Aardvarchaeology

It's high time for a first History Carnival here at ScienceBlogs.

Science is the systematic study of source material to find out what the world is like or has been like. If a scientist's source material is written matter and pictures and her questions are about what people's lives were like in the past, then she is a historian.

I'm an archaeologist, meaning that my questions are similar to a historian's though my source material is the wordless material culture of the past. I'll be your host for the 48th History Carnival -- welcome to Aardvarchaeology!

• Natalie of Philobiblon heads straight for the archaeology with a set of fine captioned photographs of the ruins of the Roman city of Glanum near Avignon.
• Tim at Walking the Berkshires finally comes clean: yes, he is the descendant of a man who commanded troops against the English in the North American War of Independence. But I forgive him. I'm sure Tim would be allowed back into the Commonwealth if he would just ask. In fact, I'd be willing to grant him status as honorary Scandinavian.
• Raybin at Progressive Historians has a long stirring piece of creative nonfiction about the US Civil War.
• David at Another History Blog debunks the pretty story of how in 1860, Dade County seceded from the state of Georgia and the United States of America. Aaaw, Dave, you killjoy! Then he goes on to congratulate Charles Darwin and Abe Lincoln, who were both born on 12 February, 1809. Congrats, guys!
• Teach at History is Elementary shares a bit about how she attempts to meet Georgia state standards regarding the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 by including Benedict Arnold and a little known monument on the battlefield to hook her nine-year-old students.
• Miland at the World History Blog asks, why was Planet of the Apes shown on the History Channel?
• Nouri at The Moor Next Door has a long essay about the 1955 Baghdad Pact: Middle Eastern defense alliances are nothing new.
• Bill at Strike the Root outlines ten major reasons why war should be opposed by all people of conscience, and he does so with strong political language, arguing from historical precedents.
• Jarod's Forge takes a humorous look at Emperor Caligula: crazed, running amok, and looking FABULOUS!
• Laurie at Trivium Pursuit presents Victorian artist and illustrator Richard Doyle (1824-1883) with emphasis on how lessons from his artistic upbringing can be applied in home schooling.
• Here's my own contribution: a piece on a funny Swedish place name and the conflicting etymologies suggested for it.

That's all for this moment in history. Who knows what the world will be like two weeks from now? I'm confident, though, that 1 March (my lovely wife's birthday!) will see the opening of the 49th History Carnival at History is Elementary. Submit your best historical blog writing here. Until then: O tempora, o mores!

[More blog entries about carnival, history; bloggkarneval, historia.]