Image courtesy of the MIC–Archaeological Park of Pompeii. Conservation work on a luxurious royal villa near Pompeii has revealed sumptuous frescoes, including one depicting a famous fictional theater character, and another of a peacock. Additional recent work using cast molds has identified the position of a colonnade of trees in the villa’s garden, showing that … Read more
The Moosi Rani Sagar – credit, Environmental Foundation of India Ancient Indian stepwells are being restored to modern water storage facilities to help cure modern water shortages. Recently, an Indian environmentalist and editor was invited to share his incredible work restoring hundreds of natural and man-made water sources all across India on CNN. His nonprofit, … Read more
– credit, Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities On Sunday, Egyptian authorities unveiled the completed restoration works on two colossal alabaster statues of a notable Egyptian king. Located in Luxor, and standing over 30 feet tall, the two statues were destroyed in an earthquake 1,200 years ago, making their reconstitution an awfully long time coming. … Read more
– credit, Thomas Bruen Olsen / University Museum of Bergen A hiker in Norway discovered a one-of-a-kind wild reindeer trap that Iron age inhabitants would have used to catch their dinner en masse. Alongside the large wooden trap was a trove of hunting supplies and other artifacts, revealing a wealth of information about the culture and … Read more
Hundreds of lead bricks were found in a ship that sunk between 50 and 80 BCE – credit, CUORE Collaboration and LNGS/INFN What do dark matter, the Roman Empire, and a toxic heavy metal have in common? The answer is Mr. Ettore Fiorini who helped excavate a 2,000-year-old shipwreck whose cargo of Roman lead bars … Read more
The Grand Egyptian Museum’s stunning geometric exterior – credit, Grand Egyptian Museum handout A $1 billion museum built to showcase the finest of ancient Egyptian artifacts has finally been opened in Giza after more than 2 decades of planning, building, and setbacks. Fireworks and drone light shows lit up the desert night. Below, a gala … Read more
A roadway near Timgad – Credit Itiner-e, Artas Media, MINERVA. It was said that all roads lead to Rome, but from where do all the roads to Rome lead? Using a mountain of data, a team of two dozen scientists have created a digital road atlas of the Roman imperial world, complete with many features … Read more