We know that moral culture changes over time, and we appreciate that our psychology has remained almost the same. Self-protection and self-proliferation seem to motivate most of our intentions, with fun and pleasure taking up the back seat. We try to take them along but sometimes they must be dropped off at the curb while the real work is carried out. How did human sacrifice become an acceptable mode of religious ceremony? From what we can tell, in all sacrificial ceremonies, the offering is given to the deity as a means to appease and to ensure fortunate returns. It is a transaction, a payment for the survival of the culture. Another form of human sacrifice seems to appear when a particular person dies naturally or in battle, at which their servants and slaves are killed and buried with them. This is said to allow their staff to enter the next world.  
 
Belief in the next world is the fundamental moral reasoning for the action of human sacrifice. Although killing is nearly always wrong, criminals and enemies were somehow exempt from this law.  Human sacrifice too fell into this exempted blind spot that prevented moral outrage. When people have a firm belief in an afterlife and do not see death as the end of the being but a transition from one kind of existence to another, killing no longer can be said to be an absolute crime. When the killing was done for religious grounds, it became understandable and reaffirmed the assurance of a next life. This practice occurred all over the world in various forms. When people had a firm belief in the legitimacy of the transaction, the inevitable necessity for the sacrifice prevented arguments. Would you dare to challenge the killer priest and bring attention to your fiery spirit?  
 
Deep in the mysterious Gran Cocle Cultural Region of Panama, the mix of intermingled native peoples left behind a wealth of artefacts and history. Buildings, graves, artworks, golden designs, and much more lay undetected for centuries until discovered in lucky finds by experts and laymen alike. The area of cultural significance was first encountered during the 1920s. Over the next century, an ever-increasing scope of narrative and understanding has been uncovered. A millennium old tomb was recently excavated after being discovered in 2009, called Tomb 3, no doubt it was part of a set. What they found inside was remarkable, if not a little sinister. Among the gold artefacts depicting crocodile teeth and bats wings, luxurious jewellery, and ornaments, there was a selection of bodies. One was adorned in all the gold and beautifully decorated while the others lay beside him, almost in line with the ornamentation. This was possibly his staff.  
 
Built in around 700-1000AD, the tomb was intended for a very powerful individual who commanded immense wealth. The resources of the Gran Cocle Cultures are known to have been vast and the myths of gold do appear to be true. Not every South American culture valued gold, and perhaps when the Europeans are said to have come sniffing around for it, many of them hid theirs away or lost their attraction to it. Can we attribute the end of human sacrifice to the arrival of Catholicism, or would these cultures have evolved away from it in their own time? 
 
via Artnet
​

​The birthplace of civilisation, the Middle East is famous for holding some of the earliest examples of cities, architecture, and civil society. Iraq, Iran, Syria, Greece, and Turkey all boast huge national legacies that reach back to prehistory with only material remains to show the truth. One such material has recently been shown to have originally been a kind of red lipstick. Body painting is clearly not a new thing, with the Romans defining an entire culture as the painted people, or the Picts, however evidence of lipstick is rare indeed. Was it for men, was it for women, was it for children? We probably will never know, although if we can go by historical evidence, we know both genders of all ages have enjoyed using colour to highlight their good looks throughout the ages.
 
The peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports has recently released an article that explains how a vial of ingredients discovered in Iran has been determined to be a form of lipstick. The Bronze Age was around 5000-3000 years ago from the present day and is noted for the onset of bronze technology that replaced the harder but less malleable stone. The chemical process of combining melted tin and melted copper together to form this stronger and shiny alloy gave toolmakers a distinct advantage in harder-wearing and more universal implements. The military and the artists both found many new ways to utilise this useful metal mixture. A new age of thinking had begun with people choosing to experiment with mixing and making from raw ingredients, the understanding of the world had grown significantly since the days of sticks and stones. So, it’s not surprising really that some people were experimenting with colours and paints.
 
A joint effort from science teams based in Tehran and Italy has identified a mixture of colours and base materials that seem to have been made for the lips. The item was found back in 2001 when a Bronze Age graveyard was flooded by the swollen Halil River in Iran’s South-eastern Kerman province. A trove of artefacts was uncovered by the natural event and were quickly rescued by archaeologists for safe-keeping and inspection. The small vial of material was handed over to the Archaeological Museum of Jiroft, who were able to date the object to around 1900 BC. The green Chlorite vial is in superb condition and shows superior craftsmanship. The sleek design and pencil like shape is so far unrepresented in the main body of literature however the shape strongly resembles cosmetic items of the modern day. An image from the Turin Papyrus 55001 shows an Egyptian woman holding a vial very similar to the one found while painting her lips.
 
