Monster Mash by Dan Fenelon
Dan Fenelon, AntiquityNOW’s Virtual Artist in Residence, looks to the past to feed his boundless imagination. He reaches in to antiquity and plucks inspiration from many ancient cultures to create a new art that is both modern and timeless. Two of the civilizations that inspire him are the Mayas and the Aztecs. Both flourished for thousands of years and created some of the most beautiful and recognizable works of art and architecture. Continue reading
Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Kids Blog, Kids: Art, Kids: Culture
Tagged ancient art, AntiquityNOW, AntiquityNOW month, art history, Aztec, Dan Fenelon, Maya, Mesoamerican
Today, we celebrate the earth and we think about all the ways we can help to cherish and protect it. We have come so far in our efforts to develop new ways of preserving our planet and with modern technology our carbon footprints are getting smaller every day, but the concepts that allow us to “go green” actually date back tens of thousands of years.
You can learn all about “seven incredibly innovative uses of geothermal, water, wind and solar power from around the ancient world” in the fascinating article 7 Ancient Wonders of Green Design & Technology from WebEcoist.
As you celebrate today’s earth, remember the ancients who cared for and protected their planet and provided us with the blueprints to do the same.
Posted in Biology, Blog, Culture, Engineering, Science and Technology
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Earth Day, green, preservation, technology
Dan Fenelon’s art blends an infusion of pop, cartooning, modernism and tribalism along with an explosion of vibrant colors.
Influenced by cartoons from the time he was a child, his art has a whimsy and fantasy that can be embraced by children and adults alike. The viewer becomes lost in a phantasmagorical world of dancing figures and prancing animals, floating skulls and geometric faces, curvilinear lines and mosaic-like backgrounds, ancient symbols resonating with a post-modern sensibility. It’s a tangled web of delight and astonishment that lures you deep within this art form, and you emerge breathless from the netherworld of Dan’s imagination.
Look for upcoming announcements regarding our partnership with Dan. And take a look at the video below to see Dan’s unique view of ancient imaginings.
Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Fashion
Tagged ancient history, antiquity, AntiquityNOW, art history, Aztec, Dan Fenelon, inca, Maya, modern art
Decorated Easter eggs
This Sunday, millions of children will be on the hunt for Easter eggs. While Easter eggs are associated with Christianity, the egg as a symbol of spring is found in cultures around the world and has been associated with renewed life for thousands of years. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Public Life, Religion
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Easter, spring
It’s Valentine’s Day. Moonlight and roses, chocolate and Hallmark cards… ahhh, the power of love. But why do we love? What is that irresistible draw to the heart and soul of another human being?
For such a popular holiday, Valentine’s Day is marked by an interesting historical fact—we’re not really sure of its true origins. The actual St. Valentine is a martyred figure associated with three stories from the early Christian Church. In one, St. Valentine was a Christian priest thrown into a Roman prison for preaching his beliefs. On February 14, he was beheaded not only for disputing Roman deities but also for allegedly curing the jailer’s daughter of blindness—a miracle not looked kindly upon by the Romans trying to suppress the upstart religion. His farewell letter to the jailer’s daughter, signed “From your Valentine,” and the letters he received and sent from jail to the friends who cared for him supposedly began the exchange of notes of affection for this holiday. Continue reading
Posted in Biology, Blog, Holidays, Public Life, Science and Technology
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, brain, Claudius, history, Roman, St. Valentine, valentine's day
Detail of the Villa Borghese gladiator mosaic, 4th century CE
The stadium is hot, packed with roaring fans ready to cheer for their favorite players. Above the din, vendors are screaming out what foods and souvenirs are for sale. The city is festooned with colorful advertisements sporting muscle-bound celebrities endorsing the latest products. Super Bowl 2013? Think again. It’s actually ancient Rome. As the doors open, the gladiators emerge, boldly strutting onto the field for the day’s games. The crowd goes wild, Roman BCE-style. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Public Life, Sports
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, football, gladiators, history, Pompeii, Super Bowl
This is the worst flu season since 2010, and we haven’t even hit the official peak of the season, which is typically in February.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is calling the outbreak an epidemic. According to Curtis Allen, spokesperson for the CDC, “When the H3N2 virus circulates, we tend to have a more severe season. It can cause more hospitalizations and kill more people ages 65 and over.” In fact, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency and ABC named Boston a “city under flu crisis.” Continue reading
Posted in Biology, Blog, Healing Arts, Science and Technology
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Athenian plague, CDC, history, influenza, Justinian plague, plague
Do you instantly share your amazing dinner on Instagram? Post about your political opinion on Facebook? Find a liked-minded community through LinkedIn? Perhaps our ancestors had similar feelings about their social networking systems.
While part of online social networking is creating an identity, the main purpose is to create connections with others and add to the conversation. In today’s hypercaffeinated online world, we get excited if a celebrity or important organization re-tweets us. We feel part of something, connected to a person or idea that expands our sense of self. Continue reading
Posted in Art, Blog, Communications, Culture, Politics, Public Life
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, graffiti, history, politics, Pompeii, social media
Image courtesy Krzysztof Grzymski
It is resolution time! Popular culture and media are booming with ideas for weight loss– Dr. Oz’s green shakes, CNN’s stories of inspiration, The Biggest Loser’s dedication to stopping childhood obesity and countless advertisements for gym memberships. According to the website Statistic Brain, resolutions to lose weight ranked number one on a list of top resolutions in 2012 and it is safe to assume 2013 will be no different. Continue reading
Posted in Beauty, Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Public Life
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, beauty, Candace, Egypt, Hatshepsut, history, Kush, Meroe, obesity
Imagine celebrating the New Year on Halloween. Ghosts, costumes, candy, parties, fortune tellers, bonfires- and champagne toasts at midnight! Our modern Halloween was not always about trick or treating and carving pumpkins. It was influenced by numerous other traditions, including the celebration of the Celtic New Year.
Modern day offerings for the Samhain festival. Image courtesy of Avia Venefica on Flickr.
The largest influence on our modern Halloween is Samhain: the Celtic New Year celebration that fell roughly on October 31st – November 1st. Celts believed that on the evening of the New Year souls of the dead could return to Earth. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Holidays, Public Life
Tagged All Saints Day, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Celtic, Halloween, history, New Year, Parentalia, Samhain
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