Cleopatra

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Ancient Romans Smelled of Patchouli
Ancient Romans
Smelled of Patchouli
new study
Jun 10, 2023 8:30 AM CDT

Ancient Romans Smelled of Patchouli

Archaeologists identify a perfume of the empire in what may be a first

(Newser) - A first-century Roman tomb discovered in Carmona, Spain, has pulled researchers nose-deep into the history of human scents, reports Smithsonian Magazine . Scientists from the University of Cordoba and Carmona's city museum detailed how they detected the distinct aroma of a bygone era—thanks to a vial of patchouli perfume...

Debate Rages Over Netflix's Black Cleopatra

Some Egyptian experts are fuming over what they say is a false portrayal

(Newser) - Jada Pinkett Smith, executive producer and narrator of the new Netflix drama-documentary series Queen Cleopatra , says it was "really important for me" to highlight "stories about Black queens," per the Guardian . The series premiering May 10 certainly portrays the last pharoah of Egypt as Black, with mixed-race...

'Miracle' Tunnel Might Lead to Cleopatra's Tomb

Tunnel sits below Taposiris Magna temple in Egypt, possible site of royal tomb

(Newser) - Archaeologists hoping to find Cleopatra's lost tomb have instead discovered an incredible feat of engineering: a 6.5-foot-tall underground tunnel stretching for nearly a mile. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism calls it a "geometric miracle," per Smithsonian . Kathleen Martinez of the University of San Domingo, whose team...

Wonder Woman Team Has a Big, New Subject

Gal Gadot will play Cleopatra, and Patty Jenkins will direct

(Newser) - They made history together with Wonder Woman. Now, actress Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins are collaborating on another huge project: a biopic of Cleopatra. Gadot will play the title role, which will no doubt invite inevitable comparisons to Elizabeth Taylor's 1963 portrayal of the Egyptian queen, per the...

The Best Books of 2010
 The Best Books of 2010 
Year in Review
Dec 4, 2010 12:00 PM CST

The Best Books of 2010

The New York Times Book Review picks out its favorites

(Newser) - The year's coming to a close and you know what that means: Best-of lists! The New York Times Book Review kicks things off with a list of the year's top books. Including: Fiction
  • Freedom, Jonathan Franzen—“Even richer and deeper” than The Corrections, this Bush-era Midwestern family saga perfectly
...

Cleopatra Died From Poison
 Cleopatra Died From Poison 
Jul 1, 2010 2:39 PM CDT

Cleopatra Died From Poison

She used hemlock, not snake's venom, says historian

(Newser) - Cleopatra committed suicide using poison, not by allowing herself to be bit by an asp, says a German scholar. He deduced that the widely known story of Cleopatra killing herself by allowing an Egyptian cobra to bite her was false, despite having made it into Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. "...

White Actress Cast as African Queen—Again

Despite her 'full lips,' Angelina Jolie is no Cleopatra

(Newser) - Why is Angelina Jolie, a white woman, playing Cleopatra , an African queen? “Just when we thought there weren't enough leading roles for black women in Hollywood , they create one and give it to a white woman,” writes Shirea L. Carroll for Essence . “I don't care how full...

Angelina Will Play Cleopatra
 Angelina Will Play Cleopatra 
Jun 12, 2010 9:55 AM CDT

Angelina Will Play Cleopatra

But will Brad Pitt play Marc Antony?

(Newser) - Angelina Jolie has signed on to play Cleopatra in an upcoming movie about the Queen of the Nile, reports US Weekly . Producer Scott Rudin bought the rights to the book Cleopatra: A Life, with nobody but Jolie in mind. The book is out in November; no word on film plans....

Opening Her Tomb Won't Tell Us Who Cleopatra Was
Opening Her Tomb Won't Tell Us Who Cleopatra Was
OPINION
Apr 22, 2009 10:05 AM CDT

Opening Her Tomb Won't Tell Us Who Cleopatra Was

Even Shakespeare had a hard time improving on her true story

(Newser) - If the tomb that archaeologists are about to start excavating in Egypt really is Cleopatra’s, what will that really tell us about the legendary queen? Aside from possibly clearing up questions about her heritage and cause of death, probably not much, writes Cleopatra expert Stacy Schiff in the New ...

Archaeologist: Cleopatra, Mark Antony Tomb Is Close

Artifacts unearthed in Egypt hint at lovers

(Newser) - An eccentric Egyptian archaeologist believes he knows where Mark Antony and Cleopatra were buried, the AP reports. An excavation team has uncovered a mask fragment with an Antony-style cleft chin, coins bearing Cleopatra’s likeness, and 10 mummies from the same time period in the Toposiris Magna temple, hinting that...

Skeleton Hints at Cleopatra's African Heritage

But experts point out holes in BBC documentary's claim

(Newser) - Egyptian queen Cleopatra may have been of African rather than Greek ancestry, new findings suggest. A BBC archaeological documentary claims to have found the tomb of Cleopatra’s sister, Arsinoe, in Ephesus, Turkey. Arsinoe, who, according to legend, was killed on orders from her sister, had skull dimensions consistent with...

Lazy Bosses Go Wayyyy Back
 Lazy Bosses Go Wayyyy Back 
Jun 10, 2008 6:54 PM CDT

Lazy Bosses Go Wayyyy Back

From Clinton to Cleopatra, honchos sure know how to delegate

(Newser) - Think your boss is the first to delegate the duties and enjoy sunny days on the links? Such indulgences go way back, writes Stanley Bing in Fortune. Two thousand years ago, Cleopatra ruled Egypt by dazzling the male rulers of her time. More recently, America’s beloved Ben Franklin lived...

Archaeologist: I've Found Cleopatra's Tomb

Discovery could be biggest in decades

(Newser) - A leading archaeologist in Egypt has announced he’s found the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, the Times of London reports. Zahi Hawass believes the ancient lovers are buried beneath a temple near Alexandria, where he found a 400-foot tunnel. “We’ve found tunnels with statues of Cleopatra...

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