Passionate about History

Getting Up Close and Personal with the British Library's Rare Historical Documents

2011-01-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

Today I received an email announcing the release of "Treasures", a new smartphone app that showcases over 100 of the British Library’s greatest collection items. The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages.

Through the app users will experience an up close and personal experience with some of the Library’s most unique items, such as the first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the world’s oldest bible Codex Sinaiticus, Nelson’s Battle Plan, written before his victory at Trafalgar, Galileo’s letters and Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebooks. Expert commentary is provided on many of the items and users can watch, for example, videos of explorer Ben Fogle talking about Scott’s Diary and Linguist David Crystal discussing the 1,000 year old poem Beowulf.

Literary highlights include Charles Dickens’s handwritten draft of Nicholas Nickleby and Jane Austen’s teenage writings, while key historical documents include 2000-year-old Oracle Bones from China and an original Magna Carta of 1215. The section devoted to music includes manuscript scores from some of the best-known classical composers, such as Handel, Purcell, Mozart and Schubert, alongside hand-written lyrics by The Beatles.

Christian texts include the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Gutenberg Bible. Other faiths are represented by the Golden Haggadah, Sultan Baybars’ Qur’an, and Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian manuscripts. The scientific documents explore fields such as astronomy, botany, zoology and medicine. They include manuscripts, notebooks and letters that reveal some of the key scientific developments of all time, including Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, and Copernicus’s and Galileo’s findings on the structure of the cosmos.

I downloaded the iPhone version and was soon examining images of original maps like the Psalter World Map commissioned by Henry III in the 1230s:

and the Anglo Saxon map of 1025-1050 CE:

The app includes over 250 high definition images like these that can be easily zoomed in with standard iPhone "pinch and stretch" techniques.

I also viewed an original page from an 1100-year-old copy of Beowulf then viewed a video, one of over 40 in the application, of linguist David Crystal explaining the background of the legend and then reading the pageof Beowulf included in the app in Old English, the language used by Anglo-Saxons of the period. I'm so glad he explained each phrase because I couldn't understand a word! I tweeted about the video using the integrated Twitter/Facebook interface.

The following image of Elizabeth 1 from a guild book of the Barber Surgeons in York was included with a copy of a speech in the Virgin Queen's own hand.

As someone who grew up along the coast, I am always fascinated by drawings of fish and sea creatures so particularly enjoyed the images from naturalist John Ray's Book of Fishes:

Arthurian legends continue to fascinate through the centuries and it was a real treat to see one of the earliest illustrations of Sir Gwain and the Green Knight from a medieval copy:

I must admit I've never been much of a fan of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" (I hope you're not too shocked!) but I did find this illustration of Alice from the first edition very endearing.

Frances Brindle, British Library Director, Strategic Marketing & Communications commented: “Access to our collections through mobile technologies is an exciting initiative for the Library. We are delighted to be able to make our unique collection items available to a wider audience via this interactive app in such a dynamic format. The Library is committed to increasing access to its collections and broadening the reach of our services and this app demonstrates our commitment to engaging with the mobile community.”

Treasures will be available for download globally on iPhone and iPod Touch, in the iTunes App Store and in the Android Marketplace for $3.99. The HD version is available for download globally for iPad for a price of $5.99. More information can be found at http://a.toura.com/3091.

The Library is also offering an introductory price of $1.99 for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android smartphones, and $3.99 for iPad until January 24, 2011.

In addition to sections on Literature, History, Science, Maps, Illustrated Manuscripts, and Music there is also a chapter about current exhibitions that will be updated periodically. I do hope additional modules for other objects in the collections will become available as well. As more museums embrace this type of mobile technology I hope that developers will incorporate a function that enables you to link between objects in other museums' collections. This may mean that participating museums may need to standardize on a particular platform like the one developed by Toura for this application or at least develop a standard schema and xml-driven import export functionality.

I would also like to see an annotation utility added to the application and the ability to email or Tweet a highlighted portion of text and image integrated into the application. I was able to capture screen shots from the application using the screen capture function built into iPhones using OS 2.0 or newer. This function, activated by holding down the Home button then pressing the Sleep/Reset button on the top right edge of your iPhone for a second or two, automatically sends the screen image to your iPhone's Camera Roll application. From there you can email it or access it through your computer via USB but it would be so much more convenient to access an image and mail it directly from the application.

Since I received a Barnes and Noble Android-based color Nook e-reader from my daughter for Christmas, I would also like to see this app available for e-readers besides the iPad, especially since the number of e-reader users is increasingly rapidly.

Viewing King Tut's Tomb Through Howard Carter's Eyes

2010-11-24T14:58:00.000-08:00

I see that my friends from Heritage Key got a chance to travel to Manchester, England to see the Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures' exhibition. When I first heard about this exhibition, I emailed the organizers and asked if it was scheduled for any appearances in the United States but unfortunately, they said no. I was really disappointed because I think people here would find it so interesting to view one of history's most important archaeological discoveries in the context that Howard Carter explored in 1922.

At least here in the United States you can view museum quality replicas of many of the artifacts from King Tut's Tomb at the Las Vegas Museum of Natural History. These replicas, authorized by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, once composed a popular exhibit at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. When the Luxor decided to change their theme in 2008, the exhibit was donated to the nearby museum.

I was so relieved to hear the exhibit would not be discarded as I had enjoyed touring the exhibit every time I visited Las Vegas until my last visit in September 2008. The quality of the replicas is so good that when I attended the current King Tut exhibit when it was displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, I saw several of the actual items whose replicas I had seen in the Luxor Hotel exhibit and must honestly say if the real item and the replica had been displayed side by side I would not have been able to point out the original.

Here's a slideshow of the items I saw in Las Vegas:

Circassian warrior found in 14th century tomb

2010-11-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaA Circassian warrior armed with a sabre and arrows, has been found in a 14th century tomb by Russian archeologists in an ancient barrow in Teuchezhsky Region of Adygeya. Other grave goods included an ornamented silver vessel and a delicately shaped blue jug.

When I saw this notice on the Russian-IC website, I was immediately curious since I knew nothing about these tribal people of the Caucasus. Fortunately, I found a very detailed description of a 19th century Circassian warrior written by British traveler in 1836 and assume much of the 19th century costume reflected earlier traditions as well except for accessories related to firearms - compound bows and arrows, sabers and daggers were the primary weapons in the 14th century. These weapons co-existed with firearms for a time in the early 18th century but were no longer worn after that time.

The usual dress of a Circassian warrior of all classes is a tunic resembling a military Polonaise, without a collar, closely fitted to the body, and descending to the knee, secured around the middle by a leather girdle, ornamented, according to the wealth or fancy of the wearer, with gold or silver, in which are stuck a pair of pistols and a poniard: the latter is a most formidable weapon in close combat; during an attack they hold it in the left hand, and from its breadth and length, reaching to the elbow, it serves every purpose of a shield.

In addition to this, the Circassian is armed with a light gun, slung across the shoulder, and a sabre suspended by a silk cord in the Turkish fashion; attached to the belt is a powder flask, and a small metal box containing flints, steel, gun-screws, oil, and, not infrequently, a small hatchet. Hence, a Circassian, whether on foot, or on horseback, is at all times completely armed. Sometimes he carries a javelin, which he uses with singular dexterity and effect, hurling it to a considerable distance with an aim that never errs. The latter weapon is also used as a rest for the rifle, having a groove at the top expressly for that purpose. Bows and arrows are now very rarely used, except in cases where it is necessary to arm the whole population.

On either side of the breast of the coat are the patron pockets, made of morocco leather, usually containing twenty-four rounds of ball cartridge: these not only add to the military appearance of the soldier, but in some measure protect the breast, and are extremely convenient: a round fur cap, with a crown the same colour as the ammunition pocket, is the covering for the head; and cloth trousers, in the eastern fashion, complete the costume. Princes and nobles are alone entitled to the privilege of wearing red; and the Circassian, like the natives of most other eastern countries, shave the head, and are never seen barefoot. When marching, or on a journey, they always add a cloak made from camel or goat's-hair, with a hood which completely envelopes the whole person – this is called a tchaouka [щIакIуэ]..." - Circassian World

Royal Circassian war costume. Image
courtesy of Circassian World

I was fascinated to learn that the Circassian ideal warrior would have broad shoulders and a very narrow waist. To create the ideal proportions in their children, Circassians would use leather straps to bind the waist, especially in the case of noble male offspring.

The tomb found recently, however, did not contain chain mail armor so the occupant was probably not of noble birth. However, its contents may be some of the earliest examples of medieval Circassian weaponry found so far.

"There is a large collection of late medieval Circassian swords and daggers found at excavation sites near Maikop displayed in the Historical Museum of Moscow. Some of the exhibits had inscriptions and were dated to the 16th and 17th centuries AD. There has also been a large haul of weapons unearthed in Kabardian sepulchral mounds that go back to the 15th to 16th centuries AD. These finds represent the Eastern Circassian version of the Belorechenskaya Culture (Belorechenskaya is situated to the northwest of Maikop) in Adigea." - Circassian World

I highly recommend reading the comprehensive article about this fascinating culture on the Circassian World website as it includes a wealth of information and images of both male and female costumes as well as further discussion of their weapons and lifestyle.

Carthaginian Youth Resurrected in Tunis

2010-10-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

I see Elisabeth Daynes is back in the news again with her handsome reconstruction of the remains of a Carthaginian youth from the sacred hill of Byrsa in Carthage, Tunis.

When a Tunisian farmer stumbled upon a 6th-century BC grave in 1994, he probably never thought that he would one day be able to lock eyes with the 2,500-year-old man whose skeleton he had discovered. Now, however, thanks to the collaborative work of archaeologists and a Parisian artist, Ariche — as the ancient Carthaginian is called — can be seen in the simulacral flesh, standing upright at five feet and six inches tall and wearing a maroon-trimmed white tunic, sandals, and a beaded pendant modeled on the one found in his grave. And, ladies, he's a catch. The "desired man" (as Ariche means) was discovered on Carthage's sacred hill of Byrsa, a site overlooking the Gulf of Tunis. - More: Art Info

This young man, apparently from a family with some wealth as indicated by the jewelry found in his grave, may have known one of the founding members of the Barcid clan, Mago, one of the ancestors of the famous general Hannibal.

By the subjugation of the Libyan tribes and by the annexation of older Phoenician colonies, Carthage in the 6th century BC controlled the entire North African coast from the Atlantic Ocean to the western border of Egypt, as well as Sardinia, Malta, the Balearic Islands, and part of Sicily. A Carthaginian admiral, Hanno, made a voyage along the Atlantic coast of North Africa. The maritime power of the Carthaginians enabled them to extend their settlements and conquests, forming a scattered empire devoted to commerce. Among the commercial enterprises were the mining of silver and lead; the manufacture of beds and bedding; a lumber industry in the Atlas Mountains; the production of simple, cheap pottery, jewelry, and glassware for trade; and the export of wild animals from African jungles, of fruits and nuts, and of ivory and gold. - Carthage by Dr. Galen Frysinger (Dr. Frysinger's website includes a wonderful assortment of images)

Agrigento Youth Fruit of International Collaboration

2010-10-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Agrigento Youth, a wonderful example of international collaboration between a major museum and a national ministry of culture, went on display yesterday at the Getty Villa. The Museo Archeologico Regionale Di Agrigento in Sicily has loaned the rare statue of a kouros, or idealized nude young man, to the Getty in exchange for assistance with the construction of a custom seismic isolation base and pedestal for the sculpture.

The Agrigento Youth is the second major loan to arise from a 2010 agreement between the Getty and the Sicilian Ministry of Culture and Sicilian Identity. The Gela Krater, a monumental red-figure volute-krater (wine mixing vessel) attributed to the Niobid Painter, was on view at the Villa since June before it was returned this month, also with a new, custom-designed seismic isolator base and pedestal.

“We are pleased to have these objects on view at the Getty Villa where they can serve as fine examples of Sicily’s cultural offerings, helping to create broader awareness for our collections and heritage,” explains Dr. Giuseppe Castellana, the director of the Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico della Valle dei Templi. “It is also wonderful that both objects will return to us with new bases that make them more secure.”

Sicily is home to Mt. Aetna, Europe's largest active volcano, so protecting artifacts from seismic activity there is an ongoing problem for its museum curators. Virgil gave a poetic description of an eruption of Mt. Aetna in his epic The Aeneid:

A spreading bay is there, impregnable
To all invading storms; and Aetna's throat
With roar of frightful ruin thunders nigh.
Now to the realm of light it lifts a cloud
Of pitch-black, whirling smoke, and fiery dust,
Shooting out globes of flame, with monster tongues
That lick the stars; now huge crags of itself,
Out of the bowels of the mountain torn,
Its maw disgorges, while the molten rock
Rolls screaming skyward; from the nether deep
The fathomless abyss makes ebb and flow.
- The Aeneid, lines 569 – 579 of the Theodore C. Williams translation of 1908.

Statues of the kouros type were used by ancient Greeks as dedications to the gods or to commemorate a particularly heroic individual as part of his funerary ritual. So many have been found in temples of Apollo that at one time they were thought to be representations of the god himself.

Some scholars, such as Eleanor Guralnick, have suggested that kouroi are the result of Greek imitation of Egyptian sculptors. She applied stereophotogrammetric measurement and cluster analysis to a number of Greek and Egyptian statues and found the correlation between the Second Canon of the 26th Dynasty and Greek kouroi to be widely distributed though not universal.

Scholar Gisela Richter has categorized the wide array of kouroi types into six groups with distinctive artistic differences. The earliest kouroi dating to the late seventh century are highly stylized with an emphasis on geometric proportion rather than realism. The art form evolves over time incorporating an increasing amount of human anatomical realism until by the early 5th century, examples like the Agrigento Youth are far more proportionate.

"The Agrigento Youth was carved by an unknown artist around 480 B.C., just at the artistic turning point between the archaic and classical periods. The style has been termed by scholars the Severe Style due to the solemn facial features and erect stance favored at this time. Under life size at 1.02 meters (40 inches) in height, The Agrigento Youth is comparable to the highest quality contemporary Athenian kouroi, with whom it shares many traits, such as the sensitively rendered modeling of the anatomy, the erect stance with one leg forward, and the serene and straightforward gaze. Unlike the majority of those statues, this figure’s right arm is raised as if holding out an object. The stone from which it was carved is a white marble imported from Greece, which indicates that The Agrigento Youth was an expensive and noteworthy dedication.
The sculpture is also distinguished by certain features which call attention to its Sicilian origins. The structure of the head is long and the face is oval, with prominent cheekbones, heavy-lidded eyes and a prominent lower lip. Sharply patterned hair is a feature common to all kouroi, but in Sicily the treatment is even more pronounced, with delineated strands of finely carved locks forming into a cap and rolled into a thick coil of hair banded by a simple diadem. Residues of the red pigment indicating the hair’s original color are clearly visible." - Getty Press Release

Kouroi: Archaic Greek Youths. A Study of the Development of the Kouros Type in Greek Sculpture

Silver Pharaohs, Greeks and Alexander the Great - Oh My!

2010-10-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

Each week I check the latest releases available instantly from Netflix and today I was thrilled to see that a number of great history titles from National Geographic are now available to add to your instant queue.
Alexander the Great: The man behind the legend:

Other titles include: Egypt: Quest for Eternity and Egypt: Lost Tombs. I also noticed that the excellent PBS series Greece: Crucible of Civilization has also been added to the list of programs available for instant download.

Also, while I was up on YouTube looking for these clips I noticed that the new National Geographic program "The Silver Pharaoh" is available in three installments up on YouTube. Here's the clip for part 1:

The tomb of 21st century pharaoh Psusennes I was originally discovered in 1940 in the remains of the ancient city of Tanis by French archaeologist Professor Pierre Montet. Psusennes I was the third king of the Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt who ruled between 1047 – 1001 BC.

The intact tomb yielded treasures comparable to those found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

"fingers and toes had been encased in gold stalls, and he was buried with gold sandals on his feet. The finger stalls are the most elaborate ever found, with sculpted fingernails. Each finger wore an elaborate ring of gold and lapis lazuli or some other semiprecious stone." - Egyptian Mummies: Unraveling the Secrets of an Ancient Art By Bob Brier

But, the discovery was overshadowed by the start of World War II. With the exception of a cursory autopsy of the badly decomposed remains of the king, treasures from the find have unbelievably been virtually ignored for the past 70 years until now.

As I watched the program I was fascinated to learn that Psusennes I was the fourth son of the High Priest of Amun in Karnak, who became pharaoh during Egypt's last dark intermediate period. The high priests of Amun, once thwarted in their lust for power by the "heretic" pharaoh Akhenaten (read about the Amun vs. Re/Aten rivalry in my recent review of Michelle Moran's novel "Nefertiti") apparently finally succeeded in their ultimate quest to take over the Egyptian state three hundred years after the fall of Amarna (Akhetaten).

The silver sarcophagus of 21st dynasty pharaoh Psusennes I.
Image courtesy of National Geographic.

