Latest Posts
Acclamation Voting in Sparta: An Early Use of Approval Voting
An early form of approval voting was arguably used in Ancient Greece, as is described in Plutarch
Got Druids? Ghastly reads on Halloween and the Ancients!
Got Druids? Ghastly reads on Halloween and the Ancients!
The Non-Royal Concept of the Afterlife in Amarna
In the Old and Middle Kingdoms the need for these physical objects was also met by providing the deceased with models of the various production processes
Augustus and the Evolution of Roman Concepts of Leadership
Most will agree with the observation that Augustus was a master of what shall we call it? Spin? There will be disagreement as to the integrity of his claims. I prefer to follow the teachings of Edwin Judge that Augustus was so much in control of language that he could bend its specificity to say precisely what he wanted to say and to say what could not be gainsaid.
Towards a Better Understanding of the Opening of the Mouth Ritual
Recent work on the funerary chapel of Amenirdis I at Meditnet Habu has proved her selections from the Opening of the Mouth ritual to be deliberately chosen and meticulously laid out on the walls of her funerary chapel
Halloween Customs in the Celtic World
The association between Halloween and ghosts and spirits today comes from the Celtic belief that it was at this time of transition between the old year and the new that the barrier between this world and the Otherworld where the dead and supernatural beings lived became permeable.
The present paper deals with all the basic components of martial practices of the European Huns, such as arms and armour, horse equipment, armed forces, strategy and tactics, siegecraft and the structure of military organization.
Water supply and wastewater disposal in Pompeii : an overview
The getting of water and its domestic, commercial and industrial use were daily activities for many of the inhabitants of Pompeii.
"She is a mass of riddles": Julia Augusta Agrippina and the sources
Agrippina the Younger fascinated ancient writers, and modern scholars continue to tell her story with relish.
TravelAll posts
EXHIBITS – Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art
My review of the British Museum’s – Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art which explores daily life, gender, sexuality, athleticism, heroism, and the social and political ideologies the Greeks espoused through their views on the human form.
NewsAll posts
Basel papyrus is an ancient medical text, researchers find
Since the 16th century, Basel has been home to a mysterious papyrus. With mirror writing on both sides, it has puzzled generations of researchers.
Research network sheds new light on drinking and eating habits in the Roman world
The landmark 50th issue of the journal Internet Archaeology is featuring pioneering research that is investigating new ways of analysing millions of Roman artefacts associated with the consumption of food and drink.
Ancient human remains and a medieval mystery unearthed in southern England
Excavation of a Bronze Age burial mound in south west England leads to the discovery of an intact 4,000 year old human cremation as well as evidence of unaccountable activity from the medieval period on the same site.
2,100-year-old ‘hawk’ mummy actually a stillborn baby, scan reveals
A tiny Egyptian mummy long believed to be that of a hawk is actually a rare example of a near-to-term, severely malformed fetus
BooksAll posts
BOOKS: Hot New Ancient History Releases!: January
If improving your reading is your goal for 2016, you’ve come to the right place! Here are our hot new ancient history releases for January!
New Releases: Ancient Books for the Holiday Season!
A few new releases for the historian on your shopping list!
The Death of Caesar: New Light on History’s Most Famous Assassination
Barry Strauss talks about his new book The Death of Caesar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination.
The Tears of Re: Beekeeping in Ancient Egypt
In these four videos, Gene Kritsky, author of The Tears of Re, talks about beekeeping in Ancient Egypt
New Open Access Book on Vergil’s Political Commentary
Leendert Weeda examines Vergil’s political views by analyzing the whole of the poet’s work and introduces the notion of the functional model, which suggests that the poet does not primarily have a literary objective, but a functional one.
Fall of Roman Empire can be explained by biology, researcher says
Forget the Vandals – the fall of the Roman Empire can be explained by biology, according to a new book.