Italy Archives - Page 2 of 37

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Underwater archaeologists have discovered infrastructure of an ancient port at Asini in Greece.

Archaeologists have excavated a “grand ancient Greek tomb site” near Corinth.

“A recent study offers new insights into the pigments used by ancient Roman artists in Pompeii, revealing how they mixed raw materials to achieve a wide range of color tones.”

Persepolis’s ancient underground channels prevented flooding and destruction during a severe rainstorm.

Restoration work on Jerash’s northern theater continues.

Artnet highlights three interesting artifacts discovered in the tomb of Thutmose II.

Turkiye Today describes seven must-see cuneiform tablets in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums.

The ASOR Punic Project Digital Initiative “will provide digital files of individual stelae that can be viewed on screen or 3D printed at any scale.”

New release: Against Moab: Interrogating the Archaeology of Iron Age Jordan, by Benjamin W. Porter. (Cambridge University Press, open access)

Hybrid lecture at Penn State on March 27, 5 pm (EDT): “In the Steps of a Babylonian King: A Scholar’s Adventures in Jordan and Lebanon,” by Rocío Da Riva (Zoom registration)

“After 1,700 years the first ancient Greek temple opened in Arcadia, Peloponnese over the weekend.” The Greek Church is not happy. The site manager defends the project: “There are tens of thousands of people in Greece and abroad who believe in their ancestral gods and do not have a place to worship.”

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lectures, Museums, Persia, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists working at Rome’s port city of Ostia discovered the oldest ritual bath (mikveh) known outside the land of Israel.

“A team of researchers identified and mapped a vast network of irrigation canals near Eridu, considered the oldest city in history.”

“Artificial intelligence has discovered ancient civilizations over 5,000 years old hidden beneath some of the world’s largest deserts, including one in the heart of the Dubai desert, without the use of a single shovel.”

The recently renovated Side Museum in southern Turkey has more than 3,000 artifacts and 9,000 coins on display.

“The 2,000-year-old lighthouse in the ancient city of Patara, built by Roman Emperor Nero in CE 64, is set to illuminate once again after centuries, as restoration efforts reach their final stages.”

The excavation director at Pisidian Antioch wants artifacts taken to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum in the early 20th century to be returned.

A German tourist was arrested when he tried to leave Greece with an ancient Greek marble column hidden in his car.

The Greek Reporter suggests the top 20 archaeological sites in the country.

A portion of the famous Torlonia Collection, locked away for most of the 20th century, will be displayed in North America for the first time, beginning with Chicago and then heading to Fort Worth and Montreal. The 58 sculptures in the exhibition largely date to the Roman Imperial Period.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Greece, Italy, Mesopotamia, Museums, New Exhibits, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A new study reveals that ancient Egyptian mummified bodies smelled “woody,” “spicy,” and “sweet.”

Archaeologists working in Egypt have completed the excavation and relocation of a gold processing complex in use for a millennium beginning circa 1000 BC.

Archaeologists working in central Turkey have found evidence of ironmaking dating to 2200 BC.

A new study has been released describing the “production and use of obsidian mirrors found at Tepecik Çiftlik” in central Turkey.

“Archaeologists excavating Göbekli Tepe have uncovered evidence that challenges previous theories about the site’s purpose.”

“Authorities in Turkey have sealed off a luxury spa that was set up by illegally modifying a 1,500-year-old cistern near Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.”

A headless bronze statue believed to depict Marcus Aurelius is being returned by The Cleveland Museum of Art to Turkey.

“Archaeologists in Pompeii have unearthed a rare depiction of initiation rites into a secret female cult that centred on Dionysus.”

A new theory has been proposed to explain how the brains of a man who died in the Mount Vesuvius explosion turned to glass.

“A close look at Pompeii’s stone-paved streets has shown how traffic through the ancient city changed dramatically after it was incorporated into the Roman world.” (subscription)

Hybrid lecture on March 12 at ISAC: “Epigraphy and Exploration at Beni Hassan, Egypt,” by Anna-Latifa Mourad Cizek

The Jerusalem Post explains why mummies are disappearing from museums.

The palace of Knossos set a new record in 2024 with more than one million visitors.

Howard Carter’s lost suitcase has been found and will be auctioned.

HT: Agade, Explorator, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Paleojudaica

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Lectures, Mediterranean Islands, Museums, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists have discovered the tomb of Thutmose II, the first royal tomb found in Egypt since King Tut’s tomb in 1922.

