“History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books-books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”
The oldest customer service complaint dates back to 1750 BCE, when a Babylonian merchant named Nanni wrote a letter to his supplier Ea-nasir, expressing his dissatisfaction with the quality of copper ingots he had received. Nanni accused Ea-nasir of breaking their contract and ignoring his repeated requests for a refund. The letter was inscribed on a clay tablet and found in the ruins of Ur, in modern-day Iraq.
The Mask of Warka, also known as the 'Lady of Uruk' and the 'Sumerian Mona Lisa' is a stunning marble face that dates back to around 3100 BCE. It was found in the city of Uruk, which is now called Warka in modern Iraq. It is the earliest known representation of the human face that was most likely an embodiment of the Goddess Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love, war, beauty, sex and fertility. The mask gives us a glimpse into the culture and religion of one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
I visited Ghum and Darjeeling with my family. It was a wonderful trip. We enjoyed the scenic views of the Himalayas, the tea gardens, and the toy train ride. Ghum is the highest railway station in India and has a famous monastery. Darjeeling is a charming hill station with a rich cultural heritage. We had a memorable time there.
If you are interested in ancient civilizations, you may have heard of Mohenjo-daro, one of the oldest and best-preserved urban settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization. But do you know who discovered this remarkable site and realized its significance? The answer is Rakhal Das Banerji, an Indian archaeologist and historian who worked for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the early 20th century. His discovery of Mohenjo-Daro was one of the greatest achievements of Indian archaeology and history. He deserves to be remembered and celebrated as one of India’s finest sons.
The Akitu feast was one of the most important religious festivals in ancient Mesopotamia. It marked the beginning of the new year and the renewal of life in spring. It was also a time to honor the supreme god Marduk and his son Nabu, who were believed to have created and ordered the universe out of chaos. It reaffirmed Marduk's role as the supreme god and creator of all things. It also reaffirmed the king's role as Marduk's representative on earth and his legitimacy as ruler of Babylon. It also reaffirmed the bond between the king, the gods, and the people, who shared a common destiny and fate.
Lalmohan Ghosh was a Bengali barrister and a co-founder of the Indian National Congress. He was also the sixteenth president of the Congress and the first Indian man to contest for the British Parliament. He was born in Krishnagar, West Bengal in 1849 and died in Kolkata in 1909.
We went to the Paryavaran Mela in Ranchi and saw a lovely Chhau dance in the evening. Chhau binds together people from different social strata and ethnic backgrounds with diverse social practices, beliefs, professions, and languages. This semi-classical dance form originated at the royal court of Saraikela, now in Jharkhand. However, increasing industrialization, economic pressures, and new media are leading to a decrease in collective participation with communities becoming disconnected from their roots.
The US-Italian team made the find in the ruins of ancient Lagash, northeast of the modern city of Nasiriyah in Iraq, which was already known to have been one of the first urban centers of the Sumerian civilization of ancient Iraq. Team finds primitive fridge, oven, benches for guests, around 150 serving bowls, evidence of eating, drinking, and even beer recipe inscribed on cuneiform tablet. A detailed analysis would need to be carried out on the samples taken during the excavations.
Megalithic monuments are among the earliest and most permanent of archaeological structures, and so many of them were used, or more properly, have been used and reused for thousands of years. Their original intent is likely lost to the ages, but they may have had multiple functions as they were used by different cultural groups over the centuries and millennia.
Isko Cave is a natural cave located in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, India. It is considered to be a site of archaeological significance, with evidence of human habitation dating back to the Stone Age. These Isko caves and rock art needs protection and maintenance. The ASI and the state government must take immediate steps to protect this heritage. This will promote tourism and bolster the local economy too.
Indrosphere 