Making Eggshell Visible in the Archaeological Record John Stewart

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Making Eggshell Visible in the Archaeological Record John Stewart Making Eggshell Visible in the Archaeological Record John Stewart A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of York Archaeology October 2013 Abstract Despite its presence in many types of deposit, eggshell has long been a neglected archaeological resource. The difficulty of recovering the material, combined with analytical constraints on subsequent taxonomic identification, has led to systematic underuse. This thesis will begin to address this shortcoming by pursuing two main lines of research. First, a novel identification technique based on ZooMS (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) and peptide mass fingerprinting is developed for eggshell. The new technique is then applied to archaeological eggshell assemblages from Anglo-Scandinavian York and Norse-era sites in the northern and western isles of Scotland. This provides new insights into egg use in these locations during this period, and raises a range of new questions regarding the use of domestic and wild resources. Second, an investigation into patterns of diagenesis in the eggshell proteins which form the basis of the technique is conducted. The principal aims of this analysis are to explore the prevalent diagenetic processes affecting eggshell proteins and amino acids, and thus to test whether it is possible to produce an estimate of the expected temporal span of the technique based on high-temperature diagenesis, and to establish the potential usefulness of the material for IcPD (intra-crystalline protein diagenesis) dating. The main outcomes of this study are (i) the development and successful application of a new taxonomic identification technique for archaeological eggshell; (ii) enhanced understanding of egg use during the Norse era in Scotland and Anglo-Scandinavian York; (iii) the observation that high-temperature diagenesis cannot be used to accurately predict peptide survival at archaeological deposition temperatures; and (iv) that avian eggshell is not a viable substrate for absolute dating using IcPD (although it may still prove useful for relative dating). 2 Table of Contents List of Figures ..................................................................................................... 15 List of Tables ...................................................................................................... 20 List of Additional Material ................................................................................. 22 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 22 Declaration ........................................................................................................ 25 Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................... 26 Section 1: Brief History of Egg Use ................................................................ 26 1.1.1: Introduction .................................................................................... 26 1.1.1.1: Overview ................................................................................. 26 1.1.1.2: Why do people use bird eggs? ................................................ 26 1.1.2: Collection and use of wild eggs in the past .................................... 27 1.1.3: Bird domestication and dispersal ................................................... 31 1.1.3.1: Overview ................................................................................. 31 1.1.3.2: Chicken domestication and dispersal ..................................... 31 1.1.3.3: Goose domestication and dispersal ........................................ 34 1.1.3.4: Duck domestication and dispersal .......................................... 36 1.1.4: Eggs in the archaeological record ................................................... 38 1.1.4.1: Preservation and recovery of eggshell.................................... 38 1.1.4.2: Identification of archaeological eggshell ................................ 39 1.1.4.3: Other applications of archaeological eggshell ........................ 41 1.1.4.4: Eggs in the archaeological record: future applications ........... 42 3 1.1.5: Conclusions on this section ............................................................ 43 Section 2: Eggshell Structure ........................................................................ 44 1.2.1: Overview: the amniotic egg............................................................ 44 1.2.2: Eggshell structure ........................................................................... 44 1.2.2.1: Basic structure ........................................................................ 44 1.2.2.2: Shell membrane ...................................................................... 45 1.2.2.3: Mammillary layer .................................................................... 46 1.2.2.4: Palisade layer, vertical crystal layer & cuticle ......................... 47 1.2.3: Conclusions on section 2 ................................................................ 48 Section 3: Biomineralisation & Eggshell Deposition ..................................... 49 1.3.1: Overview ......................................................................................... 49 1.3.2: Initial stages of crystallisation ........................................................ 