Secret HistoryS


Crusader

The Real Magna Carta

Sean McGlynn
History Today
Mon, 03 Mar 2025 20:29 UTC
magna carta
© Wikimedia Commons19th-century recreation of King John signing the Magna Carta
The Magna Carta of 1215 is celebrated globally as the foundation of modern liberties and rights for its stipulation of equality before the law and its placing of monarchs and rulers under it. However, significant as the 1215 charter is, the document sealed in June of that year between King John and his rebellious barons was a prototype, far from the final version set out in law. That came ten years later in 1225.

The 1215 text was not even named Magna Carta, but the Articles of the Barons. Its 63 clauses agreed between John and the barons arrayed against him did not survive much beyond two months, as the opposing forces were soon back at war with each other. Capitalising on the civil war in England a French invasion followed. John's death in October 1216 did not end the conflict, though a revised Articles of the Barons - with one-third of the original causes dropped - was issued in Bristol in November by the new king, Henry III, then only nine years old. It was only after the defeat of the barons and the expulsion of their French allies a year later that we arrive at 'Magna Carta', the 'Great Charter', when in November 1217 a further four clauses related to forest laws and rights were transferred to a new Charter of Forest Liberties. What was left, the larger part, became the Great Charter, marking the peace settlement at the end of the civil war. But Magna Carta still had one more stage in its evolution before achieving its final form. That came on 11 February 1225.
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What if ancient statues smelled wonderful? The surprising secrets of Greco-Roman sculptures

oguz kayra
Arkeonews Net
Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:26 UTC
Diana of Versailles
© Wikimedia Commons
A new study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology has shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of ancient Greek and Roman art: the use of perfumes and aromatic substances in the adornment of sculptures.

Led by archaeologist Cecilie Brøns, this research challenges the long-held belief that these iconic statues were merely visual objects, revealing a rich tapestry of sensory experiences that ancient audiences engaged with.

For centuries, scholars have recognized that the pristine white marble statues we see in museums today were originally painted in vibrant colors and adorned with textiles and jewelry. However, Brøns' study takes this understanding a step further by highlighting the significance of scent in the ancient world. Drawing from classical texts and inscriptions, the research illustrates how these sculptures were not only visual spectacles but also olfactory experiences that enveloped worshippers and spectators alike.

The study emphasizes the ritualistic role of perfume in the adornment of statues, particularly those representing deities. Historical accounts, such as those from the Roman orator Cicero, describe the practice of anointing statues with fragrant oils. In the ancient sanctuary of Delos, inscriptions detail the costs and ingredients of perfumes used to maintain the statues of gods like Artemis and Hera, including olive oils, beeswax, and rose-scented fragrances.

Moreover, the poet Callimachus provides insight into the practice, describing the statue of Queen Berenice II of Egypt as "moist with perfume," indicating that this tradition extended beyond divine figures to include royalty and esteemed individuals. Festivals, such as the Floralia in Rome, further enriched the sensory experience, as fragrant garlands of roses and violets adorned these statues, creating an immersive atmosphere for worshippers.
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Discovery of graphics on a stone block that could be more than 200,000 years old


Marbella City Council
Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:10 UTC
Ancient Carvings
© Marbella City Council
The Department of Culture, Education, and Historical Heritage reports the discovery of graphic designs on a stone block that could be more than 200,000 years old, as part of an archaeological excavation at the Coto Correa site in Las Chapas. This area, known in specialized studies for housing the oldest remains in the city, is protected archaeologically, as some stone tools were accidentally discovered in the 1950s, dating back to the early Paleolithic.

The work and its subsequent analysis have provided insight into the geological evolution of the site, as well as the archaeological discovery of a set of stone tools carved into one of its strata. Of this set, discovered in 2022, a block of gabbro stands out, marked with lines, giving it an exceptional character. The significance of this discovery is twofold: on the one hand, it confirms the presence of settlers in Marbella during the Early Middle Paleolithic, a period little known in Spain and unprecedented in the province of Malaga. Furthermore, it provides this unique stone, which contains a set of graphic representations of human origin that could be 100,000 years older than the oldest cave art depictions.
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Traces of Neanderthal habitation discovered in Qamari Cave in Iran


Islamic Republic News Agency
Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:37 UTC
Ancient Cave
© IRNAArchaeologists find evidence of Neanderthal habitation dating back 40,000 to 80,000 in Iran's western province of Lorestan.
Khorram Abad - Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of Neanderthal habitation dating back 40,000 to 80,000 years in Qamari Cave, located in Khorramabad in the southwestern province of Lorestan, an official announced.

