Egyptian Tombs, Ancient Greek Music, Pollen Study, and Ancient Social Media

Social media is so old even the Romans had it.
As individuals of the generation that use Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and any sort of blog, we should look back to those who paved the way for us to communicate with social media. The original "wall posts" were not those written on Facebook, but the Romans and even the Ancient Egyptians were writing on "walls" before it was "cool." In the following article by the Daily Beast, parallels between the modern writer and the ancient one are brought to light with respect to writing on walls and social media. The article promotes  Tom Standage’s new book, Writing on the Wall: Social Media: The First 2000 Years, which delves into the 2,000 year evolution of social media and "walls."

Pollen study points to drought as culprit in Bronze Age mystery.
"Experts have long pondered the cause of the crisis that led to the collapse of civilization in the Late Bronze Age, and now believe that by studying grains of fossilized pollen they have uncovered the cause." Read the entire article here from the New York Times.

4,000-year-old tomb of doctor discovered.
The news has been abuzz recently with of all the ancient Egyptian tombs that have been uncovered. The latest find is that of one of the "greatest doctors from the time of the pyramid builders." The tomb that was discovered belongs to Shepseskaf-Ankh, confirmed Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013 via HuffingtonPost. Shepseskaf-Ankh's final resting place appears to be a family plot which includes a courtyard and eight burial chambers for the doctor's relatives.  Read on here to discover more details of the find.



Tomb of Thutmose, who created famed bust of Nefertiti?
This famous artifact, which has become world famous since its debut in 1924, weighs a surprising 44lbs and is life-size. The bust was discovered in 1912 by Borchardt in a "studio room" that had 22 plaster casts of faces. While there has been much focus on who the bust depicts, Queen Nefertiti, recent findings suggest that this spotlight may shift from the pulchritude of this queen to the adroitness of the artist: Thutmose. Zivie, in the following article, makes his case about the discovery of Thutmose's tomb (in 1996) and the court sculptor's skill in constructing and painting his own tomb. Continue reading the entire work here from the Harvard Gazette.


1,000 years of Chinese art brought to you by the Mogao Caves.
"In a secret cave on China's ancient Silk Road, one of the world's most incredible collections of art lay locked away in darkness for 900 years." Read more here in an article by the BBC on this cave's history, its precious treasure, and the upcoming exhibit Masterpieces of Chinese Painting.

Oops! Etruscan warrior prince really a warrior princess?
The original tomb and body discovered were thought to be of an Etruscan warrior-prince holding a spear and his "wife. " However, the latest reports suggest that an examination of the bones of said "warrior" were actually those of a woman: a warrior princess. This general assumption of "spear equals man" is gender bias, and the article by LiveScience tackles this topic in depth.

How did ancient Greek music sound?
Ancient Greek music has been an enigma to scholars for centuries, and it is difficult to imagine that music accompanied everything the Greeks did from epic orations to plays to festivals to even everyday life. A new revelation about this archaic music has arisen from ancient documents. These documents are transcribed with vocal notation, musical intervals, and other clues to the Greek's music. Dr. David Creese of Oxford has undertaken this arduous research project to attempt to rediscover and even play ancient Greek music. The article by the BBC reveals his methods and a sample of music.

Lasers and Robots to Gates of Hell

Lasers and robots explore the hidden aqueducts of ancient Rome.
Almost 2,000 years ago, incredible Roman engineers carved aqueducts to supply fresh water to the city of Rome. Whilst these "hidden" aqueducts were discovered pre-WWI, modern-day technology has given researchers new insights into these ancient engineers' methodologies and techniques. This modern technology includes an "archeo-robot," laser "range-findings," and  3D scanners;  these state of the art technologies allow researchers and explorers to properly map, investigate, and measure the precision of the aqueduct's architecture. Read the entire article at The Telegraph here.

From bullwhip to ray gun: archaeologists today make Indiana Jones look like ancient history.
"Indiana Jones may be the best-known fictional archaeologist, but his bullwhip pales in comparison with some of the field's actual tools." Read more on the growing technology that assists archaeologists today here at NBC.

