AncientPlanet Online Journal

VOL. 4 [2013] - PREVIEW & CONTENTS

noreply@blogger.com (TANN) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0000

CONTENTS

A Prehistory of Belief

By Dr. Mike Williams

Research into the human mind shows that much spiritual experience, especially that induced through trance, is common to all people at all times. This provides a new way of exploring what prehistoric people may have thought about their world and how they formulated what we might recognise as religious belief. Examining images created by Palaeolithic artists, shapeshifting practices of Mesolithic hunters, the conception of the afterlife within Bronze Age communities, and why Iron Age people slaughtered some of their own in gruesome bog-side executions, a new past reveals itself in which peoples’ beliefs come to the fore. Using ethnographic evidence from historical shamans, the article shows how concepts of death, the afterlife, and even agriculture arose because of what people believed.

Keywords:

Prehistory, Europe, Belief, Shamanism, Cognition, Trance, Afterlife

Human Sacrifice in Ancient Egypt

By Dr. Lisa Swart

The ritual sacrifice of human beings has been practiced regularly throughout history in various forms and for various reasons. Mention of the words “human sacrifice” for many people brings to mind gruesome scenes of Aztec priests ripping out the still-beating hearts of their unwilling victims in a debauched sadistic ritual replayed continually on television documentaries worldwide. As such, human sacrifice is not typically associated with Ancient Egypt and is still considered a controversial topic despite evidence to the contrary. It was long believed that the Egyptians were too civilized to perform this type of barbarous deed, an excellent example of the transmission of western moral superiority onto the Ancient Egyptians. In fact, the sacrifice of humans is attested in two primary forms in Ancient Egypt. The first being the practice of killing servants (retainer sacrifice) during the formative years of the Egyptian state, and ritualized sacrifice within a magico-religious context that appeared in later periods at the peak of Egyptian civilization.

Keywords:

Ancient Egypt, Human Sacrifice, Ritual Sacrifice, Retainer Sacrifice, Beliefs, Afterlife

The Sacred Image of the Palladium

By Eva Alex. Statherou, Graduate in Humanities and Arts in Greek Culture and Civilization

The Palladium, perhaps the most legendary and sacred image among the miraculous cult idols of Greek antiquity, was both a unique talisman of divine power and an insuperable political weapon. Said to have fallen from the heavens, this mysterious statue was an indisputable symbol of divine authority over the land in which it stood and the most powerful cities of the Graeco-Roman world vied for its ownership.

Keywords:

Greece, Rome, Troy, Palladium, Mythology, Cult, Beliefs, Shamanism

Unmasking Ancient Colour: Colour and the Classical Theatre Mask

By Andrea Sinclair, M.A.

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with an overview of the characteristics of traditional theatre masks from the Hellenistic Greek and the Roman Imperial periods. The primary literary source employed to illustrate this discussion is the Onomasticon of Julius Pollux, which will be examined from the point of view of the importance of colour to convey meaning in the creation of a theatrical mask.

Keywords:

Ancient masks, Greek and Roman mask, classical theatre, mask colour, gender and mask, Julius Pollux on mask

Numismatic Iconography in Ancient Greece

By Jesse Obert, B.A.

Coins provide an influential medium for the artistic expression of a community. Like modern countries, the ancient Greek cities displayed their cultural ideas and traditions on their coinage. However, every coin needed to quickly and clearly communicate its origin as each state had its own system of values. Ultimately, ancient coin iconography serves a practical purpose, but also provided an artistic window into the social self-perception of the community.

Keywords:

Classical Greece, Coins, Iconography, Symbolism

Unmuddling Ancient Choices: How Modern Mudbrick Houses Can Help Us Understand Ancient Egyptian Houses Better

By Maria Correas-Amador, M.A.

The vast majority of houses in ancient Egypt were built with mudbricks; however, we do not know as much about them as we do about other aspects of Egyptian culture. Many contextual factors are involved in building choices, most notably human decisions, and reproducing all those factors is particularly difficult. However, a study of modern Egyptian mudbrick houses has proved useful in providing clues about the features, distribution and use of space in ancient Egyptian houses.

