"...According to radiocarbon dating conducted in connection with an archaeological excavation in the summer of 2007, the ringfort mostly dates from the early 10th to mid-12th century. Occupation deposits indicate the fort was used from around the early 10th century to the early 13th century."
The site of the Caherconnel ring-fort apparently dates back thousands of years. According to Megalithic Ireland, a 2008 excavation "revealed a drystone circular chamber with a short passage at the north-east. Artefacts found in the chamber, such as chert , flint flakes, tools, two pieces of prehistoric pottery and a broken polished stone axe, are associated with the Early Bronze Age (In Ireland, c. 2000-1500BC)."
"Israel's national museum [has opened] what it calls the world's first exhibition devoted to the architectural legacy of biblical King Herod, the Jewish proxy monarch who ruled Jerusalem and the Holy Land under Roman occupation two millennia ago." Source: Archaeology News Network (2013).
Update (2017) - I think this exhibit closed down in 2014, but a virtual tour can still be found on the museum's website. The page should be in English, but if it isn't, the English version can be selected on the exhibit's home page. When it first opened in 2013, the exhibit caused a lot of controversy when the Palestinians charged the Israelis with taking artifacts from the West Bank without permission from Palestinian authorities.
Notes: There were actually two biblical King Herods during the period covered by the New Testament accounts, but this exhibit is about Herod the Great, who was king when Jesus was supposedly born. Herod's son, Herod Antipas, was king during the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus.
The Career Of Herod The Great
Herod the Great (~73-4 BC) was made governor of Galilee by his father, Antipater, in 47 BC, and later appointed tetrarch (ruler) by the famous Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius). After the Parthian invasion (40 BC), Antony and the Roman senate named Herod the king of Judea and later gave him more territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Herod had a good working relationship with the Romans until he fell out of favor with Augustus for murdering several members of his family and staging an unauthorized war against the Nabateans (North Arabia) in 9 BC. (Source: Oxford Classical Dictionary, OCD, 3rd ed. revised)
The conquests of Alexander the Great spread Hellenism through Palestine and the influence of foreign philosophies and religions created conflicts with the orthodox Jewish classes, especially the priesthood. Herod the Great, I think, could be called a Hellenized Jew, though Romanized might be more accurate for that period. Despite this, he had good relations with the priests for most of his career, probably because "...he promoted a new high-priestly class, centered on a handful of diaspora families, who thus acquired great wealth and standing." (OCD) In other words, he elevated new priests to to positions of wealth and power in order to ensure their loyalty.
Herod carried out a lot of major building projects, including the construction of an artificial harbor at Caesarea, an amphitheater and theater (in the Graeco-Roman style), and the rebuilding of the Temple. According to the OCD, "[l]avish donations outside Palestine established Herod as a benefactor on an empire-wide scale, as well as a flamboyant philhellene; the Olympian games and the city of Athens were among the beneficiaries."
The anti-Roman Jewish insurgent groups of his time would have seen Herod as a despicable puppet king surrounded by bribed lackey-priests, a traitor who was subverting Jewish customs and religion, not to mention suppressing the province for the benefit of the hated Roman occupiers. This view, together with the hatred the early Christians felt for Herod, is probably the source for most of the anti-Herod propaganda that has come down to us today.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod the Great was responsible for the Massacre of the Innocents -- the murder of all newborn male children in and around Bethlehem -- when he received word that Jesus had been born. This notorious incident probably never happened -- there are no other sources for it other than the New Testament -- but I've read that the number of male babies in the area at the time could have been so low that the slaughter escaped wider notice. That's possible, I guess, but the story's ludicrous on the face of it and can probably be safely dismissed as propaganda.
