Posted on 04/20/2009 7:47:04 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
ping
“Archaeologists searching for the lost bodies of doomed lovers Cleopatra and Mark Antony have made a number of important discoveries.”
Is it really the best use of time, money, and energy to find twom measely people? If you want to be whisked back to the romantic past, read Shakespeare.
Ping
It looks more like an unretouched picture of Nancy Pelosi to me.
Well, if you must have a purely practical reason to justify this research: Tourism is one of Egypt's biggest industries. The more cool things they have to show the tourists, the more money they generate. So in that sense alone it's well worth the effort.
However, some of us love the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake and require no such justifications.
Apologies to the skull....
Never mind Cleopatra’s skull. Have they made any progress finding poor Yorick’s skull?
I have reservations about anything of Zahi Hawass’ annoucements.
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I’d like to put one of those in my front window to ward off Democrats.
“However, some of us love the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake and require no such justifications.”
The pursuit of knowledge is one thing. Obsessing over the ancient world’s greatest US Weekly sort of celebrity couple is another.
I understand why King Tut was important. It was important to find an untouched tomb, so that we could learn about how Egyptian kings lived, not simply where they were buried. Finding Cleopatra, on the other hand, would be more about her in particular than anything so general as what Tut taught us.
Plus, there’s much more of a morbid fascination at the heart of this. We’re far too interested in the way they died, as opposed to how they lived.
I have reservations about anything of Zahi Hawass' announcements.ditto. But I just love his ridiculous hyperbolic style:
"This could be the most important discovery of the 21st century," he said.
“Have they made any progress finding poor Yoricks skull?”
Prince Hamlet found it centuries ago, copying down every detail in his slate, which was later recovered by attendants of King Fortinbras and entered into the official record books.
But you’ve put your finger on it exactly: Antony and Cleopatra a really a celebrity couple. More star status = more tourist dollars.
Personally, I’m interested in the exploration/excavation for its own sake, but if these people really have found Cleopatra’s tomb it’s going to be another cash cow for the Egyptian government. It’s not “obsessing,” it’s pragmatism.
Anyway, your tax dollars aren’t being used, so what the heck.
He’s a real showman alright, but that’s about it in my opinion.
How long before “Skull and Bones” steal it?
What I’ve read about Cleopatra she was actually considered plain, but it was the tone of her voice, demeanor and charm that won men over.
It’ll be interesting to see what forensic reconstruction they do on the skull to see what she might look like.
“...her reputed beauty...”
Cleopatra’s beauty could never match that of Elizabeth Taylor, AD 1963.
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