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 of of tourists and local inhabitants at Luxor and the main historical monuments at Thebes, and the challenges facing archaeologists to carry out meaningful research in a modern environment. Dr Strudwick attempted to resolve some of the issues facing the city, and to reconcile the necessity of tourism to the…
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Summer Solstice Each year on the 21th of June visitors from around the world gather at Stonehenge overnight to mark the summer solstice and to see the sunrise above the stones. Live from Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2010 – Pictures, Tweets & Trading Cards The Summer Solstice 2010 at Stonehenge Practical Information Stonehenge and the Solstices – What’s a solstice? Why is this important ? The Solstice at Stonehenge Virtual – Can’t make it to the famous stone circle? Experience the solstice online in our 3D reconstruction! Live music starts at 9pm UK time. Photographs from the 2009 Summer Solstice History The iconic…
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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 the British Museum in London will arrive home on loan, to join up with the 11 other artefacts currently held by the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Theyll go on tour around the country in coming months, taking in destinations including Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. The Lewis…
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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 counterpart, Ostia Antica. The team of archaeologists working at the site is led by the University of Southampton, who are working with Cambridge University, the Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage of Ostia and the British School at Rome. Amphitheatre Fit For an Emperor The amphitheatre, which could have seated many…
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There is some interesting news coming from Tayinat that Heritage Key will be reporting on soon as part of a larger article. Tayinat is the site in southeast Turkey that has been making media headlines for the discovery of a tablet cache. It wasfound in atemple that was reported, in many outlets, to have stood during the Dark Ages. I sat down with Professor Timothy Harrison, the project leader, to learn about what they found. News on the tablet discovery First bit of news, an update on the tablet cache discovered this summer. In 738 BC Tiglath Pilesar III destroyed…
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An architect and a classical archaeologist have come together to give a new perspective on one of Rome’s ancient roads, via Tiburtina. The result is a book just published, Via Tiburtina – Space, Movement and Artefacts in the Urban Landscape, which examines the constantly changing urban space of the road. The project involved six years of studying almost every inch of the ancient road and takes an interdisciplinary look at the road through the ages and from various angles, including its history during antiquity, the Renaissance and up to its continued use today. The origins of via Tiburtina date back…
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Ever seen the Terracotta Warriors? Did you feel a bit peckish when you saw them; couldn’t help thinking the First Emperor’s Mausoleum would be made so much better if you could take a bite out of each handcrafted treasure? If the answer’s yes to both these questions – and I truly hope it’s not – you may want to book a flight to the Chinese capital next year: Beijing officials have announced plans to build the ‘World Chocolate Dream Park’, a Willy Wonka-style attraction aimed at the Chinese people‘s love of, well, chocolate. The full-size tasty Terracotta Warriors will be…
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The first day of the ‘Achievements and Problems of Modern Egyptology‘ conference was full of new discoveries, though it started on a typically soggy Moscow day. After participants arrived at the Presidium of Russian Academy of Sciences on comfortable buses, they went in and received a slightly altered conference program – containing lecture lists and ‘Return to Egypt’; a book about the history of Russian Egyptology. The conference started with an opening speech by vise-president of Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander D. Nekipelov, dedicated to the history, development and achievements of Russian archaeology in Egypt, from the research of Vladimir…
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Pulled from the sea more than two decades ago, archaeologists are still pulling treasure from the submerged confines of an ancient Chinese merchant ship. According to media reports, more than 200 porcelain artifacts were recently discovered from Nanhai One, a Song Dynasty vessel (960-1279) that sunk more than 800 years ago. In a 40-day trial excavation, which ended in September, archaeologists uncovered the artifacts, helping to confirm that the ship was indeed a merchant vessel. During the excavation, archaeologists also found that parts of the ships cabin and deck had been well-preserved. The vessel was originally found in 1987 off…
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Attribution: Tom Blackwell Yorkshire Britain As well as an outstanding view, walkers on Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire, are treated with an ancient enigma. The Swastika Stone, situated at the Northern edge of the moor has many people pondering its existence. This unusual carving is made up of four spiral arms, one of which has a further appendage. There is a cup in the loop of each arm, and one in the outer ring of each arm. With the cup in the centre of the design, the cups themselves form a 5×5 cross figure. The cups in the swastika align north-south…