Cleopatra made real based on The Berlin Cleopatra, a sculpture created around the time of her visits to Rome in 46–44 BC. Her makeup look is based on the green/blue malachite paste for eyeshadow, red oche lipstick and rouge, and black khol for eyeliner and mascara.
Do you think this is how Cleopatra would have looked?
The skeletal frame will be displayed at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre (CMCB), Airoli.
Maharashtra State Mangrove Cell's decision to retrieve the skeleton of the mammoth 43-ft-long blue whale, which washed ashore on June 14 near Uran, finally saw success on Monday. The skeletal frame will be displayed at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre (CMCB), Airoli.
As per JR Gowda, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Mangrove Cell the team working on ground managed to separate and completely clean an almost 40-ft-long vertebra portion along with the skull and ribs from the decomposing carcass.
Makarand Ghodke, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Mangrove Cell, who pulled off this challenging task said that around 100 labourers physically carried the vertebral portion for almost two kilometres to the nearest motorable road and loaded it on a trailer by around 5 pm after which it was brought to Airoli late on Monday night.
"After the beaching, it was decided that we should try and preserve the skeleton. A team of 20 specialists from Alibaug on Saturday were given the task of clearing out the flesh. The biggest issue was the tide as the work had to be stopped during the high tide and while on Saturday, the team could only work for a couple of hours, on Sunday they worked for eight hours and the remaining work of cleaning the skeleton was carried out on Monday," he said, adding that all the flesh, most of which had decomposed, was safely buried in a four-feet-deep pit dug around 10 metres away from the spot on Sunday, where the whale was first found by the local fishermen on Thursday.
"Since the entire area is a rocky beach, the carcass could not be buried in one go. In addition, the area being non-motorable, no excavator or trailer could be brought at the site to carry it away. Plans to drag the whale tied with ropes using boats was risky too, due to the extremely choppy sea and thus the decision to retrieve the skeleton and dispose the flesh in a smaller pit was taken," he said.
PRESERVING NATURE
As per senior officials, the skeleton of the blue whale, which is known to be the largest mammal on earth, will now be kept at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre (CMCB) in Airoli and the cartilage will be allowed to disintegrate after which the process of preserving it for display will be initiated.
In discovering the Anglo-Saxon world, archaeologists have made a number of excavations that provided a fruitful insight into the treasuries of this eminent historical period. One of the most significant, yet mysterious, treasures that has been discovered from this period is the Alfred Jewel–a 9th century object commissioned by King Alfred which, presumably, was used as a pointer to aid the reading of Bibles and other religious texts that were copied, by hand, and distributed around the kingdom upon Alfred’s order.
According to historical records, this goldsmith’s marvel was made by a craftsman who was operating under the patronage of the West Saxon court. The jewel’s base takes the form of a dragon-like head with a socket in its mouth, within which a pointer would have been held in a specific spot by a rivet. The body depicts an enameled image of a seated figure, which is protected under a teardrop-shaped highly polished quartz crystal and set in a gold frame.
The figure was initially interpreted as St. Cuthbert, an English saint who lived before Alfred. However, today the figure is considered either to represent Sight, or is a depiction of Christ as Wisdom. The edge is trimmed by a golden frame which has carved letters that read AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN, meaning “Alfred ordered me to be made,” in Old English.
The technological achievements of the Anglo-Saxon period, as well as the selection of high-priced materials, suggest a strong association with King Alfred, son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex. History remembers Alfred as one of England’s greatest king warriors and a proponent of justice, learning, and civilization.
The reign of King Alfred as king of Wessex commenced in 871, when he succeeded his brother Æthelred. The frequent Viking attacks on Wessex challenged Alfred’s competency as a ruler, but he soon proved himself as a great leader. By 886, he had formalized boundaries and consolidated his control of the territory south and west of the border, unifying southern England. His ruling strategies were diplomatic enough to provide a strong alliance with the neighboring kingdom of Mercia, after he gave the hand of his daughter Æthelflaed to the Mercian leader.
In addition to his well-maneuvered leadership, Alfred was a believer in the power and importance of education, knowing that wisdom and literacy are inseparable. He died in 899 after a devastating battle against Scandinavian warriors.
King Alfred learned to read Old English as a young man, advancing to Latin in his late thirties. His engagement in educational work led him to arrange and actively participate in the translation of Latin religious texts to Old English, aiming to spread wisdom further.
