When recently the mummy formerly known as ‘Lady Hor’ underwent a scan, researchers were surprised to find that it should have been ‘Sir Hor’ from the start. Yet, this case of ‘gender confusion’ is not a unique one. The same happened to ‘The Daughter of Amunkhau’ – actually a son – from the Birmingham Museum Collection and according to curator Edward Bleiberg on the Brooklyn Museum’s blog, no less than three of the five male mummies from that museum – including Lady Hor – that were CT-scanned in the last eighteen months were at one time thought to be women.…
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Imagine being one of the local farmers in Xi’an, China, drilling a new water well only to break into a pit containing one of the most unbelievable sights that a man can ever see. Over 6,000 life sized terracotta figures buried under the ground and never seen by anybody for centuries. The enigmatic soldiers hold many myths and mysteries about them, but they are certainly one of the most captivating finds of the 20th Century. There are three pits in the region, as well as other museum structures which can be seen from the air thanks to Google Earth. Another…
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As this blog is being written a Canadian team is renewing excavations at the site of Madaba, a modern day Jordanian city that has at least 5,000 years of history behind it. The city is well known for its Byzantine mosaics including the 6th century AD ‘Madaba Map’, which is considered to be the oldest known map of the holy land. The Canadian excavations areled by Dr. Debra Foran and Professor Tim Harrison, both of the University of Toronto. Theyhave been taking place, off and on, for more than a decade. The theme of prosperity and collapse runs through the…
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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…
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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…
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Attribution: Ras Marley Baghdad Iraq Key Dates Neo-Assyrian period, circa 8th century BC. A female head in ivory, dubbed the ‘Mona Lisa’ of Nimrud, one of many important ivory pieces discovered during excavations of the ancient city. The flat back indicates that it was once attached to another surface. The Nimrud Ivories were found in the private houses of high officials, in the royal palaces and in the arsenal at Fort Shalmaneser; a testament to their special importance to the ancient Assyrians. The excavations at Calah (the ancient Biblical name for Nimrud) revealed several iconic pieces of ancient ivory that…
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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…
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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…
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The Institute for Contemporary Culture (ICC) at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Koffler Centre for the Arts and the Julie M Gallery are presenting works by New York based abstract artist Joshua Neustein. His exhibition of works explores the themes and ideas mentioned in the scrolls. There was a time when biblical themes dominated western art. Indeed modern day galleries are full of renaissance and medieval European art that focussed on the stories presented in the Old and New Testaments. With a rich cultural context of religious art behind us, how do modern artists respond to a biblical brief? I…
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On a recent trip to the British Museum, it occured to me:”Who owns all this?” It’s a pretty complex question to be asking though. As I wandered past the Elgin Marbles, I overheard a couple of tourists discussing how Greece wanted the ancient relics back. Apparently hacking the marbles off the Parthenon and shipping them over to show in the British Museum doesn’t sit too well with our Greek friends. Go figure. Should the museums of the world, packed full of “stolen” ancient treasures and permanently borrowed artefacts from around the globe start returning the wares back to the countries…