Archaeology! with Linus Lacombe (Unedited)

Serafina Puchkina: We will begin in a moment
Solace Fairlady:: Hello Miss Random!
Darlingmonster Ember: oh
Darlingmonster Ember: waves to Miss Random
Random Wezzog: Hello, Ladies 🙂
Serafina Puchkina: Welcome Baron
Rowan Derryth smiles quietly and waves around
Solace Fairlady:: Hello again, Herr baron!
Jasper Kiergarten: if anyone needs a chair, let me know
Ceejay Writer: Jasper, I am afraid I need a replacement. An overly large distant relative sat on mine and broke it.
Jasper Kiergarten: lol
Random Wezzog: Mr, Kiergarten, may I please ahve a chair?
Serafina Puchkina clears her throat to begin
Serafina Puchkina: Welcome, Ladies, Gentlemen, and urchins.
Serafina Puchkina: Miss Jed, Mr. Jasper, and I are pleased to welcome you to the December Aether Salon, entitled Archaeology!
Ceejay Writer: That’s the trick, thank you Jasper!
Serafina Puchkina: Thank you all for braving the cold winds and walking uphill in 6 feet of snow so you could be with us today.
Darlingmonster Ember: laughs
Daphne Dench: 🙂
Serafina Puchkina: As you may know, the Aether Salon meets to discuss steam and Victorian topics on the third Sunday of each month, in Palisades and Academy, New Babbage. We are celebrating two years of Aether Salon, and I hope you are all as plum tickled about being here today as I am.
KlausWulfenbach Outlander smiles
Serafina Puchkina: A few reminders before we begin: if you are standing in the back, please move forward onto the maze so that you can be assured of hearing the speaker.
Solace Fairlady: me applauds
Solace Fairlady: Congratulations!
Serafina Puchkina: Please hold your questions until the end, and as a courtesy to all, please turn off everything that creates lag: all HUDs, scripts, AOs and so on. Please no weapons, tacky holiday lights, or yappy dogs.
Your cooperation is appreciated.
Serafina Puchkina: Edited and unedited transcripts will be posted this week at http://aethersalon.blogspot.com so you can re-read today’s great fun, peruse transcripts of salons gone by,, and see brilliant photographs of past salons. You are encouraged to join the Aether Salon group and receive notifications of future salon events. To join, click the lower right hand corner of the large brown sign by the entrance. We sincerely appreciate the support we receive from everyone in the community and we thank you all.
Serafina Puchkina: Many fine people have contributed to today’s salon: We are grateful to Miss Canolli Capalini of Capalini Fine Furnishings for the wonderful salon chairs. Mr. Jasper Kiergarten for his expertise in creating today’s craft. We appreciate all who have contributed to salon.
Serafina Puchkina: As a reminder, all speakers’ fund jar donations go directly to the speaker.
Serafina Puchkina: Now I will turn the stage over to Miss Jed for the introduction of today’s speaker. Miss Jed?
KlausWulfenbach Outlander applauds
Jedburgh30 Dagger: Thank you Miss Serafina. I am honored to introduce this month’s speaker. Mr Linus Lacombe comes to us from Steelhead, and has had a very busy 2 years in Second Life. He is an avid role player, and has found himself involved in many of the stories that come out of that country. Linus is often out and about in the Steamlands, attending various social functions and dances. He is also a familiar face in Seraph City, playing the part of the intrepid investigative reporter for the Primgraph. Linus is a writer for the Primgraph and Prim Perfect magazines, and is also cast member of the webcomic Quest for the Golden Prim, playing Professor Andrew McMinn.
Darlingmonster Ember applauds
Ceejay Writer applauds!
Solace Fairlady: applauds
KlausWulfenbach Outlander applauds
Kimika Ying: applauds
Rowan Derryth claps softly
Jedburgh30 Dagger: In the physical world, Linus has a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and Antiquities, a master’s degree in Religious Studies, and has done doctoral work in Religious Studies, specializing in ancient Mediterranean religion, mostly early Christianity and Second Temple Judaism.
Jedburgh30 Dagger: On a personal note, I have enjoyed getting to know our speaker over the course of this year, as a fellow cast member in the Quest, and would like to say thank you for his gracious acceptance of the invitation to speak today. Please join me in welcoming Mr Linus Lacombe to the Aether Salon.
Solace Fairlady: claps softly
Darlingmonster Ember applauds
Linus Lacombe: Thank you for the fine introduction, Captain! And I would like to thank you for coming out today!
Serafina Puchkina applauds
Linus Lacombe: Shall we begin?
Rowan Derryth nods eagerly
Linus Lacombe: I shall be speaking of four archaeologists today, who I think played important roles in developing the field during the late 19th century
Linus Lacombe: But first, a bit of introduction
Linus Lacombe: Between the early 19th and the early 21st centuries, archaeology as a field has changed much. What was once a field interested in little more than a treasure hunt for beautiful antiquities has become very much a scientific field.
Linus Lacombe: In the early 19th century, early archaeologists still dug into ruins and graves, seeking statuary, jewelry and and other ancient works of art.
