The Body by the Wall

It's good to try new things.  So when an opportunity presented itself I decided to spend my annual Spring archaeology jaunt not at Vindolanda, as I have for the last 15 years or so, but at another site on Hadrian's wall called Magna.  It's not "totally new", being run by the same Trust and largely by the same people, but new to excavation.  Nobody knows what's down there.

Of course you start from the top.  Last year there was a limited excavation.  Heavy layers of turf were removed - this is a farmer's field after all - and things started to turn up.

The initial dig was focused on a "mile castle", the little fortlets logically built every mile along the wall.  These were felt to not be fighting, defensive positions so much as a place where traffic in and out of a gate could be observed, taxes collected etc.  In support of this theory they did uncover a Roman scale, the kind of thing you'd perhaps use to weigh....well something small, not cart loads of grain.

There was a road leading from this area to the fort proper, and an assortment of pits, perhaps a well.  The finds were few compared to most digging at Vindolanda, and ranged from Roman through late Roman and into medieval.  You'd be surprised how many times a road will be resurfaced over the centuries if it still goes somewhere useful.  Or as in this case, to Scotland.

So far so good, until something unexpected turned up.  A body, carefully buried in a grave snugged right up against the junction of the Wall and the milecastle.

Human remains are always excavated with great care.  Not just out of respect for the dead, although there is certainly that, but because anything could turn out to be the key.  A single tooth can help tell the geographic "home base" of a person.  A tiny glass bead, a small cut on a bone, which way the body was facing, all can be clues.

The analysis in this case is ongoing and should be interesting.  The preliminary thoughts are that it is female and Late Roman.  How Late?  How Roman?  Romans never buried people inside their settlements, and even though this was Outside it was next to the Great Wall.  In long years of excavations up and down the course of it this has been seen only very rarely.

There is a curious transition from the regimented, rule based system of Imperial Rome on into the sub Roman times.  When the troops are mostly of barbarian or at least Local stock, how long does it take for the old ways to reassert themselves once the payroll stops coming north from Londinium?

More information here.

And here is a slightly more understandable drone view.  The mile castle is in the upper left of the excavation.  Hadrian's Wall is just foundations running across the top of the exposed area.  Where did all the wall stones go?  Mostly to Thirlwall castle which is about a half mile away and made of some really swell stones.  The Romans did good quarry work.

Robot School - Putting Things Together

A group of seven middle schoolers at the end of the day is, as they say, "a tough room".  There's a degree of background nonsense that you have to adjust to.  After a quarter century of doing this I'm pretty acclimated.  Anyway, here's the group in front of their large project.

Swell shirts, they are similar to the high school team's uniform but say Robot School 2023 instead of Avis Automata 5826.  There is of course only one way to hand out robot shirts....

We've adjusted the psi on the pneumatics plus the arc on the arm such that it launches things in a manner appropriate for a school setting.  T shirts at about 15 feet.  It pitched a little Buzz Lightyear figurine about 20.  For some reason when we visited the Dungeons and Dragons group it was able to toss a couple of 20 sided dice about 30 feet, but they roll pretty well.

On to what I'm calling the mini robot project, a sort of rehash of Machines Behaving Badly with basic pusher robots.  The tech is obviously way below what we are just wrapping up, but there is another reason to do it.  We are going to set them up 3 on 3 in what is essentially a miniature FIRST tournament.  Complete with tricky rules that will make them need to formulate tricky strategies....

Daisy, Daisy.....

Last post I discussed the Daisy BB gun now being sold as a homage to the one immortalized in "the famous Christmas movie".   You know the one I'm talking about...

I had little to do with BB guns as a youngster, my parents being solidly in the "You'll shoot an eye out" camp.  I must have plinked away a bit as a cub scout.  

Perhaps this is a place to say a few things about the interesting history of Daisy BB guns.  I had not known for instance that the company that makes them started out making windmills for farms back in the 1880s.  Very renewable energy.  But their company was faltering until they started throwing in as a premium a BB gun made by another company in their hometown of Plymouth Michigan.  The BB guns proved very popular.  The windmills, less so.  After a few years they just switched over to producing the little pop guns full time.  

Daisy has done well with this business model.  Oh, they had to take the War Years off.  Disappointingly they did not make firearms of any sort, just gaskets, switches and other sub contracted stuff.  For more of the history of Daisy I found this.  If you need still more it sounds as if their museum is pretty impressive.

Getting back to my Daisy Cub. 

The information on the box provides a bit of a "time capsule".  

Needless to say the new, socially responsible Target does not sell these.  They seem in fact to be uncomfortable with squirt guns.

As Hank seldom leaves my side you'll have to get used to him photobombing Detritus of Empire.

