Thursday, April 19, 2012

Statue Tentatively Identified as Gladiatrix

http://www.livescience.com/19729-female-gladiator-statue-rome.html
A small Roman-era bronze statue in a museum in Germany has been identified by one scholar as a female gladiator brandishing a sica (curved sword). Not everybody is convinced, but some are. One problem is that she is wearing no armor whatsoever. The article has more information than usual about the possibility of female gladiators. Click on the picture of the statue to see the full-length thing.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Should Nefertiti go home to Egypt?

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2012/1092/he1.htm
Article on the long history of the negotiations between Egypt and Germany over the residence of Queen Nefertiti. Very dramatic.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Turkey Goes After Illegal Antiquities in US Museums

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/31/4381052/turkey-asks-us-museums-to-return.html
Since 1906, it has been illegal to remove antiquities from Turkey, and yet...So now the Turkish government is stepping up efforts to pressure US museums, including the Getty and the Met, to return disputed objects. The article is slightly unclear about which specific items are in question.

Ancient Mali and Timbuktu Threatened

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17596831
War, once AGAIN, is bad for cultural heritage. Get the memo, people! Even UNESCO has taken notice of this one.

More Bad News about Greek Archaeological & Museum Funding

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jCiWrL4tjaqKT2xJ6UdEYmxdnQug?docId=CNG.3dd5b456e6d77317a917b73052daf4f6.211
Sort of a summary of bad news about funding for Greek antiquities, museums, and restoration (down 35% this year, 10% of employees laid off, sites closing early for lack of staff...)

Looting of Antiquities in Syria

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/35824-experts-sound-alarm-over-syria-archaeological-treasures
As usual, revolution/unrest is not good for the antiquities of a country. Libya, Egypt, and now Syria have seen security lapses at archaeological sites, and items are starting to appear on the black market. And Syria's a big place, with lots of sites. Another reason that everybody's wait-and-see attitude isn't working out.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Archaeology as Rehabilitation

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/9623660.Soldiers_dig_in_for_historic_victory/
A project in Wales is giving injured soldiers the chance to participate in archaeological projects, such as a Roman building. One soldier notes that the same soil-observation skills which he developed to detect IEDs in Afghanistan can be used in archaeology to notice changes in the ground and likely sites. Some soldiers are considering studying history and archaeology in school after their recovery/discharge.