Thinking about visiting Prague?

Courier Post Online - South Jersey's Web Site

Consider the tremendous art and culture that can be found in this once little visited city.

I would recommend going as soon as possible. As the years pass, Prague is becoming a major tourist destination and the charm that we all enjoyed there not so long ago is quickly fading before the masses of Westerners.

I was shocked when only two years ago I was asked by English speakers if I wanted float the river in a punt. If I hadn't known where I was, I might have thought I was in Cambridge!

Even so, it is a wonderful place. I highly recommend it. And there is a cute little hotel, the Hotel Clementin, that boasts being the 'narrowest' hotel in the world. It probably is. It is conveniently located between the Charles bridge and the main square.

Tom

Two Caravaggio paintings discovered

BBC NEWS Europe: Delight at Caravaggio discovery

It is not completely settled, but the news that two paintings by Caravaggio hung unnoticed in a small church in Loches (in the Loire region of France) for two centuries, is enough to excite Caravaggio enthusiasts.

Some experts argue the paintings, 'Saint Thomas Putting his Finger on Christ's Wound' and 'Pilgrimage of Our Lord to Emmaus' may be copies of Caravaggio's work.

But the majority thinks they are genuine; if so, it is a delight to have these paintings added to the known works of Caravaggio.

Very telling in determining the authenticity and date of the painting is the presence of the coat of arms of Philippe de Bethune a French ambassador and well known art collector and acquaintance of Caravaggio's.

I have linked here M by Peter Robb, an interesting (though sometimes criticized for its straightforwardness and daring) account of Caravaggio's life. It is also helpful in understanding dating and authentication problems. It also explains why a person such as de Bethune would be so willing to intervene on Caravaggio's behalf.


Personally, I can't wait to see the paintings!



Tom

PS. I listed two other blogs that have information on Caravaggio. They don't seem to have published on this new find yet. They are:

Caravaggio Gallery
Art Muses

Getty Villa in Malibu, California

Villa's Reopening a Low-Key Marvel - Los Angeles Times

The famous reconstruction of a Roman villa from Herculaneum is now reopen.

Tom

The fall of Athens

News in Science - Typhoid brought down Ancient Greeks - 24/01/2006

We know that the Athenians suffered greatly and from all sorts of disease especially during the war with Sparta.

Now DNA studies have helped to add more information to the fall of Athens. From research it seems that typhoid fever was the cause of the plague that brought about such incredible death and suffering.

Tom

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Tom

School in Cheddar stops for Tomb

BBC NEWS England Somerset School dig uncovers Roman grave

More Romans are turning up! The body of a 50 year old man has turned up under a school in Cheddar, England.

The dating is not confirmed and the archaeologists say he may be as old as 1600 years or from the 5th or 6th c., AD. He is likely a 'pagan' because of the orientation of the body in the tomb.

Tom

A different taste of archaeology

Arcadia Weekly

The Sierra Madre Middle School in Arcadia, California has produced a musical called "Dig It." The play tells the story of archaeology and the search for the past.

What a great opportunity for students to learn about this important field.

Tom

Visiting Italy? Here Is A List of Exciting New Exhibits

Are you planning a trip to Italy?

If so, here is a list of exciting new exhibits in Italy: Arts guide: exhibitions in Italy (Ansa.it).

This article lists a number of exhibits that will be open around Italy - some run as late as June.

The list includes World War II era anti-war art by Picasso, Warhol, Dix and others in Bergamo: Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo (ends February 15).

In Codroipo-Udine, photography as a field of Italian art (ends March 5): Villa Manin Centre for Contemporary Art.

In Florence at the Archivio di Stato di Firenze: documents on the life of Leonardo da Vinci, including the only record of his birth (ends March 5).

In Milan, Keith Haring (ends January 29) at the Triennale and Caravaggio (ends February 6) at the Palazzo Reale.

In Turin there is an exhibit of the Papyrus of Artemidorus, the world's oldest map (opens February 8 and ends May 7) at the Palazzo Bricherasio.

There are many more from the article. If you would like to have weblinks to others, let me know.

Tom

More to be found in the Roman Forum

USATODAY.com - Archaeologists find tomb under Roman Forum

You've probably wandered around the Forum Romanum and saw a few archaeologists here and there. You probably also thought to yourself 'hmm...are they going to find anything else?'

Well, they did. And it is significant.

A tomb from about 1000BC has been uncovered and the archaeologists are now speculating that it is part of a larger necropolis.

