archaeoillustration

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Necklace Made of Defleshed Human Skull Discovered in Mayan Warrior Tomb

Two trophy skulls, recently discovered by archaeologists in the jungles of Belize, may help shed light on the little-understood collapse of the once powerful Classic Maya civilization.

The defleshed and painted human skulls, meant to be worn around the neck as pendants, were buried with a warrior over a thousand years ago at Pacbitun, a Maya city. They likely represent gruesome symbols of military might: war trophies made from the heads of defeated foes.

Both skulls are similar to depictions of trophy skulls worn by victorious soldiers in stone carvings and on painted ceramic vessels from other Maya sites. 

Drilled holes likely held feathers, leather straps or both. Other holes served to anchor the jaws in place and suspend the cranium around the warrior’s neck, while the backs were sawed off to make the skulls lie flat on the wearer’s chest. Read more.

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Cecil Aldin – Scientist of the Day

Yesterday we celebrated the birthday of a prominent Victorian scientific illustrator, Edward Whymper, and today we honor another one, Cecil Aldin, who was born Apr. 28, 1870.

(read more…)

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Digital watercolour renditions of North Wales prehistoric burial chambers, April 2017.

#megalithic #megalith #burial chamber #britain

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Happy Fossil Friday, everyone! Today’s coffee shop sketch features the lovely Australopithecus anamensis.

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If anyone knows of any archaeologists who need help with drawing (technical, sketches, or photogrammetry), let me know! This field is super tiny so I’m trying my best to branch out and lend a hand. :)

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Illustrations for Aquila Magazine, for their October issue, Bones. The article focused on osteoarchaeology, so the main image shows some different archaeological tools, findings, and shows the differences between a typical male skull versus a typical female skull. The second image is of an auroch, an extinct cow-like animal. The third is of a sheep’s jaw, along with some different teeth, to show that archeologists can tell an animal’s life and diet from it’s teeth.

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“GIGANTIC HEAD” – A scene from the ancient Mayan ruins at Izamal in Mexico, illustrated by artist-architect Frederick Catherwood (1799-1854) who traveled to Mexico and Central America in 1839/1840. (New York Public Library)

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Me: *finishes my archaeology class*

Me: well thank god that’s over and I never have to think about red figure ware again!! :^)

Me: *spends all dAY DRAWING THIS SHIT*

****

~merch available here~

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Artificially deformed skulls, prehistoric Peru

Drawing adapted from The Human Bone Manual, White & Folkens. Ink & Pencil, 2016

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Plan of the ruins of the Imperial Palace on the Palatine Hill, Rome

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Skull of Stephanus de Velde, under Tartu’s Cathedral, Estonia.

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Eremotherium

On a brisk Autumn morning approximately 12,000 years ago, a young clovis woman makes her way home across a frozen field. In her haste to return to the warmth of her family’s fire, she fails to notice anything odd about a large mound as she passed it. It does not, however fail to notice her.

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Projectile point, found in New Jersey.  Drawn with pen and ink.

Redbubble

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‘Picnic At The Stones’ Prehistoric Outdoor Art Workshop Felt Art Example, 6.5.16

#not quite illustration! #megalith #Stonehenge

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Another fossil skull drawing I completed for Cosumnes River College’s anthropology lab manual, Australopithecus “Taung child”. The first image is of the initial sketch to show how I started the drawing. The final drawing is taken into photoshop to erase the surrounding sketches and any pencil smudges before e-mailing the image to the editor.

#Australopithecus

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#ceramic #ceramics

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‘Bryn Cader Faner Burial Mound’ Pastel and Charcoal Sketch, 29.3.16.