Archaeology

CLEOPATRA’S DAUGHTER: From Roman Prisoner to African Queen, by Jane Draycott Not many can boast of knowing that Cleopatra had a daughter, Cleopatra Selene. There’s good reason for this. The historical and archaeological evidence for her life is scanty, and the record of her deeds lost in the heady accounts of the civil wars that convulsed the entire Mediterranean at the time. Antony and Cleopatra, of course, are familiar figures to us: principal actors in the Roman Republic’s final showdown, the battle of East versus West at Actium in 31 B.C. — even if, in the aftermath of Octavian’s victory, they were portrayed as depraved and doomed lovers who took their own lives. Had they not lost the fight at Actium, the elite couple — one Roman, one Egyptian — would have had the chance to shape Rome in their image, to align Western Europe with North Africa and Asia Minor, to subvert the simplistic propaganda pitting Roman austerity against the decadent luxury of the East. But it was not … [Read more...] about Cleopatra’s Daughter Led a Life as Eventful as Her Mother’s

ATHENS — Greeks delivered a shocking rebuff to Europe’s leaders on Sunday, decisively rejecting a deal offered by the country’s creditors in a historic vote that could redefine Greece’s place in Europe and shake the Continent’s financial stability. As people gathered to celebrate in Syntagma Square in central Athens, the Interior Ministry reported that with more than 90 percent of the vote tallied, 61 percent of the voters had said no to a deal that would have imposed greater austerity measures. The no votes carried virtually every district in the country, handing a sweeping victory to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras , a leftist who came to power in January vowing to reject new austerity measures, which he called an injustice and economically self-defeating. Last month he walked away from negotiations in frustration at the creditors’ demands, called the referendum and urged Greeks to vote no as a way to give him more bargaining power. While Mr. Tsipras now appears to have gotten … [Read more...] about Greeks Reject Bailout Terms in Rebuff to European Leaders

VENICE — It is rare enough for a Venice Architecture Biennale , so often dominated by sleek new architecture and design-world celebrity, to confront fraught subjects like race, colonialism and climate change. Lesley Lokko ’s nervy, elegant edition, which opened to the public on Saturday, goes one step further, asserting that the three themes are inextricably connected in ways that have pressing implications for the profession. “The Black body was Europe’s first unit of energy,” Lokko, a Scottish Ghanaian architect, academic and novelist, said during a tour of the exhibition last week. Through slave labor and colonial expansion, she argues, Western powers built empires whose imposing architecture — often neo-Classical in style and claiming to represent universal aesthetic values — was itself an expression of political control. In this Biennale, officially the 18th International Architecture Exhibition, Lokko gives pride of place to two kinds of stories: those that allow Africa … [Read more...] about Radical Rethinking at Biennale: Africa and the Future Share Pride of Place

An investigation into the site of the first skirmish of the French and Indian War revealed bullets shot by troops under the command of a young George Washington, according to the National Park Service (NPS). A four-week archaeological research investigation verified the location of the first skirmish of the French and Indian War, and discovered several 18th-century ballistics and artifacts in Jumonville Glen, which is part of the Fort Necessity National Battlefield , according to the NPS. The 15-minute skirmish happened on May 28, 1754, when 22-year-old Lt. Col. George Washington led the Virginia provincial troops to attack a French campsite, engaging in gunfire. (RELATED: Archaeologists Discover Foundation Of Harriet Tubman’s Home, Dust Off Hundreds Of Additional Artifacts) Archaeologists uncover first shots of the French and Indian War https://t.co/r5tWT34m3t via @HeritageDaily – #Archaeology News — HeritageDaily (@HeritageDaily) May 23, 2023 Fort … [Read more...] about Scientists Verify Bullets From Skirmish Involving 22-Year-Old George Washington

close Video Vermont woman receives cache of World War II-era letters written by her parents Carol Bohlin of Vermont, 75, received a package of letters that her parents sent to each other while her father was serving in the U.S. Navy nearly 80 years ago. Watch her read aloud from these remarkable letters that had been hidden away in a wall. A U.S. Navy destroyer that was sunk during World War II, claiming the lives of 84 American sailors, has been found off the coast of Japan, officials have confirmed. The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) announced Thursday that it authenticated the wreckage of USS Mannert L. Abele in waters near Okinawa. "Mannert L. Abele is the final resting place for 84 American Sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country," NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox – a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral -- said in a statement. The Navy agency said its "Underwater Archaeology Branch used information … [Read more...] about Navy destroyer USS Mannert L. Abele, which sank during World War II, found in Japanese waters

Buried artifacts, lost treasures, ancient puzzles — archaeological excavations make for frightening fiction, especially when their unearthings wreak havoc on those living in the present. It’s easy to forget that Pazuzu — the demon who caused so much mischief in “The Exorcist” — emerged from an archaeological dig in Iraq. Eric LaRocca’s debut novel, EVERYTHING THE DARKNESS EATS (Clash, 224 pp., paperback, $16.95), opens with a similar cursed discovery. It’s 1944 in Wales, and a primitive drawing surrounded by ancient hieroglyphics has been found in a cave. When asked about its meaning, Heart Crowley, the treasure-seeker behind the excavation, replies that it is an “invocation,” then promptly proceeds to make everyone’s head explode, “bright scarlet ribbons fountaining.” Indiana Jones meets “Hellraiser,” anyone? Crowley’s sinister path continues in the village of Henley’s Edge, where he draws the locals into his dark scheme: Ghost Everling, a man mourning his dead wife; … [Read more...] about Heads Exploding and ‘Bright Scarlet Ribbons Fountaining’