These luxurious manuscripts were written and illuminated between the late eighth century and the first quarter of the ninth century. Abstract Comparing information from the ancient texts about the illumination of the manuscripts to the analysis of the components used to create colour in illuminations sheds interesting light. Our research team studied several manuscripts from[…]
The title “doge” was the title of the senior-most elected official of Venice and Genoa. Introduction The Doge of Venice[1], sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian Duca), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 and 1797. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state’s aristocracy. The[…]
Exploring voting rules and electoral procedures used in the Middle Ages in both ecclesiastical and secular contexts. Abstract When developing electoral protocols, desiderata include a system which is transparent,non-manipulable, honest, and not open to strategizing. However, these desiderata are in tension with each other: Often, transparent electoral procedures are the least strategy resistant, and many[…]
It is less well-known than the Black Death plague but was constantly present throughout the Middle Ages. Introduction St. Anthony’s Fire (SAF) is an illness brought on by the ingestion of fungus-contaminated rye grain causing ergot poisoning (ergotism). The disease’s common name derives from the medieval Benedictine monks dedicated to that saint who offered treatment to[…]
Old English continued to be used a century after William’s victory at the Battle of Hastings. Even after the Normans conquered England, Old English (the oldest form of the vernacular) continued to be spoken throughout the country. It continued to be used in books produced in monasteries there for at least a century after William[…]
Ovid’s poems in exile have been seen as of fundamental importance for the study of Roman aristocracy under Augustus and Tiberius. Introduction Ovid, the Latin poet of the Roman Empire, was banished in 8 AD from Rome to Tomis (now Constanţa, Romania) by decree of the emperor Augustus. The reasons for his banishment are uncertain.[1][…]
2,500 years ago, Anaxagoras correctly determined that the rocky moon reflects light from the sun, explaining lunar phases and eclipses. Close to the north pole of the moon lies the crater Anaxagoras, named for a Greek philosopher who lived in the fifth century B.C. The eponym is fitting, as Anaxagoras the man was one of[…]
Raised in plantation privilege, Mary Boykin Chestnut was unprepared for the trauma of war and defeat. “February 18, 1861…. I do not allow myself vain regrets or sad foreboding. This Southern Confederacy must be supported now by calm determination and cool brains. We have risked all, and we must play our best, for the stake[…]
After the Civil War, touring groups of black college singers popularized slavery-era songs, giving rise to a new musical genre. “Swing low, sweet chariot….” These words are familiar to many Americans, who might sing them in worship, in Sunday school, around campfires, in school, and in community choruses. But the black singers responsible for introducing[…]
White Christian slaveholders argued that slavery was a necessary evil because it would control the sinful, less humane, black race. Slave owners had many justifications for why holding people in bondage was acceptable. From the idea that African Americans were a lesser race who needed taking care of by white patriarchs to the economic justification,[…]
Henry VIII and his heirs became equally as oppressive as the Catholic Church whose chains they threw off. Introduction The English Reformation began with Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE) and continued in stages over the rest of the 16th century CE. The process witnessed the break away from the Catholic Church headed by[…]
New linguistic research suggests early Germanic language and culture was strongly influenced by the Mediterranean superpower Carthage. Introduction Remember when Australians paid in shillings and pence? New research suggests the words for these coins and other culturally important items and concepts are the result of close contact between the early Germanic people and the Carthaginian[…]
The languages they spoke are usually divided into three branches: East, Central, and South Semitic languages. Introduction Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples were Western Asian people who lived throughout the ancient Near East, including the Levant, Mesopotamia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Horn of Africa from the third millennium BC until the end of antiquity. The languages[…]
Events during the movement included the Occupation of Alcatraz, the Trail of Broken Treaties, the Occupation of Wounded Knee. Introduction The Red Power movement was a social movement led by Native American youth to demand self-determination for Native Americans in the United States. Organizations that were part of Red Power Movement included American Indian Movement[…]
