Horus is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities, son of Isis and Osiris, worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Roman Egypt. He was most often depicted as a falcon, or as a man with a falcon head, and was also symbolized by an eye. What is the meaning behind the Eye of Horus?
The Pagan Jesus? - Apollonius of Tyana
In this episode, we explore the fascinating life of Apollonius of Tyana, a Neopythagorean philosopher whose life in many ways mirror that of Jesus. Enjoy!
TALLEST HUMANS ON EARTH (South Sudan) - 7.5 FEET!
You will not believe how tall the people are in South Sudan! Like EVERYONE on the streets of Juba (South Sudan's capital) is well over 6 feet tall, and many over 7 feet - even the females! It's one of the most unbelievable features of mankind that we've ever seen anywhere on this planet.
The War of the Titans (Titanomachy) - Greek Mythology in Comics
In today’s video we will be exploring Titanomachy, the war of the Titans, through comic illustrations. Enjoy!
12 Most Incredible And Mysterious Finds That Really Exist
We all know the feeling of looking at something and yet finding it so astonishing that it's difficult to believe the evidence of our own eyes. We're hoping to give you that feeling more than once over the course of this video. It's a collection of mysterious wonders, places and things that seem to defy expectation and reason. The only thing they have in common is that they're all incredible!
What Native American Tribes Were Eating In the Old West
The creativity with which Native American groups brought ingredients together reflected an awareness of and respect for the environment. When it comes to what kind of foods Native Americans ate in the past, their meals were often about both sustenance and ceremony.
Native American groups thrived on staple foods like corn, beans, and squash. When available, meat, fruit, and other vegetables were mixed in, not to mention roots and greens. Many foods Native Americans ate were high in fat, protein, and carbohydrates - intentionally loaded with nutrients in order to combat potential hardship and struggle. Food was also used for celebrating and bringing people together.
Iron Age horse and chariot discovered in East Yorkshire town
It was found on The Mile development some weeks ago where more than 200 homes are to be built. Both horse and human remains were found
Simon Usher, managing director at Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, said: “We can confirm that a significant archaeological discovery, featuring an Iron Age horse-drawn chariot, has been made at our development, The Mile in Pocklington.
“Careful excavation is ongoing by our archaeologists and a thorough investigation is in process to date and detail the find.
“Until this process is complete we are not in a position to comment on the possible historical benefit of the find.
"We expect to have further details over the coming months. The discovery will feature on BBC Four’s Digging for Britain at the end of this year.”
It comes just a year after another Iron Age chariot and two well-preserved horses were discovered on another building site in the town, David Wilson Homes’ Pavilion Square development.
The chariot found last year was only the twenty-sixth to be excavated in the country and was found in an ancient cemetery off Burnby Lane, dating back to 800BC.
The deliberate inclusion of horses as part of the burial rite was "highly unusual".
The last time such a discovery was made is believed to have been on Arras Hill outside Market Weighton in 1817.
The site had already yielded fascinating finds, including the remains of a warrior ritually buried with his sword and four spears placed in his spine and one in his groin, which may have been an attempt "to release his spirit".
In all, 79 square barrows were found containing 138 burials from the Arras Culture - a group of people who lived in the region in the Middle Iron Age - and 22 from the Anglian period 600 to 800 years later.
Further analysis is expected to reveal more information including whether the local population was indigenous or had continental connections.
Who are the Tatars? | Largest ethnic minority in Russia
In this video we will visit tatars' biggest annual holiday SABANTUY where we will learn about tatar culture, traditions, food and lifestyle. Let's discover more about Russia's largest ethnic minority TATARS.
A 193-million-year-old nesting ground containing more than 100 dinosaurs eggs is upending paleontologists’ understanding of an early dinosaur species.
A 193-million-year-old nesting ground containing more than 100 dinosaurs eggs is upending paleontologists' understanding of an early dinosaur species.
Research published on October 2021 describes a collection of eggs and juvenile and adult skeletons from a dinosaur called Mussaurus patagonicus, which were found in Patagonia, Argentina. The dino is an ancestor of long-necked herbivores called sauropods, such as Brachiosaurus.
Most of the chicken-sized eggs were discovered in clusters of eight to 30, suggesting they resided in nests as part of a common breeding ground. Scientists also found Mussaurus skeletons of similar sizes and ages buried together. Combined, these patterns offer evidence that the dinosaurs lived in herds.
"I went to this site aiming to find at least one nice dinosaur skeleton. We ended up with 80 skeletons and more than 100 eggs (some with embryos preserved inside!)" Diego Pol, a researcher with the Egidio Feruglio paleontology museum in Patagonia and the lead author of the new study, told Insider via email.
He called the site "one of a kind."