Ata Hassanpour, the director-general of Lorestan's Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, said on Monday that the excavations, which began on February 12, have uncovered stone tools, remains of hunted animals such as ibex and deer, and evidence of fire use, strongly suggesting Neanderthal presence.
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Archaeology

Oldest Bronze Age settlement in the Maghreb uncovered, predates arrival of Phoenicians by centuries

Owen Jarus
Live Science
Sat, 08 Mar 2025 21:51 UTC
bronze age morocco oldest settlement
© HBenattia / CC BY SA 4.0New findings at Kach Kouch reveal that agriculture and trade flourished during Maghreb’s Bronze Age, centuries before the Phoenicians arrived.
An archaeological site in the area dates back about 4,200 years.

Archaeologists in Morocco have discovered the remains of a 4,200-year-old settlement that predates the Phoenicians — a surprise given that this region was thought to be uninhabited at that time.

The Phoenicians are famous for settling northern Africa and later battling Rome, but new excavations at the archaeological site of Kach Kouch reveal that northwestern Morocco was inhabited long before the Phoenicians arrived around 800 B.C.

The finds challenge "the notion of north-western Africa as terra nullius [uninhabited area] prior to Phoenician arrival," a team wrote in a study published Feb. 17 in the journal Antiquity. The excavations also suggest that when the Phoenicians arrived, they didn't just take over the site. Instead, evidence indicates that ancient people there built houses using a mix of Phoenician and local architectural styles.
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4,000 years of wisdom: Women's rights and inheritance in the Kültepe Tablets

Leman Altuntaş
Arkeonews Net
Sat, 08 Mar 2025 17:02 UTC
The Vase of İnandık.
© Anadolu AgencyThe Vase of İnandık.
The Kültepe Tablets, discovered in the ancient site of Kültepe (ancient Kanesh) in central Anatolia, are approximately 4,000 years old and provide invaluable insights into the social, economic, and legal aspects of life during the early Bronze Age. One of the most striking features of these tablets is the prominent role that women played in various facets of civilized life, particularly in matters related to rights and inheritance.

The Kültepe tablets reveal that women were active participants in economic activities. They engaged in trade, owned property, and managed businesses. This level of involvement indicates that women were not merely passive figures in society but rather influential agents who contributed to the economic stability of their families and communities. The presence of women in commercial transactions highlights their agency and the respect they commanded in the marketplace.

The head of the Kültepe Excavation, Professor Dr. Fikri Kulakoğlu stated: "Kültepe provides us with one of the largest private archives for the ancient world. Among the documents dating back 4,000 years, we primarily find commercial records. Every event and activity related to trade has been documented here. We can say that everything of value has been recorded. Within this collection, which includes commercial documents, there are also special tablets. These records reflect the daily lives of people at that time and document financial transactions during conflicts of interest.'
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Massive Mesopotamian canal network unearthed in Iraq

Patrick Pester
Live Science
Fri, 07 Mar 2025 17:32 UTC
Researchers have identified an extensive Mesopotamian canal network that supplied ancient farms in the Eridu region with water from the Euphrates river before the first millennium B.C.
ancient Eridu canal network
© Jotheri J, Rokan M, Al-Ghanim A, Rayne L, de Gruchy M, Alabdan R (2025), Antiquity/Cambridge University Press (CC BY 4.0)A Digital Globe satellite image showing part of the ancient Eridu canal network.
The ancient Mesopotamians created a massive, sophisticated network of canals to water their crops more than 3,000 years ago, a new study has revealed.

Researchers found thousands of ancient irrigation canals up to 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) long carved into the landscape near Basra in Iraq, which at the time was the Eridu region of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamians occupied this region along the vast Euphrates river from the sixth millennium B.C. (8,000 to 7,000 years ago) to the early first millennium B.C. (3,000 to 2,000 years ago).

The canals provide researchers with rare insights into the ancient practices of Mesopotamians, according to a statement released by Durham University in the U.K., one of the universities involved in the research.

"This ground-breaking discovery not only enhances our understanding of ancient irrigation systems but also highlights the ingenuity and adaptability of early farmers," Durham University said in the statement.

