Basiliscoe Mercury 304

The Basiliscoe Mercury304


TheInternet newsletter for the arms and armour community


Of course this last week has been dominated by the centenary of the Armistice. This is reflected throughout the newsletter. Otherwise lost Danish ships, oldest cave paintings and a plethora of popular culture features with Robert the Bruce and Robin Hood in leading roles.



Arms and armour in the news


Ancient arms & forts


Copper plant on the Black Sea

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/20...overed-near-bulgarias-black-sea-town-sozopol/


Weapon fragments from Poland

http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/ne...nce-human-presence-poland-late-antiquity.html


Serving on the Antonine Wall

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/...rs-patrol-scotland-in-the-roman-era-1-4819936


Tiny terracotta army found in Chinese tomb

https://www.livescience.com/64071-mini-terracotta-army-discovered-china.html


Beasts of assorted varieties…


Oldest cave paintings found in Borneo

http://artdaily.com/news/108985/Old...-world-s-earliest-figurative-art#.W-P6UDGNx9A


Caesar’s beasts

https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/identifying-the-beasts-in-caesar-s-forest


Grave stories


Embalmed decapitated heads from Celtic Gaul

https://www.livescience.com/64030-embalmed-heads-ancient-celts.html


Scanning US Civil War skeletons

https://phys.org/news/2018-11-lab-d-scans-human-skeletal.html


Through the arrow-slit . . .


Żelechów Castle, Poland, found?

http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/ne...ckie-medieval-castle-discovered-zelechow.html


Water for the Assassins’ Castle

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/429203/Centuries-old-water-supply-system-found-in-Alamut-castle


Through the gunloop…


Fascinating piece about archaeologists’ discoveries in Quebec’s ramparts http://artdaily.com/news/108962/Rel...n-archaeologists-in--major--find#.W-KzHTGNx9A

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mont...-325-year-old-wooden-fortifications-1.4893781


Exhibition at Fort Canning, Singapore, to be redesigned

https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...ical-dig-to-be-refreshed-for-first-time-in-17


The state of Tipu’s armoury- spoiler alert- not good….

https://www.decchttp://artdaily.com/news/109071/Pap...ished-online-for-the-first-time-#.W-09HzGNx9A


Old soldiers help look at old battlefield

https://www.whec.com/news/us-veterans-conduct-battlefield-archaeology/5141055/


Cannons to the left, cannon to the right


Sheringham cannon goes on display

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/coastguard-s-cannon-goes-on-show-at-sheringham-museum-1-5760325


What they found planting trees in Mumbai

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/british-era-cannons-found-at-mumbai-raj-bhavan/678737.html


Coldwater, Michigan, Civil war veteran- Parrott rifled cannon

http://www.thedailyreporter.com/news/20181030/civil-war-cannon-returned-to-four-corners-park


Boer War surviving cannon

http://www.grocotts.co.za/2018/10/30/war-time-giants-stirred-back-to-life/


Sheridan, Illinois, WW2 howitzer ready for the Armistice

https://www.mywebtimes.com/2018/11/05/cannon-goal-for-sheridan-memorial-hahttps://www.forbes.com/sites/kristi...ncient-peru-archaeologists-find/#4f9d821b1877


Mongol cheese

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181105160857.htm


2000 year old Chinese rice wine

https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-china-rice-wine-discovered-sprawling-2000-year-old-tomb-1203849


Miscellany


Brother of the more famous Robert comes to sticky end in Ireland

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...e-bruce-brother-edward-chris-pine-outlaw-king


Royston cave on endangered list

https://www.theguardian.com/culture...ghts-cave-and-grimsby-kasbah-historic-england


Update on Henry VIII tapestry

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/long-lost-tudor-tapestry-could-be-saved-for-the-nation


The gunpowder plot for beginners and its changing meaning

https://daily.jstor.org/gunpowder-plot-redux/


Enjoy a winter walk round a Cambrian gunpowder works

https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.c...t-combines-farm-walk-with-an-historical-tour/