Reportedly, King Alfred sent out to each “episcopal see” (the equivalent of a diocese) in his kingdom a copy of Pastoral Care, written by Pope Gregory the Great, along with an aestel–a pointer designed for the reading of manuscripts–of great value, which was to kept with the book and used as a reading aid. Presumably, the Alfred Jewel was one of these aestels.
The Alfred Jewel was discovered in the late 17th century when it was plowed up in a field at North Petherton, in the county of Somerset. The place of its find makes the artifact even more interesting, since North Petherton is pretty close to Athelney Abbey, the refuge from which Alfred launched his counter-attack on the Great Army of the Danes. It was presented to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford in 1718, and is still displayed there today.
Some of the early theories regarding its use claimed it was the centerpiece of a royal crown jewel or a pendant, but these ideas were quickly renounced. Its identification as an aestel came more recently, as it much resembled the Jewish Yad which is used in synagogues for reading the Torah. In 1901, in honor of the millenary of King Alfred’s death, replicas of the Alfred Jewel were made, some by Elliot Stocks of London and others by Payne’s of Oxford.
Later, the Ashmolean’s conservation department also created a few replicas of this Anglo-Saxon treasure. Regardless, the encrypted mystery of the Alfred Jewel is a testimony of its creator’s achievements, which were as much cultural as military, enlightening and enforcing the Anglo-Saxon identity through the use of its vernacular.
An amateur treasure hunter used a metal detector to unearth a 1,800-year-old gold Roman signet ring in Somerset.
Pest control officer Jason Massey, 45, discovered the rare piece of jewellery, which features an engraving of the Roman goddess of Victory, in a field near Crewkerne.
It is believed to have belonged to a 'high status' figure, potentially making it one of the most significant archaeological finds in Somerset's history.
The current value of the ancient piece of jewellery is still being determined. The ring is now in the hands of experts at the British Museum in London.
It is believed to date from 200 to 300 AD.
Mr Massey, who served in the British armed forces from 1989 to 1992, made the find at a site believed to have once been a high-status Roman villa as part of a charitable dig with the 'Detecting for Veterans' group.
'The Somerset Archaeological team think we have found a very high status villa complex, but more investigative work is needed,' he told MailOnline.
Mr Massey and the landowner will share 50 per cent of any profits made from the ring once British Museum researchers had determined its value.
'We have no idea how much [the ring] is worth – there is nothing like it in the UK,' he said.
Detecting for Veterans unearthed 60 other Roman coins on Sunday as part of ongoing excavations at the Crewkerne site, which is south west of Yeovil.
Bronze and silver coins are more common than their gold counterparts, which were typically owned by Romans of rich and powerful stature.
Ciorstaidh Hayward-Trevarthen, finds liaison officer for South West Heritage Trust, told BBC News: 'There are a couple of gold rings of that sort of date from Somerset but they're not common.
Gold is ... an indication that the owner is fairly wealthy.'
The newly-discovered ring features an engraving of Victoria, the Roman god of Victory, riding a chariot pulled by two horses.
Victoria appears widely on Roman coins, jewellery, architecture, and other arts, and is often depicted with or in a chariot.
Even though we’ve been living on this planet for thousands of years, we’re still a long way from discovering everything about it. Sometimes, we find something that’s been hidden or buried for hundreds, or even thousands of years, and changes the way we think about our own history. Here are some truly incredible recent discoveries that have shed fresh light on the past.
Why were most slaves in America from West Africa? Slavery has existed throughout history in various forms across the globe, but who became enslaved was almost always based on military conquest. So why did Europeans travel thousands of miles to enslave people from a particular geographic region? Watch the episode to find out.
The Earth has been around for a long time, and we're constantly making new (or old!) discoveries that have been lost or forgotten over the years. And sometimes in the most random of places, the weirdest and most wonderful things turn up. It could be anything from Egyptian-like pyramids in Scotland or clouds floating past shaped like cubes - even potato vending machines. Don’t ask! You’re about to see exactly what we’re talking about. But know this! Even in the most unexpected locations, a whole new world can be uncovered... 15 Most Incredible Discoveries Found In The Middle Of Nowhere.
There are over a hundred pyramids in Egypt, but a majority of them are in a dilapidated state. However, the three Great Pyramids of the Giza Plateau have best survived the test of time and received the maximum attention from tourists. The smallest of the great trio, the often-ignored Pyramid of Menkaure, is no doubt a literal mountain of priceless historical evidence.
But why is it so small compared to the other two pyramids? Was it left incomplete? Is there any other reason for its partially disrupted state? What is the story behind the great breach across its northern face? It is certainly a "diamond in the rough" that might not have managed to shine as brightly as its enigmatic giant neighbors but is no less a mystery that has brought up dozens of questions.
