Ancient Digger

Noravank Monastery in Armenia

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:15:00 +0000

Noravank Monastery in nestled in a gorge narrow gorge made by the Darichay river, nearby the city of Yeghegnadzor, Armenia.

Noravank was founded in 1205 by Bishop Hovhannes, the former Abbot of Vahanavank. It’s a splendid piece of archaeology including the church of Saint. Karapet, Saint. Grigor, and the church of Sainr. Astvatsatsin.

There are several cross-bearing carved memorial steles covered with rosettes and botanical motifs, otherwise known as khachkars, inside and outside the buildings. The monastery itself was the residence of the Orbelian princes, well known as a major feudal family during the 12^th century.

by © sweetguyka

Monday Ground Up: The Congress of Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

After the defeat of Napoleon, there was a desire to convert back to the old order to contain revolution and revolutionary forces. This was attempted by a peace settlement in 1814 including four major enemies that used several approaches to eliminate the infighting within the global powers.

In 1814, Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, and Austria met to ensure peace after the war. The Bourbon monarchy was restored in the way of Louis XVIII and all agreed to meet at the Congress of Vienna in September 14, 1814 to sign the peace settlement.

Prince Klemens von Metternich was the leader of the Congress of Vienna, however he was both arrogant and self assured. He was guided by the principle of legitimacy, which simply preserved the traditional institution by restoring legitimate monarchs. This had been done in France with the Bourbons, however it was ignored else ware. The congress treated Poland in that fashion, in that Prussia and Austria could lay claim to Polish territories. A Polish kingdom was established with the Romanov Dynasty as monarchs. Poland was granted independence and foreign policy was under Russian control. Prussia and Austria also received compensation for their losses.

Initially, these territorial agreements were meant to create a balance of power so that to prevent one country from dominating Europe. However, according to Metternich Austria and Prussia were defining their military forces, therefore if they united they would present an unconquerable barrier against any prince that may take the throne once again in Russia or France.

On the other hand, the Congress of Vienna didn’t recognize at first the strength of France, as it continued to not be weakened. They proceeded to put up barriers in order to delay any further expansions, thus attempting to weaken France’s ability to disrupt the peace. Additionally, a new kingdom in the Netherlands was established under King William I of the house of Orange, Piedmont was enlarged, and Prussia was given control of the east bank of the Rhine. Also, to replace the previous Napoleonic Confederation, the Congress of Vienna created the Germanic Confederation.

When Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France, it delayed the negotiations of the Congress of Vienna, however it did not change the agreement overall. Although the Congress of Vienna was able to avoid conflict for almost a century in Europe, their attempt to maintain the status quo met with partial success in the short term, but was bound to fail in the long term because it opposed the irresistible forces of historical change resulting from modernization. Those irresistible forces took the form of the dual revolutions of liberalism and nationalism.

As a result of the Congress of Vienna, the Quadruple Alliance and the Holy Alliance initiated a step towards European collaboration. Furthermore, the Concert of Europe , may be credited to the Congress of Vienna, although it did operate less than perfectly at times. In addition, the Congress was able to establish standard rules of diplomacy; however this disregarded any growing social changes that sparked revolution in 1848.

More interesting Articles:

Despite being one of the victors of the Napoleonic Wars the imperial power still faced a number of challenges, the main one being how to balance all the interests of the European powers who were growing in confidence daily. Read more about Castlereagh and Canning - British Foreign Policy 1815-1830

Sources

Picture Vienna
Picture Castlereagh

Roskilde Cathedral

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:09:00 +0000

by © klylu

Roskilde Cathedral is most famous for housing the Danish royal family. There are over 39 sepulchres, intricately carved, placed throughout the cathedral containing centuries of Danish kings and queens. There have never been funerary services hosted at the site, however the royalty have been safely placed throughout in a meticulously maintained and still operational local parish church.

by © rcribb1

The site boasts several varying forms of art and architecture and it's most certainly a must see for travelers. In fact, Roskilde Cathedral is said to be the first Gothic-brick built- cathedral in northern Europe.

The construction itself was quite fascinating, in that, 3 million bricks were used to construct it The catherdral is two stories, there are two towers, a gallery behind the chancel, and a substantial transept. Roskilde was complete in 1280, however several additions have been made including chapels and walls adorned with reliefs and frescoes.

