A bit of museum news today, in the hope I can find time to write an actual post tomorrow. Sorry for having to put you all on the backburner a little bit, wonderful readers. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.


Ancient amphora broken to pieces by tourist
An ancient amphora on display at the Archeological Museum of Heraklion managed to survive through the centuries until a tourist shattered it to pieces.

The tourist, aged 60, stood beside the ill-fated amphora when she began to feel dizzy. She fainted, falling on the ancient treasure of Crete that smashed to pieces. The guards did not know who to attend to first – the priceless treasure of Minoan Civilization or the tourist who was rushed to hospital. The tourist did not suffer from serious injuries.

A ministry statement says the prehistoric, Minoan-era vase, which had been broken in antiquity and restored after excavation, is being repaired and should be back on display on Friday.


British Museum to Air 30-Minute Greek Art Presentation
The British Museum in London has organized a live-streaming presentation of its hit exhibition 'Defining beauty: the body in ancient Greek art', set to air on Thursday, May 28, at 6:30 pm (local time). The 30-minute live broadcast, sponsored by Julius Baer, will be live-streamed through the Periscope mobile app, revealing to the world the secrets behind the remarkable works of Greek art.

British TV historian Dan Snow will provide a guided tour of the exhibition through the Periscope broadcast to be titled 'Discover the naked truth behind Greek art with Dan Snow in this exclusive live tour'. After the museum’s closing hours, Snow will be able to freely roam through the exhibits and provide a close up tour of the ancient Greek white marble, bronze and terracotta statues. Furthermore, viewers will be able to submit their questions regarding the exhibition via Twitter and the Periscope app. The questions will be answered by museum curator Ian Jenkins in an interactive Q&A hosted by Snow.

The link for the live broadcast will be shared by the museum’s Twitter account, using #DefiningBeauty. A recording of the guided tour will be available on the British Museum’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and official webpage.