Posted on 04/06/2010 8:08:59 PM PDT by rdl6989
Archaeologists believe they are on the cusp of shedding new light on the life of William Shakespeare – by digging up what may have been the playwright’s cesspit.
Experts have begun excavating the ruins of New Place, Shakespeare’s former home in Stratford-upon-Avon, which was demolished 250 years ago.
Although little remains of the property, the team, led by Birmingham Archaeology, believes it has identified a rubbish tip or cesspit used by the 16th century poet.
Fragments of pottery and broken clay pipe have already been retrieved from a muddy hole on the site, which they claim could yield some of the most significant discoveries about Shakespeare in decades.
The dig focuses on three areas of the property, which Shakespeare bought in 1597 when he returned to his home town from London having achieved fame – including the so-called knot garden at the rear of the building.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Send it in to Mike Rowe at Dirty Jobs!
ping
I saw this yesterday but withheld comment.
The ultimate in recycling.
If it isn't infectious, I don't worry about it.
You know the definition of an anthropologist? An otherwise normal human being who doesn't believe in the germ theory of disease.
Well, that sounds like a working theory of a definition until a better one can be found.
Wedgewood hasn't kept all its patterns. My great-grandmother's Wedgewood is "Conway". That pattern was discontinued over 50 years ago.
You CAN get replacement plates and whatnot at some of the china outlets, and only the dinner plates, soup dishes, and salad plates have the floral decal that distinguishes the pattern. The base pattern is "Edme" which is probably Wedgewood's most common pattern and has always been available, so no problem replacing teacups, saucers, etc.
(Isn't that a lovely word to go look up?)
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
You’re right, I had to look it up.
Gongfermors or gong-scourers were men who went round emptying medieval previes and cesspits.
Where there was no convenient moat or stream, people dug a pit, or used a removable barrel. In either case the sewage had to be removed in due course. In 1281, 13 men took five nights to clear the cloaca at Newgate Prison-—on triple pay! At Hampton Court in Henry VIII’s time the gongfermors had a formidable task.
It was “Queen’s Plain.”
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· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
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Better they should dig him up and check his pockets, check his wallet. Never mind that doggerel about a curse.
Lift a little DNA while they’re at it.
Well played, my man!
Me too. Then I turned 16 and found out that you actually had to get dirty looking for stuff, and the profession lost its appeal. You know, I had imagined myself finding Egyptian relics while wearing white Capri pants and thong sandals! Furthermore, logic set in and I decided that all the "good" stuff had already been discovered. Little did I imagine about what wonderful tools we would invent in order to delve further and further into past civilizations.
It’s really Bacon’s cesspit. Trust me on this. I have unique insight.
One of the points that I woke up on it was back when the Leakey's were discovering "Lucy" and the area was desolate and they were digging endlessly in the sun. Now digging in the shade, examining artifacts, traveling around...those were appealing...sitting in the relentless African sun digging in the dirt...not so much.
I retire in 5 years. Maybe I will take it up as a volunteer.
So, you’re saying that Shakespeare’s **** don’t stink?
An English knot garden is a beautiful expression of the art of interweaving rows of short hedges and plants in a manner that reminds one of medieval tapestries hanging on manor walls in intricate knots.
The beauty of a knot garden will be perfectly kept hedges that form not only a pathway through the garden, but a geometric, synchronous pattern that brings order and yet has nature as its main component. Color can be added by the use of short-growing compact flowering plants. The knot garden, large or small, is generally edged by a log or plank frame. It is not what is commonly referred to as a "maze" which has high hedgerows.
The center of a knot garden can be a gazebo, a fountain, statuary or other artistic form.
The beauty and startling effect of a knot garden is most effective when viewed from the upper floor windows of a manor house or a multi-story building.
English knot gardens and their counterparts, French parterres, can be seen today on the tourist trails of castles, manors, palaces and chateaux.
Leni
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