Olympic mania!

Here's a neat little history about Olympic picto-grams from The New York Times [via the CBC]. Who knew those little pictures could potentially cause such controversy?

Anyone living in North America can attest to the annoyance of unpredictable winter weather. Many cities in the USA including Washington DC, New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia are experience unusual high amounts of snow. The Smithsonian and other museums actually had to closed their doors due to this extreme weather. Nasty winter weather can damage institutions financially and physically. In January, artifacts and part of a gravesite were washed away in Fortress Louisbourg due to a winter storm.

Many archaeological heritage sites in Canada close for the winter season, which, in the case of L'Anse aux Meadows, can span from October to the end of May, resulting in a very limited tourist season. But what can be done to allow visitors access to archaeological sites year round, despite cold winds and snow?

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the many museums of Montreal, including the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History. What was interesting about this particular museum was the presence of an actual archaeological dig in the lowest level of the facility. The foundations of the old buildings dating back 6 centuries can still be seen, as well as Montreal's first Catholic cemetery.

The floor was covered with a metal grate so there was no chance of tripping over lose stones and it provided a path which directed the visitor where to go. One of the things the museum succeeded at was propelling the visitor back in time. In various parts of the exhibition, technology and models were utilized to show what you would be looking at if you were standing in the exact same spot hundreds of years ago. The Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History exposed visitors to an actual archaeological site and gave people an idea of what an excavation could look like; something not a lot of museums can offer.

The one problem I had with the museum was the placing of signage. Sometimes it was too far away or placed far down, with a small font. Many times I found myself straining to figure out the significance of the brick wall at which I was staring. Also, the sound at the interactive stations was very loud and, at times, alarming.

Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable and unique experience. Obviously building a museum on top of an archaeological site required tremendous foresight and provides many problems, including the need to protect the site during construction and finding the budget to undertake such a large project. But an arrangement like the one found at the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History can protect an archaeological dig from the elements and be available to visitors year-round, even during cold February days.

History never tasted so good

HISTORY

Upon hearing this word, many people think:"rich old white men who drank too much," "politics," "war," "economics," and the tedious memorization of "important" dates. For awhile, I also believed that history was about being able to remember the details of important events and the people [mostly men] that made them happened. Then I started studying history at university and I realized that women [!] actually contributed to the past and so did "poor" people.

The study of history could be divided geographically and could focus on the social, political, or economical elements of that nation during a particular time.In undergrad I quickly became interested in British history, especially examining the lives of female monarchs. Recently I became interested in the history of fashion [in related news, I really want to go to New York to check out this exhibit]. Over the holiday break I found a new historical passion: FOOD.

I discovered this fascinating subject area while watching A Tudor Feast at Christmas, a show my dad PVRed knowing my love of all things Tudor [except the actual show The Tudors].

It was an entertaining and educational show. It followed around a team of British historians and archaeologists as they attempted to prepare a Christmas feast in a castle without electricity replicating the Tudor style. The scholars went boar hunting, fishing, kept the fires going, prepared an elaborate peacock dish, spent hours, even days, making pastries and breads, prepared countless meat dishes, arranged the dining hall, and served the guests.

The meal was prepared for a wealthy and prominent Tudor family, so the feast depicted would not be what a typical person of the time would have consumed. However, the three main hosts, acting as servants, made an effort to explain their role and point out any historical discrepancies in what they were doing. For example, some of the ingredients used in the pastries were too expensive to trust with a servant and in many cases, the responsibility of preparing certain dishes which utilized these prized ingredients fell to the lady of the household.

Unfortunately, the audience never got to hear how the food tasted. Personally, I've never feasted upon peacock and I wonder if it tastes like chicken...