There Be Giants...

Giants. Did they exist? Who the heck knows? Giants are mentioned in the early part of the Old Testament of the Bible as the "Nephilim" - fellers of men. Those "Nephilim" were specifically described as half-breeds created by the mating of "male" angels from Heaven and the female "daughters of the earth." They are, I believe, the equivalent of the demigods often written of by the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians and - much later - the ancient Greeks: big, strong, powerful, certainly super-human in strength, intelligence and ability, but not immortal. There are countless blogs (and before blogs, message board entries) about these giants, and countless theories about their origins. From my early internet days, the mesage boards entries I remember the best have to do with alien origins from outer space. Ahem. Now, The National Geographic has weighed in, presenting a couple of enhanced and doctored-up photographs that had been presented on the internet as evidence of these giants. Because of the legitimacy that The National Geographic Society enjoys in the eyes of the public, such an article is tantamount to telling the general public that giants are phoney and never existed and do not exist, end of story. Period. Take a look at the photos presented in the article. It is obvious to me that these images of "giant" burials are phoney. For one thing, the scale of these "giants" in relation to the average human is so out of whack in relation to the little bit of information we have about them, that they cannot be taken as real. Those photos most remind me of the "Amazing Amazon Woman" from a 1950's "B" movie. For another thing, the condition of the "bones" is utterly amazing, just based on the little bit I know about how water and soil conditions can degrade the human body, including its bones. And so, common sense to the rescue! I don't recall reading any description of any giant as big as those presented in these "photographs" except, perhaps, the giant from the fairy-tale "Jack and the Beanstalk." I freely admit, this may reflect my utter lack of discretion in choosing reading material, darlings :) But, since The National Geographic has said - without saying - that ALL accounts of giants are to be dismissed as frauds and fakes, those voices out there who say otherwise, legitimate or not, will now have a harder row to hoe. I don't care for this type of archaeology by innuendo - on the part of the fraudsters, or on the part of The National Geographic Society.

American Library Association 2008 Mid-Winter Meeting

What would our world be without libraries? Think about it for a moment. In the not-so-good olden days, the barbarians always attacked and burned the libraries, and killed every "learned" person they could get their hands on. Wipe out knowledge, wipe out history. Re-write everything according to your own credo. It happened again and again and again. In more recent times, many cultures have been guilty of committing this most horrid of sins; think about "Fahreinheit 451." In this day of the internet and practically instantaneous communication, think about the proverbial "Chinese Wall" that many countries put up around their internet access. To me. it's the equivalent of the multiple burnings of the library at Alexandria. Libraries are under attack in the United States. Oh, they may not be facing fire-bomb throwing hordes of barbarians, but the chilling effect on freedom of speech and ease of accessibility is the equivalent. Most libraries are funded by public taxes. Cut-backs in funding have become the norm. Decreased staffing of trained librarians; decreased funds to purchase new books; decreased hours of accessibility. Library branches closed permanently, with remaining libraries too far away to reach readily by public transportation, cutting off access to those of us who don't have cars. For those libraries that remain open, there are incessant attacks from various groups objecting to this book or that book, or objecting to free computer access that is offered at some libraries. You can read about these in the newspapers all the time. Against this background, the American Library Association has announced its 2008 Mid-Winter Meeting, to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) January 11-16, 2008. The key-note speaker is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Cool!

Friday Night Miscellany - One Day Late

A few interesting items for your reading pleasure:

There’s a new translation of the epic Medieval poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Man" and it sounds worth a read. Trying to read the poem in the original Middle English – practically impossible, despite some intriguing words. For instance:

Thou wyl grant me godly the gomen that I ask / bi ryght"

translates to:

You’ll gracefully grant me this game which I ask for / by right."

The word "gomen" in the sentence means "game!" I would never have guessed that in a million years – I was thinking the word meant something like favor or boon!

Read the review of Simon Armitage’s translation in "A Stranger in Camelot."
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In the same Book Reviews section at The New York Times, I saw that Joe McGinniss has published a new book about a murder – or was it?

I remember McGinniss from reading his bestseller "Fatal Vision," about the Green Beret surgeon – Jeffrey McDonald, who was convicted of murdering his wife and children whom, he claimed, were murdered by hippies high on drugs, who’d invaded his home (on a military base) in the middle of the night. The case hinged on forensic evidence painstakingly gathered and analyzed, long before CSI type shows became popular on television and long before DNA analysis and other technical analytical tools existed that seem to make crime-solving so easy today (at least, on television). "Fatal Vision" was made into a highly acclaimed mini-series on television, with Gary Cole playing the role of Jeffrey McDonald and Karl Mulden playing his father-in-law, who at first firmly believed in McDonald’s version of events and supported his son-in-law, until the slowly accumulated forensic evidence led him, painfully, to conclude otherwise. The slow revelation of the evidence in the book was relentless – and chilling. Mulden played the role superbly.

Read the review by Bob Shacochis of McGinnis’ new book, "Never Enough."
The "First Chapter" is also available – a verbatim preview.
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Okay – so this clerk at a Dunkin’ Donuts store named Dustin Hoffman hits this would-be robber over the head with a coffee cup, and says he was more worried about what he would look like on the surveillance video and whether he could become famous on YouTube than concerned for his safety. Darlings, I couldn’t make this up!
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Another – can you believe this – with a Christmas twist. A Christmas card mailed on December 23, 1914 has finally been delivered by the United States Postal Service. Geez, these guys are really efficient, ya know?

Shopping, shopping, shopping...

