- Posts 3959
- WRZ$
23084.90
Platinum
- Posts 2939
- WRZ$
74718.10
- Device Kindle
- Posts 1704
- WRZ$
36427.80
Congrats Cheepie!!!
You've come this close to winning so many times.
Now it's the real deal. 
Sir Arthur Evans
Who was Evans in a nutshell?
Evans was a classical archeologist who excavated the palace complex of Knossos on the island of Crete, Greece. Through his diggings, he brought to light a new civilization -- the Minoan Civilization -- generally considered to be the first advanced European civilization, and previously hinted at only in myth. The timeline below shows where it fits in. Note that it predates the Trojan War by hundreds of years. (The Trojan War, as described in Homer's The Illiad is generally thought to be either one war or the composite of several armed conflicts.)
The Minoans - Europe's first advanced civilization (left-most bubble)
Minos, Minoan -- that sounds familair...
Evans named the Minoan civilization after the mythical Cretan King Minos, as the palace complex, with its more than 1,000 interconnected rooms, resembled the labyrinth built by the king to hide the half-man, half-bull mythological creature known as the Minotaur. The excavated artifacts, including frescoes on the palace walls, showed that the Minoans worshipped the Bull. This was additional evidence that Knossos might be the basis for the Minotaur myth.
Why is the Minoan Civilization important?
The Minoans are the first advanced European civilization. They were only hinted at in Homer. Sir Arthur Evans made them real.
What happened to the Minoans?
The Minoan Civilization ended either abruptly and catastrophically. Or it was weakened by a devastating natural disaster that in turn made it vulnerable to military attack. Either way, the triggering event is thought to be a tsumani or earthquake triggered by the enormous volcanic explosion on nearby Santorini.
Why didn't you pick the German guy?
I had intended to choose Heinrich Schliemann as the topic. He was the archeologist known for his obsession in finding Homeric Troy and other sites from The Illiad and The Odyssey. But a quick survey showed that he was a con man, blinded by personal obsessions, and brutal in his archeological methods -- blasting through levels of strata, destroying layers of history in the process. Not to mention, much of his key findings has been discredited. So I chose his younger contemporary, Arthur Evans, who is also famous, and who practiced archeology with a more rigorous discipline. The two men did know each other, however. In fact, Schliemann tipped Evans off that Knossos might be a good place to excavate.
So show us some pictures of Knossos.
Below is an artist's representation of what the complex looked like. Although it's usually called a palace, it's actually a ceremonial, political and economic center. Evans called it a palace because at the time, that was mainly what archeologists had when they found a big building or structure.
Artist's rendition of the Knossos palace complex
Restored North Entrance with charging bull fresco
Note that the restorations, overseen by Evans, are controversial. Nowadays, archeologists would prefer to leave ruins closer to their natural state
A fresco recovered from Knossos showing the religious ritual of "bull-leaping" -- where participants of both sexes vaulted over bulls by grasping their horns.
What was the bit about him being a politician...or not?
Although Evans is "known" for his archeological accomplishments, in his twenties and early thirties, he was a war correspondent and political activist in the Balkans. He was a committed supporter of Slav freedom and the creation of an independent Yugoslavia. According to Wikipedia, "Arthur's reputation among the Slavs assumed unassailable proportions. He was invited later to play a role in the formation of the pre-Yugoslav state. In 1941 the government of Yugoslavia sent representatives to his funeral."
And finally, why isn't Evans considered a "scientist"?
Archeology is sometimes considered a social science, sometimes one of the humanities.
More info on Evans and his accomplishments can be found in the Wikipedia article
You've come this close to winning so many times.
Now it's the real deal. Sir Arthur Evans
Who was Evans in a nutshell?
Evans was a classical archeologist who excavated the palace complex of Knossos on the island of Crete, Greece. Through his diggings, he brought to light a new civilization -- the Minoan Civilization -- generally considered to be the first advanced European civilization, and previously hinted at only in myth. The timeline below shows where it fits in. Note that it predates the Trojan War by hundreds of years. (The Trojan War, as described in Homer's The Illiad is generally thought to be either one war or the composite of several armed conflicts.)
The Minoans - Europe's first advanced civilization (left-most bubble)
Minos, Minoan -- that sounds familair...
Evans named the Minoan civilization after the mythical Cretan King Minos, as the palace complex, with its more than 1,000 interconnected rooms, resembled the labyrinth built by the king to hide the half-man, half-bull mythological creature known as the Minotaur. The excavated artifacts, including frescoes on the palace walls, showed that the Minoans worshipped the Bull. This was additional evidence that Knossos might be the basis for the Minotaur myth.
Why is the Minoan Civilization important?
The Minoans are the first advanced European civilization. They were only hinted at in Homer. Sir Arthur Evans made them real.
What happened to the Minoans?
The Minoan Civilization ended either abruptly and catastrophically. Or it was weakened by a devastating natural disaster that in turn made it vulnerable to military attack. Either way, the triggering event is thought to be a tsumani or earthquake triggered by the enormous volcanic explosion on nearby Santorini.
Why didn't you pick the German guy?
I had intended to choose Heinrich Schliemann as the topic. He was the archeologist known for his obsession in finding Homeric Troy and other sites from The Illiad and The Odyssey. But a quick survey showed that he was a con man, blinded by personal obsessions, and brutal in his archeological methods -- blasting through levels of strata, destroying layers of history in the process. Not to mention, much of his key findings has been discredited. So I chose his younger contemporary, Arthur Evans, who is also famous, and who practiced archeology with a more rigorous discipline. The two men did know each other, however. In fact, Schliemann tipped Evans off that Knossos might be a good place to excavate.
