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Admin News: We're Opening Submissions for a trial period!

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ancientpeoples:

Hey guys!

Since we’ve been really busy of late with our own work, it’s made interacting with you guys a bit difficult and we regret that Suggestion Sunday/Solve it Sunday haven’t run in months. We’re just run off our feet! 

To remedy this, we have decided to do a trial of opening submissions, for one month, so that you guys can submit objects that you have seen that you think are awesome, write ups of galleries containing ancient objects you’ve seen on museum visits, or write ups of specific cultures that you think would be interesting for your fellow followers. 

We’re doing this as we recognise that our followers have a wide knowledge base that exceeds ours in some areas, and they may be able to tell you guys about things we could never dream of. We think this would be beneficial to us all in the long run and more fun for you, our followers. 

So, these are our submission guidelines (which can also be found on the submission page):

1) Any post made must be on a subject within our given time frame - 7000 BC - 600 AD (or on Pre History). If you’re posting about a trip to a museum, please make sure that you only cover the “Ancient" part of the trip :)

2) Object posts must follow the same framework as our own object posts, along with the object being correctly sourced to where the object came from (i.e. British Museum web page or Flicker page etc). We will add submission credit to your post. If the photo is your own photo, please let us know and we will give you photo credit. 

3) Information posts must follow our format, but of course you can add sources if you wish. These will also have submission credit given to you.

4) All posts will be vetted before being added to the queue. This is just to catch any spelling mistakes, or historical errors before your post is put out. 

5) We observe the right to delete any abusive material or posts we feel aren’t appropriate to be put out. 

6) We have a very long queue and, depending on what type of post you have submitted (object or information), it may take a while to turn up on the blog. It has reached us and we ask you to be patient. 

That’s all the guidelines for now. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask us :)

So that’s it guys! We hope that this will be successful so that we can keep doing this in the future. 

The Ancient Peoples Admin Team

Edit: It would be useful if admin remembered to add a link to the submit page. (She’s been researching all day) You can find it here.

Reblogging today for those awesome people in a different timezone!


Open Access Journal: Studies in early Near Eastern production, subsistence, and environment (SENEPSE)

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Studies in early Near Eastern production, subsistence, and environment (SENEPSE)
ISSN: 0947-0549 
SENEPSE 4
The Prehistory of Jordan, II. Perspectives from 1997, ed. by H.G.K. Gebel, Z. Kafafi, and G.O. Rollefson (1997).

(49 contributions, III + 662 pages, 207 figures, 46 plates, 153 tables, paperback) [ISBN 978-3-98042413-4]

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SENEPSE 1
Neolithic Chipped Stone Industries of the Fertile Crescent, ed. by H.G. Gebel and S.K. Kozlowski (1994).

(44 contributions, IV + 601 pages, 270 figures, 16 plates, 89 tables, paperback) [ISBN 978-3-98042410-3]
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Starship Theseus: Star Trek, Plutarch, and Personal Identity

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Leon Thomas' fascinating video "Starship Theseus" was brought to my attention by @ReligionProf.  Thomas brings together Star Trek, Plutarch, and philosophy -- what's not to love?

If you're interested in digging a bit further, here is what Plutarch said about the ship of Theseus:
"The ship on which Theseus sailed with the youths and returned in safety, the thirty-oared galley, was preserved by the Athenians down to the time of Demetrius Phalereus. They took away the old timbers from time to time, and put new and sound ones in their places, so that the vessel became a standing illustration for the philosophers in the mooted question of growth, some declaring that it remained the same, others that it was not the same vessel."(Plutarch, Theseus, 23.1) 
As Thomas observes in his video, this raises questions about the persistence of identity, a question which he explores by looking at Star Trek's transporter technology as well as the death and resurrection of Spock.  Such questions are interesting within the spans of our mortal lifetimes, as we try to understand what it means to be "me" as "I" grow, develop, and constantly cash in old cells for new ones.  They also stand at the heart of reflections on the possibility and nature of the afterlife.  If an afterlife consists of a disembodied existence, to what extent is that disembodied stuff still you?  If the resurrection of the dead is your afterlife of choice, what does that actually look like and how does your identity persist?

