When Mummies and Archaeologists Fall In Love

Once in a while we have to feature the funny side of archaeology, and this song about a mummy and archaeologist falling in love is too adorable to pass up. Ok, maybe cute is the wrong word-bizarre may be more fitting. The song is composed by John Ritter and appropriately named "The Curse".

Josh Ritter is a masterful lyricist, and deserves puppeteering creditfor his ability to manipulate a story line. After completing his latest album, So Runs The World Away, we strategized about ways in which we could debut some of the songs in a homegrown, unconventional format.

Watch Josh Ritter's Video Premiere of The Curse

 

The Mummified Bubastis Cat

Cats were highly venerated in Egypt thousands of years ago. In fact, when they were trapped in a burning building, Egyptians would rescue them before fighting the fire.

Mummified Bubastis Cat

This particular mummified cat lived in Egypt over 2000 years ago. Mummified in bitumen resin, this cat lived a life of luxury in the royal temple of Bubastis, the city devoted to Bast, the cat goddess of pleasure, dancing and music. Worshippers invoked Bast to protect them from contagious diseases. Anyone killing a cat, even accidentally, was instantly put to death.

Photographs taken were in a room with protective lighting and casing.

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Mbamelke African Bronze Judgment Chair

Throughout history, cultures have used various types of torture devices to force the truth, or in this case a confession. Many West and Central African tribes used "judgment chairs" in their criminal trials, chairs that were believed to have the power to the reveal the truth. This intricately decorated chair was used by the Mbamelke of Cameroon. The Mbamelke used separate chairs for both male and females. If you notice, the figures on the chair depict male and female spirits.

The accused was forced to sit in the chair during the trial and if they were found guilty of a crime, such as murder or adultery, they would actually be executed while sitting in the chair. I had the chance to sit in the chair, and for some reason, it just had a sort of macabre feeling about it. Now you know why.

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Historical Weaponry in St. Augustine

Why I Love Edinburgh Scotland

As many of you know medieval history, as well as the middle Ages, are both subjects that fascinate me. This time period is brimming with war, religious disputes, and men that fought with honor for their homeland on their own soil. For that reason, the city of Edinburgh is one of my favorite subjects, filled with stories and legends of some of the most well-known and infamous figures in history. What I wouldn’t give to live down one of those quaint side roads, maybe on the West End, in one of those lovely Edinburgh apartments overlooking the Edinburgh Haymarket Railway Station. To live on the sidelines of history has always been something that I have craved, and I’m jealous of the residents in Edinburgh that get to do this every day.

Edinburgh was well established by the 12th century, founded on the infamous castle rock, a 2 million year old geological formation. I had read about it previously in a geology class, which is where my interest started to peak. A town that was fixed upon a formation created by millions of years of glacial shifting is just too hard to fathom. Not to mention that Edinburgh castle sites up on the volcanic plug of castle rock and was the seat of the first Scottish Parliament around the middle of the 12th century.

Edinburgh flourished throughout the Renaissance period, both economically and culturally, producing some of the most famous figures in history. I’m familiar with the exploits of Mary Queen of Scots, the most talked about of the Scottish Monarchs. This is partly because of my love of Queen Elizabeth, whom Mary Queen of Scots tried to assassinate on three attempts. She was tried and executed for treason for her involvement in all three plots against her first cousin, Queen Elizabeth.

It would take me years to explain why I love every aspect of Edinburgh history. It could be the stories of Robert Wallace and Robert the Bruce, or maybe even the fact the English occupied Edinburgh Castle for over 10 years, up until it was made part of a dowry for Ermengarde de Beaumont, a woman chosen for King Henry.

I’m sure many of my readers are from Edinburgh, so why do you love it? What aspects of Edinburgh’s history do you appreciate the most?