The term urban exploration is defined as the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment. Definitions tend to sound too boring, but the growing popularity of this hobby proves that the idea behind the words is actually very exciting. Many adventurous photographers consider it a new means of artistic expression enabling them to offer the public the shadowy and dusty face of cities as a contrast to their shiny surface. Other explorers do it for the sake of historical documentation, and there are even such people who do it merely for fun. The set of photographs I'd like to share with you reveals some of Toronto's concealed urban gems. If you decide to give urban exploration a try, please bear in mind that this activity can be quite dangerous, if you neglect proper preparation. Moreover, it may be considered trespassing in certain cases.

About the Author :: Heather Hadden

I am a Toronto real estate agent who enjoys meeting new people and helping them find their dream homes. When I'm not at work, I love spending time with my family and friends as well as traveling and painting, since I'm an artistic soul. Besides, I'm running a real estate blog focused also on healthy living, architecture, and the city of Toronto. http://ilovetoronto.com/

This project was created by Heather Hadden (author) and Jonathan Castellino (photographer).

“Where were you on 9/11?” 

That question has become part of the fabric of our lives as Americans and was one of the inspirations for writing “Ashes Ashes The Twins Fall Down.”

The initial inspiration for the book was of course the attacks on 9/11. But what initially caused me to sit down and start writing this story was my own need to deal with my grief of 9/11. In the year following 9/11 I actually started suffering from panic attacks that I finally began to figure out were due to my fears and not having dealt with my feeling of 9/11. So, when I sat down in 2002, my expectation was simply to put a few words down on paper to work through my own grieving process and hopefully alleviate my panic attacks. It may sound strange, but I find writing down my feelings and thoughts when I’m sad, angry or whatever the emotion helps me work through them. I don’t know if it helps me organize my feelings or simply look at how unrealistic they may be or what. I truly never set out to write a book. But, I soon found out that the more I wrote, the more I had to write. Once I started writing, it was as though the emotional floodgates opened, and all the memories came back – memories that beckoned to be put on paper.

As I sat there recounting my memories of that bright sunny September day, I soon realized that while everyone talked about what happened in New York, at the Pentagon, and in the field in Pennsylvania, very little had been said about how that day affected those of us outside of those areas. While we may not have been at Ground Zero or even within view of New York City, the entire country sat watching all of the news footage that day. You could not have watched the pictures of people jumping to their deaths from burning buildings, the collapsing of the Twin Towers, the unrecognizable soot covered first responders doing all they could to locate survivors without being affected. An entire country, and world, was affected on that day. Lives were changed, security lost, and our story, my story, should and needed to be shared alongside of the stories of those lost in the attacks of 9/11 and their loved ones left behind.

My hope is that the reader will feel what I felt as I wrote this book. The feelings provoked were very emotional. Ashes, Ashes The Twins Fall Down will make you cry, it will make you laugh, and it will make you remember. In this book I have not only shared my personal experiences surrounding that day but I have also shared transcripts received from the hijacked planes. The readers of this book will come away both enlightened and comforted.

Of course we will never forget the New York City firefighters, police, and other first responders that dropped what they were doing, kissed their wives and children goodbye, and headed for what would eventually be known as Ground Zero. They did this without question and without thought for their safety, not knowing that many of them would never see their families again. These men and women had taken a pledge to protect their city and their fellow man, and for them this was more than just a job; it was who they were. They gave of themselves, and in some cases gave their lives, selflessly and without question, the true heroes of that bright sunny September 11, 2001, day.

About the Author

Pauline L. Hawkins is author of Ashes Ashes The Twins Fall Down. Want to read her book? You can order and read a hard copy or add it to your Kindle collection today. Click here to order!

By David Coward, University of Western Australia

On Wednesday, as you’ll no doubt know by now, a rare celestial event will occur. Venus will pass between the earth and the sun – the transit of Venus. You might also already know that this cosmic spectacle is not without cultural significance…

Venus Transit, 2004
NASA

Some 240 years ago, astronomers from England, France and Austria were sent across the globe to observe the transit. Captain James Cook was part of the English expedition.

