Ancient Culture
Monthly Archive: December Anci
Collection Care for Hellenistic Clay sealings from Edfu, Egypt
Over a century after they were acquired Ptolemaic artifacts at the Royal Ontario Museum, Greek & Roman collection, get new homes
'Globes Celestial and Terrestrial': the Science of Star-gazing
The study of celestial bodies is one of the oldest sciences. Meticulous observations of the night sky were made by many early civilizations who used the information for various purposes, including determining the right time for planting, harvesting, ceremonial events and tides.
Pompeii Saga: Last Day
The horrors of the Mount Vesuvius eruption were buried under volcanic ash. Thankfully one scholarly young man wrote the story of his own survival.
By: Douglas Thomson
In the Shadow of the Volcano: The Discovery of Pompeii
In 79 CE Mount Vesuvius erupted violently. Pliny the Younger, in his eye-witness account of the event, describes earthquakes, towering plumes of hot ash, and skies filled with fire.
Goddess Exposed: the ROM’s ‘Minoan’ Goddess is on display!
She’s been languishing in the Greek & Roman storerooms for years, but finally the ROM Minoan Goddess is back on display.
Conservation Intern Spotlight: Natasa Krsmanovic
This spotlight post--featuring ROM paper conservation intern Natasa Krsmanovic--highlights her background, shares her perspective on current paper conservation practices, and discusses her treatment projects at the museum.
The ROM ‘Minoan’ Goddess: The Minoan Relations
After looking at the best known of the dubious ‘Minoan’ figurines (which may be modern) in my last post, here I show some of the genuine Minoan objects discovered in archaeological excavations on Crete.
The ROM ‘Minoan’ Goddess: the Suspect Sisters (and brothers)
The ROM Goddess is just one of the ‘Minoan’ figurines in several museums sometimes thought to be fake. These two installments of the ROM Minoan Goddess project introduce you to some of the suspected (although not definitively proven) fake figurines, and the genuine Minoan objects that may have inspired them.
Weapon Wednesday: The Nugent Marathon Corinthian Helmet
An account of an ancient Greek helmet excavated by George Nugent-Grenville, 2nd Baron Nugent of Carlanstown, on the Plain of Marathon in 1834.
ROM ‘Minoan’ Goddess Hangout: battling with technology!
Dr. Kenneth Lapatin, an expert in ancient ivory and gold statues, talks about the ROM's ‘Minoan’ goddess in a Google+ Hangout. His research and publications about the suspect Minoan ivory figurines prompted the ROM to reconsider the display of their own ‘icon’.
