The Basiliscoe Mercury 307

The Basiliscoe Mercury307


TheInternet newsletter for the arms and armour community


Arms and armour in the news


Happy New Year! Only the first week of 2019 and we already have the first sword discovery. A tip-top newsletter stuffed with fascinating items from around the world, - horses in Ancient Rome, Enfield rifles from Canada, trebuchet stones from Scotland and a Napoleonic solder in Kalingrad.


Ancient arms & forts


It was a mace head all the time…

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/british-museum-goes-belly-up


This week’s sword- from Benalí Castle in Spain

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/medieval-sword-0011229


6th century BC Persian camp identified in Israel?

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology...ian-military-base-in-northern-israe-1.6765220



Beasts of assorted varieties…


War elephants of the Pharaohs

https://www.livescience.com/64407-ancient-egypt-fortress-war-elephants.html


Grizzly story of the discovery of an officer’s stables in Pompeii, complete with horses

https://www.theguardian.com/science...d-remains-of-horses-in-ancient-pompeii-stable


DNA and Icelandic ponies

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/viking-horses-burials-iceland-1.4966126


Medieval fishing baskets found in Monmouthshire

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46730571


Grave stories


Murder in the Bronze Age

https://www.dw.com/en/bronze-age-re...y-prince-of-helmsdorf-was-murdered/a-46793673


Fascinating study of an 1812 soldier from Kalingrad

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristi...ial-wound-following-1812-battle/#1e169b4814fc


Through the arrow-slit . . .


More bits of the Great Wall of China found

https://gbtimes.com/archaeologists-find-new-great-wall-relic-in-north-china


Trebuchet ball found in Edinburgh Castle

https://www.expressandstar.com/news...t-ball-sheds-light-on-edinburgh-castle-siege/


A blogger’s visit to Bannockburn

https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/banish-boredom-at-bannockburn


Forts, cannons and battlefields Through the gunloop…


Details of the recent discoveries in Quebec

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/can...ec-citys-archaeological-secrets-but-location/


Rhode Island’s cannon

https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190101/cannon-in-19-gun-salute-was-made-by-paul-revere


5 forts at Bengaluru

https://newsable.asianetnews.com/li...ell-you-the-real-story-about-bengaluru-pkrfgl


Living in the past


Jason Kingsley:trustee at the Royal Armouries, living by the Chivalric code

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/dec/29/im-a-knight-and-i-live-by-the-chivalric-code


Café Basiliscoe


Fascinating discovery of a commercial ice house in London

https://www.theguardian.com/science...ts-uncover-lost-ice-house-under-london-street


There’s a gingerbread museum…

http://artdaily.com/news/110146/Torun-gingerbread--the-ancient-luxury-with-a-secret-recipe


Into the 20th century


Some WWI Christmas cards, delivered a little late..

https://museumcrush.org/first-world...pper-lip-and-dark-humour-of-serving-soldiers/


Nautical news


More on the Schiedam lost off Cornwall, 1684

http://en.brinkwire.com/technology/...er-on-the-shipwreck-of-the-lost-hms-schiedam/

https://www.livescience.com/64395-sunken-17th-century-pirate-ship-discovered.html


Plane propeller dragged up in fishing nets off Plymouth- sparks mystery!

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/ne...ins-suspected-german-fighter-aircraft-2399911





Museum news and exhibitions


News


Smithsonian Museums close in government shut down

https://www.museumsassociation.org/...12019-smithsonian-closure-government-shutdown


Visitor figures in Paris and New York for 2018

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/03/beyonce-jay-z-help-louvre-museum-break-visitor-record


Interview with the director of the Prado

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/interview/the-reinvention-of-the-prado


Italy and France indulge in Leonardo wars

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/voltafaccia-on-leonardo-loans-to-louvre


Henry Moore, the Wallace collection and helmets

https://www.wallacecollection.org/henry-moore/


New museums


Mostanticipatedmuseum openings of 2019

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/preview/the-year-ahead-2019-new-museums


Rijksmuseum Shiphol to re-open- giving pleasure to air-passengers

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/new...check-rijksmuseum-schiphol-prepares-to-reopen


New museum "L'envol des pionniers" (The Flight of the Pioneers) in Toulouse. http://artdaily.com/news/110181/Tou...icated-to-the-pioneers-of-flight#.XCdStTFCd9A


New Viking display at Copenhagen

https://en.natmus.dk/museums-and-pa...hibitions/danish-prehistory/meet-the-vikings/


Museum musings


A chance to laugh at archaeologists- because museum curators never make mistakes…

https://www.dw.com/en/a-crown-or-a-bucket-when-archaeologists-make-mistakes/a-46807172


Still talking about repatriation

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/calls-for-post-colonial-restitution-grow-but-is-it-legal


Conservation corner


A really fascinating story about a crate of Enfield rifles found off Newfoundland and its treatment!

http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2019/01/02/history-recovered-from-the-sea-19th-century-rifles/


Restoration for early Renaissance pulpit will get the big-screen treatment : http://theartnewspaper.com/news/res...ance-pulpit-will-get-the-big-screen-treatment


Gunpowder art and its problems….