As the Danube’s level falls, finds are uncovered

https://www.geek.com/news/hidden-tr...nube-water-levels-fall-to-record-low-1758390/


What they found in Blenheim’s lake

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-46044204


Lysander and Hampden: two iconic RAF aircraft restored and revealed

https://museumcrush.org/lysander-and-hampden-two-iconic-raf-aircraft-resthttps://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/17217550.factory-mine-and-railway-the-workers-war/


Remembering them on the beaches

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-46173462/beach-images-across-the-uk-honour-world-war-one-soldiers


India’s stories

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-46148207


The war horses

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/09/...embrance-horses-war-horse-spt-intl/index.html


Nautical news


The importance of waterproofing Viking long ships

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/04/viking-longboat-industrial-tar-pits-dominance-seas


Update on the French Florida wreck

https://www.livescience.com/64022-florida-shipwreck-legal-battle.html


Earlier in the year I identified these cannon from Chile

https://www.cnnchile.com/pais/descubren-historicos-canones-de-la-epoca-de-los-piratas-en-las-costas-de-caleta-tortel_20181113/?fbclid=IwAR2R42PZfK7ERLgcLb1hyaO3WH4lBE6UBuDDozucAjTvZiLMchttps://keysnews.com/articlhttps://http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20181022-cape-towns-slave-ship-secret


Update on the search for the Bonhomme Richard- (sceptical about those cannon and cannon balls being worth “millions”, whatever…)

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/new...1779-discovered-off-yorkshire-coast-1-9430425


Denmark’s’ Printz Friederich lost 1780 found?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-46144717

https://www.thelocal.dk/20181113/divers-find-18th-century-danish-warship


Looking for a boatyard from the War of 1812

https://www.ohio.com/news/20181109/...d-in-akron-archaeologists-working-to-find-out


Feature about the wrecks at Scapa Flow

https://www.countryfile.com/go-outd...w-what-happened-and-where-to-see-the-remains/



Museum news and exhibitions


News


Venetian museums briefly closed by floods

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/venice-floods-museums


And trouble at the Vatican Museums

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...rs-limit-on-museum-visitors-amid-safety-fears


Fundingfor new galleries at the Imperial War Museum

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/new...us-donation-from-billionaire-roman-abramovich


New museums


New V&A in the East of London

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/interview/the-promise-of-v-and-a-east


Museum developments


How museums can fight climate change

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/fixes-for-flood-quake-and-sheer-popularity


Museum musings


Curating the Middle Ages

http://www.medievalists.net/2018/11/medieval-matters-curating-the-middle-ages-at-the-metropolitanhttps://museumcrush.org/britains-best-places-to-see-first-world-war-museums-and-collections/


Dealing with museum fakes

https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/october/Unearthing-museum-fakes-critical-for-setting-the-hishttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...gside-northumberland-covering-up-artworks-men


Conservation corner


Fascinating piece on conservation- and history- of medieval retable

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/beheading-of-saints-just-the-start-of-medieval-altarpiecehttps://eu.pnj.com/story/news/local...manuel-point-artifact-discoveries/1818306002/

https://www.archaeology.org/news/7114-181101-florida-spanish-breastplate


Objects


Illustrated feature on Japanese arms and armour

https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/japanese-weapons-0010921


Horse-related artefacts at Fyvie Castle

https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/horsing-around


Portrait of Scottish officer acquired by Williamsburg

http://artdaily.com/news/109004/Rar...Colonial-Williamsburg-Foundation#.W-VY6DGNx9A


Artefacts at Fort Ticonderoga

https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Fort-Ticonderoga-shows-Revolutionary-artifacts-13360842.php


Edward Burne-Jones in close-up

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/nov/02/edward-burne-jones-love-among-the-ruins


Exhibitions


Planning Leonardo 2019 in Italy

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/new...ardo-da-vinci-500th-celebrations-across-italy


