Putting Carthaginian Stelae Back Into Context: The ASOR Punic Project Digital Initiative
The investigation of Punic stelae from Carthage has a long and storied history. Through computer modelling and collation of legacy archival data, the ASOR Punic Project will provid
Person, Place, and Object: Ritual Healing in Roman and Late Antique Palestine
October 2024 | Vol. 12.10 By Megan Nutzman Malaria, battle wounds, pregnancy, scorpion stings, sciatica: these are just a few of the medical concerns that regularly appear in ancie
The Shavei Zion Figurine Assemblage. A Cultic Site at Sea
An underwater discovery off the coast of Israel revealed terracotta figurines. But there was no shipwreck and the finds dated across hundreds of years of the Iron Age. Was this an
‘Mummify like an Egyptian’ – Egyptianizing Mummification in the Canary Islands
One of the most remarkable features of the indigenous culture of the Canary Island was their practice of mummification. Writers have long associated the practice with Egypt, but is
Vanilla in the Middle Bronze Age: New Findings from Megiddo
There were many kinds of fragrances and flavors available in the second millennium BCE. But the recent finding of vanilla residues at Megiddo takes the idea of exotic to a whole ne
Birth and Rebirth in Ancient Egypt
Birth is one of the most dangerous parts of life. But for ancient Egyptians the birth of a child had a counterpart: the rebirth after death. Both of these were necessary to maintai
What Sorts of Rituals Really Went on Inside Late Babylonian Temples?
From Aristotle to John Adams, great minds of government have revered Carthaginian democracy as the purest expression of a people’s will. What impact did it have in the developmen
Phoenician and Punic Masks: What Are They and What Were They Good For?
Many human societies created masks, but they were especially common in the Eastern Mediterranean. Phoenician masks spread from east to west, but what were they for and why did the
The Golden Pome: The Pomegranate from its Deepest Roots to Modern Culture
Pomegranates are renowned as health food but that association is very ancient. And it should not be surprising that pomegranates are also associated with powerful deities across th
How Eclipses Were Regarded as Omens in the Ancient World
Humans have long been fascinated by celestial events. In the ancient world, eclipses were regarded as signs of things to come.