This grave is 135 years older than the founding of America.

It is 101 years older than the first use of the word dinosaur.

9 years older than the first ever coffee shop.

163 years older than trains, 240 years older than light bulbs.

66 years older than the founding of the United Kingdom

40 years older than the classical musician bach.

It reads (to the best of my knowledge) "Anne the wife of Christopher Dobson a Bishop Auckland yeoman, died in child birth December 23rd 1641.

I'm unsure of the bottom text.

The period between the fourth and third millennia BCE in Ancient Mesopotamia is considered the beginning of the brilliant era of Sumer. The archaeological culture of this time is assigned to the very dawn of the Early Bronze Age and is termed the Uruk period or simply Uruk. The largest and most significant site in Southern Mesopotamia at the time was the Sumerian proto-urban center of Unug, which the Akkadians called Uruk. Constant deep interaction between the Sumerian-speaking southerners and the Semitic northerners who spoke Akkadian forged a unified Sumero-Akkadian world.

This was the era of the first flowering of civilization within the Fertile Crescent, spanning the territory of modern Iraq and Syria. It was then that the earliest urban centers, such as Uruk in the south and Tell Brak and Hamoukar in the north, transformed into the world's first megalopolises. During this period, the economy grew significantly more complex. A need arose not merely to produce goods, but to store and distribute them through a centralized system.

The management structure of agriculture and nascent craftsmanship converged upon the temple, gaining a personified apex in the figure of the ruler: the so-called Priest-King. This clearly influential individual could not yet leave a personal mark on history through imperfect records, everyday items, or cult objects, but he was already propagating the very concept of the special competence of a wise leader, a caring shepherd, and a mighty, victorious warrior.

We do not comprehend all the details of how these individuals obtained and exercised the right to govern thousands of their fellow tribesmen, nor the circumstances of their elevation to the pinnacle of society. Mythological accounts retain traces showing that the first urbanites elected this so-called "King" only for a limited term.

Perishable yet readily available to the Sumerians, clay and reed failed to preserve large-scale works of art to the present day. Consequently, we are compelled to study the history of early Sumer through small, durable artifacts such as stone stamp seals and cylinder seals. The imagery on a seal did not merely verify identity, status, and authority: it also demonstrated how its owner perceived himself.

One seal from Uruk clearly depicts the Priest-King with a spear in an outstretched hand, presumably a symbol of his power. Another similar seal features warriors holding weapons and threatening bound, naked men before the face of the leader. The entire scene on this second impression emphasizes the helplessness of the bound individuals, dehumanizing these unfortunate souls and stripping them of identity. The first artifact demonstrates the triumph of celebrating victors over captives. It is entirely possible that we are witnessing the execution of enemies.

Both seals could have belonged to high priests, their inner circle, or officials who centrally directed the labor of free community members and slaves. These artifacts present violence as an essential attribute of the nascent state, and the ruler as the leader managing this violence. In other words, our Priest-Kings did not just manage the flows of grain, meat, and metals: they also led their people into battle.

For instance, a roughly contemporaneous seal from the city of Susa in Elam (located in modern southwestern Iran) depicts the figure of a ruler shooting naked enemies with a bow. The same scene includes a depiction of a temple. Beyond a literal reading of the scene as a battle against or near a temple, an interpretation of divine presence and patronage is possible. Combined with depictions of participation in religious ceremonies, this expands the image of our King into that of a Priest-King endowed with both civil and religious authority. Yet it remains unclear whether the priest begets the warrior-king or vice versa. No records: no clarity!

Information regarding the first historical rulers of Sumer relies primarily on the Sumerian King List from Nippur. In it, the founder of the First Dynasty of the city of Unug, known to us as Uruk, is named Meskiangasher, Mèš-ki-áĝ-ga-še-er. His origins are linked to the sun god Utu. He is spoken of almost as a being existing outside the ordinary world: he "entered the sea and ascended the mountains." A concrete biography is unlikely to hide behind these metaphors. Rather, it is an echo of the memory of constructing the temple complex known as Eanna.

