Basiliscoe Mercury 382

The Basiliscoe Mercury 382


TheInternet newsletter for the arms and armour community


This week we have a number of updates on recent stories, from the Tang armour to the Savannah River cannon. New stories about prehistoric archery, medieval grenades and help for Ukraine’s cultural sector. Plus, sales and conferences.


Arms and armour in the news


Ancient arms


The importance of archery in prehistoric times https://www.theguardian.com/science...ery-was-vital-to-the-survival-of-early-humans


More on the restoration of Tang armour http://www.ecns.cn/news/culture/2022-04-12/detail-ihaxmtii6873717.shtml


Grave stories


Searching for Dark Age royal graves in the UK https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...king-arthur-found-in-great-britain-180979927/


Viking skin turns out not to be

https://www.iflscience.com/plants-a...l-church-doors-is-actually-from-farm-animals/


Edinburgh’s Viking rune stone

https://www.socantscot.org/research-project/runestone-project-2017-18/


Miscellany


Tuscany’s sword in the stone

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0c1ymsq/the-truth-behind-the-legend-of-the-sword-in-the-stone-


Latest research on crusaders’ grenades

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-ancient-grenades-explosive-weapons-medieval.html




Cannons to the left, cannon to the right


Deccan’s neglected cannon

https://telanganatoday.com/deccan-cannons-lie-in-state-of-neglect

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nat...nons-which-once-boomed-now-lie-neglected.html


Who stole Illinois’s Old Main Cannon?

https://news.siu.edu/2022/04/041822...us-myths-in-new-docuseries-Saluki-Sleuths.php


Two Victorian guns in Mumbai to be treated soon by local authoritieshttps://www.hindustantimes.com/citi...ra-cannons-to-past-glory-101650205335610.html


Warwick, Australia’s WW2 German trophy https://warwickstanthorpetoday.com.au/news/2022-04-19/warwick-cenotaphs-hidden-history/


Café Basiliscoe


German gin

https://tvn24.pl/tvn24-news-in-engl...nearth-old-german-juniper-gin-bottles-5673641


Try the Anglo-Saxon diet

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/04/peasants-held-large-barbecues-for-anglo-saxon-royalty/143372


Into the 20th century


Interesting stories about the history of trench art

https://the-past.com/feature/trench-art-the-art-of-war/


New future needed for New Milton’s WW2 turret https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.u...-new-miltons-rare-wartime-gun-turret-9249675/


Nautical news


Looks like another ship burial located in Norway https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/04/survey-locates-boat-grave-from-viking-age/143321https://www.livescience.com/viking-boat-burial-found-norway


13th century cog found under Tallinn http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63895


Short article on under the seas round Croatia

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/62050-adriatic-treasures


Feature on identifying the Sparrowhawkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...own-english-shipwreck-sparrow-hawk-180979880/


Update on Savannah River cannon

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-revolutionary-cannons-river-sunk.html


Intriguing story with a Lyle gun involvement – and picture of the gun https://coastalreview.org/2022/04/public-to-soon-see-hatteras-museums-long-stored-artifacts/


HMS Jason mined in 1917 found off Coll

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/lost-shipwreck-finally-found-after-26809034


Museum ship sinks at the pier

https://gcaptain.com/historic-wwii-destroyer-uss-the-sullivans-sinks-at-pier/



Museum news and exhibitions


News


Funding for Fort Ticonderoga https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/...eral-funding-opens-may-7-for-2022-season.html


Italy’s cultural blue helmets to work with UNESCO https://www.theartnewspaper.com/202...l-with-unesco-to-help-protect-worlds-heritage


New museums


Het Loo re-opens after works

https://artdaily.com/news/145611/Paleis-Het-Loo-reopens-to-the-public


New gallery at Bletchley Park https://www.theartnewspaper.com/202...azi-fighting-history-with-a-contested-present


Museum developments


Helping autistic children on museum visits https://artdaily.com/news/145967/Co...How-zoos-and-museums-are-redefining-inclusion


Inspiring museums

https://artdaily.com/news/145962/V-A-unveils-new-film--Creativity--It-s-what-makes-us-

Museum musings


Tomahawk is going home https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/4/12/peabody-repatriate-ponca-tomahawk/


Cook’s spears return to native peoples https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...e-spears-finally-back-in-australia-180979902/


Glasgow returning items to Nigeria

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/glasgow-benin-bronze-restitution-2099220


Ukraine destroys monument to Russian friendship https://www.theartnewspaper.com/202...v-monument-symbolising-friendship-with-russia


Conservation corner


More museums sending help to Ukraine https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/04/28/venice-museums-send-supplies-to-help-save-ukraines-art


Objects – all Scottish today


Scottish fisherman pulls up ships flare gun from Edinburgh canal https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman....ncient-flare-gun-from-edinburgh-canal-3658059


Story of a Scottish sword

https://www.socantscot.org/research-project/swords-with-stories/


Exhibitions


Kabuki prints at Port Sunlight

https://museumcrush.org/kunichika-and-the-colourful-world-japanese-kabuki-prints/


Books


Dierk Hagedorn, Daniel Jaquet: Dürer's Fight Book; The Genius of the German Renaissance and His Combat Treatise

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Drers-Fight-Book-Hardback/p/21206


Ian Brown: Radar in Scotland 1938–46

https://www.socantscot.org/publications/now-published-radar-in-scotland-1938-46/



NAS has set up a page to sell books and its publications

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/nautarchsoc



Online Book


Gordon J Barclay & Ron Morris: The Fortification of the Firth of Forth 1880–1977: ‘The most powerful naval fortress in the British Empire’

http://books.socantscot.org/digital-books/catalog/book/7


Popular culture


Dressing the Vikings https://www.focusfeatures.com/article/interview_costume-designer_linda-muir


Article on The Man who shot Liberty Valancehttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/apr/22/the-man-who-shot-liberty-valance-great-american-western


Events


Diary Dates


8 May 2020 Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth

Experimental archaeology on ancient longbows

https://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/Event/mary-rose-longbow-day


Conferences


20-28 August 2022 Prague

ICOM-ICOMAM 2022 Annual meeting

https://icomam.mini.icom.museum/icom-icomam-meeting-2022/


17-18 October 2022 London

Armourers & Brasiers/Arms and Armour Society 700th anniversary conference, Armourers Hall, London

https://zfrmz.eu/NTJUW56JEuJHLD5u27uL



Sales, fairs and auctions


2-10 May 2022, London https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/the-samurai-japanese-arms-and-armour-2?locale=en


16th to 20th May 2022 Munich

Arms and armour

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

17-18 May 2022 Morphy’s

Militaria and arms

https://artdaily.com/news/145918/Mi...y-Arms--Militaria--and-Extraordinary-Firearms


25 May 2022, London

Antique Arms and Armour

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27764/antique-arms-and-armour/


26 May 2022, London

Sporting Guns, Rifles and Vintage Firearms

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27765/sporting-guns-rifles-and-vintage-firearms/


Websites and downloads


Museum websites

http://www.klingenmuseum.de/_deutsch/dkm/homepage.html

https://www.awm.gov.au/

https://chesterbeatty.ie/

http://www.getty.edu/museum/


1066 etc Mercenaries, Da Vinci, & castle builders https://www.medievalists.net/2022/04/the-costs-of-war-siena-and-john-hawkwood/

https://www.medievalists.net/2022/04/leonardo-da-vinci-military-engineer/https://www.medievalists.net/2022/04/five-gamechangers-in-english-castle-building/


Finally


This fortnight I tweeted on St George’s day

https://twitter.com/Basiliscoe



Compiled by Ruth Rhynas Brown – 30 April 2022