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Machu Picchu (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmatʃu ˈpiktʃu], Quechua: Machu Picchu [ˈmɑtʃu ˈpixtʃu], "Old Peak") is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. Machu Picchu is located in the Cusco Region of Peru, South America. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of Inca civilization.
The Temple of Artemis (Greek: Artemision; Latin: Artemisium), also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to Artemis completed around 550 BC at Ephesus (in present-day Turkey) under the Achaemenid dynasty of the Persian Empire. Nothing remains of the original temple, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The temple was a 120-year project started by Croesus of Lydia. It was described by Antipater of Sidon, who compiled a list of the Seven Wonders:
I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, 'Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught (anything) so grand." (Antipater, Greek Anthology [IX.58])
The Temple of Artemis was located in the ancient city of Ephesus, about 50 km south from the modern port city of Izmir, in Turkey. Like the other wonders, Antipater chose the temple for his list not because of its beauty or size, but rather because it rested near the border of the Greek world. This inspired a sense of mystery and awe for the Greeks, and emphasized Alexander the Great's vast empire.
Artemis was the Greek goddess, the virginal huntress and twin of Apollo, who supplanted the Titan Selene as Goddess of the Moon. Of the Olympian goddesses who inherited aspects of the Great Goddess of Crete, Athene was more honored than Artemis at Athens.
At Ephesus, a goddess whom the Greeks associated with Artemis was passionately venerated in an archaic, certainly pre-Hellenic icon. The original - of which many copies and reductions circulated in Antiquity - was carved of wood, with many breasts denoting her fertility (rather than the virginity that Hellene Artemis assumed).
Most similar to Near-Eastern and Egyptian deities, and least like Greek ones, her body and legs are enclosed within a tapering pillar-like term, from which her feet protrude. On the coins minted at Ephesus, the many-breasted Goddess wears a mural crown (like a city's walls), an attribute of Cybele (see polos). On the coins she rests either arm on a staff formed of entwined serpents or of a stack of ouroboroi, the eternal serpent with its tail in its mouth.
Like Cybele, the goddess at Ephesus was served by hierodules called megabyzae, and by (korai).
A votive inscription mentioned by Bennett (see link), which dates probably from about the 3rd century BC, associates Ephesian Artemis with Crete: "To the Healer of diseases, to Apollo, Giver of Light to mortals, Eutyches has set up in votive offering (a statue of) the Cretan Lady of Ephesus, the Light-Bearer."The Greek habits of syncretism assimilated all foreign gods under some form of the Olympian pantheon familiar to them, and it is clear that at Ephesus, the identification that the Ionian settlers made of the "Lady of Ephesus" with Artemis was slender.
The sacred site at Ephesus was far older than the Artemisium. Pausanias understood the shrine of Artemis there to be very ancient. He states with certainty that it antedated the Ionic immigration by many years, being older even than the oracular shrine of Apollo at Didyma. He said that the pre-Ionic inhabitants of the city were Leleges and Lydians.
The Temple was designed and constructed around 550 BC by the Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes. This early construction was built at the expense of Croesus, the wealthy king of Lydia. Marshy ground was selected for the building site as a precaution against future earthquakes, according to Pliny the Elder.
The temple became a tourist attraction, visited by merchants, kings, and sightseers, many of whom paid homage to Artemis in the form of jewelry and various goods. Its splendor also attracted many worshippers, many of whom formed the cult of Artemis.
The temple was a widely respected place of refuge, a tradition that was linked in myth with the Amazons who took refuge there, both from Heracles and from Dionysus.
The temple of Artemis at Ephesus was destroyed on July 21, 356 BC in an act of arson committed by Herostratus.
The Ephesians, outraged, announced that Herostratus' name never be recorded. Strabo later noted the name, which is how we know today.
That very night, Alexander the Great was born. Plutarch remarked that Artemis was too preoccupied with Alexander's delivery to save her burning temple. Alexander later offered to pay for the Temple's rebuilding, but the Ephesians refused.
Eventually, the temple was restored after Alexander's death, in 323 BC.
