YekPare: A 8500 Year Old Tour of Istanbul

‘YEKPARE’ (monolithic) from nerdworking on Vimeo.

"Yekpare" is a storyteller which narrates the 8500 year story of Istanbul. The story embraces symbols from Pagans to Roman Empire, from Byzantine Empire to Latin Empire, and finally from Ottoman Empire to Istanbul at the present day. The story is projected on the Haydarpaşa Train Station, as history comes alive in artistic expressions. 

The Tudor Dynasty

The Tudor dynasty reigned for 118 years,after the first Tudor King,Henry Tudor, defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in August 1485.

The death of the Yorkist king and defeat of his army, saw the end of the War of the Roses, that had raged for 32 years, from 1455 to 1487.

The war of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought between the houses of York and Lancaster.The name was based on their badges, the white rose for the house of Lancaster, the red for the house of York.

 From the In Depth Story: The Tudor Dynasty; A Family History via DeeBee

Picture via : Wikipedia

Wilczy Szaniec: Hitler's War Time Headquarters

The ruins of the Wolf's Lair (Wilczy Szaniec), are all that remain of Adolf Hitler's WWII headquarters near Ketrzn in the Mazurian region of Poland, now a museum.

The Wolf's Lair consisted of a complex of buildings and a nearby airfield situated on 67 acres of woodland. There are seven massive concrete bunkers measuring in some areas 26 feet high. Although hidden in the woods, Hitler still believed it wasn't enough. As history shows, he was extremely suspicious of anyone around him, and he had right to be. He urged his followers to safeguard the site even more by way of artificial greenery suspended on wires and protected by rings of barbed wire and a minefield.

Read More: Travel to the Wilczy Szaniec"Wolf's Lair" in Poland via TravelSphere

The TravelSphere combines fascinating travel with historical destinations. The site focuses on the more educational side of travel, rather than the exotic hotels or mixed drinks.

Picture: Source

Monday Ground Up: Sumerian Cities

The Sumerian cities were surrounded by walls, much like the Forbidden City, as a way to keep their culture secret and sacred. Sumerian city dwellings were constructed out of sun-dried bricks, including peasant quarters and the larger dwellings of priestly and civic officials.

One of the Sumerian cities, Uruk, occupied an area of 1000 acres enclosed by a wall 6 miles long with defense towers every 35 feet or so। Uruk was founded by Enmerkar who constructed the Eanna temple for the goddess Inanna in the Eanna District of Uruk. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh builds the city wall around Uruk and is king of the city.

The Royal Ontario Museum Hosts the Terracotta Army

TORONTO.- The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) hosts the Canadian premiere of The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army from June 26, 2010. Prior to its embarking on a Canadian national tour, the exhibition will be displayed in the Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall on Level B2 of the ROM’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal until January 2, 2011.

The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army showcases one of the most significant archaeological finds in history: the 1974 discovery, in Shaanxi province in north-central China, of thousands of life-sized terracotta sculptures of Chinese warriors.

Differences Between Buddhist and Hindu Religion

Religion gives people a sense of hope and a purpose in life. There are many differences in the two major religions in East Asia. The most significant difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is in the Hindu religion, the people believe in many “Gods”. The Hindu “Gods” seemed to be created in stories and in people’s images. There were never any accounts of actually being able to see the “Gods” as humans.

Chris Stonecipher shares his view in the article Spiritual Differences Between Buddhist and Hindu Religion @Factoidz

Image Via Wikipedia

112 Year Old Lost Shipwreck Found in Lake Michigan

My mom and stepfather have a home right on the water in Lake Michigan, so imagine their surprise to be right in the middle of some good old fashion archaeology, with a huge chunk of missing history. The 112 year old shipwreck discovered was the result of a century old storm in Lake Michigan.

The discovery of the L.R. Doty, a 300 foot-long steamship, is a monumental event  for Brendon Baillod, the president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association. The 112 year old ship is the largest wooden boat unaccounted for and was carrying corn from South Chicago to Ontario, Canada in October 1898. The boat disappeared after 30 foot waves combined with heavy winds engulfed the entire ship.

