Goddesschess Random Roundup

Legend of the Crystal Skulls
by Jane MacLaren Walsh
"These exotic carvings are usually attributed to pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, but not a single crystal skull in a museum collection comes from a documented excavation, and they have little stylistic or technical relationship with any genuine pre-Columbian depictions of skulls, which are an important motif in Mesoamerican iconography."

The British Museum
"It is impossible to be sure why the skulls were produced. It maybe that they were produced to satisfy demand in the US and Europe in the nineteenth century when interest in collecting Mexican material was at its height."

Legend of the Urgel Chessmen
Dr. Ricardo Calvo's Presentation to the IGK - Amsterdam, December, 2001. The trail of the rock crystal Urgel pieces leads to other discoveries in the north of Spain.

Fatimid Ewer Sells for £220,000
Signalling one of the most remarkable chance discoveries in years, an 11th-century Fatimid rock crystal ewer, with a market value of up to £5m, recently surfaced in a British provincial auction.

The Royal Draughtboard
Palace of Minos at Knossos - "Pieces of the inlay-gold-plated ivory, glass paste, silver plaques, rock crystal and other precious materials were found scattered around and were also broken off by the picks of the workmen. "

Animal Figurines
Category: SCULPTURE, CULT OBJECT
These are the first examples of animal sculpture in the round which signal the master pieces, yet to come, in Egyptian sculpture. The pieces consist of: a lion which was originally a game piece, a hippopotamus and a crocodile which were votive objects depicting strong forces that had to be appeased, a falcon and a monkey which provided protection, and a frog whose purpose was to answer prayers for fertility.

In Europe and the Ancient Near East, most dice were made of bone or ivory. However, other dice were made from bronze, agate, onyx, marble, rock crystal, amber, jet, alabaster, and porcelain.

Rubric: "This Chapter shall be recited over a Tet of crystal, which shall be set upon a brick made of crude mud, whereupon this Chapter hath been inscribed. Thou shalt make a cavity in the west wall [of the tomb], and having turned the front of the Tet towards the east, thou shalt wall up the cavity with mud which hath been mixed with extract of cedar. This Tet shall drive away the enemies of Osiris who would set themselves at the east wall [of the tomb]."

Religious use of gemstones

"...The word "amulet" is derived from an Arabic root meaning "to bear, to carry," hence "amulet" is "something which is carried or worn," and the name is applied broadly to any kind of talisman or ornament to which supernatural powers are ascribed. It is not clear whether the amulet was intended first of all to protect the living or the dead body, but it seems that it was originally worn to guard its owner from savage animals and from serpents...."

The "St. Louis" Chess Set
From the Louvre Museum

The "St Louis" chess set comes from the Crown collection, but the tradition attributing it to Louis IX of France (1214-1270) is certainly mistaken. This set, made of rock crystal and smoked quartz, was in fact created in the late fifteenth century in Germany (the board) and France (the pieces). Extensively altered over the centuries, it nevertheless remains a fine example of the artistic inventiveness of the fifteenth century and of the magnificence of the French Crown collection.

May 18, 2008

Recent meetings, upcoming events and sites to see before some of them disappear from the face of the earth. But, you'll need to hurry! Flying carpet supplied (see below)...

Board Games Studies recently concluded its 11th Colloqium in Lisbon, Spain, April 23 - 26, 2008. Here is an abstract (in PDF format) of the program. This year's event included presentations by Alex de Voogt (Leiden University), David Parlett (board games scholar and author of coveted books on board games) and friends of Goddesschess, Dr. Ulrich Schaedler (The Museum of Games in Switzerland) and Dr. Jurgen Stigter (Amsterdam, the Ken Whyld Association).

Too late to bid - but of interest nonetheless...
May 13, 2008: Bonham's of London recently hosted an auction of chess sets and chess pieces. See the article at The Wall Street Journal.

The Ashmolean will be creating an online virtual Center of Islamic and Eastern Art, currently scheduled to go online sometime in 2009.

Parker Library at Corpus Christi (Cambridge) is going online! Scholars and students in the pertinent subjects—medieval, Renaissance and early modern studies; art history; paleography; church history; the history of the English language; Anglo-Saxon studies—are invited to use the test site and provide criticism and suggestions to guide revisions and enhancements.

The Columbia Museum of Art (Columbia, South Carolina, USA) in cooperation with the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, presents "Excavating Egypt," an exhibit of artifacts from the Petrie's collection, January 27 - June 8, 2008. Find out more about the exhibit.

Allianoi (Turkey), an ancient Roman asclepion (ancient healing temple) centered around a thermal spring, dating back to second century AD that was discovered just 10 years ago, will be submerged under the waters of Yortanli irrigation dam, which is much needed for the local farmers. We need to preserve our ancient cultures - but we also need to feed our hungry ever-growing population.

