Friday Night Miscellany

Hola darlings! I had my last summer PTO day today, and it sure was gorgeous outside! Sunny, low dew point, and 80 degrees. I actually watered the lawn out back, it was so dry it was lying down flat and I want to cut it tomorrow, so I had to get it standing back up. Only way to do that is to water... I rearranged the front room today and got the new lap top moved from the kitchen table to the desk overlooking the front window and the fireplace. Whew - what a chore that is, shoving heavy furniture around - and I moved the 8 foot tall curio cabinet! That baby hasn't been moved in probably 10 years! First, everything had to come out of it, a job in and of itself just trying to find places to stash the stuff it holds, geez! Then I had to remove the glass shelves; then I "walked" the empty hulk over from one side of the room to the other. Took 20 minutes just to do the "walking" about 15 feet. It was worth the sweat equity though, it looks real nice in its new position. After bumping and shoving the rest of the furniture around, positioning the desk just so, dusting, vacuuming, and beginning the laborious process of rearranging the accessories and artwork to fit the new furniture configuration, I ran out of steam. Then I had to run upstairs and clean up and make myself presentable - scrubbing off, hair, make-up, clean clothes. A friend was coming by shortly after 6 to pick me up. She was shopping for her very first computer, she wanted a laptop, and she wanted me along for security I think, more than anything else. Also I can be very intimidating, particularly when I put on my glasses... When we were out at dinner a few weeks ago I mentioned the purchase of my new Toshiba laptop and the fantastic price I got it for, and she went WOW! That got her thinking she could afford one herself. As she didn't have much knowledge of laptops (neither did I, before I started shopping for one over a year ago), I scouted the ads for her and searched around online, and found a couple of good deals. She got a crash course in what is included and what is not in a sale price "basic" laptop. We went and inspected a laptop in person tonight, she checked out the keyboard (important to people who make their living doing lots of typing, like yours truly), we got a detailed list of the specs and went through them, she got answers to the questions she had about "what is this" and "what is that" from a knowledgeable manager, and she closed the deal! She's going wireless so we also picked up a router for her. Now all she has to do is get DSL. I showed her how to shop online for discounted software (she wants Microsoft Works) and we're practically good to go! I got her set-up for a net cost of a little over $500 (she does have to apply for a $100 rebate on the computer) including the $90 or so she'll have to pop for the Microsoft Works. Last night when she went to a place that shall remain nameless that was offering some months free financing in addition to a good sale price on a "brand name" laptop, they tried to job her for $1,000 for basically the same set-up we got tonight, scaring the crap out of her talking about anti-virus protection and security and extended service contracts. Did you know that viruses can grow inside of a computer while it's sitting in its box, unplugged and never used? Neither did I. That's what the sales kid at the unnamed store told my friend last night. Ohmygoddess! So, tomorrow, the curio cabinet glass sides, shelves and mirrored back get thororoughly cleaned, the shelves put back in, and the contents dusted and/or washed before being replaced, including my precious collection of pink elephants. A good time to rotate things out and pack some stuff away. I also unpacked and set up the new HDTV that arrived a few days ago. Can't get the damn menu feature to work right and channel 4 is coming in positively crappy, but as every other channel is coming in perfectly clear it must have something to do with the channel 4 transmission. The Brewers beat the Cubs AGAIN tonight at Miller Park, whoopppeeee! If we win tomorrow and the Mets lose that means we're in the play-offs for the first time in 26 years! This city is excited. Poop noodle little Milwaukee with 636,000 people generated over 3,000,000 in attendance this year, cha ching! Just a few things to mention tonight, I'm tired and it's way past bedtime! What the hell is this b.s. about Sarah Palin, ex-mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, charging rape victims for their rape kits (used by the police to gather evidence of sexual assault). Fifi the Alaskan Attack Dog strikes again! What the hell - am I living in an alternate universe where the police charge the victims to do their job??? Weird, very very weird. The night terrors taken one step beyond. Yeah, I "see" things in my bedroom almost every night, but I've never eaten a cat... Methane gas bubbling up from underneath "Arctic lakes" were either a symptom of or cause of the end of the last Ice Age, around 13,000 years ago (11,000 BCE, give or take a few thousand years). Guess all the hot air coming out of Washington these days is just speeding up our current melting of the ice caps. Will archaeologists soon uncover an archaic version of Washington, D.C. or the Kremlin, the poor suckers petrified in their seats forever with their mouths open, pumping out the last bits of hot air in their beings, as massive floods of water and mud swept down upon them... 14,300 year old poop proves the Bering land bridge theory of when man first arrived in the new world is full of crap... On that note, darlings, I'm calling it a night. Sweet dreams.

Women's Chess in Barbados

From The Barbados Advocate Keen action in ladies' chess Web Posted - Fri Sep 26 2008 DEFENDING ladies chess champion, Corrine Howard, who is looking to make this her third consecutive title, has encountered some early turbulence in the BOA/CGI National Ladies Championship which is being played at Bridge House, Cavans Lane, The City. From the first round the 6 finalists trying to take Corrine's crown showed they meant business. In her round one clash against the experienced Juanita Garnett, the defending champion found herself under tremendous pressure early in the game. However, she put up tough resistance and managed to salvage a draw. Round three, however, proved to be a dramatic round as Cherie-Ann Parris of squash fame defeated the reigning champion in an intense battle. Parris, determined to make up for her round two loss against Comarie Mansour, played aggressively from the start and never relented until she claimed the full point inflicting a rare defeat on the defending Champion. This has left the tournament wide open with only two rounds remaining and the action should be intense this weekend as the players jostle for the top spots. Cherie-Ann Parris on four points, holds a slight 1/2 point lead ahead of Corrine Howard and Juanita Garnett, both on 3 1/2 points. Comarie Mansour and former Ladies Champion Rashida Corbin, who has returned to competitive chess after a few years' break, are both on three points but still have a rescheduled game against each other. This a key game as the winner would join Parris at the top of the standings. Katrina Blackman of Coleridge and Parry has two points and the baby of the competition, 10-year-old Cherise Austin is yet to score, although she has been playing well and missed an opportunity to draw against Mansour in round three. Round six will be played tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Bridge House, Cavans Lane, The City. Entry is free to the public. The action can also be followed on the Federation's website, Barbados.org/Chess.ý

