Heritage Key Articles

The Future of Archaeology: 12 Expert Predictions for the Decade Ahead

MalcolmJ — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:44:36 +0000

2010’s well underway now, and with it the new decade. At Heritage Key we’ve begun the teenies by asking a cross-section of heritage experts to get their crystal balls out, in a bid to try and predict what they think (or at least hope) will be the big discoveries, themes, advances and breakthroughs in their individual fields – and in archaeology and heritage studies at large – over the next ten years.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Last three pieces by this author: Grand Egyptian Museum Opening Brought Forward to 2012 as Contractors Sign New Deal, Iran Cuts All Relations with British Museum Over Cyrus Cylinder, Doctor Who on Call at Stonehenge

Nazis, Rockefellers and the Tomb of Seti I: the Adventures of Amice Mary Calverley Prepare to go Public

owenjarus — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:34:19 +0000

There will never be another archaeologist like Amice Mary Calverley. She was a plane-flying, war-filming, desert-living Egyptologist, who created stunning drawings of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos.

With the onset of World War II she found herself fighting in a propaganda war against the Axis. However, one of the people who edited her Seti work, Egyptologist Hermann Junker, was aiding the Nazis. He did this even as he was still editing Calverley's work!

Born in Chelsea, London, UK in 1896, her drawings, financed by John Rockefeller Jr., were published in four oversized colour volumes. Her drawings were so good that her editors could find hieroglyphic errors made by the ancient Egyptians, but scarcely one made by her.

About The AuthorOwen Jarus

Owen Jarus is a freelance writer based in Toronto ,Canada. He has written articles on archaeology for a variety of media outlets including The Canadian Press newswire (CP), U of T Magazine, The Mississauga News and The Guelph Mercury. Education: BA from the University of Toronto in History, Geography and Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations. BJourn in Journalism from Ryerson University.

Last three pieces by this author: The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army Exhibition at the ROM - Full Details, Embassador or Slave? Researchers Mystified by East Asian Skeleton Discovered in Vagnari Roman Cemetery , The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army Exhibition: Toronto, Calgary and Victoria Look Likely Venues

The Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Will be a King Tut Treasure Trove

Sean Williams — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:12:14 +0000

Cairo is gearing up to welcome its latest addition, the Grand Egyptian Museum, in 2013. This spectacularly modern complex stands in stark contrast to the millennia of history perched on its back doorstep, in the shape of the Pyramids of Giza. But can its collections and exhibits provide a comprehensive Egyptian experience worthy of the country’s capital?

About The AuthorSean Williams

Sean is an English Literature graduate, who currently works as a writer and journalist in London. He enjoys ancient history, theatre and sport. He does not enjoy Big Brother.

Last three pieces by this author: Discovering Tut - Carnarvon Never Got to See the Golden Death Mask, Ancient World in London Adventurers Contest Decided!, Discovering Tut - Lord Carnarvon: The Media, The Politics and The Curse

Servants In the Place of Truth: Who Built the Tombs in the Valley of the Kings?

MalcolmJ — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:27:24 +0000

For almost 500 years – from the 16th to 11th century BC – tombs, many of the elaborate and ornate, were constructed in the Valley of the Kings for the rulers and powerful nobles of the Egyptian New Kingdom. Needless to say, the civilization’s top dogs didn’t roll up their sleeves and do the work themselves. So who did?

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

The Polis: Was the Ancient Greek City-State the Greatest Political System Ever?

Michael Anderson — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:30:04 +0000

The Greek City-state, or Polis, is arguably the greatest political system ever created – remarkable given its appearance some 2800 years ago. The Greeks successfully built a system to foster those most elusive of human desires – freedom and equality, and their efforts have had an influence on western thinking since the Hellenic culture was re-discovered during the Middle Ages.

About The AuthorMichael Anderson

Michael Anderson writes a blog about ancient history - trying to relate the past to the present. Are we progressing or regressing?

Website: http://www.mikeanderson.biz/

Edutainment: Is There a Role For Popular Culture in Education?

