A globe made of two halves of an ostrich egg may be the oldest known “globe” showing the New World. And it appears that the globe dates from around the year 1500, only eight years after Columbus supposedly discovered the new lands.
While it has since been proven that Norse explorers had been in North America long before Columbus landed near South America, this still seems like a short time before the globe made its appearance.
A later globe, made of a copper alloy sometime between 1504 and 1506, seems to have been based on the ostrich egg model. There are slight differences in the wording of the engravings of the two globes, but to many their resemblance to one another is obvious.
Belgian researcher Stefaan Missinne was allowed to send the egg globe to a radiology lab for testing in an attempt to establish how old the globe was. By measuring the bone density loss of the shell and comparing the results with both modern ostrich eggs and others of known age, she determined that an ostrich egg loses approximately 10% of its density each century. She then calculated that the eggs dated to approximately 1500. She believes the globe was created in Florence and engraved by an Italian.
It’s interesting that by fusing the two egg halves together, the globe is actually somewhat flattened at the poles, much like the real planet. Was that an accident or did they know something we didn’t find out for many years afterward?
The copper-alloy globe is now on display at the New York Public Library. The ostrich egg globe is owned by a private collector.
There’s a picture of the globe, along with more information, here
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
The World’s Oldest Granaries
This is a case of having the chicken before the egg. The oldest grain storage facilities were apparently built more than a thousand years before people began domesticating grain for food.
The oldest known domesticated cereal grains are believed to be about 10,500 years old. But the four granaries discovered in the settlement of Dhra in what is now Jordan apparently date to about 11,300 years ago. They were found in a tiny village of about 10 buildings, some of which were houses while others were apparently used to process and store foods.
The buildings themselves were oval-shaped, about 9 feet in diameter and 9 feet high. The walls were constructed of stone and mud bricks, with mud floors. The best preserved granary featured notched stones, about 1 to 1½ feet high which may have supported wooden beams which were probably covered with plants and mud to create a raised floor.
The floor protected the food from rodents and would have allowed air to circulate through the stored grains. Traces of wild barley were found in one of the buildings.
Apparently these granaries were shared by all the villagers at the time. It was only later that storage facilities were separated and maintained by individual families in their own homes.
These granaries indicate that the members of this little community actually worked together to gather and store food. It also means that this little community lived at least a semi-settled life style at a time when most people were believed to have moved around as hunter-gatherers taking advantage of game and wild foods. At least a few small bands were already beginning to take advantage of some of the benefits of sedentary society such as shared labor.
Check here for more information.
The oldest known domesticated cereal grains are believed to be about 10,500 years old. But the four granaries discovered in the settlement of Dhra in what is now Jordan apparently date to about 11,300 years ago. They were found in a tiny village of about 10 buildings, some of which were houses while others were apparently used to process and store foods.
The buildings themselves were oval-shaped, about 9 feet in diameter and 9 feet high. The walls were constructed of stone and mud bricks, with mud floors. The best preserved granary featured notched stones, about 1 to 1½ feet high which may have supported wooden beams which were probably covered with plants and mud to create a raised floor.
The floor protected the food from rodents and would have allowed air to circulate through the stored grains. Traces of wild barley were found in one of the buildings.
Apparently these granaries were shared by all the villagers at the time. It was only later that storage facilities were separated and maintained by individual families in their own homes.
These granaries indicate that the members of this little community actually worked together to gather and store food. It also means that this little community lived at least a semi-settled life style at a time when most people were believed to have moved around as hunter-gatherers taking advantage of game and wild foods. At least a few small bands were already beginning to take advantage of some of the benefits of sedentary society such as shared labor.
Check here for more information.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
The World’s Oldest Rodeo
If you happen to be in Prescott, Arizona, between July 1 and July 7, you can join a huge crowd of rodeo fans attending the World’s Oldest Rodeo.
Ranked as among the best rodeos in the country, this event attracts some of the best of the rodeo competitors in the country, with more than 600 contestants taking part in eight different shows. Payouts are, of course, generous.
In addition to the rodeo, visitors can watch the second-largest parade in Arizona, take in an arts and crafts show, and attend a rodeo dance. There is a loud and lively fireworks display on the Fourth of July along with a carnival.
