I was pleased to come across an interesting use of modern computer technology that is being used to decipher more the mysteries of the ancient world. It is called “Rome Reborn” and its aim is to create a 3-D model of Rome, tracing its development from as early as 1000 BCE all the way up to the early Middle Ages in 550 CE. The project is focusing on creating a working model for the year 320 CE as a baseline to complete the rest of it.
The mystery of who built Stonehenge and why they did it has been around for thousands of years. Until now, only speculation reigned and many theories were put forth. Some believed the purpose of the monument was spiritual in nature while others explored the possibility that it may have been something more practical. A few far-out theories even have Stonehenge as the result of some extra-terrestrial influence. Finally, a group of archaeologists believe they may have cracked this ancient puzzle.
Several teams of archaeologists have been working together for the last 10 years to find the truth. What they came up with is quite different from what most believed, however. By studying all the relevant factors that prevailed during its period of construction (approximately 3,000 to 2,500 BCE), they discovered that when it was built there was a single culture taking hold throughout many different areas of the land now known as Britain.
The Holy Roman Church dominated Medieval Europe at the expense of their adherents, while “nobility” grew rich off the backs of their serfs. Even colonial America was largely run by rich landowners who, when levied with taxes by the British, whipped the poor into a frenzy to go fight a revolution. However, it’s not known just how far back these kinds of systemic inequities have been present in human civilization. A recent feature in Wired attempts to answer that question.
The Agricultural Revolution, dated back some 11,000 years, are commonly thought by anthropologists to be the beginning of systematic social hierarchies (and thus the beginning of inequalities in those hierarchies). As people learned to grow and harvest food, they had to stay in one place, creating condensed populations that required “managing.”
It was with this advent, the true beginning of human civilization, that a few people consolidated power over larger numbers of others around the accessibility and control of the food supply. This is substantiated by the unearthing of graves from this time, where small numbers of people were buried with larger numbers of “grave goods” (pottery, weapons, furs, etc.) than the rest. However, there was little to show that heredity or inheritance were defined.
One of the most spectacular sites in archaeological history rests in the country of China. It is the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang, who lived more than 2000 years ago. Though his rule would be short and his dynasty last only a few years longer than his life, he left behind a legacy that would change the way future emperors thought of China and steer them in the direction of uniting the various kingdoms under one ruler. The other part of his legacy is the Mausoleum of Qin and its massive army of terracotta warriors and chariots, each designed uniquely to display the face of the living warrior that served as model.
This wonder lay beneath the earth for over 2000 years, only rediscovered in 1974. Since then three excavations have been made and resulting in the unearthing of more than 8000 warriors along with countless numbers of other artifacts. Recently, the third excavation has been underway and now more warriors will join the ranks of Qin’s unliving army.
Anyone who has read my posts (I do have a few readers out there, right?) knows that I have a big problem with people looting or destroying archaeological sites. It must be my anthropology education, but the idea of history being treated like a commodity brings out the anger in me. Now, some like-minded individuals are putting together a means of combating at least half of the problem, that of looting.
Looting artifacts from sites or stealing them is an underground industry that brings in literally billions of dollars every year. The sheer numbers of missing artifacts make it very apparent how lucrative this business is. In Italy alone there are more than 500,000 artifacts known to have been stolen. One can only guess at how many have been taken from places like the highly unregulated and site-rich Middle East. But these thefts are difficult things to stop and it’s hard to track down those who are buying the items to recover them. Often, only after a museum has spent tons of money to acquire an artifact is it discovered to have been stolen, leaving them to return the piece and out the precious cash that they use to purchase the treasures they display.
The ancient city of Babylon is by far one of the world’s oldest and most famous sites. It is a piece of the birth of history as we know it, demonstrating the results of a formation of social and religious practices that would change the world. When it comes to importance in the development of modern civilization, Babylon is on par with such legendary regions as Egypt, Greece and Rome. Unfortunately, this city is in serious danger of becoming nothing more than a memory, the remains of it being blown away on the winds as dust.
The site already sustained enough damage from Saddam Hussein when that idiot decided he was going to restore it with an added flair that gave praise to him and modern Iraq. That was almost immediately followed by American soldiers using the site as a base of military operations and doing deliberate damage to many structures to make way for helicopters and road vehicles. That doesn’t even include the soldiers who decided they wanted to take a piece of this ancient history home with them and so looted the bricks of Babylon’s buildings. Now, unless repairs and preservation efforts are made immediately, it may suffer a more complete destruction in addition to the humiliating desecration that it has already undergone.
