Category Archives: Culture

Welcome to Dan Fenelon, AntiquityNOW’s Artist-in-Residence

KachinaDan Fenelon’s art blends an infusion of pop, cartooning, modernism and tribalism along with an explosion of vibrant colors.

Influenced by cartoons from the time he was a child, his art has a whimsy and fantasy that can be embraced by children and adults alike.  The viewer becomes lost in a phantasmagorical world of dancing figures and prancing animals, floating skulls and geometric faces, curvilinear lines and mosaic-like backgrounds, ancient symbols resonating with a post-modern sensibility.  It’s a tangled web of delight and astonishment that lures you deep within this art form, and you emerge breathless from the netherworld of Dan’s imagination.

Look for upcoming announcements regarding our partnership with Dan.  And take a look at the video below to see Dan’s unique view of ancient imaginings.

Super Bowl XLVII and the Superstars of Ancient Rome

Detail of the Villa Borghese gladiator mosaic, 4th century CE

Detail of the Villa Borghese gladiator mosaic, 4th century CE

The stadium is hot, packed with roaring fans ready to cheer for their favorite players.  Above the din, vendors are screaming out what foods and souvenirs are for sale.  The city is festooned with colorful advertisements sporting muscle-bound celebrities endorsing the latest products.  Super Bowl 2013?  Think again.   It’s actually ancient Rome.  As the doors open, the gladiators emerge, boldly strutting onto the field for the day’s games.   The crowd goes wild, Roman BCE-style. Continue reading

Wall Posts: Putting Pompeii’s Political Graffiti in a Modern Context

Do you instantly share your amazing dinner on Instagram?  Post about your political opinion on Facebook?  Find a liked-minded community through LinkedIn? Perhaps our ancestors had similar feelings about their social networking systems.

While part of online social networking is creating an identity, the main purpose is to create connections with others and add to the conversation.   In today’s hypercaffeinated online world, we get excited if a celebrity or important organization re-tweets us. We feel part of something, connected to a person or idea that expands our sense of self. Continue reading

Recent Archaeological Discovery Reveals That in Antiquity Thin Was Out and “Stylishly Plump” Was In

Image courtesy Krzysztof Grzymski

It is resolution time! Popular culture and media are booming with ideas for weight loss– Dr. Oz’s green shakes, CNN’s stories of inspiration, The Biggest Loser’s dedication to stopping childhood obesity and countless advertisements for gym memberships. According to the website Statistic Brain, resolutions to lose weight ranked number one on a list of top resolutions in 2012 and it is safe to assume 2013 will be no different. Continue reading

KIDS’ BLOG! Hot Chocolate: Making Kids Happy for More Than 1,000 Years!

Image courtesy of anka @ happyhangaround

Image courtesy of anka @ happyhangaround

Do you love a cup of hot chocolate with lots of sweet marshmallows? Did you know that kids just like you drank hot chocolate over a thousand years ago?

The Maya people in Northern Belize were drinking hot chocolate as far back as 600 BCE.  Although many people think that the Mayas discovered chocolate, the Olmec people who lived in Mexico from 1500-400 BCE were actually drinking a chocolate concoction even earlier. Do you enjoy your food with some extra zing? In their book The History of Chocolate, Sophie and Michael Coe describe how  the Olmec crushed the cacao beans, mixed them with water and spices, and then added chilies and herbs for a spicy drink. Or maybe you would have enjoyed some of the other things the Olmec added to their chocolate, such as honey for a sweeter drink and also flavorings from flowers and vanilla. Continue reading

Hot Chocolate: Gift of the Gods Since 1900 BCE

Image courtesy of masatoshi_

If you think hot chocolate is just a modern day treat, you may be surprised to discover that the Maya people in Northern Belize were drinking hot chocolate as far back as 600 BCE, and even more intriguing, other evidence supports the use of chocolate much earlier than that.

Continue reading