Before this discovery, researchers thought herding behavior was restricted to dinosaurs that came much later, in the very late Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. That's because the earliest fossil evidence of sauropod herds only dates back 150 million years. This nesting ground, however, pushes that timeline back more than 40 million years. It's the earliest known evidence of social groups among dinosaurs, the study authors said.
X-rays offer a peek into fossilized dinosaur eggs
Argentine paleontologists discovered the first Mussaurus skeletons at this Patagonian site in the late 1970s. The dinosaurs they found were no more than 6 inches long. Unaware that they'd uncovered newborns, the researchers named the creature "mouse lizard" because of the skeletons' tiny size.
Pol decided to reexplore the area starting in 2002, and by 2013, he'd helped find the first adult Mussaurus fossils there. Those bones revealed that full-grown versions of these "mouse lizards" were closer in size to modern-day hippos. They grew to weigh about 1.5 tons, reaching lengths of 26 feet from nose to tail tip. But infants could fit in the palm of a human hand.
Since then, Pol's team has also uncovered and studied the contents of the nesting ground, which measures just under half a square mile. In 2017, he took 30 of the eggs to a lab in France, and his group then used X-ray technology to peek inside and confirm the species of the embryos without breaking the shells.
By analyzing the sizes and types of bones in the nesting ground, the researchers determined that the animals were buried near counterparts of a similar age. Some clusters had juveniles less than a year old, others consisted of individuals that were slightly older but not yet fully grown, and finally, there were smatterings of adults that had died solo or in pairs.
That type of age segregation, the researchers said, is a key sign of herds: Juveniles hung out with others their age while adults looked for food and protected the community.
"They were resting together and likely died during a drought," Pol said. "This is compatible with a herd that stays together during many years and within which the animals get close to each other to rest, or to forage, or do other daily activities."
Another strong indication of herd behavior is a nesting ground itself: If Mussaurus lived as a community, it would make sense that they'd lay eggs in a common area.
Living in herds may have helped Mussaurus survive
To figure out the fossils' ages, researchers examined minerals in volcanic ash that was scattered around the eggs and skeletons, and determined that the fossils were about 193 million years old.
Previously, scientists thought this type of dinosaur lived during the late Triassic period, about 221 million to 205 million years ago. But the new date suggests instead that Mussaurus thrived during the early Jurassic period. That, in turn, is evidence that Mussaurus' ancestors survived a mass extinction event 200 million years ago.
The key to that survival, the study suggests, may have been their herding behavior.
"These were social animals and we think this may be an important factor to explain their success," Pol said.
Communal living likely helped Mussaurus find enough food, perhaps by making it easier for them to forage over larger areas.
Mussaurus of the same size would likely "group together to coordinate their activities," Pol said, given that larger adults and tinier juveniles moved at different speeds.
He added that given the size difference between newborns and adults, it probably took these dinosaurs many years to reach full size. So young Mussaurus might have been vulnerable to predation.
By staying in herds, adults could better protect their young.
Paleontologists find a 500kg Sauropod femur in France
Two metres (6.6ft) long, the femur found at Angeac is thought to have belonged to a sauropod, a plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck and tail.
Sauropods, common in the late Jurassic era, were among the largest land animals that ever existed.
Palaeontologists say they are amazed at the state of preservation of the bone.
"We can see the insertions of muscles and tendons, and scars," Ronan Allain of the National History Museum of Paris told Le Parisien newspaper.
"This is rare for big pieces which tend to collapse in on themselves and fragment."
Just how big was the owner of the thigh?
Such dinosaurs, which lived more than 140m years ago, would have weighed 40 to 50 tonnes, Allain told Reuters news agency.
A sauropod thigh bone found at the same site in 2010 was 2.2m long and weighed 500 kilos, according to local paper La Charente Libre.
The femur found this week is expected to weigh about the same when it is finally removed, a job which will probably take a good week and involve a crane.
What else are they finding at Angeac?
Some 70 scientists are working this summer at the site buried deep in the vineyards of the Charente area, near the town of Cognac.
More than 7,500 fossils from at least 40 species have been recovered since 2010, making the former marsh one of the most important such sites in Europe.
Bones of stegosauruses and a herd of ostrich dinosaurs have been found, Le Parisien reports.
Aristotelian thought is revived in the archaeological site of the Lyceum, Greece
The Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, in collaboration with the National Research Centre for Natural Sciences "Demokritos", is setting up a digital information kiosk on the life and works of the ancient Greek philosopher and thinker Aristotle at the Lyceum Archaeological Site in Athens.
