Category Archives: Human Rights

Cheers! It’s AntiquityNOW Month: Celebrate With Beer, the Most Feminine of Beverages

Posted on May 1, 2014 | 2 comments

May is AntiquityNOW Month. Throughout the next four weeks we will bring you stories about the surprising ways that antiquity lives today. And to get in the mood, here’s a take on the beer-swilling antecedents that have united us through the millennia. (Click here for suggestions for teachers and everyone else on ways to celebrate AntiquityNOW Month.)

Cheers! National Homebrew Day in the United States is this Saturday, but before you sip, take a good look at that golden liquid and know that if it weren’t for women, the bubbly elixir would likely be nothing but a musty pile of grain. The beer industry today is dominated by men. Women account for only 10 percent of professional brewers, and represent just a sliver of all homebrewers.[1] But ancient history reveals that, as far back as 4,000 years ago (and probably further), brewing was done primarily by women. Continue reading →

2 Comments

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

Tagged Alan Eames, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, AntiquityNOW month, beer, craft beer, Hathor, homebrewed, Martha Jefferson, Mesopotamia, National Homebrew Day, Ninkasi

It’s National Poetry Month! Ancient Poetry and the Created Self: From Early Epics to Afghan Women’s Landays

Posted on April 24, 2014 | 2 comments

Marble terminal bust of Homer. Roman copy of a lost Hellenistic original of the 2nd c. BC. From Baiae, Italy. In the British Museum.

Throughout time, poetry has been one of the most evocative of art forms. From ritual chanting and epic histories to love sonnets and modern free verse, poetry has represented the essence of what it is to be human. Since April is National Poetry Month in the United States, let’s take a look at the origins of this artistic device. As well, we’ll observe a unique poetry tradition recast with a 21^st century perspective. We’ll see how poetry is giving voice to women in Afghanistan, who as with early cultures that forged their identities in verse, are tapping the extraordinary power of poetry to create their own sense of “self.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Anatomy and Physiology, Blog, Communications, Culture, Human Rights, Literature, Music, Public Life, Religion

Tagged Aeneid, Afghanistan, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Aristotle, Epic of Gilgamesh, Iliad, landay, Mahabharata, Odyssey, Poetics, poetry, Ramayana, veda, Virgil

A Place Called Home: Earth Day, Ecopsychology and an Urban Legend

Posted on April 22, 2014 | Leave a comment

What is this connection with the earth that we humans cling to so tenaciously? As a species we obviously are dependent on the air to breathe, the water and soil that nurture us, the sun whose fiery presence holds us in its eternal circle. But the earth is more than the elements that give us life. The earth holds millions of memories in the folds of its mountains, across the tapestry of its lands and in the rhythmic singing of its seas. For we as humans attach ourselves to this earth, not just for nurturance, but by the profound evocations of time, memory and place. Continue reading →

AntiquityNOW Celebrates the Arts on National Arts Advocacy Day!

Posted on March 25, 2014 | Leave a comment

It’s the 27th annual National Arts Advocacy Day and there are plenty of ways to participate and support the arts wherever you are:

Ask your members of Congress to support the arts. Visit the E-Advocacy Center to send a message in less than two minutes directly to your Representative and Senators telling them why the arts are important to you and your community. Take two minutes and send your message to Congress today!
Become an official member of the Arts Action Fund. It’s free and easy to join.

AntiquityNOW also provides ways to support the arts. Subscribe to the AntiquityNOW newsletter and visit our home page to subscribe to the blog. Visit our Today’s Muse section to see how the ancient arts continue to inspire the arts today.

The Disneyfication of Pocahontas and the True Story of Uleleh

Posted on March 11, 2014 | 1 comment

The story of Pocahontas has all the elements of a good drama: danger, the threat of great cruelty, bravery, a hint of romance and prevailing mercy. Who doesn’t like to imagine a beautiful young Native American princess shielding a handsome English soldier just as a warrior’s club is raised to deliver a deadly blow? Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in Art, Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Human Rights, Public Life, Recreation

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Disney, Hernando DeSoto, John Smith, Juan Ortiz, native american, Pocahontas, Uleleh

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

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In Remembrance

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

Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World

Posted on November 14, 2013 | 5 comments

*This post was originally published on October 1, 2013. Don’t miss a new article about ancient warfare coming next Tuesday, November 19th. The new post will focus on terrorism throughout antiquity.

Soldiers drill in their gas masks during WWI.

Chemical warfare has been a hot topic recently due to the ongoing crisis in Syria. This is just the latest of numerous modern-day examples when nations have implemented chemical weapons to further their own agendas. The most memorable examples are World War I, World War II and the Iran-Iraq War. Unfortunately, the use of chemical weapons dates back a lot earlier than the beginning of the 20^th century–namely 10,000 BCE. Continue reading →

5 Comments

Posted in Blog, Culture, Human Rights, Science and Technology, War and Violence

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, chemical warfare, gas, Greeks, poison, San, Syria, toxikon

Cultural Racketeering and Why it Matters: Robbing the World of History

Posted on November 7, 2013 | 2 comments

*Below is a Huffington Post article by Deborah Lehr, Chair of the Capitol Archaeological Institute. AntiquityNOW is an affiliate of the Institute. The article raises critical points elucidating the nexus of cultural heritage, economic viability and criminal racketeering—issues reflecting a sad and ancient saga of looted treasures and lost inheritance.

Many of us are familiar with crimes committed by organized gangs, from drug running, the weapons trade, to the sex trade. However, there is one kind of crime, the looting and trade of antiquities that is on par with these abhorrent black market businesses, yet seldom discussed. The illegal trade in art and antiquities or cultural racketeering is one of the top five most profitable illegal global businesses. It ravages cultural icons and deprives local communities of their heritage. If we don’t take a stand, we are not just allowing these criminals to steal our common history, but also the future economic potential of these communities. Continue reading →

2 Comments

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

Tagged ancient history, antiquities, AntiquityNOW, Black market, Capitol Archaeological Institute, cultural preservation, cultural racketeering, George Washington University, looting