You can tell from my offering this week, one link only, that I’ve been buried in lots of writerly things other than gobbling up what’s going on in the worlds of history and archaeology. I’ve been proofreading (boring but essential) and learning how to format a book, using Vellum, so Hand of Fire can be back in print soon—that’s very exciting. I have to say conquering new programs and technology can be extremely fun when it goes well, and Vellum is wonderfully clear to use. Also, it doesn’t show yet, but my website will be undergoing changes and getting a graphics facelift to match my new writing directions. And shortly down the road, I will launch, at long last, the first book in a new historical fantasy series set in a fictional realm inspired by the ancient, exotic empire of the Hittites. The second in that series will follow not too long after that. But all these projects take a lot of time.
Interesting link this week:
7th century CE at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall (famous for its connections to Arthurian legends of perhaps the 6th century CE) is a long way (both in time and place) from my usual historical haunts, but this story intrigues me. A stone windowsill inscribed with Latin and Greek writing and various eastern Mediterranean Christian symbols was excavated. It looks like a practice “slate.” Writing from this time and place is exceedingly rare, so the stone is getting intense attention. It reveals a lot: the presence of active, highly educated scribes, this scribe knew both formal script used in illuminated manuscripts and informal document style so this was a royal site, and this royal, literate culture had trade connections as far off as Turkey, names of both Celtic and Roman origins indicate a blended ethnic community in this post-Roman period. The conclusions from these bits of writing support previous finds of Turkish tableware, decorated Spanish glassware, and wide range of feasting foods such as pork, fish and oysters. So, for those of you who enjoy some “food” for your imagination of long ago worlds like King Arthur’s, here’s a really tasty snack. I’m seeing a young scribe, maybe he’s a bit insecure about his skills, the light at the windowsill is excellent, his ego is a bit bruised from a snarky comment one of the older scribes made last night at the king’s feast… So what are you seeing? Click here for Archaeology News Network “1,300-year-old inscriptions found on medieval Cornish stone”