Turkey: Italians discover gate to hell.
The mythical "Gate to Hell" is thought to have been discovered in the ancient city of Hierapolis. The cave, also known as Pluto's Gate or Plutonium, is thought to be the entrance to the Underworld or Hades that the dead passed through. While the cave itself has yet to be fully explored, researchers believe that this is the infamous gate that Cicero and Strabo described. Read more of this discovery and the finding of a Cerebus statue in the ANSAmed article here.

Ablative Grammar Help!

Ablative of Separation
Nouns used with accompanying prepositions of ab/ā/abs, “from”; ex/ē, “out of”; or dē, “down from”.
E.g. ex agrīs, “from the fields”

 Ablative Absolute
The circumstances surrounding an action.
E.g. Urbe captā, Aenēās fūgit, “With the city having been captured, Aeneas fled.”

Ablative of Origin or Source
A type of ablative of seperation, but it is used ( without a preposition like: a, ab, e, ex, etc.) with verbs (with past participles) indicating origin, descent, or source:
E.g. nātus genere nōbilī  “born from a renowned family” — i.e. ‘of a renowned family’

Ablative of Instrument or Means
The means by which an action was carried out.
E.g. oculīs vidēre, “to see with the eyes”.

 Ablative of Agent
The person or object that does a deed.
E.g. rex a militibus interfectus est “the king was killed by the soldiers” with personal agents, but impersonally it reads rex armis militum interfectus erat “the king was killed by the weapons of the soldiers.”

Ablative of Time “When” or “Within which”
The time when or within which an action occurred.
E.g. aestāte, “in summer”; eō tempore, “at that time”; Paucīs hōrīs id faciet, “within a few hours he will do it.”

Ablative of Comparison
The the second object being compared, Y is bigger than X, is put in the ablative.
E.g. Haec via longior illä est. This road is longer than that one.

Ablative of Degree of Difference
This is very similar to ablative of comparison, but there are not two objects being compared, but only one word of measurement (little, big, small, few, great,etc.) in the ablative
E.g. Paulö post discëssit. He left a little later. (“afterward by a little bit”)

Ablative of Specification or Respect
Sometimes, the ablative is used to specify in what respect a statement may or may not be true.
E.g. Rex nomine erat. He was king in name (only).

The Locative Ablative
With the names of cities (Rome, Athens, Sparta, Brundisium, Alexandria etc) and small islands (Sicily, Crete etc.), the prepositions ad, ab and in are not used
Places from which: name in the ablative without ab.
E.g. Brundisio- from Brundisium      Athenis- from Athens
Sicilia- from Sicily
Place in which- this is the locative, and rules vary. (First and second plural, plus third plural- use the ablative)
E.g. Athenis- in Athens, at Athens
Sardibus- in Sardes, at Sardes

Ablative of Cause
The ablative is often used to explain why something is done, or its “cause.”
E.g. Hoc fëcï amöre vestrï. I did this from (out of, because of) love of you.

Ablative of Description
A noun in the ablative, accompanied by an adjective, can be used to describe the qualities by which a person is characterized. This is sometimes combined with Ablative of Source or Origin.
E.g  Diodōrus, uir summā grauitāte, maximē īrātus est. “Diodorus, a man of the utmost dignity, became extremely angry.”
E.g senex cānīs capillīs et ueste sordidā  “A man with white hair and unclean garments”

The Ablative of Price
An ablative used to indicate the resources (monetary or other) employed in a purchase:
E.g multō aurō hanc aulam ēmī. “I bought this pot at the cost of much gold.”

The Ablative with Deponent Verbs

An instrumental ablative is used with utor, fruor, potior, fungor, uescor, and their compounds:
E.g hīs uerbīs ūsī sunt. “They employed these words.”
E.g mālunt ōtiō et pāce fruī. “They prefer to enjoy leisure and peace.”

A Great Printout for the Ablative can be found here.

Ancient Curse Tablet from Jerusalem: Nail Down The Tongue!

