The True meaning of Christmas wonderfully done.
NEW! Exploring The Book of Mormon In Americas Heartland Photographic Book
NEW! Exploring the Book of Mormon In America's Heartland, A Visual Journey of Discovery by Rod L. Meldrum is a gorgeous, large format 200+ page heirloom quality photographic journey into the exciting new "Heartland Model" geography. Click on the Picture above to learn more. Picture Book Cover Click to Order
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox (What is the Grace of Jesus Christ)
Brad Wilcox was serving as a member of the Sunday School General Board of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as a BYU associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education in the David O. McKay School of Education when this devotional address was given on 12 July 2011.
I invite everyone to listen to this talk about the Grace of Jesus Christ, no matter your Religion or form of Christianity, this is an amazing simplistic talk about "His Grace IS Sufficient" I think anyone can learn and share with others about this topic, yes Brad is LDS, but take the time to listen then apply it in our own lives regardless of religion.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Scholar Unveils Ancient Script That Allegedly Quotes Jesus Referring to Wife | TheBlaze.com
Scholar Unveils Ancient Script That Allegedly Quotes Jesus Referring to Wife | TheBlaze.com
BOSTON (TheBlaze/AP) — A Harvard University professor has unveiled a fourth century fragment of papyrus that she says is the only existing ancient text that quotes Jesus explicitly referring to having a wife.
Scholar Unveils Ancient Script That Allegedly Quotes Jesus Referring to ‘Wife’
- Posted on September 18, 2012 at 7:27pm by
Jason Howerton
- Print »
- Email »
This Sept. 5, 2012 photo released by Harvard University shows a fourth century fragment of papyrus that divinity professor Karen L. King says is the only existing ancient text that quotes Jesus explicitly referring to having a wife. King, an expert in the history of Christianity, says the text contains a dialogue in which Jesus refers to "my wife," whom he identified as Mary. King says the fragment of Coptic script is a copy of a gospel, probably written in Greek in the second century. (Credit: AP)
Karen King, an expert in the history of Christianity, says the text contains a dialogue in which Jesus refers to ‘‘my wife,’’ whom he identified as Mary. King says the fragment of Coptic script is a copy of a gospel, probably written in Greek in the second century.
King unveiled the fragment of the ‘‘Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’’ in Rome on Tuesday. She says it doesn’t prove Jesus was married but speaks to issues of family and marriage that faced Christians.
King says on a Harvard website that the dialogue includes the disciples discussing whether Mary is worthy and Jesus saying ‘‘she can be my disciple.’’
“This fragment suggests that some early Christians had a tradition that Jesus was married,” King told The New York Times. “There was, we already know, a controversy in the second century over whether Jesus was married, caught up with a debate about whether Christians should marry and have sex.”
King claims she received an email in 2010 from a private collector who requested she translate the ancient text. King, 58, has reportedly written books on the Gospel of Judas, the Gospel of Mary of Magdala, Gnosticism and women in antiquity.
The man who actually made the discovery asked not be be identified because, “He doesn’t want to be hounded by people who want to buy this,” King said.
Though many questions still remain, the discovery could again bring up theories that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s wife and whether he had a female disciple.
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My thoughts on this,
It is my belief is that he was married to Mary, he did have a wife, as it makes complete sense to me, if Jesus Christ was our perfect example in all things, part of what his Father in Heaven commanded the children of Adam and Eve was to marry and to have children, so for me at least it makes perfect sense, as he tells us to marry and raise families in order to fully understand life here on Earth and in Eternity, part of Eternal progression is Family Based lives.
So I know I am controversial on this, however after the Original 12 Apostles were killed, and other leaders Christ put in charge there was a falling away of truth, and stories as well.... many versions of Christianity came forth, the largest would be the Catholic's of course. Eventually even they splintered as the Holy Bible was printed in other languages, and became available to the normal common person to read. The Reformation took place a great awakening. Many other churches developed over time from this era in history.
So there have been legends, myths about this topic. Now I see this as a possible verification of it.
