Merry Christmas!

It's the day before Christmas and we have a tradition in my family of making frosted ricotta cookies for Christmas. Yes, sprinkles are involved. It's a really easy recipe, and the cookies are wicked good!

Some people are unsure when they hear that ricotta is involved, but in Italy ricotta is used in both sweet and savory (not sweet) dishes. One of the best-known ways to use sweetened ricotta is to squeeze it into a cannoli shell. In this recipe, the ricotta is not used to flavor the cookie, but more to give it a light and airy texture.

Here's the recipe for about 12-18 cookies (depending on how big you make them):

Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened            2 cups flour
¼ cup ricotta                           ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla                            ½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg

1. Combine the wet ingredients (butter, ricotta, vanilla, sugar, egg) and mix until there is no yellow of the egg yolk.

2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, b.soda, salt) in a separate bowl.

3. Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet, a bit at a time. Stir only until there is no dry flour. Do not over mix.

4. Put into rounded teaspoons full on an ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown.
-------------------
For the icing:

Combine about 2-3 tbs of whole milk to about one cup of confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl until it is the consistency of Elmer’s Glue. If it is too wet, add more sugar. Too dry, add more milk. You can also add lemon or almond extract.

Drizzle icing over cooled cookies. Add sprinkles while icing is still wet.

The Hittites

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent:  The Hittites

The Hittites were a fierce and mysterious people who lived in the central and eastern part of Anatolia, in the modern country of Turkey. The Hittites created a strong and important empire in the years between 1900 B.C. and 1100 B.C. (3,000 - 4,000 years ago), often battling or trading with the Egyptians, competing with the pharaoh Ramses the Great for domination over Palestine and the area of today's Syria.

The Hittites had their capital city at Hattusa, and were known in the ancient world for their skill in smelting and metal working, particularly using bronze and iron to make weapons.



Some great sources on the Hittites:

Wikipedia Entry
Emory University
The British Museum
Archaeological Site of Hattusa

The Israelites

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent: The Israelites (Hebrews)

The Hebrews, also called the Israelites, were unique among ancient civilizations because of their monotheistic religion. Much of the information we have about the earliest history of the Hebrews comes from the Old Testament of the Bible. Modern Jews trace their religion and culture back to this ancient civilization.

Sources of information on the Hebrews/Israelites:
Harvard Semitic Museum
Wikipedia Entry
NYU Library Guide

The Phoenicians

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent:  The Phoenicians

The Phoenicians were known as the greatest sea traders on the Mediterranean, and left their legacy by creating the alphabet we still use today (with a few changes). From their bases in what is today Lebanon, the Phoenicians traveled the entire length of the Mediterranean, setting up far away colonies in places like Spain and North Africa. Their colony of Carthage actually challenges the powerful Roman Republic for dominance of the region in the third and fourth centuries B.C.

The Phoenicians built much of their wealth on selling a very special purple dye made from the shell of the murex, a snail-like creature. This dye was so valuable that in ancient Rome, only the emperor was allowed to wear all purple, and the noble families of Rome marked their togas with a purple stripe.

Sources for information about the Phoenicians:


Wikipedia Entry (a good starting point)
Ancient History Encyclopedia: Phoenicia
History World: Phoenicians
History for Kids: Phoenicians
http://www.phoenician.org/

The Assyrians

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent: The Assyrians

The Assyrians began their civilization in the ancient city-state of Assur over 3,000 years ago, and came to dominate the area of upper Mesopotamia that includes parts of modern day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. The Assyrians were known by the Egyptians for being a fierce warrior race who knew nothing but bloodshed and destruction. Recent archaeology has shown that unlike the image in the Egyptians' propaganda, the Assyrians were actually an advanced civilization who excelled in the arts and the science of astronomy and mathematics.

