S.D. McPhail's Blog, page 3
April 5, 2017
Trovants: Living Rocks
Romania has more than its share of creepy things that seem to be alive but aren’t. Take, for instance, the “living” rocks that grow and move. These Romanian curiosities are called trovants and can sometimes resemble gigantic fossilized dinosaur turds. … Continue reading →
March 8, 2017
Book Curses
If you love reading as much as I do, you might be like me—reluctant to let anyone borrow a book that you’ve bought. It’s always a risk because you can never be absolutely sure that the borrower—even a close friend—will … Continue reading →
March 1, 2017
Writings from Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics are as easy to recognize as the Great Pyramids or King Tut’s infamous Death Mask. They became recognizable to most of us because popular culture was fascinated by wild stories of ancient curses. Those spine-chilling tales found … Continue reading →
February 22, 2017
Adventures at the Concession Stand
I originally posted this back in January of 2012 after attending a matinee with a friend. I still go to the movies an awful lot, and sometimes I am reminded of this incident. It makes me giggle every time. Set … Continue reading →
February 15, 2017
The Lost Kingdom of Rheged
Archaeologists studying ancient Pictish carvings began excavations at Trusty’s Hill in Galloway, Scotland in 2012. While the study of such symbols is both a fascinating and important endeavor, research at the Trusty’s Hill site has revealed something even more astonishing: … Continue reading →
February 13, 2017
Ruby: The Love Gem
Since ancient times, the color red has been universally associated with the most intense emotions—love, anger, passion, and fury. A perfect expression of love for Valentine’s Day, the ruby (from the Latin “rubeus,” meaning red) is a gemstone associated with … Continue reading →
January 25, 2017
Truth About Trousers
Trousers have been around for a really long time. Why do we wear them? Or pants, as we call them in North America? How did pants/trousers come to replace loincloths, tunics, robes, togas, dresses, and other legless attire? Who invented … Continue reading →
January 18, 2017
Orichalcum: The Red Metal of Atlantis
While it isn’t proof that legendary Atlantis ever existed, the discovery of a large quantity of metal bars in an ancient shipwreck is a figurative gold mine for archaeologists. The ingots discovered by marine archaeologists in 2015 were determined to … Continue reading →
January 11, 2017
The Boy King’s Space Blade
Here’s some history that even fans of futuristic space operas can appreciate—one of the daggers buried with King Tut was made of extraterrestrial metal. King Tut occupies a unique place in popular culture. Ancient Egypt’s “Boy King” was made famous in … Continue reading →
January 5, 2017
The Glorious Ruins of Ani
Location, location, location… As history teaches, any ancient settlement that survived and flourished for a significant period of time did so because it was located in a strategically defendable spot that provided easy access to water, fertile land for growing … Continue reading →
