Monthly Digest - November 2022
Issue 17
In The Field…
Ancient Bronze Statues in Great Condition Discovered at Ancient Etruscan Bath
Dozens of beautifully preserved, 2,000-year-old bronze statues were found in what Italian authorities are calling an "exceptional" discovery from a sacred thermal spring that will “rewrite history.”
More than 60 experts worldwide will examine the 24 figurines, which were protected by mud in the sacred baths of the San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop town in the Siena province about 100 miles north of Rome, the Italian Culture Ministry announced Tuesday.
The bronzes, which were found in a perfect state of conservation alongside 5,000 gold, silver and bronze coins, include entire figures of deities, individual body parts and organs. The ancient Greek god and goddess of health, Apollo and Igea, are depicted in some statues as well.
You can read more at USA Today and The Guardian.
An Illegal Dig Leads To Archaeological Discovery at Giza in Egypt
Three people were arrested for illegally digging for antiquities in a village in the Mit Rahina area, the site of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, in Giza governorate, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced Aug. 29.
The arrest led Egyptian security forces to a hole the looters were digging in the area, the ministry added in a statement on Facebook. They found ancient tunnels leading to two limestone rooms engraved with hieroglyphics.
Egyptian archaeologist Hussein Abdel Basir, the director of the Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, told Al-Monitor, “It seems the new discovery dates to the era of the New Kingdom in Pharaonic history and the era of Ramses II (1292-1069 B.C.), and it may lead to a temple or a cemetery.”
It Is Believed That The Mummy Of Queen Nefertiti Has Been Found (Again)
Prominent Egyptologist Zahi Hawass recently said that he is certain that a mummy he is currently studying will turn out to be that of Queen Nefertiti.
Hawass, who has been studying Egyptian history and excavating ancient tombs for decades, and was previously the Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs in Egypt, is currently preparing an exhibition called 'Daughters of the Nile', focusing on women in pharaonic Egypt.
"I'm sure I'll reveal Nefertiti's mummy in a month or two," Hawass told Spanish newspaper El Independiente in an interview.
More details can be found over at Newsweek.
1,800 Year Old Ancient Roman Temple Discovered at Site Originally Thought to be an Ancient Synagogue
For decades, archeologists in Israel believed they had discovered an ancient synagogue on a road to Beit Guvrin National Park. But new research suggests the structure was actually a Roman temple.
This is the second such time a building excavated at the site was wrongly identified as a synagogue, as experts have worked to better understand the history of the region and the pagan populations that once called it home.
Read more at Artnet News.
Archaeologists Excavate a Collection of Household Items From a Fully Furnished House at Pompeii
Reported by HyperAllergic:
The city of Pompeii was buried in virtually an instant and has taken centuries to excavate, lending itself to an enduring fascination with a moment in history that continues to yield new insights. Most recently, a small complex of furnished rooms has been opened in a structure within Regio V, one of the largest districts within the ancient city, in a middle-class household. The rooms surround a lavish lararium, which is a shrine to the “lares” or guardian spirits of the household. This particular version features an enchanted garden motif, discovered during excavations and façade repairs in 2018.
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Quote Of The Month
Little things please little minds. - Ovid
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Artifact Of The Month
In honor of the 100 year anniversary of the discovery of both the tomb of and ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun (i.e. King Tut), I wish to showcase a statue built in his honor and currently on display at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. The boy king ascended the throne at the age of 8 or 9 and died somewhere between the age 18 or 19. He ruled during the 18th Dynasty ca. 1332 - 1323 BCE.