Ancient Metal Works Found in Bam

Ancient metal workshop found in Bam Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:52:29 GMT Archeological studies in the city of Bam have led to the discovery of a metal production center in Iran's southeastern Kerman Province. Excavations in the Darestan region, located some 22 kilometers to the east of the city of Bam showed that the area was once a rich metal production center. “In the space of 3,400 to 3,500 BCE [this actually should be 3500 to 34oo BCE] the area was filled with metal workshops in which metals such as copper were extracted,” said team director, Omran Garajian. “The team found a number of honeycombed metal seals, which were popular around 2,600 to 2,100 BCE,” he added. “Similar seals dating back to 2,400 BCE were previously found in eastern Iran. The newly discovered seals were made in 3,400 to 3,500 BCE,” Garajian he said. Archeologists also unearthed a skeleton, a skull and some jewelry. TE/HGH

The Goddess Akka

Proto-indo-European word for water: ak(w)-a; important derivatives are island, aquatic, ewer, and sewer. 1. Island-from Old English ig, ieg, island, from Germanic *agwjo. 2. Aqua, Aquarelle, Aquarium, Aquatic, Aqui-, Ewer, Gouache, Sewer, from Latin aqua, water. From Barbara Walker's "The Woman's Encylopedia of Myths and Secrets." Akka Eponymous ancestral Goddess of Akkad, called the Old Woman, the Grandmother, or the Midwife. She was the "Water-drawer" who brought gods to birth out of the primal deep - the feminine prototype of Aquarius. A similar Central-American Goddess figure had curiously similar names, Acat or Akna.(1) [Why curious? If the experts are correct, old world peoples populated the new world, and they would have brought the names of their gods and goddesses with them. The root word for "water" most likely goes back far far beyond proto-Indo-European, back to the time when language was just beginning.] Akka had many related names. Greeks called her Acco or Acca, "she Who Fashions."(2) To Laps and Finns in northern Europe, she was Mader-Akka -- Mother Akka -- who created humanity.(3) To Romans, she was Acca Larentia, or Acca the mother of the Lares, which were archaic ancestral spirits left over from pre-Roman Latium. Acca Larentia was variously called the first Vestal Virgin, or a temple prostitute, or a rich courtesan, or a virgin bridge of God -- roles tha may seem mutually contradictory but were not so (see Prostitution; Vestal Virgins). As the divine midwife, she helped Rhea Silvia give birth to Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. She drew the divine twins out of the floating basket on the river tiber, just as Akka of Akkad drew Sargon out of his floating basket on the river Tigris, and "Pharaoh's daughter" drew Moses from the Nile. Acca Larentia was honored every year at the roman festival of the Larentalia. She was assimilated to the cult of Heracles, who became one of her husbands. In his Roman temple, Heracles was mated to "Acca, the Maker."(4) Notes: (1) Larousse, 439. (2) Graves, G.M. 2, 190. (3) Larousse, 306. (4) Graves, G.M. 2, 190.

The Great Ganges in Trouble

From The Times of India: Save the river Ganga 23 Sep 2008, 0000 hrs IST, KAILASH VAJPEYI Yoga guru Swami Ramdev has been campaigning to save the Ganga from pollution, as have so many others in the past including religious heads and members of civil society. He wishes that the river that is considered holy by millions should be given heritage status. At least then, he reasons, polluting the river would be considered a punishable crime. Swami Ramdev started his campaign from Kanpur since it is here that the river receives large volumes of toxic effluents from the city's tanneries and other small-scale industries. The Ganga is both goddess and river. Sitting on the banks of the Ganga is in itself an uplifting experience, as the ambience is rich with the meditations of sages from time immemorial. As the consort of Shiva, flowing from his matted locks as Shakti, her waters are believed to have the power to wash away all sin. How the Ganga was brought down to earth is told in the story of Bhagiratha who obtained permission from the gods for the river to descend to earth so that the sacred waters might wash over the ashes of the sons of his ancestor, Sagar. The Ganga came down but Shiva absorbed the force of the mighty torrent by letting it flow through his hair. From the head of Shiva it flowed down as the Sapta-Sindhva or the seven sacred rivers. The Ganga is also called Alaknanda - from the locks of Shiva; Deva-Bhuti - heavenly; Gandini - ever-shining; Hara-Shekhara - Shiva's crest; Jahnavi - from Jahnu; Khapaga - flowing from heaven; Kumarsu - mother of Kartikeya; Mandakini - gently flowing; and Tripathga - flowing through the three worlds of heaven, earth and hell. If the Himalayas are supreme among mountains and Kashi is supreme among holy cities, the Ganga is supreme among rivers. Jawaharlal Nehru said: "The Ganga especially is the river of India's age-long culture and civilisation, ever changing, ever-flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga." Poet Jagannath, in his poem, 'Ganga Lahri', approaches the Ganga with total surrender: "I come to you as a child to his mother/ I come as an orphan /To you, moist with love/ I come without refuge/ To you, giver of sacred rest/ I come a fallen man/ To you, uplifter of all./ I come undone by disease/ To you the perfect physician/ I come, my heart dry with thirst/ To you, ocean of sweet wine/ Do with me whatever you will." It is not only in India but in other parts of the world also that rivers have been referred to as mothers. Volga is Mat Rodanya, that is, mother of the land. Ireland's river Boyne is worshipped as a goddess. The Thai river Mae-nau translates literally as Water Mother. In ancient Egypt, the floods of the Nile were considered the tears of the Goddess Isis. The name of Ganga appears twice in the Rig Veda. We find references to the Ganga in the Valmiki Ramayana, the Brahmanda Purana, the Devi Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata. A number of Sanskrit poets, including Adi Sankara, have composed beautiful verses in praise of the Ganga. Our great rivers, including the Ganga, are dying. If we do not succeed in a determined effort to save these important water bodies, we are risking the right of future generations to a healthy, life-enhancing environment. Veda Vyasa said: "Anyone who cuts trees and pollutes rivers commits suicide." (The writer is member, executive committee, Sahitya Akademi)

