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 ›

history
May 10 – The Rosalia: The Ancient Roman Festival of the Roses
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 ›
The Curved Double-Edged Broadsword: A Failed Medieval Experiment, or Medieval Artistic Fiction?
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 ›
List of My Articles on the Cedar Mountain Formation
The reconstructed skull of Utahraptor, on display in Brigham Young University’s Museum of Paleontology. Photo by Jaren Wilkey of Brigham Young University (January 26, 2018). Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BYU_Utahraptor_skull.jpg. The Cedar Mountain Formation is a North American geological formation which… Read More ›
February 27 – The Chariot Race of Februus
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 ›
The Great Cat Massacre
Our story takes place on a street in Paris, France called the Rue Saint-Séverin sometime during the 1730s – nobody is sure of the exact year when these events supposedly occurred. Somewhere along this street was a print shop owned… Read More ›
Utahraptor: A History
The reconstructed skull of Utahraptor, on display in Brigham Young University’s Museum of Paleontology. Photo by Jaren Wilkey of Brigham Young University (January 26, 2018). Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BYU_Utahraptor_skull.jpg. Introduction Within the American West, you don’t need to travel… Read More ›
May 1 – Part 3: “May Day” in Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern Europe
For most people nowadays, late June marks the beginning of Summer with the occurrence of the Summer Solstice, the day which holds the longest period of sunshine. However, this view is relatively recent. Even in some societies to this day,… Read More ›
May 1 – Part 2: Beltane, the Celtic Festival of Summer
Lo, dawning o’er yon mountain greyThe rosy birth-day of May!Glen-Shira knoweth well ‘tis Beltane’s blissful day. — Evan MacColl Summer is a-comin’ in! May 1 is the date of the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane, which marks the first day… Read More ›
May 1 – Part 1: The Month of Maia, the Ancient Roman Goddess of Motherhood
May is named in honor of the ancient Roman goddess Maia, the goddess of motherhood. Maia was also referred to by the Romans as Bona Dea, “the Good Goddess”. She might be one-and-the-same with Tellus, the ancient Roman “Mother Earth”… Read More ›