Follow us on NEWSLETTER FAR HORIZONS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL TRIPS Volume 19, Number 1 • Spring 2014 Published Erratically by Far Horizons • P.O. Box 2546 • San Anselmo, CA 94979 USA

(800) 552-4575 • (415) 482-8400 • fax (415) 482-8495 • www.farhorizons.com • email: [email protected]

FEATURED Dear Travelers, JOURNEYS There is probably no other area on this planet where our understanding of past history is changing so fast as in Cambodia. Many of the discoveries mirror that of another powerful rain forest society, the ancient Maya of Travel with Bob Brier! Mexico and Central America. To understand the similarities of the Khmer Join Bob on one of his four trips – Majesty of Egypt and the Maya, we have confirmed the celebrated Mayanist, Michael D. features private visits to tombs that are closed to the Coe, and the deputy director of the Greater Angkor Project (GAP), Damian public, including the gloriously painted Nefatari’s final Evans, to join us onboard a privately-chartered luxurious river vessel with resting place and the chamber high in the Great only 12 cabins to cruise up the mighty Mekong River from the Vietnam Pyramid. On Oases of Egypt , explore the six verdant spring-fed oases: Siwa, Dakhla, Bahariya, Farafra, delta to the unique environment of Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, the huge lake Karga, and the Fayoum. Or join Undiscovered Egypt that swells to cover one fifth of the country during the monsoons. As we to view areas of Egypt that even savvy tourists do not search for out-of-the-way pagodas and gracefully incised sanctuaries, these see - Alexandria; remote areas of Saqqara to view eminent scholars will enlighten and entertain us with stories of these great some of Egypt’s most isolated and spectacular royal civilizations. Save the dates - November 9 - 25, 2015! mortuary temples; Meidum; Beni Hasan Abydos, and Amarna, to spend a day with local archaeologists. Then Our first trip to Sudan returned a month ago, and group members have board a dahabiya, a beautiful private yacht, for a four been raving about the exciting temples to be seen there. Don’t miss joining day sail down river with stops to examine several glorious sanctuaries along the way. Finally, learn about Bob Brier and Patricia Remler in January 2015 when a group will again the Nubians in Sudan January 4 - 17, 2015. travel into the deserts of northern Sudan. Bob is a Great Courses (formerly Teaching Company ) lecturer. As you go through our schedule of trips, you The Archaeology will find many of our study leaders are lecturers for the same company – of the Yucatan Tom Noble, Steven Tuck, Bill Cook, Alexis Castor, Bob Bucholtz, Garrett Fagan. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from these outstanding scholars while viewing the actual masterpieces of architecture, religion, and art you have been studying at home. You may ask, what is archaeoastronomy? This study of the beliefs and practices concerning astronomy that existed in prehistoric cultures frequently can be seen in alignments of former cities, within shrines and in rock art. Dr. E.C. Krupp, the director of Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory, will take us on two truly unique journeys: September 27 - October 15, 2014 traverse Central Asia - Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan , and then September 12 - 27, 2015, delve into the remote areas of the Western Asia Transcaucasus - Armenia, northwestern Iran and eastern Turkey - both in search of astronomical features in archaeological remains. Deep in the remote southern area along the border with Guatemala, recent excavations have exposed remains I hope you enjoy our latest newsletter and will pass it along to friends. of pyramids and cities that until recently, were nearly And keep watching our blog where you can read tales from our travelers, impossible to visit. Hieroglyphic texts found here are along with ‘ DID YOU KNOW ?’ where we post interesting tidbits on the changing our knowledge of the Maya by giving us latest archaeological and historic discoveries. history that has been hidden for more than one thousand years. Of course, a trip to this area would not be complete without visits to Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Happy travels, and Tulum, and we will see them. Explore Calakmul, Dzibanché, Muyil, Balamkú, Ek Balam, Santa Rosa Xtampak, and more. Led by Maya writing specialist, Mary Dell Lucas Stanley Guenter. February 14 - 25, 2015. Founding Director AA VVooyyaaggee TThhrroouugghh HHiissttoorryy

By Garrett Fagan What do the ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates, the Knights of St. John, and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have in common? Well, this: we’ll be visiting sites connected with all three on the wonderful Voyage Through History tour. Traveling on a private yacht – a traditional Turkish wooden boat called a gulet – we visit four Greek islands and various sites dotting the spectacular southwestern coast of Turkey.

