HISTORY and Discovery
History and Discovery
Ancient Roman Temple Unearthed
By Natalie Andruchow (c/o 2026)
History unfolded this week with the exciting discovery of an ancient Roman temple. Archaeologists, found a structure believed to date back to the reign of Constantine the Great, a large figure in the Roman Empire's transition from paganism to Christianity. This discovery is more than just stones. It gives us more information into a fascinating period in Roman history, offering a glimpse into the relationship between established religious practices and the burgeoning Christian faith.
Traditionally, the shift to Christianity within the Roman Empire had been always shown as a swift and definitive change. However, this newly unearthed temple suggests a more nuanced reality. Imagine a time when Romans still worshiped Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, while Christianity was gaining traction. The temple's very existence hints at a period of coexistence, where traditional practices interacted with the new religion.
By studying the temple's architecture and any artifacts found within its walls, archaeologists can find a large amount of information. The design elements, materials used, and any religious objects discovered can tell us a story about the rituals performed, the deities worshiped, and the daily lives of the Romans who frequented this sacred space. Analyzing how these elements might co-exist with potential Christian influences will provide a richer understanding of this transformative period.
The discovery of this Roman temple is a reminder that history rarely unfolds in clean breaks. Beliefs and cultures evolve, influencing and adapting to one another. This unearthed site serves as a valuable piece of the puzzle, prompting us to re-evaluate how we understand the Roman Empire's religious landscape. The world of archaeology and history is brimming with exciting discoveries. This is just one example of how the past continues to surprise us. From ancient cities buried beneath dunes to groundbreaking studies on human evolution, there's always something new to learn about the rich tapestry of human history.
This discovery serves as a springboard for further exploration. Let it ignite your curiosity about the past! Delve deeper into the fascinating world of archaeology and history. The whispers of the past await, and with each discovery, we gain a clearer picture of where we came from, and perhaps, where we are headed.
History and DIscovery
Elon Musk’s Adventures Experiment
By Diya Shihab Kavungathodika (c/o 2026)
Elon Musk, known as one of the enigmatic humans in the world, has another crazy experiment that was done successfully on November 18, 2023. This time it's a rocket and he has made one of the most expensive cars that many people are crazy about. This time he is trying to expand humans all around Mars and moon. For human survival for at least one more century. For this, their main goal in this rocket launch is to make the rocket reach space, come back safely and land on the water near Kauai. The first launch of the starship was on April 20 2023 while their plan was 90 minutes this failed and it only lasted for approximately 3 minutes and 57 seconds. The Starship is known as the most powerful rocket ever flown breaking the record held by the Soviet Union's N1 rocket, which stood for over half a century. Even though they failed the first round Elon Musk did not give up they did significant work and repaired the rocket. They made his second launch on November 18, 2023, which, as said before, went off successfully. Like in the first launch, their plan was 90 minutes even though it didn't last for 90 minutes the rocket successfully launched with 33 Rapton engines on the super heavy booster, and reached space but due to some Rapton engine problems and blasted into space. SpaceX described this as a success as the rocket has reached space and there is a great improvement from last time. Even though the rocket blasted there was no damage to public property or injuries which also makes this a successful launch.
SpaceX’s main plan to test Starship and to use it in the future is to transport cargo to the moon as late as 2024 and send humans to the moon in 2025 and to Mars by 2030s. But there are many challenges for this as they need easy and safe transportation and sufficient ways of living in the plants. Usually, a human-specified rocket can carry about 7 people as the greatest amount while this enormous rocket can carry about 100 humans or 100 tons of cargo. Elon Musk has a significant plan on what to do and almost all of us, including me, are excited and curious about what is going to happen next. Is he gonna be able to achieve this goal as well? Let’s wait and see what is going to happen.
Works Cited
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship_integrated_flight_test_2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship_first_integrated_flight_test
https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/spacex
History and DIscovery
Archaeological Discovery Unveils Ancient Civilization in the Heart of the Amazon Rainforest
By Natalie Andruchow (c/o 2026)
A recent archaeological expedition deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has made a remarkable revelation: the remains of an ancient civilization that thrived centuries ago and shed light on the history and culture of the Amazon basin. The discovery, one of the most significant in recent years, has the potential to reshape our understanding of the pre-Columbian era in South America.
Led by a team of researchers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in collaboration with local experts, the expedition unearthed an intricate network of interconnected settlements. This includes ceremonial centers, residential complexes, and an elaborate system of aqueducts and irrigation canals. These remnants of advanced infrastructure and intricate architectural designs suggest a sophisticated society that flourished in the heart of a dense rainforest, challenging older interpretations of the Amazon as a pristine, untouched wilderness.
