The Great Forgetting

Posted on January 26, 2014 by technotink

Cross-posted from http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/have-you-heard-of-the-great-forgetting/ with lengthy article here: . Reference: Quinn, Daniel date-unknown “The Great Forgetting”. Website referenced 1/26/2014 at http://www.filmsforaction.org/news/the_great_forgetting/.

Have You Heard of The Great Forgetting? It Happened 10,000 Years Ago & Completely Affects Your Life

Republished from deep-ecology-hub.com
By Deep Ecology Hub

The Great Forgetting refers to the wealth of knowledge that our culture lost when we adopted our new civilized lifestyle. The knowledge that allowed indigenous cultures to survive, the knowledge that we had once also been tribal and the understanding that we were but one mere culture of thousands. All of this disappeared in a few short generations.

The Great Forgetting accounts for an enormous cultural collapse as once tribal people found themselves in a new and strange mass centralized society. New beliefs, new ways of life rushed into this cultural vacuum to fill the void. But without being tested by natural selection over thousands of years this new culture was evolutionarily unstable.

It is only recently that the Great Forgetting has been exposed. Understanding it holds the key to making sense of our destructive culture. And remembering what it is that was forgotten holds the key to our future.

How The Great Forgetting Took Place

It began around 10,000 years ago when one culture in the Near East adopted a new way of life that humans had not tried before.

They began to practice an intensive form of agriculture which enabled them to live in a settled location.

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Binne’s Cairn: The Giant’s Grave, Curraghbinny Woods, Cork, Ireland

Posted on December 23, 2013 by technotink

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Binne’s Cairn, The Giant’s Grave, Curraghbinny Hill, Ireland

The Giant’s Grave: Binne’s Cairn
* Curraghbinny Woods, County Cork, Munster, Ireland * Latitude: 51°48’41.35″ * Longitude: -8°17’52.72″ *

Atop the summit of Curraghbinny Hill in Curraghbinny Forest Recreation Area lies a mound of giant stones/ cairn that is locally called “The Giant’s Grave”. The grave overlooks Cork Harbour. It was excavated by an archaeological team in 1932 by archaeologist Sean P. O’Riordan. During this excavation, a large circle of giant boulders were uncovered beneath a spread of stones. Within the cairn was an arc of smaller stones closer to the center. In the center of the monument was a heap of stone and clay. That is all found within the cairn. Nearby however were found cattle teeth, cattle bone, charcoal, cremated human bone, a small bronze ring, and two collections of water-rolled pebbles imported from elsewhere. The cremated human bone found nearby was carbon dated roughly to be 4,000 years old. No one knows the exact date of the cairn, but it is estimate to be Bronze Age (2000 B.C.E. to 400 B.C.E.). The name of the woods “Curraghbinny” in Irish is “Corra Binne” named after the legendary giant called Binne. It is believed that this cairn is his burial chamber atop the hill (called a “Corra” in Irish). The stone most likely was deposited naturally during the Ice Age 20,000 years ago. The Giant’s Stone in Crosshaven went missing after the slob in the town center was filled in and was recently recovered and brought back to be displayed in the middle of Crosshaven.

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Binne’s Cairn, The Giant’s Grave, Curraghbinny Hill, Ireland

The legend of the Giant named Binne
According to Robert Day who told the tale in 1892 about a giant named Mahain who threw two stones from Monkstown landing in Ringaskiddy and the other in Crosshaven. It is believed this was the Giant named Binne. Another local tale tells a similar tale, but this time the Giant was called Binne, and lived locally in Currabinny. He was the giant who cast the stones into Crosshaven years ago. The stone apparently has a set of fingerprints embedded into the stone leading viewers of it to believe they belonged to a giant.

To learn more about Cairns and stacked rocks

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Binne’s Cairn, The Giant’s Grave, Curraghbinny Hill, Ireland

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Tobar Ghobnatan (St. Gobnait’s House, Church, Cemetery, Statue, & Well)

Posted on December 21, 2013 by technotink

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Tobar Ghobnatan
* Ballyvourney (a.k.a. Baile Bhuirne), County Cork, Ireland *

Named after the Matron Saint of Ballyvourney and sacred Bee-Keeping mistress, Saint Ghobnatan, this site is a holy pilgrimage location and monastic settlement known as “Tobar Ghobnatan”. This is the legendary home of St. Gobnait/Ghobnatan. It is located a kilometer south of the village of Ballyvourney where St. Ghobnatan’s church Móin Mór (a.k.a. Bairnech) was built. The site is believed to have been a pre-Christian Pagan site used to smelt bronze and iron. There are also two holy wells at this site, both of which are believed to pre-date St. Abban and Gobnait’s arrival to the land, most likely Pagan shrines or Fairy wells. Today these wells are called “St. Gobnait’s Well” and “St. Abban’s Well”. This Christian site was believed to have been founded first by St. Abban who founded a convent here and giving it to Saint Gobnait. It is however, primarily attributed to St. Gobnait, and both wells seem to carry her name and reputation, even though there is controversy as to which well belongs to which Saint.