The contents of the vial were also tested to determine what they are made of. It was found that the main elements of the container were ground crystal, including galena, hematite, quartz, braunite, and anglesite. The lead-based galena would not be permitted in anything for the body today. The hematite comprised the majority of the mixture, lending the deep red colour. The other minerals were given to provide sheen and durability. It's not known if the vial was made for men, women, or both, however the fashion of wearing red paint on the lips seems to be something that will never be replaced. 

Something to read and put on the table - Face Paint: The Story of Makeup Hardcover by Lisa Eldridge

A lucky metal-detectorist stumbled upon an ornate yet battered piece of shiny stuff when out and about in a UK field. The village of Langham in Rutland has a rich history of settlement stretching back to Anglo-Saxon days and beyond. So it’s not uncommon to find people with detectors and other gadgets in a search for the next iconic treasure. Although perhaps inconspicuous, this new find is indeed a treasure by law, thanks to the fact it’s made of gilded silver. This mix of silver and gold gild makes the item extremely precious and with its age in the equation, the artefact could be considered priceless.
 
Although it is clearly of Anglo-Saxon design and from the time of the 8th Century, the actual purpose is the object is unknown. Archaeologists cannot decide between them what it could have been used for. A small dish shaped design with an ornate edging and an animal motif on the top, the pretty object is one of a kind. Perhaps a bespoke creation made by an artisan for a particular need or simply the lesser-known version of something else that never made it past the honeymoon, the possible uses are unending. Some kind of stopper, the protective stub on a walking stick, or an ornamental counter in a collection or a game? Maybe one day we’ll find more solid examples in literature or art hiding in plain view.
 
Two almost similar items have been found in copper and with different shapes, however the craft used to create this new find is something above and beyond. Great care was taken to perfect the design and to make the object as beautiful as possible, using only the best metals. This attention to detail and glory perhaps signifies it had a religious significance, maybe it once carried anointing oil or ash. Or maybe it simply belonged to a wealthy individual who wanted to demonstrate their power by commissioning such a magnificent and unique example.
 
A drawing in the Book of Kells, an ancient version of the Bible, is said to be quite similar to the weave design on the mystery object. Others say it more resembles a image in the Lindisfarne Gospel, another early Christian text with aesthetic roots in traditional indigenous beliefs. The iconography of this pattern clearly signifies a cultural heritage and the continuation of a theme beyond the pages of a particular book.
 
What do you think it was used for? Would you be proud to have discovered this item? What would you call it?
 
Via Artnet

Want to get out there with a metal detector? Browse the kit.

A standard-looking Roman bust was purchased in a Texas thrift store by an unsuspecting culture fan called Laura Young. What initially cost just $34.99 for an impressive piece of carved stone turned out to be an authentic Roman era antique. The 2000-year-old piece of artistic masonry was identified as the real article with help from Sotheby’s. The art dealing experts clarified that the piece was indeed from ancient times and had been once part of a Roman building.

Will you find a great deal on eBay? Support Alternative Fruit.
 
It's unsure who the bust is made to resemble, however from historical sources the face seems to look like Sextus Pompey, a well-regarded military leader. Similarities can be found between the face on the bust and the face of Pompey the Great, the father of Sextus. Pompey the Great is depicted on several coins and busts from that period.
 
During WWII, the bust was on display in a reconstruction of a Pompeii house. The famous situation that was preserved under a mountain of ash was a perfect archetype for Roman life. Furnishing the replica house with genuine artefacts from the time undoubtedly helped to fortify the experience. As the bombs fell on Germany, the bust was removed and stored somewhere for safe keeping. At some point, probably during the 1950s, an American soldier must have smuggled the bust out of the country.
 
The head is currently on display in the San Antonio Museum of Art. In May, it will be returned to its rightful owners in Germany and begin its permanent residence at the Glyptothek in Munich.
 
Via CNN

Statues from times past have been in the news a lot recently, thanks to a set of creatively confident young children. When their supervisor handed them some crayons to keep them occupied, they chose the two-hundred-year-old face and body of the nymph Sabrina. This mythological woman, with breasts on show, has been covered in the familiar tones of scribbled blue pencil. Hopefully, the mess can be rubbed off without too much fuss.

Quality Artist pencils and more from Art Discount