Month: June 2024

Megaliths

Thought to have been used for purposes ranging from burial chambers to devices that tracked astronomical events, megaliths are the large stones found in the Neolithic through Bronze Age constructions of the world’s indigenous peoples. Though some megalithic structures are made of a single, freestanding stone, those built using multiple stones have stood without mortar or cement for millennia. What African megalith that predates Stonehenge by 1000 years is the oldest known astronomical device? Discuss

The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

The Treaty of Tordesillas divided newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along an agreed-upon meridian approximately halfway between the Cape Verde Islands belonging to Portugal and Cuba and Hispaniola, claimed for Spain by Columbus. The Europeans had actually seen very little of the lands within the territory they were dividing, and the result was that Spain gained most of the Americas while Portugal gained Brazil. What nation invoked the treaty in the 20th century? Discuss

George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (1778)

Brummell was an English dandy and wit who was greatly admired for his fastidious appearance and confident manner. The leader of English fashion of his time, he influenced men of society to wear dark, simply cut clothes, elaborate neckwear, and trousers rather than breeches. After a quarrel with his friend Prince George of Wales, later King George IV, and deeply in debt from gambling, Brummell fled to France, where he lived for 14 years in poverty and squalor. What killed him? Discuss

The Lotus Eaters

In Greek mythology, the Lotophagi, or lotus-eaters, were a race of people from an island near North Africa. Lotus fruits and flowers were the dominant plant life on the island and the primary source of food for its inhabitants, a peaceful, apathetic people calmed by the plant’s narcotic effects. The Lotophagi have long been a popular literary referent, appearing in such works as Homer’s epic the Odyssey, Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Lotus-Eaters,” and what landmark modernist novel? Discuss

Diego Velázquez (1599)

The most celebrated painter of the Spanish school, Velázquez was one of the outstanding artists of the 17th century. His early works were mostly religious or genre scenes. After arriving in Madrid in 1623, he painted a portrait of King Philip IV that won him immediate success and an appointment as court painter. Notable among his portraits is his masterpiece, Las Meninas—The Maids of Honor. Why is there debate about who the true subject of the painting is? Discuss

Courtship

Observed throughout the animal kingdom, courtship is the practice of wooing a member of the opposite sex with the ultimate goal of mating. Animal courtship may involve complicated dances or touching; vocalizations; or displays of beauty or fighting prowess. Humans, meanwhile, have evolved elaborate courtship rituals involving flowers, gifts, songs, poetry, restaurants, and various displays of affection. How has online dating changed traditional courtship roles? Discuss

Denmark Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy (1849)

After a flowering of literature and philosophy in the early 19th century, plans for a liberal, centralized constitution led Danish King Frederick VII to become involved in a war with Prussia over the status of the duchy of Schleswig-Holstein. Denmark was defeated and a new constitution was adopted, ending the absolute monarchy, securing civil rights for citizens, and establishing a bicameral parliament and wide suffrage. How many times has the constitution been rewritten since 1849? Discuss