I also found the description of the extra craftsmanship needed to produce a silver sarcophagus rather than a gold one very interesting. Psusennes I did have a gold death mask like Tutankhamun but the outer coffin was silver, a once scarce and costly metal in Egypt that had become more plentiful at the time because of international trade. In my opinion, it is as exquisite as Tut's gold one.

Forensic portrait of Pharaoh Psusennes I in his later years.
Image courtesy of National Geographic.

Of course he is depicted as a young man on his coffin but in fact was probably over 80 years old at the time of his death. A couple of days ago I wrote about the wonderful forensic 3D artwork of Elisabeth Daynès. (See next post below). This program included a forensic artist's 2D rendering of Psusennes I in his later years based on his skull and lack of teeth.

I don't think I would have wanted to cross this king. He looks like he was the model for faces of the mummies who have appeared in old Hollywood horror flicks!

At last! Recognition for 3D Reconstruction Artists

2010-10-18T17:29:00.000-07:00


Elisabeth Daynès at her studio in Paris working at the coloration of Paranthropus boisei male (2.5 million years B.P. discovered in Tanzania) made on the cast of the skull OH5 © 2006 Photographe P.Plailly Image courtesy of The French Technology Press.

I have been fascinated by the processes, both physical and virtual, that have been developed to reconstruct ancient faces from forensic remains since I saw my very first glimpse of the reconstructed face of a long dead person back in the 1990s. Now I see a prize has been conceived to recognize the efforts of 3D artists engaged in the production of art related to the science of paleontology, named the John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize. The prize is divided into five categories: Scientific Illustration, 2-Dimensional Art, 3-Dimensional Art and National Geographic Digital Modeling and Animation Award.
This year's 3-D art prize, awarded on October 13, 2010, was presented to paleoartist Elisabeth Daynès.

Neanderthal male - 60 000 years B.P. – made on the basis of the cast of the
skull discovered in the cave of Shanidar – Iraq © 2009 Photo S. Plailly . Image
courtesy of French Technology Press.
With hundreds of anthropological sculptures, Elisabeth Daynès has become a leading expert in the extremely painstaking process of hominid reconstructions. A painter, a sculptor and an expert in comparative anatomy altogether, she combines scientific research, technological innovation and art, in order to bring our human ancestors back to life.

Daynès strives to create a unique and specific early human or pre-human using the scarce information left by the remains of fossils that might be thousands or even a million years old. “Lucy the Australopithecus" and "Flores the hobbit" she created with Prof. Bill Jungers, often described as her finest works, are part of the hundreds of her anthropological sculptures scattered around the world in leading museums along with Toumaï, Australopithecus, Paranthropus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Neanderthals, Homo sapiens, etc. - French Technology Press Office

Image by mharrsch via Flickr As I look at her reconstruction of Neanderthal, I am amazed at how much the science of reconstruction has progressed since a model of Neanderthal was prepared for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 (image left). I photographed the 1915 model on a visit to the Museum of Man in San Diego in March 2006.

I think Daynès reconstruction or one very much like it must have been used in an exhibit on early man I saw at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry some years ago. One display had a Neanderthal dressed in modern clothes and, as the signboard pointed out, if we passed a Neanderthal on the street we probably wouldn't even pay him much notice. He definitely did not look like the Geico caveman!

I see Daynès was also involved with the reconstruction of the bust of Tutankhamen for the “The New Face of King Tut” exhibition about six years ago. Although some people commented that Tut was not particularly handsome, I thought he looked very interesting.

Using CT data from scans of Tut, a French team worked with National Geographic magazine to create a model of Tut's skull, which then was turned into an accurate, likelife face by one of the world's leading anthropological sculptors, Elisabeth Daynes of Paris. Her flesh-toned silicone cast was embellished with realistic glass eyes, hair, eyelashes and even the eye makeup that adorned the king as he was in life. French, American and Egyptian teams, under the director of Zahi Hawass of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, each created a separate reconstruction of Tut's face. (Credit: Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt and National Geographic Magazine, June 2005) - The Fresh Face of King Tut, Science Daily

"Pillars of the Earth" a hallmark of Medieval History in Film

2010-09-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

I was sent a link to an interesting post about 15 outstanding films that have been produced over the last half century about various aspects of medieval life. I was gratified to see that several of my favorites were featured including "El Cid", "The War Lord" and "A Knight's Tale" (hey, I, too, enjoy a little rock music with my knight movies!)
To this list we could add the film adaptation of Ken Follett's marvelous novel "Pillars of the Earth" recently broadcast on Starz.

You would think that a film about the construction of a cathedral would not be particularly action packed but Follett has set his story amid the violent turmoil of the period of English history known as The Anarchy.
I actually knew very little of the contention between Queen Maude and her cousin Stephen, both grandchildren of the famous (or infamous depending on your point of view) William the Conqueror. "Pillars of the Earth" did an excellent job of bringing me up to date on the treachery, betrayals and murders that earmarked their struggle for the throne of England.
The main plot of our story swirls around a conspiracy that involved the death of King Henry I's son, William, who drowned when the "White Ship" sank on a voyage between France and England. Although Follett's conspiracy is fictional, it does not contradict historical events as little is known about the cause of the sinking except speculation about a drunken crew and a race to catch up to the King's ship that disembarked earlier in the day:

Presumably the prospect of sailing aboard the latest and fastest addition to the Norman navy was a thrilling prospect, so William and his friends broke open a few casks of wine to celebrate. And then a few more. By the time the ship was ready to leave most of the passengers and crew were reasonably drunk. The bishop of Coutance who turned up with his entourage to bless the ship was greeted with derision and abuse and left in a hurry. It was at this point that Henry's nephew Stephen of Blois, made his excuses and left, either because a) he had an attack of diarrhoea or b) because of moral outrage at the shenanigans on board, a decision for which he was no doubt later extremely thankful.
Sometime before nightfall Henry left harbour leaving the White Ship behind. There is no clear evidence as to why the White Ship was delayed and did not leave with the rest of the fleet, but is likely that the inebriated state of the crew had something to with it. But by all accounts, it was a relatively calm night and ideal condition for the short seventy mile journey to Portsmouth when the White Ship finally left on the evening tide.
Now the passage out from Barfleur harbour was relatively straightforward so long as the pilot steered to the south, as to the north there were a series of dangerous rocks that became submerged at high tide. However, the fastest and most direct route home to Portsmouth was north and it seems that in his eagerness to catch up with the king, Fitz Stephen piloted the ship northwards and tried to 'cut the corner' a little too lightly, sailed too close to land and struck a rock, in all likelihood the rock known as the 'Quilleboeuf'.
Now fatally holed the White Ship sank, eventually becoming completely submerged with only her masts visible above the water. Although the Quilleboeuf rock stands only half a mile offshore, there was no medieval equivalent of the lifeboat or coastguard service, most of those aboard were drunk, it is very unlikely that any of them could swim and of course it was dark and there was naturally a general panic.
There was only one survivor, a butcher from Rouen named Berold who managed to climb up one of the masts and clung there all night until he was rescued the next morning by some fishermen. - The Tragedy of the White Ship

Follett takes this incident and weaves a totally plausible scenario around it complete with slighted bishop and single survivor.
King Henry I, a rather virile monarch who fathered at least twenty illegitimate sons, is left with only a legitimate daughter Maude to assume the throne upon his death. But, as one of the characters in the film so concisely rails "A bastard cannot inherit the throne and a woman is almost as bad!"
Henry dies in 1135 according to legend from eating a "surfeit of Lampreys" - eels - as he does in Follett's tale. The film makes it appear that Henry died almost immediately following the birth of his daughter's son, Henry II. In fact, he died two years later. The official cause of death was recorded as food poisoning but not of the intentional variety. I know when I saw the obvious poisoning in the film I wondered about the royal taster and if he was compromised by the plotters as well.
Terence Scully tells us in "The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages" that a noble estate was hardly ever without a unicorn horn to assay both dining accouterments and prepared food for the presence of poison. Obviously the horn came from an elephant or a narwhal but was deemed invaluable so much so that it was recognized as a particularly thoughtful gift between noblemen.
"Before the prince came to table, the Linen-Keeper and Hall Porter had to do an assay for poison on the tablecloths by passing the unicorn horn over them. Both the tapestry which the Hall-Usher unrolled onto the prince's bench and the cushion on which he was to sit were similarly tested." - The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages
The unicorn horn test was followed by tastings of all food, sauce and condiments in a highly ritualized procedure involving the Cook, the Saucer, the Hall Usher, the Hall Porter, the Pantler, the Carver, the Serving Valet, the First Master of the Household and finally the First Chamberlain.
"The Pantler then covered over all the dishes again, and a procession consisting of Usher, Master Pantler, the Princes Pages and Serving Valets (all of them bareheaded) formed up to bear the dishes safely into the hall. The Usher cleared the way to the prince's buffet and high table; the Master of the Household, from his post at the end of the table near the buffet, vigilantly watched that none of the dishes was tampered with." - The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages
So, if Henry died as a result of intentional poisoning the plotters must have outright purchased the king's entire household! In any case, Stephen, with the support of the chauvinistic nobles and the church, seizes the throne and our characters are soon immersed in civil war.
We are not given much background on Maude in the film and she briefly appears first as an adoring child then later as a young mother determined to protect her son and secure his rightful inheritance.
Although referred to as Maude throughout the film, this "Empress of the Holy Roman Empire", granddaughter of William the Conqueror. So much royal blood flowed through her veins that its a wonder she wasn't purple, since through her mother's mother, she was descended from Edmund II "Ironside," Ethelred II "the Unready," Edgar "the Peaceable," Edmund I "the Magnificent," Edward I "the Elder" and Alfred "the Great."
Although Stephen sides often with the villains in this story, Maude is not necessarily a kind and merciful monarch either. (spoiler alert!) At one point when she discovers that Stephen has sent her a mere peasant boy as a hostage instead of his own son , she orders the innocent child slain anyway when Stephen breaks the truce and once more gathers his forces to oppose her. Her somewhat greedy nature also surfaces when she demands gold for granting market rights to Kingsbridge causing problems for Prior Phillip and his dedicated hard-working cathedral construction crew.
The historical Maude's penchant for gold is illustrated by the list of precious objects that she left to the Abbey at Bec-Hellouin :

Among the gifts Matilda gave to the Abbey at Bec-Hellouin were the above mentioned crowns and also another golden cross decorated with precious stones, two gospel books bound in gold and studded with gems, two silver-gilt censers, a silver incense box and spoon, a gold dish and a gold pyx for the Eucharist. There were three silver flasks, a ewer for holy water and a silver basin. Add to this two portable altars of marble mounted in silver and an ebony chest filled with relics. There were more textiles in the forms of holy vestments - chasubles, dalmatics, copes, and an imperial cloak belonging to herself, besprinkled with gold. All of the above list was donated in her lifetime. After she died, the abbey also received the ornaments she had used in her own private chapel. These included service books, a gold chalice and spoon, four chasubles, two tunics, two dalmatics, six copes, two of which were interwoven with silver, two silver censers and two boxes which were described as 'eggs of griffins'. The legs and claws gripping these 'eggs' were fashioned of silver.- Elizabeth Chadwick, Living the History

Chadwick points out that one of the most odd treasures that Maude acquired while married to the Holy Roman Emperor was a religious relic - purportedly the hand of Saint James.

A beautiful 16th century reliquary bust from
Flanders. Photographed at the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art by Mary Harrsch.

Thought to have originated with the Roman ancestor worship, the worship of relics - little bits of saints or other artifacts thought to be connected to Christ or his apostles - is documented as far back as the second century.

After the martyrdom of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, the Christians "took up his bones which are more valuable than refined gold and laid them in a suitable place where, the Lord willing, ...we may gather together in gladness and celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom." During Diocletian's persecutions (303-311) relics of the martyrs were collected by their followers.

The cult of the relics was criticized from its inception by purists who regarded it as pagan. Vigilantius in a dispute with St Jerome condemned the veneration of all inanimate objects such as the bodies of saints. Jerome responded by saying that the relics themselves were not worshipped but were an aid to the veneration of martyrs of undoubted holiness whose lives were a model to later generations. This debate between Vigilantius and Jerome is summarized by Thomas Aquinas in his Summa theologica:
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theolgiae , 3a, 25, 6:
Now it is evident that we are bound to hold in veneration the saints of God as being members of Christ, sons and friends of God and our advocates with him. We are equally bound, therefore, memory of them, to accord due honor to any of their relics; and this is primarily true of their bodies, which were the temples and instruments of the Holy Spirit, dwelling and acting within them, and which are to be made like the body of Christ by glorious resurrection. It is for this reason that God himself grants honors to their relics by performing miracles when they are present....
...This was the argument of Vigilantius, cited by Jerome, "We are observing the introduction, under the guise of religion, of something not very different from a pagan ritual. These people can be seen kissing and adoring little piles of some kind of dust in tiny bottles, wrapped up in precious cloth." In rebuttal Jerome writes, "We do not venerate, by latria, that is, either the sun or moon or the angels; far less the relics of the martyrs. We pay honor to the martyr's relics only so that we may venerate him whose martyrs they are; we pay honor to the servants only so that the servants' honor may glorify their Lord." Accordingly, when we honor the relics of the saints we do not fall into the error of those pagans who offered divine worship to the dead. - Cult of the Relics, State University of New York, College at Oneonta.

The worship of relics was particularly virulent in England where it was used by Christian missionaries to replace veneration of the pagan pantheon:

The cult of the relics played a critical role in the missionary activities. The missionaries who converted northern Europe were dealing with people whose religion was fundamentaly pantheistic. To them it seemed that the entire world was inhabited and controlled by unseen powers; every tree had its own spirit, every pool its devil, every mountain its god. There was no distinction between the laws of nature and the laws of God. In accepting Christianity, pagans believed Christ's powers to be more potent than those their former gods. The converts expected the new God to intervene as often and as powerfully in nature as the old, and if He failed to do so they would frequently revert to their old beliefs. Gregory the Great recommended to Augustine of Canterbury that the cult of the saints and martyrs be presented to the English as the rival to pagan pantheism. - Cult of the Relics, State University of New York, College at Oneonta.

Like many other aspects of medieval life, author Ken Follett weaves relic worship into his plot revealing that the (fictional) Priory of Kingsbridge derives its income from pilgrims who come to worship its relic, the skull of St. Adolphus. (spoiler alert) When a fire destroys the priory and crushes the relic, the original is replaced with a skull plucked from the crypt to prevent loss of revenue, of course with a lot of soul searching by Prior Phillip. The substitute is later crushed when the new cathedral's first stone dome collapses but the novel's hero Jack comes up yet another object for pilgrims to lavish their meager savings upon.
Follett also portrays realistically how noble violence was a real and present danger that overshadowed peasant life during this period. The villains of the story, masterminded by the evil bishop Waleran Bigod, manipulate King Stephen into awarding the lands of Shiring Castle to them then attack Kingsbridge where the former Earl of Shiring's daughter and son have taken refuge.
People watching the program may wonder why King Stephen would permit one of his nobles to terrorize residents of another town. The bottom line is that the nobles maintained private armies that the king could call upon when needed. The king would not, therefore, interfere in a noble's business if it did not directly impact the king because the king, himself, did not control a standing army at that time.
Furthermore, medieval society gradually accepted and even honored violence as the church embraced violence in its prosecution of the Crusades:

After the fall of the Roman Empire, violence quickly became a main part of medieval society, used primarily to threaten and to gain land. However, as time went on this violence began to be understood in a different light, linking it to religion. Initially the only acceptable view of violence was when it was committed by saints upon those who would transgress the church, this view soon changed, with the advent of the Crusades. These series of wars transformed the image of violence into something positive, both in regards those who committed the violent acts and those who the acts were committed upon.
The connection between religion and violence changed dramatically with the start of the Crusades. Instead of separating the two, Pope Urban II called for knights who were violent for the sake of violence to channel their ways into violence for a greater cause, primarily fighting to take back Holy Land from the Muslims who had originally taken it from the Byzantines. Immediately people began to see violent knights in a new light, and knights themselves began to change in regards to how they lived and how people understood their duties. - Religion and Violence in the Middle Ages by M. Rinn

A slideshow of armor I have photographed at museums around the world:

Professor Philip Daileader discusses noble violence at length in his excellent lecture series on the Middle Ages available from The Teaching Company. Sadly, things have not changed that much in the last thousand years. The powerful still enrich themselves at the expense of the powerless, although in a much more civilized guise! But back to our story...

Light streams into the nave of Yorkminster Cathedral
illuminating its beautifully vaulted ceiling. Photograph
by Mary Harrsch.

