It’s the height of summer in the northern hemisphere where the lazy sun brings us long, hot days of outdoor activities, friends and family, vacations and lots of relaxation. Today it’s just a weed, but once upon a time nothing said summer like the dandelion and the year’s first batch of dandelion wine. Nowadays, we fight these plants to keep them from invading our perfectly manicured summer lawns, but these tiny pieces of sunshine have been valued by many civilizations since ancient times. This week we’re bringing you a recipe for dandelion wine so you can bottle your own bit of sunshine. But first, let’s find out why the dandelion has been so popular through history and how it lost its status in our modern society. Continue reading
Tag Archives: ancient history
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Bottle the Taste of Summer with Dandelion Wine
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Healing Arts, Science and Technology
Tagged Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, ancient history, Ancient Persians, ancient recipes, Ancient Rome, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, dandelion, dandelion wine, medicinal plants, Vineland New Jersey
Exploring LegacyQuest 2014! Competition on the Ancient Roman Runway
This week we’re bringing you another fantastic LegacyQuest Honorable Mention film entry from The Baldwin School in Pennsylvania. It’s a high stakes competition show that would fit perfectly on any modern network. Based on the popular Project Runway and Who Wore It Best, this video keeps you on the edge of your seat as ancient fashion is compared to modern stylings. This film was created by middle school students Jada, Erica, Campbell, Talia and Sammy under the guidance of their teacher, Preston Bannard. Continue reading
Graffiti From Ancient to Modern Times: Memorialization, Human Expression and the Art That Will Not Die
Credit: Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project
Graffiti has been around since time immemorial. From ancient caves to carved mountainsides to splendiferous murals, pictures have been splashed and carved on walls and surfaces throughout time and across cultures. Self-expression, political agitation, vendettas, advertisements—all reasons for some to bring out the paint and depict what moves them most. There is something inherently primal in the need to memorialize one’s self and time. Indeed, graffiti’s immediacy and rawness of expression can astonish, whether found deep in the caves of Lascaux or in the modern day artistic gyrations of the anonymous British artist Banksy. Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Origins, Art, Blog, Communications, Culture, Public Life
Tagged ancient graffiti, ancient history, Ancient Origins, AntiquityNOW, education, Lincolnshire, medieval graffiti
Exploring LegacyQuest 2014! Your Own VIP Pass to an Ancient Fashion Week
This week’s featured video is another Honorable Mention from The Baldwin School in Pennsylvania. Complete with ancient models, ancient advertisements and most importantly ancient fashion, viewers get a VIP pass to an ancient Greco-American Fashion Week. This clever film was created by middle school students Alexa May, Lindsey, Caroline, Anna and Sasha with the help and inspiration of their teacher, Jeannette Keshishian. Continue reading
Mulan: The Journey From Ancient Tale to Disney Blockbuster
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
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Celebrate Germany’s World Cup Win with Ancient Sauerkraut
In honor of Germany’s World Cup win last Sunday, we’re featuring a truly German food: sauerkraut! The recipe this week is Never Enough Pork Beer-Braised Sauerkraut and it is perfect for a hearty, German feast. You might be surprised to find however, that sauerkraut did not originate in Germany or anywhere in Europe. Its roots grow out of the East. Continue reading
Exploring LegacyQuest 2014! Building a 21st Century Soccer Stadium Using Tips From 1st Century Rome
This week’s featured video is from The Baldwin School in Pennsylvania and received an Honorable Mention. Viewers are taken to a modern construction site where the architectural features of the past are shown to inspire the present. The ingenious film was created by middle school students Margaret, Emma (Karly), Charisma and Paige with the help and inspiration of their teacher, Preston Bannard. Continue reading
One Museum’s Quest to Preserve Niger’s Precious Cultural Heritage
Boubou Hama National Museum
Niger does not get a lot of press when it comes to the protection of its cultural heritage. Often it is overshadowed by news about antiquities from its neighbor to the south, Nigeria, and the restitution of the Benin Bronzes taken from that region. However, the people of Niger are proud of their heritage and want to protect and preserve it. One man in particular, Maki Garba from the Boubou Hama National Museum, contacted AntiquityNOW, eager to share the work that’s being done at the museum to ensure that Niger’s past is not lost. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Culture, Education, Public Life
Tagged Africa, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Boubou Hama National Museum, Maki Garba, National Museum of Niger, Niger, Sahara, Tenere Desert
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Bacon Pemmican: A Modern Twist on Ancient Native American Jerky
Preparing pemmican.
Summer road trips are a family tradition this time of year. But along with the fun comes mile after mile and hour after hour in close quarters. Even experienced travelers can become quite frazzled. That’s why it’s important to pack lots of food and snacks to keep everyone happy. One of the best traveling foods is jerky. Yes, you heard that right. Full of flavor and nutrition, jerky is easy to pack and won’t spoil in those hot summer temperatures. This year, why not make your own delicious jerky as the Native Americans have done for thousands of years. Pemmican, a dried meat recipe that also sustained the Canadian fur traders in North America, is all natural and has ancient roots, but this recipe gives it a whole new twist by using bacon instead of beef or buffalo. Continue reading
Exploring LegacyQuest 2014! Time Travel: Greek and Roman Architecture
This week we’re featuring another video from a group of students who received an Honorable Mention for their excellent filmmaking efforts. This entry from The Baldwin School in Pennsylvania takes us back in time to Ancient Greece and then fast forwards to Ancient Rome before returning us to the present day, comparing and contrasting architecture throughout the journey. It was created by middle school students Armina, Gloria, Jordyn and Vivienne (Vivi) with the help of their teacher, Jeannette Keshishian. Continue reading
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