team of Japanese and Egyptians scientists is in the process of restoring a 4.000 year old boat, which originally belonged to the famous Pharaoh Kufu. Khufu--also known as "Cheops"--ordered the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Egyptologists and scientists have already restored another similar boat with much success. Please click here to read more.

The Theurgic Turn in Christian Thought; Iamblichus, Origen, Augustine, and the Eucharist

By Jason B. Parnell

PhD Dissertation, University
 of 
Michigan, 2009

Abstract: This dissertation aims to suggest... [continue reading]

The Two Orients for Greek Writers

By Takuji Abe

The Kyoto Journal of Ancient History, Vol.11 (2011)

Abstract: India was subdued by Darius I and incorporated into the vast Persian Empire at the end of the sixth century. This conquest stimulated... [continue reading]

Archaeologists working in eastern Jordan have announced the discovery of 20,000-year-old hut structures, the earliest yet found in the Kingdom. The finding suggests that the area was once intensively occupied and that the origins of architecture in the region date... [continue reading]

Understanding Carthage as a Roman Port

By Henry Hurst

Bollettino di Archeologia on line (2010)

Introduction: By setting the renewed study of Portus into the wider frame of the Ports of the Roman Mediterranean, Simon Keay’s admirable initiative stimulates... [continue reading]

Roman Perceptions of Blacks

By Lloyd Thompson

Electronic Antiquity, Volume I, Number 3 (1993)

Introduction: Certain preconceptions about ‘blacks’ in predominantly ‘white’ societies have distorted modern visions of the ways in which Aethiopes... [continue reading]

Metallurgy and the Development of Etruscan Civilisation

By Pieter William Mommersteeg

MPhil Dissertation, University College, London, 2011

Introduction: This dissertation assesses the role played in the development of metallurgy... [continue reading]

Encased in soil, this extraordinarily delicate face emerges into the sun for the first time in thousands of years.  The wooden sarcophagus was found at the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa in Aswan, Egypt The wooden sarcophagus was unearthed by archaeologists... [continue reading]

Ancient History Encyclopedia offers readers some of the most detailed information about the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians and other civilizations from antiquity. Founded by Jan van der Crabben in 2008, the site now has about... [continue reading]

The Origin and Failure of Roman Sumptuary Laws

By Noah Mencow

Columbia Undergraduate Journal of History – Published Online (2008)

Introduction: Sumptuary laws, defined as “Laws made for the purpose of restraining luxury... [continue reading]

The Chariot:  A Weapon that Revolutionized Egyptian Warfare

By Richard Carney

History Matters: An Undergraduate Journal of Historical Research (Spring 2006)

Introduction: Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations in the world... [continue reading]

The Neolithic period, around 10,000 BC in the Middle East, a time when the nomadic economy became permanent, founded on farming and breeding, could have arrived on the Iberian peninsula through a third route of expansion - North Africa. This is according... [continue reading]

Italian archaeologists on Friday found a Bronze Age hut during construction work in a town square on the southern Italian island of Lipari. Roman-era Hellenistic slabs were also unearthed, archaeologists said.  Huts of the middle Bronze Age superimposed over... [continue reading]

Stonehenge, it is said, marks an ancient burial site, forms an astronomical calendar and is even considered as a monument to the fertility gods.  Stonehenge But, now an archaeologist has claimed that these iconic stones were inspired by an extraordinary hallucination. ... [continue reading]

Archaeologists and conservation experts on the Italian island of Sardinia have succeeded in re-assembling literally thousands of fragments of smashed sculpture to recreate a small yet unique army of life-size stone warriors which were originally destroyed... [continue reading]

The first-ever ‘Mother Goddess' image carved in sandstone rock — representing the earliest perception of idolising woman as Goddess dating back to 3 Century BC — has been found close to the Sri Chalukya Kumara Bheemeswara Swamy temple at Samarlakota near... [continue reading]

The Walters Museum, in Baltimore, MD USA, is the current venue of a fantastic exhibition not to be missed: Exploring Art of the Ancient Americas: The John Bourne Collection will be on view until May 20, 2012. Featuring over 135 exquisite objects from South and Central America, this exhibition covers nearly 3,000 years of art history. Among the highlights are intricate pieces of jewelry, bejeweled masks, and painted pottery from the Maya, Incan, Aztec, Mixtec, Moche, and Olmec civilizations. Special objects from as far as Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama are exhibited as are rare pieces from Teotihuacan. This exhibition explores upon the interplay between religion and politics in Pre-Columbian civilizations and is organized by geography. Please click here to read a review of this exciting show from The Baltimore City Paper.