MalcolmJ — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:00:27 +0000

Popular interest in history is peaking like perhaps never before in the 21st century. Films such as Spartan gore-fest 300 have proven big hits at the box office in recent years, and many more ancient world movies – including Centurion, Clash of the Titans and Valhalla Rising – are set to arrive in 2010. TV historians such as Simon Schama and David Starkey are household names.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Interview: Barry Kemp on the Latest Findings of the Amarna Project

MalcolmJ — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:26:54 +0000

“There is no other site like it,” states the introductory paragraph on the website of the Amarna Project – the body which, since 2005, has been responsible for excavations and research at Tell el-Amarna, the short-lived capital city of the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten (who may well have been King Tut's dad) in the 14th century BC. As a living site, Tell el-Amarna is perhaps unparalleled in all of Egypt in terms of scale, ready accessibility and quality of preservation.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Exodus: Did the Movement of the Jewish People Take Place During Egypt's New Kingdom Era?

owenjarus — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:13:03 +0000

The Book of Exodus is one of best known pieces of scripture in the world. It tells the story of how the Jewish people, with some divine assistance, escape from Egypt and make their way to the land of Israel.

Whether this migration really happened is deeply controversial and is something that I’m not going to get into in this article.

Instead what I’m going to talk about is some intriguing research, done by Professor James Hoffmeier of Trinity International University, which suggests that the events may be set in New Kingdom times – specifically the era of the Ramesside kings. His work also adds some insight into the exact route the Israelites took in the story.

About The AuthorOwen Jarus

Last three pieces by this author: Nazis, Rockefellers and the Tomb of Seti I: the Adventures of Amice Mary Calverley Prepare to go Public, The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army Exhibition at the ROM - Full Details, Embassador or Slave? Researchers Mystified by East Asian Skeleton Discovered in Vagnari Roman Cemetery

From Anyang to Qin Shi Huang: is This the Golden Age of Archaeology in China?

Michael Kan — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:39:44 +0000

With the recent developments in the excavation of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, and the discovery of more terracotta warriors, not to mention the ground-breaking discoveries of the tomb of Cao Cao, and the 100,000-year-old fossil, it's an exciting time for archaeologists in China.

About The AuthorMichael Kan

Michael Kan is a freelance journalist based in Beijing, China. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in history and Asian studies. From 2006 to 2008, he worked as a reporter at The Kansas City Star, and then took a year to teach English in Xi'an, China.

Last three pieces by this author: University Looking for DNA of Chinese Warlord, What is an Avatar? Creators Chip Morningstar and Randy Farmer Trace the Ancient Roots of the Latest Buzzword, Top 10: Most Important Archaeology Finds in China... Ever

3 Simple Rules of Being a Hero: Fatal Attractions of Gods and Heroes in Classical Greek Mythology

Mary Harrsch — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:18:08 +0000

About The AuthorMary Harrsch

Photographer, instructional technologist and consulting systems analyst who travels the world photographing historical art and architecture and publishes articles about historical topics, particularly the ancient world. My photography has appeared in productions for The History Channel and Canadian Public Broadcasting, educational texts in the U.S. and Australia, museum promotional posters in Scotland, a fine arts journal in Istanbul as well as numerous books and magazines in both Europe and the U.S..

Visit my website for more info.

Last three pieces by this author: Top 10: The Best Photos of Egyptian Artefacts by Sandro Vannini on Flickr, Enter the Anti-museum: Why Virtual Experiences Lead to Better Learning , The 12 Labours That Turned Herakles (Hercules) To Hero

Missing In Action: 5 Armies That Vanished From History

MalcolmJ — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:47:09 +0000

Thanks to GPS, satellite imaging and digital communication systems, it’s uncommon for so much as a solitary soldier to go missing on the battlefields of the 21st century. But in ancient times – when civilizations often knew precious little of the world outside their sometimes narrow boundaries – it was apparently possible for entire armies to march against a foreign foe and fall off the face of the earth altogether, without conclusive explanation.

Myth has undoubtedly embellished – and in some cases overtaken – the truth behind the famous tales of vanished forces such as the Legio IX Hispana, which seemingly advanced into Scotland to subdue the Picts in 117 AD and never came back, or the 50,000-strong Army of Cambyses II, which is said to have been consumed by a powerful sandstorm in the Egyptian desert in the 6th century BC.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Modern Mummies: 10 Surprising Personalities Who Refused to Lie Down and Play Dead

MalcolmJ — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:02:31 +0000

The ancient Egyptians weren’t the only ones that mummified their dead for the sake of posterity. In more modern times, there have been multiple examples of mummification, using a range of weird and wonderful techniques from simple embalming to submerging the cadaver in a chemical-filled preservation tank, or perfusing it with wax, effectively rendering the corpse a giant human candle.

Here we examine ten of the most famous examples of modern mummies, their stories, and some of the methods used to preserve them for eternity. The deceased range from an Argentinean First Lady, a Soviet Head of State and various members of a powerful Tuscan political dynasty, to Japanese monks, Catholic Saints and one blatantly bonkers leader of a modern American religious and philosophical cult (who can even mummify you if you fancy it).