Hales Corners Challenge VIII

10 Grand Prix Points!!! Chessplayers ! Our popular Hales Corners Challenge (held each year in April and October) is coming soon. Mark your calendar now ! Tournament information is below, and a flyer is attached to this email (or go to http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/HC%20Challenge.htm ) NOTE !! NEW LOCATION THIS TIME ! Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481-8000; formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport). October 4, 2008 Hales Corners Challenge VIII GPP: 10 Wisconsin 4SS, G/60. Two Sections: Open & Reserve (under 1600). Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481-8000; formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport). EF: $35-Open, $25-Reserve, both $5 more after 10/1. Comp EF for USCF 2200+, contact TD for details. $$ Open (b/25)=1st-$325 (guaranteed), 2nd-$175 (guaranteed), A-$100, B & Below-$75; $$ Reserve (b/25)=1st-$100, 2nd-$75, D-$50, E & Below-$40. Reg.: 8:30-9:30, Rds.: 10-1-3:30-6. Ent: Payable to Southwest Chess Club, c/o Allen Becker, 6105 Thorncrest Drive, Greendale, WI 53129 (http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com). Questions to TD Gary Wright 414-226-5753. http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/ Hales Corners Challenge VIII Sponsored by The Southwest Chess Club http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/ Sturday, October 4, 2008 Two Sections – Open & Reserve (Under 1600) FORMAT: Four Round Swiss System - Four Games in One Day USCF Rated TIME LIMIT: Game in One Hour (60 minutes per player) ENTRY FEE: $35 – Open; $25 – Reserve Comp Entry Fee for USCF 2200+ (call TD for details) both sections $5 more after October 1, 2008) SITE REGISTRATION: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ROUNDS: 10 am -- 1 pm -- 3:30 pm -- 6 pm Pairings by WinTD---No Computer Entries---No Smoking * Prize fund in each section is based on minimum of 25 players in that section; however 1st and 2nd prizes in Open Section are guaranteed ***Special Additional Prizes provided by Goddesschess.com*** Top Finishing Female Player--$50/Best Game by Female Player--$25/Best Game by Male Player--$25 Tournament Director: Gary Wright Assistant Tournament Directors: Tom Fogec/ Allen Becker /Robin Grochowski SITE: Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee—414-481-8000 (formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport) ENTRIES TO: Allen Becker —6105 Thorncrest Drive— Greendale , WI 53129 http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com QUESTIONS TO: Gary Wright—414-226-5753 USCF I.D. Required -- Bring your own clocks – Sets and Boards Provided Irrevocable half point bye available in any round, except round 4, if requested prior to first round ____________________________________________________________________ Checks payable to Southwest Chess Club Please indicate section desired) __Open Section __Reserve Section Name: __________________________________________________ USCF ID#: ________________ Rating: _______ Expire Date: ___________ Address: ______________________________________ City: _____________________ State : _______ Zip: _________ Phone: __________________ e-mail Address: _______________________

Southwest Chess Club of Hales Corners New Events

An announcement from my "adopted" local chess club for a new event! Hello Chess Players, This Thursday, September 25, marks the start of a new tournament, the Cool Autumn Breezes Blowing Swiss, a four round event with one game each night of the tournament. There will be two sections. Register at the playing site between 6:20 and 6:50 pm. If you know you will be late but wish to enter, please contact me in advance. Remember, we are now meeting at the Layton State Bank in Greendale, located at 5850 Broad Street (lower level). Details below. Cool Autumn Breezes Blowing Swiss: Sept. 25, Oct 2, 9, 16 4-Round Swiss in Two Sections (Open and Under 1600). Game/100 minutes. USCF Rated. EF: $5 members, $7 others. (One ½ Point Bye Available for any round (except round four) if requested at least 2- days prior to round). TD is Fogec; ATD is Grochowski Tom Fogec Southwest Chess Club 414-425-6742 tfogec@wi.rr.com

Did Government Pressure Lead to Poison Milk Cover-up?

Delay since as far back as December, 2007 and certainly since June, 2008 in reporting to government officials evidence of widespread milk poisoning and ordering product recalls may have been due to pre-Olympics government pressure that no bad news be released. China Says Complaints About Milk Began in 2007 By DAVID BARBOZA Published: September 23, 2008 SHANGHAI — One of China’s biggest dairy producers received consumer complaints about its baby milk formula as early as December 2007 — much earlier than previously thought and 10 months before the producer ordered a nationwide recall because of concerns that the formula had been adulterated with a toxic industrial chemical, state media said Tuesday. The disclosure, in a government report publicized by the official Xinhua News Agency, is the latest indication that the producer, Sanlu Group, had repeatedly tried to hide information about its contaminated dairy supplies from the public. Powdered milk formula in China tainted by melamine, a chemical compound, has already sickened more than 53,000 infants and killed three children nationwide, according to the Health Ministry, leading to recalls of Chinese-made dairy products in China and other parts of Asia, devastating this nation’s huge dairy industry and casting a renewed pall over the quality of Chinese food production. Officials at the Sanlu Group, which is based in northern China’s Hebei Province, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. The government report did not include details about the nature or number of consumer complaints but put the timing of when they began at least six months earlier than first reported. Earlier this month, government investigators said that Sanlu officials had delayed acting on consumer complaints and warnings in June, and that local government officials in Hebei knew of the problems in early August, just before the Olympic Games opened in Beijing. Sanlu announced a nationwide recall in early September. The Fonterra Group of New Zealand, which is one of the world’s biggest dairy exporters and has a 43 percent stake in Sanlu, says it pressed its Chinese partner to announce a recall in August, but company and local government officials refused. Food safety experts say the delays may have allowed the tainted powdered milk supplies to spread more widely, making tens of thousands of children ill. The delays have led to widespread speculation in China that Sanlu and some government officials were trying to cover up the problem during the Olympics because Beijing had pressed Chinese journalists and companies not to release negative news. In the two weeks since reports spread about the contamination and sickness, though, the milk recall has mushroomed, with worried parents rushing to hospitals, supermarket chains pulling dairy products off shelves and dairy farmers dumping milk because no one is willing to drink it. China’s dairy industry has been booming for more than a decade, with the aid of a government initiative to get Chinese to drink more milk. But worries about baby formula tainted with melamine, which is used to produce plastics and fertilizer, led to government checks that uncovered evidence that products made by 21 other dairy producers, including some of China’s best known dairy brands, have also been tainted by melamine. On Monday, the government announced that the head of the nation’s quality watchdog had been forced to resign for failing to properly supervise the dairy market. Several government officials from Hebei Province have also been forced to step down, along with the chairwoman of the Sanlu Group. The government announced Tuesday that more than 7,000 tons of dairy products had been removed from store shelves. Also on Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture said the nation’s dairy collection system was “out of control,” The Associated Press reported, making it possible for unscrupulous businesses to intentionally spike dairy supplies with melamine, which can be used to illegally and artificially inflate the protein count in milk and other foods.