Last week, we mentioned the opening of an exciting new exhibit of ancient Egyptian objects and artifacts in Edinburgh, Scotland. The BBC has just covered the opening of this exhibition with a news report that can be viewed by clicking here.

A chance discovery of around 100 Roman graves was made recently near el Kantara on the island of Djerba. Employees working for the STEG (Tunisian Society of Electricity and Gas) as well as employees from the Ministry of Equipment and Housing uncovered the graves... [continue reading]

The discovery of Roman gold and silver coins on farmland in Suffolk suggests "relatively high status people" lived in the area, an archaeologist has said.  A father and son found the coins near Mildenhall, in Suffolk Fifteen silver coins and one gold... [continue reading]

Authorities on Monday seized number of stolen archeological artifacts in Lattakia Province.  A Source told SANA that the authorities stopped and searched a suspected car and found a group of archeological artifacts and plastic bags containing ancient... [continue reading]

Graves unearthed in the northern Italian region of Friuli over the last several days held objects belonging to ancient Lombard warriors.  Archaeologists excavated the tombs of men, women and children, some of which showed signs of past intrusions. ... [continue reading]

Romanizing Baal: the art of Saturn worship in North Africa

Wilson, Andrew. I.

Proceedings of the 8th International Colloquium on Problems of Roman Provincial Art, Zagreb 2003 (Opuscula archaeologica: Dissertationes et Monographiae). Zagreb... [continue reading]

Ancient Greek Yarn-Making

Kissell, Mary Lois

Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vol.13 No.11 (1918)

Abstract

The Metropolitan Museum is fortunate in having among its Greek collections three antique ceramics of exceptional interest, since they... [continue reading]

A series of 20 megalithic burial cairn circles have been found on a hillock in Madugala village in Mahbubnagar district by a team of archaeologists and historians.  Twenty megalithic burial cairn circles found on a hillock in Madugala village in Mahbubnagar district... [continue reading]

A new study of tropical forests will provide a 50,000-year perspective on how animal biodiversity has changed, explored through an archaeological investigation of animal bones.  Ancient bat bones As dawn breaks, a Cantor’s Roundleaf bat flies through... [continue reading]

SPECIALIZATION – THE HIDDEN FEATURE OF THE ROMAN PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION

Żyromski, Marek  (Poznań)

POMOERIVM 1 (1994) ISSN 0945-2354

Abstract

Specialization seems to be one of the main features... [continue reading]

Astronomy and ancient Greek cult : an application of archaeoastronomy to Greek religious architecture, cosmologies and landscapes

Boutsikas, Efrosyni

PhD Thesis, University... [continue reading]

Rites of Passage and their Role in the Socialization of the Spartan Youth

Metaxia Papapostolou, Pantelis Konstantinakos, Costas Mountakis, Kostas Georgiadis Department of Sport Management, (University of Peloponnese)

SMIJ... [continue reading]

Coinage and Sulla’s Retirement

By Ian Worthington

Rheinisches Museum für Philologie, No. 135 (1992)

Introduction: Sulla’s retirement into private life in 79 BC has provoked numerous explanations, including illness, apathy towards Rome’s... [continue reading]

Old Formats, New Experiments and Royal Ideology in the Early Nubian Period (ca. 721-664 BCE)

By Roberto B. Gozzoli

Egypt in transition: social and religious development of Egypt in the first millennium... [continue reading]

In the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal, Dr. James Romm of Bard University has written an excellent review for "A Culture of Freedom," by Christian Meier. Just published, this work focuses on Hellenism and its impact in the Near East as well as in Europe and North Africa. Please click here to read this review.

