Basiliscoe Mercury 371

The Basiliscoe Mercury 371



The Internet newsletter for the arms and armour community


This week’s exciting discoveries include a sword found in the Middle East and musical tributes to Nelson. Otherwise, investigating the Black Prince’s tomb, update from the Gribshunden and a pilot recovered from his plane lost 80 years ago. And a few chilling stories for Hallowe’en…


Arms and armour in the news



Ancient arms


Reinvestigating Richborough’s amphitheatre – gladiators… https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-59079284



What drives military technology?

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/931988



Excavating Seville’s Roman fort

https://bcfocus.com/the-appearance-...-the-great-archaeological-mystery-of-seville/



Beasts of assorted varieties…


When horses were domesticated

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/dna-genes-modern-domestic-horses-origin-russia


Investigating an ancient Chinese chariot https://www.scmp.com/news/china/sci...chinese-archaeologists-bring-elaborate-bronze



Grave stories


Excavating a Scythian warrior - nice sculpture… https://www.rferl.org/a/scythian-dig-ukraine-river-guardians-discovery/31507187.html


What we learn from dead gladiators https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/t...ferent-story-about-the-ancient-warriors-50717



Studying the Black Prince’s tomb https://www.theartnewspaper.com/202...n-canterbury-cathedral-revealed-by-scientists


Through the arrow-slit . . .



Plans to restore Pakistan’s Nandana fort https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=885498



Stones stolen from Yester Castle

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-59010128


Update on the work at Christiansborg, Ghana https://www.archaeology.org/issues/448-2111/letter-from/10077-ghana-christiansborg-castle


Excavations at Culloden

https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/dig-breaks-new-ground-at-culloden



Cannons to the left, cannon to the right



Vancouver’s cannon falls silent

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/...been-firing-for-over-a-week-heres-why-4531014


The search for lost cannon

https://mynorthwest.com/3205566/a-treasure-hunt-for-phantom-cannons-in-the-evergreen-state/


Perrysburg cannon



https://news.yahoo.com/ready-battle..._PF_BXbKsGEcl0hDs9K9uxrq0cDF_Zr1GsuFqYoNH6j8r



Another cannon stolen

https://www.postguam.com/news/local...cle_68716ebc-3307-11ec-a2c5-1f32f1369a58.html



Miscellany


Dating the Vikings in Canada

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scie...s-occupied-newfoundland-in-1021-ce-180978903/


Inscribed ballista ball found in the Crusader castle of Arsuf https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news...-ball-at-crusader-castle-in-israel-1.10318988


This week’s sword from the waters - a crusader sword from the sea https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/10/diver-discovers-crusader-sword/141706


Archaeologists uncover cache of 19th century weapons in Polish basement https://polandin.com/56526744/archaeologists-discover-large-antique-weapons-collection


Café Basiliscoe


Recreating garum

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/recoving-the-recipe-for-garum-180978846/


80 year old nutcake from Lubeck

https://www.livescience.com/cake-mummy-found-in-germany


With 3000 year old beer

https://english.radio.cz/czech-scientists-brew-beer-according-3000-year-old-recipe-8732300


Princesses and Amazons


Duelling queens

https://www.medievalists.net/2021/1...ition-on-elizabeth-i-and-mary-queen-of-scots/


Feature on 18th century riding habits https://georgianera.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/18th-century-riding-habits/


Into the 20th century


Bombing Pompeii

https://www.openculture.com/2021/10/the-bombing-of-pompeii-during-world-war-ii.html



And investigating a Breton tumulus destroyed in WW2 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/62471



And WW2 bombs still taking toll

https://www.vice.com/en/article/akgx55/world-war-2-bombs-manipur-india-britain-japan



Pilot returned home after crashing plane off Croatia 80 years ago https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10078149/Remains-pilot-lost-sea-WWII-buried-Maine.html


Nautical news


Update on the Gribshunden https://www.smithsonianmag.com/hist...ck-rewriting-history-age-discovery-180978825/


Mysterious wreck on Riga beach - lots of pictures https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/centuries-old-40ft-shipwreck-discovered-25229095


What they found under the mast of the HMS Victory https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-58981472



Volcanic eruptions reveal ships sunk in Japan in WW2 https://nypost.com/2021/10/21/japan...us-emerge-after-volcano-tremors-lift-seabeds/



Harwich’s historic crane to be restored

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/19676350.historic-harwich-crane-restored-thanks-140k-grant/





Museum news and exhibitions



News



Art crimes in time of plague

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/202...ed-during-pandemic-year-interpol-survey-shows



How Covid has changed museums https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/arts/design/british-museums-recovery.html



Russian museums respond to latest covid spike with restricted openings https://www.theartnewspaper.com/202...g-museum-capacity-and-closing-cultural-venues



New museums


Stories from the Imperial War Museum new WW2 galleries https://museumcrush.org/personal-stories-from-the-iwms-new-second-world-war-galleries/


Objects


Set of 6 portraits of sultans for sale https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...anger-portraits-of-ottoman-sultans-go-on-show

10 historic edged weapons

https://www.indiatimes.com/trending...ve-medieval-weapons-auction-price-552686.html


Exhibitions


Coastal Forces at Gosport

https://museumcrush.org/uncovering-the-perilous-story-of-the-royal-navys-coastal-forces/



Holy Roman Empire manuscripts in NY

https://artdaily.com/news/140262/Th...The-Art-of-the-Book-in-the-Holy-Roman-Empire-



Armour from Higgins collection to go on show in Toledo, Ohio https://www.medievalists.net/2021/10/armor-toledo-museum-art/



Books


Make all Sure is back in print

https://www.basiliscoe.com/shop/





Popular culture



Musical tributes to Admiral Nelson found in Museum of London https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...s-to-nelson-found-in-lady-hamiltons-songbooks



And performed in the Museum of Docklands https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/m...songbooks-rediscovered-music-nelson?id=293208



Events


Diary Dates


What’s on in Paris

https://www.musee-armee.fr/au-programme.html


Toledo Conference ICOMAM 15-19 November 2021 https://icomam.mini.icom.museum/374/


Sales, fairs and auctions


Online Auction: 25 October–2 November 2021

The Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armour

https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/the-samurai-japanese-arms-and-armour-1?locale=en


22-26 Nov 2021 Herman Historica

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


Websites and downloads


Kunsthistorisches Museum

https://www.khm.at/en/



1066 etc: Saladin & theCrusades

https://www.medievalists.net/2021/10/writing-the-history-of-the-sultan-saladin/

https://www.medievalists.net/2021/10/the-cross-of-war-in-the-age-of-the-crusades/


Finally some Hallowe’en stories….


Hampton Court

https://www.insider.com/hampton-court-palace-haunted-ghost-stories-2021-10


The Haunted Museum

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Saratoga-Springs-History-Museum-is-haunted-16555381.php


Walking round York with Guy Fawkes

https://www.nation.lk/online/inside...at-s-the-birthplace-of-guy-fawkes-133861.html



Gruesome story of the death of Chinese tomb raider https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/10/28/ancient-tomb-raider-murder-mystery-uncovered-in-china



Medieval ghosts

https://www.medievalists.net/2021/10/ghosts-in-medieval-literature/



MR James: A warning to the Curious https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Warning_to_the_Curious





Compiled by Ruth Rhynas Brown – 31 October 2021

https://twitter.com/Basiliscoe