Ancient Things

        The more insane modern reality becomes, the more compelled I am to fix my gaze on the ancient past.  It is consoling to think of the troubles of other times. That every era is punctuated by its own brand of instability or hardship levels the atrocity curve. The past seems more relevant now, or as Yogi Berra put it, "The future is not what it used to be." 

    Those of my generation came of age during a dizzying ascension of technology.   We know what it is like to see a vintage type-writer and admire its fabrication and materials when compared to it's mass produced successors.  We have also been exposed to science-fiction which prophesied panopticons, rampant drug addiction, and authoritarian regimes.  The future envisioned by George Orwell, Ray Bradbury, and Aldous Huxley is spinning out in front of our eyes.  The future seems increasingly less interesting and more predictable and it is the past that seems buried in possibility.

    Just as the study of comic book art is largely the study of capitalism, the study of ancient history is largely the study of war.  Its odd that some think of warriors such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon as great men when they were responsible for so much brutality. Both of them lead their charge under the auspices of protecting their people from encroaching empires.  They were protecting the way of life of their subjects.  Many an ancient marvel was created as a signal to enemies, and allies alike, great breadth of power and riches.  Fortunately, a number of these are still in existence.  I noticed while learning about art history that my interest level in a piece corresponds to my chances of actually seeing it someday.  Cognitive bias?  Maybe. Be that as it may, I would like to learn about those places and times before their artifacts are exploded and bulldozed away or subsumed in a money-laundering scheme.

    It is still possible today to look at someone's features and make an educated guess where their ancestors came from.  An acquaintance of mine, though born here in the states, has Lebanese parents.  Because of growing up in USA in the 80's, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Lebanon is the Hezbollah, a radical militant group that was mentioned often in the news during that decade.  Lebanon occupies roughly the same area on a map as ancient Phoenicia. The Phoenicians are thought to be possibly a separate ethnicity from the Canaanites who occupied the Levant during pre-biblical times.  the wording around this material gets very technical but it is suspected that the Lebanese are the most ancient people.  Byblos, thought to be first occupied in the 7th century B.C., is attested as an archaeological site during the Bronze Age (2500-500 B.C.) and is thought to be by UNESCO to be one of the oldest surviving cities.  the Phoenicians distinguished themselves with an alphabet, as a maritime hub,  and with the production of cedar timber and a remarkable purple dye, Tyrian purple, that went on to embellish the garb of the ancient rich and famous.  My Lebanese American friend seems like a marvel when viewed in the light of history the same way that the ginkgo tree I observed earlier today does; our ginkgo trees are among the oldest of species with fossils dating back to 270 million years ago.

    A primer in prehistory is in order. The past is addictive. The further you go, the further you want to go. The facts become hazier and more mysterious.  The point at which man became man happened much much earlier than the establishment of Byblos or any other ancient city.  What was everyone doing for 293,000 years?  I can easily see how scrounging for food can take up your days if there is no pizza place around the corner.

   Yesterday, we celebrated a birthday social-distance-style.  The girl of the hour was scheduled to kayak with a group along the Gowanus Canal.  The route was to pass beneath several low-hanging bridges and we were deployed to designated bridges with instructions to sing or wave.  Situated on the Carroll Street Bridge, we conspired to lower a ceramic Stegosaurus piggy bank (appropriated from my nephew) onto a floating tub, so that the birthday girl would encounter a bizarre surprise.  Best laid plans! The ceramic dinosaur toppled faster than you can say "artifact" , and i could see it's glazed eyes looking up at me as it disappeared under the syrupy Gowanus.  Eventually, it's ceramic body will be replaced by minerals to be examined as a fossil in the future, or maybe heat , pressure, and time will transform it into black gold.  Perhaps it will be found by a worker in the distant future who will give it to his nephew...

Gowanus Manhole Cover with Rat, 2018.  Wood, caulk, yoga mat, and paint.