What comes to mind when you hear curse tablet? Is it an image of a sorceress conjuring a spell over a bubbling cauldron? A magician? A love spell? A cursing spell? How about this, watch a clip from HBO's Rome where a Roman woman is casting a "curse spell" on a tablet ( thus making a curse tablet) to put us in the mood for the following topic




Haven't we all been there? Vengeful, bitter, angry? So, now that we are in the most vengeful of moods, let us take a look at this particular find:

Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists excavated a 1,700-year-old curse tablet from a Roman mansion in the City of David in Jerusalem. In the text inscribed on the lead tablet, a woman named Kyrilla curses a man named Iennys, probably over a legal case.

WHAT, WHEN & WHERE
This particular curse tablet is made from lead, which we saw Servilla in the video also inscribing upon. It dates back 1,700 years ago to a Roman Mansion (363C.E) in Jerusalem. Most authorities believe however, that the curse tablet (as many were) was written by a magician. This may be due to the fact that magicians could write better than those who paid for their services or merely these figures were seen to have an "otherworldly" sense to them.


WHO & WHY
This particular lead tablet, although found in Jerusalem in a Roman Manison, was written in Greek. Greek was somewhat of a universal language during this time; so it is not difficult to discern its use here. The curse is cast against a man named "Iennys" by a woman named "Kyrilla" who invokes 6 gods to do her bidding! (Alas, poor Servilla only invoked 3.)

"I strike and strike down and nail down the tongue, the eyes, the wrath, the ire, the anger, the procrastination, the opposition of Iennys," part of the curse reads in translation. Kyrilla asks the gods to ensure that "he in no way oppose, so that he say or perform nothing adverse to Kyrilla … but rather that Iennys, whom the womb bore, be subject to her..."

WHICH GODS
The Magician invokes for Kyrilla four Greek Gods (Hermes, Persephone, Pluto [curious that the article would say Pluto is Greek when this Hades' Roman name] and Hecate), one Babylonian (Ereschigal) and one Abrasax [ which is a religion connected to early Christianity].

It would seem that this magician and Kyrilla are taking no chances: "Let's cover all the major gods just to be safe!"


WHY USE A CURSE
There is a suggestion in the text of the curse, a word meaning "opposition" that lead authorities to believe that this tablet like others that have been found with similar language were done in spite of a "legal disagreement."


WHERE WAS IT FOUND WITHIN THE MANSION
At the end of the clip that I have provided, Servilla entrusts the curse tablet to her personal slave who delivers it to the house of the "cursed" and shoves it into a crevices in the wall. This, of course, was taken from archaeological evidence that curse tablets were often found in the home, job, or even grave of the "cursed." It was thought that somehow the "cursed figure" must frequent the area of the curse.

This particular tablet was found in the northwest area of the mansion on the second floor. While the 2nd floor is now collapsed; archaeologist have found some clues to the areas uses and purpose nearby where they found the curse tablet.

"Archaeologists Doron Ben Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets, both with the Israel Antiquities Authority, told LiveScience in an email that they discovered the remains of mosaics and frescoes that contain geometric and floral motifs near the tablet, a carved bone fragments from a box that depict the "Triumph of Dionysus," roof tiles with the stamp of the Roman 10th Legion, a unit that, for a time, was stationed in Jerusalem."

The use of the second floor,where the curse tablet was found, is unclear, but assuming that this "Iennys" was a retired soldier, wealthy land owner and probably had some sort of "civil servant job." The archaeologist did discover a small female figurine thought to be used in a "private" shrine/cult area, but none of this can be certain.

WHAT IS CERTAIN

Kyrilla really didn't like Iennys. If it was a legal matter or a love matter or even a jealous matter; it is uncertain. But there was some bitter hate brewing within such a woman who would pay for this magician to make this a tablet and then to somehow bribe a slave to put it in Iennys' household or attempt to do it herself.  Gutsy bitter woman indeed....

 

Fox Egyptian Show, Restoring Spartan Theater, Egyptian tomb uncovered

Fox Orders Sexy Ancient Egypt Fantasy Drama

 

Fox has order to a fantasy project set in ancient Egypt titled Hieroglyph. An action-drama series “follows a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharaoh, navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers.”

“We wanted to do a show about deceit, sex, intrigue in the court and fantastical goings-on – no better place to set that than ancient Egypt,” said Fox’s chairman of entertainment Kevin Reilly.

Fox has ordered 13 episode of the drama, which is produced by Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope, along with Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Clash of the Titans), who wrote the pilot script.

