Unit journals can get interesting sometimes.

Also, I think this could be worthy of its own meta thread (or something of the sort), but does anyone think that a "standards weren't as strict back then" disclaimer could be implemented when users are looking for old answers to questions? Threads like this and this come to mind; some of the top answers given are basically wrong, or are filled with pop history that misses critical information, that when not considered, gives the reader the wrong impression.

As some of you may have noticed, I really enjoy answering questions related to food in Mesoamerica. Personally, I love to cook and cook new things from a variety of different cuisines. So understanding the foods people ate in the past helps me to connect and understand those that came before us. Today, as I was reading Carl Sauer and Donald Brand's Aztatlán prehistoric Mexican frontier on the Pacific coast (1932), I was treated to some new information on the foods of West Mexico that I had not previously known. To be fair, the source they cite is one that I have been meaning to read but have not yet read. Sauer and Brand largely cite Antonio Tello's Cronica Miscelanea de la Sancta Provincia de Xalisco, Libro Segundo, Vols. I y II a 17th century manuscript containing important information on the peoples of Western Mexico. Tello, according to Sauer and Brand, had repeated the information recorded by the indigenous author Pantecatl whose original account is currently lost to us. There is definitely uncertainty as to the validity of the information, but some of it appears to be supported by other sources such as the sworn depositions of the soldiers who accompanied Nuño de Guzmán in his destructive entrada through West Mexico. I am going to copy what Sauer and Brand have written in their book on the foods grown and eaten by the Contact peoples of Nayarit and Sinaloa (pages 51 to 54). I know many of the names, places, and events will be unfamiliar to you all, but I hope you find it fascinating nonetheless.

OBSERVATIONS ON MATERIAL CULTURE IN CONTEMPORARY DOCUMENTS

The scale of agriculture has been suggested in the ample supply of provisions that Guzmán's army found. There is no mention whatsoever of irrigation. Guzman reports from Omitlán that three crops of maize were raised annually, a condition that still holds for the flood plains of Nayarit. Maize, calabasas or squash, and frijoles were the principal crop throughout. Cotton was generally grown and provided the principal clothing of the population. The district of Culiacan was claimed by Flores as the most abounding in maize, frijoles, and peppers (aji). Ponce reported the cultivation of the egg plant. Lopez stated that "the whole land is virtually of one sort, has a great supply of food, bears fruits, ciruelas (plums?) and guayabas (guavas) and guamuchiles in great abundance, and some black zapotes." As to the mode of farming Pantecatl asserted

that in the days of their heathendom, they had no other manner of sowing than by making clearings in monte-covered places, and when that which they had cut was dried out they set fire to it (this taking place at the beginning of the rainy season). They made holes in which they put the seed of maize or cotton, covered it with earth, and because it was moist and there were always clouds, the seed sprouted, grew and gave abundant harvest from small seedling.

Fowls were domesticated and were an important food in the southern districts. They were ordinarily called gallinas, at times "fowls of Mexico." There is also reference to ducks, to fowls "like those of Castile." Samaniego returned to the desolate camp at Aztatlán from Chametla with a hundred and fifty porters loaded with fowls. Before the flood there had been fowls at Aztatlán in such numbers it was "a strange sight to behold". North of the Piaxtla, which was a culture line, the gallinas were few. Lopez complains of the Culiacan valley, "there are few flows in it; I do not know if that came about because they ate them, knowing that were coming, because there was one pueblo in which I found four gallinas killed and plucked." The other witnesses however all report a diminution in gallinas in the north. There can be little doubt that domesticated fowls are being described, and that in good part they were turkeys. The variety of terms used however suggests that more than one kind of bird may have been domesticated. At present chachalacas (ortalis) are kept to some extent. There is also some possibility that the chicken-like creature of the south may have been a domesticated curassow. There is one notation from the south of dogs as food. In invading the lagoon pueblo south of Aztatlán, which is thought to be at the Laguna of Pescadores, the Indian allies found "many dogs of which the amigos loaded as many as they could carry."

