Jason and the Argonauts

One of my favorite trivia questions to ask students used to be 'Tell me the name of the ship on which the Argonauts sailed.' I rarely received the correct answer, "The Argo."

Now, Jason and his companions, if they were alive, might get a chance to sail once again on the Argo.

A project is underway by the Naudomos Institute in the Greek port of Volos to reconstruct the famed Argo using hand tools. Volos is the site of ancient Iolcos, the starting point from where the Argonauts journeyed to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

We do not actually know what the ship looked like, but we can begin to get some understanding by examining ancient shipping accounts, vase paintings and the like to come to some reasonable conclusion.

Of course, once the ship is constructed, the next step is to actually sail and row it. The big question is whether there are rowers capable of rowing for 10-15 hours per day. You can volunteer if you like (yes, really).

Tom
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Ara Pacis in Rome re-opens

After several years of being closed to the public, the great altar of peace (ara pacis) built by Emperor Augustus in 9AD has be reopened.

American architect, Richard Meier was commissioned to design a new building to protect the important artifact. His design replaces the 1938 Fascist building.

As with many new things built to protect old things, there are fans and there are critics. Read a little about the new building on CBC: "Controversial Redesign Shows off Ancient Ara Pacis".

The altar was erected in 9 AD to celebrate Augustus' successes and to mark a period of peace (the pax romana). The reopening occurred on Saturday, April 21, the traditional founding date of Rome in 753BC.

Tom
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Italian Wine History--an alternative?

Two Italian winemakers claim that the tradition of wine making in Italy comes from the Celts. They are so certain of this that they have established a 'Celtic farm' for vinting in the Celtic way. They intend to use profits from the sale of their wine to create a Celtic Cultural center. Read the Reuters story.

Tom

Shakespeare year-long festival and Happy Birthday

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced a grand festival of the master playwrights works: one year full of great entertainment and delight. All this will take place in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare and theater companies from around the world will be taking their turn on the boards.

Moreover, some plays will be performed in other languages than English (or at least parts of them will be in other languages). Several venues have been booked for the performances.

BBC News has a full article on the plan. The Royal Shakespeare Company homepage has complete information including accommodations and timetables. The festival begins this April and runs through April 2007, in commemoration of Shakespeare's traditional birth date, April 23 1564. So, to end this--Happy Birthday, William!

Tom

6500 Year Old Gold Pendant in Thessaloniki

What an experience this must have been. A hiker from Greece was traipsing through a field near Ptolemaida, Greece and came across a shiny gold object.

It turns out that the object is a 6500 year old pendant. Not only that, it is one of only three such artifacts ever found! Read the article here.

Ptolemaida is about 90 miles from Thessaloniki in the ancient homeland of Alexander the Great.

Tom

Pyramid in Bosnia?

There is quite a stir among popular and scholarly circles with the news that a step pyramid has been discovered in Bosnia.

MSNBC.com reports that Semir Osmanagić, a Bosnian archaeologist, has confirmed the presence of walls of the pyramids. A second MSNBC.com article also discusses the find.

For a discussion of the find and a great picture that clearly shows a pyramid shaped hill, see the blog Unjournaled: Pyramid found - in the heart of Bosnia.

This is an exciting find and worth the continued work on discovering the nature of the pyramid and perhaps finding clues about the people who constructed. Some think that it may have been built by 'pre-Illyrians' or Illyrians who existed before 600AD. Illyria was also under Roman control, but no mention of pyramid building in Europe is made by them.

For a video clip, see Politiken in Dutch).

Tom
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Antiquities Smugglers

In days gone by, you could easily pick up an antiquity and take it to your mansion. The Schliemanns and the Hearsts of the world enjoyed them in a way most of us will not ever be able to do.

And while I admit that I'd really like an ancient bust of Sophocles or Antinous or a bronze statute of a charioteer, I am glad that there are people out there making sure that these treasured items are not stolen, selfishly kept or destroyed.

One place I have not visited, but long to do so is the Getty museum in Malibu, California. It is well-known for its collection of antiquities and its replica Roman villa.

However, it has just been confirmed that the former curator, Marion True, may be connected to ring of antiquities smugglers.

The Times of London reports that hundreds of antiquities were found sequestered in a private estate on the small Cycladean island of Schinoussa.

True is already on trial in Rome for conspiracy to traffic in antiquities and it turns out that one of the villas on the island is also owned by her. True resigned in 2005 after the Getty cited possible conflict of interest when she obtained the loan to purchase her villa on Schinoussa.

One wonders how long she has been at this and how much she has gained from it.

Rogue Classicism has an entry on the discovery; Art.Blogging.LA has more on True's indictment; and Cronaca has some general comment on True's trial

Tom
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PS See my previous posts on the Getty:
Getty Tickets
Getty Villa re-opening

Roman Empire City Building

You may have heard of SimCity and various titles with the 'Sims'.

Now another company, CDV Entertainment and Enlight Software have teamed up to bring a city building game set in the Roman Empire called The Glory of The Roman Empire.

News is just coming out and the game has not been release.

Have a look at the game's website to see more about this game.

I will certainly be watching for it to play and see what its like.

Tom

Happy Birthday, Leonardo da Vinci!

April 15, 1452.

554 years ago, a genius was born. Leonardo, Il Fiorentino or da Vinci, was born to his father, Ser Piero and his mistress Caterina.

Much has been said about Leonardo, his genius, his secrets and more. An interesting angle is from the University of Padua.

In this blog, I just want to mention a new book on his genius and suggest it.