Read more »

Open Access Articles from ex oriente

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Open Access Articles from ex oriente
H.G.K. Gebel, Territoriality in Early Near Eastern Sedentism (forthcoming)
in: Sedentism: Worldwide Research Perspectives for the Shift of Human Societies from Mobile to Settled Ways of Life, ed. by M. Reindel et al. Proceedings of the Research Cluster 1 Workshop, 23rd-24th October, 2008 (Berlin, German Archaeological Institute). submission: 9/5/2010

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H.G.K. Gebel, The PPN1-6 Workshops: Agendas, Tendencies, Future.
in: E. Healey, S. Campbell and O. Maeda (eds), The State of the Stone: Terminologies, Continuities and Contexts in Near Eastern Lithics. SENEPSE 13: 1–22. Berlin: ex oriente (2011).
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H.G.K. Gebel, Commodification and the Formation of Early Neolithic Social Identity. The Issues Seen From the Southern Jordanian Highlands.
in: M. Benz (ed.), The Principle of Sharing. Segregation and Construction of Social Identities at the Transition from Foraging to Farming. SENEPSE14: 31-80. Berlin, ex oriente (2010).
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H.G.K. Gebel, The Domestication of Vertical Space: The Case of Steep-Slope LPPNB Architecture in Southern Jordan.
in: Domesticating Space: Construction, Community, and Cosmology in the Late Prehistoric Near East. ed. by E.B. Banning and M. Chazan. SENEPSE 12: 65-74. Berlin: ex oriente (2006).
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H.G.K. Gebel, Central to What? The Centrality Issue of the LPPNB Mega-Site Phenomenon in Jordan.
in: Central Settlements in Neolithic Jordan. ed. by H.D. Bienert, H.G.K. Gebel, and R. Neef. SENEPSE 5: 1-19. Berlin: ex oriente (2004).
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H.G.K. Gebel, Walls. Loci of Forces.
in: Magic Practices and Ritual in the Near Eastern Neolithic. ed. by H.G.K. Gebel, B.D. Hermansen, and Ch. Hoffmann Jensen. SENEPSE 8: 119-132. Berlin: ex oriente (2002).
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H.D. Bienert and H.G.K. Gebel, Summary on Ba'ja 1997, and Insights From Later Seasons.
in: Central Settlements in Neolithic Jordan, ed. by H.D. Bienert, H.G.K. Gebel, and R. Neef. SENEPSE 5: 119-144. Berlin: ex oriente (2004).
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Sean Freyne R.I.P.

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SAD NEWS: I hear from Benjamin Wold on Facebook that Professor Sean Freyne died yesterday. He taught at the School of Religions and Theology, University of Dublin, Trinity College, and was known particularly for his research on the ancient Galilee and on the Historical Jesus. Requiescat in pace.

UPDATE: Larry Hurtado has more here.

Taphonomic Analysis of Neolithic Seated Burials

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Taphonomy is the study of how organisms decay and become altered following their death. Understanding how this process manifests in human burials during the excavation is extremely important, and can lead to much improved interpretations of the burials if done properly. I’ve discussed before how careful analysis of taphonomic process is part of the archaeological … Continue reading »

Septuagint Studies Soirée

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Abram K-J has proposed a new blog carnival with a specific focus: the Septuagint Studies Soirée.

Blog about the LXX, then click through and let Abram know that you’ve done so, and your post will most likely get included!

 

 

The Apps of the Apostles


Puts a smile on your face, doesn’t...

Peter Capaldi and Time Travelling

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Last Sunday BBC announced that Peter Capaldi will be the 12th Doctor Who! The announcement followed long weeks of speculation and betting; the second being suspended on Friday. I can assure you that the world rejoiced at the news and Capaldi’s name crossed the Atlantic!

Shall we reflect for a second on the reasons for such overwhelming joy? I have no doubt that Mr. Capaldi is an excellent actor that will prove himself once more in his new role as Dr. Who. And yet, does his ability alone justify the excited reception of the news? Of course not!

The fascination with the series is one of the most plausible causes. Ever since Dr. Who appeared on the small screen, it captured the hearts and the minds of the people. It did not matter that it was a low budget series. It did not matter that the bad guys looked like trashcans. The only thing that matter was the Good Dr’s ability to travel in Time.

Time travelling has always been a source of fascination. It has been used (and abused) as the main theme of many tv series. Their success rates may varied but, on the whole, they remained popular in certain sectors of the population. These sectors are none other than you and me. If you are reading this blog, you must be one of the people who dedicates his/ her spare time in reading historical novels, watching historical movies, following the adventures of Time Team and worshipping Indiana Jones. Am I mistaken?

Dr. Who may not be about our glorious historical past. Instead, he explores the multiple histories of our future. As it is, enjoy the new (and yet old) series and let me know of your views.

Image Source: Hilary Perkins, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Capaldi.jpg

Comparison of Adjectives

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There are a variety of ways to hide the stem of a adjective in its nominative form.