Ancient Writing Sample Found in Philippines

From www.Malaya.com Shard find in Intramuros shows early form of writing September 22, 2008 A NATIONAL Museum team has dug up a pot shard with an inscription around its shoulder, similar to the world-renowned Calatagan pot, at the San Ignacio archeological site in Intramuros. The find, lying 140 centimeters below the surface at the ruins of the San Ignacio church, is seen as evidence of another ancient form of writing in the Philippines. Most of the writing systems in the Southeast Asian region are derived from an ancient script used in India. In contrast to other countries, the Philippines has very few artifacts that provide evidence of the earliest form of writing. These include the Laguna copper plate (900 AD), Butuan ivory seal (9th to 12th centuries), Butuan silver strip (14th to 15th centuries) and the Calatagan pot (15th century). When Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came in 1567, he observed that inhabitants read and wrote in their own system of writing using an alphabet. The Tagalogs had their own alphabet, the baybayin, which was similar to those used by people in the South. The baybayin was in wide use in the 16th century, but its users began to wane in the following century. Among ethno-linguistics groups in the Philippines, only three have retained the use of their syllabic scripts: the Hanunoo and Bahid Mangyan of Mindoro, and the Tagbanwa of Palawan. The archaeological excavation at San Ignacio is another project being implemented jointly by the Cultural Properties and Archaeology Divisions of the National Museum and the Intramuros Administration. This project is undertaken in connection with the plan of the IA to develop the area where the church ruins stand into an ecclesiastical museum. Digging was started in June by the National Museum team made up of curator Angel P. Bautista, researchers Alfredo Orogo and Carmencita Mariano, artist Ernesto Toribio Jr., and Jimmy Fingcale. Excavation in five squares yielded 500 pieces of archaeological material, of which the pot shard with inscription is considered the most significant find.

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What an exciting discovery. I hope more will be published on this find. I continue to find it amazing how much history has been lost in recent historic times. It's a sad testiment to our lack of care, prejudice and ignorance.

Treasure Trove in India!

From The DeccanHerald.com September 19, 2008 131 Mughul period gold coins unearthed in TN village Dharmapuri (TN), PTI: A treasure of ancient gold coins dating back to the Mughul period was unearthed at a village near Dharmapuri. The coins numbering 131 and kept in a earthen pot came to light when Nadumadhu (40) and his wife Kannammal of Kalkundapatti village, 47 km from here, were digging their piece of land for constructing a house, officials said. On being informed about the treasure, a team of revenue officials led by Palacode Thasildar T Duke Ponraj rushed to the village yesterday and took possession of the coins, each of which weighed around six grams. A pair of ear rings was also recovered from the site. As the coins had markings in Urdu it was beleived to be of the Mughul period, officials said. The couple were questioned by the revenue and police officials. The coins and the ear rings, seized under the Indian Treasure Act, were handed over to the District Collector for further action.

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Did the finders notify the authorities of the find, or did someone else turn them in? Why were the couple questioned by revenue and police officials? Do the authorities think the couple who found this treasure trove have more hidden away somewhere??? Will the couple who uncovered these coins receive a percentage of their value under the Indian Treasure Act? What "further action" will take place - an inquest (similar to what they do in England when treasure trove is found)?

The Man Who Saved The World

From TheFirstPost.com/uk The Soviet chess enthusiast who saved the world September 23, 2008 Twenty-five years ago this week, a Russian soldier averted a nuclear holocaust, writes Philip Jacobson When Lt Col Stanislav Petrov arrived to work the graveyard shift at the secret command bunker near Moscow from which the Soviet Union's early warning satellites were monitored, he was anticipating another routine stint of checking screens and communications systems, with a few chess problems to help pass the time. But shortly after midnight on September 26, 1983, alarms started blaring and a red button on the console in front of Petrov began to flash the single word: "Start". This signified that an American ballistic missile had been launched and was heading towards the USSR: then the computers linked to the satellites reported that four more missiles were on the way. As commander of the bunker, Petrov, a 44-year-old rocket specialist, was responsible for deciding whether the horrifying launch data was accurate. If it was, standing orders required immediate notification of the Soviet high command, which would then consult the Kremlin about initiating a swift and massive retaliatory strike against the US. "For 15 seconds we were all in a state of shock," Petrov recalled years later. "We needed to understand with absolute certainty what came next." After five minutes of frantic activity, with his staff begging him to stay cool, Petrov concluded that the incoming launch reports were almost certainly false. A central tenet of the USSR's Cold War strategy held that any nuclear attack by America would involve the simultaneous launch of hundreds of missiles. In Petrov's judgment, nobody would carry out a first strike with just five: he was also aware the system had a history of malfunctioning. "My gut feeling was that we were experiencing another systems failure, so I made the decision to report a false alarm." Petrov's hunch was subsequently confirmed by an official investigation: the satellite alerts that might have created a nuclear holocaust were triggered by an unusual combination of sunlight and high-altitude cloud formations, wrongly interpreted by the computers as a missile launch. But although Petrov's conduct under intense pressure initially drew high praise from superiors - there was talk of a medal - an official investigation later accused him of serious disciplinary offences. Petrov was formally reprimanded, demoted and shuffled into a much less responsible post. Convinced he had been made a scapegoat for exposing flaws in the early warning network, he chose to take early retirement and, by some accounts, suffered a nervous breakdown. It was not until the late-1990s, as President Gorbachev's policy of glasnost (openness) took hold, that the story of that dramatic night in the bunker became public knowledge in Russia. An American expert on Soviet defence doctrines during the Cold War described the incident as "the closest we've come to an accidental nuclear conflict". Contemporary US intelligence reports indicated that the then Soviet leader, Yuri Andropov, and his top brass were extremely nervous about the possibility that President Ronald Reagan might authorise a devastating first strike against what he had famously dubbed "the evil empire". By then, Petrov was surviving on a meagre military pension in a squalid apartment block in a town near Moscow, drinking too much and mourning the death of his devoted wife from cancer. He would tell Western journalists that he did not consider himself a hero, just a conscientious officer who did his duty at a moment of great peril for mankind. Yet within a few years, as word spread of his role in averting what could have become a global catastrophe, he was being feted in the West. In May 2004, the US-based Association of World Citizens awarded him a trophy and $1,000: two years later, health seemingly restored, he was invited to UN headquarters in New York to receive a second award. Twenty-five years on, a documentary film about Petrov - working title The Man Who Saved The World - is being prepared. It is due for release next summer. FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

