News

Half a Million Years Old Wooden Structure Discovered in ZambiaLusaka, 21 Sep (ONA) --- Archaeologists have made an astonishing discovery, unearthing the oldest wooden structure known to humanity, dating back nearly half a million years.Found along a riverbank in Zambia near Kalambo Falls, this simple yet intriguing structure consists of two interlocking logs with deliberately crafted notches, suggesting advanced craftsmanship for its time.The find indicates the possibility of humans settling in communities with reliable access to water and abundant resources during the Stone Age. ...

Network of Ancient American Indian Earthworks Named to List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites Ohio, 19 Sep (ONA) --- A network of ancient American Indian ceremonial and burial mounds in Ohio described as “part cathedral, part cemetery and part astronomical observatory” was added Tuesday to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Preservationists, led by the Ohio History Connection, and indigenous tribes, many with ancestral ties to the state, pushed to recognize the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks for their good condition, distinct style and cultural significance — ...

Oman Participates in Amman International Book Fair 2023 Muscat, 19 Sep (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, is taking part in Amman International Book Fair, which is held in the Kingdom of Jordan during 21-30 September 2023. The participation comes within the framework of cultural exchange and cooperation between the two countries. It also aims to enhance cultural communication between Omani and Jordanian publishing houses. Oman’s pavilion at the book fair sees a great turnaround of ...

Ministerial Decision Forms New Board of Cultural Club Muscat, 18 Sep (ONA) --- HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth has issued a ministerial decision forming the new board of directors of the Cultural Club for three years as follows: Dr. Mohammed Ali Al Balushi as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Dr. Saud Nasser Al Hanini as Deputy Chairman. The board also comprises the following as members: Dr. Muna Habras Al Sulaimi, Badr Salim Al Abri and Muawiya Salim Al Rawahi. --- Ends/Sooban/Anas ...

Rare Dinosaur 'Barry' up for Sale at Paris Auction Paris, 18 Sep (ONA) --- An almost fully complete dinosaur skeleton will be sold at auction in Paris next month. The rare 150 million-year-old camptosaurus was first discovered in the 1990s in the US by palaeontologist Barry James. Named Barry after the man who found him in Wyoming, experts said he is "extremely well preserved". The skeleton is expected to fetch up to $1.2 million on 20 October 2023, BBC news reported. Dating back to the late Jurassic period and after two restorations in 2000 and 2022, Barry measures ...

Omani Documentary Short-listed in Kerdada African Short, Documentary Film Festival in Algeria Muscat, 18 Sep (ONA) --- The Omani documentary “Al Zeeg”, directed by Salah Al Hadhrami, is taking part in the Kerdada African Short and Documentary Film Festival, held in Algeria from 30 September to 2 October 2023. The Omani documentary was short-listed alongside 35 films from 12 countries. Al Zeeg, produced by Oman Film and Theater Society, showcases in a theatrical way the relationship between Omani people and the cultivation and production of Omani sugarcane. It also ...

Old Landscape Paintings Show Merging of Art, Science: Study Washington, 17 Sep (ONA) --- A recent study led by Oregon State University reveals the merging of art and science in 19th-century landscape paintings.These paintings, depicting preindustrial forests in the northeastern United States, offer valuable insights into historical landscapes before modern scientific investigation.The research, published in Ecosphere, explores addressing concerns about artistic accuracy in these paintings and paves the way for future collaborations between scientists and art historians.The study ...

Archaeologists Unearth 13-14 Century Caravanserai in KazakhstanAstana, 17 Sep (ONA) --- A team of archaeologists from Atyrau, Kazakhstan, embarked on an intriguing excavation project, unearthing the historical relics of a 13th-14th century caravanserai named “Taskeshu”, situated along the famed Silk Road.This extensive dig spans 800 square meters and reveals a significant trading hub, marked by fired brick construction, fortified facades, and towers. Over 50 days, the team excavated 24 chambers and seven towers, pinpointing city gates and uncovering coins from Tokhtamysh, the ...

ROHM Kicks off New Season with Orchestra Sinfonica Nationale dell Rai Muscat, 17 Sep (ONA) --- The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) will kick off its new season with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nationale dell Rai. The National Radio Orchestra of Italy will be conducted by the acclaimed international maestro Michele Gamba. Joining the orchestra on stage will be Ettore Pagano on cello. The concert will consist of a programme of overtures and movements from bel canto composers Paisiello, Cimarosa, and Rossini of the early 19th century. The orchestra is much in demand on the stages of ...

New University Acquires Oldest Surviving Book About British CheeseLondon, 14 Sep (ONA) --- The earliest surviving book about British cheese has been acquired by the University of Leeds library’s special collections.“A pamflyt compiled of Cheese, contayninge the differences, nature, qualities, and goodnes” was previously unknown and thought to be unpublished.The 112-page vellum-bound manuscript was handwritten in the 1580s, covering all aspects of cheesemaking from ancient to Tudor times, describing the production of many different English and Welsh cheeses and their ...