This reconstruction was itself destroyed during a raid by the Goths in 262, in the time of emperor Gallienus: "Respa, Veduc and Thuruar, leaders of the Goths, took ship and sailed across the strait of the Hellespont to Asia. There they laid waste many populous cities and set fire to the renowned temple of Diana at Ephesus", reported Jordanes in Getica (xx.107).
Over the next two centuries, the majority of Ephesians converted to Christianity, and the Temple of Artemis lost its religious appeal. Christians tore down the remenants of the temple, and the stones were used in construction of other buildings.The main primary sources for the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus are in Pliny the Elder's Natural Historyand Plutarch's Life of Alexander III.5 (referencing the burning of the Artemisium).
The site of the temple was rediscovered in 1869 by an expedition sponsored by the British Museum, and while several artifacts and sculptures from the reconstructed temple can be seen there today, as for the original site, only a single column remains from the temple itself.
Architecture and art
Most of the physical description and art within the Temple of Artemis comes from Pliny, though there are different accounts and the actual size varies.
Pliny describes the temple as 377 feet (115 meters) long and 180 feet (55 meters) wide, made almost entirely of marble. The Temple consists of 127 Ionic-styled columns, each 60 feet (18 meters) in height.
The Temple of Artemis housed many fine artworks. Sculptures by renowned Greek sculptors Polyclitus, Pheidias, Cresilas, and Phradmon adorned the temple, as well as paintings and gilded columns of gold and silver.
The sculptors often competed at creating the finest sculpture. Many of these sculptures were of Amazons, who are said to have founded the city of Ephesus.
Pliny tells us that Scopas, who also worked on the Mausoleum of Mausollos, worked carved reliefs into the temple's columns.
The Temple of Artemis was located at an economically robust region, seeing merchants and travellers from all over Asia Minor. The temple was influenced by many beliefs, and can be seen as a symbol of faith for many different peoples. The Ephesians worshipped Cybele, and incorporated many of their beliefs into the worship of Artemis. Artemisian Cybele became quite contrasted from her Roman counterpart, Diana. The cult of Artemis attracted thousands of worshippers from far-off lands. They would all gather at the site and worship her.
A Walking Tour of Chichén Itzá: Chichén Itzá, one of best known archaeological sites of the Maya civilization, has a split personality. The site is located in the northern Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, about 90 miles from the coast. The south half of the site, called Old Chichén, was constructed beginning about 700 AD, by Puuc Maya emigres from the southern Yucatan. The Puuc built temples and palaces at Chichén Itzá including the Red House (Casa Colorada) and the Nunnery (Casa de las Monejas). The Toltec component of Chichén Itzá arrived from Tula about 950 AD and their influence can be seen in the the Osario (the High Priest's Grave), and the Eagle and Jaguar Platforms. Most interestingly, a cosmopolitan blending of the two created the Observatory (the Caracol) and the Temple of the Warriors.
The Wall of Skulls is called the Tzompantli, which is actually an Aztec name for this kind of structure, because the first one seen by the horrified Spanish was at the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan.
The Tzompantli structure at Chichén Itzá is a Toltec structure, where the heads of sacrificial victims were placed; although it was one of three platforms in the Great Plaza, it was according to Bishop Landa, the only one for this purpose--the others were for farces and comedies, showing the Itzá's were all about fun. The platform walls of the Tzompantli have carved reliefs of four different subjects. The primary subject is the skull rack itself; others show a scene with a human sacrifice; eagles eating human hearts; and skeletonized warriors with shields and arrows.
Photo taken in February 1986 on Kodachrome 64 film with a Minolta SLR camera and Vivitar 70-150 zoom. Scanned 2005. Photo by: Jim Gateley. Text Copyright 2006: archaeology.about.com/mbiopage.htm used with permission. A list of references used for this project is available for further reading on Chichén Itzá.
A Walking Tour of Chichén Itzá: Chichén Itzá, one of best known archaeological sites of the Maya civilization, has a split personality. The site is located in the northern Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, about 90 miles from the coast. The south half of the site, called Old Chichén, was constructed beginning about 700 AD, by Puuc Maya emigres from the southern Yucatan. The Puuc built temples and palaces at Chichén Itzá including the Red House (Casa Colorada) and the Nunnery (Casa de las Monejas). The Toltec component of Chichén Itzá arrived from Tula about 950 AD and their influence can be seen in the the Osario (the High Priest's Grave), and the Eagle and Jaguar Platforms. Most interestingly, a cosmopolitan blending of the two created the Observatory (the Caracol) and the Temple of the Warriors.
