Month: January 2012

The Mystery of the “Fulacht Fiadh”

Why does the same, bizarre Bronze Age structure appear across Ireland and the United Kingdom? Was it something purely ceremonial or something with more practical purposes? In this article, freelance writer Erin Mullally investigates the importance of these structures to historians and anthropologists alike, uncovering clues along the way. Please click here to read this article published through Archaeology Magazine.

Interview with historical fiction writer Gordon Doherty

I had the pleasure of interviewing Gordon Doherty, a Scottish writer of historical fiction, about his book Legionary (set in the Migration Age Byzantine Empire) and his latest book Strategos (set in the Medieval Byzantine Empire). In this interview, he talks about his interpretation of Byzantium and why it’s a great setting for historical fiction. Click on the title to read the full interview.

Ancient Jewish “kosher stamp” Uncovered

Excavations just east of the Israeli city of Akko have unearthed a rare ceramic stamp more than 1.500 years old. The stamp, it is believed, was used by a Jewish baker named “Launtius,” to certify his goods as kosher to potential customers. The stamp is engraved with an image of the iconic seven branched menorah and also contains lettering in Hebrew and Greek. Please read more about this curious discovery from MSNBC News by clicking here.

Ancient African Sculptures

I hope this this post finds all of our readers well and beginning a great start to 2012! If you are interested in ancient art–especially ancient African art–you should check out this news article from NewScientist. Drs. Nicole Rupp and Peter Breunig of the Goethe University Frankfurt have uncovered startling “terracotta heads” in Central Nigeria. Over 2.000 years old, these sculptures demonstrate the artistic creativity and sophistication of the Nok people. It is now widely believed that the Nok were the first Africans to smelt iron. Please read more about this unique discovery by clicking here.