For students of the humanities…
This carving from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is very interesting to me for several reasons. First, it is attributed to an "Old Assyrian Trading Colony," and it was found in what is now Turkey. Also, you don't often see female sphinxes, and most sphinxes come from Egypt. Added to that is the fact that… Continue reading Object: Furniture support: female sphinx with Hathor-style curls
The Venus of Willendorf got its name from the place in Austria where it was found. However, this new article from Smithsonian Magazine, presents that theory that the Venus may have actually been made in Italy and transported to Austria by a group of hunter-gatherers. link to 3-D Scans Show 30,000-Year Old Stone Sculpture...
Are you interested in pottery, painting, or the Greeks? If so, then you should check out this great article from the Metropolitan Museum Journal. It discusses the often undervalued culture and art of the Greek Geometric Period. In particular it focusses on one specific Greek krater (wine vessel and/or grave marker). To download the article,… Continue reading Article: “Ships on a ‘Wine-Dark Sea’ in the Age of Homer”: Metropolitan Museum Journal, v. 35 (2000)
While Greek kraters could be used as communal vessels to dilute (with water) and serve wine, in the Geometric Period, they were also used as grave markers. This exquisite example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases the deceased surrounded by mourners. It also shows a group of soldiers and horses. Note the stylized nature… Continue reading Object: Terracotta krater
Pearls have been important in many times and in many places. This video from the Victoria and Albert museum details just a bit of that history. link to A History of Pearls
In this article from 2017, ArtNet details the destruction (that was at that time still ongoing) of cultural heritage sites by ISIS. Stories like this show the destructive affect of war on art and culture (in addition to its painful consequences for people's lives and families). link to A Monumental Loss...
This website has so much information that it can get a little overwhelming, but luckily it also has a really effective search function. If you are looking for anything from humanities to art history to artistic techniques, My Modern Met may have what you need. link to My Modern Met
When we study the region of the ancient world known as Mesopotamia, we often focus only on a few major cultures: Sumer, Babylon, Akkad, Assyria, etc. However, there is evidence that there is more to the history of Mesopotamia. This article focusses on the evidence for the possible "Forgotten Kingdom" of Ebla. link to First… Continue reading Article: First Kingdoms: The Forgotten Mesopotamian Kingdom of Elba
Ancient people produced many of the same things that we use in our modern world. Glass is one of those things, and the Romans were well known for the quality of their glass production. This article provides a wealth of information on the study of the practices of the Roman glass industry. link to Seeing… Continue reading Article: Seeing Through the History of Ancient Roman Glass
For students of culture, the online home of the Smithsonian Magazine is an incredible resource. They have searchable sections on Smart News, History, Science, Innovation, Arts & Culture, Travel, At the Smithsonian, Photos, Videos, and Games. Wherever your interests lie within the Humanities, the Smithsonian Magazine would be a good place to start your research.… Continue reading Website: Smithsonian Magazine
I recently shared translations of the poetry of the Akkadian author Enheduanna, and in that post, I mentioned that we have an image of the lady in question. This article showcases the relief that represents Enheduanna, and it provides a good amount of information both on that and on her life as well. link to… Continue reading Article: Ur Digitization Project: Item of the Month, June 2012
It always gives me great pleasure to remind people that the first author (whose name we know) was a woman. While her poetry is not quite as old as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Enheduanna's work is special because we know who wrote it (the author of The Epic of Gilgamesh remains anonymous). Even better, we… Continue reading Article: The Temple Hymns of Enheduanna
Magic was important in the ancient world, but it's unfortunately an aspect of culture that modern scholars often ignore of view as somewhat silly. I think that the fact that it was important to the ancients means that it's an important part of understanding them. This article from the Expedition Magazine at the Penn Museum… Continue reading Article: Secrets of Ancient Magic: The Power of Spells, Curses, & Omens
I think that this article may have the longest title of anything I have written about so far, but Ancient Origins has put together a very interesting look at an often neglected people. When we look at the history of language and writing, we often throw the word "cuneiform" out there without any context. This… Continue reading Article: Sumerian Tablets: A Deeper Understanding of the Oldest Known Written Language
If you've ever wondered why the Ancient Egyptians went to all of the trouble to develop the skill of pyramid building, only to stop building them, then you may enjoy this article. It gives a good overview of the progression of pyramid building, and then it follows that up with several well supported theories on… Continue reading Article: Why Did the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs Stop Building Pyramids?
