Members of the Northern Alliance at the Kabul Museum in 1995.

(EN) Historical item of the week⌛️

The Foot of Zeus

This fragment of a colossal statue of the Greek god Zeus sculpted around the 3rd century BC, may have belonged to a copy of the famous statue at Olympia. The foot was found in the temple of the god located in the archaeological site of Ai Khanoum, present-day Afghanistan. Alexandria Oxiana, was located there, one of the cities founded in the Greek expansion through Asia after the conquest of the Persian empire. Today it can be seen in the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul.

(Es) Objeto histórico de la semana⌛️

El pie de Zeus

Este fragmento de una estatua colosal del dios griego Zeus creada sobre el siglo III AC, quizá pertenecía a una copia de la famosa estatua de Olimpia. El pie fue encontrado en el templo del dios ubicado en el sitio arqueológico de Ai Janum, actual Afganistán. Allí se ubicaba Alejandría de Oxo, una de las ciudades fundadas en la en la expansión griega por Asia tras la conquista del imperio persa. Hoy puede verse en el Museo Nacional de Afganistán, en Kabul.

Silver rhyton crafted in Kabul, Afghanistan, circa 500-700 AD

from The Cleveland Museum of Art

Extremist fundamentalists of different religions seem to have more in common with each other than they do with moderates of the same faith. They are invariably intolerant control freaks who feel they have the right to impose their wills on others. MAGA Mike Johnson would fit in well with Iran's theocrats.

Since his fellow Republicans made him their leader, numerous articles have reported Johnson’s religiously motivated, far-right views on abortion, same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. But that barely scratches the surface. Johnson was a senior lawyer for the extremist Alliance Defending Fund (later the Alliance Defending Freedom) from 2002 to 2010. This is the organization responsible for orchestrating the 303 Creative v Elenis legal arguments to obtain a ruling from the supreme court permitting a wedding website designer to refuse to do business with gay couples. It also played a significant role in annulling Roe v Wade. The ADF has always been opposed to privacy rights, abortion and birth control. Now Roe is gone, the group is laying the groundwork to end protection for birth control. Those who thought Roe would never be overruled should understand that the reasoning in Dobbs v Jackson is not tailored to abortion. Dobbs was explicitly written to be the legal fortress from which the right will launch their attacks against other fundamental rights their extremist Christian beliefs reject. They are passionate about rolling back the right to contraception, the right to same-sex marriage and the right to sexual privacy between consenting adults. Johnson’s inerrant biblical truth leads him to reject science. Johnson was a “young earth creationist”, holding that a literal reading of Genesis means that the earth is only a few thousand years old and humans walked alongside dinosaurs. He has been the attorney for and partner in Kentucky’s Creation Museum and Ark amusement park, which present these beliefs as scientific fact, a familiar sleight of hand where the end (garnering more believers) justifies the means (lying about science). For them, the end always justifies the means. That’s why they don’t even blink when non-believers suffer for their dogma.

There was recently a big experiment in rejecting science with the far right campaigning against COVID-19 vaccinations. That may have cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the US. MAGA Mike would like to apply that to all sectors of life in the US.

Setting aside all of these wildly extreme, religiously motivated policy preferences, there is a more insidious threat to America in Johnson’s embrace of scriptural originalism: his belief that subjective interpretation of the Bible provides the master plan for governance. Religious truth is neither rational nor susceptible to reasoned debate. For Johnson, who sees a Manichean world divided between the saved who are going to heaven and the unsaved going to hell, there is no middle ground. Constitutional politics withers and is replaced with a battle of the faithful against the infidels. Sound familiar? Maybe in Tehran or Kabul or Riyadh. But in America?

By doing anything other than voting Democratic in an election (i.e. voting Republican, wasting a vote on a loser third party, writing in a dead gorilla, not voting at all) people help pave the way for a fascist theocracy in the US.

Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson is already second in line for the presidency. That is WAY too close.