Keble College at Oxford

Michael Johnson is a lecturer and fellow history writer, recently publishing a fascinating piece about Keble College at Oxford University . Keble College is renowned for its visually striking Gothic Revival buildings designed by William Butterfield, a leading architect of the High Victorian period. However, the architectural historian Kenneth Clark described Keble as “the ugliest building in the world”.

This couldn't be farther from the truth. The building is positively exquisite, combining a sense of modernity and Victorian Gothic styles. That's of course my personal view. During the 20th century Modernism was in vogue. I'm assuming this building threw off the balance of what was acceptable as far as architecturally.

Read the entire article Keble College at Oxford

 

Top Archaeology School: Arizona State University

If you searching for schools that focus on anthropology or archaeology, in most cases, the BS degree you will receive will be in anthropology. I'm not satisfied with that, especially considering I prefer archaeology over anthropology. However, it seems that Arizona State University is breaking the mold.

Arizona State University offers an anthropological archaeology program that is attracting wide spread attention. They were recently ranked fifth in the nation for archaeology by the Society for American Archaeology.

I assume you're wondering what the difference is? Well, the graduates from ASU have not only been presented a program that's a bit more diverse than most universities, but their graduates are amongst the best in the field.

Graduates have chosen topics pertaining to origins of modern humans; the ecology and beginnings of farming; the development of institutionalized social inequality; the rise and fall of urban states and empires; and the long-term reciprocal impacts between people and their environment.

Consequently, they are also looking at archaeology from a social theory standpoint, which for me personally, I can understand considering many of my professors have degrees in another social science.The disciplines at ASU are much more broad and the ideas are powerful.

I'm not affiliated with ASU in anyway, but I have noticed that there is a great need for research into the many schools that offer archaeology and anthropology programs.

Are you a student at ASU? If you are, tell us about your experiences.

Archaeological Discovery: Technology reveals Images of the Apostles in Rome

Paul                                  John

Archaeology and technology combine to reveal images of the apostles John and Andrew in an underground burial chamber beneath an office building on a busy street in Rome.

The images, which date from the second half of the 4th century, were uncovered using a new laser technique that allows restorers to burn off centuries of thick white calcium carbonate deposits without damaging the brilliant dark colors of the paintings underneath.

The technique could revolutionize the way restoration work is carried out in the miles of catacombs under the Eternal City.

Check out the entire discovery of the images of John and Andrew on Journal Gazette 

Pictures Courtesy of Wikipedia (not images discovered)

Virtual Archaeology: Why So Many Schools Are Going 3D

The Digital Age of Archaeology, otherwise called Virtual Archaeology, is here. As new technologies are made available to universities, researchers, archaeologists, and historians, the field of archaeology will naturally evolve. As such, many archaeology departments are now using 3D modeling software to decipher ancient worlds. Consequently, they have also gone as far as using computers to recreate the environment and conditions of the past and historic battles.

As radar images and geophysical surveys continue to take over the archaeological world, so does an archaeologist's ability to understand what kind of information can be discovered by using these methods.

Information Courtesy of MNSU

There are four fundamental computer-based applications or program types that are being developed in virtual archaeology as it exists today. 

• Database Management: It is used for the creation, storage and retrieval of data.

• Statistical Analysis of data: This can take the form of traditional statistical archaeological analysis, spreadsheet software programs or managerial database query language programs.
  
•  Image Processing: This allows the researcher to manipulate images in order to visualize data representations in a variety of ways.
  
• Modeling programs: These use the data collected and the images created to model artifact assemblages in a relational manner and to create dynamic virtual realities where one can study the way in which different components of the past may have functioned.

Do any of you use Virtual Archaeology at your college? If you do, tell us about it.