Of course, the cathedral is finally built despite all of these setbacks as well as various love triangles, and the villains are eventually subjected to their just rewards - a little more violently in the film than in the book. The cathedral is as beautiful as Tom Builder dreamed it would be. Although Kingsbridge is an imaginary structure, it was based on the real cathedral at Salisbury. I have not had the privilege of seeing that cathedral but was truly awestruck by Yorkminster in York, also built to admit as much light as possible, and it truly is the light that makes all the difference. I have seen St. Peter's in Rome, St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey in London and, of course, the famous cathedral of Notre Dame. But, although a spectacular example of the use of flying butresses, Notre Dame's interior is actually quite dark. With the light streaming into Yorkminster, it truly seemed to be an anteroom to heaven.
The end seems to come a little too swiftly in the final episode but maybe it only seemed that way because I did not want to relinquish my emotional connection to these marvelous characters. I think my favorite character in the series was actually Prior Phillip played magnificently by Matthew MacFadyen. His character was a fascinating blend of intelligence and piety with an honest recognition that he, too, suffered from a certain degree of ambition.
I was unfamiliar with Matthew MacFadyen's earlier work, as most of it has been in productions for UK audiences, although I see by his filmography on IMDB that he played the Sheriff of Nottingham in the new 2010 version of Robin Hood. Apparently, I'll have to watch it much more carefully when I get it on DVD next month! I wondered if Matthew was related to another of my favorite actors, Angus MacFadyen (Robert the Bruce in Braveheart) but apparently not.
Of course Rufus Sewell as Tom Builder was another favorite. I've been a big fan of Sewell since his outstanding portrayal of Agamemnon in the USA miniseries "Helen of Troy". Although that was seven years ago, Sewell's maturity has only increased his screen presence and sexual magnetism.
Ian McShane as the Bishop Waleran Bigod and Sarah Parish as Regan Hamleigh made truly despicable villains and the younger actors can look back on this project with just pride as their careers are sure to flourish in the future.
As for the list of outstanding films about the Middle Ages, though, I would add not only "Pillars of the Earth" but several more as well.
I was very surprised that the original list did not include at least one production of Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" that has been source material for a number of film productions including my favorite, a 1982 television mini-series starring Anthony Andrews, Sam Neill, James Mason and Olivia Hussey. I had been watching for it to come out on DVD for some years. Then last Christmas I finally saw it at a local discount store.

Although it does not deal directly with historical events, it does present the concepts of courtly love that developed during this period. I must admit, though, that I was totally mesmerized by Sam Neill as, I guess you would say, the villain Brian de Bois-Guilbert. If I had been Rebecca (Olivia Hussey), I would have accepted his proposal to run away with him!
I would also definitely add Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" based on the siege of Jerusalem that took place during the Crusades of the 12th century. After all what nobler commandment has been issued from the silver screen but "Safeguard the helpless - even if it leads to your death!"

This year we were also treated to Ridley Scott's remake of "Robin Hood". I appreciated the inclusion of references to the Crusades and a reminder about the true nature and fate of Richard the Lionhearted as opposed to the glamorized legend portrayed in other versions of this classic tale. It's just too bad that there wasn't more screen chemistry between Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchette who played Marian the widow (not the Maid!)

If you don't subscribe to Starz but have a Netflix membership, you can watch "Pillars of the Earth" as an instant download using your computer, one of a half dozen different game consoles including the Wii and XBox, or a Roku internet streaming device.
An enhanced e-book edition of Ken Follett's novel is also available for the iPad on iTunes. The enhanced edition includes an interactive Character Tree, contextual video and still images blending into the ebook from the corresponding section of the Starz television series, Follett’s Multimedia Diary which contains his on-set impressions of bringing the book to the screen, interviews with the actors, director and producers, and music from the series.
If you enjoy listening to audio books on your commute or while exercising like I do, you can get an audio version of "Pillars of the Earth" from http://www.audible.com.

3000 year-old gold bracelets unearthed on the Isle of Thanet

2010-09-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Gold bracelets, nearly 3,000 years old, are among more than 10,000 items unearthed during construction on the East Kent Access Road on the Isle of Thanet between Ramsgate and Sandwich (UK). 150 archaeologists supported by 91 volunteers are conducting the excavation of prehistoric burial monuments, Iron Age enclosures and a village whose inhabitants would have experienced the Roman invasion .

Simon Mason, Kent County Council’s principal archaeological officer, found the bracelets, dating back to around 700BC. It is thought they were children’s bracelets that may have been buried as a worship offering. They were found together, one pushed inside the other.

There is evidence of a Bronze Age settlement on the find site, and five hoards of bronze objects of a similar age have been found in the same area.

“With all the thousands of everyday objects we have dug up they are really helping to shed new light on the lives of prehistoric, Roman and Saxon people in Thanet.” [Mason said] - Allister Hagger, Express.co.uk

*Image courtesy of Express

Citing a need for new theoretical perspectives, Hodder lowers the boom on researchers at Çatalhöyük

2010-09-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

My avatar examines murals in the dwellings of virtual Çatalhöyük in
Second Life.

After writing a comprehensive article about virtual Çatalhöyük in Second Life for Heritage Key, I was naturally drawn to the following article and surprised by Dr. Hodder's announcement:

Researchers finishing the dig season at Turkey’s Çatalhöyük—a 9500-year-old site famed for its art and symbolism at the dawn of agriculture—got a big shock last week. Stanford University archaeologist Ian Hodder, who has directed excavations since 1993, told the heads of the dig’s specialty labs that they would be asked to step down beginning in 2012, when publication of current work will be completed.

“It has been a really remarkable team,” Hodder says. But, “I have felt over recent years that the project was getting comfortable with itself and so not challenging each other or me or the assumptions that we were all taking for granted.” - Science Insider

New research indicates Amazon supported advanced civilization

2010-09-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Amazonian Ceramic Figure from the state of
Amapa in Brazil 1200-1600CE. Photographed at
the Field Museum in Chicago by Mary Harrsch.

New excavations and soil core analysis in Peru indicate that the Amazon ecosystem supported an advanced civilization at least as far back as 800 CE. It always struck me as strange that an area that could support such a lush rainforest with its myriad of lifeforms could have been viewed as so unsuitable for human habitation in ancient times!

Along the Xingu, an Amazon tributary in Brazil, Michael Heckenberger of the University of Florida has found moats, causeways, canals, the networks of a stratified civilization that, he says, existed as early as A.D. 800. In Bolivia, American, German and Finnish archaeologists have been studying how pre-Columbian Indians moved tons of soil and diverted rivers, major projects of a society that existed long before the birth of Christ.

Many of these ongoing excavations follow the work of Anna C. Roosevelt. In the 1980s on Marajo Island, at the mouth of the Amazon, she turned up house foundations, elaborate pottery and evidence of an agriculture so advanced she believes the society there possibly had well over 100,000 inhabitants.

In some ways, the theory that the Amazon may have been a wellspring of civilization should come as no surprise in the 21st century. In a long perilous journey along Ecuador's Napo River in 1541, Spanish friar Gaspar de Carvajal, a chronicler of the European conquest, wrote of "cities that gleamed white," canoes that carried dozens of Indian warriors, "fine highways" and "very fruitful land."

Bits of colorful ceramics - matching that found elsewhere in the Amazon - seem to show that those who lived here were the Omaguas, the same people Gaspar de Carvajal encountered nearly 500 years before. - Scientists find evidence discrediting theory Amazon was virtually unlivable by Juan Forero for the Washington Post

Most of our documentation about the Omaguas was compiled by 17th century missionary Samuel Fritz. By his time, the average Omagua settlement had been reduced to, on average, 28 plank houses with palm-thatched roofs where about 330 individuals, most members of an extended family, lived.

Men and women wore cloth garments. The men wore long sleeveless shirts that reached down to their knees. Women wore short wraparound skirts. The men usually left their shirts off because they got in the way. The clothes were usually painted with multicolor designs. Due to the Omaguas flattened foreheads they are easily distinguished from other Amazonian tribes. Fritz observed that shaping was done in infancy by “ applying to the [babies’] forehead a small board or wattle of reeds tied with a little cotton so as not to hurt them, and fastening them by the shoulders to a little canoe, which serves them for a cradle” (Meggers 125).

The spearthrower was the principle weapon for hunting, fishing, and gathering. It took the form of a flat board about 40 inches long and three fingers wide with a bone hook at the upper end to secure the projectile. The spear or arrow was about six feet long and had a point of bone or very hard wood which was sometimes detachable, permitting it to remain in the victim. To shoot the arrow is taken in the right hand, with which the spearthrower is held by its lower end, and placing the arrow against the hook, they launch it with such force and accuracy that they do not miss at fifty paces” ( Meggers 127). The shields used in warfare were the height of a man and made of basketry covered with cayman, manatee, or tapir hide. If there was no stone, turtle shells were used for axes and adzes.

Each village had a chief and all the villages in a province were united under one high chief who was described as “ a very great over lord.” - Nick Willaert, Minnesota State University at Mankato

Maori mere (war club) stolen from tomb recovered

2010-09-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the news alert about this theft of a mere, I thought someone who had tried to translate a foreign news release into English had simply misspelled mirror but when I checked the article I learned that a "mere" is a Maori war club:

"A priceless greenstone mere stolen from the tomb of one of the founders of Parihaka Pa in Taranaki has been recovered.

The mere, which belonged to the revered Maori peace prophet Te Whiti O Rongomai, was stolen last week after thieves smashed through a glass casing which protected the mere within the tomb. A mere is a traditional Maori hand club." - New Zealand Herald

I found this very interesting and informative site about Maori weapons that further describes the weapon and its ritual symbolism:

"A short flat club usually made from wood, bone, or greenstone. Also know as a Patu or Waihaka. Used in hand to hand combat. Typical strike zones for warriors included the temple, the jaw and the ribs. The greenstone mere was particularly highly prized as it requires an incredible amount of work to make one. Warriors who carried a greenstone mere were considered to posses great strength and honor. Today the mere represents the facing and overcoming the challenges life presents." - Maori Source

I was surprised to see that the Maori seemed to prefer clubs of various types rather than bladed weapons even though their typical strategy was to kill all enemies in an engagement to prevent revenge attacks. The single weapon illustrated on the web site that included a greenstone blade was said to be for ceremonial purposes only.

I found another very good summary of Maori warfare that mentioned they did, at times, use a thrusting spear but never developed the bow and arrow and typically did not throw spears. Killing at close range appeared to be preferred to impart the appropriate honor on successful warriors.

The summary also described cannibalism that was a common practice during Maori warfare:

Cannibalism was the regular practice in Maori wars. Human flesh was an important part of the food supply of war parties. The bodies were cut up with obsidian flakes and then cooked on heated stones which were laid in pits in the ground. Sometimes, flesh was kept as a supply for the journey. Such meat would first be boned, then dried and packed in flax baskets; alternatively, it was potted in fat in gourds. Prisoners were sometimes taken alive, tied together with flax ropes and kept on the hoof for future slaughter and use...

Mortality in Maori wars must have been considerable in spite of the small forces usually engaged. No quarter was given in battle so that life could only be saved by flight, but it was during flight that the pursuers killed most of their enemies. Not many war parties were completely exterminated but more than a few lost a very large percentage of their members. Most captives were killed and eaten; some—especially women and children—were enslaved. But often these also were eaten.

Some of the bones of the slain were saved, as further indignity, for making flutes, heads of bird spears, fish hooks, rings for captive parrots, pins and needles. Heads were sometimes thrown on a heap in a grisly ball game, occasionally they were impaled on the stockades of a pa. Heads of both friend or enemy, if belonging to great chiefs, were at times taken home and preserved. - National Library of New Zealand

Maori warrior photographed at the
Polynesian Culture Center on the
island of Oahu, Hawaii by Mary Harrsch

This made me wonder if the brain disease "kuru" (similar in symptoms to mad cow disease) was ever a recorded problem among the Maori but I could not find any definitive references. I did find a post that said researchers are now questioning cannibalism as the cause of kuru in the Fore culture in Papua New Guinea anyway. It seems that further research indicates kuru was apparently not present before contact with Europeans even though the Fore had practiced mortuary cannibalism for centuries. However, scientists point out that after the kuru epidemic reached a high point in the 1960s, kuru among the Kore pretty much vanished after cannibalism was eliminated. So there appears to be at least some connection although the two factors may have been a simple coincidence.

I had the opportunity to meet a Maori warrior when I visited the Polynesian Culture Center on Oahu, Hawaii in 1982. Maybe someday I'll be able to visit New Zealand to learn more about this fascinating culture.

*Image of mere war club courtesy of the Maori Source

Cao Cao's tomb to open to visitors in September 2010

2010-08-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

I see that the Chinese are planning a new exhibit around the newly discovered tomb of the Chinese warlord Cao Cao (Three Kingdoms Period (208-280 CE)

The planned area for the temporary exhibition is 787 square meters, and the floor space is about 700 square meters, with the total length of the visitors' corridor standing at 291 meters, according to Xu Huiqian, governor of Anyang County. - People's Daily Online

I became really interested in the Han Dynasty while researching an article for Heritage Key, "Mad, Bad and Dangerous Women of the Han: The Shocking Story of Lady Dai". I was even more intrigued after watching John Woo's classic epic "Red Cliff" (the full length international version).

"Red Cliff" is based on the 800,000 word Chinese historical epic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Although it is a novel, it is said to be about 70% history, 30% fiction. Written during the early Ming Dynasty when Cao Cao was viewed unfavorably, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" portrays him as the novel's villain. Cao Cao actually accomplished a number of favorable achievements, however. He not only united northern China but implemented agricultural and education programs that helped the people recover from a devastating famine brought on by a plague of locusts in 194 CE. His programs also raised the standard of living for many people and supported the development of intellectually gifted individuals. Cao Cao himself was skilled in poetry and martial arts and considered quite strategically astute. He authored a number of military manuals.

Although the discovery of Cao Cao's tomb was reported by archaeologists in December 2009, the tomb had been discovered and robbed by tomb raiders quite some time before then. Authorities only learned of its location after tablets surfaced in the antiquities market bearing inscriptions of "King Wu of Wei", the title conferred on Cao Cao after his death.

At least by the time the authorities were led to the site, it still contained 250 artifacts including weapons, armor, and pottery, the remains of a man in his 60s, and the bones of two women in their 50s and 20s, thought to be Cao Cao's wife and her female servant. Some scholars fear that some of the artifacts found within the tomb may have been planted by enterprising antiquities dealers, however.

I hope to travel to China in the next few years so, although I won't be able to see the current exhibit opening next month, hopefully I will be able to at least visit the tomb site.

Wreck from Ming Treasure Fleet Sought Off Kenya Coast

2010-08-01T17:41:00.000-07:00


A Model of a 15th century Ming Dynasty Treasure Ship dwarfs models of Columbus' Santa Maria and the later clipper ship Cutty Sark built with the same scale. Photographed at the Ventura County (CA) Maritime Museum by Mary Harrsch.

In a joint project of the National Museum of Kenya and Peking University, a team of 11 Chinese archaeologists will begin a £2m joint project to explore the Kenyan communities of Lamu and Malindi for evidence of commerce with China dating back to the early 15th century. Chinese marine archaeologists will also search for a rumored ancient ship wreck offshore.

"The sunken ship is believed to have been part of a mighty armada commanded by Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He, who reached Malindi in 1418. According to Kenyan lore, reportedly backed by recent DNA testing, a handful of survivors swum ashore. After killing a python that had been plaguing a village, they were allowed to stay and marry local women, creating a community of African-Chinese whose descendants still live in the area." - More: guardian.co.uk

Like many people (including many Chinese), I had never heard of this adventurous 7-foot-tall Chinese admiral before I read a fascinating article about his explorations in National Geographic in 2005 when the Chinese were celebrating the 600th anniversary of his voyages. More and more evidence of the extent of his explorations continues to come to light and there is even speculation he reached the western shores of North America and/or South America, most notably in extremely controversial books published by retired British submarine commander, Gavin Menzies entitled 1421: The Year China Discovered the World and 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance.

Chinese scientists have conducted DNA tests on Swahili inhabitants of Siyu village in Africa that indicated the people there had traces of Chinese ancestry thereby documenting the African connection. Whether evidence that Zheng He ventured as far east as he did west remains to be seen. It will be exciting, though, if they can find one of the actual ships that was part of Zheng He's fleet.

A couple of months ago I visited the Ventura County Maritime Museum down in Ventura, California and there I saw a scale model of a Ming treasure ship like those in Zheng He's fleet. Beside the model were models built in the same scale of Christopher Columbus' ship the Santa Maria and the later clipper ship, "Cutty Sark" and they were tiny compared to the massive Chinese vessel.

When I read the National Geographic article, I was intrigued by the man himself as well. Zheng He was born into a Muslim family in Kunyang in Yunnan province in 1371 C.E. His father was descended from a Persian administrator of the Mongol Empire who was appointed governor of Yunnan during the early Yuan Dynasty.

In 1381 C.E. the Ming army attacked Kunyang and eleven year-old Zheng He, then called Ma He, was captured, castrated and sent to the Imperial Court. His father was executed. Yet, despite the murder of his father and his own mutilation, Zheng He, who still grew to towering height of 7 feet-tall, became a trusted adviser of the Yongle Emperor (r. 1403-1424) after Zheng He helped to overthrow the Jianwen Emperor.

