Let's talk history

[Tatetopa]

1 hour ago, Piney said:

Ya'll just had to keep your bloody slaves, no matter what! 

Slaves?  The West Texas branch of the family were dirt poor ranchers, no John Wayne or Ben Cartwright in my family tree.

You know that slavery didn't play large in high school history books in the 70's either.   Joe, Col. Travis' brave and loyal slave who fought and died protecting the Colonel at the Alamo got about as much coverage as cotton plantations.  We loved those stories about kindly masters and loyal slaves back in the day.  I think Texas still prefers those 70's vintage text books from what I read about Texas State Text Book selection.

Unless you really look into it, the fact that there were slaves, free blacks and Mexicans who also fought and died at the Alamo as well as fought for Texas Independence barely rates a foot note.  And sadly, after the war was over, most of them got a pretty raw deal.  

It got even worse after the Civil War.

 

[Piney]

8 minutes ago, Tatetopa said:

Unless you really look into it, the fact that there were slaves, free blacks and Mexicans who also fought and died at the Alamo as well as fought for Texas Independence barely rates a foot note.  And sadly, after the war was over, most of them got a pretty raw deal.  

 

Texas ceded from Mexico because Mexico banned slavery. 

But members of my tribe fighting for Houston and Carson made a mint selling Comanche, Navajo and Apache slaves to Texans and Mexicans. Some of my tribe got a raw deal too and all Delua were sent to Mexico, but the migrated up into Oklahoma. (The Absentee Delaware)

[Harte]

55 minutes ago, Piney said:

Texas ceded from Mexico because Mexico banned slavery. 

In a cruel twist of fate, Texas would have minced out into the Gulf of Mexico - but mincing in cowboy boots proved difficult to accomplish.

Harte

[Piney]

19 minutes ago, Harte said:

In a cruel twist of fate, Texas would have minced out into the Gulf of Mexico - but mincing in cowboy boots proved difficult to accomplish.

 

Singlefooted! 

......the original 3 Bars and King Ranch horses were 5 gaited. 

[Wistman]

(July 8)  6000 y.o. stone dart tip found at Waneskewan Heritage Park, Saskatoon dig site by student:

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Kristina Chomyshen was hard at work excavating a layer that seemed to be turning up nothing. Still, she was optimistic.

After all, even fragments of plains bison bone, scattered across the Wolf Willow dig site at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, could tell a story when enough of them were brought together.

So when the University of Saskatchewan archaeology student saw a flash of grey, something that looked complex and solid, she knew it was significant.

(I will of course not comment upon the bison presence, due to the evolutionary discussion on another thread.    )

         

                                                photo:  Chris Putnam/University of Saskatchewan

Quote

The point, a tip of a dart that was thrown with using a device called a throwing board, was the weapon of choice for hunters in the area for thousands of years and predates arrows by about 4,000 years. It’s the oldest object found at the site and among the oldest in the park.

The discovery of the point confirms that people were at that exact site 6,000 years ago. The youngest documented occupation there was around 650.

https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/usask-student-find-6000-year-old-stone-dart-tip-at-wanuskewin-dig-site

 

(July 10)  Anasazi may have experienced food shortages, says University of Colorado news release:

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Benson, a retired geochemist and paleoclimatologist who spent most of his career working for the U.S. Geological Survey, set out to better understand if such conditions might have limited how many people could live in the canyon. In the recent study, he and Ohio State University archaeologist Deanna Grimstead pulled together a wide range of data to explore where Chaco Canyon residents might, conceivably, have grown maize, a staple food for most ancestral Pueblo peoples.

They found that these pre-colonial farmers not only contended with scarce rain, but also destructive flash floods that swept down the canyon's valley floor.

"If you're lucky enough to have a spring flow that wets the ground ahead of planting, about three-quarters of the time you'd get a summer flow that destroys your crops," Benson said.

The team calculated that Chacoans could have, at most, farmed just 100 acres of the Chaco Canyon floor. Even if they farmed all of the surrounding side valleys--a monumental feat--they would still have only produced enough corn to feed just over 1,000 people.

The researchers also went one step further, assessing whether past Chaco residents could have supplemented this nutritional shortfall with wild game like deer and rabbits. They calculated that supplying the 185,000 pounds of protein needed by 2,300 people would have quickly cleared all small mammals from the area.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-07/uoca-fmh071019.php

 

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Edited July 18, 2019 by The Wistman

[Wistman]

Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities opens two pyramids to public:

(June 29)  Middle Kingdom pharaoh Senusret II's el Lahun pyramid in the Fayoum, dates to 1897 - 1878 BCE:

           

                                                          photo:  Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

Quote

"The pyramid was built from mud brick, but its core consists of stone walls that were infilled by mud brick. It had a length of 106 meters, a slope of about 42 degrees and a height of 48.65 meters," al-Anany said at a press conference.

