Reflections on a chilly morning
Nov. 17th, 2005 08:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
storytimewithjoeI love weather like this. Today is moist, but chilly. Admitedly, I don't like the idea of getting out of bed on mornings like this, but after a nice hot shower, I come to life.
Walking through the garden this morning was, as always, a zen-calm experience. I love watching the azalias and carnations bloom. Our camelias seem to be doing well this year, although one has grown so high and tall that it is now out of the shadows and finding itself partially burned by the radiant sun. That'll teach it to thrive!
While reading the paper this morning, I read an article about an archeological discovery down in Guatemala. Apparently, a Mayan dig reveals evidence of what archeologists refer to as a "war crime." Evidence suggests that a mass execution was held of the royal court. The bones discovered were in excellent shape (which is rather rare given the conditions down there). Many suggest dismemberment before internment, and many were buried with grave items such as jewelry and headdresses, which in some cases identify the people. Archeologists summise that this discovery points to the execution of the entire royal court. By whom, we don't know. Perhaps a peasants revolt. Perhaps a warring tribe. Perhaps invaders. In any case, the archeologists point to evidence showing not just the execution of the court, but of the city and culture. Faces were chipped off of statues. Items of the royal court were smashed and destroyed. The executioners were apparently not just killing off the people, but trying to wipe out the culture and life of the city itself. It apparently worked. To the best of our knowledge, city-dwellers moved on until resources became depleted, and then they seem to have just faded away into history.
I have to wonder - how many times have we, as a race, wiped out a segment or population of history? Sometimes, the attempt to do such accidentall preserves that history. Take Hatchepsut, for instance. Her successor's attempt to rid the world of her memory managed to bury most of the references in the sand for modern archeologists to discover. As a result, we managed to have a library, of sorts, to her memory. But alas, the south Americans are not as fortunate. So much has been lost. And sadly, so many of their descendents contribute to the robbing of the culture. How many artifacts are robbed of their historical integrity by being dug up, and smuggled onto the black market with no reference to their origin? Sad... so very sad.
Walking through the garden this morning was, as always, a zen-calm experience. I love watching the azalias and carnations bloom. Our camelias seem to be doing well this year, although one has grown so high and tall that it is now out of the shadows and finding itself partially burned by the radiant sun. That'll teach it to thrive!
While reading the paper this morning, I read an article about an archeological discovery down in Guatemala. Apparently, a Mayan dig reveals evidence of what archeologists refer to as a "war crime." Evidence suggests that a mass execution was held of the royal court. The bones discovered were in excellent shape (which is rather rare given the conditions down there). Many suggest dismemberment before internment, and many were buried with grave items such as jewelry and headdresses, which in some cases identify the people. Archeologists summise that this discovery points to the execution of the entire royal court. By whom, we don't know. Perhaps a peasants revolt. Perhaps a warring tribe. Perhaps invaders. In any case, the archeologists point to evidence showing not just the execution of the court, but of the city and culture. Faces were chipped off of statues. Items of the royal court were smashed and destroyed. The executioners were apparently not just killing off the people, but trying to wipe out the culture and life of the city itself. It apparently worked. To the best of our knowledge, city-dwellers moved on until resources became depleted, and then they seem to have just faded away into history.
I have to wonder - how many times have we, as a race, wiped out a segment or population of history? Sometimes, the attempt to do such accidentall preserves that history. Take Hatchepsut, for instance. Her successor's attempt to rid the world of her memory managed to bury most of the references in the sand for modern archeologists to discover. As a result, we managed to have a library, of sorts, to her memory. But alas, the south Americans are not as fortunate. So much has been lost. And sadly, so many of their descendents contribute to the robbing of the culture. How many artifacts are robbed of their historical integrity by being dug up, and smuggled onto the black market with no reference to their origin? Sad... so very sad.
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Date: 2005-11-17 05:40 pm (UTC)Most impoverished people rob and sell artifacts of their ancient ancestors to modern collectors. How else do American and European museums get such large collections of Egyptian goods?
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Date: 2005-11-17 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-17 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-17 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-17 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-17 06:47 pm (UTC)As for the St. Pete exhibit, I do think it was really cool. The publicity on that one SUCKED!