Slogans are powerful tools of control, which were used in the colonial days and appear to be coming up in not so subtle ways. They are relative to the time, place, and the environment in which they are used and they are indicative of power relations. Those with capacity to coin slogans to be negatively applied to others are powerful. It happened in the early colonial days when colonialists made distinctions between two studies, “anthropology” and “sociology”.The study of European behaviour and ways of life was “sociology” and aimed at self-understanding of the “socio”. The study of the Africans, however, was anthropology, which had a virtual licence to popularise the application of such slogans as natives and tribes to various Africans as the “anthros”.

Dirks, an anthropology professor and former department chair, discussed the formation of the Office of Strategic Services in the 1940s, which organized spy missions for the United States Armed Forces, and how a number of professors played influential roles in providing an understanding of other cultures.

The remains of 20,000-year-old huts lived in by hunter-gatherers have been unearthed in eastern Jordan. “It may not look very impressive to the untrained eye, but it is one of the densest and largest Palaeolithic open-air sites in the region,” said Lisa Maher of the University of California, Berkeley. These long-term residences were in use 10,000 years before the practice of agriculture began.

Scientists have analyzed a grisly collection of mummies created by Italian anatomist Giovan Battista Rini in the early nineteenth-century. “They have a wooden consistency,” said forensic anthropologist Dario Piombino-Mascali of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano.

Archaeologists at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia plantation, are excavating in the area known as Mulberry Row, a road lined with buildings in the slave quarters. “We’re getting the information here that we would need if we were able to reconstruct Mulberry Row,” said research manager Sara Bon-Harper.

The second conservation phase of the Khufu solar boat project, which is being conducted by the Egyptian government and a team from Japan’s Wasida University, is set to begin. The two 4,500-year-old boats were discovered in 1954 in a pit next to the Great Pyramid.

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Also, if you have any old bookmarks for the podcast, especially ones with the words “me.com” or “mac.com” in the links, those may stop working come this summer. My advice would be to bookmark the homepage itself, ancientartpodcast.org, instead of a sub-page, because every episode is always just a click away from the homepage.

Thanks again to everyone who has tuned in to the Ancient Art Podcast over the years. It’s always great hearing from you. You can get in touch with me at info@ancientartpodcast.org or use the feedback form on the website at ancientartpodcast.org/feedback.

Ancient

If you’re not familiar with hieroglyphics, this is an educational video, which explains the use of hieroglyphics in politics, especially the use of hieroglyphics by Amenhotep III, and how they compare to diplomatic affairs today.

Here’s a general synopsis of Amenhotep III use of hieroglyphics in politics

Amenhotep interchange of political discourse with his rivals was written on small clay tablets, otherwise known as the Amarna letters discovered in 1887. Egypt’s messengers carried these tablets back and forth between rulers. The tablets described Egypt’s status as a superpower. As a sign of loyalty, ambassadors flocked to the Pharaoh’s court with gifts and tributes. The eastern kings were envious of Egypt’s riches and the messages expressed their desperation. “They were prepared to beg for it”. The rulers expressed the overabundance of Egypt’s gold in the tablets, and if Amenhotep intended to grow his power, he would essentially have to share it with neighboring countries. He gave them gold, but just enough to keep them wanting more. “The kings of the near east were trading gifts, not blows.”

Amenhotep III uses his hieroglyphic messages to promote his own power and popularity with the people of Egypt

Only Amenhotep’s triumphs were carved into amulets shaped like scarabs. These portable scarabs were inscribed with Amenhotep’s latest achievements and they were distributed to the peoples of Egypt. These items of propaganda were the “first newspapers in history”. Consequently, the amulets were used to send news of Amenhotep’s marriage to a commoner, thus sending word that the almighty king was not only powerful, but also loyal and understanding to the common people. Consequently, the temples erected in Amenhotep’s and Queen Tiye’s honor at Soleb had hieroglyphics at the base of the columns displaying captive Nubians. This was a graphic representation of Amenhotep’s power for the entire world to see.