As I mentioned, modern Daisy BB guns are made in China.  Consulting various histories of the company I can place the Preston Ontario plant as operating from the mid 1950's until 1983, the very year that the Famous Christmas Movie which shall not be named was made.

So it is just barely possible that the prop master for same, in being detailed to round up six specimens for use might have glanced at this very box.  But of course he said....nah.  This is a small, basic model BB gun.  Hardly something that Ralphie would dream about....

The Movie that Must not be Named

 You know this image.  You know this movie.

Anything iconic has a bit of market value, for nostalgia if naught else.  But what if there are pesky copyright problems?

Seen at a popular retail chain....

As it happens there are multiple movies on imdb with the name "A Christmas Wish".  They are pretty much all saccharine Hallmark products.  I guess the quotation marks are enough to avoid trouble there.  Suffice it to say that firearms, even of the BB gun variety, feature in none of them.  And as to - oops, almost said the name - well, you know that story.

Evidently Daisy has come out with a replica of the somewhat customized BB gun that Ralphie (can I mention him?) ached for and finally got in "the famous Christmas movie".

The square jawed cowboy with the gigantic head points out all the special features.  Hmmmm, is there something wrong with his right eye?

If you read the really fine print on this box - I'd say two good eyes would be necessary - you'll learn that it is made in China and that it does warn about the possibility of eye damage, claiming that there is risk out to a somewhat implausible 195 yards.  For reference I won't take a shot at a deer with my much more capable rifle at anything beyond 120.  Maybe in some sort of testing in hurricane force tail winds and skipping over the surface of a pond they got a BB to go that far.

Incidentally, the original movie prop Daisy 650 has now been acquired by a museum devoted to...well, I guess they can use the name in this LINK.

I didn't buy one of these Made in China specials.  For one thing I already have a vintage Daisy BB gun.  Could it be contemporary to the Movie that must not be Named?  We'll discuss next time.

Dog Latin

Hey, I'm a guy.  So I do think about the Roman Empire a lot.  I'm also the owner of a rambunctious dog that is going to Dog University for training.  I figured like so many words the commands I'm trying to get through to him are based on Latin.  

There are lots of cool mosaic images of dogs from the Roman era.  This one looks a lot like mine including the excessive pulling on the leash.

Maybe, also being a guy or at least sort of a guy after that trip to the vet, the dog is thinking in Latin.  Let's go through the basic commands....

Sit! Not Latin.  From Setjan a Proto-Germanic word.  In modern German Sitzen.

Stay!  Latin.  From Stare, to stand still.  And while the hound often stares at me when he thinks there are treats around, that word comes from an entirely different, and again German, source.

Come! German yet again.  Preserved in the easily understood "Kommen Sie hier".

Down!  Old English, probably originally German.  Ofdune meaning, down a hill.  Dunes, as in sand dunes, preserve the ancient word dun for a hill.

Interesting that despite the pervasive influence of Latin in our language almost anything in the way of - ahem - barking out orders is German.  

That's not to say that the Romans did not have a lot to say about dogs.  The very name Fido comes from the Latin for faithful.  And I found various other dog related words of Latin origin. Collar.  Also, Hank's all time favorite word, Treat.  The actual word Dog is considered to be one of the great mysteries of etymology.

From Roman times to now.  Some things change.  Some do not.  Here's a front hallway from Pompeii;

Cave Canem.  Beware of Dog.  Hank keeps just as close a watch.  From  Wikicommons, photo credit Sailko.

Local History Mystery

A local history Facebook group recently posted a pair of pictures.  Apparently no provenance was available to the poster.  I found them interesting.  Worthy of closer study in fact.  Take a quick look at each.

A downtown setting.  Some odd things catch the eye.  Some of the people are dressed in Old Timey clothing.  Some are in modern apparel.  

Here's another picture.  It sure looks to have been taken the same day.

Same street.  Same general arrangement of people.  And yes, I'd say for sure same day.  Look at the open window behind the OK Store sign.  And the shape of the trees in the far distance.  

Time to look closer.  Apologies for image quality, you work with what you have.

In the smaller group picture, over on the right side, you have two distinctive people.  A girl in a white dress wearing a head band, and a portly fellow who I think, for no particular reason, is trying to do an impression of a windbag politician.  Maybe he is one.

Notice the kid in a baseball cap over Mayor Windbag's shoulder!  Can we find these two in the less detailed group picture?  Yes, but on opposite sides of the view.  Here they are.

 I think "Hizzoner" is even holding the same cane in each view.

