How many ancient artefacts are on show at the British Museum? Sounds like an easy question: after all, surely it’s just a case of finding the right person and writing down a figure, right? I mean, the British Museum is the second most visited museum on the planet behind the Louvre, and well over half the Louvre’s collection is non-ancient (for an explanation of what ‘ancient’ actually is check out Jon’s blog here) – someone must know how much stuff is on show. For the short story, the numbers and how I came to my conclusions click here. If not…
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Kilmarnock’s Dick Institute is the latest museum to be hit by mummymania, as it welcomes the mummy and coffin of an ancient Egyptian High Priest to an otherworldly exhibition. ‘The Journey Beyond – Ancient Egypt and Prehistoric Ayrshire’ will compare attitudes to life and death in two very different corners of the world: Egypt and southwest Scotland. Local Neolithic, Iron Age and Bronze Age burial items from Ayrshire will show how Scotland’s early inhabitants held strong views about life after death. Yet the star of the show is bound to be the mummy and coffin of Iufenamun, a 21st –…
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The University of Hamburg’s Egyptology department is facing a last-chance vote to avoid oblivion. The department, one of Germany’s most prestigious, is facing the axe for economic reasons. But a petition organised by protesters outside the city’s Tutankhamun: His Tomb and his Treasures exhibition has gathered over 66,000 signatures, meaning the department’s future is now in the hands of an internal vote. The department’s closure would be a body blow for Egyptology in Germany, which remains popular thanks to world-renowned museums like the Neues in Berlin, and great artefacts such as the Bust of Nefertiti, the home of which has…
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Prehistoric cave painters in the Sahara Desert gave rise to ancient Egyptian civilisation, according to a German archaeological team. The paintings in a caves in Gilf Kebir, a vast sandstone plateau near the Egyptian-Libyan border, may be over 400 miles from the River Nile. But the team claims it was once a thriving community which later spread east to create Egypt’s famous cities and landmarks. The plateau, a Martian landscape the size of Switzerland, is home to two famous caves, the ‘Cave of the Swimmers’ and the ‘Cave of the Beasts’ – Watch our amazing video of the caves and…
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Are you a museum director, curator, employee, scholar, fan or friend of someone in the know? We want to hear from you! We’re working on an ambitious new project at Heritage Key to list the world’s top 100 ancient world museums by visitor and collection numbers. In the future we’ll have interactive maps, lists of the greatest artefacts in each museum and much more, as the list becomes the world’s most comprehensive chart of the planet’s biggest ancient world institutions. Why should I nominate my museum? Just look at others: the Art Newspaper’s art museums list and the Times’ 100…
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My generation has grown up almost exclusively exposed to war in the Middle East. Two wars in Iraq, one in Afghanistan and countless battles between neighbouring nations in the region. The Middle East has been a battleground since time began – and now you can see exactly who has conquered it through the ages with mapsofwar.com‘s great-looking 90 second walkthrough. The map begins in 3,000 BC with the invention of the Egyptian Empire – though there’s no mention of the Sumerian states which comprised the Cradle of Civilization – and shows the spread of the Hittites, Israelis, Assyrians and Babylonians…
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A british amateur archaeologist is to walk the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall this summer – clad in full Roman military armour. Builder Duane Alexander, 38, will also enjoy authentic Roman rations as he hauls 90lbs of equipment across the 100-mile route along the wall, in the north of England. Duane plans to sleep outdoors, and educate visitors on life in the Roman army as he conquers the wall to raise money for Cancer Research over the August bank holiday. He initially had the idea in 1996, but had to shelve plans after a near-fatal sailing accident in the Orkneys…
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An ancient sarcophagus depicting a ‘human-headed dragon’ has been discovered on the Indonesian island of Bali. The 2,000-year-old artefact was found by brick-makers in the village of Blahbatu, in the historical district of Gianyar, last weekend. It is thought to have been uncovered by heavy rains. The sarcophagus was found just 100m from the spot where another similar one was excavated some months ago, which carried a turtle’s head design. Yet the latest find is thought to bear more resemblance to ancient sarcophagi discovered at the neighbouring town of Keramas. Bali’s Gianyar district is rich in ancient history, having been…
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Mariah Carey performed at what must be the world’s most awe-inspiring concert venue this week, as she belted out a set at the pyramids of Giza in Cairo, Egypt. The ancient backdrop surprised even the diva herself, who exclaimed to the 3,000-strong crowd, “Wow! I can’t believe I’m standing here! “Wow! I can’t believe I’m standing here!” “I mean you guys you’re maybe used to it, but us,” added Carey, pointing to backing singer Trey Lorenz, “that man comes from a town with 300 people only, and and I’m from New York.” The gig, for Middle Eastern telecommunications firm Etisalat’s…
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The grave of Charlemagne, the Frankish king whose empire comprised most of western Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries AD, may be lost forever according to archaeologists. Experts have finally dispelled the popular theory that Charlemagne was buried in the atrium of Aachen Cathedral, finding no evidence earlier than the 13th century. Charlemagne, who was declared Emperor of the Romans by the Pope during his reign, is still thought to have been buried in the area. But with this setback experts are increasingly doubtful as to whether it will ever be discovered. Aachen archaeologist Andreas Schaub, who has worked…