Author: Jan van der Crabben

We’re now on Google+!

Today the social network Google+ launched pages for organizations and businesses, and we’re among the first to set up our very own Ancient History Encyclopedia Google+ page! Add this page to your circles to get updates on AHE, to post suggestions, ask questions, or give feedback!

Ancient depiction of childbirth found at Etruscan site in Tuscany

An archaeological excavation at Poggio Colla, the site of a 2,700-year-old Etruscan settlement in Italy’s Mugello Valley, has turned up a surprising and unique find: two images of a woman giving birth to a child. Researchers from the Mugello Valley Archaeological Project, which oversees the Poggio Colla excavation site some 20 miles northeast of Florence, discovered the images on a small fragment from a ceramic vessel that is more than 2,600 years old. The images show the head and shoulders of a baby emerging from a mother represented with her knees raised and her face shown in profile, one arm raised, and a long ponytail running down her back. Read the full story at Open University.

More Communication Features

For a long time I felt that the “community” part of Ancient History Encyclopedia was still in need of improvement. Yes, the content is all contributed by the community… but a community means interaction. Therefore I’m happy to announce that we now have more communication features! Whenever somebody post a comment on your content, or replies to one of your comments, you are notified by email. That way, you know when to reply to somebody. Also, whenever we approve content, the author is notified by email. We made sure that you won’t be flooded with emails, so you will only receive one notification, even if there are multiple replies. Also, you can change your communication settings in your “my account” page. I hope you will enjoy chatting away!