Lecture Discussing Life of Saxon Queen Edith At Bristol University

Shot at the Bristol University in June 2010, Dr. Alistair Pike and Professor Harald Meller lecture on the archaeological findings of  Eadgyth (Edith).

It was this tomb that was opened by German archaeologists in 2008, a tomb long expected to be empty...But instead it contained a lead box carrying the inscription "EDIT REGINE CINERES HIC SARCOPHAGVS HABET..."

Read the entire blog post about the Saxon Queen Eadgyth on Heritage Key

Breaking Archaeology News on Discovery: Ancient Egyptian Town Found Using Radar

Radar imaging in Egypt's Nile Delta has unveiled the outlines of a buried city that was the stronghold of foreign occupiers some 3,500 years ago, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities announced Monday.

Discovered by a team of Austrian archaeologists in Tell el-Daba in the northeastern Nile Delta, the ruins belong to the southern suburban quarters of Avaris, the capital of the Hyksos kings who formed Egypt's 15th dynasty.


Known as the “rulers of foreign countries” (probably of Asiatic roots),  the Hyksos infiltrated Egypt and came to dominate the Nile valley for over a century during the Second Intermediate Period (1664-1569 B.C.).

Read More about the Ancient Egyptian Town Found Using Radar@ Discovery Archaeology

Monday Ground Up: Archived Photography of the White Star Line and Her Ships

The White Star Line was a British shipping company most famous for its ill fated flag ship the RMS Titanic and World War I sister ship, Britannic.

The White Star Line was originally founded in Liverpool in 1845 by John Pilkington and Henry Wilson. The company's initial focus was on the Australian gold mine trade. In the early 1850's if you had sound ships and ran the Australian route, it would almost be difficult to not succeed. In one month of 1853, no less than 32,000 "get rich quick" hopefuls left port in Liverpool bound or Australia to strike their fortunes in gold. Australia's colony population jumped from 430,000 to 1.7 million in just 3 years after gold was discovered.

Medieval Mason's Marks The End of Boxed Furniture

Gone are the days where quality furniture was carved out of one piece of solid wood, or a swivel office chair was already put together, included in the price of course.That must be by I adore the architectural and structural forms of archaeology, whereas things were just built better, and meant to last.

Mason’s Marks refer to marks made on the blocks of walling stone and on moulded stone as part of the construction process, and have been in use for centuries. Academics studying the use of the marks at the University of Warwick claim self-assembly furniture manufacturers could learn a lot from the ancient system and save thousands of pounds in production costs.

The marks are a sophisticated series of symbols which operated outside literacy and enabled instructions to be transferred between the designers and the constructors of buildings across the building world . The system is universal and different versions of Masons’ Marks have been found in use at various sites across the world, over a 4,000 year period.

Read and Watch the Video about the Mason Marks  and the end of Flat Pack Furniture@PhysOrg

Heinrich Himmler, Nazi Occultism , and Astrology

Heinrich Himmler, the notoriously ruthless chief of Hitler’s Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most compelling Nazi’s, embodied the true occultist and was enamored by unorthodox theories inspired by astronomer, Hans Horbiger’s cosmic influence of the world ice theory.

As well as his personal astrologist, Wilhelm Wulff, Horbiger’s hypothesis derived from his notion that a block of ice had hit the sun and created a volatile explosion. The sun’s rotation spewed out molten matter, thereby creating the milky way, our solar system. There was no science to support this outlandish theory then, even contrary exact science of the day defied this extraordinary theory.

Read More About  Heinrich Himmler, Nazi Occultism , and Astrology

Also check out:

• Hitler and General Motors: The Connection that Led to an Automotive Superpower
• The Amazing Stories of Cracking Hitler’s Unbreakable Code
• The Differences and Similarities of Fascism and Nazism
• Monday Ground Up: The Medieval Gothic Malbork Castle

Oldest remains of English Royalty Finally Confirmed

Archeologists dug up the 1,000 year-old skeleton in 2008 in one of the most exciting historical founds of recent years.