Herod could be ruthless, but his reputation as a bloodthirsty tyrant must be exaggerated considering the length and stability of his reign. Towards the end of his career, he murdered one of his wives, her two sons and his oldest son, but those killings were probably in reaction to the usual palace intrigues found in every royal family. Herod was apparently a good administrator and he must have been reasonably intelligent and prudent to maintain the confidence of someone like Augustus for so long. Unless he went completely crazy in his old age, I really doubt if Herod would have ordered the murder of a bunch of civilian infants in response to yet another wild rumor about yet another coming Messiah.
Herod is thought to have died in 4 BC. According to Josephus, his death was extremely painful. "Based on Josephus' descriptions, one medical expert has diagnosed Herod's cause of death as chronic kidney disease complicated by Fournier's gangrene. Similar symptoms accompanied the death of his grandson Agrippa I in 44 CE." (Wikipedia) Josephus also records that Herod's suffering led him to attempt suicide and "[m]odern scholars agree Herod suffered throughout his lifetime from depression and paranoia," according to Wikipedia.
Josephus' account of Herod's death is questionable, in my opinion. Josephus apparently hated the king and wanted to see him suffer for his alleged crimes. His description of Herod's death sounds like "just desserts" propaganda to me, but I suppose it could be true. As for modern day psychiatric diagnoses of Herod's "depression and paranoia," these can be dismissed because (1) psychohistory is nonsense, and (2) they must be based on the writings of Josephus and other ancient historians. They ignore the historical context of Herod's life as well. After all, if he was paranoid, he probably had good reason. The same thing could probably be said for all the rest of Rome's puppet kings, not to mention the emperors themselves and kings in general everywhere in the world.
"The Temple of Dendur (Dendoor in nineteenth century sources) is an Ancient Egyptian temple that was built by the Roman governor of Egypt, Petronius, around 15 BC and dedicated to Isis, Osiris, as well as two deified sons of a local Nubian chieftain, Pediese ('he whom Isis has given') and Pihor ('he who belongs to Horus'). The temple was commissioned by Emperor Augustus of Rome and has been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York since 1978." Source: Wikipedia.
In a subtle or maybe not so subtle case of ancient propaganda, the pharoah at the Temple of Dendur is actually the emperor Augustus. According to the MET's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, "The king is identified by his regalia and by his names, which appear close to his head in elongated oval shapes called cartouches; many of the cartouches simply read 'pharaoh.' This king was actually Caesar Augustus of Rome, who, as ruler of Egypt, had himself depicted in the traditional regalia of the pharaoh. Augustus had many temples erected in Egyptian style, honoring Egyptian deities."
"The scientists have revealed, without excavation, an entire city area next to the stone built amphitheatre, containing bakeries, taverns and shops – an essential infrastructure for Roman spectacles. Hidden under the later city wall, the radar system detected the remains of a wooden amphitheatre located at an intersection of a road that followed the Roman frontier (Danube Limes) and the main road leading back to Rome; a temple for the Quadriviae (Roman goddesses of the cross-roads) was located right next to the building. With this information, we can add yet another chapter to the early history of Roman Carnuntum, one which underlines the significance of Bread and Games on the frontier of the Roman Empire."
"Carnuntum on the Danube ... was an important military base and the seat of government of Pannonia (Upper). At first part of Noricum, Carnuntum was probably added to Pannonia c. AD 14 when Legio XV Apollinaris was transfered there from Emona, but the legionary fortress was not constructed until Claudius." Source: Oxford Classical Dictionary (OCD, 3rd ed. revised).
Carnuntum had a long and complex history. At one point it was the home of the famous Stoic philosopher-emperor, Marcus Aurelius. "For two years (172-74) Carnuntum was the headquarters of Marcus Aurelius, who made it the starting point of his retaliatory strike against the Marcomanni and wrote the second book of his Meditations in the fortress." Source: A Guide to the Ancient World, Michael Grant.
Marcus Aurelius spent most of his reign fighting against the Germans and Sarmatians. Carnuntum was destroyed during the Marcomannic Wars, but later rebuilt only to be seriously damaged by an apparent earthquake in the middle of the 4th century, according to the OCD. "Extensive remains of structures in both civilian and military areas have been revealed by excavation during the last century and, more recently, by aerial photography [and ground-scanning techniques]."
