Do you remember that quest in AC Odyssey where you find Alkibiades up on the Akrokorinth and he gives you the package delivery quest? Where your character is like "admiring the view?"

This is the view from that exact place, pics by yours truly:

Here at Mythos we have recently been lucky enough to take a trip down to Cyprus, birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite. Naturally, being mythology lovers, there was no chance of us going all that way and not checking out some of the nearby historical attractions and we are thrilled to share some of the incredible places we managed to visit.

First of our list was Paphos Archaeological Site. Located near Paphos Harbour in Cyprus, Pathos Archaeological Site boasts an awe-inspiring view of the coast, and a collection of incredible ruins stretching from the Hellenistic and Roman periods to the time of the Ottoman empire. As well as Ottoman, Roman, and Medieval baths, burial sites and churches, the site is home to a Roman theatre and the ruins of four Roman villas.

The city of Pathos has long held a great historical significance, and during the Hellenistic period was named as the capital of Cyprus (a title it no longer holds). it’s the city is said to get its name from, Paphos, the child of Pygmalion and Galatea. Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with his creation and pleaded with the gods to bring the statue to life.

Keep Reading 

Sunday Site Visit 31: Special Permission Access to Abu Sir, Part 1

20/6/23

With all the news about the sub going missing around the Titanic and OceanGate, I would like to state very clearly that the Titanic is considered an active graveyard/burial. There are likely still remains in the wreck (science side of Tumblr can explain). This is one of the reasons why pulling up artifacts is such a big deal and so rarely done. Engagement is carried out with so much respect and consideration for the victims and their descendants.

You don’t just decide I’ll pop over to this location of massive trauma and tragedy because it’s a popular culture icon I can brag about. This is not the frame of mind one should have when visiting a grave. Please recognize that for 1500 souls this was not where they wanted to rest, and is thus very different from visiting other famous graves (Oscar Wilde, Van Gogh, etc). And sure, maybe the Titanic seems like it would be more digestible as opposed to other thanotourist sites of human violence (ie Gettysburg, Auschwitz, Borden House). The fact that it was a natural disaster lessens the cognitive dissonance of it being of equal solemnity.

What OceanGate is doing with these tours is extremely offensive if not ethically unsound from my archaeological and anthropological position.

river's plot in "day of the moon" hurts like hell too. re-visiting her old orphanage, the site of so many of her earliest traumas. investigating the space suit that she spent large swaths of time in—perhaps even realizing some things about herself for the first time given how the Silence thoroughly messed with her memory.

in a way, she's making an archaeological dig out of herself.

The older river notes that it contains a life support system—its wearer doesn't even need to eat while they're in it—and the audience who's seen her entire story before remembers that she starved in it.

her euphoria from victory over the Silence—including the fact that she got to kill a bunch of her former tormentors!!!—is short-lived.

she thinks that this doctor, the one she's traveling with, is safe. he's flirting with her, and he knows her, and he calls her so many terms of endearments.

surely they've kissed a hundred times before.

but, no—she gives him their first kiss, and it's another reminder that their time is running out. it's all back-to-front, and he's getting further and further away from her.

and suddenly, that cell she's in has never felt more constrictive before.

Rome’s 'Lost' Imperial Palace 'Domus Tiberiana' Reopens

Until recently a crumbling and off-limits ruin near the famous Colosseum, the Domus Tiberiana palace — built in the first century AD and beloved by Nero — hopes to once again take its place as one of the city’s top tourist attractions.

The ancient palace sits on Palatine Hill — the city’s oldest hill, overhanging Rome —from where imperial dynasties ruled for centuries. But over the years, the site fell into disrepair and in the 1970s, the Domus Tiberiana site was shut due to the structural instability of some of the ruins. The closure left behind what many Romans described as a “black hole” in the capital’s archaeological heart.

Now, after a six-year makeover, the palace has reopened its doors as a “diffuse museum,” with findings and frescoes scattered across the site to provide visitors with an insight into the palace’s ancient grandeur.

And it was grand. The Domus Tiberiana was Rome’s first imperial palace, built by the emperor Tiberius who combined and incorporated the pre-existing noble mansions built on the hill. Occupying over four hectares, the palace featured residences alongside large gardens, places of worship and rooms for the emperor’s Praetorian guard.

As the seat of Rome’s power and politics, Domus Tiberiana held a prime location, high above the Palatine and Roman Forums, offering its occupants a “balcony view of the city.” Over time, the Domus was embellished and enlarged by other emperors including Nero, who was crowned on its steps aged just 16, in 54 AD.

Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum’s archaeological park (in which Domus Tiberiana falls) and lead archaeologist on the renovation, said that ancient antiquities, many exceptionally well-preserved, were unearthed during the project.

