12 oldest continuously inhabited cities

From: http://www.mnn.com/

Photo: plastic_buddha/iStockphoto

Old as the hills

Cities that have stood the test of time have more than just the scars of history; they show the influence — positive and negative — of human civilization. The oldest cities in the world boast beautiful architecture and amazing stories, yet remarkably few ancient cities stand today. There is some disagreement about the historical record, so we've added a few cities to this list because of the area's religious or cultural significance. Here's our list of the 12 oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. (Text: Bryan Nelson)

• Damascus, Syria

Photo: jasminam/iStockphoto

Damascus is widely believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with evidence of habitation dating back at least 11,000 years. Its location and persistence have made the city a nexus for civilizations come and gone. Today its metropolitan area is home to about 2.5 million people, and in 2008 it was named the Arab Capital of Culture.

• Jericho, West Bank

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Fortifications unearthed in Jericho dating back to 6800 B.C. confirm that it is the earliest known walled city, and evidence of other habitation in the area dates back about 11,000 years, which means it is a serious contender to be the world's oldest city. Incredibly, Jericho has remained inhabited — and dry — throughout history, despite its location well below sea level. This fact also makes the city the lowest permanently inhabited site on Earth. Today 20,000 people call Jericho home.

• Aleppo, Syria

Photo: seyr-ü zafer/Wikimedia Commons

Evidence of habitation at the current site of Aleppo dates to about 8,000 years ago, but excavations at a site just 25 kilometers north of the city show the area was inhabited about 13,000 years ago. That means that Aleppo and its surrounding region is the oldest known human settlement in the world. The city is first mentioned in cuneiform tablets from roughly 5,000 years ago, where it is cited for its commercial and military proficiency. Because of its location between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia — it was also the end of the Silk Road that passed through central Asia and Mesopotamia — Aleppo was at the center of the ancient world. Today it remains the largest city in Syria.

• Athens, Greece

Photo: brento/iStockphoto

The ancient home of philosophy and the birthplace of Western civilization, Athens boasts a history of habitation that goes back long before the days of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The city has been continuously inhabited for at least 7,000 years. The oldest known human presence in Athens has been dated to between the 11th and 7th millennium B.C. Today it remains a sprawling metropolis, and its Acropolis still stands, overlooking the landscape.

Argos, Greece

Photo: Karin Helene Pagter Duparc/Wikimedia Commons

An urban settlement for about the last 7,000 years, Argos is in competition with Athens to be the oldest city in Europe. The city has long been powerful — its commanding position in the fertile plain of Argolis has earned it a powerful position, though it has a history of neutrality. For instance, the city refused to fight or send supplies during the Graeco-Persian Wars. Perhaps that's part of the reason the city has withstood the test of time.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Photo: Klearchos Kapoutsis/Flickr

Plovdiv was originally a Thracian settlement known as Philippopolis to the Greeks, and was a major city for the Romans. It was also ruled by the Ottomans for a time. The beautiful city has a rich history dating back millennia. Evidence of habitation dates back 6,000 years. Today it is still the second largest city in Bulgaria, and it remains an important economic, cultural and educational center.

Byblos, Lebanon

Photo: Giorgio Montersino/Flickr

Though there is evidence of settlement as far back as 7,000 years ago, Byblos has been a continuous city for about 5,000 years. According to the ancient writer Philo of Byblos, the city had a reputation in antiquity of being the oldest city in the world. Interestingly, the English word for "Bible" is derived from "Byblos," because it was through Byblos that papyrus was imported to Greece.

Sidon, Lebanon

Photo: eutrophication&hypoxia/Flickr

Inhabited for at least the last 6,000 years, Sidon was one of the most important Phoenician cities because of its location as a crucial port on the Mediterranean, a locale that also led to the city's conquer by a revolving door of the world's great empires, including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans. Today about 200,000 people call Sidon home.

