Ancient History Magazine

Editor-in-chief: Jasper Oorthuys Editor: Owain Williams Assistant editor: Lauren van Zoonen Proofreading: Naomi Munts Design & Media: Christianne C. Beall Design © 2017 Karwansaray Publishers Contributors: Kim Beerden, Wim van Broekhoven, Murray Dahm

Divination just might be one of the most foreign elements of the ancient world to modern audiences. We still have gods, we still have religion, but few of us, if any, turn to divination to seek answers to specific questions or to foretell the future.

The wreck of a Roman ship with its cargo largely intact has been found off the Italian coast. The ship, estimated to be more than twenty metres (66 foot) long, has been dated to the first or second century BC. It was likely a merchant ship, a bulky s

Evidence has been found indicating that coal was systematically used by Bronze Age people, in what is now China approximately 3700 years ago. This pushes back the previously known date by some twelve centuries. Coal is a sedimentary deposit which is

24 miles north of Fårö, and island just off Gotland, midway between mainland Sweden and Estonia in the Baltic Sea, lies Gotska Sandön, a small, sandy, uninhabited island. It was not always uninhabited, however, as archaeologists have discovered evide

Hatshepsut was the daughter of a pharaoh (Thutmose I), sister and wife of a pharaoh (Thutmose II), and stepmother of a pharaoh (Thutmose III). However, she was not meant to be pharaoh herself. She was the Great Royal Wife, the chief consort of Thutmo

Seeking propitious signs before a battle, when men were possible mere moments away from death, would have been a great morale boost. Thus, it is no surprise that seers performed sacrifices before battle. Famously, before the Battle of Plataea, the Sp

Shang oracle bone divination appears to have involved preparation of the bones and turtle shells beforehand, selecting good specimens and flattening the bones to allow better heat application and carving of the written charges. Experimental archaeolo

In Shang cosmology, the royal ancestors occupied a position of special importance. Upon their death, the spirits of the kings were believed to live alongside Di, the high god, and so provided a way for the incumbent Shang king to communicate with the

» 500 g spelt flour » 25 g bread starter or 7 g dried yeast » 275-300 ml tepid water » 10 g salt » 4 tbsp olive oil » 2 tbsp honey » 8 laurel leaves » 2 peaches or apples » 1 fig or 4 dates » 4 tbsp salt (feta) cheese » hazelnuts » optional: pepper,

By Michael A. Flower University of California Press, 2008 ISBN: 978-0520252295 A comprehensive study of the position of the seer in ancient Greek society, from itinerant diviners to seers’ role in the ancient Greek military. Flower's discussion cover

The Cambridge Companion to the Ancient Greek Economy Edited by Sitta von Redenl ISBN: 978-1108404846 Cambridge University Press (2022) - £29.99 www.cambridge.org The study of the ancient Greek economy occupies an unusual place in modern scholarship.