Cheryl Colwell's Blog, page 5

An Undertaker's Collar ?

This 2,300-year-old collar, which was worn by a mummy, was discovered in fragments in a tomb in Thebes. The falcons in the top corners signify the god Horus, while the "Ba-bird" at top center represents the immortal soul of the deceased mummy [Credit: Susan Redford] Reassembled after 2300 years, this beautifully decorated collar was found in fragments in an Egyptian tomb in Thebes.

Called “wesekhs,” they were made of beads and worn by people in ancient Egypt while alive. The painted “cartonnage” collars were worn by the mummy only after death.

The tomb became crowded through the years, as more mummies found homes there, a common occurrence with possible economic motives

An inscription written in a mud-clay seal near the collar says that it was made for a man named "Padihorwer."

The translation reads he was "privy to the mysteries and god's sealer, 'embalmer,' scribe, prophet of the 'desert' (necropolis) of Qus," which is located north of Thebes.

Read more

The Shadowy Mystery and Stunning Suspense Onslaught!

The Grand Giveaway starts March 1!

The John 3:16 Author Network is pleased to announce the launch of three New Releases from our members, and you are in for a
great time!

Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card to spend however you wish, as well as print and ebook gift bundles of great mystery/suspense stories.

Each weekday from March 3 - 14
you can follow the
Daily Chapter Excerpts
from the 3 mystery/suspense books.
(See locations below)

Q: What more could you ask?
A: Each New Release is on sale!
Join the fun! It all starts at our

Launch Page


Follow the Daily Chapter Excerpts:

Daily Chapter Excerpt for The Proof can be found at:
March 3: #1 interviewsandreviews.com/book-of-the-week

March 4: #2 connectwithcarolbrown.blogspot.com

March 5: #3 martinroth.com.au

March 6: #4 kimpayne.wordpress.com

March 7: #5 emmaright.com/blog

March 10: #6 jill-theimperfectjourney.blogspot.com

March 11: #7 inspiredfictionbooks.com

March 12: #8 pagingdrpage.com

March 13: #9 danarongione.blogspot.com

March 14: #10 travelandmysteryblog.com

Daily Chapter Excerpt for Gatehaven can be found at:
March 3: #1 jill-theimperfectjourney.blogspot.com

March 4: #2 malobel.com/christian-books.html

March 5: #3 travelandmysteryblog.com

March 6: #4 inspiredfictionbooks.com

March 7: #5 connectwithcarolbrown.blogspot.com

March 10: #6 interviewsandreviews.com/book-of-the-week

March 11: #7 emmaright.com/blog

March 12: #8 kimpayne.wordpress.com

March 13: #9 martinroth.com.au

March 14: #10 writersrest.blogspot.com


Daily Chapter Excerpt for
Shadow Stalker can be found at:
March 3: #1 kimpayne.wordpress.com

March 4: #2 emmaright.com/blog

March 5: #3 pagingdrpage.com

March 6: #4 interviewsandreviews.com/book-of-the-week

March 7: #5 jill-theimperfectjourney.blogspot.com

March 10: #6 malobel.com/christian-books.html

March 11: #7 connectwithcarolbrown.blogspot.com

March 12: #8 martinroth.com.au

March 13: #9 inspiredfictionbooks.com

March 14: #10 barbaraannderksen.com
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The Authentic Sword in the Stone!

While traveling around Italy, I met a store owner in Tuscany. After I explained I was a novelist, he asked,

"Have you seen the Sword in the Stone?"


He went on to explain the site was only 15 kilometers away. Thoroughly jazzed, I drove to San Galgano with my husband the following day. Wow!

Even if the story had proved to be false, the Chapel of San Galgano and the fabulous ruined Abbey were spectacular.

However, the story is real...

In 1178, a wayward knight was challenged by a heavenly vision to leave his destructive style of life.

The violent man responded, "That would be as easy as plunging my sword into this stone." He thrust his sword at the stone and was recorded as saying, "It melted like butter." For centuries, pilgrims arrived to view the miracle.

(Keep in mind this event occurred one year BEFORE  the sword in the stone story appeared in the King Arthur tales.)

Galgano became a hermit and stayed atop Montesiepi until his death in 1181. Five years later, a chapel was erected to protect the miracle.

Not a believer yet? A few years ago, vandals broke off the hilt, but were caught and the piece of sword recovered. This permitted a scientific study, which confirmed the sword was indeed twelfth century!

Now, how does a suspense writer leave a scene like this without using this extraordinary event in a novel? She doesn't!

I am pleased to announce my latest novel, "The Proof." It will not be released until next month, but please enjoy a peek at the story through the video trailer HERE, and please, don't be shy about sharing it.

See more beautiful photos of San Galgano HERE.

New Fossil Discovery Replaces Old Assumptions

The Neanderthal man has long been portrayed as a pre-human "cave man" who spoke only in grunts, relying heavily on body language, as do primates.