National Geographic produced an excellent video about Zheng He and his voyages that I found on YouTube. It is divided into ten parts. As each video nears the end of its 9+minutes a link appears in the lower right hand corner to click to access the next part:

Review: Historic Photos of Heroes of the West by Mike Cox

2010-07-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

Joseph Meek, a flamboyant mountain man who led
the push for Oregon statehood.

As both a photographer and history enthusiast, I thooughly enjoyed browsing this new compilation of historic images by Mike Cox. Cox, a former award-winning reporter, has authored 15 nonfiction books as well as hundreds of articles and essays over a career spanning 40 years. This latest volume is third in a series of photo collections that includes "Historic Photos of Texas Lawwmen" and "Historic Photos of Texas Oil." Cox gleaned the images from the Library of Congress, the Denver Public Library, the Western History Collection at the University of Oklahoma, the National Archives, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Wikimedia Commons and the author's own extensive personal collection.

Cox divided the images up into five categories: the pathfinders who believed in manifest destiny and blazed the trails across the continent, the pioneers who settled the new land, the builders and innovators who spanned the continent with new modes of transporation and communications, the civilizers who brought law and order as well as culture and learning to the new frontier and the perpetrators of the Western myth.

Among the pathfinders, I found an 1853 portrait of Joseph Lafayette Meek. Meek was an important Oregon settler who lobbied Congress for Oregon statehood. Like all young Oregonians, I studied Oregon history as a child but don't remember any reference to Meek. Instead, most of the emphasis was placed on Dr. John McLoughlin, a fiery 6 foot 4 inch physician from Quebec, once tried for the murder of the governor of the Red River Colony (now the province of Manitoba) in Canada, who served as the head of operations in the Columbia District for the Hudson's Bay Company.

Dr. John McLoughlin actually opposed
Oregon statehood. As district "factor"
for the Hudson's Bay Company, he
advocated the formation of an
independent country. Note: This image
is not in Cox's book.

McLoughlin built Fort Vancouver (now Vancouver, WA) and moved the Hudson's Bay Company northwest operations to the new fort from Fort Astoria. With Fort Vancouver as his base of operations, McLoughlin managed over 34 outposts, 24 ports, six ships, and 600 employees. When the British Parliament passed legislation imposing the laws of Upper Canada on residents of the Columbia District, McLoughlin was charged with applying the law to British subjects and American settlers as well.

In 1841, when the first wagon train arrived after traversing the Oregon Trail, the Hudson Bay Company took the official position of opposing American settlement saying it interfered with the lucrative fur trade. But McLoughlin ignored company policy and rendered aid to the new Oregonians. As American numbers in the region increased and tensions mounted, the Hudson Bay Company ordered McLoughlin to move the regional headquarters to Vancouver Island (modern Victoria) and, although McLoughlin complied, he, himself never moved there.

In 1842, McLoughlin advocated for an independent nation that would be free of the United States during debates at the Oregon Lyceum, a sort of gentlemen's club formed in Oregon City where local pioneer leaders would meet to discuss issues of the day. McLoughlin was supported by most British members of the club as well as French-Canadian Catholic fur traders and Jesuit missionaries. It was thought that the formation of an independent country would prevent annexation of the region as a U.S. territory. So, I guess at this point Dr. McLoughlin would have been opposed to the pro-state group that included Joseph Meek.

Bloodshed would end up tipping the scale but it was not spilled between the British and the American settlers. On November 29, 1847, a band of Cayuse and Umatilla Indians, enraged by rumors that Dr. Macus Whitman, a physician-missionary at the Waiilatpu Mission (present day Walla Walla, WA) was not really treating the measles the native peoples had contracted from traders and settlers, but poisoning them, attacked the mission, killing and dismembering Dr. Whitman and killing eleven other people. (Contrary to contemporary belief, it was later determined that Narcissa Whitman was actually shot in the chest by disgruntled half-Iriquois newcomer Joe Louis, who is also thought to be the source of the poison rumors.) Another 54 women and children were captured and held for ransom, including the daughter of famed mountainman Jim Bridger (pictured on the opposite page in Cox's book) and 10-year-old Helen Meek, daughter of Joseph Meek. Sadly, before a ransom of 62 blankets, 63 cotton shirts, 12 Hudson Bay rifles, 600 loads of ammunition, 7 pounds of tobacco and 12 flints could be raised, Helen and four other prisoners died, it is assumed from measles or possibly cholera.

Enraged by the loss of his daugther, Meek, a mountain man before he became a farmer, struck out for Washington D.C. in the dead of winter.

"Arriving in St. Louis in May 1848 after crossing half a continent in the dead of winter, he [Joseph Meek] announced himself as 'Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from the Republic of Oregon to the Court of the United States.' Newspapers played up Meek's dramatic odyssey and helped publicize the cause he represented; some even suggested that, had the federal government done its duty in Oregon, blood might never have been spilled at Waiilatpu." - Carlos A. Schwantes, The Pacific Northwest: An interpretive History

When Congress created the territory of Oregon the following August, President Polk, whose wife was Meek's cousin, appointed Meek as U. S. Marshal for the newly formed Oregon Territory.

Cox's book actually includes two pictures of Joseph Meek. Meek looks like sort of a kindly Ben Cartwright in his 1853 portrait but I prefer this more flamboyant portrait in dashing mountainman attire on page x of the preface.

In addition to portraits, Cox includes some interesting contextual images. One image shows one-armed Grand Canyon explorer, John Wesley Powell, seated in a council circle with a group of Paiute men and boys on the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona. Another depicts the grisly aftermath of a buffalo hunt by professional hunters hired to slaughter the beasts for only their hides. Yet another shows an artist with the Wheeler Expedition in 1871 sketching ancient Anasazi ruins at Canyon de Chelly much like artists who accompanied Napoleon Bonaparte in Egypt sketched the remains of ancient Egyptians there.

In the pioneers section of the book, I liked studying the pictures of real cowboys, not the Hollywood stereotypes, particularly the image of a cowboy in the Dakota Territory circa 1870s-1880s carrying a lever-action rifle in a saddle scabbard and a revolver on his hip turned backwards so he could quickly cross-draw with his right hand if trouble loomed. His horse looks shiney and well cared for and I can easily picture him saying "When you call me that, smile!" Cox points out that unlike typical Hollywood attire, most cowboys wore wide-brimmed uncreased hats.

As a photographer I had to admire the picture of a Kansas cowboy with his lasso at the ready on the left side of the image, looking out over a herd of cattle that appear to spill out over the horizon. Although the image is undated it appears to be late 19th century based on the uncreased hat. Although photography was a relatively new development, someone had already figured out the dramatic effect when you format your image using the rule of thirds as a guideline!

Born into slavery, Nat Love won a horse
in a lottery and sold it to move to Dodge
City to become a cowboy.

I was also surprised to find a picture of John Slaughter, a native of Louisianna who moved to Texas and joined the Texas Rangers. When I was a girl, I used to watch the Disney series "Texas John Slaughter" starring a very handsome Tom Tryon. I can even still remember part of the theme song - "Texas John Slaughter made them do what they ought'er cause if they didn't they died!" Now I know that he was a real person!

One of the most dramatic portraits of a cowboy is a full length portrait of Nat Love (1854-1921). Born into slavery, Love used money he earned from selling a horse he won in a lottery to leave Tennessee and move to Dodge City and become a cowboy. In the portrait he wears a broad-rimmed hat pushed back on his head and rakishly turned up in the front. He grips the muzzle of a lever-action rifle in his left hand and has his right foot planted defiantly on his saddle with the thumb of his right hand stuck in his cartridge belt. Love ended up in Texas where he wrote his autobiography in 1907.

In an image of C Troop, Fifth Cavalry, who patrolled the Oklahoma Territory after the Oklahoma Land Rush, I noticed a young African-American woman standing proudly a little in front of the first row. No one stands near her to indicate she was a wife and she appears to wear a tunic. I wonder who she was and what part she played in that chapter of history?

In the "They spanned a continent" section of the book, I liked to compare the images of different models of stage coach. There was also an image of Frank Weber, one of the young Pony Express riders, astride his mount with a spare horse in tow, circa 1861.

Images of some of the more iconic figures of the Wild West appear in the civilizers section of the book. George Armstrong Custer figures prominently. Since I have visited the Little Bighorn National Battlefield, I had already seen a number of pictures of Custer. Ever the publicity seeker, I noted that Cox points out that Custer took 16 musicians, 3 journalists and a photographer on his expedition to the Black Hills. In the image of his departure on July 4, 1874, things look pretty chaotic.

Apparently journalists were embedded with military campaigns before that, however, One image shows Alex McKay, a correspondent for the San Francisco Bulletin, casually sketching while two grim-faced armed scouts crouch behind a rock buttress during the Modoc War that raged in southern Oregon and northern California in 1872-73. I visited Captain Jack's stronghold, scene of the major battle of the Modoc War as a young teenager in the 1960s and walked around similar defenses made with piles of volcanic stones that still remain at the site.

Although some contemporary participants
in the Modoc War did not find Kintpuash,
known as "Captain Jack", particularly
impressive looking, I think he was rather
handsome. Note: this image is not in Mike
Cox's book.

Captain Jack (his real name was Kintpuash), chief of the Modoc tribe, led a small band of his people into Captain Jack's Stronghold in the Lava Beds National Monument near Tule Lake in northern California to escape the persecution his people suffered after they were forced to move to the Klamath Reservation in southwest Oregon in 1864 because white settlers wanted to farm the Modocs' ancestral land around Tule Lake. The Klamath and Modoc were traditional rivals and the Klamath far outnumbered the Modoc on the reservation so the Modoc were treated badly.

The Modocs first sought refuge on an island in 1865 but were eventually rounded up by the U. S. Army and returned to the Klamath reservation in 1869. Reservation conditions had not improved so in 1870 Captain Jack led about 180 Modoc back to the Tule Lake area. In 1872, the army once more set out to round up the Modoc and return them yet again to the reservation but on November 29, while the army negotiated the Modoc surrender with Captain Jack, who had laid down his weapon and gotten most of his warriors to do the same, a fight broke out between an army sergeant and a Modoc warrior named Scarfaced Charley. Although the two men shot at each other with their revolvers, they both missed. But the gunfire triggered a scramble for the surrendered Modoc weapons and an exchange of gunfire that became known as the Battle of Lost River, recognized as the first battle of the Modoc War. In the brief skirmish, one soldier was killed and seven were wounded. The Modoc lost two warriors and retreated to the lava beds south of Tule Lake with three wounded. However, on the way to the lava fields, a small band of Modoc under the leadership of a warrior named Hooker Jim broke away from the main group and ambushed settlers on the afternoon of November 29 and morning of November 30, killing 18 people.

The main Modoc force under Captain Jack retreated to the lava formation known as Captain Jack's Stronghold where they met an attack of the army on January 17, 1873. This time, however, the army suffered a decisive defeat losing 35 men with dozens wounded. The Modoc did not suffer a single casualty.

Captain Jack, still hoping for a peaceful settlement, opened negotiations with a federal peace commission. But as haggling dragged on for months, a contingent of warriors opposed to peace with the settlers attempted to shame Captain Jack by throwing a Modoc woman's hat at him, a symbolic act meant to strip him of his manhood. The group insisted that if General Edward Canby, commander of the army contingent, were killed, the army would leave. Finally, Captain Jack agreed and at the next meeting of the peace commission on a prearranged signal, Captain Jack along with several other Modoc, drew his pistol and killed General Canby, making Canby the only general killed during the Indian wars (Custer had a permanent rank of only a lieutenant colonel when he met his end at the Little Bighorn).

Of course the Modoc were mistaken about the Army's reaction to Canby's death. A force of over 1,000 soldiers armed with mortars under the command of General Jefferson C. Davis was sent to attack the stronghold and this time the Modoc could not withstand the overwhelming force. Captain Jack and his warriors fled the stronghold but fractured into groups, some who continued to fight the army. Sadly, Captain Jack himself, like Sitting Bull, was eventually hunted down by members of his own people and turned in to the army. On October 3, 1873 he was hanged for the murder of General Canby. His head was cut off and sent first to the Army Medical Museum in Washington D.C. then donated to the Smithsonian. Descendants of Captain Jack learned of the location of his skull in the 1970s and lobbied for its return. Finally in 1984 the Smithsonian returned the skull to Jack's relatives.

An excellent detailed description of the events of the Modoc War is available online at the Lava Beds National Monument website.

General Ranald S. McKenzie commanded
troops in some of the bloodiest engagements
of the Indian Wars but paid the price by
developing "military psychosis".

Another image that caught my attention in this section was a portrait of Ranald S. McKenzie, a decorated Civil War officer who later commanded troops in a number of major engagements of the Indian Wars. What piqued my curiosity was Cox's caption that mentioned McKenzie became metally ill. I wondered if, like the character portrayed by Tom Cruise in one of my favorite movies, "The Last Samurai", McKenzie suffered from post traumatic stress induced by his participation in so many brutal engagements. I tried to find out what symptoms he exhibited but only found veiled references to "paralysis of the insane" and that he began "acting strangely" in 1883 and was quietly retired from the Army in 1884. One article said his behavior was blamed on a head injury he incurred after falling from a wagon at Fort Sill. Charles M. Robinson wrote a biography, Bad Hand: A Biography of Ranald S. McKenzie, but not enough of it was searchable through Google books for me to learn anything more than he was considered a victim of "military psychosis" - sounds like PTSD to me.

The civilizers section also included a wealth of images of famous lawmen including the Earps, Wild Bill Hickock, and the "hanging judge" Isaac Charles Parker. As I looked at a group picture of ten of Judge Parker's tough-looking deputy U.S. Marshals, I almost expected to see one with an eye-patch like Rooster Cogburn.

I was also intrigued by the images of General George Cook. I thought the portrait of him swathed in a heavy fur-collared cloak wearing a civilian-style hat with a tall crown was the most dynamic. Cox pointed out that Crook preferred more comfortable civilian clothes that were better suited to the rugged landscape. You certainly would never guess he was a general by looking at the picture of him standing beside his trusty mule with the barrel of his 10-gauge shotgun, his weapon of choice instead of the standard issue rifle, hanging from his saddle.

Calamity Jane looking quite feminine at the
grave of Wild Bill Hickok in 1903.

The last section of the book focusing on mythmakers was filled with images of Buffalo Bill Cody and other contemporaries who sought to cash in on the mystique of the American West. Although it included pictures of Annie Oakley, "Little Sure Shot", I thought the portrait of expert markswoman Lillian Smith was more interesting. Unlike Oakly, Smith is dressed in a much more feminine costume. Oakley is reported to have said "she [Smith] managed to shoot well enough for someone with such an ample figure!" Smith performed in the 101 Wild West Show but never gained the fame of Annie Oakley and died in relative obscurity.

I had also always heard that Calamity Jane was quite homely and always dressed more like a man than a woman but the image of her standing at the grave of Wild Bill Hickok taken in 1903 shows her looking quite feminine and relatively attractive.

Historic Photos of Heroes of the Old West provided insight in the lives of both well known and not-so-well known people of this iconic period of American history. I look forward to reviewing the next entry in the series "Historic Photos of Outlaws of the Old West" by Larry Johnson.

Synthetic Mayan Blue May Be Used to Restore Paintings

2010-07-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Traces of Mayan Blue can be seen on this
ritual earthenware whistle depicting a standing
female dignitary from the Late Classical Period
600-900 C.E. Photographed at the DeYoung
Museum of Fine Arts in San Francisco, CA by
Mary Harrsch.

Eric Dooryhee and a team of French physicists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y.have used X-rays from a synchrotron machine to study the atomic structure of ancient Mayan blue pigment. Using the information they obtained from their studies they have been able to synthesize the basic properties of Mayan Blue by combining indigo with a porous substance called zeolite, a commercial additive to cement, laundry detergents, nutritional supplements, and cat litter, to make a new synthetic long-lasting blue pigment.

The Mayans made the original pigment by burning incense made from tree resin and using the heat to cook a mixture of indigo plants and a type of clay called palygorskite.

"As the mixture was heated, indigo molecules filled a network of tiny channels inside the clay. Some of these bits of indigo plugged the pores on the surface, preventing the color from escaping over time. The clay, in turn, protected the indigo from the environment." - More: FoxNews.com

The research team hopes to use the new synthetic material to restore paintings and is considering other applications such as colored cement.

This painting of the construction of the Tower
of Babel by Juan Gerson created in 1652 was one
of the few colonial period paintings that
incorporated Mayan Blue. (oil on paper)
"Maya blue" first appeared around the 800 A.D. [some researchers claim 300 A.D.] and it was still used in the 16th century in several Convents of Colonial Mexico, notably in the paintings of the Indian Juan Gerson in Tecamachalco. These paintings are a clear example of the combination of Indian and European techniques sometimes known as Arte Indocristiano. After that, the techniques for its production were lost in Mexico but in Cuba there are examples from 1830." - Wikipedia

Research on Maya Blue's composition began as early as the 1950s when chemists used powder diffraction to discover its basic components.

