Minerva Magazine - January/February 2021

In this issue

INTO THE VALLEY OF THE QUEENS
When a team of archaeologists from the Museo Egizio in Turin excavated in the Valley of the Queens in the 1900s, they uncovered the looted tomb of Nefertari, one of the great queens of New Kingdom. We take a look at a touring exhibition that showcases their finds and celebrates this Egyptian queen.

GRAND DESIGNS
Herculaneum’s spectacular House of the Bicentenary reopened in 2019 after decades of closure took their toll on the Roman townhouse’s painted walls and mosaiced floors. Francesco Sirano and Leslie Rainer show us around the house and the lengthy conservation efforts that have enabled the site to open its doors once more.

CUZCO
In the 16th century, the Spanish conquest of the Inca capital of Cuzco in Peru saw the city go from the heart of one empire to the periphery of another. Michael J Schreffler explores the importance of the Inca city, its defeat, and its transformation, traces of which can be seen through its streets today.

PUSHING BOUNDARIES
The fertile fields of Campania in southern Italy attracted different settlers in antiquity, among them the Etruscans, who founded several cities near Greek colonies. Paolo Giulierini investigates the archaeological legacy of the Etruscans in this part of Italy, which tells the story of coexistence and conflict, and a keen interest in divination.

THE GREAT BEYOND
The ancient Greeks went to great lengths to ensure their dead were appropriately honoured. Their mythology is full of stories of the unavenged, but also, as David Stuttard writes, of sage spirits who could be consulted.

ROMAN DISCOVERIES AT ANCIENT AUGUSTODUNUM

More than 230 graves have been uncovered at a necropolis in the French city of Autun, revealing a diverse mix in burial practices over a period of nearly 200 years, as well as luxury grave goods from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD that highlight the wealth of some of its ancient inhabitants.

2 mins

A STUDY IN PURPLE

A tiny speck of purple paint from the 2nd century AD may yield clues to how ancient artists created the extraordinary portrait panels that accompanied mummified bodies into the afterlife.

3 mins

DEIR EL-BAHRI, 1894

Tensions were already high among the archaeologists, surveyors, and artists of the Archaeological Survey of Egypt in 1891 when an eventful dispute arose on Christmas Eve.

2 mins

INTO THE VALLEY OF THE QUEENS

The Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II, Nefertari, was buried in one of the most spectacular tombs of Egypt’s Valley of the Queens. Well-educated and well-travelled, Nefertari played a crucial part in the political life of the pharaoh, and her importance was reflected through her magnificently decorated tomb. Lucia Marchini speaks to Jennifer Casler Price to find out more.

10 mins

CUZCO 'CENTRE AND HEAD OF ALL THE LAND'

Cuzco was the heart of the vast Inca empire, but all changed in the 16th century when the capital was conquered by Spanish invaders. Michael J Schreffler investigates the Inca city, and how it went from the centre of one empire to the periphery of another.

9 mins

PUSHING BOUNDARIES

When the Etruscans expanded to the south and the vast plains of Campania, they found a land of cultural connections and confrontations, as luxurious grave goods found across the region reveal. An exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples sheds light on these ancient Italians at the frontier. Paolo Giulierini, director of the museum, is our guide.

10+ mins

THE GREAT BEYOND

The ancient Greeks thought much about the dead – how their remains should be disposed of, how their spirits might be summoned, how malignant they could be if unavenged. Classicist David Stuttard brings us face to face with the Greek dead.

10+ mins

SHAPING THE WORLD: SCULPTURE FROM PREHISTORY TO NOW

The sculptor Antony Gormley and the art historian and critic Martin Gayford have been talking about sculpture with each other for 20 years.

3 mins

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Minerva Magazine Description:

Now available for iPad, Minerva magazine gives anyone with an interest in archaeology and antiquities a compelling insight into the ancient world. Minerva explores the lost civilisations of the past, from Ancient Egypt to Greece, Rome and the mighty empires of the Middle East and Asia.

For over 25 years, Minerva has revealed record-breaking auction results, exciting new finds, and untold stories of the distant past, spanning the Stone Age to the Dark Ages and beyond.

Each issue includes:
• News of finds and research from around the world
• Original research by international experts
• Reviews of major new exhibitions
• Latest trends and auction reports from the antiquities market
• In-depth features on history’s most fascinating people and events
• Profiles of leading figures from the world of archaeology
• Reviews of new publications and a must-have events diary