Weekly Roundup of Archaeology, History and Historical Fiction October 1-7

Here in the Southwest desert, fall is the time in our yard when the night blooming cereus cactus blooms. I caught these white beauties just before the sun rose and made them close up. Such fragile flowers bursting directly from the stiff cactus. Talk about no transition!

This week brought an amazing gathering of mystery writers at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Carolyn Hart, Donis Casey and Hannah Dennison. I enjoyed hearing their wisdom and wit.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this week:

Nothing like coating your face in lead to bring out that inner madness, er inner beauty! Fun post from Dirty, Sexy History blog.  Click here for Dirty, Sexy History Blog “Maybe She’s Born with it (maybe it’s lead): powder and patch in the 17th century”

“The Kind of Style that Turns Readers into Fans” This post by James Scott Bell notes the poetry of description as engaging the reader. Not the answer to that post title you were thinking, I’m guessing. But it’s an answer that thrills me to the core as a writer because, as a reader, I love the vivid piece of description that vaults into poetry—not necessarily poetry in the sense of lovely language, rather the image that makes me understand something that I couldn’t put into words, that makes the place or the theme or the character alive in a way I don’t entirely understand but I feel an inner vibration of excitement. All grand as a reader—and I’ve got to say, although I don’t nail it often, I do love to aim this direction as a writer, I feel in harmony with this approach, and I can do it sometimes. Whereas there are things Mr. Bell could have identified as turning readers into fans that I would have had to admit were never going to happen in my efforts. Click here for Kill Zone blog “The Kind of Style that turns Readers into Fans”

At Israel’s Tel Lachish there’s been an intriguing find. Most finds don’t “say” quite this much! They uncovered a gate-shrine that has been intentionally desecrated with the horns on the altar truncated and a toilet installed (but never used, symbolic not practical). It seems to be part of King Hezekiah’s project to centralize worship in Jerusalem. Another fascinating window into this world are the rooms and bench area by the gate itself with royal cylinder seals and other signs of what took place there. In many Near Eastern ancient cultures references abound to the court or the business conducted by the gates of the city. And here we get the actual day-to-day lay out and accoutrement of those activities, still in place! Click here for Archaeology News Network “First Temple period gate-shrine unearthed at Israel’s Tel Lachish National Park”