Further in the narrative, figures emerge with the functions of "culture heroes" who lead the people out of "barbarism" and into the world of cities. Their images stand on the boundary between history and myth. Enmerkar is credited with building the settlement of Unug around the Eanna complex. In the tales of Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana and Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, he does not merely wage war, but also creates. It is with him that the advent of writing on clay tablets is associated. These stories already articulate an idea central to the entire Mesopotamian tradition: the city as man's supreme achievement. Interestingly, it is Enmerkar who is credited with transferring the cult center of the then-foreign goddess Inanna (Ishtar) from the distant, mysterious land of Aratta to Uruk.

Following him, Lugalbanda rules. His persona unfolds through poetic texts such as Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave and Lugalbanda and the Anzu Bird. Over time, this character shifts. In later tradition, he is no longer merely a hero of the past, but a deified figure.

Concluding this line is Bilgames: this was the early Sumerian form of his name, known later as Gilgamesh. In the Sumerian songs Bilgames and Huwawa, Bilgames and the Bull of Heaven, and Bilgames and Aga, we do not encounter the tragic seeker of immortality familiar from the Akkadian epic. He is, first and foremost, a warrior and a defender of the city. His objective is not to conquer death, but to preserve an "eternal name" through heroic deeds.

Bilgames fights against a powerful king from the northern Akkadian city-state of Kish. The power of the kings of Kish was so immense that for centuries the title "King of Kish" served as a sort of analogue to the emperor of all Mesopotamia. The victory of the Uruk popular militia led by Bilgames was undoubtedly a momentous event, yet one not described in significant detail.

On the whole, all three characters of the Uruk myths have reached us in a contradictory and completely unstandardized form. Material traces from that period are exceedingly scarce.

Unlike the shadowy prehistoric Priest-Kings, the substance of the power wielded by historical kings is clear. Initially, we see them as leaders of the urban and temple militia. These "big men" (the Sumerian lugals) were elected by a general popular assembly or an assembly of all adult male warriors for the duration of a war. Civil and religious authority, meanwhile, remained in the hands of the high priest bearing the title of en or ensi, who was likely also elected.

The rapid and continuous population growth in Mesopotamia led to ever-renewed disputes between city-states over land and trade routes. War became a commonplace reality, an unceasing, bloody backdrop to Sumerian life. Only the finest military leaders survived, and replacing them through elections became lethally hazardous under the threat of military catastrophe. Around 2900 BCE, now-lifelong, hereditary lugals established royal dynasties in all the major cities. Military might granted kings a massive advantage over ordinary people, spanning from the Early Dynastic period to the first rulers of Assyria in the Early Iron Age.

However, the actual economy of Bronze Age Ancient Mesopotamia was not the monolithic "Oriental despotism" it is still occasionally portrayed as. Modern research reveals a far more complex and resilient picture: two almost independent worlds coexisted in parallel.

First, the multiple estates of palaces and temples. They were not rigidly tied to the current dynasty, the capital, or even the language of the ruling elite. The temple of Marduk in Babylon or the temple of Enlil in Nippur could retain their lands and revenues for centuries, even as Akkadians, Amorites, Kassites, or Assyrians supplanted one another around them. As Marc Van De Mieroop notes in A History of the Ancient Near East (4th ed., 2024), many temple estates were effectively held by the same family clans for hundreds of years through a system of inherited offices. These families blended "divine" and private property so tightly that drawing a boundary was nearly impossible.

A striking example is the Ur-Meme clan from the city of Nippur. Their history was demonstrated by William Hallo in his 1972 article "The House of Ur-Meme." Throughout the entire Ur III period, this family, generation after generation, held the posts of administrator (šabra or ugula) of the temple of Inanna, as well as the priest of Enlil (nu-eš). These were two key positions in the religious and economic life of Nippur. Temple property merged with family assets so tightly that boundaries were entirely erased.