Linus Lacombe: Theories were often crude or even racist by today’s standards. Take the Moundbuilder Theory, which argued that the burial mounds of North America, with their fantastic caches of artifacts, could not have been built by the indigenous peoples of North America, but were rather from a lost “white” race that “savage” Indians had likely killed off.
Ceejay Writer: Tsk tsk.
Solace Fairlady: shakes head
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Heh.
Linus Lacombe: But in the early 21st century, archaeologists tap into sites with far less invasive procedures, meticulously unearthing artifacts with brushes and trowels, gleaning everything they can, from bits of preserved food to building foundations as well as art objects.
Ianone Constantine: Men…
Linus Lacombe: heh
Linus Lacombe: 21st century archaeologists seek to learn all they can about the cultures and people who used a particular site. There are a variety of dating methods measuring chemical compositions that can be used on artifacts, in laboratory settings, to determine the age of tools and bones. Too, archaeologists of the early 21st century use computers to organize, illustrate, analyze and disseminate the information.
Linus Lacombe: and data
Saffia Widdershins nods
Linus Lacombe: While there are many fascinating people, many important milestones, many key sites that I could talk about today, I am going to concentrate on a few individual archaeologists from the mid to late 19th century, their contributions in the field, and the archaeological sites they brought to the attention of the late 19th century world.
Linus Lacombe: ((I hope you all can see the board to my right….it has photos I want you to see!))
Darlingmonster Ember: nods
Ceejay Writer nods, looking at board.
Solace Fairlady: nods “Clear as day sir”
Serafina Puchkina nods
Nimue Vaniva: Nicely displayed.
Matthew Tammas nods
Linus Lacombe: So, let us look at four archaeologists that I think are important for developing the field in the mid to late 19th century.
Pythagoras Gearhead stops and look at the display outside…
Linus Lacombe: I would like to start today with Guiseppe Fiorelli, who began his work at Pompeii in 1860.
Pythagoras Gearhead: Huh….Well Ill be…
Linus Lacombe: Fiorelli is the handsome gentleman in my first slide. Quite a dapper gent, I would say
Pythagoras Gearhead dusts himself off and walks in
Solace Fairlady: waves discreetly to the Professor
Linus Lacombe: Most of you know what Pompeii is, but I will say that it was a Roman town in Italy that was buried in ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in August 79 CE (CE stands for Common Era, which corresponds to AD in terms of dating).
Paracelsus Schonberg waves discreetly to MIss Fairlady
Jimmy Branagh: Yeh Oy read about thet.
Linus Lacombe: Here I have provided a map of the Italian pennensula, showing where Pompeii is located in Italy
Nimue Vaniva: I didn’t realize it was so close to Naples.
Ceejay Writer leans forward, studying.
Linus Lacombe: Quite close, actually, yes
Matthew Tammas zooms in
Linus Lacombe: The town and its contents were very well preserved in the ash; even carbonized food has been unearthed there. Digs had been happening there for well over a century when Fiorelli took charge of the site.
Linus Lacombe: If you are done looking at the map, I have a picture of some of the food that has been found At Pompeii
Darlingmonster Ember: nods
Serafina Puchkina: Food!
Matthew Tammas nods
Darlingmonster Ember: cake?
Jimmy Branagh chuckles
Stereo Nacht: Pizza!
Matthew Tammas: oh my, eggs?
Solace Fairlady:: Such a standard of preservation!
Linus Lacombe: Here we see a loaf of bread, some walnuts, egg shells….very well preseved!
Daphne Dench: 🙂
Random Wezzog whispers, “just a little burnt.”
Matthew Tammas: remarkable.I had no idea.
Nimue Vaniva: Do we know what all the dishes are?
Ceejay Writer: Amazing.
Linus Lacombe: A little carbon in the diet never hurt!
Linus Lacombe: Here we see a loaf of bread, some walnuts, egg shells….very well preseved!
Random Wezzog grins.
Saffia Widdershins: goodness!
Wymberley Monday licks her lips and sighs
Matthew Tammas: Quite remarkable.
Linus Lacombe: The Kings and Queens of Naples, who had control over such things, had largely used Pompeii as a quarry, from which was extracted statuary and other artwork used to adorn their royal palace. That was largely in the 18th century
Saffia Widdershins winces
Solace Fairlady: mutters “Dammit they always find the bodies in the end”
Ceejay Writer blinks.
Pythagoras Gearhead looks over at Wymberly, and sees a bit of his younger self, and discreetly hands the urchin a cookie
Nimue Vaniva: No sense of their own history?
Linus Lacombe: Sure…they just liked the pretty things in their history…they look nicer in palaces that carbonized bread.
Linus Lacombe: What Fiorelli brought to the excavations was systematization and thorough recording. In 1864, Fiorelli came upon the idea of filling with Plaster of Paris the cavities in the ash that were left when bodies buried in the ash decomposed.
Wymberley Monday Nods, Thank’e Mister.
Matthew Tammas: It was the thinking of the Age. The British Museum sent hunters to track and kill endangered species so as to preserve specimens for display and study.