Christ the Magus

An interesting article only in Spanish (couldn't find an English translation online). I'm no linguist but I could make out a few words and checked a few more with the aid of Alta Vista's Babelfish translator. Of main importance is that this cup or small bowl, found in Alexandria, Egypt (possibly under water?), has a notation in Greek "Dia Chrstou o Goistais," translated into Spanish for the article ""por Chrestos el mago" -- my take on this is FOR CHRIST THE MAGICIAN. Wow! I confirmed that "mago" in Spanish means magus, magician, the same as the title given to the ancient Persian wise men. Since I don't read Spanish, I'm guessing that the references to 50-51 CE are references to the age of the artifact. If that proves to be correct, I believe this could be the earliest reference ever found to the historical name of Jesus Christ. Here's the article: PODRÍA SER LA REFERENCIA MÁS ANTIGUA A JESUCRISTO La vasija de 'Cristo, el mago' --Hallan entre las ruinas de Alejandría un tarro con una enigmática inscripción --La leyenda fue tallada en el año 50 y probablemente alude al Mesías --La valiosa pieza se expondrá en Madrid hasta finales de noviembre Actualizado viernes 19/09/2008 17:14 (CET) CHANO MONTELONGO MADRID.- Un equipo de arqueólogos y egiptólogos acaba de descubrir, entre las ruinas sumergidas de la mítica ciudad de Alejandría, una vasija de cerámica con una enigmática inscripción en griego que podría ser la referencia más antigua que existe de Jesucristo. Según explicó a elmundo.es Franck Goddio, uno de los arqueólogos submarinos más prestigiosos del mundo y el responsable del hallazgo, el objeto muestra una inscripción en griego, 'Dia Chrstou o Goistais', que se interpreta como "por Chrestos el mago". Entre las teorías que se barajan, "bien podría tratarse de una referencia a Jesucristo, en aquel tiempo el máximo exponente de la magia blanca", indicó el investigador francés. El valor del descubrimiento se incrementa al comprobarse su antigüedad, ya que los egiptólogos que han estudiado la pieza aseguran que la vasija, procedente de Asia Menor, es del siglo I a.C. y que la inscripción fue realizada antes del año 50 d.C. Esto convertiría el hallazgo en la primera referencia del mesías que se conoce, honor que hasta ahora ostenta una carta del apóstol San Pablo del año 51 d.C. en la que habla de "su maestro". No obstante, ésta no es más que una de las dos o tres teorías que barajan los expertos sobre el origen y el significado de esta valiosa pieza. El descubrimiento se produjo el pasado mes de junio cuando su equipo trabajaba en uno de los yacimientos situados en la zona oriental del Portus Magnus de Alejandría, concretamente dentro de un templo situado cerca de la isla de Antirhodos, muy cerca de la costa. "Las excavaciones presentan varios estratos que coinciden con una fecha concreta en el tiempo. Esta vasija fue hallada en el piso correspondiente al siglo I d.C., aunque pruebas posteriores han confirmado que su antigüedad se sitúa un siglo antes de nuestra era. Se encontraron junto a varios objetos y columnas del templo", explica Goddio. Durante los últimos meses, los mejores egiptólogos del mundo han trabajado en esta pieza y han dado varias teorías sobre ella. Se cree que la vasija se utilizaba en ritos adivinatorios. Se vertía en él una fina capa de aceite cuyas huellas se interpretaban por un mago en forma de predicciones futuras. elmundo.es fue testigo, en un acto privado, de la llegada a Madrid de este objeto, donde permanecerá expuesto al público dentro de la muestra 'Tesoros Sumergidos de Egipto', en el Matadero Legazpi, hasta el próximo 26 de noviembre. Entre fuertes medidas de seguridad y ante la supervisión de egiptólogos y representantes del Gobierno de Egipto, propietario de la pieza, Franck Goddio extrajo de una caja fuerte el objeto y lo depositó en una urna de cristal instalada al final del recorrido de la exposición, que contiene más de 500 piezas procedentes de tres yacimientos sumergidos del Antiguo Egipto. En la inscripción en griego 'Dia Chrstou o goistais', la palabra 'goistais' significaría «mago», mientras que Chrstou designaría el nombre del celebrante, aunque también podría significar el Mesías. En este caso, la vasija habría sido utilizada por un mago que, para legitimar sus poderes sobrenaturales, habría invocado a Cristo. «No es descabellado pensar esto, ya que hay que tener en cuenta que en la época de la que estamos hablando, en el primer siglo de nuestra era, la comunicación del Portus Magnus de Alejandría con la región de Palestina era muy fluida, con barcos que llegaban de allí a diario. Es muy probable que en Alejandría estuvieran al corriente de la existencia de Jesús y de los milagros que estaba obrando no muy lejos de allí y que los magos realizaran ritos en su nombre», explicó Goddio. A pesar de que la vasija está expuesta en Madrid, un gran equipo de expertos investigadores continúa investigando sobre la pieza y su origen y, es probable que en los próximos meses, las teorías sobre el significado de la inscripción se simplifiquen. Texto íntegro de este artículo

"Braided Lady" Mummy to be Examined

Here's another interesting article - Associated Press - September 20, 2008 7:14 PM ET WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - An ancient cold case has brought a leading Egyptologist to Wichita this weekend. Bob Brier plans to study a mummy on display at the Museum of World Treasures to see if she was connected to a 3,000-year-old murder plot involving an Egyptian pharaoh. Brier, a Long Island University professor, is sometimes called "Mr. Mummy" after a television special he made a few years ago. The mummy he's studying at the Wichita museum is known as the "Braided Lady" because of her hairstyle. Museum officials say the woman stood about 4 feet, 10 inches when she was alive and suffered from a curvature of the spine. But little else in known about her. Brier says he plans to closely examine the Braided Lady's teeth, bones and fingernails in an attempt to learn more about her life. Information from: The Wichita Eagle, http://www.kansas.com/ Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sasanian Burial Practice Indicates Special Status for Women

Interesting - CAIS NEWS © Latest Archaeological and Cultural News of Iran and the Iranian World Discovery of a New Sasanian Burial Method in Pahlauj 21 September 2008 LONDON, (CAIS) -- An anthropologist said that the nails around the ancient Pahluj skeletons imply an unknown style of burial carried out for females during the late Sasanian or early post-Sasanian era (650-851 CE). “We face an unknown style of burial, in which nails have been located upside down on the earth, maybe in order to hold a sheet of wood above the bodies in the graves,” Farzad Foruzanfar told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday. “The bodies have not been buried in coffins because no remains of wood have been found under the skeletons. However we have found a brown powder of wood on some of the nails’ points,” he added. The graves were discovered during the rescue excavation, which has begun at the site near the village of Mirar-Kola in northern Iran in late August. Pahluj, which is home to several sites dating back from 1000 BCE to 9th century CE, will be completely submerged under water and mud when the Alborz Dam becomes operational. Pahluj is located in the Savadkuh region of Mazandaran Province. “The nails have been used in the females’ burial and they have not been found in the males’ graves. This indicates that females were buried in a unique manner during that period of the times,” Foruzanfar explained. “The nails were located parallel at specific points at the same distances,” he added. Mehdi Abedini, the director of the archaeological team working at the 3000-year-old site had previously said that the bodies were buried with nails beside their knees and beside their left shoulders, and bunch of nails over and under their heads and feet. “The existence of bunch of the nails over and under the bodies’ heads and feet is very strange indeed and we have no explanation for them yet,” Foruzanfar said. The archaeologists have also discovered silver spoons, bracelets, and beads made of lapis lazuli at the graves. Due to the discoveries, experts believe that women enjoyed a special status during the late Sasanian, early post-Sasanian period in the region.