Kings gifted high priests seals inscribed with "your servant." The priests were obliged to stamp documents with them as a sign of formal submission to the monarch's power. Yet from the kings' perspective, this looked more like a gesture of despair. No ruler ever dared to actually displace the clan or requisition temple property. The family outlasted all the kings of Ur and remained powerful under the kings of Isin. There is your "Oriental despotism" in a single living example: you can be a living god and the beloved spouse of Inanna, but the real masters of the country are Uncle Ur-Meme and his great-grandchildren, who sat in their seats long before you and will sit there long after.

Second, the world of rural and urban communities that controlled their lands from generation to generation and maintained real autonomy. Norman Yoffee, in his book Myths of the Archaic State (2005), calls this structure the key to the astonishing longevity of Mesopotamian civilization: political superstructures collapsed, while the grassroots level remained almost immobile.

Land in the communal sector was not a free commodity for a very long time. To circumvent the taboo on selling arable plots, the legal fiction of "adoption" was employed. A classic description of this mechanism is provided by Carlo Zaccagnini (particularly in the collection Production and Consumption in the Ancient Near East, 1989). The buyer formally became the seller's son, received the land as an "inheritance," and transferred the money as a "gift." Along with the land, he assumed a share of state and communal obligations. In large cities, the situation began to shift slowly only from the Old Babylonian period onward.

The famous royal "codes" (from Ur-Nammu to Hammurabi) are understood today not as active laws, but as propaganda and apologia before the gods (see Martha T. Roth, Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, 1997). Actual justice relied on customary law and the decisions of local elders, who quietly ignored royal stelae, if they were aware of their existence at all.

The limitations of central power manifest with particular clarity in crisis situations. At the close of the Ur III period (c. 2000 BCE), famine raged in the capital, yet King Ibbi-Suen could not simply requisition grain from the communities. He was forced to dispatch his official Ishbi-Erra to purchase it with silver.

The result was a system composed of royal bureaucracy, temple corporations, urban clans, and rural communities. Royal power appeared absolute, but in reality, it rested on a compromise with a society that continued to live by rules rooted in the fourth and third millennia BCE. It was precisely this autonomy from below that allowed Mesopotamian civilization to survive dozens of political catastrophes and endure for nearly three millennia.

A Roman marble sarcophagus fragment "unearthed in the pool section of the nymphaeum structure. It is a fragment of a marble sarcophagus measuring 95x95 cm with figured and inlaid decoration on three sides. The upper and lower panels bordering the depictions on the embossed sarcophagus are decorated with lotus palmette motif. The figures are depicted in a specific mythological plot from left to right. The main scene in the frieze relief is probably a helmet wearing and honouring scene of a soldier who defeated the enemy or is believed to have won a victory. Iconographically and stylistically it can be dated to the 3rd century AD." Per the Silifke Museum in Silifke, Turkey where this is on display.

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Hello everyone!

This is the 6th sets from my personal collection that I am sharing with you.

This is a rare, matching Excavated Amethyst Interlocking "Son-Mother" Belt Buckle (紫水晶子母扣) and its accompanying Court Pendant (挂件), dating from the Early to Mid-Qing Dynasty (approx. 17th to 18th century). Within my entire collection, this aristocratic ensemble serves as the "bellwether" (领头羊)—a premier artifact set representing high-status nobility regalia.

Here is my technical analysis and breakdown of its core features:

1. Material Quality & Rare Structure

The Interlocking "Son-Mother" Buckle: The belt buckle features a complex two-part interlocking mechanism. The main segments are flanked by elongated cabochons and built around a massive central stone, all meticulously carved and polished from high-grade natural amethyst.

The Ruyi-Head Pendant: The matching pendant is crowned with a beautifully cast ruyi-head (如意头) suspension loop—a classic Chinese motif symbolizing good fortune, authority, and high social standing.

Internal Gemstone Aesthetics: Under light, the amethyst displays deep purple color zoning and prominent natural ice-crack inclusions (冰裂纹). These internal features give the gemstones an organic vitality and an unmistakable aura of antiquity.