Either way it will not tarnish my personal knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World for all humankind, he is the literal Son of God the Father, he is the light of truth for all, and will be the final judge of all humankind for their actions or in actions during their lives here on Earth. May we all find Christ, and live good lives following his example on how to treat one another as we can read in the Gospels in the Holy Bible. This truth I know and do bear testimony of its reality.
God Bless America, and the whole Earth to some day find the True Peace as taught by Jesus Christ. Let us all have our Free Agency to choose Good and light vs. Evil and darkness, remain and be available for ever. Let no government take that agency from us for it was Granted by God.
Stephen Huls.
“This fragment suggests that some early Christians had a tradition that Jesus was married,” King told The New York Times. “There was, we already know, a controversy in the second century over whether Jesus was married, caught up with a debate about whether Christians should marry and have sex.”
(Photo Credit: FILE)
The man who actually made the discovery asked not be be identified because, “He doesn’t want to be hounded by people who want to buy this,” King said.
Though many questions still remain, the discovery could again bring up theories that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s wife and whether he had a female disciple.
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My thoughts on this,
It is my belief is that he was married to Mary, he did have a wife, as it makes complete sense to me, if Jesus Christ was our perfect example in all things, part of what his Father in Heaven commanded the children of Adam and Eve was to marry and to have children, so for me at least it makes perfect sense, as he tells us to marry and raise families in order to fully understand life here on Earth and in Eternity, part of Eternal progression is Family Based lives.
So I know I am controversial on this, however after the Original 12 Apostles were killed, and other leaders Christ put in charge there was a falling away of truth, and stories as well.... many versions of Christianity came forth, the largest would be the Catholic's of course. Eventually even they splintered as the Holy Bible was printed in other languages, and became available to the normal common person to read. The Reformation took place a great awakening. Many other churches developed over time from this era in history.
So there have been legends, myths about this topic. Now I see this as a possible verification of it.
Either way it will not tarnish my personal knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World for all humankind, he is the literal Son of God the Father, he is the light of truth for all, and will be the final judge of all humankind for their actions or in actions during their lives here on Earth. May we all find Christ, and live good lives following his example on how to treat one another as we can read in the Gospels in the Holy Bible. This truth I know and do bear testimony of its reality.
God Bless America, and the whole Earth to some day find the True Peace as taught by Jesus Christ. Let us all have our Free Agency to choose Good and light vs. Evil and darkness, remain and be available for ever. Let no government take that agency from us for it was Granted by God.
Stephen Huls.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Lazeria Map Collection: Is the Earth Hollow? Interesting theory?
Due to the many stories and myths about the lost history or hidden facts about an unknown land to the North of North America and the other nations of the Northern hemisphere.
I add this as food for thought, as these people walk us through some facts of ancient to modern maps and map makers it is a very intriguing theory based upon what they have to share.
I say if your mind is open and creative it is a fun journey in the listening / watching of this video.
Then you have to opportunity to verify for one's self what they share.
Much is known, much is unknown about our planet Earth, I do know that through out the ages, those who rule make the history to be passed on, so things can be lost, and found.
Since the blog is for Hidden or lost information, then I shall add this, as Some Native American's do speak of emerging from the inner earth or under world, some speak of races they had interactions with as well. The Vikings of Greenland speak of a lost city where one of their own disappeared to the lands of the north long ago, and the Inuit speak of watching them walk northward.
Many things still left to find in the puzzle known as the history and doings of life on Earth.
Let us all enjoy our journey of discovery, may we always keep and open mind, for that which today we may call fact of science, just a few years in the future will be scoffed at with us being the silly people as they find new evidences for the science that will be known then verses now.
Good journey.
I add this as food for thought, as these people walk us through some facts of ancient to modern maps and map makers it is a very intriguing theory based upon what they have to share.
I say if your mind is open and creative it is a fun journey in the listening / watching of this video.
Then you have to opportunity to verify for one's self what they share.