Bülent Atalay's, Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci, is a great look at the intertwining of science and art, as exemplified by Leonardo. Atalay not only looks at this man's genius but also highlights the historical milieu of scientific and mathematic learning, ranging from the Greeks to the Muslims and to the Chinese and Egyptians. He explains clearly the 'golden proportion', the introduction of Arabic 'numerals' into Western mathematics and the theory of relativity.

There are a couple of caveats. The author is sometimes a bit longwinded and takes time to get to his point. There are some technical errors (for example, he calls 'alimony' an exception to the prefix al- of Arabic origin; but the al- in alimony is not a prefix, but rather a part of the compound word originating from Latin meaning to nourish or sustain), and some endnotes are missing. But overall the book is fascinating and easy to read.

Tom
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Machu and Huayna Picchu

Just what are these names? Machu Picchu means 'old mountain' and Huayna Picchu means 'new mountain' in Quechua.

Hiram Bingham, the 'discoverer' was led to Machu Picchu by a local, Melchor Arteaga, when he was camped nearby at Mandor Pampa.

Read more about the mountains on The Advertiser: A peak at Inca past.

As seems to be a regular event these days, Perú is considering suing Yale University for return of artifacts from Machu Picchu. USA Today gives some overview of the controversy. And Yale Daily News gives their view of the issue.

Tom
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Quinoa-amazingly protein rich

The first time I went to Peru, I was treated to a delightful soup called sopa de quinoa. I had never heard of nor seen quinoa (pronounced, keen-wah) in my life. When I looked into the soup, I saw something that looked a little like barley though rounder. And inside seemed to be a small string of something—or, I thought to myself, was it a worm?

I discovered that the ‘item’ is quinoa--rich in protein. Apparently, quinoa is properly a seed of a plant that is related to the spinach (hmm..I wonder if anyone thought to have Popeye eat quinoa instead of spinach?). It is not only rich in protein but lots of other nutrients as well.

I have since discovered that the inside ‘string’ is part of the germ that is exposed and spirals as the quinoa is cooked.

For details on this amazing food item, see the Whole Health MD article.

Tom
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Peruvian cookbooks

All this talk about Peruvian food made me think that some suggestion for recipes might be a good idea.

Here are some cookbooks to consider.















Tony Custer’s The Art of Peruvian Cuisine and for the criollo (Creole) style, try Francisca Baylon’s Peruvian Creole Food Cookbook.

Tom
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Pisco Sour - a favorite drink of Peruvians

Ok, so you all have probably heard of the famous mate de coca, the tea made from coca leaves and used to alleviate altitude sickness. But there is another drink that is, in my opinion, better for a general drink, especially at cocktail time.

It is called Pisco Sour. The drink is made with a Peruvian distilled beverage (pisco or white grape brandy) and is floated with a sort of wet meringue.

For a great recipe see the Lima (Beans) and Delhi Cha(a)t blog.

It is very tasty!

Tom

The many faces of Perú

Perú is a fascinating country. From the lowland, coastal regions of Lima to the high Andes, you can experience a full variety of cultural flavor.

Speaking of flavor, do you know one of the traditional dishes of Perú?

Cuy (pronounced koo-ee) is a particular specialty in Cuzco. Whereas most food prices are very inexpensive, Cuy is nearly 10 times as expensive. If you want to try it, you need to order it the day before (I don't know why!). And unless you are pretty willing to try something very different and new, at that price, I wouldn't bother.

What exactly is this delicacy?

Ready?

It is guinea pig. Nicely roasted and served warm--yummy! Personally, I prefer cuy picante (roasted guinea pig in a spicy, red sauce).

Would you like to make your own? Here is a recipe from Fundación Intervida.

Why would you want to eat cuy? Well, for one, it is quite rich in protein. For another, it is actually quite good. (Don't be put off by how it is served: head on and split down the middle.)

More than just eating guinea pig, it seems that the guinea pig has been used for healing and for diagnosing diseases. See the interesting article on these properties.

Tom

John Paul II and Travels with Saints

Today (April 2, 2006) is the one-year anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. As most of us know, immediately after his death, shouts of "Santo Subito" were heard throughout St. Peter's square. The cry of the gathered crowd indicated the belief among them that John Paul was a holy man and worth of immediate sainthood.

For those of you who might particularly interested in the lives of the saints throughout Italy, I would recommend Lucinda Vardey's Traveling with the Saints in Italy: Contemporary Pilgrimages on Ancient Paths.

The book proves valuable for providing itineraries that take in the places where saints tread. For those who might be interested in the spiritual side, Vardey also gives some direction connected to each saint's way of life. The book, though at times lacking good editing, is useful for tracing the lives and trails of these unique individuals.

Tom

Palace of the Greek Hero, Ajax

Do you believe in anything from the Iliad? Heinrich Schliemann, of course, believed that he could find Troy. He did. But what else can we believe from the epic tale woven by Homer?

Archaeologists have now unearthed the remains of a fantastic 3200 year old palace on the island of Salamis, off the coast of Greece, not far from Athens.

Ajax was the second greatest hero of the Trojan war behind Achilles. He brought his men from the kingdom of Salamis to fight in the contest to return the legendary beauty, Helen.

But most of what we know of Ajax has been the subject of epic, tragedy and legend.

Now we have some physical evidence to which we can attach a reality to this tremendous hero.

But more than helping us to place this hero in a historical context, the find adds to our understanding of the ancient world in the period after the Trojan war and before historical times.

And beyond the Greek world, the site has yielded a copper mail shirt referencing Ramses II. This find contributes to our understanding of the extent of trade and interaction among the peoples of the ancient Mediterranean.

Regardless of the debate that will ensue, I will visit this site next time I am in Greece and thrill at the thought that we have found the palace of a great hero.

Tom
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