Through the installation of interactive information systems and the use of the possibilities of digital technology, information about the Lyceum site, but also about Aristotle, is presented in a comprehensible and lively way, while at the same time creating an innovative cultural experience for visitors that also appeals to younger people.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, stated, "With this special action, the archaeological site of Aristotle's Lyceum will be restored as a cultural destination in the center of Athens. With Aristotle's philosophical school as a reference point in the sanctuary of the Lyceum, the ecumenical work and emblematic figure of the Greek philosopher, one of the leading figures of all times with worldwide influence, are highlighted. Together with the upgraded historic Athens Conservatory, located in close proximity, but also with the Byzantine Museum, the Benaki Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art and the National Gallery, the archaeological site of the Lyceum forms a unique cultural and development pole that contributes to the revitalization of the center of Athens. The intervention aims to create an educational and philosophical experience for the visitors of the archaeological site, with the use of digital technology and architecture that contributes to the connection of the Lyceum with the Athens Conservatory and the "Roof of Greek Ideas", a project implemented - in the framework of a particularly fruitful collaboration - by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the National Natural Sciences Research Center "Dimokritos".
The intervention concerns the installation of a pavilion in the southern part of the archaeological site, which will host four interactive touch screens that will provide access to multimedia information(texts, images, videos, representations, etc.). The composition consists of four rectangular units covered by a corrugated metal roof. Access to the pavilion is via ramps and in the inner courtyard of the palaestra there are three grandstands for standing and viewing. A sound installation is provided at selected points along the visitor routes to inform visitors.
The Chairman of National Natural Sciences Research Center "Demokritos'', George Nunesis, stated: "We are pleased with the approval of the proposal by the Ministry of Culture, which concerns the creation of an innovative cultural experience for the archaeological site of Aristotle's Lyceum. The goal is to create a hub around ancient Greek philosophy in the heart of Athens, encouraging reflection and discussion about philosophy, using modern technologies that emphasize its universality. The reason for this proposal was the project "Roof of Greek Ideas", carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Sports with the "Demokritos" National Natural Sciences Research Center at the Athens Conservatory. The approved proposal is the result of the collaboration of "Demokritos'' with the architectural firm Foster+Partners and the World Human Forum under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. It is a collaboration that combines knowledge, research and creativity in the fields of technology, architecture and philosophy. Our vision for this proposal is to be a model for intervention in archaeological sites that highlights the relationship between the site and intangible philosophical ideas and enriches the visitor experience.”.
Internationally renowned academics, scientists and artists oversee the selection of information material (written texts, audiovisual material) and the gradual construction of a hub for Aristotle, his life and work. The digital installation allows easy renewal and enrichment of the information material according to the progress of research. The theme concerns the archaeological site of the Lyceum (importance of its location, role of gymnasiums in antiquity), Aristotle, his work and the distinction of sciences according to Aristotle: poetics (medicine, shipbuilding, carpentry, agriculture, engineering, construction, painting), practical (ethics, politics), theoretical (first philosophy, mathematics, natural philosophy, natural history), his life and travels (from the time of his teaching at Plato's Academy and throughout his stay in Athens) , the impact of Aristotle's work over time (translation projects of Arab intellectuals, convergence of Christianity and Aristotelianism during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, conflict between Aristotelianism and modern science during the 16th and 17th centuries).
In the "Roof of Greek Ideas" interactive exhibitions are organized by the Ministry of Interior and "Demokritos" in collaboration with the Athens Conservatory. The themes of the exhibitions are from the field of philosophy and humanities, starting from the theme of democracy.
The oldest wooden well in the world is 7,250 years old
This "wooden box" is one of the oldest wooden "structures" in the world and was once a well. It was found in the Czech Republic, where the first farmers in Europe built some wells with some oak wood. They earned the title of the oldest preserved wooden well construction in the world.
One of the first oak structures has been accurately dated thanks to the annual rings preserved in the wood.
The unique discovery was made by archaeologists last year in Ostrov in the Pardubice region, where seven wells from different prehistoric periods were found during excavations during the construction of the D35 road. In particular, "in the case of the well found in Chrudim, the results show that the trees used to build the well were felled between 5256-5255 B.C., and the corner posts of a tree boot felled in the fall or winter of 5259 B.C. or early winter of 5258 B.C.," said Michal Rybníček of the Department of Wood Science at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology at Mendel University in Brno. (In Cyprus, people were already building wells 10,500 years ago).
It is remarkable that the first farmers, who had only tools made of stone, bone, horn or wood, were able to work felled tree trunks with absolute precision.
The structure is maintained by experts from the University of Pardubice.
The shaft parts were stored in the Piarist University in Litomyšl under suitable climatic conditions. They were preserved because they remained under water.
Invertebrates and small vertebrates, shells, bones, eggs of crustacean parasites, remains of insects, etc. were also found. Archaeobotanical analyses shed light on the environment and economy of the first farmers: remains of plant species such as wheat, flax or the rare poppy have also been found, which will allow a better understanding of the activities of the first farmers and the reconstruction of the Neolithic environment in the area.
