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☆ Turkey cannot recover ancient 'Stargazer' idol from Christie's - U.S. court
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 8 (Reuters) - Turkey cannot recover a 6,000-year-old marble idol from Christie's and hedge fund billionaire Michael Steinhardt after waiting an unreasonably long time to claim it had been looted, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Turkey "had reason to know" by the 1990s that the "Guennol Stargazer" might have been wrongfully removed from its territory. Lawyers for Turkey, Christie's and Steinhardt did not immediately respond to requests for commentThe Stargazer is about nine inches (22.9 cm) tall, and named because its head tilts slightly upward toward the sky. Nathan was later elevated to the appeals court. Circuit Court of Appeals No.

☆ Archaeologists in Israel left red-faced after it transpired that a unique 'ancient' inscription was carved last summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An inscription bearing the name of a Persian king is "not authentic," the Israel Antiquities Authority said. In a demonstration, an expert in ancient inscriptions had etched the words into the shard last summer. The Antiquities Authority said they take "full responsibility for the unfortunate event." "The Israel Antiquities Authority takes full responsibility for the unfortunate event," said Professor Gideon Avni, the authority's chief scientist, according to Israeli news outlet i24. Darius I ruled the ancient Persian Achaemenid Empire from 522 BC until his death in 486 BC.

☆ Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Aidan Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

2 story has been corrected to delete height comparison in paragraph 4)A hidden corridor nine metres (30 feet) long has been discovered close to the main entrance of the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza, and this could lead to further findings, Egyptian antiquities officials said on Thursday. The Great Pyramid was constructed as a monumental tomb around 2560 BC during the reign of the Pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops, to a height of 146 metres (479 feet). [1/4] A hidden corridor inside the Great Pyramid of Giza that was discovered by researches from the the Scan Pyramids project by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry of Antiquities is seen in Giza, Egypt March 2, 2023. Scientists detected the corridor through cosmic-ray muon radiography, before retrieving images of it by feeding a 6mm-thick endoscope from Japan through a tiny joint in the pyramid's stones. In 2017, Scan Pyramids researchers announced the discovery of a void at least 30 metres long inside the Great Pyramid, the first major inner structure found since the 19th century.

☆ Scientists discover corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, March 2 (Reuters) - Egyptian antiquities officials announced on Thursday the discovery of a hidden nine metre-long corridor behind the main entrance of the Great Pyramid of Giza that they said could lead to further findings. The find was made under the Scan Pyramids project that since 2015 has been using modern technology including scans and endoscopes to peer inside the pyramid, the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. The unfinished corridor was likely built to relieve the weight of the pyramid on either the main entrance, seven metres below, or on another as yet undiscovered chamber or space, said Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. The Great Pyramid was built as a monumental tomb around 2560 BC, during the reign of the Pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops. It stands at a height of 146 metres (479 feet), the tallest structure built by humankind until the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889.

☆ Archeologists found a hidden corridor in the Great Pyramid at Giza by using cosmic rays to map the ancient wonder
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A hidden corridor has been discovered within the Great Pyramid of Giza using cosmic rays. Archaeologists believe the vaulted corridor was designed to help distribute the weight of the giant ancient wonder of the world. The entrance of the cavity, seen above, was likely occluded at first, hidden under the covering of the pyramid. A diagram of the pyramid drawn in 2017 shows the entrance location compared to the different chambers in the pyramid. Subterranean chamber (a), queen's chamber (b), grand gallery (c), king's chamber (d), corridors (e, f, g), entrance to the newly uncovered hidden corridor (h).

☆ Egypt reopens newly restored historic mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Egypt's historic mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, named after the sixth Fatimid caliph and located in old Cairo, was reopened for visitors on Monday, Feb. 27 after renovations. The renovation project for Egypt's fourth oldest mosque and its second largest began in 2017 with a budget of 85 million Egyptian pounds ($2.8 million). The renovation, done in collaboration between Egypt’s antiquities authority and Bohra Shia sect, included architectural restoration as well as maintenance to protect the walls of the mosque from the effects of moisture and salts. Reporting by Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Writing by Farah Saafan, Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Egypt unveils renovations of venerable Tahrir Square Museum
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa talks to the media at the Egyptian Museum during a news conference by Egypt's ministry of tourism and antiquities that unveiled a renovated wing at the museum, in Cairo, Egypt February 20, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshCAIRO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Egypt has inaugurated the first phase of renovations on the venerable Egyptian Museum in central Cairo, giving the collection a facelift after many of its objects were relocated to other museums around the country. Egypt hopes to grow its tourism industry by 25% to 30% a year, Tourism Minister Ahmed Issa said at the inauguration ceremony on Monday. The renovation, financed by the European Union and assisted by five major European museums including the Louvre and British Museum, was designed to modernise the presentation of the objects. "The Egyptian Museum continues to develop itself, allowing it to compete with the other major modern museums," Issa said.

