Unusual Vessels

Unusual Vessels is perfect for anyone interested in the sea and the craft that sail on it. The strange vessels discussed here are just a few of the more curious craft that the author, Jeff Markell, has come across - some he has sailed on, some he has only seen, and some only learned about from others. Ranging in size, color, purpose, and historical significance, the ships described in this book will fascinate sailors and spectators like.

The Chalcolithic period in Cyprus has been known since Porphyrios Dikaios’ excavations at Erimi in the 1930s and through the appearance in the antiquities market of illicitly acquired anthropomorphic cruciform figures, often manufactured from picrolite, a soft blue-green stone. The excavations of the settlement and cemetery at Souskiou Laona reported on in this volume paint a very different picture of life on the island during the late 4th and early 3rd millennia BC. Burial practices at other known sites are generally single inhumations in intramural pit graves, only rarely equipped with artifacts. At Souskiou, multiple inhumations were interred in deep rock-cut tombs clustered in extra-mural cemeteries. Although the sites were also subjected to extensive looting, excavations have revealed complex multi-stage burial practices with arrangements of disarticulated and articulated burials accompanied by a rich variety of grave goods. Chief among these are a multitude of cruciform figurines and pendants. This unusual treatment of the dead, which has not been recorded elsewhere in Cyprus, shifts the focus from the individual to the communal, and provides evidence for significant changes involving kinship group links to common ancestors. Excavations at the Laona settlement have furnished evidence suggesting that it functioned as a specialised center for the procurement and manufacture of picrolite during its early phase. The subsequent decline of picrolite production and the earliest known occurrence of new types of ornaments, such as faience beads and copper spiral pendants, attest to important changes involving the transformation of personal and social identities during the first centuries of the 3rd millennium BC, a topic that forms a central theme of this final report on the site.

This book is the first comprehensive history of how the 1:1200 scale and its 1:1250 continental equivalent became accepted as the modern standard for miniature ship models. The origins can be traced back to the first years of the twentieth century and their use as identification aids by the military during the First World War, but when peace came the manufacturers aimed their increasingly sophisticated products at collectors, and acquiring, modifying or scratch-building miniature ship models has been an avidly pursued hobby ever since. This book charts the commercial rise and fall of the manufacturers, and the advancing technology that produces ever more detailed and accurate replicas. The author - himself a lifetime collector and builder of models - looks at the products of each manufacturer, past and present, rating their quality and suggesting why some are regarded as more collectible than others. But the book deals with more than off-the-shelf models, covering subsidiary issues like painting, modifying and diorama settings, and is illustrated throughout with many of the finest examples of the genre. The combination of fascinating background information with stunning visual presentation will make this book irresistible to any collector or enthusiast.

Throughout the ages vessels have been made not only for functional purposes, but also for creative expression. We see priceless examples of these vessels in museums, all made from natural substances. In modern times, this type of artistry has largely been replaced with disposable vessels made from synthetic materials. Tucson artist Edwin K. Hill has dedicated thirty years of his life to changing this. He has helped bring the Southwest into the artistic world by creating unique vessels inspired by and made from the natural surroundings of Southern Arizona. With this colorful, step-by-step guide, you too can create amazing vessels from nature. About the Author Dr. Hill lived his early childhood on a dry land ranch, assembling complicated contraptions from the boneyard of retired farming equipment and constructing carpentry projects that utilized scraps of wood and rusty nails. School opened up new vistas for him as he learned to work with power tools and a variety of new materials and developed his artistic awareness. Entering college at Eastern Washington University with a basketball scholarship in his pocket and a dream of engineering in mind, he soon found his way to the industrial arts department. There was little doubt in the direction of his future when it became clear that he could continue his love affair with hands-on creations and enjoy the benefits of the education profession. Throughout his career he taught industrial arts and education at all levels, from elementary grades through university graduate study. His masters and doctorate degrees, both from Washington State University, are in education. His unique vessels have been shown in numerous galleries across the country.

An alternative history of Roman Britain

Includes section "Book Reviews".

This volume presents Santley's final synthesis of the evolution of Mesoamerican civilization in the Tuxtla Mountains of southern Veracruz, Mexico.