This pushes the date of settlement in the area back before the Romans.

Previously the earliest finds were on the Palatine hill (just above the forum) dating from the 8th century BC.

Now that is a good reason to go back to Rome! How about going in June? How about in July?

Tom

Atlantis off the coast of Spain?

BBC NEWS Science/Nature Satellite images 'show Atlantis': "Antiquity"

This article appeared in 2004 but the research is still being carried on.

I personally think there is some credence to it and it is well worth consideration.

One of the biggest problems with placing Atlantis in the Mediterranean is that no one who does so can convincingly answer where 'beyond the pillars of Heracles' is. However, the most famous and longest known pillars are what we call the strait of Gibraltar.

Finding evidence of a significant civilization beyond them helps to make sense of the Atlantis story.

Moreover, the evidence of what destruction can come from an earthquake such as might destroy part of the Canary Islands makes perfect sense of the destruction that befell Atlantis.

More on this in future posts.

Tom

PS There is no end of debate. Another scientist suggests Ireland...

National Geographic News: Atlantis "Evidence" Found in Spain and Ireland

Chinese archaeologist - 10,000 year old relics

Xinhua - English: 10,000-year-old reilcs site found in wesern Beijing

Discovery helps to shed light on the 'Upper Cave Man' who is believed to have lived some 20,000 years ago in China.

Some other questions remained unanswered such as the use of a particular pigment made from hematite.

But the tomb site is very well-preserved and adds important information to Chinese archaeology.

Tom.

Italy and China meet again

Xinhua - English: "Year of Italy in China" launched in Beijing

For many people the most connection they know of between China and Italy is the visit there by Marco Polo beginning in 1266, and the allegedly resultant feud about the inventors of pasta.

But now there is a different opportunity to see the mixing of these diverse cultures.

A year long 'cultural gala' has opened in China and will be shown in several major cities including Shanghai and Hong Kong.

And until the 23rd of January in Beijing an exhibit of Italian Renaissance paintings is on display at the Millennium World Art Museum of the Centennial Altar.

Tom

Support for Archaeology comes in many forms

Ireland Online: Johansson's ambition fuelled by fossils

Actress Scarlett Johansson would love to be digging at this very moment.

Tom

The Da Vinci Code Movie is on its way

The Da Vinci Code Movie (2006) (Link to the Internet Movie Database)
The Da Vinci Code Movie (Sony Pictures Link)

So you've read the book. You've asked the questions. Is this stuff really true?

No doubt you have had discussions about Mary Magdalene (or is that Magdala?), the Holy Grail, Hieros Gamos (Holy Wedding) and on and on.

Some of you may have even seen some of the sights mentioned in the book. Perhaps you saw the rose line at Saint-Sulpice. Perhaps you gazed at Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa or stood under the glass pyramid at the Louvre. Perhaps you were able to do this on an exciting tour.

Well, the movie is about to come out. How do you think it will fare? Will it be 'faithful' to the book? Should it be? Will it be more fantastical than the book?

I enjoyed reading the book, but I was left a little disappointed. After all, the 'facts' adduced by Brown were not necessarily unknown. They simply were no longer very interesting. Or rather, perhaps to paraphrase Brown, they were no longer considered part of any canon and indeed contrary to the canon.

I suppose that last point is the one that a lot of people will want to cling to. Someone has failed to tell us the 'whole truth.' That then smacks of conspiracy and control.

More to the point: I think that the 'evidence' of this book is really only (possibly) evidence that there are alternative beliefs out there. There are alternative explanations of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. But simply because there are alternative explanations doesn't make them any more 'right' then the mainstream.

In the end, I think it is great that a book like this was written--it stimulates discussion among people of all ages. On my tours, in my classes and in every day discussions, I found a renewed interested in history. What more could I want as an educator?

There are a great number of sources that you might consider checking out on this subject. Here are few suggestions. ('Suggestions' not necessarily 'recommendations'; these are (just a few) sources of information. I would approach some of them with an open, but skeptical, mind.)





The Da Vinci Code
Secrets of the Da Vinci Code
The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code
The Woman with the Alabaster Jar


Tom

Caravaggio in a new light

An exciting new exhibit of Caravaggio open in Chicago through Februrary 11, 2006.

