Featured Basiliscoe Mercury 340: Banned by Facebook!

I wasn’t able to post this as usual on FB, which has decided it goes “against our community standards.” Go figure.


The Basiliscoe Mercury 340


TheInternet newsletter for the arms and armour community


This week, less disease and a lot more statuary! Otherwise prehistoric arrows, the battle of Glenshiel and the Kaiser's gunboat gets protection.


Arms and armour in the news


Ancient arms


Arrows in very ancient times

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-discovery-oldest-arrow-technology-eurasia.html


Siege weaponsfrom antiquity

https://interestingengineering.com/7-common-but-lesser-known-siege-weapons-from-antiquity


Feature on Greek helmets

https://greece.greekreporter.com/20...of-legendary-ancient-greek-warrior-miltiades/


Features on Viking weapons

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/viking-weapons-0013794


Sword - the word

https://blog.oup.com/2020/05/the-cutting-edge-sword-part-1/

https://blog.oup.com/2020/06/the-history-of-the-word-sword-part-2/


Water channels in ancient citadel

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/1...ls-in-turkeys-southeast-remain-mystery-155318


Saddle found in Mongolian grave

https://www.archaeology.org/news/8733-200602-mongolia-wooden-saddle


On the frontlines


Richard I and the siege of Acre

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/the-siege-of-acre-when-the-lionheart-reached-the-holy-land-630711


Battle of Stoke Field

https://www.leftlion.co.uk/read/202...ses-battlefield-nottinghams-military-history/


First database on the Imjin War launched

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/uadb-fdo060420.php


Finds from the battlefield at Glenshiel

https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/evid...ast-doubt-on-confidence-of-government-victory


Through the arrow-slit . . .


Barnard Castle

https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/barnard-castle-history-facts-built-battle-tourist/


Protecting an ancient Japanese castle

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13386723


Lincoln castle re-opens its wall walk

https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2020/06/lincoln-castle-to-reopen-medieval-wall-walk/


Tunnels detected under Szczecin‘s Ducal Castle, Poland

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/...d-under-castle-of-the-pomeranian-dukes/133469


Outer tower located in survey at Teutonic knights’ Elbląg Castle, Poland

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/...r-in-outer-bailey-at-teutonic-fortress/133615


Cannons to the left, cannon to the right


Cannons at Daulatabad fort

https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/daulatabad-fort-puts-cannons-in-perspective-843954.html


Recycling shells

https://www.livescience.com/recycled-civil-war-cannonball.html


Piece about Galway’s historic Crimean cannon

https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/114996/the-guns-in-the-square


Asian round-up


More than one use for the Great Wall of Chinas

https://www.sciencealert.com/new-study-reveals-not-all-of-china-s-great-wall-was-built-for-war


The samurai diplomat

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/...tsunenaga-japan-samurai-charmed-courts-europe



Miscellany


Nice piece on London’s Cutler’s hall

https://lookup.london/cutlehttps://www.medievalists.nehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...oman-tudor-painting-was-identified-180975071/]


Mary Queen of Scots prayer book

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...inscribed-prayer-book-goes-auction-180975051/


The last Civil War pensioner

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/last-person-receive-civil-war-pension-dies-180975049/


Nautical news


SMS Grosser Kurfürst lost 1878 and its monument protected

https://www.theguardian.com/culture...reck-off-kent-coast-given-heritage-protection


WW2 landing craft found off Wales

https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/sunken-second-world-war-landing-craft-found.htm



Museum news and exhibitions


News


Italian museums re-invent themselves for locals, not tourists

https://artdaily.com/news/124253/It...seums--with-no-tourists-in-sight#.Xtn6dm5FyUk


Hermitage, Amsterdam re-opens

https://artdaily.com/news/124370/Th...opens-with-extended-ex,hibitions#.Xt3u7G5FyUk


Doge’s Palace (and armoury) re-opens

https://artdaily.com/news/124554/Doge-s-Palace-reopens-as-tourists-flock-back-to-Venice#.XuXdwG5FyUk



