News on the Ancient World – June 12th

Here is a rundown on News regarding the ancient world, and important anniversaries, from the past month. The news articles were brought to my attention thanks to http://www.ablogabouthistory.com/, a site I definitely recommend you check out if you are interested in reading news regarding history.

Notable Historical Events

-          May 31, of the year 1279BCE is the traditional, and generally assumed, date of the ascension of Ramesses II to the throne of Egypt. His 66 year reign would see the Egyptian Empire rise to its greatest size and power. When one pictures Ancient Egypt and the Egyptian Pharaohs, Ramesses II and his Egyptian Empire is what you are pictures, to the point where he is often depicted in stories set in ancient Egypt with which he had nothing to do(mostly famously several versions of the Exodus story). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rameses_II

-          June 2^nd, of 455CE, is a commonly held date for the beginning of the Vandal Sack of Rome, a event of considerable destruction(hence the term Vandalism being associated with pointless destruction) but some sources say that it was not a particularly bloody one. This Sack of Rome is cited by some historians as being the end of the Roman Empire in the West, if any one date can be called such. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Rome_(455)

-          June 9^th, of 68CE, was the date of the suicide of the Emperor Nero, bringing an end to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty which had ruled the Roman Empire for 99 years. Though Nero had been popular with the common people of the Empire, and still had plenty of support his increasingly fearful and erratic behavior in dealing with the rebellion of Galba in Spain and the disquiet of the German Legions caused the Praetorian Guard to abandon their allegiance and the Senate to declare him an enemy of the state(the first emperor to be so declared). Abandoned by his friends Nero eventually opened his veins. On his death Galba would be declared Emperor, however his severe style of rule would spark a brutal civil war the following year which would see 4 emperors, 3 of them dying, including Galba, before Vespasian would stabilize the Empire, inaugurating the Flavian Dynasty. Despite its severity, the civil war, and Nero’s death itself, would demonstrate the stability of the Roman Imperial Administration, which retained its stability and effectiveness through the rough transition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero#The_revolt_of_Vindex_and_Galba_and_the_death_of_Nero

-          Either June 10^th or 11^th of the year 323BCE marked the death of the Macedonian King Alexander the Great in Babylon at the age of 32. Accounts are unclear as to what exactly he died from, some argue that he was poisoned, others that he died of some illness or another, although most agree that his heavy drinking habit likely indirectly contributed. His young death ensured that no stable Macedonian kingdom came out of his vast conquests as his general soon set about to fighting amongst themselves and formed the Antigonid, Seleucid, and Ptolemaic Kingdoms. The extraordinary things he accomplished in his short life, especially the seizure of the Persian Empire(for he can be more accurately described as having seized control of it from its Achaemenid founders and rulers than having conquered it), and the Hellenistic Culture which came out of his conquest, has ensured that no aspect of his life has not been more exhaustively scrutinized and debated than almost any other figure in history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great

Ancient History News

-          Archaeologists have discovered a clay tablet in the ruins of a 2800 year old Mesopotamian palace with the names of 60 women on it, 45 of which bear no resemblance to any name previously encountered in the region. Since names in the region tended to be composed, all or in part, of everyday words, it is likely that these names are from a previously undiscovered language. The archaeologists who are studying this clay tablet suspect that these 45 women were likely from the northern or central Zagros mountains, before being captured by the Assyrian Empire, and were part of a group of people that might have been part of an early group of ‘barbarians’, nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples that live outside of the influence of sedentary civilizations which they traded with, raided, and/or fought against. This discovery brings to light the fact that, by and large, our knowledge of ancient languages and cultures comes entirely from sedentary peoples. It is interesting to think of all the languages and cultures which have been become lost either through conquest or assimilation by those larger empires. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/ancient-language-discovered-on-clay-tablets-found-amid-ruins-of-2800-year-old-middle-eastern-palace-7728894.html

-          In yet another example of what can be achieved with computers and the internet, historians and IT technicians at Stanford University have created a tool called ORBIS, which is an interactive map that gives information on how long it took to travel between different cities of the Roman Empire, and how much it likely cost. It is my hope that historians will continue to look to the resources of the internet to make other such interactive tools to make information such as this more accessible to people who are interested in studying them. http://www.innovationnewsdaily.com/1125-google-maps-ancient-rome-shows-travel-times-2-000-years.html. ORBIS Site: http://orbis.stanford.edu/

-          Italian Police have busted an artifact smuggling ring of some 70 people who were using ebay to sell artifacts looted from Italy. Most of the 16,344 artifacts recovered were from the Calabria region of Italy. This massive bust highlights a problem that is still rampant in the preservation and cataloguing of antiquities. A great many artifacts, many of great historical value, are of small size and are easy to move, transport, and sell and there are numerous collectors around the world interested in ancient artifacts for their collections. Since a piece’s true value is often unknown until studied by a professional archaeologist or historian, there is no knowing what information is still out there to learn about all periods and places of history that is still residing in private collections. http://vancouverdesi.com/news/italy-busts-ebay-looted-artefacts-ring/

-          A collection of gold and silver jewelry has been found in the excavation of the city of Tel Megiddo, including several pieces which are believed to be unique to any previously found, conducted by Tel Aviv University. The pieces were discovered wrapped in textiles and hidden under a ceramic jug in a private home and are believed to date to approximately 1100BCE. The pieces are similar to designs found in Egypt. 1100BCE would have been shortly after the Egyptian Empire withdrew from the region and the jewelry was either left behind or was influenced by the former Egyptian presence.  There is also Canaanite pieces found, the Canaanites controlled the region after the Egyptians and before the Israelites gained control several centuries later. The way the jewelry was stored indicates that it was hidden and whoever hid it was unable to retrieve them, which raises yet another question about the find. Archaeologists are hoping that further study of the pieces and the textiles in which they were stored will answer some of these questions and give us more information about the site. http://phys.org/news/2012-05-unique-gold-earring-intriguing-ancient.html

