Friday Fishwrap
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter. There are 223 shopping days to Christmas. Interestingly, if you keep holy the Sabbath, there are only 191 days left.
Welcome to Friday Fishwrap™, your weekly email filled with this week’s efforts from the staff of The Global Exclaimer.
This Week in Ancient History
Events worth remembering, even if not currently trending.
🌍 Africa: The Battle of Kadesh (May 12, 1274 BC)
On May 12, 1274 BC, Pharaoh Ramesses II faced the Hittite Empire in the Battle of Kadesh, near the modern-day Syrian border. This chariot-heavy clash is one of the earliest battles in recorded history with detailed accounts. Despite initial setbacks, Ramesses II led a counterattack that prevented a complete Egyptian defeat. The battle concluded with a stalemate, leading to one of the first known peace treaties in history.
🌏 Asia: The Fall of the Tang Dynasty (May 12, 907 AD)
On May 12, 907 AD, Zhu Wen forced Emperor Ai to abdicate, effectively ending the Tang Dynasty's nearly 300-year reign over China. This marked the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, a time of fragmentation and upheaval in Chinese history.
🌎 Europe: Fall of Acre (May 18, 1291)
On May 18, 1291, the city of Acre, the last major Crusader stronghold in the Holy Land, fell to the Mamluks. This event effectively ended Crusader ambitions in the region and marked a turning point in medieval European and Middle Eastern history.
🌍 North America: Founding of Jamestown (May 14, 1607)
On May 14, 1607, English settlers established Jamestown in Virginia, marking the first permanent English settlement in North America. This event laid the foundation for the future United States.
🌏 Oceania: Indigenous Australian Rock Art
Though specific dates are elusive, Australia's ancient rock art, some dating back over 40,000 years, provides a window into the continent's rich indigenous history. These artworks, found across various sites, depict aspects of daily life, spiritual beliefs, and the natural world.
🌍 South America: The Moche Civilization's Flourishing
Between 100 and 700 AD, the Moche civilization thrived on Peru's northern coast. Known for their sophisticated irrigation systems and intricate ceramics, the Moche left behind monumental adobe pyramids and detailed murals that offer insights into their complex society.
⚙️ Technological Marvel: The Antikythera Mechanism
Discovered in a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera, this ancient device dates back to around 100 BC. Often dubbed the world's first analog computer, the Antikythera Mechanism was used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance.
This Week in The Glob
Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility reaches its rhetorical low point in the chapter on "White Women's Tears." I stopped reading here the first time. I’ve read it now, and I’ve got questions. Are all tears suspect? Do intentions no longer matter? And when did empathy become oppression?
White Women's Tears
I have a confession. I never completed my review of White Fragility the first time around. I got to this chapter and just stopped. I believe DiAngelo should also have stopped. Stopped herself from writing or including this chapter. I will explain.
Coming in the Evening Editions of the Friday Fishwrap
Pope Leo XIV. Who is he, and what about his namesake, Pope Leo XIII? Does the name selection hint at a papal direction? Let’s talk about it.
Poetry Night at The Screaming Monkey’s Head. Paddy Keyk attends poetry night at The Screaming Monkey’s Head and reads her competed sonnet.
Well, maybe on the reading of the poetry - technical difficulties and all…
If you made it this far, you are indeed made of stern stuff. Thank you. And if anything pleased you, made you think, made any sort of impression at all, please share, please like and please, please, comment. If you didn’t like something, or disagree, please comment and issue a formal challenge! We shall meet on the field of ideas.
And if your purse allows, smash that button and send $5 toward an Arturo Fuente 858. I will laud your largesse in a future article about the importance of being a patron of the arts in these artless times.