2. Craftsmanship & Elite Stylings

Gilded Filigree & Bezel Work: The profiles of both pieces reveal that the stones are housed in matching, multi-tiered metal bezels. They feature intricate, hand-chased floral/cloud scrollwork and a signature rope-twist border trim. This level of goldsmithing confirms that the set was custom-made for a wealthy noble or high-ranking court official.

The Early Qing Aesthetic: The robust, heavy proportions and massive scale of the cabochons reflect the grand, powerful, and uninhibited aesthetic of the early Qing Dynasty ruling class, who favored bold organic materials and commanding presence over rigid symmetry.

3. Definitive Archaeological Evidence (The Reverse Patina)

Identical Mineral Encrustation: The reverse sides of both the buckle and the pendant reveal an identical, thick "time-worn skin" (时光皮壳) consisting of heavy green malachite encrustation and copper carbonate corrosion mixed with soil minerals.

Proof of Cohesion: This matching, deeply layered crystallization only forms through hundreds of years of undisturbed underground burial. The identical degradation on both objects proves beyond doubt that they shared the exact same burial environment for centuries and constitute a genuine, historically intact set.This ensemble offers an incredible, pristine glimpse into the personal luxury adornments of the early Qing nobility.

I would love to hear your thoughts, insights, or answer any questions!

Every June, on the Andean Altiplano, communities performed one of the strangest food preservation rituals in human history.

At sunset, they carried bitter potatoes into the open air and left them to freeze. At dawn, entire families walked across them barefoot — pressing the ice out of the flesh.

Then the Andean sun dried what remained.

The result was chuño — a potato that weighed almost nothing and lasted 10 years without refrigeration.

NASA studied this technology in the 1960s for the Apollo missions.

The word "jerky" comes from the same Inca preservation technique — ch'arki in Quechua

/EatenByTimeDoc

I have added Nemesis (as described by Aristotelēs) to right thought. I have added Praotés (as described by Aristotelēs) to Right Action.

Nothing was fundementally wrong; I just feel that it is more accurate and precise this way.

Karl Marx used Lord Aristotelēs' ideas to support his criticism of Capitalism. He claimed Capitalism is a disease, and I believe he was close to Truth.

I dont think Capitalism is a disease, it is the product of a disease, an outcome. Uncontrolled CAPITALISM is a product of the DISEASE OF HYPOCRACY. hypocracy is a virus that destroys virtue itself, hypocracy will destroy ALL life on Earth unless we FIGHT BACK.

Regarding step 8:

Understanding that Lord Christ, Lord Plato, Lord Aristotelēs, and Lord Siddhartha were ALL Buddhas is necessary for the future of LOGIC and REASON itself.

If we can not accept this SIMPLE TRUTH, hypocracy will spread, and so will pollution. More plants and animals will die. Our sufferings will grow exponentially.

If we do not devolop Virtue as a species, we will go extinct with certainty. If we can devolop Virtue and challenge hypocracy, it is possible for OUR children to one day know PEACE on earth. They may even see another star.

It is important to consider the concept and progression of the 4 Jhãnas when thinking of Right Concentration and Eudaimonia as equals.

After you study and learn these Truths, will you help share this message around the world?

P.s: Dear Indonesia:

I will come to your country and teach the ONE TRUE DHARMA, ill I ask in return is for food, internet, shelter, and respect.

I will speak about the evils of the USA. My country is SICK, and NEEDS help!

We have ONE GOD. Our GOD has NO NAME.

Sādhu Sādhu Shanti!

Om Shanti L'chaim, AMEN!

I and I, Rastafari.