"The actual recipe to reproduce Maya Blue pigment was published in 1993 by a Mexican Historian and Chemist, Constantino Reyes-Valerio. The combination of different of clays: palygorskite, montmorillonite, together with the use of the leaves of the añil and the actual process is described in Reyes-Valerio (1993).^[6] Reyes-Valerio's contributions were possible due to his combined background of History and Chemistry, through a thorough revision of primary texts (Sahagun, Hernandez. Jimenez and others), microscopic analysis of the mural paintings and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. " - Wikipedia

The Maya used the blue pigment for funerary murals and other art objects as well as in their rituals of human sacrifice. In the following scene from Mel Gibson's Apocalypto we see victims coated with blue paint walking past murals depicting human sacrifice on their way to the sacrificial altar.

Of course Mel Gibson's film was panned by historians because it depicted the wholesale slaughter of captives. Some anthropologists [National Geographic video clip] claim that sacrifices were usually restricted to special ceremonies like the induction of a new ruling king or festivals to honor the god of rain intended to bring rain at propitious times to guarantee a bountiful harvest.

Other researchers, including Mari Carmen Serra Puche, have discovered that a number of sacrifices involved women and children [Discovery Magazine video clip]. In either case, it is a far cry from what I was taught as a school girl in the 1950s - that unlike the bloodthirsty Aztecs, the Maya were a peaceful civilization of scholars who studied mathematics and astronomy!

I found a website that said Mayan Blue in digital terms is the color #73C2FB. I don't think using it as a background color for your web page is going to guarantee that it won't fade away (at least in the public consciousness) over time though!!

If you find the Mayan civilization as interesting as I do you may enjoy viewing a slideshow of Mayan art objects I have photographed at the Deyoung Museum of Fine Art in San Francisco, California, the University of Utah Museum of Fine Art in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Field Museum and the Chicago Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in Dallas, Texas, the Museum of Man in San Diego, California, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

I have even more images of Mayan art that I will be uploading to Flickr as time permits so you may wish to check back from time to time.

"Chasing Mummies" amateurish reality drivel

2010-07-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

The trailers I watched for the new History Channel series "Chasing Mummies" piqued my interest and the "Show me the mummy" play on words brought a smile to my lips. But I'm afraid I was sadly disappointed in at least the first episode that aired Wednesday.

The camera work was amateurish, there appeared to be no formal script and Dr. Hawass was presented as irascible and supremely arrogant. I cannot understand why so many reality show producers think that rudeness and unprofessional outbursts make a show entertaining. My husband often watches "Ax Men" and several "Ax Men" copycats and I've gotten to the point that I just go off in the other room because the men depicted on these programs are so grossly rude and unprofessional to their co-workers, even when they are family members. Much of the swearing and bluster appears to be "put on" for the camera and I hope that is the case in "Chasing Mummies" because I wouldn't work under these conditions if it was the last job available on the planet.

This weekend the History Channel is rerunning an excellent program about how the Indiana Jones movies have inspired so many people to want to learn more about history and in some cases even become archaeologists. The producers of "Chasing Mummies" should watch this program and try to emulate it to impart the love of history and archaeology that I know Dr. Hawass truly possesses.

Dr. Hawass is actually a very gifted author. I've read his book on the Valley of the Golden Mummies and enjoyed it immensely. I was especially intrigued by the passage describing his paranormal experience with a pair of mummies who had been removed from their original tomb for study and who appeared to communicate with him in nightmares expressing their grief at being separated from their other family members.

Norfolk Cannibals First UK Settlers?

2010-07-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

This early model of Neanderthal, created for the Panama-California
Exposition in 1915 probably more closely resembles the humans
who first settled Britain 950,000 years ago than Neanderthals
who are thought to have appeared in Europe as early as
600,000–350,000 years ago. Photographed at the Museum of
Man in San Diego, California by Mary Harrsch.

Mammoths, rhinos, elephants, sabre-toothed cats, horses, elks, deer, voles, and hyenas as big as lions roamed the banks of the Thames almost a million years ago when the first humans settled in Britain near the modern village of Happisburgh according to archaeologists who found on a treasure trove of flint tools and animal and plant remains there. The earliest date obtained from the find appears to be 950,000 years old which is over 200,000 years earlier than remains found at Pakefield in Suffolk, once thought to be the cradle of civilization on the British Isle.

British Museum archaeologist Dr Nick Ashton said: "The new flint artefacts are incredibly important because, not only are they much earlier than other finds, but they are associated with a unique array of environmental data that gives a clear picture of the vegetation and climate".

"This demonstrates early humans surviving in a cooler climate than that of the present day," he said.

The climate was similar to that of modern-day southern Scandinavia. Summer temperatures were like those of modern Britain — but winters were long and harsh, with average temperatures of between 0C and minus 3C.

Fossilised remains of "Norfolk Man" have yet to be unearthed. But scientists said it was likely he was related to Pioneer Man — hailed as Europe's oldest inhabitant when his remains were uncovered in northern Spain in 1994. - More: Gulf News.com

Will 2700-year-old tomb link Olmec to Maya?

2010-05-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Researchers excavating a Zoque Indian site in Chiapa de Corzo have uncovered a 2700-year-old tomb of a dignatary and, perhaps, his wife inside the earliest pyramid found so far in MesoAmerica.

The tomb held a man aged around 50, who was buried with jade collars, pyrite and obsidian artifacts and ceramic vessels. Archaeologist Emiliano Gallaga said the tomb dates to between 500 and 700 B.C. Based on the layers in which it was found and the tomb's unusual wooden construction, "we think this is one of the earliest discoveries of the use of a pyramid as a tomb, not only as a religious site or temple," Gallaga said.

The body of a 1-year-old child was laid carefully over the man's body inside the tomb, while that of a 20-year-old male was tossed into the chamber with less care, perhaps sacrificed at the time of the burial.
The older man was buried with jade and amber collars and bracelets and pearl ornaments. His face was covered with what may have been a funeral mask with obsidian eyes. Nearby, the tomb of a woman, also about 50, contained similar ornaments.

The ornaments — some imported from as far away as Guatemala and central Mexico — and some of the 15 ceramic vessels found in the tomb show influences from the Olmec culture, long considered the "mother culture" of the region. - Fox News

Like many people of my generation, I was taught that the earliest culture to construct pyramids was the Maya. But this find clearly illustrates native peoples that preceded the Mayans used monumental architecture for ritualistic purposes as well.

I found this interesting article that gives further background on the Zoque people. It also points out that the earliest archaeological remains of "public architecture" was not in Central America at all but at Watsons Brake in northern Louisiana!

The appearance of ceramics in Mexico coincided with either the arrival of a new people or sudden fluorescence of an existing people around 1600 BC in the tepid lowlands of what is now the states of Vera Cruz and Tabasco, adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. They called themselves the Zoque. According to their own legends, they crossed the Gulf of Mexico in three great flotillas of giant canoes, to arrive in their new homeland. Three thousand years later the Aztecs called the inhabitants of this region, the Olmecs, which means “rubber people.” It is not known if the builders of the ancient ceremonial complexes in Vera Cruz and Tabasco are one and the same as the people occupying the region in 1500 AD. However, the process of making rubber by mixing the saps of an indigenous rubber tree and an indigenous vine seems to coincide with the arrival of the Zoque.

Around 1400 BC the first large ceremonial complex appeared in the Zoque lands. Known today by the Spanish name of San Lorenzo, it featured earthen mounds and geometric forms grouped around plazas. The theocratic elite lived near the ceremonial complex, but the commoners were dispersed in hamlets and farmsteads across a large expanse of territory. It is quite likely that the farmers only lived in the same location as long as their soils remained fertile. There was very little exposed stone in the region so all of the architecture was of wood, clay and earth. The palace of the king or high priest has stone columns to support its roof, plus stone cisterns and steps. Any stone used in art, was imported from 80-150 miles away by river transportation.
San Lorenzo was abandoned around 900 AD. - The Mesoamerican Connection by Richard Thornton, Examiner.com

Mr. Thornton goes on to describe Zoque stone sculptures depicting men with beards led some people to jump to the erroneous conclusion that the Americas must have been initially settled by early Europeans based on this evidence.

[Colossal head from Monument 4 Veracruz Mexico Omec 1200-900 BCE Basalt. Photographed by Mary Harrsch at the DeYoung Museum of Fine Art, San Francisco, CA]

The fact is that several indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere wore beards and even mustaches. These include the tribes of the Northwest Pacific Coast, the Aztecs, and the Creeks of the Southeast. The chroniclers of the de Soto Expedition (1539-1543) commented on an elderly Okonee (branch of Creeks) leader who had a beard down to his belly button. - The Mesoamerican Connection by Richard Thornton, Examiner.com

I have been privileged to see one of the more iconic Olmec stone sculptures of men wearing leather helmets at the DeYoung Museum of Fine Art in San Francisco. The DeYoung has an excellent collection of early American Art and I would encourage you to put it on your agenda the next time you travel to the Bay Area.

Here's a slideshow of some of the wonderful art I photographed there several years ago:

Nilometer discovered along the Avenue of the Sphinxes

2010-05-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

While working on the the restoration of the Avenue of the Sphinxes, a 2.7-km (1.7-mile) ancient processional roadway that connects the grand temples of Luxor and Karnak on the east bank of the Nile River built by Amenhotep III (1410-1372 B.C.), scientists have uncovered a 5th century Egyptian Christian church and a "nilometer," a structure used to measure the level of the Nile during floods. The Nilometer is cylindrical and crafted of sandstone with New Kingdom (1569-1081 B.C.) clay vessels at its bottom.

[Image Courtesy of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquites (SCA).]

"The structure, 7 meters (23 feet) in diameter, was encircled by a spiral staircase descending into the Nile. The steps allowed for a quick reading of increase in water level, thus forecasting floods." - Discovery News

In ancient times the Nile would overflow its banks between June and September. The ancient Egyptians divided their year into three seasons with the period of inundation being one of the three. Tax levels were set based on the quantity of the anticipated flood. So, predicting the quantity of the inundation became a carefully guarded responsibility of select priests and many nilometers were enclosed in temples to exclude all but priests and Egyptian rulers.

The simplest nilometer was a marked vertical column submerged in the waters of the river. A very ornate version of this design, built in 861 CE by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil, can still be seen on the island of Rhoda in central Cairo.

The second type used a a flight of stairs leading down into the water, with depth markings along the walls. The best known example of this kind can be seen on the island of Elephantine in Aswan. [Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Rajor]

The type found along the Avenue of the Sphinxes represents the third and most elaborate design that incorporated a cistern connected to the river by a channel. Another example of this type can be seen at the Temple of Kom Ombo north of Aswan

2300-year-old Egyptian noblewoman centerpiece of renovated Nelson-Atkins gallery

2010-05-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

The burial treasures of a 2300-year-old Egyptian noblewoman named Meretites, which means "beloved of her father", is the centerpiece of the newly reopened Egyptian gallery at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Robert Cohon, curator of art of the ancient world at the Nelson-Atkins points out that the arrangement of the art and subtle lighting is intended to give the impression of a tomb without being frightening.

"We want children to come in here, and want to know more," Cohon said. They will see the inner coffin painted with a huge golden-faced, blue-haired Meretites, as well as the myriad Egyptian gods and goddesses there for her journey into the afterworld."

"Egyptian art has been a surreptitious pleasure for so many," Cohon continues. "This may also be a child's first exposure to death."

I was so excited to read about the Nelson-Atkins $1.7 million renovation. They sound like they have a wonderful ancient art collection that spans over 4,000 years and there is a chance I may be going to Kansas City in July.

[Image courtesy of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art]

My husband expressed his wish to go to the Military Vehicles Preservation Association national conference that is being held in Kansas City this year. Its still a little iffy, though, with the gas prices climbing towards $4 a gallon again. If there wasn't a possibility that he would buy some vehicle or large part, we could take my little fuel-efficient Scion but if we're attending a MVPA event, we'll probably need to take my husband's truck in case he wants to drag something back to Oregon. At least now I have as much motivation to go as he does!

In addition to the funerary art of Meretites that was purchased from a German collection back in 2007, the Egyptian galleries includes stone portraits of famous kings and queens from Sesostris III to Ramses II, from Nefertiti to the Ptolemies. The museum's website points out that none of their recent purchases are contested by Egypt so they won't be in danger of repatriation.

Their Near Eastern collection includes grave goods from kings and queens of Ur and sculptures from the Palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Nimrud as well as the ceremonial center of the Persian Empire, Persepolis. It will be interesting to compare their artifacts to those on display at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago.

The museum's Roman collection apparently centers on works of art from the second century CE created during the reigns of the emperors Hadrian and Severus. Their Greek collection mentions a sculpture of a young athlete. I couldn't find an image of it but wonder if it is engaged in a particular sport or is more of a representation of a victorious youth?

Wooden Stake in Starosel Tomb dates structure to reign of Odyrisan King Amatokos II

2010-03-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

A wooden stake unearthed in the ancient Thracian burial mound known as Starosel Tomb in Bulgaria last summer has helped Bulgarian archaeologists to date the construction to the reign of the Thracian King Amatokos II, a monarch of the 4th century Odrysian state. The Odrysians were a powerful Thracian tribe that ruled an area that extended from modern Bulgaria all the way to western Turkey in the valley of the Hebrus River from the 5th to 3rd century BCE.

[Image of fresco from Thracian tomb in Kazanluk, Bulgaria courtesy of Peter Ashton]

Xenophon tells us the Odrysians raced horses and drank heavily after the burial of a warrior while later Roman writer Tacitus adds that the Odrysians frequently used gifts as a diplomatic strategy to get things done.

The radio carbon dating analysis carried out in Heidelberg, Germany, in the laboratory of Dr. Bernd Krommer, have shown that the stake was burned in the period after 358 BC, when the temple was constructed, and the earth was heaped on top of it to form a burial mound.

The analysis of the lab research and of the events which happened at that time have given archaeologist Ivan Hristov grounds to conclude that the temple in the village of Starosel, in the so called Chetinyova Mound, and the nearby Thracian ruler’s residence under Mount Kozi Gramadi were built during the reign of the Thracian King Amatokos II (359-351 BC), of the Thracian Odrysian state (5th-3rd century BC.

The family coat of arms of King Amatokos was a doubleheaded ax, or a labrys. Symbols of a labrys were discovered on several items around Starosel, including Thracian coins.

Before Dr. Hristov’s analysis, the researchers of Ancient Thrace believed that the Starosel tomb and underground temple complex were built by King Sitalces (445-424 BC), the third ruler of the Odrysian State. - Novinite.com

Possible Discovery of Lost Army of King Cambyses II Makes Top Ten List of 2009

2010-01-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

I see the possible discovery of the lost army of King Cambyses II of Persia made the Brit's top ten list of archaeological discoveries of 2009. I truly hope the brothers Castiglioni are able to prove their claim. It would be almost as exciting as Schliemann's discovery of Troy! The Castiglioni shouldn't be too discouraged by scholarly naysayers. They didn't believe Schliemann either!!

[Image: Cambyses at Pelusium]

The complete list:

1. The Staffordshire Hoard (7th century Anglo Saxon stash of gold weapons, jewelry, etc.)
2. Bone Flute and Erotic Figurine at Hohle Fels (Germany)
3. Bronze Age Burial Cist at Forteviot (Scotland)
4. The Lost City of Bathonea (Turkey)
5. The Stirling Hoard (of gold neck torcs - Scotland)
6. World's Oldest Flax Fibres (Republic of Georgia)
7. Earliest Evidence of Chemical Warfare (Dura Europos, Syria)
8. Ida - the 47-million-year-old fossil thought to be the missing link in human evolution (Germany)
9. The Emperor's Private Amphitheatre at Portus (Italy)
10. The Lost Army of Cambyses II of Persia (Siwa Oasis, Egypt)

Ancient Leaded Egyptian Eyeliner found to trigger Immune Response!

2010-01-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

A recent study by the [French] National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS) and Paris's

Pierre and Marie Curie University, along with the French Centre for Museum Restoration and Research says the quantities of lead used in ancient Egyptian eyeliner actually triggered the body's immune response and helped to protect the wearer's eyes from infection!

[Image: Gilded cartonnage mummy-mask of a lady of high rank early 18th dynasty 1500 BCE from Thebes Egypt. Photographed at the British Museum by Mary Harrsch]

"To get these results, the team under Christian Amatore made use of laurionite, a lead chloride among the salts synthesised by ancient Egyptians, and noted its actions on an isolated cell of the skin with the help of ultramicroelectrodes, observing the super-production of a few dozen thousands of molecules of nitric oxide molecules. This stimulates the arrival of macrophages cells which clean the organism by eating living bacteria and various residual matter." - ANSAmed

Will newly discovered Parthian tomb reveal Arsacid funerary customs?