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The Statue of St. Gobnait

St. Gobnait’s cult and laity, as well as the Catholic population of the area, often come to the site for recreation, hiking, prayers, petitions, and doing the rounds or turas. However, every February 11th, the date that St. Gobnait was believed to pass away (year unknown), has become her official “Feast Day” which calls for tribute and celebrations for her. Pilgrims to the site do these rounds on the feast day by coming to the statue (station 1) and processing in a clockwise direction around the site scratching crosses on the stones of each station as they do their rounds. Just to the left of the statue the pilgrims begin reciting three sets of prayers seven times each at each station making a very long day to the rite and ritual involved. These are seven “Our Father” prayers, seven “Hail Mary’s” prayers, and seven “Glories of Christ”. The statue was erected in 1950 C.E. The turas however are believed to be done in the general vicinity of the statue for at least since the 17th century. No date is certain when the pilgrimage and practice began.

St. Gobnait’s Kitchen or House
Next to the statue is a round stone circular hut that is believed to have been either the kitchen or house of St. Gobnait. During construction of the statue and excavation of the site, post holes were found suggesting that the site was used for production of various crafts. From the 1800’s until 1950’s the hut and site was in complete ruin. The hut and site was restored after the site was excavated in 1950 by M.J. O’Kelly who rebuilt it to its current state. The excavations suggested that the site was used for metal craft working up to the early medieval period based on large amounts of iron smelting slag, a crucible, and other metal working artifacts found on the site. There are also Bullaun Stones found on the site. These were believed to have been used to grind metal ores in. It is believed the hut was a later addition and that the site’s original first use was for bronze or iron working. The circular hut, which has been restored, has an internal diameter of 6 meters. It was believed to have been used by iron and bronze smelters. It is also around this time that the well in front of the hut was believed to have been dug (called St. Gobnait’s Well). The House or Kitchen was deemed the second station of the turas. Here is the best example of the crude crosses scratched into the stones and markers during the turas on the site. This is done on the portal stones when they enter the hut, and on some of the stones atop the wall. Since this hut has evidence of an earlier site for smelting iron and bronze, folklore ties it to an earlier being or Deity … that of Goibnui, the Smith of the Tuatha Dé Danann that might be whom St. Gobnait replaced. One of the holy wells stands before the entrance to the hut. This one is definitely listed as St. Gobnait’s Well. The main well, found on the right hand side of the road down the hill before one comes up to the right side of the road as one drives up to the site. This main well is also called St. Gobnait’s Holy Well, of which both were revered as a site of healing waters and magic from their early beginnings to this very date.

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The Graveyard / Church yard
The cemetery is a fabulous find just in of itself. Some of the grave markers are fantastically carved and decorated. Celtic crosses dot the landscape. There is a large sculpture of a woman believed to be a Goddess standing on an egg with a snake curled around her feet that is interpreted by some modern day Pagans as being a sculpture of the White Goddess. There is no documentation to authenticate this however. St. Gobnait’s purported grave is located here. This is marked Stations 3 and 4 on the pilgrimage stations/turas map. This consists of a small artificial prehistoric mound that looks like most other megalithic cists. On its south end is a large stone slab which is the location where many believe her body rests. Atop this stone pilgrims scratch the cross into the stone slab (Station 3). The slab atop the cist (Station 4) is also covered with scratched crosses. There are said to exist three Bullaun Stones here, the third of which may be in the station 3 stone slab.

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The Ballyvourney Church – Stations 5-9 is the medieval church that is located in the graveyard. It is one of the major stops for pilgrims doing their rounds and is a location of more cross scratchings/etchings that are made during the turas/stations/rounds. This church was built atop an earlier church that may have been the original Móin Mór (a.k.a. Bairnech) church of St. Gobnait. Pilgrims begin at the northwest corner of the earlier foundation noted as station 5 and cite seven “Our Fathers”, “Hail Marys”, and “Glories” at each station. They go in a clock-wise direction circling the church saying a decade of the rosary visiting station 5 four times and all the other stations once. Station 6 can be found in the east wall window of the chancel where the altar was believed to first had rested. After prayers were made, they circle the church, re-enter, and pray at station 7 – rubbing the Sheela-na-gig carving above it which many believe is an image of St. Gobnait. Near the Sheela-Na-gig is the Flagstone of the Thief. The Flagstone of the Thief found in the graveyard and church ruins is believed to represent the tale when St. Gobnait fastened the thief and the cows he stole to the flagstone on which they were standing when they were caught, and the feet/hooves imprinted themselves upon the stone. There is a tale of this flagstone that states a robber once came to the church yard and tried to erect his own shrine here. Once Saint Gobnait learned of this, she took her bowl and threw it at the shrine, thereby destroying it. Since then, the bowl has been located along the west wall of the church and is a place where pilgrims go to touch it with a personal item used to gain healing.

Both of these particular carvings are believed to date from the 15th century C.E. From here the pilgrims would proceed to station 8 just outside of the south wall where the Chanel meets the wider nave. They would circumambulate the church again stopping at station 9 on the south side of the west wall just above the top of the steps at St. Gobnait’s Bowl. Pilgrims would reach into the bowl and touch the stone. Folklore states this bowl was used by St. Gobnait to defeat a local chief who was building near her monastery by destroying his fort. The final station is at St. Abban’s Holy Well (station 10). Here at the church each year on the 11th of February, the parish priest would bring out a 13th century wooden statue of St. Gobnait upon which pilgrims would measure a ribbon against the statue and wrap it around the figure, then take the ribbon home to use for healing magic.

