A dream is a window into the mind that dreamt it

Posted on by October 9, 2018

I had a dream a couple of days ago that is still bothering me. I don’t remember the context but in it were two japanesse people, Michiya and Ittosai.  In my dream I remember trying to say their names and messing it up every time. I even tried shortening them to Michi and Itto but according to them, I wasn’t saying that right either. 

It boggles my mind to think that even in my dreams I have trouble figuring out how to prounce words and names especially. I have no idea what Michiya and Ittosai were there to do but we never got past the introductions.

Spider…Plant?

Posted on by June 18, 2018

This is not the species of spider that is normally found living with (or within) pitcher plants but still something fascinating I haven’t seen before.  Not sure who to root for in this case, the spider or the plant.  Either way the fewer midges around our garden the better!

Find from yesteryear

Posted on by September 2, 2018

This lead lump turned out to be something very cool! I nearly threw it out with the shotgun shells and bits of lead I found. BUT When I cleaned the clay and dirt off I noticed it had a flower design on it so I gave it a few minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner and it’s come up quite nicely:
It is about 4cm high and 3 wide. Has a flower on one side and an off-center cross on the other. I don’t think it’s crushed but oval to start with. A quick search on the British Museum’s webpage found an identical item called an ‘ampulla.’
Ampulla’s were used to hold small amounts ofholy water or holy oil in the Middle Ages and were often bought as souvenirs of pilgrimages. Similar ampulla are known from the late 12th century but was replaced by the popularity of pilgrim badges in the early 14th century which means that this item dates from about 1175 to 1500 AD.   
I have reported it to the Finds Liaison Officer at the Salisbury Museum.  He may request to see the item in person but I believe they aren’t inclined to keep it.  I will let you know what he says.

 I grew up with snake handlers living next door. That sort of thing makes you scratch your head. Religion makes us do some crazy things.

But as I look at this ampulla, dropped by a pilgrim on his way to or from Salisbury cathedral where it lay for 600 years till I came along and dug it up from the clay.  I can’t help but be humbled by it.
I’m not sure the 12th-century stonemasons working on Salisbury cathedral had any idea that people would still be admiring their work 600 years later but it humbles me to think about the great gulf of time and the mark they left.
I have no such enduring legacy.  Each of them was part of a team and remain nameless but each was key in the endurance of the whole.

 

old penny draft

Posted on by January 7, 2019

I was out detecting today for a quick hour or two and found what I thought was a George V penny but when I got it home and cleaned some of the muck off it I found it was slightly older than that and not a penny at all.  I had a bit of fun researching this and found that it is actually a half penny token issued by the British Copper Company. Which had smelting works at Landore, Wales, and rolling mills at Walthamstow, Essex.

Apparently, copper pennies and half pennies were in short supply after the war with Napoleon of France — and the war against America in 1812 —  and the earlier coins had largely been melted down for their value as a metal. Nothing was done in parliament to alleviate the situation but Copper mines had an abundance of copper so they took it upon themselves to create tokens in penny and half penny denominations that could be used in place of the scarce ‘official’ pence.  This went on for a few years, (1811-1814) and thus this can be considered somewhat unusual find despite its condition. I think this particular one has 1813 on it. You can barely make out the lion on the actual coin so I’ve included a pic of what it would look like in very fine condition.