Wheat has been cultivated as a crop for thousands of years, sustaining many cultures through time. It has often been referred to as the “mother of all grains” for its importance, and even today is used in a wide range of products that supports the economies of countries around the world. Continue reading
Fact or Fiction? Ancient Grain
Happy Diwali from AntiquityNOW!
The 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!
Posted in Blog, Holidays, Public Life
Tagged ancient holidays, AntiquityNOW, Diwali, Diwali greetings, festival of lights, Happy Diwali
The Slavery Project Presented at the National Council for the Social Studies in New Orleans
The 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
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Sundae Day
I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream! It’s National Sundae Day and you know what that means… cool, creamy, delicious sundaes served with a topping of ancient history. Did you know that Hot Fudge Sundaes have ancient origins? Check out our blog post, Hot Fudge Sundae: A Dessert 5,000 Years in the Making, to learn more about this yummy combination of past and present. And don’t miss our version written just for kids here. Continue reading
Zombie Apocalypse, Part 3: Emergency Preparedness and the End of Life As We Know It (We’re Not Kidding)
In 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
Zombie Apocalypse, Part 2: Zombies and Pop Culture
In 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
Posted in Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Literature, Public Life, Science and Technology, Science Fiction
Tagged ancient history, ancient zombies, AntiquityNOW, George A. Romero, jiang shi, kyonshi, Martin Luther King, Night of the Living Dead, ro-langs, The Walking Dead, vetala, zombie, zombie apocalypse
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Sesame Balls (Jian Dui)
Chewy and crispy, sweet and savory, this ancient Chinese treat has it all. Today we’re bringing you a recipe sure to delight even the pickiest of palates. Sesame balls, Jian Dui, date back to the Tang Dynasty (7th century CE) in China. These round pastries were a popular palace food in Chang’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty.[1] Not surprisingly, as people migrated across China, they brought Sesame Balls with them and the recipe persisted from century to century. Continue reading
Happy Halloween from AntiquityNOW!
Maybe 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.
Zombie Apocalypse, Part 1: The Lamentable History of Zombies
What 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
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Amaranth Leaves
Today we’re bringing you another ancient African super vegetable, amaranth leaves. You may be thinking, “Didn’t they already do a Bon Appetit Wednesday article about amaranth?” The answer is “Yes!” Bon Appetit Wednesday! Popping Up Some Ancient Amaranth was about the ancient use of the amaranth grain in the Americas. The amazing thing about amaranth is that it was used in a completely different way in ancient Africa. It was and continues to be a very popular green vegetable, called a potherb. The leaves are boiled, sometimes with other green leafy veggies, and provide numerous vitamins and minerals. As is the case with many ancient food staples, amaranth grows quickly and easily in many habitats so it was perfect for those needing an inexpensive and healthy meal.[1] In fact, the word “amaranth” actually comes from the ancient Greek word meaning “life everlasting.”[2] Continue reading
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