2010-01-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

A Parthian earthenware coffin has been found in the city of Ramshir in southern Iran. Also known as the Arsacids, the Parthians ruled areas now in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaidzhan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Israel. from 247 BCE - 224 CE.

Although no grave goods were mentioned in the article I read, archaeologists hope the discovery will reveal more information about Parthian funerary customs.

Because the Parthian Empire spread across so many diverse groups, it is difficult to define a single set of funerary practices. There also appears to be distinctions based on social status. Rulers and Parthian nobles appeared to be more influenced by Hellenistic Greek customs as demonstrated by coins of Mithradates I that depict the Greek Hero Herakles on the obverse side. But scholars also point out that Zoroastrian beliefs were widespread as well.

[Image - Silver Plate showing Dionysos either late Parthian or early Sasanian Period 2nd - 3rd century CE Afghanistan. Photographed at the British Museum by Mary Harrsch]

"Ordinary villagers favoured fertility cults. Fire, streams and mountains were also revered, and horse sacrifice occurred. Burial practices included both inhumation (in royal circles) and exposure of human corpses. In the Parthian era all these beliefs and practices seem to have continued, although doubtless as previously with varying emphases being placed upon each component according to region and to section of the population, whether royalty, vassal monarchs, feudal lords, priests, townsfolk, villagers or nomads. - The Parthian Period by Malcolm A. R. Colledge

[Image - Bronze dragon believed to represent Zoroastrian spirit Ahriman Afghanistan 1st century CE. Photographed at the British Museum by Mary Harrsch]

The article did not mention the discovery of any animal bones so this aspect may indicate the burial was of an individual from a higher social class.

As a student of Roman history, I first encountered the Parthians when reading about the defeat of Marcus Licinius Crassus at the battle of Carrhae. I became even more intrigued with this culture when I saw some of their beautiful silver gilt rhytons at the Getty Villa like this one.

The Parthians proclaimed themselves to be philhellenes, as evidenced by coins minted by Mithradates I, and this work of art reflects these Hellenistic influences. However, "friends" referred to trade and not to political relations as the Parthians spent much of the time defending themselves against the Seleucids, descendants of Alexander the Great's army who conquered much of Persia in the fourth century BCE.

However, when the Romans defeated the Seleucid ruler Antiochus, the Parthians swept in to fill the power void and soon experienced friction with the Romans themselves.

During this time, however, around 115 BCE, the Parthians also began to receive envoys from Chinese emperor Wu-ti of the Han Dynasty in China. Then Parthian ruler, Mithradates II, negotiated with the Chinese over management of the Silk Road.

As I recently researched an extensive article for Heritage Key about the Han Dynasty, I found this information particularly fascinating, especially since most extant ancient sources about the Parthians has been written by their enemies in the west. The Chinese found the Parthian culture on par with their own, discussing Parthian diplomatic and military activities in both the Hou Hanshu (Book of the Later Han) and the Records of the Grand Historian. The Han emmisaries were received with much ceremony in the Arsacid court. The Parthians also apparently cooperated with Han general Ban Chao in expeditions against the Xiongnu (the Chinese name for the Hun) to protect the valuable silk trade route.

Apparently, a Parthian noble was even instrumental in bringing translated Buddhist texts to the Chinese.

"In 148 [CE], An Shigao arrived in China at the Han Dynasty capital of Luoyang, where he produced a substantial number of translations of Indian Buddhist texts and attracted a devoted community of followers. More than a dozen works by An Shigao are currently extant, including texts dealing with meditation, abhidharma, and basic Buddhist doctrines." - Wikipedia

Evidence for Cao Cao burial in Anyang Tomb Convincing

2009-12-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

The Chinese National Cultrual Relics Bureau presented overwhelming evidence that an ancient tomb discovered in Anyang, Henan Province must have contained the remains of third century warlord Cao Cao.

[Image: Cao Cao in the 84-episode television serial Romance of the Three Kingdoms played by Bao Guoan. Courtesy of Wikipedia.]

Cao Cao was born in 155 CE to the foster son of one of Emperor Huan's favorite eunuchs. A gifted but precocious child, he was frequently at odds with his family for engaging in hunting and musical pursuits with the son of one of the household maids, Yuan Shao. As fate would have it, both boys would grow up to become fierce generals who fought for control of the crumbling Eastern Han Dynasty.

At the age of 20, Cao Cao became first a district captain of Luoyang then governor of Dunqiu County. However, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, he got a chance to demonstrate his natural military skills when he was appointed as a cavalry commander and sent to Yingchuan to suppress the rebels. His success brought yet another promotion to Governor of Dong Commandery.

During this period, the rule of China went through a series of puppet emperors while the real power lay with the Dowager Empress He supported by an imperial court full of powerful eunuchs. (If you're interested in reading more about women and power politics in the Han Dynasty check out my article, Mad, Bad and Dangerous Women of the Han Dynasty at Heritage Key!) Cao Cao's childhood friend, Yuan Shao, now a nobleman because his mother had become a court concubine, joined forces with another powerful aristocrat, He Jin, in an attempt to rid the court of the eunuchs and wrest power from the Dowager Empress. He Jin summoned yet another powerful governor, Dong Zhuo, for assistance but before the armies of Dong Zhuo arrived, the eunuchs succeeded in assassinating He Jin, leaving the imperial court in chaos and Yuan Shao fighting for his life.

When Dong Zhuo's armies arrived, they quickly defeated the opposition and Dong Zhuo placed his own puppet emperor on the throne. But Dong Zhuo had a reputation for cruelty and outrageous behavior, including the audacity to sleep in the emperor's own bed and forcing himself on palace maids. He was prone to temper tantrums and threw weapons even at his own adoptive son who served as his personal bodyguard.

Cao Cao could not abide the tyrant and refused a court appointment, choosing instead to raise an army near his hometown and join with Yuan Shao to root out the new cancer in the imperial court. In 192 CE, the adoptive son of Dong Zhuo couldn't bear the abuse any longer and assassinated his father. This act plunged the country into civil war that raged for over four years. In 196 CE, Cao Cao, who had continued to expand his power, convinced then Emperor Xian to move the capital to Xuchang, a city under Cao Cao's military control. Cao Cao was appointed to the post of Chancellor then Commander-In-Chief. But this appointment infuriated Cao Cao's old friend, Yuan Shao. In an effort to keep the peace between them, Cao Cao offered his position as Commander-In-Chief to Yuan Shao who accepted it. But, Yuan Shao's ambition would not be subdued and in 200 CE, Yuan Shao raised an army of 100,000 men and marched on the capital to "rescue" the emperor from the clutches of his old friend Cao Cao.

Cao Cao responded, although fielding a force of only 20,000 men. He carefully selected the battlefield, though, at a strategic point on the Yellow River named Guandu where Yuan Shao would be unable to engage all of his manpower in a frontal assault. The result was a standoff for a time until a deserter from Yuan Shao's forces told Cao Cao of the location of Yuan Shao's supply depot. Cao Cao ordered a clandestine attack on the depot that destroyed most of Yuan Shao's supplies and delivered a nearly impossible victory to Cao Cao. Shortly after, Yuan Shao sickened and died. His two sons carried on his battle against Cao Cao but Yuan Shao had named his younger son rather than his older son as his clan successor, causing the two to feud incessantly. Cao Cao was able to eventually defeat them without much effort, making Cao Cao the de facto ruler of northern China. His armies also subdued Northern Korea and lands south to the Han River.

Cao Cao's military brilliance along with his talent for administration and literary achievements reminded me of Julius Caesar, especially since, like Caesar, his life was played out against a backdrop of civil war. Although unlike Caesar, Cao Cao was a short, rather plain looking man. I smiled when I read the following anecdote:

"Once when Cao Cao was to receive an envoy from the Huns, he had some misgivings lest his short stature and rather plain features would cause the Huns to despise the State of Wei. So he had a handsome-looking minister with a long beard and a deep resounding voice sit on the throne in his place, while he himself stood by the side of the "emperor" with a broad sword in hand. After the reception, Cao Cao secretly sent someone to ask the Hun envoy, "What do you think of the King of Wei?" The envoy replied, "He looks distinguished indeed, but the man who stood beside him seems to be a true hero!" - The Three Kingdoms, Chinavoc.com

This apparent lack of self esteem seemed to have plagued Cao Cao all of his life. Despite being urged by others within the imperial court, Cao Cao repeatedly refused to usurp the throne, considering it a point of honor. I was also impressed that he tried to reconcile with his childhood friend, Yuan Shao, offering him Cao Cao's own position as Commander-In-Chief. He even instructed his subjects stationed on the frontiers not to abandon their posts just to attend his funeral when death overtook him.

Therefore, I am puzzled why Cao Cao was so vilified in the classic Chinese novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century. Yes, I know Cao Cao allegedly ordered the massacre of thousands of people (including their dogs and poultry!) to avenge his father's death. But he also instituted far-reaching agricultural programs to stabilize the food supply after a famine so severe, following a locust infestation, that the people had turned to cannibalism. He also promoted education and established a system to identify and develop gifted students.

One website pointed to Confucianists blaming Cao Cao's character flaws for his inability to unite all of China. But, the more likely reason was it was more politically correct during the Ming dynasty of the 14th century to glorify Liu Bei, King of Hanzhong, than acknowledge legitimacy of the Wei dynasty, founded when Cao Cao's son usurped the throne after Cao Cao's death.

Perhaps someday, Cao Cao's reputation will be restored. At least the evidence found in his tomb seemed to support the sources that claimed Cao Cao requested a relatively modest burial. Although the tomb was large, it was unsealed with earth and unadorned. Cao Cao had asked to be buried in normal clothes without precious jewels and the items found within the tomb were typical items for daily use. Skeptics could raise the issue that the tomb had been looted but looters would not have been able to destroy evidence of any elaborate murals if they had been present. It's as if the tomb itself bears testament to a man no more evil than the next and ultimately worthy of a respectful place in Chinese history.

U.N. to assist Egypt with planning for underwater museum in Alexandria

2009-12-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

I see the United Nations has offered to assist Egypt with its plans for an underwater museum in Alexandria to showcase the remnants of the palace of Cleopatra found just offshore there.

From the artists' conceptions of the new facility it looks like it will be an architectural marvel in its own right! Architect Jacques Rougerie explained that the architectural elements are meant to evoke images of Nile feluccas and the maritime importance of the famous lighthouse that once stood here. The museum will be situation near the new Library of Alexandria, a facilitiy that is projected to one day recapture the title of largest repository of knowledge in the world.

[Image courtesy of Jacques Rougerie Architect]

Just this week they have raised a massive red granite pylon weighing nine tons that formed part of the temple of Isis. The temple complex stood right next to Cleopatra's mausoleum in the year 30 BC. Scholars think Cleopatra was not buried there though. She was reportedly buried inland beside her husband Marc Antony. There had been speculation earlier this year that their burial had been found but I haven't heard anything more about that excavation lately.

I wish the museum would be open when I visit Egypt but I don't think it will be finished by February 2011 when I plan to go there. For more wonderful photos of the project, check out the National Geographic feature about it!

Gold, Silver and Bronze Vessels found in burial near chariot discovery

2009-11-18T09:34:00.000-08:00

Marvelous discoveries of ancient Thracian treasures continue in Bulgaria. I truly hope I can see some of these finds some day. Apparently these antiquities were uncovered close to the site where a completely intact bronze-embellished Thracian chariot was found in September 2007.

While looking for an image of the finds I stumbled across this marvelous blog about ancient Bulgaria that provided a number of images of the chariot excavation including this one.

"In October and November 2009, archaeologist Veselin Ignatov’s team found a burial tomb of dated back to the end of 1st century and beginning of 2nd century AD, located outside of the village of Karanovo, in southern Bulgaria.

The finds at the lavish Thracian tomb include gold rings, silver cups and vessels coated with gold and clay vessels. Those include two silver cups with images of love god Eros, and a number of other ornate silver and bronze vessels." - More: Sofia News Agency

The precious items once belonged to an aristocrat descended from the ruling elite of the Odrysian Kingdom (5th -3rd century BCE).

According to the Greek historians Herodotus and Thucydides, a royal dynasty emerged from among the Odrysian tribe in Thrace around the end of the 5th century BCE, which came to dominate much of the area and peoples between the Danube and the Aegean for the next century. Later writers, royal coin issues, and inscriptions indicate the survival of this dynasty into the early first century CE, although its overt political influence declined progressively first under Persian, Macedonian, later Roman, encroachment. Despite their demise, the period of Odrysian rule was of decisive importance for the future character of south-eastern Europe, under the Roman Empire and beyond. - Wikipedia

[Image - Golden mask of 4th century BCE Thracian King discovered near Topolchene in 2007. Courtesy of News.bg]

The Odrysians built roads to develop trade and built a powerful army, at one point numbering over 150,000 men.

Under the Odrysians Greek became the language of administrators and of nobility and the Greek Alphabet was adopted; Greek customs and fashions contributed to the recasting of east Balkan society.The nobility adopted Greek fashions in dress, ornament and military equipment, spreading it to the other tribes.

In the 4th century BC, the kingdom split itself in three smaller kingdoms, of which one, with the capital at Seuthopolis survived the longest. During the Hellenistic era it was subject at various times to Alexander the Great, Lysimachus, Ptolemy II, and Philip V, and was at one time overrun by the Celts, but usually maintained its own kings. During the Roman era its Sapaean rulers were clients of Rome until Thrace was annexed as a Roman province in 46 AD. - Wikipedia

Cambyses Lost Persian Army Found In The Sahara!

2009-11-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful discovery! Two Italian archaeologist have found what appears to be the lost army of Persian King Cambyses in the Sahara desert. I learned about this cataclysmic event when I listened to Professor Elizabeth VanDiver's Teaching Company lecture series on Herodotus: The Father of History. It was the first lecture series from the Teaching Company that I had ever heard and I was mesmerized! I now have dozens of their lectures under my belt and about a dozen on my "to be heard" shelf in my library.

[Image: Gold ornaments from the Oxus Treasure depicting Persian warrior 5th-4th century BCE. Photographed at the British Museum by Mary Harrsch]

The article compared the discovery with Schlieman's discovery of Troy and I would have to agree and it is so exciting to have it occur in my own lifetime! How gratifying to culminate 13 years of research with such a marvelous discovery!

"A pair of Italian archaeologists have uncovered bronze weapons, a silver bracelet, an earring and hundreds of human bones in the vast desolate wilderness of the Sahara desert. Twin brothers Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni are hopeful that they've finally found the lost army of Persian King Cambyses II.
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Cambyses II and his armies were buried by a cataclysmic sandstorm in 525 B.C. He wrote, "a wind arose from the south, strong and deadly, bringing with it vast columns of whirling sand, which entirely covered up the troops and caused them wholly to disappear."
Now the discovery of these artifacts points towards an answer to this millennias-old mystery: The Castiglioni brothers studied ancient maps and came to the conclusion that Cambyses' army did not take the caravan route most archaeologists believe they used." - More: New American

Fighting Crickets and other imperial activities in the virtual Forbidden City

2009-10-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent an entire day exploring the virtual Forbidden City that was created as a joint project between IBM and the Palace Museum in Rome. I found the rendered architecture breathtaking and learned a great deal about Chinese history and court life during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

[My avatar dressed as a woman of the Qing dynasty imperial court will help an Imperial Guard with his archery practice]

In addition to the environment itself, there were objects that could be examined like the golden "Dragon Throne" in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the magnificent bronze guardian lions and xiehi, mythical beasts who understand human language and will impale the evil with their single horn.

I also enjoyed observing scenes of court life like the emperor reviewing petitions (referred to as memorials), eating a 20-course meal with a eunuch taster standing by with a silver spoon, and posing for a portrait that was being rendered by a court artist while the emperor's children played about him.

[Image: Learning to play weiqi from a wise master of the game]

Program developers even included interactive activities like helping an Imperial guardsman practice archery, training and fighting crickets and learning to play weiqi (GO).

The environment could be expanded even further to encompass a wealth of additional history-learning activities. I went up on the accompaying website and posted suggestions for a Chinese cooking module that could be added to the hall where visitors watch the emperor eating a meal. I think it would be fun for visitors to be able to challenge each other to a game of weiqi. I also think it would be interesting to add an application similar to the iPhone's "Brushes" program that would let visitors try their own hand at painting the emperor or scenes or people they see within the virtual palace. A "Brushes" like application could also be used in a caligraphy lesson or writing poetry.

[Image: Imperial Gardens in the virtual Forbidden City]

I also suggested having more animated scenes of other cultural activities like presentations of plays, music recitals or poetry readings or a hall where visitors can go and listen to Chinese philosophers. My editor at Heritage Key asked me if I could suggest a topic for a machinama presentation using the virtual environment and I told him I thought it would be really fascinating for visitors to watch an imperial wedding using the Hall of Supreme Harmony as the backdrop as this is the building where imperial weddings were held during the Ming dynasty.

