Archaeologists uncover 2,200-year-old Gymnasium rent agreement in Turkey and ...

Maybe this is just more evidence of my inner geek, but I find things like those in this article fascinating and intriguing. They open many questions and answer many more. For instance, in Turkey 2,200 years ago, according to the tablet, property registered as a religious place, it's owners were exempted from tax -- similar to how our current tax code establishes here in the US, 22 centuries later.

Archaeologists uncover 2,200-year-old Gymnasium rent agreement in Turkey and its pretty extensive

[...]
Experts say the tablet is the most extensive of its kind found in Anatolia, Turkey. According to a report in Turkish news agency DHA, it includes details of the land, its owners, tenants and the punishment on failure to comply with the terms.

Experts working at the excavation site say the agreement sheds light on the 'the many aspects of ancient cities, including their social, administrative and religious structure.'

The 'one of its kind' lease tablet, written on a marble stella, is 1.5 meters in length and consists of 58 lines.

[...]

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Any other students of antiquity, professional or hobbyist, here at DP?

Beaudreaux said:

Maybe this is just more evidence of my inner geek, but I find things like those in this article fascinating and intriguing. They open many questions and answer many more. For instance, in Turkey 2,200 years ago, according to the tablet, property registered as a religious place, it's owners were exempted from tax -- similar to how our current tax code establishes here in the US, 22 centuries later.

Archaeologists uncover 2,200-year-old Gymnasium rent agreement in Turkey and its pretty extensive


Any other students of antiquity, professional or hobbyist, here at DP?

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Well done reading that...

Goes to show that we aren't really that much different from the ancients.

I was in Pompeii last year and I learned that the Romans had elevators, the system was exactly like what we have today, except that they used humans to turn the wheels of the turbine to get it moving.

I caught part of a National Geographic show on Gobekli Tepe over the weekend. While I don't really follow this kind of thing too much it was pretty fascinating that it was built 11,000 years or so ago.

PoS said:

Goes to show that we aren't really that much different from the ancients.

I was in Pompeii last year and I learned that the Romans had elevators, the system was exactly like what we have today, except that they used humans to turn the wheels of the turbine to get it moving.

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They had nearly unending access to human power.

But Pompeii was a great visit. A little hot in the sun, but really good.

Beaudreaux said:

Maybe this is just more evidence of my inner geek, but I find things like those in this article fascinating and intriguing. They open many questions and answer many more. For instance, in Turkey 2,200 years ago, according to the tablet, property registered as a religious place, it's owners were exempted from tax -- similar to how our current tax code establishes here in the US, 22 centuries later.

Archaeologists uncover 2,200-year-old Gymnasium rent agreement in Turkey and its pretty extensive


Any other students of antiquity, professional or hobbyist, here at DP?

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Very interested. It seems every time we find another significant shard, the whole picture of what we thought to be true has to change. The longer I live, now pressing on 70, the more I realize we don't know ****.

Beaudreaux said:

Maybe this is just more evidence of my inner geek, but I find things like those in this article fascinating and intriguing. They open many questions and answer many more. For instance, in Turkey 2,200 years ago, according to the tablet, property registered as a religious place, it's owners were exempted from tax -- similar to how our current tax code establishes here in the US, 22 centuries later.

Archaeologists uncover 2,200-year-old Gymnasium rent agreement in Turkey and its pretty extensive


Any other students of antiquity, professional or hobbyist, here at DP?

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Of there is a significant dig anywhere in the vicinity I am I will usually go and have a look.

Fearandloathing said:

Very interested. It seems every time we find another significant shard, the whole picture of what we thought to be true has to change. The longer I live, now pressing on 70, the more I realize we don't know ****.

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Exactly. Each year, long held beliefs in what is thought were the facts, are changed by ever increasing knowledge uncovered by new discoveries of our past.

joG said:

Of there is a significant dig anywhere in the vicinity I am I will usually go and have a look.

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I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer at Jamestowne Island Settlement for a month, a few years back. It was a wonderful experience and I was honored to be able to add to the effort.

Bodhisattva said:

Well done reading that...

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It's on of my secret super powers, so Shhhhh... don't tell anyone.

Beaudreaux said:

Exactly. Each year, long held beliefs in what is thought were the facts, are changed by ever increasing knowledge uncovered by new discoveries of our past.

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Which should come at no surprise. Just think about all that is lost. Sacking and pillaging of cities, libraries and monestary's. Burning everything to the ground. All those documents and relics lost. Surprised we know as much as we do.

Bodhisattva said:

Which should come at no surprise. Just think about all that is lost. Sacking and pilkaging of cities, libraries and monestary's. Burning everything to the ground. All those documents and reics lost. Surprised we know as much as we do.

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Very true. One more sad result of human disaster. However, if not for certain disasters, such as what devastated Pompeii, we may never have had the opportunity to see the well preserved history from that far back in time. Also, buried loot from Roman conquests has been discovered in mainland Europe and the British Isles in recent years that's given us well preserved examples of pottery, art, coinage, metalwork, textiles, and writings.