No one knows for sure when the pilgrimages began at this site. Many believe early Pagan faiths came to this location for other reasons, most likely to pay tribute and make offerings at the fairy wells. Once Christianity took over the site, pilgrimages probably did not occur until after the death of St. Gobnait in the mid to late 16th century C.E. The earliest written accounts of pilgrimages to Ballyvourney date to the early 1600’s C.E. The Pope Clement VIII in 1601 granted a special indulgence of 10 years to those who came here on the feast day, went to Confession and Communion and prayed for peace among the “Christian princes”, for the expulsion of heresy, and for the exaltation of the church. Other works of art such as the poetry of Dáibhidh Ó Bruidar, the writings of Don Philip Ó Súilleabháin and Seathrún Céitinn clearly demonstrate that by the late 16th century the Saint Gobnait cult was strong and thriving. Donal Cam Ó Súilleabháin during his escape from Béara came to this monastic site in 1603 C.E. with his men to pray to Saint Gobnait offering her gifts asking for her protection. In 1645 C.E. the Papal Nunico Rinuccini wrote about the Cult as well from descriptions of his visit. In 1687 C.E. Sir Richard Cox wrote about Ballyvourney as being home to the Gobnait cult and location of the holy relic that makes cures and miracles to the pilgrims there, referring to the 13th century figurine of St. Gobnait used by the parish during the feast day. Traditionally the relics of Saint Gobnait were in the care of the O’Hierlihy family. It was cared for by this family until 1843 when it was passed on to the Parish priest. Today, the figurine is in care of the local Parish priest.

It is worthy to note that a ring fort that could have had ties with the Pagan pre-Christian use of the site, was destroyed by a local farmer. Information about this incident can be found at http://corkarchaeologist.wordpress.com/destruction-of-ringforts/. There are other wells dedicated to Saint Gobnait throughout Ireland. A magical well in Dunguin exists by the school house that consists of a shrine and well. Another is in Kilgore called the “Tovar Ghobnait” that is enclosed with two pillar stones and a cross stone. It is an ancient stone with a water mark impression that holds rainwater, and is said that the bowl never goes empty. During the summer months it is also said that the wild roses growing around the site will never root if transplanted elsewhere.

How to get here: Drive West from Macroom to Kerry on the N22. As you pass through Ballymakerry (Baile Mhic Ire), you will pass a church on your right-hand side and will take the first left hand turn after the church that has a sign post. Follow the road 400 meters and you will see the first (and main) holy well on the right. You’ll need to go up the hill a bit for parking as it is a very narrow road. Take the next right hand road (near where you can park by a graveyard) up the hill to see the other holy well, statue, hut, church ruins, and main graveyard. There is also a modernized porta-toilet in this parking lot so you don’t have to use the bushes. The GPS coordinates are: 79: W 1967 7688. Longitude: 9° 10′ 5″ W, Latitude: 51° 56′ 18″ N.

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Article by Thomas Baurley, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions and Research Services: Technogypsie.com. © 2013: All rights reserved.

Article on the Church, Shrine, Graveyard, and Well found at http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=14339. Article on the Holy Well found at http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=7591. Article on the Tobar Ghobnatan Wishing Trees, Saint Ghobnatan, and Tobar Ghobnatan cross etchings.

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Montezuma Castle

Posted on December 12, 2013 by technotink

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Montezuma Castle National Monument
* Camp Verde, Arizona * http://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm *

Thanks to the Antiquities Act of 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt celebrated it by naming and declaring four National Monuments as having such historic and cultural significance, one of these was Montezuma castle – one of the best preserved examples of cliff dwellings in the country. This 45-50 room Sinagua pueblo ruin sheltered into a natural alcove in a cliff face overlooking Beaver Creek for 400 years is a phenomenal work of art. It was excavated in 1933, and although little artifacts remained, the architecture alone made it shine above others. Early visitors were allowed entrance into the castle by climbing a series of ladders up the limestone cliffs, but due to damages from tourism, it was closed off in 1951. The park consists of over 826 protected acres at the intersection of the Colorado Plateau, Colorado Basin, and Colorado Range. The park attracts over 350,000 visitors a year and is open 7 days a week from 8 am until 5 pm, except being closed for Christmas. The National Park Service has a wonderful museum below at the gate covering the history of the Sinagua and how the cliff dwellings were constructed, displays some of the artifacts recovered, tools used for life, and presents a gift shop for tourists.

The dwellings were first built and used by the Sinagua culture, a pre-Columbian peoples who were distinctly related to the Hohokam who once lived along the valley floor. The cliff dwelling is 5 stores in height and took over five centuries to construct. The construct is stone and mortar buildings with 20 rooms that could have housed upwards of 50 people. Carved into a limestone high cliff, the natural alcove shades the room from sun and rain. It took much skill to create this masterpiece, had an incredibly defensive standpoint, and was difficult to climb up into even with the ladders. There is evidence in another cliff wall that a earlier larger dwelling, but nothing remains of it. Original artifacts remaining were minimal as the area had been highly looted through the ages. It was occupied from 1100 C.E. to 1425 C.E. with its flourishing peak around 1300 C.E. Many tribes trace their roots to this pueblo, including several Hopi clans. This makes the Castle a pilgrimage point for the Hopi and other tribes who conduct religious ceremonies at this place. The first Euro-American contact was in the 1860s which gave it the name “Montezuma Castle” a big misnomer as the Aztec Emperor of Mexico never had anything to do with this community. In fact, it was built and abandoned at least 100 years long before he was ever born. The area was briefly abandoned due to volcanic ash that came from the Sunset Crater Volcano, and its likely the sediment from that ash aided with Sinagua agricultural success. During this brief flash of history, they lived on the hills nearby, then in 1125 re-settled in the Verde Vally and re-cycled the irrigation systems set up by their ancestors the Hohokam. They evacuated the area for an unknown as of yet reason around 1425 C.E. Theories for this ranged from droughts, clashes with the Yavapai people who moved into the Valley, and/or warfare.

