• Ann

    Queen Behenu’s burial chamber discovered at Saqqara

    A French archaeological team digging at Saqqara has discovered the burial chamber of 6th Dynasty Queen Behenu, wife of either Pepi I or Pepi II. The burial chamber was revealed while the team was cleaning the sand from Behenu’s pyramid in the area of el-Shawaf in South Saqqara, west of the pyramid of King Pepi I. The burial chamber uncovered by the French mission is badly damaged, apart from two inner walls which contain engraved Pyramid Texts. Those texts were widely used in royal tombs carved on walls as well as sarcophagi – during the 5th and 6th Dynasties (circa…

  • helen-atkinson

    Was Göbekli Tepe a Temple… or a Playpit?

    An article in the most recent issue of Newsweek magazine that basically constitutes an invitation to pause in wonder at the fantastic age of the Gbekli Tepe – or “potbelly hill” – site in southeastern Turkey, believed to be 11,500 years old, is a great reminder that, the further back in time an event occured, the easier it is to talk preposterous rot about it. The Newsweek feature, which is admirable at least in the sense that it dedicates a whole three pages (in full colour, too) in a major mainstream magazine to an archaeological subject, nevertheless talks a lot…

  • nick-gilbert

    Tracing King Tut’s Family Tree in London

    Tutankhamun has always captured popular imagination, and been a major draw for museums. The British Museum’s 1972 exhibition of artefacts from his tomb smashed all expectations in the box office, drawing over 1.6 million visitors over its nine month duration. The pharaoh nicknamed ‘King Tut‘ has been the source of more speculation, satire and popular culture references than any other male king of Egypt. Last week pathologists announced the results from their studies into the genetic relationship of eleven mummies from the Egyptian New Kingdom (mid 16th to early 11th centuries BC), including those of the legendary pharaoh Tutankhamun. The…

  • meral-crifasi

    Book Your Virtual Romantic Dinner at Stonehenge

    Are you one of the romantic ones who adores red roses, champaigne and celebrates Valentines Day by doing something quite extraordinary? Here is a chance for you to do something absolutely stunning… and freeand really it doesn’t need to be Valentine’s Day for a real romantic. Take your wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend or partner somewhere truly special this year – Stonehenge Virtual. Stonehenge is one of the most amazing, and spiritual, ancient sites in the world, and a fantastic venue for fine dining – William Stukely famously ate out on top of a lintel stone in 1723. Since then, it’s…

  • willhunt

    Ancient Roman Palace Discovered at Gabii

    The remnants of a royal palace built by the family of ancient Romes legendary tyrant king, Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud), have been unearthed at Gabii, an ancient site 12 miles south of Rome, according to reports from archaeologists on Thursday. Excavators believe that the palace, which dates back to the 6th century BC, was the home of Tarquinius Superbuss son, the notorious prince Sextus Tarquinius. Recovered fragments of the palaces terracotta roof display an image of the minotaur, a family emblem of the Tarquins, which has led archaeologists to suggest that it was home to many generations of Tarquins.…

  • Ann

    Evidence of ‘Upper Class’ Africans Living in Roman York

    Using the latest techniques in forensic archaeology, the University of Reading has revealed a new image of multi-cultural Roman Britain. New research demonstrates that 4th century ADYork had individuals of North African descent moving in the highest social circles. The research conducted by the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology used modern forensic ancestry assessment and isotope (oxygen and strontium) analysis of Romano-British skeletal remains such as the Ivory Bangle Lady’, in conjunction with evidence from grave goods buried with her. The ancestry assessment suggests a mixture of ‘black’ and ‘white’ ancestral traits, and the isotope signature indicates that she…

  • malcolmj

    Colossal Head from Statue of King Tut’s Granddad Found at Amenhotep III Funerary Temple Site

    A multi-national team of Egyptian and European archaeologists excavating at the site of Amenhotep IIIs enormous funerary temple in the Kom El-Hettan area of Luxors West Bank have uncovered the 3,000-year-old head of a massive statue of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh, the king of Egyptian kings, whom DNA testing has recently proven was Tutankhamuns grandfather. The find made by the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project was announced on Monday by Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni. Measuring 2.5 metres, made from solid red granite and depicting Amenhotep III wearing the Upper Egyptian white crown, it has been…

  • michael-kan

    The Invisible Chinese Town of Pingyao

    At 5:30am, the ancient town of Pingyao is a black mass that disappears in the darkness. There are no signs of street lights, save for the few red lanterns that dangle outside these still sleeping homes. The alleys here seem more like one long labyrinth, a giant shadow the seeable destination. Very quickly, I wonder where I am and if I might get mugged. A few hours later, Pingyao begins to awake. And soon I find that nothing here resembles the modern China I know. There are no high-rises in sight. No bustling shopping malls within town. In fact, theres…

  • owenjarus

    Assyrian Tablets at Tayinat are a Library of Literary Texts

    Last summer headlines were made when a team of archaeologists unearthed a cache of tablets from an Assyrian temple at Tayinat. They were discovered by a team led by Professor Tim Harrison of the University of Toronto. Conservation and translation work is ongoing and it is hoped that some translations will be ready in the months ahead. Last Friday, at an archaeology research day presentation in Toronto, Professor Harrison shared some news on what the translations are revealing. He said in his remarks that the cache of tablets is essentially a collection of literary texts and is part of a…

  • owenjarus

    Ontario Aegean Archaeology Day to Hit Toronto this Saturday

    Snow-weary Toronto residents are set to get some Aegean relief this Saturday. The Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto Canada, will be hosting Ontario Aegean Archaeology Day. Nine speakers from universities in Ontario and New York State will present their research on the ancient Aegean. The event is free if you have a museum membership – non-members will have to pay the usual museum admission fee. The event will be held in the Eaton theatre, and is sponsored by the museum, the Hellenic Republic of Greece, Greek Communities of Canada and the Archaeology Centre at the University of Toronto. Don’t Miss…