So you’ve bagged a seat in your nearest Irish boozer, scrummed your way to the bar and ordered a pint of the black stuff, and your furry shamrock hat is firmly ensconced on the head: congratulations, you are officially ready to start celebrating St Patrick’s Day. But who is St…
- Part 42
Is Boudicca a Poster Girl For Intolerance and British Nationalism?
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…
New Exhibition: How Greek Culture in the Age of Conquest Changed Roman Art
The Age of Conquest, an exhibition just opened in the Capitoline Museums, explores the question: how did Rome’s conquest of Greece (146 BC) influence Roman art? The answer is of course that the influence was huge: Roman copies of canonic Greek masterpieces ensued, there were aesthetic influences in the decoration…
Latin Lovers: Bettany Hughes Helps Boris Johnson Launch ‘Classics for Schools’
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 Londons City Hall tomorrow to launch a new drive to boost classical education in state schools. But is there any point teaching a dead…
AWiL Video Series: Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall at the Edge of 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…
Egypt’s SCA Avoids Politics… NOT!
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,…
Ancient Britain could Teach Nick Griffin’s BNP a Thing or Two
The BNP hit national headlines again last weekend, as Britain limps towards this year’s general election. After having voted to scrap their ‘whites-only’ membership policy, the far-right group introduced a measure whereby prospective members are vetted for up to two hours on whether they support the ‘integrity of the indigenous…
So You Want to go North? Ontario Archaeology Conference Will Look at the Canadian Shield
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 willfocus on the archaeology of…
AWiL Video Series – Queen Boudicca: Celtic Fashion and the Battle of Watling Street
Boudicca massacred 80,000 people on her way to infamy, as she left Colchester, London and St Albans little more than smouldering husks in 60AD. And it’s no surprise to learn that her appearance matched her bloodthirsty attitude. Boudicca was “a great big busty woman,” says expert Mark Hassall, “with a…
Residents are Divided Over Planned Restoration of Beijing’s Drum and Bell towers
Cultural preservation and Beijing’s ongoing development may be set to collide with a new project in one of the city’s historical neighborhoods. A pair of landmark buildings in the capital, the Drum and Bell towers, is at the center of a new redevelopment plan that has left a group of…