Dr. Maria Hernandez, the lead archaeologist on the project, expressed her astonishment at the scale and complexity of the discovered civilization. "The sheer magnitude of this discovery has the potential to rewrite the history of the Amazon. The evidence points to a highly organized and innovative society that not only managed to coexist with the challenging rainforest environment but also thrived in it, leaving behind a rich cultural legacy waiting to be deciphered," she stated during a press conference.
The findings include pottery fragments, ornate sculptures, and a collection of intricate hieroglyphs etched on stone tablets, hinting at a sophisticated system of communication and symbolism. The artifacts offer valuable insights into the cultural practices, religious beliefs, and societal structures of the enigmatic civilization that once inhabited the Amazon rainforest.
Furthermore, the discovery has ignited a renewed interest in the historical significance of the Amazon region, prompting scholars to reevaluate the narrative of indigenous cultures and their impact on the ecosystem. Dr. Hernandez emphasized the importance of preserving the site and conducting further research to unravel the mysteries surrounding this ancient civilization.
Local indigenous communities have also expressed their enthusiasm and support for the archaeological project, viewing it as an opportunity to honor their heritage and foster a deeper understanding of their cultural roots. The collaboration between researchers and local communities is expected to play a crucial role in preserving the site and promoting sustainable practices that respect the region's rich history and ecological balance.
As the excavation and analysis of the artifacts continue, the archaeological community anticipates that this groundbreaking discovery will not only shed light on the ancient history of the Amazon but also deepen appreciation for the cultural diversity and ingenuity of the civilizations that once thrived in this remarkable landscape. The discovery of this ancient civilization in the Amazon rainforest not only adds a new chapter to the history of South America, but underscores the importance of preserving and understanding the cultural legacies of indigenous communities in the region.
History
Mummification Workshops Found in Egypt
By Natalie Andruchow (c/o 2026)
Two of the largest workshops ever used to mummify human and animal corpses have been found in Egypt.
According to Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, two workshops and two tombs were found at Saqqara, a sizable Pharaonic necropolis south of Cairo.
“Today, we announce the discovery of the two biggest mummification workshops for humans and animals at the Saqqara Necropolis. This workshop is the one used for humans, including the beds on which the bodies were washed,” Waziri told journalists in Giza over the weekend.
According to Waziri and the Egyptian state newspaper Al-Ahram, embalming workshops have been around since the 30th Dynasty (380-343 BC) and the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC).
The first workshop is a rectangular structure with several rooms and stone beds used to mummify the dead that are 6.6 feet long and 20 inches wide.
Along with the canopic jars used to preserve internal organs, archaeologists also discovered equipment used by the ancient Egyptians to dissect bodies and remove internal organs, according to Waziri.
In the second workshop, archaeologists discovered clay vessels and animal burials. This workshop contained five stone beds, distinct from those discovered in the human embalming workshop.
“According to initial studies, it is believed that this particular workshop was used for the mummification of sacred animals,” Waziri stated.
Waziri claims that in addition to the two workshops, investigators also discovered "one of the most beautiful tombs" in the necropolis. The tomb, which bears Ne Hesut Ba's name, is 4,400 years old and originates from the fifth dynasty. Ne Hesut Ba served as a high priest for the goddess Maat and oversaw the construction of irrigation canals while praising the "importance" of his tomb.
The second tomb is 3,400 years old and belonged to a Qadish priest named Men Kheber Ra. In Saqqara, ancient coffins, graves, and a funeral temple were among the riches that archaeologists discovered in January 2021.
Ahmed Issa, Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, discussed the significance of the site in the country's strategy to boost the economy through tourism during a press conference held on Saturday in Saqqara. Issa described the substantial effort being done to promote Saqqara as a tourism hub as part of larger plans to expand tourism to Egypt by 25% to 30% in 2023, according to Al-Ahram.
Issa praised the "hard work" of the archaeologists who "revealed this new discovery," Al-Ahram reported.
“I assure you that Egypt, especially the archaeological site of Saqqara, has not yet revealed all its secrets and there are many more to come,” the minister added.
WORKS CITED:
“Ancient Tombs and Mummification Workshops Unearthed in Egypt.” NBC News, 27 May 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ancient-tombs-mummification-workshops-unearthed-egypt-rcna86550.
“Egypt Unearths Mummification Workshops, Tombs in Ancient Burial Ground | Hatem Maher.” AW, https://thearabweekly.com/egypt-unearths-mummification-workshops-tombs-ancient-burial-ground. Accessed 29 May 2023.
Kennedy, Niamh. “Ancient Tombs and Large Mummification Workshops Unearthed in Egypt.” CNN, 29 May 2023, https://www.cnn.com/style/article/egypt-mummification-workshops-intl-scli-scn/index.html.
Maher, Hatem. “Egypt Unearths Mummification Workshops, Tombs in Ancient Burial Ground.” Reuters, 27 May 2023. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/egypt-unearths-mummification-workshops-tombs-ancient-burial-ground-2023-05-27/.
