Art Historic Painting: “Napoleon and his General Staff” by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1867. 27 Jul 201727 Jul 2017 So, you know that I'm a huge admirer of Jean-Léon Gérôme, the French artist of the late 19th century whose vivid brush captured scenes so vibrant and filled with life…
Art Historic Painting: “The Colossi of Memnon” by Hubert Sattler, 1846. 12 May 201718 Jun 2017 This lovely painting is the essence of 19th century Romanticism. Two giant stone statues rise up from the Egyptian desert, perhaps looking to gods that have ceased to exist, marking…
History… Breaking News: King Tutankhamun’s tomb hidden chambers confirmed by radar. “It could be the discovery of the century…” said Egyptian Minister Mamdouh Eldamaty 20 Mar 201620 Mar 2016 I am incredibly excited about this discovery in Egypt, which recently indicated that there are further burial chambers to be discovered behind the walls of King Tutankhamen's tomb which itself…
History… 1922-1930 The deconstruction of Tutankhamun’s tomb, in color 6 Dec 20156 Dec 2015 First Night History, which scours the web for great history articles, has brought us a link to some truly eye-popping photos of the original discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in…
History Star-crossed voyager: The sad career of the MS Achille Lauro. 7 Oct 20157 Oct 2015 Thirty years ago today, on October 7, 1985, four terrorists belonging to the Palestine Liberation Front hijacked the Italian passenger ship MS Achille Lauro off the Egyptian coast and held her passengers…
Byzantium… The Monastery of Saint Catherine. 26 Apr 201526 Apr 2015 Robert Horvat of the History of the Byzantine Empire blog has done it again with another fantastic article. This one is about a sacred place in Byzantine history, the Monastery…
History… 42 Historical People, No. 3: Thuya, Egyptian noblewoman. 27 Jul 2014 The still-regal mummified head of a woman who lived over 3,300 years ago attests to the beauty and poise she must have had in life. Her name was Thuya (also…
History… The Lighthouse of Alexandria 18 Jun 201418 Jun 2014 I don't do a lot of ancient history on this blog, but Robert Horvat has done a great job on this article about the great Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of…
History When Egypt was cool: the “Tutmania” craze of the 1920s. 17 Mar 201417 Mar 2014 This is the second article in my 1920s Week series. On November 4, 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered the first of sixteen stone steps that led down into the…
Art… Earth Panorama: the tomb of Ramesses VI, Valley of the Kings, Egypt. 17 Feb 201417 Feb 2014 If this looks like a set from an Indiana Jones movie, it should. This magnificently-decorated burial chamber is hewn out of solid stone in the arid deserts of the Valley…
History… 42 Historical Objects, No. 8: Roman child’s rag doll. 13 Jan 20147 Sep 2015 Although it most likely didn't belong to an emperor or some pivotal figure, in many ways this simple rag doll is every bit as amazing as the sword of Tiberius…
Book Reviews… Retro Book Review: Secret of the Pyramids (Choose Your Own Adventure). 18 Jul 201317 Jul 2013 The second Choose Your Own Adventure book by anyone other than Edward Packard or R.A. Montgomery has a catchy title, a wonderful locale, a thought-provoking cover, and a lot of promise.…
Earth… Real retro science: Eratosthenes measures the size of the Earth. [video] 21 Jun 201318 Jun 2013 Today, June 21, is traditionally the date of the summer solstice. On this day, at noon, at a certain latitude, a stick standing upright will cast no shadow at all--but…
Earth Earth: Anwar Sadat’s abandoned chalet, near Alexandria, Egypt. 5 Jun 20132 Jun 2013 This haunting structure is a luxury resort home, long-since abandoned, owned by one of the most important men in the world at one time: Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, famous for…
