Blogs

Re-invented by the Victorians, under the name of Boadicea, Boudicca (starring in this Ancient World in London video) was presented as an idol of nationalism, of British warrior tradition and, somewhat incongruently, as a figurehead of imperialism, even though this was the thing she had fought against. Her statue sits directly opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, overlooking the River Thames at the very heart of London. There she stands in her chariot looking over the city like some kind of fierce guardian angel for the British. But what is she doing there? Should we really be touting Boudicca as a hero?

Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to be joined by popular historian Bettany Hughes and head teachers from primary and secondary schools across the city at London’s City Hall tomorrow to launch a new drive to boost classical education in state schools. But is there any point teaching a dead language to already-bored kids?

The tousle-haired Tory studied Classics at Oxford as an undergraduate, and has long talked-up how beneficial a good understanding of classical history can be when it comes to getting to grips with modern politics. In the past he’s called for every child to be taught Latin, and even written a book, The Dream of Rome – made into a documentary by the BBC in 2006 – comparing the European Union with the Roman Empire.

What's 84 miles long, 1,888 years old and marked the edge of Roman rule in Britain? Hadrian's Wall of course - and the landmark got a spectacular makeover this weekend with a line of beacons stretching its entirety. The event, named 'Illuminating Hadrian's Wall', marked the 1,600th anniversary of the end of the Roman occupation in Britain, and needed no fewer than 1,100 hardy volunteers to brave the harsh winds of northern England to make it happen.

Last year, Dr Zahi Hawass spoke to Heritage Key in a video interview about the restoration work being carried out at the Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides) synagogue in Cairo by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (see the video at the bottom of this page). With the project nearing completion, the SCA chief has today announced that a planned celebration to mark the reopening of the restored monument has been cancelled.

Dr Hawass explained that the decision comes in the aftermath of Israeli authorities prohibiting worshippers from praying in the Al-Aqsa mosque in the West Bank.

This Saturday, the light up of Hadrian's wall crated a spectacular line of light from coast to coast. The once in a lifetime event - 'celebrating' (remembering might be more appropriated) the End of Roman Britain in (more or less) AD 410 saw the entire route of the 84 mile long Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail go up in flames lit by flaming torches. Sean and Sam have tweeted us updates from the Illumination, there are tons of great photographs of the Light Up event on Flickr, and Illuminating Hadrian's Wall 2010 has now also released some preliminary, overnight, quickly-edited but still incredibly impressive film footage shot from the helicopter that followed the trail of light. These 30 seconds are definitely worth watching twice... or trice... *hits replay*.

If you didn't make it to the Illumination of Hadrian's Wall (for instance, because you were attending the AD 410 - Then End of Roman Britain conference at the British Museum) you can (after you've read Sean's and Sam's tweet updates live from the light up of the Wall) still marvel at the sight of the Illumination by browsing the images that are one by one (processing takes time) posted to Flickr.

Here's my preliminary Top 10 of Hadrian's Wall Light Up Flickr Images - in no specific order.

I'm sitting on the 15.49 to London Euston from Carlisle. It's boiling hot, the Cumbrian countryside is disappearing behind me and my jumper smells like yesterday's paper. But I'm happy, because we've just hah a hell of a week at the Hadrian's Wall illuminations. I've seen it on the news from my hotel, but I guarantee you it was even better in the flesh: and that's what we'll be recreating in our next Ancient World in London video.

First off, we're all well aware that Hadrian's Wall, just a few minutes from the Scottish border, is not very near London. At all. But there are a number of very good reasons, I think, that make this trip worthwhile for the series.

In 2009 archaeologists in Weymouth made a gruesome discovery: 51 skeletons were found buried in a pit - separated from their 1000-years-old heads. Further analysis of the skulls using the latest forensic techniques confirms that the victims were all came from a very cold climate. One of the executed warriors even originates from north of the Arctic circle.

In celebration of our chilly northern climate, the Ontario Archaeological Society will be holding their annual symposium in Killarney Ontario from Sept 24-26, a town on the northern tip of Lake Superior.

The symposium is called "Shibaonaning - the place of the clear passage." It will focus on the archaeology of the Canadian Shield. It’s a vast, rocky, forested area of Canada that covers Northern Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and parts of the arctic.

At eight million square kilometres, it’s nearly double the size of the entire European Union. Although it's chalk full of mines, the rocky terrain makes it difficult to do any kind of farming. In ancient times the people on the northern end of Lake Superior depended on hunting and gathering in order to survive.

At Heritage Key Virtual we have a calendar full of live events and guided tours to give you and your friends the best experience. We are always adding something new to our events schedule, and we also we have new games and quests at the Valley of the Kings - with even more to follow soon. This weekend we have a packed schedule for you, starting with some live music on Friday night, followed by a Virtual Skills workshop all day on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday Night: Live Music From Thumper Boucher

The live music events start today at 7pm London Time with Thumper Boucher live at Valley of the Kings. THUMPER BOUCHER is unique artist blending brilliant song-writing with amazing visuals. He's a must-see in a virtual environment.