Italy Archives - Page 7 of 35

Weekend Roundup, Part 4

Archaeologists have uncovered cultic buildings and materials at what they believe may be the Hittite cultic center and royal city of Zippalanda.

A new decade-long study reveals that the Luwian culture extended further and lasted longer than those of Mycenean Greece or the Hittites.

Nearly two thousand Hittite tablets are being read for the first time using artificial intelligence.

A German undersecretary has called for the return of the Pergamon Altar and the bust of Nefertiti.

Turkish Archaeological News provides a summary of the major stories of 2022.

Archaeologists believe they have discovered a temple of Poseidon near Samikon, Greece.

Large-scale excavations in Thessaloniki are revealing impressive finds from the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Greek authorities have announced an upgrade masterplan for the archaeological site of Corinth. The plan includes the building of a new museum.

“A team of international researchers analyzing the genomes of ancient human remains has discovered that, unlike in other European societies of the period, first cousins in Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece frequently married each other.”

NY Times: “The British Museum and Greece’s prime minister are getting closer to a deal on returning the so-called Elgin Marbles to Athens.”

“The archaeological park of Pompeii has found a low-tech way to prevent the site from being overrun by vegetation: hungry sheep.”

A new study of Roman concrete reveals that its longevity owes to its ability to “heal” its own cracks when exposed to water.

After 20 years of restoration, the House of Vettii in Pompeii was opened to the public.

This excellent two-minute video explains explains how the ancient Romans built roads.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Dickson, Ted Weis, Wayne Stiles, Mondo Gonzales, Alexander Schick, Charles Savelle, Keith Keyser, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Greece, Italy, Museums, Technology, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists working in southeastern Turkey believe they have discovered the “oldest narrative depiction in history.”

The recent discovery of several dozen bronze statues in Italy may affect how historians understand the relationship between the Etruscans and the Romans.

ScienceDaily: “Using advanced geochemical analyses, a team of scientists has uncovered new answers to decades-old questions about trade of tin throughout Eurasia during the Late Bronze Age.”

Ruth Schuster has written a well-illustrated article about how the “desert kites” mystery was solved.

Archaeologists used LIDAR to discover a Roman temple underneath a church in Croatia.

A 17-minute video produced by the British Museum explains what the Rosetta Stone actually says.

Tim Johnson writes about his visit to Syracuse, the “greatest Greek city,” and one that Paul briefly visited on his way to Rome.

“A number of looted artefacts returned to Turkey and Italy in the past three months have been revealed to be from the private collection of prominent American philanthropist Shelby White.”

George Smith, best known for his work on the Epic of Gilgamesh, is the subject of the latest episode on the Thin End of the Wedge.

Some Roman centurions and gladiators have been arrested after they threatened to beat up tourists at the Colosseum.

Discussion on a agreement between the British Museum and Greece to send the Elgin Marbles to Athens is “at an advanced stage.”

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Dickson, Keith Keyser, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Museums, Technology, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A Roman ship has been discovered off the coast of Croatia.

Unique olive oil is being produced from an ancient grove at Hadrian’s Villa.

Peter Lacovara disputes the claim that the treasures of King Tut’s tomb would have been dwarfed by those of greater pharaohs. I hope that someone writes a response.

The Bible Archaeology Report has a new well-researched top ten list: Top Ten Historical References to Jesus Outside of the Bible.

New release: The Connected Iron Age: Interregional Networks in the Eastern Mediterranean, 900-600 BCE, edited by Jonathan M. Hall and James F. Osborne (University of Chicago; $45).

New release: From the Passion to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Memories of Jesus in Place, Pilgrimage, and Early Holy Sites Over the First Three Centuries, by Jordan J. Ryan (T&T Clark; $36; Amazon).

You can compete in BAR’s winter caption contest by submitting a proposal online.

Free download: L’Orient des Bonfils (1867-1918) – a new volume that tells the story of the most active photographic studio in the Middle East. The text is in French, and the majority of the 850-page book are photographs. Click the red button to download the pdf.

The Hellenic Education Research Center offers a number of summer programs. Mark V. Hoffman highly recommends the course on Jews and Early Christians.

With so many free maps now available from Bible Mapper, the new PassageBrowser and MapFinder are welcome tools to quickly find the map you need.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archeologists in Egypt have uncovered a vast underground tunnel near the city of Alexandria, and hope it may lead them to the long-lost tomb of Egypt’s last pharaoh and possibly its most famous ruler, Queen Cleopatra VII.”

Archaeologists discovered “an extremely rare and incalculably valuable Roman glass vessel” in a “remarkable state of preservation” in the ancient Roman city of Augustodunum (modern Autun, France).

“Archaeologists in Italy have uncovered more than two dozen beautifully preserved bronze statues dating back to ancient Roman times in thermal baths in Tuscany.”