The Assyrians were rivals of the Babylonians and the Egyptians, and produced strong kings with names like Shamshi-Adad and Tiglath Pileser I. Like the Babylonians, the Assyrians were powerful for a time, then declined, then returned as the "New" Assyrian Empire later. The modern country of Syria traces its name back to the ancient Assyrians.



Here are a few sources on the Assyrians:
New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
History for Kids: Assyrians
About.com: Assyria
Wikipedia Entry
All Empires: Assyrians

The Babylonians

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent:  The Babylonians

Based in the ancient city-state of Babylon, the Babylonian empire stretched across the entire region of Mesopotamia and beyond at its height, around the year 1770 B.C. under its most famous ruler, Hammurabi. Hammurabi is most known for being a conqueror and a law-giver.

The Code of Hammurabi set out the concept of a punishment fitting the crime. He had his laws carved into stone and set in the center of the towns he ruled, so that all would know the laws. The thinking behind Hammurabi's laws can be summed up in the phrase, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." This means that if a man injures another by putting out his eye, then that man's eye will be put out as punishment.

The laws were more symbolic since most people in those days were unable to read and write, but Hammurabi created the concept of the rule of law, and the idea of fairness in the justice system.

The interesting thing about the Babylonian Empire was that it existed for a period around 1770 B.C, and declined, but returned again around 600 B.C. as the "New" Babylonian Empire under King Nebuchadnezzar.



Some useful sources for information about the Babylonians:

LookLex: Babylonia
Babylonian Numbering System
Wikipedia Entry

The Akkadians

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent:  The Akkadians

From the city of Akkad came one of the first and most respected rulers of the ancient world, Sargon. He built the Akkadian Empire around 1900 B.C. by unifying the Sumerian city-states under his control and by building a strong army to control them. 

Some sources of information on Akkad:


History for Kids
Wikipedia Entry
New World Encyclopedia: Akkadian Empire

The Sumerians

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent:  The Sumerians

The earliest people to grow into a flourishing civilization in the Fertile Crescent (or anywhere) were the Sumerians. Just northwest of the Persian Gulf, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the Sumerians built a series of city-states that were later incorporated into an empire. Impressively, the Sumerians invented the wheel, irrigation, writing, trade, the sailboat, organized government, and a number system based on 60 (which we still use to measure time).

The Sumerians were a polytheistic society, believing in a few principal gods and thousands of lesser gods and goddesses. The had one well-known creation myth involving a great flood and a hero named Gilgamesh. This story may have been the inspiration for the Noah's Ark chapter of the Bible.

Some great sources for information about the Sumerians:
BrainPOP
The British Museum
Wikipedia Entry
LookLex Encyclopedia
National Geographic Article

Rock Out with Mesopotamians!

Thanks to Tim for sharing this fun song from They Might Be Giants...

Blank Maps of the Middle East

Here are copies of the Ancient Middle East map that we finished in class yesterday, and the modern one we completed today. Click on each for a larger version.

On the Ancient Map, locate:
Mediterranean Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Red Sea
Dead Sea
Persian Gulf

Euphrates River
Tigris River
Nile River
Jordan River

Anatolia
Persia
Mesopotamia
The Fertile Crescent
Egypt

Zagros Mountains
Taurus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains

Syrian Desert
Arabian Desert

On the Modern Map, locate:
Mediterranean Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Red Sea
Persian Gulf

Euphrates River
Tigris River
Nile River

Egypt
Libya
Niger
Chad
Sudan
Tunisia

Italy
Greece
Turkey

Syria
Jordan
Iraq
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Yemen
Oman

Ancient Map: The Fertile Crescent

(Click for a larger version)

In class we started mapping the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, where the ancient civilizations we study were located. Here's a copy of our class map provided by the talented Mrs. S!

(Click on the pic for a larger version)

Our focus of study for the Mesopotamia unit is really the entire Fertile Crescent: An area that stretches from the Nile Valley of Egypt in the west, northward to Palestine, westward across the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and southward to the Persian Gulf. Surrounded by inhospitable deserts, the Fertile Crescent is an area that has good soil for farming, rivers for water, and is in a strategic location for trade.

