“Ancient Rites & Sexy Flowers,” In Archaeology: Parthenon Reconstruction & the Sphinx Room in Nero’s Domus Aurea

From My Fantasy Writing Desk:

Sometimes an interview is both just plain fun and a good deep dive. This interview was conducted face to face over good food—maybe that’s why it captures what I write so well. Here’s Kristen McQuinn’s interview “Ancient Rites and Sexy Flowers” She covers my thoughts on the role of women in the Hittite world and today, why the Hittites work so well for historical fantasy with their rites and curses, the Hittite belief that words are the most powerful force in the world and my obsession with food in my fiction. And she takes on the challenging question of why incorporate fantasy in historical fiction at all—a subject near and dear to my style. Click here for Kristen McQuinn’s interview “Ancient Rites and Sexy Flowers” on Helen Hollick’s blog.

Archaeology I Enjoyed:

Rebuilding the Parthenon’s Inner Sanctum

The Greek Central Archaeological Council decided to reconstruct the cella (inner sanctuary) of the Parthenon, using mostly materials lying on the ground.

The cella housed the acclaimed chryselephantine statue of Athena Parthenos, sculpted by Pheidias and dedicated in the year 439 or 438 BC. We have many descriptions of this statue because it stood in the Parthenon until the 5^th century CE when it was taken to Constantinople and disappeared.

The reconstruction will take years—many of the pieces are fragmentary. The siege of the Acropolis in 1822 when Turks broke apart the stones to access the lead, and Elgin’s cutting out of the sculptures now in the British Museum, along with other episodes of damage have left what can be politely called a mess. A really big jigsaw puzzle with a lot of missing pieces.

Reconstruction in archaeology is generally avoided because it’s so easy to do more harm than good. There have been years of research behind this decision so perhaps this will prove the exception to that general rule. I’d love to know what others think about this project. Click here for Archaeology News Network “Reconstruction of Parthenon cella given green light”

A Golden Palace Underground

Nero’s Domus Aurea, his golden palace, has revealed another of its treasures as the decades long restoration project underneath Rome continues.

After Nero’s death, the Flavian emperors buried the lavish buildings Nero had constructed for his personal use—bad publicity for them. Trajan ordered the Domus Aurea buried under dirt so public baths for everyone could stand there instead. The dirt and burial must, for structural reasons remain, but underneath, frescoes and vaulted rooms come to light.

This time, a room with frescoes of a sphinx and many animals. This article says that the word “grotesque” comes from the frescoes found in these underground rooms (grottos) of winged lions, griffins and tritons. Michelangelo and Rafael had themselves lowered through the oculus of these rooms to study the frescoes and thus contributed to the rediscovery of perspective in painting. Now after a huge infusion of European funds, the rooms are on public view again and you won’t have to be lowered by rope through the oculus. Click here for Archaeology News Network “Sphinx Room at Domus Aurea Re-Emerges”