Cook also had secret sealed orders from the British Admiralty. After the Venus transit observations were complete the expedition would go in search of the mooted southern continent, Terra Australis Incognita. En route he mapped the east coast of Australia.

But Cook’s success obscures the misfortunes of another man, the French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil and his cursed obsession to observe the transit.

The goal of the transit voyages

The 18th century transits (1761 and 1769) of Venus inspired international teams of astronomers to travel to the far reaches of the known world, to measure the size of the solar system.

Even today, observing a transit from multiple locations across Earth improves not only the precision of the measurement, but gives better odds against bad weather and bad luck.

Captain James Cook, circa 1775.
Nathaniel Dance-Holland/Wikimedia Commons

But this venture was extremely dangerous in the 18th century, as the transits were only observable from some of the most inaccessible places at the time: South Africa, Siberia, North America, the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific and Central America.

As noted, the two 18th century transits were separated by eight years. Each observation promised to determine the size of the solar system. But the first transit in 1761 occurred during the peak of the “Seven Years' War” between England and France.

A spirit of scientific collaboration was difficult to promote during the conflict.

Cook’s voyage to the South Pacific and Australia was one of the first attempts at a major international scientific collaboration to improve estimates for the Astronomical Unit.

Although Cook and Le Gentil were funded independently by the English Royal Society and the French Academe, the data from all observations was to be combined. In reality the two expeditions were in a friendly competition to show off there scientific prowess.

While Cook’s expedition was heralded a great success, the other, led by Le Gentil, endured great disappointment.

The luck of Le Gentil

Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe Jean-Baptiste Le Gente de la Galaisiere.
An unheralded hero?
Brocken Inaglory/Wikimedia

Le Gentil was commissioned by the French Academe to observe the 1761 transit of Venus.
After three months at sea, Le Gentil arrived at the French colony of Mauritius to secure a voyage to Pondicherry, only to find the Indian territory under siege from English warships.

Although he had papers granting safe passage, Le Gentil failed to receive permission, and the transit occurred while he was sailing back to Mauritius. This clearly made the task of precision timing impossible and the opportunity was lost.

Rather than give up, Le Gentil decided to stay in Mauritius for another five years, planing the best places to observe the next Venus transit in 1769. He also used the time to map the east coast of Madagascar.

With the war over and letters of support from the Governor of Mauritius and the French Academe, Le Gentil boarded a Spanish ship bound for Manila in May of 1766 … things were looking up.

Or so it seemed.

Fort Venus on the Island of Tahati
Drawings illustrative of Capitain Cook's First Voyage, 1768-1771, located in the British Library

Unfortunately, after all his meticulous planning and a three-month voyage, Le Gentil was accused by the Spanish Governor of being a foreign spy. He fled Manila for Pondicherry, to observe the transit from the Indian Ocean destination.

On the night before the 1769 Venus transit, the weather in Pondicherry was clear and everything was set. But, after nine years waiting for this fateful moment, the wind changed and the transit, clouded out, was unobservable.

Compared to Gentil’s nightmare, Captain Cook’s expedition went smashingly well. Assisted by fellow-astronomer Charles Green, they set up at Fort Venus in Tahiti, the main observation site.

Cook published his transit observations for the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, although he only used data obtained at Fort Venus. By combining observations from four other sites in addition to the Fort Venus data, Oxford astronomer Professor Thomas Hornsby calculated a useful value for the solar-parallax of 8.78" (arcseconds).

Size comparison of terrestrial planets (left to right): Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
NASA

Le Gentil’s return to Paris

After two failed attempts at observing a Venus transit, spanning a total of 11 years, Le Gentil decided to return to France – a journey that took more than a year.

He had to contend with sickness and a hurricane damaging his ship. Le Gentil finally returned to Paris where he was greatly acclaimed for his memoirs and scientific studies spanning a decade spent at Mauritius, Madagascar, and India.

One can only wonder how deflated Le Gentil felt that a series of remarkable misfortunes prevented him observing a transit of Venus – not to mention the fame and praise heaped on Captain Cook. Le Gentil would have been painfully aware of his friendly competitor’s sucesss.

If you have the opportunity to observe the transit of Venus on Wednesday, don’t be a Le Gentil: make like Captain Cook and watch the skies for something truly remarkable.