Mesopotamia itself comes from the Greek meaning "the Land Between the Rivers" because it is in the area between the southern parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. There the Sumerians built the very first true civilization and invented farming, the wheel, writing, and the first organized governments.

For more information about this region, check out a really cool website about Mesopotamia from the British Museum, or this one from the University of Chicago.

Want to see a wicked cheezy "school video" on ancient Mesopotamia? I mean it's interesting and all, but there is a very serious "cheez" factor. Enjoy:

Reflecting on Barter Day...

Tonight's homework is to reflect a little bit on the concepts around Barter Day, and to think about the earliest communities who started trading about 10,000 years ago. You can read more specifically about those first farm towns in previous Blog posts.

In understanding the marketplace and trade, it is important to know some basic economic terms:

Surplus: (noun) an extra supply of something. This could mean extra anything, but in this context we're usually talking about crops, or natural resources like wood or a certain kind of stone. Having a surplus is important to trade because people would never trade materials they needed to survive. It was only when farming produced more food than the village needed that they then traded the extra to other villages for things the people did not have.

Scarcity: (noun) not enough of something. Early farm towns often had scarcities of natural resources depending on where the town was located, such as a scarcity of wood in Egypt, or a scarcity of metal tools in Mesopotamia.

Trading happens when one person, town, or village has a surplus of one product that another person, town or village needs. In exchange, the other town trades a different item or product to get what it needs. Trading only happens if a surplus exists. In early farm towns, the development of agriculture allowed villages to grow more food than the people needed to eat, leaving the extra to either save or trade for other needed supplies. Trade started quite locally, but over time happens over great distances, usually up and down rivers.

The value of a certain product depends on how much there is, and how much people want it. The amount of a product is called the supply, and how badly people want it is called the demand. The more people want something, the more they would be willing to trade for it. If there's way too much of a product, then people would not be willing to give very much for it.

Competition happens when two or more people or villages want the same product. By offering more and more for the product, the value increases and people have to trade more for it.

Here's an example from Neolithic times: The early settlement at Catal Huyuk had a great deal of obsidian it either found nearby or traded for with other villages. Obsidian is a type of black volcanic glass that can be sharpened to make knife blades.

Once the people of Catal Huyuk made the blades they needed to butcher meat and build axes, they still possessed a surplus of the obsidian. Catal Huyuk became a very important trading center because so many surrounding villages needed the obsidian. In return, Catal Huyuk received many important products it needed such as food products, wood, and other natural resources.

Here's an example from the present day: The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a tremendous amount of oil under its territory. Even after giving free or cheap gas to its population, the Saudi government has a huge surplus of leftover oil which it sells on the world market.

 The United States and China both have huge factories, industrial machines, cars and trucks, planes, buses, all leading to a huge demand for the energy provided by burning gasoline. With both the U.S. and China competing to buy the oil, the price increases.

The more the two countries demand the oil, the higher the price goes. In return, the royal family of Saudi Arabia are fantastically wealthy, with several members being billionaires. All of this money can then be traded for palaces, expensive cars, fancy trips, private jets, and nice clothes.

On Barter Day, maybe the same thing will happen with a few pairs of "Kanye Glasses?"

Living in an Early Farm Town

Tonight's homework involves reading a passage from A Message of Ancient Days, and answering four questions about life in one of the earliest Neolithic (Stone Age farming) communities. In this case, the town is called Çatal Huyuk and it is located in the present day country of Turkey.

After looking at the readings on the early Neolithic period, the text asks you to answer the following questions:

1. What was life like in a Neolithic farming town?

You would live in a mud-brick house and take care of fields of crops outside of the village. Besides growing food, your family would continue to hunt wild animals and gather plants and berries. There would be different jobs for the different people in the town. The town would have a surplus of grain to trade with other people nearby. The people were polytheistic and they worshiped their gods in small shrines.