Voting may not always be convenient but theo-fascism is far less convenient.

Clay sculpture, Hadda. From "Ancient Art from Afghanistan: Treasures from the Kabul Museum" by Benjamin Rowland, 1966. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpsyzcpNESw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Woodcut depicting twelve heroes of the Sikhs. Front row: Sher Singh, Ranjit Singh (blind left eye clearly shown), Dilip Singh, Maharani Jind Kaur(wife of Ranjit Singh). Second row: Dhian Singh, Gulab Singh, Sher Singh Atarivala, Chatar Singh Atarivala. Third row: Dina Nath, Moolraj Governor of Multan, Dost Mohammed (Ruler of Kabul), Phoola Singh of Amritsar. ca.1870 Currently held in the Victoria & Albert Museum

Marci A Hamilton: The new House speaker, Mike Johnson, knows how he will rule: according to his Bible. When asked on Fox News how he would make public policy, he replied: “Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.” But it’s taking time for the full significance of that statement to sink in. Johnson is in fact a believer in scriptural originalism, the view that the Bible is the truth and the sole legitimate source for public policy. He was most candid about this in 2016, when he declared: “You know, we don’t live in a democracy” but a “biblical” republic. Chalk up his elevation to the speakership as the greatest victory so far within Congress for the religious right in its holy war to turn the US government into a theocracy. Since his fellow Republicans made him their leader, numerous articles have reported Johnson’s religiously motivated, far-right views on abortion, same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. But that barely scratches the surface. Johnson was a senior lawyer for the extremist Alliance Defending Fund (later the Alliance Defending Freedom) from 2002 to 2010. This is the organization responsible for orchestrating the 303 Creative v Elenis legal arguments to obtain a ruling from the supreme court permitting a wedding website designer to refuse to do business with gay couples. It also played a significant role in annulling Roe v Wade.

The ADF has always been opposed to privacy rights, abortion and birth control. Now Roe is gone, the group is laying the groundwork to end protection for birth control. Those who thought Roe would never be overruled should understand that the reasoning in Dobbs v Jackson is not tailored to abortion. Dobbs was explicitly written to be the legal fortress from which the right will launch their attacks against other fundamental rights their extremist Christian beliefs reject. They are passionate about rolling back the right to contraception, the right to same-sex marriage and the right to sexual privacy between consenting adults. Johnson’s inerrant biblical truth leads him to reject science. Johnson was a “young earth creationist”, holding that a literal reading of Genesis means that the earth is only a few thousand years old and humans walked alongside dinosaurs. He has been the attorney for and partner in Kentucky’s Creation Museum and Ark amusement park, which present these beliefs as scientific fact, a familiar sleight of hand where the end (garnering more believers) justifies the means (lying about science). For them, the end always justifies the means. That’s why they don’t even blink when non-believers suffer for their dogma.

Setting aside all of these wildly extreme, religiously motivated policy preferences, there is a more insidious threat to America in Johnson’s embrace of scriptural originalism: his belief that subjective interpretation of the Bible provides the master plan for governance. Religious truth is neither rational nor susceptible to reasoned debate. For Johnson, who sees a Manichean world divided between the saved who are going to heaven and the unsaved going to hell, there is no middle ground. Constitutional politics withers and is replaced with a battle of the faithful against the infidels. Sound familiar? Maybe in Tehran or Kabul or Riyadh. But in America? When rulers insist the law should be driven by a particular religious viewpoint, they are systematizing their beliefs and imposing a theocracy. We have thousands of religious sects in the US and there is no religious majority, but we now have a politically fervent conservative religious movement of Christian nationalists intent on shaping policy to match their understanding of God and theirs alone. The Republicans who elected Johnson speaker, by a unanimous vote, have aligned themselves with total political rule by an intolerant religious sect.

[The Guardian]

The Empty House

Published in 1903, this was the first Holmes short story for a decade. Doyle had previously released - in a serial format - The Hound of the Baskervilles, which was set before "The Final Problem".