Further reading:

• Transit of Venus: a must-see for everyone … no seriously – Duncan Steel
• An upcoming transit – Helen Maynard-Casely

About the Author

My main research area is the study of exotic transient phenomena in the Universe. Of these, gamma ray bursts are my main focus. These events result from the biggest explosions in the Universe, and possibly mark the birth of a black-hole. My recent work is a collaboration with astronomers in France to understand these exotic transients, using the UWA robotic Zadko Telescope and similar instruments in France and Chile. Another research focus is observing transients simultaneously across different spectra, including gravitational waves. This involves networking optical telescopes with other types of observatories to gain new insight into the first seconds of a transient.

David Coward receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. Read the original article.

Victorian Flower Arrangement
[sodahead.com]

In Victorian times, certain flowers had specific meanings. Since the flower selection was limited and people used more symbols and gestures to communicate than words.


What makes Victorian arrangements stand out is the use of multiple bunches of flowers.


These arrangements expressed the abundance of the Victorian era and the upper class.


There are two distinct styles:

• A nosegay Victorian flower arrangement was triangular shaped and used roses, baby's breath, hydrangeas, and pansies. There were also long leafy stems added, with a lace doily and colorful ribbons. (eHow)
• The tussie mussie is a nosegay design as well, except that it is round in shape instead. Also, the tussie mussie was given to lovers and could convey different messages depending on the flowers used. (eHow)

Today, there are so many flower choices there are no longer any rules. Sentiment equals meaning. For those interested in the historic meanings of flowers, the Society of American Florists has compiled this list from a variety of different sources:

Alstroemeria - aspiring 

Amaryllis - dramatic 

Anemone - fragile 

Apple Blossom - promise 

Aster - contentment 

Azalea - abundance 

Baby's Breath - festivity 

Bachelor Button - anticipation 

Begonia - deep thoughts 

Black-Eyed Susan - encouragement 

Camellia - graciousness

Carnation 

pink - gratitude

red - flashy 

striped - refusal 

white - remembrance

yellow - cheerful

Chrysanthemum 

bronze - excitement 

white - truth 

red - sharing 

yellow - secret admirer

Cosmos - peaceful 

Crocus - foresight 

Daffodil - chivalry 

Delphinium - boldness 

Daisy - innocence 

Freesia - spirited 

Forget-Me-Not - remember me forever 

Gardenia - joy 

Geranium - comfort 

Ginger - proud 

Gladiolus - strength of character

Heather - solitude 

Hibiscus - delicate beauty 

Holly - domestic happiness 

Hyacinth - sincerity 

Hydrangea - perseverance 

Iris - inspiration 

Ivy - fidelity 

Jasmine - grace and elegance 

Larkspur - beautiful spirit 

Lavender - distrust 

Lilac - first love 

Lily 

Calla - regal 

Casablanca - celebration 

Day - enthusiasm 

Stargazer - ambition

Lisianthus - calming 

Magnolia - dignity 

Marigold - desire for riches 

Nasturtium - patriotism 

Orange Blossom - fertility 

Orchid - delicate beauty 

Pansy - loving thoughts 

Passion flower - passion 

Peony - healing 

Poppy - consolation 

Queen Anne's Lace - delicate femininity 

Ranunculus - radiant 

Rhododendron - beware

Rose 

pink - friendship 

red - passionate love 

red & white - unity 

white - purity 

yellow - zealous

Snapdragon - presumptuous 

Star of Bethlehem - hope 

Stephanotis - good luck 

Statice - success 

Sunflower - adoration 

Sweetpea - shyness 

Tuberose - pleasure 

Tulip 

pink - caring 

purple - royalty 

red - declaration of love 

white - forgiveness 

yellow - hopelessly in love

Violet - faithfulness

Wisteria - steadfast 

Yarrow - good health

Zinnia - thoughts of friends

About the Author

I'm Melanie, the founder of BermudaQuest and an archaeology undergraduate at the University of New Mexico. I love writing about ancient and modern cultures. My goal is to make information about our origins available to everyone [in simple English!]

