At 5:30am, the ancient town of Pingyao is a black mass that disappears in the darkness. There are no signs of street lights, save for the few red lanterns that dangle outside these still sleeping homes. The alleys here seem more like one long labyrinth, a giant shadow the seeable…
- Part 46
Assyrian Tablets at Tayinat are a Library of Literary Texts
Last summer headlines were made when a team of archaeologists unearthed a cache of tablets from an Assyrian temple at Tayinat. They were discovered by a team led by Professor Tim Harrison of the University of Toronto. Conservation and translation work is ongoing and it is hoped that some translations…
Ontario Aegean Archaeology Day to Hit Toronto this Saturday
Snow-weary Toronto residents are set to get some Aegean relief this Saturday. The Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto Canada, will be hosting Ontario Aegean Archaeology Day. Nine speakers from universities in Ontario and New York State will present their research on the ancient Aegean. The event is free if you…
The Ara Pacis As You’ve Never Seen it Before
Normally as white as a bleached bone, the Ara Pacis, the emperor Augustus’s altar to peace, is being restored to what could have been its original colours for a series of evening openings from tonight, until April. The famous monument represents the Augustan golden age of the early empire and…
Syria’s Stonehenge: Neolithic Stone Circles, Alignments and Possible Tombs Discovered
For Dr. Robert Mason, an archaeologist with the Royal Ontario Museum, it all began with a walk last summer. Mason conducts work at the Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi monastery, out in the Syrian Desert. Its still in use today by monks. The finds at the monastery date mainly to the…
World Record Attempt for Tutting to be Made this Sunday
This Sunday tutters at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), in Toronto Canada, will attempt to set a world record for the most people tutting at one time. The art gallery is hosting the exhibit King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs. Heritage Key has a preview ofit…
Caravaggio: Gay Icon Born Too Late?
Caravaggio was not a man of his time. As gay icon, father of modern painting and enigmatic artistic rebel, he speaks volumes to 21st century audiences visiting his current exhibition in Rome. The realism and drama that he transmitted onto canvas seem surprisingly fresh, while also connecting us with the…
Who Were the Saxons, Jutes, Angles and Vikings? Know Your Dark Age Germanic Peoples
Fellow residents of our Early-Medieval Britannia! Many of you will have become aware of strange men coming from oversees to our green and pleasant island home. You may be wondering who these people are, what they have come for and how long they plan to stay. To we Britons, their…
The World’s First Chat-up Line was Gay
A panel of Japanese experts recently revealed what they considered to be the world’s greatest chat-up line, based upon reams of psychological and sociological research. The result? “This time next year, let’s be laughing together.” Apparently the sure-fire phrase is based on keywords guaranteed to get the romantic juices flowing….
India’s Ajanta Caves Are Simply Stunning
My recent travels in India took me to Ajanta, about two hours’ drive outside of Aurangabad, in the Indian state of Maharashtra (where they’re making perfectly drinkable wine these days, by the way). The nearby small town of Ajanta gives its name to the collective of 29 caves carved out…