The Temple of Apollo in Side, Turkey, will be restored as an archaeological museum.

Turkish Archaeological News has a roundup of stories from the month of October, including a report of a well-preserved Byzantine shops and dining area in Ephesus.

The International Herodotus Workshop was held recently in the city of Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, the historian’s hometown.

Ádám Németh’s Virtual Reconstructions includes 3D artwork of ancient buildings in Ephesus, including the Celsus Library, Terrace Houses, Trajan’s nymphaeum, theater, agora, and Temple of Artemis.

Digital Maps of the Ancient World: “The aim is to map out all the different aspects of Roman cities so that it can be used as a teaching aid or a guide for those interested in the site.”

“A giant cardboard imitation of the Trojan Horse, which won Greeks the war of Troy in antiquity, broke the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest cardboard sculpture in U.K.”

“An American man has returned 19 antiquities to the four countries they came from after reading reports in the Guardian about the repatriation of looted antiquities.”

The Immersive King Tut exhibit is at, or coming to, a dozen US cities.

“Tutankhamun: His Tomb and his Treasures” will open at the Columbus Science Museum on March 18.

On The Book and the Spade, Charles Aling and Gordon Govier discuss King Tut’s Tomb on the 100th anniversary of its discovery.

Leon Mauldin shares a recent photo he took of the Merneptah Stele in the Egyptian Museum.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Joseph Lauer, Jared Clark, Wayne Stiles, A.D. Riddle, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Lectures, Museums, New Exhibits, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

The University of Pennsylvania, in partnership with an Iraqi team, has announced the discovery of seven very fine wall reliefs from the time of King Sennacherib in Nineveh. The team is also actively reconstructing the ancient city’s Mashki Gate, which was destroyed by militants a few years ago.

“An ancient Christian monastery possibly dating as far back as the years before Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula has been discovered on an island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.”

Archaeological work is underway near the Church of St. Peter in Antioch on the Orontes.

The fourth of five excavation seasons at Amphipolis has concluded, and this story summarizes the latest discoveries.

“An intact skeleton of a woman lying next to a stunning necklace and other important artifacts from the Early Minoan era (circa 2,600 BC), were unearthed recently at the archaeological site of Sisi on Crete.”

“Archivists have uncovered a long-lost historical relic hidden underneath a Christian manuscript: the earliest known map of the stars.”

“We, a group of Egyptologists, IT scholars and enthusiasts, have started an initiative to promote the digitization of Egyptian texts as open, re-usable data. Inspired by the great ORACC, we call ourselves ORAEC, Open Richly Annotated Egyptian Corpus.”

Brent Nongbri reviews the new exhibition at the Cheater Beatty Library called “First Fragments: Biblical Papyrus from Roman Egypt.” It looks worth adding Ireland to your travel list for 2023.

John DeLancey has posted a 360 Interactive Video in the Colosseum in Rome. It provides a great perspective of this ancient slaughterhouse.

The Greek Reporter lists the top 20 archaeological sites in the country. It is a good list.

Ferrell Jenkins posts a photo of the Appian Way south of Rome.

Robert Miller died last month.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Joseph Lauer, Wayne Stiles, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Greece, Italy, Mesopotamia, Museums, New Exhibits, Resources, Sad News, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A team excavating in Luxor has uncovered a mummy in a wooden sarcophagus that dates to 1600 BC.

“Archaeologists have discovered a shrine in a temple in Egypt that describes a ritual never seen before.”

Six thousand artifacts taken from the Kerak Castle will be displayed in the city museum.

Syria announced the uncovering of a large, remarkable 1,600-year-old mosaic depicting scenes of the Trojan War.

“New mosaics with various figures were unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis, which is called the ‘Zeugma of Black Sea.’”

“Archaeologists may have found the sanctuary of the Samian Poseidon while they were conducting excavations at the Samicum Acropolis in Greece.”

The British Institute for the Study of Iraq is hosting an online international conference to mark the 100th anniversary of Sir Leonard Wooley’s first season of excavations at Ur.

Shai Gordin and Avital Romach explain the benefits of using computers to study ancient cuneiform texts.

New release: A Companion to the Hellenistic and Roman Near East, edited by Ted Kaizer (Wiley, £159; Amazon).

International Archaeology Day on October 22 will be celebrated at the Nashville Parthenon with a number of activities.

“An American tourist knocked over two ancient Roman busts in the Vatican Museums after he was told he couldn’t meet with Pope Francis.”

Our team has been working on a special little project, and we look forward to sharing that this week. By way of preview, I will say that it is a powerfully beautiful celebration of one of the most loved passages in all the Bible.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lectures, Museums, Resources, Syria, Technology, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup