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International Fall Exhibitions 2012

Published by James Wiener

The change of seasons offers a rich cultural bounty to be partaken by those enthused with ancient history. Four times a year, the Ancient History Encyclopedia likes to present a selection of phenomenal exhibitions that we believe our users and readers would enjoy. For the fall 2012 season, Andean Peru, Greece, China, Mesoamerica, Central Asia, and Arabia are well represented. Please take a moment and check out these listings in order to see if anything of these interest you! We wish you all a very happy fall or spring (for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere)!

LIARI International Conference in Dublin, Ireland

Published by James Wiener

This past spring, the Ancient History Encyclopedia had the immense pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jacqueline Cahill-Wilson, the Chief Investigator for the LIARI (“Late Iron Age Roman Ireland”) Project. This unique and advanced archaeological endeavor is overseen and supported by The Discovery Programme. As distinct from the other public bodies that deal with Irish archaeology, The Discovery Programme’s sole activity is to engage in full-time archaeological and related research, in order to enhance the public’s knowledge of Ireland’s rich and varied past. Today, we have the pleasure of sharing with you news of The Discovery Programme’s first international interdisciplinary conference, which is scheduled to take place at Trinity College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland from October 20-21, 2012. This special conference will consider how communities in Ireland engaged with the Roman world. Leading academics from Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark, and the USA have been invited to present papers from across the subjects of Archaeology, History, Classics, Earth Sciences, Iron Age studies and “Celtic” Studies, covering the Iron Age through to Late Antiquity. We encourage everyone with …

INTERVIEW: Children, Archaeology, and Novels

Published by James Wiener

Caroline Ludovici has had a passion for history, archaeology, and adventure from an early age. Originally from London, Caroline has traveled extensively throughout the world, soaking in different cultures wherever she has ventured. Her experiences and her keen interest in history and archeology gave her the agency to become a novelist. As an author, she is committed to making her books interesting, exciting, true to life, and refreshingly different. In this interview with James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Caroline discusses the art of crafting the “young adult novel” in addition to her desire to engender a love of history among children.

The Mysterious Ancient Puebloan Peoples (Anasazi)

Published by James Wiener

The American Desert Southwest has some of the most impressive prehistoric ruins and artifacts in the world. Thousands of archaeological sites, spread about across the American states of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, testify to the presence of a advanced civilization: the “Anasazi” or the Ancestral/Ancient Puebloan peoples. Long revered and venerated as the ancestors of the Hopi, Zuni, and other Puebloan dwellers, this remarkable civilization, characterized by its impressive architecture, sophisticated systems of irrigation, and understanding astronomical phenomena, flourished from c. 600-1300 CE before mysterious vanishing. In wake of their “rediscovery” by archaeologists over 100 years ago, many questions still remain as to how they were able to create a civilization in such a harsh climate and why their decline was so sudden. In this exclusive interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia took the time to speak with Dr. David E. Stuart, a renown expert on the Ancient Puebloans and Professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, and two of his research assistants, Ms. Jenny Lund and Ms. Christine …

INTERVIEW: The Zamani Project and Dr. Heinz Rüther

Published by James Wiener

The Zamani Project attempts to record the “spatial” domain of African patrimony by recording its physical, architectural, and natural dimensions. The documentation project was initiated to increase international awareness of African heritage and provide material for research while, concurrently, creating a permanent and accurate record of important sites for restoration and conservation purposes. The spatial data acquired by The Zamani Project is made available worldwide and augmented with contextual non-spatial data by ALUKA. The Zamani Project was an initiative of the Geomatics Division of the University of Cape Town and is currently supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The endeavor, founded as “The African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes Project,” developed out of years of heritage documentation activities by the project‘s Principal Investigator, Professor Heinz Rüther. In this exclusive interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia speaks with Professor Heinz Rüther about the project, ancient Africa, and the need for the conservation of Africa’s patrimony.

Interview: From Bactria to Taxila–New e-Resource on Ancient Central Asia

Published by James Wiener

Central Asia can be thought of as the “core region” of the Eurasian continent, stretching from the Caspian Sea to western China, the rugged mountains of Pakistan to the extensive steppes of southern Russia. Misunderstood, understudied, and oftentimes a front line between empires and geopolitical rivals, ancient Central Asia rarely receives the attention afforded to neighboring India, China, and Persia. Sensing the need for a composite resource focused solely on this compelling part of the world, Antoine Simonin, a long time contributor to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, built From Bactria to Taxila to fill this glaring void on the web. In this interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia, speaks to Antoine about the launch of his new e-resource webpage and why Central Asia is “off the radar” for most ancient historians and specialists.

Maya 3D Interview

Published by Jan van der Crabben

We just had the pleasure of interviewing Mathias Kohlschmidt and Martin Gruhn, the founders of Maya3D. Together with their team of programmers, 3D artists, and historians they have recreated several ancient Maya cities in 3D and turned this into a series of interactive iOS TimeTours apps. These apps are meant to serve as both an educational instrument and an on-site travel guide at the same time. We believe that initiatives like this show us a glimpse of how the future of history education might look like.

Campaigning Across the Ages: An Interview with Professor Philip Freeman

Published by James Wiener

How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians is the latest publication by Professor Philip Freeman, the Orlando W. Qualley Chair of Classical Languages at Luther College, in Decorah, Iowa. In 64 BCE, Marcus Cicero (106-43 BCE) ran for consul and faced the challenge of a lifetime: winning the highest office in the Republic. Fortunately, his younger brother, Quintus Cicero (102 – 43 BCE), was able to impart advice on managing a successful political campaign: The Commentariolum Petitionis. Although the Cicero brothers lived an age in which politics was localized and intensely personal, Quintus’ short maxims to his brother delineate many political truths still valid in modern times. Accessible and entertaining, Freeman translates an “unashamedly pragmatic primer.”

Clava Cairns Article by Joshua Mark

Published by James Wiener

Our own Joshua Mark has just published an article about the mysterious Clava Cairns structures in Scotland. Please read his article at The Celtic Guide Magazine. Here’s an brief excerpt: “Over 4,000 years ago our ancestors raised huge megaliths and positioned them in the earth with care. Sites such as The Ring of Brodgar in Stenness, Orkney, or the famous Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, mystify and enchant visitors from around the world today. There are many other more modest sites, however, which reward a visitor’s time and effort just as much as these more famous places and, perhaps, more so. Five miles east of the city of Inverness, Scotland, just down from Culloden Moor, rests one such site: the Balnuaran of Clava – popularly known as Clava Cairns….”