[Steppes] Period in Review Week 06 - 12 thru 06 -17 2006

[Mike]

Heilsa,

Hope the reader will enjoy this look at History
within Period - both from the past and the present
as it affects the history that is known today.

Week in Review:

June 12th:
Maya Civilization:  0700 - 0800
On June 12th, 0746, The estimated date for the dedication
of the Mayan Temple 22 in Copan. The archaeological site of
Copán is located in western Honduras, and represents a major
Classic period Maya temple and regional center. The site covers
an area of about 25 hectares and has temples, stelae, altars, and
residences. The stone carved Hieroglyphic Stairway is the longest
classic Maya inscription, with more than 2200 glyphs.
The first occupations at Copán were there by around 1000 BC;
at the height of the Maya control of the city in AD 400-850,
a total of about 27,000 people lived at Copán.

<>New World  1601  Modern Day:
On June 13th, 2006  - The Godspeed is set to sail this summer.
A replica of the 17th century ship that carried the first settlers to
Jamestown, Virginia, the ship will be touring the East Coast of the
United States. 30 volunteers will act as crew of the ship for its 80-day
voyage. The tour of the ship, which will include stops in Alexandria,
Virginia; Baltimore; Philadelphia; New York, Boston; and Newport,
Rhode Island, is part of a celebration commemorating the 400th
anniversary of the Jamestown Colony. Still, when it comes to
handling the more than 100 lines that control its sails and heeding
orders like ``avast on the port sheet'' and ``clew up the spritsail,''
a refresher couldn't hurt. So the Godspeed, a re-creation of one of
the three ships that brought America's first permanent English settlers
 to Virginia, made some short practice sails before it embarks on a
promotional East Coast tour Monday. Passengers on a James River
 ferry glimpsed the replica Godspeed as it sailed past the spot
where the settlers landed on May 13, 1607 - 13 years before the
Pilgrims arrived at what is now Plymouth, Mass. ``You work one
station until you know that line and know what the line does,''
said Dillard, a former Virginia legislator. ``Then next time
on board ... you know that's the spritsail sheet, because you
worked them.'' The ``Godspeed Sail'' is among a series of events
planned for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown. The ship's first
stop will be Saturday in Alexandria, and later, Baltimore,
Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Newport, R.I. The ship
will be accompanied by a free ``Landing Party'' with live
performances, and at each port, the Godspeed's crew will
dress in historical costume. While the ship is in ``museum mode,''
modern navigational equipment and amenities such as a shower
will be hidden to preserve the 17th-century atmosphere. The new
Godspeed was built at Rockport Marine Inc. in Maine and
replaces an older replica that was deteriorating. The $2.6
million ship is made from rot-resistant tropical hardwoods
and has twin diesel engines for use when conditions become
difficult. Because there are no known illustrations or blueprints
of the Godspeed or its sister ships, the ship was built based
on the design of other early 17th century ships and documentation
that the original Godspeed could carry 40 tons of cargo and
passengers. The research resulted in a replica that is more
accurate, and roomier, Speth said. Still, there's no denying
that the men and boys who sailed the Atlantic for nearly five
months to get to the New World endured unpleasant conditions,
with the 13 crew members working on the deck and the 39
passengers stuck in the cargo hold with barrels of supplies,
with the hatch sealed shut during foul weather. ``It had to get
pretty rank,'' said Noel Veden, a retired insurance broker
who is cook on the Godspeed. On the Net:
Godspeed: http://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown/newgodspeed.cfm 
<http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/wrap/linker.jsp?ref=http://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown/newgodspeed.cfm> 


June 14th:
 Islam  1301 -1400
On June 14, 1325, Ibn Batuta left his native Tangier on
pilgrimage to Mecca. He was not to return for 29 years.
Far surpassing Marco Polo, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn
Batuta visited the rulers of every Muslim country of his time,
as well as India, China, Baghdad and Constantinople.
He traveled over 75,000 miles in his life and left an
extensive journal of his experiences.

June 15th:
Spain  1001 - 1100
On June 15th, 1094, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid occupied
with a combined Christian and Moorish army the city Valencia
on the Moorish Mediterranean coast. Officially the Cid ruled in the
name of Alfonso; in reality, the Cid was fully independent.
The city was both Christian and Muslim, and both Moors and
Christians served in the army and as administrators. Modern
audiences may know a romanticized story of the Cid from the
1961 film starring Charlton Heston as the title character.

June 16th:
England 13th Century  - Modern Day
On June 16th, 2006, Th<>e Australian reports that sections of the
King's Table, an elaborately-carved stone table used for English
coronation feasts and state banquets as far back as the 13th
century, have been found under the floor of the Palace of
Westminster. The table, smashed by Cromwell to as a symbol
of the end of the monarchy, is "the iconic symbol of royal power,"
according to Phil Emery, a consultant archaeological engineer.
"People often ask us what's the most exciting thing we've found.
At last I have the unequivocal answer. It doesn't get more
significant than this." The elaborately carved stone table was
used by kings and queens from the 13th century for coronation
feasts and state banquets but disappeared under Puritan rule.
It represented the power and authority of the monarch in the same
way as the King's Bench, a court, and the King's Privy Wardrobe,
or Jewel Tower. A new table was made in the 17th century after
the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 but the original remained
missing. Archeologists have now found large sections of at least
four of the arched marble trestles that supported the tabletop,
which they calculate to have been almost 6m long. They were
buried beneath the floor of Westminster Hall, apparently as a
symbol of the return of royal power. When Cromwell came to power
in 1653, the table was removed from the Palace of Westminster
and broken up to mark the end of the monarchy. The pieces were
placed in the foundations of a dais built in the 17th century in
Westminster Hall, used by James II at his coronation banquet.
Among the monarchs known to have sat at it are Edward I and
Henry VIII. Henry used it for feasts after his marriages to
Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn

June 17th:
Vietnam  Modern Day 1001 - 1100
On June 17th , 2006 was reported in 2003, when construction
workers set out to build a new parking lot for Vietnam's legislature,
they were surprised to discover the remains of a 1,000-year-old
century citadel buried beneath the city. Since that time,
construction has been halted and the area inaugurated as a museum,
but excavation continues. The site promises to fill in gaps in the
country's known history with discovery of layers of buildings dating
to the 7th century.  The citadel was inaugurated as a museum for
the public in October 2003.