Archaeology Archive
-
Understanding Carthage as a Roman Port
Posted on February 19, 2012 | No CommentsBecause there was ancient literary evidence about the port of Carthage, scholars took the topic head on from the start of modern scholarly interest in the 19th century, with mixed results. -
Romanizing Baal: the art of Saturn worship in North Africa
Posted on February 13, 2012 | No CommentsThe basic elements of the Saturn stelai of the Roman period are already present on Punic/Berber stelai of the pre-Roman period. -
Astronomy and ancient Greek cult : an application of archaeoastronomy to Greek religious architecture, cosmologies and landscapes
Posted on February 12, 2012 | No CommentsThis study advances understanding of the role of landscapes in Greek religious practice, establishes the importance of astronomy and cosmology in ancient Greek religion, and demonstrates how this religious system was expressed at the local level in myths and the performance of cult rites. -
Rites of Passage and their Role in the Socialization of the Spartan Youth
Posted on February 12, 2012 | No CommentsEducation was obligatory and uniform for all Spartans, a uniformity that enforced an important institutional restriction on the display of wealth, in contrast to other Greek city-states, in particular Athens. -
Behind the Mask of Agamemnon
Posted on February 5, 2012 | No CommentsIs Schliemann's famous find a modern-day forgery? -
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?