Although the initial Facebook post had no information to help us out, the mystery here is easily solved.  Let's see.  You have a downtown that looks to be early to mid 20th century.  In the far corner of the larger view you can even see the bumper of an automobile.  1930's I'd say.  You have a large group of people turning up for two posed photos.  Some of them in Olde Timey clothing.  Bonus points to the guy who brought a mule.  Two different pictures were taken but at least four individuals appear in both.*  The smaller group view was supposed to just be the Olde Time cosplayers but the kid in the baseball cap sort of photobombed 'em.  For that matter a couple of fellows in wide ties are also present.  Clearly this was not a totally serious event.

This is what people do for a Centennial celebration.  And with a 5 second google of Chippewa Falls Centennial I got the same image and the helpful and entirely consistent information that it was from 1937.

Doing just a little actual research I discovered that the celebration was supposed to happen in September of 1936 but was rescheduled to begin June 6th, 1937.  The usual sort of things happened.  A beard growing contest.  Speeches honoring old settlers.  A log chopping contest in keeping with the city's early lumbering history.  There were parades.  Governor Phil LaFollette was the guest of honor. **  Although an assortment of entertainments are described as happening downtown I can't pin this photo to any of them.  There is mention of a "historical pageant" at the fair grounds and I'm assuming the costumed people, and the mule, were part of that.  The pageant by the way was followed by fireworks.  The Eau Claire paper says the crowd was estimated at 10,000 people.

There are of course some loose ends.  Who were these people?  Everyone knew them back then so no need for captions.  I've tried to match the most clearly shown fellow - our portly politician - with people known to be there.  But he does not look like the Governor nor like a former opera singer mentioned as being part of the festivities.

Another nagging question is whether this was "photoshopped".  Obviously not with the modern software but with old school cut and paste.  I don't think the baseball cap is evidence, they were an acceptable fashion for youngsters in 1937, although the people in this photo generally would be appalled to know that in 2023 grown men wear them in restaurants!  The wide ties on the guys in the back row are a bit weird, but I don't know enough about fashion to call them incongruous.  We were roughly in the Zoot Suit era after all.

Then there is the question of photo quality.  In both views there are guys with unusually large heads.  And people are standing on things you can't see behind the crowd.  Sometimes they look pretty weird, especially in the smaller group view.  In that one there are areas of the photo with great clarity and others that are blurry.  The mule looks to be standing still but the guys on either side not so much.  The single weirdest looking person is a fellow I call Lumberjack guy.  He's in the far right in the large group shot.  And over on the left in the smaller group.  

At first glance it looks as if the head does not fit on that body.  But I think it does.  There is a combination of shadowing on the right side and a dark hat brim covering part of his neck on the left.  The open collar shirt is the same in each photo which would be an odd coincidence.  Note also that he has a cigarette in hand.  Cigarettes were uncommon before 1920, but of course we already "know" this was 1937.

I think if this photo had been altered to include, say, people from the 150th anniversary in 1986 it would probably be more obvious.  For one thing I lived here then and don't recognize anybody!  Altered photo?  Mmmmm, I can see the argument for it but I think no.  Some people just like to dress up in Olde Timey duds.  And others have big heads.

________________

* Look for the guy with the badge on his hat, probably intended to be a copper.  And the Lumberjack guy discussed above.

**Phil LaFollette was the son of the more famous Wisconsin political figure known as "Fighting Bob" LaFollette.

Roman Digs 2024 - Something Different

As regular visitors know I've been going over to the UK every spring for 15 years or so.  Each time, other than Covid Years, to work at an archaeological dig along Hadrian's Wall.  The site is Vindolanda.

The organization that runs the dig has a second site called Magna.  It is five or six miles away and was another fort along Hadrian's Wall.  The Wall you see was a bit predictable, a Mile Castle every mile and a fort every two or three.

Magna has never had significant excavations.  Oh a few carefree antiquarians rummaged about in the 19th century but what is below the ground is really still a mystery.  Based on ground penetrating radar and a few test pits, there's a lot.

So in May I'll be excavating at Magna.  Probably there will be fewer and newer finds.  The upper layers have to be studied first.  But one never really knows, and the mystery is a big part of the fun.

Other elements of said fun being my archaeological cronies, the pints of ale, the reliably sunny and warm English spring weather.....oh, not that last one.

Plans of course are Under Construction but having a time slot reserved I'm already looking to start packing my bag.

 

In the Wilds of Wisconsin

I promised our British friend that we'd show her things here in flyover land that she'd never encounter on "the coasts" or in conventional media depictions of America.  I think we delivered...

The Bloody Mary as a fully developed art form needs to have lots of pickled "stuff" and a chaser of beer.  The best of several she sampled was at Garmish on Lake Namekagon.

England has a few puny lakes.  But no Lake Superior.  Touring the Apostle Islands on a wind swept day.

