Pertinax

The Hyperstyle? the largest Religious site on earth. Youve seen it in films many times, I think Indy has visited! It is at Karnak adjacent to El-Uxor (luxor) in Egypt. Googling will give you the info.

ok its on the list-and your reason for the nomination please.

I was agonising over that myself-an empty and bare egyptian tomb would be a lot less use without its contents,but the Hyperstyle Hall is significant as the biggest religious site ever built, its parts pregnant with meaning: so you might have answered your own question by voicing the doubt!

20 greatest "lost" items before 1900CE one nomination per customer- 1. The Exoteric works of Aristotle 2. The Ark of the Covenant. 3. Pytheas of Massalia's description of Northern Europe 4. Marcellinus' first 13 books. 5.The Chest containing the Eluesian Mysteries. 6.The Rhodian Colossus. 7.The Sybelline Books. 8. the Pro-Cato of Cicero

Hyperstyle Hall Karnak

the megalith builders must have had serious technological capabilities ,you just cant throw things together on that scale at that time without using water to get around.I wasnt implying Roman trepidation only disinclination,a case of use a road to do it properly and put down "hard markers" in territorial terms. Surely the Carthaginians have the pedigree to have a go at such a big undertaking, or stay alive in circumstances beyond their control? I still have asneaky feeling about the celt-iberians.Any gene residues ever been detected? and I say no to the Libyans-good in a brawl but maybe not that far from home.

Which Monarch had his wisest courtiers produce a phrase to settle all linear arguments? I believe it was someone near Eastern- the longbeards came up with the goods though , they said " and this to will pass away" to describe any situation,tyranny or work of man.

ok 1.Ebers Papyrus -the basis of Egyptian medical knowledge from 1552 BCE oldest extant medical document. 2. ill cogitate on my nomination for "lost" category , ill put forward one item and assume others will do likewise , I therefore claim the privelige to rank these items! 3.do we proceed also with buildings or perhaps llimit to say inscriptions as part of the fabric of a building? also as Pantagathus might nominate perhaps a seagoing vessel ,would that be an "artefact"? 4. bit late id say -I was thinking that Longbows Sutton Hoo helmet might be a "modern" artifact -because some members might be seduced by technological items. ok ive thought-for lost: the exoteric works of Aristotle -beat that!

and what timelines should we adhere to? what is modern and excluded?

Ok -so whose maritime/transport/exploratory technology was up to the trip? I presume you were thinking Carthage, Iberians and Celts as leaders in the field? and the Irish monks as inheritors of celtic technology? You are the seadog ,do you think the Romans would have tried out of sheer force of personality versus alleged disinclination?

Yes, the object must exist today. Buildings and monuments are also excluded (but worth it's own thread). I edited whilst you were replying! so Ebers Papyrus says I, and if building nominations are being taken I say The House of the Vetii

The items must be extant? not say for example particular famous texts destroyed in the fire at Alexandria? Surely Indy would risk his neck for the Ebers papyrus?

Wilhelmina Jashemski's "Pompeian Herbal" arrived early today so Galen got put to one side for a while ,its(the herbal) given me a lot of useful links from ancient to modern usage, its a reference manual style work and probably too specialised for general use ( seems to be a theme for my reading matter).I can now take a step back and look again at Pliny and Dioscorides with a clearer perception. I see that the Jashemski also collaborated on th "Natural History of Pompeii" , a seriously expensive work which though I covet, I do not feel able to spend 105 pounds sterling on-do any members possess this worthy though obscenely expensive volume?

Rome is the Light

Well, as sad as it is, at least he knew who they were He ( the tramp) was less good on Loyola and "On The Imitation of Christ", getting very angry he said " why the hell should anyone want to imitate him?"

It looks rather Hellenic to me-small items of a durable nature could I assume travel far over a long period of time by sheer inadvertence, even to the remotest of cultures. As to its late inhumation -could it have been a prized "foreign" antique of great value?

Nothing is as indestructible as stupidity reminds me of what George Orwell said in "Down and out in Paris and London"-he described one of the London tramps as having ignorance that was "limitless and appalling"; the man had no idea if Christ had lived before or after Napoleon.

Do not be feint hearted, this means the determination of a suitable marriage partner by a virtuous maiden-by signs , omens, portents or chance .In contemporary society speed dating would be the method .Or possibly an internet chatroom. The modern methods whilst more direct lack mystique.

I was amused to see how the history of Hypericum herb seems to reflect on the cultures that employed it (gallery-roman herbal) . The Romans went for no-nonsense kidney problem usage,the "Modern" world uses it mostly as an anti-depressant but in Medieval times it was the bane of Witches( St John preaching in the Wilderness whereof Satan dwelt). http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/st_johns_eve...icum.html -gives some simple info. I particularly enjoyed its usage in the prognostication of marriage. Dioscorides suggests use for sciatica and kidney problems, Mithridates used it in his daily quest to avoid poisoning,though we do not know the full recipe he employed. I also noted that the Ulmus Fulva I used the other day (a mucilage and wound dressing) is burnt by witches to "prevent gossiping" :fish: Terrible waste of a good salve.

Id like to bring this thread up to date-the "dung" theme might have been appropriate in earlier times but the abortifactant of choice in Imperial Rome was Atemisia absinthum (wormwood) as a suppository being both abortifactant and spermicidal.This is in everyday use in Britain as a stomachic and purgative and is a highly effective anthelmintic (worm killer-hence the name).Wormwood became the basis for Absinthe and the reason for that drink being so melancholic in action was because thujone was present in concentrated quantities,nowadays a thujone free extract can be made so its ok to drink Absinthe again(Pantagathus please note).It is excellent for digestion but the dose is very small. There are several biblical references to this plant. http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe_faq.shtml gives the low down

Thank you again. I would like to comment further when I have composed my thoughts-I have some observations about medication, emotional stress and combat fatigue that will take a little while to compose. and I would add that "natural healing" is only what you would do if you were obliged to live by your wits amidst nature. (also do any forum members know of a book called "sacred plant wisdom" its a native american work unavailable here?)

Thank you very much-I had forgotten "The Eagle of the Ninth" ! But I will read it again.