Linus Lacombe: When the plaster dried and the surrounding fill was removed, a plaster replica of the body would be left, thus preserving in a unique way the bodies of the city’s inhabitants, as they had fallen in 79 CE.
Pythagoras Gearhead nods to Wym and continues watching
Matthew Tammas: Wow, ghostly echoes of a gruesome death.
Nimue Vaniva: Very clever, actually.
Linus Lacombe: While macabre, it is an excellent way of preserving a key element of the site
Solace Fairlady: nods
Matthew Tammas agrees.
Jimmy Branagh: Oy don’t think Oy’d loike me cast layin’ aroun’ wit’ no pants on.
Matthew Tammas chuckles
Solace Fairlady: smiles over at the urchin
Wymberley Monday: cough cough Wymberly chokes on cookie
Linus Lacombe: Fiorelli also divided the city up and numbered the parts of the city, and the buildings, bringing order to the site and allowing real study of the city to take place.
Stereo Nacht: If you were as definitely dead as them, I don’t think you would mind, Mr. Branagh! 😉
Linus Lacombe: Because of the groundbreaking methods Fiorelli devised and brought to Pompeii, we know more about everyday life in Pompeii than we do of practically any ancient city.
Jimmy Branagh: Well, mybee …
Serafina Puchkina chuckles
Solace Fairlady: waves over at Miss nacht
Stereo Nacht waves back at her friend, with a silent apology for coming too late for formally greet her
Linus Lacombe: Of course, there is the neighboring city of Herculaneum, well preserved as well. Both were buried in the same volcanic eruption of Vesuvius
Nimue Vaniva: We never hear of Herculaneum.
Solace Fairlady: smiles and shakes her head to her friend, to indicate no need
Linus Lacombe: Another important archaeologist in the mid-to-late 19th century was German businessman and archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890).
Saffia Widdershins: Herculaneum was more middle class
Matthew Tammas: This Herculaneum is new to me.
Saffia Widdershins: Pompeii was a thriving, bustling port
Linus Lacombe: Exactly, Ms Widdershins
Solace Fairlady:: O Schliemann!
Matthew Tammas is finding this salon very informative.
Solace Fairlady:: Troy?
Solace Fairlady:: The Golden Death Mask?
Jasper Kiergarten: read a book onthe plight of both cities when I was yong. Has always been a source of facination
Linus Lacombe: yes…we will be getting to Troy in just a moment. But, here is a picture of Schliemann
Linus Lacombe: Schliemann’s life story is often seen as a romantic one, and he is probably most well remembered for his work with the ancient city of Troy, where battles took place as recalled by Homer in the Iliad.
Darlingmonster Ember: my, my
Linus Lacombe: n the 19th century, many thought Troy was likely not a historical city, and its battle not a historical event. Schliemann for one thought Homer had recorded an actual historical event, and he set out to prove that they were real events in Homer’s work
Linus Lacombe: Here is a map of Turkey, showing where Troy’s ruins are to be found
Nimue Vaniva: Art imitating life — or not.
Pythagoras Gearhead takes a sip from his flask while watching
Linus Lacombe: They are in the extreme northewest corner of turkey, marked here by a blue dot
Linus Lacombe: In the 19th century, many thought Troy was likely not a historical city, and its battle not a historical event. Schliemann for one thought Homer had recorded an actual historical event, and he set out to prove that they were real.
Linus Lacombe: ((sorry…still getting used to this picture viewer. Please bear with me!))
Daphne Dench: 🙂
Linus Lacombe: Based on the work of British archaeologist, Frank Calvert at the site, Schliemann decided that the site, called in Turkish, Hisarlik was, in fact, the site of Troy. In 1868 he submitted a dissertation asserting this, resulting in a PhD in 1869.
Linus Lacombe: He conducted a number of archaeological campaigns at Hisarlik in western Asia Minor (modern western Turkey) in the 1870s and 1880s, which he could fund himself. His research there and that of others after him identified the site as ancient Troy.
Ceejay Writer: Ooooh.
Linus Lacombe: This slide is a picture of work being done at Troy in Schliemann’s day. I do not have a date for it; it was not given. But I think it gives perspective on the size of this undertaking!
Nimue Vaniva: The site was otherwise abandoned?
Darlingmonster Ember: nods, huge
Linus Lacombe: Yes
Jimmy Branagh: Oy read Mr. Homer’s stuff about Troy.
Linus Lacombe: Schliemann did not stop there; he also uncovered an ancient civilization known as the Mycenaean culture in Greece. In general, by 21st century standards, Schliemann’s work was “crude and cavalier.”
Nimue Vaniva: But it existed.
Linus Lacombe: as one textbook author put it, anyway
Wymberley Monday: Wonders where Jimmy learn’t reading.
Linus Lacombe: Yes.
Linus Lacombe: In his rush to find an historic Homeric Troy, Schliemann dug in a rough-shod manner through upper levels at Hissarlik. Eventually, Schliemann and Calvert parted ways because Schliemann’s approach was so sloppy.