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“Timeless Beauty: Montezuma castle invites us to pause in wonder at the ingenuity of the people who began building it over 700 years ago. Ancestors of today’s Puebloan peoples built and occupied the Castle. We can only speculate why they chose to build here and how they lived in this magnificent cliff dwelling. Both Montezuma and Castle are misnomers. In the 1800s European Americans were fascinated with Inca, May, and Aztec civilizations and gave southwestern sites exotic names, in this case for Emperor Montezuma II – who lived long after the Castle was constructed. The Yayapai call this place the home of the protectors of the Yavapai. The Hopi refer to it as both Sakataka, place where the step ladders are going up and Wupat’pela for long high walls. Due to looting, by the early 1900s much of what the Castle’s residents left behind was gone. Damage to the building increased as visitors climbed ladders to walk through the rooms. Now this dwelling is only accessed for inspection, maintenance, and research.” ~ marker, Montezuma Castle, NM.

“Creating a home: To construct their cliff home, residents made use of a naturally eroded alcove and fit 20 rooms into the shape of its contours. Why build a home in a cliff face? There are many possibilities: proximity to water and farmland, to stay above floods, or for protection, the view, or the southern exposure that afforded winter solar heat and summer shade. A ready-made shelter also meant fewer walls and roofs to construct for housing, storage, workspace, customs, and rituals. To organize and partition the alcove space, builders created walls with river cobbles and limestone held together with mud mortar. Mud plaster covered and sealed the walls. For roof beams and floors between multi-storied rooms, they mostly used local sycamore along with some alder and ash, but also carried in fir and pine from a distance. The original roof beams protruding from the wall to the right of the tower and the large beam ending in the wall above the tower provide a sense of scale – the castle is not as high up or as large as it might appear. Each group living in the Castle likely had their own room, with roughly 140 square feet (13 sq. meters) or about 17.5 feet by 8 feet (5.3 m x 2.4 m) on average. Ceilings were at about 5 feet (1.5 meters). Peep holes and doorways provided light in the morning and early afternoon, but rooms were dark in the late afternoon and evening. Women or children likely did the plastering including annual patching of exterior walls that eroded easily – their hand prints are still visible in the plaster today.” ~ marker, Montezuma Castle, NM.

“Cycles of Care: Around the year 1400 C.E. people began leaving their homes here. Five hundred years later, its walls were still largely intact. The builders chose their home site wisely, taking advantage of the shelter that a natural alcove provided. The majority of what you see today is original, and the Castle is thought to be one of the best preserved sites from the period, likely due to its inaccessibility. Hopi and other Native consultants say dwellings like this were meant to recycle back to earth after the people left. However, in 1906 the Castle became a national monument to be managed for present and future generations. A variety of preservation treatments were applied to help withstand hundreds of thousands of visitors and keep the walls standing. Whenever possible, archaeologists attempt to match today’s treatment more closely with the original materials and building details, applying the minimum necessary to protect the integrity of the structure. ” ~ marker, Montezuma Castle, NM.

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The first USGS Gauging Station 1889

Posted on December 6, 2013 by technotink

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USGS Gauging Station 1889
* Embudo, New Mexico * (south of Taos) * http://md.water.usgs.gov/publications/presentations/md-de-dc_rt98/sld002.htm *

As studying stream and river flow patterns, power, and conductivity became a passion with the U.S. Geological Survey, they established their very first gauging station in 1889 along the Rio Grande River neare Embudo, New Mexico. Here they collected stream flow information for scientific reports, studies, and analysis. Directed by John Wesley Powell, Irrigation Survey personnel (branch of the U.S. Geological Survey) developed procedures here that could be utilized for creating reliable stream flow estimates and was believed to be an important item to inventory in the arid west prior to settlement of the region. Once the methodoly was solidified here near Embudo, the staff went to collect data at other western locations. Within two years, they also began collecting stream flow data along the Eastern United States, starting on the Potomac River at Chain Bridge near Washington D.C. on May 1, 1891. By 1895, measurements were being conducted in over 27 states. Today the USGS currently operates over 7000 gaging stations nation-wide. This helps us to understand the discharge of the stream, power of current, floodplain mapping, velocity, flood warnings, flood forecasting, and annual flow volumes.

