Linear B System of Enumeration (counting & accounting)

I have posted this for anyone who would like to follow Richard Vallance Linear B,Knossos & Mycenae who is teaching How to read Linear B. Script which I am doing myself (Excellent teaching)

Minoan Linear A, Linear B, Knossos & Mycenae

Linear B System of Enumeration (counting & accounting):

This post illustrates how the Mycenaean numeric system functions.  You can easily see that the system is quite straightforward, so much so in fact that it was simpler than both the ancient Greek and  (especially!) the clumsy Roman system of enumeration. This makes perfect sense, since the Linear B tablets were primarily used for palatial record keeping at Knossos, Mycenae, Pylos and other Mycenaean centres. Here is a sample of a simple Linear B tablet which lists a total of 8,640 swords (CLICK to enlarge):

This post also introduces the concept of the Ideogram. An Ideogram is defined as “a graphic symbol that represents an idea or concept”.  See Wikipedia, Ideogram: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideogram. We must carefully distinguish between a Syllabogram, which is essentially a combination of a consonant + a vowel (DA,DE,KE,KI,MI,MO,SO,SU etc.), and an Ideogram, which is merely a symbol for…

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Aviary in the Garden

Its been almost twelve years now since we left England to come and live on the island of Crete Greece and have moved house twice before settling here in a small village just ten minutes from the town of Agios Nikolaos.

We have a garden where we planted two Acacia (albizia) trees which have now grown so tall to give us plenty of shade as the branches spread out like an umbrella, plus the lovely pink and white flowers have a beautiful fragrance during the evening.

Leaves and flowers of the Acacia Albizia (fabaceae) Tree

There doesn’t seem to be many birds here other than sparrows and pigeons.Swifts and swallows arrive during the migration period. However, low and behold one morning I heard the blackbird merrily singing his little head off, he was perched on an electricity pole nearby. Later another blackbird appeared, then we discovered  the nest in our Acacia tree. The outcome was we could see six eggs in the nest where we could see from the tops of the tree from our balcony. Needless to say two eggs hatched and the babies were on the floor, I guess mother  kicked them out of the nest. Here was me thinking we were going to have the beautiful sound of the blackbird but haven’t heard any more since. I am hoping they return next year.

All this prompted me to encourage my partner John to build an aviary in the garden (He has bred birds many times before. There is a previous post about this so I need not go into all the details of how to build an aviary.

For as long as I can remember I have always kept a bird in the house, my choice usually has been a cockatiel so once we settled in Crete I bought a Budgerigar, his name was Jamie and I taught him to talk. He survived for seven years and I said I won’t have another one. Famous last words.

Recently while out shopping I was tempted to peep into one of the the pet shops in the town where I bought my previous budgerigar, and there were two I could not resist because they were more like love birds staying together and following each other around one did not move without the other. I only really wanted one but could not possibly separate them. This meant I had to buy a big cage so they had plenty of room to stretch their wings. Their color is yellow with black markings, they are so comical, they chat away to each other bobbing their little heads up and down, play with their toys quite friendly with each other. This of course was my way of encouraging John to build the aviary. This he has just completed and we now have Zebra finches, Budgerigars and Canaries. At last the different  sounds of birds to listen to while sitting in our garden.

Sammy and Dixie My house birds. They are let out of the cage to fly around the house.

Beginning of the Aviary. That’s John in the Overalls. Leaves not yet on the trees.

Aviary Complete with birds.

One of the aviary birds. He’s a proud one…. Note how the trees now shade the aviary.

 

The Legend of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse (update)

Some time ago I posted The Legend of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse. It was about a young Molly Barber who married against her fathers wishes a Narragansette Native Indian named James Chaugham. That story is still on my blog.

Briefly James Chaugham was born c l7l0 in Block Island, R I, and died in c l790  in Riverton, CT. He married Molly Barber l740. They had eight children. Sally, Samuel, Soloman, Meribah ( Mary ), Hannah Sands, Mercy  Mary (Polly) and Elizabeth

It was some time later that I received a message from Coni Dubois explaining that she is a direct descendant of the Chaugham family line. Coni has spent many years of research after her father had requested her to trace the family tree.This has become her life’s mission to find her Native American Roots which up until now has taken more than 20 years.

 

Coni began by putting all the main pieces of the puzzle together, she knew that she had years of work ahead of her in order to connect all the true lineages. Most  research of l600’s about the main Chieftains of NY, CT,MA, & NJ  has been done but Coni’s main research has been of the New York and Long Island Native Americans

As a direct descendant Coni’s work is based on that of Tackapausha, Tasstasuk,, Soweag, Sassacus, Mechoswodt  tribes and many more..Her Chagaum line was involved with many land deals with the Dutch and the English- they were the Scouts / Interpreters, and on occasions the Peace Makers and Medicine Men / Women and direct descendants of those mentioned above.

Basically Coni has organized all geneaology of these Native Americans and  documented  them and sourced them with anything that has ever been written about them in their geneaology file, she believes that if it is written then it belongs to them – it is their legacy – it is their story.

 Coni Dubois

During her research Coni has copied and added each and every book, document, file, photo, any vital record or family keepsakes and so much more to these people and the section of their stories in order to make it as accurate as possible. One such item was that her family walked The Trail of Tears.

Coni Dubois hopes that she will add more to the story she has uncovered and honor them their stories through her research. Her quest, is still  to find her Native American bloodline. It has taken many people like her that care about their true American history to dig in and try to find the truth. Her wishes are to walk the lands of her people and pay her respects to her ancesters and their resting places. She is frequently updating her quest to find her roots and while doing so many remaining relatives of her blood line have contacted her thus helping to fit the pieces together.

Lighthouse Tribe of Barkhamsted

Although Coni’s family are not in any “tribe ” or ” registered ”  she has always followed the Native American ways. She grew up off the lands herself – all her people were mostly farmers, she has always been close to nature as much as possible. Our ancestors live thru us Coni says – we look like them and we share the same traits.

Coni  works with many tribes and is constantly visiting The Barkhamsted Lighthouse where her ancestors are buried , she just wants to record all she can now before its too late.

The  Barkhamsted Lighthouse Cemetery

 

 

 

 

 

Coni at the  Barkhamsted Lighthouse Cemetery.

 

For more information go to  WWW.CONIDUBOIS.WORDPRESS.COM There is much much more if you are interested in this family tree.

There will be a great family re-union on July 2nd-6th 20l5 Anyone wishing to join please contact Coni.