They believed they belonged to Queen Eadgyth, the great granddaughter of Alfred the Great, but could not prove it. Now scientists using hi-tech radioactive analysis of the remains have been able to prove that the bones belong to someone who grew up in Wessex before moving to Germany.

Read more about Oldest remains of English Royalty

Excavation of an Archaeological Site, Tell en-Nasbeh

After World War I, when Palestine became a British mandate, archaeologists were able to work under a board of antiquities, established to protect historic sites. Dr. BadA arrived in Jerusalem in 1926 and drove north to Tell en-Nasbeh.

Digging on Carriacou

Archaeology in Carriacou

Away from the big resorts and private villas of other nearby islands, the small island of Carriacou is a sleepy stopover for only the most adventurous of tourists and sailors.

It was said to be “the most beautiful of all the little isles”, by French explorer Jean Baptiste du Tertre in 1656, the first European to visit Carriacou. Though he went on to remark that it had many sheltered bays, and could probably sustain a colony, he made no mention of meeting any islanders during his visit. This seemed to be the ultimate desert island, but was this really the case? Did anyone live on this remote island before Europeans arrived? And if so who? And how?

Read More About Caribbean Treasures: Digging forgotten lives on Carriacou

Picture Source

Dambusters dig to find secret bunker

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have begun an investigation at the home of the Dambusters in a bid to find a secret hidden bunker.

St Vincent’s, off Harrowby Road in Grantham, will forever be assured a place in British history as the headquarters for No. 5 Bomber Group during the Second World War and the birthplace of the Dambusters.

‘Bomber’ Harris and Barnes Wallis were both at St Vincent’s the night of the Dambusters raids. Now, more than 70 years later, St Vincent’s will welcome investigators from Grantham Archaeology Group to find out what secrets the building still holds.


Read more about the Dig for the Secret Bunker

The Island of Bones

Worshipers from far flung regions of the globe made the pilgrimage to the Island of Bones throughout the year.

Each night hundreds of believers would gather at the water’s edge to pay homage to the closest star to Earth. Devout cultists donned ornate garb and expressed their loyalty to the setting sun through dance and song.
Pilgrims gorged themselves on ritualistic drinks made from fruit and fermented sugar cane. Fried food made from various sea creatures and sweets baked in iron boxes were sold to visiting worshipers to symbolize unity with the setting sun god.

Read More about the Strange Ancient Cult and the Island of Bones

The Atapuerca Caves in Spain

In the late 19th century, a railway cutting driven through the Atapuerca Mountains in Spain led to the discovery of the ancient limestone caves near Burgos. After several excavations during the 20th century, a student made a startling discovery at the Atapuerca Caves in Spain . A human jawbone buried neatly in the caves gave way to the significance of Atapuerca.

Located in the Atapuerca Mountains, a spectacular cave system near the Spanish town of Ibeas de Juarros and Atapuerca, has provided paleontologists with an extensive fossil record of the first human beings in Western Europe. The fossils found have provided incalculable amounts of information regarding the appearance of our ancestors, more than one million years ago.

Read the Entire Story of the Atapuerca Caves in Spain

Picture Credit: Wikipedia
© Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Monday Ground Up: Knight'sTemplar Connected to Adolf Hitler

In 1139 Pope Innocent issued a bull placing the Templars under an exclusive vow of papal obedience - a measure by which Aimeric effectively put all Templar resources at the disposal of the papacy. As their list of properties lengthened with donations from Italy, Austria, Germany, Hungary and the Holy Land, the Templars built hundreds of stone castles. Convinced they were building a new world, the Templars called each other frere macon (brother mason). Later this was anglicized into Freemason. In October 1307, King Philip of France arrested all but thirteen of the Templars in France, tried them, and upon evidence of their practice of the cabalah, found them guilty of blasphemy and magic. At least fifty knights were burned at the stake. A subtle provision in the Vox clamantis transfered most of the Templar estates to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who took possesion after King Philip's death. In Germany and Austria, the Templars became "Rosicrucians" and "Teutonic Knights." The Teutonic Knights grew strong in Mainz, birthplace of Guetenberg's press. Six centuries later, as the "Teutonic Order," the Knights would provide the nucleus of Adolf Hitler's political support in Munich and Vienna.