The researchers published their findings Feb. 18 in the journal Antiquity.
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Bulb

A good idea at the time: A brief history of the U.S. Camel Corps

Charles Apple
The Spokesman-Review
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:42 UTC
camel US cavalry
© History on the NetUS Army experimented with using camels as the military’s main pack animal in the American Southwest.
The idea seems like a simple one, not to mention a good one: equip the U.S. army with camels instead of horses or mules to ease movements and operations in the ever-expanding Western territories of the 1840s and 1850s.

On March 3, 1855 ­ — 170 years ago Monday — Congress appropriated funds for the Army to buy and train camels.

It might have worked out, too ... were it not for a little military disruption called the Civil War.

Bringing Camels To America

As the United States acquired Texas and began pushing westward toward California, the U.S. Army found it increasingly difficult to operate in arid regions it found there.

As early as 1836, the idea of using camels instead of horses or mules had been floated. But no one took the suggestion seriously until 1848, when Maj. Henry C. Wayne of the Quartermaster Corps began pushing for camels. He gained an ally with Mississippi Sen. Jefferson Davis, but again, Congress wasn't inclined to allocate funds to such a project.
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The Celts' astronomical secrets: The Chão de Lamas lunula and the Coligny calendar connection

Leman Altuntaş
Arkeonews Net
Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:09 UTC
lunula
© Piero Baguzzi / R. Matesanz / MAN, Ministerio de Cultura de España
A groundbreaking study published in the journal Palaeohispanica has shed light on the ancient timekeeping practices of the Celts, centering on a unique piece of jewelry known as the lunula from the Chão de Lamas treasure in Portugal. Conducted by Professor Roberto Matesanz Gascón from the University of Valladolid, the research posits that this intricately designed gold artifact may hold crucial information regarding the synchronization of lunar and solar cycles within the Celtic calendar.

Traditionally viewed as a mere decorative item, the lunula — shaped like a half-moon and discovered in Chão de Lamas (Miranda do Corvo, Coimbra) — has now been reinterpreted. Matesanz's analysis of its complex geometric patterns suggests that it could serve as a visual representation of a Celtic calendrical cycle lasting 114 years. This timeframe aligns with six Metonic cycles, each spanning 19 years, which is a known astronomical framework that facilitates the alignment of lunar and solar calendars.

The Coligny calendar, an important epigraphic source from France dating back to the 2nd century AD, provides detailed insights into how the Celts structured their time. It organizes time into five-year cycles comprising 62 months, totaling 1,835 days. However, scholars have long debated how these cycles correspond to the tropical year of 365.24 days.

Matesanz's study is particularly innovative as it establishes a connection between the Coligny calendar and the geometric designs of the Chão de Lamas lunula. He theorizes that the circular motifs on the jewel represent a timekeeping system that adjusts the solar year by eliminating 53 days every 114 years. This intriguing figure of 53 days is also referenced in Irish literary sources, hinting at a potential link to Celtic traditions in Ireland.
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Jet1

IDF carried out Hannibal Directive, new 'Sword of Damocles' operation on October 7

Yonah Jeremy Bob
The Jerusalem Post
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:59 UTC
Ckpoint
© Ben Hakdon/Flash90Israeli security forces • Checkpoint Sderot, Israel • October 7, 2023
The Israeli Air Force was carrying out a new "the Sword of Damocles" operation - a code name only being revealed on Thursday for the first time - to attack many Hamas commanders and their headquarters around 10:30 a.m. on October 7, 2023, just as it was carrying out the "Hannibal Directive" of gunning down anything that moved around the Israel-Gaza border.

The Air Force has been questioned about if the forces it had invested in attacking Hamas commanders deep in Gaza would have been better used to defend the Gaza border and to attack Hamas invaders in Israeli villages.

Air Force sources hoped air power had been used 'differently' on October 7

Air Force sources have said that they wish this air power had been used differently on October 7, given that protecting the villages and the border should have been a higher priority than killing top Hamas officials.

Further, Air Force sources indicated that had they known all of the information being debated between IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and IDF Southern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkleman, such as the Israeli SIM cell phone cards which Hamas had activated in Gaza, they might have pushed for the aircraft to be used differently.

Comment: Grand scale incompetence is a rare admit for Israel.

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