Category Archives: Public Life

Happy Diwali from AntiquityNOW!

Posted on November 13, 2015 | Leave a comment

Diwali_fireworks_and_lighting_celebrations_India_2012The five days of Diwali began on Wednesday, November 11th and will continue through this Sunday, so there’s plenty of time to celebrate this ancient festival of lights.

Click here to read our kids’ blog post about Diwali, complete with a Diwali toolkit from the Hindu American Society and delicious recipes for seven Diwali desserts.

And take a moment to browse through this slideshow of the festival of lights being celebrated around the world.

Happy Diwali! We wish you a year full of prosperity and opportunity!

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Posted in Blog, Holidays, Public Life

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The Slavery Project Presented at the National Council for the Social Studies in New Orleans

Posted on November 12, 2015 | 1 comment

NCSSThe Big Easy is hosting the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) annual conference this week, and AntiquityNOW will be presenting The Slavery Project (TSP) at one of the sessions.

Shirley K. Gazsi, president of AntiquityNOW, and Bernard Means, PhD., director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory at Virginia Commonwealth University, will be speaking about the series of curricula looking at the ancient and tragic history of slavery. Continue reading →

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

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Zombie Apocalypse, Part 3: Emergency Preparedness and the End of Life As We Know It (We’re Not Kidding)

Posted on November 10, 2015 | Leave a comment

zombie preparednessIn Zombie Apocalypse Part 1:  The Lamentable History of Zombies and Zombie Apocalypse, Part 2: Zombies and Pop Culture, we looked at how zombies became the current phenomenon of choice. We also examined the allure of spine-tingling fear and the chemistry of why we love to be frightened.  After all, it’s a suspension of reality. It’s just great fun.

Or so you thought. Continue reading →

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Posted in Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Blog, Culture, Healing Arts, Natural Disasters, Public Life, Science and Technology, Science Fiction

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Zombie Apocalypse, Part 2: Zombies and Pop Culture

Posted on November 5, 2015 | 1 comment

Night of the Living DeadIn Zombie Apocalypse, Part 1: The Lamentable History of Zombies we examined the backstory of zombies and how Haitian voodoo and African mythology contributed to their embedding in religious and cultural beliefs. Today we are exploring how the zombie became a pop culture phenomenon. Continue reading →

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Posted in Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Literature, Public Life, Science and Technology, Science Fiction

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Happy Halloween from AntiquityNOW!

Posted on October 31, 2015 | Leave a comment

sweet-314234_640Maybe you’re adding the finishing touches to a costume you’ve been hand-sewing for weeks or maybe you’re scrambling to find last-minute costume ideas on the internet. Perhaps you’re preparing to observe an ancient Samhain or perhaps you’re headed to a modern Halloween bash. No matter how you plan to celebrate tonight’s festivities, it’s almost certainly going to involve delicious treats. Feasting on this night is nothing new. Check out our post The Colorful Past of Halloween Treats to learn more about the ancient origins of this holiday and more importantly, the food!

Also, don’t miss this fascinating slideshow of Halloween being celebrated all over the world.

And here’s a recipe for adorable mini ghost cupcakes.

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Posted in Blog, Culinary, Holidays

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Zombie Apocalypse, Part 1: The Lamentable History of Zombies

Posted on October 30, 2015 | 2 comments

zombieWhat is it about zombies that is so fascinating? The Walking Dead, a TV program now in its sixth season and the “world’s #1 show”[1], delivers a dystopic picture of a society beset by a virus that turns people into zombies. Its spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead, was a ratings winner upon its debut in summer 2015. Putting a new spin on an age-old plague story, these two shows build upon the premise that everyone somehow became infected, and that the virus lies dormant until death, when the corpse is reanimated unless a catastrophic brain injury is sustained. Drawing from this concept, the writers have crafted some intriguing twists and turns. Both shows have strong storylines and character development. Fans are rabid about the plot unfoldings, even when they diverge from the original comic books. Marketers have had a great run with all things zombie and rumor is some people are even reading again. So maybe it’s a lot of comic books but a range of zombie tomes has also joined the enviable list of beloved vampire and werewolf tales. Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Biology, Blog, Culture, Public Life, Recreation, Science and Technology, Science Fiction, War and Violence

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DON’T MISS OUT! Call for Entries for 2016 LegacyQuest International Children’s Film and Video Festival

Posted on October 19, 2015 | Leave a comment

LegacyQuest large logo blue border

Letter of Intent Deadline- December 11, 2015

Final Entry Submission Deadline- February 26, 2016

Not sure how to get started with your LegacyQuest video submission? We’re here to help! First, check out our page called Tips for Making a Video for LegacyQuest. Next, think about what interest and excites you. Do you like art, science, cooking, video games, reading…? Whatever your passion, there’s a fascinating link to the past that you can explore. Feel free to contact us for help getting inspired to make the best video ever!

View our invitational video below and visit our webpage for details about the festival and how your students can get involved!

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Posted in Blog, Education, Kids Blog, Kids: Education

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The Believing of Seeing, Part 2: The World of a Modern Day Psychic

Posted on October 16, 2015 | Leave a comment
An Oracle Turtle Shell. Tortoise plastron with divination inscription from the Shang dynasty, dating to the reign of King Wu Ding. Held at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

An Oracle Turtle Shell. Tortoise plastron with divination inscription from the Shang dynasty, dating to the reign of King Wu Ding. Held at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

In Part 1 of The Believing of Seeing, we examined the Oracle of Delphi and its importance in the ancient world. Today we meet a modern day psychic who shares with us her own insights into her gift of foresight.

Jeannie Reed is a professional psychic with an international clientele. For thirty years she has practiced her craft. She believes that each of us has psychic ability that only needs to be nurtured and developed to be realized. Below she describes her awakening as a professional reader and the evolution of her ability to see what others cannot. Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Communications, Healing Arts, Psychology, Public Life, Religion, Science and Technology

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The Believing of Seeing, Part 1: The Oracle of Delphi

Posted on October 15, 2015 | 1 comment
Priestess of Delphi (1891), as imagined by John Collier; the Pythia is inspired by pneuma rising from below as she sits on a tripod.

Priestess of Delphi (1891), as imagined by John Collier; the Pythia is inspired by pneuma rising from below as she sits on a tripod.

This time of year we love to explore all things unexplainable. But while Halloween has become a marketer’s dream, the spirits and forces that we mimic and parody in costumes and lawn ornaments are the stuff that defined ancient lives. Fear of the unknown, obeisance to light and dark forces and importunities to celestial powers were all seminal to the rise and fall of cultures around the world. For this reason, those individuals who had prescient powers were held in particularly high regard. The Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece is perhaps one of the most famous of these ancient seers. Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Culture, Psychology, Public Life, Religion, Science and Technology, Science Fiction

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Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Dessert Day

Posted on October 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

tiger nut sweets editOctober is a month packed with celebrations of culinary delights. Last week we sampled the ancient and delicious history of seafood and today we’re honoring our sweet tooth. Humanity has always loved to indulge in something deliciously decadent. From Cleopatra’s favorite Tiger Nut Sweets to the Mesopotamian Palace Cakes of Ur, there are so many wondrous ways to enjoy dessert spiced with a bit of antiquity. Below you’ll find the recipe for Tiger Nut Sweets, also called Dulcis Coccora, along with a list of some of our favorite Bon Appetit Wednesday dessert recipes. Happy National Dessert Day! Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life

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