Submitted by Mary Harrsch on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 14:54
In 1972, the intact tomb of a noble lady of the Han dynasty was discovered at Mawangdui in the eastern outskirts of Changsha, China. Although eclipsed by the discovery of the life-sized terracotta warriors of Qin Shi Huang-di two years later, the Mawangdui tomb is still considered one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century and provided important insight into the lifestyle of the rich and famous of early Western Han society. The tomb was filled with food offerings and household items that Xin Zhui, the wife of the Chancellor or "Marquis" of the state of Changsha, a fief containing 700 households, would need to continue a luxurious lifestyle in the afterlife. Now, an exhibition in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art is blowing open one of the most scandalous eras - and one of the most ruthless women - of the Han empire.
Highlighted Quote:
Women in ancient Chinese history went far beyond the expected roles of marital relationships
Submitted by Mary Harrsch on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 08:47
A bust of the Roman Emperor Caracalla will be auctioned off October 28 by Bonham's. The auction house estimates the bust will bring ₤250,000. The lot description says the bust dates to the period after he murdered his brother and co-emperor Geta and their website lists the provenance as the current owner having a receipt from Mr. Dennis Leen, Beverly Hills, California dated 1976. But Dennis and Leen is not a individual but an exclusive interior design company in Beverly Hills who curently specialize in high quality antique reproductions.
A bust of Caracalla, the notorious Roman Emperor who reigned from 211-217 and is remembered as one of the worst and cruellest rulers in the history of the Empire, will be auctioned at Bonhams Antiquities sale on October 28 in New Bond Street, London. The bust - of the 'Sole-Ruler' type - is estimated fetch £150,000 to £250,000.
'Caracalla' was born in Lyon, France as Lucius Septimius Bassianus, and as Roman emperor he became Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. The nickname, 'Caracalla' is thought to derive from the Gallic hooded cloak that he made popular.
He executed his brother and co-emperor Geta, and massacred thousands of his brother's supporters; as well as his own wife and his brother-in-law in an effort to take sole control of the Empire. In his 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' Edward Gibbon described Caracalla as "a common enemy of mankind," his reign characterised by "rapine and cruelty."
The Palace Museum is housed within the Forbidden City, an imperial palace originally completed in 1420 that served a succession of twenty-four Chinese emperors and their dynasties during the Ming and Qing periods of Chinese history. It is located in the center of Beijing, the capital city of China. The museum itself was established in October 10, 1925, and is China's largest museum.
Built from 1406 to 1420, the The Forbidden City complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 covering 720,000 square meters. It is recognized by UNESCO as the site with the largest number of preserved wooden structures in the world. The Mongol Yuan dynasty first constructed a palace on the site but it was ordered burned down by the Ming emperor Hongwu and the imperial captial was moved to Nanjing. But the capital was moved back to Beijing by his son Zhu Di and a new palace was built on the same site as the previous palace. Over a million workers labored on the new palace for 15 years, using Phoebe zhennan wood from the jungles of southwest China and marble from quarries near Beijing.
Xerxes the Great was the king of the Persian (or Achaemenid) Empire - an empire that, at its peak, stretched across three continents, covering 7.5 million square kilometres of territory (significant proportions of which would much later comprise Greater Iran). He succeeded his father, Darius the Great, aged 36 in a smooth succession in 486 BC, and ruled until 465 BC, when he was murdered by his uncle, Artabanus, then succeeded by his son Artaxerxes I.
The defining action of Xerxes reign was his campaign in Greece. From his father, he inherited the job of punishing the Athenians, Naxians, and Eretrians for their interference in the Ionian Revolt and also their victory over the Persians at Marathon. Xerxes forces - said, by the historian Herodotus, to number as many as two million - landed in Greece in 480, and immediately became embroiled in the Battle of Thermopylae. A small band of Spartans and other Greeks - led by Spartan king Leonidas I - managed to repulse Persian assaults for a week at a narrow pass, before finally succumbing.
Submitted by Mary Harrsch on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 19:01
Over six hundred years after the original Forbidden City was constructed in China, visitors were invited to pass through the vermillion Meridian Gate of a virtual Forbidden City, a joint project of the Palace Museum and IBM. The new virtual world not only provides visitors with the opportunity to marvel at the beautifully rendered architecture but examine cultural relics, observe and even engage in activities enjoyed by emperors and their families and learn more about the history of the Ming and Qing imperial dynasties.
I have not yet made my first visit to the real Forbidden City (it's definitely on my list of planned heritage site visits, though). But I was excited to get a virtual preview, especially from the comfort of my computer without enduring hours in the cramped seat of a 757.
Highlighted Quote:
I tried every staircase but each time the avatar was prevented from mounting the dais. I smiled when I discovered this as the developers must have included this behavior to maintain the sanctity of the throne even in this virtual palace. After all, only an emperor with the mandate of heaven was supposed to sit upon it.
Han Yangling Museum is located at Zhangjiawan Village, about 20 kilometres north of Xian City. It is a joint tomb of Liu Qi, a notable emperor of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), and his empress, Empress Wang.
It was built in the year 153AD and covers an area of 20 square kilometres. There are numerous small terracotta figurines unearthed after a series archaeological excavations, including eunuchs, servants, domesticated animals and even female cavalry on horseback. The human figures are normally about half meters high. They originally had moveable wooden arms (rotted after about 2,000 years) and were dressed in colourful silk robes. Some of the figures are still preserved in situation within a big glass shelter. Visitors can clearly see all these figures through the glass. It demonstrates an excellent model of exhibition and conservation in an archaeological site.
A bust of the 
A bust of Caracalla, the notorious Roman Emperor who reigned from 211-217 and is remembered as one of the worst and cruellest rulers in the history of the Empire, will be auctioned at 
Over six hundred years after the original 