Picasso's Masterpiece Expected to Fetch $120 MillionNew York, 14 Sep (ONA) --- A Picasso masterpiece entitled “Femme à la montre” is expected to fetch more than $120 million when it goes up for auction this fall.The 1932 oil painting will take center-stage at a two-day event at Sotheby’s in New York in November, when the collection of Emily Fisher Landau goes on sale.The painting was one of the first major art pieces New York art collector Fisher Landau acquired.Its upcoming auction is poised to attract global attention, offering a historic opportunity to own a piece of ...

National Museum Celebrates Returning Syrian Artefacts to Their Homeland from the UK Muscat, 13 Sep (ONA) --- The National Museum celebrated today the returning of Syrian artefacts back to their homeland from the British Museum in the United Kingdom (UK). This was achieved through coordination with military departments concerned with local and international affairs related to artefacts. The move also comes within the framework of the mediation efforts adopted by the National Museum, and its support for efforts to preserve Syrian cultural heritage damaged during the years of ...

Stranger Things Star Millie Bobby Brown Enters World of WritingNew York, 2 Sep (ONA) --- Millie Bobby, a star of “Stranger Things” series, entered the world of writing by releasing her first novel, a historical narrative titled “Nineteen Steps”, which will be published tomorrow, 13 September 2023, according to HarperCollins.The novel is inspired by real-life experiences of Millie Bobby’s grandmother, who survived the 1943 Bethnal Green tunnel disaster in the United Kingdom, which claimed the lives of 173 people.Millie Bobby Brown is currently preparing to film the fifth and ...

ROHM Kick Start Its New Season with “The Barber of Seville” Muscat, 10 Sep (ONA) --- The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) announced that the start of the new season is packed with exciting musical performances filling the calendar from September 2023 to May 2024. The dazzling opera which will open the season with traditional elegance and fanfare is The Barber of Seville from popular composer Gioacchino Rossini. The opera will be performed by the Orchestra Nazionale Sinfonica della Rai and Intermezzo Choir conducted by Antonino Fogliani, with a spray of glittering opera ...

Oman to Participate in World Heritage Committee’s Meeting in RiyadhMuscat, 6 Sep (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman will take part in the plenary meeting of the World Heritage Committee’s 45th session, due to be held in Riyadh from 10 to 25 September 2023.Oman’s delegation will be led by Dr. Hamad Saif Al Hamami, Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the UNESCO. The delegation also includes experts in tangible cultural heritage, representing the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), the Environment Authority and Oman ...

Bait Al Zubair Reading Contest Winners Announced After Conclusion of 3rd Edition Muscat, 5 Sep (ONA) --- Bait Al Zubair Foundation today announced names of the winners of the 3rd edition of the School Reading Initiatives Competition. The contest was organized by Bait Al Zubair Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The closing ceremony of the competition was held under the auspices of Dr. Abdullah Khamis Ambusaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Education. First place in this edition went to Ras Madrakah School for Basic Education, for ...

National Museum Issues Special Edition of Collection in Marine Science for Omani Navigator Ahmed bin Majid Muscat, 4 Sep (ONA) --- The National Museum has issued a special edition titled “Collection in Marine Science”. The issue documents the greatness of what the Omani navigator Ahmed bin Majid Al Saadi wrote and reviving his marine prowess and navigational creativity. The collection documents the origin of the manuscript titled “Kitab al-Fawa’id fi ‘Ilm al-Bahr wa al-Qawa’id”, (Collection of Manuscripts of Benefits in the Science of the Sea and Rules, as ...

ROHM Unveils Details of New Season 2023/2024 Muscat, 29 Aug (ONA) --- The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) today unveiled details of the programme for the Season 2023/2024. The season, entitled “Stars, Legends, Dreams” is built from an amazing variety of shows, including four popular operas, eight exhilarating Arab music concerts and shows, four classical concerts, two extraordinary ballets, one jazz evening, two world music stars, and six spectacular shows. ROHM affirmed that there is so much magic to enjoy and so much inspiration to be gained during the new season. The ...

Documentary Earns Oman Best Arab-European TV Production AwardMuscat, 27 Aug (ONA) --- Oman TV’s “Bawabat Al Jumaa (Friday Gate) won the Best Documentary Award in joint Arab-European TV production programme titled Between the Banks.The film, authored by director Abeer Nasser Al Hajri, topped the productions of 13 Arab and European TV organizations.The documentary saw the participation of cameraman Mus’ab Al Rawahi, assistant director Asaad Al Busaidi, aerial photographer Mohammed Al Hadhrami and editor Alya Al Braiki.Abeer told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the film focused on ...

Portraits of Doomed Arctic Explorers Go to Auction in London London, 27 Aug (ONA) --- An original portrait photograph of a famous Arctic explorer, taken shortly before the doomed Franklin expedition, will be auctioned in London next month (September 2023). Capt Francis Crozier and 13 other senior officers were photographed in May of 1845. The complete set of 14 portraits will be auctioned by Sotheby's, BBC news reported. Two images in the set, including Capt Crozier's, are missing from the only other original collection of these portraits known to exist. Sir ...