Linus Lacombe: Schliemann also exaggerated the truth at times, throughout his life. In addition to apparently fabricating a dinner eaten with President Millard Fillmore, he made up a story that he and his wife Sofie had themselves recovered a cache of objects Schliemann called “Priam’s Treasure.”
Darlingmonster Ember smiles
Nimue Vaniva: A little success can be carried too far.
Serafina Puchkina chuckles
Linus Lacombe: Too true!
Stereo Nacht can’t help thinking he might have been a spark… typical! 😉
Linus Lacombe: He later admitted to making up the story; his wife was in Greece at the time. However, Schliemann’s contributions are important, for he in demonstrated how interpreting the layers of a site (there are 11 of occupation at the site of Troy, for instance) could reveal its deep past and inform archaeologists of the history of a site in various historical periods.
Linus Lacombe: that should be 11 layers
Ceejay Writer: that’s a lot.
Darlingmonster Ember: like a good cake
Darlingmonster Ember: layers
Linus Lacombe: A cake made of cities.
Solace Fairlady: smiles
Nimue Vaniva: Before and/or after Troy?
Daphne Dench: 🙂
Solace Fairlady:: Ah Pitt Rivers!
Linus Lacombe: Before and after. Up through the Roman period, I believe
Jimmy Branagh thinks “Singularity of focus”
Linus Lacombe: He later admitted to making up the story; his wife was in Greece at the time. However, Schliemann’s contributions are important, for he in demonstrated how interpreting the layers of a site (there are 11 of occupation at the site of Troy, for instance) could reveal its deep past and inform archaeologists of the history of a site in various historical periods.
Eleanor Anderton for some reason is wanting trifle…
Linus Lacombe: Our third archaeologist this afternoon is General Augustus Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers, who applied his military experience to archaeology. He insisted upon meticulous field and survey work on the sites he worked.
Solace Fairlady:: Wonderful wonderful museum he created
Linus Lacombe: Indeed
Saffia Widdershins nods
Linus Lacombe: let me go back to his picture
Linus Lacombe: there!
Linus Lacombe: Many of these thorough excavations were done on Roman and Saxon sites discovered on his own estates in southern England. He created site plans and models of the sites he worked, and recorded the exact positions for every object uncovered.
Ceejay Writer gives his picture a small thumbs-up.
Nimue Vaniva: The thoroughness of science.
Jimmy Branagh: ‘ee looks loike a general.
Solace Fairlady:: He does, doesn’t he Jimmy!
Jimmy Branagh: Mmmhmm.
Linus Lacombe thinks he looks like a president, but that is neither here nor there.
Linus Lacombe: As with Fiorelli, he was not concerned with enrichment through retrieving treasure, but with recovering everything, no matter how mundane they might seem. In insisting upon total recording, he was a pioneer.
Saffia Widdershins: clearly a splendid chap
Solace Fairlady: nods
Linus Lacombe: From 1882, Pitt-Rivers was Britain’s first Inspector of Ancient Monuments. Perhaps his greatest legacy on paper was his four volume field report on Cranborne Chase (1887-1898), which beautifully illustrates the high standards on which he insisted.
Solace Fairlady:: Was he aware of Fiorellis work? Or come to simillar ideas himself?
Nimue Vaniva: I suppose he set the standard for those to follow.
Pythagoras Gearhead walks over to get a closer look at the imagery
Linus Lacombe: I do not know if he and Fiorelli were acquainted, but it is hard to imagine that he did not know of Fiorelli’s work.
Solace Fairlady: nods
Linus Lacombe: Pitt-Rivers collected thousands of artifacts from sites worldwide, arranging the assemblage chronologically and typologically to show how human artifacts changed and grew in sophistication and style over time.
Linus Lacombe: We have already come a long way from treasure hunting, eh?
Pythagoras Gearhead smirks and folds his arms across his chest
Solace Fairlady:: As you said sir, with his own estates he had no need of financial reward.
Linus Lacombe: Pitt-Rivers donated his collection to the University of Oxford, and on its basis the Pitt Rivers Museum was founded in 1884. In the early 21st century, the Museum is a teaching department of the University of Oxford. And there should be a link in matierials I provided for the Salon today, directing you to the museum’s website.
Linus Lacombe: I would like to conclude today’s presentation with Sir William Flinders Petrie (1853-1942). Petrie, a younger contemporary of Pitt-Rivers, was also a pioneer in performing meticulous excavations.
Solace Fairlady: cannot recommend the museum highly enough
Linus Lacombe: I hope to visit the museum some day!
Jimmy Branagh: ‘ee looks loike Steam Santa!
Solace Fairlady:: You will be in heaven sir:)
Linus Lacombe: And here is a picture of Petrie, in his later days
Gabrielle Riel smiles at Jimmy
Rowan Derryth: Flinders Petrie is my FAVOURITE. I was going to ask about him.
Linus Lacombe: As a teenager, he studied Stonehenge. Like Pitt-Rivers, he collected and described everything a dig would yield, not just ”the goodies.” He developed these methods in his work in Egypt and later in Palestine, beginning in the 1880s.