The domestication of bees is reported by Oviedo (Chametla in particular) as follows:

Their second interest and a very general one is to raise swarms of bees, and they keep them suspended in the houses; and in place of hives (which they do not have) they take as containers for the bees a part of a tree trunk, which they hollow out, in the matter and size which is employed in Spain for the bark taken from the cork-oak; and in one house they have suspended ten, in another twenty, or thirty, more or less, of such beehives, in which combs and honey of excellent quality are produced . . . . The bees are small, no larger than flies, and are very many, and do not sting nor do hurt, for they are without sting. To get the honey, which they eat and put into their victuals, they have one or two hives set aside for ordinary use (for the rest are kept for the trade in honey and wax, which is merchandise of much significance and secures for them other items that these Indians do not produce). By a certain opening in the hive, from which they take out a plug, they insert a wooden tube made for this purpose, through which there are distilled and drained two or four quarts (1-2 acumbres) of honey or whatever amount they wish, without destroying the hive or causing damage or disturbance to the bees; and as there are many swarms, thus there is also a very great quantity of very good wax secure.

At Culiacan “ciruelos were abundant as olives in Andalucia and the Indains made wine thereof.” Maguey was used for conserves and for making pulque in the northern district. Pulque is unknown in this section at present. Fish and shell fish were used in great quantities than at present is probably to be thus explained. An interesting note is supplied concerning the clever inhabitants of the north, who has stretched at Horaba (Lower San Lorenzo” “a weir (zarzo) of cane across the river and set in it a contrivance (ingenio) to take fish which, though there had been there another Seville, would have sufficed to supply the population.” Salt making was noted only from the Rio Elota to which they gave the name of La Sal because of “muchos montones de sal.”

Leather was produced especially from cayman skins, in part used for covering shields. There was other leather “like cowhide,” which Guzman supposed might be made from tapirs (javali?). A plain of vacas is mentioned near Chametla, but what animal is meant is not known. Cotton was woven into mantas for the men and camisas for the women, and they were said to be well clothed, especially in the northern country. Ponce reported in the town of Jalisco the women wearing something like a bishop’s cloak, with two large points, one in front and one behind, worked in blue and white, and said that the same dressed was worn in Sentispeac and Acaponeta and even by the “Chichimec” Indians of the sierra, the cloak being almost the same as was customary in Nicaragua. The plumage of birds was much used for personal decoration, in particular for headdress. Shells, pearls, gold, silver, copper bells, and turquoise were used as ornaments. Tello makes the claim that Guzman demanded of “the cacique of Sentispac four hundred cane internodes filled with gold in grains and four hundred pieces of silver, all of which were sent, the silver being in square pieces smelted by fire.” In another connection he asserts that the gold and silver was received by the lowland chief as tribute from the highlanders. The Spaniards at first exclaimed about the gold used in girdles and headdress, but shortly murmured at the lack of plunder in precious metals. Torquemada said that the coastal section was poor in silver, “but in part very rich in pearls and there was also much gold in the rivers in those days, and our people seized it, with hurt and death to the Indian natives.”

Ya dawg, is there like a, history of professional historians?
Who were the first people to have a full time career devoted to studying and documenting history? Are any original techniques, cataloging systems, etc still used in some form today?
Who are some really cool pioneering historians?
am I still banned from here?

Week 12

There is a sort of dissonance between the words men had written to their living, and our realization those men had died long since.

While we can argue that letters and diaries are a useful source of historical information; that they can provide confirmation on how an event was perceived by the people, or on the event itself taking place; that they reveal what people were thinking, what they talked about, jokes and little stories, births and deaths and sickness; that too they create the background to the full sound, the tone and music of a lost age. That, in short, there's plenty of good reasons for a historian to collect and study letters. Letters are hardly ever written with the purpose of being representative – to which we may follow by asking ourselves: when does a letter revert to its original nature? When do we begin to accept those words as if they were addressed to us?

I had begun with interpolating comments and explanations; they weren't good enough, so I left them out, since I believe these words to be self-explanatory – I have moved any comment for context to end notes. If you are interested, I'd try to read it first as it is, skipping notes.

One last thing I feel the need to say: depending on you sensibility, while I'd like you to read this obviously, you may not want to read it right now. It's sort of heavy.