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful... Yes, soon I'll be settling in front of the fireplace for the evening, but I wanted to drop by and post a few things before further induling myself. Indulge myself today - I did - in droves, darlings! Today was another ladies of the investment club spa-and-shop-til-we-drop day. Oh, we had so much fun! We had a wonderful time despite the never-ending snow (started with small gritty snow sometime late last night or early this morning, then it turned to big fluffy flakes and now it's back to small gritty snow. We may get up to 9 inches by tomorrow morning and the winds are going to whip up to around 20 mph, meaning I'll have 3 foot high drifts by sunbreak tomorrow). The constant snow made for rather slippery road conditions off the expressways, and we did a fishtail worthy of the name on the way back to my house while Ms. P was pulling onto 83rd Street in my subdivision - the last street in the entire city, I swear, to ever be salted or plowed. So, tomorrow I will be totally stressed as I haul out the shovel yet again and attack the drifts and attempt to fling the snow sufficiently out of the way to create a pathway from my front door down to the road - and pray that I don't get plowed in. I already have 3 feet of ice boulders at the base of my driveway that I could not shovel out because of their sheer weight when we had ice/sleet/snow/ ice/sleet on December 1st. Sigh. But today - ahhhh, today. My spa de-stressing treatment and wash/cut/ style was just what the doctor ordered. I had two more inches of hair chopped off. Perhaps this length (about an inch below shoulder length) will give me the fullness I want... Our friend Ms. G was totally transformed - she hasn't had a professional hair cut in TEN FRIGGING YEARS! She went from Old School Marm Bun to a snazzy layered short cut that frames her face perfectly! I couldn't stop looking at her during lunch and finally blurted out that she looked 15 years younger. Well, she does! Amazing what a good "do" can do for one! But perhaps not the most tactful comment I've ever made... After the Aveda spa visit we had a leisurely lunch, then we did some shopping, then Ms. G had to leave us. Ms. P and I continued, braving the blowing snow as we trod the streets of Bayshore Town Center and hit several stores. Altogether we visited Sears; Brooks Bros. that is not really Brooks Bros. but I can never remember the name of the store and for some reason it reminds me of Brooks Bros. or perhaps Brooks & Dunn; Boston Store; Kohls; Yankee Candle Shoppe; Bath & Body Works; Coldwater Creek; J. Jill. I think that's all of them. I finished up my shopping for dondelion, bought a new pair of Sketchers, a new pair of Totes waterproof boots, some scented tea light candles, hair spray from Aveda, and five beautifully scented products (I mixed and matched after-bath/shower body spritz and silky body cream) for the fabulous price of $25 at Bath & Body Works. Speaking of Bath & Body Works, there were several guys (those trailing behind their wives and girlfriends) huddled in a small cul de sac near the entrance doors, making jokes and laughing with each other - they were so cute! I couldn't help but overhear them as I was perusing the "Velvet Tuberose" and "Japanese Cherry Blossom" displays and had to chuckle at their comments and bon amie. Those guys get extra kudos for following their gals into such a shop instead of begging off and heading toward the nearest video store! A super-special treat as we shopped was coming across two groups of carolers, one group of four women, one group of four men. Both groups were excellent, singing winter/Christmas-y songs a capella. It was a perfect cherry on top of our wonderful ladies' day. Tonight I will wrap gifts in front of the fire and admire my beautiful Yule tree. It's particularly sparkling this year as I added extra gold bead garland and some new crystal and gold ornaments.

Ancient Games: Toguz Kumalak

While I was doing some follow-up research tonight on the "other" Kumalak (a form of divination practiced in Kazakhstan and Central Asia), I came across this game. It is a mancala game. I don't know how long it has been played in Central Asia, but my guess is that it is related to the "other" Kumalak.

Mancala-type games are very old, but I don't know how far back they've been traced. I have only a vague idea about how the game is played - mancala is not a subject I've studied. I can relate some general information: the earliest games were played on "boards" scooped out of the ground (therefore leaving no trace, and therefore dating is problematical) and I believe were first played in sub-Sarahan Africa. Mancala-type games have been found carved in the stone blocks at Kurna in Egypt (dating to c. 1400 BCE) and lots of boards carved in stone blocks have been found in Petra (in Jordan). Mancala-type games have not gone extinct (such as Senet and 20-squares) and continue to be very popular today.

This information is from "Wikimanqala.org":

Тоғызқұмалақ (toğızqumalaq, sometimes spelled toghyzqumalaq or togyzqumalaq, according to different transliterations, or toguz kumalak, "nine balls") is the Kazakh name of a mancala game also known as toguz korgool in Kyrgyz.

It is played traditionally in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, parts of Russia (Altay, Khakassia, Tuva), Western Mongolia and in China in regions close to the aforementioned countries.

There are regular toğızqumalaq championships held in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The first western tournament was in August 2006 at the Mindsports Olympiad (MSO) in London, England. It was won by Aidos Seitzhanov from Kazakhstan.

Complete rules are given at Wikimanqala, with illustrations. I've abstracted the rules here, without the illustrations:

Rules

Toğızqumalaq is played on a wooden (nowadays also plastic) board made of two rows of nine holes, plus two kazans ("boilers"), either in the middle of the board or one at each end of it. The players own the kazan at their right, if at the ends, or the one on the other half of ther board, if in the middle.
As captures are made by pairs, the holes are usually made in a way so it is evident whether the contents are odd or even.

To begin the game, there must be nine balls per hole, except the kazans, which are empty. That is, 162 balls are needed.

The game is played by taking turns.

On his turn, a player takes all the balls of a hole on his side of the board, and distribute them anticlockwise, one per hole, on the following holes, starting from the very same hole he has taken them.

If the last ball falls into a hole on the opponent's side, and the contents of this hole become an even number of balls, these are captured and stored on the player's kazan.

If the movement is done from a hole containing just a single ball, it is moved to the next hole, leaving the starting hole empty.

