Society and Civilization

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[peashooter85]

What was Sparta up to during Alexander the Great’s Conquests?

During Alexander the Great’s conquest of what was then the known world, the Spartan’s contributed nothing to the conquest. Rather, when Alexander the Great marched off to war, the Spartan’s refused to participate unless they were leaders of the army. So what was Sparta up to all the while Alexander was conquering the world?

According to legend Alexander’s father, King Philip II sent the following message to Sparta, “You are advised to submit without delay, for if I bring my army on your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people and raze your city.” The Spartan’s responded with a single word, “If”.

Most likely this exchange didn’t happen, if it did then the Spartan’s were extremely naïve and stupid.  Sparta during the times of Alexander was not the same Sparta as was during the Persian Wars or the Peloponnesian Wars.  Spartan weapons and tactics had become outdated and quaint. A number of military defeats followed by a few slave revolts had sapped Sparta of it’s power, leaving Sparta a secondary power at best whose glory days were far behind.  The Macedonians could have easily conquered Sparta, however, there were many members of the Corinthian League who hated Sparta, thus it was decided it was best to leave Sparta out of the league because of politics.

In 338 BC Agis III became King of the Spartans, and his number one goal was to make Sparta great again.  In 333, with Persian military and financial support, Agis was able to raise a 20,000 man army and defeat a small Macedonian army in Greece.  Agis and his men then sailed to Crete with the intention of capturing the island and adding it to Spartan territory. With Alexander the Great’s attention focused on conquering the Persian Empire, Agis and his army was easily able to overrun the island and lay siege to it’s largest city, Megalopolis, in 331.  Finally the Spartan’s had become enough of a thorn in Alexander’s side that something needed to be done about them.  Alexander sent his trusted general Antipater with a force of 40,000 men to deal with the Spartans.  The two armies met outside of Megalopolis for a brief battle.  The Macedonian’s outnumbered the Spartans 2 to 1, and in the subsequent battle they were easily able to break Spartan lines and send the Spartan army into full retreat, killing around 5,300 Spartans in the process.  Agis III died in battle, supposedly staying behind to fight to the death in order to buy his army time to escape. 

After the disastrous Battle of Megalopolis, the Spartans were forced to surrender to Macedonia and join the Corinthian League, lest the Macedonians send an army to destroy Sparta.  The conquest of Crete was Sparta’s last hurrah, and from here Sparta would continue to decline until conquered by the Romans in 146 BC.

[societyandcivilization]

Triumphant Return of the Cossacks, Józef Brandt, 19th century, oil on canvas

The Cossacks are Back!

Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who became known as members of autonomous, semi-military communities, primarily located in Ukraine and in Russia.

By the end of the 18th century, Cossack nations had been transformed into a special military estate, similar to the knights of medieval Europe.  Cossack forces played an important role in Russia's wars of the 18th–20th centuries.

Tsar Nicholas II wearing a traditional Cossack uniform

During the Russian Civil War (1917-1925), Don and Kuban Cossacks were the first nations to declare open war against the Bolsheviks.  Most, although not all, allied with Imperial Russia and Tsar Nicholas II.  Cossack troops formed the core of the anti-Bolshevik White Army

By 1918, Cossacks declared the independence of their nations and formed the Ukrainian State, the Don Republic, and the Kuban People's Republic. These Cossack republics became centers for the Anti-Bolshevik White movement.

Uniforms of the Tsar’s White Army

With the fall of Imperial Russia, between 1917 and 1933, Bolshevik policy was aimed at the elimination of the Cossacks as a separate ethnic, political, and economic entity.  The new regime divided traditional lands of the Cossacks among new Soviet republics and various autonomous republics of non-Cossack peoples. 

Cossacks were banned from serving in the Red Army.  Many Cossacks were deported to serve hard labor, or they fled. The Northern Caucasus had high fatalities from starvation during the Soviet famine of 1932-33. Government officials expropriated grain and other produce from rural Cossack families, leaving them to starve and die.

In 1936, under pressure and appeals from Cossack communities, the Soviet government lifted the ban on Cossacks serving in the Red Army.

During the Second World War, ethnic Cossacks fought on both sides of the conflict. Cossacks who had emigrated to the UK and the USA served with their military forces. Many Cossacks joined the Resistance. Though some Cossacks joined German armed forces, they did so usually to defect either to the western allies or to the Resistance, to liberate their co-patriots and family members from Nazi work and Nazi concentration camps.[99]

The vast majority of the ethnic Cossacks fought against the Nazis.

