11 November 2016
In the year 14 BCE a young Phoenician named Pelles celebrated his 19th birthday just like he spent most days – working in his father’s glass studio on the outskirts of Sidon. Yet, something was amiss. He failed to notice the loud arguing voices in the distance, until he was grabbed from behind and dragged outside. His father was shouting at a tall man clothed in fine robes who ...
07 October 2016
Our earliest ancestors lived much like wild beasts, scavenging and hunting when they were hungry. They also walked for miles in search of food and water and then left when either ran out. Revolutionary changes in human behavior came about when bright souls across the world realized settled life was possible through farming and domesticating animals. They also realized pottery vessels could...
24 June 2016
That night, Miok and his brothers stole Yerema from her crib and headed across the turbulent strait toward the mainland with only a thin sliver of light from the moon to guide them. Miok tucked the swaddled baby in a large ceremonial bowl that he had carved, hoping the spirit figures etched on its side would give her strength. By the time dawn broke, they were trekking through dense mainla...
26 February 2016
In the late 1970s a lone fishing boat rocked gently on the waves of the Java Sea just off the coast of Kalimantan, Indonesia. The fishermen appeared as no more than shadows in the grey pre-dawn light. They silently went about their work, hauling in nets full of fish, clams and seaweed. A single deckhand leaned over the boat to pull a net over the side when his fingers curled around an une...
10 August 2015
The exact beginnings of the Indonesian kendi are unknown, though some scholars are certain structural influences came from the Indian kundika. Archaeological finds in Indonesia have uncovered water vessels dating as far back as the Neolithic period. The anthropomorphic designs and discovery at burial sites indicate their use and function as a ritual funerary object, most likely a tribute ...