The Lost Treasures of the National Museum of Afghanistan

Before you exhibits of the British Museum: "Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World." A total of 200 works exhibited show long-lost ancient treasures found in the Tilla-Tepe, which is called the "golden hill".

1.Pendant made of gold, turquoise, garnet, lapis lazuli, carnelian and pearls depicting Dragon Lord. Elaborate ornament depicts a man in a tunic and loose trousers, typical of the nomad.He holds two dragon-like creature for the front paws.Mythical scene of the ancient Persian and Siberian art, denoting power and invincibility

2.Golden Crown.She was found in a grave high-level Nomad.Its basis - tiara, decorated with flowers. Centers of the flowers were once inlaid with turquoise.On the upper branches of four of the five Trees of Life are sitting golden birds.Found at Tilla-Tepe, the age of 1c.BC 

3.Statuette of a woman from ivory, standing on Makar, possibly furniture decoration. Bagram, 1-2nd century. 

4.A pair of bracelets of turquoise and gold.They are separated by lion heads.Found in a burial ground № 4 Tilla-Tepe, the age of 1c. BC 

5.Buckle made of gold and turquoise.It shows Dionysus and Ariadne.Found in a burial ground № 4 Tilla-Tepe, the age of 1c.. BC

6.Buckles from shoes of gold, turquoise and carnelian.They depict a chariot drawn by dragons.Found in a burial ground № 4 Tilla-Tepe, the age of 1c. . BC 

7.Gold buckle, which depicts two warriors.Found in a burial ground № 3 Tilla-Tepe, age 1vek BC –1vek AD

8.Painted glass cup from Bagram.It depicts scenes of the harvest, 1-2 Century AD

9.Limestone chapiter of Ai-Khanum.Corinthian style, age to 145 BC

10. Bowl for the ceremonies, which depicts the goddess Cybele of gilded silver.Ai-Khanum, Temple with niches compliant ", the beginning of 3c. BC

11.Golden bowl fragment, which depicts two bearded bull. Tepe Fullol, 2200-1900 gg BC

Treasures of the funerary Room of Toutankhamon

 Tutankhamun (Tutankhaton) - pharaoh of ancient Egypt who ruled in about 1333 - 1323 years BC. er. from XVIII Dynasty, the husband of one of the daughters of Akhenaten - the famous pharaoh reformer.

Who were his parents, is not precisely determined, but most likely he was the grandson of Amenhotep III. His right to the throne was determined by his marriage to Anhesenpaaton (and later bore the name Anhesenamon), daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. By the time of the death of Akhenaten Tutankhamun was only nine years old, so he was heavily influenced by the aging "Father God" - Ay, who became his co-regent, survived him and became the successor to the throne. Little known as the Pharaoh, Tutankhamun became famous thanks to a sensational discovery in 1922, it hardly disturbed the tomb. It found thousands of different items, including a gilded chariot seat, bed, lamps, jewelry, clothing, stationery and even a pencil voloc his grandmother. This discovery gave the world the most complete picture of the magnificence of the ancient Egyptian court.

During the reign of Tutankhamen, Egypt gradually regained its international influence, which was shaken during the reign of the pharaoh reformer. Thanks to the military leader Horemheb, who later became the last Pharaoh of XVIII dynasty, Tutankhamun has strengthened the position of Egypt in Ethiopia and Syria. His might expect a brilliant future, but he died suddenly, without leaving an heir, a son.

Due to the sudden death of Pharaoh did not have time to prepare a decent tomb, and so Tutankhamun was buried in a humble tomb, the entrance to which eventually proved to be hidden under the huts of Egyptian workers, under construction near the tomb for the pharaoh Ramses XX Dynasty VI (d. 1137 BC. E .). It is thanks to this circumstance, the tomb of Tutankhamun was overlooked, and stood untouched for more than three thousand years, until in 1922 it had found a British archeological expedition led by Howard Carter and Lord Kornarvonom - rich English aristocrat, financed the excavation.

The tomb of Tutankhamun was one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of 20 century. Eighteen year old pharaoh was buried with a fantastic luxury: only on his diapered mummy housed 143 gold objects, the very same mummy was kept in the three inserted into each other sarcophagi, the last one, 1,85 m length, was made of pure gold. In addition, the tomb was found the imperial throne, decorated with reliefs, statuettes of the king and his wife, a lot of ritual vessels, jewelry, weapons, clothes and, finally, a magnificent gold funerary mask of Tutankhamun, facial features accurately captured the young pharaoh.