Wymberley Monday: Cor, tha’ looks like Lord Wymberley!
Rowan Derryth: He was also close friends with some of the Aesthetes we met at the last Salon 😉
Serafina Puchkina: oh nice!
Linus Lacombe: I could imagine!
Linus Lacombe: Petrie developed a technique of seriation, to determine the proper chronology of graves in the Naqada cemetery, which is in Upper Egypt
Rowan Derryth smiles and contains herself.
Nimue Vaniva: There was a different approach to gaining knowledge then.
Linus Lacombe: To clarify, seriation is a dating technique based on the chronological order of artifacts and collections of artifacts; artifacts appearing most alike are grouped together in forming the series, and change over time can be detected by professionals who deal with the kinds of artifacts being grouped.
Pythagoras Gearhead smiles and nods.
Nimue Vaniva: Is this combined with placement at the site?
Linus Lacombe: Yes…recording where an artifact was found, particularly at what level of occupation of a site, would go hand in hand with such techniques of seriation.
Linus Lacombe: Petrie later applied his ideas on seriation to Palestinian pottery, beginning about 1890 at a site known as Tel el-Hesi (ancient name unknown).
Wymberley Monday Finishs cookie and begins biting nails, giving thought to practical applications of this new idea, seriation.
Linus Lacombe: I have provided here a map of Israel/Palestine showing where in the country Tell el-Hesi is located
Linus Lacombe: Working at Tel el-Hesi, with Fredrick Jones Bliss, Petrie is also important as the first excavator to understand the nature and importance of the ancient tell (a mound where layers of settlements are built one atop the previous ones) in the Near East.
Wymberley Monday Takes cookie, and nods to Mr. Outlander, Thank’e kindly, sir.
Linus Lacombe: Perhaps Petrie’s most prominent single discovery (1896) was the importance of the Merneptha Stele, then the earliest known mention of the nation of Israel in Egyptian documentation.
Linus Lacombe: And this is a picture of the stele…it actually appears a little squat in this picture
Jimmy Branagh: When wos th’ earliest mention Mr. Linus?
Pythagoras Gearhead clenches his jaw muscles remembering his adventures in Egypt and in the north eastern African nations
Nimue Vaniva: The language it was written in?
Linus Lacombe: those would be Heiroglyphics
Linus Lacombe: In conclusion, let me say that there are many other archaeologists in the late 19th century, who help bring archaeology from its treasure-hunting era toward the meticulous scientific field it is in the 21st century.
KlausWulfenbach Outlander applauds
Linus Lacombe: There were other important innovations in theory and practice contributing to the development of the field, as well. However, I chose to talk about these particular archaeologists today, for to me they best embody mid to late 19th century archaeology’s growing demand for professionalism and the quest to fully unlock what the ground holds of human history.
Linus Lacombe: I thank you.
Darlingmonster Ember applauds
Jimmy applauds
Darlingmonster Ember applauds
KlausWulfenbach Outlander applauds
Serafina Puchkina applauds
Kimika Ying: applauds!
Random Wezzog applauds.
Rowan Derryth: wonderful!
Scottie Melnik applauds
Solace Fairlady: applauds
Eleanor Anderton applauds!
Darlingmonster Ember applauds
Daphne Dench: smiles and claps!
Nimue Vaniva: Excellent.
Saffia Widdershins applauds
Ceejay Writer smiles and takes a deep breath to help settle all this new knowledge.
Ianone Constantine applauds
Jimmy Branagh: Thget wos very intersting!
Stereo Nacht: A most informative presentation, Mr. Lacombe! Thank you!
Serafina Puchkina: Fascinating, Mr. Lacombe.
Solace Fairlady:: Wonderful discourse!
Saffia Widdershins: That was fascinating!
Jimmy applauds
Solace Fairlady: claps
Linus Lacombe: Thank you all, most kindly
Serafina Puchkina: Are there questions for our speaker?
Darlingmonster Ember: indeed
Pythagoras Gearhead applauds, then quietly excuses himself
Darlingmonster Ember: I have one
Serafina Puchkina: Yes, Miss Ember
Ceejay Writer raises her hand and waits her turn.
Stereo Nacht: Good bye Mr. Gearhead!
Linus Lacombe: I shall do what I can to answer your questions or help you find information if I cannot.
Darlingmonster Ember: Men who change a standard like this… was it results or charm or what that might have given them leverage over systems that were in use for so long?
Linus Lacombe: I think there were many factors involved. Science, the humanities, many fields were developing rapidly in this era.
Jimmy Branagh shouts: Hallo Herr Baron
Wymberley Monday whispers,”hullo, Jimmy. Wot’s up?”
Darlingmonster Ember: nod
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Shhh.
Darlingmonster Ember: thank you
Serafina Puchkina: Miss Writer, I believe you were next
Nimue Vaniva: What drove such development?
Linus Lacombe: Many intellectuals of the era studied in more fields than their own.
Ceejay Writer pauses a bit till questions are fully answered.