Dwarka - Legendary city of Shri Krishna

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:54:00 +0000

In the early eighties an important archaeological site was found in Bharat, at Dwaraka, the site of the legendary city of Lord Krishna. Dwaraka was submerged by the sea right after the death of Lord Krishna. This inscription refers to Dwaraka as the capital of the western coast of Saurashtra and still more important, states that Sri Krishna lived here. The discovery of the legendary city of Dwaraka which is said to have been founded by Sri Krishna, is an important landmark in the history of Bharat. It has set to rest the doubts expressed by historians about the historicity of Mahabharata and the very existence of Dwaraka city. It has greatly narrowed the gap in Indian history by establishing the continuity of the Indian civilization from the Vedic Age to the present day. Read more about the legendary city of Lord Krishna

Miravet : A Mysterious Templar Castle

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:55:00 +0000

Not much is known about the Miravet Templar Castle situated in the province of Catalonia,Terragona, Spain. However, most of the castles constructed in Spain for the use of the Templars were confiscated when the Templars were disbanded.

by © periku

Presently, more archaeological restoration is going on, though I'm not exactly sure what else has been discovered. What we do know is that archeological data of ground and the study of the furniture show that the site was occupied of ibéro-Roman epoch in our days and reveal architectural characteristics testifying Muslims' installation of al-Andalus and kingdoms of Taifas.

In the book The Secret Castle: The Key to Good and Evil, written by Miguel Bronshud, the author mentions briefly about the Templar Knights of Miravet.

If you have any information about this site, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear some history about Miravet.

Monday Ground Up: Thingvellir in Iceland

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:39:00 +0000

Thingvellir is a national park situated in Bláskógarbyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Not only does this glorious location offer natural landscapes to the many visitors every year, but the site embodies Iceland's political, social, and religious history.

by © susankapl

Thingvellir is the oldest Parliamentary site in the world and is registered on the UNESCO world heritage site. It is this location, on the shores of the largest lake in Iceland, that the first general assembly, or Althing, met in 930 to act as a forum for the Icelandic people.

The assembly, situated comfortably in the open air, would meet two weeks a year and dispute on matters concerning the establishment of laws and debate issues.

The assembly met at the law rock, or Lofborg, and it was here that the main law speaker would proclaim the laws of the commonwealth. The law rock also acted as a site to express particular news, to inaugurate and dissolve the council, and to confirm laws. In 1262, when Iceland swore allegiance to Norway, the rock disappeared. Archaeologists have still continued to search, and they hope with further research that they will eventually find it. Until then, it remains a mystery.

Aside from the fact that Thingvellir was a site of great political importance, it's also a location that has created mass geological interest. It's part of a fissure zone that runs through Iceland and rests on the tectonic plates of the Mid Atlantic Ridge. Fractures in the formation are the size of canyons, and some, have the most breathtakingly clear water.

Legend says that if you drop a coin to the bottom of one of the cliffs-Penny Canyon, your dream will come true.

Photography of ThingVellir

by © maxfaxpax

Prince's Palace Found in Volcanic Crater

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:58:00 +0000

The palace was discovered on the site of the ancient acropolis of Gabii, where, according to legend, Rome's mythical founders, Romulus and Remus, were educated. The building dates to the sixth century B.C and boasts the highest intact walls from the period ever found in Italy, standing at around 6.56 feet high.

"The dig has shown that the richly decorated monumental roof was dismantled, and the building filled with rubble. This has been a blessing, since it has allowed the palace to remain virtually intact," archaeologist Marco Fabbri of Rome's Tor Vergata University, told Discovery News.

Read the entire story at Discovery News

What Do You Believe?

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:11:00 +0000

In a recent Religion class, I was asked to take a quiz on the site Belief.net. The idea was to compare and contrast one of the top five and one of the bottom five religions assigned to me by the quiz. To be quite honest, I was a bit surprised at the results. I wasn’t expecting my religious beliefs to be packaged up in one perfect little box, however this site claims to do it with only 20 questions.