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/cai-guo-qiang-s-explosive-art-preserved-for-the-ages


Objects


Light-hearted quiz on side arms

http://www.medievalists.net/2018/12/what-off-hand-weapon-would-you-use-with-your-sword/


Round up of recent expensive weapons at sales

http://micetimes.asia/the-worlds-most-expensive-medieval-weapons-photo/


Exhibitions


Skating at Newmarket

http://artdaily.com/news/108198/Ska...for-Horseracing-and-Sporting-Art#.XCdR8jFCd9A


Victoria Crosses in Leeds

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


Teesdale in WW1 in Bowes Museum

https://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/E...g-The-Role-of-Teesdale-In-The-First-World-War


Theodoor van Loon at Brussels

http://artdaily.com/news/110342/Exh...ighlights-his-exceptional-talent#.XDHKbDFCd9A


Exhibitions at Brussels

http://www.klm-mra.be/D7t/en/content/current-exhibitions


Genghis Khan at Aarhus

http://artdaily.com/news/110344/Exhibition-tells-the-fascinating-story-of-Genghis-Khan#.XDHJfzFCd9A


North Indian courtly paintings at the Met

http://artdaily.com/news/110153/The...the-Pahari-courts-of-North-India#.XCdT7TFCd9A


Books


Gareth Williams: Weapons of the Viking Warrior

https://ospreypublishing.com/store/...able-this-month/weapons-of-the-viking-warrior


Das Schwert– Gestalt und Gedanke / The Sword – Form and Thoughtsecond edition.

https://shop.histofakt.de/product_info.php?products_id=64&MODsid=0v1e8b0h1t0go1nvtdpdral7e7


Trevor J Parker: An Illustrated Technical Guide to British WWI Fuzes

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


Online Books


Brad Kirkland : “Now thrive the Armourers”: The Development of the Armourers’ Crafts and the Forging of Fourteenth-century London

http://www.medievalists.net/2019/01...and-the-forging-of-fourteenth-century-london/


ConcreteSoundMirror CinquePortsTrainingArea, Hythe, Kent

https://www.wessexarch.co.uk/sites/..., Cinque Ports Training Area, Hythe, Kent.pdf



Popular culture


Robin Hood on film

https://www.historyextra.com/period...gerton-film-real-history-historical-accuracy/


Modern music inspired by the Armistice

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...rst-world-war-ended-sound-ranging-guns-silent


Photographing WW2 concrete blocks

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-46348917


Events


Conferences


23 February 2019 Hindlip Hall

OrdCon conference

https://www.facebook.com/ORDCON/


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/


Calls for papers


September 2019 Kyoto

ICOMAM 2019 Conference, Kyoto (Japan)
Call for Papers

http://icom-kyoto-2019.org/data/ima...8E-Qdx4KsoD_htE1_BHGVouQhJSu4YRKPyN4D4N8ckh3o


Sales, fairs and auctions


News of recent Bonham’s sales

https://www.bonhams.com/press_release/27319/


Arms sale in Ohio

http://artdaily.com/news/110243/Mil...ia-in-premier-January-19-auction#.XCx5tzFCd9A



Websites and downloads


Arms and Armor Department at the Met

https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/arms-and-armor


Latest from Military History Online

https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/


National Museum of Japanese History

https://www.rekihaku.ac.jp/english/exhibitions/index.html


Wessex archaeology

https://www.wessexarch.co.uk/our-work#main-content


1066 etc: Women& Castles, the Black Prince & cattle and medieval coconuts

http://www.medievalists.net/2019/01...from-the-twelfth-to-the-fourteenth-centuries/

http://www.medievalists.net/2019/01...-black-prince-and-why-it-failed-1354-to-1376/

http://www.medievalists.net/2019/01/medieval-coconuts-with-kathleen-kennedy/


Finally


I tweeted the highlights of 2018

https://twitter.com/Basiliscoe



Compiled by Ruth Rhynas Brown –10 January 2019


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