Cossacks painting:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brandt_Powrot_zwyciezcow.jpg

Tsar Nicolas II:

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Nicolas-II-in-cossack-uniform-190860889

White Army:

http://greatkingpest.deviantart.com/art/WHITE-ARMY-2-258649856

[victoriansword]

Italian Sword and Helmet of a Senior Cavalry Officer, Late 19th Century

Kingdom of Italy, Sabre adapted in 1873, with wide, slightly curved, single-and false-edged blade, with a small fuller that doubles in the last third, first part engraved with Savoy eagle, trophies and floral motifs on a dark ground, tang marked ‘DITTA SARDI E. E FIGLIO TORINO’; iron hilt with guard with bands, long cap, checkered at the base and smooth, ebony grip. Nickel-plated scabbard with two suspension rings. Complete with clutches and sword-knot.The helmet with smooth, iron skull, brass crest, carved with floral motifs in bass-relief on the sides, a lion’s head in the front part, a crowned monogram ‘U’ at he medallions base; black fur (small parts missing) with iron cross in the center, brass border, leather chin-strap covered with scales decorated in bass-relief, a cockade on the left side. Internal part in leather and cloth. length 98 cm.

[sherdnerdcollective]

Rock Art Favorites: Dinosaur National Monument, CO, UT

Don’t let the word ‘Dinosaur’ fool you; at Dinosaur National Monument, there are hundreds of prehistoric rock art images that were created by the Fremont people. When I recently visited the Monument…(Read More)

[historicaltimes]

Until the 1960s, Australian Aborigines fell under the Flora and Fauna Act, classifying them as animals.

via reddit

[ultrafacts]

How on earth would you feed a city of over 200,000 people when the land around you was a swampy lake? Seems like an impossible task, but the Aztec managed it by creating floating gardens known as chinampas, then they farmed them intensively.

These ingenious creations were built up from the lake bed by piling layers of mud, decaying vegetation and reeds. This was a great way of recycling waste from the capital city Tenochtitlan. Each garden was framed and held together by wooden poles bound by reeds and then anchored to the lake floor with finely pruned willow trees. The Aztecs also dredged mud from the base of the canals which both kept the waterways clear and rejuvenate the nutrient levels in the gardens.

A variety of crops were grown, most commonly maize or corn, beans, chillies, squash, tomatoes, edible greens such as quelite and amaranth. Colourful flowers were also grown, essential produce for religious festivals and ceremonies. Each plot was systematically planned, the effective use of seedbeds allowed continuous planting and harvesting of crops.

Between each garden was a canal which enabled canoe transport. Fish and birds populated the water and were an additional source of food. [x]

(Fact Source) For more facts, follow Ultrafacts

[wildland-hymns-blog]

This is literally so cool. Not only does it contribute to spacial efficiency, but the canals would easily keep pests, weeds, and possibly even diseases out of the respective plots. Companion planting and bio-intensive planting would be so much easier. Water-wise systems would be inherently present. Plus it looks so super neat aesthetically. I am just all about this.

[missedinhistory]

Podcast: Leading the Charge: The Massachusetts 54th

A 1792 law prevented African Americans from taking up arms in the Civil War. As attitudes against blacks serving changed, black regiments were formed. But prejudices remained until the heroism of black soldiers won the attention of the nation.

From our podcast archive: the Massachusetts 54th. 

[archaeologicalnews]

Mystery over male Black Death victims found buried hand in hand

The skeletons of two men who were buried apparently hand in hand during an outbreak of the Black Death have been excavated from a plague burial ground in London.

The men, believed to have been in their 40s, were buried in the early 15th century in a carefully dug double grave, in identical positions, with heads turned towards the right and the left hand of one man apparently clasping the right hand of the other.

Both are assumed to have died in one of the bubonic plague epidemics that swept the capital in the years after the most famous outbreak in 1348, which is estimated to have killed more than half London’s population.

They were buried in the cemetery that opened at Smithfield on the edge of the City in 1348, which eventually held more than 50,000 corpses, and was partly preserved by remaining open ground for more than 500 years. Read more.

[typhlonectes]

Climate and the Collapse of Ancient Civilizations - Science Friday

How did climate change affect the boom-and-bust cycles of of ancient Southwest civilizations in the United States?

Scientists have documented the environmental impacts of climate change—including melting ice sheets—and predicted rising sea levels.

But can climate change disrupt culture?

Reporting in Science Advances, researchers say that climate change may have been a factor in the boom-and-bust cycles of ancient Southwest civilizations in the United States. Archeologist Kyle Bocinsky, one of the authors of the study, discusses the link between climate change and past cultural transitions.  