-          A Spanish researcher has recently deciphered two Roman curse tablets, including the only such tablet thus far found which curses a senator, dating from the 4^th century BCE. Curse tablets, generally inscribed in lead and invoking one or more underworld god or spirit, are among the most common forms of inscriptions existing, many of which have yet to be translated. These tablets bear a figure, perhaps the goddess Hekate, with snakes coming out of its hair. Such curse tablets were generally buried where the person being cursed frequented. Such curses, like much Roman religion, bears the form of a rough contract in which a service is request of a deity in return for a promised payment, usually a sacrifice of some kind. http://www.livescience.com/20483-black-magic-ancient-curses.html

-          Archaeologists have discovered a 4000 year old tomb in upper Egypt containing a sarcophagus with funerary inscriptions and other ritual objects. The tomb is the first well preserved tomb found in years and dates to the First Intermediate Period(2181-2055BCE) of which there is very little archaeological evidence, proving that there continue to be things to learn and discover. http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Aki/English/CultureAndMedia/Archaeology-Ancient-tomb-unearthed-in-Upper-Egypt_313348482645.html

-          Two Roman Era shipwrecks have been found in deep water off the Western Coast of Greece by a Greek Oceanographic vessel surveying for a new Greek-Italian Oil Pipeline. The wreck dates to the 2^nd century CE and pottery shards and marble artifacts have been raised from the sea floor. Given the volume of sailing in the Mediterranean, especially during the period in which the Roman had full control over the region, means there are likely still many other such wrecks still to be found. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/05/roman-era-ships-founds-in-deep-waters-off-greece/1#.T9Zqq7DY-Q2

-          Climate Change appears to be the primary cause for the collapse of the Harappan Civilization of the Indus River Valley. Larger, but far less known, than the other great early civilizations, located in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China, scientists now suspect that the civilization arose some 5200 years ago when the Monsoon rains began to easy and cause less flooding. Eventually the yearly floods became less and less, producing less surplus, and leading to the collapse of the civilization about 3000 years ago. Little is known about the Civilization, which was almost completely unheard of until the 1920’s, in part because their writings have not be deciphered and in part because the environment the civilization existed in makes preservation of artifacts difficult, though historians and archaeologists have found evidence of city planning and plumbing systems not seen again until the Roman Empire and the absence of large palace indicate it might have been more democratic than other early civilizations. This new discovery further highlights the tremendous importance of water to early civilizations. http://www.livescience.com/20614-collapse-mythical-river-civilization.html

-          Archaeologists from Friedrich Schiller University Jena have discovered the inscription of the word Yahiel on a marble plate in a villa near Silves in South Portugal dating to about 390CE. This makes it the earliest evidence of Jewish inhabitance of the Iberian peninsula by about a century and the earliest Hebrew inscription in the area by 2-3 centuries. In the 4^th century Jewish people in the Mediterranean usually wrote in Latin to avoid persecution by the Roman Authorities. There is also little direct evidence of Jewish people living on the peninsula before the 6^th or 7^th century, though a few sources indicate a large population there dating to about 300CE. What is also interesting is that this inscription seems to be from a rural community as most Jewish material from the ancient world has been found in urban settings. Perhaps, when archaeologists go back to work at the site this summer, more will be discovered to further shed light on the demographics of the ancient life. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120525103750.htm

-          A coin dating from about 32BCE has been found in a coin horde of some 22,000 found in Bath, England. Most of the coins date from 268-270CE but this one coin, which is considerably worn, likely from circulation for some time before it was horded, is from a run minted by Marc Antony. One side of the coin bears a ship with ANT-AVC inscribed above it and III-VIR-R.P.C below it(as far as I can tell from the picture of the article. The ship likely refers to the fleet Antony was building in 32BCE for his coming confrontation with Octavian, ANT refers to Antony himself, I am not sure what AVC stands for. III-VIR-R.P.C is an abbreviation for triumvir rei publicae constituendae, or Triumvir for the restoration of the Republic, which was Marc Antony’s official title in 32BCE. The opposite side shows a Legionary Eagle and Standards with LEG XV inscribed below it, meaning 15^th Legion, one of the Legions which supported Marc Antony. Being that coins were used for propaganda purposes as much as for commerce, these inscriptions highlight two of the main supports for Marc Antony, likely printed to highlight this fact to maintain their support and show strength on Marc Antony’s part for the brewing conflict with Octavian. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-18280324

-          The latest Chinese state surveys have declared that the Great Wall of China is 21,196.18km long, the first time such a definitive length has ever been given. The survey also revealed the 43,721 Heritage sites include stretches of the Great Wall. The most famous sections of the wall, those that usually appear in publicity images, date from the Ming and Qing dynasties and are no more than 600 years old. The idea of building walls to keep invaders out started around 500BCE in China. These earliest earthen walls were first joined upon by the Qin Dynasty in about 220BCE. Since then, the Great Wall of China, has been built upon, expanded, destroyed, rebuilt, and improved since then. Taken together it is considered the largest manmade object in the world, though only 8.2% of the original wall(the article doesn’t specify whether that is the ancient earthen walls or the more famous stone walls) remains intact with the rest being fragmentary and in poor shape. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18337039

Jon Holtgrefe

Jon is a recent graduate of the University of Oregon with a Masters in Ancient History. His interests include studying the Ancient Mediterranean, why people remember and record things the way they do, World History, Medieval History, and just about anything else that strikes his fancy.

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