A 3,000-year-old wooden well containing more than 100 items was discovered in Germering in southern Germany, in an area where more than 70 ancient wells have already been found.
Marcus Guckenbiehl (Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historic Monuments) suspects that the objects may have been intentionally placed in this 4.8-metre-deep well as ritual offerings during a long period of drought (to reactivate the well).
More than 70 of the items were finely crafted pottery such as bowls, vases, etc. Twenty-six copper needles, a bracelet, two metal spirals, four amber beads, a wooden spoon and an animal tooth wrapped with wire were also found.
Renovation of the Platonic Academy: This is the new underground museum of Athens
An actually "invisible" complex that develops essentially underground, with green roofs that blend harmoniously with the natural landscape of the grove of the Platonic Academy, is the big winner of the Panhellenic architectural competition announced last August by Anaplasi SA for the Archaeological Museum of Athens. It is a brand new museum that focuses on the timeless evolution of the city of Athens, making use of archaeological treasures that for decades lay locked in the warehouses of our archaeological services due to lack of proper infrastructure.
The complex, open competition, which includes the urban planning, architectural and traffic management study, was completed in record time, with 17 complete, valid architectural studies submitted, and with the official announcement of the results (expected no later than early next week) we know the offices that received all three prizes and two commendations.
Giorgos Tsolakis, head of the office that won the first prize, expresses his enthusiasm. He already has experience with the design of the Museum of Marine Antiquities in Piraeus, as well as with a number of public and private, medium and large-scale projects in Greece and abroad, and is convinced that their proposal corresponds to the vision of Athens of the future.
The most important result is the idea of a semi-submersible museum, as most of the 13,500 square meters of the building programme is underground, leaving the fragile relationship between the precious green and open spaces of the Grove and the neighborhood almost undisturbed. "The architectural approach emphasizes above all the topography, urbanism and public archaeology, as it creatively integrates both the axes of the landscape and the structure of the city, incorporating on the one hand the archaeological findings and at the same time addressing the relationship between open and closed, public and private", Mr. Giorgos Tsolakis points out.
In fact, the city and the grove interact in the center of the site by creating four new sidewalks that, at their intersection, create a node of swirling movement and activities that are interconnected at different levels. This engraving creates a central public platform where visitors are distributed among four different wings that rise from the ground. "The square marks the beginning of the development of the emerging wings and reverses the typology of the ancient Greek temple pavilion, from an inward-facing building to an outward-facing one.
The arrangement of the facades refers to the stoic buildings of the archaeological findings of the Academy. The roofs emerge from the ground as a natural continuation, forming sloping, accessible surfaces that extend the grove's existing plantings while providing comfortable conditions for natural light and ventilation for visitors and workers."
What about antiquities?
The first question that comes to mind when talking to Giorgos Tsolakis is how to ensure an uninterrupted excavation of several meters deep while it is an archaeological park. "In the specifications of the tender, it was clear that the area where the museum is located was excavated in the past and is therefore free of antiquities.”.
He stresses that the main concept of the researchers was not to change the character of the public green space of the area. "The accessible roofs extend the surface of the grove and encourage the growth of shrubs and small trees that spatially and visually unify the planted public space. Native trees, which is a characteristic of the Athens landscape, are added to the existing plantings. The new configurations and development of the planted roofs will result in an increase and enrichment of the Grove's green balance, creating new conditions for outdoor activities for area residents and visitors."
In addition to the museum, it is also worth mentioning the outdoor sculpture gallery, which will develop at a lower level than the grove and relate the exhibits to the existing archaeological excavations, while in the southeastern part the existing sports activities will be transferred with an improved infrastructure, as well as the underground parking with a capacity of about 80 vehicles.
Ancient Greek inscription in the mountains of Tajikistan: traces of Alexander the Great in ancient Bactria?
Ancient Greek letters carved into a rock were found in a mountainous region of Tajikistan, Central Asia.
In particular, a message was written on a stone that, according to Nicholas Sims-Willions, an expert in the study of the Bactrian language, means "This is the... of the King of Kings, Vima Taktu". Due to the natural landscape of Tajikistan, archaeologists do not usually have the opportunity to discover new monuments. Since the surrounding area is inaccessible, local people offered to help archaeologists to collect information.
In 1932, a local shepherd found a basket of documents on Mug Mountain, which he brought to the archaeologists, who then learned that it was the first written text of the historical Sogdian language, which led to the discovery of the ancient settlement of Penjikend. Sogdiana (formerly Transoxiana) was a province of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia. Although the Sogdian states were never politically united, they were concentrated around the capital city of Samarkand.