Did Ancient Romans Love Their Children? Infanticide in Ancient Rome

By Mindy Nichols

Senior Seminar Thesis, Western Oregon University, 2008

Introduction: Abandoned babies are not the thing of the past, it still... [continue reading]

Deconstructing the Discourses of Roman Imperialism

Mattingly, David J.

Historically Speaking, January (2011)

Abstract

The reputation of the Roman Empire has proved peculiarly resilient to postcolonial revisionist views. It... [continue reading]

PROBLEMS IN THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE PERSONNEL AND THE QUESTION OF MARINES IN THE ROMAN FLEETS

Saddington, Denis

Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, Volume 52, Issue 1, (2009)

Abstract

... [continue reading]

Numerous archaeological excavations are underway at a huge site in Anatolia which will uncover an ancient and rich yet forgotten kingdom known as Tuwana from the darkness of history, which will be featured in an open-air museum.  The news was reported... [continue reading]

A New Discovery of a Component of Greek Astrology in Babylonian Tablets: The “Terms”

By Alexander Jones and John M. Steele

ISAW Papers 1 (2011)

Abstract: Two cuneiform astrological tablets... [continue reading]

Plans to conserve a Neolithic site in Guernsey have been submitted to the Admiral de Saumarez Trust and the Guernsey Museums service.  Dr Nash and his team visited the site for three consecutive years Archaeologist Dr George Nash produced the Conservation... [continue reading]

Fascinating Mummies opens today at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. On show until May 27, 2012, this exhibition presents a special collection of objects and treasures from the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, based in Leiden, Netherlands. Highlights include detailed cat scans of various mummies, from all over Egypt, as well as rare sarcophagi. Please click here to learn more about this exhibit.

With a weight that rivals a baby elephant, a meteorite that fell from space some 30,000 years ago is likely Britain's largest space rock. And after much sleuthing, researchers think they know where it came from and how it survived so long without weathering away. ... [continue reading]

A short inscription engraved in the Brahmi characters has been discovered in the Edakal cave on the Ambukuthi hill in Kerala's Wayanad district. This is the fifth Tamil-Brahmi inscription discovered in the caves.  The pre-historic anthropomorphic figure... [continue reading]

Archaeologists digging in Cawston have described the discovery of the remains of two cremated bodies dating back some 2,000 years as a major find. Excavation work underway to uncover an Iron Age settlement off Calvestone Road, Cawston Land on Calvestone... [continue reading]

In this fun and engaging article, freelance writer Elisabeth Eaves journeys into the Yucatan peninsula's remotest region in order to visit the mysterious Mayan city of Calakmul. Flourishing around the year c. 600 CE, Calakmul was a wealthy and influential city, rivaling the fêted city of Tikal for power and prestige. Three times as large as the better-known Chichen Itza, Calakmul is the remotest of all Mayan cities and was only discovered in 1931. Please click here to read this article from GO Magazine (the inflight magazine of AirTran).

While our readers and visitors from Europe have been suffering through frigid weather for the past week or so, winter's wrath has proven itself as a blessing in at least one part of the old continent. An ancient building from Roman times, as well as pottery shards and the foundation of an ancient sewer system, has been revealed in the port city of Bourgas, Bulgaria. Click here to read about this unexpected discovery from Novinite.com.

Two archeologists from Belgium, Fabienne Pigière and Denis Henrotay, make a very interesting argument in the latest edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science: the bedrock of Roman power depended upon the camel. They posit that camels connected the various parts of the empire and were the favored animals for long distance trade. Furthermore, they also were favored by the Roman army and its ranks. Please click here to read this news article from USA TODAY.