Keywords:

Houses, Ancient Egypt, mudbrick, ethnoarchaeology

Exploring Pastoral-Nomadic Origins and Population History of the Xiongnu Confederacy of Iron Age Mongolia

By Dr. Ryan W. Schmidt

This article discusses the complex history of Mongolia during the Xiongnu Period (209 BCE – 2nd Century CE). The origins of the Xiongnu are still relatively unknown to archaeologists. I describe on-going research of these pastoral nomads and attempt to elucidate questions of their provenience and biological relationships to other groups in the region, specifically to groups in China and Siberia. Current hypotheses suggest a complex population history, and data from bones, genes, and artifacts attest to this complexity. Here, I show that the Xiongnu are not entirely biologically homogenous and are closely related to both nomadic Chinese and Siberian populations.

Keywords

Mongolia, Xiongnu, genetics, archaeology, anthropology

Kalyāṇa Copper Plates of Śilāhāra King Chittarāja (1019 CE)

By Mr. Shashikant Dhopate and Dr. Rupali Mokashi

The Śilāhāras of north Kokaṇa originated as a feudal clan of the Rāṣṭrakuṭas (c. 800 CE-1265 CE). Hitherto only five copper plates issued by the twelfth Śilāhāra king Chittarāja (1022 CE – 1035 CE) or by his vassals are known and deciphered. V. V. Mirashi compiled them all in his epic volume ‘Inscriptions of the Śilāhāras’ published in the Corpus Inscriptinum Indicarum series in 1977. The recent discovery of the Kalyāṇa grant in May 2012 fills the gap between the ṭhāṇe Copper Plates of king Arikesarī (1017 CE) and the Bhōīghara Plates of king Chittarāja (1024 CE) confirming the fact that Chittarāja had certainly ascended the throne by 1019 CE. The object of the present plates was to record the grant of a village and an orchard by king Chittarāja to a learned Brāhmaṇa of Jāmadagnya Vatsa Gotra called Rāmba Paṃḍita for the performance of religious rites. The details recorded by the grant provide a fascinating glimpse into the socio-religious life and administrative machinery of eleventh century India.

Keywords

India, Śilāhāra Dynasty, Copper Plates, King Chittarāja, Kalyāṇa grant, Brahmin

Anomalies in the Social Norm: A Description of Deviant burials in the British Archaeological Record

By Amy Talbot, B.A.

This article discusses what are known as deviant burials - i.e. battle graves and execution graves - in Anglo-Saxon England from the 7th CE onwards.

Keywords

Deviant Burials. Battle Graves, Execution Graves, Skeletons, Society, Anglo-Saxon, Britain

Symbols of Mortality at a Scottish Graveyard

By Lorraine Evans, M.A.

Burial grounds have been fashioned as much by the people who founded and used them, as by the buildings, gravestones and other features which they contain. Graveyards can also be used as records of social change, the symbols engraved upon individual memorials convey a sense of peoples inherent belief systems, as they were constructed, adapted or abandoned depending on people’s needs. Their stones tell of the extraordinary events that once shaped the community as a whole and provide a rare insight into the small details of daily life long since gone.

Keywords

Memento mori, death, skull and crossbones, cemeteries, burial grounds, gravestones, mausoleum, Scotland, Medieval

Dinosaurs on Ice: A Review of Arctic and Antarctic Dinosaurs

By Tristan Stock

Dinosaurs are often thought to have lived in warm-weather environments, like swamps and tropical forests, and for a long time these were the only places where we found their fossils. However, recent discoveries over the last 20 years have proven this false, and revealed that dinosaurs were not just limited to the warm-weather world of the Equator. Fossils of dinosaurs have been turning up in the most unlikely of places, from the frigid cold of Alaska’s North Slope, to coastal Mountains of Antarctica. What were these animals doing in what are today the harshest environments on Earth? And how on Earth did they survive in such unforgiving conditions?

Keywords

Palaeontology, Polar, Dinosaurs, Leaellynasaura, Edmontosaurus, Troodon, Pachyrhinosaurus, New Zealand

The Minerva Cultural Association: "Cultural Heritage" Online

By Dr. Cristiana Margherita and Dr. Tommaso Saccone

The Minerva Cultural Association was founded in 2010 by a group of students, Dr. Tommaso Saccone (President), Dr. Roberta Vico (Vice President) and Dr. Cristiana Margherita (Treasurer), of the Faculty of Conservation of Cultural Heritage of Ravenna - Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, and aims to promote an actual culture of respect for nature, art, history and traditions of Italy and to protect our heritage that is not only a fundamental part of our roots and identity, but also one of the largest resource of the Emilia-Romagna Region in Northern Italy.

