LB On Fire (2025)

17/08/2025

A display of a woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis), an extinct species of rhinoceros that was prevalent in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene epoch.

This is an extraordinary and significant find in the world of paleontology. The discovery of a nearly perfectly preserved woolly rhinoceros in the Siberian permafrost provides an unprecedented opportunity to study this extinct species. The preservation of soft tissues, including skin, fur, and internal organs, is incredibly rare and offers a wealth of information that cannot be gleaned from bones alone.

The woolly rhinoceros is an extinct species of rhinoceros that inhabited northern Eurasia during the Pleistocene era. The woolly rhinoceros was covered with long, thick hair that helped it survive in the extremely cold, harsh steppe tundra. It had a large hump up to its shoulders and ate mainly herbaceous plants growing in the steppe.

Woolly rhinoceroses were covered in long, thick hair, which enabled them to endure the severe cold of the mammoth steppe. They possessed a large hump on their shoulders and primarily consumed herbaceous plants found in the steppe. An adult woolly rhinoceros typically measures 3.2-3.6m from head to tail, stands 1.45-1.6m tall at the shoulder, and weighs up to 1.5-2m tons. Surprisingly, it may not be the heaviest among the rhinoceros species. It used to be a very heavy animal in its own right. Less known is that both male and female woolly rhinoceroses have two horns made of keratin, with a long horn facing forward and a short horn between the eyes. For woolly rhinoceroses aged 25 to 35 years, the front horn is 1-1.35m long, while the second horn is up to 47.5cm long.

Scientists have claimed that the woolly rhinoceros became extinct about 10,000 years ago due to combination of factors, including climate change (warming temperatures at the end of Last Ice Age) and human hunting, which led to population decline and habitat contraction. Mummified carcasses preserved in permafrost and numerous bone remains of woolly rhinoceroses have been discovered, providing valuable insights into their lives. Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the University of Copenhagen used computer models, fossils and ancient DNA to trace the 52,000-year population history of woolly rhinoceros in Eurasia, which was not previously thought possible.

Scientists believe this rhinoceros, a young one between 3-4 years old, likely drowned, which contributed to its remarkable state of preservation. The permafrost acted as a natural deep-freeze, sealing the animal in a time capsule for millennia. The specimen was found in the Abyisky district of Yakutia, Russia, and is considered one of the best-preserved woolly rhinoceros specimens ever discovered.

This discovery is not only a fascinating glimpse into the past but also a crucial tool for scientific research. Researchers can use this specimen to learn more about the animal's diet, the environment of the late Pleistocene, and the factors that led to the extinction of the woolly rhinoceros and other Ice Age megafauna. It's a reminder of how climate change, in this case, the thawing permafrost, can reveal secrets of our planet's history, even as it poses a threat to the modern world.

17/08/2025

The leather trousers from the Yanghai cemetery, Xinjiang, dating back approximately 3300 years, making them among the world's oldest known trousers. Discovered in the grave of a male shaman, this artifact offers a rare glimpse into the attire of ancient nomadic peoples of Central Asia.

These trousers, crafted from carefully stitched leather, show wear and tear, bearing witness to their use in life. The design, tailored for horseback riding, reflects a culture deeply intertwined with equestrian skills. Their survival, despite the ravages of time, underscores the dry climate's remarkable preservation capabilities.

More than mere clothing, these trousers whisper tales of journeys across vast steppes, of rituals performed under starry skies. A testament to human ingenuity and adaptability, they stand as a poignant reminder of the enduring connection between humanity and the natural world, defying the ephemerality of existence.

17/08/2025

German researchers have discovered 31 shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Constance during a project launched in 2022. Using sonar, divers, and underwater drones they confirmed the wrecks span from wooden sailing ships to modern vessels.

Among the most striking finds are two massive metal hulls believed to be paddle steamers. One is thought to be the Friedrichshafen II destroyed in a World War II air raid. Another is the Baden, decommissioned in 1930 before it sank.

