Year: 2012

Adventures in the Mexican Jungle–A Visit to Calakmul

In this fun and engaging article, freelance writer Elisabeth Eaves journeys into the Yucatan peninsula’s remotest region in order to visit the mysterious Mayan city of Calakmul. Flourishing around the year c. 600 CE, Calakmul was a wealthy and influential city, rivaling the fêted city of Tikal for power and prestige. Three times as large as the better-known Chichen Itza, Calakmul is the remotest of all Mayan cities and was only discovered in 1931. Please click here to read this article from GO Magazine (the inflight magazine of AirTran).

Bulgarian Roman Ruins Revealed

While our readers and visitors from Europe have been suffering through frigid weather for the past week or so, winter’s wrath has proven itself as a blessing in at least one part of the old continent. An ancient building from Roman times, as well as pottery shards and the foundation of an ancient sewer system, has been revealed in the port city of Bourgas, Bulgaria. Click here to read about this unexpected discovery from Novinite.com.

Power to the Camels: The Camel, Not Caesar, Ran Rome

Two archeologists from Belgium, Fabienne Pigière and Denis Henrotay, make a very interesting argument in the latest edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science: the bedrock of Roman power depended upon the camel. They posit that camels connected the various parts of the empire and were the favored animals for long distance trade. Furthermore, they also were favored by the Roman army and its ranks. Please click here to read this news article from USA TODAY.

Roman Political Advice 2.000 Years Later

2012 is likely to be a year of great political importance for the United States and for the European Union, if not for the entire world. Recently on NPR (National Public Radio), Professor Philip Freeman of Luther University spoke about his new book, “How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians.” Freeman’s work is a translation of a text written during the last days of the Roman Republic, by a brother of Marcus Cicero, in 64 BCE. Please click here to listen to the interview or read the interview transcript.

Fabulous Pre-Islamic Artifacts in Berlin

Last week, we noted the opening of “Roads of Arabia” at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. Now, you can access several pictures and a brief review of the exhibition from Der Spiegel, by clicking here. This is the first time that such rare and exquisite artifacts have been displayed in Germany. The exhibition has already won rave reviews from museum-goers in Barcelona, Paris, and St. Petersburg. Don’t pass on an opportunity to see this show!

Forthcoming Spring Exhibitions

Although it is only February, museums and galleries across the world are preparing to showcase ancient treasures and objects to the delight of museum-goers. Be sure to check out some of these exhibitions this coming spring season! Byzantium and ancient Egypt seem to be en vogue this season: Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has traversed across Europe and is now at the Pergamon Museum, in Berlin, Germany, from January 26 through April 29, 2012. The exhibition is themed as a journey through Pre-Islamic Arabia along famed trade routes and sites of veneration. With more than 300 objects on display–everything from ancient Roman frescoes to spectacular Arabian jewelry–it is no surprise that this exhibit has proven extremely popular with the casual visitor and the astute scholar alike. Considerable attention is also given to findings from recent excavations. Picturing the Past: Imaging and Imagining the Ancient Middle East is the current exhibition at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois USA, from February 6 through September 2, …

Prehistoric Lake Dwellings in Switzerland

Swissinfo–a branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation–published this curious article about ancient lake settlements in November 2011. It was in 1854 when the first Swiss “lake-dweller” village was discovered outside Zurich, and since then over fifty more have been uncovered. Dating from roughly 5.000 to 500 BCE, these villages provide archaeologists a glimpse into the lives of prehistoric peoples during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Please click here to read more about these unique settlements.

Fortuitous Discoveries in Istanbul, Turkey

Many of readers might be aware that Turkey has suffered a devastating drought this year. Turkey’s bad weather has, however, made an archaeologist’s dream. Recently, a long forgotten sea wall has been revealed just outside of Istanbul, in Bathonea. Once a port, complimenting the great nexus of Constantinople, Bathonea’s treasures are quickly being uncovered, surprising even the most learned of historians. Please access this article from the New York Times by clicking here.

Ancient Sites–For Rent in Greece

France24 has recently reported that the Greek government has decided to allow many of its famed archaeological sites–like the Parthenon–to be made available for “commercial” use by companies, private institutions, and other organizations. The decision, made by the Greek Ministry of Cultural Affairs, has been met with disgust and confusion by scholars and archaeologists. Please read this article by clicking here.