Framing History

[browngirl]

So, last night cheshyre took me out to dinner, and I don't have the proper words to describe how wonderful this was. She told me about the trip to Italy that she and xiphias recently went on, and gave me an armful of wonderfulness: she lent me a novel about Artemisia Gentileschi (and I should write the title here, but the book is currently in my bookbag), gave me an artist's beautiful catalogue and a postcard from Rome, and, from Farthingcon, a 5000 year old potsherd. It was brought back by an archaeologist (whose name I unfortunately forgot) from Early Bronze Age Israel; the pot it's from was made when Memphis and Ur were the bustling metropoleis of the day, Knossos was an up-and-coming town, and someone was looking at Stonehenge and thinking it was time to replace the standing timbers. Just... five thousand years of history in the palm of my hand. It brings to mind certain words of Blake's.

So that sherd named this entry, needless to say, and I need to figure out where and how to best display it. And keep an eye out for what nice thing I will find for cheshyre, when it presents itself to me.

Meanwhile, eustaciavye and temima came over for dinner and gaming, but rather more dinner than gaming happened. Still, it was really nice to come home and hang out with them, too. Not least to show off my fragment of history!

Comments

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

five thousand years of history in the palm of my hand.

Yup. Pretty amazing, isn't it?

Makes you wonder about some future human holding a chunk of our civilization five thousand years hence.

[cheshyre]

Another tidbit dhole mentioned which you might appreciate -- apparently, archaeologists can track the shipping routes by looking at the sea floor for trails of the sailors empties. Not much recycling back then, so like boaters of any age, after finishing their drink, they just tossed the bottles overboard...

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

That makes sense, but how do they find stuff that small on the bottom of the open sea?

[cheshyre]

If it's a major sea route (which is what they're finding in this manner) there are a *lot* of empties -- enough to make it possible.
[Keep in mind, we're also mostly talking about the Mediterranean here, not transoceanic voyages.]

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

I figured they were talking about the Mediterranean, but I figured even that was wide and deep enough to make looking for the kind of debris you're talking about difficult.

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

that is one of those simple, brilliant things i'd never have thought about!

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Makes you wonder about some future human holding a chunk of our civilization five thousand years hence.

So true.