Tag: Ruins & Relics

“Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure.”

Who was Rakhal Das Banerji and why is he important for Indian history?

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn History, India10 Comments

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.

Iraq Dig Uncovers 5,000-Year-Old Pub Restaurant

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Iraq, Prehistory & Ancient History13 Comments

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.

Golden Lyre of Ur

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Heritage Centre, History, Iraq, Prehistory & Ancient History12 Comments

It is unknown which culture was the first to create music, but a set of beautiful Sumerian instruments from the city of Ur provide us with some insight into the world of ancient music. The famous Lyres of Ur, which are somewhat similar to modern harps, are the oldest stringed instruments unearthed to date. The Golden Lyre, found in the Great Death Pit at the Royal Cemetery of Ur (in southern Iraq), got its name because the whole head of the bull is made of gold. The eyes are made of inlaid mother-of-pearl and lapis lazuli. Research has shown that the bull played a key role in the religious imagination of the Sumerians: it could serve as the deity’s divine animal or the god himself could take on the form of a bull.

Gold Helmet of Meskalamdug

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Heritage Centre, Iraq, Prehistory & Ancient History8 Comments

Elaborate hairstyles became important for both men and women in Mesopotamia. The kings began to wear a full beard and long braided hair tied in a large bun at the nape of his neck. Women continued to wear their hair long, twisting it into large buns that covered the top of the head to the base of the neck and adorning it with ribbons and pins. The wealthiest people decorated their elaborate hairstyles with beautifully made jewelry of gold and silver. The gold of the helmet of Meskalamdug was expertly formed to resemble the hairstyle popular for men of the time: waves around the face with a bun tied in the back.

The Laws of Eshnunna: Oldest Written Laws

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Heritage Centre, Iraq, Prehistory & Ancient History6 Comments

The Laws of Eshnunna are a collection of legal codes that were issued by the rulers of the ancient Mesopotamian city-state of Eshnunna in the 18th century BCE. They are among the oldest surviving legal documents in the world, and they reveal important aspects of the social, economic, and political life of the people of Eshnunna. The laws cover various topics, such as contracts, property rights, inheritance, family law, personal injury, homicide, theft, and slavery.

Mundeshwari Temple: The Oldest Functional Hindu Temple in the World

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn India, Places of Worship, Prehistory & Ancient History, Rituals & Traditions12 Comments

The Mundeshwari Temple is located at Ramgarh village of Bhagwanpur block in Kaimur district in the Indian state of Bihar on the Mundeshwari Hills. It is an ancient temple dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and Shakti. It is believed that rituals and worship have been performed here without a break, hence the Mundeshwari temple is considered as the oldest functional Hindu temple of India. The temple is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monument since 1915.

Chandraketugarh: A Lost Civilization

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Heritage Centre, India, Prehistory & Ancient History21 Comments

What connects Bengal and the Indus Valley Civilisation? A 2,500-year-old archaeological site, suffering from neglect might have the answer. A thriving settlement between the 4th century BCE and 12th century CE, Chandraketugarh is often thought to be the kingdom of Gangaridai as referred to by ancient Greek and Roman writers. Apart from its historical significance, Chandraketugarh is of great cultural importance, associated with Bengali poet and astrologer Khana, the daughter-in-law of Varahamihira, the famed astronomer and mathematician who was part of Chandragupta Vikramaditya’s court.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur: A Monumental Temple in Ancient Mesopotamia

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Iraq, Prehistory & Ancient History4 Comments

Ziggurats were built by ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Elamites, Eblaites and Babylonians for local religions. Each ziggurat was part of a temple complex that included other buildings. The precursors of the ziggurat were raised platforms that date from the Ubaid period during the sixth millennium BCE. The Ziggurat at Ur and the temple on its top were built around 2100 BCE by the king Ur-Nammu of the Third Dynasty of Ur for the moon goddess Nanna, the divine patron of the city state.

Oldest Cookbook from Ancient Mesopotamia

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Iraq, Prehistory & Ancient History8 Comments

The earliest cookbooks found around the world give people today a fascinating look at not only what the people of the time ate but also their lifestyles, mainly of those from the upper class. The oldest known documented recipes in the world come from the ancient city of Babylon. The Mesopotamian recipe book is the oldest and the first documented cuisine in the world, of which only three Babylonian cuneiform tablets are extant today and is a set of cracked tablets engraved by an early civilization’s version of a master chef going back to 1700 BCE. The recipes are elaborate and often call for rare ingredients. The dishes were slow-cooked in a covered pot to make the food extra tasty. Ancient foodies seem to have preferred fowl and mutton.

Ancient City Shaduppum in Mesopotamia

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Heritage Centre, Iraq, Prehistory & Ancient History11 Comments

Although Shaduppum was established as early as the late third millenium BCE, during the days of Sargon of Akkad, Shaduppum didn’t rise to prominence until the second millennium BCE, where it seems to have been a heavily fortified administrative station for the kingdom of Eshnunna, and its name means “the treasury.” Among the tablets from Shaduppum are two with parts of the Laws of Eshnunna as well as some important mathematical tablets, which are not only interesting, but surprising too. There remains much we don’t know about Shaduppum, that we may never know, but one thing is clear: Shaduppum was a city that had a little bit of everything that made it a Mesopotamian city worth a look.