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These burials are well within the historical period, and yet there evidently is no written record of this particular burial practice and its meaning! Will it ever be known? Here is an initial report of the discovery on September 10, 2008 from the Fars News Agency: Pre-Islamic Necropolis Found in Northern Iran TEHRAN (FNA)- Archeologists have discovered a burial ground and a unique burial ritual dating back to Sassanid and post-Islamic eras in northern Iran. Recent excavations in the northern province of Mazandaran uncovered a burial ground, and brought to light a unique burial ritual. Nails were discovered around the ancient bodies, but archeologists say that these did not come from any coffin. The nails were found in a deliberate pattern. One nail was found beside the knee, one beside the left shoulder, some on top of the head and a few others under the feet, CHN reported. The specific practice has not been observed in any other historical study. Archeologists therefore believe the discovery of the burial ground could be of great importance. The graves all belong to young people and children, and the nail patterns have turned into a puzzle which archeologists are keen to try and solve. Silver spoons and bracelets, as well as turquoise beads were found near graves. Further studies of the burial site and the relics are expected to reveal more clues as to the meaning behind the nails, and the identities of those buried.

Khazar Capital Found (Maybe)

Scholar claims to find medieval Jewish capital By MANSUR MIROVALEV, Associated Press Writer Sat Sep 20, 2:13 PM ET MOSCOW - A Russian archaeologist says he has found the lost capital of the Khazars, a powerful nation that adopted Judaism as its official religion more than 1,000 years ago, only to disappear leaving little trace of its culture. Dmitry Vasilyev, a professor at Astrakhan State University, said his nine-year excavation near the Caspian Sea has finally unearthed the foundations of a triangular fortress of flamed brick, along with modest yurt-shaped dwellings, and he believes these are part of what was once Itil, the Khazar capital. By law Khazars could use flamed bricks only in the capital, Vasilyev said. The general location of the city on the Silk Road was confirmed in medieval chronicles by Arab, Jewish and European authors. "The discovery of the capital of Eastern Europe's first feudal state is of great significance," he told The Associated Press. "We should view it as part of Russian history." Kevin Brook, the American author of "The Jews of Khazaria," e-mailed Wednesday that he has followed the Itil dig over the years, and even though it has yielded no Jewish artifacts, "Now I'm as confident as the archaeological team is that they've truly found the long-lost city, The Khazars were a Turkic tribe that roamed the steppes from Northern China to the Black Sea. Between the 7th and 10th centuries they conquered huge swaths of what is now southern Russia and Ukraine, the Caucasus Mountains and Central Asia as far as the Aral Sea. Itil, about 800 miles south of Moscow, had a population of up to 60,000 and occupied 0.8 square miles of marshy plains southwest of the Russian Caspian Sea port of Astrakhan, Vasilyev said. It lay at a major junction of the Silk Road, the trade route between Europe and China, which "helped Khazars amass giant profits," he said. The Khazar empire was once a regional superpower, and Vasilyev said his team has found "luxurious collections" of well-preserved ceramics that help identify cultural ties of the Khazar state with Europe, the Byzantine Empire and even Northern Africa. They also found armor, wooden kitchenware, glass lamps and cups, jewelry and vessels for transporting precious balms dating back to the eighth and ninth centuries, he said. But a scholar in Israel, while calling the excavations interesting, said the challenge was to find Khazar inscriptions. "If they found a few buildings, or remains of buildings, that's interesting but does not make a big difference," said Dr. Simon Kraiz, an expert on Eastern European Jewry at Haifa University. "If they found Khazar writings, that would be very important." Vasilyev says no Jewish artifacts have been found at the site, and in general, most of what is known about the Khazars comes from chroniclers from other, sometimes competing cultures and empires. "We know a lot about them, and yet we know almost nothing: Jews wrote about them, and so did Russians, Georgians, and Armenians, to name a few," said Kraiz. "But from the Khazars themselves we have nearly nothing." The Khazars' ruling dynasty and nobility converted to Judaism sometime in the 8th or 9th centuries. Vasilyev said the limited number of Jewish religious artifacts such as mezuzas and Stars of David found at other Khazar sites prove that ordinary Khazars preferred traditional beliefs such as shamanism, or newly introduced religions including Islam. Yevgeny Satanovsky, director of the Middle Eastern Institute in Moscow, said he believes the Khazar elite chose Judaism out of political expediency — to remain independent of neighboring Muslim and Christian states. "They embraced Judaism because they wanted to remain neutral, like Switzerland these days," he said. In particular, he said, the Khazars opposed the Arab advance into the Caucasus Mountains and were instrumental in containing a Muslim push toward eastern Europe. He compared their role in eastern Europe to that of the French knights who defeated Arab forces at the Battle of Tours in France in 732. The Khazars succeeded in holding off the Arabs, but a young, expanding Russian state vanquished the Khazar empire in the late 10th century. Medieval Russian epic poems mention Russian warriors fighting the "Jewish Giant." "In many ways, Russia is a successor of the Khazar state," Vasilyev said. He said his dig revealed traces of a large fire that was probably caused by the Russian conquest. He said Itil was rebuilt following the fall of the Khazar empire, when ethnic Khazars were slowly assimilated by Turkic-speaking tribes, Tatars and Mongols, who inhabited the city until it was flooded by the rising Caspian Sea around the 14th century. The study of the Khazar empire was discouraged in the Soviet Union. The dictator Josef Stalin, in particular, detested the idea that a Jewish empire had come before Russia's own. He ordered references to Khazar history removed from textbooks because they "disproved his theory of Russian statehood," Satanovsky said. Only now are Russian scholars free to explore Khazar culture. The Itil excavations have been sponsored by the Russian-Jewish Congress, a nonprofit organization that supports cultural projects in Russia. "Khazar studies are just beginning," Satanovsky said.

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The romantic Silk Road, ahhhh. According to the traditional view of chess history, a form of proto-chess was spread by travelers along the Silk Road. Most say it went from India to Persia, and then from Persia to China. China says it went from China to Persia, or perhaps from China directly to India, and then to Persia. Most historians (except the Chinese historians and Joseph Needham) discount this theory. Personally, I think both are wrong :)

Computer, Oh Computer...