Among the Greek islands where we stop is Kos, closely associated with the healing god Asklepios and birthplace of Hippocrates, the originator of rational medicine. Whereas the cult of Asklepios involved healing by means of divine visions combined with remedial regimens prescribed by priests, Hippocrates pioneered the close observation and documentation of patients’ symptoms, insisting that illness stemmed from natural, not supernatural sources. With this Travel with Professor Fagan on insistence, medical treatment started its long march from Voyage through History , ancient supersition to its modern, scientific form. September 28 - October 11, 2014.

We also visit Rhodes, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the marvelous 100-foot high bronze statue The host city of another Wonder, the Mausoleum of of the sun god Helios, raised by Chares of Lindos in 280 BCE. Halicarnassus, was also a base for the Knights of St. John. Contrary to popular imaginings, the Colossus did not bestride Located on the Turkish mainland, Bodrum is the jumping off the harbor entrance, but likely stood inland in the sanctuary point for our tour, but we return to the magnificent Turkish of Helios, near where the Grand Master of the Knights of St. coastline after touring the Greek islands and visit a series John’s palace is today. The Colossus stood for a mere 54 years of spectacular sites with dramatic histories – places like before it collapsed in an earthquake and lay there, broken at Myra, Xanthos, and Telmessos – with plenty of options for the knees, as a tourist attraction until an Arab merchant carted swimming in the azure waters of the eastern Aegean. it away for scrap in the 7th century CE. History has never been so alluring!

2 • www.farhorizons.com Reported by Nick Card, The Ness of Brodgar Excavations, Project Manager Orkney, Scotland

Described as one of the most important Neolithic discoveries in the last 50 years, the award winning Photo by Hugo Anderson Whymark excavations at the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland are revealing a unique 5,000 year old Neolithic temple complex. Situated in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, the Ness is surrounded by several iconic prehistoric monuments: the stone circles of the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness, and Maeshowe, the finest chambered tomb in Europe. Ongoing work each summer by the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology has uncovered a large walled precinct enclosing several monumental decorated stone buildings, representing some of the oldest architecture in Europe and rivalling the famous temples in Malta. An equally impressive assemblage of Neolithic decorated pottery, art and polished stone tools compliment these structures. These discoveries are challenging many of our perceptions of Neolithic life – and yet less than 10% of the site has so far been investigated – what wonders still await discovery! The excavations can be followed on www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/ nessofbrodgar/ or through the American Friends of the Ness of Brodgar on Facebook.

