Friday, December 28, 2012

Dresden Codex | Atlas Obscura

Dresden Codex | Atlas Obscura

Dresden Codex

To the great disappointment of doomsdayers, this codex merely contains records of the Moon and Venus

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The Dresden Codex was named in the tradition of all other codices: not for its point of origin, but for its final resting place. It lives in the Saxon State Library in Dresden, Germany, under glass and above mirrors, allowing for the viewing of both sides of the text.
It's the most complete of the three authenticated codices, and dates to pre-Columbian Mexico, 11th or 12th century Chichen Itza in the Yucatan, and is thought to be a copy of a much older work from two or three hundred years before. Though doomsday enthusiasts would love to believe it holds the secrets of the coming apocalypse, in reality it merely paints of picture of meticulous early astronomers, holding the astronomical charts of the Moon and Venus, including precise calculations of lunar eclipse. These charts would have served as an almanac and calendar for ritual celebrations.
It is speculated that this codex was taken from Chichen Itza by Hernando Cortes in 1519 and presented as a gift to King Charles I of Spain, who financed Cortes’ expeditions and appointed him governor of the Mexican territories. The over 200-year gap between this theorized trip across the ocean and 1739, when the codex was purchased from a private collection in Vienna by Johann Christian Götze, the director of Royal Library of Dresden (now the Saxon State Library), is completely undocumented.
After coming to live in Dresden, it stayed out of the public eye for another one hundred years before being displayed between two plates of glass. During the WWII firebombing of Dresden in 1945, the codex was badly water damaged, and after careful restoration put back under glass in the wrong order. This mistake was never fixed because parts of the Amatl paper (flattened fig bark) and pigment adhered to the glass, assuring its destruction if disturbed again.
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Top 10 Medieval News Stories of 2012

Top 10 Medieval News Stories of 2012

Top 10 Medieval News Stories of 2012

By
Medievalists.net
– December 26, 2012Posted in: Features, News
The year 2011 was one of fascinating discoveries, some of which made international news. The year ends with something of a cliffhanger, as our #1 story has not yet come to a conclusion. Meanwhile, one of the top stories of 2011 did come to a happy ending with the recovery of a stolen manuscript. One also sees how the research being carried out by medievalists can shed some light on some of the most important issues happening today.

1. Has Richard III been found?

In September, archaeologists made the ‘mind-blowing’ discovery of the skeletal remains of a male body underneath a parking lot in Leicester. They believe that the remains might belong to King Richard III, who ruled England from 1483 to 1485. He was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22nd, and he was buried somewhere inside the Greyfriars Church in Leicester. The church itself was demolished in later years, and for centuries it was believed that resting place of Richard III was a mystery. In August of this year the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council announced that they believed that they had figured out where the Greyfriars Church once stood, and a dig began in parking lot in the city. After several days of digging, two bodies were found, a male and a female, and several intriguing pieces of evidence point suggest the male could be the long-lost English king. DNA and other testing is currently being carried out, and an announcement is expected in early in the new year. If the remains are indeed of Richard III, it will mark one of the most important medieval archaeological finds of all time. It will also lead to debate on where Richard III should be reburied – Leicester, London, or York?

2. Medieval lingerie? Discovery in Austria reveals what really was worn under those tunics

Bras are not usually associated with the Middle Ages, but a discovery in an Austria maybe changing all that. During renovations at Lengberg Castle workers discovered a portion of a room that had been sealed off, and inside were thousands of fragments of medieval textiles which had luckily been preserved. The most exciting part of the discovery was finding several examples of bras, along with an underwear that also looks remarkably like a string bikini. Radiocarbon testing has confirmed that this clothing comes from the 15th century, which has given historians new insights into medieval fashion.

3. British Library purchases the St Cuthbert Gospel for £9 million

The British Library announced in April that it had successfully acquired the St Cuthbert Gospel, a well-preserved seventh-century manuscript that is the oldest European book to survive fully intact and therefore one of the world’s most important books.