Syrian culture under attack

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...-syrian-heritage-museums-200608082049725.html


Museum developments


Virtual Terracotta warriors exhibition opens for Australians

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-06/12/c_139133652.htm


Virtual exhibition on the Field of the Cloth of Gold at the Armouries

https://royalarmouries.org/tudor-power-glory/


Museum musings- all statues this week


Statues move back into the limelight:A round up of controversial statues

https://artdaily.com/news/124540/Toppled--beheaded--daubed--five-controversial-statues#.XuXdGzHsZ9A


USA

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...numents-across-country-coming-down-180975052/

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/monuments-dismantled-in-us-protests

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/new...-monument-to-confederate-general-robert-e-lee

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/christopher-columbus-statues-beheaded-torn-down-180975079/


Belgium

https://artdaily.com/news/124308/Fo...-Belgium-confronts-colonial-past#.Xttjg25FyUk

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/leopold-ii-monument


Bristol

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...pled-slave-trader-black-lives-matter-protests


In Prague they are putting up replicas

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...of-baroque-virgin-mary-statue-toppled-in-1918


Conservation corner


Short piece about dendrochronology and history

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/tree-ring-analysis-has-solved-many-historical-mysteries




Objects


Story of a Tasmanian firearm

https://www.theadvocate.com.au/stor...iscovered-in-mysterious-150-year-old-shotgun/


Weird objectsfrom the Soane Museum, includes fin from WW2 bomb

https://museumcrush.org/some-of-the-weirder-objects-in-sir-john-soanes-museum/


Exhibitions


Evacuating Paris

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...Z2-a00ynTzSWbP2lc_Rja05pnnTnb0H1BIGe6ysAlh0qk



Books


Neil Grant: The Medieval Longsword

https://ospreypublishing.com/store/...s/available-this-month/the-medieval-longsword


Latest from Pen and Sword, with special offers on e-books

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/


Online Book


Tudor Power & Glory: Henry VIII and the Field of Cloth and Gold eBook

https://shop.royalarmouries.org/col...ry-viii-and-the-field-of-cloth-and-gold-ebook



Popular culture


Medieval films

https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/movies-like-the-green-knight.html


Medieval films set in North America

https://www.medievalists.net/2020/06/medieval-movies-set-north-america/


Vietnam war films

https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...nter-soldier-10-of-the-best-vietnam-war-films


Ten Penguin classics

https://www.medievalists.net/2020/06/middle-ages-penguin-classics-books/



Events


Sales Fairs and auctions


22 - 27June 2020: Online auction

https://www.hermann-historica.de/en/auctions


30 July 2020 London

https://www.olympiaauctions.com/auctions-valuations/auction-calendar/



Websites and downloads


1066 etc: 100 years’ war, Mamelukes and Crusaders

https://www.medievalists.net/2020/06/tenglish-blunders/

https://www.medievalists.net/2020/06/mamluks-vs-crusaders/


This fortnight I enjoyed the stories and pictures from @Look_UpLondon

https://twitter.com/Basiliscoe


Compiled by Ruth Rhynas Brown –16 June 2020


Some people have asked me about making a contribution to the Newsletter – if you would like to support us, you can make a donation here through our Paypal account – see here for details:

http://www.basiliscoe.com/id2.html

 

It's very strange to be witnessing the efforts to eradicate history. Another reason not to like Facebook.

 

I never joined but from what I hear from others there are more leaving than coming

 

My husband who reposted a political cartoon had it taken down and was warned about his postings.

There is no freedom of speech unless you say what they want you to say.

 

Mark Zuckerberg (Suckerberg!) has been trying hard to do the bidding of the Chinese communist party to be allowed into China as it continues to be banned there. So it's their rules or nothing, to please China, be politically correct, etc CC49 is right! FB and Twitter, YouTube, Google... it's freedom of speech only if and when one agrees with them and toes the line; it's becoming increasingly difficult if not altogether impossible to say anything unless they allow it! Time for a change!