In accordance with the religious aspects of our personal lives, we tend to use simple reasoning and empirical thought to arrive at ideals that define us. However, the true nature of religion lies within its doctrines and how those fit within our personal creed. Every religion may share some similar values in which we can relate, however in most instances we choose a religion because of its differences. Read my entire comparison on the religions that were assigned to me by Belief.Net

Ancient Wall in Jerusalem Discovered: Built By King Solomon

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:15:00 +0000

A team of archaeologists led by Dr. Eilat Mazar from the Hebrew University, discovered an ancient wall that they believe was built by King Solomon. The reasoning was that the engineering it took to construct the wall, as well as the condition, gives people in Jerusalem much hope that it could, in fact, be authentic.

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear of these discoveries in Jerusalem is if they are real or fakes? Over the years, several of the displays found with ancient inscriptions hinting their connection with Solomon's temple have almost all been deemed fakes. I'll let all of you be the judges. Leave me a comment about your thoughts and interpretations.

The Art of Dueling

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:24:00 +0000

Source

A couple weeks ago, I discovered a new gem in the online writing world called Inna Tysoe. In her latest article, she tackles the subject of dueling, or "to duel", by way of using a psychological approach as to why the act of dueling actually happens. What's the motivation for each person involved?

Dueling has been around for a very long time and is still prevalent today despite its quite obvious uselessness. If you win a duel, all it really proves is that you are better (or luckier) with the gun or knife than I. And still people duel. Why is that? The three authors who grappled with this subject (and whose answers to this question I shall briefly summarize) all agree that dueling is a form of costly signaling. I have written about Zahavi’s concept of the costly signal elsewhere but to reiterate: according to Zahavi defines “signals as traits whose value to the signaler is that they convey information to those who receive them” (Zahavi, 58).

Tadeo Jones the Adventurer: Enrique Gato

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:36:00 +0000

It's a bit off kilter for the Ancient Digger, but this animated short film featuring Tadeo Jones by Enrique Gato was way to funny to pass up. It adds a bit of humor to a serious and complicated subject.

Armed in his best Indiana Jones attire, a trusty journal, and a lantern, Tadeo embarks through some underground tunnels to an ancient room. The most interesting and delightful parts of the movie are the modern inventions oddly incorporated at every turn.

Can you figure out how it will end?

What's on Discovery Channel: The Nazi Gold Hoard

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:09:00 +0000

In 1949, General Patten's army was closing in on Berlin. On April 8th, members of the 282nd Combat Engineer Battalion blasted into a mysterious room in Merkers Mine. They discovered gold stacked knee high, personal possessions, suitcases with metal, a Renoir painting, Rafael, Rembrandt, and many more finds.

Olly Seeds takes viewers into the the Merkers Mine where over $500 million dollars worth of art, gold, gold teeth from war victims, and several other archaeological pieces were found. Today, the Nazi hoard would be valued at over $50 billion dollars.

Check out the video featured on Discovery Channel about the Nazi Hoard at Merkers Mine.

Monday Ground Up: The Philosophes and Their Contributions to Economics, Politics, and Education

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:59:00 +0000

Source

The philosophes, the French word for "Philosopher", were a combination of statesman, politicians, scientists, professors, and social reformers, to name a few. These men shared a common view, and that was the ability to take philosophy and use it in a way that changes the outlook of a nation or the traditions and customs using a more direct approach.

All aspects of these social changes were meant to make the human race kinder, and ultimately happier. However, this form of self expression was still under censorship by the state, so many of these philosophes found ways around this by using pseudonyms to publish books and even moving to other countries to spread their reforms.

Montesquieu

Montesquieu was greatly inspired by the English government and was also influenced by John Locke’s three division of the government. He used this approach to distinguish three governments including republics, monarchy, and despotism. His most lasting contribution to politics was the checks and balances created by the separation of powers. This system, which implemented England’s system, included executive, judicial, and legislative powers. This system allowed for increased freedom and security of state. His work was then translated in English so that the men that followed could implement the principles into the Constitution, which they were.

Adam Smith and the Physiocrats

When Adam Smith and the Physiocrats brought about new economic laws, it completely changed society. Wealth could be increased with more agricultural production, so to put it simply, it was the only productive means of increasing state revenues. Consequently, with the establishment of laissez-faire, merchants were allowed to pursue their own economic self interests. This was the start of the small business. As a result, Adam Smith and the Psysiocrats were able to establish the foundation known as economic liberalism.

