The Interesting Thread 2017 - Mudlarking in the Thames

[Hulohot]

Heavy post Did you type that from knowledge? Impressive. Merging with the local tribes is the most obvious answer, though the new findings on the map suggesting they may have moved to some fort seem possible.

[Qikz]

Holy gooseberry fool at the Easter Island stuff. I mean it was kind of obvious that there might be more to them hidden under the ground, but how did the people get there/where did the people of Easter Island go to after carving them? Is that a piece of known history or is that still relatively unexplored?

[Alvin Flummux]

Heavy post Did you type that from knowledge? Impressive. Merging with the local tribes is the most obvious answer, though the new findings on the map suggesting they may have moved to some fort seem possible.

I typed it from knowledge, garnered during my sojourn through a couple of books I've been reading lately on the subject. The subject of American history, particularly pre-Revolutionary history (Antebellum too I guess), is of particular interest to me for some reason. It's not something covered very much in mainstream media and I enjoy learning about it.

Roanoke is intriguing in part because Raleigh needed it to succeed, IIRC, to maintain his royal charter (gathered at length from Elizabeth I) to colonize Virginia. If it had succeeded, British America could have been born 20 years earlier than it eventually was, the culture of ethnic intermarriage might have become greatly more accepted given the apparent Roanokan acceptance of it, and the whole history of the region might have been dramatically altered.


The suggestion of a fort is tantalizing, isn't it? If I were investigating this, I'd be bringing in national archaeological groups and Time Team* to dig the gooseberry fool out of the hinted relocation site. That is, of course, providing local landowners permit it. And if not, aerial surveys, ground penetrating radar and such could still hopefully give us an answer one way or another too.


*They dug at the site of Jamestown a good few years ago, didn't they? Familiar ground for them, then.

[Outrunner]

Holy gooseberry fool at the Easter Island stuff. I mean it was kind of obvious that there might be more to them hidden under the ground, but how did the people get there/where did the people of Easter Island go to after carving them? Is that a piece of known history or is that still relatively unexplored?

The people who carved them were still there when the Europeans arrived in the 1700. The vast deforestation of the island (to move the statues)there weren't enough trees for them to build ships and go anywhere. It's thought that by the time the Europeans arrived the population had dropped from a high of about 15000 to about 3000.

[Qikz]

Holy gooseberry fool at the Easter Island stuff. I mean it was kind of obvious that there might be more to them hidden under the ground, but how did the people get there/where did the people of Easter Island go to after carving them? Is that a piece of known history or is that still relatively unexplored?

The people who carved them were still there when the Europeans arrived in the 1700. The vast deforestation of the island (to move the statues)there weren't enough trees for them to build ships and go anywhere. It's thought that by the time the Europeans arrived the population had dropped from a high of about 15000 to about 3000.

Oh really? Well, you learn something new every day.

[aayl1]

Yeah, they basically killed themselves by destroying their natural resources to try and outdo each other in making giant heads. It's a morbidly fascinating case.

[1cmanny1]

I heard about them as well, it is what will happen to us eventually.

[Slartibartfast]

I heard about them as well, it is what will happen to us eventually.

Didn't want to say anything...

[1cmanny1]

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/the-map-of-europe-1000-ad-to-today/

I found this interesting, it is a video showing how the map of Europe has evolved over the past millennium.

[Qikz]

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/the-map-of-europe-1000-ad-to-today/

I found this interesting, it is a video showing how the map of Europe has evolved over the past millennium.

I've never really studied the Holy Roman Empire, I never knew they held so much territory. o_O

[Alvin Flummux]

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/the-map-of-europe-1000-ad-to-today/

I found this interesting, it is a video showing how the map of Europe has evolved over the past millennium.

That was really cool, I enjoyed that. I wonder if there are any like-minded videos available for the Americas and Asia?

[Skarjo]

For God's sake, Germany, sort yourself ou-WAIT! GERMANY! STOP IT! Ah, that's better.

[Alvin Flummux]

strawberry float Germany, just watch the progress of the Golden Horde and the Ottoman Empire! I can only imagine how terrifying it must've been to live in central Europe at those times.

[Corazon de Leon]

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/the-map-of-europe-1000-ad-to-today/

I found this interesting, it is a video showing how the map of Europe has evolved over the past millennium.

I've never really studied the Holy Roman Empire, I never knew they held so much territory. o_O

The funniest part of the Holy Roman Empire is that it's seat was in Germany. The Holy Roman Emperors Charles V and his kid, Phillip II of Spain ruled over the zenith of it's territorial power I think. The late 16th and 17th century is a really interesting period of time - it's interesting to note that this period is the only point on that map at which England - briefly - comes under foreign occupation, by the Dutch.

[Alvin Flummux]

How is that occupation not taught about in schools?

[1cmanny1]

Yeah, why don't they tell you about that proud moment.

I don't think there are any other maps unfortunately. Although Europe is the most interesting surely?

[Archaeon]

I thought it was about how carthography evolved and became more precise with time. The other day I saw a map drawn by some German archeologists of Mesopothamia, done around 1850, and I was blown away by how precise it is. They had no satellites, not even planes back then, how the strawberry float did they do it? Surely they couldn't cover such a huge area (the map goes from eastern Egypt to western Iran) by hot air balloons?

[Outrunner]

Yeah, why don't they tell you about that proud moment.

I don't think there are any other maps unfortunately. Although Europe is the most interesting surely?

East Asia is just as interesting. Chinas dynasties, the collapse of the Han dynasty, the Three Kingdoms, neigbouring dynasties, Mongolian conquest. Then the three kingdoms of Korea, the south East Asian kingdoms. All far more intersting to me than European history.

[Fatal Exception]

Ever wondered what the orange foil was on the lunar lander?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/6861117148/

Now you know. It's 26 layers of foil in different thickness and colours, mostly kapton.

There's also some awesome photos on there:





Those pictures make the moon landing look like something from a 70's Dr Who episode. How the strawberry float did these guys make it to the moon and back alive 40 years ago? It's amazing.

[Archaeon]

I recommend everyone watch For All Mankind. It's on Youtube. I saw it a few months ago and the footage from the moon surface blew me away. I also can barely fathom how 12 men managed to go and come back from the moon surface, with only one near miss (apollo 13) and three fatalities (which happened during a test while they were still on land, the Apollo 1, so that barely counts...), moreso if you think it was the early seventies.

I recommend everyone watch the whole documentary, but parts 6 and 7 on youtube have the best footage, with the astronauts messing around on the actual surface, driving the lunar rovers, and so on. It's just so surreal, it's almost like a Dalì painting.