The Temple of the Warriors is one of the most impressive structures at Chichén Itzá. It may be the only known late classic Maya building sufficiently big enough for really large gatherings. The temple consists of four platforms, flanked on the west and south sides by 200 round and square columns. The square columns are carved in low relief, with Toltec warriors; in some places they are cemented together in sections, covered with plaster and painted in brilliant colors. The Temple of Warriors is approached by a broad stairway with a plain, stepped ramp on either side, each ramp has figures of standard-bearers to hold flags. A chacmool reclined before the main entrance. On the top, S-shaped serpent columns supported wooden lintels (now gone) above the doorways. Decorative features on the head of each serpent and astronomical signs are carved over the eyes. On the top of each serpent head is a shallow basin that might have been used as an oil lamp.
Photo taken in February 1986 on Kodachrome 64 film with a Minolta SLR camera and Vivitar 70-150 zoom. Scanned 2005. Photo by: Jim Gateley. Text Copyright 2006: archaeology.about.com/mbiopage.htm used with permission. A list of references used for this project is available for further reading on Chichén Itzá.
Darasuram or Dharasuram is a panchayat town situated in Tamil Nadu considered as the foremost example of Chola art and architecture; the Cholas were a Tamil dynasty, which ruled from 300 BC to the 13th century AD and well-known as avid builders; the main site is the Airateswara or Airavatesvara or Darasuram Temple erected by Raja Raja Chola II in the 12th century AD; the musical stone stairs, the Maha Mandalay (grand hall), the ornamented pillars accurate in details, the stone carvings, all these are worth a visit
© Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
Sabratha was one of the three cities of Tripolis, it lies on the Mediterranean coast west of Tripoli,the archaeological site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982
© Eric Lafforgue
Afternoon of 25th September 2007, Tuesday
After visiting the floating islands , we chose Sillustani for the afternoon. I hate to miss ancient necropolises ever since Egypt. The way people have been buried often indicates how people lived.
Sillustani is about 30 KMs from Puno and overlooks the very blue Lake Umayo. The burial chambers called chullpas pre-date the Inkas and were built to bury the royals of the Colla tribe. You can see the primitive "stack of rock" chullpas juxtaposed with the immaculately cut, curved and fitted in place airtight masonry. The advance is the skills of the builders is a fascinating site
We were not intending to hire a guide for this site though we were approached by a very eager young student called Ivan. He knew his history well, was very articulate and patiently walked me to every chullpa on the site. He even stood guard at chullpa while I quenched my curiosity by sauntering over a wall. It is amazing how people are always curious to get into somebody else's grave without being in their shoes.
The site has an incomplete chullpa with the neatly measured and laid out stones. The stones carry the plumb lines drawn by a very steady hand all those years ago. The location is almost alive as if the workers have taken a lunch break and will return noisily any moment to continue their art.
As the sun lethargically tilted westwards, we left the empty funerary towers to their solitude, tumbled into the van and headed home.
Shot this last Oct. Wasn't too happy with my earlier overdone HDR processing.
Decided to give it an ancient / antique feel.
OK, it's also an excuse that I haven't been going out for photoshoots lately :-P & have no new pics to share.
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The temple of Ta Prohm was used as a location in the movie, Tomb Raider.
Ta Prohm is the modern name of a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara.
Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle Bati, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university.
Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.
Source :
Depicting Hindu god Indra on Airavata, his three-headed elephant.
East Mebon is a 10th Century temple at Angkor, Cambodia.
God Thoth in one of his forms??!!!
The ancient deities are still a mystery until today after thousands of years.
Egyptian god Thoth has many function and many powers. He is the moon god, the inventor of writing and science , the protector of scribes , the master of knowledge,the divine messenger and book keeper.In the afterworld, he is responsible for the proper weighing of hearts and he writes down the verdict on the sacred scriptures.He is sometimes depicted as an ibis and sometimes as a babon.