Tutta l'opera del Caravaggio: una mostra impossibile (The Official Site)

Loyola University Museum of Art (The First American Viewing)

A couple of news articles about the exhibit:

Digital magic conjures the impossible (The Australian)

Is It Still Art If It's a Reproduction? (Voice of America)

There are only about two dozen Caravaggio paintings in existence today (not counting paintings attributed to him or of uncertain origin). To see them all, one would need to travel from Texas to St. Petersburg to Rome to Paris...to only name a few stops. Or one would have to convince a number of smaller churches to loan these works.

This is not an impossible task.

Nor is it impossible to have those paintings that are hung in museums borrowed by other museums.

But to have all the known paintings available for viewing in one location is practically impossible.

That is, until now.

A new electronic exhibit of the paintings has been made available by Rai-Radiotelevisione Italiana, Italy's government broadcaster.

It may not be as good as seeing the real thing, but take a look a that the first link above. This is the project's official page. If you are beginning your research on Caravaggio or you want your children to have a taste of his great work, this site really helps.

There are some drawbacks. For example, the zoom function quickly pixelates the image and you are better off looking at it in normal view. An annoyance is that once you enter it, the normal browser window closes and you are left with navigation only within the site itself (for example, you will not see the browser address bar again, so if you want to bookmark it, do so before entering the site.)

But despite that, I really like the site. It makes a great teaching tool and a great opportunity to see the works in the farthest reaches of the world (presuming even there you have internet access!).

But the website is only the first step. After a successful runs in Rome, Naples and Malta, the exhibit makes its American debut in Chicago at the Loyola Museum of Art (second link above).

The nagging question, and I think the one downfall of the exhibit, is just how much 'light is shed on these paintings'? What I mean, of course, is the never ending concern that Caravaggio painted many of his paintings for spaces that had far less light than even, perhaps, the weakest computer screen provides. But since this is an electronic exhibition, it would seem that light is necessarily more abundant and particularly variable.

I am not suggesting that the light shouldn't be altered. After all, looking at Boy Bitten by a Lizard in its original setting, one would find it difficult to find the lizard. On the other hand, to experience the painting the way the master (perhaps) intended would be a thrill all its own.

So I herald this exhibit; but I would also say we should use it as a stepping stone. Perhaps the analogy is too mean but instead of being satisfied with the faux Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas, visit the real one when you get the chance.

Instead of being satisfied with the elections display of a master's work, use it as an inspiration to see the real thing.

Tom

PS. There are some other blogs around that have information on Caravaggio and a discussion of this exhibit. Here is just a sampling:

Caravaggio Gallery

If you are interested in Ancient Greek Drama...

DIDASKALIA: Ancient Theater Today Website

You should definitely check out this article, and then follow the link to www.nottingham.ac.uk/classics. The program is very good and Alan Sommerstein is a stellar scholar.

Prof. Sommerstein talks about CADRE (the Centre for Ancient Drama and it's Reception). This is one of the most exciting, yet underrated, programs for scholars and graduate students interested in Ancient Drama.

Tom

Tapas made simple

Tapas : A Taste of Spain in America: Andres, Jose (Epicurious.com)

Tapas From Spain to Your Kitchen, via Jose Andres (NPR)


Looking for a great cookbook with great ideas for tapas? Look no further.

Chef José Andrés brings exciting recipes from Spain and his restaurant, Jaleo (see this website) to his book, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America.

Chef Andrés makes it easy to cook Spanish with ingredients easily found in America. Chef Andrés has also recently been name Chef of the Year by Bon Appétit magazine (click here for online information).

Tom.

Vietnam silk weaving kept alive

Nhan Dan --- Culture

Keeping the silk weaving tradition alive, this man has undertaken to restore royal garb.

Tom

Archaeologists and Dinosaurs in Mongolia

Mongolia sees scientists as job creators

Many treasures assumed to have been taken to Europe are being found from as early as 10AD.

France is also helping with restoration work.

Tom

Ancient Greek temple found in Albania

Newly Located Greek Temple to Be Discussed at AIA Annual Meeting

This temple is only one of five stone temples known in Albania. Finding it adds to the understanding of the 5th and 6th century Greek presence. It's size (14m by 40m) and age (late 6th century) are signficant.

Tom

Polish help Iraqi Archaeologists

New Equipment for Iraqi Archeologists

Now this is some good news out of the war-ravaged region. It is good to know that historical monuments are being protected.

Tom

Napoleon and the beginnings of Egyptology

Macon Telegraph 01/13/2006 Napoleon's exploits in Egypt subject of new exhibition

This exhibits looks quite exciting. It includes letters from Napoleon in Cairo as well as they usual treasure trove of goodies.