Rayy, Iran

Photo: Ensie & Matthias/Flickr

Located within the Greater Tehran metropolitan area, Rayy (or Rey), Iran, has evidence of habitation dating back 8,000 years, though it has likely been continuously occupied for about 5,000 or 6,000 years. The city retains a wealth of historical monuments, such as the 5,000-year-old Cheshmeh Ali hill and the 3,000-year-old Gebri castle. It was a deeply sacred city to the Zoroastrians.

Jerusalem, Israel

Photo: UgurDemir/iStockphoto

Jerusalem is one of several cities to have sprung up between 4-5,000 years ago in the thriving Levant region, but it holds a unique place in history as the nexus of several of the world's great religions. For that reason, it is home to a wealth of spiritual and religious sites. Unfortunately, Jerusalem's Old City has also been added to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger due to modern-day urban development, tourism and cultural turmoil.

Luoyang, China

Photo: Valmol48/iStockphoto

A number of ancient cities were first being built around 4,000 years ago in the Mideast and Europe, but Luoyang stands out from that time period as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Asia. Located on China's central plain, Luoyang is the oldest city in the country and is one of the Seven Great Ancient Capitals of China. It has been in habitation since Neolithic times, with a continuous habitation for at least 4,000 years. Located at the intersection of the Luo and Yi rivers, the city was considered to be the geographical center of ancient China.

Varanasi, India

Photo: Ken Wieland/Wikimedia Commons

According to Hindu legend, Varanasi is more than 5,000 years old and is considered the oldest city in the world, though evidence of habitation only goes back about 3,000 years. This more modest date indicates Varanasi is among many ancient cities to appear around the first millennium B.C., and it is still the oldest city in India and is considered the holiest city in the world to Hindus. Its location on the banks of the sacred Ganges River also contributes to its prestige as an important site of pilgrimage.

History of WEED

Uploaded by SHOWTIME on Aug 12, 2009

Going all the way back to 8000 B.C, Weeds presents another look at the history of cannabis. New episodes Monday at 10PM ET/PT. Music is "Go Meet the Seed" by "Thee Oh Sees."

How beaches looked 100 years ago

Some of these photos are over a hundred years old. No bikinis , scooters , etc. But it seems that people had quite a lot of different entertainment and without it.

Click here for the full GALLERY: http://evilclownvalley.com/

5 Ancient Egyptian Inventions We Still Use Today

Written by RealDealWomen
From: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/

Photo: Archer10

A country that is rich in history, a land that has known great prosperity and despair, a world that is beautiful and full of life yet can be just as raw and difficult to survive in. Egypt is a place that holds the roots of humankind and secrets still undiscovered. Many of the objects we use every day and the use of certain everyday objects originated in Egypt. Objects such as the toothbrush, toothpaste, locks and keys, makeup, combs, wigs, deodorant and scissors. Makeup was used not for beauty but for skin-care; it was mainly used to protect people's skin from the sun's harmful rays. Let's take a look at just five of those objects:

1. The Condom

Photo: viaCherry

Did you know that even the idea of the condom originated in Egypt? It is said that as far back as 1000 BC, Egyptians used a linen sheath during
intercourse for protection against diseases among other things! Amazing
you say? Indeed!

2. High-heel shoes

Photo: Ed Yourdon

Ah yes, high-heel shoes. They say diamonds are a girl's best friend but in reality most of us have a much larger shoe collection (especially heels) than a collection of diamonds to wear. Let's face it, women (and men) LOVE heels! What is really cool about this sexy, sensual and yet sophisticated style of shoes is that they too originated from good ol' Egypt! Imagine as far back as 3,500 B.C., when it is said these type of shoes were being worn by the higher classes. The lower classes who were able to wear them definitely saw it as a privilege considering most of them could not afford to wear such works of art. However, I'm sure that the heels in those days were pretty uncomfortable compared to our modern day versions. If the lower class people's feet could have talked they probably would have thanked them!

3. Paper

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Yes, you guessed it! Paper is believed to have been invented by the ancient Egyptians around 4,000 B.C., although the name was actually Papyrus. It was the first substance used to write on similar to the paper we use today. The Egyptians would take a woven mat of reeds and pound them together until it created a thin yet stiff sheet. The next invention couldn't have been thought of unless Papyrus was invented first...