Hola darlings! Whew! I've spent the better part of the day doing yardwork and trying to get a file and printer sharing network going between my desktop (which I'm working on now), and my brand new beautiful Toshiba laptop (situated downstairs on the kitchen table for the moment). The yardwork went much better than the fledgling network. I haven't been able to get that going yet, despite trying several different fixes. Drat! It's hot and humid here - 80 degrees today and 62 dewpoint. I ran out of steam about 3:15 after cutting the front lawn, putzing with the computers, cleaning the deck, putzing with the computers, cutting the backyard, putzing with the computers, eating a very late lunch (4 p.m.) and sacking out in the recliner for awhile. I didn't fall asleep but it sure felt good! But then I felt guilty because the lawnmower had run out of gas in the middle of the backyard. Should I finish up the final third of the yard? Nah. I'll do that tomorrow. The rain that was forecast failed to materialize and now it looks like clear skies until Wednesday. So, instead I just put my feet up out on the deck under the umbrella and fed peanuts to the chipmunks and squirrels. It's depressing that it's twilight before 7 p.m., and dark by ten after, but today wasn't so bad because it was sunny; the tail-end of twilight is flickering in the window in the den here and that night hush has fallen. It's stuffy in the house even with the windows open, but it's been dropping into the 50's at night, very comfortable sleeping weather. I love this kind of weather and this time of year, even though the day lilies are dying off and the leaves are already turning on the trees. The squirrels have been doing double time squirreling away the approximate ton of peanuts I've fed them the past couple of weeks - which scares me because I'm thinking it's going to be another long, hard winter and the squirrels know it and we dumb humans don't! Soooo, now I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong in trying to set up file sharing and printer sharing. Thank goddess, the wireless network is working flawlessly. Now, to the next batch of contradictory internet research on how to set up file-sharing...

I Have a Problem with This Story...

From The Times Online.UK September 19, 2008 ‘Ancient’ Christian amulet exposed as modern hoax Simon de Bruxelles A silver cross regarded as one of the most important early Christian artefacts found in Britain is a modern fake, scientists confirmed yesterday. The Chi-Rho Amulet, which bears an early Christian symbol incorporating the first two letters of Christ’s name in Greek, was found in a 4th-century Roman grave near the Somerset town of Shepton Mallet in 1990. Tests carried out by Dr Matthew Ponting, from the University of Liver-pool, revealed that the silver used to make the cross is of 19th-century origin. The test, using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), examined impurities in the metal. It also established that silver used to make the cross and the pierced disc that bears the Chi-Rho inscription comes from two sources. Suspicion is focusing on protesters who opposed construction of a vast drinks warehouse on the site beside the Fosse Way, an Ancient Roman road. The discovery of the amulet 18 years ago caused a sensation in Shepton Mallet. An entertainment complex and a street were named after it and a replica was presented to George Carey (now Lord Carey of Clifton), who wore it at his enthronement as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1991. Marsh, deputy leader of the town council, said: “It’s like the magic has been removed from Shepton Mallet. I’m not sure there’ll be any need to change any names in the town but it’s a shame the myth of the amulet has now burst. “It was part of the town’s claim to fame, though the revelation that it’s a fake won’t come as a surprise to many people. When the amulet was first discovered it was felt it may have been placed there as a joke. But we’re still proud of Shepton and its Roman heritage.” Stephen Minnitt, acting head of the Somerset museum service, said: “Following detailed analysis of the Shepton Mallet amulet Somerset County Council can confirm that the artefact is almost certainly not the rare Christian artefact it was first believed to be. Experts are now 99 per cent certain the amulet is not genuine.” He appealed for the faker to come forward to solve the mystery. “It was deliberately planted. It didn’t get there by accident. There was a lot of local concern over the fact that the site was being destroyed and there was quite a lot of local opposition.” He said the hoaxer would not be punished. “There is no threat to them. They haven’t committed a crime or anything. It would be good to bring the story to a conclusion. We would be delighted if someone came forward and told us why and what happened.” The amulet is believed to have been copied from a genuine but little-known Roman brooch presented to the British Museum in 1954, implying a degree of specialist knowledge. The amulet was found in the grave of a man in one of 16 burial plots in the Roman cemetery. Peter Leach, who led the Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit that carried out the excavation, said that he did not suspect any of his 40-strong team of planting the amulet. “There is absolutely no question it was anybody to do with the archaeological team,” he said. “I was there when it was found. There was never any doubt about its provenance as it was in a genuine Roman burial.“A local group might have had an agenda to place an object there in the hope that an archaeological find would stop the development.”

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This cross was found at a bonafide archaeological dig in 1990. How the heck did it get there? Was it just left behind on the surface one night by a prankster and the next day the diggers showed up and said oh lo and behold, a new artifact? Hmmm..... So perhaps it was buried underground in - as it turns out - a 4th century Roman grave. Coincidence? And why did the people working on excavating this particular grave NOT NOTICE that the dirt had been disturbed? I mean, darlings, don't you think the dirt would have been disturbed if you were intent on burying an object in a grave that wasn't there originally??? How else could it have been done - was it shot into the ground with a gun? (That's a joke). So, you're brushing away on this grave for weeks and weeks (because that's what the "diggers" often use - brushes) and you don't notice any disturbance in the dirt at your dig that suddenly shows up overnight? Hmmm....

Ayatollah Sistani Gets Hacked Off!

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy... tee hee hee. From The Los Angeles Times blog, Babylon and Beyond, September 19, 2008: Babylon & Beyond IRAQ: The ayatollah gets hacked Shiite Muslims who check Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani's website, sistani.org, for advice on everything from chess to sex were in for a shock today. Hackers attacked the site of the spiritual guide to millions of Shiites and slapped a video showing comedian Bill Maher poking fun at Sistani's advice-giving on the home page. A group calling itself Group-XP claimed responsibility, according to a statement on the hacked site, which normally invites visitors to write in with questions on what is permitted under Shiism, and to get advice on how to be a better Muslim. Sistani is Iraq's most revered Shiite religious leader and though he stays mostly out of politics, his words hold immense sway. Iran's Fars News Agency said the hackers had shut down about 300 Shiite websites and were Sunnis based in the United Arab Emirates. It described the attack as the most serious of its kind in years. For several hours, visitors to the Sistani site were greeted with what appeared to be a video of the white-bearded cleric and a statement written in red lettering scrolling down the screen. "Did you think you were alone on the Internet and nobody was capable of hacking your site?" the statement reads. It went on to make fun of Sistani and his sexual pronouncements, referring to him as Sextani and urging people to click on the video. That launched several minutes of Maher joking about the site's advice on what is haram, or forbidden, and what is allowed. Chess is deemed haram, apparently because it requires so much mental concentration that players are distracted from thinking about anything else, including prayer. [Does that mean that Iranian chess players are BAD Muslims? Then why haven't they been arrested and whipped for crimes against Allah?] Backgammon also is not permitted, nor are most forms physical contact between unmarried men and women. Late Friday, the site was off-line altogether, or so it seemed. But the incident generated chatter among Arabic-language websites, and one cyber sleuth wrote that the hack was not successful the world over. The writer said the site had been redirected, not hacked, and that if readers went to http://66.230.195.121/ and did not use the domain name, it would work. Indeed, it did. There was no reaction from Sistani, who rarely speaks publicly and almost never talks to the media. The last time he met with reporters was last month, when Sistani summoned some journalists to his home to refute reports he was gravely ill. — Tina Susman and Caesar Ahmad in Baghdad

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September 20, 2008, Tehran Times: Iran's Grandmaster Ehsan Qaem Maqami beats Ronald Bancod from the Philippines in the fourth Prospero Pichay Cup International Chess Championship. So much for Ayatollah Sistani's advice on chess...

