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February 17, 2008

Did music lead to medicine? The ancient Chinese think so. "Pleasant music works to cultivate one's temperament, to purify one's mind, and to deliver a sense of beauty. But has it ever occurred to you that the creation of music was originally intended as a medicine to cure?"

Ancient Chinese Astronomy: New insights from old information China has the world’s longest-running observations of the sky: though based in astrology, they are of unique importance to astronomy today.

Pair of Indian Hardstone-Inlaid Marble Games TABLE-TOP 20TH CENTURY Each of square outshape with moulded edge and frieze variously inlaid with foliate arabesques around a specimen marble chess-board

24½ in. (62.5 cm.) square (2)
On auction at Christie's (Lot 0187, estimated 4,000-6,000 GBP) on March 19, 2008 at the London, King Street location (Sale Number 7569)

A rare edition of MANDRAGORIAS, SEU HISTORIA SHAHILUDII, VIZ. EJUSDEM ORIGO, ANTIQUITAS, USUSQUE PER TOTUM ORIENTEM CELEBERRIMUS (HISTORIA NERDILUDII). OXFORD: SHELDONIAN THEATRE, 1694, by Thomas Hyde (1636-1703), from the library of the Earls of Macclesfield (Shirburn Castle) is going on auction at Sotheby's

(Lot 4070, estimated 800—1,000 GBP) Sale: L08400
Location: London, New Bond Street
Auction Dates: Session 1: Thu, 13 Mar 08 10:3

 

 

 

The latest on the ongoing controversy about repatriation of the Lewis Chess Pieces. "UK CULTURE minister Margaret Hodge has dismissed Alex Salmond's demand for the Lewis Chessmen to be returned to Scotland as "nonsense

 

Women in Black

 

A quad of chess queens this month. 

The recently concluded 2008 Gibtelecom (Gibraltar) international tournament, in its 6th year, attracted chess stars from all around the world to compete in beautiful surroundings and for generous prize money. 

A separate Women's Event hosted some of the best female chessplayers in the world. Here are the top four finishers, all with 6.5/9 (they split the top 4 prize money of £9,000): (1st place) IM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan (GEO 2457),  (2nd place) IM Victoria Cimilyte (LTU 2475) (Cimilyte is married to super GM Alexi Shirov and has two children); (4th place) GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL 2464) (Stefanova, who earned her GM title in 2003 with a peak rating of 2560, was 2004 Women's World Chess Champion) and (3rd place) 16-year old IM Dronavalli Harika (IND 2455). 

These beautiful women from around the world amply demonstrate that chess ain't just for geeks! (or Muggles)...

February 3, 2008
a Special Focus on
Deterioration/Destruction of Ancient Sites

An Iranian-Italian archaeological team has started an emergency operation to restore one of the damaged bastions of Bam Citadel, severely damaged in an earthquake in 2003

Islamic Republic in Iran destroyed 60% of the architectural and archeological remains of Pol-Borideh in Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari province overnight for road construction. The ancient site was registered on the National Heritage List.

CAIS reports that the Iranian Islamic regime destroyed the 2200-year-old Khoda-Afarid bridge also known as Negin, in Shiniyar district of Masjed-Soleyman in Khuzestan province

Swat Valley Buddha (Pakistan) defaced with dynamite by Islamic radicals

Silk Road art at Dunhuang Oasis in danger from shifting desert

Egypt's ancient rock art endangered by tourists who leave behind their filth and grafitti

Historians hustle as flood from dam project threatens ancient Alans town discovered in the Russian Republic of North Ossetia

Senet:
"His face in back - his face in front"
Still kicking after 5000 Years!
"I am yesterday and today - I know tomorrow"

"Located in the garden of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium in San Jose is a large version of the Egyption board game called Senet."

What was senet? More than some chess historians would ever want to know, it seems. The game is described as being similar to backgammon. Obviously there was more to it than meets the eye. Ancient Egyptians considered it sublime.

February 3, 2008

From the very high

History of the depictions of the Stars, Constellations and other Celestial objects This site means what it says. Lots of excellent working links and a useful resource for all times and seasons.

Anthropology unites humankind rather than dividing it Only by understanding our cultural differences can we hope to get along on this planet, says Luke Freeman

Video: Art Theft's Odd Couple An ex-art smuggler and the former head of Scotland Yard's Art and Antiquities Squad have joined forces to expose illegal trade in ancient treasures.

to the lowest of low

UN vandals spray graffiti on Sahara’s prehistoric art Spectacular prehistoric depictions of animal and human figures created up to 6,000 years ago on Western Saharan rocks have been vandalised by United Nations peacekeepers. (A spry painted pox upon THEIR houses!)

and some points in between...