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Taos Pueblo

Posted on December 6, 2013 by technotink

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Taos Pueblo * Pueblo de Taos * ȉałopháymųp’ȍhə́othə̀olbo * *
* Taos, New Mexico * www.taospueblo.com * ca. 1000 C.E./1450 C.E. to Present day *

As a southwestern Archaeologist, I have always been inspired and intrigued with the Taos Pueblo, the only living Native American community that has been designated as both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and as a National Historic Landmark. Aesthetically its a great example of adobe architecture and Puebloan culture. “Taos” was borrowed from the Spanish word “Taos” (tə̂o) meaning “village”, translating “Taos Pueblo” to “village in the village”. “Pueblo” means “the village” or “in the village” in the anglicized writing of the name, and given the namesake as “Taos Pueblo”, its true name however in the Taos language is “ȉałopháymųp’ȍhə́othə̀olbo” meaning “at Red Willow Canyon Mouth”. These multi-storied adobe structures have been continuously inhabited for over a 1000 years. As a part of the Eight Northern Pueblos, this community is known for being one of the most conservative, secretive, and private of those in existing Puebloan culture. The village is atop a 95,000 acre sized reservation with over 4,500 inhabitants. The Red Willow Creek (Rio Pueblo de Taos) runs through the village as a small stream flowing into the middle of the community, fed by the headwaters sprung for the from spring and snow melt of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. The pueblo is noted for its multi-storied residential complex, consisting of adobe architecture with reddish-brown mud-clay construction that is divided into two parts by the Red Willow Creek. Most of the Taos buildings originally had few windows or doors and were accessed by square holes in the roof led down by long climbing wooden ladders. Roofs were supported by large cedar logs with layers of branches, grass, mud, and plaster covering it all. The Pueblo wall completely enclosed the village back in the day and much taller for protection (today they are short or missing elements). The north side of the Pueblo is the most photographed and painted buildings in North America as they are representative of the largest multi-storied Pueblo structures still in existence. The walls are several feet thick for defensive strategy, and until 1900 C.E. only accessed from ladders in the roof. Homes usually have two rooms, one for living/sleeping and the other for cooking/storage. Each house is self-contained with no passageways between the houses. In early days, they were minimal with furnishings but today have beds, chairs, tables, counters, etc. There has never been electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing permitted in the Taos Pueblo. Kivas are scattered around the Pueblo utilized for council meetings and spiritual rites.

There is controversial debate on exactly when it was built, but estimated construction is between 1000 C.E. and 1450 C.E. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960 and a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. The original Pueblo Indians (including the Taos Native Americans) settled along the Rio Grande River after migrating from the Four Corners Region as their ancestry come from the Anasazi people who built the ruins in that area (Aztec Ruins, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, etc.) forced to move on by a devastating drought in the 13th century of the Common Era. The waters of the Rio Grande River were more dependable. This Pueblo became a trade center for most of the native Populations of the area including the Plains tribes, often hosting a trade fair every fall after the agricultural harvest. Their spirituality was very Pagan, animistic, and shamanistic in belief structure which was almost demolished by Catholicism and Christianity after contact. The first Spanish to arrive was in 1540 C.E. from the Francisco Vásquez de Coronado expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Gold. By 1620 C.E., San Geronimo de Taos Catholic church was constructed, albeit numerous resistance attempts from the local Taos Native Americans. Resistance against the Catholic faith was hardcore at this time. However, as tensions grew between the Euro-American and Spanish settlers invading the area as well as between the Plains Indians and amongst their own peoples, the 1600’s C.E. of this region was in major upheaval and change. Churches were burnt, settlers were killed, priests murdered, and the grand Pueblo Revolt of 1680 (CE) took foot. The Taos people killed all three priests and destroyed the San Geronimo church. It was rebuilt for a third time by the end of the 18th century and relations between the Spanish and Puebloan culture found a level of peace finding strength coming together to defeat another invader, the Comanche and Ute Indian Tribes from the North and East. Resistance towards Catholicism was still strong.

As New Mexico came under control of the United States away from Mexico, officially becoming a territory in 1847 C.E. the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed with a grand peace requested and cherished. This did not last long as another revolt broke out in this Pueblo, when the Taos Pueblo leader “Tomasito” teamed together with the Mexican leader “Pablo Montoya” instigated a rebellion of Native Americans and Mexicans who refused to become part of the United States. They killed the then Governor Charles Bent while marching onto Santa Fe, followed by refuge in the Geronimo Mission Church. The Church was attacked by American troops, onslaught murder of the rebels and taking the others hostage, once again demolishing the church. It was rebuilt a fourth time in 1850 C.E. near the west gate of the Pueblo wall. The ruins can be seen today in the grave yard.

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In the early 20th century, President Theodore Roosevelt took 48,000 acres of land from the Pueblo designating it as the Carson National Forest. This was returned back to the Pueblo in 1970 by President Nixon, and in 1996 an additional 764 acres were given back to the Pueblo covering their sacred Blue Lake – a magical body of water integrated into early Taos Puebloan belief structure.