KlausWulfenbach Outlander grins to himself
Solace Fairlady: Mr Lacombe described them all as pioneers, which suggests there were NO standards ioperating before them
Wymberley Monday Whispers: Would you teach me ta read?
Rowan Derryth: Oh Mister Lacombe, on that I must add that Petrie was close with the artist & designer Henry Holiday. They put on a Tableau Vivant of Ancient Egypt together for the Healthy and Artistic Dress Union in 1894.
Rowan Derryth smiles excitedly.
Jimmy Branagh shrugs
Wymberley Monday: nods. Oy’d like ta read about all those places.
Linus Lacombe: Fascinating, Ms Derryth! Petrie was an Egyptologist, foremost. But he studied Palestine as well, particularly in the 20th century
Serafina Puchkina: how interesting!
Linus Lacombe: Have I missed any questions so far?
Serafina Puchkina: Miss Writer
Rowan Derryth: HOliday introduced him to his wife, an art student he sent to help him with his illustrations.
Ceejay Writer: The plaster casts made of the victims at Pompeii – how are they holding up, any clue as to the expected lifespan of that plaster of paris?
KlausWulfenbach Outlander raises a hand
Linus Lacombe: Well, I am not certain what the lifespan is. Preserved propertly, I would think quite indefinitely.
Ceejay Writer: (Having a relative who was a poor planning artist who cast badly mixed cement statues… I naturally wonder)
Ceejay Writer: I do hope they last many generations to come.
Serafina Puchkina: Herr Baron, I believe you are next
Rowan Derryth: Did Pitt-Rivers and Petrie know each other?
Linus Lacombe: I think they use a different substance now, not plaster.
Rowan Derryth: After the Baron, please.
Ceejay Writer: Thank you Linus. 🙂
Linus Lacombe: My sources suggest they use a transparent glass fibre now
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Herr Branagh asked earlier about the oldest mention of the Israelites, since you said the stela found was the oldest at its time.
Linus Lacombe: The Baron was nex?
Ceejay Writer: Oh, interesting. I’ll read up on that.
Linus Lacombe: I think it depends, Baron….rather a complex question.
Pythagoras Gearhead stands outside smoking a cigarette
Jimmy Branagh grins
Jimmy Branagh whispers to Wym “Oy ask complex questions!”
Wymberley Monday whispers: We culd start with the Homer one, almost named me dog Homer.
Linus Lacombe: There is a record of a people invading Egypt and surrounding regions, called the Hyksos. Some think the Israelites could be related to them.
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: A familiar name.
Darlingmonster Ember: aaah
Serafina Puchkina nods
Nimue Vaniva: I thought the Israelites fought them.
Wymberley Monday whispers: Do ye have tha’ un still? Book, Oy mean. HOmer.
Linus Lacombe: I am not aware of that in the historical record.
Linus Lacombe: It looks like the stele is the oldest record of the term “Israel” being used.
Nimue Vaniva: Maybe it was the opinion of the gentleman who mentioned it.
Wymberley Monday whispers: Like wot?
Wymberley Monday: sighs
Nimue Vaniva: He was a religion student with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
Stereo Nacht: Tribes fighting sister-tribe happens all the time, in any case.
Linus Lacombe: Ms Derryth, I think you had something?
Serafina Puchkina: Miss Derryth had a question.
Pythagoras Gearhead walks back in to listen to the ending questions
Jimmy Branagh smiles
Jasper Kiergarten: don’t run off without this month’s craft at the end of the presentation
Nimue Vaniva: Craft?
Rowan Derryth: Ah Yes…
Rowan Derryth: I wondered if Pitt-Rivers and Petrie knew each other
Rowan Derryth: I would imagine so, but wondered what their relationship might have been, if any
Jasper Kiergarten: at the conclusion of each Salon, we give a commemorative craft, but after the Q&A is complete 🙂
Linus Lacombe: Oh, yes. Ms Derryth, I have not run accross anything about their relationship in my researches. However, again, it would be hard to believe that they did not interact and know each others’ work
Rowan Derryth nods thoughtfully
Rowan Derryth: I agree
Saffia Widdershins: I would think that they might belong to the same clubs ….
Linus Lacombe: It would be fascinating to know if they did, and would make a great paper for an archaeological history course, I think.
Rowan Derryth: Yes, exactly
Matthew Tammas: I wish to ask.. of those discussed this evening, who do you feel had the gratest impact regarding how modern archaeology is practiced today?
Stereo Nacht wonders if they may have been ennemies, as much as competitors in a field might be… 😉
Nimue Vaniva: I wish I were still in school.
Rowan Derryth: I’m going to keep an eye open for that when I research Petrie
Darlingmonster Ember grins watching the academics inspire each other
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: One does not need a school in order to write a paper.
Linus Lacombe: Mr Tammas, I think that is a great question! Of these, I think that probably Pitt-Rivers did.
Solace Fairlady: Quite so Herr baron!
Rowan Derryth agrees with the Baron
Nimue Vaniva: One may need a class deadline for inspiration, however.
