From my Fantasy Writing Desk:
Join me at LepreCon 45
I’ll be speaking together with several other authors of fantasy and science fiction, April 18-21 at LepreCon 45. The topics of my panels are New Places and New Faces in Fantasy, Public Speaking for Introverts (I know, I’m not an introvert. Those of you who know me, can stop laughing), There’s History in My Fiction!, Plotters vs. Pantsers, Badass Women of Fantasy and Faith in Fantasy. I’m very excited about my fellow panelists and I will try to get my brain in sufficiently high gear to match their wits and wisdom. Here’s the link to my schedule.
First held in 1975, and still going strong, besides a full schedule of author panels, LepreCon includes workshops on visual art, movie showings, filk concerts and jam sessions, sword fighting, the ins and outs (or rather unders) of Victorian costuming, pirates (and rumors of hidden treasure in eggs), star parties, costume creating, steampunk in many formats and GoT fan events. Pretty close to something for everyone.
Location: Doubletree by Hilton, Phoenix North, 10220 N Metro Parkway E, Phoenix, AZ 85051.
Here’s the link to the programming.
Archaeology I enjoyed:
16th Century BCE Shipwreck
Underwater archaeologists found the earliest yet Bronze Age shipwreck—perhaps the oldest shipwreck in the world.
They’ve dated it to the 16th century BCE by the shape of the copper ingots that were its primary cargo—in the shape of pillows or pitas instead of the later, 12th century BCE, hide-shaped ingots.
They haven’t disturbed the site yet by taking samples. The long process of excavation by scuba divers is still to come and the revelations therein.
Some of our most intriguing information about trade, international interactions, and daily life objects has come from two famous shipwreck excavations, Uluburun and Gelidonia. Turkey keeps producing intriguing glimpses into the earliest stages of human history.
5th Century BCE Shipwreck now a Museum
Underwater archaeology museum anyone? That’s becoming a real thing off the coast of a Greek island, Alonissos. The site of a 5th century BCE shipwreck called Peristera for the tiny island nearby is the first of what the organizers hope will be several open to recreational divers to visit.
This particular shipwreck changed what historians thought about Greek trade at the time. It is the largest ship of its time to have been found. One of the archaeologists noted: “Up to then, we thought that large ships that were carrying 1,500 amphoras and were up to 70 tons, they were built by the Romans in the 1st century B.C.,” Hadjidaki explained. “Well, now we have a ship that was not built in the 1st century B.C., it was built in the 5th century B.C., it carried 4,000 amphoras and God knows what else and it’s 126 tons.”
The contents of the shipwreck have not been fully explored, but the display of amphorae laid out on the sea floor is impressive. Underwater archaeology keeps opening new avenues of knowledge about the ancient world.