Quote

According to the Egyptian minister, there are two chambers and a sarcophagus of red granite without cover inside the pyramid.

But "the mummy of the king hasn't been found yet," he said.

The restoration work of the pyramid and its surrounding area started in August 2018 with the removal of debris found inside its corridors and burial chamber, installation of wooden stairs to facilitate its entrance, re-installation of the fallen stones in the hall and corridor to its original location, as well as restoring the deteriorated stones of its floor and installing a new lighting system.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-06/29/c_138182724.htm

 

(July 17)  After more than 50 years, Old Kingdom pharaoh Sneferu's Bent Pyramid at Dahshur, reopens to public:

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Sneferu, a pharaoh who ruled over Egypt in the 25th century B.C., commissioned the pyramid, which was the first to be built at Dahshūr. It appears “bent” because its slope changes at the mid-way point; the lower part of the pyramid was built at an angle of 54 degrees, but the top part clocks in at an angle of 43 degrees. Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, tells Lewis that the architectural direction shifted because cracks began to appear in the structure, indicating that it was unstable.

The Bent Pyramid may represent one step in Sneferu’s journey to find the perfect pyramid formula. Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist with the American University in Cairo, tells Robyn Bresnahan for the CBC that the pharaoh had four pyramids built on his behalf; while it’s not entirely clear why, experts think he “might have ... been trying to get it right,” Ikram says.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/egypt-opens-its-bent-pyramid-first-time-50-years-180972673/

                    

 

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Edited July 18, 2019 by The Wistman

[Piney]

Today is the Feast Day of Bartolome de la Casas, the "Protector of the Indians" in the Episcopal and Lutheran Churchs.......not the Catholic.....

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartolomé_de_las_Casas

[Kenemet]

23 hours ago, Harte said:

In a cruel twist of fate, Texas would have minced out into the Gulf of Mexico - but mincing in cowboy boots proved difficult to accomplish.

Harte

That's 'boot-scootin' to you Bubba.

[Kenemet]

4 hours ago, The Wistman said:

Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities opens two pyramids to public:

(June 29)  Middle Kingdom pharaoh Senusret II's el Lahun pyramid in the Fayoum, dates to 1897 - 1878 BCE:

                                                 photo:  Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-06/29/c_138182724.htm

 

(July 17)  After more than 50 years, Old Kingdom pharaoh Sneferu's Bent Pyramid at Dahshur, reopens to public:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/egypt-opens-its-bent-pyramid-first-time-50-years-180972673/

                     

(sigh) I wish I were going back soon!  I want to see these!

[jaylemurph]

1 hour ago, Piney said:

Today is the Feast Day of Bartolome de la Casas, the "Protector of the Indians" in the Episcopal and Lutheran Churchs.......not the Catholic.....

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartolomé_de_las_Casas

I saw that on Wikipedia today, too. Didn’t know he was venerated by Lutherans. I guess they covered that the one Sunday I missed Sunday School when I was 14. 

—Jaylemurph

[Mellon Man]

On 04/07/2019 at 10:00 AM, Mellon Man said:

To anyone interested.

Some of you might be aware that I am currently doing an excavation, of a prehistoric round mound. We have found something really exciting, it will likely hit the national news. Sadly, I cannot give any more information at this stage. However, as soon as the press release is out, I'll post more about this. 

I am so disappointed. What was meant to be exciting news of a rare find, has turned into a farce. For the keen observer it is obvious that this rare find, is being down played in the press release. Some of the sponsors are frightened that this rare find, could lead to local landowners with round mounds beginning their own excavations. Given current 'backroom' politics, it is better not to share my opinion of their media handling.

The jet bead necklace is one of only around 100 to have been found in the British Isles and the only one to have ever been found on the Isle of Man. Also excluded from the press release, is that this find is a complete 225 piece beaded jet necklace, which makes it even more rare. Although the post-ex analysis will give us a better picture, we do already suspect that the inhumantion was of a young adult. Sadly, it will be extremely hard to determine the sex, due to the conditions of the bones. However, most inhumantions with this type of find, has been of females.

https://manxnationalheritage.im/news/spectacular-bronze-age-finds/

If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

[Wistman]

@Mellon Man....what a wonderful find.  Your vest buttons must be popping.

From Archaeology Magazine, July 22:

Quote

[...]  122 jet beads carved with intricate patterns have been discovered in a Bronze Age grave in one of the more than 160 Round Mounds located on the Isle of Man. The beads, thought to have been crafted in North Yorkshire, range in size from less than one-half to nearly two inches long. [...] when strung on multiple strands, the necklace formed a crescent shape. Fowler said stones that may have served as a pestle, mortar, and cutting block were also found near the skeletal remains in the grave. The objects may have been intended to represent food, productivity, and fertility, he explained.  [...]