51 1.3.2.1: The ACC phase ........................................................................ 51 1.3.2.2: Metastable vs. transiently stable ACC: roles of organic molecules and hydration ................................................................................... 52 1.3.3: Crystal nucleation ........................................................................... 53 1.3.3.1: Nucleation theory ................................................................... 53 1.3.3.2: Intra-crystalline proteins ......................................................... 54 1.3.4: Mineral deposition in eggshell ....................................................... 55 1.3.4.1: Overview ................................................................................. 55 1.3.4.2: Calcite deposition: roles of the organic fraction ..................... 56 4 1.3.4.3: Differences between eggshell and other mineralising systems ........................................................................................................................... 57 1.3.5: Conclusions on biomineralisation and eggshell deposition ........... 59 Section 4: Eggshell Proteins: Structure, Function & Diversity ...................... 60 1.4.1: Overview ......................................................................................... 60 1.4.2: Diversity of chicken eggshell proteins ............................................ 60 1.4.3: Eggshell proteins ............................................................................ 61 1.4.3.1: Proteins expressed in diverse bodily tissues .......................... 61 1.4.3.2: Egg-white and eggshell proteins ............................................. 62 1.4.3.3: Eggshell-specific proteins ........................................................ 63 1.4.3.4.1: C-type lectin proteins ........................................................... 65 1.4.3.4.2: Sequence homology and inter-relationships of CTL proteins ........................................................................................................................... 66 1.4.3.4.3: Roles of CTL proteins in eggshell deposition ....................... 68 1.4.3.5: Effects of sugars on protein form and function ...................... 69 1.4.4: Effects of eggshell proteins on calcite crystal morphology ............ 70 1.4.5: Conclusions ..................................................................................... 71 1.4.5.1: Conclusions on section 4 ......................................................... 71 1.4.5.2: Conclusions on chapter 1 ........................................................ 72 Chapter 2: Early experimental work .................................................................. 73 Section 1: Isolating an intra-crystalline protein fraction in eggshell ............ 73 2.1.1: Overview ......................................................................................... 73 5 2.1.1.1: Introduction ............................................................................ 73 2.1.1.2: Closed biomineral systems: ‘intra-crystalline’ proteins .......... 73 2.1.1.3: The importance of analysing a closed system ........................ 75 2.1.2: Methods ......................................................................................... 76 2.1.2.1: Overview ................................................................................. 76 2.1.2.2: Sample preparation: bleaching test ........................................ 77 2.1.2.3: Sample preparation: leaching test .......................................... 77 2.1.2.4: Demineralisation & rehydration ............................................. 78 2.1.2.5: Analysis by reverse-phase HPLC ............................................. 80 2.1.3: Results ............................................................................................ 83 2.1.3.1: THAA concentration ................................................................ 83 2.1.3.2: FAA concentration .................................................................. 85 2.1.3.3: THAA composition .................................................................. 85
Recommended publications
  • Green Lantern Corps: Reckoning Volume 6 Free
    FREE GREEN LANTERN CORPS: RECKONING VOLUME 6 PDF Bernard Chang,Van Jensen | 144 pages | 28 Jul 2015 | DC Comics | 9781401254759 | English | United States Green Lantern Corps: Reckoning (Volume) - Comic Vine Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Green Lantern Corps, Vol. Green Lantern Corps, Vol. The Green Lantern Corps is one of the strongest forces in the universe-they have to be in order to keep the peace across thousands of space sectors. But there are powers beyond this universe, and beyond anything the Corps has ever encountered. The Green Lanterns have taken on tyrants and monsters before…but even they are no match for gods. The New Gods of New Genesis are l The Green Lantern Corps is one of the strongest forces in the universe-they have to be in order to keep the peace across thousands of space sectors. Now, to rally his Corps to victory, John Stewart will have to become something more than just a Green Lantern. Collects issues Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. More Details Green Lantern Corps: Reckoning Volume 6 Editions 1. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Green Lantern Corps, Vol. Be the first to ask a question about Green Lantern Corps, Vol. Lists with This Book.