*I am tasked with looking for our friend's address, and see who's better to send the sad news to. […] I pass through his letters, but I feel overawed. I can't bring myself to intrude in that small secret life. My friend soon appears so different from the person I had known.*^3

*A few days ago, news came that made us shiver, and even more curse the casualness of emperor Wilhelm, who in his unmitigated conceit and arrogance, has unleashed such scourge and ruin over all Europe. […] True, the events of the war seem to be favorable to him, for now. But who knows if some day, before it all ends, his pride might fall under some tremendous blow […] and what a great day that might be, that we too would participate in the works of justice by assaulting that accursed Austria that so much pain has inflicted, and still does, onto our unredeemed brothers.*^2

*I am judged a wealthy privileged who lives and will live above life, while my only desire would be that of living it, in full, to really experience it. Those who have means are always cast – perhaps with reason – almost into the bunch of parasites, that have no right to speak of “life”. It saddens me: but this sadness must turn into a stimulus to truly and honestly live life, every day.*^20

*I have great news for you: I have been declared able to serve in the Alpine Corps. I feel a deep content. I'm happy, cheerful […] that I can at last shout with my head straight: viva l'Italia!*^5

We gave those leaving a nice lunch; than we had thought of a bit of celebration; but we couldn't, joy was not heartfelt, laughter was not sincere […] and we walked with them to the station, in full equipment, fraught, sack, cartridges, rifle and shiny bayonet^7

*I am looking forward to tell you that my battalion is being assigned to the front line. […] Don't be afraid. It's good enough in the trenches and we have cover from enemy's bullet when they come. Night time is a bit sad. Nothing to fear though. We got used to it and it doesn't affect us.*^13

*Still, what misery to think that the best, the strongest youth, is the one who has to sacrifice themselves for love of their Motherland!*^2

I woke up, picked up my sack and walked with my battalion towards the major Alps. I am cheerful, happy under this heavy burden. The enlightened front of the mountains in the sun, crowned of shiny clouds, gray as steel and golden as honey, with its spruce woods, its waterfalls, is enough to fill my soul with joy^14

*We stopped under a steeping rock, high towards the sky, in a bed of tiny pink flowers. We sung, laughed, talked to the snow, the stones, the clouds, the sun, the sky.*^14

*I am writing this to give you the good news. Tonight all the officials are leaving; therefore this year no finals!*^11

*If you knew the effect that up here have those dear letters! They come every evening towards half past five, when works stop and men have some rest. Everyone grabs their packet and runs away, apart from others; and there your heart almost swells and you feel like you can't open your letters and you wait […] to continue those moments of intimate joy. And finally you do, and then you stay long moments, lost over the white striped valley, her noises nothing but a confuse murmur.*^5

*Take this postcard as a voucher for a promotion, to be given, in my honor and for the good offices of my soul, to the first ass you'll examine after you receive it […] PS Pass everyone, don't waste time: the more they know, the worst they become!*^11

*That very morning […] I was thinking over the letter I was going to write, telling how I had lost my battalion among the bushes […] trying the best words to make him laugh. […] And then suddenly a horse that run at me, my brother screaming...*^11

*Is it obsession, is it fanaticism, this thing that moves me? I think it might be vanity […] that vanity that pushed the early Christians to get themselves killed for the joy of dying for the Christ. […] I know that I can't persuade you that I am right in doing so, to walk towards death. Forgive me, at least you, if my mother won't.*^4

*I had only one duty: that of enlisting. I am tall enough and large enough, and developed for strength and intelligence, if not for age; I feel strong enough to tolerate the strains and hardships of a war. I think one shouldn't pose as interventionist for nine months just to stay at home when the time finally comes.*^17

Hey I thought I'd ask here rather than make a post. I'm looking for a good book on the Eastern Front (WW2) from the German perspective. I've read a few books from the reading list on this sub, but the summaries make all seven of them seem to be written from or concentrating on the Soviet perspective.

I've read "Blood Red Snow" by Gunter Koschorrek, but I'm looking for a more operational overview rather than a memoir.

Websites to learn more history? I want to learn more about history, I went to school but I feel like I did what I needed to do to pass and now that the tests are over I don’t remember much other than the big events. I’m mostly looking for textbook-like information, not blogs or anything that involves a person telling me how they (or I need to) feel about it. I don’t care if it’s dry reading. I’m aware I can google this and I have, I just want to know your favorites and highly rated ones? Or well if you have books to recommend go for it. Thanks 😊

Is there a way to know how frequently did mercenaries get paid besides the plunder in campaign during the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic ages?

How did Persia manage to extract from only his own country 11000 horsemen and 11000 footmen? And how could Cappadocia two centuries after draft 15000 horsemen into a battle? Are these numbers of horsemen even feasible unless the nobles have really less land and are therefore not so powerful, hinting perhaps at some more egalitarian society between nobles and peasants?

I don't know if I can ping some historian here to answer me?