Gardening Notes

 The first hole I dug in the lawn I hit a nest of red ants. The workers were swarming about and the embryo ants who had never experienced daylight were squirming in their egg sacks, so I said "Sorry, chaps,", filled the hole back up and replaced the turf.

I was planting climbing shrubs. We bought five of them on Tuesday- four wisteria and a honeysuckle. I managed to install a couple before deciding it was just too hot for any more digging. We had a thunderstorm in the night and the newly planted wisteria stayed upright so that's a relief. I need to try to get the others planted today.

I know I said I'd leave the garden alone and see what developed, but...

Out front the woody, scabby rose bush I cut right back down to the ground has put out new growth. I don't particularly like roses (they have lovers enough, they don't need me as well) but I do admire resilience- and this one has gained my respect. 

The Settled Science Unsettled

 The story is told (and is probably true) of the distinguished archaeologist who was asked to take a look at the newly discovered megalithic site at Gobekli Tepe in southern Turkey. He was told that all the readings were coming up with dates around 11,000 years ago. "That can't be the case," he said- or words to that effect- *Because we know for a fact that human civilisation is only 5,000 years old. Your readings must be wrong." And with that he walked away from the most sensational archaelogical discovery of recent years.

I've been watching a video about Karahan Tepe- a similar site in the same area- on which the archaeologists have only just begun working. It's the same age,constructed along the same lines- with huge "T" shaped pillars carved out of the bedrock- and the effort and skill that went into its construction are breathtaking...

We know nothing about the culture that produced these monuments- except that they were flourishing at the end of the last Ice Age, when the old paradigm had our ancestors running about in skins going "Ugh!"

We thought we knew about the human past. Only we didn't. There's so much still to learn...