  • baburrus, -a, -um (stem barburo-) silly
  • levis, -e (stem levi-) ficky
  • fēlīx (stem fēlīc-) blessed
  • hebes (stem hebet-) dull

However, the majority of adjectives of all stem formations become comparatives and superlatives in the same way: with the addition of -ior (m/f) / ius (n) for comparatives, and the addition of -issimus, -a, -um for superlatives.

  • baburrus, -a, -um / baburrior, -ius / barburrissimus, -a, -um
  • levis, -e / levior, -ius / levissimus, -a, -um
  • fēlīx / fēlīcior, -ius / fēlīcissimus, -a, -um
  • hebes / hebetior, -ius / hebetissimus, -a, -um

There are a few things to note here. If an adjective is compared regularly,

  • It’s case ending will always have two options (m/f or n) for the comparative and three options (m or f or n) for the superlative, regardless of how many it had for the positive.
  • Stress accents will always appear on the penultimate vowel (for comparatives) or the ultimate vowel (for superlatives) of the stem.

babúrrior, baburríssimus / lévior, levísssimus / fēlícior, fēlīcíssimus / hebétior, hebetíssimus

Of course, it can always shift further forward, but never further back. The comparatives declines like so:

Screen Shot 2013-06-07 at 7.42.56 AM(photo credit, Wiktionary)

The superlatives decline like a regular first/second declension adjectives, regardless of how their positives decline:

Screen Shot 2013-06-07 at 7.49.18 AM(photo credit, Wiktionary)

The Essential AG: 120, 123-4


Caption Needed

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Having discovered the Ship of Fools site, I happened upon their latest caption contest, which is to find a caption for this image:

Since the intersection of religion and science fiction (not always as hostile as depicted above) interests me and is a major focus of this blog, I thought that I would share it here. How would you caption it?

Teaching the Historians Craft

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Every semester I teach a midlevel course called The Historians Craft. This course is requirement for all of our history majors and introduces students to the intellectual history of the discipline, basic research skills, some reading and writing techniques, and the historical method. In other words, the course covers a good bit of ground and students, predictably, complain that I try to do too much in too little time.

The focus of their complaints tends to be dreaded prospectus assignment. I divide the class into two parts. The first seven weeks are a narrative history of the discipline accompanied by a series of primary source readings. The second half of the class takes the students through the process of writing a proposal or prospectus for a research project. In theory, this prospectus will become the basis for their capstone research project. In practice, this rarely happened. In most cases, the research proposals are superficial, flawed, or just plain bad.

The greatest problem with the prospectus assignment is that students struggled to identify a way to make a contribution to the historical debate. As much as I emphasize that most research offers just a modest or nuanced take on long standing conversations in the discipline and a revolutionary approach to a topic in the past is unnecessary, students still look to hit the home run and get frustrated when they strike out (instead of going for the single or even the bunt to advance a runner). Part of the issue is, of course, that students have not read much historical scholarship so the nuanced Despite the uneven quality of the proposals produced by this class, there has been a slight improvement in the quality of capstone papers. 

Writing a prospectus on new research in 5 or 6 weeks (at the end of a semester!) is an intense project for students not familiar with independent or sustained research, and they struggle to complete the necessary research and to articulate a plausible research project. I have tried to make the intensity of the course part of its appeal, and compare the frantic research over the second half of the semester to Chip Kelly’s famous uptempo practices. Student buy-in has been modest at best.

From the short term perspective, the students have not enjoyed the class and the results of their work have been disappointing. In the longer term, the class has improved the students’ performance in the capstone course. As a result of this, we have decided to add another required course between the capstone and The Historians Craft that will reinforce the skills introduced in the lower level class. Run like an undergraduate seminar, this midlevel course will focus on a particular historical topic and take the 15 students through the process of writing a research paper. While the Historians Craft class focuses almost exclusively on processes and methods, this new course will balance content and process. 

One result of this new course is that we will be able to parse more finely the process of doing historical research. I decided – begrudgingly – to pull back from my prospectus assignment and instead focus a bit more on reading and understanding the debates taking place secondary sources. The first half of the class will remain unchanged and focus on the history of the discipline. (As an aside, I’m seriously considering preparing podcasts for my 12 lecture on the origins of the discipline of history). The second half of the class, which runs about 6 weeks, will undergo some significant modification. Right now, I have five steps in my revised second half of the class.

1. Primary Source Report. This report describes a primary source from either Special Collection at the University of North Dakota Library or a published collection. The goal of this report is to address basic questions of authorship, purpose, genre, and utility. To paraphrase the great R.G. Collingwood, a primary source is only a source if it’s a source for something. The something in this case is a historical argument.

