Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 9h

'Restitution row: how Nigeria’s new home for the Benin bronzes ended up with clay replicas'

www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

Restitution row: how Nigeria’s new home for the Benin bronzes ended up with clay replicas

The public display of artefacts looted by British colonial forces at the new Museum of West African Art was supposed to be the crowning glory of a decades-long restitution effort. What went wrong?

www.theguardian.com

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 4d

Happy #WorldOctopusDay

In this Attic kylix now in Boston, an octopus outsmarts the young boy fishing in the sea.

Attributed to the Ambrosios Painter, c. 510-500 BCE,
MFA Boston 01.8024 #archaeology 🏺
collections.mfa.org/objects/153702

Cup Interior tondo composition: A small nude boy is fishing as he crouches on a rocky ledge. He holds a woven bag in his left hand, and has a fish on the line. There is also a trap, shown under water, probably for the octopus hiding behind the rock. Above are the Greek letters: "P" "A" "S".

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 4d

'Greek government donates €10,000 to support Greek Studies at University of Sydney'
Wonderful news for my colleagues in @sydney.edu.au Department of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies following an event at the CCWM this week

greekherald.com.au/news/greek-g...

Greek government donates €10,000 to support Greek Studies at University of Sydney

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Loverdos announced a €10,000 donation to the University of Sydney’s Department of Modern Greek Studies

greekherald.com.au

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 5d

'Major Architectural and Figurine Finds at Cyprus’s Prehistoric Settlement'
More media coverage of recent work at the Chalcolithic settlement of Erimi Pamboula in Cyprus #archaeology 🏺

greekreporter.com/2025/10/06/c...

Major Architectural and Figurine Finds at Cyprus's Prehistoric Settlement - GreekReporter.com

Archaeologists in Cyprus have completed a successful first excavation season at the prehistoric Chalcolithic settlement of Erimi Pamboula.

greekreporter.com

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Reposted by Craig Barker

Dr Claire Millington ✍🏻🏺 @clairemillington.bsky.social · 5d

Incredible journey. This Roman tombstone has travelled further than the man it commemorates. It seems to have come to New Orleans probably through post WW2 looting.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

New Orleans couple discovers ancient Roman grave marker in their yard

Discovery of 1,900-year-old headstone dedicated to Roman sailor sets off effort to repatriate item to Italy

www.theguardian.com

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 7d

'The great butterfly heist: how a gentleman collector stole thousands of butterflies from Australian museums'

A fascinating story and one that still has an impact on museums more than seven decades after the thefts took place.

www.theguardian.com/global/2025/...

The great butterfly heist: how a gentleman collector stole thousands of butterflies from Australian museums

Scientists are still unravelling the thefts of Colin Wyatt, an English adventurer, artist and naturalist who charmed the entomological community

www.theguardian.com

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 7d

Happy #WorldTeachersDay today.
Attic Red-Figure fragment by Akestorides Painter in the Getty showing a teacher in front of a student who holds a scroll, perhaps with an epic poem of Hesiod. c. 470 BCE.
Getty 86.AE.324

www.getty.edu/art/collecti...

A broken fragment of a cup made in Athens in the red-figure style; attributed to the Akestorides Painter and dated c. 470-450 BCE. In the surviving scene a boy holding a scroll while another person (only partially preserved), perhaps his teacher, stands in front of him. Professional teachers and schools had become established in Athens in the fifth century BCE; and scenes became more frequent in Attic vase painting.

Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 7d

'Greece Repatriates 29 Ancient Artifacts from New York, Spanning 5,000 Years of Heritage'
#archaeology 🏺

greekreporter.com/2025/10/04/g...

Greece Repatriates 29 Ancient Artifacts from New York, Spanning 5,000 Years of Heritage - GreekReporter.com

29 artifacts spanning from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic eras were handed back to Greece in New York following joint investigations.

greekreporter.com

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 8d

For #WorldAnimalDay a Late Cypriot II Base ring II Ware vessel in the shape of a bull. Ancient Cyprus had a particularly strong tradition of depictions of animals in art and of shaping vessels to look like animal forms.