Tuzdyq
If the last ball falls into a hole on the opponent's side, and the contents of this hole number then three balls, the hole becomes your тұздық, tuzdyq, (or түз үй according to Maksat Shotayev, tüz üy, i.e. "sacred place" in Kazakh; or tuz in Kyrgyz which means "salt") and it is marked as such.

Only a tuzdyq per player can be made in a game.

A tuzdyq cannot be done on the opponent's last hole (ninth, the one on his right).

A tuzdyq cannot be done if it is symmetrical to the opponent's one (if the opponent has his tuzdyq in our first hole, we can not make ours on his first hole).

In the cases a tuzdyq cannot be done, we can finish a movement there, but the hole does not become a tuzdyq.

A movement cannot begin from a tuzdyq.

The balls that fall into a tuzdyq are captured by his owner. If it is overcharged, we can take the balls and store them in the kazan.

End of the game
The game ends when a player cannot move at his turn, because all the holes on his side (except a possible tuzdyq) are empty.

When the game is over, the player who has still balls on his side (except in a possible tuzdyq) gets them and adds them to his kazan.

Both players add the contents of their tuzdyq (the one on the opponent's side) to their kazan.

The winner is the player with more balls at the end of the game. If both players have captured 81 balls, the game is a draw.

Well, I confess, I can't make heads nor tails out of the rules. I can only learn a game by actually having it shown to me by someone who knows how to play! I plan on doing some more posts about some interesting aspects of this game - as time permits.

An Update on Lakshmi

Two year old toddler Lakshmi Tatma, who had the extra limbs and some extra organs of a "parasitic twin" (a twin who failed to develop fully) removed in a complicated 27-hour operation conducted by teams of surgeons, has left the hopsital under her own power. Doctors consider her recovery remarkable. Unfortunately, the story at the UK Daily Mail was a "not found;" I got this information from a story at the UK Sun, which featured a typically tabloid headline!

How Squirrels Train Humans

LOL! This squirrel reminds me of one particularly bold one who raps on my patio door on Saturday and Sunday mornings as I sit at the dinette table reading the newspaper. He's bold as brass and won't stop with his antics until I toss out extra nuts - and he doesn't want peanuts - only the best will do for him: walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, filberts. My squirrels have me well trained. From Macon.com Bold squirrel goes for handout at downtown office December 4, 2007 By Liz Fabian For more than two years, Martha Reed has noticed a little squirrel outside her office window in downtown Macon. Then, two weeks ago when the squirrel was foraging around in the grass, she tossed a pecan his way. Now he comes calling several times a day, scratching on the glass door of Bob Lewis and Associates on the first floor of the old Southern Trust building that serves as the City Hall Annex. "He's just turned out to be a pet. I guess I ought to name him," Reed said. "I just don't know what I ought to call him." When she left work Friday, she felt a little guilty. "I thought about him all weekend," Reed said. "I thought, 'He's going to have to fend for himself. I'm not coming down here on the weekends just to feed him.' " When Reed got back to work Monday, the squirrel was bolder than ever. "He even climbs up on the door, up on the handle, wanting me to open it," she said. Reed makes sure she doesn't get too close to her new friend. "A squirrel will bite, and I don't trust him," she said. Once he gets a nut, the bushy-tailed rodent scurries over to a small patch of sod nestled between the concrete sidewalks. He looks around and ducks into the bushes. When he finds a good hiding place, he digs a while and buries the nut. "I'm afraid I might have done the wrong thing. I don't want him to be dependent on me to feed him every day," she said. So how many pecans does John Doe Squirrel get a day? "I have no idea," Reed said with a laugh. By lunchtime Monday, an office colleague was already on the way to buy more pecans. "I guess we'll feed him all winter."

How Did These People Survive?