4. The Pen

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

We're sure everyone has heard the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword", right? Well this pen is certainly mighty! It has survived through ages of humanity and is still in great shape! (Wish we could all say that for ourselves, eh?). Anyway, without Papyrus, these babies wouldn't have been needed. The people of ancient Egypt could no longer use things such as bones, metal stick or sharp rocks to write on the sheet of Papyrus so they had to invent something more useful that wouldn't break through; thus the almighty pen! Not only does this picture show you their version of the pen but these objects contained in the original pencil cases too!

5. The Water Clock

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

This list is incredible, I know; however it must come to an end. The last everyday object to originate from ancient Egypt listed here is the water clock. Never heard of that? Now you have. And guess what? Water clocks are still used to this day! They are more commonly used for decoration and for others to admire these works of art. However, the invention they preceded, the clock itself, is of course still used to tell time. Interestingly enough, it was hard to find a picture of an ancient Egyptian water clock, so we'll have to make do with this picture is of an ancient water clock in Athens, Greece. In this particular photo, the water would flow into another bowl, thus allowing people to time themselves.

All in all, the Egyptians were a clever group of people. If the ancient civilization were ro still live on today, they would be shocked to see how far many of their inventions have gone and how modernized they have become.

License:

Attribution-No Derivative Works

Periodic Table of Beer Styles

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Here is a more detailed version...click here: http://www.beersforengineers.com/BeerPeriodicTable.jpg

Photos from inside an abandoned Titan missile silo

Posted by Xeni Jardin

Jonathan Haeber of Terrastories took these incredible photographs from inside an abandoned Titan I missile site. He writes,

On Memorial Day of 2007, and then again in December, I visited two separate Titan I missile sites. The first was quite the introduction. The second was mind-blowing. There are no words to describe being in what is perhaps the world's largest underground missile complex. In fact, I've tried more than once, and in my mind have not achieved an adequate description. Last month, I clicked on a random link and encountered the narrative of another man who had done the same. His words, and his story came much closer to describing the feeling in detail. Even better, this man knew all of the intricacies of the base. He was a true savant of Titan I - and probably the foremost non-military expert of these historic bases. I contacted him and asked if he would be willing to talk about his experience and he readily agreed.

Discovering the History of a Titan I Base (Terrastories)

Here is an extensive gallery of photographs: Various Trips to Titan Silos in California and Colorado

posted in:

Possible da Vinci sketches found on back of oil

Can you see anything? Infrared image shows drawings on the back of Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin And Child With St Anne. (Reuters: E Lambert/C2RMF)

Three sketches possibly drawn by Leonardo da Vinci have been found on the back of one of the master's major works.

Describing the find as "an exceptional discovery", the Louvre museum said in a statement that the drawings were found when da Vinci 1500s oil Virgin And Child With St Anne was undergoing routine examination in the laboratory.

"When taking down the work - an oil on wood - a curator from the paintings department noticed two barely visible sketches on the back, representing a horse's head and half a skull," the Louvre said.

Further examination revealed a third sketch, a Baby Jesus and Lamb.

"This is an exceptional discovery as sketches on backs of works are very rare and there is no known example of one from Leonardo to this day," it added.

The sketches, which are practically invisible to the naked eye, had never been noticed in the past when handling the extremely heavy work.

The work is made of four vertical planks of poplar backed by two horizontal wooden crosspieces.

After noting the presence of the two sketches, the back of the work was sent for further examination and the third sketch seen.

"While the style of the sketches evokes Leonardo da Vinci, research is continuing," the Louvre said.

- AFP

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Discovery in Turkey Comes from Major Iron Age Site

Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey have discovered an Iron Age chiseled stone slab that provides the first written evidence in the region that people believed the soul was separate from the body.

University of Chicago researchers will describe the discovery, a testimony created by an Iron Age official that includes an incised image of the man, on Nov. 22-23 at conferences of biblical and Middle Eastern archaeological scholars in Boston.