The artifacts — bright stuccos, frescoes, amphorae, potteries, looms, terracotta, and divinity statues related to the cults of Isis, Dionysius and Mithras — offer visitors a trip through time, said Russo.

“They make this place — formerly (inhabited) by aristocratic families, then Roman emperors — feel alive again,” she said. “There are seven exhibition rooms full of extraordinary finds, starting with those preceding the original construction of the palace when aristocrats lived in mansions before Tiberius subsumed them into the Domus.”

Among the newly-exposed and frescoes are some of the earliest paintings of lemons (considered an exotic fruit in Ancient Rome, as they hailed from the Far East) and a depiction of a gladiator, proving that the era’s gladiatoral games were appreciated by rich families, explained Russo.

The imperial palace remained in use until the 7th century, when it became the papal residence of John VII. In the mid-16th century, the aristocratic Farnese family — who were powerful local landowners — built the lavish Orti Farnesiani gardens on the site, adorning it with ornaments and sculptures of nymphs, satyrs and fauns.

“This monument speaks of history,” Russo added. “We have restored (Domus Tiberiana) to its past splendor, but more work lies ahead.”

Indeed, painstaking efforts have been made to blend old and new. A series of majestic, reddish-brown vaulted arches that greet visitors having been carefully reconstructed with the same materials as ancient Romans used in the past.

“What makes this revamped Domus unique is the architectural style,” said Russo. “We managed to use original materials to reinforce and strengthen the handmade 15-meter (50ft) tall front arches (which run alongside the palace’s) ancient paving.”

It has certainly caught the public’s attention. Since reopening at the end of September, Domus Tiberiana has attracted some 400,000 visitors, a “huge success,” said Russo, adding that she believes that this incarnation of the Domus Tiberiana offers visitors the most “evocative” visit in generations.

Archaeologist and scholar of ancient Rome Giorgio Franchetti saidN that, in the reopening of the Domus Tiberiana complex, Rome has “recovered a lost jewel.”

“The Palatine Hill has always been the stage of Rome’s power politics,” he said in an interview. “Tiberius likely chose this spot to build the palace as it was where his family residence stood. There aren’t many places like the Domus Tiberiana where you can really breathe the past.”

By Silvia Marchetti.

beelzebub who has obscure knowledge because he cares so much about his brothers' interests, they become his, too – or, a slight beelzebub character study at 3am because i need it and so do you.

beelzebub who can name every constellation in the night sky of all three realms, who knows both astrology and astronomy, who has read all of belphie's essays and research papers, who was there when they were written.

beelzebub who knows how to play (and cheat, and win) about every casino game, who knows how to do fast math even if he doesn't really care for it, who checks the fucking stock market every morning to see if mammon's mood will be affected by it or not.

beelzebub who knows the difference between the scent of white and red roses, who knows how to properly do your (and his) makeup, who has memorised which products are good for his complexion and how many times a day he needs to apply sunscreen, because asmo swears that the fridge light hits him as much as the sun would have in the human world.

beelzebub who can quote jane austen and poe and shakespeare and euripides from memory, who makes references from books that were destroyed with the library of alexandria, who knows about every breed of cat there is, who listens to satan explain whose fur is the thickest and whose the softest.

beelzebub who will rewatch tsl for hours, who will carry boxes upon boxes of games upstairs, who will (poorly) draw ruri from memory, who will know how to play most games levi hyperfixates on and the plot from most anime he has rambled about.

beelzebub who knows even the most bizzare of genres of music, who can taste the difference between a thousand year and a thousand and one year aged demonus, who immediately recognises the jazz song lucifer is playing when he wants to spend quality time with him but doesn't want to disturb him.

beelzebub who, if you ask him about his interests, will reply that he doesn't really have any, who will search within him for an ounce of self, who will give up after a while because he is six beings in one, and he doesn't know if there's room for one more.

beelzebub who decides that it's okay to be a mosaic of his favourite beings, who finds out that he has been carrying seven in him all along, who gazes in your – a human's – eyes and understands why she fought and why she fell and why she tried so much.

beelzebub who, in his spare time, will go in the human world to visit museums and archaeological sites and long abandoned villages, who will reminisce about when everything he just saw was once new and shining, who will retrace the steps he took aeons ago, alone this time.

beelzebub who often feels lost, who grieves and eats and grieves some more, who carries the memory of his sister because he once read that one truly stops existing when they are forgotten, yet smiles when he sees red roses and shiny coins and old books and video games and cursed records and the starry sky, who sighs into your neck right before he falls asleep and promises to never forget the way your skin feels under his.

beelzebub who, without you asking him, tells you he likes flowers and animals, who likes everything the sun touches, whose eyes glimmer when you ask him to tell you about yarrows and their meaning and their colours, who will explain in a heartbeat, just for you.

beelzebub whose self is a wounded one, a fighting one, whose self is a memory box he just keeps adding into, a scrapbook of eternity's erosion, who finds happiness in the little things, in the simple things, who binds his family together.

beelzebub who loved and loves and will love until there's nothing of him left, until he is the last one remembering, until the night sky is no longer a painting, but just an accumulation dead stars.