2. In the area of industry (making and trading stuff), how did the people of Çatal Huyuk differ from hunter-gatherers? What caused this difference?

Çatal Huyuk had a surplus of food, and so not everyone had to hunt and gather food all the time. People of the town were able to take on new and different jobs: tool makers, farmers, builders, traders, basket weavers, pottery-makers, and jewelers. The reason people could choose these different jobs was that the farmers grew more food than the town needed. The farmers had permanent homes, unlike the hunter-gatherers who had to move from place to place.

The farm towns also had a highly developed culture. Culture includes the art, architecture, religion, language, literature, customs, and traditions of the people. They had a system of government and a written language. 

3. What is obsidian, and how is it formed? What did the people of Çatal Huyuk do with it?

Obsidian is a dark volcanic glass which forms when lava cools quickly. People used obsidian to make fine tools, jewelry, and blades. Tools made from obsidian include razor blades, arrow heads, spear tips, and polished black mirrors. It could also be traded to other towns.

4. Why do you think the houses of Çatal Huyuk had rooftop entries?

There are several reasons why the people of Çatal Huyuk built mud-brick homes with entrances on the roof, and ladders to come in and out. Write your ideas in a comment, and we'll see what people come up with! 

Do your best to answer these questions using the Blog postings here and tomorrow we will be taking notes in class.

Also in class, we'll be looking at a few key questions about these first human settlements. Before getting to the questions, you should check out a couple of really cool websites:

• The official site of the Catal Huyuk archaeological dig
• A kid-friendly site devoted to Catal Huyuk and its artifacts

1. How did humans go from hunting and gathering to farming?
Humans learned to save seeds to plant the following year, and captured and domesticated wild animals to make them tame and more useful (for meat, milk, wool, eggs, feathers).

  -What changes happened in the way humans lived?
Humans settle down in one place instead of wandering around living as hunter–gatherers. This allows them to build settlements and is the beginning of civilization.

-What are some advantages and disadvantages of farming?An advantage of farming is that you can have a surplus and you don’t have to wander around looking for food. A disadvantage of farming is that you might not have a balanced diet. Plus you are more in danger of losing your crops because of bad weather.

2. What (where) are some of the earliest known settlements?
The earliest settlements in the Middle East were in an area known as the Fertile Crescent.

3. What was life like in an early Neolithic town? (daily life, homes, jobs, food, etc.)
Early farming towns were made out of mud bricks, with homes closely clustered together (for protection), and some had doors on the roof. There were no streets. Most houses had two rooms with one for storing food and the other for living. People were able to have specialized jobs (farmers, priests, tool makers, artisans (makers of things), builders, painters, and administrators).



 4. What tools or technology did humans develop at this time?
At the beginning of the Neolithic Era, people developed new tools and technology to help them farm and build cities. People invented new ways to store food, like firing pottery, building underground chambers, and salting meat to preserve it. Farming tools included the plow, rakes, hoes, shovels, and irrigation (moving water to fields).

And, as promised after today's discussion about domesticated animals...

5. What is a surplus? A scarcity? How did farming crops lead to a surplus?
A surplus is an extra supply of something (more than you need). A scarcity of something means you do not have enough. Farming allows people to grow large amounts of crops, and that leads to a surplus 

6. How did trading start? Why is a surplus a necessary part of trade?
Trading started when early villages used their surplus crops to purchase goods they needed from other villages. A surplus is a necessary part of trade because it doesn’t make sense to trade away the food you needed to survive. 


7. What does it mean for a village to have social classes?
Social classes are the levels of importance that the different people of a city have. A person’s social level is usually determined by their job, wealth, and their family’s social level. Social levels in a village signify an advanced civilization.
 

8. What makes a civilization?
A civilization is a complex society that includes:

• A stable food supply
• A specialization of labor (people have different jobs)
• A system of government
• Social levels
• A highly developed culture

Stable Food Supply...Or Soylent Green?