Ancient Mass Sacrifice, Riches Discovered in China Tomb A 2,500-year-old tomb containing nearly four dozen victims of human sacrifice has been excavated in eastern China, yielding a treasure trove of precious artifacts and new insights into ritual customs during the era of Confucius, archaeologists say.

Surprise Egypt Tombs Yield Ornate Coffins, Dog Mummies Four ancient tombs containing well-preserved mummies and ornate painted coffins have been unearthed in El Faiyum, an oasis about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Cairo (see map). (See photos of the tomb treasures.)

Is the United States Chess Federation in Trouble?
By Dylan Loeb McClain: "the federation’s finances... are not in good shape and the federation is projected to run a significant deficit..." (Why are we not surprised?)

Yima and his Bull:
Gemini and Taurus in the Lascaux Caves
By William Glyn-Jones

"The possibility that constellations, specifically Taurus and the Pleiades, were represented in the artwork of the Lascaux caves has been suggested before. Luz Antequera Congregado first suggested in her doctoral thesis in 1992 that the dots above the shoulder of this bull depict the Pleiades (and that the dots on the bull's face are the neighbouring Hyades).

Why THIS showcase? Topics related to archaeoastronomy and associated sciences are helpful to folks researching chess and other more ancient games. A little local proof for the skeptics among us is available here, here and here.

January 27, 2008
Seeing is believing! But sometimes what lies on the surface is not enough to convince us. This week's Random Roundup concentrates on what lies beneath!

The Archeology Channel Explore the human cultural heritage through streaming media. Travel through time and feel the thrill of discovery. Examine the wonderful diversity of the human experience!

Women warriors may have battled in ancient Cambodia: Archaeologists have found female skeletons buried with metal swords in Cambodian ruins, indicating there may have been a civilisation with female warriors.

The "Lost Lady of Rome": 2,000 year old intact female burial inside a lead coffin discovered in the Village of Aldborough, near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire - once the site of a major Roman town, Isurium Brigantium (England)

An intact skeleton of a female has been excavated from an ancient tomb dating back to around 2,200 years ago in central China's Hubei Province.

Ancient tomb in Henan excavated.  It is believed the graveyard in which the tomb is located dates back to the Eastern Wei Dynasty about 1,500 years ago

Why gambling is good for you The current discussion on the pros and cons of gambling has concentrated on what are often the tragic results of poor judgment and lack of self-control. Maybe, maybe not! See Prudence Jone's Guardian article, then decide for yourself.

BURIED ALIVE! (but still breathing...)

The Death of Checkers

"Checkers has been around for more than 400 years, has been enjoyed by billions of players and has taught generations of young children the joy of strategy. And now it’s all over. This July, Jonathan Schaeffer, a computer scientist at the University of Alberta in Canada, announced that after running a computer program almost nonstop for 18 years, he had calculated the result of every possible endgame that could be played, all 39 trillion of them."

January 20, 2008

Archaeological collection discovered after relic hunter’s death An unusual collection of over 3,000 archaeological items was discovered two years ago in a Prague apartment whose owner died in a fire. Archaeologists who have examined the collection say it contains some unique artefacts – with very little scientific value because vital information about their origin is missing. Experts complain that people with metal detectors who dig for treasures of the past are causing more harm than they might think.

Designers sought to conserve Da Vinci Code church Rosslyn Chapel, the Scottish church made famous by Hollywood blockbuster The Da Vinci Code , is seeking architects to improve visitor access and provide 'comprehensive conservation of the chapel'.

Self-Paced Brain-Computer Interface Gets Closer to Reality Using the human mind to control computers could lead to a wide range of applications, such as giving people with limited motion the ability to operate machines. However, translating thoughts into actions is a great challenge for researchers. How can a system determine which thoughts should be acted upon, and which thoughts are merely personal thoughts and therefore should be ignored by the system?

Ancient "Lost City" Discovered in Peru, Official Claims Ruins recently discovered in southern Peru could be the ancient "lost city" of Paititi, according to claims that are drawing serious but cautious response from experts

Indian Sphinx
With a lion’s body and a human head, the sphinx is a well known symbol of ancient art and myth. For the ancients, it was an elevated spiritual being, embodying secret knowledge and wisdom, that guarded sacred places. The most famous example is the Great Sphinx of Egypt, guarding the pyramids. Though it usually is connected with the ancient civilizations of Greece and Egypt, many depictions are found also around the Mediterranean and in the Middle East. But as seen in this video, the sphinx (or purushamriga) is also part of Indian art and tradition.

RIP Bobby Fischer (1943-2008)
Thoughts of Robert J. Fischer

Although it is impossible to condone some of Bobby Fischer's more tactless remarks and outspoken views, it is equally impossible to overlook his genius. Like the game he played with such incredible mastery, there will be many different views on the man and his legacy. R.I.P. Bobby Fischer.