"Britain's ancient monument Stonehenge is still revealing secrets 4,500 years after the stone circle was first erected in the late Neolithic period." Source: The Weather Network.
"Many theories have been suggested as to its exact purpose, but modern archaeologists generally agree it was some sort of prehistoric temple aligned to the movements of the sun.
"But it seems that these famous standing stones were positioned to enhance their acoustic properties as well.
From what I've read, Heracleion was only known through various Greek sources until its discovery in 2000. According to Wikipedia, "Heracleion .., also known as Thonis ... was an ancient Egyptian city near Alexandria whose ruins are located in Abu Qir Bay, currently 2.5 km off the coast, under 10 m (30 ft) of water. Its legendary beginnings go back to as early as the 12th century BC, and it is mentioned by ancient Greek historians. Its importance grew particularly during the waning days of the Pharoahs. In the Late Period, when it was Egypt's main port for international trade and collection of taxes."
According to the BBC (2001), "[t]he archaeologists found a city almost untouched by time, full of colossal statues, hieroglyphic tablets and an extraordinary store of gold coins and jewellery.
"Among the most remarkable discoveries is a giant stone tablet that pinpointed the lost city's location."
Heracleion was a thriving port at one time. According to Franck Goddio, the marine archaeologist who discovered the city, "[t]he quantity and quality of the archaeological material excavated from the site of Thonis-Heracleion show that this city had known a time of opulence and a peak in its occupation from the 6th to the 4th century BC. This is readily seen in the large quantity of coins and ceramics dated to this period.
"The port of Thonis-Heracleion had numerous large basins and functioned as a hub of international trade. The intense activity in the port fostered the city’s prosperity. More than seven hundred ancient anchors of various forms and over 60 wrecks dating from the 6th to the 2nd century BC are also an eloquent testimony to the intensity of maritime activity here."
"Bryn Celli Ddu is generally considered to be one of the finest passage tombs in Wales. Unlike many stone chambered tombs, this not only has a complete passage and burial chamber, but is also buried under a mound or cairn, although this was re-instated following its excavation in 1929. As it now stands, the passage is 8.4 m (28 ft) long, the first 3.4 m (11 ft) being unroofed with a pair of portal stones. The main passage runs between vertical slab rocked walls roofed by a series of stone lintels. The mound, being substantially smaller than as originally made, no longer completely encloses the burial chamber, so the back wall is open to the air, allowing some natural light in." Source: Wikipedia.
"A crannog is a type of ancient loch-dwelling found throughout Scotland and Ireland dating from 2,500 years ago. [...] many crannogs were built out in the water as defensive homesteads and represented symbols of power and wealth. The Scottish Crannog Centre features a unique reconstruction of an early Iron Age loch-dwelling, built by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology... This authentic recreation is based on the excavation evidence from the 2,500 year old site of 'Oakbank Crannog' [see image], one of the 18 crannogs preserved in Loch Tay, Scotland. The STUA continues to explore other underwater sites in Loch Tay and further afield, regularly adding new discoveries to its award-winning centre at Kenmore, Perthshire." Source: The Scottish Crannog Centre.
Comment: I love these ancient houses and their lake settings. Life back then would have been more elemental than it is today, harsher, naturally, but definitely more vital than the bland strip-mall existence found in the decaying cities of the modern world. These Iron Age people were rooted in a natural landscape that hadn't been polluted, deforested or turned into an urban ghetto. They could fish in that lake without worrying that their catch had been contaminated by toxic waste or that some militarized park ranger would zap them with a taser if they didn't have the proper license.
Most people today assume that life was more dangerous back then. After all, these crannogs were designed to be "defensive homesteads," so their inhabitants were obviously concerned about being attacked by hostile clans and other invaders. Still, how much has changed as far as our personal security is concerned? In the United States, for instance, we're safer (in most places) than we would be in, say, Mogadishu, Somalia, but our safety is still basically a function of where we live.