    [Show full text]
  • Reports on Completed Research for 2014
    Reports on Completed Research for 2014 “Supporting worldwide research in all branches of Anthropology” REPORTS ON COMPLETED RESEARCH The following research projects, supported by Foundation grants, were reported as complete during 2014. The reports are listed by subdiscipline, then geographic area (where applicable) and in alphabetical order. A Bibliography of Publications resulting from Foundation-supported research (reported over the same period) follows, along with an Index of Grantees Reporting Completed Research. ARCHAEOLOGY Africa: DR. JAMIE LYNN CLARK, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, received a grant in April 2013 to aid research on “The Sibudu Fauna: Implications for Understanding Behavioral Variability in the Southern African Middle Stone Age.” This project sought to gain a deeper understanding of human behavioral variability during the Middle Stone Age through the analysis of the Still Bay (SB; ~71,000 ya) and pre-SB (>72,000 ya) fauna from Sibudu Cave. In addition to characterizing variation in human hunting behavior within and between the two periods, the project had two larger goals. First, to explore whether the data were consistent with hypotheses linking the appearance of the SB to environmental change. No significant changes in the relative frequency of open vs. closed dwelling species were identified, with species preferring closed habitats predominant throughout. This suggests that at Sibudu, the onset of the SB was not correlated with climate change. Secondly, data collected during this project will be combined with lithic and faunal data from later deposits at Sibudu in order to explore the relationship between subsistence and technological change spanning from the pre-SB through the post-Howiesons Poort MSA (~58,000 ya).
    [Show full text]
  • Agricultural Practices in Ancient Macedonia from the Neolithic to the Roman Period
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by International Hellenic University: IHU Open Access Repository Agricultural practices in ancient Macedonia from the Neolithic to the Roman period Evangelos Kamanatzis SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts (MA) in Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Studies January 2018 Thessaloniki – Greece Student Name: Evangelos Kamanatzis SID: 2201150001 Supervisor: Prof. Manolis Manoledakis I hereby declare that the work submitted is mine and that where I have made use of another’s work, I have attributed the source(s) according to the Regulations set in the Student’s Handbook. January 2018 Thessaloniki - Greece Abstract This dissertation was written as part of the MA in Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Studies at the International Hellenic University. The aim of this dissertation is to collect as much information as possible on agricultural practices in Macedonia from prehistory to Roman times and examine them within their social and cultural context. Chapter 1 will offer a general introduction to the aims and methodology of this thesis. This chapter will also provide information on the geography, climate and natural resources of ancient Macedonia from prehistoric times. We will them continue with a concise social and cultural history of Macedonia from prehistory to the Roman conquest. This is important in order to achieve a good understanding of all these social and cultural processes that are directly or indirectly related with the exploitation of land and agriculture in Macedonia through time. In chapter 2, we are going to look briefly into the origins of agriculture in Macedonia and then explore the most important types of agricultural products (i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • The Blackest Night for Aristotle's Account of Emotions
    PART ON E WILL AND EMOTION: THE PHILOSOPHICAL SPECTRUM COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL CCH001.inddH001.indd 5 33/14/11/14/11 88:42:24:42:24 AAMM CCH001.inddH001.indd 6 33/14/11/14/11 88:42:24:42:24 AAMM THE BLACKEST NIGHT FOR ARISTOTLE’S ACCOUNT OF EMOTIONS Jason Southworth Since 2005’s Green Lantern: Rebirth, writer Geoff Johns has told a series of stories leading up to Blackest Night, introducing to the DC Universe a series of six previously unknown color corps in addition to the classic green: red (rage), orange (avarice), yellow (fear), blue (hope), indigo (compassion), and violet (love).1 The members of each corps see the emotion they represent as the most important one and believe that acting out of that emotion is the only appropriate way to behave. The Green Lanterns, on the other hand, represent the triumph of willpower or reason over emotion and seek to overcome and stifl e these emotional states.2 The confl ict between the various lantern corps, while provid- ing an interesting series of stories, also sets the stage for thinking about one of the most long-standing questions in ethics: What role should emotion play in moral reasoning? 7 CCH001.inddH001.indd 7 33/14/11/14/11 88:42:24:42:24 AAMM 8 JASON SOUTHWORTH Color-Coded Morality With the exception of the Indigo Lanterns (who don’t speak a language that can be translated by a Green Lantern power ring, much less your average comics reader), the representa- tives of the new color corps all make the case that acting out their sections of the emotional spectrum is the only way to achieve justice.
