Nice Ancient photos

Some cool Ancient images:

Remains of the Ancient Roman Cisterns at Carthage

Image by isawnyu
AWIB-ISAW: Remains of the Ancient Roman Cisterns at Carthage
View of the ancient cisterns at Carthage. by Graham Claytor (2007)
copyright: 2007 Graham Claytor (used with permission)
photographed place: Carthago, Karthago (Carthage) [http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/314921/]

Published by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World as part of the Ancient World Image Bank (AWIB). Further information: [http://www.nyu.edu/isaw/awib.htm].

Visitors wearing garlands and waving hazel wands await the burning of the Wicker Man at the 2011 Beltain festival held at Butser Ancient Farm

Image by Anguskirk
Beltain is the ancient Celtic festival held on the first of May. It celebrates the beginning of the pastoral summer season when the herds of livestock were driven out to the summer pastures.

The lighting of bonfires on Oidhche Bhealtaine ('the eve of Bealtaine') on mountains and hills of ritual and political significance was one of the main activities of the festival.
Human sacrifice was practised by ancient people at Beltaine to ensure fertility for the coming year and one of their customs was to build a giant man of wood, straw, etc. This huge wicker structure was then filled with offerings to the Gods including living people, often criminals and animals. The wicker man was set ablaze burning those inside him.

The ceremony is held annually at Butser Ancient Farm. a replica of an Iron Age farm at Chalton near Petersfield