Urban Plan of Emporion (Ampurias), Iberia

An urban plan of ancient Emporion (modern Ampurias) close to the northeastern edge of Spain.

The Real Assassin’s Creed

Republication from HeritageDaily

by HeritageDaily

The word “Assassin” is a term that has been used to describe a fedayeen group within the Nizari Ismailis State that formed when followers of Nizarism split within Ismailism, a branch of Shia Islam.

The true origins of the word has been debated for centuries, with one such theory believing that “assassin” has roots in “hashshāshīn” meaning hashish smokers/users.

The first known usage of the term hashshāshīn has been traced back to 1122CE when the Fatimid caliph al-Āmir employed it in derogatory reference to the Syrian branch of the Nizaris Ismailis.

Hidden Secrets about Anglo-Saxon Princely Burial Revealed

Republication from Historic England

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Archaeologists have made exciting discoveries about the Prittlewell Anglo-Saxon princely burial in Essex.

Previously hidden secrets and insights into a high status burial in Prittlewell, Essex have been painstakingly reconstructed by a team of over 40 archaeological experts from Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). The new research has been funded by Historic England and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. It explores the nationally significant collection, including until now unidentified artefacts from the Anglo-Saxon burial chamber.

In 2003 archaeologists from MOLA excavated a small plot of land in Prittlewell, Essex. The discovery of a well-preserved burial chamber with rare and precious objects astounded them, but many of the burial chamber’s secrets lay concealed beneath centuries of earth and corrosion. Over the years since, as conservators and archaeological specialists carried out their meticulous work, the burial has slowly been giving up its secrets.

 

Ρωσσικός χάρτης του B΄ Ελληνικού Αποικισμού

 

Ενας χάρτης του λεγόμενου B΄ Ελληνικού Αποικισμού (αν και δεν συμφωνώ με τον όρο) των 8ου-6ου αιώνων πΧ στη ρωσσική γλώσσα.

Distinctive Iron Age shield gives insight into prehistoric technology

Republication  from the University of York

Photo credit: University of York

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A unique bark shield, thought to have been constructed with wooden laths during the Iron Age, has provided new insight into the construction and design of prehistoric weaponry.

The only one of its kind ever found in Europe, the shield was found south of Leicester on the Everards Meadows site, in what is believed to have been a livestock watering hole.

Urban and Fortification Plan of Cartagena de Indias (1730)

An Urban and Fortification Plan of Cartagena de Indias (1730) in modern Colombia (Instituto de Historia y Cultura Militar, Madrid). And, yes, you must have noticed my predilection for the Spanish and Italian engineers of the Renaissance who distinguished themselves in the New World.