2. Bibliography Building. The students will build a basic bibliography based on their primary source document. This will introduce students to library research on a particular topic and to basic bibliography formats. The bibliography will include articles and monographs.

3. Article Reviews. The students will write two short papers that review articles. One will be a common article ready by the entire class and the other will be an article that somehow relates to the primary source document. Each paper will require the student to identify the thesis of an article, to determine the primary source evidence that supports this thesis, and to recognize the historical debate to which the article contributes.

4. Book Review. Article reviews set the stage for preparing a book review which will be an extended version of article review. Like the article review, the students will select an academic monograph that relates to the primary source that they evaluated in the first assignment of the class. In the review, the students will have to address the same issues as the article review in a longer, more developed and critical paper. The book review will make an argument whether the book succeeds or fails in making a compelling argument. 

5. Position Paper. The final assignment of the semester will ask the students to bring together their primary source(s) and secondary literature. The goal of the paper is to bring together the article reviews and books reviews into a cohesive evaluation of a single piece of historical evidence. The position paper will not ask a student to articulate a new position in relation to the historical conversation or the primary source evidence, but will ask the student to critically evaluate existing positions.  

The revised version of the Historians Craft will go live this fall, so stay tuned for some updates on the success or failure of my adjustments!


Turn Up the Radio and Name That Ancient Tune: Archaeological Legacy Institute to Launch 24-Hour Indigenous Music Programming

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Music has had a special place in the human experience.  It has defined many a people and given shape to cultures throughout time.  However, unlike ancient paintings and artifacts, music is evanescent, its notes sometimes captured in memory and ritual, … Continue reading

Axe/Ritual Equipment c.520 BC Western Greek Inscription...

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Axe/Ritual Equipment

c.520 BC

Western Greek

Inscription Translation (Achaean)

I am the sacred property of Hera-in-the-Plain: Kyniskos the butcher dedicated me, a tithe from his works.

(Source: The British Museum)


Erfgoedcel Pajottenland Zennevallei zoekt coördinator

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Om de groeiende werking te versterken, is de erfgoedcel Pajottenland Zennevallei momenteel op zoek naar een coördinator (m/v) die de werking mee verder helpt uit te bouwen en te ontwikkelen. Naast de leiding van de erfgoedcel, zal de coördinator ook de rol van trajectbegeleider voor de erfgoedactorenwerking opnemen. Kandidaten beschikken over een masterdiploma (of gelijkwaardig) en 3 à 5 jaar leidinggevende ervaring. Solliciteren voor deze voltijdse functie kan nog tot en met 22 augustus 2013. Je vindt de volledige vacature op www.erfgoedcelpz.be.

A Syriac fragment on Job and his wife: Text and translation

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The manuscript CFMM 144, from the early twentieth century, is almost identical to ZFRN 40, a collection of Syriac mēmrē, especially by later authors, most of whom are not very well known and have been little studied. The CFMM manuscript is distinct, however, in having at the end a mēmrā by Isaiah of Bēt Sbirinā (d. 1425) on Job and his wife. (For a lighthearted review of the biblical tale, see here.) I do not yet know of any other copies of this text. Unfortunately the copy in CFMM 144 is incomplete, but nevertheless I would to share it along with a preliminary English translation. See the document here: isaiah_bet_sbirina_memra_job.


Biblical Evolution

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From Non Sequitur, via God of Evolution on Facebook

Hair Ornament 650-600 BC Etruscan (Source: The British Museum)

APA Blog : First Open-Access Digital Book from New Series

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California Classical Studies is pleased to announce the publication of a digital edition of Leslie Kurke, The Traffic in Praise: Pindar and the Poetics of Social Economy, a reprint with corrections of the edition of 1990. The book is available as a Print on Demand paperback ($29.95) and may be read in page view at the open-access eScholarship repository operated by the California Digital Library of the University of California. In addition, thanks to the support of a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and of endowed funds at the University of Calfornia, the short embargo period has been waived to celebrate the first title published in the series, and so the full PDF is also downloadable immediately at the repository. It is expected that the title will also be sold in ePub format in the near future.

The editors of California Classical Studies are eager to receive submissions of long-form scholarship for peer-review, including hybrid works that include an extended textual element suitable for printing along with associated files to be offered in digital form only. The series aims to disseminate basic research (editing and analysis of primary materials both textual and physical), data-heavy research, and highly specialized research. For more about the profile of the series and the process of submission, please visit http://calclassicalstudies.org.

Open-access page for The Traffic in Praise: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/29r3j0gm

Site for purchase of POD paperback: http://escholarship-california_classical_studies.lulu.com/spotlight/

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