Cult Center: Eshmunen or Hermopolis.Other Names: Tehuti.
Benben is a stone resembling a pyramid, representative of a sun ray and associated with the idea of eternal rebirth. A representation of the primordial mound.
ps. My perception is based on my personal abstract imagination and vision.
A Walking Tour of Chichén Itzá: Chichén Itzá, one of best known archaeological sites of the Maya civilization, has a split personality. The site is located in the northern Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, about 90 miles from the coast. The south half of the site, called Old Chichén, was constructed beginning about 700 AD, by Puuc Maya emigres from the southern Yucatan. The Puuc built temples and palaces at Chichén Itzá including the Red House (Casa Colorada) and the Nunnery (Casa de las Monejas). The Toltec component of Chichén Itzá arrived from Tula about 950 AD and their influence can be seen in the the Osario (the High Priest's Grave), and the Eagle and Jaguar Platforms. Most interestingly, a cosmopolitan blending of the two created the Observatory (the Caracol) and the Temple of the Warriors.
The Great Ball Court at Chichén Itzá is the largest in all of Mesoamerica, with an I-shaped playing ground 150 meters long and a small temple at either end--in fact, it's so large it's difficult to photograph, even from the top of el Castillo. This photograph shows the south 1/2 of the ball court, the bottom of the I and a portion of the game walls. The tall game walls are on both sides of main playing alley, and stone rings are set high in these side walls, presumably for shooting balls through. Reliefs along the lower parts of these walls depict the ancient ball game ritual, including the sacrifice of the losers by the victors. The very large building is called the Temple of the Jaguars, which looks down into the ball court from the east platform, with a lower chamber opening outside into the main plaza.
The second story of the Temple of Jaguars is reached by an extremely steep stairway at the east end of the court, visible in this photo. The balustrade of this staircase is carved to represent a feathered serpent. Serpent columns support the lintels of the wide doorway facing the plaza, and the doorjambs are decorated with typical Toltec warrior themes. A frieze appears here of a jaguar and circular shield motif in a flat relief, similar to that found at Tula. In the chamber is a now badly defaced mural of a battle scene with hundreds of warriors laying siege to a Maya village.
The crazed explorer Augustus Le Plongeon interpreted the battle scene in the interior of the Temple of the Jaguars (thought by modern scholars to be the 9th century sack of Piedras Negras) as the battle between Prince Coh leader of Moo (Le Plongeon's name for Chichén Itzá) and Prince Aac (Le Plongeon's name for the leader of Uxmal), which was lost by Prince Coh. Coh's widow (now Queen Moo) had to marry Prince Aac and she cursed Moo to destruction. Afterwards, according to Le Plongeon, Queen Moo left Mexico for Egypt and becomes Isis, and eventually is reincarnated as--surprise! Le Plongeon's wife Alice.
Photo taken in February 1986 on Kodachrome 64 film with a Minolta SLR camera and Vivitar 70-150 zoom. Scanned 2005. Photo by: Jim Gateley. Text Copyright 2006: archaeology.about.com/mbiopage.htm used with permission. A list of references used for this project is available for further reading on Chichén Itzá.
The lion was represented in other middle-eastern cultures; The Dying Lioness is a relief panel from 650 BCE, Nineveh (modern day Iraq) depicting a half-paralyzed lioness pierced with arrows, while the Babylonian goddess Ishtar has been represented driving a chariot drawn by seven lions.[3] Ishtar's Sumerian analogue Inanna was frequently depicted standing on the backs of two lionesses.
15-9 BC, Rome.
