Category Archives: War and Violence

ISIS, Syria and the Eradication of Culture: As the Ancient World Falls, Efforts Mount to Save World Heritage

Posted on March 19, 2015 | 1 comment

ISIS has reportedly bulldozed the ancient city of Nimrud.

You’ve probably seen the reports of destruction coming out of the Middle East. You’ve certainly heard of ISIS and its reign of terror. The loss of life and the horrifying atrocities being committed against innocent people are splashed across every news network. But ISIS is doing more than taking individual lives. The group is bent on annihilating ancient culture and what it represents. This part of the news story may not have caught everyone’s eye, but it is a desperately important part of that story. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in AntiquityNOW Forum, Architecture, Art, Blog, Crime, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Law, Politics, Public Life, Religion, War and Violence

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Corine Wegener, cultural heritage preservation, Deborah Lehr, Hatra, Isis, Islamic State, Khorsabad, Nimrud, religious freedom, Syria, war crimes

Strata: Portraits of Humanity, Episode 4, “The Secret Passage,” “Weedon Island Canoe” and “Alchester Memorial Stone”

Posted on February 24, 2015 | Leave a comment

This month we’re pleased to bring you Episode 4 of the new series Strata: Portraits of Humanity, produced by AntiquityNOW’s partner, Archaeological Legacy Institute. In this three-part episode we look at memory and how we preserve the past to remember the lives that were lived so long ago. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in Architecture, Blog, Culture, Public Life, Strata Curricula, War and Violence

Tagged Alchester Memorial Stone, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Archaeological Legacy Institute, Emperor Claudius, Strata Portraits of Humanity, The Archaeology Channel, Wheedon Island Preserve

Tattoos and the Body as Canvas: Erasing the Past With Modern Tattoos

Posted on January 15, 2015 | 1 comment

We’ve written before about tattoos in our post Tattoos and the Body as Canvas. How from ancient times people have etched into flesh the story of their lives. From designs that heighten beauty, signify status, show affiliation or even scourge a social outcast, tattoos have always been about designations. Indeed, our body as canvas is at once both intimate and public. For some, tattoos depict their innermost beings for the world to see. For others, particularly when used to announce a person’s outlier status in society, tattoos are meant to be felt as a visceral destruction of self. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in Beauty, Blog, Crime, Culture, Healing Arts, Human Rights, Public Life, War and Violence

Tagged ancient art, ancient history, ancient tattoos, AntiquityNOW, Basma Hameed, scar removal, tattoos over scars

National Anthems: Ancient Elements, Modern Resoundings

Posted on September 16, 2014 | Leave a comment

Last Sunday, September 14^th, was the 200^th anniversary of the writing of the United States’ national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. Inspired by the raising of the American flag at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, which signified a major victory by the Americans over the British during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key penned a homage to the “broad stripes and bright stars” he saw that night. This year, people celebrated across the land with concerts dedicated to the music of the United States. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, Communications, Culture, Holidays, Literature, Music, Politics, Psychology, Public Life, Science and Technology, Sports, War and Violence

Tagged Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, ancient history, Ancient Rome, AntiquityNOW, Du Gamla Du Fria, Hatkivah, Het Wilhelmus, Inno di Mameli, Kimigayo, music psychology, national anthems, Star Spangled Banner

Mulan: The Journey From Ancient Tale to Disney Blockbuster

Posted on July 17, 2014 | 1 comment

In our blog series on the historic origins of Disney films, we’ve found that being literary archaeologists pays off. Digging into these films reveals layer upon layer of historic events and tales from all over the globe, each serving as inspiration for the next generation of storytellers, and culminating in the present-day retellings that we now experience at the movies. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Human Rights, Literature, Music, Public Life, War and Violence

Tagged Ancient China, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Chu Renhuo, Collected Works of the Music Bureau, Disney, Mulan, The Ballad of Mulan, Xu Wei

The Influence of Ancient War Monuments on Their Modern Equivalents Part I: Ancient Rome

Posted on July 3, 2014 | 3 comments

Yasukuni Shrine, Japan.

When one wanders through any major city in our day and age, it is possible to cast one’s eyes over various monuments of war erected by the city, such as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the al-Shaheed Monument in Baghdad and the Yasukuni Shrine in Japan. However, when gazing over these war monuments, one does not instantly think of the influences of earlier times and creations that were integral to their design. This article, the first in a two-part series, will consider ancient Roman influence on the construction of two specific modern war monuments.[1] Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in Architecture, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Politics, Public Life, War and Violence

Tagged ancient architecture, ancient history, ancient monuments, AntiquityNOW, Arc de Triomphe, Nelson's Column, Trajan's Column, war monuments

Girl Be Heard: Across Borders

Posted on June 20, 2014 | Leave a comment

We want to congratulate our partner, Girl Be Heard, on their Girl Be Heard Across Borders Conference tour taking place June 9th-July 9^th. The schedule is packed with performances, workshops, talkbacks, social activities and more, all of which are intended to give a voice to women in conflict. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in AntiquityNOW News, Blog, Crime, Culture, Human Rights, Politics, Public Life, War and Violence

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Girl Be Heard, human rights, violence, women in conflict

The Egyptian Uprising and the Future of Antiquity: An Interview with Zahi Hawass

Posted on February 6, 2014 | 6 comments

For years Zahi Hawass was a superstar among Egyptologists and one would say, archaeologists in general. Even those who weren’t archaeologists or in related fields were familiar with him. Not only did he have his own program on the History Channel, he appeared frequently on shows on the Discovery and National Geographic channels. He was an author and a passionate advocate for cultural preservation. Held in favor by the Egyptian government—even appointed as the Minister of Antiquities in 2011 by President Hosni Mubarak—he was lauded for raising Egypt’s profile in the world. However, fortune and politics can be lethal twins. After the toppling of the Mubarak government, Hawass became a persona non grata in his own country. He lost his TV show, was arrested by the Egyptian government (and later released) and was heaved unceremoniously out of his office and the spotlight. And with the ongoing unrest in Egypt, he has much to ponder as to the future of his country and the fate of Egyptian heritage. Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Blog, Celebrities, Crime, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Politics, Public Life, War and Violence

Tagged ancient history, antiquities, AntiquityNOW, archaeology, cultural preservation, Egypt, Egyptology, Hosni Mubarak, interview, looting, Zahi Hawass

Image

In Remembrance

Leave a comment

Posted on December 7, 2013 in Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Politics, Public Life, War and Violence

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, apartheid, freedom, human rights, Nelson Mandela, slavery, South Africa

Terrorism in the Ancient World: Part 2

Posted on November 19, 2013 | 3 comments

In the modern age, terrorism dominates the news headlines more frequently than we would like, and yet the term and its use are often relatively employed and dependent upon the parties involved. This is, in part, due to the fact that the term terrorism is politically and emotionally charged, “a word with intrinsically negative connotations that is generally applied to one’s enemies and opponents.”[1] For this article, terrorism will be defined as the “political violence in an asymmetrical conflict that is designed to induce terror and psychic fear (sometimes indiscriminate) through the violent victimisation and destruction of non-combatant targets (sometimes iconic symbols).”[2] Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in Blog, Culture, Human Rights, Politics, Public Life, Religion, War and Violence

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Great Fire of Rome, Hashashin, Iceni, Jewish-Roman Wars, Nero, Queen Boudica, Sicarii, terrorism