Churches, whether they are synagogues, cathedrals, basilicas, mosques, or temples, hold a special interest to archaeologists.
Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo © Friedemann Vogel / Getty Images
Churches are structures that hold functions that are outside of the day to day requirements of individuals. They represent places built primarily to serve a cultural need, a need that doesn't have anything to do with feeding your family, but rather with the attempt to understand one's place in the universe, what the soul is, what happens after death. As such, they are universal in concept but vastly different in form and function.
So, naturally, I felt that a photo essay of some of these fabulous buildings was a necessary addition to the Archaeology at About.com site.
Archaeological survey in Shandong province, China, has revealed some on-the-ground evidence of the historic movements of Qin dynasty emperor Shihuangdi. Shihuangdi (ruled 221-210 BC) is best known for his army of terracotta soldiers, but also for being the first to unite much of the landmass that today makes up China.
Imperial Tours of Shihuangdi (220-219 BC). Map drawn by Yu Ninjie
Read more...One of the many inventions of the great Islamic civilization was lustreware, a metallic pottery decoration technique. When the lustreware technique is done properly, exposure to light sets a mysterious gold flicker to dance on the surfaces of the pots.
Small cup. Earthenware with polychromic lustre decoration painted over opaque glaze, 9th century. From Iraq. Accession OA 6700. Richelieu wing of the Louvre Museum, Department of Islamic Art, room 2, case 5
Photo Credit:
Marie-Lan NguyenLustreware was invented in the 8th century AD by a small guild of Islamic ceramicists living in the Iraqi towns of Baghdad and Basra. They used copper, silver, and lead to make the gold lights flicker on the pot surface. They were true alchemists, turning base metals into what appeared to be gold.
A recent set of papers appearing in the Journal of Archaeological Science written by researcher Trinitat Pradell of the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Spain, and several colleagues, reports on their investigations into what nano-sized alchemy was at work in the potters' kilns. Pradell et al's fascinating research into the science and history of ancient lustrewares provided me with a terrific excuse to put together Islamic Lustreware: A Photo Essay of its Origins and Techniques.
This week's Fieldwork in Focus comes from Neill De Paoli, director of the 9th season of the ongoing excavations at the home of 17th century merchant Robert Givens, in Pemaquid Falls, Maine.
Overview
The scenic mid-coast community of Bristol is home to one of Maine's earliest European settlements. In the late 1620s, a year-round English plantation emerged on the Pemaquid peninsula (Bristol) and its offshore islands. Over the next six decades, Pemaquid gained prominence as one of northern New England's leading fishing, trading, and military centers.
Cellar excavations at Pemaquid Falls. Photo © 2009 Neill de Paoli
What better way to spend three weeks of your summer than digging into Pemaquid's historic past. Come join Dr. Neill De Paoli as he directs excavations at Pemaquid Falls. This area was a popular locale for indigenous peoples for 3,500 years while its historic story began in the mid-1600s when English settlers established a farming hamlet around the falls. For the last nine years, Dr. De Paoli has been excavating the site of the late 18th century farmstead of prominent Pemaquid merchant Robert Given. This season participants will excavate the cellarless portion of the Given dwelling. Students will also delve into the area's early industrial past as they excavate a blacksmith shop that serviced the needs of the several farms, a saw & grist mill, and shipyard scattered around Pemaquid Falls during the late 18th or early 19th century. In addition, students will expand the search for the elusive 17th century "Great Falls" hamlet.
This experience is a great hands-on opportunity for upper level high school and undergraduate and graduate students seeking course credit and experience in historical archaeology, teachers in need of recertification credits, or history buffs interested in exploring an area with a rich colonial history.
Program
Man's silver cufflinks
Photo © 2007 Neill de Paoli
Field school participants will learn basic excavation and recording techniques, laboratory procedures, and the identification of 18th and 19th century European material culture. The program will be highlighted by field trips to the heart of the English fishing and trading settlement of Pemaquid and an archaeology conservation laboratory along with weekly films and discussions. Southern Maine Community College is offering the archaeological field school as a three-credit history course (HTY-205-01). Participants sign up for a single three week session that runs from July 26 to August 13. The program will run Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Tuition and Registration
Field school tuition is $318.90 for Maine residents and $570.90 for out-of state residents. Course registration closes on July 23, 2010. Payment can be made by cash, check, debit card, or credit card. To register log on to the Southern Maine Community College website (www.smccme.edu) or write or call Enrollment Services, Southern Maine Community College, 2 Fort Road, South Portland, ME 04106, 207-741-5800 or 1-877-282-2182 (toll-free number for in-state calls). Otherwise contact:
Dr. Neill De Paoli, 76 Northwest Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801, Phone: 603-766-0561, e-mail: ndppquid@yahoo.com. For those seeking information on area accommodations contact Dr. De Paoli.
Director
Pemaquid Falls Field School 2009
Photo © 2009 Neill de Paoli
Dr. Neill De Paoli has over thirty years of experience as a historical archaeologist, having directed archaeological projects in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Dr. De Paoli is adjunct professor at Southern Maine Community College.
More Fieldwork in Focus