Solace Fairlady: luaghs “they didn’t work for me back then either”!
Matthew Tammas: Quite true. A salon or lodge can be motivation enough to prepare a paper for presentation. Education does not end when we leave our formal schooling.
Ceejay Writer: An editor’s deadline is as challenging. looks away from Miss Widdershins
Rowan Derryth laughs
Stereo Nacht quietly laughs at MIss Vaniva, knowing the feeling…
KlausWulfenbach Outlander grins
Linus Lacombe: Further questions?
Matthew Tammas: Pitt-Rivers. Thank you. 🙂
PJ Trenton: Has anyone been crushed by a trolley while attending a Salon? 😉
Jasper Kiergarten: lol
Matthew Tammas: (heh)
Rowan Derryth snickers
Jasper Kiergarten: not to my knowledge
Linus Lacombe: Not I sir!
Darlingmonster Ember: smirks
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Have they ever jumped the wall?
Pythagoras Gearhead looks behind himself, seeing the steamcar derail and…crash into a wall. She blanches and looks back as if it didnt happen
Nimue Vaniva: Are there as many crossings between science and art now as there was in the 19th century?
PJ Trenton: That was a close one
Ceejay Writer: Trolleys are sentient lifeforms, respect them.
Rowan Derryth smiles at the question
Serafina Puchkina: Thank you, clever and intelligent guests. Fine questions for our speaker!
Linus Lacombe: Indeed…fantastic questions!
Serafina Puchkina: Mr. Kiergarten has the craft. Please take your copy
Jimmy applauds
Matthew Tammas applauds!
Solace Fairlady: applauds
Serafina Puchkina: Thank you so much, Mr Lacombe. This has been excellent!
KlausWulfenbach Outlander applauds
Random Wezzog applauds.
Saffia Widdershins applauds
Jimmy Branagh: Thenks Mr. Linus!
Serafina Puchkina applauds
Rowan Derryth: Miss Vaniva, there are currently some fantastic ones.. looks at the Wellcome Museum in London.
Daphne Dench: smiles and claps!
Daphne Dench: Bravo!
Daphne Dench: Thank you!
Darlingmonster Ember applauds
Darlingmonster Ember: bravo
Linus Lacombe: I am honored to have been invited, thank you!
Rowan Derryth claps loudly
Matthew Tammas: This was wonderful. Thank you to both the forum and the presenter. 🙂
Ceejay Writer smiles and claps.
Darlingmonster Ember: ah
Saffia Widdershins: something worth noting – objects collected by Flinders Petrie are in the Pitt Rivers Museum
Stereo Nacht: And good evening Herr Baron. I wish I had come in earlier, but got caught up in the minutes…
Rowan Derryth: There you go.
Nimue Vaniva: Thank you so much. I will become a salon member if all presentations are so well informed.
Darlingmonster Ember: it is dinner for me here… I hope to see you Gentles next Aether Salon
Darlingmonster Ember curtsies
Stereo Nacht: Good night Miss Ember!
Linus Lacombe mumbles “broad academic discourse”
Solace Fairlady: A wonderful introduction to the Salon, thank you both Mr Lacombe, and Mr Kiergarten, Miss Dagger amd Miss Puchkina!
Rowan Derryth: Must go there next time I’m in Oxford!
Jimmy Branagh: Noight Miss Ember!
Serafina Puchkina: Please join us in January for salon. The topic will be announced later
Solace Fairlady: bobs a curtsey
Saffia Widdershins: 🙂
Darlingmonster Ember: waves… flits!
Serafina Puchkina: Thank you all
KlausWulfenbach Outlanderr grins
Jimmy Branagh: An’ Hoy ta everyone Oy dint say Hoy to when Oy snuck in.
Linus Lacombe: Thank you for coming, Ms Fairlady
Saffia Widdershins: The Salons are so fascinating!
Rowan Derryth: Indeed
Wymberley Monday: Wymberley waves too
Linus Lacombe: I have learne so much by coming to these salons
Wymberley Monday: Very entertainin’
Serafina Puchkina: That is due to you all, for we have many interesting people here
Serafina Puchkina: Thank you all
Jimmy Branagh: Yeh Oy learn a lot comin’ ‘ere.
Pythagoras Gearhead is almost run over by the leaving crowd and acts quickly. He nods to Solace and gets himself outside
Stereo Nacht: Good evening M(?) Monday!
Serafina Puchkina: Jasper, will you turn over contents of the tip jar to Mr. Lacombe?
Random Wezzog: Thank you, Mr. Lacombe. That was very interesting 🙂
Linus Lacombe: I am glad you found it informative, M Wezzog
Rowan Derryth: Mister Lacombe… remind me and I can send you a picture of Petrie’s Tableaux Vivant 😉
Pythagoras Gearhead: Huh…well…that was educational…
Wymberley Monday: I jus’ gotta learn ta read.
Nimue Vaniva: another smoke?
Linus Lacombe: I must do that, thank you Ms Derryth!