As you say, the coverage is incredibly brief: I've omitted some bits (no disrespect meant to the researchers by my edit,) but I don't want to quote the entire paragraph and there's really not much that can reasonably be cut (I know, a whole paragraph!!!)  I'm posting it for the little extra info.  Hope I haven't erred in doing so.

https://www.archaeology.org/news/7841-190722-manx-jet-beads

A slightly more fulsome article is here:  http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=49830&headline=featureBronze Age necklace find gives an insight into life 4,000 years ago&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019

And here, some more from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-49052723

 

Congratulations.

 

[Mellon Man]

1 hour ago, The Wistman said:

@Mellon Man....what a wonderful find.  Your vest buttons must be popping.

From Archaeology Magazine, July 22:

As you say, the coverage is incredibly brief: I've omitted some bits (no disrespect meant to the researchers by my edit,) but I don't want to quote the entire paragraph and there's really not much that can reasonably be cut (I know, a whole paragraph!!!)  I'm posting it for the little extra info.  Hope I haven't erred in doing so.

https://www.archaeology.org/news/7841-190722-manx-jet-beads

A slightly more fulsome article is here:  http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=49830&headline=featureBronze Age necklace find gives an insight into life 4,000 years ago&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019

And here, some more from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-49052723

 

Congratulations.

 

Thanks! 

To be fair the Isle of Man Today states we found arrowheads. We did only find 1 this season. What is amazing is the detailed decorations and the fact that it is complete, which makes it even more rare. Also the fact that large blocks of Peel Sandstones were part of the ring cairn, demonstrates the significance the site had to the people at the time. Given this kind of Standstone can only be found in Peel approximately 7 miles away

[Mellon Man]

I can see from my earlier post it states 225. Let me clarify this. The first 2 is a typo, should have been a 1. So 125. The reason why it is officially 122 and not 125, is due to the other three pieces being found via flotation. Hence, we couldn't directly link the 3 pieces of jet beads to the necklace. 

[Wistman]

There are some new bits that may be of interest.

(July 19)  Roasted pig drippings may have been used to move Stonehenge megaliths:

Quote

Ancient people may have moved some of the massive megaliths of Stonehenge into place by greasing giant sleds with pig lard, then sliding the giant stones on them across the landscape, a new study suggests.

After re-analyzing ceramic pots that earlier researchers believed were used to cook food, archaeologist Lisa-Marie Shillito concluded that many of those pots may have been used to collect fat that dripped off pigs as they were spit-roasted. The grease would have been stored as lard or tallow and used to lubricate the sleds most archaeologists believe were used to move the stones.

"Until now, there has been a general assumption that the traces of animal fat absorbed by these pieces of pottery were related to the cooking and consumption of food, and this steered initial interpretations in that direction," Shillito said in a statement. "But there may have been other things going on as well, and these residues could be tantalizing evidence of the greased sled theory."

https://www.livescience.com/65974-stonehenge-stones-moved-with-lard.html

 

(July 15)  Pollen analysis suggests Vikings may have used cannabis:

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In August 2018, an archaeological team excavated a peat bog located nearly 100 feet (30 meters) east of the Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows. They found a layer of "ecofacts" — environmental remains that may have been brought to the site by humans — that were radiocarbon dated to the 12th or 13th century.

These ecofacts include remains of two beetles not native to Newfoundland — Simplocaria metallica, from Greenland, and Acidota quadrata, from the Arctic. The layer also held pollen from Juglans (walnuts) and from Humulus (cannabis), two species that don't naturally grow at L'Anse aux Meadows; rather, the Vikings could have picked up all of these plant and animal species when they sailed south.

Quote

Ledger urged caution on the interpretation of the findings, noting that pollen can easily be carried by the wind. It's also possible that some of the other "ecofacts" were brought to the peat bog by indigenous peoples who lived in Newfoundland, and not by the Vikings.

https://www.livescience.com/65940-were-vikings-smoking-pot-in-newfoundland.html

 

(July 13)  Stone, pottery, wooden coffins unearthed near Amenemhat II pyramid at Dahshur:

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The Ministry of Antiquities managed to discover an ancient winding wall that extends about 60 meters to the east of Amenemhat II pyramid. This wall is considered an important architectural element that dates back to the Middle kingdom era.  A number of stone, pottery and wooden coffins were also found, some of which had mummies which were uncovered in good condition, in addition to a number of wooden masks some of them are incomplete and a set of tools that were used in cutting and polishing.

