Rome means different things to different people. Some associate Rome with its ancient civilization and massive empire; to others, it’s the center of the Roman Catholic Church and the vibrant capital of modern Italy. For many though, it’s the “eternal city,” a metropolis which exemplifies magnificence, art, and culture. Robert Hughes, the acclaimed Australian art-critic, writer, and documentary filmmaker, has just published a new book–Rome: A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History–paying homage to this most legendary of cities. Please be sure to read an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal Magazine here, and also Professor Simon Schama’s review of the book at Newsweek Magazine, here.

For those of you who are interested in the Hellenistic era or late Republican Rome, please be sure to read this National Geographic Magazine article on the infamous Queen Cleopatra VII, published in their July 2011 issue. Click here to access the article.

This week, exciting news has emerged from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. An article in the Times of India has reported that Roman pottery remains have been discovered in the village of Naduvirapattu, located outside the city of Tambaram. In ancient times, Tamil Nadu lay at the nexus of overseas trade between East and West. Please read this article by clicking here.

If you are based in Germany or are near the vicinity of Berlin, be sure to visit a special show entitled “Pergamon: Panorama of the Ancient Metropolis,” at Berlin’s Pergamon Museum. The show, which opened earlier this month, includes a spectacular panoramic recreation of the city during the second century CE. Please read more about this exciting museum show, via the Wall Street Journal, by clicking here. The reviews and public reception has been overwhelmingly positive!

For those of you interested in urban archaeology and the painstaking process of uncovering the past beneath our cities, please check out this recent article in France Today. It’s a gem! Also, for those of you interested in the Romans, be aware that there is a new biography on the infamous Caligula by the Swiss historian, Alyos Winterling. Please read the review in Canada’s major newsweekly, Maclean’s, here.

Here is further listing of exhibitions in the United States and Europe: Before the Pyramids: The Origins of Egyptian Civilization. This exhibition explores ancient Egypt’s Pre-Dynastic and Early Dynastic material culture and shows how these objects inform on our understanding of Egyptian culture and civilization. The most fundamental aspects of ancient Egyptian civilization–architecture, hieroglyphic writing, a belief in the afterlife and allegiance to a semi-divine king–are linked to Egypt’s Pre-Dynastic era, which predates the famous pyramids of Giza by about a thousand years. The exhibit includes over one hundred objects, including works of art and ceramics in addition to recovered objects from the tombs of the first kings and of the retainers who were buried alongside them. Recent studies and research is presented in tandem with the exhibit. Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago, IL (USA). Now through December 31, 2011. Life and Death in the Pyramid Age: The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy. This exhibit situates an ancient Egyptian mummy–excavated at the religious center of Abydos by archaeologists, in Middle Egypt, in the 1920s–in the context of …

As the temperatures slide on our thermometers and the leaves assume a fiery hue, we wanted to keep you up to date with the news that some fabulous exhibitions will be on show this autumn in Europe and the United States. Please be sure to check these out: Mummies of the World. Mummies of the World presents 150 human and animal mummies and related artifacts from South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Egypt, showing how science can shed light on the historical and cultural record. The exhibition will include interactive multimedia exhibits which illustrate how such tools like computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating permit researchers to deduce facts about the lives, history and cultures of the mummies. Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) through October 23, 2011. Body Parts: Ancient Egyptian Fragments and Amulets. Body Parts: Ancient Egyptian Fragments and Amulets features over thirty representations of individual body parts from the Museum’s ancient Egyptian collection, using both fragments of sculptures and objects created as distinct elements to illuminate the very realistic …

This past weekend, the Wall Street Journal had two articles which might be of interest to our readers. In one, Christian C. Sahner, a doctoral candidate of history at Princeton University, analyzes the style, usage, and history of the Temple of Bel located the fabled city of Palmyra. In the other, Ellen Gamerman demonstrates just how valuable Roman coins are fiscally and historically. Regardless of your interests or areas of expertise, both articles make for stimulating and enjoyable reading.

Taking a slightly modern turn, this article appeared last month in Newsweek, detailing how Italy’s wealthy are stepping up to save crumbling and endangered ancient monuments. This financial assistance cannot come soon enough–neglect and staggering cuts to the Italian budget have endangered even the most preserved sites like Pompeii.

If you find yourself in Paris in the near future and are interested in Mayan civilization, you must head to the Quai Branly. Maya: From Dawn to Dusk presents and features the most tantalizing objects unearthed in Guatemala–many of which are exquisitely detailed in gold. In Europe for the first time, this exhibition of over 160 items traces the spectacular rise and mysterious decline of the Mayan peoples.