Pythagoras Gearhead lights himself a cigarette, nodding to Nimue as he acclimates to the weather
Jimmy Branagh: Well, Oy gotta run! (Dinner in RL)) Noight awl. Noight Herr Baron.
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Hmm. Most of my reading materials are scientific papers and political evasions.
Rowan Derryth smiles happily
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Gute Nacht, Herr Jimmy.
Stereo Nacht: Well, I might as well go back to my task, if I want it finished tonight.
Nimue Vaniva: Good evening Mr. Gearhead.
Serafina Puchkina: Good night and safe travels
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Work hard, Fraulein Captainess.
Jimmy Branagh: See ya Wym!
Stereo Nacht: Good night Herr Baron, Mr. Branagh, Miss Wezzong, Miss Writer, Miss Dench, Mr. Tammas…
Pythagoras Gearhead: (Woa…Did the sim next t us just disappear?)
Nimue Vaniva: I’ve officially joined the group and hope to see many of you again.
Solace Fairlady: Be well Miss Stereo!
Wymberley Monday: Evenin’ ever’one.
Linus Lacombe feels a bit parched after speaking, and ambles over for some tea
Random Wezzog: Good night, Miss Nacht. 🙂
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Fraulein Monday, I’ll see if I can find a book or two for you.
Stereo Nacht: And Mr. Lacombe, Miss Widdershins, Mr. Kiergarten, Miss Puchkina Mr. Jervil Mr. Trenton, Miss Derryth…
Saffia Widdershins: Goodnight Mis Nacht!
Stereo Nacht: (I hope I am not missing anyone!)
Linus Lacombe: Good night Ms Stereo!
Vernden Jervil: I think you got everyone.
Rowan Derryth: Goodnight!
Stereo Nacht: Ah, Miss Solace! Sorry! I thought you were gone!
Nimue Vaniva: Good night all.
Stereo Nacht: Good night my dear!
KlausWulfenbach Outlander chuckles
Serafina Puchkina: I will post transcripts this week.
Solace Fairlady: smiles
Daphne Dench: Good evening, smile
Jasper Kiergarten: thanl you everyone
Jasper Kiergarten: thank*
Daphne Dench: Can someone tell me how to stand up?
Serafina Puchkina: Mr. Lancombe has provided further research information that I will put in the transcript
Jasper Kiergarten: just stand
Jasper Kiergarten: 🙂
Jasper Kiergarten: and detacht hte chair
Stereo Nacht: (Detach the chair!)
Jasper Kiergarten: the
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Detach first, it’s more graceful.
KlausWulfenbach Outlander grins
Jasper Kiergarten: quite
Linus Lacombe: The chairs are great! I use them quite often, when seating is limited.
Jasper Kiergarten: excellent presentation Mr. Lacombe
Jasper Kiergarten: thank you so much
Jasper Kiergarten: especially on such short notice
Ceejay Writer: It was well done… and now you can relax, Linus!
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: I may have to commission a version for the Consulate.
Ceejay Writer: And perhaps get some rest.
Linus Lacombe: thank you for having me Mr Kiergarten.
Cup of fresh ground coffee whispers: Now THAT I needed!
Jasper Kiergarten: most happy sir
Daphne Dench: smiles…
Daphne Dench: Detach the chair, that was it!
Jasper Kiergarten: 😀
Nimue Vaniva: Mr. Lacombe, I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share
Ceejay Writer: I wish everyone a good evening, and perhaps will see you at another event. smiles and dissapates
Linus Lacombe: Thank you, Ms Vaniva
Daphne Dench: Thank you so much for this instructive presentation. Good evening 🙂
Daphne Dench: Waves
Linus Lacombe: Good evening, Ms Dench
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Well-organised, Herr Lacombe.
Serafina Puchkina: Good night Miss Dench
Jasper Kiergarten: good day everyone!
Matthew Tammas: Thank you all for a very enjoyable evening. I must away from you now. Good night, all. 🙂
Jasper Kiergarten: thank you for coming, and see you next month
Serafina Puchkina: Good eve Mr Tammas
Linus Lacombe: Good night Mr Tammas
Solace Fairlady:: Mr Kiergarten, you have the craft to hand out?
Linus Lacombe: Fantastic craft, Mr Kiergarten
Saffia Widdershins: Goodbye everyone!
Solace Fairlady: ah there is the box!
Nimue Vaniva: thank you again. I hope to see you at another salon.
Saffia Widdershins: Hopefully see some of you at Metraverse Arts!
Linus Lacombe: Good night, Ms Widdershins
Linus Lacombe: oh, Ms Vaniva vanished so quickly!
Serafina Puchkina: Thank you Mr. Trenton for taking pictures!
Solace Fairlady: Thank you again Mr lacombe, Miss Puchkina and Mr Kiergarten, i look forward very much to January’s Salon.
Solace Fairlady: I bid you all a very good evening!
Solace Fairlady: Herr baron
Solace Fairlady: bobs a curtsey
Jasper Kiergarten: thank you for coming
KlausWulfenbach Outlander: Fraulein.
Linus Lacombe: Thank you Ms Fairlady, for attending