Archaeology Odyssey, January/February 2006
Features
Faking Etruria
A 17th-Century Scandal in the Italian Province of Tuscany, Land of the Etruscans
One afternoon in November 1634, 19-year-old Curzio Inghirami went fishing with his 13-year-old sister in the river behind their house. Their villa, called Scornello, stood on an isolated hill in the countryside south of Volterra, the highest and most remote of the ancient Etruscan cities. On their way home Curzio amused himself by rolling stones down the riverbank. One stone uncovered a “small blackish clod,” bound together with bitumen and wax. On breaking open the bundle, he found a scroll of linen rag paper marked with strange writing.Read more ›
Alashiya Redux
Was it Cyprus?
YES By James D. Muhly Virtually all references to ancient Alashiya refer to copper, which is found in abundance on Cyprus. If Alashiya is not Cyprus, no one would be able to identify the source of the principal metal (with tin) of the Bronze Age. I first entered the Alashiya...Read more ›
A Mesopotamian Feast
Ancient Recipes for Modern Cooks
Mesopotamia (as everyone who writes about it is required to state) is a land of firsts: the first cities, the first writing ... and the first cookbooks. Apparently, the Mesopotamians included cooking among the arts of civilization. Along with commemorations of royal deeds and epics of their gods, they saw...Read more ›
Digs 2006: Odyssey’s Annual Roundup
A tour of the (ancient) world we cover
Uncover ancient timbered dwellings in Roman Britain, sketch prehistoric rock art in Italy, piece together pottery sherds in Greece and Spain—with the help of our annual Digs issue, you can travel back into the ancient world. On pages 44–45 we provide a detailed chart listing excavation opportunities for volunteers in...Read more ›