Today the Taos Puebloan Peoples practice two spiritual practices – the original indigenous spiritual tradition and Roman Catholicism. It is said that the majority of the Taos Indians still practice their old ways even though 90% of their members have been baptized as Roman Catholics. From my experiences however, it is very apparent that much of the old ways have been destroyed by Catholicism. When I asked many Native American vendors in the Pueblo about certain meanings of various stones, symbols, or items (many of which are common knowledge items of lore today) – the response issued that they didn’t know, said there was nothing special about it, or that there was no lore associated with them. This demonstrated to me that either they were keeping secret even that which is common mainstream knowledge, or the general populace in the Pueblo has lost their cultural mythos and lore, which was very saddening to me. In talking to some Puebloan contacts, many say the ancient traditions are still practiced, albeit in secret away from white folk, or that they are now Christian or Catholic in practice. The concept of “community” however has not changed amongst Puebloan culture. Their phrase “we are in one nest” has been the supportive cohesive glue keeping the community together. The other aspect is “family” with high tribute and respect for their ancestors, elders, and parents. Often pictures, photos, or items belonging to ancestors or parents would be found in the homes or shops – a part of ancestral worship in like. Descent is respected from both the father and mother’s side (patrilineal and matrilineal) and although each family lives in a separate dwelling, they come together for family issues, and everyone is available to help care for the children. The elderly teach the young values and traditions of the culture with hopes of securing and preserving Taos Puebloan culture for generations to come.

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Paul Koudounaris’ lecture on Heavenly Bodies : Spectacular Jeweled Skeletons

Posted on December 6, 2013 by technotink

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Paul Koudounaris: Heavenly Bodies
* Lecture, Slide Show, and Book Signing * The Strange Factory * Albuquerque, New Mexico * Friday, November 22, 2013 *

A race from Taos to Albuquerque to visit a friend’s lecture on his amazing discoveries about decorative skeletons was a whirlwind by itself, but would up to be an incredible night of magic, gold, jewels, and folklore. We wandered into the Strange Factory a little late as a snow storm slowed our travels on site, but were warmed with awe as we saw some of the works that Paul Koudounaris exhibited in his presentation. A astute author and photographer from Los Angeles, California; Paul K was presenting at the oddities shop called “the Strange Factory” in the University district of Albuquerque. Paul K’s charnel house and ossuary research has broken research milestones in folklore, oddities, and macabre art. This evenings lecture covered those of human skeletons found in Catholic churches adorned with gold and gemstones. He is a leading expert on bone-decorated shrines and religious structures.
Paul Koudounaris, PhD in Art History (UCLA 2004) is an author and photographer from Los Angeles that specializes in Baroque-era Northern European Art. His charnel house and ossuary research and photos have made him a well-known figure in the field of macabre art, and he is a leading expert in the history of bone-decorated shrines, human remains, religious art, and religious structures.He obtained a PhD in Art History from UCLA in 2004, with a specialty in Baroque-era Northern European Art. He began his research in 2006 studying the use of human remains in religious ritual and as a decorative element in sacred spaces, especially within the context of the Catholic Church. He began researching the existence of these pieces, photographing them, writing about them, and publishing the results in the Prague Post, Fortean Times, and other such publications. He compiled a premiere work on bone-decorated religious structures taking field trips to over 70 sites along four continents, many of which had never been seen or photographed. He released this book as “Heavenly Bodies” in 2013 through Thames and Hudson. This story told the tale of a group of skeletons removed from the Roman catacombs during the 17th century decorated with jewels by various nuns. These bones were at first mistakenly identified as Christian martyrs and shipped to Germanic churches, decorated, and placed in the altars. Through time, most of these were removed, disposed of or thrown into storage during the Enlightenment. He tracked down the corpses’ locations, documented them, and photographed them for for book. This book followed his successful masterpiece “The Empire of Death: A Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses” in 2011. The presentation was well spoken and masterfully done to a full house in attendance.

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Joseph Banks (1743-1820)

Posted on December 1, 2013 by technotink

Sir Joseph Banks 1743-1820

Well known from his adventures on the HMS Endeavour, this 1st baronet was a world class and well known English botanist / naturalist was one of the right hand men of Captain James Cook. He sailed with Cook from 1768 until 1771 exploring the flora and fauna of Australia and the realms inbetween there and England. He is credited for classifying and identifying the acacia, eucalyptus, and many other plants. The Acacia’s genus “Banksia” was named after him as well as over 80 other species of plants. He was founder of the African Association, that was a British chapter focalized on explring Africa. He was also a member of the Dilettanti Society which gave birth to the Royal Academy of Sciences.

Banks was born in London, England to Sarah and WIlliam Banks, wealthy royalty in London Society. He was educated the early age of 9, in the Harrow School and from there at Eton College. Classmates with other well known contributors to science in the world, such as Constantine John Phipps, etc. his inspiration in the sciences was always satiated. He explored his local woods and the Lincolnshire countryside, increasing his interest in botany, nature, and history. By age 17, he was inoculated with small pox which didn’t work for him as he fell ill and had to drop out of school. By late 1760, he became a gentleman-commoner at Oxford University whre he matriculated at Christ Church, focusing his studies on natural history and desiring botanical instruction. He went to Chelsea in 1763, leaving Oxford, through 1764 again leaving school without taking a degree. He inherited a fortune from his father’s passing in 1761, including the Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire taking on position of local magistrate and squire. He continued with the sciences, and attended the Chelsea Physic Garden of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries as well as the British Museum where be became friends with Daniel Solander, corresponded with Carl Linnaeus, eventually leading to advising King George III. He urged the King to support discovery of the new worlds upon which he would take passage to continued his explorations in botany.

