Category: Articles
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The Importance of Archaeological Authenticity in Assassin’s Creed: Origins
In the scorching sands of Ptolemaic Egypt, players of Assassin’s Creed: Origins scale the Pharos Lighthouse, wander the labyrinthine streets of Alexandria, and gaze upon the eternal pyramids of Giza. This open-world epic, transports to the twilight of Cleopatra VII’s reign. Yet beneath the parkour and brutal combat lies a meticulously crafted archaeological tapestry.
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Haus Tambaran: Spirit Houses of the Sepik River Basin, Papua New Guinea
In the lowland riverine environment of Papua New Guinea’s East Sepik Province, the Haus Tambaran (Tok Pisin for “spirit house”) form the monumental centerpiece of villages along the Sepik River and its tributaries. They integrate architecture, ritual art, and cosmology, serving as repositories for ancestral power and sites of male initiation.
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The Chehrābād Salt Men: Natural Mummification, Traumatic Death, and Imperial Labour in Ancient Iran
The Iranian Salt Men (also referred to as Salt Mummies) represent a unique assemblage of naturally mummified human remains recovered from the ancient Chehrābād salt mine in northwestern Iran. ating primarily to the Achaemenid period and the Parthian–Sasanian periods, the remains offer exceptional insights into ancient Persian mining practices, labor organization, diet and health.
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The Wooden Sentinels of Siberia: The Ostrogs That Built an Empire
In the early 17th century Cossacks in birch-bark boats travelled up the frozen rivers of Siberia in relentless pursuit of “soft gold” – the luxurious pelts of sable, fox, ermine, marten, beaver and squirrel which fuelled Russia’s economy. Along the rivers they constructed a series of wooden forts called Ostrogs, which were practical strongholds thrown…
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