 

 

                     one of the stone coffins discovered at the site      

     

                                             photo credit:  Sky News - Arabia

I've read a comment elsewhere that questions the Middle Kingdom provenance of the wooden coffins (see above), based on construction design and decorations.  The Egypt Today article implies but does not state the coffins are of Middle Kingdom origin.  I have no expertise on the matter, but I'm just putting that out here in case someone concurs.  It seems the anthropoid shape replaced the square wooden shape sometime around the end of the Middle Kingdom period.  The Second Intermediate period definitely used anthropoid style coffins, but usually of the rishi type (folded feathered wings full over the body), and this one is not so.  Coffin experts please chime in.  Kmt_sesh, we miss you!

https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/72744/A-number-of-stone-pottery-and-wooden-coffins-were-uncovered

https://www.arce.org/resource/development-egyptian-coffin

 

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Edited July 25, 2019 by The Wistman

[Mellon Man]

40 minutes ago, The Wistman said:

There are some new bits that may be of interest.

(July 19)  Roasted pig drippings may have been used to move Stonehenge megaliths:

https://www.livescience.com/65974-stonehenge-stones-moved-with-lard.html

Although I have meet Lisa-Marie and she is likeable, I must admit I am extremely skeptical of this. I wonder what the bioarchaeologists from UoY, who researched the same pottery, have to say about this. Time to investigate! 

[jaylemurph]

Humulus isn’t cannabis. Am I wrong, or is this clickbait?

—Jaylemurph 

[docyabut2]

On ‎5‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 8:43 PM, Kenemet said:

Late 19th century fake.  The tell is the "tipi" on the stone.  No tipis were constructed in that area... wrong materials for one.  They did build brush huts but they didn't look like that. 

And that's a modern ear of corn

...etcetera.

 

Its just a Indian symbol of a man in a egg of a produce of men  

[Mellon Man]

21 minutes ago, jaylemurph said:

Humulus isn’t cannabis. Am I wrong, or is this clickbait?

—Jaylemurph 

Hmm. You are correct with respect to Humulus not being cannabis. Humulus was used in beer production. Surely, they can't have made such a huge mistake. 

Edit: 

"Apophytes (e.g., Rumex sp. Achillea millefolium type) are elevated at ca. 10% total land pollen (TLP), while exotics such as Juglans (Walnut) and Humulus type (hops or cannabis) are also present. Sporormiella-type fungi, exclusively associated with the dung of grazing herbivores (caribou in the case of Newfoundland), were also found in 7 of 12 samples."

"Cereal-type pollen could derive from wild grasses, while Humulus lupulus-type and Juglans may have arrived through wind dispersal. "

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/07/09/1907986116

Edited July 25, 2019 by Mellon Man

[docyabut2]

In America Indians claim these symbols were markings of water .

A Hohokam petroglyph can be found in the Saguaro National Monument, AZ. and it is believed that the carved spiral represents the water symbol.
What’s the true connection between this carving and the Hokoham culture which occupied the region of present-day Tucson and Phoenix, AZ.?

 

 https://www.ancientpages.com/2016/03/11/secrets-of-the-spiral-symbol-left-by-ancient-civilizations/

Edited July 25, 2019 by docyabut2

[jaylemurph]

2 hours ago, docyabut2 said:

In America Indians claim these symbols were markings of water .

A Hohokam petroglyph can be found in the Saguaro National Monument, AZ. and it is believed that the carved spiral represents the water symbol.
What’s the true connection between this carving and the Hokoham culture which occupied the region of present-day Tucson and Phoenix, AZ.?

 

 https://www.ancientpages.com/2016/03/11/secrets-of-the-spiral-symbol-left-by-ancient-civilizations/

I can tell you, but you have to pony up $99.99, first. 

You get what you pay for. 

—Jaylemurph 

[Wistman]

6 hours ago, The Wistman said:

 

                     one of the stone coffins discovered at the site      

     

                                             photo credit:  Sky News - Arabia

 

I can't edit the captions to the above images, but the top image is not a stone coffin, but pottery.  The bottom image is a wooden coffin inside a stone sarcophagus.  Sorry.

[Kenemet]

4 hours ago, docyabut2 said:

Its just a Indian symbol of a man in a egg of a produce of men  

It's not Native American... at least, not anything done by any Native American before 1840 or so.

....and eggs are produced by birds, I believe.  Human eggs don't look like that.

[+Pettytalk]

3 hours ago, Kenemet said:

It's not Native American... at least, not anything done by any Native American before 1840 or so.

....and eggs are produced by birds, I believe.  Human eggs don't look like that.

 

[jaylemurph]

1 hour ago, Pettytalk said:

 

There’s a Jonathan Winters joke in there somewhere. 

—Jaylemurph