A fascinating story, reported at The New York Times: After a Window Washer’s 47-Floor Plunge, the Big Question Is: How Did He Survive? By JAMES BARRON and AL BAKER Published: December 12, 2007 A 29-year-old man plunges 17 stories in the atrium of a hotel in Minneapolis, landing on an overhang. A 22-year-old amateur sky diver goes into free fall more than a mile above the earth when his main parachute and reserve chute fail to open. He lands in a three-foot-deep duck pond. Both men survived. The question of why was echoed when a window-washing platform gave way on Friday and two brothers preparing to clean the black-glass skin of an apartment building on the Upper East Side fell 47 floors. Why did one die and the other survive, though he is grievously injured? Five days later, the answer can still be only guessed at. Officials and window-washing colleagues of the two brothers speculated that they tried to ride their platform to the ground, as one window washer said he had been trained to do in such an accident. If so, they were relying on basic physics — the platform would have generated some small amount of wind resistance, slowing the fall — and luck. Fortune, if there is any to be found, was with the brother who survived, Alcides Moreno, 37. He was conscious and sitting up soon after firefighters arrived. “He was on top of what was left of the platform that they were working on,” said one official who was at the scene. The brother who was killed, Edgar Moreno, 30, may have been thrown off the platform as it hurtled toward the ground. The official, who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak about the investigation, said part of his body was under the platform. It was a distinctly urban kind of tragedy, one that brought to mind a distinctly different kind of accident — long-distance falls by military pilots or sky divers whose parachutes failed to open, and who survived. It was also distinctly different from the case of Joshua Hanson, a Wisconsin bar owner who survived another harrowing fall. He crashed through a window on the 17th floor of a Minneapolis hotel in January after what a police spokeswoman described to The St. Paul Pioneer Press as a little “tomfoolery and a little too much to drink.” He broke a leg and his lungs collapsed, but he left the hospital after seven days. “I’m doing fine,” he said this week. Just as Mr. Hanson’s friends marveled at his recovery, experienced rescuers were still marveling on Tuesday at Alcides Moreno’s survival. “It is nothing short of a miracle — nothing short of a miracle — to fall from that height and still be, well, to still be alive,” said Deputy Chief Thomas E. McKavanagh of Division 3, an operational commander on the scene after the accident and a 28-year veteran of the Fire Department. Alcides Moreno was in critical condition at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell hospital in Manhattan on Tuesday, and hospital officials have refused to discuss details of his condition. Relatives said over the weekend that Mr. Moreno’s injuries included collapsed lungs, damaged kidneys and bone fractures. His wife, Rosario, said at her home that his face looked good, considering what happened. He has a broken nose and a gash above one eye, she said, adding, “We’re taking it day by day.” The doctors have not been able to explain how her husband managed to survive because, Ms. Moreno said, they had never treated such a case. “They’ve never dealt with anything like this,” she said. “They’re learning from it.” She said they had not given her a prognosis. The brothers were employed by City Wide Window Cleaning and were working at the Solow Tower, at 265 East 66th Street, at Second Avenue, when the scaffold gave way. Vincente Bustamante, 35, a good friend of both Moreno brothers and himself a window washer for 12 years, said he believed that Alcides Moreno survived because he followed the training window washers receive when they learn their job. Window washers are taught that if a scaffold gives way, they should lie down flat on the platform, on their stomach because, Mr. Bustamante said, it gives them the best chance of survival should the scaffold catch on something on the way down. Maybe that is what Alcides Moreno did, he said. “If you go over, that’s it,” he said. “You’re dead.” He believed that that was what happened to Edgar Moreno — that he was either thrown from the platform, or jumped from it out of fear. “That’s your first instinct, because you’re scared — to jump,” Mr. Bustamante said. It was not clear how much training the Morenos had received. The city requires people who work on a suspended scaffold to have a certificate showing they have completed a safety course. The city also requires each contractor to have a licensed master or special rigger, who can designate a foreman to oversee a job. Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, which represents unionized window washers in Manhattan, provides a weekly course over 18 months. Matthew Nerzig, a spokesman for the union, said the course is supposed to supplement 3,000 hours of apprentice work. He said there are no specific state requirements for window washers, but tradesmen are supposed to have 2,000 hours as apprentices and 180 hours of classroom training. But the company the Morenos were working for, City Wide Window Cleaning of Jamaica, Queens, is not a union company. The company has not returned calls since the accident, and Ms. Moreno said no one from City Wide had called her to express condolences. At least two agencies are investigating the accident — the city’s Buildings Department and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Chief McKavanagh, who was helping to oversee the rescue, said it appeared that lightweight material on the platform may have absorbed some of the blow for Alcides Moreno. It may have acted as a sort of shock absorber, he said. “If they both rode it down, which is quite possible, God bless them if they had the wherewithal to continue to hold on,” Chief McKavanagh said. “That is incredible.” “It is a horrible story,” he continued, adding that if Mr. Moreno lives, “that will be a miracle.” “I do not like to use that word so often,” he said, “but this is.” Nate Schweber contributed reporting.

Divination and Fortune-Telling Outlawed in Tajikistan

Well, how silly. Do the officials really think they'll be able to stop people from doing something they've been doing for thousands of years (long before Islam was invented)? This reminds me of the communists' attempts in Russia and China to stamp out organized religion. All it did was go underground. Supression never works in the long run. Tajikistan launches campaign against witchcraft Wed Dec 12, 11:31 AM ET DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajikistan is launching a crackdown on witchcraft and fortune-telling as part of an anti-poverty drive after earlier banning lavish weddings and expensive funerals. Occultism is on the rise in Muslim Tajikistan. It is the poorest nation in ex-Soviet Central Asia, borders Afghanistan and was ravaged by a 1992-97 civil war. Queues to see sorcerers are often longer than those for regular doctors. "Those indulging in sorcery and fortune-telling shall be fined between 30 and 40 times the minimum monthly wage (85 pounds to 113 pounds)," says the text of a draft law backed by the lower chamber of the Tajik parliament on Wednesday and obtained by Reuters. The draft law has to be passed by the upper house and signed by President Imomali Rakhmon to become law. But this is widely seen as a formality. Rakhmon, in power since 1992, earlier this year imposed heavy fines on extravagant weddings and funerals. He set out strict limits for the ceremonies, including the number of guests, meals and cars. He also ordered the Tajik anti-corruption watchdog to investigate the incomes of students riding in expensive cars or using posh cell phones. (Reporting by Roman Kozhevnikov; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov, Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

A Kidnapped Sacrifice

I wonder - what side would Perry Mason represent... It may seem humous to us, but in the rural villages in India where a water buffalo is a very expensive piece of property and propitiation of the goddesses is essential to the continuation of an orderly cycle of life, this is serious business. Bangalore: Kidnapped buffalo story ends in court! Haveri Dec 14: This kidnap story ended in court. Nothing unusual about it. But when the victim ambled into the additional civil court premises here on Thursday under police protection and bellowed, the case made local headlines. The case relates to the kidnapping of a buffalo belonging to one village by another village. When the advocate of the complainant pleaded that as an interim measure the buffalo be given to Kanavalli as its presence was required for a religious jatra, judge Padmaprasad permitted the complainant Tippanna Mailannavar, a gram panchayat member of Kanavalli, to keep the buffalo until further orders. Tippanna told TOI that the hebuffalo was presented to the village goddess of Kanavalli by Jagadish Kattebennur in 2005. But the buffalo was kidnapped on Nov 18, 2007 by Motebennur villagers led by Bhojaraj Ballary to offer it in sacrifice to Motebennur village goddess Dyamavva in the jatra to be held from December 28, charged Tippanna. Bhojaraj Ballary, the accused, denied the kidnap charge and said the buffalo belonged to their village deity. Basavaraj Kalasur, temple trust committee member of Kanavalli, said they needed the buffalo for the village jatra scheduled to begin in the first week of January 2008. Tippanna and others lodged a complaint with Guttal police. When no action was forthcoming, he moved the Haveri court. Based on the complaint, the court appointed S M Katagi as court commissioner to bring the buffalo and the vehicle used for kidnap to the court. Accordingly, Tippanna’s advocate P V Naduvinamath along with the court commissioner Katagi and Byadagi circle police inspector brought the buffalo to Haveri court. Times News Network