I would encourage everyone to visit the virtual Forbidden City for yourselves. You will need to download a client that interacts with the server-based virtual environment. The system requirements are 2 Gb of Ram Memory and a Pentium 4 2.4GHz+ or AMD 2400xp+ processor and 2 Gb of free space on your hard drive. It requires a minimum Network Speed of 768 Kbits/sec and is designed for a minimum resolution of 1280x1024, 32-bit True Color. Of course you'll also need a video card capable of 3D.

I actually ran the environment with a workstation with only 1 Gb of Ram and it worked fine. My biggest problem was with my network speed. I live in the country and only have a DSL connection with a maximum of 1.5 Mps. This would appear on the surface to be satisfactory but in reality I must not have been getting the maximum speed as I had problems with my machine freezing for a few seconds while the data was buffered. I read in the troubleshooting guide that there is a way to configure your local client so it only renders surrounding buildings based on your current location but I didn't experiment with that.

I actually wrote a full review of my experience for Heritage Key illustrated with a series of screen shots. If you are particularly interested in Chinese history, I also wrote an article for Heritage Key entitled Conspiring Concubines and Desperate Divas: Women and Power Politics in the Han Dynasty as well.

Han Dynasty Mawangdui Excavation Exhibit Makes Last Stop in Santa Barbara

2009-09-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

I wish this exhibit had been open when I was down in Los Angeles last month. Although Lady Dai, one of the best preserved mummies in the world and the Mwangdui tomb's famous occupant won't be on display (she is carefully conserved and housed at the Hunan Provincial Museum in Changsha), 70 objects of exquisite lacquerware, a 2,000 year-old silk robe worn by Lady Dai, a medical text written on delicate silk fabric and finely detailed figurines of household servants and muscians found among more than 3,000 artifacts discovered when the tomb was originally unearthed in 1971 are showcased in the exhibit.

[Image - Wooden figurines of musicans playing reed wind instruments called yus and plucked-string zithers (178-145 BCE). Image courtesy of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art]

The Han Dynasty period, 206 BCE - 220CE, considered one of the most important periods in Chinese history, included the invention of paper and construction of the Silk Road that eventually would lead to trade with the Roman Empire. It was founded by a rebel peasant leader named Liu Bang, who would become the Emperor Gaozu.

Reading the records of the grand historian of the Han Dynasty, I couldn't help but notice a parallel between the relationship of Liu Bang and Xiao He, a local man of letters, who would later become his prime minister, and Octavian (Caesar Augustus) and his general Marcus Agrippa, although the roles were somewhat reversed. In the case of the Han emperor Liu Bang (Gaozu), the emperor was the military strategist while his minister, Xiao He, was the man behind the scenes who raised money and recruits. In the case of Augustus, his general/admiral Marcus Agrippa was the military mind who engineered Octavian's victories while Octavian supplied the money and recruits. In each case, however, neither Xiao He nor Marcus Agrippa ever moved to challenge their liege lord. Each became wealthy and powerful in their own right and their support was crucial to the success of each emperor's reign. But each man seemed to be satisfied to be the man behind the scenes rather than the man holding the wolf's ears (so to speak).

Liu Bang, the only emperor besides Zhu Yanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, that rose from a modest background, also possessed a healthy dose of common sense that served him well in the administration of a contentious collection of fiefdoms formed after the fragmentation of the Qin empire.

I particularly like the story related by the grand historian about how Liu Bang handled an angry mob of his generals who were dismayed by Liu Bang's promotion of his minister, Xiao He, to the first position in his court.

"The king of Han, now emperor, considered that Xiao He had achieved the highest merit and hence enfeoffed him [gave him a fief] as marquis of Zan with the revenue from a large number of towns. But the other distinguished officials objected, saying, “We have alI buckled on armour and taken up our weapons, some of us fighting as many as I00 or more engagements, the least of us fighting twenty or thirty. Each, to a greater or lesser degree, has engaged in attacks upon cities or seizures of of territory. And yet Xiao He, who has never campaigned on the sweaty steeds of battle, but only sat here with brush and ink deliberating on questions of state instead of fighting, is awarded a position above us. How can this be?"

'Gentlemen,' the emperor asked, 'do you know anything about hunting?'

'We do,' they replied.

'And do you know anything about hunting

dogs?'

'We do.'

'Now in a hunt,' the emperor said, 'it is the dog who is sent to pursue and kill the beast but the one who unleashes the dog and

points out the place where the beast is hiding is the huntsman. You, gentlemen, have only succeeded in capturing the beast, and so your achievement is that of hunting dogs. But it is Xiao He who unleashed you and polnted out the place,and his achievement is that of the huntsman.' -

Records of the grand historian: Han dynasty by Ch’ien Ssu-Ma, Burton Watson

If you have a chance to see the Han exhibit in Santa Barbara, don't forget to explore the museum's excellent permanent Asian art exhibit. It, too, contains some beautiful artifacts from the Han period like this figurine of a female dancer and musician playing a Qin zither from Sichuan province (25 -220 CE) that I photographed there.

Early Mosques Without Minarets surveyed on Abu Dhabi Islands

2009-09-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

I found this article very interesting. I didn't realize that mosques have not always had minarets. According to Dr. Geoffrey King, an expert in Islamic art and archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and now academic director of the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey, early mosques, in many cases, were simple structures of natural materials pointed towards Mecca.

[Image - Muraykhi mosque, dating back to the 1930s, is one of the 45 studied by the archaeological team. It has been restored as a heritage museum. Image courtesy of The National Centre for Documentation and Research]

“The minaret is a northern development out of Syria,” he says. “The first minarets were introduced when the Muslims got to Damascus and built the Great Mosque, using the old temple there and utilising the old Roman corner towers, making them into what became minarets. All the places that were influenced by the very old Arabian tradition have none; that means east Africa and Oman and those on Delma are the same.”

In all, Dr. King's team surveyed 45 mosques found on the islands.

"The simplest remains, built from small stones or slabs of beach rock, without roof or wall and ranging from one metre to 30 metres long, are impossible to date. Little more than defined spaces facing Mecca, they contained no dateable material – kept clean and certainly not used as sites for cooking or other household chores, they yielded none of the detritus of daily life.

What is certain, however, Dr King said, is that these sites echo the oldest Islamic tradition, dating back to the reported provisions for prayer made during the Prophet’s military expedition to Tabuk, in present-day north-west Saudi Arabia, in 630: “When they prayed, they just laid out some stones to face Mecca.” - More: The National

Did Editha, queen of Otto I, suffer a genetic disorder? Remains centerpiece of Magdeburg exhibit

2009-08-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

This modest exhibit of artifacts unearthed by archaeologist Rainer Kuhn at Magdeburg Cathedral sounds fascinating. Of course I was particularly interested in the remains of Queen Editha, an English woman who became the beloved of German King Otto the Great. Unlike Henry VIII's disdain for his Germanic queen, Anne of Cleves, centuries later, Otto reportedly adored Editha, daughter of Edward the Elder and sister of reigning English King Athelstan.

[Image - Sculpture of Otto I and his queen, Editha (Eadgyth) of England in Magdeburg Cathedral. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

Unfortunately, Editha, sometimes spelled Ædgyth, died between the ages of 33 to 37, so their love was rather short-lived. The article says she bore only two children but I found a genealogy record online that says she gave birth to two girls, Luitgarde Liudolfing and Richilde Richeza Liudolfing Princess of Germany, and one boy, Heinrich Liudolfing Duke of Bavaria.

After Editha's death, Otto married Adelaide, young widow of King Lothar of Italy, to save her from a forced marriage to Adalbert, son of Berengar of Ivrea, an old rival of King Lothar who had seized power upon Lothar's death. Berengar had also seized Pope John XII. In 960 CE the Pope appealed to Otto for help. Subsequently, Otto invaded Italy and defeated Berengar, seizing the iron crown of the Lombards for himself. In 962 he was proclaimed Emperor of the Romans.

Although Otto's son by Editha, Liudolfing, had been named Otto's successor in 946, Liudolfing feared for his position in the succession after his father's marriage to Adelaide produced a son as well. So, he formed an alliance with other German dukes and rose up against his father. When the Magyars invaded, Liudolfing even attempted an alliance with them which cost him much of his political support. With his alliances crumbling around him, Liudolfing surrendered formally to his father. Although his life was spared and he retained his estates, his duchy was not restored to him. The Magyars, however, fought on and in 955 Otto defeated them on the Plain of Lechfeld. Liudolfing died just two years later in 957 at the approximate age of only 27.

Editha's daughter, Luitgarde Liudolfing, ended up marrying Konrad II von Carinthia Duke of Franconia. Although she died at the tender age of 22, she did have one son, Duke Otto II von Carinthia.

Editha's second daughter, Richilde Richeza Liudolfing Princess of Germany, was the only one of her offspring that led a relatively long life. She lived to the age of 67, having married twice. But, she, too, did not have many children - only two boys.

Since almost a quarter of Editha's skeleton has survived in the lead sarcophagus that entombed it, researchers are hoping to find clues as to why the queen had relatively few children in a marriage that spanned 18 years presumably without birth control. Whatever the condition was, it appears to have been somewhat genetic as even her daughter that lived to 67 had only two children and they subsequently had only one child each in their marriages.

“We discovered the sarcophagus [of Queen Editha] with a miniature camera,” Kuhn said. “We opened it in November [2008]. Astonishingly, it was full. Full of bones, textiles and mould. All this is being analyzed in the coming months. Of the skeleton, about a quarter has survived, I would guess. As far as the textiles are concerned, it is clear that in 1510, whoever reburied her used a new cloth and put everything found in the old grave into that.”

“She died early, between the ages of 33 and 36. When we analyze her bones, we will know more about her. Was she big, small? Why did she only have two children? It’s not many for this period. How did she live? Did she suffer diseases? What did she eat?” - More: Bloomberg.com

Youtube video of Thracian treasures of Bulgaria breathtaking!

2009-07-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

While I was on YouTube looking for a video about Macedonian tombs I came across this video that gives a wonderful overview of the spectacular Thracian treasures that have been unearthed in Bulgaria. I hope to visit Bulgaria one day and see these wonders for myself!

Seventeen 5th century BCE tombs unearthed in Macedonia

2009-07-21T16:33:00.001-07:00

This discovery sounds exciting and very unique. I wish the article had included some pictures. The discovery of the gold chest plate embossed with a sun is particularly interesting. I wonder if the sun resembles the so-called Vergina sun found on a gold casket in the royal tombs discovered by Manolis Andronikos.

This YouTube video includes images of several Macedonian tomb sites and artifacts discovered within them including the gold casket embossed with the Vergina sun. It gets a little political towards the end though. My inclusion of it here is merely for illustrative purposes and does not imply any agreement with any political statements made within it.

Macedonian archaeologists have discovered 17 tombs dating from the 5th century BC in Ohrid, southwestern Macedonia, local media reported Monday. In one tomb, archaeologists found bones of a 15-year-old girl with a unique funeral mask made up of thin gold eye-covers, gold plate for the mouth and a plaque with an engraved sun placed on her chest. "This kind of a mask is unique for the Balkans. Several gold plates were found in Aegean region, but this kind of combination in one grave is unknown," Pasko Kuzman, head of the Macedonian Department for Cultural Heritage, was quoted as saying. Jewelry, golden chains and objects made from amber were also found in the graves. - More: EarthTimes

Neanderthal wound from thrown spear points to Cro- Magnon homicide

2009-07-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

For years the debate has raged over whether modern humans may have actually killed off Neanderthals. Finally, it looks like, at least in this one case, scientists may have come up with enough evidence to conclude that the remains of a Neanderthal known to the scholarly community as Shanidar 3, discovered in the Zagros mountains of northeastern Iraq in the late 1950s, was the victim of an attack by a spear-throwing Cro-Magnon rather than a hunting accident or intratribal dispute.

[Image - Model of Neanderthal at the Museum of Man, San Diego, California. Photo by Mary Harrsch]

The wound that ultimately killed a Neanderthal man between 50,000 and 75,000 years was most likely caused by a thrown spear, the kind modern humans used but Neanderthals did not, according to Duke University-led research.
Drawing from studies aimed at improving police and prison guard protection, the researchers concluded that the downward sweep of a knife could have the correct trajectory to produce Shanidar 3's rib injury. "Knife attacks generally involve a relatively higher kinetic energy," the report said. However, "whatever created that puncture was carrying fairly low kinetic energy at a low momentum," said Steven Churchill, an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke. "That's consistent with a spear-thrower delivered spear."

The investigators rigged up a special crossbow to fire stone-age projectiles, using calibration marks on the crossbow to tell them how much force they were delivering with each launch.

Those tests revealed the delivered energy needed to create similar wounds in the ribs of pig carcasses, which the researchers used as an approximation of a Neanderthal's body.

The researchers also used measurements from a 2003 study to estimate the impact of using a thrusted rather than thrown spear, the kind of jabbing that Neanderthals are thought to have employed. That produced higher kinetic energies and caused more massive rib damage than Shanidar 3 sustained.

Another clue was the angle of the wound. Whatever nicked his rib entered the Neanderthal's body at about 45 degrees downward angle. That's consistent with the "ballistic trajectory" of a thrown weapon, assuming that Shanidar 3 -- who was about 5 feet, 6 inches tall -- was standing, Churchill said. - More: ScienceBlog.com

Joseon Dynasty structures worthy of UNESCO World Heritage Status

2009-06-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

I see that UNESCO has added forty royal tombs of Korea's Joseon Dynasty to the World Heritage List. The Joseon Dynasty ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910.

[Image - The tomb of King Sejong the Great exemplifies the general style of Joseon Dynasty royal tombs. Photo by Kai Hendry, courtesy of Wikipedia]

It's founder, Yi Seong-gye,was a powerful general who seized power and had the Goryeo King U and his 8-year-old son, King Chang, executed then declared himself king, taking the name King Taejo.

King Taejo founded the city of Hanseong which became the modern city of Seoul. In it, he constructed Gyeongbuk Palace, completed in 1395, and the Changdeok Palace in 1405. Surprisingly, I noticed that although the Changdeok Palace was added to the World Heritage List in 1997, the Gyeongbuk Palace does not appear to be on the list. Upon further research I see that the original Gyeongbuk Palace was destroyed during the Japanese invasions of 1592. It was rebuilt in 1867 but again burned in 1876. King GoJong restored it in 1888 but it was dismantled by the Japanese in 1920 to restore the Huijeongdang of Changdeokgung Palace that had been destroyed by fire in 1917. Fortunately for all of us, Gyeongbuk Palace was reconstructed in 1994, meticulously replicated using the original specifications and design.

Joseon architects were truly masterful. Looking at pictures of the palace complex in Wikipedia, I find the Queen's Quarters especially beautiful.

[Image: KyoTaeJeon in Gyeongbokgung (Queen's Quarters), Seoul, Korea. Photo by Joon-Young, Kim. Courtesy of Wikipedia]

I was also touched when I read that King Sejong, Taejo's great-grandson, had the structure built to provide privacy to his Queen because Sejong suffered from frail health and often had to conduct business within the walls of his official residence in Gangnyeongjeon Hall. Behind the Queen's Quarters this sensitive ruler built a beautiful garden named Amisan. It's four hexagonal chimneys, constructed around 1869 in orange brick and decorative roof tiles, are renowned for their artistry that obscures their utilitarian function.

Sejong's reign was considered the pinnacle of the Joseon Dynasty. This interesting leader invented the Korean script, hanguel, "which is considered much easier to learn than Chinese characters. He also revolutionized agriculture and sponsored the invention of the rain gauge and sundial. Sejong was so wise, even as a young man, that his two older brothers stepped aside so he could be king." - More: About.com

[Image: Sejong The Great. Courtesy of The Korea Herald]

The Joseon Dynasty also fostered an acclaimed admiral, Yi Sun-sin, who, through the use of "turtle ships", the world's first ironclads, defeated the fearsome Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the battle of Battle of Hansan-do in 1592.

[Image right - The Statue of Yi Sunsin, Sejongro, Jongrogu, Seoul, S.Korea. Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Although Korea escaped domination by Japan at that point, the Joseon Dynasty eventually sucuumbed to the Manchu Dynasty after most of central Korea was ravaged by Manchu forces in 1637. When the Japanese returned to Korea during the Sino-Japanese War in 1894-95, Qing forces were defeated, leaving the Joseon Dynasty to its fate.

"When Emperor Gojong sent an emissary to The Hauge in June 1907 to protest Japan's aggressive posture, the Japanese Resident-General in Korea forced the monarch to abdicate his throne.
Japan installed its own officials in the executive and judicial branches of the Korean Imperial government, disbanded the Korean military, and gained control of the police and prisons. Soon, Korea would become Japanese in name as well as in fact.
In 1910, the Joseon Dynasty fell, and Japan formally occupied the Korean Peninsula." - More: About.com

Learn more about it:

Intact Canaanite Tomb Found in Bethlehem

2009-06-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

It is always exciting when an ancient intact tact tomb is discovered, especially one over 4,000 years old like this Canaanite tomb unearthed in Bethlehem.