Tom

Donner Cannibalism Questioned

ABC News: Scientists: Donner Family Not Cannibals

Well, maybe.

No cooked human remains have been found, but the archaeology does not necessarily counter the anecdotes. Instead, it simply provides no physical evidence of the cannibalism.

Tom

Atlantis the legendary city

Atlantis - The Lost Continent Finally Found

The news of the earthquake in Greece got me to thinking about Atlantis again.

There is no end of speculation as to whether Atlantis ever exisited and where it might have been located.

I personally think that it is off the coast of Spain, as the story in Plato goes, "beyond the pillars of Heracles." I will have to expound on my theory in greater detail later.

But here is another new theory (though probably rehashed). I have not read this book to see just what he has to say. But rest assured that I will read it and let you know very soon!

Tom

Earthquake in Greece spares monuments

inadaily.com Article service

The recent quake of 6.9 in Greece caused some destruction but monuments were unscathed.

Tom

Medieval Surgery - trepanning in England

BBC NEWS Health Medieval surgeons were advanced

Evidence of complicated skull surgery found from a 40 year old man believed to have lived between 960 and 1100AD.

Successful and skilled surgery credited for saving man from a potentially fatal blow.

The surgery, called trepanning, was used by the Roman and Greeks, but thought lost after the 7th century AD.

Tom

A different kind of gnocchi

My friends know how much I love Italy. And they know how much I love Italian food.

Imagine my surprise then when I received news of two recipes from two different people at the same time for one of my favorite northern Italian dishes.

You all know what gnocchi are. They are those usually tasty potato dumplings that can be complemented by any pasta sauce.

But the gnocchi I tasted in Trieste (in the far Northeast of Italy) are very different. They are stuffed with plums (prunes) and are sweet.

Yuck, you might say. But don't knock it until you've tried it! I can assure you that gnocchi di susine are a terrific delight and very, well, simply put, yummy.

One recipe my friends gave me is from La Cucina di Lidia by Lidia Bastianich (whose television show airs from time to time on PBS and The Food Network).

The other recipe is from The Silver Spoon published by Phaidon.

Both recipes are good, but I prefer the layout and instructions in The Silver Spoon; in Lidia's book the recipe requires you to jump between the basic gnocchi recipe and the gnocchi di susine recipe. (You might like to know too that The Silver Spoon is finally available in English: it has been the quintessential cookbook in Italy for decades. After the recipe I put some links to news stories from its release.)

Here I am going to give you a modified version of the The Silver Spoon recipe. I add variations from La Cucina di Lidia and from my own cooking experience. For those who want to go directly to the recipe in their own copy of either book, the page numbers are: The Silver Spoon 263; La Cucina di Lidia 121 with basic recipe on page 117).

Enjoy!

This recipe serves 4.

12 fresh plums or 12 prepared prunes (use only plums that are in season otherwise use the prunes)
1 1/2 tsp. sugar, plus a little more for dusting
2 1/4 lbs. potatoes (Idaho or russet are best)
1 3/4 c. all-purpose or unbleached flour (your choice)
1 egg
3 tbs. butter (I recommend only butter)
4 tbs. breadcrumbs
cinnamon
nutmeg
salt

If using fresh plums, blanch them for 5-7 minutes. The instructions that follow are for either plums or prunes (but I will only use the word plums).

Split and pit the plums. Then add a a sprinkle of sugar to the inside. Set aside.

Cook potatoes for 25 minutes in lightly salted, boiling water. (I prefer to cube my potatoes before boiling to shorten this time.) Mash them while they are still hot.

Spoon the potatoes into a mound; add flour, egg and a pinch of salt. Knead this mixture into a soft dough. (You can use a nice mixer like a Kitchenaid but be sure not to over knead.) Do not exceed 10 minutes of kneading.

Spoon the dough into equal parts--usually about the size of an egg--but you can vary the size according to the size of the plum. Then wrap around a plum and be sure it is sealed by pinching the edges if necessary.

Place a few gnocchi at a time into slightly salted, boiling water until they rise to the surface.

While the first batch is boiling, melt the butter then add bread crumbs, cinnamon and a bit of sugar. Cook this mixture, stirring often, until golden.

Serve with butter, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

That is the end of how I had them. The recipes also suggest dredging or rolling the gnocchi in the breadcrumb mixture. I have not tried them that way and think without them the gnocchi are just fine.

