Cádiz, Spain

In a previous post (Atlantis off the coast of Spain?) I discussed possible locations for ancient Atlantis. My favorite choice is off the coast of Cádiz, a seaport on the Atlantic coast of Spain, near the Straits of Gibraltar.

There is a lot to learn about this fascinating city. The earliest history we know is that the city began as a Phoenician trading port. The Phoenicians called it Gadir. (Phoenician, Gdr, means a wall or enclosed/fortified space.) It was a wealthy city trading in amber, tin and silver. The city continued to be important under the Carthagians (Carthage was another city founded by the Phoenicians), the Greeks (who called the city Gadeira) and the Romans who called it Gades.

The city fell into squalor after it was sacked by Alfonso X, wresting it from the control of the Moors in 1262.

The city saw a revival though when Christopher Columbus sailed from its ports and naturally returned there with new wealth.

For more on this incredible city, visit the City of Cádiz homepage.

Consider visiting Cádiz on the Ubiquity International tour "Moors, Romans and Conquistadores" of Spain led by Alexa Flores-Hull.

Joan of Arc's trial begins...

February 21 marked the 575th anniversary of the beginning of the trial for heresy against Jeanne d'Arc.

A selection of the transcript from her trial can be found here. Also here, including the accusations.

There are a lot of books and materials on Jeanne d'Arc, but here are a few selections to get started.

Régine Pernoud's Joan of Arc (By Herself and Her Witnesses).



For a dramatic interpretation with heavy emphasis on gender (from a lesbian perspective) read Carolyn Gage's The Second Coming of Joan of Arc.



And or a curious and completely different interpretation of the whole story, read Mark Twain's, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc.




Tom

Getty Villa in Malibu--get tickets in advance

In a previous post on the Getty Villa in Malibu I mentioned that it was re-opened. I was planning to see the exhibit and then give a more detailed report.

However, I have to report first (as I discovered) that you need to acquire free, advance, timed tickets. Unfortunately, trying to do this the same day or day before you want to visit may prove fruitless.

Visit the Getty site for more information and to reserve tickets. Or you can call: (310) 440-7300.

Tom

Death of Martin Luther

On February 18, the 460th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther passed rather quietly. Luther was 62 years old a that time of his death.

We have all heard of Luther's '95 theses' that challenged the papal abuses and the sale of indulgences. But can any of us recite the 95 points he asked to be discussed at his church in Wittenberg?

Give it a try and then confirm the points on the Project Wittenberg site.

For Luther's writing in German, click here.

And to read more about Wittenberg, Germany, visit its site.

Tom

National Museum in Sana'a, Yemen, reopens

A little visited museum that houses a wealth of archaeological history from ancient times to the near modern.

The museum was originally opened in 1971 but lacked a sufficient number of experts to maintain the collection. In 1977, the Netherlands decided to give assistance in developing the museum and its collections.

By1997 the collections had grown quite large and major renovation was required. Now the museum has finally re-opened.

Read the article in Yemen Observer.

A brief summary of the exhibits can be found on the Yemen Museum site. The collections include Yemeni historical artifacts, pre-Christian artifacts and pre- and post-Mohammedan artifacts. The artifacts include statues, papyrus fragments, coins, weapons and other human remains.

Tom

Massive Greek tomb near Pella in Northern Greece

International News Article Reuters.com

Now there is another great reason to go to northern Greece.

Some of you may recall the tomb at Vergina, believed by many to be the tomb of Phillip, the father of Alexander the Great. (Click to go to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture site about Vergina.)

Well, now another massive underground tomb has been unearthed near Pella, the birthplace of Alexander.

The tomb seems to have been raided a few times, but happy for us and archaeologists great amounts of artifacts were found and the stele still contained the names of those buried there.

Very intriguing are the vibrant colors found painted on the chamber walls, a testament to the bright colors favored by the peoples of this area and period.

Tom

New revelations at Emperor Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli

ANSA.it - News in English - Hadrian's Villa hides more secrets

If you have been to the emperor's villa you know how peaceful it is. As you walk around and find a bit of shade you can also imagine how relaxing it must have been for the emperor. This is true though the villa is really a small city and served as the emperor's place of business away from Rome.

Now there is another reason to go back. Archaeologists have uncovered a staircase under what has usually been called the palestra (or exercise area). It seems that perhaps the area actually marked the original entrance to the villa.

I can't wait to see the new find--open to the public next year sometime.

A time-honored read about Hadrian is Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian. For a more academic read try Stewart Perowne's Hadrian. For a discussion of the relationship of the emperor to his favorite, Antinous, read Beloved and God by Royston Lambert. Lambert gives a good analysis of the relationship but also the downturn of Hadrian's character after Antinous' death.



Tom

Project to reveal more about the Medicis

ANSA.it - News in English - Medici tombs to unearth secrets

While researches long to find some answers to the Medici intrigue, some of what has been found has resulted in one short conclusion: despite their ruthlessness and extravagance, in the end they were still like the rest of us. Gout, heart disease and bone decay were among the causes of their deaths.

Tom

Plague in Athens--Typhoid or not (take 2)

In a post on 1/29/06 I referenced a report that an article in the International Journal of Infectious Disease concluded typhoid was responsible for the death thousands in Athens in around 430BC bringing about the eventual downfall of Athens. See the online abstract of the article here: M. J. Papagrigorakis, et al., DNA examination of ancient dental pulp incriminates typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens. International Journal of Infectious Disease. (When the article is available with a citation I will make a new post.)

Now, however, before this article is in print, a challenge has been made to its conclusion. B. Shapiro, et al., reply in an article that has been accepted for by the same journal question some of the methodology of the Papagrigorakis, et al., and conclude that "What is certain is that the sequences obtained do not implicate typhoid as the cause of the plague." When that become available online, I will post a link to the abstract.

Tom