Category: Culture
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Eaters of the Dead: How Michael Crichton Turned Beowulf into a Viking Thriller
Michael Crichton’s 1976 novel Eaters of the Dead is a gripping historical adventure set in the 10th century. It follows Ahmad ibn Fadlan, a real Arab traveller and diplomat from Baghdad, who becomes swept up in a Viking quest to defend a Scandinavian kingdom from savage marauders.
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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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Death Metal in the Valley of the Kings: Archaeology, Ancient Egypt, and the Music of Nile
Beneath the neck-breaking blast beats and growled vocals of Nile lies one of the most sustained and textually grounded engagements with ancient Egypt in modern music. Nile’s work offers a striking example of how archaeological knowledge can be translated (loudly and creatively) into contemporary cultural forms.