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I bet you didn't know that this thread would have a part 2
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,306 Mod ✭✭✭✭
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That's interesting. I gave it a Google and was not able to come up with any pictures of ruins and a lot of the text I found refers to older Ethiopia. Might it be that because Ancient Kush encompassed what we know as Sudan and small parts of Ethiopia (even though the pyramids are located in modern Sudan) that Ethiopia gets credit in some quarters as it was part of that Kingdom?Ethiopia has more than egypt too if I remember correctly.
IIRC didn't what the ancient Greeks (according to Herodotus) call Ethiopia encompass not only what we know as Sudan and Ethiopia, but also Eritrea, Djibouti, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi & Congo etc. Hence, the pyramids of ancient Ethiopia (East and north east Africa) fall firmly in the borders of modern day Sudan but still get called Ethiopia. Hence Ethiopian pyramids.
Sorry if the above comes across a bit muddled!
To return on topic, pyramids have also been found in Nigeria. In 1935, G. I. Jones, an anthropoligist and colonial administrator took pictures (below) of the Nsude pyramids, ancient Igbo pyramids, in Udi, Enugu state Nigeria. These were built from mud and clay.
..and are quite similar in structure to the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, in Egypt constructed in 2648 BC.
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That's a bit harsh on Meath!
If you are referring to Newgrange in particular you should bring a grain of salt with you.
Interesting take on that from UNESCO.
Authenticity
The archaeological remains on the site, both above and below ground are wholly authentic.
Major excavations have been carried out at Newgrange and Knowth and have been fully published. Many small excavations and surveys have been carried out in the area. The main conservation works have concentrated on the two main passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth subsequent to the excavations undertaken at these sites. All conservation and restoration work has been carried out by skilled professional staff.
At Newgrange, there has been comprehensive anastylosis of the kerbstones and the revetment wall, though the latter has been curtailed to allow access by visitors. The passage roof was completely dismantled to allow the orthostats to be returned to the vertical, with the introduction of reinforcement, and a cowl has been constructed over the chamber area. The cairn itself has been stabilised by means of thin revetments of cairn stones.
At Knowth, structures from all periods are being conserved. In some passage tombs outer support walls have been built for the burial chambers, involving the use of modern materials such as cement and plastic. Where such new additions are visible they are clearly distinguished in appearance from original materials, but in other cases they are completely concealed.
The restoration work on these monuments, the result of close collaboration between archaeologists and conservation architects, conforms with the principles enunciated in Article 7 of the International Charter for Archaeological Heritage Management of 1990.0 -
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,306 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 6207
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan triggered an undersea mudslide that sank an oil platform owned by Taylor Energy. Since then, between 300 and 700 barrels of oil have been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico every day. To put that that into perspective the Deepwater Horizon disaster eight years ago spilled almost 200m gallons of oil into the Gulf. To date, the Taylor spill has released as much as 140m gallons of oil into the Gulf and continues to do so 15 years later.
It doesn't look like stopping anytime soon either. Federal officials estimate the uncapped wells could continue polluting the Gulf for decades, perhaps even a century.
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,055 Mod ✭✭✭✭
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It is yes, though completely rebuilt and reinforced internally with concrete slabs in the late 60's early 70's, when one of the stated aims was to make it more accessible to the public as an attraction. The way the entrance surroundings are built an example of this. There was more than an element of a disneyfication of the past. Different times. These days it would be left more intact and probably not open to the public to nearly the degree it is today(much like Knowth and Dowth nearby). Though researchers would overwhelmingly prefer it, the lack of public access would be a pity in so many ways as increasingly we're kept at a distance from such things. Understandably, but still a pity.Professor Moriarty wrote: »What isn't in question is that the intrinsic structure itself is authentically 5,200 years old. Which was my original and only point.
Stonehenge over in England was also rebuilt/reinforced back in the 40's IIRC.
Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,303 Mod ✭✭✭✭
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One of my biggest disappointments was visiting Knossos and realising that most of what I was seeing was a "remake" based on what the owner of the site "archaeologist" assumed it had looked like back in the day.
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Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,303 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 75603
I know... There were some original parts (some frescos and some mosaics), but lots of the rest had been "restored" in a way that made me wondered if the site had been sponsored by Dulux. 0 -
Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,306 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 6207
Ditto with the Abu Simbel temples in southern Egypt.
In 1964 temples had to be relocated as it was feared that rising waters from the Nile as a result of the newly built Aswan Dam would flood it. Which is fair enough. At the same time though, this does take away the mystique a bit.
Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 meters higher and 200 meters back from the river. Some structures were even saved from under the waters of Lake Nasser. It is considered to be one of the biggest undertakings of archaeological engineering in history.
With that said, Abu Simbel, even in its relocated and rejigged state is still very much worth a visit.
Pre 1923 front picture of temple..
Rejigged and relocated a safe distance from the Nile...
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Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »I really see no problem with this provided the stones were put back to the best expert opinion on where they would have been.
Problem is opinions are like arseholes, everyone has got one.:D
Palaeontology is not adverse to the odd bit of makey-uppey either.
In fact its very seldom I watch a programme about palaeontology, archaeology or anything to do with our distant past where 'experts' give their opinions without ending up thinking that they almost all end up sounding like they only disagree with each other for the sake of it and for the sake of their research grants, actual proof has very little to do with their 'opinions'.0 -
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