[--- u]xoris / [------] / [--- mo]rum probit[ate(?) ---]/rum [---] permansisti prob[a ---] / orbata es re[pente ante nuptiar]um diem utroque pa[rente in deserta soli]/tudine una o[ccisis per te maxi]me cum ego in Macedo[niam provinciam issem] / vir sororis tua[e C(aius) Cluvius in A]fricam provinciam [inulta non est relicta] / mors parentum / tanta cum industria m[unere es p]ietatis perfuncta ef[flagitando atque] / vindicando ut si praest[o fu]issemus non ampliu[s potuissemus sed] / haec habes communia cum [s]anctissima femina s[orore tua] / quae dum agitabas ex patria domo propter custodia[m non cedisti sumpto] / de nocentibus supplicio evest[i]gio te in domum ma[tris meae tulisti ubi] / adventum meum expectast[i] / temptatae deinde estis ut testamen[tum] quo nos eramus heredes rupt[um diceretur] / coemptione facta cum uxore ita necessario te cum universis pat[ris bonis in] / tutelam eorum qui rem agitabant reccidisse sororem omni[no eorum bonorum] / fore expertem quod emancupata esset Cluvio qua mente ista acc[eperis qua prae]/sentia animi restiteris etsi afui conpertum habeo / veritate caus{s}am communem [t]utata es testamentum ruptum non esse ut [uterque potius] / hereditatem teneremus quam omnia bona sola possideres certa qui[dem sententia] / te ita patris acta defensuram ut si non optinuisses partituram cum s[orore te adfir]/mares nec sub condicionem tutelae legitimae venturam quoius per [legem in te ius non] / esset neque enim familia[e] gens ulla probari poterat quae te id facere [impediret] / nam etsi patris testamentum ruptum esset tamen iis qui intenderen[t non esse id] / ius quia gentis eiusdem non essent / cesserunt constantiae tuae neque amplius rem sollicitarunt quo facto [officii in patrem] / pietatis in sororem fide[i] in nos patrocinium susceptum sola peregisti / rara sunt tam diuturna matrimonia finita morte non divertio in[terrupta contigit] / nobis ut ad annum XXXXI sine offensa perduceretur utinam vetust[a coniunctio habu]/isset mutationem vice m[e]a qua iustius erat cedere fato maiorem / domestica bona pudici[t]iae obsequi comitatis facilitatis lanificii stud[ii religionis] / sine superstitione o[r]natus non conspicendi cultus modici cur [memorem cur dicam de cari]/tate familiae pietate [c]um aeque matrem meam ac tuos parentes col[ueris non alia mente] / illi quam tuis curaveris cetera innumerabilia habueris commun[ia cum omnibus] / matronis dignam f[a]mam colentibus propria sunt tua quae vindico ac [paucae uxores in] / similia inciderunt ut talia paterentur et praestarent quae rara ut essent [propitia] / fortuna cavit / omne tuum patrimonium acceptum ab parentibus communi diligentia cons[ervavimus] / neque enim erat adquirendi tibi cura quod totum mihi tradisti officia [ita par]/titi sumus ut ego tu[t]elam tuae fortunae gererem ut meae custodiam sust[ineres multa] / de hac parte omittam ne tua propria mecum communicem satis sit [hoc] mi[hi tuis] / de sensibus [indi]casse / [liberali]tatem tuam c[u]m plurimis necessariis tum praecipue pietati praesti[tisti] / [--- licet qu]is alias nominaverit unam dumtaxat simillimam [tui ---] / [--- h]abuisti sororem tuam nam propinquas vestras d[ignas eiusmodi] / [--- bene]ficiis domibus vestris apud nos educavistis eadem u[t condicio]/[nes aptas famili]ae vestrae consequi possent dotes parastis quas quid[em a vobis] / [constitutas comm]uni consilio ego et C(aius) Cluvius excepimus et probantes [sensus vestros] / [ne vestro patrimo]nio vos multaretis nostram rem familiarem sub[didimus vestrae] / [nostraque bona] in dotes dedimus quod non venditandi nostri c[ausa memoravi] / [sed ut illa consi]lia vestra concepta pia liberalitate honori no[s duxisse consta]/[ret exequi de nos]tris / [multa alia merit]a tua praetermittenda [mihi sunt // [varia et ampla subsi]dia