Amenhotep III’s use of hieroglyphic messages is historically significant

Amenhotep III’s use of hieroglyphic messages provide us a glimpse of Egyptian relations with Babylonia, Assyria, the Mitanni, the Hittites, Syria, Canaan, and Cyprus. They are important for establishing a record and chronology of the period, and consequently, the history of diplomacy. Interestingly enough, at Soleb, references to the Israelite God Yahweh appear in several hieroglyphics, leading many biblical scholars to believe that Amenhotep III, or at least his scribes, must have at least heard about the Hebrew God Yahweh in 1400 BC. Subsequently, this graphic display would lend credence to the Exodus and the Israelite’s journey through the desert led by Moses (Aling et al. March 8, 2010).

Source

• Aling, Dr. Charles, and Dr. Clyde Billington. Associates for Biblical Research, “The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts.” Last modified March 8, 2010. Accessed February 6, 2012. http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2010/03/08/The-Name-Yahweh-in-Egyptian-Hieroglyphic-Texts.aspx.
• Amenhotep III Photos. Brooklyn Museum

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As many of you already know, I’m going through the process to be a Teach For America Corp’s member. As an anthropology student, I believe my outlook is inherently global. I look at other cultures and ask why and why not. Yet sometimes, the issues of the why not are closer to home than many of you think. Teach for America is looking to break the mold by placing the most inspirational people in one of the best professions in the world.

Education is an asset in this country. Furthermore, it should be made available to everyone regardless of their skin color, financial background, their zip code, and gender. Teach For America places the best mentors right where they need to be in the school system. Teaching children that are willing to learn, but need just a little push in the right direction, and a lot of guidance.

If you’re still unsure about why you should apply to Teach For America, let me give a few reasons why you should.

• Poverty limits access to a good education and Teach for America is trying to change that.
• “Although 16 million American children face the extra challenges of poverty, an increasing body of evidence shows they can achieve at the highest levels.”
• You can use all of the skills you’ve obtained to promote excellence.
• You can change a child’s life.
• You can make a difference in our educational system in this country.
• It’s an empowering experience.
• The children need YOU!

My Story

A week after I was contacted by email to be a corp’s member for Teach For America, I received a nomination to join the The National Honor Society of Leadership and Success. I am already a member of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society. I considered this to be an enormous coincidence, and a sign. As an anthropology student concerned with global awareness and the cultural signs within certain communities, I realized that my path and my future as a leader had been determined.

It’s my hope to influence a child’s life, who may have never known what excellence feels like. I want the children and kids that I teach to understand that their brilliance should never be overshadowed by where they grew up, or if their parents attended school before them. I want to use my personal experiences, education, and knowledge of anthropology, to guide them in the world of academics. I want my students to recognize the benefits of coming to class, because those with rich minds filled with ideas and imagination will have the greatest weapon on earth, knowledge!

When To Apply. NOW!!!

The FINAL deadline is due by Friday at midnight. This is your FINAL chance to apply and make a difference in the lives of kids who need you the most. I encourage you to apply to the program by this FRIDAY! Full salary and benefits. All majors welcome to apply.

Apply Now!

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Dr. Howard Falcon Lang from the Royal Holloway, University of London, has stumbled upon 314 slides belonging to Charles Darwin and several other member of Darwin’s inner circle, including John Hooker. Several of the slides were from Darwin’s expedition aboard the HMS Beagle. These missing slides hold the clues to a range of species scientists, and the public, never knew existed. Evidently, the slides were lost due to the lack of curatorial care, and the fact the Hooker never numbered and organized them into a registry.

On Tuesday, January 24, the slides were made available to the public for viewing via an online museum exhibit. The significance of this discovery is the fact that we now have specimen samples collected by Darwin during his expedition on the HMS Beagle.

“To find a treasure trove of lost Darwin specimens from the Beagle voyage is just extraordinary,” Falcon-Lang added. “We can see there’s more to learn. There are a lot of very, very significant fossils in there that we didn’t know existed.”

We do have samples from Darwin’s expedition, but these specific slides ultimately changed the way that Darwin looked at evolutionary processes. They were a platform for Darwin’s future work on human history. Furthermore, the specimens on the slides date to a time in which we know little about. J.D. Hooker’s specimen was found mixed in with the Darwin slides and was dated to 400 million years ago. What surprised me about this slide, or the reaction to it, was the fact that it was described as “bizarre”. Darwin’s slides were more so described as evolutionary.

The change I see here, considering Darwin was not a household name in the early 19th century, is the fact that he is still widely associated with the creation of this process, even now during the 21st century. His friends, however, have taken a somewhat backseat. Suffice it to say, Hooker’s specimen doesn’t receive the attention it deserves in this article.

