Does anyone know about any scholarly research on the Austrian Novara expedition, particularly in relation to art?

Dear All,

I am interested in your MBA pottery.

Best,

My research focuses on the Alexander von Humboldt atlas pittoresque du voyage: "Vues des Cordillères". I am interested in the history and uses of "atlas", and how the concept "atlas" plus "pittoresque" set up a new way of travelling in an artistic manner in the nineteenth-century, encouraging the connection between artists and scientists.

Botticelli's "Primavera" has been repeatedly analysed wrt hidden messages and current thinking is that it was a visual representation of Marsilio Ficino's neoplatonic theory directed to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' medici's presented around the time of his wedding to Semiramide, presumably as an exhortation to pursue the good.

But what would Semiramide make of it? It was apparently displayed in the ante room to Lorenzo's private rooms - she must have seen it frequently if not on a daily basis. Was there a message in it that she could see?  Her first betrothal to Lorenzo's cousin Giuliano was aborted by his assassination in the Pazzi conspiracy that precipitated a war in which her family and the Medici were on opposing sides. Four years later is married into one of the most powerful  families in Europe's cadet branch. She must have been terrified! 

What happened to her? How did she cope?

The results of 2016 expedition of N. Shakhova and I. Semiletov group in East Siberian Sea were published in March 2017. From drilled samples they concluded that the subsea permafrost melts up to 15 to 20 cm pro year. They observed the methane emissions with the largest flows in range of more than 1 kg/m2 daily. They estimate that the entire surface with similar emissions occupies already 10 % of East Siberian Sea, that means from 50.000 to 200.000 km2.

If the hotspots include 10 % of the entire ESAS surface, 200.000 km2 and on this surface, at the estimated quantities 1 kg/m2, we calculate annually emissions, we get 70 Gton. This is today 14 times more in one year, as it is (it should be) the entire methane quantity in the atmosphere (5 Gton). At lower surface margin we get approx. 20 Gton.

And if we stay at before 5 years measured real 200 g/m2, this gives on the estimated hotspot surface 5 times smaller annual quantity of emission, 14 Gton. Already this is almost 3 times of the entire "current official" methane quantity in atmosphere (IPCC).

Take into account that methane is in short time, because its atmosphere concentrations are only rising, 150 times stronger as CO2, and that these today's emissions are already doubling the entire Earth's greenhouse effect. The only solution to save the life on this planet, is to prevent these emissions, to capture them, to use THIS METHANE instead all other fossil energy. How much time do we have ??

I would like to know more about your research with the aim of studying the possibility of sharing information, papers, and perhaps in the future, to develop research together.

When investigating past events and in the case of more than one ("competing") explanation being given to understand a historical event, is it valid to apply Occam´s Razor? In the sense, not of choosing the simpler explanation (which I think is an erroneous interpretation of the use of the Razor), but of choosing the simpler explanation given that it explains equally well the outcome than more complicated, competing hypotheses.

For example, if historical subject "X" promotes event "E" to happen and two explanations compete:

1) "X" wanted "E" to happen

2) "X" did not want "E" to happen, but was somehow forced to make it happen.

And no final proof is available to choose between both explanations.

Can we reject 2) based on Occam´s principle?

Thanks a lot!

Is there any reason to use vocabulary like syntax to get at how we use art vocabulary in teaching and learning in the classroom? Is it useful to delineate 'language demands' with language function, syntax, discourse with visual arts education students?

The provenience of this "artifact" is completely unknown. However it's owner (an aspiring anthropology student) has asked for my assistance in helping him identify it.

I have no particular expertise in numismatics (certainly none in the ancient coinage of the Orient or the Levant from where the symbology may originate) and defer this question to experts who are doubtlessly here, who may view this question.

My guesses, so far, are that the main elements on the obverse (the "gamboling" young bullock, the 7 circles which MAY possibly be interpreted as "eyes," and the upthrust phallus-shaped tail of the bullock) may all be symbols alluding to the Canaanite god Baal (as in the one referred to in the Bible as a "golden calf"). If this was a genuine ancient bronze "hammered" coin, it is amazingly [almost unbelievably so] "centered" [so it appears most likely cast]. It has had a suspension-loop attached (soldered on) at a later date (perhaps by a modern jeweler), which may also account for the tooling marks seen on a small portion of the edge (that at first glance appear possibly to be the machined "reeding" of modern coins, but since it is not continuous, may also be simply the marks made by the jaws of a vice that gripped the item securely whilst the loop was attached)?

In any case, the verso is not as well-preserved, but appears to have some type of inscription [or perhaps eight ideograms arranged around the central yin-yang like element] that I do not recognize. Do you recognize this as script or ideograms that project specific meanings?

In your opinion, is this pendant a genuine ancient amulet, or is it a modern production?