Much is known, much is unknown about our planet Earth, I do know that through out the ages, those who rule make the history to be passed on, so things can be lost, and found.
Since the blog is for Hidden or lost information, then I shall add this, as Some Native American's do speak of emerging from the inner earth or under world, some speak of races they had interactions with as well. The Vikings of Greenland speak of a lost city where one of their own disappeared to the lands of the north long ago, and the Inuit speak of watching them walk northward.
Many things still left to find in the puzzle known as the history and doings of life on Earth.
Let us all enjoy our journey of discovery, may we always keep and open mind, for that which today we may call fact of science, just a few years in the future will be scoffed at with us being the silly people as they find new evidences for the science that will be known then verses now.
Good journey.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Romney Campaign Officially Announces Paul Ryan as Vice Presidential Running Mate | TheBlaze.com
Romney Campaign Officially Announces Paul Ryan as Vice Presidential Running Mate | TheBlaze.com
Mitt Romney has tapped Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan to be his vice presidential running mate, ending weeks of speculation about who would join the former Massachusetts governor on the Republican ticket.
The Romney campaign announced the Ryan pick to supporters beginning at about 7 a.m. Saturday via an iPhone app.
Romney and Ryan will appear together later in the morning at a naval museum in Norfolk, Va.
Multiple news outlets began reporting that Ryan was Romney’s choice shortly after midnight Saturday, but the app announcement was the campaign’s first official word.
The website romneyryan.com went live early Saturday morning, as did the new Twitter handle @PaulRyanVP.
At 7:43 a.m., a tweet on Romney’s official Twitter account stated: “I am proud to announce @PaulRyanVP as my VP. Stand with us today. http://mi.tt/Romney-Ryan#RomneyRyan2012.”
Romney Campaign Makes it Official: It’s Paul Ryan
- Posted on August 11, 2012 at 7:22am by
Madeleine Morgenstern - Print »
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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) campaigned together earlier this year in Wisconsin. The Romney campaign announced Saturday morning Ryan would be his vice presidential running mate. (AP)
The Romney campaign announced the Ryan pick to supporters beginning at about 7 a.m. Saturday via an iPhone app.
Romney and Ryan will appear together later in the morning at a naval museum in Norfolk, Va.
The "Mitt's VP" app officially announced the news Saturday morning.
The website romneyryan.com went live early Saturday morning, as did the new Twitter handle @PaulRyanVP.
At 7:43 a.m., a tweet on Romney’s official Twitter account stated: “I am proud to announce @PaulRyanVP as my VP. Stand with us today. http://mi.tt/Romney-Ryan
Friday, August 10, 2012
Brigham Young University's Neal A. Maxwell Institute Fires Ardent Heartland Critics, "Heartland" Book of Mormon Geography Model of North America.
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Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Clinton Emerson on SOFREP Gives Tips for Women Traveling and Visiting Foreign Countries Safely in General | TheBlaze.com
Clinton Emerson on SOFREP Gives Tips for Women Traveling and Visiting Foreign Countries Safely in General | TheBlaze.com
Good advice for those who travel a lot.
Who better to get personal safety advice from than a well-decorated special operations member who now runs a company that helps the government and other agencies whose employees are required to travel internationally? Clinton Emerson, CEO of Escape the Wolf, gives the readers of the SOFREP (the Special Operations Forces Report) tips for both international travel in general, as well as more specific advice for females.
Emerson himself served for nearly 20 years in combat and other Department of Defense operations. His tips on SOFREP are broken into two posts.
First, he writes that as more women have become involved in elite operations over the years, “lessons [have been] learned [...] that have allowed them to get in and out of hostile environments undetected.” Culling through these lessons, Emerson provides those that are important for personal safety and offers them as what you “should and shouldn’t do to blend in, decrease exposure, and ultimately elude any potential threats.”