Keywords

Italy, Cultural Heritage, Emilia-Romagna, Digital Archaeology, 3D, Websites

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VOL. 3 [2012] - CONTENTS

noreply@blogger.com (TANN) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Click here to view AncientPlanet Vol.3

FEATURES

Who were the Denisovans?

By Dr. Terrence Twomey

Our understanding of human evolution is constantly changing. Recent discoveries and advances in our methods have revealed a very different picture than we could have imagined even a decade ago. This review discusses how genetic evidence has identified a previously unknown human species from Denisova Cave in Siberia that was closely related to the Neanderthals and modern humans. A new method of extracting genetic material from ancient humans has produced an almost complete genomic sequence from a young girl that lived about 50 thousand years ago (kya). Genetically we know the Denisovans better than any other extinct human species.

Keywords:

Denisovan, Genome, Human Evolution, Neanderthals, DNA

Erroneous Terms in Archaeology and Popular Literature: ‘the Mother Goddess’, or Why I Can Be Tiresome at Social Engagements

By Andrea Sinclair M.A.

This article examines the 19th and early 20th century origins for the term ‘mother goddess’ in literature. This epithet and the equally dubious notion of early matriarchal societies have dogged the steps of archaeologists for decades. In the past (and the present) this term has been generously applied to describe prehistoric goddesses and female figurines of all shapes and sizes from prehistoric and early historic period regions across Europe and the Near East.

Keywords:

Near Eastern Goddesses, Greek goddesses, Mother Goddess, fertility goddesses, matriarchal societies, feminism, neo paganism, Victorian archaeology, 20th century archaeology

The Kingdom of Akkad: The rise and fall of the first multinational empire in history

By Joshua J. Mark M.A.

The city of Akkad, located in northern Mesopotamia, gave rise to the first multinational empire in the world stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Trade, writing, religion, science, and agriculture all flourished in Mesopotamia under the Empire but, today, no one knows for certain where the city was even located. This article provides a brief history of the rise and fall of the great Akkadian Empire.

Keywords:

Mesopotamia, Akkad, Ninevah, Ur, Sargon the Great, Cuneiform

An Egyptian Renaissance: The Kushite 25th Dynasty

By Dr. Lisa Swart

Far from being a cultural and geographic backwater, the Kushite 25th Dynasty created one of the largest empires along the Nile in ancient and medieval times. A dynasty of charismatic Kushite kings assumed Egyptian titles and postures for over a century. Their sovereignty over Egypt was acknowledged by the Egyptians, all while retaining their own unique identities. The Kushites not only united a previously fragmented Egypt, which had slid into political and economic decline, but reinvigorated Egyptian material culture with a blend of their own distinctive characteristics with Egyptian prototypes.

Keywords:

Nubia, Kush, Kushite, Twenty-fifth Dynasty, Piye, Kashta, Shabaqo

Solar Symbolism in Gebel el Silsila, Egypt

By Drs. Maria Nilsson and John Ward

Continuing on the topic presented in the last number of Ancient Planet Online (2012/2), which introduced the topic of pseudo script in the ancient quarries at Gebel el Silsila in Egypt, this article will look closer at one group of quarry marks and their symbolic association with solar religion during the Ptolemaic and early Roman periods.

Keywords:

Gebel el Silsila, pseudo script, solar symbolism, Helios, Ra, Apollo, Horus

A study of the similarities between Hinduism and Ancient Egyptian Religion

By Charlotte Booth MA

This article presents a comparison between ancient Egyptian religion and modern Hinduism as an alternative to the numerous studies comparing ancient Egyptian religion with monotheism. The study investigates similarities in deities, mythology, behaviour and daily practices as well as attempting to identify any common sources for these religious beliefs.

Keywords:

Egypt, India, Polytheism, Hinduism, Mythology

Smash and Grab: Thomas Bruce – the not so Honourable Earl of Elgin

By Ioannis Georgopoulos M.A.In 1801Thomas Bruce, British ambassador to the Ottoman Turks, stripped the Parthenon and several other monuments on the ancient acropolis of Athens of most of their precious sculptures and certain key architectural elements thereby causing irreparable damage to the ancient structures. Though Bruce claimed that he was selflessly acting to save the precious artworks from suffering further damage, we learn from posthumously published letters that his motives were less altruistic, but were instead dictated by his personal desire to decorate his newly built mansion. It was only when Bruce encountered financial problems that he decided to approach the British Museum with the intention of selling his ill-begotten loot. After some haggling and what amounted to a superficial inquiry by British Parliament, the price was set and the dirty deal was done.

