Year: 2015
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Palmyra in Photos: Ancient Gem of Syria
Palmyra (also known as Tadmor) is mentioned frequently in the news, as the so-called Islamic State is advancing on this ancient gem of a ruined city in Syria. The formerly prosperous metropolis of Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with good reason. From 44 BCE to 272 CE, the city became a wealthy trade centre at the…
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Winged Ibex Vessel Handle
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This winged ibex was a handle for a metal amphora-shaped vessel, made in the 4th century BCE in Achaemenid Persia. This high level of detail was achieved through the use of lost-wax technique. It has been suggested that this piece of art resembles both the god Bes and the Greek god Silenus, which may indicate…
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The Hadrianic Baths at Aphrodisias, Caria (Turkey)
The beautiful ancient Greek city of Aphrodisias, still partly excavated, is one of the most important archaeological sites of the late Hellenistic and Roman period in Turkey. The city was located in Caria in Asia Minor, on a plateau 600 meters above sea level. Today it lies near Geyre village, some 80 kilometers west of Denizli. The…
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Mosaic with Musicians
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Mosaic depicting musicians, signed by Dioskourides of Samos. The mosaic shows an episode from a comedy since the figures are wearing theatrical masks. The figures are playing musical instruments often connected with the cult of Cybele: the tambourine, small cymbals and the double flute. The mosaic was found in the so-called Villa of Cicero near…
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Fresco with Wounded Aeneas
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Fresco depicting Iapyx removing an arrowhead from Aeneas’ thigh. Venus stands over while beside Aeneas stands his young son Ascanius. 1st century CE (between 45 and 79 CE), from Pompeii. (Naples National Archaeological Museum). Photo by Carole Raddato (Creative Commons: Attribution-ShareAlike).
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The Power and Pathos of Hellenistic Bronze Sculpture
Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World underscores the power, prestige, and pre-eminence of ancient sculpture during the Hellenistic Era. This blockbuster show, which opened at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy this spring, is the first major international exhibition to assemble nearly 50 ancient bronzes from the Mediterranean region and beyond in…
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The Hadrianeum and the personifications of provinces
Just a short walk from the Pantheon in Rome, in Piazza di Pietra, are the majestic remains of the Temple of the deified Hadrian (Hadrianeum) built by Antoninus Pius, Hadrian’s adopted son and successor. Of the original temple, only eleven columns with capitals and the cella wall are still visible today. In 1696, during the…
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Temple of Zeus, Euromos
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The temple of Zeus Lepsynus at Euromos, located in the ancient region of Caria, is one of the best preserved temples in Turkey. The temple was built in the Corinthian order in the 2nd century CE (probably during the reign of the emperor Hadrian) on the site of an earlier Carian temple. Photo by Carole…
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Apamea, Syria: Roman Ruins in a Warzone
The human cost of war can be so unimaginably large that it seems unfeeling to speak about the damage to cultural and natural heritage, yet it is important to acknowledge that cost as well. The disaster in Syria will be felt not just by a few generations, but for the rest of time. After World War II, the…
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The Secret History of Iddi-Sin’s Stela
Osama Shukir Mohammed Amin sets out on a detective journey to discover the mysterious history of Iddi-Sin’s stela in Iraqi Kurdistan. Going back into this region’s troubled past, he disentangles a family dispute and discovers what really happened to this exquisite artefact. I posted a picture on my personal Facebook page of what is commonly called…
