The Basiliscoe Mercury 329

I liked the photos of the pair of 16th C. Bronze cannons found in an excavation in Chile in new condition. See photos. What I wouldn’t give....


The Basiliscoe Mercury 329


TheInternet newsletter for the arms and armour community


The traditional Bazzy Christmas stocking. Ancient armour! More Swedish wrecks! Books about atomic bomb archaeology! And more alcohol than you can shake a stick at…


Arms and armour in the news


Ancient arms & Forts


Spain gets ancient helmets for Christmas

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/dec/11/british-man-returns-ancient-warrior-helmets-to-spain


Stunning pieces of Roman armour from southern Bulgaria

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/20...olony-deultum-near-bulgarias-black-sea-coast/


Update on the Pocklington charioteer

http://online.1stflip.com/dqyd/38qe/mobile.html


And his shield

https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/iron-ag...-burial-is-the-find-of-the-millennium-1334901


Update on last year’s find of Viking sword fragments in Estonia

https://news.err.ee/1012100/burial-site-ties-major-viking-swords-find-to-warriors-from-ravala


Roman fort found in Bulgaria

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/20...mus-fortress-in-bulgarias-danube-town-of-lom/


Beasts of assorted varieties…


Cave painting

https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...nt-cave-art-painting-lascaux-chauvet-altamira


The end of the Great Auk

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/science/great-auks-extinction.html


Grave stories


Possible soldiers from the battle of Ridgefield found

https://www.wshu.org/post/human-remains-found-ridgefield-may-be-revolutionary-war-soldiers#stream/0


In the lists


Some games- at the tournament

https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/met...KoI3rRYXTQ3QwgPcsuwHFqec88DfBoZwIRuicI1McK_Q8


Bone medieval saddles

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/1...e-inscriptions-on-late-medieval-bone-saddles/


Through the arrow-slit . . .


Tintagel castle

https://www.ancient-origins.net/anc...e-and-legendary-conception-king-arthur-006831


Norwich castle

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/12/norwich-castle-gateway-to-medieval-england/


Exploring Sally’s fortifications

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/borj-adoumoue-the-bastion-of-tears


Cannons to the left, cannon to the right


Two 16th century bronze guns found in excavations in Chile- beauties!

https://www.cultura.gob.cl/actualid...zH-gmd34NjBSMxAO7d4Abran3L08DAbnkNBjbd4UCvnLo

https://laprensaaustral.cl/cronica/...TzWsD5L2Sam4ROV23jlU-yuEaOf2XTZJUuu2Pwnbg5w4A


Restoring fortifications and the cannon on Mauritius at Pointe du Diable

https://www.lexpress.mu/article/366...e4FFb6sqPniGVoqKozy6V_pACOfxs5X_KsQXFDxiP0gys


Bollards & cannons

https://westevan.org/bollards/cannonbollards3.htm


Café Basiliscoe- the bar’s open!


The most cheering thing you will read this Christmas:

https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/05/alcohol-may-saved-humanity-extinction-scientists-claim-11274775/


So let’s start with gin…

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/12/09/the-intoxicating-history-of-gin?verso=true


And a few amphorae of Roman wine

https://www.newsweek.com/significan...-thousands-amphorae-clues-rise-empire-1476514


A few drams to finish

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-50672313


I’ll just place this one here:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...tyand-helped-dismantle-nazi-regime-180973704/


Miscellany


Medieval sculptures stolen from Durham church recovered

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/n...mportant-stones-taken-saints-church-sockburn/


Battle Abbey’s medieval relics

https://www.theguardian.com/culture...-bone-the-dark-ages-greatest-christmas-relics


Ten things to see in Norwich- including the Fastolf sword

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/museum-to-showcase-medieval-treasures-online-1-6429570


A new use for gunpowder- tattooing…

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...icts-history-character-tasmania-a9232471.html


Princesses and Amazons


Cyprus’s fighting queen

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/12/charlotte-de-lusignan-a-fighting-queen/


Nautical news


Have the anchors of the conquistadors been found?

https://www.foxnews.com/science/conquistador-ship-anchors-may-have-been-discovered-off-mexico



Researchers open underwater 'living museum' in the Dominican Republic https://www.newswise.com/articles/r...water-living-museum-in-the-dominican-republic


Another week, another ship wreck found in downtown Stockholm…

https://sputniknews.com/society/201...y-shipwreck-found-in-the-middle-of-stockholm/


Lots of publicity for HMSInvincible’s recent recoveries

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18105869.long-lost-treasure-recovered-shipwreck/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-en...-century-naval-ship-to-go-on-display-in-poole


SMS Scharnhorst found off the Falklands

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...t-german-battle-falklands-video-a9234561.html

https://www.foxnews.com/science/world-war-i-battlecruiser-wreck-discovered-falkland-islands



Museum news and exhibitions


News


George IV’s treasuresreturns to Brighton

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/brighton-pavilion-gets-its-glitter-back


Museum developments


VR and museums- good or bad?

