Latest British Museum Stories

April Flowers for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online Once upon a time, there were 13 crystal skulls. Well, no, actually there are dozens of them, in private collections and museums around the world. The largest and most well-known are housed in the British Museum in London, the Quai Branly Museum in Paris and the Smithsonian Institution in the US Capital. The skulls have been the subject of speculation and public interest for over 150 years, spawning legends, myths, movies (Indiana...

Iconic Object Referred to as "First Bill of Human Rights" on View March 9-April 28 WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Cyrus Cylinder, sometimes referred to as the first "bill of human rights," traces its origins to the Persian king Cyrus the Great's conquest of Babylon in the sixth century B.C. Almost 2,600 years later, its remarkable legacy continues to shape contemporary political debates, cultural rhetoric and philosophy. (Photo:...

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online New methods have been unveiled to help preserve ancient relics, such as China's world-renowned Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses. These large, immovable historic relics displayed in China have faced many environmental factors, deteriorating many of the more than 1,500 relics. The museum was first opened in 1979, providing an exhibition of Qin Shinhuang's mausoleum. Qin Shinhuang was the first emperor in China's history,...

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 14, 2013, Imagine Exhibitions Gallery at The Venetian will welcome 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic to Las Vegas. The traveling exhibition showcases some of National Geographic's most-remembered and celebrated photographs from its 125-year-old history, such as Steve McCurry's unforgettable "Afghan Girl," Nick Nichols' iconic image of Jane Goodall and chimpanzee, and Thomas Abercrombie's never-before-seen view of...

By taking a second look at a 400-plus year old map, researchers at London's British Museum have reportedly discovered new clue as to the whereabouts of the Lost Colony -- a group of approximately 100 settlers who vanished from an outpost on Roanoke Island in the late 16th century. According to Theo Emery of the New York Times, museum official used modern-day imaging techniques to further study the "Virginia Pars" map that was created by explorer John White in the 1580s. They discovered...

PANTELLERIA, Italy, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chora Council, which supports the intangibles that foster creativity, is proud to announce the winner of the first Chora Prize. Artist Felicity Powell will receive $50,000 to acknowledge her fully realized project of merit and originality, an exhibition entitled Medals of Dishonour, currently at the British Museum in London through September 27, 2009. Felicity Powell is the conceptual progenitor of the Medals of Dishonour exhibition, as well...

SWANSEA, Wales, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- David Gill, archaeologist, considers the opening of the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. The New Acropolis Museum will open in Athens on Saturday June 20, 2009. The building, designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects, is located to the south of the Acropolis. It allows visitors to the archaeological sites in the heart of the ancient city to see the sculptures, inscriptions and other objects in close proximity to where they were found....

A new facility opening later this year at the Diamond synchrotron is set to revolutionize world heritage science. A new research platform soon to be available at the leading UK science facility, Diamond Light Source, will help uncover ancient secrets that have been locked away for centuries. For the first time ever, cultural heritage scientists will be able to scan and image large relics and artifacts up to two tons in weight in incredible precision. They will no longer be restricted to...

An 18-carat gold sculpture depicting fashion model Kate Moss in a yoga pose has been installed at the British Museum as part of its "Statuephilia" exhibition. Marc Quinn's hollow statue, which is called "Siren" and is estimated to be worth about $2.7 million, has been placed in the museum's Nereid Gallery alongside classic Greek works such as the "Crouching Venus," the Times of London said. The Moss piece is believed to be the biggest gold statue made since Ancient Egyptian times. "I...

The British Museum will maintain possession of a rare astronomy tool from the 14th-century that helped scientists tell time after being outbid for the item last year.The astrolabe quadrant is a brass device that was selling at an auction last year, but the museum was initially lost out on its purchase. But money from the National Heritage Memorial fund, The Art Fund and the British Museum Friends helped the museum purchase it recently for 350,000 pounds ($700,000)."The quadrant will be a...