    [Show full text]
  • Sacred Places Europe: 108 Destinations
    Reviews from Sacred Places Around the World “… the ruins, mountains, sanctuaries, lost cities, and pilgrimage routes held sacred around the world.” (Book Passage 1/2000) “For each site, Brad Olsen provides historical background, a description of the site and its special features, and directions for getting there.” (Theology Digest Summer, 2000) “(Readers) will thrill to the wonderful history and the vibrations of the world’s sacred healing places.” (East & West 2/2000) “Sites that emanate the energy of sacred spots.” (The Sunday Times 1/2000) “Sacred sites (to) the ruins, sanctuaries, mountains, lost cities, temples, and pilgrimage routes of ancient civilizations.” (San Francisco Chronicle 1/2000) “Many sacred places are now bustling tourist and pilgrimage desti- nations. But no crowd or souvenir shop can stand in the way of a traveler with great intentions and zero expectations.” (Spirituality & Health Summer, 2000) “Unleash your imagination by going on a mystical journey. Brad Olsen gives his take on some of the most amazing and unexplained spots on the globe — including the underwater ruins of Bimini, which seems to point the way to the Lost City of Atlantis. You can choose to take an armchair pilgrimage (the book is a fascinating read) or follow his tips on how to travel to these powerful sites yourself.” (Mode 7/2000) “Should you be inspired to make a pilgrimage of your own, you might want to pick up a copy of Brad Olsen’s guide to the world’s sacred places. Olsen’s marvelous drawings and mysterious maps enhance a package that is as bizarre as it is wonderfully acces- sible.
    [Show full text]
  • Green Lantern Why All the Complaints
    Green Lantern Why All The Complaints Reunionistic Wash naming, his schlemiels delves foraging inaptly. Kris often lots elliptically when formative Mikel trotted unaware and enumerating her mademoiselles. Teodoro remains spermous after August disparts communally or disarticulating any calender. DC heavy hitters; Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. Maybe I am a little biased towards the character and movie, but more importantly, this is my unpopular opinion after all. Are kicking down the two is a traitor and memories of the introduction when an estimate and his eye vol. Kilowog puts on the yellow ring and goes inside to guard the cellblock. Central Power Battery from the Manhunters. Make The Suit Green Or Animated! Superman, he realizes that Fear is not powerful enough to bring order to the universe. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Logo No type for masthead. That must have pushed a lot of warning buttons. Gotham by Midnight Vol. Steve inevitably died before she did. Great work, both of you. Deceased Sinestro Corps members, who now wielded black rings, including Amon Sur, converged on the Sapphires and Sinestros. Fear entity that was taking over Hal, we just had Hal going all power crazy and having the duality of the continuities here is interesting. House of M event, Scarlet Witch managed to warp the reality of the entire Marvel Universe. My only real complaint is that, after nearly a decade, we should have more Earth One books than this.
    [Show full text]
  • British Archaeological Reports
    British Archaeological Reports Gordon House, 276 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7ED, England Tel +44 (0) 1865 311914 Fax +44 (0) 1865 512231 [email protected] www.archaeopress.com TITLES IN PRINT NOVEMBER 2013 BAR INTERNATIONAL SERIES The BAR series of archaeological monographs were started in 1974 by Anthony Hands and David Walker. From 1991, the publishers have been Tempus Reparatum, Archaeopress and John and Erica Hedges. From 2010 they are published exclusively by Archaeopress. Descriptions of the Archaeopress titles are to be found on www.archaeopress.com Publication proposals to [email protected] Sign up to our ALERTS SERVICE Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/Archaeopress. and Twitter www.twitter.com/archaeopress BAR –S99 2001 (1981) The Defence of Byzantine Africa from Justinian to the Arab Conquest An account of the military history and archaeology of the African provinces in the sixth and seventh centuries by Denys Pringle. ISBN 0860541193. £18.00. AVAILABLE ONLY AS PDF DOWNLOAD £18.00 inc VAT. BAR –S545, 1989 Ecology, Settlement and History in the Osmore Drainage, Peru edited by Don S. Rice, Charles Stanish and Philip R. Scarr. ISBN 0 86054 692 6. £42.00. BAR –S546, 1989 Formal Variation in Australian Spear and Spearthrower Technology by B. J. Cundy. ISBN 0 86054 693 4. £13.00. BAR –S547, 1989 The Early Roman Frontier in the Upper Rhine Area Assimilation and Acculturation on a Roman Frontier by Marcia L. Okun. ISBN 0 86054 694 2. £25.00. BAR –S548, 1989 Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology 1989 edited by Sebastian Rahtz and Julian Richards.