Visit the Ness of Brodgar as a special guest of Nick Card on Far Horizons’ trip to Scotland, August 2 - 17, 2014. Silk Road Connections By Jenny Rose As the easternmost stop on the so-called Silk Road, Xi’an is to China from religious the logical starting point for anyone wishing to explore the persecution under the Persian history of this famous trade route. It was one of four great Zoroastrians – just as some ancient Chinese capitals, particularly important for the Han of those Zoroastrians and Tang dynasties, although perhaps best known as the later took refuge in location of the “Terracotta Warriors” that guard the tomb the Tang court after the arrival of Islam in Iran. of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of a unified China. Indeed, Xi’an is an apt place to begin an exploration of the A couple of weeks ago, I spent the morning visiting a astonishingly multi-faceted society that existed in northern fascinating exhibition at the Natural History Museum China over a millennium ago, and that continues to have of Los Angeles entitled “Traveling the Silk Road.” The an impact today. exhibition follows the flow of merchants and scholars - commodities and concepts - along the ancient trade routes As the study leader for the Far Horizons China Silk Road in beginning at the east in the city of Xi’an, North China, October 2014, I am particularly delighted that participants on moving through the oasis town of Turfan in Xinjiang and the our tour will have the opportunity to visit two museums in Sogdian capital of Samarkand in modern Uzbekistan, before Xi’an that display the funerary monuments of Sogdian terminating in Baghdad. The exhibition highlighted the Zoroastrian community leaders, who lived and died in the diversity of religions, musical instruments, languages, artistic city in the 6th century CE. Such artifacts are vivid reminders motifs and technologies (particularly in relation to silk and that Eastern Iranian merchants traveled over 2300 miles paper production) that accompanied those who traversed from their homes in Samarkand or Kesh (Shakhri Sabz) – these routes on camel or on foot… And we will witness this to set up a business in China. Others, who were converts to too as we explore the Silk Road in Western China, starting Buddhism, followed the same route, in order to translate in Xi’an! texts from Sanskrit and Prakrit into Chinese. Yet others – in Travel with Dr. Rose on China: Along particular “Nestorian” Christians and Manichaeans – fled the Silk Road, October 9 - 26, 2014. www.farhorizons.com • 3 The Road to Myanmar By Charlotte Galloway Travelling in Myanmar always includes the unexpected, something new that I call my ‘Burmese day’! My last visit, in September 2013 during the end of the wet season, was no exception. This was the first time I had crossed the Irrawaddy by bridge from Pagan to Pakkoku – what had previously been a slow ferry crossing was now a one hour drive. The major upside was being able to visit temples around Pakkoku and travel to the Archaeology Museum at Pakkangyi in a little more than half a day, which still left plenty of time for more temple visits at Pagan! Other events that have marked a ‘Burmese day’ over the years included a visit to the Three Snake Pagoda near Mandalay – yes, there are three snakes that reside in the main Buddha shrine, and you can touch them! Sometimes I come across a novitiation ceremony where a young boy, dressed as a prince, is paraded around local temples in a procession that concludes with him entering a Buddhist monastery for a short period. This is considered to be an act worthy of great merit, and occurs throughout the country. One year I happened to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda during the Full Moon festival – everyone was there. Families sit in the shade of the pavilions eating their meals, monks gather in groups, and are always interested in talking to foreigners, people make offerings to the many Buddha shrines, and gather for prayer, others circumambulate the main shrine, sweeping the ground before them as an act of merit-making. These are just a few of the delightful unexpected surprises that seem to go hand in hand with a visit to Myanmar. It is always more than visiting historic sites and Buddhist temples – Travel with Dr. Galloway on it is a vibrant place, with histories and cultural traditions that are there to be noticed, the Myanmar: Land of Golden trick is to remember to look. I hope to share a Burmese day with you this December. Pagodas, December 1 - 19, 2014

By Enda O’Flaherty, PhD Treasures There is no doubting that the diverse and gripping cultural and physical landscapes of the island of Ireland are intrinsically intertwined. To the west of the island, the wild and rugged of Ireland Atlantic coastline was once the edge of the known world. The earliest human settlement here dates to the Mesolithic Period, with the islands and inlets of this coast becoming populated by tribal societies though the Bronze and Iron Ages. The landscape forms a dramatic backdrop to some of the most ambitious settlements in Europe; from Dunluce Castle, perched on the edge of a basalt outcropping in Co. Antrim, to Dursey Island Castle – accessed from the mainland by cable car, and crossing a steep sea-gorge filled by the Atlantic Ocean 450 feet below. The western stone forts are a common element of the archaeological remains in the west of Ireland, built as defendable homesteads during the period 500 - 800AD. Architecturally many of the Irish sites are comparable to Iron Age stone forts along the Atlantic seaboard of Western Europe. Dun Aonghasa on the Aran Islands is among the most imposing and impressive fortifications on the west coast. Located 300 feet above the ragging Atlantic, and on the very edge of a sheer cliff-face, radiocarbon dating of food remains found in the inner enclosure date the earliest activity at the site to around 1500BC. The presence of a chevaux de frise for example suggests links with stone forts in Northern Spain, Portugal, Scotland and Wales where this feature also occurs. The arrival of Christianity in Ireland during the first half of the first millennium AD brought a monastic population that sought solitude on this coast. Perhaps the most striking of these ecclesiastical places of solitude are the Skellig Islands, situated 8 miles off the west coast of the Iveragh Peninsula. The monastery's exact date of foundation is not known, though first definite reference to monastic activity on the island is a record of the death of Suibhini of Skelig dating from the 8th century. However, Saint Fionán is claimed to have founded the Explore Ireland monastery in the 6th century. Skellig Michael was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage with Dr. O’Flaherty , List in 1996. July 5 - 20, 2014.

