Although the Romans never actually went to ireland, confining themselves to the Big Island (and only making a brief foray into Scotland), it turns out that the Irish occupants did in fact interact with the Romans.
A new Irish Archaeological organization called the Discovery Programme is beginning to research how much of the Romans impacted and interacted with the Irish (including investigations into the possibility of a Roman invasion). While Irish archaeologists have uncovered Roman goods (ceramic-ware, beads, jewelry, etc), until now there has been little investigation into Ireland’s “Roman heritage.”
To read more about new archaeological investigations and the new Discovery Programme, see this article in the Irish Times: “So What Have the Romans Ever Done for US?“
Thieves robbed the museum at Olympia (the site of the ancient Olympic Games). Two armed masked men smashed display cases and grabbed priceless artifacts (at least 60) after overpowering guards at the museum.
In the wake of the chaos of Greece’s financial crisis, violent crime (targeting art) has skyrocketed. To read more about the theft, see the article at BBC News.
I played with digital storytelling in the classroom first semester and it went so well, I decided to do it again this semester as a project grade. To see my first experiment, see my previous post: “My First Attempt at Employing Digital Storytelling in the Classroom.” I followed along similarly to my first attempt but made a few minor adjustments. For example:
Students were given a list of potential topics (a person, an event, etc) and had to sign up for one, no two students could present on the same topic.
I modified my grading rubric.
I emailed the parents in advance to let them know we would be working on this project.
Overall, yet again, the students amazed me with their dedication and hard work. As per usual, we had a few technical difficulties (but far fewer this time than the last). I was also excited to see students helping one another to resolve their problems. Students who really struggled with the technology last semester seemed to be the ones most excelled this time around. I did this project for both my Ancient History and US History classes, so I will include some examples for each.
Here were the instructions for my Freshmen Ancient History Class:
And here are the instructions for the Civil War Project (pretty similar)
The students were also given a copy of the grading rubric in advance:
The students did a great job. Here are some great examples:
After the students finished their projects, we watched them in class. I also included questions from all of their projects on the next quiz. As a small extra-credit opportunity, they were encouraged to comment on their classmates’ videos.
This edition of Archaeology Magazine highlights the quest of modern archaeologists and explorers in locating the original source of the famed Aqua Traina - built by the Emperor Trajan in the 1st century CE. Aqueducts were the key to sustaining the large population of the ancient city of Rome and even today, stand as a testament to Roman engineering and industrialization.
The quest to discover and navigate the Northwest Passage long enticed explorers and politicians throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The Northwest Passage is a treacherous sea-route through the Arctic Ocean. It was seen as a potential trade route and not successfully navigated until the early 20th century.
The Northwest Passage
This month’s Archaeology Magazine highlights the dangers of the sea journey and the ill-fated voyage by the HMS Investigator, an expedition led by Robert McClure that was abandoned in 1853 after it was irretrievably trapped in the ice. The ship was rediscovered in 2010 and is subject to investigation and excavation by nautical archaeologists.
Due to the environment and frigid waters, the dangers posed to archaeologists are unique. You can read more about their endeavors and what they have discovered int he 2011 field season in this article: “The Saga of the Northwest Passage.”
Archaeologists working on the Orkney Islands, one of the northernmost regions of Scotland, have uncovered a stone-age complex that they believe to be a precursor to Stonehenge.
The ritual center called the “Ness of Brodgar” predates Stonehenge by at least a few centuries (early radiocarbon dating suggests that it was first occupied by 3200 BCE). The site hosted several stone age rituals that appear similar to those hosted in Salisbury more than 500 years later.
This month’s Nature highlights the work of nautical (marine) archaeologists working in Greece to find shipwrecks dating to the time of the Minoans (approximately 2700 — 1250 BCE).
Underwater archaeologists risk life and limb in frigid waters at dangerous depths to learn more about this pre and semiliterate society. To learn more about their exploits, see the article in this month’s Nature.
One of the greatest considerations of all those who work with material objects (be it art, artifacts, buildings, etc) is conservation and preservation. In spite of our greatest resources and attempts, degradation and, ultimately, destruction of material cultural is the reality – nothing lasts forever… or can it?
“The development of digital technologies has exponentially magnified the amount of data we’re collecting, simply because we have the tools now to collect a lot more information much more easily than we did in the past,” Adam Rabinowitz, Ph.D.
So while archaeologists, art historians, and conservationists may not ultimately be able to indefinitely preserve objects themselves (susceptible to destruction in war, theft, negligence, or just natural processes), they may be able to retain and disseminate the information indefinitely. To learn more about these endeavors, see the article in Live Science.
An entirely unique ‘winged’ structure has been discovered by archaeologist working in England, just outside of Norfolk. The building has no parallels in the Roman Empire and is clearly distinct from other structures in the Roman world (both within and outside of Britain).
“Generally speaking, (during) the Roman Empire people built within a fixed repertoire of architectural forms,” Prof Bowden
The structure appears to be connected to a villa complex nearby, but archaeologists are still unsure how the structure fits in with the urban landscape.
Although the Romans never actually went to ireland, confining themselves to the Big Island (and only making a brief foray into Scotland), it turns out that the Irish occupants did in fact interact with the Romans.