ACD had become Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by this point, honoured in the 1902 Coronation Honours, arguably for a pro-Boer War short work he wrote. That's what he believed in any event.

This is the first story in The Return of Sherlock Holmes and the second that we've covered - we did "The Second Stain" previously because Baring-Gould's chronology puts it quite early.

Park Lane, as I might have mentioned previously, is a highly desirable street and is the equivalent of Park Place on the London Monopoly board.

"Honourable" is the courtesy title used for the younger sons of earls; it's also used by most members of the House of Commons. Insert joke about politicians here.

Carstairs is a village in South Lanarkshire Scotland. It is best known in British railway circles as a major junction and the place where the London to Edinburgh & Glasgow sleeper is split up, a section for each destination.

Expanding bullets were also known as dum-dum bullets after the Indian city of Dum Dum where some of them were made. The hollow point is a more modern version. The nastier injuries that they cause led to their banning from use in warfare in the 1899 Hague Convention, but they remain legal for law enforcement use, it being argued there is less risk of harm to bystanders as the bullet will not pass through.

Baritsu is possibly a typo for Bartitsu, a martial art invented by Edward William Barton-Wright, an engineer who had spent three years living in Japan. Combining elements of boxing, cane fighting, jujitsu and Frence kickboxing, it faded into obscurity during the 20th century before making something of a small comeback in the 21st.

Mecca, then under Ottoman rule, is closed to non-Muslims and the Ahmadiyya movement (seen as heretics). Holmes likely followed some other Westerners by getting in disguised as a Muslim.

The "Khalifa" was Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, a figure who tried to set up an Islamic caliphate in Sudan and the surrounding area at this time (1893). He faced an Anglo-Egyptian invasion in 1896-1899, lost and then engaged in a final stand at the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat in October 1899. To make use of a famous phrase, the other side had Maxim guns and he did not; the battle was massively one-sided, resulting in his death.

The "Jew's harp" is a mouth harp. It's probably from Siberia.

"Journeys end in lovers' meetings" is from Twelfth Night.

A shikari is a big game hunter.

Charasiab was an 1879 battle between the British and Indian Army on one side, with Afghans on the other. The British used Gatling guns for the first time in anger and won, capturing Kabul shortly after.

Despatches refers to the fact that Moran's conduct in the battle was sufficiently brave or high quality to warrant a mention in the official report sent to London and usually published in The London Gazette, the official government journal of record. This still exists and is used to formally announce honours etc. like Arthur Conan Doyle's knighthood. Simply put, it is an official commendation - not a gallantry medal, but one may well follow.

The Scotland Yard Museum, historically known as the Black Museum and now the Crime Museum, is a collection of criminal artefacts used for teaching purposes. Located in the basement of the current New Scotland Yard (the third to use that name) it is not open to the public - only police officers are generally allowed in and need an appointment. The Metropolitan Police has a public museum in Sidcup, but this is also appointment only.

Ivory griffin and rider from Begram 1st-2nd C. CE. I wasn't sure exactly what civilization to attribute this to. The MET says likely "Indian" origin, but parts of India were owned by the Saka-Scythians at the time. This was located in Begram when it was owned by the Kushans. Afghanistan, Begram. Ivory; 11 7/8 in. (30 cm). National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul, 04.1.116. Photo: © Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet.

"Rearing dramatically, the composite creature that forms this bracket has the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the beak of a bird of prey. Known as a sardula in Indian art, this beast may be derived from the griffin of Greek and Roman art. While either tradition could have contributed this powerful animal to the repertory of the Begram ivories, the treatment of the female rider clearly points to India. Artistic traditions from India are also seen in the small figure supporting the front paws of the beast, one of the earth spirits known as yakshas, while the crocodile-like figure with the yawning mouth is the makara, which is symbolic of the powers of water."

