Military History Photo Friday: Roman Crocodile Armor

Yes, it's been almost a month since I posted. Sorry about that! I was on a research trip to Oxford and London, plus I was slammed with a ghostwriting deadline. Hopefully I'm now back on track for more regular blog posts.

I spotted this lovely suit of armor in the British Museum. It's from Manfalout, Egypt, from the 3rd or 4th century AD. This town is in Middle Egypt where there were many sacred grottoes to the crocodile-headed god Sobek, god of the Nile. These grottoes had sacred crocodiles that were often mummified after death. Roman soldiers often took on local religions and the troops in Manfalout were no exception. They would hold religious processions in honor of Sobek while wearing crocodile armor.

Photo copyright Sean McLachlan. Sorry for the reflection in the middle of the shot. I twisted and turned every which way and this was the best I could get. They really needed to invent artifact cases that don't reflect at all!

Travel Tuesday: Disturbing Artifacts in the Royal College of Physicians, London

Good for what ails you. Also a tasty snack!

I just got back from a research trip to England and managed to get a day in London to see friends and pop into a couple of museums. I made a point of going to the Royal College of Physicians, which has an excellent exhibition on the famous scientist and occultist John Dee. I'll be writing that up for Black Gate tomorrow for my usual Wednesday post. Today, though, I'd like to share some of the medical artifacts they have in their regular collection. If you like to complain about the level of your health care, just be glad you weren't born a couple of hundred years ago!

A surgeon's kit from 1653. Many of the original instruments are still in it.

 

"Hold still, this won't hurt a bit." Contrary to popular belief, surgeon's sometimes did use painkillers before the invention of general anesthesia. Opium was common, as was alcohol.

A preserved baby's caul from the 19th century.

 

Gold "touch piece" coins c. 1660-1685. These were used in public healing ceremonies by British monarchs from the 15th century onwards, although the belief that a monarch could heal by touch dates to far earlier. It was believed that God granted the monarch the ability to cure scrofula ("the King's illness") a form of tuberculosis. Charles I cured some 100,000 of his subjects by placing one of these around their neck. They were worn at the end of a ribbon like a pendant and were called "angels" after the image of the Archangel Michael that decorates them. George I ended this practice in the 18th century, thinking it was all silly superstition. With the modern rise of new strains of TB, perhaps Queen Elizabeth will renew the practice?

Travel Tuesday: Protodynastic Egyptian Bracelet in the Petrie Museum

Can you tell I like the Petrie Museum? I blogged about this place for earlier posts on Midlist Writer about slings and other ancient Egyptian artifacts. I also did a post with lots of photos for Black Gate.

This is a bracelet from the Protodynatic Period, also called Naqada III, a time from c. 3200-3000 BC when states were beginning to form but the country had not yet been unified. The first hieroglyphs also date from this time, as do some rich cemeteries.

Someone should start making replicas of this bracelet, because my wife would love one. I think the original is out of my price range!

Military History Photo Friday: Ancient Egyptian Sling

As I mentioned in my last Travel Tuesday post, I recently visited the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London. It's absolutely chock full of great artifacts and doesn't have the crowds of the much better-known British Museum.

Here you can see a sling that may have been used for hunting or war. The dirty one is the original , alongside a reproduction and the loom on which the repro was made. In the right hands, a sling was a deadly weapons. Soldiers didn't wear much armor beyond a shield in those days, and so were vulnerable to a stone flying at them at high speed. I made myself a sling when I was a boy and while I never got very accurate with it, I could throw with a dangerous amount of force. Imagine what an ancient soldier could have done!

For a bunch more Egyptology pics, check out my article on the museum at Black Gate.

Travel Tuesday: Egyptian Treasures in the Petrie Museum, London

A painted stele showing a man named Ihefy adoring the god Horus and offering him a lotus, Dynasty XXII-XXV (1991-1550 BC)

I'm back in Oxford, so as usual one of the first things I did was head down to London to see friends and museums! Last week I visited the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at University College London. I'll be writing about it in more detail over at the Black Gate blog tomorrow, so tune in there for more info and pictures.

There isn't much information on the label, but the Paser mentioned here may have been the Viceroy of Kush (now Sudan) during the reign of the Pharaoh Ay (c.1323–1319 BC) and perhaps one or two later rulers.

I've always been drawn to simple objects from the past, such as this ancient spoon. Whose was it? What was their favorite meal?

All photos copyright Sean McLachlan.

Military History Photo Friday: Armor at the Wallace Collection, London

This open helmet is called a barbute and dates to 15th century Italy. It would have been worn by a regular infantryman of the upper rank. I've also seen period paintings showing nobility wearing them. The more elegant helmet below is called a bascinet. It's from northern Italy from around 1380-1410. As you can see, it doesn't offer any flat surfaces for a weapon to get a direct hit on. This would have been for a more wealthy warrior. The mail aventail protects the neck and shoulders, but of course there would have been plate armor for those areas too.