Here are just a few compiled from his categories of personal security and preventing sexual assault:
With regard to international travel in general — although Emerson writes even L.A. can be dangerous — as hostile protests become more prevalent, he first suggests waiting to travel until “economic crutches are removed and solutions implemented.” If travel can’t be avoided, here are some of Emerson’s tips, including those for situations of civil unrest or meeting a checkpoint:
Good advice for those who travel a lot.
Top Tips for International Trips and Female Travelers…from a Former Special Ops Guy
- Posted on August 1, 2012 at 8:12am by
Liz Klimas - Print »
- Email »
- Customers wait to check luggage at O’Hare International Airport. Emerson offers tips for labeling your baggage as well. Read his full post to find out more. (Photo: AP//Nam Y. Huh)
Emerson himself served for nearly 20 years in combat and other Department of Defense operations. His tips on SOFREP are broken into two posts.
First, he writes that as more women have become involved in elite operations over the years, “lessons [have been] learned [...] that have allowed them to get in and out of hostile environments undetected.” Culling through these lessons, Emerson provides those that are important for personal safety and offers them as what you “should and shouldn’t do to blend in, decrease exposure, and ultimately elude any potential threats.”
Here are just a few compiled from his categories of personal security and preventing sexual assault:
- Observe local customs as much as possible and try to learn unintended implications of your personal behavior, mannerisms and dress. For example, smiling, making eye contact or touching males can be misunderstood in some cultures.
- Carry your handbag on the side away from the street to avoid grab-and-run attacks.
- Stay at reputable hotels and avoid rooms by elevators, hallways or terraces.
- Choose a room above the ground floor but not higher than the seventh floor for fire safety purposes.
- You are at your most vulnerable arriving and departing from your hotel. Don’t linger in the public space around the hotel, the parking lot or indoor garage.
- Use a door alarm, carry a whistle and keep a self-defense weapon near your bed (a fishing weight wrapped in a handkerchief makes a great weapon).
- Wear clothing that is hard to remove. Avoid tight-fitting clothing and make-up.
- Consider wearing a wedding or similar ring, even if you aren’t married.
- Remember, assaults can also be at the hands of acquaintances, so choose fixers, interpreters and drivers carefully.
- Avoid wearing anything that could be grabbed – jewelry, ponytail, etc.
With regard to international travel in general — although Emerson writes even L.A. can be dangerous — as hostile protests become more prevalent, he first suggests waiting to travel until “economic crutches are removed and solutions implemented.” If travel can’t be avoided, here are some of Emerson’s tips, including those for situations of civil unrest or meeting a checkpoint:
- Invest in good local interpreters recommended by the embassy, local being the most important word.
- Established, personal relationships go a long way. Where possible, have someone on the ground maintain ongoing working relationships in underdeveloped parts of the world.
- Have an exit strategy at all times. Plan this in advance, before heading into any situation, especially one where there is civil unrest.
- Run… BEFORE all else fails. Be aware of your surroundings at all times, identify potential risks and set invisible thresholds. Take action if threats cross the thresholds you have set in advance.
- If possible, avoid the checkpoint. It might be an ambush. If legitimate, third-world countries have weak economies and poor training – a potentially deadly combination when you’re stopped and at the mercy of someone (sometimes a kid) with an AK-47.
- A line of traffic and soldiers/police vehicles often signals a checkpoint ahead.
- When approaching a checkpoint, overwhelm the security personnel with kindness, yet always be cautious!
- Show the palm of your hand, have your ID ready, but don’t immediately give up who you are or your occupation.
- Start with broad explanations when asked where you are from – Example: America.
- Don’t roll windows all the way down. Keep all doors locked. If asked to roll windows down more, roll them down, but never all the way. Or, say the window is broken, or that you are not able to roll them down.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Restoring Love - A World Wide Event I invite all to watch
Restoring Love
What? Over the past two years, Glenn has traveled the world promoting messages of faith, freedom, honor and love. This July, Glenn brings the global movement for good home to Dallas, Texas with Restoring Love. This series of events concludes with an epic show LIVE from Dallas Cowboys Stadium, featuring a host of musical performances and an empowering speech by Glenn himself. Join Glenn and countless others as they pledge to build a better America for us all through service and love. Don't miss this historic event! Click to read a special letter from Glenn.