Mummy Workshop - Archaeology Magazine. https://www.archaeology.org/issues/323-1901/features/7204-egypt-saqqara-mummy-workshop. Accessed 29 May 2023.
History
The Indecipherable Book
By Natalie Andruchow (c/o 2026)
The "Voynich Manuscript," a fifteenth-century codex, is often regarded as the world's most mysterious book. The document, written in an unusual script by an unknown author, has no clearer purpose now than it did when it was uncovered in 1912 by the rare books merchant, Wilfrid Voynich. The manuscript emerges and disappears throughout history, from the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II's library to a secret sale of books by the Society of Jesus in Rome in 1903. The text of the book is beyond decipherment, and the rich images are as confusing as they are gorgeous. This book, complete with elaborate folding parts, allows readers to examine this riddle in all its exquisite detail for the first time, from its one-of-a-kind "Voynichese" text to its pictures of otherworldly plants, unknown constellations, and naked women swimming through imaginative tubes and green baths, are among the sights.
The manuscript's accompanying essay clarifies what we've learned about this work from alchemical, cryptographic, forensic, and historical viewpoints, but they don't provide many conclusive answers. Instead, as New York Times best-selling author Deborah Harkness writes in the preface, the book "invites the reader to join us at the heart of the mystery."
The origin, language, and date of the Voynich Manuscript—named after the Polish-American antiquarian bookseller Wilfrid M. Voynich, who acquired it in 1912—are as hotly debated as its mysterious drawings and undeciphered text. Nearly every page of this magical or scientific text features botanical, figurative, and scientific drawings of a provincial but active character created in ink with colorful washes in various colors of green, brown, yellow, blue, and red.
The manuscript is divided into six sections based on the subject matter of the drawings: 1) 113 unidentified plant species pictures; 2) astronomical and astrological drawings, including astral charts with radiating circles, suns, and moons, Zodiac symbols, nude females emerging from pipes or chimneys, and royal figures; 3) a biological section containing a plethora of drawings of miniature female nudes; 4) an ornate collection of nine cosmological medallions, several of
which are drawn across multiple folded folios and show possible geographical formations; 5) Pharmaceutical drawings of around 100 different medicinal herbs and root species; 6) continuous pages of writing, possibly recipes, with star-shaped flowers in the margins marking each item.
The history of ownership of the Voynich manuscript, like its contents, is contentious and has multiple gaps. Emperor Rudolph II of Germany (Holy Roman Emperor, 1576-1612) purchased the codex for 600 gold ducats, believing it to be the work of Roger Bacon. Emperor Rudolph most likely obtained the text from the English astronomer John Dee (1527-1608). Dee reportedly had the book, as well as several other Roger Bacon manuscripts. Furthermore, Dee reported that he had 630 ducats in October 1586, and his son stated that Dee owned “a book…containing nothing but hieroglyphics, which book his father bestowed much time upon: but I could not hear that he could make it out.”
Works Cited:
Bracher, Jane. “The Voynich Manuscript: Will This Medieval Mystery Ever Be Solved?” CNN, 15 June 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/15/health/voynich-manuscript-mystery/index.html.
Cipher Manuscript - Yale University Library. https://collections.library.yale.edu/catalog/2002046. Accessed 21 Apr. 2023.
“Has Yale’s Mysterious Voynich Manuscript Finally Been Deciphered?” The Art Newspaper - International Art News and Events, 18 June 2020, https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2020/06/18/has-yales-mysterious-voynich-manuscript-finally-been-deciphered.
Johnson, Reed. “The Unread: The Mystery of the Voynich Manuscript.” The New Yorker, 9 July 2013. www.newyorker.com, https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-unread-the-mystery-of-the-voynich-manuscript.
Montemurro, Marcelo A., and Damián H. Zanette. “Keywords and Co-Occurrence Patterns in the Voynich Manuscript: An Information-Theoretic Analysis.” PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 6, June 2013, p. e66344. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066344.
The Voynich Manuscript. Internet Archive, http://archive.org/details/TheVoynichManuscript. Accessed 21 Apr. 2023.
“Voynich Manuscript.” Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 14 Dec. 2018, https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/collections/highlights/voynich-manuscript.
“Voynich Manuscript.” Wikipedia, 19 Apr. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Voynich_manuscript&oldid=1150637244.
History
Scholars Are Mystified by Japan's Ancient Underwater "Pyramid"
By Natalie Andruchow (c/o 2026)
Submerged stone structures off the coast of Yonaguni Jima are the ruins of a Japanese Atlantis—an ancient metropolis destroyed by an earthquake some 2,000 years ago. That's according to Masaaki Kimura, a marine geologist at Japan's University of the Ryukyus who has been diving at the site for more than 15 years to measure and map its formations. Kimura claimed that each time he makes it back to the dive boat, he is more certain than ever that the ruins of a 5,000-year-old metropolis are situated below him.
