Category Archives: Sites

Provenance, fakes, uncertainty and ethics: The problems with legally purchased antiquities.

Posted on September 27, 2017 by

My recent visit to the Barcelona Egyptian Museum revealed some fantastic artefacts, but also raised unsettling questions about forgeries, provenance and the ethics of presenting recently purchased antiquities in museums. Continue reading →

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The myths about illegal antiquities and why you should never buy them!

Posted on July 26, 2017 by

Purchasers of black market artefacts promulgate many myths to justify their actions, but there is a dark reality behind them. Continue reading →

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A gneiss sphinx: Is the Hazor sphinx made from Gebel el-Asr gneiss?

Posted on January 23, 2017 by

Does the Hazor Egyptian sphinx come from the southern Egyptian Gebel el-Asr quarries? Continue reading →

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The Cleansing of Mosul

Posted on June 8, 2016 by

Originally posted on Gates of Nineveh: An Experiment in Blogging Assyriology:
As the focus has shifted to Palmyra, relatively little media attention has been paid over the past several months to ISIS’ continued destruction of cultural sites in and around…

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The failed (Egyptian) obelisk.

Posted on June 1, 2016 by

The Unfinished Obelisk in the Aswan quarries was a failure as a monument, but provides valuable information on stone quarrying and obelisk carving. Continue reading →

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Does the Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill matter for archaeology outside the UK?

Posted on May 28, 2016 by

Changes to UK legislation will have a negative effect on attitudes to and protection of archaeology overseas? Continue reading →

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