☆ Egypt opens 4,000-year-old tomb on Luxor's West Bank, oldest open to public
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities/Handout via REUTERSCAIRO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Egypt has restored, documented and opened to tourists the Middle Kingdom tomb of Meru, the oldest site accessible to the public on Luxor's West Bank, home to some of its most spectacular Pharaonic monuments including the Valley of the Kings. Meru's rock-hewn tomb was restored by the Polish Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. "This is the only decorated room of the tomb, with an unusual decoration of painting on lime plaster," Yassin said. Meru's tomb had been known since at least the mid-19th century, according to the Polish Egyptian archaeological mission. Some of the Middle Kingdom's most prominent officials were buried at North Asasif, the statement said.

☆ A mummy unearthed in Egypt wrapped in 'layers of gold' may be the oldest ever discovered, archeologists said
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Archeologists uncovered what is likely the oldest mummy ever discovered in Egypt on Thursday. Archaeologists discovered the 4,300-year-old Hekashepes near the Step Pyramid wrapped in gold leaf. Saqqara, a "great masterpiece of architectural design," is located in Memphis, the first capital of ancient Egypt. This comes only a day after a different team of archaeologists discovered ruins of another ancient city called Luxor, south of Cairo. There has been a string of major archaeological discoveries across Egypt in recent years, highlighted as part of a growing push to promote the country's tourism industry.

☆ Archaeologist hails possibly 'oldest' mummy yet found in Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/7] People work at the site after the announcement of the discovery of 4,300-year-old sealed tombs in Egypt's Saqqara necropolis, in Giza, Egypt, January 26, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyCAIRO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Egyptologists have uncovered a Pharaonic tomb near the capital Cairo containing what may be the oldest and "most complete" mummy yet to be discovered in the country, the excavation team leader said on Thursday. The mummy, of a man named Hekashepes, was in a limestone sarcophagus that had been sealed in mortar. "This mummy may be the oldest and most complete mummy found in Egypt to date," Hawass, one of Egypt's former ministers of antiquities, said in a statement. Numerous statues were found among the tombs, including one representing a man and his wife and several servants, the statement said.

☆ Swiss Court Finds Prominent Antiquities Dealer Guilty of Using Forged Documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ali Aboutaam, front, and his brother Hicham Aboutaam pose at their offices in Paris, France. A Swiss court has found a prominent antiquities dealer guilty of illegally bringing some artifacts into the country and using forged documents of origin in some cases. The Geneva Police Tribunal on Jan. 10 gave Ali Aboutaam an 18-month suspended jail sentence and ordered him to pay a little more than 450,000 Swiss francs, or about $488,000, in legal costs, according to a copy of the ruling reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The sentence, which includes a three-year probation period, can be appealed.

☆ Italy welcomes home looted ancient artworks from the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] Some of the antiquities worth an estimated $19 million are seen after being returned to Italy by New York City, in Rome, Italy, January 23 2023. REUTERS/Remo CasilliROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Italy on Monday celebrated the return of 60 looted archaeological artefacts worth more than $20 million, many of which had been on display at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art before their illicit origin was discovered. The items, which U.S. authorities handed over to Italian counterparts in September, include "The Marble Head of Athena," worth an estimated $3 million, and a fresco stolen from Herculaneum, an ancient Roman city near Pompeii. Italy has long had a problem with the looting and smuggling of its artistic and archaeological heritage, but the Carabinieri insist they are becoming more effective in tracking down and recovering stolen art. Reporting by Cristiano Corvino, writing by Alvise Armellini, editing by Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In Mexico, ancient Zapotec tombs reveal colorful murals depicting war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Brightly-painted Zapotec murals invoking warfare recently unearthed from tombs in southern Mexico may date back nearly 2,000 years, officials said late on Wednesday of the find that sheds new light on the ancient civilization's funerary rites. Some of the latest murals were partially reconstructed from fragments originally found on the tomb floors, according to INAH. Two of the tombs were found completely intact, with further study of the human remains expected. In one crypt, some 240 objects were found, including stucco pieces with Zapotec writing, INAH said. The Zapotecs were contemporaries of the ancient Maya, with both cultures known for their elaborate writing, among the world's first-ever literary traditions.