How was the rock discovered?
Similar to the shepherd, a resident of a nearby village discovered the engraved rock in the mountains. Bobomulloev Bobomullo, a researcher at the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, became interested in the news and took it upon himself to investigate it. After detailed examination, it turned out that the inscriptions were written in ancient script. It was located in the northernmost part of the gorge near the Almosis River. According to the man who found the inscription, there were other inscriptions on many different rocks, but due to avalanches, many of the inscriptions were damaged and fell into the mountains.
What was Bactriana and its history?
According to the World History Encyclopedia, Bactria is a historical region in Central Asia that was part of the Persian Empire. Historically, it was a unified region, but it was divided into what is now Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. Even after the defeat of the Persian king Darius III, a self-appointed successor of Darius III named Bessus led the resistance against Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great finally conquered Bactria between 329 and 327 BC and held it until his death. After his death, it became part of the Seleucid Empire, which dominated most of the Middle East during the Hellenistic period. Bactria was famous for its gold. Darius I mentions Bactria as a supplier of gold to his imperial palace at Susa. Trade in gold originating from Siberia flourished.
What was the "Seisachtheia" regulation of debt that saved ancient Athens
BY THE ARCHAEOLOGIST EDITOR GROUP
In ancient Athens, Solon's legal regulation of debt was known as the Seisachtheia.
This was Solon's first legislation, but not, as some of the ancient authors claim, for the complete cancellation of debts, which Solonian laws prevented, but only for the relief of debtors beset by usurers.
To this end, he reduced the silver drachma by a quarter and a bit more, so that 100 new drachmas contained as much silver as 72.5 old ones. He reduced the debts of the poor to such an extent that it was said that he abolished mortgages on the lands, since this made it easier to repay the debts. However, he left the determination of the interest rate free and forbade the barbaric custom of "indebtedness on one's own body". He declared honorable those who had been convicted of dishonor by debt or for any other reason, except murder and tyranny.
The term comes from ancient Greek and is composed of "seio" (shake) and "achthos" (burden, debt). It essentially meant "to shake off the burdens".
Current regulation before the Seisachteia
Prior to Solon's prohibition of seisachtheia, debt bondage was in effect in Athens: a citizen who could not repay his creditors lost his freedom.
The legislation of Solon
Solon's legislative measures were very bold but also drastic. They were based on the principle of just inequality rather than absolute equality, trying to prevent unrest and the disintegration of the Athenian political community while maintaining social organization and the primacy of that organization in the province of power.
The Seisachtheia was among the reparation measures taken by Solon
Specifically, the existing debts of private individuals to private individuals and to the city were abolished; lending secured by the "body" (personal freedom) of the borrower and his family members was abolished; and those Athenians who had become slaves due to debts were freed. Athenians who had been sold abroad in the meantime were returned to the city.
It is known that Solon ended the dependence of the poor peasants in Attica with the "Seisachtheia". What is not known and remains controversial in research is the procedure by which he restored those who had fallen victim to the arbitrariness of the rich, precisely because there were no written provisions (Solon also says so in one of his poems).
The measure is sometimes associated with the dependent peasants who cultivated the land of the privileged with the agreement to give them 1/6 of the production instead of rent, while sometimes it is associated with all those who borrowed and cultivated the land of the rich and powerful with their personal freedom as a pledge.
The seisachtheia was not created to abolish slavery but to free slaves from their debts. Solon's reforms allowed for two exceptions: The guardian of an unmarried woman who had lost her virginity had the right to sell her into slavery, and a citizen could abandon an unwanted newborn.
Asclepius: The hero and god of medicine
The biography of Asclepius is indeed fictitious. Of course, we are not in a position to know the boundaries between myth and reality.
Whether, for example, a resurrection was some kind of epiphany or not So we could study the texts and nothing more.
So let us read what these texts say about Asclepius:
Asclepius (Latin: Aesculapius) is known to be both a hero and a god of medicine. He is the son of Apollo, but the myths surrounding his birth vary widely. Mostly—here we are specifically concerned with the version accepted by Pindar—it is said that Apollo fell in love with Coronis, the daughter of the Thessalian king Phlegyas, and left her pregnant; but when Coronis was expecting a child, she gave herself to the love of a mortal, Ischis, the son of Elatos.
Apollo learned of this transgression through a crow (or else through his gift of divination) and killed the unfaithful; at the moment when Coronis' body was placed on the funeral pyre and would soon burn, Apollo pulled the still-living child from her entrails. This is how Asclepius was born.
According to another version, to explain why Asclepius was the great god of Epidaurus in the Peloponnese, Phlegyas, a great robber, came to the land to explore its riches and study how he could become its master. He was accompanied by his daughter. During the journey, she was seduced by Apollo and gave birth to a son in the land of Epidaurus, at the foot of Mount Myrtios.