Kimura presented his most recent views regarding the location at an academic conference in June. "The largest structure looks like a complicated, monolithic, stepped pyramid that rises from a depth of 25 meters [82 feet]," he stated.
"It's basic geology and classic stratigraphy for sandstones, which tend to break along planes and give you these very straight edges, particularly in an area with lots of faults and tectonic activity."
Additionally, according to agency spokesperson Emiko Ishida, neither the government of Okinawa Prefecture nor the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan acknowledge the remains of Yonaguni as significant cultural assets. She said that neither of the government organizations had done any research or preservation work on the sites, leaving those tasks to professors and other interested parties.
Kimura claimed to have located ten structures off Yonaguni and an additional five comparable structures off Okinawa's main island. The overall area of the ruins is 984 feet by 492 feet! The ruins of a fortress, a triumphal arch, five temples, and at least one vast stadium are among the buildings; they are all connected by roads and waterways and partially sheltered by what may be enormous retaining walls.
Based on the dates of stalactites discovered inside underwater caves that he claims sunk with the city, Kimura estimates that the ruins date back at least 5,000 years. Additionally, charcoal from sites that resemble the remains on the surrounding shore has produced a 1,600-year-old date, possibly indicating the presence of prehistoric humans, according to Kimura.
Kimura's theory is backed by Toru Ouchi, an associate professor of seismology at Kobe University. Neither above nor below the ocean, according to Ouchi, he has ever witnessed tectonic activity have such an impact on a terrain.
"I've dived there as well and touched the pyramid," he said. "What Professor Kimura says is not exaggerated at all. It's easy to tell that those relics were not caused by earthquakes."
Schoch, a professor at Boston University, is equally convinced that the Yonaguni formations are natural. Kimura believes that the holes in the rock were used to hold posts, although Schoch argues that they were actually made by underwater eddies scouring at depressions. According to him, lines of smaller holes were created by marine life using a crack in the rock as a feeding ground.
"The first time I dived there, I knew it was not artificial," Schoch said. "It's not as regular as many people claim, and the right angles and symmetry don't add up in many places."
Works Cited:
Florine. “Yonaguni Monument : Diving a Mysterious Underwater City in Okinawa.” World Adventure Divers, 6 May 2019, https://worldadventuredivers.com/yonaguni-monument-diving/.
“Japan’s Ancient Underwater ‘Pyramid’ Mystifies Scholars.” History, 19 Sept. 2007, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/yonaguni-jima-japan-underwater-city.
Joshua. “Controversial Yonaguni Monument of Japan.” Historic Mysteries, 8 Oct. 2020, https://www.historicmysteries.com/yonaguni-monument/.
Mallender, Daniel. Yonaguni Monument Dive Site, Yonaguni, Japan. 11 Feb. 2017, https://www.diveplanit.com/dive-site/yonaguni-monument/.
Organization, Japan National Tourism. “Yonaguni Underwater Ruins | Travel Japan (Japan National Tourism Organization).” Travel Japan, https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/564/. Accessed 22 Apr. 2023.
“Yonaguni Monument.” Wikipedia, 9 Mar. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yonaguni_Monument&oldid=1143662865.
Yonaguni Monument | Definition, Theories, & Facts | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yonaguni-Monument. Accessed 22 Apr. 2023.
“Yonaguni-Jima Kaitei Chikei (Yonaguni Monument).” Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/yonaguni-monument. Accessed 22 Apr. 2023.
history
The Chichén Itzá’s New Museum
By Natalie Andruchow, Grade 9
According to the Art Newspaper's Elizabeth Mistry, Chichén Itzá, the Mayan complex that is currently one of Mexico's most well-liked tourist attractions, is getting a new museum!
Chichén Itzá, Mexico
The new building will take the place of a previous museum that closed more than ten years ago. While designs are still in the early stages, the museum will likely feature hundreds of archaeological artifacts from the surrounding area, drawing visitors to Chichén Itzá’s ruins following the completion of the infamous Maya Railroad.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico has not yet provided many details concerning the new building.
A region of Chichén Itzá called Chichén Viejo that had previously been off-limits to tourists will now be open, according to the INAH. Archaeologists found an ancient elite house structure there earlier this year. Construction workers will move slowly as the museum takes shape.
“All the groundwork will be done manually in order to limit the damage to any undetected structures,” Carlos Esperón, the director of the Maya Museum in Cancún, told the Art Daily. He adds that the project will take up to two years to complete.
The new museum will most likely display a variety of artifacts discovered during research on the Mayan Train in addition to artifacts found at Chichén Itzá. The $8 billion tourist route passes through the pre-Columbian ruins-rich Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán. Archaeologists excavating along the 950-mile path have already uncovered fragments of thousands of structures, as well as burial grounds and other relics.