The Edinburgh lodge would become the headquarters of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, which Masonic historians call "American Freemasonry" because all but five of the signers of the Declaration of Independence are said to have practiced its craft. In Spain and Portugal the Templars became the "Illuminati", and the "Knights of Christ." It was under the red pattée cross of the Knights of Christ that Columbus had taken possession of what he called "las Indias" for King Ferdinand V of Spain, the Holy Roman Emperor. (Rulers of Evil, p.39-40, Tupper Saussy)

The Knights Templar and Adolf Hitler

Oddly, this subject of the Knight's Templar and Adolf Hitler connection came out in the Assassin's Creed Video Game. Is this another attempt to forge two periods of history that have still left many questions unanswered? Here's a description of one aspect of the Assasin Creed Game

Despite their defeat at the hands of the assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the Templar order continued to exist within the shadow. Infiltrating or starting up countless corporate entities, the Templars positioned its members in several world-defining positions, improving the planets technological level significantly. The Templars also worked to stifle world progress however; Adolf Hitler used a Piece of Eden to rise to power in Germany, and subsequently started a world-wide conflict. He was "fought" by his Templar counterparts Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, who ultimately won the conflict though it appears that FDR was an assassin^.

Of course, one can only hold true some aspects of the game that can actually be proven by historians, and documented fact. However, as records show Adolf Hitler dabbled a bit in the Occult. In 1942, after Germany's invasion of Belgium, Hitler sent the Gestapo (Secret Police) to seek out the Offices of the General Secretariat of the Order of the Temple in Brussels. Hitler believed by looking into the Order's records in Belgium, he would gain knowledge and the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant. On  the night before the Gestapo arrived, Emile Clement Vanderburg, the Guardian of the Order, somehow was notified about Hitler's plans and he immediately collected the records and took them out of Belgium and into neutral-Portugal. He presented his records to the Grand Prior of Portugal, Don Antonio Campello de Sousa Fontes, who safeguarded them until the end of World War II.

Read more about the Records and what happened to them.

Also check out: Hitler and General Motors: The Connection that Led to an Automotive Superpower

Resources Zubras, Vincent. "Larmenius Charter and the Legitamacy of Modern Day Knights Templar." Knight Templar Organization. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jun 2010 Hitler Photography Source

ECU Maritime Archaeology survey of the "Oriental"

ECU Maritime Archaeology graduate students have been mapping and documenting the Oriental, a Civil War Federal transport vessel that ran aground and sunk in the waters off Pea Island in 1862. Locally known as the "boiler wreck", the engine of the Oriental can been seen above water some 400 yards off the beach of Pea Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Oriental 1862 (Courtesy of Coastal Guide)

 A Federal transport during the Civil War, the steamship Oriental has been grounded in her present position since 1862. Local rumor has it that some of the area's largest fish make their home in the Oriental's rusty remains. You can sometimes see the exposed boiler and smokestack in the ocean surf off Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Directions: Seven miles south of Oregon Inlet campground, or 30 miles north of Buxton. Park at turnout for Pea Island Comfort Station. Board walk leads to wooden remains which are occassionaly exposed on the beach nearby. A wooden bow is located on the beach 1 mile north.

Also Check Out: 

Maya People Knew about Prehistory

For Palenque inhabitants, marine fossils were the convincing proof of the land being covered by the sea long time ago, and parting from this fact they created their idea of the origin of the world.

MEXICO CITY.- Recent interdisciplinary investigations regarding 31 marine fossils found at Palenque Archaeological Zone, in Chiapas, reveal that Maya people conceived their beliefs parting from this kind of vestiges, so their idea of the underworld was associated to water.