Keywords

Athens, Elgin, Parthenon Sculptures, Classical Greece, Looting, British Museum

The Parthenon Sculptures: A brief introduction

By Ioannis Georgopoulos M.A.What exactly are the Parthenon sculptures? What is all the fuss about? What do they signify and why are they important? Why does Greece want them back? Read this article to find out!

Keywords

Athens, Elgin, Parthenon Sculptures, Classical Greece, Looting, British Museum

Whose Heritage?

An interview with Alexis Mantheakis on the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece.

The Evolution of Roman Forts

By Jesse Obert B.A.In the eight centuries that the Roman Empire dominated ancient antiquity their militaristic culture had a profound impact on the sociopolitical network of Europe and the Mediterranean. Rome’s influence on their conquered provinces is clearly illustrated in the evolution of the Roman fort. The Empire’s military strategy shifted from aggressive conquests to a defensive reactionary force. Initially, these forts were designed to temporarily house campaigning armies, but as borders became permanent and in a near constant state of war, forts had to adapt to allow for long term occupation. Later Roman Emperors utilized the forts as tools to expand Roman authority, demarcate territorial control, and quell unrest. Their importance to the military authority of Rome encouraged these sites to become important centers of trade and culture. What started as a shift in military policy led to the establishment of some of Europe’s most important cities which had a vital impact on European history.

Keywords

Roman Empire, Fortifications, Warfare, Rome, Classical Archaeology

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Souvenir from the Peloponnese: A Modern Tour in Landscape and History [Part 2]

Aikaterini Kanatselou presents the second part of “Souvenir from the Peloponnese”, showcasing sites like Mystras, Monemvasia, Pylos and Olympia among others.

Gertrude Caton-Thompson: Pioneering the Prehistoric

The life and times of Gertrude Caton-Thompson cut an extraordinary figure during the pioneering era of archaeology and one of the first women archaeologists.

A Cameo Glass Patera from Pompeii

A brief description of a cameo glass patera from Pompeii by our newest team member Fiorenza Grasso.

SOS Ratiaria

Dr Krassimira Luka discusses the escalating problem of looting at the ancient Roman site of Ratiaria in Bulgaria.

Historic preservation and public engagement in the United States

American archaeologist Lemont "Monty" Dobson lashes out on the issue of historic preservation and public engagement in the United States.

Letter to the Editor

A plea from Jim Allen, a concerned British citizen, about the commercial development of a possible historical site that has not been assessed archaeologically.

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VOL. 2 [2012] - CONTENTS

noreply@blogger.com (TANN) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Click here to view AncientPlanet Vol.2

FEATURES

Mythology, Folklore and Archaeology: A Summary of Vampires in the Archaeological Record

By Amy Talbot B.A.

This article attempts to give an informative take on the vampire phenomena from an archaeological perspective, while looking at interesting social customs and folk tales, relating to an unnatural concept.

Keywords:

vampires, archaeology, pathology, medieval, mythology, osteology

Colour Symbolism in Ancient Mesopotamia

By Andrea Sinclair M.A.

This article is designed to give a general introduction to a less scrutinized aspect of Near Eastern iconography; the use of colour, and makes a brief assessment of the available evidence for symbolic values for colour from ancient Mesopotamian texts, art and architecture.

Keywords:

Mesopotamian art, archaeology, ancient history, colour, polychrome, Mesopotamian language

Rebelling Against the Gods: Egyptian Tomb Robbery

By Dr. Lisa Swart

Ever since the inclusion of funerary goods in Egyptian tombs, burials have been plundered for the valuable objects within. This article surveys the motives of the robbers, tomb protection in the form of architectural devices and divine agency. The legal system and punishment of thieves is also described.

Keywords:

Egypt, tomb robbery, tomb curses, looting, thieves, Valley of the Kings

A Brief History of Greek Helmets

By Jesse Obert B.A.

Warfare is a constantly changing aspect of human interaction. In Ancient Greece, an emphasis on camaraderie and communal reliance developed the concept of unit cohesion and specialization. Ultimately, Greece would become the birthplace of Western military thought. The maturation of this mentality can be traced through the stylistic and technological progression of military helmets. Experimentations with helmet design illuminate the limitations and intricacies of warfare as it was developed in the ancient world. This study examines the evolution of helmet designs and what it reveals about the changing nature of warfare in Ancient Greece.