4. Medieval heritage in Syria in danger from civil war

The civil war in Syria grew worse throughout 2012, as various rebel groups attempted to overthrow the authoritarian government of Bashar al-Assad. The fighting has endangered many of the ancient and medieval treasures of the country, and has partially destroyed the historic markets of Aleppo. Other important sites, such as the Citadel in Aleppo and Crac des Chevaliers have also been damaged. Observers are worried that the archaeological heritage of Syria could also be stolen or destroyed as the country descends into lawlessness.

5. Stolen Codex Calixtinus manuscript recovered

In July Spanish police were able to recover one of the country’s most important medieval manuscripts, the Codex Calixtinus. The manuscript had been stolen from the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela a year earlier, and their was a wide range of speculation on who stole the book, which experts had valued at over 10 million euros. Manuel Fernandez Castiñeiras, a former caretaker at the Cathedral, was arrested, along with his wife and son, after he confessed to stealing the manuscript.

6. Volcano blast led to thousands of deaths in London in 1258, archaeologists find

Archaeologists working on a mass burial near London had long believed that many of the bodies found there belonged to victims of the Black Death. However, when radiocarbon dating revealed that the hundreds of people buried in mass pits came from the 13th century, researchers had to look for a new cause. The writings of English chronicler Matthew Paris provides an important clue to what may have happened.

7. New research on how the Bayeux Tapestry was made

“It’s clear from my analysis of the Bayeux Tapestry that the style of work is consistent throughout. Some people argue that the style of some figures are so different they must have been embroidered by different people. But my view is it’s not the embroidery which is different – but the way the characters were drawn.”

8. Research examines the ‘abortionist saints’ of medieval Ireland

A recent article on sexuality and childbirth in early medieval Ireland reveals some surprising attitudes towards abortion held among the Christians during this period, and that hagiographical texts recount four Irish saints performing abortions.

9. Crusader sword sells for £163,250

Several news items this year have detailed how medieval treasures were setting record prices at auctions, including a sale in November where a rare medieval sword, which had been looted by a Crusader king during an attack on Egypt, was auctioned off for £163,250.

10. How did medieval Europeans deal with Greek debt? They sacked their capital city

The crisis over Greek financial debt has often made headlines throughout 2012. A recent article published in the Journal of Medieval History shows that Greek debt was a problem back in the thirteenth-century, and led to the sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.
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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Archaeological News from Archaeology Magazine - News for December 27, 2012

Archaeological News from Archaeology Magazine - News for December 27, 2012
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40 Tricks You Must Know for a Much Better 2013

40 Tricks You Must Know for a Much Better 2013
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

History of English (combined)


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Game Theory: Making Room for the Women - NYTimes.com

Game Theory: Making Room for the Women - NYTimes.com
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Inn Generator)

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Inn Generator)


Salty Falcon

Staff
Rooms Available (1/6)
4 servers and 2 bouncers



Barkeep
Pasarin Farshot (F, Elf, 134)



Class (Common)
Room: 5sp/day, Common Room: 2sp/day



NPCs Present (124)
2 Bards, 35 Commoners, 16 Merchants, 8 Military Elite, 12 Nobles, 10 NPC Adventurers, 4 NPC VIPs, 4 Priests, 9 Shady Characters, 8 Town Guards, 16 Other



Today's Special
Locale (Swamp)
Roast pheasant in oyster sauce, High spirits


Atmosphere (Boring)
The food is bland and uninspired, as is the drink. No one seems capable of cracking a smile or talking to one another.


Topics of Conversation (4)
• Tankards click together in memory of a friend long passed away. Tales and memories are shared.
• Two patrons quietly negotiate a small business deal involving the sale of various local commodities.
• Half-drunk patrons grumble about their tithes and taxes.
• A server chuckles as a customer whispers into her ear—something about a "moonlight stroll."


Randon Events (3)
• A wonderful flowery smell wafts past you as someone moves by.
• There’s a screech as a server accidentally steps on the tail of a cat that has wandered into the area. The cat darts under tables and out of view.
• After dropping her fork, a customer curses as she knocks over her drink while trying to pick it up.
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