Archaeology Archive
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On the Egyptian origin of the domestic cat
Posted on January 26, 2012 | No CommentsThe traditional opinion is that the cat was domesticated in place in Egypt from wild local stock. SCHAUENBERG (1972) contradicted this hypothesis by showing that the cranial index (ic = cranium length/volume of encephalic cavity) of the modern domestic cat was closer to that of the steppe cat (Felis ornata) of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan than that of the wild Libyan desert cat (Felis libyca). -
Animal spectacula of the Roman Empire
Posted on January 25, 2012 | No CommentsAlthough gladiatorial spectacles in ancient Rome have been the subject of a great deal of recent scholarly literature, comparatively little attention has been paid to the contemporary animal spectacles... -
The Archaeology of Food in Athens: The Development of an Athenian Urban Lifestyle
Posted on January 24, 2012 | No CommentsThe study of the archaeological evidence concerning food has always been a rather fertile approach towards understanding human culture. The modern phrase “you are what you eat” can be applied to the varied lifestyles and identities formed by all human cultures. -
2,000-year-old Roman helmet unveiled in England
Posted on January 11, 2012 | No CommentsThis was a top quality helmet and would have been specially commissioned by a high ranking officer. When new, it would have been a stunning sight, shining gold and silver and with images of Roman military victory proudly displayed on its surfaces. -
The Intellectual History of Catacomb Archaeology
Posted on January 8, 2012 | No CommentsHow have the Christian catacombs and the Jewish catacombs been treated differently by scholars? How have the catacombs been presented (both physically and in publications) to a religious, academic, and general public? How does this intellectual heritage inform the study of the catacombs today? -
Roman brothel token discovered in London
Posted on January 7, 2012 | No CommentsThe first known Roman brothel token to have been discovered in London and most likely Britain, is on temporary display at the Museum of London. -
The Afterlife in Ancient Egypt
Posted on January 4, 2012 | No CommentsThe Egyptians envisioned the hereafter as a duplication of the best moments of earthly existence. There was nothing morbid in their lifelong preoccupation with death, they prepared for it earnestly and confidently. -
New in Ancient History books this week!
Posted on December 30, 2011 | No CommentsCheck out these new releases! Just in time to ring in the New Year with a new read! -
1,600 year-old bathhouse discovered in Israel
Posted on December 27, 2011 | No CommentsThe bathhouse may have been used by an inn situated on an ancient road that ran through the southern Ayalon Valley, and it might also have been part of a wealthy country estate. -
Relations between the Late Roman World and Barbarian Europe in the Light of Coin Finds
Posted on December 21, 2011 | No CommentsAnd so, during a period of well developed exchange between the Roman Empire and the Barbaricum, coinciding with the Golden Age and the House of Antonine, Roman coins started to flow more intensively in the reign of the last two Antonine emperors.