Minerva Lives - in California

Minerva Statue Installed at Inauguration of California Hall of Fame Classical bronze of Roman Goddess of Wisdom Will be Symbol of California Museum for History, Women, the Arts

(PRWEB) December 11, 2007 -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver will preside at the special unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of Minerva to take place during the inauguration of a Hall of Fame inside the California Museum for History Women and the Arts.

The statue has been donated by Collie Christensen (CEO of Equus Eleven) and his wife Kira Christensen. Minerva a classical symbol of wisdom features prominently on the Great Seal of the State of California. Since 2004 the California Museum for History Women and the Arts has recognized the distinguished women of California with the annual Minerva Award. The statue valued at $950,000 will be on prominent view at the newly built Minerva exhibit at the museum.

Maria Shriver said speaking in May that Minerva represents the 'ultimate multi-tasker'. Known as Minerva to the ancient Romans and Athena to the Greeks the goddess' deeds were legendary as was her kindness to humanity. When challenged to provide the greatest benefit to earth the goddess is said to have produced the olive tree. Source of oil and emblem of peace olive trees were first planted in California by the Franciscan missionaries.

According to mythology Minerva was the Olympian protector of democracy dedicating herself to law justice and good counsel. She was considered a prudent warrior forcefully protecting the popular assemblies from outside enemies. She encouraged the creativity of men and women in innumerable ways fostering agriculture inventing musical instruments and taking personal delight in the useful and ornamental arts.

The Minerva statue is an exact duplicate in bronze of one of the greatest treasures of the Archaeological Museum in Florence Italy. The nearly life-sized statue represents the Roman goddess in a pose of dignified self-assured conversation. She extends her right arm and hand as if to expound a point. Her other hand is wrapped inside her cloak resting easily on her hip. Her classical attire consists of a cloak known as a himation which covers her left shoulder and is drawn tightly around her body. Its broad form contrasts with the many vertical folds of the robe or chiton which reaches her feet. As a warrior Minerva wears a breastplate with a Gorgon's head and a Corinthian helmet crested with a serpent a symbol of eternity.

The renowned Marinelli Foundry in Florence using plaster molds taken directly from the museum original in the 1930's cast the bronze. Such molds are no longer made today. The antique prototype was discovered in the Arezzo in 1541 and brought to Florence ten years later by Cosmo I Grand Duke of Tuscany. The 'Minerva of Arezzo' is among the most celebrated sculptures of the Etrusco-Roman school generally dated to the second century strongly influenced by Greek classical art.

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This Minerva is a wimped out version of a "classical" Athena, which was already a wimped out version of the archaic Athena. The only remnants of the ancient, powerful serpent goddess who was Athena are the serpent on top of Minerva's warrior's helmet and the "Gorgon" on her "breastplate."