4 • www.farhorizons.com Far Horizons Schedule of Trips All Dates and Prices Subject to Change • Revised 2/20/14 EUROPE & TURKEY Eastern Turkey’s Lost Kingdoms From the mountains of eastern Anatolia, to the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates, to the Cilician plain, experience the history and culture of this crossroad of civilizations. May 16 - 31, 2015 with Professor John France ...... $9,995.00 Glorious Greece Explore both celebrated and more remote remains of the many civilizations that have passed across this land. May 24 - June 7, 2014 with Professor Thomas F. X. Noble ...... $9,495.00 Sicily: Art and Archaeology Learn about the rich history of this beautiful isle with visits to glorious Greek temples, magnificent cathedrals, Roman Amphitheaters, and more! May 16 - 30, 2015 with Professor Alexis Castor ...... $9,995.00 Cathedrals of France Since the Christianization of Europe, cathedrals have served both as centers of ecclesiastical authority and marvels of architectural genius and innovation. Explore the evolution of the Gothic cathedrals, both in Paris and the surrounding area. May 29 - June 8, 2015 with Professor William R. Cook ...... CALL Cyprus, Bodrum, Rhodes and Malta: In the Path of the Crusader Knights After the fall of Jerusalem, the Knights of the Order of Saint John the Hospitaller sought refuge in the Kingdom of Cyprus, and then Rhodes. Two hundred years later, Sultan Suleiman’s forces drove the Knights from that island and they were then established on Malta where they fought pirates instead of the infidels. March 15 - 29, 2015 with Professor John France ...... $8,995.00 + air An Exploration of Wales and England View the remnants of prehistoric, Roman, medieval and industrial sites in Wales and Western England. June 6 - 20, 2014 with Dr. James Bruhn ...... $8,695.00 + air Greek Isles of Myth: Crete, Santorini and the Cyclades Traveling by ferry, embrace the culture of Crete, Santorini, and of the Cycladic islands: Paros, Naxos, and Delos. June 8 - 21, 2014 with Professor Steven L. Tuck ...... $9,595.00 May 17 - 30, 2015 with Study Leader to be Announced ...... $9,795.00 The Archaeology of Ireland Discover mythic fortresses, inspiring monasteries, and forgotten relics that stand as evidence of the astonishingly rich and varied story of the enchanted land of Éire. July 5 - 20, 2014 with Dr. Enda O’Flaherty ...... $8,495.00 + air The Riches of Scotland From the English border to the Orkney Islands, enjoy prehistoric stone circles and chambered tombs, glorious abbeys and cathedrals, and medieval castles. August 2 - 17, 2014 with archaeologist Brian Buchanan ...... $8,495.00 + air July 19 - August 3, 2015 with archaeologist Brian Buchanan ...... $8,695.00 + air Turkish Treasures Enjoy private tours of Hattusha, capital of the Hittites; Troy, and Ephesus. Visit five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Sagalassos, Pergamum, Cappadocia, and more. September 4 - 19, 2015 with Professer Garrett Fagan ...... $9,995.00 An Archaeological Pub Crawl of Great Britain Explore prehistoric stone circles and chambered tombs, walk in the footsteps of Roman armies along Hadrian’s Wall, and savor the view from battlements of medieval castles in remote and beautiful areas of Britain - and rarely be far distant from a source of liquid replenishment. September 14 - 26, 2014 with Dr. James Bruhn ...... $7,995.00 + air Greece & Turkey: a Voyage through History Sail by private yacht from the Turkish coast to the Greek Dodecanese Islands of Kos, Nisyros, Tilos, Simi, Rhodes. September 28 - October 11, 2014 with Professor Garrett Fagan ...... $9,295.00 Turkey: Sail the Sapphire Seas Onboard a private yacht, cruise the southwestern coast of Turkey to explore ancient cities, sunken ruins, fortified castles, and tiny traditional villages. September 26 - October 11, 2015 with study leader to be announced ...... $9,995.00 Armenia, Iran & Turkey: Archaeoastronomy Led by the director of Los Angeles County’s Griffith Observatory, traverse three countries in the Transcaucasus. Visit Göbekle Tepe, Sogmatar, and Nemrud Dag, Qarahunge, Sevsar, Takte-é Soleiman, Marageh Observatory and more, and along the way see how the visions in the sky united ancient peoples. September 12 - 27, 2015 with Dr. E. C. Krupp ...... CALL OCEANIA Chile and Easter Island’s Tapati Festival Immense stone statues, perplexing petroglyphs, vibrant cave paintings, and the Tapati Festival, a time of revelry and of honoring the culture - both past and present. January 29 - February 9, 2015 with Dr. Sidsel Millerström ...... $8,695.00 + air THE MIDDLE EAST & ARABIA The Grandeur of Petra, The Splendors of Jordan View celebrated mosaics of Madaba; Roman Jerash; elegant Umayyad fortress-palaces; the unique statues of ‘Ain Ghazal; and two full days in 2,500 year old Petra. March 15 - 28, 2015 with Professor Gary Rollefson ...... $8,995.00 Iran: Empires of Everlasting Fire Embrace the cultural diversity of Pasargad, Persepolis, Isfahan, Shiraz, and other sites, and witness the way in which previous empires have left their indelible mark. May 12 - 28, 2015 with Dr. Jennifer Rose ...... $9,995.00

