22 Jul 2026
American actress Zendaya has faced a wave of criticism online for wearing earrings made from ancient Iranian artifacts during the promotion of the film “Odyssey.” Zendaya is facing backlash after ancient Iranian gold medallions she wore to a London press event drew sharp criticism from archaeologists, historians, and social media users, with many citing the timing of the active U.S.-Iran conflict. At a photocall for The Odyssey, the actress wore earrings described by jewelry dealer Barron London as “a pair of Ziwiye gold medallion plaques, circa first millennium BC Iran.” The pieces feature ancient Iranian sun motifs.
22 Jul 2026
The 2020 rediscovery of six mummies, previously thought lost, allowed scientists to re-evaluate the remains of five princesses — four sisters, Khenmet, Itaweret, Ita, and Sathathormeryt, and Princess Noub-Hotep — and King Hor. These royal women were buried with weapons like bows, arrows, and daggers, but without a modern bioarchaeological assessment scientists couldn’t be sure if these were ceremonial or if the princesses could use them. Researchers identified pronounced muscle attachments on the princesses’ bones, consistent with training and developing the muscles for archery, as well as signs of well-cared-for physical trauma. But they also found evidence of persistent infection and possible malnutrition, an indication that royal status couldn’t protect the princesses from everything. For decades, scientists have disputed the meaning of the weapons found in the burial chambers of some ancient Egyptian princesses. Were they symbolic or practical tools? Now a reassessment of five royal women’s mummies from the Middle Kingdom has shown that some princesses buried with weapons could use them. “Members of the royal family, especially the women, were active participants in skilled, physically demanding activities such as archery and hunting,” said Dr Zeinab Hashesh of Beni-Suef University, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology. “This conclusion is supported by the way their bones developed to sustain heavy muscle use, which corresponds directly to the weapons discovered in their tombs.”
Posted On 20 Sep 2025