Education was also on the forefront when philosophes started to frequent salons during the seventeenth century. The spread of new ideas to the literaty elite through publications and books was crucial to the increasing desire to educate oneself. Salons were run by women, and depending on their presence in society, they were able to welcome the greatest minds of their time including Voltaire, Hume, and Montesquieu. The salons promoted conversation and social relationships between various classes. Additionally, with the assistance of philosophe reformers, new schools were designed to provide a broader education.

The German Realshule offered languages, geography, and bookkeeping to boys looking to pursue a career in business, and girls were taught religion and domestic skills. At the end of the 18th century, education also included physics, math, and astronomy.

Philosophes ultimately changed the worldview of politics, education, and economics. They laid a foundation based on secularism and rationalism, therefore thoughts on the society as a whole was widely open to interpretation.

The Archaeological Site of Tucume in Peru

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:23:00 +0000

The adobe pyramids were constructed before the arrival of the Incas around 1000 to 1100 AD and they are legend to be haunted by evil spirits. The indigenous people are quite enamored by the site and the refuse to visit, afraid of what harm might come to them. It's no wonder that Tucume has been given the name "purgatoria", however many suspect the name was given by the Spanish Conquistadors to stop people from visiting the site. Oddly, grave robbers have never attempted to loot the site. Read more about the site of Tucume: The Haunted Adobe Ghost Town @Bukisa By Lauren Axelrod

How did the Scientific Revolution Change the way Europeans viewed the universe, medicine and thinking?

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:36:00 +0000

In spite of all the advances in literacy, astrology, science, medicine, and thinking, the common European had no idea how to interpret new findings in the world of science. Furthermore, most of these citizens did not come close to the intellectual background as the greatest minds of their time. When the Scientific Revolution began to disprove past ideals and new ideas were shown to the masses, many experienced trepidation.

Despite the advances in science and efforts of the scientist of the sixteenth and seventeenth century to demonstrate that the world and the universe were governed by discernible laws, the Scientific Revolution had little impact on the everyday lives and thoughts of the mass of European citizens. Even though there were breakthroughs made in astronomy and physics, most Europeans retained a belief in previous ideas about magic and astrology. German princes relied on court astrologers as advisers, and even Johannes Kepler sought to confirm the power of astrology with the results of his life's work, though he did not prove those findings.

Advances in medical theory proved that there were serious misconceptions about the human body, however many Europeans widely adhered to previous beliefs set forth by Galen. Galen's theory was that the human body contained four humors-blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm, and that if one of the four were present in too little or too great of an amount, illness would occur. The most widely experienced theory of this practice was bloodletting, a long standing, accepted, practice employed in the homes of Europeans. Galen's hypothesis that the body had two blood systems and diseases could be cured by looking deeper into the four humors in the body proved to be erroneous, however Galen's principles were still strictly adhered to in medical schools.

Europeans had turned to the church for guidance, and so it seems, the church was able to tell people what to believe. When the discoveries of the Scientific Revolution overturned the tenets of traditional belief system, they were gradually accepted by the general population of European society. Furthermore, they were often rejected by those that thought traditional beliefs were easier to understand. To put it plainly, Europeans did not want to complicate their lives by thinking outside the realm of what they had been taught in th church. The commoners had traditions of thinking and a belief system that made their living situation stable and their quality of life commonplace. The Scientific Revolution would single-handed prove that their goals or traditions were no longer valid, and this was something they didn't take lightly.

When Europeans experienced the events of the Scientific Revolution they looked upon it as a changing world, although not always open to the origins of those scientific changes. The Scientific Revolution became part of society without many people even noticing, however for those that did, it was a time of enlightenment.

Also check out:

Absolutism in Prussia, Austria, and Russia

Results of the Post: Who was the Greatest Contributor to the Scientific Revolution?

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:25:00 +0000

In a surprising landslide, Galileo has won the most votes for the greatest contributor to the Scientific Revolution.

Galileo 10 votes
Newton 6 votes
Copernicus 4 votes
Kepler 0 votes
William Harvey 2 votes
Descartes 2 votes
Vesalius 1 votes

I ch ose Galileo is a previous posting and here's a small snippet from that particular post.

His results were derived from a meticulous mathematical process of testing, and to be completely honest, all experiments scientific, anthropological, political, environmental, etc, go through stringent mathematical models to arrive at several theories. So to call him a conservative would be blatant excuse for an insult. He was an innovator and didn’t hide behind the views of the church, which makes me respect him even more.