By 1766, as elected member of the Royal Society, he travelled on the HMS Niger to Newfoundland and Labrador exploring the natural histories of those realms. He began publishing the first Linnean descriptions of plants from that region. He documented over 34 species of birds during this exploration. He was later appointed to a joint Royal Navy scientific expedition to the south Pacific Ocean on the HMS Bark Endeavour alongside Captain James Cook and Daniel Solander from 1768-1771. They explored Brazil where he founded the bougainvillea garden plant, onwards around South America, to New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, ending in Botany Bay at the Endeavour River exploring the Great Barrier Reef. He co-authored the first major collection of Australian flora with Daniel Solander and Dr. Herman Spöring Jr. which illustrated over 800 species.

He returned to England in 1771 where fame and fortune welcomed him. Due to ego and demands he had for the next voyage with Cook aboard the Resolution, he was opted out of the expedition. He instead went with Daniel Solander to the Isle of Wight (Scotland) and to Iceland exploring the flora and fauna of those lands followed by a trip of South Wales with the illustrator Paul Sandby where he worked on his 35 volume work the Florilegium. He went on to work as the elected President of the Royal Society for over 41 years. He married in 1779 the Dorothea Hugessen settling in London’s Soho Square where he remained for the rest of his life, hosting scientists, working on his identifications, and publishing his works. He hired Solander as librarian and curator of his collections who were followed by Honas Carlsson Dryander then Robert Brown through the years. During this time, he also owned the estate known as “Spring Grove” consisting of 34 acres along the north side of London Road which was home to a natural spring he was obsessed with. He also spent much of his time here as well as his London home, creating a renowned botanical masterpiece on the estate called “Spring Grove”. He became baronet in 1781 as informal advisor to King George III on the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), formalized as a position in 1797, dispatching explorers around the world to gather specimens for his research and identification. This made Kew Gardens one of the pre-eminent botanical gardens in the world. He fostered many famous voyages besides the Endeavour and Australia, such as that of George Vancouver to the Pacific Norwest of North America, William Bligh’s voyage to transplant breadfruit from the South Pacific Rim to the Carribean Islands, and Allan Cunningham’s voyage to Brazil and the north/ northwest coasts of Australia collecting specimens.

Later years he became obsessed with the British Colonization of Australia, and had alot of influence of settling in New South Wales. He recommended Botany Bay to be the best place to place the convict camps. He influenced all returning vessels from New South Wales to bring back trees, plants, and geological specimens for his collection.

He had failing health by the 19th century suffering from gout every winter, and by 1805 lost use of his legs. He became inspired by archaeology around this time and while a member of the Society of Antiquaries most of his life, didn’t take on such a large attraction to the study of human kind until this time. He became founding member of the Wernerian Natural History Society of Edinburgh by 1808. He died on June 19, 1820 in his Spring Grove estate.

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Pecos Valley Diamonds

Posted on November 10, 2013 by technotink

PECOS VALLEY DIAMONDS

New Mexico, one of the nation’s most mineralized states, contains a very large quantity quartz (Si02) . ” This ubiquitous mineral occurs in every district and in many forms. The crystals known as “Pecos Valley ‘Diamonds” however, are found only in the Pecos River Valley, an area 20 miles wide and a north-south distance of about 100 miles; centering in Roswell, New Mexico.

During the Permian time of the Paleozoic era (300,000,000 years ago) the great Capitan Barrier Reef grew, trapping the Permian Sea, Evaporation of the sea left the gypsum beds of the Permian-Whitehorse formation. Time and erosion have released the quartz crystals embedded in the gypsum where they had originally crystallized. These crystals occur as doubly terminated hexagonal prisms. Although generally small, crystals up to several inches in length are known -some are semi-transparent, but the majority are translucent to opaque. They vary from colorless to white, pink, yellow, orange, red, green, brown, and black shades. Although quartz replacing gypsum is not uncommon, the development of such doubly terminated crystals by its replacement is unusual.

The “diamonds” were first observed and recorded in 1583 by Don Antonio de Espejo, one of the Spanish new world explorers. It is known that they were used as drills by the early cliff dwellers of the southwest region (they have a hardness of seven). Latter day Indians used them as ceremonial tools and for jewelry. In some areas along the Pecos River Valley, when the rays of the western sun are slanted, the innumerable brilliant sparkles give the impression that the desert is literally paved with diamonds; these then are the Diamonds of the Pecos Valley.

Original card from out-of-business rock shop: pecos-valley-diamonds

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Cicada

Posted on November 9, 2013 by technotink

From Prince William Forest Park, Occoquan, Virginia

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Cicada
Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadoidea

I’ve experienced the cicadas before when i was younger, and once again got to see a few of them, up close and personal. As we were camping in Prince William Forest Park, as I was bathing in the river, a cicada flew over to the stone I was sitting on, made its noise, and crawled around. The cicadas belong to the insect order of Hemiptera and part of the super-family Cicadoidea.

Taxonomy and names:
Tettigarctidae / Cicadidae, Cicadinae, Tettigadinae, and Cicadettinae. “Cicada” in latin mean “tree cricket”. Ancient Greeks called it the “tettix” and modern Greek as “tzitzikas” meaning “onomatopoeic”. There are over 200 species in 38 genera in Australia, over 450 in Africa, 150 species in South Africa, and over 100 in the Paleo-arctic. There is only one species in England known as the New Forest cicada “Melampsalta montana” which is found throughout Europe. Most common in North America is Genus Tibicen spp. (annual or jar fly, dog-day cicada),Magicicada spp. or Diceroprocta apache (Apache cicada).
Common names: Cicada, brown baker, red eye, green grocer, green monday, yellow monday, whiskey drinker, black prince, cherry nose, double drummer, etc.

