Andante Travels

Sponsored by Oxbow Books & The Council for British Archaeology

We were surprised at the popularity of the competition and delighted by the diversity and quality of the entries of our new photography competition. It is with great pleasure that we now announce the winners.

OVERALL WINNER

Sponsored by Andante Travels

Michael Conrick
Castlerigg Stone Circle 07.01.09, Keswick, Cumbria.

Inspired by the oracular writings of archaeologist and rock 'n roll Odinist Julian Cope, I set off in the winter of 2008/9 to steep myself in the atmospheres and poeses of Britain's Neolithic heritage. In Keswick's morning dark I left for Castlerigg where I found a fortuitous juxtaposition of footprints in snow and a trio - almost walking in procession - silhouetted against the glorious gloom of this enormous winter landscape. As is often the case with travel photography, the composition of this shot came more by serendipity than planning, though it was a short-lived window of opportunity: as I was leaving Chestnut Hill  two buses arrived and the site was swamped by eager puffins in down jackets, turning the snowfield to mush. I like this photograph for its personally appealing combination of romantic elements - the ruin of man-made forms and the transience of actual humanity in the midst of vast, sentinel nature.

Michael Conrick

Chosen by Julian Richards, archaeologist, author, broadcaster and presenter of BBC's "Meet the Ancestors" (www.archaemedia.com) Julian said this of his choice:

"I chose this because it is a very striking image, almost monochrome, of the site in the snow. What really makes it are the footprints leading towards the stone circle. It embodies the idea of people going out and exploring – wanting to visit special places like this even in a bleak January after snowfall. It also reminds me that in visiting any such sites, we are following in the footsteps of our ancestors, the people who built them in the first place".

CATEGORY WINNERS

BIG NAMES IN ARCHAEOLOGY

Sponsored and chosen by Oxbow Books, Oxford

Lee Robinson
Buddha head entwined, Ayuthaya

We had been told that cycling around the ruins of Ayuthaya was the best way to see them, unfortunately we had hired the most uncomfortable bicycle I have ever had the misfortune to ride.

None-the-less Ayuthaya is amazing, called the Venice of the east because of the many rivers that flow into it, it is scattered with ruins surrounded by green fields and canals.

Founded in 1350, by King U-Thong of Siam, by the 17 century it became one of the largest cities in the world with over 1 million inhabitants. You can only imagine its original splendor now as in 1767 the Burmese invaded and burnt the city to the ground, what remains now are the ruins of the once stunning palaces, temples and stupas, as well as hundreds of decapitated Buddhas in varying states of decay.

We arrived at Wat Mahathat feeling a little hot and sore. I had come to see the head of the Buddha entangled in the Banyan tree or Strangler Fig. As we approached we were instructed to bend low, this was Buddha and we should show our respect.

Lee Robinson leerobinsonphotography.co.uk

ENDANGERED ARCHAEOLOGY

Sponsored and chosen by Andante Travels in the Ancient World

Uli Kunz
Diver measuring prehistoric human bones, cenote, Yucatan

The story of the Picture - Uli Kunz

The photo was taken in 2009 in Chan Hol cenote (Mayan for ‘small hole’).  The entrance was very small and dirty, but behind was a wonderful cave of white limestone with fantastic decorations as well as stalagmites, stalagtites and columns.

A few years ago the a prehistoric human skeleton was discovered here.

Our team from Kiel University was researching prehistoric and Maya finds in the flooded caves (cenotes) of the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. The team consists of Archaeologists, Biologies and Geologists. All members are .
trained in diving and research in caves, and have to use special equipment for dives lasting several hours at a time.

Our expedition measured the skeleton and discovered a hearth with charcoal which now lies under 10m of water. The charcoal gave a carbon date on 8,600 years (6,600 BC). At that time sealevel was much lower and most of the Mexican caves were dry and accessible to the earliest settlers of America.   They offered flowing water and protection.  It is surprising that they ventured so far into the labyrinth of the caves, however, the skeleton at Chan Hol was 600m away from the entrance.

The enormous cave system and the archaeological finds are threatened by the increasing tourism and the enormous increase in impurities in the ground water.

BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY

Sponsored and chosen by The Council for British Archaeology

Brian Kerr
Rock art at Ketley Crag, Northumberland

"I chose the image of the Ketley Crag carvings because of the unique qualities of the carvings, the site itself and the location within the landscape.

When you sit in the shelter today, you are alone in the vastness of the landscape, absorbing the view, trying to imagine being there thousands of years ago, running your fingers over the carvings, you are only one of a small number of people who have seen the carvings since they were carved all those years ago. A very powerful place, beautiful carvings, a very emotional visit.

The perfect landscape, the perfect light, the perfect time of day, with the extra help from side flash to illuminate the carvings, this has produced this special once-in-a-lifetime photograph."

Brian Kerr

PEOPLE AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Sponsored and chosen by Oxbow Books, Oxford

James Kellie
Lucia Gahlin , Andante guide, explaining in Saqqara

Context of photo:
Saqqara was the first stop on Andante's 'Land of the Pharaoh's' tour. In the morning we had visited Djoser's step pyramid, the first in Egyptian history. Our heads had to get round the unfamiliar names of third dynasty rulers in the third millennium BC. Our tour guide, Lucia Gahlin brought to life the evocative and photogenic buildings of the temple complex.

After lunch, we jumped forward 300 years to the sixth dynasty by visiting Teti's tomb; the pyramid no more than a heap of rubble despite its Egyptian title 'The pyramid which is enduring of places'. Underneath this, the actual tomb contained the real treasures, no longer valuables but beautifully moulded texts, extolling the pharaoh and his actions in preparation for the afterlife.

Lucia expounded them to us in the cramped conditions of Teti's burial chamber; her gestures seemed to call out to the gods just as Teti's script had. The photo's 'moment of truth' arrived!

Our first day was a magnificent introduction to the subsequent tour up the Nile and forward historically to more familiar pharaohs and their deeds over the next three thousand years.

For the technically minded:
The photo was taken on a Canon G70, a pocket-sized digital camera. Outside I use a higher grade digital SLR, but the suspicions of the modern temple guardians are aroused by such bulky equipment. Surprisingly there was just enough light to take the shot at 1/30 sec without flash; available light evokes atmosphere as well as minimising disturbance to guardians and visitors. Judicious photo-editing reduced the effects of stretching the camera's sensitivity to ISO 1600.

James Kellie

PRIZES:

All winners have been notified by email. Prizes are as follows:

Overall Winner - Michael Conrick: Canon 500D camera or £500 off the Andante holiday of his choice.

Big Names in Archaeology -Lee Robinson: £100 worth of books from Oxbow Books, specialist archaeological bookseller, Oxford

Endangered Archaeology - Uli Kunz: 100Euro worth of books of choice

Best of British Archaeology - Brian Kerr: membership of the Council for British Archaeology and £100 worth of books published by them

People and Archaeology - James Kellie: £100 worth of books from Oxbow Books, specialist archaeological bookseller, Oxford

ENTRIES ARE NOW INVITED For the

ANDANTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2011, closing date May 2011

More information to follow