Giants of Giza The Pyramids of Giza may be some of the world’s most amazing and iconic structures, and are still the emblems of Egypt today. With robots right now exploring the mysterious Osiris shaft of the Great Pyramid, there’s never been a more exciting time to start discovering these massive structures. In an exclusive Heritage Key interview, Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SAC), has promised that this year, finally, the “Secrets of the pyramids will finally be revealed”. Watch this space! World Tour There are actually hundreds of pyramids. Many are in Egypt, but…
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Who likes sprouts? Thought not, and now it seems we’ve got a solid excuse for our parents when they try to force the fetid, vile veg down our throats – we’ve been programmed to hate them since we were Neanderthals! A new study by the Spanish National Research Council claims to have debunked a mystery of evolution this week, by discovering a gene which makes us dislike a bitter taste common in some food. The gene, which causes an adverse reaction to phenylthiocarbamite – or PTC as it’s mercifully known – has been present in hominids for nearly 50,000 years.…
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There are already three major Tutankhamunexhibitions travelling North America this year and next, with many of his treasures making appearances in San Francisco, Toronto and Indianapolis. Even Zahi Hawass was drafted in to enlighten ancient Egypt fans in the latter city, about the mysteries and legends behind the dripping opulence of the civilization’s greatest discovery. And keen to capitalise on the States’ endless fascination with the boy-king, North Carolina’s Chinqua Penn Plantation is currently showcasing its own collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts – including a replica of King Tut‘s famous golden throne chair. Other objects on display at the event,…
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In an adventurous and decidedly tall tale swarming with giant bats and poison spiders and strewn with places called exotic things like The Well of the Soul and the Hidden Realm of Sokar (the words Jones, Indiana and too much spring to mind), British explorer Andrew Collins will next month tell the full story of what he claims to be his discovery of the long lost subterranean realm of the Egyptian pharaohs. How much hard fact will be contained in his new book Beneath the Pyramids: Egypts Great Secret Uncovered (due for release in September) seems dubious, but it should…
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The discovery of a 9,000 year-old Stone Age house on the Isle of Man has raised an impromptu debate about the dietary habits of Britain‘s early inhabitants. The discovery, made during construction at Douglas’ Ronaldsway Airport, comprises a 23ft wide pit, dug down 12 inches. The dwelling is encompassed by six postholes which contain carbonised timbers, suggesting the home’s supports were around six inches thick. The building contains some simple stone tools, such as hammers and anvils, and 14,000 fragments which would have once been tools – yet possibly the most intriguing discovery at the site is its large burial…
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As well, presumably, as a few meticulously dug escape tunnels, archaeologists excavating adjacent to Belmarsh Prison in Plumstead, Greenwich, have discovered what theyre describing as Londons earliest timber structure. Comprising a wooden platform or trackway, buried 4.7 metres deep in a peat bog, its been radiocarbon-dated at 6,000 years old. Thats 500 years earlier than Stonehenge, and about 700 years earlier than the previous oldest-known example the timber trackway discovered at Silverton dating to around 3340-2910 BC. Whats so special about a very old plank of wood, you ask? For prehistoric Londoners, the wetlands surrounding the River Thames were a…
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They’re sometimes known as the eighth wonder of the world, and are an immense symbol of China’s national pride and power. But how deep does your knowledge of the incredible Terracotta Warriors actually go? Here are some top facts to get you started. 1. We’ve only uncovered a small fraction of the total ‘army’ of figures: experts currently place the entire number of soldiers at 8,000 – with 130 chariots, 530 horses and 150 cavalry horses helping to ward of any dangers in the afterlife. So far only just over 1,000 soldiers are on display at the emperor’s famous mausoleum,…
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Last year’s excavation already provided clear evidence that Brading was an important Roman site before the villa and its mosaics were built, something that is now – yet again, there was already the sheer size of the North Building – confirmed by the find of a full Roman bath suite – complete with hot baths and a cold plunge pool. The 2009 Big Dig at the Brading Roman Villa on the Isle of Wight – not to be confused with the London Big Dig, which aims at ‘starting archaeologists’ only – started on the 2nd of August, and will last…
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We know the Terracotta Warriors under many different names: the Terracotta Army, Qin’s Warriors, the Army of the First Emperor, The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, … but what if those are almost all wrong? What if the famous stone soldiers were not Emperor Qin Shihuangs guardians for the afterlife? That’s exactly what historian and architect Chen Jingyan writes in his recently published book ‘The Truth of the Terracotta Warriors’: the mastermind behind the Terracotta Warriors is Empress Xuan, not the First Emperor. Yuan Zhongyi, former director of the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors comments: “The question of the real…
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Attribution: Alister Chu Jerusalem (Old City) Israel Key Dates 960 BC. The first archeological survey of the citadel, and excavations, were conducted between 1934 and 1947. Key People Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent King Hezekiah of Judah The citadel of Jerusalem (or Tower of David) is situated on the western side of the Old City, just south of the Jaffa Gate at the highest point of the southwestern hill of Jerusalem. A series of fortifications were built here over the course of more than twenty centuries as protection from the west and to control the city below. Every period has been…