Minerva Magazine - May/June 2020

In this issue

Now available for iPad, Minerva magazine gives anyone with an interest in archaeology and ancient art a compelling insight into the cultures of the past. Minerva explores the lost civilisations of the past, from Ancient Egypt to Greece, Rome and the mighty empires of the Middle East and Asia.

For over 30 years, Minerva has revealed the untold stories of the distant past in all their splendour.

Each issue includes:
• News of finds and research from around the world
• Original research by international experts
• Reviews of major new exhibitions
• In-depth features on history’s most fascinating people and events
• Profiles of leading figures from the world of archaeology
• Reviews of new publications and a must-have events diary

ANCIENT LUXURY GOODS

A new study has shed light on the trade and production of decorated ostrich eggs across the Mediterranean region and in the Middle East during the Bronze Age and Iron Age.

2 mins

SARCOPHAGUS REVEALED UNDER THE ROMAN FORUM

A team of archaeologists and architects announced the ‘extraordinary’ discovery of a 2,600-year-old shrine directly beneath the Roman Forum – and they have suggested that it might be associated with the cult of Romulus, Rome’s legendary founder and the first king of the city.

2 mins

FROM THE ARCHIVE - STONEHENGE PICNIC, 1860S

Relaxing in the shade of Stonehenge’s towering trilithons, these Victorian picnickers are dwarfed by the Neolithic monument in whose circuit they sit.

1 min

TEMPLES OF TYRANNY

Archaeologist Neil Faulkner argues that the Greek temples of Sicily are monuments to both civilisation and barbarism.

10+ mins

MONUMENTAL MEXICO

The Olmecs are best known as the creators of Mexico’s first civilisation, and for making some of the country’s most extraordinary works of art. Claudia Zehrt surveys a major new exhibition that aims to bring their history and culture to a European audience, and includes many fascinating pieces that have never left Mexico before.

10+ mins

VISIONS OF EGYPT

Three Victorian artists – Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Edward Poynter, and Edwin Long – helped to shape our image of the distant past. Stephanie Moser describes how their passion for archaeology and love of domestic objects produced a wealth of detailed, descriptive paintings.

10+ mins

The Roof Of The World

Humans have lived in the Arctic Circle for more than 30,000 years, overcoming environmental challenges to produce objects of great beauty, usefulness, and ingenuity. Maev Kennedy looks forward to a new exhibition at the British Museum, the first to be devoted to the region’s history and culture, and to the changes in its climate which now threaten its future.

10 mins

150 YEARS OF THE MET

On 13 April 1870, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded. Celebrating this anniversary, a new exhibition explores how America’s largest art museum came into being, and looks at the changes it has gone through in its 150-year history. The curator Andrea Bayer tells Lucia Marchini some of its stories.

10+ mins

Glories Of The Met

There are many outstanding examples of ancient art in the Met’s collections. We take a look at a few highlights – both from the exhibition Making the Met and elsewhere in the museum – that open a window on to the institution’s past.

4 mins

Eugène Boban (1834-1908)

In the mid 19th century, new national museums were opening across Europe.

2 mins

Read all stories from Minerva

Minerva Magazine Description:

Now available for iPad, Minerva magazine gives anyone with an interest in archaeology and antiquities a compelling insight into the ancient world. Minerva explores the lost civilisations of the past, from Ancient Egypt to Greece, Rome and the mighty empires of the Middle East and Asia.

For over 25 years, Minerva has revealed record-breaking auction results, exciting new finds, and untold stories of the distant past, spanning the Stone Age to the Dark Ages and beyond.

Each issue includes:
• News of finds and research from around the world
• Original research by international experts
• Reviews of major new exhibitions
• Latest trends and auction reports from the antiquities market
• In-depth features on history’s most fascinating people and events
• Profiles of leading figures from the world of archaeology
• Reviews of new publications and a must-have events diary