Year: 2012

The Digital Humanities: A Conversation with Robert Consoli

The “Digital Revolution” of the 1990s and 2000s has changed the way in which we interpret, study, access, and share knowledge. Without a doubt, technology has affected our lives and how we organize information, in some ways, for the better. In this interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia speaks to Mr. Robert Consoli, the Founder of SquinchPix, a free photo image e-resource for researchers and students in the liberal arts and humanities. Noting the ways in which technology, photography, and technological platforms have increased our access to the arts and culture, Robert goes further in detailing the ways in which technology, photography, and the humanities can inform one another.

A Million Visitors to AHE in 2012!

We are pleased to announce that the Ancient History Encyclopedia’s homepage has now been visited by over a million internet visitors in 2012! This is truly a momentous occasion and we are eager to see what awaits us in 2013. At this time, the staff of the Ancient History Encyclopedia would like to extend a warm message of thanks to our volunteer contributors, virtual visitors, social media followers, and past interviewees for making this year one for the record books! Your kind words and messages of enthusiasm are a source of pride and inspiration. We would not be where we are today without your continued support and interest! Sincerely, ~Your AHE Staff (Photo: The famed Acropolis in Athens, Greece during New Year celebrations).

A Dazzling Display of Peruvian Silver in Canada

This fall the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), in Vancouver, Canada, dazzles visitors with the sparkle and brilliance of Peruvian silver. Luminescence: The Silver of Perú, on display until December 16, 2012, explores the impact of this precious metal across the centuries, underscoring its impact on art, culture, and religion. While widely known as a source of gold for Spanish conquistadores, Peru has long been the site of intensive silver mining and production for millennia. Today, Peru remains the world’s largest producer of silver. In this interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia speaks with Dr. Anthony Shelton, Director and Curator of the Museum of Anthropology, about silver’s enduring presence in Peruvian culture in addition to the challenges of creating exhibition that encompasses the artistic spectrum.

The Striking Design of Quseir ‘Amra

Shadowed in mystery and the object of fascination for centuries, the ancient Arab palace of Quseir ‘Amra is truly a gem of Late Antiquity. A royal palace, fortress, and retreat, Quiser ‘Amra is an artistic and cultural “microcosm” of the the Middle East during an era of unprecedented transition. In this exclusive interview with James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Professor Fatema AlSulaiti discusses the design and art of Quseir ‘Amra (located in modern-day Jordan), the confluence of Byzantine, Persian, and Arab cultures in the Levant at the end of Late Antiquity, and how modern design can be informed by ancient principles.

International Fall Exhibitions 2012

The change of seasons offers a rich cultural bounty to be partaken by those enthused with ancient history. Four times a year, the Ancient History Encyclopedia likes to present a selection of phenomenal exhibitions that we believe our users and readers would enjoy. For the fall 2012 season, Andean Peru, Greece, China, Mesoamerica, Central Asia, and Arabia are well represented. Please take a moment and check out these listings in order to see if anything of these interest you! We wish you all a very happy fall or spring (for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere)!

LIARI International Conference in Dublin, Ireland

This past spring, the Ancient History Encyclopedia had the immense pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jacqueline Cahill-Wilson, the Chief Investigator for the LIARI (“Late Iron Age Roman Ireland”) Project. This unique and advanced archaeological endeavor is overseen and supported by The Discovery Programme. As distinct from the other public bodies that deal with Irish archaeology, The Discovery Programme’s sole activity is to engage in full-time archaeological and related research, in order to enhance the public’s knowledge of Ireland’s rich and varied past. Today, we have the pleasure of sharing with you news of The Discovery Programme’s first international interdisciplinary conference, which is scheduled to take place at Trinity College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland from October 20-21, 2012. This special conference will consider how communities in Ireland engaged with the Roman world. Leading academics from Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark, and the USA have been invited to present papers from across the subjects of Archaeology, History, Classics, Earth Sciences, Iron Age studies and “Celtic” Studies, covering the Iron Age through to Late Antiquity. We encourage everyone with …

INTERVIEW: Children, Archaeology, and Novels

Caroline Ludovici has had a passion for history, archaeology, and adventure from an early age. Originally from London, Caroline has traveled extensively throughout the world, soaking in different cultures wherever she has ventured. Her experiences and her keen interest in history and archeology gave her the agency to become a novelist. As an author, she is committed to making her books interesting, exciting, true to life, and refreshingly different. In this interview with James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Caroline discusses the art of crafting the “young adult novel” in addition to her desire to engender a love of history among children.

The Mysterious Ancient Puebloan Peoples (Anasazi)

The American Desert Southwest has some of the most impressive prehistoric ruins and artifacts in the world. Thousands of archaeological sites, spread about across the American states of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, testify to the presence of a advanced civilization: the “Anasazi” or the Ancestral/Ancient Puebloan peoples. Long revered and venerated as the ancestors of the Hopi, Zuni, and other Puebloan dwellers, this remarkable civilization, characterized by its impressive architecture, sophisticated systems of irrigation, and understanding astronomical phenomena, flourished from c. 600-1300 CE before mysterious vanishing. In wake of their “rediscovery” by archaeologists over 100 years ago, many questions still remain as to how they were able to create a civilization in such a harsh climate and why their decline was so sudden. In this exclusive interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia took the time to speak with Dr. David E. Stuart, a renown expert on the Ancient Puebloans and Professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, and two of his research assistants, Ms. Jenny Lund and Ms. Christine …

INTERVIEW: The Zamani Project and Dr. Heinz Rüther

The Zamani Project attempts to record the “spatial” domain of African patrimony by recording its physical, architectural, and natural dimensions. The documentation project was initiated to increase international awareness of African heritage and provide material for research while, concurrently, creating a permanent and accurate record of important sites for restoration and conservation purposes. The spatial data acquired by The Zamani Project is made available worldwide and augmented with contextual non-spatial data by ALUKA. The Zamani Project was an initiative of the Geomatics Division of the University of Cape Town and is currently supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The endeavor, founded as “The African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes Project,” developed out of years of heritage documentation activities by the project‘s Principal Investigator, Professor Heinz Rüther. In this exclusive interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia speaks with Professor Heinz Rüther about the project, ancient Africa, and the need for the conservation of Africa’s patrimony.

Interview: From Bactria to Taxila–New e-Resource on Ancient Central Asia

Central Asia can be thought of as the “core region” of the Eurasian continent, stretching from the Caspian Sea to western China, the rugged mountains of Pakistan to the extensive steppes of southern Russia. Misunderstood, understudied, and oftentimes a front line between empires and geopolitical rivals, ancient Central Asia rarely receives the attention afforded to neighboring India, China, and Persia. Sensing the need for a composite resource focused solely on this compelling part of the world, Antoine Simonin, a long time contributor to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, built From Bactria to Taxila to fill this glaring void on the web. In this interview, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia, speaks to Antoine about the launch of his new e-resource webpage and why Central Asia is “off the radar” for most ancient historians and specialists.