Medieval Hermitage atop Katskhi Pillar, in Georgia (South Caucasus), c. 800-900 CE: this church was built during the Middle Ages; it sits atop a limestone column that has been venerated as a "Pillar of Life" for thousands of years

Known as Katskhi Pillar (or Katskhis Sveti), this enormous block of limestone is located in western Georgia, about 10km from the town of Chiatura.

The church that stands atop Katskhi Pillar was originally constructed during the 9th-10th century CE. It was long used as a hermitage for Stylites, who are sometimes referred to as "Pillar Saints" -- Christian ascetics who lived, prayed, and fasted atop pillars, often in total isolation, in an effort to bring themselves closer to God. This tradition originated in Syria during the 5th century CE, when a hermit known as Simeon the Elder purportedly climbed up onto a pillar and then stayed there for nearly 40 years, giving rise (no pun intended) to the Stylites. Stylitism managed to survive for about 1,000 years after its inception, but it gradually began to die out during the late Middle Ages, and by the end of the 16th century, it had essentially gone extinct.

Researchers don't really know how the monks originally gained access to the top of Katskhi Pillar, or how they were able to transport their building materials up to the top of the column. There's evidence that the Stylites were still living at Katskhi Pillar up until the 15th century, but the site was then abandoned shortly thereafter. This was the same period in which Georgia came under Ottoman rule, though it's unclear whether or not that may have played a role in the abandonment of the site.

The hermitage continued to lay abandoned for nearly 500 years after that. No one had been able to gain access to the top of the pillar, and very little was even known about the ruins that lay scattered at the top, as knowledge about the site's origin/history was gradually lost. There are many local legends that emerged as a way to fill in those blanks.

The site was not visited again until July 29th, 1944, when a mountaineer finally ascended to the top of the column with a small team of researchers, and the group performed the first archaeological survey of the ruins. They found that the structure included three hermit cells, a chapel, a wine cellar, and a small crypt; within the crypt lay a single set of human remains, likely belonging to one of the monks who had inhabited the site during the Middle Ages.

A metal ladder (the "stairway to Heaven") was ultimately installed into the side of the pillar, making it much easier for both researchers and tourists to gain access to these ruins.

The hermitage at the top of Katskhi Pillar actually became active again in the early 1990's, when a small group of monks attempted to revive the Stylite tradition. A Georgian Orthodox monk named Maxime Qavtaradze then lived alone at the top of Katskhi Pillar for almost 20 years, beginning in 1995 and ending with his death in 2014. He is now buried at the base of the pillar.

While the hermitage is no longer accessible to the public, and it is currently uninhabited, it's still visited by local monks, who regularly climb up to the church in order to pray. There is also an active monastery complex at the base of the pillar, where a temple known as the Church of the Simeon Stylites is located.

The Church of the Simeon Stylites: this church is located within an active monastery complex that has been built at the base of the pillar; several frescoes and religious icons decorate the walls of the church, and a small shrine containing a 6th century cross is located in the center

There are many lingering questions about the history of Katskhi Pillar, particularly during the pre-Christian era. There is at least some evidence suggesting that it was once the site of votive offerings to pagan deities, as a series of pre-Christian idols have been found buried in the areas that surround the pillar; according to local tradition, the pillar itself was once venerated by the pagan societies that inhabited the area, but it's difficult to determine the extent to which these claims may simply be part of the mythos that surrounds Katskhi Pillar, particularly given its mysterious reputation.

Sources & More Info:

BBC: Georgia's Daring, Death-Defying Pilgrimage

CNN: Katskhi Pillar, the Extraordinary Church where Daring Monks Climb Closer to God

Radio Free Europe: Georgian Monk Renews Tradition, Lives Atop Pillar

Architecture and Asceticism (Ch. 4): Stylitism as a Cultural Trend Between Syria and Georgia

Research Publication from the Georgian National Museum: Katskhi Pillar

Journal of Nomads: Katskhi Pillar, the Most Incredible Cliff Church in the World

Georgian Journal: Georgia's Katskhi Pillar Among World's 20 Wonderfully Serene and Secluded Places

Today is World Heritage Day

Oiginally known as the International Monuments and Sites Da it is a global celebration of this planet’s heritage. It’s all about increasing the awareness of the importance of the diversity of cultural and natural heritage and preserving this heritage for future generations..