The project has vocal critics, who argue that the train will disrupt the region’s fragile jungle ecosystem and unique underground cave system. Some say the train will destroy archaeological sites and injure the Indigenous people who live along the route. The Mexican government contends that the project will help the country's economy grow.
On the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, there is a UNESCO World Heritage site called Chichén Itzá. Currently, two million visitors come here annually.
Chichén Itzá Lodge Museum, Yucatan, Mexico, International academic competition, 2007
Archaeologists assume that inhabitants initially came to Chichén Itzá around 550 C.E. One of the site’s most recognizable buildings is the El Castillo pyramid, which dates to between 1050 and 1300.
In the late 1800s, amateur American archaeologist Edward Thompson spent three decades investigating Chichén Itzá and shipping items to Harvard’s Peabody Museum. The land was long owned by Thompson's ancestors before being sold to the neighborhood Barbachano family. The government eventually bought the site after a much-heated debate.
Works Cited:
“Chichén Itzá Lodge Museum by Studio Becher.” Architizer, 15 Apr. 2014, https://architizer.com/projects/chichen-itza-lodge-museum/.
Magazine, Smithsonian. “Mexico's Chichén Itzá Is Getting a New Museum.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 22 Mar. 2023, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-museum-coming-to-chichen-itza-in-mexico-180981864/.
History
Were Bars Just as Popular 5,000 Years Ago as They Are Today?
By Natalie Andruchow, Grade 9
Photo from CNN
Large ovens, dining seats, 150 serving dishes (which contained animal bones, as well as signs of beer drinking, which was common among Sumerians), and the remnants of a prehistoric refrigeration system were just some of the various items found in this tavern.
In southern Iraq, archaeologists discovered the ruins of a tavern that dates back over 5,000 years, which they think may shed light on everyday life in the earliest towns.
The US-Italian team discovered the artifacts near the ancient Lagash ruins, northeast of the modern city of Nasiriyah, which was already known to have been one of the Sumerian civilization's earliest urban centers.
“So we’ve got the refrigerator, we’ve got the hundreds of vessels ready to be served, benches, where people would sit… and behind the refrigerator, is an oven that would have been used… for cooking food,” project director, Holly Pittman, told AFP.
Photo from Lagash Archaeological Project
“What we understand this to be is a place where people — regular people — could come to eat and that is not domestic,” she said.
So what is a ‘tavern’?
A tavern is a type of business or place where people would gather to drink alcoholic beverages, enjoy meals such as various roast meats and cheeses, and find accommodation for passing travelers.
“We call it a tavern because beer is by far the most common drink, even more than water, for the Sumerians,” she said, noting that in one of the temples excavated in the area “there was a beer recipe that was found on a cuneiform tablet.”
Once agricultural surpluses from the cultivation of the first crops allowed the rise of new social classes not directly involved in food production, the world's earliest cities formed in what is now southern Iraq. The ancients called the Lagash region, near the meeting of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the "garden of the gods" due to its fertility, and it gave rise to several Sumerian settlements that date back to the early dynasty period.
After collaborating with the US-Italian team on the site, Iraqi archaeologist Baker Azab Wali told AFP that “Lagash was one of the important cities of southern Iraq, its inhabitants depended on agriculture, livestock, fishing, but also on the exchange of goods,”
Pittman said the team was eager to learn more about the occupations of the people who used the tavern at its peak in around 2700 BCE to throw new light on the social structure of the first cities.
“There is so much that we do not know about this early period of the emergence of cities and that is what we are investigating,” she said.
“We hope to be able to characterize the neighborhoods and the kinds of occupation… of the people that lived in this big city who were not the elite,” she added.
Most of the work done at the other sites focus on kings and priests. And while that all is very important, regular people are just as crucial to helping us understand human history.
Photo from RTE
Works Cited
5,000-Year-Old Tavern Uncovered in Iraq - Archaeology Magazine. https://www.archaeology.org/11151-230127-iraq-lagash-tavern. Accessed 24 Feb. 2023.
Chen, Min. “Archaeologists Digging in Iraq Have Located the Remains of a 5,000-Year-Old Tavern—As Well as a ‘Beer Recipe.’” Artnet News, 20 Feb. 2023, https://news.artnet.com/art-world/iraqi-sumerian-tavern-beer-recipe-2258061.
CNN, Issy Ronald. “Archaeologists Find 5,000-Year-Old Tavern -- Including Food Remains -- in Iraq.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/style/article/5000-year-old-tavern-iraq-archaeology-intl-scli-scn/index.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2023.
Corbley, Andy. “5,000 Year-Old Tavern Found in Iraq.” Good News Network, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/5000-year-old-tavern-found-in-iraq/.