When we look at a certain civilization, any civilization, the first and most important aspect is its stable food supply. Without a regular and dependable supply of food, a civilization will begin to break down into chaos.

History includes several examples of times and places in which hunger and a desire for food has caused political or social troubles: Russia in 1910 and 1917, the U.S. and Germany in the 1930s, the Soviet Union in the 1980s and 90s, and certain African countries in the 1970s up until the present day (sadly).

About three years ago, the price of wheat worldwide spiked and products such as bread and pasta almost doubled in price. The video below shows a survey of how different countries' news stations covered the crisis. Notice that in the U.S. the story focused on how much more pastries would cost, while in Egypt and Pakistan people were rioting and in a state of panic over the higher price and lower supply of bread:




In movies, there is one great example of what might happen in an earth that is overcrowded and polluted. Without the land to grow food, or clean oceans from which to find seafood, the company goes to drastic measures to provide food.

In Soylent Green, the main character finds out a terrible secret about what the people of New York have been eating. He also solves the mystery of where all of the missing rioters went after being arrested by the police. He tries to warn the others! 

The movie ends with the hilarious (and gross) thought that maybe one day the food supply just might be...PEOPLE!!!! The movie is pretty terrible, but the last scene includes one of the most famous lines in movie history.

Speaking of Barter Day...

Think you can't get anything by bartering but tacky knickknacks? Think again! A Canadan guy named Kyle MacDonald used bartering to go from a small red paperclip to a house. He worked his way across the country trading one thing for another without the use of money. I wonder if anyone will carry Barter Day that far...



Check out an article about him from the BBC News:
Man turns paper clip into house

 Here's the timeline of trading followed by Kyle MacDonald:

• On July 14, 2005, he went to Vancouver and traded the paperclip for a fish-shaped pen.
• He then traded the pen the same day for a hand-sculpted doorknob from Seattle, Washington, which he nicknamed "Knob-T."
• He then traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts, with a friend to trade the Knob-T for a Coleman camp stove (with fuel).
• He went to San Clemente, California, and traded the camp stove for a Honda generator.
• He made a second (and successful) attempt (after having the generator confiscated by the New York City Fire Department) in Maspeth, Queens, to trade the generator for an "instant party."
• He traded the "instant party" to Quebec comedian and radio personality Michel Barrette for a Ski-doo snowmobile.
• Within a week of that, he traded the snowmobile for a two-person trip to Yahk, British Columbia.
• The second person on the trip to Yahk traded Kyle a cube van for the privilege. 
• He traded the cube van for a recording contract with Metal Works in Toronto.
• He traded the recording contract to Jody Gnant for a year's rent in Phoenix, Arizona.
• He traded the one year's rent in Phoenix, Arizona, for one afternoon with Alice Cooper.
• He traded the one afternoon with Alice Cooper for a KISS motorized snow globe.
• He traded the KISS motorized snow globe to Corbin Bernsen for a role in the film Donna on Demand.
• On or about July 5, 2006, he traded the movie role for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan.

Don't forget your tacky knickknacks on Friday!

Speaking of Barter Day...

Think you can't get anything by bartering but tacky knickknacks? Think again! A Canadan guy named Kyle MacDonald used bartering to go from a small red paperclip to a house. He worked his way across the country trading one thing for another without the use of money. I wonder if anyone will carry Barter Day that far...



