CIVILIZATIONS, HISTORY AND HERITAGE

 by maximillien de lafayette

1-How much do you know about ancient and modern Iraq?

2-The Mysterious Woman of the Wetwang Chariot Burial. n March 2001 an Iron Age grave was discovered in the village of Wetwang in East Yorkshire, England. It was found during the construction of a small housing development by Hogg the Builders of York. The grave was then excavated by a team of archaeologists from The Guildhouse Consultancy and the British Museum, and funded by English Heritage. The excavation showed that the grave was that of a woman who had died over 2,300 years ago and was buried with a chariot. Since the completion of the excavation, Hogg the Builders generously donated the finds to the British Museum, where they are being carefully conserved and studied. This is leading to new, and sometimes controversial, evidence of life in the Iron Age.

3-The Original Chinese Takeaway. British adventurer Sir Aurel Stein sent home more than 40,000 relics from his explorations round Asia, most of which are still in the UK. Either one of history's heroes, or one of its greatest plunderers, the 60th anniversary of his death again raises the question of whether museums need to confront their own past.

4-COIN UNEARTH NEW ROMAN EMPEROR. A coin that solved the mystery of a little-known Roman emperor is going on display at a new exhibition.

5-CILICIA. The kingdom of Cilicia  is considered by eminent historians, archaeologists and anthropologists as one of the greatest ancient empires of all time. It did not last very long  in the history of human kind but, most certainly, it made an immense mark on the European civilization, its way of life, its trade and commerce, its arts and laws, its architecture and above all, it left an extra-ordinary impact on early Christianity edifices, castles, palaces, cathedrals and churches, as well as on  the Crusaders who learned from the Armenians how to build circular- round-shaped castles and towers.

6-KATCHKARS. The most recognizable early Christian artart is the traditional stone carving. The carving of Khatchkars is an artistic Armenian tradition. An Armenian trademark and monopoly. Khatchkar, literally means "cross-stone"; khatch means cross  and “kar” means  stone.  It refers to an upright basalt stone resting on  a rectangular base with its back facing eastward. It is a slab of stone  incorporating various patterns of carved crosses with inscriptions and  different designs pertaining to various epochs. The front of the basalt stab is always hosting a large cross carved in the center and surrounded with elaborate designs and symmetrical designs that vary from one katchkar to another. Each single katchkar is unique in its design, carving style and geometrical form.

7-TIPS FOR DEALING AND SOCIALIZING WITH FOREIGNERS. CAN WE GENERALIZE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND ATTRIBUTES OF NATIONS AND PEOPLE? Can we generalize and stigmatize particular ethnic characteristics of a nation or a “people” to define what distinguished their ethnicity from other groups and social structures? In other words, would it be fair and intelligent to represent, describe and depict people, societies and countries according to suspicions, common beliefs and stereotyped clichés? Honestly, NO! However,  political experiences and history taught us, that, to a certain degree of social veracity and historical accuracy, some aspects, facets, way of life, traditions, culture and social  characteristics, including behavior (individually or globally) could be adhered to the description of the nature and psyche of a nation and particular ethnic groups. A world-traveler and a student of mass psychology and sociopolitical sciences would consider and view various nations and their nationals quite differently from those who have never left their  homeland, read about people and nations in comparative history or effectuated transactions with foreigners. Read full article

8-Clay tablets hold key to tale of Helen, Paris and the siege of Troy. New archaeological finds show that Homeric and Hollywood epics may be based on more than just myth. The legend has dominated Western culture for more than 3,000 years - the kidnapping of the most beautiful woman in the world, the thousand ships sent to bring her back, and the bloody 10-year war that followed. Now a leading British historian claims that the true story of Troy is finally about to be uncovered. Bettany Hughes, currently making a television series about ancient Greece, says that a number of recently unearthed clay tablets hold "the keys" to the compelling tale of Helen, Paris and the siege of Troy...

9-Scientists to search for Noah's ark on Turkish mountain. Expedition will study 'man-made object' shown by satellite photos. The CIA calls it the "Ararat anomaly". Mountaineers call it the peak of the unforgiving range on the Turkish-Armenian border. But some scientists think it might hold a far greater historical significance as the great archaeological mirage - the remains of Noah's ark. Ten explorers and scientists from the US and Turkey will embark on an expedition on July 15 to scale Mount Ararat, 4,700 metres (15,000ft) above sea level, to determine what is behind the image that has been picked up by spy satellites in the past two decades...