(Threadstart Post):

Beaudreaux said:

Maybe this is just more evidence of my inner geek, but I find things like those in this article fascinating and intriguing. They open many questions and answer many more. For instance, in Turkey 2,200 years ago, according to the tablet, property registered as a religious place, it's owners were exempted from tax -- similar to how our current tax code establishes here in the US, 22 centuries later.

Archaeologists uncover 2,200-year-old Gymnasium rent agreement in Turkey and its pretty extensive


Any other students of antiquity, professional or hobbyist, here at DP?

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Thank you for the interesting link.

I hope you will desist semi-apolgetically calling yourself a "geek" on account of your commendable intellectual interests.

It is the yahoos and the bozarts of the world, who have no such interests, who should be doing all the apologizing.


(Post #12):

Beaudreaux said:

Exactly. Each year, long held beliefs in what is thought were the facts, are changed by ever increasing knowledge uncovered by new discoveries of our past.

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Can you give some examples of this? Your link contains none.

My impression has always been that archeology tends much more to to confirm rather than contradict long-held beliefs, which were, after all, not dreamed up, but were based mostly on the surviving written record.

The recently dicovered remains of English king Richard III provide a striking example. (The remains provided enough DNA material to make a confident identifiation). Tradition since his death has always had it that he had a pronounced skeletal deformity. Some authorities considered this to have been slander concocted by his enemies. However, the physical evidence decisively affirms tradition's accuracy.

See link:

University of Leicester Article with Photgraphs of Richard III's Skeletal Remains


A suprise that the DNA did turn up was what genetic anthropology referrs to as possible "non-paternity". i.e. Richard's biological father may not have been the same person as his legal father.

See link:

BBC: Richard III's DNA throws up infidelity surprise
(from link):

In 2012, scientists extracted genetic material from the remains discovered on the former site of Greyfriars Abbey, where Richard was interred after his death in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

Their analysis shows that DNA passed down on the maternal side matches that of living relatives, but genetic information passed down on the male side does not...

The instance of female infidelity, or cuckolding, could have occurred anywhere in the numerous generations separating Richard III from the 5th Duke of Beaufort (1744-1803), whose living descendants provided samples of male-line DNA to be compared against that of Richard.

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Beaudreaux said:

I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer at Jamestowne Island Settlement for a month, a few years back. It was a wonderful experience and I was honored to be able to add to the effort.

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Outstanding of you!

Your first-hand exoerience as an archaeologist would make a good thread. I hope you will consider telling us more.

Fearandloathing said:

Very interested. It seems every time we find another significant shard, the whole picture of what we thought to be true has to change. The longer I live, now pressing on 70, the more I realize we don't know ****.

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How did the OP "shard" "change" anything?

And to say we don't know **** is proof intellectual development arrested at the Junior High School level, or earlier.

I am pushing 70 myself, and it is obvious to me, as it should be to everyone, that we know a vast amount, and we add to it daily sometimes in great leaps, much more usually in smaller steps.

USViking said:

How did the OP "shard" "change" anything?

And to say we don't know **** is proof intellectual development arrested at the Junior High School level, or earlier.

I am pushing 70 myself, and it is obvious to me, as it should be to everyone, that we know a vast amount, and we add to it daily sometimes in great leaps, much more usually in smaller steps.

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I can't believe you wasted your time posting that.

Fearandloathing said:

I can't believe you wasted your time posting that.

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There is nothing wasteful about grinding up a yahoo-bozart post,
such as yours, which has wormed its way into a thoughful conversation.

Now that you have been set straight it might be a good idea to repeat
what I said with greater emphasis. Your attention span could probably
use the boost:

How did the OP "shard" "change" anything?

And to say we don't know **** is proof intellectual development arrested at the Junior High School level, or earlier.

I am pushing 70 myself, and it is obvious to me, as it should be to everyone, that we know a vast amount, and we add to it daily sometimes in great leaps, much more usually in smaller steps.

And maybe the bold red lettering will cue you in to the fact that you would
have some answering to do if there was actually a rational answer available.

USViking said:

There is nothing wasteful about grinding up a yahoo-bozart post,
such as yours, which has wormed its way into a thoughful conversation.

Now that you have been set straight it might be a good idea to repeat
what I said with greater emphasis. Your attention span could probably
use the boost:

How did the OP "shard" "change" anything?

And to say we don't know **** is proof intellectual development arrested at the Junior High School level, or earlier.

I am pushing 70 myself, and it is obvious to me, as it should be to everyone, that we know a vast amount, and we add to it daily sometimes in great leaps, much more usually in smaller steps.

And maybe the bold red lettering will cue you in to the fact that you would
have some answering to do if there was actually a rational answer available.

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No the bold is just annoying. I don't either boring or annoying and you provide both.

Good bye.

Beaudreaux said:

Maybe this is just more evidence of my inner geek, but I find things like those in this article fascinating and intriguing. They open many questions and answer many more. For instance, in Turkey 2,200 years ago, according to the tablet, property registered as a religious place, it's owners were exempted from tax -- similar to how our current tax code establishes here in the US, 22 centuries later.

Archaeologists uncover 2,200-year-old Gymnasium rent agreement in Turkey and its pretty extensive


Any other students of antiquity, professional or hobbyist, here at DP?

Click to expand...

Even in THOSE days a lease had to be interpreted by a lawyer!