So show us some pictures of Knossos.
Below is an artist's representation of what the complex looked like. Although it's usually called a palace, it's actually a ceremonial, political and economic center. Evans called it a palace because at the time, that was mainly what archeologists had when they found a big building or structure.
Artist's rendition of the Knossos palace complex
Restored North Entrance with charging bull fresco
Note that the restorations, overseen by Evans, are controversial. Nowadays, archeologists would prefer to leave ruins closer to their natural state
A fresco recovered from Knossos showing the religious ritual of "bull-leaping" -- where participants of both sexes vaulted over bulls by grasping their horns.
What was the bit about him being a politician...or not?
Although Evans is "known" for his archeological accomplishments, in his twenties and early thirties, he was a war correspondent and political activist in the Balkans. He was a committed supporter of Slav freedom and the creation of an independent Yugoslavia. According to Wikipedia, "Arthur's reputation among the Slavs assumed unassailable proportions. He was invited later to play a role in the formation of the pre-Yugoslav state. In 1941 the government of Yugoslavia sent representatives to his funeral."
And finally, why isn't Evans considered a "scientist"?
Archeology is sometimes considered a social science, sometimes one of the humanities.
More info on Evans and his accomplishments can be found in the Wikipedia article
- Posts 3959
- WRZ$
23084.90
Well done Cheepie, congrats on finally winning.
Nicely done Bob, I had actually heard of Sir Arthur (probably through watching Time Team or something similar) and I'm pretty bad at remembering stuff.
Nicely done Bob, I had actually heard of Sir Arthur (probably through watching Time Team or something similar) and I'm pretty bad at remembering stuff.
Contest Manager
- Posts 16898
- Location my dreams... or the contest section.
- WRZ$
168919.62
- Device Sony Ereader, Samsung Galaxy Tab S, LG G4
- OS iOS6
This round, cheepie discovered in 5 questions that we were looking for an archeologist and receives 25 wrz$.
bob zea tortured you for 38 questions and receives 190 wrz$
Congrats, you two!
Now cheepie is invited to start the next round with the subject he sent me...
bob zea tortured you for 38 questions and receives 190 wrz$
Congrats, you two!
Now cheepie is invited to start the next round with the subject he sent me...
Round 47
Ready, steady.............Go!
Good luck
Q & A
1. Are you a person (real or fictional)? Nor
2. Are you a real or a fictional place? No
3. Are you a object? YES
4. Are you a state of mind? No
5. Do you have mass? Yes
6. Are you likely to be encountered in daily life? No
7. Are you man-made? YES
8.Are you small enough to be held in the palm of an average person's hand? No
9.Are you unique (as opposite to mass production, object which is common and present everywhere)?
YES
10. Are you a piece of artwork? No
11. Are you on Earth? YES
12. Are you in Europe or Asia? YES
13. Are you a building? No
14. Are you displayed publicly for people to see? YES
15. Are you made of cloth? No
16.Are you in Europe? YES
17.Are you in a museum? YES
18.Are you primarily or largely of historical significance? YES
19. Are you some type of vehicle? No
20. Are you in Western Europe YES
21.before you went to a museum did you have a practical purpose? YES
22. Are you a book? No
23. Are you a piece of art? No
24. Are you in the UK? YES
25.Are you made of metal? YES
26. Are you the Rosetta Stone? No
27.Are you in France? No
28. Are you a kind of clock? No
29. Are you a steam engine? No
30. Are you one object on exhibit all by itself? No
31. Are you made of stone? No
32.Are you the Rosetta Stone? No
33.Was your original purpose related to mail or postal services? No
34.Is the museum you are in located in London?No
35.Are you related to the military (weapon, armor, etc.) YES
36. Were you used before 1700? YES
37.Do you weigh more than 15 lbs? No
38. Are you a weapon? YES
39. Are you a sort of spear? No
40. Did you originate from the Americas? No
41.Are you in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds? No
42.Are you Henry VIII's Armour in the Tower of London? No
43. According to this map (which I found somewhere in the Web) are you in Scotland, North West or North East? No
44. Are you meant to be used by a single person? YES
45. According to agamal's useful map. Are you in the East Midlands, West Midlands or Yorkshire. b]YES[/b]
46. Are you in a British Forces museum? No
47. Were you created before the year 1300? YES
48.According to map I used before are you in the East Midlands? No
49.Are you a sword? Im sorry this cannot be answered with a simple yes or no,
50.Are you in a museum in West Yorkshire ? No
51.Are you from the Iron Age? No
52. Are you in York? No
53.Were you made in the post-Roman period? YES
54.Are you a type of polearm (e.g. a halberd)? No
55. Are you a weapon with a blade? Im sorry this cannot be answered with a simple yes or no,
56. Are you connected with the JORVIK Viking Centre No
57. Are you in the west midlands? YES
58. is the weapon a throwing weapon? No
59. Are you used mostly for defensive (versus offensive) purposes in combat? Im sorry this cannot be answered with a simple yes or no,
60. are you a tool? No
61. Are you a sort of rifle? No
62. Are you in Birmingham? Yes
63. are you a collection of different kinds of weapons? Yes
64. Do you have a curved shape? Yes
65. Are you The Staffordshire Hoard? YES!! I AM THE BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN SAXON STAFFORdSHIRE HOARD