There are stories about the great King Arthur of Camelot, a man of honor, duty, and self-sacrifice. King Arthur and Camelot are a riddle for every age. 

(All dates referenced in this article are Common Era [CE] or Anno Domini [AD].) 

In order to solve the riddle, first you have to go back to the Late Roman Era. In 410, Honorius withdraws Roman legions from Britain. According to the historian Bede, the Anglo-Saxons came in waves, the Adventus Saxonum, in 449 to 455. In 476, lived the last Roman Emperor of the West, Romulus Augustus. Then, as Dr. Richard Hodges says, “Depending on whom you believe, there was this character, this individual known as Ambrosius Aurelianus who lived 490 to 520, or as I believe until 550.” 

With the discovery of potsherds, many dates have been modified. Mediterranean amphorae were discovered in western Britain that date back to 525 to 550. Then, in the 550s Bertha, a French princess, marries Ethlebertht of Kent: this event is significant because this is the first act of Christianity in that part of Britain since the Romans. Nearly half a century later, St. Augustine arrives in 597. During that time, there are all sherds (E wares) in the western Irish Sea zone. Finally, the Sutton Hoo ship burial site completes the timeline at 625/8, which gives us a lot of insight about the archaeology of this mysterious world. 

Geoffrey of Monmouth, or Gruffudd ap Arthur, (1100-1155) created the modern story of King Arthur. He was a Mormon but spent much of his life before he became Bishop of St. Asaph (1152-1155) at Oxford. It is probable that he reshaped the story of Arthur and Merlin at Oxford. But, Geoffrey did not create the story. Gildas, who possibly lived in Wales, wrote the first version of King Arthur during the sixth century, De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. He wrote about the land around him and the magical tale of Ambrosius Aurelianus who confronted two dragons and his fights with the Anglo-Saxons. However, the ninth century chronicler Nennius embellished the story with his work Historia Brittonum, and the introduction of the magical character Myrddin Wyllt, a prototype of Merlin. Geoffrey constructed we know by using Nennius’ version of the Tale of King Arthur. 

Raleigh Radford (1900-1999), in 1936 excavated Tintagel Castle. During this excavation, he discovered numerous amounts of imported Mediterranean potsherds. It took him twenty years to publish his discovery, a discovery that he believed linked Tintagel to King Arthur. He proposed that this particular part of western Britain that included Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset was actually home to the Arthurian resistance of the Anglo-Saxons. Christopher Morris went back to the site and discovered a slate inscribed with the name “Artognov” on August 6, 1998. This is the first piece of evidence of a possible King Arthur. 

Tintagel Castle
Image courtesy tansyfiredragon.blogspot.com

Read the original publication about the “Arthurian Inscription Found at Tintagel”

Similar sherds to those in Tintagel are all over western Britain, always in fortified hill sites. These sherds led Radford to Glastonbury. It was believed that King Arthur and his lady were buried at Glastonbury Abbey. Radford hardly discovered anything at Glastonbury except that the site had a very long history that dated back to Roman times. 

In 1971, Leslie Alcock published Arthur’ Britain. Alcock believed South Cadbury was Camelot. There are many different beliefs about where Camelot was. Geoffrey of Monmouth believed the City of Legions, Caerleon-on-Usk was Camelot. The Welsh Triads believe Camelot was Celliwic in Cornwall-Callington or Killibury Castle. Then you have William Camden, who wrote Britannia, claim the local people of South Cadbury believed South Cadbury was Arthur’s Palace. 

William Stukeley wrote in Itinerarium curiosum (1723), “Camelot is a noted place […] There is a higher angle of ground within, ditched about, where they say was King Arthur’s palace […] Roman coin in great plenty has been found here: I saw vast numbers of Antoninus and Faustina. Selden, in his notes Poluolbion, writes it was full of ruins and reliques of old buildings.” 

Small excavations began at the South Cadbury Hillfort. Leslie Alcock decided to call this place Cadbury-Camelot. Two interesting discoveries came up. First, they discovered fortifications across the hilltops with the same dates as the potsherds. The fortified hilltop had been built to defend the people of the era from the Roman conquest. Alcock discovered the insides had been refurbished. The second discovery is a timber palace. The palace is not as many would imagine Arthur’s home after all those magical movie portrayals, but it is the palace of Cadbury-Camelot nonetheless. Mediterranean potsherds appeared yet again inside the palace. Whether Cadubury-Camelot was the mythical Camelot of the stories or not, the site was a very important place. 

