There is less

than two weeks left to experience Fernbank's special exhibition "Ancient

Empires, Syria: Land of Civilizations."

Visitors will

learn about the origins of civilization and the emergence of society,

the development of the economy, the organization of thought and religion

and the transmission of scientific heritage to the West. There are over

450 artifacts in the exhibition from some of the great city-states of

the Fertile Crescent including Mari, Ugarit, Ebla and Palmyra. Among the

relics are ancient cuneiform tablets, mosaics, jewelry, manuscripts and

textiles. The oldest artifact in the exhibition is a one-million-year-old

flint hand axe.

Visitors will

get to follow the succession of the earliest farming settlements and cities

to powerful empires. Syria was a center for trade, metallurgy, religion

and writing. They will also get to see a 1,950-year-old silver helmet

and mask used for parades and battles, a mosaic of an eight-month-old

Hercules strangling serpents and a finely crafted brooch of gold and rubies.

The artifacts were collected from 11 museums from across Syria.

"Ancient

Empires, Syria: Land of Civilizations" will run through Sept. 2.

Tickets to Fernbank are $12 for adults, $11 for students and seniors and

$10 for children ages 12 and under. Tickets can be ordered by calling

404-929-6400. Fernbank is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and

Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit www.fernbank.edu/museum.

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