Check out an article about him from the BBC News:
Man turns paper clip into house

 Here's the timeline of trading followed by Kyle MacDonald:

• On July 14, 2005, he went to Vancouver and traded the paperclip for a fish-shaped pen.
• He then traded the pen the same day for a hand-sculpted doorknob from Seattle, Washington, which he nicknamed "Knob-T."
• He then traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts, with a friend to trade the Knob-T for a Coleman camp stove (with fuel).
• He went to San Clemente, California, and traded the camp stove for a Honda generator.
• He made a second (and successful) attempt (after having the generator confiscated by the New York City Fire Department) in Maspeth, Queens, to trade the generator for an "instant party."
• He traded the "instant party" to Quebec comedian and radio personality Michel Barrette for a Ski-doo snowmobile.
• Within a week of that, he traded the snowmobile for a two-person trip to Yahk, British Columbia.
• The second person on the trip to Yahk traded Kyle a cube van for the privilege. 
• He traded the cube van for a recording contract with Metal Works in Toronto.
• He traded the recording contract to Jody Gnant for a year's rent in Phoenix, Arizona.
• He traded the one year's rent in Phoenix, Arizona, for one afternoon with Alice Cooper.
• He traded the one afternoon with Alice Cooper for a KISS motorized snow globe.
• He traded the KISS motorized snow globe to Corbin Bernsen for a role in the film Donna on Demand.
• On or about July 5, 2006, he traded the movie role for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan.

Don't forget your tacky knickknacks on Wednesday!

The Agricultural Revolution

Without a stable food supply, human civilization would not exist. About 7,000-10,000 years ago something special happened: hunter-gatherers learned that they could save and plant seeds instead of continuing to wander around looking for food. This began the agricultural revolution, and the Neolithic Age of human history. Rather than moving from place to place, groups of people settled in small villages permanently.

In class, we've been looking at a few key questions about these first human settlements:
1. How did humans go from hunting and gathering to farming?
    -What changes happened in the way humans lived?
    -What are some advantages and disadvantages of farming?

2. What (where) are some of the earliest known settlements?

3. What was life like in an early Neolithic town? (daily life, homes, jobs, food, etc.)

4. What tools or technology did humans develop at this time?

5. What is a surplus? A scarcity? How did farming crops lead to a surplus?

6. How did trading start? Why is a surplus a necessary part of trade?

7. What does it mean for a village to have social classes?

8. What makes a civilization?

Barter Day!

As part of our study of ancient civilizations, students will be learning about the development of the first economies. Key concepts of this unit include surplus-scarcity, supply and demand, and trade; money was not used. To give students a clearer understanding of the concept of trading, or bartering, we will have “Barter Day” on Friday, December 16.

On Barter Day, students will become artisans in a marketplace and trade their “goods” with other students to learn about the challenges (and fun) of bartering. In the process, students learn about the importance of supply and demand and about competition in the marketplace.

To participate on Barter Day, students should look around the house for unwanted tacky knickknacks, trinkets, toys, or other junk treasure. The items that students bring in should be no more than can fit all together on a desk. The things that students bring in are for trading. Students should not bring in anything of value, or anything that is special to them. Some students choose to make “craftsy” items to trade. This is acceptable as long as the materials do not total more than $5.00 in cost.

Please note: Absolutely NO FOOD PRODUCTS.

Students should bring in their goods on Thursday, December 15th to prevent anyone from forgetting and being left out on Barter Day. Students must bring something in order to participate.
 

Some helpful vocabulary for understanding a barter economy:

Barter: To trade goods or services without the exchange of money

Surplus: An amount, quantity, greater than is needed

Scarcity: Insufficiency of amount or supply; shortage

Trade: The act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging goods within a country or between countries: domestic trade; foreign trade (2.) A purchase or sale; business deal or transaction (3.) An exchange of items, usually without payment of money

Knickknack: an ornamental trinket or gimcrack; a bit of bric-a-brac 

Your Iceman Article

In class, we've been working on creating an article about the Ice Man, including your inferences about his life, death, and the world in which he lived. We will continue working on it in class, and the final report is due next week. Here is the assignment:

Iceman Article

Be a National Geographic Writer!

To write this article, I want you to pretend that you are a National Geographic journalist.  Your job is to report all of the important information about our mummified friend, and to educate people on what it all means.  You need to connect all the artifacts that I show you and the information you learn from the video, and come up with your own inferences about Iceman’s life and death.

