“Before guided missiles, humans had few ways to attack their enemies remotely, so they tried using animals. The Chinese were enthusiastic practitioners of this art.”
This is an interesting blog post on using animals as weapons: Tonio Andrade: Animals as Weaponry
This is indicative of another troubling trend across the globe: “When it comes to politics and history, an accurate memory can be a dangerous thing. In Ukraine, as the country struggles with its identity, that’s doubly true. While Ukrainian political parties try to push the country toward Europe or Russia, a young, rising Ukrainian historian named Volodymyr Viatrovych has placed himself at the center of that fight. Advocating a nationalist, revisionist history that glorifies the country’s move to independence — and purges bloody and opportunistic chapters — Viatrovych has attempted to redraft the country’s modern history to whitewash Ukrainian nationalist groups’ involvement in the Holocaust and mass ethnic cleansing of Poles during World War II. And right now, he’s winning.”
Read the entire article here: The Historian Whitewashing Ukraine’s Past | Foreign Policy
Nathaniel Philbrick has written a new book about Benedict Arnold. In it he challenges some of the myths that have endured about Arnold and his treachery. I have not read it yet, but based on this interview at the HNN and one on NPR it sounds like a very interesting read.
This engineering marvel was built between 118 and 126 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. The oculus (“the eye of God”) sits about 140 ft. above the ground at the center of the dome of the Roman Pantheon. Until recently people would climb the building to get a glimpse from the oculus into the interior of the building. It must have been an incredible sight! When I was younger I probably would have done it. What an experience! But I understand why it has been banned.
For more on the history of this practice go here: Climbing the Eye of God by Matt Donovan | NYR Daily | The New York Review of Books
This engineering marvel was built between 118 and 126 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. The oculus (“the eye of God”) sits about 140 ft. above the ground at the center of the dome of the Roman Pantheon. Until recently people would climb the building to get a glimpse from the oculus into the interior of the building. It must have been an incredible sight! When I was younger I probably would have done it. What an experience! But I understand why it has been banned.
For more on the history of this practice go here: Climbing the Eye of God by Matt Donovan | NYR Daily | The New York Review of Books
In a speech for the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier this month, the talented documentarian Ken Burns gave a powerful and compelling defense of the humanities. He mixes life lessons with insights into our current state of affairs gleaned from his immersion in the humanities. It’s really worth reading the entire speech.
Here’s and excerpt: “In a larger sense, the humanities helps us understand almost everything better–and they liberate us from the myopia our media culture and politics impose upon us. Unlike our current culture wars, which have manufactured a false dialectic just to accentuate otherness, the humanities stand in complicated contrast, permitting a nuanced and sophisticated view of our history, as well as our present moment, replacing misplaced fear with admirable tolerance, providing important perspective, and exalting in our often contradictory and confounding manifestations. Do we contradict ourselves? We do!”
Read the entire speech here: Ken Burns Jefferson Lecture | National Endowment for the Humanities
A mural on the side of a restaurant in Lithuania has gone viral for depicting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump kissing Russian President Vladimir Putin. The mural was created Friday by artist Mindaugas Bonanu at the barbecue restaurant Keule Ruke, according to the Associated Press. “We see many similarities between these two ‘heroes’ (Putin and…
via Street Mural of Donald Trump Kissing Vladimir Putin Goes Viral — TIME
“The Palace Museum in Beijing, best known as the Forbidden City, recently confirmed the discovery of porcelain pieces and broken tiles dating back to the Yuan Dynasty established by Kublai Khaan in the thirteenth century, thus solving one of China’s greatest mysteries; the location of the Yuan Palace.”
Source: Kublai Khaan’s Imperial Palace Discovered Under the Forbidden City
It’s been almost 20 years since David Bowie told us of he was afraid of Americans. Americans have used that time to grow increasingly afraid of their government, each other, and the rest of the world. By virtually every measure Americans have become less trusting, a situation which threatens to destabilize a wide variety of…
I think you’ll find this post from the blog “How to Talk About Art History” fun and interesting. Enjoy!
Close-up of Michelangelo’s David
Reader question: “Why do all old statues have such small penises?”
The reader who sent me this felt that it was a question that was maybe too silly for my blog, but – firstly – there are no questions too silly for this blog, and – secondly – the answer to this question is actually pretty interesting.
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History Chick in AZ 