Now I want to know why you chose a particular person. Please post your responses here. If you so choose, you can email me the response, however I'd really like if you added your opinions on the blog.

If you do email me, I'd like to add your opinion on the post, as well as a link to your website or profile.

Monday Ground Up: Paracelsus, Vesalius, and Harvey and Their Contributions to Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:11:00 +0000

Although the Scientific Revolution was associated with great accomplishments in astronomy, mathematics, and new scientific methods, we cannot ignore the great innovations in medicine. Medicine during the Middle Ages was greatly influenced by Galen who sought to study anatomy and physiology by using an animal as a cadaver; however this proved to be an insufficient model of the true anatomy of the human body. Furthermore, Galen’s hypothesis that the body had two blood systems and diseases could be cured by looking deeper into the four humors in the body proved to be grossly erroneous. When Paracelsus, Vesalius, and Harvey came onto the medical scene during the 16th and 17th century, medicine started to evolve into a more precise and exact science.

Paracelsus

Paracelsus’s methods were based on a new chemical philosophy, in contrast, the universities were still using traditional Galen’s principles and Paracelsus did not agree with this method of teaching. His methods were based on experimentation and a chemical philosophy based on the harmony of man (the microcosm) and Nature (macrocosm). Paracelsus believed that actions that occurred within the body were the result of the universe, on a smaller scale of course. This notion, although it deterred from Galen’s previous findings, was that chemical imbalances in the body were found in certain organs and could be treated with specific remedies. These, of course, proved that imbalances of the four humors were not the underlying factors in diagnosing certain illnesses. This prompted Paracelsus to start dedicating his time to producing chemicals and minerals that could be used in certain doses for specific ailments. He did meet opposition, as many believed he was infecting patients with the same disease they had in order to cure it, and this may in fact have been right. In all actuality, his findings have made him the father of modern medicine, and to some of the Scientific Revolution, the first person to study in depth homeopathic and holistic medicine.

Vesalius

Andreas Vesalius, although a great supporter of Galen’s practices, deviated from the traditional dissection of animals to dissecting on a human cadaver to prove what he was studying. Vesalius’s anatomical treatise examined the organs of the body, their location, and the entire system. Vesalius, along with with several artists during the Renaissance, created a masterpiece called “On the Fabric of the Human Body” in 1543, which clearly illustrated anatomical models more advanced that anyone had ever seen. Vesalius took the findings of Galen, one of those being that blood vessels originated from the liver, and corrected it to meet with his findings. Vesalius still agreed that there were two types of blood in the veins and arteries in the body, however this perception was proved to be false by William Harvey during the 17th century.

William Harvey

William Harvey’s book “On the Motion of the Heart and Blood” published in 1628, proved that there was, in fact, only one type of blood that flowed in the arteries and veins. Furthermore, with meticulous testing and experimentation, he also added that the heart was the starting point of the blood system. His work, although it made complete sense to him, was not widely accepted until 1660’s when he discovered that capillaries provided a path for the blood to travel from arteries to veins. William Harvey is credited as laying the foundation for modern physiology.

The Late Middle Ages saw a great evolution of anatomical medicine and modern physiology. The teachings of Galen were proved to be faulty as new scientists started to branch out and try new procedures. Paracelsus, Vesalius, and Harvey were able to deter from Galen’s previous findings, although meeting resistance along the way, and pave the way for modern medicine.

Excavations of the Turnbull Settlement

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:58:00 +0000

My archaeological excavations ended today as we dug our last poll hole near the railroad tracks. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been working with Bruce Piatek and Resident Historian and Archaeologist Dot Moore. What we initially set out to find was the existence of the Old Kings Road that may have possibly ran through a neighborhood in New Smyrna.

The settlement evolved when a businessman named Dr. Andrew Turnbull came to New Smyrna in the late 18th century.

He then returned to England where he secured financing for his forthcoming venture through bounties from the government and the Board of Trade, and then sailed for the Mediterranean to search for his colonists "for a Tract of Land in East Florida on which I might settle a small Colony of Greeks," as Turnbull explained in a letter to Lord Shelburne.

Here's a glimpse into the abandoned settlement by Dot Moore.

BBC Pyramid Builder

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:47:00 +0000

For those of you Egyptian pyramid enthusiasts, BBC gives readers the opportunity to take a journey back 4000 years to Egypt. You will take on the daunting task of building the kings pyramid.