Outline for the Article

Cover (optional)-
You may have an interesting cover for your article (like a National Geographic cover) including:
Heading - Name, date, block
Title

1-2 Paragraph
Explain your inference about Iceman’s life.  Use the artifacts as the evidence to prove your inference.  Write about each of the artifacts that help support your inference.  Remember, with enough support, your ideas are just as useful and important as any other scientist.

Writing Skills                            _____/ 20
(10 pts)    
Voice 

• Formal voice (uses 3rd person)
• No questions

Organization 

• Opening sentence
• Concluding sentence
• Indent paragraph

Ideas
(5pts) 

• Make an inference about Iceman’s life 
• Use 3-5 details to support your inference

Conventions 
(5pts)

• Proper punctuation
• Proper capitalization
• Proper spelling

Note taking                                   _____/ 10
(10 pts)

• Notes are neat, legible and make sense
• Summarizes important information

Professionalism                            _____/ 10
(2 pts)

• Works well with classmates

(5 pts)

• Heading- Name, date, block
• Title
• Hands the paragraph in on time

(3 pts)

• 12 point font
• Plain text
• Double spaced

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." This was the first line of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress after the United States was attacked by imperial Japan, and almost 3,000 Americans died.

The attack at Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II on the side of the Allies. Four years later, the German and Japanese were defeated, the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and several million people perished in Europe and Asia.

It is so important for us today to keep in mind the significance of Pearl Harbor:

• That every day there are men and women in the armed forces who are willing to fight and die for our freedom.
• That governments based on fascism, repression, militarism, and racism are dangerous to people who love liberty.
• That it is important to stand up to what is wrong, and fight for what is right.
• That most of the veterans of Pearl Harbor, and of World War II, have left us and it is so important to remember their experiences.
• That the sacrifices of previous generations have allowed us to live in freedom and security today.

The following is the entire text of FDR's speech from that day:

To the Congress of the United States:
Yesterday, December 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State of form reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government had deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces -- with the unbounded determination of our people -- we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
The White House, December 8, 1941
 
For more information about Pearl Harbor, check here.

More about Otzi the Iceman!

Here's a series of interesting videos about Otzi the Iceman from the BBC in England. even though the video was made in 1993, only two years after the Iceman was found, it still has some good information. Some of the science has improved, and you'll be interested to see how scientists' conclusions about the Iceman have changed since then. It turns out they were completely WRONG about how he died!

Also, here's a bit more on Otzi's tattoos if you're interested in knowing how he got them.

Iceman Notes

To help you in your research, here are the notes and evidence about Ice Man that we used in class.

Iceman’s Remains

Missing his hair, fingernails and toenails, and an outer layer of skin, the Iceman is otherwise perfectly preserved (mummified). The one surviving fingernail recovered from his remains suggests that he suffered three episodes of significant disease during the last six months of life. His last meal included venison and bread. He was about 46 years old, five feet two (1.6 meters), 110 pounds (50 kilograms), and infested with whipworm. A sharpened piece of stone, probably flint, had made a half-inch gash in the Iceman's left subclavian artery—a gash in this artery can be deadly. Through C-14 dating they determined that Iceman died 5,300 years ago. They also know he had 57 tattoos at acupuncture points on his back, right knee, calves, and ankles.

Iceman’s Copper Axe

The handle was made of a very strong wood.  The blade was made of copper that had been melted and poured into a mold.  There was “wheat sheen” on the blade.  They originally thought the axe was from 4,000 years ago (the Copper Age) but it’s actually 5,300 years old.

Iceman’s Quiver

The quiver was made from deer fur.  The quiver’s strap and supporting strut were broken.  The bow that he carried was not finished.  The quiver contained 12 arrows, only 2 of them finished.  The finished arrows had flint arrowheads, wooden shafts, and feathers of a large brownish bird.  The feathers were attached by birch tar and long strings of sheep’s wool.  

