Category Archives: Culture

Gum Chewing: A 5,000 Year Old Habit

Posted on July 9, 2013 | 3 comments

Whether it is spearmint, wintergreen, cinnamon or fruit flavored, chewing gum is one of the world’s most ubiquitous habits with nearly 100,000 tons consumed per year. Gum seems like a very modern invention with its myriad of flavors, colors and special additives for energy, fresh breath, teeth whitening and more. In fact, the oldest known piece of chewing gum dates back at least 5,000 years and was found by an archaeology student in Finland.[1] It was a simple lump of birch bark tar that experts believe was chewed by Neolithic people to heal mouth infections. Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Public Life, Recreation

Tagged Ancient Greece, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Aztecs, chewing gum, mastic, mastiche, Mayas, Wrigley

KIDS’ BLOG! Boom! Pow! Whizzz!: The History of Fireworks

Posted on July 3, 2013 | 2 comments

Displays of fireworks are widely used on festive occasion, as at the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games, 2008.

Displays of fireworks are widely used on festive occasions, as at the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games, 2008.

Fireworks are used by many cultures to celebrate holidays and important events. Their spectacle unites people and commemorates cultural milestones. Kaleidoscopic bursts against the night sky, spirals of colored fire, glimmering waterfalls—all the effects that give pounding delight to children and adults alike. Continue reading →

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Posted in Annotated, Art, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Kids Blog, Kids: Art, Kids: Culture, Kids: Holidays, Kids: Public Life, Kids: Recreation, Kids: Science and Tech, Public Life, Recreation, Science and Technology

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, celebrations, china, fireworks, Fourth of July, Independence Day, Italy

The History of Fireworks: Celebrating Life’s Moments in Color, Light and Sound

Posted on July 3, 2013 | 2 comments

Displays of fireworks are widely used on festive occasion, as at the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games, 2008.

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Posted in Annotated, Art, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Public Life, Recreation, Science and Technology

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, celebrations, china, fireworks, Fourth of July, Independence Day, Italy

Girl Be Heard Uses Theater to Empower Young Women

Posted on June 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

On Tuesday we told you about Girl Be Heard’s newest project, 9mm America. This theatrical production is written and performed by 10 young women who live in neighborhoods where they face gun violence daily. It is a powerful show that takes the viewer through the history of gun violence in America starting with the genocide of Native Americans. It asks the disturbing question, “When will it stop?” Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Public Life

Tagged activism, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Girl Be Heard, gun violence, theater

“9mm America”: Girl Be Heard Uses Theater to Fight Gun Violence

Posted on June 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

AntiquityNOW Month partner Girl Be Heard is fighting back against gun violence. 9mm America is a show written and performed by young girls living in neighborhoods where gun violence is a constant threat. One girl explains that her neighborhood is known as “4CD” or “the Four Corners of Death” because so many people have died there due to gun violence. Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Public Life

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Girl Be Heard, gun violence, theater

2013 Winners of The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival

Posted on June 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

In our last blog post we told you about this year’s big winner at The Archaeology Channel’s International Film and Video Festival. The 2000 Year Old Computer took top honors in both the juried competition as well as the audience vote. However, this wasn’t the only film to snag an award. The 2013 festival was full of amazing entries. Here are a few of the winners in other categories: Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Culture

Tagged AntiquityNOW, AntiquityNOW month, Archaeological Legacy Institute, archaeology, education, film, Malaysia, preservation, The Archaeology Channel

2013 Winner of The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival Best Film

Posted on June 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

The Archaeology Channel’s 2013 International Film and Video Festival just wrapped up and it was full of fantastic entries. The festival’s mission is:

“To exhibit for our audience the wonderful diversity of human cultures past and present in the exploration of our place in history and in our world. To promote the genre and the makers of film and video productions about archaeology and indigenous peoples.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Culture

Tagged AN Month, AntiquityNOW, Archaeological Legacy Institute, archaeology, computer, film, The Archaeology Channel

Celebrating Buddha’s Birthday: 1,800 Years of Buddhist Art Preserved by 21st Century Virtual Reality

Posted on May 25, 2013 | 1 comment

The digital reconstruction of the south cave of Xiangtangshan with the missing fragments shown in yellow and reproduced in their original location. Image courtesy of BBC News.

Many people around the world are celebrating the birth of Gautama Buddha today. Across the globe revelers are gathering to honor the sage and his teachings that are the foundation of Buddhism. However, not everyone celebrates the milestone on this day. In fact, there are several different recognized days that differ according to the country and even the particular branch of Buddhism. Regardless of the day chosen, it is a time of joy, reflection and community. Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Computer Technology, Culture, Public Life, Religion, Science and Technology

Tagged AntiquityNOW, Buddha's birthday, Buddhism, preservation

KIDS’ BLOG! Today’s Art Inspired by the Ancient Maya and Aztec Civilizations

Posted on May 23, 2013 | 1 comment

Monster Mash by Dan Fenelon

Dan Fenelon, AntiquityNOW’s Virtual Artist in Residence, looks to the past to feed his boundless imagination. He reaches in to antiquity and plucks inspiration from many ancient cultures to create a new art that is both modern and timeless. Two of the civilizations that inspire him are the Mayas and the Aztecs. Both flourished for thousands of years and created some of the most beautiful and recognizable works of art and architecture. Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Kids Blog, Kids: Art, Kids: Culture

Tagged ancient art, AntiquityNOW, AntiquityNOW month, art history, Aztec, Dan Fenelon, Maya, Mesoamerican

Ancient Green Technology

Posted on April 22, 2013 | 1 comment

Today, we celebrate the earth and we think about all the ways we can help to cherish and protect it. We have come so far in our efforts to develop new ways of preserving our planet and with modern technology our carbon footprints are getting smaller every day, but the concepts that allow us to “go green” actually date back tens of thousands of years.

You can learn all about “seven incredibly innovative uses of geothermal, water, wind and solar power from around the ancient world” in the fascinating article 7 Ancient Wonders of Green Design & Technology from WebEcoist.