A previously unknown pyramid from circa 2000 BC was discovered by quarry workers in the Dahshur area.

“A devastating new report reveals the extent of destruction in Syria’s legendary city of Palmyra, where eight out of ten buildings now lie in ruins or on the verge of collapse.”

James Gold explains his work as an archaeological illustrator and why it is important.

Carl Rasmussen has posted photos from Yesemek, the largest stone masonry workshop in the ancient Near East.

“Lead pollution in ancient Rome was so high that it dropped the population’s IQ by around 3 points, if not more.”

“Malta is home to some of the oldest and arguably most mysterious megalithic structures known to man, older than the Pyramids and Stonehenge.”

Archaeology Magazine has published a well-illustrated story about the restoration of the Temple of Knum in Esna.

Kara Cooney explains when it is OK to recycle an ancient Egyptian coffin.

Zoom lecture on March 5: “Why is Alexander on the Alexander Sarcophagus? Rethinking a Funerary Monument from Sidon,” by Jessica Nitschke

Hybrid lecture on March 13: “The Amman Citadel in Light of Recent Archaeological Work,” by Katharina Schmidt

Bible Archaeology Report has posted an archaeological biography of Merodach-Baladan, the king of Babylon during the days of Hezekiah.

Correction: The notice last week about a third bridge being discovered in Jerash was a false report caused by a local reporter’s misunderstanding. There are only two bridges.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Gordon Franz, Keith Keyser

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Mediterranean Islands, Syria, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A town approximately 3,500 years old was discovered in Kom el-Negus, Egypt, located about 27 miles west of Alexandria.”

After 14 years of war, Palmyra is finally at peace, and plans are underway to rebuild.

A rare Egyptian blue ingot weighing five pounds was discovered in Nero’s grand palace in Rome.

Greece is planning to restore the Kladios Baths in ancient Olympia. The complex was first built in AD 100 and occupies 400 square meters.

Basilica B in Philippi has been partially restored.

Last year 886 artifacts were added to the inventory of the Antalya Museum.

When the Syrian government collapsed, one lone guard protected the National Museum in Damascus from looters.

The Louvre “has requested urgent help from the French government to restore and renovate its ageing exhibition halls.”

The Rijksmuseum has taken possession of an impressive ancient hoard of Roman and British coins found in 2023.

Tyndale House is hosting a one day conference on “The World of the Bible” on March 22, with sessions led by Tony Watkins, Peter Williams, and Dirk Jongkind. Streaming tickets are available.

A new version of Archibab is now online.

Leon Mauldin has posted a photo of a milestone on the Via Egnatia.

The first spotted hyena seen in Egypt in thousands of years ate two goats and was promptly killed.

Bible Land Passages has created a new video of the city of Athens and what Paul experienced when he visited. The 10-minute video includes on-site footage as well as new 3D models of the buildings on the acropolis.

The amazing Persepolis reliefs have been brought to life by artificial intelligence (30-second video).

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Egypt, Greece, Italy, Lectures, Museums, Syria, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A farmer in eastern Turkey discovered a rare, largely intact late Roman mosaic while planting a cherry orchard. Spanning almost 1,000 square feet, the mosaic is thought by archaeologists to be the largest example of its kind unearthed in the country.”

Archaeologists working in Pompeii uncovered “one of the largest private thermal complexes” found in the city to date.

“In Libya’s ancient city of Ptolemais on the Mediterranean coast, Polish archaeologists have uncovered a dwelling equipped with an advanced drinking water collection system, and a mysterious mask.”

“The 4,100-year-old tomb of a doctor who ‘treated the pharaoh himself’ has been discovered at the site of Saqqara in Egypt.”

The Yale Ancient Pharmacology Program is working at a site outside Rome “to unlock the chemical signature of what might be in the amphorae by conducting organic residue analysis.”

The Egyptian government denies that it is planning to sell the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The Damascus Museum has reopened, one month after Assad left town.

“Jordan: Dawn of Christianity” is a one-month long special exhibit to be hosted by the Vatican beginning on January 31.

Bryan Windle has written an archaeological biography for Evil-Merodach, the Babylonian king best known for releasing Jehoiachin from prison and giving him a place of honor at the king’s table.

Glenn J. Corbett writes about the $12 million project to renovate the mausoleum of Augustus, slated to reopen next year.

The LA Times has a play-by-play account of how the Getty Villa was spared from the Palisade fire.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Andy Cook, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Italy, Museums, Syria, Technology, Turkey, Weather, Weekend Roundup