The Neubauer Expedition of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago found the 800-pound basalt stele, 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, at Zincirli (pronounced "Zin-jeer-lee"), the site of the ancient city of Sam'al. Once the capital of a prosperous kingdom, it is now one of the most important Iron Age sites under excavation.

The stele is the first of its kind to be found intact in its original location, enabling scholars to learn about funerary customs and life in the eighth century B.C. At the time, vast empires emerged in the ancient Middle East, and cultures such as the Israelites and Phoenicians became part of a vibrant mix.

The man featured on the stele was probably cremated, a practice that Jewish and other cultures shun because of a belief in the unity of body and soul. According to the inscription, the soul of the deceased resided in the stele.

"The stele is in almost pristine condition. It is unique in its combination of pictorial and textual features and thus provides an important addition to our knowledge of ancient language and culture," said David Schloen, Associate Professor at the Oriental Institute and Director of the University's Neubauer Expedition to Zincirli.

Schloen will present the Kuttamuwa stele to a scholarly audience at the meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research on Nov. 22 in Boston, the major annual conference for Middle Eastern archaeology. Dennis Pardee, Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Chicago, will present his translation of the stele's 13-line inscription the following day at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, also in Boston, in a session on "Paleographical Studies in the Near East."

German archaeologists first excavated the 100-acre site in the 1890s and unearthed massive city walls, gates and palaces. A number of royal inscriptions and other finds are now on display in museums in Istanbul and Berlin. Schloen and his team from the University of Chicago have excavated Zincirli for two months annually since 2006.

"Zincirli is a remarkable site," said Gil Stein, Director of the Oriental Institute. "Because no other cities were built on top of it, we have excellent Iron Age materials right under the surface. It is rare also in having written evidence together with artistic and archaeological evidence from the Iron Age. Having all of that information helps an archaeologist study the ethnicity of the inhabitants, trade and migration, as well as the relationships of the groups who lived there."

The stele was discovered last summer in a small room that had been converted into a mortuary shrine for the royal official Kuttamuwa, self-described in the inscription as a "servant" of King Panamuwa of the eighth century B.C. It was found in the outer part of the walled city in a domestic area—most likely the house of Kuttamuwa himself—far from the royal palaces, where inscriptions had previously been found.

The inscription reads in part: "I, Kuttamuwa, servant of Panamuwa, am the one who oversaw the production of this stele for myself while still living. I placed it in an eternal chamber(?) and established a feast at this chamber(?): a bull for [the storm-god] Hadad, ... a ram for [the sun-god] Shamash, ... and a ram for my soul that is in this stele. …" It was written in a script derived from the Phoenician alphabet and in a local West Semitic dialect similar to Aramaic and Hebrew. It is of keen interest to linguists as well as biblical scholars and religious historians because it comes from a kingdom contemporary with ancient Israel that shared a similar language and cultural features.

The finding sheds a striking new light on Iron Age beliefs about the afterlife. In this case, it was the belief that the enduring identity or "soul" of the deceased inhabited the monument on which his image was carved and on which his final words were recorded.

The stele was set against a stone wall in the corner of the small room, with its protruding tenon or "tab" still inserted into a slot in a flagstone platform. A handsome, bearded figure, Kuttamuwa is depicted on the stele wearing a tasseled cap and fringed cloak and raising a cup of wine in his right hand. He is seated on a chair in front of a table laden with food, symbolizing the pleasant afterlife he expected to enjoy. Beside him is his inscription, elegantly carved in raised relief, enjoining upon his descendants the regular duty of bringing food for his soul. Indeed, in front of the stele were remains of food offerings and fragments of polished stone bowls of the type depicted on Kuttamuwa's table.

According to Schloen, the stele vividly demonstrates that Iron Age Sam'al, located in the border zone between Anatolia and Syria, inherited both Semitic and Indo-European cultural traditions. Kuttamuwa and his king, Panamuwa, had non-Semitic names, reflecting the migration of Indo-European speakers into the region centuries earlier under the Hittite Empire based in central Anatolia (modern Turkey), which had conquered the region.

