Welcome to the April edition of Objects in Articles! This month I’ve found another eclectic mix of articles and blog posts covering a range of different historical topics which always have an object involved. Some of the objects in this month’s collection include Australian maps from the 1920’s, English castles, 19th century music, as well as the archaeological remains of an ancient harbour. I hope there is plenty here to suit your interest!
Today, we associate castles with notions of fantasy, wonder, and magic. Originally though, castles were defensive buildings constructed in strategic locations. A castle meant safety to those who lived in and around them. Not the romantic appeal that they have today. No wonder, when threat of battle and banditry diminished, that people of the past stripped castles for resources. Still, it isn’t hard to imagine great battles and heroic deeds occurring in and around these ruined castles!
If you are a teacher of Ancient History or a student studying the Persian Wars, this article should prove interesting reading for you! Archaeological remains suggest that the harbour that moored triremes used in the Battle of Salamis has been found. Investigation into the area continues.
This article includes a nifty little map with rollover information about the Roman Forts built near Hadrian’s Wall, England, built from AD 122. Famous forts found on the map include Vindolanda, Birdoswald, and Housesteads.
A lovely little article on quaint Australian maps created in the 1920’s. They depict Australia’s resources, Australia’s colonial exploration history and a variety of other quirky things – did I mention the sheep? Maps give us fascinating insights – of course, they give us locational information – but maps also show us what was important to people when the maps were made. For example: allocating the location of sheep across Australia was more than noteworthy – an entire map is devoted to it!
Have you ever wondered what 19th century music actually sounded like? Sure, you can listen to 19th century music now; but what did it sound like to someone who lived during the 1800’s? Where did you listen to music? And how would you interpret the music you played? This blog post is about a project called Sound Heritage which aims to discover and recreate the history of music making in the 19th century. Music is an intangible object because it is something you can’t hold or touch unlike the annotated sheet music from Rouse Hill House and Farm which is being investigated as part of the project!
Happy Reading!
Did you find any of these articles particularly interesting? Share in the comments below!
