The Israel Museum has published six of the Qumran Scrolls on its websites. For each of the scrolls there is a high-resolution image viewer as well as a description of the scroll and where it was found. You can view the Qumran Scrolls on the Israel Museum website.
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 …
Bigthink.com posted an interesting article that examines the “missing link” between the art of Antiquity and art of the early Middle Ages. Art found in the city of Dura-Europos might fill in this gap of the “Dark Ages” in art history. Read the full article on bigthink.com.
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.
The Cathedral of Tarragona is a microcosm of the Spain’s turbulent but colorful past–Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, Jews, and Catalans have all called the area home. However, recent excavations reveal that long before the conversion of Spain to Christianity, there was a shrine of tremendous size dedicated to the Emperor Augustus (63 BCE – 14 CE) and in use until the Fifth Century CE. This shrine was located directly under the present Cathedral. Be sure to read more in this article by the Catalan News Agency.
Clothes make the man, and they made the man “Roman” as well. In this provocative article by Der Spiegel, textile researchers and archaeologists are discovering that many of our preconceived notions of “Roman fashion” are incorrect or simply unsubstantiated. From fabric production, to color and design, new discoveries and research demonstrate that the Romans might well have been the true fashionistas of Antiquity.
Der Spiegel reports that scholars and archaeologists are puzzled but fascinated by a recent discovery near the German city of Weimar. Roughly 3,800 years old, a primitive palace compound has been unearthed revealing the wealth of an ancient prince. Archaeologists believe that the building might have been the largest in prehistoric Germany. Among the various items found were a hundred bronze hatchet blades and the body of child who had been sacrificed.