Assyrians in London

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/pre...-king-rides-into-town-with-his-library-in-tow


Lotto in London

https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...otto-portraits-review-national-gallery-london


Romanovs in London

http://artdaily.com/news/109070/New...ish-and-Russian-royal-dynasties-#.W-08qTGNx9A


VCs in Leeds

https://royalarmouries.org/event/victoria-crosses/


After the War in Paris

http://www.musee-armee.fr/actualites/a-lest-la-guerre-sans-fin-1918-1923.html


Chinese Empresses at the Peabody Essex

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/review/unlocking-the-secrets-of-china-s-qing-dynasty-empresses


Books


David Graci: The Ames Foundry and Their Statues

https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/chicopee/david-graci-publishes-book-on-ames-foundry/


Ann Demeester: Frans Hals Museum

http://www.scalapublishers.com/title.aspx?category=new-titles&subcategory=&id=3910


Lot of new publications coming out of the Royal Armouries

https://shop.royalarmouries.org/books-and-dvds/royal-armouries-publications-en.html


This month from Osprey

https://ospreypublishing.com/store/military-history/upcoming-books/available-this-month


Online book


Historic England Research

https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/research/introduction-issue-10/



Popular culture


When times are tough, we’ll always have Robin Hood….

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt453282...&pf_rd_t=15061&pf_rd_i=homepage&ref_=hm_cs_t1


Comparing medieval Scottish history movies

https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/a25018061/outlaw-king-braveheart/


How a film on Robert the Bruce boosts visitor figures to historic properties

https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/lights-camera-fact-ion


Break-dancing in armour…

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/31/nyregion/subway-dancers-metropolitan-museum-art.html


The Black Prince by Adam Roberts- comic novel:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/17/the-black-prince-by-adam-roberts-review


Feature on Roger Fenton’s photography and its inspiration today

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/preview/subtly-subversive-a-victorian-pioneer-s-images-of-war


BBC’s radio WWI dramas

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-...mies-epic-radio-dramas-of-the-first-world-war


Wes Anderson let loose on Vienna’s museums

http://artdaily.com/news/108999/Wes...-treasures--from-Viennese-vaults#.W-VYOjGNx9A



Events


Diary Dates


10 May 2019 Leeds

The heart of the art of combat - Exploring medieval manuscript I.33

https://royalarmouries.org/event/the-heart-of-the-art-of-combat/


Sales, fairs and auctions


Feature on Murphy auctions

https://www.guns.com/news/2018/11/14/morphy-auctions-sets-sights-on-fresh-gun-collections


Preview for Thomas Delmar Sale

http://artdaily.com/news/109133/Auc...ange-of-rare-and-important-items#.W-07lTGNx9A


21 Nov 2018 London

Medals, Bonds, Banknotes and Coins

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24642/


28 Nov 2018 London

The Richard Garrett Collection of Antique Firearms

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25247/


29 Nov 2018 London

Antique Arms and Armour and Modern Sporting Guns

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24660/


5th December 2018 London

Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria Sale

http://www.thomasdelmar.com/Catalogues/as051218/index.html



Websites and downloads


1066 etc: Sowrds, 100 Years’ war in comics, & visiting Mongolia

http://www.medievalists.net/2018/11/fiore-dei-liberi-master-sword/

http://www.medievalists.net/2018/11...medieval-mobility-exchange-hundred-years-war/

http://www.medievalists.net/2018/11...aphy-william-of-rubrucks-mission-to-mongolia/



Focus on the end of WWI

http://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2018/11/swiss-history-social-tensions-divide-the-country/

http://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2018/11/switzerland-a-safe-haven-for-pacifists/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-46098878

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/world/europe/armistice-day-100th-anniversary-photos.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/science/chemical-weapons-world-war-1-armistice.html


Finally


This fortnight I will be tweeting churches in Hampshire

https://twitter.com/Basiliscoe



Compiled by Ruth Rhynas Brown –18 November 2018


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