December 09, 2004

Greek Farmer Finds 2000 Year Old Monument

Another archeological find.

"This is the location of one of the biggest battles in Greek history ... where a huge army from the east was assembled against Rome," the official, Vassilis Aravantinos, said.

The site near Orchomenos, about 75 miles northwest of Athens, was recorded by the Greek historian Plutarch. But the actual location of the long-sought monument — originally believed to stand 23 feet — was a mystery until last month, when the farmer plowing his fields stumbled upon a buried column that led researchers to uncover the monument's stone base.

When my neighbor digs, he hits the gas line and the neighborhood is evacuated.

Posted by: Ted at 12:57 PM | category: History
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December 04, 2004

The Temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds

In far northern California is the little rural town of Weaverville. In Weaverville is a beautiful little part of the California State Parks system called The Joss House (refresh that link for more pictures too).

Weaverville Joss House

The temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California. On display are art objects, pictures, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. This Taoist temple is still a place of worship and a fascinating look into the role played by Chinese immigrants in early California history. The temple was built in 1874 as a replacement for another that had burned.

My family visited the Joss House occasionally because the head ranger there was an old friend of my dad.

The temple and museum contain some striking pieces of Chinese history. Check out this page for some beautiful pictures of the temple and it's contents, especially the traditional Lion headdress (scroll to the the bottom).

Related sites and more information can be found here and here.

There's more in the extended entry about the 1854 Tong War and life for early Chinese immigrants. more...

Posted by: Ted at 07:20 AM | category: History
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