This is interesting...pieces of 6,000+ year old fabric suggest that the Peruvians were dyeing with indigo long before the Egyptians and others did.
Hundreds of pieces ranging in size were found at Huaca Prieta, a dig site in Peru. No one can figure out what they were doing -- the textiles were too small to be worn as clothing, and they weren't correspondingly shaped that way. Not for kids, either.
Perhaps the textile samples were meant for ceremonial use. At any rate, the Peruvians apparently were experimenting with dye combinations long before any modern scients realized they were.
I watched the news with a sinking feeling -- 29+ people hurt from a bomb explosion in New York City Saturday night. What kind of sick person would think it was a good idea to maim and kill people this way? (Fortunately, just one -- it should have been two.) Why?? What does this prove?? I wish I knew. Update: I guess we know now. Sort of. What Colin Powell thinks about both Trump and Clinton...from his e-mails. (Hacked, unfortunately, but accurate. Or so I would assume...he's not denying that he made those comments. Unfortunately, a lot of us agree with him.) Speaking of:
'Octomom' today! My favorite strange celebrity...who says she's no longer the O-- word, that she had to 'kill' off that part of her personality in order to save her life. (I hope so, for the sake of her kids.) Cinnamon bread -- a new way.Braided and twisted - easier than you think. (From Sprinkle Bakes)
Did your garden not do so well this year? Can weeds, instead...like purslane. I've read about Depression era cooks doing this out of necessity. (From Frugal Upstate) have a good week...peace out.
the chickens - not a care in the world except for the next mouse
We got a text yesterday afternoon, from up in the boonies... Our new son Keith got a cow elk!
It's bow season here in Colorado.
Good onya, Keith -- now you and Angel can enjoy healthy lean meat this winter. (And no, they don't waste a thing, including the hide. We take this responsibility very seriously as a family.)
Normally, I'd assume that the Buffs will get creamed...but they actually have been playing quite well so far, this season.
But so has Michigan.
If Michigan wins, we get to hear it from The Mama, who's been a Michigander nearly all her life. And secretly, we'll be happy about it, too.
If Colorado wins, instead...we'll probably be happier. After all, the Brick graduated from CU. (His M.S.) And we've now lived here longer than any other state.
But (gulp) we also both graduated from Michigan. (My M.A. and his B.S.)
Sigh.
So... GO BLUE!!!
GO BUFFS!!!
And may the best man (er, buffalo) win.
Ralphie, CU's mascot, on a tear (P.S. She's always a girl)
UPDATE: The Buffs lost, 28-45, to the Wolverines. At least they didn't make idiots out of themselves. Reports make it clear that Michigan was down twice -- they had to work to win this one. (All right, Buffs!) We're looking forward to seeing what both teams do this season. Ironically, The Mama (who lives north of Grand Rapids) could not watch the game -- it was on a specialty channel.
Recently, the Temple Mount Sifting Project announced that they had found hundreds of inlaid tile pieces -- fragments, they believe, of Solomon's Temple (the rebuilt version from Jesus' time).
According to Dr. Gabriel Barkay, co-founder of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, the tiles are 'marble-like' (actually used several different types of stone), and most probably covered the porticos in the Temple, as well as its courtyards. More than 600 fragments have been found so far, and at least 100 are definitively connected to King Herod's time: the half-Jewish monarch who rebuilt the Temple. Frankie Snyder used math calculations to fit the tiles together -- like a giant jigsaw puzzle with no directions.
Here's one set of restored tiles:
photos from the Temple Mount Sifting Project
And here's the cool part, at least to us textile people. Recognize that pattern? (It's Square Within A Square, among other names.) Remember: This is the second Temple. Solomon's Temple was destroyed hundreds of years before. This version was King Herod's, destroyed shortly after Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus himself predicted that not one stone would stand on top of another -- which may have happened in part because the Roman soldiers, led by Titus, were trying to get at gold which melted down between the stones. I could not find a direct reference to this online, but it was horrendous. The Temple, along with Jerusalem, was looted, set on fire and so thoroughly decimated that for years afterward, it seemed as if it had never stood. Any further efforts to rebuild the Temple were stymied...
The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by David Roberts (Wikipedia). What a mess.
The problem: Most scholars would posit that the Dome of the Rock, another sacred site, is built directly on top of where the original Temple stood. And there are strong feelings that the Temple must occupy its original site -- or it isn't 'right.' But did it?
Interestingly enough, the tile pieces are geometric, and correspond to the Roman measurement of a foot: 29.6 cm. (In other words, constructed in Roman style.) And:
This style of flooring is consistent with those found in Herod’s palaces at Masada, Herodian, and Jericho among others, as well as in majestic palaces and villas in Italy, also attributed to the time of Herod.
Also from the Temple Mount Sifting Project blogpost on the subject:
The possibility that large expanses of the Temple Mount during the Second Temple were covered with opus sectile flooring was first raised by archaeologist Assaf Avraham in 2007, director of the Jerusalem Walls National Park with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
Avraham’s theory was based on a description given by the Romano-Jewish historian Josephus (1st Century CE) who wrote, “… the uncovered [Temple Mount courtyard] was completely paved with stones of various types and colors…” (The Jewish War 5:2) Additionally, Talmudic literature records the magnificent construction of the Temple Mount, describing rows of marble in different colors – green, blue and white.
So possibilities could go either way. (I do find it interesting, though, that the tiles excavated so far are NOT "green, blue and white." Maybe they're from the courtyard, instead.)
Full report's here. Check out the video. (Not the photo below -- you'll have to click on the report link at left to access it.) You'll see more tile designs, including stars and compass rose designs. These would make a wonderful sampler quilt with an interesting historical connection.
They're probably using the doorbell -- but in Ye Olde Days, provided you had extra income, they used a doorknocker. These ranged from plain to often decorative, and were cast in all kinds of metals, including brass and copper.
I have a thing for hands, and often look for them in charms and graphics.
Like these...
Ivory and bone, in case you're wondering.
Luckily for me, the Victorians were fond of hand motifs, as well.
This one's actually a handle.
But doorknockers come in all sorts of shapes and themes, including animals:
Classical themes:
Medusa, Theseus' archenemy
This one's a "grotesque." (Think gargoyles.) Found in Cartegena, Columbia.