Captain Kidd's Shipwreck Found

Not exactly an "ancient navigator" but certainly a fascinating character and story! Indiana University Discovers 1699 Captain Kidd Shipwreck December 13, 2007 Newswise — Resting in less than 10 feet of Caribbean seawater, the wreckage of Quedagh Merchant, the ship abandoned by the scandalous 17th century pirate Captain William Kidd as he raced to New York in an ill-fated attempt to clear his name, has escaped discovery -- until now. An underwater archaeology team from Indiana University announced today (Dec. 13) the discovery of the remnants. IU marine protection authority Charles Beeker said his team has been licensed to study the wreckage and to convert the site into an underwater preserve, where it will be accessible to the public. Beeker, director of Academic Diving and Underwater Science Programs in IU Bloomington's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, said it is remarkable that the wreck has remained undiscovered all these years given its location, just 70 feet off the coast of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic, and because it has been sought actively by treasure hunters. "I've been on literally thousands of shipwrecks in my career," Beeker said. "This is one of the first sites I've been on where I haven't seen any looting. We've got a shipwreck in crystal clear, pristine water that's amazingly untouched. We want to keep it that way, so we made the announcement now to ensure the site's protection from looters." The find is valuable because of the potential to reveal important information about piracy in the Caribbean and about the legendary Capt. Kidd, said John Foster, California's state underwater archaeologist, who is participating in the research. "I look forward to a meticulous study of the ship, its age, its armament, its construction, its use, its contents and the reconstructed wrecking process that resulted in the site we see today," Foster said. "Because there is extensive, written documentation, this is an opportunity we rarely have to test historic information against the archaeological record." Historians differ on whether Kidd was actually a pirate or a privateer -- someone who captured pirates. After his conviction of piracy and murder charges in a sensational London trial, he was left to hang over the River Thames for two years. Historians write that Kidd captured the Quedagh Merchant, loaded with valuable satins and silks, gold, silver and other East Indian merchandise, but left the ship in the Caribbean as he sailed to New York on a less conspicuous sloop to clear his name of the criminal charges. Anthropologist Geoffrey Conrad, director of IU Bloomington's Mathers Museum of World Cultures, said the men Kidd entrusted with his ship reportedly looted it, and then set it ablaze and adrift down the Rio Dulce. Conrad said the location of the wreckage and the formation and size of the canons, which had been used as ballast, are consistent with historical records of the ship. They also found pieces of several anchors under the cannons. "All the evidence that we find underwater is consistent with what we know from historical documentation, which is extensive," Conrad said. "Through rigorous archeological investigations, we will conclusively prove that this is the Capt. Kidd shipwreck." The IU team examined the shipwreck at the request of the Dominican Republic's Oficina Nacional De Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático. "The site was initially discovered by a local prominent resident of Casa De Campo, who recognized the significance of the numerous cannons and requested the site be properly investigated," said ONPCS Technical Director Francis Soto. "So, I contacted IU." Beeker and Conrad have worked closely with ONPCS for 11 years since they began conducting underwater and land-based archaeological research related to the era when the Old World and New World first met. "It continues our work down there from the age of discovery to the golden age of piracy, the transformation of both the native and introduced cultures of the Caribbean," Conrad said. Much of their work is focused in the area of La Isabela Bay, the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement established by Christopher Columbus. The Taino were the first indigenous people to interact with Europeans. Beeker said much of the history of this period is based on speculation, something he and Conrad are trying to change. The IU research in the Dominican Republic typically involves professors and graduate students from various IU Bloomington schools and departments, including the School of HPER, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and the departments of anthropology, biology, geology and mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Anthropology doctorate student Fritz Hanselmann, who teaches underwater archaeology techniques in HPER, said there have only been a few pirate ships ever discovered in the Americas, and that IU's multi-disciplinary research will make a significant contribution to the field. HPER Dean Robert M. Goodman accompanied the most recent expedition to learn more about this successful interdisciplinary and international research collaboration. He also went to explore potential public health linkages between the School of HPER and the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, founded in 1538. It is the largest university in the country and the oldest in the Americas. "Indiana University is working to increase its international presence," Goodman said. "Earlier this month, the IU Board of Trustees was presented a strategic plan that calls for increased student and faculty participation in study abroad and international service learning programs, as well as the development of strategic international partnerships that support overseas study, global research and the recruitment of international students. "The archeological work being done by IU in the Dominican Republic affords us tremendous entrée for wider areas of collaboration," he said. "Because of the network that Mr. Beeker and Dr. Conrad have established, the Universidad Autonóma de Santo Domingo is eager to establish a formal agreement with IU. We met with the secretary of state for environment and national resources, the dean of faculties of health sciences at the university, representatives from USAID, and the president of the hotel association, all of whom are eager to foster relationships between IU and agencies of the Dominican Republic. This was an incredibly productive trip for IU." Beeker and his students have conducted underwater research projects on submerged ships, cargo and other cultural and biological resources throughout the United States and the Caribbean for more than 20 years. Many of his research projects have resulted in the establishment of state or federal underwater parks and preserves, and have led to a number of site nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.

Antiquities Fraud Back in the News

Unbelievable - the Art Institute of Chicago has been taken in by a fraud! I wrote about these folks back in April. Chicago museum says The Faun is a fake Wed Dec 12, 9:08 AM ET CHICAGO - A half-man, half-goat ceramic figure supposedly sculpted by 19th century French artist Paul Gauguin has delighted aficionados visiting the Art Institute of Chicago for a decade, but now the museum says "The Faun" is a fake. "No one could think of any other instance in which anything like this happened here," the director of public affairs at the institute, Erin Hogan, told the Chicago Tribune for a story posted Tuesday on its Web site. "So we don't have experience in this area." The museum said the sculpture is among scores of forgeries produced by the Greenhalgh family, which has been under investigation by authorities in Great Britain for nearly two years. A private dealer bought the piece at Sotheby's in 1994 and the Art Institute purchased it from the dealer three years later. A British judge sentenced Shaun Greenhalgh, 47, to four years and eight months in prison last month. His mother, Olive, 83, received a suspended term of 12 months, and his father, George, 84, was to be sentenced later. Shaun Greenhalgh created the fakes, while his parents handled most of the sales. All three pleaded guilty earlier this year to defrauding art institutions and other buyers over 17 years. They had also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to laundering the proceeds from the sale of a fake Egyptian statuette. The creations by the Greenhalghs also included Assyrian stone reliefs, and several copies of paintings by American artist Henry Moran. Hogan declined to reveal the purchase price of the discredited piece and said the Art Institute was talking with Sotheby's and the private dealer about possible compensation. "Everyone who bought and sold (the work) did so in good faith," he said.

Historic Games Re-enacted by Human Chess Pieces

From time to time, certain historic chess games are re-enacted by using humans as "living chess pieces," bringing an entirely new dynamic to the game. I don't know if it is the oldest re-enactment but I think it must be right up there - the chess game at Marostica that dates back to the Middle Ages - and it's a romantic tale, too :) Here's a report from The Hindu Online about another historic game played with human pieces - a game between Alekhine and Lasker! Historic game between Grandmasters comes ‘alive’ T. Nandakumar December 11, 2007 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For once, the students of Abraham Memorial High School, Thirumala, proved that size does matter in the game of chess. Everything about the ‘live’ match organised by the Department of Sports and the Russian Cultural Centre here on Monday was of giant proportions. While the interior of the Jimmy George indoor stadium was converted into an oversize chessboard, the children positioned themselves as the pawns. The match was held as the re-enactment of a contest between Grandmasters Alexander Alekhine and Emanuel Lasker at Zurich in Switzerland 73 years ago. It was arranged to coincide with the 115th birth anniversary of Alekhine who prevailed over his rival. Dressed in black and white as chessmen, the students took position in each square in response to the moves made by C.S. Nair representing Alekhin and V.R. Pillai as Lasker. The soft music of Peter Tchaikovsky’s symphony and special light effects gave a theatrical effect to the live game. Lasker’s king finally admitted defeat after both sides had made about 30 moves. The event was organised by K.V.B. Menon, who was instrumental in promoting the game of chess in Kerala for over 60 years. Sports Director G. Kishore inaugurated the programme. Director of the Russian Cultural Centre Ratheesh C. Nair presided over the inaugural function. The winners of the chess tournament organised by the Russian Cultural Centre last week were chosen to represent the two Grandmasters. Students and chess enthusiasts turned up to witness the programme.