Comparing the quality of life in the ancient world vs that in the modern world is a tricky business because everything has always depended on who you are, where you live, how much money you have and what period you're talking about. Still, when it comes to something as fundamental as physical security, were the ancient Scots who lived in these crannogs at greater risk than people living in modern Chicago, New York, New Orleans or Los Angeles? I don't think so.
And who has the higher quality of life? A fisherman in prehistoric Scotland or a white-collar professional in LA who works 50-60 hours a week and commutes two hours every day to a gated community in the suburbs where he can feel at least marginally secure from the crime and chaos in the city? There's no comparison, if you ask me. Given the choice, I'd take Oakbank Crannog, circa 500 BC, over living in modern Detroit any day.
"The first major exhibition in the U.S. to be devoted to the art and artifacts of prehistoric Malta and featuring many objects never before seen outside the Maltese islands, Temple and Tomb provides insights into Malta’s famous temple sites, which were built from stones weighing up to 20 tons each and quarried using only stone and wooden tools. Older than the Egyptian pyramids or Stonehenge, they are believed to be the oldest freestanding stone buildings in the world." Source: Archaeology News Network (2013).
According to the Bradshaw Foundation, "[t]he oldest buildings in Europe are found in Malta - older than the Pyramids of Egypt. The occupation and settlement of Malta by modern humans began approximately 7,000 years ago, when the first Neolithic Farmers crossed the 50 mile-wide straits that separate the islands from Sicily. Prior to that, the islands were uninhabited."
Naevoleia Tyche was a freedwoman married to a man named Gaius Munatius Faustus, according to Pompeii: The Last Day, by Paul Wikinson. Faustus was a freed slave as well, according to several sources I've found. The couple must have been well off to be able to afford a tomb like this.
"In Pompeii, there is evidence of a particularly successful trader, one Naevoleia Tyche whose tomb survives outside the Herculaneum gate. Tyche was a freedwoman but the style of the tomb which she built for herself and her husband demonstrates her wealth and standing. " Source: "Business Women in Pompeii," Ancient History and Archaeology.
The Prehistoric Scottish Crannog & Some Thoughts About The Quality Of Life In The Ancient Vs The Modern World
Comment: I love these ancient houses and their lake settings. Life back then would have been more elemental than it is today, harsher, naturally, but definitely more vital than the bland strip-mall existence found in the decaying cities of the modern world. These Iron Age people were rooted in a natural landscape that hadn't been polluted, deforested or turned into an urban ghetto. They could fish in that lake without worrying that their catch had been contaminated by toxic waste or that some militarized park ranger would zap them with a taser if they didn't have the proper license.
Most people today assume that life was more dangerous back then. After all, these crannogs were designed to be "defensive homesteads," so their inhabitants were obviously concerned about being attacked by hostile clans and other invaders. Still, how much has changed as far as our personal security is concerned? In the United States, for instance, we're safer (in most places) than we would be in, say, Mogadishu, Somalia, but our safety is still basically a function of where we live.
Comparing the quality of life in the ancient world vs that in the modern world is a tricky business because everything has always depended on who you are, where you live, how much money you have and what period you're talking about. Still, when it comes to something as fundamental as physical security, were the ancient Scots who lived in these crannogs at greater risk than people living in modern Chicago, New York, New Orleans or Los Angeles? I don't think so.
And who has the higher quality of life? A fisherman in prehistoric Scotland or a white-collar professional in LA who works 50-60 hours a week and commutes two hours every day to a gated community in the suburbs where he can feel at least marginally secure from the crime and chaos in the city? There's no comparison, if you ask me. Given the choice, I'd take Oakbank Crannog, circa 500 BC, over living in modern Detroit any day.
Posted at 07:00 AM in Ancient Britain, Architecture, Commentary, Culture, Videos | Permalink