Niazi, Asaad, and Tony Gamal-Gabriel. Archaeologists Dig up 5,000-Year-Old Pub in Iraq Frequented by ‘Regular People.’ https://www.timesofisrael.com/archaeologists-dig-up-5000-year-old-pub-in-iraq-frequented-by-regular-people/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2023.
“World’s Oldest Bar? Archaeologists Find a Nearly 5,000-Year-Old Tavern.” Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2023. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/02/21/worlds-oldest-tavern-lagash-iraq/.
History
Company Painting
By Natalie Andruchow, Grade 9
In the late 1700s many of the British East India Company's employees left England to start new lives in India as the company's reach in South Asia grew. They intended to snap pictures of the odd flora and animals, breathtaking historical sites, and strange new people they encountered as they went through the nation. While a modern visitor would use their camera for such a purpose, travelers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries had to engage Indian painters. The artwork created by these painters were done in a European aesthetic and color palette and are collectively referred to as ‘Company’ paintings. They are distinguished by their choice of medium—watercolors as opposed to gouache—and by their technique—the appearance of linear perspective and shading. They look similar to the gorgeous scenes of India painted by artists like Thomas and William Daniell.
This type of art was developed in numerous cities. Each region's work can be identified by its distinctive style, which emerged from and drew significantly back from older region customs. As the location of one of the earliest British trade firms, Calcutta was one of the significant early industrial hubs. Lord Impey, who presided as the High Court's chief justice from 1777 to 1783, and one Marquess Wellesley, who served as the country's governor-general from 1798 to 1805, were two of the city's most passionate supporters. Both had amassed sizable menageries and had each bird and animal in their collections individually painted by artists. The obtained plant samples were then used in a similar effort at a company-owned botanical park in Calcutta. Other significant painting centers were located at Madras, where Lord and Lady Clive were stationed from 1798 to 1804, and Varanasi, a significant Hindu pilgrimage city that attracted numerous tourists
(who knew it as Benares). After the British took over the city in 1803, Delhi's market grew. The most well-liked topics were its great Mughal monuments, and its artists were exceptional in that they painted on ivory as a substrate. The homes, servants, carriages, horses, and other goods that Company employees had accumulated are other frequent subjects from this era; Lady Impey was the patron of several such scenes.
While artists in this style initially relied on a small number of important clients, by the start of the nineteenth century, ambitious Indian artists had started to produce sets of popular standard subjects that could be sold to every traveler passing through the major attractions. These sets could feature a variety of Indian monuments, festivals, castes, professions, or costumes.
Sewak Ram, who lived and worked in Patna, and members of the Delhi-based Ghulam 'Ali Khan family were two well-known practitioners of the genre. Due to the presence of a significant industry, a Provincial Committee, and several British immigrants, Patna was one of the key hubs for Company painting. Ram appears to have relocated there in the 1790s in search of employment; by the 1820s, governors-general like Lord Minto and Lord Amherst were amassing his large-scale paintings of celebrations and rituals.
William and James Fraser, who were brothers, traveled with painters from Delhi when they were ordered by the Company in 1815–1816 to visit recently captured regions in the north of the country. Although his known works are from after the Frasers' return to Delhi in the 1820s, Ghulam 'Ali Khan most likely first established touch with them at this time. Khan is most known for his depictions of country life, while other family members excelled at portraiture.
Other places lacked the landmarks to draw British tourists or, as in the cases of Rajasthan, Hyderabad, and the Punjab Hills, were home to significant local patrons, preventing the development of such a style of painting. As photography was introduced to India in the early 1840s, the school's enthusiasm declined.
Works Cited:
Articles are written collaboratively by the EIA editors. More information on our team, and FILED UNDER Modern & Contemporary Art . “Company Painting: Encyclopedia of Art: Modern and Contemporary.” MAP Academy, 9 Aug. 2022, https://mapacademy.io/article/company-painting/.
“Company Paintings at National Museum Underscore Synergies between Diverse Artistic Practices in Nineteenth-Century India-Art-and-Culture News , Firstpost.” Firstpost, Firstpost, 29 May 2022, https://www.firstpost.com/art-and-culture/company-paintings-at-national-museum-underscore-synergies-between-diverse-artistic-practices-in-nineteenth-century-india-10733771.html.
Dalrymple, William, et al. Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company. Philip Wilson Publishers, 2019.
Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cpin/hd_cpin.htm.
Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mugh_2/hd_mugh_2.htm.
Shaffer, Dr. Holly, and Dr. Holly Shaffer. “Indian Artists and the British East India Company.” Smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/indian-artists-and-the-british-east-india-company/.