☆ Greek PM dashes hopes of swift return of Parthenon marbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Renee Maltezou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ATHENS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday dismissed reports of an imminent repatriation of the Parthenon sculptures known in Britain as the Elgin marbles. Greece has accused Lord Elgin of theft and does not recognise the British Museum as owner of the sculptures. [1/3] A man looks at the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of stone objects, inscriptions and sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, on show at the British Museum in London October 16, 2014. The British Museum has always rejected returning the parts in its collection, which include about half of the 160 metre (525 ft) frieze that adorned the Parthenon. Many countries have pressured British institutions to return looted artefacts, especially given that the British Museum only displays about 1% of its collection.

☆ The Pool of Siloam, where the Bible says Jesus healed a blind man, will be open to the public for the first time in nearly 2,000 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Pool of Siloam will be fully excavated and open to the public for the first time in almost 2,000 years. The New Testament says it is where Jesus performed the miracle of healing a blind man. The pool originally functioned as part of Jerusalem's ancient water system, later becoming a site of religious significance for ancient Jewish people. A water company carrying out infrastructure work for a sewage pipe accidentally discovered steps to the pool, Israeli authorities said in the statement. Moshe Lion, Jerusalem's mayor, described the Pool of Siloam in a statement as "a site of historic, national, and international significance."

☆ Signs of Salome, said to be nurse to baby Jesus, unearthed in Israel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Dedi Hayoun | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Religious imageries left by visitors are seen in an alcove in the wall of a cave that, according to The Israel Antiquities Authority is the 2000-year-old burial cave of Jesus' midwife, Salome in the Lachish Forest in Israel December 20, 2022. REUTERS/Ammar AwadLACHISH FOREST, Israel Dec 20 (Reuters) - Excavations of a cave reputed to be the burial place of Salome, said in non-canonical scripture to have been nurse to the newborn Jesus, have found more signs it was both an important Jewish tomb and a Christian pilgrimage site, archaelogists say. Stricken in one arm, she cradles the baby, proclaims him "a great king ... born unto Israel," and is cured. The site, about 35 km (22 miles) southwest of Bethlehem, has been known for generations as the Cave of Salome. Earlier excavations located Jewish relics "but the surprise was the adaptation of the cave into a Christian chapel," the IAA said.

A Culture in theCross Hairs Russia’s invasion has systematically destroyed Ukrainian cultural sites. It has also dealt a grievous blow to Ukrainian culture: to its museums and monuments, its grand universities and rural libraries, its historic churches and contemporary mosaics. This is how empires always work.” The war in Ukraine is a culture war, and the extent of the destruction is becoming clearer. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion.

☆ 'National Treasure: Edge of History' review: A Disney+ series adds a young-adult chapter to the movies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Giving the “National Treasure” movies a young-adult spin, “National Treasure: Edge of History” transforms the franchise into a Disney+ series, one that offers the same playful approach to the past while weighing that down with tiresome relationship issues and a protagonist with her own Scooby gang. The opening episodes have their moments, but it’s less something to treasure than at best mildly enjoy. Nicolas Cage starred in the 2004 movie and its sequel, a sort of discount “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The baton here passes to Lisette Olivera as Jess, a whip-smart Dreamer whose father, a protector of treasures, disappeared when she was a baby. As the recent “Willow” reminds us, Disney has aggressively mined its movie library for titles that might lend themselves to streaming-series treatment, and “National Treasure,” with its episodic aspect as Jess must locate and crack new clues, perhaps works on that level better than most. “National Treasure: Edge of History” premieres December 14 on Disney+.