Kosteniuk "Not Just a Chess Kournikova"

By Dylan Loeb McClain at The International Herald Tribune: Dylan Loeb McClain: Chess Published: September 19, 2008 Alexandra Kosteniuk can no longer be called the Anna Kournikova of chess. For years, Kournikova, the tennis player, was more noted for her looks than her accomplishments on the court. Like Kournikova, the 24-year-old Kosteniuk, a Russian grandmaster, has traded on her looks, modeling for magazines like the European editions of Vogue and Marie Claire, and selling bikini-clad images of herself through her Web site. Kosteniuk, however, bristles at comparisons with Kournikova. "I think I've won enough chess competitions not to be compared to her," Kosteniuk said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. Her argument is now beyond doubt. That interview took place barely an hour after she became the 14th women's world champion by winning a tournament in Russia. Kosteniuk's victory was a bit of a surprise. She had not played much since giving birth to a daughter two years ago. "I wanted to have some time," she said. Once she decided to return to tournament play, Kosteniuk found it difficult to regain her competitive form. But, she began working intentively with four grandmasters, and the work paid off. Kosteniuk, who is ranked No. 10 among active women players, played exceptionally well during the championship, beating Pia Cramling of Sweden, No. 6, in the semifinals and Hou Yifan of China, No. 4, in the final. Kosteniuk said Hou will dominate women's competitions in a few years. Hou certainly learned some valuable lessons in her match with Kosteniuk, who had the upper hand in every game. Still, she only managed to win the first, while the other three ended in draws. In that first game, Hou played 8 a3 to avoid the Marshall Attack, which arises after 8 c3 d5. The position was fairly balanced until Hou lashed out with 17 g4, an impetuous move; 17 Ng3 was more circumspect. Kosteniuk immediately took advantage, launching an attack with 17 ... h5. Hou managed to hold on until Kosteniuk broke through, first with 33...Nd3 and then 36 ... Nf3 and 37 ... Bg4. The point was that White could not play 38 Qg4 because of 38 ... Qg4 39 Ng4 d1/Q, while 38 Ng4 would lose to 38 ... Qf3 39 Kf3 d1/Q. Hou resigned after 48 ... fg because she faced certain checkmate.

Praise for Indiana Jones

From Biblical Archaeological Review (you'll love the visual review of various hats worn by real life archaeologists all around the world :) ) BAR 34:05, Sep/Oct 2008 In Praise of Indiana Jones! By Aren M. Maeir I went to see the newest Indiana Jones filma with two of my sons, and, to tell you the truth, I really had a good time! What can I say? Spielberg, Lucas and Ford still have it in them to put together a very enjoyable and stimulating film. And needless to say, as an archaeologist I felt totally at home; this is what archaeology really looks like! I would like to come to the defense of my colleague Jones. In a recent op-ed in The Washington Post (May 25, 2008), Neil Asher Silberman wrote a scathing attack on the message behind the movie. Silberman claimed that Dr. Jones presents a warped image of archaeology, interested only in finding unique artifacts, while at the same time chasing, and being chased by, the bad guys (or gals). According to Silberman, the image of an archaeologist that Dr. Jones portrays is one of a swashbuckling adventurer, whose main tools of the trade are his bullwhip and pistol! Silberman complains that this completely reverses what a true archaeologist is—and does. Rather than running around looking for unique objects, he points out, today’s archaeologists work in the context of a single site, using interdisciplinary teams and sophisticated methods, attempting to understand in a holistic manner what ancient societies are all about. But I beg to differ! First of all, who says that archaeology is not about running around, being chased by Nazis (or Soviets), shot at with poison arrows and saving the world (and not to mention, winning the pretty girl)? Ask anyone who has been on an archaeological dig, and he or she will tell you that is exactly what goes on—day in and day out! What? Multi- and interdisciplinary science? What is that? All I need is my hat and a bag to put the goodies in. And of course, I don’t have to search for the Ark of the Covenant or the Crystal Skull: I’ve already found them! But really, c’mon, let’s get serious. Does Silberman really think that the image of the profession of archaeology, and of archaeologists, in the public’s eye is based solely on Dr. Jones? Of course not! Just like the public’s images of physics and physicists are not based on Dr. Strangelove, the public has the sense to tell the difference between a movie and real life. I don’t think that the public believes that there are crystal skulls connected to alien beings—just because they were mentioned in the recent movie. Of course archaeology is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary science. In fact, it is even more so than Silberman knows. We, the archaeologists out in the field, do not learn our methods from Dr. Jones, nor does the public really think that he represents what we do. Rather, I see a much more important contribution in the acts, deeds and endeavors of Dr. Jones. This is bringing the very term—archaeology—to the public’s awareness and, in particular, to children and youth. Dr. Jones has, over the past few decades, done a tremendous service to archaeology and archaeologists all over the world. He has ticked the public’s interest in our profession. In a world where concentration spans are so short, and where public interest, even fleeting, can make or break the funding of important scientific work, he has done more than most archaeologists I know of to kindle an initial interest, and even fascination, in what we do and why we do it. Dr. Jones, to a large extent, serves as our most important ambassador to the public—one whose work must be followed by real archaeologists who can explain their work and their reasoning to the educated lay public. Dr. Jones is our wake-up call to the fact that we, as responsible and morally committed archaeologists, must turn more of our attention, and our explaining, to the lay public—not only to our academic colleagues. If we want to make a dent in the public’s understanding of the past—and the importance of preserving and studying it—we must find multiple channels in which to communicate this to the public. And this is why, in my opinion, there is no doubt at all that Dr. Jones deserves tenure at “Marshall College”—even if his list of peer-reviewed publications is not that long. And now, if you will excuse me, I have to go get my hat and chase off some bad guys ...