History
The Renaissance Era: Part 2
The Divine Comedy
By Natalie Andruchow, Grade 9
You know you have written a good poem when some people actually believe it
Dante Alighieri, who was one of the younger poets in the Renaissance, is one of the most well-known and influential poets of his generation. Being best known for his epic poem, The Divine Comedy, Dante was an Italian poet, writer, and philosopher. He was born in the year 1265 (35 years before the Renaissance began) and passed away in 1321, which was also the year he wrote and published his most famous poem.
“Midway upon the journey of our life. I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost.” (The first line in Dante’s ‘Inferno’)
The plot of The Divine Comedy is extremely simple. A man, who is usually assumed to be Dante himself, is somehow allowed to participate in an ultramundane journey, which led him to visit the souls in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.
What is the purpose of this story, and why is it so important, you make ask?
The purpose of Dante's Divine Comedy was to show people the horrors that their souls would have to go through if they did not obey the laws, and did not live their lives in the ‘right’ way. On the other hand, when writing this Dante did break the laws and managed to get himself exiled from Florence!
“Accused of corruption and financial wrongdoing, Dante was first exiled from Florence for two years in 1302 after he refused to pay a fine. Shortly thereafter he was banned for life and threatened with execution at the stake or beheading if he returned.” (nga.gov)
There is also a lot of symbolism and connection with numbers throughout the novel. The number three is one of the most common and important ones.
The story brings the reader through three different segments. The nine circles of Hell, the nine spheres of Paradise, and the seven terraces of Purgatory. Each section of this journey is crowded with dead souls who suffer trying to get rid of their sins or just simply survive in this afterlife.
So if this story is this meaningful, and corrupt, then why is it called a ‘comedy’?
This is because the Greeks and Romans had found their use of the word "comedy" to define stage plays with happy endings, therefore using it for literature as well.
Other than The Divine Comedy, Dante wrote La Vita Nuova. ‘La Vita Nuova’ is Italian for ‘a new life’ and it’s safe to say that the story lives up to its title. The tale is an expression of the medieval genre of love in a prosimetrum (a poetic composition), a combination of both prose and verse. Beatrice is one of the main characters in the story which whom Dante falls in love and is also a character who he mentions throughout most of his poems and dedicates his whole life. Dante's love for Beatrice was so strong that even if he couldn’t be with her, due to her passing away at a young age, he believed he could be spiritually uplifted by her existence, hence writing The Divine Comedy.
Overall, Dante was a man who wanted to spread the word about his beliefs and the actions he thought made him an overall more honorable person. He managed to persuade multiple people to change their mindsets, and actually believe his works of art. With the symbolism of faith, love, and regret, Dante, in my opinion, had one of the most incredible, and well-thought minds in history.
History
The Renaissance Era; Part 1
By Natalie Andruchow, Grade 9
From paintings of ‘ugly babies’, to the Bubonic plague, the Renaissance era was for sure one of the most interesting periods in history. In the next two segments (2cd one coming out next week), I will be writing about what happened during this incredible time.
Before talking about the Renaissance period, we first need to take a look at the history of the emerging western dominance. After the middle ages, European dynamism had grown largely out of a burst of individualism. Many rebelled against the medieval authority (demanding they subjugate themselves to the needs of the church and feudal manor), in order to get religious independence, political freedom, and greater general knowledge. Various historians trace these details back to the start of the Renaissance.
When translated back to French, the word ‘Renaissance’ means ‘rebirth’ and perfectly describes the events that happened during the change in society. This denotes the revival of classical learning and culture in Italy, between the 1300s and 1400s, which had later moved north to other parts of Europe, hence the name Northern Renaissance. This spread occurred from 1400 to 1500.
People living in the Renaissance often thought that this time period was superior to the ones before, and they called themselves ‘modern’. If you think about it, we are going to be like them one day far off in the future.
The Italian Renaissance
Many scholars in this specific time period scorned the medieval ‘dog-Latin’ (poor-quality attempt at translating English words into Latin). Therefore they vigorously searched for old manuscripts from which they could recover the pure Latin of the ancient Romans. This caused the study of ancient Greek to enthusiastically get taken up, along with Hebrew.
Students in the Renaissance period were more concerned with the secular side of things. Their philosophy was humanism, which holds that the study of mankind and of the world is most important.
Painters and poets started to concern themselves with this world and not the next.
“With the world of nature, not that of theology; with men, not angels”.
They had tried to capture real people and not universal personalities, or general types, but the individual’s presence. (I will talk more about this in the next segment!)
In fact, the Renaissance was above all secular (denoting attitudes, or activities that have no connections with religous beliefs, or spiritual basis). The universities began to not only focus on religous subjects but had other secular classes and produced numbers of educated people. Even the “universal man”, which I will get to next, was concerned with mainly secular activities.
Along with multiple changes the ‘universal man’, also known as the ‘Renaissance man’ was invented. The Renaissance man was the ideal European person that excelled in various different areas. Some of these areas include being charming, well-educated, able to dance, write poetry, sing, play music, and able to fight as a swordsman.