To read more about the release and wonder of The Silver Spoon see: The Boston Herald or NPR.

Again I say, enjoy! It's worth the time and effort.

Tom

Is this a Mayan woman or goddess?

Scientists find monument to Mayan woman - Science - MSNBC.com

It seems to be the year for significant Mayan discoveries.

A stela (monumental stone) discovered in Guatemala adds to the evidence for honoring women in Mayan culture.

The story cites the researcher as translating the stella to read: "Lady Partition Lord". No one is quite sure what this means, but it may mean that this woman is a higher ranking goddess in the Mayan pantheon.

Tom

When did the Mayans start writing?

Earliest Mayan writing found in pyramid - Science - MSNBC.com

This story was brought to my attention by a reader. Thanks!

The ancient writing pushes the date of the earliest known Mayan writing by 150 years to about 250BC.

No one is quite sure of the meaning but there are plenty of linguists and archaeologists working to decipher the writing.

Part of the dating process depends on understanding the building of Mayan pyramids. Layers put down at different times helps to create a time line of construction. That time line can be used to help date the time of the writing.

Tom.

What's the earliest Christian link to China?

China Daily: Stones indicate earlier Christian link?

Some possible evidence suggesting the first Christian presence in China may be as early as 100AD. If the evidence plays out this could push the earliest known traces of Christianity in China back from 700AD, the commonly accepted earliest date.

The matter is not settled, but stone relief discussed in this article provides some possible evidence.

Tom

Ancient canals in Peru

CANOE -- CNEWS - Science: S. America's oldest-known irrigation canals found

Archaeologists think the canals are at least 5300 years old and the oldest in South America. This helps to solidify evidence of ancient Peruvian culture contemporaneous with Egyptian pyramid building.

Tom

Chinese civilization - when did it begin?

Shanghai Daily: Scientists seek origins of Chinese civilization


The fantastic achievements of Chinese civilization are well-known. But separating the legend from the reality is a difficult task.

Tom

History of the Winter Olympics

Now that we are fast approaching Februrary and the winter Olympics in Torino (Turin) I thought it would be good to have a comment about the winter games.

We know that the modern Olympics were begun in 1896 in imitation of the ancient games held in Greece. The ancient games only occurred in the summer. In fact, ancient writers complained about the excessive insect population at these games! They were held in ancient Elis on the Peloponnesus. The ancient games had only running races (the 'stade', 'diaulos' and 'dolichos'), jumping, discus throwing, boxing, 'martial arts' (the 'pancration'), wrestling and horseriding. Rules were a bit lax in some cases: boxers could gouge out eyes. But the rules could also be harsh: anyone who missed an event were flogged!

The idea of a winter set of games did not begin until 1908. The first set of games were not held until 1921 (and not even called Winter Olympics until they were a success) in Chamonix, France.
See the International Olympic Committee's page for more on the history of the Olympic games. Click here for an image of some boxers in the ancient games.

Is life in Britain older than we thought?

British civilization older than previous thought, say newly discovered fossils

Forever we have believed that life in Britain begin about 800,000 years ago. But some significant discoveries have been made that are leading scholars to adjust that date by about 200,000 years, making life in Britain around 1,000,000 years old.

Tom

Battle over artifacts from Machu Picchu

ABC News: 90 years later, Peru battles Yale over Incan artifacts

In recent years we have heard a lot about the demand by Greece for the return of the 'Elgin marbles'. Such demands are not limited to the western classical world.

Perú says that artifacts taken from Machu Picchu by the discoverer of the famed ruins, Hiram Bingham, were only 'on loan'.

Tom

Food and Cooking in the Ancient World

Scotland on Sunday - The Review - Food In The Ancient World

This article discusses a new release, Food in the Ancient World, by John Wilkins and and Shaun Hill. I have a link for it below. The review is mixed: it seems that it may be a bit redundant and in some places to dry to be interesting. The coverage is quite extensive: Persian, Egyptian, Celtic, Greek and Roman plus a few other cultures are included.

Two older books with recipes from Greece and Rome that I usually use are The Classical Cookbook by Andrew Dalby and A Taste of Ancient Rome by Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa and Anna Herklotz. They mix the history with the recipes in an easy to use manner.

My favorite from Rome are 'stuffed dormouse' and garum. The former is really a rodent that the Romans would raise on farms in small cylindrical cages. You can see an ancient dormouse (glis glis) cage At the Archaelogical Museum in Naples. It even seems to have running tracks much like our hamster cage wheels!