When and Where? Watch all the events LIVE (or on demand), including Saturday's main event on July 28th with coverage beginning at 8:00pm ET, exclusively on GBTV Plus! Click for the full broadcast schedule.
How do I watch if I can't be in Dallas? Live coverage will be available exclusively on GBTV Plus.
Why GBTV Plus? Why now? As a GBTV Plus subscriber, you will be guaranteed a front row seat to all of Glenn's thought provoking daily programs, plus you'll have access to riveting documentaries, huge special events like Restoring Love, LIVE election coverage, and a slew of other original programs covering everything from politics to comedy. All this content is what makes GBTV more than just a network — it makes it a catalyst for action! No matter how hard it gets, we remain committed to bringing you revolutionary, real-time, and relevant programming available anytime, anywhere.
What? Over the past two years, Glenn has traveled the world promoting messages of faith, freedom, honor and love. This July, Glenn brings the global movement for good home to Dallas, Texas with Restoring Love. This series of events concludes with an epic show LIVE from Dallas Cowboys Stadium, featuring a host of musical performances and an empowering speech by Glenn himself. Join Glenn and countless others as they pledge to build a better America for us all through service and love. Don't miss this historic event! Click to read a special letter from Glenn.
When and Where? Watch all the events LIVE (or on demand), including Saturday's main event on July 28th with coverage beginning at 8:00pm ET, exclusively on GBTV Plus! Click for the full broadcast schedule.
How do I watch if I can't be in Dallas? Live coverage will be available exclusively on GBTV Plus.
Why GBTV Plus? Why now? As a GBTV Plus subscriber, you will be guaranteed a front row seat to all of Glenn's thought provoking daily programs, plus you'll have access to riveting documentaries, huge special events like Restoring Love, LIVE election coverage, and a slew of other original programs covering everything from politics to comedy. All this content is what makes GBTV more than just a network — it makes it a catalyst for action! No matter how hard it gets, we remain committed to bringing you revolutionary, real-time, and relevant programming available anytime, anywhere.
GBTV Plus ProgrammingFeatures Glenn's daily show, plus a full slate of original programming including a nightly news show, documentaries, reality TV, programming for your kids and specials covering a myriad of entertaining and enlightening topics.
Available AnywhereViewers can watch GBTV on multiple devices including their computer, TV (via Roku or Boxee), iPhone®, iPad® and iPod® touch through the GBTV app.
Available AnywhereAll programs are broadcast in and are available live or on-demand.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Seth Huls: July 4, 2012Seth has moved on from Freight-liner...
Seth Huls: July 4, 2012
July 4, 2012
Seth has moved on from Freight-liner of Utah after 4 months of working with them. They felt he did not quite fit in with a member of management, thus to his surprise and his co workers they let him go.
Seth is currently looking for a New home to share his skills with and to learn from their years of experiences they can share with him.
He hopes to find another Mechanic's job that will allow him to grow and advance with them while helping the company to the best of his abilities. A company that has a possible long term future.
If you or anyone you know are in need of a good mechanic contact Seth and interview him to see if his skills and personality will fit your style of business.
Thanks for stopping by.
July 4, 2012
Seth has moved on from Freight-liner of Utah after 4 months of working with them. They felt he did not quite fit in with a member of management, thus to his surprise and his co workers they let him go.
Seth is currently looking for a New home to share his skills with and to learn from their years of experiences they can share with him.
He hopes to find another Mechanic's job that will allow him to grow and advance with them while helping the company to the best of his abilities. A company that has a possible long term future.
If you or anyone you know are in need of a good mechanic contact Seth and interview him to see if his skills and personality will fit your style of business.
Thanks for stopping by.
