Vidi
February 8, 2008 by Alun
I’m testing to see if ma.gnolia would be an easier way to produce Vidi posts.
Public Inquiry Into the Demolition of Smithfield’s Western Market Buildings Closes « BAJR - Blogging
In his closing submissions to the Inquiry, English Heritage’s barrister Robert McCracken QC said: “These applications are an attempt by the applicant and the City to drive a bulldozer, preceded by a ball and chain, through national and local heritage policies.”
Looting matters: Why Context Matters: Learning From Raids in California
Looting has both material and intellectual consequences. The question should now be asked, ‘Who is destroying antiquity?’
Roman Concrete « Great Names in History
There is nothing harder than old Roman concrete. Around the former empire you still see their walls and constructions of all kinds made of poured concrete.
What’s Wrong With This Picture? « Middle Savagery
Colleen Morgan on another thing that divides the Americans and the British
Airminded · Priorities
A historic building which once played a key role in saving the free world is about to be lost to posterity, with barely a whimper of protest.
Ancient Greece Odyssey: A Traveller’s Journal on Squidoo
One of a series of ‘lenses’ touring ancient Greece. I haven’t had time to read all of this yet, but it looks as though it could be very interesting.
Tax evasion scheme proves costly for Southeast Asian Archaeology | SEAArch - The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog
“The New York Times carries an article walking about how the recent antiquities smuggling racket damages the archaeological record - and all for a tax evasion scheme.” Noelbynature is justly annoyed.
A Very Remote Period Indeed: Quote of the day
I won’t spoil it by saying what the quote is, but given the first opportunity I’m lifting it and sticking it in my own work,
Cultural Heritage in Danger: A New Way Forward for U.S. Museums
Thomas Noble explains how repatriation of artefacts doesn’t give everything back.
The History Enthusiast: Theory, Historiography, and the Onset of “Imposter Syndrome”
A helpful post for uber-theorists like the ones I aspire to be - What is theory really for?
BBC NEWS | Scotland | Tayside and Central | Hope of finding first King’s home
Archaeologists believe they could be closer to discovering the site of the palace belonging to the first King of a united Scotland.
TaraWatch » New High Court action seeks to protect Hill of Tara archaeological complex from M3 motorway works
A High Court action was launched yesterday aimed at protecting the Lismullin national monument near Tara. The action is being taken by Gordon Lucas, who is seeking to enforce EU directives on national monuments.
In the Middle: Beowulf, Postmodern and Blazing Hot
Jeffrey J Cohen on what PresentationZen would call naked presentation. Or why technology is no substitute for being interesting.
Between a spray-painted rock and a hard place « SAND & DUST
Nick Brooks on the intersection between politics and heritage in the Western Sahara territory
Rome SPQR
Thoughts on an exhibition in Madrid from Doceo et Disco. Surprisingly well auto-translated from Spanish by Google.
Got Medieval: Google Penance: Why did medieval popes all have the same name?
Carl Pyrdum explains why Popes have a light-fingered approach to names.
Got Medieval: New Feature: Google Penance
This is a great idea. Using Google as a source of questions. Sadly it wouldn’t work for me and I don’t want to expose you to the search terms I get. Sadly using the word ‘expose’ will only generate more of the searches.
Hominin Dental Anthropology - Domestication: it’s what’s for dinner
Humans have been putting Mother Nature on rack to generate new crops for thousands of years. Fortunately this post isn’t agony if you’re interested in one of the major revolutions in the human past.
Wessex Archaeology News » Wrecks on the Seabed: Ecology
“Ever wondered about the plants and animals that live on shipwrecks? What sorts of effects do these critters have on archaeological remains? Can the types of flora and fauna that chose to colonise a particular wreck tell us anything about the stability of the site, for example?”
This could be a really clever idea and give a huge return in research for relatively little additional outlay. It would be nice to see if this approach could also be applied to inland sites.
Hellenistic era finds on Kuwaiti isle
Archaeological excavations on Failaka Island, located 20 km off the coast of Kuwait City in the extreme western end of the Persian Gulf, have brought to light a series of significant Hellenistic period findings, beginning roughly during the period immediately following the death of Alexander the Great.
Archaeology and The Battle For Jerusalem - The Jewish Quarterly
“Any intellectual practice in Israel entails both the representation of politics and the politics of representation. The ideological implications of practising archaeology in Jerusalem are as many-layered as the cultures that lie buried beneath the city’s surface. Archaeology has always been implicated in the conflict of claims to the contested land but now archaeologists find themselves increasingly in the pay of right-wing settler groups, who use their finds to write their own particular version of history.”
Probably a good explanation of one of the reasons why I tend not to blog about archaeology in Israel.
tehran times : Archaeologists return to Sassanid city threatened by Salman-e Farsi Dam
A team of archaeologists have recently returned to the Sassanid city site in the future location of the reservoir of the Salman-e Farsi Dam in southern Iran’s Fars Province. They plan to commence a new phase of studies at the location to research the transition from the Sassanid era to the Islamic period.
What In The World Is A Gungywamp? — Courant.com
I thought it was something that the Jabberwocky fed upon, but I was very wrong.
The Gungywamp Society
A society which wants to protect and understand the Gungywamp. You have to feel sympathy with a society which has to put on its front page:
“There is also NO evidence within any part of the Gungywamp that there was ever any pre-Columbian Celtic or Norse (Viking) occupation. There are no Ogham inscriptions in stone, nor any European Bronze Age artifacts which have ever been found in the Gungywamp area… All artifact and document research gives evidence of only paleo and woodland Indian, European colonial and European post-colonial occupation.”
Tria Corda: Spolia update
Congratulations are due to Dan Diffendale on the success of his Flickr group Spolia.
Got Medieval: What did medieval doctors look like? (Google Penance)
You’ll have to visit the page to find out. Unless you’re upset by images of monkeys being forced to work.
BBC NEWS ‘Super-scope’ shines on Mary Rose
The Diamond Light facility is being used to examine the timbers of the Tudor warship.
I’d like to be excited by this, but I’m not sure how much Diamond Light is responsible for gutting the Astronomy research budget. Ok, the answer’s probably ‘not at all’, the facility came in within its contingency budget, and it was the politicians who removed that contingency. Nonetheless it does seem terribly expensive. Perhaps a few more success stories will win me over.