-taken from MET Museum

Jewelry from the exhibition , Afghanistan - Hidden Treasures from the National Museum , Kabul. Part of the Bactrian Hoard, 2,000 years old.

pendant, found in a burial at Tilla Teoe. around 0 BC. now Kabul, National Museum.

Dominique Darbois

Dominique Darbois (1925-2014) was the daughter of a major specialist of Asian arts and a novelist. She participated in the Free French Forces during the Second World War in 1941. Being a member of the resistance and Jewish, she was arrested and imprisoned at the Drancy camp for two years. In 1944, she continued to fight against the occupiers and received the Resistance Medal. In 1945 France was liberated and Darbois left for Indochina via Shanghai. Although she was only twenty, she had already lived several lives. After the war ended, she came back to France and became the assistant of the French photographer Pierre Jahan, which prompted her career as a photographer.

In 1951, she organized an expedition to Amazonia and Guyana with Francis Mazière and Wladimir Ivanov, from which originated four publications: “Parana le petit Indien” (1952), “Les Indiens d’Amazonie” (1954), “Mission Tumuc-Humac” (1954), “Yanamalé village of the Amazon”. The first publication was translated into eight languages. She then began the collection "Enfants du monde” [Children of the world], a series of twenty volumes containing images and texts by Darbois herself. This collection offered a world tour not from an ethnographic standpoint but rather as a photographer committed to meet children in a world where not everyone was born equal. She surveyed over fifty countries.

If she spent only a few days in Mongolia in 1957, she actually stayed much longer in China during the Hundred Flowers period [during which the Communist Party encouraged its citizens to openly express their opinions of the communist regime]. Thanks to the French photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson – who photographed the last days of the political party Kuomintang in 1949 – she obtained a visa only a few people would get at that time. She accompanied an archaeological expedition that led her to photograph the Maijishan Grottoes in Gansu province as well as the Gobi Desert. She captured daily life in both cities and the countryside, while seizing traditions: acrobatics, games of chance, operas, puppets shows… and the new oil refineries around Lanzhou, oil wells around Yumen, political posters, and even the lives of prisoners in labour camps.

In 1960 she published “Les Algériens en guerre” [Algerian at war]. She completed reportage on the maquis and the training camps of the National Liberation Front [the socialist political party in Algeria] in Tunisia. This reportage was forbidden in France. Darbois was interested in the moving world and in ancient civilizations. She published “Kaboul, le passé confisqué. Trésors du musée de Kaboul, 1931-1965” [Kabul, the confiscated past. Treasures of the Kabul Museum, 1931-1965] (2002).

While she could have put aside her cameras, started to manage her archives, once again she committed herself to women in France and in Africa. She published then “Afrique, terre de femmes” [Africa, land of women] (2004) and “Terre d’enfants” [Children's Land] (2004), with a text written by Pierre Amrouche. This was her ultimate work

Written by Françoise Denoyelle

Friends in Kabul, 1970

Photographed by Schuyler Jones

Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

2013.3.7980

How Many More Times Will Joe Biden Mention This at the Podium This Year?

It’s got to the point where this can become a drinking game. Okay, that’s too much, but it’s certainly something that’s becoming so frequent that you could place a bet on FanDuel. This afternoon, the president delivered remarks about the CHIPS and Science Act at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse, New York. And somehow, he decided to thread his son’s death into the mix: 

You know, before I start, I want to take a moment to honor two officers who have already been mentioned — two fallen heroes who were killed in the line of duty this month: Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and — County Sheriff Department — and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen.  We pray for their loved ones, whose hearts have been broken.  You know, every time a police officer puts on that shield every morning, their husband or wife, whatever it is, their child worries about will they get that phone call — will they get that phone call.  I got one of those phone calls in a different circumstance — find out you’ve lost part of your soul, lost part of your heart. 

Ninety-nine percent of that was fine, but where does Beau Biden fit into all this? He could have simply honored the late Lt. Hoosock and Officer Jensen, who were shot and killed earlier this month; that would have been the right thing to do. Instead, Biden grief-peddled again, exploited his son’s death again, and misfired on the empathy play again. Beau died of brain cancer. 