(800) 552-4575 • (415) 482-8400 • fax (415) 482-8495 • email: [email protected] • web page: www.farhorizons.com Far Horizons Schedule of Trips All Dates and Prices Subject to Change • Revised 2/20/14

INDIA, ASIA and CHINA Sri Lanka and the Perahera Festival Enjoy the festive processions honoring the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, and visit Anuradhapura, one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka; the Royal Palace in Polonnaruwa; Fortified Galle; the sacred city of Kandy, and Dambulla Cave Temple – all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. August 7 - 24, 2014 with Dr. Ruth Young ...... $9,995.00 Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan: A Journey through Central Asia Follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Genghiz Khan, Marco Polo, and Tamerlane. Experience Merv, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand. September 27 - October 15, 2014 with Dr. E. C. Krupp ...... $10,995.00 China: Along the Silk Road Mogao Caves’ ornate Buddhist paintings, the world’s oldest continuous market in Kashgar, the Taklamakan Desert, Turpan, Kuqa and Urumqi and so much more. October 9 - 26, 2014 with Dr. Jennifer Rose ...... $9,995.00 Burma (Myanmar) Land of the Golden Pagodas - Yangon, Mrauk-U, Pindaya Caves, Inle Lake, and Bagan where more than two thousand spires rise above the horizon December 1 - 19, 2014 with Dr. Charlotte Galloway ...... $8,395.00 + air South India: Temples and Traditions From Hampi to Karaikudi to Tanjore, the temples visited contain some of the greatest architectural and sculptural achievements in India. January 1 - 18, 2015 with Professor Daud Ali ...... $10,995.00 Angkor Wat and Laos Historically-rich Cambodia and Laos including six full days at Angkor, and in Laos, see Vat Phou, Vientiane, and the World Heritage city of Luang Prabang. January 4 - 20, 2015 with Dr. Damian Evans ...... $10,995.00 Vietnam & Cambodia: The Mekong by Private Yacht Onboard a privately chartered river vessel with only 12 cabins, learn of the similarities of the Maya and the Khmer civilizations as told by Drs. Coe and Evans as we cruise up the Mekong from Saigon to Siem Reap. Along the way stop to explore temples, pagodas, and ancient cities, many hidden for centuries and rarely visited. November 9 - 25, 2015 with Professor Michael D. Coe and Dr. Damian Evans ...... CALL EGYPT AND AFRICA Ethiopia: The Wonders of the Horn of Africa Ethiopians developed a sophisticated culture based on a deep love of Christianity. Revel in Gondar, Bahir Dar, the Simien Mountains, the underground churches of Lalibela, and colorful Good Friday celebrations in Axum. April 4 - 18, 2015 with Dr. Cinzia Perlingieri ...... $9,695.00 The Oases of Western Egypt Travel through the Great Sand Sea of the western desert to see the six spring-fed oases, Siwa, Dakhla, Bahariya, Farafra, Karga, and