Both of these helmets are from the Wallace Collection in London. For more arms and armor from the Wallace Collection, check out my post over at Black Gate.

Photos copyright Sean McLachlan.

Back from Eastercon!

I've been a bit silent of late, and that's because I was up in Oxford for my usual research/relaxation trip over Easter. In addition to seeing friends and burying myself in the Bodleian Library like I always do, I also attended Eastercon.

This is an annual science fiction convention in the UK. There were heaps of events and signings, plus lots of panels. I was on a panel about asymmetric warfare that was well attended, although not as well attended as the Real Ale bar! You can read my con report here.

Anyway, I'm back and excited to be finishing up We Had Flags, book three of my Toxic World series. There will be more posts up here too.

Free Post-Apocalyptic Ebook and Kindle Countdown Deal!

Hello from Worldcon! I'm in London at the world's largest, and oldest science fiction convention. I'll be turning 45 here on Saturday, surrounded by science fiction fans. There are worse places to to grow old.

In honor of Worldcon and my oncoming decrepitude, I'm running a special promotion for two of my Toxic World titles of post-apocalyptic books. Radio Hope is on a Kindle Countdown deal. It's usually $3.99 but for August 14-15 it will be 99 cents. On August 16-17 it will be $1.99. On August 18-19 it will be $2.99.

Also, my short story The Scavenger will be free August 14-18.

Grab these titles while they're cheap, and tune in next week for a full convention report and plenty of photos!

Looking forward to Worldcon, plus an upcoming giveaway!

On Thursday I'm heading down to London for the World Science Fiction Convention, otherwise known as Worldcon, this year hosted by Loncon. It's five days of panels, movies, special events, making new friends, and of course a giant dealer's room!

I'm doing a panel on Thursday, plus a signing on Saturday, the same day yours truly turns 45. Yipe!

I'll be writing up a full con report next week for Black Gate and will post the link here.

In honor of Worldcon and my oncoming old age, I'll be running a special promotion for two of my Toxic World titles of post-apocalyptic books. Radio Hope will be on a Kindle Countdown deal. It's usually $3.99 but for August 13-14 it will be 99 cents. On August 15-16 it will be $1.99. On August 17-19 it will be $2.99.

Also, my short story The Scavenger will be free August 14-18.

My Worldcon Schedule

I've received my final schedule for Worldcon, the 72nd Annual World Science Fiction Convention, which is being hosted by Loncon in London this August. One nice surprise is that I have a book signing on my birthday!

Here's my lineup:

Refugees Have More to Worry About Than Revenge
Thursday, August 14, 16:30 - 18:00, London Suite 2 (ExCeL)
War stories in genre fiction tend to focus on the soldiers, but what about the effects of conflict on people living in war zones, or coping with the fallout once the battle is done? What roles are available for individual refugees in genre fiction, beyond victim or avenger? How are societies shown to respond to displacement, or the arrival of the displaced?

Autographing 7 - Sean McLachlan
Saturday, August 16, 15:00 - 16:30, Autographing Space (ExCeL)

Asymmetric Warfare
Sunday, August 17, 19:00 - 20:00, Capital Suite 15 (ExCeL)
Despite massive military superiority, armies still lose out to insurgent forces who use asymmetric warfare techniques - some of which might be called terrorism - to pursue their goals away from conventional battlefields. How does this work, how does it win, and is there any way to fight against it?

Military History Photo Friday: Elaborate Renaissance Arms and Armor

Here are a couple of fine pieces from The Wallace Collection, one of the best private collections of art in London. They have an especially good arms and armor gallery. It's well worth checking out if you're in London.

On the top we have, according to the signage, "a mace of the morning star type, damascened in gold with arabesques and emblematical figures within cartouches of silver piqué." Well that clears that up. It's from Milan c.1560.

Below are some fine parade helmets from the same century, also made in Italy and of the type known as "antique armor", which imitated the styles of parade armor from ancient Rome.

I'm going to Worldcon!

I just bought my membership to Worldcon, the 72nd Annual World Science Fiction Convention. I've always wanted to go to one of these because it's the big convention, with thousands of fans, writers, actors, and directors mingling. Since it's in London this year while I'll be in Oxford, it's going to be right in my back yard. I couldn't miss this opportunity!

I'm going to try to get on some panels on the strength of my archaeology and writing background, and of course I'll have a copy of Radio Hope tucked under my arm, The print edition will be out by the end of February.

Anyone else ever been to a Worldcon? Anyone planning on going this year?