Art is an incredible thing that has origins long before humans could even communicate with words on paper and still spoke in grunts and and mumbles. Art began well before time was even being recorded with the first known sculpture being the ever famous Venus of Willendorf dating back to 24,000 BCE.Art was one of the first ways that people used to express themselves and get a message across. It is a huge reason that we know as much about ancient civilizations and cultures as we do.
The BBC is reporting on the discovery of a mammoth carcass found preserved in Siberian ice for at least 10,000 years. The carcass is that of a juvenile mammoth, about 2 1/2 years old, that researchers have dubbed "Yuka." Its flesh, and even hair, have endured astonishingly well over millennia buried in ice. Video of the mammoth being uncovered can be seen on the BBC website.
The other day we looked at photos of Temples and the post proved popular so I thought I would look at a similar subject today, namely Photos of Castles, Palaces and Fortresses. I found some amazing photos so here are 25 of my favourites …
A hundred years ago, naming the world’s most beautiful buildings was easy: the Parthenon. Sure. The Taj Mahal. Absolutely. Hagia Sophia. No argument. But now, in part because the whole notion was chewed up and spit out by those troublemaking Modernists, we’re just learning to think about architecture in terms of beauty again. It’s open season.
A large Roman shipyard has been uncovered an ancient port in Rome called Portus, researchers reported yesterday (Sept. 22).
They found the remains of a massive building, dating to the second century, where ancient ships were likely built close to the distinctive hexagonal basin, or "harbor," at the center of the port complex.