Oldest Map With the Word ‘America’ on it Discovered at Ludwig Maximilian University Library | TheBlaze.com
Oldest Map With the Word ‘America’ on it Discovered at Ludwig Maximilian University Library | TheBlaze.com
Oldest Map With the Word ‘America’ on it Discovered in Germany…Between Two Geometry Books!
- Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:16am by
Billy Hallowell - Print »
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The discovery of a 500-year-old map in a German university library just a few days ago ended up becoming the oldest — and the first — global sketch to mention the name “America.”
Experts assumed that there were only four copies of German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller’s maps, but the discovery of a fifth at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is a bombshell of sorts. It is believed that Waldseemueller, who died in 1522, produced the map himself.
His global drawings hold major significance. One of the four was sold at an auction for $1 million back in 2005, showcasing just how valuable the maps are in terms of historical value and intrigue. According to the university, the other three are in Minneapolis, Offenburg and in the Bavarian State Library in Munich.
The fifth map was discovered by a bibliographer who was working on revising the library’s catalogue. It was apparently “nestled between two printed works on geometry.”
“The new find shows the world divided into 12 segments which taper to a point at each end and are printed on a single sheet, which, when folded out, form a small globe, with the three rightmost segments depicting a boomerang-shaped territory named America,” reports the Telegraph.
A web site setup by the university to offer the public a closer look at the map explains, in detail, more about the discovery:
(H/T: The Telegraph via Business Insider)
Experts assumed that there were only four copies of German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller’s maps, but the discovery of a fifth at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is a bombshell of sorts. It is believed that Waldseemueller, who died in 1522, produced the map himself.
Image Credit: Ludwig Maximilian University
The fifth map was discovered by a bibliographer who was working on revising the library’s catalogue. It was apparently “nestled between two printed works on geometry.”
“The new find shows the world divided into 12 segments which taper to a point at each end and are printed on a single sheet, which, when folded out, form a small globe, with the three rightmost segments depicting a boomerang-shaped territory named America,” reports the Telegraph.
A globe that was made after the copy of the map segment in the library. (Image Credit: Ludwig Maximilian University)
The “new” Munich copy of the segmented map itself has obviously followed a tortuous course to reach its present haven. And the story of this voyage is at least as fascinating as that of the discovery and exploration of the New World. Its latest chapter began only a few days ago in the Munich University Library. [...] The 19th-century librarians, at any rate, had failed to recognize the significance of Waldseemüller’s map…The first copy of the segmental maps to be discovered only turned up in 1871, in the Hauslab-Liechtenstein Library in Vienna. “And the Munich copy was returned to the obscurity of the stacks.”You can read the rest of the history here and check out some of the images and interactives the university created for the general public to view.
But it survived the Second World War unscathed, although the University Library itself was devastated by air raids. In November 1942, large portions of the holdings of older books, including the unassuming volume containing the two geometry treatises, had been transferred to a safer rural location. Stefan Kuttner has ascertained that the book was among the contents of deposit box No. 340, which was first stowed away in Burghausen, and later transported to Niederviehbach near Landshut. The box was returned to Munich in 1955, and provisionally stored in the Northeastern Repository at LMU.
(H/T: The Telegraph via Business Insider)
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Jade Axes Proof of Vast Ancient Caribbean Network, Experts Say
Jade Axes Proof of Vast Ancient Caribbean Network, Experts Say
But the jade used to make the blades almost certainly came from Maya mines in distant Guatemala (see map of Guatemala), says mineralogist George Harlow of the American Museum of Natural History.
The find may call into question a once dominant archaeological picture of the pre-Columbian Caribbean.
Previous theories held that a few big or budding civilizations existed on the mainland of Central America, with only isolated, village-based societies on islands in the Caribbean Sea.
The new analysis gives weight to a competing view, which suggests that organized, long-distance trade networks were based primarily on those islands.
"There has been a closed mind-set that these [ancient] people out here were primitive, but we are learning there was a whole world out here we don't yet fully know about," said Reg Murphy, an archaeologist at the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda in St. John's, Antigua.
Murphy collaborated with Harlow on the research.
