Nutritious, abundant and perfect for use in a multitude of dishes, corn has been a staple in the diets of Native North American and Mesoamerican diets for thousands of years. Today, in honor of a recent archaeological find in South Dakota (US) of 1,000 year old kernels and cobs, we’re bringing you a recipe for delicious corn on the cob that highlights its golden perfection. First, some history. Continue reading
Category Archives: Culture
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Sweet and Easy Corn on the Cob
Khaled al-Asaad and the Price of Memory
The murder by ISIS of Khaled al-Asaad, 82, a renowned Syrian archaeologist and scholar, was a heinous act. His death is a blow to Syria and the world’s cultural heritage.
Tadmor, Syria: the scene of the theater of Palmyra
What possesses a person to cleave so to an ideal that he would give up his own life? As social media spread the details of Asaad’s death, there was sincere horror and disgust at the price of his refusal to disclose where Palmyra’s antiquities had been hidden. Asaad, with more than 50 years as head of antiquities in Palmyra, along with other officials, had spirited away many of the artifacts that undoubtedly would have ended up being sold on the black market, fetching the high prices that fuel ISIS’ activities. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Recipes for Summer in the Northern Hemisphere
In the northern hemisphere, summer is quickly coming to an end and we’re all clinging to these last lazy days. Soon all the picnics and barbecues and summer repasts will be just memories. But let’s dally, culinary wise. Here’s a list of ancient recipes for the modern palate that will help you celebrate the warmth and sunshine just a little bit longer. Continue reading
Strata: Portraits of Humanity, Episode 10, “In and Near Istanbul” and “The Mountain Wars of Fiji”
Two new features in the video news-magazine series Strata: Portraits of Humanity, produced by AntiquityNOW’s partner, Archaeological Legacy Institute, examine the complex elements of a culture’s past that continue to influence modern times.
“In and near Istanbul” tours the region surrounding Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, including the storied capitol city Istanbul, which is renowned for its visible reminders of antiquity. This is an archaeological and historical wonderland that draws visitors from all over the world. “The Mountain Wars of Fiji” relates a horrifying piece of Fijian history. Across the islands of Fiji, hilltop fortresses tell a tale of a warfare and cannibalism going back a thousand years, when the war gods demanded tribute or revenge. Yet people have been on these islands far longer and things have not always been the same. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Enjoy Another Ancient Grain With Einkorn Flour Pancakes
Today we’re bringing you yet another healthy and delicious ancient grain. We’ve already covered quinoa and amaranth, and now it’s time for the lesser known, but no less fantastic, einkorn. “What in the world is einkorn?” you wonder. Well, leave it to AN to bring you the history and a tasty recipe so you can learn to love another recipe with a past.
Einkorn is actually a type of wheat that was one of the first plants to be domesticated and cultivated. The earliest of evidence of its domestication dates all the way back to between 8,650 BCE and 7,950 BCE and was found at two archaeological sites in Turkey.[1] The ancients really knew what they were doing when they began eating and then growing the grain. It has a lower gluten content than modern wheat and is dense with nutrition. Continue reading
It’s Hot, Hot, Hot! Ancient Methods of Keeping It Cool
It’s August, and that means the summer days are dwindling. Yet the soaring temperatures, hazy skies and dripping clothing tell another story. Summer still has us in its grip. Yes, it’s really sweltering out there. And if there’s one thing we modern folks love during these dog days of summer, it’s our air conditioning. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Celebrate AntiquityNOW’s Third Anniversary With Recipes From Mexico’s Ancient Past (And Discover the Tale of the Talking Enchiladas)
Three years ago this summer on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, an idea was born. Maybe it was the deliciously stuffed enchiladas, the tangy coolness of the marguerites or the festive Old World charm of the Burrito Loco restaurant in New York’s West Village that got our thoughts dancing. In the midst of our repast, one of our group of antiquarian devotees suggested we start an organization. Now, we are a motley crew of various perspectives and copious talents. How should we harness that creative energy to make a unique contribution? Suddenly, as if by divine Maya intervention, our enchiladas seemed to speak to us. Why not an organization that looks at the contemporary world against its ancient roots? So it’s not just an enchilada colorfully presented on the table. It is the collective history of corn, of the ancient pancake, of every ingredient that bulges inside this history-laden dish. That enchilada lying innocently under a mole sauce (chocolate-based, gift of the Maya gods) was a concoction redolent of humankind’s thousands of years of evolution from nuts and berries to salsa and nachos. In this moment of culinary transfixion, AntiquityNOW was born. Continue reading
Strata: Portraits of Humanity, Episode 9, “Hunting Mountain Picassos” and “Sub Rosa: Tyntesfield”
“Hunting Mountain Picassos” and “Sub Rosa: Tyntesfield” are the next episodes in the video news-magazine series Strata: Portraits of Humanity, produced by AntiquityNOW’s partner, Archaeological Legacy Institute.
People have been chronicling their existence in pictorial designs for millennia. “Hunting the Mountain Picassos” captures the unique art of Basque shepherds over the last century who have created arborglyphs—pictures carved into the barks of aspen trees in Nevada. For more than half-a-century, Jean and Phillip Earl of Reno, Nevada, have used clues from old maps, letters and books to hunt for and document these remarkable pictures. In “Sub Rosa: Tyntesfield,” UK archaeology student Rebecca Kellawan journeys to uncover the use of a crumbling, abandoned US World War II base located on the grounds of a beautiful Victorian estate. What is uncovered leads to even more intriguing questions of racial and national tensions in the era and recasts the look of patriotism. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Celebrate National Lasagna Day With Eggplant Lasagna Rollups
Lasagna Classico
Today is National Lasagna Day and it is a holiday that begs to be celebrated in a big way. Of course, if you’re vegan or gluten-free, you’re probably running as fast as you can from the festivities. AntiquityNOW to the rescue! We’re bringing you a vegan-friendly, no-gluten-in-sight recipe for Eggplant Lasagna Rollups–and we’re including a healthy dollop of history. Continue reading
The Slavery Project Part 3: In the Eye of the Beholder
As we discussed in Parts 1 and 2 of In the Eye of the Beholder, The Slavery Project (TSP) is an ongoing, interactive series of modules that incorporates lesson plans along select historical plot lines detailing slavery in a particular society during a specific period. TSP is designed to provide students an immersive experience where a culture is explored according to the social, cultural, political and economic conditions of the time. Continue reading
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