One wreck stood out for its preservation — a wooden cargo sailing ship still upright with mast and rigging intact. Its depth protected it from invasive mussels allowing rare details like bow clamps and gear rings to survive.

Scientists describe these wrecks as time capsules offering insight into centuries of shipbuilding. The project runs through 2027 meaning even more discoveries may surface in the years ahead.

17/08/2025

A misericord, which is a small, carved wooden ledge found on the underside of hinged seats in church choir stalls, particularly common in medieval churches. This misericord at the Church of the Holy Trinity at Stratford on Avon, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Term "misericord" derives from the Latin word "misericordia," meaning "pity of the heart" or "mercy," reflecting its function as an act of mercy for those needing support. They are often intricately carved with variety of subjects, including everyday scenes, animals, mythical creatures, and foliage, which were typically out of sight when the seats were down, allowing carvers more artistic freedom.

Misericords are found in many English cathedrals and parish churches, as well as in Europe, with most English examples dating from 14th-15th Centuries. When the seat is folded up, misericord provides a small projection that allows individuals, especially the elderly or infirm, to lean against it for support during long periods of standing during church services, offering a "mercy seat".

At first glance this misericord seems to depict a pair of drunk monkeys flanking the heraldic bear and ragged staff, but there's more to it than that. The bears and the staff represent the county of Warwickshire, and the monkeys are holding flasks containing... urine. It is mocking the surgeons and physicians of 15th Century, a time when anyone could set themselves up and "profess physick".

One of the most common methods of diagnosis was "uroscopy", where the patient or client would provide a urine sample which the physician would examine in a special flask. They would observe the colour, bubbles and sediment to make a diagnosis based on the prevailing theory of the bodily "humours" and attempt to treat the person accordingly.

Uroscopy got completely out of hand with any number of cunning folk and "docktors" using the p*e flask for hydromancy - literally divining the client's future. The misericord is mocking the wee physicians of Warwickshire, poking fun at them on a device used for leaning one's backside against.

Of course the examination of urine is a standard medical practise today, but half of these medieval physicians were making it up while the other half may have worked in good faith but consulted a useless wheel chart to make their diagnosis.

Hydromancers and wee staring cunning folk were incredibly still in business as late as the mid 1800s. One notorious figure - "Wizard Manning" was responsible for a tragic incident in Long Compton in 1875 where a man was convinced by Manning that he had been bewitched - the bubbles in his urine apparently proved it - and then attacked the unfortunate lady identified as the witch to "release the charm" leading to her death.

17/08/2025

In 1636, John Greene leased the land where the Stag Brewhouse and Brewery would later stand, marking the beginning of a long and storied history in the brewing industry. His son, William Greene, later known as Sir Greene, succeeded him in 1641. Sir Greene expanded the brewing operations significantly, building the brewhouse and taking his cousin, John Greene, into partnership in 1646. The brewery’s success continued, with John Greene also establishing another brewery in Kensington Gravel pits, London. Over the following decades, the brewhouse grew in scale, with the family business eventually controlling over 16 acres by the close of the 18th Century. The brewery was deeply rooted in the fabric of London’s brewing history, with its expansion mirroring the growing demand for beer in the city.

In 19th Century, the Watney family became the dominant force behind the Stag Brewery. In 1837, James Watney joined the brewery as a partner, working alongside John Lettsom Elliot and Charles Lambert. The business, then known as Elliot, Watney & Co, was further strengthened when James’s sons, James and Norman Watney, joined the partnership in 1856. This period marked a critical phase in the brewery’s history, as it cemented its place as one of London’s most prominent brewing enterprises. However, in 1850, John L. Elliot withdrew from active participation, though he remained a nominal partner for another eight years before retiring in 1858. This transition allowed James Watney to take full control of the business, and the brewery was rebranded as James Watney & Co.

James Watney’s leadership saw the brewery through a period of consolidation and growth, with the company continuing to thrive throughout the 19th Century. After his death in 1884, at the age of over eighty, the company underwent another significant transformation. In 1885, Watney & Co. became a private limited company, signaling a shift toward modern corporate structures. The brewery’s legacy continued to influence the brewing industry for years to come, and its story is a testament to the perseverance and innovation of the Watney family, who played an integral role in shaping London’s brewing scene during the 19th Century.

