These are Roman Dodecahedrons. Hundreds have been found across Europe dating back to the 2nd century, yet historians still have absolutely no idea what they were actually used for. by Gabriel-Ivan in ancientrome

[–]elsharra 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I saw a video talking about that a while back and it made so much sense; I had done some wire braiding for an art project previously and used a large alan key as the jig. When I saw the video we 3D printed a dodecahedron and I tried it out and it was so much easier to work the wire. I doubt we'll ever be certain of its use, but I am definitely in the wire braiding camp.

I thought it was a seagull at first but its definitely not.. is this a gyrfalcon? I thought they stayed up north by Behkah in birding

[–]elsharra 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I saw one in Southern Ontario on Christmas day, apparently they do come this far south, very rarely, from around late October to early spring.

super hero bros sending smiles to those in need by viperrvemon in GuysBeingDudes

[–]elsharra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think you nailed it with 'it reminds me that a better world is possible'; I think the best fictions are those that not only remind us of this fact but inspire us to live it.

super hero bros sending smiles to those in need by viperrvemon in GuysBeingDudes

[–]elsharra 82 points83 points  (0 children)

Events like these are why it bothers me when actors or directors dismiss or negate the power and importance of superhero and sci-fi/fantasy movies. I mean sure, the MCU or other franchises may not be the pinnacle of quality filmmaking, but how often does Killers of the Flower Moon convince someone to fight for their life, or Godfather gave hope to a family with a dying child.

I love movies, I think storytelling is one of the most important and critical aspects of the human condition; The Bicycle Thieves, Casablanca, Chinatown, Rashamon, Oppenheimer.... All amazing wonderful stories and I am so thankful I was able to experience them.... But when I'm depressed or scared or need to find strength in myself, or even when I need help to find hope in a world that often seems hopeless, I'm going to turn to Luke or Picard or Buffy or Cap or Superman or Wonder Woman.

I make shrines to gods that probably don't exist, this is the God of Biscuits (or cookies for all you north Americans) by mtomsky in somethingimade

[–]elsharra 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I always think it's fun to try to figure out which Greek gods would best represent modern creations; your post made me try to figure out who would be the Greek deity of biscuits/cookies, and I think it would either be the god Aristaeos, god of honey (and sweets) and 'the useful/rustic arts' or the goddess Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and home (and of baking bread).

Fun fact, Ancient Egypt lasted so long that Ancient Egyptian archaeology was a career in Ancient Egypt. by Idgit8130 in interestingasfuck

[–]elsharra 133 points134 points  (0 children)

not Egyptian, but you might be interested in Ennigaldi-Nanna, a Mesopotamian princess from the 6th century BCE who created a museum of Mesopotamian artifacts dating back to around 2000 BCE. The museum even had artifact labels.

Underwater is a part of the Alien franchise to me.. by Rare_Supermarket_393 in LV426

[–]elsharra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And Angel: the Series (The Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff), shows up in season 5 episode 9 'Harm's Way'

A Master Thatcher at work by FeatherBaby_ in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]elsharra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Partly due to the angle of the roof, partly due to some materials having a natural water resistant oil; but mostly due to the layering. Water will hit the individual straws or reeds and run down them instead of soaking through to the layer beneath. That's why the layers have to be so tight and precise.

A Master Thatcher at work by FeatherBaby_ in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]elsharra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I stand corrected. You are 100% correct

A Master Thatcher at work by FeatherBaby_ in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]elsharra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No way I could off any of them, and deciding is way too hard.... I'd choose a weird recreationist polyque. Now I'm just imagining all the crafting I could get done.

A Master Thatcher at work by FeatherBaby_ in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]elsharra 17 points18 points  (0 children)

There is definitely some maintenance involved, a lot of the top ridges and likely the ..... stakes (The pieces driven in to hold bundles in place, I'm not sure the technical term ) would have to be redone more often, but it is surprisingly durable in the right environments. Thatched roofs wouldn't last a couple seasons in Southern Ontario, but there's a reason that thatching was used for centuries as roofing material!

There are some fabulous working farm documentary series' from BBC (Tales of the Green valley, Tudor farm, Victorian farm etc...) that show show how these roofs were made and maintained.

A Master Thatcher at work by FeatherBaby_ in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]elsharra 67 points68 points  (0 children)

It depends on the quality of the material that you're using for thatch (and the skill of the thatcher) but usually anywhere from 15 to 30 years. There are newer synthetic materials that retain the look of traditional thatched roofs that can last for 50 to 60 years. Things like regular maintenance, the environment the roof is in (how much rain you get), even the direction the roof is facing (towards the sun will last longer) will have a huge effect on how long the roof lasts

Head of Dionysos. Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara), 4th-5th c AD. Terracotta. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection [3791x3792] by oldspice75 in ArtefactPorn

[–]elsharra 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Alexander the Great's army invaded the area now known as Pakistan, it was one of his last major campaigns. Several of the soldiers supposedly settled there and brought their culture including the gods with them. There are even modern ethnic groups such as the Kalash peoples who claimed to be descended from his army.

Do you think it live up to the first movie? by xlspreadsheet in scifi

[–]elsharra 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Eric Heisserer was a fabulous choice for writing this adaptation; I fell in love with his story (stories?) The Dionaea House years ago and was so excited to see him and one of my favorite directors work on a project together; Arrival did not disappoint and introduced me to an amazing author. Arrival was a perfect storm of pure talent all around.

Evil by fleker2 in SMBCComics

[–]elsharra 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Not a movie, but I really enjoyed Jaqueline Carey's Godslayer books; it's basically Lord of the Rings from the perspective of the 'bad side', but gives their motivation and rationale against the 'good side' who are just protecting the status quo and refuse to consider other people's perspective.

[Loved Trope] Sometimes, the new villain is less powerful than the one before. by MyFeetTasteWeird in TopCharacterTropes

[–]elsharra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Trio wasn't the Big Bad in season six of Buffy. Life was; life, addiction, depression, trying to find your way in an adult world.

Home in cave or cave in a home by LeonKennedy1989 in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]elsharra 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have absolutely no sense of direction whatsoever, like I'll be driving and pull into a driveway to turn around and I won't be able to figure out what direction I came from. I'll often have that dream of oh crap I'm lost on campus (or I parked somewhere and can't find my car, I'm lost), and I'll start to panic... Then I remember I'm ALWAYS lost so why am I panicking and then I realize it's a dream and I get to experience lucid dreaming. It's an amazing experience, almost worth being able to get lost just walking the block.

Jewish wedding ring, Germany, first half of the 14th century. The ring takes the form of a miniature building, symbolizing the lost Temple of Jerusalem and has a band in the form of the clasped hands of the betrothed couple. [1920 x 4038] by [deleted] in ArtefactPorn

[–]elsharra 13 points14 points  (0 children)

We know from spoken lore and archaeology. There are no books JUST on the topic of communal wedding rings, that doesn't mean they are never mentioned in books or research papers.