January 13, 2008

As a companion to Andrew Monkman's Showcased (see below) "flower of life", in The Heart of the World, Ian Baker describes his expedition to find the mythical Tsangpo Gorge in Beyul Pemako, the 'Hidden Lotus-Shaped Land'. (Amazon US).

Better late than never. We missed getting this dispatch into Random Roundup in due time. To make amends... Auction Watch:

Sotheby's New York
November 21, 2007
Lot 207 
Sergio Carmargo (1930-1990)
CHESS SET: 32 PIECES

Estimated 20,000—30,000 USD
Lot Sold.  Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium:  20,000 USD
MEASUREMENTS 
smallest pawns: height::1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm), diameter: 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); alternate measurements: largest pawns: height: 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm), diameter: 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
DESCRIPTION
white marble and black belgian marble
Edition of 10

"Someone or something bashed a guy known as Mummy No. 7 in the back of the head more than 1,500 years ago. Cal State Bakersfield anthropology professor Robert Yohe is trying to figure out the mystery behind his death."

Isotope analysis of teeth left behind from skulls removed from burials on Vanuatu give researchers new clues to the lifestyle and origins of the mysterious Lapita people, ancestors of today's Polynesians and Melanesians.

A little something for Russian chess researchers to ponder. An international archeological expedition to Lake Issyk Kul, high in the Kyrgyz mountains, proves the existence of an advanced civilization 25 centuries ago, equal in development to the Hellenic civilizations of the northern coast of the Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea) and the Mediterranean coast of Egypt.

An Iranian-Italian archaeological team has started an emergency operation to restore one of the damaged bastions of Bam Citadel, severely damaged in an earthquake in 2003

The "Flower of Life"...

...can be found in all major religions of the world. It contains the patterns of creation as they emerged from the 'Great Void'. Everything is made from the Creator's thought."

Andrew Monkman's websites - (click here and here) offer many visions to behold and some excellent research as well. Those interested in the rosette patterns appearing as decorative facets in chess and other board games may take note that the earliest use of rosette or asterid epigraphy is also Egyptian.

Although the so called Royal Game of Ur (c. 2600 BCE) does apply similar imagery, the first known use of the rosette appears meticulously and repeatedly incised with painstaking perfection onto at least one schist senet board of 33 squares. Currently stored in the Petrie collection, the board in question is of pre-dynastic (c. 3200-3300 BCE) Egyptian provenance. Like many other Egyptian precedents in sacred geometry, this discovery may give one pause to reflect on certain outlying possibilities buried deep beneath Egyptian soil.

January 6, 2008

A new hypothesis about why farming began - people wanted clothes, not food...

The flood believed to be behind the Noah’s Ark myth kick-started European agriculture, according to new research

Shades of Graham Hancock! Smithsonian Magazine wonders, are the Ethiopians really the keepers of the Lost Ark of the Covenant?

Workers unearthed an Old-Persian inscription belonging to the Achaemenid dynastic era during road construction in Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf (Iran). An article in The Tehran Times suggests that as many as five new words might be contained in the ancient Persian inscription. But it might be a fraud!

Mane and Tail?

This has been identified as a "horse comb," in this article at The Daily Mail (scroll down to article). Circa 25 - 75 CE, Great Britain, copper-alloy. We're doubtful. The comb is beautifully decorated with hatch-mark, scroll and spiral patterns. The hole in the center of the haft seems to be designed for ribbons to be threaded through, which would have added an additional decorative punch to the comb. If it were made of gold no one would question that the comb was a lady's accoutrement!

December 30, 2007

Archeologists have discovered the ruins of an 800-year-old Aztec pyramid in the heart of Mexico City that could show the ancient city is at least a century older than previously thought.

Chinese archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient city in eastern Zhejiang Province, which could better prove the long history of Chinese civilization.

A buried cache of 10,000 ancient Chinese coins weighing 1.5 tons uncovered in Changzi County, north China's Shanxi Province

Archaeologist and author Michael Cremo, the king of alternative history.

Epic Flood Triggered Ancient "Big Chill, Study Says: An epic gush of fresh water into the North Atlantic slowed a deep ocean current and triggered a century-long chill in Europe and North America some 8,200 years ago.

Remains of ancient civilization discovered on the bottom of a lake: An international archeological expedition to Lake Issyk Kul, high in the Kyrgyz mountains, proves the existence of an advanced civilization 25 centuries ago, equal in development to the Hellenic civilizations of the northern coast of the Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea) and the Mediterranean coast of Egypt...

Easter Island Stone Heads Endangered:
Gigantic statues will vanish without preservation effort

December 18, 2007

Not exactly news - but a nice, long holiday read and a gift that keeps giving historians fits. ANCIENT ECONOMIES TOPIC V: The Argonaut Epos and Bronze Age Economic History. All that's missing under this tree (O.K. - under this mast) are references to actual board games. However, much is inferred and considerable information supplied. Portions of in this essay resonate with factors apparent in Peter Piccione's decipherment of Egyptian senet and Leslie Kurke's examination of the Greek "poelis" game - both of which augur distant elements related to the traditional relationship between Moorish "counting boards", chess, checkers and European forms of exchequership.

