News Review (Editor's Choice) Smithsonian and BBC

“Ancient Egyptian Coffin

Opened for the First Time in 2,600 Years”

“The sarcophagus is one of 59 unearthed at the Saqqara necropolis in recent months.”

                                                                                                            Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt has long been a popular subject that has captivated us for centuries

I never seem to tire of hearing about this land's past wealth and the achievements of its ancient civilization.

Continuing not to disappoint us, once again, Egypt holds her arms wide open to bear more.

Smithsonian magazine reports on the latest discovery, “On Saturday, October 3, archaeologists from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities opened a sealed, roughly 2,600-year-old sarcophagus as a crowd of onlookers watched in anticipation. Lifting the lid, the researchers revealed a mummy wrapped in ornate burial linen; more than two millennia after the individual’s interment, the cloth’s inscriptions and colorful designs remained intact.”

Scheduled to open in Giza in 2021, the anticipated great Egyptian Museum will host the sarcophagi and many other splendid findings.

But a small part of the story of the Saqqara necropolis and its bounty. 

Read more https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-over-50-well-preserved-coffins-egypt-180976049

Credit story By Isis Davis-Marks,  SMITHSONIANMAG.COM, OCTOBER 13, 2020. Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images.

About Isis Davis-Marks
Isis Davis-Marks is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. Her work has also appeared in Artsy, the Columbia Journal, and elsewhere. Website: isisdavismarks.com
Read more from this author | Follow @IsisDavisMarks

“The Private Language of Venice”

                                                                                                                      Credit: Mint Images/Getty Images

Venice loved, adored, and a mirage of our fantasy and imagination

I don’t know about you, but when I think of Venice, it conjures up a myriad of thoughts and emotions. What comes to mind is romance, beauty, promiscuity, opulence, Venetian masks, lavish balls, gondola’s, guarded privacy (exclusivity), and mystery (including even a dark side, the perfect place to commit murder).

But there is so much more to beloved Venice.

BBC Travel reports, a beautiful story written by Robert Landon, removes much of the enigma attached to this small city surrounded by water.

‘A titbit to whet your appetite.’

“Although many travellers assume that the “authentic” Venice is long gone, the city still harbours the last remnants of a once-great civilisation, with its own language and customs.

Venetians have an uncanny ability to dodge, deflect, blend in, disappear in plain sight. Perhaps that's why so many travellers assume that “real” life in Venice was long ago trampled out of existence by hundreds of millions of tourist feet.

The truth is, the city still harbours an indigenous culture ­– the last remnant of a once-great civilisation, with its own language and customs. Yes, this way of life is endangered, but it is also very much alive. It’s just hard to detect with untrained eyes.”

Read more http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20201013-the-private-language-of-venice

Credit story by Robert Langdon, BBC Travel, October 14, 2020. Image: Mint Images/Getty Images