📷 : The White Hart, a historic pub located at 10 Greenfield Street in Mile End Old Town, London E1, around 1880s. The pub's signage advertises "WATNEY & COMPY'S STOUT & PORTER" and also mentions "ALLSOPP'S PALE ALE". The image captures a street scene with four men standing outside the pub, one with a ladder leaning against the building. The White Hart was a notable location in the area, situated less than 50 yards from the site of one of the Jack the Ripper murders, according to some historical accounts. The pub was apparently known as The White Hart and was located on Greenfield Street, which is now known as Greenfield Road.

© British History Unveiled

17/08/2025

At the pre-columbian site of Puma Punku in the Bolivian Altiplano, these andesite blocks date back to the tiwanaku civilization between 500-1000 AD, set against the vast and windy high plains, they are part of a once-grand ceremonial complex whose original purpose remains shrouded in mystery.

The stones are cut with extraordinary precision, featuring sharp internal angles, interlocking shapes, and perfectly flat surfaces that seem almost machine-made. centuries of frost, sun, and seismic activity have fractured their edges, yet the meticulous craftsmanship still defies easy explanation. lichen now spreads slowly across their surfaces, a quiet reclamation by nature.

These fragments of a lost architecture speak of knowledge—mathematical, astronomical, and engineering—that was deeply rooted in its time yet timeless in ex*****on. they stand as a testament to human ambition, where stone was shaped not just to build, but to align with the very order of the cosmos.

17/08/2025

On the windswept shores of lake Urmia in Iran 🇮🇷 rise the extraordinary kandovan stone columns, a forest of natural pillars that look as if they were carved by forgotten architects of another age. formed from volcanic tuff and shaped by millennia of erosion, these towering structures create the illusion of a cathedral hewn from living rock.

The pillars stand in silent rows, their fluted surfaces glowing in hues of white, gold, and ash, catching the shifting light of the lake and sky. inside, narrow passages open like arcades, where shadows fall across the stone and the ground is littered with smooth, rounded fragments—echoes of their slow collapse and renewal.

To walk among them is to feel drawn into an elemental temple, where nature plays both mason and sculptor. here, stone has taken on the role of architecture, raising the timeless question: are these vaults mere accident of geology, or a sacred hall gifted by the earth itself?

17/08/2025

In the heart of the market town of Settle, in North Yorkshire's Craven district, this winding lane feels like stepping back through the centuries. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

Cobbled paths glisten after the rain, weaving between weathered stone buildings that have stood for generations.

17/08/2025

A truly fascinating paper by Dennys Frenez and Massimo Vidale on composite Indus creatures and their meaning: Harappa Chimaeras as 'Symbolic Hypertexts'. Some Thoughts on Plato, Chimaera and the Indus Civilization."

An analysis and interpretation of the so-called Harappan chimaera, one of the most peculiar and elaborate iconographies of Indus Civilization. It is represented on many stamp seals of fired steatite and corresponding clay sealings, terracotta tablets in bas-relief, copper tablets and tokens. The Harappan chimaera was composed of body parts derived from different animals, as well as humans and other fantastic beings of the Indus imagination.

A detailed documentation and description of all the objects bearing chimaeras makes it possible to recognize not only a basic set of regular combinations and some aspects of their possible changes in time, but also visual associations among selected parts of the chimaera's body that could be perceived and semantically intepreted at different levels.

We believe that the sophisticated structure of these images fully deserves to be considered an early form of 'hypertext', following current definitions used in computer sciences. We conclude by relating the evidence and its cognitive background to other spheres of the early urban societies in the Indus basin.

© Harappa.Com-

17/08/2025

The tetrakionion (four-column) recreated in the 1930s in Palmyra is a type of tetrapylon, but of four unattached structures. The original columns were Egyptian granite imported from Aswan. In the Roman era, the tetrakionion would have been used as a great monumental landmark marking an important intersection—before stop signs, traffic lights, and Global Positioning Systems.