fugae meae praestitisti ornamentis / [me instruxisti] cum omne aurum margaritaque corpori / [tuo accomodata trad]isti mihi et subinde familia nummis fructibus / [deceptis nostrorum a]dversariorum custodibus absentiam meam locupletasti / [publicatis bonis repet]itis(?) quod ut conarere virtus tua te hortabatur / [mira pietas tua me m]unibat clementia eorum contra quos ea parabas / [nihilo minus tamen v]ox tua est firmitate animi emissa / [agmen conlectum ex repe]rtis hominibus a Milone quoius domus emptione / [potitus eram cum ille fuisset] exul belli civilis occasonibus inrupturum / [et direpturum --- reiecist]i [et defe]ndisti domum nostram / [ // iure Caesar dixit tibi acceptum esse referendu]m extare [adhuc] / me patriae redditum a se [na]m nisi parasses quod servar[et] cavens saluti meae / inaniter opes suas pollice[re]tur ita non minus pietati tu[a]e quam Caesari / me debeo / quid ego nunc interiora [no]stra et recondita consilia s[e]rmonesque arcanos / eruam ut repentinis nu[nt]iis ad praesentia et imminentia pericula evoca/tus tuis consiliis cons[er]vatus sim ut neque audac[i]us experiri casus / temere passa sis et mod[es]tiora cogitanti fida receptacula pararis / sociosque consilioru[m t]uorum ad me servandum delegeris sororem / tuam et virum eius C(aium) Clu[viu]m coniuncto omnium periculo infinita sint / si attingere coner sat [si]t mihi tibique salutariter m[e latuisse] / acerbissumum tamen in vi[ta] mihi accidisse tua vice fatebo[r reddito me iam] / cive patriae beneficio et i[ud]icio absentis Caesaris Augusti [quom abs te ---] / de restitutione mea M(arcus) L[epi]dus conlega praesens interp[ellaretur et ad eius] / pedes prostrata humi n[on] modo non adlevata sed tra[ducta et indignum in] / modum rapsata livori[bus c]orporis repleta firmissimo [animo eum admone]/res edicti Caesaris cum g[r]atulatione restitutionis me[ae atque vocibus eti]/am contumeliosis et cr[ud]elibus exceptis volneribus pa[lam conquereris] / ut auctor meorum peric[ul]orum notesceret quoi noc[uit mox ea res] / quid hac virtute efficaciu[s] praebere Caesari clementia[e locum et cum cu]/stodia spiritus mei not[a]re importunam crudelitatem [Lepidi firma tua] / patientia / sed quid plura parcamu[s] orationi quae debet et potest e[sse brevis ne maxi]/ma opera tractando pa[r]um digne peragamus quom pr[o maximo documento] / meritorum tuorum oc[ulis] omnium praeferam titulum [salutis meae] / pacato orbe terrarum res[titut]a re publica quieta deinde n[obis et felicia] / tempora contingerunt fue[ru]nt optati liberi quos aliqua[mdiu sors nobis invi]/derat si fortuna procede[re e]sset passa sollemnis inservie[ns quid utrique no]/strum defuit procedens a[li]as spem finiebat quid agitav[eris propterea quae]/que ingredi conata sis f[ors] sit an in quibusdam feminis [conspicua et memorabi]/lia in te quidem minime a[dmi]randa conlata virtutibu[s ceteris omittam] / diffidens fecunditati tuae [et do]lens orbitate mea ne tenen[do in matrimonio] / te spem habendi liberos [dep]onerem atque eius caussa ess[em infelix de divertio] / elocuta es vocuamque [do]mum alterius fecunditati t[e tradituram non alia] / mente nisi ut nota con[co]rdia nostra tu ipsa mihi di[gnam et aptam con]/dicionem quaereres p[ara]resque ac futuros liberos t[e communes pro]/que tuis habituram adf[irm]ares neque patrimoni(i) nos[tri quod adhuc] / fuerat commune separa[ti]onem facturam sed in eodem [arbitrio meo id] / et si vellem tuo ministerio [fu]turum nihil seiunctum ni[hil separatum te] / habituram sororis soc[rusve] officia pietatemque mihi d[ehinc praestituram] / fatear necesset adeo me exa[rsi]sse ut excesserim mente adeo [exhoruisse cona]/tus tuos ut vix redderer [mi]hi agitari divertia inter nos [ante quam nobis] / fato dicta lex esset poss[e te a]liquid concipere mente qua[re