Archaeologists working at Sarab-Mort site in Kermanshah Province have announced the news of the possible discovery of a Sasanian Fire Temple adjacent to the Parthian Manor house. Iranian archaeologists began their second and last season of archaeological salvage operation at Sarab-Mort archaeological site in Kermanshah Province in February 2008, prior to the site soon being submerged once the newly built Dam becomes operational.

More than 50,000 petroglyphs and over 5000 inscriptions in 39 different scripts and languages have been recorded so far along the Karakoram Highway in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. These rock carvings which are cultural assets of mankind are threatened and endangered due to the proposed construction of a dam near Basha.

Flying Carpets!
and other unique textile artwork...

The New York International Tribal & Textile Arts Show has drawn displays from 76 galleries, including assembles from a broad range of tribal art from Africa, Oceania, Asia and North and South America. It is a forceful, entrancing ensemble...

May 11, 2008

Hail bounteous May, that doth inspire
Mirth and youth, and warm desire
-- John Milton (1608-1674)

May day, may day By Lubna Abdel-Aziz "May Day is a feast of ancient origins. Egyptians, Babylonians, Indians, Romans and others, celebrated the new season of beauty and pleasure."

May 7, 2008 Archaeologists from the University of Hamburg said they discovered the Queen of Sheba's palace and an altar that may have once held the Ark of the Covenant in Axum, Ethiopia. A Sothic cult appears related to the site and is said to have been a latter arrival."

"A latter arrival..." ?! - This statement is unusual for at least a couple of reasons, some perhaps listing towards historical misrepresentaton. A brief history of Sothis, Sobek and Seba might help resolve some questions - or perhaps the opposite. You decide!

Who is "Sothis"?

• Sothis is the Greek name of a star that the Egyptians considered unusually significant. The star is not explicitly identified, but there are enough clues for modern scholars to be almost unanimous in identifying Sothis as Sirius.

• Sothic cycle
The Sothic cycle or Canicular period is a period of 1461 ancient Egyptian years (of 365 days each) or 1460 Julian years (averaging 365.25 days each). During a Sothic cycle, the 365-day year loses enough time that the start of the year once again coincides with the heliacal rising of the star Sirius (the Latin name for a star called Sothis in Greek, deified by the Egyptians as Sopdet; a single year between heliacal risings of Sothis is a Sothic year).

• Sothic Dating
Sothic Dating Examined - "The Sothic Star Theory of the Egyptian Calendar (A Critical Evaluation)" - By Damien F. Mackey (MA. B Phil.) October, 1995 Sydney, Australia.

• Seba and Sheba?
The Egyptian symbol for the stars was a symbol five-pointed line drawing, resembling the sea stars (aka "starfish") that inhabited the Red Sea.

• The star symbol appears
in many forms from a simple dot or circle through to a five point star as shown here. The five-pointed star was mostly used in formal or decorative scenes or to adorn the sky hieroglyph or the body of the sky goddess Nut.

• Sah and Sopdet (Sothis),
the Egyptian Astral God and Goddess by Jefferson Monet

• The Song of Solomon
"Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies."

Armies in the figurative or literal sense? From The Alpha and the Omega - Introduction by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © 1995, all rights reserved ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN (1) Heb. tsaba', tsaw-baw', or (feminine) tseba'ah, tseb-aw-aw' - and important etcetera relating to astronomical phenomena... i.e. a rotating, cyclical and spiral cosmos.

What was the ancient pentagram board game?
Ambiguous - for one thing...

• Greek Board Games
Roland G. Austin (University of Liverpool, England)
Antiquity, 14, September, 1940, Pages 257-271

• Pente Grammai means "five lines" and was an Ancient Greek game.

• Kurna Pentalpha Game Dr. Ricardo Calvo's numerological reference to the Kurna board games.

The Number "5"
• "The Symbolism and Spiritual Significance of the Number Five" by Dee Finney

Butrint and the Number "5"
• "And right perfection wrongfully disgrac'd"

"As already suggested, precursors of chess such as 5th Century CE hnefatafl and an as yet unproven form of Greek penta gramma or Egyptian pent alpha board game(s) offer various reassurances that the figure of the king had already been established as a viable gaming commodity prior to its inclusion in chess and chaturanja."

New Jewels in the Goddesschess Crown

More marriages made in heaven through
Internet Link Exchanges

This month we welcome:

Rick Knowlton
http://ancientchess.com/
Chess Throughout History and Around the World
and
Jeroen Tijssen
http://www.schaken.opzijnbest.nl/
A nicely designed Dutch site with lots of good links to various useful resources