We have two offerings this month in the Strata series that look into how culture evolves. In “Islands of Darkness” we see that Vanuatu has unusually high cultural diversity compared to other Pacific islands outside of New Guinea. As proof, we witness dancing on Ambrym Island, ruins on Malekula Island and a violent volcanic eruption on Tanna Island. Continue reading
Category Archives: Culture
Strata, Portraits of Humanity, Episode 16, “Islands of Darkness” and “Louisiana Plantation Site”
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Chocolate Lovers Month
Miss a chance to celebrate chocolate? Not at AntiquityNOW! It’s National Chocolate Lovers Month and we’re bringing you all of our chocolatey content in one decadent post. Humans have been chocoholics for thousands of years. Even our ancestors knew that sometimes all you need after a tough day is the taste of the velvety concoction. Click on the links below to learn about the ancient history of chocolate and to enjoy recipes inspired by chocolate’s unique and delicious past. Scroll down to find an adventurous and unexpected recipe for Chocolate Chicken. With all of these fantastic recipes, you can observe this holiday by serving chocolate for every meal! Continue reading
Mapping Cultural Heritage in Danger
St. Elijah’s Monastery in Iraq. The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq, recently destroyed by ISIS.
In our post series “Maps: Defining and Explaining our Past, Present and Future,” we discuss how important maps can be in helping us to visualize and understand where we’ve been and where we’re going. Today, maps are helping us to keep track of our vanishing past. Sadly, every day we are losing pieces of our history. Specifically, the cradle of civilization is being systematically destroyed. The Antiquities Coalition has taken action and created the Culture Under Threat Map, “which tracks instances of deliberate targeting of cultural heritage for destruction in the Middle East and North Africa.”
According to the Antiquities Coalition website: Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Cabbage Soup for National Cabbage Day
Did you know that today is National Cabbage Day? With its long and rich history, this leafy vegetable certainly deserves its own holiday. So today we’re bringing you a recipe for a cabbage soup that will keep you warm through the end of winter. As well, we’ll explore the healing properties of this ancient and ubiquitous food.
Cabbage is believed to have originated in the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, but it is unclear as to how it made its way into Europe. One clue is in its name. It is a member of the Brassica family, which includes other veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale. The Latin “Brassica” was influenced by the Celtic word “bresic,” which means cabbage. It is for this reason some say the Celts were responsible for bringing cabbage to prominence as a food. The Celts began invading the Mediterranean around 600 BC, so it is probable that they picked cabbage up on their journeys and brought it with them throughout Europe.[1] The other theory is that the Romans introduced cabbage to Europe. Continue reading
Don’t Miss Our Latest Recipes With a Past E-Cookbook!
Are you having a difficult time deciding what to cook for the historian in your life? Do you have a dinner party coming up and you don’t know how to wow your guests? Do you want to spice up meal times at your house? AntiquityNOW to the rescue! Download our latest free e-cookbook, Recipes With a Past 2015, and you’ll have recipes for everything from soup to nuts. And you won’t just be serving up delicious and unique dishes, you’ll also be helping to preserve cultural heritage by passing on the history behind these ancient foods.
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Recipes With a Past
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Recipes with a Past
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Thai Rose Salad
In preparation for Valentine’s Day, today we are celebrating the rose. You may not think of the rose as a food, but we assure you it is an ancient culinary treat. In fact, the rose has been cultivated since ancient times as a source of food, medicine and for perfume. In some cultures, rose gardens were considered important croplands, much like orchards.[1] Read our post, The Rose in History: Power, Beauty and the Sweet Smell of Success, for a fascinating history of this beautiful, fragrant and delicious flower. And once you’ve learned all about the rose’s past, you’re going to want to indulge in some rose cuisine. Look no further! We’re bringing you an exotic and delightful recipe for an ancient Thai Rose Salad. This Valentine’s Day, don’t just shower your love with a bouquet of roses. Serve up this dish redolent with flavor and flair! Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, ancient Thai food, AntiquityNOW, rose history, rose salad, roses
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Cherry Month
We’re celebrating cherries! In honor of National Cherry Month take a look back at our fact-filled Bon Appetit Wednesday! Cherry Clafoutis for Cherry Blossom Season, including a mouth-watering recipe for Cherry Clafoutis at the end of the post.
Of course, we’re not just bringing you one delicious cherry recipe today! Enjoy the recipe below for an ancient Cherry Honey Drink from Russia. Not only is it delicious, but it has detoxifying properties to help you fight cold and flu season. This drink was consumed by the nobility in Russia for thousands of years. The best versions were said to be found in monasteries where the monks devoted their time to perfecting the nectar.[1] Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient cherries, ancient food, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, cherries, cherry, Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Clafoutis, honey cherry beverage, honey cherry drink, National Cherry Month, Russian honey drink, Russian recipes
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Figs Part 2: Greek Fig Cakes (Sykomaitha)
Last week we told you a bit about the prehistoric history of the fig and how it spread to Greece and Rome, where it became a major dietary staple. This week we’re exploring more about the fig itself and as well bringing you a recipe for Greek fig cakes, called Sykomaitha. Just as figs have some unexpected palate-tickling qualities, these sweet little cakes up the deliciousness factor with a delightful surprise ingredient. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient fig, ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, fig, fig cakes, figs, Sykomaitha\
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Figs Part 1: Pork and Fruit Ragout
We are so excited about today’s Bon Appetit Wednesday. It marks the beginning of a series on the succulent fig. As we all know, there is nothing more exciting than a good fig recipe! Okay, now that may be a bit of an overstatement, but in all seriousness, these little ancient fruits are amazing. There are so many ways to use the fig, which have been filling the bellies of our ancestors for thousands of years. Because the fig has been around for so long and has had such an impact on history, we’re devoting more than one post to its story. So whet that appetite and enjoy the glorious tale of the fig. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Uncategorized
Tagged ancient figs, ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, fig, figs, pork ragout
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Sarson Da Saag for the Lohri Festival
Tonight is the Punjabi Lohri festival. A celebration with ancient roots, it boasts numerous special foods. Today we’re bringing you a recipe for sarson da saag, a popular vegetable dish featuring mustard leaves and spices that is often eaten during the festivities.
No one is entirely sure when or why the Lohri festival began. As with many holidays celebrated today, it has ancient origins of a mysterious nature. The one unifying feature is that it is meant to recognize the winter solstice. It is thought that the ancient celebration of Lohri originally took place on the day of the winter solstice when the night is the longest of the year. The very next day began a trend of longer days and shorter nights, each slowly shortening by “the grain of one sesame seed.”[1] Continue reading
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