Description:
Cicada’s have a 13-17 year life cycle and emerge from the ground in large numbers. Cicada’s eyes are prominent set wide apart on their anterior lateral corners of their front face with a short antennae protruding between or in front of their two large eyes (they also have three smaller eyes calle ocelli located on top of the head between the two larger eyes). With well-developed conspicuously transparent, clouded, or opaque veined wings, they have the ability to get around their habitat especially during mating. There are over 2,500 species discovered and recorded. They are noted for their song, sound, and size thereby being cofused with locusts. They have no relation to locusts and rather more related to the spittle bug or the leaf hopper. They have a long proboscis under their head that is inserted into plant stems to feed on sap. Adults are called “imago” and measure 2-5 centimeters long (though the Pompania Megapompania imperatoria can grow upwards of 7 centimeters long) with a wingspan of 18-20 centimeters. Some species that live in deserts will cool themselves off by evaporative cooling (similar to sweating) when temperatures reach 102 degrees fahrenheit or hotter. Most cicadas can raise their body temperatures upwards of 39.6 fahrenfeit above the ambient temperature. Males possess “tymbals” on the side of their abdominal base that are their loud noise makers whereas the exoskeleton’s membranes and thickened ribs contract the internal tymbal muscles to produce a clicking sound as the tymbals buckle inwards relaxing the muscles causes them to return to original position to create another click amplified by the hollow-like abdomen. As the membranes are vibrated rapidly, the body acts like a resonance chamber further amplifying the clicking. This is modulated by the cicada by positioning its abdomen toward or away from the substrate, making each cicada’s song distinctive and unique. Songs are more active during the hottest part of the day. Cicadas can produce upwards of 120 decibals, being one of the loudest of all insects, and is loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss in humans if the cicada sang just outside the listener’s ear. Some of their songs are so high in pitch that it is inaudible to the human ear. Each mating song is different and lures certain types of mates at different times. There is a different sound for their distress calls, usually broken and erratic sound when insect is captured. Cicadas live underground as nymphs for most of their lives downwards of 30 centimeters to 2.5 meters deep, feeding on root juice. They have strong legs for digging and during their final nymphal instar create a exit tunnel to the surface to emerge every 2-16 years (depending on species) to molt and shed their skins on a nearby plant for a last time before emerging as an adult. This shell is an abandoned exo-skeleton called the exuvia and can be found stuck on the bark of trees when they are completed. Once mated, the female cuts slits into the bark of a twig and deposits her eggs within upwards of several hundred eggs. Eggs hatch as newly hatched nymphs dropping to the ground and then burrow into the earth. Most go through a life cycle lasting from 2-5 years, although the North American cicadas go through a 13-17 year cycle. Their predators are the cicada killer wasp, birds, squirrels, a fungal disease called massospora cicadina, and praying mantis.

Habitat:
Temperate to tropical climates. They exist on all continents except Antarctica. In Australia can be found in every part of and conditions from the wet tropical north to the tasmanian snow fields and deserts. When they leave the ground, they dwell in all kinds of plants from suburban lawns, tall trees, shrubs, mangroves, thickets, and bushes.

Safety:
Cicadas cannot harm humans. They do not bite or sting, though can confuse one’s arm as a feeding branch or tree limb. If their proboscis is inserted into hunan flesh, it can feel painful, but is harmless otherwise. This only occurs if one allows them to rest on one’s skin or limb. They however do cause major damage to crops, shrubs, trees, and plants. They often scar branches they land on during egg-laying deep within those branches.

Culinary:
Cicada’s are eaten around the world. Historical evidence suggests they were eaten in China, Malaysa, Burma, Ancient Greece, Latin America, and the Congo. The female has the most meat. They are most often deep friend, stir-fried, or skewered when prepared. In Columbia, Missouri they were introduced into an ice cream at Sparky’s in 2011. The health department recommended them not to do that again. Others had made Banana Bread Cicadas.

Medicinal:
The Chinese utilize their shells in traditional medicine.

Folklore, Magic, and Spirituality:
Throughout history, the symbolism of a cicada represents insouciance. One of Aesop’s fables written about by Jean de la Fontaine in the “Les fables de La Fontaine” and “La Cigale et la Fourmi” (The Cicada and the Ant) tells of a cicada that spends the summer singing while the ant stores away food and finds herself without food when winter turns hard. The Cicada song in Mexico is romanticized in the mariachi song called “La Cigarra” (the Cicada) as the song that is sung until it dies. The Chinese use the phrase “to shed off the golden cicada skin” as a meaning for a tactic of using deception to escape danger. Leaving the old shell as a decoy to fool enemies. The Japanese associate the cicada as “summer” season and is used to represent summer in theater and arts. It is also a symbol of reincarnation due to the emergence from the ground every summer in Japan. In Java, they are sacred to dragons and worshipped as Gods. The Italians call cicadas “cicala” as an euphamism for “vagina” used by children. The French use the cicada to represent folklore of Prevence and Mediterranean cities. The Ancient Greek Myth of Tithonus who turns into a cicada after being granted immortality, but not eternal youth, by Zeus. Greeks also depict cicadas sitting on a harp as emblematic of music.

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