Sunday 31 October 2021

Largest Creatures to walk Earth

In 2014 paleontologists in Patagonia, southern Argentina unearthed a 90-million-year-old fossil of what they claim is one of the largest dinosaurs found to date. The dinosaur, Patagotitan mayorum, weighed about 80 tons, the equivalent of 14 grown elephants.
A complete skeleton was found in a field discovered by a farm worker, where up to seven such complete skeletons are believed to exist, in the locality of El Sombrero.

(Click to Enlarge)
Titanosaurs lived at the end of the Cretaceous (145 mya to 66 mya).

Saturday 30 October 2021

Treasures of the British Museum

The British Museum in London is dedicated to human history and culture. Its permanent collection of some 8 million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence, and originates from all continents.

The British Museum was established in 1753 and first opened to the public in 1759.

Mughal gold pendant inlaid with flat-cut rubies and emeralds and a large faceted diamond.

The Middleham Jewel. 1400AD - 1499AD

Diamond and platinum clip brooch containing an 17th-19th century carved Mughal emerald.

Gold locket with the hair of Queen Marie Antoinette

Friday 29 October 2021

Island of Gold - Srivijaya

The Island of Gold disappeared mysteriously around the 14th century. The site of Srivijaya may have been found by local fishing crews carrying out night-time dives on the Musi River near Palembang on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th to the 12th century AD. Srivijaya was the first unified kingdom to dominate much of the Malay Archipelago. Srivijaya was a waterworld, its people living on the river like modern boat people. As ancient texts recorded: “When the civilization ended, their wooden houses, palaces and temples all sank along with all their goods.” Srivijaya controlled the arteries of the Maritime Silk Road, a huge market in which local, Chinese and Arab goods were traded. For over 300 years the rulers of Srivijaya mastered the trade routes between the Middle East and imperial China.
Srivijaya became the international crossroads and its rulers accumulated legendary wealth. Locals may have found the fabled civilization in the Musi River around Palembang.

A diver prepares to freedive with a hookah breathing system in the Musi River at Palembang.

Wednesday 27 October 2021

Viking gold amulet of Odin

The time was a dark period in human history. The find is rare with only about 1,000 amulets known.In 2016 a gold amulet bearing the face of Odin was discovered on the Danish Island of Lolland. It may have been offered as a sacrificial gift to the deities around 536AD.

Tuesday 26 October 2021

Treasures of Pompeii

Pompeii is a buried Roman town near modern Naples. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii was burned and buried in ash, while nearby Herculaneum was destroyed by pyroclastic flow. The area was buried under 4 to 6m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice. Pompeii was lost until its rediscovery in 1599 and broader rediscovery in 1748.
The objects that lay beneath the city have been well preserved.

Marble statue from the Temple of Isis.

Helmet of a Thrax gladiator. Bronze.

Mosaic (detail) from Pompeii.

Apollo as an Archer

Diana as an Archer.


A gold bracelet bears an inscription. On its inside face are the words dominus ancillae suae – from the master (dominus) to his slave-girl (ancilla).