In Scotland we’re lucky enough to have no less than six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. they are;

St Kilda.

The remote Hebridean island archipelago is one of only two-dozen global locations with World Heritage Status for both natural and cultural significance.

The archipelago shares this honour with natural and cultural wonders such as the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Peru and Mount Athos in Greece.

I'd love to visit, but it is a wee bit too expensive for me.

Edinburgh Old and New Towns.

Some people have asked me which part of Edinburgh is covered by this title, well the simple answer is all of it!

The capital is a city of many eras, and its World Heritage Site comprises both the old and new towns. The Auld Toon has preserved much of its medieval street plan and Reformation-era buildings along the wynds of the Royal Mile.

The (relatively) New town contrasts this perfectly with neoclassical and Georgian architecture in regimented order.

Antonine Wall.

I've explored many parts of the wall. Constructed around 142 AD by the Romans, the Antonine Wall marked the north-west frontier of their empire. Stretching from the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde, the Antonine Wall separated the civilised Romans from the wild Caledonians.

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney

I've not visited The Northen Isles as yet, plans were in the early stages to go this year, but my friend ended up in hospita and is still recuprating, hopefully we can get something sorted when she becomes more able.

The Orkney mainland is synonymous with archaeology. It boasts the mysterious standing stones at the Ring of Brodgar and megaliths at Standing Stones of Stenness, as well as the 5,000-year-old settlement of Skara Brae and chambered cairn and passage grave of Maeshowe. Together these four sites form the heart of Neolithic Orkney, which was given World Heritage status in 1999.

The Forth Bridge

I remember as a bairn drawing and painting the bridge with a steam train going over it, but the train going over the "bumps!"

One of our most iconic and beloved bridges, the Forth Bridge was named a World Heritage Site in 2015 just after its 125th anniversary. The bridge was one of the most ambitious projects of its kind ever attempted at the time. When it opened it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world.

New Lanark

The last mill closed in the 1960s but a restoration programme saved the 18th-century village from falling into dilapidation.

It is an early example of utopian socialism in Scotland as well as a planned settlement – making New Lanark an important milestone in the historical development of urban planning. I have never visited, I must say I much prefer my ruined castles and abbeys.

The Prometheus rant.

⛬ | (Index) | (Next)

I have promised a dissection of the movie Prometheus. It begins.

So, to summarize, and give you a taste of what we're in for. 

I am a geneticist with a background in history, including some undergraduate archaeological field work. I'm deeply interested in linguistics as a hobby. Prometheus manages to be stupid in every one of these fields.

But I absolutely love H.R. Giger aesthetic, the cinematography is beautiful, and whoever did the editing was absolutely solid because the movie consistently cuts slow scenes at moments when the cuts feel just slightly jarring. It’s a very subtle way to maintain tension.

The soundtrack holds the intended tone well, the practical effects are numerous and impressive, and even though their story completely undermines it, they got an actual academic linguist to work with them on the language stuff: the guy actually has a speaking role in the film, as a virtual tutor of a reconstructed language he taught to one of the actors.

And on top of all that, there's at least one scene in the movie which is just unbelievably tense and well-executed body horror. It’s the scene everybody mentions as a highlight when they talk about the movie. So, it's a successful movie in so many ways.

But.

The writing does not back this up. There are stretches that are fine, even elevated by some of the performances. But you can feel the movie shift any time a scene has plot relevance, or a character is supposed to do their job. 

Unlike Alien, where the main cast making dumb decisions is believable because they're a bunch of space cargo haulers and maintenance people who are not supposed to have any relevant expertise for the situation they find themselves in, Prometheus' characters are supposed to be scientists, doctors, and the best a trillionaire could buy for a mission that he expected would

make first contact between technologically modern humans and a race of aliens that had visited Earth thousands of years ago

convince said aliens to give him the secret to eternal youth, because he's an old rich asshole

so when things start going wrong, I felt less like "oh no these poor bastards don't know what the fuck they're getting into" and more like "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR CONTAMINATING AN ALIEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE YOU BASTARDS"

this approximately culminates in a scene where the last surviving alien on the planet is woken from two thousand years of emergency stasis, gets talked at in something very much like Proto-Indo-European by Michael Fassbender at the behest of the old rich asshole, while a woman screams in English in the background. The alien proceeds to rip Fassbender's head off and beats the old man to death with it, which is just the funniest goddamn thing

That’s the TL;DR. Yes, really.