Chess News

If you haven't already read it - it's USA's Gata Kamsky v. Spain's Alexei Shirov in the final match at the World Cup! Yeah! Age (ahem) and experience (lots of experience) over the youth contingent. A great match - expect some exciting chess. There's a new interview of India's GM Koneru Humpy posted at Latestchess.com (India). You can see the same interview with some different photos (newer and older photos) at Chessbase which, unfortunately, did not include an actual link to the Latestchess.com interview. Darlings, now really - that's really bad form! But - thanks for the photos, Chessbase. I personally think that Humpy is a stunning young lady. In her photographs sometimes she looks very beautiful; sometimes she looks plain. But there's always a certain look of strength and purpose about her that seems to radiate off the page and catches my attention. She's been losing that "teenager" extra weight that so many of us femmes seem to put on during the years from 12 to 20, and looking better every day. I think she needs a new "'do" to make the most of her beautiful eyes and full lips - she has a round face shape and it takes careful hair-styling to bring out one's best features with this face shape. Ahhh, to be 20 and on top of the world!

Baby's Skeleton Hints at Human Sacrifice

Hola darlings! Well, what a horrid topic - but I have to say this article about the discovery of an infant's skeleton in an ongoing excavation in the Czech Republic is fascinating. We know that in ancient times human sacrifice was practiced, often in mistaken concepts of "propitiating the gods." The skeleton mentioned in this article is of interest, however, because it dates to the Middle Ages, when it is generally thought that, in Europe at least, human sacrifice had long since vanished (although Robert Graves mentions a rite or ritual that survived into the 1940's - on Malorca? or perhaps it was Majorca? - in his "The White Goddess," the equivalent of "king sacrifice" practiced by the women of the island once a year...). Archaeologists find unique baby skeleton By ČTK / Published 12 December 2007 Usti nad Labem, North Bohemia, Dec 11 (CTK) - Archaeologists have uncovered a unique skeleton of a baby, possibly a sacrifice, from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries in a medieval house's foundations near a church in the centre of Usti nad Labem, Lukas Gal told CTK Tuesday. The baby that was not older than six months was probably buried there intentionally. The find is unique since the dead were commonly buried at cemeteries then, said Gal from the Terra Verita company working on the archaeological research for the local museum. "Human sacrifices were extremely rare in the Middle Ages," Gal said, adding that the find proves the existence of pre-Christian, pagan habits in the late Middle Ages in the locality. "Christianity was widely spread in the 13th and 14th century, but some older traditions that were not common especially in towns survived here," Gal said. The archaeologists will now measure the bones and put them into their original shape. A team of anthropologists will then determine the baby' sex and study pathological changes. They will also look into whether the baby was killed or not. The entire study of the skeleton is to take one and a half years. Another valuable item - a unique eight-cm-long ceramic statuette of Virgin Mary with Jesus from the late 14th century was recently uncovered at the same locality. The team of archaeologists has been surveying the area in Usti around the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady for a couple of months. They have mapped the history of the original settlement and found items dating back up to 6500 years B.C., such as ceramic vessels, dishes and flint tools, along with coins, tiles and animal bones from later periods. The archaeological research is to continue till the end of January. Afterwards, a large shopping centre will be built on the plot. This story is from the Czech News Agency (ČTK).The Prague Daily Monitor and Monitor CE are not responsible for its content. Copyright 2007 by the Czech News Agency (ČTK). All rights reserved. Copying, dissemination or other publication of this article or parts thereof without the prior written consent of ČTK is expressly forbidden. ******************************************************************************** Personally, I don't think this is evidence of "infant sacrifice." It could just as well be evidence of "crib death" (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and a grieving family not being able to part with the infant by burying her or him in the community graveyard. It certainly was not unheard of - in Europe and elsewhere - for the bodies of dead family members to be buried underneath the floors of the family homestead in ancient times. Perhaps the practice persisted in this particular village in this particular part of Eastern Europe much longer than anywhere else. New discoveries may yet be made. Or, it could just be what I think it is, a family burying a beloved infant close to them, an infant who died too soon.

Twisted Murder in the Name of a Goddess

In the midst of India's amazing rush into the 21st century abundance of capitalism after years of stagnation under socialism/Stalinism, an example of what ignorance and religious extremism can do. Sadly, this kind of behavior is not at all unusual in many areas of India. How very very sad. The Goddess is not pleased with this kind of behavior. Brothers kill teenage sister to please goddess Alka Rastogi Lucknow, December 11, 2007 In a bizarre case, two brothers under the spell of a tantrik killed their own teenage sister to propitiate Goddess Kali. The trantrik had advised the two brothers that if they murder their own sister they would become very rich overnight. According to reports, Shambhu Babu and Krishna Babu who live in Rawatpur locality in Fatehpur had been approaching tantriks and astrologers for becoming rich. Ramesh, allegedly a tantrik, advised them to perform yagna and hawan in their house. After the rituals the he told them to slaughter their teenage sister to propitiate Goddess Kali. He said that by doing this they will get a hidden treasure inside the house. He also said that if they failed to do so they would not get the jewellery which will shift to some other place. The greed to become rich overnight blinded their senses and they hacked to death their 13-year-old sister Pinki. The body of Pinki was hacked into several pieces and offered to the Goddess. It is learnt that after hearing Pinki's screams, neighbours rushed to the house of the two brothers, locked from inside. By the time the door was broke open Pinki had been sacrificed. It is alleged that fearing arrest the two brothers dumped Pinki's body into a river. The brothers however, maintained that the girl had jumped into the river on her own. The villagers are demanding arrest of the tantrik.