[interesting-maps]

About one-fifth of adults globally have no formal schooling.

[archaeologicalnews]

Melting Ice in the Arctic is Actually a Nightmare for Archaeologists

Archaeologists who work in the Arctic are typically spoiled with pristinely preserved artifacts, but recently the blessing of ice has become a curse: the researchers are struggling to save the wealth of delicate material that is emerging from melting permafrost and eroding coastlines because of climate change. In northern Alaska there is only one full-time archaeologist: Anne Jensen, a senior scientist at Ukpeavik Iñupiat Corporation, one of the largest companies owned by Alaskan natives. 

Every summer Jensen excavates hard-to-access sites where Inuit people lived and hunted hundreds—even thousands—of years ago. This past summer Jensen and her colleagues returned to Walakpa, once the site of a coastal village that continues to reveal surprises because of erosion. They hope to save thousands of years’ worth of cultural and environmental data from falling into the sea. Read more.

[archaeologicalnews]

Ring-Shaped Geoglyphs Found Near Ancient Town in Peru

Dozens of circular geoglyphs, some comprising several intertwined rings, have been identified and mapped near the ancient Peruvian town of Quilcapampa, revealing that these earthen designs were created near ancient pathways used for trade.

Geoglyphs are designs, which often form shapes or images, on the landscape. They are found all over the world; the most famous examples are located at Nazca, where thousands of such designs — from real and imaginary creatures to geometric shapes — have been etched into the Peruvian desert.

The newly mapped geoglyphs may have had symbolic significance, possibly representing the flow of people and goods through the town at the time, according to Justin Jennings, a curator at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto who is one of the team leaders. Read more.

[did-you-know]

The White House didn’t officially celebrate July 4th until 1801. Thomas Jefferson opened the ‘President’s House,’ as it was called at the time, to all people. He also invited diplomats, officers, and Cherokee chiefs, and had live music, horse races, and cockfights for entertainment. Source Source 2

[wtf-fun-factss]

How the Cuban Missile Crisis started - WTF fun facts

[ancientorigins]

Like a Virgin? The Secret and Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus

The Virgin Mary is one of the key symbols of Christianity, and a woman whose cult changed the world. However, she may be one of the most misunderstood biblical figures. According to researchers, the famous story of a woman who had never had sexual contact with a man yet gave birth was caused by a mistake in the translation of ancient text. If this is true, what did the ancient text originally say? Could there have been a misinterpretation of the meaning of the word used to define this iconic religious figure?

Read more…

[treasures-and-beauty]

An important yatagan : dating: mid-19th Century provenance: Turkey Wide, curved, single-edged blade with Arabic stamp near the forte, the first part of the back carved, the base with silver wings, engraved with floral motifs, silver grip, decorated en suite with carved, anatomic grip scales; fine, wooden scabbard with silver-plated covering finely embossed and engraved with a sailing ship, trophies and floral motifs.

[societyandcivilization]

19th century yatagan

[ancientorigins]

Why did Tutankhamun Have a Dagger Made From a Meteorite?

Scientists have long speculated that the ancient Egyptians used metal from meteorites to make iron objects. An analysis of a dagger found in Tutankhamun’s tomb has given us strong evidence that this was the case – and that the Egyptians knew the iron had come from the sky. But why did they use such an unusual source for the metal when there’s plenty of iron here on Earth? 

Read more…

[societyandcivilization]

“Until recently, we didn’t think that the ancient Egyptians were particularly good at producing iron objects until late in their history, around  500 BC . There’s no archaeological evidence for significant iron working anywhere in the Nile Valley. Even the large amounts of iron-rich smelting waste products found in the Delta region could actually have been produced by attempts to make copper. When Tutankhamun died – 800 years earlier – iron was a rarer material than gold.

“The most common natural source of metal iron on Earth is iron ores – rocks that contain iron chemically bonded to other elements. These  need to be processed by heating them with other materials (smelting) to extract a low-quality form of iron, which is then beaten with hammers to remove impurities. This requires considerable know-how, effort and tools that we have no evidence for in ancient Egypt.

“There were  abundant supplies of iron ore in both Egypt and the Sinai peninsula and textual sources indicate that Egyptians were aware of the metal from early in their history. But the ore was mostly used to create pigments for art and make up. One explanation for this may be that the readily accessible iron ores were of poor quality so couldn’t be worked into more useful metal.”

Read more of this interesting article