Keywords:

Ancient Greece, helmets, warfare, ancient history, military

Beer in the Ancient World

By Joshua J. Mark M.A.

In the modern world there persists the idea that beer does not have the same ancient pedigree which wine enjoys. This understanding comes, primarily, from the fact that the ancient Greeks and Romans, who exerted such a powerful influence over present western culture, favoured wine over beer. This article traces the brewing of beer from its ancient origin in Mesopotamia, through the various cultural incarnations, to the present day.

Keywords:

Beer, ancient history, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Celts

Pseudo Script at Gebel el Silsila: An Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Quarry Marks

By Dr. Maria Nilsson

The ancient Egyptian site of Gebel el Silsila is known for its many pharaonic stelai, funerary shrines and the famous rock-cut chapel of Pharaoh Horemheb, but this article leaves the Pharaohs’ chronicles and explores instead a complex and mysterious marking system that is preserved as engravings in the site’s extensive quarries that run on both sides of the Nile. Here we will investigate Graeco-Roman quarry marks, also known as masons’ marks, to learn about their possible practical and symbolic meanings.

Key words:

Gebel el Silsila, pseudo script, quarry marks, Graeco-Roman Egypt

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Heritage Crime is Big Business

American archaeologist Lemont "Monty" Dobson speaks out about the worldwide trade in illicitly gained antiquities.

The Beguiling Taino of the Ancient Caribbean

The Taíno were among the most sophisticated and advanced Pre-Columbian peoples prior to the Voyages of Discovery in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Living in the Eastern Caribbean, the Taíno In this interview, James Blake Wiener speaks with Dr. José R. Oliver about these enigmatic people.

Sir Leonard Woolley: The Prodigal Archaeologist

The life and times of British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley, considered a giant in the field of archaeology of Mesopotamia.

Souvenir from the Peloponnese: A Modern Tour in Landscape and History [Part 1]

Aikaterini Kanatselou takes us on a fascinating journey around the Peloponnese. In this first installment we visit Isthmia, Asine, Nauplio, Mycenae and Tiryns among other sites.

Capo Colonna, Calabria, Italy

Charlotte Booth takes us on a journey to the archaeological site of Capo Colonna in Calabria in the south of Italy. It is a complex site, with Greek and Roman archaeological remains and sixteenth century standing monuments. Capo Colonna has been a sacred precinct for over 2,000 years and was originally dedicated to Hera Lacinia, the goddess of women and fertility, and is now sacred to Mary of Capo Colonna.

Letter from... Azerbaijan

Dr. Gafar Jabiyev and Dr. Fariz Khalilli discuss recent finds from their excavation of Agsu in Azerbaijan.

What's On

Twelve must see exhibits in Europe and the USA.

Spotlight

Six great websites providing much needed resources for students of archaeology.

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VOL. 1 [2012] - CONTENTS

noreply@blogger.com (TANN) — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:10:00 +0000

Click here to view AncientPlanet Vol.1

Features

To Live Forever: A Journey Through The Egyptian Amduat

By Dr. Lisa Swart

The ancient Egyptian Amduat is the oldest of several funerary texts depicted on the walls of the pharaohs’ tombs in the Valley of the Kings during the New Kingdom. The Amduat was one of the first completely illustrated texts that defined what the Egyptian underworld was imagined to look like, and depicted the nightly journey of the sun god, Re through the twelve hours of the underworld. Through looking at the Amduat in the tomb of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III, this article takes the reader along on the journey through the Egyptian underworld.

Keywords:

Amduat, Valley of the Kings, Tuthmosis III, funerary texts, underworld, Re, sun god

Digging Up Troy

By Jesse Obert B.A.

The story of the archaeological site of Troy is a tragic one to say the least. Early excavations left Troy damaged and only raised more questions about the site. It was a unique site in the field of classical archaeology because, until only recently, excavators were desperately trying to justify Homer's Iliad. For these excavators, the discovery of another layer was often greeted with dread and not excitement. The prospect of discovering a Homeric Troy corrupted the archaeology. Excavators referred to the text as an archaeological guideline and, more often than not, conclusions were made with the intention of making the myth seem more real. The archaeologists at Troy had an agenda, making their work less of a scientific exploration and more of a prejudiced treasure hunt.

Keywords:

archaeology, Troy, Homer, Iliad, Heinrich Schliemann, Wilhelm Dörpfeld, Carl Belegn, Manfred Korfmann

Minoan Lily: The Spiral Story Of Perpetual Power

By Aikaterini Kanatselou M.A.

