SoA Forums

Quote from: Jim Webster on December 25, 2024, 10:08:39 AMSame with England, at what time did the feudal period end in England?

I wasn't aware that it had 

Quote from: Ian61 on December 25, 2024, 12:58:12 PM

Quote from: skb777 on December 25, 2024, 11:47:37 AMI can't look at sunken wrecks as they give me the heeby jeebies. Anything to do with the Titanic I just avoid *shudders*

Been in a force 10 above Iceland. Frankly the effort of doing things prevents any thought of sinking, I was only just about OK sea sickness wise but many others really suffered. Interestingly a number of the South East Asian crew made a beeline to the church in Akureryri to thank for for their deliverance, one of them who we knew from previous voyages said he had been on the ship for nearly ten years but it was the worst storm he had known.

I have no problem with boats above the water, I just can't look at pictures of them underneath it or even worse half poking out.

Nice one, the link that is!
And a few impressive photos from their dig.
CarlL

No mention of any archaeological finds to suggest a battlefield?

CarlL

I once crossed the Aegean in a gale and the small ferry ship we were on was being tossed about like some Greek God's plaything 

Quote from: Ian61 on December 25, 2024, 12:32:44 PMIt's a lot about time. Importance of having services at the right time of day links to astronomy and timekeeping to clocks.

Actually the whole calendar/time keeping thing is fascinating especially when there were scores of calendars out there. Even into the Roman Empire a lot of cities would have their own which might link in with one of the major ones
A beautiful example of how you had to let people know when something happened is in Luke 3 in the New Testament

 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

It probably explains why so many religious festivals cluster round the solstice. It means you can celebrate it at the same time whatever city you're in
Also religious events could be tied to astronomy. Passover always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Because the Hebrew months are pegged directly to the lunar cycle, the 15th day of Nisan is always a full moon.

But "For a time, early Christians used the Jewish calendar as a reference, celebrating Easter on the first Sunday after Nisan 15. But at the First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, the Church decided to set its own date for Easter, independent of the Jewish reckoning. Today most Christian communities celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21. But sometimes this full moon isn't the same as the Jewish one."

One problem is that some used a lunar calendar, whilst others used a solar calendar. This runs into problems because the lunar year isn't the same length as a solar year.
But nothing is the same length as a solar year, including other solar years

Which means that sticking to astronomy can be as good a way to go as any

I once came up the Pentland Firth on a ferry in a storm around Orkney. It was so bad they brought us through Scapa and south rather than down the west side of Hoy
Me and another guy were as far forward as we could get, and as high up as passengers were allowed, and it was so amazing we weren't sick
Talking to one officer as we left over half the crew were hit by sea sickness
Actually stark terror is perhaps the best preventative 

Quote from: Mark G on December 25, 2024, 09:00:41 AMBetter to start with why it's called Dark.

Which I saw a quote I cannot find again, was not because of a lack of sources- as commonly understood and now no longer true - but because the light of holy Rome had gone out and was returned with Charlemagne crowned as HRE.

Along with Mark's highlighting of 'Dark' I think it is also appropriate to equally highlight 'The' as in 'The Dark Ages' when considering this Eurocentric trope for a perceived extinguishing and reigniting of learning and holy light. As far as wargaming 'periods' is concerned, that is a definition and context that I am quite content with but only as a convenient Western historic cultural idea. Outside of that I think it has little value.

As a student of archaeology in the 1980s I have always known those times as 'Early Medieval' and that's never going to change. I don't think it's such a bad useage. The 'problem' is that Dark Ages don't actually exist in reality. A number have been identified in different times and places but they are of course only dark by comparison with other times and places. They have tended to diminish over time as perceptions change and more information becomes available but the idea of Dark Ages persists. Perhaps we (humans) like the concept?

Adrian.

Quote from: skb777 on December 25, 2024, 11:47:37 AMI can't look at sunken wrecks as they give me the heeby jeebies. Anything to do with the Titanic I just avoid *shudders*

Been in a force 10 above Iceland. Frankly the effort of doing things prevents any thought of sinking, I was only just about OK sea sickness wise but many others really suffered. Interestingly a number of the South East Asian crew made a beeline to the church in Akureryri to thank for for their deliverance, one of them who we knew from previous voyages said he had been on the ship for nearly ten years but it was the worst storm he had known.

Quote from: Ian61 on December 25, 2024, 12:32:44 PMIt's a lot about time. Importance of having services at the right time of day links to astronomy and timekeeping to clocks.

Rereading that realised my description may not sell it to others but all that facinates me and it is a good read.