I see the television archaeologists - Time Team were back in my home county on last weekends program , and this time they were digging a medieval village from the 13th century.
Unless you trip over the many castles we have here , I don’t think we actually realize how much history is literally at your feet , well that is , until its pointed out to you by the band of misfits on the ‘Team , and yes misfits really do sum them up , although maybe English* eccentrics is probably kinder :)
( * and one New Zealander )
I think archeology is probably a dusty old subject which is usually written off by a lot of people , but I always think its made interesting by the list of characters who make it their professional focus , and I love the ‘Team’s , resident pottery expert who just walks in , picks up a tiny piece of dirty smashed pot , that has been in the ground for hundreds of years , and can tell you the style of the object, date it and even tell you where it was made !! , although I can do something similar - like tell the make and model of a motorcycle at 100 yards , although not quiet the same - I do agree :)
A guy called Phil Harding is the resident – “mangle wurzle” ( this means he comes from the south west of England ) and starts every sentence with “ oooh arrrh “ ( which means - yes)
“ oooh arrrh ….that be Roman …… that be…………… “
I bet I’m totally confusing the non English readers here , but to be honest even us English need an interpreter when Phil gets started :)
Cultural Divide ???
Here’s a strange one , even in our own long standing , multicultural society .
One of the Indian religions - Hindu has a funeral rite which consists of publicly burning the body of the deceased on a wooden pyre , now shock – horror apart , this has surprisingly enough been carried out in the U.K. in the past , and there is supposedly an old law on the statue books , still allowing this ancient custom , and where this one came from is beyond me ………..the Viking invasion maybe ????
Now there’s a guy in my part of the world who is requesting that the authorities allow him this last rite, but unfortunately they will not agree to this , regardless of the past precedents which have been set , thus he is taking them to court .
I know cremation is a long standing western funerary process , so I suppose the Hindu version would be fine if it is carried out under similar , controlled circumstances , and anyway what ever happened to discretion now a days.
Were not talking about the even more ancient rite of excarnation - Wikipedia it :) , here - are we , and I just wonder if the self same authorities would argue cremation with a gang of long haired , horned helmeted , axe wielding - maniacs , fresh off the boat from Scandinavia :)