Cadbury Castle (Camelot?)

Immediately to the east of Cadbury lay the Selwood Forest. Today, very little of the forest remains due to extensive deforestation during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Selwood would have separated “Arthur’s Britain” from Anglo-Saxon Britain.

Since Alcock’s excavation, the potsherds have been redated to 525 to 550 during the time of Justinian. Then there is the very unlikely tale of Adventus Saxonum. According to the Legend of King Arthur, Arthur fought against the Anglo-Saxon Vortigern. The Anglo-Saxons are portrayed as violent warlike people who in reality were very peaceful.

A climate crisis hit Ireland and Britain. By looking at trees, scientists know there was no growth for four or five years. Cloud cover was very likely and probably caused by a volcanic eruption. Anglo-Saxons relocated westward through Selwood Forest. The fortifications are most likely a response to this unexpected clash of cultures.

During this Merovingian Age, there were two trade routes in Britain and Ireland: the eastern trade route and the western trade route. The eastern trade route had items of higher value. The Sutton Hoo burial ship is evidence of this richness due to trade. The most remarkable discovery inside the ship were the Celtic bowls. These bowls prove that at the funerary feast, there were Britains present. The fact that Britains were present means that the Arthurian resistance had ended.

Original publication of the Sutton Hoo Burial Ship
Image courtesy Illustrated News London

1939 Sutton Hoo Ship Excavation: Sutton Hoo Society

   

Sutton Hoo Burial Ship
Celtic Bowl, Merovingian Purse Cover, Helmet

Here are the undeniable facts:

• There was a resistance during the sixth century 
• Christianity was just being experienced 
• There was a climate crisis 
• There was a clash of cultures 

And then there is the Round Table… The Round Table was made in 1250-80, most likely for King Edward I to mark the betrothal of his daughter and then painted by Henry VIII for the visit of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1522. This means that the Table came into existence after the original story by Geoffrey of Monmouth was written, during a time where the myths of King Arthur began to form.

What about the Holy Grail? Most likely the Holy Grail was related to the Buddhist idea of magical stones and was “created” because of the evidence of trading with China since the 830s. Did the Holy Grail exist though? That question still has not been answered. 

Image of King Arthur at the Round Table with the Holy Grail at the Center

Yes, it is very probable that King Arthur existed; his knights of the Round Table did not. There was an Arthurian resistance in Western Britain that probably began with the clash of cultures during the climate crisis. Time has altered the original story of a great leader in Britain during the sixth century. That leader did not face dragons or have a warlock sidekick. But, he did indeed lead his people and earned himself a fantastic and magical legend based on his actions in the mysterious land of Camelot.

This article is a summary of Penn State's Great Riddles in Archaeology: King Arthur, Camelot, and the Quest for a Holy Grail.

About the Author

I'm Melanie, the founder of BermudaQuest and an archaeology undergraduate at the University of New Mexico. I love writing about ancient and modern cultures. My goal is to make information about our origins available to everyone [in simple English!]

Ashoka Maurya

(304 - 232 BCE)

PBS © 2008

MayaVision International

Ashoka Maurya (Aśoka in Sanskrit), also known as Ashoka the Great, reined as a “righteous king” (dhammaraja) during the Maurya Dynasty of India from 269 – 238 BCE. He was known as a righteous king because, after converting to Buddhism, his political expression was dominated by Buddhist values. Ashoka, born in 304 BCE, was the son of the second emperor Bindusara, who in turn had been the son of the first emperor Chandragupta. Ashoka had one younger brother and several older half-brothers. His older brothers feared Ashoka would be given the throne when he began to show success as a military leader. Emperor Bindusara grew ill and it became clear that his death was imminent. War broke out between the brothers fighting for the throne. After a series of battles, Ashoka killed most of his brothers and attained the throne in 274 BCE.

During his early reign, Ashoka set out to conquer the surrounding kingdoms. His military conquests spread across India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and some parts of Iran.

