Drapers' Gardens is a site in the City of London occupied during Roman times then left unsettled for millenia - because of heavy waterlogging from tributaries of the River Walbrook - until 1967 when an eponymous skyscraper was erected there. When this skyscraper was demolished, ahead of a new building being erected, an archaeological survey was carried out at the site, revealing a wealth of highly-preserved Roman remains - effectively a microcosm of Roman Londinium.
The remains dated from 63 AD to 383 AD, and included 19 metal vessels - possibly hidden in a well by a wealthy family during a Saxon raid on the city - as well as hundreds of brooches, a wooden door with its original hinges, a ruler, various Roman roads and wooden bridges, and even the skull of a bear, which may have died in a nearby ampitheatre. The artefacts are now in the possession of the Museum of London.
Submitted by Meral Crifasi on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:31
So last week you registered and earned your 47 points, so you are well on your way. Great! From now on, things get really exciting. It's time for Virtual Quest Part 2: Dig Your Own Artefacts in the Valley of the Kings.
If you're not already up to date with Virtual Quest Part 1, there is still time to catch up. Here's what you had to do.
Virtual Quest Part 1:
Download the viewer
Create your avatar
Customize your avatar
Find Stonehenge Virtual and Pick up your souvenier
Submitted by Meral Crifasi on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 17:53
Heritage Key challenges you to help recreate the collections of the British Museum and Ashmolean Museum... and win Heritage Key points.
This is a month-long competition starting on Monday February 15th, 2010, and running till March 14, 2010. If you love visiting ancient sites and museums and care about heritage and world culture and at the same time love taking photos then this is definitely for you to enjoy and be part of.
The British Museum holds a collection of seven million objects representing the rich history of human culture. It's range and diversity mirrors that of the city of London itself.
Christie's 'Ancient Art and Antiquities' department offers ancient art from the dawn of civilization to the Dark Ages, ranging from Western Europe to the Caspian Sea, embracing the cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Near East.
Sales are held four times a year, twice in New York and twice in London.
Christie's 'Ancient Art and Antiquities' department offers ancient art from the dawn of civilization to the Dark Ages, ranging from Western Europe to the Caspian Sea, embracing the cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Near East.
Christie's London holds the world auction record of £7,926,650 for the Jenkins Venus from Newby Hall, England. This Roman marble statue was sold in 2002 for the highest price ever achieved for an ancient classical marble sculpture at auction. Other famous artefacts sold are The Schuster "Stargazer", an Anatolian marble female idol from the Chalcolithic Period, which fetched $1,808,000, and the Celtic gold warrior Fibula from the 3rd Century BC which was bought by the British Museum for £1,103,750 in April 2001.
Sales are held four times a year, twice in New York and twice in London.
The Heritage Key team wishes you an amazing holiday and great - virtual and real - experiences for 2010 AD. We'd appreciate it if, during the holiday period, you could spare a few minutes of your time to fill out our survey on the value of replicas. The results will be published in our first 2010 newsletter and on the Heritage Key website.
Replica artefacts are becoming more and more of an issue nowadays, as countries race to preserve some of their highest prized treasures from the perceived ravages of mass tourism. Travel to Las Vegas and you'll see entire cities re-spun in the middle of the desert. Egypt is even planning a replica Valley of the Kings. But how far would you go without seeing the real thing? What value can a replica ancient wonder ever have?
Dr Janice Kamrin continues her tour of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo with a look at the ritual figures found in the Tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62). She explains that they were related to religion, as well as protection and as part of the funerary rituals. She also points out that not all of the 34 ritual statues were not originally made for King Tut, noting the differences in the shapes of the faces.
So last week you registered and earned your 47 points, so you are well on your way. Great! From now on, things get really exciting. It's time for Virtual Quest Part 2: Dig Your Own Artefacts in the Valley of the Kings.
