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The Griffin Warrior Tomb Upends What We Know About the Roots of Mycenae
- blakesterz 10y agoSo this is neat, and a really long read. This guy was right at the time between theMycenaeans and the Minoans "to whom we can trace our cultural heritage since 1450 B.C." and so he has a bunch of stuff that shows some blending of the two times. Shows some different ideas about the roots of Western civilization. This one grave apparently has so much stuff someone will work on it for the rest of their career! "There are more than 1,500 objects in all, and although the most precious items aren’t here (they are under lock-and-key elsewhere), the scale of the task she faces to preserve and publish these objects is nearly overwhelming. She surveys the room: a life’s work mapped out before her." This is a drawing of what it looks like in the grave: http://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/871131223215308800/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-871131223215308800;1043138249' http://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/871131223215308800/1024/10...
- funthree 10y agoThat sounds kind of ridiculous. Why dont they just leave it in the ground and take pictures of it?
- teej 10y agoYou need physical access to the items to perform tests on them to understand where they come from and what they're made of. You also fund the further study of these objects by renting/selling pieces of the collection to museums, curators, and collectors.
- funthree 10y agoIf we use imaging equipment we can somehow learn more by using more spatial reasoning. Then you can make more.
- masklinn 10y ago1. because the site is a 3D accumulation, you need to remove layers to access what's below 2. to apply laboratory tech, you're not going to bring an electron microscope or an NMR spectrometer down a pit 3. to keep the artefacts from spoiling further 4. because spoilage of the artefacts will speed up once they're uncovered and exposed to the elements 5. to avoid thefts and secreting of the artefacts in private collections 6. because the state would have to confiscate all dig sites rather than temporary make them off-limits, which people already react to quite badly (especially when the dig site is a construction site which is rather common, look up "rescue archaeology")
- funthree 10y agoThe artifacts left in the ground will be around longer than the one put through your laboratory. The one left in the ground will be around for thousands of years. The one brought into your lab will be around for hundreds of years or less. What you say is only so certain. You dont seem as quick to innovate as others. Why not put a building on top of it and add to its shelter? Everyone will react poorly to eminent domain. So what? Think about the variables.
- khedoros1 10y agoWe'll also know a lot less about them. What's the point of finding them and leaving them in the ground? You might as well not look for them in the first place.
- dsp1234 10y agoThe one left in the ground will be around for thousands of years. This is not correct. Looters will take the items long before then, as they have for many thousands of years.
- Allower 10y agoIf I had a nickel for every time we found out everything we thought we knew about X was wrong..
- itp 10y agoI'm not even done reading this article, but it's already given me a great deal to think about. I work with technology every day, and my gaze is (understandably?) forward looking. I'm beginning to think that I don't really know anything about history. And I'm beginning to feel like that's a mistake. Let's say I wanted to test this theory and begin to address the deficiency. Anyone have some suggestions on where to start? What should I start reading?
- ice109 10y agoJM Roberts history of the world
- kwhitefoot 10y agoThen D.C. Somervell's abridged version of Arnold Toynbee's Study of History. Don't worry that the original is controversial and you don't have to believe every word but read it for its passionate delivery and scope and that it should make you think.
- keeganjw 10y agoWhat cultures and times peak your interest? It's a broad, deep, and wonderful rabbit hole to go down. I'd say, follow what you find interesting. Chase the subjects and times that interest you. Wikipedia's a great place to run wild. Other than that, try to find some definite books on the subject you want to learn about. Documentaries are also an excellent and fun way to learn. Maybe a history class at a local college.
- dmreedy 10y agoMentioned in the article, but not delved in to much, is the role that the pre-Greek Alphabet script Linear B played in our current understanding of the Mycenaeans, from the tablets found at Knossos and elsewhere. If you're interested in how this puzzle has come together over the decades, and enjoy stories about patient dedication to patterns and problem solving, John Chadwick's 'The Decipherment of Linear B' is an excellent read, documenting the work of Michael Ventris as he solved the SAT/constraint problem of mapping the Linear B script to the Greek language.
- Doe22 10y agoThe Riddle of the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox is also a good book on this topic. It talks a lot about the people who laid the foundation for Michael Ventris, particularly Alice Kober.