    [Show full text]
  • Green Lantern: a Celebration of 75 Years Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    GREEN LANTERN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Gil Kane,Geoff Johns | 400 pages | 27 Oct 2015 | DC Comics | 9781401258191 | English | United States Green Lantern: A Celebration of 75 Years PDF Book He helped finish Michelle It is a good anthology for both the avid and subdued fan alike. Dec 30, SStefania rated it really liked it Shelves: comics , on-actual-paper. It is very inspirational, even if I am not a part of their group. He, his artists, and his writers all have strong backgrounds in science fiction and the pulps. During that time, he also began his comics career Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. For 75 years, members of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lanterns have been taking readers and science fiction fans from one end of the galaxy to the other. A very good choice of stories, maybe except for any Guy Gardner ones, but I'm biased for Guy and he was the only Lantern I knew beforehand. I love reprints like this, and I still think they're valuable for the uninitiated. Alan Scott's old tales are insanely boring, Sinestro used to not have a ring and was lame because of it. His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Matthew rated it it was ok Jun 19, Product Details About the Author. Jul 11, Sarah rated it really liked it. Still worth reading. In response he simply cracks, killing other Lanterns and, eventually, most of the Guardians themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Kingdom of Alexander the Great Ancient Macedonia
    Advance press kit Exhibition From October 13, 2011 to January 16, 2012 Napoleon Hall In the Kingdom of Alexander the Great Ancient Macedonia Contents Press release page 3 Map of main sites page 9 Exhibition walk-through page 10 Images available for the press page 12 Press release In the Kingdom of Alexander the Great Exhibition Ancient Macedonia October 13, 2011–January 16, 2012 Napoleon Hall This exhibition curated by a Greek and French team of specialists brings together five hundred works tracing the history of ancient Macedonia from the fifteenth century B.C. up to the Roman Empire. Visitors are invited to explore the rich artistic heritage of northern Greece, many of whose treasures are still little known to the general public, due to the relatively recent nature of archaeological discoveries in this area. It was not until 1977, when several royal sepulchral monuments were unearthed at Vergina, among them the unopened tomb of Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father, that the full archaeological potential of this region was realized. Further excavations at this prestigious site, now identified with Aegae, the first capital of ancient Macedonia, resulted in a number of other important discoveries, including a puzzling burial site revealed in 2008, which will in all likelihood entail revisions in our knowledge of ancient history. With shrewd political skill, ancient Macedonia’s rulers, of whom Alexander the Great remains the best known, orchestrated the rise of Macedon from a small kingdom into one which came to dominate the entire Hellenic world, before defeating the Persian Empire and conquering lands as far away as India.
    [Show full text]
  • AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC PLACES in SOUTH CAROLINA ////////////////////////////// September 2015
    AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC PLACES IN SOUTH CAROLINA ////////////////////////////// September 2015 State Historic Preservation Office South Carolina Department of Archives and History should be encouraged. The National Register program his publication provides information on properties in South Carolina is administered by the State Historic in South Carolina that are listed in the National Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Register of Historic Places or have been Archives and History. recognized with South Carolina Historical Markers This publication includes summary information about T as of May 2015 and have important associations National Register properties in South Carolina that are with African American history. More information on these significantly associated with African American history. More and other properties is available at the South Carolina extensive information about many of these properties is Archives and History Center. Many other places in South available in the National Register files at the South Carolina Carolina are important to our African American history and Archives and History Center. Many of the National Register heritage and are eligible for listing in the National Register nominations are also available online, accessible through or recognition with the South Carolina Historical Marker the agency’s website. program. The State Historic Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History welcomes South Carolina Historical Marker Program (HM) questions regarding the listing or marking of other eligible South Carolina Historical Markers recognize and interpret sites. places important to an understanding of South Carolina’s past. The cast-aluminum markers can tell the stories of African Americans have made a vast contribution to buildings and structures that are still standing, or they can the history of South Carolina throughout its over-300-year- commemorate the sites of important historic events or history.
