The Day the Storm Began

On this day in 1914 the Great War began.  Looking at the problems of our time its hard to avoid thinking of this as a hinge moment, the point when the modern world came crashing in on us.  Just consider the problems arising from maps drawn post war, especially in the Middle East and the Balkans.  Consider also the rise of poisonous weeds such as Communism and Fascism when the Established Order had proven its impotence.

Doing a bit of tidy up recently I came across something I don't think I've shown before.  When I was a volunteer at Hill 80, excavating a First World War battlefield site there were some strict rules.  Don't drop live ordinance.  Don't photograph human remains.  That sort of thing.  But regards artifacts it was way looser than how places like Vindolanda regard things.  There, every pottery shard is handed in for analysis.  At Hill 80, one of the archaeologists was collecting shrapnel and brass artillery shell bands with the intent of selling for scrap and putting one of his kids through Uni.  There was that much stuff....

So nobody objected when I put a few round lead balls into a pocket on my last day.  These were once packed into a shell and fired at the enemy.  A close up look shows dents and divots.  They hit something.