Summer Solstice, Stonehenge and Pagan Britain
June 21st is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It is also the one day of the year that Stonehenge is…
Ancient History
Bookshop of the Month: British Museum Bookshop
The British Museum in London is a true mecca for lovers of world history and archaeology. This summer, exhibitions at the museum range from The…
Pliny and the Artistic Culture of the Italian Renaissance
Pliny’s Natural History (A.D. 77-79) served as an indispensable guide to and exemplar of the ideals of art for Renaissance artists, patrons, and theorists….
Ginkgo: A Few Amazing Facts
Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years. A living link to the age…
‘Bonsai: A Patient Art’. A collection of living Bonsai masterpieces from the renowned collection of the Chicago Botanic Garden
Bonsai: A Patient Art, published by Yale University Press, presents a collection of living Bonsai masterpieces from the renowned collection of the Chicago Botanic…
‘Is the Secularization of America Really a Big Deal?’ by Brent Nongbri
A recent poll conducted in the US indicated that a growing proportion of adults have no religious affiliation, but does this matter? Brent Nongbri, the author…
London 2012 versus Athens 388 B.C.: Interview with Neil Faulkner
It’s only a few days until the London 2012 Olympic Games kicks off, but where did it all begin, and how has it changed…
The pseudo-history of the Shroud of Turin: Author article by Charles Freeman
Charles Freeman is a top expert in the ancient world and its legacy. His book Holy Bones, Holy Dust: How Relics Shaped the History of Medieval…
Beyond the Pharaohs: Met exhibition and catalogue explores the surprising origins of Ancient Egyptian art
The groundbreaking exhibition The Dawn of Egyptian Art opened at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this week. The show explores the origins of Egyptian…
London 2012 versus Athens 388 B.C.: Interview with Neil Faulkner
It’s only a few months until the London 2012 Olympic Games kicks off this summer, but where did it all begin, and how has…
War Without the Shooting: Neil Faulkner discusses the ancient Greek Olympics in a video interview
A Visitor’s Guide to the Ancient Olympics transports the reader to the games of 388 B.C., providing a lively guided tour of the ancient Greek…
Ancient Olympic Boxing, A Sickening Spectacle: Neil Faulkner reads from ‘A Visitor’s Guide to the Ancient Olympics’
Were the ancient Olympic games anything like the competitions we know today? Neil Faulkner’s A Visitor’s Guide to the Ancient Olympics transports us to the games…
Whose Games are they anyway? Author article by Neil Faulkner
Neil Faulkner is the author of A Visitor’s Guide to the Ancient Olympics, to be published soon by Yale University Press. In this regular blog,…
Author article by Neil Faulkner: Bread and Circuses (but without the bread)
Neil Faulkner is the author of A Visitor’s Guide to the Ancient Olympics, to be published soon by Yale University Press. Over the next…