Saturday Trivia

The New KonTiki

Some scientists will go to amazing lengths to prove a theory. Botanist and archaeologist Dominique Görlitz is no exception. He's setting sail to cross the Atlantic -- against the wind -- in a reed boat.

Long before Columbus or the Vikings ever set foot on American soil, Stone-Age man made regular trans-Atlantic trips in reed-hulled sailboats, according to Görlitz' theory. The ancient mariners could have established trade routes between the Americas, Europe and Africa by making use of the Gulf Stream and prevailing winds as many as 14,000 years ago. To test his theory, the 40-year-old German, accompanied by 11 volunteers, will attempt the journey of over 6,000 kilometers, setting sail in the Abora 3, a 41-foot-long (12.5-meter), 12-foot-wide (3.7-meter) boat made completely out of reeds and rope, from New York on July 11 and hoping to land in Spain within 65 days. . . .

Görlitz said he believes the discovery of tobacco beetles and cocaine -- native to the Americas -- in the Egyptian tombs of Ramses II and Tutankhamen, both of whom lived around 1300 B.C., along with the Stone-Age cave drawings of boats and ocean currents founds near Gibraltar strongly support the idea that trans-Atlantic trade occurred long before Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492.

Illuminated 4 ft mummy
You have to love it:

This visible day and night illuminated 4 foot mummy has a special silk screened surface of highly-reflective material that fills-out the frame, making it visible day or night. This mummy is outlined by 100 clear white lights that are crafted from bulbs rated for 3,000 hours of use, and are securely attached to the rust- and weatherproof frame.
This 4 foot mummy will fold flat for storage.

Fiction Book Review: Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Nefertiti tells the story of a powerful woman's rise and fall in Ancient Egypt. Through the eyes of her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, we are introduced to a young Nefertiti, destined to one day become a powerful ruler. Beautiful beyond compare and power-hungry, Nefertiti is a fascinating character. As the pages turn her actions become more outrageous and you begin to realize that power is everything and whoever controls the throne has the power.

Nefertiti marries Prince Akhenaten, who has come into line for the throne with the suspicious death of his older brother. Akhenaten is a reckless unstable young man and Nefertiti is chosen by his mother to sway Akhenaten away from some of his more disastrous views. He believes that there should only be one god in Egypt and that the Pharaoh should be his only voice, not some priests in a temple. Suspicious of
everyone, including his parents, Akhenaten is determined to alter Egypt’s destiny.

See the above pages for more.