An ancient Greek road has just been uncovered outside the city of Thessaloniki, in northeast Greece. Archaeologists and scholars date the marble road–“Via Egnatia”–from c. 300 BCE. Curiously, Roman tombs, containing jewels and tablets were also uncovered very close to the road. Please click here to read about this surprising “double discovery” from the South African Independent Online.
Shankari Patel, an anthropology graduate student at the University of California–Riverside, is causing quite a stir amongst her fellow Mayanists. In a recent, provocative paper, Patel claims to show that ancient Mayan women held multifaceted and important roles within Mayan civilization. Women, Patel contends, were not only wives and domestic workers, but also warriors and queens in their own right. Scholars like Cynthia Robin, a professor of anthropology at Northwestern University, agree with Patel’s findings and encourages further study. Please click here to read to this compelling article from Medill Reports Chicago: A Publication of the Medill School of Northwestern University.
The feature article in National Geographic Magazine, this month, is on the travels and lives of the Christian Apostles. Written by Andrew Todhunter, the article takes you from the mountains of northern Italy to the seaside ports of western India, imparting fresh perspectives on the ancient Mediterranean and early Christianity along the way. Please click here to read this article.
Archaeology Magazine just posted this link about Rome’s lost Aqua Traiana aqueduct. Two filmmakers and two archeologists try to ascertain in this ancient Roman wonder was dissembled and reused elsewhere in the city. The results are surprising! Please click here to watch this brief video.
Last week, the Israeli daily Haaretz printed this article about the remains of Aelia Capitolina–the Roman city built directly on top of the ruins of Jerusalem after the destruction of the Second Jewish Temple in 70 CE. In order to uncover some surprising secrets, please click here to read the article.
LiveScience is reporting that an ancient Greek helmet has been found at the bottom of Haifa Bay in Israel. The helmet dates from c. 600 BCE and belonged to a Greek mercenary warrior who likely served Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt (r. 610-595 BCE). This unique artifact has since been cleaned and is now on display at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa, Israel. Please click here to read more about the fascinating history of this helmet and the role of the Greeks in the Near East.
So did the Romans have much of anything to do with the “Emerald Island”? The Irish Times is reporting that a new academic project has commenced, exploring the links between Roman Europe and Celtic Ireland. Entitled “Late Iron Age and Roman Ireland (Liari),” the project has already caused quite a stir! Please click here to read about this fantastic initiative.
The BBC reports that the popular belief of eight hours of sleep being optimal is a development of the 19th century, and that people have had a very different pattern of sleep before. In previous times humans usually had a first period of sleep of several hours, followed by a night-time awake phase, which in turn is followed by a second period of sleep of several hours. Many historical sources reference this bi-modal sleep pattern as if it was common knowledge, which appears to have been lost in the course of the Industrial Revolution (particularly with the advent of street lighting). Between the two periods of sleep people would be awake, and they meditated their dreams, prayed, had sex with their partner, or even visited their neighbours. It appears that many sleep-related problems may stem from the fact that the eight hour sleep is unnatural.
Archaeologists have made perhaps one of the most exciting Pre-Columbian finds in recent decades! In the vicinity of El Caño, Panama, excavations have unearthed fantastic tombs filled exquisite golden items. Since 2010, dozens of artifacts have been recovered and now scholars are peeling back the layers of time in order to solve the mysteries of this long forgotten civilization. Please click here to read an article about the excavation process from National Geographic Magazine. Also of interest is this news piece from National Geographic Daily News. Please click here to read that article.
The New York Times ran an article last month, detailing the importance of geoglyphs found deep within the Amazon rainforest in northwestern Brazil. Although they have been known to scientists and archaeologists since the 1970s, these “land carvings” are receiving increasing attention from the international community. Characterized by remarkable “geometric precision” and intricate detail, scholars debate their genesis and purpose. Please click here to read this fascinating piece.