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/feature/reality-check-is-vr-set-to-revolutionise-museums


Conservation corner


Wonderful piece on the Restoration of the Ghent altarpiece

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/facelift-for-the-mystic-lamb


Fascinating piece ion the investigation of Bruegel’s wedding dance

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/new...roit-s-celebration-of-bruegel-s-wedding-dance


Making armour for the pope

https://stockdailydish.com/austrian-blacksmiths-produce-armour-for-vaticans-swiss-guards/


Objects


Collecting sporting guns

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/special-features/how-much-old-keepsakes-worth-17366624


Exhibitions


More on George IV at Brighton

https://museumcrush.org/languid-the...-distant-worlds-george-ivs-chinoiserie-clock/


What to see in 2020

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/preview/the-biggest-exhibitions-around-the-world-in-2020


Books


Peter Marsden1545: Who Sank the Mary Rose?

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/1545-Who-Sank-the-Mary-Rose-Hardback/p/16156


Alexander WatsonThe Fortress

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/05/fortress-great-siege-prezemsyl-alexander-https://www.medievalists.net/2019/12/books-medieval-warfare-chivalry-2019/


Online books


The Archaeology of the Atomic Bomb

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1635/upload/NNPS_903_D160_-38840-pg0000.pdf


Lodge Hill AA battery

https://research.historicengland.org.uk/Report.aspx?i=14896



Popular culture


RereadingIvanhoe

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/12/medieval-reads-ivanhoe-by-walter-scott/


How Sam Mendes got the details right for 1917

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/dec/07/sam-mendes-1917-hobnails-drill-boot-camp-war-epic


Star Wars and the middle ages

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/12/the-medieval-world-of-star-wars/


Events


Mohawk arms

http://artdaily.com/news/119216/Moh...ltiple-conflicts-and-generations#.XfifWTFCd9B


Finally…the Bazzy Christmas stocking


Some games…Build your own castle

https://www.conisbroughcastle.org.uk/games/castle-building-games/


And some paper knights to go in them

https://minilabmodels.wordpress.com/


Downton Abbey Paper Dolls- admire the expressions and the uniforms!

https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/tag/downton-abbey-paper-dolls/


16th century hawking whistle for those who need a little more exercise

http://artdaily.com/news/119125/Dix...are-16th-century-hawking-whistle#.XfigFDFCd9A


Something to read…


The Bedford Hours

http://www.bl.uk/turning-the-pages/?id=d06e9f02-074d-46f7-a46c-090548b402d5&type=book


Crime stories of medieval London

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/1...re-the-common-pleas-in-the-fifteenth-century/


Short stories by Saki–aka HH Munroe, killed at Battle of the Ancre

https://interestingliterature.com/2017/05/31/the-10-best-saki-stories-everyone-should-read/


Something to listen to


Christmas carols from the Steel capital of the world

http://www.localcarols.org.uk/index.php


Listen to a romance lay by Marie de France

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/11/lanval-a-tale-of-a-knight-of-the-round-table/


Something to nibble


Dickens’ last turkey

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...hristmas-turkey-lost-by-great-western-railway


With Roman fish sauce

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ne...rchaeology&link_location=live-reporting-story


The ghosts of Christmas past


Twelve days of Christmas atWaddesdon Manor- tournament at no 10!

https://museumcrush.org/waddesdons-twelve-days-of-christmas/


Christmas -100years War style

https://www.medievalists.net/2019/12/tales-from-the-hundred-years-war-christmas-in-the-counts-court/


Finally…Right at the toe of the stocking:

Latest ICOMAM MAGAZINE now out. Includes last conference and next conference; temporary exhibitions at Reno & Morges; permanent displays at Stockholm & Brussels; artefacts in Canada, the Netherlands & Scotland; museums in Moscow and Tehran; museum storage and education; articles about Canadians in Northwest Russia, armourers in art, the search for the Vasa cannon and finally Ken Smith-Christmas’ astonishing detective work to uncover the histories of a cargo of obsolete weapons from Ireland which arrived in the USA in 1959. More than enough to inform and entertain over the Christmas break

http://network.icom.museum/fileadmin/user_upload/minisites/icomam/Magazine/Magazine22.pdf


This fortnight I tweeted cannons in the natural world

https://twitter.com/Basiliscoe


Merry Christmas- I’ll be back in the New Year!


Compiled by Ruth Rhynas Brown – 21 December 2019





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