Iceman’s Belt and Pouch

The Iceman’s belt was made from a 4- to 5 cm-wide strip of calf’s leather. A dagger was found on the belt with a handle of ash wood and a blade of flint, the Iceman's dagger measures five inches (13 centimeters) from top to bottom.

In the pouch were several items, including 2 fungus balls on straps, 3 different sized pieces of flint, and a pencil-like splinter made from goat or sheep bone.  There were also a couple of sloe berries in the pouch which grow from a bush that is found below the mountains, and are ready to eat after the first frost. 

Iceman’s Clothing

Iceman’s coat was made of the hide of a domestic goat. The hemispherical bearskin cap was found near Iceman’s head.  Like nearly all the clothing items, it was made of several hide strips stitched together. The cap, which was worn with the fur side out, was extremely well preserved. The shoes consist of an inner and outer part.  The inner shoe is composed of grass netting. Its purpose was to hold hay in place, which served as insulation material. The outer part is made of deerskin. Both parts – the grass netting and the leather upper – are fastened to an oval-shaped sole made of bearskin by means of leather straps.

Ötzi the Iceman!

One day about 5,300 years ago a man left a small village in the Italian Alps. He might have been selling flint to other Neolithic settlements on the northern side of the mountains, in what is Austria today. However, his journey took a tragic turn when he got caught in a nasty snow drift and died. In 1991 a couple of hikers came across the body sticking out of a melting glacier and called for help. A group of archaeologists took the body back to the University of Innsbruck in Austria, and "Otzi" became an instant celebrity.

After some intensive studies and examination of the Iceman and his belongings, archaeologists have learned a great deal about the Chalcolithic period of European history. Just try busting that word out at a party: Chalcolithic! It's just a smart word to describe the period of time when people were using both stone and copper tools. That's why it is also known as the Copper Age.

The most interesting thing about the Iceman is that he had wonderfully preserved examples of Copper Age tools and equipment with him like a bow and quiver full of arrows, a copper-headed axe, boots and a waterproof cape made of grass, and several kinds of food. In fact, by examining his stomach and intestines, scientists were able to find out that his last couple of meals consisted of meat from a red deer, some fruit, nuts, and grain grown locally in the region of Italy today called Sudtirol.

From his bones and hair, the scientists studying Iceman also learned much about his life. First, he seemed to be about 45 years old and used to climbing and living in the mountainous environment of the Alps. His joints showed the wear and tear of someone living in a pretty high and rugged place. He even had a spot of frostbite on his pinky toe. Iceman's hair showed a large amount of both copper particles and arsenic, a poisonous substance. In making copper tools, Iceman would have ground up a green rock called Malachite, then heated it to 1,100 degrees Celsius to smelt out the copper inside of it. Arsenic comes from the smoke of a copper-smelting operation, and Iceman seems to have been around quite a lot.

Interestingly, the Iceman also had 57 tattoos on various parts of his body. Besides being a decoration, these tattoos were used by prehistoric people to heal sickness and relieve pain.

Further study has shown signs of a more violent death for the Iceman than just dying in a snow drift. There have been findings of stab wounds from an arrow on Otzi's shoulder, a cut on his thumb, and even other people's blood on a couple of his weapons. Lately, there has been evidence that he also suffered a nasty whack on the head. He may have been fighting for his life when he died.

If you're interested in learning more about the Iceman, check some photo scans here.

Or, if you want to take a trip to Italy and see the Iceman up close and in person--check out the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano.

Or check out a full length movie about the Iceman's life and times here

Here are your questions to think about:

1.       What the heck was he doing in the Alps?

2.       How did he die? Was it a violent death?

3.       What was his daily life like?

4.       What did he eat?

5.       What were his tools made of?

6.       What were some dangers he faced?

7.       Why do scientists have different theories about how he died?