[Image - Although not specifically Canaanite, this Early Dynastic Period figurine of a woman, discovered at Tell Asmar, part of the collection of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, is only a few centuries older than the discovered tomb and probably reflects the dress and hairstyle of women from this period in the ancient Near East. Photo by Mary Harrsch.]

Workers renovating a house in the traditional town of Jesus’ birth accidentally discovered an untouched ancient tomb containing clay pots, plates, beads and the bones of two humans, a Palestinian antiquities official said Tuesday.

The 4,000-year-old tomb provides a glimpse of the burial customs of the area’s inhabitants during the Canaanite period, said Mohammed Ghayyada, director of the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Workers in a house near the Church of the Nativity uncovered a hole leading to the grave, which was about one meter (yard) below ground, he said. They dated the grave to the Early Bronze Age, between 1,900 B.C. and 2,200 B.C. - More: Azstarnet.com

This last statement is a little confusing as the Canaanite Middle Bronze Age I encompasses the dates indicated. Perhaps different scholarly groups name the periods differently. Anyway, this shaft tomb appears to be a typical semi-nomadic burial of a nuclear family.

The EB IV [Early Bronze Age IV Period] should be seen as the phase during which the process of the desertion of the towns [of Canaan] reached its peak; some of the towns had been abandoned during the EB III b, and others were abandoned during this phase. By the end of the EB IV, there were no urban settlements left in Canaan (Gophna 1992: 126 ff.). What were the motives of the decline of urban culture? Three different approaches of the events in Canaan during this period have been proposed. Some scholars consider that a wave of northern invaders (part of the Amorite migration to his area) or a campaign of Egyptian Fifth Dynasty kings was responsible for the destruction of the towns. The undestroyed sites would have been abandoned in terror.The second approach prefers an ecological point of view, pointing to data indicating a decrease in rainfall and a lowering of the water level, which would have doomed many settlements.Finally, others see the city-state system destroyed by friction and disagreement, a result of the constant warfare between the city-states evidenced in the repeated destructions and reconstructions visible in the EB II-III layers.Presently, it seems that an approach integrating the three explanations, along with additional reasons (trade, symbiosis, and cooperation), should be preferred in explaining the end of urban culture. - More: Sociedad De Estudios De Historia Antigua

I couldn't tell from the description, though, if this was a primary or secondary burial as the article did not state whether the bones were found "collected" or in an extended or flexed position as has been the case in primary burials excavated previously. The modest grave goods were consistent with a burial of this period.

The burial gifts interred in the Intermediate Bronze Age tombs do not excel in wealth. The typical offering consists of personal ornaments (metal pins, bracelets, and beads), pottery vessels, metal (copper) tools and weapons (a dagger or a spear). - More: Sociedad De Estudios De Historia Antigua

Islamic Art showcased in new exhibit in Madrid

2009-06-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

This exhibit sounds fascinating. Unfortunately, I don't have time this year to travel to Spain to see it. But, I was excited to read that many of the items in it will be eventually housed in a new museum in Toronto, Canada! Some years ago I attended an exhibit of items from the Ottoman Empire at the Portland Art Museum. It was comprised mostly of ornamental weapons and manuscripts. This exhibit includes figural items to help refute the widespread misconception that animal or human motifs are prohibited in Islamic art. Although figural art is prohibited in buildings or objects related to religion, they were used profusely to adorn administrative or private structures or objects.

[Image - although not in the Madrid exhibit, this cast bronze lion in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York demonstrates a blending of Islamic, Byzantine and western artistic traditions. Originally gilded and inlaid, the lion was cast in 1000-1100 CE probably in South Italy. It is inscribed in Arabic in Kufic script. Photo by Mary Harrsch.]

I was particularly interested in the inclusion of art from the Mogul Empire. I watched an excellent program about the Moguls on the History Channel and have been reading quite a bit lately about the conquests of Genghis Khan and his successors. I also enjoyed the film, "Mongol". It is supposed to be the first installment of a trilogy and I look forward to the sequels. I regret that when I was in England again last summer I didn't have time to travel to Leeds to view the only remaining complete set of Mogul elephant armor in the world. Maybe it will be included in a traveling exhibit someday!

I encourage you to click on the link to the full article below. It is quite extensive and most informative!

The art, the history, the traditions and the geographies of the Islamic world from the Far East to the Iberian Peninsula are the subjects of the exhibition The Worlds of Islam in the Aga Khan Museum Collection. Organised by ”la Caixa” Social and Cultural Outreach Projects in association with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, it contains some of the finest productions, not only of the Islamic sphere, but of universal art, with the common denominator of the Arabic language and the Muslim religion. The Aga Khan Museum Collection includes valuable and important pieces from the historical dynasties of the Muslim world. They describe the magnificence of the courts of the Abassids, Fatimids, Safavids or Moguls and show the ductility of Islamic art, capable of conveying a message, not always a religious one, adopting different styles and combining elements from different cultural traditions: from Roman to Persian, from Turkish to Chinese, from Mahgrebi to Hindu, transforming what it imitated and giving it a personality of its own.

The exhibition, which can be seen at CaixaForum Madrid until 6 September, presents a set of 190 objects spanning 1400 years of history and summarizing, in wood, stone, gold, bronze, ivory, glass, ceramic, fabric, parchment and paper, the finest artistic accomplishments of a world that stretched from ancient al-Andalus to India.

The exhibition presents the different Islamic dynasties, with their radiuses of territorial influence, which appeared in the wake of the dismembering of the Abbasid caliphate in the late 9th century: the Omeyas (al-Andalus), the Fatimids and the Mamelukes (Egypt), the Ottomans (Turkey), the Safavids and Qajars (Iran) and the Moguls (India). The Fatimid court was outstanding for its opulence, as some of the pieces of jewelry on show bear witness. The essential features of Islamic court culture are traced through a generic portrait of the profile of their sovereigns. Emphasis is placed on the high cultural level of the Islamic courts that were responsible for spreading knowledge of Ancient Greece to the West through their Arabic translations.

The exhibition also reflects some of the fundamental features of Islamic architecture, such as a capital in the Roman tradition with Islamic ornamental motifs, as well as carved wooden beams and doors. The outstanding examples of painting are to be found in the books illustrated with miniatures and the portraits of kings and sultans. - More: Artdaily.org

Archaeologists uncover worker structures in Persepolis

2009-06-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

A joint Iranian-Italian archeological mission in Iran have found remains of the dwellings of some of the common people living in Persepolis. Persepolis was one of the five capitals of the Achaemenid Empire in ancient Persia. Its construction began in 520 BC under the Emperor Darius the Great. It was destroyed by fire during its occupation by the Macedonian forces of Alexander the Great two centuries later.

[Image - bas relief from the palace of Darius in Persepolis. Photo by Mary Harrsch]

In an interview with the “Tehran Times”, translated by the magazine “Archeologia Viva” (Giunti Editore), the Italian director of the mission, Pierfrancesco Callieri, professor of Archeology and Iranian Art History at the University of Bologna, affirmed that the new findings at the Persepolis site have furnished initial information on the city and on the neighborhoods where the common people lived. During the course of the excavations of the flat area at the foot of the Great Achaemenid Terrace and about 1 km from here, the team led by Professor Callieri discovered the first traces of a residential area which could correspond to the city of Mattezish, mentioned in the Elamite tablets in Persepolis. During the Achaemenid period (6th- 4th century BC), all the people working for the Imperial Court lived here, from functionaries to workers. Professor Callieri said that in one of the two excavation sites, “we localized a noteworthy structure, probably the walls of one of the building complexes of the city” instead in the other sites the archeologists localized “an artisan area with an oven and various waste ditches, surely connected to the work activities of the area as we found various ceramic pieces but also fragments of animal bones”. - Adnkronos.com

Midstone Project sheds light on construction of Alexandria's Pharos Lighthouse

2009-06-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

The Midstone Project has released information it has compiled about the construction materials used in the building of the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria. The research team has even traced the materials to their quarries of origin. This lengthy article also provides an excellent overview of the history of the lighthouse and descriptions of it provided by ancient travelers and scholars.

Since that time every archaeologist has dreamed of the resurrection of such a great monument. But can Alexandria's Pharos really be reconstructed in its original, glorious form?

This question has perplexed archaeologists and scientists. They do not really know the materials used in construction, nor the exact shape and height.

Three years ago, however, answers to these questions were made possible when Egypt participated in a three-year-long European Union project called the MIDSTONE. This project aimed at preserving ancient Mediterranean sites in terms of their ornamental and building stone through determining stone provenance to proposing conservation and restoration techniques. The MIDSTONE project proposes to contribute to the knowledge and conservation of three of the most important ancient sites in North Africa: Voluble in Morocco, Djemila in Algeria and the Alexandria lighthouse in Egypt. An atlas of the stones of every site will be also provided within the project.

This year the Atlas of the Stones of Alexandria Lighthouse is being presented in a three-day conference at Cairo University and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Amr El-Tibi, the project coordinator, says the scientific objective of the project is to identify the stones of the lighthouse and determine their provenance in terms of the geographical area. The data and results obtained are being presented in an accessible form including photographs and maps, i.e. the Atlas.

El-Tibi explained that a detailed study of the blocks was performed to categorise megascopically the main types of stones related to the Pharos, and a first series of 32 samples was collected. As most of the stones related to the lighthouse were still under water, a second series of 35 samples was collected by divers from submerged architectonic blocks. The whole of the 67 archaeological samples were described megascopically and categorised in the laboratory in terms of their petrographic type of stone and physical chemical properties. Studies revealed that the Pharos was indeed composed of granite, greywacke limestone, fine to coarse-grained sandstones, marble and sandstones with dolomitic cement to sandy dolostone found at the basement of Qaitbay fort.

The stones derived from two quarries not far from Alexandria at Mexx and Abusir, as well as from quarries in Moqattam near Cairo; Samalut; Minya; and Drunka in Assiut; Serai and Tarawan.

Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities )SCA), told Al-Ahram Weekly that he was very happy to introduce the results of this important project on the study of the stones of the Alexandria lighthouse. "This outstanding cooperative effort between the SCA and the European Union brought together teams from Egypt, France, Italy, Greece and Germany to identify and study remains of the lighthouse that are still at the site today," Hawass said.

He added that with the help of Empereur, who drew the attention to the location of the pieces lying submerged in the harbour of Alexandria, the team was able to classify the stone blocks that made up the remains of the lighthouse. One of the most interesting results, he said, was the identification of stones that they were able to match with the quarries from which they came. The provenance of the coarse-grained pink and grey granite blocks was from the quarries of Aswan, while pieces of greywacke were confirmed to have come from Wadi Hammamat. They also, Hawass said, succeeded in identifying the quarry in Greece from where the marble used in the lighthouse was obtained. - More: Al-Ahram Weekly Online

Will Underwater Excavation of Pavlopetri Provide Clues to Greek Dark Ages?

2009-05-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

When I read about the underwater excavation and survey of Pavlopetri, a Mycenaen village submerged off the southern tip of Greece, I wondered if the team might find some clues to the Greek Dark Ages in the remnants of this Mycenaen settlement.

[Image: Terracotta chariot krater Helladic Mycenaean Late Helladic IIIB 1300-1230 BCE in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Mary Harrsch]

The article says pottery dates abruptly stop at 1180 BCE which is significant as this marks the boundary period between the late Bronze Age and the period referred to as the Greek Dark Ages. Evidence that the city was not rebuilt would point to some kind of natural cataclysm of tremendous proportions. I immediately thought about the eruption of Thera but two studies reported in 2006 seem to support a much older date for that particular catastrophe:

"One study, led by archaeologist Sturt Manning at Cornell University, dated wood and seed samples collected from Akrotiri.
Another study, led by geologist Walter Friedrich of the University of Aarhus in Denmark, uses a single branch to pinpoint the time of death for an olive tree believed to have been buried alive during the eruption.

Together, the two studies strongly suggest an eruption date of somewhere between 1660 and 1600 B.C. - More: Fox News

This later cataclysm, however, could have been part of an earthquake "storm" that rippled along the Mediterranean's eastern plate boundary in subsequent centuries.

The BBC seems to dismiss the possibility that earthquake storms could have been that devastating:

Most controversial is the theory that an earthquake storm may have been responsible for the abrupt physical and political collapse of Aegean Bronze Age world around 1200 BC. Some geologists and archaeologists point out that most of the ancient cities that fell at that time lie along the plate-boundary of the eastern Mediterranean and show signs of destruction typical of earthquakes. It supports a view that a storm of earthquakes successively ‘unzipped’ the plate boundary, so weakening the cities along the way that they were left vulnerable militarily, inviting attacks from opportunistic neighbours.

Earthquakes have frequently been used by historians and archaeologists as convenient explanations for cataclysmic destructions and abandonments. But earthquakes rarely wipe out entire cities, let alone entire regions. More often, seismic shocks leave cities as jumbles of ruined, damaged and intact buildings, encouraging their inhabitants not to flee but to stay and rebuild their houses and livelihoods. It is a pattern that we see in modern earthquake disasters, and there is little sign that human nature was any different in the past. - More: Journeys From The Centre of the Earth, BBC, Open2.net

However, this generalization does not seem to take into account the evidence from Pavlopetri that its people did not rebuild in the 12th century BCE or evidence from excavations at Sagalassos that their citizens abandoned their city after Arab raids and a catastophic quake in the 7th century CE (As coincidence would have it, I just viewed a film about the excavations at Sagalassos at the Archaeology Channel International Film Festival two days ago). On the contrary, these examples from the archaeological record seem to lend substance to the "earthquake and subsequent military vulnerability" theory as a reasonable causal hypothesis for such epochs of cultural decline.

The researchers are using a new sonar scanning technique that sounds like it will yield as detailed of images as a laser scanner.

"'We're using scanning sonar', which has been developed by an offshore engineering company [Kongsberg Mesotech in Vancouver, Canada, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, headquartered in Norway]. Their equipment does the same thing a terrestrial laser scanner would do, only using acoustic signals. It can take thousands of points over a couple of minutes and also take photorealistic impressions, so we could produce three-dimensional models using this equipment. Until now, sonar hasn't been able to produce as accurate a survey as terrestrial techniques. But if it does deliver everything it is supposed to, it could completely revolutionize underwater archaeology. Getting decent plans quickly is often a problem, and we often use measuring tapes and lines — which is effective, but time-consuming." - More: NatureNews

Film "Agora" Profiles Female Mathematician and Pagan Martyr Hypatia

2009-05-22T08:23:00.001-07:00

The new film "Agora" starring Rachel Weisz as 4th century CE female scholar, Hypatia, sounds almost like the antithesis of Ben Hur.

"The heart of the film is Hypatia (Rachel Weisz in an unfaltering performance), the fourth century AD philosopher and teacher who lived in Alexandria during the Roman Empire. Married only to her unquenchable intellect and passion for mathematics and astronomy, she is loved by two men: her slave, Davus (Max Minghella), and her student, Orestes (Oscar Isaac).

Politics in the film are weakest during the overtly political speeches and monologues, and best captured in the details. Like many, Davus seeks not spiritual salvation in the Christian uprising but freedom from slavery, despite the bloodshed. His first attempt at prayer is brilliant: Unable to remember the Lord's Prayer, he quickly falls into a mantra to God to keep Hypatia away from Orestes. For his part, Orestes will renounce paganism and convert to Christianity during his rise in Roman politics." - More: Reuter

Hypatia was the daughter of Theon, who was her teacher and the last known mathematician associated with the museum of Alexandria. She traveled to both Athens and Italy to study, before becoming head of the Platonist school at Alexandria in approximately 400 AD . According to the 10th century Byzantine encyclopedia the Suda, she worked as teacher of philosophy, teaching the works of Plato and Aristotle. - More: Wikipedia

"Hypatia corresponded with and hosted scholars from others cities. Synesius, Bishop of Ptolemais, was one of her correspondents and he visited her frequently. Hypatia was a popular lecturer, drawing students from many parts of the empire.

From the little historical information about Hypatia that survives, it appears that she invented the plane astrolabe, the graduated brass hydrometer and the hydroscope, with Synesius of Greece, who was her student and later colleague.

Hypatia dressed in the clothing of a scholar or teacher, rather than in women's clothing. She moved about freely, driving her own chariot, contrary to the norm for women's public behavior. She exerted considerable political influence in the city."

"...[The local Christian bishop Cyril incited] a mob led by fanatical Christian monks in 415 to attack Hypatia as she drove her chariot through Alexandria. They dragged her from her chariot and, according to accounts from that time, stripped her, killed her, stripped her flesh from her bones, scattered her body parts through the streets, and burned some remaining parts of her body in the library of Caesareum." - More: About.com

So much for compassion and tolerance!

Update: 7/7/09: Agora trailer has been released. Apparently, the film is set to premiere in December!

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