One of the largest oracle bones ever found will be feature in a rare exhibition of the bones at the National Library of China in Beijing. Long before satellite imaging and Doppler radar came along, using a cow bone was once seen as a dependable way to predict the weather….
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Interview: Simon Keay Explains why Portus is as Important as Stonehenge
The discovery of a unique amphitheatre and other structures at Rome’s ancient maritime port is putting the archaeological site of Portus on the map. For decades it’s been a much over-looked site next to Fiumicino’s international runway and scholarly attention has focused on neighbouring Ostia Antica, but experts now believe…
Awful Egyptians – The Mummy Song from the BBC’s Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories is a fascinating series of books for children, covering all such niceties as the Rotten Romans, the Savage Stone Age, and of course the err… Awful Egyptians. With over 20 million copies sold, the series was that much a success, that the CBBCturned it into into a series,…
Shooting the ‘Lost Tombs of Thebes’ – From Photographing to Post-production
There are over 800 tombs in the Theban Necropolis, scattered across the hills of El Qurna. Only a handful of their decorations has survived centuries of floods, storms and decay – and of course the destructive effects of man. At present, around a dozen tombs are open to the public….
Authentic Roman Restoration Begins on Chester’s City Walls
The Roman walls of Chester are being restored by a team of the city’s archaeologists. A section up to 30m long collapsed in April 2008 and has been closed to visitors ever since. According to Cheshire West and Chester Council, piecing the wall together could take up to one year,…
Digital Reconstruction of Roman Amphitheatre Discovered at Portus
I blogged earlier about the discovery of major Roman structures at Rome’s principal maritime port from the middle of the first century onwards. As part of the Portus Project, a team of archaeologal experts worked together with the Archaeological Computing Research Group at Southampton University to create digital images to…
A Reason for Rezzing: How and Why We Built King Tut Virtual
Hi. I’m one of the builders of King Tut Virtual. My job is taking historical sites and artefacts and reproducing them in an immersive environment that you can explore. This artificial world is only one aspect of Heritage-Key’s large multi-faceted online presence. As virtual worlds are a bit novel, I’ve…
‘Achievements and Problems of Modern Egyptology’ in Moscow – Day Two
The second day of Moscow’s ‘Achievements and Problems of Modern Egyptology‘ was characterised by a biting cold, thanks to heating problems. But the topics being discussed certainly helped warm up proceedings. The first lecture of the day was given by the British Museum‘s Nigel Strudwick, who focused on the interaction…
Checkmate: Lewis Chessmen Set To Return To Scotland On Loan
Scottish Minister for Culture Mike Russell is expected to announce today that the Lewis Chessmen a collection of 93 individually hand-carved walrus-ivory chess pieces dating from the 12th century, found on the Isle of Lewis in 1831 are to be reunited again. A proportion of the 82-piece set belonging to…
Emperor’s Private Amphitheatre Discovered in Major Find at Portus, Rome’s ‘Other’ Harbour Town
Several major archaeological discoveries have been made at the site of one of Rome‘s ancient harbours. An oval amphitheatre, a 90m canal as well as many smaller objects (including marble statues) have emerged during excavations of Portus, the cargo port of ancient Rome, about two miles north of its better-known…