The first Prescott rodeo, called a “Cowboy Tournament” at the time, was held on July 4, 1888. It was an organizedaffair, with a committee in charge of planning and staging the event. They invited cowboys to the competitions and charged admission.
Ranchers and their hands had long tested their skills against one another on an informal basis. One of those more-or-less organized events took place in August 1884, when cowboys took part in an informal rodeo known as the Payson Rodeo, organized by Abraham (“Arizona Charlie) Meadows and John Collins Chilson. Local cowhands competed against each other in roping and riding, bronc riding and roping events, along with horse racing. Later, other events were added, such as greased pig contests, sack and foot races.
Chutes were not used in these early rodeos. The horses were led or dragged into the middle of the street, saddled and mounted. There were no attempts to time these events, which simply went on until the horse gave up or the rider was thrown. Other cowboys rode wild steers, cows and bulls. Still others tested their skills in roping. Horse racing was popular. The first races usually were among cow horses, but later on thoroughbreds became popular.
Over the years, as rodeos became more sophisticated, special “rodeo grounds” were developed. Chutes, corrals, grandstands and barns have replaced the streets and temporary corrals of the early days. The World’s Oldest Rodeo has its own home and continues to attract visitors from around the world.
If you are thinking about visiting the Prescott Rodeo, you can find its official website here.
Ranked as among the best rodeos in the country, this event attracts some of the best of the rodeo competitors in the country, with more than 600 contestants taking part in eight different shows. Payouts are, of course, generous.
In addition to the rodeo, visitors can watch the second-largest parade in Arizona, take in an arts and crafts show, and attend a rodeo dance. There is a loud and lively fireworks display on the Fourth of July along with a carnival.
The first Prescott rodeo, called a “Cowboy Tournament” at the time, was held on July 4, 1888. It was an organizedaffair, with a committee in charge of planning and staging the event. They invited cowboys to the competitions and charged admission.
Ranchers and their hands had long tested their skills against one another on an informal basis. One of those more-or-less organized events took place in August 1884, when cowboys took part in an informal rodeo known as the Payson Rodeo, organized by Abraham (“Arizona Charlie) Meadows and John Collins Chilson. Local cowhands competed against each other in roping and riding, bronc riding and roping events, along with horse racing. Later, other events were added, such as greased pig contests, sack and foot races.
Chutes were not used in these early rodeos. The horses were led or dragged into the middle of the street, saddled and mounted. There were no attempts to time these events, which simply went on until the horse gave up or the rider was thrown. Other cowboys rode wild steers, cows and bulls. Still others tested their skills in roping. Horse racing was popular. The first races usually were among cow horses, but later on thoroughbreds became popular.
Over the years, as rodeos became more sophisticated, special “rodeo grounds” were developed. Chutes, corrals, grandstands and barns have replaced the streets and temporary corrals of the early days. The World’s Oldest Rodeo has its own home and continues to attract visitors from around the world.
If you are thinking about visiting the Prescott Rodeo, you can find its official website here.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The World’s Oldest Chocolate
Archaeologists studying pottery in the lower Ulua Valley discovered what is, at least until now, the oldest evidence of chocolate. The find pushes the earliest known date for chocolate by at least 500 years.
The beverage was identified by analyzing residue from potsherds. Chemical analysis revealed traces of theobromine, which is found only in the cacao plant. Cacao beans are dried and then processed into chocolate. It is likely that the people who made the ancient form found in the Ulua Valley made use of the same techniques found today.
The style and quality of the pottery analyzed by researchers indicates the drink was used ceremonially. It likely was served at religious festivals, wedding and birth celebrations. This ancient custom was still in use when the Spaniards first landed in South America.
It is interesting that the customs that developed around this ancient drink survived nearly intact for almost 3,000 years.
The beverage was identified by analyzing residue from potsherds. Chemical analysis revealed traces of theobromine, which is found only in the cacao plant. Cacao beans are dried and then processed into chocolate. It is likely that the people who made the ancient form found in the Ulua Valley made use of the same techniques found today.
The style and quality of the pottery analyzed by researchers indicates the drink was used ceremonially. It likely was served at religious festivals, wedding and birth celebrations. This ancient custom was still in use when the Spaniards first landed in South America.
It is interesting that the customs that developed around this ancient drink survived nearly intact for almost 3,000 years.
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