However, after finding a fossilized Neanderthal hyoid, a bone that is instrumental in enabling speech, this assumption has been revisited.

Using a computer model of the bone, scientists compared it to that of modern humans. It demonstrates that modern man and the Neanderthal have very similar linguistic capabilities.

In non-human primates, the hyoid is not placed in the right position to vocalize like humans.

Our human capacity for speech and language has long been used as a fundamental characteristic that makes us human.

Researcher, Stephen Wroe says, “If Neanderthals also had language then they were truly human too.”

This, added to other recent discoveries, show that far from being pre-humans, Neanderthals were extremely similar to ourselves in almost every respect.

Read more.

Mystery, Suspense, and Travel - Oh My!

Black Friday Deals you will LOVE!
Avoid the traffic, crowds, and cold, while finding delightful gifts for those you love - gifts that will take them on an adventure, through a mystery, or let them discover a far away fantasy.

Over 30 Christian authors have created a fabulous shopping event just for you.

Don't miss these great books, sale priced for gift-giving within your budget.

The EVENT begins at 7:00 PM on Thanksgiving through December 3rd. Travel to the Event HERE.

Golden Artifacts Stolen in FYROM

Gold earrings from Hellenic era. Credit: Balkan Insight Over 80 golden artifacts are presumed stolen from the museum depot in Skopje, the capital of FYROM, the Reformed Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Many of the items were golden earrings dating back from the Hellenic era. They were discovered in digs between 2009 and 2010.

Several archaeologists (illegal excavators) working as employees of the culture ministry, have been charged with helping to determine the price of the artifacts and find buyers abroad.

FYROM's former chief excavator, Pasko Kuzman, was arrested in July for misuse of office, leading to speculation of his involvement in the theft.

And so the "Indiana Jones-esque" intrigue continues.

Extra tidbit: Though the country’s residents call themselves the “Republic of Macedonia,” its neighbor, Greece, is outraged. It has threatened economic blockades, fearing the use of the name “Macedonia,” might provide claim to ancient Macedonian lands that reside well within Greece.

For more on the lost treasure, click HERE.

For more on FYROM, click HERE.  

An Undertaker's Collar ?

This 2,300-year-old collar, which was worn by a mummy, was discovered in fragments in a tomb in Thebes. The falcons in the top corners signify the god Horus, while the "Ba-bird" at top center represents the immortal soul of the deceased mummy [Credit: Susan Redford] Reassembled after 2300 years, this beautifully decorated collar was found in fragments in an Egyptian tomb in Thebes.

Called “wesekhs,” they were made of beads and worn by people in ancient Egypt while alive. The painted “cartonnage” collars were worn by the mummy only after death.

The tomb became crowded through the years, as more mummies found homes there, a common occurrence with possible economic motives

An inscription written in a mud-clay seal near the collar says that it was made for a man named "Padihorwer."

The translation reads he was "privy to the mysteries and god's sealer, 'embalmer,' scribe, prophet of the 'desert' (necropolis) of Qus," which is located north of Thebes.

Read more

An Outbreak of Stonehenge Formations

Did you know there are over 3000 Stonehenge-like formations around the world?

Placed in circles or rows, these structures still baffle the experts. They have been linked with worship, sacrifice, and alignment with the planets

A newer idea is that they were used for their earthquake-warning ability. Hmmm.

A beautiful example are those in France, called the Carnac Stones, which are configured in different patterns.

For more info, check this out.

Oops!

Thanks to you readers who downloaded "The Secrets of the Montebellis" from Smashwords. Please note that I've discovered some typos that are now corrected. I apologize and hope they don't interrupt the flow of the story for you.
Best,
CherylThe Secrets of the Montebellis

5 Million People - Vanished!

Huge public bath How could an advanced, thriving civilization the size of Norway just disappear?

The Indus Valley Civilization, India’s oldest known people group, once occupied the Indus Valley that stretches from western India to Afghanistan. Their abrupt collapse in 1500 BC is baffling—the scale rivaling that of the great Mayan decline.

In 1922, archeologists started uncovering remnants of this people’s fascinating cities, lost for 4,000 years. By 1998, 1400 town sites were discovered, some occupied by 50,000 residents!

Adding even more mystery, the towns were laid out in perfect grids by experienced, organized engineers and workers. Each brick home had its own bathroom, connected by clay pipes that ran underground and dumped waste outside the city. Each had running water and windows that opened onto a central courtyard.

Residents were skilled in metallurgy, jewelry-making, and even dentistry. They developed their own precise measuring system and their hard, uniform bricks still survive. In the fertile valley, they grew a surplus of food and each town had a large central storage building for grain.

So what happened? Wouldn't you know if your great-grandfather lived in 50,000-person city? How could this information vanish from the records and memories? With no known natural disaster and no evidence of a military defeat, scientists continue to search for more clues.

Here’s my question: If massive, complex cultures can exist for 2000 years, then virtually vanish off the face of the earth, with no one knowing what happened, what makes us think it couldn’t happen to us?

Read more HERE
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