Archaeology
- The Cosmati Pavement
- Seahenge on Display
- The Hunter Gatherer Diet
- Lindow Man Exhibition
- Mummies and Mummification
- The Archaeology of Syria
- Mapping Mexico by Satellite
- The Neanderthal Debate Continues
- Archaeology of Athen's Metro
- A New Museum for the Mary Rose
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
Hidden under rolls of carpet by the High Altar is one of medieval north Europe's finest paved floors.
The Cosmati Pavement is one of Westminster Abbey's hidden treasures. Completed in the 13th century, it takes its name from geometric design known as Cosmati work, after the Italian family who created it in medieval Rome.
The design has been described as 'carpet like', incorporating fragments of semi precious stone, marble and metal into a design that that would have made the floor before the High Altar quite literally shine.
After being hidden for years under carpet, the pavement is about to shine again. Conservators are cleaning and stabilizing it with the ultimate aim of putting it on public display once more.
The design has been described as 'carpet like', incorporating fragments of semi precious stone, marble and metal into a design that that would have made the floor before the High Altar quite literally shine.
After being hidden for years under carpet, the pavement is about to shine again. Conservators are cleaning and stabilizing it with the ultimate aim of putting it on public display once more.
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
The Seahenge Gallery attempts to recreate the setting of the mysterious structure first discovered 10 years ago
Seahenge has a new home at the Lynn Museum in Kings Lynn, UK. The timber circle, first discovered in the coastal marshland of Holme-next-the Sea ten years ago, has been reconstructed. The display includes a backdrop recreating the scenery that surrounded the structure. 'Seahenge' was neither on the sea or a henge monument. In the Bronze Age, the structure was surrounded by oak woodlands rather than by the seaside. Lacking either the ditch or bank that typifies a henge monument, its exact function remains a mystery.
Although the upturned oak stump is a reproduction as the original is still undergoing conservation at the Mary Rose trust, the palisade surrounding the trunk incorporates timbers recovered from the monument, giving a real sense of what it looked like.
Although the upturned oak stump is a reproduction as the original is still undergoing conservation at the Mary Rose trust, the palisade surrounding the trunk incorporates timbers recovered from the monument, giving a real sense of what it looked like.
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
The advent of agriculture did not necessary improve the diets of our ancestors.
The diets of hunter gatherers were healthier than those that arose as after the Neolithic revolution and the rise of farming. An experiment with volunteers in Sweden has established that a diet rich in lean meat, fruit, nuts and berries and devoid of dairy products and grain based foods lowers blood pressure and guards against obesity. So our Neolithic ancestors were fitter and slimmer although on the downside they were more prone to osteoporosis due to the lower levels of calcium in their diet.
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
Lindow Man has a fascinating story to tell archaeologists about his life and death. But is it productive or right to put him on public display?
Manchester Museum is currently running an exhibition of Lindow Man. The 2000 year old bog body was found at Lindow Moss in Cheshire in 1984. Currently on loan from the British Museum, he will be on display in Manchester until the 19th April 2009.
The museum’s website makes the point that it is important to ‘treat human remains with respect and dignity.’ This raises several interesting questions. Whilst it is understandable and important that forensic scientists and archaeologists analyse such remains to help rebuild a picture of the past, is it justifiable to put a body on display in a museum once the research is complete? Indeed, is it right for any human remains to be displayed in such a way? What does the public really gain from the experience? And do we have a right to discount the beliefs and wishes that might have accompanied a ritual burial, even if those beliefs are lost to us and were never our own besides.
Perhaps the question we should be asking is how we would feel if our own vacated remains were on public display. Some of may not care. Others might even find the idea quite interesting. I for one find the idea slightly disconcerting.
The museum’s website makes the point that it is important to ‘treat human remains with respect and dignity.’ This raises several interesting questions. Whilst it is understandable and important that forensic scientists and archaeologists analyse such remains to help rebuild a picture of the past, is it justifiable to put a body on display in a museum once the research is complete? Indeed, is it right for any human remains to be displayed in such a way? What does the public really gain from the experience? And do we have a right to discount the beliefs and wishes that might have accompanied a ritual burial, even if those beliefs are lost to us and were never our own besides.
Perhaps the question we should be asking is how we would feel if our own vacated remains were on public display. Some of may not care. Others might even find the idea quite interesting. I for one find the idea slightly disconcerting.