Rome Without Emperors: The Revival of a Senatorial City in the Fourth Century CE

By Robert R. Chenault

PhD Dissertation, University of Michigan, 2008

Abstract: This dissertation is a study in the cultural... [continue reading]

Railways in the Greek and Roman world

By M J T Lewis

Early Railways. A Selection of Papers from the First International Early Railways Conference, edited by A. Guy and J. Rees (2001)

Introduction: Because the Greeks and Romans, for all their inventiveness... [continue reading]

2012 is likely to be a year of great political importance for the United States and for the European Union, if not for the entire world. Recently on NPR (National Public Radio), Professor Philip Freeman of Luther University spoke about his new book, "How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians." Freeman's work is a translation of a text written during the last days of the Roman Republic, by a brother of Marcus Cicero, in 64 BCE. Please click here to listen to the interview or read the interview transcript.

The foundation of a large fortress that was situated there during the First Temple period was exposed in an excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted with funding provided by Hofit – Ashdod Development & Tourism Company, Ltd. ... [continue reading]

The Punjab University archaeology department has discovered a rare Indus seal in steatite material with carved figure of Ibex with two pictographs from Wattoowala, Cholistan, during a survey of different sites near Derawar Fort along the ancient bed of River... [continue reading]

One year after the uprising in Egypt, the mission of archaeologists and Egyptologists of the University of Barcelona, working in collaboration with the Catalan Egyptology Society, returns to Cairo to resume its excavation work in Oxirrinco. The news is reported... [continue reading]

Behind the Mask of Agamemnon

By John G. Younger, Spencer P.M. Harrington, William M. Calder III, Katie Demakopoulou, David Traill, Kenneth D. S. Lapatin, and Oliver Dickinson

Archaeology, Vol. 52 (1999)

Introduction: “I have opened up a new world for archaeology,”... [continue reading]

The Dissemination of Divination in Roman Republican Times – A Cognitive Approach

By Anders Lisdorf

PhD Dissertation, University of Copenhagen, 2007

Introduction: At the climax of the play... [continue reading]

The Uses and Abuses of the Ancient Maya

By David Webster

Paper given at The Emergence of the Modern World Conference (Otzenhausen, Germany, 2008)

Introduction: I happen to study an ancient people – the Classic Maya (AD 250-900) –... [continue reading]

Female leadership in the ancient synagogue

By Bernadette J. Brooten

From Dura to Sepphoris: Studies in Jewish Art and Society in Late Antiquity, edited by Lee I. Levine and Zeev Weiss (Rhode Island, 2000)

Introduction: Jewish women in the ancient Mediterranean... [continue reading]

Last week, we noted the opening of "Roads of Arabia" at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. Now, you can access several pictures and a brief review of the exhibition from Der Spiegel, by clicking here. This is the first time that such rare and exquisite artifacts have been displayed in Germany. The exhibition has already won rave reviews from museum-goers in Barcelona, Paris, and St. Petersburg. Don't pass on an opportunity to see this show!

A Distant Diaspora: Thinking Comparatively about Origins, Migrations and Roman Slavery

By Jane Webster

The African Diaspora Archaeology Network (2010)

Introduction: It is estimated that more than 100 million... [continue reading]

Greek Macedonians discovered a valuable treasure hidden in the bowels of the earth, thanks to the methodical excavations undertaken in the construction of the Thessaloniki metro.  Many artifacts found in the excavation, from items such as gold hoops, benches... [continue reading]

Mars the Avenger

By Alan Scribner

CreateSpace, 2012
ISBN: 978-1463789787

Mars the Avenger is an historical mystery set at the height of the Roman Empire. In the novel, Marcus Flavius Severus, a judge of... [continue reading]

Archaeologists are notoriously nervous of attributing ritual significance to anything (the old joke used to be that if you found an artefact and couldn't identify it, it had to have ritual significance), yet they still like to do so whenever possible. I used... [continue reading]

Hallmark pottery dating back to 1900 BC has been recovered during the recent excavations in Ropar (now Rupnagar), Punjab. The Archaeolog-ical Survey of India, which recently started excavating the site after a gap of 56 years, has recovered fragments of “geometrical... [continue reading]

Artefacts from a stunning Roman villa which was unearthed in Walton, Peterborough went on display at the weekend.  Archaeologist Sarah Henley talks to David Favell, 67, at Paston and Gunthorpe community centre, about Roman artefacts discovered at nearby... [continue reading]

