Archaeology, Paleontology and other things

I stopped studying history when I was 14 as part of those accidents of educational systems and specialized learning. However I never lost my interest in ancient things, from fossils up to ancient civilizations. Sometime I'll post pictures of my oil lamp collection! or my trilobites! For now I'm interested in a collision of events. My TV died 2 weeks ago and during my recent sickness I been watching streaming TV documentaries here on the internet somehow I've managed to watch 3 on Scottish brochs from different series.

Brochs are only found in northern Scotland and on the Western coast. They represent large stone towers standing up to 13 metres high and 15 metres in diameter. What fascinates me they are Iron age possibly 2,500 years old and of drystone construction i.e. built without cement and mortar. Originally they were thought to be a response to Roman incursions into Scotland but are clearly much earlier than that. The people lived both in a central chamber and in rooms between the concentric circular inner and outer walls. Surprisingly even given the cold and wet weather, thermal design assessment has suggested they would have been quite comfortable given the natural air circulation with a central fire hearth.

The past is important and knowledge of the past and lessons learned are valuable. The trouble is our consumer culture has a tendency to devalue anything old or yesterday. Practical knowledge or old technology have no relevance.

Yet I live by my wits and knowledge of the past. When blackout hit the NorthEast of North America I was ready to use candles for lighting with mirrors to increase lighting and cook food on my little gas stove. Had it persisted I might have moved to oil-lamp technology, a spoon, cooking oil and string wick; and straw box cooking, boiling the food and placing it in an insulated sealed container.

Of course nothing like blackout or a natural disaster which removes all municipal services will ever happen? And of course there'll be relief services? What happened with Katrina? What happens when all the stuff doesn't operate?

When it comes to spirituality it is surprising how many are now realizing the dryness and inadequacy of a merely cognitive faith. The recovery of many of the ancient spiritual disciplines is encouraging as long as they remain the means and not the goal. To understand the goal we need to understand the past.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Phil 3:12