Tracing the origins of "Carolina Gold" rice...

Latest evidence for the explosion of a comet could explain sudden disappearance of Clovis point culture and indirectly support evidence of human habitation in North Carolina 50,000 years ago. But see, contra: Scientists give ice-age theory cold shoulder.

Giants: Myth or Realty? Okay, so it's from a UFO website, but it has some intriguing information and photographs.

The Tabula Peutingeriana is one of the Austrian National Library's greatest treasures. The parchment scroll, made in the Middle Ages, is the only surviving copy of a road map from the late Roman Empire. The document, which is almost seven metres long, shows the network of main Roman roads from Spain to India.

Digging at Armageddon: "Tel Megiddo has been the subject of a number of decisive battles in ancient times (among the Egyptian, Hebrew and Assyrian peoples) and today it holds a venerated place in archaeology, explains site co-director and world-renowned archeologist Prof. Israel Finkelstein.

Chemists have confirmed something that archaeologists and art historians have long suspected: Ancient sculptures found in western Africa contain blood from ritual animal sacrifices in their patina.

Precursor of a Knight Chess Piece?

This nicely crafted copper-alloy Roman horse and rider figure, found in Cambridgeshire (2006-2007), is one of over 58,000 artifacts discovered during the past year by enthusiastic amateurs using metal detectors and/or amateur archaeologists in Great Britain (or uncovered by accident during construction and other types of digging) under a program instituted by the government in 1996 under the auspices of the British Museum. Information compiled from articles at The Daily Mail (scroll down) and BBC News Online.

No information was given about the dating of this horse and rider duo. "Roman" spans rather a large time frame, although since it was discovered in Great Britain, that narrows down the time considerably. However, there is something in these pieces vaguely reminiscent of the much earlier (and much finer) Scythian style - or perhaps Kushan style - that may date this prior to the first century BCE to fourth century CE. Notice the horse's mane gathered and tied - seems more in the Chinese style to us than the Roman style - but then, the tail is not cropped and tied.

Notice too, the "hollow" in the right hand of the rider, where the haft of a spear or some other kind of weapon was probably fitted. And in the left hand? It's unfortunately cut off, but perhaps he held a sword close to his left side.

The headdress of the rider is interesting. It doesn't seem Roman - they wore helmets. And the "collar" or"ruff" around the rider's neck - again, doesn't seem Roman, but Oriental.

December 9, 2007

Erichsen Collection Bequeathed to Stanford
Stanford has acquired the library of one of the foremost Egyptologists of the 20th century. The collection of Wolja Erichsen (1890-1966), now at Stanford's Green Library, documents more than 1,500 years of Egyptian history, ranging from about 650 B.C. to about A.D. 1000.

The Tabula Peutingeriana is one of the Austrian National Library's greatest treasures. The parchment scroll, made in the Middle Ages, is the only surviving copy of a road map from the late Roman Empire. The document, which is almost seven metres long, shows the network of main Roman roads from Spain to India.

Shades of Graham Hancock! Smithsonian Magazine wonders, are the Ethiopians really the keepers of the Lost Ark of the Covenant?

Foundations and walls of Queen Helene of Adiabene's 1st century CE mansion believed to have been discovered in the "City of David" section of Jerusalem

Amateurs Unravel Russia’s Last Royal Mystery

Ancient Chinese Astronomy: New insights from old information

The Guennol Lioness

... was auctioned on December 5th, 2007 at Sotheby's New York and sold for 29 million pounds. Several press releases followed... one here

Only about 3 1/4 inches tall, the 5,000-year-old noble beast of white limestone was carved in ancient Mesopotamia, which now includes both Iran and Iraq. It was created around the time when the wheel was first being used, and dates back to the same era as the magnificent game boards recovered from the so-called "Royal Tombs of Ur." This piece was also excavated by Sir Leonard Woolley and subsequently sold to an antiquities dealer in New York in the early 1930's.

The artist created a diminutive queen who packs a giant punch with her human pose, paws grasped in front of her chest and her noble head turned over her very muscular left shoulder. Not discernible in this photograph, her tail wraps around her waist.

"The lion is a symbol of powerful forces in nature and it would mean it was owned by a figure of great importance," Richard Keresey, worldwide head of Sotheby's Antiquities department, said yesterday.

It was put up for sale by Alastair Bradley Martin, a New Yorker and a grandson of Henry Phipps, the steel magnate. Martin and his late, wife, Edith acquired the statue in 1948 and it has been on loan to the Brooklyn Museum of Art for nearly 60 years. The proceeds of sale will go to Martin's charitable foundation.