The first eight years of his empire were brutal – Ashoka “became famous for his brutality and his desire to expand the Mauryan Empire” (Freeman). When he learned that one of his brothers was hiding in Kalinga, he invaded the province. Thousands were killed and the land utterly destroyed.

Ashoka became repulsed by the number of deaths he witnessed at Kalinga. “Standing along the front lines, Ashoka witnessed first hand the massacre of hundreds of thousands […] He knew so many had lost their lives simply because, he, the king, had ordered them to do so. Women became widows, children now orphans, Ashoka asked himself exactly what had his people won in war” (Wold). The kingdoms around them were not a threat of invasion. From that point on, he rejected violence for the rest of his life, converted to Buddhism and embraced vegetarianism. His attention moved from conquest to the welfare of his people. Peace began, his people began to love and respect all living things.

Ashoka the Great is famous for his non-violent propagation of Buddhism across Asia, as well as Europe and Africa. He abolished the slaughter and mutilation of animals. Hunting was limited only for consumption, though many followed his example as a vegetarian. He showed mercy to those in prison and gave them freedom one day every year. He set up universities as well as “water transit and irrigation systems for trade and agriculture” (Wold). The caste system ceased to exist in his eyes. Even though Buddhism was the national religion, he supported religious tolerance and unified the empire. Each and every person was given the rights to freedom, tolerance, and equality.

Now, the first Buddhist emperor became a Buddhist practitioner. He built 84,000 stupas across the Mauryan empire to house the sacred relics of Buddha. Ashoka sent out his children on religious pilgrimages to other kingdoms so they could share the philosophies that had unified their empire of peace and prosperity.

Great Stupa at Sanchi

Ekabhishek, Wikipedia Commons

A surviving Edict of Ashoka, Kolhua, Bihar.
PBS © 2008 MayaVision International.

He began by sending his only daughter, Sanghamitta, and son, Mahindra, to spread Buddhism in Sri Lanka. “Ashoka also sent many prominent Buddhist monks to modern Kashmir, Afganistan, Bhutan, China, Mongolia Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Persia, Egypt, and Greece. Ashoka’s efforts helped to spread Buddhism across East Asia, where it has become the dominant faith of that region. Ashoka’s efforts to spread Buddhism in the west were much less successful. Nevertheless, there is evidence that a small Buddhist community began to develop at the Greek city of Alexandria in Egypt at this time. It has even been suggested that certain Ptolemaic Greek philosophers were influenced by Buddhism and that they in turn influenced the early development of Christianity” (Explore the Mediterranean).

Lion Capital of Ashoka
Catawba College

The great Mauryan emperor died in 232 BCE, though his dynasty lasted fifty more years. His name would have disappeared from history becoming only a myth if it hadn’t been for the pillars that recorded the actions and teachings he put in place. His testimonies are located throughout the territories he influenced. These monuments were not written in Sanskrit, instead they were written in what would be the first written language since the ancient city of Harrapa, Prakrita. 

Today “one of his stupas, the Great Sanchi Stupa, has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNECSO. The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath has a four-lion capital, which was later adopted as the national emblem of the modern Indian republic” (Cultural India). Pillar Edict VII quotes Ashoka, “I consider the promotion of my people’s welfare my highest duty.” He was able to initiate the global spread of Buddhism and affected around 21.5 billion lives.

Resources:

Cultural India. "Ashoka." CulturalIndia.net

Dhammika, Ven S. "King Ashoka: His Edicts and Timelines." The Wheel Publication Number 386/387. Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1993.

Explore the Mediterranean. "The Top Ten Most Influential People in History." Historical Atlas of the Mediterranean. 

Freeman, Larry. "Ashok: A Short Biography of Ashoka the Great of India." Hubpages.com

Wold, Kevin. "The Life of Ashoka Mauryan." Kevin Wold's Webpage for Those Who Seek Enlightenment. CHICO.

About the Author

I'm Melanie, the founder of BermudaQuest and an archaeology undergraduate at the University of New Mexico. I love writing about ancient and modern cultures. My goal is to make information about our origins available to everyone [in simple English!]