Falcon Lang stated that, “There are some real gems in this collection that are going to contribute to ongoing science.” Furthermore, now that the slides will be available to the general public for reviewing and research, anyone interested in fossil hunting, geology, paleontology, or earth sciences and biology, can use the new material in many different areas of daily life. Perhaps discussion about evolution and creation will have a new twist due to some of the specimen finds. Students and teachers can also implement the findings into their lectures, in the classroom, or in a more public venue.

Click on the Picture to see the original discovery!

Ancient Digger Archaeology

James Marquez, a White Mountain Apache and board director for MACT — a nonprofit providing services to Indians in Mariposa, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolomne counties — says his organization has both a building and a “pretty spectacular collection” of 250 Indian-made baskets and other cultural artifacts. Recognizing the enormous challenges and myriad details involved in developing, operating and curating a full-blown museum, however, he and his fellow board members are “trying to figure out whether to take the next step” into serious fundraising.

A recently discovered mysterious “winged” structure in England, which in the Roman period may have been used as a temple, presents a puzzle for archaeologists, who say the building has no known parallels.

A silver-gilt Roman cavalry helmet of international importance has been pieced together at the British Museum, from thousands of fragments of corroded metal lifted in a block of mud from a Leicestershire hillside more than 10 years ago.

The Harappan Civilization was spread over large parts of western region of the Indian Subcontinent. Its earliest roots can be found from 7000 BC in Mehrgarh but its peak urban period is around 2500 to 1900 BC.

Mexican archaeologists have discovered in the southern part of the country a kiln used by the ancient Zapotecs to make ceramics more than 1,300 years ago, the National Anthropology and History Institute, or INAH, said.

Any doubts about the existence of mass graves at the Treblinka death camp in Poland are being laid to rest by the first survey of the site using tools that see below the ground, writes forensic archaeologist Caroline Sturdy Colls.

The remains of the first HMS Victory are to be raised from the sea bed nearly 300 years after it sank, it was reported today. The vessel, predecessor of Nelson’s famous flagship, went down in a storm off the Channel Islands in 1744, taking more than 1,000 soldiers to their deaths.

In the dark depths of an underwater cave in eastern Mexico, archaeologists uncovered the ancient remains of four prehistoric bears in the Yucatan Peninsula. Officials believe they could date back to the ice age.

The Mithras temple is being dismantled by a team from the Museum of London and will be rebuilt on its original site 90 metres away. One Saturday afternoon in September 1954, a handsome, faintly smiling god looked up from the London mud. His name was Mithras, and the rediscovered Roman temple to his cult became a sensation in a gloomy postwar capital pitted with bombsites and still recovering from rationing.

A group of amateur archaeologists working under the guidance of professional archaeologists discovered eight 6th century gold coins in a potato field near Biesenbrow in Uckermark, northeast Germany, last November.

Theresa McDonald, Managing Director of the Achill Archaeological Field School, voiced her objections over the Achill-Henge structure which was built at Pollagh (Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland) in November by Joe McNamara. The archaeologist believes that a prehistoric site could be less than half a kilometer from where Achill-Henge is now standing.

‘Seeing beneath Stonehenge’ has been developed as part of the Stonehenge Riverside Project, using data gather by the combined team from the Universities of Sheffield, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton and London.

The horrors of tunnel warfare are key to Sebastian Faulks’s first world war novel, Birdsong. Much of the action is set beneath no man’s land in a terrifying world where soldiers dug, listened for the enemy and laid explosives in the hope of helping their compatriots above ground.

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The U701 was sunk by aerial depth charges dropped from an A-29 Bomber on July 7, 1942. The remains of the vessel are located almost 30 miles offshore, in 120 feet of water near Diamond Shoals in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

This dive video was created by the UNC Coastal Institute formed in 2003, which offers educational opportunities, provides community outreach programs, and enhances communication among those concerned with the unique history, culture and environment of the maritime counties of North Carolina.

U-701 from UNC-CSI on Vimeo.

According to the UNC-CSI , the U-701 sites is well known for challenging conditions and potentially strong currents, often making it a difficult dive. It was well worth it in my opinion, as this video provides us a glimpse into the unique history of submarine warfare.

Picture

© UNC Coastal Institute

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