Then she abandoned her son. But a goat came to suckle the child and a dog to guard it. The shepherd Arestanas, who owned the goat and the dog, found the child and was dazzled by the light around it. He understood that there was a secret and did not dare to take the child, so it followed its divine destiny.
According to another version, the mother of Asclepius was Arsinoe, the daughter of Leucippus. This was the tradition of Messinia, which they tried to reconcile with the other ones, claiming that the child was the son of Arsinoe but raised by Koronis.
The number of people he brought up was significant
It is said that Asclepius' father entrusted him to the centaur Chiron, who taught him medicine. In a short time, Asclepius acquired great skills in this art. He even discovered a way to bring the dead back to life. Namely, he had taken from Athena the blood that had flowed from the veins of the Gorgon; while the veins of the left side spread a strong poison, the blood of the right side was healing, and Asclepius knew how to use it to bring the dead back to life.
The number of people he revived was considerable. They include Kapaneus, Lycurgus (probably in the war against Thebes, where two heroes of this name appear among the victims), Glaucus, the son of Minos, and the most frequently mentioned, Hippolytus, the son of Theseus. Zeus, seeing these revivals, feared that Asclepius would disturb the order of the world and struck him with lightning. To avenge Zeus, Apollo killed the Cyclops. After his death, Asclepius transformed into the constellation Ophiuchus.
Is Asclepius outside the mythical circle?
Some later accounts indicate that Asclepius participated in the Calydonian boar hunt and the Argonaut expedition. In general, however, Asclepius stands outside mythical circles.
Two children are attributed to him, the two physicians Podalirios and Mahaonas, who are already mentioned in the Iliad.
Later forms of the myth attribute to him a wife, Ipion, and daughters, Akeso, Iaso, Panakeia, Aigli, and Hygieia. The worship of Asclepius, attested at Trike in Thessaly, where it probably originated, established itself mainly at Epidaurus in the Peloponnese, where it developed into a veritable school of medicine, the applications of which, though based mainly on magic, nevertheless prepared the advent of a more scientific medicine. This art was practiced by the Asclepiads, or the descendants of Asclepius. The most famous of these is Hippocrates, whose family was associated with the god.
Common symbols of Asclepius were snakes coiled around a staff, as well as pine cones, laurel wreaths, and sometimes a goat or a dog!
The use of spear and sword by the ancient Greeks
BY THE ARCHAEOLOGIST EDITOR GROUP
The Greek hoplite sword was double-edged. Its blade was wider in the middle of its length, so the weight was concentrated at that point, and the devastating blow to the enemy was even more overwhelming.
The Greek sword was also used for a penetrating blow. The sword was an auxiliary weapon of the Greek hoplites, who usually used it when the spear broke or could not be used due to space limitations.
However, they were not inferior in sword fighting to spear fighting. Various scholars often claim that Roman legionaries in their heyday were better swordsmen than other peoples who did not favor the sword, such as the ancient Greeks.
It should be noted, however, that the Romans used the heavy "gladius" type sword (gladius italiensis and later the stronger gladius hispaniensis), which did not require any particular skill to wield.
The Romans took advantage of its weight and shape, which allowed to fully use this weight to deliver a devastating blow against the opponent and also to destroy his shield if it was not made of metal (which was usually the case with the opposing shields of Rome).
In contrast, Greek swords were relatively light, with the exception of the Kopida (or 'knife' or falcata, or falx, as it was called in the western Mediterranean) and some other types. This evidence shows that the Greeks used a special technique in handling the sword to injure or kill their opponent.
Moreover, this opponent was usually a Greek hoplite, and there was no sword that could have shattered his sturdy brass hoplite shield with clumsy blows. Moreover, the hoplite was well armored with a helmet and breastplate of various types.
The only way for the Greek hoplite to strike into the flesh of his opponent with his sword was to improve his skills in the use of this weapon.
In summary, the Romans simply favored the use of the sword more than the Greeks, but without being better swordsmen than the latter.
The Spartans used the classical Greek type of sword with an iron blade. During the 5th century BC, they steadily reduced the length of the blade and, by the end of the same century, developed it further into a purely Spartan type. The explanation for this lies in the warfare of the Spartan, who tried to get as close as possible to his opponent in close combat, and in this he was irresistible.
In the confines of the phalanx, a sword that retained its nighttime (penetrating) power and was close to the length of a knife was most ideal.
Athenian reliefs confirm the ancient writers' references to the Spartan short sword. These reliefs often depict Lacedaemonians carrying a short sword up to 30 cm long in the shape of a tree leaf (roughly like the tip of a hoplite spear). The only example of this type of sword was found during excavations on Crete and was originally part of a statue.
