M.J. Rose

We love old churches and cathedrals.

Feast your eyes…

My Modern Met was lucky enough to interview the artist behind the stunning series of photographs “Vertical Churches” (you can see high resolution photos from the project here.)

Interview: Stunning Vertical Panoramas of Churches by Richard Silver

“Vertical Churches is a visually stunning series by photographer Richard Silver that presents a set of vertical panorama shots of churches. Each image spotlights the spectacular architecture of these spiritual places of worship using the photographer’s unique technique. We first shared Silver’s incredible project last year when he had originally sought to document churches in New York. He has since expanded his series to include cathedrals across the globe.

The beautifully documented sites in Silver’s photos offer viewers a breathtaking glimpse of the architectural subjects’ towering stature and intricately detailed interiors. Using 6-10 photos to compose each shot, the photographer manages to feature numerous images that are seamlessly woven together to create one spectacular photo that mimics the vision of someone standing directly in the center of the respective church. Each image offers a 180-degree view that captures the magnitude and height of the meticulously designed spaces….”

For the interview, and more spellbinding photos, click here.

Well this is strange…

Where did this important visitor to the people of Teotihuacan come from? And how did she get to Mexico 1,600 years ago?

From Ancient Origins,

1,600-Year-Old Elongated Skull with Stone-Encrusted Teeth Found in Mexico Ruins

“Archaeologists in Mexico have unearthed a remarkable burial in the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan containing a 1,600-year-old skeleton of an upper-class woman with an elongated skull, stone encrusted teeth and a prosthetic tooth made of a green stone known as serpentine. She was buried with 19 jars of offerings.

Agence France-Press reported that the skeleton has been named “The Woman of Tlailotlacan” after the neighbourhood where it was found, just near Mexico’s famous ruins of Teotihuacan, which is located about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Mexico City. Dating back around 2,500 years, Teotihuacan is one of the largest and most important sacred cities of ancient Mesoamerica, whose name means “the city of the gods” in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. It once supported an estimated population of 100,000 – 200,000 people, who raised giant monuments such as the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon.  However, much about Teotihuacan remains unknown, including the origin and language of the people who lived there, as they did not leave behind any written records.

The National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH) said the woman, who was between 35 and 40 years old when she died, was a foreigner to the area, as the way in which her skull had been deformed and her teeth encrusted with mineral stones was not usual for that region…”

For the rest, click here.

Apparently, in the old days, even lice combs were made to be beautiful…

From Atlas Obscura,

Some of History’s Most Beautiful Combs Were Made for Lice Removal
Delousing can be delightful.
by Ella Morton

Thirty years ago, parasitologist Kostas Mumcuoglu and anthropologist Joseph Zias were examining a first-century hair comb excavated from the West Bank when they found a surprise lurking in its fine teeth: 10 head lice and 27 louse eggs.

With their “interest in lice having been aroused,” they later wrote, they began to look more closely at some other ancient combs that had recently been excavated. To their delight, eight of the 11 combs unearthed in the Judean Desert contained lice, eggs, or both.

The presence of these parasites was a major shake-up. “We had assumed that combs were used almost exclusively for cosmetic purposes,” they wrote in their report. “Now it appears that they were also used as de-lousing implements. Indeed, the combs we examined appear to have been designed specifically for de-lousing.”…

For the rest, click here.