Christmas is a celebration with ancient roots and shared customs across many cultures. Mythology, religion and politics have through the millennia influenced how Christmas became what it is today. And let’s not forget the role that marketing has played in making this holiday a worldwide phenomenon. (Don’t miss our blog series on the history of marketing). But a newer celebration has taken off in recent years—Christmas in July. Many think it’s a marketing scheme launched to clear out old merchandise and prepare for new products. But Christmas in July has a much older derivation: Continue reading
Happy Christmas in July!
Fact or Fiction? Ancient Chewing Gum
Whether it’s bubblegum, mint, cinnamon or fruity flavors, chewing gum is one of the world’s most ubiquitous habits with nearly 100,000 tons consumed per year.
Did you know that chewing gum is almost 5oo years old and used to be made out of tree leaves?
Fact or Fiction?
HOVER YOUR CURSOR HERE TO SEE THE ANSWER
*Click here to read more about the history of chewing gum. And click here to read our Kids’ Blog version.
Posted in Blog, Culture, Kids Blog, Kids: Culture
Tagged ancient gum, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, birch bark, chewing gum, Fact or Fiction, mastic, mastiche, sap, tree resin
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Globuli, Ancient Fried Cheese Curds
Before we get started on this week’s delectable dish, we have an update to last week’s Bon Appetit Wednesday! post about hot dogs and eating contests. On the fourth of July, in a huge upset, Matt Stonie delighted fans by dethroning the current champion of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. Jaws was going for his ninth straight victory at this long time Coney Island, NY event. Click here to watch all of the heart-stopping action (we debated on using this pun—really). Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient cheese curds, ancient food, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, cheese curds, fried cheese, globuli, Roman recipes
The Slavery Project Part 2: In the Eye of the Beholder
J.M.W. Turner’s “The Slave Ship”
As we discussed in Part I: In the Eye of the Beholder, The Slavery Project (TSP) is an ongoing, interactive series of modules that incorporates lesson plans along select historical plotlines detailing slavery in a particular society during a specific period. TSP is designed to provide students an immersive experience where a culture is explored according to the social, cultural, political and economic conditions of the time. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Crime, Culture, Education, Kids Blog, Public Life, War and Violence
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, curriculum, Minecraft, Olaudah Equiano, slave ship, slavery, social studies
AntiquityNOW Wishes You a Happy and Safe Fourth of July!
Planning on enjoying fireworks? Read our blog post, “The History of Fireworks: Celebrating Life’s Moments in Color, Light and Sound,” to learn more about the history of fireworks!
Or, if you have kids or students, check out our annotated Kids’ Blog, “Boom! Pow! Whizzz!: The History of Fireworks,” packed with fun facts and great activities!
Posted in Blog, Holidays, Public Life, Recreation
Tagged AntiquityNOW, fireworks, Fourth of July
Bon Appetit Wednesday! A Roman Pig, Hot Dogs, Eating Contests and Four Patriots: Happy July 4th
This weekend on July 4th, the United States celebrates its independence. There are pool parties, picnics, concerts in the park, fireworks and most importantly, food! Perhaps the most ubiquitous food on the fourth is the hotdog. Chicago-style, New York-style or just backyard cookout style, the hotdog takes the spotlight. And we aren’t content with eating just one hotdog, we have entire eating contests. Today, we’re bringing you a delicious recipe for a hotdog dish that you can serve for Independence Day breakfast, lunch or dinner. First, let’s learn a bit about the history of the hotdog and the eating contests that bring us together during this celebration. Continue reading
“Is It Time to Rethink Our Ideas About Preserving World Heritage?” A Provocative Question in Dire Times
The Financial Times’ recent article, “Is It Time to Rethink Our Ideas About Preserving World Heritage?” by Jonathan Foyle, explores whether in the face of the ongoing destruction of cultural heritage from natural disasters and “human aggression, theft and errors of judgment,” new ways of preserving our heritage should be sought. Continue reading
Posted in AntiquityNOW Forum, Blog, Crime, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Natural Disasters, Politics, Public Life, Religion, War and Violence
Tagged 3D printing, ancient crafts, ancient history, ancient skills, ancient traditions, antiquities black market, AntiquityNOW, cultural heritage, cultural heritage protection, Jonathan Foyle, laser surveying, looting, New York TImes, preservation
Strata: Portraits of Humanity, Episode 8, “Betty’s Hope”
“Betty’s Hope,” the latest entry in the video news-magazine series Strata: Portraits of Humanity, produced by AntiquityNOW’s partner, Archaeological Legacy Institute, considers what we learn about past lives when we peel back the layers of history. Sugar plantations were incredibly important to the New World’s trade and expansion, and gave rise to certain political, social and economic institutions that we may find unusual or even repulsive today. The Caribbean island of Antigua sat at the crossroads of the first transatlantic economy. This documentary is about how a sugar plantation, called Betty’s Hope, was started in 1650 during colonial rule and gave many Antiguans economic support. This plantation was owned by Sir Christopher Codrington, the governor of the Leeward Islands, and lasted from 1674 to 1944. Today, the plantation is no longer operational and archaeologists use meticulous methods to uncover stories that would otherwise be silent forever. Strata: Portraits of Humanity is a monthly half-hour video series available online and on select cable channels. Strata is a showcase for unique and diverse stories about the world’s cultural heritage. Stories come from across the globe with segments produced by Archaeological Legacy Institute and dozens of producer and distributor partners around the world. Click on the image below to view the program on The Archaeology Channel and scroll down to see the curriculum developed by AntiquityNOW to accompany this episode’s video. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Dairy Month
It’s National Dairy Month in the United States and since the use of dairy in food has a long and rich history throughout antiquity, we thought we’d bring you a recap of some delicious and nutritious ways that ancient civilizations got things cookin’ with dairy! Continue reading
The Slavery Project Part 1: In the Eye of the Beholder
Roman collared slaves. Marble relief, from Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey), 200 CE.
Collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England.
Slavery has been part of the human condition for centuries. Although largely outlawed in modern times, human bondage still exists today in various forms, including sexual trafficking, domestic servitude and illegal work conditions. Why has slavery been an accepted part of numerous civilizations through time? Why does slavery continue to exist today in various forms around the world? Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Crime, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Law, Public Life
Tagged ancient history, ancient slavery, AntiquityNOW, Bernard Means, Minecraft, minecraft curricula, Peter Albert, slave, slavery, slaves, social studies, The Slavery Project
AntiquityNOW 