Our first 2018 MAES meeting is next Monday, 8^th January. We welcome back Dylan Bickerstaffe who will be presenting his lecture ” Separated at Birth? Egypt, Crete and the Levant”.                              

Why were bulls, vultures, and snakes such prominent symbols in the cultures of ancient Egypt and Minoan Crete? The Egyptian king was a ‘mighty bull’, and there were cults in Egypt for the Apis, Buchis, and Mnevis bull. In Minoan Crete votive bull figurines were placed in shrines; numerous images depicted scenes of bull leaping; and several myths and legends focused on bulls – not least the mighty man-bull, or Minotaur. But this theme may also be found in extremely ancient cultures in the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia – and here, too, were the common symbols of vultures, and snakes. Images of totemic animals are just one of several artistic themes which we will see paralleled in these ancient cultures.

Come and join us Monday from 7:30pm at the Manchester Conference Centre. Visitors welcome!