Fall colors.  I kept telling her to step back.  Just a bit more.....but she's known me too many years to fall for it.  Or off the pier.

Other natural beauty.  Sometimes we saw wildlife.  Deer, eagles.  Wild turkey amazed her.  A chipmunk jumped right over her shoulder and shook her up considerably.  Just missed the jugular I told her.

There were lots of other things that I should have documented.  A Lutheran church meatball supper.  The trip to the rural "guy store" with a huge hunting and fishing department.  A gun safe big enough for her to hide in.  Muskrat traps.  Gallon jugs of bear attractant.  "Why would you want to ATTRACT them?"

Anyway, on our drive back to the big city at least I got to show her Elmwood Wisconsin.  Their annual town festival is UFO Days in memory of long ago sightings.  And we found a bit of odd lawn art to convey her homeward.

At one point I explained Cheeseheads to her.  She seemed intrigued but we were unable to find them during her stay.  Soon afterwards my wife ran across them in a store we'd driven past several times.  Alas.....  Next visit maybe.

Teach a Man to Fish....and he'll probably skip school after that part.

 Seen on the public pier, Bayfield Wisconsin.

Taxidermy Bar

Because tastes in such matters vary widely you'll find different "themes" in saloons, taverns, pubs and like establishments.  Biker bars.  Sports bars.  Gay bars.  It's all very egalitarian.

One interesting subvariant here in Wisconsin is the Taxidermy Bar.  And reigning supreme among them is The Moccasin Bar in Hayward.

A bit dowdy on the outside but don't be deterred.  Inside....well, it was something I simply had to show our visitor from England.

It looks to have had a tidy up and remodel since the last time I was there.  So on the surface it's now just your average Wisconsin bar.

But all around the walls....

Stuffed critters acting out various dramas.  Here's a dishonest poker game.

Tipsy ground squirrels belting out "Sweet Adeline".  I'm guessing some patrons confuse it with "Sweet Caroline" and expect the little rodents to add on "Bup, bup, Bah!"

A Kangaroo Court, sadly lacking kangaroos.

Although the implication is that he was framed, the Badger does look pretty guilty....

A boxing match.

There are also many large stuffed fish including what was once the World Record Muskie.  This status was always considered controversial so perhaps it is best that another and larger fish took the crown.

Ah well.  A chance to show our guest - yes, that's her up above - something she won't see in New York or LA.  Shockingly the Moccasin, cultural treasure that it is, is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Maybe somebody should do something about that?  

Robot School Days

Robot School, our middle school farm club for the high school FIRST robotics team, continues to progress. 

Sometimes you need to start out slow.  We make kids learn how to rivet with a cumbersome hand riveter.  It helps them understand what needs to happen and how it works.  Only then do we hand them the power rivet driver.

Many brilliant inventions have been created by Mankind.  In my opinion most fall short of this:

We have the robot operational now so one of our seasoned high school drivers is giving the neophytes her wisdom.

And drive they did.

It's a Halloween themed robot, hence the orange bumpers and artwork.   

Not bad progress for one month.  

Dog University

It appears I now have a full time dog.

He comes to us with a bit of what you could either call ill discipline or roguish charm.  Either way it has been made clear that Rules will be Obeyed.

Whether this means me or him is open to interpretation.  In the end it does not matter, because dog training classes teach the lunkheads on either end of the leash.

I was not quite sure how he would do at Dog University.  Would he be a frightened, lost freshman, reluctant to venture out into the world?  Would he be a rambunctious frat boy trying to hump the instructor's leg?

In the end he was just fine.

He's really motivated by the constant dog treats that this involves.  I anticipate him putting on the dreaded "Freshman fifteen" and may have to cut his school day chow rations accordingly.  He's smart enough to eye me very suspiciously when I do so.

Who will avenge us?

It's Autumn.  Not my personal favorite season because every day brings you closer to bitter cold, but it has its charms.  Over the next week or two we'll be seeing magnificent colors.  Reds, oranges, yellows.  Nature is strange.  Why is death - at least for leaves - so flamboyant?  

Of course it all starts with the pumpkins.  Halloween has become a significant holiday with lots of money to be made.  Costumes, decor and so forth.  Pumpkins are the harbingers, now showing up not in October or even September, but at the tail end of August.

A small town nearby was setting up for their annual Fall Fest.

Straw, pumpkins and ATVs in the streets.  No snowmobiles please.

Pumpkins and FUN! outside the local visitor center.  That's a beer tent in the background.  This is Wisconsin after all.

Ah, but on the outskirts of town, nay, even at its heart, an enemy comes by night.  

Who will come forth to save us from the silent, unseen menace?  What band of brothers and sisters in arms, clad in the orange livery of the pumpkins they mean to avenge will muster in the weeks ahead?