Medieval warfare less often squared equivalent armies on the ground against each other, and more often entailed raiding and sieges. In a pre-gunpowder arena, a castle’s walls and well armed keep could withstand months of an invader’s armies. The offensive side used a variety of tactics to get their opponents to surrender, including throwing stones […]
The Medieval Siege of Rochester Castle Read More »
The two pictures shown here accompanied two of the most important “aha!” moments in history. The first is “Photo 51,” taken under the laboratory research of Rosalind Franklin. It shows an X-ray diffraction pattern of DNA, and Franklin, Watson, and Crick used it to figure out the molecular structure of life itself.The second is a
Famous Images From Science Read More »
I am going to do a magic trick for you — take a look at the two photos here: one is a 15th century painting of a Locust, and the other is Ernie Chambers, the longest-serving state senator of Nebraska (46 years and counting). And my hocus pocus will be to show how these two
The Similarities of a Locust and Senator Ernie Chambers Read More »
The Scientific Revolution that developed in Europe did not always lead to the embracing of rationality. This engraving by William Hogarth from 1751 is a case in point. You see in this image a grand display of the dissection of a corpse at the hands of professional anatomists. Yet even though the endeavour might have
Europe’s Murder Act of 1751 Read More »
My theme for the next while will be. . . . “ancient and Medieval rulers who died horribly according to their gleeful enemies who ended up recording history.” This is a fun theme, because writers of Days of Yore liked to tart up their death narratives, and if they could finesse a good sense of
The Death of Earl Godwin of Kent of Southern England Read More »
Next up on the docket in my series of “rulers who died horribly and the authors who recorded their deaths with delight” is the Ancient Roman Emperor Galerius (d. 311). Galerius lived in a particularly turbulent era of the Roman Empire, when both civil and foreign wars had become an endemic part of life. But
The Maladies of Ancient Roman Emperor Galerius Read More »
Third in my series of chroniclers who regaled their readers with narratives of the horrific deaths of rulers is the story of the demise of King Edward II of England. Edward, who had earned the enmity of powerful aristocrats as well as his wife, had been forced to abdicate his throne and was imprisoned when
The Rumored Gruesome Death of King Edward II of England Read More »
Still developing my posts “on the horrendous deaths of leaders gleefully described by the historians and chroniclers who hated them,” I bring you the grizzly tale of the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I. You can see him here in this painting — not the one with the crown on the left, though. Rather, Nikephoros — or
Emperor Nikephoros and His Enemies Read More »
Here are some of the soldiers of the famed terracotta army, constructed on the demand of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, as part of a grand mausoleum dedicated to himself.Qin Shi Huang was known for many achievements — standardizing weights across his lands, unifying China, beginning new construction of the Great Wall,
Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army Read More »
This is John R. Baylor, a politician and military leader for the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In 1861 he brought his troops from Texas into New Mexico to threaten Union forces near Las Cruces. Although they were outnumbered 500 Union soldiers to 200 Confederates, Baylor’s men were victorious.The path towards the Union
Baylor Canyon and John R. Baylor Read More »
The landscape shown here is part of a vast and ecologically diverse ecoregion known as the Chiuahuan Desert. In the second image, a map shows its expansive territory, which encompasses about 250,000 square miles (647,500 km), making it the largest desert in North America.An unusual feature of this very young ecoregion (only about 9,000 years
Ecological Diversity of the Chiuahuan Desert Read More »
Here is the Tortugas Mountain in southern New Mexico, endpoint of a three-day religious festival among the American Indians of the region held from December 10-12 each year.The festival celebrates the Virgin Mary, but also the culture of the peoples from this area who trace some of their heritage to a mission called Señora de
Tortugas Mountains and Piro Indian Festivals Read More »
The Rio Grande is just a dry riverbed this time of year at La Llorona park in Las Cruces, New Mexico.The area is named for an old Latinx legend common throughout Mexico and the American Southwest: La Llorona or “the Weeping Woman” usually tells of a beautiful woman with dark flowing hair wearing white robes
The “Weeping Woman” of the Rio Grande Read More »
In the Organ Mountains of south-west New Mexico is a trail that leads to “la cueva,” home for some time to this famous hermit named Agostini-Justiniani.“El Ermitano ” as the monk was called locally, had been born of an aristocratic family in Italy around 1800. He became an ascetic wanderer by his 30s, foregoing his
The Famous Hermit Agostini-Justiniani Read More »
These ruins stand in solitude at the western foothills of New Mexico’s Organ Mountain range. Constructed in the late 1800s, they were part of a resort complex called “Van Patten’s Mountain Camp.” Even though it takes a while for hikers to pack into this area now, the buildings were isolated even when they were in
The Organ Mountain Ruins of New Mexico Read More »
The rocky vistas shown here include volcanic andesite and sedimentary limestone, deposited over two and a half million years ago. But it wasn’t until after the 1850s, when American Indians in the region had been mostly conquered, that the isolated and rugged terrain became interesting to investors for mining purposes.The image shown here includes the
New Mexico’s Modoc Mine Read More »
If only trees could talk . . . Here is a magisterial Alligator Juniper, so named because of the distinctive bark that resembles the reptilian skin of its namesake. Common from central Mexico to the American Southwest, Alligator Junipers are used to facing harsh conditions: they grow at relatively high altitudes (this one was around
Alligator Juniper Tree Read More »
The Ancient Maya idea of beauty differed radically from our own, as evidence from art and human bones show. Shown here is medical anthropologist Vera Tiesler, who has examined thousands of bones from the Maya Classical Era (250-900 CE) and found fascinating patterns in the practice of skull-shaping.The Maya used stiff boards to flatten their
Ancient Mayan Skull Shaping Read More »
Those who know me, know that each year in lieu of holiday cards, I write historically themed Christmas carols. And this year, I give you the following, sung to the tune of “Good King Wenceslas”.When the plague spread all about/ thirteen-forty seven.Buboes pussing, fevers out/ Time to bury your kin.Philip tried to find the cause/
A Bubonic Plague Inspired Christmas Carol Read More »
Oh those crazy Ancient Maya . . . They sure knew how to have a good time. In these two photos we see a terracotta figurine and a sculpture in relief, respectively, showing people happily getting enemas. The first statuette shows a woman giving herself one: she twists her face upwards, smiling in delight. The
Ancient Mayans Love of Enemas Read More »
