Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments

Subject: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: Alice
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 02:23 PM

Here is a site with photos of ancient inventions, including instruments. The frame harp is interestingly similar to my Pakistani harp.

Smith College Museum of Ancient Inventions

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 02:55 PM

Alice,
Interesting site. I feel really stupid - what do they mean by BCE and CE? For all you bodhran lovers, the site covers the invention and how to.

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: Alice
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 03:03 PM

Just a guess, Sinsull, but could it be Before Christian Era and Christian Era? Maybe someone else can tell us.

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 03:17 PM

Common Era and Before Common Era:)

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: MMario
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 03:19 PM

which are co-equal with BC and AD, but more politically correct.

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: jeffp
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 03:20 PM

Close, Alice. They stand for Before the Common Era and Common Era, which are equivalent to B.C. and A.D., without the religious tie-in. They provide a common method for dating without offending anybody's religious sensibilities.

jeffp

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 03:21 PM

It stands for Backwards Counting Era (since before the birth of Jesus Christ, time ran backwards, and thus the year numbers grow smaller as they proceed) and Counting Era (short for Forward Counting Era).

Alex
O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 04:27 PM

Thanks guys - now I am really confused. They list the discovery of glass blowing as 50BCE but I thought it was much earlier. Maybe I am thinking of glass making. Damn! Guess what I will be doing tonight.
Mary

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: wildlone
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 05:36 PM

In general whatever date is put forward for the diccovery of things is mainly based on the technology of the time and dating the artifact in question.
BUT whatever date one expert puts forward there is allways another who will argue they are wrong.
a bit like the mudcat at times ****BG****
def of expert,
EX...Somthing that once was, now no more.
SPURT...A drip under pressure

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: Alice
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 05:41 PM

common era, now I knew that once.... must be having memory lapse today...

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 08:01 PM

I am somewhat skeptical of the exhibit of the so-called "Aztec calendar wheels". The calendar described is that of the Maya (though the Aztecs might have used it also). The Aztecs were the rulers of central Mexico circa 1300-1550 A.D. I'd be surprised if more about them than there general location (northern Mexico) is known prior to this. I'd be very surprised if a physical artifact could be identified as "Aztec" as early as 1000 B.C., even if the Aztecs are known to have existed that early as a self-aware entity. Finally, though modern commentators use the interlocking-gear conceit to describe the interaction of the Maya's 260-day sacred almanac with their larger time-units, I have never heard that any of the meso-Americans who used the 260-day sacred almanac ever built a physical device, prior to European contact, consisting of interlocking gears to represent their calendrical system.

T.

Subject: RE: Museum Ancient Inventions - instruments
From: Alice
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 08:08 PM

Good point, T. The accuracy of that site is questionable. They should get some feedback on that. I received that link today among others from an email list for education that sends out links to websites under the name "Homework Central". So, a service of misinformation for students?