In today’s video we will have a look at what archaeologists discovered inside the Pyramid of Menkaure.
A beautiful Gladiator helmet restoration to honor the roman warrior. In this video we will restore a very mean looking old Roman warrior helmet from Rome in Italy.
In the video below we will be talking about the man who destroyed Africa’s pyramids. Enjoy!
Ancient Egypt is undeniably one of the most fascinating and engaging eras in human history, with its enormous pyramids, incredible sarcophagi, and even cryptic and unexplained hieroglyphics. So much remains unexplained, yet there are so many artifacts from this largely forgotten era.
Frightened by the discovery, one of the archaeologists had to leave the site. Given that people in ancient Egypt often did not live to a ripe old age, his estimate left the crew scratching their heads.
Since newborn mortality rates were extremely high due to infection concerns, the average lifespan was relatively short. Those who made it past childhood, however, enjoyed a somewhat extended lifespan.
Driving along a road in southern Brazil, Heinrich Frank spots an unusual hole in the midst of a modern development. It’s unlike anything that the geologist has seen before. Convinced the tunnel isn’t a natural phenomenon, he returns for a closer look — and discovers something incredible hiding in plain sight.
In the following video we are doing a restoration of an old NORDIC hammer from T.O.R., Sweden. Enjoy!
When people imagine what the Earth was like in the distant past, they generally think about megalithic stone structures and the artifacts that have been uncovered. However, these creations of ancient civilizations existed in a world that was far different than the world we are familiar with. In order to comprehend why builders made their structures so large and well-fortified, it is necessary to understand the types of lifeforms that once existed, which ancient people would have needed to contend with and fortify against.
Moreover, so that we can understand why the diverse range of megafauna that once existed are now gone, researchers such as ourselves need to study how the Earth's atmosphere was drastically different in the distant past, and what unusual events occurred to cause these ancient species (and the lost societies that built such impressive stone buildings) to suddenly go extinct.
This series offers a fascinating countdown of important scientific and historical wonders. Viewers embark on a journey into the world of ancient civilizations, ancient technology was the result from advances in engineering in ancient times. The series used contributions from archaeologists and other experts, footage of historical sites and artifacts, computer generated animations.
Amazing, rare and heartfelt tribute to Native American tribes. Footage dating back to 1895, with rare vintage audio recording of Native American music.
American history including the oldest known clip of Native Americans on film, a clip of Sioux Native Americans performing the Buffalo Dance at Thomas Edison's Black Maria Studio in New Jersey. The film Ghost Dance also features, created on the same day, September 24, 1895.
Other films featured include Hopi Native Americans greeting TR and clips from the Chicago World's Fair in 1933.
It also shows 3 Native American feature films, White Fawn's Devotion, The Invaders and Last Of The Mohicans.
White Fawn's Devotion was the earliest film directed by a Native American, James Young Deer.
The old audio clip was recorded in 1895 by Alice Cunningham and Francis La Flesche. The song is 'He'dewachi' Dance Song and it is traditionally played at ceremonies which celebrate warriors.
The Story of the Trojan War in Homer’s Iliad, is considered one of the greatest works that Western civilization has ever produced. From Achilles and Odysseus to Paris and Helen, their names have echoed throughout the ages, with their stories playing an integral role in Greek Mythology.
Today, we take a look at these 60 most incredible recent discoveries & mysteries to blow your mind. As technology and exploration in the modern day continues to grow and improve, it's allowed us to uncover various secrets. Although some of these get explained, some remain a mystery. Sometimes the more we know the more questions that are put forward. So today, we'll be taking a look at these interesting discoveries and mysteries.
Plato's writings about the city of Atlantis sparked a curiosity for ancient underwater cities that have not been satiated to this day. Several people have tried to find the ancient city, and it has become a staple of both modern literature and films. Above it all, it is still unknown if Atlantis was a real city or a mythical one.
Real or not, the search and hope that Atlantis could be found, has led to the discovery of several other underwater cities. While some like Pavlopetri are thousands of years old and are remnants of civilizations long lost, others are merely centuries old and their discovery merely brought to an end debates about their existence.
Still, a few are relatively modern cities that have been submerged under the sea for various reasons. These underwater cities may not be full of golden streets and palaces, but they tell stories and fill important gaps in history. And sometimes, the filled-in details shock the world.
In the following video we will be exploring shocking prehistoric discoveries. Enjoy!
