Archeology

March 27, 2025

2,500-Year-Old Wall Paintings Discovered in Etruscan Tomb in Italy

Before the emergence of the Roman Empire, the Etruscans dominated much of what is now known as Italy. The civilization, which flourished between the 8th and 3rd century BCE, was gradually conquered by the Roman Republic, with much of its culture either obliterated or fully assimilated by 90 BCE. Despite this, Italy still boasts a tremendous amount of Etruscan artifacts, including newly discovered, 2,500-year-old wall paintings.

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March 10, 2025

$2.2 Million Worth of Stolen Ancient Artifacts Returned to Greece and Italy

While the phrases “cultural restitution” and “repatriation” may be considered by some to be no more than hot buzzwords, last month, New York authorities proved that they take the return of cultural artifacts seriously. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced two separate occasions of ancient artifact repatriations in February, while the Metropolitan Museum of Art also announced a case for return after conducting internal provenance research on an object in their collection.

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February 22, 2025

The Undecipherable Voynich Manuscript Can Be Viewed Online in Its Entirety

There are countless objects that defy understanding, but the Voynich manuscript is perhaps one of the most confounding. Named after the rare books collector Wilfrid Voynich, who acquired it in 1912, the manuscript continues to baffle skilled cryptologists to this day. In fact, it’s never even been deciphered. The manuscript’s delicate parchment cover bears no indication of its origin, whether that be its year of publication, title, or author.

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