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
The most tantalizing mummies aren’t Egyptian pharaohs; they are the accidentally preserved remains of ordinary people.
Mention mummification and most people automatically think of the ancient Egyptians. But mummification is a world wide phenomenon and not necessarily the result of deliberate embalming to preserve a corpse for the afterlife.
After death, decomposition immediately beings due to the actions of bacteria naturally present in the body. However, by preventing these bacteria from starting work, it is possible to preserve a body indefinitely. This can be acheived by deliberate embalming, the process most people associate with mummification and the source of it's name, coming from ‘mummya’ the Persian word for bitumen or pitch.
However, in the right conditions, mummification can occur naturally. The Chinese desert has yielded up the Takla Makan mummies, preserved almost perfectly by the aridity of the environment whilst extreme cold has produced the Qilakitsoq mummies of west Greenland and Inca Ice mummies. Then there are the bog bodies of northern Europe, preserved by peat acid and oxygen free conditions. Each of these accidental mummies offers up fascinating details of life and death in ancient cultures worldwide, not just amongst the elite but ordinary people.
After death, decomposition immediately beings due to the actions of bacteria naturally present in the body. However, by preventing these bacteria from starting work, it is possible to preserve a body indefinitely. This can be acheived by deliberate embalming, the process most people associate with mummification and the source of it's name, coming from ‘mummya’ the Persian word for bitumen or pitch.
However, in the right conditions, mummification can occur naturally. The Chinese desert has yielded up the Takla Makan mummies, preserved almost perfectly by the aridity of the environment whilst extreme cold has produced the Qilakitsoq mummies of west Greenland and Inca Ice mummies. Then there are the bog bodies of northern Europe, preserved by peat acid and oxygen free conditions. Each of these accidental mummies offers up fascinating details of life and death in ancient cultures worldwide, not just amongst the elite but ordinary people.
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
Syria has a rich history. The marks left by the Phoenicians, Romans and the crusades all remain today.
The Levant is one of the most fascinating zones of archaeology to explore. The area of the Euphrates, known as the cradle of civilisation was the site of some of the earliest cities in the world. It was an area vital to the Romans and strategically crucial in the crusades.
Starting next month, a series of articles will offer a taste of the archaeology of this fascinating region. We'll explore Palmyra and Bosra, ancient cities that reached their zenith in the Roman era as well as Ugarit, the Phoenician city that is reputedly the home of the world's first alphabet. Finally, there is Crac des Chevaliers, the best preserved crusader castle.
Starting next month, a series of articles will offer a taste of the archaeology of this fascinating region. We'll explore Palmyra and Bosra, ancient cities that reached their zenith in the Roman era as well as Ugarit, the Phoenician city that is reputedly the home of the world's first alphabet. Finally, there is Crac des Chevaliers, the best preserved crusader castle.
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
Satellite technology is to be used to shed light on the obscure ancient Mexican society of the Zapotecs.
Between 250BC and 750 AD, the Zapotecs ruled much of southern Mexico. Theirs was the first Mexican urban state. Yet very little is known about them.
Professor Bill Middleton plans to change all that with his innovative plan to map the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. By using satellite technology to closely examine changes in natural resources across different sites, Professor Middleton hopes to identify how the Zapotec economy and environment changed as the society developed.
Two main sites will be concentrated on in the Chichicapam Valley. By analysing the variations in light reflection from objects on the ground, the researchers hope to identify variations in mineral deposits, plant species and different uses of land in relation to the sites.
Professor Bill Middleton plans to change all that with his innovative plan to map the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. By using satellite technology to closely examine changes in natural resources across different sites, Professor Middleton hopes to identify how the Zapotec economy and environment changed as the society developed.
Two main sites will be concentrated on in the Chichicapam Valley. By analysing the variations in light reflection from objects on the ground, the researchers hope to identify variations in mineral deposits, plant species and different uses of land in relation to the sites.
The Neanderthal Debate Continues
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
New research aims to establish that Neanderthal's were a separate species to Homo Sapiens.
A team of Argentinean evolutionary analysts claim to have proved that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens were two completely different species.
Focusing on changes in skull types, the team looked at 3D casts of 17 hominid types as well as a gorilla, a chimpanzee and Homo sapiens. The base of the skull and its shape, jaw protrusion and the position of the face relative to the base of the cranium were all studied.