At first, as a builder, you will be faced with the kings entourage including the queen, fan bearers, bodyguards, and scribes.

Choose your words and supplies wisely and plan ahead. This is your chance to prove yourself as a master of the pyramids. Trust me, it's more difficult than it seems, especially the trip down the Nile.

Start your journey here

The Hajj: One Man's Journey to the Mecca in Saudi Arabia

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:19:00 +0000

The Hajj is a pilgrimage that every Muslim must take once in their life time. This is the story of Suroosh Alvi , and this is his first trip to the Mecca in Saudi Arabia with his parents. Saroosh was able to capture footage that many of us will never have the chance to see.

Legends of Africa: The Staff of Oranyan

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:36:00 +0000

The Staff of Oranyan is a piece of Ife Art.

Oduduwa was the first king of Ife and brother to the Great God. He was sent to continue creation, and in so doing, he had a son, Oranyan.

Oranyan was a great warrior. At a very old age, he retired into a private grove, however if enemies appeared, he would fight them single-handed.

On one evening, a festival was being held and things got out of hand. Several people had gotten drunk and started to attack villagers, so Oranyan was called into the battle.

Oranyan proceeded to kill his own subjects and the villagers asked him to stop. In a rage, and even shocked, he drove his staff into the ground and vowed to never fight again.

Although, the story was told throughout history as a myth, pieces of the staff were unearthed and pieced back together. The staff measure 20 feet high and it's studded with iron nails in a pattern that can't be deciphered.

The history of Ife is still quite cloudy, as many artifacts are still being unearthed today, including bronze heads of kings. In 1910, the Olokun head was discovered which clearly represents a king, or even more bizarre, a god of the sea whose clay images are still made in the region today.

Monday Ground Up: Night Marchers and the Ghosts of Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:01:00 +0000

In every culture throughout history there existed a certain concept of the dead. The Hawaiian concept was more specific with Polynesian ritual and beliefs pertaining to what they called "uhane". On certain occasions, these night marchers would come back for a special procession.

Uhane was not permanently attached to the body and it could exit during the night through the corners of your eyes and it would return before you woke. This spirit was likely to take long trips at night, for a short period of time and this formation of activity would result in vivid dreams and nightmares.Uhane could converse with the sleeper if they needed advice, and this conversation usually took place between Uhane and the sleepers aumakua.

The Underworld

The connection of spirits was usually a path that often happened with death and the resurrection of a person who's time wasn't exactly expired. In death, however, the ahume would leap from the body with its spirit living on, until it reached the Po-the underworld.

The Hawaiian underworld was a leaping place if the Uhane was able to attain it. If the Ihane jumped successfully, it would enter eternity, the realm of the spirits and the ancestral deities. If the spirit had a lived a honest life, it would be welcomed into the realm.

Although this "sea of eternity" was often described as a place with dark seas and a world of spirits, it was hardly envisioned as hell. It was more of a place for new teachings like hula and sports and other entertaining activities.

The under world was ruled by Milu and dead souls would enter Lua-o-Milu through a trail called Mahiki. Of course, these religious traditions and ideals were completely banned in 1820 when Christian missionaries transformed Po into Hell and Milu was consider Satan. Christians believed that Milu had disobeyed his akua and he was sent to the underworld as punishment. This belief is only shared by Christians and post contact Hawaiian writers influenced by missionaries to misrepresent their own culture.

The Ghosts

If the uhane had completed harmful acts and was ignored by their family in life, they were unsuccessful in their jump. They had to live their lives wandering the islands in their spirit form.

These ghosts haunted specific places and they remained miserable. They frequented places they had once dwelled in when they walked in life. At night, they would dine on spiders and moths, and sometimes, they would sneak food from humans when they weren't looking or they were asleep.

They came in the form or shape of a human, only their feet were not visible. Humans were unable to see them, but they knew they were there. In fact, they went to great lengths to protect themselves and their families, tying a variety of leaves from certain bananas at the doorway. They did this night, so not to tempt the ghosts from leaping out while they ate.

Although it was believed that these ghosts could not inflict harm on humans, they would still play tricks. The ghosts tripped people as they walked in the dark, knocked on walls, and threw rocks. They loved to tease tourists, often leading them down the wrong paths. These places were, once known, avoided at all costs.

