Classical Archaeology News

May 14 2013

bemusedlybespectacled:

if you ever think mythology is boring or serious business or whatever shit

just remember that cerberus, the hell-hound and guard dog of the underworld, comes from the root indo-european word ḱerberos, which evolved into the greek word kerberos, which got changed to cerberus when it went from greek to latin

ḱerberos means “spotted”

that’s right

hades, lord of the dead, literally fucking named his pet dog spot

114,306 notes

May 13 2013
I’m taking a short hiatus from Tumblr as I am traveling in Europe for the next three weeks. In the meantime, enjoy this garden of column drums from the Temple of Athena, Priene, Turkey.

I’m taking a short hiatus from Tumblr as I am traveling in Europe for the next three weeks. In the meantime, enjoy this garden of column drums from the Temple of Athena, Priene, Turkey.

83 notes

May 01 2013
ancientart:

The Dalal Bridge in Zakho, Iraq, which dates to the Roman era, and is unfortunately on the verge of collapse.
Photo courtesy & taken by Zaxo

ancientart:

The Dalal Bridge in Zakho, Iraq, which dates to the Roman era, and is unfortunately on the verge of collapse.

Photo courtesy & taken by Zaxo

250 notes

Apr 26 2013
Apr 24 2013
The So-Called Ishtar Gate

A perceptive student asked the other day how we know that the “Ishtar Gate” was really dedicated to the goddess Ishtar. I replied in class, “I believe that the dedication is mentioned on the inscription of the gate.” However, when I pulled up the whole inscription to show the class, I found that Ishtar was not mentioned at all.
…
This student’s question has sent me on a wild goose chase. There are multiple sources online which claim that the gate was dedicated to Ishtar, but no one explains how or when such a dedication was made. And if I dig into a few scholarly sites, such as the Yale University Gallery, I have noticed that these sites refer to the structure as the “so-called Ishtar Gate.” This makes me believe that the Ishtar Gate received its name from one of the early 20th-century excavators, perhaps Robert Koldewey.

Read more here.

The So-Called Ishtar Gate

A perceptive student asked the other day how we know that the “Ishtar Gate” was really dedicated to the goddess Ishtar. I replied in class, “I believe that the dedication is mentioned on the inscription of the gate.” However, when I pulled up the whole inscription to show the class, I found that Ishtar was not mentioned at all.

This student’s question has sent me on a wild goose chase. There are multiple sources online which claim that the gate was dedicated to Ishtar, but no one explains how or when such a dedication was made. And if I dig into a few scholarly sites, such as the Yale University Gallery, I have noticed that these sites refer to the structure as the “so-called Ishtar Gate.” This makes me believe that the Ishtar Gate received its name from one of the early 20th-century excavators, perhaps Robert Koldewey.

Read more here.

194 notes

Apr 23 2013
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So corny, but I couldn’t resist.
MisterHaden

So corny, but I couldn’t resist.

MisterHaden

299 notes

Apr 22 2013
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Apr 21 2013

Some of today’s festivities at the Circus Maximus, Rome, celebrating the city’s birthday.

Felix Dies Natalis! photos by Massimo Betello

535 notes

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