The short length of the Spartan sword has led scholars to believe that it was also used for penetrating strikes from the bottom up. This is confirmed by some depictions of wounded or downed Lacedaemonians holding this sword in their hands and aiming upward at the abdomen or groin of their standing opponent.
Soon the short sword spread throughout most of Greece, displacing the older types. There is another weapon mentioned in ancient sources as being used by the Spartans.
It is believed to have been a type of knife, and based on the way it was used, it seems very likely that it was crescent-shaped. If so, the blade belonged to the group of crescent-shaped swords used by various Mediterranean peoples.
The Athenian hoplites also used the common hoplite sword, but it seems that some used the Kopida, although it was a sword more suitable for cavalry since its use required an open space.
The Kopida was a sturdy, single-edged sword with which a single, well-delivered blow could maim an opponent and sever an arm or leg.
Sickle swords were used by several Mediterranean peoples (Iberians, Celtiberians, Greeks, Thracians, Etruscans, Lycians, Carians, Lydians, Phrygians, Dacians, and others). In the confines of an armed conflict, the sword could not be used effectively.
But it could be used effectively by the hoplites against Asiatic and Egyptian warriors, since the fight with the latter was not of the nature of a battle between hoplites, and it's usually rapid breaking of the line gave the former plenty of room to destroy them quickly with the deadly blows of the Kopida (after all, the defensive armament of the Asiatics and Egyptians was rudimentary or nonexistent).
In general, the Athenians and other Greek hoplites favored the Kopida more than the Spartans. But even among them, the typical short sword prevailed.
On some Athenian vase paintings from the 6th to 5th centuries BC, Athenian hoplites are depicted with a kind of curved sword (the so-called "Yatagani" type). This sword probably originated in Asia Minor, from where it entered the Greek arsenal of the time, but it's rare depiction shows that it did not become popular.
Rare archaeological find: Complete "Bible of the Dead" found in the desert of Sakkara
Recently, archaeologists announced the discovery of 4 untouched and sealed tombs and a mummy over 4,000 years old in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo.
Saqqara, the necropolis of Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, is known for the famous pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser and also includes the famous pyramids of Giza.
Among the priceless archaeological finds was a 16-meter-long intact papyrus containing excerpts from the ancient Egyptians' "Bible of the Dead."
The papyrus, which is more than 2,000years old, was found in a sarcophagus in a tomb south of the Pyramid of Djoser and is considered a complete "Bible".
It is the first complete papyrus to be discovered in 100 years and is already being translated into Arabic by scholars.
Scientists consider the discovery important because the hieroglyphs should give them even more insight into the burial customs of ancient Egyptian culture.
The necropolis of Saqqara, a little more than 15 kilometers south of the famous pyramids of Giza, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the Pyramid of Djoser, built around 2,700 BC by the architect Imhotep and considered one of the oldest monuments in the world.
Is the tomb of Alexander the Great in the Nabi Daniel Mosque?
It is the subject that stimulates the imagination, cultivates expectations and, of course, has managed not only to refute but also to ridicule quite a few archaeologists. According to Arabic tradition, the tomb of Alexander the Great is located in the Nebi Daniel Mosque. Scientists who let their imaginations run wild, fell prey to arbitrary assumptions, and completely ignored historical sources, searching in the most unlikely of places for the tomb of Alexander the Great have been misled in the worst of ways. And the great discovery of the Amphipolis monument leads to the revival of every possible version regarding where Alexander was eventually buried.
Certainly the tomb of Alexander the Great remains the... Holy Grail of archaeology. Most (and most serious) theories about the general's burial site come from Alexandria, Egypt, the city he founded. Alexandria is mentioned in historical sources while the magnificent mausoleum of Alexander in Alexandria was known.
The Christian attack on Alexandria
One of the black pages in the city's history, however, was written in the late 4th century AD and possibly connected to Alexander. It is the great attack of the Christians under Patriarch Theophilus against the pagans, in which the Library of Alexandria, the Serapeion and the Museum were destroyed, while the famous "Mausoleum" was lost in the ruins.
Alexandria, Kom el-Dikka Region
Recent hypotheses include that of a sarcophagus in a crypt of an ancient Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, attributed by Polish archaeologists and historians to Alexander. A masterpiece of architecture, the marble and gold mausoleum was found in the Kom el-Dikka area, in the crypt of an early Christian church in the heart of Alexandria, just 60 meters from the Nabi Daniel Mosque, where, according to Arabic tradition, the Nabi Daniel Mosque is the tomb of Alexander the Great and where excavations are already underway.