the Fayoum. October 3 - 20, 2014 with Professor Bob Brier and Art Historian Patricia Remler ...... $11,995.00 The Majesty of Egyp t Cairo to Luxor to Aswan to Abu Simbel, enter sites closed to the public - the tombs of Seti I and Nefertari, the Red Pyramid, Sakkara’s Unas Temple, and the burial chamber in the Great Pyramid. November 1 - 14, 2014 with Professor Bob Brier and Art Historian Patricia Remler ...... $11,995.00 Sudan: An Exploration of Ancient Kush In northern Sudan in the land of Kush towering pyramids, painted rock-cut tombs, and ornately carved temples await discovery. January 4 - 17, 2015 with Professor Bob Brier and Art Historian Patricia Remler ...... $9,995.00 + air Undiscovered Egypt Explore Tanis, Alexandria, Amarna (with a private tour by the project director), tombs closed to the public, and cruise aboard our own traditional yacht. February 14 - 27, 2015 with Professor Bob Brier and Art Historian Patricia Remler ...... $10,995.00 THE AMERICAS Guatemala: Lost Cities of the Ancient Maya Hidden within the lowland rainforest of the Peten of Guatemala are ancient Maya cities so isolated that they are scarcely ever seen - Cancuen, Dos Pilas, Aguateca, Ceibal, Holmul. Recent discoveries here are proving their importance, and accompanied by a hieroglyphic specialist, you will learn their secret history. January 31 - February 9, 2015 with epigrapher Stanley Paul Guenter ...... $7,395.00 Mexico: The Archaeology of the Yucatan Explore out of the way Maya cities - Santa Rosa Xtampak, Balamku, Dzibanche, Balankanche, and Calakmul. Visit Tulum, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Ek Balam. February 14 - 25, 2015 with epigrapher Stanley Paul Guenter ...... $7,995.00 Capital Cities of the Ancient Maya Copan, Tikal’s towering temples, Yaxchilán, Bonampak’s murals, and Palenque. Spend two days in the colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas. March 1 - 13, 2015 with study leader to be announced ...... $7,895.00 In the Path of the Snake Kingdom: El Mirador, La Corona, Holmul Fly by helicopter to La Corona, Waqa, and El Mirador, and then to Holmul and learn how hieroglyphic texts proclaim the power of the mighty Ka’an, or Snake Kingdom. April 4 - 10, 2015 with Professor David Freidel ...... $9,995.00 + air : Inkas & Their Ancestors From the nrothern Moche cities to the highland Inka sites, experience Peru’s past. , Chanquillo, ChanChan, , and the . June 18 - July 3, 2014 with Dr. William Sapp ...... $9,395.00 Mexico: Oaxaca’s Day of the Dead Enjoy magical revelries as families welcome the spirits of the departed during their annual visit home. See demonstrations by artists and Oaxaca’s archaeological sites. October 26 - November 3, 2015 with Dr. Khristaan Villela ...... CALL

(800) 552-4575 • (415) 482-8400 • fax (415) 482-8495 • email: [email protected] • web page: www.farhorizons.com Postcard from Turkey