The actual rant will start next time.  Well. Part One of the rant. This is going to be a multi-parter, because I want anyone who follows me on this journey to understand how the movie builds up into such a mess, and get some actual science out of this.

⛬ | (Index) | (Next)

House of Theseus

The house of Theseus was named for the Greek hero depicted in one of the most stunning mosaics at the Pathos site.

The story of Theseus and the Minotaur is a well known one. The young hero Theseus was the son of King Aegeus of Athens. The people of Athens were under the sway of King Minos of Crete, following the assassination of his son, Androgeus, on Athenian soil. In punishment for this crime, every seven years seven of Athens strongest young men and seven of their most beautiful young girls would be sent to Crete, never to return. The Athenians were sent to the labyrinth, home of the terrifying minotaur, half bull, half man. Unable to escape the labyrinth, the Athenians would be hunted down one by one and killed by the minotaur.

On the third year of this sacrifice taking place, Theseus was determined to end the tragedy. He took the place of one of the boys, travelling to Crete in his place.

Keep Reading

But first, time to say good-bye

It was to be a late departure (bureaucracy will someday kill us all...) from Athens, an endlessly diverted way North through a very early summer and some fitful sleep near the border, where poppies were already in bloom and elusive to the camera:

I promised to share with you my story with Mycenae the day I would leave Greece for good. Yesterday was the day, so here goes.

I first went to Mycenae on a horrendously rainy day, in November 2018. The place struck me as a haphazard settlement of sorts in the wake of some ancient apocalypse, which was absolutely correct. We stayed in my colleague from Culture and Press' car, munched on some horribly stale koulouria as all hell broke loose outside, when she finally told me: ' you know what, I am happy we made it here: in Mycenae, you can only hear and tell the truth, you know'.

I have to say I ogled in suspicion. I was wet, hungry and completely unused to the Greek way of dressing everything up in mythology. She spoke Greek as I speak French and knew perfectly well what she was doing. She was casting a spell - an unbreakable one, for which I will forever be grateful. Oh, and as all myths would have it, the Lion Gate was closed, by the time we arrived.

It took me almost two years to go back there, during the pandemic, scared summer of 2020, when everything was empty and glorious to fully take in, like a big gulp of colors and sounds and life. My digs were to be always the same: unassuming Petite Planète, the last B&B in town, a stone throw away from Agamemnon's treasury, owned by the Dassis clan of archaeologists.

Their story begins in Constantinople, around 1875, when Konstantinos, a young orphan, begged Heinrich Schliemann to take him along to wherever he was traveling. He quickly became indispensable and helped with the first digs in Mycenae. He was the one who found Agamemnon's mask:

When the digging was over, Schliemann bought him a tiny house for two pence and a half and told him to stay there. 'Many people will come to visit and they will need food and a roof. Make sure you do your best and it will make you a rich man.'

And they came. In droves. If you ask nicely, V. will show you their reception rosters, safely tucked away in a bank vault, in Argos. I had the privilege to see Virginia Woolf's signature and I was stunned. Schliemann's two pence house is now doubled by a garish modern addition you can see from the main road as La Belle Hélène B&B ('my cousin Agamemnon is a greedy idiot', says V), but Schliemann's room is piously kept as it was when the strange German gentleman left them to their fate. As is, they did not become rich, but that does not matter. You will always find a place at their wonderful table, where Mamma Dassis cooks the same food they ate back in Constantinople and they would not have it otherwise. The new, bigger and better B&B is called Petite Planète because of V's father undying passion for Saint Exupéry's Little Prince. It permeates everything without being obtrusive, because sometimes 'the essential is invisible to the eye'.

Back in 2020, they were worried. Very worried. The Lion Gate was open again, but the 'cretins at Google' wouldn't have it and kept on listing it as closed, on their maps. People were canceling their bookings. The village stood unusually quiet and forlorn.

I made no promises. But I did phone some people at the Greek Ministry of Culture. The least person I expected to be of any help, H, a transparent, mousey freeloader, who was always the last to leave all of our events in the hope we'd take her to dinner in town, happened to be some sort of underling at the Archaeological Sites Department. She immediately understood what I wanted her to do.

Three days after I left Mycenae, on my road trip to the Mani peninsula, I received this message in my Booking inbox:

This started it all. And from that moment, all my Greek roads will lead there. It's also been a long time since I have trouble forcefully paying them for my monthly stays (booking and paying in advance helps, though), something they adamantly refused last time I went there:

'G., the girl wants to pay.'

'This is ridiculous, of course. This girl is family.'

Someday, I just know I will be back. For good.

After five years and a half, many more fabulous stories (Mycenean potter and poet, anyone? mad postman? Kyria Stamatoula and her goats? Kyrios Pandelis and his jams?) the only thing I know about Greece is that, for all its (many) misgivings, this land is about two things:

Friends and Heroes.

