Martello Tower #74, located in Seaford, England. Public domain image, Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Martello_Tower,_Seaford.JPG. Introduction General George S. Patton once said “Fixed fortifications are monuments to man’s stupidity”. That was certainly true in the 1940s with aerial bombardment and long-range heavy… Read More ›
A wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Photograph by Connor Kurtz (June 10, 2007). Public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_of_the_Unknowns_crack.jpg. In ancient Rome, a festival known as the Rosalia, “the Festival of the… Read More ›
Synechodus was a genus of prehistoric saltwater shark which lived from the early Permian Period until the late Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period, 290 to 37 million years ago (Ivanov 2005, pages 127-138). Fossils of this animal reached around… Read More ›
NOTE: My gracious thanks to those who have given their input on this article and who pointed out the flaws in the first draft. The content of this article has since been modified in accordance with these critiques. Necessity is… Read More ›
Acamptonectes densus was a 4 meter (13 foot) long ichthyosaur which swam in the seas around western Europe during the early Cretaceous Period 131-129 million years ago. The first specimen was found in the seaside village of Speeton, Yorkshire, England… Read More ›
Dinosaurs ruled the land during the Mesozoic Era, but crocodiles and their relatives unquestionably ruled the water. Prehistoric crocodiles are usually relegated to the background as supporting actors or extras in our imagined Mesozoic dramas, but the truth is that… Read More ›
February is the month of Februus, the ancient Roman god of purification. The name Februus comes from the Latin verb februa (which may have either Etruscan or Sabine roots), which means “to purge, purify, or cleanse”. The word “fever” is based on… Read More ›
Serradraco, meaning “saw dragon” in Latin in reference to the saw-like appearance of its jaws, was a pterosaur which lived in England during the early Cretaceous Period approximately 135-132 million years ago. Fossil remains were discovered during the 1800s in… Read More ›
Leedsichthys was a very large prehistoric saltwater fish which lived during the middle and late Jurassic Period, circa 165-150 million years ago. It was named in 1889 in honor of Alfred N. Leeds who found the first specimen. Leedsichthys belonged… Read More ›
Aegirosaurus leptospondylus was a species of ichthyosaur which lived in the seas around Europe during the late Jurassic Period and early Cretaceous Period, roughly 147-135 million years ago. Aegirosaurus belonged to a family of ichthyosaurs called the ophthalmosaurids (Bardet and… Read More ›
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 