Critics are hesitant that the show will do any better than some of Fox's latest failures, but some are hopeful that the latest success of Sleepy Hollow's historical fantasy will spill over to this upcoming project. Also, the fantasy series would follow in the popular foot steps of both Once Upon Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Entertainment Weekly article is here.

Restoring Sparta's Ancient Theater

 

Pausanias : “this theatre made of white stone is sight worthy"

Greece’s Central Archaeological Council are studying how to rehabilitate ruins of Sparta's ancient theater.  Once one of the largest theaters of antiquity it was built from white marble and able to hold 16,000 attendees.  It was built in 30-20 BCE during the Roman times and had elements of architecture from the 4th c. C.E Much of the auditorium was destroyed during the Byzantine period. Read it all here.

Ancient Egyptian Secret Tomb Uncovered

 

The excavations at the Abusir Archaeological Cemetery at Giza. (Arab Republic of Egypt Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs)

 

"The tomb of Shepseskaf ‘ankh, Head of the Physicians of Upper and Lower Egypt who dates to the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt." See it and Read it here!

 

Thutmose's Tomb Found, Palace of Circe Found, Pompeii Now Accepting Credit Cards, & Roman Child's Coffin

 Tomb of Thutmose, who created famed Bust of Nefertiti , found?

This famous artifact that has become world famous since its debut in 1924 weighs a surprising 44lbs and is life-size. The bust was discovered in 1912 by Borchardt in a "studio room" that had 22 plasters casts of faces. While, there has been much focus on who the bust depicts Queen Nefertiti; recent findings suggest that this spotlight may move from the pulchritude of this queen to the adroitness of the artist: the court's sculptor and artisan of this bust, Thutmose.  Zivie, in the following article, makes his case on the discovery of Thutmose's tomb (in 1996) and artist's skill in constructing and painting his own tomb. Continue reading the entire work here.

Palace of Circe Found?

Circe by Wright Barker

Circe, the cunning witch, is recounted in Homer's epic: The Odyssey.  A mysterious woman who ruled an island with her witchcraft is rarely mentioned in other Greek literature. Odysseus' travels have long been "mapped" or attempted to be "mapped;" as can be seen by the following examples:

 In most of these maps, Circe's island is believed to be to the east of Italy (or in eastern Italy).  The following article explains how one man may have found Circe's palace: "After four years of research, Mr Tzimas explains to us why he believes that he has discovered the Palace of Circe." Mr. Tzimas reports that in fact Circe's palace is not on an island nor is it even near Italy, but it is part of Greece!
Actually, he claims that it is Preveza, Greece. The article is the only one of its kind available online; and appears to be alone in reporting Mr. Tzimas' findings.

 

Credit cards finally accepted at Italy's Pompeii

Well, its about time if ask any tourist visiting Pompeii. The once grand city who had the latest pottery and goods from across the empire, it is now finally welcoming the 21st century. The tourist hotspot can now offer its guest the ability of booking tickets, tours and so on with your credit card. It is a great advantage for the site, which was finally given some restoration relief aid from the European Union earlier this year. Discover more here.

   Ancient Roman child's coffin found by amateur treasure hunters

 

On Sunday October 20th, 2013 at 4:30 p.m local time (UK), a group of local amateur treasure hunters made the discovery of a lifetime. They found a third century roman child's coffin buried in a local farmland; it is the first significant find of the group with members who have been "searching" for over thirty years!

The Unofficial Ancient Roman Monster Survival Guide

 While most people know about the ancient Greek monsters like: centaurs, harpies, cyclopes, mermaids, sirens, the chimera, hydra, giants, and et cetera; the goal of this survival guide is to expose the truth behind the uncommon Roman monsters that hide under our very noses! The following monsters are very dangerous and should NOT be approached under any circumstance. Most of these creatures and monsters eat people, so if you see one please contact your local animal control or ancient history enthusiast.

