Russian archaeologists have discovered two Scythian burial mounds outside of the village of Krasny Ya. Local farmers’ ploughing activities had rendered the mounds nearly invisible making their discovery fortuitous. Excavations of one of the mounds revealed the remains of a Scythian warrior buried beneath his horse. This grave produced a number of interesting finds including the warrior’s sword, belt and gold foil believed to have been part of the warrior’s clothing.
Ancient Egyptians considered proper burial was a vital element for salvation in the afterlife the rituals of embalming, protection of the body in a stone tomb and the burial goods that would ensure the deceased was in comfort were restricted to the wealthy and important.
The recent discovery of the tomb of vizier Badi-Bastet further confirms the Egyptian practice of
reusing burial goods and coffins in subsequent burials and even the recycling of tombs.
Some researchers have suggested that the ancient Egyptian practice of recycling mortuary goods and spaces was common especially during times of financial hardship.
31 August – On this day
Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, better known as Commodus was born in Lanuvium the son of the warrior-philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius. Continue reading “AD 161 – Commodus born”
A subterranean cavity about 20 metres deep has been discovered below the pyramid of Kukulkan at the Mayan site of Chichen Itza in Mexico. Continue reading “Chichen Itza temple built atop underground river”
31 August – On this day
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, or Caligula as he is better known to the world, was born on this day in AD 12. Continue reading “AD 12 – Caligula born”
Novinite.com have reported that archaeologists in Bulgaria have discovered a 1600 year old mosaic in downtown Sofia. Continue reading “1600 year old mosaic discovered”
Cambridge journals are giving away free access to three collections of articles because of the upcoming European Association of Archaeologists Conference 2015. Continue reading “Free Access to Cambridge Collections”
The CVA online database contains a very large number of images mostly of ancient Greek painted pottery from around the world. Continue reading “Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum online”
Created about 5,000 years ago Egyptian blue is one of the first artificial pigments manufactured by heating a mixture of a calcium compound, sand and potash to around 850-950 C. Continue reading “Egyptian Blue”
The Institute of Digital Archaeology (IDA) is planning to send thousands of cheap 3D cameras to threatened areas in an effort to document historic sites so that exact replicas can be rebuilt in the case of destruction. Continue reading “3D Imagery to preserve threatened antiquities”
ASU will offer a subject called Western Civilization: Ancient and Medieval Europe, and Human Origins starting Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015. Continue reading “Arizona State University to offer a history MOOC with freshman credit”
The University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute has a publicly visible virtual museum allowing those who cant get there in person an opportunity to get a sense of its holdings. Continue reading “Oriental Institute Museum – A virtual tour”
Anyone who is serious about their ancient history needs to know about the Loeb Classical Library which gives historians access to the original Latin or Greek text with an English translation on the facing page. Continue reading “Loebolus – a resource for historians”
This is an excellent volume, which I believe is an important contribution. It is clear that the manual is based on a great deal of experience in the field and will serve as a wonderful introduction for those wanting to transition from traditional methods to digital methods. Continue reading “Digital epigraphy: Review”
History Bytez 