• malcolmj

    Ancient World in London Bloggers Challenge 2: Winner Announced!

    The deadline has now passed for entries to round two of our Ancient World in London Bloggers Challenge, which saw a number of denizens of the ancient history blogosphere eagerly and eloquently state their case for the most important ancient site in London. We’re pleased to announce that the winner is Livius Drusus, from The History Blog, who argued a great case for Drapers’ Gardens – a little known archaeological site that has yielded a wealth of fascinating Roman remains. There were good shouts made for the grave of the female gladiator in Southwark – the spot where a great…

  • meral-crifasi

    Boudicca Spotted in London Photo Contest

    London is home to a massive bronze statue of the legendary Queen Boudicca in her chariot, which was proudly erected in the Victorian era. Leading her chariot into battle, Boudicca or Boudica, or Boadicea, as shes sometimes known looks capable of grabbing any victory for the city. But rather than London’s fierce defender, Boudicca was actually its enemy. This competition invites you to discover this controversial statue in London, and win points and prizes for sending us your photographs of the warrior queen. The statue was made by the English artist Thomas Thornycroft from 1856 until 1885, and wasnt erected…

  • Ann

    The Valentine Contest’s Winner – Who gets the books & AWiL points?

    “Young man, well connected, in possesion of fig leave and spare rib is looking for young lady with an apple and a hunger for knowledge to get humanity started. Pets no objection.” Which famous person from (biblical) history just placed a personal on Heritage Key? No doubt you’ll recognize the aspiring lover in the winning entry for our Valentine’s Day contest as Adam, looking for Eve. Congratulations to Loki Popinjay, who with this win earns an extra 50 Ancient World in London Points, ANDgets to chose two books from the Thames &Hudson catalogue. Loki, let us know in the comments…

  • fran-wilde

    Exploring the Virtual Valley of the Kings – Six New Ways to Interact with History

    Location: Valley of the Kings, Heritage Key Date: Late 1920s Heritage Key’s Valley of the Kings is much easier to reach than the real-world Valley – simply register for a Heritage Key account, follow a few easy steps, and you’ll find yourself shortly in the Travel Hub, where you can select the teleporter to the Valley of the Kings from among a range of choices. Experienced travelers may want to extend their visit to the Collections Gallery to see the treasures of Tutankhamun up close. You will enjoy the convenience of traveling virtually to the Valley, without the dust and…

  • meral-crifasi

    Winner Announced! Ancient World Spotted Photography Contest

    Photographers – thank you for getting your cameras out in support of our photography competition ‘Ancient Spotted Photo Contest‘. There were a lot of really great photos submitted, and it has been incredibly hard to choose a winner. But after a lot of consideration we have decided on the winner of the first photo competition of the Ancient World in London series of quests. We are delighted to announce that the winner of Ancient World Spotted is David Merrigan, for his photo of London’s Sphinx. There are actually two of these Sphinxes, set either side of Cleopatra’s Needle in Westminster,…

  • helen-atkinson

    Reserve King Tut Tickets Now! Advance Booking Now Open for Denver Tutankhamun Exhibition

    King Tutankhamun would have approved of the exclusivity of it all: members of the Denver Art Museum can now buy advance tickets at a special low price for the upcoming show opening July 1, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, which runs through Jan. 2, 2011. With Egyptomania still in full swing, it’s pretty clear already that this show, hailed by the Museum’s publicity as a “Rocky Mountain exclusive” will be a blockbuster. Considering it is his Colorado “debut”, I’m sure the Boy King will be glad they’re giving first dibs to his serious fans. “Early-bird” tickets for…

  • owenjarus

    They’ve found an opening! Egyptologists reach end of tunnel in Seti I tomb

    Question who can completely fill up a cavernous 1,500 seat domed hall on a Saturday night in Toronto? Answer Dr. Zahi Hawass I dont get to introduce rock stars, said Art Gallery of Ontario CEO Matthew Teitelbaum. Well tonight he did. Forget the critical New Yorker article, the mixed reviews of the new Tut exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario, or the fact that local Toronto media largely stayed away from this lecture. The worlds most well-known Egyptologist completely filled Convocation Hall, with people who had all paid a small admission fee (no more than $18) to hear him…

  • willhunt

    Ostrich Egg Shells Discovered in South Africa Could be Earliest Evidence of Human Language

    Archaeologists in South Africa have recently unearthed some of the earliest evidence of human behavior – a cache of ostrich eggs dating back 60,000 years, etched with intricate geometric designs. The abstract carvings are signs of what archaeologists call ‘symbolic thinking,’ a capacity particular to Homo sapiens. Unlike earlier hominids, our brains allow usto affix meaning to objects, to draw associations, to recognize and create symbols.Symbolic thinking is the roots ofwriting, language and art; it is,to risk grandiosity, what makes us human. So when the team at Diepkloof Rock Shelter, led by prehistorianPierre-Jean Texier, dug up the60,000-year-old decorated ostrich eggs,…

  • wadders

    Camping Deluxe: Glamp Your Way Around the Ancient World

    Safari operators in Africa realised several years ago that there were people who wanted to see the wildlife, but not shake dirt out of a sleeping bag and take a shovel to dig a loo at the end of the day. Now London-based Ancient World Tours, who specialise in ancient sites, is amongst a growing number of companies capitalising on this growing market, and offering camping holidays with a twist of glamour: glamping. I spoke to Managing Director Peter Allingham about the changing face of cultural tourism. Although the name sounds like something a dodgy pop star would do, glamping(glamour…

  • sean-williams

    Colchester’s Roman Circus ‘Will be Fantastic’

    This week campaigners reached a 200,000 target in their fight to save Colchester’s Roman circus. But it’s just the tip of an iceberg of red tape the circus must dodge to survive as a tourist attraction. And while the city’s leading archaeologist is thrilled the landmark figure has finally been made, he warns there’s much more work to be done. Philip Crummy, director of Colchester Archaeology Trust, has long been fighting for the circus’ survival, and recongises the effort of everyone involved in keeping the dream alive: “We’re delighted that the sponsors and the public have been so helpful with…