    [Show full text]
  • EAA2021 Sessions 14 July-1.Pdf
    ORGANISERS 27th EAA Annual Meeting (Kiel Virtual, 2021) - Sessions Names, titles and affiliations are reproduced as submitted by the session organisers and/or authors. Language and wording were not revised. Technical editing: Kateřina Kleinová (EAA) Design and layout: Kateřina Kleinová (EAA) Design cover page: Janine Cordts (Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte Universität Kiel) European Association of Archaeologists Prague, June 2021 © European Association of Archaeologists, 2021 Tuesday 7 September 2021 #EAA2021 5 UNDERSTANDING PREHISTORIC DEMOGRAPHY Time: 9:00 - 16:30 CEST, 7 September 2021 Theme: 5. Assembling archaeological theory and the archaeological sciences Format: Regular session Organisers: Armit, Ian (University of York) - Damm, Charlotte (University of Tromso) - Črešnar, Matija (University of Ljubljana) ABSTRACTS 9:00 INTRODUCTION 9:15 THE COLOGNE PROTOCOL: ESTIMATING PAST POPULATION DENSITIES Schmidt, Isabell (University of Cologne) - Hilpert, Johanna (Kiel University - CAU) - Kretschmer, Inga (Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Stuttgart) - Peters, Robin (Landschaftsverband Rheinland) - Broich, Manue - Schiesberg, Sara - Vo- gels, Oliver - Wendt, Karl Peter - Zimmermann, Andreas - Maier, Andreas (University of Cologne) 9:30 DWELLINGS, SETTLEMENT ORGANISATION AND POPULATION FLUCTUATIONS: A MULTI-SCALAR CASE STUDY FROM ARCTIC NORWAY Damm, Charlotte (Arctic University of Norway) 9:45 EXPLORING LOCAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS UNDERPINNING REGIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE AMONG HUNTER-FISHER-GATHERERS IN SOUTHWEST COASTAL NORWAY (11,500-4300 CAL BP) Lundström, Victor - Bergsvik, Knut (University Museum, University of Bergen) 10:00 TERRITORIES, STRATEGIES AND TWO GENERATIONS Odgaard, Ulla (Independent researcher) 10:15 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND THE EXPANSION OF AGRICULTURE. ASSESSING THE RADIOCARBON GAPS DURING THE NEOLITHIZATION PROCESS IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN Cortell-Nicolau, Alfredo (Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga. Universitat de València) - Crema, Enrico (Department of Archaeology.
    [Show full text]
  • Adam Bede by George Eliot Book One Chapter I the Workshop with a Single Drop of Ink for a Mirror, the Egyptian Sorcerer Undertak
    Adam Bede by George Eliot Book One Chapter I The Workshop With a single drop of ink for a mirror, the Egyptian sorcerer undertakes to reveal to any chance comer far-reaching visions of the past. This is what I undertake to do for you, reader. With this drop of ink at the end of my pen, I will show you the roomy workshop of Mr. Jonathan Burge, carpenter and builder, in the village of Hayslope, as it appeared on the eighteenth of June, in the year of our Lord 1799. The afternoon sun was warm on the five workmen there, busy upon doors and window-frames and wainscoting. A scent of pine-wood from a tentlike pile of planks outside the open door mingled itself with the scent of the elder-bushes which were spreading their summer snow close to the open window opposite; the slanting sunbeams shone through the transparent shavings that flew before the steady plane, and lit up the fine grain of the oak panelling which stood propped against the wall. On a heap of those soft shavings a rough, grey shepherd dog had made himself a pleasant bed, and was lying with his nose between his fore-paws, occasionally wrinkling his brows to cast a glance at the tallest of the five workmen, who was carving a shield in the centre of a wooden mantelpiece. It was to this workman that the strong barytone belonged which was heard above the sound of plane and hammer singing-- Awake, my soul, and with the sun Thy daily stage of duty run; Shake off dull sloth..
    [Show full text]