Oy! Ice Storm

Oh darlings, what a day today. I knew I shouldn't have gone into the office, I knew it! When I got up at 6 a.m., in the pitch black, it was pouring down snow. Earlier I'd heard rain beating against the west side of the house. Not a good sign, particularly on top of the now shrunk down and hopelessly compacted foot of snow already on the ground. I got up, put on my waterproof slippers (they have 3 inch rubber soles that go up along the sides of the boot, the most amazing slippers ever made) and I performed a miracle by walking on top of slush/ice/snow (without ever sinking once!!!) the 30 plus feet from the front porch to the mail box at the curb. I had my coffee, I made and ate a cheese sandwich on hearty rye with mayo to sustain myself for the battle to come, and whilst listening to tales of spin-outs, accidents and lots of official and business cancellations and dire warnings to stay at home if you could, I headed out the door to walk the shorter 1/2 mile course to catch the 7:50 a.m. bus rather than my usual 7:40 a.m. bus that stops 3/4 mile away on another road. With the entire school district shut down for the day, it was blissfully peaceful on the bus - for all five of us passengers who were stupid enough to actually go to work (other than the perhaps even more stupid bus driver)... Of course, it was a Day from the Annals of Hell. Bossman was in rare form - guess he must have got his shoes a bit wet this morning in the slush, tch tch. He was Hell on Wheels from the minute he butted his head into my office (the first of - I swear - at least 100 interruptions during the course of the day, not including the lunch hour when I wasn't there) until the moment I snuck out while he was in the men's room, about 4:14 p.m. I'm so fricking sore, I can't even describe what my muscles are feeling like. After climbing over countless snowbanks during the half mile trudge home from the bus, I had to climb over a 3 foot high snowbank at the base of my driveway (it had been plowed in - AGAIN). I then slogged my way up the 30 foot driveway. Fortunately, a box containing the new waterproof Sorel boots I'd ordered through Zappo's online last night were sitting on my front porch. Nice work Zappo's! You guys have my business from now on. Talk about timely, geez! So, I peeled myself out of my waterlogged formerly water-resistant knee high boots, and put on my new Sorels. I then attacked the 100 pounds weight per square inch snow with my trusty shovel. I worked for a lot less time than I thought - about 40 minutes. Only long enough to hack out a pathway for myself from front porch to roadway and mailbox. Enough to permanently damage both of shoulders, permanently cripple my elbows and hips, not to mention my lower back. Even my legs, which are the strongest part of my body, are aching right now. So tonight I'm not going to be blogging as usual, or updating Chess Femme News, or doing Christmas shopping, or even my beloved historical research. I've got the much inferior 1974 remake of "Miracle On 34th Street" on t.v. and after it's over I'm going to soak in a full tub of hot water until I fall asleep and drown myself. By candlelight. Then the house will burn down - but only after the gigantic Chinese Elm that towers so majestically over the roof finally succumbs to the weight of its ice-coated limbs and crashed through the roof, second floor, and first floor to the basement. My body won't burn, though, since I will be submerged in the tub and by morning turned into a gigantic Jan icecube that can be buried in, sans casket. That will save my estate money. Unfortunately, since I'll be dying intestate, the bulk of my estate other than my pension, 401(k) and life insurance (which goes to designated beneficiaries) will go to my undeserving relatives rather than to the Goddesschess Foundation to fund women chessplayers for the next 10 plus years. Hmmmm, maybe I can't croak tonight after all... I've got to do a Will and Trust first. Geez!

New Stone Circle Discovered in Sweden

Ancient stone circle found in Skåne Published: 9 Dec 07 10:57 CET Ancient remains including a 3,000 year-old stone circle and presumed place of sacrifice have been discovered near Vitemölla on Österlen in the far south of Sweden. The site extends over two hectares and is older and bigger than the region's celebrated Ale's Stones. The site, presumed to date from the bronze age, is reported to be probably the largest stone circle in the whole of northern Europe. The find was made by Bob G Lind, a private researcher and archeo-astronomer, reports Kvällsposten. Lind has named the stone circle Heimdall's Stones after Woden's son Heimdall who in the Edda (of Norse mythology) is described as the most radiant sun god in the world. The cult centre site is in the shape of a gigantic sun dial and includes a large phallus symbol pointing due north. Lind explains that the stone sundial shows the sunrise and sunset in connection with moments such as the summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice. "I suddenly saw how it all fitted together. My measurements confirmed all the theories," Lind explained. Lind explained how he stumbled over the site while out walking with friends. He later confirmed his instincts when flying over the area to photograph the site, which is on land owned by the county council. Heimdall's Stones was inspected on Friday by Thomas Romberg of the regional heritage board, who confirmed the site's distinct pattern, according to Skånska Dagbladet. The find has yet to be officially reported to the National Heritage Board (RAÄ). The site has also been inspected by archaeologist Nils-Axel Mörner, who described how he was taken aback with amazement."Bob G Lind is to be congratulated", Mörner enthuses. Bob G Lind is reported to be something of a controversial figure and has had a long running feud with the National Heritage Board over the history of Sweden's hitherto largest stone circle site, Ale's Stones in Kåseberga, also on Österlen. TT/Peter Vinthagen Simpson

Ray Robson

Wow - Susan Polgar's blog reported fantastic news: Thirteen year old Ray Robson earned his final IM norm. All right! A young, promising IM for the USA! Wonder if he'll be in the qualifying event for the US Championships?