For Palenque inhabitants, marine fossils were the convincing proof of the land being covered by the sea long time ago, and parting from this fact they created their idea of the origin of the world, declared archaeologist Martha Cuevas, responsible, with geologist Jesus Alvarado, of research conducted by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Read more about the Maya and their knowledge of Prehistory

Interesting Fact:

La UNAM fue fundada in 1551 en la ciudad de Mexico y es la segunda universidad mas grande en America de Norte.

The Universidad Nacional Autonomo de Mexico was founded in 1551 in Mexico City and is the second largest university in North America.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry

Ancient Egyptian jewelry is among some of the most rare and exquisite pieces of ancient history every found. Both men and women wore the Ancient Egyptian jewelry, and these personal adornments were not just limited to beaded necklaces and finger rings.

Jewelry such as anklets, collars, bracelets, fillets and earrings embodied everyday Egyptian dress, so much so, that even in death the poorest of individuals would still be found wearing a string of beads or a simple bracelet.

Read more about the history of Ancient Egyptian Jewelry

The Buganda Kings: The Resting Place At the Kasubi Hill Tombs

(Source Laser scan used for reconstruction of the Kasubi Hill Tombs)

The state of Uganda was created from a small territory during the late  19th century by the Bantu speaking Baganda people under their kabakas,  or Buganda kings. The territory had little or no contact with the  outside world until the middle of the 19th century, when Arab slavers  penetrated the interior.

The Kasubi Hill Tombs of the Buganda kings were built with organic  materials in a traditional style of Ganda architecture and palace  design, reflecting years of technical advancement. The domed  construction and thatched circular building is said to be the largest of  its kind. The Baganda people used reeds and "bark cloth", supported by  wooden poles and reed fences with a reed gateway, to support the massive  structure.

Read the entire story about the History of The Kasubi Hill Tombs of the Buganda Kings  

Latest News: Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the Kasubi Hill Tombs on March 16, 2010.

Also check out:

• The Cro Magnon Religion
• The Spear Masters of the Dinka Tribe

Letter of Intent to the Top Archaeology Schools of Your Choice

As an aspiring archaeology student, you will reach the point of the graduate application process. At this time, you will need to figure out your focus and what you are planning to accomplish. All of the archaeology graduate schools you are applying to will need a letter of intent and Lesley Nicholls from About.com just provided us a wonderful and helpful Guide to the Application Process for Graduate School.

Many schools request a short statement or 'letter of intent' from you laying out research interests and the reasons why you are applying to graduate school and to that particular school. This is the document that will sell you and your research interests to the department, so for heaven's sake take as much care in preparing it as you would a term paper.

Read this article once, twice, and ten more times until you understand the process.

Also check out 

A Guide to Applying to Graduate Schools in Archaeology

The Elgin Marbles Argument

The New Acropolis Museum is receiving tons of slack from many archaeologists and residents. The main argument, of course, is about the Elgin Marbles which have been in Great Britain for over 200 years. Dimitrios Pandermalis explains why the marbles should be returned to their homeland.

Dimitrios Pandermalis has been professor of Classical Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki since 1979. Since 1973 he has been Director of the University's archaeological excavations at Dion and conducted extensive programs converting the excavated area into an expansive archaeological and environmental park. From September 1996 to March 2000 he served as National Member of the Greek Parliament and since May 2000 he is the President of the Organization for the Construction of the New Acropolis Museum. 

Visit The Agenda with Steve Paikin for More Information 

Cooler Pacific Ocean Affected Medieval Europe, North America

Using cores of fossil coral from the Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, Burgman and a team used reconstructed sea surface temperatures from the period 1320 to 1462 to simulate medieval climate conditions with a state-of-the-art climate model. When the differences between medieval and modern climate simulations were compared with paleo-records like tree-rings and sediment cores from around the globe, the authors found remarkable agreement.

Rob Philpott : Head of Archaeology at National Museums Liverpool.