Chau Chak Wing Museum; NM70.1

www.sydney.edu.au/museums/coll...

A ceramic vase shaped like a bull with two horns and large eyes. The bull's nose is a spout and there is a handle on the animal's back. Decorated with bands of white paint on the body, face and legs of the bull. Late Cypriot (c. 1450-1200 BCE)

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 8d

'Excavations at Erimi Pamboula reveal houses, tools and pottery from the Chalcolithic era'

Interesting results from the first season of work at the Cypriot Chalcolithic site.
#archaeology 🏺

knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/exca...

Excavations at Erimi Pamboula reveal houses, tools and pottery from the Chalcolithic era

Excavations at a prehistoric settlement in Erimi Pamboula have revealed evidence of human activity dating to the early third millennium B.C.

knews.kathimerini.com.cy

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 9d

Good to see KoKo this evening.
Koko is a celebrity in Paphos in Cyprus.

A pelican in front of a seafood restaurant by Paphos harbour

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Reposted by Craig Barker

University of Cambridge Museums @camunivmuseums.bsky.social · 9d

🏺 The doors are open! Step into 'Made in Ancient Egypt' from today.

The Fitzwilliam Museum's latest exhibition reveals the stories of ancient Egyptian makers and craftspeople through the objects they created.

🔗 Find out more & book your tickets: bit.ly/4cCiznX

Made in Ancient Egypt

Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition at Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 10d

‘History lessons for teachers at new archaeological site’
A great initiative introducing history teachers to archaeology at the newly opened Neolithic settlement site of “Nisia” in Cyprus

#archaeology

cyprus-mail.com/2025/10/02/h...

History lessons for teachers at new archaeological site

More than 100 secondary school history teachers toured the newly opened Neolithic settlement site “Nisia” near Protaras in Paralimni-Dherynia on Saturday as part of their ongoing professional training...

cyprus-mail.com

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 11d

Given the top 3 spots are certain I won’t vote for any of those and instead allocate my points to these gems

3. Out of Time - REM
2. Doughboy Hollow - Died Pretty
1. Foxbase Alpha - Saint Eitenne

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 12d

The ancient theatre of Paphos in Cyprus at sunset on 30 September 2025

The reused column incorporated into the theatre’s containment wall was engraved with the name Eustorgis in Late Antiquity
#archaeology #ClassicalBlueSky

A photograph of the cavea of the theatre at Paphos in Cyprus. In the foreground is a granite column with a later inscription in Greek added to it

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 13d

3. Deserter’s Songs - Mercury Rev
2. Moon Safari - Air
1. Car Wheels on A Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 14d

‘Bronze Age necropolis dating to 2000 BC discovered during park construction in Nicosia’
#archaeologynews 🏺

in-cyprus.philenews.com/local/bronze...

Bronze Age necropolis dating to 2000 BC discovered during park construction in Nicosia

A Bronze Age necropolis dating to approximately 2000 BC has been discovered during park construction work in the Nicosia district.The Department of Antiquities was notified several months ago followin...

in-cyprus.philenews.com

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 14d

So do I!

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 14d

You don’t see #ClassicalReception everyday when grocery shopping!

The Kings Avenue Mall in Paphos in Cyprus has brought its A-game with animatronic representations of Greek myths!
Cerebus’ tail even wags!
#ClassicsBlueSky

animatronic representation of the Minotaur in a shopping mall

Animatronic representation of Cerebus in a shopping mall

A statue of Three headed Cerebus with moving heads - shoppers and kids were eager to place their hands inside or pose for photos

Animatronic representation of a Siren in a shopping Mall

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Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 16d

A sneak peek at the Chau Chak Wing Museum’s new exhibition ‘Infinite Scroll’ - a collaboration with 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.
Opens tomorrow @sydney.edu.au