For all the magnitude of this finding, the value of such a discovery, of course, far exceeds the value found in the tomb of gold: digging through Carter, we got a chance to see the magnificence and complexity of ancient Egyptian funerary ritual, a major contribution to our understanding of the Egyptian funeral rites and the scale of public worship of Pharaoh. Thanks to the discoveries made can be judged on a fantastic level of artistic craftsmanship, made in Egypt.

 Tomb

Tutankhamen's tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings, and it's hardly the only plundered the tomb, which reached scientists in its original form, although they were opened twice tomb robbers. She was discovered in 1922 by two Englishmen - Egyptologist Howard Carter (Howard Carter) and amateur archaeologist Lord Carnarvon. The tomb survived numerous decorations, and decorated with turquoise sarcophagus weighing 110.4 kilograms of pure gold with a mummified body of Pharaoh.

In the eyes of historians, Tutankhamun remains obscure minor pharaoh until the beginning of XX century. Moreover, even expressed doubts about the reality of its existence. Therefore, the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb is regarded as the greatest event in the history of archeology. Nevertheless, the board of Tutankhamun really excelled anything significant, other than non-atonizma. Howard Carter owned the following words of the young Pharaoh: "In the present state of our knowledge we can say only one thing: the only notable event of his life was that he died and was buried."

November 4, 1922 was cleared the entrance to the tomb, and print on the doors were intact, which gives high hopes on the possibility of a major archaeological discovery of the century. At the entrance to the tomb of Ramses VI (builders of the Ramesside tombs, apparently fell asleep the way to the tomb of Tutankhamun, thus explaining its relative safety) November 26, 1922, Carter and Carnarvon became the first of three millennia people descended into the tomb (the robbers, who could visit the tomb obviously descended into it during the time of Dynasty XX). After lengthy excavations February 16, 1923 Carter finally came down to the burial chamber tomb (Golden palace), where the sarcophagus of the pharaoh himself. Among the utensils and other items buried with the pharaoh, was discovered many specimens of art, bearing the stamp of influence art Amarnskogo period. The owner found the treasure, then a virtually unknown young governor of Egypt, immediately became the object of attention, and phenomenal discovery not only made his name well known, but caused another surge of renewed interest in all the traces of Egyptian civilization in the modern world.

In a recent press release, Zahi Hawass said that the tomb of Tutankhamen in the near term will be closed for restoration work. The Supreme Council of Antiquities in cooperation with the Getty Conservation Institute - Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) will carry out a project on conservation of the tomb. The project is planned in five years.

On the walls of the tombs were spotted brown spots, the cause of which is not yet clear, but it is clear that the continuation of this process could forever destroy the unique monument of ancient Egypt.

Legend of the "Curse of the Pharaoh"

Lord George Carnarvon, financed the excavations, died April 5, 1923 in Cairo hotel "Continental" from inflammation of the lungs, but almost immediately arose hoaxes around his death (even spoke of "blood poisoning due to wound with a razor" or "mysterious mosquito bites"). In subsequent years, the press fueled rumors of a "curse of the Pharaohs," allegedly led to the death of the discoverers of the tomb, accounting for up to 22 victims of the curse, of which 13 were directly present at the opening of the tomb. Among them were mentioned, and such big experts as the biggest American Egyptologist James Henry Brested professor, author of the grammar of Egyptian language, Sir Alan Henderson Gardiner, Professor Norman Davies de Harris.

However, the evidence suggests that the evidence "curse" have been adjusted to achieve the beat: the absolute majority of the members of the expedition Carter reached old age, and the average duration of their life expectancy is 74.4 years. So, JG Brested was already 70 years old, and NG Davis - 71, and A. Gardiner - 1984. Howard Carter, directly supervises all the works in the tomb, it would seem, had to fall the first victim of "the curse of the pharaoh, but he was dead last - in 1939 at the age of 66 years. One of the popular theories that attempt to analyze the death of the expedition members, associates it with a fungus or other microorganisms were present in the crypt, which explains, in particular, the fact that the first Lord Carnarvon died asthmatic.

Seven Wonders Of The World. Colossus of Rhodes

From his appearance before the destruction took only 56 years old. Still, Colossus has taken its place among other landmarks. "Even being located on the ground, it is a miracle," said Pliny the Elder. Colossus of Rhodes was not only a giant statue. He was a symbol of unity of people living on this Mediterranean island - Rhodes. This was a historic monument at the entrance to the harbor of the Mediterranean in Greece.

Ancient Greece consisted of city - states, whose power did not extend beyond them. On the small island of Rhodes were three of them: Yalosos, Kamiros and Lindos. In 408 BC. er. These policies were combined into one - Rhodes. The city thrived commercially and had strong economic ties with their main ally, Ptolemy Soterom from Egypt.