Recent radiological findings led by experts from the American University in Cairo may potentially dispel the long held-belief that cancer is a man-made, modern-day disease. With the diagnosis of the first real case of prostate cancer in... [continue reading]

Although it is only February, museums and galleries across the world are preparing to showcase ancient treasures and objects to the delight of museum-goers. Be sure to check out some of these exhibitions this coming spring season! Byzantium and ancient Egypt seem to be en vogue this season:

• Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has traversed across Europe and is now at the Pergamon Museum, in Berlin, Germany, from January 26 through April 29, 2012. The exhibition is themed as a journey through Pre-Islamic Arabia along famed trade routes and sites of veneration. With more than 300 objects on display--everything from ancient Roman frescoes to spectacular Arabian jewelry--it is no surprise that this exhibit has proven extremely popular with the casual visitor and the astute scholar alike. Considerable attention is also given to findings from recent excavations.


• Picturing the Past: Imaging and Imagining the Ancient Middle East is the current exhibition at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois USA, from February 6 through September 2, 2012. This fascinating show considers how Westerners have perceived the ancient Near East and how they ought to see this diverse geographic entity. With over 40 images and objects of art, this exhibition is designed to redress incorrect assumptions and delineate a more accurate image of the past.


• To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum of Art continues its journey across the United States and is now at the Joslyn Art Museum, in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, from February 10 through June 3, 2012. Showcasing over 100 pieces of fine art, statues, jewelery, and beautifully decorated coffins, this exhibition explores the religious beliefs of ancient Egyptians, detailing how royalty and commoner were united in a reverence for the afterlife.


• Vaults of Heaven: Visions of Byzantium is currently on display at the Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, until February 12, 2012. This exhibit explores the beauty and the intricacy of Byzantine architecture through the large-scale photographs of the celebrated Turkish photographer Ahmet Ertug. Special attention is given to the Cappadocian region of Anatolia and other UNESCO World Heritage sites. The photographs are simply breathtaking and offer a unique glimpse into the complex and vivid world of early Byzantium.


• Byzantium & Islam: Age of Transition will be on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, New York USA, from March 14 through June 8, 2012. This compelling show will focus on the interplay between art and culture during an age of considerable transition (the seventh century and eighth centuries CE). As the armies of Islam conquered and made inroads into the wealthy, southern provinces of the Byzantine Empire, a "cultural dialogue" emerged, redefining both Byzantium and the Islamic world. A variety of images and objects are to be displayed and careful attention is to be given to the phenomenon of iconoclasm in Byzantine, Islamic, and Jewish communities, during this era.


• The Dawn of Egyptian Art will be exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, New York USA from April 10 through August 5, 2012. This show will cover the genesis and subsequent development of Egyptian art from the Predynastic and Early Dynastic Periods (c. 4000-2650 BCE). With over 175 objects from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and twelve other museums from all over the world, the odds are that this exhibition will be spellbinding.


• Ancient Egypt--Art and Magic: Treasures from the Fondation Gandur pour L'Art is the special exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, in St Petersburg, Florida USA, until April 29, 2012. With over 100 special objects, this exhibition highlights the "spiritual qualities" of art and object, in addition to the technical prowess of the ancient Egyptians. Special consideration is given to jewelry and the various uses of gold in ancient Egyptian culture.

The earliest evidence of local cultivation of three of the Sukkot holiday's traditional "four species" has been found at the most ancient royal royal garden ever discovered in Israel.  An artist’s impression of the Israelite palace at Ramat Rachel... [continue reading]

The earliest evidence of local cultivation of three of the Sukkot holiday's traditional "four species" has been found at the most ancient royal royal garden ever discovered in Israel.  An artist’s impression of the Israelite palace at Ramat Rachel... [continue reading]

The Etruscans: A Population-Genetic Study

By Cristiano Vernesi et al.

American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol.74:4 (2004)

Abstract: The origins of the Etruscans, a non-Indo-European population of preclassical Italy, are unclear. There is broad agreement... [continue reading]