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Interview: Dr Ray Howell on the King Arthur, the Silures and, Just Possibly, Stonehenge

MalcolmJ — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:44:43 +0000

Heritage Key was recently introduced to Dr Ray Howell – a reader of history and historical archaeology at University of Wales, Newport and Director of South Wales Centre for Historical and Interdisciplinary Research (SWCHIR) – through the short film Reclaiming King Arthur.

Filmed in association with University of Wales’ Institute of Digital Learning (IDL), it examined the Gwent roots of the legendary British monarch of round table fame – both the real figure, who may have been a 5th or 6th century local warlord, and the mythical Arthur championed in countless folk tales.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

The 12 Labours That Turned Herakles (Hercules) To Hero

Mary Harrsch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:45:15 +0000

The beloved son of Zeus and, the mortal, Alkmene, Herakles (disputedly also known as Hercules) was the archetype for bravery and strength in the ancient world and one of the heros of Greek Mythology. But he also suffered from a violent temper. In his youth he became enraged and slew his own (and/or his brother's in some versions) children. To pay for this grievous act, he was told he would have to go to the court of his cousin Eurystheus (who utterly despised Herakles) and perform whatever tasks would be assigned to him. These tasks became the famous 12 labours of Herakles.

About The AuthorMary Harrsch

Visit my website for more info.

Last three pieces by this author: Top 10: The Best Photos of Egyptian Artefacts by Sandro Vannini on Flickr, Enter the Anti-museum: Why Virtual Experiences Lead to Better Learning , 3 Simple Rules of Being a Hero: Fatal Attractions of Gods and Heroes in Classical Greek Mythology

Interview: Directors Matthias Wemhoff and Friederike Seyfried on the Historic Re-opening of Berlin’s Neues Museum

MalcolmJ — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:54:02 +0000

Reopened in October 2009 after remaining closed since the outbreak of WWII in 1939, the Neues Museum is Berlin, Germany is the world’s newest and boldest cultural mecca. As recently as a decade ago, it was a burnt-out shell, badly-damaged during the Second World War, then neglected during the GDR-era, its collections spread among other museums.

Repaired, refurbished and re-imagined by architect David Chipperfield – controversially, in the eyes of some – the new Neues represents a triumphant meeting of history and modernity, emphasising a strong connection between the museum’s venerable and turbulent past and its bright and very promising future.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Genetic Britain: How Roman, Viking and Anglo-Saxon Genes Make up the UK's DNA

Jonathan Yeomans — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:06:15 +0000

Who are we? The genetic make-up of the British people is a hotly contested subject in academic and political circles. Britain has a tumultuous history that includes Anglo-Saxon, Norman and Roman invasions, but what legacy of these settlers and invaders remains in the DNA of Brits today?

The BNP's Nick Griffin, who has recently gained a foothold in British politics, claimed recently to represent the "indiginous people" of Britain, comparing modern English, Scots, Irish and Welsh with the indiginous populations of North America and New Zealand.

Ask the Experts: What if Europeans Had Never Ventured to the Great Lakes?

owenjarus — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:12:15 +0000

Before Europeans arrived in the Great Lakes area, in the 16th century, people were living in societies that were getting more and more complex. In 1000 AD they were living in year round villages. By 1500 AD these villages were up to five hectares large and lined with rows of palisades. Furthermore they were banding together into political alliances that Europeans called “confederacies” for defensive purposes.

The question I posed, to four prominent Great Lakes archaeologists, is this – if Europeans, for whatever reason, had not landed on these shores, would the native people of the Great Lakes have built cities and created a written language? Just like we saw in Mesopotamia or the Indus Valley?

About The AuthorOwen Jarus

Interview: Fakes & Forgeries Curator Paul Denis on Greek Coins, Zapotec Artefacts and the Internet

owenjarus — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:27:44 +0000

In a conversation with Heritage Key (HK), Paul Denis (PD), the curator of Fakes & Forgeries Yesterday and Today, a newly announced exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum, talks about how fake ancient artefacts are affecting the museum world.

Among the things discussed are:

-The emergence of ancient Greek coins as a new hot area for fraudsters.
-Why the internet is an awful place to acquire artefacts.
-How curators (with a little scientific help) pick out fakes.

He also shares some interesting news: of the hundreds of Zapotec artefacts his museum has, about 50 percent are forgeries.