1. Yale or Eale
Meaning of Name: “To move back” – perhaps in reference to its horns.
First Spotting: Ethiopia
Form: Antelope or goat-like creature that is the size of a hippopotamus, with an elephant’s tail, usually black or tawny in color, with the jaws of a boar and movable horns.
Food:  People and large animals
How it attacks: Presumably, it must ram its prey with its moveable horns and tusks.
Latest Spotting: A popular emblem in medieval times for royal banners, the yale or eale has found its way to Yale University’s banners and perhaps into the basements of the campus itself.
Weaknesses: Other Eales or Yales, tall mountains, and loud university rallies.
Sources: Pliny the Elder's Natural History.

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2. Manticore
Meaning of Name: Man-Eater
First Spotting: Persia
Form: Body of a red lion, a human head, with a trumpet-like voice.  Sometimes it is seen with horns or wings.
Food:  People and large animals
How it attacks: Its tail has been found in the form of a dragon or scorpion which shoots poisonous spines that paralyze and kill its victims.
Latest Spotting: Commonly, the manticore has been spotted in archaic themed video games such as God of War and Age of Mythology. Recently, one manticore was seen debuting in his first film: Percy Jackson and Sea of Monsters. He sadly did not survive to make a sequel.
Weaknesses:  A ranged weapon...maybe or, it is probably just best to stay away.
Sources: Ctesias, Indica,Pausanias, Guide to Greece, Aelian, On Animals, Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana,Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Eusebius, Against Hierocles, Photius, Myriobiblon.

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3. Basilisk or Regulus
Meaning of Name: "Little King"
First Spotting: Cyrene, Libya
Form: A small snake “not longer than twelve fingers” with a crown shaped crest on its head. At times, the basilisk is seen with the head of a cockatrice due to its odd birthing ritual involving a toad and cockatrice.
Food: Anything!
How it attacks:  By bite or gaze; its bite or gaze is extremely lethal.
Latest Spotting: A large basilisk was spotted in the early Harry Potter film franchise living in Hogwarts'  pipes. Rowling also mentions its presence in her own monster guide book: read it here. Its eggs are a unique and rare item that players attempt to find in the latest video game: Final Fantasy XIV.
Weaknesses:  The scent of a weasel for some reason scares and may even be lethal to Basilisks, so when going out this Hallow's Eve make sure to have your special weasel "perfume" at the ready! Also, a mirror to reflect its lethal gaze may work as well.
Sources: Pliny the Elder’s Natural History

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4. Cacus
Meaning of Name: "The Evil One"
Origins: Rome; Aventine Hill
Form: A giant who breathes fire and smoke. He is the son of Vulcan.
Food:  Human flesh, but not their heads. He nails the heads of his victims decoratively outside his cave.
How it attacks: He attacks and kills its enemies and prey by breathing fire and smoke onto them.
Latest Spotting: While Cacus has not been seen since Hercules apparently strangled him to death; The Percy Jackson series makes mention of him; suggesting that he did not die or has a brother.
Weaknesses: Divine strength or a big club. Let's take a tip from Hercules and use the skills of a demi-god to defeat this monster and any of his siblings.
Sources: Virgil, Aeneid, Ovid, Fasti, Propertius, Elegies.

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5. Amphisbaena
Meaning of Name: "Mother of Ants"
First Spotting: Libyan Desert sprouting from the blood of Medusa’s head, and later by Cato’s army.
Form: A two headed serpent, whose tail has the second head; however this "serpent" is about the size of a long worm. The addition of wings and chicken feet was reported by later sightings.
Food: Anything living or dead
How it attacks:  It has a poisonous bite.
Latest Spotting: They appear to have been a popular inspiration within Insular art during the Middle Ages; however they are said now to be “summoned” by a Dungeon Master when playing the game: Dungeons and Dragons.
Weaknesses: Really thick shoes and an aggressive stomp.
Sources: Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, Aelian, On Animals, Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History.

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Safety and Caution Procedures
Now, while most of these monsters will leave you alone if you leave them alone; if you happen to run into one of these creatures you must :

I. Run as fast you can and avoid eye contact
II. Summon your inner hero strength and fighting skills
III.  Pray to the Roman Gods
IV. Rent a Pegasus and fly away.

DISCLAIMER: The Unofficial Ancient Roman Monster Survival Guide is neither responsible for any harm or deaths that occur as a result of "monster hunters or enthusiasts" attempting to capture or tame these creatures.