The tomb has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Famous visitors included Roman emperors such as Julius Caesar and Gaius Octavius, better known as Augustus, who is said to have placed flowers on the tomb, as well as a gold diadem on the mummified head of Alexander the Great. The last recorded visit to the tomb was by the Roman Emperor Caracalla - who had been an admirer of Alexander about a year before his assassination in 215 AD. The crystal sarcophagus discovered in the mausoleum contains 37 bones attributed to men. The team of Polish archaeologists and historians that made the discovery are examining the 37 bones - using the radiocarbon method and other tests - in the hope that they will be identified as Alexander.
Not only the crystal sarcophagus is affected. The sacking of the sarcophagus found during the riots that shook Alexandria under Aurelius around 270 BC also aimed at the bones, which are also broken. As for why the sarcophagus is made of crystal, a first explanation from the Polish team is that the original golden urn was stolen. And above all by the Ptolemaic king Parisaktos or Kokkis (107 - 68 BC). Broken vessels from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods have also been found at the site.
Tour guide Ambroise Schilizzi had claimed to have discovered Alexander's mummy in an underground chamber beneath the Mosque of Nabi Daniel. All this while looking through a tiny hole in the wooden door. The year is 1850. Fifteen years later, Heinrich Schliemann arrived in Alexandria to excavate the area around the mosque. He never received permission from the Egyptian authorities.
Alexandria Roman Cemetery
An alabaster tomb discovered in 1930 in the Alexandria Roman Cemetery has been attributed to Alexander by Italian archaeologist Achille Adriani. Investigations that followed in the years that followed yielded no results.
Lebanon, Hills of Sidon
Another "Alexander's tomb" had been discovered near the hills of Sidon in present-day Lebanon. This time... Indiana Jones was the painter and collector Osman Hamdi Bey. The sarcophagus is said to have been moved as a prominent exhibit to the Ottoman Empire Museum in Constantinople, where for a time it was an irresistible attraction for visitors.
Venice, San Marco
Yes, there was also this scenario, according to which the body of Alexander the Great was accidentally transported by two Venetian merchants who were convinced that it was the body of Saint Mark.
Egypt, Oasis of Shiva
Archaeologist Liana Soulvatzi had caused a "stir" in the mid-1990s when she "revealed" that Alexander the Great was buried in the Oasis of Shiva but the tomb was eventually four centuries older than Alexander's death. The story began in 1992 with the first monument he found, which she called the "Tomb of Alexander the Great" and continued in 1995 with the second monument, which she also found and, based on inscriptions, also called the "Tomb of Alexander the Great" negating the first.
In the sarcophagus of the pharaoh Nectanebo II
Another hypothesis is that the tomb was destroyed during the persecutions of Christians in Alexandria at the beginning of the 5th century, but also that the body of the great general was placed in the - empty - sarcophagus of Pharaoh Nectanebo II.
Uzbekistan, Eskandar
However, Uzbekistan also once proclaimed that it possessed the tomb of Alexander the Great, claiming that it was located under a canopy in the village of Iskender Zulkernai. The inhabitants of the village of Eskandar in Uzbekistan claimed that Alexander the Great was buried there (so did a reporter from Skopje who was there to report on the "discovery", which was presented in a Sun TV broadcast).
Amphipolis
Many would like the discovered funerary monument to be the general's tomb - although the Macedonian royal capital is Aiges and Amphipolis is not mentioned (or even hinted at) in the sources as a possible burial place of Alexander the Great.
This beautiful statue of god Apollo was found in the ancient city of Bursa
A statue of the god Apollo was found during excavations at the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium in Duzce province in northwestern Turkey.
Excavation teams and archaeologists are continuing their research in the ancient city, located in the Konuralp region, with the permission of the General Directorate of Cultural Properties and Museums. During the last excavation period, which focused on the area in front of the stage of the ancient theater of the ancient city, numerous statues were discovered. Among them, the one of Apollo stands out due to its intact condition.
After the discovery, archaeologists contacted the Archaeological Museum of Constantinople to plan the next phase of the sculptures' presentation.
The ancient city of Prussia on the Hyppios was known in earlier times as "Hyppios" and "Kieros". It was occupied by Prussia I of Bithynia, and the inhabitants of Bithynia named the city in honor of their king.
However, Bithynia went bankrupt due to the lavish lifestyle of its citizens. The Bithynians bequeathed the kingdom to the Romans, which began the Latin influence on the city. The city was already architecturally rich, but it flourished even more under the Romans. It became known as Prusias ad Hypium.
The city then passed into the hands of the Byzantines and the Ottomans, respectively. During Ottoman rule, it was handed over by Osman Ghazi, the founder of the Empire, to Konuralp Bey, one of the first Turkish commanders involved in the establishment of the Empire. Thus, the area of the city received its present name Konuralp.
