All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

bust

The Mšecké Žehrovice head, a famous example of Celtic art. Source: CeStu/CC BY 3.0

Bust Found in Czech Republic Reflects Irish Druidic Customs

The word 'Celt' refers to the people who spoke Celtic languages across Western and Central Europe between 1,200 BC and the 3rd century, and every Celtic nation had its own unique crafts, arts, and...
Vintage goods store owner, Laura Young, with the Roman bust.	Source: Laura Young / MySanantonio

Looted Ancient Roman Bust Found In Texas Thrift Shop

A 52 pound, 1st-century Roman marble bust turned up in a Texas store. Having been sold to a local woman for $34.99, the ancient artifact will now be returned to Germany. In 2018, Laura Young, the...
Da Vinci Bust Myth Debunked By French Scientists

Da Vinci Bust Myth Debunked By French Scientists

We like to live by moral codes such as “credit where credit is due,” but in this story about Leonardo da Vinci it seems he was given credit for a famous artwork were it definitely was not due. The...
The Quest to Understand Haliphat’s Speaking Handshapes

The Quest to Understand Haliphat’s Speaking Handshapes

Over three decades ago, walking up a wide and elegant marbled staircase passageway in a museum, a funerary relief bust of Haliphat in a secluded alcove first caught my eye. From that moment I was...
Sewage Construction Uncovers Head of Greek God Hermes in Athens

Sewage Construction Uncovers Head of Greek God Hermes in Athens

Construction workers have made a remarkable discovery in Athens . The Greek Ministry of Culture has announced that the ancient bust of the Greek god Hermes was unearthed in remarkably good condition...
3D scan of bust of Nefertiti. Source: CosmoWenman / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

The Battle Is Over. Nefertiti 3D Is Finally Available

After a “hoax heist” and legal battle, full color interactive 3-dimensional scans of Queen Nefertiti’s bust are now available online. The high resolution 3D scan captures every single last detail of...
Head of Marcus Aurelius found at Aswan/Site of the newly discovered shrine at Luxor,

The Head of an Emperor, the Shrine of a God: Two Contrasting Finds at the Egyptian Sites of Luxor and Aswan

Recent discoveries at two of the major ancient sites in Egypt emphasize the diversity of culture and power that existed in the region over time. In Aswan, the head of a marble statue of the Roman...
Detail of the Berlin bust of Nefertiti; and the latest 3D sculpture of the queen based on the mummy of the Younger Lady; design by Anand Balaji

Bust of Contention: Nefertiti’s sculpture raises issues of Race and Color—Part II

The recent attempt at reconstructing the face of the iconic beauty, Nefertiti, by basing her looks on the mummy of the Younger Lady found in KV35 has caused an enormous uproar among Egyptophiles all...
Limestone trial piece showing the head of Nefertiti; and detail of the mummy of the Younger Lady; design by Anand Balaji (Photo credit: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin and G. Elliot Smith); Deriv.

Bust of Contention: Controversy erupts as the Younger Lady is dubbed Nefertiti—Part I

Few ancient Egyptian royals are capable of garnering as much attention, generating frenzy, and stoking controversy globally as the legendary beauty Queen Nefertiti can. Despite having been a powerful...
Bust of Nefertiti (ca. 1370 BC – ca. 1330 BC), the Great Royal Wife (chief consort) of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten.

Lady of Interest: Nefertiti Was no Pharaoh, Says Renowned Egyptologist

The bust of Nefertiti is one of the most iconic artifacts from ancient Egypt and the lady herself probably ranks second only to Cleopatra among the most famous queens of the Nile. As such she is...
The Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca Head: Evidence for Ancient Roman Transatlantic Voyages, a Viking Souvenir, or a Hoax?

The Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca Head: Evidence for Ancient Roman Transatlantic Voyages, a Viking Souvenir, or a Hoax?

A mysterious terracotta artifact known as the Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca head was discovered in Mexico, but it looks exactly like well-known Roman artifacts. How did this enigmatic object arrive in Toluca...
The mysterious Lady of Elche

The stunning yet mysterious Lady of Elche

In 1897, archaeologists uncovered a stunning artifact on a private estate at L'Alcúdia in Valencia, Spain. This find was a statue – a polychrome bust of a woman’s head. Believed to date back to the 4...