Prince William and Catherine, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Caracol, an ancient Mayan archaeological site deep in the jungle of the Chiquibul forest in Caracol, Belize, on the third day of their Platinum Jubilee tour of the Caribbean. — 21 March 2022

put your head on my shoulder {indiana jones}

plot: you and indy are travelling and you fall asleep with your head on his shoulder.

character: indiana jones x plus size reader

Part of my Plus Size History Professor x Indiana Jones series and part of my Plus Size Reader x Character series!

You weren't the biggest fan of flying. The thought of being trapped in a tin can breathing in the same air as 100 other people freaked you out so before the flight, to help calm your nerves, you'd taken a sleeping tablet recommended by a trusted friend.

You were travelling with your colleague, friend and crush, Indiana Jones. The two of you were professors at the same college and had grown really close over the last year or so. Indy frequently went on archaeological digs and you'd always shown an interest since you were a history professor so this time, he invited you to come along with him.

Excitement wasn't the word.

You were beyond excited, constantly pestering Indy about what to wear, what clothes to take, what sites you'll wind up visiting. Surprisingly, Indy wasn't too annoyed and actually found your excitement about the whole thing quite adorable though he'd never admit that to your face. You and Indy currently had a very flirty, will they-won't they vibe going on. Any time that you thought things would happen, Indy pulled away. He had confided in you previously after one too many whiskeys that he was scared of commitment so you took a bit of a step back from the romantic side of things until he was ready. It hurt but you'd survive seeing as you two were friends and you knew that he cared, it was just that he wasn't ready yet.

You tapped your foot anxiously as you waited for the plane to board. Indy frowned at you, "That pill not kicking in yet, huh?"

"I only just took it, it takes a while to work."

"Why are you so anxious then? What's with all the foot tapping?"

"It's stupid," you scoffed as you shook your head. Indiana frowned at you and gestured for you to spit it out, "I'm stressed about the seat, well the seatbelt."

"What about it?"

"What if it doesn't fit around me? I'm not the skinniest..." Your cheeks burned furiously and Indy sighed. A voice chimed from above saying that your flight was now boarding, "Oh great."

"Then you get an extension." Indy shrugged. One thing you did love about him was his blunt, matter of fact attitude to things. He didn't stress, he didn't' sugar-coat, he just said things how they happened, "No big deal."

You followed him as he stood up in the queue, appreciating his blunt response, "It's silly, I know... I just get so paranoid. Normal seatbelts are black and usually extensions are bright red and it's just broadcasting 'hey everyone look at me I'm so fat I don't fit in the seat'!" You faltered, realising you were word vomiting all over him, "Sorry, I-"

He shook his head, "It's okay," he murmured, voice quieter so no one else your conversation, "I understand. Whether you need the extension or not, it's not a big deal. Doesn't make you any less of a person. Doesn't make you any less beautiful. Matter of fact, you're the prettiest damn person I've ever seen." As he finished, he realised what he had said and cleared his throat, turning away as a pink hue crept up and over his cheeks and ears.

You smiled, ducking your head to hide your bashfulness from him.

Boarding was quick and simple and soon, you and Indy were looking for your seats, "22, 23, here we are, 24. You want the window seat?" He asked which you gladly accepted since you didn't want to sit in the middle next to a stranger. You didn't mind looking out of the window, you found comfort in the clouds even despite your hatred of flying.

As Indy stored your bags in the overhead compartments, you sat on your seat, already finding it uncomfortable. Big hips weren't a great match for a tight plane seat. Oh well. Five hours, you could do this. You took a breath as you tested the seatbelt and...

"Nope."

It was a good 7 inches from closing. You raised your head, cheeks heating up from shame. It was stupid. You didn't know why you were so mortified to need a seatbelt extension on the plane but you just were. You liked your body, you were fat, curvy, plus size whatever you wanted to call it and you didn't mind it anymore but sometimes insecurities snuck up on you, this was one of those moments. You didn't need to look far for assistance because Indy was already handing you a bright red extension for the seatbelt.

"I asked for you. I also asked for a different colour but this is all they have."

You smiled, taking it off of him, "Thank you," you said, clipping it in and securing yourself in your seat. He sat down, "I know it's silly, I don't know why I'm so bothered by it."

Indy looked at you and smiled, "Don't worry about it. Seriously. People are too self absorbed to care whether or not you've got an extension... besides, I think red's your colour."

God, you hated the way he could make your insides turn to gloop and the way he could make your heart race with a simple smile. You thanked him quietly and conversation died down as he settled into his chair.