Like the Tetrakionion on the Cardo Maximus, the Roman Theatre at Palmyra has been recreated from the Roman ruins to approximate the original structures. Architecturally, Palmyra's theatre is not significant, but amphitheatres are historically successful tourist destinations for their similarities to our own open-air sports stadia.

In 2015, after the militant group ISIS took control of Palmyra, the reconstructed amphitheatre shown here was stage to mass shootings and public beheadings. In religious fundamental thinking, the pagan Roman architecture of Palmyra is neither Syrian nor Islamic, and the people who preserve and protect the ancient Roman ruins are false owners, perpetuating the myth of Western civilization. Who owns the architecture of the past?

Dedicated in 32 AD, the Temple of Baal (Temple of Bel) was originally the center of a grand courtyard set off by colonnades that were completed at different times. Temple is a good example of how Classical Roman architecture—Ionic and Corinthian capitals, Classical cornices and pediments, the rectangular stone structure—was "tweaked" by local designs and building customs. Hidden behind the pediments, triangular merlons are stepped behind the pediments to create rooftop terraces, said to be a Persian touch.

In 2015, The New York Times and other news agencies reported that the Temple of Baal was purposely destroyed by explosions of barrel bombs set by ISIS or ISIL. Militants of the Islamic State consider such pagan temples blasphemous. Before it was destroyed by radical terrorists, the Temple of Baal was the most complete structure of the Roman ruins in Palmyra, Syria. The Greek influence of egg-and-dart design was obvious and, perhaps, out of place in the deserts of Syria.

Palmyra, Syria was a somewhat typical Roman city, except for the Tower Tombs. The Elahbel Tower from the year 103 is a good example of this locally influenced architecture. The slender design, several stories high, is ornamented inside and out. Constructed of sandstone block, the Elahbel Tower even had a balcony for the spirits of the dead. These tombs were commonly called "houses of eternity" built by and for the wealthy elite, beyond the walls of this caravan stopover.

In 2015 the radical group ISIL destroyed many of these ancient tombs, including Elahbel Tower. Satellites confirmed that at least seven tombs, including three of the best preserved, were destroyed in the heritage city.

Palmyra has been called The Bride of the Desert, as it was the long-desired oasis on the dusty trade route to the Far East. Its history is one of war, pillaging, and rebuilding. Archaeologists and preservationists have warned that earthquakes could topple the Classical architecture. They did not expect the city would be ravaged and looted again, as it had been in the past. Today, what hasn't been destroyed by ISIS is in jeopardy of being unintentionally destroyed by warplanes and drones.

Simply put, the ruins are in ruins....

📷 : Roman Triumphal Arch at Palmyra (Syria) before its destruction, one of many structures that cannot be recovered.

17/08/2025

These Viking jewels 16 pendants, a brooch and a neck torque were found by chance on the German island of Hiddensee in the Baltic Sea. Dated to 10th Century AD, the pendants either represent Thor's hammer Mjölnir, a Norse pagan symbol, or a Christian cross. Their symbolism and weight, over 600g in all, make it possible that they belonged to the family of the Danish King, Harald Gormsson , who was better known by his nickname, "Bluetooth".

State Museums of Berlin

17/08/2025

Olmec-style stone relief, originating from the gulf coast of mexico and dating to around 1200-400 BC, reflects the abstract and symbolic artistry of one of mesoamerica’s earliest civilizations. Its design, carved from volcanic stone, likely held religious or cosmological meaning tied to olmec beliefs.

The geometric, stepped motifs suggest stylized representations—possibly of deities, supernatural beings, or sacred elements like water and fertility. the stone’s porous texture and weathered surface speak to its great age, while the precision of the carving shows the mastery of ancient artisans working with rudimentary tools.

This slab is more than ornament—it is a coded message from the past, an enduring fragment of a worldview where art, ritual, and power were inseparable. in its lines and forms lies the silent echo of ceremonies, mythic stories, and the people who shaped the dawn of mesoamerican culture.

LB On Fire

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