Tag: Archaeological Tourism View All Tags
Archaeology
Bring Out Your Dead: Creepy Necropolis Uncovered in Rome
October 19, 2008 at 1:50 PM | 1 Comment
Man, Italy gets all the cool history. As if Rome didn't have enough ancient wonders already, workers renovating a rugby stadium recently unearthed what appears to be a vast city of the dead. The collection of tombs mimics the layout of a city, an attempt, perhaps, to give the dearly departed all the luxuries afforded by the Roman empire at the time. While researchers are still figuring out what happened here, some evidence suggests that after several hundred years of people dying to get in during the Roman period, actual living people moved in to the necropolis during the Dark Ages. I guess urban real estate was tight even then.
Pyramids
Placido Domingo's Smooth Moves Calm Chichen Itza Kerfuffle
October 5, 2008 at 11:29 AM | 0 Comments
A concert by Spanish tenor Placido Domingo went off without a hitch last night at Mexico's Chichen Itza archaeological site, silencing for the moment a controversy about whether the ancient Mayan ruins are an appropriate venue for such a modern spectacle. Prior to the event, a union of archaeologists pressed prosecutors to file criminal charges against the concert's organizers, saying that the event violated a law that states the ruins must be preserved for educational purposes.
Pyramids
Archaeological Travel: Peruvian Pyramid Discovered Using Satellite Data
October 4, 2008 at 12:54 PM | 0 Comments
Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that there's still lots of cool stuff we haven't yet discovered in this world. Italian researchers announced on Friday that they had found an ancient adobe pyramid along the river Nazca, near Peru's Cahuachi Desert, along with two other structures that have yet to be identified. The three structures were likely built by the Nazca civilization, who occupied the area from about 100 B.C. to 500 A.D., when a series of disasters forced them to abandon what appears to be the world's largest mud city.
Archaeology
Night-Vision Dogs and Underwater Pyramids: Bad-Ass Archaeologists Discover Portal to Maya Underworld
August 24, 2008 at 12:42 PM | 0 Comments
Even though real archaeology isn't remotely like the way it's portrayed in the movies, it still sounds like a pretty cool way to make a living. What adventure-loving soul wouldn't have enjoyed working alongside Guillermo de Anda as he found fourteen caves filled with temples and pyramids in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula? National Geographic (of course) brings us the news of de Anda's recent discovery, which reveals much about what the Mayan people believed about death and the afterlife.
The underground complex is located in the village of Tahtzibichen, and it seems to represent the journey that Mayans believed the deceased had to take in order to reach the underworld of Xibalba. The extensive labyrinth includes a 90-meter road that leads to a column standing in front of water, as well as vessels, earthenware, ceramics, and human remains. Parts of the complex were actually built underwater, necessitating early Mayans to hold their breath to create underwater pyramids brick-by-brick, and people like de Anda to don scuba gear in one of the coolest parts of their jobs.
As thrilling (and movie-worthy) as this discovery is, the legend might be even better. Maya lore states that "the souls of the dead had to follow a dog with night vision on a horrific and watery path and endure myriad challenges before they could rest in the afterlife." Better still, the journey involved "oozing blood, bats, and spiders." Man, you really earned your afterlife back in those days.
[Photo: National Geographic]
Related Stories:
· Portal to Maya Underworld Found in Mexico? [National Geographic]
· Archaeology Coverage [Jaunted]
Jerusalem Tourism
The Lost Tomb of Jesus on Google Maps
February 27, 2007 at 12:54 PM | 0 Comments
Update: The Israel Antiquities Authority is responsible for the Jesus Tomb and officials told the Jerusalem Post they would open it to tourists if city officials were in favor.
We have heard James Cameron has a bit of a God complex, so his newest documentary comes as no shock.
Executive Producer James Cameron and his crew claim to have found the Lost Tomb of Jesus and on March 4th Discovery is airing the documentary to prove it.
The documentary claims a 2000 year old in East Talpiot, just south of Jerusalem's Old City is The Burial Cave of Jesus. The tomb had been uncovered back in 1980, when TNT was detonated by a construction crew putting up a new apartment complex.
All leading epigraphers agree about the inscriptions. All archaeologists confirm the nature of the find. It comes down to a matter of statistics. A statistical study commissioned by the broadcasters (Discovery Channel/Vision Canada/C4 UK) concludes that the probability factor is 600 to 1 in favor of this tomb being the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth and his family.
Calothic church spokespeople aren't so sure:
To suggest they've found the remains defies belief. Obviously the findings would have to be subject to rigorous scrutiny by experts in the respective fields.
Want to go check it out for yourself? Well you will have to hop on a plane to Ben Gurion International Airport, then you can check with a few Jerusalem Tour Operators to see if they will take you to the tombs alleged location. If not, you can go to Google Maps and try to find the location on your own. We have given you the general location here. Good luck, and remember to report back.
Related Stories:
· Lost Tomb Of Jesus Location [Google Maps]
· The Lost Tomb of Jesus [Discovery]
·
E. Talpiot residents adjust to possibility they're Jesus's neighbors [Jerusalem Post]