After around fifteen minutes, when everyone was boarded and the plane had began to move, you were starting to feel the effects of the sleeping pill you took so you tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. You tried resting your head against the wall of the plane but the vibrations were uncomfortable and irritating. You tried resting your head back on the head rest but as you started to doze off, your head kept falling and you kept waking up. Your failure to fall asleep, or at least find a comfortable position, hadn't gone unnoticed by Indiana who was watching you from the corner of his eye with an amused expression.

"Oh just put your head on my shoulder and go to sleep, stop huffing and puffing," he said with a smirk. You rolled your eyes at him, not realising that he was being serious until he pulled at you to rest on him, "Put your head on my shoulder and go to sleep. I'll wake you up when we're there. Go on, get comfy."

Your heart was racing, pounding hard against your ribs as you settled on his shoulder. You could smell him; coffee, fresh linen and musk. Heaven. His shoulder was surprisingly comfortable, hard yet cushioned by his blazer and shirt. As you settled, your head found its way to rest near the crook of his neck, hand cupping his bicep. You were falling asleep fast but his muscles beneath your fingertips didn't go unnoticed by you.

Your breathing slowed as it tickled his neck and he knew you were sleeping. He swallowed, sparing a glance to you sound asleep on his shoulder, and tried to calm his own racing heartbeat. The way your breath warmed his neck, the way your fingers pressed into his muscle... Indy took a deep breath. He could smell your perfume - sweet and intoxicating - and it took everything in him to not wake you up and kiss you here.

With his spare hand he moved his hat to cover his eyes as his head rested back against the headrest (and then eventually opted to rest on yours) and tried to forget about the way his stomach flipped at the thought of you touching him. Indy had started the day thinking he still wasn't ready but this... this might change things. You were his favourite person. You had been the most constant person in his life for a year solid and that meant a lot to him. He valued you so highly and was scared that if he let you in, you'd end up getting hurt or worse but... he didn't know how long he could push you away for.

"I..." he whispered so softly that even if you were awake you probably wouldn't have heard him over the sound of the airplane and its passengers, "I think I'm in love with you." Maybe he was more ready than he thought.

Sean bienvenidos japonistasarqueológicos, a una nueva entrega de arqueología nipona en esta ocasión os hablaré del castillo de Sunpu que se encuentra en la ciudad de Shizuoka, en la Prefectura de Shizuoka. - El castillo de Sunpu, fue en el lugar en donde vivó, Ieyasu Tokugawa en los siglos XVI-XVII, donde pasó sus últimos años de vida, las ruinas de las torres del castillo que se construyeron con diferentes métodos de construcción durante el período Sengoku y el período Edo. - Sunpu Castle Park es uno de los lugares turísticos representativos de la ciudad de Shizuoka es un parque que utiliza las ruinas del castillo, macizo de flores Aoi lleva el logo de la familia de Tokugawa como proyecto conmemorativo del 400 aniversario de Ieyasu Tokugawa. El área está bajo excavación, se encuentra en la zona noroeste y se está realizando actualmente la excavación de la torre del castillo. - Hay una parte del castillo que está muy reconstruida y que se puede visitar con un módico precio, dado que el segundo piso y los superiores no se pueden abrir al público debido a la ley de construcción, el piso se quita para que la estructura se pueda ver desde abajo. - La Puerta Este/Tatsumi Yagura, está rodeada por un foso y está cerca de la estación Shin-Shizuoka. La torreta Tatsumi Higashigomon y Tatsumi Yagura están conectadas,el Tatsumi Yagura fue restaurado en 1989 y la puerta este se restauró en 1996. La entrada al jardín Momijiyama está cerca de la puerta norte del parque del castillo de Sumpu. Hay un gran estanque en el centro, y está dividido en 9 áreas que se asemejan al paisaje de Shizuoka con flores de temporada. Hay una estatua de Yaji-san y Kita-san fue construida para conmemorar el 200 aniversario. - En 1585, Tokugawa Ieyasu comenzó la construcción del castillo y en 1588 se completó la torre del castillo Sunpu.Incluso después de que Ieyasu empezará el shogunato de Edo en 1603 y se mudó a Edo, la familia Tokugawa continuó preparándolo.Se dice que es el lugar donde Ieyasu regresó al castillo de Sumpu en 1607, se retiró y murió en 1616 a la edad de 75 años. - Espero que os haya gustado y nos vemos en próximas publicaciones, pasen una buena semana.