Starstruck in Samarakand

Travel on Far Horizons’ By E.C. Krupp Turkish Treasures, Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles September 6 - 21, 2014. Dear Seth, Prior to the development of engraved metal instruments It’s hard to pick a highlight of our trip to Turkey so far. inscribed with highly accurate scales, astronomers, in Istanbul is an amazing city, full of life and activity. Our cruise their quest for precision, built ever larger measuring on the Bosphorus during sunset was magical, capped off with a arcs. In the fifteenth century, Ulugh Beg constructed the delectable fish dinner on the European waterfront, with the Asian largest meridian arc the world had yet seen, 131 feet seafront as the backdrop. Then we flew to Ankara, the capital, high from the bottom of the arc to the tower roof in and journeyed to Cappadocia, a place where the landscape seems Samarkand. Ulugh Beg was the grandson of Tamerlane, like a scene from a science fiction film. The chimney-like rock who conquered much of Asia, and while still a teenager, formations jet upwards in this arid place and brightly-colored Ulugh Beg was installed as a provincial governor at hot air balloons hover above them in hoards. Here we walked Samarkand. through Byzantine churches cut into the rocks. They are unassuming at first, but once you enter and shed light on the walls, the The observatory Ulugh Beg built in what is now brilliance and beauty of these frescos is awe-inspiring… And Uzbekistan, influenced not only Turkestan and the rest then there’s the Lycian coast where turquoise waters lap gently of the Islamic world, but Europe as well. Some of mod - against the shores of terraced towns filled with fine seafood ern astronomy’s DNA can be traced to Ulugh Beg. From restaurants and a laid back, tranquil atmosphere. measurements made at Samarkand, he compiled a star Perhaps most special has been the private events we have been catalog that tabulated the world’s most accurate posi - fortunate enough to experience as guests of archaeologists at tions for 1018 celestial objects. His work astonished the the three most important projects in the eastern Mediterranean. astronomers of Europe and inspired Jan Hevelius, in At Hattusas, the excavation team hosted our group for a BBQ dinner Gdansk, who propelled astronomical observation at the dig house and we were able to pick their brains and learn forward in the 17th century. about the current field season. The next day, the project director It is remarkable anything of Ulugh Beg’s observatory personally accompanied us through the reconstructions and we survives. After he was assassinated by his son in 1449, could see how this fortified city allowed the Hittites to be one of the observatory fell into neglect and ruin. It was lost for the most powerful empires of its time. At Ephesus it is easy to get centuries and not recovered until archaeological investi - lost in the crowds and the stunning architecture of this ancient gation located it in 1908. Today, a subterranean section Greek city. But with one of the archaeologists giving us a private of the enormous meridian arc can still be seen where it tour of the ruins, the crowds faded away and we were able to absorb was originally constructed and used six centuries ago. It the history without impediment, especially when going behind the scenes to view the mosaic floors at the terraced houses. Finally, is a monument of our abiding bond with the sky. I am at Troy - a place whose name is well-known, but where the remains delighted we’ll have this chance to salute Ulugh Beg on can be underwhelming at first glance - the project director made his own astronomical ground. We’ll also try to have a the history come alive with his detailed explanations and stories… look at some of those stars Ulugh Beg mapped. They are some more juicy and fascinating than the Iliad itself! still shining in Central Asia skies. With all we’ve see thus far, one can’t help but wonder if there is anything that Turkey doesn’t have to offer its visitors… Travel with Dr. Krupp on Under Central Asia Skies: Culture and Stars through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, September 27 - October 15, 2014.

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Pat and I have just returned from a spectacular tour of Sudan, the “safe Sudan” in the North—Nubia—a land full of sand, pyramids Memories and ancient sites. Sudan is like what Egypt must have been 150 Memories years ago. There are no guards, no fees, no tourist buses. We toured in eight Toyota trucks—all air-conditioned with seat belts ooff SSuuddaann and excellent drivers. At almost every site, we were the only ones there—imagine having the entire Meroe pyramid field to yourself! Friends, Timothy Kendall and Joyce Haynes, were excavating with a large team at Jebel Barkal, once the Southern dwelling of the Egyptian God Amun. Timothy and Joyce walked us through the site, explaining what they were working on this season. We had plenty of time to ask all the questions we had, and they later joined us for dinner at the Nubian Rest House, a true oasis in the desert. We are looking forward to the January 2015 trip, before tourism finds Sudan and the peace and serenity of the desert sites give way Photos by Steve Stubblefield to tour buses.

(800) 552-4575 • (415) 482-8400 • fax (415) 482-8495 • www.farhorizons.com • email: [email protected]