Garum is a sauce that was made from salted fish left to ferment. The closest we can imagine is fish sauce from say, China, or Worcestershire sauce. I imagine a little went a long way.

There are, of course, books about other ancient cultures and their food. I will make suggestions in future posts.

Tom

Painter Fra Angelico and Venice

Guardian Unlimited Arts features Almost a saint

Interesting article about Fra Angelico's art in Venice. The man has been dead for over 500 years. His art endures. His tomb is in Rome at Santa Maria sopra Minvera (near the Pantheon). The small church where he took his vows is San Domenico outside Florence on the road to Fiesole.


The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a special exhbition running until January 29, 2006. To see a great representation of the exhibition click Metropolitan Museum of Art's special exhibition book.

For the museum's page about the exhibit, click Metropolitan Museum of Art Fra Angelico Special Exhibition.

Tom

'Elgin marbles' controversy continues

Winds change in the battle over ancient artefacts

The arguments continue on where the 'Elgin Marbles' should be. This article discusses some of them and the balance of arguments. The marbles, showing a peaceful procession in celebration of the Panatheneia, a religious festival held in Greece in midsummer, have been little focus of peace since about 1801. At that time, Lord Elgin (Bruce Thomas, 7th Earl of Elgin) removed a portion of the frieze from the Parthenon to Britain. This was done under authority of the ruling Ottoman Empire. Lord Elgin then tried to sell the Pentelic marble pieces (the 'marbles') to the British government, but the government was unwilling to accept terms. Finally in 1816 the British government agreed to purchase them. This was only after one Sir Joseph Duveen built a special gallery at his own expense in the British Museum to house the marbles. Greece began regularly to demand the return the marbles.




There are about 200 pieces of the frieze in the
British Museum. The other pieces are housed in
the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

For an interesting look at the story behind the marbles, check out the book Mistress of the Elgin Marbles by Susan Nagel.



Tom

Taj Mahal now among 7 wonders (updated link)

Taj among the seven wonders of modern world - Newindpress.com (This link is for archives only and requires a registration.)

Taj Mahal in the list of wonders

An updated list of the 'seven wonders'. Can you recall the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? Look for the list in a later post.

Tom

Skara Brae - The Discovery and Excavation of Orkney's finest Neolithic Settlement

Skara Brae - The Discovery and Excavation of Orkney's finest Neolithic Settlement

An ancient dwelling that adds to the history of the Orkney Islands north of Scotland.

Tom

Rare bronze horse, chariot unearthed in SW China

People's Daily Online -- Rare bronze horse, chariot unearthed in SW China

An exciting find that adds to the famous 'buried army' of 7500 terracotta figures carved to lifesize. More on those in a later post.

Tom

On the outskirts of Rome, an ancient city rivals Pompeii

RealCities.com 12/13/2005 On the outskirts of Rome, an ancient city rivals Pompeii

One of my favorite cities to explore. You can wander for hours and find something new at every turn. It is a great place to hunt for things like temples/shrines to the god Mithras.

It is so easy to get to from Rome and it is easy then to go on to the modern city for a swim.

Tom

Remains of Second Temple era Jewish village discovered

Haaretz - Israel News - Remains of Second Temple era Jewish village discovered

The Second Temple era is about 423BC to 68BC (the dates vary slightly).

Titus, the son of the emperor Vespasian, destroyed the temple in 70BC and carried the treasures, including a golden menorrah back to Rome. The Arch of Titus was erected in his honor is at the entrance to the Forum Romanum and contains an image of the triumphant return.

Tom

Buying antiquities- exercise caution

Grave tale of pensioner 'tomb-raider' - 29 Dec 2005 - World News

Trade in antiquities continues every day. Make sure what you are buying is legitimate, but also make sure that you are not violating any laws by making the purchase.

Gone are the days when the likes of Getty, Rockefeller and others could simply outfit their largest room with their favorite antiquities.

Tom

Welcome to Dr. Tom's Traveling News and Trivia!

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I am the founder and director of Ubiquity International, LLC, a tour company specializing in fun, exciting and educational tours of our exciting world.Visit us at http://www.ubiquityinternational.com/ to see what all we have to offer.

Please feel free to contact me with travel trivia, news, culture, language or history questions.

Enjoy!




Thomas Talboy, PhD, Director
Ubiquity International, LLC
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