About The AuthorOwen Jarus

Exclusive Interview: Pamela Rose's Quest to Save a Dark Age Settlement in Qasr Ibrim, Nubia

owenjarus — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:13:36 +0000

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 3,000 year old site in Nubia that dates to an ancient 'Dark Age' - a time when the Egyptian Empire had collapsed and civilizations around the Mediterranean had been conquered by a group called the 'Sea People'.

The settlement was found in the lowest layers of Qasr Ibrim, a site well known for its medieval era remains. Today what's left of Qasr Ibrim is an island on Lake Nasser - a man-made lake created when the Aswan Dam was built in the 1960’s.

The discovery was made by an Egypt Exploration Society expedition team led by Dr. Pamela Rose. Fieldwork at Qasr Ibrim stopped in 2006 although study (lab) seasons continued until 2008 when the funding situation in the UK forced a halt to work.

About The AuthorOwen Jarus

Mega Monuments: Top 10 Biggest Buildings From the Ancient World

MalcolmJ — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:18:44 +0000

Modesty wasn’t a concept that most ancient rulers had much of a grasp of. When it came to palaces, tombs, statues, monuments and other symbols of their power, prestige and wealth, bigger pretty much always meant better. Who knows – maybe they were trying to make up for something?

From the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang in Xi'an to the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan, the Circus Maximus in Rome and the big daddy of them all – the Great Pyramid of Giza – the ancients were responsible for many a whopper.

Here we give our top ten run down of ancient history’s tallest, widest, longest, bulkiest and most darn audacious structures. Some of them still stand; others exist – probably exaggerated by at least an inch or two – only in legend.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Stalin's Stash: The True Story of Soviet War Booty

Jonathan Yeomans — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:56:04 +0000

In the dying days of World War II, the Soviet Army swept through eastern Europe to seize Berlin and bring an end to the Third Reich. Along the way, the Soviets plundered museums and private collections in a bid to extract ‘reparations’ from the Nazi state.

Countless books, artefacts and works of art were captured by the Red Army and returned to Russia, where they have lain dormant and hidden for over 60 years. The story of this Soviet war booty continues to cause controversy today.

Eskimo Archaeology: Professor Gregory Reinhardt on Excavations in Alaska

MalcolmJ — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:41:03 +0000

Eskimo archaeology exists “quite literally on the fringes” according to Gregory Reinhardt, a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Indianapolis and a leading authority in the field.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Top 10 Ancient Origins of Christmas Traditions

Sean Williams — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:53:14 +0000

The lights are up, Noddy Holder's voice is ringing in your ears and you've already eaten all your advent chocolate in a gluttonous frenzy. Yes it's Christmas; that time of year reserved for frantic last-minute shopping, burnt turkeys and half-drunk carols in the front room. It's also the Christian celebration of Jesus' birth, of course: and even that bears more than a passing similarity to the ancient god Mithra. So where did some of the Christmas traditions we take for granted actually come from? The truth stretches back a lot longer than you might think. Here are ten yuletide customs born in the ancient world.

1. Christmas Trees

About The AuthorSean Williams

Sean is an English Literature graduate, who currently works as a writer and journalist in London. He enjoys ancient history, theatre and sport. He does not enjoy Big Brother.

Last three pieces by this author: Discovering Tut - Carnarvon Never Got to See the Golden Death Mask, Ancient World in London Adventurers Contest Decided!, The Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Will be a King Tut Treasure Trove

Uncover Those Mummies! Pete Brown's Hands-on Approach to the Display of Human and Animal Remains

Helen Atkinson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:35:00 +0000

Listening to Pete Brown talk, you learn that controversies in museums aren’t just about who owns what. The way in which treasures are presented is becoming an increasing source of conflict; both among museum staff and members of the public.

About The AuthorHelen Atkinson

Heritage Key's NYC Correspondent, Helen Atkinson, has 20 years of journalism experience in subjects ranging from the reinsurance industry to canoeing down the Bronx River. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Helen studied English Literature at Oxford, before embarking on a writing career. She moved to New York in 1994 and intends to stay there. Publications include The Journal of Commerce, Fairplay Magazine, The New York Sun, and Scotland on Sunday. Helen also writes fiction and makes actual money by working as a public relations consultant. She also writes and sings blues. She is married to Tim, an Englishman she found in a fortune cookie in New York.

Last three pieces by this author: Vacation in Varanasi: Seeing in the New Year in the Oldest City, Why Did the Collapse of Old Europe Bring a Shift From Female to Male Power?, Brooklyn Museum Exhibition Reveals More Than the Sum of its Body Parts

10 Missing Pieces From the New Acropolis Museum

Paolo Ciuchini — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:02:22 +0000

About The AuthorPaolo Ciuchini

Paolo Ciuchini is a Dublin-based Italian archaeologist with a wide international experience. Today his interests reach far beyond his Postgraduate Specialization in Classical Archaeology, including topics like 'Archaeology & New Media' and 'Archaeological Practice in Europe'. He runs ArchaeoJobs, a blog whose aim is to deal with the Archaeological Profession in its European Dimension.

