Griffins, Scythian and Fantastical
Griffins are my favorite mythical beast. So, a 4th century BCE Scythian archaeological find of silver griffins perched around divinities caught my attention.
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Ancient Greek “Exposure of Infants” Disproved
When I read Oedipus Rex in high school, my teacher stated that exposure of infants was standard Greek practice. Turns out, she and generations of historians were misinformed. There’s a clear and convincing case for the ancient Greek nurture of disabled infants. Which doesn’t surprise me at all.
Coptic Magic: An Amulet to Take Away Fever
Who’s up for a Coptic magical papyrus to banish a fever? Here’s my pandemic-appropriate exploration into a later magical tradition with surprising similarities to the Bronze Age Hittites I usually write about.
Holiday Greetings & Evidence of Earliest Celebrations with Beer
I wish you good health, peace, and happiness this winter season in the company of those you love. With the birth of a grandbaby, my husband and I have so much to celebrate and lots to look forward to in the new year. I hope you’re also finding joys, small or large. Here’s a bit of entertaining history appropriate for holiday parties, evidence of some very early celebrations with beer.
Tomb of Ramses II’s Treasurer Found
I love when archaeologists bring to light a new glimpse of the “real” world that inspires my fiction. In my novels, Hattu faces off against a Pharaoh inspired by Ramses II. Now the tomb of Ramses’ treasurer is the latest high profile discovery at the necropolis of Saqqara.
Early Money: the Ancient Near East and Lydia
How did a Bronze Age person pay for something and later, who invented coinage? It’s all quite interesting. Money matters. In an age when we use tangible coins less often, it’s intriguing to find out how it all began.
Roman Mosaic Found in England Portraying Iliad
Of the archaeological treasures from Roman Britain, mosaics are among the rarest and most admired. This time, a chance find by a 13 year old of a mosaic is especially compelling for the Iliad scenes it depicts. The Trojan War through the lens of Roman Britain—fascinating.
Pompeiian Slave Quarters: the other side of Roman Life
For several generations, we have been awed by the beautifully preserved elegance of Pompeii. Exquisite frescoes and mosaics, lovely gardens, neighborhood bars, and ghostly plaster casts of those who died. But rarely do we get glimpses into the darker side of Roman life, the life of slaves. The recent excavations have uncovered Pompeiian slave quarters.
Stone Age Fabric: Not what you’d guess
From a Neolithic city, the famous archaeological site of Catalhöyük in Turkey comes a re-examination of the earliest woven fabric fibers. What were they made from? Definitely not what you’d think.
What Hittite Seal Impressions Reveal about Women
An aspect of Hittite culture that has always drawn my interest is the role of influential women within it. That’s true despite its patriarchal structures. Now, Hittite seal impressions found at Carchemish, a venerable site in SE Turkey, identify another prominent Hittite woman, named Matiya. What do we learn about her? I also give a quick “how to” for understanding Hittite seal impressions. Modern business logos had nothing on the Hittites.