vivo me desineres] / esse mihi uxor cum paene [e]xule me vita fidissima perman[sisses] / quae tanta mihi fuerit cu[pid]itas aut necessitas habendi li[beros ut propterea] / fidem exuerem mutare[m c]erta dubiis sed quid plura [cedens mihi mansisti] / apud me neque enim ced[er]e tibi sine dedecore meo et co[mmuni infelici]/tate poteram / tibi vero quid memorabi[lius] quam inserviendo mihi c[onsilium cepisse] / ut quom ex te liberos ha[b]ere non possem per te tamen [haberem et diffi]/dentia partus tui alteriu[s c]oniugio parares fecunditat[em] / utinam patiente utriusqu[e a]etate procedere coniugium [potuisset donec e]/lato me maiore quod iu[sti]us erat suprema mihi praesta[res ego enim super]/stite te excederem orbitat[e f]ilia mihi substituta / praecucurristi fato delegast[i] mihi luctum desiderio tui nec libe[ros futuros me mise]/rum reliquisti flectam ego quoque sensus meos ad iudicia tu[a] / omnia tua cogitata praescri[p]ta cedant laudibus tuis ut sint mi[hi solacia ne nimis] / desiderem quod inmort[ali]tati ad memoriam consecrat[um est] / fructus vitae tuae non derunt [m]ihi occurrente fama tua firma[tus animo atque] / doctus actis tuis resistam fo[rt]unae quae mihi non omnia erip[uit sed cum laudi]/bus crescere tui memoriam [pas]sa est sed quod tranquilli status e[rat mihi tecum] / amisi quam speculatricem e[t p]ropugnatricem meorum pericul[orum cogitans calami]/tate frangor nec permane[re] in promisso possum / naturalis dolor extorquet const[an]tiae vires maerore mersor et quibu[s angos luctu aedioque] / in necutro mihi consto repeten[s p]ristinos casus meos futurosque eve[ntus cogitans con]/cido mihi tantis talibusque pr[aesi]diis orbatus intuens famam tuam n[on tam constanter pa]/tiendo haec quam ad desider[ium] luctumque reservatus videor / ultimum huius orationis erit omn[ia] meruisse te neque omnia contigisse mi[hi ut praestarem] / tibi legem habui mandata tu[a] quod extra mihi liberum fuerit pr[aestabo] / te di Manes tui ut quietam pat[ia]ntur atque ita tueantur opto
Baths of Diocletian Museum.
The first wall remains and wall paintings were found in 1904 by people ploughing in the Balácapuszta field of a village named Vámos in Veszprém County. Soon it became apparent that traces of a Roman farm had been discovered. The farm in Balaca is the largest known Roman farm in the former Pannonia Province. The famous mosaic floor of 62 m2 of its central building was discovered in 1925 with the help of the National Museum. It is still the main attraction of the Roman Lapidarium of the Museum. The other three mosaic floors were transferred back to their original places in 1984, in the year of the official opening of the gardens of ruins.
mnm.hu/en/museums/villa-romana-balaca-roman-villa-and-gar...
Highlights from the wonderful exhibition of Tutankhamun's Gold Treasures at Saatchi Gallery London UK 30 Nov 2019.
© Amberinsea Photography 2019
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is one of the most beautiful of all of the temples of Ancient Egypt. It is located at Deir el-Bahri ("the Northern Monastery"), at the head of the valley beneath the peak of the mountain (and natural pyramid) "Dehent" (now known by its arabic name, el-Qurn - "The Horn"). Hatshepsut´s temple was named "Djeser-djeseru" ("holy of holies"). It sits directly against the rock which forms a natural amphitheatre around it so that the temple itself seems to grow from the living rock. The design of the temple echoes that of the Mortuary Temple of Montuhotep which is its neighbour. There is also a mortuary temple dedicated to Thuthmosis III and a number of Ptolemaic burials in the vicinity. Apparently, there used to be a mudbrick temple dedicated to Amenhotep I and Queen Ahmose Nefertari, but it was destroyed to make way for Hatshepsut's temple.