El Señor de Sipán fue un poderoso gobernante de la cultura mochica del siglo III d. C., cuyo descubrimiento en 1987 por el arqueólogo peruano Walter Alva en Huaca Rajada (Lambayeque) constituyó un hito histórico al tratarse de la primera tumba real de una civilización preincaica hallada completamente intacta. El mandatario, quien falleció a una edad estimada de entre 45 y 55 años, fue sepultado con un fastuoso ajuar funerario compuesto por más de 600 objetos de oro, plata y piedras preciosas, y estuvo acompañado en su entierro por un séquito de ocho personas y varios animales sacrificados para servirle en el más allá. Este hallazgo no solo transformó la comprensión sobre la jerarquía y el avanzado desarrollo metalúrgico del antiguo Perú, sino que hoy en día sus tesoros originales se exhiben en el Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán, consolidándose como uno de los mayores atractivos arqueológicos de América. El Señor de Sipán es llamado el

"Tutankamón de América" porque su tumba es la más rica y fastuosa jamás hallada intacta en el continente americano, habiendo sobrevivido intacta al saqueo por más de 1,600 años al igual que la del célebre faraón egipcio. Ambos gobernantes eran considerados semidioses y fueron sepultados con impresionantes tesoros de oro, plata y gemas preciosas que reflejaban su inmenso estatus real, convirtiendo sus respectivos descubrimientos arqueológicos en los hitos científicos más importantes e impactantes de sus propias regiones a nivel mundial. Mientras que Tutankamón basaba su riqueza en el uso masivo de oro casi puro y macizo (como su ataúd de 110 kg y su máscara de 22.5 quilates) decorado con complejas técnicas de fundición e incrustaciones de vidrio, el Señor de Sipán destacó por una sofisticada innovación tecnológica y química al utilizar la tumbaga una aleación de cobre, plata y oro de baja pureza y el revolucionario método de dorado por sustitución electroquímica para cubrir con finísimas láminas de oro piezas de cobre. Además, a diferencia de la búsqueda egipcia de inmortalidad a través de la incorruptibilidad del oro macizo, la orfebrería mochica priorizaba la dualidad cosmológica, confeccionando cientos de trajes y ornamentos divididos simétricamente entre oro (el Sol) y plata (la Luna) unidos por avanzadas soldaduras de precisión microscópica

A portion of an early Byzantine mosaic from a church with peacocks and a Greek inscription in situ in the ruins of Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia, which is now in the Karabük province of Turkey. I asked Κώστας Κόκκορας, who I thank very much for his help, to translate this:

"ΥΠΕΡ ΕΥΧΗΣ ΣΑΝΨΑ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΝΤΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΔΙΑΦΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ ΑΥΤΩ

In fullfilement of the vow of Sanpsas and all his relatives"

He also added: "The male personal name Sanpsas is completely unknown to me. It is not attested in any other inscription...The name is definitely not Greek. Perhaps derived from some native Anatolian language, though it sounds more to me as Semitic."

I'm fascinated by faith and magic and have been trying to learn what the first people believed to practice magic, and who were also the first religious leaders, were called, and I keep coming back to the word and position of shaman, is that right?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamanism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sorcerer_(cave_art)

A stunning gold bracelet in the form of a snake from an intact Hellenistic tomb in Philippi, Greece.

"The tomb preserved an underground rectangular chamber, that consisted of a roofed space with arch. It had an arched entrance to the south with a single leaf door from one-piece marble that was found intact in its place.

Inside the chamber there are five small niches in the lateral walls, two on the east and the west and one on the north. On the northwest corner there is a marble offering to the dead table while on the floor of the chamber was found a small cist grave, not looted, on the cover of which is preserved the engraved name of the deceased ΕΥΗΦΕΝΗΣ ΕΞΗΚΕΣΤΟΥ (Euephenes grandson of Exekestos). This tomb contained a gold chaplet, gold diadem and other gold jewelry, which must have been sewn upon the clothes of the dead and also black-glazed plates and other pottery. These finds date the tomb in the 2nd century BC.

The construction of the building and the finds of the un-looted tomb lead us to the conclusion that the 'Macedonian tomb' belonged to an important family of the Hellenistic society of Philippi. Its accession to the posterior Christian temples displays that it was most likely associated with an event concerning Apostle Paul, founder of the Philippi church, or some other Christian martyr of the 3rd century's AD pogrom." Per the archaeological museum of Philippi. As the tomb is from the 2nd century BC, it could have been made during the Antigonid dynasty in the Kingdom of Macedonia, or after the Roman conquest of that area in 168 BC through the Third Macedonian War.