Open Thread - Thurs 16 April 2026 - Archaeology and History Tidbits
Archaeology and History Tidbits
These are some interesting things! For example, the bones of D’Artagnan, one of the heroes featured in the book The Three Musketeers, may have been found. This is cool!
Although the book is a novel (more about the book and it’s writer(s) here) , D’Artagnan was a real person, and he died via a musket shot to the throat while conquering Masstricht during the Franco-Dutch War. It’s believed that he was buried in Masstricht in a church near the French camp. And, lo and behold, an archaeological dig (after a hole appeared under tiles in the church) has found his possible remains, underneath where the altar table used to sit. DNA testing and other work will confirm the find, eventually.
All for one, and one for all!!! The three musketeers and D’Artagnan! Image from www.completefrance.com
And...
What was it like to live in a Tudor house? The BBC has an interesting article about that. I remember the first time I saw a Tudor 4 poster bed. I was in a museum, of course, in England, of course, around 13 years old. All I could think was, ‘heck, I could sleep in that, they must have been real people, those Tudors!’ Heh.
So, why do Roman buildings, roads, and more last for, ohh, 2000 years or more? I was taught, as an archaeologist, it was because of the concrete Romans used, and sure enough, it was. Check out this short video from the BBC about it!
Here's the open thread! What's up, whatcha doing? Reading? Thinking? Listening to? Remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Happy Thursday!
Hope all is going well with everyone. Yesterday we had thunderstorms all day. This is very unusual for here, and the thunder was loud and the lightning bright. Lights flickered a lot. But, all is well and we are supposed to get a bit less blustery weather soon. What's up with you?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning Sima. dunno what's up, heh. It is starting
to get a bit blustery here, which sux because I will soon be outside working in it. Read your column earlier in the morning, already knew about D'Artagnan find and periodic updates on Roman concrete. Tudor, I, of course, contrast with 4 door. There's a lot to be said for, and against, each. There's Welsh in the woodpile there, celts, which is good in theory, but they still behaved like Brits. They changed the state religion, but didn't do away with it, so so what. They strengthened the monarchy (this means they became even more despotid, right?). Henry was an ass, Lizzie was cool and legitimized some piracy. Shakespeare and Marlowe. Coulda been worse, but coulda been better too. Weren't yet "huns" but were already imperialists. Whatever.
Anyway, your query "what's up with you" made me think I should peek at the gnus so I did and am none the wiser. One thing I did spot was folks quoting trump on stuff that is or might be fact that he had nothing to do with and probably knows shit about that is already known and reported on by other, more informed, credible and reliable sources. So why is this shit done. Flash: Today DJT said it rained yesterday in Milwaukee" or some shit like that. Whuffo publish that, or anything like it?
A serious pruning project awaits, so I'd better get started.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good morning, sima!
I should have time today to check out your links.
Meanwhile, I subscribe to Larry Johnson's Son of the American Revolution site. His newsletter today says to check out Counter Currents tomorrow for a video of his interview with Robert Barnes. Barnes exposes what goes on at the White House and the efforts Trump's staff make to keep him from exploding in angry, nutty fits. Barnes is convinced Trump is crazy and has dementia. Some of his staff agree.
Should be juicy stuff!
Have a great day, sima, and I hope the weather clears up for you asap!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
And another interesting disappearance happens!
I mentioned here that 9 NASA scientists who work in New Mexico had either died suddenly or had disappeared, and no police authorities have done investigations.
Now, the 10th scientist has disappeared, last seen walking from his home with a pistol in hand, no keys, no phone, no wallet, and that is that.
They all had secret knowledge of UFOs, nuclear weapons, but also that which is never mentioned: the formula to create fuel from air. Big Oil can't have that! Why would we need wars for oil if oil was not necessary?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
That "formula" isn't really such a big secret and the Chinese
have a pilot plant up and running. The problem is the hardware and associated tech and the fact that you have to produce and manipulate shit-loads of hydrogen. The chemistry is easy, but the process is extremely hard.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
It was sure unknown by
moi. I couldn't come up with the right description. Formula? Process? Method? Magic potion? Nevertheless, the deaths and disappearances are beyond strange.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Way cool!
Good ol' history, we keep making more of it, even though it's all in the past. I visit
https://www.thehistoryblog.com/ pretty often, always something new for stuff that's old.
Thanks for that,
Snode. Interesting blog, for sure.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thx for the link Snode!
Enjoyed the article and the one just below it as well. That was about fragments of a Silla stele found in South Korea.
Earlier today, I finished watching a KBS documentary called Historic Traces about a general of the last years of Baekjae, and the Tang Dynasty defeat of King Ouija. I wasn't going to post about it, but Sima opened the door.
This general from the Baekjae Kingdom royal court had a grave marker recently found somewhere near Luoyang in Henan China identifying him as a Korean general from Baekjae. This prompted an investigation because South Korean scholars had never heard of him. How did this memorial marker from the 7th Century CE end up near an ancient Chinese capital of the Tang Dynasty? Who was he, and how did he end up as trusted general in the Tang emperor's court?
This general was directly involved in the defense of Baekjae from the Chinese Tang-Silla (Korea) alliance against Baekjae. The Baekjae kingdom surrendered to Tang forces in 660 CE. I tried to follow the Korean translation of all the old inscriptions and their interpretation by linguists and history professors in China and South Korea. Frankly, much of it was way over my level of comprehension. I just tried to take it in without stressing over the Chinese characters I didn't get. The English subs were crap, so I didn't post the link. The Korean subs were fine.
One of the hypotheses that tried to explain why after a brilliant defensive military campaign against far superior Chinese forces, General Yi Ye-shik led the Korean Baekjae king out of a strong fortress without any apparent fight to surrender. The theory is based on the records available and the stone marker that possibly suggest the last king of Baekjae was betrayed. Yi Ye-sik then ends up in the royal guard of the Tang emperor.
The interpretation is just a hypothesis at this point among the experts. As far as I can tell, it's mostly circumstantial. But it was a good insight into the collapse of Baekjae (during the late Korean three kingdoms period) the military campaigns, and the Chinese military intervention on behalf of the rival Shilla kindgom. Shilla later took control of Baekjae's former territory and went on to unify much of what is present day Korea as the Unified Shilla dynasty (668-935 CE).
edited typos.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
News of the Big Beautiful Blockade
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Early modernity --
was full of war, especially in Europe, and so for instance you had the Nine Years' War followed by the War of the Spanish Succession followed by the War of the Austrian Succession followed by the Seven Years' War, with some other wars to fill in the gaps I'm sure. Here's a bigger list. Yes, all of these wars were violent and bloody and I'm sure the territorial gains and losses that ensued in each one were really important for later history. I confess to not having known about the Franco-Dutch War that was the central event of this diary. What ended it all, I think, was what they called the "Pax Britannica," basically after the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. So, yeah, D'Artagnan, killed in another war.
"I hang out with losers because it makes me feel better. I hate guys that are very, very successful and you have to listen to their success stories. I like people that like to listen to my success.” -- Donald Trump
Before making some new friends in the Netherlands 20 years ago,
I had never known (or perhaps had once learned but forgotten) that in order to gain their independence, the Dutch had been forced to fight for eighty years (!) against Spain (!!).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighty_Years%27_War