This year’s Egyptological Colloquium was roundly regarded as a success, as eighteen top Egyptological minds converged on London’s British Museum for two intense days of lectures, opinions and debate on the Book of the Dead. One of the most stunning pieces of Egyptian liturgy, yet a much maligned forum for study, the Colloquium promised some fascinating and truly groundbreaking discoveries on a visually engaging subject. Heritage Key took some time out at the end of the event to speak to a few audience members, and found a somewhat mixed response. Some were keen to stress their enjoyment of the colloquium,…
-
-
The fight to save ancient treasures goes on. There are the bigger battles, the ones to save important heritage sites from war-time destruction see Kashgar, Iran and Iraq. There are the battles against neglect, as in the case of Libya. Then there are the battles against the downright stupid. The careless. The ignorant. The culturally desolate wastelands that can sometimes be found inside the human body. In Western Australia, the state government is set to prosecute a cement and quarrying company for allegedly decimating 10,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art. The Age newspaper reported that the company CEMEX admitted breaching a national…
-
This year’s Egyptological Colloquium, held in the British Museum‘s fantastic BP Lecture Theatre, was roundly applauded as a great success. No fewer than eighteen gifted minds took to the lectern, as a glut of opinions, theories, excavations and discoveries were explored to a large audience’s enthralment. Some of the speeches were incredibly specialist; others not so. But what is certain is that the past week has seen some of the most compelling and intriguing axioms on one of Ancient Egypt’s greatest pieces of iconography, the Book of the Dead. From colours to kingdoms, magic bricks to evil demons; the colloquium…
-
Attribution: j.labrado Rome Italy Key Dates Constructed towards the end of the first century AD, the Arch of Titus was built to commemorate the sack of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Key People Emperor Domitian commissioned the arch after the death of his brother Titus, who ruled from 79-81 AD. The model for many of the triumphal arches built since the Renaissance, the Arch of Titus is made of Pentelic marble and has a single arch. It stands at 15.m high and 13.5m wide and straddles the Via Sacra to the south-east of the forum. The panels on the arch display…
-
Via Dell’ Impero An exhibition opening today at the Musei Capitolini in Rome shows the building of the city’s infamous via dei Fori Imperiali (previously via dell’ Impero), which also tore through the forums of Nerva, Augustus and Trajan, with little regard for the ancient Roman constructions that lay beneath. Via Dell’ Impero – Nascita di una Strada (Birth of a Road) will feature photos, paintings and sketches by professional Roman photographers and artists, including Filippo Reale, Cesare Faraglia and Odoardo Ferretti. The exhibition runs until20 September, documenting the demolition of buildings and the excavations which took place before the…
-
Attribution: xerxespersepolis 39 – 81 Relationship People Parents Vespasian Siblings Domitian Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Titus was born in 39AD and died in 81AD He reigned only briefly as Roman Emperor for the last two years of his life and was the second emperor of the Flavian dynasty. Before he became Emperor, Titus gained renown as a military commander. The Arch of Titus commemorates his victory in quelling the Jewish rebellion in 70AD where he destroyed the city and Temple of Jerusalem. His building programme included the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. He was thought of…
-
What Have the Etruscans Ever Done for us? “What have the Romans ever done for us?” is a classic question from Monty Python’s Life of Brian (and possibly my favourite Roman-related screen moment of all time). But the Romans too could have asked themselves: “What have the Etruscans ever done for us?” The list would be almost as long as the one reeled off to the irascible John Cleese: language, architecture, engineering, gods, rituals – and much more – were all handed down in one shape or form to the Romans from their Etruscan ancestors. But despite the Etruscans’ advanced…
-
Attribution: Jordi C Rome Italy Key Dates Construction started between 70 and 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD, with further modifications made circa 81-96. In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by a major fire and not fully repaired until about 240. The arena was used for contests into the 6th century, with gladiatorial fights last mentioned around 435 and animal fights last mentioned about 523. An earthquake in 1349 caused the collapse of parts of the outer facade, and it wasn’t repaired until works in 1831, 1846 and the 1930s. Excavation of the Colosseum’s substructure was carried…
-
Attribution: 24 Sep 15 – 22 Dec 69 Key Dates Emperor Vitellius reigned from 16 April 69 to 22 December of the same year. Aulus Vitellius’s reign as Roman Emperor was short-lived. Having succeeded emperors Galba and Otho, Vitellius was met with extreme challenge by legions intent on making Vespasian emperor in his place. Vitellius began his political career as Consul in 48, and in 68 he was selected to command the army of Germania Inferior. The personal and professional connections he made while commander eventually led to his promotion to Emperor. Though he was recognised as the emperor by…
-
The ancient history of Iran is one of the richest in the world. Skirting the Fertile Crescent which nurtured the cradle of civilization, the turbulent nation has seen the rise and fall of the Medians, Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids – until their history was usurped by the Islamic conquests of the 7th century AD. Yet the incendiary movements of the past century, not least the latest political turmoil to hit Tehran, have been somewhat passed over by the world’s archaeologists. Now a leading expert from Britain’s University of Leicester is leading a project to discover just what impact Iran’s White…