Welcome, Japanese archaeologists, to a new instalment of Japanese archaeology. This time I will be talking about Sunpu Castle, located in the city of Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. - Sunpu Castle was the place where Ieyasu Tokugawa lived in the 16th-17th centuries, where he spent the last years of his life. The ruins of the castle towers were built with different construction methods during the Sengoku and Edo periods. - Sunpu Castle Park is one of the representative tourist sites of Shizuoka City is a park that uses the ruins of the castle, Aoi flowerbed bears the logo of the Tokugawa family as a project commemorating the 400th anniversary of Ieyasu Tokugawa. The area is under excavation, it is located in the northwest area and the excavation of the castle tower is currently underway. - There is a part of the castle that is heavily reconstructed and can be visited for a small fee, as the first floor and above cannot be opened to the public due to construction law, the floor is removed so that the structure can be seen from below. - The East Gate/Tatsumi Yagura, is surrounded by a moat and is close to Shin-Shizuoka Station. The Tatsumi Higashigomon turret and Tatsumi Yagura are connected, the Tatsumi Yagura was restored in 1989 and the east gate was restored in 1996. The entrance to Momijiyama Garden is near the north gate of Sumpu Castle Park. There is a large pond in the centre, and it is divided into 9 areas that resemble the Shizuoka landscape with seasonal flowers. There is a statue of Yaji-san and Kita-san was built to commemorate the 200th anniversary. - In 1585, Tokugawa Ieyasu started the construction of the castle and in 1588 the Sunpu castle tower was completed. Even after Ieyasu started the Edo shogunate in 1603 and moved to Edo, the Tokugawa family continued to prepare it. It is said to be the place where Ieyasu returned to Sumpu castle in 1607, retired and died in 1616 at the age of 75. - I hope you liked it and see you in future posts, have a nice week.

日本の考古学者の皆さん、新しい日本考古学へようこそ。今回は、静岡県静岡市にある駿府城についてお話します。 - 駿府城は、16 世紀から 17 世紀にかけて徳川家康が晩年を過ごした場所です。天守閣跡は、戦国時代から江戸時代にかけてさまざまな工法で築かれました。

-

静岡市を代表する観光地の一つである駿府城公園は、徳川家康公400年記念事業として城跡を利用した公園で、葵花壇には徳川家のマークが刻まれています。発掘調査中のエリアで、北西部に位置し、現在天守閣の発掘調査が行われています。

-

城の一部は大規模に復元されており、1階以上は建築法の関係で一般公開できないため、床を撤去して下から構造を見学できるようになっており、低料金で見学できる。 。

-

新静岡駅からもほど近い、お堀に囲まれた東門・巽櫓。巽東御門櫓と巽櫓はつながっており、巽櫓は1989年���東門は1996年に復元されました。紅葉山庭園の入り口は駿府城公園の北門近くにあります。中央に大きな池があり、季節の花々が彩る静岡の風景をイメージした9つのエリアに分かれています。弥次さんと喜多さんの像があり、200年を記念して建てられました。

-

1585年に徳川家康が築城を開始し、1588年に駿府城天守閣が完成しました。 1603年に家康が江戸幕府を開き、江戸に移った後も、徳川家では仕込み続けられました。 1607年に家康が駿府城に戻り、隠居し、1616年に75歳で亡くなった場所といわれています。

-

気に入っていただければ幸いです。今後の投稿でお会いしましょう。良い一週間をお過ごしください。

Archaeologists Find Pompeii Fresco Depicting Greek Mythological Siblings

In a remarkable discovery at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, archaeologists have unearthed a fresco depicting the Greek mythological siblings Phrixus and Helle.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii Archaeological Park, described the find as a poignant reflection of history unfolding once more.

“History has repeated itself,” said Zuchtriegel, as he gave an update on excavation and restoration work. “It is a beautiful fresco in an excellent state of conservation. The myth of Phrixus and Helle is widespread at Pompeii but it is topical too. They are two refugees at sea, a brother and sister, forced to flee because their stepmother wants rid of them and she does so with deception and corruption. She [Helle] fell into the water and drowned.”

The fresco showcases vibrant colours and exquisite artistry, with Helle depicted on the verge of drowning, her face obscured by waves as she reaches out to her brother.

Zuchtriegel expressed optimism about making these meticulously preserved homes accessible to the public in the near future, highlighting the cultural and historical significance of this latest uncovering.

The ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed in AD79 by an eruption that killed more than 2,000 people. The ruins have become one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world.

The city, which attracts almost 4 million visitors a year, has come a long way since 2013, when Unesco threatened to place it on its list of world heritage sites in peril unless Italian authorities improved its preservation.

Surprises unearthed in recent months include 13 Nativity-style statuettes that provided evidence of pagan ritual traditions in the ancient Roman city and, last June, a striking still life fresco resembling a pizza that includes an item that looks suspiciously like a pineapple.

By Lorenzo Tondo.