Ancient Maya Artifact Discovered Mexico City, USA, 24 Aug (ONA) --- An ancient Maya artifact has been discovered in Mexico.Researchers with the US National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) uncovered the ceramic dish during excavations at the Cansacbé archaeological site. It is located around 7 miles from the port city of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico.The multicolored dish was found in a male burial dated to the Late Classic period (600 to 900 A.D.) of Mesoamerican history, INAH said in a statement.The Maya were notable for creating the only fully developed writing ...

  Omani Song Festival’s 12th Edition to Begin in December Muscat, 22 Aug (ONA) ---- The 12th edition of the Omani Song Festival will kick off in December 2023. The event is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. Making a comeback after a 7-year suspension, the festival seeks to attract Omani song youth talents, nurture their skills and motivate them to portray their artistic potential as they communicate with the masses, wherever they might be. Through its nonconventional re-emergence, the festival also aims to consolidate partnership between ...

Projects Implemented to Preserve Craft Heritage in Oman Muscat, 21 Aug (ONA) ---- The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is implementing a number of projects that aims at preserving the handicraft heritage, which is considered as a part of the national treasure and one of the most important pillars of preserving the Omani identity. The implementation of these projects stems from the value added of the handicraft heritage for the tourism sector. Alia Salim Al Hinai, Director of the Craft Heritage Department at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said: “The ...

Ancient Greek Medicine Comes Back to LifeAthens, 20 Aug (ONA) --- Ancient Greek medicine, which relies on herbal teas, nutritious foods, aromatherapy, exercises and water therapies, comes back to the spot light as many people from various parts of the world try the ancient practices. Those cultural practices are considered to help in the healing of disease and maintenance of good health and wellness. For many people, those practices are considered as good practices for cleansing the organ systems, reducing inflammation, and improving the body’s own ...

Archaeologists Find 4,000-Year-Old Ceramic Pipe Drainage System in China Beijing, 16 Aug (ONA)--- A team of archaeologists from China who specialize in the study of ancient water management systems discovered the earliest ceramic pipe drainage system ever found on Chinese soil. This marvel of prehistoric engineering was unearthed during excavations at a long-deserted Neolithic settlement known as Pingliangtai in the Henan Province of North Central China. The construction of the drainage system, which included a vast network of interconnected ditches and a huge ...

Oman Participates in Brunei Darussalam Book Fair Bandar Seri Begawan, 6 Aug (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, took part in the Brunei Darussalam Book Fair. The participation aims to introduce Omani publications and highlight Oman’s cultural, historical and literary heritage. It also targeted boosting cultural communication between the two countries. Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of Brunei Darussalam viewed several Omani publications during the book fair’s ...

Oman’s “Al Zeeg” Documentary Displayed in Arab Film Festival in South Korea Seoul, 31 Jul (ONA) --- The documentary film titled "Al Zeeg"; a concentrated syrup of boiled sugarcane juice, is participating in the twelfth edition of the Arab Film Festival. The festival is organized by the Korean-Arab Society in South Korea. “Al Zeeg” documentary is selected among ten films from nine Arab countries, namely: Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Palestine and the Sultanate of Oman. “Al Zeeg” documentary was shown in the ...

Archaeologists in Louisiana Save Artifacts 12,000 Years Old Louisiana, 18 Jul (ONA) --- Long buried under the woods of west central Louisiana, stone tools, spearpoints and other evidence of people living in the area as long as 12,000 years ago have become more exposed and vulnerable, due to hurricanes, flooding and looters. This summer, archaeologists have been gingerly digging up the ground at the Vernon Parish site in the Kisatchie National Forest. They have been sifting through dirt to unearth and preserve the evidence of prehistoric occupation of the area. “The site ...

‘Succession’ Likely to Lead Emmy Nominations Los Angeles, 12 Jul (ONA) --- Home Box Office(HBO) may dominate Emmy nominations with its elite trio of “Succession,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us,” but the dominant theme darkening the scene is the ongoing writers strike and the looming possibility that actors may soon join them. “Succession” and its deeply dysfunctional dynasty of one-percenters is a lock to be nominated for best drama, which it has won two of the past three years. It’s nearly as certain to have multiple nominees across the acting ...

Pendants Made from Giant Sloths Suggest Earlier Arrival of People in the Americas Sao Paulo, 12 Jul (ONA) --- New research suggests humans lived in South America at the same time as now extinct giant sloths, bolstering evidence that people arrived in the Americas earlier than once thought. Scientists analyzed triangular and teardrop-shaped pendants made of bony material from the sloths. They concluded that the carved and polished shapes and drilled holes were the work of deliberate craftsmanship. Dating of the ornaments and sediment at the Brazil site where they were found ...