Archaeologists working in the temple of Dendera discovered a Sphinx-like statue that may depict Emperor Claudius.
“Egyptian officials have released photos of an ancient scroll, the 52-foot-long (16 meters) Book of the Dead papyrus recently discovered in Saqqara. The 10 images show ancient illustrations of gods and scenes from the afterlife, as well as text on the document, which is more than 2,000 years old.” The released photos were first posted on the government’s Facebook page.
The British Museum’s Curator’s Corner provides a lesson in how to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs (27 min).
New release: Ancient Egypt, New Technology: The Present and Future of Computer Visualization, Virtual Reality and Other Digital Humanities in Egyptology, edited by Rita Lucarelli, Joshua A. Roberson, and Steve Vinson. (Brill, $174; free download)
The first-ever detailed study of the theater at Pergamum reveals that it is larger than the theaters at Smyrna, Ephesus, Miletus, or Aspendos. An aerial photo shows the locations of the theater, stadium, and amphitheater in relation to the acropolis.
Turkish Archaeological News has a roundup of major stories for the month of February. They also provide a damage assessment of cultural properties one month after the earthquake.
“The revamped archaeological museum of Argos in the Peloponnese and its upgraded display collection will soon reopen to the public.”
Archaeologists have discovered for the first time wooden stakes described by Julius Caesar and used as a kind of ancient barbed wire.
New research suggests that humans may have first begun riding horses around 3000 BC.
New exhibition at the San Antonio Museum of Art: “Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii”
The Global Smyrna Meeting on the Seven Churches of Revelation will be held June 4 to 10, featuring many scholars in the field including Mark Wilson, Mark Fairchild, James Hoffmeier, David deSilva, and Ben Witherington.
HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Mark Hoffman, Explorator
Pool of Siloam excavations in late February. Photo courtesy of John DeLancey.