Beau had time to say goodbye to his family—that’s the big difference. You can’t say that about the 13 American servicemen and women who were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul, nor the construction workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, or even fallen local law enforcement in New York. 

Biden is trying to play the empathy card, which has long been sent into the political abyss with his failed presidency, pervasive miscues, and the memory game. It was reported that Joe doesn’t know when Beau died, which is probably true, so he’s going to segue his son’s death into everything. I’m shocked it wasn’t rolled into this year’s Easter egg event at the White House. 

Biden has stretched dead Beau to its limit; it comes off as forced and exploitive now. It’s all part of the political circus that is the Biden presidency. He can’t get points off his dead son anymore, the GDP report today was abysmal, and Biden must kowtow to antisemites, the hordes of angry young voters taking over colleges regarding the war in Gaza, to keep his presidency alive. 

There’s a reason Joe ran twice and lost. Voters knew he wasn’t up for the job. A pandemic, among other things, allowed him to sneak in by accident, and we’re all paying for it.

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Things to Do in Afghanistan - Attractions & Tourist Spots

Certainly, Afghan Tours offers various attractions and tourist spots that showcase its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and historical significance. Here are some notable things to do and places to visit in Afghanistan:

Kabul: Explore the capital city, Kabul, and visit attractions such as the Kabul Museum, Kabul Zoo, and the historic Babur Gardens.

Herat: Discover the ancient city of Herat, known for its beautiful mosques, historical sites like the Herat Citadel, and vibrant bazaars.

Mazar-i-Sharif: Visit the Blue Mosque, also known as the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, one of the holiest sites in Afghanistan.

Bamiyan Valley: Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamiyan Valley, known for the giant Buddha statues (destroyed in 2001) and its stunning natural beauty.

Band-e Amir National Park: Enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Afghanistan's first national park, known for its stunning blue lakes and limestone formations.

Panjshir Valley: Experience the scenic beauty of the Panjshir Valley, famous for its emerald-green landscapes, mountains, and historical significance.

Khyber Pass: Visit the historic Khyber Pass, a mountain pass connecting Afghanistan with Pakistan, known for its strategic importance and ancient history.

Minaret of Jam: Explore the Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the tallest brick minarets in the world, located in a remote valley in western Afghanistan.

Gardens of Babur: Relax in the historic Gardens of Babur in Kabul, which were laid out by the Mughal emperor Babur in the 16th century and offer beautiful views of the city.

National Museum of Afghanistan: Learn about Afghanistan's rich history and culture by visiting the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, which houses a vast collection of artifacts dating back to ancient times.

Darul Aman Palace: Explore the ruins of Darul Aman Palace, a symbol of Afghanistan's turbulent history, located on the outskirts of Kabul.

Chakhcharan: Visit the town of Chakhcharan in Ghor Province, known for its scenic beauty, historic sites, and traditional Afghan culture.

Ghazni: Explore the city of Ghazni, which was once an important center of Islamic culture and is home to historical sites such as the Ghazni Minarets and the Citadel of Ghazni.

Safi Landmark Hotel Rooftop: Enjoy panoramic views of Kabul from the rooftop of Safi Landmark Hotel, offering a unique perspective of the city.

Food and Culture: Experience Afghan cuisine and culture by sampling delicious dishes like kebabs, qabuli pulao, mantu, and Afghan tea while interacting with friendly locals.

The painted clay sculpture from this monastery overlooking the Ghorband Valley may be dated in the seventh century A.D. or earlier. This chronology is based not only on the post-Gupta style of the statuary, but also on the finds of coins of the Hephthalite kings and the Sasanian Khusrau II (590-628). From "Ancient Art from Afghanistan: Treasures from the Kabul Museum" by Benjamin Rowland, 1966. https://www.instagram.com/p/CplI_O-tMDN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=