The natural aspect of Bronze Age Cretan culture has been thoroughly examined since the foundation of Minoan archaeology. After a century of alternating views and successive stereotyping processes, the young scholar of Aegean prehistory is called upon to make innovative remarks on traditional fields such as iconography, symbolic expression and religious concepts. In this article, a common feature of Minoan art - the lily flower - is being viewed as a dual sign of power and continuity, combining geometrical abstraction and naturalistic infusion in constant motion. A short overlook at material evidence and theoretical approaches attempts to imply the probable importance of a single shape for the insight of Minoan cognition and codification.

Keywords:

Crete, Minoan, nature, linearity, symbol, waz-lily, spiral, combination, move, perpetuity

Inanna's Descent: A Balm For The Sting Of Injustice

By Joshua J. Mark M.A.

The Sumerian poem, The Descent of Inanna, has been interpreted by some modern writers as depicting a `psychological journey toward wholeness’. This modern-day interpretation cannot be supported by the text itself and, certainly, the poem would not have been understood in such a light by an ancient audience. This paper explains the reasons why this is so through analysis of the poem in historical context.

Keywords:

Inanna, Mesopotamia, Gilgamesh, Joseph Campbell, underworld

Women In Situ: The Roles And Representation Of Women And Their Status In The Archaeological Record

By Amy Talbot B.A.

Despite continuing breakthroughs in gender archaeology, it is vital that it stays in an area focused on current research, in order to completely dispel the old myths of women staying at home to forage, or for women to not have high status in their communities. In fact this article intends to show some rare examples of independent women ruling within a male society, and women shown in high and equal regard, not just as homemakers and mothers. These four brief examples will hopefully demonstrate four very different instances in the archaeological record of intelligent and strong women to help dispel any myths out there.

Keywords:

archaeology, women, status, Mesopotamia, Maya, Crete, Amazons, gender

Digital Archaeology Taking Over?

By Melanie Magdalena B.A.

Archaeology is becoming a computer game. Technology has become the norm of all scientific practice. According to Dr. Harry Schafer, 99% of history can only be revealed by archaeology, since written history only occurred recently and we have little to no documentation about the past. Digital archaeology is leaving sites underground hidden away from the world. Lack of public interest in archaeology has caused a shortage of funding for projects and the transition into cyberspace. The purpose of this article is to increase public awareness about the impact of digital archaeology on our cultural heritage.

Keywords:

archaeology, digital, non-invasive, 3D models

How Fire Made Us Smarter: Early Human Cognition In Light Of Controlled Fire Use

By Dr. Terrence Twoney

This article outlines how we can investigate the cognitive implications of controlled fire use by Middle Pleistocene humans. Controlling fire involved accessing, maintaining and using fire. These behaviors imply planning, self control and group level cooperation directed at future rewards, which indicate cognitive abilities associated with our enhanced social awareness and cognitive control. Evidence suggests that controlled fire use may have appeared early in the Middle Pleistocene. The cognitive abilities of early humans from this time are not well understood. This means an investigation into the cognitive demands of controlling fire may shed light on the cognitive abilities of Middle Pleistocene humans.

Keywords:

anthropology, controlled fire use, Human cognition, Middle Pleistocene

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Heritage Under Siege

American archaeologist Lemont "Monty" Dobson speaks out about the worldwide economic downturn and the many real threats and dangers to our planet's cultural heritage.

The Anglo-Saxons Dazzled in the Dark Ages

James Wiener interviews Professor Larry Swain on the importance of the Staffordshire Hoard.

William Matthew Flinders Petrie The Father of Egyptian Archaeology

The life and times of William Matthew Flinders Petrie, considered one of the greatest contributors to the science of archaeology, and is renowned for pioneering archaeological methods still utilized in the field today, along with making major discoveries in Egypt and Palestine.

Egypt in Milan

There are many places which are famous throughout the world for their Egyptian collections and Egyptianising monuments, such as Paris, Rome or London. In this article our intrepid Egyptologist Charlotte Booth takes us on a fascinating journey to Milan, an Italian city with something to offer the Egyptology tourist. The article describes the best places to visit in order to view Egyptian influenced funerary monuments, Egyptomania in architecture, Egyptian themed artwork and ancient artefacts.

Whats On

Twelve must see exhibitions in Europe and the USA.

Spotlight

Six great websites providing much needed resources for students of archaeology.

DOWNLOAD PDF (27.1MB)