The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Dr. Kathleen Martínez in collaboration with the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), has made new discoveries at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, located west of Alexandria. Among the most notable findings are foundation deposits beneath the southern wall of the enclosure, containing artifacts and ceremonial objects that shed […]
Sculpture
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Megalography Depicting a Rare Mythological Scene of Achilles and Bronze Statuettes Found in a Roman “Domus” in Reims
The urban organization of Durocortorum, the Gallo-Roman city now known as Reims in France, faithfully adhered to the principles of Roman urbanism. The city was divided into blocks bounded by streets arranged in an orthogonal grid converging at the forum, the nerve center of political and religious life. However, the areas farther from the city’s […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Spectacular Bronze Statues and Thousands of Coins Found in the Etruscan-Roman Sanctuary of San Casciano dei Bagni
In the picturesque municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni, located in the Italian province of Siena, archaeological discoveries continue to shed light on the rich history of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary of Bagno Grande. In 2002, this site revealed the largest collection of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman periods (article on our Spanish edition) […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
The Enigmatic Roman Figurine Discovered in England Wearing a Type of Cloak Mentioned in Diocletian’s Edict of Maximum Prices
A team of archaeologists from the AOC Archaeology group made a unique find in 2018 in the village of Sandy, Bedfordshire, England. During excavations in an area that, during the Roman occupation, served as a cemetery and settlement, they unearthed a bronze figurine notable for its attire, symbolism, and craftsmanship. The area where the figurine […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Mesopotamian Stele Showing the First Phalanx Formation in History
When we talk about a phalanx in a military context, we automatically think of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army, with its compact formation of armored infantrymen armed with long sarissas. These were arranged in 64 squares or syntagmas, 16 men across (each in a one-square-meter space) by as many in depth, forming a total of […]
Posted inArt, Travel
The Talking Statues of Rome
Statues don’t talk, evidently, and they never have, except when some clever priest of Antiquity used a hollow in the stone to deliver whatever message he was interested in. But that’s not the case we’ll discuss today with the statue parlanti, or talking statues, because these expressed themselves in writing. They are a series of […]
Posted inArchaeology
Reliefs with Figures of Guardians, Celestial Ancestors, and Mythical Animals of the Kaanu’l Mayan Dynasty Found in Mexico
The recent archaeological discovery in the Dzibanché Archaeological Zone, Quintana Roo (Mexico), has provided new insights into the grandeur of the Kaanu’l dynasty, one of the most influential in the ancient Mayan civilization. Under the serpent emblem, known as “kaan” in the Mayan language, this powerful lineage ruled vast territories that today include parts of […]
Posted inAntiquity, Art
Farnese Atlas, the First Known Representation of the Celestial Sphere
Atlas was one of the Titans in Greek mythology, son of Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene, and brother of Prometheus. After the war against the Olympian gods, Zeus condemned him to hold up the vault of the sky (or celestial sphere) on his shoulders for all eternity. Herodotus claimed that Atlas (also known as Atlante) […]
Posted inArt
Analysis of the bust of Sargon’s son reveals the beginnings of lost-wax casting technique in Mesopotamia
A recent study of an ancient Mesopotamian sculpture using cutting-edge technology has provided information about the earliest metal casting techniques in human history, revealing the technical challenges faced by artisans more than 4,000 years ago. The research, published in the journal Heritage Science, focused on the “Head of a Ruler“, an impressive copper piece that […]
Posted inArt, Middle Ages
The Famous Lion of Venice Comes from China, Possibly Brought by Marco Polo’s Father and Uncle
A team of researchers from the fields of geology, chemistry, archaeology, and art history at the University of Padua and the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (Ismeo), in collaboration with colleagues from the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, has conducted new chemical analyses of the bronze alloy of the famous lion sculpture that […]