But by the eighth century B.C., they were speaking the local West Semitic dialect and were fully integrated into local culture. Kuttumuwa's inscription shows a fascinating mixture of non-Semitic and Semitic cultural elements, including a belief in the enduring human soul—which did not inhabit the bones of the deceased, as in traditional Semitic thought, but inhabited his stone monument, possibly because the remains of the deceased were cremated. Cremation was considered to be abhorrent in the Old Testament and in traditional West Semitic culture, but there is archaeological evidence for Indo-European-style cremation in neighboring Iron Age sites, although not yet at Zincirli itself.

In future excavation campaigns, the Zincirli team, generously supported by University trustee Joseph Neubauer and his wife Jeanette, plans to excavate large areas of the site in order to understand the social and economic organization of the city and its cultural development over the centuries. Schloen and his associate director Amir Fink hope to illuminate Iron Age culture more widely through this richly documented ancient city.

---

PHOTOS

A funerary monument recovered in southeastern Turkey reveals that people who lived in an important Iron Age city there believed the soul was separate from the body. They also believed the soul lived in the funerary slab.
(Photo: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)

Students looking at stele recovered in Zincirli are Virginia Rimmer and Benjamin Thomas, both Ph.D. students in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of the University of Chicago. The inscription on the stone reveals the first evidence that people in the region believed the soul was separate from the body.
(Photo: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)

A funerary monument recovered in southeastern Turkey reveals that people who lived in an important Iron Age city there believed the soul was separate from the body. They also believed the soul lived in the funerary slab.
(Photo: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)

Students looking at stele recovered in Zincirli are Virginia Rimmer and Benjamin Thomas, both Ph.D. students in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of the University of Chicago. The inscription on the stone reveals the first evidence that people in the region believed the soul was separate from the body.
(Photo: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)

David Schloen (left), Director of the Neubauer Expedition, and Amir Fink, Associate Director, on site at Zincirli in August 2008
(Photo: Sandra Schloen)

A sketch that is a reconstruction of the citadel at Zincirli.
(Photo: Robert Koldewey)

The northeast city wall of the site of Zinceril.
(Photo: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)

The geomagnetic map showing the buried walls
(Photo: Jason Herrmann, University of Arkansas)

Neubauer Expedition Photos for Download

• Photo 1: The soul in the stone - A funerary monument recovered in southeastern Turkey reveals that people who lived in an important Iron Age city there believed the soul was separate from the body. They also believed the soul lived in the funerary slab.
  (Credit: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)
• Photo 2: Students looking at stele recovered in Zincirli are Virginia Rimmer and Benjamin Thomas, both Ph.D. students in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of the University of Chicago. The inscription on the stone reveals the first evidence that people in the region believed the soul was separate from the body.
  (Credit: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)
• Photo 3: David Schloen (left), Director of the Neubauer Expedition, and Amir Fink, Associate Director, on site at Zincirli in August 2008
  (Credit: Sandra Schloen).
• Photo 4: A sketch that is a reconstruction of the citadel at Zincirli.
  (Credit: Robert Koldewey)
• Photo 5: The northeast city wall of the site of Zinceril.
  (Credit: Eudora Struble, University of Chicago)
• Photo 6: The geomagnetic map showing the buried walls.
  (Credit: Jason Herrmann, University of Arkansas)

Top Ten Musical Moments In Presidential History

10. John McCain sings "Bomb Iran"

9. Bill Clinton plays saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show
We can't find any clips of that turning point in the 1992 election online, but here's a clip of him jamming on "Every Day I Have The Blues."

8. The Presidents of the United States of America release "Lump"

7. Marilyn Monroe serenades John F. Kennedy

6. Ronald Reagan stars in military musical This Is The Army

5. Franklin D. Roosevelt sings with the Little Orphan in Annie

4. Bruce Springsteen ceases and desists the Reagan campaign use of "Born In The U.S.A."

3. Sarah Palin gets funky on Saturday Night Live

2. Barack Obama says "Thanks But No Thanks" To Ludacris for "Obama Is Here"

1.George Bush sings "My Way"
Regrets? He's had a few.

--Pete Freedman, Jesse Hughey, Merritt Martin, Michelle Mathews, Patrick Michels