The results show that Homo sapiens’s most direct ancestor was Homo habilis whereas Neanderthal’s can at best be regarded as distant cousins as their skull types do not correspond with descent from this species.
No doubt this isn't the end of this particular debate.
Focusing on changes in skull types, the team looked at 3D casts of 17 hominid types as well as a gorilla, a chimpanzee and Homo sapiens. The base of the skull and its shape, jaw protrusion and the position of the face relative to the base of the cranium were all studied.
The results show that Homo sapiens’s most direct ancestor was Homo habilis whereas Neanderthal’s can at best be regarded as distant cousins as their skull types do not correspond with descent from this species.
No doubt this isn't the end of this particular debate.
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
Athen's metro has brought city transport into the 21st Century. Its stations also act as a unique way of displaying its ancient past.
Athens’s expanded metro system not only allows sightseers to reach the city's attractions quicker than before; it allows them to appreciate history as they travel.
During the construction of the new stations and lines, much of the city's previously undiscovered past was unveiled to the modern world. Pottery, graves and everyday objects have been found in quantities. Although the finds may seem mundane when compared to the Parthenon, they are none the less impressive and offer a glimpse of everyday life in ancient Athens.
The way the finds are displayed is unique too. Station entrances are turned into mini museums with cases displaying pottery, tools, even statues. Inside, between platforms each station has a wall set aside as a display case. Behind a clear Perspex window, the stratigraphy of the site is perfectly preserved, with key finds labelled and in situ, allowing commuters to view a cross section of time.
The station of Monastiraki is particularly effective. Commuters literally walk over history. A clear, Perspex floor has been set over a Roman sewer, workshops and an ancient river bed that have not seen the light of day for a couple of millennium.
During the construction of the new stations and lines, much of the city's previously undiscovered past was unveiled to the modern world. Pottery, graves and everyday objects have been found in quantities. Although the finds may seem mundane when compared to the Parthenon, they are none the less impressive and offer a glimpse of everyday life in ancient Athens.
The way the finds are displayed is unique too. Station entrances are turned into mini museums with cases displaying pottery, tools, even statues. Inside, between platforms each station has a wall set aside as a display case. Behind a clear Perspex window, the stratigraphy of the site is perfectly preserved, with key finds labelled and in situ, allowing commuters to view a cross section of time.
The station of Monastiraki is particularly effective. Commuters literally walk over history. A clear, Perspex floor has been set over a Roman sewer, workshops and an ancient river bed that have not seen the light of day for a couple of millennium.
A New Museum for the Mary Rose
Posted by
Natasha Sheldon
Natasha Sheldon
A new innovative display of the finds and wreck of the Mary Rose is currently being planned.
A new museum is planned to house the preserved remains of Henry VIII favourite ship.
The aim is to build over the existing museum. On its anticipated completion, it will allow visitors a real experience of life on a Tudor war ship. Built in the shape of the ship, it will house the real hull on one side with a replica hull on the other. Here, finds from the ship will be displayed, recreating their positioning on the ship at the time of its rediscovery.
Unique and innovative, this imaginative re modelling will allow visitors to see 70% of the ships finds compared to the current 6%. It will also allow them to experience the finds in context rather than in isolation in a display case, making the whole Mary Rose experience more meaningful.
Finds include many mundane items from the period whose survival is unique such as staved wood tankards, ointment canisters, and even a velvet flat cap of a similar style to the one famously worn by Henry VIII.
The museum is still in the planning stages but it is hoped that work will begin in 2009 for a 2011 completion date.
The aim is to build over the existing museum. On its anticipated completion, it will allow visitors a real experience of life on a Tudor war ship. Built in the shape of the ship, it will house the real hull on one side with a replica hull on the other. Here, finds from the ship will be displayed, recreating their positioning on the ship at the time of its rediscovery.
Unique and innovative, this imaginative re modelling will allow visitors to see 70% of the ships finds compared to the current 6%. It will also allow them to experience the finds in context rather than in isolation in a display case, making the whole Mary Rose experience more meaningful.
Finds include many mundane items from the period whose survival is unique such as staved wood tankards, ointment canisters, and even a velvet flat cap of a similar style to the one famously worn by Henry VIII.
The museum is still in the planning stages but it is hoped that work will begin in 2009 for a 2011 completion date.