Marble hoard discovered in Acre
Archaeologists have discovered a hoard of more than 300 marble items dating to the 13th century in an excavation north of the Old City wall of Acre. The marbles were found in a cellar that had been sealed by a collapse, and include a large stone cross and a large fragment of the rare purple stone, porphyry. Dr. Edna Stern, excavation director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said that "The quality of the marble is excellent and it was undoubtedly imported from abroad." Find out more in the article by Jamie Romm at the Jerusalem Post.
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Extensive medieval Irish cemetery discovered
In County Kildare, Ireland, archaeologists have uncovered the skeletal remains of nearly 1,300 people from what is proving to be one of Ireland's largest medieval cemeteries. Located in Ardreigh, Athy, the cemetery was the last resting place for adults and children -- even a 20-week-old fetus -- from at least as far back as the 8th century up to the 14th.
Find out more in the article at Sindh Today.
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Templar stone?
A mysterious stone uncovered in Midlothian, Scotland, may have a connection to the Knights Templar. Discovered by Crispin Phillips in the process of repairing a wall, the stone is covered with unusual symbols and appears to date to about the 13th or 14th century. Because the ruined chapel where the stone is located was part of an abbey founded by the Templars, scholars think the carvings may relate to the Templar organization, though no one has yet been able to figure out what they mean. Find out more in the article by Claire Smith at the Scotsman, which includes some nice photos.
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The Battle of Agincourt
On October 25, 1415, a famous battle of the Hundred Years' War took place between English forces led by Henry V and a much larger French army at Agincourt, France. For centuries, this battle has been examined, reexamined, dissected and reconstructed by French and English historians alike.
This week The New York Times has an article about how historians have "reassessed" the Battle of Agincourt. Though I find the comparisons drawn between medieval foreign wars and current conflicts interesting (but not surprising), I was a little bemused to learn that a group of historians "now take a skeptical view of the figures handed down by medieval chroniclers."
What, only now?
Medieval chroniclers were notorious for inflating the numbers of participants in the battles they reported. Those numbers have always been taken by modern historians with a grain of salt, and have usually been tempered by archaeological discoveries and the data gleaned from period documentary evidence. In the case of Agincourt, it has long been known that the English representation of Henry's forces was minimized and that of the French forces was inflated to make their victory over a larger force appear particularly remarkable. So, while the recent "reassessment" may bring us closer than ever to more accurate numbers on both sides, the fact that the disparity wasn't nearly as great as the medieval chroniclers said doesn't really surprise me. Does it surprise you?
Conquest
On October 14, 1066, William of Normandy fought King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, beginning a new era in English history. What events led to such a historic turning point? Who were the people involved? And what happened after the battle? Find out in this feature by your Guide, and test your knowledge in The Quest for Conquest Quiz.
Is it a Leonardo? A fingerprint says "maybe."
When Peter Silverman purchased the painting titled "Young Girl in Profile in Renaissance Dress" for £12,000 at a Christie's sale, he suspected its description as "German, early 19th century" wasn't precisely accurate. Now his suspicions appear to be confirmed. Carbon dating and infra-red analysis of the artist's technique are consistent with the work of Leonardo da Vinci, and if this is so, the painting could be worth £1 million. But the most convincing evidence could be a fingerprint found on the work, which techs at a Paris laboratory found "highly comparable" to a print on Leonardo's painting of St. Jerome.
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Find out more:
- Leonardo da Vinci picture 'worth millions' revealed by a fingerprint
Article by Stephen Adams at the Telegraph
- Unrecognised Leonardo da Vinci portrait revealed by his fingerprint
Feature by Ben Hoyle at the Times Online
- Portrait Is Da Vinci Work, Print Shows
Item at AOL News includes "Da Vinci Discoveries" slide show
- Fingerprint points to $19,000 portrait being revalued as £100m work by Leonardo da Vinci
Extensive examination at the Antiques Trade Gazette
Happy Columbus Day!
If you've got the day off from work (or if you're unable to go to the bank), here's the guy to thank (or blame): Christopher Columbus. At least, this might be what Christopher Columbus looked like. No contemporary portraits are known to survive from Columbus' lifetime, so through the centuries artists have been free to represent him in a variety of ways. Have a look at some artists' interpretations of the visage of Christopher Columbus in our new Columbus Image Gallery, and find out more about him in his Who's Who Profile.
Ritual pits discovered in Bulgaria
Archaeologists have discovered more than 50 unique pits dating to the 12th century near the village of Sedlare in southern Bulgaria. The pits are believed to have been used for rituals in which burnt stones, ceramics, metal and meat were placed within them. Find out more in the item at BalkanTravellers.com.
Scientist recreates the Shroud of Turin
Using only methods and materials available in the Middle Ages, Luigi Garlaschelli, professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia, has created a shroud that is very close in appearance to the relic in Turin Cathedral. The process involved placing a linen sheet flat over a volunteer, who wore a mask, and then rubbing the sheet with a substance containing pigment and acid. The sheet was then heated in an oven and washed. When blood and burn holes were added, the result was remarkably similar to the Shroud of Turin.
Trade in holy relics was lucrative in medieval Europe, and amidst the genuine articles were numerous fraudulent creations. The Shroud of Turin may be one of the fakes, and has never been confirmed as authentic by the Catholic Church. In 1988, carbon dating tests placed the origin of the Shroud to between 1260 and 1390. However, the tests have been challenged (some say the material tested was a medieval patch and that the rest of the shroud is much older) and faith in the Shroud remains strong. Professor Garlaschelli noted, "If they don't want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world's best laboratories they certainly won't believe me."
Find out more in the article at BBC News or the feature by Philip Pullella, Reuters, which includes a useful comparison photo and is made available at MSNBC.com.
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- Medieval Christianity
- Medieval Italy
Lost legs found
In 1925, the top part of a sandstone carving of the Buddhist deity Hevajra was discovered by French archaeologists near Angkor Thom, the walled city of King Jayavarman VII. This summer, a British archaeologist seeking the site of the discovery found the legs of the 12th-century statue. Scientists are excited by the prospect of further discoveries, and hope the legs will be reunited with the bust, which is currently on display in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Find out more in the article at Trak.in News, and get a look at the Bust of Hevajra at the Met.