Even the luminous glow of the Hawaiian waves is said to be cause by ghosts. A man, Punia, captured several ghosts in a net in the ocean and killed then. Their deaths caused the sea to glow at night, and also imparted a strong odor to the fish kala and palani.

The Night Marchers

On some nights, according to the Hawaiian Lunar Calender, there are ghostly processions taking place. These are the night marchers, or rather spirits that have returned in the form of dead chiefs, warriors, priests and priestesses, akua and aumakua.

Any person that witnessed this event was struck dead immediately. However, if the families aumakua was able to protect their living family, no harm would be done.

The procession was lead by torch bearers through the trees to the beating of a drum. If you heard them, you would either hide until they passed or you would lie face down in the dirt, completely naked, and the marchers would pass by in amusement.

Their stay was usually brief and they were gone before the dawn, however on some occasions, they would stay and play sports.

No one really knows why these processions occurred. Perhaps the spirits missed their earthly existence, however it doesn't explain the immediate death to onlookers.

The Hawaiian Ghosts of Today

As more and more developers flocked to the island and started disturbing sacred sites, the stories of ghostly haunts became prevalent. There are reports of a shopping center built directly on top of a sacred burial ground and a hotel built on an old Hawaiian temple. The ghostly activities became so bad that a Kahuna was called in to bless the site. After several attempts, the ghosts disappeared, for now.

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The Hawaiian Hula Dance

Hula was a movement, or rather a celebration, of deities and ritually marked occasions. The dance displayed the history of the peoples and it embodied a wonderfully delightful pastime enjoyed by deities and humans. There are several stories that speak of the origins of Hula, however one is widely accepted, that being the creation of Kapo. Kapo was the first dancer and teacher of the Hula dance, so it’s not at all surprising that the true origin of Hula was traced back to Kapo.The Hawaiian Hula Dance

Sources

Picture Akua

Naples Archaeological Museum

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:18:00 +0000

Rick Steve takes us on a tour of Naples Archaeological Museum where several of the most impressive artifacts from the Pompeii site are housed. There are ornate statues, several mosaics, erotic artistry, and several other displays depicting everyday Roman life.

Rila Monastery in Bulgaria

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:58:00 +0000

Rila Monastery is a glorious location that overlooks rivers and the serene mountain scenery. Rila Monastery not only is the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, but it boasts a pretty impressive history.

Ivan Rilski, the leader of the monastic colony, was legend to have healing powers. Even after his death, his bones were a precious commodity among medieval rulers. In fact, the bones were moved from Rila to Esztergom in 1183, and then, after the Bulgarian and Byzantine interventions they were returned to Rila Monastery in 1469.

The building themselves have been destroyed and rebuilt over the years. The current monastery dates back to the 1830's, and upon arrival, visitor's will revel in the grandeur and artistry of the structure.

The Nativity Church is the largest in Bulgaria and the walls are superbly decorated with checkered colonnaded balconies, a red tiled roof, and scattered dome impressionistic paintings.

Rila Monastery also contains a double sided crucifix and the Rafail's Cross, which is a wooden cross made from a whole piece of wood (81×43 cm). It was whittled down by a monk named Rafail using fine burins and magnifying lenses to recreate 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures.

The frescoes, which were designed by Bansko, Samokov and Razlog, including the famous brothers Zahari Zograf and Dimitar Zograf, are appropriately painted depicting the different saved and sinner's scenes.

Rila was named a national monument by the Bulgarian government in 1976 and included in the World Heritage sites in 1983. Til this day, it still remains a working monastery and guests must stay in sparsely furnished rooms. In 2002, Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Rila Monastery and was greeted by Bishop Ioan, who had been an observer at the Second Vatican Council.

Picture Sources

The Spear Masters

noreply@blogger.com (The Ancient Digger) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:43:00 +0000

The Spear Masters of the Dinka Tribe of the upper Nile are a hereditary priesthood, and according to mythology, their presence is reinforced by political and religious ideals.

There are several legends of the origins of these spear using masters, one in which includes a lion and a man dancing. The lion demands a bracelet that the man is wearing and he refuses. In return, the lion bits off his thumb in order to claim what he thinks belongs to him and the man dies during the confrontation. Read more about the Spear Masters on Factoidz