Ask the curator - Rob Philpott from National Museums Liverpool on Vimeo.
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Rob Philpott, the Curator of the National Museum Liverpool, talks about what actually happens at the museum. The video explains the research, fieldwork,  and technical aspects about the work that's being done. Philpott also enlightens viewers about the Huxley Hoard, 22 pieces of Viking silver found in 2004.

Serapeum: The Tomb of the Apis Bulls

During the middle of the 19th century, a young Frenchman by the name of Auguste Mariette was exploring Egypt in search for Coptic manuscripts for the Louvre Museum. He became enamored with the surrounding history of Saqqara(or Sakkara) and Memphis, so much so that he forgot his main purpose. It was at this time that he made one of most startling discoveries at Serapeum, the tombs of the Apis Bulls.

Statue of Apis at the Louvre Museum

Source

Auguste Mariette proceeded to hire several workmen and over a four year period, did extensive digging in the area. He soon came to notice a sphinx from the alleged avenue of sphinxes that led to ruins of the Serapeum . It would take him several years to uncover the huge Serapeum, the burial place of the sacred Apis Bulls. At the same time, however, to make up for squandering so much time in the desert, he collected numerous amounts of antiquities for the Louvre Museum.

Upon returning to Egypt, the Khedive of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, appointed him conservator of monuments in 1858 and Mariette spent the rest of his life preserving the Egyptian past. Of course, this position was given to him after he expressed his dissatisfaction as an academic, believing his achievement at the site of Serapeum made him more deserving of a higher position.

The History of the Apis Bulls at Serapeum

Source ( photo from a private German page by Mr. Erdmann)

The god Apis was an Egyptian fertility deity who became associated with Ptah, who in Memphis was considered to be the creator of the primeval mound. He was known to bring all things to life simply by using words or their specific names. As a manifestation of Ptah, Apis also was considered to be a symbol of the pharaoh, personifying the qualities of kingship. There is a theory that suggests Ptah, called Hwt-ka-Ptah , translated in Greek as Aiguptos. This is the word from which the name of Egypt was derived.

The priests chose either a black or black and white Apis bull to act as an incarnation for Ptah. The bulls would typically live for twenty years or so. In earlier years, the body of the bull would be cooked and eaten by the pharaoh and his priests, leaving behind only scraps to be buried. In later years, the bodies of the Apis Bulls were embalmed and ceremonially buried in a stone sarcophagus, sometimes weighing up to 80 tons.


Source

The Apis bulls were buried in an underground tomb, now known as Serapeum, which formed a complex of tunnels and porticos. It was here that Auguste Mariette discovered human-headed jars containing the viscera of bulls. Although Serapeum survived into the Christian time, it was finally closed in 398CE.

Auguste Mariette Recollects His Journey

Auguste Mariette remembers his excavations of Serapeum vividly saying, “Serapeum is a temple built without any plan. In certain places the sand is, so to speak, fluid and presents as much difficulty in excavating as if it were water. It was these circumstances that the work proved so long, and I was compelled to spend four years in the desert-four years, however, I can never regret”.

Monday Ground Up: The Masada Palace in Israel

Masada in Israel was built by Herod the Great in 37BC overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada, which is actually a fortified palace, was occupied by a Roman garrison following the death of Herod the Great. It became a refuge for zealots, or Sicarii, who revolted against the Romans and returned to Jerusalem around 66 CE.

When Mummies and Archaeologists Fall In Love

Once in a while we have to feature the funny side of archaeology, and this song about a mummy and archaeologist falling in love is too adorable to pass up. Ok, maybe cute is the wrong word-bizarre may be more fitting. The song is composed by John Ritter and appropriately named "The Curse".

Josh Ritter is a masterful lyricist, and deserves puppeteering creditfor his ability to manipulate a story line. After completing his latest album, So Runs The World Away, we strategized about ways in which we could debut some of the songs in a homegrown, unconventional format.

Watch Josh Ritter's Video Premiere of The Curse