Manny Tejeda y Moreno reviews “Slavic Native Faith” by Kaarina Aitamurto and Scott Simpson, a study of the umbrella of reconstructionist religions sometimes known as Ridnovirstvo or Rodnovery. The book is free to download until April 14.
Europe
Hidden Household Gods in Cologne: First Lararium North of the Alps Found
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Excavations beneath Cologne’s future Jewish museum have uncovered a rare 2nd-century Roman household shrine: the first lararium found north of the Alp that is reshaping our understanding of domestic religion along the Rhine frontier.
Europe
Arms Raised in Prayer: Neolithic Figurine Found in Romania
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Archaeologists in central Romania have uncovered a rare 7,500-year-old clay figurine depicting a female figure with arms raised in invocation. Discovered during preventive excavations, the small Neolithic artifact illuminates the symbolic and spiritual world of Europe’s earliest farming communities.
Culture
Smiling and Protecting: Medusa’s Latest Archaeological Return
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Medusa is making a little comeback. Recent archaeological discoveries in Türkiye and Austria reveal unexpected images of Medusa, from a smiling ceiling carving to a finely cut gemstone cameo. These finds highlight her ancient role as a protective figure and her enduring presence in religious, civic, and personal life.
Arts & Culture
New York’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit returns looted Roman artifacts to Turkey
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The New York County District Attorney repatriated several artifacts to Turkey this week, including a marble head of the Athenian orator Demosthenes and a larger than life bronze statue of an emperor.
Culture
A New Mystery Emerges from Ancient Norway: A Viking Woman Buried with Shells and Wings
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A Viking woman’s grave in Trøndelag has stunned archaeologists: scallop shells laid over her mouth and bird-wing bones nearby reveal a burial practice unknown in pre-Christian Norway, raising new questions about ritual, belief, and symbolism.