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has a long history of struggle, protest, and resistance to white supremacy and its social effects. Introduction It may not have seemed unusual when a protest in support of Black lives and against police brutality moved through the town of Pembroke, North Carolina, in late June and faced off[…]
Amos Lawrence backed abolitionist pioneers in the town that bears his name. On May 24, 1854, Anthony Burns, a young African-American man, was captured on his way home from work. He had escaped from slavery in Virginia and had made his way to Boston, where he was employed in a men’s clothing store. His owner[…]
Everyone carried a weapon. Some of them were even works of art. By Bill WorthenLate DirectorHistoric Arkansas Museum Even in the ball-room, the place, above all others, consecrated to pleasure, and where personal encounters should be least expected, these instruments of death are carried. Little Rock Times, February 28, 1835 At an interesting time in[…]
A Buddha is seen as one who becomes awakened to the true nature of reality, and awakened from ingrained greed, hatred and delusion. The Enlightened One The Buddha lived and taught in north-east India in the 5th century B.C.E., dying in his eightieth year. The Theravāda tradition (literally “School of the Elders”, one of the[…]
What is this figurine and why was it so important to King Rama I (r. 1782-1809 CE)? Introduction A small carved figurine sits high on a grand multi-tiered pedestal in a magnificent wat (temple) in Bangkok, Thailand. It has been sitting there since 1784 CE and was originally thought to be made of emerald. Hundreds of[…]
Coffee is certainly one of the most popular hot beverages and can be very expensive. If you’re looking to cut down on your costs, then purchasing a home coffee maker is a great choice. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can choose the perfect coffee maker for your tastes. Determine your budget The very[…]
The very first hack came in 1878 when a group of teenage boys, hired to run the Bell switchboards, would disconnect or misdirect calls. 1960s When hacking first started it was not thought of as that serious. The hackers were not even known as hackers but as practical jokers. The very first hack came in[…]
McLuhan lives on today as the immortal saint of electronic culture. The 20th-century futurists were susceptible to making some incredible predictions. 2020 is already shaping up to be a hugely pivotal year, but now that we’re here we can look back and easily see just how inaccurate several predictions turned out to be. For instance,[…]
On the 4th of July of 1870, a 1,200 mile race between two steamboats on the Mississippi River was decided. The 4th of July of 2020 will be different than those of the past. Masks will be worn. Distances will be kept. Crowds will be smaller. Hand sanitizer will be shared in abundance. The situation will[…]
Humans have been making art about horses longer than we have been riding them. Introduction From the 17,000-year-old cave paintings at Lascaux to that iconic ‘80s Trapper Keeper, humans have been making art about horses longer than we have been riding them. Art featuring horses is so prominent in the Getty’s collections that this is[…]
In its most basic form, the writ of habeas corpus serves as the final chance a prisoner has to challenge his conviction. Introduction In common law, a writ of habeas corpus may be issued by a judge ordering a prisoner to be brought before the court. The most commonly used, specific form of habeas corpus[…]
The notion of the state as a commonwealth in which the ruled as well as the ruler had rights eventually resulted in the modern nation state. Introduction The Long Parliament is the name of the English Parliament called by Charles I, on November 3, 1640, following the Bishops’ Wars. It receives its name from the[…]
Introduction The learning path that Microsoft takes you through while seeking a certification can make you nothing short of an expert in your field. That’s why for those seeking to be enterprise administrators, they should consider stepping out to the job market with a Microsoft badge. It’s essential, therefore, that they take and pass the[…]
Plato’s Nomoi and the Book of Deuteronomy dealt intensively with the fissures between rich and poor within society. Abstract The way in which a nation’s economy is structured is of great importance for the material welfare of its people as well as the people’s relationship with the state and the operation of the state itself.[…]
Elites feared falling into poverty and tried to keep the evil eye away with laughable figures. By Estelle Galbois and Sylvie Rougier-Blanc The poor and poverty in Antiquity must be considered as true objects of historical, philosophical, anthropological and sociological study, despite the fact that the available sources, which were written by the elites, rarely[…]
In Greek and Roman mythology, a “palladium” was an image of great antiquity on which the safety of a city was said to depend. Introduction In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon (not to be confused with demon) that[…]