• veigapaula

    Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous… Egyptians

    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…

  • lucie-goulet

    Ancient Beauties: Neanderthal Make-up and the Medicinal Benefits of Cleopatra Eyes

    The worlds of cosmetics and archaeology have recently collided over two unexpected discoveries. Over the course of the past week, researchers have discovered that Neanderthals used make-up and that Cleopatra‘s face paint was good for her eyes. Which fact is most surprising? The first thing that springs to mind when thinking about Neanderthal man is definitely not refinement. Its more beard, dirt, animal skins, grunts and women carried by their hair. Like so many clichs depicted in classroom textbooks and carried on by Hollywood, this idea is probably far from the truth. Thanks to scientific research undertaken in Murcia, in…

  • malcolmj

    Stonehenge Winter Solstice Turnout Reduced by Weather-related Traffic Chaos

    Most of you wont have relished venturing out from under the duvet at all on this snowy Tuesday morning, let alone doing it before the break of dawn. But around 600 intrepid souls were up before the birds today, and wrapped in the their woollens in time to trudge out into the middle of a frozen Wiltshire field for the rising of the sun shortly after 8am, and the celebration of the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Attendance at the event a chilled-out, smaller-scale alternative to the much headier summer solstice is usually a lot higher (2000 people turned out in…

  • Ann

    Do the King Tut – The AGO’s ‘Tutting’ Dance Class

    Get up from your chair, take a step back and watch this video by the AGO attentively, as you’re going to learn how to ‘tut’. Inspired by ancient Egyptian art work ‘tutting’ isn’t that far off from walking like an Egyptian, but on a different tune. In a video posted to their website to promote the ‘King Tut:The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs‘ exhibition, the the Art Gallery of Ontario is teaching the internet crowd how to dance like an Egyptian. The instructional clip features Mark Cabuena demonstrating a basic ‘tutting’ routine that is easy – yeah, right –…

  • publication

    The Persians: Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Iran

    The Persians Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Iran by Homa Katouzian In recent years, Iran has gained attention mostly for negative reasons – for its authoritarian religious government, disputed nuclear programme, and controversial role in the Middle East – but there is much more to the story of this ancient land than can be gleaned from the news. This authoritative and comprehensive history of Iran covers the entire history of the area from the foundation of the ancient Persian Empire to today’s Iranian state. Writing from an Iranian rather than a European perspective, Katouzian integrates the significant cultural and literary history…

  • achanjiati

    Fashion and Jewellery in King Tut Virtual

    When you come across an ancient Egyptian woman in Heritage Key Virtual, you will notice that there is one very popular style of fashion: a pale belted kilt or kalasiris (simple dress) brightened with gold and lapis collars, bracelets and belts, and finished off with a chic slash of kohl to each eye. Its an iconic image that was universal for ladies of early Egypt and, as with most areas of ancient Egyptian life, there was a reason behind every facet of the look. The types and colours of fabrics were very limited in the earlier dynasties. The linen flax…

  • meral-crifasi

    HK How To: Customise Your Avatar, Ancient Egyptian Style

    Virtual DressUp You have made it to King Tut Virtual? Then now it is time to experiment with customising your avatar. In King Tut Virtual, we give you many options to choose from. You can wander around in casual clothes, or decide to really play the part as an adventurer kitted out with accessories, or an Egyptian goddess from the Amarna era. In this guide to virtual fashion, I will focus on some of the glamorous ancient Egyptian dresses and jewellery. These dresses and jewellery were designed by Avagardner Kungler, a very well known virtual fashion designer in the metaverse.…

  • Ann

    Rediscovering Ur’s Royal Cemetery and Iraq’s Ancient Past at the Penn Museum

    Penn Museums world-renowned Mesopotamian Collection from Ur is the centrepiece of a new long-term exhibition exploring Iraqs Ancient Cultural Heritage that opens October 25th.The exhibition will contain field notes of previous expeditions to the region, photographs, archival documents as well as more than 220 extraordinary ancient artefacts unearthed at the excavation. Famous artefacts such as the Ram-Caught-in-the-Thicket, the Great Lyre with a gold and lapis lazuli bull’s head, and Queen Puabi’s jewelry, as well as her headdress and other treasures, will be on display at ‘Iraq’s Ancient Past: Rediscovering Ur’s Royal Cemetery‘. In 1922 – the same year that Howard…

  • helen-atkinson

    Call the Cops! Naked Woman Arrested for Art Stunt at the Met

    Although it seems that museums no longer have any kind of dress code these days, a young woman recently fell foul of the requirement to at least be wearing, like, something. A story in the UK’s Guardian newspaper tells the tale of woe of Kathleen “KC” Neill, who was arrested and charged with public lewdness for posing nude for photographer Zach Hyman in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hyman is making a collection of photographs of nudity in New York’s public spaces (check out images of gob-smacked commuters gazing at gorgeous naked models on the New York subway, captured…

  • malcolmj

    Bling Bling: Shell Jewellery Discovered In Morocco Desert Suggests Ancient Trade

    It was hardly bling worthy of an East Coast rapper, but stashes of symbolic jewellery found recently in the desert of Morocco dating back 82,000 years are being hailed as vital discoveries in the scientific quest to establish the earliest juncture between human culture and cognition. Unearthed at four different spots, the items comprise 25 tiny marine shell beads, drilled with holes and showing evidence of pigment and frequent wear. They were found as part of the European Science Foundation‘s EUROCORES programme: Origin of Man, Language and Languages. So early humans had a little bit of fashion sense whats the…