The World's First Archaeologists and Their Role in Defining History

MalcolmJ — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:27:21 +0000

The roots of archaeology – “the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of physical remains,” to quote the Oxford English Dictionary – can be traced back in their most basic form as late as the age of the last emperor of Babylon, Nabonidus, in the 6th century BC, and perhaps even further, to the ancient Egyptians.

In the thousands of years that have passed since, the discipline has become a highly professionalised pursuit, with a broad and firmly-established range of techniques and practices, a complex theoretical framework and a strong ethical code. But it hasn’t taken a direct route to get there.

About The AuthorMalcolm Jack

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.

Preview - King Tut and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs Hits Toronto

owenjarus — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:06:02 +0000

Tut has returned to Toronto. After 30 years the boy king’s treasures are back in the Canadian city, with a new show set to open this Tuesday, at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

It’s the first time the king’s been in town since 1979. In that year Egyptomania was at its height, and Steve Martin was doing his King Tut dance and all.

About The AuthorOwen Jarus

Letters from the Legions: a Personal View of World History

Bija Knowles — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:06 +0000

For any solider fighting wars away in foreign lands, letters to and from family and loved ones take on enormous resonance and importance. We've all seen the TV and movie versions of army life in the world wars, in which the handing out of letters is a ritual frought with excitement, emotion, and rivalry. The same situation was probably played out thousands of years earlier, as some remarkable ancient letters attest.

While the first letters ever written were probably cuneiform imprints onto clay tablets, penned in Mesopotamia and Egypt, by the time the Roman civilization began to expand around the Mediterranean, papyrus was being used as a lightweight and durable alternative.

About The AuthorBija Knowles
Bija Knowles is a freelance journalist based outside Rome, Italy. She graduated in Italian and English Literature from the University of Birmingham, UK, and her main areas of interest are art, travel and history in Italy.

Last three pieces by this author: Face-off: The Rampin Rider 'v' The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Film-makers Uncover Trajan's Hidden Roman Aqueduct, Top 10 Sexiest Ancient Artefacts in the World

Looking After Mummy: The Ethics of Preserving Human Remains

veigapaula — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:13:16 +0000

Spending time at the KNH Centre, Manchester, UK, studying Biomedical and Forensic Techniques for Egyptology with Professor Rosalie David, gave me a different perspective on how and why we should care for ancient human remains. Besides the usual curiosity people have everywhere for ‘mummies’ and the fascination for Egyptian tombs and mysteries, there is a real aspect to what they can give us in return.

A brief deconstruction: from the time of death of a human to the finding of human remains, all forensic techniques apply, but common sense has recently turned into professional behaviour and techniques, allied to ethics when dealing with human bodies.

About The AuthorPaula Veiga

Paula Veiga has a background in tourism, but holds a Master in Pre Classical Studies from the University of Lisboa and a Master in Biomedical Egyptology from the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester (which covers Histology studies and laboratory practice, DNA studies and practice of extraction, Paleopathology, Osteology, amongst other disciplines).

She recently published her first book - Oncology and Infectious Diseases in ancient Egypt: The Ebers Papyrus? Treatise on Tumours 857-877 and the cases found in ancient Egyptian human material and has another one upcoming. Paula Veiga is working on several conference papers, whilst 'deciphering' the hieroglyphics in a XXVth Dynasty coffin housed in a Portugese museum.

Her main research interests are Health and Medicine, Religion, Magic and Daily Life, Archaeology of Egypt and the Middle East, Osteology, Paleopathology, Forensic Anthropology and the History of Medicine.

Last three pieces by this author: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous... Egyptians, Temples, Tales and Technology - Day 3 at CRE XI Leiden 2010, CRE XI - Religion and more Religion; Egyptology versus Egyptomania

The Secrets of Tomb 10a: Middle Class Burials From the Middle Kingdom

Helen Atkinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:35:43 +0000

People were just as silly 4,000 thousand years ago as they are now, but they manifested it in different ways, of course, which is what makes it interesting. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, had a well-known obsession with how to get ahead in the afterlife, and the wealthier citizens and royalty poured a lot of money, time, and thought into the items that would go in the tomb with them.

About The AuthorHelen Atkinson