The Steppe Geoglyphs of Kazakhstan were accidentally discovered by Dmitriy Dey, an archaeology enthusiast, while he was using Google Earth to look for pyramids. The Steppe Geoglyphs consist of more than 200 rings, squares, and lines. Each measure around 1 meter (3 ft) high and 12 meters (40 ft) wide. They were built by an unknown civilization in the Turgai area of Northern Kazakhstan. Because of their massive size, the glyphs can only be fully viewed and appreciated from space. At the moment we have no idea what they were for or why they were built.

Cats Turned into Fertilizer,

In 1888 an Egyptian farmer was plowing his fields in Beni Hasan when he came upon one of the greatest discoveries in the history of Egyptology.  The simple farmer had discovered a massive Ancient Egyptian burial complex with millennia of antiquities and historical discoveries.  Unfortunately, the discovery of Beni Hasan was badly squandered, a great archaeological opportunity lost.  By the time Egyptologist William Martin Conway had arrived at the site, the complex had been ravaged by looters and treasure hunters. Among the antiquities lost were around 80,000 - 300,000 mummified cats.  Before archaeologists could secure the site, the mummified cats were bought up by a businessman, ground into 19 tons of fertilizer, shipped to Liverpool, England, and sold at £4 a ton.

It is so detailed, I do not want to post it. Instead, you need to follow the link so you can see it properly. Zoom in, zoom out, read what the symbols mean, play around with it. This map is worth it.

Facts about February

This is fun for me: a facts list about a time. I don’t think one has been done before for h-nf. Here goes!

A simple graphic shows Jared Diamond’s hypothesis about the five main factors influencing whether a society will be able to continue for millennia or will die out much quicker.

Relief of Augustus at the Temple of Kalabsha, Egypt, 1850, photo by Maxime Du Camp. (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Where in the world is Macedonia?

Cicero, in Pro Publio Sestio. He would probably be amused to find today he is the antiquity that we study!

Math, Everyone’s Favorite Subject

It’s time for a facts list! This one delves into mathematical history:

Brand new verse discovered to the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh

A serendipitous deal between a history museum and a smuggler has provided new insight into one of the most famous stories ever told: “The Epic of Gilgamesh.”

The new finding, a clay tablet, reveals a previously unknown “chapter” of the epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia. This new section brings both noise and color to a forest for the gods that was thought to be a quiet place in the work of literature. The newfound verse also reveals details about the inner conflict the poem’s heroes endured.

Read the story here

AN archaeologist friend of mine once told me: “Less than 5% of the Mesopotamian history has been found, and wherever you dig, anywhere in the land of Mesopotamia, you will discover something.”

This story comes from Erbil (Hawler) Governorate. About 100-200 m away from the Citadel of Erbil (Arabic: قلعة أربيل; Kurdish: قه‌ڵای هه‌ولێر), an old house with a large garden was sold to an investment company. The company demolished the house and started to dig the foundation of a large building in late April 2015: 

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Fragment of The Stele of the Vultures circa 2600–2350 BC

The Stele of the Vultures is a monument from the Early Dynastic III period (2600–2350 BC) in Mesopotamia celebrating a victory by the city-state of Lagash over its neighbour Umma.  This fragment shows vultures with severed human heads in their beaks and a specimen of cuneiform script.

Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Cat

Early 12th Dynasty

Middle Kingdom

The cat first appears in painting and relief at the end of the Old Kingdom, and this cosmetic jar is the earliest-known three-dimensional representation of the animal in Egyptian art. The sculptor demonstrates a keen understanding of the creature’s physical traits, giving the animal the alert, tense look of a hunter rather than the elegant aloofness seen in later representations. The rock-crystal eyes, lined with copper, enhance the impression of readiness.

(Source: The Met Museum)

Terminal, possibly for a sceptre

18th Dynasty

Reign of Akhenaten

This small gold object is inscribed for the princess Meketaten, second daughter of Akhenaten. It has recently been pointed out that the object, historically termed a situla (a bucket-shaped ritual vessel), is more likely an end piece from another element, perhaps a scepter or some other insignia. The princess died before her father and was buried in a chamber of his tomb at Amarna. This object is likely to have originated there.

(Source: The Met Museum)

Sandstone waterspout in the shape of a Lion

1st Century AD

Roman Egypt

(Source: The British Museum)

Gold and glass bead necklace

1st Century AD

Parthian

Most of this necklace is from 1st Century Iran. However, sometime during the medieval period it was restrung and new beads added to the existing Parthian ones. 

(Source: The British Museum)