Murphy says it's likely that complex societies not only existed on the islands but also communicated with other cultures in South America along the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers.
"Those rivers [in South America] were highways of exchange that extended around the coast all the way to Guatemala," he said.
Harlow and Murphy's research team reported its findings in the April issue of the journal Canadian Mineralogist.
Saladoid Culture
Jade Axes Proof of Vast Ancient Caribbean Network, Experts Say
Charles Petit
for National Geographic News
for National Geographic News
June 12, 2006
A discovery of ancient jade could shake up old notions of the New World before Columbus. Scientists say they have traced 1,500-year-old axe blades found in the eastern Caribbean to ancient jade mines in Central America 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) away, New York's American Museum of Natural History announced late last month.
The blades were excavated in the late 1990s by a Canadian archaeologist on the island of Antigua in the West Indies (see map of Antigua and Barbuda). But the jade used to make the blades almost certainly came from Maya mines in distant Guatemala (see map of Guatemala), says mineralogist George Harlow of the American Museum of Natural History.
The find may call into question a once dominant archaeological picture of the pre-Columbian Caribbean.
Previous theories held that a few big or budding civilizations existed on the mainland of Central America, with only isolated, village-based societies on islands in the Caribbean Sea.
The new analysis gives weight to a competing view, which suggests that organized, long-distance trade networks were based primarily on those islands.
"There has been a closed mind-set that these [ancient] people out here were primitive, but we are learning there was a whole world out here we don't yet fully know about," said Reg Murphy, an archaeologist at the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda in St. John's, Antigua.
Murphy collaborated with Harlow on the research.
Murphy says it's likely that complex societies not only existed on the islands but also communicated with other cultures in South America along the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers.
"Those rivers [in South America] were highways of exchange that extended around the coast all the way to Guatemala," he said.
Harlow and Murphy's research team reported its findings in the April issue of the journal Canadian Mineralogist.
Saladoid Culture
Continued on Next Page >>
Cahokia mounds reveal a vast copper workshop
Cahokia mounds reveal a vast copper workshop
Nearly 1,000 years ago, the ancient city of Cahokia flourished only 20 minutes away from modern St. Louis in the floodplains of the Mississippi River. Today, the discovery of a copper workshop by a team of researchers led by John Kelly, Washington University archeology professor, and James Brown of Northwestern University will provide insight into the lives of the mysterious Cahokians.
Native Americans began to settle the area around East St. Louis in 1000 A.D., and the city had a population boom 50 years later. More than 20,000 people lived in the city during Cahokia’s Golden Age.
Four plazas were built around Monk’s Mound, believed to be the largest mound of Cahokia. The mound is approximately as large as the Danforth Campus.
Today, the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site still has 80 mounds of various sizes out of the more than 100 mounds built. These were created when Cahokians dismantled constructed buildings and buried the pieces underneath the earth. These buildings were sometimes reconstructed.
“One of the important elements in Indian cosmology is rebirth,” Kelly said. “They look out at the world around them; everything is dead now, but in two months it’s going to come back again and be reborn…We start with the building, the burial of the building, the rebirth of the building and the burial again.”
Only 1 percent of these mounds have been excavated to date. The copper workshop was found within Mound 34, where, according to Kelly, pieces of copper were discovered. Cahokians used the metal to create religious ornaments and other decorative items. It’s hypothesized that workers hammered and heated the copper to 600 degrees Celsius to flatten out the metal. The sheets were pressed onto carved wooden templates to create the ornament. The metal may have been obtained from the Great Lakes region. Copper specifically was used because it was considered to have special properties.
“They see that there is power in everything,” Kelly said. “Copper is something that is very powerful so how you handle it, how you deal with it is very important.”
After four centuries, the population of Cahokia began to decline and the city was abandoned. Although it remains unknown why the Cahokians left their city, theories range from environmental factors, like drought driving away inhabitants, to geopolitical issues. Artifacts from 1200 A.D. uncovered in excavations indicate a shift in focus from community life to warfare. The copper workshop itself is dated to 1200 A.D. The Osage tribe located in southern Missouri may have originated from Cahokia. Researchers currently work with the Osage tribe as they excavate, preventing changes to the mound.
