Two British film-makers have discovered what they believe to be the source of the 1,900-year old aqueduct built by the emperor Trajan in the early second century AD. The underground chambers were found and filmed after some years of research into Roman hydraulics by the documentary-makers Ted O’Neill and his father Michael O’Neill. According to Ted, it took some perseverance to find the location, which was hidden beneath a disused church some 30-40km north-west of Rome. Despite difficulties and delays in getting access to the site, the O’Neills were finally able to enter the underground chambers of the church in…
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A team of researchers annouced a surprising discovery during a scholarly presentation in Toronto last Friday. The research team, based at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, has been helping to excavate an ancient Roman cemetery at the site of Vagnari in southern Italy. Led by Professor Tracy Prowse, theyve been analyzing the skeletons found there by performing DNA and oxygen isotope tests. The surprise is that the DNA tests show that one of the skeletons, a man, has an East Asian ancestry on his mothers side. This appears to be the first time that a skeleton with an East Asian…
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When the entrance to the Tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62) was discovered by the great explorer Howard Carter and his financier Lord Carnarvon, they could never have dreamed of the treasures which awaited them inside. These two men worked together to track down King Tut’s burial place, as explained in a Heritage Key video with Lord Carnarvon’s modern day ancestors the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon (Watch the Video). Egyptology photographer Sandro Vannini has spent much of the past decade photographing the fascinating artefacts discovered inside KV62, as well as capturing the tomb itself on film. But an angle that…
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Ancient World in London will inspire locals and virtual visitors around the world to make their own discoveries of the old Londinium. This exciting new project will run for 12 weeks, and feature rich content, live events, competitions and quests – both in London itself and in Heritage Key’s virtual experiences. Each week participators will be offered chances to earn points and win tickets to the grand finale event where special travel prizes will be given away. 12 weeks of fun, exploring, competitions and events start On February 12 Tuesday and ends with the Grand Finale on April 24th It’s…
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The rich and famous people of ancient Egypt lived a decadent lifestyle with fine wine, sex, high fashion, and plenty of partying. How do they compare with their equivalents today – the modern western celebrity set? The main differences might be regarding who were the richest people then, and who are the richest people now. In ancient Egypt the pharaoh was at the top of the pyramid and his family, noble people who owned land, and the priests came after. Scribes, architects and doctors were well off, and skilled craftsmen also had many privileges. Peasants and unskilled workers were low…
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The official announcement is coming a week today (January 27) but news continues totrickle out about the exhibition of the Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, set to hit Toronto in June. Officials have been tight-lipped about this exhibit so what we’ve been hearing has been in drips and drabs. Last week we learned that the Toronto show is going to be the largest Terracotta Warrior’s showever to hit North America. We also learned that it will likely be one of four Canadian stops -with Toronto coming up first. There will be a Canadian tour, Montreal has…
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Remains of one of the oldest members of the English royal family, Edith of England, have been unearthed at the Magdeburger Dom in Germany. (image slideshow) A lead coffin was discovered, bearing her name ‘Eadgyth’ and accurately recording the transfer of her remains to the German cathedral in 1510. Inside the coffin, a nearly complete female skeleton was found, wrapped in silk. Queen Eadgyth, the sister of King Athelstan and the granddaughter of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex became the wife of Otto I, the Holy Roman Emperor in 929. She lived in Saxony and bore Otto at least…
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The remains of a temple of Queen Berenike – wife of King Ptolemy III – have been discovered by archaeologists in Alexandria, Egypt. Dr. Zahi Hawass said the remains discovered are 60 meters by 15 meters, and extend under Ismail Fahmy street. About 600 Ptolemaic statues – amongst which are beautiful depictions of the cat goddess Bastet – were also unearthed. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud, Head of Antiquities of Lower Egypt, said that the mission excavating at Kom el Dikka on property of the Alexandria Security Forces included 18 skilled excavators and restorers. The large collection of Bastet statues indicates…
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Possibly one of the creepier Heritage Key Daily Flickr Finds that I’ve picked out from our Flickr pool, but this photograph of the remains of this Egyptian Mummy housed in the British Museum captivates me. The angle it’s taken at, looking at its profile as it stares upwards gives the impression that there’s still life in this millennia old corpse. The open jaw gives the mummy an eerie feeling, with the clarity of each tooth bared. The composition of the photograph is also intruiging. It’s an image where you’re interested in what’s not shown just as much as what is.…
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The recent discovery of Cao Caos tomb has sparked heated debates in the Chinese media over whether the find is genuine or not. The tomb, discovered in Chinas Henan province, is believed to belong to Cao Cao, a legendary Chinese warlord who lived about 1,800 years ago. At the end of last year, Chinese archaeologists announced the find to the public. The strongest evidence they point to includes inscriptions on artifacts found at the site, as well as a recovered corpse whose time of death closely matches with when Cao Cao is recorded to have died. Liu Qingzhu, a Chinese…