The Northern Renaissance
In the 1300s the northern renaissance in Europe was beginning to become conspicuous for its growing religious mysticism which favored direct worship of god without intervening priesthood. As in the Italian Renaissance, humanism also became very influential. Specifically, it affected society through the writings of Erasmus of Rotterdam and Sir Thomas More of England.
During the Northern Renaissance period, medieval republican city governments, which were also ruled by other territories, had given way to rule by an individual despot (a form of government) in Milan. In other places, they were being consolidated under the strong monarchial rule, most importantly in England, France, and Spain.
Between the years of the Northern Renaissance also came the introduction of printing.
In the mid-1400s, Johan Gutenberg, a goldsmith, began casting individual letters of the alphabet in metal so they could be fitted together to print one page. It was also very easy to rearrange these letters, making them able to print out another book/article/text and then another, and another, and so on.
Before Gutenberg, there were no more than 100,000 books. With this invention, there were over 9 million books by 1500! And while the vast majority of early printed books were theological works, including the Bible, Europe became a more literate society.
The demand for knowledge had increased greatly.
History
Schools of Ancient Greece
By Natalie Andruchow, Grade 9
Elis, Atlas, Dionysos, Theofas, Zophyros Tryphon, Antypas, and Apollonis were just a few of the names that were engraved into this stone.
Being almost 550 years old, this ordinary-looking slab of stone is one of the most exciting discoveries we have found yet. The stone has been hidden away in the National Museums of Scotland for more than a hundred years as a part of the project to publish English translations of inscriptions from ancient Athens.
Archeologists and anthropologists have discovered that the carved letters on the marble in the NMS collection record the names of young men in the debate, a year of military and civic training took around the age of eighteen, which was intended to prepare them for life as adults. It contains a group of 31 friends who learned through the Athenian ephebate together and was designed to maintain, remember and honor the close relationships they had formed.
“It turned out to be a list of the cadets for one particular year, and it gives us new names...names we’d never come across before in ancient Greek,” Dr. Peter Liddel, professor of Greek history and epigraphy at the University of Manchester said, adding that “it also gives us among the earliest evidence for non-citizens taking part in the ephebate in this period.”
Following with, with, “a really interesting inscription, partly because it’s new but also because it gives us new names and a bit of insight into the sort of access or accessibility of this institution which is often associated with elite citizens.”
The end of the inscription translates to "of Caesar," which refers to the emperor Claudius, the fourth ruler of the ancient Roman Empire from A.D. 41 to 54. The phrasing means the inscription was made during his reign.
While this stone slab not only tells us about the pure, and honest friendship between these 31 people, it also informs us a bit about the schools in ancient Greece.
In ancient Greece, access to education was determined by gender and class. Due to schools being neither publicly funded or state-run, it would be costly to get provided with an acceptable education. This meant that only a certain number of people would be able to afford to pay for it. Even at the height of Greek civilization, it was estimated that only around a third of the population was literate!
Grammar, music, and physical education may not seem like major components of today’s education system, but it was to the ancient Greeks. The grammar (Grammatistes), was taught with the 24-letter Greek alphabet by the same teachers of linguistics, philosophy, and literature.
The Kitharistes class was responsible for music. In ancient Greece, they believed that music was connected to history and ethics, thus the kitharistes imparted great wisdom to the children’s minds. In this class, students were taught how to play the lyre, a stringed instrument. Music was so important to the worlds of ancient Greeks that one would have to be learned to be the master of the lyre in order to be considered ‘great’.
Physical fitness is one of the biggest components of Greek history. Greece was made up of city-states which were frequently warring, consequently soldiers were needed for the continuation of these events. Therefore, javelin throwing and wrestling were usually prioritized in physical education.
Another component of physical fitness in ancient Greek schools were the physical looks of a person. For instance, when looking at sculptures created by ancient Greeks, one thing is noticeable in almost each one...
“The paradigm Greek Physique”
Due to this being one of the most important things back then, paidotribes, the physical education classes, took the boys through vicious exercises in a variety of disciplines.
As shown in many other parts of history, misogyny had often occurred in ancient Greece’s educational systems. Unfortunately, girls would be excluded entirely from education in Athens. While boys were sent to school, most girls were excluded from the well-thought, and benificial curriculum of education. Women would often be instructed to preform domestic chores, or, in wealthy families, women were expected to handle the home.
Overall, there is no evidence of any schools in the ancient Greek world before the 5th century B.C. It is believed that before this, education in Greece was provided mainly through private tutors. Due to the misogyny and high-prices, ancient Greek schools were not something modern-day students would want to attend. But what if we kept some of the components of these schools, such as phisiology. Would students benefit from having a new way of thinking, or even enjoy school more?