Kelly and Brown won a grant from the National Geographic Society to continue their work two years ago. The team turns to current Native American culture to develop their hypotheses and theories regarding the lifestyles of the Cahokians.
Cahokia also presents a unique opportunity to examine the early formation of a city.
“What we’re looking at here is the very beginning of…urbanism,” Kelly said. “So it hasn’t had a chance to really flourish; it’s just starting to come into existence.”
The excavation team hopes to continue its work in the summer. Amateur archaeologist Gregory Perino had first found the copper workshop. In the 1950s, he had been hired to find artifacts for museum display. Kelly and Brown used his maps to retrace the copper workshop. The team now hopes to collect soil samples from the mound to test for copper levels.
Cahokia mounds reveal a vast copper workshop
- Junior Sarah Luongo and Steven Broderick, Class of 2009, work on excavations overlying a copper workshop found in Cahokia Mounds. A team of researchers led by John Kelly, Washington University archaeology professor, and James Brown from Northwestern University discovered a copper workshop that will provide insight into the lives of the Cahokians who leaved near the mounds more than 1,000 years ago. (Courtesy of John Kelly)
Native Americans began to settle the area around East St. Louis in 1000 A.D., and the city had a population boom 50 years later. More than 20,000 people lived in the city during Cahokia’s Golden Age.
Four plazas were built around Monk’s Mound, believed to be the largest mound of Cahokia. The mound is approximately as large as the Danforth Campus.
Today, the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site still has 80 mounds of various sizes out of the more than 100 mounds built. These were created when Cahokians dismantled constructed buildings and buried the pieces underneath the earth. These buildings were sometimes reconstructed.
“One of the important elements in Indian cosmology is rebirth,” Kelly said. “They look out at the world around them; everything is dead now, but in two months it’s going to come back again and be reborn…We start with the building, the burial of the building, the rebirth of the building and the burial again.”
Only 1 percent of these mounds have been excavated to date. The copper workshop was found within Mound 34, where, according to Kelly, pieces of copper were discovered. Cahokians used the metal to create religious ornaments and other decorative items. It’s hypothesized that workers hammered and heated the copper to 600 degrees Celsius to flatten out the metal. The sheets were pressed onto carved wooden templates to create the ornament. The metal may have been obtained from the Great Lakes region. Copper specifically was used because it was considered to have special properties.
After four centuries, the population of Cahokia began to decline and the city was abandoned. Although it remains unknown why the Cahokians left their city, theories range from environmental factors, like drought driving away inhabitants, to geopolitical issues. Artifacts from 1200 A.D. uncovered in excavations indicate a shift in focus from community life to warfare. The copper workshop itself is dated to 1200 A.D. The Osage tribe located in southern Missouri may have originated from Cahokia. Researchers currently work with the Osage tribe as they excavate, preventing changes to the mound.
Kelly and Brown won a grant from the National Geographic Society to continue their work two years ago. The team turns to current Native American culture to develop their hypotheses and theories regarding the lifestyles of the Cahokians.
Cahokia also presents a unique opportunity to examine the early formation of a city.
“What we’re looking at here is the very beginning of…urbanism,” Kelly said. “So it hasn’t had a chance to really flourish; it’s just starting to come into existence.”
The excavation team hopes to continue its work in the summer. Amateur archaeologist Gregory Perino had first found the copper workshop. In the 1950s, he had been hired to find artifacts for museum display. Kelly and Brown used his maps to retrace the copper workshop. The team now hopes to collect soil samples from the mound to test for copper levels.
Friday, June 8, 2012
A Tragic Loss: Maj. Rex McTyeire (Ret), U.S. Army Special Forces, and Oath Keepers VP, Has Passed Away (Apparent Sudden Heart Attack)
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Oath Keepers, 
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