Hatshepsut is an intriguing character. She initially ruled as regent for her step-son Thuthmosis III but promoted herself to the role of pharaoh instead of passing power to him when he came of age. Her temple is one of the most striking monuments in Ancient Egypt even in its semi-ruined state. It was designed by Senenmut (who according to some ancient and modern commentators was her lover) as a "garden for her father" (Amun) and exotic trees and shrubs from Punt (possibly Somalia) were planted the lower courtyard. However, after her death Thuthmosis III and Akhenaten both intentionally damaged the monument. The former directed his attacks at Hatshepsut herself, either replacing her image with his own or simply obliterating references to her, the later damaged her temple because of the frequent references to the god Amun.
She was omitted from the Kings lists of Ramesses II and Seti I, but Ramesses II and Merneptah both made additions to her temple. During the Ptolemaic Period the temple was repaired in places repairs to the temple which they apparently though was dedicated to Imhotep and Amenhotep son of Hap. Some time later, a Christian Monastery was built upon the ruins which covered much of the original temple.
Thanjavur or Tanjore or Stanmore, its former name, is a city located in Tamil Nadu that was once the capital of the Chola dynasty; the town counts 93 odd temples, the most famous being the Brihadishwara Temple, also known as the ‘Big Temple’; constructed by Raja Raja Chola I during the 11th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Monument, the temple is dedicated to Shiva; the pillared halls, the gopurams (tower at the entrance of the temple), shrines, the statue of Nandi (mount of Shiva) and an outstanding monolithic granite block on top of the tower make this place a marvel; the city has other attractions such as the Maratha Palace complex built around 1550 AD by the Maratha dynasty and the Nayaks of Madurai or the museum that houses a collection of bronze statues, a art that makes the city famous as others of its production (carpets, jewellery music instruments, silk); founded in a fertile delta, the town’s main activity is agriculture
© Eric Lafforgue
One of North Africa's best-preserved ancient Roman cities, Sufetula is awash with temples, monumental arches and bath complexes that speak of an ancient civilisation that knew how to live.
Archaeological site of Sbeïtla , ancient Sufetula. Sbeïtla is renowned for its three temples dedicated to the gods of the Capitoline Triad: Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. In addition, the place has a theater, a bath complex, churches, a triumphal arch and forts from the Byzantine era.
The surrounding countryside proved ideal for olive growing, and Sufetula quickly waxed wealthy, building its finest temples in the 2nd century, when the town – like all of Roman Tunisia – was at the height of its prosperity. Fortuitously, its olive groves ensured that Sufetula continued to prosper long after other Roman towns slipped into decline, helping it to become an important Christian centre in the 4th century.
The Byzantines made Sufetula their regional capital, transforming it into a military stronghold from where they could tackle the area’s rebellious local tribes. It was here in AD 647 that Prefect Gregory declared himself independent of Constantinople. However, his moment of glory lasted only a few months before he was killed by the Arabs, who simultaneously destroyed much of Sufetula.
El Brujo Archaeological Complex, just north of Trujillo, La Libertad Province, Peru, is an ancient archaeological site of the Moche Civilisation in the Chicama Valley.
The Brujo Complex is represented by three major huacas. The Huaca Prieta mound dates back to the preceramic times. Huaca Cortada and Huaca Cao Viejo (the largest) are stepped truncated pyramids constructed at the northern corners of the terrace. Building archaeology unveils seven phases of construction spanning the early and middle phases of Moche era.
Huaca Cao Viejo is famous for its polychrome reliefs and mural paintings, and the discovery of the Señora de Cao. The 25 year old woman buried here was believed to be a 3rd century AD female ruler of the Moche state, and her tomb was full of gold and other previous artifacts.
The murals at the complex also depict the ritual human sacrifice that took place here regularly: teams of men would engage in ritual battles and the losing team would willingly be sacrificed to the gods to ensure fertility and peace in the community. Murals show the naked warriors (with fully erect penis) being marched to the sacrificial platform to be decapitated and blood to be collected for the gods.
Jerash in Jordan lies on a plain surrounded by hilly wooded areas and fertile basinsis, it is famous for the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, also referred to as Antioch on the Golden River, It is considered one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Near East, it was a city of the Decapolis
© Eric Lafforgue