Medieval History
The Voynich Manuscript has confounded scholars ever since it was revealed by a book dealer named Wilfrid Voynich in the early part of the 20th century. There have been several theories of when this odd manuscript, which contains bizarre images and indecipherable writing, was created, with some believing it dates back to the Middle Ages.
In his article Cracking the Voynich Code, Batya Ungar-Sargon takes a look at the history of the manuscript. Radiocarbon dating finds that the manuscript was made between 1404 and 1438, although we do not know when the ink was written on it. Still, some believe the manuscript is really just a hoax, perhaps created in the 17th or even the 20th century. You can read the article on Tablet Magazine.
Icelanders are seeing the potential value of its medieval archaeological sites as tourist attractions, according to an article in the Iceland Review Online. Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir, director general of the Icelandic Tourist Board, explains that ?Nature still has the most attraction but culture, in a broad sense, is gaining popularity. Tourists are constantly seeking new experiences and not least the interplay between daily life and nature through centuries. Strategic development of tourism related to cultural values like archaeological remains plays a big part in that context.?
However, she also warns that the her country needs to do a better job protecting archaeological sites from environmental degradation. Click here to read this article from Iceland Review Online.
Meanwhile, Chinese archaeologists report that they might have discovered the tomb of Emperor Yang Guang, who was the last ruler of the Sui Dynasty. The small tomb contains a gravestone that identifies the emperor and relates events about the year he died, 618. However, Shu Jiaping, head of Yangzhou's Institute of Archaeology, warns "we're still not sure whether it was the emperor's final resting place, as historical records said his tomb had been relocated several times."
Emperor Yang Shang had a very active rule, ordering major building projects including a Grand Canal and rebuilding large parts of the Great Wall. But his construction work and military campaigns bankrupted the state, eventually leading to a coup in which he was murdered. Click here to read the full article from the China Daily.
- The Melodies Of The Emperors
In ancient China, court music was so valued that musicians and their instruments were buried with the emperor after the ruler?s death. In fact, so respected was such music that it spread to imperial courts in Japan, Korea and Vietnam. But in the early...
- The First Emperor's Terracotta Army Recruited Outside China
Acrobats from Burma, workers from Central or West Asia, and a mausoleum design inspired by work in the Middle East ? the Mausoleum of China?s First Emperor was a cosmopolitan place says Dr. Duan Qingbo, the man in charge of excavating it. The mausoleum...
- Renowned Archeologists Agree On Tomb Of Ancient Chinese Legendary Ruler
More than 120 renowned Chinese archaeologists on Sunday agreed that an ancient tomb belonged to Cao Cao, a cunning general and ruler who lived some 1,800 years ago, amid doubts about its authenticity. "After discussions about excavated items from the...
- Cao Cao's Tomb To Become Tourist Destination
Cao Cao, a politician and general from the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280), couldn't have been more wrong in his thinking that as long as his tomb was built with austerity, tomb raiders would leave it alone and he could enjoy peace in his final...
- Tomb Of Cao Cao, Famous Chinese Ruler, Discovered
The grave of Cao Cao (AD 155-220), the founder of Wei Kingdom - the strongest and most prosperous state during the Three Kingdoms period, was discovered in Anyang City in central China's Henan Province, archaeologists announced Sunday in Beijing....
Medieval History
Found in China, what to find in Iceland, and why we may never find the secret of the Voynich Manuscript
In his article Cracking the Voynich Code, Batya Ungar-Sargon takes a look at the history of the manuscript. Radiocarbon dating finds that the manuscript was made between 1404 and 1438, although we do not know when the ink was written on it. Still, some believe the manuscript is really just a hoax, perhaps created in the 17th or even the 20th century. You can read the article on Tablet Magazine.
Icelanders are seeing the potential value of its medieval archaeological sites as tourist attractions, according to an article in the Iceland Review Online. Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir, director general of the Icelandic Tourist Board, explains that ?Nature still has the most attraction but culture, in a broad sense, is gaining popularity. Tourists are constantly seeking new experiences and not least the interplay between daily life and nature through centuries. Strategic development of tourism related to cultural values like archaeological remains plays a big part in that context.?
However, she also warns that the her country needs to do a better job protecting archaeological sites from environmental degradation. Click here to read this article from Iceland Review Online.
Meanwhile, Chinese archaeologists report that they might have discovered the tomb of Emperor Yang Guang, who was the last ruler of the Sui Dynasty. The small tomb contains a gravestone that identifies the emperor and relates events about the year he died, 618. However, Shu Jiaping, head of Yangzhou's Institute of Archaeology, warns "we're still not sure whether it was the emperor's final resting place, as historical records said his tomb had been relocated several times."
Emperor Yang Shang had a very active rule, ordering major building projects including a Grand Canal and rebuilding large parts of the Great Wall. But his construction work and military campaigns bankrupted the state, eventually leading to a coup in which he was murdered. Click here to read the full article from the China Daily.
- The Melodies Of The Emperors
In ancient China, court music was so valued that musicians and their instruments were buried with the emperor after the ruler?s death. In fact, so respected was such music that it spread to imperial courts in Japan, Korea and Vietnam. But in the early...
- The First Emperor's Terracotta Army Recruited Outside China
Acrobats from Burma, workers from Central or West Asia, and a mausoleum design inspired by work in the Middle East ? the Mausoleum of China?s First Emperor was a cosmopolitan place says Dr. Duan Qingbo, the man in charge of excavating it. The mausoleum...
- Renowned Archeologists Agree On Tomb Of Ancient Chinese Legendary Ruler
More than 120 renowned Chinese archaeologists on Sunday agreed that an ancient tomb belonged to Cao Cao, a cunning general and ruler who lived some 1,800 years ago, amid doubts about its authenticity. "After discussions about excavated items from the...
- Cao Cao's Tomb To Become Tourist Destination
Cao Cao, a politician and general from the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280), couldn't have been more wrong in his thinking that as long as his tomb was built with austerity, tomb raiders would leave it alone and he could enjoy peace in his final...
- Tomb Of Cao Cao, Famous Chinese Ruler, Discovered
The grave of Cao Cao (AD 155-220), the founder of Wei Kingdom - the strongest and most prosperous state during the Three Kingdoms period, was discovered in Anyang City in central China's Henan Province, archaeologists announced Sunday in Beijing....