☆ Archaeologists have discovered full-color portraits of Egyptian mummies in ancient Philadelphia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Archaeologists have uncovered the first full-color portraits of mummies in over a century. Researchers found the two full portraits of Egyptian mummies and fragments of others at the Gerza excavation site in Fayoum, Egypt, making these artworks the first of their kind to be discovered in over 115 years. English archaeologist Flinders Petrie was the last to find similar artwork when he discovered 146 mummy portraits at a Roman cemetery in 1911, Artnet News reports. The collection of paintings, known as the Fayoum portraits, portrays some of the wealthiest people that existed in these ancient communities. A statement from the Egyptian government explains that pharaoh Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309–246 B.C.)

☆ Ancient Egyptian mummies were found with gold tongues meant to help them talk with the god of the underworld
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ancient Egyptian mummies were discovered buried with gold tongues in their mouths. Some of the mummies were also originally coated with gold flakes. It is the latest in a series of mummies found with gold tongues in the mouth. Last year, archaeologists reported finding mummies with gold tongues twice, once in El Bahnasa, about 136 miles south of Cairo, and once in Alexandria. Gold flakes were also found on the bones of some of the remains, per the Facebook post, suggesting their bodies were sprinkled with gold.

☆ Gulf Arab states can’t give up oil. But they can slash their emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —As Western states try to wean themselves off their addiction to hydrocarbons, Gulf oil nations have been pushing back hard, warning that a hasty transition away from fossil fuels will be counterproductive. According to the World Bank, Qatar had the highest carbon emissions per capita as of 2019, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. So, investment in clean energy projects and renewables “makes very good business sense and PR sense for the Gulf,” he said. Gulf petro-states are warning against a quick transition away from hydrocarbons, with the UAE calling for a “mixed energy” approach that minimizes emissions without cutting hydrocarbons. Much of the hydrocarbons exported by Gulf states go to some of the world’s biggest consumers and polluters, including China and India.

A trove of bronze statues that archeologists say could rewrite the history of Italy's transition to the Roman Empire have been discovered in an ancient Tuscan thermal spring. The more than 20 bronze statues dating back over 2,000 years are being hailed as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the region. The bronze statues are more than 2,000 years old and mostly in excellent condition. The figures represent gods, including Apollo and Hygieia, complete with anatomical details, suggesting the site was of great significance to ancient Etruscans. The find is considered to be the most important to antiquities since the discovery of the Riace Warriors, rare full-sized Greek bronze statues found in southern Italy in 1972.

GIZA, Egypt — A century after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb made headlines around the world, in the sweltering desert heat just outside Cairo, a small team is still making new finds in ancient Egypt. A century after the tomb of King Tutankhamun was discovered, archaeologists continue to unlock ancient Egypt's mysteries. TODAYThe remains of King Tutankhamun's closest generals and advisers were also at the site, which sits about 20 miles south of the North African nation's capital, he said. A 3,000-year-old coffin is opened in a burial chamber at the Saqqara in Giza site near Cairo. King Tutankhamun's death mask, found resting on his mummified shoulders.

☆ Ancient Greek artifacts go on display for first time, amid protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A visitor takes a picture of a marble Cycladic female figurine, during the opening of the exhibition ''Homecoming. Cycladic treasures on their return journey'' at the Museum of Cycladic Art, in Athens Greece, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Costas BaltasATHENS, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Fifteen ancient Greek artifacts from the private Cycladic art collection of a U.S. billionaire went on display for the first time on Wednesday in Athens, under an agreement which has stirred controversy in Greece. A small group of protesters held a white banner outside the museum during the event on Wednesday reading, "They're stolen." Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Additional reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] A graphic illustrating new details, uncovered using LiDAR laser technology, of the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul, Mexico, in this undated handout image. Proyecto Arqueologico Bajo Laberinto/INAH/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, Oct 27 (Reuters) - A laser-powered study of the sprawling metropolis of Calakmul in southern Mexico offers tantalizing new evidence that it may have been the most crowded ancient Maya urban center during the civilization's classical peak some 1,300 years ago. The new LIDAR study announced late Wednesday by Mexican antiquities institute INAH covers the jungle-covered ruins of once-mighty Calakmul, located in the central lowlands of the Yucatan peninsula near the Guatemalan border. Reese-Taylor noted the new preliminary maps of the barely three-month old data show extensive residential apartment complexes clustered around temples and possible markets. Previous estimates suggested the city's population likely reached some 50,000 inhabitants, but the new study could force a recalculation.

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