Went 305 per year. BC is natural. Talents of gold, languishing in idleness in the city treasury Rhodes asked in the case, and a reason to spend them in soon presented itself. In 304 BC. er. army ruler of Asia Minor and Syria, Demetrius Poliorketa suddenly attacked the island of Rhodes. Macedonian (not the one that Alexander) took the city was under siege, but protorchav under the walls of a year old and never having visited Rhodes, left in peace.

Grateful Rhodians rewrote his victory at the expense of the god Helios, and to celebrate, have decided to build for him something original. God this was not just an abstract itself - it was believed that Helios has erected his own island in his honor, so that the choice can be considered quite reasonable. Bash for bash - Rhodians island, Helios - a statue.

The money was obtained through the sale of a variety of siege weapons abandoned during the retreat of the enemy. Among them was and has brought considerable revenue geleopolida - a miracle of military equipment, a huge siege towers, equipped with a battering ram, catapult, platforms to accommodate storm troopers, change-over bridges.

The construction of the Colossus hired Hares, eminent sculptor, who is already come across a lot of "divine" figures of every size around the city. Approving the project, Hares once again took up the waste of budget money. Like a miracle was built, it looked and where there was, chroniclers, and all writing in those days the brethren in the records carefully sidestep, to give the heirs of food for the imagination. One thing is clear - the height of it was somewhere between 30 and 36 meters.

On an artificial hill Hares set three stone pillars - two of them were secured bronze parts, depicting his legs and torso of a giant - the third part the cloak. "Assembly" of the statue was carried from the bottom up - first formed by the feet, then calves, etc. As the consolidation of parts of their covered with earth, thus creating a platform for working at a higher level. Only when the statue was fully prepared, the hill was hidden.

The base was made of white marble, were first set foot statue, and then the statue itself. The bronze form was fortified with iron deities and stone structures. His head was decorated with a crown in the form of diverging rays of the sun, his left hand he kept flowing cloak, and the right hand, bent at the elbow, covered his eyes, staring at the sea gave.

Above the figure of Helios is usually depicted with his hand stretched forward. At this time, the sculptor gave her a different position: the calculations showed that broke some other hand would be under its own weight. According to the testimony of the Roman scholar and writer Pliny the Elder, who studied part of the destroyed statues, not everyone is able to clasp the thumb of the giant.

The people of Rhodes longingly looking at the man-made earthen hill on which the swarming minions Hares, tyagaya zhelezyaki. Mount all grew up with her expenses, and confusing all to be seen. And only when the embankment was removed after 12 years of construction, it became clear that 20 tons of metal (for the manufacture of grandiose monument took 500 talents of bronze and 300 iron talent (respectively about 13 and about 8 tons)). the land are gone and not gone in vain - the beauty opened indescribable. Of beauty know firsthand, because those same historians, do not bother detailing the appearance, with enthusiasm transferred oohs, ahs on paper.

Perhaps the ancient Rhodians were smarter and more prosaic than we think - after the construction of one more or less in the money people wanted her to look at two of the Colossus and simultaneously recharge the local treasury of precious metals, so that income from tourism quickly repelled the construction costs, and then went to the net profits.

And this has not prevented even the fact that after 56 years of standing Colossus flopped to the ground - and in this form it continued to attract onlookers from around the world, dragging the ends of the earth only in order to embrace the thumb of a giant. Local oracle poshushukavshis with otherworldly inhabitants, rebuilding the banning.

Bronze parts of the body of the god of the sun for centuries rested on the ground, giving rise to many legends. Thus, in one of them tells that a ship bound for the harbor, sailed between the legs of a giant.

In 977 AD. er. Arab viceroy, who ruled the island, sold the remaining part of the statue. In order to transport it took 900 camels. It seemed as if she disappeared forever in smelters. Recently, however, archaeologists found at the bottom of the ancient harbor of the right hand of the god of the sun. This is all that remains of the last of the seven wonders of the world created in the ancient period

The success of this enterprise has infected many of the bacillus of megalomania, and the Colossi of different heights are the fruit like mushrooms after the rain - the size differed only tugostyu purse is building, but, of course, they are not nearly live up to the Rhodes miracle. In the modern followers not subsided - a statue in New York and Rio de Janeiro proof. And besides - in 2008 came the specter of the idea of "build" a Colossus by laser and all the light rays. While the idea was estimated at 200 million euros. I wonder how many euros original cost Rhodians?.

Although we do not know the true shape and the history of the emergence of the Colossus, modern reconstruction of the statue standing upright are more accurate than the earlier figures. Although it is a miracle, and disappeared, it is inspired by contemporary artists such as French sculptor August Bartholdi, known for his work "The Statue of Liberty."