Submitted by Sean Williams on Sat, 08/22/2009 - 17:26
From the shimmering death mask of King Tut to the swinging penile replacements of 50 Cent, Gold and silver have been as staple pursuits of humanity as food, drugs and celebrity gossip. But while the dripping opulence of the ancient world may not seem a million miles away from the crass overindulgence of our own 'enlightened' age, you might be surprised to find that the two metals have almost exactly the same value now as they did then. According to economist Jeff Clark, that is.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 15:49
Archaeoastronomy is a bit of a mongrel discipline, a hybrid of archaeology, anthropology, astronomy and history. As with most archaeological tributaries, its professionalism is very much in its infancy, and can trace its roots back little further than a couple of centuries. The first archaeoastronomical assertions, many argue, were made by the 18th century antiquarian William Stukeley, when he deduced some sort of astronomical use for Stonehenge due to its apparent alignment to several celestial events. Interest in the religious and cultural significance of historic monuments grew, and in 1973 the term ‘archaeoastronomy’ was finally coined by American anthropologist Elizabeth Chesley Baity, at the behest of several scholars. Essentially, the discipline seeks to explore the anthropology of astronomy – that is, how past people made sense of celestial events and how these phenomena in turn affected them – rather than the mere history of astronomy.
Highlighted Quote:
Archaeoastronomers have established astronomical significance at the ancient Incan city of Cusco via the geographical alignments of various buildings collated with ethnographic records
Submitted by Sean Williams on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 11:13
"Death will come out of it! No-one will escape! I am done!" It may sound like the death-knell of a tragic big screen hero, but it's actually the desperate pleas for help of an ancient Assyrian leader, as his city awaits destruction at the hands of bloodthirsty Babylonian armies. The words have been discovered inscribed on a cuneiform tablet at the site of Tushan - an Assyrian city near Diyarbakir, SE Turkey. The tragic epsiode was written by Mannu-ki-Libbali in 630 BC, as a final call-to-arms for allies in the region - yet experts believe the tablet never met its intended recipient, and Tushan was soon torn to shreds by advancing Babylonian forces.
There's an archaeology dictionary to suit everyone among this lot. Whether you need a reference tool for your field bag or a tome for your study, you'll find it below.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 17:38
It may be over four months since Iraq's beleaguered National Museum reopened to much international fanfare, but the hunt for thousands of its most prized possessions, looted following the American-led invasion of 2003, goes on. And last Thursday marked a more optimistic phase in the saga, as 69 treasures made their way back to Baghdad via The Netherlands. The artefacts were snatched back from illegal Dutch traders after a sting operation by U.S. officials and Interpol, and were handed over to Baghdad's ambassador to the European country last week. Among the stash were cylindrical stone seals from before 2000 BC, a flagstone bearing Nebuchadnezzar II's name from 570 BC and a decorated nail from 2100 BC.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 12:51
The potency of a lion’s image isn’t exactly hard to argue. The majestic yet deadly creatures have thrilled humans since the dawn of man, and it’s no surprise that some of the ancient world’s greatest civilizations have held lions up as a focus of worship. So where and how have the fearsome felines been depicted by ancient peoples all over the globe? And where are these beasts being caged today?
Lions in Mesopotamia
The Cradle of Civilization had long been coming under Assyrian rule by 700 BC. From its powerful capitals in the north like Nimrud, Dar-Sharrukin and, most famously, Nineveh, the Assyrian kings continued a reign of tyranny, military might and cultural expansion that swallowed up illustrious southern city states such as Babylon, Kish, Nippur and Ur. Iron-fisted kings like Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II and Sennacherib built Assyria into one of the world’s most imperious empires, with the vast wealth and labour force it acquired from numerous campaigns going towards making its capital cities some of the most stunning and populous in the world.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 12:10
It was the first of its kind; writing which sparked a cultural revolution, the tremors of which can still be felt today. But how did cuneiform script evolve, what languages did it influence and for what reason was it first used? The history of this fascinating paradigm takes us all over the ancient world, beginning in the fertile fields of the Mesopotamian plains.
Origins
To understand cuneiform, you must first delve into its birthplace. Fourth millennium BC Mesopotamia was a land full of opportunity, where the smallest tribe could lay claim to an entire continent. By that time the city-states of Sumer had begun to stamp their authority on the region, pioneering skills such as irrigation and social structuring. The sodden reaches stemming from the Persian Gulf were perfect at times for the growing of foods like barley, onions, grapes and apples.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Mon, 07/06/2009 - 15:38
London is a massive metropolis, buzzing with energy and bags of history to boot. Well now you can see the city's top ancient sights, all handily presented in our custom Google Earth flyover. For there's plenty more to London than its monstrous museums - though they're all pretty good too - and this map gives you the chance to plan a first-time visit, tell a friend or just take a day out to explore London's proud heritage. There's no shortage of events either; check our calendar page for the pick of the city's listings, which include this year's British Archaeology Festival. In short London's a fantastic place to get your fill of the ancient world, and our map makes seeing all its ancient nooks and crannies just that bit easier.
The tour below utilises aerial photography with 3D models to give a realistic and innovative look at how the ancient world still exists in our very modern world. The tour is complete with clickable Heritage Key logos, which will link you to articles on this website, as well as photographs from our Heritage Key Flickr photo pool.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 14:36
The area of land around the Middle East and the Levant – also known as the Fertile Crescent - lays a precarious claim to be the 'cradle of civilization'. But is it really the birthplace of the world’s most ancient civilized societies? And what do we even mean by civilization, anyway?
What’s in a Word?
Attempting to pin down a definition of the world 'civilization' is no easy task. As it turns out, annoyingly, there are quite a few opinions on the issue. Some even argue the very definition of the word has to be intrinsically shifted as ‘civilization’ moves along, for example from writing to government (though surely those words in themselves suffice?). Still, there seem to be some running themes throughout this infinite mish-mash of musings, whereby a civilization comprises:
1. The gathering of people in populated areas, as opposed to sporadically-placed in wilderness regions.
2. The advancement of societies through record-keeping, like writing.
3. The development of social and political institutions.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 10:10
Summer's here - and if you hadn't noticed from the lighter nights, sunny days and relaxed morals, the Council for British Archaeology are ready to officially launch the barbeque season with a festival on a truly mind-boggling scale: The Festival of British Arachaeology 2009.
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology by Timothy Darvill
To understand cuneiform, you must first delve into its birthplace. Fourth millennium BC Mesopotamia was a land full of opportunity, where the smallest tribe could lay claim to an entire continent. By that time the city-states of 
London is a massive metropolis, buzzing with energy and bags of history to boot. Well now you can see the city's top ancient sights, all handily presented in our custom Google Earth flyover. For there's plenty more to London than its monstrous museums - though they're all pretty good too - and this map gives you the chance to plan a first-time visit, tell a friend or just take a day out to explore London's proud heritage. There's no shortage of events either; check our calendar page for the pick of the city's listings, which include this year's British Archaeology Festival. In short London's a fantastic place to get your fill of the ancient world, and our map makes seeing all its ancient nooks and crannies just that bit easier.
